NBA FanHouse

Should Rashard Lewis Have Been Suspended During the Playoffs?

Tom Ziller — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST

Magic star Rashard Lewis tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug sometime before the NBA Finals last season. A follow-up test was given during the Finals, where Orlando fell 4-1 to the Lakers. But based on when that first test happens, Lewis's former teammate Ray Allen wonders if it might have been the Celtics in the Finals.

Allen told the Boston Globe this weekend that if Lewis has tested positive during the Magic-Celtics Eastern Conference semifinals series, he should have been suspended then. Allen follows that up by suggesting that without Lewis Orlando would have fallen to Boston (a fair retrodiction). The Magic beat the Celtics and Cavaliers on their way to the Finals.

The NBA never announced the timing of that first test, and news of Lewis's positive test didn't break until the start of August -- some nine weeks after the start of the Finals.

Should Rashard Lewis Have Been Suspended During the Playoffs? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Sheed's Threes a Problem for the Celtics

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Magic

When the Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace over the summer as their big offseason acquisition, they may have thought they were getting a big man who would stretch the floor with his three-point shooting, and one who would force the centers on the other contenders to come out of the paint to try and stop him.

But 13 games into the Sheed experiment in Boston, Wallace's three-point shooting has hurt his new team far more than it has helped them. And Friday night's 0-for-8 performance from beyond the arc?

That one was so bad, it made history.

Check out this blurb from the folks at Elias regarding 'Sheed's shooting:

Rasheed Wallace shot 0-for-8 from three-point range in Boston's loss to Orlando Friday night. Only one other Celtic has shot 0-for-8 or worse from three-point range in a home game. Dana Barros was 0-for-9 from beyond the three-point line on January 12, 1996 at the FleetCenter.

Now, many of these shots were wide open, and, supposedly, came within the flow of the offense. But Wallace finished the game by going just 4-for-19 from the field, and at some point, a player has to realize that maybe this isn't his night, and it's time to stop shooting -- no matter how open the looks are. Especially when only one other teammate took more shots, and that was Paul Pierce, who's supposed to do so.

The especially damning part of 'Sheed's high volume of three-pointers against the Magic is that, just a couple of days prior, Doc Rivers asked him to stop shooting them so much.

"I got on him, and I rarely do, about the threes,'' Rivers said of Wallace. "Because even though he was wide open, it's really tough. I mean, he was wide open and he took two, but we had just taken two quick ones."

Apparently, the message was not received.

Wallace has attempted 78 three-pointers on the season, for an average of six per game. That might not sound like a ton, but it's the sixth highest in the league right now. And for someone who's only hitting them at a mark of .282 on the year -- which doesn't place him in the top 100, by the way -- it's way too many.

What's more alarming, though, is how bad 'Sheed has been shooting from downtown more recently -- because even that not-so-stellar number of .282 is skewed by Wallace getting off to a hot start.

Through his first five games, Wallace connected on 15 of his 33 attempts, for a more-than-solid percentage of .455. But since his 6-for-8 outing against the Sixers, Wallace has made just seven of his last 45 attempts over the Celtics' last eight games.

Abysmal.

So, as you can see, the Celtics have a little problem on their hands. Their coach told Wallace to calm down on the three-point shooting, and the very next game, he jacks up eight from downtown -- which ties a personal season high for single-game attempts from beyond the arc.

It's way, way too early to say that Rasheed Wallace and the Celtics are a bad fit. But if the shots continue to go up without going in, and Doc Rivers' instructions continue to be ignored, then what is perhaps this Celtics team's last chance at a title may just go bouncing away -- right along with all of those missed three-pointers from Wallace.

'Sheed's Threes a Problem for the Celtics originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Durant Struggles Against Childhood Hero

Tim Povtak — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:50:00 EST

Filed under: Magic, Thunder

ORLANDO -- You figured it might be a long night for young Kevin Durant and his Oklahoma City teammates after he spent a good portion of his pre-game chat Wednesday talking about idolizing Magic veteran guard Vince Carter.

"When I was growing up, I always thought Vince was the best. I still look up to him, and I'm still a big fan,'' Durant said. "I used to watch his highlights as a kid. When I was about 11, my mom bought me a Vince Carter jersey and shorts, his Raptors uniform, and I wore it to every game. I guess that's a little embarrassing to say now, but it's something I'll never forget.''

Durant's innocence was refreshing. It made him and everyone around him smile. But it's probably not the kind of competitive edge that the Thunder needed from him. He is on the verge of becoming an NBA All-Star, but he sure didn't play like one Wednesday night, sinking to his worst performance of the season.

The Thunder fell meekly, 108-94, trailing from start to finish. Durant managed just 12 points in a pedestrian 26 minutes, looking more like he wanted to be watching Carter instead of competing against him.

Oklahoma City had no chance without him.

"It's tough to lose like this,'' he said afterward. "I can see why they (Magic) are picked to win the East again. You can't guard them. I was just a tough game for us. I talked to Vince. He said he was proud of me.''

Durant, 21, came into the game looking like he wanted to become the youngest scoring champion in league history, averaging 28.5 points, trailing only Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade. Trailing him directly were LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dirk Nowitzki, sandwiching him between some future Hall of Famers.

He had averaged 32.8 points in the previous five games, including a big victory in Miami Tuesday night when he had 32 points. In just his third NBA season, he has been everything the Thunder had hoped when they made him the No. 2 pick of the 2007 Draft. He is a star in the making, and a good kid, too.

"There are so many great scorers in this league,'' Durant said. "I can't even think about a scoring title. Just being in that company is nice. Those guys have proven themselves, been to the playoffs, the Finals, won championships. I've got a long way before I can get there.''

The Thunder (6-6) are hoping to establish themselves now as a rising young team, centered around a nucleus that includes Durant, point guard Russell Westbrook and forward Jeff Green. They are the second youngest team (average age of 25 years) in the league, and opened the season with the youngest starting lineup (23 years).

They also have won in Detroit, San Antonio and Miami. On Wednesday, though, they looked awful, which might have been a scheduling loss. It was their sixth game in nine days.

"I think Kevin was frustrated tonight,'' said Thunder Coach Scott Brooks. "The Magic did a good job guarding him, and getting into him. But he'll bounce back. He usually does from bad games. He's still learning.''

Durant Struggles Against Childhood Hero originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Williams: Magic More Talented Than Heat Championship Team

Tim Povtak — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Magic

ORLANDO -- Veteran point guard Jason Williams takes over the reins of the Orlando Magic Wednesday night, drawing his own comparison to the Miami Heat team he piloted four seasons ago to the NBA title.

"I've said if from the day I got here: this team is more talented than the championship team I played on in '06,'' Williams said Wednesday morning after a morning practice. "There are more weapons here."

Williams, who turned 34 on Wednesday, is replacing Jameer Nelson, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday morning. Nelson is expected to be out from four to six weeks, leaving the team in the hands of Williams and journeyman Anthony Johnson.

In Miami, Williams relied heavily on All-Stars Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade to win a championship. With the Magic, who play Oklahoma City Wednesday night, he will have All-Stars Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter.

"Having all these guys, it just makes my job easier. You get them the ball, and you get them the shots that they like,'' he said. "We have a bunch of go-to guys here, depending on the situation. There are just more options, but I'll do the same thing I've always done, get them the ball.''

Williams goes into his first start averaging 18.4 minutes, 5.4 points and 4 assists. He also is leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, averaging 4.89-1.

"I expect him to get everybody out running, just play with great energy like he has been for us,'' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "That won't change. He's a guy who knows what his strengths are, and he'll play to them. He has a body that doesn't tire easily.''

