Trades could help Nuggets, Nets
Monday, December 6, 2004
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
Five weeks in, the unpredictability of the opening month of the season is giving way to the familiar.
The good look very good -- the Spurs are dominant; the Suns continue to blow teams out of the water; the Sonics' shots keep falling; the Kings have passed their way to wins in 10 of their last 11.
The bad look very bad -- the Hawks have lost nine straight; the Hornets look like a CBA team, with both Baron Davis and Jamaal Magloire out; the Warriors' four wins have come against the lowly Hornets, Bulls, Bobcats and a depleted Pacers team; there continues to be more Baby than Bull in Chicago.
Still interesting, though, is the upside. The next few weeks could bring about big things for several teams on the bubble.
<LI>The Nuggets are starting to make a move in the standings. Will Kiki Vandeweghe & Co. make another big move to secure their status in the West?
<LI>
Kidd
Jason Kidd returns tonight in New Jersey. How much longer will he be wearing a Nets jersey?
<LI>The Bobcats already have surprised a lot of people. But GM/coach Bernie Bickerstaff isn't done tinkering with his lineup.
<LI>With Mike Fratello taking the reigns in Memphis, a shake-up or two look imminent.
<LI>Ben Wallace is back. The Pistons look focused for the first time this season. And now it looks like even Darko Milicic may be getting into the act in Detroit.
It's time for another Monday edition of the Good, the Bad and the Upside -- with the Upside leading off for the first time.
The Upside
Denver Nuggets: After getting off to a miserable 2-5 start, the Nuggets have won seven of their last nine. But before you go and declare them cured, take a look at the schedule. The Nuggets are at the end of a scheduling oasis that gave them nine of their last 10 at home.
Wednesday, they head East for a seven-game road trip. The good news is only three of the teams they face -- the Wizards, Heat and Magic -- have winning records. The bad news is the Nuggets have just one win on the road this year. That's why the Nuggets aren't just sitting still, trying to convince themselves everything's alright.
If this team is going to live up to preseason hype, it is going to need a replacement for Voshon Lenard, who's out for the season with an injury.
The Nuggets have tried the easy routes, bringing in free agents and CBA players to no avail. They tried to make minor trades with the Lakers (for Kareem Rush) and the Suns (for Casey Jacobsen) that didn't pan out. The latest talk has them making a play for Eddie House, who was released by the Bobcats on Saturday.
Expect the Nuggets to get bolder in the next few weeks. Right now, free agents and first-round draft picks who signed this summer are ineligible to be traded. That accounts for nearly a third of the players in the league. However, on Dec. 15, those players are free to be traded, opening up the market considerably.
[size=-1]Nikoloz Tskitishvili[/size]
[size=-2]Power Forward Denver Nuggets[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile
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What might the Nuggets do? They have two bargaining chips that could potentially land them a star at shooting guard. Nene and Nikoloz Tskitishvili both have seen their roles dramatically diminished this season with the signing of Kenyon Martin.
Nene especially has tremendous trade value because of his size, athleticism and age. Skita has upside but is considered a project for down the road. Most teams believe Nene could help them right now.
While GM Vandeweghe still maintains he doesn't want to move Nene, he might not have a choice. Given the injury histories of Marcus Camby and Martin, it's understandable if Kiki wants to keep Nene around as insurance. But the Brazilian native is miserable, according to sources, and wants a new home.
Where could he land? Here are three educated guesses (with the emphasis on educated guesses) of where he might end up in the next few weeks.
<LI>Suns: The Nuggets and Suns spoke in November about a trade that would send Jacobsen and Zarko Cabarkapa to Denver for Skita. However, the Suns were reluctant to mess with their chemistry and ultimately balked at a deal. Their reluctance may dissipate, however, if Nene is included in the deal.
The Suns have coveted him for a long time and still believe they need a tough, blue-collar big man in the middle. Amare Stoudemire has been awesome at center, but they would prefer to move him back to his natural position, the four.
[size=-1]Quentin Richardson[/size]
[size=-2]Guard-Forward
Phoenix Suns
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If the Suns are willing to part with either Quentin Richardson or Joe Johnson, something might work out. The Nuggets could swap Nene, Skita and Lenard to the Suns for Q, Maciej Lampe and Cabarkapa. Or they could swap just Nene and Skita for Johnson, Lampe and Cabarkapa.
Vandeweghe loves both players and might be inclined to push for Richardson, who signed a very reasonable six-year contract over the summer. Johnson will a restricted free agent after this season.
<LI>Bucks: The Bucks are falling apart, and it looks like Michael Redd, an unrestricted free agent after the season, will bolt. Redd would be a great fit in Denver, but the team would need assurances he'd re-sign next summer. The Nuggets would own his Bird Rights, meaning they could sign him for the max.
The Bucks don't want to give up on Redd, but they do have insurance with Desmond Mason. The chance to add two young bigs to the mix might be too much for Bucks GM Larry Harris to pass up.
<LI>Warriors: The Nuggets have always been big fans of Mickael Pietrus. Not only is he one of the most athletic on-the-ball defenders in the league, he also has the tools to be a solid player on the offensive end. With Jason Richardson now locked up long-term, would a swap of Pietrus and Ansu Sesay for Nene work for the Nuggets?
New Jersey Nets: Jason Kidd returns to the floor Monday night, but the question is for how long? If he's not really healthy, chances are he'll stay in New Jersey (his trade value will be too low) and the Nets will continue to be awful.
That shouldn't be too big of an issue. Kidd has totally healed from his offseason micro-fracture surgery and has looked great in practices the past week.
If he really is healthy, a handful of teams will start getting serious about putting together a trade. For now, the Nets are claiming they are just happy to have him back in a Nets uniform.
"I think he has a great future with the Nets," team owner Bruce Ratner said Sunday. "That is my hope."
However, everyone in the know claims the chances are still very strong Kidd will get traded in the next month.
As much as the Nets need a point guard like Kidd -- they rank last in the league in assists and first in turnovers -- will he be enough to put them back into contention?
Maybe. But without any semblance of a low-post scorer and no cap room to add one on their own, the Nets are going to need more than Kidd to become a contender again.
Dallas, Minnesota, Portland and possibly Denver and Golden State all have interest. What is New Jersey's best option for Kidd? Check back tomorrow when we'll break 'em down.
[size=-1]Emeka Okafor[/size]
[size=-2]Forward-Center
Charlotte Bobcats
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Charlotte Bobcats: Admit it. The Bobcats are not only better than you expected, they're actually pretty good. Sure, a 4-10 record isn't something to get excited about if you're a title contender ... but for an expansion team, it's marvelous.
Emeka Okafor is playing out of his mind right now, averaging 20.2 ppg and 13.2 rpg on 54 percent shooting from the field over his last five. Point guard Brevin Knight ranks second in the league in assists and has dished out an average of 11.8 over his last five.
And, as Insider reported Sunday, GM/Coach Bernie Bickerstaff is on the verge of trading a second-round pick for Lakers guard Kareem Rush.
