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West midseason grades (cont.)
Posted: Tuesday January 23, 2007 2:16PM; Updated: Tuesday January 23, 2007 5:54PM
More Western Conference grades ...
Portland Trail BlazersFIRST-HALF RECAP
See, talent doesn't always have to come in an obstinate package. Sometimes, a point guard such as Jarrett Jack can run an offense in only his second season and not get be detained at an airport for possession of an illegal substance. Sometimes a rookie shooting guard such as Brandon Roy can prove to be a dynamic scorer and willing distributor without upbraiding his coach in front of his teammates. Sometimes an owner can place the future of his team in the hands of a no-nonsense coach such as Nate McMillan who will teach a club with an average age of 25 that you can stay in games even if your defense and offense are wanting by slowing things down and not coasting. The Blazers aren't getting better in a Clyde Drexler, title-worthy sort of way, but they are getting better in a I'm-getting-paid-millions-of-dollars-maybe-I-should-obey-the-law-and-listen-to-my-coach sort of way.
GRADE: C+
Star Student Despite refusing to ride the good karma bus, Randolph has put up career-high scoring numbers while hitting the boards harder than he has in two seasons.
ZACH RANDOLPHBack of the Class Is there a less effective starting center in the league? We can't find one producing the 1.9 points and 4.1 rebounds Przybilla has produced this season or making more than the $32 million Przybilla will make over the next five years.
JOEL PRZYBILLALOOKING AHEAD
As open as McMillan has been to giving minutes to his young core, there are more minutes to hand out. Between Przybilla, Jamaal Magloire and Raef LaFrentz, the Trail Blazers are paying $25 million in salary this season but getting pennies on the dollar in terms of production (nine points, 11 rebounds, 2.5 blocks between the three of them). Better that court time go to LaMarcus Aldridge, who is every bit the shooter those three are and already is as close to as good a rebounder -- all as a rookie. With a playoff spot a very tall order for such a young team in such a loaded conference, no one is expecting a run to the postseason. And with the stench of the Jail Blazers era still dissipating, McMillan has some currency with the fans to get his kids up to speed without keeping a constant eye on the standings so long as the kids play hard and stay out of the local precinct. Between Roy and Jack and Aldridge and Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw and Ime Udoka and Sergio Rodriguez, the Blazers have the makings of a team the West will have to contend with for a long time to come. An ounce of teaching through the rest of this year should yield a pound of success sooner than many expect.Sacramento KingsFIRST-HALF RECAP
Well, that's two teams Ron Artest has ushered from onetime Finals contender to competitive dysfunction. It wasn't supposed to be this way for the former Pacer, but after a few weeks of pleasantries expressed in the press and a promising 8-5 start, the Kings have slowly sunk into the muck of the Pacific Division. Along the way came familiar reports of team frustration with Artest as well as Artest's frustration with not being "the man." But Sacramento's problems run deeper than Artest. Mike Bibby's shooting percentage is at a career low. Shareef Abdur-Rahim is scoring at almost half his career average. And Brad Miller's numbers are down from last year. Even the Kings' defense has been pedestrian at best, and that is with defensive-oriented coach Eric Musselman at the controls.
GRADE: D
Star Student Credit Artest for having at least one positive impact. Martin has taken Arest's suggestions to be more aggressive to heart, doubling his scoring average from last season AND shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3.
KEVIN MARTINBack of the Class It's a good thing Martin has been so accurate from outside because Miller has offered so very little inside, with his 9.8 points and 6.1 rebounds a night.
BRAD MILLERLOOKING AHEAD
The Kings are one of the NBA's fastest-paced teams -- and thus one of the league's highest-scoring clubs. But they've also been caught flat-footed on defense more often than not. Might slowing down the pace and focusing a little more energy at the defensive end get the Kings headed in the right direction? It may not sell tickets, but neither does losing seven in a row. But these are only stopgap options for a team whose foundations, especially down low, are finding their better days behind them. In other words, this team might be closer to rebuilding than the playoffs. If Artest can't prove his worth, it may be time to consider an overhaul while Sacramento can still ease into it.San Antonio SpursFIRST-HALF RECAP
The optimist says the Spurs' somewhat surprising 13 losses (after losing 19 all of last season) are mere hiccups for a team whose true measure is taken in the postseason; the pessimist says losses to the likes of Charlotte and Golden State don't bode well for a team that will need to beat the likes of Dallas and Phoenix in the playoffs. The optimist says coach Gregg Popovich has done a good job of limiting the regular-season minutes of his big three -- Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili -- in anticipation of a grueling West playoffs; the pessimist says Popovich had better save his big guns because his bench has been dodgy at best. The optimist says the Spurs have been the league's top defensive team in terms of points allowed (90.5 a game); the pessimist says that is a result of the Spurs' plodding pace. As for us, we say the Spurs may have a few flaws, but that's like saying you'd rather have the Chevy over the Roll-Royce because the Chevy has 10,000 fewer miles on it.
