Tag: Utah Jazz

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NBA General

Around the Rim: West Coast Players



Soon to be Road Warriors

1. Home Cookin’
What ever happened to those purple jerseys the Lakers use to wear? Or the blue ones that the Warriors wore? Well, those are LA’s and Golden State’s road uniforms and they’ve been collecting dust for most of the season. With ten home games already in the books, Golden State leads the league, just ahead of Los Angeles’ nine. So far, the Lakers have taken advantage of the circumstances, going 8-1 at the Staples Center. The team opens the season with 17 home games compared to only seven on the road, with one “road” game being against the in-city rival Clippers. However, after that span, the Lakers get to rack up the frequent flyer miles with 20 of the next 28 games coming on the road. The Warriors are in a similar situation by starting the season with 16 of their first 23 in the Oracle Arena, followed by ten of the next 13 on the road. Looks like those dark colored jerseys will get some use after all.

2. Statement Game
Orlando took a three game win streak and the best record in the Eastern Conference into Salt Lake City on Monday night; they left with a victory and dealt the Jazz their first home loss in the process. It was just the third loss of the season for Utah but their second in a row. The Magic led at the end of every quarter behind the output of the young kid with veteran skills, Dwight Howard. Howard put up another double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds. The Magic are the surprise team in the East this year and already sits four games ahead of second place Atlanta in a struggling Southeast Division. And early on, it sure appears as if the Eastern Conference really has only three true Finals contenders; Orlando, Detroit and Cleveland. The health of Grant Hill will prove to be critical for the Magic organization this season, more than ever, as another ankle injury could end his career. As far as Howard goes, if he keeps up at this pace he’s going to be a rebounding champion, legitimate MVP candidate and possible conference champion before he turns 22.

3. Triple-Double
While it’s still early in the season and there are still months to go, Jason Kidd is coming awfully close to averaging a triple-double. Who knows if this could be maintained over the entire season, but in 13 games, Kidd is averaging 12.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.2 assists. The scoring should remain constant; the assists could easily top ten with the firepower on the Nets. The toughest obstacle for Kidd is going to be improving his rebounding average by two boards a game. His current average is a career high and that is 1.6 rebounds higher than his career average. There is no comparison should Kidd replicate the feat performed by Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 when he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 boards and 11.4 assists. Regardless, to average any triple-double would be one of the most spectacular seasons in the history of the game, and just having the talent to even come close to such an accomplishment is amazing in itself.

4. Double-Double
While nine out of the top ten scorers in the league are guards or small forwards, don’t be fooled into thinking that the big men aren’t ballin’ this season. According to the statistics, this is the best crop of big men in, at least, six years. This year there are 11 players that average a double-double in points and rebounds. Seven of the 11 have numbers better than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. When compared to past seasons, the increased production from the paint patrollers is undeniable. In 2005-06, six players averaged double-doubles while only three pulled down at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. 2004-05: seven 10/10; two 20/10. 2003-04: nine 10/10; five 20/10s. 2002-03: five 10/10; three 20/10s. 2001-02: six 10/10; two 20/10s. 2000-01: nine 10/10; six 20/10s. Carlos Boozer and Kevin Garnett currently lead the way with 11 double-doubles each, followed closely by Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard with ten each and Chris Bosh with nine. Am I the only one seeing double now?

5. See-Saw Battle
Thanks to a 45 point game by Allen Iverson at Miami on Monday night, the NBA now has a new scoring leader. The effort put Iverson at 31.7 points per game for the season, six-tenths of a point ahead of Denver’s Carmelo Anthony. AI has put up quite a three game streak, starting with 46 against Chicago, followed by 31 versus Cleveland and now dropping 45 on the Heat. But don’t get too comfortable with Iverson’s status, Anthony has a game tonight against Memphis and Melo has put up nine games of 30 or more in his last ten contests. It’s likely Iverson will return to second on the list by tomorrow.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Dwyane Wade vs. Philadelphia 45 min, 33 pts (FG: 10-18, 3FG: 0-1, FT: 13-14), 7 reb, 13 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Minnesota (6-7) @ Houston (9-4) Houston is shaping into one of the elite teams in the western conference thanks to a dominating season by Yao Ming. It finally seems that Tracy McGrady is content to lower his numbers in order to improve Yao’s production, and it’s paying off in the win column. The Rockets are currently 5-1 at home. Kevin Garnett has the Timberwolves’ hopes and dreams sitting squarely on his shoulders, again. Minnesota has to get more help for KG if they are going to make it to the post season. But for tonight, you can expect another box score busting at the seams for Garnett, who leads the team in every major statistical category except assists.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Cleaning the Glass