Rush
Rush is averaging just 0.9 ppg this season, but a trade to the Bobcats could be the best thing for Rush. He was never going to cut into Kobe Bryant's time on the floor, but in Charlotte you can expect Rush to quickly work his way into the starting lineup. The team has a hole at shooting guard that it has struggled to fill this season.
Rush showed signs last season, especially in Bryant's absence, that he could be a good scorer in the league. He had 30 points against the Kings and hit six of seven 3-pointers to help eliminate Minnesota in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
Most importantly for the Bobcats, Rush gives them another young asset to evaluate. Okafor and center Primoz Brezec already look like keepers. If they can find one more -- and Rush could be it -- their season will be a success, regardless of how many more wins they get.
Memphis Grizzlies: It hasn't taken new head coach Mike Fratello long to tighten the rotation in Memphis and begin picking out his go-to players.
Pau Gasol seems to be the biggest beneficiary. He scored 34 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Fratello's first game and followed it up with 20 points and six boards in his second game. Overall he's averaged 40 mpg in the last two, up from 32 mpg for the season.
[size=-1]Earl Watson[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Memphis Grizzlies
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The other guy who may benefit is back-up point guard Earl Watson. Watson played 30 minutes in Fratello's second game scoring 12 points and handing out 12 assists while starter Jason Williams sat on the bench nursing a sore ankle.
While Williams' injury is legit, sources claim Fratello and West would prefer to trade Williams and hand the starting reigns over to Watson. Watson had a nice run last year as the starter while Williams was hurt. While he might not have Williams' talent, he comes with much less attitude -- a quality that's in high demand in Memphis these days.
Expect West to try to package Williams and Bonzi Wells in the upcoming days in his ongoing effort to find a big man who can score in the middle.
Detroit Pistons: Did the Pistons get the wake-up call they needed Friday in San Antonio. After being blown out for the first three quarters, the Pistons staged a furious rally in the fourth and almost caught the Spurs. The game wasn't decided until 4.4 seconds were left.
The Pistons came out Saturday and destroyed the struggling Hornets behind a career high 22 points from Ben Wallace.
Watch the Pistons closely during this stretch. After a tough game tonight in Dallas, their next opponents are the Raptors, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, Cavaliers, Blazers and Bulls. Of those seven, only the Cavs should pose a threat.
The easy upcoming schedule also might benefit Darko Milicic. He got a career high 14 minutes against the Hornets on Saturday, and head coach Larry Brown claims Darko finally has earned some playing time.
"I think he's really trying, and from what I've seen, he's looking like he belongs out there for the first time," Brown told the Detroit News. "He's getting more confident, and I think you can see that when he's confident he's not thinking as much. He's still got a lot to learn, but he's taking steps. He needs to keep up the hard work he's shown in practice, and then carry that all over to the games."
If the Pistons can rack up some easy wins and get Darko minutes, they could have the best of both worlds over the coming few weeks.
Curry
Chandler
Chicago Bulls: Both Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry seem to be stepping up lately in the face of repeated calls for the Bulls to trade them.
Chandler had 10 points and 18 rebounds against the Lakers on Wednesday and 15 points and 21 rebounds against the Wizards on Saturday. Curry had 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Lakers and 15 and 5 against the Wizards.
But before GM John Paxson pulls them off the trade block, he might want to consult with head coach Scott Skiles. The Baby Bulls' big production scored them a win over the Lakers, but they turned around and lost by 24 to Miami and by seven to the Wizards.
"We stayed in the game because we played hard," Skiles said after the Wizards game. "I can't fault the guys' effort. But playing smart sometimes has something to do with it, too."
"They were really, the word that first came to my mind was, remedial," Skiles said. "Kind of grade school-type turnovers that really cost us."
The Bulls are worst in the league with 17.4 turnovers per game, and they had 28 against Washington. While Chandler and Curry weren't the problems in that game -- Ben Gordon (6) and Chris Duhon (5) were the big culprits -- the "grade school" comment surely doesn't apply just to the guards.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers continued to roll this week, racking up a 3-1 record with their only loss coming in overtime to the Timberwolves. Last week we chronicled the impact Marko Jaric is having in the backcourt. But we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that Bobby Simmons is also having a career year.
[size=-1]Bobby Simmons[/size]
[size=-2]Guard-Forward
Los Angeles Clippers
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Simmons ranks in the top 10 in shooting percentage (55 percent) and free-throw percentage (91 percent). Only one player in NBA history has finished in the top 10 in both categories – the Celtics' Kevin McHale in 1990.
Simmons is averaging 18.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 3.8 apg over his last five.
Will they be able to hold on to him? Simmons will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Clippers are looking at roughly $14 million in cap space, so they should be able to re-sign him no problem.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers are getting a nice scoring punch from an unexpected source. Second-year forward Brian Cook has been very solid over the last five, averaging 14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg and shooting 52 percent from 3-point range (13 of 25).
Cleveland Cavaliers: Jeff McInnis is having a career year in Cleveland, averaging 15.4 ppg, 5.2 apg while shooting 47 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3. But will this be his last year in a Cavs uniform?
McInnis will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Cavs would like to re-sign him, but may not have the cash to do it. The team will have around $20 million in cap space next summer, but its first priorities are re-signing center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (he should command at least $8 million to $10 million per year) and landing free agent Michael Redd (he'll want a salary starting at more than $10 million per). That's not going to leave much on the table for McInnis.
The Good
Washington Wizards: The Wizards are off to their best start since 1974, but is their 10-5 record really just smoke and mirrors?
[size=-1]Antawn Jamison[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Washington Wizards
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"A lot of people think this is a fluke. It's the first month," Antawn Jamison said. "I think the biggest thing is confidence. We believe every time we're out there on the court we can find a way to get it done."
Added head coach Eddie Jordan: "In this league, it's talent, toughness and experience, and I think we have all three."
Fair enough. The Wizards have three big-time scorers in Jamison, Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes. Arenas and Hughes have been especially impressive lately -- forming, arguably, the most potent backcourt in the league. Arenas is averaging 25.4 ppg, 5 apg on 51 percent from 3 over his last five. Hughes is averaging 21.8 ppg, 6.8 apg, 6.8 rpg and 3.6 spg.
That's just flat-out awesome.
With Jamison getting easy baskets in the paint, Brendan Haywood finally living up to his promise in the middle and Kwame Brown returning -- why aren't we higher on them?
For starters, the Wizards haven't beaten anyone yet. Only one of their 10 wins has come against a team with a winning record. Their other nine came against the likes of the Bulls, Hawks, Nets, Bobcats and Grizzlies. They're 1-4 against teams with a .500 record.
Second, while they are putting up the second-most points in the league (102.6 ppg), they also are giving up more than 98 per game.
Orlando Magic: When you think about fast breaks, the Suns immediately come to mind. But believe it or not, the Magic are averaging a league-best 19.3 fast-break points per game.
