Monday, January 24, 2005
Dumars scores another bargain
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
The Upside
Pistons: The Pistons have been the most difficult team in the league to get a handle on this season. One minute they're rattling off a six-game winning streak. The next, they lose three straight. For the season, the Pistons are beating their opponents by a margin of one point per game. While their defense remains solid, only two teams in the league score fewer points per game.
That's inexcusable on a team with so much offensive talent. Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace are each capable of scoring 20 points per game. Tayshaun Prince easily could score 15 ppg if he shot a little more. Ben Wallace is the only offensive liability on the team, but his excellent defense more than makes up for it.
Part of the Pistons' problem is the team's inability to convert turnovers into easy buckets on the fast break. The Pistons really lack a true point guard who can push it up the floor and find the open man for an easy basket. Billups and Lindsey Hunter have played well for them, but both naturally think shoot first, pass second.
Enter Carlos Arroyo.
While Arroyo won't start, he'll likely get between 25 and 30 minutes a night in Detroit backing up Billups and, at times, playing together with Billups who is always more than happy to move over to the two and start firing away. If head coach Larry Brown can live with Arroyo's defensive shortcomings, Arroyo should help fix the team's floundering offense.
The move by the Pistons underscores why Dumars is the best executive in the league. He got numerous offers for Campbell over the past month and was tempted more than once to make a move. However, his patience, once again, won out. Landing Arroyo for Campbell was a dream scenario, one that should put the Pistons back on the right track in the East.
Pacers: The trade for Arroyo couldn't have come at a better time. For the first time since the Nov. 24th brawl that messed up both Detroit and Indiana's season, the Pacers are close to returning to full strength. The team gets Stephen Jackson back from his 30-game suspension on Wednesday.
Combine him with the recent return of Jonathan Bender and Scot Pollard from the injured list and the Pacers will be at full strength for the first time since the fight. Of course, full strength doesn't include Ron Artest, who is suspended for the season. But the Pacers sound hopeful that even Artest might be back by the end of the season. If he is, watch out.
Even if he must sit out the season, the Pacers have to like where they stand right now. They are currently a sixth seed in the East and just four games away from a two seed. In the absence of their stars, several of the team's role players have blossomed, most notably point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who seems to have found some offense to go with that fantastic court vision he possesses.
Kings: The Spurs made it very clear to the Kings on Sunday night who the best team in the West was. The Kings were riding a six-game winning streak coming into Sunday's game. The Spurs beat the Kings senseless in Sacramento, winning 103-73. It was the Kings' worst loss at home in nine years.
The Kings' lack of depth is particularly glaring. When Chris Webber left in the second quarter with an ankle injury, there wasn't anyone who could step in to replace him.
Still, the Kings aren't the only team with that dilemma in the West. Like the other thin teams, they are praying that they'll get by with a super starting five that can run circles around the competition.
The addition of Cuttino Mobley has helped the team tremendously offensively, but there's not that much defensive impact.
"Same old problems," said Spurs forward Tony Massenburg, a former Kings player, after crushing the Kings. "We really emphasize defense. If you don't defend, no matter who you are, you don't play."
Grizzlies: The Grizzlies have enjoyed enough success under head coach Mike Fratello and assistant Eric Musselman that it's time to start seriously considering the impact the team could have in the playoffs this year.
The Grizzlies are as deep as any team in the league, are playing stellar defense at a clip just below the Spurs right now and have enough offensive firepower on their roster to keep up with the other high-scoring teams in the West.
While GM Jerry West has been obsessing with how to add a center to their roster, maybe they're better off keeping Stromile Swift and doing what they're doing. They're not going to find anyone on the open market that stands up well to Tim Duncan, and what they have now works with the rest of the contenders in the West.
Rockets: The Tracy McGrady-Yao Ming show has been impressive of late with the two averaging a combined 48.6 ppg, 16.5 rpg and 6.8 apg in the month of January.
But the key to this team seems to be Bob Sura. When Sura is stroking it and finding open players, the Rockets roll. When his shot isn't falling and he starts getting selfish, they struggle.
I wonder why the Rockets didn't make a stronger play for Arroyo. They could have offered the same cap relief (they have a traded player exception that Arroyo would fit in) and could have offered a higher first-round pick. While Arroyo doesn't play great defense, he would've helped out tremendously on the offensive end and been a big hit in Houston.
