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NBA Beat: Miami isn't exactly turning up the Heat
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:42 am PST Sunday, November 26, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C5
League officials scheduled games for the Miami Heat, so the defending champions keep showing up. But it's a tough sell that these are the defending champions and, come to think of it, that they're really showing up.
A pile of November losses is no big deal for a veteran, playoff-proven team that can keep hitting the snooze button until the All-Star break. But these are no ordinary losses. Try losses by 15 points to New Orleans and 20 to San Antonio -- within about 24 hours of each other -- and by 24 to New York and 22 to Houston.
Shaquille O'Neal is out for another month or so after a knee operation, and Jason Williams could go back on the shelf -- or at least put on day-to-day status -- amid concerns he returned too soon from his own knee surgery. Not that there's ever anything wrong with Dwyane Wade leading the recovery, but he's already logging about 40 minutes a game after playing to June 20 with the Heat, then embarking on duty with Team USA.
Now Wade gets to do the real heavy lifting until O'Neal returns, then gets to do it some more until Shaq builds into shape with pitchers and catchers. In the meantime, Wade is surrounded in the starting lineup by 38-year-old Gary Payton without any guarantees on the availability of J-Will to help with the ballhandling, 36-year-old Alonzo Mourning and 30-year-old Antoine Walker.
The 4-8 record in the first month suddenly becomes a cautionary tale of what could happen around playoff time, as well. O'Neal on auto pilot during the regular season, then doing damage when it matters most has worked before, except this isn't before. Everyone is marking time now.
Powering up
The star-crossed path of Carlos Boozer is finally littered with something other than his tattered reputation, returning Boozer to the ranks of bright young star and the Utah Jazz to the upper echelon of the league.
Posting 22.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 59.9 percent shooting in the first 12 games at power forward was an especially meaningful boost because Andrei Kirilenko, the standout small forward, had missed the last five with a sprained ankle. But doing it at all was the real significance after signing a six-year, $68 million free-agent deal with the Jazz in 2004. Soon after, he was ripped by Jazz owner Larry Miller for a lack of heart as Boozer's first two seasons in Utah were derailed by injury. Coach Jerry Sloan made similar comments that required only slight reading between the lines.
"When you can play, you can answer your critics," said Boozer, who played in 33 games in 2005-06 and in 51 the season before. "When you're sitting on the bench trying to get your hamstrings healthy, you can't answer the critics."
Sun set
Boris Diaw got his starting job back in Phoenix after a temporary benching, but the search continues for the swingman who catapulted from two nondescript seasons into being named the 2005-06 Most Improved Player.
On the other hand, a lot of Suns have been missing the first month, so they're all big on patience for the moment.
It's just that Diaw now has the burden of raised expectations in the wake of averaging 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, which, by some coincidence, came in a contract year. Phoenix bit -- five years, $45 million -- only to have Diaw report to camp out of shape and then struggle.
The Suns say they are not greatly concerned and that Diaw's conditioning was caused more by circumstance than commitment. He went from playing into the Western Conference finals to playing for France in the world championships, meaning that his time to recharge would have to come in the month before camp opened. Adding to that, the exhibition schedule included a two-week trip to Italy and Germany, where promotional appearances and tourism were mixed with games and practices.
Shortsighted
David 2, Goliath 0.
New York's Nate Robinson, all 5-foot-9 of him, had barely completed the re-entry to Earth's atmosphere after Monday's instant-classic block of 7-5 Yao Ming at Madison Square Garden when 6-2 Ronnie Price of the Kings took off along the baseline Wednesday at Arco Arena and kept taking off. By the time Price floated past the 6-8 Boozer and finished the hellacious dunk, it had become a forever week for the little guys.
Right on schedule
The predictable recovery of the Dallas Mavericks from an 0-4 start was just as predictable in its timing. The seven consecutive victories that answered the losing streak were against teams with losing records. The six total opponents were a combined 21-47. However, Dallas then won at San Antonio on Friday night.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard- Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
NBA Beat: Miami isn't exactly turning up the Heat
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:42 am PST Sunday, November 26, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C5
League officials scheduled games for the Miami Heat, so the defending champions keep showing up. But it's a tough sell that these are the defending champions and, come to think of it, that they're really showing up.
