Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread

[uclamike]

mavs up by 41 points on the knicks


BLHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

 

[japanair21]

Up 53.

I feel like we're beating up on a ******.

I feel bad.

 

[black jesus]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Up 53.

I feel like we're beating up on a ******.

I feel bad.

 

[big j 33]

Consistency, that's all I ask for.

The Knicks can give the Lakers a run for their money for most of the game on Friday night, yet we get straight mollywhopped the next game.

 

[physicx]

4-25 from 3

 

[cicero avenue dopeman]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Up 53.

I feel like we're beating up on a ******.

I feel bad.

 

[blazers21ntnp]

So much for maturing...
[h1][/h1]

[h1]Nuggets ponder suspension of J.R. Smith[/h1]
By Benjamin Hochman
The Denver Post

Posted: 01/24/2010 10:45:37 AM MST

Updated: 01/24/2010 01:30:47 PM MST


Nuggets coach George Karl said todaythat a decision has yet to be made about whether the team will suspendJ.R. Smith following to his immature behavior during Saturday's game.

The guard was seen pouting and Karl described Smith's behavior on the bench as "eclectic."

Smith has a history of childish behavior and it's possible that itcould now get him suspended, at least, for Monday's game againstCharlotte. A season ago, Carmelo Anthony refused to come out of a gameand his defiance earned him a one-game suspension.

Karl said that after Saturday's game, he spoke with two members ofDenver's brass — Rex Chapman and Josh Kroenke — and that there willstill be phone calls and debates today before Denver decides ifsuspending Smith is the right decision.

The Nuggets didn't practice today, so Smith wasn't available to the media.

"The whole thing comes down to — how can we make J.R. play better?"Karl said of the reserve guard who has struggled for much of theseason. "What makes you get focused on your competitive spirit comes indifferent packages. Being a basketball player is a hard job, and whenyou're not having success and making mistakes, it's something allplayers have to deal with. We're just trying to keep winning games andJ.R. is a part of it."

During Saturday's win against the Hornets Karl didn't play Smith(14.5 points per game) at all in the third quarter. For the night,Smith played just 12 minutes but had a plus/minus rating of minus-10(the next-lowest plus/minus rating on Denver was Ty Lawson atminus-one).

The plus-minus rating keeps track of the net changes in score when a given player is either on or off the court.

Even though Smith's play has been erratic this season, a suspensionwould rattle Denver's tight eight-man rotation. Look for reserve guardAnthony Carter to log some minutes, and possibly even Joey Graham, aKarl favorite off the bench. The Nuggets are 29-14 and in first placein the Northwest Division.

Smith entered this season promising change. For years, thehigh-school-to-pros Smith had been a work-in-progress, and after 24days in jail this summer due to his role in a fatal car crash, Smithsaid he had grown up. There were some signs of growth — sometimes hisdefense was sturdier and his passing was sharper — but Smith continuedto clash with Karl and continued to make ill-advised shots.

And he was sometimes disrespectful to the media, purposely avoidingreporters and turning down interview requests, a rarity for an NBAreserve.

On the night of Dec. 23, Smith scored a season-high 41 points andmade 10 3-pointers, though he continued to launch deep balls after thegame was in hand, which even bothered Karl, who talks about "respectingthe game." Regardless, Smith's big night could have been seen as aturning point, but it was only an aberration. He continued to shootthrees at a high rate but went into a frightening slump — 19-for-74from beyond the arc since Dec. 23, which is an abysmal 25.6 percent.

"The one change that I feel is — he's becoming more jump-shotoriented and not trying to get fouled or get to the rim," Karl said."His shot selection, there's more degree-of-difficulty shots. We try toaddress it with his workouts and running and getting easy baskets isalways a formula to getting out of a slump. Don't shoot jump shots.

"We want J.R. to get back to playing at a consistent high level,which he's talented enough to do, so when that doesn't happen, I don'tblame J.R. — I blame myself, I blame my staff. But in the same process,you've got to figure out how to win games."

Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1254 or [email protected]

 

[im not you]

I just wanna chime in that Steph Curry is averaging 19 on 48% shooting and 50% from 3 for the month.

