BasslineSpin.com
Early, Rough Look at 2004 Draft
Honor Roll 2002-03
Top 5 Point Guards:
Jason KiddSam CassellSteve NashJohn StocktonGary Payton
Top 5 Shooting Guards:
Tracy McGradyKobe BryantPaul PierceVince CarterRay Allen
Top 5 Small Forwards:
Dirk NowitzkiGrant HillShawn MarionAndrei KirilenkoPeja Stojakovic
Top 5 Power Forwards:
Kevin GarnettTim DuncanChris WebberElton BrandKarl Malone
Top 5 Centers:
Shaquille O'NealJermaine O'NealArvydas SabonisYao MingPau Gasol
NBA Efficiency Ratings
NBA 82 Gamers
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12/30/03 ...Corliss Williamson is in the midst of his worst season as a professional. He's averaging 8 points and 3 boards on only 45% FG shooting. The last time Williamson averaged less per game was his rookie year in Sacramento. Scoring has always been the easy part for him. Drop the ball in the post to the Big Nasty, and he will score or get fouled. In '99-00 Williamson ranked 15th in the NBA in field-goal percentage (.500). ...Mixed review on Isiah Thomas' first move. Yes, the Knicks are overloaded up front, as we have noted, but 'Spoon is one of the good ones. He will help Houston immediately, and the Knicks now have Moochie Norris, a 4th point guard. Three years ago, Moochie was a solid backup, but in the last two seasons he has regressed. Also in the swap, the Knicks get John Amaechi, and Isiah said he would waive him! That is the first good move by Zeke in New York. Longtime readers know how we feel about John Amaechi. Isiah may make the NBA one spot easier to get into if he indeed cuts Amaechi. The efficiency of the entire NBA will rise when Amaechi's anchor is sliced. ...Joe Johnson, and his .301 EFR (That's low, y'all) have already logged over 1000 minutes this season. Historically, a guard that inefficient, will rank among the worst in the League. A .301 EFR would have been 80th best among shooting guards last year. How can you play a guy 1,000 minutes with a ranking that low? No wonder the Suns are struggling this year. With a mid-grade guard with a .400 EFR, the Suns would score more, turn the ball over less, and shoot a better FG percentage. Tierre Brown, and Chris Carr both boast EFR's over .400 for their career. Why not try them out? Casey Jacobson is not the answer. And Leandro Barbosa is not ready for prime time yet. As we continue to state, the NBA game, and all hoops for that matter, come down to only a small handful of possessions that decide a contest. Ever notice that there are not huge efficiency deficits on winning teams? Over time, the efficiency rating (EFR) allows you to see what is likely to work, and what is not.
The Phoenix Suns - December 30, 2003
Solid at starting point guard with Marbury, solid at big positions with a good four of Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Scott Williams, and Jahidi White.
My Suns remedy: You must improve the perimeter play. That is the single toughest thing to do in the NBA.
Point - Stephon Marbury - He is an elite point guard, and he cares! Barbosa is just a pup and should be a practice player. Sign Tierre Brown as a stopgap backup for now, or see if Charlie Ward could be had. Earl Watson, too would be a step up.
Two - This is where the Suns really hurt. Because of a lack of depth among guys that can shoot, Penny Hardaway has to be the 3 man. So you have a gaping whole at two guard. How about Joe Forte or Cory Hightower? Hightower can shoot. If you had a better small forward on the roster, Penny could play two.
Three - Penny. For now, he's the best you've got. A .375 EFR is not great though. To play this position, in my opinion, you must shoot better than 33% from three point range. Jacobsen shoots it well enough but doesn't bring much else to the party. The Suns could improve by adding a guy like Terence Morris, Udoke or veteran free agent Walt Williams.
Four - Shawn Marion - Because Shawn has not shot the ball well from deep, he would be more effective for now as a four. Jahidi White could back him up. Jake Voskuhl can be the fifth big guy (3rd PF or 3rd C.) Donnell Harvey can be the sixth big.
Five - Scott Williams is a pro. He has played well this year. Amare is the main guy (when he is healthy).
