Milk Carton: JJ Redick…11th pick in the draft and dude is just gone…the rook was active for his second game this season, but again did not play.
The Jazz beat the Kings last night 110-101 after Utah was down by as many as 21 points…Carlos Boozer, who is looking like an MVP candidate right now, put up 32 points and 13 boards while 2nd year PG Deron Williams had Kidd-like numbers (20 pts, 7 rebs, 13 asts)…Utah is now 11-1, many of those games without Andrei Kirilenko…
Oh my goodness…the highlight of the game was Sacramento guard Ronnie Price's putting down a left-handed dunk right on Boozers head and 1…dunk of the year so far…
Great game by the Raptors last night, especially their defence in the 4th quarter, as Chris Bosh led the way with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists as the Raptors ended a six-game losing streak with a 95-87 victory over the Cavs…Mo Pete was out with a slightly torn tendon in his left elbow, ending the longest consecutive active games streak in the NBA….Mo had played 371 straight games since Feb. 12, 2002…Atlanta's Joe Johnson has the second longest active streak at 365 games….and of course, the record of 1,192 was set by A.C. Green from 1986-2001…and that’s not even the most interesting AC Green record…
Draft note: Boston Colleges had 10 boards and 12 blocks from centre Sean Williams against Providence the other night…
1) Bill Simmons of ESPN.com’s Page 2 thinks KG needs to get out of town:
Kevin Garnett should have flipped out by now. And I'm not talking about a simple tantrum. Why isn't he acting more disruptively than the schoolkids in "The Wire?" He should arrive for home games wearing a sweatshirt that reads I HATE IT HERE. He should give Dwane Casey the nickname Expletive Deleted. He should call Marko Jaric, Ricky Davis and Mark Blount Loser No. 1, Loser No. 2 and Loser No. 3 and refer to Kevin McHale only as the Guy Who Ruined My Life. He should be looking to get whistled for a "flagrant nine" foul and lying on scorers' tables on the road praying for a drunken spectator to lob a beer at him so he can break out his best Artest moves. He should hire Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell impersonators to go with him everywhere, just so he can tell anyone who asks that he wants a reminder of the one season when he didn't want to kill somebody. All right, that last idea is a little ridiculous -- no one on the planet could begin to resemble either Cassell or Spree -- but you get the picture. KG's basketball career has become a borderline American tragedy. Here's one of the greatest big men ever, one of the fiercest competitors in any sport, someone who could finish his career with historic scoring and rebounding numbers ... and yet we have absolutely no clue how good he really is. He's played with, by my count, only six quality players in his 12 seasons: Joe Smith, Stephon Marbury, Terrell Brandon, Cassell, Sprewell and Wally Szczerbiak. His only "decent" coach was Flip Saunders, who is currently running the Pistons into the ground. The guy making the player moves has always been the memorably incompetent McHale, and KG's only owner, Glen Taylor, famously squandered four first-rounders by illegally negotiating Smith's ill-conceived, cap-violating contract. How badly has this team been mismanaged? It hasn't drafted a quality starter in seven seasons. It essentially traded Cassell for Jaric and threw in a first-round pick. It has surrounded KG with career losers and bad-attitude guys like Davis, Blount, Troy Hudson and Eddie Griffin. If there's a master plan, it seems to be: "Let's kill our cap space, squander as many picks as possible and see if KG snaps." If you remove Mark Madsen from the current roster, KG has more career playoff minutes than everyone else combined. He isn't a young dude anymore, either. Do you realize he's 30? That this is his 12th season? That he has played more than 900 NBA games (including playoffs)? KG might be 30, but if NBA years were like dog years, he'd be, well, pretty damn old. It's impossible not to feel sorry for him. Always one of the most intense players in the league, Garnett's emotion has morphed into something much more grim, as if he's fighting the urge to pull a Kermit Washington on someone, anyone. Seeing him in person, you can practically hear the clock ticking, like he's an aging single woman with rumbling ovaries. You can see the desperation on his face, the frustration, and almost hear the anguished inner monologue: "My career is wasting away." He's the most tragic figure in the league, a superstar buried on a perpetually impotent team, a loyal player who can't stand losing but is stuck with selfish guys and keeps finding himself walking off in defeat. His saga is the saddest subplot of the 