http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13758137p-14600350c.html
By Martin McNeal
Entering this season, predicting the teams that will have a legitimate opportunity to win the NBA title is as difficult as ever.
Talent assessment is the major criterion available at this early juncture.
The San Antonio Spurs get a free pass since they have the trophy in hand. Every key performer from last season's title team is back, and the Spurs also have added clutch veteran point guard Nick Van Exel and veteran swingman Michael Finley.
The Detroit Pistons, the 2003-04 champions and two-time defending Eastern Conference champions, also must be considered legitimate title contenders, even with former Minnesota coach Flip Saunders at the helm replacing Larry Brown, now in New York.
The Shaquille O'Neal-led Miami Heat could have defeated Detroit in last season's Conference finals had guard Dwyane Wade not been injured late in that series. The Heat made bold moves to acquire forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey and point guard Jason Williams while parting with forwards Malik Allen and Eddie Jones and guards Damon Jones and Keyon Dooling.
Don't forget the Indiana Pacers, who last season were crippled by suspensions and 309 player-games lost to injury and illness.
Also with the goods to contend are the Houston Rockets, led by the talented duo of center Yao Ming and swingman Tracy McGrady. They added point guard Rafer Alston, rookie guard Luther Head and athletic power forward Stromile Swift, and regained the services of power forward Juwan Howard.
The Dallas Mavericks and Kings also have enough talent, depth and experience to play with any of these squads. But neither Dallas nor Sacramento might be as equipped to roll as the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets are as deep and athletic as any NBA team. Tuesday night, they defeated the Kings 102-99 at Arco Arena without power forward Kenyon Martin, center/power forward Nene and center Marcus Camby. The Nuggets already had a strong point guard situation with starter Andre Miller and 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins, then added another talent, free agent Earl Watson.
Coach George Karl, who took over in late January and guided the Nuggets to a 32-8 mark and seventh-place finish in the West, will have to wriggle shooting guards Voshon Lenard and DeMarr Johnson into that backcourt mix.
And we've not yet discussed third-year small forward Carmelo Anthony, who appears primed to have his best NBA season. Karl is one of the league's best tacticians and has a versatile, talented squad.
The team missing from this group is the Phoenix Suns, who will remain a question mark until the return of Amare Stoudemire from knee surgery.
Coming back strong
Denver's Johnson and Milwaukee Bucks point guard T.J. Ford appear to be making strong comebacks from neck problems.
Johnson suffered four fractured vertebrae in his neck in a September 2002 automobile accident, and many observers believed his NBA playing career might have been over. Johnson, however, has recovered nicely and has a chance to play consistent minutes for the Nuggets.
Ford missed last season after neck surgery, and there were questions about his return. But so far this preseason, he has had no problems with his neck, and his speed, ballhandling and leadership will be vital as the Bucks attempt to run an up-tempo, Phoenix-like offensive attack.
Workman closer to making it
Currently, only two former NBA players - Bernie Fryer and Leon Wood - work as referees. But they might be joined by Haywoode Workman, who played with five NBA teams in an eight-year career.
Workman, 39, has been officiating during this NBA preseason after calling games in the NBA Development League for the past two seasons. He is slated to return to the Development League for a third season.
Cleaves battles for spot
Point guard Mateen Cleaves led the Michigan State Spartans to the 2000 NCAA title and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four for his timely playmaking and leadership.
Cleaves, 28, was Detroit's first-round pick (No. 14) in 2000, and he played for the Kings, Cleveland and the Development League's Huntsville Flight before hooking up with Seattle last season.
Not surprisingly, Cleaves has not given up on himself and appears to have an ally in new SuperSonics coach Bob Weiss. Additionally, Sonics stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis last season supported retaining Cleaves.
Cleaves always has been able to run a team and defend, but his perimeter shot has been questioned. He said he spent all summer shooting three-pointers and jump shots, and Weiss said he believes in Cleaves' marksmanship.
