Manu20
11-08-2005, 01:48 PM
10 things we learned this week
Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 22 minutes ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5062912
Less than one week into the 2005-06 NBA season, and we're already fantasizing about how many cookies and ice cream sandwiches Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal will devour whiling the hours away with his sprained right ankle in a boot. And even at 26, Tracy McGrady's back issues continue to mount and leave everybody wondering if he will ever accomplish what his vast skills promise.
Indeed, there are a lot of the same questions of seasons past still lingering, but when three of the four teams that started 3-0 are the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards (the Detroit Pistons are the fourth), then you know progress is being made as well.
1. Item: O'Neal was injured in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Indiana Pacers when he landed on Ron Artest's foot grabbing a rebound and rolled his right ankle in the process. The prognosis was Shaq won't be back for 2-4 weeks.
What this really means: It's most likely to require four weeks before the Big Fella is back, and if history tells us anything, he'll return as a Bigger Fella. He's noticeably heavier than he was last season, claiming it was intentional because he felt weak late last season. Well, we just saw precisely why he's better off weighing 325 rather than the 340 or so he weighed at the time of injury. At 33, O'Neal continues to break down, and the additional weight isn't going to make things any easier.
With their 1-2 start, Gary Payton already is questioning the play-calling from coach Stan Van Gundy, Antoine Walker threw up too many of those trademark ugly perimeter shots late in the loss to the Pacers, and despite the denials with president Pat Riley watching, pressure is building early — even without O'Neal. It just brings to mind the thought before Riley felt it necessary to trade for Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey, plus signing Payton — why all the changes? With a slimmed down O'Neal and a healthy Dwyane Wade, they were eminently capable of winning the East. With O'Neal overweight, injured, and the baggage the others have toted along, it seems such a shame that Wade must deal with all of this when he was just on the brink of doing what was necessary to win without all the distractions.
2. Item: McGrady strained his back while dunking during Houston Rockets practice on Monday. It's not a spinal cord problem, but it's a chronic spinal column problem.
What this really means: McGrady is expected to be out three weeks to make it right. But it was just a week ago, coach Jeff Van Gundy wondered aloud how McGrady could compete with such badly arthritic knees. Now that old bad problem has resurfaced. Many people believe McGrady had finally taken the next step last season when he played spectacularly a good portion of the Rockets first-round playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks. But the fact of the matter is, the Rockets took a 2-0 lead on the road and still blew the series. Granted, McGrady and Yao Ming had virtually no help, and they've added a much stronger supporting cast this year. But McGrady could very well be representative of this new generation of stars who entered the NBA so young — which translates into physically breaking down younger than their predecessors as well. Hopefully, we're wrong, but the sight of anguish on McGrady's face from one malady or another has become all too familiar, and that's bad news for the NBA in general and the Rockets in particular.
3. Item: The Sacramento Kings figured to be the favorites to win the Pacific Division and take a good run at the San Antonio Spurs if everyone was healthy down the stretch. But the Kings lost their first two games — including a humiliating loss to the woeful Hornets in Oklahoma City — before pulling out a last second win in Phoenix on Sunday night.
What this really means: The additions of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells to Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller seemed a perfect fit. But when Bibby and Stojakovic began the season 13-of-49 from the field in the first two losses, it created other thoughts. Stojakovic is coming off a down year and the expectations of Bibby becoming a leader just don't seem to fit his personality. Coach Rick Adelman has had an uncanny knack of being able to put any group of personalities together, and get them to perform. That Stojakovic scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter of the win in Phoenix says it's way too early to come to any conclusions, but what we do know is it will be up to Bibby and Stojakovic to consistently perform at an All-Star level if the Kings are going to win the 50-55 games that seemed inevitable.
