Draft Cards
Of the top international prospect actually getting playing time, no one is having a better season than Serbia's Kosta Perovic. Subbing for injured Nets first-round pick Nenad Kristic, Perovic has stunned some scouts with his strong play in the Yugoslavian league.
Now that Partizan is playing Euroleague games, his numbers have dipped slightly, but that's to be expected with the increase in competition. The 18-year-old, 7-foot-2 lithe center dropped 16 points on 8-for-10 shooting versus Pau Orthez recently. He also grabbed six rebounds and blocked four shots in 26 minutes. Some scouts claim that Perovic's inclusion on the Serbian national team this summer really helped in his progression.
"He's got a sweet shooting touch and great hands," one scout told Insider. "He's very long. He reminds me a little bit of Pau Gasol. He doesn't have the strength or the body to bang at all, but he's so skilled, he finds other ways to get it done around the basket. He's still a little raw offensively, but he's really taken a big step this year."
Scouts are split on exactly how good a prospect Perovic will be. Several think he's got a shot at being a top-three pick should he choose to come out. Others think that because he's so thin and raw teams will shy away from him this season.
The other young international prospect getting some playing time is Brazil's Tiago Splitter. Splitter, who is playing with Spain's Tau Vitoria, is averaging 4.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg in just over 17 mpg in Euroleague play.
Splitter has been on scouts' radar screens for a few years, but he really made a name for himself with his strong play for the Brazilian national team at the Tournament of the America's in Puerto Rico this summer. Splitter played extensive minutes versus Team USA, and despite being just 18, looked like he was ready to play with the big boys.
He's got a nice body and, at 7-feet, 245, is the right size for the NBA. Splitter is more physical than many of the international players, but he still has the ability to play three positions in the pros. His outside shot isn't as good as Darko or Dirk, but it's improving.
Most scouts believe that if he comes out this year, he's a lock for the top 10 and could be as high as a top-5 pick in the draft.
Speaking of Brazilians, Anderson Varejao is making the most of his strong play versus the U.S. in Puerto Rico this summer. For the past two seasons Varejao has been unable to play much with his team, F.C. Barcelona, because of Spanish league rules. Now that things have changed, Varejao has become a more important cog for the defending Euroleague champs.
He recently had 15 points and 10 rebounds versus Cibona and seems to be developing a more consistent perimeter shot. While Varejao will never be the offensive force that scouts like, he's long, athletic and aggressive around the boards.
A few scouts still feel like Varejao can play his way back into the lottery this season. The rest think he's a mid-to-late first-rounder.
Sergei Monya and Viktor Khryapa continue to split minutes for CSKA Moscow and are putting up almost identical numbers. Monya is averaging 9.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg on 75 percent shooting. Khryapa is averaging 9.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg on 90 percent shooting.
Still, scouts have grown to favor Monya over Khryapa based almost entirely on Monya's more aggressive attitude and better athleticism. Right now Monya is projected as a mid-first-round pick. Most scouts are currently projecting Khryapa as either a late-first-round or early second-round pick.
Around the League
Jerry West is convinced that Bonzi Wells is basically a "good kid" and that he'll behave himself in Memphis. "Hubie [Brown] and I both talked to him before the trade was made," West told Insider. "We were pleasantly surprised with how charming he really was. I think he's a good kid who was in a tough situation. We believe things will be different here."
Bonzi Wells
Shooting Guard
Memphis Grizzlies
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
13 12.2 4.7 2.7 .389 .778
Wells does as well. "I'm going to come in and play my game," Wells told reporters on Thursday. "Whatever (Brown) wants me to do, I'll do. Whenever he tells me my role, I'm going to try to do it to the best of my ability. . . . You've got a lot of guys here who can really play. Hopefully, I can just fit in."
And if he doesn't fit in? "We won't put up with any nonsense here," West said. "He knows that. He's going to play our way and with the type of professionalism we expect from our players or he's not going to play."
