Memphis and Wiz, Slow Your Roll

Staying put… for now.

This past year, Washington D.C. looks like the worst place to be a young athlete. Stephen Strasburg benched, Robert Griffin III sidelined with injury and John Wall missing a huge chunk of this year’s NBA season. Now that Wall is finally back, looks like the Wiz have already made an attempt to dump their Rookie of the Year candidate.

Wait, what?

Yes, after just one Washington game with both Bradley Beal and Wall in the Wizard’s backcourt, trade rumors are swirling around the young rookie out of Florida who was taken third overall in the 2012 draft. Sources are reporting this morning that Wiz GM Ernie Grunfield apparently sent an offer to Memphis for Rudy Gay.

Memphis has put it out there that they are shopping the starting forward in his seventh season out of UConn and already fallen out of a possible trade with Toronto. Problem with that trade: the Griz were asking for too much. The deal would have potentially sent Jose Calderon, Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross to the city of Graceland.

In return, Toronto would have gotten an average perimeter scorer who has yet to live up to his larger-than-life ability that people saw him achieving. Not to mention Gay’s contract that has another $37 million attached to it after this season. The biggest knock on Gay coming out of college was his lack of a voice and leadership. It’s looking like he’s never going to develop those traits.

Washington is definitely looking for more scoring. Right now, the Wiz are last in the league in scoring with a mere 89.4 points a game. Additionally, their frontcourt is less than stellar. Emeka Okafor is having the worst season of his career with less minutes and Nene hasn’t been healthy. It’s going to take a lot more than Martell Webster to take a team to the postseason especially on a team that is currently experiencing its only winning streak of the season with two.

By putting Beal on the block, the Wizards are showing a complete disregard for their future. We have seen the two-guard combo work on several other teams if not to bolster their roster at the time but to build a tradeable player later down the road (Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis with Ellis being sent to Milwaukee and Golden State sitting pretty well right now with that 5^th seed in the West). Right now, a third overall pick for an underwhelming forward doesn’t just doesn’t seem fair.

The same could be said for Memphis. Frankly, the frontcourt with Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Gay is working out. They took the Clippers to seven games last season in the first round and the year before they upset the No. 1 seeded Spurs; however, Gay missed that series with a shoulder injury. The trade would also completely disregard their breaking up of the O.J. Mayo/Mike Conley backcourt. Mayo is now in Dallas and would load their backcourt back up. Although that deal was done to save money in the long run, Memphis is winning with defense and bringing in a young guard would not contribute to that formula.

It’s conclusive that this trade really didn’t need to happen. Both Memphis and Washington need to step back and look at what they really need. Frankly, the Wiz’s season is already over. With only six wins, it’s apparent that they need to build that frontcourt with the draft since there really is nothing to save with their 2012-13 season.

In Memphis, it’s always been about saving money for an organization that needs to step up and spend some cash. Yes, they do have four max contracts with Connely, Randolph, Gasol and Gay but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when you have a chance to win now. This team just learned how to make the playoffs so it would be best to see how that plays out.

Put the brakes on guys. This trade did not need to happen since it would have been premature on just about every level.

 

Warriors trade Ellis to Bucks for Bogut

Trading places

With the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, teams are weighing their options as rumors, per usual, swirl endlessly. Almost every rumor out there is centered on whether Dwight Howard will remain in Orlando beyond the deadline, which he has stated is his wish, or if he will be traded now so that the Magic can get something in return for their franchise player before he bolts in free agency this summer. Of course, Howard is not the only player that is on the trade block, Atlanta’s Josh Smith has requested to be traded, Carmelo Anthony‘s future in New York is blurred since his return to health and the recent skid the Knicks have been on. The likelihood of the Knicks moving Anthony is highly unlikely after what they gave up to acquire him, though. Paul Gasol is also a name that is currently in everyone’s mouth. Those are just some of the more well known players that have rampant speculation surrounding their every move. At this point, the only official trade that has occurred is between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors.

Golden State has been looking to make a trade since last summer when Joe Lacob and his associates took over and had been in the thick of the speculation surrounding Howard. Now, however, they have traded Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown to the Bucks in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. This move effectively removes Golden State from the race for Howard while also giving the team the a quality player in a position it has coveted.

Bogut, though, has been out for much of the season with a fractured left ankle and could potentially miss the remainder of the season as the initial timetable for his return was eight to ten weeks. He sustained the injury on January 25.

His career has been marred with injuries so his acquisition is therefore a risky one. However, Bogut’s presence in the middle, even if it is limited should be a great help to a team that has lacked interior scoring and defense for quite some time.

Any deal that Milwaukee was involved in was going to include Jackson. He fell out of favor with head coach Scott Skiles and was relegated to a bench role which the team reported was to let him recover from a hamstring injury. Statistically, this has been Jackson’s worst season since his sophomore effort. Combine that with his temperament and it is easy to understand why the Bucks were adamant about moving him.

Ellis playing in Milwaukee presents an interesting, if not all too unfamiliar, situation to the one in which played in with the Warriors. With Golden State, Ellis was paired in the backcourt with Stephen Curry. In Milwaukee he will be paired with Brandon Jennings. Ellis and Jennings are actually very similar players. Both have good ball handling skills which allows them to break down defenses but are more prone to take low percentage shots and shoot the ball inefficiently. At present, it is uncertain how they with mesh together on the floor. Ellis is the better pure scorer of the two and should help the sometimes anemic offense that befalls the Bucks but his average could dip.

Acquiring Ellis also begets the question: Are the Bucks planning to trade Jennings? What is the point of starting two similar players in the backcourt? There have been no rumors as yet to Jennings’ future with the team but a trade has to be an option that is now on the table.

As for the other two pieces, Udoh and Brown, it is Udoh with the most upside, and conversely, the most room to fail. Where Udoh fits into Milwaukee’s system will be important to his development. He will likely alternate between the center and power forward slots (those terms seem dated at this point) spelling Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova, and sitting just above Jon Leuer in the rotation. This should effectively give him the minutes he needs but be most be productive. In his six starts with Golden State this season, Udoh has been just that averaging 12 points, 5.5 rebounds, and two blocks. He will not be getting starting minutes in Milwaukee but the sings of promise are there.

Another Exhibition Game featuring NBA Players scheduled in D.C.

Once more for charity

The nation’s capital and the surrounding area has hosted several prominent basketball games this summer. Exhibitions such as the Goodman League versus the Drew League and the Goodman League versus the Melo League saw NBA stars descending on the area to suit up. With the NBA lockout still in full effect, these games, along with the FIBA tournaments in Europe and the Americas, have been a small respite for basketball fans longing to see their favorite players on the court once more. Now, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, it looks like there is another game in the works, this time for charity, that will feature only NBA players.