Sura
As much as the Jon Barry and David Wesley signings may add depth, this team will miss Jim Jackson over the long haul.
Magic: GM John Weisbrod continue to wield an iron fist in Orlando in his attempt to turn the Magic into a hockey team. His latest move – shipping Cuttino Mobley to Orlando for Doug Christie – has helped the Kings, but what has it done for Orlando?
The team has won three of its last four, with Christie averaging 5.3 ppg and 3 apg in 26 mpg. Right now there seems to be no clear beneficiary to Weisbrod and Johnny Davis's plan to move Steve Francis to the two at least part time. Jameer Nelson has had a couple of good games, but he's done it through scoring. Grant Hill's averages are stable. Dwight Howard isn't really getting that many more looks.
Did we mention that the team is giving up 101 ppg since the trade, so defense hasn't been the ticket, either?
Expect the Magic to stay relentless until the trade deadline as Weisbrod searches for the perfect tough-nosed point guard to complete his team.
Wizards: The Wizards keep rolling despite the setbacks that keep cropping up. After losing Larry Hughes for a month with a fractured right thumb, the team expected to hit a lull.
Instead, thanks in part to the play of reserves Juan Dixon and Anthony Peeler, the Wizards continue to roll. They've won 9 of their last 11 and continue to rack up the points.
Their depth has been impressive; the key for them has been their front line. Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood have been holding down the fort almost by themselves. Etan Thomas is back from an abdominal injury. but the real key is Kwame Brown.
If he can heal and get back on track, the Wizards could be the proverbial team that no one wants to play in the first round of the playoffs in the East this season.
That's right. The new-look Bulls are forcing opponents to shoot a league-low 41 percent from the field and rank as the fifth-best defense in the league, allowing just 91.2 ppg. That says as much about head coach Scott Skiles and his no-nonsense demeanor as it does about the players – none of whom are necessarily defensive standouts.
That's why the Bulls' record (15-4 over their last 19) is hardly a fluke. Team work, effort and depth have not been seen to this extent in Chicago since & well you know when. Now that everyone is pulling together, the Bulls look legitimate – with the following caveats.
Four of their top five scorers have one year or less experience in the league. The guy who doesn't fit that description, Eddy Curry, has no experience playing well through an entire NBA season.
Will the combined pressures of winning, increased expectations and a lack of experience take their toll? It says here that it will. But the Bulls' season is still a success no matter how you measure it.
Raptors: I've been informed that I must include at least one team from the NBA's junk drawer, the Atlantic Division. It's a division that no one wants to win and there's a better than 50-50 chance that the winner of the division isn't above .500 at the end of the season.
If I was betting man, I'd go with the only team in the division who is playing good ball right now. Forget their record: The Raptors have won 8 of 11 and show signs that they won't stop anytime soon.
Second-year forward Chris Bosh is blossoming now that Vince Carter has left; Morris Peterson is actually averaging Carter-esque numbers now that he's in a starting role; and Rafer Alston continues to produce at point guard.
The Raptors look to be busy over the next month as they try to find a team willing to take Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall for cap space and/or prospects in return. If they can somehow pull it off, the team might have some cap room to spend on free agency in the summer.
After enduring months of criticism, the franchise has to be thankful that GM Rob Babcock bit the bullet and moved Carter. Not only is the team rid of his contract, but they've actually played better basketball and have seen their young players develop. Now, if they could ever find a way to get Alonzo Mourning off the books.
