He came on so strong at the end of last season and looked right at home in the postseason that a natural question in his second year is whether Derrick Rose will be able to move up to the select group of point guards in the NBA.
Actually the question isn’t whether he will, but when will the ascent actually occur?
Whether Rose will make an appreciable leap in his second season running the Chicago Bulls offense remains to be seen, but few doubt that he will eventually be listed among the NBA’s best point guards.
Coming off an outstanding showing in his first postseason, Rose provided enough evidence that he is going to be a serious impact player. This should be no revelation since Rose was the first player taken in the 2008 draft.
First, before glancing into the future, it’s impossible not to look behind. In losing a seven-game opening round series to the Boston Celtics, Rose was truly an impact player. While players don’t always match their regular season statistics in the postseason, Rose exceeded his output.
As a rookie, he averaged 16.8 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 turnovers. Against the Celtics in a truly pulsating first-round, Rose averaged 19.7 points, 6.4 assists, 6.3 rebounds. Of course it must be noted that he averaged over seven minutes a game more in the postseason.
Two negatives were that he averaged 5.0 turnovers in that Boston series and he missed all four of his three point attempts.
Both statistics are related because Rose is not yet a threat as a three-point shooter. He shot 22.2 percent in the regular season. Since he derives so much of his offense by driving to the basket, he is more apt to turn the ball over while attempting to create his own scoring opportunities.
The other part of Rose’s game that must improve is his defense. True, when somebody is creating so much on offense, there is a tendency to rest on D. Yet to move up to the elite level, he has to make a better effort when the opponent has the ball.
One other question about Rose will be his health. He just turned 21, played in 81 games during his Rookie of the Year campaign and averaged 44.7 minutes in the playoff series with Boston. However, Rose suffered an ankle injury during this preseason and still hasn’t looked 100 percent, although in an opening 92-85 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Rose had 13 points (5 for 12 shooting), seven rebounds, seven assists and just one turnover in 33 minutes.
While there can always be debate, it says here that Chris Paul of New Orleans and Utah’s Deron Williams are currently the top two point guards in the NBA. (It’s hard to believe that Williams hasn’t earned an All-Star invitation, something that should be remedied this year).
The thing that has to be noticed about both is that they have improved each year in the league. Both are now in their fifth NBA season.
Last year Paul was a first-team All-NBA Defensive Team selection while Williams received three second-team votes.
Like Rose, Paul was a poor three-point shooter as a rookie. He shot .282 from beyond the arc as a rookie and last year was up to .364. Williams on the other hand had his best three-point shooting season as a rookie (.410) and worst last year (.310) and that remains an inconsistent part of his game.
Still, both Williams and Paul are much better shooters and defenders than Rose and each has more savvy as a floor leader. That is to be expected with their experience.
In looking at Paul and Williams, it’s interesting how players develop.
Williams made his great improvement, at least from a statistical standpoint between his first and second year, going from 10.8 points and 4.5 assists per game to 16.2 and 9.3 his second season. Of course his minutes increased more than eight per game, but his improved play earned Williams the extra minutes.
Paul made his biggest gain between his second and third season. He went from averaging 17.3 points and 8.9 assists his second year to 21.1 points and 11.6 assists his third season.
What made that leap so impressive is that his playing time went up less than one minute per game.
It goes to show that players develop at different rates. Don’t be surprised if Rose shows his greatest improvement between his second and third seasons.
Before taking aim at Paul or Williams, there are several other point guards that will provide plenty of competition for Rose, including greybeards such as Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd. There are also veterans with All-Star experience (Devin Harris, Tony Parker, Gilbert Arenas, Mo Williams, Jameer Nelson, Baron Davis) and others looking to crack the top group (Rajon Rondo, Jose Calderon, Russell Westbrook).
Rose has the ability to move above all these point guards before taking direct aim at Paul and Williams. Asking for it to happen in his second season may be too much to expect.
Elton Brand arrived a year ago in Philadelphia with a big contract, and even larger expectations. After signing a five-year $80 million contract, Brand could be seen on billboard all around the city. The 76ers were touting a Brand New Era and for the first time in a while, there was a palpable buzz around the team.
The Sixers were seemingly taking a gamble in Brand who returned to play just eight late-season games with the Los Angeles Clippers after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.
Brand’s debut with the Sixers never came close to matching the considerable buidup. He suffered a right shoulder dislocation on Dec. 17 against Milwaukee, missed 16 games, played in six more before announcing that he would undergo season-ending surgery.
Brand played just 29 games, averaging career lows in points per game (13.8) and minutes (31.7). He also averaged 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots.
For somebody who has career averages of 20.0 points. 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots, it was quite a departure.
“I have something to prove, absolutely, but it’s more to my teammates to (president an general manager) Ed Stefanski and the organization,” Brand said after modeling the Sixers’ new uniforms during a team promotion at the Wachovia Center.
Now a new season has arrived and Brand and the Sixers have taken a much lower profile, especially in a sports-crazed town such as Philadelphia, with the Phillies as the reigning World Series champions, the Eagles a contender for the Super Bowl and the Flyers being touted as a Stanley Cup candidate.
The Sixers?
This is a team that didn’t make any shattering offseason moves as they did the previous season when they signed Brand and re-signed Andre Iguodala, spending about $160 million in the two deals.
So the Sixers are looking at Brand as something new, a much more effective and healthier version from a year ago.
