Blazers getting defensive

Nate McMillan is a defensive minded coach. Always has been, always will be. He wants his teams to play 48 minutes of defense and let that defense fuel the offense.

Despite this inclination for strong team defense, McMillan hasn't always had the personnel necessary to carry out the task. Zach Randolph, Darius Miles, Sebastian Telfair, Jarrett Jack, Dan Dickau, Juan Dixon, Voshon Leonard, Charles Smith, etc. None of those names listed ever earned any type of post-season defensive honors. But now, the Blazers have some players who compete with that "defense first" mind state. Greg Oden, Nicolas Batum, Joel Przybilla and now other players who are developing an appreciation for defense.

Throughout this preseason and training camp, McMillan has instilled in his team defense first. We heard it from players across the board, from LaMarcus Aldridge to Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, preaching about the increased defensive effort we'd see this season.

"We feel like if we put defense first, we can do anything," Aldridge said during Blazers media day interviews.

This was something Aldridge and Roy repeated throughout post-practice interviews during training camp. The increased focus on defense by the players came from the added attention, and new concepts injected by McMillan and his staff. And as Jason Quick wrote back in October, it started with Roy and Aldridge:

The Blazers, it appears, really are serious about this defending stuff.

The first hour of each Blazers practice has been spent on defensive drills; the next hour in executing the concepts. The last half hour is usually spent scrimmaging.

"We drill it, we drill it, we drill it, we drill it, we drill it," coach Nate McMillan said. "Then we talk about it, we drill it, we talk about it, we drill it."

McMillan, who considers himself a defensive-minded coach, said he didn't coach-up his players to talk about defense to the media. And he said he hasn't harped on them so much that it has seeped into their mindset.

Rather, the team's top two players - Aldridge and Roy - both came to their own conclusions at the end of last season, after the Blazers finished among the league's worst at forcing turnovers and grabbing defensive rebounds. McMillan said he asked his two stars what needed to improve next season for the team to succeed, and he said both emphatically pointed to defense.

Now, for all this talk and practice on containment and "overloading," the Blazers were not a very good defensive team to start the season. Through the first eight games, Portland was allowing an average of 99 points per game, which ranked near the bottom. That includes Greg Oden's return against Miami on Nov. 12 (the eighth game). During those first eight, the Blazers also faced some very stiff competition in the Los Angeles Lakers (first in the league in scoring at 107.8 ppg), Phoenix Suns (100.6 ppg), Utah Jazz (99.9 ppg) and Orlando Magic (100.4 ppg).

But over the last 10 games, the number of points allowed by Portland has dropped significantly, from 99 per to 88.2. And over the total of 18 games, the Blazers are now near the bottom of the NBA in points allowed, at 93 per, along with defensive-minded squads such as Boston (90.1), Houston (90.9), Cleveland (92.6), San Antonio (93.0) and New Orleans (93.0). It's a fairly rapid change for a team that struggled to get stops early on.

So what's the reason for this sudden uptick in defense? Well, it seems to boil down to a number of things. As this team came into the season, there were a number of new faces on the roster, with a handful becoming major contributors early (Oden, Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez). With so much fluctuation from one season to the next, there was obviously a lack of familiarity among some of the players. A lot of these guys were not yet used to playing with each other and didn't know how to play off each other. That help-and-containment defense McMillan was harping on during the training camp wasn't there yet because a bulk of the roster was still figuring out how to play with one another. And while no one on this team is (yet) an elite individual defender, there are enough pieces to make the team a good defensive unit.

Add to the unfamiliarity the fact that Martell Webster (a starter) went down in the preseason and Greg Oden (also a starter) suffered a minor injury in the first game of the season, and there was even more change. Batum has done an outstanding job of stepping into the starting small forward role and becoming one of the team's better defenders in a very short period, routinely drawing the other team's best offensive weapon. Joel Przybilla (averaging eight rebounds and just over a block per game in 23 minutes), another of the better Blazer defenders, has gone from starting the season on the bench, back to starting, and now back to the second unit.

With the return of Oden and new familiarity of the team, opponents are having an even harder time getting points in the paint (the Blazers average 5.6 blocks per game) and second-chance points (the Blazers lead the league limiting opponents rebounds) and the Blazers are in the top 10 statistically in limiting opponents' assists. *Clarification from Casey Holdahl, of trailblazers.com: "Blazers play at the slowest pace in the NBA at 88.9 possessions per game, which is why our opponents don't get as many assists or rebounds." For more on the numbers game, check this post.

But what seems to be the main reason for the improvement is that this team's comfort level is extremely high right now. The Blazers are comfortable with how they are playing on both ends of the floor. There's finally some continuity in the rotation and guys are getting used to each other. Comfort and confidence. There's always room for improvement, more steals, creating more turnovers, but such a quick improvement defensively is encouraging.

Stan Van Gundy high on Kevin Durant

What will Kevin Durant be like when he grows into his body?

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy predicts Durant, who faces Van Gundy and the Magic tonight at Amway Arena, will be a nightmare.

"The key to being great in this league is you have a defined game of what you do well and continue to do it better and better,” Van Gundy said. "Will he become a better post-up player? Yeah. But if he’s spending all his time trying to become a low-post guy, honestly, I think he’s spending his time the wrong way.”

Van Gundy agrees Durant must improve weaknesses to reach All-Star status. But Van Gundy’s witnessed a similar transformation with his center, Dwight Howard, a beast inside who critics said needed to expand his shooting range.

Now in his fifth year in the NBA, Howard’s steady improvement earned him a spot on Team USA. He is an MVP candidate. But Howard’s forte is, and always will be, a dominant inside presence. Get Howard 15-feet away from the goal too often, and Van Gundy says you’re not playing to his strengths.

Same goes for Durant, who needs to improve his inside game, defense and rebounding. But Van Gundy is such a huge Durant fan that he’s puzzled why critics are quick to pick apart the 20-year-old small forward.

"He’s unique,” Van Gundy said. "I don’t think we’ve ever had anybody in the league that size playing the perimeter. He’s as big as most people’s 4’s (power forwards) and 5’s (centers) but plays on the perimeter. And he is so talented with the ball.

"With his size he can get a good shot almost every time, and there’s not a whole lot you can do. You try the best you can to take away easy baskets. You try to get back in transition and try not to foul him too much and send him to the line. Then you hope he doesn’t make seven or eight jump shots in a row.”

Van Gundy said Atlanta’s Joe Johnson is the closest to Durant’s physical attributes, but Johnson is two inches shorter.

"And Joe Johnson doesn’t have the wing span Durant has, someone who height-wise is a legitimate-sized NBA center,” Van Gundy said. "Not bulk-wise but his wing span. (Durant) will continue to get stronger. But his body is never going to look like LeBron James.”

When Scott Brooks took over as interim coach, his first move was to move Durant to small forward, in large part to help him defensively.

During Brooks’ six-game tenure, Durant has averaged 24.7 points. Under P.J. Carlesimo, Durant was averaging 21.1 after scoring 20.3 to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

"That’s what I don’t understand,” Van Gundy said. "This is a guy who already is averaging more than 20 points, has all kinds of skills and size and everybody tries to keep finding things he can’t do. His size on the perimeter is unheard of. There’s no telling how good he could be.”

Original Source

European Roundup: Jennings Managing Expectations

In this week's European roundup we take an extended look at the most intriguing storyline in this year's NBA Draft with Rome's Brandon Jennings. Also, the play of 7-3 Mirza Begic, arguably the top center in the Euroleague thus far. The latest African prospect to emerge in Spain is Joventut's Christian Eyenga. Emil Prelzdic and Sergio Llull continue to provide their team with late-game heroics in the Euroleague. Omri Casspi snaps out of his funk. Adriatic League prospects Vladimir Dasic, Nemanja Gordic and Dragan Labovic all love playing in the EuroCup.

