NBA FanHouse

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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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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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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Doing Lines: Tyreke Evans Busts Out

Brett Pollakoff — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Hawks, Jazz, Kings, Mavericks, Nuggets, Raptors, 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.

If you're not a close follower of the NBA, then just six games or so into the season, we can't necessarily hold it against you if the name Tyreke Evans doesn't ring a bell. Besides being a rookie, Evans plays for the Sacramento Kings, a team that won just 17 games a season ago, and figured to be about as bad this year with stud scorer Kevin Martin sidelined indefinitely with an injury.

But after what Evans did to Deron Williams in leading his undermanned team to a road win in Utah on Saturday, he won't remain anonymous to basketball fans for much longer.

Evans was the game's high scorer, finishing with a career high (obviously) 32 points, on 7-for-15 shooting, with seven assists and three rebounds. He fearlessly attacked the basket all night long, which is the reason for his 19 free throw attempts -- 16 of which the kid made.

This performance from Evans is a bit of a surprise, considering the fact that when the Kings dropped 127 points on Memphis earlier in the week, the rookie scored just three. But that was with Martin in the lineup, who has the ball in his hands quite a bit -- and with a scoring average of over 30 points per game, shoots it a lot, too. With Martin out, Evans had no problem taking over the leadership role, which is pretty impressive for a rookie playing in just his sixth game as a pro.

Deron Williams had a pretty great game himself in the losing effort, pouring in 29 points and dishing out 15 assists. But since Evans was the one who ended up on the winning end of things, you'd think the least that ESPN could do for him would be to actually get his photo into their game recap.

Down in Atlanta, the Hawks rose up and handed the Nuggets their second straight loss. Denver was playing without the injured Kenyon Martin, and Josh Smith made the most of his absence.

Smith was dominant on both ends of the floor, putting up a ridiculous line of 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists ... and six blocked shots! When you add in the continued strong play of Jamal Crawford off the bench (25, four, and four), and Carmelo Anthony's struggle to get 30 points on 21 shots, it's easy to see how the Hawks ran away with this one.

Other notable numbers from Saturday's action:

Joakim Noah put up 21 points, on 10-of-12 shooting, and grabbed 16 rebounds in the Bulls' win over Charlotte. He's quietly becoming one of the most reliable centers in the game.

Josh Howard made his season debut for an already solid Mavericks team, and he looked good doing it. Howard was in the starting lineup, and in just 24 minutes, he had 16 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

Chris Bosh continued his early-season reminder that he too is one of 2010 free agency's top prizes, by putting up another super-solid line of 26 and 12, on 50 percent shooting from the field.

Doing Lines: Tyreke Evans Busts Out originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Nancy Lieberman Become the NBA's First Female Head Coach?

Chris Tomasson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks, WNBA, D-League, FanHouse Exclusive, NBA Coaches

The D-League today. The NBA tomorrow.

Why not?

If there ever will be a female NBA head coach in my lifetime, I'm thinking Nancy Lieberman has got a shot. Lieberman took the first step toward that Thursday when she was named head coach of the Dallas Mavericks' D-League team in Frisco, Texas, that will begin play next year.

"If I am successful, I'm sure that I will be looked at (by the NBA),'' Lieberman, while on her way to her press conference to be introduced, told FanHouse by phone. "If I'm not successful, I won't be.''

More: Lieberman Officially Introduced

Lieberman, the first woman ever to be a head coach in the D-League, is thinking primarily about that stint now. But she doesn't deny an eventual goal is to be the first woman to coach an NBA team.

"I'm aspiring to be the best coach I can be,'' said Lieberman, 51, who has been an ESPN NBA analyst in recent seasons but has stepped down from that position to concentrate on next season's coaching gig.

It was the same way when the Hall of Famer was a player. She made the 1976 U.S. Olympic team at 17, starred at Old Dominion and was a top pro.

When there weren't U.S. women's leagues in which to star, she battled the guys. Lieberman made history by playing against men in the United States Basketball League with the Springfield (Mass.) Fame in 1986. She also played against NBA players in summer leagues, being coached by Pat Riley in a 1980 Los Angeles league and by Frank Layden in a 1986 Salt Lake City league.

"I've always been a pioneer,'' she said.

Now, she's one in the D-League. The league is for players trying to get to the next level, so why not coaches?

For now, Lieberman, who has been a head coach in the WNBA, doesn't think it will be a big deal coaching guys.

