Sonics are hot, Pacers are not.
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
It's week two in the NBA, and the conventional-wisdom gurus are still counting provisional ballots in Ohio. Here are a few story lines you didn't read in advance:
Dwyane Wade, the most dominant player of Week 1, was a DNP in Week 2.
<LI>The Pistons, who won their rings with the toughest defense in the league last season, are giving up 98.7 ppg through their first six games. [size=-2][/size][size=-1]Ray Allen[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Seattle SuperSonics[/size]
[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]7[/size][size=-2]26.0[/size][size=-2]4.7[/size][size=-2]3.7[/size][size=-2].520[/size][size=-2].903[/size]The Sonics, whom we picked to finish last in the West, are 6-1 with Ray Allen shooting 63 percent from 3.
The Pacers, whom we picked to contend for an NBA title this year, are contemplating shipping the Defensive Player of the Year out of town.
<LI>Warriors head coach Mike Montgomery realizes in the same week that 1) it ain't easy coaching in the NBA, and 2) the Warriors don't belong in the NBA. Does Stanford still need a head coach?
Each Monday, Insider will break down the week that was – the good, the bad and the upside.
THE GOOD
Seattle SuperSonics: We've got to stop making preseason predictions. Last year, the Jazz were pegged to be the worst team in the West – possibly in the league, possibly of all time. This year, we stopped short of predicting all-time futility of the Sonics. However, we felt they were, hands down, the worst team in the West.
It looked like we were dead on when they lost their opener to the Clippers by 30. Since then? The Sonics are on a 6-0 win streak that includes Sunday night's spectacular 21-point, come-from-behind victory over the Grizzlies.
How are they doing it? With one of the top five offenses in the league – shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc (second in the league).
That shouldn't come as a big surprise. With both Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis firing away from downtown, the Sonics were expected to excel at outside shooting. But no one was counting on Allen to shoot an amazing 24-for-38 from beyond the arc – 63 percent, for those of you counting at home.
They're also getting some long-lost toughness from Danny Fortson. Great on the boards, he is averaging 7 rpg in just 16 mpg. But it isn't just his rebounding. He carries himself with an attitude of toughness (but don't call him a thug or he'll sue you) the Sonics have sorely lacked.
Sunday night, the team was playing without Fortson, who sat out a one-game suspension for planting his elbow on Chris Bosh's chin. Can anyone remember the last time a Sonic player did anything on the court to actually wake up Stu Jackson? Without him, they gave up 100 points in three quarters to the Grizzlies.
Now here's the question you should be asking before you drop some serious change on Sonics season tickets: Will it last? The tough thing about jump-shooting teams is they look great when shots are dropping and awful when they aren't. The Sonics have gotten off to hot starts in the past before, but eventually their legs give out and shots start clanging off the rim.
We should have a pretty good answer by next Monday. The Sonics have played four of their first seven at home. They now embark on a six-game road trip that includes stops in Philly, Minnesota, Memphis and Boston. They play six games in 10 days. Every team they play is beatable. If they can split the trip and head into the end of November with a 9-4 record, we'll start rethinking the West.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]LeBron James[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Cleveland Cavaliers[/size]
[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]6[/size][size=-2]27.8[/size][size=-2]8.0[/size][size=-2]6.0[/size][size=-2].459[/size][size=-2].766[/size]Cleveland Cavaliers: Is it too early to begin the LeBron James-for-MVP talk? After a rocky 0-3 start, the Cavs got it going with wins over the Hawks, Suns and Wizards. More specifically, LeBron got it going. After a solid start in his first three games, he stepped things up a notch – averaging 29 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 5 apg while shooting (and here's the key) 50 percent from the field. If he can keep it up (and he shows no signs of slowing down), those are MVP numbers as long as he can keep the Cavs winning games.
To do that, he's going to need help.
The Cavs also got Carlos Boozer-esque games from Drew Gooden in the last two. He had a 21-rebound effort versus the Suns and followed it up with a 15-board performance against the Wizards.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was also awesome, averaging 24 ppg and 7 rpg on 56 percent shooting from the field this week.
Put those three together and you have one of the best, if not the best, front lines in the NBA. To make it to the playoffs, however, they're going to have to get more help in the backcourt. Jeff McInnis has been solid, but they've yet to find someone who can knock down a 3 when they need it. The Cavs still rank last in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at a pathetic 24 percent.
Eric Snow and Lucious Harris are getting all the minutes, but neither has been impressive in the early going. Team insiders claim the sharpshooter should be Sasha Pavlovic. However, Paul Silas has been reluctant to give him more than spot minutes so far.
Utah Jazz: It looks like we underestimated the Jazz – once again. The Jazz may have lost their first game of the season, but they also went a long way toward proving that they're going to be legit contenders in the West.
Six games into the season, the Jazz are still blowing teams out by an average of 15 points per game. They lead the league with a stunning 51 percent shooting percentage. They shot a torrid 58 percent from the field against the Pistons on Saturday – a team that's no slouch defensively, even without Ben Wallace in the lineup.
The also lead the league in assists, even though their starting point guard (Carlos Arroyo) and his No. 1 backup (Raul Lopez) have yet to play a game.
Defensively, the team is solid, as well. Teams are shooting just 41 percent against the Jazz, who rank second in the league in blocked shots and are outrebounding teams by an average of six a game – good for second in the league.
By now you've noticed that we haven't mentioned one player on the Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer are off to great starts. Mehmet Okur had his coming-out party against the Pistons. And they're getting remarkable play by second-year point guard Keith McLeod.
That's not the point.
The Jazz continue to stress that team play beats individual effort nine times out of 10. Jerry Sloan has got these players playing in midseason form early. Said one GM, "They are running to set picks and flying through their plays. Most of the time your team doesn't start doing that until midway through the season."
Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge promised fans he'd put together a team that could get up and down the floor and put points on the board, and so far … he and new head coach Doc Rivers are delivering.
The Celtics are averaging a decent 95 ppg, but they are excelling in two other key statistical areas. They rank second in the league in field goal percentage, shooting a red-hot 48 percent as a team, and are only allowing 86.6 ppg – good for second in the league.
Ricky Davis deserves much credit for the Celtics' success on the offensive end. He's shooting 54 percent from the field – up a full 10 percentage points from last year.
Paul Pierce also has been great in almost every aspect. He's among the league leaders in points, steals and assists, while averaging an impressive eight rebounds per game.
Now, they need to get working on the glass. The Celtics rank 28th in rebounding, behind only the lowly Hawks and Hornets. The good news is that the C's may have found an answer this week. After being outrebounded badly in their first two games, the C's outrebounded their opponents 127-110 in their last three games.
Following a pep talk by Rivers, Raef LaFrentz has grabbed 10 boards in each of the last two games. They're also starting to get some nice production from rookie Al Jefferson, who averaged 5 rpg in about 15 mpg last week. If those averages hold up as Rivers begins to increase his minutes, the Celtics could really start to take off.
