NBA FanHouse

Jerry Colangelo Willing to Wait on Stars

Chris Tomasson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:25:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, Raptors, FIBA, USA Basketball

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh might want to wait. Jerry Colangelo is willing to let them do so.

James, Wade and Bosh all can become free agents next summer, which has clouded their chances of playing for Team USA in the World Championships in Turkey, Aug. 28-Sept. 12. But Colangelo, chairman of USA Basketball, sees a scenario in which the three still could play even if they might not be available for the team's minicamp in Las Vegas during the third week of July.

"There is a gap between the minicamp and when they have to be back [for a training camp beginning in Las Vegas around Aug. 10],'' Colangelo said in an interview Monday with FanHouse. "That's about three weeks. I could see them getting all their business done by then.''

Colangelo said, if necessary, he would be willing to wait on any of the three who can opt out of their contracts next summer and become free agents. After all, Cleveland's James, Miami's Wade and Toronto's Bosh could prove pivotal to Team USA trying to win the Worlds for the first time since 1994.

While James and Wade were the top two scorers on the 2008 Olympic team, Colangelo said he has received a firm commitment about playing from Lakers star Kobe Bryant, the No. 3 scorer. Bryant could opt out of his contract and become a free agent next summer, but few see a scenario in which Bryant leaves the Lakers.

Others off the 2008 Olympic team who have said they want to return for the World Championships include Orlando's Dwight Howard, Denver's Carmelo Anthony, and Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer of Utah. However, Boozer is no lock to again make the team, with Colangelo having said Boozer, Detroit's Tayshaun Prince and Milwaukee's Michael Redd could face competition to make Team USA's roster.

Colangelo said Dallas' Jason Kidd, who is retiring from international basketball, is the only holdover from 2008 who looks now to be out of the mix.

Colangelo said he plans to assemble a roster of about 25 players in about a month, but there figure to be additions and deletions over the next half year. Excluding Kidd, Colangelo said it's likely all 11 players from the 2008 Olympic team will be on the 25-man roster unless any don't want to play.

Colangelo plans to spend the next month talking to Olympic holdovers and to other prospects. Colangelo already has said Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant all but has a spot reserved for Turkey.

"[Portland's] Brandon Roy is a player that has not participated with us because he's had injuries and contractual issues,'' Colangelo said. "But he's publicly stated he wants to play. And we have not spoken [recently] ... And [Indiana's Danny] Granger is a player who hasn't been able to play, but supposedly he's very interested. I need to find out just how interested.''

Colangelo said he's also planning to keep an eye on Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings, who has taken the NBA by storm as a rookie. And he said he's monitoring the progress of the Clippers' Blake Griffin and Minnesota's Kevin Love, who are injured, and Minnesota's Al Jefferson, who has been hurt.

Colangelo said if a player is injured and not on the initial 25-man roster, it's not out of the question he could be added later after becoming healthy. The plan has been to invite from 14 to 16 players out of the 25 to the July minicamp.

By then, the waiting game for James, Wade and Bosh might have started.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

Jerry Colangelo Willing to Wait on Stars originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knicks Reportedly Pass on Allen Iverson

Matt Watson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Heat, Knicks, NBA Rumors

A four-time scoring champ leading Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo offense? It looked like a match made in heaven on paper, but the Knicks have apparently decided the intangibles surrounding Allen Iverson -- including ugly exits with two teams in the span of seven months -- outweighed the potential gains.

According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, the Knicks went back and forth on the issue, with a team source suggesting Thursday afternoon there was a 90 percent chance the team would offer a contract. Ultimately, however, the team's brain trust decided that "Iverson posed too great a risk" -- a damning indictment if there ever was one, considering the 2-7 Knicks are currently on pace for a 15-win season.

If not with the Knicks, where will Iverson land? Not the Heat, according to Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald, who reports that the team has denied reports out of New York suggesting they were in pursuit of A.I.

What about the Bobcats? Despite Larry Brown's affection for his former player, that doesn't seem likely either, especially after Charlotte filled their need for a scoring playmaker with the recent acquisition of Stephen Jackson. Brown has admitted to placing calls around the league on behalf of Iverson but nevertheless sounds reluctant to bring him aboard his own team given the focus on developing his young backcourt.

"Here's what happened -- when he thought about coming with me, he said, 'Coach, I don't care if I start, you just give me an opportunity to start,' " Brown said in a recent radio interview. "And I said that's fair. I hope I do that with all my players. But I told him that if he came with me, I have two guards sitting there and they would be unhappy, and I didn't think that was fair."

So what's next? Barring the unexpected, Iverson will likely be forced to spend at least the next several weeks waiting in limbo, either waiting for injuries to create a starting opportunity or a contender to make a compelling enough offer for Iverson to swallow his pride and come off the bench.

Knicks Reportedly Pass on Allen Iverson originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA MVP Rankings: Can LBJ Repeat?

Tom Ziller — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat, Lakers, Mavericks, Raptors, NBA Awards

Every few weeks, FanHouse will offer a writer's opinion on the current NBA MVP Rankings. This time, Tom Ziller gives his top 20 through the season's first four weeks, as well as an assessment of the multitude of rookie point guards.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland. The Chosen One won his fairy tale Podoloff last season before embarking on the Summer of 'Bron, but missed out on the real prize, the O'Brien. This season, with the Finals on his mind and free agency taking up slot No. 2, LeBron doesn't exactly seem to be gunning for a repeat MVP coronation. But who cares? The offseason shooting work worked: James is matching his '08-09 scoring average (28 points a game) on two fewer FGAs, owing to a much improved jumper. Thirty-six percent from long range? Be afraid, America.

2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas. My brosef Bethlehem Shoals has handed Dirk the early season lead, and with good reason: the Mavericks are smoking, and Nowitzki's the ringleader. Dirk can and will shoot more efficiently, but don't forget that because he primarily shoots jumpers he rarely coughs up turnovers (just 18 through 12 games). He's also rebounding like a champ, and forcing flashbacks to his '06-07 MVP season.

3. Chris Bosh, Toronto. The Raptors can't quite put it together as a team, though there are signs of a pending breakthrough. But Bosh has it together individually, and he's shattering the old definition of Bosh. Playing two fewer minutes a game in the high-octane Toronto attack, Bosh is averaging an extra four points (with just one extra FGA) and almost four more rebounds a night. Call this the Chris Paul Memorial "Outshone by Ridiculousness" Third-Place Award, for now.

4. Josh Smith, Atlanta. Speaking of putting it altogether, a la Bosh. Smith abandoned the three (for the most part) and took over the paint. His field goal percentage is outrageous (56 percent, compared with 45 percent career), his rebounding has been stellar and he has regained the indefatigable blocking spirit missing from the soulless but successful '08-09 campaign. It's like the exclamatory Smith from Atlanta's lean years has found a way to exist within the framework of team success. And it is GLORIOUS.

5. Dwyane Wade, Miami. Wade will probably never win a Podoloff -- he's already 28, LeBron has gone into full-on Madman mode, and the next wave is ready to rise up -- and he has definitely relaxed a bit from that psychotic '08-09 bit. Of course, this is because he has more, better help, especially on defense (Jermaine O'Neal is downright spry). Still, 27/5/5? Not sane.

6. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles. This ranking is too low for the extraordinary Bryant, but that's owed more to the excellence above than anything Kobe has done. The Mamba is shooting more frequently than anyone in the league (excluding Antawn Jamison's night of infamy), and he's making plenty of his attempts. The surprising thing in the pre-Gasol games has been Kobe's lack of assists. He's at 2.9 per game right now, the lowest level since he was 19 years old. And even then he averaged 2.5 per game ... in 13 fewer minutes a night. With Kobe's scoring where it is, it's not a huge problem. But it bears monitoring. So, you know, we can call him selfish the next time there's a two-game losing streak.

7. Brandon Roy, Portland. Like Dirk, Roy's shooting looks a bit off in the ledger right now, but that's owed to a slow start amid the Blake-Miller media malaise. Now that 'Dre is in charge, Roy is back, with the Blazers on his back. Like Dirk Part II, Roy is sure as Brevin Knight (slight exaggeration) with the rock, only giving up two turnovers a night despite 15 shots, seven free throws and five assists. That is some ridiculous ball efficiency. Naismith weeps in joy.