1. 20-20 Vision
At the tender age of 20, Orlando’s Dwight Howard is working hard to break some of the most impressive feats by the league’s best big men. When the Magic host the Pacers tonight, Howard will look to become the first player in 15 years to record three consecutive games of 20 points and 20 rebounds. On Saturday versus Charlotte Howard posted 24 points and 21 rebounds, he followed that effort up with a 24 point, 23 rebound game at Memphis on Monday. Tim Duncan was the last player to have back-to-back game of 20 and 20 in 2002-03. Shaquille O’Neal had nine 20/20 games in 1999-00, the most by anyone in the past ten years. Kevin Willis posted 12 in 1991-92, the most by any player in the last 20 years. Howard currently has three such games this season alone. He posted 21 points and 22 rebounds earlier in the season at Minnesota. While the records by O’Neal and Willis might be in reach for the kid this year, the true record is far out of reach. Moses Malone recorded 31 games of 20 points and 20 rebounds in 1978-79. Furthermore, Howard is trying to become the youngest player in NBA history to win a rebounding title; he currently leads the league with 14.1 per game.

2. Texas Heat Wave
Despite all the criticism Dallas received for starting slow and dropping their first four, the team is now riding high as they sit at 7-4 after pulling off a seven game winning streak. What’s more impressive is that they have done so without their talented small forward Josh Howard. Even with their current winning streak, the team still sits behind San Antonio, New Orleans and Houston in the southwest division. Much of the team’s success can be attributed to their scoring output, and more recently, an improved defense. Over the first four games of the season, Dallas averaged 89 points per game; in the next seven their total scoring increased to 105.3. In their last three contests, the Mavs have given up an average of 83 points to their opponents. MVP candidate, Dirk Nowitzki, has lead the team in scoring in every contest since their seven game winning streak began. Over that span, Nowitzki has averaged 23.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Dallas takes their win streak on the road to San Antonio on Friday where the team will play a tough Spurs team for the second time this month.

3. Block Party
While the Charlotte Bobcats might not exactly be a ferocious franchise just yet, they definitely have found a defender that guards they rim with a fury. In his third season, Emeka Okafor is has suddenly become a defensive force to be reckoned with. After averaging a respectable 1.8 blocks per game over his first two seasons, Okafor has increased his rejections to over four a game, 4.1 to be exact. Okafor leads the NBA in blocks this season and during his ten games, he has recorded at least two blocks in nine of them. Okafor has one game with two blocks, three with three blocks, one with four, one with five, one with six, one with seven and one with eight. And he’s not just blocking shots out there. At 24, Okafor leads his team in minutes (38.4), points (20.1), field goal percentage (57.5), offensive rebounds (4.0), defensive rebounds (8.0) and total rebounds (12.0). He also ranks third in steals (1.2) and fourth in assist (1.7). If this guy doesn’t remind you of a young David Robinson, both on and off the court, then nobody will.

4. R.I.P.
After 15 years of pick and rolls, made famous by the classic connection of John Stockton to Karl Malone, the Utah organization will soon play in a newly named area. That’s because the Jazz have sold the naming rights of the building to a radioactive waste disposal facility 75 miles west of Salt Lake City. EnergySolutions purchased the rights to the building known as the Delta Center and on Monday there were huge EnergySolutions banners waving outside the building and inside, on the court, was a new logo that read “EnergySolutions Arena.” CEO Steve Creamer hopes that people can look past the stigma that is associated with nuclear waste. Good luck with that Steve. Why not just call it the “Chernobyl Center”?

