Timberwolf
12-18-2005, 09:00 PM
With the first quarter in the books, it's time to observe who has done great and who has not done great.
Most Suprising Team: Hornets. I thought this team would be really awful again, but this team has really done well and the Hornetsare developing a good trifecta of scorers which is important if you are going to win games. I like the trifecta of Chris Paul and couple of Jersey natives in David West and J.R. Smith. Hornets have something special brewing. I think they have made an immediate progress. Byron Scott, who was viewed as a guy who is just a babysitter by Nets fans and the writers that cover the Nets, has proven that he can coach and develop players. At some point, some people need to understand that he can coach and he knows how to win games. I think he has done a very good job getting his team ready to play and win. I am so happy for him after the crap he got from Nets fans, several Nets players like Jason Kidd, and the writers that cover the Nets on his way out the door.
Best Team in the NBA: Spurs. They are just clicking in all cylinders. Van Exel and Finley has fit well with the team. They have been able to adapt to Pop's system. Sometimes players, who have been very successful as go-to guys, tend to struggle as role players or fitting as Karl Malone and Gary Payton can attest in their one year with the Lakers.
Pistons also get the honorable mention.
Dissapointing Team in the NBA: Nets. I was going to give it to the Rockets, but they have done great in the West Coast as they are about to finish an arudous six-game West Coast swing. You have to figure the Rockets will continue to win games as long as McGrady is healthy. Still, they ain't going to do much come playoff time with that overrated head coach Jeff Van Gundy. The Nets are right now the most dissapointing team in the NBA and I doubt things are going to get better. Yeah they beat the Nuggets last night (Lawrence Frank's job might have been saved for now with that win), but that team is in chaos. Nets were billed by the NY media about how they are going to the Eastern Conference Finals and guys like Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter actually had the nerve to talk about how this team is a championship contender never mind that team doesn't play defense and the fact the role players were never that good. Unfortunately, things haven't worked out for them and things are not going to get better anytime soon. This team was never a playoff team. They don't play defense. They got an aging point guard. They got an overrated stiff in Vince Carter, who can't seem to motivate himself to win each night. Richard Jefferson has regressed as a player. The role players such as Jeff McInnis, Scott Padgett, Marc Jackson, and Lamont Murray are busts. They are so bad that the Nets want nothing in return for those guys. Those guys are in the trade block, but which team would want those losers. Lawrence Frank has not done that great as a head coach. I personally think he is one of the worse coaches in the league. He is not a great gameday coach and he can't lead as a coach. Nets should fire him and start trading Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson. It's time for them to rebuild.
Best Rookie: Chris Paul. He is the clear-cut favorite for Rookie of the Year. He has given the Hornets a lot of wins with his play. Makes you wonder why the Hawks never drafted him. He is a better fit than Marvin Williams.
MVP of the first quarter: Lot of great choices to choose from. You can make a great case for anyone. I have to go with Kevin Garnett. WIthout him, the Timberwolves don't lead the Northwest and they become a lottery team period. He has played exceptionally well. Lebron James gets the most honorable mention.
Best acquisition: I dislike Sam Cassell, but he has brought the Clippers attitude and confidence. We all know what he can do and he is doing it now with the Clippers.
Worse player of the first quarter: Stephon Marbury. He has struggled to understand Larry Brown's offense. He is not playing with any confidence. He is not making great decisions. He does not play defense. He looks completely lost. He is not being aggressive and this past week, he has played soft. He also can not lead.
Best coach of the first quarter: You can make a lot of case for guys like Dwane, Flip, Mike D'Antoni, Montgomery, and Dunleavy. If I have to pick one, I will go with Byron Scott. Everyone was laughing at him last year for what he has done and everyone had him as one of the worse coaches in the NBA. Man it's so good to see him do well especially after the way he was treated with the Nets and the evil writers here.
Worst coach of the first quarter: A tie between Larry Brown and Lawrence Frank. Lawerence Frank does not have his players respect and the team obviously have quit on him. Larry Brown hasn't established himself well as the Knicks coach. Look his team is not very good and his players clearly do not fit Brown's way of playing the right way, but is it too much to ask to try to get something out of them. Is it too much to ask for him to demand guys to play hard and hustle? Is it too much to ask to give players hard foul? At least, Knicks played hard under Lenny Wilkens which is something you can't say about Larry Brown right now. Brown is obviously trying to pass the buck and blame it on Isiah for giving him a bad roster to work with, but his coaching decisions hasn't been spectacular.
Best story of the first quarter: Seeing T.J. Ford healthy and productive. I wonder if he was going to do well when he came back from that injury in which he collided with Mark Madsen at Milwaukee couple of years ago. It's good to see him to do well. Also, the Clippers doing well is a great story.
Disgusting story of the first quarter: Seeing Slick Pat stab Stan Van Gundy in the back and taking the Heat job. Pat set Stan up to fail IMO and I sort of blame Pat for poisoning Shaq about Van Gundy.
What I like to see in the second half besides the Timberwolves leading the Northwest by the All-Star break:
-- Seeing significant progress with the Raptors. I like to see them really start winning a lot more like what the Warriors did when they got Baron Davis.