8. Carmelo Anthony, Denver. 'Melo has made a mockery of his rep, coalescing last season's defense/periphery-focused approach with his original Murderous Scorer persona to create some jacked-up Megatron of Impending Doom. It's all come out to the most effortless 30-point per game average in recent memory, a razor-like focus I can't see fading over the long march. All these cats on the list should matter in the postseason, assuming everyone makes it. (Looking at you, CB4.) But you can really foresee 'Melo taking May by its haunches, can't you?

9. Chris Paul, New Orleans. Paul is injured badly, and will fall from this perch as his absence rolls on. Because -- not in spite of, because -- of that, what he did in 10 games deserves mention: 24/9 on a True Shooting percentage of (ahem) .706. Paul shot better from three than almost the entire league shoots in the paint. All birds touch Earth some day, and it's unlikely CP3 would have kept up the clip. But doing it for 10 games is a triumph in itself.

10. Dwight Howard, Orlando. Even though the early going has been a disappointment for Howard and the Magic, the young Superman has still dominated the paint with regularity, and with ease. It's the "ease" that bothers -- there's a sense that, based on previous exploits, Howard could be doing more. On defense, especially. But he leads the league in defensive rebound rates and is currently second in total rebound rate. He leads the league in field goal percentage. He's fine.

11. Steve Nash, Phoenix. The Suns have been amazing, and refreshing, but it's amazing and not refreshing to see Nash mentioned as an early MVP candidate. His offensive contribution remains exemplary (hence this fairly lofty rank above some deserving friends), but -- here's this old canard -- his defense can't be hidden, not now and not in April. Phoenix is a bottom tier defensive squad, and while the frontline is less than optimal, Nash is a huge, glaring reason as to why opponents score at near-will. It's not Nash's fault -- his flaw is a physical one, and he knows (as well as Alvin Gentry and thankgoodnessnow Steve Kerr) to play and prepare to his strength. But it's there, it's readily apparent, and it's non-negotiable.

12. Joe Johnson, Atlanta. That Johnson's best pro season has coincided with Atlanta's leap up the leaderboard is not coincidence. J.J. has basically been a more gunner-y, less stopper-ish Roy. One could argue he belongs way up this list (like, say, alongside Roy), but Atlanta's backcourt is giving up as many open looks as the frontcourt (anchored by Smith and stout Al Horford), and while Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford are leading suspects, J.J. is not immune from rotating late.

13. Rajon Rondo / 14. Kevin Garnett, Boston. Rondo and Garnett don't drop jaws in the stat lines (OK, Rondo's numbers at least leaves jaws aloof on occasion), but there's a reason Boston again has the league's best defense, and I'm willing to credit the continued physical psychosis of Rondo and the return of a not-quite-healthy-but-still-incredible Big Ticket. Rondo is like the defensive version of Nash. I could read a story about Rondo working with a physicist on finding the most anatomically efficient method of swiping at a live dribble without batting an eye. As for Garnett, he still has the mental capacity to stop any scorer, and the physical capacity hasn't left him yet. For basketball's sake, I hope it's not over for at least a couple more years.

15. Joakim Noah, Chicago. Laugh (at me and him), but Noah's superlative defense and energetic flavor have kept the Bulls afloat despite struggles for Derrick Rose and John Salmons, and injuries (one emotional, one physical) to Tyrus Thomas. If not for Noah and Luol Deng (playing as well as he ever has after recovering from a leg fracture last spring), the Bulls might be sitting on one or two wins. What a steal at No. 9 in the 2007 draft.

16. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles. I said you could laugh at the Noah pick, but hold your fire here. Q(uick): how does one score 20 points on 14 shots in the NBA? Ask Andrew Bynum, who's gone 20/12, basically, and might actually improve considering he's been more efficient in the past. The Lakers have missed Pau Gasol -- that's undeniable. But Bynum has helped Bryant keep the Lakers elite during that absence. Bynum showed in the past how well he works with Pau, and I expect that while the center's raw numbers will fall to make room for the star Spaniard, his effectiveness will continue to shine through.

17. Danny Granger, Indiana. Granger continues to build his invisible brand. The Pacers look better (excepting the loss to the Knicks), and Granger is outpacing his own standard, averaging roughly 25/7. His shooting efficiency is grand, owing to an underhyped propensity to get to the stripe and a killer three-point stroke (which is a bit behind in the early going). The defense is also coming along. That's wasted in Indiana, of course, but it's still nice to have in your back pocket. (Shockingly, Indiana is currently in the top 10.)

18. Greg Oden, Portland. Did someone say defense? The Blazers improbably boast the league's No. 2 defense, and Oden -- all 24 minutes per game -- is the biggest reason. Oden leads the league in rebound rate (grabbing 20.9 percent of all rebound opportunities) and block rate (swatting 7.6 percent of all opponent FGAs while on the court). While Oden's on the court, opponents shoot 43 percent from the field, which is, my friend, ridiculous. At the other end, while Oden turns the ball over way too much (about three for every 36 minutes played), he doesn't take shots he can't make, and his free throw rate is shockingly good for a defensive specialist big man. So, yay Greg Oden. You're doing it.

19. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee. The triumphs heaped upon the wonderfully joying Jennings may not last -- forget the rookie wall, there's an inkling Jennings might be on a serious hot streak before accounting for the schedule-based struggles first-year players often see. In that case, let's pile on now. Not even Jennings, confident as he's been, could have expected this much success so early. Heck, it was a minor upset than Jennings won over coach Scott Skiles enough to get the starting job over Luke Ridnour (a victory, you'll remember, Ramon Sessions couldn't quite reach most of last year). Jennings has been a scoring wizard, a legit playmaker and a mascot for a team in desperate need of spirit. Well done, sir. Well done.

20. Amar'e Stoudemire, Phoenix. Stoudemire has seen a decline in his numbers despite the Gentry reversion, but he has seemingly gotten his head on straight and his defense (while still not exactly excellent) has improved. In the interest of promoting this type of behavior, let's give Stoudemire as much credit as we would if he were still averaging 25 points and 10 blown defensive rebounds a game.

Five more: Tim Duncan, Andrew Bogut, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Ben Gordon.

Etc.: Top Rookie Point Guards

1. Jennings.

2. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento. Evans has scored 20 points in each of his past five games, and is putting up numbers which could be defined as Roy-ish/R.O.Y.-ish. During the course of a game, you can actually see him learning NBA defense. It's pretty striking how receptive to real-world lessons Evans has been -- it's like he learns through basketball osmosis, giving new meaning to "trial by fire." Kudos as well for spending so much time with assistant coach/basketball Yoda Pete Carril, who has turned this fellow into a really good free throw shooter. (How often does an average college FT shooter fail to improve in the pros? Evans has been in the lig four weeks.)

3. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota. Ramon Sessions has now been displaced by two rookie point guards -- first Jennings, now Flynn, who isn't getting too many assists (just 3.2 per game) but has been a bright spot in an otherwise dispiriting situation.

4. Ty Lawson, Denver. I have no idea why anybody would be surprised that Lawson, as efficient a college point guard as he was, is just as successful as a blur off the bench for a team like the Nuggets.

5. Rodrigue Beaubois, Dallas. Beaubois, on the other hand, I can understand. The young Maverick is now featured with Jason Kidd in a double-PG starting line-up, shattering all early expectations. Beaubois hasn't quite been the Caribbean Westbrook we'd expected, but no one will care if he keeps shooting like a Dwarven rifleman.

6. Stephen Curry, Golden State.

7. Darren Collison, New Orleans. Collison has plenty to learn about defending the Steve Nash pick-and-roll, but don't we all? Collison missed a ton of shots against Phoenix Thursday, but stuck with it and sealed the game with a ballsy drive to the rim in the final moments. Bully for you, sir.

8. Eric Maynor, Utah.

9. Jeff Teague, Atlanta.

Nowhere to be found in North America: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota.

NBA MVP Rankings: Can LBJ Repeat? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Low Will the Winless Nets Go?

Chris Tomasson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Heat, Nets

MILWAUKEE -- As the New Jersey Nets are ringing up losses, Scott Hastings has a vested interest.

Hastings, you see, was on the expansion 1988-89 Miami Heat that set the record for most losses to start an NBA season at 17. So Hastings is hoping the Nets will knock the Heat out of the record book, right?

Try again.