2006-07 season. And few fans seem to give a crap. Well, I give a crap. To be fair, though, I don't care as much about KG as I do about his place in history. I want to know how good he is. Don't we need an answer? After old friend Paul Shirley was released by the Timberwolves before the start of the season, he sent me a gushing e-mail about KG's everyday brilliance that said if KG had played on a contender his entire career, "people would speak of him as a candidate for best player ever." Will that end up being KG's legacy: the coulda-shoulda-woulda star who ended up the Ernie Banks or Barry Sanders of basketball? I can't help thinking that in one sense he deserves some of the blame. Yes, he's one of the best power forwards ever. I rank him fourth, behind Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone, and just ahead of McHale and D.C. from Fast Break. And we know he can produce in the clutch from that monster 2004 MVP season that culminated in a sublime 32-point, 21-rebound Game 7 against the Kings. We can also agree, his career would have been different if he had somehow switched places with Duncan. But maybe KG is too passionate for his own good. By all accounts, he's so wound up before games, it affects everyone around him; he wouldn't even allow anyone to listen to music in the locker room before Cassell arrived. He's not above punching teammates in practices. And he's famous for yelping ferociously after big plays, clenching his fists and screaming toward the ceiling like a WWE wrestler. He's never learned to adapt his game to the situation; he plays the same in a mid-November blowout and a deciding playoff game, which explains why he seemed spent during the 2004 conference finals against the Lakers. That was his longest season by far -- seven months and exactly 100 games -- and in classic KG fashion, he averaged 24-14-5 in the regular season and an almost identical 24-15-5 in the playoffs. Superstars like Duncan know when to dominate and when to keep something in reserve for big moments. KG plays only in fifth gear. Of course, that nonstop fervor has always been his most admirable quality, right up there with his insistence on passing out of double- and triple-teams (even if he's finding crummy outside shooters and inadvertently hurting his chances). Along with Steve Nash, he's the ultimate team player. Which makes this whole thing such a shame. I watched the Timberwolves lose on consecutive nights recently and realized two things. First, they don't have an above-average player other than KG. And second, KG's body language, especially after Peja Stojakovic's game-winning three, makes him seem almost resigned to his fate, like an unhappy husband who can't stomach the thought of a divorce because he doesn't want to hurt his children. It's depressing to watch. In his shoes, maybe you or I would have sabotaged our situation already, but that's what is great about KG: Instead of quitting on a lost cause to force Minnesota's hand, he just keeps busting his butt and waiting to be saved. And that's why someone needs to save him. For the good of the league, David Stern needs to "nudge" McHale and Taylor to make a move. Trade the man to the Bulls or the Clippers or the Lakers, all of whom have the right combination of young players and picks to make a palatable exchange. Stick Garnett in a big market with quality teammates and see what happens. We need to see what he can really do, and so does he. Whether he wants to admit it or not.
2) Marty Burns of Si.com reports on the players in limbo:
Caught in limbo - These 11 veteran players now face uncertain futures
In the NBA this season, "limbo" is more than just a form of timeout entertainment shown on the overhead video board. It also describes the career status of several notable players. Whether due to injury, poor performance or other factors, these one-time stars/big contributors suddenly find themselves facing an uncertain future. Where will they end up when the music stops?
1. Kenyon Martin, Nuggets - The 6-9 power forward -- and former No. 1 overall pick - recently underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee and will miss the rest of the season. He says he will play in 2007-08, but it's unlikely he will ever be the same. No NBA player has ever come back from microfracture surgery on both knees (Martin had the procedure on his left knee in '05). The Nuggets tried hard last summer to trade Martin, who had clashed with coach George Karl, but no team wanted to take on the remaining five years and $70 million on his contract. Now Denver is stuck with Martin (though insurance will pick up part of the tab). Long-term prognosis: He'll make it back, but Martin will join the real K-Mart as a former blue chip that has seen better days.
