Insider continued...........................
--------------------------------------------------
Is Nate McMillan on the hot seat? The coaching crisis of 2003 continues. Frank Johnson is sweating in Phoenix. Don Chaney and Jim O'Brien were believed to be in trouble as well, though both Scott Layden and Danny Ainge have denied it. The talk in Orlando is that Johnny Davis may be done by the new year if the Magic don't win a game. Now comes word, through Frank Hughes and the Tacoma News Tribune, that Mr. Sonic himself, Nate McMillan, may get kicked to the curb.
McMillanAccording to Hughes' report in the News Tribune, there's a rift between McMillan and the front office. McMillan reportedly ripped management in front of the players after a tough loss to the Jazz on Nov. 28. "Forget the owner. Forget the CEO. Forget the general manager. From now on, we are doing things my way. I am not here to develop players who don't deserve playing time. I am here to win. I am going to give minutes to the players who earn their minutes. I am going to play the guys who played like I played: hard, scrappy, defense-first."
That's obviously at odds with the Sonics' rebuilding plan. McMillan would prefer to have a roster of hard-nosed players in his image. Instead, Wally Walker and Rick Sund have given McMillan some great offensive players who are at their best in an up-tempo, run-and-gun-type offense. After some success with the approach early in the season, McMillian apparently began questioning the philosophy after the loss to the Jazz.
McMillan's benching of second-year guard Ronald Murray in favor of defensive stopper Antonio Daniels, combined with his comments to the team, reportedly created a furor in the front office. According the report, McMillan, Walker and Sund met Tuesday and aired their differences. However, the crux of the meeting, according to the Tribune, was that Walker and Sund told McMillan that his job was to adapt his style to the players they give him.
McMillan and management downplayed the story Sunday. "What was said in that article, some of it was true, and some of it, I don't know where it came from," McMillan told the Seattle Post Intelligencer. "But there's no rift."
McMillan claimed the meeting between himself and the front office was routine and said the tone wasn't negative at all. As for the question of style ...
"All coaches have a style they want to play," McMillan said. "No question. But that style is always something that you adapt to what your strength is, and that's part of coaching. That's part of what we do. So to say that this team is not my style ... you adapt to your players and what they're capable of doing."
Can McMillan adapt? I have spoken with Sund about McMillian twice in the past eight weeks, and both times he went out of his way to praise McMillan for adapting his coaching style to the talent they have given him. Sund implied that McMillan was making progress as a coach because of his decision to adapt this year.
In light of the recent reports, Sund's comments to me could be taken two ways -- an honest compliment for a job well done or a veiled acknowledgment that McMillan was in good graces only because he was toeing the management line.
Fool's Gold for the Raptors? Donyell Marshall is playing like Kevin Garnett. Jalen Rose is dishing assists like Jason Kidd. The Raptors are 4-0 since swapping Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams for Marshall and Rose. Did the Raptors, in one fell swoop, solve all of their problems?
Donyell Marshall
Small Forward
Toronto Raptors
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
20 10.9 6.6 1.7 .446 .677
It sure appears that way on the surface. Marshall's averaging 19.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg since coming to Toronto. Those numbers, for those of you who have yawned through Marshall's career, are higher than at any time in Marshall's career.
Rose has taken over for Alvin Williams as the team's starting point guard and is averaging 8.3 apg. While he's shooting just 34 percent from the field, his effect on the team has bee tangible. Rose's move to the point has allowed Williams to move to the two guard position, and his numbers have jumped from 4.8 ppg in November to 13.6 ppg since Rose took over handling the point.
It doesn't stop there. The Raptors were averaging a league-low 72.5 ppg. Since the trade, their scoring 100 ppg.
That's the good news, Raptors fans. The bad news? If Marshall was really this kind of a scoring machine, don't you think he would've gotten the opportunity some where to showcase it? Rose has wanted to play point guard his entire career, but three teams, the Nuggets, Pacers and Bulls, all came to the conclusion that Rose was more of a liability there than at the small forward position.
I'm as open to change as anyone, but this deep into a player's career, I'm going to remain skeptical for a while. When Rose was traded to the Bulls, he put up several spectacular performances that had Chicago writers claiming he was the best thing to happen to Chicago since Michael Jordan. Now one should be surprised that Rose is playing like this. He's talented, and for the first time in a while, he's motivated. Can he keep it up? That's the question that has dogged him his whole career.