-- See Stan Van Gundy coach the Nets
-- See Ron Artest play for the Hawks
-- See Darko Millic start developing into an NBA player
-- Seeing Phoenix or someone having the bones to dethrone the Spurs
Most Suprising Team: Hornets. I thought this team would be really awful again, but this team has really done well and the Hornetsare developing a good trifecta of scorers which is important if you are going to win games. I like the trifecta of Chris Paul and couple of Jersey natives in David West and J.R. Smith. Hornets have something special brewing. I think they have made an immediate progress. Byron Scott, who was viewed as a guy who is just a babysitter by Nets fans and the writers that cover the Nets, has proven that he can coach and develop players. At some point, some people need to understand that he can coach and he knows how to win games. I think he has done a very good job getting his team ready to play and win. I am so happy for him after the crap he got from Nets fans, several Nets players like Jason Kidd, and the writers that cover the Nets on his way out the door.
Best Team in the NBA: Spurs. They are just clicking in all cylinders. Van Exel and Finley has fit well with the team. They have been able to adapt to Pop's system. Sometimes players, who have been very successful as go-to guys, tend to struggle as role players or fitting as Karl Malone and Gary Payton can attest in their one year with the Lakers.
Pistons also get the honorable mention.
Dissapointing Team in the NBA: Nets. I was going to give it to the Rockets, but they have done great in the West Coast as they are about to finish an arudous six-game West Coast swing. You have to figure the Rockets will continue to win games as long as McGrady is healthy. Still, they ain't going to do much come playoff time with that overrated head coach Jeff Van Gundy. The Nets are right now the most dissapointing team in the NBA and I doubt things are going to get better. Yeah they beat the Nuggets last night (Lawrence Frank's job might have been saved for now with that win), but that team is in chaos. Nets were billed by the NY media about how they are going to the Eastern Conference Finals and guys like Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter actually had the nerve to talk about how this team is a championship contender never mind that team doesn't play defense and the fact the role players were never that good. Unfortunately, things haven't worked out for them and things are not going to get better anytime soon. This team was never a playoff team. They don't play defense. They got an aging point guard. They got an overrated stiff in Vince Carter, who can't seem to motivate himself to win each night. Richard Jefferson has regressed as a player. The role players such as Jeff McInnis, Scott Padgett, Marc Jackson, and Lamont Murray are busts. They are so bad that the Nets want nothing in return for those guys. Those guys are in the trade block, but which team would want those losers. Lawrence Frank has not done that great as a head coach. I personally think he is one of the worse coaches in the league. He is not a great gameday coach and he can't lead as a coach. Nets should fire him and start trading Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson. It's time for them to rebuild.
Best Rookie: Chris Paul. He is the clear-cut favorite for Rookie of the Year. He has given the Hornets a lot of wins with his play. Makes you wonder why the Hawks never drafted him. He is a better fit than Marvin Williams.
MVP of the first quarter: Lot of great choices to choose from. You can make a great case for anyone. I have to go with Kevin Garnett. WIthout him, the Timberwolves don't lead the Northwest and they become a lottery team period. He has played exceptionally well. Lebron James gets the most honorable mention.
Best acquisition: I dislike Sam Cassell, but he has brought the Clippers attitude and confidence. We all know what he can do and he is doing it now with the Clippers.
Worse player of the first quarter: Stephon Marbury. He has struggled to understand Larry Brown's offense. He is not playing with any confidence. He is not making great decisions. He does not play defense. He looks completely lost. He is not being aggressive and this past week, he has played soft. He also can not lead.
Best coach of the first quarter: You can make a lot of case for guys like Dwane, Flip, Mike D'Antoni, Montgomery, and Dunleavy. If I have to pick one, I will go with Byron Scott. Everyone was laughing at him last year for what he has done and everyone had him as one of the worse coaches in the NBA. Man it's so good to see him do well especially after the way he was treated with the Nets and the evil writers here.
Worst coach of the first quarter: A tie between Larry Brown and Lawrence Frank. Lawerence Frank does not have his players respect and the team obviously have quit on him. Larry Brown hasn't established himself well as the Knicks coach. Look his team is not very good and his players clearly do not fit Brown's way of playing the right way, but is it too much to ask to try to get something out of them. Is it too much to ask for him to demand guys to play hard and hustle? Is it too much to ask to give players hard foul? At least, Knicks played hard under Lenny Wilkens which is something you can't say about Larry Brown right now. Brown is obviously trying to pass the buck and blame it on Isiah for giving him a bad roster to work with, but his coaching decisions hasn't been spectacular.
Best story of the first quarter: Seeing T.J. Ford healthy and productive. I wonder if he was going to do well when he came back from that injury in which he collided with Mark Madsen at Milwaukee couple of years ago. It's good to see him to do well. Also, the Clippers doing well is a great story.
Disgusting story of the first quarter: Seeing Slick Pat stab Stan Van Gundy in the back and taking the Heat job. Pat set Stan up to fail IMO and I sort of blame Pat for poisoning Shaq about Van Gundy.
What I like to see in the second half besides the Timberwolves leading the Northwest by the All-Star break:
-- Seeing significant progress with the Raptors. I like to see them really start winning a lot more like what the Warriors did when they got Baron Davis.
-- See Stan Van Gundy coach the Nets
-- See Ron Artest play for the Hawks
-- See Darko Millic start developing into an NBA player
-- Seeing Phoenix or someone having the bones to dethrone the Spurs