Williams didn't play last season, retiring prematurely from basketball after signing a one-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Clippers. The year away hasn't seemed to affect him adversely. Although once known for his flashy, almost-out-of-control style of play in his early years, Williams left those days behind long ago, which led him to the Miami Heat and the 2006 championship.

"I feel great. I'm quicker (now), he said. "My approach doesn't change whether I'm playing 15 minutes or 30 minutes. I'm still ready to do my job and I'm still ready to win.''

The Magic are facing a situation similar to what happened last season when Nelson missed the second half of the season with a shoulder injury. They turned to veteran point guard Rafer Alston, obtained in a trade with Houston, and he helped them reach the NBA Finals. This time, Williams already is in place.

His backup will be journeyman Anthony Johnson, who had that same role to Alston last season. Johnson had hardly played this season, although that will change dramatically now.

"Coach had a vision for this team, and until now, it didn't include me getting any playing time,'' Johnson said. "But I'll be ready. I can keep this train on the tracks.''

Williams: Magic More Talented Than Heat Championship Team originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

The Atlanta Hawks find themselves at the top of our rankings this week, thanks to a five-game winning streak against some strong competition -- a gritty overtime win over the Blazers and a road win in Boston were both impressive. Now, let's see if they can avoid the top-spot-jinx on Wednesday night, when they'll host Miami in a rematch of last year's first round playoff series. As for the other 29 teams? Read on to see how they stacked up.

1. Hawks (9-2) | Prev.: 5
Early front-runner for Sixth Man Award: Jamal Crawford. And by the way, who was Joe Johnson calling out earlier in the season and why? -- Matt Steinmetz
2. Suns (10-2) | Prev.: 2
Is there any other player in the league who can go 2-for-10 from the floor - which Nash did against Houston on Tuesday night - and still be the most influential player on the court? -- MS
3. Cavaliers (8-3) | Prev.: 12
The Cavs are still miles away from where they were last year, but who cares? They've won five in a row and eight of their last nine, and haven't missed a beat with Shaquille O'Neal sitting the last two with injury. Expect this team to continue picking up steam: four of their next five opponents are currently under .500. -- Matt Watson
4. Nuggets (8-3) | Prev.: 8
Carmelo Anthony dances with the Gods and charms their eyelids to slumber. Also, this Birdman blonde goatee thing he's growing is creeping me out. In conclusion, this team's really good. -- Matt Moore
5. Lakers (8-3) | Prev.: 1
Nothing to see here, people. Move along. Lakers are doing just fine, thank you - 8-3 and Pau Gasol hasn't even played a game yet. -- MS
6. Mavericks (8-3) | Prev.: 6
The Mavericks aren't considered elite at the moment, and we're struggling to figure out why. Victories over the Lakers and Rockets, and the fifth highest point differential in the league all have led to an 8-3 record. The opening night what the what loss to the surprisingly miserable Wizards doesn't look great, nor does the utter collapse against the Spurs without Duncan and Parker inspire confidence. But in the interim, Dirk Nowitzki's playing like the elite player he is, Jason Kidd is ripping out assists at a high rate, and Rodrigue Beaubois is a surprisingly talented rookie at both ends of the floor. Why are we always surprised at Dallas? -- MM
7. Magic (8-3) | Prev.: 9
Just as Rashard Lewis returns from suspension, Jameer Nelson goes down with a knee injury. He's expected back in 4-6 weeks, but that could put is into the new year before we get to see Orlando begin to try to work on its chemistry issues. -- BP

8. Celtics (8-3) | Prev.: 3
The blistering start with the return of Kevin Garnett and addition of Rasheed Wallace has begotten a hiccup of sorts, with losses to the Hawks and Pacers. The other Celtics loss came at the hands of the sizzling Suns, and yes, one of these teams is not like the other. Paul Pierce is banged up, and needless to say his health is vital for this team's offense. -- Tom Ziller
9. Blazers (8-4) | Prev.: 7
Portland has improved with every game, and has become a defensive force. Greg Oden is finally living up to his potential, even if it's only on the defensive side of the ball. If Nate McMillan can figure out how to better work in Andre Miller, this team looks primed for a deep, deep run in the playoffs and ready to take their place as the Lakers' heir apparent. Denver might have something to say about that, however. -- MM

10. Pacers (5-3) | Prev.: 24
There's two ways to look at Indiana's five-game winning streak. On the one hand, they've feasted on some cupcakes with a combined 14-37 record -- their home victory over the Celtics was their only opponent in that span with a winning record. That said, you play the games that are on the schedule, and the Pacers have answered the call with flair, winning by an average of nearly 12 points a game. Danny Granger remains one of the most underrated stars in the game, and Roy Hibbert is emerging into a double-double machine. -- MW

11. Rockets (6-5) | Prev.: 13
The John McClane of the NBA. There's no raucous feel-good attitude to this team. They're not pleasantly surprised when their offense lets them outscore a team or two. They expect to win every single game and kill themselves in the pursuit of that goal. And keep this in mind, the Rockets have yet to lose to a sub-.500 team, and two of their losses (Portland and LA) were followed by wins over those same teams. "Yippee ki-yay, Southwest Division." -- MM

12. Bulls (6-4) | Prev.: 10
The Bulls have an intriguing mix of veterans and youth -- and sure, to his credit, Vinny Del Negro hasn't been awful -- but there's just one glaring concern: they simply can't score, at least not on a consistent basis. It's a rare night the Bulls are outworked, but can they keep up their stamina while spending the next two weeks on the road on their cursed circus trip? A decade-long sample size suggests not: over the last 10 years, the Bulls have gone 9-56 on the annual early-season rite of passage. -- MW

13. Bucks (5-3) | Prev.: 15
Remember all the questions surrounding Brandon Jennings on draft day? How he watched his name called from a hotel room because none of the teams in the lottery could guarantee he wouldn't be the last in the green room? He's needed fewer than 10 games to make a lot of seasoned execs turn red -- even before his 55-point outburst made him a household name. Forget Rookie of the Year -- at this point in the (still extremely) young season, Jennings has to be included in the MVP conversation. -- MW

14. Thunder (6-5) | Prev.: 14
Don't look now, but the Thunder are still above .500 in the middle of November. Not exactly the biggest feat, but considering wins over the Spurs, Heat, and the Magic, the potential is there for this team to make a playoff run. But they've got to get better consistency from the Big 3 (Durant, Green, Westbrook), and quit losing silly games like Sunday's banana-peel blooper against the Clippers. -- MM

15. Heat (7-3) | Prev.: 4
Dwyane Wade saved the day when the team was short-handed against the Nets, but Miami was at full strength when they lost the next time out to the Thunder. The fact that no one's showing up to their home games definitely isn't helping the Heat take care of business against teams they should beat, and that situation isn't likely to change anytime soon. -- BP

16. Raptors (5-6) | Prev.: 16
Every game the Raptors lose seems like a waste of a superlative effort by Chris Bosh, the league's best big man early this season. Toronto has a dominant offense, capable of scoring on any team in the league. But the defense is as bad as ever: the team does everything poorly. Shooting defense? Awful. Opponent turnover rate? Awful. Defensive rebounding? Awful. Opponent free throw rate? Awful. Reggie Evans can help whenever he makes his season debut (he sprained a foot in preseason), but he won't be able to fix all these problems. That's problematic, if you figure the offense won't keep clicking like this forever. -- TZ

17. Kings (5-5) | Prev.: 20
Sacramento may be middle of the pack when it comes to these power rankings, but the Kings are among the NBA's elite when it comes to teams that play hard. All in all, a nice start to the Paul Westphal era. -- MS

