MAKING THINGS HAPPEN

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz are two players that are making things happen for their respective squads in the ongoing 2008-09 NBA season. James had so far carried the Cavs on his broad shoulders all season long to post the best over-all win-loss record thus far in the league. But not to be outdone is Williams’ current form that help the Jazz to a 45-27 mark to date.

Williams, a 6’3 guard out of Illinois, had played behind the shadows of his more illustrious 2005 rookie batchmate Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets during his first three years in the league. What is incredible in Williams’ so far short-term career is the year-by-year improvement in points (10.8 ppg in 05-06, 16.2 ppg in 06-07, 18.8 ppg in 07-08 and 18.9 ppg in 08-09) and in playmaking ability (4.5 apg in 05-06, 9.3 apg in 06-07, 10.5 apg in 07-08 and 10.6 apg in 08-09). Truly he is playing beautiful music with the rest of the Jazz reliables like Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko. Both Williams and Boozer are also part of the Team USA gold medal winners in the last Beijing Olympics.

The way I see it, Williams had no visible weaknesses in his game. His maturity transformation process is really remarkable and his consistency in quarterbacking the squad from start to finish is quite impressive. Coach Jerry Sloan had given his go-signal for Williams to take the last shot in close games and there are countless outings this season in which he bailed out the Jazz from the claws of defeat.

It would not be surprising at all if Williams’ Jazz outsmart Paul’s Hornets in the coming play-offs. That would definitely be a shining moment in Williams young career as he would finally breakout from Paul’s shadows and eventually becomes the league’s premier point guard.

IS IT AN OBLIGATION?

As I was watching the weekly NBA TV show “NBA Beat” yesterday afternoon, one of the topics being discussed was the statement of Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy on his assistant coach Patrick Ewing. It was a special Tuesday night at the Madison Square Garden and during halftime of the Magic-Knicks game, several Knick greats were honored and among them were Willis Reed, Bernard King and Ewing. Gundy was wondering if the Knicks were truly sincere in their citation of Ewing as one of the greatest players in franchise history. According to him, if they really meant it then why don’t they even consider the 7-foot Jamaican native for a mentoring job for the team, if not the top guru then maybe a deputy at the very least.

But is it really an obligation for a franchise to hire their great players at the end of their playing careers? History tells otherwise. There were only a few legends to ever coach their own playing team after retirement and among them were Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics, Dan Issel of the Denver Nuggets, Rudy Tomjanovich of the Houston Rockets, Jerry West and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers. Majority of the superstar players-turned-head coaches never had the chance to mentor the teams they are popularly attached with. The list includes Larry Bird (Celtics), who had coaching stint with his hometown squad Indiana Pacers, Isiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons) with the Pacers and the Knicks and even served as President of the Toronto Raptors during its early years, Bill Laimbeer (Pistons) with the Detroit Shock of the WNBA, Don Nelson (Celtics) with the Milwaukee Bucks, Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, Rick Carlisle (Celtics) with the Indiana Pacers, Pistons and Mavericks, Michael Cooper (Lakers) with the Denver Nuggets and WNBA’s LA Sparks, Danny Ainge (Celtics) is the current Celtics General Manager but had his previous mentoring job with the Phoenix Suns and Kevin McHale (Celtics) with the Minnesota Timberwolves. There are a lot more but the most mind-boggling of all superstars who was never ever considered to coach his mother team was Rick Barry of the Warriors. Barry led the Warriors to their last NBA title in 1975 and is one of the all-time sports heroes in the bay area. It is not only Golden State but the whole NBA family which shut the coaching door on one of the league’s 50 greatest players. Barry was only able to showcase his coaching skills in several minor leagues including the USBL.

In the gritty world of the NBA, it is safe to say that it is management prerogative to name or hire their coaches. Even a sterling playing career with their franchise is no guarantee that it will eventually lead for a coaching tenure in the future. In the end, everybody will realize that there is a big difference between playing and in coaching. Enough said.

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The Golden State Warriors will miss the post-season play for the second straight campaign and fans are wondering what happened to the once-exciting bay area outfit.

The reason is very simple, two years ago, the Warriors had Jason Richardson, Baron Davis, Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes. Now they have the likes of Corey Maggette, Jamaal Crawford, Marcus Williams and Anthony Randolph. From promising to lethargic. Clearly the latter set does not fit the scheme of things in coach Don Nelson’s system.

