HOOP November/December 2010

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SEASON PREVIEW ISSUE

AN OFFICIAL NBA PUBLICATION

$4.99 USA

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NOV/DEC 2010

All eyes are on Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat 30

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Don’t confuse the NBA with the Globetrotters even though a few teams did exactly that during the preseason. As part of the annual NBA Europe Live, the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers traveled to Italy, Great Britain, Paris and Spain for exhibition games and while there, some sightseeing. The Lakers posed for a photo in front of the London Bridge while the Knicks and Timberwolves took turns in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The New Jersey Nets, on their way to China for the 2010 China Games, stopped off in Russia for a community event arranged by new owner and Russian magnate Mikhail Prokhorov and to take a photo in front of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow.

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For the third straight year, the Phoenix Suns hosted an outdoor exhibition game at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. In al fresco fashion, the Suns dispatched the Dallas Mavericks, 98-90.

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WARMUPS

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We’re going to guess that for Christmas, all Denver’s Chris Andersen wants is some more real estate on his tattoo-adorned body.

Photo CreDit/NBae/Getty imaGeS

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NOV/DEC 2010 FEATURES

THE GAMEPLAN

43

2010-11 Season Preview 44 Atlantic Division

56 Pointing the Way

47 Bench Presses The hardest part of building a winning team is filling in seats six through 15.

Everything that takes place this season will be in relation to the Miami Heat. Never before has the League seen such a joint venture between three stars cause such a stir. However, there are 29 other teams that would disagree and 82 games to play. We break down how we think it’ll play out.

58 Pacific Division

With all due respect to the other four spots on the floor, point guard has become the most important position in the game.

61 Adaptation Every season, the NBA winds of change bring new coaches, players and systems that require newcomers and incumbents alike to adjust to the new surroundings.

62 Southwest Division 65 Senior Management

48

The adage in the NBA is that youths require the most time and coaching but navigating the veteran waters also require a precise hand.

66 Northwest Division 52 Southeast Division

69 Adjust Your Thinking

55 Has What it Takes

Today’s game is measured beyond points, rebounds and assists.

He’s the guy who will be crucial to his team’s success this season and will probably get absolutely no credit for it.

48 Central Division 51 Down, But Not Out Millions watch the games being played on the court. When it comes to the game of returning from injury, it is oftentimes played out alone.

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70 Fresh Faces Freshman orientation for the year’s crop of rookies.

57 Potential It’s a double-edged sword that can tantalize and break hearts; it can win championships or stunt franchises for years.

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The Gameplan

nOV/DeC 2010

DeparTmenTs

2 Warmups 14 The Point 17 Jumpball numerology: some season-opening numbers; First Five: Anthony Tolliver, Goran Dragic, DeMar DeRozan, Roddy Beaubois, Raymond Felton; Brack-It: The best alley-oop duo; head2head: Josh Smith vs. Jeff Green; peripheral Vision: Harvey Pollack; Dance life: Miami Heat Dancer Erika; In her shoes: Seattle Storm’s Swin Cash reflects on her latest WNBA championship; Celeb row: Nelly talks about being partners with MJ; Good looks: Meet new style editor Caron Butler; straight shooter: Kevin Love will answer your burning questions this season; and more.

39 24 Seconds with Josh Childress

76 Call Out NBA players give European fans a taste of some real-life instruction; the Miami Heat turn training camp into boot camp; The San Antonio Spurs go south of the border.

102 Stepback

Revisiting the first time the NBA—or any U.S. pro sports team, for that matter—played regular-season games overseas.

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79 79 Check It

spin moves: Tony Parker makes sure he puts Desperate Housewives on the top of his must-watch DVDs; Game rec Game: Videogame editor Nate Robinson breaks down this season’s crop of NBA games and we list the top games to get; The Goods holiday Gift Guide: the 22 picks to give (and hopefully) receive this holiday season; Teched: Tech guru Shane Battier goes 18 holes with the SkyCaddie SGX; Gear: We review the Zig Slash, Take Flight, AdiZero Rose, Melo M7, Tempo U-Form, and Concept 1; Gear Check: everything you need to know about the latest NBA uni, the NBA Revolution 30; Wear holiday Gift Guide: the apparel and kicks to keep you fly for the holidays.

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Final Exam

Does Chris Bosh make the grade?

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THE PoiNT Imagine if in the Bad News Bears1 Kelly Leak decided to forgo the Bears and play for the Yankees? What if Charlie Conway decided to ditch the Ducks and take his talents across the peewee hockey league district line to the Hawks? How about if “Icebox” O’Shea protested enough and suited up for the Cowboys instead of the Giants? In a weird way, we were treated to that exact scenario playing out in one of the weirdest hours in TV2 history with Jim Gray3 serving as moderator. Yes, at this point, it’s ancient news. The prevailing consensus among most people was that LeBron had every right to choose his next place of employment, but the forum4 he chose was ill-advised. Now the targets are on the Heat’s back, the trio has morphed from Superfriends into the Legion of Doom5 and the pressure is on them to make the American Airlines Arena’s rafter fill out like the TD Garden in Boston. What worries me more is the slippery slope that we may be encountering. It’s already sad that we’ve lost the identification of players with teams for their entire careers.6 Will the next phase be superstars banding together to form super teams. Will the NBA became a league of the haves and have-nots? Could it go the MLB route where we have stars biding their time until free agency where

Volume 39, No. 1 Editor-in-Chief Ming Wong #2 Design Director Kengyong Shao #31 Copy Editor Trevor Kearney #8 Editorial Assistant Philip D’Apolito #14 Editor-at-Large Jeramie McPeek #4 Tech Editor Shane Battier #31 Style Editor Caron Butler #4 Straight Shooter Kevin Love #42 Videogame Editor Nate Robinson #4 Music Editors Thaddeus Young #21, Carl Landry #24 Movie Editor Danny Granger #33

they congregate in the star-laden galaxies of the Yankees, Red Sox or other big market teams? I certainly hope not. In the end, what separates basketball from many other “team” sports is that it’s not just about the five talented individuals thrown together. It’s more about the process of five individuals melding their talents together to play as one team that leads to success. Of course having skillful players will help, but I believe the whole will always be greater than the sum of the parts. Which brings me back to the Miami Heat. While I might not want to see them victorious come June only because I don’t want the next trend in the League to be about establishing mini monopolies,7 Wade, LeBron and Bosh are wise enough to know that it’s not about their singular performances that will enable them to fend off the Magic and Celtics and dethrone the Lakers. They get what Bill Simmons would dub “The Secret”8 of winning. They’re also three of the top 10 talents in the League playing together for a team president9 that also “gets” it, and have no shortage of motivation from their many detractors. The Miami Three-at have learned to accept the scorn as a sign of respect10 and are prepared to enter arenas on the road to a shower of boos like the Iron Sheik back in the ’80s or Hollywood Hogan when he aligned with the nWo. They have donned their black hats, begun to twirl their mustaches and have embraced their inner-heel11 and will be crowned champs seven months from now.12

Ming Wong #2

Illustrator Matt Candela #52 Retired Numbers #6, #11, #13, #30, #99

Professional Sports Publications 519 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018 Tel: (212) 697-1460 Fax: (646) 753-9480 Executive VP Operations Jeff Botwinick Executive VP, Business Development Martin Lewis Executive VP, Sales Steve Farkas Executive VP, Sales Mitch Gibbs Executive VP, Team Relations Dave Gerschwer Executive Administrative Director Julie Wong Manager, Marketing Services Aron Sawyer Production Manager Jaime Ziegler

NBA Publishing/NBA Photos Senior VP, and Executive Producer, Production, Programming, and Broadcasting Danny Meiseles Senior VP, Multimedia Production Paul Hirschheimer Senior VP, Entertainment & Player Marketing Charlie Rosenzweig Senior VP, Marketing Communications Mike Bass Senior Director, NBAE Production John Hareas Executive Vice President, Global Merchandising Group Sal LaRocca Vice President, Licensing Mary Pat Gillin Senior Coordinator, Licensing Tom Cerabino

BONUS POINTS

014

WNBA Editor Lois Elfman #40 Senior Writer Michael Bradley #53 Contributing Writers Seth Berkman #91, Christopher Cason #24, Jon Cooper #10, Anthony Gilbert #1, Brian A. Giuffra #17, Melody Hoffman #34, Darryl Howerton #21, Andy Jasner #27, Trevor Kearney #8, Brett Mauser #25, Dave McMenamin #35, Jeff Min #12, John Nemo #16, Rob Peterson #9, Earl K. Sneed #23

1. I watched it again recently and it’s filled with things and references that would hardly make it a

7. Consider the Heat the NBA’s version of Boardwalk and Park Place.

Manager, Global Media Programs Felecia Groomster

family-friendly PG movie. I guess it was a different time.

8. Every basketball fan should read “The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy,”

2. And I’ve seen Jersey Shore, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and my fair share of Japanese game shows.

where “The Secret” is knowing that in order to win a championship and have long-term success, the

Senior Directors & Senior Official NBAE Photographers Andrew D. Bernstein, Nathaniel S. Butler

3. They might as well have gotten the “Survivor” guy, Jeff Probst (the tribe has spoken…), Regis

sacrifice of every individual is required.

Philbin (final answer, LeBron?) or maybe Borat (he can turn an uncomfortable situation funny) to host.

9. Pat Riley. Owner of seven NBA championship rings.

4. Even Clevelanders would’ve taken it better had he just tweeted his now-famous line. It still would’ve

10. Haters Gonna Hate. Face it, though, every one of you wished that you had Bron, Wade and Bosh

left him with 97 characters to play with.

wearing your team colors.

5. I always thought the Legion’s flying headquarters, the Hall of Doom, was dope.

11. Their formal introduction in Miami would make Ric Flair blush: the sinister music, the smoke, the

6. Of current dudes that have 10 years of service in the NBA, only Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk

dark lighting, the dramatic raised-platform entrance. The only thing missing was the: “Woooooooo!”

Nowitzki, Paul Pierce have played in the same uniform their entire career.

12. I, too, have aligned with the “dark” side. Muhahahahahahaha…

Senior Director, NBA Photos Joe Amati Director, Photos Imaging David Bonilla Official NBAE Photographer Jesse Garrabrant Senior Photo Editor Brian Choi Photo Coordinator Kevin Wright All NBA photos appearing in this magazine, unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of NBA Entertainment. All WNBA photos appearing in this magazine, unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of WNBA Enterprises. All NBDL photos appearing in this magazine, unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of NBDL Enterprises. HOOP is published monthly, December through June, by PSP. © 2010 Professional Sports Publications. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission of publisher is prohibited. To subscribe to HOOP, call (800) 829-3347. PRINTED IN THE USA

HOOP

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10/18/10 2:51 PM

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THE 123S OF THE NBA

9,000,000

NUMEROLOGY

The number of LED lights in the Amway Center’s center videoboard. At 40 tons and 42 feet it is the highest screen with the largest resolution in the NBA.

20 The number of jersey numbers from 00-99 that has never been used in an NBA game (57, 58, 59, 63, 64, 69, 74, 75, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 94, 95, 97). With Ron Artest going back to his old #15, the odds of this changing anytime soon is slim. The most popular number to be worn as of the ’09-10 season is #12 with 332 wearers, none more notable than John Stockton.

2,434 The number of active NBA players who were alive when Bavetta made his officiating debut on 12/2/75.

117 The number of three-pointers Ray Allen needs to usurp Reggie Miller for the all-time lead. Based on Allen’s career averages, he is poised to assume first place some time in March.

ALL PHOTOS: NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

HEADING INTO THE ’10-11 SEASON, THAT IS THE CONSECUTIVE GAMES STREAK OF GAMES CALLED BY DICK BAVETTA WHO IS ENTERING HIS 36TH SEASON AS AN NBA OFFICIAL.

1

The number of NBA GMs who picked LeBron James (winner of last two MVPs) to win MVP again this season. Last year 69% of GMs picked LeBron.

71 The combined number of Outback Steakhouses and Papa John’s that former NBA player Jamal Mashburn owns. HOOP

+223 MXPSEDOO LQGG

017

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straight shooter

Kevin Love

after interviewing him for a story in our July/august issue, we knew who our straight shooter for this season would be. Kevin Love is brutally honest and just as important, he’s a funny guy—which means we’ll all be treated to some entertaining answers to your questions. to submit Kevin an inquiry, you can drop us an email (hoop@ pspsports.com), tweet (@hoopmag) or Facebook wall (hooP Magazine).

You throw some gorgeous outlet passes. How are you at throwing a football? Did you ever mess around at Bruins football practice taking snaps? Do you think the NBA should have an outlet throwing skills competition at All-Star (you’d win every year)?

I used to want to play football so bad, I’d try to get my parents or best friend’s parents to sign me up because my parents wouldn’t let me play. They’d say, “You have a future in basketball, you’re going to be really tall. Basketball is in your blood, so no football for you. You’re going to get hurt.” But I always wanted to sneak out there in high school for the quarterback position because I always thought I could be like Ben Roethlisberger out there on the field. I don’t think they should have it as an All-Star event. I don’t think many people would want to watch that. Like I said, I always wanted to play football and I was friends with a lot of football players at UCLA, but I think they respected me a lot more for what I did on the court instead of trying to embarrass myself on the football field with them.

I’ve heard stories of old school NBA players not showering to purposely smell in order to gain an advantage in the paint for boards. Does that still happen?

Not that I know of. Not to mention any names, but there’s players that do smell terrible. I don’t know if they don’t shower, don’t wear deodorant or if they just

What’s more satisfying? A nasty blocked shot, a vicious dunk, a three-pointer or ripping a board away from two or three opponents?

For me, it’s satisfying when I dunk on somebody because that doesn’t happen too often. As far as ripping down rebounds or draining a three-pointer, especially to clinch a game or put it out of reach, that’s probably the most satisfying for me.

Do the Timberwolves swap gifts with each other during Christmas?

No, no Christmas swapping. One thing I do though is that I make sure that the whole training staff and some of the front office people that do the behind the scenes work get some gifts, maybe some wine or gift certificates or things like that. They do a lot of work that some people don’t notice. As far as exchanging gifts, we see each other every day and that’s enough for us.

smell bad no matter what they do. They need to have a little come-up with their hygiene.

I think I, personally, am the best H.O.R.S.E. player on the team just because I have so many shots. I’m a big guy that can shoot from the outside, too. I’ve got the inside shots and the outside shots. My go-to shot? It could be a long-ball to really seal the game or one that Jay Triano of the Raptors taught me where you shoot it on the backboard and it rolls kind of to the middle of the backboard and drops right in the hoop. That’s a very tough one that people have trouble with.

How often do you get asked to get something off the top shelf at the supermarket or store?

Quite a bit, especially when we were overseas we got that a lot. People were looking at us kind of like we were gods with how tall we were. They were telling us to grab a lot of stuff when we went shopping. It was kind of funny.

What kind of tasks do you have in store for your rookies this year?

We got some great rooks. [Nikola] Pekovic, Lazar [Hayward] and Wes [Johnson]. Those are good guys, they work hard and if they do well, we might take care of them with maybe some per diem money. But we’re going to make them get the donuts; we’re going to make them get the coffee. Before practice, we kick the balls up in the stands and they have to go get them and put them on the rack. Also, any time it’s somebody’s birthday, whether it really is or not, they’re getting on the microphone and singing to all of us. Those are the kind of things that we do; we keep it fun. We’re a young team and don’t have any really old-school veterans that’ll make them carry the bags, but as we keep moving on here and growing as a team we’ll start messing with the rooks a little bit more.

When you smell, Kevin will put you in an arm lock and look away.

Christmas gifts are for the kids, not your teammates.

For my next H.O.R.S.E. shot, you have to shoot it while looking like a pirate. Aaaarrrrrr….

Kevin, can you reach the top of the Acropolis of Athens? What about the Eiffel Tower?

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Enjoy the down time, rooks. Kevin will have some balls and donuts for you to fetch soon. Savoring the rare moment.

DaviD Sherman (5); allen einStein; nathaniel S. Butler; Garrett ellwooD/nBae/Getty imaGeS

Who’s the best HORSE player on the team? What’s your go-to H.O.R.S.E. shot?

Kevin and his gold medal from the FIBA World Championship…but to us, it’s a gold medal for being a funny and honest guy.

got a question for Kevin? email it to hoop@pspsports.com

10/19/10 10:37 AM

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HOOP1112-H2H.indd 22

Winner: Smith

Winner: Smith

Winner: Smith

Defense: This one was a tough call and certainly the most tightly contested category between Smith and Green. From a superficial point of view, it would seem that Smith, with his 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game, is superior. Green might not cop the sexy blocks and steals (he does average 1.3 steals and almost a block a night) but he does play some dogged D that is difficult to measure—denying the ball, positional defense of moving feet and cutting off lanes—and often overlooked. In the end, we gave this win to Smith because of his aforementioned size/speed that allows him to guard a greater multitude of players. Smith can check big guards, guard both forward spots and bang a little in the middle on occasion. The Second Team All-Defense selection notwithstanding, the other key reason that Smith is superior on defense is that he is one of only a few guys in the League that have the physical package to match LeBron James’ mix of speed/size/ strength without help.

3

Round

AtlAntA hAwkS

Floor Game: This is an area that Smith and Green both excel in. Green is instrumental in helping Kevin Durant get open on halfcourt sets with his screens and is very good at freeing himself without the ball with cuts and flashes to the basket. On the break, he is adept at filling the lanes on the break with thunderous results. As capable as Green may be, Smith one-ups him in every area. For a big guy, Smith has an excellent eye for the open man, sometimes even getting fancy with his passes in traffic. Smith will cough up the ball more often, but despite the miscues, he still sports a better assistto-turnover ratio than Green (Smith 2:1; Green 1:1). Smith’s unique combination of size and speed gives him an edge over most opponents and his all-around skill set makes him a threat for a 5x5 on any given night.

2

Round

JoSh Smith ForWard 6-9, 240 pounds

Jeff Green: Brian BaBineau/nBae/Getty imaGes

022 Scoring: Neither guy will likely ever average a 20 spot over a season. Yes, they each have limited offensive games, but Smith and Green also play on teams with bountiful scoring. Their offensive involvement is really facilitated by moving without the ball (especially in transition), mop-up buckets and being at the right place at the right time. That said, Smith is the superior of the two. Smith does show some flashes of a low-post game, has a face-up game that he can use to exploit certain matchups, gets to the line and is a good offensive rebounder, affording him second chance points. From the addition by subtraction department, Smith has ditched aspirations of being a three-point threat (he went from 87 attempts in ’08-09 to just seven last season), which has increased his offensive efficiency. Green, on the other hand, still takes too many threes (312 last season) for someone with his marksmanship (33 percent). We think cutting his threeballs (or improving them) and developing a midrange jumper would do wonders for him.

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heaD 2 heaD

JoSh Smith vs. Jeff Green

All championship-contending teams have one thing in common: They have a guy who is versatile enough to fill in holes where needed. The Hawks have Josh Smith fill that role while the Thunder rely on Jeff Green to be that guy. Neither dude is the focal point of the team, but without them, their teams would sputter. Between the two, who’s better?

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Josh smith: Ned dishmaN/NBae/Getty imaGes

ForWard 6-9, 235 pounds OklahOma city thundeR

Jeff GReen

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10/18/10 3:43 PM

.740 13.8

.618 21.0

FT% PER

the VeRdict What it boils down to when comparing Smith and Green is the ongoing debate over consistency vs. potential. Scary as it may be to fathom, Smith has still yet to reach his ceiling as a player. With him you get the spectacular that causes you to rise from your seat, but you can also expect the why-did-he-do-that moments that cause you to sit down just as quickly. With Green, this might be as good as it ever gets, but you can be sure the production will be steady and sure. Both can and will be key pieces to a championship and are only a year apart in age. With the progress in maturity he’s been making, we have to think that Smith will continue to get better and improve on his deficiencies, but even as-is right now, he’s too tantalizing to not pick; Josh Smith FTW.

Winner: GReen

Leadership: Smith’s entry into the League as a high-school neophyte meant he endured his growing pains on the professional stage. He’s been chided in the past for attempting showstopping—albeit unnecessary—dunks during a game, throwing mustard-laden passes that resulted in turnovers, taking too many ill-advised three-pointers and clashing with the coach. It’s important to note, however, that he’s made leaps and bounds in this area as high as his vertical jump, garnering serious consideration for an All-Star selection last season (he just missed the cut). Part of the reason Green was drafted as the fifth pick by the Thunder (Ed note: it was technically Boston’s pick, but because it was a pre-arranged deal, the Celtics were essentially picking for the Thunder) was for his leadership (he served as captain at Georgetown), basketball smarts and intangibles. Green understands his role on the team as a glue guy and his strong work ethic and team-first approach is contagious to a young and impressionable Thunder squad.

Round

5

Winner: GReen

.333

.000 3PT%

’09-10 stats

0.9 .453

2.1 .505

BPG

1.3

1.6

FG%

6.0

8.7

SPG

1.6

15.1

14.1 4.2

Green

Smith

RPG

APG

Clutch: Admittedly, this area is always a struggle to quantify, especially if comparing two guys who aren’t the main offensive playmakers with the ball in their hands down the stretch. Smith plays with seasoned closers in Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford and Mike Bibby, while Green waits in the shadows of perennial MVP candidate Durant and the emerging Russell Westbrook. Despite the odds stacked against both guys for end-of-game glory, each has had a taste of buzzer-beating glory. Green’s 22-footer off glass against Golden State two seasons ago is one of his personal highlights. For Smith, his moments have some from being opportunistic; his two buzzer beaters have come in the form of putback dunks off lastsecond shot attempts. Obvious clutch moments aside, Green does make big plays offensively and defensively in crunch time and rarely ever makes mistakes that might cost the team possessions. It might not show up on highlight reels or box scores, but it’s nonetheless just as valuable.

PPG

4

Round

FIRST FIVE

BY JERAMIE MCPEEK #4

Goran Dragic had already played two seasons in the NBA, but he arrived on May 7, 2010. A night after his 24th birthday, the little-known Slovenian celebrated with a 26-point performance1 off the Suns’ bench in Game 3 of the SemiďŹ nals. More impressive, though, was the fact that 23 of those points came in the fourth quarter in San Antonio,2 where he drained threes and drove the lane with the conďŹ dence reserved for superstars. “It was the best game of my life,â€? smiles Dragic, who was nicknamed Goran Jordan by teammates3 after the 10-for-13 shooting show, including 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. “Sometimes I still cannot believe I made so many shots. I was really hot. In the future it’s going to be good. If I have a bad game or something, I’m going to watch that game and try to come back and play the next game better.â€? No one in Phoenix doubts that the 6-3 guard will continue to get better as he gains more experience. But the heir apparent is in no hurry to take over at point. He’s happy instead to play behind and study Steve Nash. “Every practice, if you play against the best point guard in the League,â€? he says, “you have to learn something.â€?

BONUS POINTS 1. Watching and cheering from the bench, Nash called his apprentice’s performance remarkable. “I don’t know how many guys in the history of the game that have had a fourth quarter of the playoffs like that.� 2. Coincidentally, the Suns and Spurs made a draft-night trade in 2008, in which San Antonio drafted Dragic on behalf of Phoenix. The Spurs made out OK in the deal, though, getting a pick that they would use to select DeJuan Blair in 2009. 3. The Suns watched highlights of Dragic’s heroism at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Riverwalk after the game.

02 - Guard - Phoenix Suns

GORAN

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good looks

By EARL K. SNEED #23

Meet Our New Style Editor

CB: I mean, that’s kinda like what the fad is right now. You see guys with the glasses, plaid—plaid is definitely popular. You know, they’re just setting different trends, stepping outside the box and trying different things. HOOP: Looking back to your younger days, any outfits that would have made you call the fashion police on yourself? CB: [laughing throughout his reply] Aw yeah, definitely. I mean, there has been situations, you try some things and then say, ‘Aw, man. That didn’t work. I didn’t pull that off like I wanted to.’ HOOP: So when you first came into the League, was there a veteran that pulled you aside and gave you some fashion tips? CB: I mean, it was a couple of veterans. I had the liberty of playing with a lot of veteran dudes when I initially came into the League: Bimbo Coles, Brian Grant, Eddie Jones and Alonzo Mourning—Alonzo and Eddie in particular. They were always smoothdressing dudes that always keep it— from head to toe—always looking right.

NathaNiel S. Butler/NBae/Getty imaGeS

Look past the 16 and 6 career averages and ignore his well-documented love of straw-chewing and Mountain Dew and peep Caron Butler off the court. The dude knows his way around a two-piece (with the occasional three-piece) suit, the perfect tie knot and impeccable pocket square. But more important than timeless sartorial sophistication when it comes to his fashion choices, he understands that style is not about what you wear, but how you wear it; it’s not about being in style, but applying style to fit your individual personality. It’s these exact things that make him HOOP’s latest Style Editor. HOOP: For the average NBA fan who’s not familiar with your personal style, take us through the years and tell us how your fashion style has changed since your rookie year. CB: Oh, well, I went from sweatsuits and white tees and jeans. I made the gradual transition to jeans and button-ups to walkers (Ed note: it’s a type of suit)—I had the two-piece walkers with the six buttons. You go from that transition to making the big jump to a truly ‘grown man look’ with the three-piece suits. And now it’s more two-piece suits with three to four buttons, sometimes two buttons. Sometimes you can do something real tight—the Euro look. I’m going for a more cut look now, and the slim thing is really popular right now. HOOP: So when you see guys like LeBron James or Dwight Howard with the black frame glasses and tight-fitting clothes, do you like that look?

HOOP: So are you pulling aside any young guys now and showing them how to dress as smooth as you? CB: You know Roddy Beaubois, that’s one of my young fellas. I try to pull him under my wings and teach him the dos and don’ts of fashion. And try to encourage him to get out there and look nice, feel good, look good and take it onto the court. Another young boy that I had out in Washington was Nick Young. He’s used to the L.A. swag and the L.A. look, tight jeans with the chain hangin’. But I tried to teach him a little style from a professional standpoint. And he got the memo. HOOP: So if you were making an AllNBA Style Team, who would it be? CB: Right now, I’d put myself on the board, along with my man Dwyane Wade, LeBron, I’d have to scoop up Kobe and Dwight Howard. HOOP: So when D-Wade went with the Band-Aid on his face, was that a

fashion statement? CB: It was setting a trend and it was a fashion statement. He had a lot of youngsters across the world doing that. You walk into a gym and you’d see a lot of kids with the Band-Aid on their face, no injury. It’s just, ‘D-Wade did it, so I’m gonna do it.’ HOOP: Have a favorite designer? CB: I don’t have a favorite designer, but there’s people that I like that are in the game that do custom clothing. I love a lot of the designers that do custom clothing for a lot of the guys in the NBA. And I love Armani. HOOP: So if you were going to start your own clothing line for NBA players, what would it be about? CB: I wouldn’t say for the most part that it would be different, but I would add me to it. A lot of people that you see that come out with new lines, they have a lot of similarities with other lines. The thing that I feel is the people that you have in your clothes pretty much sell your clothes, the way they wear it. If they wear it with a certain swag or a certain walk, a lot of people are going to flock to that brand. HOOP: So if I’m someone trying to step my fashion game up right now, what tips would you give me? CB: Wear the colors that definitely complement you. Don’t try nothing too drastic, stay in your comfort zone. Stick with what’s working for you, and just follow the trends—simple and basic. Three buttons with the suits. If it’s a little nippy outside, do the button-up with the sweater on the top. Keep it simple, don’t step out the box too far. Just continue to step your game up and continue to raise the bar. Remember that you’re dressing for an audience. We’ve gotta set the trends for the younger up-andcoming, because they see us and see how we’re doing. They’ve gotta dress right, they’ve gotta act right and they’ve gotta just be professional. It’s big business out there, so you’ve always got to look like you’re doing an interview or getting ready for one. HOOP

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PeriPheral Vision

3 PTs

HARVEY POLLACK

Are you intimidated by Miami’s Trio?

