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Thursday, January 4, 2001
Fred's Points: Iverson, Hill and Portland
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.
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| McGrady |
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| Hill |
1. How important is it for Orlando's players and coaches to know for sure that Grant Hill is done for the season? No more day-to-day talk. Might this news be closure for them and actually help?
Having been on both sides of the fence as a player and a coach I don't think it matters much to either group. Both players and coaches concern themselves with the personnel they do have and how to win with that. Discussion about who is out of the lineup and when they might be back is mainly for the media and the fans. You don't hope and wonder about if and might. You're there to play or to coach, and you do your best with the lineup on the floor.
Keep in mind that the Magic have never really had him in the lineup to begin with. Intellectually they know what he can bring to a team, but never having played with him they can't really miss him too much. Their offense hasn't actually been disrupted because he hasn't truly been part of the team yet.
His absence does leave a big hole that needs to be filled and I'm not sure Orlando is going to be able to do that this year. Of course you miss a talent like that. But whether his status is day-to-day or out for the year, the players and coaches approach their preparation in exactly the same way. The coach can't let his players lament the situation and he can't lament either. They have to keep playing and trying to win ballgames.
2. The doctors tell Allen Iverson that he needs to miss between 1-3 weeks with his separated shoulder. But he doesn't listen. How tough is Iverson, and might it actually be better for him and the team for him to sit out and heal properly?
I'm concerned about the situation with Allen Iverson. I applaud his warrior-like mentality. He's ready to go out there help his team win in any way and any condition possible. More players need to take a page out of Allen's book. Too many guys are sidelined with minor injuries.
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| Iverson |
However, sometimes you need to exercise discretion rather than valor. From a long-term standpoint it might make more sense for Iverson to take at least a few games to heal. The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint. If this was the playoffs as opposed to December, Allen would be doing exactly the right thing. But this early in the campaign his refusal to stay out of the lineup might be considered a little stubborn.
If he gets upended even once and has to break his fall with his right arm he might do serious damage. There is a school of thought on injuries that says "you can't hurt it anymore, why not play?" I never believed that. His arm is already weak from the injury. Allen spends a good deal of his time driving to the basket and in the air. He has a very good chance of making that injury worse if he lands wrong.
Allen should sit out the three weeks and heal completely. He can keep himself in aerobic shape and come back ready to lead his team in the second half of the season.
3. Portland winning in Los Angeles on Christmas cannot erase the memories of the Game 7 loss the Blazers suffered. But can this win go a long way to making the Blazers a better team this season, or is it simply just one game?
I would like to think that win chased some demons out of the Blazers locker room, but I'm not so certain. They've been a schizophrenic team all year long. If you look at Portland's makeup you feel that they should be as dominant as they were last year.
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| Stoudamire |
I'm concerned about two things in regard to this year's edition of the Blazers. They aren't scoring as much as they did last year. And, they're not as good defensively as they were last year. Until the points go up and the defensive field goal percentage goes down, I'm not sold on the Portland Trail Blazers as a serious title contender.
Beating the Lakers in L.A. is good for Portland but the Lakers also aren't playing as well as they were last year. They got a win in a harsh environment where they've had their problems -- that's always a good thing. It's a confidence boost and an ego boost but it doesn't solve their underlying problems. This is just one good win in a very long season.
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| Van Horn |
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| Marbury |
4. The Nets started the season 6-4 and led by Stephon Marbury they looked like a playoff team. Since then New Jersey is 3-16. What has gone wrong with this team?
The Nets have had a difficult struggle since the early part of the season when everything looked so bright. Different guys have not played well. It's never the same player doing poorly so benching one guy isn't going to help. They're playing very poorly offensively and allowing too many points on the defensive end. When you have those two things going against you, you will not win ballgames.
Keep in mind how injuries have affected this team. When Kerry Kittles and, especially, Keith Van Horn return to the lineup you will see a different Nets team. Van Horn is the double-double guy they need. He gives them points and rebounds they're sorely lacking right now.
As poorly as they've been playing recently though, the jury will be out until Van Horn returns. The Nets have shown they're capable of stringing a few wins together with a healthy lineup. Stephon Marbury is not going to be able to do all the things this team needs to do to win games. When they get the offensive production back that is sitting on the injured list right now, we'll find out if, indeed, the Nets have what it takes to make a run at the playoffs. Time may run out on them this year, but if those players are able to make a difference they could be in good shape heading into next season.
5. Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter put on a show on national TV Wednesday night. Kobe did on Christmas. Who would you call the most exciting player in the NBA?
That's a pick 'em. Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter are No. 1 and No. 1a.
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| Carter |
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| Garnett |
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| Bryant |
Kevin Garnett's personality doesn't quite push him to be the showman that the other two are. Although he's an exciting player, and is capable of scoring 30 ppg if he wanted to, he is much more team oriented than the other two. He gets assists, rebounds, blocks and points. He carries his team and may be a more complete player than either of the other two but from an excitement standpoint he is behind both Kobe and Vince.
I would probably give the edge to Kobe. He does so many things. He's a much better defender than Carter as well as being a better shooter and better from the free-throw line. Vince seems to hang in the air and his dunks are a little more thunderous, but Kobe is just a shade behind in those categories and he's a more complete player. That makes him just a little more exciting for me to watch.
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ALSO SEE
Fred's Points: Dec. 22
Fred's Points: Dec. 15
Fred's Points: Dec. 7
Fred's Points: Nov. 30
Fred's Points, Nov. 22
Fred's Points, Nov. 17
Fred's Points, Nov. 9
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