The other cause for skepticism is the Raptors' schedule during that four-game stint. The team is paper thin in the paint, and hasn't played a team yet (with the possible exception of the 6-15 Hawks) that can take advantage of that. The Sixers, Celtics and Sonics also have some of the thinnest front lines in the league.
The Raptors should be able to survive December just fine. Their schedule is soft (with the exception of away games versus the Mavs and Spurs) and the only big man of any significance they'll have to face is Tim Duncan. But come the new year, the Raptors may be in trouble if they don't figure out a way to parlay some of that perimeter depth into another low-post player to help out Chris Bosh.
Jamal Crawford finally gets his shot: The Bulls may not be getting the production or the wins (the team is 1-2) out of Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams that the Raptors are with Rose and Marshall, but the trade has had positive effects for Chicago as well.
Since the trade, Bulls guard Jamal Crawford is averaging 26.7 ppg, 5.3 apg and 2 spg on 48 percent shooting. That's up from the 15.3 ppg on 43 percent shooting that Crawford averaged in November.
While former Bulls coach Bill Cartwright used to focus on Crawford's shortcomings -- mainly his inability to get his teammates involved -- Skiles has decided to play up that strength by moving Crawford to the two and letting rookie Kirk Hinrich handle the bulk of the duties at the point.
Crawford's been given the green light to shoot the ball for the first time in his career, and he's responded with three straight sizzling performances.
"He's a very good shooter and very good all-around offensive player,'' Skiles told the Chicago Sun Times. "He needs to work on his ballhandling and some of his decision making, but that's typical for young guys. But he can score in bunches. He's explosive.''
Davis and Williams have also responded, though to lesser degrees. Davis' numbers are up from 8.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg in Toronto to 9.7 ppg and 11 rpg in Chicago. Williams is averaging 8.7 ppg and 7.7 rpg in Chicago after putting up 4.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg in Toronto.
Will the Magic go 1-81? Doc Rivers is gone, but the Magic are still looking for their second win of the season. Their best shot to break the 19-game losing streak will be this week. When will they get it? They play the Suns at home tonight, and with the way Phoenix has been struggling lately, they've got a shot. On Wednesday, they play the Wizards, who are missing Gilbert Arenas from their lineup. On Saturday, the Magic play the Hawks in Atlanta. At 6-15, the Hawks aren't that much better than the Magic.
If they let all of those opportunities slip, they won't see another weakling until Christmas, when they play in ABC's televised game versus the Cavs. Is it conceivable that the Magic could be 1-27 when the Cavs come into town. Sure. The problem with the Magic is that they have no interior defense, which means teams are shooting from five feet in against them. On offense, they have no interior scoring, which means that all of their shots are coming from 18 feet and out. Do the math, play with the percentages and 1-27 doesn't seem that far fetched.
The curse of McDyess? Maybe Antonio McDyess should go back on the injured list. There was so much hope and enthusiasm last Monday in New York surrounding McDyess' return, and the Knicks looked poised to start making a push for the playoffs. The team had been playing well, was getting contributions from the likes of Charlie Ward and Frank Williams and had really seemed to turn the corner.
McDyess isn't at fault for the Knicks swoon. However, since McDyess' return, the team has gone 0-4 and still faces the Lakers and Jazz on the road before returning home to host the red hot Nuggets. I think Scott Layden has quit smiling.
Mike Miller to the point Is Jason Williams in danger of losing his job once he gets back from those back spasms? Since Williams left the lineup, Miller has taken over as a pseudo point-forward and the Grizzlies have been rolling. The team is 5-0 since Williams went out and Miller is averaging 13.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 7.8 apg during that stretch.
Putting the ball in Miller's hand seems to have awoken him from an early season slumber, and at least one rival scout claims that the Grizzlies are better off keeping it that way. "I like Jason Williams, but the Grizzlies are tougher when they put Miller at the point," the scout told Insider. "Miller is such a match-up problem for you and really gives you a lot of flexibility. I can envision a line-up of Miller, Bonzi Wells in the backcourt and James Posey, Pau Gasol and Stromile Swift in the front court that would be close to unstoppable."
----------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, December 8
Updated: December 8
9:36 AM ET
Seattle SuperSonics: Nate McMillan says he has no problem with management so long, it seems, as they leave him alone to run this team. "There's no rift, not at all," the Sonics coach said in the Seattle Times. "What was said in that article, some of it was true and some of it I don't know where it came from." The earlier article said that McMillan railed at his team and management about having to develop certain players at the expense of losing games. "It never happened the way it was reported," team president Wally Walker said. "What we told Nate was, he's doing a great job. He's hard on himself after any loss, but if you step back a little bit and realize where we are without Ray (Allen), then you know he's doing a great job."