Even without Brand for the majority of the season, the Sixers earned a second straight playoff berth. The Sixers exited in the first round last season, losing in six games to the Orlando Magic, the eventual NBA finalist.
The Sixers were highly competitive with Orlando, until Hedo Turkoglu hit a three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left in an 84-81 win in Philadelphia that tied the series at two games apiece.
While many Eastern Conference teams made significant upgrades, the Sixers’ best addition could be a healthy Brand.
“I’m excited to be healthy, to add what I can to the team,” Brand said. “Two first-round losses for a young team that’s OK, but I was brought here to get further than that and that is my goal and what I have been thinking about the offseason.”
The 6-foot-9 Brand is a two-time All-Star, but now entering his 11th season, he has to prove that he is durable an capable of reviving his career.
At 30, he is sort of a greybeard on this young Sixers team, that certainly has the ability to return to the postseason.
Lou Williams will step in at point guard for the departed Andre Miller, who signed with Portland as a free agent.
Iguodala, now entering his sixth season, could be a potential All-Star after averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in an NBA-high 39.9 minutes.
Forward Thaddeus Young, who just turned 21 in June, enters his third season as one of the bright young players in the game after averaging 15.3 points last season.
“When you roll out Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young, you have three nice core players and then the others have to step up,” Stefanski said.
That is true, but in a strange way, Brand at this point is more of an unknown than Iguodala and Young due to his recent injury history.
Brand has worked diligently in the offseason and fully expects to resume his role as a highly productive NBA player.
“I expect to be healthy throughout the season. Stats wise in this system, I expect to do what I have done most of my career,” he said. “If it’s not 20 (points), it’s close to that. If it’s not 10 rebounds, it’s close to that and if not 2-3 blocks it will be close to that, but overall winning is the most important factor.”
At least Brand has passed the eye test this summer while working out with his teammates. He has spent countless hours in the gym, refining his game
“He’s been killing everybody out there on the court,” Young said of Brand. “Some days I don’t even want to guard him. It’s hard to guard him he’s so big and strong, makes all type of hook shots and turnaround jumpers.”
Stefanski, whose first major move as team president and general manager was signing Brand, says that Brand will enter this season 100 percent healthy.
“He looks absolutely terrific,” Stefanski said. “His body fat, body weight is probably as good as it’s ever been and as a doctor said to me, Elton looks like a prize fighter who is cut so well.”
So Brand is ready to make the fight and attempt to regain his status as one of the elite power forwards in the game.
For him, he hopes it truly is a new era in Sixers basketball, one that matches the hype from a year ago.
Doug Collins and New York Post basketball writer Peter Vescey have been selected to receive the 2009 Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during Enshrinement festivities scheduled for September 10-11, 2009 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
On Sept. 19, a statue of Collins and his college coach Will Robinson will be unveiled at Illinois State University. Collins averaged 29.1 points per game in his three-year college career before earning a berth on the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team and later becoming a four-time NBA all-star with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Robinson passed away at the age of 96 in April of 2008.
Collins talked to HoopsHype.com about these events and others pertaining to basketball.
Could you give your reaction to your Hall of Fame honor?
Doug Collins: I was shocked. I don’t think a lot of people realize. I’ve been a broadcaster 21 years, if you go back to when I worked for CBS in the 80’s. The great thing for me I have been involved in tremendous companies. It was great being with CBS and doing the NCAA tournament and NBA playoffs of course with Turner. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to play and broadcast the NBA finals, the NBA all-star game and the Olympics. And now Dick Ebersol asked me to do the 2012 Olympics in London (for NBC). I feel very fortunate.
Your broadcasting success seems to stem from being able to explain a complicated game in simple terms. Could you talk about that?
DC: That is my exact goal. One thing I learned a long time ago. It’s one thing to have a mind as a coach or player but so many people watching are casual viewers and you can’t talk coach-speak. You have to be able to articulate in a way it makes it easy for the fan at home. The fan sees what is happening. I like to say what happened and this is why it happened. Many times, it may be action off the ball. We are trained as people to watch the ball and so much of the game in the NBA and my career was played off the ball. But coach-speak is a killer. You can do that in clinics but not on television.
When you do a broadcast, what is your philosophy?
DC: Don Hewitt (the 60 Minutes creator), who recently passed away, said the essence of television was four words – tell me a story. That is my philosophy of broadcasting. Tell me a story. When you sit down to watch, there will be a story, a beginning a middle and an end. I am in charge of telling the story. As much as I might prepare, that story may change every night and you have to be so prepared.
It must be exciting to have a statue of you and your former coach Will Robinson at Illinois State.
DC: Two years ago they named the court after me, which is amazing. I got the first full basketball scholarship at Illinois State. Back then freshmen couldn’t play varsity. As a sophomore Will Robinson came in, the first black man to be a Division I basketball head coach. He was amazing. The first moment I met Will Robinson, he said, “You’ve got it and if you pay attention and trust me, I will take you where you want to go.” That was the beginning of a more than 30-year love affair with the guy.
You will always be remembered for making the two free throws after being almost knocked out in the 1972 Gold Medal game with Russia, giving the U.S. a 50-49 lead with three seconds left. We all know what happened after that, but what are your recollections of that moment?
DC: I was knocked out and was a little shaky but something that happens will resonate forever. One of the coaches was talking about getting a replacement to shoot the free throws and coach (Hank) Iba said, “If he can walk he is shooting them.” It was like an electric surge went through me. He instilled in me that I wasn’t going to miss them and I was able to come through.
