Caleb Cattivera
11/22/05, 06:21 PM
NBA Insider...Nov 22: Early trade buzz; Rudy Gay; Rookie Report; Rumor Central
Pistons, Knicks shopping for KG?
Chris Sheridan blog
Get ready for the Kevin Garnett trade rumors, the first of which was quickly shot down Sunday by Kevin McHale and Joe Dumars -- even as others maintained it was legit.
Both team executives denied there was any truth to talk that made its way around the league over the weekend that the Detroit Pistons were willing to ship a package including Rasheed Wallace and Darko Milicic to Minnesota for Garnett.
The future of the 29-year-old, eight-time All-Star came into question after Garnett's much-discussed interview Thursday night on TNT. Garnett criticized McHale for his handling of the Timberwolves during the troubled 2004-05 season in which Flip Saunders was fired and McHale took over as head coach.
Dumars insisted he had not been in contact with the Wolves regarding Garnett, and McHale also dismissed the rumor, which came as executives from others teams were trying to gauge whether the Timberwolves would seriously consider dealing the franchise player who has been with Minnesota throughout his entire 10-year NBA career. Team owner Glen Taylor told reporters in Minnesota that Garnett has "never, ever" sought a trade.
"We're not trading Garnett," McHale said Sunday night.
The prevailing opinion around the league is that Minnesota, barring a sustained nosedive prior to the All-Star break, would not consider trading Garnett before next summer. With a record of 5-4 following their victory over Charlotte on Saturday night, the Wolves are in first place in the Northwest Division.
Garnett is under contract for $18 million this season, then will make $21 million, $22 million and $23 million over the next three years. With Wally Szczerbiak under contract for an equal number of years ($10 million this season, $11 million, $12 million and $13 million the next three), the Timberwolves would have very little salary cap flexibility for the next half-decade unless they jettisoned their two highest-paid players. Minnesota already has a forward (Mark Madsen) and three guards (Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson and Trenton Hassell) signed at least through the 2009-10 season.
One source told ESPN.com that the New York Knicks had made Minnesota an offer that included the expiring contracts of Penny Hardaway ($15.7 million) and Antonio Davis ($13.9 million). But for such a trade to work under salary cap rules, the Knicks would also have to take back Sczcerbiak. While that deal would be stunningly lopsided talent-wise, it would relieve the Wolves of $102 million in salary obligations over the next three seasons, allowing them to enter the 2006 offseason with approximately $25 million of cap space.
One source close to several NBA players insisted that the viability of the Knicks' offer should not be dismissed, going so far as to say Garnett was making a private push through back channels to be dealt to New York and reunite with former teammate Stephon Marbury.
"I'd bet money he'll be wearing a Knicks uniform by the end of February," the source said.
Another source insisted Detroit's offer of Wallace and Milicic was real, adding that the offer was made through another Pistons official so that Dumars could maintain deniability in case the players came to him for an explanation.
The Nets have also been mentioned as a possible trade partner in a Garnett deal, but it is believed the Wolves would consider a deal with New Jersey only if they could get back Richard Jefferson, whose status as a base-year compensation player under salary cap rules makes him exceedingly difficult to deal. The best offer the Nets could make this season would include Vince Carter, another player (Nenad Krstic?, Mile Ilic?) and a pair of No. 1 picks (their own and the Clippers').
Early trade buzz
Chris Sheridan blog
Trade activity typically subsides during the first month of the NBA season, and this year has been no different. Only five trades have taken place since training camps opened, and none since the start of the regular season three weeks ago.
But teams are still talking, and the pace of deal-making should pick up after Dec. 15, when players who signed over the summer become trade eligible.
Since the teams are talking to each other, we're talking to them as well to find out who's available and who will be.
Here's the Top 5 on our Most Likely to be Traded List, aside from Kevin Garnett.
----P.J. Brown, New Orleans Hornets. With the team temporarily located a long way from his hometown of Slidell, La., the main factor that kept P.J. married to the Hornets is a nonfactor now.
The 36-year-old would be happy with a trade to a contender, and his $8 million salary this season and next has made him the most sought-after big man on the trade market (other than Garnett). Coach Byron Scott wants to keep Brown, but owner George Shinn is rebuilding.
Other teams expect the Hornets to wait 20-25 games before becoming active on a Brown trade.