Steve Francis (21 ppg, 6.6 apg over last 5), Cuttino Mobley (20.3 ppg in last 3) and Grant Hill (20.2 ppg, 4 apg over last 5) play a big role in that. But the credit should really go to Magic assistant coach Paul Westhead, who once earned the nickname "Father of the Fast Break."
"Not many teams run," Westhead said. "There's a special bonus if you can get your group to run, because most teams don't want to defend it."
Combine that with the fact the Magic also are the best rebounding team in the league (47.3 rpg) and you have the recipe for their 11-5 start in Orlando.
[size=-1]Steve Nash[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Phoenix Suns
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[size=-2]Profile
[/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]17[/size][size=-2]16.3[/size][size=-2]3.1[/size][size=-2]10.9[/size][size=-2].560[/size][size=-2].875[/size]
Phoenix Suns: Speaking of fast-break teams, you've got to love how the Suns are sharing the love this year. Two weeks ago Amare Stoudemire was the NBA player of the Week. Last week Shawn Marion took home the honors. A few days later, Steve Nash was name Western Conference Player of the Month.
This week it was Quentin Richardson's turn to show off. For the week he averaged 22 ppg, including a huge 37-point performance against the Blazers on Sunday, when he hit 8-of-12 from beyond the 3-point line.
After a slow start, Richardson seems like he's finally fitting in to the system. That could pose a big dilemma for the Suns over the next few weeks. They are being flooded with trade calls from teams asking about both Richardson and Johnson.
If they could get a young, athletic center in return, they'd be tempted. But ...
"I'd really hesitate to do anything right now," GM Bryan Colangelo told Insider. "We are playing so well right now. There's something to be said for continuity and chemistry. I don't want to do anything to mess that up."
With the way his team is playing right now, Colangelo may have no choice but to stand pat and let the run-and-gun Suns continue to do their thing.
Minnesota Timberwolves: With impressive wins on the road versus the Kings, Suns and Clippers this week, the Timberwolves finally seem to be feeling it. Then again, maybe Kevin Garnett is just carrying a heavier load.
Garnett's numbers this week were even more awesome than the MVP numbers he put up last season -- 23.3 ppg, 16.2 rpg, 5.6 apg. 2.6 spg, 2.4 bpg on 50 percent from the field over the past five.
[size=-1]Sam Cassell[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Minnesota Timberwolves
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[size=-2]Profile
[/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
The Wolves also finally are getting the contribution from Sam Cassell they got last year. Contract issues may have contributed to a slow start, but they seem to be in Cassell's past now. Over the past five he's averaging 22.2 ppg, 7.4 apg on 50 percent shooting from the field.
Still, head coach Flip Saunders is understandably wary about his mercurial point guard. "You love him and hate him, all in the same game, sometimes on the same play."
Dallas Mavericks: If Garnett doesn't win Western Conference Player of the Week, it will be because of Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki's 53-point, 16-rebound performance against the Rockets was the best individual performance we've seen this season. His 31.8 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 3 apg, 2 bpg average over the past five is just as awesome and a big reason the Mavs have won four of their last five.
[size=-1]Jason Terry[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Dallas Mavericks[/size]
[/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]17[/size][size=-2]10.1[/size][size=-2]2.2[/size][size=-2]3.6[/size][size=-2].496[/size][size=-2].774[/size]Now, if they could just get a little bit better play at the point. Head coach Don Nelson appears to have cooled a bit on rookie Devin Harris and doesn't seem to have fallen in love with backup Jason Terry either.
So, Nellie traded for Darrell Armstrong over the weekend. Armstrong got just eight minutes in his opening game, but the Mavs expect those to increase as he gets more familiar with the team.
"It's definitely motivation," said Terry after scoring 19 points and handing out 9 assists in Armstrong's first game with the team. "They're going to tell you around here that your job is never safe."
"I think I got their attention," Nelson said of his point guards.
Seattle SuperSonics: Our prediction that the Sonics' shots eventually would stop falling have been obviously wrong. Just when one of their shooters goes cold (Ray Allen: 28 percent from 3 in his last five) someone else heats up.
[size=-1]Vladimir Radmanovic[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Seattle SuperSonics[/size]
[/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]18[/size][size=-2]11.9[/size][size=-2]4.5[/size][size=-2]1.5[/size][size=-2].422[/size][size=-2].786[/size]This week it was Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Ridnour. Radmanovic is shooting 43 percent from 3 over his last five while averaging 14.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg. Ridnour is shooting 50 percent from 3 while averaging 12 ppg and 7.4 apg over the same span.
Factor in the Sonics; fantastic plus-7.1 point differential -- third behind just the Spurs and Suns -- and we have to start preparing for the fact the Sonics may be pretty good.
If they win on the road this week against the Spurs and Mavericks, "pretty good" might turn into "very good" next week.
Boston Celtics: We were all ready to sing the Celtics praises this week after the team rattled off wins against the Magic, Bucks and Raptors. We're even willing to forgive them for a blowout 119-105 loss to the Kings.
Somebody in the Atlantic Division is going to have to float to the top, and the Celtics seems to be as good or better than anyone else in the division.
Mark Blount, especially, has been good over the Celtics' last five. After averaging just 3.5 rpg last week (for which we slammed him in this space), Blount went out and averaged 9.5 rebounds this week along with 15.8 ppg.
Boston also is starting to get its money's worth out of Raef LaFrentz. He's averaging 15.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg over the Celtics' last five.
Still we have to be cautious. The Celtics are now in the midst of a five-game stretch against the Kings, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Sonics and Clippers that could kill the momentum they have built.
The Bad
Golden State Warriors: Just hours after we wrote Thursday's column on how to fix the Bulls (with the Warriors as one of the teams interested in Curry), I got a phone call from a source in Chicago claiming the Warriors have been doing extensive background checks on the young Bulls' center.
According to the source, the Warriors are seriously considering making a trade for Curry that might also include the Clippers in a three-way deal that would sent Curry to Golden State, Mike Dunleavy Jr. to the Clippers and Chris Wilcox and Bobby Simmons to the Bulls.
[size=-1]Mike Dunleavy[/size]
[size=-2]Small Forward
Golden State Warriors[/size]
[/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]16[/size][size=-2]10.9[/size][size=-2]4.3[/size][size=-2]2.9[/size][size=-2].429[/size][size=-2].688[/size]Let's take a second to unpack that.
The Warriors would get the low-post scoring threat they've been looking for in Curry. While the loss of Dunleavy would hurt a bit, he has been under-performing in Golden State. Second-year swingman Mickael Pietrus should be able to step right in and take over. I actually like this trade for the Warriors.
The Bulls get a legitimate power forward who can score and rebound. If they were to keep Tyson Chandler and move him to center, this trade would make some sense for Chicago. Wilcox has looked great for the Clippers. He's an excellent athlete, has a good work ethic and could help the Bulls in transition.
The Clippers' part is the most interesting. A Dunleavy Sr.-Dunleavy Jr. reunion? .... Hmmmm. It has been rumored for the past two years that dad wanted to coach his son. How Junior fits into what the Clippers are doing is beyond me. Bobby Simmons is outplaying him in almost every imaginable way this season. Dads always think the best about their kids, but does this really make the Clippers better?
