평소에 외국포럼에서 올려주시던 분이 바쁘셔서 한번에 올려주셨습니다. 너무 길어서 두개로 나누어 올리겠습니다.
Monday, November 29, 2004
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
David Stern, meet Rod Serling. Every time you think you have a handle on what's going on, something really weird happens that throws the NBA world into disarray.
Last week, it was the Ron Artest basket-brawl in Detroit. This week, Hubie Brown, last year's Coach of the Year recipient, claims he's lost his passion for basketball and steps down.
If things follow form, the Grizzlies are about to go on a 10-game winning streak. Don't believe us? Did you get a good look at the Pacers this week?
Was there anyone who predicted that a month into the season …
* The Pacers would have the best record in the East despite playing without both Jermaine O'Neal and Artest for the majority of their games.
* That Hubie Brown would realize, one month into the season, that coaching in the NBA these days isn't all it's cracked up to be.
* The Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns, two teams most analysts predicted would miss the playoffs, would have the best record in the NBA.
* The Suns and Sonics would get to the top of the mountain by shooting 3s. That's right. The two teams with the best records in the league also are averaging the most 3-point shots made and attempted.
* Bobcats guard Brevin Knight would be averaging more assists than all but one point guard in the league – Steve Nash.
Yet all of those are true, making this Monday's look at the week that was – the good, the bad and the upside – another peek into what is shaping up as a Twighlight Zone season.
THE GOOD
# Indiana Pacers: How messed up has this season been? Exhibit A, the Pacers. They've been in either the good or bad category every week. No in between.
Last week, the conventional wisdom was the Pacers were toast. When Insider wrote Sunday that the Pacers were still in this – even without O'Neal, Artest and Stephen Jackson – a flood of Insider cancellations came in. Our worst-case scenario had them winning seven of their next 30 and still being in reach of a playoff spot.
Our best-case scenario looked a lot like this week. The team won home games against the Celtics, Timberwolves and Bobcats before succumbing on the road to the Sonics on Sunday night.
We broke down how they'd do it last week, but here are two other factors we should've added into the equation.
Rick Carlisle is proving once again he may be the most underrated coach in the league. Two years removed from Coach of the Year honors and one year removed from being unceremoniously dumped by the Pistons, Carlisle is proving he has what it takes to be a special coach in the league.
With just one player on his roster who has any business starting in the league, and with just five healthy bodies who have any business playing in the league, somehow the Pacers are managing to score 97.4 ppg while holding opponents to 94 ppg. To put that into perspective, there are 17 teams whose season averages are better than 97.4 points for and 94 points against.
The other factor is point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who is putting up the best numbers of his career in the absence of the Pacers' starting four. Tinsley has gotten a bad rap in both college and the pros, but he's made Pacers president Donnie Walsh look like a genius for signing him to that six-year, $40-million extension this summer.
Tinsley averaged 21.8 ppg, 7.5 apg, 5.5 rpg and 3 steals on 49 percent shooting this week. If that isn't enough to get him Player of the Week honors, in the midst of everything else surrounding the team, I don't know what is.
Other stars have emerged as well. Fred Jones has turned into a consistent scoring threat. James Jones, last year's second-round pick, has put up remarkable numbers, including 27 points and six boards against the Sonics. And with Reggie Miller, Jeff Foster and Anthony Johnson all close to being ready for their returns, the Pacers are about to get some much needed help.
"It was kind of like when John Wayne got cancer and they had to take out both of his lungs," center Scot Pollard said this week. "He said, 'Take 'em both out, Doc. I don't need 'em. I'll grow gills and breathe like a fish.' Take away our three best players – and we'll just pray."
Somebody's listening.
# Phoenix Suns: Another week, another dominant Suns player in the news. Two weeks ago we couldn't stop raving about Steve Nash. Last week, we called Amare Stoudemire the next Moses Malone. This week? The love goes out to Shawn Marion, who is averaging 25.2 ppg and 14.4 rpg on 49.5 percent shooting over the past five games.
In many ways, defenders are in the same boat with Marion they are with Stoudemire. He's playing the four for the first time in his career and is creating enormous mismatches. Bigger power forwards don't have his quickness and must play off him. When they do, Marion turns into a pretty lethal jumpshooter. If they try to come out and contest his jumper, he explodes to the basket.
Either way, defenders are screwed.
# Seattle Supersonics: It appears teams haven't figured out how to stop the Sonics from making 3s. After their loss last week to the Celtics, former Sonic Gary Payton boldly predicted the Celtics had figured out the key to stopping his former team.
Apparently, the Celtics didn't share the secret with anyone. Seattle shot 40 percent from beyond the arc this week. Even when the Sonics weren't shooting well from 3 (like the 19 percent against the Grizzlies), they still knocked down enough mid-range shots to win.
We've already documented how well Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis have played (and shot the ball) this season. But there are two other factors that have to be mentioned.
Vladimir Radmanovic is putting together his best season as a pro. The past two years, he has played out of position at the four. This year, he is coming off the bench behind Lewis at the three and has been another consistent 3-point threat. His numbers don't jump off the page, but in limited minutes, he leads the Sonics in the plus/minus category. In other words, the team is scoring more points with Radmanovic on the floor than with any other combination of players.
Now for the pessimistic part. If the Sonics are smart, they'll trade him now while his value is as high as it's ever been. Long-term, it's tough to believe this will continue. He has value. They should cash in before it's too late.
The second factor is toughness. Head coach Nate McMillan has been begging GM Rick Sund for years to get him some tough players. This year, he has two – Danny Fortson and Nick Collison. You can't call Fortson a thug, but he is averaging 14.4 personal fouls per 48 minutes played – second in the league. Collison ranks third (12.1). And surprisingly, Jerome James is fourth (11.7). Fouls don't necessarily equal toughness, but watch the Sonics play and you'll see that all three of these guys are playing with a grit that few Sonics fans have seen over the past five years.
# San Antonio Spurs: Everyone keeps claiming the new defensive rules are unfairly wiping out the league's best defensive teams. Someone needs to inform the Spurs. This week, San Antonio put on one of the most impressive defensive spectacles we've seen this season.
After losing a couple of shockers on the road in Toronto and Memphis, the Spurs decided it was time to start playing some defense. The result? They held the Mavs to a season-low 80 points on 38 percent shooting. Then, they clamped down on the Nuggets, holding them to a season-low 75 points on 34 percent shooting. Finally, they routed the Jazz, holding them to just 28 points at the half and 76 for the game.
Said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan after his team was annihilated 109-76: "They came out and tried to destroy us. (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) was kind in not playing their frontline players, or they would have had 200 points tonight."
# Sacramento Kings: The Kings' seven-game win streak ended Sunday night at home against the Timberwolves. However, don't expect them to slip back into their early-season funk. They play two very winnable road games this week in Memphis and New Orleans, before going back home to host the Pacers, Celtics and Bobcats.
If the Kings continue to play the way they have, there's no reason to believe they won't rattle off another five-game streak. They currently rank last in the league in turnovers, and their assist-to-turnover ratio is by far the best in the league.
People predicted the ball would stop moving on offense once Vlade Divac was out of the picture, but so far, there doesn't seem to be any truth to that. Mike Bibby is averaging 6 assists. Doug Christie is averaging 5.8 apg over his last five games. Chris Webber ranks second among all big men with 5.1 apg. Brad Miller, over the past five games, has found his passing groove too, averaging 4.8 apg.
# Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers are over .500 in November for only the second time in the history of the franchise. More importantly, by almost every quantifiable statistic, the Clippers are better than the Lakers at this point in the season.
They're averaging more points per game and give up fewer than the Lakers. They lead the league in field goal percentage, shooting a sizzling 48 percent from the field. They lead the league in assists at 24.2 apg. They get more steals and even shoot it better from 3.
Both teams may be 8-6 at this point, but it's difficult not to get the feeling the Clippers may just be the better team.
Kobe may be the best player on either team, but at every other position, the Clips are better. Elton Brand is a better power forward than Lamar Odom so far. Marko Jaric, the Clippers' point guard, has been amazing lately, averaging 17.3 ppg, 8.5 apg and 4 spg over his last four. Corey Maggette has been better than Caron Butler at the three. Chris Wilcox has outplayed Chris Mihm in the middle.
And while Bobby Simmons is no Kobe, he does rank fifth in the league in field goal percentage (54 percent) and first in the league in free throws (96 percent).
# Charlotte Bobcats: It's official. The Bobcats are no longer the worst team in basketball. On a sheer record basis, that distinction still belongs to the Bulls and Hornets, who each have won just one game this season.
But the real test came this week in the NBA's version of the turkey bowl between the Hawks and Bobcats. We kind of had a clue early in the season that maybe the Hawks, not the Bobcats, would be holding the most lottery tickets in April. Now, we're pretty sure that's going to be the case.
Not only did the Bobcats easily handle the Hawks, 107-92, they also defeated the Pistons this week, 91-89. Factor in the games the team should've won, and the Bobcats should be over .500 this season.
How is that possible on an expansion team that admittedly kept it's roster young and inexperienced, in part, to secure a top draft position next year?
Start with the play of veteran point guard Brevin Knight. There was a time this summer when it looked like Knight would fall out of the league. The Bobcats seriously debated whether to keep him on their roster after a so-so training camp. What has he done? Only average 11.6 apg in his last five, including 34 assists against the Pistons in back-to-back games.
Knight now ranks second in the league in assists behind Steve Nash. He's doing this while averaging less than 30 mpg this season.
The other big wow factor has come from Emeka Okafor. His 18.6 ppg, 12 rpg have given him back the edge for Rookie of the Year honors over the Magic's Dwight Howard. And for those of you who claimed Okafor had no offensive upside, he ranks second among rookies in points per game.
While it's still too early to figure out exactly how many games the Bobcats will win this season, it sure looks to me like they'll be able to get close to, if not exceed, 20 wins.
The only downside to that? The Bobcats desperately want to land the No. 1 pick in the draft so they can get their hands on Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul. Not only is Paul one of the best point guard prospects to come out of college since Jason Kidd, he's also a local kid who will fill the seats.
Unfortunately, the Hawks, Warriors and Nets are all looking for point guards too. Is it time for the Bobcats to start taking it easy on some of the weaker teams in the East?
THE BAD
# Memphis Grizzlies: Can anyone really replace Hubie? That's the problem confronting Jerry West & Co. at the moment. By now you know they've had substantial talks with Mike Fratello, a Hubie disciple, about taking over. Fratello has a history of asking for the moon in talks, and that's why the negotiations have dragged on through the weekend. As of Sunday night, Fratello still didn't have a contract.
League sources told Insider over the weekend the Grizzlies' backup plan is former Warriors head coach Eric Musselman. He's a young Hubie – energetic and intense. In fact, given the current dynamics of the team, he may be a better pick than Fratello.
Does Fratello really want this job anyway? Brown's decision to walk away will remove much of the hope that has been fostered in Memphis these past two seasons.
If West decides to join him this summer … the Grizzlies could be in trouble. At Hubie's press conference Friday, West sure sounded as if he was considering retirement. Maybe he was just depressed the Grizzlies' best weapon just walked out the door. Or maybe he knows the Grizzlies are going to take longer to fix than it appeared at the end of last season.
Fratello would have his work cut out for him. Over the past few weeks, several key players – including Jason Williams and Bonzi Wells – were starting to bristle over Hubie's insistence on a 10-man rotation.
Gripes about playing time were inevitable. Last year, the players bought in, partly because they were underdogs who were winning. With more expectations (and a few bigger contracts, to boot), the players started to turn when they got off to a slow start.
As we reported here last week, some players were especially uncomfortable with the growing role of Brendan Brown as an assistant coach.
So what will Fratello inherit? A team that has grown weary of a style of coaching that Fratello advocates. And everyone on the Grizzlies liked Hubie. That may not be true with Mike.
He also will inherit a team without a center and with, perhaps, too much depth. If he scraps the 10-man rotation, guys like Williams, Gasol and Wells will be happy. But there will be a lot of good players who will see their significant roles essentially eliminated.
The only way that works is if West agrees to make some changes. He needs to thin out the backcourt a bit and add one significant frontcourt player. This isn't news to West, who tried to do exactly that all summer, but there's never been a greater urgency to get it done.
If West can't get it done (he believes many teams won't trade with him because of his reputation), the frustration of the whole thing might push him out the door too. If West is gone, his philosophy is going to leave with him. If that happens, Fratello's jump suddenly isn't all that secure.
# Houston Rockets: Who do you blame for the Rockets miserable 6-9 start. Do you blame Yao Ming, who has had an up-and-down season so far? Do you blame Tracy McGrady, who has struggled to adapt his game to Jeff Van Gundy's principles?
Do you blame Van Gundy for not being flexible enough to adapt his style to McGrady's talents? Or, do you blame the front office for not having a real plan to fill this team with adequate role players after they gutted it to land T-Mac?
Whomever you blame, it appears things may be coming to a head in Houston. The Rockets are bad in just about every category imaginable.
They rank 29th in scoring, averaging a mere 87.7 ppg. They are the worst offensive rebounding team in the league and rank 28th overall on the boards. The team isn't getting any penetration to the basket, which explains why only the Hornets have taken fewer free throws this season.
Van Gundy called his team mediocre Sunday. Given the way the Rockets have played lately, that may be optimistic.
"We're mediocre," Van Gundy said two losses ago. "We're just a mediocre team, because we don't make the plays that make you good consistently. We've made some improvements, but we don't fit together like I'd like to. Our chemistry is not the chemistry of a really good team.
"I don't think you can say any one guy has done well enough. We've done well enough as a group to be mediocre. And I think myself and each one of the players is to blame.
"Certainly if the results don't change, we'll need to change either who plays or who's here. Because one thing you don't want to get used to is mediocrity."
The team hopes to get a boost from the return of Bob Sura, who was activated off the injured list earlier this week. But Sura won't change everything.
The team needs to make some trades … but with what? Yao and McGrady are untouchable. No one else on the roster has any real trade value at the moment.
Van Gundy may be stuck with a team that sounds eerily familiar to the one McGrady left in Orlando. It's tough to blame McGrady for this whole thing. He's been trying to adjust. But when you read Magic GM John Weisbrod's words, they sure seem to hit home.
"One of the things we had last year and one of the reason we lost so often was because people left the building feeling fine with themselves," Magic GM John Weisbrod told Insider in training camp. "Tracy would say, you know, 'I had my 35, what else did you want me to do?' The other guys would say 'Hey, I'm just a role player, this is Tracy's team.'
"So everyone's putting the head on the pillow at night, and no one feels responsible. You're not going to break down many walls with that type of attitude."