Dallas Mavericks: While we spent all fall obsessing about the impact of Erick Dampier, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse, it appears Dirk Nowitzki has been the biggest benefactor. Without Steve Nash to carry the leadership mantle and with Michael Finley ailing, Nowitzki has stepped up – big time. For the week, Nowitzki averaged 31 ppg and 9 rpg while shooting 50 percent from the field and 62 percent (10-for-16) from 3-point land.
The Mavs' depth is beginning to help. With Finley sidelined, Stackhouse has been huge, posting 28 points in each of the last two games.
Philadelphia 76ers: Controlled havoc. That's the word inside the Sixers locker room on Allen Iverson's play at his new position: point guard. Head coach Jim O'Brien explained he was moving Iverson to point this season not because he had the pass-first mentality usually required for the position, but because he wanted the ball in Iverson's hands more.
His play this week was the biggest reason why the Sixers went 3-1, including big wins over the Pacers and Magic. On Sunday night, Iverson had it all going. He scored 29 points and handed out 12 assists while shooting a respectable 48 percent from the field.
Now for the downside. Iverson currently leads the league in turnovers. He logged seven or more turnovers in three of four games and had nine against the Knicks on Tuesday.
He's also struggled to get anyone else on the team consistently involved on the offensive end. Kyle Korver may be the closest thing to it. He went off for 23 points, including seven treys, in the Sixers' win against the Pacers but is averaging just 11 ppg on the season. Center Marc Jackson is the team's second leading scorer at 13 ppg, and rookie Andre Iguodala is the team's second-leading assist man at just 2.2 apg.
With Iverson carrying such a huge burden early on (he's averaging 43 mpg) can he keep it up? He's playing at a furious pace right now, but it could catch up with him. Factor in the fatigue from the Olympics and the fact that he's already getting tendinitis in his Achilles, and as Iverson goes so goes the Sixers.
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan is already putting up MVP numbers, but if the Spurs are going to win it all this year, it looks like it may be up to Manu Ginobili to get them over the hump.
With Tony Parker in a post-$66 million contract funk, Ginobili keeps coming up big over and over again.
His performance Friday against the Heat – 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals (including six straight points in a 32-second burst late in the fourth quarter) – lifted the Spurs to a huge win.
He's been this solid from the start, topping 20 points in four of his first six games. He leads the Spurs in assists (5 apg), leads the league in steals (3 spg), is in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (54 percent) and seems to have finally found his NBA 3-point range (50 percent).
He's not the only international player trying to make up for Parker's swoon (12 ppg, 4.7 apg on 34 percent shooting). While Ginobili has been getting most of the minutes backing up Parker, rookie Beno Udrih also has been a hit. His modest numbers don't jump out at you, but his teammates and head coach Gregg Popovich say he's doing a great job of getting his teammates the ball where they want it.
"It's just like what Tony had to do a few years ago," said Popovich. "He's trying to figure out, where does Timmy like the ball? Where is Brent Barry going to go? Manu is all over the place, so where do I get him the ball? He's doing a good job of picking things up."
Los Angeles Clippers: How low were our expectations of the Clippers? The fact the team is one game above .500 two weeks into the season is cause for us to put them in the "good" list. To get there, they had to rally from 21 points down to defeat the winless Bulls, picked on a depleted Pacers team embroiled in controversy and defeated a lowly Warriors team.
But hey, they're the only team in the league to beat the Sonics – and it was a rout! They also hung with the world champs, taking them to double overtime early in the week. Chris Wilcox continues to play out of his head, averaging 17.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg and shooting 56 percent from the field. Elton Brand and Corey Maggette are as solid as ever. And Marko Jaric shrugged off a slow start to put up 17 points and eight assists against the Bulls on Saturday.
With center Chris Kaman expected to return this week, can the Clippers keep up? Their schedule gets tougher this week. They have home games against the Raptors, Rockets and Suns with a "road" game against the Lakers – at the Staples Center. If they can somehow stay above .500 for another week … can we start to call the Clippers sleepers again?
THE BAD
Indiana Pacers: The Pacers are 5-2 despite a rash of injuries. They are playing well by almost every definition of the term. Clearly, they don't belong in the same category as the Warriors, Bulls and Hornets. However, the turmoil created by Ron Artest this week pushes them here.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]Ron Artest[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Indiana Pacers[/size]
[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]5[/size][size=-2]24.8[/size][size=-2]6.8[/size][size=-2]3.6[/size][size=-2].500[/size][size=-2].912[/size]Jermaine O'Neal, who hasn't been exactly getting along with Artest, summed it up best.
"This is a special year for us … and we don't want nothing to take away from that," O'Neal said after the controversy erupted. "I think that's what he has to understand – as far as not distracting us, as far as going out and playing games. We have to be professionals and go out and do what we get paid to do. And that's play basketball."
Artest put it even more succinctly.
"Jermaine always sets me straight," Artest said. "I'm not the easiest teammate to play with. Jermaine's a leader on this team, and he has to set me straight. J.O. told me to stop acting like a damn fool, and I agreed."
Everyone, from Artest to O'Neal and Rick Carlisle, claim that they're on the same page now. Artest has vowed to stay focused, and his play on the court in the two games since he returned (29 pts, 6 rbs, 5 ast in 50 minutes vs. the Sixers and 22 pts, 7 rbs, 6 ast vs. the Knicks) has backed that up.
Still, Artest's antics cost the Pacers two losses this week and raised a few serious questions about their ability to contend. Can they really count on him? Are they better off trading him? Is the Artest-O'Neal feud an isolated incident, or is something more serious brewing?
Those aren't questions normally associated with a title contender (the old Lakers might be the exception) and their second-best player.
Golden State Warriors: The Warriors got their first win this weekend by defeating the expansion Bobcats. Their color commentators were gushing: "They just believed! They just believed they could win this game, and they went out and did it."
Really? That's where we're at with a team GM Chris Mullin predicted would be a playoff contender. The Warriors have to "believe" they can beat the league's expansion team? Wow.
After the game, Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff came up to head coach Mike Montgomery and said "hang in there."
The Warriors still remain dead last in the league in offense, averaging 82.5 ppg. They are the worst-shooting team (37 percent) right now and are second-worst in 3-point shooting (24 percent). They are one of the better rebounding teams, but still get outrebounded by an average of three a game.
It isn't pretty, and Montgomery, who had a .692 winning percentage at Stanford, is at a loss when asked how he's handling the brutal transition from college to the pros.
"Well, I don't know how to answer that, really,'' Montgomery said. "It's really painful, because the way I view coaching is to try to help guys succeed, and I'm not able to do that with this group."
The past few years, under head coach Eric Musselman, the Warriors have tried to outscore their opponents. Musselman, a defensive coach at heart, didn't believe he had the personnel to be a great defensive team, so he coached to the team's strengths. Montgomery came in and went the other way, trying to get his team to focus on the defensive end.
So far, the results have been just short of disastrous.
"I just want to be able to help these guys. We have to try to figure out what our identity is as a team, what's the best thing that's going to allow us to succeed. Right now, we're kind of in between. We're not a great defensive team, we're not shooting the ball very well, we're not dominating on the boards. So we have to try to find something to hang our hat on. Right now, I don't think we know what that is."
Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace was out for two games. Chauncey Billups missed one. Larry Brown was out the entire week. The result? The Pistons went 1-2. It took two overtimes to defeat the Clippers, and they weren't really in either the Nuggets or Jazz losses.
The Pistons, for the season, are giving up an uncharacteristic 98.7 points per game. The Jazz shot 58.6 percent against them, the highest field-goal percentage by an opponent in 125 games. However, there's no reason to panic. This is a veteran team that may be coasting a bit without their two primary energy sources.
"I truly believe that we get our energy from two sources – Larry Brown and Ben Wallace," Pistons president Joe Dumars said. "Those are the two guys we turn to for our energy. Without both, no doubt it affects how our team is going to play. There is only one Larry Brown and only one Ben Wallace."
The one bright spot: Antonio McDyess has gotten more time to scrape off the rust. In the two games without Wallace, McDyess averaged 16.5 ppg and 9 rpg on 69 percent shooting.
Houston Rockets: The Rockets' lack of depth showed after Tracy McGrady went down with nagging hip and groin strains. Without him, the Rockets dropped games to the Timberwolves and Lakers at home.
Bostjan Nachbar, T-Mac's replacement in the starting lineup in those two games, went 4-for-13 from the field, got to the free throw line just twice and picked up just one assist. Considering T-Mac had virtually taken over as the point guard, that just didn't cut it.
Charlie Ward picked up some of the slack, averaging an impressive 8 apg (and no turnovers) in Houston's two losses, but no one the Rockets believes he's the long-term answer to their backcourt problems.
Toronto Raptors: They were 3-0 at the end of Week 1 and drawing the praise of Canadians everywhere. My e-mail was flooded with the obligatory "I told you sos" from fans convinced the Raptors had what it takes to be a contender.
They fell back to earth this week, going 1-3 on the road. The good news is their one win was an impressive 104-95 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Raptors were the first team all season to drop 100 on the Jazz.
The Raptors played the Sonics and Blazers tight. Their only blowout came at the hands of the Kings. Are there any common denominators to the Raptors' wins and losses?
It starts and ends with Loren Woods. When he's playing well, the Raptors have a legitimate rebounder and shot blocker on the floor, which makes life much easier for Chris Bosh and the rest of the Raptors. Woods had 14 points and 9 boards in the Jazz win. He scored a total of two points and grabbed six boards combined in their last two losses.
For the season, Woods is averaging 10 ppg and 8.5 rpg in their wins and 2.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg in their losses. That's a pretty big swing.
If Woods is in a funk, the Raptors just don't have a legitimate option to back him up. Rookie Rafael Araujo and veteran Jerome Moiso have been disappointments.
Denver Nuggets: It was another long week for the Nuggets. The team suffered blowout losses to the Jazz, Sonics, and Kings. Their only bright spot was a surprising victory against an undermanned Pistons squad.
Only three teams, the Nets, Warriors and Hawks, are being blown out by a bigger margin than the Nuggets.
Carmelo Anthony is no longer the primary problem. He had big games against the Pistons (34 points), Kings (28 points) and Sonics (20 points), while shooting a respectable percentage from the field.
Now, Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller are taking the hits.
Martin averaged 11 ppg and 4.7 rpg while shooting just 42 percent from the field. Miller had just 5 points on 2-for-11 shooting and just three assists in the Nuggets' loss to the Kings. For the season, his numbers are at all-time lows across the board.
Factor in that Earl Boykins, who became the shortest player in NBA history to score 30 points in a game last week, dislocated the right middle finger of his shooting hand (thus the 1-for-11 performance on Sunday), and the Nuggets look like the trouble might continue.
Chicago Bulls: Give props to the NBA schedule maker who had mercy on fans to open the season: subjecting us to just four Bulls games while most of their opponents have already played seven or eight.
The Bulls need the practice time. They played just two games this week, a blowout loss to the Suns on Tuesday and a squeaker against the Clippers on Saturday. Now it gets really ugly.
The Bulls head on a massive seven-game Western Conference road trip. Given their schedule and the number of games they have to play in the next two weeks, the thought that they could begin the season 0-11 is a reality. The Warriors are their best shot at a victory on Wednesday.
If that isn't bad enough, Eddy Curry's agents screwed up his trade value before GM John Paxson had a chance to deal him. Now, Curry is going to have to play well if the Bulls are going to have any shot at getting value in return for him, a scary thought for all parties involved.
His 20 point, 11 rebound performance against the Clippers notwithstanding … can the Bulls really afford to keep him much longer? They already know what he takes away from the table. Given the meager servings to begin with, our guess is the Bulls come back from the trip with Curry no longer in the main recipe.
New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets are the only other winless team in the league. An embarrassing loss at home to the winless Hawks pretty much sums up their season so far.
Head coach Byron Scott is trying to remain optimistic.
"We still have a lot of work to do," Scott said. "But we're headed in the right direction. I feel we should have a few wins; we played the last five games and been right there. Things are going to change around if we keep improving."
Really? Without Baron Davis and Rodney Rogers in the lineup, expect that pain to continue. They play the Suns, Wolves and Jazz this week.
THE UPSIDE
Sacramento Kings: There's no place like home. After the Kings started the season 0-3, a little home cooking at Arco (combined with a thrilling 113-111 road victory against the Suns) got them back on track. Sort of.
The team circled the wagons this week after Insider reported Thursday that rifts were forming between Mike Bibby and head coach Rick Adelman and that Peja Stojakovic was still unhappy. The Kings called me on Thursday afternoon to deny the Bibby part of the story – though they backed off a little when I provided more details – promising to call me back after they investigated.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]Chris Webber[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Sacramento Kings[/size]
[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]7[/size][size=-2]18.4[/size][size=-2]9.9[/size][size=-2]5.0[/size][size=-2].430[/size][size=-2].731[/size]Chris Webber mocked the whole idea that the Kings weren't one big happy family. However, there was enough on-the-record evidence to prove things aren't as rosy as Webber would have you believe. Start with owner Joe Maloof's statements to the Sacramento Bee after the Kings were blown out by the Sonics mid-week.
"We're not going to sit back and let this continue," Maloof said. "We're not happy about what's going on, and I know Mr. Geoff Petrie is not happy, either. We have too much talent for this. We can't panic. That's the one thing you don't want to do. But this just can't continue."
The Kings rattled off two straight wins to calm the waters, but that doesn't sound like an owner who believes everything is going to be OK.
Second, the Bee also reported, after Insider's story went to print, that the Kings were unhappy Stojakovic didn't play basketball the entire offseason – more evidence his once-legendary work ethic is being interrupted by something.
The good news for Kings fans is the team plays its next four at home against the Bulls, Grizzlies, Bucks and Rockets. All four are very winnable games. If the team improves to 7-4, much of the hand-wringing will go away.
Miami Heat: The Heat went 2-2 this week, but when you consider the circumstances, no one is complaining. Their first loss was to Dallas, a team playing as well as anyone. Their other came at the hands of the Spurs in San Antonio. Without Dwyane Wade in the lineup, the Heat were unable to control Manu Ginobili – who put up record numbers against Miami.