Player of the Week: Brandon Jennings

Brandon Jennings seems to be settling into his role in European basketball thus far, to the point that it seems safe to begin preliminarily analyzing how he’s playing. With nine games underneath his belt (five in the Italian league, where Rome is 4-1, and four in the Euroleague, where they stand 3-1), Jennings is averaging 18.5 minutes per game, scoring 8 points on 35% shooting from the field and 31% from beyond the arc, pulling down under 2 rebounds and dishing out 2.35 assists compared with 1.35 turnovers. Not really the stuff legends are made out of, but fairly impressive nonetheless considering what he’s going up against at his age. Numbers are typically not the best way to evaluate players in Europe, and this definitely holds true in this case.

VirtusRoma.it

To fully understand Jennings’ role on his team, you must look at the players that are around him, particularly in the team’s backcourt. Former Ivy League player of the year Ibrahim Jaaber (an athletic, defensive minded player) is the starting point guard for all intents and purposes, while former Villanova and Boston Celtic Allan Ray sees over 20 minutes per game as a combo guard.

The most important backcourt player is clearly Slovenian Sani Becirovic, though, a very aggressive and extremely skilled combo guard who is having easily his best season ever as a pro. Becirovic is averaging 15.5 points per game in just 23 minutes per, shooting outrageous percentages, getting to the line at an amazing rate, playing almost no defense (as usual), and doing a fair amount of ball-handling in most minutes he’s on the floor. He has the green light to do basically whatever he pleases on this team, and he can seemingly do no wrong this season thus far.

Alongside them we find the 19-year old rookie Jennings, sometimes coming off the bench (typically for the 2nd and 3rd quarters), at times getting the starting nod, but rarely a major focal point in the offense. This is quite normal considering the quality of players around him (big men Andre Hutson and Primoz Brezec are both major back to the basket threats) and the level of competition Rome competes at. As Jennings gains more experience and earns the trust of the very patient coaching staff led by Croatian Jasmin Repesa, he may feel more comfortable showing his full array of talent.

Right now, Jennings appears to be at his best receiving outlet passes and pushing the ball up the floor in transition. His outstanding combination of speed and ball-handling skills make him absolutely impossible to contain in the open floor, and he is able to change the tempo of the game immediately by turning a defensive rebound into an easy basket.

Another positive impact Jennings is making is with his shooting stroke, which appears to have major potential down the road. He does a very good job spotting up on the wing in catch and shoot situations, looking quite reliable with his feet set, while he can also make some shots off the dribble as well, although his accuracy drops significantly in the process.

As Jennings earns more trust from Repesa, we see the coach letting him get more involved in pick and roll situations in half-court sets. Jennings has great potential here too, as he turns the corner on screens with a tremendous burst of speed, and has the court vision to find the open man rolling to the basket with terrific flair and creativity. He’s shown some terrific sparks of talent with his passing ability at times, having the added benefit of being left-handed, and already being featured on some highlight reels thanks to the flashy assists he can dish out.

Where Jennings has struggled at times is in his ability to get to the basket and finish strong against contact in half-court situations. His lack of strength hurts him here, as he is not the toughest or most physical player around and seems to have trouble operating in the very crowded paint that Europe is famous for, not getting much love from the referees in the process.

He seems to be settling way too much for perimeter jumpers in turn, which helps explain the very poor percentages he’s shooting from the field (35%) and beyond the arc (31%). He has a tendency to pull-up off the dribble early in the shot-clock while fading-away awkwardly for no particular reason, adding a significant degree of difficulty to an already difficult shot. He can certainly make shots of this nature, but not at a high enough percentage to justify taking them.

Jennings’ shot-selection and overall decision making are still a work in progress in general, which is not a surprise considering his age, even if the talent he displays is undeniable. He needs to do a better job of valuing possessions and not getting careless with the ball, as he doesn’t always read what the defense gives him and tends to struggle with things like managing the shot-clock and controlling tempo. Occasionally you’ll still catch him looking more concerned with making a flashy play over a more simple one, but for the most part he looks very focused and willing to learn, and is definitely making strides from week to week.

VirtusRoma.it

Defensively, Jennings is making noticeable strides, but still has room to improve. On one hand, he seems to be putting a pretty good effort into his man to man defense, showing really nice lateral quickness staying in front of his man and better fundamentals than we saw in the past. On the other hand, he lacks significant strength and seems to get pushed off the ball far too easily, having a difficult time getting around screens as well. His team defense is definitely a work in progress, as he looks a bit lackadaisical staying aware of where the ball is on the floor, and is not showing the greatest hustle going after loose balls or trying to help out on the glass.

Even though Jennings has been fairly up and down early in the season thus far (particularly in the Italian league, where he has struggled badly at times), its hard not to come away impressed by how he’s fared, all things considered. He walked into a very difficult situation and seems to be making the best of it thus far, holding his own against hostile crowds and tough gyms in places like Vitoria, Berlin and Ljubljana. There is absolutely no question that he will become a significantly better player from the experience he’s gaining every day, as he’s competing at an incredibly high level under an outstanding coach and is being allowed to latitude to learn from his mistakes.

Jennings looks to have the makings of a very high draft pick at the moment, even if it is very early in the season. We will have to wait and see how he progresses over the next few months, but the early returns look pretty promising.

Follow Brandon Jennings’ advanced stats throughout the season in both the Euroleague and Italian League on his DX stat page.

Looking Beyond the Draft

Begic Blossoming for Olimpija

One of the most pleasant surprises and notable performers thus far in the Euroleague is Slovenian center Mirza Begic. Not long ago a marginal draft prospect -he actually went undrafted in 2007- he’s developing into an extremely productive big man (averaging 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in 23 minutes in the Euroleague), showcasing the kind of back-to-the-basket skills that are so rare to find nowadays among big men.

There’s no wonder that Begic’s most intriguing abilities revolve around his low-post game. Begic takes advantage of his superb length, showing solid footwork, body control and consistently connecting on his hook shots (preferably with his right hand). Certainly not a hustler or a banger, he doesn’t avoid contact down low, showing good hands to catch the ball, a good feel for the game, and decent quickness executing his moves. When you package all these abilities in a 7-3 body, you know he’s going to do some serious damage.

Still fairly skinny, much of the progress he has enjoyed as of late is consequence of his body development, as he looks now visibly stronger, which allows him to take contact and operate much more comfortably around the basket. Besides, despite his great size he can get off the floor or run the court reasonably well, even if his limited quickness emerges as one of his shortcomings on the defensive end (the biggest one might be a certain degree of softness). Anyway, he’s a solid rebounder, a fairly intimidating presence on the paint thanks to his length.

We’ll see how the season unfolds for Begic. Despite his Euroleague achievements, his performance at the Adriatic League appears to be significantly less consistent. He’s always carried a rep for being somewhat of an underachiever throughout his career, as he reportedly is not the most enthusiastic worker around, so it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his extremely hot start. Anyway, if he shows some solidity in his outings, chances are he won’t be playing for Olimpija next season, as someone will throw significant money his way in the search for quality size on the paint. In fact, considering that his contract is up this summer, there is some talk that he may be bought out by a rich team in Spain or Russia this season already. And if he keeps developing, the NBA is not out of the question.

Quick Hitters

-The African Wave stays alive in Spain. One of the last imports made his debut in the Euroleague this past week, and answers by the name of Christian Eyenga. He only stayed on the court for a few minutes, but he plays regularly for Joventut’s related LEB Silver team Prat, where we had the chance to watch him. Unlike most of his continent mates crossing the Mediterranean, Eyenga is not an inside player, but a small forward. Born in 1989, he’s a very athletic guy, listed at 6-5, even if he looks more like 6-6. He enjoys a nice wingspan, shows a nicely built body, not bulky, but ripped and pretty strong, good enough to clash against the veterans he faces on a weekly basis in the Spanish third division (LEB Silver).

Eyenga doesn’t particularly stand out for his skills or basketball IQ. Still, he can knock down three-pointers, even if his high-released jumper is pretty inconsistent (he struggles finding balance in the air to ignite a fluid release). He also shows a very nice first step to beat his opponents off the dribble -although he lacks the ball-handling skills to change directions reliably- and he shows decent criteria passing the ball. At least, he seems aware of what he can do on the court. Defensively, he’s pretty intimidating, and regularly collects spectacular blocks. Still, he sometimes relies too much on his athleticism while defending, not properly doing his job on the ground.