A pile of November losses is no big deal for a veteran, playoff-proven team that can keep hitting the snooze button until the All-Star break. But these are no ordinary losses. Try losses by 15 points to New Orleans and 20 to San Antonio -- within about 24 hours of each other -- and by 24 to New York and 22 to Houston.
Shaquille O'Neal is out for another month or so after a knee operation, and Jason Williams could go back on the shelf -- or at least put on day-to-day status -- amid concerns he returned too soon from his own knee surgery. Not that there's ever anything wrong with Dwyane Wade leading the recovery, but he's already logging about 40 minutes a game after playing to June 20 with the Heat, then embarking on duty with Team USA.
Now Wade gets to do the real heavy lifting until O'Neal returns, then gets to do it some more until Shaq builds into shape with pitchers and catchers. In the meantime, Wade is surrounded in the starting lineup by 38-year-old Gary Payton without any guarantees on the availability of J-Will to help with the ballhandling, 36-year-old Alonzo Mourning and 30-year-old Antoine Walker.
The 4-8 record in the first month suddenly becomes a cautionary tale of what could happen around playoff time, as well. O'Neal on auto pilot during the regular season, then doing damage when it matters most has worked before, except this isn't before. Everyone is marking time now.
Powering up
The star-crossed path of Carlos Boozer is finally littered with something other than his tattered reputation, returning Boozer to the ranks of bright young star and the Utah Jazz to the upper echelon of the league.
Posting 22.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 59.9 percent shooting in the first 12 games at power forward was an especially meaningful boost because Andrei Kirilenko, the standout small forward, had missed the last five with a sprained ankle. But doing it at all was the real significance after signing a six-year, $68 million free-agent deal with the Jazz in 2004. Soon after, he was ripped by Jazz owner Larry Miller for a lack of heart as Boozer's first two seasons in Utah were derailed by injury. Coach Jerry Sloan made similar comments that required only slight reading between the lines.
"When you can play, you can answer your critics," said Boozer, who played in 33 games in 2005-06 and in 51 the season before. "When you're sitting on the bench trying to get your hamstrings healthy, you can't answer the critics."
Sun set
Boris Diaw got his starting job back in Phoenix after a temporary benching, but the search continues for the swingman who catapulted from two nondescript seasons into being named the 2005-06 Most Improved Player.
On the other hand, a lot of Suns have been missing the first month, so they're all big on patience for the moment.
It's just that Diaw now has the burden of raised expectations in the wake of averaging 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, which, by some coincidence, came in a contract year. Phoenix bit -- five years, $45 million -- only to have Diaw report to camp out of shape and then struggle.
The Suns say they are not greatly concerned and that Diaw's conditioning was caused more by circumstance than commitment. He went from playing into the Western Conference finals to playing for France in the world championships, meaning that his time to recharge would have to come in the month before camp opened. Adding to that, the exhibition schedule included a two-week trip to Italy and Germany, where promotional appearances and tourism were mixed with games and practices.
Shortsighted
David 2, Goliath 0.
New York's Nate Robinson, all 5-foot-9 of him, had barely completed the re-entry to Earth's atmosphere after Monday's instant-classic block of 7-5 Yao Ming at Madison Square Garden when 6-2 Ronnie Price of the Kings took off along the baseline Wednesday at Arco Arena and kept taking off. By the time Price floated past the 6-8 Boozer and finished the hellacious dunk, it had become a forever week for the little guys.
Right on schedule
The predictable recovery of the Dallas Mavericks from an 0-4 start was just as predictable in its timing. The seven consecutive victories that answered the losing streak were against teams with losing records. The six total opponents were a combined 21-47. However, Dallas then won at San Antonio on Friday night.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard- Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