The new look Phoenix Suns if I'm in charge.
Position Player PG Stephon Marbury SG Penny Hardaway SF Ime Udoke .513 in NBDL PF Shawn Marion C Amare Stoudemire 3rd Guard Tierre Brown .427 in NBDL, (Ward, Watson?) SG-SF Chris Carr SF-PF Terence Morris .481 in NBDL PF-C Scott Williams BIG Jahidi White Perimeter Walt Williams?, Britton Johnnsen? Cory Hightower Utility Jake Voskuhl IL Zarko Cabarkapa IL Donnell Harvey IL Leandro Barbosa 12/29/03 ...As we watch the NBDL coverage on NBA TV we are reminded that we were ahead of the game on Mikki Moore. Moore "was on his way to D League Player of the Year honors", said NBA-TV host Rick Kamla. Now, Moore is on the New Jersey Nets, being the first big-time call up of this season. Over a year ago on, Oct. 29, 2002 we said of Moore and the efficiency rating, "We've studied this for over 15 years. It is very rare for a player with a career EFR over .500 to not be playing for someone. Either, this guy is goofy, or many are wrong about Mikki Moore. Released by San Antonio after years with Detroit, Moore boasts a .518 EFR in over 1800 minutes. For a center, that is not a 'star'-type EFR, but it beats the EFR of 44 guys that played at least 300 minutes last season. Consider that the two teams he didn't make have Tim Duncan, and Ben Wallace who may have made Moore look bad. Someone should snag Mikki Moore." ...Practicing and playing next to Duncan, and Wallace? It's not hard to struggle balling against two of the premier defenders in the league. ...Also, Kamla, you are good, and smart. Please dress up a bit for the "This Week in the NBDL" show. I understand the ultra casual Virtual GM show. But as host of 'This Week', you are representing the entire league. Surely, someone will sponsor you some fits. Hollar at Mark Ecko. ...On 10/29/01, over two years ago we said, "Poor draft in Orlando will hurt this team's depth in years to come. Jerryl Sasser and Steven Hunter will not help." ...
12/26/03 ...1:50 am. ...Witnessed the Mavs take down of the Sacramento Kings at ARCO Arena on Christmas Day. Knowing that basketball on TV does provide entertainment, I am still conflicted about playing on Christmas Day. Certainly, a price tag cannot be put on the exposure for Sacramento with National network television coverage. As a native of Northern California, born is Sac, it gave me pride to walk into the Arena knowing that the world was watching the hometown Kings. It is not at all a stretch for me to remember vividly not just the losing Kings of the nineties, but also, a day when a good high school game was the best hoops in town. When the Kings were in Kansas City prior to 1985, our family attended the Cordova Christmas Classic. The high school basketball tourney was always held right after the holidays, and my sister and I were sure to be there in our new shoes. We watched many great battles, including, an epic between the home Lancers, and the beloved Kennedy Cougars. Michael McCullough, now the executive VP, and CMO with the Miami Heat, was balling like crazy for Cordova. The point is, Sacramento has come along way. The difficult part of playing on Christmas day is that one team is on the road and away from their families. I say if you must play on Christmas Day, make it a local battle. Golden State vs. Sac, Lakers vs. Clippers, Knicks vs. Nets, etc... ...The Mavs were Grinches to the Sac faithful. Josh Howard showed again that his defensive activity can make life tough for the opposition. The rookie from Wake Forest who slid all the way to the end of the first round of the draft, even ran the point a bit for Don Nelson today. His length is a huge asset. He disrupts the opposing offense, and makes the cat he is guarding think twice. Dirk Nowitzki was topnotch, and Antione Walker had his A game as well. ...Orlando wore their "throwback" jerseys today. It is kind of funny to think of an expansion team having throwbacks. ...At ARCO: Lisa Ling, who we once worked with at a Stay in School Jam. Also, Raphael Saadiq, and Cincinnati Bengals NFL linebacker Adrian Ross. Ross recently tore his ACL and will have surgery next week. Adrian played on my freshman basketball team at Elk Grove School in 1989-90. At that time, he was a quick point guard, and one of the smallest kids on the team. ...When Bill Walton wondered aloud on ABC how Carlos Boozer could have slipped to the 35th pick of the 2002 draft, it made us think we had to toot our horn again. We listed Boozer fourth in that draft. It is documented. As are our thoughts about Brad Miller coming to the Kings. Hubie Brown says anyone knowing what Brad would do in Sacramento is full of shit. I didn't expect triple doubles from Miller but I praised the deal as highly as I could. Obviously, Geoff Petrie knew too.
