Some notes about the Rox

Some tidbits from around the League about the Rox:

from Vecsey's column today:

Depending on who agent Bill Strickland is talking to at any particular moment, Rashweed, for obvious rationale, only has eyes for the Knicks (Stephon Marbury), Cavaliers (LeBron James), Rockets (Yao Ming) and Nets (Jason Kidd). Any other teams trade for the rising free agent at their own risk. Still, the Pistons, Spurs and, of course, the Mavericks remain very much in the hunt. Exempting the Cavs, each team is convinced an improvement of Rashweed's All-Star caliber must be made in order to capture their respective conference.

The Mavs are the only one in the bunch, it seems, in position to gamble assets without having Rashweed's long-term commitment. On the other hand, the Pistons almost certainly would have to relinquish much-coveted Mehmet Okur along with draft picks and the expiring contracts of Bob Sura, Lindsey Hunter and Zeljko Rebraca, etc., as well as take back a stumblebum or two.

*

If Jermaine O'Neal expects serious MVP consideration (along with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Peja Stojakovic), he can't afford to stress out with the verdict in his grasp.

Twice in the final 41 seconds of Friday's 4-point failure, the Pacers' guiding light malfunctioned, hence staining a 31-point performance further fogged up by five turnovers and a mere four rebounds. First O'Neal aborted a chance to tie from the line. A half-minute later, he froze against the Rockets' double team and wound up dry heaving from long range.

*

The league's expert analysts are overdue, I submit, to label the Rockets authentic Finals contenders. They flaunt real talent at every position, and a coach to make it all work fluidly.

Reaching out for Mark Jackson was a stroke of genius by Jeff Van Gundy, who now has someone conscious and capable of getting Yao Ming 15 FG attempts regularly. Once Jackson gets into game shape, look for him and Steve Francis to hook up more, allowing Stevie Franchise the freedom and comfort to react instead of think.

from Atlanta:
http://www.ajc.com/sunday/content/epaper/editions/sunday/sports_0431c7a5966ee1290054.html

THEY SAID IT

"At 5-5, he was dunking, aggressive and with courage. I had no idea he could do that. It was amazing. . . . He did it four or five times. And he was screaming. You know that thing at the top of his head, the part that goes over. It was above the rim." --- Houston Rockets forward Maurice Taylor, on coach Jeff Van Gundy, who turned 42 Monday and celebrated by dunking on a lowered rim

from Sac, on 6 Midwest Teams in playoffs:

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/8160106p-9091742c.html

Scott Howard-Coooper: Midwest -- 6 playoff teams?
By Scott Howard-Cooper -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PST Sunday, January 25, 2004
It's not too late to get into a Fantasy Sports League. Sign up here.

There's a division so tough that the last-place team in it would have been in second place in the Atlantic heading into Friday; so imposing that it has the defending NBA champion and the other West finalist from last spring and yet so scrappy that it has the Grizzlies and Jazz; so star-studded that it has the game's two most complete players; so surprising and yet so powerful that it is on pace to contribute 75 percent of the teams to the conference minefield that is the postseason.
It's the Midwest Division, the collective story of the league as the midpoint of the season arrives.

"It's like one win or one loss drops you several places," Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik said.
It's like nothing else. The NBA of the 1990s routinely had three teams finish better than .600 in the same division, as the Midwest projects to do this time, in the final season before realignment busts them up forever. It's a remarkable story of surprising underdog success and at the same time overall dominance. That is, after all, a grouping that is on pace to claim six of the eight Western Conference playoff spots, with only the Kings and Lakers representing the Pacific.

The Midwest has Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, and San Antonio and Dallas as threats, and Minnesota following through with preseason hopes to join the elite. But, more than anything, it has depth because of the unimaginable.

Memphis, instead of moving forward, has long jumped to a 47-win pace. Denver figured to be improved, only not this much to where the playoffs were a legitimate possibility. Utah is one game below .500 in the very 2003-04 it was supposed to disappear.

The Jazz (21-22) is in last place, even after five consecutive losses, but would be third in the Atlantic, fourth in the Pacific and tied for fifth in the Central.

"When you're looking out there every night thinking you probably don't have a chance to win," coach Jerry Sloan said, "it's stronger from our standpoint."

From everyone's.

Looking at the teams:

Minnesota (29-12) -- An unknown at the beginning, even with Garnett, because Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell and Michael Olowokandi were all new additions to the opening lineup. By midseason, injuries kept Olowokandi to 15 games and another starter, Wally Szczerbiak, out entirely. But Cassell and Sprewell were the league's best package pickup of the summer, Cassell was streaking toward his first All-Star Game, and the Timberwolves were still one of the best shooting teams and defensive standouts while using Ervin Johnson and Mark Madsen at center.

San Antonio (29-16) -- An unknown, or at least as much as a defending champion could be. The Spurs still had Duncan, but that was largely a new supporting cast around him. Meanwhile, the most unpredictable of all Spurs, enigmatic point guard Tony Parker, was one of the returnees. Shaking off a bad start, with Duncan and Parker nursing injuries, San Antonio needed only until sometime around Christmas to re-establish itself through, no surprise, defense and rebounding.

Dallas (27-16) -- From reaching the West finals to making two major trades, acquiring Antawn Jamison and Antoine Walker, and facing the potential of having overtinkered. The Mavericks still score with ease, but no team in the league, and perhaps the league, has as much pressure to win now.

Denver (26-19) -- From 17 wins in 2002-03 to being on pace for 47. It's still a setup season, too. The Nuggets, already a grand success, project approximately $20 million in cap space to sign free agents and make trades and will have at least one first-round pick.

