Category: General NBA insight

General NBA insight

Rockets-Kings team connections

Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman stands as the winningest coach in Kings history, recording a 395-229 (.633) mark in eight seasons (1998-2006) as head coach of Sacramento.

Elston Turner also spent six seasons as an assistant coach on Adelman’s staff in Sacramento.

T.R. Dunn joined the Rockets coaching staff after three campaigns as an assistant coach for the Kings.

Rockets Assistant Coach R.J. Adelman served five years as a scout for Sacramento, including the final three seasons as assistant video coordinator.

Houston forward Chuck Hayes, who was born in San Leandro, California, attended Modesto Christian High School.

In his solo season with the Kings (2005-06), Rockets guard/forward Bonzi Wells averaged 13.6 points, 2.8 assists and a career-high 7.7 rebounds in 52 games (41 starts).

Maloof Companies previously owned the Rockets from 1979-82.

Kings President John Thomas is a former Senior Executive Vice President with the Rockets.

Sacramento forward Kenny Thomas was drafted by Houston in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft, playing the next three-and-a-half seasons with the Rockets.

NBA expansion to Europe discussions

The idea of having some NBA teams in Europe has been around for a while, but whether it would work is a tough call. It could be done, though, maybe if flights were only made from Western Europe to the East coast of the United States, and then from the East teams headed West. I haven’t thought much about it, because it isn’t happening tomorrow or anytime soon. Though, the idea is reportedly being discussed again. Sports Illustrated’s Ian Thompson reports:

The NBA’s on-and-off approach to expansion into Europe is back on again. Commissioner David Stern is considering new plans to create five full-fledged NBA franchises in Europe over the next decade, a league source told SI.com. The initiative promises to be the big news of All-Star weekend in New Orleans, where international basketball officials are arriving this week for their annual meetings with the NBA. Stern is expected to reveal the league’s new stance at a news conference Saturday, according to a league source. The current idea would be to create five new teams in major markets to form a “European” division within the NBA. The teams would play the full 82-game schedule and compete for the NBA championship. But the proposal is new and many factors will influence the eventual outcome, the league source said.

I’m not sure that there’s enough fan support in major European cities to get consistent good attendance over the course of an entire season. I’m sure the league is pondering that as well.

Warriors team notes

A positive glance at the Golden State Warriors:

The Warriors are 31-20 thru 51 games, marking the first time they have been 11 games over .500 since the end of the 1993-94 campaign.

The Warriors are 16-5 in their last 21 games at ORACLE Arena – and play 6 of their next 7 games at home.

Golden State erased a 23-point deficit Monday night to defeat the Wizards 120-117, marking the 12th time this season that the Warriors have overcome a double-digit deficit en route to victory.

Golden State leads the NBA in scoring at 109.7 points per game and takes on the 2nd-highest scoring team (Phoenix, 109.6) on Wednesday night.

The Warriors are 31-14 (.689) in their last 45 games after starting the season 0-6.

Monta Ellis: Over the last four games is averaging 25.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals, while shooting 70.9% (39-55 FG) from the field.

Monta Ellis: Netted 34 points in Warriors 105-102 victory Saturday over Sacramento, including 16 points in decisive 4th quarter.

Monta Ellis: Has scored 20-or-more points in seven of the last nine games.

Monta Ellis: Overall this season, is averaging 18.3 points on 52.5% (354-674 FG) from the field.

Stephen Jackson: Over the last seven games, is averaging 25.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while shooting 49.2% (58-118 FG) from the field, 47.2% (25-53 3FG) from long range and 88.9% (40-45 FT) from the line.

Stephen Jackson: Registered a season-high 41 points in 120-117 comeback victory over Washington on Monday, including 16 points in the 4th quarter and the team’s final 11 points overall (in last 2:03 of contest).

Stephen Jackson: Has scored 25-or-more points in five of the last seven games.

Stephen Jackson: For the season, is averaging 21.0 points and 4.2 assists (both of which are career bests) along with 4.5 rebounds.

Positive Pacers notes

Some positive notes on the Indiana Pacers:
Danny Granger enters this week’s games having made a career-high 51 straight free throws. The Pacers’ all-time record for consecutive free throws is 61 in a row by Reggie Miller during the 2004-05 season.

On his way to his seventh double-double of the season with 10 points and 14 rebounds vs. Portland, Feb. 9, Jeff Foster tied his season-high with eight offensive boards, which was one more than the Blazers had as a team. Foster is 10th in the NBA with a total of 157 offensive rebounds this season. With those 14 boards, Foster became just the ninth player in Pacers’ history with 4,000 career rebounds.