"The players want to have instruction, and I'm sure they will (have no problem with her being a woman),'' said Lieberman, who long has lived in the Dallas area and said she was approached about the job a "few months ago'' by Donnie Nelson, the D-team's part-owner and a Mavericks executive. "It's like in the (sports media) business. There are woman sports editors who are able to do the job.''

If any player doubts Lieberman, all they need to know is she's a Hall-of-Famer. So how many current D-League coaches are enshrined in Springfield, Mass., which is interestingly where Lieberman broke down barriers 23 years ago?

That would be zero.

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

Could Nancy Lieberman Become the NBA's First Female Head Coach? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:30:00 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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Chris Paul's Play, Mavs' Missed Free Throws Keys to Hornets Win

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Hornets, Mavericks, NBA Last Night

Chris Paul was dazzling on Wednesday against Dallas, in what really was a must-win for the Hornets if they were going to have any sort of confidence in their ability to play with the top teams as the season goes on. Paul dragged his team to a win with 39 points, on 14-for-23 shooting, including three of four from three-point land.

But as great as Paul was and as below average as Dallas was (Dirk Nowitzki was held to just 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting), if we're going to be honest, his Hornets were fairly fortunate to be able to pull this one out.

Jason Terry had 18 in the fourth quarter (and 35 in the game), which was more than a sufficient replacement for Nowitzki's disappearance, and in fact, should have been enough for the Mavs to come away with the victory. But with 13 seconds left and a two-point lead, Terry was fouled, and missed one of two.

Paul turned it over on the next possession, and appeared to be fouled on the play, but got no call from the officials. With just nine seconds left now, and the Mavs up three headed to the free throw line, David West used some choice words to let the referees know they should have blown the whistle there, and picked up a technical.

If Dallas makes just one of their next three free throw attempts, it's a two possession game, and with so little time left, it surely goes in the books as a W for the Mavericks. But incredibly, they missed all three. Terry missed the technical free throw, and Jose Juan Barea -- a 94% free throw shooter coning in -- missed both of his.

New Orleans freed Peja Stojakovic on the next possession for a three, which he calmly drained to send it into OT. Riding that momentum, the Hornets pulled away in the extra period for an ultimately gritty, and much-needed victory.

The upcoming schedule isn't exactly easy for this team, as it includes road games against the Lakers and Suns, sandwiched by home contests against the Raptors and Blazers. But if they end up going on a little winning streak and surprising some teams that (on paper) appear to have the advantage, you can point to Paul's performance in this one -- along with a very fortunate late-game stretch -- as the starting point.

Chris Paul's Play, Mavs' Missed Free Throws Keys to Hornets Win originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:35:00 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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Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

Rob Peterson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, NBA Videos

Looking back at the first week of the 2009-10 NBA season, someone missed a golden opportunity for a Halloween costume.

Wouldn't it have been great if two Lakers fans had gone as Shannon Brown and Josh Powell with the fan who was Brown holding onto a rim (a Nerf rim would have been fine) and sitting on Powell's shoulders?

"Whatever do you mean, Professor Stinkface?"

You know what I mean. Video after the jump.

Could you imagine the looks on people's faces if two guys walked into a party like that? Their faces would probably mirror the collective look on everyone's faces at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 when Brown yanked down a dunk so ferocious, so nasty we had wished Doug Collins had been announcing just so he could go all 2000 on us.

Just look at what Brown does in this video. He's at the top of the square when he lands on top of Powell's noggin. While Brown's ups are impressive, what's even more so is his timing. Remember, he's doing this off a long, missed 3-pointer. To measure the shot, the carom and then his steps? Incredible.

The four-letter network also was kind enough to do everything we would have done had we had the DVR running -- pause, slow mo, pause. The only thing they didn't do was rewind, and with the Mavericks up 12 at the time, they should have. No one would have complained. Except maybe Phil Mushnick.

Melo on Millsap

Poor Paul Millsap, he of the large contract and one more year of apprenticeship under Carlos Boozer. If riding the pine behind Boozer wasn't bad enough, Millsap suffered greviously when Carmelo Anthony unleashed all the fury of West Baltimore on his head.

Thanks to his own ill-advised and errant pass, Millsap was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Wednesday, Oct. 28 as Melo monster mashed in his mug.

'House's Brett Pollakoff covered this one quite well the night it happened and judging by the tweets, even Melo's peers couldn't help but ooh and ahh. I'll let it lay. You click the link and get your stink on.

Manu v. Bat

We've posted mulitple times on the Spurs' Manu Ginobili taking down the bat on Halloween night. And what the heck, we'll do it again because for the first time in NBA history we have "bat stinkface."