Not likely to develop into a big-time prospect, Eyenga’s athleticism makes him moderately intriguing as a defensive-oriented small forward (who plays bigger than his size) with –hopefully- a decent outside stroke.

-For the second straight week, it was Slovenian forward Emil Prelzdic the one making huge plays for Fenerbahce Ulker in a dramatic winning effort. The 21 year-old had another big outing, coming up with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a double-overtime victory over Olimpija Ljubljana. The 6-9 Prelzdic is impressing with his ability to handle the ball, make plays for himself and others, and play multiple positions in Fenerbahce’s offense. His shooting stroke remains streaky and he really didn’t look like much of a defender in certain possessions today, but there is no question that he is deserving of an extensive look sometime soon.

-Another young hero in the Euroleague today was Sergio Llull, who sparked his team back from a 5-point deficit with a minute to go to help Real Madrid defeat Armani Jeans Milano. Llull’s energy, defense and aggressiveness were huge keys. With Raul Lopez again on the shelf, Llull had 11 points and 4 assists in 24 minutes.

-After three disappointing outings in which he was basically a non-factor, Omri Casspi finally had his first good Euroleague game of the season today in a blowout loss against Olympiakos, scoring 16 points in 18 minutes after getting the nod to open in the starting five. Casspi has received little to no credit from new Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Effi Birenboim in the Euroleague thus far, but a shakeup was probably in order considering how poorly his team has performed in virtually every match they’ve played this season. This was supposed to be Casspi’s coming out party this season, after removing his name from the draft last June while despite being considered a borderline first round pick. This week started off well for him with a solid 19-point in 22 minute performance in the Israeli league against Nahariya, and he will attempt to build off his first good Euroleague game next week at home against Unicaja Malaga.

-Following up on last week’s post about Vladimir Dasic, Nemanja Gordic and Buducnost’s surprising result against Turkish power Galatasaray in Istanbul, we should mention that the return game of the EuroCup qualifier was barely a contest, as Buducnost embarrassed Galatasaray 93-62 at home in Montenegro. Gordic and Dasic both scored 16 points each. That win puts Buducnost in the Group stage of the EuroCup now, alongside Czech club Nymburk, Serbian club Hemofarm and Spanish side Bilbao, which is quite a manageable draw. Gordic and Dasic will now enjoy the exposure of competing twice a week in both the Adriatic League and EuroCup, which is a nice bonus for them. They are both overdue for write-ups on this site, which is likely to happen within the next few weeks as we continue to evaluate them.

-Also qualifying for the group stage of the EuroCup is Serbian club FMP Zeleznik, who managed to knock off Ural Great from Russia in the second qualifying stage, after disposing of MyGuide Amsterdam in the first. The star of the team thus far has clearly been 6-9 power forward Dragan Labovic, who is averaging 21 points per game in their four EuroCup games this season. Labovic has been scoring right around 20 points per game in the Adriatic league as well, which qualifies him as the league’s #1 overall scorer. Even though he doesn’t enjoy the same potential as some of his International counterparts, it’s hard to ignore the production he’s delivering on a weekly basis.


Original Source : DraftExpress

Looking for a commitment? Try these Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are about to put one of the world's oldest quandaries into play: should you value looks or personality?

Uncommitted basketball fans who fell in love with the dazzling Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors are single again. Those squads aren't the way they used to be. The Suns are now Shaquille O'Neal in the low post, not Mike D'Antoni on the sideline, frantically waving them down court. Steve Nash is another year older and gone are the days when they averaged 111 points per game.

Golden State lost Baron Davis, is missing Monta Ellis and added Corey Maggette, whose weapon of choice is the free throw.

And there are the Blazers, sitting alone at the bar, inviting your attention. They're young and don't have any baggage. They flirted with you last year, when they won 13 consecutive games in December and looked like playoff material before fading in the second half of the season. Now they have a little more experience and a lot more talent with Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez -- their two main acquisitions from the summer of 2007 -- finally in uniform.

But they won't be running nonstop into your heart. They'd rather take it a little more slowly.

Their best player and leader, Brandon Roy, admits that he plays an old man game and their coach says he wants the emphasis this season to be on defense. They're not trying to give the scoreboard operators carpal tunnel syndrome. They won't do anything wild and crazy to get attention. This isn't "Flavor of Love" or "I Love New York."

"We're not going to really woo you," Roy says. "But we're going to be a little bit more exciting this year. We're young, and people kind of want to cheer for the young team."

Not just the young team, the nice team. People crave good guys, athletes you can root for without explanation or apology. After too many headlines dominated by Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Pacman Jones, isn't it time for a squad like the Trail Blazers?

You won't find so much as a scowl in their locker room. They play ping-pong together and take group trips to the movies. They're involved in the community, not a threat to it.

And if any city in America deserved this crop of kids, it's Portland. This is the city that suffered through Isaiah Rider, Gary Trent, Zach Randolph and the worst of Rasheed Wallace. (The low point was captured in this 2001 Sports Illustrated article, which was accompanied by a photo of disinterested Portland players ignoring kids and talking on their cell phones during a community outreach event.)

Blazers fan Arri Maskell said he used to check The Oregonian's Web site every day for news of the team, telling himself, "I hope nobody got arrested today."

General manager Kevin Pritchard has purged all of the bad guys and in the process assembled one of the most talented rosters in the NBA.

It's already won over the locals. The night before the limited amount of single-game tickets available (about 500 per game) went on sale, Fans camped out, Krzyzewskiville-style. They bought about 6,000 tickets in the first day.

Fans in line struck up impromptu conversations and couldn't contain their excitement.

"God, I'm so excited for our team," one fan told a stranger standing next to him. "We're coming back. We're coming back with a bang."

Army private Nathan Emery was back in town from Iraq for 21 nights. He bought tickets to spend two of those nights at the Rose Garden watching Blazers exhibition games.

"To me, it's remembering the good old days," Emery said. "I'm 29 now, so I remember Terry Porter and Clyde Drexler and all that. Seeing these young guys get up, they're really trying now. It's nice to see them back in it."

In a place as small as Portland, there's no way for the players to escape the fan frenzy. They're the biggest names in town.

"It's crazy," Roy said. "I never felt excitement like this for a season. We had our fan fest, there were like 12,000 people in there. Not just how many people, it was the energy."

The fans are already acting like it's the playoffs. True story: They were chanting "De-fense" in the second quarter of the first exhibition game.

That's the same message coach Nate McMillan is trying to sell to his team.

"Our attitude, the focus is on the defensive end of the floor," he said. "Getting better defensively, and offensively trying to establish a post game. We want to go inside. We're going to take advantage of that. That was one of the things we didn't do last year, was get points in the paint.

"We're not going to walk the ball up the floor, but we're not going to run-and-gun. We want to run, and if there's nothing there, we want to execute a half-court offense establishing a low-post presence. We feel we have that this year. It's fundamental basketball."

Fundamental basketball is for the people who would rather read the book than watch the movie adaptation. And if you like the fundamentals, you'll like this team. It plays intelligently and unselfishly. No one's obsessed with touches or shots. The focus is on making the best play every time down the court, a tone set by Roy.

They have just about every component you could ask for: low-post defenders in Oden and backup Joel Przybilla. An up-and-coming power forward in LaMarcus Aldridge, who could be even more effective now that Oden's around to handle the big-boy work. Fernandez provides the fun factor, whether he's making slick passes or throwing down alley-oops from Sergio Rodriguez.

The Blazers improved by an average of 10 victories per season in McMillan's second and third seasons. Another 10 W's in Season 4 would get them to 51, which would have enabled them to sneak into the playoffs with the eighth spot in last season's ultra-competitive Western Conference.

They won't be sneaking around on anyone this season, not with everybody talking about them as the league's up-and-coming team. It's a dangerous combination of inexperience and expectations -- people expect them to make the playoffs, even though only two of their top players (Przyzbilla and Steve Blake) have ever played in the playoffs.