2. Darius Miles, Trail Blazers - Like Martin, this 6-9 forward is a former high draft pick (No. 3 overall in 2000) whose career is in jeopardy because of microfracture surgery. Also like Martin, Miles has had previous knee problems (arthroscopic surgery on the same right knee in Dec. '05). The good news for Miles is that he's still relatively young (25). The bad news is that his game is predicated on explosiveness and athleticism. Like Martin, Miles also has a bloated contract (three more years, $26.2 million) that makes him all but untradeable. Long-term prognosis: He'll play again, too, but does he love the game enough to make a successful comeback?
3. Chris Webber, Sixers - The five-time All-Star is getting benched in the fourth quarter, and is not happy about it. He denies he has asked for a trade, but it is clear he would like to find a new team. The Sixers would love to accommodate him, but Webber's large salary ($20.7 million this season) makes matching up salaries difficult. He also has another year (at $22.3 million) on the deal. Webber is still capable of putting up 20 and 10 on a consistent basis, but he hasn't had the same explosiveness since undergoing microfracture surgery on his knee a few years ago. It is possible he could thrive again with a fresh start somewhere, but he's always going to be a defensive liability -- and, at age 33, his best days are clearly behind him. Long-term prognosis: Even if the Sixers can find a sucker to take on his contract (get Isiah Thomas on the phone!) Webber will have to learn to accept a lesser role.
4. Morris Peterson, Raptors - The 6-7 swingman won't make a big issue of it, but he is not happy about losing his spot in the starting lineup to Fred Jones. Though still a part of coach Sam Mitchell's regular rotation, Peterson believes he deserves better after being one of Toronto's most consistent players the past few years. He might be able to wait out this latest storm, but a trade is also a possibility.
In the final year of a deal that pays him $4.5 million, Peterson could be in high demand for a team looking for veteran help down the stretch. The Raptors clearly need help of their own, so it makes sense to try to deal him. Long-term prognosis: Peterson will continue to be a solid player wherever he goes. But after six years in Toronto, he probably could use a change of scenery.
5. Adonal Foyle, Warriors - The 6-10 shotblocker and 10-year veteran is the odd man out in new coach Don Nelson's small-ball scheme. After starting 72 games a year ago, he has appeared in just two games for brief stints so far this season. The Warriors reportedly have discussed a buyout of Foyle, who has three years and $29.2 million guaranteed left on his contract, but so far no deal has been reached. Long-term prognosis: Foyle likely will be bought out, which will allow him to sign with another team. But as one of the game's more intellectual players (he actually reads books!), the Colgate alum will be fine even if he never plays another minute.
6. Jeff McInnis, Nets - The veteran point guard became disgruntled with his role as Jason Kidd's backup a year ago; consequently, his relationship has soured with the Nets, who told him to stay home this season. McInnis and his agent have requested a trade or a buyout of his contract, which has one year and $3.6 million left, but so far New Jersey has not been able to move him. Expect the Nets to eventually cut him free, with McInnis signing with a team for the second half of the season. Long-term prognosis: He'll end up on somebody's bench before the season is over, but he'll never be able to fully shake his reputation as a malcontent.
7. Delonte West, Celtics - The third-year guard out of St. Joe's, who started at the point much of last year, has seen his role drastically changed this season as the Celtics have gone to a more uptempo approach with Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo. West's role now is to supply offense off the bench. But with Tony Allen, Gerald Green and Allen Ray in the rotation, West will have to consistently knock down outside shots or he could find himself somewhere else next season. Long-term prognosis: He seems to have found a niche for now as a scorer off the bench. But with Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak doing the heavy lifting, he's expendable and could be trade bait.