HillOrlando Magic: Maybe Grant Hill will retire like he said he would if his ankle required yet another surgery. Or maybe he won't. "I should have never said that," Hill said in the Orlando Sentinel. "I mean, it's probably it if they have to go in again. . . . but it depends. I can't rule it out." Hill has said he will try to return to the court in February, but is at odds with the team, which wants him to sit out the entire season and not risk losing more money due to insurance complications.
Portland Trail Blazers: Believe it or not, the Trail Blazers say they have hit rock bottom and are ready to do something about it. "It's all the truth," center Dale Davis said in the Oregonian. "In all aspects, it's the truth. There's just no other way to put it. Right now, we can either fall on the table or separate ourselves from this. Now we are going to see if we have pride. I have a feeling we do, and we will play better the next two games." But that doesn't mean there isn't going to be some back biting. After all, these are the Blazers. "For me, I'm not really into getting after him in the newspapers," guard Damon Stoudamire said of forward Rasheed Wallace. "But I was going to talk to him about this anyway, because he is a friend. I don't think these are necessarily strong words; it's just what we need to do. We need him to post up more, not take jumpers, especially when it's James Posey guarding him."
New York Knicks: Antonio McDyess is back but still almost as sore as Kurt Thomas who, as bad as his tendinitis is, is much better off than Allan Houston. "If it's not one thing, it's another," McDyess said as the Knicks fell to 7-14 despite his playing in the last four games. "The toughest part about the whole situation is that it really requires rest and I don't have it," Houston said of his surgically repaired knee in the New York Times. "I've never been faced with the situation where, do I sit out or do I play? And it bothers me because I don't really know what to do sometimes. Should I sit out a couple games? It's very confusing to me right now. All I am going to do is trust that it will get better." The Knicks still have two remaining games on their current road trip.
OlowokandiMinnesota Timberwolves: The Minnesota Star Tribune is reporting that center Michael Olowokandi recently visited a second doctor to get a second opinion on his ailing right knee but that the result was still the same. "What he saw wasn't conclusive," said Olowokandi, who believed he originally had a case of tendinitis but is not sure now. Kandi has already missed three games and will likely miss another two at least.
--------------------------------------------------
Is Nate McMillan on the hot seat? The coaching crisis of 2003 continues. Frank Johnson is sweating in Phoenix. Don Chaney and Jim O'Brien were believed to be in trouble as well, though both Scott Layden and Danny Ainge have denied it. The talk in Orlando is that Johnny Davis may be done by the new year if the Magic don't win a game. Now comes word, through Frank Hughes and the Tacoma News Tribune, that Mr. Sonic himself, Nate McMillan, may get kicked to the curb.
McMillanAccording to Hughes' report in the News Tribune, there's a rift between McMillan and the front office. McMillan reportedly ripped management in front of the players after a tough loss to the Jazz on Nov. 28. "Forget the owner. Forget the CEO. Forget the general manager. From now on, we are doing things my way. I am not here to develop players who don't deserve playing time. I am here to win. I am going to give minutes to the players who earn their minutes. I am going to play the guys who played like I played: hard, scrappy, defense-first."
That's obviously at odds with the Sonics' rebuilding plan. McMillan would prefer to have a roster of hard-nosed players in his image. Instead, Wally Walker and Rick Sund have given McMillan some great offensive players who are at their best in an up-tempo, run-and-gun-type offense. After some success with the approach early in the season, McMillian apparently began questioning the philosophy after the loss to the Jazz.
McMillan's benching of second-year guard Ronald Murray in favor of defensive stopper Antonio Daniels, combined with his comments to the team, reportedly created a furor in the front office. According the report, McMillan, Walker and Sund met Tuesday and aired their differences. However, the crux of the meeting, according to the Tribune, was that Walker and Sund told McMillan that his job was to adapt his style to the players they give him.
McMillan and management downplayed the story Sunday. "What was said in that article, some of it was true, and some of it, I don't know where it came from," McMillan told the Seattle Post Intelligencer. "But there's no rift."
McMillan claimed the meeting between himself and the front office was routine and said the tone wasn't negative at all. As for the question of style ...
"All coaches have a style they want to play," McMillan said. "No question. But that style is always something that you adapt to what your strength is, and that's part of coaching. That's part of what we do. So to say that this team is not my style ... you adapt to your players and what they're capable of doing."