Given Wells' rocky history, isn't that a risk? West claims that it really isn't. "We did our homework and knew what type of player we were getting," West said. "We think in the right system whatever problems he's had in the past won't be an issue."
If that's true, then the Grizzlies got a steal. While the team is loaded with talent, they don't really have many players who can create their own shot and get to the line in the fourth quarter when the team needs a bucket. Bonzi can. An aging Wesley Person and a mid-first-round pick is a small price to pay for a player like Wells if he keeps his head on straight.
Are the Nets considering trading Jason Kidd? That's the thesis behind a New York Times article this morning that actually makes some sense. With the team struggling to win, draw fans and find an owner, has Kidd's six-year, $103 million deal become a problem?
Jason Kidd
Point Guard
New Jersey Nets
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
17 16.6 6.4 9.1 .387 .802
While the story makes it clear that there is no evidence that Kidd is on the trading block, it's an interesting problem for the Nets and Rod Thorn. Kidd isn't happy and probably wishes he would've signed with the Spurs. The Nets are struggling to find a buyer. The Nets still can't generate any fan support. The team probably can't afford to re-sign Kenyon Martin with Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo's contracts hanging over their head. Coach Byron Scott is on the hot seat. What's a team to do?
While trading Kidd seems like the most drastic course, it's possible that the Nets would have to resort to that if they couldn't work out a trade that gets them something special in return for Martin.
Where would Kidd go? It's only speculation at this point, but the Spurs would seem like a logical destination next summer. They'll have the cap room to absorb his contract. A Tony Parker-for-Kidd swap would give the Nets a much cheaper alternative at the point and give the Spurs the point guard they coveted last summer.
Ignore the rumblings in today's New York Post about the Knicks going after the Hawks' Jason Terry. Terry is a base-year compensation player, making his contract almost impossible to trade until next fall.
------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Friday, December 5
Updated: December 5
9:59 AM ET
WellsMemphis Grizzlies: If you were Bonzi Wells, you'd be smiling, too. "Memphis rescued me," Wells said in the Commercial Appeal. "I just can't wait to get back to the love of the game. I was really excited. Just to hear somebody talking upbeat about me was a blessing for me. It made me feel good in my heart because everybody's been down on me lately. But . . . (Jerry West) made me feel good and (he) recharged my battery. I'm ready." And Bonzi's been able to convince at least West that all that nonsense back in Portland is behind him. "There's some stuff that goes on that gets a little more hyped than it really is," Wells said. "All in all, I'm a good guy and there's some great guys out in Portland. But we catch a raw deal sometimes. When people aren't around to know, they form an opinion about you."
Minnesota Timberwolves: Who needs the injured Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi and Troy Hudson when you've got Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell? "The three of us are learning how to work this three-headed monster," Garnett said in the Star Tribune. "It's a three-headed monster that has one tongue, two eyes, and it's kind of crazy how it work. But it works." But it didn't come easy. It didn't come quickly. And it isn't quite complete just yet. "They're not stepping on toes, they're not in the way," Garnett said. "If World (Wally) and Huddy (Hudson) were in there, you'd think, 'Wow, who do I go to?' . . . This allows them to create their own little space and fit in. Chemistry is not just bought and put together. It's a time thing."
BillupsDetroit Pistons: To point guard Chauncey Billups, it's not whether you win or lose . . . "We're winning games, but we're not playing well," he said in the Detroit Free Press. "We put it together when we need to -- at the end of games and in second halves. We're not all that happy with where we're at and where we should be right now. We knew it was going to take some time, but we're not playing the way we should be playing. We're not looking too far into it or downing ourselves because we're getting wins, but at the same time the good teams that are good early and need to be great late make a transition, and that's what we need to do." And coach Larry Brown couldn't agree more. "I like the fact that they understand that," he said. "Sometimes we play to the level of our opponent. I feel funny saying that because we're all pros and these teams we play against. I think we have a tendency to not take everybody seriously."