Still, this may be the second-most interesting rumor I've heard all year.
Toronto Raptors: Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse north of the border, point guard Rafer Alston, one of the few bright spots in the Raptors season, joined Vince Carter and Jalen Rose in the "Get Me the Hell Outta Here" world tour.
[size=-1]Rafer Alston[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Toronto Raptors[/size]
[/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]19[/size][size=-2]13.8[/size][size=-2]4.0[/size][size=-2]6.6[/size][size=-2].404[/size][size=-2].778[/size]Actually, Alston went so far Friday night as to claim he'd retire after being yelled at and benched by head coach Sam Mitchell for a stupid technical foul.
"It's tough right now for me," Alston said, while fighting back tears. "I'm hurting so much inside. I'm going to talk to Sam. I'm going to talk to Rob (general manager Babcock). I think it's time. I'm tired of getting into it with my teammates. I'm tired of getting into it with coaches. I don't know if I'm a good fit for this team. I don't know if I'm a good fit for this league any more."
Mitchell and Babcock told him to suck it up, and a day later he came out and dished out 10 assists.
Still, with so much bad blood brewing in Toronto, can Babcock really afford to let this fester much longer?
"I don't think anybody handled it very well," said Babcock. "We've got a couple of emotional players and an emotional coach."
While Babcock blames unfamiliarity and lack of experience as the problem, he's the one who signed Alston (a career backup) and hired Mitchell (no head coaching experience) for this troubled team.
[size=-1]Vince Carter[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Toronto Raptors[/size]
[/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]18[/size][size=-2]16.1[/size][size=-2]3.7[/size][size=-2]3.3[/size][size=-2].411[/size][size=-2].694[/size]Mitchell has since gone on to bash several players in the press and has privately asked Babcock to trade both Carter and Rose. His relationship with Alston and Loren Woods is rocky, as well. That's four of the Raptors' starting five. Is Chris Bosh next?
He might be if Babcock doesn't start making changes. At this point he's either going to have to change the coach (unlikely) or start shipping out players. The Raptors have been in a holding pattern all month trying to get the best deal for Carter.
Now that teams have had plenty of time to phone in their offers, sources claim a decision is imminent.
"Things have to change here and change quickly," one source told Insider. "Before it gets any worse."
Any worse? At this point that's hard to imagine.
Philadelphia 76ers: Speaking of head coaches not getting along with their players, what is Jim O'Brien doing in Philly right now?
The team has lost its last four, and O'Brien's rotation has been all over the place. Kenny Thomas has been coming off the bench, and stinking badly, before finally getting a reprieve when Corliss Williamson went down.
Samuel Dalembert waffles between major contributor off the bench to DNPs. Glenn Robinson is sitting on the bench waiting for a trade. Willie Green, the guy O'Brien fell in love with in the summer league, is barely getting off the bench.
O'Brien claims his bizarre rotations are based on solid statistical analysis. His assistants "go over such volumes of statistical information, [they] might defy belief."
O'Brien said players are evaluated not only over an entire season, but also in the previous five games. "I measure it every which way," he said. "I know what every lineup that I've played the entire season has done. I know what combinations of players have been the best."
Whatever he's doing, the Sixers need to be careful. There are a lot of unhappy players on the team right now.
Houston Rockets: If Jeff Van Gundy isn't willing to make a change in the Rockets' offense, Tracy McGrady is.
[size=-1]Tracy McGrady[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Houston Rockets[/size]
[/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]16[/size][size=-2]21.8[/size][size=-2]5.6[/size][size=-2]5.8[/size][size=-2].414[/size][size=-2].727[/size]"I pulled him aside because I didn't feel comfortable the way I was playing, the way the team was playing," McGrady said of his talk with Van Gundy. "I felt that talking to him would probably get me to the ball that I'm capable of playing. With his system, everybody is involved in the offense. I think we changed a little bit last game and it showed. Guys were still getting shots and I was still capable of getting my players involved. At the same time, I have to have the ball in order to make things happen like that.
"I had a feeling I was going to have a big game, a breakout game. Before I talked to him ... every shot and every mistake I made, I seemed like I was looking over my shoulder. Why, I don't know. There was a lot of hesitation in my game."
The bad news is that even with T-Mac breaking out, the Rockets are still losing. The good news?
Sources claim NBA commissioner David Stern will announce on Tuesday that Houston will host the 2006 All-Star game.
I wonder if anyone will show up for that.
New Orleans Hornets: After trading the always productive Darrell Armstrong for unknown, unproven and well traveled Dan Dickau, Hornets owner George Shinn said: "This trade is a great example of how we will make every effort to improve our team."
Huh?
Now you know why Baron Davis and Jamaal Magloire want out of there so badly. If that's improvement the Hornets may not win again this season.
The Rest
How good are the Spurs? They lead the league in point differential -- considered a key stat by just about every GM in the league. The Spurs are beating their opponents by a league leading +11.8 ppg. ... The Kings sure aren't missing Vlade Divac as much as we thought they would. Not only do they rank second in the league in assists, the team is averaging the fewest turnovers in the league. ... Six games into the season, the Jazz were blowing teams out by an average of 15 ppg. Now, teams have closed that gap to 0.9 ppg. It's not the offense that's struggling; it's the defense. The Jazz are giving up an uncharacteristic 97 ppg. ... Blazers players are complaining things are getting too clogged up in the middle with both Zach Randolph and Shareef Abdur-Rahim planting themselves in the paint. That may be partly why Theo Ratliff is off to such a terrible start and also why trade talks for Abdur-Rahim continue in earnest. ... The Pacers are finally getting some help. Anthony Johnson returned Friday. Reggie Miller was back in uniform Saturday, and Jeff Foster is expected back this week. Miller, especially, will be key. He had 23 points in his first game back. "Had Reggie Miller not been here over the last four years, it's kind of like (the movie) 'It's a Wonderful Life,' " head coach Rick Carlisle said. "It could be a veritable Pottersville in Indianapolis." ... Shaquille O'Neal may have a huge impact on the court, both for good and bad. While he puts up dominant numbers, he isn't exactly a paragon for effort or intensity on the court. It's rubbing off on the Heat. "I've got maybe two guys who play hard every night, so it's hard to even do anything personnel-wise," head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "It's a tough road right now, and until our team decides they're going to play hard every night, then what we've been doing is probably what we'll get -- we'll win one here and there, lose some, and play mediocre basketball." ... The Knicks will activate Allan Houston for Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies. But will he really help? The team is allowing opponents to shoot 47.4 percent from the field, the second-worst average in the league. Houston can score, but he can't stop anyone. He should feel right at home in the backcourt with Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford. ... This year's lottery pick, Josh Childress, has been beaten out by the Hawks late first-round pick last year, Boris Diaw. Over the past week, Childress is playing just 15 mpg, while Diaw has upped his average from 15 mpg to 28 mpg.