18. Spurs (4-4) | Prev.: 11
Feast or famine. Win over the Mavericks or loss to the Thunder. Struggling to find an identity with the All-Stars or playing with fire without them. The Spurs are just weird right now. Every time they seem to be figuring things out (wins over Toronto and Mavericks in laughers), they turn around and do something like lose at home to the Thunder. But at least everyone's healthy...ish. For now. Eeeeee. -- MM

19. Pistons (5-6) | Prev.: 18
Considering they've played the last nine games without two veteran starters, the new-look Pistons are actually hanging in there. You want to talk about depth? Four different players have taken turns as the high scorer in the last four games. Will Bynum, who opened the year as the fourth guard, has averaged nearly 22 points a game in the last four while emerging as the team's best playmaker. So what's the bad news? This roster still needs another scoring big man to be taken seriously. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince need to hurry back -- so Joe Dumars can put them on the trading block. -- MW

20. Jazz (4-6) | Prev.: 17
Fear for the Jazz. They're still dangerous and have time to get it together, but this team is a mess in terms of chemistry, effort, and focus. Sloan needs to do something to regain his team's attention. -- MM

21. 76ers (4-6) | Prev.: 23
The surprising problem for the 76ers, who have typically started slowly during the Andre Iguodala era, has been its defense, which doesn't reflect well on coach Eddie Jordan. Opponents are shooting an absurd 41 percent from three against Philly -- that figure was closer to league average (36.7 percent) last season. The team is still generating turnovers, but the perimeter players have apparently forgotten to stick a hand in the shooters' faces. Bummer, since the Sixers (despite adding designated sniper Jason Kapono) can't make it up with threes of their own. -- TZ

22. Bobcats (3-7) | Prev.: 19
Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Gerald Wallace: Versatility or uniformity? Can't get that old Dylan lyric out of my head ... "... something is happening here but you don't know what it is ..." -- MS

23. Hornets (4-8) | Prev.: 21
From good, to bad, to worse, to oh noes, to "well, at least they beat the Clippers." The Hornets are in bad shape, with no real mercy in sight, and ownership is considering shipping newly acquired Emeka Okafor out of town, if you believe the reports. Scott's already gone, and Chris Paul's on the shelf. Long is not the word for what their season looks like. Agonizing. That's more like it. -- MM

24. Clippers (4-8) | Prev.: 22
Sure, everyone is waiting for Blake Griffin. But in the meantime, the Clippers really miss Eric Gordon. What's more, the Clippers are off to a terrible start at home (2-5). -- MS

25. Wizards (2-7) | Prev.: 25
Gilbert Arenas is back to being Agent Zero, and even has a Lil Penny-style video on his website to prove it. He's also said he'll begin doing the Twitter thing once he gets to a million followers, but Wizards fans would probably rather have some wins at this point than quirky quotes from their favorite player. Actually, scratch that: they're Wizards fans, so I've probably got that backwards. -- BP

26. Warriors (3-7) | Prev.: 26
Stephen Jackson's gone, Monta Ellis might be next and in the meantime Golden State is looking at this in the short-term: at Boston, vs. Portland, at Dallas, at San Antonio, vs. L.A. Lakers. -- MS

27. Grizzlies (2-8) | Prev.: 29
They replaced Allen Iverson who refused to come off the bench for them and then abandoned them, with Jamal Tinsley. I'm not even going to comment on that one. Just let that one stew in its own juices for a while. -- MM

28. Timberwolves (1-10) | Prev.: 27
Good news. Kevin Love is healing and the Wolves will likely have a return date on Friday after an X-Ray. Bad news. David Kahn seems to be already feeling the pressure for his point-guard splurges and the Rubio disaster. This franchise for all its excitement when Kahn was hired, somehow looks worse than it did under McHale. Yikes. -- MM

29. Knicks (1-9) | Prev.: 28
The Knicks truly couldn't be doing more to end the LeBron, Wade and Bosh speculation by Christmas. The team is awful and miserable after an awful and miserly summer. Sacrificing in the present for future success is obviously a world-worn strategy, but it's still little excuse for assembling so little talent and showing so little spirit. And the poor fans can't even root on John Wall! Sad. -- TZ

30. Nets (0-11) | Prev.: 30
Another 0-fer week for our heroic New Jersey Nets. This Saturday should provide a decent opportunity for Win No. 1: the Knicks are coming to town! And seriously, what a depressing affair that will be. Courtney Lee and Devin Harris may be back for that one; expect a full-on basketball war from the home team. -- TZ

NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jameer Nelson Out at Least a Month

Tim Povtak — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: Magic, NBA Injuries

This is where good depth can really come in handy.

Veteran Jason Williams, the point guard on Miami's NBA Championship team of 2006, will become a starter once again with a serious contender. The Orlando Magic announced Tuesday that All-Star Jameer Nelson will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks.

Nelson was injured in the fourth quarter of Monday night's victory over Charlotte. Williams sat out last season after retiring prematurely, then signed as a free agent for the veteran's minimum in Orlando, where he already had a home.

Williams, who turns 34 on Wednesday, has averaged 5.4 points and 4 assists in 18 minutes this season behind Nelson. He has 44 assists and just nine turnovers. Anthony Johnson, who hardly has played this season, will become the backup to Williams.

"We're fortunate to have two experienced point guards to lead our team while Jameer is out,'' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told FanHouse Tuesday afternoon. "I'm expecting both to play at a high level.''

Neither Williams, nor Johnson, who turned 35 earlier this month, is capable of playing big minutes for an extended period at this stage of their careers. Together, though, they should be able to keep the Magic from sinking out of contention. The Magic, who have only 13 players under contract, may explore the possibility of signing another point guard, but it won't happen quickly.

"We won't do anything at the moment. There won't be a knee-jerk reaction,,'' said Magic general manager Otis Smith. "We'll sit back and evaluate the team, see if we can weather the storm. I think we'll be fine, especially because of the way we play, inside-out.''

.The Magic went 7-3 to start the season in the absence of All-Star Rashard Lewis, relying on off-season acquisitions like Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass to fill the void. Lewis returned from his 10-game suspension Monday night, but it was Nelson who led the team to victory with 16 points

This time it will be Williams and Johnson trying to fill a void.

The Magic also played four of their first 10 games without All-Star Vince Carter, who was out with an ankle injury. Their contention that they are one of the deepest teams in the league will be put to test once again. Although the Atlanta Hawks lead the Atlantic Division, the Magic have stayed in close contention, despite the early injuries.

Nelson's injury was especially crushing to the point guard, who missed the second half of last season -- and their run to the NBA Finals -- after a shoulder injury and surgery just after he was named to his first All-Star team in February.

"I'm disappointed for Jameer,'' Van Gundy said. "After missing so much time last season, he was excited to get this season going.''

Jameer Nelson Out at Least a Month originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Defending Champs Fall in Conference Finals Rematch

Chris Tomasson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:45:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets

DENVER -- Final four week turned into a flop of finalists.

Meetings of last season's conference finalists got started Wednesday when Cleveland took a huge lead and clobbered defending East champion Orlando 102-93. An even bigger dismantling occurred Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

The way the Nuggets demolished the Lakers, you'd have thought they tried to smuggle coke into the building.

The Nuggets got some revenge against the defending West and NBA champions 105-79. It wasn't even that close.

"Hopefully, this is a big message, not just to the Lakers but to the whole NBA. We're a legit team,'' said Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, who scored a game-high 25 points and outscored Lakers star Kobe Bryant 18-0 in the second half (no, that's not a misprint).

