Friday Insider

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Breaking on through

to the other side

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Is Penny returning to the point? | Another Spree frenzy | Random Game Notes | Peep Show

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That's the sound of Kwame Brown going off for 18 boards and five blocks on opening night.

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That's Ricky Davis dropping 24 points off on Kobe Bryant's doorstep.

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James Posey's triple double kicks the Blazers to the curb.

"Sometimes," Wizards coach Doug Collins said about Brown, "you just don't know what clicks. You just don't."

Mike Bibby, Wally Szczerbiak and Michael Redd shed the dreaded potential label last season. Early this season, a number of young players and a couple of grizzled veterans appear poised to make the next big step. Here's Insider's look at players on the brink of a breakout season.

PG: Gilbert Arenas, Warriors

Stats: 17.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 6 apg, 49% shooting

Skinny: Arenas is an inspiration to every athletic undersized two guard in college basketball who knows his only ticket into the league is to somehow make the transition to point guard in the pros. Everyone knew that Arenas was one of the most explosive athletes in the draft two years ago, but his size (6-foot-3) and lack of experience at the point torpedoed his stock, landing him in the second round. Even new coach Eric Musselman had his doubts early on, but Arenas has been the best player on the Warriors early in the season. He plays hard, is a tough defender and is one of the few Warriors shooting at a high percentage. He still needs to cut down on the turnovers, but with each passing game it's becoming more apparent that the Warriors' point guard of the future was sitting right under their noses.

Honorable Mention: Bobby Jackson, Kings

Stats: 17.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg on 47% shooting

Skinny: Given the point guard woes in Denver and Minnesota, you can bet that they're kicking themselves for letting Jackson slip away. He's been solid for the Kings the last two seasons, but his production has skyrocketed this season. He hasn't missed a beat in the absence of starting point guard Mike Bibby. The Kings are just happy that they have him locked up for the next four years. When Bibby comes back, he'll earn the designation as the best back-up point guard in the NBA.

SG: Ricky Davis, Cavs

Stats: 22.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.6 spg

Skinny: Last season's late flurry of points was just an appetizer. Davis is quickly proving that he was no late-season fluke. We knew he could score, but he's doing a ton of other little things that make his value deceptive. He's the team leading assist man, has done a good job crashing the boards and currently leads the league in steals and free-throw attempts (a whopping 57 attempts in five games).

Honorable Mention: Richard Hamilton, Pistons

Stats: 24 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg

Skinny: The Jerry Stackhouse-for-Hamilton trade had just about everyone scratching their heads in Detroit. How do you trade away an All-Star for a skinny kid who's managed to score a bunch of points on a terrible team? Hamilton's stats are virtually identical to the ones he put up in Washington, but this time he's doing it on a good team. Coach Rick Carlisle has asked Hamilton to be the man on offense for the Pistons and he's responded with 20-point performances in all five of the Pistons games. The team is off to a hot start and Carlisle can't stop signing Hamilton's praises. "I really like the way Rip is playing," Carlisle told the Detroit News. "He has been very efficient offensively, and I think he has really been competing defensively."

SF: James Posey, Nuggets

Stats: 18.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 4.8 apg

Skinny: It's easy to write off Posey's performance this year when you look at the ugly Nuggets. Someone has to score for the Nuggets, and Posey and Juwan Howard are the only two players capable of carrying the load. The difference, at least from the Nuggets' eyes, is that Posey isn't just scoring. He leads the team in scoring, assists and free-throw percentage. And, did we mention he's the team's best defender? The Nuggets have been claiming for the past two seasons that Posey was ready to have a breakout season offensively. Now you know why the Wizards tried so hard to get a deal done for Posey this summer.

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Bender, Pacers

Stats: 9 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.5 bpg

Skinny: His numbers aren't nearly as impressive as the rest of the people on the list, but make no mistake, this is Bender's breakout year. The Pacers are still stacked to the hilt with swingmen, but Bender is quickly distinguishing himself. For years, Bender was a practice wonder. Pacers brass would gush about his skills after a particularly great practice, but it never translated into production in actual games. This year it's different. You can see that he gets it. His size, versatility and athleticism all compare favorably to Kevin Garnett. While he doesn't have Garnett's outward aggressiveness, he does posses the stellar perimeter game that KG has always lacked. By this time next year, the tandem of Jermaine O'Neal and Bender will make the Pacers the scariest team in the East.