JJ Redick 2

 

[proshares]

http://[h3]

[h3]Could Rubio be Nash's successor? [/h3]
12:21PM ET

[h5]Ricky Rubio [/h5]
Top Email

[img]http://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/draft2009/headshots/19272.jpg[/img]
We told you earlier today that the Timberwolves are interested in trading for Amare Stoudemire. ESPN's Chad Ford tweets today that it's a "strong" interest.

Stoudemire would likely have to agree to re-sign with a team in the offseason before a trade happened.

But we'll throw this one out there: The Suns should inquire about receiving Ricky Rubio in any trade talks with the Wolves. Minnesota GM David Kahn has been reluctant to trade Rubio's rights in the past.

And for now, Rubio is playing for FC Barcelona, and as reported by ESPN this past summer, it's likely the earliest he'd come play in the NBA would be 2011.

And that's why he could be a perfect fit for the Suns. Steve Nash will turn 37 in the 2011-2012 season, his last season under contract with the Suns. He could play a mentor to Rubio, a talent who'd be an ideal fit for the Suns' uptempo brand of basketball. He's a playmaker and sees the floor extremely well.

The Suns would probably want to find out if Rubio had interest in playing for them before they made such a deal, and again, Kahn might have Rubio off limits. But at only 19 years of age right now, Rubio has plenty of years left in which to grow into a star point guard in the NBA.

And Nash could certainly help him along with that.

http://[h3]Wizards unwilling to help Cavs?[/h3]
12:03PM ET

[h5]Antawn Jamison | Wizards [/h5]
Top Email


It's long been rumored that Antawn Jamison is atop the list of players the Cavs would like to trade for before Feb. 18's deadline. With the Wizards in sell mode and Cleveland looking for a stretch 4, Jamison fits the bill.

If it happens, it's a move that could put the Cavs over the top in the East.

But would the Wizards really be agreeable to helping out a rival?

"One league source questions the Wizards' willingness to help the Cavs," writes Bob Finan of the News-Herald. "There are some natural competitive issues there, fueled by the playoff losses and the Larry Hughes signing in 2005. Again, things can change."

It's one thing to keep an eye on as the deadline approaches.

[h5]Chad Ford[/h5]
Players most likely to be dealt: No. 1, Antawn Jamison

"Jamison is at the top of this list for three reasons. First, the Wizards are a mess and seem to be moving rapidly toward a fire sale. Second, Jamison is in the latter stages of his career. Neither he nor the Wizards want him stuck on a terrible team. Third, a number of contenders want him, namely the Cavs. That's the perfect recipe for a big deadline trade."

[/h3]

http://[h3]The Martin watch[/h3]
11:45AM ET

[h5]Kevin Martin | Kings [/h5]
Top Email


We've noted previously in this space that several teams are monitoring the Kevin Martin-Tyreke Evans backcourt situation in Sacramento. The thinking goes that if Evans and Martin can't co-exist and the team struggles, Martin may be on the trade market.

ESPN's Marc Stein reported last week that the Mavs were agreeable to trading Josh Howard for Martin.

So far, so bad for Martin and the Kings. After getting routed by the Heat by 31 on Saturday, the Kings are now 0-6 with Martin back in the lineup. Martin only scored five points in 40 minutes against the Magic on Friday, and added only five against the Heat. The six straight losses were all on the road, though.

The Kings return home tomorrow night against the Warriors. If they continue to struggle, even on their home court, that may intensify Martin's trade likelihood.

http://[h3]Harris on the mend?[/h3]
11:14AM ET

[h5]Devin Harris | Nets [/h5]
Top Email


Devin Harris missed Saturday's game against the Jazz due to a wrist injury he suffered against the Warriors the night before. An X-ray reveealed it was not broken, and the team is just calling it a sprain.

And according to the Nets' official Twitter account, an MRI Harris had yesterday on the wrist was negative, and he'll be listed as day-to-day.

The Nets are only a horrific 3-40, but losing their starting point guard for extended time would make it that much harder to not achieve the NBA's worst-ever regular season record.

And the news that Harris isn't seriously injured might also have ramifications to his trade value. ESPN's Marc Stein reported last week the team may hold tight and see what lottery pick they'll get before they decide whether to trade Harris or not, but that hasn't stopped teams like the Lakers from inquiring about his services.

