Off the Glass

Players rise from scrap heap to put together solid starts

By Paul Forrester, Special to SI.com

The two most anticipated sightings these days in the Big Apple are Paris Hilton and Antonio McDyess. Sadly, Ms. Hilton's much-discussed video exploits ultimately may deliver more than the live return of McDyess to the New York Knicks.

McDyess hasn't played a full season in three years. Despite the dreams of New York fans, he'll catapult a seriously flawed Knicks club to the postseason just about the same time Hilton's video shows up at your local Blockbuster.

Unfortunately, all this speculation obscures some nice realities. Quietly, a number of players have seemingly risen from the scrap heap of fantasy seasons past to put together solid starts to the current campaign.

Ronald Murray: Who? While a string of 20-plus point performances in relief of the recuperating Ray Allen has made Murray the top waiver-wire pickup of the early season, you'd be lying if you said you knew before the season the Shaw College grad would put up numbers similar to Allen's. Allen is out until December at the earliest, and as long as the Sonics keep winning, Murray will be starting.

Vin Baker: Taverns take note -- Vin Baker is your enemy. Baker's resurgence as a productive interior player is a testament to what evils drink can bring. We should all be so wise as to follow Baker's new lifestyle.

Erick Dampier: Remember Dampier's solid NCAA career at Mississippi State, the one that made him the No. 10 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft? Sorta, right? Sorta like the way Dampier has played as a pro: good shot-blocker, occasionally good rebounder, rarely a good scorer. His season so far has been a more definitive statement of the player he can be: 11.9 ppg, a league-leading 14.4 rpg and 2.3 bpg.

Earl Boykins: Admit it. You've been waiting for the wheels to fall off of Boykins' wagon. At least Andre Miller owner OTG has. It's not going to happen. Boykins runs the point as often, if not more than Miller (who has been shifting to the two-guard slot of late) and is Denver's second-leading scorer. Unlike in previous stops, though, Boykins looks like he's played his way into a set, expansive role. Time's up; time to get Boykins on your team.

Charlie Ward: What's that old saying about the sun shining on a dog's posterior? Written off yet again before the season (this time by his own coach), Ward quietly has become the league's third-best assist man while knocking down almost two treys a game. Throw in a pair of steals and about 10 points a night and you've got OTG really riled up about that Andre Miller pick.

Stephen Jackson: Why does OTG keep looking at the Atlanta boxscores and thinking that Jim Jackson still has plenty left in the tank? I inevitably kick myself for being so foolish as to not start the former Buckeye until I remember that it's Stephen pouring in more than 16 a game on better than 45 percent shooting. Of course, if there is any kicking to be done, it is of Stephen, who should be getting the boots on after he turned down a lucrative offer to stay with San Antonio before grasping for a lot less in basketball oblivion. He might still be cheap in some leagues after falling off the radar in many a draft. Now is the time pay up and grab the correct Jackson and his two 3-pointers a game.

Kelvin Cato: For all of the attention paid to Yao Ming, Houston's most improved big man may be Cato. Previously more sloth than human, Cato has learned that life isn't all that bad when you get paid to play basketball for a living. With a little tutoring from Patrick Ewing and a healthy dose of butt-kicking from new coach Jeff Van Gundy, Cato has put up some nice numbers (7.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 1.5 spg) playing in the shadow of Yao.