Tag: Phoenix Suns

Categories
Phoenix Suns

Top 10 Dumbest in-game Injuries: #7 Kevin Johnson


[Sportscolumn is running down the ten dumbest in-game injuries in sports. Here’s #7.]

The game winning shot is a moment that most players live for but it can be dangerous when a 250+ pound man is looking to give you a celebratory embrace. Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson found out the hard way when he buried a buzzer beating bucket and an animated Charles Barkley rushed over, grabbed Johnson and squeezed him with such force that his shoulder was dislocated. K.J. had his arm in a sling while he watched from the bench in street clothes for the next two weeks. Nowadays Barkley doesn’t get that worked up unless he’s doubling down in a hand of blackjack or someone ate the last cheesesteak.

Back to #8 | Forward to #6

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Heat Check



Too much Stackhouse

1. Finals Rematch
Thanks to some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Jerry Stackhouse, the Mavericks were able to defeat the Heat 99-93 on Sunday. Dallas continues to mow down opponents, winning seven games in a row and 20 of their last 21. But Miami put up a decent fight as they wait for Shaq’s return to action. The Heat’s starting backcourt went off for 48 points and Udonis Haslem came close to a double-double with 15 and eight. Even the recently pudgy Antoine Walker got into the act with 11 points. Miami’s record isn’t pretty but if they can make the playoffs with a healthy O’Neal, then they can’t be counted out simply because of a low seed.

2. Wishful Thinking
Phoenix is like the Energizer Bunny; they just keep winning and winning. And they do so in fast breaking fashion. Last night, the Suns put up a whopping 131 points against Minnesota in regulation. Steve Nash has led the Suns to 13 straight victories, scoring over 105 points in ten of the contests. The Suns have three legitimate All-Stars who are capable of going off on an opponent on any night, which can be bad enough, but when the trio of Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion are all clicking at the same time, it turns into to 120+ point night quite easily. If only the NBA would arrange a mid-season seven game series between the Suns and Mavs. Oh, what a series it would be.

3. Hairy Situation
It’s not just the Suns win streak that continues to grow longer with each victory. The team’s facial hair is beginning to get out of control as well. Steve Nash isn’t even sure how the trend got started but sometime during Phoenix’s current win streak, some of the players on the team decided to avoid the razor and let their beards appear. Nash admitted to hating the look but like most athletes, he’s just superstitious enough to buy into the routine. Shawn Marion, on the other hand, isn’t giving in to temptation. “I can’t do it, man,” Marion said. “My face gets too itchy.”

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Dwyane Wade vs. Dallas 44 min, 31 pts (FG: 12-21, 3FG:1-4, FT: 6-9), 6 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl

Monday’s Game to Watch: Memphis (10-31) @ Denver (20-17) Memphis sucks but who cares, after all, he’s baaaack!! Carmelo Anthony will be in Denver’s lineup for the first time in 36 days after being suspended 15 games for his part in the mayhem that occurred between the Nuggets and the Knicks in mid December. Finally, after all the speculation and anticipation, we will get to see if Melo and Allen Iverson can coexist when Memphis makes the trip to The Mile High City tonight. Since A.I. joined the club, the Nuggets have gone 5-8, which included several double-digit losses. Anthony’s presence on the floor can do nothing but help as he remains the league’s best scorer with 31.6 points per game.

Buzzer Beater: Josh Smith gave a double barreled salute to the crowd as he walked to the locker room after being ejected in the second quarter of a 104-85 blowout loss in Charlotte on Saturday. There must be something in Atlanta’s water, or should I say in Atlanta’s water bottles, to make this Hawk think throwing the bird would fly in Mr. Stern’s NBA. Expect the commish to dish out some punishment early this week, possibly today.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Divorce Court



It’s over?

1. Gold Digger Alert
By this point, everyone is familiar with the unusual circumstances surrounding the divorce proceedings between Jason Kidd and his wife Joumana. But did you know that Kidd isn’t the only Net who is going through a split. In a far less entertaining manner, Vince Carter and his wife, Ellen Rucker, have initiated the paperwork to dissolve their relationship as well. So far, “Half-Man, Half-A Commitment” has not publicly admitted to quitting on the marriage, but the breakup could be the leading factor in a move from New Jersey. Rucker will most likely move to Orlando or her hometown of Charlotte and take the couple’s daughter with her. Carter will become a free agent at the end of the year, making these very tempting destinations as they might be able to offer Vince, the dad, an incentive that no other team could. By the way, the Nets have finally moved into first place in their division thanks to a 15-19 record that management would like to annul.