PF: Malik Rose, Spurs

Stats: 14.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 49% shooting

Skinny: It's tough to claim that a seven-year veteran is having a breakout year, but the 28-year-old Rose has definitely turned it up a notch. The former second-round pick has been a solid sixthman for the Spurs the last few seasons. But with David Robinson on the decline, Rose is getting more minutes beside Tim Ducan and is showing a new found offensive prowess while maintaining that fierce defensive tenacity.

Honorable Mention: Kwame Brown, Wizards

Stats: 11.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3 bpg

Skinny: The Kwame bandwagon is already going full throttle and for good reason. While he's yet to find any consistency on the offensive end, he's been remarkably consistent where the Wizards need him most -- on the boards and guarding the paint. He leads the team in rebounding and shot blocking. Any offense that comes is a bonus. After suffering through a miserable rookie season, something seems to have clicked in the 20 year old. After being left behind in the dust last season, he's ready to battle the Rockets' Eddie Griffin and the Bulls' Tyson Chandler as the best young power forward in the league.

C: Brad Miller, Pacers

Stats: 16 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg

Skinny: His game isn't sexy; in fact, it's slower than Jerry Krause's metabolism. But he's deceptively effective around the basket. In an age when undersized power forwards and 7-foot stiffs roam the middle, Miller is a true center who knows how to score with his back to the basket. "It still boggles my mind how he does the stuff he does. But he does it and it's a benefit for us," said Pacers reserve forward Jeff Foster. "He's slower than the average player, there's no question about that. But he's smart and he knows how to the play the game. And he knows how to use what he has. When he's open, he makes the shots. He knows how to use his body and get to the free throw line. And most big guys don't shoot anywhere near the percentage he does from the free throw line." Indeed, Miller has ranks seventh in the NBA in free-throw attempts, and unlike Shaq, he usually hits them. Miller is shooting a sizzling 87 percent from the line.

Honorable Mention: Stromile Swift, Grizzlies

Stats: 13.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg

Skinny: Jerry West may not like him, he may not have the best work habits in the world, but with a name like Stromile Swift, how can you go wrong. The Grizzlies have been trying to move Swift all summer when it became clear that the addition of Drew Gooden would create a minutes crunch. The team is holding out for Mike Miller, but instead of sending Swift to the bench, West and Co. got creative. They moved Swift to center, where he's been playing surprisingly well. Swift is an incredible athlete with long arms and good shot-blocking ability. With a dearth of true centers in the league, Swift has been able to thrive in the middle, keep his minutes up, and hopefully, have the type of breakout year that will convince a team like the Magic that they can't live without him. "He's not a big, physical kid. But he's active," coach Sidney Lowe said of Swift. "People have to worry about his athleticism and his ability to get to the rim, get his hands on balls and finish. . . . He's playing well. We felt he's capable of doing these things. He's put consecutive games together and that's what's been good."

Hamilton's game soars

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Full speed ahead

Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial Appeal

Miller trips up opponents by slowing pace

Sekou Smith / Indianapolis Star

Kwame Brown is well-schooled, well-learned

Michael Wilbon / Washington Post

Is Penny returning to the point?

Is Penny Hardaway finally ready to fulfill his destiny and become the big point guard we all thought he'd be when he came into the league?

During the fourth quarter of Wednesday's Suns victory, Penny was running the point while starting point guard Stephon Marbury was waiving a towel from the bench. The Suns came back from a 14-point fourth quarter deficet and the controversy had begun.

The Suns have been flirting with moving Marbury to the two, but the thinking all summer was the Joe Johnson might take over at the point. With Johnson struggling and Penny finally hungry again, Suns coach Frank Johnson may have found the right guy for the job.

"That's a position that I was made for," Hardaway told the Arizona Republic. "I deferred that to come here and play with Jason Kidd. That was my thought then."

But didn't Hardaway insist on playing two guard in Orlando his last two seasons there?

"There, I thought I needed to score more as a two guard for us to win," he said.

Uh-huh.

Clearly, Penny has the skills to play the point and Marbury seems more effective when he isn't the primary ball handler. But Marbury has insisted the past few years that he's a point guard and has resisted attempts to move him, ala Allen Iverson, to shooting guard. It wasn't clear Thursday what Marbury thought of the impending change.

"Right now, it's tough, because everyone is trying to figure the offense out," said Marbury, who said he wanted to play in Wednesday night's late minutes but was happy for a victory. "It's an adjustment. Right now, I'm not in a position to score. They're not running pick-and-rolls for me. It's just different."

Hardaway believes he can help Marbury find his role.

