Fran Session: Sitting Spurs' stars raises several questions

0205_spursbenched608.jpg
Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images


By Fran Blinebury, for NBA.com
Posted Feb 5 2009 10:31AM


Gregg Popovich gave Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley Tuesday night off in Denver.

Did Coach Pop give himself a mini-vacation as well?

After all, he spent the entire night smiling and relaxing on the bench as his San Antonio Spurs "leftovers" put on an entertaining display of hustle and energy. When the TV cameras zoomed in, the only thing missing from Popovich was a ukulele in one hand and an umbrella drink in the other.

They say you can't tell the players without a scorecard. Then again, sometimes you can't tell the winners even with a box score.

Was that victorious coach George Karl who emerged from a heated locker room discussion with his Denver Nuggets following their 104-96 victory (Highlights | Recap | Box Score) over the Spurs?

"I don't think I have anything on my mind except anger," he said.

Meanwhile, Popovich might as well have been lying on a beach with waves lapping at his toes.

Is there such a thing as a good loss? Or maybe a loss that proves a point? Or even a loss that doesn't really mean anything at all?

Those were all the questions that Popovich tossed up into the air with the opening tip when he sent his "Spurs Lite" lineup out onto the floor at the Pepsi Center without a single member of his "Big Three."

Ginobili, he said, was "legitimately banged up" after bruising his left hip the night before at Golden State.

The other two?

"Parker makes the All-Star team and becomes hard to deal with, so we're going to sit him and teach him a lesson," Popovich cracked before the game. "Duncan says he wants to renegotiate his contract, so I said, 'Sit. I'm not talking to you.' "

And for good measure, he let the venerable Finley rest his weary legs, too, even if it did end a streak of 284 consecutive games played.

Then Popovich got coy.

"For a variety of reasons, I don't think Timmy and Tony should play tonight," he said.

It was, after all, just stop No. 48 in the meandering 82-game journey that is the NBA regular season schedule that often has no rhyme or reason.

Was Popovich's motivation to tweak the nose of the schedule-makers at the league office back in New York who had forced his team to play in Oakland -- a high-intensity affair against the up-tempo Warriors that went into overtime -- on Monday night, then lose an hour traveling across a time zone for a Tuesday night game in Denver?

Then toss another log on the silly fire when you consider that the Spurs won't play their next game until Sunday in Boston.

Popovich wasn't copping to anything, just enjoying an evening where he didn't have to wince when one of his All-Stars had to limp off the court with a sprained ankle. That was Denver's Chauncey Billups, and that was just one more reason why Karl's head was ready to explode.

So was it fair to the NBA fans that plopped down their hard-earned dollars in Denver to see Duncan, Parker and Ginobili and instead got Kurt Thomas, George Hill and Ime Udoka?

Was it fair to the spirit of competition throughout the league for the Spurs to mail one in? Except that as Popovich's beatific smile and Karl's post-game rant showed, it was the Nuggets who FedEx-ed in an effort that barely got them to their destination.

Everyone knows it's a hard-knock life for the NBA's fresh princes, being forced to crisscross the country in custom charter jets. Sometimes the geography and the calendar are more than a little wacky.

But in the 1971-72 season, when the Lakers set the all-time record with their 33-game winning streak, they played back-to-back-to-back games -- three in three nights -- on three different occasions.

Popovich doesn't care what they did in the old days. Frankly, he doesn't care about anything that isn't in the absolute best interest of his team right here and now. He has never liked playing all of the corporate games, about making money for the league, about being a good NBA partner. He doesn't really care what others think. He just wants to take care of his players and win. Which is one reason why he's so very, very good.

In a way, it's funny. For so many years, people have complained about having to watch Duncan, Parker and Ginobili's "dull and boring" style while they won championships. Now there are peeps of complaint when you don't get to watch them.

But who won and who really lost? The victory gave the Nuggets the season series 2-1 and the first tie-breaker over the Spurs in a tight Western Conference race. But what did this game prove to San Antonio or to Denver that will matter in the playoffs? In the Nuggets' other win, back in November, Ginobili and Parker were both out. The only time both teams were at full strength, the Spurs went into Denver and whipped the Nuggets by 17.

So do the Nuggets feel that they have an edge in a potential playoff meeting? Have the Spurs given up anything at all?

Go ahead and ask a grinning Popovich. And get him a refill and a new umbrella for his drink while you're at it.

Fran Blinebury covers the NBA for the Houston Chronicle.

Rookie Rankings: New guys scoring big in different ways

David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

By Dave McMenamin, NBA.com
Posted Feb 4 2009 9:00PM

Sometimes the best way to start off the Rookie Rankings is with a simple question:

Who is the best scorer in this year's class?