2. Sixers buyout Chris Webber
Speaking of divorces, the Sixers are getting rid of all their big contracts this year. The latest is a buyout of Chris Webber’s contract. Scheduled to make $45M combined this year and next, Webber is expected to only give back less than $5M and becomes a free agent. This is a win-win because Webber potentially gets to make more money or goes to a contending team for less than his usual asking price while the Sixers get salary cap and luxury tax relief — not to mention no-defense-playing relief.

3. We’re Going Streaking!
Believe it or not, but teams other than Dallas can string together consecutive wins. And since the Mavs latest streak is currently only at one, there’s an opportunity to recognize them as well. Phoenix is no stranger to great spurts of play, and owns the longest active win streak at seven. This comes after the Suns ripped off 15 in a row earlier in the year. The Cavs can take credit as the hottest team in the East after winning their last five games. On the other side of the coin, New Orleans and Seattle get to share the humiliation of being the leagues reigning bottom feeders since both teams have dropped their previous five contests.

4. Five Times the Pain
Nobody has every questioned Bobby Jackson’s work ethic in the past, and now we know why. Jackson was injured during a game in late November against Toronto and it was determined that he had a cracked rib. The painful injury kept him sidelined until January 4th when he returned to play for ten minutes against Detroit. On Tuesday, a CT scan showed that Jackson had played with not one, but five cracked ribs. And the former sixth man of the year is only listed as day to day! Talk about a pain threshold. Luckily, no additional damage was sustained in his brief return to the court, but Jackson might want to reconsider his choice of medical practitioners before his next annual checkup.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Nick Collison @ Phoenix 44 min, 29 pts (FG: 12-18, FT: 5-9), 21 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Chicago (20-15) @ Washington (19-14) Chicago has struggled recently by losing three of their last four games, but they remain one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference behind a solid starting five and one of the best sixth men the league has ever witnessed. Ben Gordon leads the Bulls in scoring despite being fourth on the team in minutes. But when it comes to scoring, it’s Washington that has the obvious advantage with MVP candidate Gilbert Arenas. Arenas is second in the league scoring and has been collecting 40 point games like stamps all year long. The Bulls will have to step up their pathetic play on the road against a Wiz team that is 13-3 in D.C. if they plan to escape the Verizon Center with a win.

Buzzer Beater: T.J. Ford had one of the worst games of his career last night against the Nets. In 18 minutes, Ford missed all of his shots (0-8) and finished with zero points and one assist. After being wheeled off the court on a stretcher, this is no big deal for Ford, but Toronto has got to be worried about the recent play from their point guard. An ankle injury has benched Ford in three of the last five games after he averaged 17 points and nine assists with five double-doubles in December.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: What Does the Future Hold?



One way for Iverson and Melo to coexist

1. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Plenty of questions surround the trade involving Allen Iverson and the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, with the suspension of Carmelo Anthony, we have to wait until January 20 to see the new look Nuggets. But if the league’s top two scorers can mesh together, Denver could have the best starting five in the NBA next season. The question mark in the lineup will fall on the power forward spot and the health of Kenyon Martin. However, should K-Mart return to his old form, this would be one of the most powerful and explosive lineups in the game. Iverson, J.R. Smith, Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby; now that’s a versatile group of starters. The general concern is about how this trade will play out this season, but the true potential for both teams involved will not come to realization until next year.

2. LBJ Hits the Wall
Reports from Cleveland say that LeBron James’ body is wearing down and, while he won’t admit it, he’s become tired and fatigued of late. While his statistics don’t indicate any problem, it seems he is lacking the same explosion. And, frankly, who can blame him? He’s fourth in the league in minutes with 40 a game, and he has to carry the weight of a struggling team on his back every single game. Perhaps no individual player does more to contribute to his team than James. Sure, he’s only 21 years old but he played a full season that went into the playoffs last year and spent his entire summer with Team USA before returning to preseason workouts. LeBron probably does need rest, but it’s not coming anytime soon as James made a three year commitment to USA Basketball.