The message sent by the Nuggets, who led by as many as 29 points, was as loud as one of those air-raid sirens cities like to blast on the first Tuesday of every month.

The Cavaliers had dispatched a similar such message on Wednesday when they had no trouble taking host Orlando apart.

It must be said the Magic was without star forward Rashard Lewis, serving the ninth game of a 10-game NBA suspension to start the season. But it's doubtful Lewis would have made that much of a difference against a Cleveland team that led by as many as 22 points.

On Friday, the Lakers were without star forward Pau Gasol, who has yet to play this season due to a hamstring problem, and they had played the night before at home against Phoenix. But the absence of Gasol and the heaviness of legs didn't make for a 26-point swing.

"No excuse,'' said Bryant, who finished with 19 points. "They beat the hell out of us. I don't know if we had Pau it would have made any difference. If we hadn't have played back-to-back, it wouldn't have made any difference. They played extremely well.''

It wasn't surprising since the Nuggets have been salivating like Pavlov's dogs for 5 ½ months. That's when the Lakers defeated Denver 4-2 in the West final.

"It sat with me for a long time because I feel that we had a real good chance of beating those guys,'' said Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups. "You don't get those opportunities all the time. We just wanted to try to get back to that spot and try again.''

Denver literally threw two playoff games away against the Lakers thanks to wayward inbound passes. Forward Kenyon Martin said after the series he believed his Nuggets were the better team, and he repeated that throughout the offseason.

With that in mind, one would think Martin would have been gloating more than anyone Friday. But Martin knows the teams have three more regular-season meetings.

"It's just one win, that's all,'' Martin said. "Everybody is making a big deal about it. We needed to get a win after the road trip (that the Nuggets went 3-3 on, closing with an embarrassing loss at Milwaukee).''

Nevertheless, revenge can be powerful motivation. Consider how the Cavaliers steamed about their 4-2 East finals loss to the Magic all summer, and went out and got center Shaquille O'Neal to muscle with Orlando big man Dwight Howard.

However, the Nuggets, confident they had what it takes to battle the Lakers, didn't make any major moves. Well, check that. The draft-day trade that landed rookie point guard Ty Lawson is starting to look pretty major.

Lawson scored 13 points and handed out six assists in 22 minutes Friday. The 5-foot-11 Lawson had the highlight of the night in the second half when he threw down a dunk over Lakers 7-foot center D.J. Mbenga.

"By far,'' Lawson said of it being his best-ever dunk. "I'd dunked over a 6-10 guy before but never a 7-footer.''

Don't expect his Lakers teammates to be getting on Mbenga. Everybody on the team was embarrassed Friday.

Bryant, checked closely by Arron Afflalo, shot 0-of-4 while playing the entire third quarter and didn't play a second in the fourth. The game was over after the Nuggets unbelievably outscored the Lakers 29-8 in the third to break away from a 58-56 halftime lead.

"That was ugly,'' said Lakers center Andrew Bynum. "That was pretty bad basketball on our behalf.''

But Bynum still wasn't impressed enough to dub the Nuggets a rival. Before the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson had said the same thing.

"I don't feel like it's a rivalry at all,'' Bynum said.

Bryant, though, was saying all the right things. He told the media afterward this series is indeed becoming a rivalry, and he congratulated Anthony on the court for his showing.

Anthony shot 11-of-20 and overcame foul trouble, which limited him to just 12 first-half minutes. The Lakers put defensive specialist Ron Artest on Anthony, who responded with a yawn.

"It's impossible to have a Melo stopper,'' said Anthony, who said before the game no player in the NBA has as much emphasis placed on slowing him down as he does. "That's just my confidence. When I'm out there on the court, you've got to feel like nobody can stop me one-on-one.''

The Lakers in the third quarter would have had a hard time stopping Joel Anthony, let alone Carmelo Anthony. In addition to the Denver star scoring 12 points, Nuggets reserve guard J.R. Smith scored eight of his 20 points.

"(The Lakers) are at the top of the mountain and we have to figure out how to get ready for the opportunity in May or June to try and knock them off the top of the mountain,'' said Nuggets coach George Karl.

Last anybody checked, the NBA wasn't handing out any championships in November. Now, it's time for Magic and Lakers players to start plotting their revenge.

The Lakers play host to Denver on Feb. 5 and Orlando travels to Cleveland on Feb. 11. So once again the NBA will have a final four week.

After what happened the first time around, it will be finalists fight back week.

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

Defending Champs Fall in Conference Finals Rematch originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Van Gundy Love Note Inspires Howard

Tim Povtak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Magic, Nets

ORLANDO -- Magic center Dwight Howard arrived at Amway Arena for Friday night's game against the New Jersey Nets to find a handwritten note in his locker.

It was signed by the same guy who had been prodding him the past couple days, criticizing him for his lack of energy, his rebounding drop off and his sudden inability to block shots.

Howard read the note twice, then left it where he could see it again at halftime. He also saw it after the game, and he smiled.

"There is no one better or smarter in the NBA. All you need to do is play with great energy and enthusiasm,'' the note said. It was signed "Stan,'' as in Coach Van Gundy.

"I kind of took it to heart,'' Howard said. "We had talked about some things in a meeting earlier, about my responsibilities, and how I need to lead this team by example. I played pretty well tonight.''

Howard snapped out of his mini-slump - he had averaged only eight rebounds and one blocked shot in the previous six games - and dominated the Nets with his best, all-around game of the season.

The Magic won easily, 88-72, crushing the decimated Nets. Howard had 26 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, once again looking like the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. The Magic still are playing well below the level of the Celtics and Cavs - the two top teams in the Eastern Conference - but at least they can start closing the gap with Howard regaining his edge.

The Magic were coming off of an embarrassing loss at home to Cleveland, a game that accentuated Howard's lack of energy defensively. Unable to outplay the aging Shaquille O'Neal, Howard may have hit bottom that game.

"For us to be successful, I have to lead this team defensively, erase any mistakes and control the paint,'' he said. "We talked about my responsibilities in leading this team.''

The Magic (7-3) expect to get a boost Monday when All-Star Rashard Lewis returns from his 10-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, along with the return of Ryan Anderson, another outside-shooting big guy.

"We have a long way to go to play at that level (of the contenders),'' Van Gundy said. "We're not there yet. A lot of improvement has to be made before we reach that level. But there's also still a lot of time.''

Rafer Alston, who was traded by the Magic this summer to New Jersey, had the first triple double of his career, getting 17 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, but it had little effect on the game. It was Alston, obtained at midseason, who helped the Magic reach the Finals as the starting point guard in the absence of Jameer Nelson.

"With Dwight here, and playing like that, Orlando is always going to be tough to beat,'' Alston said. "He might have a down game or two, but you know he's going to be there. Sometimes it just takes a little nudge.''

Van Gundy Love Note Inspires Howard originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alston Still Thrilled by Finals Experience

Tim Povtak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Magic, Nets

ORLANDO -- It doesn't matter how much you poke, prod, lead, bait or beg New Jersey guard Rafer Alston during a conversation, he just sticks to the high road.

Alston has every reason to be upset -- or at least frustrated -- by the way he was treated a few months ago, yet he just shrugs and smiles, still thankful to be living his dream in the NBA.

Alston rescued the Orlando Magic when he came from Houston at midseason, giving them a starting veteran point guard who guided them all the way to the NBA Finals. After Jameer Nelson was lost for the season with a shoulder injury in late January, the Magic were desperate, sinking without a ball handler, and Alston delivered big time.