The game, billed as the “Clash of the Superstars,” was organized by Hanif Hill, a trainer who has worked with several NBA players including Kevin Durant, Greg Monroe, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, and Monta Ellis. Durant, who has appeared at seemingly every basketball event this summer, and Monroe have committed to playing in the game. Other players who are slated to play are Jeff Green, DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden, Eric Maynor, Kemba Walker, Jarrett Jack, Corey Brewer, Samardo Samuels, and John Wall, who may not play but will attend.

Event proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club 10, the Calomiris YMCA, National Capital YMCA, and Capital Elite Academy. The game will take place Saturday, September 17.

Golden Days Are Here Again

Are Joseph Lacob and Peter Guber ready to fix an ailing franchise?

Keith Smart may be out of a job and the Warriors may be shopping for a new coach but the situation out in Oakland is far from solved.

As you may know by now, Smart was fired after only one season coaching the Warriors.  New ownership brought him in during training camp after deciding to part ways with Don Nelson.

On July 15 of last year, franchise owner Chris Cohan sold the Warriors to Peter Guber and Joe Lacob for a record $450 million. The duo would not take complete control of the team until November. However, the two got busy really quickly by making the trade for David Lee and signed him to his six-year, $80 million contract with the then owners’ blessing of course.

Additionally, they fired Nelson and hired on Smart, a seven-year member of the staff, as his replacement with a one-year contract with a second year option.

Seems like a lot of work done by two men that hadn’t even taken complete control.  Yet, during an interview with Sports Illustrated on the day they bought the team, Guber was asked what his plan was as far as improving the team.  His answer:

“I wouldn’t be able to answer that even if I knew the answer,” Guber told SI.com. “We haven’t done the analysis. I honestly, truthfully don’t know the answer. That is the process of examination. There are a lot of forces at work. The collective bargaining agreement is looming. The issues of free agency and trades and all kind of things are going on. We have to transition and we don’t know how long this process will unfold.”

Sort of an odd answer from a guy that just worked a deal for Lee and Dorell Wright.  Not to mention the risky signing of Harvard standout Jeremy Lin and all before the sale was even finalized on November 13, 2010.

However, in the same SI interview, Guber stated that he is an impatient man and it’s pretty apparent now.  This season, the Warriors were 36-46, a 10-game improvement from last season.  Smart kept Golden State in the playoff hunt until a six-game losing streak in March knocked them out of contention.  They ended the season strong with a three-game streak with wins over Dallas, Portland and LA but even that wasn’t enough to convince them to retain Smart.

To some it may seem like a surprise that the team has decided to part ways with Keith but again, ownership declared that he was a transitional coach.  The mentality of this is odd considering that transitional period took up an entire year but the cards are still in the Warriors’ hands.  The only starter up for free agency is Reggie Williams and the only decent bench player up for it is Al Thornton who had the worst scoring season of his career.

Additionally, with the trades that sent both Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony to the Eastern Conference, right now is probably the best time to rebuild in the West.  Utah, Phoenix and Houston all missed the playoffs and are in their respective transitional periods as well.  Last season, Oklahoma City was the eight seed with 50 wins.  This year, Memphis made the playoffs with 46.

The new ownership is a breath a fresh air for the Warriors who dwelled in the mediocre shadows of the NBA for 15 years with Cohan.  They made the playoffs only three times under him.  Sports Illustrated rated him as the fourth worst owner right behind Michael Heisley (Memphis), Cablevision/James Dolan (New York) and Donald Sterling (LA Clippers).  It’s a rating he deserved too for keeping around Don Nelson who he even sued years ago for jumping ship for New York.

Chris Cohan, an absent owner.

The Warriors only had a handful of winning seasons under Cohan as he made bad decision after bad decision.  The 1996 draft featured players such as Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine Walker, Peja Stojakovic, and Marcus Camby. Cohan selected Todd Fuller.

Last season, they sent Stephen Jackson packing for an injured Raja Bell.  Before that, they traded Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling for Bimbo Coles and Kevin Willis.

Do we really need to get into the Latrell Sprewell incident?

Off the court, Cohan hasn’t made the best decisions either.  In 2007, the IRS accused him of tax evasion.  He was sent a letter of Deficiency by the Department of Treasury stating that he and his wife, Angela, owed $95 million in taxes and $66 million in penalties.  He was accused of purchasing several tax shelters that are tied to a New York-based organized crime investigation.  While he wasn’t part of the criminal investigation, Cohan had his hands and money tied to some shady business practices.

Now, the new ownership is determined to move on from Cohan’s mistakes and they aren’t wasting anytime.  Smart was only a temporary solution but now that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber are going into their first, full offseason with the team, they will be able to make a more methodical decision as to who they wish to hire as their head coach.   In an ESPN report, even Lacob admitted they moved very quickly:

“At some level, and certainly I know some people will say this — that [Smart] deserved another year, that he didn’t have a full roster, and there’s some truth to that,” Lacob said. “But we felt that we could be better. I think to some extent ownership wanted more so to have their guy in.”

They knew it was time to move on completely and have even stated that the new coach will retool the entire staff if he wishes.

Several names have started to swirl around from Jerry Sloan to Jeff Van Gundy. Other names include former Cleveland Cavs coach Mike Brown and Lawrence Frank who is Doc Rivers’ assistant in Boston where Lacob previously held a small stake in the team.

While it is still unknown who the job will go to, one thing is for sure, he will have to be a player’s coach.  Ownership was impressed with how Smart related to the players and promised to place his own stamp on the team.  He even shook every player’s hand in the locker room on day one and made this promise.

However, he juggled Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry poorly and even benched the rookie Curry late in a few games.  His hardline approach strained their relationship but he still had the support of the team.

Larry Riley (left) and Bob Myers (right) have a long offseason ahead.

Bringing in Bob Myers as the new assistant manager is a step in the right direction for fixing this team.  Myers is a former agent who represented Kendrick Perkins, Brook Lopez, Antawn Jamison, Brandon Roy, Tyreke Evans and current Warrior Dorell Wright.  When he took the job earlier this month, he forfeited his position under Arn Tellem, one of the most powerful sports agents in the game and assumed a position that puts him right under current GM Larry Riley.  However, Myers is expected to replace the 66-year-old Riley who was brought in back in 2009 to replace Chris Mullin.

Ownership believes that bringing in Myers will give them the edge since he knows the ins and outs of player management from his time as an agent.  He is also a former player that won the NCAA Title in 1995 with the UCLA Bruins and even grew up in the Bay Area.

It was a risky decision to bring over someone without any experience as a GM especially when the likes of Steve Kerr and Kevin Pritchard are possibly looking to return to front office positions.