8. Damon Stoudamire, Grizzlies - The 13-year vet is still working his way back into shape after suffering a serious knee injury a year ago. He has played well in spurts, but recently lost his starting spot to Chucky Atkins as the Grizzlies go with a more uptempo approach. The emergence of rookie Kyle Lowry also could cut into Stoudamire's playing time. At 33, with two more years and $9 million left on his contract, Stoudamire might have some value as trade bait if Memphis decides to rebuild at some point. Long-term prognosis: Mighty Mouse isn't ready for the cartoon graveyard just yet, but his better days are probably behind him.
9. Rafael Araujo, Jazz - Considered one of the bigger draft busts in recent memory, the former No. 8 overall selection by the Raptors was hoping to benefit from a fresh start in Utah. It hasn't happened yet. Araujo has shown little to warrant playing time and coach Jerry Sloan has pretty much kept the 6-11 Brazilian confined to the bench. Long-term prognosis: If the former BYU product can't make it in the friendly confines of Utah, where he played his college ball, then he's probably not going to make it anywhere.
10. Bob Sura, Rockets - The 12-year vet contemplated retirement after missing all of last season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. He decided to give it one more try, and was hoping to make it back for training camp, but a series of setbacks forced him to push back the timetable. Sura has since returned to practice, and now hopes to play by mid January. The Rockets would welcome his hustle and energy, but they know he has a long road back to get where he was before the injury. Long-term prognosis: Sura is too much of a feisty competitor to count out, but at age 33 a full comeback seems unlikely.
11. Keith Van Horn, free agent - The sweet-shooting 6-10 forward, last seen helping the Mavs reach the NBA Finals, remains unsigned. After making $15.7 million last season in the final year of his contract, he apparently didn't want to take a massive pay cut for the chance to come off the bench and hoist a few 3-pointers. Van Horn's agent, David Falk, has said that his client is simply taking a year off, which would seem to leave open the possibility of a return. But if he does come back, it will be for a much smaller paycheck. Long-term prognosis: With a wonderful family and all the money he'll ever need, Van Horn isn't likely to pull up those knee-high socks for an NBA game ever again.
The Jazz beat the Kings last night 110-101 after Utah was down by as many as 21 points…Carlos Boozer, who is looking like an MVP candidate right now, put up 32 points and 13 boards while 2nd year PG Deron Williams had Kidd-like numbers (20 pts, 7 rebs, 13 asts)…Utah is now 11-1, many of those games without Andrei Kirilenko…
Oh my goodness…the highlight of the game was Sacramento guard Ronnie Price's putting down a left-handed dunk right on Boozers head and 1…dunk of the year so far…
Great game by the Raptors last night, especially their defence in the 4th quarter, as Chris Bosh led the way with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists as the Raptors ended a six-game losing streak with a 95-87 victory over the Cavs…Mo Pete was out with a slightly torn tendon in his left elbow, ending the longest consecutive active games streak in the NBA….Mo had played 371 straight games since Feb. 12, 2002…Atlanta's Joe Johnson has the second longest active streak at 365 games….and of course, the record of 1,192 was set by A.C. Green from 1986-2001…and that’s not even the most interesting AC Green record…
Draft note: Boston Colleges had 10 boards and 12 blocks from centre Sean Williams against Providence the other night…
1) Bill Simmons of ESPN.com’s Page 2 thinks KG needs to get out of town:
Kevin Garnett should have flipped out by now. And I'm not talking about a simple tantrum. Why isn't he acting more disruptively than the schoolkids in "The Wire?" He should arrive for home games wearing a sweatshirt that reads I HATE IT HERE. He should give Dwane Casey the nickname Expletive Deleted. He should call Marko Jaric, Ricky Davis and Mark Blount Loser No. 1, Loser No. 2 and Loser No. 3 and refer to Kevin McHale only as the Guy Who Ruined My Life. He should be looking to get whistled for a "flagrant nine" foul and lying on scorers' tables on the road praying for a drunken spectator to lob a beer at him so he can break out his best Artest moves. He should hire Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell impersonators to go with him everywhere, just so he can tell anyone who asks that he wants a reminder of the one season when he didn't want to kill somebody. All right, that last idea is a little ridiculous -- no one on the planet could begin to resemble either Cassell or Spree -- but you get the picture. KG's basketball career has become a borderline American tragedy. Here's one of the greatest big men ever, one of the fiercest competitors in any sport, someone who could finish his career with historic scoring and rebounding numbers ... and yet we have absolutely no clue how good he really is. He's played with, by my count, only six quality players in his 12 seasons: Joe Smith, Stephon Marbury, Terrell Brandon, Cassell, Sprewell and Wally Szczerbiak. His only "decent" coach