Class of 2003 starting to hit its stride
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Monday, December 8
Updated: December 8
11:30 AM ET
What's the matter with these kids today?
On Friday we explored the growing trend toward drafting international teenagers in the NBA and their inability to make an instant impact in the league. Today, it's time for the rebuttal.
Led by Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, the draft class of 2003 is shaping up to be the most prepared group of rookies since the 1996 draft saw standout rookie performances by Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Antoine Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Marcus Camby.
And here's the most intriguing part of the story. The list of standout rookies doesn't include LeBron James.
Insider breaks down the most intriguing story lines from Week 6, including why Nate McMillian's in hot water in Seattle, why the Raptors' honeymoon with Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall won't last forever, why the Bulls' honeymoon with Jamal Crawford has just begun and why the Magic could go 1-81 this season.
Class of 2003 feeling the spirit: You have to give them the summer league, training camp, the preseason and the first month of the regular season to get their feet a little wet. Any rookie deserves that. But come December, the gloves come off and teams usually can sit back and get a handle on who they drafted in July.
One month isn't enough to tell us if a kid is a bust. The kids are coming into the league too young, and considering how many stars in this league were late bloomers, it's to early to write anyone off. Given the dominant themes about lack of fundamentals and preparation, you almost expect first-round draft picks to fail for a couple of seasons these days.
So when the rookies start getting it on a month into the season, forgive us if we want to get a little excited.
We established on Friday why Darko Milicic, the No. 2 pick in the draft, wasn't playing. But take the other seven kids drafted in the top 8, look at their December numbers and you have one hell of a story.
Carmelo Anthony
Small Forward
Denver Nuggets
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
20 18.8 6.9 3.1 .398 .756
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
24.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3 apg, 47% shooting
The skinny: What does Nick Van Exel think after Carmelo dropped 26 points on Wednesday and 28 points on Friday on the Warriors? "Carmelo's the truth, and he's going to be the truth for a while." After an early season shooting slump, Anthony seems to have figured out how to fit in with his teammates and is the big reason the Nuggets are off to a stunning 14-7 start. Two things seem to be at work for Carmelo at the moment. First, he's really started to get to the line. In December he's averaging 9.3 free-throw attempts per game. In November, when he shot just 39 percent from the field, he got to the line just 5.2 times a game. Considering he's shooting 81 percent from the line in December, that's a big deal.
"He's got a great knack for drawing fouls," one scout told Insider. "I think he drifted a little too much toward the perimeter in the first month and wasn't taking advantage of that. He's putting the ball on the floor more now and it's really opened things up for him on the perimeter."
That's the other big point. After shooting just 30 percent from behind the arc in November, Anthony is hitting 46 percent of his 3s in December.
"If he can shoot 40 percent from behind the arc," the scout continued, "we're all dead."
Chris Bosh, Raptors
14.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 52% shooting
The skinny: Bosh was supposed to be one of those players who was going to take a few years to pan out. He was supposed to be too skinny and too inexperienced to do any damage in the middle. Forget about it. Bosh is the only thing the Raptors have that even resembles a big man, and despite giving up 30 to 40 pounds every night on the guy he guards, he's done an unbelievable job anchoring the Raptors' front line the last few weeks. He's averaging over 40 mpg over his last six starts.
"It's hard for me to believe that, at 19, as a big guy, he's carrying the kind of minutes he's carrying right now," coach Kevin O'Neill told the Toronto Star. "But he's a great athlete, so he recovers quickly. . .It will be interesting to see how he holds up. But I have no choice (but to play Bosh extensively). If I wasn't playing Chris ..."
Still scouts are stunned by Bosh's rebounding production the past few games. While everyone knew he had the potential to be a gifted scorer both in the paint and on the perimeter, few thought they'd see this type of defensive effort from the 19-year-old rookie.
"I said before the season that he reminds me a lot of Tim Duncan after his freshman season at Wake Forest," one scout said. "He'll grow into his body. He'll get strong. And when he does, he's going to take his game up three or four more notches. We're just scratching the surface here."