"I think Steph likes for me to handle the ball, 'cause I can kick it ahead to him and let him create," he said.

The biggest upside may come down the road for the Suns. If Penny can prove that he's healthy enough, physically and mentally, to excel at the point, his trade value will soar again. The Suns have been trying to pry Latrell Sprewell away from the Knicks for a while. If Penny can get back to the point, Knicks president Scott Layden may have to consider the move. Layden is under the gun to dump Spree and replace him with some young talent.

Would the Suns agree to a Penny, Jake Tsakalidis, Bo Outlaw and Alton Ford for Spree and Kurt Thomas trade?

Hardaway back in familiar role

Norm Frauenheim / Arizona Republic

Another Spree frenzy

Latrell Sprewell is still eyeing a Nov. 16th comeback. He had his first full-blown practice Thursday and gave his broken finger the thumbs up. Great. Right?

The New York media can turn anything into a full boiled controversy. This time Spree isn't causing the stir, but he's sure caught up in it.

After Lee Nailon's impressive 20-point performance versus the Kings, everyone is asking the same question. When Spree returns, will he still have his starting job?

"That's a pleasant problem. I don't mind dealing with that, as long as you have the talent on the floor," coach Don Chaney told the New York Post. "You're in the NBA: Everybody wants minutes. That's utopia. Everybody's not going to get the minutes. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get the wins, whether it's moving guys around to different positions or whatever."

With little to cheer for, the New York fans and media are clinging to Nailon like he's LeBron James. A 20-point performance and a win are nice, but is a guy who was recently cut really a better option than Spree?

Nailon, acquired last Wednesday, is 6-foot-9, 241 pounds and a more prototypical small forward.

"It was a huge move, because what he gives us is what we needed: a guy who can take the ball to the hoop, put the ball on the floor and go to the basket," Chaney said. "I feel very comfortable at that position."

Spree is laughing the whole thing off. He expects to start and to play the majority of the minutes.

"I don't know. I would assume that Lee is still going to play. He's been playing well," Sprewell said. "I don't look at it [as a problem]. I'm going to play. Once I get out there and get some type of rhythm, I'll do the things I've always done. Lee is just going to help us."

It looks like Scott Layden's boy, Shandon Anderson, may be the guy who gets shown the bench.

"He has an impact on the game when he plays to his strengths," Chaney said. "He's a high-energy guy, can really get into guys, and has great anticipation defensively. I expect that every night. Now, offensively, scoring points and things like that, if that comes, that's a little extra."

A Spree Of Questions

Brian Lewis / New York Post

Anderson's Time May Dry Up

Steve Popper / New York Times

Random Game Notes

Kobe Bryant shoots too much. I'm not player hating. Kobe has incredible skills, but if you take 47 shots in a game, you should at least be scoring 50 points. Kobe ended with 41. I have a simple, unproven ratio for these things. I flunked high school math, so I keep things easy. If you take more shots than your final point total, you've shot too much. Maybe Kobe was still pissed at his teammates for missing all of those shots (and thus making Kobe miss out on his third consecutive triple double) against the Cavs. Yes, no one else from the Lakers was stepping up. But how can you when your teammate is shooting every time down the floor? Again, I'm not hating Kobe. I predicted that he'd be the league's MVP this year, and I'm sticking by it. But if we're going to criticize Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury for shooting too much, then Kobe has to take his knocks too.

Why are the Bucks still so obsessed with Tim Thomas? His averages this year, 9.4 ppg and 4.2 rpg, are miserable. Thomas is in his seventh year in the league and he's yet to show that he has a position in the league. He's not tough enough, nor is he a good enough rebounder, to dominate in the post. He likes to hang out around the perimeter, but his shot is way too suspect. People point to the 2000-01 season when he was voted runner-up for the Sixth Man Award. That year he averaged 12.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg. He's actually regressed a bit since then. It's tough for the Bucks to send Thomas back to the bench. They sent Glenn Robinson packing, in part, because they wanted to get Thomas in the starting lineup. But with the way Toni Kukoc is playing and the way Thomas isn't, it's only a matter of time before Thomas is sent back to the pine.