was Flip Saunders, who is currently running the Pistons into the ground. The guy making the player moves has always been the memorably incompetent McHale, and KG's only owner, Glen Taylor, famously squandered four first-rounders by illegally negotiating Smith's ill-conceived, cap-violating contract. How badly has this team been mismanaged? It hasn't drafted a quality starter in seven seasons. It essentially traded Cassell for Jaric and threw in a first-round pick. It has surrounded KG with career losers and bad-attitude guys like Davis, Blount, Troy Hudson and Eddie Griffin. If there's a master plan, it seems to be: "Let's kill our cap space, squander as many picks as possible and see if KG snaps." If you remove Mark Madsen from the current roster, KG has more career playoff minutes than everyone else combined. He isn't a young dude anymore, either. Do you realize he's 30? That this is his 12th season? That he has played more than 900 NBA games (including playoffs)? KG might be 30, but if NBA years were like dog years, he'd be, well, pretty damn old. It's impossible not to feel sorry for him. Always one of the most intense players in the league, Garnett's emotion has morphed into something much more grim, as if he's fighting the urge to pull a Kermit Washington on someone, anyone. Seeing him in person, you can practically hear the clock ticking, like he's an aging single woman with rumbling ovaries. You can see the desperation on his face, the frustration, and almost hear the anguished inner monologue: "My career is wasting away." He's the most tragic figure in the league, a superstar buried on a perpetually impotent team, a loyal player who can't stand losing but is stuck with selfish guys and keeps finding himself walking off in defeat. His saga is the saddest subplot of the 2006-07 season. And few fans seem to give a crap. Well, I give a crap. To be fair, though, I don't care as much about KG as I do about his place in history. I want to know how good he is. Don't we need an answer? After old friend Paul Shirley was released by the Timberwolves before the start of the season, he sent me a gushing e-mail about KG's everyday brilliance that said if KG had played on a contender his entire career, "people would speak of him as a candidate for best player ever." Will that end up being KG's legacy: the coulda-shoulda-woulda star who ended up the Ernie Banks or Barry Sanders of basketball? I can't help thinking that in one sense he deserves some of the blame. Yes, he's one of the best power forwards ever. I rank him fourth, behind Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone, and just ahead of McHale and D.C. from Fast Break. And we know he can produce in the clutch from that monster 2004 MVP season that culminated in a sublime 32-point, 21-rebound Game 7 against the Kings. We can also agree, his career would have been different if he had somehow switched places with Duncan. But maybe KG is too passionate for his own good. By all accounts, he's so wound up before games, it affects everyone around him; he wouldn't even allow anyone to listen to music in the locker room before Cassell arrived. He's not above punching teammates in practices. And he's famous for yelping ferociously after big plays, clenching his fists and screaming toward the ceiling like a WWE wrestler. He's never learned to adapt his game to the situation; he plays the same in a mid-November blowout and a deciding playoff game, which explains why he seemed spent during the 2004 conference finals against the Lakers. That was his longest season by far -- seven months and exactly 100 games -- and in classic KG fashion, he averaged 24-14-5 in the regular season and an almost identical 24-15-5 in the playoffs. Superstars like Duncan know when to dominate and when to keep something in reserve for big moments. KG plays only in fifth gear. Of course, that nonstop fervor has always been his most admirable quality, right up there with his insistence on passing out of double- and triple-teams (even if he's finding crummy outside shooters and inadvertently hurting his chances). Along with Steve Nash, he's the ultimate team player. Which makes this whole thing such a shame. I watched the Timberwolves lose on consecutive nights recently and realized two things. First, they don't have an above-average player other than KG. And second, KG's body language, especially after Peja Stojakovic's game-winning three, makes him seem almost resigned to his fate, like an unhappy husband who can't stomach the thought of a divorce because he doesn't want to hurt his children. It's depressing to watch. In his shoes, maybe you or I would have sabotaged our situation already, but that's what is great about KG: Instead of quitting on a lost cause to force Minnesota's hand, he just keeps busting his butt and waiting to be saved. And that's why someone needs to save him. For the good of the league, David Stern needs to "nudge" McHale and Taylor to make a move. Trade the man to the Bulls or the Clippers or the Lakers, all of whom have the right combination of young players and picks to make a palatable exchange. Stick Garnett in a big market with quality teammates and see what happens. We need to see what he can really do, and so does he. Whether he wants to admit it or not.