4. Item: Last year, the Denver Nuggets finished the season 32-8 with George Karl as coach after a 17-25 start with Jeff Bzdelik and Michael Cooper. They became the vogue pick to win the Northwest Division and perhaps a No. 2 seed in the West. But just like last season when Voshon Lenard tore his Achilles' tendon on opening night, young big man Nene went down with a torn ACL, torn meniscus cartilage and sprained MCL in his right knee.
What this really means: This is going to be a huge test for Karl, who was suspended for the first two games for unwittingly violating NBA rules by watching players eligible for the draft last spring under a controlled workout. It's too early to panic with a 1-3 start, but the 20-point loss at Los Angeles to the Lakers Sunday night was a sign that all is not right in Nuggetville.
The signing of point guard Earl Watson to a five-year deal made no sense at the time and still doesn't unless they're going to trade starter Andre Miller. It would be very difficult to move Watson's contract come Dec. 15 when that becomes possible, so again, what are they going to do? Tiny Earl Boykins is one of the best sixth men in the game, and Watson is too small himself to be paired with Boykins, and Miller is barely big enough to check two-guards (and that's a stretch). Furthermore, president Kiki Vandeweghe remains a lame duck, and the expectations after last year's finish were out of control. It's up to Georgie K., and you know the mad scientist/competitor in him loves every minute of it.
5. Item: For the first time in 20 years, the Los Angeles Clippers have begun a season 3-0. Winning at Seattle, trouncing Atlanta, then hanging on at home to defeat Minnesota bodes well for coach Mike Dunleavy and his crew. But for how long?
What this really means: Had the Clippers actually drafted any of the next five players taken after they stunningly chose Yaroslav Korolev, that would have helped. But seriously, it's the backcourt of Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley that has jump-started this team. That's good and bad. It's good because they're both explosive players capable of taking over games. It's bad because they're both incredibly streaky, with Cassell — soon to be 36 — increasingly injury prone the past couple of seasons.
Perhaps more importantly, they've done this without last year's leading scorer Corey Maggette, who's been nursing a hamstring injury. Elton Brand remains All-Star caliber, and to deny them as playoff contenders would be ludicrous, even though they haven't reached .500 in 13 seasons. The problem has always seemed to be a combination of bad karma from owner Donald Sterling and bad decisions by general manager Elgin Baylor. The Korolev pick aside, Dunleavy has this team on track and that means it all comes down to the Donald West ... how will he detract from this year's run?
6. Item: The New York Knicks are 0-3 as new coach Larry Brown keeps spinning the wheel of players that president Isiah Thomas spent a fortune to compile.
What this really means: L.B. is just getting a handle on who will play the game the right way (his way) and who won't. In Sunday's loss to Golden State at Madison Square Garden, the best run they had was with their three rookies — Channing Frye, Nate Robinson and David Lee — playing with youngsters Trevor Ariza and Jamal Crawford (a high school teammate of Robinson's in Seattle). The average age of that quintet is 22 and completely against L.B.'s theory of winning basketball. Although Crawford has been dazed and confused after being suddenly yanked from the starting lineup, the real suspects are Jerome James, Stephon Marbury and Quentin Richardson (not to mention the bizarre conditioning and health of Eddy Curry).
Nobody expected Brown to embrace Thomas' veterans, but he is unequivocally in love with the rookies — at least for now. Just how long it takes before a major overhaul of this roster, again, transpires, is anyone's guess. But if they can unload James, Richardson and Mo Taylor, they're gone in an instant. Marbury, as his three previous trades have revealed, is a more difficult piece to move — especially with a huge contract. But if Thomas and Brown are really committed to each other, they'll add some character guys to fit in with the youngsters and dump the overpaid, under-performing veterans they have now. P.S., didn't that Anfernee Hardaway used to be Little Penny?
7. Item: For all the criticism Milwaukee Bucks general manager Larry Harris took for the way he handled the firing of Terry Porter and Desmond Mason's outburst after he was traded with a No. 1 pick for Jamaal Magloire, they have all the makings of the "It" team of 2005-06.