[h5]Marc Stein[/h5]
Nets may wait to see if they can land Wall

"One source close to the situation, however, cautioned Wednesday night that the Nets do prefer to keep Harris for the rest of this season -- specifically through the draft lottery in May at a minimum -- before dealing him ... The Nets, though, also concede that it would be far easier to shop Harris if they know they've just won the right to draft Kentucky's John Wall with the No. 1 overall pick. If they don't win the Wall lottery, with no other impact point guards forecasted to be available in the draft or through free agency, dealing Harris based on what they've seen during this nightmare season might prove to be a hasty call."

[h5]NBA Today Podcast[/h5]
Lakers' health and perimeter D is a concern

"As good as the Lakers can be, I don't see them being dominant. I know that they inquired about Harris from the Nets, which to me says they are very worried about their perimeter defense and they got to be looking at that Ron Artest for Trevor Ariza trade and going: "God, you know what, Derek Fisher is older than we tought, Jordan Farmar is not a defensive presence, Kobe Bryant is going to be driving one of these wheelies to get up and down the floor here any second, what are we going to do in a situation where we're playing against a really quick perimeter player, maybe more than one? We're in tough spot.'" -- Ric Bucher

http://[h3]Hope for Thabeet yet?[/h3]
10:59AM ET

[h5]Hasheem Thabeet | Grizzlies [/h5]
Top Email


As the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft, Hasheem Thabeet has been a bit of disappointment so far this season. The Grizzlies have a thin bench, but Thabeet is only averaging a touch over 11 minutes a game, and has frustrated the coaching staff with his lack of awareness at times.

But as the Memphis Commercial Appeal points out, he does lead the league in blocks per 48 minutes (5.47) and blocks for all rookies per game (1.26).

And Thursday in a win against the Thunder, Thabeet turned out one of his best performances of his short career, as he tallied four blocks and nine boards in 23:22 of play, the most time he's seen this year.

As ESPN's John Hollinger noted last week, the Grizzlies' success this year is due in large part to the great health of their starting five. If anyone on the frontline goes down, they'll need someone like Thabeet to step up. Improved play might also give pause to his trade likelihood.

[h5]John Hollinger[/h5]
For Memphis, it's starting five and little else

"But to really appreciate how much the Grizzlies lean on their starters, let me dredge up a deeper stat: the percentage of minutes played by a team's top five players. For most clubs, this number is in the low 60s; for teams like Charlotte, Oklahoma City, Chicago and Atlanta that have had particularly stable starting fives, it's in the high 60s. For Memphis, it's 72.8 percent (see chart). Nearly three-quarters of the Grizzlies' minutes have been played by their top five players, a figure that easily leads the league. As a unit, the starters have played 798 minutes together, or nearly 20 a game. That's 118 more than the next closest five-man unit (Phoenix), according to basketvalue.com And for the Grizzlies, it's tremendously important that those five players take the court together ? because they're the only ones who are any good. Not to disparage the efforts of Memphis' three rookies (Sam Young, DeMarre Carroll and Hasheem Thabeet) -- who may combine to make for a decent bench in another year or two -- but no team has a greater drop-off between its first five and its second unit than the Grizzlies. It's no accident that they lost by 27 to Utah on Nov. 30, when they missed two starters (Gay and Conley)."

[h5]Chad Ford[/h5]
Thabeet could be traded

"Rudy Gay isn't the only player the Grizzlies would move for the right price. Thabeet is off to a slow start in his rookie season in Memphis and doesn't fit into the team's current plans. Still, he was the No. 2 pick in the draft, and he has value in the league. If a team is willing to give up a veteran defensive presence, I think he could be had."

http://[h3]Amare a popular trade target[/h3]
10:37AM ET

[h5]Amare Stoudemire | Suns [/h5]
Top Email


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1727Amare Stoudemire is one of the hot names as the trade deadline gets closer due to his ability to leave the Suns for nothing in the summer as a free agent.

A league source tells The Arizona Republic that Cleveland, Golden State and Minnesota have shown interest in acquiring Stoudemire.

Yahoo! Sports reported Sunday night that Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia and New Jersey also have have a strong interest in Stoudemire.

Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer has a some good information about the on-court dynamics of Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal, which could impact a deal.