12/23/03 ...Bobby Knight sure was bringing credibility to Texas Tech University with his profanity-laced tirade on ESPN. What a complex man! He stands for many things we like (teamwork, man-to-man defenses where his players have good fundamentals, etc...) but he is also a confrontational idiot. I still haven't forgotten how he treated Jeremy Schaap, and now he rips into former coach Fran Fraschilla for an admittedly irrelevant question concerning old news. In principle, Knight is right to bristle at such a question, probably raised by a producer that didn't have to actually ask it. However, reacting like Eminem on malt liquor is a poor choice for someone who is now the figurehead of a major college institution. ...Next topic. Knicks fire Scott Layden, hire Isiah Thomas. Layden is the guy that gave Allan Houston all the money, and also took on hefty contracts of Howard Eisley (brothers) and Shandon Anderson. Maybe the biggest fault of Layden though was the Knicks lack of balance on their roster. Their team is full of big guys. We are still confident Mike Sweetney will be a player but perhaps the Knicks should have moved one of their bigs by now. Sweetney is in a minutes crunch with similar players Othella Harrington, Kurt Thomas, Clarence Weatherspoon, Mike Doleac, Antonio McDyess, and Dikembe Mutombo. Thomas is tradable but outside of McDyess, he is also the best of that bunch. The off-season deal that brought in Keith Van Horn hasn't panned out so far. Letting Latrell Sprewell go seems at first glance to be a bad move too. But the truth is, Spree thriving in MLPS is more about Sam Cassell, and Kevin Garnett. ....So now what in New York? Here is the plan. If at all possible, trade Allan Houston. You probably can't do that, so play with him. He doesn't stink, he just isn't worth the contract he has. Keep Charlie Ward, McDyess, Kurt Thomas, Frank Williams, 'Spoon, Mutombo, Van Horn, and Sweetney, and then press the button. Anderson and Eisley must go. Othella, Doleac, Maciej Lampe, are out too. A proposed plan:
Position Player PG Charlie Ward SG Allan Houston SF Keith Van Horn PF Mike Sweetney C Antonio McDyess PG-SG Frank Williams SG-SF Ime Udoka SF-PF Clarence Weatherspoon PF-C Soumaila Samake Utility Joe Forte Perimeter Vincent Yarbrough BIG Chris Massie IL Chris Carr IL Derek Hood IL Kevin Johnson (Tulsa) ...David Lee went 12-12 from the field Monday night. ...Congrats to Sac State, and Nevada Reno on their big hoops wins over the weekend. The hornets took out UC Irvine, and Nevada shocked Kansas.
12/20/03 ...James Thomas (Texas) played only four minutes in the Longhorns loss to Duke Saturday morning. I have the rebounding machine, Thomas, listed as the third best Senior in college hoops but he started the game 0-4 from the field so he sat the rest of the way. Who is he? Mike Jarvis? Have some faith in your guys Rick Barnes. You need Thomas. I don't know what the kid did last night. They played in New York city so who knows, but even the best pros get caught up in the New York nightlife. It's human nature. Athletes are resilient too. They can party like crazy, and still play good ball the next morning. I say this with confidence because I've witnessed it first hand. I say play the kid 'til he wants out of the game, and talk with him afterward about being more responsible, or professional. Ooops, did I say professional? We are talking college kids here.