It looks like Wade may not return until Friday.
The good news is the team's lack of depth at small forward got a big boost Sunday with the signing of free agent Shandon Anderson. Anderson was bought out by the Knicks last week for $20 million. The fact that a slew of teams made an immediate run at Anderson, despite Knicks GM Isiah Thomas claiming he was worthless, may say more about the Knicks than it does about Anderson.
"I've been in the league nine years and when have you heard my name pop up in any controversy?" Anderson asked. "I played for 7½ years straight without missing a game. I missed maybe four or five practices. That doesn't come from anybody being unprofessional. That's just love for the game and coming out working every day.
"Then all of a sudden I'm unprofessional, I have a problem. Character-wise, that was disappointing, but that situation's over for me, and I'm thankful I have the opportunity. My reputation has preceded me in terms of GMs and coaches who know my game and have seen me throughout my life in my NBA career and know what kind of person I am."
The Heat added Anderson primarily for help defensively, but he's proven to be a solid offensive presence as a sixth man, when called upon.
''It was pretty much a no-brainer to be able to pick him up," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He's a guy we will play in what we will deem defensive situations, primarily. But I also think he brings to us some energy, some running and cutting."
Phoenix Suns: The Suns are the league's youngest team, with an average age of 24.8. You can tell by the way they fly up and down the floor. Though their defense has began to falter a bit. They gave up 113 points to the Kings and 114 points to the Cavs this week – both losses.
Offensively, there is no disputing who the champs are. The Suns still lead the league in scoring, averaging 107 ppg, and have four players averaging 15 or more points per game. Amare Stoudemire has been outstanding, averaging 24.8 ppg and 9.2 rpg while shooting 53 percent from the field, despite playing most games out of position at center. Joe Johnson also has been on fire. He's averaging 18.2 ppg while shooting 53 percent from 3. Steve Nash is leading the league in assists at 9.7 apg and has been hot offensively, too. He's averaging 15 ppg on 54 percent shooting and 44 percent shooting from 3.
Expect the points to keep falling. Their next five opponents – the Mavs, Hornets, Lakers, Clippers and Bulls – are all giving up at least 95 ppg this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves are almost downright giddy about the early play of forward Eddie Griffin, who's missed the past two seasons with personal problems and wasn't expected to make a huge impact this season. The team, however, is quickly revising its expectations.
Griffin had 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench against the Rockets on Thursday. Modest numbers, sure, but the Wolves don't see it that way.
"Listen to me, give him a month," Sam Cassell said. "When his legs are underneath him, and my game picks up, it's going to be unbelievable what Eddie will do for this ballclub. He can block shots, he can rebound. He's a missing piece we didn't have."
The coaching staff agrees.
"He's long, and that's something people don't realize until you're up against him," Wolves assistant coach Randy Wittman said. "When he and Kevin Garnett are in there together, even though they're not, per se, power players, with their length they can do some different things. They both rebound the ball well, block shots."
If Griffin can keep things together off the court, he could turn out to be the steal of the summer.
Portland Trail Blazers: There's nothing controversial about the Blazers so-so 3-3 start. But that didn't stop head coach Mo Cheeks from stirring the hornets' nest this weekend when he claimed that Ruben Patterson, not Shareef Abdur-Rahim or Darius Miles, might be his best small forward.
"Ruben has been so good. So good," Cheeks said. "If he isn't the best player we have had, he is close to it. Maybe his statistics don't show it in terms of getting 22 points and 15 rebounds, but he has just been like a man possessed."
That of course begs the question: Why isn't Cheeks playing him more? Patterson is averaging just 18.8 minutes per game.
Patterson claims Cheeks is being forced to keep him on the bench by Blazers management. While both sides ultimately deny that's the situation, read between the lines and it sounds like that's exactly what's going on.
"All I'm going to say is that Ruben has been unbelievable," Cheeks said. "Unbelievable. I can't say much more than that. Let's put it this way: Kick the contracts aside and throw 12 guys on the floor, so I can watch them practice. If I'm looking for my team, I pick Ruben Patterson."
Added GM John Nash: "Look. We have made it clear that we wanted to take an extended look at Shareef and Zach Randolph playing at the same time. We also made it clear when we signed Darius Miles that that was the intent we had, and we all knew that meant Shareef as the starter. And that was explained to Darius before he signed with us. I just think it's unfortunate that players sometimes don't understand the business of basketball, and that the reason some get paid more than others is because they are perceived to be better."
Something will have to give here if Cheeks continues to feel that strongly about it. Patterson has an untradable contract, and Miles just signed a new deal – leaving Abdur-Rahim, once again, as the guy who'll likely be back on the trading block before we know it.
THE REST
Nets point guard Jason Kidd said Sunday his surgically repaired left knee feels great, and he expects to return to the team, healthy, in December. "I have no pain," Kidd said. "Everything that was supposed to happen has happened to this point. I've climbed the mountain slowly, which I think has helped." In the meantime, the Nets are hoping second-year guard Zoran Planinic turns in more performances like the 16 points and 9 rebounds he put up in a loss to the Mavericks this week. … Lakers center Vlade Divac, sidelined by a back injury all season and most of training camp, should start practicing this week. While Chris Mihm has been solid in the middle, Divac's passing ability out of the post is legendary. The Lakers need it. They currently rank dead last in the league in assists at 17.25 per game. … Emeka Okafor has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in four of his first five games for the Bobcats. Impressive. But rookie forward Dwight Howard of the Magic has done him one better, grabbing double-digit boards in all six of his games. His 11.7 rpg is the seventh-best number in the league. "He seeks out rebounds," said Magic coach Johnny Davis. "He doesn't just watch the game. He plays it." … Desmond Mason for sixth man of the year? He averaged 21.6 ppg this week coming off the bench for the Bucks. … The Hawks have a passing problem. Want evidence? Antoine Walker is leading the team in assists with 3.8 per game. He also leads the Hawks and the league in field goals attempted with 20.8 per game. … Is Wizards center Brendan Haywood starting to live up to that $25 million contract he signed this fall? This week, Haywood averaged 14.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 4.3 bpg on 72 percent shooting from the field. … After dumping Shandon Anderson, partly to clear roster space to sign the waived Eddie Robinson, the Knicks got stunning news late in the week. Robinson failed his physical and likely will miss several months to undergo toe surgery. Meanwhile, a number of teams (mostly contenders) were falling over themselves trying to get their hands on Anderson. The silver lining for the Knicks? With Anderson gone and Robinson ailing, rookie Trevor Ariza gets more time. His 8.6 ppg ranks sixth among rookies. … Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley refuted a report out of Chicago that head coach Hubie Brown and GM Jerry West are feuding. "We may have our problems. But the one problem we don't have is between Jerry West and Hubie Brown," Heisley said. "Why would Jerry West have a problem with Hubie Brown when he won Coach of the Year? And (West is) the guy who picked him."
<LI>
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
It's week two in the NBA, and the conventional-wisdom gurus are still counting provisional ballots in Ohio. Here are a few story lines you didn't read in advance:
Dwyane Wade, the most dominant player of Week 1, was a DNP in Week 2.