3. Suns Are Hot
With a 17 point win over the Raptors last night, Phoenix set a franchise record by recording their 15th straight victory. And the Suns are only going to keep improving as their young stud Amare Stoudemire continues to progress after having microfracture knee surgery. Coach Mike D’Antoni was slow to give Stoudemire too many minutes earlier in the season, but since inserting him into the starting five, Stoudemire has not disappointed. His numbers continue to grow with the team’s streak as he is averaging 21.2 points and 8.9 rebounds during December. As far as the team’s win streak is concerned, it could increase to 18 before the Suns face a tough Mavericks team on December 28.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Amare Stoudemire vs. Toronto 28 min, 28 pts (FG: 11-14, FT: 6-6), 10 reb, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Phoenix (18-6) @ Denver (14-9) Phoenix rides a 15 game winning streak into the Mile High City as the Suns will look to take advantage of a depleted Nuggets roster. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith will not be playing, but it’s possible that Denver’s newest player might. Allen Iverson could make his debut in a Nuggets uniform tonight, but according to his agent he probably won’t. If A.I. doesn’t suit up, you can still see history be made as the Suns could tie the 1991 Portland Trailblazers for the fifth longest winning streak.

Buzzer Beater: Kobe Bryant fouled out for the first time in over a year last night in a 94-89 loss to Chicago. His sixth foul capped off a miserable 6 of 19 shooting performance. Without Lamar Odom in the lineup, the defensive minded Bulls cast were able to concentrate their efforts onto Bryant. Chicago continues to prove that with a focused Ben Wallace in the paint, the Bulls are able to shut down even to leagues most potent scorers.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Fun ‘n’ Run


1. What a Game!
No, we’re not in the 1980’s again. And no, you’re not experiencing a flashback. Phoenix actually did beat New Jersey by a score of 161 to 157. It took two overtimes but the Suns won the game that tied for fourth highest in league history. Fans were witnesses to a game that compiled 318 points, 27 three pointers, 89 rebounds and 80 assists! But what would expect from two of the best point guards in the league who both love to run? Jason Kidd picked up his third triple double of the season with 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists and tied Wilt Chamberlain for third all-time in triple dips with 78 (its unknown where Kidd ranks on Wilt’s impressive love list), but the reigning MVP wouldn’t let Kidd get the PG glory or the W. Steve Nash ended the game with a career high 42 points to go along with six rebounds and 13 assists while nailing the critical free throws which proved to be the final points of the game.

2. Texas Exes
If you’re a Texas Longhorn fan, then you had to enjoy the game between Cleveland and Toronto on Wednesday evening. That’s because Daniel Gibson got his first start since leaving the Horns for the NBA. Gibson looked good as he hooked his team up with 18 points, hitting three treys, and grabbing five boards. Oh, but Gibson wasn’t the only player to get the Longhorn reunion invitation. The greatest player to ever dawn the burnt orange was starting at point guard for the opposition as T.J. Ford dished out 10 assists. If only P.J. Tucker could have made it into the game.

3. Sub-Par Sonics
Seattle has been struggling through the early part of this season and there luck isn’t going to be changing any time soon. Ray Allen was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right ankle and will miss at least the next seven games before being reevaluated in two weeks. That’s bad news for the Sonics but there is a small silver lining in the cumulonimbus cloud that hangs over a soggy Seattle. This is a terrific opportunity for Rashard Lewis to fully extend his wings and soar. At 6-10 he’s a tough defensive assignment for any small forward and he has one of the most complete games around. Lewis is scoring a career high 22.9 points and can improve on that number with the increased workload. With trade rumors swirling, Lewis might not be not be in Seattle much longer. It looks like the sun might be starting to shine on Lewis in more ways than one.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Jason Kidd vs. Phoenix 48 min, 38 pts (FG: 13-26, 3FG: 3-6, FT: 9-9), 14 reb, 14 ast, 1 stl

Friday’s Game to Watch: Detroit (12-7) @ Orlando (14-6) It’s a match-up between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference as Detroit hopes to continue their winning ways after knocking off the Mavericks last night in Dallas. Orlando is 7-1 at home and will be looking forward to some home cookin’ after playing the last six games on the road. Dwight Howard was magical for Orlando as he led the team in both scoring and rebounding during the entire road trip.