12/19/03 ...Mike Jarvis was fired at coach of the St. John's men's basketball team. I am so naive, I am shocked. A beacon of credibility, Jarvis obviously got jobbed (unjobbed?). Unless there is news being withheld (imagine that in 2003), Jarvis is guilty only of a poor start this year, and a couple of off court incidents involving players that Jarvis took a chance on. Call me idealistic but shouldn't there be more to collegiate basketball than winning. The Red Storm are 2-4. Last season they won the NIT, finishing 21-13. The off-court incidents were marijuana possession by Willie Shaw, and a Junior college transfer, Grady Reynolds being arrested on charges he attacked a female student in a dormitory. Reynolds was ordered to perform community service and undergo anger management counseling. Was Jarvis expected to be at the dorm? Mike Jarvis took-in, and was a mentor to athletes that other coaches would not have tried to tame. A smart, emotional man, Jarvis may have been too dramatic for some but when did caring too much count against a man? I'm not worried at all about Mike Jarvis - he'll land on his feet. What is sad is that St. John's University lost a man of integrity. And there are too few of those in the world today.
12/18/03 ...Now a look at rookie efficiency. Only for those who've played more than 300 minutes.
Player Position EFR David West PF .523 Francisco Elson PF .462 Chris Bosh PF .438 Udonis Haslem PF .364 Josh Howard SF .520 Boris Diaw SF .332 Jarvis Hayes SF .270 Chris Kaman C .450 Carmelo Anthony SG .449 Dwyane Wade SG .362 Lebron James PG .438 Raul Lopez PG .400 T.J. Ford PG .392 Luke Ridnour PG .344 Kirk Hinrich PG .320 Keith McLeod PG .269 Marcus Banks PG .240 Steve Blake PG .235
Time for our look at the players worthy of being an NBA All-Star this season. If you are new to this site, BasslineSpin.com charts the worthy All-Stars through February, leading up to the game. After seven weeks of NBA play, here are the best of the best.
WEST
Player Position EFR Cory Maggette G. .560 Sam Cassell G. .564 Kobe Bryant G. .551 Mike Bibby G. .530 Karl Malone F. .639 Peja Stojakovic F. .594 Zach Randolph F. .617 Andre Kirilenko F. .623 Kevin Garnett F. .818 Brad Miller C. .637 Tim Duncan C. .763 Shaquille O'Neal C. .673 EAST:
Player Position EFR Baron Davis G. .524 Vince Carter G. .509 Michael Redd G. .526 Jason Kidd G.
.553 Paul Pierce F. .609 Kenyon Martin F. .616 Tracy McGrady F. .560 Carlos Boozer F. .607 Shareef Abdur-Rahim F. .655 Zydrunas Ilgauskas C. .560 Jermaine O'Neal C. .597 Who was an All-Star after week 5, but not after week 7? Joe Smith, Jeff Foster, Gary Payton, Yao Ming.
12/16/03 ...Fantastic television is rare. HBO's documentary on the Oakland A's, and Oakland Raiders is great! Rebels of Oakland: A's and Raiders provides tremendous insight into sport and life in Northern California in the 1970's glory days of both teams. As a child, I attended many Raiders games, and was lucky to have a Dad that worked with the Raiders enough to receive Christmas gifts from the team. It was a big deal to get televisions, or fancy 8-track stereo systems from the Raiders front office. Season tickets came with Pop's gig as Sports Director at KCRA-TV in Sacramento. Before cable, and wide spread free agency, the affiliation to the local sports team was stronger. Players didn't swap teams each year, and even in my cavity prone years I knew the Raiders and A's rosters well. Having no idea how special it was as an 8 year-old, I was a privileged kid that got autographs in the tunnel after the games. I met Reggie Jackson back stage at an auto event, and because of my Dad, I received a cherished personalized autographed picture from Reggie.
