General NBA insight – Page 153 – NBA Blog

Dwight Howard gets hacked a lot

Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard is a bad free throw shooter, so it’s a good gamble for defenders about to give up a potential easy inside shot to be sure to foul him and force him to sink the charity stripe shots.

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

The Hack-a-Howard is in a lot of opponent’s game-plans just as the Hack-a-Shaq was when O’Neal was a young Magic center.

The Magic have no more answers today for Howard than they did in the early-to-mid ’90s with Shaq.

The club complained to the league back then about the intentional, body-jarring fouling and little changed. Ditto in the Dwight era.

On Friday, General Manager Otis Smith threw up his hands and said, “What’s the league going to do?” Coach Stan Van Gundy has talked like a defense attorney this season on behalf of Howard, hoping the NBA might get the message through the media.

The answer?

“We — and Dwight — have to adjust to the situation the way it is,” Van Gundy said.

Howard for his career shoots 56.9% from the field, and only a little better, 60.2% from the free throw line.

Ty Lawson off to hot start

Denver Nuggets rookie point guard Ty Lawson has immediately shown he’s worthy of being a part of a winning team’s rotation. Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post reports:

Lawson was projected to have to scratch and claw for playing time, but he has averaged 21.2 minutes per game and has backed it up by averaging 11.8 points to go along with 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

“He reminds me a little bit of, when I came (into the league), a fast little guard was Brevin Knight,” Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups said. “The only reason I say that is because Brevin was really, really fast but he was never out of control. He was really fast and didn’t look like he was moving that fast. Ty is really, really fast, and most guys have to get low instead of standing straight up. He’s got a special gift.

“He’s small in stature, but he’s stronger than people think. You can’t just knock him around. He’s low to the ground, like a pit bull. But a lot faster than a pit bull.”

At 5-11, 195 pounds, Lawson is worth keeping an eye on.

The Nuggets are off to a hot start in 2009-10 and as of Friday are undefeated with a 5-0 record.

Ron Artest regrets time on Houston Rockets

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Artest’s return to Houston wasn’t exactly akin to Brett Favre’s return to play in Green Bay, where he spent 16 seasons.

“There’s nothing really to get too excited about,” he said.

In fact, Artest estimated that he lost $20 million in potential salary because he came off the bench for part of last season, in a contract year, until Tracy McGrady’s knee injury allowed him to move into the starting lineup.

Artest said he regretted playing in Houston for one season.

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to get paid to play basketball. One percent tells me I wish I could have been somewhere else. Things didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”

Then, after thinking about it for a split second, he hedged his words: “I was fine with that even though I was in my contract year.”

During his NBA career, Artest has generally been paid on the slightly lower end of what he was probably worth. A defensive superstar who isn’t quite as good offensively as his stats suggest, he’s basically gotten fair paychecks, but still probably could have landed an inflated deal somewhere along the way.

Oleksiy Pecherov shining for Wolves

Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via blog):

Timberwolves forward Oleksiy Pecherov has become the team’s most improved player, and he’s done it in the past three games. When Pecherov, as Wolves coach Kurt Rambis puts it, “learns how to compete in this league and gets a better understanding of our offense and defense,” the Wolves might get quality production out of a player they weren’t sure about.

The 7-foot Pecherov, a three-year veteran from Ukraine, came to the Wolves from the Washington Wizards in June in the draft-day trade that shipped out Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Pecherov was a relative unknown, but that could change.

Rambis has started Percherov the past four games, and his career-high 24 points against Boston Wednesday night will keep him in the starting lineup.

Ryan Anderson a great Magic fit

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

After watching this Ryan Anderson kid through his first three starts as a stand-in, you have to ask (if only in jest):

So how are the Orlando Magic going to find Rashard Lewis playing time when he comes back?

Even Anderson laughed at the question.

Anderson, 21, has been doing more than just keeping Lewis’ power-forward spot warm, but he realizes his days as a starter are numbered. He’ll be heading to the bench when Lewis returns from a league-mandated suspension in seven more games.

Anderson has been very Lewis-like in playing the role, averaging 17.3 points per game, second only to Dwight Howard’s 21.7 ppg. He, too, is 6 feet 10, and can shoot 3-pointers, nailing 11-of-20 for 55 percent.

And he’ll be looking to provide offense again if shooting guard Vince Carter (sprained left ankle) and small forward Mickael Pietrus (flu-like symptoms) are unavailable tonight against the Detroit Pistons.

Lewis will obviously start when he comes back. But it’s still a great “problem” that Anderson has fit in so well it’ll be difficult for coach Stan Van Gundy to move him back to the bench.

Video game losses motivate Kevin Durant

Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman reports:

If you had one guess, what would you say is driving Kevin Durant this season?

The scoring title? An All-Star appearance? A playoff berth?

How about video games?