Speaking with Harvey “Super Stat” Pollack is like having a conversation with a living, breathing piece of NBA history. Pollack has been working in the NBA as a media relations/stats man since 1946 (he’s currently the director of statistical information for the Sixers), the birth year of the League. He’s an original, an iconoclast and at the tender age of 89, still very much an eccentric soul. His commitment to the game of basketball has landed him in 13 various Hall of Fames, and his life’s work is one of those rare situations where you can actually say, “he’s seen it all” and mean every word of it. so you’re the only person in the nBa right now who has been there since the inaugural season. What was the league like in those days? The game was so different [back then]. If you got the lead in the game, there was no 24-second clock, so if you had a lead of five or six points at the end

Chris Bosh That’s our plan. We want to intimidate people with how hard we play and how

of the quarter people didn’t stay for the end of the game. They would hold the ball and the only way the other team could get the ball would be to foul you. The game was much rougher than it is today, and also there were no blacks in the League until 1950. Boston was the pioneer; they were the first team to have an all black starting lineup.

we’re gonna play the right way. You look at great teams in the past, every great team, people were intimidated by them. They were good. We want to make it a battle on that court every night; we want to make it tough on everybody. It’s gonna take some practice, some time, but that’s our goal.

Being part of the 76ers organization you witnessed some of the most dynamic players in the nBa, did you have a favorite? Well Wilt was one of my favorites. I was at a game where Wilt had 55 rebounds against Russell. That was a league record. He had another game in 1968 against Detroit where he had a triple-double-double: 20 points, 20 assists and 20 rebounds in the same game. Nobody has ever come close to that.

and we lose this game we’re going to blame you.” I was stuck. I had to put on the shoes and guess what? They lost that game, so I always say I’m 11-0 and Moses is 0-1. on June 28 2003 you started an unusual streak. Tell us about it. My wife died in 2002. Before she died, every year in the spring, she would bring up all my T-shirts from the basement and I would wear them all summer long. Well she would wash them so quick; I would wear the same shirts five or six times all summer so therefore I had no count. Well the year she died it was my turn to bring the shirts up, and I decided to wear a T-shirt each day. I tried to get to Labor Day, which was my goal. Then I thought, what’s the record? I got on the phone and called the Guinness Book of World Records and nobody ever submitted the record. The Sixers, those wiseguys, they sent an email out to the whole NBA saying, ‘Harvey Pollack is wearing a different T-shirt every day, he wants to get in the Guinness Book of Records. Would you send him samples of your T-shirts?’ I got all sorts of shirts from all the teams. Then people out of nowhere started sending me shirts. Now I’m in the eighth year. I have in my possession 600 or 700 shirts that I haven’t worn yet. I can go another year and a half right now [laughs]. JEff Min #12 fOR EntiRE intERViEw, LOg On tO HOOPMAg.COM

Josh smith You can’t be intimidated or scared of another man when you play the same sport that another man plays. They put on their pants just like I do. It’s definitely gonna be competitive. It’s gonna be fun playing against those guys four times this year. I’m just excited to be able to get the season started.

Jesse D. garrabrantnbae/getty Images

Could you tell me about your shoe collection and the legendary orchid shoes? I bought a pair of orchid colored shoes [pictured, above], and I wore them in the playoffs. They won the game. I wore those shoes for 11 straight crucial games [and they won]. The year after we won the title in ’82-83, we finished first and our first round opponents were the New Jersey Nets. They were the eighth seed. We were [tied] 2-2 after four, and the fifth game was in Philadelphia. I’m debating if I should wear those shoes or not, and I said I don’t think we have to. I didn’t really make up my mind so I took the shoes with me and put them in my car. I walk in the dressing room before the game and Moses Malone sees me. He says ‘Hey, uh, where’s the shoes?’ and I said “You don’t need the shoes. We’re playing at home. We’re the first place team playing the last place team,” he says. “If you don’t wear those shoes 026

rodney stuckey I don’t care about that, man. It is what it is; that’s pretty much how I see it.

HOOP

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9 9/23/10 12:02 PM

DANCE LIFE

erika Miami Heat Dancers

HOOP: Excited about Greivis Vasquez being the third NBA player from your country? Erika: You know I am. I was like “Hey!” when he got drafted.

HOOP: Miami now has D-Wade, LeBron, Chris Bosh and Heat dancers. What more could a city ask for? Erika: Miami is the place to be now. Everyone’s like, “You’re a Miami Heat dancer? You have Bosh, LeBron and Wade!” Everyone’s thrilled, including us obviously. Definitely amazing. A great opportunity. HOOP: With all the attention on the team this season, what will it mean for the Heat Dancers? Erika: It is going to be mind-blowing, just because it’s already going crazy now. I mean, my friends—everybody, anybody around you—the moment they find out that you are affiliated with the Heat in any way, they go insane. But insane in a positive way. It’ll be chaotic once the season starts, but good chaotic. HOOP: The Miami Heat dancers have been voted by fans at NBA.com as the best dance team four of the last five years? What’s the secret to your success? Erika: I think it’s because we’re really a melting pot. We have girls from all nationalities here. I just think we’re an all-around dance team literally, and we’re open to Latin dances, country dances. Being open-minded is a plus, not putting down any other team around the League, because they’re amazing and versatile as well. HOOP: You’re Venezuelan. What’s your story? Erika: I was actually born here, but as a child I would go to Venezuela and then come back. So I kind of feel like I was born in Venezuela since I was there a lot, so I always rep it for sure.

HOOP: What blows my mind about Heat dancers is that so many go on to become stars. You’ve got Pussycat Dolls old (Jessica Sutta) and new (Jamie Ruiz). Dancers starring on their own TV shows, from Trista Rehn (The Bachelorette) to Layla El (WWE Diva Search) and others. Erika: Definitely. And they all come back, too. One of our dancers, Jamie, is now with the PussyCat Dolls and she came back last season to visit us. Susie Garcia, who was on So You Think You Can Dance Season 3, came back to choreograph for us at auditions this year, which is definitely an honor. Traci Young from Fly Khicks comes back and so does Kare’lix Alicea. She was one of the alumni who interviewed us in the audition process this year. When any alum comes back, you can’t help but think, “Wow. These people have done so much and they got started as Heat dancers.” So a lot of them come back and we definitely keep in touch and they’re just great people. I feel honored to be a Miami Heat dancer. HOOP: So with all the new superstars in town, do even Heat dancers have to step their game up? Erika: I definitely can tell you that we have many things in store. Could I tell you exactly what they are yet? No, because we’re going to leave it as a surprise. But this year definitely will be memorable. I can tell you that. Darryl Howerton #21 LOG ON TO HOOPMAG.COM FOR MORE OF ERIKA’S INTERVIEW

IN HER SHOES

Swin CaSH on winning Her tHirD wnBa title

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This year was so sweet because of the women I played with, the respect we had for one another and how driven we were. When you get that sense of belonging to a group, I felt accountable to them and I’m sure they felt accountable to me in regards to how we’d go out there and play and wanting to win. My confidence was there in my body and in my game. People have known for a long time that I can get on a low box, that I’m a slasher, that I’m going to play tough defense on you. But it was always, “She’s not going to shoot the threeball.” When I added that element to my game, teams had to start respecting me in a different way. It not only made me better, it made the Seattle Storm better. It’s learning and experiencing life—on the court, off the court—with all these women. Those are the memories that you’ll really cherish. When we talk about our championships, we’re always going to bring up the good times that we had in winning those championships. Swin CaSH aS tolD to loiS elfman #40

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I got more text messages and emails about me crying than about winning. I had no idea the camera was on me or maybe I would have turned around. They were tears of joy. Every championship is celebrated differently because they all mean something different and are at different points in your life and your career. This one felt like redemption. It felt like after everything that I have gone through and worked through the last few years, that I was back at a point where I was just happy and in a peaceful place. I have never gone through something like this before where you’re at the highest of highs. You’re on a team, you’re champions and everything is going right. Then all of a sudden injuries occur. Before, everyone was complimenting you; now, everyone puts a question mark by your name. You get to a point where either you can give up or you can reinvent yourself. You go back to the drawing board. You get healthy. You get in the gym. You feel like you have something to prove. Not to people, but to yourself. HOOP

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FIRST FIVE

BY MELODY HOFFMAN #34

After going undrafted out of Creighton University in 2007 and stints with three NBA teams,1 Minnesota Timberwolves big man Anthony Tolliver says his versatility is what helped him land his ďŹ rst major role2 with an NBA team. “My ďŹ rst three years, I think I was on seven, eight or nine different teams, so I’m used to adjusting to new systems and playing different positions,â€? says Tolliver, who played both forward spots and center last year with Golden State and in the D-League.3 “I

44 - Forward - Minnestoa Timberwolves

ANTHONY think I’ve shown the versatility and [coaches] have a lot of conďŹ dence in the fact that they can move me around. If I was just one-dimensional, I think it would be a lot harder for a team to really see me ďŹ tting in.â€? Tolliver, who posted a spoof video on YouTube4 this summer of his “decisionâ€? to play for the Wolves, said he was attracted to the team’s young talent5 and focus on defense this season. “I’m a hustle guy,â€? the 6-9 Missouri-native says. “I’m relentless on the boards6 and make few mistakes on defense, so I’m going to try to be that guy to ďŹ ll the void of the little things that nobody else wants to do. Just be a defender, rebounder, hit open jump shots, and do what I’ve done to get here.â€?

TOLLIVER

BONUS POINTS 1. Tolliver, 25, has played with San Antonio, Portland and Golden State. 2. After a midseason call-up from the NBA D-League last year, he appeared in 44 games for the Warriors, where he averaged 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, including 12 double-doubles. He scored a career-high 34 points was against the Timberwolves. 3. The 25-year-old says the D-League was “huge� for him. He appeared in 55 DL games over the last three seasons and his average of 21.4 points and 11.4 rebounds in 14 games for the Idaho Stampede last season earned his call-up to the Warriors. 4. His YouTube video, where he holds up a sheet of paper announcing his decision to play for

DAVID SHERMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Minnesota, has gotten 20,000 views in the ďŹ rst two months. “There was a lot of decision that went into the actual decision, but the video was just something I threw together real, real quick for my friends and family for fun. If someone would have told me there was going to be 500 views after a month, I would have been like, ‘You’re crazy.’â€? 5. More than half of the Minnesota’s players have been in the League for three years or less. 6. Tolliver’s 7.3 rpg average last season on Golden State was second to Andris Biedrins’ 7.8.

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EIGHT THINGS. ONE UNDISPUTED CHAMP. BEST ALLEY-OOP DUO

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NELSON TO HOWARD vs. JAMES TO WADE You knew it would come down to these two combos in the final round. Nelson could be blindfolded and still find Howard up top. Hell, you can even blindfold Howard at the same time and they’ll be able to connect. That said, the James/Wade duo can do the same, but with their hands tied behind their back. Not literally, of course. But when LeBron decided to “take his talents to South Beach,” he also created a monster alley-oop duo for the ages. Alone, both LBJ and Wade might’ve paired with another guy to make this debate, but together? That’s just bananas.

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BARON DAVIS TO BLAKE GRIFFIN vs. JAMEER NELSON TO DWIGHT HOWARD We were supposed to be treated to the Baron to Blake combination last season, but Griffin’s season-ending knee injury postponed its debut. The potential is there as Davis is a deft distributor and with a roster teeming with youngsters, this team is bound to be off to the races. As the oop-guy, Griffin (assuming he’s completely back from injury) should be a 250-pound truck with hops (imagine Karl Malone with a vertical) that can and will catch and throw it down. With Nelson and Howard, it’s not if they’ll connect for an alley-oop, it’s when. It’s essentially a set play where Howard spins off his man for a lob or slides over when fronted. Hell, sometimes Nelson will just toss it up and hope for the best, which with Howard usually results in better than best results. Hedo Turkoglu and Howard might’ve been a deadlier combination a few years back, but with a finisher like Howard, the easy part is in the lob. Jameer + Dwight = no contest to the next round.

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NELSON TO HOWARD vs. WESTBROOK TO DURANT This is purely speculative, but Howard might have the greatest range of any ’ooper in the League. He has the vert, the height, the reach and athletic ability to turn any lob near the rim into a dunk. There are guys who can jump higher and have more flair, but in terms of pure range of passes, no one can beat Howard. The Magic also have a lineup filled with capable three-point shooters, making extra help around the basket that much tougher, giving Nelson a pretty big and easy target. In the previous round, the sheer quantity of Westbrook/ Durant staved off the quality that was Iguodala. It’s not enough against Howard, who will likely lead the League in dunks again, many of them coming from a Nelson alley.

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RUSSELL WESTBROOK TO KEVIN DURANT vs. JRUE HOLIDAY TO ANDRE IGUODALA It’s splitting hairs, but we couldn’t figure out what is more potent: a lob to Durant from Westbrook or the other way around? Both guys can bring the noise after a catch, but with varying styles. Durant relies on his length and grace (they don’t call him Durantula for nothing) while Westbrook is more big hops and determination. Either one can be crowd-pleasing. Holiday to Iguodala is more the classic alley-oop, the cunning PG who finds his wingman’s man napping and leads him with a perfect lob over the defense. And we all know how Iguodala can get up—and stay up—to catch any pass, increasing the margin of error for the pass-thrower. Although Iguodala might very well be the best ‘ooper on these pages, the two-way tandem of Westbrook and Durant is just too good to pass up.

DALA IGUO E R AND

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LEBRON JAMES TO DWYANE WADE vs. PAU GASOL TO KOBE BRYANT One of the beauties of the triangle offense is that the offense is in a constant state of movement, freeing up players to the basket with backcuts and screens. This allows even a high-proďŹ le guy like Bryant the opportunity to ash to the basket. Couple that with the best big man passer in the game now and you have a great unorthodox (big man throwing it up for a guard) alley-oop tandem. At 32 with 14 seasons under his championship belt, Kobe is no longer the spry leaper he once was, but don’t think for a minute that he doesn’t relish snatching a pass mid-air and bringing it home. James to Wade—or James to Wade—will be something all fans will be paying attention to. Our guess is that LBJ will play the role of facilitator more, but it’ll be deadly. Although new as Heat teammates, the pair have spent plenty of minutes with the same uniform at All-Star Games and as members of Team USA, which means the awkward getting-to-know-you phase won’t be too lengthy, if at all. The Heat might not have the rings of Gasol and Bryant, but we think they have a better A-O combo right now.

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JOHNSON TO SMITH vs. JAMES TO WADE As breathtakingly wonderful as a Johnson toss to a Smith dunk would be, it would be nothing compared to what wonders the combination of James and Wade will be. You can even make an argument that it will be as good or better than the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen duo in terms of two-way alley-ooping. Throw in third banana Chris Bosh getting some attention and the pressure will be on defenses from getting exploited with a backdoor cut to the basket that results in one of the most exciting plays in basketball.

RAYMOND FELTON TO AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE vs. JOE JOHNSON TO JOSH SMITH The Felton to Stoudemire duo is purely speculative as the two are new to one another. The potential is certainly there. Felton is a capable passer while we all know what Stoudemire can do in head coach Mike D’Antoni’s system. The one missing ingredient will be Steve Nash, one of the best assist men in the game, throwing passes at him. We think Felton can excel, but he’s no Nash. As a primary ballhandler for the Hawks, Johnson is more a guy looking to get his rather than feeding others, but it doesn’t take a John Stockton to ďŹ nd Smith on the lob. A 6-9 leaper, Smith, along with Dwight Howard and LeBron James, can pretty much catch anything remotely close to the basket and ďŹ nish with oohs and ahhs. And this being their sixth season together also means they have the advantage of familiarity that Felton/Stoudemire will be looking to develop; Johnson/Smith advances.

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TransiTion Game

nELLy

yao ming the muscle, the classic sports car so to speak. It kind of refers to myself and what I’m trying to bring with that energy and my music and that classic Nelly sound.

You can’t get much closer to the game than being part owner of an NBA franchise. Rapper Nelly has been part of the Charlotte Bobcats organization since the beginning. This NBA season the Bobcats can spice up the playlist with music from Nelly’s new CD 5.0, which drops in November. The first two singles “Tippin’ in Da Club” and “Just a Dream” were instant hits on iTunes. He’s also got a St. Lunatics album and a workout DVD. But despite his busy schedule, sports always get his attention.

no pro team in st. Louis. Who did you watch growing up? For a long time you had a lot of Lakers fans. Then this one guy came along by the name of Michael Jordan and it was like the whole St. Louis turned into Chicago Bulls fans. What’s it like to be part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats? It’s always been incredible. I’ve been a part owner since the beginning. Bob Johnson brought me on since the beginning. It’s kind of crazy. Now, with Michael [Jordan] being majority owner, he kind of bought out everybody else. I asked him why he didn’t buy me out. He said he was going to keep me around because I was funny. Tell us about your album, 5.0. The reason I named it 5.0 basically is because if you know anything of the classic cars, the classic Mustang 5.0, you know of the energy, 032

2004

Stephen Jackson, who have done charity basketball games and things like that. Just trying to help me continuously spread the word with Jes Us 4 Jackie, getting people signed up on stem cell registries, trying to find donors for people who need bone marrow and stem cell transplants. They’re real cool.

2005

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so what’s cooler—courtside or owner’s box? I like courtside. I don’t like owners’ boxes. Even when it’s baseball, I like sitting right behind the dugout. Basketball is the same way. I like sitting on the court.

2006 Do you get recognized by players? It’s kind of hard to miss me. They definitely send love back. Do they play your music at games? They tend to do that a lot when I’m there.

2007

i understand Dwyane Wade copied your look with the Band-aid on the cheek. is that okay? He can do that. He’s a cool dude. D-Wade, he can wear the Band-Aid. It’s cool. I told him that was all right.

2008 Will we be seeing you at a Bobcats games this season? Of course, courtside. I’m like the Charlotte Spike Lee right now. Do you sit with michael Jordan while you’re there? He sits on the other side by the bench. He still has player flashbacks. I think he likes the smell of the sweat over there—you know what I’m saying? I like to sit on the other side. Lois ELfman #40 Check out hoopmag.com for other celeb interviews

2009

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i know you grew up in st. Louis playing baseball, but did you also grow up loving basketball? I did, but I was a little short for basketball. So basketball really wasn’t my main thing. I only started really liking basketball once I got into middle school toward high school when I could really get the ball up to the goal on a consistent basis. The heart was definitely there. It just took me a minute to get into it.

You run two foundations—Jes Us 4 Jackie, which informs african-americans and other minorities about the importance of bone marrow and stem cell transplant donations (inspired by his sister Jackie’s battle with leukemia), and 4sho4Kids, dedicated to improving the quality of life for children born with development disabilities. Have any pro athletes helped you spread that message? We’ve had quite a few people that have taken part in different things we’ve been able to put together through our not-for-profit organizations. People like Larry Hughes and Darius Miles—athletes that are from this city as well. Others, such as Allen Iverson and

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FIRST FIVE

BY BRETT MAUSER #25

Nobody has pulled aside Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan and told him straight up, but he gets the gist. When Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu exited this offseason, it was obvious: If the young Raptors are to have any bite in ’10-11, DeRozan has to rock with the rock. As a rookie out of Southern Cal,1 DeRozan knew his role; now that the ball will be swung his way more often, ďŹ lling the massive scoring void left by the departed is central among his and the squad’s concerns. “I don’t look at it as pressure; I look at it as a challenge,â€? DeRozan says. “I know that I have to step it up in every way.â€? The jumper had to improve2 and it has. DeRozan had always relied on physical ability as he was the best athlete on the oor at Compton HS3 and then at USC, but this was the NBA. His and his team’s

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defense needed work, too. The Raptors were third-to-last in the League last year in points against (105.9).4 One’s rookie season is one big lesson, and DeRozan thinks he’s ďŹ gured things out. “I now know what it really takes to get ready for 82 games, to go up against the top two-guards night in and night out,â€? DeRozan says. And these “young guns,â€? as the Raptors5 have called themselves, they are going to push the pace. In addition to watching more tape and ďŹ nding his J, DeRozan’s improved his conditioning. He ashed a glimpse of what the opposition may see this year during the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged more than 21 points per game. Just how much he’ll developed is likely to determine Toronto’s success this season. “A lot of people are doubting us because of [the] youth that we have,â€? DeRozan says, “but I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.â€?

BONUS POINTS 1. DeRozan was taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 Draft, a year after another USC product, O.J. Mayo was taken third by Memphis. 2. He made just four three-pointers as a rookie, and just six the year before during his one year at USC. Combined, he was 10-for-52 (19.2 percent). 3. Another famous Compton alum: Violet Palmer, the ďŹ rst female ofďŹ cial in NBA history. 4. Of the teams that ďŹ nished in the bottom 10 in points against, only Phoenix made the playoffs, but the Suns also led the League in points for at 110.2 a night. 5. DeRozan averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds as a rookie. His best game as a pro in last year’s ďŹ nale, when he tallied 24 points and 9 rebounds in 38 minutes—all career highs—during Toronto’s rout of the Knicks. “I had a lot of ups and downs, but if I were to grade my rookie year, I’d give myself a solid B.â€?

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Take Tony Parker’s ability to get wherever he wants on the court, add Rajon Rondo’s insane wingspan, throw in No. 1 overall pick John Wall’s sick alley-oop ďŹ nishes and, just for kicks, add Ray Allen’s picture-perfect jumper. Mix it all up and you have Mavericks second-year guard Rodrigue Beaubois—at least what his potential can be and certainly what Maverick fans are hoping for. There was a cult-like following behind Beaubois, 22, long before his 40-point explosion against Golden State on March 27. The “Free Roddy B.â€? movement in Dallas yearned to see Mavs coach Rick Carlisle play the cat-quick point guard more in his ďŹ rst year. But instead the Guadeloupe1 native had to settle for limited time as an off guard while playing next to future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd. “I have to work a lot, because if I didn’t play more it’s because I didn’t show enough things,â€? Beaubois says. “I need to get much better at the point guard position.â€? Roddy “Buckets,â€?2 nicknamed for his ability to ďŹ ll up the scoring column with a silky smooth jumper3 and Derrick Rose-like hops, now prepares to grab the steering wheel and drive the Mavericks from the point when Kidd stops lacing up his kicks. “[Beaubois] is a talent. He’s going to be a special player in this league. He’s a great student. He has all the tools to be successful. He’s working extremely hard... He’s a guy that people really don’t know, but he can shoot, he has long arms4 to defend and you can’t teach speed,â€? Kidd says. The budding star could also eventually become the face of the Dallas franchise5 whenever All-NBA power forward Dirk Nowitzki calls it quits. And even Nowitzki says the Mavs will be in good hands when #41 is done torching defenders. “[Beaubois] has a swagger about him,â€? Nowitzki says. “If he stays humble, he will be fun to watch for a long time. He is a special player, and if he can stay grounded, he has a good future.â€? The Frenchman certainly hopes his future Hall of Fame teammate is right. For now, Roddy is just looking to make “Beauboisâ€? a household name.

BONUS POINTS 1. Beaubois was discovered by Orlando Magic swingman Mickael Pietrus at an open basketball camp held on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. 2. While fans and NBA media members have come up with an array of nicknames for the young guard, his teammates call him “BooBoo.� 3. Against the Warriors, Beaubois hit a career-high 9-of-11 from three-point range in his best game as a rookie. 4. The 6-0 guard is said to have a 6-10 wingspan. 5. The Mavericks acquired Beaubois, the 25th overall pick in the ’09 Draft, in a trade with Oklahoma City for 24th selection B.J. Mullens and a future secondround pick.

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* According to 2000-2011 erankings.com and NPD data. © 2005-2010 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 2K Sports, the 2K Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrights designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2010 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family l ogo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The PlayStation Network Logo is a service mark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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FIRST FIVE

BY BRETT MAUSER #25

As a self-proclaimed “country boyâ€? from Latta, SC, the fast pace and bright lights of New York City present a bit of a change for Raymond Felton. On the court, where head coach Mike D’Antoni has the new-look Knicks playing at top speed, Felton has never felt more comfortable as a pro. “You just get down the court and make a play,â€? Felton says. “It’s more instinctive. You can just take what comes. I like having a little bit of freedom to just go out there and play.â€? Felton took what came on the free agent market, signing a two-year deal with New York over the summer after ďŹ ve years in Charlotte. He’s averaged 12.1 points and 5.6 assists per game, and led the Bobcats to their ďŹ rst-ever playoff berth. He also enjoyed his best shooting year by a wide margin.2 Because of the success of D’Antoni’s former oor general, Steve Nash,3 one wonders just how good Felton, a blur in the open oor and explosive penetrator, can be in the famed “S.S.O.L.â€?4 system. It’s a comparison that Felton won’t bother making. “He is who he is, and I am who I am,â€? Felton says. “If I can do the things that he did individually and get those accolades, great, it’s an extra bonus. He did it his way and I’m going to do it my way.â€?5 One thing Nash and the Suns never achieved was a championship, or even a Finals appearance. It’s been more than 10 years since the Knicks won so much as a playoff series, and nearly four decades since a stretch when they reached the Finals three times from 1970-73, winning the chip twice.6 Returning the Knicks to glory will go a long way on Broadway, and Felton knows it’s a great situation. “If we win and I make the guys on this team better, all the individual stuff is going to work out,â€? Felton says. “I’ll set individual goals for myself, but the biggest thing is for this team to win. That’s what I’m here for, and that’s what I was brought here for.â€?

BONUS POINTS 1. His points and assists were down, but Felton had never shot better than 41 percent from the ďŹ eld before he upped his accuracy to nearly 46 percent in ’09-10. That included shooting a career-best 38.5 percent from three-point land. 2. Nash was named the League’s Most Valuable Player in 2005 and 2006, and has been named All-NBA seven times. In the last decade, only Nash and Chris Paul have averaged 11 assists per game. Nash accomplished the feat three times, while Paul averaged 11-plus in both the ’07-08 and ’08-09 seasons. 3. Seven Seconds Or Less was the uptempo system made famous by D’Antoni and documented in the Jack McCallum book with the same title that followed the Suns through their ’05-06 season. 4. Felton’s already talking like a New Yorker: “My Wayâ€? is a Sinatra classic. 5. The ’70 Knicks outlasted the Lakers in seven games, getting a lift from hobbled Willis Reed early in Game 7 and riding a 36-point, 19-assist night from Walt Frazier. After Wilt and the Lakers exacted revenge in the ’72 Finals, winning in ďŹ ve, the teams met again in ’73, with New York taking games 2-5, all by single digits. Eleven eventual Hall of Famers played in the series.

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24 seconds with Josh Childress By Jeramie mcPeek #4 HOOP: You just wrapped up your first green-screen1 shoot with the Phoenix Suns. How did it go? CHILDRESS: I enjoyed it. You know, it’s kind of awkward not having a visual and just going out there...but you get to see how actors do it, so it’s pretty cool. HOOP: How are your acting chops? CHILDRESS: Not very good. I’d say subpar, but I’m working on it. HOOP: How does the fro look on the green screen? CHILDRESS: I think it looked good. Hopefully if it didn’t, they’ll clean it up for me. HOOP: Which Stanford alum has the better fro, you or Robin Lopez? CHILDRESS: Robin does. You know, my hair hasn’t really grown in a while. He has the length and it’s pretty curly. He has a few more options than I have. HOOP: Your hair hasn’t grown in a while? You need to start taking vitamins. CHILDRESS: No, I cut it [laughs]. It’s a manageable length. HOOP: What sort of shampoo do you use? CHILDRESS: It’s a deep-conditioning shampoo. I’ve got to have that. My hair gets pretty dry, man. HOOP: We knew you were on Twitter,2 but we were impressed that @JChillinsFro can tweet, too. CHILDRESS: I’ve got some hands hidden in there. Have you heard that Chuck Norris joke about he has a fist in his beard? Same concept. HOOP: Tell us about your sneaker collection. CHILDRESS: It needs to slow down for the time being. I don’t have a lot of space for it, but it’s something that I love. I like different shoes, I like different colors. Everybody has their thing that they’re into and that’s my thing. HOOP: How did it start? CHILDRESS: My oldest brother was the manager of a shoe store when I was little and he would always order stuff, and try to get the exclusive shoes. So he passed that down to me. HOOP: How many pairs do you have and what are your favorites? CHILDRESS: I’d say roughly 600 pairs. I do collect some shoes from other players, but I don’t really like the game-worn ones. I like new ones. I have some custom ones that I’ve done, which are probably my favorite. HOOP: What do custom-made JChill shoes look like? CHILDRESS: Well, I actually just had a pair made with my logo3 on them, which is unbelievable for me. But something crazy that stands out, so if somebody sees me out in them, they know those didn’t come from a store.