2) Marty Burns of Si.com reports on the players in limbo:
Caught in limbo - These 11 veteran players now face uncertain futures
In the NBA this season, "limbo" is more than just a form of timeout entertainment shown on the overhead video board. It also describes the career status of several notable players. Whether due to injury, poor performance or other factors, these one-time stars/big contributors suddenly find themselves facing an uncertain future. Where will they end up when the music stops?
1. Kenyon Martin, Nuggets - The 6-9 power forward -- and former No. 1 overall pick - recently underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee and will miss the rest of the season. He says he will play in 2007-08, but it's unlikely he will ever be the same. No NBA player has ever come back from microfracture surgery on both knees (Martin had the procedure on his left knee in '05). The Nuggets tried hard last summer to trade Martin, who had clashed with coach George Karl, but no team wanted to take on the remaining five years and $70 million on his contract. Now Denver is stuck with Martin (though insurance will pick up part of the tab). Long-term prognosis: He'll make it back, but Martin will join the real K-Mart as a former blue chip that has seen better days.
2. Darius Miles, Trail Blazers - Like Martin, this 6-9 forward is a former high draft pick (No. 3 overall in 2000) whose career is in jeopardy because of microfracture surgery. Also like Martin, Miles has had previous knee problems (arthroscopic surgery on the same right knee in Dec. '05). The good news for Miles is that he's still relatively young (25). The bad news is that his game is predicated on explosiveness and athleticism. Like Martin, Miles also has a bloated contract (three more years, $26.2 million) that makes him all but untradeable. Long-term prognosis: He'll play again, too, but does he love the game enough to make a successful comeback?
3. Chris Webber, Sixers - The five-time All-Star is getting benched in the fourth quarter, and is not happy about it. He denies he has asked for a trade, but it is clear he would like to find a new team. The Sixers would love to accommodate him, but Webber's large salary ($20.7 million this season) makes matching up salaries difficult. He also has another year (at $22.3 million) on the deal. Webber is still capable of putting up 20 and 10 on a consistent basis, but he hasn't had the same explosiveness since undergoing microfracture surgery on his knee a few years ago. It is possible he could thrive again with a fresh start somewhere, but he's always going to be a defensive liability -- and, at age 33, his best days are clearly behind him. Long-term prognosis: Even if the Sixers can find a sucker to take on his contract (get Isiah Thomas on the phone!) Webber will have to learn to accept a lesser role.
4. Morris Peterson, Raptors - The 6-7 swingman won't make a big issue of it, but he is not happy about losing his spot in the starting lineup to Fred Jones. Though still a part of coach Sam Mitchell's regular rotation, Peterson believes he deserves better after being one of Toronto's most consistent players the past few years. He might be able to wait out this latest storm, but a trade is also a possibility.