----Zoran Planinic, Nets. Looks as though New Jersey has been showcasing the third-year 6-foot-7 Croatian point guard caught, who's in a crowded backcourt numbers crunch along with fellow reserves Jeff McInnis, Lamond Murray and Jacque Vaughn on a team desperate for size.
He's signed through next season, and he's shown flashes. Detractors point out he loves the nightlife, he loves to boogie -- too much, maybe.
----The Portland Trail Blazers entry: Zach Randolph/Darius Miles. The relationship is already rocky between new coach Nate McMillan and the two young multimillionaires, and the Blazers might be seriously rethinking their earlier decision to commit a combined $134 million to the two athletically gifted but averse-to-authority forwards.
Randolph's skill level gives him huge trade value, but there aren't many players signed through 2010-11, and he's one of 'em.
----The Cleveland Cavaliers entry: Luke Jackson/Sasha Pavlovic/Eric Snow. There isn't enough room in a tight Cavs rotation for the two backups, Jackson and Pavlovic, and both have been showcased by a team that has stormed out of the gate.
If the Cavs want to keep both youngsters, they can deal Snow to New York for Malik Rose and make Damon Jones their starter. Rose and Snow are both under contract through '08-09. Knicks coach Larry Brown loves Snow, and Cavs general manager Danny Ferry is a fan of Rose, his former teammate, so it seems to make sense for both teams.
----Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls. There's no question the Bulls love him, but they're also desperate for size if they want to make a serious run this season. As of now, they'll have more cap room than anyone next summer, but the best available free agent big man might be Nazr Mohammed (depending on what happens with Ben Wallace).
If they move Deng, they'll get value -- and perhaps a better big man than what'll be available next summer. There won't be any room for Deng next season if Peja Stojakovic and Andres Nocioni are the small forwards.
Gay wows NBA scouts in Maui
Chad Ford blog
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Last week we put UConn's Rudy Gay atop our Preaseason Top 100 with a few mixed feelings. Clearly he had as much potential as any player in the draft. But could he live up to the lofty expectations of being a No. 1 pick? Scouts questioned whether he had the drive and the aggressiveness to truly live up to his limitless potential. Even head coach Jim Calhoun wondered aloud before the season began.
Rudy got the message and answered his critics here with an amazing 28-point performance against Arkansas on the opening night of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
In front of nine NBA GMs and a host of NBA scouts, Gay put on the best performance of his college career.
Gay did it all. He got it going in the first half with several silky-smooth 18-foot jump shots and a nice turnaround 10-foot jumper over the outstretched arms of Ronnie Brewer. Then he grabbed a board and took it coast to coast for a contested layup, wowing scouts with his speed and ballhandling skills. In the second half, it just got ridiculous, with Gay hammering home two spectacular dunks in traffic and then adding a circus shot from behind the backboard in the waning moments of the game.
After the game, GMs and scouts declared the obvious.
"If he plays like that all year, he's a lock for the No. 1 pick," one prominent GM told me. "His game is tailor-made for the NBA. He's got it all: size, athleticism, skill, and he's a great kid. If he can keep playing with that aggressiveness, he has a chance to be superstar in the NBA."
He didn't have a perfect night. Brewer gave Gay some problems when he tried to handle the ball, and he had a couple of ugly misses on his jumper, but all in all, it was the type of buzz-creating performance that Gay needed to secure his stock as the frontrunner for the top pick in the draft.
What else were scouts saying?
Brewer had a great game. He's added about 15 pounds of muscle and it shows. He was great slashing to and finishing around the basket and was a nightmare in the passing lanes, picking up six steals. He also had some nice passes, though he rarely played point guard. His jump shot mechanics are still terribly ugly, but often enough the ball was going in. Brewer finished with 25 points on 8-for-17 shooting. His aggression on both ends of the floor really impressed several GMs that I talked to and all had him pegged as a top-10 prospect.
Gonzaga's Adam Morrison also drew a lot of positive reviews after his 25-point performance against Maryland. GMs called him "smart" "efficient" and "nasty," and all seemed to be backing off their concerns that his athleticism would hurt his draft stock.
"He's just so fun to watch," one GM said. "I love the way he plays. You just can't take your eyes off him."