The rest
The Timberwolves' decision to put Trenton Hassell in the starting lineup and push Wally Szczerbiak to the bench is tantamount to sticking your finger in the dam. If the Timberwolves won't dump Latrell Spreewell, as owner Glen Taylor is insinuating, the Wolves might have been a one-year wonder. ... The Lakers are 4-1 since Kobe Bryant went down with an injury. Kobe claims he's relieved that someone, other than himself, is carrying the load. "When I'm in there, they defer to me so much to the point that they don't feel comfortable going, because they feel like, 'He should have the ball,'" Bryant said. "Now it gives them a chance to find out about themselves: 'I can go. I can score. I can make big plays and big shots.' So when I get back, they'll have that confidence that they can make those big shots, so it's not like they have to come to me every time." ... Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe had to raise his eyebrows a bit upon reading Phil Jackson's comments about coaching the Knicks. The Nuggets made a big push for Jackson after they fired Jeff Bzdelik, but Jackson told the team he would wait until the summer to make up his mind. Given the respective talent and cap positions, why exactly would Jackson choose the Knicks over the Nuggets? ... After starting the season off with an unusual bang, the Clippers have reverted to form, hitting the skids in a five-game losing streak. Their only solace is that Chris Kaman appears to be on the verge of a breakout season. He's averaged 16.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg in his last five games. ... One day, the 76ers aren't thrilled with Samuel Dalembert. But after dropping 24 and 16 on the Magic? He's the future. Still, sources claim that despite the production, head coach Jim O'Brien remains lukewarm on Dalembert. The front office, however, seems determined to hold onto him until he hits restricted free agency this summer. ...Celtics GM Danny Ainge claims that he doesn't want to trade Paul Pierce. Pierce's agent, Jeff Schwartz, claims that Pierce doesn't want to be traded. So why have the hottest trade rumors in Boston all centered on a Pierce trade? To a certain extent, the fans and talk radio have all turned on Pierce to the point that one source in Boston now claims that it's inevitable that he'll be traded – if not by the February 24 trade deadline, then in the summer. ... In a season when almost everything imaginable has went wrong for the Nets, the silver lining is rookie Nenad Krstic. He's averaging a healthy 13.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg in his last five. Jason Kidd is so sold on the kid that the word out of New Jersey is that he believes that next season, with the right move or two, the Nets could be contenders again. ...The Bucks are the best three-point shooting team in the league, shooting the trey at 38 percent clip. They should try to shoot it more. Only two teams take fewer threes than they do (10.1 per game), and the Suns take 13.7 more threes per game.
Dumars scores another bargain
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
The Upside
Pistons: The Pistons have been the most difficult team in the league to get a handle on this season. One minute they're rattling off a six-game winning streak. The next, they lose three straight. For the season, the Pistons are beating their opponents by a margin of one point per game. While their defense remains solid, only two teams in the league score fewer points per game.
That's inexcusable on a team with so much offensive talent. Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace are each capable of scoring 20 points per game. Tayshaun Prince easily could score 15 ppg if he shot a little more. Ben Wallace is the only offensive liability on the team, but his excellent defense more than makes up for it.
Part of the Pistons' problem is the team's inability to convert turnovers into easy buckets on the fast break. The Pistons really lack a true point guard who can push it up the floor and find the open man for an easy basket. Billups and Lindsey Hunter have played well for them, but both naturally think shoot first, pass second.
Enter Carlos Arroyo.
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[font=verdana, arial, geneva]Brown (left) should find lots of time for new arrival Arroyo.[/font]Pistons president Joe Dumars seemingly has the ability to turn nothing into something. Last year he did it when he turned a bunch of unused reserves into trades for Rasheed Wallace and Mike James. This year, it was swapping Elden Campbell and a future, late first-round pick to the Jazz for Arroyo – a player who looks like an exact fit for what ails Detroit. When you factor in that the Pistons likely will get Campbell back when he clears waivers after the Jazz dump him, you realize Dumars gave up very little to make it happen. While Arroyo won't start, he'll likely get between 25 and 30 minutes a night in Detroit backing up Billups and, at times, playing together with Billups who is always more than happy to move over to the two and start firing away. If head coach Larry Brown can live with Arroyo's defensive shortcomings, Arroyo should help fix the team's floundering offense.
The move by the Pistons underscores why Dumars is the best executive in the league. He got numerous offers for Campbell over the past month and was tempted more than once to make a move. However, his patience, once again, won out. Landing Arroyo for Campbell was a dream scenario, one that should put the Pistons back on the right track in the East.
Pacers: The trade for Arroyo couldn't have come at a better time. For the first time since the Nov. 24th brawl that messed up both Detroit and Indiana's season, the Pacers are close to returning to full strength. The team gets Stephen Jackson back from his 30-game suspension on Wednesday.
Combine him with the recent return of Jonathan Bender and Scot Pollard from the injured list and the Pacers will be at full strength for the first time since the fight. Of course, full strength doesn't include Ron Artest, who is suspended for the season. But the Pacers sound hopeful that even Artest might be back by the end of the season. If he is, watch out.
