Jan 15, 2001
NBA BASKETBALL
on InsideHoops.com - - - - -
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Sizing
up the Pacific
By BEN C
Portland
Trail Blazers: The
Good: The deepest team in the league is also the hottest team
and sits atop the Western Conference. Many wondered - with all the
stars on the team - if one player would step forward as the leader and
take the team on his back. Rasheed Wallace has been the one to do
it and he should be on his way to making the all-star team.
The
Bad: Occasional complaints about playing time. But as long as
the team is winning such talk won't be too deafening.
The
Ugly: The uniforms. Paul Allen is paying Shawn Kemp $12
million a season; you would think he could spend some money and get something
a little nicer to look at.
Team
Award: Goes to Mike Dunleavy for keeping everyone happy - for
now.
Sacramento
Kings: The
Good: Chris Webber’s MVP season and Predrag Stojakovic’s emergence
have the Kings near the top of the West. Possibly the best of all
is Jason Williams' toned-down play. Last year he averaged 3.7 turnovers
per game; so far this year he’s down to 2.3 per game. Also improved
is his field goal percentage - 43%, up from 37% last year.
The
Bad: The only thing this team lacks is scoring punch off the
bench. They have plenty of bnench guys who do the dirty work and
make the hustle play, but they are missing someone who can come in and
provide instant offense.
The
Ugly: Nick Anderson’s game. It has been slowly deteriorating
over the last three seasons and now he's just about hit rock bottom.
Team
Award: Goes to Predrag Stojakovic for bringing his fantastic
shooting touch to the NBA.
Los
Angeles Lakers: The
Good: Kobe Bryant has brought his game to another level.
He’s leading the league in scoring at 29.6 points per game.
The
Bad: Kobe Bryant has brought his game to another level.
In doing so, the offense has gone away from Shaq. This is not a good
thing for the team. Shaq says he feels like Luc Longley out there.
Kobe seems to think that isn’t a problem as he says Shaq’s role is being
a dominant presence and playing defense. Uh oh.
The
Ugly: Kobe Bryant has brought his game to another level.
Have fun cleaning up this mess, Phil.
Team
Award: Goes to ESPN’s Ric Bucher for helping to increase Laker
disharmony and in turn perhaps helping out the rest of the league.
Phoenix
Suns: The
Good: If it’s not Kidd, it’s Cliff Robinson, Shawn Marion, Rodney
Rogers, or even Tony Delk leading the team to victory. This is a very deep
team that can have a different player step up every night.
The
Bad: How will Penny Hardaway's return affect team chemistry?
Oh, wait. These guys don't win consistently, maybe that's the bad.
The
Ugly: How long do you give Penny before he’s back on the IR with
a hangnail?
Team
Award: Shawn Marion wins the “How Did He Get That Nickname and
Why Wont it Go Away?” award for his nickname, The Matrix.
Seattle
Supersonics: The
Good: Third year player Rashard Lewis has developed into a good
young player. His 15.3ppg and 7.1rpg are nice, but what’s most impressive
are his numbers from the field: 48% FG, 42% 3PT, 82% FT. Those are
veteran numbers being put up by a 21 year old.
The
Bad: Patrick Ewing is a 7’ shooting 41% from the field.
He’s averaging 9.3ppg and 7.9rpg. He wants two more years in the
league and it wont be for a small contract. The Sonics must overpay
him or lose him. Did I mention he’s a 7’ shooting 41% from the field?
The
Ugly: Ewing’s sweat soaked jersey after the game.
Team
Award: Goes to Ruben Wolkowyski and Olumide Oyedeji for having
names that are impossible to pronounce.
Los
Angeles Clippers: The
Good: Coach Alvin Gentry is bringing the kids along slowly and
it seems to be working. Two of their rookies are putting up solid
numbers in limited playing time. Nineteen year old Darius Miles:
23.5mpg, 8.3ppg, 6.1rpg, 1.5bpg & Quentin Richardson: 19.8mpg, 8.4ppg,
3.5rpg being the most impressive of that bunch.
The
Bad: Half the team needs fake ID’s to get into the local strip
clubs. This team will take a few years to develop, so don’t expect
a winning record any time soon, especially considering that they're in
the Western Conference.
The
Ugly: Olowokandi stinks. I mean, really stinks. The
former #1 overall pick is averaging 7.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.1topg. Coach
Gentry has bumped his minutes down from 31.2mpg last year to 23.2mpg this
year. Have they given up on him already?
Team
Award: The Clippers actually win two awards here. The first
goes to Keith Closs, who wins the Calista Flockhart award. The second
award goes to 5’5” Earl Boykins. When I see him out there on the
court, I just go “aww” and get a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Golden
State Warriors: The
Good: Antawn Jamison’s all-star play and superstar potential.
His numbers: 42mpg, 24.7ppg, & 9.4rpg show his all-star ability and
his back-to-back 51 point performances - one led the team to a victory
in an unforgettable duel against Kobe Bryant - showed that he can be a
superstar in this league. Also encouraging is the play of Marc Jackson,
who at 26, if he keeps up his play, can easily win Rookie of the Year honors.
The
Bad: Yielding 100.6 points per game to opponents, the highest
in the league. Add their defensive woes to being one of the worst
shooting teams in the league and you’ll understand the record. It
doesn’t mean the team lacks talent, however. Mostly it can be attributed
to the fact that this is a young team. Their two best players, Jamison
and Hughes, are 24 and 21 respectively.
The
Ugly: Mookie Blaylock, Vonteego Cummings, Bob Sura, Erick Dampier,
Danny Fortson, Adonal Foyle, Chris Mills, & Chris Mullin have all missed
significant time due to injuries. In the last week, Chris Porter
and Larry Hughes also came down with injuries. Antawn Jamison is
the only guy who didn't break this season.
Team
Award: Chris Porter wins an award for having the best ‘fro in
the game.