Kansas is loaded with as many as six potential NBA prospects, but none looked ready for the NBA against Arizona on Monday. Four are freshmen (Brandon Rush, Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers and Micah Downs) and the other two are sophomores (C.J. Giles and Sasha Kaun).
Rush (11 pts, seven boards) and Kaun (12 points, six boards) had the best games, but scouts believe that Giles and Wright have the most NBA potential. Giles is long and athletic and had a respectable 10 boards and three blocks on Monday, but he was very shaky from the field (1 of 6) and has questionable hands. He couldn't hold onto the ball on Monday. Wright is long, athletic and reminds some scouts of a smaller Kevin Garnett, but right now he really doesn't have a game. He just runs the floor and picks up the garbage. In other words, it looks like their entire squad could use another year together before thinking about the pros.
Arizona's Hassan Adams is just 6-foot-4, but he outjumped the very athletic 6-10 Giles on the opening tip. Adams played with his characteristic toughness at both ends and his shooting form looked improved, but the ball wasn't going in the basket. Adams ended up shooting 3-for-16 from the field.
Danny Ainge (Boston Celtics), Bryan Colangelo (Phoenix Suns), Mitch Kupchak (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin O'Connor (Utah Jazz), R.C. Buford (San Antonio Spurs), Danny Ferry (Cleveland Cavaliers), Larry Harris (Milwaukee Bucks), Ed Stefanski (New Jersey Nets) and Elgin Baylor (Los Angeles Clippers) were among the NBA execs in attendance on Monday. Overall, I counted representatives from 27 teams in attendance.
Rookie report: First 10 games, first in class
By Chris Sheridan
We're now three full weeks into the 2005-06 season, a long enough time to get a gauge on which NBA rookies are having an early impact.
A look at 10 first-year players who are producing the most results, as well as the rookies off to slow starts:
1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets: The runaway leader among rookies in points per game (16.6), steals (2.2) and minutes played (36.4), the diminutive point guard from Wake Forest who supplanted Speedy Claxton as the Hornets' primary playmaker is also tied for the league lead in assists per game (6.3) among rookies. He had a strong run of games for the surprising 4-6 Hornets before looking lost against Philadelphia's Allen Iverson on Monday.
2. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz: Williams became Utah's starter a week ago after Keith McLeod was sidelined with a back injury, and now looks poised to keep the job long-term. Has reached double figures in points in seven straight games, and had double-figure assists in the last two against Memphis and Milwaukee. Looks like that week he spent in Spokane, Wash., with John Stockton prior to training camp is paying off.
3. Charlie Villanueva, Toronto Raptors: Playing 28.5 minutes off the bench for the woeful Raptors, Villanueva has shown a steady inside-outside game that has hushed the critics who wondered why Toronto selected him at No. 7 after a so-so collegiate career at UConn. Tied for third in scoring (13.2), second in rebounding (6.5) and first in blocks (0.90) among rookies, Villanueva also has knocked down 11 3-pointers.
4. Channing Frye, New York Knicks: Who says Larry Brown doesn't like rookies? He's positively enamored of the young forward-center from Arizona who has shown the best shooting touch by a Knicks big man since Patrick Ewing prowled the paint. Frye leads all rookies in field goal percentage (.510). New York has often played its best ball when he has been on the court in Brown's ever-changing rotations.
5. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks: The No. 1 pick in the draft is logging only 26.0 minutes per game but is averaging 8.1 rebounds. He made a foul-plagued return to the state where he played in college and had a mediocre outing against the Jazz Monday night, his third straight pedestrian effort after losing his starting job to Joe Smith. Ranks 10th in the NBA among all players, veterans and rookies, in offensive rebounds per 48 minutes.
6. Sarunas Jasikevicius, Indiana Pacers: The 29-year-old Lithuanian from Maccabi Tel Aviv has shot a disappointing 33 percent from 3-point range thus far while struggling to look comfortable in an offense where he's often switched between point guard and shooting guard. Went 10-for-10 from the line against the Bobcats last weekend, moving him among the top 10 leaguewide in free-throw percentage (.923).
7. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors: The young point guard from Spain has been quietly racking up assists in bunches. Of the top 40 league leaders in assists, only Calderon (26.0 minutes) and Jamaal Tinsley (26.4) are averaging less than 27 minutes. Coach Sam Mitchell has at times played Calderon alongside Mike James in the backcourt, allowing James to concentrate on scoring and Calderon on getting him the ball.