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HOOP: OK, let’s get serious for a few seconds. This shot clock is winding down fast. How difficult was the decision to go over to Greece4 in 2008? CHILDRESS: It was a tough decision. It would be tough for anyone willingly leaving their family and friends, the country they grew up in. But I felt like it was a great life experience for me. I learned5 a lot, traveled a lot, living in a different culture and actually having to immerse myself in that culture. I felt like I grew as a person and I’m glad I did that. It worked out. HOOP: Did you learn Greek? CHILDRESS: I learned some. Enough to get by. But for the most part, we spoke English. All my teammates spoke English. My coach spoke broken English, but he got his point across. We used to joke about some of the things he would say, but we understood. HOOP: Were people ever laughing at you or joking about your Greek? CHILDRESS: I’m sure they were [laughs], but I didn’t embarrass myself too much. I really only spoke it when I needed to.

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HOOP: What were the fans like? CHILDRESS: I can’t really describe it. I don’t think people over here can really grasp how passionate they are just from my words. You have to see it. The fans are crazy. HOOP: What size batteries did they throw at you? CHILDRESS: You know those square ones [laughs]? You name it, I’m sure I’ve had it thrown at me or said to me. From small stuff like laser pointers in your eye at the freethrow line, to having M-80s thrown at you. Those are going off constantly during the game. You’d be at the line or about to run a play and you’d hear a loud explosion, and you just had to play through it. HOOP: Did they have volleyball courts in Greece? CHILDRESS: They did, but I didn’t get to play. I watched a couple games, though. HOOP: What was your volleyball game like in high school? CHILDRESS: Limited. HOOP: You made all-league in high school, didn’t you? That’s not limited. CHILDRESS: I could jump. That’s all it was. HOOP: Were you able to watch your favorite shows, The Simpsons and Family Guy, in Greece? CHILDRESS: Not really, no. With the zoning regions online, I couldn’t watch those. But towards the last few months over there, I got a new cable box and was able to watch some stuff. HOOP: You know, Robin Lopez has been called Sideshow Bob6. CHILDRESS: [laughs] I can see that. He’s pretty intellectual just like Sideshow Bob is. HOOP: How about the NBA? Were you able to watch games in Greece? CHILDRESS: Only highlights really, because the games were on at like three in the morning HOOP: How much did you miss the NBA? CHILDRESS: A lot. I tried to focus on my task there, but speaking to my old teammates and looking at the updates on NBA.com and Twitter, it made me miss it and miss playing in front of family and friends. HOOP: Talk about your new team and how much fun you’re having in the Suns’ uptempo offense. CHILDRESS: It’s been really fun. The person I looked forward to playing with the most was Steve Nash. You know how guys say he has eyes on the back of his head? I think he has eyes on the side of his head, too. It’s unbelievable how he sees the floor.

Bonus Points 1. Each of the Suns’ players was shot on an elaborate green-screen set for use in the team’s game night intro video. 3. Childress’ official logo combines his initials to make a silhouette of his head, the C making the shape of his large, round afro. 4. In ’09-10, Childress averaged 15.8 points and 5.4 boards a game in Greek League play, and led Olympiacos to a 23-3 record, en route to the Greek League Finals. 5. Childress is going back to school this year, taking online courses to complete his degree. 6. Josh’s favorite Simpsons character is Homer.

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2. Follow Childress, 140 characters at a time, at Twitter.com/JChillin

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Sure, it’s just a tire.

Like the Grand Canyon is just a big crack.

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Or rather, should the season be renamed “The Miami Heat Show?” as every NBA fan—yes, even those in Cleveland, will be unable to divert themselves from a peek—will have their focus on the trio down in South Beach (some suggested nicknames, feel free to run with any of them: Miami Thrice, Triple THrEAT, Third Degree Burn). It used to be folks would be jealous of Miami for its picturesque weather, golden beaches and crystal blue weather, the state’s lack of income tax, the city’s reputation for glamour, fun and gorgeous art-deco architecture or the ridiculous amount of beautiful sun-kissed people that congregate there. Now basketball fans have another reason to be jealous (just admit it like Tracy McGrady, you’re a tad bit envious of not having #316 as part of your local area code) of Miami. The equivalent of Facebook merging with Google and Amazon, the threesome forms what could be the best trio in NBA history. With all gazes fixed on Miami, many other would-be leading stories have been cast aside. The most ignored two-time defending champions in history, the Lakers are looking to bookend the decade with another threepeat. With his sense of history, Kobe understands what his goal of a sixth title will do for his legacy as he’ll match Michael Jordan in titles. Kevin Durant, the player everyone is picking to nudge his way into the V.I.P. area that is currently ensconced by Kobe and LeBron, is looked at as a preseason MVP pick. With his fleet game and Washington making him the showpiece, No. 1 pick John Wall will look to make it three point guards in a row to attain the ROY. But early returns have indicated that Wall’s college teammate, plucked four spots later, DeMarcus Cousins, is looking like a beastly doubledouble in he making. Maybe they’ll wind up sharing it like Elton Brand and Steve Francis 11 years ago. Or maybe the forgotten frosh, Blake Griffin, makes good on his belated rook run to trump the two Johnny-ComeLatelies. Speaking of point guards, the League is abound with quality at the 1. Now that Chris Paul is healthy again, the debate between Deron Williams and him can begin again in earnest. As if picking between those two isn’t hard enough, you have Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Tyreke Evans, Aaron Brooks and Brandon Jennings looking to join the fray. Watching the padawans come into their own are proven Jedis Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis and Andre Miller. Between the abundance of talent in the League and the recent

rules opening up the perimeter, PG has become the most crucial position in the game. But don’t forget about the giants. This season marks the return of Yao Ming. Absent for the entirety of last season to a foot injury, Yao may or may not ever return to his all-world form as he’ll likely be playing limited minutes. Greg Oden, making a comeback from yet another knee injury that has limited him to 82 games over the past three seasons, will try once again to stay healthy. Last season’s breakthrough pivot, Andrew Bogut has already said he’ll be playing the season at less than optimal strength after a nasty fall last season left his shooting wrist and arm in a cast. Promising center Andrew Bynum is still looking to put together the season of consistent dominance that he flashes occasionally, but by starting the season on the shelf, it looks like another year of waiting. This leaves Dwight Howard without a peer in the League at his position. But truth be told, even if every center in the League was 100 percent, Howard would likely still be standing on the mountaintop alone. He’s that good. And coupled with some offseason tutelage with Hakeem Olajuwon, he’s as good an MVP candidate as any. The veterans are still ring-chasing. Steve Nash and Grant Hill, two of the NBA’s classiest gentlemen, might be seeing the sun set in Phoenix, but they are holding out hope for another shot. Dirk Nowitzki’s jumper may be as true as ever, but time is slowly trickling away for the greatest shooting seven-footer. The Big Three in Boston, the former Orion’s Belt of the League, is now being outshone by a bigger constellation, but they are still potent enough to win it all. In the end, it all comes back to Miami. Like it or not, the center of the NBA universe has shifted to South Beach. That said, the games have to be played and even last year’s two bottom dwellers, the New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves, have every bit of a shot to climb to the top. The Heat could very well be the greatest trios ever formed and obliterate the Chicago Bulls’ sacred 72-win season, or another vaunted vessel that has a flaw that dooms it to sink to the bottom. Either way, it will compel us to watch like no other season before. —Ming Wong #2

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ON THE SPOT: SHAQUILLE O’NEAL It’s more important for Boston to have Shaq not upset the team-first locker room camaraderie than to try to be the dominant center of old. If Shaq can contribute modestly for the team in limited stretches (let’s say 15-20 mpg, 8 ppg and 6 rpg) while clogging the middle for opponents, GM Danny Aing’s move to sign the former MVP will prove to be shrewd. But if Shaq fractures the Doc Rivers-fostered family environment, the team’s championship chances diminish.

Not to harp on it, but had the Knicks accomplished their Summer ’10 mission of landing LeBron James, this team would— understatement alert!—have a much rosier outlook. The roster is comprised of many solid parts to a successful team: freeagent consolation prize Amar’e Stoudemire might be the No. 2 most illest big man finisher around the basket (Dwight Howard is No. 1, in case you were wondering); Danilo Gallinari has the making of the guy to supplant Dirk Nowitzki as the best-shooting big man; Raymond Felton is a sure-handed PG who will likely get better in head coach Mike D’Antoni’s system; Ronny Turiaf supplies boundless energy and determination; Anthony Randolph has the potential to be as good as Stoudemire. Forward Wilson Chandler has proven he can be a consistent scorer. Adding LeBron would have made New Yorkers forget about the Yankees. Alas what the Knicks are is a racecar without the engine, a sundae missing a cherry, a promising collection of players lacking a superstar who can carry the team. The Knicks will be an improved version from last season. Stoudemire’s familiarity with D’Antoni’s system will mean he’ll score and excite the crowd right away (it’ll be curious to see how much the absence of Steve Nash will mean for Stoudemire’s ease of baskets), Felton will be an upgrade over the Chris Duhon era and if Gallinari and Randolph make another jump, this team could realistically finish second—albeit a distant second—to the Celtics.

ON THE SPOT: RAYMOND FELTON The Knicks have trotted out Stoudemire as their savior to the team (he’s not) but the team’s success will be dependant on its latest point guard import. Many of D’Antoni’s schemes require a PG to push the ball and make quick and smart decisions on the floor. As a pro, Felton has never been handed such a fast ride to maneuver. Felton can get to the basket with regularity, but he’ll need to keep defenses honest by sticking the open jumper, a skill he hasn’t shown he can consistently do in his first five years.

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Hands tied behind back, blindfolded, while reciting the alphabet backwards—the Celtics will win the division. Even if the rest of the Atlantic pooled its players together to form a squad, it’s no guarantee they would take down Boston. The C’s have lapped their division foes by that much. We’re not even talking about skill and talent: Boston has the intangibles that has made it a favorite to take down the vaunted Heat in the East. The Celtics lead the conference and maybe the entire League in things like veteran hunger (their experienced roster), intensity (Kevin Garnett alone fills the quota) and experience—three things that can’t be discounted come playoff time. The wily vets that mark the C’s strength are also their potential downfall as long-in-the-tooth guys like Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, KG and the O’Neals (free-agent signees Shaq and Jermaine) are liable to miss time. A saving grace to the roster is that the youngsters have proven to be good enough to keep the team afloat even when the greybeards show their age. At this point, Rajon Rondo might very well be the focal point to the team. Shrek and Donkey (Glen Davis and Nate Robinson) have shown (even during The Finals) that when they have it going, they can be difference-makers. Marquis Daniels and Delonte West are both combustible talents who when motivated, can be counted on to provide quality minutes. Lunch pail-lugging big man Kendrick Perkins is scheduled to return from injury around midseason. A lot of praise is already being heaped on their first-round pick, Avery Bradley for his potential as a defensive stopper. The Celtics are built for the ’11 Finals or bust. Head coach Doc Rivers will have the Celtics primed for another run; the division will be but a formality.

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Since the underdog team that made the Finals in ’01, Sixers fans have been treated to 10 seasons of up-and-down flirtations between promise and rebuilding. This season is looking the same as the team is filled with personnel questions: Is Andre Iguodala a star to build around or a very shiny and expensive complementary player? Will Elton Brand ever come back to his pre-injury form, and if so, be a good fit with the team? Can the offense be trusted to a 20-year-old point guard (Jrue Holiday)? After a “horrible” (his own assessment) summer league, will second overall pick, Evan Turner be ready for a tough Philly home crowd if he struggles (see exhibit A: former No.2 pick Shawn Bradley’s rookie run in Philly)? Is Doug Collins (who hasn’t coached in eight seasons), with his disciplinary style and track record of lacking patience with rookies, the right headcoaching fit for a young Sixers team? Questions aside, the Sixers have a roster brimming with potential. Big men Marreese Speights and Spencer Hawes have shown some flashes of becoming frontline centers. Lou Williams improved his scoring for the fourth straight season and has blossomed into a guard who can switch between both backcourt spots. The team has been waiting for Thaddeus Young to take the next step into the 18-8 realm. The Sixers look every bit the middling team the roster indicates it to be. But if Philly can answer two of the four above questions, it can easily leapfrog the Knicks—but even then we’re talking about 41 wins.

on tHe SPot: AnDRe iguoDAlA We hate to put him here, only because the dude is a gentleman and bears a close resemblance to Scottie Pippen in terms of skills and output. There isn’t anything Iguodala can’t do— defend, score, board, pass. OK, he has a shaky jumper and shot creation is not his forte. A strong showing with Team USA over the summer showed what he can do if paired with other talents. This is not so much an admonishment of Iguodala, but more a wake-up call to Sixers management to either pair him with an alpha dog or trade Iguodala while there’s still value.

the void left by chris Bosh’s departure is not quite the crater seen from deep space in Cleveland but it’ll still be felt. In the offseason, Toronto management questioned Bosh’s commitment, effort and worth to the team, but 24 and 10 is 24 and 10 and will be missed. On the other hand, the jettison of disgruntled starter Hedo Turkoglu will be an addition by subtraction. Even with Bosh last season, the Raptors’ interior defense was soft as opponents took advantage of the team’s lack of an enforcer. This year’s edition will lack a goalkeeper, and for that matter much frontcourt depth. Andrea Bargnani is the only sure starter, and none in the mix of youngsters Solomon Alabi, Amir Johnson, Julian Wright, David Andersen, and veteran Reggie Evans vying for the other forward and center spot (first-round pick Ed Davis will start the season on the injury list), is a proven scoring threat. That leaves the team to depend on its guards and swingmen to carry the offensive load. Good thing guards Jarrett Jack, Jose Calderon and Leandro Barbosa (netted from Turkoglu trade) can bring some firepower. Same for swing guys like DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems and fresh-from-Greek-sabbatical Linas Kleiza. Unfortunately, perimeter defense won’t be a strong suit, making matters all that worse for Toronto’s interior D. It’s not going to be pretty for Raptor fans this year, but at least they won’t be the last team in the Altantic division.

on tHe SPot: AnDReA BARgnAni As a former No. 1 overall pick, the expectations will forever be there. Now with former franchise face Bosh taking his talents to South Beach, it’s now or never for the Italian import. When he’s on, he does a good impression of Dirk Nowitzki, raining jumpers from everywhere. It’s not that his 17.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg from last year isn’t good enough; he needs to assert himself, lead a young team (his five years of service makes him a senior on the squad) and take the big shots.

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10/15/10 3:34 PM

Season Preview: AtlAntic DiviSion

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on tHe SPot: Devin HARRiS Last season started out terribly for the speedy guard—he had to deal with some nagging injuries to start the season and when he came back he had to deal with a lot of losing. His numbers across the board took a dive and he slogged through a miserable season. As the centerpiece of the Jason Kidd deal—a player that brought the Nets the most glory—he’s expected to at least bring back something in return. Last season was troubling for a young and emerging player, so a return to form will be a must.

AtlAntic DiviSion q&A WitH BRooK loPez After last years disappointing season, what are the nets realistic goals this season? Obviously improvement. Every little bit counts. I think we can definitely win some games. We have guys with winning mentalities, guys who have been around the league for a really long time. You look at guys like Troy Murphy, Joe Smith, guys who are great NBA vets and have been around basketball. Then we have younger guys like Jordan [Farmar], Derrick [Favors], and Damion (James), young guys who are eager to play. Jordan has been on two championship teams and knows how to win. That’s the kind of mentality we have to bring to New Jersey. What are you looking forward to most this season? I think playing with some of the new guys on the front line. Guys like Twroy and especially Derrick Favors. I’m really looking forward to playing with him. He’s been playing great so far in this offseason just when we play in the gym. So I think he will definitely live up to being pick No. 3. Besides Boston, who do you think can come out of this division and make it into the playoffs? Everyone in the division pretty much made upgrades in the offseason. Obviously the Knicks got Amar’e (Stoudemire). It’s a pretty talented division. Obviously we’d like to win the division and make the playoffs. So we’re focused on ourselves for now. Do you think the nets could be a sleeper team in the division? You never know. But like I said it’s hard to look ahead. We have to worry about getting better right now.

What do you think of the Knicks’ chances to make the playoffs? They have a really good chance. They’ve got a great coach in (Mike) D’Antoni. Amar’e is a great player. They’ve got Wilson [Chandler], Danilo [Gallinari], loads of very talented players. And they play that D’Antoni running system that Amar’e is used to, so I think it’s going to be good for them. How much do you think Philly is going to improve on last year’s performance? They have a lot of talent and they made some upgrades this offseason. They got Evan Turner in the draft and they have Andre [Iguodala] and Elton [Brand] coming back. So I think they will be good. How do you think toronto will cope without chris Bosh? They’ll find players who are going to be looking to step up and make bigger names for themselves to help the team win without him there. You’ve got guys like DeMar (DeRozan) and (Andrea) Bargnani who are very talented players. What makes the celtics so tough? As a big it’s difficult when you look at their frontcourt. They’ve got Kendrick (Perkins), KG, Big Baby (Glen Davis), Shaq, Jermaine O’Neal. It’s very, very deep and it’s going to be a battle playing them. You know there’s going to be banging in the paint all through the game, so it’s going to be tough. Are you looking forward to battling the new big men in the Atlantic Division, guys like Shaq and Amar’e Stoudemire? No question. I take it as a challenge to go up against the best big men in the league. So like playing against Dwight [Howard], it’s an enjoyment for me. I really enjoy doing it so I’m definitely looking forward to it.—Brian A. giuffra #17

issaC baldizon (2); jennifer pottheiser/nbae/Getty imaGes

twelve wins. that’s not even a single win for every man on the roster. That said, things are looking up for the Brooklyn-bound team. The Nets have something most teams are envious of— All-Star talent at the 1 and 5 positions. Brook Lopez deserves to be Dwight Howard’s backup in February; Devin Harris can have a bounce-back year to get back into the midseason showcase. Admittedly, after that, there is a drop-off. Third overall pick Derrick Favors might be good, but like a green banana, isn’t quite ready for consumption just yet. Swingmen Terrence Williams, Travis Outlaw and Anthony Morrow have all showed glimpses of being starters but each has struggled with consistency. To show the youngsters the way, veterans Jordan Farmar, Troy Murphy and Joe Smith were imported this offseason. The good thing is that they’ll have a tested general— specifically Little General, as in Avery Johnson—to show them the way. Johnson will prod, plead and will the Nets to an improvement. The good news is that when you have suffered through a season like the Nets had in ’09-10, things can only get better (and they will for the Nets this season). The move to Brooklyn is on the horizon and new owner Mikhail Prokhorov has yet to even whip out his checkbook. The bad news: Getting better will still mean being in the cellar of arguably the weakest division in the NBA.

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By Christopher Cason #24

AdAptAtIoN

victor baldizon (2); randy belice; melissa majchrazak; nathaniel s. butler/nbae/Getty imaGes

the NBA winds of change invariably affect every team and player. Success or failure in the season is determined by how they adapt to them.

If the NBA was a snow globe, the past summer it was picked up, churned furiously and now we’re still seeing the flakes settle back down. Prime-time decisions were made, the annual game of coaching musical chairs played out, players intersected across the country via free-agency and trades and hopeful collegians plucked onto rosters replacing once-familiar names. Like in nature, every season brings change, and like in nature, those with the ability to adapt to these changes will survive. Adjustments and adaptations will need to be made to assure just how successful each player and team will be. Coaches and team personnel have to adjust to players who bring new personalities as well as strengths and weaknesses. With a core now consisting of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra not only has to deal with incorporating a system around three All-Stars and several new players, but he also has to learn to go from a team last year that just had a ceiling of making the playoffs to a team with championship expectations. Coupled with all the media attention the Heat will garner, Spoelstra says his main task is getting everyone on the team to buy into the team’s concept. Spoelstra says, “What you always want as a head coach is a group of guys who want to play for something bigger than themselves.” “Early on in our meetings with the players—talking to them, flying to their cities to meet with them to start the process of building a relationship—that’s what I have gotten back immediately, that everybody senses the moment and the opportunity right now. It’s a very focused, professional attitude that guys are bringing into camp and that’s the start of it and that’s an important part.” Having spent the last six years in Salt Lake City, Carlos Boozer is now with the Chicago Bulls, a team he grew up watching throughout his childhood. Joining him in the Windy City are former Utah Jazz teammates Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. Having those two will make the transition easier as they try to return the Bulls back to those glory days. “Both of those two guys are great additions to the team,” says Boozer. “We got the inside game. With Coach Tom Thibodeau’s schemes on defense, we all know that defense wins championships and that’s why the Celtics were so successful for the last three years. They may not have made shots all the time, but their defense was consistent. That’s what championship teams do and that’s what the Chicago Bulls will do.”

The chance to play for the ultimate prize is great motivation to move, especially when you’re surrounded by teammates and a staff with the belief, experience and talent to get it done, but what about when you want to get back to doing something you’ve always done (winning)? Winning didn’t come often last season for Chris Douglas-Roberts. His team, the New Jersey Nets finished 12-70. After being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason, he’s looking forward to adapting to the city’s culture and finding a new home. “It’s a lot of seasoned guys that I can get good tips and information from,” says DouglasRoberts. “I’m definitely going to be doing that and that will make this an easier transition for me.” Even teams as successful as the world champion Los Angeles Lakers, Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics and conference runner-ups Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns, didn’t avoid some adjustments. The Lakers will likely start their title defense without their starting center, Andrew Bynum, and try to incorporate three new members to the bench. Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff will be counted on to make contributions while learning the intricacies of the triangle offense. The Boston Celtics made some big changes, none bigger than adding Shaquille O’Neal. The C’s also inked the other O’Neal, Jermaine. When incumbent starting pivot Kendrick Perkins returns in midseason, head coach Doc Rivers will have to figure out how to dole out the center minutes. The Phoenix Suns will have to adjust to life without their leading scorer. They will try to replace Amar’e Stoudemire’s 23 points with Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress and others. Life without the best pick-and-roll finisher in the game might be tough for Steve Nash, but he’ll adapt and find a new target. The Orlando Magic did not make too many personnel changes, but they’ll have to get used to a new house in the Amway Center. NBA players are notoriously creatures of habit, so the Magic will need to get acclimated to and situated to their new digs, even if the changes will all likely be an upgrade in creature comforts. This is fact: Not all the changes will work. In fact, most won’t. But the ones that do the best in adapting will be the ones who survive to see more change. HOOP

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10/19/10 10:25 AM

Season Preview: CENTRAL DIVISION

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ON THE SPOT: RONNIE BREWER The Bulls have four set starting spots, but Brewer must prove he can score, the better to create some breathing room for Rose and keep defenders from sagging around Boozer and Noah. Brewer won’t impress anyone with his outside shot, but he can score well in the open court and off the ball in set situations. That should be enough to provide some assistance to Rose and make the Bulls’ starting ďŹ ve one of the ďŹ nest in the conference.

The momentum from a 12-game improvement, the expected decline of the Cavaliers in their post-LeBron world and some shrewd under-the-radar offseason moves have given the Bucks a sense that the Central title is within their grasp. There’s no reason to believe that can’t happen. Andrew Bogut’s return to good health after last April’s hideous elbow injury provides an interior bulwark around which a pretty good cast can orbit. It begins with secondyear point man Brandon Jennings, who deďŹ ed experts’ predictions with a big rookie campaign. But the additions of wing scorer Corey Maggette, dirty-work specialist Drew Gooden and guard Chris Douglas-Roberts will help make the Bucks deeper and more dangerous, as will the re-signing of John Salmons, who was tough down the stretch last year. Luc Mbah a Moute is back to defend and rebound up front, and Carlos DelďŹ no is a strong long-range shooter and underrated board man. Add in Ersan Ilyasova at the four spot, and you have a versatile rotation and a collection of guys who will play the kind of sticky defense head coach Scott Skiles demands. It may not be enough now to warrant a division title, but the Bucks are moving forward and won’t be an easy out come playoff time. Fear the Deer indeed.

ON THE SPOT: ANDREW BOGUT Bucks fans were cheered when Bogut arrived at training camp with almost complete clearance to do what he needed in order to return to form. One of the NBA’s best defenders, Bogut is also a worthy interior offensive weapon. Had he not been injured last year, the Bucks might well have beaten Atlanta in the postseason’s ďŹ rst round. A healthy Bogut will provide a centerpiece around which the many mixand-match parts on the roster can orbit. It’s unlikely Bogut will ever become a consistent 20-10 guy, but he was enjoying his best season before getting hurt last year and has developed into a player who can score well in the post and anchor the Bucks’ D at the other end.

RANDY BELICE (2); GARY DINEEN; NED DISHMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Let’s forget for a moment that Carlos Boozer will be out nearly for the ďŹ rst month or so of the season after falling down in a freak accident at home involving a bag. The Bulls are well positioned to take over the Central and stick at the top for quite a while. The big question now is whether Chicago can go beyond that and join Miami, Orlando and Boston atop the Eastern Conference. One thing is certain: with Tom Thibodeau on the bench, Chicago is going to play some defense. The architect of the Celtics’ swarming D as a Doc Rivers’ assistant, Thibodeau is a master of shutting down opponents. And with the roster GM Gar Forman has assembled, scoring points shouldn’t be much of a problem. Adding Boozer up front guarantees rivals must pay close attention down low and up high (Boozer is an underrated midrange shooter), or Boozer will drop 20 on them. The Bulls locked up Joakim Noah this fall, guaranteeing ďŹ ve more seasons of double-doubles and continued agitation at the 4 and 5 spots. Luol Deng continues to be one of the most versatile players in the NBA, and what can you say about Derrick Rose? The point man continues to develop into a major threat dishing and scoring and could crack the Chris Paul/Deron Williams stratosphere of PGs. If newcomer Ronnie Brewer can provide consistency at the two, the Bulls will have a dynamite starting ďŹ ve. The bench looks promising, since Kyle Korver will provide air cover, Keith Bogans can score some, C.J. Watson ought to ďŹ ll in well for Rose, and forwards James Johnson and Taj Gibson are bangers.