Buzzer Beater: Devin Harris is suppose to be the point guard of the Mavericks future, but last night he looked like a point guard from Dallas’ past. And I’m not talking about Kidd, Nash or Derek Harper. More like Ollie Mack or Jim Spanarkel. Harris started the game but did nothing with his floor time. He ended with one point and four assists. Chauncey Billups abused Harris for the 28 minutes that Avery Johnson wasted with him on the court.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: The Hot Seat


1. A Czar, Zeke, Doc and Cheeks
If a coach is judged by wins and loses, then four coaches are clearly in line to be the first to get whacked this season. Doc Rivers, Mike Fratello, Maurice Cheeks and Bernie Bickerstaff all reside in futility with less than six wins each. Each coach has their own reasons for why they should be fired, but if one deserves to go first, who should it be? Bickerstaff is doing all he can with a team of kids. Fratello has to be given the benefit of the doubt considering that he has started the season in a ship without a sail after Pau Gasol broke his foot over the summer. Doc Rivers coaches a team of one, with Paul Pierce as the sole star in Boston. So, the pink slip goes to Cheeks. He is accomplishing the least with a team that is experienced, talented and athletic. Two AI’s, Chris Webber and Samuel Dalembert have to add up to more than five wins.

2. Marion, Out
Last night during a dominating win over Sacramento, the Suns Shawn Marion hit a 14 foot jumper at the buzzer. He proceeded to run off the court and into the locker room to the sweet sounds of an arena filled with cheers. One problem, it was only the end of the first quarter. Once Marion realized that he was the only player to have left the court, he returned to a bench full of laughing and pointing teammates. Some of the Suns were laughing so hard, they were literally holding their sides. There’s nothing like a little humor to keep a winning streak alive.

3. M.V.Three?
Steve Nash has won two consecutive MVP awards, and if the formula used by voters over the last two seasons holds true, then Nash is well on his way to a third. Nashty is currently averaging career highs in points (19.9) and minutes (36.5) while leading the league in assists per game with 11.4. If he can slightly increase his scoring, he will be the first player to average 20 points and ten assists since Tim Hardaway in 1992-93. While his trademark long locks are gone this season, his annoying habit of licking his fingers remains. But whatever he’s been doing, its working and the Suns have won nine out of ten, including a current seven game win streak. Last night against Sacramento, Nash put on a passing clinic as he dished out 20 assists.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Elton Brand vs. Miami 42 min, 33 pts (FG: 13-18, FT: 7-8), 17 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Houston (12-5) @ Minnesota (7-9) The Rockets have won six of their last seven games and Tracy McGrady has become much more active on the offensive side of the ball lately. Kevin Garnett continues to do everything for Minnesota as he leads the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. Lots of talent and All-Star appearances will be on the court between The Big Ticket, T-Mac and Yao Ming.

Buzzer Beater: David Stern finally admitted to not taking player’s opinions into consideration before forcing a new ball on the league. It’s about time, players have only been complaining about the new rock since training camp. Guess that the backlash from his stars finally became too much to handle for the commissioner. Stern made a decision that affected the entire league and thought that the initial revolt would simply go away, but it hasn’t. Swallowing your pride is tough, but continuing to lose face over an unnecessary change in procedure is just stupid. Bring back the leather ball already!

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Chicag-Oh, No!



Seemed like a good idea

1. Wallowing Wallace
Ben Wallace is usually a hard working, no-nonsense kind of guy, but it seems like something has been bugging him since joining the Bulls. His numbers aren’t career lows but they are down across the board from what he averaged during his time in Detroit. He is averaging lows in minutes (33.9), points (5.5), rebounds, (9.2) and blocks (1.5). Wallace is currently tied for 17th in the league in rebounding, sandwiched right between Andris Biedrins of Golden State and Chris Wilcox of Seattle. Not the usually company that Wallace keeps. And in 13 games, Wallace has posted three games of only five rebounds, one of seven and one of eight. Oh, and he had the worst night of his career as a starter in Philadelphia on Friday when he failed to record a single point, rebound, block or steal in only 20 minutes of play. Throw in a 4-9 record that includes a recent six game losing streak and the benching of Wallace by coach Scott Skiles for refusing to remove his headband during Saturday’s win over the Knicks, and Chicago might be starting to regret their $60 million off-season decision.

