Post by The Miami Heat on Jun 18, 2008 0:25:00 GMT -5
League Observations
I guess I’ll break the ice…here are five league observations randomly placed in a specific order.
#1 Chris Webber for MVP?
The two-time LBA champion is suiting up for his third different Central Division team this season, the Atlanta Hawks. After playing with the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and Kobe Byrant, the Hawks have made Chris Webber the go-to-guy for the first time in his eleven year career, and he is excelling in the role.
“I promise I’ll win at least one more championship before I’m done,” said Webber after a recent five point loss to the Raptors. Webber did not specify which team he would be winning that championship for, but it was worthy of note that he made the comment in Toronto.
31.5 ppg (Tied for first in the league), 13.8 rpg (1st in the league), 52% FG% (9th in the league)
Chris Webber and his best freind Jimmy-boy
#2 Grant Hill, maybe he was always this good...
Last year: Grant Hill finally made his first All-Star team after failing in each of his first nine years in the league. He was selected #1 overall in the 1994 LBA Draft out of Duke. #1 picks are supposed to be All-Stars.
This year: Grant Hill is on his way to being selected to an All-LBA Team for the first time in his career. He and Tim Duncan, also a former #1 pick, look like the most dangerous duo in the Western Conference.
After showing tons of promise in Dallas, but never surrounded with any other talent, Grant Hill might finally play a staring role on a championship contender.
Hill has been extremely focused this season
#3 Trouble in KC?
GM TaoNakamora knew he was risking his team’s future building a short term contender around David Robinson, but he was really hoping that the LBA’s greatest player would stick around for one more year. Instead, D-Rob retired, the Kings youngest starter is Chris Mihm, 29, who isn’t any good at all, all their other vets are on the downswing except Michael Finley, and they don’t have their own pick in the upcoming draft.
The good news is Finley could be one of the biggest names on the block during the season and although the Kings have seven, most likely useless, players on four year deals, none of the contracts are too high to be very difficult to trade.
KC's a differnt team now that David Robinson has retired from basketball to become the singer in a Christian Rock Group
#4 Dumb (Miller) and Dumber (Okur)
It seems neither of these guys are half the players their ratings suggest. Combined they are averaging 21.2 ppg, 18.5 rpg, 2.9 bpg. The two bigmen are also a huge reason the Bullets are yielding 102 ppg. In comparison, Charlotte’s lowly bigmen, Marc Jackson and Stromile Swift, are almost putting up the same combined numbers 22.5 ppg, 15.2 rpg, 2.2 bpg. Oh, Jackson and Swift anchor a Hornets defense that allows 92 ppg.
Okur: C+ B C A- B+
Miller: B+ C- C- A- A-
Jackson: B C D+ A- C+
Swift: B- D+ C- C+ B-
#5 Early ROY Rankings
1. PF SUNS, Al Jefferson 18.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.1 apg (#4 overall)
2. SG PISTONS, Kevin Martin 19.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg (#7 overall)
3. Howard or Emeka, though neither’s stats are worth mentioning (#1 and #2 overall)
Al Jefferson on draft night when he was selected with the fourth pick by the Phoenix Suns.
I guess I’ll break the ice…here are five league observations randomly placed in a specific order.
#1 Chris Webber for MVP?
The two-time LBA champion is suiting up for his third different Central Division team this season, the Atlanta Hawks. After playing with the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and Kobe Byrant, the Hawks have made Chris Webber the go-to-guy for the first time in his eleven year career, and he is excelling in the role.
“I promise I’ll win at least one more championship before I’m done,” said Webber after a recent five point loss to the Raptors. Webber did not specify which team he would be winning that championship for, but it was worthy of note that he made the comment in Toronto.
31.5 ppg (Tied for first in the league), 13.8 rpg (1st in the league), 52% FG% (9th in the league)
Chris Webber and his best freind Jimmy-boy
#2 Grant Hill, maybe he was always this good...
Last year: Grant Hill finally made his first All-Star team after failing in each of his first nine years in the league. He was selected #1 overall in the 1994 LBA Draft out of Duke. #1 picks are supposed to be All-Stars.
This year: Grant Hill is on his way to being selected to an All-LBA Team for the first time in his career. He and Tim Duncan, also a former #1 pick, look like the most dangerous duo in the Western Conference.
After showing tons of promise in Dallas, but never surrounded with any other talent, Grant Hill might finally play a staring role on a championship contender.
Hill has been extremely focused this season
#3 Trouble in KC?
GM TaoNakamora knew he was risking his team’s future building a short term contender around David Robinson, but he was really hoping that the LBA’s greatest player would stick around for one more year. Instead, D-Rob retired, the Kings youngest starter is Chris Mihm, 29, who isn’t any good at all, all their other vets are on the downswing except Michael Finley, and they don’t have their own pick in the upcoming draft.
The good news is Finley could be one of the biggest names on the block during the season and although the Kings have seven, most likely useless, players on four year deals, none of the contracts are too high to be very difficult to trade.
KC's a differnt team now that David Robinson has retired from basketball to become the singer in a Christian Rock Group
#4 Dumb (Miller) and Dumber (Okur)
It seems neither of these guys are half the players their ratings suggest. Combined they are averaging 21.2 ppg, 18.5 rpg, 2.9 bpg. The two bigmen are also a huge reason the Bullets are yielding 102 ppg. In comparison, Charlotte’s lowly bigmen, Marc Jackson and Stromile Swift, are almost putting up the same combined numbers 22.5 ppg, 15.2 rpg, 2.2 bpg. Oh, Jackson and Swift anchor a Hornets defense that allows 92 ppg.
Okur: C+ B C A- B+
Miller: B+ C- C- A- A-
Jackson: B C D+ A- C+
Swift: B- D+ C- C+ B-
#5 Early ROY Rankings
1. PF SUNS, Al Jefferson 18.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.1 apg (#4 overall)
2. SG PISTONS, Kevin Martin 19.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg (#7 overall)
3. Howard or Emeka, though neither’s stats are worth mentioning (#1 and #2 overall)
Al Jefferson on draft night when he was selected with the fourth pick by the Phoenix Suns.