The first way you measure scoring is points, of course, just like the first way an American Idol contestant is judged is by whether or not he or she can sing in tune. Going by purely points, the best rookie scorer is Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo, whose 19.4 points per game is nearly three points higher than his closest competitor, Chicago's Derrick Rose.

But just like outfits, age, style and general appeal are considered when Simon and Co. decide whether to send the person standing before them to Hollywood, there are a host of other factors in deciding who is the best rookie scorer.

If we went by accuracy, Memphis' Marc Gasol and his 51.7 clip from the field would make him the best scorer out there.

How about free throws? Throughout the years, the league's scoring champ is always right near the top of the list in most trips to the line per game. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook is leading all rookies with 5.2 attempts per game. His 81.1 free-throw percentage is sixth behind Charlotte's D.J. Augustin, Portland's Rudy Fernandez, Mayo, the L.A. Clippers' Eric Gordon and New Jersey's Brook Lopez.

Another thing: Minutes. A lot of first-year players have their playing time jerked around. One day they're a starter, the next they're being sent down to the D-League. (Especially if they play for Don Nelson in Golden State.) If you go by the points scored each 48 minutes, Miami's Michael Beasley is the leading scorer, with a 26.3 average.

Let's consider versatility, too. The ability to hit the deep ball is a great weapon to keep the defense guessing. The Warriors' Anthony Morrow is the best rookie at that, shooting a cool 50 percent (42-for-84) from three this year.

Ultimately, it's a question that can only be answered with the aid of time and the injection of personal opinion. This season Chris Paul, Joe Johnson, Antawn Jamison, Amar'e Stoudemire and Vince Carter all are scoring between 21.0 and 21.5 points per game. Statistics aren't going to help you decide which guy out of that group is most apt to score 30 on any given night.

Same thing for the rookies. I happen to like Gordon's game a lot. I think he's a guy who could become a Hal Greer with his combination of a good jumper and his quickness. He's short, but he's really strong in his core and upper body, he can draw contract to get some freebies when he's looking for guaranteed points and he can stroke it from three.

Of course, that same description could be applied to Rose, Mayo and Westbrook, as well.

Korleone Young Drop of the Week: R. Fernandez POR; E. Gordon LAC; J. Thompson SAC (-1)
Eddie Gottlieb Rise of the Week: M. Gasol MEM; B. Lopez NJN (+1)

Overall Rankings - Week 14

1. O.J. Mayo, G, Memphis G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 47 37.8 19.4 4.0 2.8 1.1 0.1 .446 .383 .876 Last Week: 1 | Drafted: 3 In his introductory press conference, Grizzlies interim head coach Lionel Hollins said that he thought as recently as last year that he was done with making a living from basketball. If he consistently gets more games out of his troops like Mayo's 33 points in a win against the Wizards last week, Hollins won't ever have to worry about keeping his job in basketball because he'll have more job security with Memphis than Biff Henderson has with The Late Show.

2. Derrick Rose, G, Chicago G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 49 36.8 16.6 3.6 6.3 0.9 0.2 .465 .273 .789 Last Week: 2 | Drafted: 1 Rose flirted with a triple-double against Houston (12 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) and topped the 20-point plateau against Phoenix and the Clippers last week, but the effort that caught my eye was his 11 assists, two steals, three rebounds and four points in a rout of Sacramento. Rose played 30 minutes and shot only 2-for-6 from the field, but showed the ability to impact the game without feeling compelled to take a bunch of shots, even though he is capable of getting his shot off with the best of them.

3. Russell Westbrook, G, Oklahoma City G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 48 31.4 15.0 4.4 4.9 1.4 0.2 .412 .310 .811 Last Week: 3 | Drafted: 4 Recently a Western Conference executive lobbied to me that Westbrook has been the best rookie in the league ever since Scott Brooks took over for P.J. Carlesimo in Oklahoma City. It's an argument that you have to consider. It seems like every week Westbrook gets more comfortable on the offensive end as his percentages rise and his confidence soars.

4. Brook Lopez, C, New Jersey G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 49 30.1 12.0 8.0 0.7 0.6 1.9 .496 .000 .829 Last Week: 5 | Drafted: 10 Lopez filled it up like a seasoned vet with 24 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks against the Sixers last week and followed that performance with an impressive 22, 12 and two line against the Bucks. He was awarded the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January and is developing into the most consistent rookie in the class.

5. Eric Gordon, G, L.A. Clippers G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 48 32.5 14.3 2.5 2.5 1.0 0.4 .434 .376 .867 Last Week: 4 | Drafted: 7 Gordon was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January, averaging 21.9 points and 4.1 assists per game for the month. I know the Clippers' season has had more "what ifs" surrounding it than Mickey Rourke's career, but imagine a healthy front line of Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby and Zach Randolph flanked by Gordon and Baron Davis in the backcourt. That's a playoff team, right?