What this really means: A 3-0 start is great, but there are 79 games left. Nonetheless, Harris seems to have pushed all the right buttons. Of course, they've gotten a huge lift from the return of point guard T.J. Ford, who missed 19 months following corrective spinal surgery. But he was the eighth overall pick in 2003. Add in this season's No. 1 overall selection Andrew Bogut next to Magloire, plus the free agent signing of still improving small forward Bobby Simmons, and they have a brand new crew around All-Star gunner Michael Redd.
New coach Terry Stotts has a wonderful temperament and understanding of the game that earned him another shot as a head coach after spending time in Atlanta's revolving door, and last year as an assistant at Golden State. And what everyone seems to also underrate is Harris also built a nice bench of Toni Kukoc, Joe Smith, Mo Williams, Dan Gadzuric and Jiri Welsch. That being said, they are not a lock for the playoffs, but they could be this season's surprise in the postseason by the time ice melts and the flowers bloom along Lake Michigan.
8. Item: Doomsayers were lurking around the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons. The word was with Larry Brown bolting for New York, no way coach Flip Saunders would get the same commitment out of them. Well, three wins later, those same critics are doing a, uh, flip-flop.
What this really means: Saunders was an ideal replacement for Brown in a multitude of ways. While he is demanding of defense, he is far more flexible and creative in defensive approach because Brown's principles are so grounded in man-to-man. The fact of the matter is, the Pistons are already defensive-oriented, and Saunders' offensive skills are making them a better team because they are happier and unshackled. Rip Hamilton is off to the best start of his career, averaging 27.0 points, shooting 60 percent from the field and nearly 92 percent from the free throw line.
This isn't the substitute teacher syndrome — the teacher's away so the kids will play — this is a new teacher with a different approach. He has a gifted class and they will retain what they gleaned from Brown's genius and apply it with what Saunders brings to the table. So many people are picking Miami or Indiana to win the East, but to overlook the Pistons, who were within a quarter of winning back-to-back Finals, is nothing more than naive.
9. Item: And speaking of those defending champion San Antonio Spurs, one night after they showed the Cleveland Cavaliers they've got light years to go before they should be taken seriously, the Dallas Mavericks caught them flat-footed with a 19-point win in Dallas.
What this really means: It means the Spurs won't go 82-0, but they could very well win 65 games this season. Point guard Tony Parker is playing with a new level of coincidence, plus the additions of Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel and stout Fabricio Oberto makes them all the more daunting to face. With three titles in seven years, plus the continuing maturation of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, it's hard to fathom — short of crushing injuries — that the Spurs won't win a weakened West and take a full shot at their fourth title.
Each year, Gregg Popovich and his trusty partner R.C. Buford have become more adept at filling in the blanks, with this group seemingly the best one yet — averaging 7.8 assists more assists than last season. About the only change we could see would come from commissioner David Stern's preparation for the ring ceremony so Spurs guard/prankster Brent Barry won't fluster him like somebody's great aunt with a kiss on the cheek as he did last week.
10. Item: The Washington Wizards lost Larry Hughes to free agency, traded Kwame Brown and they're off to their best start in 27 years.
What this really means: Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison continue to blossom as a high-scoring duo, and the acquisition of veteran swing-guard Antonio Daniels has added some stability in the absence of Hughes. They badly need Caron Butler, who has played in only one of the three games because of a thigh bruise. Now, with all of that said, let's get serious. The Wizards are undefeated, but those wins were over New York, Toronto and Orlando, three teams attempt to emerge from the Lost Horizon.
Yes, they did go to the second round of the playoffs last season for the first time in 22 years, but this is a different team and the Eastern Conference is much more competitive this year. Sure, coach Eddie Jordan has a chance to return to the playoffs with explosive scorers like Arenas and Jamison, but they are very weak inside and a bunch of runners aren't going to carry them as far as last season. This will be a test of not only Jordan, but Ernie Grunfeld to be flexible as far as accepting the present roster as the answer for this season.