The Warriors have stated that they are not shopping Ellis or Curry unless the offer was too good to resist.  However, they are very unhappy with starting center Andris Biendrins and state that he has to work for his position back with the team.  They have stated that they would be willing to move Lee over to the five position or simply give it to Ekpe Udoh.  They will also have the option to see who is available in free agency.

Myers will be given a large amount of power to retool both the team and offices. The Warriors’ director of player personnel, Travis Schlenk, and director of basketball operations, Kirk Lacob, the owner’s son, are the only other two names that are guaranteed jobs.  Those four, along with the owners, have the daunting task of putting the right people in place to get Golden State back in contention.

When Don Nelson left the Warriors, it meant that his style of fast-paced ball was on its way out as well; however, the team is still moving quickly but in a different way.  New owners are scrambling to fix a broken franchise that has been run into the ground by mismanagement and a revolving door of talent.  With the right people in place, glory will return to the Bay Area.

Rookie Update

All the way back on October 18, 2010, we produced a list of eleven rookies who we though worthy of keeping an eye on this season. A few of them were no-brainer picks. Now that half the season is over it would be a good time to take a glance at how they are doing for their respective franchises.

DeMarcus Cousins – Sacramento Kings

Cousins was making an early, self promoted, push for Rookie of the Year. However, his season has been plagued with inconsistency spending time both as a starter and as a reserve. Recently, he has been playing better. He needs to become a better rebounder though. Cousins has only recorded double figure rebounds in nine of the games he has played in and only has seven double doubles. Considering the company he keeps on this list he needs to improve if he even wants an outside chance for ROY. Averages of 13 points and five rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent are not going to cut it when he is listed at 6’11” and 270 pounds. It would also behoove him to stay out of foul trouble.

Derrick Favors – New Jersey Nets

Favors has found himself in and out of favor with Avery Johnson. Who could have guessed that Johnson would treat a rookie in such a manner? On top of that, he was one of the key features of the now defunct trade attempt for Carmelo Anthony. That has to have done wonders for his confidence. Favors has found himself back in favor of late and has started the Nets’ previous 11 games. During this time his scoring average has been a tidy 7.4 points which is an improvement over his season average of 6.6 points per game. However, Favors was held scoreless in two of the contests in which he started. That does not bode well for Johnson’s blood pressure. The Only player who has spent more time in Johnson’s doghouse this season than Favors is Troy Murphy.

Blake Griffin – Los Angeles Clippers

If you have seen any basketball dunk highlights this season then you have seen the power that Griffin wields. Then there is this number: 27. That is the number of consecutive double-doubles he had this season. Only Kevin Love had more this season (he is currently at 30). Griffin is averaging 22.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per contest while also dishing out 3.5 assists.  To top that he gets 20.1 percent of the total rebounds available while he is on the court. He is a shoe in for Rookie of the Year. No question.

Timofey Mozgov – New York Knicks

Mozgov is a complete nonfactor in Mike D’Antoni’s rotation. He began the year in the starting lineup but has since found himself relegated to the bench with limited minutes. Maybe he should reach out to fellow countryman Mikhail Prokhorov and ask for asylum on the Nets. Mozgov’s most notable moment of the season was having Blake Griffin scale him for a monstrous slam.

Jeremy Lin – Golden State Warriors/Reno Bighorns

Lin has spent some time in the D-League this season as the Warriors try to figure out what kind of a team they have outside of Monta Ellis. He has had two stints with the Reno Bighorns. Lin has played well in the D-League where he has averaged 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Here’s hoping that the Warriors’ hometown favorite can return to the NBA and stay there.

Larry Sanders – Milwaukee Bucks

Sanders can best be described as an offensively limited block machine. He is tied for second overall in blocks per 40 minutes with 3.8. Considering that he only plays an average of 14.5 minutes per game and has only appeared in 30 games that is a rather impressive statistic. He recorded eight blocks against Denver on December 1, 2010 in 33:30 minutes of playing time. Clearly, Sanders, is poised to grow into a defensive presence at the power forward. His defensive rating for the season is a 98. However, for a big man he needs to improve his post game and become more efficient around the rim.

Tiago Splitter – San Antonio Spurs

Much like Mozgov, Splitter is not a rookie in the traditional sense because he has overseas experience. In fact, Splitter had a rather successful career in the Euroleague. With the Spurs? Well, not so much. He has only appeared in 34 games for San Antonio this season and has just not found a way to work himself into Greg Popovich’s rotation and is seeing an average of just 11.4 minutes of action in the games he plays in. What is holding him back is that when he does play significant minutes in a game his production is far from consistent as he has only scored in double figures five times this season and has not recorded a double-double. He did come close once on December 22, 2010 when he had 12 points and nine rebounds but close does not cut it. It is very likely that Splitters role with the team will not change any time in the near future as San Antonio continues to breeze through the league on a pace to win 69 games.

Evan Turner – Philadelphia 76ers

Turner was drafted second overall in last summer’s draft. As of right now, that is the highlight of his short career. He was supposed to help turn around a struggling 76ers organization and has been nothing but below mediocre. When a player is drafted second overall it is expected that they are going to make an immediate impact and be in the starting lineup. Turner has only started in 12 games and only surpassed the 20 point plateau once this season. His averages for the season are 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Yuck. That is like Derrick Favors on a good day. What this goes to show is that no player, no matter how good they were in college, is a lock to be a solid NBA player (or maybe players from Ohio State just suck at in the pros). But, hey, he is a rookie and has his career ahead of him. Maybe he will turn in around. Until then the focus of the 76ers will be the development of Jrue Holiday.

Ekpe Udoh – Golden State Warriors

Much of the first half of the season was marred by injury for Udoh. Now that he is healthy he is proving that even when he does get minutes he produces little if anything. He played almost 23 minutes against the Kings on December 21, 2010 and did not even take a shot! Not even a free throw. Enough said, moving on…

Greivis Vasquez – Memphis Grizzlies

My counterpart at the Beef had high hopes for Vasquez when the Grizzlies drafted him. Now, with half an NBA season under his belt, all expectations should be tempered. He has scored ten points just once this season and has never scored more than that and has never recorded more than seven assists. Seven assists is not a bad number but he has only recorded more than five assists five times in 39 games. Memphis is overloaded at the swing position so it is going to be a while before Vasquez finds his niche.

John Wall – Washington Wizards

The biggest concern for Wall during the first half of the season was his turnovers. (His health was also a major concern.) They were out of control and that is not a good thing, to say the least, for a point guard, especially a young one. He has not completely managed to keep them in check but has done a far better job of holding onto the ball while increasing his assists. For the season, Wall is averaging 9.2 assists. In the month of January, he has averaged 10.6 assists per game with only 4.3 turnovers during that same stretch. For the season is Wall is averaging 15.2 points but only shooting 40 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from long range. He needs to improve his shooting percentage. But, using Derrick Rose as a model, this will likely happen. If Wall can lead the Wizards to a road victory this season he should consider it a consolation prize to not winning the NBA Finals.