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allen einstein; d. lippitt/einstein; david sherman (2)/nbae/getty images

after bringing new meaning to the term “Bad Boys” last year with losing streaks that hit 13 and 11 games, the Pistons have entered the second phase of their rebuilding program by adding top pick Greg Monroe to their nucleus of Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince and Charlie Villanueva, hoping the Georgetown big man can help solve last year’s interior problems—or at least make a start in that direction. Monroe is not a savior, and there are those who wonder whether his great skills will be able to come out without a little more grit. But he gives the Pistons some much-needed interior pop, not the worst thing for a team that relied heavily on middleweights Jonas Jerebko and Chris Wilcox inside last year. Nothing against those two, but Detroit needs more. And with the budding Jerebko likely shelved for the season, offense will have to come from the perimeter. Good thing the Pistons have plenty on the perimeter, thanks to the Gordon/Prince/Hamilton troika, not to mention Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum. The big question is whether Hamilton is healed completely from the Achilles tendon injury that limited him to 46 games last year, and if he is, whether he can return to All-Star form. If he gets back, he must still find a way to mesh with Gordon, who didn’t deliver as many thought he would last year. And Prince must rebound from an injury-plagued year. Stuckey delivered, and Bynum was steady, but if the Pistons are going to make progress in the East, their big guns must produce. And they must find a way to blend with newcomer Tracy McGrady. Villanueva, another high-priced addition before last year, averaged just about 23 minutes a game, far too few, especially for a team that needs so much help up front. If he can thrive, and Monroe delivers, the Pistons should take a step forward.

on the SPot: traCy MCgraDy After playing a total of 65 games the past two seasons, McGrady enters ’10-11 with few expectations placed upon him. The 13-year vet is viewed as a bonus for the Pistons, who are hoping he can stay healthy and contribute regularly— without rocking the boat. McGrady isn’t all that old—just 31—but he does have a lot of mileage on his frame and comes to Detroit trailing questions about whether he can approach his previous production of if he’s at the terminus of his career.

teams have lost big-name stars before, but what happened to Cleveland during the offseason was unprecedented. LeBron James’ departure leaves the Cavs struggling for an identity and moves them from championship contention to the lower echelon of the Eastern Conference. Some predictions for the Cavs have been especially dire, but those are unlikely to come true. Cleveland won’t contend in the Central, but they aren’t going to replicate New Jersey’s ’09-10 struggles, either. New coach Byron Scott is too good to let that happen, and the Cavs do have some talent on board that is capable of winning. This time, the ceiling is 30-35 games, not an NBA title parade. Veteran forward Antawn Jamison will be asked to handle much of the scoring, and he is capable. Mo Williams will lead the backcourt brigade, and it will interesting to see if he returns to the level (17-18 ppg) he reached while in Milwaukee, or if he even exceeds those numbers. Anthony Parker is a solid wing weapon, and Daniel Gibson has the potential to be a dangerous scorer when his three-point shot is falling. Ramon Sessions, imported from Milwaukee, should provide solid backup at the point. Joining Jamison up front is veteran Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson and Leon Powe; the trio comprise a solid rotation— albeit little scoring—in the power positions. Rookie Samardo Samuels has the size and skills to help right away.

on the SPot: Byron SCott In some ways, Scott has it easy. Without James, the Cavaliers aren’t expected to do anything at all. If they challenge for a playoff berth, he’ll look like a genius. But there is a deeper component to his job, and that’s keeping the Cavs from imploding and falling into postLeBron depression. If Cleveland is awful, rebuilding will be nearly impossible. But if Scott can get the collection of role players to work together, defend conscientiously and play hard every night, he’ll have a foundation on which something worthwhile can be constructed.

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10/18/10 5:03 PM

Season Preview: Central DiviSion

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on the SPot: t.J. ForD The arrival of Collison means Ford’s time at the point should suffer, something that started to happen last year. Although he was sidelined by a cranky groin for part of the year, Ford didn’t please O’Brien with his play and saw his minutes and numbers drop. Though Collison is only a second-year player, his presence means O’Brien and GM Larry Bird have lost faith in Ford, who must now work his way back into the rotation and show he can run an NBA team again and if not, be a team player and embrace the backup role and help tutor Collison.

Central DiviSion Q&a with John SalMonS what’s the biggest rivalry in the Central Division? Definitely [Bucks] and Bulls. It’s so close. We got guys that played on the Bulls, coaches on the Bulls When we play [in Milwaukee] Chicago fans drive up; when we play in Chicago, [Bucks fans] drive up. It’s a pretty good rivalry. having played in both cities, how do you compare fans from Chicago and Milwaukee? I think both fans want to win, want a good team, want a winning team. Being here, what I’ve learned is that [Bucks fans] want to see a team that plays hard, plays the right way. I think they want a winning team on the court, they want to see their team do well, but they support their team no matter they win or not if they have a team that plays hard, plays, play together, a blue-collar team. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned about our fans here. So i take it the front-runners for the Central will be Bucks and Bulls? To tell you the truth, I actually think it’s gonna be a tough divison. Detroit has a lot of talent. They had a lot of injuries last year and they added T-Mac. Indiana got better—they got [Darren] Collison, he’s a really good young point guard, [Roy] Hibbert, who’s playing well, they still have [Danny] Granger is a great scorer. They got some pieces and they got a really good coach. That’s another team you can’t really sleep on. There’s going to definitely be some competition in our division. I would like to say that we’re one of the best teams in the division but we won’t know that until we get out there and play. who’s the most slept-on player in the division? Whew...there’s a lot of good players in our division, probably the kid from Detroit, [Will] Bynum. which team has the best/worst visiting locker rooms in the Central? The best is probably the Bulls just because they’re the only locker room that is pretty similar to the home locker rooms. Detroit’s is pretty bad—they’ve got the smallest one on the League. Best uni in the division? Probably the Bulls—classic. Although I do like our uniforms as well. who’s the best defender in the division? Luc Richard [Mbah A Moute]—just because he can play point guards, two guards, small forwards, power forwards. He can pay 1 through 4 on the defensive end. Best pick n’ roll combination in the division? I think Brandon [Jennings] and [Andrew] Bogut are pretty good, that’s a tough pick combination. D-Rose and [Carlos] Boozer would also be pretty tough. Central Division mascot battle royale—who’d be the last furry creature in a basketball jersey standing in the end? [laughs] Bango [the Bucks deer mascot]. I mean, did you see that ladder dunk up high where he backflipped into the air and dunked? last one, who’s got the best beard game in the division? [laughing] It’s definitely got to be me.—Ming wong #2

ron hoskins; jonathan daniel; gary dineen/nbae/getty images

if the Pacers are going to find their way into the NBA playoff fray, they’ll need to improve their defense and rebounding, two huge problems last year. Unfortunately for Indy fans, there aren’t any offseason moves we can point to as evidence that improving in those areas is a big priority. The Pacers’ two top draft picks, Paul George and Lance Stephenson, are primarily scorers, so neither of them can be counted on to tighten things up at the other end. That means the holdovers must improve their commitment to the dirty work. The most obvious candidate in that department is big man Roy Hibbert, who had a solid second year but must produce even more this season, particularly on the backboards. With Troy Murphy gone to Jersey, there is an even greater need for someone to pound the glass. Coach Jim O’Brien must hope Tyler Hansbrough can handle that responsibility, even though he’s coming off an injurytruncated season. At least we all know Danny Granger will score about 25 a night. That’s good news. He could be receiving passes full-time from Darren Collison, the promising point man who came to town in the four-way deal that led to Murphy’s exit. Or, he could be working again primarily with incumbent T.J. Ford. James Posey joins the crew to play defense and score some, although his production has fallen in recent years. Brandon Rush and Mike Dunleavy provide help on the wing, while off guard Dahntay Jones is tough off the dribble.

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10/18/10 5:03 PM

By Michael Bradley #53

Bench Presses

PHOTO CREDIT/NBAE/GETTy ImAGEs

The easy part is finding the starting five. The hardest part of building a team is filling in seats six through 15.

A couple seasons ago, there is no way Shannon Brown would have signed a two-year deal with the Lakers for less playing time and less money than he could have gotten elsewhere. Brown wanted starter’s minutes and starter’s dough, and the idea of coming off the bench was insulting. Maybe that’s why he played for four teams in three seasons and never saw regular action. “I got caught up my first two or two-and-half years in the NBA,” he says. “I sat back and realized I had to respect the game and the players that came before me.” Brown still worked long hours to improve and dreamed of being a regular, but once he saw how much fun it was to win big with L.A., he decided that was the life for him, even if it meant backing up Kobe Bryant. “Look at Shannon,” new Sixers GM Rod Thorn says. “He played for [four] teams before the Lakers, and he was considered to be a bust. When he got to the Lakers, he figured it out a little and gets on a team that needs what he does. “He became a solid rotation player on a good team when he was not even a rotation guy on mediocre teams.” You never know when a Shannon Brown is going to get it right, and that’s why it’s so hard to build a bench in the NBA. It’s a league where nearly everybody wants to be a star, and convincing people to play roles isn’t so easy. “[A reserve] has to have the practice and drive to be a starter and then once you are not a starter, you have to understand your role,” says Otis Smith, Orlando’s GM. “If your role in the game is to lock down and defend, then do that job to the best of your ability.” Though the offseason was dominated by the big-time free-agent signings, it was the lesspublicized moves to fortify benches that may determine who wins the NBA title next June. The Heat added complementary pieces like Mike Miller, Eddie House and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, while the Lakers re-signed Brown and attracted Steve Blake and Matt Barnes. None of those players have the star power of big-contract types, but each will play an important role in his teams’ championship quest. The Lakers and Heat weren’t the only teams to fortify their reserve lines. Teams all over the

League tried to become deeper and more versatile, hoping to improve their status. The trick was finding players who fit specific team needs, and most importantly, were willing to accept a bench role. “I think it’s a challenge, but there are a lot of players that kind of know where they fit in,” Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak says. “A great example is a guy like Steve Blake. He looked at our team and knows [point guard] Derek Fisher’s age [36] and knows there is an opportunity there. There was no discussion where we said, ‘There’s no way you’re starting,’ but he knows where he fits in.” Thorn says it’s easier to sell players on reduced roles on good teams than on ones that struggle. “Then, they want to play more,” he says. It comes down to how realistic the players are. Blake knows he won’t start over Fisher right away but that the Laker guard’s age won’t allow him to play 40 minutes a night during the regular season. So, Blake has the chance to get on the court, and the Lakers have a quality backup point. “Most of the time, you’re trying to fill a spot,” Thorn says. That might be a shooter, the role Miller will likely play with the Heat. It’s important to have strong defenders off the bench, a big reason the Lakes signed 37-year-old Theo Ratliff. Versatile players like Lamar Odom, who “can play three or four positions,” according to Kupchak, are always welcome. Smith likes to have as many big guys as possible, and anyone listening to Dallas owner Mark Cuban in mid-September heard him herald the Mavs’ improved frontcourt depth. “You just can’t have enough big guys, because they give you size and strength,” Smith says. Chemistry becomes a huge issue when building a bench. Smith says the hardest people to keep happy are “10 to 15,” or the last five guys on the roster, because they don’t get much time. That’s where it’s good to have veterans. In L.A., old hands like Fisher and Kobe Bryant “don’t allow distractions,” Kupchak says. In the end, it’s not easy to assemble a bench that fills a team’s needs, offers versatility and has components that will co-exist harmoniously— just as it’s difficult to play a supporting role instead of starring nightly. Brown still wants to start, but he understands his job. “We call ourselves ‘The Bench Mob,’” he says. “We know the starters log a lot of minutes, and we don’t want them to play 45 a night. It’s a long season, so when they need us, we’re ready.” Even if it takes a little while to get there. HOOP

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10/19/10 1:06 PM

Season Preview: SOUTHEAST DIVISION

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ON THE SPOT: ERIK SPOELSTRA Talk about pressure. Most people have already ceded the O’Brien Trophy to the Heat, so all Spoelstra can do is mess it up. It’s important for him to have a strong voice on this team, but it won’t be easy, since he is young and lacks the rÊsumÊ Phil Jackson had when he took over the Shaq/Kobe Lakers. The talent is in place to win it all, but unless Spoelstra can sell this team on playing gritty basketball and ignoring the ash bulbs, Miami will not accomplish its ultimate goal.

On the surface, this was not the best offseason for the Magic. Orlando didn’t reload its roster while its Sunshine State rival, Miami, blew up like a rock star. And the League mandated that coaches had to wear shirts with collars, killing Stan Van Gundy’s trademark turtleneck look (Ed note: rest easy, SVG, it was later redacted]. But don’t weep for the Magic. It was a squad that went to the Conference Finals last year and this season moves into the spiffy Amway Center, added wing Quentin Richardson and point Chris Duhon to fortify the backcourt bench and still has one of the NBA’s most formidable starting ďŹ ves, including post powerhouse and undisputed best center in the game Dwight Howard. Not that there aren’t some changes afoot. Look for Rashard Lewis to play more time at small forward, opening things up for Brandon Bass at the 4. Of course, the Magic needs a full, healthy season from Jameer Nelson, and Howard must continue to develop his offensive game, the better to counter the double-teams that keep coming his way. In a division with so many good scoring guards, it’s vital for Vince Carter to have a big season at the 2. The Magic’s bench situation should be pretty good, thanks to the arrival of Richardson, J.J. Redick’s maturation toward the end of last year and the consistency Duhon should bring as Nelson’s backup. Mickael Pietrus is a solid defender, but Marcin Gortat is an awfully pricey backup center.

ON THE SPOT: VINCE CARTER Carter reportedly worked out ďŹ endishly during the offseason and reported to camp with 4 percent body fat and a renewed zest for his profession. Now we’ll see if he can translate that into the kind of aggressive play that typically deďŹ nes the game’s best shooting guards, or if he’ll be content to play a supporting role. If the Magic is to continue its run atop the Southeast, it’s Carter’s performance that is most important. He needs to provide outside shooting, yes, but if he doesn’t back that up with frequent drives to the hoop, he’ll be easy to contain, and opponents can concentrate on doubleteaming Howard and stagnating the Magic’s offense.

JENNIFER POTTHEISER; VICTOR BALDIZON; FERNANDO MEDINA (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

The Greatest Team of All Time is ready to go in South Beach, and nothing can stop it. All NBA rivals are powerless against the triple power of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. An undefeated season is a deďŹ nite possibility. A cakewalk to the Finals is expected. Really, though, the Heat has put together something pretty special, and the trick now is to make it all work. It’s not going to be easy, no matter how good the Big Three might be, because they must play outstanding basketball from the jump and face a league thirsting to beat them. Their ďŹ rst mandate is to deďŹ ne roles for themselves and ďŹ t them into a team concept. Then, they must integrate the other pieces into the equation. Expect James to play just about everywhere on the oor—even the point. In Cleveland, James didn’t have the pieces able to play off him. Now, he does. Wade will likely average 30 a game (assuming the preseason hamstring pull doesn’t linger), because that’s his job, while Bosh must rebound consistently and score inside. Mike Miller will be the envy of every spot-up shooter in the League, thanks to the attention his celebrated teammates will get. Hell, he can just pick his favorite spot, not move an inch on offense, advertise this to the world and he’ll still likely be open. Eddie House will be a similarly dangerous outside weapon, while Udonis Haslem needs to defend and board. The point should belong to Mario Chalmers, until James takes over during crucial moments. The roster’s weakest area is in the middle where a center-by-committee comprised of Joel Anthony, Juwan Howard, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jamaal Magloire will take turns manning the pivot. Miami is in a great spot, but it needs to defend well inside and hope the three stars can coexist on the court as smoothly as they have so far off it.

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rocky widner; fernando medina; kent smith (2)/nbae/Getty imaGes

even though the hawks were almost dispatched in the postseason’s first round by Milwaukee and then swept by Orlando, they decided things were just fine the way they were. Instead of making wholesale changes, they re-signed Joe Johnson and committed to moving forward with the same crew that nearly stumbled against the Bucks. Management’s thinking is that Atlanta is still young and by keeping the nucleus revolving around Johnson (six years, $119 mil) it will develop into a title contender. That philosophy presupposes players like Marvin Williams, Al Horford and Josh Smith are more than just complementary pieces and have the capacity to become the kind of elite producers that propel teams to titles. It also assumes veteran point man Mike Bibby has enough left to be more than just a bit player. The problem is that when the Hawks came upon the opportunity to prove their mettle as contenders, they couldn’t do it, struggling—as they did often during the regular season—defensively and with a short bench. Smith certainly has star talent, and his numbers are impressive. Whether he becomes a front-line frontcourt player is up to him. Horford does what Horford does, which is rebound and score close to the bucket, while Williams has never grown into the expectations that came from his number one overall draft slot. Supersub Jamal Crawford has undeniable scoring talent and can play many positions, but he has little support off the bench and it’ll be interesting to see how his pursuit of a contract extension might affect his play this season. Guard Maurice Evans and center Zaza Pachulia comprise the rest of the thin reserve brigade.

on the SPot: Mike BiBBy Now in his 13th season, Bibby saw his minutes drop considerably last year, as Crawford’s role increased. But Crawford is a scorer, not a floor leader, and the Hawks need Bibby to reassert himself as the man in charge. If he can do that, particularly in the postseason, this team has a chance to win a series or two. If not, it will drift, rudderless, to another quick exit and another offseason of questions.

nobody in the Bobcats’ camp looks at last year’s quick firstround playoff exit as bad news, especially since it marked the franchise’s first-ever foray into the postseason. Hats off to Larry Brown for reviving Charlotte by taking advantage of the Eastern Conference’s relative weakness and grabbing a spot in the top eight. The challenge now in a stronger, deeper conference is to continue the success. And that won’t be easy, because Charlotte hasn’t exactly enhanced its roster. Its two stalwarts, Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, return, guaranteeing production from the forward spots. Wallace became an All-Star last year, proving that he could do much more than just dunk with gusto. Jackson has always been a big producer and willing defender, although he does need to improve his shooting eye. The rest of the outfit is where there is cause for concern. Brown finally gave up on Raymond Felton and hands the team over to D.J. Augustin, a fine three-point shooter who must prove he can score off the dribble. Boris Diaw is a solid piece at forward, although he must cut down on turnovers. Charlotte has plenty options inside—Tyrus Thomas, Nazr Mohammed, DeSagana Diop, Eduardo Najera and Kwame Brown—but don’t expect any of them to shine. Not that Brown asks that of his big men, who must defend and rebound at the expense of everything else.

on the SPot: D.J. auGuStin A notorious stickler who can lean on players—particularly his lead guards—like few other coaches, Larry Brown has high demands for his PG (just ask Allen Iverson). Augustin must prove he can run the team and defend the way Brown wants. That means making good decisions and sacrificing himself for the team. Augustin must also have a thick skin to endure the near-constant barbs Brown dishes out. The third-year man has quickness and a sharp shot from behind the perimeter, but it’s time for him to assert himself more off the dribble, producing for himself while keeping Jackson and Wallace well fed.

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Season Preview: SoutheaSt DiviSion

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on the SPot: GilBert arenaS The combination of Arenas’ injury problems and off-court situation make him something of a wild card for the Wizards. A couple seasons ago, he was the team’s face, and some were picking Washington to challenge for the Southeast title. Now, he is a mystery and must find a way to coexist with the man who could well be his replacement. If Arenas plays team ball, the Wizards will be tough most nights. But if he fights too hard against Wall’s emergence, the Wiz could be in bad shape.

SoutheaSt DiviSion Q&a With DWiGht hoWarD Do you think the Southeast is going to be the toughest division in the nBa? I think the East in general is going to be very tough with all the new additions to every team. Everybody’s gotten better. But I love it. We’ve gotten a lot better. We’ve been in the gym working just as hard as everybody else. So we’re looking forward to this season. Who do you think the favorites are? Every team has gotten a lot better. So the favorite is anyone who comes from our division. What do you think has made atlanta so much better? You just have to look at the history of the Hawks. Each year they’ve gotten a lot better and they’ve made it farther than they did before. Their team has been consistent for the last couple of years. They might not have gotten to the Eastern Conference Finals, but each year they’ve won more games and got deeper in the playoffs. the Bobcats have also improved steadily. your thoughts on them? They’re well coached and they have one guy who everyone wishes was on their team. Nobody talks about him but it’s Stephen Jackson. They call him Captain Jack for a reason. He’s a great leader and he has those guys working the right way. You can learn a lot from a guy like him. Will we see Washington make noise? Washington is a very young team...I think it’s going to take them a couple of years to be where they want to be. They have a lot of young guys and I think the guy who is going to be very key for them is Andray Blatche. A lot of people don’t talk about

him but he’s a guy who can do just about anything on the floor and he’s 6-10. how big will the intra-state rivlary be between orlando and Miami? It’s always been a big rivalry. Even in preseason. When we play those guys in preseason, Coach [Stan Van Gundy] is like “We’ve got to win this game.” And I’m like “Coach, at the end of the day whoever wins, it’s not going to really count. It’s still going to say 0-0 because it’s preseason.” And he’s like, “No we’re going to beat these guys.” He just goes after it. He will leave me and whoever else he needs to leave in the game for the whole game. He just wants to beat Miami that bad. So it’s going to be interesting this year. What was your first reaction when you heard about the heat team forming? I couldn’t wait for the season to start. I don’t think nobody is afraid of those guys. Everybody is looking forward to playing them and they’re looking forward to playing everybody else. looking forward to the first heat game? It’s not just about playing against one team or playing against the Lakers or Boston because that’s not going to help me get to where I want to be in the future. I get up for everything. It’s about playing basketball for the NBA. This is my dream. So I don’t look at it as I’m getting excited for one game or one team. What are your goals for the Magic and yourself? My goal is to win a championship. Any other individual goals will come from that. I just want to be the best player I can be and do whatever I can to help my teammates.—Brian a. Giuffra #17

ned dishman (2); fernando medina/nbae/Getty imaGes

Wizards fans have been anxiously awaiting the return of Gilbert Arenas to the floor for an entire season, but to say that the franchise has pinned its hopes entirely on the artist formerly known as Agent Zero this season would be wrong. Washington is moving forward with a rebuilding program that includes a healthy dose of youth and a roster that has the potential to grow, albeit slowly. The biggest part of that transition is the arrival of guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the Draft. Wall has the potential to be a big scorer while still creating chances for those around him. It will be interesting to see how he and Arenas play together and also how new addition Kirk Hinrich fits into the backcourt rotation as a pure distributor. Wall will have to score, as will Arenas, but the Wizards do have some other options, most notably forward Josh Howard, who has the potential to make a comeback and be a big producer. Forward Al Thornton is a workmanlike player who will fill a fine complementary role, while center Andray Blatche last year became a full-fledged pivot weapon. The big question is whether the Wizards will be able to stop anybody from scoring. That’s coach Flip Saunders’ biggest challenge with a team that has plenty of intriguing parts but no real identity, outside of Arenas’ outsized personality. It will be interesting to watch how Wall integrates himself into the formula and how long before he is the focal point.

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By Jeff Min #12

DoWn, BuT noT ouT

CHRIsTIAN PETERsON; BILL BAPTIsT/NBAE/GETTy ImAGEs

Millions watch the games on the court being played. When it comes to the game of returning from injury, it is oftentimes played out alone.

In an occupation as physically demanding as professional basketball, few players have been able to escape the harsh reality of injuries. No one, no matter how big or strong or tough, is immune to the effects of an errant elbow, a flagrant foul, a slippery floor, or as we saw with Andrew Bogut, the unforgiving laws of inertia. Bogut’s awkward fall on his shooting arm after a dunk against the Suns in early April left him missing the entire Bucks’ playoff run. Injuries happens all the time, and it’s an occupational hazard that looms heavy over players. This past season was no different than others as it saw a number of marquee players go down with season ending ailments. The Western Conference in particular took a huge hit with guys like Yao Ming, Blake Griffin, Memo Okur and pretty much the entire Trail Blazers organization, Nate McMillan included, going down at some point. Let’s not forget about the East either. What could have been for Milwaukee had Bogut and Redd been available for the first round of the playoffs? How about Kendrick Perkins in Game 7 of the Finals? For these players, the long road to recovery usually begins in the offseason with an arduous rehabilitation process. The physical pain is the first hurdle, and to overcome it involves a laundry list of workouts that test the limits of even the most gifted athletes. “Basically this is the first week I’ve gone back to shooting,” says Andrew Bogut (during a September interview), who suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in recent history. “My offseason approach was to bring my conditioning up, a lot of weight work and swimming and that type of stuff, but basically no shooting whatsoever. It’s frustrating.” It was considerably frustrating for Bogut, who agreed that he was having the most productive offensive season of his career. But his biggest test has yet to come as he knows that overcoming the mental aspect of his injury is waiting for him out there on the hardwood. “It’s definitely one of the toughest parts with my injury,” explains Bogut. “It’s having to get comfortable shooting the ball, it’s getting comfortable getting hit there, and it’s finding the comfort of falling on your arm again. It’s like being a newborn baby with that part of my body. You got to start fresh, you got to train yourself and stay positive through it. You’re going to have your good days and bad days. You don’t want to rush these things, you want to give it the right amount of time.”

Another big man, Yao Ming, shared similar sentiments as Bogut. “Believe me I have a lot of experience in this. It will not [heal] in one day. I still need to be patient. Compared to two months ago was the first time I can run on the court, without contact. I can look forward to next month, next two months and we just need to keep patient on the process and I think we can have a good result.” “I was very, very frustrated at the first month when I heard I would miss the entire season and I would need reconstruction on my entire ankle. At that time I was really frustrated. I locked myself in a room and wished some miracle would come out and they would tell me it was a mistake and my ankle was fine. It was really a hard month for me. That’s the hardest time and it’s already past. I’m looking forward to making something good.” Which brings up another point: Is positive thinking a vital cog needed for recovery? Can doing something as simple as looking on the bright side help a player tap into another part of his game. Even after injuring his knee in the penultimate game of the Finals, Perkins seems to remain optimistic. “I think this injury has taught me not to take things for granted,” he explains. “So it really gets me thinking and I really want to bounce back from this. It’s all about the love of the game. You run around and take your body for granted, you don’t think you can get hurt and you don’t think it can happen to you, and then it happens. I think it’s going to help me more mentally, and when I come back I’m going to be mentally stronger.” With the players interviewed, it seems almost unanimous that the mental aspect is the hardest obstacle to overcome. The very idea of having to bang with bodies when you’re not at 100 percent can be daunting, yet a positive outlook seems to be the best and in some cases the only means to getting over that proverbial hump. “You have to have hope,” says Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who knows a thing or two about injuries, having missed 762 games in his career. “Once there is no hope left, that’s where [your] team comes in, that’s where your determination, your spirit, your pride and your motivation comes in. When that hope is crushed then the pain just doesn’t go away. It’s the worst space in the world, and unless you’ve been there you have no idea because when you have hope, you have no idea how people do not have hope.” For the fortunate few who have made the comeback and toiled through the long road to rehab, hope is all there is: Hope for the ’10-11 season, hope for a fresh start and hope towards complete and total recovery.

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10/19/10 1:07 PM

By Brian a. Giuffra #17

HaS WHat It takeS He’s the guy who will be crucial to his team’s success this season and will probably get absolutely no credit for it. and Udonis Haslem is fine with that.

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Udonis Haslem still thinks about Chalon-sur-Saône, France. It’s been eight years since he lived there, but the memories from his nine months in the eastern French town still shape who he is today. It’s where Haslem dropped 30 pounds and resurrected his pro career after getting released by the Atlanta Hawks. Where he became a local hero and the star player on ES Chalon-sur-Saône. Yet when Haslem thinks of France, the Miami Heat forward doesn’t focus on those memories. He thinks about nine months of sleepless nights. Thousands of hours of phone calls placed to the states. Watching endless reruns of the Steve Harvey Show and Cheaters just to stay awake at night. And his determination to get out of France, return to the states and prove he could play in the NBA. “I just didn’t want to get used to being there so I stayed on American time,” Haslem says. “I never slept at night. I took naps during the day and I was up all night talking with friends, family, my girlfriend, my son, pretty much anyone I could get on the phone. I was determined to come back to the United States and I was determined to be in the NBA and on someone’s team. I didn’t care what role I played.” Haslem’s mindset hasn’t changed.

With the memories of France as motivation, Haslem continues to dedicate himself to playing the role of do-anything, do-everything player. He might go overlooked on an average team. On this season’s Heat team, he will be straight-up ignored. But not by his teammates. Need a locker room leader? Haslem’s been a team captain for two years. Need a big rebound? Haslem averages more than eight a year. Need a lockdown defender? Haslem has done it against the NBA’s best. Need a clutch shooter? Haslem nailed a key shot late in Game 6 of the 2006 Finals to help the Heat clinch the title. He doesn’t play that role to be a superstar or earn a big contract. If he wanted more money he could have left the Heat this past offseason. For Haslem, winning is everything, and he’s always been good at it. In college, Haslem transformed Florida from a middle-of-the-pack team into national title contenders, leading it to the 2000 title game and earning Player of the Game honors despite the Gators losing. The year before the Heat picked up Haslem (when he was playing ball in France), they had the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. The next year Miami finished in fourth place, and in his six years they’ve missed the playoffs once. “I’m about hard work,” Haslem says. “I’m about defending, I’m about rebounding, I’m about doing the dirty work, the little things, because those things help teams win basketball games. Not only basketball games, but championships.” Like Lamar Odom of the Lakers and Kendrick Perkins of the Celtics, Haslem isn’t the biggest star on his team. But the others, Haslem’s contributions will play a vital role in the team’s championship hopes. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh will understandably grab most of the headlines in South Beach with their star power. But defense wins championships, and Haslem is the cornerstone of the Heat’s defense. That’s why he’s going to issue a challenge to the team. “What I want to see this team do is to be the No. 1 defensive team in the League,” Haslem says. “That’s what we have the capability to do. That will be my challenge to this team.” It’s been his challenge to himself since joining the Heat and Haslem doesn’t plan on changing his role just because the star-squad has assembled in Miami. He’s still going to be a hustle player who grabs rebounds, plays defense and bangs down low. That’s how he earned his place in the NBA and no doubters will change how he plays. “I’ll never forget before I played one game with the Heat there was an article saying that we would never win a title with me at the 4 position,” Haslem says. “It was basically bashing me saying I couldn’t hold my own with those guys. Then to win Game 6 and be able to hold up that trophy, I finally felt I had gotten some of the success from the hard work I had put in all the way from high school, to college and being an All-American and not getting drafted, to coming and getting on the Heat roster.” What about France? “France always stays on my mind.” Of course. How could he forget?

