Insider continued................
Crawford and Hinrich sizzle: On Tuesday, Scott Skiles was laying into Jamal Crawford and his questionable shot selection. Crawford was benched in the fourth after shooting just 2-for-14 from the field in a loss to the Nets. Before that he had similar miserable nights, going 7-for-27 in a loss versus the Cavs, 11-for-26 in a loss to the Spurs and 7-for-23 in a loss to the Pistons.
Jamal Crawford
Point Guard
Chicago Bulls
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
27 17.6 3.1 5.3 .412 .862
Since Skiles' public rebuke, however, Crawford has put up two gems. He dropped 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting versus the Cavs on Friday and came back the next night and scored 42 points on 16-for-27 shooting against the Wizards. What got into him?
"In an ideal world, you want efficient scorers," Skiles told the Chicago Sun Times. "And you can't get much more efficient than 16-of-27. Jamal got to the line five times. He scored in different ways. That's efficient. Having said that, when you have a guy who can really score and he has a hot hand, you can live with some of the other things. But he was active, and he hasn't played as well on nights when he wasn't as active."
"When you're into the game defensively, it's funny how your shot starts going in," Skiles added. "Every game I want him to play defense whether he's on LeBron James or my grandma. When he does, he has a big offensive night."
Crawford credits Skiles for his quick turnaround. "Coach Skiles told me when I get after it defensively I'm better offensively, and I'm trying to take that advice to heart," said Crawford. "I think I'm picking my spots a lot better. Coach Skiles is sitting me down and helping me on what's a good shot. He's bright and I love playing for him. He was heaven-sent for me."
The other difference for Crawford has been the strong play of backcourt mate Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich is averaging 7.8 apg over his last five -- that ranks fifth in the league during that span behind only Jason Kidd, Eric Snow, Steve Nash and Gary Payton. Not bad company.
Will Nellie take the fall in Big D? Mark Cuban went out of his way to pursue coach Pat Riley before finally agreeing to give Don Nelson a contract extension this summer.
With the Mavs struggling to fit all of their high-powered pieces together and Riley potentially available to begin another head coaching gig, is it just a matter of time before the quick-triggered Cuban sends Nellie packing?
It sure sounded that way this week when Cuban put the blame on Nellie's shoulders for the team's up-and-down play.
"The issue isn't so much with our players as it is with our coaching staff just drilling them and drilling them and drilling them to death, so we know where we're supposed to be and what we're supposed to be doing," Cuban told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "In terms of personnel . . . I wouldn't change it for anything. . . . Defensively, we've just got to learn to play like a team."
Road Warriors Want an explanation for the serious amount of parity in the NBA? Look no further than the road. Through Sunday's game, only six teams in the NBA -- the T-Wolves (12-5), Lakers (6-5), Spurs (8-7), Pacers (10-6), Hornets (9-7) and Nets (8-7) -- had winning records on the road. And only two of those teams, the T-Wolves and Pacers, are more that two wins over .500 on the road. By way of comparison, last year 10 teams had winning road records. All of them were at least six games over .500 on the road.
Some good teams have been downright awful away from home this year. The Blazers are 0-10 on the road and 14-4 at home. The Mavericks are 13-2 at home and just 4-10 on the road. The Kings are 16-2 at home and 5-6 on the road. And the Jazz are 12-3 at home and just 4-10 on the road.
----------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, December 29
Updated: December 29
9:22 AM ET
New York Knicks: Don't tell Isiah Thomas that he has one of the toughest jobs in sports. "Everybody thinks that you can't fix the cap situation, but I'm used to going against the crowd," said Thomas in the New York Times. "I was a guy who came into the league at 6-foot-1 and everybody told me that I was crazy when I stood up on the first day of training camp and said that the Detroit Pistons would win a championship. I'm the same guy who was told that I was crazy for going to Toronto. I'm the same guy who was crazy for going to Indiana because it was a team that was totally dismantled. Each one of those places has turned out to be very successful and I'm more than confident that I can get the job done here."
Detroit Pistons: Where have we heard this before? "I believe if you defend and rebound better, you get better opportunities to score," Piston head coach Larry Brown told the Detroit News. "We do have to be smart offensively to justify playing both of those guys. You just hope what Darvin [Ham] brings in terms of his defense, rebounding and energy will make it a little easier." Brown is in the midst of changing his rotation once again, taking Tayshaun Prince and Mehmet Okur out of the starting lineup and turning to a more defensive oriented team employed by former coach Rick Carlisle. "Tayshaun is playing so many minutes and I think it is hurting him," Brown said. "We have been talking about using Darvin in the same way they used Michael Curry last year. We will have to be careful who we put around him, but you hope Darvin can give you the energy and defense, and give Ben (Wallace) some support at the start of the game."