Then, two weeks after the Finals, they threw him overboard. Or even worse, they sent him packing to New Jersey, the worst team in the league.

Alston returned Friday night to play against the Magic, walking into the Amway Arena for the first time since he was traded. The Magic are expected to contend again for a championship. The Nets haven't won a game.

"I was only here a short time, but it was the time of my life. It was a ride I won't forget.''
- Rafer Alston "I was only here a short time, but it was the time of my life,'' Alston told FanHouse. "It was a ride I won't forget.''

Alston, in the final years of his contract, was traded, along with Tony Battie and Courtney Lee for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson, a move made by the Nets for future salary cap purposes.

"I would have been fine being here as Jameer's backup. And I told them that after the season. We could have been a great tandem, just hell for opposing teams to handle,'' Alston said. "It's kind of funny, you're in the Finals, then bam, you're gone. But I understand the business. They got a great player in Vince Carter. How can I be upset about that?''

Alston was supposed to be the backup to Devin Harris in New Jersey, but Harris lasted only two games before he was injured, putting Alston into a starting role again. Yet the Nets are so riddled with injuries, it's tough to imagine them winning very often.

Alston is averaging 10.5 points and 5.1 assists, again proving how capable he is, even if he hasn't stayed anywhere very long. It's unlikely the Nets will re-sign him next summer, intent on landing more high-profile players with so much salary cap room. Alston likely will move to his eighth different NBA team.

"I don't dwell on the negative. I just don't. Last season happened so fast. It was so much fun, it was almost like a dream come true, playing in the NBA Finals, which is what you pretend to do when you're a kid in the park,'' he said. "It came true for me.''

The move to New Jersey actually put him back near his home. He grew up in nearby Queens, New York, where he became a playground legend -- Skip To My Lou -- before he even reached the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I never dwell on what could have been, what might have happened, those kind of things,'' he said. "I'm still in the league. And that's good to me.''

Alston Still Thrilled by Finals Experience originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:25:00 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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Howard's Slide Is Big Magic Problem

Tim Povtak — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Magic

ORLANDO -- If Dwight Howard wants to keep that Superman moniker -- if he wants to deliver on his promise to bring an NBA title to Orlando -- he better turn his game up another notch real soon.

Playing Shaquille O'Neal -- who is well past his prime and 14 years older -- to an uninspired standstill like he did Wednesday night won't get his team anywhere close to the Finals again.

He knows it. And his coach certainly does, too. The Defensive Player of the Year and defending rebounding champion has been rather pedestrian lately.

Cavaliers 102, Magic 93: Box Score | Tomasson: Mo Puts on a Show
Povtak: LBJ Is Done Talking About Free Agency

"He (Howard) has not been as dominating defensively or on the boards in the last four or five games,'' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I know that has to change for us to be good. And right now, we're not a very good team.''

The much-anticipated clash of the titans -- Howard vs. O'Neal, the current against the former best NBA center -- turned into an afterthought in a game that failed to deliver any real suspense.

In a rematch of last spring's Eastern Conference final, the Cavaliers throttled the Magic, 102-93, on their home floor, looking wise in their decision to add O'Neal to their roster, even at the risk of upsetting a delicate chemistry.

O'Neal didn't do much statistically, getting 10 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in 20 minutes, but he played a huge role by getting into the head of Howard, who fouled O'Neal twice in the first three minutes. Howard quickly lost his aggressiveness, and the Magic never seriously challenged.

Without Howard's aggression around the basket, the Magic are just an average team. He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and one block in 32 minutes.

"If Dwight were playing defensively like he did last season, we'd be better.''
- Stan Van Gundy "Foul trouble makes him play tentative. We have to address that,'' Van Gundy said. "He's having trouble getting those double-figure rebounding games right now. He hasn't blocked the shots like he was. If Dwight were playing defensively like he did last season, we'd be better.''

The Cavs (5-3) can be championship contenders with O'Neal in a supporting role. The Magic (6-3) can't do that with Howard, the franchise foundation. Howard has been in foul trouble in five of the last six games. He reached double-figure rebounds in only two of the six games. He has only three blocked shots combined in the last five games.

"I know my defense, my rebounding is not where I'd like it to be,'' Howard said after the loss to Cleveland. "But it's just a phase right now. When I'm playing defense like I should, everything comes together.''

Howard led the league in rebounding (13.8 rpg) and blocked shots (2.9 bpg) last season. After nine games, he is averaging 10.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots. His scoring has dipped from 20.6 ppg to 18.4 ppg.

"You saw the game. I'm not satisfied,'' Howard said. "It's not all about stats. It's about winning games, and getting better. We're just not where we want to be right now, but it will improve. It's a long season. It will pick up.''

Van Gundy, meanwhile, is getting impatient. He insisted Wednesday that his team can't compete defensively with the Celtics, Cavaliers, or even the Heat, in the Eastern Conference. He made it clear that he wasn't blaming Howard -- that the whole team was struggling -- but he wanted his center and his point guard Jameer Nelson to lead the turnaround that he expects.

"It starts with those guys, the two returning guys, the captains,'' Van Gundy said. "It's not all on them, but they are supposed to be the leaders. It has to start with them.''

Howard's Slide Is Big Magic Problem originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shaq Simply Can't Handle Howard

Tim Povtak — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Magic

It's hard not to like Shaquille O'Neal, the most compelling NBA player of his era and arguably the best center in history. His love of the spotlight, his often-outrageous, sometimes-egotistical, always-entertaining behavior made him a must-see attraction since he entered the league with Orlando a long, long time ago.

It's why there will be some sadness in seeing him get destroyed on his former home court Wednesday night by Dwight Howard.

O'Neal's belief -- and insistence -- that he won't need any double-team help to manage Howard around the basket when his Cavs play Howard and the Magic on national television Wednesday, is a fantasy.

If Shaq could turn back the clock 10 years, even five years, it would be a matchup of Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell proportions, a true battle of the titans, a dream date for basketball fans.

Instead, this one could turn into a nightmare.

It's good for Shaq that the Cavs haven't played since Friday night, and the Magic were in Charlotte Tuesday playing the Bobcats, but no amount of rest will negate the 14-year advantage Howard has.

At age 23, Howard could play a double-header on the same day and still have more spring in his step and agility on the court than Shaq today. That's not to minimize the great career of O'Neal, but it's a fact of life.

This is a young man's game. And no one really likes seeing a once-great player struggle in his twilight years. Howard-Shaq might be a bigger mismatch than when the Cavs got swept by the Spurs in the 2007 Finals.

"We're not going to double (Howard)," O'Neal bragged to a group of reporters in Cleveland earlier this week. "I'm sure they (Magic) are going to double (me). We've just got to play hard."

The Cavs decided to acquire O'Neal this summer after they were rudely upset by the Magic in the Eastern Conference final, desperate to strengthen their interior defense after Howard did as he pleased, providing a wake-up call to LeBron James. He needed some help.

Unfortunately, Shaq isn't the answer. O'Neal is the one who carried Penny Hardaway to the NBA Finals in 1995 with the Magic. He carried a young Kobe Bryant to three NBA titles earlier this decade with the Lakers. He enabled Dwyane Wade to win a championship in Miami in 2006.

LeBron will have to win his with someone else.

Shaq's return to Orlando, where he still makes his off-season home, will be scrutinized more than it ever has been since he left the Magic for LA in 1996. Last season when O'Neal played in Phoenix, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy criticized him for flopping against Howard. O'Neal responded by ripping Van Gundy.