Los Angeles Lakers: Are hugs and kisses next? "I've been kind of & difficult for Kobe," head coach Phil Jackson said in the Los Angeles Times. "I've always been a person that has tried to create confidence for players. But with Kobe, we've been combative with each other and we've been challenging of each other. This year is different. I haven't had to challenge him a lot about his game, about fitting into a team game, about incorporating his teammates. He's been doing that. In the process, my relationship with him has a softer edge." But then, again, Jackson's never had to really motivate Kobe to get better. "One thing we've always known about Kobe, he's got the great ability to focus," Jackson said. "Players that have that strength of character he shows, to put things aside and get on with basketball, the business of basketball & that's been put under extreme duress by his outside situation&. November rolled around, he's played a few games, gotten with his teammates, found a solace in their camaraderie for him here."
Orlando Magic: Fifteen losses in a row. Sixteen in a row. Eighteen, nineteen, who's counting? "I don't care if we lose 20 in a row," Tracy McGrady said in the Daytona Beach News Journal. "I'm going to keep my head up, and I'm going to go out and I'm going to compete and try to do everything possible." Tonight, the Magic take on the defending NBA champ Spurs, who are the not-so-proud owners of a 10-11 record, themselves.
Phoenix Suns: Head coach Frank Johnson either got the biggest vote of confidence or the kiss of death. "It's a little sad. I'm not talking and Bryan (Colangelo, president and general manager) isn't talking, and we're being asked about speculation," chairman Jerry Colangelo said in the Arizona Republic. "We need to set the record straight. When teams are losing - with the way and how they are losing - it immediately goes to speculation about trades and the coach being fired. It's inappropriate to comment on any of that. . . . We've sputtered out of the gate. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see it. We're always analyzing why that's the case. Given the facts, we're disappointed where we're at now, but that's a far cry from the coach being fired." But don't get him wrong. "I haven't been pleased with the effort I've seen (on the court)," Colangelo said of his 7-10 team. "But everybody is responsible, and the decisions responsible for player personnel acquisition and trading must be shared. We're all in the same trench together."
'I'm a good
Of the top international prospect actually getting playing time, no one is having a better season than Serbia's Kosta Perovic. Subbing for injured Nets first-round pick Nenad Kristic, Perovic has stunned some scouts with his strong play in the Yugoslavian league.
Now that Partizan is playing Euroleague games, his numbers have dipped slightly, but that's to be expected with the increase in competition. The 18-year-old, 7-foot-2 lithe center dropped 16 points on 8-for-10 shooting versus Pau Orthez recently. He also grabbed six rebounds and blocked four shots in 26 minutes. Some scouts claim that Perovic's inclusion on the Serbian national team this summer really helped in his progression.
"He's got a sweet shooting touch and great hands," one scout told Insider. "He's very long. He reminds me a little bit of Pau Gasol. He doesn't have the strength or the body to bang at all, but he's so skilled, he finds other ways to get it done around the basket. He's still a little raw offensively, but he's really taken a big step this year."
Scouts are split on exactly how good a prospect Perovic will be. Several think he's got a shot at being a top-three pick should he choose to come out. Others think that because he's so thin and raw teams will shy away from him this season.
The other young international prospect getting some playing time is Brazil's Tiago Splitter. Splitter, who is playing with Spain's Tau Vitoria, is averaging 4.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg in just over 17 mpg in Euroleague play.
Splitter has been on scouts' radar screens for a few years, but he really made a name for himself with his strong play for the Brazilian national team at the Tournament of the America's in Puerto Rico this summer. Splitter played extensive minutes versus Team USA, and despite being just 18, looked like he was ready to play with the big boys.
He's got a nice body and, at 7-feet, 245, is the right size for the NBA. Splitter is more physical than many of the international players, but he still has the ability to play three positions in the pros. His outside shot isn't as good as Darko or Dirk, but it's improving.
Most scouts believe that if he comes out this year, he's a lock for the top 10 and could be as high as a top-5 pick in the draft.