This is probably a month you’ll never forget.
DC: Actually, I was going back the last 14 months of my life and it’s been an unbelievable time. Last summer my son Chris was part of the Olympic team in Beijing. Coach K brought his assistants from Duke, and he became part of the scouting and preparation. The Olympics were special for many reasons. I had 36 years of heartache when my gold medal in 1972 was taken away. Coach K and JerryColangelo asked me to speak to the team. As soon as the final game was over, LeBron James hugged me and said you are a big part of this and said we consider you part of this gold medal. My son was a part of a gold medal and I had that moment. And a grandson was born in January. Then my son-in-law Paul Romancazuk won a state championship (as coach for Pennsylvania’s Archbishop Carroll) and then we had the wonderful NBA playoff run and now the Curt Gowdy Award and this statue and it’s a lifetime of achievements that happened in 14 months.
How close were you to returning to coaching the Chicago Bulls in 2008?
DC: There has been the perception that I am dying to get back to coaching. What I always have done is say I will listen. It would be silly not to listen to opportunities in life. One of the great things about working for Turner is that they are about family and want what is best for my family. Two years ago John Paxson called me and I was very close to going to Chicago. They were a young team and I really saw a good 6-7 year run. Chicago is a city my wife and I spent 10 years in. Jerry Reinsdorf said he loved me like a son, and said he could always find a coach but didn’t want something to hurt our friendship and that he couldn’t fire me again. I said let’s give a hug and move on.
This past year your name was linked to both Philadelphia and Detroit coaching situations. What was fact and fiction?
DC: All this stuff with Philadelphia, I never spoke with them. I was never part of that equation. JoeDumars called me about coming to Detroit. We spoke a few times and I don’t think situation was right for me. I didn’t want to go to a team starting over. There is perception I am itching and that isn’t case. I will keep an open mind on things.
It appears as if more teams feel they have a shot at least to get to the NBA finals than in recent years. What are your thoughts on the Eastern Conference?
DC: You have three heavyweights in the East. Cleveland adds Shaq and we’ll see if that will work to bring the Cavaliers a championship. Every day there will be questions asking whether LeBron is coming back. They added pieces, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon are good additions. You saw last year at the three spot in the playoffs they got exposed. They love to slide LeBron to four and play small. They couldn’t do it against Orlando.
Then you have Orlando who lost Turkoglu but added Vince Carter, Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass. They are incredibly deep. I also liked moving Rafer Alston because he wasn’t happy sitting. Orlando tasted it last year and is poised to make another great run. They are very good on the road.
You have Boston, with Kevin Garnett coming back healthy, Rasheed Wallace has added depth to the team. If they are healthy they will be very good. The No. 1 seed could prove so important, because you have to play only one of those other two teams in the playoffs.
To me the next little rung, I feel Chicago is going to be good. They will have Derrick Rose, JohnSalmons, Luol Deng at the three and have a bigger team. They were undersized. I like that they kept Hinrich and I like Pargo off the bench. The big key for them will be young big guys Noah and Thomas and if they show the improvement they showed in playoffs when they went toe to toe with Boston.
Another team is Washington if they stay healthy. Arenas, Caron Butler, Jamison, Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Flip Saunders. If they can defend and rebound that will be a good team.
Toronto improved with Turkoglu and I like Jarrett Jack with his toughness. The Raptors will want to show they will be in the mix to keep Chris Bosh.
Atlanta is interesting. Jamal Crawford should help. I like Jeff Teague at the point. A question is the play at small forward and can it be consistent.
New Philadelphia coach Eddie Jordan runs a lot of that Princeton offense. Last year Philadelphia went with a big lineup and lost its identity. They are an open floor team. When Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert played together with Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala, they had no shooting and spacing.
They lost Andre Miller and you have to wonder if they will have enough shooting.
And then there is Miami. Dwyane Wade is a one-man show and basically carried them to the playoffs. Can he do it again?
What about the Western Conference?
DC: In the West, the Lakers are still the team to beat. I love what San Antonio has done. The Spurs needed to add speed and quickness with Richard Jefferson. If the Spurs want to bring Ginobili off the bench, they now have the depth and speed and quickness to do it.
Dallas made nice moves, with Shawn Marion, Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden.
Portland is very good. Is Greg Oden able to stay healthy and can he take over. Can the team run more with Andre Miller?
One of the keys last year for Denver’s success was keeping Kenyon Martin healthy. He and Nene must stay healthy. Chauncey Billups had a great year.
Utah has the Carlos Boozer (contract) situation hanging over them . You can’t give him away but you have to watch what contracts you take back due to the luxury tax. If Deron Williams stays healthy, he makes them very tough at home.
I think New Orleans will be in the playoff mix, but so much is on Chris Paul and David West. Now they have Emeka Okafor, but Peja Stojakovic is key and a big part is three point shooting. If he plays like two years ago and Paul and West continue their progress, they are back in the mix. I thought they lost some mojo last year.
The globalization of basketball has made the sport a world-wide affair, giving players plenty of exposure but little rest. And that is where the debate begins as to whether it’s wise for NBA players to compete for their national teams.
Those who saw the U.S. recapture the gold medal in the Beiing Olympics would surely give a thumbs up to representing one’s country. And it must be noted that despite the success of the U.S., there are many other countries where world tournaments are considered as popular as anything else, including NBA games.
