Posts Tagged ‘yao ming’

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Will Tim Duncan Take Advantage Of His Rule For All-Star Start?

November 11, 2012  ·  2:02PM


HANG TIME SOUTHWEST – So which player could be the first to take advantage of the so-called “Tim Duncan Rule,” the tweak to the All-Star ballot that will ask fans to vote for three “frontcourt” players instead of the traditional two forwards and a center?

Um, how about Tim Duncan? The league will debut the new ballots on Tuesday. The 2013 All-Star Game is on Feb. 17 at Houston’s Toyota Center.

For years, the San Antonio Spurs’ mellow superstar has masqueraded as a power forward really by name only. When Yao Ming entered the league in 2002-03, he generated such an enormous number votes from his home country that there was no way Duncan, who broke in with the Spurs alongside 10-time All-Star center David Robinson, would have ever started an All-Star game if classified as a center.  As a power forward, Duncan started 12 consecutive All-Star games from 2000 to 2011.

Highest def. reb. percentage, 2012-13
Player GP DREB DREB%
Anderson Varejao 5 47 32.0%
Tim Duncan 7 60 31.4%
Spencer Hawes 6 36 29.8%
Al Jefferson 7 55 29.7%
Kevin Garnett 6 46 29.3%

Through Saturday, 11/10
Minimum 100 minutes played
DREB% = Percentage of available defensive
rebounds obtained while on the floor

(Frankly, with so few true centers being viable All-Star candidates these days, the ballot change was overdue.)

That streak, as well as 12 consecutive All-Star appearances ended last season as youngsters Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin dominated fan voting to earn starting spots, Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge simply couldn’t be left off as reserves, and reigning NBA champ Dirk Nowitzki appropriately got the nod despite a slow start.

Most observers figured Duncan’s All-Star days were behind him with his stats trending down as coach Gregg Popovich continued to reduce his court time while shaping the offense around guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and the club’s perimeter shooters.

Of course, the move of Dwight Howard to the Western Conference could well make the discussion of Duncan as a starter moot anyway, assuming fan backlash toward the maddening, flip-flopping center doesn’t hurt him on the ballot.

Nevertheless, Duncan is certainly making it interesting.

At 36, he is playing like he’s 26. With the Spurs off to a West-best 6-1 start, Duncan is far and away the team’s scoring leader (18.9 ppg) and he’s dominating the boards, averaging 9.7, more than three more rebounds a game than anyone else on the team.

Consider this nugget shared by NBA.com stat guru John Schuhmann: Duncan’s defensive rebounding percentage of 31.4 is the highest of his career (defensive rebounding percentage is the percent of available defensive rebounds he got when he was on the floor, so with the Spurs on defense there have been 191 available rebounds with Duncan on the floor, and he’s grabbed 60 of them). He ranks second in the league in the category behind Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao.

If Duncan keeps this up, he will be a top candidate to make a 14th All-Star roster. But how realistic is it for a 13th career start? Again, the Howard dynamic is in play, but the new format at least creates the discussion. You have to believe that Durant and Blake will again dominate fan voting and take the top two spots.

But here’s the catch for the third: Other candidates have either started the season slowly or injured. Love and Nowitzki have yet to even suit up and could still be out a few more weeks. LaMarcus Aldridge, an All-Star newbie last season, is off to a poor-shooting start (a career-worst 43.6 percent although he’s averaging 21.8 points and 7.3 rebounds) on a Portland team in transition. Pau Gasol is off to an inauspicious start in the Lakers’ soap opera.

Memphis’ big-man duo of Marc Gasol, an All-Star last season, and Zach Randolph, off to a monster start, will make hard cases.

Bottom line is if Duncan continues at this rate, how does he not make the team? It will be an interesting couple of months.

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Posted in 2013 All-Star, HT News / Comments (38) /

Harden’s Biggest Star Power? Attraction

October 29, 2012  ·  6:26PM

HOUSTON — It will most definitely help to have all of James Harden’s offensive talent and scoring potential in the lineup. It will also help to have a 23-year-old who already has 44 games of playoff experience anchoring a lineup that is greener than the supermarket produce aisle.

However, where the newest member of the Rockets could pay off the most down the road is by attracting more new Rockets. That’s likely the greatest hope of general manager Daryl Morey after pulling off the trade with Oklahoma City.

“People around the league say, ‘I want to play with that guy,’ ” said Morey as he introduced Harden before a throng of happy fans in the lobby of the Toyota Center. “The way Omer (Asik) is playing and passing the ball, people want to be with him. Jeremy (Lin). Really putting together a young core that will make others say ‘I want to play there.’ ”

For the Rockets to shake off the yoke of mediocrity and climb back to the level of perennial playoff contender, Harden’s jump into the Houston backcourt can only be the next step up the ladder. The Rockets need Lin to continue to grow and prove that he is more than a flash in the pan that took Manhattan last February. They need their center, Asik, to blossom into a full-time defensive stopper in the middle. They need Harden, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the year, to raise his game to the level of an All-Star.