Don't believe me? As FanHouse NBA poobah Matt Watson pointed out, check out Kevin Martin's reaction at about 35 seconds. That's an epic flinch right there. It's tough to blame Martin, though. The bat was headed right for him and Manu saved him from multiple rabies shots. I think a thank you note or at least an iTunes gift card should be in the offing, don't you?

And finally...

A quick shout out to Alexe (or as he's known on YouTube as spankissimo) for not only responding to the first Stinkface post, but for being inspired enough by it to create this video, which went viral big time last week when multiple basketball blogs linked to it.

Congrats, Alexe. We look forward to more.

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Investigates Alleged Homophobic Heckler Response by Maverick

Tom Ziller — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:44:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Mavericks, NBA Fans, NBA Rumors

OutSports.com reported Tuesday that Drew Gooden made homophobic remarks to two hecklin' Clippers fans after the Mavericks' Saturday game in Los Angeles. One of the Clippers fans happened to be actor Chris Wylde (pictured, far right), who has -- no joke -- appearances on a show named Heckle U to his credit. (The plot of Heckle U, according to IMDB? Two dudes change the course of basketball games by heckling the opposing teams into submission.)

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reportedly emailed Wylde, saying the team would deal with Gooden. Meanwhile, the Dallas Morning News reports that the NBA is currently investigating the matter, while ESPN's Tim MacMahon has an anonymous source who claims it wasn't Gooden who made the remark. (No word on whether that anonymous source is Gooden.)

NBA Investigates Alleged Homophobic Heckler Response by Maverick originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:44:00 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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Popeye Jones Arrested for DWI

Matt Watson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks, NBA Police Blotter

Popeye Jones, a veteran of 11 NBA seasons who's now entering his fourth season as a player development coach with the Dallas Mavericks, was arrested Sunday evening and accused of drunken driving. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Richardson (Texas) Police Department received calls from other motorists complaining that someone driving a gray GMC Yukon was driving erratically.

When he was pulled over, Jones refused a breathalyzer exam -- and briefly resisted arrest. At some point during the whole incident, Jones' face hit the pavement, resulting in minor cuts and one bloodied mugshot. If he merely "lost his balance," as the Morning News reports, it won't bode well for any defense claiming that he wasn't intoxicated.

But if he were, say, helped to the ground by the officers on the scene, this case may not be as open and shut as your average DWI arrest, especially given Jones' relatively high profile as an NBA coach with more incentive than most to formally clear his name and reputation.

FanHouse has received confirmation from the Richardson Police Department that the arresting officers were using an in-car dashboard camera, although video from that device, as well as video from the detention center, will not be released at this time.

Assuming the video presents a clear angle, it's possible the footage will quickly clarify what exactly happened when it is finally released -- which is fortunate, because it doesn't seem like the Mavericks plan on being too forthcoming on the incident.

When the Morning News asked Mavs owner Mark Cuban for comment, he emailed an indignant response: "I'm not going to comment on Popeye specifically. The question I do have on the record is this: Why do you care? Do you report on every DWI that occurs in Dallas?"

Popeye Jones Arrested for DWI originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jumping to Conclusions After One Night

Matt Steinmetz — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:05:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, Trail Blazers

Home sweet home. Well, for one night anyway. In front of a 42-inch big screen on opening night in the NBA. Let's go ahead and try to read too much into it ...

o. You can't tell me the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't going to come knocking for Stephen Jackson at some point. Looks like LeBron James is going to need some more help.

Hard as this is to say, it doesn't seem like Shaquille O'Neal can even be your No. 2 option. Apparently, the Cavs are reluctant to give up Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Jackson because Cleveland doesn't want to get smaller.

Then again, Jackson would make the Cavaliers tougher, and he would give them someone other than James who can make a play. Besides, the Warriors have Ronny Turiaf to sweeten the deal if need be.

o. With all due respect to Dallas owner Mark Cuban, this year's version of the Mavs isn't better than that team that went to the Finals in 2006. The reason: it was the pre-exposed Dirk Nowitzki in 2006.

Back then, the belief was that a team with Nowitzki as its best player could win it all. But now we know better. And far as anyone can tell, Nowitzki is still Dallas' best player, a healthy Josh Howard or not.

Look, Nowitzki is a wonderful player. But after watching the Mavericks falter against the Heat in '06, then get dismantled by the Warriors in the first round the following season, it seems apparent the Mavericks aren't going to win a title (which is the only way they can be better, right?) until Nowitzki becomes his team's second-best player.

o. Didn't really notice the officiating on opening night, did you? Oh, that's right. The big boys were back.

o. Gilbert Arenas sure looked good in the opener, but Caron Butler might be the most important piece on that team. He's the Wizard most likely to do things other than score to help his team win.