The pressure for many non-U.S. players to compete for their countries in various tournaments is immense, a true source of national pride.
When Kevin Garnett decided not to compete for the U.S. team, it barely caused a whimper. However, if Pau Gasol decided not to play for Spain or Manu Ginobili had decided to sit out the most recent Olympics for Argentina, it would caused commotion among sports fans in those respective countries.
If it were only once every four years in the Olympics that players competed, that would likely be more acceptable, but even the U.S. has asked its players for a multi-year commitment. Many other coutnries ask for an even greater level of commitment.
This issue came up again when San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker recently suffered a mild sprain of his right ankle while playing for the French National Team. When asked to comment, the Spurs told Hoopshype.com that they have sent out a release on the matter that was their position.
The Spurs stated that Parker would begin his rehabilitation process in San Antonio before rejoining the French National Team. It also stated that a timeline for Parker’s return would be determmined based on how he responds to his rehabilitation program.
“We want to thank Tony for returning to San Antonio to allow our medical staff to examine him,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. “It shows his maturity and his dedication to the Spurs organization.”
The Spurs didn’t want to comment on having players competing for their various National Teams in the offseason. One has to think it’s a touchy issue since the Spurs are the same team that had Manu Ginobili miss the beginning of the last season after he needed surgery following the 2008 Olympics to repair a ligament injury in his left ankle.
Ginobili had originally suffered a posterior impingement of his left ankle in the first round of the 2008 playoffs against Phoenix. The injury hampered him the duration of the playoffs. After rest and rehabilitation he was cleared to play for the Olympics, where he re-aggravated the injury. Ginobili had surgery in September of 2008 and missed the beginning of the 2008-2009 season.
It was an injury-plagued year for Ginobili, who only appeared in 44 games and whose season ended prematurely in April with a stress fracture in his right ankle, causing him to miss the playoffs.
Anybody would agree that there are positives and negatives about NBA players competing in the offseason.
One can surely cite the injury factor as a reason not to have the players compete. Yet there are plenty of players who go through the year-round grind and come through fine.
Take Kobe Bryant for instance. In less than one year’s time, Bryant competed for the Olympic team, then played in all 82 regular season games for the Los Angeles Lakers, and another 23 in the postseason. The extra workload didn’t seem to bother Bryant, the Finals MVP.
In addition, there is Bryant’s teammate Pau Gasol, who participated in the same whirlwind schedule. Gasol was on Spain’s silver medal Olympic team, and then played in 81 regular season games and 23 more in the playoffs for the Lakers.
Yet Gasol is an interesting case study because in 2006 he suffered a broken foot in Spain’s semifinal win over Argentina during the FIBA World Championships. Gasol then missed the first 23 games of the 2006-2007 NBA season for the Memphis Grizzlies. That season the Grizzlies went 22-60 after three consecutive years of competing in the postseason. Memphis has been in a free-fall ever since.
And even if a player escapes injury and competes in more than 100 NBA games such as Bryant and Gasol, this past year, one wonders what toll that takes on the body down the road.
One person who is clearly against seeing NBA players participate in national tournaments is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
When contacted by Hoopshype.com for his views, Cuban sent his blog of 2006. His views haven’t changed since then.
“I’ve said it before and I will say it again, the NBA is making a huge mistake by letting our players participate in the Olympics and its qualifying competitions,” Cuban wrote. “Anyone who thinks the Olympics are anything more or less than a business ought to try to bid on the TV rights or talk to any of the many businesses who have been sued for trademark infringements.”
Cuban totally isn’t against having players compete in the offseason, he just feels that there is a better economic way as far as the NBA is concerned.
“If the game of basketball truly has grown to the level of interest we all think and hope it has, then we should just dump playing for the Olympics and hold our own tournament,” he wrote. “If we were really , really smart, we would work with the NHL,NFL , MLB, the USA Track and Field organizations, Tennis and other sports with strong professional bases and create our own games. Then supporting the international development of the games would make sense. Then we could have bidding to host the SuperGames. To provide TV coverage. To sponsors. A Winter SuperGames, A Summer SuperGames every 4 years.”
Again, even Cuban would be in favor of some sort of competition that would put the toll on the bodies of NBA players. And there is no bigger proponent of the NBA game than Cuban.
The NBA players would argue that they have to keep working out in the offseason anyway, so why not be in a competitive setting that the Olympics or these other tournaments provide.
There is something to be said for that, but one has to wonder how much pounding an NBA player’s body can take in a league where the seasons are long and the offseasons for many have become increasingly shorter.
The Portland Trail Blazers won’t be on anybody’s short list of main NBA title contenders, but in signing Andre Miller, they have become a better team.
Possibly a much better one.
The Trail Blazers have added a veteran player who is a much-needed component to a young team.
Can Miller take the Trail Blazers to the next level? That’s a difficult question because he has always been a starting guard on some good but not great teams, so it’s hard to tell.
As one scout said, “He won’t play any defense, but he knows how to run a team.”
And a young team like Portland can greatly use his savvy and unselfish nature.
The skeptics will question the fact that Miller is 33-years-old and isn’t considered among the better athletes playing the point guard position.
That could be true, but he has an old-school game, one that is less likely to deteriorate with age. He has never relied on speed to blow by defenders because he never had much to begin with, yet Miller simply knows how to run an offense and find the open man.