“People might not believe me, but when I go home (after practice) I play video games and I lose all the time,” Durant said. “And I get so mad that I come back and I want to win everything. Something that small puts that winning mentality into my head.”

The NBA’s sixth leading scorer last season is off to a good start after Wednesday’s season-opening 102-89 victory over Sacramento. A stiffer test is in store tonight as the Thunder rolls into Detroit to take on a more talented Pistons team. But the goal of winning remains the same.

“That’s what this year is all about,” Durant said. “We have the right group of guys here and we all want to win, so that makes it easier as well.”

The Thunder are a fun, young team off to a nice little 2-0 start, and in the two wins Durant averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Shaq still pursuing law-enforcement work

Mark Puente of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via blog):

Predators lurking for local children on the Internet could soon be talking to a 7-foot-1 undercover deputy.

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy is reviewing paperwork to determine whether Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal is eligible to carry a gun and a sheriff’s five-point badge.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid last week notified the state agency, which determines officers’ eligibility, that he intends to deputize O’Neal if approved by the state, according to records obtained by The Plain Dealer. O’Neal held law-enforcement commissions in Arizona, Virginia and Florida. Reid declined to comment until the process is complete.

If O’Neal is approved, he would need to complete 36 hours of police training within six months and take the Ohio police examination to maintain the appointment, said Holly Hollingsworth, spokeswoman for the Attorney General. He would also have to pass a test on a shooting range.

This is one of the few things Shaq appears to take pretty seriously. He’s pursued it for a long time. But I still doubt he does it full-time after his NBA basketball career wraps up in a few years. Helping the law will probably be a side-hobby for the big fella.

Ray Allen says he is in best shape of career

Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald reports:

When Ray Allen said he entered training camp in the best shape of his career, it was an attention-grabber.

After all, it’s tough to improve your condition when you have 4.5 percent body fat.

“I’m never out of shape, so I don’t really have to get back in shape,” Allen said. “But even getting quicker ahead of the game so when I came in here it was like I could just start getting stronger now and just focus on the small little things I needed to do to get back into basketball shape.”

Allen credits a more intensive running schedule this offseason for his improved conditioning. The difference between this summer and his first two with the Celtics [team stats] is that his ankles finally are healthy.

Lots of NBA players tend to declare things like this quite often, and whether it turns out to be true or not usually remains to be seen. But as is the case with all older players, Allen has to pace himself so that he’s healthy enough to stay atop his game for the entire post-season.

Stephen Curry missing shots early on

The Golden State Warriors have all sorts of issues. A minor one, for now, is that rookie guard Stephen Curry isn’t quite a shooting star just yet.

Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reports:

The rookie No. 1 draft pick entered the game shooting 34.8 percent, including 4-for-21 from 3-point range.

Nelson said Curry is not even making shots in practice.

“I just thought it was a fluke for the first few weeks,” Nelson said.

“He was always a volume shooter,” Nelson said. “We’re having him think more as a point guard. That may be a factor, but I don’t think so. He feels free to take shots, and we encourage him to do it. I don’t really know any reason.

“He was a great shooter in college. … All I’ve been doing is just encouraging him. Keep shooting.”

Nelson has told the Warriors’ strength and conditioning personnel about cutting back Curry’s weightlifting to see if that’s the problem.

Curry said he lifts three days a week “heavy” for an hour straight. At most at Davidson, he said, he lifted “light” twice a week. But he said he doesn’t think weights are the issue.

I see this as no big deal at all. He’s shooting 35 percent now, on a team that’s making all sorts of adjustments. He’ll probably start shooting 40 percent soon, and perhaps higher in the near future. No problem just yet.

Grizzlies want Mike Conley to step up

For most of his short NBA career, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley has merely been solid.

Entering the league in the 2007-08 season, Conley didn’t shoot particularly well and averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 assists per game.

In his second season the 6-1, 185-pound Conley improved his three-point shooting range and free throw shooting, but the rest of his game didn’t show much improvement.

The time has come for him to make a strong impression on Grizzlies management.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Conley has received a strong message. The coaching staff is demanding he be more assertive and in charge of a group that features strong personalities and offensive wills.

Under Hollins, Conley already proved he is a credible NBA point guard. The pressure this season is for Conley to build on his personal gains and prove his position isn’t in need of an upgrade.

“I don’t want to be the weak link,” Conley said. “You want to be a key part of why a team is winning. It forces me to look at the game differently. I’ve got to be a force so that guys can’t sag off me or take me for granted.

“I know people may have given up and lost interest in me, but I use all of that as motivation. The people who doubt me, I try to go out and prove them wrong. I know I can help make this team better. I’m at the point now where I feel like people are going to realize that I belong in this league.”

Conley’s shooting has been good this preaseason. But he must soon prove that he’s capable of being a starter on a winning team.