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Jason Kapono wins 3-point Shootout

By InsideHoops.com

It’s 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend, Saturday night, and we’re up to the NBA Three-Point Shootout. Jason Kapono won it last year.

Richard Hamilton is up first. He hit 2 shots on the first rack, 4 on the second, 3 on the third, 3 on the fourth, and 4 on the last — but two of his last-rack shots were discounted by the refs because Rip stepped on the line. Hamilton actually shot well but did not hit a single money-ball except on the very last rack, but that shot was one of the shots discounted by the refs. Rip’s final score wound up being 14.

Daniel Gibson went second, and started from the nontraditional left side. He struggled early, but then picked things up. Gibson hit 1 shot on the first rack, 4 shots (including a money-ball) on the second rack, 3 shots (including a money-ball) on the third rack, 3 shots on the fourth rack, and 3 shots (including a money-ball) on the last rack, getting 17.

Steve Nash went third, also starting from the left side, and was awful from start to finish, getting a pathetic 9 points. They should have let InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner shoot.

Dirk Nowitzki was next, continuing the new tradition of starting from the left side. He shot a very long, slow, high-arc release which wasn’t very fitting for this competition. After a slow start he picked it up, and on the five racks he hit 1, 5, 3, 3 and 3 shots, with money-balls on the second and fourth racks. Dirk finished with 17.

Next is Peja Stojakovic, starting from the right side. He hit just one shot in the first rack and his first money-ball attempt hit the side of the backboard. His struggles continued until he got to the top of the key, which he rocked. And then stepped up on the last rack. In the five shooting areas Peja hit 1, 2, 3, 3 and 4 shots, with money-balls on the third and fourth racks. He got 15 points.

InsideHoops.com is the best pro basketball website ever, by the way. Just a reminder.

Last up is defending three-point champion Jason Kapono, who starts from the left side. He is shooting very quickly and did well all-around, though missing the money-balls, but rocked in the end when he needed it. From the five racks he hit 2, 4, 3, 4 and 5 shots, with money-balls on the second and fifth racks. Kapono finished with an awesome 20 points.

Reaching the second and final round is Kapono, Dirk and Gibson.

Starting first is Gibson, shooting very quickly, picking up steam halfway through and again at the end. The money-ball saved him. In the five racks he hit 2, 2, 3, 2 and 4 shots with money-balls on the first, third, fourth and fifth racks, finishing with 17.

Nowitzki is up second, high arc and all, and did decently but struggled with money-balls. In the five racks he hit 1, 4, 2, 3 and 3 shots, with just one money-ball, the very last shot. He got 14 points.

Kapono must beat 17 to win it. And unleashed one of the best performances ever, hitting every single money-ball, and on the five racks making 3, 5, 4, 4 and 4 shots, finishing with an awesome 24 points.

As always, this was a fun competition.

Kapono repeats as the three-point shootout champion.

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Rasheed Wallace named All-Star replacement for KG

Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace has been named by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace injured East All-Star Kevin Garnett (abdominal muscle strain) of the Boston Celtics for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17 in New Orleans.

Wallace will be making his fourth NBA All-Star appearance. East All-Star head coach Doc Rivers will determine which player on his roster will replace Garnett in the starting line-up.

The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. EST.

All-Star weekend Shooting Stars participants announced

Team Detroit will defend its Haier Shooting Stars title against Team Chicago, Team Phoenix and Team San Antonio in this year’s competition, which will be held on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Feb. 16, at New Orleans Arena.

The Detroit team, which captured the title last year in Las Vegas with a time of 50.5 seconds, consists of All-Star and 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, Shock forward and two-time WNBA All-Star Swin Cash, and Shock head coach and four-time NBA All-Star Bill Laimbeer. Cash and Laimbeer were key figures in the Shock capturing the 2003 and 2006 WNBA championships.

Team Chicago, last year’s runner-up, is comprised of Bulls guard and Slidell, La. native Chris Duhon, two-time WNBA All-Star and Sky forward Candice Dupree and three-time NBA champion B.J. Armstrong. Representing Phoenix, the 2005 winner, are All-Star Amaré Stoudemire, two-time WNBA All-Star and 2007 WNBA Finals MVP Cappie Pondexter and Suns great Eddie Johnson. Team San Antonio, which dominated the competition in the 2006 Shooting Stars challenge with a record-setting time of 25.1 seconds, consists of 10-time All-Star and three-time Finals MVP Tim Duncan, four-time WNBA All-Star and Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon and David Robinson, a two-time NBA champion and One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Team Los Angeles won the inaugural competition in 2004.
The Haier Shooting Stars contest features one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one NBA legend on each team. There are six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty, with each team attempting to make all shots in numeric order in the fastest time. Each team will select a specific player rotation to follow throughout the competition. Each shot must be made before the next player begins shooting in succession. Teams have up to two minutes to complete the entire shooting course and the team that completes all six shots in the least amount of time is declared the winner. In the case of a tie, a shoot-off will be used to determine the winner.