Can McMillan adapt? I have spoken with Sund about McMillian twice in the past eight weeks, and both times he went out of his way to praise McMillan for adapting his coaching style to the talent they have given him. Sund implied that McMillan was making progress as a coach because of his decision to adapt this year.
In light of the recent reports, Sund's comments to me could be taken two ways -- an honest compliment for a job well done or a veiled acknowledgment that McMillan was in good graces only because he was toeing the management line.
Fool's Gold for the Raptors? Donyell Marshall is playing like Kevin Garnett. Jalen Rose is dishing assists like Jason Kidd. The Raptors are 4-0 since swapping Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams for Marshall and Rose. Did the Raptors, in one fell swoop, solve all of their problems?
Donyell Marshall
Small Forward
Toronto Raptors
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
20 10.9 6.6 1.7 .446 .677
It sure appears that way on the surface. Marshall's averaging 19.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg since coming to Toronto. Those numbers, for those of you who have yawned through Marshall's career, are higher than at any time in Marshall's career.
Rose has taken over for Alvin Williams as the team's starting point guard and is averaging 8.3 apg. While he's shooting just 34 percent from the field, his effect on the team has bee tangible. Rose's move to the point has allowed Williams to move to the two guard position, and his numbers have jumped from 4.8 ppg in November to 13.6 ppg since Rose took over handling the point.
It doesn't stop there. The Raptors were averaging a league-low 72.5 ppg. Since the trade, their scoring 100 ppg.
That's the good news, Raptors fans. The bad news? If Marshall was really this kind of a scoring machine, don't you think he would've gotten the opportunity some where to showcase it? Rose has wanted to play point guard his entire career, but three teams, the Nuggets, Pacers and Bulls, all came to the conclusion that Rose was more of a liability there than at the small forward position.
I'm as open to change as anyone, but this deep into a player's career, I'm going to remain skeptical for a while. When Rose was traded to the Bulls, he put up several spectacular performances that had Chicago writers claiming he was the best thing to happen to Chicago since Michael Jordan. Now one should be surprised that Rose is playing like this. He's talented, and for the first time in a while, he's motivated. Can he keep it up? That's the question that has dogged him his whole career.
The other cause for skepticism is the Raptors' schedule during that four-game stint. The team is paper thin in the paint, and hasn't played a team yet (with the possible exception of the 6-15 Hawks) that can take advantage of that. The Sixers, Celtics and Sonics also have some of the thinnest front lines in the league.
The Raptors should be able to survive December just fine. Their schedule is soft (with the exception of away games versus the Mavs and Spurs) and the only big man of any significance they'll have to face is Tim Duncan. But come the new year, the Raptors may be in trouble if they don't figure out a way to parlay some of that perimeter depth into another low-post player to help out Chris Bosh.
Jamal Crawford finally gets his shot: The Bulls may not be getting the production or the wins (the team is 1-2) out of Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams that the Raptors are with Rose and Marshall, but the trade has had positive effects for Chicago as well.
Since the trade, Bulls guard Jamal Crawford is averaging 26.7 ppg, 5.3 apg and 2 spg on 48 percent shooting. That's up from the 15.3 ppg on 43 percent shooting that Crawford averaged in November.
While former Bulls coach Bill Cartwright used to focus on Crawford's shortcomings -- mainly his inability to get his teammates involved -- Skiles has decided to play up that strength by moving Crawford to the two and letting rookie Kirk Hinrich handle the bulk of the duties at the point.
Crawford's been given the green light to shoot the ball for the first time in his career, and he's responded with three straight sizzling performances.
"He's a very good shooter and very good all-around offensive player,'' Skiles told the Chicago Sun Times. "He needs to work on his ballhandling and some of his decision making, but that's typical for young guys. But he can score in bunches. He's explosive.''
Davis and Williams have also responded, though to lesser degrees. Davis' numbers are up from 8.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg in Toronto to 9.7 ppg and 11 rpg in Chicago. Williams is averaging 8.7 ppg and 7.7 rpg in Chicago after putting up 4.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg in Toronto.
Will the Magic go 1-81? Doc Rivers is gone, but the Magic are still looking for their second win of the season. Their best shot to break the 19-game losing streak will be this week. When will they get it? They play the Suns at home tonight, and with the way Phoenix has been struggling lately, they've got a shot. On Wednesday, they play the Wizards, who are missing Gilbert Arenas from their lineup. On Saturday, the Magic play the Hawks in Atlanta. At 6-15, the Hawks aren't that much better than the Magic.