Clearly, rookies cannot be judged on an equal basis. Systems and coaches dictate a lot in the development of young players.  Each of the players above has a whole career ahead of them. Who is to say that any of the players who are not named Blake Griffin or John Wall on this list will not become an NBA All Star one day? It is not like all of them are going to turn out to be Hasheem Thabeet.

There is a player that must be added to this list who was not under consideration when it was originally written…

Landry Fields – New York Knickerbockers.

He has simply been brilliant in the short rotation that D’Antoni loves to employ. He has started all 44 games for the Knicks thus far and has been solid in nearly every single one. His averages of 9.8 points and 7.1 rebounds have been some of the most consistent of any rookie on a team that will more than likely make the playoffs. What certainly does not hurt is that Fields is shooting at a clip of 52.1 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from deep. In any system, he would be a major contributor.

Images via NBA.com

Beef All Stars: 10 Players Who Should Make the NBA All Star Teams

 

Fan voting has come under scrutiny in recent years when it comes to selections for the All Star Game and rightly so. The casual fan, and the Chinese, get it wrong a lot.

Last year Allen Iverson was named a starter for the Eastern Conference because of fan voting. He played on three different teams last year before leaving the NBA all together. Tracy McGrady also almost made the team when he had logged just minutes on the court before February. This year the starting center for the Western Conference will likely be Yao Ming even though he is out for the season…again. It would behoove voters to brush up on all the quality players instead of voting blindly for a star. Alas, that day may never come.

Here at the Beef, we have compiled a list of non-superstar players who deserve at least some recognition when you, the NBA fans, head to the ballot box (NBA.com) to cast your vote. Some of these players may have an outside shot already at making an All Star team though likely not as a starter. The rest will generally be overlooked as their names do not contain the glitz and glamour associated with super stars and Los Angeles, where the game will be held.

Eastern Conference:

Raymond Felton – Felton, along with Amar’e Stoudemire, has led a resurgence in the Big Apple. In his sixth season, Felton is averaging career highs in scoring (18.2 points per game), assists (8.7), and free throw shooting percentage (.866). He is running the D’Antoni show better than anyone could have predicted. Unfortunately, the East has a plethora of talent at the guard positions so making the team may prove difficult. Nonetheless, Felton deserves a spot.

Jrue Holiday – In just his second season, Holiday has completely shattered any notion that he may hit a sophomore slump. He has almost doubled his scoring from eight points last season to 14.6 points per game this year. To go along with that, he has also almost doubled his assist average from 3.8 to 6.5 and has improved his rebounding. Are the 76ers good? No, but Holiday continues to impress.

DeMar DeRozan – Yes, a player from the Toronto Raptors makes this list. Like Holiday, DeRozan has seen a considerable leap in production in his second year. This is a direct result of additional playing time. He participated in last year’s forgettable dunk contest and deserves a second chance at All Star weekend. He may just get it if he makes the Sophomore team but he should be considered for the main event.

Wilson Chandler – Chandler is the unsung hero of the Knickerbockers. He continues to improve across the board as his career progresses. This season he is averaging career highs in scoring (17.9), rebounding (6.5), blocks (1.5), field goal percentage (.489), three-point percentage (.386), free throw shooting percentage (.823). A player that is averaging career highs in six categories deserves a nod for the All Star Game.

Brandon Bass – Stan Van Gundy might finally have realized what kind of talent he has in Bass. Maybe. Since moving into the starting lineup for the Magic after the multiple trades orchestrated by Otis Smith just weeks ago, Bass has come alive. He is averaging career high in scoring (11.1) which is more than his averages in Dallas. His rebounding is also at a career high (5.3). Bass deserves his time in the spotlight out of the shadow cast by a certain teammate who also patrols the paint.

Western Conference:

Monta Ellis – There are two words to describe Ellis’ game: cold blooded. He is leading the league in minutes played this season. He also led the league last year. At 25.4 points per game there is no reason to exclude Ellis from the Western All Stars. That mark is good enough for third best in the league behind Kevin Durant and Amar’e Stoudemire. Those two will certainly be All Stars. Ellis is also shooting a career high average in three-point buckets (.388).

Wesley Matthews – When Brandon Roy went down Blazer Nation gasped, then they became confused, and then they realized why Portland spent the money to bring in Matthews. He has averaged 17 points in games he has started in for the Blazers and is frequently their leading scorer. Right now, he is Portland’s MVP. He has stepped up to the level he was asked to play in only his second season.

Michael Beasley – Yes, two players from the Minnesota Timberwolves make an appearance on this list despite the team having the worst record in the Western Conference. Beasley is averaging seven more points than he did last year to average 21.9 points this season. He has scored 30 points or more seven times including a 42 point performance early in the the season. The All Star Game is in Los Angeles this year. What better place for Beasley to show off all his (hair) style.

Kevin Love – 31 points, 31 rebounds. Bitch about how poorly he plays defense all you want. 31 points, 31 rebound. ‘Nuff said.

Tyson Chandler – There is not a better center in the Western Conference except for one who plays in the Staples Center named Gasol. He has completely transformed the Mavericks’ defense with his presence in the paint. Yao Ming is hurt and does not deserve to lead all West centers in All Star voting. Chandler is deserves to get the votes that are going elsewhere as his numbers are edging closer to his prime seasons in New Orleans.

Please note that Love won out over Blake Griffin due to Griffin’s appearance in the Dunk Contest and the fact that he will likely be on the Western All Stars no matter what.

JaVale McGee was also under heavy consideration for this list. If he tries to dunk from the free throw line in games just how fun would it be to watch him in the All Star Game? At least he will participate in the Dunk Contest.

Power Rankings

It's good to be undefeated

It’s only a handful of games into the season but it’s these games that can set the pace for teams.  Some have started the season off well.  Some haven’t.  Some are building what could be formidable playoff teams while others are already snowballing into what will turn them into lottery teams next summer.  However they are starting the season, every team is setting a theme for both the best and the worst.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (7-0)

Being the No. 1 scoring team in the league should be at no surprise for the defending champs.  Point guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are both averaging only four assists per game and they are putting up 22 a game (9^th in the league).  They are spreading out the ball and utilizing their depth very appropriately.  We could still question parts of this bench but Blake and Matt Barnes give them a lot more to work with.  As long as Pau Gasol is playing well both defensively and offensively, sky is the limit for the Lakers.