<LI>The Pistons, who won their rings with the toughest defense in the league last season, are giving up 98.7 ppg through their first six games. [size=-2][/size][size=-1]Ray Allen[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Seattle SuperSonics[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]7[/size][size=-2]26.0[/size][size=-2]4.7[/size][size=-2]3.7[/size][size=-2].520[/size][size=-2].903[/size]The Sonics, whom we picked to finish last in the West, are 6-1 with Ray Allen shooting 63 percent from 3.
The Pacers, whom we picked to contend for an NBA title this year, are contemplating shipping the Defensive Player of the Year out of town.
<LI>Warriors head coach Mike Montgomery realizes in the same week that 1) it ain't easy coaching in the NBA, and 2) the Warriors don't belong in the NBA. Does Stanford still need a head coach?
Each Monday, Insider will break down the week that was – the good, the bad and the upside.
THE GOOD
Seattle SuperSonics: We've got to stop making preseason predictions. Last year, the Jazz were pegged to be the worst team in the West – possibly in the league, possibly of all time. This year, we stopped short of predicting all-time futility of the Sonics. However, we felt they were, hands down, the worst team in the West.
It looked like we were dead on when they lost their opener to the Clippers by 30. Since then? The Sonics are on a 6-0 win streak that includes Sunday night's spectacular 21-point, come-from-behind victory over the Grizzlies.
How are they doing it? With one of the top five offenses in the league – shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc (second in the league).
That shouldn't come as a big surprise. With both Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis firing away from downtown, the Sonics were expected to excel at outside shooting. But no one was counting on Allen to shoot an amazing 24-for-38 from beyond the arc – 63 percent, for those of you counting at home.
They're also getting some long-lost toughness from Danny Fortson. Great on the boards, he is averaging 7 rpg in just 16 mpg. But it isn't just his rebounding. He carries himself with an attitude of toughness (but don't call him a thug or he'll sue you) the Sonics have sorely lacked.
Sunday night, the team was playing without Fortson, who sat out a one-game suspension for planting his elbow on Chris Bosh's chin. Can anyone remember the last time a Sonic player did anything on the court to actually wake up Stu Jackson? Without him, they gave up 100 points in three quarters to the Grizzlies.
Now here's the question you should be asking before you drop some serious change on Sonics season tickets: Will it last? The tough thing about jump-shooting teams is they look great when shots are dropping and awful when they aren't. The Sonics have gotten off to hot starts in the past before, but eventually their legs give out and shots start clanging off the rim.
We should have a pretty good answer by next Monday. The Sonics have played four of their first seven at home. They now embark on a six-game road trip that includes stops in Philly, Minnesota, Memphis and Boston. They play six games in 10 days. Every team they play is beatable. If they can split the trip and head into the end of November with a 9-4 record, we'll start rethinking the West.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]LeBron James[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Cleveland Cavaliers[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]6[/size][size=-2]27.8[/size][size=-2]8.0[/size][size=-2]6.0[/size][size=-2].459[/size][size=-2].766[/size]Cleveland Cavaliers: Is it too early to begin the LeBron James-for-MVP talk? After a rocky 0-3 start, the Cavs got it going with wins over the Hawks, Suns and Wizards. More specifically, LeBron got it going. After a solid start in his first three games, he stepped things up a notch – averaging 29 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 5 apg while shooting (and here's the key) 50 percent from the field. If he can keep it up (and he shows no signs of slowing down), those are MVP numbers as long as he can keep the Cavs winning games.
To do that, he's going to need help.
The Cavs also got Carlos Boozer-esque games from Drew Gooden in the last two. He had a 21-rebound effort versus the Suns and followed it up with a 15-board performance against the Wizards.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was also awesome, averaging 24 ppg and 7 rpg on 56 percent shooting from the field this week.
Put those three together and you have one of the best, if not the best, front lines in the NBA. To make it to the playoffs, however, they're going to have to get more help in the backcourt. Jeff McInnis has been solid, but they've yet to find someone who can knock down a 3 when they need it. The Cavs still rank last in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at a pathetic 24 percent.
Eric Snow and Lucious Harris are getting all the minutes, but neither has been impressive in the early going. Team insiders claim the sharpshooter should be Sasha Pavlovic. However, Paul Silas has been reluctant to give him more than spot minutes so far.
Utah Jazz: It looks like we underestimated the Jazz – once again. The Jazz may have lost their first game of the season, but they also went a long way toward proving that they're going to be legit contenders in the West.
Six games into the season, the Jazz are still blowing teams out by an average of 15 points per game. They lead the league with a stunning 51 percent shooting percentage. They shot a torrid 58 percent from the field against the Pistons on Saturday – a team that's no slouch defensively, even without Ben Wallace in the lineup.
The also lead the league in assists, even though their starting point guard (Carlos Arroyo) and his No. 1 backup (Raul Lopez) have yet to play a game.
Defensively, the team is solid, as well. Teams are shooting just 41 percent against the Jazz, who rank second in the league in blocked shots and are outrebounding teams by an average of six a game – good for second in the league.
By now you've noticed that we haven't mentioned one player on the Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer are off to great starts. Mehmet Okur had his coming-out party against the Pistons. And they're getting remarkable play by second-year point guard Keith McLeod.
That's not the point.
The Jazz continue to stress that team play beats individual effort nine times out of 10. Jerry Sloan has got these players playing in midseason form early. Said one GM, "They are running to set picks and flying through their plays. Most of the time your team doesn't start doing that until midway through the season."
Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge promised fans he'd put together a team that could get up and down the floor and put points on the board, and so far … he and new head coach Doc Rivers are delivering.
The Celtics are averaging a decent 95 ppg, but they are excelling in two other key statistical areas. They rank second in the league in field goal percentage, shooting a red-hot 48 percent as a team, and are only allowing 86.6 ppg – good for second in the league.
Ricky Davis deserves much credit for the Celtics' success on the offensive end. He's shooting 54 percent from the field – up a full 10 percentage points from last year.
Paul Pierce also has been great in almost every aspect. He's among the league leaders in points, steals and assists, while averaging an impressive eight rebounds per game.
Now, they need to get working on the glass. The Celtics rank 28th in rebounding, behind only the lowly Hawks and Hornets. The good news is that the C's may have found an answer this week. After being outrebounded badly in their first two games, the C's outrebounded their opponents 127-110 in their last three games.
Following a pep talk by Rivers, Raef LaFrentz has grabbed 10 boards in each of the last two games. They're also starting to get some nice production from rookie Al Jefferson, who averaged 5 rpg in about 15 mpg last week. If those averages hold up as Rivers begins to increase his minutes, the Celtics could really start to take off.
Dallas Mavericks: While we spent all fall obsessing about the impact of Erick Dampier, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse, it appears Dirk Nowitzki has been the biggest benefactor. Without Steve Nash to carry the leadership mantle and with Michael Finley ailing, Nowitzki has stepped up – big time. For the week, Nowitzki averaged 31 ppg and 9 rpg while shooting 50 percent from the field and 62 percent (10-for-16) from 3-point land.