Dwyane Wade
Point Guard
Miami Heat
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
18 14.1 4.3 4.2 .402 .763
Dwyane Wade, Heat
16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3 apg, 53% shooting
The skinny: Wade as a point guard? Forget about it. Six weeks into the regular season the Heat have all but abandoned the notion. Yes, Wade is still starting at the position, but Rafer Alston's averaging around 30 mpg exclusively at the point, meaning in reality Wade's playing around 10 minutes a game at the point.
The good news for Heat fans is that Wade's huge rise in production has corresponded directly with him moving to off guard. Coach Stan Van Gundy has taken the pressure to run the offense off Wade's shoulders and he's responded with some big-time scoring efforts for the Heat. What happens when Caron Butler returns and carves into the minutes available for Jones to swing to the three? Now you know why teams believe the Heat are trying to package Butler with either Jones or Brian Grant.
Chris Kaman, Clippers
12.3 ppg, 11 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 42% shooting
The skinny: Michael Olowokandi who? Many people raised some eyebrows when the Clips let Olowokandi slip away in free agency, leaving a rookie as the only legit center on the team. Kaman was a talented low-post scorer in college, but many scouts wondered whether he has the strength and athleticism to defend and rebound in the pros. So far, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy couldn't be happier.
"Kaman had another terrific night," Dunleavy said after Kaman had 14 points and 14 rebounds versus the Cavs. "It was his presence in the paint. He blocked three shots but he changed a lot of other shots. For a young guy, he rebounds so well in traffic."
With Elton Brand now back to provide more toughness in the paint, expect Kaman to keep getting his 30 plus minutes a night. He and Brand should be able to work the high-post, low-post game to perfection.
Kirk Hinrich
Point Guard
Chicago Bulls
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
14 7.4 1.9 4.8 .370 .767
Kirk Hinrich
9.3 ppg, 8.3 apg, 31% shooting
The skinny: He was pretty awful in November when coach Bill Cartwright called on Hinrich to replace Jamal Crawford. But with a new head coach who played the same way Hinrich did and with a new position for Crawford, Hinrich's production was gone into overdrive.
While he still can't hit a jump shot to save his life, his rugged defense and his knack for running coach Scott Skiles' new offense means that he'll continue to average the 33-plus minutes playing point for the Bulls. Skiles is sold.
"I said [Sunday] morning in our film session that I think he's one of the best defensive guards in the Eastern Conference right now, and he's only [played about] 20 games," Skiles told the Chicago Tribune. "He's got the potential of being an all-league defensive guard. The way he moves his feet and the head he has about him, that's not a stretch. He's a very, very good defender, and then when you factor in that he's so early in his career, it's exciting."
T. J. Ford
6.5 ppg, 7.3 apg, 2 spg, 26% shooting
The skinny: Like Hinrich, Ford can't hit the ocean with his jumper right now, but his 7.3 apg have been a bright spot on the Bucks this season.
"He really plays in control for a rookie," one NBA scout said. "I think his jumper will come around. You can teach that. You can't teach floor vision or leadership. He's had that. I was big skeptic of his on draft night. I just thought he was too small. But he's made a believer out of me. If he can start sinking jumpers, the Bucks have their point guard for the next 10 years."
Of course we're leaving out the No. 1 pick and everyone's favorite for Rookie of the Year, LeBron James, who's in a pretty major slump at the moment.
LeBron James
10.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 6 apg, 27% shooting
The skinny: James has been shooting the ball poorly and was benched recently in a game versus the Clippers after a terrible 2-for-13 shooting performance, but he's been doing just about everything else well for the Cavs. He's still their best playmaker and floor leader. When he can't get it done offensively, he usually comes up with a big steal or defensive play that turns the tide for the Cavs.
"He's going to struggle a bit because defenses are getting more familiar with what he does and they're taking that away from him," one NBA scout said. "The beauty of LeBron is that he gets it done other places. He makes an assist or a steal. He's always in the game, even when his shot isn't falling. That's a big deal for a rookie. Especially an 18-year-old one."