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Kobe Bryant vs. Los Angeles Clippers 38 min, 40 pts (FG: 12-23, 3FG: 1-1, FT: 15-18), 5 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Miami (4-6) @ San Antonio (9-2) This game lost some sizzle when Shaq went down but it is still a match-up between the last two NBA champions. Tim Duncan leads a solid Spurs team who, while perfect on the road, has struggled to win on their home court where they are 3-2. Dwyane Wade is still adjusting to life without Shaq as the double teaming has become more frequent. But he continues to thrive; however, the team is only 1-3 since the surgery on O’Neal’s knee.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Winners and Losers



Dirty player?

1. Big Winners
And then there were two. New Orleans and Utah, both at 4-0, currently sit above the rest of the league as the only remaining undefeated teams. Unexpected, considering that neither team made the playoffs last year. Unfortunately, both teams are in a tough western conference so their reign at the top probably won’t last long. New Orleans shares a division with San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Memphis, and it is unlikely that they will win the division or even come in second. However, Utah, on the other hand, is putting themselves in a position to finally return to the playoffs. The Jazz are in a much weaker division and these early wins could allow them to be in contention for the division crown later in the season. Win your division and you receive a golden ticket to the postseason; simple as that. While New Orleans’ early run to 4-0 might be more surprising, the path to the playoffs has far fewer obstacles for Utah.

2. Big Losers

Boston, Dallas and Denver remain as the three teams who have yet to pick up a victory. It is not surprising to find the Celtics in this position but Denver’s rocky start was unexpected. However, Denver has only played in two games, losing by a total of four points. And you can expect the team to grab their first victory tonight when they host the Knicks. Without doubt, the biggest loser of this young season has to be the Mavericks who are 0-3, with two home losses and losses to both in-state rivals. Go back to last year’s collapse in the Finals against Miami and you have a team on a seven game losing streak that is becoming desperate for a win. With a tough three game road trip starting tonight against the Clippers, followed by the Suns tomorrow, it might be Sunday at Portland before Dallas grabs their first win. As if the schedule isn’t tough enough, Josh Howard will be out for two weeks with an ankle injury.

3. Fight Club

Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood have become more than just teammates, they’ve become sparring partners. Apparently, the two Washington centers had a verbal argument in the locker room on Thursday that led to Thomas throwing a punch. Haywood proceeded to throw Thomas to the ground and rip out two of his dreadlocks before teammates could separate them. And this isn’t the first time these two have gone toe to toe. Haywood was suspended for a game last year after an unpleasant incident occurred with Thomas during practice. Haywood appears to be upset with his demotion behind Thomas. Couple that with the fact that these two have a history with one another and it’s likely that Haywood will be traded at some point during the season.

4. Ankle Breaker

Bruce Bowen is building up a reputation throughout the league, and it’s not for his work in the community. Bowen is becoming known as one of the dirtiest players in the game after he was, once again, the cause of an opponent’s sprained ankle. His latest victim, Knicks guards Steve Francis. While Francis never publicly accused Bowen of intentionally sticking his foot underneath him while in the act of shooting, other players have. Vince Carter had incidents over the same issue with Bowen in Toronto and again in New Jersey. Along with Carter, Ray Allen and Vladimir Radmanovic have both blatantly accused Bowen of being dirty. Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady have also felt the pain from Bowen’s aggressive style. Bowen is known for his smothering defense and it is tough to determine if the injuries are a byproduct of tight positioning or caused by malicious intent. But at this point, the controversy has been created and the label of “dirty” is going to stick to Bowen like he sticks to shooting guards.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Kevin Garnett @ LA Lakers 39 min, 26 pts (FG:10-18, FT: 6-6), 9 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Phoenix (1-3) @ San Antonio (3-1) A rematch from the 2005 western conference finals, San Antonio will be motivated to redeem their home loss to Cleveland and a sloppy finish versus New York. Phoenix is determined to pick up a victory and thus, Amare Stoudemire is expected to make his first start of the season. Despite getting the start, you can expect to see Kurt Thomas defend Duncan for a good portion of the game as the Suns won’t try to rush their young stud.