"We have some young talented players with potential," McMillan said. "But right now it's potential. What we have to do is put them out there and allow them to grow, allow them to blossom and build with this group."

In other words, the Blazers might not make your jaw drop right away. Give them time. This could turn into a long-term relationship.

One Day in the Life of Isiah Thomas

Gone, but nowhere near forgotten, Isiah Thomas still occupies our hearts and minds, if not an MSG office. Russ Bengtson imagines Zeke’s post-Knicks life.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Russ Bengtson
Special guest appearance by Jake Appleman*.

Last week, Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn passed away at the age of 89. His most well-known works, The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, exposed many to the grim life of inmates in mid-20th century Soviet labor camps. For a time, Solzhenitsyn was one of them.

While I have never spent any time in a Soviet labor camp (and given the dissolution of the Soviet Union I never will—score!), I did attend a preposterous number of Knicks games during the Isiah Thomas era. Like Mr. Solzhenitsyn, I endured my share of suffering. And like Mr. Solzhenitsyn, I choose to purge those memories through writing.

Isiah has been out of the news lately, deposed but not forgotten. We can merely speculate—or in this case fantasize—about his day-to-day activities. So with apologies to the late Mr. Solzhenitsyn, I present One Day in the Life of Isiah Thomas:

9:14 a.m. Alarm goes off.

9:17 a.m. Hits snooze.

9:27 a.m. Alarm goes off.

9:29 a.m. Gets up.

9:33 a.m. Places blocked call to Marbury residence. Gets machine. Adopts high-pitched voice. “Hey Steph, nice head tattoo. Is that your IQ?” Hangs up. Giggles.

9:36 a.m. Takes shower.

9:43 a.m. Makes breakfast.

9:44 a.m. Ruins breakfast.

9:45 a.m. Sexually harasses toaster.

10:06 a.m. Falls asleep on couch.

10:27 a.m. Dreams of trading Eddy Curry, David Lee, Wilson Chandler and eight first-round picks for Shaquille O’Neal, Boris Diaw and Steve Nash. Phone hand twitches.

10:49 a.m. Dreams of f*cking a marketing executive b*tch.

11:46 a.m. Wakes up in cold sweat screaming “DON’T EAT HIM, JEROME, HE’S GOT A GUARANTEED CONTRACT!”

12:01 p.m. Sexually harasses television.

12:14 p.m. Heads into city for lunch.

1:38 p.m. Spends entire midlevel exception on meal. Calls Jim Dolan (“the whiskered one”) to officially make it a business lunch. No one picks up—of course, it’s before 7 p.m. Bills Knicks anyway.

1:52 p.m. Drives by Madison Square Garden. Yells “FIRE ISIAH” out window just to see if anyone notices. They don’t.

2:27 p.m. Runs out of gas three miles from house.

2:36 p.m. Arrives home.

2:43 p.m. Makes popcorn.

2:44 p.m. Burns popcorn.

2:45 p.m. Sexually harasses popcorn maker.

3:13 p.m. Puts in highlight DVD of Knicks tenure.

3:17 p.m. Finishes watching entire DVD.

3:24 p.m. Hires 12-year-old neighborhood kid to mow lawn for next three summers. Agrees to pay him $3.2 million.

*3:27 p.m.: Sends Marbury text message that reads, “the D in Duhon stands for Defense.”

3:37 p.m. Stands and watches with lips pursed as kid mows over flowers, newspaper, cat. Gets rid of him after paying him the full amount. Since the newspaper still contained the sports section, this is a business expense. Bills Knicks.

3:46 p.m. Receives response from Marbury: “What the f*ck is a Chris Duhon?”

3:58 p.m. Edits Wikipedia entry on “bitch.”

4:02 p.m. Flips past Brazilian soccer match on Fox Soccer. Satisfies international scouting duty for week.

4:04 p.m. Sexually harasses couch.

4:14 p.m. Calls Joe Dumars. No answer.

4:16 p.m. Calls Rick Mahorn. No answer.

4:18 p.m. Calls Bill Laimbeer. No answer.

4:20 p.m. Calls John Salley. No answer.

4:22 p.m. Calls Vinnie Johnson. No answer.

4:24 p.m. Calls Chuck Nevitt. Hangs up after one ring.

4:26 p.m. Picks up Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success

4:27 p.m. Puts down Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success

4:28 p.m. Picks up dictionary, looks up “pyramid”.

4:36 p.m. Drives to Costco.

4:48 p.m. Looks in vain for “Bulk Max Contracts.”

4:52 p.m. Sexually harasses shopping cart.

5:06 p.m. Buys 67-inch flatscreen, Playstation 3, NBA Live 2009, case of Cool Ranch Doritos.

5:47 p.m. Hooks up PS3. Undoes Renaldo Balkman trade, swaps Gallinari for D.J. White, trades Marbury for Jermaine O’Neal. Plays game against Celtics, loses 168-3. Blames Sony.

*6:12 p.m. Forges letter to David Lee, in which he, as Donnie Walsh, threatens to make Lee a “space year compensation” player and blast him into orbit.

6:36 p.m. Updates resume. Submits to Monster.

7:10 p.m. Heads back to city for dinner.

8:12 p.m. Goes to Waverly Inn, gets booed.

9:33 p.m. Drives to practice facility by mistake.

10:17 p.m. Arrives home.

10:42 p.m. Attempts to prank call Michael Jordan. Realizes Jordan gave him wrong number. Hangs up.

10:44 p.m. Looks at own Basketball Reference page.

10:46 p.m. Sexually harasses computer.

11:13 p.m. Pours glass of water.

11:14 p.m. Spills glass of water.

11:15 p.m. Blames someone else.

11:26 p.m. Brushes teeth.

11:30 p.m. Checks smile in mirror.

11:33 p.m. Sexually harasses self.

11:34 p.m. Breaks gaze away.

11:35 p.m. Looks back.

11:48 p.m. Picks out suit for next day.

11:52 p.m. Realizes he doesn’t need to wear suit anymore.

12:06 a.m. Turns on Home Shopping Network.

12:12 a.m. Orders $36,000 worth of Bad Boys Pistons memorabilia. Bills Knicks.

12:21 a.m. Calls Spike Lee to pitch movie on Knicks tenure.. No answer.

12:23 a.m. Calls Woody Allen to pitch movie on Knicks tenure. Allen agrees only if he can cast Scarlett Johannson as Anucha Browne Sanders. Thomas agrees only if he can be cast as himself. Allen hangs up.

12:31 a.m. Calls Michael Bay to pitch movie on Knicks tenure. Makes multi-million dollar deal.

12:33 a.m. Calls Fred Jones. Signs him to multi-million dollar personal service contract.

12:37 a.m. Goes to sleep fully content. He’d had many strokes of luck that day.

Original article : [SlamOnline]

French Fried

The Frederic Weis Story.

by Matt Caputo

When all was said and done, the New York Knicks needed nine years and a guy named Patrick Ewing to rid their organization of Frederic Weis. But when they acquired the son of their former franchise player yesterday for the rights to Weis, who never played a day in the NBA, the team took it’s biggest step toward erasing a draft choice that some New Yorkers still believe might have cursed their troubled NBA squad. Without ever suiting-up, Weis became one of the most talked about draft picks in Knicks history because of who the team didn’t select in his place.

At 7-foot-2, Weis’ game was only beginning to grow into his massive frame when the Knicks took him with the 15th pick in the 1999 draft. He’d played well in the top professional league in France, his native country, the year before he was picked. Weis averaged 13 plus points and 7 plus rebounds in the 98-99 season. Although he’d sustained a back injury at the end of the season, Weis appeared to be making the right progress toward being in the NBA.

The Knicks were coming off a run to the championship in the labor dispute shortened season. After 50 games and a record of 27-23, the Knicks hung around the playoffs long enough to be beaten by the Spurs in the Finals. The series gave David Robinson his first title and kept Patrick Ewing Sr. that much further away from the chip that had eluded him his entire career. Although it was a short season, the Knicks were on a high and their position in the draft was only going to help them.