8. Salim Stoudamire, Atlanta Hawks: People were raving about his shooting stroke when the Hawks picked him 31st in the draft, and Damon's cousin has not disappointed. His 14 3-pointers are second-most among rookies behind Deron Williams, and his 24-point fourth-quarter outburst against New Orleans last Friday very nearly gave the Hawks their first win.
9. Luther Head, Houston Rockets: In an effort to add some quickness to a team with the worst record in the Western Conference, coach Jeff Van Gundy gave Head the start Sunday against Indiana. He's shooting 45 percent from 3-point range.
10. Sean May, Charlotte Bobcats: Of Charlotte's two rookies from North Carolina, May has made a bit more of a difference than Raymond Felton. He is the team's fourth-leading scorer (10.4 ppg) despite playing just 19.4 minutes per game.
SLOW STARTS
So far, these lottery picks haven't fulfilled the potential that made them high draft picks:
Marvin Williams, Hawks (No. 2 overall): Producing only 6.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in almost 25 minutes per night for winless Atlanta.
Raymond Felton, Bobcats (No. 5): Lost out to Sean May in a close race for No. 10. Was great in blowout win vs. Pacers, so-so next two nights.
Martell Webster, Trail Blazers, (No. 6): Has received a mere 22 minutes of playing time in five games, shooting 1-for-5. The make was a 3 against the Knicks.
Ike Diogu, Warriors, (No. 9): A fractured left hand has kept him out of action. He could begin practicing soon.
Andrew Bynum, Lakers (No. 10): Logged some fourth-quarter minutes during the meltdown against the Bulls the other night, but hurt the Lakers more than he helped.
Fran Vazquez, Magic (No. 11): Averaging 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds for Girosa, which is 7-1 and tied for first place in the Spanish League.
Yaroslav Korolev, Clippers (No. 12): Yet to record a single statistic in six minutes of playing time over two games.
Rashad McCants, Timberwolves (No. 14): Being brought along slowly, but logged 25 minutes vs. Bobcats last Saturday.
NBA Rumor Central: 86 On The Ruben
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Ruben Patterson
Trail Blazers
86 On The Ruben
Nov 22 - The Oregonian reports, "Ruben Patterson on Monday said the team needs to trade him or find a way to let him go because he doesn't want to take a lesser role in the Blazers' rebuilding project that he says is putting more emphasis on using young players than winning games. GM John Nash on Monday said he would like to resolve Patterson's trade request, but he won't endorse a move that doesn't meet the team's criteria of maintaining talent and fiscal responsibility. 'I gave Ruben's agent (Dan Fegan) permission two years ago to find a trade, and I have looked for trades for Ruben, who has asked for one repeatedly,' Nash said. 'But there are no takers at this point in time under the parameters we have set.'"
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Michael Olowokandi
Timberwolves
Anybody Want Some Kandi?
Nov 22 - "Don't be surprised if the Timberwolves talk trade with the Jazz, with Michael Olowokandi going to Utah for Carlos Boozer, and with either Troy Hudson or Marko Jaric of the Wolves as part of a deal," reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Denver
Pointer Brothers
Nov 22 - According to the New York Post, "If any of the (Denver Nuggets) Pointer Brothers are to be used as an enticement to acquire a valid big man, it'll be Andre Miller ($8.1 million), not Earl Watson or Earl Boykins, whose smaller salary ($2.75M) complicates management's expected objective."
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
New Jersey
Can You Lend Me A Wide Body?
Nov 22 - The Nets would like to make a deal, "According to various members of the Worldwide Big Man Search Committee -- there is no such thing, really, but there should be -- there is no one available, follow-up inquiries on the usual suspects (Melvin Ely, Chris Wilcox, et al.) have yielded nothing, and "in general, nobody wants to make a deal right now," one Nets official said," reports the Newark Star-Ledger.
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Kevin Garnett
Timberwolves
KG ... A Real Warrior?
Nov 22 - The San Jose Mercury suggets, "Open your eyes, Warriors fans: The Unofficial Garnett Trade Market just revved to life this week, and (Chris ) Mullin could turn out to be a very intriguing and very motivated participant. So if you're Minnesota, do you want the New York Knicks' raggedy collection of expiring salaries or a potential Warriors package of Jason Richardson, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu and a No. 1 pick?"