<LI>
Monday, December 6, 2004
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
Five weeks in, the unpredictability of the opening month of the season is giving way to the familiar.
The good look very good -- the Spurs are dominant; the Suns continue to blow teams out of the water; the Sonics' shots keep falling; the Kings have passed their way to wins in 10 of their last 11.
The bad look very bad -- the Hawks have lost nine straight; the Hornets look like a CBA team, with both Baron Davis and Jamaal Magloire out; the Warriors' four wins have come against the lowly Hornets, Bulls, Bobcats and a depleted Pacers team; there continues to be more Baby than Bull in Chicago.
Still interesting, though, is the upside. The next few weeks could bring about big things for several teams on the bubble.
<LI>The Nuggets are starting to make a move in the standings. Will Kiki Vandeweghe & Co. make another big move to secure their status in the West?
<LI>
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Kidd
Jason Kidd returns tonight in New Jersey. How much longer will he be wearing a Nets jersey?
<LI>The Bobcats already have surprised a lot of people. But GM/coach Bernie Bickerstaff isn't done tinkering with his lineup.
<LI>With Mike Fratello taking the reigns in Memphis, a shake-up or two look imminent.
<LI>Ben Wallace is back. The Pistons look focused for the first time this season. And now it looks like even Darko Milicic may be getting into the act in Detroit.
It's time for another Monday edition of the Good, the Bad and the Upside -- with the Upside leading off for the first time.
The Upside
Denver Nuggets: After getting off to a miserable 2-5 start, the Nuggets have won seven of their last nine. But before you go and declare them cured, take a look at the schedule. The Nuggets are at the end of a scheduling oasis that gave them nine of their last 10 at home.
Wednesday, they head East for a seven-game road trip. The good news is only three of the teams they face -- the Wizards, Heat and Magic -- have winning records. The bad news is the Nuggets have just one win on the road this year. That's why the Nuggets aren't just sitting still, trying to convince themselves everything's alright.
If this team is going to live up to preseason hype, it is going to need a replacement for Voshon Lenard, who's out for the season with an injury.
The Nuggets have tried the easy routes, bringing in free agents and CBA players to no avail. They tried to make minor trades with the Lakers (for Kareem Rush) and the Suns (for Casey Jacobsen) that didn't pan out. The latest talk has them making a play for Eddie House, who was released by the Bobcats on Saturday.
Expect the Nuggets to get bolder in the next few weeks. Right now, free agents and first-round draft picks who signed this summer are ineligible to be traded. That accounts for nearly a third of the players in the league. However, on Dec. 15, those players are free to be traded, opening up the market considerably.
[size=-1]Nikoloz Tskitishvili[/size]
[size=-2]Power Forward Denver Nuggets[/size]
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What might the Nuggets do? They have two bargaining chips that could potentially land them a star at shooting guard. Nene and Nikoloz Tskitishvili both have seen their roles dramatically diminished this season with the signing of Kenyon Martin.
Nene especially has tremendous trade value because of his size, athleticism and age. Skita has upside but is considered a project for down the road. Most teams believe Nene could help them right now.
While GM Vandeweghe still maintains he doesn't want to move Nene, he might not have a choice. Given the injury histories of Marcus Camby and Martin, it's understandable if Kiki wants to keep Nene around as insurance. But the Brazilian native is miserable, according to sources, and wants a new home.
Where could he land? Here are three educated guesses (with the emphasis on educated guesses) of where he might end up in the next few weeks.
<LI>Suns: The Nuggets and Suns spoke in November about a trade that would send Jacobsen and Zarko Cabarkapa to Denver for Skita. However, the Suns were reluctant to mess with their chemistry and ultimately balked at a deal. Their reluctance may dissipate, however, if Nene is included in the deal.
The Suns have coveted him for a long time and still believe they need a tough, blue-collar big man in the middle. Amare Stoudemire has been awesome at center, but they would prefer to move him back to his natural position, the four.
[size=-1]Quentin Richardson[/size]
[size=-2]Guard-Forward
Phoenix Suns
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If the Suns are willing to part with either Quentin Richardson or Joe Johnson, something might work out. The Nuggets could swap Nene, Skita and Lenard to the Suns for Q, Maciej Lampe and Cabarkapa. Or they could swap just Nene and Skita for Johnson, Lampe and Cabarkapa.
Vandeweghe loves both players and might be inclined to push for Richardson, who signed a very reasonable six-year contract over the summer. Johnson will a restricted free agent after this season.
<LI>Bucks: The Bucks are falling apart, and it looks like Michael Redd, an unrestricted free agent after the season, will bolt. Redd would be a great fit in Denver, but the team would need assurances he'd re-sign next summer. The Nuggets would own his Bird Rights, meaning they could sign him for the max.
The Bucks don't want to give up on Redd, but they do have insurance with Desmond Mason. The chance to add two young bigs to the mix might be too much for Bucks GM Larry Harris to pass up.
<LI>Warriors: The Nuggets have always been big fans of Mickael Pietrus. Not only is he one of the most athletic on-the-ball defenders in the league, he also has the tools to be a solid player on the offensive end. With Jason Richardson now locked up long-term, would a swap of Pietrus and Ansu Sesay for Nene work for the Nuggets?
New Jersey Nets: Jason Kidd returns to the floor Monday night, but the question is for how long? If he's not really healthy, chances are he'll stay in New Jersey (his trade value will be too low) and the Nets will continue to be awful.
That shouldn't be too big of an issue. Kidd has totally healed from his offseason micro-fracture surgery and has looked great in practices the past week.
If he really is healthy, a handful of teams will start getting serious about putting together a trade. For now, the Nets are claiming they are just happy to have him back in a Nets uniform.
"I think he has a great future with the Nets," team owner Bruce Ratner said Sunday. "That is my hope."
However, everyone in the know claims the chances are still very strong Kidd will get traded in the next month.
As much as the Nets need a point guard like Kidd -- they rank last in the league in assists and first in turnovers -- will he be enough to put them back into contention?
Maybe. But without any semblance of a low-post scorer and no cap room to add one on their own, the Nets are going to need more than Kidd to become a contender again.
Dallas, Minnesota, Portland and possibly Denver and Golden State all have interest. What is New Jersey's best option for Kidd? Check back tomorrow when we'll break 'em down.
[size=-1]Emeka Okafor[/size]
[size=-2]Forward-Center
Charlotte Bobcats
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Charlotte Bobcats: Admit it. The Bobcats are not only better than you expected, they're actually pretty good. Sure, a 4-10 record isn't something to get excited about if you're a title contender ... but for an expansion team, it's marvelous.
Emeka Okafor is playing out of his mind right now, averaging 20.2 ppg and 13.2 rpg on 54 percent shooting from the field over his last five. Point guard Brevin Knight ranks second in the league in assists and has dished out an average of 11.8 over his last five.
And, as Insider reported Sunday, GM/Coach Bernie Bickerstaff is on the verge of trading a second-round pick for Lakers guard Kareem Rush.