The Rockets have got to be freaking out right now.
# Utah Jazz: The Jazz went 1-3 this week while giving up the first wins of the season to both the Hornets and the Bulls. Utah's scoring has dropped off dramatically from the start of the season, while its defense has become more vulnerable. That isn't a great recipe for success.
Coach Jerry Sloan believes his team has gotten away from what made it successful in the first place, precisely executed team ball.
"We got a little bit greedy in a couple games, because we felt we could do it on our own," Sloan said. "Each guy thought he could. But we're not as good a team that way."
To make matters worse, the team's best player, Andrei Kirilenko, sprained his ACL and likely will have to go on the injured list for the next 10 days.
With upcoming games against the red-hot Suns, Sonics and Mavs, the Jazz could fall to .500 by the end of the week. So much for red-hot fast starts.
# Toronto Raptors: It's not a question of if Vince Carter gets traded at this point – just when. Sources in Toronto told Insider over the weekend they've determined it's in the best interests of both the team and the player to make a trade. Right now, the Raptors are in the process of figuring out what the best deal would be.
In a perfect world, they'd be able to dump Carter and Jalen Rose in the same trade. Both players rank among the five worst in the league in plus/minus. They haven't bought into head coach Sam Mitchell's system, and he doesn't believe they will.
The problem with peddling both is that no one wants Rose or the last three years of his outrageous contract. Making a trade straight up for Carter would be easier but wouldn't remove all the Raptors' problems. They know the only way to get rid of Rose is to pin him to VC. If they hold firm, there are really only three teams – the Blazers, Mavs and Knicks – who have the personnel and willingness to eat those salaries.
The Blazers' deal has already been discussed: Shareef Abdur Rahim and Nick Van Exel (who both are in the last year of their contracts) for Carter and Rose. That deal gives the Raptors some needed salary relief, but does little to address any problems with their roster. Abdur-Rahim plays the same position as Chris Bosh and likely wouldn't re-sign with the team next summer.
The Knicks also could try to make something happen, but their backcourt already has Stephon Marbury, Allan Houston and Jamal Crawford. The Knicks don't want to trade Marbury, and both Houston and Crawford are signed to deals that would be tough to trade. The Knicks would have to get a three-way trade going with someone to make this work.
The Mavs have a number of players they might be willing to move for Carter and Rose. If I were the Raptors, I'd try to get Michael Finley, Alan Henderson (who's in the last year of his contract), and either Josh Howard or Marquis Daniels. It still doesn't give them a center, but it clears cap, replaces an All-Star with a good veteran and gives them a young player to build with.
# Detroit Pistons: Who would've thought losing Ben Wallace would be more devastating to the Pistons than losing Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson would be to the Pacers. So much for the theories that Wallace isn't a legit MVP candidate.
The Pistons have looked awful the past week – losing to the Bobcats, Cavs and Bucks on the road. Their win against the Heat at home was impressive, but overall, the team just isn't playing well.
When the Pistons have Wallace, teams shoot 41 percent against them this season. With Wallace out the lineup, that number rises to 48 percent.
What's even more unbelievable is Larry Brown hasn't taken the opportunity to steal some minutes for Darko Milicic. Instead, Brown is playing veteran Derrick Coleman, even though Coleman hasn't shown he can be productive. Milicic did get in during the second quarter against the Heat and played well.
If Darko can't get in a game against an expansion team like the Bobcats with other players in foul trouble, when can he play?
Brown is still non-committal. "I still want to put Darko in a good position," Brown said. "It's a possibility that an opportunity (for him to play) could present itself. He's gotten better in practice, and he's working a little harder. We'll see."
# Atlanta Hawks: Well, it's official. The Hawks are worse than the Bobcats. They were blown out 107-92 on Saturday. The team has lost six straight, and with the exception of a close game against the Heat, they haven't been close.
Teams are shooting 49 percent from the field against the Hawks. The Hawks are also being outrebounded by teams to the tune of 5.1 rpg. That's tops in the league.
And if that isn't enough to persuade you, Antoine Walker, the team's most productive player (by far), has the worst plus/minus rating of any player in the league.
THE UPSIDE
# Portland Trail Blazers: The good news is the Blazers went 3-1 this week with impressive road wins against the Heat and Magic and an understandable loss to the Mavericks in Dallas.
The bad news is it may not be enough to stop the growing rumors that Portland could be in for a major shakeup soon. That may come in the form of a trade. The Vince Carter thing was on the table (both sides seem to disagree over to what extent). There are other teams – including Minnesota, New Jersey and Boston – who also are interested in Abdur-Rahim.
But that may not be where the change occurs. There's been talk that Mo Cheeks, who has openly feuded with management, may be gone soon. Team president Steve Patterson's response to inquiries that Cheeks might be fired: "I've never been a fan of doing that," Patterson said. "We're not headed in that direction."
Not the most overwhelming vote of support is it?
GM John Nash also might be in trouble. There's talk of discord in the front office between Nash and Patterson. Nash has an option year on his contract at the end of the season, and it sounds like there's a chance the team might not exercise it.
Nash's record to this point has been rocky, to say the least. He's made a number of changes, yet the bad boy image of the Blazers continues. He got rid of some of the elements that gave the team problems, but there's plenty of cancer left that hasn't been rooted out.
Don't be surprised if the Blazers make another run at Pistons Vice President John Hammond again this summer. They wanted him the first time, but Hammond balked at the job when he learned just how much control Patterson intended on exercising over basketball-related matters.
With all the mistakes Nash and Patterson have made, Hammond may get Paul Allen's blessing this time for full control over basketball-related decisions. Whatever the course, it's clear the Blazers are still riddled with problems and need a clear voice and vision to lead them out of it.
# Milwaukee Bucks/Cleveland Cavaliers: The Bucks are off to a disappointing 4-7 start, but Michael Redd continues to improve. He's averaging career highs of 23.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 3 apg. He's also shooting a career-high 44 percent from 3 this season.
The bad news is Redd will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, and one league source claims he's seriously considering bolting to Cleveland to play with LeBron James. The Cavs are in desperate need of a 3-point shooter, and Redd, who was born in Columbus and played college ball at Ohio State, is itching to return.
The Cavs should have the money to pay him. Assuming they can get Zydrunas Ilgauskas to re-up for a reasonable amount, they should have enough cash under the cap to offer Redd the max. The way he's played the past two seasons, that's what he's worth – especially to a team like the Cavs, who desperately want to show LeBron they'll do whatever it takes to make the team a contender.
With the way the Cavs have been playing lately, you've got to believe a player like Redd would put them among the elite in the East.
# Washington Wizards: The Wizards may be facing one of the easiest portions of their schedule right now, but there's still a lot to like.
Larry Hughes has been flat-out amazing over the past five games, averaging 23.2 pgg, 8.8 rpg, 6.6 apg and 2.6 spg. The Wizards are 4-1 over that stretch.
He's also getting big-time help from Antawn Jamison (24.8 ppg and 10.6 rpg) and Gilbert Arenas (21.6 ppg and 5.1 apg) over the same five games.
So, it should come as no surprise that the Wizards rank second in the league in scoring at 101.9 ppg. The team is also the best offensive rebounding team in the league.
Unfortunately, the Wizards are also giving up 102.2 ppg – tops in the league. That may explain why they haven't moved from "Upside" to "Good" just yet.