2. Suns Rise
It took the Suns nearly a month, but for the first time this season Phoenix has a winning record after they went to Portland and defeated the Blazers 119-101. With the win, Phoenix moves to 7-6 on the season and the team has now won six out of seven, including their current four game winning streak. The team chemistry is finally developing now that Amare Stoudemire is close to 100 percent and beginning to return to his All-Star form. The byproduct is that the team is able to pull out the close games they were losing earlier this season, in fact all but two of the Suns games this year have been decided by ten points or less. Having a winning record is a long awaited accomplishment for the team, but they are still sitting at fourth in a very tight Pacific division. Phoenix is off until Wednesday when they begin a three game home stand against the Rockets. However, after that the team will head to the east coast for a grueling road trip consisting of five games in seven days.

3. Coach Cassell
Sam Cassell has expressed great interest in becoming a head coach once his playing days are over and he could only hope to replicate his career as a player. The alien-faced point guard has been a winner everywhere he’s played; he won championships in Houston, took Milwaukee to the Eastern Conference Finals, took Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals and has been instrumental in turning around a once floundering Clippers franchise. The 37 year old veteran signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the Clippers this past summer and says his playing future is uncertain after that. It’s obvious that Cassell knows the game, and his experience would prove valuable to any team. He’s basically a coach on the floor right now and he has absolutely no problem getting into the face of any teammate that isn’t pulling their weight. Cassell possesses all of the tools needed to become a great leader on the sidelines. If it’s any indication, point guards have faired pretty well as head coaches. Current PG’s turned HC’s, Isiah Thomas, Doc Rivers, Avery Johnson, Scott Skiles and Maurice Cheeks have all taken teams to the playoffs at some point in their coaching careers, unfortunately they have a combined record of 45-63 in the post season.

4. Who He?
There have been several players to emerge from nowhere for their teams this season but none more so than Monta Ellis and Kevin Martin. Ellis was drafter 40th overall by the Warriors and only played in 49 games during his rookie year, starting three. In his sophomore campaign, he is averaging 17.6 points, 3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He also posted back-to-back 31 point games earlier in the month. Division opponent Sacramento has their own relatively unheard of guard. Martin began to make his presence felt in the league last season when he averaged 10.8 points and had an impressive run in the first round of the playoffs against San Antonio. This year, Martin leads the Kings in scoring at 24.9 points per game. That’s good enough for 14th in the league, ahead of names like Kobe Bryant (23.8), Tim Duncan (22.8), Kevin Garnett (21.5), Tracy McGrady (19.2) and Jermaine O’Neal (18.2). Not too shabby for a kid that averaged 6.9 points over his first two seasons.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Raja Bell @ Portland 41 min, 30 pts (FG: 10-19, 3FG: 7-12, FT: 3-3), 2 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl

Monday’s Game to Watch: Orlando (10-4) @ Utah (12-2) It’s a clash between the conferences two best teams. Orlando is only 3-3 on the road but is currently riding a three game winning streak behind the defensive prowess of Dwight Howard and the back court production of Grant Hill and Jameer Nelson. Utah is a perfect 7-0 at home and will be looking to bounce back from a road loss to Golden State. It’s going to be a battle of young studs when double-double machines Howard and Carlos Boozer match up in the paint.