All of which is possible. If it happens, it could open the door for the Rockets to attract more frontline talent from a high-profile free agent. And even after signing Harden to a max contract, they will still have the ability under the salary cap to add another max player.
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Posted in 2012, HT News / Comments (10) /

Harden Makes Rockets Relevant Again

October 28, 2012  ·  12:47AM


HOUSTON — The Tigers are already down to their final chance in the World Series because they simply can’t connect with the ball.

Give Daryl Morey credit because no matter how desperate the situation got, he never stopped swinging.

After trying fruitlessly to land a big fish in the free-agent market or by trade for the past several years — Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard — the Rockets general manager finally got his hook into James Harden.

So much of the focus on the stunning deal that was consummated Saturday night will be on Oklahoma City. That’s to be expected when an up-and-coming powerhouse that was in the NBA Finals last June unloads one of its key players. There is instant speculation about whether the Thunder will now be able to hold off a charge from the reloaded Lakers, the returning Spurs, the re-energized Clippers and all the rest in the deep Western Conference.

But no matter if the veteran Kevin Martin fits seamlessly into the picture or the rookie Jeremy Lamb explodes onto the scene or the Thunder have to wait for the handful of first and second round draft picks to bear fruit, a young OKC team with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka at the core will have its chance to shine again.

For the Rockets it was just as significant and perhaps an even more urgent move to finally become relevant again. Nobody is expecting that Harden can transform Houston into an instant contender, or even lift his new team into the playoffs this season. Yet he gives the Rockets what they have been missing since the combination of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady crumbled in a heap of broken body parts. In Harden they have a recognizable young star who is entering the prime of his career.

With Harden and Jeremy Lin now together, the Rockets will have a backcourt at least with the potential to make fans want to watch. There is still plenty of heavy lifting to be done in Houston. But the first step was to land someone with cache, who could bring a level of excitement and potentially All-Star skill. For that Morey deserves credit.

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Posted in 2012, Uncategorized / Comments (74) /

The World Weighs In On The Lin Decision

July 18, 2012  ·  9:12AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – The reaction to the news that the Knicks passed on an opportunity to keep Jeremy Lin in New York has been as one-sided as it has been swift.

Few people (fans, pundits, casual observers, cab drivers, finance experts, etc.) think it was wise for the Knicks to allow Lin to go to the Houston Rockets because they thought three years and $25.1 million (back-loaded in the third year for the Knicks) was a sum too rich for a guy who has started just 25 games.

That blowback from the public might have something to do with the Knicks’ history of being generous with their funds —  for example, Jerome James did collect $30 million from the Knicks for what amounts to a tiny crumb of the excitement Lin produced, on and off the court.

Dive in as the (media) world weighs in on the decision by the Knicks to pass on Lin …

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Posted in Free Agency 2012 / Comments (102) /

Report: The End Of (NYC) Linsanity?

July 17, 2012  ·  5:13PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – It appears we’ve seen the last of Jeremy Lin in a Knicks uniform.

The New York Times is reporting that Knicks’ brass has made their decision and they will not match back-loaded the three-year, $25.1 offer sheet from the Houston Rockets that Lin signed over the weekend.

The Knicks have until just before the stroke of midnight to make up their minds, but according to Howard Beck of The Times, they’ve all but made their decision:

The Knicks are not expected to announce their decision until this evening, and there is still a chance — albeit incredibly small — that it could be reversed. But as of 4 p.m. the decision had been made and was considered final by those with knowledge of the deliberations. Indeed, the deliberations were said to be over.

The Knicks have first-refusal rights on Lin and by rule have until Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time to either match the offer or let him walk.

The decision was ultimately financial, not emotional, according to people briefed on the deliberations. The contract with Houston includes a third-year balloon payment of $14.9 million, which would have cost the Knicks another $35 million or more in luxury-tax penalties had they matched the deal. The so-called poison pill was designed to dissuade the Knicks.

The decision ends two weeks of suspense and speculation, which began when Lin became a restricted free agent on July 1. Now will come the inevitable backlash.

Lin saved the Knicks’ season in February and instantly became their most popular player in a decade, as well as a global phenomenon. Fans started at least two online petitions to keep him last weekend when it became apparent the Knicks were leaning toward letting him go. Twitter, blogs and fan forums have been filled with anguished comments for days.

Whatever outrage there is New York will be met with cheers from Houston, where the Rockets have been searching for a face of their franchise since Yao Ming retired.

Lin proved in his 25-game starting stint on Broadway that he had the chops for the job under the brightest of media spotlights. In Houston he’ll have to prove that there is substance behind the hype.