Veteran NBA writer Mike Kahn is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.
Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 22 minutes ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5062912
Less than one week into the 2005-06 NBA season, and we're already fantasizing about how many cookies and ice cream sandwiches Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal will devour whiling the hours away with his sprained right ankle in a boot. And even at 26, Tracy McGrady's back issues continue to mount and leave everybody wondering if he will ever accomplish what his vast skills promise.
Indeed, there are a lot of the same questions of seasons past still lingering, but when three of the four teams that started 3-0 are the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards (the Detroit Pistons are the fourth), then you know progress is being made as well.
1. Item: O'Neal was injured in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Indiana Pacers when he landed on Ron Artest's foot grabbing a rebound and rolled his right ankle in the process. The prognosis was Shaq won't be back for 2-4 weeks.
What this really means: It's most likely to require four weeks before the Big Fella is back, and if history tells us anything, he'll return as a Bigger Fella. He's noticeably heavier than he was last season, claiming it was intentional because he felt weak late last season. Well, we just saw precisely why he's better off weighing 325 rather than the 340 or so he weighed at the time of injury. At 33, O'Neal continues to break down, and the additional weight isn't going to make things any easier.
With their 1-2 start, Gary Payton already is questioning the play-calling from coach Stan Van Gundy, Antoine Walker threw up too many of those trademark ugly perimeter shots late in the loss to the Pacers, and despite the denials with president Pat Riley watching, pressure is building early — even without O'Neal. It just brings to mind the thought before Riley felt it necessary to trade for Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey, plus signing Payton — why all the changes? With a slimmed down O'Neal and a healthy Dwyane Wade, they were eminently capable of winning the East. With O'Neal overweight, injured, and the baggage the others have toted along, it seems such a shame that Wade must deal with all of this when he was just on the brink of doing what was necessary to win without all the distractions.
2. Item: McGrady strained his back while dunking during Houston Rockets practice on Monday. It's not a spinal cord problem, but it's a chronic spinal column problem.
What this really means: McGrady is expected to be out three weeks to make it right. But it was just a week ago, coach Jeff Van Gundy wondered aloud how McGrady could compete with such badly arthritic knees. Now that old bad problem has resurfaced. Many people believe McGrady had finally taken the next step last season when he played spectacularly a good portion of the Rockets first-round playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks. But the fact of the matter is, the Rockets took a 2-0 lead on the road and still blew the series. Granted, McGrady and Yao Ming had virtually no help, and they've added a much stronger supporting cast this year. But McGrady could very well be representative of this new generation of stars who entered the NBA so young — which translates into physically breaking down younger than their predecessors as well. Hopefully, we're wrong, but the sight of anguish on McGrady's face from one malady or another has become all too familiar, and that's bad news for the NBA in general and the Rockets in particular.
3. Item: The Sacramento Kings figured to be the favorites to win the Pacific Division and take a good run at the San Antonio Spurs if everyone was healthy down the stretch. But the Kings lost their first two games — including a humiliating loss to the woeful Hornets in Oklahoma City — before pulling out a last second win in Phoenix on Sunday night.
What this really means: The additions of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells to Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller seemed a perfect fit. But when Bibby and Stojakovic began the season 13-of-49 from the field in the first two losses, it created other thoughts. Stojakovic is coming off a down year and the expectations of Bibby becoming a leader just don't seem to fit his personality. Coach Rick Adelman has had an uncanny knack of being able to put any group of personalities together, and get them to perform. That Stojakovic scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter of the win in Phoenix says it's way too early to come to any conclusions, but what we do know is it will be up to Bibby and Stojakovic to consistently perform at an All-Star level if the Kings are going to win the 50-55 games that seemed inevitable.
4. Item: Last year, the Denver Nuggets finished the season 32-8 with George Karl as coach after a 17-25 start with Jeff Bzdelik and Michael Cooper. They became the vogue pick to win the Northwest Division and perhaps a No. 2 seed in the West. But just like last season when Voshon Lenard tore his Achilles' tendon on opening night, young big man Nene went down with a torn ACL, torn meniscus cartilage and sprained MCL in his right knee.
