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Breaking down Week 1

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: A Magic mountain or a mole Hill? | Is Carter's comeback doomed? | Blazers off to a fiery start | Kobe no longer playing "stupidly" | Random Game Notes | Peep Show

Don't worry. It's normal. No need to panic. It could be nothing. It happens to everybody.

Thursday's advice, that it's "only one game," no longer applies. Four games into the season we've already seen our first official Grant Hill scare, a Blazers meltdown, a Kobe Bryant-Phil Jackson controversy, and the hospitalization of the Raptors playoff dreams.

You've gotta love this game. . .

A Magic mountain or a mole Hill?

Doc Rivers' sleepless nights are back, courtesy of a sore Grant Hill ankle.

Hill played only 10 minutes in Saturday's game and sat out the second half nursing what the Magic deemed a sore ankle. Which ankle? Do you really need to ask?

The word out of Orlando is that Hill is fine, the left ankle is fine and everything will be fine. Wary Magic fans know better. The Magic have said that in each of the last two seasons only to later to announce that Hill would miss the rest of the season.

But this time, he really is fine. Really.

"We just got a brand new CT scan and new X-rays, and everything looks fantastic," said Dr. Joe Billings, the team physician, told the Orlando Sentinel. "We expect him to have some soreness from time to time, but the bone just looks great."

Hill and the Magic both understand the concerns. Hill said that his ankle wasn't his only sore body part.

"I don't consider this a bump or a bruise," Hill said. "It was just like this, 'OK, I had played three games in four nights. Every part of my body is sore, including the ankle. We have the game in control. It's time to sit out.' That was that."

The plan, for now, is to be cautious. In 10 days, the Magic embark on a six-game-in-eight-night road trip, and Hill likely will sit out at least one of those games or have his minutes decreased.

Sentinel columnist Brian Schmitz isn't sleeping either.

"The NBA schedule is not built for a star in injury rehab. You cannot hit the 'pause' button. The Magic have 78 games remaining, including six sets of back-to-back games before the new year. How many can Hill make it through? How long does he rest his leg? Will he be listed as "day to day" for the rest of his career?"

Soreness in Hill's ankle quite normal

Jerry Brewer / Orlando Sentinel

Hill flunks this early season stress test

Brian Schmitz / Orlando Sentinel

Is Carter's comeback doomed?

Grant Hill wasn't the only star to go down with a familiar injury this weekend.

Vince Carter crumpled to the Compaq Center court on Saturday, clutching his oft-injured left knee. An MRI on Sunday revealed a sprained tendon but no structural damage.

It's the same knee Carter had surgically repaired in March and the early forecast doesn't look so hot. Carter has a big limp, and if history gives any indication it will be awhile before he can play at 100 percent again.

How long is "awhile"? The Toronto star suggests that may take months before the injury heals 100 percent. Do the Raptors want to risk a more catastrophic injury by having him play hurt (as he did for much of last season), or is it better to bench him for a while and get him back up to full steam?

The news gets even worse in Toronto. Antonio Davis was diagnosed with a sprained rib on his left side and will be out of the lineup for two weeks. And center Eric Montross and forward Lamond Murray are both on the injured list.

Now, Jerome Williams may have to sit a while with a hamstring injury. "I've got to re-evaluate it ... and see if I should give it the rest it needs to get healed up," Williams said of his hamstring. "I could understand if I was helping the team but at this point, I'm not really giving them anything because my game's high energy and it's hard to go full tilt when you've only got one leg."

Injuries keep rocking Raps

Doug Smith / Toronto Star

Not again! Vince re-injures knee

Bill Harris / Toronto Sun

Blazers off to a fiery start

Speaking of things that never change, it's nice to see that the Blazers got all of those chemistry problems worked out this summer.

After an opening night victory, the team started to disintegrate in game two, a blowout loss to the Kings. Bonzi Wells wanted to be first in line to point out that the Blazers have too many good players, which leads to playing-time issues, which leads to selfishness, which leads back to . . . Bonzi.

"It's different for us," Wells told the Oregonian. "We have two or three different teams on our team, so everything is so spaced out. It's not like we are out there for 48 minutes with our starters. . . . We have a lot of guys, and it's tough to find your niche. I know I'm not in a flow, and it's tough to find it when you are not playing. But it's no problem, this is how it's going to be when we made the choice to have a deep team. We just have to find a way to play together and win."

