You can tell it’s the middle of winter by the number of NBA players missing time because of the ‘flu. This week alone, this common but nasty affliction has claimed Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen, Corey Maggette, Joe Smith, Tracy McGrady, Quentin Richardson and Eddy Curry.
It’s one of the few things Curry has successfully caught all season. Boom! [end obvious joke]
Let’s take a look at 2 players and 2 teams who had some extraordinary performances over the past week;
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teams of the week
Detroit Pistons
Ever since they played that epic playoff-game-in-winter that Saturday night against Boston earlier this month, the Pistons have lost 5 of 12. But, coincidentally, so have the Celtics. And with Kevin Garnett out indefinitely with his abdominal strain, now is the opportunity for Detroit to mount a challenge to Boston’s all-world dominance.
The Pistons are currently just 3½ games behind for the best record in the league, and are in the midst of a 4-game win streak. They’re completely healthy, everybody’s in form, they have an experienced veteran starting unit and a young, hungry bench. The Pistons are in such a good place right now, Chris Webber finally realised they didn’t need to bring him back, and signed with the Warriors instead.
Detroit’s starting backcourt, Billups and Hamilton are consistent and deserved All-Stars, whilst up front, Wallace wreaks havoc upon officials and opponents alike, Price defends anyone provided they have a ‘6’ in front of their height, and although Antonio McDyess wasn’t named in the Mitchell Report but is enjoying his highest-scoring season in 5 years. These guys enjoy playing basketball together, Flip Saunders is concentrating on keeping them loose, and they are starting to hit their stride.
This week, Detroit didn’t just defeat an upstart Orlando Magic team who had the audacity to beat them at the buzzer the week before, they pounded them. The score was 39-18 after the first quarter, and Rip Hamilton played virtually a flawless game with 32 points on 14 of 22 shooting.
Then, they moved onto Indiana, where the over-ran the Pacers in the second half behind Rasheed Wallace’s 24 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 24 ear-drums of trash talk.
And finally, last night, they hosted Kobe Bryant and his LA Lakers, Tayshaun Prince hitting the game-winning 3 with 4 seconds left and helping force Kobe into 11 turnovers despite his 39 points.
This season is beginning to feel very similar to how the Pistons played when they won the comp in 2004 – a different scoring leader every night, but the same levels of effort, trust and confidence between the players throughout. This year, however, they’re playing even fewer minutes than usual – they plan on playing deep into May 2008.
If you’re a Cavs fan or a Celtics fan, you’re very very afraid of this Detroit Pistons team.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers only played twice this week, that miserable 6 point defeat to the Pistons on Tuesday in a game they could have won, then a shocking 2 point defeat to Miami last Saturday in a game they should not have lost. Their current losing streak stands at 4 games, or 9 days. The longest in the league.
Yes, you read it correctly – Minnesota, Memphis and New York have each won games more recently than the 19-27 Indiana Pacers.
And all of this is a damn shame. Because this season, there was such a renewed sense of optimism in Pacer-land (as opposed to Hoosier-ville), with a new coach, a new outlook and a new philosophy around the same old bunch of players.
In contrast to Rick Carlisle’s highly-respected but also highly-disciplined system, the relaxed and fresh approach encouraged by Jim O’Brien was a welcome relief. The Pacers planned to adopt the same type of up-tempo, free-flowing basketball so successfully employed by Phoenix and Golden State (of course, so did Memphis, and look how that’s going).
On paper, though, it made perfect sense. In last season’s distasteful Stephen Jackson trade, the players Indiana were convinced to take in return – Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy – are both accomplished jump shooters capable of playing multiple positions, but are inadequate defenders. Therefore, any continuation of Indiana’s slow, methodical offense was bound for failure. So combined with Danny Granger’s developing skills at the 3, Jamal Tinsley’s passing game at the point and Jermaine O’Neal’s rebounding and shot blocking in the middle, it all seemed to fall into place.
And it worked – for a while. The Pacers won their first 3 games this season, and in the largely disappointing Central Division their positivity and success were one of the few bright spots; midway through December, they were 14-12 and in the thick of the playoff hunt.