# Miami Heat: It was a so-so week for the Heat. After dominating early, the team has struggled to find any consistency. They beat both the Hawks and Celtics and lost to the Blazers and Pistons.
The frustrating part, from head coach Stan Van Gundy's perspective, is the team isn't getting the ball consistently to Shaquille O'Neal.
O'Neal got just one shot in the fourth quarter of the Heat's victory over the Celtics on Sunday, prompting this response from Van Gundy.
''The decision-making tonight was ridiculous," Van Gundy said. "There were people open all over the place. All you have to do is see the weak-side defender on Shaq and move the ball to the open man. We couldn't do it. Guys wanted to try to do stuff on their own. It was a horrible fourth quarter."
Shaq is averaging just 12.7 shots per game – a career low. That's pretty ridiculous considering Shaq is shooting 59 percent from the field.
# New York Knicks: The Knicks continue to lead the Atlantic division, going 2-1 for the week. The X-factor continues to be Jamal Crawford. When he plays well, the Knicks win. When he stinks, so do the Knicks. The numbers don't lie here.
In the Knicks' six victories this season, Crawford has averaged 21.8 ppg on 43 percent shooting. In their six losses? He's averaging 13.8 ppg on 37 percent shooting. That's a big, big difference.
The one steadying influence on the team has been Stephon Marbury. Marbury is averaging 19 ppg and 10.4 rpg on 51 percent shooting in his last five.
# Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves played a whopping five games this week and went 3-2. Kevin Garnett shows no signs of slowing down, averaging career highs in rebounds (15 rpg), assists (6.2 apg) and shooting percentage (51 percent from the field).
His teammates, however, are going through down years. Sam Cassell is averaging just 13.8 ppg and 4.8 apg. Those numbers are way down from his 19.8 ppg and 7.4 apg last season . Latrell Sprewell is averaging 12.2 ppg, 2 rpg and 2 apg – down from 16.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 3 apg last season.
Wally Szczerbiak's numbers are up slightly this season compared to last, but he, too, can't seem to regain his All-Star form.
If it wasn't for Eddie Griffin, who has looked great at times for the Wolves (especially his 20-point, 9-rebound, 5-block performance against the Kings on Sunday), it's tough to figure out how this team can achieve what last year's did.
# Philadelphia 76ers: People raised their eyebrows in training camp when head coach Jim O'Brien benched Samuel Dalembert in favor of center Marc Jackson. So far, Jackson is making O'Brien look like a genius. He averaged 18.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg on 51 percent shooting for the week, and he did all of that while averaging less than 30 minutes per game.
Those numbers prove that maybe Jackson will live up to his promise after all. Remember, he put up impressive numbers of 13.2 ppg and 7.4 rpg during his rookie season at Golden State and hasn't done much since.
If things continue, don't be surprised if GM Billy King starts returning some of the calls he's getting on Dalembert right now. Teams want a shot at him before he becomes a restricted free agent next summer. The Sixers seem to be balking at offering him a big contract, especially because O'Brien isn't convinced he fits into their defensive schemes.
We mentioned several Raptors trade scenarios before, but this might be a perfect one. A package of Dalembert and Glenn Robinson for Vince Carter would give the Sixers a ton of firepower, while the Raptors would get both cap relief (Robinson comes off the books after this season) and the big man they need in the middle. It doesn't rid Toronto of Rose, but it could be a deal the Raptors can't pass on.
THE REST
# It looks like the nationally televised match-up between Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James on Thursday may not happen. Anthony has a sprained right ankle and Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe sounds like the team wants to hold him out of the marquee matchup. "You have to do the right thing. Regardless of the situation, you have to do the right thing. … He's a warrior. But at some point you have to be smart about it."
# How much do the Nets miss Jason Kidd? The team is last in the league in assists and tops in the league in the turnovers. That's a volatile combination if there was ever one.
# Speaking of point guards, do the Mavericks miss Steve Nash? They rank second-to-last in the league in assists right now. But Dallas has gotten better defensively. They lead the league in steals per game.
# Not only are the Hornets off to the worst start in franchise history, but now Jamaal Magloire joins Baron Davis on the injured list. Magloire is out a month with a broken hand. To make matters worse, the Hornets have been trying to get into the Vince Carter sweepstakes, but with their two best players hobbled, their attractiveness isn't what it normally would be.
# Lost in all of the Kobe watching is the play of the Lakers' Lamar Odom this season. Remember when Odom was considered the biggest point guard in the league? Now, he's one of the biggest rebounders. He's averaged 12.8 rpg over his last five games and ranks seventh in the league overall (10.9 rpg).
# Bulls head coach Scott Skiles did something that should've been done years ago – he benched Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry last week. The Bulls responded with their first win of the season. "I feel bad for our two big kids because [of the draft pressure] and asking them to do certain things," GM John Paxson said. "But I think [Skiles] taking them out of the lineup the other night probably helped them in some ways. It sure seemed to help the team."
# Magic free agent pick-up Hedo Turkoglu has been impressive filling in for the injured Cuttino Mobley. He's averaging 15.4 ppg over the last five.
# After putting up impressive numbers in the second half of last season, Celtics center Mark Blount has cooled considerably since signing a six-year deal. Over the last four games, all losses for Boston, he's averaging just 3.5 rpg.
# The Warriors remain the only team in the league shooting less than 40 percent from the field and less than 30 percent from 3.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
---------------------------
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
By Brian James
ESPN Insider
INDIANAPOLIS – The injury-and-suspension-depleted Pacers proved again mind over matter and motivation are key ingredients in winning in the NBA.
On Tuesday in a charged Conseco Fieldhouse, they defeated the Celtics 106-96. With only eight players eligible to play and in uniform in wake of the brawl with the Pistons on Nov. 19, the Pacers were able to "circle the wagons" and play over their heads. They were helped by an energized crowd – Pacers' fans are some of the most loyal and knowledgeable in the entire league – that transferred an "us against the league" mentality to the players.
Another team also has excelled despite being short-handed this season: On opening night, the Wizards defeated the Grizzlies despite having only eight players in uniform.
For a player in this situation, being short-handed has a silver lining. If you make a mistake, chances are you're not going to have to look over at the bench to see who is getting ready to replace you.
Coach Rick Carlisle rotated just seven players in his main rotation, even though an eighth player, center John Edwards, played two minutes. Carlisle was tremendous in terms of game management and play calling.
Rookie swingman James Jones, off guard Fred Jones, and point guard Jamaal Tinsley played more than 40 minutes each.
Indiana Pacers
The short-handed Pacers proved to be more than the Celtics could handle.
The key to the short-handed Pacers' success was precise offensive execution in the half court. The Pacers used every kind of screen and roll – in different sets – imaginable. This enabled them to get Tinsley into the lane to distribute on penetration, kicking out to shooters such as James and Fred Jones, or finishing shots in the lane.
That helped the Pacers erase a one-time 11-point Celtics' lead and hold off runs in the second half.
Austin Croshere had great looks on pick-and-pop action while Scot Pollard and rookie center David Harrison made shots after rolling hard into the lane.
Being very aggressive throughout the course of the game helped Indiana secure a distinct free throw advantage, making 31 of 34 free throw attempts (91 percent). The Celtics had 24 attempts, making 18 (75 percent).
The Pacers won the battle of the paint with this type of play. A 12-rebound advantage gave them extra possessions or limited the Celtics to one shot most of the evening.