Windhorst writes: "Another issue in thinking about this potential trade, however, is Stoudemire's relationship with O'Neal. The people in Phoenix say that O'Neal and Stoudemire got along just fine in the locker room but they didn't so much on the floor. Their styles got in each other's way and it was one of the reasons the Suns first thought about trading Stoudemire a year ago and then flirted with the idea again in the summer before trading O'Neal instead."

[h5]Chad Ford[/h5]
Teams want Stoudemire to re-sign

"Stoudemire won't be easy to trade. He can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and any team that trades for him is going to want some sort of guarantee that he'll sign an extension or a new contract this summer. If Stoudemire's willing to give it, and a team is willing to give up a substantial asset for him, the Suns may very well pull the trigger."

http://[h3]Bynum misses flight, fine coming[/h3]
10:33AM ET

[h5]Andrew Bynum | Lakers [/h5]
Top Email


Lakers center Andrew Bynum will be fined for missing the team's flight from New York to Toronto on Saturday morning.

"I slept in," Bynum told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "I put my bags outside and then I went to sleep."

Bynum put his bags outside his hotel door at 9:15 AM and then went inside and fell asleep until 11:15 AM.

Bynum had to pay for a commercial flight from New York to Toronto.

http://[h3]Blame the shoes?[/h3]
10:31AM ET

[h5]Ron Artest | Lakers [/h5]
Top Email


Ron Artest is suffering from plantar fasciitis in both his feet and Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is blaming the small forwards shoes.

"I've called his shoes concrete boots for about the last month," Jackson told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "Those shoes look like they are made for the Hudson River. But he stays with them and he gets his feet worked on. But he does not move really quickly. He looks like he's clogging around out there."

Artest wants to play through the pain, but Jackson says that might not be possible.

"We haven't had any conversation about sitting out, but if it continues, he may have to sit."

Artest endorses a shoe by a Chinese company called Peak Shoes.

http://[h3]Ball in the Pacers court[/h3]
10:29AM ET

[h5]T.J. Ford | Pacers [/h5]
Top Email


Pacers head coach said Jim O'Brien didn't deny Friday that T.J. Ford could be traded. Ford doesn't care if he's traded, he just wants to play.

"The ball's in their court," Ford told The Indianapolis Star. "Definitely, I want to play. If I'm not going to play here, if I can go somewhere else and play, then of course."

"It's a business," Ford continued. "It is what it is. I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to do since I'm still on the roster. I'm healthy. I still get my workouts in, my conditioning in. I stay ready. If they trade me, they'll trade me on their own will and power. I haven't said anything. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

"I'm not looking to trade T.J.," Pacers president Larry Bird said Saturday night.

Ford makes $8.5 million this season and has a player option of $8.5 million for 2010-11.

http://[h3]Jazz to keep Gaines[/h3]
10:26AM ET

[h5]Sundiata Gaines | Jazz [/h5]
Top Email


Utah Jazz spokesman Jonathan Rinehart told The Salt Lake Tribune Sunday that the team has decided to sign rookie point guard Sundiata Gaines for the rest of the season.

The team plans on sending in the contract to the league office this morning.

http://[h3]Barbosa to miss a month[/h3]
10:21AM ET

[h5]Leandro Barbosa | Suns [/h5]
Top Email


Leandro Barbosa will undergo surgery to remove a cyst from his right wrist on Tuesday and will be out for a month.

"L.B. feels strongly that the surgery will give him more peace of mind, that it won't return," general manager Steve Kerr told The Arizona Republic.

"The wrist was affecting his shooting because of the pain, so I think he'll be really relieved with the pain gone when he does come back. Obviously, it'll take a little while to get his rhythm. The biggest thing is he's been trying to shoot through it, and you can see it's really swollen. He hasn't had the flexibility in his wrist to be able to get the ball into the right position, and that's one of the reasons he's struggling."

http://[h3]Gray deal falls through[/h3]
10:10AM ET

[h5]Aaron Gray | Bulls [/h5]
Top Email


The Denver Post reported Sunday that the Denver Nuggets tried to trade for Chicago Bulls center Aaron Gray, but the deal fell through.

The Nuggets are trying to add depth to the frontcourt, but it has to be at the right price because they are already of the tax line.