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10/19/10 4:47 PM

By Jeramie McPeek #4

POIntIng tHe Way

Melissa Majchrzak/NBae/Getty iMaGes

With all due respect to the other four spots on the floor, the point guard has become the most important position in the game.

What’s the most important position in the game today? Lakers fans would surely say the shooting guard spot, considering Kobe Bryant has carried them to back-to-back championships. Orlando fans, though, might argue that it’s the center position, in their undying hope that Dwight Howard will follow in a long line of big men who dominated the NBA, like Shaq, Tim Duncan, the Admiral and the Dream, who all won multiple rings in the last 20 years. They are both sound arguments, of course, but the key word in our question above is “today,” which is why we would like to nominate another candidate (or group of candidates), a position that has evolved to the “point” where they now rule the hardwood. Just look around the League and you’ll find a wealth of point guard treasures, from the old guys, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups and Baron Davis, to the young Buck Brandon Jennings, and the blossoming (Derrick) Rose in Chicago. There are the established All-Stars in Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo, and soon-tobe stars in Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans and Russell Westbrook. Oh, and don’t forget that the No. 1 take in the draft this past June, John Wall, plays the point, too. Yes, the “one” spot is as deep and talented—and important—as we have ever seen it in the Association. How and when did this happen? Well, it didn’t exactly occur overnight, but the trend can be traced back to the offseason of 2004, when changes were made to the NBA’s rulebook eliminating hand checking. “I think that was the biggest thing,” says John Paxson, the Bulls’ executive VP of basketball operations. “The fact that you get a guy who has great ability, quickness, strength, that you can’t put a hand on, especially when they start their attack, that made a huge difference.” Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni agrees, noting that the new rules make it easier for more skilled players to get into the lane and live to tell about it. “I think you’re seeing a lot of guys flourish in the NBA that maybe 10 years ago would have been beat up and not been able to do what they needed to do,” says D’Antoni, who was named

NBA Coach of the Year in Phoenix following the rule change in 2005, as his newly acquired point guard, Nash, claimed his first of back-to-back MVP trophies. Of course, some believe it was D’Antoni’s “seven seconds or less” offense that led to the Suns’ and Nash’s success, more than any specific rules change. Whether it was the chicken or the egg that came first doesn’t really matter, of course, but there is no question that D’Antoni’s faster pace has been picked up by several other teams around the League since, which is one more reason the point guard has increased in value. “It’s just terrifically important that the ball is not turned over, and that you can get a really good shot quickly,” D’Antoni says of the role the floor general plays for up-tempo teams. “It’s about decision making, and obviously Steve Nash was the best at it in the League the last 10 years.” Another key to consider when evaluating the positions on the floor is that the game has become more homogenized in recent years, with positions blending into one another. With a dearth of traditional centers roaming the paint, and many a big man hanging out on the perimeter these days, the label of “swingman” could just as easily be applied to fours and fives as it has been to twos and threes through the years. The point guard’s role, on the other hand, has remained the same: to shepherd the other four guys. “I think that’s really valid,” says Paxson. “The point guard position is clearly defined. In most cases, it’s the guy who you outlet the ball to, who pushes the tempo. When you need to get into the offense, he’s the guy that dictates what you do.” Paxson points out that today’s breed of playmaker is also expected to score. Guys like CP3, D-Will, Rose, Billups and Aaron Brooks, for example, all put up 18-plus points a night. Brooks says the primary responsibility, though, is not scoring or handing out assists. Like a quarterback in football, it’s all about leadership. “It’s the old cliché, the ‘coach on the floor,’” says the Rockets’ playmaker. “The coach can’t call plays all the time, so the point guard has to determine the flow of the game. He’s the guy that gets everybody into position and makes sure the right play is called.” HOOP

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Season Preview: PACIFIC DIVISION

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ON THE SPOT: STEVE BLAKE In some ways, it will be tough eventually replacing 36-yearold Derek Fisher, the Lakers’ mascot and moral compass for ďŹ ve championship teams. But in some ways, Blake will be a breath of fresh air because now Los Angeles ďŹ nally has a three-point threat— someone who actually makes 40-plus percent of his three-point shots (Blake has done so for three seasons straight). The lowmistake, catch-andshoot point guard is perfectly suited for the triangle, but is on the spot now because the ďŹ rst time—every time—he misses a clutch three, he’ll hear the haters longing for the good old days of Fish.

The Steve Nash-led Suns historically run the best offenses in NBA historyâ€”ďŹ ve of the top 11 ever—and this season will be no different. In fact, even with the loss of Amar’e Stoudemire, this Steve Nash Production may top last year’s League-leading 112.7 offensive efďŹ ciency mark. The only rotation players gone are Stoudemire, Louis Amundson and Leandro Barbosa, whose combined 4,790 minutes will be usurped by Hedo Turkoglu, a healthy Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress. They’ll undoubtedly rain treys on foes, like they did last year at an amazing 41-percent rate, with everyone from their point guard (Nash shot 43 percent) to their center (Channing Frye, 44 percent) doing damage. But it’s going to impossible to defend opposing bigs when only two of the 12 Suns that suit up weigh more than 230 pounds. Once Lopez and/or Frye get in foul trouble, other teams should be able to score with historic ease as well. It’s an interesting dichotomy, but one we can’t judge, especially since Phoenix is saving $18 million with this cheaper version of a team that might be just as good. And just so you get this straight— Phoenix was the 19th most-efďŹ cient defense and the second-worst defensive rebounding team and now it’s team is even smaller. The incredible, shrinking Suns experiment just may work, however, because Phoenix still has its super-subs in place. Its backup unit of ďŹ ve showed Phoenix had the best second team in the NBA, thanks to stellar play from Goran Dragic, perhaps a top 10 point guard in his own right, and Jared Dudley, who is quickly becoming the Shane Battier of Phoenix.

ON THE SPOT: HEDO TURKOGLU There’s a thin line between playoff go-to guy (Turkoglu in Orlando 2009) and overpaid free agent (Turkoglu in Toronto 2010)—like one win thin. If Toronto wins one more game last season, it makes the 2010 playoffs and Hedo isn’t facing criticism now. Be that as it may, Turkoglu’s return to playoff prominence is the criteria which he’ll be judged this season. He’s a big 3 who can create his own shot (double-digit scoring average every year), a perfect outlet for Nash (made 37 percent on his triples) who can also create opportunities for teammates.

FERANANDO MEDINA; ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; BARRY GOSSAGE(2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

With all eyes focused on a potential LakersHeat Finals, some may not notice this could perhaps be Phil Jackson’s greatest Laker team, which is saying something considering his L.A. squads have won ďŹ ve titles this century. It’s deďŹ nitely his most experienced Laker team—with seven of his eight main minutemen 30 years old or older. Plus, Jackson’s triangle offense, which dropped off a bit in efďŹ ciency last season (11th in NBA), just got a lot better with the acquisition of the team’s best three-point shooter, Steve Blake. And the already dominant D got absolutely devastating with the addition of another rabid perimeter defender, Matt Barnes. The Lakers’ established vets are reminiscent of Jackson’s 1998 Bulls squad whose starters averaged 33 years of age. And in the long run, experience will be the main reason why this squad can cop another title. L.A. has chemistry unlike any other: its ďŹ ve starters have 15 rings among them; eight of the top 11 Lakers have been together for at least three seasons now; it still presents the NBA’s worst matchup problems by playing combos of 7-0 Pau Gasol, 6-10 Lamar Odom and 7-0 Andrew Bynum. Plus, L.A. has something most coaches would kill for—a surplus of defenders in Bryant, Gasol, Odom, Artest and Barnes. And, of course, foremost in L.A.’s arsenal is Bryant, whose overall minutes may be in slight decline, but whose 32-yearold game is still at MVP level. That’s really the only thing that matters for L.A. this season. Because no matter what challenges it faces in the West this year—and there are a few—Los Angeles is going to top its regular-season performance of a year ago. And while they may not match the Heat in wins and eyeballs in the regular season, the Lakers do have the intangibles to go for a threepeat.

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andrew d. bernstein; noah graham (2); rocky widner/nbae/getty images

vinny Del negro called out his leader Baron Davis for being out of shape, which is a good thing and bad thing all at once. It’s good to know that a new coach is not going to stand for a laissez-faire attitude from the get-go. But then it begs the question: Is there anything anyone can do to get the Clippers out of their doldrums? After all, they’ve only had one winning season in 18 years. This season will probably be no different, but a nice blend of youth and experience should keep this deeper crew out of the cellar. Davis, Eric Gordon and Randy Foye make up a guard trio that should mesh well together, since it appears they can cover each other’s weaknesses. Davis is the alpha-male extrovert, Gordon is the efficient introvert and Foye is the chameleon combo guard who is at his best morphing into a role alongside either starter. If the three pros can avoid missing a dozen games a year, as they tend to do every once in awhile, L.A. will improve its status as the 27th most-efficient offense. The formidable frontline, likewise, fits like a jigsaw as proven vets Chris Kaman, Craig Smith, Ryan Gomes and Rasual Butler have already shown they’re capable of playing a lion’s share of minutes at their positions. Throw in the delayed debut of Blake Griffin, first-round pick Al-Farouq Aminu and third-year man DeAndre Jordan alongside them, and you see a possibility for upside at each slot in the near future. Possibility? Yes. Probability? Well, nothing’s probable when your rookie first-rounder has only seen two winning Clipper seasons in his lifetime. But at least there’s a little hope now.

on The SPoT: BLake griffin No one’s expecting playoffs here, but a healthy season from the explosive power forward could keep L.A. out of the bottom 10 for the first time in four seasons. The 6-10, 251-pound rookie posts up well, rebounds ferociously and works hard for his double-doubles. Griffin’s return means so much more than wins and losses. For a team that has seen its share of promising first-rounders fizzle away to injury or disappointment (Danny Manning, Michael Olowokandi, Shaun Livingston), having Griffin fulfill his promise would mean a lot for the psyche of the franchise and fan base.

You actually could call these guys the University of Sacramento, with its college-aged lettermen like ROY Tyreke Evans, 21, all-rookie Omri Casspi, 22, and fifth overall pick DeMarcus Cousins, 20, being the building blocks for the Kings’ future. Throw in good glue guys like Jason Thompson, 24, Carl Landry, 27, and Beno Udrih, 28, and it’s easy to see the start of something big germinating in Sacramento. And when we say something big, we’re talking big as in the biggest thing Sac has seen size-wise since Schwarzenegger came into town. Cousins is a 6-11, 270-pound embodiment of what these new Kings are all about—play big and try to take over the paint. We emphasize the word “try” because the Kings are young and will make mistakes in their effort toward .500 status in upcoming years. But this may very well be the best offensive rebounding team in the League, with Cousins and rebounding force Samuel Dalembert and joining a team that already ranked sixth in o-boards last season. Evans, who really is better suited at shooting guard than point, is a pound-itin-the-paint stud, tying LeBron James for most baskets-per-game (5.0) at the rim last season; Casspi is the young man with allaround, old-man game, who just may become a 40-percent three-point shooter this season, giving the inside men the space they’ll need; Thompson and Landry are the hustle that makes everything flow. That’s not to say Sacramento is going to have a winning season; it’s just nice to know they’re finally headed in the right direction.

on The SPoT: Beno uDrih Udrih’s old point-guard counterpart Mike Bibby left the Kings in 2008 to make the young Hawks a stronger playoff contender. And now it’s up to Udrih to do the same for his young team that’s now beginning the long journey to becoming the Atlanta of the West. Udrih has the cred (the only King with a ring, won in 2007 as Tony Parker’s backup in San Antonio) and the smart game (51.3 percent on short and midrange shots was second only to Steve Nash last season). If the Kings are to become as one, it’ll be up to One-B (his nickname amongst teammates—Beno spelled backwards).

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on The SPoT: MonTa eLLiS On October 26, a more mature Ellis celebrated his 25th birthday on NBA opening day, symbolizing a new beginning. It was only two years ago that Ellis’ rep spiraled downward after a moped spill led to his suspension without pay, which led to a moping Monta for two seasons. His play suffered and later Ellis became cold to the idea of playing with Curry. All that’s in the past now, vows Ellis, evidenced by his friendship and newfound attitude toward Curry. If the exciting guard can raise his game back to his peak numbers from three years ago, the prodigal prodigy will indeed have returned.

Pacific DiviSion Q&a WiTh JaSon richarDSon Which team will pose the biggest challenge to the Suns in the Pacific? Oh, the Lakers definitely. They’re the defending champs. They’ve got probably the best player in the NBA and they are also big. They added Matt Barnes, who is a good friend of mine. So he’s going to help them out a lot with the absence of Andrew Bynum. So they’re definitely still a tough team. What is the biggest division rivalry? It would have to be the Suns and Lakers. There’s a lot of history going on between the teams. There was that whole situation where Kobe and Raja [Bell] got into it, all the playoff matchups through the years— this rivalry goes way back. Who would you choose for your allPacific Division team? Steve [Nash] at the point, Kobe [Bryant] at the 2... I’d probably have to play 3 [laughs], Pau [Gasol] at the 4, and right now I would put Chris Kaman at the 5. I like his game. He’s very tough in the post. Honorable mention, it would be Tyreke [Evans], Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. I worked out with Stephen the year before his first NBA season and I sent a tweet telling Golden State fans that this kid was special. Now they know why. He can shoot, dribble and pass. And with Tyreke, he’s a guy that can do everything. Give him a few more years and he’s going to be like LeBron. Not as athletic, but a guy who can put up 20 points, 6-7 rebounds, and 6-7 assists. He was almost there last year, and he’s going to get even better. What is your favorite city in the division to visit on the road? Definitely L.A. We go there four times

between the Lakers and Clippers. The weather is always great. Great shopping, great restaurants. When we play the Lakers, all the stars are there in the front row, so it has that Hollywood atmosphere. But I always like going back to Golden State, too. The fans were always very supportive when I was there, and every time I go back they give me a standing ovation, showing their appreciation for the work I did while I was there. I love the San Francisco area, too. There’s nothing like it. Best and worst visitor locker rooms in the Pacific? I’d have to go with the Lakers once again for the best. Worst? I’d probably have to say Sacramento. It used to be this light pink color, or light purple. I don’t know what color it was supposed to be. But you don’t have any lockers there. It’s just chairs and a hook for your [clothes] hanger, that’s it. Who is the best dunker in the division? Best dunker? Hmm... let me see... I’m old, Kobe’s old... man, I don’t know. The Pacific might be down on dunkers right now. Wait, Blake Griffin is back now. He’s going to dunk on a lot of people this year. finally, if there were a mascot battle royale, which of the Pacific Division’s mascots would be the last one standing? Oh, of course, the Gorilla. He’s the toughest. I don’t know about everybody else. I don’t think the Lakers or Clippers even have mascots. The Kings’ lion is soft. He’s more of a cat, while we’ve got a beast. And the Warriors have a man in tights. I don’t know about that.—Jeramie McPeek #4

rocky widner; joe murphy, barry gossage/nbae/getty images

chalk golden State up as another team finally headed in the right direction, even though improvement might not show in the win-loss column this season. Still, a new owner, new coach, new enthusiasm and new unis will hopefully usher in a new era. Stephen Curry is the main reason for that excitement. The pass-first supreme shooter (57 true shooting percent, 44 percent on threes, 89 percent free throws) is the closest thing the NBA has seen to a Steve Nash clone. Once Golden State started playing Curry 39 minutes a night on Jan. 5, the Warriors improved from a 9-23 squad to finish 20-33, despite the handicap of Curry playing mostly with five different D-League teammates in the starting lineup, due to numerous injuries. Big free-agent acquisition David Lee (22.28 PER, 17.9 percent rebound rate) should not only lift the Warriors from its state as the worst rebounding team in NBA history (a minus-792 rebound differential and 44.7 percent rebound rate in ’09-10), but he finally gives Curry a pick-and-pop partner to get some more halfcourt offense going. The big question, though, is: Can head coach Keith Smart finally get his new squad to play D (last season’s Warriors ranked 29th in defensive efficiency)? If they can, and it’s a big “if,” then they can make some noise.

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By Andy Jasner #27

PoTenTIAL

sCOTT CuNNINGHAm/NBAE/GETTy ImAGEs

It’s a double-edged word that can tantalize and break hearts; it can win championships or stunt franchises for years.

some players never fulfill their potential. Or maybe they weren’t quite as good as advertised. That’s the unknown intangible for high draft picks. For every Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, there’s a Shawn Bradley, Kwame Brown and Marvin Williams. Now, Williams has played five serviceable seasons in the NBA since being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 2005. Williams holds a career average of 11.9 points per game, including 24 playoff appearances. Not bad. But also not great. The Hawks re-signed the 6-9, 240-pound forward from the University of North Carolina. Was that the right move? Is it time for the Hawks to move on? Was Williams worth such a high pick? “I have had a very good experience with Atlanta,” Williams says. “I have learned a lot. I played only one season in college, and when you get to the NBA, you realize how much you have to learn. I was always confident. That never was a problem. All of a sudden, you’re playing against great players every night. And you have back-to-backs and tough road trips. There is an adjustment period. I feel like I have improved every season while playing through some injuries. I am excited about the future, and I feel as if I’m still on the way up.” Williams was a key role player for the Tar Heels on their way to the ’05 NCAA championship. In

fact, it was Williams’ tip-in with 1:26 remaining in the finals against Illinois that snapped a 70-all tie and propelled UNC to a 75-70 victory. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year. The Hawks obviously saw a player with immense talent and potential, the type of player who could develop into a perennial All-Star. “In the NBA, there can be a shock to the system,” says former Hawks coach Mike Woodson. “These kids dream of playing at the highest level. When they arrive for training camp, it’s a whole different ballgame. The games are longer, and the players will come at you every night. I think Marvin has a ton of talent. He really improved defensively. I thought that was the biggest thing. His defense got so much better from the day he got here. He worked at it. “His work ethic was always great. I think you have to be patient, but patience is never easy when there are so many expectations. I think the world of Marvin, and I look forward to a stellar career from him. When it’s all said and done, I think you’ll see a player who had a solid, solid career.” In ’06, the Portland Trail Blazers selected highly-touted forward Tyrus Thomas with the fourth overall pick and then traded him to the Chicago Bulls. Thomas had his best season in ’08-09, his third season in the League, when he averaged 10.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. After four seasons—Thomas was traded to Charlotte midway through last season—Thomas has yet to elevate his game to justify such a high draft pick. Or was he a bit overrated? “You know what, I was so impressed with this kid when we got him,” says Bobcats coach Larry Brown. “His defense, ability to block shots and toughness was something that reminded me of George Lynch when I had him with the Sixers. You need players like this. I really enjoyed coaching Tyrus. I think his potential is unlimited. He will get better because he wants to do it.” Getting yourself acclimated to a whole new lifestyle and a whole new challenge is not easy. That’s what really drives Thomas. “I have the desire to be the best possible player I can be,” Thomas says. “I like guarding the toughest players. It’s not just about numbers. I don’t worry about what any critic ever says. I don’t worry about what people say. I’m not like that. I’m about winning. If we’re winning then I’m happy.” Some teams will ultimately be happy with such promising draft picks. Others won’t. Some players will get traded. Others won’t. Keep an eye on players such as Yi Jianlian, Jerryd Bayless, Greg Oden and Evan Turner among others. The first three—especially Oden, who was a top overall pick—are hardly All-Stars just yet. Turner, the No. 2 overall pick by the Sixers in June, struggled in the Orlando Summer League. “You need patience,” Brown said. “Some kids just take longer. Defense is tough to grasp in this league. Don’t judge by a short timeframe. These kids need a longer stint to see where they’re headed. They have so much talent and potential. It’s about bringing it all together.” HOOP

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on the SPot: tySon ChAnDler Dallas marks the third NBA stop in as many years for the lanky big man, and his last two seasons have been more than forgettable as he missed 37 games in ’08-09 and 30 games last season. But a healthy Chandler can be an effective Chandler, and the Mavs hope they’re getting the athletic big man who plays above the rim and led the League in offensive rebounds for two consecutive years. That’s the guy Jason Kidd thinks the Mavs have: “With him healthy and the way that he looks right now,” Kidd told ESPN. com, “he looks like back in New Orleans when he was running the pick-and-roll with Chris Paul.”

As the friendship between Tim Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich enters its 14th season, we should take a moment to consider how long and how fruitful the partnership has been. They’ve been together three years longer than the great Bill Russell-Red Auerbach combo lasted and have produced half as many titles (four) in an NBA that has nearly four times as many teams. But has the championship window slammed shut on their chance to win one for the thumb? Duncan, a two-time NBA MVP, has been the premier power forward of this—or any—generation. Yet, Duncan’s numbers (minutes, rebounds, points) in ’09-10 were the lowest of his career. He may not be the old Duncan, but an older Duncan is a player to still be respected. The Spurs also remain stacked with talent. Tony Parker is still a top tier point guard; Manu Ginobili, when not sitting on the bench in a suit, is as skilled and plays as hard as any shooting guard in the League. George Hill made a name for himself last season when he played well enough that Parker, after returning from injury, came off the bench in the postseason; DeJuan Blair and newcomer Tiago Splitter should be able to spell Duncan in the post while small forward Richard Jefferson should improve after a full season in the Spurs’ system. With Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs are still one of the top teams in the West. The big question is: Can the Spurs’ main men remain healthy enough to put together another championship run?

on the SPot: tony PArKer This could be a tough season for Tony Parker. The 2007 Finals MVP may play this season not only looking over his shoulder at George Hill, who started eight of the Spurs’ 10 playoff games in place of Parker, but also looking toward his future as a free agent. Parker’s still a Spur and a team with championship aspirations needs their point guard’s focus squarely on helping his teammates win. But if anyone can keep a player’s eyes on the prize, it’s Popovich, who has helped Parker become a point guard the Spurs need and others covet. If things don’t start out well for San Antonio, Parker could very well be the first piece to be auctioned off.

d. clarke evans (2); danny bollinger; ronald martinez/nbae/getty images

Jason Kidd said he and the Mavs felt good enough to play through June. With the second-best record in the Western Conference, that wasn’t such an outlandish notion. Their intrastate rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, had other ideas, taking the teams’ first-round playoff series, 4-2. The loss was a major disappointment for the Mavs, who had their deepest and best team since the 2006 Finals edition. With the bitter taste of the playoffs still on their palate, the Mavs seem primed to challenge the Lakers for the Western Conference title. The Mavs are solid at every position. Starting with Kidd, the veteran point guard and future Hall of Famer will run the offense with a steady hand, but has lost a step on the defensive end. He’ll need help staying in front of quicker guards on the perimeter. Good thing, as the Mavs have the emerging Roddy Beaubois spelling Kidd. Having Caron Butler, acquired last February, for a full season should help solidify the Mavs’ backcourt. Off the bench is perennial sixth-man extraordinaire Jason Terry. Up front, Dallas is one of the few teams that can match the Lakers’ size in the post with a frontline of 6-11 Dirk Nowitzki, 7-1 Tyson Chandler and 7-0 Brendan Haywood. And don’t forget about the versatility of Shawn Marion. If the Mavs stay healthy, it’s not unthinkable for them to challenge for the West’s best record. But the Mavs have been there before, and that didn’t end well when, as the top seed in 2007, they were dispatched by the eighth-seeded Warriors. Still, with the roster they have this season, the Mavericks look to be the best team in the Southwest, at least for he first 82 games.

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rocky widner; bill baptist; layne murdoch; joe murphy/nbae/getty images

last season was a frustrating one for yao Ming and the Houston Rockets. Yao missed all 82 games while rehabbing a broken foot and the Rockets, despite an overachieving finish above .500, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. It was a setback for a franchise that had won 50 games in each of the previous three seasons and had made it to the Western Conference Semis the year before. Yao’s back, but it will be interesting to see how the Rockets use him. Reports from Houston have coach Rick Adelman planning to limit Yao’s minutes to 24 per game. And in an NBA that’s growing smaller and faster, Yao—never the fleetest when healthy—may seem as if he’s standing still. Yet, Yao’s not returning to a team devoid of talent. There’s plenty on the floor for the Rockets. Point guard Aaron Brooks came into his own last season, leading the team in assists (5.3) and shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range. Kevin Martin, acquired near the trade deadline, provides an incredible and efficient scoring punch, and he should thrive in a full season in Adelman’s motion offense. The Rockets also have help in the post, as Luis Scola, who might have been the best player at the FIBA World Championship, will complement Yao well. So should Brad Miller, a heady, tough veteran who will also fit well into Adelman’s modified Princeton offense. Add stalwart defenders Jared Jeffries, Chuck Hayes and need-no-introduction Shane Battier to the equation and the Rockets have a pretty defensive core, especially when Yao is anchoring the middle. Of course, their season depends on their collective health, especially Yao’s. Still, the Rockets have to believe that half a Yao is better than no Yao at all.

on the SPot: yAo Ming The Rockets floundered without their franchise cornerstone, who missed all of last season while recovering from a broken left foot. Yao’s presence looms large in Houston in many ways. In addition to plans of limiting his minutes this year, the Rockets’ front office has decided to put on hold any contract extensions— including Yao’s. Just a couple years ago that seemed unfathomable. But at 7-6 and 300plus pounds, the NBA season takes its toll on Yao. As ridiculous as it may sound, it’s possible the Rockets believe Yao’s injury problems should become someone else’s.

From Zach randolph finding a professional demeanor to their 16-game improvement over the previous season’s record, the Grizzlies supplied plenty of surprises last season. Can they surprise the NBA again this season by making the playoffs? It would require a drop-off from a conference rival and a jump from the Grizzlies to make the postseason, but Memphis has enough talent to throw a scare into the contenders. For years, experts knew that Randolph had game, but for the first time in his career, he played nice with others. His numbers (20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game) weren’t revelatory, but his new attitude was. He played within coach Lionel Hollins’ system, blended well with his teammates and the Grizzlies saw a 16-win turnaround. Frontcourt mate Marc Gasol has come into his own, averaging 14.6 ppg and 9.3 rpg. Rudy Gay signed a big contract extension in the offseason and now must show he can handle the expectations of being a go-to guy. O.J. Mayo enters his third season in the League and has remained remarkably consistent over his first two seasons. The biggest questions are at point guard, where Mike Conley started 80 games last season, but still has trouble creating for his teammates. The bench is where the Grizzlies suffer most, as small forward Sam Young’s 7.4 ppg led the team. In the end, there may be too many variables for the Grizzlies to make it into the postseason in a stacked Western Conference.

on the SPot: ruDy gAy Gay didn’t last long on the free-agent market as he agreed on July 8—the first day free agents could sign —to remain with the Grizzlies for another five seasons. Thanks to the new deal, Gay has officially become the go-to guy in Memphis. But as smooth as Gay’s game can be, he doesn’t need to do it all for a young and talented Grizzlies team. There is help. And part of being a superstar is knowing when to defer to his skilled teammates and when to take over for them. If he learned anything from his time with Team USA this summer in Turkey, the Grizz need it to be that sometimes a superstar must do the little things to make his team go further.