Categories
Detroit Red Wings

Nov 10 in Sports History: Hockey’s Ironman

In 1962: If baseball has Cal Ripken and football has Brett Favre, then hockey has Glenn Hall as its resident Iron Man. The Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender holds the NHL record for playing 502 straight games in goal (not counting 50 in the playoffs). During the seven seasons where he didn’t miss a game, he was named an All Star five times and helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup in 1961. Amazingly, he played every single game during the streak without a mask, made more dangerous as he was not strictly a stand-up goalie. Hall was one of the innovators of the “butterfly” style of goaltending in which the goalie flops to the ice to cover the ground with his pads (he estimated had needed over 300 stitches throughout his career). More amazingly, Hall admittedly threw up due to nervousness before every single game, and former teammates joked that his bucket should be in the Hall of Fame as well. Sadly, however, the streak ended with a Sammy Sosa-esque moment in which Hall injured his back while tying a strap right before playing in his 503rd game. (legendsofhockey.net)

In 1990: The Phoenix Suns shattered an NBA record by scoring 107 points in the first half. The Suns jumped out to a 107-70 lead over the Denver Nuggets and won 173-143. The victory also set an NBA record for most points scored in a non-overtime game. Phoenix rookie Cedric Ceballos scored a team-high 32 points off the bench, including 20 in a span of five minutes in the second quarter. The win was also the 700th of Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons’ career.

In 1945: Led by the tandem of Doc Blanchard and Junior Davis, top-ranked Army crushed no. 2 Notre Dame 48-0 at Yankee Stadium. Army’s 1945 team is considered one of the greatest in college football history. Not only did they defeat the Irish, they also beat Navy, who moved into the no. 2 spot after Notre Dame, marking the only time in college football where two games featuring the top-ranked teams were played in the same season (excluding bowl games).

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Suns Burned

1. Arizona Heat
Coach Mike D’Antoni had some harsh word for his Suns team after falling to
1-5. “We’re soft as freaking cupcakes out there,” said D’Antoni. The
coach’s frustrations boiled over after a 119-112 loss to the Dallas
Mavericks but they had been simmering for quite some time. The Suns are on
a four game losing streak and have blown substantial lead in all of the
losses. What’s worse is that all have been conference loses, a conference
that Phoenix has made it to the finals in for the past two seasons.
Obviously, D’Antoni is upset with the defensive effort of his team. The
coach went on to say, “”We’re done messing around and we’re going to play
guys that are going to play hard.” Unfortunately, when you look at the box
scores, the Suns are hot on offense but seem to fear an overexposure from
defensive plays.

2. Cav Quitter?
LeBron James has been criticized since Tuesday night for walking off of the
court during the final moments of an overtime loss to Atlanta. According to
some, James quit on his team and showed poor sportsmanship. The incident
happened in the last ten seconds of the game with his team down by nine
points. James said that he never left the court although the television
footage doesn’t show it that way. He also questions whether this would be
an issue if it happened during a victory. Was he frustrated? Of course,
his team lost to one of the doormats of the NBA over the last eight years or
so. Should he have stuck around to shake hands with the other team?
Probably so, but I wouldn’t consider 34 points, seven rebounds and six
assists as quitting on your team. Following the controversy, the Cavs went
on to dominate the Bulls behind the efforts of James who had 19 points and
12 assists. Most would consider that to be a pretty good teammate.

3. C’mon Down!
Charles Barkley put up a new career high last night. And it didn’t involve
the gobbling up of rebounds or baked goods. On TNT’s Inside the NBA,
Barkley stunned the world when he proved to be somewhat knowledgeable on the
league’s players. The studio crew brought back its annual game show parody
named, “Who He Play For?” where Barkley attempts to name the team of a
player that has recently relocated. The Chuckster has been notoriously
awful over the past few years; however, this year he smashed his previous
best by correctly answering three out of five. Barkley knew that Raef
LaFrentz played for Portland, Theo Ratliff was on Boston and Darrell
Armstrong now resides in Indiana. Sir Charles was unaware that Alan Houston
played for Philadelphia or that Othella Harrington went to Charlotte.
Barkley’s playful excuse was that he only keeps up with the players that
actually get into the games.

