duncan228
01-21-2010, 12:32 AM
Second-Half Preview: Tracking The Trades, East Race And West’s No. 2 (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-secondhalfpreviewtra&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews
By now, just about every team in the league has run through its first 41 games and, thus, this week it becomes official: We can no longer say we’re in the early part of the season. As Pistons guard Ben Gordon put it, “At some point, you’ve just got to start playing to the level you think you can play at, because it’s going to be too late if you don’t.” That point comes right about now.
The first half was not a pleasure cruise for any team. Even the teams at the top—Cleveland and Boston in the East, the Lakers in the West—have had difficult spells, while at the bottom, the 3-38 Nets are on pace to set the league mark as the worst team in history. But, there’s still a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season.
THREE STORYLINES FOR THE SECOND HALF
1. Swap meet. This figures to be an especially interesting trading deadline, weighted as it is by teams trying to shed salary to position themselves for the upcoming bumper crop of free agents (LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire … you know the names). Some star-caliber players may find their way onto the block because their teams have struggled—Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Devin Harris—while players like Tracy McGrady and Nate Robinson could be on the move because they no longer fit with their franchises.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that even the top teams in the league still feel they’re in need of another piece to improve their championship chances.
“It seems to get a little more interesting every year,” Hawks general manager Rick Sund said. “It was simpler when you were just swapping players. But this year, there are so many other factors.”
2. The top of the East. After a series of big-time moves in the offseason, it seemed likely that in order to win the Eastern Conference, a team would need to be near 70 wins. That’s not happening, though, as age, injuries and difficult chemistry have taken their tolls on the Celtics, Cavaliers and Magic. Now, even the Hawks have slid into the picture. How the East is seeded will have a big impact on who reps the conference in the Finals.
3. A challenge for L.A.? While the Lakers have struggled at times—the bench is weak, Pau Gasol has been injured and they’ve sleepwalked through some games—after 41 games, L.A. still hold a 4 1/2-game lead in the conference. The Spurs and Mavericks have begun to play better but don’t appear to be of championship ilk, while the Blazers seemed to have a chance before injuries to Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw wiped out their size and depth. Denver may, again, run into the Lakers in the West finals.
THREE TEAMS FOR THE SECOND HALF
1. Memphis. The Grizzlies had a miserable start to the season, but they’ve come on lately, using their tough big-man combo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to provide an anchor for young perimeter aces O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Mike Conley. The Grizzlies need to stay healthy and add depth in order to make a real playoff run, but it’s certainly possible. “We help each other out, we believe in each other,” Randolph said. “We’re focusing on the defensive end more, and just trusting ourselves and following the game plan.”
2. Charlotte. The Bobcats never have made a postseason appearance, but they’ve never entered the midway point so comfortably close to the .500 mark. The team struggled through the early part of the season, but as guard Stephen Jackson took on a bigger offensive role—and as Gerald Wallace began posting All-Star numbers—the Bobcats have taken off.
3. Toronto. Despite turning over the roster and signing free-agent swingman Hedo Turkoglu, the Raptors got off to a bad start, but they have been getting things turned around lately and appear likely to be a playoff team. This is especially important because Bosh, having his best season, can be a free agent this summer, and the more promise the Raptors show, the less likely Bosh is to leave.
THREE PLAYERS FOR THE SECOND HALF
1.Kevin Durant, SF, Thunder. Durant has been a scoring machine for Oklahoma City, third in the league at 29.1 points per game as of Tuesday. But he’s still only 21 years old and taking on the burden of leading the very young Thunder to the postseason.
2. Danilo Gallinari, F, Knicks. Finally healthy after a back injury undercut his rookie year, Gallinari is showing just how effective he can be as a stretch forward in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. The Knicks have cap space this summer, but the question has been whether they have enough talent on the roster to lure a top free agent. The emergence of Gallinari, along with players like David Lee and Wilson Chandler, makes this a decent young roster.
3. Tony Parker, PG, Spurs. Parker averaged career highs in points (22.0) and assists (6.9) last season, but his numbers have taken a serious tumble this year (16.8 points and 5.5 assists). He has begun to improve lately, and the Spurs have been playing better because of it. If San Antonio is to be a contender, Parker must be his usual, explosive self.
FIRST-HALF AWARDS
MVP: LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers. Another tight race with Kobe Bryant.
Rookie: Tyreke Evans, PG, Kings. Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry also warrant consideration.
Coach: Rick Adelman, Rockets. He’s been able to do more with less.
Sixth man: Jamal Crawford, SG, Hawks. Gives Atlanta the bench scoring boost it lacked.
Most improved: Channing Frye, C, Suns. Given an opportunity, Frye has been effective.
Defensive: Josh Smith, SF, Hawks. Terrific in help and one-on-one situations.