Even if he must sit out the season, the Pacers have to like where they stand right now. They are currently a sixth seed in the East and just four games away from a two seed. In the absence of their stars, several of the team's role players have blossomed, most notably point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who seems to have found some offense to go with that fantastic court vision he possesses.
Kings: The Spurs made it very clear to the Kings on Sunday night who the best team in the West was. The Kings were riding a six-game winning streak coming into Sunday's game. The Spurs beat the Kings senseless in Sacramento, winning 103-73. It was the Kings' worst loss at home in nine years.
The Kings' lack of depth is particularly glaring. When Chris Webber left in the second quarter with an ankle injury, there wasn't anyone who could step in to replace him.
Still, the Kings aren't the only team with that dilemma in the West. Like the other thin teams, they are praying that they'll get by with a super starting five that can run circles around the competition.
The addition of Cuttino Mobley has helped the team tremendously offensively, but there's not that much defensive impact.
"Same old problems," said Spurs forward Tony Massenburg, a former Kings player, after crushing the Kings. "We really emphasize defense. If you don't defend, no matter who you are, you don't play."
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[font=verdana, arial, geneva]When the Grizzlies mesh, the rest of the league is in trouble.[/font]While that's true, the Kings are banking on the fact that other top teams in the West – the Suns, Mavs, Sonics and Timberwolves – can't take advantage of it. Grizzlies: The Grizzlies have enjoyed enough success under head coach Mike Fratello and assistant Eric Musselman that it's time to start seriously considering the impact the team could have in the playoffs this year.
The Grizzlies are as deep as any team in the league, are playing stellar defense at a clip just below the Spurs right now and have enough offensive firepower on their roster to keep up with the other high-scoring teams in the West.
While GM Jerry West has been obsessing with how to add a center to their roster, maybe they're better off keeping Stromile Swift and doing what they're doing. They're not going to find anyone on the open market that stands up well to Tim Duncan, and what they have now works with the rest of the contenders in the West.
Rockets: The Tracy McGrady-Yao Ming show has been impressive of late with the two averaging a combined 48.6 ppg, 16.5 rpg and 6.8 apg in the month of January.
But the key to this team seems to be Bob Sura. When Sura is stroking it and finding open players, the Rockets roll. When his shot isn't falling and he starts getting selfish, they struggle.
I wonder why the Rockets didn't make a stronger play for Arroyo. They could have offered the same cap relief (they have a traded player exception that Arroyo would fit in) and could have offered a higher first-round pick. While Arroyo doesn't play great defense, he would've helped out tremendously on the offensive end and been a big hit in Houston.
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Sura
As much as the Jon Barry and David Wesley signings may add depth, this team will miss Jim Jackson over the long haul.
Magic: GM John Weisbrod continue to wield an iron fist in Orlando in his attempt to turn the Magic into a hockey team. His latest move – shipping Cuttino Mobley to Orlando for Doug Christie – has helped the Kings, but what has it done for Orlando?
The team has won three of its last four, with Christie averaging 5.3 ppg and 3 apg in 26 mpg. Right now there seems to be no clear beneficiary to Weisbrod and Johnny Davis's plan to move Steve Francis to the two at least part time. Jameer Nelson has had a couple of good games, but he's done it through scoring. Grant Hill's averages are stable. Dwight Howard isn't really getting that many more looks.
Did we mention that the team is giving up 101 ppg since the trade, so defense hasn't been the ticket, either?
Expect the Magic to stay relentless until the trade deadline as Weisbrod searches for the perfect tough-nosed point guard to complete his team.
Wizards: The Wizards keep rolling despite the setbacks that keep cropping up. After losing Larry Hughes for a month with a fractured right thumb, the team expected to hit a lull.
Instead, thanks in part to the play of reserves Juan Dixon and Anthony Peeler, the Wizards continue to roll. They've won 9 of their last 11 and continue to rack up the points.
Their depth has been impressive; the key for them has been their front line. Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood have been holding down the fort almost by themselves. Etan Thomas is back from an abdominal injury. but the real key is Kwame Brown.
If he can heal and get back on track, the Wizards could be the proverbial team that no one wants to play in the first round of the playoffs in the East this season.
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[font=verdana, arial, geneva]The Bulls have found direction under Skiles (right).[/font]Bulls: It's tough not to buy into what the Bulls are doing right now when you consider that all of their major improvements are happening on the defensive end of the floor. That's right. The new-look Bulls are forcing opponents to shoot a league-low 41 percent from the field and rank as the fifth-best defense in the league, allowing just 91.2 ppg. That says as much about head coach Scott Skiles and his no-nonsense demeanor as it does about the players – none of whom are necessarily defensive standouts.