FrancisHouston Rockets: Lately, Jeff Van Gundy has been inviting Steve Francis to the movies and those movies have always starred the same guy: Steve Francis. "I think I'm seeing the court more," Francis said in the Houston Chronicle. "Coach and I have been trying to dissect film more, and percentages and stats. I think we've been connecting a lot to where I'm recognizing situations to where it's a good time for me to shoot or a good time for me to pass. It's better if you see it on film instead of just talking about it. He's been doing an excellent job of bringing me in and making me watch every single shot that I take, every single pass. The little things have been helping me go a long way. It's a good session. It's definitely needed."
Philadelphia 76ers: What, exactly, does it mean when Allen Iverson is in Philly and the rest of the Sixers are out West? "It means he doesn't have the strength in his leg right now, that only time will help get it back," head coach Randy Ayers said in the Philadelphia Daily News. "We've always been cautious on the side of holding him out and making sure we correct this situation before bringing him back." Iverson has now missed seven consecutive games and eight in the last nine.
Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta general manager Billy Knight says that the reason the Hawks are the worst team in the NBA is, well, because of the Hawks. "We really have to change the culture of the team --- the attitude and the atmosphere of losing. We have to get a different mind-set," Knight said. "It has to eat at you. It has to bother you when you lose. It has to stay with you until the next time you go on the court. It has to mean something. All of those things are important to having a different attitude." The Hawks have fallen to 8-24 and have nowhere to look but the mirror. "People get used to losing too much. You have to change that," Knight said. "Players have to look in the mirror, first of all. It's the players on the court that are deciding the games. This isn't about Xs and Os. It has nothing to do with . . . what the coaches are talking about. It's from within, and everybody has to look at themselves and see what they can do better. You can't give it to someone; they have to have it. You can't make anybody do that --- this is the NBA. You rely on people's personal pride and their own self-worth to approach the games in a professional manner. You just want people to be a pro."
MaloneLos Angeles Lakers: Karl Malone most likely isn't playing on Friday and Rick Fox most likely isn't playing the following Friday, either. "We want to have him practice sometime this week if at all possible," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Malone in the L.A. Daily News. "We'll get him on the floor and see how he reacts, then make a judgment later in the week about Seattle." Fox, though, has yet to play this season and was telling folks he would be back a week later. "He's not ready yet," Jackson said. "If he was ready, he would play. He's got to prove it to us. You hate to say it about a guy who's a captain, a member of the championship teams, but we have good players at that position (small forward). He has to show that he belongs there and that he's ready to play."
Crawford and Hinrich sizzle: On Tuesday, Scott Skiles was laying into Jamal Crawford and his questionable shot selection. Crawford was benched in the fourth after shooting just 2-for-14 from the field in a loss to the Nets. Before that he had similar miserable nights, going 7-for-27 in a loss versus the Cavs, 11-for-26 in a loss to the Spurs and 7-for-23 in a loss to the Pistons.
Jamal Crawford
Point Guard
Chicago Bulls
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
27 17.6 3.1 5.3 .412 .862
Since Skiles' public rebuke, however, Crawford has put up two gems. He dropped 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting versus the Cavs on Friday and came back the next night and scored 42 points on 16-for-27 shooting against the Wizards. What got into him?
"In an ideal world, you want efficient scorers," Skiles told the Chicago Sun Times. "And you can't get much more efficient than 16-of-27. Jamal got to the line five times. He scored in different ways. That's efficient. Having said that, when you have a guy who can really score and he has a hot hand, you can live with some of the other things. But he was active, and he hasn't played as well on nights when he wasn't as active."
"When you're into the game defensively, it's funny how your shot starts going in," Skiles added. "Every game I want him to play defense whether he's on LeBron James or my grandma. When he does, he has a big offensive night."
Crawford credits Skiles for his quick turnaround. "Coach Skiles told me when I get after it defensively I'm better offensively, and I'm trying to take that advice to heart," said Crawford. "I think I'm picking my spots a lot better. Coach Skiles is sitting me down and helping me on what's a good shot. He's bright and I love playing for him. He was heaven-sent for me."
The other difference for Crawford has been the strong play of backcourt mate Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich is averaging 7.8 apg over his last five -- that ranks fifth in the league during that span behind only Jason Kidd, Eric Snow, Steve Nash and Gary Payton. Not bad company.
Will Nellie take the fall in Big D? Mark Cuban went out of his way to pursue coach Pat Riley before finally agreeing to give Don Nelson a contract extension this summer.
With the Mavs struggling to fit all of their high-powered pieces together and Riley potentially available to begin another head coaching gig, is it just a matter of time before the quick-triggered Cuban sends Nellie packing?
It sure sounded that way this week when Cuban put the blame on Nellie's shoulders for the team's up-and-down play.
"The issue isn't so much with our players as it is with our coaching staff just drilling them and drilling them and drilling them to death, so we know where we're supposed to be and what we're supposed to be doing," Cuban told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "In terms of personnel . . . I wouldn't change it for anything. . . . Defensively, we've just got to learn to play like a team."