2. New Orleans Hornets (6-0)

The Hornets are only scoring 97 points a game.  This stat comes to no surprise when you look at who can really score in New Orleans but the fact that they are still undefeated really sticks out.  A team built around arguably the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul would be thought to be perfect this far into the season around offense.  Instead, it’s the defense that is propelling this team forward.  While giving up only 91 points a game, the Hornets have held Milwaukee to 81, Miami to 93 and San Antonio to 90.  This is the best start in franchise history for the Hornets but how long can the winning last?

3. Boston Celtics (6-2)

The pieces are coming together nicely in Boston.  Rajon Rondo is averaging 15.5 assists a game and has surely won over the respect of both his teammates and the pundits.  Scoring distribution will keep this team fresh and a good man running point will definitely help.  Five of their six wins are over teams that were in the playoffs last season.  We have yet to see Shaquille O’neal and Kendrick Perkins both active on this roster.

4. Atlanta Hawks (6-2)

It’s balance that is keeping these Hawks afloat and that’s the best thing to build a season on.  Josh Smith is making a case for early MVP consideration and will just get better over the course of the season.  It’s also looking like extending Al Horford’s contract is looking like a good decision.  They are averaging 104 points a game while still collecting 32 defensive boards a game. However, this team needs to recover from its recent two game slide.

5. Miami Heat (5-2)

For those of you that expected the Heat to win 82 games, sorry but that can’t happen now.  In addition, loses to both Boston and New Orleans should be nothing to be embarrassed about right now.  Erik Spoelstra needs to figure out the best rotation of the bench that wont hurt them too much.  Right now, the bench is being outscored and outplayed.  It’s a long season and three players cannot carry a team by themselves.

6. Orlando Magic (5-1)

Orlando should technically be 6-1 but issues at Madison Square Garden caused the Knicks to postpone their inevitable loss to the Magic.  Regardless, their one loss to the Heat is warranted and Rashard Lewis needs to put up more than 2 points for the Magic to win such a statement game.

7. Denver Nuggets (4-3)

Nene, Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin are out with injuries.  They beat the Mavericks in Dallas with Sheldon Williams starting and that speaks volumes about how this team will perform when their big men return.  Their depth will increase tremendously.  If Denver keeps winning, it may translate to a happy Carmelo Anthony and when Melo is happy, everyone is happy.

8. Portland Trail Blazers (5-3)

Holding Phoenix to just 92 points and later Milwaukee to only 76 is what is helping this Trail Blazers team make the point that they are serious about defense.  Marcus Camby can defend well but Nate McMillen will need to figure out how to get some more scoring from his frontcourt.  His starting forwards only scored nine points against the Lakers on Sunday and they aren’t even breaking 100 points per game. It was, however, their fifth game in seven days.

9. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)

Dallas has seven players that will show up every night on the court. Jason Kidd is showing almost no signs of age while the frontcourt is stacked with Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler.  Dallas narrowly beat Denver last Wednesday just to lose to them Saturday.  The Mavs will rebound once Caron Butler and Shawn Marion hit their strides.  However, Dallas needs to clean up its turnovers that are at 16 a game and their bench is ranked second to last in scoring. Although there are no “statement” games in November, beating Boston is the closest you can get to having one.

10. San Antonio Spurs (5-1)

Their record is impressive until you see that they have only beaten one team that made the playoffs last season in Phoenix.  They are fourth in the league in scoring with 109 a game and their next three games are easy wins against the Clippers, Bobcats and the 76ers.  The youth in San Antonio surrounded by a mix of good coaching and veterans will spell out an interesting season.  However, Greg Popavich needs his young guys to get the minutes they need to grow.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

It’s funny that a team with Russell Westbrook is ranked 30^th in the league in assists per game but when you look at the depth in OKC, it begins to make sense.  The ball isn’t being spread out enough and sheer depth may haunt the Thunder again this season.  Again, it’s 82 games and it takes more than an sixth man to get through a season and make the playoffs out West.

12. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)

Rudy Gay became the first player in franchise history to score at least 25 points a game in five consecutive games.  However, it’s their defense that needs to step up since they are allowing their opponents to score 107 points a game.  They are undersized and young which is a bad place to be in the Western Conference.  It’s going to a long season with hopefully some growth.

13. Utah Jazz (3-3)

Deron Williams and company are obviously hurting from loosing some of their star players.  With Mehmet Okur out, the Jazz are limited in size and they are obviously having a hard time scoring when they can only muster up 78 points against the Warriors.  It wont get any easier with them playing Miami, Orlando and Atlanta this week.

14. Phoenix Suns (3-4)

Steve Nash entered the season with reservations about the Suns’ chances this season.  Losses to Portland, San Antonio and LA aren’t something to be ashamed of this season.  In all three of their loses, Hedo Turkoglu has scored six points twice and nine points once.  Maybe it’s time to put some production into this starting lineup. Alvin Gentry is going to get to the point where he no longer asks permission to yell at his team.

15. Chicago Bulls (3-3)

Derrick Rose and the Bulls really took it to the Celtics last Friday in a come back that forced overtime.  They fell short in the extra minutes but the play of both Rose and Joakim Noah should keep Bulls fans optimistic.  If Tom Thibodeau and company want to win, Ronnie Brewer needs more minutes and Carlos Boozer needs to return from injury.

16. Golden State Warriors (5-2)

The Warriors have started the season off 4-0 for the first time in 20 years.  Subsequently, three of those four wins are against teams that failed to reach the postseason last year and Utah isn’t the beast it once was.  Monta Ellis has already had two very impressive outings of 46 and 39 points and the return of Stephen Curry will greatly help this backcourt.

17. New York Knicks (3-3)

A win in Chicago could or couldn’t be a big deal this early in the season since we have yet to see them form.  Their other two wins were against Toronto and Washington which both paint a better picture of what this team is truly capable of.  We all know that Mike D’antoni teams can get worn out and that Amar’e Stoudemire’s heightened level of play wont last.

18. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)

Cleveland has the fourth best bench as far as scoring in the league.  That same bench never got LeBron James a ring so we don’t really expect the same to pan out for Antawn Jamison and friends.  Byron Scott is letting them grow but that’s about all we expect from this season.  An initial win over Boston is impressive until you see that they lost to Toronto and Sacramento the following days.

19. Sacramento Kings (3-3)

The Kings are scoring but still allowing their opponents to rack up 107 points a game.  DeMarcus Cousins has yet to record a 10-rebound game and Tyreke Evans is still trying to do too much on the court.  Good news is that their both young and when they click, it could mean a lot to wherever the Kings end up playing next.

