Day two deja vu
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Thursday, October 30
Updated: October 30
9:58 AM ET
Chat with ESPN Insider Chad Ford at 1 p.m. EST
Day Two ... more of the same. New uniforms, new city, new rookies, new team ... same old story. The NBA is trapped in some sort of karmic spin cycle.
No. 23 dropping buckets and jaws. ... The Bulls home crowd booing their team off the floor. ... Kevin Garnett carrying his T-Wolves on weary back. ... The Blazers self combusting in the fourth. ... The Jazz pick-and-rolling opponents into submission.
Of course, there was a little retro deja vu thrown in for the hell of it. Vince Carter dominating. ... Vin Baker with a pulse. ... Marcus Camby with 20 boards.
And because nothing is ever exactly the same, there were a few things out of the ordinary to spice things up. Ben Wallace taking 16 shots. ... Tim Floyd getting a "W" on opening night. ...Cliff Robinson grabbing 12 boards. ... The Nuggets defeating the NBA Champs?
Let's get to it.
The Return of the King
I've been on record that LeBron will be a star, but he won't be a star this year. Wednesday night's dominant performance against the Kings might make me eat my words.
James didn't look like an 18-year-old last night. He looked vintage -- the swagger, dimes, steals, the up-and-unders. 25 points. Nine assists. Six boards. Four steals.
LeBron James
Guard-Forward
Cleveland Cavaliers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
1 25.0 6.0 9.0 .600 .333
Timeless.
"He's the most confident young man I've ever seen. He's got that swagger that says, 'I'm pretty good,' '' Cavs coach Paul Silas said after the game.
He looked the part Wednesday night. The question, of course, is can he maintain this level? One game is not an NBA season.
Remember he averaged just 11.6 ppg, 34 percent shooting, and was 2-of-16 shooting 3s in the preseason.
He won't average 25 and 9 for the season. He'll have to pace himself. Learn how to say no. Battle through the losing night in and night out. Reinvent his game as teams figure out defensively how to take away what he likes to do best.
But for one night at least, LeBron exceeded the hype, something that appeared impossible just 12 hours before.
"It amazes me that a kid his age can handle this, but I guess he's been groomed for this since the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade," Silas said. "He knows what to say, and when to say it."
James' take? "It's a dream come true. I'm afraid to pinch myself because I might wake up. So, I'm going keep living this dream."
The Return of the Terri-bulls
The Bulls as a No. 7 seed in the East? What was I thinking? They lost their home opener to the Wizards by 24 points.
These are the type of quotes you really don't want to hear on opening night:
"This is an embarrassment to our team, to our fans and to ourselves. We have no excuses."
-- Jalen Rose
"A terrible performance, totally unacceptable. I was horrible. I'm ready to be held accountable like the rest of my teammates."
-- Eddy Curry
"I'm disturbed that we didn't play with energy. We're going to have to find guys who can play, simple as that. Right now, we have guys who aren't playing defense, period."
-- coach Bill Cartwright
" If we don't have the type of year I'm hoping for and expecting, I'm going to have to make a tough decision. "
-- Bulls GM John Paxson
Curry was the worse offender. He fouled out in 32 minutes, shot just 3-for-9 from the field and pulled down just six boards.
Still it's Cartwright, not Curry, who's head is on the chopping block. New GM John Paxson is promising that the days of the Terri-bulls are over. When everyone comes out sluggish, it's the coach, not the players, who usually get the ax.
If the Bulls come out of the gate really stumbling, heads are going to roll.
"If we don't have the type of year I'm hoping for and expecting, I'm going to have to make a tough decision," Paxson said. "But I have to do it in a way that benefits the organization."
Big Ben shoots and scores
Not sure what was more stunning -- the Jazz scoring 99 points (see below) or Ben Wallace taking 16 shots against the Pacers.
Ben Wallace
Forward-Center
Detroit Pistons
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
1 16.0 17.0 1.0 .375 .667
Larry Brown wasn't kidding around when he said Wallace was going to be more involved offensively. The Pistons actually ran several offensive plays for Wallace on Wednesday night (his 6.9 ppg average last season was a product of offensive-rebound tip ins), and the results were pretty impressive.
Wallace showed nice footwork in the paint and used his strength and athleticism to get to the bucket. His 16 points, 17 boards, 6 blocks and 5 steals rivaled LeBron's for the stat line of the night.
Big Ben actually had several chances to win the game for the Pistons but missed point-blank shots. Obviously he's still a work in progress.
"Coaches would tell me all the time that they wanted me to be more aggressive offensively," Wallace said. "I always said I'd believe it when it actually happened. We're trying to get all five guys involved in the offense, and I think it'll make us better."