GRADE: A
Star Student Isn't it crazy that a guy who averages 19.8 points, 10.5 boards and 2.19 blocks and is shooting 53.7 percent is barely an afterthought in the MVP debate?
TIM DUNCANBack of the Class We kind of doubt the Mavs feel too bad about paying Finley $16 million this year to shoot 37.7 percent for an archrival.
MICHAEL FINLEYLOOKING AHEAD
There aren't any monkeys on their back or scores to settle; the Spurs, at this point in the Duncan era, are simply competing against their own level of satisfaction. There isn't much this club hasn't accomplished short of stamping the decade as theirs, which another title would do. To reach those lofty heights, San Antonio needs to keep its big three healthy, which Popovich will undoubtedly work hard toward by keeping its minutes in check. The Spurs also could use a spot more athleticism, as SI.com colleague Marty Burns pointed out, to better handle the young legs in Dallas and Phoenix. With a team whose average age is almost 30, that boost isn't likely to come from the roster at hand. But it had better come from somewhere. Dallas already has provd capable of beating the Spurs, and the Suns look poised to finally exorcise their playoff demons. San Antonio is still a capable demon, itself, but the margin for error is getting perilously thin.Seattle SuperSonicsFIRST-HALF RECAP
The Sonics have little problem scoring, nor do they have many problems letting opponents score. When Ray Allen is stroking his jumper and Chris Wilcox flips in some hooks, the Sonics are tough to beat. When the Sonics aren't hitting, this group has yet to show the tenacity to grind out a win. It's tough to blame the players when the club itself appears unwilling to call Seattle home for much longer. For the time being, the Sonics seem stuck in that frustrating zone of a team that isn't quite good enough to reach the playoffs or bad enough to nab a top-level draft pick. As easy as that cycle is to embark upon, it's that much more difficult to break, a task a distracted front office hasn't seemed too interested in tackling.
GRADE: D
Star Student The last time Allen didn't average at least 21 points, four assists and four rebounds in a season, Bill Clinton was still president. This year has been no exception.
RAY ALLENBack of the Class Shifting lineups, a porous defense and picking fights through the press with your bench players all point to a coach who doesn't have the ear of his team.
BOB HILLLOOKING AHEAD
The Sonics' future in Seattle seems to get shorter every time new owner Clay Bennett opens his mouth. Bennett recently requested more than $300 million to help pay for a new arena. After previous owner Howard Schultz's attempt to get public financing for a new arena failed in the state legislature, Bennett's request seems designed to be denied, opening up the door for the Sonics to flee to Bennett's home, Oklahoma City, which just happens to be the apple of the league's eye after opening its arms -- and wallet -- for the displaced Hornets. With the team's upper management focused more on getting a new arena (wherever it may be), there likely won't be any drastic moves made to upgrade the talent around Allen.Utah JazzFIRST-HALF RECAP
Coach Jerry Sloan has been around the NBA for too long to be impressed by any first half of a season, even one that involved winning 18 of the first 25 games. Well, what we know is that Sloan's Jazz have been pretty damn good this season. With Carlos Boozer anchoring the low-post offense, the Jazz are among the league's best shooting offenses. With a slimmed-down Deron Williams helping set the agenda at the point at both ends, the Jazz are among the league's stinigiest -- and dogged -- defenders. And with the indefatigable Sloan on the bench, the Jazz not only have worked hard each night but also worked smart. And bringing an effort each night alone is more than an entire conference of Eastern teams can claim.
GRADE: A
Star Student We suppose Boozer's numbers (22.1 ppg, 11.8 rpg) will allow owner Larry Miller to sleep a little better at night after giving the former Blue Devil $70 million almost three years ago.
CARLOS BOOZERBack of the Class Never a big-time scorer, Kirilenko's disappearing act on offense, averaging a career-low 6.3 shots per game, has drawn the ire of Miller, who has said the 25-year-old forward is on "thin ice."
ANDREI KIRILENKOLOOKING AHEAD
As balanced a club as the Jazz appear to be, they are far from a finished product. Boozer has been dependable, but shooting 56 percent in the regular season is different than shooting with Tim Duncan or Amaré Stoudemire in your face. Williams is smart and tough, but his sometimes streaky shooting can sink Utah as much as it can carry it. The off-guard spot is, for now, in the hands of an aging point guard, Derek Fisher, without the ability to slice and dice a defense at will. Most important, this team has yet to endure the trials of spring, where effort is a given and playoff pressure is nothing new to many there. Sloan and his experience will be invaluable in that context, but until his players walk over those coals themselves, we won't get a full picture of this team.
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