"Absolutely not,'' Hastings said. "We were a bad team. We deserved our record, and I'm disappointed any time anybody gets close. Go Nets.''

Hastings, a big man who somehow lasted in the NBA from 1982-93 while averaging 2.8 points, sees it as a badge of honor to at least be known for something. Then again, he did appear on the Late Show with David Letterman in the early 1990s due to, by his own admission, being one of the worst players in the NBA.

But there's a chance Hastings' Heat could get knocked completely of the record book. Miami was tied by the Los Angeles Clippers' 0-17 start in 1998-99. And the Nets are 0-12 after Tuesday's 99-85 loss at Milwaukee.

Let's just say the Nets would be quite eager to accommodate Hastings and not reach the futility mark.

"You never want to be in the record books on that side. But hopefully we don't get to 0-17. We don't want to let that happen.''
- Rafer Alston,
Nets guard. "You never want to be in the record books on that side,'' said guard Rafer Alston. "But hopefully we don't get to 0-17. We don't want to let that happen.''

Not long ago, it looked as if there was no way was it going to happen. The Nets lost two close games to Philadelphia and fell at Miami last Saturday on a last-second three-pointer by Dwyane Wade. Surely, they would break through this week.

But the Nets are now reeling. They lost 91-83 at home Tuesday to Indiana in a game that wasn't nearly that close and were outscored in the second half 58-37 by the Bucks after somehow taking a 48-41 lead into halftime.

The Nets have been often down to eight players recently due to a wave of injuries. It's really catching up.

"You're going to have doubters,'' said forward Bobby Simmons, perhaps wondering why anybody would doubt this gang that can't shoot straight (40.1 percent for the season). "I hope it doesn't get to 0-17. You just take it one game at a time. We only have eight [players]. We're trying to do the best we can with what we have.''

On Saturday, the Nets have their best chance for a while to break through when they play host to 2-9 New York in the shadow of the Big Apple. Actually, the game should be known as the battle of the Apple Core.

If the Nets don't win that one, it could get quite hideous. They head out on a four-game Western trip.

By then, Hastings really will be sweating.

In losing its first 17 in 1988-89, the Heat usually never came close to winning. Miami lost nine times by 15 or more points, including a 47-point drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It got absolutely ugly,'' said Hastings, whose Heat did somehow manage to finish 15-67 and avoid Philadelphia's 1972-73 mark of 9-73 for worst in NBA history. "We were so bad. We didn't have anybody who could play.''

Nevertheless, on Dec. 14, 1988, the Heat finally broke through. With Rory Sparrow, Grant Long and Pat Cummings each scoring 15 points, Miami beat the 89-88 on the road for the first win in team history.

"It was like the seventh game of the playoffs,'' Hastings (pictured right, in 1988-89), who scored four points in six minutes, said of the postgame celebration. "We didn't have champagne. None of us made very much money. So we used Diet Cokes on each other [for dousing].''

Miami was in the record books by itself until the Clippers showed up for the 1998-99 lockout season. They lost their first 17 en route to a 9-41 season, which would translate to about 15-67 for a normal campaign.

The Clippers were similar in the dreadful category, also losing nine of the 17 by 15 or more points. But, behind 18 points from Darrick Martin and 16 from Eric Piatkowski, they broke through on March 11, 1999, by beating Sacramento 106-92 at home.

"I'll never forgive them,'' Hastings said of the Clippers having knocked Miami out of its solo hold in the record.

By that time, Hastings had begun to really like being part of NBA lore for being lousy. In fact, he dubs the Heat the opposite of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who went 17-0 for the greatest single-season mark in NFL history.

"I'm like the Miami Dolphins in reverse,'' Hastings said. "I'm part of NBA history, and I want to remain part of NBA history. I watch those losing streaks like [Nick] Buoniconti and [Bob] Griese and those [Dolphins] watch the winning streaks in the NFL. There's has to do with success, mine with duress.''

Hastings is now a television analyst for Denver, so he can't cheer for the Nets if they're 0-13 and trying to stop the streak next Tuesday at the Pepsi Center. But he'll be pulling for them the rest of the time.

No doubt Lawrence Frank would appreciate that. This is, if Frank remains New Jersey's coach.

"I don't even focus on the 0-17,'' Frank said. "I think for us, we've just got to take it one game at a time.''

If it ends up being one loss at a time for the Nets, they would tie the NBA record Nov. 29 on the road against the Lakers and break it Dec. 2 against Dallas at the Izod Center.

By then, it might be renamed the I-God-awful Center.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter @christomasson.

How Low Will the Winless Nets Go? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stinkface Chronicles: Lawson Order

Rob Peterson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers, Nuggets, NBA Fans, NBA Videos

Some people never learn. D.J. Mbenga may be one of them.

Now, D.J. is a good guy and he makes a decent living as the backup center for world champion Los Angeles Lakers, but there's a reason he's a backup center. Besides a talent deficiency, Mbenga is not quick and therefore slow to rotate on help defense and recover on pick-and-rolls.

This often puts him in an awkward position, that position being Mbenga on a poster on his keister.

Such was the case again Friday when Nuggets rookie Ty Lawson went medieval on Mbenga.

(The pair of pliers and the blowtorch after the jump.)

Mbenga, Blake Griffin's foil in our first Stinkface Chronicles, now not only has the dubious distinction of being our first two-time dunk victim -- and the only one to be dunked on by rookies, who usually serve as the dunked upon -- but also he is the first to suffer from a relatively new affliction: triple-broadcast stinkface.

That's right, there are three YouTube-worthy clips of the barely 6-foot Lawson sticking that one-foot of difference between him and the 7-foot Mbenga right where the sun don't shine. To be fair, we need to call out Josh Powell as well, as he was also slow to check Lawson as he slalomed through the Lakers' defense.

But it was Mbenga with the foul and his taking the impromptu courtside seat that makes him the object of our breakdown.

Clip No. 1 -- ESPN

This was the broadcast most of the country saw as the Nuggets exacted a little early season revenge on the Lakers for last year's Western Conference final beat down with a 28-point win. But it was Lawson's late-game Stinkface that most people remember.

And for good reason, because Lawson did three amazing things in one play.

First, the drive. The Nuggets were already up 102-79 with less than 1:40 to go in the contest when Lawson used a soft pick on the left wing, crossed-over Mbenga and then drove his way to Stinkface immortality. Lawson had a step on Mbenga, who trailed the rookie into the lane.

At the nine-second mark of the video, the second amazing thing happened. Taking two steps after his dribble, Lawson launches himself from between the broken circle and the restricted area (LeBron James take-off territory) with Mbenga on his left. Ain't no stoppin' Lawson now, but Mbenga gallantly tries, fails.

And of course, the third amazing thing was the finish itself. Mbenga, using his longer frame, tries to come across Lawson's body to thwart the dunk attempt. Lawson, however, is too far gone and far too determined to let any mban get in his way. You know the rest: Mbenga gets a piece of Lawson, but not the ball and they tumble together to the court.

The whole sequence lasts for 14 seconds, but ESPN replayed it three times in the next 90 seconds and at the 27-second mark, a replay occurs in conjunction with one shown on the video board at the Pepsi Center. Listen to the crowd. It may be the best aural reaction to a dunk this season.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

It sounds as if they've witnessed a Dumpster punch: something so wrong that they feel slightly guilty about taking pleasure at it having been perpetrated in their presence.

Then again, that's at the heart of a Stinkface philosophy: it's so right that someone was so wronged.

Of course, the Nuggets bench loved that a rookie delivered the goods other than the Krispy Kremes for a change. Kenyon Martin was as happy as if his mom dunked on Mark Cuban, Denver coach George Karl has a bemused look on his face and at the 1:15 mark, ESPN shows Carmelo Anthony making a classic stinkface. What's that smell? Nasty greatness, that's what that is.

Clip No. 2 -- Altitude

Altitude, the Nuggets' local broadcaster, also had the game. In the above clip (if you can make it through the first 13 seconds of Nuggets-fluff), analyst Scott Hastings screams: "Look at the bench. Look at the Nuggets' bench!"

Yes, look because Chauncey Billups can't bear to. Mr. Big Shot is so moved by Lawson's larceny of Mbenga's manhood, he has to cover his face with a towel. Chauncey's never dunked like that, and he has every right to live vicariously through his understudy.