And, yes, I say that even on a night he took 17 shots and had just one assist. By the way, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld is the early leader in the Executive of the Year Award chase.

o. Pretty troubling sequence from the L.A. Clippers at the end of the first quarter against the Lakers, when they already were down 13. Baron Davis rushed a 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining -- just for the sake of a 2-for-1 -- and missed badly. Davis missed so badly that the ball rebounded long to the opposite-of-shy Ricky Davis.

Time to get a good one, right? Exactly. Ricky Davis then proceeded to immediately launch another 3-pointer instead of running down the clock. Banked it home.

o. Houston coach Rick Adelman had to be thinking Warriors -- tonight's Rockets opponent -- down the stretch of their loss to Portland.

Interesting Adelman wasn't even considering coming back with Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza and Luis Scola after some of his subs got Houston back within four of Portland with a couple minutes left.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Jumping to Conclusions After One Night originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player to Watch: Jason Terry

Tom Ziller — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks, NBA Preseason

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

Over the past two seasons, Jason Terry has taken on a new role with the Dallas Mavericks, coming off the bench for the first time since his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta. But despite the drastic difference between starting and performing as a sixth man, Terry has continued to perform at a high level, doing the same thing he's done his entire Mavericks tenure: shoot the lights out, and put up points.

Terry turned 32 last month, but he's still well above average in his role as a contributing scorer. In Terry's first three seasons as a Mav, he started all but 24 of his games 241 games. His role effectively in replacement of Steve Nash was that of a secondary scorer alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard ... and Terry did it well, punching in roughly 17 points per 36 minutes on excellent efficiency.

In 2006-07, that third season as a Mav, Terry moved to starting shooting guard as Devin Harris became a regular starter at the point. Terry performed well, but the Mavericks needed a bigger two and more bench firepower. So in 2007-08, Terry came off the bench for the majority of the season. He still did awesome, and gave the Mavs a powerful weapon to spring on opponents. But something else happened when Terry moved to the bench: he got a bit more room to operate. In a starting lineup with Nowitzki and Howard, you might defer more than you'd like. While Terry still played a lot of minutes with Dirk off the bench, he had plenty of stretches as the offensive focal point. His usage rate got a small boost in 2007-08 (his first as a reserve) and a huge bump in 2008-09.

But through all that -- the changed role, the boosted shot frequency -- Terry kept his efficiency well above league average.

Terry's efficiency -- denoted above by True Shooting percentage, which is points per shooting possessions halved -- has drifted only slightly, a big deal considering the substantial increase in shots Terry took last season. Although he's 32, Terry doesn't look like a guy who will become a sinkhole on offense any time soon ... which is important, given his non-optimal size and athleticism.

How Terry produces so efficiently provides an interesting twist. Unlike most guards who push the True Shooting meter to its greatest heights -- like Nash, Chauncey Billups and Kevin Martin -- Terry hasn't been an elite three-point shooter over the past two seasons, nor does he draw fouls at any notable level. Terry is just a murderous shooter on long two-pointers. Terry led the league in two-point jumper shooting last year, hitting 49.2 percent of his myriad attempts from that depth. The so-called "mid-range" shot is death to many offenses, but that's because the wrong players usually take them. That's not the case in Dallas, where Terry and Nowitzki take most of the team's long twos ... and hit them more regularly than most of the league. (Nowitzki finished sixth in two-point jumper shooting last season.)

So long as Terry can get his shot off, he figures to be a plus for the Dallas offense. Certainly, that shouldn't be a problem this year, which means the Mavericks can count on having one of the top bench scorers in the league once again.

Player to Watch: Jason Terry originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: Dallas Mavericks

Matt Moore — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks, NBA Preseason, NBA Previews

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

It has become popular nowadays to take a movie or idea that was popular 20 years ago and revitalize it, tweaking it for a more modern touch, in order to attract both new and old audiences. It incorporates the base elements of the original and then features a modern "twist" in order to seem "hip."

In a lot of ways, that's the story of the 2009-10 Dallas Mavericks. They're not the same old Mavericks, but they're not the new Mavericks either.

The Mavericks retained their entire rotation from last year, save Ryan Hollins, replaced by Drew Gooden, and the addition of Shawn Marion. Those two additions are meant to radically change the essential makeup of a team that made it to the Western Conference semifinals last season. The problem is that very few people believe that the Mavericks earned that win over the Spurs because San Antonio was melting away thanks to age and injury. Part of that surely had to do with the fact that the Mavs ranked eighth in point differential last season, coming in behind the Jazz and Suns (who didn't even make the playoffs).

