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| Friday, January 4 Updated: January 11, 2:15 PM ET Fred's Points: MJ, Dallas and the MVP ESPN.com |
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What's the first thing you notice when you see ESPN's Fred Carter on NBA 2Night or SportsCenter? Of course, he points at you. It's his way of saying hello. So we've asked NBA expert Fred to greet us and make some points for ESPN.com each week. Enjoy.
Michael Jordan has said he's found his rhythm, and it appears to be true. Michael has never had a bad game followed up by another bad game. His six-point nightmare was an aberration -- that is not the real MJ. At the same time, 51 is probably the exception rather than the rule for a 38-year-old man in the NBA. But Jordan was able to back up his 51-point performance by dropping 45. When he finds his rhythm and has his legs going, he's full of confidence and can do almost anything. Remember, all the guys guarding Michael had Air Jordan sneakers when they were little. Their worst nightmare has come true -- now they have to guard Michael, and if he stays in this rhythm, we could be seeing the start of something huge. 2. The hottest team in the league is none other than Dallas, a team clearly flawed in the middle and with an unhappy Juwan Howard but loaded with three potential All-Stars playing great. Why are the Mavs playing so well? Because Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash are playing fantastic basketball right now, and Don Nelson is an outstanding coach. The Mavericks make sure every game they play in is an open game, knowing they can score 100. In games that the Mavs have scored 100 points, they are 17-0. They have been an offensive machine, and it has been surprising that opponents haven't slowed it up and played more physical against them -- the Mavs are basically a soft team. But those three guys should make the All-Star team, and Howard should get an attitude adjustment. The Mavs' offense doesn't feature him -- Howard needs to understand and accept his role within their current system. It's hard to understand how a player can be unhappy when his team has won 10 in a row.
3. Philadelphia got healthy, so it can't use that as an excuse. What do you say is the reason why the defending East champs aren't even winning half their games in the average East?
Without a doubt, Jason Kidd would be my choice for MVP right now. Kidd is the main reason why the Nets are sitting atop the Eastern Conference. The Nets are playing extremely well, and Kidd is doing everything he can to win. Kidd always affects his team in a positive manner -- he gets rebounds, assists and steals. If they need points, he can score, if they need rebounds, he can come up big on the glass. He's been setting his teammates up all season long, and he makes the people around him better. He's my MVP. 5. In the last month four coaches have moved on, and four assistants have taken over those teams, ranging from the bad Bulls to the potential playoff-bound Knicks. Why are assistant coaches so much in vogue and do any of these teams with coaching changes have a chance for success? In this day and age when a head coach is fired, because of mathematics and economics, it makes sense for a team to move up an assistant. They're already paying two salaries, it doesn't make much sense to take on another one mid-way through the season, especially when a team isn't exactly sure of who they want. It's good to have a guy who knows the team and system, who is close to the situation, and the players know him. If the moved-up assistant can implement a system and do a good job, he can have his "interim" tag removed. It often simply makes sense for teams to move their assistants over to the next chair. |
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