The Mavs' depth is beginning to help. With Finley sidelined, Stackhouse has been huge, posting 28 points in each of the last two games.
Philadelphia 76ers: Controlled havoc. That's the word inside the Sixers locker room on Allen Iverson's play at his new position: point guard. Head coach Jim O'Brien explained he was moving Iverson to point this season not because he had the pass-first mentality usually required for the position, but because he wanted the ball in Iverson's hands more.
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[font=verdana, arial, geneva]Iverson hasn't changed the aggressive way he plays.[/font]That, as we all know, can be a blessing and a curse. Iverson is averaging a career-high 8.1 apg so far without taking a huge hit on his scoring. He's averaging 26.4 ppg while shooting a respectable (for him anyway) 42 percent from the field. His play this week was the biggest reason why the Sixers went 3-1, including big wins over the Pacers and Magic. On Sunday night, Iverson had it all going. He scored 29 points and handed out 12 assists while shooting a respectable 48 percent from the field.
Now for the downside. Iverson currently leads the league in turnovers. He logged seven or more turnovers in three of four games and had nine against the Knicks on Tuesday.
He's also struggled to get anyone else on the team consistently involved on the offensive end. Kyle Korver may be the closest thing to it. He went off for 23 points, including seven treys, in the Sixers' win against the Pacers but is averaging just 11 ppg on the season. Center Marc Jackson is the team's second leading scorer at 13 ppg, and rookie Andre Iguodala is the team's second-leading assist man at just 2.2 apg.
With Iverson carrying such a huge burden early on (he's averaging 43 mpg) can he keep it up? He's playing at a furious pace right now, but it could catch up with him. Factor in the fatigue from the Olympics and the fact that he's already getting tendinitis in his Achilles, and as Iverson goes so goes the Sixers.
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan is already putting up MVP numbers, but if the Spurs are going to win it all this year, it looks like it may be up to Manu Ginobili to get them over the hump.
With Tony Parker in a post-$66 million contract funk, Ginobili keeps coming up big over and over again.
His performance Friday against the Heat – 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals (including six straight points in a 32-second burst late in the fourth quarter) – lifted the Spurs to a huge win.
He's been this solid from the start, topping 20 points in four of his first six games. He leads the Spurs in assists (5 apg), leads the league in steals (3 spg), is in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (54 percent) and seems to have finally found his NBA 3-point range (50 percent).
He's not the only international player trying to make up for Parker's swoon (12 ppg, 4.7 apg on 34 percent shooting). While Ginobili has been getting most of the minutes backing up Parker, rookie Beno Udrih also has been a hit. His modest numbers don't jump out at you, but his teammates and head coach Gregg Popovich say he's doing a great job of getting his teammates the ball where they want it.
"It's just like what Tony had to do a few years ago," said Popovich. "He's trying to figure out, where does Timmy like the ball? Where is Brent Barry going to go? Manu is all over the place, so where do I get him the ball? He's doing a good job of picking things up."
Los Angeles Clippers: How low were our expectations of the Clippers? The fact the team is one game above .500 two weeks into the season is cause for us to put them in the "good" list. To get there, they had to rally from 21 points down to defeat the winless Bulls, picked on a depleted Pacers team embroiled in controversy and defeated a lowly Warriors team.
But hey, they're the only team in the league to beat the Sonics – and it was a rout! They also hung with the world champs, taking them to double overtime early in the week. Chris Wilcox continues to play out of his head, averaging 17.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg and shooting 56 percent from the field. Elton Brand and Corey Maggette are as solid as ever. And Marko Jaric shrugged off a slow start to put up 17 points and eight assists against the Bulls on Saturday.
With center Chris Kaman expected to return this week, can the Clippers keep up? Their schedule gets tougher this week. They have home games against the Raptors, Rockets and Suns with a "road" game against the Lakers – at the Staples Center. If they can somehow stay above .500 for another week … can we start to call the Clippers sleepers again?
THE BAD
Indiana Pacers: The Pacers are 5-2 despite a rash of injuries. They are playing well by almost every definition of the term. Clearly, they don't belong in the same category as the Warriors, Bulls and Hornets. However, the turmoil created by Ron Artest this week pushes them here.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]Ron Artest[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Indiana Pacers[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]5[/size][size=-2]24.8[/size][size=-2]6.8[/size][size=-2]3.6[/size][size=-2].500[/size][size=-2].912[/size]Jermaine O'Neal, who hasn't been exactly getting along with Artest, summed it up best.
"This is a special year for us … and we don't want nothing to take away from that," O'Neal said after the controversy erupted. "I think that's what he has to understand – as far as not distracting us, as far as going out and playing games. We have to be professionals and go out and do what we get paid to do. And that's play basketball."
Artest put it even more succinctly.
"Jermaine always sets me straight," Artest said. "I'm not the easiest teammate to play with. Jermaine's a leader on this team, and he has to set me straight. J.O. told me to stop acting like a damn fool, and I agreed."
Everyone, from Artest to O'Neal and Rick Carlisle, claim that they're on the same page now. Artest has vowed to stay focused, and his play on the court in the two games since he returned (29 pts, 6 rbs, 5 ast in 50 minutes vs. the Sixers and 22 pts, 7 rbs, 6 ast vs. the Knicks) has backed that up.
Still, Artest's antics cost the Pacers two losses this week and raised a few serious questions about their ability to contend. Can they really count on him? Are they better off trading him? Is the Artest-O'Neal feud an isolated incident, or is something more serious brewing?
Those aren't questions normally associated with a title contender (the old Lakers might be the exception) and their second-best player.
Golden State Warriors: The Warriors got their first win this weekend by defeating the expansion Bobcats. Their color commentators were gushing: "They just believed! They just believed they could win this game, and they went out and did it."
Really? That's where we're at with a team GM Chris Mullin predicted would be a playoff contender. The Warriors have to "believe" they can beat the league's expansion team? Wow.
After the game, Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff came up to head coach Mike Montgomery and said "hang in there."
The Warriors still remain dead last in the league in offense, averaging 82.5 ppg. They are the worst-shooting team (37 percent) right now and are second-worst in 3-point shooting (24 percent). They are one of the better rebounding teams, but still get outrebounded by an average of three a game.
It isn't pretty, and Montgomery, who had a .692 winning percentage at Stanford, is at a loss when asked how he's handling the brutal transition from college to the pros.
"Well, I don't know how to answer that, really,'' Montgomery said. "It's really painful, because the way I view coaching is to try to help guys succeed, and I'm not able to do that with this group."
The past few years, under head coach Eric Musselman, the Warriors have tried to outscore their opponents. Musselman, a defensive coach at heart, didn't believe he had the personnel to be a great defensive team, so he coached to the team's strengths. Montgomery came in and went the other way, trying to get his team to focus on the defensive end.
So far, the results have been just short of disastrous.
"I just want to be able to help these guys. We have to try to figure out what our identity is as a team, what's the best thing that's going to allow us to succeed. Right now, we're kind of in between. We're not a great defensive team, we're not shooting the ball very well, we're not dominating on the boards. So we have to try to find something to hang our hat on. Right now, I don't think we know what that is."
Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace was out for two games. Chauncey Billups missed one. Larry Brown was out the entire week. The result? The Pistons went 1-2. It took two overtimes to defeat the Clippers, and they weren't really in either the Nuggets or Jazz losses.
The Pistons, for the season, are giving up an uncharacteristic 98.7 points per game. The Jazz shot 58.6 percent against them, the highest field-goal percentage by an opponent in 125 games. However, there's no reason to panic. This is a veteran team that may be coasting a bit without their two primary energy sources.
"I truly believe that we get our energy from two sources – Larry Brown and Ben Wallace," Pistons president Joe Dumars said. "Those are the two guys we turn to for our energy. Without both, no doubt it affects how our team is going to play. There is only one Larry Brown and only one Ben Wallace."
The one bright spot: Antonio McDyess has gotten more time to scrape off the rust. In the two games without Wallace, McDyess averaged 16.5 ppg and 9 rpg on 69 percent shooting.
Houston Rockets: The Rockets' lack of depth showed after Tracy McGrady went down with nagging hip and groin strains. Without him, the Rockets dropped games to the Timberwolves and Lakers at home.
Bostjan Nachbar, T-Mac's replacement in the starting lineup in those two games, went 4-for-13 from the field, got to the free throw line just twice and picked up just one assist. Considering T-Mac had virtually taken over as the point guard, that just didn't cut it.
Charlie Ward picked up some of the slack, averaging an impressive 8 apg (and no turnovers) in Houston's two losses, but no one the Rockets believes he's the long-term answer to their backcourt problems.
Toronto Raptors: They were 3-0 at the end of Week 1 and drawing the praise of Canadians everywhere. My e-mail was flooded with the obligatory "I told you sos" from fans convinced the Raptors had what it takes to be a contender.
They fell back to earth this week, going 1-3 on the road. The good news is their one win was an impressive 104-95 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Raptors were the first team all season to drop 100 on the Jazz.
The Raptors played the Sonics and Blazers tight. Their only blowout came at the hands of the Kings. Are there any common denominators to the Raptors' wins and losses?
It starts and ends with Loren Woods. When he's playing well, the Raptors have a legitimate rebounder and shot blocker on the floor, which makes life much easier for Chris Bosh and the rest of the Raptors. Woods had 14 points and 9 boards in the Jazz win. He scored a total of two points and grabbed six boards combined in their last two losses.
For the season, Woods is averaging 10 ppg and 8.5 rpg in their wins and 2.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg in their losses. That's a pretty big swing.
If Woods is in a funk, the Raptors just don't have a legitimate option to back him up. Rookie Rafael Araujo and veteran Jerome Moiso have been disappointments.
Denver Nuggets: It was another long week for the Nuggets. The team suffered blowout losses to the Jazz, Sonics, and Kings. Their only bright spot was a surprising victory against an undermanned Pistons squad.
Only three teams, the Nets, Warriors and Hawks, are being blown out by a bigger margin than the Nuggets.
Carmelo Anthony is no longer the primary problem. He had big games against the Pistons (34 points), Kings (28 points) and Sonics (20 points), while shooting a respectable percentage from the field.
Now, Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller are taking the hits.
Martin averaged 11 ppg and 4.7 rpg while shooting just 42 percent from the field. Miller had just 5 points on 2-for-11 shooting and just three assists in the Nuggets' loss to the Kings. For the season, his numbers are at all-time lows across the board.
Factor in that Earl Boykins, who became the shortest player in NBA history to score 30 points in a game last week, dislocated the right middle finger of his shooting hand (thus the 1-for-11 performance on Sunday), and the Nuggets look like the trouble might continue.
Chicago Bulls: Give props to the NBA schedule maker who had mercy on fans to open the season: subjecting us to just four Bulls games while most of their opponents have already played seven or eight.
The Bulls need the practice time. They played just two games this week, a blowout loss to the Suns on Tuesday and a squeaker against the Clippers on Saturday. Now it gets really ugly.
The Bulls head on a massive seven-game Western Conference road trip. Given their schedule and the number of games they have to play in the next two weeks, the thought that they could begin the season 0-11 is a reality. The Warriors are their best shot at a victory on Wednesday.
If that isn't bad enough, Eddy Curry's agents screwed up his trade value before GM John Paxson had a chance to deal him. Now, Curry is going to have to play well if the Bulls are going to have any shot at getting value in return for him, a scary thought for all parties involved.
His 20 point, 11 rebound performance against the Clippers notwithstanding … can the Bulls really afford to keep him much longer? They already know what he takes away from the table. Given the meager servings to begin with, our guess is the Bulls come back from the trip with Curry no longer in the main recipe.
New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets are the only other winless team in the league. An embarrassing loss at home to the winless Hawks pretty much sums up their season so far.
Head coach Byron Scott is trying to remain optimistic.
"We still have a lot of work to do," Scott said. "But we're headed in the right direction. I feel we should have a few wins; we played the last five games and been right there. Things are going to change around if we keep improving."
Really? Without Baron Davis and Rodney Rogers in the lineup, expect that pain to continue. They play the Suns, Wolves and Jazz this week.
THE UPSIDE
Sacramento Kings: There's no place like home. After the Kings started the season 0-3, a little home cooking at Arco (combined with a thrilling 113-111 road victory against the Suns) got them back on track. Sort of.
The team circled the wagons this week after Insider reported Thursday that rifts were forming between Mike Bibby and head coach Rick Adelman and that Peja Stojakovic was still unhappy. The Kings called me on Thursday afternoon to deny the Bibby part of the story – though they backed off a little when I provided more details – promising to call me back after they investigated.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]Chris Webber[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Sacramento Kings[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/size][size=-2][/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]7[/size][size=-2]18.4[/size][size=-2]9.9[/size][size=-2]5.0[/size][size=-2].430[/size][size=-2].731[/size]Chris Webber mocked the whole idea that the Kings weren't one big happy family. However, there was enough on-the-record evidence to prove things aren't as rosy as Webber would have you believe. Start with owner Joe Maloof's statements to the Sacramento Bee after the Kings were blown out by the Sonics mid-week.
"We're not going to sit back and let this continue," Maloof said. "We're not happy about what's going on, and I know Mr. Geoff Petrie is not happy, either. We have too much talent for this. We can't panic. That's the one thing you don't want to do. But this just can't continue."
The Kings rattled off two straight wins to calm the waters, but that doesn't sound like an owner who believes everything is going to be OK.
Second, the Bee also reported, after Insider's story went to print, that the Kings were unhappy Stojakovic didn't play basketball the entire offseason – more evidence his once-legendary work ethic is being interrupted by something.
The good news for Kings fans is the team plays its next four at home against the Bulls, Grizzlies, Bucks and Rockets. All four are very winnable games. If the team improves to 7-4, much of the hand-wringing will go away.