So what's the huge change this season? Another year under Rick Carlisle, who has put together an unbelievable resume in the quietest of conditions. A further augmented bench. And the addition of Marion, which on top of providing a more solid overall roster, allows for a more liquid rotation. So far in the offseason, we've heard of Erick Dampier, Dirk Nowitzki, Drew Gooden, and Shawn Marion all spending time at the five spot. Marion's ability to play the three means that Jason Terry can reserve his Sixth Man Award slot, while the Matrix's ability to play the five means Dirk never has to go that route. And that makes Nowitzki happy.

What's going to be the difference maker for the Mavericks this season will be how this team finds its rhythm. As opposed to prior years where the Mavericks have taken too long to discover their chemistry, this year's squad needs come out and figure out who they are on both sides of the ball early. It's OK if that means that Marion is playing more of the role he has with other teams lately, but the Mavericks need to know. It's okay if J.J. Barrea has an off year and can't reliably fill in at the point, but the Mavericks need to know. At some point, you have to wonder how much longer Mark Cuban et al will continue pushing a roster with few positive bright spots.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 50-32 under Rick Carlisle. Finished 3rd in the Southwest Division, 6th in the Western Conference. Defeated the Spurs (4-1) in the first round. Eliminated by Nuggets (4-1) in conference semifinals.

Offense: 110.5 points per 100 possessions, 5th in the NBA. 11th in shooting, 3rd in turnover rate, 16th in offensive rebounding, 22nd in free throw rate.

Defense: 108.4 points per 100 possessions, 17th in the NBA. 9th in shooting defense, 25th in opponent turnover rate, 8th in defensive rebounding, 10th in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Dirk Nowitzki led the team with 25.9 points per game. Jason Terry scored 19.6 points, primarily off the bench. In 52 games, Josh Howard averaged 18 points. Nowitzki was also the team's top rebounder at 8.4 rebounds per game, with Erick Dampier following with 7.1 rebounds in 23 minutes. Jason Kidd was the top passer with 8.7 assists per game. Kidd also contributed an average of two steals.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Ziller's post on Mavericks guard Jason Terry.

How Terry produces so efficiently provides an interesting twist. Unlike most guards who push the True Shooting meter to its greatest heights -- like Nash, Chauncey Billups and Kevin Martin -- Terry hasn't been an elite three-point shooter over the past two seasons, nor does he draw fouls at any notable level. Terry is just a murderous shooter on long two-pointers. Terry led the league in two-point jumper shooting last year, hitting 49.2 percent of his myriad attempts from that depth. The so-called "mid-range" shot is death to many offenses, but that's because the wrong players usually take them. That's not the case in Dallas, where Terry and Nowitzki take most of the team's long twos ... and hit them more regularly than most of the league.

See Ziller's full post on Terry.

Offseason Tracker

IN: Shawn Marion (trade), Kris Humphries (trade), Rodrigue Beaubois (draft), Tim Thomas (free agency), Drew Gooden (free agency).

OUT: Jerry Stackhouse (trade), Antoine Wright (trade), Devean George (trade).

FanHouse Preview: Dallas Mavericks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: 14 Teams Without a Title

Matt Watson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Cavaliers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Hornets, Jazz, Magic, Mavericks, Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Raptors, Suns, Timberwolves

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Tuesday, there are 14 days remaining.

For everything the NBA has done to level the playing field -- the draft lottery, the salary cap, the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax -- only a select handful of teams have a legitimate chance to win the championship in any given year.

I know optimism is supposed to reign supreme in October, but here's a harsh dose of reality: in the past 26 years, only seven different organizations have hoisted the Larry O'Brien, and six of those teams have won more than once. In fact, in a league where fluke success is rare and dynasties are the norm, there are 14 teams that have yet to win a title.

Will any of these perennial losers buck their unfortunate losing streaks in the near future? While the Lakers, Spurs and Celtics (winners of nine of the last 11 titles) would disagree, it's a very real possibility.

While many expect the Lakers to repeat -- and at least one Celtic has predicted Boston will win 72 games -- the Magic and Cavaliers have re-tooled through trades and free agency after finishing last season as the two strongest teams in the East.

In fact, this might be Cleveland's last chance in a long time -- if LeBron James can't close the deal this year, he might bolt via free agency (surely you've heard, right?), adding a sense of desperation to their usual motivation. If the Cavs can't separate from the pack early, don't be surprised to see Danny Ferry make wholesale changes by the trade deadline.