BASELINE JUMPERS
* Utah's leading scorer last season, power forward Carlos Boozer, has not played since the end of the first week of training camp because of a strained left hamstring. He also missed the final 31 games of last season because of a strained foot.
* Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich, 24, is entering his third NBA season and has exhibited the skills and toughness to play both backcourt positions. Last season, the 6-foot-3 Hinrich played a major role in Chicago reaching the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
* Is there a more unique, difficult player to cover in the league than Denver's 5-5 dynamo, Earl Boykins? He has quickness, speed, ballhandling ability and toughness, and staying in front of him is a nightmare for even the best on-ball defenders. He also consistently has improved his perimeter shot.
* Golden State point guard Baron Davis said he and his backcourt mate Jason Richardson can improve. "We can get a lot better defensively," Davis said. "Jason can become a better playmaker and allow me to play some off-guard and take some pressure off him to score. And I can become a better scorer."
* More Davis: Golden State executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, said Davis, a Los Angeles native, has the attributes of a Southern California ballplayer and the style and ballhandling and penetrating ability of a classic New York City point guard.
* It's a good thing Portland coach Nate McMillan received a long-term, big-money contract from owner Paul Allen, because the grumbling already has begun in the Trail Blazers' neighborhood. Last week, small forward Ruben Patterson complained that the young team needs more veterans. That likely is true, but no one in the organization wanted to read it in the newspapers.
* It's very early, but Indiana's first-round draft choice (17th overall), 6-8 small forward Danny Granger, likely will make many teams who passed on him regret that decision. Injuries have forced Granger to play power forward in the preseason, and his 9.3 rebounding average is second in the league. In two victories over Minnesota and one over San Antonio, Granger totaled 42 points and 33 rebounds.
* Many players might have a beef with the new dress code. But the lesson to be learned with future collective bargaining negotiations should be to demand more detailed information from the union leadership before a vote is taken. And since only about 60 of the more than 360 players eligible to vote on the new agreement showed up for the June balloting, few have the right to complain about whatever other surprises come their way.
* Will the WNBA also have a dress code instituted next season? And if not, why not?
By Martin McNeal
Entering this season, predicting the teams that will have a legitimate opportunity to win the NBA title is as difficult as ever.
Talent assessment is the major criterion available at this early juncture.
The San Antonio Spurs get a free pass since they have the trophy in hand. Every key performer from last season's title team is back, and the Spurs also have added clutch veteran point guard Nick Van Exel and veteran swingman Michael Finley.
The Detroit Pistons, the 2003-04 champions and two-time defending Eastern Conference champions, also must be considered legitimate title contenders, even with former Minnesota coach Flip Saunders at the helm replacing Larry Brown, now in New York.
The Shaquille O'Neal-led Miami Heat could have defeated Detroit in last season's Conference finals had guard Dwyane Wade not been injured late in that series. The Heat made bold moves to acquire forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey and point guard Jason Williams while parting with forwards Malik Allen and Eddie Jones and guards Damon Jones and Keyon Dooling.
Don't forget the Indiana Pacers, who last season were crippled by suspensions and 309 player-games lost to injury and illness.
Also with the goods to contend are the Houston Rockets, led by the talented duo of center Yao Ming and swingman Tracy McGrady. They added point guard Rafer Alston, rookie guard Luther Head and athletic power forward Stromile Swift, and regained the services of power forward Juwan Howard.
The Dallas Mavericks and Kings also have enough talent, depth and experience to play with any of these squads. But neither Dallas nor Sacramento might be as equipped to roll as the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets are as deep and athletic as any NBA team. Tuesday night, they defeated the Kings 102-99 at Arco Arena without power forward Kenyon Martin, center/power forward Nene and center Marcus Camby. The Nuggets already had a strong point guard situation with starter Andre Miller and 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins, then added another talent, free agent Earl Watson.
Coach George Karl, who took over in late January and guided the Nuggets to a 32-8 mark and seventh-place finish in the West, will have to wriggle shooting guards Voshon Lenard and DeMarr Johnson into that backcourt mix.