Pistons, Knicks shopping for KG?
Chris Sheridan blog
Get ready for the Kevin Garnett trade rumors, the first of which was quickly shot down Sunday by Kevin McHale and Joe Dumars -- even as others maintained it was legit.
Both team executives denied there was any truth to talk that made its way around the league over the weekend that the Detroit Pistons were willing to ship a package including Rasheed Wallace and Darko Milicic to Minnesota for Garnett.
The future of the 29-year-old, eight-time All-Star came into question after Garnett's much-discussed interview Thursday night on TNT. Garnett criticized McHale for his handling of the Timberwolves during the troubled 2004-05 season in which Flip Saunders was fired and McHale took over as head coach.
Dumars insisted he had not been in contact with the Wolves regarding Garnett, and McHale also dismissed the rumor, which came as executives from others teams were trying to gauge whether the Timberwolves would seriously consider dealing the franchise player who has been with Minnesota throughout his entire 10-year NBA career. Team owner Glen Taylor told reporters in Minnesota that Garnett has "never, ever" sought a trade.
"We're not trading Garnett," McHale said Sunday night.
The prevailing opinion around the league is that Minnesota, barring a sustained nosedive prior to the All-Star break, would not consider trading Garnett before next summer. With a record of 5-4 following their victory over Charlotte on Saturday night, the Wolves are in first place in the Northwest Division.
Garnett is under contract for $18 million this season, then will make $21 million, $22 million and $23 million over the next three years. With Wally Szczerbiak under contract for an equal number of years ($10 million this season, $11 million, $12 million and $13 million the next three), the Timberwolves would have very little salary cap flexibility for the next half-decade unless they jettisoned their two highest-paid players. Minnesota already has a forward (Mark Madsen) and three guards (Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson and Trenton Hassell) signed at least through the 2009-10 season.
One source told ESPN.com that the New York Knicks had made Minnesota an offer that included the expiring contracts of Penny Hardaway ($15.7 million) and Antonio Davis ($13.9 million). But for such a trade to work under salary cap rules, the Knicks would also have to take back Sczcerbiak. While that deal would be stunningly lopsided talent-wise, it would relieve the Wolves of $102 million in salary obligations over the next three seasons, allowing them to enter the 2006 offseason with approximately $25 million of cap space.
One source close to several NBA players insisted that the viability of the Knicks' offer should not be dismissed, going so far as to say Garnett was making a private push through back channels to be dealt to New York and reunite with former teammate Stephon Marbury.
"I'd bet money he'll be wearing a Knicks uniform by the end of February," the source said.
Another source insisted Detroit's offer of Wallace and Milicic was real, adding that the offer was made through another Pistons official so that Dumars could maintain deniability in case the players came to him for an explanation.
The Nets have also been mentioned as a possible trade partner in a Garnett deal, but it is believed the Wolves would consider a deal with New Jersey only if they could get back Richard Jefferson, whose status as a base-year compensation player under salary cap rules makes him exceedingly difficult to deal. The best offer the Nets could make this season would include Vince Carter, another player (Nenad Krstic?, Mile Ilic?) and a pair of No. 1 picks (their own and the Clippers').
Early trade buzz
Chris Sheridan blog
Trade activity typically subsides during the first month of the NBA season, and this year has been no different. Only five trades have taken place since training camps opened, and none since the start of the regular season three weeks ago.
But teams are still talking, and the pace of deal-making should pick up after Dec. 15, when players who signed over the summer become trade eligible.
Since the teams are talking to each other, we're talking to them as well to find out who's available and who will be.
Here's the Top 5 on our Most Likely to be Traded List, aside from Kevin Garnett.
----P.J. Brown, New Orleans Hornets. With the team temporarily located a long way from his hometown of Slidell, La., the main factor that kept P.J. married to the Hornets is a nonfactor now.
The 36-year-old would be happy with a trade to a contender, and his $8 million salary this season and next has made him the most sought-after big man on the trade market (other than Garnett). Coach Byron Scott wants to keep Brown, but owner George Shinn is rebuilding.
Other teams expect the Hornets to wait 20-25 games before becoming active on a Brown trade.