In the final year of a deal that pays him $4.5 million, Peterson could be in high demand for a team looking for veteran help down the stretch. The Raptors clearly need help of their own, so it makes sense to try to deal him. Long-term prognosis: Peterson will continue to be a solid player wherever he goes. But after six years in Toronto, he probably could use a change of scenery.
5. Adonal Foyle, Warriors - The 6-10 shotblocker and 10-year veteran is the odd man out in new coach Don Nelson's small-ball scheme. After starting 72 games a year ago, he has appeared in just two games for brief stints so far this season. The Warriors reportedly have discussed a buyout of Foyle, who has three years and $29.2 million guaranteed left on his contract, but so far no deal has been reached. Long-term prognosis: Foyle likely will be bought out, which will allow him to sign with another team. But as one of the game's more intellectual players (he actually reads books!), the Colgate alum will be fine even if he never plays another minute.
6. Jeff McInnis, Nets - The veteran point guard became disgruntled with his role as Jason Kidd's backup a year ago; consequently, his relationship has soured with the Nets, who told him to stay home this season. McInnis and his agent have requested a trade or a buyout of his contract, which has one year and $3.6 million left, but so far New Jersey has not been able to move him. Expect the Nets to eventually cut him free, with McInnis signing with a team for the second half of the season. Long-term prognosis: He'll end up on somebody's bench before the season is over, but he'll never be able to fully shake his reputation as a malcontent.
7. Delonte West, Celtics - The third-year guard out of St. Joe's, who started at the point much of last year, has seen his role drastically changed this season as the Celtics have gone to a more uptempo approach with Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo. West's role now is to supply offense off the bench. But with Tony Allen, Gerald Green and Allen Ray in the rotation, West will have to consistently knock down outside shots or he could find himself somewhere else next season. Long-term prognosis: He seems to have found a niche for now as a scorer off the bench. But with Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak doing the heavy lifting, he's expendable and could be trade bait.
8. Damon Stoudamire, Grizzlies - The 13-year vet is still working his way back into shape after suffering a serious knee injury a year ago. He has played well in spurts, but recently lost his starting spot to Chucky Atkins as the Grizzlies go with a more uptempo approach. The emergence of rookie Kyle Lowry also could cut into Stoudamire's playing time. At 33, with two more years and $9 million left on his contract, Stoudamire might have some value as trade bait if Memphis decides to rebuild at some point. Long-term prognosis: Mighty Mouse isn't ready for the cartoon graveyard just yet, but his better days are probably behind him.
9. Rafael Araujo, Jazz - Considered one of the bigger draft busts in recent memory, the former No. 8 overall selection by the Raptors was hoping to benefit from a fresh start in Utah. It hasn't happened yet. Araujo has shown little to warrant playing time and coach Jerry Sloan has pretty much kept the 6-11 Brazilian confined to the bench. Long-term prognosis: If the former BYU product can't make it in the friendly confines of Utah, where he played his college ball, then he's probably not going to make it anywhere.
10. Bob Sura, Rockets - The 12-year vet contemplated retirement after missing all of last season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. He decided to give it one more try, and was hoping to make it back for training camp, but a series of setbacks forced him to push back the timetable. Sura has since returned to practice, and now hopes to play by mid January. The Rockets would welcome his hustle and energy, but they know he has a long road back to get where he was before the injury. Long-term prognosis: Sura is too much of a feisty competitor to count out, but at age 33 a full comeback seems unlikely.
11. Keith Van Horn, free agent - The sweet-shooting 6-10 forward, last seen helping the Mavs reach the NBA Finals, remains unsigned. After making $15.7 million last season in the final year of his contract, he apparently didn't want to take a massive pay cut for the chance to come off the bench and hoist a few 3-pointers. Van Horn's agent, David Falk, has said that his client is simply taking a year off, which would seem to leave open the possibility of a return. But if he does come back, it will be for a much smaller paycheck. Long-term prognosis: With a wonderful family and all the money he'll ever need, Van Horn isn't likely to pull up those knee-high socks for an NBA game ever again.
posted by Cornback at
1:52 p.m.
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