If they let all of those opportunities slip, they won't see another weakling until Christmas, when they play in ABC's televised game versus the Cavs. Is it conceivable that the Magic could be 1-27 when the Cavs come into town. Sure. The problem with the Magic is that they have no interior defense, which means teams are shooting from five feet in against them. On offense, they have no interior scoring, which means that all of their shots are coming from 18 feet and out. Do the math, play with the percentages and 1-27 doesn't seem that far fetched.
The curse of McDyess? Maybe Antonio McDyess should go back on the injured list. There was so much hope and enthusiasm last Monday in New York surrounding McDyess' return, and the Knicks looked poised to start making a push for the playoffs. The team had been playing well, was getting contributions from the likes of Charlie Ward and Frank Williams and had really seemed to turn the corner.
McDyess isn't at fault for the Knicks swoon. However, since McDyess' return, the team has gone 0-4 and still faces the Lakers and Jazz on the road before returning home to host the red hot Nuggets. I think Scott Layden has quit smiling.
Mike Miller to the point Is Jason Williams in danger of losing his job once he gets back from those back spasms? Since Williams left the lineup, Miller has taken over as a pseudo point-forward and the Grizzlies have been rolling. The team is 5-0 since Williams went out and Miller is averaging 13.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 7.8 apg during that stretch.
Putting the ball in Miller's hand seems to have awoken him from an early season slumber, and at least one rival scout claims that the Grizzlies are better off keeping it that way. "I like Jason Williams, but the Grizzlies are tougher when they put Miller at the point," the scout told Insider. "Miller is such a match-up problem for you and really gives you a lot of flexibility. I can envision a line-up of Miller, Bonzi Wells in the backcourt and James Posey, Pau Gasol and Stromile Swift in the front court that would be close to unstoppable."
----------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, December 8
Updated: December 8
9:36 AM ET
Seattle SuperSonics: Nate McMillan says he has no problem with management so long, it seems, as they leave him alone to run this team. "There's no rift, not at all," the Sonics coach said in the Seattle Times. "What was said in that article, some of it was true and some of it I don't know where it came from." The earlier article said that McMillan railed at his team and management about having to develop certain players at the expense of losing games. "It never happened the way it was reported," team president Wally Walker said. "What we told Nate was, he's doing a great job. He's hard on himself after any loss, but if you step back a little bit and realize where we are without Ray (Allen), then you know he's doing a great job."
HillOrlando Magic: Maybe Grant Hill will retire like he said he would if his ankle required yet another surgery. Or maybe he won't. "I should have never said that," Hill said in the Orlando Sentinel. "I mean, it's probably it if they have to go in again. . . . but it depends. I can't rule it out." Hill has said he will try to return to the court in February, but is at odds with the team, which wants him to sit out the entire season and not risk losing more money due to insurance complications.
Portland Trail Blazers: Believe it or not, the Trail Blazers say they have hit rock bottom and are ready to do something about it. "It's all the truth," center Dale Davis said in the Oregonian. "In all aspects, it's the truth. There's just no other way to put it. Right now, we can either fall on the table or separate ourselves from this. Now we are going to see if we have pride. I have a feeling we do, and we will play better the next two games." But that doesn't mean there isn't going to be some back biting. After all, these are the Blazers. "For me, I'm not really into getting after him in the newspapers," guard Damon Stoudamire said of forward Rasheed Wallace. "But I was going to talk to him about this anyway, because he is a friend. I don't think these are necessarily strong words; it's just what we need to do. We need him to post up more, not take jumpers, especially when it's James Posey guarding him."
New York Knicks: Antonio McDyess is back but still almost as sore as Kurt Thomas who, as bad as his tendinitis is, is much better off than Allan Houston. "If it's not one thing, it's another," McDyess said as the Knicks fell to 7-14 despite his playing in the last four games. "The toughest part about the whole situation is that it really requires rest and I don't have it," Houston said of his surgically repaired knee in the New York Times. "I've never been faced with the situation where, do I sit out or do I play? And it bothers me because I don't really know what to do sometimes. Should I sit out a couple games? It's very confusing to me right now. All I am going to do is trust that it will get better." The Knicks still have two remaining games on their current road trip.
OlowokandiMinnesota Timberwolves: The Minnesota Star Tribune is reporting that center Michael Olowokandi recently visited a second doctor to get a second opinion on his ailing right knee but that the result was still the same. "What he saw wasn't conclusive," said Olowokandi, who believed he originally had a case of tendinitis but is not sure now. Kandi has already missed three games and will likely miss another two at least.
