Tuesday Insider

[Weez]

McGrady the favorite to repeat

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Wednesday, October 15

Updated: October 15

12:07 PM ET

On Tuesday night, Lamar Odom scored 31 points, including the game-winner at the buzzer, to go along with 14 rebounds and five assists.

Rashard Lewis is leading the league at 23.7 points per game. Two behind him is last year's Sixthman of the Year runner-up Michael Redd at 20.5 followed by point guard Jamal Crawford at 19.5 and rookie Carmelo Anthony at 19 even.

And how can we forget about Joe Johnson leading the entire Phoenix Sun contingent, you know, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion and reigning rookie of the year Amare Stoudemire, in scoring at 18.3 points per game.

Odom

But the difference between Odom, as well as many others, during the preseason and Odom during the regular season is summed up by Heat head coach Pat Riley.

"He's the kind of player that needs to do two things: he needs to be able to have the freedom to play, and that's how he has played in the last four years. But he also needs structure," Riley said in the Miami Herald. "We need to have him in some structure where we can execute and go to some other guys, and he has to become part of that. There is a fine line between our structure and his spontaneity. Every now and then when he gets too far out there we have to bring it back to the middle. Any time I think we get too structured then I have to let him go. Sometimes you sort of shake your head with some of the things he does, but then you see what he does at the end of the game and the plays that he can make."

During the preseason, when the games don't count in the standings and the all-stars have yet to earn their money or even work up a sweat on most nights, Riley can afford to have the spontaneous Odom. But during the regular season, when jobs are on the line, Riley is going to have to have the structured Odom.

And that's when Odom can't have eight turnovers to go with his 31 points because Tim Duncan will be playing in the low post for the Spurs rather than the guy in front of Odom Tuesday night named Ernest Brown.

So with the NBA's regular-season schedule to begin in two short weeks, who will really have the freedom of spontaneity as well as the team structure to actually score point after point?

Who really has a shot at the scoring title (in no particular order)?

Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic

Credentials: Led the league last year at 32.1 per game while the second-highest scorer on the team, Grant Hill, averaged only 14.5 and played only 29 games. It doesn't look like Hill will be playing much this year, either, leaving McGrady with plenty of opportunities to do it again. So far in the preseason, with McGrady taking it easy, no one on the Magic team is averaging more than 16 a game.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Credentials: Second in scoring last year at 30 a game with legendary string of 40-point games that came at Phil Jackson's blessing. Learned late last season that he was bothered by ongoing rift with parents but that did little to hurt his performance on the court. In a weird way, he might actually look at current off-court matters as a challenge to prove himself on the floor. Pride may push him even higher and, as a side effect, the Lakers lower.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Credentials: Has increased his scoring output every season he's played in the NBA (five in all), which isn't bad considering that in his third he was already at 21.8. Last year, he averaged 25.1 as opponents cringed at a 7-footer hitting 148 triples while also grabbing 9.9 boards a game. He could very well become the most lethal offensive weapon in the game, especially in a system that doesn't require defensive responsibilities on a regular basis and chastises him every time he passes up an open look.

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

Credentials: Yet to win a scoring title, but scored more points than any other player in 2002 with 2,144. His down season last year, in which his scoring (25.9 ppg) dipped below the previous season's mark and shooting percentages hit career lows, may motivate him. Plus, Antoine Walker has scored consecutively less in three straight seasons, which may give Pierce even more incentive.

Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers

Credentials: Three-time scoring champ with career average of 27 points per game while having never averaged less than 22 in a season. Last year's average of 27.6 was a three-year low and it's been two years since he was named league MVP after leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals. Has something to prove now that Larry Brown has moved on.

Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

Credentials: He's fat. He's slow. His foot hurts. Pick your poison and watch the best center in the game demonstrate to Laker management why he deserves to become the highest-paid player in the game next season with a contract extension. Last year's average of 27.5 per game was actually lower than his career average of 27.6. Add that to the list and listen to him blame it on his lack of touches.

Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors

Credentials: It's been two years since Carter peaked in this league and averaged 27.6 points per game in 2001. Not so coincidently, it's also been two years since Carter has played anything close to a full regular-season schedule. And if he needs any motivation to play through the pain this season, maybe he'll remember the giggles overheard when they named him to the most recent Team USA after posting a career-low 20.6 point per game last season. Or, he can just look at the scoreboard and realize that Chris Bosh and Lamond Murray aren't scoring 14 a game anymore like they did in preseason.

Ray Allen, Seattle SuperSonics

Credentials: Prior to being traded to the Sonics, Allen had never scored more than 22 a game in his career. After being traded to the Sonics midway through last season, he averaged 24.5 while also upping his assist, rebound and steal numbers. Now that the Sonics have had a year to jel, he may be able to go back to being the best shooter in the game on a team where the best shooter can also be the best scorer.

Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves

Credentials: Only All-NBAer Garnett would take the preseason so seriously and actually bust his butt to 22.3 points per game in boxscores that don't even get printed in the local paper. Last year, he averaged a career-high 23 a game while also piling up 13.4 rebounds per contest. A more balanced team and even added pressure may push him even higher. Sure, they've added a lot of names to this team, but there's still only one that you're going to remember in 10 years.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

Credentials: Last year, he needed only 23.3 points to not only lead the Spurs to their second NBA title but also win his second MVP award. But now that players will be gunning for his NBA title and MVP award, he may need to use that scoring average to defend it along with his career 51 percent shooting percentage. The good news, as far as scoring titles go, is that David Robinson is gone. The bad news is that Robinson is gone. Duncan decides this season.

Peep Show

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Wednesday, October 15

Updated: October 15

9:05 AM ET

Orlando Magic: Most of the time, it's Tracy McGrady who leaves us breathless, not the other way around. "I didn't realize that for like two weeks, I've been coming up short breathing," said McGrady in the Orlando Sentinel. "Without even doing anything, sitting in bed, I'd have trouble breathing." The all-star was diagnosed with pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of the lung, and was given antibiotics. He should be fully recovered within the week.

O'NealLos Angeles Lakers: Shaquille O'Neal's heal hurts. But an MRI performed on it recently revealed that there is no structural damage to it and, according to him, it won't affect him during the regular season. "We talked about it and I asked him how he felt about playing or not playing and what his feeling was," coach Phil Jackson said in the L.A. Times. "He said he'd just as soon not have a nagging injury affect him and maybe break into more than just a training camp injury, but also affect his regular-season play. So, we're going to try to get that soreness of the heel before he plays."

Philadelphia 76ers: Woulda, coulda, shoulda. The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that Alonzo Mourning wanted to be a Sixer and very well could have been Allen Iverson's teammate as we speak had Larry Brown decided to stay with the team. "They were in the mix, but only if Larry Brown were the coach," Mourning said. "If I was going to be there, I wanted him to be the coach. We bonded somewhat during the Olympics in Australia . . . The man knows how to win; his track record speaks for itself," Mourning continued. "And he has a system. I didn't want a coach where I didn't know what the system would be."

StackhouseWashington Wizards: Jerry Stackhouse has fallen, and new coach Eddie Jordan has no idea when he'll get up after taking an MRI on Tuesday for his sore right knee. "We'll have to play as if Jerry might not be available for the beginning of the season," Jordan said. "We talked today about being four games into the preseason, we have to look at a good rotation. A rotation that we think will fit so we can build some togetherness in learning how to play with that rotation. Right now there's still 10-11 people involved and as coaches we have to come together and think about things."

New Orleans Hornets: The Times Picayune is reporting the shooting guard Courtney Alexander could be out up to two months due to a torn right achilles tendon. "He could be out longer than two months," vice president Bob Bass said. "We thought that his last two games (Dallas and Houston) were his best games." Alexander is expected to undergo surgery on Thursday.

Loss leaves McGrady, Magic wheezing

Brian Schmitz / Orlando Sentinel

O'Neal Joins Bryant on Hold

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Mourning could have been a Sixer if Brown stayed

Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News

Wizards Fall; Stackhouse Has MRI

Steve Wyche / Washington Post

Hornets lose backup guard to injury

John Reid / New Orleans Times-Picayune