Angle No. 1 v2.0 - NBA.com HD

And lest you think we're being too harsh with Mbenga, take it up with his teammates. Roll any of the three clips again and watch the fourth Laker on the bench. Please.

I don't know who it is (Ron-Ron? Mr. Kardashian?), but said Laker does the smelling salt-reaction (quick jerk of the head), turns away (Because he can't stand the sight of a teammate getting housed like that? Because he's laughing too hard?) and then leans across another Laker to grab Kobe Bryant's arm (Hold me!).

Hold me, indeed.

Dwyane Wade on Anderson Varejao

There are many things to appreciate about this one: Wade himself, that it's Varejao getting the brunt of it (I like Varejao, but it is fun to see him get legitimately run over instead of him flopping to the floor), that Varejao tries to block it, but doesn't come close, the normally sedate American Airlines Arena crowd popping up out of their seats as one and Marv Albert's call (which is instantly zero-summed by Reggie Miller's "analysis" -- Kodak moments are supposed to be good memories, not posterizations, Reg...) to name a few.

But the two best things happen quickly after Wade and Varejao hit the deck. Wade's dunk is so powerful, Varejao doubles over as if he's been socked in the gut. Look at how the Cav lands, jackknifed against the stanchion. He's lucky he didn't end up in Biscayne Bay.

Also, at the end, Wade "A.I.-ed" Andy. Remember when Allen Iverson (when he was good, and relevant) stepped over Tyronn Lue in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals? Wade does it to Varejao, but without the disdainful look and foot stomp.

That's OK. The dunk was enough of a statement.

Stinkface Chronicles: Lawson Order originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bosh Will Consider Joining Wade

Chris Tomasson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Heat, Raptors, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- LeBron James is the first choice. But Chris Bosh certainly would be a solid backup for the Miami Heat next summer in free agency.

And he's willing to consider it.

The Heat, which figures to have more than $15 million of salary-cap room, is looking for a superstar to pair with Dwyane Wade. And Wade, who talked last week about possibly luring James to South Florida while also mentioning Bosh, is positioning himself as a recruiter.

"Anything is possible, I guess,'' Bosh, the Toronto star who can become a free agent next summer, told FanHouse in an interview before Tuesday's game at Denver about the possibility of going to Miami. "I guess that seems to be an attractive place, you know, playing with Dwyane and playing in Miami and everything. I guess if they had the right chemistry, the right guys, that they could persuade guys to get there. But we'll see.''

Also on FanHouse: Soaring Hawks Top Power Rankings
Stinkface: Lawson Order | J-Will: Magic More Talented Than '06 Heat

Bosh will hear plenty of pitches from teams if he opts out of his contract next summer and becomes a free agent. But that's still not a certainty.

Bosh said he doesn't plan to make any decisions until after the season. Feeling fine about that is Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo, who said the decision has been made to not offer Bosh an extension during the season because there's no need to put any extra pressure on him.

The forward, averaging career highs of 26.4 points and 11.8 rebounds, has a number of options. He could not opt out of his contract, putting off free agency until the summer of 2011. Or he could sign by June 30 an extension for up to three years.

"Much like those other teams that have discussed it with their respective free agents or potential free agents, all three of the players in question (Cleveland's James, Wade and Bosh) negotiated for flexibility for a reason to exercise that,'' Colangelo said in an interview with FanHouse. "The contract (extension to Bosh) has not been offered, it has not been discussed. It's been a point of the discussion from a standpoint of one of the options that is there.

"We're bringing new pieces to try to create a better team, a more competitive team around Chris. Why would he make a decision before he knows what the end of the result is? And why would I try to sell a story before the last chapter is written? So maybe he wants to see what we have before he makes a decision. And that could pertain to an extension. It could pertain to a new contract. ... There's been no conversation. There's been obvious consternation by the general public and the media. But Chris and I had sat down along time ago and talked about the various options that are out there.''

Colangelo let it be known Bosh's best option would be doing business with the Raptors, which would enable him to earn the biggest possible salary. Even a sign-and-trade would fulfill that.

"We're still the best partner for him to get the deal whether it's staying with us or getting it somewhere else or playing it out somewhere else,'' Colangelo said. "So we're the conduit. We're the best partner. We're not going to put the pressure on him to make a decision right now. It's really not the right time even for us. He's playing at an all-time level. ... I'm happy for him. I'm happy for us because we're in a better position to win basketball games.''

Bosh agrees with Colangelo that it's best to worry about his future after the season.

"I'm just playing basketball,'' he said. "It was the plan when I signed the contract (to have flexibility). When I signed the contract (some) people out there don't understand I had a plan going into this. So I'm closer to that goal. I'm just putting myself in the best position to make a decision for the future.''

While Bosh won't a sign a contract extension during the season, he was asked about the chances of signing one just before the June 30 deadline. Colangelo, pointing to Washington's Antawn Jamison doing that at "the 11th hour'' in 2008, doesn't rule that out as a possibility.

"I just will discuss those things when they get closer,'' Bosh said. "I'm just trying to concentrate on winning basketball games and playing good so that people will actually want to sign me.''

One thinks there will be interest in the five-time All-Star. Other teams with major cap room expected to go hard after Bosh include New York and New Jersey.

"I'm ready for it all the time,'' Bosh said when asked if he's prepared for the media onslaught when he heads to those areas this season, with Miami on Dec. 15 the first such stop.

"I'm just trying to concentrate on winning basketball games and playing good so that people will actually want to sign me."
-- Chris Bosh With Bosh's desire to win soon, Miami can't be overlooked at perhaps the strongest candidate if Bosh were to leave Toronto. There's talk the Heat might try to go after both James and Bosh, especially in light of James' recent comments that he won't necessarily require a maximum contract.

"Over the course of years, we've had conversations, myself, LeBron, Chris Bosh. We all understand the dynamics. Joe Johnson,'' Wade told reporters last week about his recruiting, also mentioning Johnson, an Atlanta guard who will be a free agent next summer. "We all have played on the Olympic team together, so we've all had the conversation of the possibility, 'We can play together one day.'

"Especially when (Kevin) Garnett and Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all got together (with Boston), we were like, 'Wow, it can happen.' You never know. When the summer comes, we'll all sit down over a nice meal, and we'll know what city it'll be in and we'll talk and see what everybody's deciding. I would love for everybody to want to focus their way down here, to this beautiful city of Miami.''

Wade will see Bosh on Friday when the Heat plays at Toronto. Perhaps he will mention the projected high that day in Miami is 82 degrees.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

Bosh Will Consider Joining Wade originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dwyane Wade Sends the Nets to 0-10

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:04:00 EST

Filed under: Heat, Nets, NBA Videos

The Nets have had a string of injuries take away their chance to be at all relevant the first part of this season, and in fact, they were winless through nine games heading into Miami to face Dwyane Wade and the Heat on Saturday. They appeared to have a chance to get their first win of the season, though, thanks to a sluggish effort from a Miami team that was missing Jermaine O'Neal from the start, and Mario Chalmers after five minutes due to injury.

New Jersey led by three with 30 seconds remaining, before Quentin Richardson accidentally banked in a three-pointer to tie the game at 78. The Nets got the lead back, thanks to a tip-in from Brook Lopez with just under four seconds remaining.

But unfortunately for the Nets, Dwyane Wade plays for the Heat. And even though he hadn't made a shot the entire second half, he drained a three with 0.1 left on the game clock to make sure that New Jersey stayed winless.

Video after the jump(er).

Dwyane Wade Sends the Nets to 0-10 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stan Van Gundy on Retiring No. 23: '(Jordan) Is Not Jackie Robinson'

Tim Povtak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Heat, Magic

ORLANDO -- LeBron James can stop wearing his No. 23 if he wants -- in deference to Michael Jordan -- but asking the rest of the league to follow his lead is only showing his immaturity.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was asked Friday morning about James' request, and he didn't hesitate to say he thinks the idea is misplaced.

"It's a nice gesture, but he (Jordan) is not Jackie Robinson. Baseball did it because it had historical significance,'' Van Gundy said. "There actually were guys before Michael who could play the game. Then you should retire numbers that (Bill) Russell, Wilt (Chamberlain), and certainly Oscar (Robertson) wore. I understand LeBron didn't grow up watching those guys, but still. ''

Van Gundy was speaking after his team practiced Friday morning, preparing for the New Jersey Nets. He also rolled his eyes when asked about the Miami Heat retiring Jordan's No. 23 in the spring of 2003 as a show of respect. He was there as an assistant under coach Pat Riley at the time. He obviously didn't like that idea, either.