That three-headed point guard experiment also looks better after Antonio Daniels and Jeff McInnis almost came to blows on the bench, which was halted with Ruben Patterson yelling expletives.

Coach Mo Cheeks called the first of what should be many team meetings to try and nip the controversy before it escalated out of control.

"I addressed that, and I addressed it in a way that if you are playing three minutes, you play, and you do what you can do in three minutes. If you play 20 minutes, you do what you can do in 20 minutes," Cheeks said. "It's only two games into the season, so if it's up and down already, we are in big trouble."

Cheeks said he felt better after the meeting, but a listless effort against the lowly Nuggets Saturday had him back in the infirmary.

"That was as poor a game as any since I have been here," Cheeks said. "There was nothing there . . . nothing."

The Nuggets, a team whose starting lineup didn't average 40 ppg last season, shot 59.2 percent. They had lay-ups or dunks on 11 of their first 15 baskets.

A loss Sunday night to the Lakers won't help things. The Blazers are now off to a 1-3 start. Ironically, the team's worst offender appears to be Wells. He's averaging just 8.5 ppg on 31 percent shooting from the field. Cheeks vows that things will change.

"There has been a lot of talk about us having a lot of players," Cheeks said. "So if we have a lot of players, maybe I have to find a way to insert those players and make things happen."

Derek Anderson, for one, hopes so. He was miffed that some Blazers players stole his Krispy Kreme doughnuts after Saturday's game. "What kind of teammate takes your doughnuts?"

The Blazers, Derek. Your friendly neighborhood Blazers.

Blazers' hopes for fast start are stalled

Jim Beseda / Oregonian

Coming up empty again

Jason Quick / The Oregonian

Cheeks moves quickly to address grumbling

Jason Quick / The Oregonian

Blazers on trail to trouble

Sam Smith / Chicago Tribune

Kobe no longer playing "stupidly"

Charlie Rosen's Page 2 piece on Kobe Bryant worked the L.A. media into a frenzy Friday. Rosen claimed that Bryant and assistant coach Tex Winter got into a fight recently that ended in this fun exchange.

"You played stupidly," Winter told Bryant..

"You coached stupidly," Bryant retorted.

The Lakers shrugged the whole thing off as old news. Yes, Kobe is wont to take too many shots. And yes, Tex Winter will bluntly tell Kobe what he thinks of it.

Said Kobe. "He's bullheaded. I'm bullheaded."

Where's the story? Jackson responded by saying the whole thing was blown out of proportion and that no one had a problem with Kobe.

How did Kobe respond? With two triple-doubles, including Sunday night's 33-point, 14-rebound and 12-assist performance against the Blazers.

"Like I said from the beginning of the season, my whole focus is to make my teammates better," Bryant told the L.A. Times. "You know, offense is going to come whether I score 30 points or 14. It really doesn't matter. It's really about getting my teammates involved, making them better players all season."

The significance of the feat shouldn't be lost on Laker fans. It had been more than 11 years since a Laker followed a triple-double with another. Magic Johnson did it in late March 1991 against Sacramento and Portland.

"Phew," Bryant said. "That's great company to be mentioned with the Magic man. I don't even know what to say to that."

How about, "I didn't play stupidly."

A Kobe Show Stopper

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Here's the story: there's no story

Howard Beck / Los Angeles Daily News

Random Game Notes

I held off on the Jazz on Friday, but after watching them squeak by the Warriors and then get pounded by the Sonics, it may be time. Brad Fulmer of Salt Lake City, on behalf of the good people of Utah, has given me license to criticize the Jazz. He writes:

"Great line about the 'entire state of Utah mobilizing' if you even sneeze in the Jazz's direction. Of course you're so right about that. But you know what? I think most loyal, realistic, Jazz fans are OK with the fact that this just might be the year that all the so-called 'experts' have been predicting for the past 6-7 years — the year the Jazz actually underachieve and miss the playoffs. . .When your three hardest-working, maximum-effort players are Jarron Collins, Matt Harpring and Andrei Kirilenko, you're in big trouble. The rest of the team licks, straight up. . .Most Jazz fans, myself included, understand this and honestly, we're OK with it. It's been a helluva ride, and we give big love to Stockton and Malone for keeping the ship sailing on course for so many great seasons. They'll most likely never get the championship title they so richly deserve, but they're are nonetheless still champions."