20. Milwaukee Bucks (2-5)

Scott Skiles is having a hard time getting the Bucks rolling into this season.  They are 30^th in the league in scoring at only 89 a game and it’s mainly due to their depth.  Drew Gooden is giving them some more power up front but with just Corey Maggette producing off of the bench, it may be a long road for the Bucks.

21. Houston Rockets (1-5)

All five of Houston’s losses came from very formidable teams this season (Lakers, Warriors, Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets).  Aaron Brooks will be missed and Kyle Lowry will not be able to carry the load by himself.  Luis Scola and Kevin Martin are working out well with all the injuries but Rick Adelman needs a healthy roster in order to compete.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (2-5)

Philly started the season off with losses against Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Washington.  If you are surprised, close this window immediately.  Evan Turner’s scoring has been up and down but what can you expect from a rookie surrounded by a bunch of trash?  Surprisingly, their bench is ranked first in scoring.

23. Indiana Pacers (2-3)

At first, it’s looks like Darren Collison may be a little in over his head at running Indiana’s point.  Then again, look at who this young man is passing to.  He filled in when Westbrook went down at UCLA and stepped up last season when Paul went down in New Orleans.  However, the talent is pretty thin in Indiana.  Danny Granger seems to be approaching a nice stride but there isn’t much other good news coming out of Indiana.

24. Detroit Pistons (2-5)

The Pistons are bottom feeders in almost every statistical category. This does not bode well for a team that is striving to achieve mediocrity. However, they have won their last two contests. Pistons fans should take any small achievement as good news because there will not be much this season.

25. Los Angeles Clippers (1-6)

At least one team in L.A. has a tough start to their schedule. The Clippers have faced the likes of Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Utah in their first seven games with their only win coming against the struggling Thunder. It must be hard to be the bastard child of the Staples center and see the Lakers with a sugarplum and lolly pop schedule until late January.

26. New Jersey Nets (2-4)

Right now the Nets are on a better winning pace than last year. That is the upside. It doesn’t look like Avery Johnson is ever going to let third overall draft pick, Derrick Favors, into the starting lineup anytime soon now that Troy Murphy is back. In their most recent loss, the Nets did their best Washington Generals impersonation to the Heat’s Globetrotter act.

27. Washington Wizards (1-4)

John Wall and Gilbert Arena will be reunited again. That’s good.  Their one win however, well, that’s not so good. December is going to be a rough month for the Wiz so now is their best opportunity to get some wins under their belt. Hopefully, the Republicans won’t try to filibuster their next win.

28. Charlotte Bobcats (1-6)

They were in the playoffs last season and had the number one rated team defense in the league. Now, they have a defensive rating ranked 20th. Not good. Maybe His Airness can breathe some life into this franchise. Something needs to happen, and quick, if they want another playoff birth.

29. Toronto Raptors (1-6)

The Raptors are bad. We knew they would be. They were bad last year even with Chris Bosh on their roster so what are the expectaions of them now that he is gone? Right, there are none. One thing that Raptors fans can take delight in is that the so-called Young Gunz on the team will put on a decent show every night. Jose Calderon needs to be back in the starting lineup otherwise the team’s assists will continue to be dreadful.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6)

We wrote an open letter to David Kahn. This is something we normally wouldn’t do. However, the T-Wolves are terrible. Kurt Rambis coaches like a chicken with his head cut off and has no sense that Kevin Love is their best player. They are ranked last in most every statistical category. They only thing that Minnesota fans have to look forward to is the high draft pick that the team will get next summer…which Kahn will promptly waste on yet another point guard. KAAAAHHN!

Monta Ellis leads Warriors over Grizzlies

The new Warriors jerseys are so clean

Was it the game of the night? No, that claim goes to the bout between the Mavericks and Nuggets or possibly the Bucks and Celtics. Nonetheless, the matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies at the Golden State Warriors was a game that should not have been missed. These are two up and coming teams in the Western Conference who are looking to establish themselves in the standings and set a tone for their teams as a whole.

Keith Smart, the Warriors new head coach, had his hands full when he took the reins late this summer. He was replacing a Hall of Fame coach, who had lost his magic, and inheriting what had become a sub-par team in recent years. He had some star talent on the roster in Monta Ellis and new addition David Lee, however, implementing it with an NBA game structure to support it rather than a Rucker Park style of play would be his biggest challenge.

Memphis is coming off the fresh extension of starting point guard Mike Conley. The owner and the players expect the team to make the playoffs this season even in the jam-packed and competitive Western Conference. They are still a young team who are learning how to compete with the perennial playoff contenders. An early season win at Dallas should speak volumes about the Grizzlies as a whole but that win can be attributed to sloppy play and barrage of turnovers late by the Mavericks, not to the might of Memphis’ play that evening.

So, who are these teams and what do they want to be? All those questions were thrust onto center court last night as they faced off (but not in the sense of that John Travolta movie Face Off with Nicolas Cage). Before an attendance of 16,607, the lowest in three games this season at Oracle Arena, the stage could have been set for mediocrity. That was far from the case as each team saw an impressive display from their star players.

The game remained close throughout the first half with the Warriors edging out a 64-52 lead at halftime on a pair of buckets by Dorell Wright, including a three-pointer with three seconds remaining in the second quarter. Wright connected on four three-pointers in the first half on his way to seven for the game, one shy of Golden State’s team record which was set by Jason Richardson.

In the third quarter the Warriors extended their lead to 79-61 before Memphis would make their push. It was fueled by the Grizzlies best players: Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, and Conley. Over the final six and a half minutes of of the third they simply exploded. Gay scored seven points, dished two assists, and collected a rebound. Mayo scored eight points and pulled down two defensive rebounds while Conley had five points, three assists, and two rebounds in the run. Memphis closed the gap and trailed 83-88 after three quarters.

Smart sat Ellis, who had been ineffective during the Grizzlies run with 38 seconds left in the third quarter. He only scored four points during the third but had four assists. Ellis would remain on the bench until the 7:11 mark in the fourth quarter with the Grizzlies within four points. From that point forward it was the Monta Ellis show. He shreded the Memphis defense to score 17 points over the remainder of the game to solidify a 115-109 victory for the Warriors.

Before the game, Keith Smart had said that he wanted Ellis to be aggressive and to play his game. Ellis did just that. He scored 39 points on the evening, leading all scorers, while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out eight assists.

Wright contributed 25 points and six rebounds, Lee scored 15 and had 16 boards, and Reggie Williams had 16 off the bench as the Warriors improved 3-1 on the season and have not lost a home game yet with their only loss coming on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the loss, the Grizzlies’ record  fell to 2-3. Gay led the way for them with 35 points and seven rebounds and Mayo chipped in 23 points. Memphis is starting to look smart for extending Conley’s contract, though it is still early, as he scored 18 and a career high 13 assists.

