I suppose it's time for me to jump on the Jamario Moon bandwagon. I better hurry, though; the wagon's gaining steam and doesn't show any signs of slowing. Moon's rise has quickly become one of the hottest rookie topics this season, behind only Kevin Durant's coming-out party in Seattle and, maybe, Yi Jianlian's transition from China to the NBA. But Moon, 27, has a trump card for both Durant and Yi -- he's paid his dues. Moon's time spent in the minor leagues has been well-documented -- check out this feature from the Albany Times Union (Moon is a proud alumnus of the CBA's Albany Patroons) -- and his work ethic and rags-to-riches story have made him a fan favorite. "You know what? All those minor leagues I played in ... it seems like yesterday," the 6-foot-8 forward said. "I played in so many of them for so long. ... I don't want to forget about the minors, but I don't ever want to go back." If the first month of the season is any indication -- Moon ranks first in steals, second in rebounding and third in minutes among rookies -- he can kiss the minors goodbye ... for good. (Send comments, complaints or hype for your favorite rookie to Drew Packham at drew.packham@turner.com.)
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Durant is pulling away from the pack, and it's not just because he entered the week averaging 20.3 points a game. In last Friday's 104-98 win over the Bucks, it was Durant's defense that had everyone talking. Durant blocked a career-high five shots (while matching a career best with 35 points) as Milwaukee was held to 37.4 percent shooting from the field. "When he's in position, his length is a huge asset and he blocks the shots," Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said. Milwaukee coach Larry Krystkowiak came away impressed. "He's awfully long, and with that wingspan he gets his hands on a lot of balls and a lot of deflections," he said. Did we mention Durant is long?
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Horford's first month didn't go unnoticed. The big man out of Florida took home Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors (Durant won the West's) after averaging 8.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in November. Horford, who was considered by many to be the most "NBA-ready" player of the 2007 draft, has earned his stripes by doing the dirty work for the Hawks. "The whole key for me is that I know my role, and that's to be a presence in the paint and to bring some energy to the team," Horford told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "That's what I try to bring every night."
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Moon has made his mark for the Raptors with his tenacious defense, often guarding the opposition's leading scorer. But coach Sam Mitchell is expecting him to start producing more on the offensive end as well. "We've got to find a way to get him to score some more," Mitchell told the Boston Globe. "But he does all the other things. He rebounds. He defends. He blocks shots."
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Yahoo! columnist Adrian Wojnarowski got one scout to give this revealing assessment of Yi. "Durant's shot selection and free reign worries me," the scout said. "He is too loose and not playing team ball. I'm afraid he's laying a poor foundation for when he's on a better team. As for Yi, I just love his game. So fundamentally sound with three-point range. He can drive left or right on you, pass and has such size and athleticism. He even attacks the glass. I don't think you can pigeonhole him as just a perimeter guy, a shooter." This seems to be the consensus on Yi -- he's building a foundation for a bright, bright future.
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Navarro -- and the Grizzlies -- had a rough week. In four losses, Navarro was up and down. After scoring 26 points over the first two games (hitting 6-of-12 three-pointers), Navarro played only a combined 24 minutes the next two games. Darko Milicic's return to the lineup has pushed Navarro back to a reserve role. Still, I love Navarro's game and there's no way coach Marc Iavaroni can keep the Spaniard languishing on the bench.
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Like Moon, who is not a flashy scorer, it's somewhat difficult to define Scola's value by his scoring output. Instead, the 27-year-old's value to the Rockets has come mainly from his hustle, defense and rebounding. So you never know which Scola you're going to see on the offensive end -- the one who scored 16 points in 17 minutes in a win over the Grizzlies on Dec. 5, or the Scola who followed that by scoring six points total in the final two games of the week.
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Sonics fans got their first look at what could have been last Friday when Yi and the Bucks visited Seattle. With the fifth pick, the Celtics selected Green for the Sonics as part of the Ray Allen trade, while Milwaukee took Yi at No. 6. So how do Green and Yi compare at this point? Surprisingly, their numbers are almost identical -- both average about 9.5 points and 5.5 boards while playing about 25 minutes. Both have showed signs of brilliance, and it will be interesting in five years to see if the Sonics made the right decision passing on Yi. So far, it's way too early to tell.
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If there's one thing you learn when watching rookies, it's that one game's success doesn't always translate into a steady gig. Like Navarro and Scola (see above), Cook started last week hot with two double-digit scoring games (including a career-high 20-point performance). Of course, you know how this ends: Cook played just nine minutes on Sunday when the Heat beat the Clippers to end a five-game slide.
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SI.com's Ian Thomsen said it best that Williams "is as erratic as he is athletic." Williams has seen his playing time decrease dramatically, including a six-minute stint in a loss to the Knicks and a DNP-CD in Sunday's loss to the Wizards. For a team looking for a spark, it's curious that coach Lawrence Frank left the energetic Williams on the bench.
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Apparently, Young is more than just a scorer. Teammate Caron Butler is touting the guard from USC for a certain All-Star weekend contest. "Oh, he'll win the dunk contest," Butler said. "I have no doubt about that. That boy can fly. If he does some of the things we've been seeing in practice, he'll win it." Here's a quick look at what Young might have up his sleeve.
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Honorable mention: Corey Brewer, Timberwolves (18- and 11-rebound efforts in his last two games); Glen Davis, Celtics (averaged 6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds in three games last week); Joakim Noah, Bulls (saw increase in playing time); Acie Law, Hawks (back from an ankle injury)
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