"I wasn't in the banner department,'' he said. "I'm just not one of those guys who thinks unquestionably that he (Jordan) was the best player of all time. I don't buy that. We've had a lot of great players at a lot of positions, so what are you going to do? Retire all the numbers, and pretty soon our guys will be wearing No. 327 because all the two-digit numbers are gone.''

James made his request after his Cavs beat the Heat in Miami Thursday night with Jordan in the stands sitting alongside Pat Riley, Heat president.

"Michael was a great player, and if the NBA wants to decide that every other team in the league has to worship him, then that's up to them,'' Van Gundy said. "Would I be for that? No.''

Stan Van Gundy on Retiring No. 23: '(Jordan) Is Not Jackie Robinson' originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LeBron to Switch Jersey Numbers Out of Respect for Jordan

Tom Ziller — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:08:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat

The Heat drew mostly guffaws when it retired the jersey of Michael Jordan, who never played one second for the franchise. Heat prez Pat Riley suggested it was a move to honor the game's greatest player, but most saw it as a silly bit of marketing showmanship.

MJ attended Thursday's Heat-Cavaliers game with Riley -- the TNT broadcast crew noted that Scottie Pippen also sat courtside, and suggested it might have been some subliminal "pair with Dwyane Wade!" messaging to LeBron James. MJ's presence made the game a bit more weird, and led to a rare political statement from LeBron: he thinks players should stop wearing No. 23 out of deference to His Airness, and he plans to lead the charge by switching to No. 6 next season.

It's a bit hilarious that LeBron has decided that because he wants to respect MJ by abandoning No. 23, the entire league should do the same. But it's par for the course, and understood: if any other player had made such a proclamation without LeBron being on-board, we'd be pointing and laughing at them.

All that said, which players currently wear No. 23? Basketball-Reference has the answer:

Devin Brown, Marcus Camby, Toney Douglas, Stephen Graham, Kevin Martin, Wes Matthews, Jodie Meeks, Jason Richardson, C.J. Watson, Martell Webster, Louis Williams.

Five starters, only three of which (Camby, Richardson and Martin) are "name" players. Three rookies. A couple of a bit players. LeBron is clearly the major hurdle in getting No. 23 retired; we'll see if he can convince his Nike mates Martin and J-Rich to do the same. My best guess is that LeBron will forget he ever made the declaration by next week, and he'll suggest that No. 6 be retired leaguewide after he wins a few more MVPs.

LeBron to Switch Jersey Numbers Out of Respect for Jordan originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dwyane Wade Breaks Varejao's Face

Will Brinson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, NBA Videos

Cleveland and Miami squared off Thursday night, and while the story leading up to the game was the unfathomably awesome possibility of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James playing on the same team, the story (at least microcosmically) coming out of the game is the following dunk that Wade threw down on Anderson "Flopsy" Varejao.

It is, as the Hoop Docs put it, "posterization."

(And quickly, I'd just like to say that while I feel supremely sorry for the good people of Cleveland and their sports sorrows, I'm willing to sacrifice their mental well-being if it means Bron and Wade getting to play together. I can't help it -- I'm greedy like that.)

Dwyane Wade Breaks Varejao's Face originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Josh Smith Path to Salvation: Who Should Convert?

Tom Ziller — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Hawks, Heat, Nuggets, Warriors

Hawks buzzard Josh Smith has famously wasted quite a few Atlanta possessions over the years by taking ill-advised three-pointers. That phraseology is actually redundant when it comes to Smith: it would be considered ill to ever advise Smith to take a three.

Thankfully, someone showed Josh the light, and he hasn't attempted a trey all season. He convinces when he tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he hasn't even felt tempted to fire up a bomb. He found Basketball Jesus! Like a good son of the word, he should spread his experience. Which players would most benefit from a Brother Smith knock at the door?

Monta Ellis, G, Golden State. Ellis has a career three-point shooting mark of 29.1 percent. He has slowed his outside trigger this year, but averages 1.3 three attempts per game over his career.

Anthony Carter, PG, Denver. You may be interested to learn that Carter, who seems to fancy himself a designated gunner at times in Denver, has a career 23.9 percent mark from downtown. He took 217 threes over the previous two seasons, and hit only 66. Not a good look.

Gerald Wallace, F, Charlotte. Smith's kindred spirit has certainly backed off trey-shooting heights reached under Sam Vincent, but one three for Crash is one three too many. Incidentally, Wallace has hit exactly one three this year ... in 10 attempts.

And finally, Dwyane Wade, SG, Miami. Maybe it's sacrilege to suggest a superstar should abandon a shot as part-and-parcel to basketball as the three-point basket, but let me burn, brothers.

Wade is never going to learn how to consistently hit a three-pointer. He's a career 28.1 percent deep shooter, and last season he hit his peak of ... 31.7 percent. For a guy who gets to the rim at will, draws an unbelievable amount of fouls and hits two-pointers at an above-average rate, he needs to let the three go. (Of course, I write that after a game in which Wade hit three of six. C'est la vie.)

If Wade needs to pace himself on pace, there are better ways to use the rest possessions than by firing up threes. Like, almost anything short of handing the ball to the other team would be better. (That's only a small exaggeration.)

I never thought I'd be advising Dwyane Wade to take a page from Josh Smith's book, but there you go.

The Josh Smith Path to Salvation: Who Should Convert? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LeBron: No More Free Agency Questions

Tim Povtak — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, NBA Rumors

ORLANDO -- If the thought of playing in Miami alongside Dwyane Wade next season had any appeal to LeBron James, it was hard to tell from his comments Wednesday night before his Cavaliers played the Orlando Magic.

Wade started the conversation, but James had no intention of finishing it Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Wade had addressed the issue with reporters in Miami, touching off another frenzy of speculation concerning next summer's free agent market, which will include both Wade and James.

The two have been friends for years and the Heat will have enough salary cap space to re-sign Wade, along with offering a maximum contact to James, who is expected to be pursued by the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and Chicago Bulls.

"Me and Dwyane have been friends for 7-8 years, and we've talked about a lot of things,'' James said Wednesday. "And we've both said the one thing is to stay focused on leading our own guys in the right direction. It (playing together) doesn't come up often.''

"I'm going to stop answering free agent questions until the offseason. I owe it my teammates, myself, my organization to focus on this season."
- LeBron James James was asked if playing next season in a warm weather city was appealing, and he just shook his head.

"I just want to win,'' he said.

James and the Cavs are coming off a trip to New York, where he was peppered by similar questions about his free agent status and playing in Madison Square Garden.

"Those questions don't bother me, to be honest,'' he said. "I go in with one goal and that's to win the next game.''

James spent five minutes talking with reporters about a variety of other topics, about playing with Shaquille O'Neal, about the status of Delonte West, about losing to the Magic last spring in the conference final.

But when talk returned to his free agent status and whether he would like to play alongside Wade in Miami, he ended the conversation.

"This free agent talk is getting old, it's getting older. I'm going to stop answering free agent questions until the offseason,'' he said. "I owe it my teammates, myself, my organization to focus on this season. This is the last time this season I'm going to answer free agent questions until the end of the season.''

Wade earlier talked at length about the topic. This was the best part, coming from the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.

"I mean it's a longshot, no question about it, it's a longshot. I mean, I'm in Miami; he's in Cleveland. He's been put in a position in Cleveland where he has the opportunity to compete for a championship now. And I'm in Miami, where I've won a championship and this is where I love to be. So it's not like we're both looking over our shoulders, saying, 'I want to get out of here.' It's a longshot, but, at the end of the day, it is a shot."

LeBron: No More Free Agency Questions originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cleveland Remains Stephen Jackson's Most Likely Destination

Matt Steinmetz — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors

We all know Stephen Jackson is a short timer in Golden State. And now, with the Warriors off to a troubling 2-4 start, it looks as if Jackson will be gone sooner rather than later.

When Jackson first said he was "looking to leave" the Warriors, he listed Cleveland, New York or one of the Texas teams as desired destinations. Since then, a few other teams have supposedly expressed interest.