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Rush
Rush is averaging just 0.9 ppg this season, but a trade to the Bobcats could be the best thing for Rush. He was never going to cut into Kobe Bryant's time on the floor, but in Charlotte you can expect Rush to quickly work his way into the starting lineup. The team has a hole at shooting guard that it has struggled to fill this season.
Rush showed signs last season, especially in Bryant's absence, that he could be a good scorer in the league. He had 30 points against the Kings and hit six of seven 3-pointers to help eliminate Minnesota in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
Most importantly for the Bobcats, Rush gives them another young asset to evaluate. Okafor and center Primoz Brezec already look like keepers. If they can find one more -- and Rush could be it -- their season will be a success, regardless of how many more wins they get.
Memphis Grizzlies: It hasn't taken new head coach Mike Fratello long to tighten the rotation in Memphis and begin picking out his go-to players.
Pau Gasol seems to be the biggest beneficiary. He scored 34 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Fratello's first game and followed it up with 20 points and six boards in his second game. Overall he's averaged 40 mpg in the last two, up from 32 mpg for the season.
[size=-1]Earl Watson[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Memphis Grizzlies
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The other guy who may benefit is back-up point guard Earl Watson. Watson played 30 minutes in Fratello's second game scoring 12 points and handing out 12 assists while starter Jason Williams sat on the bench nursing a sore ankle.
While Williams' injury is legit, sources claim Fratello and West would prefer to trade Williams and hand the starting reigns over to Watson. Watson had a nice run last year as the starter while Williams was hurt. While he might not have Williams' talent, he comes with much less attitude -- a quality that's in high demand in Memphis these days.
Expect West to try to package Williams and Bonzi Wells in the upcoming days in his ongoing effort to find a big man who can score in the middle.
Detroit Pistons: Did the Pistons get the wake-up call they needed Friday in San Antonio. After being blown out for the first three quarters, the Pistons staged a furious rally in the fourth and almost caught the Spurs. The game wasn't decided until 4.4 seconds were left.
The Pistons came out Saturday and destroyed the struggling Hornets behind a career high 22 points from Ben Wallace.
Watch the Pistons closely during this stretch. After a tough game tonight in Dallas, their next opponents are the Raptors, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, Cavaliers, Blazers and Bulls. Of those seven, only the Cavs should pose a threat.
The easy upcoming schedule also might benefit Darko Milicic. He got a career high 14 minutes against the Hornets on Saturday, and head coach Larry Brown claims Darko finally has earned some playing time.
"I think he's really trying, and from what I've seen, he's looking like he belongs out there for the first time," Brown told the Detroit News. "He's getting more confident, and I think you can see that when he's confident he's not thinking as much. He's still got a lot to learn, but he's taking steps. He needs to keep up the hard work he's shown in practice, and then carry that all over to the games."
If the Pistons can rack up some easy wins and get Darko minutes, they could have the best of both worlds over the coming few weeks.
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Curry
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Chandler
Chicago Bulls: Both Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry seem to be stepping up lately in the face of repeated calls for the Bulls to trade them.
Chandler had 10 points and 18 rebounds against the Lakers on Wednesday and 15 points and 21 rebounds against the Wizards on Saturday. Curry had 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Lakers and 15 and 5 against the Wizards.
But before GM John Paxson pulls them off the trade block, he might want to consult with head coach Scott Skiles. The Baby Bulls' big production scored them a win over the Lakers, but they turned around and lost by 24 to Miami and by seven to the Wizards.
"We stayed in the game because we played hard," Skiles said after the Wizards game. "I can't fault the guys' effort. But playing smart sometimes has something to do with it, too."
"They were really, the word that first came to my mind was, remedial," Skiles said. "Kind of grade school-type turnovers that really cost us."
The Bulls are worst in the league with 17.4 turnovers per game, and they had 28 against Washington. While Chandler and Curry weren't the problems in that game -- Ben Gordon (6) and Chris Duhon (5) were the big culprits -- the "grade school" comment surely doesn't apply just to the guards.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers continued to roll this week, racking up a 3-1 record with their only loss coming in overtime to the Timberwolves. Last week we chronicled the impact Marko Jaric is having in the backcourt. But we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that Bobby Simmons is also having a career year.
[size=-1]Bobby Simmons[/size]
[size=-2]Guard-Forward
Los Angeles Clippers
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Simmons ranks in the top 10 in shooting percentage (55 percent) and free-throw percentage (91 percent). Only one player in NBA history has finished in the top 10 in both categories – the Celtics' Kevin McHale in 1990.
Simmons is averaging 18.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 3.8 apg over his last five.
Will they be able to hold on to him? Simmons will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Clippers are looking at roughly $14 million in cap space, so they should be able to re-sign him no problem.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers are getting a nice scoring punch from an unexpected source. Second-year forward Brian Cook has been very solid over the last five, averaging 14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg and shooting 52 percent from 3-point range (13 of 25).
Cleveland Cavaliers: Jeff McInnis is having a career year in Cleveland, averaging 15.4 ppg, 5.2 apg while shooting 47 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3. But will this be his last year in a Cavs uniform?
McInnis will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Cavs would like to re-sign him, but may not have the cash to do it. The team will have around $20 million in cap space next summer, but its first priorities are re-signing center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (he should command at least $8 million to $10 million per year) and landing free agent Michael Redd (he'll want a salary starting at more than $10 million per). That's not going to leave much on the table for McInnis.
The Good
Washington Wizards: The Wizards are off to their best start since 1974, but is their 10-5 record really just smoke and mirrors?
[size=-1]Antawn Jamison[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Washington Wizards
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"A lot of people think this is a fluke. It's the first month," Antawn Jamison said. "I think the biggest thing is confidence. We believe every time we're out there on the court we can find a way to get it done."
Added head coach Eddie Jordan: "In this league, it's talent, toughness and experience, and I think we have all three."
Fair enough. The Wizards have three big-time scorers in Jamison, Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes. Arenas and Hughes have been especially impressive lately -- forming, arguably, the most potent backcourt in the league. Arenas is averaging 25.4 ppg, 5 apg on 51 percent from 3 over his last five. Hughes is averaging 21.8 ppg, 6.8 apg, 6.8 rpg and 3.6 spg.
That's just flat-out awesome.
With Jamison getting easy baskets in the paint, Brendan Haywood finally living up to his promise in the middle and Kwame Brown returning -- why aren't we higher on them?
For starters, the Wizards haven't beaten anyone yet. Only one of their 10 wins has come against a team with a winning record. Their other nine came against the likes of the Bulls, Hawks, Nets, Bobcats and Grizzlies. They're 1-4 against teams with a .500 record.
Second, while they are putting up the second-most points in the league (102.6 ppg), they also are giving up more than 98 per game.
Orlando Magic: When you think about fast breaks, the Suns immediately come to mind. But believe it or not, the Magic are averaging a league-best 19.3 fast-break points per game.