4. So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance
Joe Johnson is beginning to spread his wings as he has the Atlanta Hawks
soaring to the best record in the eastern conference. As unbelievable as it
may sound, Atlanta has a 3-1 record and is riding a three game winning
streak. Credit has to be given to Johnson as he is putting up some MVP type
numbers early on in the season. Johnson is averaging 40 minutes, 27.8
points, four rebounds, five assists and 1.5 steals per game. In addition,
his shooting numbers are terrific. Currently he sits at 48 percent on field
goals and 50 percent from behind the three point line, both are career
highs. While Atlanta has a few good, young players on their roster, at 25,
Johnson is the only diamond out of the batch. Johnson leads the team in
minutes, points and assists, and ranks 5th in rebounds, 3rd in blocks, and
3rd in steals. With Johnson, Atlanta has an outside shot of cracking the
top eight in the conference but without him, this team is guaranteed to
repeat their past performances as division cellar dwellers.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Baron Davis vs. New Orleans 44 min, 36 pts
(FG: 11-17, 3FG: 1-4, FT: 13-17), 4 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl

Friday’s Game to Watch: New Orleans (4-1) @ Portland (3-2) Doesn’t look
right on paper, does it? But Portland is undefeated at home behind the
impressive efforts of power forward Zach Randolph who is averaging 28 points
on 52 percent shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, a steal and a block per
game. The Hornets are off to their best start in franchise history and tied
for the western conference’s best record. Second year point guard Chris
Paul is leading the way for the team as he comes off a career high night,
scoring 34 points against Golden State.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Welcome to Sportscolumn’s new daily NBA blog

[Editor’s Note: Around the Rim is a new daily NBA blog written by Clay Whittington.]



Average dunk

1. Mediocre Man
Jason Richardson was recently named Mr. Average by NBA.com. It’s probably not the recognition that J-Rich was looking for in order to get that next big endorsement deal, but things could be worse. The last two players to be considered run-of-the-mill by league averages have proven to be anything but. Last year’s winner was Richard Jefferson and the year before that the title was given to Shawn Marion. Average by NBA terms for this season is standing 6’6″ and weighing 225 pounds at 26 years old with five years of experience. But in Richardson’s case, average also includes being the only person besides Michael Jordan to win consecutive slam dunk titles.

2. Transplanted Rose
Jalen Rose has decided to join the Phoenix Suns for one year at $1.5 million, just slightly above the veteran’s minimum. This move adds even more offense to the Suns lineup and gives Rose a legit shot at winning a championship, but its biggest impact will be felt in Rose’s checking account. While $1.5 million might not sound like an impressive payday for an NBA player, consider that in addition to being rescued from a sinking New York franchise, Rose received a $14.5 million buyout from the Knicks. Apparently, playing on a poorly managed team known for overpaying and underachieving does have some advantages. Mainly, you get paid to play for someone else.

3. Royal-ties
LeBron “King” James gained an advantage over Dwyane Wade in their battle to become the new, young face of the Association when James was considered to be the most marketable NBA player in a survey conducted by SportsBusiness Daily. And who could argue with the decision? Endorsement should be this kid’s middle name. At 21 years old, James has already made some memorable commercials in his young career. Some of these include a series of Sprite spots with Lil’ Penny’s long lost rip-off, Thirst, and his current Nike campaign where he portrays a quartet of characters collectively known as “The LeBrons.” Since high school, James has been more popular than almost any NBA player and he beat out fellow classmate Wade, as well as, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming in the poll. While championship rings might get you a spot on the list, the marketing throne is reserved for the young king.

4. Celtic Girls
On Friday, the Boston Celtics became the last team in the NBA to introduce a dance team to their courtside entertainment. While the choice was applauded by the male contingent of the team’s fan base, the timing of their debut could have been a bit more appropriate. The late Red Auerbach was openly opposed to the dancers because he felt that the game itself should always remain as the center of attention. So, less than a week after Auerbach’s death, the front office brought the dance team out to shake and gyrate on the parquet floor that the legendary coach cherished so deeply. Hardly the proper tribute to a man that meant so much.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Ray Allen vs. LA Lakers 36 min, 32 pts (FG: 10-16, 3FG: 3-4, FT: 9-9), 3 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk

Monday’s Game to Watch: Detroit (2-1) @ Utah (3-0) Detroit hasn’t lost on the road and Utah has yet to lose at home. Obviously, something has to give. Utah is looking to move back into the playoffs for the first time since 2002-03 and an early win over Detroit could give the team a boost in confidence. Detroit needs to win in order to keep pace with a tough central division that includes the Bucks, Bulls, Cavs and Pacers.