Charlotte, Miami and even Philadelphia are said to have emerged. However, there remains little doubt that the Cavaliers remain Jackson's most likely end-up spot. The reason: compatibility.

Let's take a look:

o. Cleveland Cavaliers: There is no doubt Jackson would be a big help to the Cavaliers. It would give Cleveland a secondary playmaker to LeBron James, and a shot-maker too. Jackson would also be a plus on the defensive end, allowing James the occasional break from guarding the opposition's best perimeter player.

While the remaining three-plus years and $30-plus million on Jackson's contract are a heavy price for the Cavaliers to pay, it's a relatively small investment if it nudges James toward staying in Cleveland long-term.

The Cavaliers are reluctant to trade Zydrunas Ilgauskas because they don't want to lose a big. The Warriors would love to have Ilgauskas' expiring contract, although they know that's likely wishful thinking.

Still, there is a deal here, and it involves some combination of J.J. Hickson, Daniel Gibson, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson and Danny Green and possibly Delonte West. The fact Cleveland isn't exactly firing on all cylinders offensively doesn't hurt.

o. Miami Heat: The Heat has recently been mentioned, although that doesn't seem to make much sense. Miami has made it clear they're not interested in taking on long-term money.

Jermaine O'Neal is a coveted player because of his expiring monster contract ($23 million). But the fact remains Miami isn't likely to move O'Neal for just that reason.

Miami believes it has a shot at signing James as a free agent in the offseason, and it is not about to give up on that dream for Jackson.

o. Charlotte Bobcats: Despite Mark Stevens, the agent for Jackson, recently saying he doesn't care where his client ends up, that's not really believable. Can you really envision Jackson in Charlotte, with Larry Brown the coach? Me neither.

There's also the very real issue of the Warriors wanting Boris Diaw, and the Bobcats only wanting to part with Vladimir Radmanovic and/or Nazr Mohammed.

o. Philadelphia 76ers: Philly would be willing to move Samuel Dalembert, whose contract expires at the end of next season. But Dalembert has a trade-kicker in excess of $2 million.

In addition, the Warriors would have to include another player, and the Sixers would surely insist on Speedy Claxton, who's got an expiring contract. The problem with that is such a deal would put the Warriors in luxury tax land, a place they're unwilling to go.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Cleveland Remains Stephen Jackson's Most Likely Destination originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doing Lines: Kobe and Wade Go for 40

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, Heat, Hornets, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Rockets, Suns, NBA Last Night

Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.

The last time we got together, three different players scored 40 points or more on the same night. Well, maybe it's not as rare of an occurrence as we thought, since we were just a single point away from it happening again on Wednesday.

Chris Paul missed by one with 39, but Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade each delivered, with 41 and 40 respectively.

Dwyane Wade's 40 points, four rebounds, and five assists were just enough to carry his team to a close road victory over the Wizards. Gilbert Arenas had 32 of his own in the loss, but did it on a far less attractive 9-for-27 shooting line, as opposed to Wade's 14-for-26.

Chris Paul was dazzling, and had 39 points (on 14-for-23 shooting), five rebounds, seven assists, and a couple of steals. On the other end of the court, Jason Terry had 18 in the fourth quarter (and 35 in the game), on 12-18 shooting and 4-5 from three-point land, But ultimately, his two missed free throws down the stretch may have done as more to influence the game's final outcome than his scoring did.

Kobe Bryant had an outstanding line of 41 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. He did it by shooting a tidy 50 percent from the field, and you could tell from the opening minutes that even on the second night of a back-to-back, that Bryant wouldn't allow himself to be outshined by his former teammate, Trevor Ariza.

Speaking of Ariza, he and Ron Artest basically canceled each other out. Besides the pair picking up double technicals early, there weren't any fireworks to report, and both finished with an identical 15 points. Not only were their numbers similar, so was their play: each hit a clutch three-pointer with under 30 seconds left in regulation, Ariza's coming after Artest's to send the game into overtime.

Other notable numbers from Wednesday's action:

Carmelo Anthony finally cooled off a bit, managing just 22 points on 8-24 shooting. But when you have rookie Ty Lawson coming off the bench for 23 points in 28 minutes, on 9-10 shooting, the end result was still a blowout win for the Nuggets.

Derek Fisher played 34 minutes, and somehow managed to record 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists -- and he's the point guard! But he did manage two steals, including the one on the game's final play where he stripped the ball from Trevor Ariza.

Allen Iverson once again came off the bench, but in his second game of the season, was more productive in that role. A.I. scored 18 points (on 8-12 shooting) and handed out seven assists in 28 minutes of action.

Amar'e Stoudemire had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the first half against the Orlando Magic. It was the first flash of the old, explosive Amar'e we were used to seeing before his injury last February. Unfortunately, it didn't last in the second half, as he finished with 25 and 14, and the Suns suffered their first loss of the season.

Doing Lines: Kobe and Wade Go for 40 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wild East Shootout: Dwyane Wade Outguns Gilbert Arenas

Chris Tomasson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Heat, Wizards

WASHINGTON -- Peel off the cobwebs. Get out the dust pan. One of the NBA's best shootouts is back.

There was a time in the middle of this decade when Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas conjured up some Wild West battles even though both play in the East.

In 2005-06, in the four games the two met, Washington's Arenas averaged 32.3 points to 31.3 for Miami's Wade. Arenas had a 47-point game against the Heat and Wade had games of 41 and 40 points against the Wizards.

But then injuries hit both hard. Wade missed 62 games in 2006-07 and 2007-08 due to shoulder and knee problems. For Arenas, it was even worse as he missed 149 combined games in 2007-08 and 2008-09 because of knee trouble.

So when the two squared off Wednesday night at the Verizon Center, it was their first meeting since April 8, 2006.

It was a nostalgic reunion even if Wade, a shooting guard and Arenas, a point guard, didn't guard each other. Wade scored a game-high 40 points and Arenas had 32 as the Heat beat the Wizards 93-89.

"There was one time we were both looking at each other (at the free-throw line),'' Wade said. "We just smiled because of all the battles that we've had over the years. I'm happy to see him back as a fan of basketball. Knowing Gil, I'm happy to see him healthy. Hopefully, he'll just keep getting better.''

If Arenas was happy to face Wade again, he didn't let it be known. Arenas, apparently upset at comments having been made about him during his injury-riddled seasons, only speaks to the media these days to avoid being fined. He was docked $25,000 and the team hit $25,000 for offenses last month.

On Wednesday, Arenas kept reporters waiting for more than a half hour after the locker rooms opened. Then he mumbled a few answers.

"It's just fun to play again,'' Arenas said when asked about going against Wade.

But Wade had talked about the meeting at the free-throw line and the two did hug after the game. Did Arenas, who played in just 13 games in 2007-08 and in just two last season, say anything like, "It's good to be back?"

"No,'' Arenas said. "We spent the whole summer together.''

Indeed they did, working out together in Chicago with training guru Tim Grover. So maybe Arenas really does concur somewhat with Wade that their battles are fun.

One guy really enjoyed Wednesday's scoring fest. That would be Miami assistant coach Bob McAdoo, who won three scoring titles with Buffalo in the mid-1970s. Wade won last year's crown and Arenas has been close in scoring races, finishing fourth in 2005-06 and third in 2006-07.

"Yeah, it was fun (to watch),'' said McAdoo, who ribs Wade about leading him in scoring titles and cracked to Wade recently that he reached the 10,000-point mark in his fifth season while Wade didn't get there until this season, his seventh. "It was interesting to see how Gilbert is going to come back from his knee injuries. But he has his explosiveness, his quickness. ... I've been in shootouts with Pistol Pete (Maravich) and Downtown Freddie Brown and Rick Barry and David Thompson. I've been in battles like that, too. And, when you're going good, you know just about everything you throw up is going in.''

That was more the case Wednesday with Wade. He shot 14-of-26 from the field. Arenas was just 9-of-27, but he did shoot 12-of-15 from the foul line.

After the game, the trivia question was put to Washington forward Caron Butler to name the last time Wade and Arenas faced each other. Butler is a good guy to ask since he was Wade's Miami teammate in 2003-04 and has been Arenas' teammate with the Wizards since 2005.

"2006?'' Butler said.

The Butler did it. He nailed it.

"It's just fun to see both of them out there again,'' Butler said. "Both of them had similar (knee) injuries.''