6. Michael Beasley, F, Miami G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 46 24.6 13.4 5.5 0.8 0.5 0.5 .451 .380 .748 Last Week: 6 | Drafted: 2 Let's do this capsule as if Dick Vitale was calling into Mike & Mike: "Mike Beasley, stock up. You know the fans in Manhattan, Kansas missed their super, scintillating, sensational superstar when he put up 15.8 points and 8.8 rebounds over four games last week. But also, Michael Beasley, stock down. He told Sports Illustrated last week that he has a picture of him and SpongeBob together on his wall. What about the picture of him and Dickie V??!!! C'mon baby!!!"

7. Marc Gasol, C, Memphis G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 47 30.5 11.3 7.1 1.7 0.7 1.0 .517 .000 .707 Last Week: 8 | Drafted: 48 by L.A. Lakers in 2007 Just a fantastic week for Gasol as he shot 18-for-25 from the field (72.0 percent) over three games, culminating in a win over Washington when he went for 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.

8. Jason Thompson, F, Sacramento G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 50 25.9 10.5 6.9 1.0 0.6 0.5 .504 .000 .720 Last Week: 7 | Drafted: 12 In a nice feature on Kings.com about Sacramento's rookies, Thompson said of playing against established stars every night: "They're my enemies. Obviously there are some guys I've grown up watching over the years, but I know they have different colored jerseys and I have to go right at them." I didn't know Thompson had that mean streak in him, but I like it. It should serve him well.

9. Mario Chalmers, G, Miami G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 47 31.0 9.8 2.5 4.6 1.9 0.1 .422 .370 0.752 Last Week: 9 | Drafted: 34 Anybody ever think that the Heat haven't pulled the trigger on the rumored Stephon Marbury deal because Chalmers is actually a pretty good player and Dwyane Wade already dominates in the Heat's offense as it is? Chalmers had 15 points, eight assists and four steals against the Clippers on Monday, showing just how lethal he can be on both ends.

10. Kevin Love, F, Minnesota G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 47 23.1 9.2 8.5 1.2 0.4 0.6 .448 .143 .770 Last Week: The Next 10 | Drafted: 5 There was an undercurrent of outrage when the Love Machine was left off of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge roster, but, as I detailed last week, the committee pretty much got the team right. Love fans can take some solace in the fact that he bumps Portland's Rudy Fernandez out of the Top 10 because his 10.0 rebounds per game in just 24.5 minutes of playing time over his last four games was too impressive to ignore.

RED = Rookie Leader (Must Qualify)

The Next 10 (alphabetical order): Darrell Arthur (MEM), Ryan Anderson (NJN), Rudy Fernandez (POR), J.J. Hickson (CLE), George Hill (SAS), Courtney Lee (ORL), Luc Mbah a Moute (MIL), Anthony Morrow (GSW), Greg Oden (POR), Marreese Speights (PHI)

Noteworthy Gallinari Danilo Gallinari (NYK) doesn't have eye-popping numbers since he made his return in January from an early season back injury, but the Knicks are 6-2 with him back so he's doing something right. He's also 13-for-13 from the foul line for the season, which isn't quite Jose Calderon, but it's nothing to scoff at. Ryan Anderson (NJN) teetered on the line between production and potential scoring three, 17, four and 19 points in consecutive games. To his credit, the four came in a win against the Sixers when he chipped in nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Nicolas Batum (POR) went 4-for-5 from three in a game against the Jazz last week, causing me to investigate his marksmanship. Turns out the Blazers are 8-1 this season when Batum drops in two 3-pointers or more. Jerryd Bayless (POR) has continued to fill in nicely for Steve Blake, who is taking longer to recover from his shoulder injury than Portland expected. Bayless collected 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting to go with six assists in a win against the Hornets. JaVale McGee (WAS) broke out with 18 points and nine rebounds against the Clippers after combining for just four points and 12 boards in his previous two games against the Heat and Sixers. The Clips aren't good, but they're good for something. George Hill (SAS) was allowed to run free against the Nuggets on Tuesday as Gregg Popovich gave Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan the night off. Hill proved that Pop holding the reins on his playing time might be the best option at this point, as he went 4-for-14 from the field with three turnovers in a loss to the Nuggets. The HNPAMY (Have Not Played A Minute Yet) Club: J.R. Giddens (BOS), D.J. White (OKC) * = assigned to D-League D-League Watch: Malik Hairston was recalled from the Austin Toros by San Antonio.