It’s a pity to see a 180 degree-turned around for a squad considered as the toast of the league in 2006-07 to a lottery club in 2008-09. Warriors legend and current General Manager Chris Mullin will have the whole summer to think about on what went wrong and how to reconstruct the team for the future. For sure, nobody wants to be in his shoes for the next several months.

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Kobe Bryant is at it again! A former housekeeper of the Laker superstar is suing him and his wife for alleged battery and harassment. This kind of scenario is the least needed by Bryant as the play-offs are set to start in less than a month.

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In other NBA news, the league lost once again a great foundation in Detroit Pistons top honcho William Davidson, who passed away a week ago. Davidson’s death came in the heels of another team owner, Larry Miller of the Utah Jazz. Davidson is the ideal team owner, who spent more than half of his entire life looking after his beloved Pistons. It’s a good thing that he did see the motor city squad won their 3rd league title in 2004.

Rest in peace, Mr. Davidson.

ROY RACE HEATS UP

As intense as the race for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title this season is the choice of the Rookie of the Year (ROY) award. With only a month to go before the regular season ends, two prominent names are being mentioned in the same breath as possible winner of the annual newbies plum. O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies and Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls.

Mayo, the ROY favorite early in the season, is currently posting averages of 18.4 points per game, 3.9 caroms an outing, 3.0 assists and 37.53 minutes of action per game in 69 outings so far. Despite his glowing individual performances, Mayo can not help the Grizzlies out of the cellar in the Southwest Division with a lowly 17-52 win-loss mark. The 21 year old Huntington, West Virginia native was chosen as the 3rd pick over-all by the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2008 NBA rookie draft. However, he was traded by the T-Wolves during the off-season to the Grizzlies for another rookie in Kevin Love of UCLA, the 5th pick over-all.

Rose, the number one pick over-all in the 2008 NBA rookie draft, had so far led the Bulls to a 32-38 card and a possible post-season play. The 20 year old Chicago native is submitting norms of 16.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.1 apg and 36.47 mpg in 70 games for the Bulls.

Never had the ROY race as close as this since the 2004 ROY battle among LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade in which King James won. The pundits are equally divided in their choice between Rose and Mayo. Maybe a co-ROY awardees awaits the two just like what Jason Kidd and Grant Hill did in 1995. Well, that would not be bad after all. Both equally deserves the title.

MAKE WAY FOR VON WAFER

With T-Mac out for the rest of the season due to injury, Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman is pinning the hopes of the team on star center Yao Ming, forward Ron Artest and guard Von Wafer. Again, Von Wafer who?

Wafer, a 6-5 guard out of Florida State, had ably filled the void left by Tracy McGrady and is having a blast this season for the Rockets. His exciting and energetic style had endeared him most to the Rockets diehards. He is a big help for Yao, who regularly attracts a double-team defense from the opposition. With his frequent acrobatic slashes to the basket and quick release jumpers, he had become a favorite target of Yao’s passes from the low post. And not only that, Wafer is equally devastating in the open court, who usually finishes the dreaded Rockets fastbreak.

The 23 year old native of Homer, Louisiana, had the distinction of being a journeyman early in his pro career until he found a home with the Rockets this year. He was drafted in the 2nd round by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2005 draft. He saw action for the Lakers in 16 games during the 2005-06 season and also had brief stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trailblazers. He is presently averaging 9.7 points a game in 47 outings with Houston.

Wafer is truly one of the revelations in the league this season and if the Rockets go deep into the play-offs, will he make the Rocket fans forget about T-Mac? That remains to be seen.

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Herewith is the fourth installment of our trivia series from the book entitled “Basketball’s Most Wanted” by Floyd Conner.

• JACK REYNOLDS

“The rules concerning free throws changed often in the early years of basketball. In 1911, coaching during a game was ruled illegal. The offender was warned on the first violation, and the opposing team was granted free throws for any subsequent violations. Until 1924, a designated player shot all of his team’s free throws. In 1904, Jack Reynolds led the South Philadelphia League in scoring with 78 field goals and 460 free throws. Before 1922, a travelling call or double dribble resulted in free throws being awarded to the opposing team.”

• CAGED ARENAS

“During Basketball’s early years, many courts were surrounded by metal cages designed to keep the ball in play and protect the players from the fans and prevent them from interfering in the game. The caged court was banned in 1929, because the cage blocked the view of the spectators and was dangerous for the players. The term “cagers”, referring to basketball players, comes from the days of caged arenas.”