----Zoran Planinic, Nets. Looks as though New Jersey has been showcasing the third-year 6-foot-7 Croatian point guard caught, who's in a crowded backcourt numbers crunch along with fellow reserves Jeff McInnis, Lamond Murray and Jacque Vaughn on a team desperate for size.
He's signed through next season, and he's shown flashes. Detractors point out he loves the nightlife, he loves to boogie -- too much, maybe.
----The Portland Trail Blazers entry: Zach Randolph/Darius Miles. The relationship is already rocky between new coach Nate McMillan and the two young multimillionaires, and the Blazers might be seriously rethinking their earlier decision to commit a combined $134 million to the two athletically gifted but averse-to-authority forwards.
Randolph's skill level gives him huge trade value, but there aren't many players signed through 2010-11, and he's one of 'em.
----The Cleveland Cavaliers entry: Luke Jackson/Sasha Pavlovic/Eric Snow. There isn't enough room in a tight Cavs rotation for the two backups, Jackson and Pavlovic, and both have been showcased by a team that has stormed out of the gate.
If the Cavs want to keep both youngsters, they can deal Snow to New York for Malik Rose and make Damon Jones their starter. Rose and Snow are both under contract through '08-09. Knicks coach Larry Brown loves Snow, and Cavs general manager Danny Ferry is a fan of Rose, his former teammate, so it seems to make sense for both teams.
----Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls. There's no question the Bulls love him, but they're also desperate for size if they want to make a serious run this season. As of now, they'll have more cap room than anyone next summer, but the best available free agent big man might be Nazr Mohammed (depending on what happens with Ben Wallace).
If they move Deng, they'll get value -- and perhaps a better big man than what'll be available next summer. There won't be any room for Deng next season if Peja Stojakovic and Andres Nocioni are the small forwards.
Gay wows NBA scouts in Maui
Chad Ford blog
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Last week we put UConn's Rudy Gay atop our Preaseason Top 100 with a few mixed feelings. Clearly he had as much potential as any player in the draft. But could he live up to the lofty expectations of being a No. 1 pick? Scouts questioned whether he had the drive and the aggressiveness to truly live up to his limitless potential. Even head coach Jim Calhoun wondered aloud before the season began.
Rudy got the message and answered his critics here with an amazing 28-point performance against Arkansas on the opening night of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.
In front of nine NBA GMs and a host of NBA scouts, Gay put on the best performance of his college career.
Gay did it all. He got it going in the first half with several silky-smooth 18-foot jump shots and a nice turnaround 10-foot jumper over the outstretched arms of Ronnie Brewer. Then he grabbed a board and took it coast to coast for a contested layup, wowing scouts with his speed and ballhandling skills. In the second half, it just got ridiculous, with Gay hammering home two spectacular dunks in traffic and then adding a circus shot from behind the backboard in the waning moments of the game.
After the game, GMs and scouts declared the obvious.
"If he plays like that all year, he's a lock for the No. 1 pick," one prominent GM told me. "His game is tailor-made for the NBA. He's got it all: size, athleticism, skill, and he's a great kid. If he can keep playing with that aggressiveness, he has a chance to be superstar in the NBA."
He didn't have a perfect night. Brewer gave Gay some problems when he tried to handle the ball, and he had a couple of ugly misses on his jumper, but all in all, it was the type of buzz-creating performance that Gay needed to secure his stock as the frontrunner for the top pick in the draft.
What else were scouts saying?
Brewer had a great game. He's added about 15 pounds of muscle and it shows. He was great slashing to and finishing around the basket and was a nightmare in the passing lanes, picking up six steals. He also had some nice passes, though he rarely played point guard. His jump shot mechanics are still terribly ugly, but often enough the ball was going in. Brewer finished with 25 points on 8-for-17 shooting. His aggression on both ends of the floor really impressed several GMs that I talked to and all had him pegged as a top-10 prospect.
Gonzaga's Adam Morrison also drew a lot of positive reviews after his 25-point performance against Maryland. GMs called him "smart" "efficient" and "nasty," and all seemed to be backing off their concerns that his athleticism would hurt his draft stock.
"He's just so fun to watch," one GM said. "I love the way he plays. You just can't take your eyes off him."
Kansas is loaded with as many as six potential NBA prospects, but none looked ready for the NBA against Arizona on Monday. Four are freshmen (Brandon Rush, Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers and Micah Downs) and the other two are sophomores (C.J. Giles and Sasha Kaun).