Gray is making a little more than $1 million this season.

http://[h3]Blazers won't trade Miller?[/h3]
9:59AM ET

[h5]Andre Miller | Trail Blazers [/h5]
Top Email


Earlier this month, Andre Miller and head coach Nate McMillan had an argument that could be heard by reporters, even though the doors to the practice court were closed. Since then, Miller has played terrific basketball.

There had been a lot of talk that Portland would trade Miller since he couldn't mesh with how the offense is run, but any deal now is unlikely.

Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard on Saturday told The Oregonian the following: "We have no interest in trading Andre Miller. Zero. None. Write it."

Miller is averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and is shooting 51.3 percent this month.

http://[h3]Will Nuggets suspend Smith?[/h3]
9:58AM ET

[h5]J.R. Smith | Nuggets [/h5]
Top Email


The Denver Nuggets may suspend J.R. Smith, for what head coach George Karl called, his "eclectic" behavior on the bench Saturday night when he only played 12 minutes.

"The whole thing comes down to -- how can we make J.R. play better?" Karl told The Denver Post. "What makes you get focused on your competitive spirit comes in different packages. ... Being a basketball player is a hard job, and when you're not having success and making mistakes, it's something all players have to deal with. We're just trying to keep winning games, and J.R. is a part of it."

http://[h3]Biggest party weekend ever?[/h3]
9:56AM ET

[h5]Dallas Mavericks [/h5]
Top Email


The 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be played at the Dallas Cowboys new stadium and a crowd of close to 100,000 is expected. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says it might be bigger than the Super Bowl.

"It literally could be the largest party weekend in the history of the United States," Cuban told The Dallas Morning News. "That's how big this thing has gotten.

"The Super Bowl, from a television perspective, is the biggest event of the year. But for attendance and partying, All-Star Weekend will make the Super Bowl look like a bar mitzvah."

http://[h3]Attendance better than projected[/h3]
9:22AM ET

[h5]League Issues [/h5]
Top Email


The NBA sent out a memo last July to team's warning them that there was a good chance the salary cap for the 2010-11 season would decline significantly due to a drop in revenue caused by the recession.

Chris Granger, the NBA's senior vice president for team marketing and business operations, says the league had anticipated an attendance decline of about 6 to 7 percent, but it's a lot lower than that.

"The fact that we're only down roughly 1.7 percent going into Friday's games, I'm pleased about that," Granger told The New York Times. "Our teams have been very resilient thus far."

http://[h3]Rondo's defense a concern?[/h3]
7:05AM ET

[h5]Rajon Rondo | Celtics [/h5]
Top Email


In the Celtics last four games the opposing point guards, http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3456Derrick Rose, http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=429Jason Kidd, http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3235Rodney Stuckey and http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=557Andre Miller have averaged 21.2 points, 8.7 assists, and 7.7 rebounds.

Is head coach http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1579Doc Rivers worried that http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3026Rajon Rondo is having trouble defending bigger and stronger point guards?

"I'm concerned with any one position that gets that many points in a game," Rivers told The Boston Globe Sunday. "And the assists as well. I can live with one or the other, but I can't live with both. We have to do a better job when there's bigger guys, just like when we play teams that have slower guards and Rondo takes advantage of that with his speed. ... It's up to the team to help that guy out. And I don't think we did a good enough job."

"This will be a big game (against Baron Davis) for Rondo. It starts with the individual. You've got to take the responsibility of keeping them square, making them shoot over you. Don't gamble because if you gamble on a bigger guy, now his body won't let you back in front."

http://[h3]Will Superman dunk again?[/h3]
6:52AM ET

[h5]Dwight Howard | Magic [/h5]
Top Email


Has Dwight Howard retired from the dunk competition during All-Star Weekend? Howard shook his head, "no" when asked about dunking in the future. Although he did tell the Orlando Sentinel, "Unless it gets boring, then I might."

Howard didn't enter the event this year because he wants to rest and he feels he has run out of dunk ideas.

http://[h3]Kirilenko to remain a starter?[/h3]
6:11AM ET

[h5]Andrei Kirilenko | Jazz [/h5]
Top Email


When Andrei Kirilenko began the season as a starter the Jazz went 3-5, which prompted head coach Jerry Sloan to move him to the bench. Kirilenko was moved back into the starting lineup recently and the team has gone 5-1. It looks like a move back to the bench is unlikely.