No wonder I was a confident young lad. My teams were world champions. Even the Warriors got into the act in the 70's. Seeing the HBO show brought back the ultra hip images of Oakland. Leather coats, side burns, and long hair. Sunglasses, wide-collars. But the difference between those stylish teams and pretenders was that they actually had talent, and they all played hard, and played hurt. Some players are bad apples AND don't play hard. The Raiders and A's didn't have those guys. Some players play hard but don't have talent. The Raiders and A's didn't really have those guys. They Raiders and A's had talent, attitude, and the will to succeed. How can I tie this into hoop? Take Ricky Davis. The "controversial" player traded from Cleveland to Boston is a guy I think is like an old Raiders player. He does have talent. There is no doubt he has a swagger, and as we pointed out yesterday, Davis only missed 3 games in the last two seasons, which means he does come to play. Am I suggesting the Boston Celtics are the new Raiders of the NBA? No.
. ...Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavs has the highest efficiency rating among rookies who have logged over 300 minutes. Better than LeBron, better than Carmelo, better than Bosh. ...The NBA.com/Phoenix Suns website has the best design among such URL's for our money. ...The LA Times headline says Jaric Earns the Job at Point. How does it take you twenty games (or a quarter of an NBA season) to figure out he is better than Keyon Dooling? ...Be careful simply repeating what you hear on National TV. If all you did was listen to the National media, you'd cast your vote for Baron Davis as MVP. But did you know that Baron is shooting 38% from the field, and 64% from the line? It is true, that despite those woeful shooting numbers, BD is having his best NBA season. But MVP? Not so fast. Kevin Garnett is the NBA's best player. ...In the midst of underperformance this season: Jalen Rose, Steve Francis, Stephen Jackson, Keith Van Horn, Gordan Giricek, Drew Gooden, Derek Fisher, Corliss Williamson, Elden Campbell, Kenny Anderson, Kerry Kittles.
12/15/03 ...Danny Ainge made another good deal in Boston in our estimation. Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm, Yogi Stewart (of John F. Kennedy High School, Sacramento CA.), and a draft pick for Tony Battie, Kedrick Brown, and Eric Williams. The breakbeat: Mihm could be the sleeper key in this deal. This season, Mihm picked up where he left off at the end of the 2002-03 campaign. He is playing well! Very efficient, he rebounds and blocks shots while shooting a good field goal percentage. Ricky Davis is a talented guard that can run with anyone. The fallacy about Davis is that he doesn't pass. Actually he does. He is averaging 5 assists per contest this year! But nobody notices because of his overt "look at me" actions of the past. Remind yourself this guy is still only 24. If you envision Davis starting over in Boston at age 24, maybe he can tone down the antics. I'm sure Boston teammates want him to be a bit more polished as a team player, part of which is listening to your coaches even when you think they are wrong. Davis is not a soft player at all. He played all 82 games in 2001-02, and 79 of 82 last year. Yogi Stewart, while I'm sure viewed as a throw in, is a hard working big man with heart that blocks shots, runs and rebounds. The Cavs are getting quality in Tony Battie. This season, Battie has not played particularly well but in his career he has proven to be a guy that is a good defensive pivot. Kedrick Brown has as much athleticism as anyone in the league, and he should flourish playing with the unselfish LeBron James. But the Celtics don't have LeBron, and probably never will. In Boston, Brown was given plenty of opportunity but never distinguished himself as a pro worthy of extended minutes. Kedrick struggled to knock down jumpers, and shot free throws at a below average level. In the meantime, Jeri Welsch started playing like the guy being hyped. He is making me look silly, becoming the latest guy that I was wrong about. Welsch didn't do much as a rookie, and in Summer Leagues I was even less impressed. But Welsch is playing fairly well in Boston, and there is no question he belongs in the League. He already had earned the right to take some minutes from Brown. (Another lesson learned for me. I need to be more patient in my evaluation of the European players that I do not see often.) Eric Williams is a player that we have long been critical of but not because of his heart or hustle. Williams is a Pro's Pro. He just isn't very efficient. Efficiency gives you a better chance to win. The Celtics improved greatly in the deal.