And we've not yet discussed third-year small forward Carmelo Anthony, who appears primed to have his best NBA season. Karl is one of the league's best tacticians and has a versatile, talented squad.
The team missing from this group is the Phoenix Suns, who will remain a question mark until the return of Amare Stoudemire from knee surgery.
Coming back strong
Denver's Johnson and Milwaukee Bucks point guard T.J. Ford appear to be making strong comebacks from neck problems.
Johnson suffered four fractured vertebrae in his neck in a September 2002 automobile accident, and many observers believed his NBA playing career might have been over. Johnson, however, has recovered nicely and has a chance to play consistent minutes for the Nuggets.
Ford missed last season after neck surgery, and there were questions about his return. But so far this preseason, he has had no problems with his neck, and his speed, ballhandling and leadership will be vital as the Bucks attempt to run an up-tempo, Phoenix-like offensive attack.
Workman closer to making it
Currently, only two former NBA players - Bernie Fryer and Leon Wood - work as referees. But they might be joined by Haywoode Workman, who played with five NBA teams in an eight-year career.
Workman, 39, has been officiating during this NBA preseason after calling games in the NBA Development League for the past two seasons. He is slated to return to the Development League for a third season.
Cleaves battles for spot
Point guard Mateen Cleaves led the Michigan State Spartans to the 2000 NCAA title and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four for his timely playmaking and leadership.
Cleaves, 28, was Detroit's first-round pick (No. 14) in 2000, and he played for the Kings, Cleveland and the Development League's Huntsville Flight before hooking up with Seattle last season.
Not surprisingly, Cleaves has not given up on himself and appears to have an ally in new SuperSonics coach Bob Weiss. Additionally, Sonics stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis last season supported retaining Cleaves.
Cleaves always has been able to run a team and defend, but his perimeter shot has been questioned. He said he spent all summer shooting three-pointers and jump shots, and Weiss said he believes in Cleaves' marksmanship.
BASELINE JUMPERS
* Utah's leading scorer last season, power forward Carlos Boozer, has not played since the end of the first week of training camp because of a strained left hamstring. He also missed the final 31 games of last season because of a strained foot.
* Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich, 24, is entering his third NBA season and has exhibited the skills and toughness to play both backcourt positions. Last season, the 6-foot-3 Hinrich played a major role in Chicago reaching the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
* Is there a more unique, difficult player to cover in the league than Denver's 5-5 dynamo, Earl Boykins? He has quickness, speed, ballhandling ability and toughness, and staying in front of him is a nightmare for even the best on-ball defenders. He also consistently has improved his perimeter shot.
* Golden State point guard Baron Davis said he and his backcourt mate Jason Richardson can improve. "We can get a lot better defensively," Davis said. "Jason can become a better playmaker and allow me to play some off-guard and take some pressure off him to score. And I can become a better scorer."
* More Davis: Golden State executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, said Davis, a Los Angeles native, has the attributes of a Southern California ballplayer and the style and ballhandling and penetrating ability of a classic New York City point guard.
* It's a good thing Portland coach Nate McMillan received a long-term, big-money contract from owner Paul Allen, because the grumbling already has begun in the Trail Blazers' neighborhood. Last week, small forward Ruben Patterson complained that the young team needs more veterans. That likely is true, but no one in the organization wanted to read it in the newspapers.
* It's very early, but Indiana's first-round draft choice (17th overall), 6-8 small forward Danny Granger, likely will make many teams who passed on him regret that decision. Injuries have forced Granger to play power forward in the preseason, and his 9.3 rebounding average is second in the league. In two victories over Minnesota and one over San Antonio, Granger totaled 42 points and 33 rebounds.
* Many players might have a beef with the new dress code. But the lesson to be learned with future collective bargaining negotiations should be to demand more detailed information from the union leadership before a vote is taken. And since only about 60 of the more than 360 players eligible to vote on the new agreement showed up for the June balloting, few have the right to complain about whatever other surprises come their way.
* Will the WNBA also have a dress code instituted next season? And if not, why not?
They stay after practice just to duke it out one-on-one.
I did that on purpose