Speaking of Brazilians, Anderson Varejao is making the most of his strong play versus the U.S. in Puerto Rico this summer. For the past two seasons Varejao has been unable to play much with his team, F.C. Barcelona, because of Spanish league rules. Now that things have changed, Varejao has become a more important cog for the defending Euroleague champs.
He recently had 15 points and 10 rebounds versus Cibona and seems to be developing a more consistent perimeter shot. While Varejao will never be the offensive force that scouts like, he's long, athletic and aggressive around the boards.
A few scouts still feel like Varejao can play his way back into the lottery this season. The rest think he's a mid-to-late first-rounder.
Sergei Monya and Viktor Khryapa continue to split minutes for CSKA Moscow and are putting up almost identical numbers. Monya is averaging 9.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg on 75 percent shooting. Khryapa is averaging 9.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg on 90 percent shooting.
Still, scouts have grown to favor Monya over Khryapa based almost entirely on Monya's more aggressive attitude and better athleticism. Right now Monya is projected as a mid-first-round pick. Most scouts are currently projecting Khryapa as either a late-first-round or early second-round pick.
Around the League
Jerry West is convinced that Bonzi Wells is basically a "good kid" and that he'll behave himself in Memphis. "Hubie [Brown] and I both talked to him before the trade was made," West told Insider. "We were pleasantly surprised with how charming he really was. I think he's a good kid who was in a tough situation. We believe things will be different here."
Bonzi Wells
Shooting Guard
Memphis Grizzlies
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
13 12.2 4.7 2.7 .389 .778
Wells does as well. "I'm going to come in and play my game," Wells told reporters on Thursday. "Whatever (Brown) wants me to do, I'll do. Whenever he tells me my role, I'm going to try to do it to the best of my ability. . . . You've got a lot of guys here who can really play. Hopefully, I can just fit in."
And if he doesn't fit in? "We won't put up with any nonsense here," West said. "He knows that. He's going to play our way and with the type of professionalism we expect from our players or he's not going to play."
Given Wells' rocky history, isn't that a risk? West claims that it really isn't. "We did our homework and knew what type of player we were getting," West said. "We think in the right system whatever problems he's had in the past won't be an issue."
If that's true, then the Grizzlies got a steal. While the team is loaded with talent, they don't really have many players who can create their own shot and get to the line in the fourth quarter when the team needs a bucket. Bonzi can. An aging Wesley Person and a mid-first-round pick is a small price to pay for a player like Wells if he keeps his head on straight.
Are the Nets considering trading Jason Kidd? That's the thesis behind a New York Times article this morning that actually makes some sense. With the team struggling to win, draw fans and find an owner, has Kidd's six-year, $103 million deal become a problem?
Jason Kidd
Point Guard
New Jersey Nets
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
17 16.6 6.4 9.1 .387 .802
While the story makes it clear that there is no evidence that Kidd is on the trading block, it's an interesting problem for the Nets and Rod Thorn. Kidd isn't happy and probably wishes he would've signed with the Spurs. The Nets are struggling to find a buyer. The Nets still can't generate any fan support. The team probably can't afford to re-sign Kenyon Martin with Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo's contracts hanging over their head. Coach Byron Scott is on the hot seat. What's a team to do?
While trading Kidd seems like the most drastic course, it's possible that the Nets would have to resort to that if they couldn't work out a trade that gets them something special in return for Martin.
Where would Kidd go? It's only speculation at this point, but the Spurs would seem like a logical destination next summer. They'll have the cap room to absorb his contract. A Tony Parker-for-Kidd swap would give the Nets a much cheaper alternative at the point and give the Spurs the point guard they coveted last summer.
Ignore the rumblings in today's New York Post about the Knicks going after the Hawks' Jason Terry. Terry is a base-year compensation player, making his contract almost impossible to trade until next fall.