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on the SPot: Monty williAMS Excuse Monty Williams if he’s feeling a little defensive. As the new Hornets coach, he has to show he’s tough. Williams has emphasized defense and effort in his coaching debut. “Defense is where we going have to hang our hats,’’ Williams told the New Orleans TimesPicayune. That’s no surprise considering Williams was a grinder in his 10 seasons as a player followed by assistant gigs behind Nate McMillan and Gregg Popovich. It’s also smart considering he has one of the game’s best defensive guards in Paul and one of the better interior defenders in Okafor. If the rest of the team can buy in, the defense could win some games.

SouthweSt DiviSion Q&A with CAron Butler when you came to the Mavericks last season at the All-Star break, it was your first taste of the Southwest Division and the Mavs won the division. how do you see everything stacking up this season? The whole West is still stacked. But we like our chances. We’ve got a deep squad. We’re getting more accustomed to each other, building that camaraderie already before training camp even started. We’re just ready to get the ball rolling. the Mavs won the division last season but lost in the first round of the playoffs to San Antonio. So do you still think Dallas is the team to beat in the division? Definitely. San Antonio was our Achilles’ heel last year. They caught us and did some things that we had to sit on all summer. You keep that taste in your mouth, and it was a bitter taste. But we’re just looking forward to going out there and living up to expectations this year— going out there trying to win a chip. there are reports that the rockets are only going to play yao Ming about 24 minutes a game. how do you think he and that houston squad will do this year? I think he’ll do well. Basketball is still basketball and he’s still the franchise guy. So at the end of the day, it’s gonna have to go through him. As long as he stays healthy, people will have to mesh with him. But I think he’ll do fine. how do you see the Chris Paul trade talks from the early part of the summer impacting the hornets this year? At the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that happen behind closed doors in the business of basketball. But you’ve gotta go out there and perform at a high

level, you’ve gotta do your thing on the court. And he’s a professional, as far as I know him, and a good dude. So I know that he’s going to go out there and perform at a high level. they made strides last season, but is this the year that the Memphis grizzlies get over the hump and make it to the playoffs? They’ve got a strong opportunity and a possibility. They’ve definitely got an opportunity to go out there and do some magnificent things. My young boy out there, Rudy Gay. Zach Randolph had an unbelievable year, last year, and is probably gonna do the same thing this year. Marc Gasol, Pau’s brother, he’s coming into his own. They had a great summer. And the young guys, O.J. [Mayo] and all those guys, I look forward to all of them doing some big things. which team in the division would you say plays the Mavericks the toughest? Well, I’d have to say San Antonio obviously, because they beat us. That’s the team that really gave us problems. We’ve just gotta really attack that and work on some things, but we’re definitely ready for the challenge this year. who’s your sleeper player from the Southwest Division? I really like Marcus Thornton. A lot of things have changed with Chris Paul being back, so he probably won’t have the ball as much. But he’s definitely a real good young player. Roddy, if he keeps his head, continues to work hard and stay consistent, he has the potential to be pretty special. It’s a lot of guys out there. —earl K. Sneed #23

layne murdoch (2); glenn james/nbae/getty images

they have a new coach and new GM, but the one player who can help the Hornets buzz back into the postseason party is a familiar face. Chris Paul, who missed 37 games after surgery on his left knee, is back. Paul, a legitimate MVP candidate whenever he steps on the court, made headlines when he questioned the direction of the team, but has cooled off on his stance and rededicated his gaze squarely on the floor. Then again, when he does that, he may not be too heartened by what he sees. Power forward David West, who led the team in scoring last season, hasn’t shown any signs of slipping. Emeka Okafor played in 82 games for the third consecutive season but his numbers (10.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game) were the lowest of his career. Trevor Ariza, two years removed from winning a title with the Lakers, joins the Hornets. Second-year guard Marcus Thornton provides some perimeter attack, but needs to expand his overall game this season. It’s tough to say if sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic will be healthy enough to contribute much as he’s missed 115 games in the last four seasons. Aaron Gray rounds out the rest of the punch-less bench. First-round pick Quincy Pondexter shows some promise but it may take time. Because of Paul, the Hornets will be improved, but it probably won’t be enough to propel them into the postseason.

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By rob peterson #9

SeNIor MANAgeMeNt the adage in the NBA is that the youth require the most time and coaching, but navigating veteran waters requires a precise hand

andy hayt/nbae/Getty imaGes

Spot the five players from the 1998 Western Conference All-Star Team who are still playing in 2010-11.

Last season as the Celtics stumbled to a 27-27 finish to the ’09-10 regular season, Doc Rivers could feel three sets of eyes boring holes in him from the bench. You see, Rivers, for the good of the Celtics in the long run, had reduced the minutes of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Rivers understood the glares. “They want to be out on the floor and they want to win,” Rivers says. “We lost some of those games during that stretch where I didn’t put Kevin back in or I could have kept Ray and Paul on the floor, but they were sitting next to me watching the lead they had built go away. “I got the looks. They wanted to go back in, but they knew what I was doing. Still, that doesn’t mean that’s not frustrating.” What Rivers did last season is something most coaches find difficult—and all players find impossible—to do. They slammed on the brakes. The move paid off as the Celtics—the East’s fourth seed—awoke during the playoffs and rumbled their way to the Finals, where they lost a classic series in seven games. While it worked for Boston, all NBA coaches know that managing minutes and massaging egos may be the most difficult part of the job, especially when it comes to proud veterans who are adorned with accolades and a track record of success. Allen, who signed a two-year extension with the Celtics, could have taken his considerable talents elsewhere. Yet, despite reduced minutes and shrinking stats, Allen decided Boston was the place for him. “Selfishly, I could have went somewhere and put up a lot more shots and possibly had a greater chance of making a couple more All-Star teams,” Allen told the Boston Globe. “But it’s just too much belief in the way we do things.” The way the Celtics do things is by sacrifice. It was a concept Rivers imparted on his big three when they opened training camp before the 2007-08 season. It would probably be hard to get an aging star to admit this, but many need to scale back their minutes in order to remain effective. “They could all be stars, but they had to become a star in a team way,” Rivers remembers telling his Big Three. “I felt it was really important as a group that we were a team and the only way we

were going to win as a team. “Veterans are no longer searching, they’ve found themselves. They know who they are. They know how they play.” Look around NBA rosters and you’ll notice they are dotted with former All-Stars who are now playing secondary roles—coming off the bench, mentoring a younger player, serving as an extension of the coach. Guys like Grant Hill, Antonio McDyess and Ben Wallace have been in the limelight before but are now making their livings in the background. Rivers and Dallas’ Rick Carlisle have found that veterans who have achieved individual success are not only willing to sacrifice stats, but they’re also willing to educate their understudies for the greater team good. In Boston, Allen and Pierce have helped make Rajon Rondo an All-Star caliber point guard, while Garnett has helped Big Baby to grow up into an effective producer off the bench. With the Mavericks, Jason Kidd has passed his knowledge on to backups Rodrigue Beaubois and Jose Barea. With Beaubois ready to give Kidd breathers throughout the season, Carlisle and the Mavericks plan to make sure Kidd has enough left for a long run through the postseason. “What we have to do is reduce his minutes a little bit so that he can maintain his natural energy level through the season and the playoffs,” Carlisle says of Kidd. “That’s going to be one of our missions this year.” Meanwhile, Kidd is willing to impart the knowledge he’s gathered in his 16 seasons in the NBA. Reduced minutes, however, don’t mean an All-Star needs to change his skills. He just has to use them differently. “He still does things he did as a late-20, 30-year-old player,” Carlisle says of Kidd. “He’s just expanded his game, improving his three-point shooting. “And, he’s on a different team here. In New Jersey, he was the leading scorer the majority of his years there. In Dallas, he doesn’t have to carry that scoring burden. He understands how to deploy the weapons that he has. That’s the sign of a great player.” Then you still have some elder statesmen who are still integral parts of their team’s attack despite the high mileage. Steve Nash is still earning All-Star selections and 34-year-old Tim Duncan is still going strong. Duncan is slowly ceding the reins to his younger mates and we can eventually see him giving way the spotlight graciously like how David Robinson did for him when Duncan first entered the League. As for Rivers, he may prescribe a similar medicine to his existing superstars this season as well as some new (to the team) but old (in age) additions. Over the offseason, the Celtics inked veteran big men Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal. Shaq is 38 and Jermaine is entering his 15th year in the League. “I’m hoping,” Rivers says, “but I don’t know...that’s the biggest question,” when he talks about his older bench that he’ll have to manage. If he does have to cut down some minutes for the good of the team over the long haul, it’ll mean two more sets of glaring eyeballs. HOOP

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Season Preview: NORTHWEST DIVISION

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ON THE SPOT: KEVIN DURANT It would have been easy to choose Green or Westbrook or even Harden, but the man on the spot is The Man himself. And Durant isn’t just the Thunder’s most important player. Thanks to an audacious MVP performance this summer at the FIBA World Championship, Durant has jumped to the front of the line of the NBA’s most valuable. If the Thunder are to become championship contenders, Durant, already one of the game’s brightest young stars but wise beyond his years, will need to prove that his sophomore season and this summer were building blocks and no uke.

It was a minor miracle that the Trail Blazers made the playoffs last season. They weren’t just bitten by the injury bug; injuries were a pandemic as 13 Blazers missed an amazing total of 311 games. Still, the Blazers won 50 games and captured the No. 6 seed in the West. Getting Marcus Camby last February to ďŹ ll the void at center after Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla went down with season-ending knee injuries helped the Blazers stay aoat on the defensive end. Despite coach Nate McMillan’s emphasis on defense, the Blazers’ deliberate offense carried the team. The Blazers play at the slowest pace in the League, but they’re efďŹ cient on that end of the oor thanks to one of the best backcourts in the League. Experts wondered how point guard Andre Miller and shooting guard Brandon Roy would coexist considering both players like to handle the ball. Instead of clashing, they evolved into a ďŹ ne tandem, like a latter day Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe. Had Roy not tore a ligament in his knee in the third-to-last game of the season, the Blazers could’ve gone further. The often overlooked LaMarcus Aldridge is dependable for 18 and 8 with his inside-outside game. Roy is healthy heading into this season and will be the key difference between the Blazers having a good season and a great one.

ON THE SPOT: GREG ODEN Few players may be as snakebit as Oden. The No. 1 overall pick in 2007, Oden missed his whole ďŹ rst season after undergoing microfracture surgery. After working hard to get back on the court, he had an adequate rookie season in ’0809. For 21 games last season Oden ashed the potential talent that made him a top pick—then came the fractured patella. Oden still hasn’t recovered fully and doesn’t know when he’ll return to the Blazers’ lineup, further arresting his development as the next great, back-tothe-basket big man. While Portland has Marcus Camby at center as insurance, Blazers fans have to wonder whether Oden will ever pan out.

ROCKY WIDNER; ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; SAM FORENCICH (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

It’s hard to believe just two seasons ago, NBA experts were pegging the Thunder as the League’s worst team. That’s certainly not the case heading into the ’10-11 season. The main reason for the quick turnaround is the explosive growth of the Thunder’s best player, Kevin Durant. Last season, Durant became the youngest player to lead the League in scoring (30.1 ppg), led the League in free throw attempts (840) and led the Thunder to the ďŹ rst playoff appearance in franchise history. There, Oklahoma City went toe-to-toe with the defending champion Lakers in the ďŹ rst round and held its ground before losing in six games. Can Durant get better? If his performance for Team USA at the FIBA World Championship was any indication, yes he can. If that’s not frightening enough, the Thunder aren’t all Durant. He may do the bulk of the scoring, but this is one of the younger, deeper and more athletic teams in the Western Conference. Point guard Russell Westbrook is a blur with the ball and is in line to have a breakthrough year; Jeff Green, though undersized for the position, has held his own at power forward, which allows Durant to ourish at small forward; center Nenad Krstic provides solid play in the pivot and Thabo Sefolosha provides tough D on the perimeter. As for the depth, that’s where reserves James Harden, Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka come in. Combine the talent on the oor with a reigning NBA Coach of the Year Scott Brooks and a sharp front ofďŹ ce led by GM Sam Presti and the Thunder may be the NBA team with the brightest immediate future outside of South Florida.

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melissa majchrzak (2); fernando medina; chris trotman/nBae/Getty imaGes

As he heads into his 24th—24th!—season as Jazz coach, Jerry Sloan knows what works for him and the Utah Jazz: a heavy dose of pickand-roll at the elbow run by a savvy point guard and a power forward (or center) who can score close to the hoop or drain the midrange jumper. That’s the Jazz in a nutshell and it should be more of the same this season. Utah tied the Nuggets for the best record in the Northwest Division last season and should challenge for the division title again. In Deron Williams, the Jazz have the best point guard in the game (at least based on last season) who was third in the NBA in assists per game (10.5). Paul Millsap will be Williams’ new target at power forward as the Jazz let Carlos Boozer, walk in free agency. And while Millsap has been excellent when he’s been in the starting lineup, the Jazz hedged its bets in the offseason by acquiring double-double machine Al Jefferson from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jefferson can play both power forward and center, and though he’s better at the 4, with center Mehmet Okur recovering from Achilles’ tendon surgery, Jefferson may see some time at the 5. “When me and Paul [Millsap] are there together,” Jefferson told the Deseret News, “Coach [Jerry Sloan] made it real clear that we can play the same position—[Millsap] plays the 4, I play the 5, or we switch it up.” That scenario could be a nightmare for opposing defenses. And don’t forget about do-it-all forward Andrei Kirilenko, Another move that could be equally scary for opposing offenses is Utah’s acquisition of Raja Bell. After they were swept by the Lakers in the Western Conference Semis, the Jazz hope Bell can provide perimeter defense against elite scorers such as Kobe Bryant. Will it help? The Jazz, barring a major injury, should make the postseason. But like every other team in the West, getting past the Lakers will be the truest test of Utah’s improvement.

On the SpOt: pAul MillSAp Millsap is no stranger to the starting power forward spot on the Jazz having spelled Boozer when he was injured. But this season will be different as Boozer is gone and all of the minutes are Millsap’s. He has Jerry Sloan’s trust as the Jazz re-signed Millsap to a long-term deal before the ’09-10 season and let Boozer walk this summer. Millsap’s career numbers don’t jump out (9.9 ppg and 6.5 repg), but when he receives starter’s minutes, he’s been stellar (15.9 and 9.9 rpg). He’s familiar with the offense and Williams, so the beat should go on for the Jazz in the pick-androll.

For a team that seemed prepared to take the next step to the Finals, the Denver Nuggets stumbled in ’09-10. The obstacles they faced last season were close to unprecedented. Head coach George Karl was diagnosed with throat cancer. While he gamely tried to coach while undergoing painful chemotherapy, the Nuggets struggled as Karl missed the final month of the season. Between the lines, the Nuggets missed Kenyon Martin in the paint after he tore his left patella tendon. Unable to overcome the loss of their coach and their best rebounder, the Nuggets lost to the Jazz in six in the first round. This season, the Nuggets enter the season not only lacking the confidence, they may not be completely focused on basketball. Martin, a free agent after the season, says he won’t hurry back from surgery because he’s miffed he hasn’t been offered an extension. Then there’s the drama involving the face of the franchise, Carmelo Anthony. Karl, who has returned, will try to keep his team’s focus on the floor. The Nuggets will again be orchestrated by veteran Chauncey Billups and his capable backup, Ty Lawson. J.R. Smith can light it up when he’s on fire, but that candle isn’t always lit. The Nuggets won’t need Nene and Chris Andersen to score, but they will need them to step up on D and on the glass. But Denver’s fading title aspirations depend on Anthony’s ability to shut out distractions, Martin’s return and Karl’s ability to get the most out of his team. It should be one drama-filled season in the Rockies.

On the SpOt: CARMelO AnthOnY So, has anyone heard any Melo news lately? The face of the Nuggets franchise since he was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in ’03, Anthony turned the Summer of LeBron into the Autumn of Melo. In the weeks before training camp, the Nuggets took offers for Carmelo, who left unsigned a multi-year contract extension. If Denver can’t swing a deal, can Anthony, one of the NBA’s premier scorers, keep his focus for Denver, or will he be distracted by the possible new zip codes? He has the Nuggets’ fortunes— and a fortune from the Nuggets, if he wants it —in his hands.

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Season preview: NOrTHWeST DIvISION

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ON THe SpOT: MICHAel BeASleY

NOrTHWeST DIvISION Q&A WITH lAMArCUS AlDrIDge

High school, Kansas State, his first year in Miami: When hasn’t Michael Beasley been on the spot? The question isn’t rhetorical, it’s legit, even if Beasley has proven himself to be a legit player in the NBA. Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 Draft, was supposed to provide a post presence to take the heat off Dwyane Wade in Miami, but never lived up to the expectations. Now, in a climate more South Pole than South Beach, Beasley can get a fresh start as his midrange game and his ability to rebound and score around the basket should translate well in the triangle offense.

A lot of folks (us included) have the Thunder as favorites to win the division... No, I wouldn’t say they are. Um, isn’t Denver and Utah and [the Portland]— aren’t all those teams in the Northwest, too? [laughs] I think the Northwest is pretty good from top to bottom. You have a team that’s rebuilding, but other than that, the Northwest is a really tough division. But [OKC] has a really good chance after last year but I think that’s a very tough assessment this early. How will the drama surrounding Denver affect the team? I can’t really speak for them but distractions are never good. Getting Coach Karl back will probably will be motivation for them to play harder, play the right way. I think they probably like having him back and he always got them to play hard. Will Al Jefferson be a better fit in Utah than Carlos Boozer? I can’t say Al is a better player, but it’s too early... Boozer fit in well because he can pick-and-pop and post up. It’s too early, but I would say that Al would fit in because they play in the paint and that’s what he’s good at. Having been part of a rebuilding situation yourself, what’s the most important things for the Timberwolves to take from this season? I think they just have to go out and play with confidence and learn as they go. We’ve been in that spot. All we’d try to do was go out and play hard every night. You play more and more and you learn how to win games and guys end up growing up and becoming big-time players. The Blazers play a deliberate halfcourt style for the most part. Is there a team in the divison you’d want to swap systems with? I like our style. We run when we have great opportunity but if not, we slow it down and be a great halfcourt team. Which teams in the division are the toughest to play against on the road? Utah and Denver because of the altitude. You get into the city and the altitude makes it hard for you to breathe and run and their fans are pretty good, too. Your All-Northwest starting five is... Deron Williams at the 1. Brandon Roy at the 2. Carmelo Anthony at the 3, myself at the 4. And then Kenyon Martin at the 5. Best city in the division to visit? I’d say Oklahoma. It’s the closest to my home. What was your take on Kevin Durant when he visited Texas in college? He was good. He was very, very skilled but you never know how that was going to translate in the NBA. I knew he was going to be a very good college player and it actually translated for him and now he’s a better pro. What if you would have stayed another year at Texas and played with Durant? I don’t know...[laughs] We probably would have won a championship.—Ming Wong #2

david sherman; andrew d. bernstein; sam forencich/nbae/Getty imaGes

Don’t expect much from the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. That’s not us being Debbie Downers. We’re just paraphrasing Wolves GM David Kahn, who penned a public letter that appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. “The reality is,” Kahn wrote, “we are still lacking a dominant player—our version of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade or Kevin Durant—and that will remain an item at the top of the to-do list.” Kahn must have crossed off plenty on that list because he was busy this offseason. Gone are Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Damien Wilkins, Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins and Aleksandar Pavlovic—each of whom appeared in at least 71 games for the Timberwolves last season. While the Wolves only won 15 games last season, that’s still plenty of attrition, especially for a team that runs an offense as difficult to master as coach Kurt Rambis’ triangle. The Wolves have a nice core: Jonny Flynn at point guard, Corey Brewer at small forward and Kevin Love, one of the League’s best rebounders, at power forward. Still, the Wolves are pretty much an enigma everywhere else, with fourth pick Wesley Johnson looking to be the starting shooting guard and Darko Milicic, the forgotten man of the stellar 2003 Draft, signing a much criticized extension as center. Minnesota also acquired Michael Beasley from the Heat and vets Luke Ridnour and Martell Webster to shore up a young bench. Still, it’ll be a struggle this season for the Wolves. Don’t believe us? Just ask Kahn. “We remain young, perhaps even the youngest team in the League. It’s highly unlikely we will challenge for the NBA championship this season, but I believe we now have a collection of talent that could form most of a core nucleus that has its best days ahead.” HOOP

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By darryl howerton #21

AdjuSt Your thINkINg

bill baptist; nathaniel s. butler/nbae/Getty imaGes

today’s game is measured beyond points, rebounds and assists

You want money? go to the AtM. But if you want basketball players that are money, you go to APM, a.k.a. adjusted plus-minus, which has become the go-to stat used by most NBA organizations today. Or shall I rephrase: the stat tool used by most winning organizations today. The old school way of sizing up teams and players looked at everything in a vacuum. The traditional measure of points, assists, rebounds, etc.—while essential data that need to be put into a greater formula—are flawed if looked at alone (Ed note: the one exception is free-throw shooting, which can be looked at face value). The reason being is that they are all taken into equal account regardless of the other nine variables (players) on the floor, not to mention the game’s pacing and matchups. For example, is a rebound against Dwight Howard the same as one over Earl Boykins (no offense, Earl)? Is scoring 20 points against a fast-paced and defensively challenged team like the Warriors worth as much as 20 dropped on a defensively-inclined and slow-paced team like the Bobcats? Teams, coaches and even fans are realizing that the game needs to be evaluated with an all-encompassing and deeper metric. That’s right. APM is slowly replacing the venerable box score as the NBA’s most valuable stat in measuring teammate value, evidenced by the growing number of skilled analysts being hired away from their day jobs to work for NBA teams. “Probably at this point, over half the teams are looking at advanced statistics to some degree,” says Aaron Barzilai, who runs the APM website BasketballValue.com and is one of those skilled analysts that was plucked up by the Memphis Grizzlies. “It’s not just one or two teams anymore. However, I think each of those teams has its own unique approach to adjusted plus-minus. There are probably no two teams that are doing exactly the same thing.” By our count, at least 16 of the 30 squads now have quantitative-analysis staffs on hand or quant consultants on call. That’s double the number from only two seasons ago. Add up the wins from those 16 teams that now subscribe to APM’s doctrines and you’ve got a .591 winning percentage (776-536 in ’09-10), which also represents every division winner and 12 of the 16 teams in the 2010 NBA Playoffs. Pretty heady stuff. The have-nots? Well, let’s just say the non-believers had a winning percentage of .395 (454694). Coincidence? Perhaps. Or not... For the uninitiated, APM is a basketball metric that takes raw plus-minus data (how many points a team scores and gives up when a player is on and off the court) and—through the use of regression analysis, fancy computer work and M.I.T. brainiacs—determines how well a player contributes to his team by taking into account the opposing five players on the floor, while also holding his teammates’ values constant. Two men who play a majority of their minutes together on a great team—say, Kobe Bryant and

Derek Fisher of the Lakers—consequently will log very positive raw plus-minus scores (Bryant +466 in ’09-10; Fisher +357). But APM has ways of measuring their play when they’re not together, and that’s how Bryant ended up with a high +9.15 one-year APM, while Fisher had an average -0.31. Coaching staffs that believe in the metric will tailor lineups to the ones that work well together on APM, while avoiding the combinations that don’t. Ready for a fun fact? Only three of the 14 most-used lineups last year had an APM of +4.00 or better. Those smart teams who worked their five-man lineup better than their counterparts happened to be NBA finalists LA Lakers (+9.31, 650 minutes) and Boston (+11.31, 1154 minutes) and scoring-margin leader Orlando (+16.47, 773 minutes). It’s smart work that creates really amazing results on the individual player level, too, especially when you have a large sample size—say, three years worth of data—because then you find the most accurate measure of the true value of a teammate. Some examples: • A +5 guy who logs a lot of minutes over a three-year span (2007-10) was a player who deserved All-NBA status (Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan, Lamar Odom, Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Smith, Andre Iguodala). • A +9 player was a perennial MVP candidate (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Bryant). • A -4 player? Well, he probably should have been on your third string if you actually wanted to win games. “Here’s what people don’t understand,” says Wayne Winston, who helped create adjusted plus-minus (then called WINVAL), along with his partner Jeff Sagarin, for Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in 2000. “The best team in the NBA might be 8 or 9 points better than average; the worst team might be 8 or 9 points worse than average. That’s 16 points a game and there are 200 possessions a game. So if you think about that, that’s less than one-tenth of a point-a-possession that separates the best and worst teams in this league. So every little thing matters.” You remember that old saying, “This player does the little things that don’t show up in the box score”? Well, it’s good to know these little things are finally detected in APM, which is reason why it’s become the NBA’s new basketball analytic device. In the old days, a player like Shane Battier, with his last three season averages of 8.3 ppg, would be ignored. Yes, he plays stifling defense, but as far as traditional numbers, his numbers are rather pedestrian. But Battier’s three-year APM of +2.97 means he is every bit as valuable as Yao Ming, On the opposite end of the spectrum is New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire and his dazzling three-year 23.5 ppg; his APM over the same time is -2.62. Now we’re not suggesting that Battier is better than Stoudemire, but it does make you wonder who’s more effective. Of course, this new approach to analyzing the game and players is still in its nascent stage, and while adjusted plus-minus is a step in the right direction, it’s still far from perfect. It’ll take some time to achieve, plus or minus a few years. Log on to hoopmag.com for the complete predictions for the ’10-11 season based on three-year adjusted plus-minus. HOOP

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FRESH

FACES

Is your wardrobe NBA dress policy-ready? Yeah man, I’ve been trying to get a bunch of stuff like that. Dress a little bit more like an adult as opposed to a kid like I used to. It’s just a matter of growing up. It’s good for the NBA to help people grow up a little bit. Getting used to all the plane travel? I’m actually racking up [miles] right now man. I got me a [frequent yer] number and everything so I’m getting used to it.

By PHILIP D’APOLITO #14

Meet this season’s crop of donutgetters and bag-handlers—otherwise known as the rookie class of ’10-11

What was your favorite jersey growing up? I liked Allen Iverson a lot. I had his jersey, probably not the authentic one but I had his back in the day.

Did you collect cards? I used to collect cards, not basketball cards but other ones. Like what? My PokĂŠmon cards.

Growing up, what were the posters on your wall? I had a poster of Michael Jordan, Kobe, Shaq and Dennis Rodman. I’m looking forward to metting them. Growing up, it’s people I’ve idolized, people I always wanted to meet, people I wanted to be like. As I grew up I took them off my wall. I just grew up, I still idolize them but it was just motivation to have my own poster up. Were you big on jerseys? I went to the store, bought jerseys as a kid. I had a Sprewell jersey, Kobe, Jordan, LeBron—it was just motivation to have my own jersey one day.

How do you deal with all the friend requests on Facebook? I actually hid myself really well. Can’t tell you the name—it’d be pointless. I just keep my family and everything.

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WASHINGTON WIZARDS Guard 6-4 195 pounds Kentucky

PATRICK PATTERSON

JOHN WALL

MIAMI HEAT Forward 6-7 230 pounds West Virginia

HOUSTON ROCKETS Forward 6-9 235 pounds Kentucky

JOE MURPHY (6)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

DA’SEAN BUTLER

What’s your thoughts on the new NBA jerseys? I’m loving it. I didn’t actually know that this was the game jersey. I ďŹ gured these were the jerseys that were like in stores. Yeah it feels good, I like it.

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Do you have any superstitions before a game? Not at all, I just talk to my mother and brother before every game. I gotta talk to them. It’s just talk about anything.

Do you still have it? I probably do. It’s probably someplace in a box in the basement.

Have you gotten a lot more Twitter followers since you were drafted? A little bit. I’m trying to get them up though. @W_Johnson —write that down.

Does it still ďŹ t? No way.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES Forward 6-7 205 pounds Syracuse

COLE ALDRICH

Did you have any player jerseys growing up? I had a Dennis Rodman jersey way back when.

WES JOHNSON

It snowed a lot in Syracuse, but it snows even more in Minnesota. How do you plan on dealing? A lotta time inside. I picked up a lot of hobbies—drawing, videogames, I like to eat and I like to sleep.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER Center 6-11 245 pounds Kansas

Does that ďŹ sh “growâ€? every time you say that? [laughs] Nah. And how’s the bowling game? On average I’m around 160, 170. Every time I get time to play I try to get a couple buddies out. We do that often back home where I’m from. That’s a hobby that I always enjoy doing.