Rush (11 pts, seven boards) and Kaun (12 points, six boards) had the best games, but scouts believe that Giles and Wright have the most NBA potential. Giles is long and athletic and had a respectable 10 boards and three blocks on Monday, but he was very shaky from the field (1 of 6) and has questionable hands. He couldn't hold onto the ball on Monday. Wright is long, athletic and reminds some scouts of a smaller Kevin Garnett, but right now he really doesn't have a game. He just runs the floor and picks up the garbage. In other words, it looks like their entire squad could use another year together before thinking about the pros.
Arizona's Hassan Adams is just 6-foot-4, but he outjumped the very athletic 6-10 Giles on the opening tip. Adams played with his characteristic toughness at both ends and his shooting form looked improved, but the ball wasn't going in the basket. Adams ended up shooting 3-for-16 from the field.
Danny Ainge (Boston Celtics), Bryan Colangelo (Phoenix Suns), Mitch Kupchak (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin O'Connor (Utah Jazz), R.C. Buford (San Antonio Spurs), Danny Ferry (Cleveland Cavaliers), Larry Harris (Milwaukee Bucks), Ed Stefanski (New Jersey Nets) and Elgin Baylor (Los Angeles Clippers) were among the NBA execs in attendance on Monday. Overall, I counted representatives from 27 teams in attendance.
Rookie report: First 10 games, first in class
By Chris Sheridan
We're now three full weeks into the 2005-06 season, a long enough time to get a gauge on which NBA rookies are having an early impact.
A look at 10 first-year players who are producing the most results, as well as the rookies off to slow starts:
1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets: The runaway leader among rookies in points per game (16.6), steals (2.2) and minutes played (36.4), the diminutive point guard from Wake Forest who supplanted Speedy Claxton as the Hornets' primary playmaker is also tied for the league lead in assists per game (6.3) among rookies. He had a strong run of games for the surprising 4-6 Hornets before looking lost against Philadelphia's Allen Iverson on Monday.
2. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz: Williams became Utah's starter a week ago after Keith McLeod was sidelined with a back injury, and now looks poised to keep the job long-term. Has reached double figures in points in seven straight games, and had double-figure assists in the last two against Memphis and Milwaukee. Looks like that week he spent in Spokane, Wash., with John Stockton prior to training camp is paying off.
3. Charlie Villanueva, Toronto Raptors: Playing 28.5 minutes off the bench for the woeful Raptors, Villanueva has shown a steady inside-outside game that has hushed the critics who wondered why Toronto selected him at No. 7 after a so-so collegiate career at UConn. Tied for third in scoring (13.2), second in rebounding (6.5) and first in blocks (0.90) among rookies, Villanueva also has knocked down 11 3-pointers.
4. Channing Frye, New York Knicks: Who says Larry Brown doesn't like rookies? He's positively enamored of the young forward-center from Arizona who has shown the best shooting touch by a Knicks big man since Patrick Ewing prowled the paint. Frye leads all rookies in field goal percentage (.510). New York has often played its best ball when he has been on the court in Brown's ever-changing rotations.
5. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks: The No. 1 pick in the draft is logging only 26.0 minutes per game but is averaging 8.1 rebounds. He made a foul-plagued return to the state where he played in college and had a mediocre outing against the Jazz Monday night, his third straight pedestrian effort after losing his starting job to Joe Smith. Ranks 10th in the NBA among all players, veterans and rookies, in offensive rebounds per 48 minutes.
6. Sarunas Jasikevicius, Indiana Pacers: The 29-year-old Lithuanian from Maccabi Tel Aviv has shot a disappointing 33 percent from 3-point range thus far while struggling to look comfortable in an offense where he's often switched between point guard and shooting guard. Went 10-for-10 from the line against the Bobcats last weekend, moving him among the top 10 leaguewide in free-throw percentage (.923).
7. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors: The young point guard from Spain has been quietly racking up assists in bunches. Of the top 40 league leaders in assists, only Calderon (26.0 minutes) and Jamaal Tinsley (26.4) are averaging less than 27 minutes. Coach Sam Mitchell has at times played Calderon alongside Mike James in the backcourt, allowing James to concentrate on scoring and Calderon on getting him the ball.