------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Friday, December 5
Updated: December 5
9:59 AM ET
WellsMemphis Grizzlies: If you were Bonzi Wells, you'd be smiling, too. "Memphis rescued me," Wells said in the Commercial Appeal. "I just can't wait to get back to the love of the game. I was really excited. Just to hear somebody talking upbeat about me was a blessing for me. It made me feel good in my heart because everybody's been down on me lately. But . . . (Jerry West) made me feel good and (he) recharged my battery. I'm ready." And Bonzi's been able to convince at least West that all that nonsense back in Portland is behind him. "There's some stuff that goes on that gets a little more hyped than it really is," Wells said. "All in all, I'm a good guy and there's some great guys out in Portland. But we catch a raw deal sometimes. When people aren't around to know, they form an opinion about you."
Minnesota Timberwolves: Who needs the injured Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi and Troy Hudson when you've got Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell? "The three of us are learning how to work this three-headed monster," Garnett said in the Star Tribune. "It's a three-headed monster that has one tongue, two eyes, and it's kind of crazy how it work. But it works." But it didn't come easy. It didn't come quickly. And it isn't quite complete just yet. "They're not stepping on toes, they're not in the way," Garnett said. "If World (Wally) and Huddy (Hudson) were in there, you'd think, 'Wow, who do I go to?' . . . This allows them to create their own little space and fit in. Chemistry is not just bought and put together. It's a time thing."
BillupsDetroit Pistons: To point guard Chauncey Billups, it's not whether you win or lose . . . "We're winning games, but we're not playing well," he said in the Detroit Free Press. "We put it together when we need to -- at the end of games and in second halves. We're not all that happy with where we're at and where we should be right now. We knew it was going to take some time, but we're not playing the way we should be playing. We're not looking too far into it or downing ourselves because we're getting wins, but at the same time the good teams that are good early and need to be great late make a transition, and that's what we need to do." And coach Larry Brown couldn't agree more. "I like the fact that they understand that," he said. "Sometimes we play to the level of our opponent. I feel funny saying that because we're all pros and these teams we play against. I think we have a tendency to not take everybody seriously."
Los Angeles Lakers: Are hugs and kisses next? "I've been kind of & difficult for Kobe," head coach Phil Jackson said in the Los Angeles Times. "I've always been a person that has tried to create confidence for players. But with Kobe, we've been combative with each other and we've been challenging of each other. This year is different. I haven't had to challenge him a lot about his game, about fitting into a team game, about incorporating his teammates. He's been doing that. In the process, my relationship with him has a softer edge." But then, again, Jackson's never had to really motivate Kobe to get better. "One thing we've always known about Kobe, he's got the great ability to focus," Jackson said. "Players that have that strength of character he shows, to put things aside and get on with basketball, the business of basketball & that's been put under extreme duress by his outside situation&. November rolled around, he's played a few games, gotten with his teammates, found a solace in their camaraderie for him here."
Orlando Magic: Fifteen losses in a row. Sixteen in a row. Eighteen, nineteen, who's counting? "I don't care if we lose 20 in a row," Tracy McGrady said in the Daytona Beach News Journal. "I'm going to keep my head up, and I'm going to go out and I'm going to compete and try to do everything possible." Tonight, the Magic take on the defending NBA champ Spurs, who are the not-so-proud owners of a 10-11 record, themselves.
Phoenix Suns: Head coach Frank Johnson either got the biggest vote of confidence or the kiss of death. "It's a little sad. I'm not talking and Bryan (Colangelo, president and general manager) isn't talking, and we're being asked about speculation," chairman Jerry Colangelo said in the Arizona Republic. "We need to set the record straight. When teams are losing - with the way and how they are losing - it immediately goes to speculation about trades and the coach being fired. It's inappropriate to comment on any of that. . . . We've sputtered out of the gate. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see it. We're always analyzing why that's the case. Given the facts, we're disappointed where we're at now, but that's a far cry from the coach being fired." But don't get him wrong. "I haven't been pleased with the effort I've seen (on the court)," Colangelo said of his 7-10 team. "But everybody is responsible, and the decisions responsible for player personnel acquisition and trading must be shared. We're all in the same trench together."
'I'm a good