"A.K.'s length bothers people defensively," Deron Williams told The Salt Lake Tribune. "He gives us an added shot-blocker out there to start the game, which helps."

Said Sloan: "No question [his size] makes a big difference. He's able to block shots and play defense. I probably should have had him [starting] all along, if I'd been smart enough."

Since returning to the starting lineup Kirilenko has improved his shooting. He has made 32 of his 54 field-goal attempts, including 11-for-15 at San Antonio.

   [h2]

[h2]Midseason award winners[/h2][h3]PER Diem: Jan. 25, 2010[/h3]
Comment http:///sendtofriend.espn.go.com/sendtofriend/SendToFriend?URL=http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insi...Hollinger: Midseason award winners&id=4855988">http://sendtofriend.espn....20winne...le,noscrollbars,width=400,height=500');return false;" target="_blank" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-100125#">Email Print http:///a.espncdn.com/icons/share-icon-12x12.png)">http://a.espncdn.com/icons/share-icon-12x12.png) no-repeat left top" onclick="event.returnValue=false; return false;" href="javascript:void(0);" rel=nofollow>Share
By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
Archive

Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty ImagesThe Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA and two players worthy of midseason awards.

If the NBA season were the work week, this would be Wednesday. That's right: hump day. Most teams played their 41st game during the Martin Luther King Day weekend and the rest caught up later in the week, which means half of the regular season is officially in the rearview mirror.

Given our calendar position, there's only one thing to do. That's right, it's time for the time-honored tradition of handing out midseason awards. At great expense, we've spent the weekend carefully considering the candidates in each category, contacting their publicists, renting out the Kodak Theater, rolling out the red carpet, and hiring Ryan Seacrest to emcee. Having done all that, we're ready to pontificate on the award winners from the season's first half:

Ridnour​

[h3]Most Improved Player: Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee[/h3]
The MIP is always the most difficult award, starting with the hazy definition of what exactly "most improved" means. In any season, you can come up with a dozen decent candidates without great effort, and this one is no exception. Additionally, there's a perception that the award should go to a prominent player on a good team. Nonetheless, if you take the award at face value and give it to the player who has improved the most, there's only one possible answer.

Ridnour plays in basketball Siberia and is nobody's idea of a star, but his improvement from a season ago is simply spectacular. A jump from a 12.95 PER (player efficiency rating) to this season's 19.07 is one of the biggest PER leaps in recent seasons, and unlike with a lot of other players who have made such a move, he isn't returning to a former level -- he's never been anywhere near this good.

Ridnour's progress as a shooter has been shocking -- he shot 39.9 percent and 40.3 percent his previous two seasons, but this season he is converting 49.9 percent from the floor overall and 40.0 percent on 3-pointers. He's done this while taking on a much greater offensive role, and as a result averages better than a point every two minutes. And he has maintained his rate of seven assists per 40 minutes and cut his turnover rate.

All told, he's been one of the league's most effective sixth men and an unsung reason the resilient Bucks have managed to stay in the playoff race. I expect him to be completely overshadowed by bigger names in the real voting, but nobody has improved this season more than Ridnour.

Honorable mention: David Lee, New York; Kendrick Perkins, Boston; Josh Smith, Atlanta; Carl Landry, Houston; Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

---

Landry​

[h3]Sixth Man of the Year: Carl Landry, Houston[/h3]
Houston's success this season puzzles some people, because it's not immediately obvious who its "star" is. The defining moment came last week when TNT's Charles Barkley said that somebody from Houston had to make the All-Star team but then struggled to come up with a name before settling on Aaron Brooks -- a quality young point guard but one who has absolutely no business being in the All-Star Game.

Here's why Houston confuses people: Its best player comes off the bench. Technically, Landry is Luis Scola's backup, but he's been Houston's go-to guy in the fourth quarter as either a power forward or a small-ball center and has been the Rockets' best per-minute performer by leaps and bounds. His versatility as a scorer confounds opponents, as he can either face up for jumpers or drive to the bucket, plus he has a knack for accumulating garbage baskets around the rim.