• TEN-SECOND RULE

“The 10-second rule was adopted in 1933. Before this rule was put into effect, a player could remain in the backcourt with the ball indefinitely. This led to low-scoring games.”

• JUMP BALLS

“One of the most significant rule changes occurred in 1937 when the opposing team was awarded possession of the ball after each basket. Prior to the change, the game was stopped after every basket and a jump ball was called. The clock continued running during the stoppage, reducing the actual playing time by as much as 12 minutes per game.”

• GOAL TENDING

“Until 1944, goal tending, the blocking of a shot on its way down, was permitted. Some teams would have a tall defensive player do nothing but stand near the basket to swat away shots. When seven-footers such as Bob Kurland began playing in the 1940s, the goal tending rule was created. Anytime a ball is blocked on its way down, a field goal is awarded to the shooting team.”

MVP RACE: MAKE MINE KING JAMES

LeBron James posted his second straight triple-double performance in an incredible come from behind win against the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday, 87-83. “King James” posted 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in an awesome display of all-around dominance that caught the Clippers flatfooted in the pay-off period that saw a searing rally by the Cavs that wiped out a 19 point deficit to win.

The win gave the Cavs a 50-13 win-loss card and second best over-all record in the league, a half game behind the Los Angeles Lakers. The 24-year old kid from Akron, Ohio had been dishing out a consistent A-game since the start of the season. He is currently averaging 28.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg and an eye-popping 7.1 apg in 63 outings, numbers which solidified his strong chances for an MVP award at the end of the regular campaign.

James not only shines in offense but as well as in defense this season. In their win against the Clippers, King James made one brilliant defensive move when he chased Baron Davis on a fast break play and blocked from behind his lay-up out of nowhere.

With the current form of James, which is backstopped by the ever-consistent game of point guard Mo Williams, many pundits are pointing towards a Cavaliers-Lakers showdown come June in the NBA finals. Are the Boston Celtics listening?

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The Lakers’ Trevor Ariza is a monster. The way Ariza dished out that stupid foul which whacked the head of an airborne Rudy Fernandez with only two seconds left in the third period and the Portland Trail Blazers way ahead by 28 points was totally uncalled for. What is terribly very disappointing and equally irritating is that I saw Ariza played in today’s game against the Houston Rockets. It was very clear that Ariza committed a career-threatening foul on Fernandez and the NBA honchos allowed Ariza off the hook despite being ejected in the Blazers game. It’s really mind-boggling. I was speculating at least a heavy reprimand by the NBA on that Laker monster. My brother-in-law Arnold even suggested a ban for the rest of the season for that monster.

Will the NBA wait for somebody to be paralyzed permanently or worst, die first on the hardwood before they give meaning to a brutal, stupid and career-threatening hooliganism act? Just asking.

GREAT ESCAPE ON BLACK SUNDAY

It was one for the books, an eerie bizarre coming straight from the files of the twilight zone. It was an oddly and a very strange Sunday in the NBA as three of top five teams in the league crashed out one after another and it almost came very close to being four top teams, if not for a last-second rimmed-out jumper.

Sundays usually represents a glorious day but not last Sunday night (Monday morning, Manila time) as the defending champions Boston Celtics were beaten at home by the AI-less Detroit Pistons, 105-95. It was the Celtics first-ever home loss to an eastern squad this season.

Then came last year’s runner-up the Los Angeles Lakers, which got waylaid in Phoenix by a suddenly rejuvenated Shaquille O’Neal and the Suns, 118-111. It was a painful defeat for the Western pacesetters which lost for the second straight game despite Kobe Bryant’s 49 big points.

Next is the Southwest Division leading San Antonio Spurs, which got routed in Portland by the young Trailblazers five, 102-84.

Only Central Division leaders Cleveland escaped “Black Sunday” as the Cavaliers nosed out a hard-fighting Atlanta Hawks, 88-87, thanks to a free throw conversion by LeBron James and a missed-out jumper by Joe Johnson as time run out. James scored 26 points to lead the Cavs despite not hitting any field goal in the last canto.

It was the second time this season that both the Celtics and the Lakers lost on the same day. Last November 14, the Celtics were ambushed at home by the Denver Nuggets, 94-85 while the Lakers were stunned by the Pistons, 106-95.

The Cavaliers truly made a great escape on a “Black Sunday”. Could it be a portent of things to come, with the play-offs just around the corner? Let us wait and see.