If his debut was any indication, the next three years should be a wild ride … on Rockets fans will enjoy from the front row and one Knicks fans will have to watch from afar, wondering what might have been had the franchise matched that offer.

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Posted in Free Agency 2012 / Comments (33) /

Dwight update: Not close to a trade with Rockets

July 13, 2012  ·  10:29PM




Friday came and went, and just like all the other days that have passed since June 24, 2004, Dwight Howard was still a member of the Orlando Magic.

Despite the Houston Rockets using the amnesty provision to waive forward Luis Scola, there was no trade of Howard from Orlando to Houston, and sources briefed on the talks between the two sides said the teams weren’t nearly as close to a trade as many have speculated. That can change in an instant, of course, but late Friday, there was no deal.

Talks between the two sides are “not active,” one source said Friday.

“There’s nothing happening,” another source said.

The Rockets, according to a league source briefed on the discussions, are willing to take one bad contract back from the Magic, not two or three, as has been speculated. And in return, Houston will give up one of the their three first-round picks in last month’s Draft– Jeremy Lamb, Royce White or Terrence Jones –but only one.

The Rockets would be willing to send a future draft pick to Orlando –presumably the Lottery-protected first-rounder Houston received this week from Toronto for guard Kyle Lowry — and send a veteran player to the Magic, helping Orlando clear $10 to $15 million worth of cap room, in exchange for the six-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

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Posted in Free Agency 2012 / Comments (101) /

Rockets Deal With Howard In Mind

June 26, 2012  ·  2:10PM





HOUSTON — Legend has it that the famous Johnstown Flood started with a leaky faucet in Altoona.

So when the Rockets send Chase Budinger to the Timberwolves for the No. 18 pick in Thursday’s draft, it would be wise to pay attention to the drip, drip, drip that could lead to a tsunami of a deal.

The Rockets now own the 14th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round and have made no secret that they are looking to trade up. Way up.

To Dwight Howard.

Houston is trying to woo the Magic with a whopping package of draft picks and players to pry loose the All-NBA first team center. Morey will continue trying to trade up for a higher pick to make the deal more attractive to the Magic. The Rockets have been talking to Sacramento about a deal to secure the No. 5 pick, which could then be sent to Orlando.

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Posted in 2012, Free Agency 2012 / Comments (20) /

Re-Living The Dream Team Is Pure Gold

June 13, 2012  ·  6:30AM

Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Tony Parker of France have been named MVPs of the NBA Finals. Yao Ming of China and Andrea Bargnani of Italy have been the No. 1 pick in the draft. Manu Ginobili of Argentina and Pau Gasol of Spain are perennial All-Stars.

None of it would have been possible without The Dream Team.

They not only won the gold medal as the marquee attraction at the Barcelona Olympics, but also lifted basketball to a place of prominence globally and opened the gates for today’s flood of international stars.

That is the message delivered by the 90-minute documentary debuting Wednesday night on NBA TV (9 p.m. ET) that chronicles the tale of the 11 Hall of Famers – led by Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan – who took the basketball world by storm in 1992.

Along, of course, with confirmation that Charles Barkley is one pretty entertaining fellow.

The film follows the Dream Team from the spark of its origin inside the competitive spirit of Magic, who sold the notion to Bird and a reluctant Jordan, all the way through the poignant victory ceremony following the gold medal clincher over Croatia.

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Posted in London 2012, USA Basketball / Comments (30) /

NBA Still Rising In China

February 2, 2012  ·  11:36AM





HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – The global game it is.

Anyone needing proof that the NBA is indeed still a big thing in China, even without Yao Ming in uniform, needs only take a peek at the TV ratings.

The TV numbers have increased 39 percent over last season, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Scott Soshnick that was confirmed by the league. Merchandise revenue in China has also quadrupled over the past three seasons, per the report, though no specific numbers were released.

The ever-popular Yao retired in July, a victim of repeated injuries. But the NBA still has a presence in China with former Nuggets Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith working in the Chinese Basketball Association this season.

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Posted in HT News / Comments (10) /

Bynum’s Return Just In Time For Lakers

December 31, 2011  ·  9:07AM

 

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – That offseason work with famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach should come in handy for Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who will be the last player to experience the changes made to the team’s system by new coach Mike Brown.

With his body fat down to 5.1% from 9.5% and his 290-pound frame still intact, Brown will demand much more on both ends of the floor from his low-post anchor. Of course, the Lakers won’t get to unwrap their belated Christmas gift until this afternoon, when they unleash a new and improved Bynum on the Denver Nuggets at the Staples Center.

Bynum began this season serving the four-game suspension handed down after his take down of then Mavericks guard J.J. Barea during the Lakers’ final game last season, the fourth and final game of an ugly sweep at the hands of the eventual NBA champion Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.

So even with all of this proposed changes to Bynum’s body and the system, he won’t be able to answer any lingering questions about what he might be capable of until today.

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Posted in HT News / Comments (32) /

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