Croshere, Tinsley, and Fred Jones need to play like All-Stars until injured and suspended players return. But if the Pacers continue to play as hard as they did last night, they will win their share of games.
Defensively, the Pacers kept the Celtics out of the lane and forced them to hit jump shots. Post players were being fronted at all times. They also showed out on screens and did a good job of keeping Gary Payton out of scoring areas.
The Celtics appeared to be playing uphill most of the night, and it wears on you always having to come from behind.
Not knowing how to play defense on the younger players and possibly taking them for granted had some effect as well. The Celtics allowed the Pacers' James Jones to make 4 of 6 three-point attempts. They did not run him off the three-point line to attempt two-pointers instead.
On the defensive end, when Celtics coach Doc Rivers went with his smaller lineup in the second half, Carlisle countered with James Jones as a four.
With the season-long suspension of Ron Artest and the multiple-game penalties against Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and Anthony Johnson, the remaining eligible Pacers will have to continue to play at a high level.
Croshere, Tinsley, and Fred Jones need to play like All-Stars until injured and suspended players return. But if the Pacers continue to play as hard as they did last night, they will win their share of games regardless of who the opponents are.
Brian James, a former assistant coach with the Pistons, Raptors and Wizards, is a regular contributor to Insider.
-----------------------------------
Monday, November 29 Updated 12:35 PM EST
Buss' guarantee: Malone's a Laker
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Karl Malone
Karl Malone
Lakers
Lakers
Wolves
Spurs
Pacers? Nov. 29 - Karl Malone may get offers from offer teams should he decide to play another season, but Lakers owner Jerry Buss remains confident the 41-year-old forward will rejoin Kobe Bryant and Co., The Los Angeles Times reports. Malone, who had microfracture surgery on his right knee in June, is expected to decide in about a month whether he will play this season.
"I think every team in the league could use him and would want him. … He's getting offers, probably two or three a day," Buss told The Times. "I am confident that if he plays, he'll be a Laker. He has said that publicly in the papers, and he has told me that personally as well."
According to The Times, the Lakers could offer Malone $1.8 million.
WHO WHAT THE SKINNY
Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry
Bulls
Nov. 29 - Eddy Curry is off the trading block – for now. According to the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, the Bulls aren't likely to pull off any deals until it gets closer to the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Teams have been making lowball offers for Curry, but it's probably a tossup whether he or Tyson Chandler is the first of the Bulls' young big men to be traded, depending on who could bring more in return.
Finding the right deal could be difficult. "You want to trade young for young," one NBA general manager told the newspaper. "The time you would trade a young guy for a veteran is when you think you're close to winning. Big guys are so hard to find. Centers are so hard to find. To give up a young big guy and not get another young big guy in return would be tough to do."
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Pacers
Nov. 29 - According to the Indianapolis Star, the Pacers will save more than $8 million in salaries this season – thanks to an NBA policy that is seldom-used and little-known. The team will have to pay only for the first 10 games that suspended players Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson sit out as a result of their participation in the historic brawl at Detroit on Nov. 19.
Teams are responsible for salaries for only 10 games whenever a player receives a lengthy suspension. That means the Pacers will owe about $1.8 million for O'Neal's salary instead of $4,512,500; $750,950 for Artest's salary instead of $5,482,028; and $621,950 for Jackson's salary instead of $1,865,850.
Because the suspensions are being appealed by the NBA players' union, the money will be held in an escrow account until the issue is resolved. After that, whatever money is collected will be divided equally by the NBA and union, and then dispersed by each group to charities.
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Nene Hilario
Nene Hilario
Nuggets
Bulls?
Nov. 27 - Nene is not being showcased for a trade, GM Kiki Vandeweghe told the Rocky Mountain News. But the Nuggets will listen if some team is interested.
The Brazilian forward/center, a 2002 lottery pick, is the odd man out in the team's three-man post rotation. He's Marcus Camby's backup at center and Kenyon Martin's understudy at power forward.
"We've never talked to anybody about (trading) Nene," Vandeweghe told the News. "We get a lot of calls about Nene, all the time, but I get calls about all our guys."
He refused to say that he was not going to trade Nene. The Nuggets are not seeking to trade anyone now. Previously, Vandeweghe told the Denver Post that a Chicago Tribune report regarding a Tyson Chandler-for-Nene trade is "totally untrue."
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Blazers
Sixers?
Nets?
Nov. 27 - The Sixers admit they're interested in trading for Abdur-Rahim. But apparently, whatever they offered the Trail Blazers was not enticing.
Sixers president/general manager Billy King told the Philadelphia Daily News that the Blazers turned down an offer he made for Abdur-Rahim. "I asked if there was anything we could do, and they said no," King said. There was no mention in the report of what the Sixers offered.
As the season began Abdur-Rahim – who in the offseason asked for a trade – says he would prefer to remain a Trail Blazer. Reports have circled that a possible swap of Abdur-Rahim to the Nets in a deal involving Jason Kidd is a possibility if Kidd recovers from knee surgery.
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Raptors
Blazers
Grizzlies
Knicks
Sonics
Heat
Mavericks Nov. 24 - Insider's Chad Ford is hearing the Raptors leaked the story about a potential trade with the Trail Blazers involving Carter and Shareef Abdur-Rahim to let other teams know Carter was available and drive up interest. If so, the ploy worked, as the Sonics, Heat, Grizzlies and Mavericks all have reached out to the Raptors.
While Blazers GM John Nash continues to insist the initial trade reports was fiction, the Blazers reportedly still are in the hunt. According to the N.Y. Daily News, the Knicks would love to land Carter, too, but they're unwilling to part with Stephon Marbury, and the Raptors don't want either Allan Houston or Tim Thomas.
Earlier this week, the Portland Oregonian reported the chances of the Blazers acquiring Carter were growing slim. A Blazers source told the paper he is doubtful the trade will go down, and a source with the Raptors said Toronto has upped its demands to the Blazers. Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune suggests the Grizzlies have discussed trading Bonzi Wells and Mike Miller for Carter.
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas
Knicks
? Nov. 24 - The Knicks are willing to trade Thomas, the New York Daily News reports.
Knicks fans probably would not weep. Thomas has been the target of boos at MSG. According to the Daily News, some team executives believe Thomas might prosper playing elsewhere and also as a power forward instead of as small forward.
---------------------------------
Thursday, November 25, 2004
By Tim Legler
ESPN Insider
Webster's dictionary defines amnesia as "partial or total loss of memory, usually resulting from shock, psychological disturbance, brain injury or illness". Fortunately, for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Amare Stoudemire, such a phenomenon exists.
Shock and psychological disturbance don't begin to describe the potential effects of Team USA's bronze medal winning performance in Athens. Being a part of the first U.S. Olympic team sending professional players to NOT win the gold medal could have had a lasting impact on the young NBA stars who participated. Instead, James, Wade, and Stoudamire have used the Athens debacle as motivation to transform their games into pure gold.
As an 18-year old rookie last season, James showed the world that, in fact, you could believe the hype. Never in the history of the NBA has a player begun his career with greater expectations placed upon his shoulders. Short of leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs, James did everything humanly possible to fulfill his limitless potential last season. After averaging over 20 points, almost 6 assists, and over 5 rebounds per game, the Association was wondering what King James would do for an encore.