Current BasslineSpin.com Efficiency Rating of Players in Trade
Battie .415, Mihm .578,
Kedrick Brown .370, Ricky Davis .417
E. Williams .437. Yogi - .424 (career).
12/14/03 ...Shelden Williams of Duke impresses with his size and quickness. He blocks shots at an extremely high rate, but offensively will need to develop his off hand (left). ...There is no question that Oliver Miller, signed by the T-Wolves, is an efficient player. Weight, and attitude issues have haunted the second "Big O". He passes well, and eats space, and we are confident he'll give Minnesota more ability than Michael Olowokandi did before hitting the IL (right knee surgery). According to NBA.com, Miller started 2003-04 with the Dakota Wizards (Bismarck, N.D.) and in 11 games this season he ranked among the league leaders with 16.2 ppg (11th), 8.7 rpg (seventh) and 1.90 bpg (second). The Summer moves for Minnesota stack up like this in our view. Sam Cassell is as good as Olowokandi is bad. They cancel each other out. Latrell Sprewell has played well so far, and was a key factor in a road win over Sacramento. Fred Hoiberg is well, Fred Hoiberg. Mark Madsen played key minutes before going to the bench with an injury.
12/13/03 ...The NBA's Midwest Division standings are a clip and paste for the time capsule. Unbelievably, all the teams are above .500 with the Spurs already playing 24 games. At 12-10 Utah is in last place in the Midwest but would have a 1/2 game lead if they were in the Eastern's Conference Atlantic Division. ...At a game below .500, at 11-12, Milwaukee and Boston would both qualify for the East Playoffs. In the Western Conference, the eighth seed would be Memphis at 12-9. ...Attended JR's funeral at 10 AM in Oak Park, thus, not much time for college hoops this Saturday. ...The Grizzlies pounded New Jersey tonight. Stromile Swift had one of the sickest dunks of the year. Portland beat the Lakers, behind a strong effort from Damon Stoudamire.
12/10/03 ...Gary Williams is a great coach. The Maryland / Florida game was fantastic with Florida forcing OT after being down by 17 early in the second half. However, in the extra frame, Maryland, without their point guard John Gilcrest who fouled out, received a huge contribution from Nick Caner-Medley. The #1 team, Florida went down at home. I was just saying to my wife how Maryland "was down this year" and I was afraid the game would be a blowout. This was a Terrapin team that was swept in Washington D.C.'s major college tournament last weekend. They were prepared, and they attacked the soft Florida middle. ...Because of his size and ball-handling ability many have christened Christian Drejer the next coming, and a sure lottery pick. Not so fast. Florida's Drejer is a tad slow, and though he does have talent and skill, his game needs allot of seasoning before he is an NBA player. ...The Suns fired Frank Johnson, moving him to the ranks of the dismissed that includes Bill Cartwright, and Doc Rivers. Again, it is about efficiency. Jahidi White needs as many minutes as he can stand, and when Zarko Cabarkapa comes back, he too deserves run. Jake Voskuhl gets all he can out of his game, and in the right place, he would be a spot minute guy. On the Suns, Voskuhl is better than Googs, and Scott Williams, so he gets lots of run. We suggest that Phoenix will improve when Joe Johnson plays less minutes. Joe, at this stage of his career, should be coming off the bench, providing a scoring spark. It's Johnson, and Casey Jacobsen who score but do little else, and, Scott Williams and Tom Gugliotta that bring down the Suns. If the Suns are going to run, Mikki Moore would be a good addition. He is 100 points more efficient through his NBA career than Jake Voskuhl. Chris Carr would fit in well with a running team. By naming Mike D'Antoni as head coach your Kobe red flag should go up. The two have a history, and Bryant has said he will opt out of his Lakers deal. ...Arizona's Andre Iguodala played the best college floor game I've seen this season last night in Arizona's convincing win over Texas. The sophomore messed around and had a triple double, showing athleticism equal to the NBA's best.
12/09/03 ...Greg Anthony was right after all. The Raptors WILL make the playoffs. Anthony, the steady voice on ESPN's shootaround crew, said before the big trade with Chicago that the Raptors would be in the post-season. I disagreed. However, since the trade, I believe Toronto is a lock for the Eastern Conference Playoffs. ...Mikki Moore is leading the NBDL in scoring at 23 ppg and field goal percentage (64%). Moore is showing more of a face up game as he tries to get back into the big show. He's also ranked second in rebounding behind only Jason Collier. ...Omar Cook leads the D League in assists at nearly eight per game. George Williams was named NBDL Player of the Month for November. He averaged 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while helping the Roanoke Dazzle to a 3-0 start.