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Monday, December 8
Updated: December 8
11:30 AM ET
What's the matter with these kids today?
On Friday we explored the growing trend toward drafting international teenagers in the NBA and their inability to make an instant impact in the league. Today, it's time for the rebuttal.
Led by Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, the draft class of 2003 is shaping up to be the most prepared group of rookies since the 1996 draft saw standout rookie performances by Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Antoine Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Marcus Camby.
And here's the most intriguing part of the story. The list of standout rookies doesn't include LeBron James.
Insider breaks down the most intriguing story lines from Week 6, including why Nate McMillian's in hot water in Seattle, why the Raptors' honeymoon with Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall won't last forever, why the Bulls' honeymoon with Jamal Crawford has just begun and why the Magic could go 1-81 this season.
Class of 2003 feeling the spirit: You have to give them the summer league, training camp, the preseason and the first month of the regular season to get their feet a little wet. Any rookie deserves that. But come December, the gloves come off and teams usually can sit back and get a handle on who they drafted in July.
One month isn't enough to tell us if a kid is a bust. The kids are coming into the league too young, and considering how many stars in this league were late bloomers, it's to early to write anyone off. Given the dominant themes about lack of fundamentals and preparation, you almost expect first-round draft picks to fail for a couple of seasons these days.
So when the rookies start getting it on a month into the season, forgive us if we want to get a little excited.
We established on Friday why Darko Milicic, the No. 2 pick in the draft, wasn't playing. But take the other seven kids drafted in the top 8, look at their December numbers and you have one hell of a story.
Carmelo Anthony
Small Forward
Denver Nuggets
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
20 18.8 6.9 3.1 .398 .756
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
24.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3 apg, 47% shooting
The skinny: What does Nick Van Exel think after Carmelo dropped 26 points on Wednesday and 28 points on Friday on the Warriors? "Carmelo's the truth, and he's going to be the truth for a while." After an early season shooting slump, Anthony seems to have figured out how to fit in with his teammates and is the big reason the Nuggets are off to a stunning 14-7 start. Two things seem to be at work for Carmelo at the moment. First, he's really started to get to the line. In December he's averaging 9.3 free-throw attempts per game. In November, when he shot just 39 percent from the field, he got to the line just 5.2 times a game. Considering he's shooting 81 percent from the line in December, that's a big deal.
"He's got a great knack for drawing fouls," one scout told Insider. "I think he drifted a little too much toward the perimeter in the first month and wasn't taking advantage of that. He's putting the ball on the floor more now and it's really opened things up for him on the perimeter."
That's the other big point. After shooting just 30 percent from behind the arc in November, Anthony is hitting 46 percent of his 3s in December.
"If he can shoot 40 percent from behind the arc," the scout continued, "we're all dead."
Chris Bosh, Raptors
14.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 52% shooting
The skinny: Bosh was supposed to be one of those players who was going to take a few years to pan out. He was supposed to be too skinny and too inexperienced to do any damage in the middle. Forget about it. Bosh is the only thing the Raptors have that even resembles a big man, and despite giving up 30 to 40 pounds every night on the guy he guards, he's done an unbelievable job anchoring the Raptors' front line the last few weeks. He's averaging over 40 mpg over his last six starts.
"It's hard for me to believe that, at 19, as a big guy, he's carrying the kind of minutes he's carrying right now," coach Kevin O'Neill told the Toronto Star. "But he's a great athlete, so he recovers quickly. . .It will be interesting to see how he holds up. But I have no choice (but to play Bosh extensively). If I wasn't playing Chris ..."
Still scouts are stunned by Bosh's rebounding production the past few games. While everyone knew he had the potential to be a gifted scorer both in the paint and on the perimeter, few thought they'd see this type of defensive effort from the 19-year-old rookie.
"I said before the season that he reminds me a lot of Tim Duncan after his freshman season at Wake Forest," one scout said. "He'll grow into his body. He'll get strong. And when he does, he's going to take his game up three or four more notches. We're just scratching the surface here."