The Shaq-Howard relationship, once respectful, has grown cold. O'Neal never liked Howard stealing his thunder in Orlando. Shaq didn't like Howard copying his Superman nickname, then making it more popular than it ever was with him.

Howard was smart enough to stay away from verbal exchange. Mostly, Shaq's resentment just puzzled him. After all, Howard is the first to admit that he is envious of O'Neal's four NBA titles. He wants one of his own, and if it comes this season, it will come by outplaying O'Neal.

"I've played against the best,'' O'Neal said. "He's pretty good, He's young, agile and accurate. But it's nothing I haven't seen before.''

Unfortunately for O'Neal, unless he gets some serious help, it won't be pretty Wednesday night.

Shaq Simply Can't Handle Howard originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

We're just eight games into the season, but there's no doubt who the surprise team is at this point. The Phoenix Suns are off to a 7-1 start, and have road wins over two of the three remaining one-loss teams. They've done it with Steve Nash leading the league in assists at almost 13 per game, and with the team leading the league in three-point shooting at a ridiculous 47 percent. But all of that only got the Suns to No. 2 in this week's rankings -- read on to see who's on top.

1. Lakers (6-1) | Prev.: 5
Pau Gasol has yet to play a game this season, and Andrew Bynum has missed the last two. But when Kobe Bryant goes for 40 or more three times in the team's first seven games, well, the wins just seem to come anyway.
2. Suns (7-1) | Prev.: 7
You could make a case for the Suns rising all the way to the top this week, especially considering the strength of their recent competition -- which they mostly steamrolled. But one or two doesn't make a whole lot of difference in November, and Phoenix will get their chance at the top-ranked Lakers soon enough: They head to L.A. for a TNT showdown Thursday.
3. Celtics (7-1) | Prev.: 2
After opening the season with eight games in 11 days, the Celtics looked weary in their last two. But they came out of it with just a single loss, and they still lead the league in point differential with an impressive + 14.1 -- the second best team in that department is only at +7.8.
4. Heat (5-1) | Prev.: 8
Contract years are a beautiful thing. Quentin Richardson is in one, and he's set a career mark for most consecutive games with at least nine rebounds -- Q has done it in five straight (and counting).
5. Hawks (5-2) | Prev.: 11
Jamal Crawford is thriving in his sixth man role, and has led or shared the team lead in scoring three times. The Hawks finally put it all together in a dismantling of the Nuggets at home, but whether or not they can take that same show on the road Friday in Boston will say a lot about exactly where this team is at this early point in the season.
6. Mavericks (5-2) | Prev.: 4
Dallas has actually looked like one of the top teams this season, but the fact that they gave away a game at the free throw line cannot go unpunished. But the next night Josh Howard returned, and so did the Mavs' solid play: They crushed the Raptors by 28 points.
7. Blazers (4-3) | Prev.: 13
Nate McMillan pushed the right button in placing Andre Miller alongside Brandon Roy and Steve Blake in the starting lineup, and the team is 2-0 since he made that adjustment.
8. Nuggets (5-2) | Prev.: 3
After the strong start, Denver has dropped two straight since Kenyon Martin went down with an injury. But Anthony Carter might have said it best after the Nuggets' first loss of the season: "When one person goes down, that's why everybody else gets paid to play. Kenyon ain't the whole team."
9. Magic (5-2) | Prev.: 1
Orlando has done well to start 5-2, playing without the suspended Rashard Lewis since the beginning, and missing Vince Carter for four of the last five with an ankle injury. Ryan Anderson had been filling in nicely, but losing him to an injury was too much to overcome, as Orlando lost by 28 without him in Oklahoma City.

10. Bulls (4-2) | Prev.: 16
Winners of three straight after the slow start, including a close one in Cleveland against LeBron and the Cavs. Joakim Noah has been so solid this season that he's making a local columnist eat his words -- literally, and with salsa no less.

11. Spurs (3-3) | Prev.: 6
Tony Parker is expected to miss about a week with an ankle sprain, but Manu Ginobili made sure the team wouldn't drop two straight. He went nuts against Toronto with 36 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and four blocked shots in 32 minutes off the bench. Batman, indeed.

12. Cavaliers (4-3) | Prev.: 10
The media circus surrounding the Cavs feasted last Friday at Madison Square Garden, when the "LeBron James to the Knicks" talk reached a fever pitch. They've had a few days to recover, just in time for Shaquille O'Neal versus Dwight Howard (and Stan Van Gundy) on ESPN this Wednesday.

13. Rockets (4-2) | Prev.: 9
The Rockets have played better than anyone expected, and have done it by playing smart, hard-nosed basketball. Unfortunately for them, Tracy McGrady is getting ready to come back and ruin everything, although the exact timing of his return is something that (surprise!) he and the team don't see eye to eye on.

14. Thunder (3-3) | Prev.: 14
Took apart a depleted Orlando Magic squad, and showed that if you don't make defense a priority against them, this Thunder team is capable of lighting you up -- they shot over 57 percent from the field, and over 53 percent from three-point land in that one. Oh, and also, there's this.

15. Bucks (3-2) | Prev.: 22
Winners of two straight in convincing fashion over the T'Wolves and the Knicks, and it could have been three in a row had they been able to protect an 18-point lead against the Bulls. But Brandon Jennings continues to impress, Andrew Bugut has done the heavy lifting, and everyone else is contributing just enough to keep the team afloat while Michael Redd is out.

16. Raptors (3-4) | Prev.: 21
It's been a pretty simple formula for the Raps this season: hold the other team under 100 points, and win (three times). Allow the other team to get into triple digits, and lose (four times). In other news, Chris Bosh continues his dominant season, with averages of 29 points and 11.6 rebounds through the team's first seven games.

17. Jazz (3-4) | Prev.: 17
Something's off with this year's Jazz team, but it's hard to tell exactly what it is yet. Consistency is something all teams struggle with, especially early on. But home losses aren't the way Utah normally does business, and they already have two to teams that, on paper, they should seemingly beat: the Rockets and the Kings.

18. Pistons (3-4) | Prev.: 23
Sure, I could drone on about the ups and downs of the team's season with Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince sidelined with injuries. But instead, do yourself a favor and read Matt Watson's excellent piece on the forced rebuilding situation in Detroit.

19. Bobcats (3-3) | Prev.: 18
Charlotte is an interesting team. They hammered the Hawks and hung with the Bulls this week, while Gerald Wallace (much to the delight of our own Matt Steinmetz) finally got himself a few assists -- three, to be exact, after going 94 field goal attempts without one through the team's first four games.

20. Kings (3-4) | Prev.: 26
No Kevin Martin? No problem for the Kings, what with the quick coming of age of rookie Tyreke Evans. Evans has led the team to two wins in Martin's absence, and is quickly making the term "combo guard" look very much like something that GMs should start to consider as a positive.

21. Hornets (3-5) | Prev.: 20
NOLA was very fortunate to beat the Mavs, looked wretched against the Raptors and Lakers, then rose up and delivered a 28-point road beatdown to the Clippers. David West's scoring and rebounding averages are down significantly from last year, and unless he can get back to having some occasionally monster performances, the team's going to continue to struggle.

22. Clippers (3-5) | Prev.: 25
Chris Kaman won the Western Conference player of the week award, which, considering he was competing against some 40-point performances from Kobe Bryant, was somewhat impressive. The Clips went 3-0 on the week, and Kaman averaged 24.3 points on .574 shooting from the field, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Sure, it all came to an abrupt end on Monday against the Hornets, but it was a good run while it lasted.