What a great night for the sadistic — and you know who you are. What would you rather watch, the Nuggets and Pistons try to score a bucket or two hours of David Stern walking around the ESPN NBA house in a towel? It's a toss up folks. We know the Pistons are getting 20 a night, every night from Rip Hamilton. The other 60 to 70 points? Good luck. Thursday night Chauncey Billups finally showed what he's capable of. Corliss Williamson, Jon Barry and Clifford Robinson will occasionally carry some of the load, but it's just never going to be easy for the Pistons. I love their team, their chemistry and the team defense they play, but let's just all get together now and pray we don't have to watch them play stall ball in the NBA Finals. As for the Nuggets . . . how did they get on TV? Talk about scoring woes, you have Juwan "Mr. Mediocrity" Howard and James Posey chucking up shots. They may be the only team in the NBA worse off than the Pistons offensively. Problem is, Denver doesn't play a lick of defense either. I've already spent way too much time on this.

Kobe Fires, but Lakers Fall Back

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Timberwolves prevail as Bucks go cold down stretch

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Inept Nuggets stumble

Marc J. Spears / Denver Post

Pistons looking for some shooting stars on road trip

Perry A. Farrell / Detroit Free-Press

Peep Show

Lakers: Shaquille O'Neal reiterated Thursday night that he can see the end of his career coming, and it could be much sooner than most Laker fans think. "I don't bounce back like I used to bounce back," O'Neal told the Boston Globe. "It's just one of those things. They know and I know I'm not the same person I was when I came into the league. I was 19 years old, and I could do anything. I never got hurt. But the sun doesn't always shine forever." . . . Speaking of Shaq, the L.A. Times reports that Shaq has been hitting the weight room hard and has added four inches on his already massive chest and biceps. "Since David Stern allows the rest of the league to treat me like a WWF wrestler, then I must look like a WWF wrestler," O'Neal said. "For real. I'm the WWF's best NBA player. I'm going to get real big and real strong. I'll become the Undertaker of the NBA. You know who that is, right? You ever seen him?"

Mavs: Dirk Nowitzki playing D? "Dirk's gone from our worst defender to one of our two or three top defenders," coach Don Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "I thought it might hurt his offense a little bit. But I didn't want to give up that defensive improvement. The thing with him is he's got youth and a strong body on his side. Seeing what he's done, there might be a little bit [of an offensive dropoff]. But I doubt it. Anybody who has been watching him can see he's taken it upon himself to be an even better player. Improving at the defensive end was the key to that."

Sixers: An MRI examination Thursday showed a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament and a small incomplete fracture in Allen Iverson's thumb. Dr. Jack McPhilemy, the Sixers' orthopedic physician, said Iverson will have his thumb in a splint and will be examined on a daily basis, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. Iverson made a brief appearance Thursday at the Sixers' practice site, but left without comment. Knowing Iverson he won't miss a beat.

Sonics: Both Jerome James and the team are considering if placing him on the injured list is the best option with a sore heel. "I was hoping it would be [healed] a week ago," James told the Seattle Times. "Fortunately for me, I'm in the NBA. But unfortunately for my foot, I'm in the NBA. We got games every other night and practices every day. There's never enough time in between to recuperate."

Bulls: Jay Williams continues to try to pull off his best Michael Jordan impersonation. This time he's complaining, ala MJ, about the United Center. "We don't practice there," Williams told the Chicago Tribune. "We don't play there but on game days. We have shootaround [at the Berto Center]. We work out [at the Berto]. Then we go down [to the UC] and it's a totally different vibe and arena than what we're used to every day. It's like, 'Here you go, guys. Play.' It's hard for me to adjust to right now." Apparently, the United Center was behind Williams' miserable 2-for-11 shooting against the Celtics on Wednesday night.

Bucks: Coach George Karl on Thursday provided a timetable of sorts for the return of center Joel Przybilla from a foot injury. "He hasn't been on the court yet so I usually don't get involved until he runs on the court," Karl told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But I would think he's at least a few days away from basketball and then after that, I'd say seven to 10 days before he can even think about activating him to get the rust off."

Superman has met his match

Jackie MacMullan / Boston Globe

O'Neal Getting Ready to Play to His Strength

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Dirk adds 'D' to arsenal

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Iverson may play with sprained thumb

Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News

Hurting heel will keep James out tonight

Percy Allen / Seattle Times

Williams echoes MJ

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

The Buck Report

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

[JTFan31]

That they make Gilbert Arenas now a PG and is just his first season as one and they still make JT a SG, that just doesnt make any sense to me. Is like if they just dont like the Hawks and dont want us to do any good. Whats with all this prop to Arenas as a PG and no prop to JT, go figure.

[TomahawkChop]

Yeah, that is messed up and why didn't I see Richard Jefferson on that list? He's my favorite non-Hawk, and he for sure should be mentioned with those guys too.