The trouble was, they neglected defense. And by the time they realized that other teams actually enjoyed playing their fun, up-tempo style of game, they didn’t have any defensive principles to fall back on. Furthermore, once the league’s scouting caught up with the Pacers’ fast start, opposition teams invariably came in better prepared to beat Indiana at their own game. When things got close, they would know how to engineer stops, and when they needed a bucket, they knew how to execute a set play. All the while, the Pacers continued running, shooting, turning the ball over, running, losing, winning, losing, and losing some more.
In their 14 games during the month of January, Indiana allowed at least 90 points every night. Every night. And they allowed 100-or-more points 11 times and 110-or-more on 6 occasions. No wonder they won just 4 games.
Although it’s not as if this season has been without any positives – Mike Dunleavy has become a legit NBA starter, Danny Granger is among the league’s most improved players, and Jeff Foster is on the verge of fantasy consideration – but overall, this team is capped out, worm out, tired and injured.
What’s worse, the 2007/08 Indiana Pacers have become a team opponents look forward to playing against.
players of the week
Carlos Boozer
There’s something wonderful watching a 2nd round draft pick blossom into a star. Whether it be Gilbert Arenas, or Dennis Johnson, or Mark Price, or Spencer Haywood, it’s a joy to witness the triumph of hard work and self-belief in an arena where, all too often, minutes, plays and even roster spots are pre-ordained to an elite few.
Carlos Boozer, selected 34th overall in 2002, has gone from an afterthought on draft day to a legitimate low-post stud today. He’s one of the top power forwards in the league, and although he can’t rebound like Duncan (first overall pick in 97, MVP in 02 and 03), defend like KG (5th overall pick in 95, MVP in 04), or shoot like Nowitzki (9th pick in 98, MVP in 07), he’s a premier NBA big man whose overall skill-set compares with any in the game.
He was named to the All-Star team yesterday afternoon; this time, not as a injury-replacement, but directly via the league’s Coaches. Boozer has finally gained recognition and respect.
And this week, he showed you why – Boozer averaged 21.5 points on 58% shooting, 9 rebounds and just 1 turnover per night, as he lead the Utah Jazz to 4 consecutive wins. And despite his oft-criticized defense, Boozer’s steals and personal fouls are at career-highs, testament to his effort and commitment to the other end of the floor.
Utah currently lead the Midwest Division with a 28-18 record, which earns them the right to the 4th playoff seed in the West. However, they are just a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets, who are seeded 7th. That’s how close this league is. That’s how important every win that Boozer can create becomes.
Bruce Bowen
It’s never been about numbers for Bruce Bowen, which is just as well, as they have always been a inferior measure of his actual on-court value, often misleadingly so.
Afterall, this is man who’s a career 6.4ppg scorer, who hits 41% from the floor and 57% from the foul line. If you were to try and explain to your sister why Bruce Bowen has been a part of 3 NBA Championships, it would be rather difficult to do.
But as sly and resourceful as Bowen undoubtedly is, he nonetheless is having unusual trouble this season. As the league gets younger, and the hand-check rules get harsher, Bowen is no longer able to lock opposition small forwards up the way he used to.
And this week, we witnessed it most glaringly, as the Spurs reeled on their way to 3 losses from 4 games, with Bowen struggled mightily on both ends;
0 points on 0-5 shooting with 1 rebound and 1 assist vs New Orleans. Loss. Peja Stojakovic scored 22.
3 points on 1-4 shooting with 0 rebounds and 0 assists vs Utah. Loss. Andrei Kirilenko scored 23.Â
2 points on 1-1 shooting with 3 rebounds and 2 assists vs Seattle. Loss. Kevin Durant scored 26.
7 points on 3-7 shooting with 2 rebounds and 0 assists vs Phoenix. Loss. Shawn Marion scored 21.
That’s an average of 3 points, 1½ rebounds and ¾ of an assist. In 27 minutes per game. Even when your team isn’t missing its starting point guard and 2 key bench contributors, they need more from you than that.
Winning teams need guys like Bowen who do the dirty (yes, that word choice is deliberate) work – Michael Cooper, Cedric Maxwell, Dennis Rodman, Kurt Rambis, Andrew Toney, Horace Grant… There will always be a place for a Bruce Bowen. Maybe not on every team, but invariably on the best ones.