What this really means: This is going to be a huge test for Karl, who was suspended for the first two games for unwittingly violating NBA rules by watching players eligible for the draft last spring under a controlled workout. It's too early to panic with a 1-3 start, but the 20-point loss at Los Angeles to the Lakers Sunday night was a sign that all is not right in Nuggetville.
The signing of point guard Earl Watson to a five-year deal made no sense at the time and still doesn't unless they're going to trade starter Andre Miller. It would be very difficult to move Watson's contract come Dec. 15 when that becomes possible, so again, what are they going to do? Tiny Earl Boykins is one of the best sixth men in the game, and Watson is too small himself to be paired with Boykins, and Miller is barely big enough to check two-guards (and that's a stretch). Furthermore, president Kiki Vandeweghe remains a lame duck, and the expectations after last year's finish were out of control. It's up to Georgie K., and you know the mad scientist/competitor in him loves every minute of it.
5. Item: For the first time in 20 years, the Los Angeles Clippers have begun a season 3-0. Winning at Seattle, trouncing Atlanta, then hanging on at home to defeat Minnesota bodes well for coach Mike Dunleavy and his crew. But for how long?
What this really means: Had the Clippers actually drafted any of the next five players taken after they stunningly chose Yaroslav Korolev, that would have helped. But seriously, it's the backcourt of Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley that has jump-started this team. That's good and bad. It's good because they're both explosive players capable of taking over games. It's bad because they're both incredibly streaky, with Cassell — soon to be 36 — increasingly injury prone the past couple of seasons.
Perhaps more importantly, they've done this without last year's leading scorer Corey Maggette, who's been nursing a hamstring injury. Elton Brand remains All-Star caliber, and to deny them as playoff contenders would be ludicrous, even though they haven't reached .500 in 13 seasons. The problem has always seemed to be a combination of bad karma from owner Donald Sterling and bad decisions by general manager Elgin Baylor. The Korolev pick aside, Dunleavy has this team on track and that means it all comes down to the Donald West ... how will he detract from this year's run?
6. Item: The New York Knicks are 0-3 as new coach Larry Brown keeps spinning the wheel of players that president Isiah Thomas spent a fortune to compile.
What this really means: L.B. is just getting a handle on who will play the game the right way (his way) and who won't. In Sunday's loss to Golden State at Madison Square Garden, the best run they had was with their three rookies — Channing Frye, Nate Robinson and David Lee — playing with youngsters Trevor Ariza and Jamal Crawford (a high school teammate of Robinson's in Seattle). The average age of that quintet is 22 and completely against L.B.'s theory of winning basketball. Although Crawford has been dazed and confused after being suddenly yanked from the starting lineup, the real suspects are Jerome James, Stephon Marbury and Quentin Richardson (not to mention the bizarre conditioning and health of Eddy Curry).
Nobody expected Brown to embrace Thomas' veterans, but he is unequivocally in love with the rookies — at least for now. Just how long it takes before a major overhaul of this roster, again, transpires, is anyone's guess. But if they can unload James, Richardson and Mo Taylor, they're gone in an instant. Marbury, as his three previous trades have revealed, is a more difficult piece to move — especially with a huge contract. But if Thomas and Brown are really committed to each other, they'll add some character guys to fit in with the youngsters and dump the overpaid, under-performing veterans they have now. P.S., didn't that Anfernee Hardaway used to be Little Penny?
7. Item: For all the criticism Milwaukee Bucks general manager Larry Harris took for the way he handled the firing of Terry Porter and Desmond Mason's outburst after he was traded with a No. 1 pick for Jamaal Magloire, they have all the makings of the "It" team of 2005-06.