1999 was a solid draft that did birth a few stars. Elton Brand, Baron Davis, Lamar Odom, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Richard Hamilton are among some of the top players to come from via the ‘99 draft. However that same draft class included William Avery, Leon Smith, Trajan Langdon and Aleksandar Radojevic, who are numbered among several others who didn’t pan out in the League.

When it came to the 15th pick, the Knicks still had options. The typical objection of Knick fans was that the team didn’t take local beast Ron Artest. However, James Posey, Devean George, Andrei Kirilenko and Manu Ginobili, who was not selected until second to very last pick, were all still in the player pool waiting to hear their names called.

At the time, the Knicks were so high on Weis they felt he was too good to be floating around Europe another year. Even Weis himself wasn’t sure he was ready. He didn’t play well in Summer League and earned the nickname “French Toast” in the process.

Weis was a no-show at Summer League in 2000. He chose instead to be forever posterized in the hearts and minds of hoop fans everywhere at the Sydney Olympics. Vince Carter didn’t so much as dunk on the Frenchman as he did totally leap over him with a blatant disregard. It was like Weis wasn’t even there.

After the 1999 NBA Summer League, Weis went home and played in the French ProA league, but his numbers dropped a bunch. He signed a two-year contract worth $1.3 million to play in Greece in 2000, but left after only five games. He has played the majority of his career in Spain having never averaged 10 points or 10 rebounds in a season since being drafted by the Knicks.

Weis made an unexpected return to the French National Team in 2007 to help them through EuroBasket’07. Although the French finished 8th, he did play alongside Tony Park, Ronnie Turiaf and Boris Diaw, providing tough post defense. Aside for being totally humiliated by Vince Carter, he helped France to a Silver Medal finish at the 2000 Olympics. So, in all fairness, Weis has played fairly well in International competition and his strong defense and massive post presence might not always show up in stats.

Ewing Jr., 6-8, 240-pounds, was taken by Sacramento with the 43rd pick in the 2008 draft. He was traded to the Rockets on Aug. 14 as part of a multi-player deal. A 24-year-old Boston native, Ewing Jr. played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana University before transferring to Georgetown. As a senior, Ewing averaged 6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 34 games, winning the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award.

The Knicks acquisition of “Young Ewing” probably won’t make or break their playoff chances. But if the kid makes the team it might be another reason to leave the game on this season, seeing as going to a Knicks game is out of the question. As it is likely that Ewing Jr. knows he’s got some work to do before he fills his father’s uniform, especially considering he’s a bit shorter than his dad, Knicks rookie Danilo Gallinari, an Italian import via first round draft pick, can take a lesson from this trade. The last thing the Knicks need right now is another Frederic Weis.

the original source:
slamonline.com/online/2008/08/french-fried/

North Carolina's talented class leads the way

The fall signing period for college basketball, Nov. 12-19, is about three months away, and we are on the brink of college coaches' fall contact period, which begins Sept. 9 and extends through Oct. 5. So players' verbal commitments could really start multiplying.

Already, 60 players in the 2009 ESPNU 100 have chosen their future college. Of those players who have made their decisions, 14 of them are ranked in the top 30 and 27 are in the top 50.

Only three of the top 15 prospects, however, have decided where they'll attend college. These highly rated and still-undecided players, including the top two prospects, 6-6 G/F Xavier Henry, and 6-9 PF Derrick Favors, could significantly impact the final positioning of the 2009 fall recruiting classes.

Although these current recruiting rankings undoubtedly will change during the coming months, we thought it timely to revise and update the pre-summer recruiting list from May. North Carolina, with commitments from five players in the ESPNU top 50, retains the No. 1 spot.

Villanova, with a recent commitment from one of the nation's top sleepers, No. 27 6-9 C/F Mouphtaou Yarou (Woodstock, Va./Massanutten Military Academy), vaulted to No. 2. Three of its recruits are ranked in the top 35. Georgetown, Texas A&M and Marquette complete the top five current classes.

ESPN.com's top 10 recruiting classes

Chris Johnson/Reebok

John Henson is the No. 3 prospect in the ESPNU 150.

1. North Carolina, five verbal commitments

The Tar Heels struck early and assembled a highly talented class with five top 50 players who could make up a formidable team. This group is headed by No. 3 prospect power forward John Henson, who recently moved with his family to Tampa, Fla. He will play his senior year at Sickles High School. Henson had a tremendous summer, after which he made a considerable jump in the player rankings, and he has unlimited potential as he adds strength and weight. Other top newcomers for coach Roy Williams are No. 19 prospect Dexter Strickland (Elizabeth, N.J./ St. Patrick), a 6-3 combo guard; No. 25, 6-5 guard Leslie McDonald (Eads, Tenn./ Briarcrest Christian); and the highly skilled Wear twins, No. 49 David Wear and No. 50 Travis Wear (Santa Ana, Calif./ Mater Dei). The Tar Heels could lock up the top recruiting ranking if they can get No. 12 prospect, 6-9 forward Ryan Kelly (Raleigh, N.C./ Ravenscroft).

2. Villanova, three verbal commits

Coach Jay Wright's Wildcats ascended to No. 2 by securing commitments from three players among the top 35, led by No. 22 Maalik Wayns (Philadelphia/ Roman Catholic). The 6-footer projects as the consummate future floor leader at Villanova. The Wildcats also have Yarou, a native of of Benin, Africa, who emerged as one of the nation's best power players this summer; and No. 31 Isaiah Armwood (Rockville, Md./ Montrose Christian), a versatile 6-8 P/WF. Villanova could challenge North Carolina for top honors if it lands No. 11 Dominic Cheek (Jersey City, N.J./ St. Anthony) -- a sweet-shooting, 6-6 guard -- and No. 33, 6-10 C Aaric Murray (Concordville, Pa./ Glen Mills).

3. Georgetown, three verbal commits

Coach John Thompson III and the Hoyas have a strong three-member class of two ESPNU 100 players and one of the nation's top prep school talents. Six-foot-8 PF Chris Braswell (Chatham, Va./ Hargrave Military Academy) was a 2008 Hoyas signee, but he did not achieve the academic requirements to enroll at Georgetown this fall and will spend next year as a postgraduate player at Hargrave Military. Braswell, a force inside, will be one of the top-rated prep school players. The Hoyas also have No. 32 DaShonte Riley (Beverly Hills, Mich./ Detroit Country Day), a talented but inconsistent 6-10 C/F, and No. 75, gifted 6-7 WF Hollis Thompson (Los Angeles, Calif./ Loyola). Several highly ranked prospects are considering Georgetown, so it could advance in the final rankings.

[+] Enlarge

Les Bentley for ESPN.com

Is Dashonte Riley going to be Georgetown's next great center?

4. Texas A&M, three verbal commits

Coach Mark Turgeon and his hard-working staff continued their outstanding recruiting success for the Aggies; Texas A&M has received commitments from three ESPNU 100 players. They are No. 59 Naji Hibbert (Hyattsville, Md./ DeMatha), a multitalented 6-5 2G, No. 64 Khris Middleton (Charleston, S.C./ Porter Gaud), a high-scoring 6-6 WF, and No. 87Kourtney Roberson (Acadia, La.), a powerful inside operative.

5. Marquette, three verbal commits

New head coach Buzz Williams has recruited well since replacing Tom Crean at Marquette. The Golden Eagles already have three ESPNU 100 recruits and are looking to add more. Marquette's class is headlined by Junior Cadougan (originally from Toronto, but attending classes at the Christian Life Center in Humble, Texas). The 6-1 Cadougan was one of the top point guards on the summer circuit. No. 76 Jeronne Maymon (Madison, Wis./ Madison Memorial), a 6-7 power forward, is the state's second-best player. Six-foot-7 WF Erik Williams (Cypress, Texas/ Cypress Springs) is ranked No. 97.