Houston (25-17) -- The only team in the division to make a coaching change, while all others around them hit the core of the roster, is spending time as the leader in shooting defense. It's not all first-year coach Jeff Van Gundy -- the Rockets were fifth last season -- but stepping into the new system this well this soon is encouraging beyond the statistics.

Memphis (24-18) -- President of basketball operations Jerry West continued to add small pieces, missing out on the No. 2 pick in the draft because of a previous trade and then missing out on several offseason attempts at a center, but coach Hubie Brown drives the Grizzlies to play with grit and intensity. The franchise record for victories (28) should fall soon.

Utah -- Never has Sloan been underestimated more at the start of a season and appreciated more during. The Jazz opened without Karl Malone and John Stockton, then lost Matt Harpring to injury, played at better than .500 with the league's lowest payroll, then lost everyone else. Last week against Golden State, Utah was down four centers and without the entire starting front line.



from Orlando, on Yao:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...n25,1,6846914.story?coll=orl-sports-headlines

Rockets' chances to join elite in West will flow through Yao

As others can attest, having a franchise center is invaluable in today's NBA.

By Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer


This might be one of those seasons when being really bad brings really good returns in the NBA.

Nothing changes the fortunes of a franchise like a franchise center.

Like Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan did for their teams before him -- all centers taken with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft -- Yao Ming is on the verge of transforming the Houston Rockets into a Western Conference power.

The Rockets (25-17) will play the Magic (12-32) at 6 tonight at TD Waterhouse Centre, expecting to win their third consecutive game and sixth in the past seven.

At 7 feet 6 and 310 pounds -- and with good skills to match -- Yao is being used as the centerpiece/foundation to a new era in Houston, something that only a dominating center can provide.

The next one available -- likely in the 2004 draft -- should be 7-foot-4, 270-pound Russian Pavel Podkolzine, an almost-certain No. 1 overall pick, which is something the Magic could land if they continue to struggle with the worst record in the league.

Although players such as guard LeBron James and forwards Kenyon Martin and Elton Brand -- all recent No. 1 picks -- bring plenty of promise and pizazz, only the great centers can bring certainty to an otherwise uncertain franchise.

The only championships won since the end of the Chicago Bulls era in 1998 have been with O'Neal or Duncan providing the stability at center that no one else in the NBA can match -- until Yao arrived.

"A center like Yao Ming anchors you both defensively and offensively," Magic Coach Johnny Davis said. "He makes all his teammates better. He makes it easier for everyone.

"It makes your life as a coach a whole lot easier. All you've got to do is reference back to when Shaq was here [Orlando]."

O'Neal, taken No. 1 by the Magic in 1992, helped Orlando rocket into the NBA Finals in his third season, carrying a fragile, young team along for the ride.

When he left a year later for Los Angeles, where he has won three championships with the Lakers, he started a downward spiral that still hasn't stopped.

"Man, I think about that all the time, what it would be like playing with a center like that," Magic all-star Tracy McGrady said. "Everybody's game would just go to another level. That's why Kobe [Bryant] is so effective. He can gamble defensively with a guy like Shaq behind him. And Shaq attracts so much attention offensively, everyone else is free."

Although Yao is in only his second NBA season, the Rockets already are riding him.

He clogs the middle defensively. He opens the floor for his teammates on offense. His presence alone comes with big positives.

Houston guards Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley find themselves amazingly open at times.

Journeyman Jimmy Jackson, almost out of the league this past summer, has rediscovered his worth playing with Yao.

Veteran Maurice Taylor sees great opportunities on offense.

"He makes us a totally different team when he's effective," Jackson said. "He opens up the driving lane, the passing lane, the cross-court passes, everything. And he's just learning the game. He's just playing the game, playing on instinct.

"Putting the plays together will come when he realizes who he is and what he can do in this league."

Yao is averaging 16 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.86 blocks.

He's the biggest reason the Rockets have become pit bulls defensively. They have forced opponents into a .389 shooting percentage, allowing 83.2 points. Both are league lows.

It's easy to gamble when Yao is waiting to cover any mistakes.

"People have to alter their shots against him [Yao]," said Magic guard Tyronn Lue, who played with O'Neal on two championship teams in Los Angeles.

"Defense is totally different with a big shot-blocker behind you."

Offensively, the Rockets like to start every possession with a pass into Yao, much like the Lakers used to do with O'Neal. Depending upon how defenses play against him, they react.

In his past five games, Yao has averaged 20.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and two blocks while shooting 64.1 percent. His improved play has coincided with the Rockets' best play of the season.

"Even when he's not hitting, we want him to keep shooting," Francis said. "He'll learn that as we continue to feed him the ball, if they play him one-on-one, he has to dominate."

Francis has benefited as much as anyone from Yao. He already was a rising star before Yao arrived, but the Chinese center has allowed him to become a more complete player. O'Neal's presence in Orlando allowed Penny Hardaway to become an all-star. He has done the same for Bryant in Los Angeles.

Francis, who is averaging 17 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, is expected to play in his third consecutive all-star game. Last season, he was one of two players in the NBA to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Mobley has shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range. Like Francis, he has improved his all-around game playing with Yao. Compared to the double- and triple-team defenses that McGrady sees, Mobley runs the court without seeing more than one defender.

"They have a pretty good thing going, but it starts at center," Davis said. "He's a dominating presence who just makes everyone even better. It's quite a combination."

Tim Povtak can be reached at tpovtak@orlandosentinel.com.

 

Sure.

I think it is a perception that Stevie does better reacting than creating for others...takes from afar.

Are Rox now due for more notice? Only if they keep beating teams like Knicks and Pacers on national tv.