Dwyane Wade
Point Guard
Miami Heat
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
18 14.1 4.3 4.2 .402 .763
Dwyane Wade, Heat
16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3 apg, 53% shooting
The skinny: Wade as a point guard? Forget about it. Six weeks into the regular season the Heat have all but abandoned the notion. Yes, Wade is still starting at the position, but Rafer Alston's averaging around 30 mpg exclusively at the point, meaning in reality Wade's playing around 10 minutes a game at the point.
The good news for Heat fans is that Wade's huge rise in production has corresponded directly with him moving to off guard. Coach Stan Van Gundy has taken the pressure to run the offense off Wade's shoulders and he's responded with some big-time scoring efforts for the Heat. What happens when Caron Butler returns and carves into the minutes available for Jones to swing to the three? Now you know why teams believe the Heat are trying to package Butler with either Jones or Brian Grant.
Chris Kaman, Clippers
12.3 ppg, 11 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 42% shooting
The skinny: Michael Olowokandi who? Many people raised some eyebrows when the Clips let Olowokandi slip away in free agency, leaving a rookie as the only legit center on the team. Kaman was a talented low-post scorer in college, but many scouts wondered whether he has the strength and athleticism to defend and rebound in the pros. So far, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy couldn't be happier.
"Kaman had another terrific night," Dunleavy said after Kaman had 14 points and 14 rebounds versus the Cavs. "It was his presence in the paint. He blocked three shots but he changed a lot of other shots. For a young guy, he rebounds so well in traffic."
With Elton Brand now back to provide more toughness in the paint, expect Kaman to keep getting his 30 plus minutes a night. He and Brand should be able to work the high-post, low-post game to perfection.
Kirk Hinrich
Point Guard
Chicago Bulls
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
14 7.4 1.9 4.8 .370 .767
Kirk Hinrich
9.3 ppg, 8.3 apg, 31% shooting
The skinny: He was pretty awful in November when coach Bill Cartwright called on Hinrich to replace Jamal Crawford. But with a new head coach who played the same way Hinrich did and with a new position for Crawford, Hinrich's production was gone into overdrive.
While he still can't hit a jump shot to save his life, his rugged defense and his knack for running coach Scott Skiles' new offense means that he'll continue to average the 33-plus minutes playing point for the Bulls. Skiles is sold.
"I said [Sunday] morning in our film session that I think he's one of the best defensive guards in the Eastern Conference right now, and he's only [played about] 20 games," Skiles told the Chicago Tribune. "He's got the potential of being an all-league defensive guard. The way he moves his feet and the head he has about him, that's not a stretch. He's a very, very good defender, and then when you factor in that he's so early in his career, it's exciting."
T. J. Ford
6.5 ppg, 7.3 apg, 2 spg, 26% shooting
The skinny: Like Hinrich, Ford can't hit the ocean with his jumper right now, but his 7.3 apg have been a bright spot on the Bucks this season.
"He really plays in control for a rookie," one NBA scout said. "I think his jumper will come around. You can teach that. You can't teach floor vision or leadership. He's had that. I was big skeptic of his on draft night. I just thought he was too small. But he's made a believer out of me. If he can start sinking jumpers, the Bucks have their point guard for the next 10 years."
Of course we're leaving out the No. 1 pick and everyone's favorite for Rookie of the Year, LeBron James, who's in a pretty major slump at the moment.
LeBron James
10.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 6 apg, 27% shooting
The skinny: James has been shooting the ball poorly and was benched recently in a game versus the Clippers after a terrible 2-for-13 shooting performance, but he's been doing just about everything else well for the Cavs. He's still their best playmaker and floor leader. When he can't get it done offensively, he usually comes up with a big steal or defensive play that turns the tide for the Cavs.
"He's going to struggle a bit because defenses are getting more familiar with what he does and they're taking that away from him," one NBA scout said. "The beauty of LeBron is that he gets it done other places. He makes an assist or a steal. He's always in the game, even when his shot isn't falling. That's a big deal for a rookie. Especially an 18-year-old one."