Call Karl Malone's first-ever scoreless game a sign. The Jazz don't appear to have enough juice to get it done. Yes, they'll steal some games against athletic, inexperienced teams like the Warriors, Nuggets and Grizzlies. But they'll have their hands full against the Western Conference elite. Brad's right about the supporting cast. At this point in their careers, Malone and Stockton shouldn't be the only two legit offensive options. With the exception of Harpring and an occasional breakout game from Kirilenko, where is their offense coming from? DeShawn Stevenson looks over matched (he's shooting 29 percent from the field) and they have no low-post game to speak of when Malone is off the floor.

But stamina may be the Jazz's biggest issue. The team doesn't have much depth, and with two aging stars crucial to the team's success, Gary Payton revealed the Sonic's strategy for beating up the Jazz — run them to death.

The Clippers are off to a slow start, but there were signs of hope after the they eked out a win against the defensive-minded Pistons. First, Michael Olowokandi leads the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots with 16.3 ppg, 12.7 rpg and 3 bpg over the first three games. Olowokandi's effort Sunday afternoon (19 points, 20 boards) came against the reigning defensive player of the year, Ben Wallace. Is Olowokandi finally ready for his breakthrough season or is this more evidence that Olowkandi finally realizes he's playing for a contract? It may be neither. The additions of Andre Miller and Marko Jaric have resulted in several easy scores for Olowokandi early. He seems to be feeding off his early success throughout the rest of the game. Second, the Clippers are showing some surprising defensive prowess with the addition of Andre Miller and a rejuvenated Olowokandi. The Clipps held the Pistons to four points in the final 7 minutes, 13 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Elton Brand said the Clipps' early struggles will help them down the road. "We stayed positive," Brand told the L.A. Times. "Coach told us not to panic and we didn't. Finally, something went right for us. Finally, there's something to smile about."

It may be a little premature to begin the Sidney Lowe hot seat watch, but the Grizzlies are off to a rough start and it's only going to get rougher from here. Optimists will say that the Grizzlies (0-3) defeats have come at the hands of the Mavs, Kings and Pistons. Pessimists point to the fact that several key players (read Jason Williams) don't appear to playing hard, playing together or playing defense. Unfortunately, their next three are against the Spurs, Blazers and Kings again. After that brutal stretch, things will get interesting. The Grizz face the Nuggets, Warriors, Bulls and T-Wolves twice. Those are all winnable games. If the losing streak continues through that stretch, let's start talking about Lowe's job. For now, let's just talk about defense. Their offense is the fifth most prolific in the league but that D is giving up an average of 114 ppg. Even the Pistons managed to get 109 points against the Grizz. Point guard Jason Williams is pointing the finger at his coach, but Lowe will have none of it. "Defense is something you have to work at," Lowe told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "Defensively, you have to buckle down. . . . Last year, we had to get by with work ethic alone. This year, there is more talent. I'd rather have talent and work ethic."

Allan Houston is trying to pick up all of the slack for the Knicks. For the first three quarters he's been superb. But he's running out of gas when the Knicks need him most. In quarters one through three, Houston is shooting 29-for-54 and has scored 78 points. But against Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston, Houston went 1-for-8, 1-for-6 and 2-for-6, respectively, and has scored a total of 15 points.

"Look at the situation, and it's sort of unfair to Allan," Knicks coach Don Chaney told the New York Times. "That was the risk I had to take because if he comes out the score changes. He was fatigued. I knew this. But I had no other choice. I wanted a chance to win, and I knew that by rolling the dice, if he was in there, he would fatigue toward the end."

Speaking of one-man teams, with the talent all gone and a bunch of rookies running around the court, the Nuggets had to turn to someone to do things like score, rebound and hand out assists. Right now, swingman James Posey has taken it upon himself to do it all. Through three games, Posey is averaging 16.3 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 6.1 apg and 2 spg — all team highs.