And everybody knows how both are so important to their teams. The Heat, which won the NBA title in 2006, slumped to 15-67 in 2007-08 when Wade had a bum knee and was shut down for the season in early March.

After making the playoffs four straight seasons, the Wizards went just 19-63 last season. Several other players got hurt, but Arenas' injury was the killer.

"Gilbert is one of those guys that, we don't play alike but we're similar in the pressure we put on the defense,'' said Wade, who raised his scoring average to 29.2 while Arenas pushed his to 27.6.

In the end, Wade put more pressure on the Wizards than Arenas did on the Heat. Wade, who played all 24 minutes of the second half and logged 43 for the game to Arenas' 38, gave Miami the lead for good at 91-89 on a 20-footer with 24.6 seconds left. He hit a foul shot with 15.9 seconds left for a 92-89 advantage.

Arenas' final seconds were erratic. He lost the ball on a drive and later attempted to throw an alley-oop pass to Brandon Haywood that clanged off the rim.

"It's not rocket scientist,'' Arenas said of that play, a comment that later drew laughs from reporters for the misused word and perhaps was the only worthy soundbite provided by the once-gregarious interviewee.

So maybe Arenas really didn't end up having gangs of fun in his reunion with Wade. But the wait for the next Wild East shootout shouldn't be long, with the teams playing again next Tuesday and on Nov. 27.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson

Wild East Shootout: Dwyane Wade Outguns Gilbert Arenas originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA HouseCast: Magic Fall, Celtics Impress, Lakers Survive

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Last Night, Thunder

Welcome to the NBA FanHouse podcast, where our writers get together a few times a week to talk about everything going on in the world of hoops. Want to participate? Leave a comment, or follow us on Twitter @NBAFanHouse.

In a Wednesday edition of the HouseCast (and our first of the season), Matt Watson and Matt Moore joined me to discuss this week's Power Rankings. Of course, we couldn't do that without mentioning that once again, the top-ranked team -- Orlando, in this case -- went down the very same day the rankings were published.

We also recap a busy and interesting night of action, one where the Celtics remained dominant, the Suns remained undefeated, and the Lakers remained underwhelming, while barely surviving the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

Download MP3

NBA HouseCast: Magic Fall, Celtics Impress, Lakers Survive originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Spurs, Suns, NBA Power Rankings

We're just a week into the season, so don't get mad if your team isn't where you might have expected. It's just that if we go by what we've actually seen, as opposed to what's been predicted, then this is for the most part where teams should fall based on their early performances. But if you're offended by the spot your favorite team holds, fear not: they likely have 79 regular season games remaining to right the ship.

1. Magic (3-0)
Sure, they've only beaten Philly, New Jersey and Toronto. But they've done so by an an average margin of double digits, and they've done it without the suspended Rashard Lewis. Might be the deepest team in the league; time will tell how they match up against the big boys.
2. Celtics (4-0)
Opened the season with a solid road victory in Cleveland, before absolutely pummeling inferior competition for the next three games. If the whole team plays with that Rondo-sized chip on its shoulder for the entire season, who knows what Boston is capable of.
3. Nuggets (3-0)
Impressive wins against Utah and Portland already, and Carmelo Anthony could be to this season what Dwyane Wade was to last season: someone with something to prove, and maybe a dark horse candidate for MVP.
4. Mavericks (2-1)
Can't blame them for losing to Gilbert Arenas' supremely motivated squad in the opener, especially after they regrouped nicely by throttling the Lakers on the road in their second game. This team has one of the best pick-and-roll offenses in the league when it's firing on all cylinders, which will be extremely tough for most other teams to stop.
5. Lakers (2-1)
With Pau Gasol missing the first three games of the season, L.A. has looked far from spectacular. Their lack of depth has been exposed, and Ron Artest has yet to fit in. Still, an 18-0 run in the third quarter on Sunday put away the Hawks, and the Lakers did it with defense, offensive rebounding, and getting out on the break for easy baskets. They're the defending champs for a reason.
6. Spurs (2-1)
The one game that Tim Duncan has looked like his old self this season -- when he put up 28 and 16 against the Bulls -- San Antonio lost. In the two wins, Tony Parker was the catalyst, leading the team in scoring and getting everyone else involved. Of course, if Ginobili continues to play the role of Batman, the sky's the limit.
7. Suns (3-0)
Undefeated against the Clippers, the Warriors, and the T'Wolves, the Suns aren't exactly world-beaters. But after squeaking out a close one in L.A. to open the season, Phoenix has had no trouble imposing their will on their opponents, on the way to a couple of comfortable victories. A tough five-game road trip awaits, but this is a confident group that will likely surprise a team or two on that East coast swing.
8. Heat (3-0)
Undefeated is undefeated, and despite some fairly weak competition (Bulls excepted), that's where the Heat stand. Still, they've done it convincingly, with the second best point differential in the league at 14.3.
9. Rockets (3-1)
Yeah, I'm surprised they're this high, too. But you can't deny three straight wins, including Monday's in Utah where they held Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap to a combined nine points on 1-of-8 shooting, while getting eight players in double figures offensively.

10. Cavaliers (2-2)
Can't really justify having LeBron and company any lower than this, but have they really earned it? It's going to be a while before the Cavs are clicking, and with the team trying to get familiar with Shaq and work Delonte West back into the offense, the gap in the standings could be pretty big by the time things get figured out.

11. Hawks (2-1)
Played two and a half solid games really, before completely falling to pieces in the third quarter against the Lakers. This is a long, athletic team that has no trouble on either end of the floor, so consistency and mental toughness will be the qualities that they search for as the season goes on.

12. Wizards (2-1)
Gilbert Arenas appears to be all the way back, and has led his team to a couple of nice wins to start the season, even as the club is missing Antawn Jamison. Tough back-to-back at Cleveland and then hosting Miami will tell us a lot about where this team is at right now.

13. Trail Blazers (2-2)
Brandon Roy can be All-World, but he's struggled shooting the ball since the Denver game. Andre Miller is -- at least so far -- a very underwhelming addition. The injuries to Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge aren't going to help the team get straight early, but we have a long way to go, and Portland is still loaded and can be right there when it counts at the end of the season.

14. Thunder (2-1)
As Kevin Durant goes, so goes the Thunder? KD had 25 and 11, then 25 and 12 in his team's first two games -- both victories. He struggled a bit against the Blazers with 16 and 5 (on a miserable 3-21 shooting), and OKC managed just 74 points in their first loss of the season.

15. Sixers (2-1)
In just 23 minutes per game off the bench, second-year player Marreese Speights is averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and a blocked shot per game, while hitting 18 of his 24 field goal attempts. Elton who?

16. Bulls (1-2)
Opened the season with a nice home win over the Spurs, before having to go to Boston the next night to get thrashed by the Celtics. Chicago then took Miami down to the wire, so the schedule-makers more than anyone are to blame for the Bulls' middle-of-the-pack ranking here.

17. Jazz (1-2)
Rough one against the Rockets on Monday, as Utah turned a three-point halftime lead into a 17-point home loss.

18. Bobcats (2-2)
Charlotte gets a little credit for standing at 2-2, but they did manage just 79 points against the awful Nets on Monday ... which was, in fact, good enough for a win, thanks to New Jersey's dreadful seven-point third quarter.

19. Knicks (1-3)
It took New York three overtimes to lose two of its games, before putting together a solid fourth quarter on Monday to get the team's first win of the season. Now if only they can get some consistency going so that D'Antoni doesn't have to change his starting lineup and rotations every night, they'll be in business.

20. Hornets (1-3)
New Orleans has no depth once you get past the starting unit, and the team looks to be far worse off than it was a season ago. So let me be among the first to say it: the Hornets are not making the playoffs.

21. Raptors (1-2)
Dropped two straight after beating the Cavs in their opener, but don't blame Chris Bosh: he's averaging 31 points and 14.7 rebounds through the first three games. *cough* contact year *cough*

22. Bucks (1-1)
Brandon Jennings is the story here, as he's done better than expected early, and led the team in scoring the first two games. Which is important, considering the fact that Michael Redd is going to be on the shelf for a couple of weeks with a knee injury.

23. Pistons (1-2)
Rip Hamilton has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, which has paved the way for Ben Gordon to both start and lead the team in scoring. Ws are what matter most though, and without Hamilton in the lineup, Detroit is 0-2.