Ranked among the league leaders in turnovers committed with an average of 16.0 per game, the Pacers have had a total of just 13 turnovers in their last two games. At New York, Feb. 6, the Pacers had a season-low six turnovers, including just one in the second half.

The leading scorer on the team with an average of 18.0 ppg, Danny Granger has averaged 21.4 ppg in his last 18 games. Having hit 95 3-pt field goals this season, Granger is on course to join Reggie Miller and Stephen Jackson as the only players in franchise history to make at least 100 from behind the arc in consecutive seasons. Granger led the Pacers with 110 3-pt field goals in 2006-07.

With more than 30 games left on the schedule, the Pacers’ total of 453 3-pt field goals this season is the fifth highest total in franchise history. At their current rate of 8.88 3-pt field goals per game, the Pacers will hit over 700 3-pt field goals for the first time in their history. The team record for a season is 583 3-pt field goals in 1999-2000.

Ranked among the league’s best shot-blockers off the bench with an average of 1.09 bpg, David Harrison is sixth in the league (among those with at least 30 appearances) with an average of 4.2 blocks per 48 minutes played.

In his last five games, Travis Diener has handed out 32 assists and committed just three turnovers for an assists-to-turnover ratio of 10.67:1. For the season, Diener has recorded 96 assists and just 30 turnovers for a ratio of 3.20:1.

Kareem Rush scored 10 points and hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Portland, Feb. 9, for the first double-double of his NBA career.

Rockets – Blazers team connections

Rick Adelman still ranks as the second winningest coach in Trail Blazers history behind Jack Ramsay, racking up a record of 291-154 (.654) in the regular season and a 36-33 (.522) mark in the postseason.

Adelman twice coached the Trail Blazers into the NBA Finals, qualifying Portland for the playoffs in all six of his seasons.

Elston Turner also served as an assistant coach with Portland.

T.R. Dunn was drafted by Portland with the 41st overall pick of the 1977 NBA Draft, spending his first three NBA campaigns with the Trail Blazers.

R.J. Adelman, who was a four-year letterman in basketball at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, earned his law degree from the University of Oregon in 2001.

Pat Zipfel joined Houston after serving three seasons as an advance scout with Portland.

Rockets guard Aaron Brooks was an All-Pac-10 standout at the University of Oregon.

Guard Steve Francis, who returned to the Rockets after having his contract bought out by Portland, was part of a multi-player deal that sent Zach Randolph from the Trail Blazers to the Knicks on June 28, 2007.

In nearly six seasons with Portland, Rockets guard/forward Bonzi Wells posted averages of 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 310 games with the Trail Blazers.

Portland center Joel Przybilla was selected by Houston in the first round (9th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft before Milwaukee acquired his draft rights.

Off Topic: Kanye West’s huge ego

If you stood a great singer in a room and made them sing all by themselves, they’d sound great.

If you stood a great musician in a room and made them play by themselves, they’d sound great.

If you stood Kanye West in a room and made him rap/sing by himself with no production and no instruments or anything, just him, your reaction would be something to the effect of, “Wow, THAT’s your musical ability? That’s it?!? There are around a million or so kids in Brooklyn that can do that!” And you’d be fairly right.

I like his albums. But, the above needed to be said.

‘That’s What Manu Does’ – Gregg Popovich

The San Antonio Spurs were trailing the New York Knicks in the final seconds of regulation when Manu Ginobili began his pursuit of the basket. From a defensive point of view, the conventional thinking would be one of two things.

Foul him. Or, let him score. So long as the passing lane was contained, and any Spur beyond the three point line was covered.

Fred Jones and Zach Randolph converged, but were late in arriving. Tim Duncan screened Renaldo Balkman, who dropped off his man -Michael Finley, alone in the right corner- to defend Ginobili. Less than two seconds remained, and the guard was still in control of the ball.

As Ginobili’s momentum pushed him past the end line, he released a pass to Finley, who promptly sent the game into OT.

“It was designed for Manu to do what he did,” said Gregg Popovich, the Spurs coach, startled that someone would dare ask him about such a risky play, albeit one that the champs have executed to perfection in the past. “That’s what Manu does.”

The fact this was a set play -the Spurs call it ‘Hammer’- is believable. The fact that it still worked despite Isiah Thomas’ warning, following a timeout, is unbelievable.

Well, maybe not that unbelievable.

“Yes, we talked about that,” Thomas said, after the Knicks lost their eighth straight game. “It didn’t happen but that’s okay. We will learn [from this], and move on.”

Mavs notes after beating Grizzlies

Dallas Mavericks notes after beating the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night.

Jerry Stackhouse returned to action tonight after missing the last 8 games with a strained right hamstring. He finished the game with 7 points, 3 assists, 1 steal, 11 minutes off the bench.