In the last two years he became more of a scorer in Philadelphia because he sensed the 76ers needed his offense. This past season he averaged 16.5 points after averaging a career-high 17.0 in 2007-2008. Not so coincidentally, the 76ers made the playoffs in each of the past two years.
Miller also proved to be one of the top point guards at posting up and it showed the versatility of his game. Miller is proficient shooting off the dribble, and is capable of driving to the basket and drawing fouls. He’s also has a career .802 free throw percentage shooter.
Miller is difficult to get to know personally because he keeps to himself, but that shouldn’t suggest that he doesn’t connect with his teammates.
There was no player who was more respected by his teammates on the 76ers than Miller. He played with a calm confidence, never cared about statistics and always showed up for work.
Miller has played in 530 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NBA and he has missed just three games in 10 NBA seasons.
Critics also point out that he isn’t much of a three-point shooter and the facts bear that out. Miller is a 21 percent career three-point shooter but he doesn’t take that many shots from beyond the arc.
Last season Miller attempted just 53 three pointers.
He comes to a Portland team that has plenty of young talent. The Trail Blazers need somebody to guide this young group and it says here that the players will truly appreciate what he brings to the team.
Brandon Roy will love playing off the ball, knowing that Miller will find him for quality open shots. If LaMarcus Aldridge posts up, Miller will get him the ball in the most opportune of spots.
Greg Oden, whose offensive game is a work in progress, will get easy baskets as a benefit of playing with Miller.
Miller averaged 6.5 assists last year and likely would have averaged more if the Sixers had a better post-up game.
In addition, Miller will bring a professional attitude to the team, a no-nonsense performer who comes early to practice, leaves late and has a basketball IQ that is off the charts.
Are there negatives?
Well, Miller wouldn’t have been available for this long if there weren’t. As the scout said, Miller will never be a member of the All-Defensive Team. He has trouble guarding quick point guards off the dribble, but then again, who doesn’t?
Portland will need to play good help defense, but Miller’s offensive contributions more than negate this situation.
For those who worry about Miller slowing down and the fact that he will turn 34 in March, it has to be pointed out that he had two of his best seasons over the last two years in Philadelphia. And he’s coming off a playoff series against Orlando where he averaged a career-best 21.2 points in the six-game loss.
It’s true that Miller has never played on a team that advanced past the first round of the playoffs. It can also be argued that he never played on a team that has the type of young talent that Portland possesses.
Nothing against Steve Blake, who did a serviceable job last season at point guard, but Miller is an upgrade.
Portland, which lost to Houston in the first round of the playoffs, is a better team with Miller. How much better remains to be seen, but he can be a difference maker for a Portland team that will greatly benefit from his leadership, his professional attitude and most importantly his play on the court.
The obvious first question is what are your feelings about being drafted by a Minnesota Timberwolves team that is certainly in need for a shooting guard?
Wayne Ellington: I felt pretty happy. I had two great workouts there. I knew they were interested and there is the opportunity to get on the court. That is why it really interested me. It’s a great situation and opportunity.
How hard was draft night, watching all the other draft picks selected until you were taken at No. 28.
WE: It was very tough, I was drained emotionally. It was crazy. I can’t even describe it. My palms were sweating.
Being a consistent perimeter shooter is a skill that isn’t in abundance in the NBA. Do you think that is a major selling point for you, the ability to hit from the outside?
WE: I think it is a pretty big part. Definitely in Minnesota. They need a shooter, somebody who can stretch the floor and I can do that. I hope I will be able to create space for guys like Kevin Love and Al Jefferson inside.
What part of your game do you want to continue improving as you enter your rookie season?
WE: I want to get better all around. Put the ball on the floor, get to the basket, improve defensively. There is so much to work on.
Are you looking to come in and be a starter for the Timberwolves?
WE: That is definitely what I am looking for. I feel it’s a great opportunity.
What’s up with the Wolves choosing point guards Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with the fifth and sixth picks in the draft?
WE: They are two great point guards and with Ricky’s situation it’s kind of difficult. We don’t know what will happen. We are definitely happy to have both of them. We have Jonny for sure and possibly Ricky.
What are your goals as a rookie?
WE: My next goal is to possibly be one of the best rookies and be on the All-Rookie Team and play in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge.
You get asked this all the time, but what was it like to win the NCAA championship at North Carolina?
WE: It was unbelievable. We worked so hard and there was a lot of pressure on us. When we finally won it, you just can’t explain the feeling. We were all emotional and it was a great experience.
Leading up to the NCAA Tournament you had five games where you scored 19 or more points. Then in six NCAA Tournament games, you scored 19 or more points in five games. Did the urgency of the situation make you pick up your game?
WE: I said I had to turn it up a notch, and become more aggressive. I thought if I did that I could definitely help my team.
You averaged 15.8 points as a junior and 14.4 for your career. Would those numbers have been higher had you played on a different team?
WE: No question they would have been in almost any other situation But there was so much talent and a lot of us sacrificed and did what we had to win a championship.
Who wins in one-on-one, you or your former Episcopal Academy High School teammate Gerald Henderson?
WE: (Laughs). It goes back and forth, man. He knows my game and I know his game and it gets competitive.
Do people find it odd that a North Carolina player and a Duke Blue Devil are the best of friends?
WE: A little bit, man, but it’s all good.
What was practice like at North Carolina?
