Quarterly Report: If Rockets begin to lag, they can jettison T-Mac
We had been so busy waiting for the Nets to win a game and skimming Tim Donaghy's latest book -- How to Keep a Low Profile So the Mafia Forgets You Exist -- that we almost let the quarter pole of the NBA season pass by without so much as a wave.
We're roughly 20 games in, and there are plenty of story lines worth mentioning in the Quarterly Report.
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| The Rockets have a trade chip in Tracy McGrady, who can be an asset for any team looking for long-term cap relief. (AP) |
Until then, here's the good, bad, ugly and otherwise entertaining from the first quarter of the season:
Biggest surprise: Houston Rockets. Much respect to the Kings for running out to a 9-11 record without Kevin Martin. But to be fair, the Kings have played the 10th-weakest schedule in the league, based on their opponents' .487 winning percentage. Only the Hornets (.541) have played a tougher schedule than the Rockets (.535), who are 11-9 without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.
Biggest disappointment: Washington Wizards. Parse the reasons any way you like -- injuries, adjusting to a new coach, getting reacquainted with Gilbert Arenas. Whatever the case, the Wiz should have more than seven wins at the quarter pole.
First-quarter MVP: Kobe Bryant, Lakers. What, you want me to try to be different and pick the Rockets' Chuck Hayes? Kobe is as Kobe does.
First-quarter LVP: Antoine Wright, Raptors. Of all players logging at least six minutes per game, Wright has the lowest PER (player efficiency rating, devised by John Hollinger). Wright's efficiency rating is a least-valuable 3.89, and if you need more evidence, his supposed defensive ability has contributed to the Raptors allowing a league-worst 112.4 points per 100 possessions.
Biggest loser: Eddy Curry, Knicks. And I mean this in the reality weight-loss show sense. Curry looks like a different person after losing the equivalent of Jeff Van Gundy. If only it could translate into enough productivity on the court to compel some team desperate for a big man to trade for him.
Biggest Loser, Part II: Tim Donaghy. Just stop it, already. No more vague, unsubstantiated attacks. Come with evidence, specifics, names and verifiable accusations. Otherwise, go away.
Best coaching job: Paul Westphal, Kings. Guiding the Kings to a 9-11 start without Martin, his best player? Regardless of the opponents, that's pretty good.
Worst coaching job: Don Nelson, Warriors. Only Nellie's absence with pneumonia kept his incessant tinkering and mind games from completely imploding the team.
Biggest trade chip: Tracy McGrady, Rockets. This can't go on forever. McGrady says he's ready to return after recovering from microfracture surgery. The Rockets say not so much. T-Mac's value to teams looking to make a 2010 free-agent splash is substantial, considering his $23 million expiring contract. Is there a team willing to endure the short-term pain of having McGrady around in exchange for the long-term cap relief?
Biggest trade chip, Part II: Cuttino Mobley's insurance-protected, $9.5 million expiring contract. The Knicks can still move that piece, with a catch: The team acquiring it must use a roster spot for Mobley, permanently disabled due to a heart condition, to benefit from the cap relief. There's not much in it for the Knicks, but if a deal comes along that requires a few mil going the other way, this could be a useful tool.
Smallest carbon footprint: We love the Lakers for their drama, their star power and their overall goodness. Let's not overlook that we can all breathe a little easier thanks to L.A.'s minuscule impact on the ozone layer; the Lakers have played only four of their first 19 games on the road.
Biggest end-of-quarter comeback: The Raptors have been easier to score on than Tiger Woods, as evidenced by the Hawks' 146-point evening last week. But now, the Raps have won three in a row, holding opponents to an average of 91.0 during the streak. Granted, those opponents were the Wizards, Bulls, and T-Wolves, but still ... baby steps.
Lamest duck: Vinny Del Negro, Bulls. The clock is ticking on the VDN era in Chicago, given the Bulls' struggles and the embarrassing nature of several losses. For example, 78 points against the Raptors? Give me a clipboard and five randomly chosen Salvation Army bell jinglers, and we'll score 78 against the Raptors. Think about this for a minute: If Kiki Vandeweghe couldn't coach the Nets without Del Harris at his side, how bad is Del Negro if he needed Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff last season?
Rookie under the radar: Ty Lawson, Nuggets. Everyone knows about Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings, and we soon will know about Blake Griffin. But the most enjoyable and surprising rookie to watch so far has been Lawson. I already suspected that Lawson was the fastest player in the league when someone who knows a little something about speed gave him the ultimate stamp of approval this week. "He's fast as lightning, I'll tell you that," Allen Iverson said of Lawson. Never mind criticizing teams for passing on Jennings; how about all those that passed on Lawson, the 18th pick in the draft?
All-Twitter Team: To make this list, you don't have to be an NBA player. Owners and writers count, too. What you must not do is bore us with endless posts that say, "Heading to shootaround," or, "Eating lunch with the fellas." You have to be funny, honest, and relevant -- and gimmicks like ticket giveaways to followers help, too. So here we go, in no particular order:
• Ron Artest, Lakers. Just like in real life, Ron-Ron has multiple Twitter personalities and interacts directly with fans. @Basketball-Ron, @ThugRaider37, and @96TruwarierQB.
• Jared Dudley, Suns. Funny, funny dude. Posts various comedic gems such as a recent "Twit My Ride" contest. @JaredDudley619.
• Shaquille O'Neal, Cavaliers. I'm a little over the big fella. But he gets the nod for starting the NBA tweeting trend, and for his 2.6 million followers. @The_Real_Shaq.
• Mark Cuban, Mavericks owner. Gives you some Mavs insight and also tweets about non-basketball stuff that I find interesting. But that's me. @mcuban.
• Russ Bengston, SLAM Magazine editor. For my money, the most gifted Tweeter in the land due to his mastery of 140-character humor. Recently addressed the Knicks' Nate Robinson taking his trip to Mike D'Antoni's doghouse in stride by tweeting, "I bet he sleeps on top of it like Snoopy." On Greg Oden's knee injury: "Can't they just give Oden a patella transplant from a cadaver? I mean, why else did they sign Juwan Howard?" @russbengston.
