NBA Action Returns: Selected Recaps

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NBA Action Returns: Selected Recaps

February 21, 2007

Hornets 104, Bobcats 100

Another matchup of two of the three premier PGs taken in last year’s draft (The third being Deron Williams, not to rub it in Atlanta) in Charlotte tonight, and Chris Paul came out on top. It is worth noting that Raymond Felton has picked up his game considerably in recent weeks, especially with the reduced role of Brevin Knight. He had 21 points and 11 dimes (7-16 FGs, 5-5 FTs, 3 TOs) tonight.

Tyson Chandler continued his considerable rebounding, posting a double-double with 16 points and 20 boards (seven offensive rebounds, 8-12 FGs, 19th double-double). Gerald Wallace also keeps opening eyes on the offensive end of the floor, scoring 21 points along with seven rebounds and four assists (9-19 FGs, 3-4 FTs). He has been putting up huge point totals recently, and despite the decrease in his hustle stats (no blocks again, two steals), his value is on the rise; Wallace is always a minor tweak or twist away from the bench though, so fantasy players shouldn’t chase yesterday’s stats with this guy.

I can’t help but think that if Peja Stojakovic can ever get/stay healthy and provide the elite perimiter shooting the Hornets need, I’ll like what this team is doing. Keep in mind they have two of this season’s first-round big men on the roster in Cedric Simmons and Hilton Armstrong, who could be decent role players in the future alongside David West and Chandler up front and, of course, All-World PG Paul in the backcourt.

Wizards 112, Wolves 100

Kevin Garnett had another great overall game (26 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks on 8-17 FGs and 10-11 FTs), notched his league-leading 46th double-double, and once again couldn’t deliver down the stretch. Gilbert Arenas took advantage of rookie Randy Foye much of the night, recording a game-high 38 points and breaking out of a terrible slump that started when Antawn Jamison went out (For the evening, 12-24 FGs, 13-15 FTs, but still just 1-8 on 3s).

Ricky Davis If you’re considering Foye for your fantasy squad, it’s important to watch these early games as a starter to see if he’s the real deal. To be honest, he hasn’t distinguished himself yet. He continues to show flashes of brilliance alongside mind-boggling mental errors. That was the case again tonight, as he had two key turnovers in crunch time and delivered a lukewarm line (10 points, four assists, two 3s). Rashad McCants is another young guard to watch for the T-Wolves, a remarkable athlete just returning from offseason microfracture surgery who is adept at putting the ball in the basket. He showed his offensive prowess down the stretch last year, but scored just two points tonight in very limited action.

The Wolves were making a run with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter when Ricky Davis was Ricky Davis, drawing a technical that put Minnesota in a hole it never dug itself out of. DeShawn Stevenson went off early and often, scoring 23 points on an impressive 9-11 from the field. It continued a trend of good offensive numbers from the young man during Jamison’s absence, and that will be key if the Wizards are to keep the defensive pressure off of Arenas. Also of note were the 10 traveling violations called, the most I’ve seen in a long while. Sometimes the refs just decide to key in on something, and tonight it was the pivot foot.

Kings 104, Celtics 101

The Kings won the battle, but they’re losing the war. Neither of these teams are going anywhere this season, but there are still some great players to watch here. Too bad it was on the West coast so we didn’t get a chance to hear Tommy Heinsohn cover the game, he’s always a real card. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he would have had a few choice criticisms of the officiating. The Celtics made a run late, outscoring the Kings 20-13 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to top the tandem of Kevin Martin (22 points) and Ron Artest. Artest’s late heroics on the defensive end sealed the deal, including a huge block of Al Jefferson and a strong effort to keep the ball out of Paul Pierce’s hands down the stretch.

Kevin Martin Like Tommy, I’m a huge fan of the Celtics young guys, especially Rajon Rondo, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Delonte West. The Celts got good games from Jefferson and West (23 points, five 3s, five assists, 8-10 shooting) tonight, and I think it’s only a matter of time before they settle on a nucleus which includes these two to build on. Despite this evening’s action, if they can get a reasonable center and a high pick for Paul Pierce and/or Wally ‘Swollen Ankles’ Szczerbiak, they have to think about the next 10 years and pull the trigger. Once these kids enter their prime they could be scary, but Pierce will be past his at that point. I’m still befuddled by the trade for Sebastian Telfair (Six points, three assists, 12 minutes), who is not only redundant with the talent they have, but also can’t even find minutes on this rebuilding, youth-oriented team. He has no sense of flow, always pushing when he should be setting up the offense and ignoring fast-breaking teammates when he should be pushing.

Al Jefferson has been a double-double machine of late, and with his 15 points and 15 boards (10 and 5 in the first quarter) he now has 25 on the season (13th in the NBA, more than bigger names like Chris Bosh or Elton Brand). Paul Pierce has picked up where he left off, and he dropped 21 on the Kings tonight. It was a fun to watch as he faced off against Ron Artest, the NBA’s best perimeter and man defender. Sporting a mohawk he ripped off from Minnesota’s Craig Smith (among others), Artest had a very solid game defensively (Four steals, one block, 16 points) and kept the Celts out of rhythm most of the evening. It’s been an off season for him, but Mike Bibby was unusually quiet (10 points, three assists) for the thoroughly depressing, but victorious Kings.

Bulls 106, Hawks 81

In front of another capacity crowd in Chicago, the “Highlight Factory” Hawks (Have you seen these absurd promos?) fell to the Chicago Bulls in typical fashion Tuesday night. Due to the wacky NBA scheduling, this was the first of four meetings between the two Eastern Conference teams, and it will continue to be a matchup of two young East teams on the rise. Loads of young talent litter these rosters (Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Josh Childress, Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich) and they’re a lot of fun to watch. Unfortunately, only one plays defense and has a legit center.

The Hawks came into the game as a winning team in 2007 at 12-11 on the calendar year and left a .500 squad. Both of these teams play some sloppy offense and rely too much on jump shooting, and it was on full display tonight. Neither has a go-to, low post presence and that will continue to be their downfall until they address the matter. If Joe Johnson (Nine points, 2-12 FG shooting) and Ben Gordon have a tough time scoring, the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls have a tough time scoring. Then again, they play in the East, so I guess it depends on what standard of success we’re using.

Josh Smith (11 points, eight boards, three blocks) kept the streak alive, blocking a shot in his league-leading 26th consecutive game. J-Smoove also had two filthy throw-downs early, and the 2005 Dunk Champion remains one of the most entertaining players in the NBA to watch. It’s fun to see former Duke teammates Sheldon Williams, Chris Duhon and Luol Deng play in the same game, but Deng has really distanced himself from the other Dukies. He had 16 points, six boards, was 6-13 from the field, 4-4 from the line with just one turnover. It’s been the case for a while, but keep an eye on the Hawks’ young core, because with Joe Johnson, Josh Childress and Josh Smith they have the wing spots all sewn up, and they are a point guard or center away from being a playoff contender. Unfortunately, those happen to be the most difficult positions to staff. Too bad they passed on those three aforementioned PGs last year, eh?

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