WE: Very competitive. Practices were tough. We like to get up and down and everybody really gets after each other. It’s why we had the best program in the country. We had a lot of talent and everybody worked hard.
You put your name in the draft after your sophomore season but then decided to return to North Carolina. I would guess that you were extremely happy with that decision.
WE: No question. It was something that was huge, making that decision and coming back, working harder getting better in all areas of my game and winning.
You were named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four. That would seem to be something that made the championship extra special.
WE: Yes it did. It was definitely something that felt great. I worked so hard and wanted to turn it up some.
You are from the Philadelphia area so I would guess you aren’t the most popular person with the locals after scoring 20 points in your 83-69 win over Villanova in the NCAA semifinal.
WE: (Laughing) Especially when I’m home in Philly, the Villanova fans don’t like me because we beat them.
You grew up playing a lot of basketball in Philadelphia. There is a reputation that Philadelphia players, especially the guards have for their toughness. What was it like playing in Philadelphia?
WE: It was a great experience. I don’t know what it is about Philly guards, but they are tougher. Playing there in high school really helped my game a lot.
Have you ever met another Philadelphia area guard named Kobe Bryant who played at Lower Merion High, which wasn’t far from your high school?
WE: I met him and from what I have experienced, he is a great guy. I can’t wait to match up with him. It will be a big-time challenge but I would look forward to it especially since he’s been my favorite player.
June 23, 2009 @ 5:24 am by Marc Narducci · Filed under Draft, Ricky Rubio
Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio should be one of the most intriguing players to enter the NBA in quite some time. Rubio plays with a flair that has had him compared to one of the all-time great showmen, PeteMaravich.
Of course Maravich was also a great player, a five-time NBA all-star who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.
Whether Rubio lives up to that type of comparison remains to be seen. One reason that Rubio’s entrance to the NBA is so anticipated is because opinion is so divided on the 6-foot-4, 180-pound dynamo who won’t turn 19 until Oct. 21.
Many fans received their first look at Rubio as a member of Spain’s silver medal team in the 2008 Olympics. Rubio, who was 17 at the time, started in place of injured point guard Jose Calderon during Spain’s 118-107 loss to the U.S. in the gold medal game. In that game, Rubio showed great composure, despite suffering an injured right wrist that would later need surgery. During the Olympics he averaged 4.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 18.3 minutes.
We recently talked to front office personnel people from two different NBA teams who have seen Rubio several times. One had an optimistic outlook for Rubio and the other displayed a healthy dose of skepticism.
Each asked not to be identified so they will be referred to as Evaluator No. 1 and Evaluator No. 2.
“I’m a fan and think that people always look for the negative, saying he can’t shoot and is scrawny,” said Evaluator No. 1. “Remember, at 17 he played in the Olympics against the greatest players in the world and when asked who impressed them, the Olympians said Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio.”
Rubio competed in the ACB, which Evaluator No. 1 says is the No. 1 league in the world next to the NBA. This past season, Rubio averaged 10 points, 6.1 assists and 2.2 steals in 22.2 minutes over his first 22 ACB appearances with DKV Joventut Badalona of Spain. He was named the ACB Defensive Player of the Year.
“His basketball IQ is off the chart and he is one of the best greatest passers I have ever seen,” Evaluator No. 1 said. “He has a chance to be special.”
Even Evaluator No. 1, admitted that there are legitimate concerns about Rubio’s athleticism.
“If he only remains a good athlete and he is now a good athlete, not elite, then maybe he won’t be a superstar,” he said. “But I believe you have a starting point guard which in our league has become an elite position.”
Evaluator No. 1 also preached caution in handling Rubio.
“Is he physically there, no, of course not,” he said. “Mentally he is there. But everybody wants instant gratification. There has to be some patience shown.”
Evaluator No. 2 acknowledged that Rubio has talent, but he thinks he has been over-hyped.
“I never saw a guy who has drawn as much varied opinion,” Evaluator No. 2 said. “He is a brain-first, clever and tricky player, but I don’t know if his physical package is built to stand the test of time.”
Evaluator No. 2 says he feels that Rubio is worthy of a first round choice, just not as high as others are suggesting.
“I don’t see him being picked near No. 2 or 3,” he said. “I see him as one of those point guards who has a chance to be OK like a bunch of other players, but I don’t see him as a savior.”
Evaluator No. 2 says he doesn’t feel that Rubio will be able to withstand the constant pounding in the NBA.
“Sometimes you take the bag of tricks away from slight of hand artists and then physicality takes over and that is where I would have a concern,” he said.
Evaluator No. 1 says that Rubio will indeed reward a team for selecting him high in the draft.
“Those deficiencies of not being a great shooter and not being strong, he will fix because he is a gymrat,” Evaluator No. 1 said. “The kid won’t stop working.”
And the speculation won’t stop either. There will be many storylines in the NBA draft, but none more fascinating than whether Rubio becomes an elite point guard, or fails to keep up with the physical nature of the NBA.
Allen Iverson’s season is over, according to the Detroit Pistons.
What about his career?
Iverson, who will be 34 next season, has an achy back and a psyche that is just as sore, but it would be unwise and premature to label him finished. Still, this season his game declined and that was even before his back began giving out.
Iverson should be in the NBA next season, but he has accumulated plenty of mileage during 13 NBA seasons.
Many felt that with the hell-bent fury that Iverson displayed on the court, that once he began to slow down ever so slightly, it would be the signal of a steep decline.