As a result, he averages a team-leading 24.0 points per 40 minutes and has done it with great efficiency -- Landry is hitting 55.8 percent from the floor and ranks second among power forwards in TS% (true shooting percentage). Among players with a usage rate of more than 20, only Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Corey Maggette have a better TS% than Landry's mark.

Landry has defended with zeal, too, though he often gives up inches as a center (he's generously listed at 6-foot-9). The result has been impressive: Houston unexpectedly finds itself challenging for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference despite not having Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady. Landry is the reason, and if he were starting, people would probably be less confused about this.

Honorable mention: Jamal Crawford, Atlanta; Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio

---

Evans​

[h3]Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans, Sacramento[/h3]
This one has pretty much become a one-horse race, as a season-ending injury to the Clippers' Blake Griffin and a midseason slump by the Bucks' Brandon Jennings has left Evans alone atop the heap. He leads all rookies in PER at 18.65, helping Sacramento that most observers expected to be horrible post a somewhat respectable 15-28 mark.

Evans also leads all rookies in minutes, although Golden State's Stephen Curry may catch him if Don Nelson keeps handing him 48-minute outings. As a result, Evans has nearly double the estimated wins added of his closest competitor, Jennings. A late charge by one of several impressive rookie guards (Jennings, Curry, Minnesota's Jonny Flynn, Denver's Ty Lawson or Oklahoma City's James Harden) could make things interesting, but for now it's an open-and-shut case.

Honorable mention: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee; Omri Casspi, Sacramento

---

Varejao​

[h3]Defensive Player of the Year: Anderson Varejao, Cleveland[/h3]
Varejao has always been among the game's best frontcourt defenders, but have you seen the guy this season? He's moved beyond the Raggedy Andy flopfest of recent years to become a court-roving defensive monster. The shift in the game toward stretch 4s and pick-and-roll guards has only increased his value, as his freakish mobility for his size makes him one of the few players capable of both defending the post and smothering quick guards on switches.

A perfect example came against Portland on Jan. 10, with the Cavs nursing a six-point lead and less than four minutes left. Brandon Roy came off the pick-and-roll looking to explode to the rim, just like he's done a thousand times before, but Varejao made the switch so quickly that Roy went right into his chest. Roy was stymied and stunned, dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds, and the Cavs were well on their way to leaving the building with a victory.

His value goes far deeper than one play, of course. According to basketballvalue.com, Varejao has the best adjusted defensive plus/minus in the league at minus-11.5 points per 100 possessions, which in rough terms means the Cavs are below average without him on the court and the best in the league when he's on it. And unlike a lot of the Cavs' plus/minus differences, this one wasn't built on LeBron James' coattails; Varejao spends much of his playing time with the second unit.

Several other players merit consideration here. Dwight Howard, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has been no slouch, Ron Artest has quietly excelled in L.A., and Atlanta's Josh Smith and Boston's Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo all are worth a look. But in my book, none has been as good as Varejao so far this season.

Honorable mention: Ron Artest, L.A., Rajon Rondo, Boston; Kendrick Perkins, Boston; Dwight Howard, Orlando; Josh Smith, Atlanta

---

Brown​

[h3]Coach of the Year: Larry Brown, Charlotte[/h3]
Brown has salvaged his reputation as the NBA's premier fix-it specialist by turning a ragtag Charlotte roster into the league's premier defensive squad. The Bobcats lead the league in defensive efficiency despite missing center Tyson Chandler for 17 games and getting precious little from their bench, partly because Brown's low-risk offense creates few chances for opposing run-outs, but mostly because he's drilled his fundamentals and concepts and made his roster's whole far greater than the sum of its parts.

And when you get down to it, isn't that what coaching's all about? Nobody thought the Bobcats would make the playoffs this season, much less challenge for a top-five seed and sport a winning record at the midpoint of the season. Charlotte has been one of the league's biggest surprises, and unlike its biggest rival for the honor (Memphis), this squad doesn't seem particularly talented. So the only thing that should stop Brown from winning the award would be if he changes teams before the end of the season.

Honorable mention: Rick Adelman, Houston; Lionel Hollins, Memphis; Phil Jackson, L.A.