The Magic are somewhat better positioned for long-term success, although they mortgaged their future by swapping the promising Courtney Lee in a package for the aging Vince Carter. It also remains to be seen how they perform with the expectations of being an elite team now that they're no longer able to play the underdog role, although you can never accuse a Stan Van Gundy team of being unprepared.

But if Cleveland and Orlando fall short, are we destined to watch yet another dynasty stamp their name in the NBA record book? The Denver Nuggets, who took the eventual champion Lakers to six games in the Western Conference finals last year, beg to differ, as do fellow non-champions like the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Hornets.

As for the Clippers, Grizzlies and Timberwolves? They all fall into the never-were and never-will-be categories (or at least not-anytime-soon). Same goes for the Suns, who don't seem to know if they're building for the future or playing for today, as well as the Nets and Pacers, who have some interesting building blocks but not much else.

The Raptors and Bobcats hope their rebuilding process is nearing completion, but they'll be considered a success if they simply reach the playoffs, let alone win a game or two in the first round. And if there's anything we can learn from past champions, it's that the real winners are built to last and are never content to simply be there.

Tip-Off Timer: 14 Teams Without a Title originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Look, Same Explosive Arenas

Tim Povtak — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:17:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks, Wizards

WASHINGTON -- Gilbert Arenas may be eliminating the often outrageous, sometimes peculiar behavior that once added to his popularity, but the rest of his game is coming back just fine.

The explosiveness has returned.

The 28-29-point scoring average may be fading into history, along with the Agent Zero and the Hibachi personas, but a more valuable, more productive 20-point, 10-assist guy could be brewing inside him.

It's what the Washington Wizards need.

Arenas missed 149 games combined in the last two seasons because of multiple left knee problems, but during a brief third quarter stretch Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, he looked as potent as he ever did.

Yes, he was rusty -- as expected. He committed five turnovers, mostly from trying to pass too much, but he also dominated the third quarter when he hit all six of his shots from an assortment of angles, bringing alive an otherwise bored home crowd.

He exploded past Jason Kidd on one drive. He tangled up Drew Gooden's legs when he swept past on another. He hit mid-range jumpers with mid-season confidence. He was teasing the Mavericks, just like he teased the home crowd in the first period with his passivity.

This comeback will come on his terms.

"I think he put to rest the notion that he couldn't score now,'' said Wizards coach Flip Saunders. "After being away for 15 months, it doesn't happen overnight. Every time he goes out there, he's more confident. I think you saw that in the second half.''

Arenas had 12 points and five assists in 11 third-quarter minutes when he flipped the switch to his aggressiveness. He played nine minutes in the first quarter, but he looked bored by the game, like a role player too content to move the ball to his teammates.

He didn't take a shot in the first nine minutes. He didn't even look at the basket, although he had four assists, setting up Brendan Haywood for one easy score and Caron Butler for another.

The Mavs won, 123-115, but Arenas was the biggest topic.

"He looks good. He looks explosive again, getting wherever he wants on the floor,'' said Haywood, who left early with a slight ankle sprain. "He seems like a more willing passer now, a distributor as well as a scorer. I think at this point of his career, he really wants to put his stamp, his mark, on the game.''

In two exhibition games, Arenas has combined for 17 points and 19 assists in 45 minutes. As part of his return this season, he has repeatedly told Butler and Antawn Jamison and other teammates that he wants to spend more time setting up their scores instead of looking for his own.

Saunders, since being named head coach of the Wizards this summer, has stroked Arenas constantly, emphasizing the importance of keeping his teammates involved while maintaining his aggressiveness.

Arenas declined again Friday after the game to answer any questions or discuss his comeback. He has not spoken with the media since the day training camp opened last month, telling reporters he would let his play do the talking for him.

"He's been everything you could ask for,'' Saunders said. "And the irony is that he has to be careful not to go overboard (distributing the ball). He has the unique ability to be a multi-dimensional point guard. There are points who can really score, and those who can really distribute it. There aren't many who can do both like he can.''

Arenas, 27, averaged 27.8 points combined during his three All-Star seasons (2004-2007), which led to the five-year, $111 million contract he signed before last season. During that stretch, he scored 40 points or more 26 times. He scored 50 points or more three times during the 2006-07 season, the last before his knee first buckled.

He spent this summer working with acclaimed trainer Tim Grover in Chicago, where he worked harder than he ever has. It's also where he decided that it was time to change his reputation as a too-selfish gunner. Even in his best seasons, the Wizards never won more than 45 games.