Pistons re-assign Cheikh Samb to D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that they have re-assigned rookie center Cheikh Samb to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

The assignment will be Samb’s second this season.  He was originally assigned to Fort Wayne on Monday, December 10.  In two games (both starts) during his first stint, Samb averaged 13.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in 31.5 minutes with the Mad Ants.

Samb was acquired by the Pistons on draft day from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Maurice Evans on June 28, 2006. Drafted by the Lakers with the 51st pick in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Samb spent the 2006-07 season playing overseas with WTC Cornella in the Spanish LEB2 League.

The 7-foot-1, 215-pound center made his NBA debut with the Pistons at the L.A. Lakers on November 16, scoring two points with four rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes.  In two NBA games this season, Samb is averaging 1.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 10.5 minutes per game.

No timetable has been set for his return.

Pistons bench not stepping up

The Detroit Free Press (Jamie Samuelsen) reports: The Pistons are in a mini-slump, losers of three of their last four. What’s different about them recently that wasn’t showing up when they won 11 in a row? The bench is the first thing that really jumps out at me. They only accounted for five points in the overtime loss to the Kings on Friday night. When you feature a starting five that only has two consistent scoring threats in Hamilton and Billups, you do need the bench to be consistent and it hasn’t been lately.

Chauncey Billups On The Knicks:

The question was put to Chauncey Billups after Detroit was beaten by 24 points on Sunday at MSG.

“Are the Knicks really as bad as their record indicates?”

“No, no, no,” he replied adamently.  “They’ve got some really good players over there.  Really good players.  For them, it’s just about finding the right mix.  They are as talented as anyone in the league -from 1 to 15.  But, talent [alone] don’t win too many games around here.  You’ve got to become a unit.  That’s what makes a great team.  

“When I got here [2002], Detroit already had what it took to be a great team; that’s the reason I came here.  I felt like I was one of the players who could continue what they had going on.  The year before, they had won 50 games.  They had the Coach of the Year in [Rick] Carlisle, Sixth Man of the Year in Corliss [Williamson], and Defensive Player of the Year in Ben [Wallace].  They were on the way up; personally, I was on my way up, too.  I thought it would be a perfect marriage.  As soon as I got here, man, I realized the culture in this locker room, and how Joe Dumars did it.  There’s a trickle-down effect.  I have believed that ever since.

[Note: Dumars would win Executive of the Year the following season]. 

“I don’t know what [the Knicks] have got going on over there.  So, I can’t speak for them.  But, they have talented players, and they’ve got a coach in Zeke, who has seen every battle, and every war.  They can learn from him.  That’s all I know.  I’m on the outside looking in.  I can’t speak for anything else, to be honest.”     

          

Coaches of Month: Saunders, McMillan

InsideHoops.com NewsWire: The Detroit Pistons’ Flip Saunders and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Nate McMillan today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in December.

Saunders guided the Pistons to a 15-2 (.882) record last month as Detroit established a franchise mark for wins in December. Holding eight of their last 10 December opponents to 90 points or less, the Pistons are in the midst of a nine-game winning streak. At 24-7, Detroit enjoys a 9.5-game lead in the Central Division. The Pistons handed the Celtics their first home loss of the season on Dec. 19 when Detroit posted an 87-85 victory in Boston.

McMillan led the Trail Blazers to a 13-2 (.867) record in December, which included 13 straight wins from Dec. 3 through Dec. 30. The 13-game winning streak is the second-longest in Trail Blazers history and tops in the NBA this season. At 18-13, Portland is second in the Northwest Division, trailing Denver by one-half game. The Trail Blazers defeated the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on Dec. 16, their first win in Denver since Feb. 26, 2003.

Other nominees for the Coach of the Month were Atlanta’s Mike Woodson, Boston’s Doc Rivers, Dallas’ Avery Johnson, Golden State’s Don Nelson, New Orleans’ Byron Scott and Philadelphia’s Maurice Cheeks.

Wizards-Pistons connections

Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was selected 4th overall by Washington Bullets in the 1995 NBA Draft…Pistons guard Richard Hamilton was selected 7th overall by the Wizards in the 1999 NBA Draft…Pistons free agent signee Jarvis Hayes was selected 10th overall by the Wizards in the 2003 NBA Draft…Wizards guard Antonio Daniels and Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace were teammates during the 2002-2003 season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Pistons recall Cheikh Samb from D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that they have recalled Cheikh Samb from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League.

In two games (both starts), Samb averaged 13.5 points, 9.5 assists and 4.0 blocks in 31.5 minutes with the Mad Ants.

Samb was acquired by the Pistons on draft day from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Maurice Evans on June 28, 2006. Drafted by the Lakers with the 51st pick in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Samb spent the 2006-07 season playing overseas with WTC Cornella in the Spanish LEB2 League.

The 7-foot-1, 215-pound center made his NBA debut with the Pistons at the L.A. Lakers on November 16, scoring two points with four rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes.  In two NBA games this season, Samb is averaging 1.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 10.5 minutes per game.