Steve Francis (21 ppg, 6.6 apg over last 5), Cuttino Mobley (20.3 ppg in last 3) and Grant Hill (20.2 ppg, 4 apg over last 5) play a big role in that. But the credit should really go to Magic assistant coach Paul Westhead, who once earned the nickname "Father of the Fast Break."
"Not many teams run," Westhead said. "There's a special bonus if you can get your group to run, because most teams don't want to defend it."
Combine that with the fact the Magic also are the best rebounding team in the league (47.3 rpg) and you have the recipe for their 11-5 start in Orlando.
[size=-1]Steve Nash[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Phoenix Suns
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[size=-2]Profile
[/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]17[/size][size=-2]16.3[/size][size=-2]3.1[/size][size=-2]10.9[/size][size=-2].560[/size][size=-2].875[/size]
Phoenix Suns: Speaking of fast-break teams, you've got to love how the Suns are sharing the love this year. Two weeks ago Amare Stoudemire was the NBA player of the Week. Last week Shawn Marion took home the honors. A few days later, Steve Nash was name Western Conference Player of the Month.
This week it was Quentin Richardson's turn to show off. For the week he averaged 22 ppg, including a huge 37-point performance against the Blazers on Sunday, when he hit 8-of-12 from beyond the 3-point line.
After a slow start, Richardson seems like he's finally fitting in to the system. That could pose a big dilemma for the Suns over the next few weeks. They are being flooded with trade calls from teams asking about both Richardson and Johnson.
If they could get a young, athletic center in return, they'd be tempted. But ...
"I'd really hesitate to do anything right now," GM Bryan Colangelo told Insider. "We are playing so well right now. There's something to be said for continuity and chemistry. I don't want to do anything to mess that up."
With the way his team is playing right now, Colangelo may have no choice but to stand pat and let the run-and-gun Suns continue to do their thing.
Minnesota Timberwolves: With impressive wins on the road versus the Kings, Suns and Clippers this week, the Timberwolves finally seem to be feeling it. Then again, maybe Kevin Garnett is just carrying a heavier load.
Garnett's numbers this week were even more awesome than the MVP numbers he put up last season -- 23.3 ppg, 16.2 rpg, 5.6 apg. 2.6 spg, 2.4 bpg on 50 percent from the field over the past five.
[size=-1]Sam Cassell[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Minnesota Timberwolves
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[/size]2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
The Wolves also finally are getting the contribution from Sam Cassell they got last year. Contract issues may have contributed to a slow start, but they seem to be in Cassell's past now. Over the past five he's averaging 22.2 ppg, 7.4 apg on 50 percent shooting from the field.
Still, head coach Flip Saunders is understandably wary about his mercurial point guard. "You love him and hate him, all in the same game, sometimes on the same play."
Dallas Mavericks: If Garnett doesn't win Western Conference Player of the Week, it will be because of Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki's 53-point, 16-rebound performance against the Rockets was the best individual performance we've seen this season. His 31.8 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 3 apg, 2 bpg average over the past five is just as awesome and a big reason the Mavs have won four of their last five.
[size=-1]Jason Terry[/size]
[size=-2]Point Guard
Dallas Mavericks[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/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]17[/size][size=-2]10.1[/size][size=-2]2.2[/size][size=-2]3.6[/size][size=-2].496[/size][size=-2].774[/size]Now, if they could just get a little bit better play at the point. Head coach Don Nelson appears to have cooled a bit on rookie Devin Harris and doesn't seem to have fallen in love with backup Jason Terry either.
So, Nellie traded for Darrell Armstrong over the weekend. Armstrong got just eight minutes in his opening game, but the Mavs expect those to increase as he gets more familiar with the team.
"It's definitely motivation," said Terry after scoring 19 points and handing out 9 assists in Armstrong's first game with the team. "They're going to tell you around here that your job is never safe."
"I think I got their attention," Nelson said of his point guards.
Seattle SuperSonics: Our prediction that the Sonics' shots eventually would stop falling have been obviously wrong. Just when one of their shooters goes cold (Ray Allen: 28 percent from 3 in his last five) someone else heats up.
[size=-1]Vladimir Radmanovic[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Seattle SuperSonics[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/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]18[/size][size=-2]11.9[/size][size=-2]4.5[/size][size=-2]1.5[/size][size=-2].422[/size][size=-2].786[/size]This week it was Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Ridnour. Radmanovic is shooting 43 percent from 3 over his last five while averaging 14.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg. Ridnour is shooting 50 percent from 3 while averaging 12 ppg and 7.4 apg over the same span.
Factor in the Sonics; fantastic plus-7.1 point differential -- third behind just the Spurs and Suns -- and we have to start preparing for the fact the Sonics may be pretty good.
If they win on the road this week against the Spurs and Mavericks, "pretty good" might turn into "very good" next week.
Boston Celtics: We were all ready to sing the Celtics praises this week after the team rattled off wins against the Magic, Bucks and Raptors. We're even willing to forgive them for a blowout 119-105 loss to the Kings.
Somebody in the Atlantic Division is going to have to float to the top, and the Celtics seems to be as good or better than anyone else in the division.
Mark Blount, especially, has been good over the Celtics' last five. After averaging just 3.5 rpg last week (for which we slammed him in this space), Blount went out and averaged 9.5 rebounds this week along with 15.8 ppg.
Boston also is starting to get its money's worth out of Raef LaFrentz. He's averaging 15.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg over the Celtics' last five.
Still we have to be cautious. The Celtics are now in the midst of a five-game stretch against the Kings, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Sonics and Clippers that could kill the momentum they have built.
The Bad
Golden State Warriors: Just hours after we wrote Thursday's column on how to fix the Bulls (with the Warriors as one of the teams interested in Curry), I got a phone call from a source in Chicago claiming the Warriors have been doing extensive background checks on the young Bulls' center.
According to the source, the Warriors are seriously considering making a trade for Curry that might also include the Clippers in a three-way deal that would sent Curry to Golden State, Mike Dunleavy Jr. to the Clippers and Chris Wilcox and Bobby Simmons to the Bulls.
[size=-1]Mike Dunleavy[/size]
[size=-2]Small Forward
Golden State Warriors[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/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]16[/size][size=-2]10.9[/size][size=-2]4.3[/size][size=-2]2.9[/size][size=-2].429[/size][size=-2].688[/size]Let's take a second to unpack that.
The Warriors would get the low-post scoring threat they've been looking for in Curry. While the loss of Dunleavy would hurt a bit, he has been under-performing in Golden State. Second-year swingman Mickael Pietrus should be able to step right in and take over. I actually like this trade for the Warriors.
The Bulls get a legitimate power forward who can score and rebound. If they were to keep Tyson Chandler and move him to center, this trade would make some sense for Chicago. Wilcox has looked great for the Clippers. He's an excellent athlete, has a good work ethic and could help the Bulls in transition.
The Clippers' part is the most interesting. A Dunleavy Sr.-Dunleavy Jr. reunion? .... Hmmmm. It has been rumored for the past two years that dad wanted to coach his son. How Junior fits into what the Clippers are doing is beyond me. Bobby Simmons is outplaying him in almost every imaginable way this season. Dads always think the best about their kids, but does this really make the Clippers better?