12/07/03 ..Time for an installment of Slam Dunk or Poor Shot Selection. Here we acknowledge times when I was a prophet, and times when I was out to lunch.
DUNK! October 29th 2001 - Bob said, "Poor draft in Orlando will hurt this team's depth in years to come. Jerryl Sasser and Steven Hunter will not help."
Dunk: - 09/26/00 Bob Said "Kings - The addition of Bobby Jackson is potentially huge. The Kings acquired in Jackson, a rebounding, diming PG."
Poor Shot: - 09/26/00 Bob said, "Warriors - Danny Fortson has always been an EFR star - I like that trade for them."
Dunk: 10/29/01 Bob said, "Folks are starting to understand, but not really grasping how good Dirk Nowitzki is. I firmly believe he is one of the 10 best players in the world. He IS that good."
Poor Shot: 10/29/01 "I feel the Spurs could have done better than 19 year-old, Tony Parker as backup PG."
Dunk: 10/29/01 "Rick Carlisle is the new Chef in Auburn Hills. He should be worth a few wins himself." - He went on to be Coach of the Year.
Poor shot: 10/29/01 Bob said, "Should have Been Drafted sooner... - Alvin Jones - Philly, Terence Morris - Houston (The Rockets are doing a great job with scouting. Terence Morris was a steal)."
Poor shot: 10/29/01 Bob said, "Nellie is going to the bench and finding big game vets that can still produce in Danny Manning, & Tim Hardaway."
12/06/03 ...2:24 AM - The Kings - T-Wolves game at ARCO on Friday night was one for the ages. On a night when Mitch Richmond was honored by having his #2 retired, the combatants went into overtime with the Wolves pulling out a gritty win. Kevin Garnett did nothing to change my belief that he is the single best player in the world right now. He was dominant inside, and then hit two threes to force OT. Latrell Sprewell was also on point, giving the injured Minnesota team an extra boost. Spree took good shots all night. Balling without Wally Szczerbiak, and Troy Hudson, two major pieces to their team, Minnesota took advantage of a tired Kings five to extend the game. Brad Miller who played the entire fourth quarter missed two free throws that could have iced the game for the hometowners. We like Rick Adelman but his stubbornness may have cost the Kings a game. As the reigning Player of the Month, Peja Stojakovic rotted in a chair on the sidelines, the Kings turned a win into a loss. The crew of Miller, Bobby Jackson, Anthony Peeler, Mike Bibby, and Darius Songaila gave the Kings life in the fourth quarter after they fell behind by 15 in quarter three. There is no denying that those guys deserved some extra run. But even in situation dead balls late in the tight game when Vlade Divac, or Peja could have been inserted for an offensive possession, Adelman chose not to go with them. Vlade had been having a bad night with four turnovers. But he is still the best passing big man in the game. On crucial defensive stands where a sub could have been made, the super defender Doug Christie was glued to his chair courtside. Christie was also having a night to forget (1-7 from the floor.) With six seconds left in regulation, Peja, the best shooter in modern basketball was not even on the floor. ...The Kings contest was fun to attend. The emotion of Mitch's jersey retirement was a genuine moment that will not soon be forgotten. Having watched Mitch play (and practice) for the majority of his professional prime, it is not a wonder why his number 2 was the first jersey to ever be retired since the Kings came to Sacramento in 1985. Mitch was a pro's pro. He worked hard, and led by example. As a media member he always treated me with respect and did his best to seem interested in the radio babble we had to endure in the heyday of Kings losing. ...Among those in attendance at ARCO Friday night: Chris Mullin, Garry St. Jean, Rod Higgins, Penny Marshall, and one James Harris III. Who? "Jimmy Jam". A longtime supporter of the Timberwolves, Jam was in California after being nominated for a Grammy. He made the trip to Sac for the game despite having a midnight recording session in Los Angeles. A personal highlight was talking with him for several minutes following the game. He was traveling with the Wolves to LA, so he had time to answer many questions about music that I had for him. ...The Heat signed Wang Zhi Zhi and waived Tyrone Hill. Okay. Hill is a legit rebounder with other NBA qualities. Wang is a 7'0" wing player that is soft around the edges and has shown little desire to be a top notch NBA performer. Thumbs down to the Heat.