He can still beat players off the dribble, but not as frequently as earlier in his career. Even at his best he was never a great outside shooter. And his critics have long suggested that he doesn’t make his teammates better.
Iverson’s supporters will point out to his MVP season in 2000-2001 when he was named the league MVP and led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA final. That was an overachieving defensive-minded 76ers team that lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. That season Iverson was at his best, but it was also eight years ago. Since then, Iverson has been part of just one winning playoff series, and that came in the first round in the 2002-2003 season.
Pistons president Joe Dumars has long earned the reputation as one of the top executives in the NBA, but brining Iverson on board and unloading Chauncey Billups won’t rank much higher than the decision to select Darko Milicic with the second overall selection in the 2003 NBA draft.
One wonders what shape the Pistons would be in today had they selected one of the three players taken immediately after Milicic – Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. And one can also wonder where Detroit would be had Billups stayed.
Dumars can still make good on the Iverson deal by using the cap room that the Pistons will receive when his salary of nearly $22 million comes off the books after this season.
Yet the trade certainly didn’t work this season and there is no guarantee that the added dollars can once again buy an Eastern Conference contender.
A Pistons team that has been to the Eastern Conference finals six consecutive years is still struggling to be a playoff participant. And while it’s too simplistic to put all the blame on Iverson, he certainly hasn’t done his part to make the Pistons a better team.
Iverson has always been lauded for playing as hard as any player in the league. There is a distinction however between playing hard and playing well. At this point of his career, he is a liability on defense. Iverson continues to need to dominate the ball and thus his teammates, especially in Detroit, were often left standing around. He also didn’t make a favorable impression after complaining about coming off the bench
If Iverson couldn’t fall into line in a team-first unit like the Pistons, could he do it for another NBA team?
He still has enough skill to be able to give a team an offensive lift, but the days of being a 40-minute-a-night player for a serious playoff contender appear to be over. That said, he should still have job options.
First and foremost, Iverson is still a drawing card and one of the NBA’s true fan favorites. His popularity was demonstrated when the fans voted him to the NBA All-Star team against this season.
So a team looking for a gate attraction, especially next season when the NBA is expected to be hurting for ticket sales due to the sagging economy, could take a flyer on Iverson.
Iverson likely has to accept a lot less money and a lesser role with any team he joins, unless he wants to go to a truly awful franchise and then he will be able to score at will.
It doesn’t seem conceivable that he will return to Detroit and it’s hard at this point to come up with any major contender reaching out to Iverson.
His back will eventually heal, but he has some work to do in convincing others that his game remains healthy. Iverson will have to prove that he is a team-first player who can make any franchise appreciably better.
This has been a deep rookie class in the NBA. Whether there are many future all-stars from this group remains to be seen, but there are several players who have made serious contributions, albeit many on teams with losing records.
The rookie of the year debate is often spirited, and this year there are a list of top candidates, but barring a late-season collapse, the first player taken in the draft should emerge with the award.
Derrick Rose has been everything advertised while taking over as the point guard for the Chicago Bulls.
Some critics have suggested that O.J. Mayo and Rose are receiving consideration solely on scoring statistics, since they are the top two rookie scorers.
That obviously plays a part, but Rose especially has done much more than score. In fact in the recent NBA rookie efficiency ratings, Rose is second behind New Jersey center Brook Lopez, with Memphis’ Marc Gasol third.
Rose has carried the biggest burden and has his team still fighting for a playoff spot, even if it is in the watered down Eastern Conference.
Here is one person’s all-rookie team if the season were to end today. This is not projecting who will be the best player in the future, but only on first-year production.
He would be our rookie of the year hands down. Are there parts of his game that need improvement? Of course. Remember, he is less than two years removed from high school. He led Memphis into the NCAA title game last year and with the right parts around him, has the ability to take the Bulls to much greater heights.
Rose is second in the NBA among rookies in minutes per game (36.7) and scoring (16.5 ppg.). His 2.39 assist to turnover ratio (6.2 assists, 2.58 turnovers) is certainly acceptable for a rookie.
Rose’s overall field goal percentage (46.6 percent) is more than acceptable, although he must work on his three-point shooting (23.5). Rose is only attempting three free throws per game, a figure that must increase, especially since he is shooting almost 80 percent from the line.
At 20-years-old, Rose figures to have a bright future. He is one player on this team we can pencil in as a potential future all-star.
Has enjoyed an excellent first season, averaging 12.9 points and second among rookies (to Kevin Love) in rebounds at 7.0. Lopez also leads all rookies in blocked shots (1.84 average) in slightly more than 30 minutes per game. He’s shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 82.6 percent from the foul line. Of all the rookies, he may have exceeded the initial expectations the most.
Detractors say he leads the NBA rookies in scoring (18.4) because he also leads first-year players in minutes played (37.9). Yet Mayo has that same quality that Rose possesses in that he could be projected to one day be a future all-star.
Could he defend better? Sure, but that could be said about any rookie, and many veterans in the league. And Mayo will have to improve his 1.09 assist-to-turnover ratio. Mayo is also shooting 87.7 percent from the foul line, but is attempting 3.5 free throws per game. Again, as he expands his game and takes the ball to the basket, there is no reason why he shouldn’t double that free throw attempt figure, which would make him even more dangerous.