23. Sixers (3-4) | Prev.: 15
Philly seems to be still staggering after the Celtics beat them by 31 in the fourth game of the season. Since, they were lucky to beat a seriously undermanned Nets team, and followed that up with losses to the Pistons and the Suns.

24. Pacers (2-3) | Prev.: 29
After starting 0-3 against some quality competition, the Pacers have two wins over the Knicks and the Wizards -- the latter of which caused Washington to sacrifice a snack tray in frustration afterwards.

25. Wizards (2-5) | Prev.: 12
Things aren't going well in Washington, but the rumors of friction between Gilbert Arenas and Flip Saunders seem to be a bit ridiculous. Meanwhile, the team should be fine once Antawn Jamison returns, and three of the last four losses were to upper echelon teams, so it's not time to push the panic button just yet.

26. Warriors (2-4) | Prev.: 28
If these rankings were based on organizational health, the Warriors would be dead last. But as they showed in putting up 146 points on the T'Wolves on Monday, there's some talent on this roster that needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, as long as Nellie is running the ship and Steven Jackson is in town, winning is going to be the exception, not the norm.

27. Timberwolves (1-7) | Prev.: 27
Jonny Flynn has been solid, but as long as Al Jefferson continues to struggle offensively, the T'Wolves are going to continue to have problems keeping pace.

28. Knicks (1-7) | Prev.: 19
What never gets mentioned in all the "LeBron to New York" talk is the fact that Mike D'Antoni's system appears to be just an awful, awful fit for the talents of King James.

29. Grizzlies (1-7) | Prev.: 24
The team needs to get out of the shadow of Allen Iverson -- whether it's due to trading him, waiving him, or his choosing to retire -- before they'll have any chance of moving in a positive direction.

30. Nets (0-7) | Prev.: 30
Thanks to a rash of injuries and ailments -- including swine flu taking out Chris Douglas-Roberts -- the team was actually forced to practice against furniture due to a lack of available bodies.

NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.J. Redick Finally Carving His Niche

Tim Povtak — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: Magic

ORLANDO -- After three seasons of banging his head against a wall, J.J. Redick finally has proven he belongs in the NBA.

He never thought it would take this long.

Redick may have come into the league as one of the most celebrated college basketball players in recent history, but it has taken a complete remaking of his game and his attitude to finally carve his niche.

"I've been thinking about it recently, and maybe I wasn't ready to do this last year, or my second year, and certainly not as a rookie,'' Redick said Friday night after helping the Orlando Magic hold off the Detroit Pistons 110-103. "I could not have stepped in and played well like this, but I've learned how to be a pro. And that wasn't easy.''

Redick, now in his fourth season with the Magic after playing four years at Duke University, has used the start of this 2009-10 season and an injury to starter Vince Carter to solidify his role on a legitimate championship contender.

And around the league, they have noticed.

In six games - four as a starter - Redick has played consistently well, averaging 14.7 points, three rebounds and three assists in 32.5 minutes per game. Instead of being the hot-shooting bomber that most remember from his college days, he has become a heady, steady player, something he struggled to learn in his first few years in the NBA.

He doesn't do turnovers. He plays good team defense. And he helps the offense work better by moving the ball and finding the open man instead of finding his shot.

"For most guys in this league, it's about being in the right situation at the right time. You hate to have a teammate go down to give you a chance, but you have to be ready, and that's something I've learned,'' he said. "I think I've taken advantage of this opportunity. I've played well. I've put myself in a position where I can succeed now.''

Carter will return soon from his sprained ankle. Rashard Lewis will come back next week from that 10-game suspension. And when they do, the playing time for Redick will shrink considerably, putting him back into a reserve role with inconsistent minutes because the Magic are so deep.

Yet Redick now knows what he can do, and where he can fit. In the first few years, when he got brief opportunities, he failed to sustain them. He never averaged more than six points or 1.1 assists, in part because his playing time was so sporadic.

The Magic's off-season trade for Vince Carter actually helped him because it sent promising Courtney Lee to New Jersey, giving him a much clearer role. He also has gotten stronger physically, enabling him to withstand the physical punishment that comes from driving the lane. He was hammered Friday by a frustrated Kwame Brown, but he bounced up quickly.

"He's played well for us,'' Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He's learned what works for him.''

Redick scored a career high 27 points in his first start this season against Toronto. He has scored in double figures in five of the six games. He has hit 16-of-31 shots (51 percent) from 3-point range. He doesn't take bad shots anymore.

"Obviously, I'm not Vince Carter, and I'm not trying to be like Vince Carter,'' he said. "I don't feel like I have to show people anything. Just be who I am out there, a ball mover who can help this team succeed. And I can do it now in the flow of what we're trying to do.''

J.J. Redick Finally Carving His Niche originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Van Gundy: NBA Rules Penalize Howard

Tim Povtak — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Magic

ORLANDO -- Coming to the defense of his All-Star center, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy didn't criticize the officials Wednesday night -- he didn't want another fine -- but he was clearly critical of the way Dwight Howard is being officiated this season.

Howard, the biggest, strongest, best center in the NBA, is being unfairly penalized, according to Van Gundy.

"He gets penalized for being so strong. We give guys an advantage in this league for being quick, but we penalize them for being strong like Dwight,'' Van Gundy said after Howard finished with 11 fouls in the last two games combined. "If you hit a perimeter guy on a drive the way they are allowed to hit Dwight all the time around the basket, it would be a flagrant foul.''

Orlando Magic 122, Phoenix Suns 100: Recap | Box Score
Previously: Van Gundy Steamed Over NBA Fine

The Magic pounded the Phoenix Suns, 122-100, Wednesday night and Howard had 25 points, but he played only 23 minutes because of early foul trouble. On Tuesday night, he fouled out after just 17 minutes in a loss against Detroit.

In both games, Howard was clearly frustrated by the way the game was being officiated. He received a technical foul in each game, giving him three for the season. After Tuesday's game, he was openly critical of the officials, using his website to express his frustration.

"What really bothers me is they are letting guys hammer me at one end of the floor, yet I'm being called for everything. All of those hits take a toll on my body after a while,'' Howard said in his blog after the loss to Detroit.

"It's frustrating, but I can't let the frustration get the best of me. ... They can hack, pound whatever, but I have to try and stay calm."
- Dwight Howard In the first half Wednesday, Howard had three offensive fouls and only six points in just 12 minutes. It took a halftime pep talk from general manager Otis Smith to calm him down before his big third quarter when he scored 17 points.

"It's frustrating, but I can't let the frustration get the best of me,'' he said Wednesday night. "I have to find other ways to pay back those people who are just fouling away at me. They can hack, pound, whatever, but I have to try and stay calm.''

Howard has been slowed by a strained right shoulder, sustained Sunday night in Toronto, although he continues to play. The injury is the result of the increased physical play he has faced early this season.

Van Gundy was careful to say he had no complaints about the officials, only the way the rules have been written and enforced.

"Because the big guys are so strong and don't go tumbling to the floor, the defenders wind up and whack away,'' Van Gundy said. "That's just the way it is. That's a fact. It's not the referees fault. It's the way they are told to call the games. They want freedom of movement on the perimeter, but they are not worried about the big guys being able to move and use their skills. Strength is penalized. And that's frustrating for Dwight, and for me.''

Despite Van Gundy's concerns about Howard, the Magic (4-1) dealt the Suns their first loss of the season. The Magic showed again just how deep they are, winning again without All-Star starters Vince Carter (ankle sprain) and Rashard Lewis (who started the season with a 10-game suspension).

"We're a good team,'' Howard said. "But I have to stay on the floor to help this team. Yes, it's a concern. I just have to handle it better.''