It is safe to say we should wonder no longer. It's not that often the encore is better than the concert, but in Lebron's case the contrast is as stark as watching John Tesh open for The Rolling Stones. It is hard to believe, but the newest sensation wearing number 23 has improved his shooting, ball handling, defensive intensity, and decision-making.
Most importantly, he has completely changed his mindset. Early in his rookie year James looked tentative at times. He deferred to the Cavaliers' veterans such as Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ricky Davis. He struggled, along with head coach Paul Silas, to determine how his skills could be utilized in order to maximize his impact on the floor.
This season, there is no hesitation or uncertainty. The Cleveland Cavaliers are James' team. By placing the majority of ball handling responsibilities upon the shoulders of point guard Jeff McInnis, Silas has allowed James to conserve energy so that he can be a dominant scorer and playmaker. The biggest improvement in his game has been increased shooting range.
In fact, his outside shooting has improved to the point that he is a credible threat from the three-point line. Along with his post up ability and explosive first step, he is now a triple-threat scoring machine. If James can maintain his averages of 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, he will be the first player to do so since Michael Jordan back in 1988-89. Even Mick Jagger wouldn't have a problem getting satisfaction with those numbers.
Meanwhile down in South Beach, someone was supposed to tell Dwayne Wade he would need to take a back seat to center Shaquille O'Neal as the Miami Heat attempt to re-live the glory days of the mid-90's under Pat Riley. Wade must not have gotten that memo.
Instead, he has emerged in his second year as the most explosive point guard in the entire NBA. Despite struggling with his outside shooting during the Olympics, Wade has shown no ill effects of the meltdown in Athens. Averaging 25.4 points and 7.4 assists, he has become the Heat's leading offensive option while O'Neal works his way back from a preseason hamstring injury. The "Diesel" has been dominant at times and efficient at others. Wade, on the other hand, has been sensational virtually every night.
In his sophomore season Wade has not only been a human highlight reel with his soaring dunks, no look passes and stellar defense, he has made more meaningful shots at critical junctures of his team's first 13 games (in which the Heat are 9-4) than any other player in the league. His unparalleled athleticism and strength at the point guard position allow Wade to penetrate at will against even the most determined defenders. And, even more importantly, he displays a change of pace that constantly keeps opponents off balance and lets him utilize his potent pull up jumper.
Despite all of these accolades, however, Dwayne Wade's most impressive characteristic is his maturity and selflessness. He just seems to get it and there's no better compliment to give a young player. To watch him balance that fine line between taking over games at will and allowing his teammates to shine is like watching a maestro conduct an orchestra.
He plays basketball the right way and he plays to win in an unselfish manner. Obtaining Shaq in the offseason certainly thrusts Miami into the NBA's upper echelon, but it may be a second year point guard that allows them to "wade" through the waters of the Eastern Conference and into the promised land of the NBA Finals.
Remember Amare Stoudamire? He was that high school phenom that entered the NBA in 2002 and outdueled Yao Ming for Rookie of the Year. Then, last season, injuries limited him to late season mop up duty on a bad Phoenix Suns team that was out of playoff contention by the All-Star break. Well, what a difference a year makes.
Through the first three weeks of the season, Stoudamire has been one of the most dominant frontcourt player in the NBA. He isn't quite on par with Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, but he's emerged as the best player on a very good, very athletic, and very exciting Phoenix Suns team that will contend for the Pacific division title.
The reason for his reemergence is a combination of his supporting cast, style of play, and improvements in his overall offensive package. The addition of point guard Steve Nash from the Dallas Mavericks has given Stoudamire the perfect open court decision maker to take advantage of his athleticism and ability to run the floor. Big men love to be rewarded when they bust their tails down the court after grabbing a defensive rebound. Nash, the league leader in assists as we approach the holiday season, has definitely been in the giving mood.
Joining Nash and Stoudamire in the starting lineup is fellow Olympian Shawn Marion, guard Joe Johnson, and newly acquired forward Quentin Richardson. This high-octane quintet has head coach coach Mike D'Antoni's Suns atop the NBA in scoring and atop the standings in the Western Conference. By always having an abundance of scoring on the floor, Stoudamire has found himself with significantly more one-on-one coverage around the basket. When that situation occurs, few big men in the entire league are quick enough or athletic enough to keep him from getting to the rim off the dribble or as an offensive rebounder.
Furthermore, Stoudamire has worked diligently to improve his mid range jump shot and now regularly converts jump shots out to 18 feet. It just doesn't seem fair, does it?
So, you see, not everything coming home from Athens was negative. Despite the catastrophic collapse of Team USA, some of the team's younger stars have managed to shred any lingering criticism and baggage on their way to early season success. If they can keep it up, perhaps one of them will be holding something much bigger than a gold medal over their head next June.
Tim Legler, an NBA analyst for ESPN and former NBA three-point champion, is a regular contributor to Insider.
----------------------------
Monday, November 22, 2004
By Bill Walton
ESPN Insider
There's no other way to put it: I was stunned and flabbergasted by what I personally witnessed on the court at the end of the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game Friday night. The shock, dismay and sadness has not diminished at all with time, as I've been sickened and repulsed while reflecting back on the mindless and senseless violence that took place that evening.
This is my 30th year with the NBA, and Friday night was, without a doubt, the low point.
Ron Artest
The foundation of the NBA took a cast of thousands decades to build. In one night, Ron Artest and others tore it all down.
I've just been over-the-top saddened and embarrassed – the whole time struggling desperately and mightily to figure out ways to move forward from this madness. This is the NBA, professional basketball. It is supposed to be about fun. It is supposed to be about going to an event to have a good time. As I consider what got us to this place, I'm reminded of the strategically placed poster that I have on my office wall. It's got a big, beautiful eagle soaring above a majestic scene. The caption reads: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
And now, more than ever, is a time for everyone to see.
It is a privilege and an honor to play in the NBA, and many people in that game Friday night abrogated those privileges and disgraced the honor of the NBA. This league has been built on the blood, sweat and tears of thousands upon thousands of people. The awful nature of the developments Friday night in Detroit – players going into the stands, fighting fans – has an incredible impact on every aspect of the game.
Everyone of us who has ever been involved with the NBA is now going to have to go to great lengths to explain ourselves. All the goodwill and capital that has been built up over decades has been severely damaged.
Do the guilty players have any idea they are financial partners with the league? That their ultimate compensation and surreal lifestyle is directly tied to the revenues their tragic behavior has now put in jeopardy? Do these perpetrators know this is a contract year for the league and its players?
The NBA has always been at the forefront at dealing with problems head-on through education. And while the NBA has made great strides in convincing the public of the greatness of our game – we're in an entertainment and public relations business – that is a battle that has to be fought and won every single day.
“ We're supposed to have a civilized society here in the United States, where you don't just resort to vigilante justice. ... People who are in the public arena and don't prepare themselves for these possibilities are doing themselves, the NBA and our society a serious disservice. ”
— ESPN analyst Bill Walton
Today, that job is just so much more difficult. The ability to attract fans – what makes it fun, the experience, the atmosphere, the sense of happiness and joy and escape from real-world problems – is the core aspect of the entertainment world. Now we have to start over. To have it all come tumbling down in just a few, short, mind-numbing seconds is an absolute disgrace.
NBA games are played for the fans, and for the fans only. It has nothing to do with the players.
I cannot imagine a scenario that would come up that would cause a player to go into the stands and attack the fans. NBA Commissioner David Stern was just too nice, and the penalties he handed out – a season-long suspension for Ron Artest and long-term suspensions for Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal, among others – were inappropriately lenient.