Erick Dampier was unavailable tonight due to a sprained right ankle. Gana Diop started in his place and contributed 8 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, 26 minutes.

Diop’s 12 rebounds were the most since he came down with 11 vs. DEN (1/27).

Dallas improved to 2-1 when at least 3 reserves score 10+ points. Tonight, Devean George (14), Brandon Bass (13), Jason Terry (11) had at least 10 off the bench.

George’s 13 points (6-8 FGs, 1-2 3FGs) marked a season-high. (previous high was 12 at UTA, 12/26).

Memphis’ Rudy Gay recorded his 7th double-double of the season (team-highs 18 points, 12 rebounds).

The Mavericks have won their last 3 games by an average of 10.3 points per game.

Dallas has now won 10 straight games over Memphis – 14 games when including the 1st round sweep of the Grizzlies in the 2006 NBA Playoffs.

The Mavs have won 9 consecutive home games. They lost, 81-88, vs. CLE (12/27) at AAC.

Tonight’s attendance was 20,315 fans (19,200 capacity). The Mavs have sold out 259 consecutive regular season games at AAC and 297 games including the postseason. Dallas currently owns the longest running sellout streak in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings previously held the streak but failed to sellout their home opener this season. The Mavs are now ranked #10 on the all-time NBA sellout streak list.

Wizards notes for upcoming game in Phoenix

This game marks the second and final of two meetings between Washington and Phoenix this season.  Phoenix was victorious in the first meeting this season, 122-107, at Verizon Center on December 7.  The Wizards and Suns split their season-series in five straight seasons, and in six of the last seven campaigns.  Washington swept the Suns in 2001-02, but needs a win tonight to avoid being swept by Phoenix for the first time since the 1999-00 season.

The Wizards won their lone game in Phoenix in both of the two previous seasons.  Washington last lost in Arizona on December 18, 2004.

Washington will look to snap a season-high six-game losing streak.  With a win against the Suns, the Wizards will avoid their first seven-game losing streak since March 5-16, 2004.

Wizards forward Andray Blatche finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks as a starter in Washington’s last game.  In six starts this season, Blatche has averaged 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.  With the Clippers’ Chris Kaman, Orlando’s Dwight Howard and Houston’s Yao Ming, Blatche is one of only four players in the NBA averaging at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game as a starter this season.

In Washington’s last game (L, 111-100 at DEN, 2/8)…Antawn Jamison had a team-high 21 points in defeat…Andray Blatche grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and scored 14 points to record his fifth double-double of the season…Nick Young connected on 7-of-13 field goal attempts and 5-of-6 free throws en route to scoring a career-high 19 points…Darius Songaila finished with a season-high 15 points…DeShawn Stevenson’s 15 points gave Washington five players in double figures in scoring…Already with Caron Butler, Gilbert Arenas and Etan Thomas sidelined due to injury, Antonio Daniels was limited to less than seven minutes of action with right knee tendinitis.

Last time vs. Phoenix…(L, 107-122 vs. PHX, 12/7)…Seven Wizards scored in double figures; the only time this season in which seven different Wizards scored 10+ points apiece in a game…Andray Blatche scored a team-high 19 points, and with his 10 rebounds recorded a double-double…Roger Mason contributed 15 points…Nick Young finished 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting…Antonio Daniels led the Wizards with seven assists…Phoenix’s Steve Nash established a new Verizon Center-record with 19 assists.

Last season vs. Phoenix…The Wizards and Suns each won a game on the other’s home court…Caron Butler averaged 29.0 points in two games vs. Phoenix…Phoenix’s Steve Nash accounted for 34.5 points and 13.0 assists per game against Washington…The Wizards’ win came via a 144-139 overtime decision in Arizona on December 22; a game in which Washington’s Gilbert Arenas set a new US Airways Center scoring record with 54 points.

Wizards-Suns connections…Caron Butler and Phoenix’s Shaquille O’Neal were part of the Lakers-Heat trade that sent Shaq to Miami and made Butler a Laker…DeShawn Stevenson and Phoenix’s Grant Hill are former Orlando Magic teammates…Antawn Jamison and Steve Nash played together in Dallas…Jamison and Suns Head Coach Mike D’Antoni represented the United States in FIBA World Championship play in 2006…Suns’ rookie DJ Strawberry played collegiately at the University of Maryland.

Turkoglu rocking

Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu is having a great season and received consideration for the All-Star reserves. But not making the team seems to have made Turk play even better.

The AP reports: Hedo Turkoglu has put together perhaps the best stretch of his career over his past nine games, averaging 23.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Turkoglu had his first career triple-double – 13 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists – in Orlando’s loss to Dallas.