Van Gundy: NBA Rules Penalize Howard originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:35:00 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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Doing Lines: Kobe, 'Melo, Mayo Drop 40

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Raptors, 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.

It's not every day that we get to see a player hit for 40 points or more in an NBA game. So on Sunday, when we had three different players meet or surpass the mark, it's definitely something worth discussing.

Especially when two of them did it in the same game.

Anytime the Grizzlies take the court, you can just throw defense right on out the window, because no matter what you do, Memphis is going to light it up with their dizzying array of deadly scorers.

Okay, not usually. But the Grizz had no trouble keeping pace with the Nuggets for most of the night, led by a career-high 40 points from O.J. Mayo. Mayo got there by going 17-25 from the field, and also grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists.

On any other night, Memphis probably leaves with a win. But not when Carmelo Anthony is on the opposing team, and puts up 42 points of his own, on 15-26 shooting, with seven boards and five assists. It was the first time in his career that Anthony has posted consecutive 40-point games, after going for 41 in his team's Thursday night victory at the Rose Garden over the Blazers.

One more 40-point performance to mention, and that was Kobe Bryant going for 41 against a plucky Atlanta Hawks team. Bryant also had eight rebounds, five steals, and three assists -- all to make sure that the defending champion Lakers didn't dip below .500 after the team's first three games.

Other notable numbers from Sunday's action:

Joe Johnson had 18 points in the first quarter for the Hawks, but finished with just 27.

Chris Bosh had 35 points and 16 rebounds in a losing effort to the Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard had 24 and 11, but most importantly, he hit 14 of his 16 free throw attempts.

Channing Frye had 25 points and five rebounds, but that's not the interesting part: he made six three-pointers for the second straight game (this time on 10 attempts), and now has 13 threes on the season. This is a season career-high for him in made threes, after only three games as a Phoenix Sun.

Doing Lines: Kobe, 'Melo, Mayo Drop 40 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vince Carter Sprains Left Ankle in His Return to New Jersey

Tim Povtak — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:12:00 EST

Filed under: Magic, Nets, NBA Injuries

Vince Carter was about to deliver one of those "don't-you-wish-I-was-still-here" games Friday night in New Jersey, when he fell to the floor clutching his left ankle midway in the second quarter.

Carter, traded by the Nets to the Orlando Magic this summer, had 16 points in his first 15 minutes before he left with a sprained ankle. X-rays were negative and he told reporters that "hopefully,'' he could play Sunday in Toronto.

His mother, who was there, described it to the Orlando Sentinel as a "mild sprain.'' It happened on a drive to the basket when he stepped awkwardly on the foot of New Jersey guard Devin Harris.

Coach Stan Van Gundy, in his post-game press conference, told reporters there was considerable swelling, but did not guess how long it would keep Carter on the sideline. After sitting on the bench for a brief time, Carter limped to the locker room and never returned.

"I was ready to sit back and enjoy one of those great shows because he was rolling,'' Van Gundy said. "It's too bad. We had to find another way to win.''

Carter had hit six of his eight shots. He opened the game against his former team with an emphatic dunk when he blew past Nets guard Courtney Lee, who was sent from Orlando to New Jersey in the trade of Carter.

The Magic, with the deepest team in franchise history, had no problem dominating the Nets, even without Carter, the eight-time All-Star. The game just proved how good the Magic are.

Dwight Howard did as he pleased with 20 points and 22 rebounds - the 24th 20-20 game of his career. The Magic got a big game from second-year forward Ryan Anderson, who came with Carter from New Jersey in the trade that cost the Magic, Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie.

Anderson, who is starting in place of Rashard Lewis (serving a 10-game NBA suspension), had 16 points for the second consecutive game.

His mother, who was there, described it to the Orlando Sentinel as a "mild sprain.'' It happened on a drive to the basket when he stepped awkwardly on the foot of New Jersey guard Devin Harris.

Coach Stan Van Gundy, in his post-game press conference, told reporters there was considerable swelling, but did not guess how long it would keep Carter on the sideline. After sitting on the bench for a brief time, Carter limped to the locker room and never returned.

"I was ready to sit back and enjoy one of those great shows because he was rolling,'' Van Gundy said. "It's too bad. We had to find another way to win.''

Carter had hit six of his eight shots. He opened the game against his former team with an emphatic dunk when he blew past Nets' guard Courtney Lee, who was sent from Orlando to New Jersey in the trade of Carter.

The Magic, with the deepest team in franchise history, had no problem dominating the Nets, even without Carter, their eight-time All-Star. The game just proved how good the Magic are.

Dwight Howard did as he pleased with 20 points and 22 rebounds - the 24th 20-20 game of his career. The Magic got a big game from second-year forward Ryan Anderson, who came with Carter from New Jersey in the trade that cost the Magic Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie.

Anderson, who is starting in place of Rashard Lewis (a 10-game NBA suspension) had 16 points for the second consecutive game.

Vince Carter Sprains Left Ankle in His Return to New Jersey originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elton Brand No Longer Fits in Philly

Tim Povtak — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Magic

ORLANDO -- Elton Brand sure seems like a nice enough guy -- respectful, courteous, thoughtful, engaging. He works hard, too.

Yet he also is beginning to look like an albatross hanging around the neck of the Philadelphia 76ers, the guy with the contract that will prevent them from building a serious contender in the coming years.

Brand, 30, is starting his 10th season in the league, but just the second year of that five-year, $80 million contract he signed as a free agent two summers ago. Although the Sixers were convinced that signing him was wise back then, they are having serious reservations now about the move.

It's one painful decision they would like to have back.

In Philadelphia's opening night game Wednesday in Orlando, Brand looked like a car with too many miles on the tires. Injuries have robbed him of the power and athleticism that once made him so attractive.

Brand played only nine games in 2007-08, his last with the Clippers, after tearing his Achilles tendon. He played only 29 last season, his first in Philly, before leaving with a serious shoulder injury that required surgery.

"Sure, I feel like I have something to prove, to our organization, our fans, to my teammates, to myself,'' Brand told FanHouse on Wednesday. "Every night I have something to prove. I feel good, but after 10 years, not everything comes back.''

Before he joined the Sixers, he was averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds during his career, which is why he looked so appealing in the free agent market. The way he looked on opening night, though, he couldn't average 20 points and 10 rebounds this season in his dreams.

With new coach Eddie Jordan, the Sixers are not running the post-up type of offense that Brand once thrived in when he played with the Clippers. Trying to fit Brand into Jordan's Princeton offense didn't look like much of a fit at all.

It's a system that will be great for players like Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams, but not for Brand, who must try to adapt his game to fit alongside the others.

He looked awkward and out of place. He also didn't look as physically strong or as quick as he once was. Always a little undersized around the basket, he looked completely overmatched with Orlando's Dwight Howard in the vicinity. The erosion of his skills now makes him look very average.

He had eight points and six rebounds in 31 minutes, which wouldn't be bad if he were a role player making $3 million this season. But he's not. He is a $15 million player. He is a two-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year (2000).

His drain on the salary cap wouldn't be bad if he were a dominating player again. But now his long-term contract makes him virtually untradeable, and he will prevent the Sixers from adding other key pieces in the coming years.

"I'm going to be disappointed if I have to look back and say 'man, I didn't accomplish what I set out to do in Philadelphia,''' he said. "That would be a huge disappointment. I still think we can build a contender. I want to be a big part of that.''

After talking to Brand, you want to root for him to succeed. It just doesn't look realistic anymore.

Elton Brand No Longer Fits in Philly originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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