4. Marc Gasol, Memphis.He been a pleasant surprise. A rugged inside player, Gasol is averaging 11.4 points and 7.5 rebounds in slightly more than 30 minutes per game. He is shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 72 percent from the foul line. One thing that can’t be shown on the stat sheet is the toughness he brings to a young team. Whether he develops into a future all-star like his brother Pau remains to be seen, but he is certainly one of the building blocks on a Grizzlies team that can use several more.
While he’s averaging 10.1 points per game, Chalmers has come in to be the point guard of a playoff-bound Miami team that only won 15 games last year. (Of course a healthy Dwyane Wade has had a little to do with Miami’s dramatic improvement). Chalmers’ assist-to-turnover ratio (2.36) is just behind Rose. He’s shooting a respectable 35.9 percent from beyond the arc. Other rookies have had better statistical seasons, but he has filled in admirably in the Heat’s biggest position of need.
When the San Antonio Spurs got off to a 2-5 start and were hobbled with some key injuries, it was open game for the skeptics. One nitwit even suggested that if things didn’t improve that the Spurs faced the real prospect of missing the postseason for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
Fast forward to the post NBA all-star break portion of the season and the Spurs are in their accustomed position of challenging for an NBA title.
Two points should be made of the situation.
One, you shouldn’t believe everything you read. And second, it’s both unwise and premature to begin doubting the capability of San Antonio.
In fairness to the skeptics (i.e. me) Manu Ginobili still hadn’t played early in the season while recovering from ankle surgery. Adding to the Spurs woes, Tony Parker had just suffered a sprained ankle on Nov. 7 in a 99-83 loss to Miami that dropped their record to 1-4.
So the Spurs faced the prospect of competing without two of the Big Three, while the third member of that trio, Tim Duncan was forced to play extended minutes early in the season.
Of course doom didn’t appear on the Spurs’ doorstep. Ginobili’s return provided the expected major spark. In his first 38 games back, the Spurs were 29-9.
Parker missed nine games and the Spurs still managed to go 7-2 in those contests.
Duncan, who was averaging nearly 40 minutes per game early in the season, now has his season average to a manageable 35.3 per game. Look for that total to drop over the final 31 games of the season.
Nobody does a better job of getting his team ready for the postseason than coach Gregg Popovich.
So what happened?
The Spurs have received better than expected production from Roger Mason, who is averaging 11.9 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from beyond the arc. Plus, as the Phoenix Suns will attest to, Mason has shown a penchant for hitting one big shot after another.
Duncan has in his own quiet way continued to be a 20 and 10 machine. When Parker and Ginobili were both out of the lineup, he carried the team.
Both before and after his injury, Parker has been a dominant point guard and a deserving all-star selection and Ginobili remains as one of the top clutch performers in the NBA.
It has all added up to earning the Spurs the second best record in the Western Conference at the all-star break (35-16).
The Spurs have answered the question of being an NBA title contender. The bigger question is can they win with the team intact or do they have to make a move by the trade deadline?
Good question.
The Spurs can no doubt contend, but contending and winning it all are two different things.
It would appear as if the Spurs would have to add an extra piece if they have designs of winning their fifth NBA title since 1999.
Of course the Spurs have been among the teams rumored to have interest in New Jersey’s Vince Carter. And there is no doubt that adding Carter would move the Spurs right into Laker territory.
However, from this vantage point, it would be a surprise if the Spurs would be able to pull this off.
The Nets would seem to want a potential starter and a possible huge expiring contract and the Spurs don’t seem like a fit here.
Of course there could be other additions that are less expensive that could help the Spurs. For instance Sacramento’s John Salmons has been mentioned as being available and somebody like that who plays good defense and is quietly averaging 18.3 points per game, would be a welcome addition.
Of course, Salmons is scoring a lot of points on a bad Kings team, but the fact remains that he would provide the Spurs with the type of depth they need.
One problem is that the Spurs don’t have a lot to offer other teams. Dangling a player like Bruce Bowen isn’t going to bring a hefty return.
If San Antonio could add a piece, then the Spurs would be awfully dangerous. As it is now, they still will be a difficult team in the playoffs.
Still, one would have to worry about the Spurs depth unless players such as Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas suddenly find the fountain of youth.
And Duncan has carried such a big load this year, that one has to wonder if a player who turns 33 in April will wear down at all when the postseason rolls along.
Keep in mind that there are other teams that would like to have the Spurs so-called problems. With three players who are as dangerous as any trio in the Western Conference, the Spurs have the capability to beat anybody.
Whether changes are made or not, one sure bet is that nobody will relish facing the Spurs in the postseason.
He came on so strong at the end of last season and looked right at home in the postseason that a natural question in his second year is whether Derrick Rose will be able to move up to the select group of point guards in the NBA.
Doug Collins and New York Post basketball writer Peter Vescey have been selected to receive the 2009 Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during Enshrinement festivities scheduled for September 10-11, 2009 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio should be one of the most intriguing players to enter the NBA in quite some time. Rubio plays with a flair that has had him compared to one of the all-time great showmen, Pete Maravich.
This has been a deep rookie class in the NBA. Whether there are many future all-stars from this group remains to be seen, but there are several players who have made serious contributions, albeit many on teams with losing records.
When the San Antonio Spurs got off to a 2-5 start and were hobbled with some key injuries, it was open game for the skeptics. One nitwit even suggested that if things didn’t improve that the Spurs faced the real prospect of missing the postseason for the first time since the 1996-97 season.