Still, this may be the second-most interesting rumor I've heard all year.
Toronto Raptors: Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse north of the border, point guard Rafer Alston, one of the few bright spots in the Raptors season, joined Vince Carter and Jalen Rose in the "Get Me the Hell Outta Here" world tour.
[size=-1]Rafer Alston[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Toronto Raptors[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/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]19[/size][size=-2]13.8[/size][size=-2]4.0[/size][size=-2]6.6[/size][size=-2].404[/size][size=-2].778[/size]Actually, Alston went so far Friday night as to claim he'd retire after being yelled at and benched by head coach Sam Mitchell for a stupid technical foul.
"It's tough right now for me," Alston said, while fighting back tears. "I'm hurting so much inside. I'm going to talk to Sam. I'm going to talk to Rob (general manager Babcock). I think it's time. I'm tired of getting into it with my teammates. I'm tired of getting into it with coaches. I don't know if I'm a good fit for this team. I don't know if I'm a good fit for this league any more."
Mitchell and Babcock told him to suck it up, and a day later he came out and dished out 10 assists.
Still, with so much bad blood brewing in Toronto, can Babcock really afford to let this fester much longer?
"I don't think anybody handled it very well," said Babcock. "We've got a couple of emotional players and an emotional coach."
While Babcock blames unfamiliarity and lack of experience as the problem, he's the one who signed Alston (a career backup) and hired Mitchell (no head coaching experience) for this troubled team.
[size=-1]Vince Carter[/size]
[size=-2]Forward
Toronto Raptors[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/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]18[/size][size=-2]16.1[/size][size=-2]3.7[/size][size=-2]3.3[/size][size=-2].411[/size][size=-2].694[/size]Mitchell has since gone on to bash several players in the press and has privately asked Babcock to trade both Carter and Rose. His relationship with Alston and Loren Woods is rocky, as well. That's four of the Raptors' starting five. Is Chris Bosh next?
He might be if Babcock doesn't start making changes. At this point he's either going to have to change the coach (unlikely) or start shipping out players. The Raptors have been in a holding pattern all month trying to get the best deal for Carter.
Now that teams have had plenty of time to phone in their offers, sources claim a decision is imminent.
"Things have to change here and change quickly," one source told Insider. "Before it gets any worse."
Any worse? At this point that's hard to imagine.
Philadelphia 76ers: Speaking of head coaches not getting along with their players, what is Jim O'Brien doing in Philly right now?
The team has lost its last four, and O'Brien's rotation has been all over the place. Kenny Thomas has been coming off the bench, and stinking badly, before finally getting a reprieve when Corliss Williamson went down.
Samuel Dalembert waffles between major contributor off the bench to DNPs. Glenn Robinson is sitting on the bench waiting for a trade. Willie Green, the guy O'Brien fell in love with in the summer league, is barely getting off the bench.
O'Brien claims his bizarre rotations are based on solid statistical analysis. His assistants "go over such volumes of statistical information, [they] might defy belief."
O'Brien said players are evaluated not only over an entire season, but also in the previous five games. "I measure it every which way," he said. "I know what every lineup that I've played the entire season has done. I know what combinations of players have been the best."
Whatever he's doing, the Sixers need to be careful. There are a lot of unhappy players on the team right now.
Houston Rockets: If Jeff Van Gundy isn't willing to make a change in the Rockets' offense, Tracy McGrady is.
[size=-1]Tracy McGrady[/size]
[size=-2]Guard
Houston Rockets[/size]
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[size=-2]Profile[/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]16[/size][size=-2]21.8[/size][size=-2]5.6[/size][size=-2]5.8[/size][size=-2].414[/size][size=-2].727[/size]"I pulled him aside because I didn't feel comfortable the way I was playing, the way the team was playing," McGrady said of his talk with Van Gundy. "I felt that talking to him would probably get me to the ball that I'm capable of playing. With his system, everybody is involved in the offense. I think we changed a little bit last game and it showed. Guys were still getting shots and I was still capable of getting my players involved. At the same time, I have to have the ball in order to make things happen like that.
"I had a feeling I was going to have a big game, a breakout game. Before I talked to him ... every shot and every mistake I made, I seemed like I was looking over my shoulder. Why, I don't know. There was a lot of hesitation in my game."
The bad news is that even with T-Mac breaking out, the Rockets are still losing. The good news?
Sources claim NBA commissioner David Stern will announce on Tuesday that Houston will host the 2006 All-Star game.
I wonder if anyone will show up for that.
New Orleans Hornets: After trading the always productive Darrell Armstrong for unknown, unproven and well traveled Dan Dickau, Hornets owner George Shinn said: "This trade is a great example of how we will make every effort to improve our team."
Huh?
Now you know why Baron Davis and Jamaal Magloire want out of there so badly. If that's improvement the Hornets may not win again this season.
The Rest
How good are the Spurs? They lead the league in point differential -- considered a key stat by just about every GM in the league. The Spurs are beating their opponents by a league leading +11.8 ppg. ... The Kings sure aren't missing Vlade Divac as much as we thought they would. Not only do they rank second in the league in assists, the team is averaging the fewest turnovers in the league. ... Six games into the season, the Jazz were blowing teams out by an average of 15 ppg. Now, teams have closed that gap to 0.9 ppg. It's not the offense that's struggling; it's the defense. The Jazz are giving up an uncharacteristic 97 ppg. ... Blazers players are complaining things are getting too clogged up in the middle with both Zach Randolph and Shareef Abdur-Rahim planting themselves in the paint. That may be partly why Theo Ratliff is off to such a terrible start and also why trade talks for Abdur-Rahim continue in earnest. ... The Pacers are finally getting some help. Anthony Johnson returned Friday. Reggie Miller was back in uniform Saturday, and Jeff Foster is expected back this week. Miller, especially, will be key. He had 23 points in his first game back. "Had Reggie Miller not been here over the last four years, it's kind of like (the movie) 'It's a Wonderful Life,' " head coach Rick Carlisle said. "It could be a veritable Pottersville in Indianapolis." ... Shaquille O'Neal may have a huge impact on the court, both for good and bad. While he puts up dominant numbers, he isn't exactly a paragon for effort or intensity on the court. It's rubbing off on the Heat. "I've got maybe two guys who play hard every night, so it's hard to even do anything personnel-wise," head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "It's a tough road right now, and until our team decides they're going to play hard every night, then what we've been doing is probably what we'll get -- we'll win one here and there, lose some, and play mediocre basketball." ... The Knicks will activate Allan Houston for Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies. But will he really help? The team is allowing opponents to shoot 47.4 percent from the field, the second-worst average in the league. Houston can score, but he can't stop anyone. He should feel right at home in the backcourt with Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford. ... This year's lottery pick, Josh Childress, has been beaten out by the Hawks late first-round pick last year, Boris Diaw. Over the past week, Childress is playing just 15 mpg, while Diaw has upped his average from 15 mpg to 28 mpg.
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