All that Jazz
Speaking of being wrong, Jerry Sloan is going to make me eat my words about the Jazz being the worst team in the NBA this season.
Carlos Arroyo
Point Guard
Utah Jazz
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
1 18.0 0.0 13.0 .538 1.000
The Jazz's stunning 99-92 victory over the Blazers had two familiar components. One was the Jazz executing with exact precision in the fourth quarter. The other was the Blazers imploding in the fourth.
The Jazz box score is a head scratcher. Carlos Arroyo with 18 points and 13 assists? Raja Bell with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting? Rookie Alexsandar Pavlovic with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the second quarter?
The Jazz finished the game on a 21-9 run, running the Blazers out of town and giving fans in Utah something they haven't had in a while ... hope.
"It was quite a day for these guys," said a proud Sloan.
No one expects the Jazz to do this every night. But the fact that they're even capable of dropping 99 points on anyone has to be sign of good things to come.
Rookie debuts
LeBron wasn't the only rookie with a stellar debut. Heat guard Dwyane Wade had 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists Tuesday before hitting the wall last night against the Celtics.
Wade, who was playing with a very sore hip, had just 5 points and 4 assists on 2-of-12 shooting.
Jazz rookie Alexsandar Pavlovic wasn't far behind. His 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting (all in the second quarter) helped the Jazz stun the Blazers.
Carmelo Anthony, who was anointed rookie of the year by many (including me) before the season even began, struggled. He finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds on 4-of-15 shooting.
Raptors forward Chris Bosh had 11 points and 4 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting in 24 minutes.
And what about Darko Milicic, the No. 2 pick in the draft. He registered a DNP in the Pistons' first game.
Coach Larry Brown said Milicic might not understand his role right now, "Especially when he sees LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh having an immediate impact," Brown said. "How many 18-year-olds understand their parents? He's willing to learn and you can't teach size."
Around the League
Kobe Bryant says everything is cool with Shaq. Now that he's done pouting, playing on Saturday is now a "definite possibility."
"Everybody's great," Bryant told the L.A. Daily News. "Joking around, same as usual, talking trash, competing. It's good. We said what we had to say, you let it go, you move on. It's that simple."
"It's over," Bryant said of the feud. "I know Phil seems to think that there's going to be some continuing stuff going on, but you know how Phil likes to drag on drama, anyway. But it really isn't. We're just moving on from here, period."
As for Bryant leaving the team at the end of the season? He's won't think about until this summer.
"I put it away," he said. "The time when I told you guys what I was going to do (with the opt-out), the reason behind that is so that I don't sweat it during the season. You know what I'm going to do and when the time comes, I just think about it then.
"Right now, I'm just going to think about the season, think about practice, think about the games, and that's it."
Readers flooded me with e-mail on Wednesday in regards to my comments about the Kobe and Shaq feud.
"Are you saying," Steven Baker wrote, "That Shaq and Kobe really do get along? That this whole three year feud was a ruse? That's ridiculous."
Not at all. Here's what I wrote.
"Kobe and Shaq don't get along. But after seeing the Lakers pull out one of those 'gotcha' endings to the feud Tuesday night, it makes you wonder . . .did the Lakers finally find a way to get the media to quit asking questions about Colorado and start asking questions about the Lakers?"
The two have never liked each other. Two weeks ago, we reported here that Kobe was so dismayed about his teammates' perceived lack of support that he was seriously considering bolting the Lakers at the end of the season.
My point was simply about the timing of the latest incident. Why did it go public when it did? I find the timing supsicious. The feud itself? Anyone who has spent time around either player will tell you that's for real.
Vin Baker getting a standing ovation Tuesday night after a 15-point, seven-board performance?
"It was the biggest night of my career," Baker told the Boston Globe. "The most special night. That ovation, coming out of the game, was special for me and my family."
"The turnaround jumper, the rebounding, the blocked shots and getting out on the break," teammate Eric Williams said. "That's all back. I always said Vinny had the best footwork of any big man in the league. And he's going to get better and better. He's going to be something to see later in the season."
Forget for a second that Baker did this against undrafted rookie Udonis Haslem. "Baker was just relieved. "I couldn't have written this any better," Baker smiled.
Twenty boards for Marcus Camby and he's still able to walk this morning? Is he teasing us again?
"We know what he's capable of," Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik told the Rocky Mountain News. "It's, 'Do we have him out on the court?'"
One down, 81 to go Marcus.
Danny Fortson's stint as the Mavs starting center lasted about 14 minutes. The Mavs pulled Fortson from the game early in the second quarter Tuesday night and played him just three minutes Wednesday versus the Warriors. Don Nelson moved Dirk Nowitzki to center and put Tony Delk in the starting lineup.