To personally experience this unprecedented level of violence, and then have to listen to the NBA Players' Association and the guilty players' agents drivel on in a ludicrous and ill-advised attempt to defend and excuse this atrocious behavior is simply preposterous.
Suspensions? How about termination? Like what would happen in any real-world scenario.
There will always be the excusers and enablers who will say, "Well, when somebody throws a beer at you or yells at you, you're supposed to respond." I do not understand that mentality at all. People have been yelling and screaming at me my entire life. You deal with it appropriately. I can't emphasize strongly enough how wrong I feel all the players were for going after the fans.
Looking back at the sacrifices of the thousands of former players and hundreds of current players who are outstanding citizens and behave appropriately on a regular, day-to-day basis is a way to understand the solid foundation that the NBA has built over decades. To have it all dragged down by the senseless and foolish violence we saw Friday night is maddeningly disgusting. Today, there is a greater incentive and motivation than ever to go after the other teams' star players, in the sickening hope of provoking ever more reprehensible acts.
In the end, it all comes back to a player's professional responsibility to prepare himself for every eventuality. The same way you prepare yourself for a game-winning shot, or to step to the free throw line with the game in the balance while everybody is yelling at you – that same preparation applies to the possibility of violence breaking out at any time.
NBA basketball is supposed to be a celebration of good times. Isn't that the whole reason we have sports? So people can settle their prideful differences without resorting to violence?
There are no winners in this whole fiasco.
Yes, the fans are tough. But that's no excuse. I don't think it's inevitable that an event like this would occur. The players need to start listening to the on-going programs the NBA offers, starting from rookie orientation, on how to deal with every single issue they could face. One of those issues is how to deal with out-of-control fans. It's the same way you do it out on the streets – you walk away and you call the authorities.
We're supposed to have a civilized society here in the United States, where you don't just resort to vigilante justice. There are people who are well trained to deal with others who are out of control. People who are in the public arena and don't prepare themselves for these possibilities are doing themselves, the NBA and our society a serious disservice.
The impact of this nightmare will be felt everywhere. It's going to be extremely difficult for Indiana to have any kind of season or near-term future. This will stay with the team and the players well beyond this season.
Detroit is the best team in basketball and will be able to recover from this – the Pistons' suspensions were puzzlingly short. And this really creates an even greater opening for the Miami Heat, which now has a much easier path, and one fewer team to go through, toward the Eastern Conference championship.
But this debacle extends far beyond the basketball court. It is the court of public opinion where most of the damage has been inflicted. I'm a very active member in the NBA Retired Players' Association, and I've spoken to hundreds of ex-players and coaches in the last few days. The shock and dismay as to what went down on that court Friday night is astounding.
The livelihoods of professional athletes and entertainers are very tenuous to begin with. To have that delicate balance thrown so far out of kilter by self-inflicted wounds is disgusting and senseless.
The new NBA season was off to such a great start, from the momentum of the China games to the excitement of new and rebuilt teams to fresh, emerging stars to Grant Hill's miraculous return to an exciting crop of terrific rookies. Friday's events in Detroit and the lingering stench makes the recent nonsense of Latrell Sprewell, Alonzo Mourning and Artest's requests for time off seem miniscule and farcical.
This is serious.
Now everyone in the NBA family is in the untenable position of having to start all over.
We are only in the early stages in how this disaster will be addressed. But I believe in the leadership, commitment and vision of David Stern. Working together is the only way the NBA, its players, partners and sponsors can turn the corner.
The fans have to believe in the credibility of the product. They have to believe in the validity of the competition. And most important, they have to believe they can have a safe, positive and entertaining time participating in the NBA experience.
But the tough questions are only just beginning – for everybody – particularly as they relate to the fans' decisions as to how to spend their time and money.
It's staggering, endless and just so depressing. I've had an extremely difficult time, personally, trying to move beyond this. This is all of our lives. The responsibility of the participants toward the ongoing promotion of the game itself, and the business of the game, cannot be taken lightly.
We need to reclaim the game, and taking that responsibility seriously and personally is the best place to begin.
Bill Walton, an NBA analyst for ESPN, is a regular contributor to Insider.
----------------------------
No Doubt
By Jerry Bembry
Comment on this article
With a swagger, Chauncey Billups strolls into a lower-level luxury box at the Palace of Auburn Hills. As he settles into a cushioned seat, wearing baggy gray sweats, an extra-long white T-shirt and a black Detroit Tigers hat cocked to the side of his bald head, the surrounding fans react as if they've been graced by royalty. Cameras flash. Grown men squirm with excitement, jostling to get a better view. Women self-check the way they look.
Billups barely notices the commotion. Sitting on the edge of his seat, he's focused on the game being shown on the scoreboard screen above center court. "Shoot the three, shoot the three," he yells. "Awww, that's a bad shot." Then a minute later: "That's right, go for the jugular!"
As the seconds tick down, Billups says, "This is giving me chills." The buzzer sounds. "And the Detroit Pistons are the 2004 NBA champions," the announcer says. "And the MVP of the 2004 NBA Finals & Chauncey Billups!" As the screen fades to black, Billups cracks a wide smile and prepares himself for the reason he's here in the first place: an autograph session with Detroit season ticket-holders.
"Chauncey, thanks for the championship," a young man says, and Billups grins as he signs his basketball card.
"Chauncey, you shoot 44% and you'll be in the All-Star Game," another shouts, and Billups nods his head affirmatively.
"Chauncey, can I get your phone number?" a demure young woman asks. Billups looks up, then busts out laughing. "I'm sorry, I don't have one yet," he says. Eleven-year-old Taylor Vann walks away with a signed program instead.
Billups is self-assured throughout the event. It's a welcome return to a state of mind he hasn't owned since the Celtics made him the No.3 pick back in 1997. Between then and now, self-doubt has been more the norm. That's what comes from having your first NBA coach give up on you after 51 games, and from being a throw-in player in three separate trades. Toronto didn't want him, Orlando dumped him. Even Denver, his hometown, coldly discarded him. Billups wasn't just let go. He was dumped, and by four pretty bad teams.
Look at him now. The guy nobody wanted is the first guard since Michael Jordan in 1998, and the first non-All-Star since Pistons president Joe Dumars in 1989, to be named MVP of the NBA Finals. These days, Letterman calls. Promoters in Detroit and, yes, Denver want him for their hot parties. Even on vacation in Puerto Rico, Billups hears people calling his name. "Winning the MVP," he says, "carries a lot of weight."
The hard times prepared Billups for this instant celebrity. No one who knows him thinks he'll become self-satisfied. Dumars, the man who had to have Billups when everyone else had given up on him, says, "One or two solid years don't make up for the five years he bounced around."
The wounds from all the rejection burn in the tattoos etched vertically down the backs of his arms: "No Pain" on the left, "No Fame" on the right. Billups says the tats represent the struggles in his past and the greatness in his future. "I want to be considered one of the best point guards in the game," he says. "My work isn't done yet."
It's late September, and the Pistons are gathering as a group for the first time since they won it all. Weaving through teammates and assistant coaches, Billups finds Larry Brown and gives him a massive hug. The coach who, over the span of two months, was both celebrated as an NBA champion and condemned as an Olympic loser is so surprised he can't get his arms around his point guard to return the gesture. Billups, the resident expert in emotional highs and lows, advises Brown to find comfort in his impressive résumé. That's what always carried Billups through his rough patches.