"He's still the key around here,'' said teammate DeShawn Stevenson. "He's back. He can score so easily whenever he wants, but he wants to be more of a team player now. When we find the right balance, everything will be all right.''

New Look, Same Explosive Arenas originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Twitter Mailbag: Social Media, Stockton or Kidd and Replacement Refs

Matt Steinmetz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Mavericks, NBA Twitter

Let's get right to it. We asked for your Twitter questions and got some. Now for some answers:

jesiree: Since there are so many NBA players who tweet, how do they feel about new social media rules?
There have been virtually no complaints about the new policy regarding social media and Twitter. By and large, players don't have a problem with them and shouldn't. All the league is asking from the players at this point is to refrain from using Twitter and the like during games.

Players can't use cell phones or communication devices from 45 minutes before a game until their responsibilities with the team are completed afterward. Most seem to agree this is an even-handed and fair guideline.

What is likely to be more of an issue is what players actually end up tweeting. For example, Warriors guard C.J. Watson said on Twitter earlier this week that he had banged up his knee at practice and that he was hoping it wasn't anything serious.

It seemed like a relatively harmless communication at the time; however, that's the kind of tweet between a player and his followers that gets dicey. Turns out, Watson will miss one-to-three weeks with the injury.

That's the kind of information teams do not want players passing along to the media or their followers. That's the kind of thing that will fall into a gray area. But clearly NBA players have to be pleased, in general, with the league's forward thinking as it relates to social media.

pcon34: John Stockton or Jason Kidd in their primes? The Stock was the consummate pro and had no ego. Kidd deadly on the break and could board.
That's a great question. Initially, my first thought was Stockton. Then, after considering further I realized I needed to go to Basketball-Reference.com to get a better look at the numbers.

After taking in some stats it became official: still gotta go with Stockton. It's close, though. Keep in mind, my vote for Stockton is not a repudiation of Kidd.

Stockton's numbers are unbelievable. First and foremost, Stockton's durability is virtually unparalleled. He played 19 seasons, and in 17 of those seasons he played every single game. He played the full 82 games in 16 seasons, and the full 50 during the lockout-shortened season of 1988-99. That is remarkable.

Obviously, when it comes to passing both guys are among the all-time greatest. In fact, it's difficult to make a distinction between the two when it comes to ball-handling, playmaking, and decision-making. Stockton may have been a little more fundamentally sound, but that doesn't mean Kidd isn't right there with him when it comes to delivering the ball, finding the open man and getting teammates involved.

Then again, Stockton's career assist and steal numbers, at this point anyway, are better than Kidd's.

If there is one statistic that jumped out at me regarding these two point guards it would be shooting percentage. The bottom line is Stockton shot 51.5% from the field, and Kidd's field-goal percentage currently resides at 40.2%. That is what you call a major disparity.

On the other hand, Kidd is one of the greatest rebounding point guards in basketball history. Kidd has averaged 6.7 rebounds per game over the course of his career, including seven seasons averaging 7.3 rebounds per game or more. Quite frankly, those are forward rebounding numbers.

Neither player has won an NBA title, so there's no advantage there. Again, great question. But I'm taking Stockton.

DaveSilva58: How much of an impact will replacement refs have. When will this get resolved?
If you're looking for some kind of dramatic impact by replacement officials, that's not likely to happen. By all accounts, replacement officials were adequate in Thursday night's Jazz/Nuggets' game.

It's not like the game will completely deteriorate because of replacement officials. But the replacement officials won't be as good, and because of that, the quality of play will drop, too.

The bigger issue for the NBA is that, in essence, it is acknowledging that it isn't putting the best product out on the floor, and that's something it supposedly prides itself on.

On a practical level, I think what you'll see are far more whistles. It's only natural for an official -- or player, for that matter -- to try to do much when they're given their first opportunity. It won't be unlike Las Vegas Summer League games where you'll see too much scoring from the foul line.

NBA Twitter Mailbag: Social Media, Stockton or Kidd and Replacement Refs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kenyon Martin Says He's Not a Thug, Tries to Continue Feud With Mark Cuban

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:11:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks, Nuggets

During last season's playoff series between the Nuggets and the Mavericks, things got a little crazy between Kenyon Martin and Mark Cuban. After Game 3, Cuban said a fan yelled out that the Nuggets "were thugs," and he couldn't resist yelling over to Martin's mother, who was in the stands at the time, "That included your son."

Things got uglier after that, with Mavs' fans harassing some of the Nuggets' players' family members in the stands, and culminated with Martin yelling some obscenities in Cuban's direction, before the Mavs' owner attempted to end all of this by posting a late night apology on his blog.