8. Salim Stoudamire, Atlanta Hawks: People were raving about his shooting stroke when the Hawks picked him 31st in the draft, and Damon's cousin has not disappointed. His 14 3-pointers are second-most among rookies behind Deron Williams, and his 24-point fourth-quarter outburst against New Orleans last Friday very nearly gave the Hawks their first win.
9. Luther Head, Houston Rockets: In an effort to add some quickness to a team with the worst record in the Western Conference, coach Jeff Van Gundy gave Head the start Sunday against Indiana. He's shooting 45 percent from 3-point range.
10. Sean May, Charlotte Bobcats: Of Charlotte's two rookies from North Carolina, May has made a bit more of a difference than Raymond Felton. He is the team's fourth-leading scorer (10.4 ppg) despite playing just 19.4 minutes per game.
SLOW STARTS
So far, these lottery picks haven't fulfilled the potential that made them high draft picks:
Marvin Williams, Hawks (No. 2 overall): Producing only 6.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in almost 25 minutes per night for winless Atlanta.
Raymond Felton, Bobcats (No. 5): Lost out to Sean May in a close race for No. 10. Was great in blowout win vs. Pacers, so-so next two nights.
Martell Webster, Trail Blazers, (No. 6): Has received a mere 22 minutes of playing time in five games, shooting 1-for-5. The make was a 3 against the Knicks.
Ike Diogu, Warriors, (No. 9): A fractured left hand has kept him out of action. He could begin practicing soon.
Andrew Bynum, Lakers (No. 10): Logged some fourth-quarter minutes during the meltdown against the Bulls the other night, but hurt the Lakers more than he helped.
Fran Vazquez, Magic (No. 11): Averaging 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds for Girosa, which is 7-1 and tied for first place in the Spanish League.
Yaroslav Korolev, Clippers (No. 12): Yet to record a single statistic in six minutes of playing time over two games.
Rashad McCants, Timberwolves (No. 14): Being brought along slowly, but logged 25 minutes vs. Bobcats last Saturday.
NBA Rumor Central: 86 On The Ruben
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Ruben Patterson
Trail Blazers
86 On The Ruben
Nov 22 - The Oregonian reports, "Ruben Patterson on Monday said the team needs to trade him or find a way to let him go because he doesn't want to take a lesser role in the Blazers' rebuilding project that he says is putting more emphasis on using young players than winning games. GM John Nash on Monday said he would like to resolve Patterson's trade request, but he won't endorse a move that doesn't meet the team's criteria of maintaining talent and fiscal responsibility. 'I gave Ruben's agent (Dan Fegan) permission two years ago to find a trade, and I have looked for trades for Ruben, who has asked for one repeatedly,' Nash said. 'But there are no takers at this point in time under the parameters we have set.'"
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Michael Olowokandi
Timberwolves
Anybody Want Some Kandi?
Nov 22 - "Don't be surprised if the Timberwolves talk trade with the Jazz, with Michael Olowokandi going to Utah for Carlos Boozer, and with either Troy Hudson or Marko Jaric of the Wolves as part of a deal," reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Denver
Pointer Brothers
Nov 22 - According to the New York Post, "If any of the (Denver Nuggets) Pointer Brothers are to be used as an enticement to acquire a valid big man, it'll be Andre Miller ($8.1 million), not Earl Watson or Earl Boykins, whose smaller salary ($2.75M) complicates management's expected objective."
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
New Jersey
Can You Lend Me A Wide Body?
Nov 22 - The Nets would like to make a deal, "According to various members of the Worldwide Big Man Search Committee -- there is no such thing, really, but there should be -- there is no one available, follow-up inquiries on the usual suspects (Melvin Ely, Chris Wilcox, et al.) have yielded nothing, and "in general, nobody wants to make a deal right now," one Nets official said," reports the Newark Star-Ledger.
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY
Kevin Garnett
Timberwolves
KG ... A Real Warrior?
Nov 22 - The San Jose Mercury suggets, "Open your eyes, Warriors fans: The Unofficial Garnett Trade Market just revved to life this week, and (Chris ) Mullin could turn out to be a very intriguing and very motivated participant. So if you're Minnesota, do you want the New York Knicks' raggedy collection of expiring salaries or a potential Warriors package of Jason Richardson, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu and a No. 1 pick?"