---

James​

[h3]MVP: LeBron James, Cleveland[/h3]
Calling this a one-horse race no longer does justice to the lead James has over the competition; he's making Secretariat's win at the Belmont seem like a cliffhanger. James is the best player in the league and nobody else is close right now, with LeBron's league-leading 31.51 mark nearly matching his Jordanesque performance of a season ago.

James is hitting a career-high 50.9 percent and averaging 29.9-7.9-7.2 per contest, helping Cleveland stay atop the Eastern Conference standings despite the team's struggles to incorporate Shaquille O'Neal. So thoroughly is he dusting the competition that he has more than a third more estimated wins added than any other player.

If anything, James' lead on the field has increased. Last season, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul nearly matched James with their own historically great seasons, plus Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to 65 wins. This season, the field isn't as strong. Wade has upped his play of late after a slow start, but Paul missed several games with an injury and hasn't been as good since he returned, while Bryant has labored through multiple injuries after a strong start.

A few other candidates warrant mentioning but similarly fall short of James' ridiculously high standard. Tim Duncan is having the best offensive season of his career, Chris Bosh has been similarly effective for a Toronto team that plays only one side of the floor, and Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony have done yeoman's work rounding out what were once one-dimensional games. That said, nobody has seriously matched James' impact in scoring, rebounding, passing and defending, and with the Cavs owning the NBA's best record and a season sweep of the Lakers, this award seems a slam dunk.

Honorable mention: Bryant, Bosh, Duncan, Wade, Anthony, Durant

[/h2]

 

[i nasmatic i]

STEIN_LINE_HQ Just filed to ESPN: Hornets are trading Devin Brown for Aaron Gray. Deal will be official later Monday

 

[kiddin like jason]

Well, that's exciting.

You guys are lucky I have been without computer access for the past two weeks and wasn't around when Hilton Armstrong got shipped.

 

[seymore cake]

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

STEIN_LINE_HQ Just filed to ESPN: Hornets are trading Devin Brown for Aaron Gray. Deal will be official later Monday

  

 

[CP1708]

Stat is gettin moved at the deadline isn't he?  I said preseason I thought it would happen, but with their fast start it looked like maybe they would hold him.  Now?  There's no reason to try to keep him, they should get what they can now for him. 
And Pritchard is doing it again.   He's holding out trying to kill some other GM for one of his players, instead of making a smart deal, he's trying to rape other teams like always. 

  And people still think this guy is good.  lol

 

[i nasmatic i]

Devin Brown ain't bad. Decent SG to bring off the bench.

 

[kiddin like jason]

Cake, I know you remember Dev putting up 22 in the first half against the Bulls last month.

 

[uclamike]

What's the stone face for? We need a sg that can score

 

[eneyekayee]

Stat is gettin moved at the deadline isn't he?
Lot of talk on CLE sports radio that we are in discussions for him.  I'm not a fan of him, but he is obviously a major upgrade if we don't give up too much other than expirings. 

I still don't see this happening AT ALL.

 

[hood17]

Rubio to Suns for Amare? I'm sure there will be more added than these two but that means the wolves front court could consist of Love, Big Al Hollins and now Amare. One of those bigs are leaving.

 

[yungchris504]

Downtown Brown aint bad, the million dollar question is what kind of player is Aaron Gray? I guess that will mean more mins for Thorton, Wright and Collision. I am jumping with Glee!

 

[kiddin like jason]

WojYahooNBA The Hornets areworking to move guard Bobby Brown to get the final $400K or so underthe luxury tax threshold, league sources say.

the million dollar question is what kind of player is Aaron Gray?
He could very well be the slowest and least athletic player in the league (so he'll fit right in with Peja, Posey and Songaila), but he takes up space and can rebound.

 

[uclamike]

What do the cavs have to get Amare? Don't even say big z contract because Amare is coming off the books so if they wanted cap space they would keep him and let him walk

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by UCLAMIKE

What do the cavs have to get Amare? Don't even say big z contract because Amare is coming off the books so if they wanted cap space they would keep him and let him walk

Anderson Varejao

(Before you say anything, I was being sarcastic).

 

[dlo13]

Hickson + Moon + pick = Amare


Power moves, mutha %!#%. 

 

[cicero avenue dopeman]

Originally Posted by DLo13

Hickson + Moon + pick = Amare


Power moves, mutha %!#%. 

 

[osh kosh bosh]

NEVER MIND.