Miami Heat: The Heat went 2-2 this week, but when you consider the circumstances, no one is complaining. Their first loss was to Dallas, a team playing as well as anyone. Their other came at the hands of the Spurs in San Antonio. Without Dwyane Wade in the lineup, the Heat were unable to control Manu Ginobili – who put up record numbers against Miami.
It looks like Wade may not return until Friday.
The good news is the team's lack of depth at small forward got a big boost Sunday with the signing of free agent Shandon Anderson. Anderson was bought out by the Knicks last week for $20 million. The fact that a slew of teams made an immediate run at Anderson, despite Knicks GM Isiah Thomas claiming he was worthless, may say more about the Knicks than it does about Anderson.
"I've been in the league nine years and when have you heard my name pop up in any controversy?" Anderson asked. "I played for 7½ years straight without missing a game. I missed maybe four or five practices. That doesn't come from anybody being unprofessional. That's just love for the game and coming out working every day.
"Then all of a sudden I'm unprofessional, I have a problem. Character-wise, that was disappointing, but that situation's over for me, and I'm thankful I have the opportunity. My reputation has preceded me in terms of GMs and coaches who know my game and have seen me throughout my life in my NBA career and know what kind of person I am."
The Heat added Anderson primarily for help defensively, but he's proven to be a solid offensive presence as a sixth man, when called upon.
''It was pretty much a no-brainer to be able to pick him up," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He's a guy we will play in what we will deem defensive situations, primarily. But I also think he brings to us some energy, some running and cutting."
Phoenix Suns: The Suns are the league's youngest team, with an average age of 24.8. You can tell by the way they fly up and down the floor. Though their defense has began to falter a bit. They gave up 113 points to the Kings and 114 points to the Cavs this week – both losses.
Offensively, there is no disputing who the champs are. The Suns still lead the league in scoring, averaging 107 ppg, and have four players averaging 15 or more points per game. Amare Stoudemire has been outstanding, averaging 24.8 ppg and 9.2 rpg while shooting 53 percent from the field, despite playing most games out of position at center. Joe Johnson also has been on fire. He's averaging 18.2 ppg while shooting 53 percent from 3. Steve Nash is leading the league in assists at 9.7 apg and has been hot offensively, too. He's averaging 15 ppg on 54 percent shooting and 44 percent shooting from 3.
Expect the points to keep falling. Their next five opponents – the Mavs, Hornets, Lakers, Clippers and Bulls – are all giving up at least 95 ppg this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves are almost downright giddy about the early play of forward Eddie Griffin, who's missed the past two seasons with personal problems and wasn't expected to make a huge impact this season. The team, however, is quickly revising its expectations.
Griffin had 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench against the Rockets on Thursday. Modest numbers, sure, but the Wolves don't see it that way.
"Listen to me, give him a month," Sam Cassell said. "When his legs are underneath him, and my game picks up, it's going to be unbelievable what Eddie will do for this ballclub. He can block shots, he can rebound. He's a missing piece we didn't have."
The coaching staff agrees.
"He's long, and that's something people don't realize until you're up against him," Wolves assistant coach Randy Wittman said. "When he and Kevin Garnett are in there together, even though they're not, per se, power players, with their length they can do some different things. They both rebound the ball well, block shots."
If Griffin can keep things together off the court, he could turn out to be the steal of the summer.
Portland Trail Blazers: There's nothing controversial about the Blazers so-so 3-3 start. But that didn't stop head coach Mo Cheeks from stirring the hornets' nest this weekend when he claimed that Ruben Patterson, not Shareef Abdur-Rahim or Darius Miles, might be his best small forward.
"Ruben has been so good. So good," Cheeks said. "If he isn't the best player we have had, he is close to it. Maybe his statistics don't show it in terms of getting 22 points and 15 rebounds, but he has just been like a man possessed."
That of course begs the question: Why isn't Cheeks playing him more? Patterson is averaging just 18.8 minutes per game.
Patterson claims Cheeks is being forced to keep him on the bench by Blazers management. While both sides ultimately deny that's the situation, read between the lines and it sounds like that's exactly what's going on.
"All I'm going to say is that Ruben has been unbelievable," Cheeks said. "Unbelievable. I can't say much more than that. Let's put it this way: Kick the contracts aside and throw 12 guys on the floor, so I can watch them practice. If I'm looking for my team, I pick Ruben Patterson."
Added GM John Nash: "Look. We have made it clear that we wanted to take an extended look at Shareef and Zach Randolph playing at the same time. We also made it clear when we signed Darius Miles that that was the intent we had, and we all knew that meant Shareef as the starter. And that was explained to Darius before he signed with us. I just think it's unfortunate that players sometimes don't understand the business of basketball, and that the reason some get paid more than others is because they are perceived to be better."
Something will have to give here if Cheeks continues to feel that strongly about it. Patterson has an untradable contract, and Miles just signed a new deal – leaving Abdur-Rahim, once again, as the guy who'll likely be back on the trading block before we know it.
THE REST
Nets point guard Jason Kidd said Sunday his surgically repaired left knee feels great, and he expects to return to the team, healthy, in December. "I have no pain," Kidd said. "Everything that was supposed to happen has happened to this point. I've climbed the mountain slowly, which I think has helped." In the meantime, the Nets are hoping second-year guard Zoran Planinic turns in more performances like the 16 points and 9 rebounds he put up in a loss to the Mavericks this week. … Lakers center Vlade Divac, sidelined by a back injury all season and most of training camp, should start practicing this week. While Chris Mihm has been solid in the middle, Divac's passing ability out of the post is legendary. The Lakers need it. They currently rank dead last in the league in assists at 17.25 per game. … Emeka Okafor has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in four of his first five games for the Bobcats. Impressive. But rookie forward Dwight Howard of the Magic has done him one better, grabbing double-digit boards in all six of his games. His 11.7 rpg is the seventh-best number in the league. "He seeks out rebounds," said Magic coach Johnny Davis. "He doesn't just watch the game. He plays it." … Desmond Mason for sixth man of the year? He averaged 21.6 ppg this week coming off the bench for the Bucks. … The Hawks have a passing problem. Want evidence? Antoine Walker is leading the team in assists with 3.8 per game. He also leads the Hawks and the league in field goals attempted with 20.8 per game. … Is Wizards center Brendan Haywood starting to live up to that $25 million contract he signed this fall? This week, Haywood averaged 14.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 4.3 bpg on 72 percent shooting from the field. … After dumping Shandon Anderson, partly to clear roster space to sign the waived Eddie Robinson, the Knicks got stunning news late in the week. Robinson failed his physical and likely will miss several months to undergo toe surgery. Meanwhile, a number of teams (mostly contenders) were falling over themselves trying to get their hands on Anderson. The silver lining for the Knicks? With Anderson gone and Robinson ailing, rookie Trevor Ariza gets more time. His 8.6 ppg ranks sixth among rookies. … Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley refuted a report out of Chicago that head coach Hubie Brown and GM Jerry West are feuding. "We may have our problems. But the one problem we don't have is between Jerry West and Hubie Brown," Heisley said. "Why would Jerry West have a problem with Hubie Brown when he won Coach of the Year? And (West is) the guy who picked him."
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