General NBA insight – Page 154 – NBA Blog

16-1 does not necessarily impress Doc Rivers

When a team is 16-1 it is a safe assumption that they’re pretty good. Actually, more like very good, or great. But Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers judges by what his eyes tell him as he watches the team play, not the win-loss column.

Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe reports:

“Last year, I kept making a point when we were 16-1 we were horrible, that we were playing horrible,’’ Rivers said. “People were laughing; I believed that. I thought we were and it proved itself a little bit right after that. So you just watch your team.’’

Chemistry becomes a cliché after a while, but making sure roles are clear and every player is comfortable in theirs is a priority.

“A lot of the jobs for guys are new, even some of the guys that have been here, and it’s going to take them time to understand it completely,’’ Rivers said. “And that’s what we mean by, ‘We’ll be better as the year goes on.’ ’’

This reminds me of when the Houston Rockets went on their incredible 20+ game winning streak a while back. Even though they kept winning game after game, there was nothing particularly impressive about the team other than good chemistry and smart, unselfish play. Yet they kept right on winning.

Opinion: DeMar DeRozan not ready to start

The Toronto Raptors have a hot rookie shooting guard in DeMar DeRozan.

Aside from being extremely athletic, DeRozan has both a first and last name with two capital letters. Clearly an added bonus.

But is the kid ready to be a real starter on a team that hopes to make the playoffs? One writer says no.

Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun reports:

The starting five, which has four legit pieces, has a major hole at shooting guard, an area rookie DeMar DeRozan has yet to seize.

The kid looks like a keeper, but the kid isn’t ready.

Assuming his right knee holds up, the right move is to start Antoine Wright.

If Wright’s knee regresses and the Raptors are forced into force-feeding DeRozan into the starting unit, then the team is in trouble.

DeRozan needs time and now is not the time to thrust him into a role he is clearly not equipped to handle.

I agree that it’s better to give Wright the bigger role and minutes early on, while giving DeRozan more time to learn the ropes. Ideally, DD will be ready to handle the job a few months into the season.

Craig Smith good at injuring his Clippers teammates

Power forward Craig Smith, a new member of the Los Angeles Clippers, has been making a strong impression on his new teammates. That being, stay away from him or bad things may happen to you.

Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Rhino’s wreckage has taken out two teammates. First, it was rookie power forward Blake Griffin’s knee (four days before training camp), and on Friday, Marcus Camby, though that was more of a fluke when Camby rolled over on his left ankle and sprained it close to the end of practice.

Camby was clearly in pain and sat on the floor for several minutes before he was able to hobble back to the training room. He is doubtful with the Clippers facing three exhibition games in the next four days, starting today against Utah at Staples Center.

Earlier in the week, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound Smith seemed genuinely mystified about how Griffin got hurt in the first place in their informal scrimmage before training camp.

The bone bruise kept Griffin out until the second game of the exhibition season.

Hopefully Smith has not hurt any of his fellow Clippers during the time it took me to post this entry.

Taj Gibson having impressive preseason

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports: Taj Gibson is averaging 13.7 points on 53.6 percent shooting and also has matched up against the Jazz’s Carlos Boozer. In his matchup against the Bucks’ Thomas, the veteran forward pump-faked Gibson into an early foul, after which Gibson punched the stanchion in disgust. “You can’t take this job for granted,” Gibson said. “You have to take advantage of every chance you get. That’s why I watch so much film, which is fun for me. “One thing about me is I’m a gym rat. From the time I came, I told (general manager) Gar (Forman) that I love playing basketball. I’m going go to do whatever it takes to be the best player I can be.” Gibson earned Pac-10 defensive player of the year honors at USC, so his ability to consistently sink the midrange jumper has surprised some. Gibson isn’t one of them.

Spurs defending without Bowen

The successful San Antonio Spurs have been strong defenders ever since the days of David Robinson playing alongside Tim Duncan, but for years the tradition also continued thanks to the efforts of Bruce Bowen.

Age caught up with the aggressive small forward last season and he quickly fell off the map, eventually being moved to another team, and recently announcing his retirement.

Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

The transition to a post-Bowen defense began last season, when the eight-time All-Defensive Team selection’s ability to lock down the league’s great scorers began to erode. Bowen slipped out of the starting lineup. His minutes dwindled to fewer than 19 per game, an all-time low for his eight seasons with the Spurs.

Now, Jefferson will be part of a gang approach to defending players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Wade, who is likely to miss today’s game with a strained rib muscle. So will Manu Ginobili, George Hill, Roger Mason Jr. and Keith Bogans.