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Thursday, October 30
Updated: October 30
9:58 AM ET
Chat with ESPN Insider Chad Ford at 1 p.m. EST
Day Two ... more of the same. New uniforms, new city, new rookies, new team ... same old story. The NBA is trapped in some sort of karmic spin cycle.
No. 23 dropping buckets and jaws. ... The Bulls home crowd booing their team off the floor. ... Kevin Garnett carrying his T-Wolves on weary back. ... The Blazers self combusting in the fourth. ... The Jazz pick-and-rolling opponents into submission.
Of course, there was a little retro deja vu thrown in for the hell of it. Vince Carter dominating. ... Vin Baker with a pulse. ... Marcus Camby with 20 boards.
And because nothing is ever exactly the same, there were a few things out of the ordinary to spice things up. Ben Wallace taking 16 shots. ... Tim Floyd getting a "W" on opening night. ...Cliff Robinson grabbing 12 boards. ... The Nuggets defeating the NBA Champs?
Let's get to it.
The Return of the King
I've been on record that LeBron will be a star, but he won't be a star this year. Wednesday night's dominant performance against the Kings might make me eat my words.
James didn't look like an 18-year-old last night. He looked vintage -- the swagger, dimes, steals, the up-and-unders. 25 points. Nine assists. Six boards. Four steals.
LeBron James
Guard-Forward
Cleveland Cavaliers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
1 25.0 6.0 9.0 .600 .333
Timeless.
"He's the most confident young man I've ever seen. He's got that swagger that says, 'I'm pretty good,' '' Cavs coach Paul Silas said after the game.
He looked the part Wednesday night. The question, of course, is can he maintain this level? One game is not an NBA season.
Remember he averaged just 11.6 ppg, 34 percent shooting, and was 2-of-16 shooting 3s in the preseason.
He won't average 25 and 9 for the season. He'll have to pace himself. Learn how to say no. Battle through the losing night in and night out. Reinvent his game as teams figure out defensively how to take away what he likes to do best.
But for one night at least, LeBron exceeded the hype, something that appeared impossible just 12 hours before.
"It amazes me that a kid his age can handle this, but I guess he's been groomed for this since the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade," Silas said. "He knows what to say, and when to say it."
James' take? "It's a dream come true. I'm afraid to pinch myself because I might wake up. So, I'm going keep living this dream."
The Return of the Terri-bulls
The Bulls as a No. 7 seed in the East? What was I thinking? They lost their home opener to the Wizards by 24 points.
These are the type of quotes you really don't want to hear on opening night:
"This is an embarrassment to our team, to our fans and to ourselves. We have no excuses."
-- Jalen Rose
"A terrible performance, totally unacceptable. I was horrible. I'm ready to be held accountable like the rest of my teammates."
-- Eddy Curry
"I'm disturbed that we didn't play with energy. We're going to have to find guys who can play, simple as that. Right now, we have guys who aren't playing defense, period."
-- coach Bill Cartwright
" If we don't have the type of year I'm hoping for and expecting, I'm going to have to make a tough decision. "
-- Bulls GM John Paxson
Curry was the worse offender. He fouled out in 32 minutes, shot just 3-for-9 from the field and pulled down just six boards.
Still it's Cartwright, not Curry, who's head is on the chopping block. New GM John Paxson is promising that the days of the Terri-bulls are over. When everyone comes out sluggish, it's the coach, not the players, who usually get the ax.
If the Bulls come out of the gate really stumbling, heads are going to roll.
"If we don't have the type of year I'm hoping for and expecting, I'm going to have to make a tough decision," Paxson said. "But I have to do it in a way that benefits the organization."
Big Ben shoots and scores
Not sure what was more stunning -- the Jazz scoring 99 points (see below) or Ben Wallace taking 16 shots against the Pacers.
Ben Wallace
Forward-Center
Detroit Pistons
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
1 16.0 17.0 1.0 .375 .667
Larry Brown wasn't kidding around when he said Wallace was going to be more involved offensively. The Pistons actually ran several offensive plays for Wallace on Wednesday night (his 6.9 ppg average last season was a product of offensive-rebound tip ins), and the results were pretty impressive.
Wallace showed nice footwork in the paint and used his strength and athleticism to get to the bucket. His 16 points, 17 boards, 6 blocks and 5 steals rivaled LeBron's for the stat line of the night.
Big Ben actually had several chances to win the game for the Pistons but missed point-blank shots. Obviously he's still a work in progress.
"Coaches would tell me all the time that they wanted me to be more aggressive offensively," Wallace said. "I always said I'd believe it when it actually happened. We're trying to get all five guys involved in the offense, and I think it'll make us better."