That's why the Bulls' record (15-4 over their last 19) is hardly a fluke. Team work, effort and depth have not been seen to this extent in Chicago since & well you know when. Now that everyone is pulling together, the Bulls look legitimate – with the following caveats.
Four of their top five scorers have one year or less experience in the league. The guy who doesn't fit that description, Eddy Curry, has no experience playing well through an entire NBA season.
Will the combined pressures of winning, increased expectations and a lack of experience take their toll? It says here that it will. But the Bulls' season is still a success no matter how you measure it.
Raptors: I've been informed that I must include at least one team from the NBA's junk drawer, the Atlantic Division. It's a division that no one wants to win and there's a better than 50-50 chance that the winner of the division isn't above .500 at the end of the season.
If I was betting man, I'd go with the only team in the division who is playing good ball right now. Forget their record: The Raptors have won 8 of 11 and show signs that they won't stop anytime soon.
Second-year forward Chris Bosh is blossoming now that Vince Carter has left; Morris Peterson is actually averaging Carter-esque numbers now that he's in a starting role; and Rafer Alston continues to produce at point guard.
The Raptors look to be busy over the next month as they try to find a team willing to take Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall for cap space and/or prospects in return. If they can somehow pull it off, the team might have some cap room to spend on free agency in the summer.
After enduring months of criticism, the franchise has to be thankful that GM Rob Babcock bit the bullet and moved Carter. Not only is the team rid of his contract, but they've actually played better basketball and have seen their young players develop. Now, if they could ever find a way to get Alonzo Mourning off the books.
The rest
The Timberwolves' decision to put Trenton Hassell in the starting lineup and push Wally Szczerbiak to the bench is tantamount to sticking your finger in the dam. If the Timberwolves won't dump Latrell Spreewell, as owner Glen Taylor is insinuating, the Wolves might have been a one-year wonder. ... The Lakers are 4-1 since Kobe Bryant went down with an injury. Kobe claims he's relieved that someone, other than himself, is carrying the load. "When I'm in there, they defer to me so much to the point that they don't feel comfortable going, because they feel like, 'He should have the ball,'" Bryant said. "Now it gives them a chance to find out about themselves: 'I can go. I can score. I can make big plays and big shots.' So when I get back, they'll have that confidence that they can make those big shots, so it's not like they have to come to me every time." ... Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe had to raise his eyebrows a bit upon reading Phil Jackson's comments about coaching the Knicks. The Nuggets made a big push for Jackson after they fired Jeff Bzdelik, but Jackson told the team he would wait until the summer to make up his mind. Given the respective talent and cap positions, why exactly would Jackson choose the Knicks over the Nuggets? ... After starting the season off with an unusual bang, the Clippers have reverted to form, hitting the skids in a five-game losing streak. Their only solace is that Chris Kaman appears to be on the verge of a breakout season. He's averaged 16.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg in his last five games. ... One day, the 76ers aren't thrilled with Samuel Dalembert. But after dropping 24 and 16 on the Magic? He's the future. Still, sources claim that despite the production, head coach Jim O'Brien remains lukewarm on Dalembert. The front office, however, seems determined to hold onto him until he hits restricted free agency this summer. ...Celtics GM Danny Ainge claims that he doesn't want to trade Paul Pierce. Pierce's agent, Jeff Schwartz, claims that Pierce doesn't want to be traded. So why have the hottest trade rumors in Boston all centered on a Pierce trade? To a certain extent, the fans and talk radio have all turned on Pierce to the point that one source in Boston now claims that it's inevitable that he'll be traded – if not by the February 24 trade deadline, then in the summer. ... In a season when almost everything imaginable has went wrong for the Nets, the silver lining is rookie Nenad Krstic. He's averaging a healthy 13.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg in his last five. Jason Kidd is so sold on the kid that the word out of New Jersey is that he believes that next season, with the right move or two, the Nets could be contenders again. ...The Bucks are the best three-point shooting team in the league, shooting the trey at 38 percent clip. They should try to shoot it more. Only two teams take fewer threes than they do (10.1 per game), and the Suns take 13.7 more threes per game.