Road Warriors Want an explanation for the serious amount of parity in the NBA? Look no further than the road. Through Sunday's game, only six teams in the NBA -- the T-Wolves (12-5), Lakers (6-5), Spurs (8-7), Pacers (10-6), Hornets (9-7) and Nets (8-7) -- had winning records on the road. And only two of those teams, the T-Wolves and Pacers, are more that two wins over .500 on the road. By way of comparison, last year 10 teams had winning road records. All of them were at least six games over .500 on the road.
Some good teams have been downright awful away from home this year. The Blazers are 0-10 on the road and 14-4 at home. The Mavericks are 13-2 at home and just 4-10 on the road. The Kings are 16-2 at home and 5-6 on the road. And the Jazz are 12-3 at home and just 4-10 on the road.
----------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, December 29
Updated: December 29
9:22 AM ET
New York Knicks: Don't tell Isiah Thomas that he has one of the toughest jobs in sports. "Everybody thinks that you can't fix the cap situation, but I'm used to going against the crowd," said Thomas in the New York Times. "I was a guy who came into the league at 6-foot-1 and everybody told me that I was crazy when I stood up on the first day of training camp and said that the Detroit Pistons would win a championship. I'm the same guy who was told that I was crazy for going to Toronto. I'm the same guy who was crazy for going to Indiana because it was a team that was totally dismantled. Each one of those places has turned out to be very successful and I'm more than confident that I can get the job done here."
Detroit Pistons: Where have we heard this before? "I believe if you defend and rebound better, you get better opportunities to score," Piston head coach Larry Brown told the Detroit News. "We do have to be smart offensively to justify playing both of those guys. You just hope what Darvin [Ham] brings in terms of his defense, rebounding and energy will make it a little easier." Brown is in the midst of changing his rotation once again, taking Tayshaun Prince and Mehmet Okur out of the starting lineup and turning to a more defensive oriented team employed by former coach Rick Carlisle. "Tayshaun is playing so many minutes and I think it is hurting him," Brown said. "We have been talking about using Darvin in the same way they used Michael Curry last year. We will have to be careful who we put around him, but you hope Darvin can give you the energy and defense, and give Ben (Wallace) some support at the start of the game."
FrancisHouston Rockets: Lately, Jeff Van Gundy has been inviting Steve Francis to the movies and those movies have always starred the same guy: Steve Francis. "I think I'm seeing the court more," Francis said in the Houston Chronicle. "Coach and I have been trying to dissect film more, and percentages and stats. I think we've been connecting a lot to where I'm recognizing situations to where it's a good time for me to shoot or a good time for me to pass. It's better if you see it on film instead of just talking about it. He's been doing an excellent job of bringing me in and making me watch every single shot that I take, every single pass. The little things have been helping me go a long way. It's a good session. It's definitely needed."
Philadelphia 76ers: What, exactly, does it mean when Allen Iverson is in Philly and the rest of the Sixers are out West? "It means he doesn't have the strength in his leg right now, that only time will help get it back," head coach Randy Ayers said in the Philadelphia Daily News. "We've always been cautious on the side of holding him out and making sure we correct this situation before bringing him back." Iverson has now missed seven consecutive games and eight in the last nine.
Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta general manager Billy Knight says that the reason the Hawks are the worst team in the NBA is, well, because of the Hawks. "We really have to change the culture of the team --- the attitude and the atmosphere of losing. We have to get a different mind-set," Knight said. "It has to eat at you. It has to bother you when you lose. It has to stay with you until the next time you go on the court. It has to mean something. All of those things are important to having a different attitude." The Hawks have fallen to 8-24 and have nowhere to look but the mirror. "People get used to losing too much. You have to change that," Knight said. "Players have to look in the mirror, first of all. It's the players on the court that are deciding the games. This isn't about Xs and Os. It has nothing to do with . . . what the coaches are talking about. It's from within, and everybody has to look at themselves and see what they can do better. You can't give it to someone; they have to have it. You can't make anybody do that --- this is the NBA. You rely on people's personal pride and their own self-worth to approach the games in a professional manner. You just want people to be a pro."
MaloneLos Angeles Lakers: Karl Malone most likely isn't playing on Friday and Rick Fox most likely isn't playing the following Friday, either. "We want to have him practice sometime this week if at all possible," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Malone in the L.A. Daily News. "We'll get him on the floor and see how he reacts, then make a judgment later in the week about Seattle." Fox, though, has yet to play this season and was telling folks he would be back a week later. "He's not ready yet," Jackson said. "If he was ready, he would play. He's got to prove it to us. You hate to say it about a guy who's a captain, a member of the championship teams, but we have good players at that position (small forward). He has to show that he belongs there and that he's ready to play."