It would probably have been best for everyone involved to leave this incident in the past, but Kenyon Martin, in an interview with Yahoo! Sports, couldn't resist getting in one more shot at Cuban.

K-Mart called Cuban a "coward" for the way he spoke to his mother, before defending himself from the "thug" label that got all of this started in the first place.

"My mom wasn't playing. She didn't suit up," Martin told Yahoo! Sports. "She was there to see her baby play like she is at every game. She didn't do nothing to nobody but have me. So therefore, for you to approach my mom, you're a coward. That's who you are, a coward. A tuck-your-tail-between-your-legs coward."
...
"I've never sold dope," Martin said. "I've never been to jail. I've never been shot at. I've never been stabbed. I've never shot at nobody. I never got a DUI. Never got caught with a gun. None of that. I never broke into nobody's house. I used to steal [food] as a kid to get by, Lunchables. I was hungry and I went through it.

"But I'm not a thug. A thug shoots people, gets shot, goes to prison and does stuff like that. I've never done any of the above. So how am I a thug?"

Martin has a point regarding the "thug" label, and he realizes that his appearance (read: tattoos), along with the language he uses on the court, can give some people the wrong impression. But Martin is clearly playing a role out there, as Tim Thomas hilariously noted back in 2004 with his famous "fugazi" comment.

Whether Martin's tough guy act is real or not is up for debate, but it's clear his lingering anger at Cuban over last season's incident is still there. Here's hoping that three more months is enough time for him to forgive and forget, since the Nuggets won't face the Mavericks on the court until a home game on December 27th.

Kenyon Martin Says He's Not a Thug, Tries to Continue Feud With Mark Cuban originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gooden at Center Makes Mavs Better

Tim Povtak — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks

Now with his seventh NBA team, Drew Gooden has played a variety of roles in his much-traveled NBA career. He is about to have a new one -- starting center for a Western Conference contender, according to a radio report cited by DallasBasketball.com.

When Gooden was signed as a free agent this summer by the Dallas Mavericks, it was widely assumed that he was coming mostly to provide depth in the front court for a veteran team still hoping to make a final push before it starts to rebuild.

That just wasn't true, apparently.

Much to the dismay of Erick Dampier, last season's starting center, Gooden now will open training camp perceived as the key to a smaller, more versatile lineup with him assuming a starter's role. This just might give them a chance to reach the conference final.

To everyone's surprise this week, first general manager Donnie Nelson talked about Dampier coming off the bench, then coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that Dampier is no longer considered the team's starter.

"Our plan is to start Gooden at center on most nights,'' Carlisle said in a segment on Dallas radio station The Ticket, according to DB.com's Mike Fisher. "Things can change. And when we play a guy like Shaq, Damp probably will start.''

With so few good true centers in the West and only one Shaq, moving Gooden from forward to center makes sense for the Mavs, who won 50 games last season but lost to Denver in the first round of the playoffs.

Gooden has averaged 12 points and 7.9 rebounds through stops Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland, Chicago, Sacramento and San Antonio. He will be playing in an improved lineup that also includes newly-acquired Shawn Marion, along with Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard. They won't be as big as the Lakers, but without Dampier slowing them down, they could be quicker and more athletic overall.

They might be a good dark horse pick to come out of the West if the Lakers somehow stumble. They could be real good defensively if they buy into Carlisle's system.

Gooden still has a good low-post game, runs well and knows how to rebound. He can score without plays being run for him. He also sports the league's most intriguing facial hair, which makes him one of our favorites.

Gooden at Center Makes Mavs Better originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA FanHouse

NBA MVP Rankings: Can LBJ Repeat?

NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks

NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns

Doing Lines: Tyreke Evans Busts Out

Could Nancy Lieberman Become the NBA's First Female Head Coach?

Doing Lines: Kobe and Wade Go for 40

Chris Paul's Play, Mavs' Missed Free Throws Keys to Hornets Win

NBA HouseCast: Magic Fall, Celtics Impress, Lakers Survive

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

NBA Investigates Alleged Homophobic Heckler Response by Maverick

NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top

Popeye Jones Arrested for DWI

Infamous Mugshots

Jumping to Conclusions After One Night

Player to Watch: Jason Terry

FanHouse Preview: Dallas Mavericks

Tip-Off Timer: 14 Teams Without a Title

New Look, Same Explosive Arenas

NBA Twitter Mailbag: Social Media, Stockton or Kidd and Replacement Refs

Kenyon Martin Says He's Not a Thug, Tries to Continue Feud With Mark Cuban

Gooden at Center Makes Mavs Better