PAUL GEORGE

What NBA posters did you have up on your wall? With Kevin Garnett being a Timberwolf for such a long time, I always grew up idolizing him. The Timberwolves were my home town team.

What are some of your hobbies? I’m a big-time ďŹ sherman. I love the outdoors. I love to bowl. That’s kind of the two things I can hang my hat on outside of basketball. I caught about a 10-pound bass before.

INDIANA PACERS Forward 6-8 210 pounds Fresno State HOOP

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Did you have a poster of any current NBA players when you were growing up? I had a Kobe poster, with the afro in 2000, when he was doing a dunk. Is there any pressure to be the third straight rookie of the year from Memphis? Yeah that’s a big thing, Derek Rose and Tyreke [Evans], they’re great players—just keeping that legacy going for Memphis: great players going into the NBA, that’s a challenge for me.

What’s the biggest thing that’s changed in your life since you’ve been drafted? Everybody wants to get involved with you, everybody wants to call to you. You got to learn how to say no, focus on your job. This is my job. This is not college anymore. You got to be very professional.

What are some of your hobbies? I like to read a lot. I actually like to play chess which is crazy. Interact, spend time with my family, and do things that everyone likes to do. Watch TV, talk on the phone.

If you could lead the League in one thing what’d it be? I wanna have the most triple-doubles.

Do you ever get to play chess with any of your teammates? Nah, nobody around here does. What’s the best book you’ve read recently? I just ďŹ nished up Coach K’s The Gold Standard. Yeah, it was a good book.

Did you collect basketball cards when you were growing up? Yeah I had a lot of cards. I had Patrick Ewing’s. My favorite card, it’s a holographic Michael Jordan NBA Jam Session edition on the Bulls. What are some of your hobbies? Art probably, I really like art and I love movies. I watch movies all the time. My favorite movie is The Sandlot. I used to draw a lot. Now I just admire more go to a museum and stuff.

How do you pass time on a plane? I don’t like planes too much but eventually I’m gonna get a free ight back home cause I’m ying so much here.

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MILWAUKEE BUCKS Forward 6-11 235 pounds VCU

GREIVIS VASQUEZ

LARRY SANDERS

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS Guard 6-5 180 pounds Memphis

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES Guard 6-6 200 pounds Maryland

JOE MURPHY, JENNIFER POTTHEISER (5)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

ELLIOT WILLIAMS

How do you pass the time during long ights? I sleep before it takes off and I wake up when it lands.

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Any NBA player you’re looking to going up against? I look forward to playing LeBron, some of the greats, Kobe. I look forward to it. How are you liking Sacramento? I like the weather, I like my team, I like the organization, I like the city—I enjoy it all. First thing you do when you board a plane? Listen to my music and sleep. If I get an opportunity to be in ďŹ rst class I like that. I listen to a lot of slow music when I’m on a plane ride. I got a mix, I play slow songs.

What’s the biggest thing that’s changed in your life since you were signed? I would just say the amount of exposure and publicity. I’ve never experienced something like this before. So many different people recognize who you are on the streets, and congratulations, the media, and traveling. The business and exposure. Are you dreading the rookie chores? No I’m not looking forward to that. But me [amd fellow rookie mates] Epke [Udoh], we’ll have to carry the load. We’ll see how tough the veterans are.

Did you ďŹ nd a place to live in Philadelphia? Yeah, I found a condo. It only took a couple hours. I wasn’t really trying to look for a crazy spot. I saw the ďŹ rst spot and I was like, “I’ll take it.â€?

Did you have a poster of any current NBA players when you were growing up? I had one of Vince Carter when he was on the Raptors still. He’s basically doing a dunk. It’s in my house in my room, I haven’t touched the room since I moved out.

Pregame superstitions? I just knock on wood if I say something in regards to the game. Like “we’re gonna win by 40,� I just knock on wood, that’s pretty much it.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS Guard 6-3 200 pounds Harvard

EVAN TURNER

SACRAMENTO KINGS Forward/Center 6-11 270 pounds Kentucky

JEREMY LIN

DEMARCUS COUSINS

Did you go to a lot of Ohio State football games? I went to a few. I was busy with basketball so I wasn’t really able to be a fan like most.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS Guard/Forward 6-7 205 pounds Ohio State HOOP

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What was your favorite piece of sports memorabilia growing up? Because my dad played in the League, I had a lot of shoes of guys signed their shoes to him after the game. I had a lot of autographed shoes. I still have most of ’em. Do you have any superstitions before a game? I listen to music and do I 10 push-ups before a game.

What was your favorite? Probably a Patrick Ewing since it’s so big. Since the draft, how many more Twitter followers have you gotten? I think I might have doubled up since I got drafted.

Who do you listen to? Depends what type of mood I’m in. Rap, hip hop but it depends what type of mood I’m in.

How long did it take to ďŹ nd a place in Detroit? It took a while, just a few weeks, I saw a lot of different places in different parts of the area. I found one I like a lot. It’s close to the gym, and that’s what I wanted. I’m very happy with it. Do you have a favorite vacation spot? I don’t know yet. I haven’t really like gone on a vacation. Growing up I was playing AAU so I never really had a vacation. What are some of your hobbies outside basketball? Bowling, going to the movies.

Are you dreading the rookie chores? I mean I had to do it in college. I was a freshman, so it’s basically two years in a row.

What was your highest bowling score? 300 man. [laughs] Nah I can get into like the 100-150 range, on a good day.

Did you have a poster of any current NBA players when you were growing up? I just took down my Kobe Bryant poster [a few] weeks ago. Took it down? I guess you can’t have it when you’re playing against him. Yeah I know...but it’s just part of going into the League and growing up.

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TORONTO RAPTORS Forward 6-10 215 pounds North Carolina

GREG MONROE

NEW JERSEY NETS Forward 6-10 246 pounds Georgia Tech

ED DAVIS

DERRICK FAVORS

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS Forward 6-6 225 pounds Washington

DETROIT PISTONS Center 6-11 250 pounds Georgetown

JOE MURPHY (7), GREGORY SHAMUS/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

QUINCY PONDEXTER

Did you have a favorite piece of sports memorabilia? I collect all that stuff. I love the game of basketball. I’m a big fan. Since I was little I tried to collect every little thing.

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Do you have any hobbies outside basketball? I collect hotel key cards. I got a pretty big collection, too.

AL-FAROUQ AMINU

Is your wardrobe ready for the NBA dress policy? Not yet. I’m still working on it.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS Forward 6-9 215 pounds Wake Forest

Where do you keep them all? In like a drawer in my dresser. You going to get a bigger drawer soon? Yeah I had to. I got one drawer full right now.

Did you have a favorite piece of sports memorabilia growing up? DeďŹ nitely has to be my authentic Michael Jordan jersey I got, spent all my money on. Are you dreading the rookie chores? Everybody gotta go through it every year so it ain’t like they only put you through it. They make you do little silly stuff; you gotta suck it up and do it—[laughs] as long as they don’t make me run around naked or nothing like that. Other than that we’re cool.

Did you have a poster of any current NBA players when you were growing up? I had Reggie Miller hanging in my room; growing up in Indiana he was the man. Did you have a favorite jersey growing up? Growing up I got a Steve Nash jersey, because I was always smaller so he was someone I looked up to growing up. I think we play [Phoenix] like the ďŹ rst or second game; that’ll be pretty cool.

ATLANTA HAWKS Guard 6-4 195 pounds Xavier

UTAH JAZZ Forward 6-9 207 pounds Butler

DANIEL ORTON

How many more Twitter followers have you gotten since the draft? A little more, not too much.

How many you got? Too many, way too many.

GORDON HAYWARD

Do you have any special hobbies? I would have to say drawing.

Did you have a poster of any current NBA players when you were growing up? I had Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson. Once they’re your idols now they’re your rivals, like Drake said. It’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna get me better.

JORDAN CRAWFORD

How are you adjusting to L.A.? I love it. Weather’s great. Great city. I really love it here.

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call out 01

Usually it’s the rookies who have to drop and give the vets some pushups, but Minnesota’s Michael Beasley pumped out a few alongside rookie teammate Wesley Johnson during the Timberwolves’ NBA Cares basketball skills clinic during 2010 NBA Europe Live.

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DaviD Sherman/nBae/Getty imaGeS

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As part of an NBA Cares Special Olympics Clinic at Palacio de los Desportes

in Mexico City, Mexico, Tim Duncan shows a participant the finer points in dribbling. anDrew D. BernStein/nBae/Getty imaGeS

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During NBA Europe Live, one of the most famous faces in his hometown of Barcelona, Spain, Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol gives some pointers on keeping the ball high while local Spanish kids watch in awe during a basketball clinic at Palau Sant Jordi Barcelona Stadium when the Lakers were there during NBA Europe Live. anDrew D. BernStein/nBae/Getty imaGeS

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New Jersey Nets guard Jordan Farmar teaches a student at Zhongguancun Elementary School the art of the crossover dribble during an NBA Cares basketball clinic while the team was in Beijing for the China Games. jeSSe D. GarraBrant/nBae/Getty imaGeS

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New Jersey Nets head coach Avery Johnson high-fives Russian kids after a drill during the Pro100 Basket Clinic at the CSKA Sports Hall in Moscow. jeSSe D. GarraBrant/nBae/Getty imaGeS

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Own all of your favorite moments from all your favorite seasons. Award-winning HBO Original Series, now available on DVD and Blu-ray. ®

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AVAILABLE AT © 2010 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and related service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.

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CHeCk iT Holiday Heist this time of the year means three things to us: the start of another NBa season (which we covered in the preceding pages), the coming holidays spent with family and friends (which need no explanation) and what to get them for the holidays (which we’ll cover in the following pages with plenty of ideas and options). let’s start with this Custom V-Rocker snowboard and Custom est Bindings by Burton for the winter extreme sport enthusiast. Keep flipping for more gift ideas.

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spin moves BY PHILIP D’APoLIto #14

CHeCK iT

tony Parker San Antonio Spurs Admittedly, when we had the opportunity to interview Parker for this section, we only wanted to find out if the speedy French guard and ’07 Finals MVP watched Desperate Housewives (for the clueless, Parker is married to Eva Longoria of DH fame). The answer is yes (besides knowing how to finish around the basket with great effectiveness, the man knows how to keep a marriage intact). When not blazing past defenders to the basket or making music, TP admits he’s pretty low-key dude who will dabble in Twitter and Facebook.

Tony’s Movies Date Night was really funny, I really like that movie. I liked How to Train Your Dragon, too, it was pretty good. That was a good cartoon I really liked it. I want to see the A-Team, that looks pretty good.

Tony’s Videogames I like to play all the sports games. I grew up with two brothers so my mother never bought [single-player]. I like any kind of sports games. NBA Live, growing up that was my favorite game, obviously basketball game so that’s why it was weird to be on the cover in 2009. When I made the cover, that was really funny. Timmy [Duncan] is the videogame guy, he loves videogames, he plays any videogame, he’s definitely the best on our team.

Tony’s Music

Tony’s Gadgets No not really, but [I do use] all the [social media] platforms nowadays, Twitter and Facebook. Me and my wife like to use it to give news and stuff like that, so the paparazzi can’t control our life and say bad stuff. That’s why I like to use Facebook—to tell everybody what I’ve been doing.

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IllustratIon: matt candela; ronald martInez/nbae/getty Images

My music taste varies. It depends on my mood, but I like rap music, rock n’ roll, old school, it depends on my mood. Yeah, I did an album in 2007 in France. [laughs] [Ed note: We’ve never heard TP, but we do know it was recorded in French, released only in France and Wikipedia lists the genre as rap crunk.]

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FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.COM/NBAONTNT TM & © 2010 Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. ©Copyright 2010 NBAE. Photo: John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated, Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE Getty Images

Game Rec Game

CHOiCe CuTs Our—and of course, Nate’s—2010 gaming picks Def Jam Rapstar As popular as the genre of hip-hop has been, that segment has largely been ignored in music/rhythm videogames. Sure, there’s a component of it in DJ Hero, but it’s about the DJ element and not the MC part. Def Jam Rapstar ignores the dude behind the 1s and 2s and puts the mic in the player’s hand (the game comes with a mic if purchased as a bundle) where you can live out your hip-hop fantasies. The game comes stock with 45 songs, which doesn’t seem like much, but you have plenty of classics like Biggie’s “Juicy,” Pete Rock and CL Smooth’s “T.R.O.Y.” and Onyx’s “Slam,” and

The Fight: Lights Out keep things fresh. The campaign mode can be done solo or with four players (split screen or online). Credits are earned—everything from campaign to online multiplayer matches count— where they can be used to trick out your Noble 6. Of course, the visual experience is top notch and the audio track improves the whole package. Reach may not stray far from the core of Halo, but it’s also that reason that makes it worth a buy.

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Based on Sony’s PlayStation 3’s new Move motion controllers (you also need the PlayStation Eye camera), The Fight: Lights Out is a grittier and more realistic version of Wii boxing. The PlayStation Eye camera tracks the Move motion controller and allows for precise and seamless jabs, uppercuts

Call of Duty: Black Ops When it comes to realistic combat FPS, the jewel this season is Call of Duty: Black Ops. The follow-up to last year’s Modern Warfare 2 in the COD line, Black Ops takes place during the Cold War, very loosely based on real events in history. Like Halo, the storyline in the campaign mode isn’t a throwaway mode in favor of online multiplayer. The presentation is slick and movie-like as actors Ed Harris and Gary Oldman voice the two main characters Viktor Reznov

Halo: Reach It’s been almost 10 years since the world was introduced to Halo. Firstperson shooters preceded it, but Halo was the first to weave a tight storyline into it, drawing the player deeper while at the same time letting you roam in its free-flowing, instant-action multiplayer modes. Almost a decade later, Halo:

operable helicopter (in past versions, the vehicle was controlled by the game) during airstrikes, which adds a more realistic element. We weren’t able to test the multiplayer mode, but even if it sticks with the tried-and-true formula, it will likely be a reason to stay up late to play and to recruit and form your clans.

(Oldman) and Jason Hudson (Harris). The COD M.O. stays true: an array of customizable weapons, deep co-op action and an unlockable zombies option are back. A new feature is an

and grapples. Featuring realistic graphics in a film noir presentation, the game takes you through the world of a bare-knuckled underground fight circuit where you go from fight to fight earning credits or unlocking new moves to improve your fighter as you make your way through the ranks.

classic 2D side scrollers. Those familiar with the original Donkey Kong Country will feel right at home as the co-op action between the lumbering Donkey Kong and the nimble Diddy Kong remains. Crowd-pleasing elements like mine cart rides, vine-swinging and shots-out-of-barrel return in DKC Returns. The game uses the motion controls of the Wii perfectly, and was really the one big element of the game that felt “new.” Not that there’s anything wrong with a throwback game with a classic character.

Gran Turismo 5 Just to give you an idea of how long has passed since Gran Turismo 5 was announced: Shaq had just won another title with Miami and that was three uniforms ago for him, Chris Andersen still had some vacant real estate on his body and LeBron James had just re-signed a three-year deal with the Cavs. Yes, GT5 has been almost five long years in the making. For any car enthusiast or fan of racing simulation, GT5 is the holy grail. Featuring two modes of play—A-Spec and B-Spec—the former will be a immersive simulation that will have the car tuners salivating while the latter

Donkey Kong Country Returns With everything 3D being all the rage these days, Nintendo has decided to take a step back with one of its classic franchises in Donkey Kong. Nintendo seems to have found a niche in casual gamers and has adopted a less-ismore approach to its titles. Donkey Kong Country Returns harkens back to

will be for a racing simulation RPG for gamers to soup up cars and build their garages. This allows the game to satisfy the hardcore fans but also remain simple enough for a casual player to pick up and race. The game will also take advantage of the PS3’s hardware and allow for players to take 3D photos of their cars to share. The series holds true to its high production values and after five years, it promises to make it worth the wait.

nathaniel s. butler/nbae/getty images; videogame screenshots all courtesy of respective companies

every flavor—East, West, Dirty South and contemporary (although, no Jay-Z can be found in the game) is represented (more will inevitably find their way as downloadable tracks and unlocks). The Rhymes are spit out in karaoke-style fashion over the original music videos and points are earned for proper pitch and lyric-reciting. Players can jump in solo with some voice assist, or go at it on duets or battle. For the aspiring Eminem, Rapstar has a freestyle mode that provides a background track and beat and you provide the creative lyrics—something most music games don’t offer. As a party game, it is guaranteed fun for the hip-hop novice or enthusiast.

Reach sticks to the same formula. Gone is Master Chief as Reach is a prequel to the series; you step into the shoes of Noble 6. New additions like armor options and jet pack (jet pack!)

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NBA 2K11

We’re back folks! I can’t tell you how hyped I am to return for my third go-round as videogame editor at HOOP. It’s just about time for the season tip-off, so you know what that means: a new year of NBA 2K. This year’s version may be the best yet. Two words: Michael Jordan. When I first heard that he would be in the game, I was shocked. I think the only other game he was in was Jordan vs. Bird. I thought it was about time he got back into a videogame, because that’s what the fans have been waiting for. When I first played, I would only watch Jordan in the game. It was amazing to see. Then I tried him out and I would just shoot with him all the time. He’s unstoppable just like in real life. I found it funny when MJ said he could score 100 points in today’s game. I wouldn’t put it past him to score 100. The NBA’s changed so much since he was playing in his heyday. A lot of the aspects of the game are pretty much the same—which isn’t a bad thing—but I like the way they do the highlights and replays, which are much better. I also love the new signature moves, the hang-time, the way they do and-ones, alley-oops, and plays off the glass. If there’s one thing I believe they should add, it’s the way they do technical fouls. If players react to a call, have the ref “T” them up, like the new technical foul calls we have in the League this season. My kids love the game, too. I teach them who Michael Jordan is and all the history of when he was in the game. They get a kick out of it. It’s great that the kids these days get to play with him in the game, who might not know all the history of what MJ did for the game of basketball. I can’t complain about the rating they gave me; I would have loved to be an 80 in 2K11, but I’m still pretty solid. I don’t start though, so I guess that’s why I didn’t get an 80 rating. It’s weird though, because it’s hard to get my shot off in the game, but I still don’t get blocked too often.

NBA Jam 2010 Even though the original came out before them, my kids are so pumped to play NBA Jam. When they saw that you can dunk and the way it’s done arcade-style, it was awesome. And I will say, it looks pretty cool. I used to play with the Sonics; Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp all the time as a kid. Getting on fire was the best part, because then you could just drain threes. I was never too big into playing with the special secret characters like Bill Clinton or the Beastie Boys (the 2010 version brings this feature back with many unlockable playable characters including Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush). I just liked playing with the regular guys. Those are the guys I looked forward to playing with against my brother. He would always be Scottie Pippen and the Bulls. The rosters are made up of the leading three to four players from each squad (yours truly was omitted from the Celtics) and the gameplay stays true to the original. The game is fast-paced and easy to pick up for instant action, making it a great party sports game. There are no fouls and plenty of big dunks and moves. The animation is updated to today’s standards with some new modes thrown in. But the main fun lies in the classic 2-on-2 battles. For a game that is best played with another person, it’s strange that the game doesn’t support online play. Despite the incorporation of the Wii motion controller, the game is still best played with a classic controller. The game is a great throwback to the old ’90s style and fun to play. I just wish they would have put me in the game so I could have heard, “he’s on fire” or “boom-shack-a-lack-a.” HOOP

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the goods

HOOP HOliday Gift Guide Samsung PN58C8000 3d Plasma tV

CheCK It

We hated this TV because after we got to stare at its blackout blacks, vibrant picture and 3D goodness in its awe-inspiring 58inch screen, we began despising our TVs at home, cursed them every day for not being the PN58C8000. Drool-worthy features aside, the TV also has a slim depth, Internet TV (digital connectivity to news, social media and content streams) and a fast picture that can keep up with the speediest point guard. The plasma set’s lone drawback was the heat it generated, but we only wish we got to bask in its warmth all the time.

$2,999.99

Porter Cable 12V ClampSaw Improving on the ubiquitous reciprocating saw, the 12V ClampSaw features two innovations that make it easier for the DIYer: a head that can clamp onto materials so you can cut without slippage, and a three-way pivoting handle than can turn be positioned at roughly 45-, 90- and 180-degrees. The 12V lithium-ion battery pack recharges in 30 minutes and comes with two battery packs (a very underrated feature in any power tool).

$129

insignia infocast Stop using your cellphone as your bedside alarm clock and replace it with the Infocast. Although much more than an alarm clock, the Infocast is an Internet media display which means it can stream out bite-sized nuggets of the Internet onto an 8-inch (800x600) touchscreen display. Customizable widgets like said alarm clock, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, games, news and weather, as well as your music and photos, can be ported onto the unit. It has 2GB of memory, built-in wireless (G), stereo speakers and a 7-in-1 media reader.

$169.99 084

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Schwinn Sprint

Burton Custom Flying V Snowboard + Custom EST Binding

Fixies, or fixed-wheel bicycles (lack a freewheel, meaning the pedals move along with the wheel) are all the rage, especially in urban locales. The Sprint sports modern touches like a forged alloy crank with 46T alloy chainring and freewheel, a Reynolds 853 double-butted steel frame and N’Gauged lugged steel fork while maintaining its sweet retro styling.

The Custom Flying V is Burton’s best-selling board for good reason. Perfect for an all-mountain freestyler, the Custom Flying V is lightweight and moves well from edge to edge. The Custom EST Binding complements the board perfectly from its colors to the cushioning, forgiving hi-back and extra-padded straps.

$999.99

Snowboard: $529.95 Binding: $179.95

Toshiba BDX3000 3D Blu-ray Player The BDX3000 plays Blu-ray and, of course, 3D Blu-ray at 24 fps. When not projecting images that pop out from your television, the player can also upconvert your DVDs and stream content from Netflix, Cinema Now and Pandora. The BDX3000 also features on-board decoding of Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio through analog 7.1 outputs or HDMI.

$249.99

Where to Buy: Insignia Infocast: bestbuy.com Xbox Slim + Kinect: xbox.com Olympus EP-2: olympusamerica.com Samsung PN58C8000 3D Plasma TV: Samsung.com Toshiba BDX3000 3D Blu-ray Player: Toshiba.com Burton Custom Flying V Snowboard + Custom EST Binding: Burton.com Schwinn Sprint: Schwinnbike.com Porter Cable 12V Clampsaw: deltaportercable.com

Olympus E-P2 250GB Microsoft Xbox 360 + Kinect Upgraded earlier in the year, the new Xbox 360 sports a new svelte glossy piano black finish, built-in WiFi and quieter operation, but new to the game is the Kinect, Microsoft’s answer to the Nintendo Wii. Based on a sensor bar positioned by the TV, your hand and body becomes the game’s “controllers.” Microsoft promises 15 launch titles to accompany the Kinect; sorry, NBA 2K11 and NBA Jam 2010 doesn’t support Kinect—yet.

$299

For the best in still photos, the standard by which to capture them is still via an SLR (single lens reflex) camera. But an SLR also means having a bulky body that isn’t very portable compared to a point and shoot camera. The EP-2 is part of Olympus’ PEN Digital series, which adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system, basically a mirror-less SLR (the mirror is what makes SLR bodies bulky) with interchangeable lenses. Being that almost every photo in HOOP originates from an SLR of some sort, we were skeptical, but the EP-2’s relatively compact size (it’s not quite a pocket cam), SLR-like photo-capturing ability, array of controls, good 720p video recording and old-school styling won us over. The price tag of the EP-2 (it comes with a 14-42mm lens) is still in the SLR range and the three-inch LCD screen could’ve been sharper, but we can see this new standard having a place in digital photography.

$899 HOOP

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the goods

Westinghouse LD-425 LED LCD HDTV The LD-425 might not come with Internet-based widgets or a slew of connectivity (only two HDMI ports) but we were impressed with the bright LED-backlit screen, high-gloss bezel, its 1.5-inches thickness, a 120Hz refresh rate and a quality picture at a very affordable price point. As a bonus the TV uses 20 percent less energy than a 100W lightbulb, saving you on your monthly power bill.

$699.99

Panasonic ES-LA93-K Rechargeable Shaver Ideal for the on-the-go shave, the ES-LA93-K conforms to every unique face with its multi-flexible head, while the vibrating foil and nanotech 30-degree inner blades give a wife/girlfriend-approved shave. The shaver also comes with an LCD display that gives you its vitals (battery life, clean razor reminder, etc.) and recharges its battery (recharge time: one hour) in a compact 3.7-inch wide base that doubles as a razor cleaner.

$399

Samsung Vibrant

Flip Ultra HD

The current standard-bearer for Android-based phones, the Vibrant impresses with its AMOLED (we can explain the acronym or we can just tell you that the technology makes the screen brighter, thinner and more functional in daylight) four-inch touchscreen which we thought was boss whether watching Avatar, browsing the Web or dallying with games. The 1GHz processor keeps things humming, the 16GB of internal storage means you can load up on media and apps and the five-megapixel camera takes good-for-a-cameraphone pictures and 720p video.

We keep touting Flip’s line of easy-to-use pocket camcorders because they really are the best at on-the-go video capture. The built-in switchblade-style USB port does double duty as a charger and a means of file transfer, no software is needed to install and even a caveman (sorry, Geico!) can use it. Their latest, the Ultra HD, can record two hours (with the 8GB version) of 720p video and features a FlipPort for third-party add-ons. And like every camera they sell, the Ultra HD’s face can be customized online to any image or design you’d like.

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4GB: $149.99 8GB: $199.99

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CHECK IT

Boston Acoustics TVee Model 20 Just about every TV that is now available, whether it be a high-end or a budget one, shares one common thing: the audio sucks. Why watch in high definition but listen in low definition on your awesome HDTV? With its consumer-friendly pricetag, the TVee Model 20 won’t break the bank to get you pseudo-surround sound (it simulates a multiple speaker setup and essentially “tricks” your ears into hearing surround sound). The soundbar mounts perfectly under most TVs and the compact subwoofer can be tucked away in a corner. Movie-watchers will notice a vast improvement, but even during a raucous NBA game, the enveloping sound and booming bass almost mimic the in-arena experience.

$299

Samsung Galaxy Tab from T-Mobile We love the iPad, but the Galaxy Tab gives the tablet game some serious competition. Yes, at 7 inches, the Tab is at a size disadvantage to Steve Jobs’ 9.7-inch tablet, but the smaller size and lighter weight offers a very different experience. Holding it for long periods of time doesn’t afflict you with hand fatigue. While the display trails the iPad in terms of size and resolution (1024 x 768 vs. 1024 x 600), it’s on par in terms of quality. The winning features have to be the expandable memory (via microSD), the 3-megapixel rear camera (with LED flash) that can also capture 720p video and the 1.3 MP front-facing camera for videocalls.

Available in November (pricing TBA)

Zotac ZBox Blu-ray You can fill your A/V system with a number of separate components (DVR, Blu-ray player, receiver, Internet video streaming device, etc.) or you can just replace it all with the ZBox Blu-ray. Inside the sleek and low-profile unit (thinner than most laptops) lies a powerful PC that can record your television programs inside its 250GB hard drive, play and stream your HD content, play back Blu-ray discs, process 7.1 audio, access the Internet, view your pictures (it also contains a 6-in-1 memory card reader) and listen to your digital music. Handling the tasks is a dual-core Intel Atom CPU, nVidia ION graphics and 2GB of RAM while the unit sports two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI and DVI port, wired Ethernet and built-in 802.11n wireless.

$499

Dyson City A vacuum cleaner is a utilitarian device that doesn’t elicit any excitement—unless it’s a Dyson. The company’s latest, the City, is, as its name suggests, the ideal small footprint canister vacuum for an urban dweller. Able to fit on an entire hand—and we’re not talking Shaq’s mitts—the DC26 can still suck up dirt like its bigger brethren without filters or bags to replace, and has one-button removal of the canister.

