Basketball Newsletter - February 29, 2000
Biblical proportions
And lo, there was a bright new star in the east, and the masses came to wonder at it. They came from the almighty kingdom of NBC to worship the incredible flying man, the saviour of the NBA. They came from Hollywood to sit courtside and be on TV bowing down to the bright star. The incredible flying man's mother looked down from above on her son and saw that she had done good, while the omnipresent Costas, the High priest of NBC preached the from the book of Vince. And how did the young star react to the lofty platitudes of the many? No false prophet, he, as he sailed and soared, swished and dunked in a miraculous 51-point game. For on that day, this one bright star outshone a galaxy of Suns and ascended to that higher place in the kingdom of Jordan.
The bigger they are...
Grizzlies' big man Bryant Reeves is back on the injured list. The fella they call "Big Country" was placed on the IL Saturday with a bone bruise in his right knee. This is the third time in the last two seasons that the 7-foot Reeves has missed action because of his knee.. he's already been out seven games earlier this season. In his first year with Vancouver, he averaged 16.3 points and 7.9 rebounds. This year he is averaging 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 47 games.
Is there a shortage of Big Fellas in the NBA these days? CTVSportsnet.com's Paul Jay says we just don't see the dominant centres anymore:
"By the early nineties, Robinson, Rik Smits, Motumbo and Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning had arrived. But since 1992, only one dominant centre has been added to the roster: Tim Duncan. And he plays power forward.
Perhaps this explains why Bryant Reeves makes so much money. Or why Kareem was brought in as an assistant coach with the Clippers to work with first-pick bust Michael Olowokandi and see if he can be taught something -- anything -- about footwork."
Read more at:
[retired link]
Who's hot
** Minnesota Timberwolves. These guys have been led by the fabulous Kevin Garnett all season. But when a team relies on one guy down the stretch, they can burn out in the playoffs. Coach Flip Saunders saw an opportunity to give the guy a rest this past week with games against the Clippers and Golden State. The team has won 4 in a row, they have a rested All Star in Garnett. They're looking really strong heading towards the playoffs.
Who's not
** Michael Jordan at the trade deadline. The Wizards are awful and just about everyone was on the trading block. No deals, no dice, underachievers over the salary cap in Washington. Could it be because MJ is not experienced enough to play the game and "pull the trigger" on a big deal? Or are there still a lot of NBA execs out there who are smarting from being taken to the cleaners on the court in the last decade by Mr. Jordan? Hmmm... old wounds and long memories.
** The Orlando Magic. This was a team that wasn't supposed to do much this year. So why are they in the CTVSportsnet.com doghouse? Maybe it's because everyone is going on and on about how coach Doc Rivers is a genius, carrying this ragtag team of misfits, with no discernible star, into playoff contention. Well enough already! They're just not good enough! Chomping at Detroit's bit is one thing, but a 5-game losing streak doesn't help. You ain't going to Disney World if you lose like that! (Strike that, the team virtually plays in Disney World.) The Magic have to stop playing the little underdog who could card and play the game! And maybe they WILL be the little team that could.
Dukes of Hazard?
They used to be the Dukes of the Stratosphere, but now the Blue Devils are getting a dose of mortality. Duke, which had recently been second in NCAA basketball rankings, dropped to fourth following its 83-82 home loss to St. John's. Yes, St. John's, the Wake Forest of 2000.
Meanwhile Stanford, which extended its winning streak to 12 games with easy victories over Washington State and Washington last week, was the unanimous No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 Monday. Cincinnati and Arizona, the only teams to beat Stanford this season, each moved up one spot to second and third in the poll. The Stanford-Arizona rematch is March 9. We'll see if the Cardinal is the real thing next month.
What the fans are saying
What's the best duo in the NBA right now? And does that make a dynasty?
Anonymous says:
"VC and T-MAC gel together like MJ and Scottie, they are perfect compliments with a strong supporting cast. What position will the Raps be if Tracy decides to leave the organization? Will this disrupt team chemistry, decrease excitement, etc. Should number 1 leave for reasons being? I think this is an important issue that should be discussed and personally being a Raptor fan, Tracy should stay with the Raptors."
Tripp responds:
"Should TMac leave isn't the question. It's will he and when he. I think TMac will leave at the end of the season. There will be no Toronto "dynasty" and Vince will eventually leave also. Vince will stay in Toronto about three more years after this year, and Toronto will struggle to get past .500 again."
Rap says:
"The Raptors will have a dynasty all right, thanks to the best front court in the NBA in Yogi Stewart, Sean Marks and John Thomas. The best the NBA has to offer can't match up to the talented three. VC and TMAC can leave, but they'll regret when Sean Marks lead them the Raptors to a dynasty that is even longer than the Bulls. If Carter stays, he might pick up the sixth man award or something and play his bench role. TMac will add insurance as the 12th man."