Like his coach, Billups is a bit of a legend. He was arguably Colorado's best prep player ever, a first-team all-state selection four years in a row at Denver's George Washington HS, where he won two state titles. Billups wasn't the best pure shooter, but no one made bigger shots. He wasn't the quickest player, but no one got by a defender more easily. "There were guys who jumped higher or shot better," says Harry Hollines, his rec league coach. "But it would be difficult to find a player with more intelligence."
Even the local pros were thrilled to be in his presence. "When he was a junior, I took him to a party the Nuggets were having," says Metise Moore, a former player at Akron who's known Billups since he was 6. "Dikembe Mutombo, Robert Pack and Mark Macon were all more excited to meet Chauncey than he was to meet them."
Maybe that's because he was sure he'd one day play at their level. After solidifying his reputation in two years at Colorado, NBA scouts labeled him "can't miss." And when he arrived in Boston, he assumed he had a home. He didn't last the winter. The day before Rick Pitino traded him to Toronto for Kenny Anderson, Billups says the coach looked him in the eye and said, "Trust me, you're in our plans."
He finished the year with the Raptors, but they sent him to Denver in a three-team deal shortly before the start of the lockout-shortened season. "I'd had success in everything I'd done," Billups says. "Being traded was humbling." His home-coming lasted a season and a half, before the Nuggets shipped him along to Orlando, which was stockpiling expiring contracts. The Magic dumped him at the end of the 1999 season.
By the beginning of the next season, Billups had earned a job as Terrell Brandon's backup with the Wolves, and when Brandon injured his knee a year later, Billups made the most of his chance by putting up 12.5 points and a then-career high 5.5 assists. "I felt like I was coming into my own," he says. Minnesota wasn't so sure. Brandon was their choice at point guard so they let Billups walk. (Ironically, Brandon never returned from his injury.)
Despite all the detours, Billups was still only 25. He was a solid shooter who could create his own chances, and at 6'3", 202 pounds, he was strong enough to take on big post-up guys like Jason Kidd. He hadn't lost any of the quickness that allowed him to keep up with smaller speedsters like Allen Iverson. Someone had to be interested.
Dumars, in the midst of retooling the Pistons, was. He realized it wasn't talent as much as circumstance that had prevented Billups from sticking in any of his previous stops. The more he watched Billups, the more he saw of himself -- and the more he saw what could be. "I figured he was a guy who, in the right system, could break out."
Billups quickly made Dumars look like a visionary. With financial security ($34 million over six years) and, for the first time, the complete trust of a coach, Rick Carlisle, Billups played like he always thought he would. He made clutch shots and had the Pistons running like a machine, operating Carlisle's demanding offense with flair. Led by Billups, the Pistons made it to the Eastern Confer-ence finals in 2003. It was the first time Detroit had advanced that deep in the playoffs since 1991.
Then, just like that, Carlisle was gone, his arrogance overwhelming his back-to-back 50-win seasons. When Larry Brown, a coach with a reputation for banging heads with his point guards, got the job, Billups was not pleased. "I proved myself that first year," he says. "Now I had to do it all over again." Making matters worse was the fact that Billups saw himself as a scorer, and Brown preferred shoot-never points like Eric Snow, whom he'd just coached for nearly six years. Billups wasn't at all sure it was going to work.
Because he'd brought Billups and Brown together, Dumars felt obligated to help them get together. He warned Billups about the way Brown abused his point guards, but he also said it would bring out his best. "Get through it," Dumars counseled.
Billups started off strong. Four weeks into the season, he was named Player of the Week. But in December, despite averaging 17.4 points, he couldn't get out of Brown's doghouse. The coach constantly reminded Billups he wasn't a true point guard. Wins, he said, are the result of playing "the right way," which Billups translated as "losses are the fault of the backcourt." After a midseason road trip, Brown laid into Billups so harshly that the enraged player cornered Dumars in the lobby of the team hotel. He got no support. "I told him, 'Didn't I tell you it's going to be this way?'" Dumars says.
At the end of that trip, Billups arrived home at 2:30 a.m. and nudged his wife, Piper, awake. Then he exploded. "I just let it all out, telling her everything that was going on with me and Coach," Billups recalls. "When I was done I looked down and she was asleep! I was ranting and raving and she never heard a word."
Brown never did let up, but Billups decided to try one more time to prove he was the right man for the team. Slowly they began to figure each other out and, as they did, good things began to happen. Soon the Pistons were on their way to a 13-game winning streak, and Billups was on his way to career highs in points (16.9) and assists (5.7). "Coach Brown rode him," says backup guard Lindsey Hunter. "But he molded Chauncey to be the perfect point guard for this team, while allowing him to be Chauncey. In the end, they reached a happy medium."
By the time the Pistons had made their way to the Finals, Billups was comfortable enough in his role to talk strategy with Brown. He suggested more penetration out of the pick-and-roll to exploit Shaq's poor perimeter defense. Brown gave his blessing, and Billups gave LA headaches, averaging 21 points and shooting 51% from the field. "He was phenomenal," Brown says. "He really embraced the mind-set of a true point guard."
Billups, who was taken out of the Game 5 clincher to thunderous applause with the Pistons up by 24, remembers what he was thinking when the final buzzer sounded. "At that moment I knew I'd proved to all the teams that gave up on me that they were wrong," he says.
"I had finally arrived."
Two weeks after winning it all, Billups is cleaning out his Detroit home before heading back to Denver. After a long day of packing, he places the last of his bags into the trunk of his prize 2004 gray Bentley Continental GT. The loving father of two girls, Cydney and Ciara, delicately secures one of his babies with a seat belt in the spacious backseat. Just as Billups is about to close the door, he remembers something and races back into the house. He returns with a blanket and carefully drapes it across the back seat, providing cushion and warmth. Now the baby in the back, which looks suspiciously like the MVP trophy, is ready for the trip. "Yeah, I packed it in personally, put a belt on it just like I would my daughters," Billups says.
"I hate letting that thing out of my sight."
Billups has totally taken to his most-valuable status. He likes it when strangers come up to him in the street to recount a favorite moment from the championship run, and enjoys being able to walk into a restaurant and not having to wait for a table. Sure, the hysterical women who shriek, "Oh my god, it's Chauncey," whenever he enters a club, can be hard to take. And those silent camera flashers at the Waffle House in Denver have spoiled the sanctity of his favorite late-night haunt. Still, there is just nothing better than getting the last word on good buddy Kevin Garnett. "I tell him, 'You'd rather have my MVP than yours,'" Billups says with a laugh. "That gets him quiet real quick."
But even being inducted into that elite club -- there have been just five different Finals MVPs in the past decade -- isn't enough for Billups. "I still have a chip on my shoulder," he says. "I'm out to prove I'm capable not only of having a great year, I'm also capable of having a great career."
Before the Pistons tipped off against the Rockets on opening night at the Palace, the members of the 2003-04 team received their championship rings. Billups slipped the oversize monstrosity on his finger and pumped his right hand in the air. "I never questioned I could get here," he says. "I just wish all those teams hadn't given up on me. "I could have gotten here faster."
This article appears in the Dec. 6 issue of ESPN The Magazine.
첫댓글 잘봤습니다. 클리퍼스 의외의 선전이 기록에 확연히 나오네요