$399.99

Where to Buy: Samsung Vibrant, t-mobile.com Dyson City, dyson.com Flip Ultra HD, theflip.com Bouston Acoustics TVee Model 20, bostonacoustics.com Westinghouse LD-425 LED LCD HDTV, Costco.com Zotac, Zbox Blu-ray, newegg.com Panasonic ES-LA93-K Rechargeable Shaver, Panasonic.com Samsung Galaxy Tab from T-Mobile, t-mobile.com

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the goods

Samsung BX2350 LED LCD Monitor

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol. 1

Remember the behemoth CRT monitor that used to sit on your desk? Remember the sigh of relief your desk gave (not to mention the resulting expanded desk space) when you replaced it with a sleek LCD monitor? Well, the LED monitor, specifically the BX2350, is the next step in desktop displays. The BX2350 is as eco-friendly as electronics go, utilizing light-emitting diodes that use 40 percent of the energy that fluorescent-backlit LCDs and without the mercury or lead inside. We love the planet, but we were more intrigued by the sharp display (1920 x 1080 resolution on a 23-inch screen), bright colors, deeper blacks, sexy design and the mere .75 inch thick display in a lightweight package.

Excuse the clichés, but this critically-acclaimed series is a must for any discerning sports fan. The six-disc (DVD) set houses the first 15 of the ESPN running series. Of particular interest to the basketball fan is Without Bias (the story of promise-to-tragedy Len Bias), Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.

$339.99

$74.95

CheCK It

Beats by Dr. Dre PowerBeats Backed by none other than LeBron James himself, the PowerBeats are premium sport headphones geared toward the guy who needs to hear the best sound while engaging in physical activity. The wraparound-the-ear earbuds take some practice putting on and taking off but do stay on even during a rigorous session of jumping jacks. The styling and materials lend a bit of luxury to something that’s usually taken for granted. We didn’t love the in-line controls, but the built-in mic means that the headphones can also do double duty as a hands-free phone device. Most importantly, the high price of admission does guarantee you top-notch, head-filling and bass-y sound.

$179.99

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LOST: The Complete Collection If you or someone you know are familiar with the following things—the numbers 4,8,15,16,23,42, the “hatch,” the “others,” the Dharma Initiative, Jack/Sawyer, Hurley, Oceanic flight 815, Benjamin Linus, Jacob—you need to purchase LOST: The Complete Collection. The collector’s set features the complete series (on DVD or Blu-ray) and is accompanied by packaging and extras that will make no sense to the uninitiated but mean everything to the fervent LOST fan in your life.

DVD: $229.99 Blu-ray: $279.99

Where to Buy: Belkin Conserve Smart AV, amazon.com ESPN 30 for 30 Vol. 1, where DVDs are sold Samsung BX2350 LED LCD Monitor, Samsung.com LOST: The Complete Collection, where DVDs are sold Beats by Dre PowerBeats, beatsbydre.com Monster iClarity HD, monstercable.com

Monster iClarity HD

You’ve heard of how it’s best to cut off power to your array of devices that comprise your home entertainment setup to prevent “vampire” power from being sucked from the components, but nobody wants to crawl through the mess of wires on your power strip. True to its name, the Conserve Smart AV intelligently detects when your TV is off and proceeds to stop delivering power to the peripherals, saving money and energy wasted in standby mode. Two always-on outlets are for the essential devices that need to be kept on, like the DVR and the NBA-themed neon light.

The iClarity is one of those devices you think you don’t need, but once you use it, you wonder why you didn’t get it sooner, especially for business road warriors. The micro Bluetooth speaker untethers you from your mobile phone, laptop or other portable device (iPad, iPod, personal media players) that supports Bluetooth so you can enjoy relatively big sound without headphones. The iClarity even has a noise-canceling mic to serve as a hands-free option in the car or for conference calls.

$29.99

$119.95

Belkin Conserve Smart AV

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tech ed

Tech ediTor and gadgeT junkie Shane BaTTier TeST-driveS The laTeST in Tech goodS. in ThiS iSSue, he TakeS on The Skycaddie SgX. I love golf. A lot. If I could, I would play every day of my life. Mrs. Battier would have something to say about that, but…(honey, I kid, I kid). The point is, even though I am a 19 handicapper, I can’t get enough golf. That is why I’m really excited about the newest edition to the Sky Caddie GPS lineup, the SkyCaddie SGX. I had used previous generations of the SkyCaddie and have been a big fan of these products. In a market that is saturated with Golf themed GPS, let’s see if the SGX stands out. Around the size of a pack of cards, the SGX has a sleek design with a large 3-inch, high-resolution, LCD screen for sharp images even in the brightest sunlight. I was pleasantly surprised how sharp the images on the screen presented on the sunny day I reviewed it. The way the SGX works is that someone from SkyCaddie has walked every inch of the 30,000 courses in the SkyCaddie catalog (hopefully, not the same guy). These courses are uploaded to the SkyCaddie website and any SkyCaddie owner can tether his SkyCaddie unit to a computer and download the course of choice. In a world of cloud computing, it’d be great if this could be done wirelessly, but I am sure that is coming someday. Your unit, when turned on, will communicate with SkyCaddie’s GPS satellites and tell you your exact yardages from every hole on the course. No more walking off sprinkler heads; it’s all in your hands digitally. Not only does the SGX tell you how far you are from the back, center and front of every hole, it gives you various distances to carry sand traps, lay up to the middle of the fairway, and play target golf. If you are not a golfer, this will mean nothing to you, but if you are, it will excite you. (Golfers are kind of dorky.) Playing my home course, Inverness Country Club in Chelsea, MI, there was not a nook or cranny that could hide from my SkyCaddie. The SGX also has a great feature that will keep your score electronically: You can record fairways and greens hit in regulation, putts and strokes for every round. When you tether your SGX to your computer, your rounds will automatically upload. You can get great statistical analysis of your game. There are so many features of the SGX that I don’t have room to put in this column, but after playing with this, I really didn’t have an excuse as to why I am such a horrible golfer. The SGX gave me all the information I needed to release my inner Arnie Palmer; too bad my game isn’t sharp enough to capitalize. This is a pretty sweet piece of technology. If you enjoy golf and want to give yourself the best chance to break par. Pick up the SkyCaddie SGX.

SkyCaddie SGX

$399.95

ProS:

conS:

+ Clear LCD screen

– Can’t download courses wirelessy

+ 30,000 courses in the SkyCaddie catalog

– A touchscreen would be handy

+ Detailed yardages for every shot in your arsenal

For video reivews of Shane’s TECHed page, check out hoopmag.com

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where to buy: skygolf.com

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GEAR

CHECK IT

Reebok

Zig Slash

Price: $99.99 Weight (size 9): 15.5 oz.

The last time Reebok opened up its coffers for a mercurial point guard that was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, it struck sneaker gold. Reebok is undoubtedly hoping for the same success with John Wall as it had with Allen Iverson 14 years ago. Not officially a signature shoe, the Zig Slash will nonetheless be the shoe on the high-profile rookie’s feet during his debut NBA run. On the success of the Zig Tech, Reebok’s wave-based energy return system that also doubles as a cushioning device. [Ed note: We gave the Zig Pulse cross trainers a go earlier in the year and gave it our seal of approval.] Since then, we were curious with anticipation to see how the technology would translate on the basketball court. The most noticeable difference in the Zig Tech is the density of the “zigs”—in the training Zig Pulses, the “zigs” were much softer and lacked any traction patterns on the outsole. The ZS also has added outsole material for the additional grip and traction required on the basketball court. However, even with the added attention, the ZS didn’t have a good court feel and experienced some slippage during play. The lack of surface area on the outsole due to the Zig Tech was likely the main culprit. The higher heel from the Zigs also made the shoe sit higher than we’d like, but we’re happy to report that landings were soft from the Zigs. The ZS’s looks left a lot to be desired. We like that Reebok takes some design chances with their bold patterns and designs, but the array of mesh inlayed triangles (they do help with keeping things cool) on the lateral side coupled with the big “Reebok” text on the medial didn’t do it for us. We did dig the synthetic patent material as well as the gradient Vector logo.

Converse might have lost some luster as a brand when it lost Dwyane Wade to Jordan Brand, but it sticks to the same philosophy of cranking out quality under-the-radar basketball shoes. The Star Player Evo stays true to the mantra. We’ll be honest with the SPE’s aesthetics: it’s pretty staid with its patent toecap and Star Chevron logo. The most distinguishable feature is the mesh upper. The SPE consistently scored well in every area that we test on performance. The shoe wraps securely around the foot. Despite the lack of any patented shock absorption system in the midsole (it does have molded Converse Balls Technology in the sockliner), the SPE handled all the impact we gave it. Stop-and-gos and lateral movement garnered passing grades. Ventilation, due to the mesh-like upper, got the highest grades (it was damn near Nike Air Flight Huarache-like). Some folks might question whether the upper will give enough ankle support (it doesn’t) but we’ve never been believers in the “high-tops protect against ankle injuries” theory anyway, so we didn’t subtract any points for it. The biggest drawback of the SPE was the $90 retail price. Traditionally, Converse has been putting out quality at a lower price point than its competitors. Other than it’s marquee Wade signature shoe, its lineup has typically ranged between $65-80. Not that it’s not worth $90, but it does take down its value a bit.

Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation:

Converse

Star Player Evo Price: $90 Weight (size 10): 15.5 oz.

Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation: 090

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Through the years, we’ve come across a few Jordan shoes that were all form but little function, but the Take Flight gets high grades in both areas. First off, it was a head-turner around the offices. The TF has a lot of stylings of classic AJs without having to be a direct hybrid that Jordan is so big on. You have the similar sewn-on lace eyelets and the scaled-down patent alongside like the XI, the heel tab of the IV and the tongue tabs and outsole treatment of the X. The most noticeable part of the shoe, however, is something new to any Jordan shoe: full length Max Air. First off, cushioning is plentiful. Some testers even complained it might be too much, saying landings felt “gummy.” Those with a preference towards low-riding shoes should be aware that the cost of a full-length Air bag means the TF will sit a bit higher. The upper is, as with most Jordan shoes, of premium leathers and little synthetics, which means longer life but also a shoe that might not vent as well. Court traction was another strong area. The TF keeps it simple with tried-and-true herringbone on the outsole that lent a sticky grip great for cuts. The lockdown fit made sure the shoe moved as one with the foot. The TF transitions well from the court to the courtyard, pairing well as casual wear. The stock white laces were a bit boring; we swapped them out for a black set and it really made a statement. Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation:

adidas

adiZero Rose Price: $100 Weight (size 10): 13 oz.

Where to Buy: Reebok Zig Slash: reebok.com Converse Star Player Evo: converse.com Jordan Take Flight: jumpman23.com adidas adiZero Rose: adidasbasketball. com

Jordan

Take Flight Price: $150 Weight (size 9): 18 oz.

After a few seasons run based on the concept of team and brotherhood in its shoes, adidas is back to signature joints for its premier athletes, beginning with the on-the-cusp-of-greatness Derrick Rose and his adiZero Rose. The inspiration behind the Chicago Bulls point guard’s first signature model is weight. At 13 ounces, it’s not much baggage on the foot. The shoe is essentially a low-cut shoe with a Speedwrap ankle brace incorporated onto it. Unlike some low-cut models that have a loose fit around the heel, adidas uses an internal fit collar for heel containment. It also utilizes GeoFit (strategic internal padding) to minimize foot movement in the shoe. Being a guard-oriented shoe, the AdiZero Rose focused a lot of attention on the forefoot for the shoe for maximum speed—Pure Motion zones give added traction and stability and additional clear traction pads give even more grip on the balls of feet. The Sprint Frame ensures a proper bridge in the midfoot and a heel lift, helping a speed player stay on his toes. The one thing we wish adidas did differently was to give the wearer the option of removing the ankle brace. It’s a bit extraneous in our opinion and having an option of it (perhaps a brace-less model for $90) would have been a boon for those who like a low-cut shoe. We were curious about the absence of any stripes on the shoe’s lateral, but the placement of the Three Stripes on the rear heel makes sense if you think about it: most people will see the speedy Rose’s shoe that way as they trail in his wake. As for the AdiZero Rose’s off-court appeal, the option to remove the brace would go a long way. Also, the eclectic mix of textures and materials on the upper make for a schizophrenic look. Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation: HOOP

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NBA Revolution 30 has been four years in the making. Over 200 NBA and NBA D-League players have tested the uniform in practice and in games. A prototype was worn during the 2009 All-Star Game and a final version was worn by All-Stars during the 2010 All-Star Game.

Tested and Proven

adidas Climacool fabric absorbs moisture in less than three seconds and moves heat and moisture away from the body. Ventilation channels and threedimensional garments help the uniform dry twice as fast.

Moisture Management

NBA Revolution 30 features a slimmer and more tapered to the body cut that further decreases material weight and drag during running.

Modern Fit

Front and back numbers are switched from twill to lighter breathable mesh.

Weight Reduction

Every NBA uniform will now have a consistent look and feel to it. Teams still have an option of seven different neckline designs and choose between two shoulder strap widths.

A Uniform Standard

Gear CheCk Revolutionizing the game This season there’s a big change going on in every NBA game. Sorry Shaq, the free-throw line wasn’t shortened, and despite head coach Mike D’Antoni’s pleadings, the shot clock remains at 24 seconds. But on every player will be a new uniform by adidas dubbed NBA Revolution 30 that will improve on the already fast and graceful game on NBA courts.

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In the ’60s, teams began adding player names and using a common uniform vendor to get a more consistent look throughout the League.

Shorts were modeled after football and baseball uniforms of the times and featured belts.

There was nothing “uniform” about the NBA uniform as each team relied on a local vendor to manufacture their uniform.

Each player had one set of uniforms for the entire season—one home and one away.

1950s-70s Uniforms were typically made with heavy and non-breathable materials like heavy polyester and satin as durability was its main concern.

In 1989, Champion became the League’s official outfitter.

In 1986, the NBA logo was introduced to uniforms.

An open-holed material allowed for better breathability.

A cotton/polyester blend was introduced that allowed for better moisture management.

1980s MacGregor Sand-Knit became the League’s exclusive outfitter.

The NBA Uniform Through The Decades

The uniform is made from 60 percent recycled materials.

Environmentally-friendly

Innovations in new moisture-wicking fabrics, weight reduction and wide shoulder jerseys were introduced.

In 1997, Nike and Starter joined Champion as uniform manufacturers.

Teams—for good or worse—began utilizing more elaborate designs, prints and colors to their uniforms.

Short shorts were being phased out (with the exception of throwback John Stockton) and replaced by more modest lengths.

1990s Custom uniform options gave players the option to fit their individual needs on the court.

Padded undergarments and compression base layers become popular among players, especially the ones who play in the paint.

In 2006, adidas became the official outfitter of the League.

Teams were offered multiple fabric options and design applications for their uniforms.

2000s In 2001, Reebok became the NBA’s official outfitter.

adidas Formotion technology reduces seams, reduces friction and optimizes natural body movement.

Comfort

GEAR

Reebok

Tempo U-Form

Basketball shoes have relied on almost everything in hopes of creating a custom lockdown fit—straps, pumps, lace locks, etc.—that nothing seems outrageous anymore. That is, until Reebok decided to take it to the kitchen. Its latest creation, U-Form technology, made its debut in NFL cleats and involves an interior that you ”bake” in your oven at 200 degrees for three minutes, put on your foot (it’s not hot, but more like fresh-out-of-the-dryer socks) and lace on tight; in eight minutes it should set to your foot’s specific shape for a custom fit. After taking it out of the oven, the Tempo feels warm and pliable. After a tight lacing, it does lend a snug sensation around the foot. We were assured by Reebok that the time in the oven, even multiple visits, would not affect the mid- or outsole. During testing, the Tempo wasn’t as hot. We found it to lack enough cushioning, especially in the forefoot (the Tempo features Hexride). The rallying point for the shoe is that it is a low-profile ride offering good court feel and responsiveness. After a few hours, the Tempos start feeling like they did when they came out of the oven, as the lack of ventilation leaves feet feeling stuffy. We couldn’t determine if the custom fit held up after some time. Reebok says you can “reheat” them as many times as you’d like, but we imagine many moms, wives and girlfriends objecting to placing funky

Price: $100 Weight (size 11): 17 oz.

kicks inside the place where cakes, cookies and pot roasts are made (heat exacerbates smells; think of a filled garbage can in the summer). Maybe making them microwaveable might be the better bet. Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation:

Jordan

Melo M7

Price: $130 Weight (size 9): 15.5 oz.

Carmelo Anthony’s signature shoe line with Jordan has been, like the player himself, very polarizing. You have a camp that appreciates Melo’s offensive talents and you have a counter opinion that views him as a one-dimensional player. But both sides agree on one thing: the dude can score and in bunches. His shoes have had a similar effect with the critics. In our book, the seventh incarnation of the Melo is a hit. Like its predecessors, the shoe is on the chunky side with a heavy midsole/ outsole and thick padded uppers. Like the reviewed True Flight, the M7 also features column-based construction that serves as “fingers” to grasp the foot for a secure fit. Some commented that it resembles the Nike CB34 a bit in terms of it shape and design. At almost a pound, the shoe is heavy like previous Melos, but it’s not too noticeable. Compared to previous versions, the shoe sits lower. The shoe’s shocks (which impressed) come in the form of visible Air in the heel and visible (from the outsole) Zoom Air in the forefoot. Unlike a lot of modern shoes in the marketplace, the M7 did take some break-in time to lose its stiffness. While we did love the shoe’s design, we regret to find that it didn’t hold its own paired with jeans (at least not the pictured colorway). We’re pretty confident that a black or darker colorway would transition better. The construction is solid and the materials are second to none. Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation:

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APL

Concept 1 Price: $300 Weight (size 10): 14.8 oz.

Nike

Air Max LeBron 8 Price: $160 Weight (size 9): 17.5 oz. As of presstime, we were unable to review the Air Max LeBron 8. Please log on to hoopmag.com for the full review.

Since the dawn of basketball shoes, every company has marketed its shoes as being able to make you play better, but offer no promises of actual results. Athletic Propulsion Labs claims its Concept 1, by just slipping them on right out of the box, will increase your vertical leap. A pretty bold declaration. [Ed note: The creators of the shoe, twin brothers Adam and Ryan Goldston, are sons of Mark Goldston, a veteran of the shoe game, having helped create such legendary shoe techs like the Reebok Pump, Hexalite and Catapult.] The mechanism behind the shoe is its patented Load ‘N Launch, which is a device on the forefoot that essentially captures the energy via compression and then uses it to propel the wearer up. As co-founder Ryan Goldston describes it: “Imagine jumping off a diving springboard...” Additionally, a TPU shank in the arch of the foot helps transfer additional force from the heel. Let’s get right to it: Does it work? The answer based on our findings is that it does—sometimes, maybe, a little. We had eight people test it and half of the them saw improvement. It’s important to note that our testing wasn’t what you would call scientific. We merely had dudes put chalk on hand and gauge how high they could touch the backboard by tracking the chalk print. Four people tested higher (about a 1to1.5 inch improvement) but it was inconsistent as some jumped just as high with their existing shoes. Placebo effect? Perhaps. But not according to the NBA. Before the season tipped off (coincidentally on the 25th-year anniversary of the NBA outlawing Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 1 for cosmetic reasons), the League banned the Concept 1 from NBA games, citing an “unfair competitive advantage” that the shoe provides. Maybe they do work after all... Jump claims aside, the Concept 1 is a good playing shoe on the court. The one thing that everyone did notice was the added “bounce” when wearing the Concept 1, and they felt is was easier to stay on balls of their feet. And despite having a mysterious mechanical device inside, the shoe remains low to the ground. The outsole, a clear kryptonite hue, is cool to look at but not so great at gripping the floor. It impresses in the looks department; the carbon fiber material on the upper and clean lines give a premium experience to the wearer. We couldn’t back up nor debunk its claims to improve your leaping ability, but it does perform well overall. The entry price is steep, but if the Concept 1 works for you, how can you put a price on the difference from a layup to a dunk, a few extra rebounds or blocks, an extra inch or two on your jumpshot? Since we couldn’t come up with a definitive answer, our advice is to try them for yourself. If they work for you, then it’ll be totally worth it in our book. Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value*: Style: Innovation: * If they work for you, this would undoubtedly be a 10. We just couldn’t come to a solid conclusion from our testing.

CHECK IT

Where to Buy: Reebok Tempo U-Form: reebok.com Jordan Melo M7: jumpman23.com APL Concept 1: athleticpropulsionlabs.com Nike Air Max LeBron 8: nikebasketball.com

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wear

HOOP HOLidAy GiFT GuidE

(Clockwise from top left) Burton 2L Gore-Tex Shelter Jacket, $369.95; Timberland Earthkeepers Cupsole Hiker, $85; adidas adidas Fragrance Collection, $15.99; ArgyleCulture Plaid Woven Shirt, $52; Casio Edifice, $500; Levi’s Zip Trucker Jacket-Greased, $98

Equal parts adventure and urban chic, the Edifice is a watch that has all the functionality of a performance timepiece—solar-powered charging, 100M water resistance, 1/1000 second chronograph, self-adjusting, multi-band 6 Atomic timekeeping—wrapped in racecar-inspired dials and hands.

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CHeCK IT

(Clockwise from top left) Levi’s 569 Jeans, $48; Eddie Bauer Waxed Expedition Cloth Saddle Coat, $299; New Balance H710, $80; Looptworks Perai Hoodie, $75; adidas Originals MEGA Softcell, $110

Made with 100-percent upcycled materials (textile waste left on the cutting floor during the manufacture of clothing), the Perai Hoodie has a limited run of pieces based on the amount of leftover material, and each piece hoodie is hand-numbered. In case you were curious, the one pictured is 52/255.

Where to Buy: Burton 2L Gore Tex Shelter Jacket: burton.com; Timberland Earthkeepers Cupsole Hikers: timberland.com; adidas Fragrance Collection: jcpenney.com; ArgyleCulture Plaid Woven Shirt: macys.com; Casio Edifice: casio.com; Levi’s Zip Trucker Jacket-Greased: levi.com; Levi’s 569 Jeans: levi.com; Eddie Bauer Waxed Expedition Cloth Saddle Coat: eddiebauer. com; New Balance H710: newbalance.com; Looptworks Perai Hoodie: looptworks.com; adidas Originals Mega Softcell: shoporiginals. com;

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A joint project between two OG players in their respective games, adidas and Burton have teamed up to create adidas Originals x Burton Glühwein—seven kicks and 21 apparel pieces for the collection that marries iconic streetwear with the slopes. While not technically meant for riding, the jacket does combine elements of Burton’s performance gear with adidas styling so you can take the slopes back with you when you leave the mountain.

Timberland’s premium line draws its inspiration from turnof-the-century field and factory workers transitioning to urban life. The Abington Hiker reflects this with its industrial stylings and performance tech in Gore-Tex, but softens the entire package so it can work well dashing about slushy puddles while crossing paved streets.

(Clockwise from top left) adidas Originals Burton Casual 3-in-1 Jacket, $350; Sportiqe detroit Pistons Tee, $28; Abington GoreTex Hiker, $200; Saucony Hangtime, $70; LRG Roots Artillery Vest, $110; Jordan AJ 13 Retro, $160;

098

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CHeCK IT

wear (Clockwise from top left) PuMA Fast Rider, $70; Nike Sportswear, Nylon destroyer Jacket, $160; New Balance x New Balance Sonic 574, $75; Fred Perry Track Jacket, $95; Nike Sportswear Nike Lunar Wood+, $100

A collaboration between New Balance and Undefeated, the retro sweatshirts of the ’80s were the inspiration behind these 574s. The upper is reverse weave fleece and suede and the “N” is varsity chenille to round out the classic American look. Undefeated also has coordinating clothing pieces that hook with the shoe at their retail stores.

Where to Buy: adidas Originals Burton Casual 3-in-1 Jacket: shoporiginals.com; Sportiqe Detroit Pistons Tee: palacelockerroomstore.com; Abington Gore-Tex Hiker: abington.timberland.com; Saucony Hangtime: extrabutterny.com; LRG Roots Artillery Vest: l-r-g.com PUMA Fast Rider: finishline.com; Nike Sportswear Nylon Destroyer Varsity Jacket; Lunar Wood+: nikesportswear.com; New Balance x UNDFTD Sonic 574: newbalance.com; Fred Perry Track Jacket: fredperry.com

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CHeCK IT

wear (Clockwise from top left) adidas Originals ObyO Kazuki Luker Hoodie, $140; adidas Originals ObyO david Beckham by James Bond Tweed down Vest, $375; Shaun White Secret of Shred Jacket, $34.99; Converse Chuck Taylor All Star duck Boot XHi, $70; Jordan Winterized Spizike, $185

100

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(Clockwise from top left) Nike Sportswear Nike dunk High Premium, $108; LRG Tree Brigade Jacket, $160; Jordan AJ1 Anodized, $150; Casio G-Shock GLS5600KL-7, , $130; Jordan 1st Class Hoody, $90; Nike Sportswear Nike Woodside, $110

Where to Buy: adidas Originals ObyO Kazuki Luker Hoodie; adidas Originals ObyO David Beckham by James Bond Tweed Down Vest: shoporiginals.com; Shaun White Secret of Shred Jacket: target.com; Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Duck Boot XHI: converse. com; Jordan Winterized Spizike; Jordan 1st Class Hoody: jumpman23.com; Casio G-Shock GLS5600KL-7: gshock.com Nike Sportswear Nike Dunk High; Nike Woodside: nikesportswear.com; LRG Tree Brigade Jacket: l-r-g.com

Foamposite makes its Jordan debut with the original AJ1 (fitting, really). This year saw the “foam” treatment on venerable Air Force 1; now the classic 1 gets the space-age, singlepiece, liquid-molded, alien-like upper. Despite Foamposite being 13 years in age and the AJ1 being over 25 years old, the melding of the two makes for a modern classic that still manages to inspire.

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STEP BACK

November 3, 1990 PHOENIX SUNS vs. UTAH JAZZ Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan

Twenty years ago this month, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz traveled to Tokyo, Japan, for a pair of games to tip-off the 1990-91 NBA season. The NBA’s “Opening Day Games” marked the first time in history that a U.S. pro sports league played regular-season games overseas.

A capacity crowd of 10,111 fans were on hand as Phoenix took the first game, 119-96, behind forward Tom Chambers’ 38 points and 10 rebounds. Suns guard Kevin Johnson, now the mayor of Sacramento, added 29 points and 10 assists.

Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons held two practices at 3 a.m. in Phoenix prior the trip to help his team adjust to the time difference.

Prior to the first game, Jazz point guard John Stockton and center Mark Eaton made an appearance at a local department store to sign autographs for the Japanese fans.

Phoenix forward Kurt Rambis, today the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, was proud to see a group of young fans wearing his trademarked black-rimmed glasses. John Stockton averaged 17.2 points, a league-best 14.2 assists and 2.85 steals a game in 1990-91.

In just his third season as head coach of the Jazz, Jerry Sloan took his team straight to practice after landing back in Salt Lake City.

All-Star Karl Malone recorded 29 points and 14 boards in the second game, as the Jazz escaped with a 102-101 victory.

Among the audience watching the games on TV in Japan was a 10-year-old Yuta Tabuse, who would become the first Japanese-born player ever to play in the NBAwhen he made the Suns roster in 2004-05. Journeyman Ed Nealy (#45) won a championship ring with the Chicago Bulls in 1993. Stockton and Malone, meanwhile, made a combined 23 All-Star appearances between them, but never won a title.

Suns rookie forward Cedric Ceballos got his photo taken with hoops legend Dr. J, who was in Tokyo to host a couple of clinics for the NBA.

The two Western Conference foes would meet up again in the 1991 NBA Playoffs, where the Jazz won 3-1 in the best-of-five, first-round series. Suns sharpshooter Eddie Johnson was traded to Seattle along with two first-round draft picks for forward Xavier McDaniel a little more than a month after the trip.

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The NBA reportedly sold more than $1 million in officially licensed merchandise during the week in the Far East.

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