Rookie Watch

Boom or bust, here is a list of rookies that could potentially make names for themselves in the coming season. Not all of them will be in the running for Rookie of the Year but they all have something to prove to their respective teams and to the fans alike. A few of these players are already predetermined starters on their squads. Unfortunately, some on this list will find themselves deep on their team’s bench despite their talent but that should not lessen the interest in them. For others, it is simply a matter of gaining the trust of the coaching staff and teammates so that they see an increase in the number of minutes that they play. It would also not be surprising to see some on this list fail to live up to the expectations surrounding them. Nonetheless, these are the rookies to watch.

DeMarcus Cousins – Sacramento Kings

So far this summer DeMarcus Cousins has been talking the talk. He has loudly professed that he feels that he should have been drafted higher than fifth and has taken shots at Derrick Favors. Lucky for him, though, that he fell to the Kings. In Sacramento he is teamed up with last year’s Rookie of the Year in Tyreke Evans. Together the two form one of the best young duo combinations in the league. Cousins will be the starting center in Sactown with the injury plagued Samuel Dalembert sidelined for the first couple of weeks of the season. With the numbers he is putting up in preseason, 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds, Cousins looks primed to be a double-double threat every night. However, he needs to limit the fouls he commits to be even more effective while on the court. Cousins wants to be Rookie of the Year and once the season begins we shall see if he can walk the walk.

Derrick Favors – New Jersey Nets

Favors was drafted third overall by the New Jersey Nets. Teams expect a lot from a top three draft pick but are the Nets really in a position to expect anything? They were a terrible team last year and have not made any significant moves to improve. They tried to trade for Carmelo Anthony but that deal fell apart. They brought in Troy Murphy but he has been battling a back injury so it looked as if the starting job was Favors’. Avery Johnson, the Nets’ head coach, had some early glowing praise for Favors saying he is as coachable as Tim Duncan. That, however, is where all similarities between Favors and Tim Duncan end. In six games this preseason, Favors has averaged five points (he did not score at all in his last two games) and five rebounds while shooting a dreadful 33.3 percent from the floor. He has only played two games in which his numbers were even note worthy. Due to his inconsistency, Johnson made the move to replace him in the starting lineup with Joe Smith. If Favors cannot find a way to improve he will find that his name will be synonymous with those of Kwame Brown, Darko Milicic, Greg Oden, and Hasheem Thabeet.

Blake Griffin – Los Angeles Clippers

It will be Griffin’s second year with an NBA but his first in which he takes part in a regular season game; that is unless some kind of unthinkable mishap befalls him again. Griffin is a rebounding machine and will likely lead all rookies in rebounding this season. His numbers in preseason are already eye-popping. He is averaging 17.4 points and 12 rebounds per game to go along with 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks. Can I get a “daayum!”? I did not care for Griffin much in college but now that he has left Norman I can take my blinders off. This kid is going to be good. In fact he will be one of the best. If DeMarcus Cousins wants to be the ROY then he needs to outperform Griffin. As of right now, there is a short list for rookie of the year and Griffin, it can be argued, deserves to be atop of it. What has yet to be seen, however, is how he will match up with some of the more punishing frontcourts in the West.

Timofey Mozgov – New York Knicks

Mozgov is the second most talked about Russian in the NBA this season. The first, of course, is the New Jersey Net’s new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov. Before Mozgov signed with the New York Knicks, few if anybody had any idea who he was. He is still a seven foot one inch tall curiosity to fans and opposing teams alike. He played his entire professional career, up until this summer, in Russia with LenVo St. Petersburg, CSK VVS-2 Samara, and Khimki Moscow Region. This summer he played on the Russian national team in the FIBA World Championships which is where most people were introduced to the latest Knickerbocker. In FIBA play, Mozgov played a bench roll with his national team averaging 13 points and 4.4 rebounds. In the preseason, with the Knicks, he is averaging 7.5 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks per game. His play thus far has caused the Knicks’ coaching staff to consider him for the role of the team’s starting center when the season starts despite his foul trouble. With hamburger enthusiast Eddy Curry as the only other true center on the roster, expect Mozgov to be named the starting center.

Jeremy Lin – Golden State Warriors

Lin was the breakout sensation of the NBA Summer League this year. Undrafted out of Harvard University, Lin, the first Asian-American to play in the NBA, was invited to play for the Dallas Mavericks’ Summer League team. The Mavericks were the only team to offer Lin an invite to Summer League. Once there, he quickly impressed all who saw him play. In five games, Lin averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals while leading the team in field goal percentage with a mark of 54.5. The highlight performance of his Summer League experience was going head to head with John Wall and out playing him at every level, Wall scored more points but only connected on four of 19 shots while Lin was six of 12 from the floor. After he impressed in Summer League, Lin chose to sign a two year contract with his childhood favorite team, the Golden State Warriors. His numbers in the preseason are not as impressive as those he logged in Summer League play because his minutes have been extremely limited as he plays behind Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Aaron Miles, and Charlie Bell at either guard position. It would behoove new head coach Keith Smart to find some more minutes for Lin. He has the potential to be a break out player.

Larry Sanders – Milwaukee Bucks

For a time, Larry Sanders closely resembled Garry Shandling and hosted his own talk show. After massive reconstruction surgery and space-age age defying treatments, Larry Sanders is now an athletic forward for the Milwaukee Bucks. Sanders played second fiddle to Eric Maynor at Virginia Commonwealth for his first two years at the school and seemed very suited for that role. He became the standout player on the team during his junior season. He won back to back CAA Defensive Player of the Year awards his sophomore and junior seasons. Sanders is getting opportunities this season as he is averaging 17.2 minutes per game but his returns are not all bright. He was drafted by the Bucks for his defense and that is what he has provided for them thus far. He is averaging three defensive rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. His best game in the preseason came against the Detroit Pistons where he totaled 12 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks. Sanders’ ability to alter shots will be the reason that Scott Skiles will bring him in off the bench once the season begins but he needs to improve his scoring and rebounding if he is to become a legitimate role player on a deep Bucks team.

Tiago Splitter – San Antonio Spurs

Another foreign player making the jump to the NBA this season is Tiago Splitter. Much like Mozgov, not much was initially known about the Brazilian big man (he is listed at 6’11”) when the Spurs finally were able to sign him this summer. San Antonio drafted Splitter 28^th overall in 2007. Since he was drafted by the Spurs, Splitter has chosen to play professionally in the Euroleague, where he could make more money, with Saski Baskonia. He was named the Spanish League MVP in 2010. Where many people were first able to see Splitter in action for the first time was during the FIBA World Championships in Turkey this summer when he represented his birth nation of Brazil (he has Spanish citizenship). During the tournament he averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Most notably, however, is that he played for the team that gave the United States the most difficulty during the U.S.’s gold medal run. The Spurs have held Splitter out of any preseason action thus far. Splitter has a reputation of being a smart and aware player on both ends of the court which should serve him well under the guidance of head coach Greg Popovich.