6. N.C. State, three verbal commitments

Coach Sidney Lowe has again landed recruits from the talent-rich state of Georgia; among them are two ESPNU 100 players. Lorenzo Brown (Roswell, Ga./ Centennial), No. 48, can play both backcourt positions, and 6-8 PF Richard Howell (Marietta, Ga./ Wheeler), rated No. 58, will join him in North Carolina. Howell played on the same travel team as N.C. State's freshman standout of last year, J. J. Hickson, who was drafted by the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Howell has the potential to make an impact comparable to that of Hickson for the Wolfpack next year. Coach Lowe also has a commitment from one of the nation's best perimeter shooters, potential ESPNU 100 prospect 6-5 2G Scott Wood (Marion, Ind.). Although the Wolfpack now have players for all three of their available scholarships, they are still involved in talks with No. 81, 6-5 G/F Garrius Adams (Apex, N.C./ Middle Creek).

7. Connecticut, two verbal commits

Coach Jim Calhoun and the Huskies have received commitments from two players in the top 40. One of the top big men of the summer, No. 20 6-8 PF Alex Oriakhi (Tilton, N.H./ The Tilton School), is headed to Storrs. Joining him will be his high school teammate, No. 38 Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, who's a versatile, high-scoring wing. UConn will move up if the Huskies can close on any of the highly rated targets they are pursuing.

[+] Enlarge

Kelly Kline for ESPN.com

Erik Murphy is athletic enough to play in Florida's up-tempo system.

8. Florida, two verbal commits

You can always count on coach Billy Donovan to have a nationally ranked recruiting class, and this year is no exception. The Gators now have commitments from No. 24, 6-10 PF Erik Murphy (Southborough, Mass./ St. Mark's School) and No. 36, 6-10 C/F DeShawn Painter (Chatham, Va./ Hargrave Military Academy). Murphy is one of the most talented all-around big men in the nation. He is a perfect fit for Donovan's playing style. Painter is a superb athlete, but he must get stronger. If the Gators can grab shooting star 6-3 2G Kenny Boynton (Plantation, Fla./ American Heritage), who is ranked No. 13, their class could move up to No. 2.

9. Georgia Tech, four commits

Coach Paul Hewitt and his staff have gotten four talented recruits, including two ESPNU 100 players. The group is led by No. 41 Kammeon Holsey (Sparta, Ga./ Hancock Central), a versatile 6-8 forward, and No. 47 Mfon Udofia (Lithonia, Ga./ Miller Grove), a hard-nosed, 6-3 combo guard. The Yellow Jackets also have commitments from two other nationally ranked players, 6-5 G/F Glen Rice Jr. (Marietta, Ga./ Walton) and hot-shooting 6-6 WF Brian Oliver (New Castle, Del./ William Penn). Georgia Tech appears to be one of the top schools for No. 2 prospect Derrick Favors (Atlanta, Ga./ South Atlanta). The Yellow Jackets could challenge for top honors if they add Favors.

10. Illinois, four verbal commits

Based on our revised ESPNU 100, the Illini fell from the No. 2 spot to No. 10. Coach Bruce Weber now has two ESPNU 100 commitments -- No. 56, guard D.J. Richardson, who will attend Henderson, Nev./Findlay Prep for his senior year and No. 69, 6-9 PF Tyler Griffey (Wildwood, Mo./ Lafayette). Both Richardson and Griffey had outstanding performances in July and could elevate in the final player ratings. Illinois signed two other highly regarded backcourt players, 6-4 Brandon Paul (Gurnee, Ill./ Warren), who could turn out to be the Illini's top recruit next year, and 6-3 combo guard Joe Bertrand (Sterling, Ill.).

Honorable mentions

Louisville, three verbal commits

Once again, coach Rick Pitino and his Cardinals will have a highly ranked recruiting class. Louisville now has two ESPNU 100 players. No. 28 Peyton Siva (Seattle/ Franklin) is a tough, talented point guard. Athletic big man Rakeem Buckles (Opa-Locka, Fla./ Monsignor Pace), ranked No. 74, is well-suited for the team's style of play. The Cardinals also have gotten unranked sharpshooter, 6-5 2G Mike Marra (Northfield, Mass./ Northfield-Mount Hermon). Do not be surprised if Coach Pitino adds more talent to this class.

Oklahoma, three verbal commitments

Coach Jeff Capel's Sooners have three commitments, including two ESPNU 100 players. No. 37, point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin (Mouth of Wilson, Va./ Oak Hill Academy) is the Sooners' top recruit. He is joined by No. 92, 6-5 G/F Steven Pledger (Chesapeake, Va./ Atlantic Shores Christian); and unranked, but productive, 6-9 PF/C Kyle Hardrick (Norman, Okla.). Mason-Griffin is a strong, compact, spark plug lead guard who stood out against the nation's top point guards in July. He will be an outstanding future floor leader for the Sooners.

Other programs that could rank in the top 25:

Arizona (3 verbals), Arizona State (2), Auburn (2), Baylor (2), Clemson (3), Duke (1), Indiana (4), Iowa (2), Kansas State (2), Kentucky (2), Memphis (2), Michigan (2), Michigan State (2), New Mexico (3), Oklahoma State (3), Pittsburgh (2), Purdue (4), Southern California (2), UAB (2), UCLA (2), UNLV (4), Virginia (2), Virginia Tech (4), West Virginia (3), Wisconsin (2) Rutgers (2) and St. John's (2)

Position rankings: TOP 10 Centers

Dwight Howard is a long, long way from reaching his lofty goal of being one of the best to ever play the game, but he certainly is pointed in the right direction.

At age 22, Howard already is the best center in the NBA as he prepares for his fifth season with the Orlando Magic, who are building their franchise and their future hopes around him. At a time when his position's prominence in the game has diminished, Howard has risen to the top with a rare combination of power and athleticism, showing just a hint of how dominating a great center can be. His breakout season -- a league-leading 14.2 rebounds, along with 20.7 points and 2.1 blocks -- might be only a preview, merely a tip of his vast potential. While most of the contenders are banking on perimeter play to carry them, Howard will show that his position has not grown obsolete or insignificant.

Here are the top 10 centers in the NBA, based on players' projected impact on the 2008-09 season:

1. Dwight Howard, Orlando:

Howard still has plenty of room and time to grow as an NBA star. The Superman cape he unveiled last All-Star Weekend might not be too much of a stretch. He should start leaping tall buildings soon, eager to continue expanding his game. The Magic have no excuse if they can't build a serious contender around this inside force.

2. Yao Ming, Houston:

It's time for Yao to start acting and playing like a former No. 1 pick and lead the Rockets deep into the playoffs. With both Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest alongside him, there should be no reason why Yao can't get the Rockets past any of the Western contenders.

3. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers:

After missing all the playoff fun last season, Bynum could either disrupt what the Lakers had or put them over the top. Now going into his fourth season (directly from high school), he has shown some enormous talent. His trick will be making it fit on a team that reached the NBA Finals without him.

4. Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix:

Sure, he has slowed considerably. He is not as hungry anymore, but he still is a dominating presence around the basket. He is counting down the days to retirement, but if Shaq takes his conditioning seriously, the Suns will give him a chance to add one more championship ring before he leaves the game. And that could motivate him this season.

5. Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers:
It's hard to ask for anything more than 13.1 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game from a center, which still makes Camby valuable, even if Denver didn't want him anymore. From a fantasy perspective, his value will go down when he has to share the lane with Chris Kaman. Together, they should give the Clips a defensive presence.

6. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee:
Another former No. 1 pick who has been viewed as a disappointment because expectations were too high. Won't ever be a star, but he can be more than adequate. Watch for new coach Scott Skiles to ramp him up a notch. If he can raise his intensity level, Bogut can help bring the Bucks back to respectability.

7. Tyson Chandler, New Orleans:
Although their point guard gets all the credit, the Hornets would not be a contender without Chandler, who has begun to shine after a slow start in Chicago. He needs to block more shots, but averaging a double-double (11.8 ppg and 11.7 rpg) makes him comfortable in his role. Should score a little more this season.

8. Greg Oden, Portland:

He missed all of last season after being the No. 1 pick in the draft, but he will join the league now with a vengeance, making sure his presence is felt. The year off will relieve the pressure of being a No. 1 pick, making his debut season even more impressive.

9. Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers:

His role looks a little uncertain with Marcus Camby on the roster, but that doesn't take away from a career season. Kaman averaged 15.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks with Elton Brand on the sideline. If Baron Davis will pass him the ball, Kaman will score, but it's unlikely he will get the opportunities he had last season

10. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland:

His toughest assignment is making sure he stays out of the way of LeBron James. Ilgauskas' skills have eroded, but he still can hit the open jumper, make a good pass and guard the slower centers in the league. He needs lots of help trying to guard the younger centers.

After the Olympics, Yi Arrives

East Rutherford, NJ — Yi Jianlian hasn’t gotten much rest these past 12 months.

After the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Yi with the sixth pick in 2007, the 20-year-old forward arrived just in time for training camp, battled through a rookie season that started strong before it ended early with an knee injury, was traded to the New Jersey Nets on Draft day 2008 and competed for the Chinese National Team at the Olympics in Beijing.

Yi has had 10 days off, but after a 13-hour flight to the United States, a sleepless night and his first practice, he’s a little tired.

“I feel I’m able to take a breath now,” Yi said. “I was preparing for the Olympics for a long time. (I’ve) had enough time to recover and get back to 100 percent.”

The Nets are banking on a healthy Yi, who’s likely to start the season at power forward after coming over with Bobby Simmons in the deal that shipped away Richard Jefferson.

Last season, Yi averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25 minutes per game for Milwaukee, though the quality of his play arced like a bell curve. He started solidly (9.7 PPG and 5.8 RPG in Nov.) and improved in December (12.1 PPG; 6.6 RPG; .503 field-goal shooting) before fatigue set in. Yi’s scoring declined each month thereafter, a period during which he shot no better than .426. By February, Charlie Villanueva had replaced Yi in the starting lineup.

“I think it’s important to go through these experiences to improve as a player,” said Yi, through a translator (whom he needs occasionally). “That’s part of the whole learning experience.”

Coach Lawrence Frank is looking forward to working with Yi, who he watched during the Olympics. Yi struggled at times – particularly against Team USA – but hit a game-sealing jumper against Germany to push China into the medal round, where they finished eighth. Frank would like Yi to display initiative and assertiveness on the court, and will discuss goals for the sophomore’s season after spending some time with him.

“We’re going to define what we want from him (soon),” Frank said. “We haven’t defined it yet because it’s the first day we’ve been with him. But in due time, we’ll make it very clear what we expected and what we need.”

Yi said he aims to improve his overall play, and feels confident that the early jump on training camp will ready him. Having Simmons around will help ease the transition to New Jersey; the two players became friendly after living in the same area of Milwaukee.

Yi’s not worried about developing on-court camaraderie with his new teammates, pointing out they’re all professionals and there’s plenty of time left before the Oct. 29 opener in Washington.

“I came earlier this year to practice with the team and had time to meet my teammates,” Yi said. “I have more time to settle in and have a better transition than last year. I think the situation this year is much, much better.”

Rockets retire ‘It’s Time’ to run with ‘Get Red’

The Houston Rockets have drafted a fresh slogan for the new season. “Get Red” has been recruited to replace “It’s Time,” which is being retired after one year.

All things red stood out in a recently conducted brand awareness survey by the National Basketball Association team.

As a result, “Get Red” will be the rookie tagline this week when the Rockets roll out the marketing campaign for the 2008-2009 season. The campaign kicks off Sept. 7 with the first of a series of billboards depicting players melded with a Houston skyline or inside the Toyota Center, dominated by the team’s red uniform color.

Chris Dacey, vice president and chief strategy officer, says the Rockets chose the color theme to promote the team’s distinct brand, ties to the city and emphasize a lively atmosphere at home games.

“Get Red” is a stark contrast to the tagline used during the 2007-2008 season. “It’s Time” made a bold statement suggesting that the team was ready to be a serious playoff contender. Although the Rockets captivated fans during a 22-game winning streak — the second-longest in NBA history — the team was unceremoniously bounced by nemesis Utah Jazz in the first round of the post-season.

Says Dacey: “Any time you come out with a bold statement, it weighs on the perception of the team.”

Higher price expectations

While a sea of red flows through the stands, fans returning for this season will pay more for seats.

Many of the least expensive seats at $10 or $15 in the upper bowl area will be unchanged. So will some of the most expensive club seats at $350. The majority of the price hikes affect midrange seats. For example, the 4,274 seats in the lower bowl priced at either $58 or $70 will now cost $5 more, at $63 and $75, respectively.

With the off-season signing of Ron Artest and the high-profile showing of Rockets players Yao Ming and Luis Scola representing China and Argentina in the Beijing Olympics, the team reports surging season ticket sales — due to even higher expectations for this year’s on-court performance.

Officials say the Rockets are well ahead of last season’s 7,000 in season ticket sales, though they did not divulge the number. A more concrete indication of the team’s surge is the fact that only two of the team’s 91 upper-level suites are vacant at this point, according to Seliece Caldwell, the team’s vice president of ticket sales.

Caldwell says the team is also in the process of building out four new courtside suites previously used as the locker rooms for the Houston Comets women’s basketball team, which moved out of Toyota Center to play at Reliant Arena this year. The existing 14 courtside suites are also sold out for the 2008-2009 season.

The new suites — which sell in a range from $225,000 to $275,000 — include 12 courtside seats and a private bar and lounge.

‘Red-ification’

Dacey says the Rockets’ marketing department will be running a full-court press to hype the “Get Red” theme until the regular season home opener Oct. 29 against Memphis.

Houston players will wear their all-red road game uniforms on opening night to emphasize the point, and Toyota will hand out red Rockets T-shirts to fans — when the team also hopes to set a new Guinness World Records mark for the most people wearing face paint at a game.

More details inside Toyota Center will also be subject to what Dacey describes as a “red-ification” of branding, from the color of plastic drink cups to the color of the Toyota vehicles parked along the concourse.

“We’ll be using the ‘Get Red’ message for everything we do out in the community, and hope it’s reflected with an association with the brand,” says Dacey.

Adam Nisenson, owner and creative director of Active Imagination, a Houston sports marketing and branding firm, says it makes sense for the Rockets to move away from a marketing campaign that makes promises of success, as was the case last season.

“The key to a marketing campaign is that it should last the entire season whether a team is winning or losing,” Nisenson says. “In this city, the main thing is that a campaign has to cut through the clutter. The Rockets season overlaps with pro and college football and all those other entertainment options like the Theater District, so your messaging has to really hit your target audience at a gut level. You’re trying to connect with a fan outside the season-ticket base who might only come once or twice a year.”

Plays Well With Others

The recent Outlaw topic brought up another side discussion that is worth keeping an eye on as this team continues to evolve. There’s emphasis on the word team in that last sentence. For the first time since the walls were torn down to renovate the franchise, we have what I’d call a solid team coming into the season. Not group of hopefuls, not one or two potential stars with a ton of building yet to do, but a real, live team. Part of being a team rather than just a developing farm club is playing not only well, but together. Players will begin to be judged not just on how they excel as individuals, but how they fit in with each other. In that light we’re going to run down the roster today, seeing who will have the easiest time playing with others and who might be more limited.

NBA basketball provides multiple avenues to team play and fitting into a lineup or rotation. Consider:

OFFENSE-- The archetype of a “team” guy offensively is somebody with great passing skills who knows how to set others up. That model is certainly applicable, but there are other approaches to consider. Some players bend the opponent’s defense through their overwhelming offensive capabilities. These are the guys defenders have half an eye on at all times. They mandate near-automatic double teams, thereby freeing up their teammates for easier cuts, drives, and shots. They could be considered an asset to many lineups even though they’re not in the business of passing the ball. Some guys also fit into multiple lineups because of a particular skill. Outside shooting is notable, as it requires defensive attention at all time and makes defenders pay for helping to defend other players.

DEFENSE-- One of the most basic ways to be a great teammate defensively is simply being able to stop your own man. Dominant defenders who control entire areas of the floor are also a boon to their cohorts. When you relieve a teammate of the responsibility of watching your back you allow him to concentrate more on his individual assignment and you make his decisions fewer, and thus easier. Leaky defenders, on the other hand, place burdens on their teammates. Fewer players can be effective beside them. Another defensive asset is court awareness plus the speed and willingness to help your teammates out of a jam.