24. Grizzlies (1-3)
Zach Randolph has two 30-point games in the team's first four, and O.J. Mayo put up a career-high 40 on Sunday. Allen Iverson made his debut on Monday, and big surprise: he was unhappy coming off the bench.

25. Clippers (1-4)
If Baron Davis ever finds his shot again, L.A. might become dangerous. Davis is shooting just 33% from the field through the team's first five games, having made just 18 of his 54 attempts.

26. Kings (1-3)
Kevin Martin's 48 led Sacramento to their first win of the season on Monday, an overtime joint over the Grizzlies. Between Martin and the potential of Tyreke Evans, the Kings might be worthy of more than an occasional flip over to their games on a random night of League pass action.

27. Timberwolves (1-3)
Kurt Rambis actually has his team running some basic triangle offense sets in this young season. Funny how things seemed to turn out a whole lot better with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol involved.

28. Warriors (0-2)
Stephen Jackson and Don Nelson have completely checked out, and couldn't care less what happens to this team this season. Not cool for guys like Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, and Stephen Curry, who are all talented young players with a potentially bright future in the league.

29. Pacers (0-2)
Rookie Tyler Hansbrough has been practicing, and could make his debut this Friday against the Wizards. That is all.

30. Nets (0-4)
Unbelievably bad, managing just seven points in the third quarter on Monday in Charlotte. Other lowlights included going over 11 minutes without a field goal, and getting outscored by the Bobcats 24-0 during a stretch that spanned the third and fourth quarters. Finally, the team lost Yi Jianlian to a knee injury in this one as well. I'd make a joke about how dismal things are for the Nets right now, but honestly, it's not even funny.

NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former NBA Players Alan Ogg, Phil Lumpkin Pass Away

Rob Peterson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Heat

There's some sad news in the NBA universe today as two former NBA players have died in the past three days.

Alan Ogg, who played for the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullets, died at the age of 42 on Sunday. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that the Heat had a moment of silence before Sunday's home game against the Chicago Bulls. The 7-foot-2 center was 42 years old.

In Seattle, Phil Lumpkin, who played for Portland and Phoenix in the mid-70s, was found dead on Monday morning by O'Dea High School administrators after Lumpkin didn't arrive at the school where he coached and didn't answer the phone.

Lumpkin coached O'Dea to five Washington state 3A boys' basketball titles and went to seven championship games since 1993. Lumpkin, who was 57, had missed school the week prior to his death with pneumonia. The Seattle Times reports:

"It was obviously pretty tragic and devastating," said Mitch Johnson, who played for Mr. Lumpkin before moving on to Stanford and whose father, former NBA player John Johnson, was Mr. Lumpkin's best friend. "It still is hard to come to grips with. There was really no one like coach Lumpkin. He truly loved O'Dea and that was his family."

Lumpkin played in 82 games over two seasons first in Portland, then the next season in Phoenix.

Former NBA Players Alan Ogg, Phil Lumpkin Pass Away originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jermaine O'Neal Expects to 'Dominate'

Tim Povtak — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Heat, NBA Preseason

It's not just the young guys like Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers who are expected to show considerably improvement this season with the Miami Heat.

The old guy thinks he'll improve more than anyone else on the roster, making him the determining factor in a better-than-expected season in South Florida.

Center Jermaine O'Neal, going into his 14th NBA season, understands the skepticism, but he also believes there is another All-Star season awaiting him.

"A lot of people wonder. A lot of people don't think I can get back to that level,'' he told FanHouse during a recent interview. "But I will dominate my position again. I won't do it the same way I used to. But I'll do it.''

O'Neal was a five-time All-Star when he played for the Indiana Pacers earlier in this decade, but a variety of knee issues over the last three years slowed him considerably and robbed him of his versatility. The Pacers traded him to Toronto last summer and the Raptors traded him during the season to Miami.

Now that his knees no longer hurt -- he believes a rigorous off-season program solved his problem -- he is brimming with confidence once again.

"I averaged 14 (points) and seven (rebounds) on one leg the last couple years,'' he said. "A lot of centers can't do that on two legs. Now that I'm healthy again, I'm prepared to have a great year.''

O'Neal actually averaged 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds last season between Toronto and Miami, where he played at 270 pounds. He has dropped to 255, which also has helped his knees feel better.

"I had to outhink people the last two years because I couldn't perform physically trying to play with torn cartilage in my knee. So my game is more mentally advanced now,'' he said. "You combine that with being healthy again, and I can't wait to get the regular season started.''

The Heat already know they have an MVP candidate in guard Dwyane Wade, who led the league in scoring, last season. What they need from ONeal is some inside scoring from the post position. They also need him defending inside at the other end.

"I've talked with Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett about this, about being just as effective as you age. They aren't as athletic as they once were, but they can be just as good, just as dominant,'' he said. "And that's what I expect to be.

O'Neal, 31, averaged more than 20 points in four consecutive years in Indiana. He also averaged more than 10 rebounds in three of those years. He won't put a statistical tag on his goal, but wants to show everyone what they missed last season.

It doesn't hurt that this is the final year of a contract that will pay him $22 million this season, facing the prospect of a massive pay cut next summer. He has been slowed this month by minor foot, groin and shoulder problems, but he expects to be ready for the start of the regular season next month.

"I'm physically and mentally ready to have a big season,'' he said. "A really, really surprising season.''

Jermaine O'Neal Expects to 'Dominate' originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player to Watch: Michael Beasley

Matt Moore — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Heat

FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.

When you're famous, particularly a famous athlete, you're always exactly one step from utter disaster, and one step from rousing success. Michael Beasley has firmly stepped on the former, but the latter is also well within his reach this season.

I don't need to rehash for you the Twitter episode, the questions about whether it was his "stuff" or not, whether that matters, whether the whole issue matters. You've made up your mind.

What you should keep in mind, though, is how quickly a player can go from being considered a "screw-up" or "headcase" to simply a terrific basketball player. And if you don't think Beasley has the talent to make that happen, you better get your head a one way ticket to Straightville on the good train Reason.

Beasley will have to deal with questions about the Twitter incident all year, and has already had an uncomfortable run-in online about it (you'd think he'd know better than to... you know what? Nevermind). But maybe the best way for him to get through all of this stress is just to focus on his game. Which, if you've been watching his preseason, he's been doing. Take for example, last night's game against OKC, where he netted 24 points on 13 shots, a markedly better efficiency mark than we're used to. He racked up the turnovers, too, seven in all, but better in the preseason than during a mid-March run.

Beasley's role on the Heat is still to be defined. From all accounts, his only real strengths are shooting and scoring versatility. His position complicates this. First, he's most comfortable as the small forward spot, lacking the bulk and banger ability to handle the power forward position, particularly on defense.

But the small forward position is an even more versatile position in today's NBA. They're meant to be able to rebound, pass, defend, get out in transition and handle the ball, all while being able to score. Beasley's passing ability is his weakest dimension. It's far too early in his career to call him a black hole, but let's just say the edges of that star are starting to collapse a bit. Too often he seems eager to simply get buckets as a way of proving himself, to garner the positive feedback from his coach, his star teammate and the fans. In light of being called a bust, he seems scared to let the game come to him. So he shoots.

But man, when he shoots. Beasley's jumper is a thing of beauty. He found a particularly comfortable spot on the NBA floor, just above and to the left of the left elbow, and Dwyane Wade found that positioning perfect for drive and kicks. When Beasley steps into that shot, it's pretty much lights out. If he's in rhthym, that shot makes him as dangerous as any mid-range forward in the game.

Additionally, there are flashes of Beasley's abilities that go beyond the jumper. He has a tremendous amount of energy on the floor when he's not restricted by neuroses, and that energy can convert tip-backs and lead to drives that draw fouls. While his post and rotation defense struggle at times with his inexperience, his baseline defense is superb and he's shown an acumen for cutting off baseline moves which helps out the rest of the Heat frontcourt.

Beasley has All-Star in him. You can see it. He simply has to find a way to push past the stress of his new lifestyle, embrace his teammates who have significantly warmed up to him and work harder at rounding out his game. All those things will come in time. For this season, though, Beasley just needs to be who he is, the player we all know he's capabe of being. And stay out of trouble.

Player to Watch: Michael Beasley originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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