Evan Turner – Philadelphia 76ers

Only one player was drafted higher than Turner was this summer. Add to that the fact that he was drafted by a team that has been inconsistent in recent years and now has a new head coach. Now, combine that with him being yet another wing player on the roster. Talk about pressure. Good thing for Philadelphia that the returns so far look to be every promising and fitting of a number two draft pick. Turner has averaged ten points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in the preseason. He was able to record a double-double against the Toronto Raptors on October 13 with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The area in which Turner must improve is his shooting percentage which stands at 30.8 percent during the preseason. If he can do that, Philadelphia may have found a player who can take the scoring burden off of Andre Iguodala allowing him to focus on defense and off the ball movement, which is where he excels. Turner may also want to add few more pounds if he continues to alternate between the shooting guard and small forward positions.

Ekpe Udoh – Golden State Warriors

Udoh has a reputation of being a one man block party. This will be beneficial for the Warriors since David Lee and Andris Biedrins are not known for their shot blocking prowess. He won Defensive Player of the Year honors in both the Big 10 and Big 12 in college with Michigan and Baylor, respectively. Unfortunately for the Warriors, he will be sidelined for much of the season with an injury. (I still like his abilities and will wait patiently for his return and that is why he makes this list.) However, it is not known exactly where Udoh will fit into the Warriors rotation when he does return to the team. Golden State is loaded at power forward with players such as David Lee, Vladimir Radmanovic, Louis Amundson, and Brandon Wright. It may simply be the case that the Warriors are too stocked at power forward for Udoh, who was taken sixth in the draft, to see some, if any, minutes upon his return.

Greivis Vasquez – Memphis Grizzlies

Vasquez was a standout at Maryland where he scored the second most points in school history and was named the ACC Player of the Year during his senior year and was awarded the Bob Cousy Award which is given to the nation’s top collegiate point guard. Despite such accolades, Vasquez fell deep in the draft before he was selected 28^th overall. During Summer League play, Vasquez injured his right ankle and had surgery on it in July to remove a bone spur. Because of this, he has yet to play in the preseason but should return in time for the start of the regular season. It is conceivable that if Vasquez plays with the tenacity he did in college at the NBA level he could challenge A.C. Law and Tony Allen for backup guard minutes behind O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley. It would also not be surprising if Vasquez out performed Memphis’ other first round draft pick, Xavier Henry. Before he can do all that, though, he must get healthy and establish himself in the Grizzlies solid young rotation.

John Wall – Washington Wizards

He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft; if he did not make this list then you would have permission to punch us in the gut repeatedly. Wall looks like a player selected number one with his performances in preseason. He opened up the preseason against Dallas and at halftime had recorded only one assists. However that would quickly change in the second half as he distributed the ball nicely on route to nine assists for the game to go along with 21 points and four steals. Wall is averaging 16.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, eight assists, and 2.2 steals thus far in the preseason. He is also shooting 42.7 percent from the field. Where Wall must improve is his three-point shooting. He does not have the range in his jump shot to hit from deep with any consistency. He also needs to increase his muscle mass as Jason Kidd easily forced Wall into the block and backed him down while posting up. Other big guards will likely do the same. Wall should find himself in the conversation for Rookie of the Year throughout the season as Wall looks every bit like a number one draft pick should, but must keep his focus on the task at hand. Hopefully, Gilbert Arenas’ odd behavior will not become a distraction him.

Don Nelson Resigns as Warriors’ Head Coach

All good/bad/controversial/unorthodox things must come to an end

Turn out the lights, Nellie’s party is over. Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber, the new owners of the Warriors have had their wishes come true. The NBA’s all time winningest coach, Don Nelson, has resigned as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, a position he has held since 2006. Both Lacob and Gruber have wanted to oust Nelson since acquiring the franchise in mid July despite the fact that the sale of the team to the both of them by Chris Cohan has not been ratified by the league as of yet. Nelson will be replaced by assistant coach, Keith Smart.

The move is not expected to be finalized until later this week, but Nelson is definitely on the way out even though he has one year left on his contract worth approximately $6 million dollars. Nelson will receive the money he is entitled to under his current contract. Smart is expected to be announced as the Warriors new head coach in time for the team’s media day which takes place on Monday, just before the start of training camp which begins Tuesday. Nelson was actually a proponent of the new ownership hiring Smart as the new head coach. Smart is expected to sign a multiyear contract.

With Nelson’s resignation, one can only hope that there could be the off occasion of a wild small ball lineup in Golden State next season. Newly acquired players such as David Lee will never find themselves a part of the mad genius schemes that Nelson was apt at cooking up. For some this will be a blessing. Actually, many will cheer this change after the Warriors dismal previous two seasons. Yet, it leaves us to wonder how he might have schemed with Golden State’s present roster. Who would not want to see on the floor concurrently the likes of Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Jeremy Lin, Ekpe Udoh, and Lee? Well, Golden State fans for one. As for the rest of us, we will have to take such a lineup to the court on either NBA Elite or 2K11.

Nelson’s style of coaching has been much maligned wherever he has been a head coach. The lineups he employed were frequently unorthodox by NBA standards but have helped to shape the present state of the game. His small ball approach to the sport has now become prevalent across the league as many teams are discarding the traditional center in place of a more mobile big man with the ability to both run the floor and knock down a perimeter shot. This year’s incarnation of Team USA, which won gold at the FIBA World Championships, can give a lot of credit to Nelson’s style of offense as they were truly undersized with Lamar Odom as their starting center. If that is not derived from Nellie’s style of ball then what is?

Yet, his style also burned bridges. In both Golden State, the first time around, and Dallas, his stints as coach and subsequent departure from those organizations left a bad taste in the mouth of ownership and resulted in law suits over money that Nelson claimed that he was still owed by the teams. Certainly, not the best parting gifts. For Dallas, his departure was even bitterer as he led his eight seed Warriors past the one seed Mavericks, the season following his release as head coach, in the first round of the playoffs.

After recently returning from vacation in Hawaii, Nelson had remained optimistic about coming back for the 2010-11 season but knew the writing was on the wall and chose to resign rather than be let go. It has become widely believed that Nelson was given the option to save face and retire as the team was going to fire him in favor of hiring Smart no matter what. Last season, Nelson surpassed Lenny Wilkens for the most wins by a coach in NBA history on April 7, 2010. His accumulated wins total stands at 1,335 to go along with 1,063 losses in 31 seasons as a head coach in the league. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Warriors twice during those 31 years.