All that Jazz
Speaking of being wrong, Jerry Sloan is going to make me eat my words about the Jazz being the worst team in the NBA this season.
Carlos Arroyo
Point Guard
Utah Jazz
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
1 18.0 0.0 13.0 .538 1.000
The Jazz's stunning 99-92 victory over the Blazers had two familiar components. One was the Jazz executing with exact precision in the fourth quarter. The other was the Blazers imploding in the fourth.
The Jazz box score is a head scratcher. Carlos Arroyo with 18 points and 13 assists? Raja Bell with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting? Rookie Alexsandar Pavlovic with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the second quarter?
The Jazz finished the game on a 21-9 run, running the Blazers out of town and giving fans in Utah something they haven't had in a while ... hope.
"It was quite a day for these guys," said a proud Sloan.
No one expects the Jazz to do this every night. But the fact that they're even capable of dropping 99 points on anyone has to be sign of good things to come.
Rookie debuts
LeBron wasn't the only rookie with a stellar debut. Heat guard Dwyane Wade had 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists Tuesday before hitting the wall last night against the Celtics.
Wade, who was playing with a very sore hip, had just 5 points and 4 assists on 2-of-12 shooting.
Jazz rookie Alexsandar Pavlovic wasn't far behind. His 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting (all in the second quarter) helped the Jazz stun the Blazers.
Carmelo Anthony, who was anointed rookie of the year by many (including me) before the season even began, struggled. He finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds on 4-of-15 shooting.
Raptors forward Chris Bosh had 11 points and 4 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting in 24 minutes.
And what about Darko Milicic, the No. 2 pick in the draft. He registered a DNP in the Pistons' first game.
Coach Larry Brown said Milicic might not understand his role right now, "Especially when he sees LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh having an immediate impact," Brown said. "How many 18-year-olds understand their parents? He's willing to learn and you can't teach size."
Around the League
Kobe Bryant says everything is cool with Shaq. Now that he's done pouting, playing on Saturday is now a "definite possibility."
"Everybody's great," Bryant told the L.A. Daily News. "Joking around, same as usual, talking trash, competing. It's good. We said what we had to say, you let it go, you move on. It's that simple."
"It's over," Bryant said of the feud. "I know Phil seems to think that there's going to be some continuing stuff going on, but you know how Phil likes to drag on drama, anyway. But it really isn't. We're just moving on from here, period."
As for Bryant leaving the team at the end of the season? He's won't think about until this summer.
"I put it away," he said. "The time when I told you guys what I was going to do (with the opt-out), the reason behind that is so that I don't sweat it during the season. You know what I'm going to do and when the time comes, I just think about it then.
"Right now, I'm just going to think about the season, think about practice, think about the games, and that's it."
Readers flooded me with e-mail on Wednesday in regards to my comments about the Kobe and Shaq feud.
"Are you saying," Steven Baker wrote, "That Shaq and Kobe really do get along? That this whole three year feud was a ruse? That's ridiculous."
Not at all. Here's what I wrote.
"Kobe and Shaq don't get along. But after seeing the Lakers pull out one of those 'gotcha' endings to the feud Tuesday night, it makes you wonder . . .did the Lakers finally find a way to get the media to quit asking questions about Colorado and start asking questions about the Lakers?"
The two have never liked each other. Two weeks ago, we reported here that Kobe was so dismayed about his teammates' perceived lack of support that he was seriously considering bolting the Lakers at the end of the season.
My point was simply about the timing of the latest incident. Why did it go public when it did? I find the timing supsicious. The feud itself? Anyone who has spent time around either player will tell you that's for real.
Vin Baker getting a standing ovation Tuesday night after a 15-point, seven-board performance?
"It was the biggest night of my career," Baker told the Boston Globe. "The most special night. That ovation, coming out of the game, was special for me and my family."
"The turnaround jumper, the rebounding, the blocked shots and getting out on the break," teammate Eric Williams said. "That's all back. I always said Vinny had the best footwork of any big man in the league. And he's going to get better and better. He's going to be something to see later in the season."
Forget for a second that Baker did this against undrafted rookie Udonis Haslem. "Baker was just relieved. "I couldn't have written this any better," Baker smiled.
Twenty boards for Marcus Camby and he's still able to walk this morning? Is he teasing us again?
"We know what he's capable of," Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik told the Rocky Mountain News. "It's, 'Do we have him out on the court?'"
One down, 81 to go Marcus.
Danny Fortson's stint as the Mavs starting center lasted about 14 minutes. The Mavs pulled Fortson from the game early in the second quarter Tuesday night and played him just three minutes Wednesday versus the Warriors. Don Nelson moved Dirk Nowitzki to center and put Tony Delk in the starting lineup.