MISCELLANEOUS-- Some players have strong attributes that allow them to fit with multiple lineups. Being the right size, or even oversized, for your position is one. Being able to play multiple positions is another. Few people mind playing with teammates who can rebound on the defensive end, can stand up to opponents nose-to-nose, or who are willing to scrape their knees diving for loose balls. There’s also something to be said for being able to do your job without having the offense set up for you or the defense set up to cover for you. Extra bonus points for those who create or cover for others.

With these things in mind we’re going to list the Blazers roughly in order of flexibility in terms of team play. Note that this is NOT a measure of overall talent! The “best” players will not necessarily be at the top of the list! This is simply an attempt to delineate each player’s ability to play with a variety of teammates and in a variety of situations. There is no argument here that the best or most effective lineup would be the top five players listed.

Brandon Roy: Brandon Roy’s combination of multi-directional dribbling, shooting, vision, and passing make him fit with any combination you throw out there. While he’s played primarily shooting guard so far he could have the tools to fill multiple positions. He requires so much attention that he guarantees somebody on his side is going to be open. Some might quibble with his need/desire to keep the ball in his hands but you’d have to argue there are few better in the league to possess it. Also he’s plenty unselfish with it, so there’s no harm there. He can also rebound and is willing to do what it takes for the team to win. Part of the reason Coach McMillan finds it so hard to keep Brandon on the bench is that he’s the best fit for nearly every lineup you can draw up.

Steve Blake: Blake ranks high on this list because he is the ultimate team player. He knows how to set up an offense. He knows how and when to pass. He needs zero shots to be effective but he can hit a shot when he’s open. He’s an adequate defender, though his body isn’t built for locking people down. The only blemish on his suitability for any lineup is his relative lack of ability to create his own shot. In critical situations this allows opponents to pay less attention to him, which makes it harder on his teammates. Nevertheless Blake is a guy who can be inserted almost anytime, almost anywhere with success. He’s a good utility player.

Rudy Fernandez: Naturally the discussion of all rookies is speculative, having not seen them play in the NBA. However Rudy has assets that will allow him to blend with multiple lineup configurations. Like Steve Blake he can hit a shot without having to take every one. Unlike Blake he can also get his own shot when needed. He is good when taking over a game but is also capable of laying back. He’s an eager help defender and has the quickness to get to a spot. He has good height and might turn into a scrappy player as well. His weaknesses will be point-of-attack defense and rebounding.

Greg Oden: Oden’s biggest blending asset is going to be his defense. Simply put, everybody is going to love playing with him because he’ll be a one-man wrecking crew watching their backs. “Ooops! I made a mistake and let my guy get by. Coach is gonna…never mind. Nice block, Greg!” Once he gets adjusted to the league the entire paint will be his territory on that end of the court. He’ll be like a bigger, stronger Tim Duncan from the days of his defensive youth. If you remember the days when the Spurs had Duncan and Robinson patrolling the middle nobody went in there. This made them (still makes them) one of the best defensive teams in the league no matter who else they suited up. Blazer teammates will love the “Oden Effect”. Offense may be another story at first. Oden has shown some passing ability but that is among the last skills to develop for NBA big men. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the offense stall after the ball has been entered to Greg while he’s still finding his way. Even so if he hits his shots (or better yet rams it through on a regular basis) he is going to draw double-teams which will make life easier for his cohorts. Once he gets rolling nobody is going to want to play without the big man on the court.

Sergio Rodriguez: Sergio’s love of the pass and his ability to thread it anywhere pulls him fairly far up this list. His teammates already love playing with him on offense even with limited exposure. You cannot fall asleep if the ball is in his hands. His ability to penetrate increases his threat potential. The holes in his game right now are finishing at the rim, hitting the jumper, and defense. Those keep him farther down the list than his game style would otherwise merit. At some point it becomes hard to find a lineup in which he’d be the ideal choice unless you want to forget it and just run.

Lamarcus Aldridge: Lamarcus’ greatest strength is his variety of offensive skills. He’s not shy about putting up a shot and is looking to be the endpoint of the offensive plays he’s involved in rather than a conduit. The thing is, he’s so talented that he will be one of those endpoint players we keep out there. Everybody else (except Roy) who wants to be the play finisher is going to have to get in line. Lamarcus is long and has great perimeter defensive skills for his size. If the Blazer defense is designed for him to help he should be good at it. Still, he’ll likely be less of a true team guy just because of his disposition. You can’t put him out there without giving him the ball if you want to see his greatest strengths. Defensive rebounding could also be an issue if he doesn’t have a front-line beast rebounder to protect him.

Joel Przybilla: Joel’s defense and rebounding are his calling cards. His ability to block shots cleans up a lot of backcourt mistakes. He’s capable of getting defensive boards in droves and is clearly the Blazers’ best glass cleaner until Oden takes his title away. Even more importantly from a team perspective, Joel sets the best picks seen in these parts in ages. Joel has the minor fault of not always being aggressive and impactful enough. His major fault is not being a viable offensive threat. Over the years his minutes have been limited compared to his potential contribution simply because opposing teams don’t need to guard him closely. In some situations that doesn’t matter as much. In others it keeps you from playing him.

Channing Frye: Channing’s mid-range jumper lets you use him out to 20 feet. He doesn’t have to handle the ball or dominate it to hit his shot. This makes him fairly versatile on the offensive end. His rebounding came around towards the end of last season but still needs to be shown consistently. He’s neither a bruiser nor an interior defender, so he needs to be paired with someone strong in the middle in order to be most effective.

Jerryd Bayless: Jerryd’s biggest asset in terms of lineup suitability appears to be his hard-nosed play and willingness to do what it takes to win. In Summer League his stand-still jumper looked spotty until the game was on the line, then he drained a couple of threes like he was making pancakes on Sunday morning. He is willing to take contact and can stay in front of his man. How much he can share the ball or be effective without it in his hands remains to be seen. If his gritty offensive play translates into a willingness to go all-out for loose balls and take no crap from opponents (and if he can pass a little) he could rocket up this chart.

Travis Outlaw: Travis is another one of those guys who can bend the game with his offensive skills. He is guaranteed to be able to get a shot up anywhere, anytime on anyone. Though he has excelled in critical moments he’s still a relative novice to them, but if he continues his crunch-time heroics opponents will be forced to throw double-teams at him, making him even a greater asset. When he gets an angle for the weak-side or from-the-back block Outlaw can also be a champion at help defense. His length and leaping ability let him cover space quickly. He’s still working on his overall game, though, even on offense. He seldom passes the ball and really needs to dominate with his scoring in order to make the lineup better at this point.

Martell Webster: Martell’s outside shooting is his ticket to playing time at this point. We saw last season how James Jones could fit with a variety of lineups because he never missed beyond the arc. Martell is not that consistent yet but his shooting can still spread the defense. He added a few thunderous dunks and improved defensive effort to his repertoire last season, which was to the good. Every skill he develops makes him more useful. However even with all of that he has a tendency to fade when not give a steady diet of shots. Plus he’s either going to take those shots or make a bail-out pass. He’s not skilled at directly making his teammates better. Unlike Outlaw he needs a fair amount of help himself in the form of screens or set-up passes in order to prosecute his offense.

I have not included Raef LaFrentz, Ike Diogu, or Nicolas Batum on this list. Raef is a veteran who will give his all no matter where he’s inserted but is unlikely to see non-emergency playing time. Ike has been injured and there’s no telling how he’ll come back. His rebounding and physical abilities would be an asset to most lineups. Nicolas is not going to see the light of day for a while.

Obviously you need a variety of talents and styles to make a team. You can’t put five pure set-up men out there any more than you could put five ball-dominating scorers. But all other things being equal (keeping in mind that often they’re not, as a single, overwhelming skill can often trump a variety of lesser skills), the guys at the top of this list are going to give their coaches more options as to when and how to play them.