12/05/03 ...Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser are hilarious on Pardon the Interruption. The ESPN weekday sports talk show is quick paced, and good natured. Even though both talk loudly and argue, you never get a sense that these guys are jerks. ...Averaging 27 points and 11 rebounds at Virginia Tech is Senior Bryant Matthews. It should also be noted that he is playing 38 minutes per game through the the first five contests. He's 6'7" 215 lb.. The scorer needs to be better in his perimeter shooting. He's at just 32% from the college three over last year and the infancy of this season. He blocks shots but also turns it over at a high rate.
12/04/03 ...Something I did not know is that John Stockton has been making daily appearances at Gonzaga practices. The NBA's all-time assists and steals leader is such a regular on campus now that some call him an "assistant coach". Gonzaga crushed Washington at Lorenzo Romar's homecourt. Lenny Wilkins is the color commentator on the Washington Huskies telecasts. ...BasslineSpin's NBA All-Stars week five. This is a list of those that are playing at an all-star level through the first five weeks of the season.
WEST
Player Position EFR Peja Stojakovic G. .600 Gary Payton G. .516 Kobe Bryant G. .569 Mike Bibby G. .554 Karl Malone F. .646 Zach Randolph F. .623 Andre Kirilenko F. .644 Kevin Garnett F. .805 Brad Miller C. .647 Tim Duncan C. .795 Shaquille O'Neal C. .650 Yao Ming C. .606 EAST:
Player Position EFR Baron Davis G. .557 Michael Redd G. .538 Jason Kidd G.
.566 Paul Pierce G. .534 Tracy McGrady F. .583 Carlos Boozer F. .626 Shareef Abdur-Rahim F. .654 Joe Smith F. .561 Jeff Foster F. .578 Kenyon Martin F. .549 Jermaine O'Neal C. .647 Etan Thomas C. .549 Who was an all-star after three weeks but not after five? Ronald Murray, Mehmet Okur, Jason Terry, Rashard Lewis, Quentin Richardson, Brian Cardinal, Christian Laettner, Erick Dampier, and Ben Wallace.
12/02/03 ...I learned about two hours ago that my friend J.R. (Leonard Offray) was killed over the weekend. He was leaving a Old Sac club on Sunday morning when he was sucker punched and hit his head on the fall. How senseless is that? The guy fled but was arrested yesterday at his home. ...I met J about two years ago through a friend (Ples) of mine. Ples and I connected through a love of music and we would gather at J's spot downtown before checking out Sacramento bands and DJ's. J loved basketball so much that sometimes at his house in the summer he would have the WNBA on the TV. A funny, and sharp man, J always made me feel like family. I last saw him about two months ago. He was smiling wide, sitting on the couch, enjoying the opening of the football season. J was 35 years old.
12/01/03 ...I am uncomfortable being that critical of a guy in print because I know how hard it is to be on the end of the criticism. BUT...Jay Bilas and Bill Rafftery teamed together on college hoops with a play by play guy doesn't do it for me. I like Raff as a single voice with the play by play guy. I like Jay Bilas but I feel like I'm being yelled at by him when he does color. My wife even mentioned it. It's often, "YOU'VE GOT TO ..." I like Bilas. His work with the coaches in the pre-season was fantastic. It gave great insight into programs, and practices that we would otherwise never see. His knowledge of the players in college hoop is unquestioned. It might be fine for Bilas to talk to competitive athletes the way he does color but the national television viewing audience is far from that. I feel like Bilas has an answer for everything and if I were a player, and he my coach, I would have already tuned him out. Have some fun. Make your points, but don't get so caught up in the event that you come across like a hungry man with low blood sugar.