“Bruce was the best at making those kinds of guys uncomfortable, but those guys you have to guard as a team,” Ginobili said, “so we’re going to have to play better team defense than the last two years.

“We all have to step up defensively.”

The Spurs have a limited window to win another championship in the Duncan era, and they stocked up on weapons this summer and are going for broke this year. On paper, I consider them the second or third best team in the Western conference.

Allen Iverson acting as vocal leader

Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: Allen Iverson made his presence felt at training camp, and he was vocal. After the team had a sloppy mid-week workout, Lionel Hollins got the group together at center court and yelled at them. Then Iverson did the same, his mini-tirade laced with expletives. “C’mon, man!” Iverson yelled. “This ain’t punishment! This is how we’re trying to play.” Was Hollins encouraged to see Iverson take such a vocal role so early? He almost bristled at the question. “You know, I don’t care,” Hollins said. “The team has to take the onus, and it’s not just one person. It’s the team. They have to encourage each other, they have to chastise each other. … They have to say the right things and mean it the right way.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: I fear w hat happens when Iverson, Zach Randolph and maybe Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo start disagreeing about who should be shooting what shot, who ignored the open man or didn’t see the cutter, etc.

Pistons coach likes Kwame Brown, for now

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports: Pistons coach John Kuester has praised Kwame Brown at nearly every opportunity since he was hired in early July. So it wasn’t a shock when Kuester announced before Monday night’s exhibition opener against the Heat that the veteran entering his ninth season will get first crack at the starting center job. “Kwame has had a great 10 practices,” Kuester said. Kuester’s praise of Brown started even before training camp last week.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I’m not saying the love for Kwame Brown won’t last, but, well, yeah, let’s see if it lasts. He may be the best option they have for the role.

Less handshaking?

OCT. 2 UPDATE: This story is apparently inaccurate. No such anti-handshake directive has been passed down.

Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports: The NBA, fearful of the damage an H1N1 flu outbreak could wreak on the league, has passed down an anti-handshake directive. Players and coaches have been asked to greet each other via more sanitary means of contact, like fist pounding, or maybe chest bumps. One can only imagine what Utah’s Jerry Sloan thinks about this. “No handshaking,” Doc Rivers said. “I think it’s a good thing. A fist pound is just great.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: Before I shake hands with a public figure these days, I pull out a giant spray-can of cleaning fluid and unleash a few gallons of it on him/her. Then while I shake hands with one hand I offer the celeb a towel with the other. It does the trick and keeps me healthy.

Nuggets declare Renaldo Balkman a small forward

Denver Nuggets forward Renaldo Balkman is an energy player. At 6-8 and around 210 pounds, he has no clear position. He’s not a shooting guard. And although he hits the boards and bangs like a power forward, he’s too small to really play the four-spot. Size-wise, he’s a small forward. So, even if he can’t shoot, from now on that’s what the Nuggets will consider him.

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports:

This year, George Karl is making what he thinks is “a pretty drastic switch,” but it could be fruitful — Balkman is now a small forward.

Makes sense. No, Balkman can’t shoot like most small forwards, but as far as size, he’ll be a perfect fit defensively. And with Linas Kleiza no longer on the team, that opens up some minutes behind Carmelo Anthony — though it’s possible Karl could, at times, play a point guard alongside J.R. Smith and Arron Afflalo.

“We’re a little excited about seeing Balkman at small forward,” Karl said. “We’re going to give him a lot of minutes there in training camp. We would like, as we cut the roster down, to give him 15-20 minutes in the games at the two or three position.

Regardless of what position he’s playing, Balkman will do what he does, which is hustle and try to fill in the blanks and make things easier for teammates who have better-refined basketball skills.

Suns to run again

The Phoenix Suns were a fun, super-fast, run-and-gun team back in the not-so-distant past. Then they made a bunch of trades, added Shaquille O’Neal, and became a regular squad that fast-breaked about as much as anyone else.

Now, Shaq is gone and Steve Nash has guys like Jason Richardson, Amar’e Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa to toss the rock to. Guys with quickness and athletic ability.

What this means is, the fun Suns may reappear.

The AP reports:

The Suns begin training camp with “a clear vision of how we’re going to play,” Steve Nash said at the team’s media day on Monday.

That would be fast and furious, just like in the days when Mike D’Antoni was coach.

“This year I think it’s going to be much clearer as to who we are and how we’re going to play,” Nash said, “and that’s going to allow us to build a chemistry and believe in one another.”

It’ll be interesting to see how aging Steve Nash performs in 2009-10.