Seattle Slams Jazz as Malone Fails to Score for First Time in Ca

Phil Miller / Salt Lake Tribune

Clippers Lift Spirits

Elliott Teaford / Los Angeles Times

Pin Grizzlies' problems on defense, desire

Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial Appeal

Malaise bad sign for Lowe

Geoff Calkins / Memphis Commercial Appeal

Without Sprewell, Knicks Rely on Houston

Steve Popper / New York Times

Peep Show

Lakers: Shaquille O'Neal continues to press toward a Nov. 12 return. O'Neal said the part of his toe that had the arthritic condition feels healed, and he's only waiting on the underside of the toe, where Dr. Robert Mohr shaved bone spurs, the L.A. Times reported. O'Neal is off the medication, and when he is wearing his new shoes and orthotics, he said, he feels no pain.

Kings: Chris Webber missed more than a week of the preseason with a strained groin and says he's missing time now with the same injury. "I don't know when the injury changed to an [lower] abdominal strain, but it shows how serious it was in the first place," Webber told the Sacramento Bee. "It's the same injury. . .The doctors said the pain basically is telling me to slow down," said Webber, who has missed three of the team's first four games. "They don't want me to push it to see how far I can go."

Mavs: A definitive answer for how long Raef LaFrentz will be out with his tweaked ankle should come Monday, but the Mavericks are bracing for the worst -- which could be several weeks without LaFrentz. "It's going to be a test for us," assistant coach Donnie Nelson said Sunday. "It's unsettling is what it is. For the vast majority of teams out there, it would be a big setback."

Clippers: Quentin Richardson suffered a hyperextended right knee in the first half and his status for the Clippers' next game is unclear. "We don't know what his status is right now," coach Alvin Gentry told the L.A. Times.

Sixers: Center Todd MacCulloch's painful plantar fasciitis in his left foot and heel pain in his right foot are flaring up again. He has tried various treatments and many sets of orthotics since last season, and was fitted last week for yet another set. "He has to play better," coach Larry Brown told the Philly Daily News. "He's in terrible shape. His feet are bad, and that's one of the reasons he's in bad shape."

Pacers: Al Harrington is denying suggestions that he's upset Ron Artest, Jonathan Bender and Jeff Foster all exceed the four-year, $23.75 million contract he received last year. "It was a little surprising, but I'm happy for both of those guys," Harrington told the Indianapolis Star. "Donnie [Walsh, team president] did what he had to, to keep them here, so I can't be mad. It really doesn't matter. Four years down the line, I'll make up for these four years." Artest's six-year contract is for about $42 million. Bender's was for $27 million over four years. Foster received $30 million over six years.

Sonics: Kenny Anderson finally got into a game for the Sonics. Obviously he's still struggling with his new role off the bench. "I can't say I'm getting used to it because really I don't want to get used to it," Anderson told the Seattle Times. "But I'm fine with it for now. For this season, that's the way it is. Coming off of the bench, in a way, I don't have no real pressure on me. I just got to come in and try to keep the team above water. So if I were starting like I normally am, it would be a lot of expectations. But whatever. I'm here. A role player. That's my job." Anderson finished the game with seven rebounds, four assists and 10 points on 5 of 7 shooting.

Wizards: Michael Jordan is asking that you withhold your judgement on the Wizards until December. "Until everybody fits into a certain role and we live up to those responsibilities and make a complete game out of it, it could be up and down the first six or seven games, maybe longer," Jordan told the Washington Post. "We've shown good signs of being a good team but we've certainly shown signs of it going the other way. Sooner or later we're going to get the right mix. It's going to fall in place. Give us a good month. . . . Then if it's not working we have to look at other situations. After three games I don't think we want to push the panic button."

Shaq's Step, Hope Spring Eternal

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Webber's groin strain slow to heal

Martin McNeal / Sacramento Bee

Can Mavericks thrive without LaFrentz?

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Clippers Lift Spirits

Elliott Teaford / Los Angeles Times

Any way you say it, MacCulloch's ailing

Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News

Harrington deals with slow start

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

Notebook: Kenny Anderson sees his first action as a Sonic

Percy Allen / Seattle Times

And One Part Mixologist

Steve Wyche / Washington Post