Executive: Sam Presti, Thunder. Patient and calculated approach is paying off.
SportingNews
By now, just about every team in the league has run through its first 41 games and, thus, this week it becomes official: We can no longer say we’re in the early part of the season. As Pistons guard Ben Gordon put it, “At some point, you’ve just got to start playing to the level you think you can play at, because it’s going to be too late if you don’t.” That point comes right about now.
The first half was not a pleasure cruise for any team. Even the teams at the top—Cleveland and Boston in the East, the Lakers in the West—have had difficult spells, while at the bottom, the 3-38 Nets are on pace to set the league mark as the worst team in history. But, there’s still a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season.
THREE STORYLINES FOR THE SECOND HALF
1. Swap meet. This figures to be an especially interesting trading deadline, weighted as it is by teams trying to shed salary to position themselves for the upcoming bumper crop of free agents (LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire … you know the names). Some star-caliber players may find their way onto the block because their teams have struggled—Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Devin Harris—while players like Tracy McGrady and Nate Robinson could be on the move because they no longer fit with their franchises.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that even the top teams in the league still feel they’re in need of another piece to improve their championship chances.
“It seems to get a little more interesting every year,” Hawks general manager Rick Sund said. “It was simpler when you were just swapping players. But this year, there are so many other factors.”
2. The top of the East. After a series of big-time moves in the offseason, it seemed likely that in order to win the Eastern Conference, a team would need to be near 70 wins. That’s not happening, though, as age, injuries and difficult chemistry have taken their tolls on the Celtics, Cavaliers and Magic. Now, even the Hawks have slid into the picture. How the East is seeded will have a big impact on who reps the conference in the Finals.
3. A challenge for L.A.? While the Lakers have struggled at times—the bench is weak, Pau Gasol has been injured and they’ve sleepwalked through some games—after 41 games, L.A. still hold a 4 1/2-game lead in the conference. The Spurs and Mavericks have begun to play better but don’t appear to be of championship ilk, while the Blazers seemed to have a chance before injuries to Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw wiped out their size and depth. Denver may, again, run into the Lakers in the West finals.
THREE TEAMS FOR THE SECOND HALF
1. Memphis. The Grizzlies had a miserable start to the season, but they’ve come on lately, using their tough big-man combo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to provide an anchor for young perimeter aces O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Mike Conley. The Grizzlies need to stay healthy and add depth in order to make a real playoff run, but it’s certainly possible. “We help each other out, we believe in each other,” Randolph said. “We’re focusing on the defensive end more, and just trusting ourselves and following the game plan.”
2. Charlotte. The Bobcats never have made a postseason appearance, but they’ve never entered the midway point so comfortably close to the .500 mark. The team struggled through the early part of the season, but as guard Stephen Jackson took on a bigger offensive role—and as Gerald Wallace began posting All-Star numbers—the Bobcats have taken off.
3. Toronto. Despite turning over the roster and signing free-agent swingman Hedo Turkoglu, the Raptors got off to a bad start, but they have been getting things turned around lately and appear likely to be a playoff team. This is especially important because Bosh, having his best season, can be a free agent this summer, and the more promise the Raptors show, the less likely Bosh is to leave.
THREE PLAYERS FOR THE SECOND HALF
1.Kevin Durant, SF, Thunder. Durant has been a scoring machine for Oklahoma City, third in the league at 29.1 points per game as of Tuesday. But he’s still only 21 years old and taking on the burden of leading the very young Thunder to the postseason.
2. Danilo Gallinari, F, Knicks. Finally healthy after a back injury undercut his rookie year, Gallinari is showing just how effective he can be as a stretch forward in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. The Knicks have cap space this summer, but the question has been whether they have enough talent on the roster to lure a top free agent. The emergence of Gallinari, along with players like David Lee and Wilson Chandler, makes this a decent young roster.
3. Tony Parker, PG, Spurs. Parker averaged career highs in points (22.0) and assists (6.9) last season, but his numbers have taken a serious tumble this year (16.8 points and 5.5 assists). He has begun to improve lately, and the Spurs have been playing better because of it. If San Antonio is to be a contender, Parker must be his usual, explosive self.
FIRST-HALF AWARDS
MVP: LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers. Another tight race with Kobe Bryant.
Rookie: Tyreke Evans, PG, Kings. Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry also warrant consideration.
Coach: Rick Adelman, Rockets. He’s been able to do more with less.
Sixth man: Jamal Crawford, SG, Hawks. Gives Atlanta the bench scoring boost it lacked.
Most improved: Channing Frye, C, Suns. Given an opportunity, Frye has been effective.
Defensive: Josh Smith, SF, Hawks. Terrific in help and one-on-one situations.
Executive: Sam Presti, Thunder. Patient and calculated approach is paying off.