What this really means: A 3-0 start is great, but there are 79 games left. Nonetheless, Harris seems to have pushed all the right buttons. Of course, they've gotten a huge lift from the return of point guard T.J. Ford, who missed 19 months following corrective spinal surgery. But he was the eighth overall pick in 2003. Add in this season's No. 1 overall selection Andrew Bogut next to Magloire, plus the free agent signing of still improving small forward Bobby Simmons, and they have a brand new crew around All-Star gunner Michael Redd.
New coach Terry Stotts has a wonderful temperament and understanding of the game that earned him another shot as a head coach after spending time in Atlanta's revolving door, and last year as an assistant at Golden State. And what everyone seems to also underrate is Harris also built a nice bench of Toni Kukoc, Joe Smith, Mo Williams, Dan Gadzuric and Jiri Welsch. That being said, they are not a lock for the playoffs, but they could be this season's surprise in the postseason by the time ice melts and the flowers bloom along Lake Michigan.
8. Item: Doomsayers were lurking around the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons. The word was with Larry Brown bolting for New York, no way coach Flip Saunders would get the same commitment out of them. Well, three wins later, those same critics are doing a, uh, flip-flop.
What this really means: Saunders was an ideal replacement for Brown in a multitude of ways. While he is demanding of defense, he is far more flexible and creative in defensive approach because Brown's principles are so grounded in man-to-man. The fact of the matter is, the Pistons are already defensive-oriented, and Saunders' offensive skills are making them a better team because they are happier and unshackled. Rip Hamilton is off to the best start of his career, averaging 27.0 points, shooting 60 percent from the field and nearly 92 percent from the free throw line.
This isn't the substitute teacher syndrome — the teacher's away so the kids will play — this is a new teacher with a different approach. He has a gifted class and they will retain what they gleaned from Brown's genius and apply it with what Saunders brings to the table. So many people are picking Miami or Indiana to win the East, but to overlook the Pistons, who were within a quarter of winning back-to-back Finals, is nothing more than naive.
9. Item: And speaking of those defending champion San Antonio Spurs, one night after they showed the Cleveland Cavaliers they've got light years to go before they should be taken seriously, the Dallas Mavericks caught them flat-footed with a 19-point win in Dallas.
What this really means: It means the Spurs won't go 82-0, but they could very well win 65 games this season. Point guard Tony Parker is playing with a new level of coincidence, plus the additions of Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel and stout Fabricio Oberto makes them all the more daunting to face. With three titles in seven years, plus the continuing maturation of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, it's hard to fathom — short of crushing injuries — that the Spurs won't win a weakened West and take a full shot at their fourth title.
Each year, Gregg Popovich and his trusty partner R.C. Buford have become more adept at filling in the blanks, with this group seemingly the best one yet — averaging 7.8 assists more assists than last season. About the only change we could see would come from commissioner David Stern's preparation for the ring ceremony so Spurs guard/prankster Brent Barry won't fluster him like somebody's great aunt with a kiss on the cheek as he did last week.
10. Item: The Washington Wizards lost Larry Hughes to free agency, traded Kwame Brown and they're off to their best start in 27 years.
What this really means: Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison continue to blossom as a high-scoring duo, and the acquisition of veteran swing-guard Antonio Daniels has added some stability in the absence of Hughes. They badly need Caron Butler, who has played in only one of the three games because of a thigh bruise. Now, with all of that said, let's get serious. The Wizards are undefeated, but those wins were over New York, Toronto and Orlando, three teams attempt to emerge from the Lost Horizon.
Yes, they did go to the second round of the playoffs last season for the first time in 22 years, but this is a different team and the Eastern Conference is much more competitive this year. Sure, coach Eddie Jordan has a chance to return to the playoffs with explosive scorers like Arenas and Jamison, but they are very weak inside and a bunch of runners aren't going to carry them as far as last season. This will be a test of not only Jordan, but Ernie Grunfeld to be flexible as far as accepting the present roster as the answer for this season.
Veteran NBA writer Mike Kahn is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.