Nov

28

Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard - best center in NBA?

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Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard

I realize it is still early in the NBA season, yet one must wonder who is the most dominant center in the NBA at the moment. And there are some worthy big men out there, make no mistake about it. I cannot speak for other media’s criteria, but I can speak for myself when I mention the following criteria as my own when determining who is the best center in the NBA: points per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage and blocks per game.Here are some worthy centers and their 2007-08 stats thus far:

- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic; 22.5 PPG, 14.4 RPG, .611 FG%, 2.56 BKPG
- Yao Ming, Houston Rockets; 21.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, .506 FG%, 2.07 BKPG
- Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers; 18.6 PPG, 13.8 RPG, .482 FG%, 2.46 BKPG
- Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns; 18.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, .534 FG%, 2.09 BKPG
- Eddy Curry, New York Knicks; 17.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, .584 FG%, .62 BKPG

Now the pros and cons of each center:

Howard - In his 4th season, he simply is getting better with time. His stats have improved over time, as well. What also helps is that he’s playing on a team that is currently 13-3 (Orlando) and has a decent supporting cast around him. The scary part is that he’s only 21 (22 in December). Sky’s the limit for Dwight.

Ming - Good overall game. Needs to, in my opinion, gain some weight. Should have, for a man of his size, more blocked shots (he’s 7′6″, for Pete’s sake!!). Good shooting touch for a man of his size. A good complementary player to T-Mac in Houston.

Kaman - Underrated in my underestimation. Whether he can remain at this level for an entire season is up for discussion. Good physical presence in the blocks, not easily intimidated. This could be his breakout year.

Stoudemire - Almost 100% recovered from knee injury, as his minutes seem to dictate. When he is fully healthy, should supplant Kaman as the best center in the Western Conference. Probably the fastest center (again, when healthy) in the NBA.

Curry - Still young. Unfortunately for him, plays on a team with no sense of direction. Needs to work on his rebounding phase of his game and learn to block shots (a tutorial by Knicks great Patrick Ewing would be nice, but Ewing is employed by Orlando). Still early for Curry, but the potential is there.

Some honorable mentions:

Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers; 11.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, .585 FG%, 1.43 BKPG
Only 21 years old, Bynum should gradually get better over time; is growing into his role on the team (25 minutes a game). Nice shooting touch for a big man (7′0″, 285). Should log starter minutes relatively soon since Kwame Brown can’t stay healthy.

Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks; 12.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, .488 FG%, 2.08 BKPG
Career is progressing nicely. Needs some consistency to his game as he vanishes at times. While technically a center, he probably is a better fit at power forward.

With the above player comparisons, it is clear as to why Dwight Howard is the dominant center in the NBA right now. Tim Duncan would be here, but he now is listed these days at forward, so don’t blame me - blame the suits at NBA headquarters. If you think that I omitted someone, fire back to us here at Slam Dunk Central. When you do, let us know why you think that player is worthy.

Nov

28

Heat Burn Bobcats 110-90

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Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley decided to shake things up a little bit Tuesday night. He put in Penny Hardaway, and?Chris Quinn into the?starting lineup replacing Ricky Davis, and Jason Williams. Well the move did not really improve the starting lineup, but it sure helped the bench! Davis scored 23 and Williams scored 11 coming in with the second unit and Miami took the Charlotte Bobcats to task 110-90.

Six?Miami players scored in double figures. Alonzo Mourning was a?key contributor with 19 points, starting center Shaquille O’Neal scored 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocked shots. Udonis Haslem scored 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and D-Wade?put in 13 points, 4 assists,?3 rebounds, 3 steals.

Charlotte fell behind early in the first quarter, and was never able to catch back up. The Bobcats were led by forward Gerald Wallace, who celebrated being put back on the active roster with a team high 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist. Three other Charlotte players scored in double figures. Matt Carroll came off the bench to score 15,?Raymond Felton scored 14 points, a team high 7 assists, also led the team in boards with 6, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot. And Jason Richardson scored 10 points for the Bobcats in the loss. Miami now stands at 4-10 after the win, while Charlotte drops to 6-8.

?? Copyright 2007 thesackattack.com????

Nov

28

Kobe’s 35 pushes Lakers past SuperSonics 106-99

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, battles Seattle SuperSonics forward Kurt Thomas for a rebound during the first half of the Seattle SuperSonics-Los Angeles Lakers game, played Tuesday night. Bryant scored 35 in the Lakers? 106-99 win over the SuperSonics.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant isn’t a clutch player by mere reputation alone; he scored 6 important points in the last 3:51 to push the Lakers past the pesky Seattle SuperSonics 106-99. In doing so, Los Angeles snapped a three-game losing streak and extended Seattle’s losing streak to 5.Despite Bryant’s 21 first-half points and Laker forward Lamar Odom’s 13, Los Angeles could do no better than be tied with Seattle at halftime at 54-all. All told, there were 9 lead changes and ties, yet neither team led by more than 7 points until Lakers guard Derek Fisher sank 3 free throws for a 75-66 lead with 3:!7 left in the 3rd period. An unusual happening took place on the next Sonics’ possession; with the Lakers ahead 77-67, Seattle F Nick Collison, while driving to the basket, was fouled by Bryant. Collison sustained a cut below the right eye; as a result, in accordance to NBA rules, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson got to select the Sonics player to shoot the free throws that Collison were to have attempted. Jackson picked Sonics center Mouhamed Sene to shoot the free throws; Sene made one of two at the line, after which the Lakers would increase their lead to 85-73 starting the fourth quarter.

Lakers reserve guard Jordan Farmar hit a 3-pointer to give Los Angeles a 92-79 lead with 8:11 remaining; he would connect on another 3 two minutes later. Seattle would get to within 102-97 on rookie Kevin Durant’s 3-point play with 13.2 seconds left in the game, but Bryant helped cinch the win for the Lakers with 2 free throws. The Lakers’ high scorer was Bryant with 35 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Odom added 20 and 8 boards, while center Andrew Bynum chipped in with 12 points and grabbing 10 boards.

Seattle was led by Durant with 25 points; Chris Wilcox added 18 while reserve guard Earl Watson chipped in with 16, with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Los Angeles (8-6) remains home to host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, while Seattle (2-13) returns home to host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Nov

28

Grizzlies Tear Through Nets 110-103

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Memphis Grizzlies center Pau Gasol scored 22 points, leading 5 Memphis players in double figures,?as they downed the New Jersey Nets 110-103 Tuesday. The?Grizzlies won their second game in a row the first time they were able to accomplish that feat this season. Memphis led after the first period, and the Nets trailed the rest of the game.

New Jersey was only down by three points after the first quarter at 28-25. But the Grizzlies made it a 13 point?lead at the half as they lead 58-45. New Jersey played more competitively in the second half but never did over come the deficit. Gasol shot 9-15 from the field and 4-4 from the line. He also contributed 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.??Mike Miller had 19 points, a team high 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal. Memphis backcourt?came up strong, Juan Carlos Navarro had 16 points, 11 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal, and Damon Stoudamire had another good game scoring 13, 6 assists, 1 steal, and Kyle Lowry came off the bench scored 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists.

Jason Kidd the Nets point guard had a triple-double but it was not enough to trap the Grizzlies. J-Kidd scored 12 points, a game high 15 rebounds, and a game high 12 assists. Vince Carter scored 32 points for New Jersey, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, Richard Jefferson 27 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot. Antoine Wright scored 13 points, but unfortunately for New Jersey that’s all the production they got from their bench as well. Memphis now improves after the back to back wins to 5-9, while New Jersey falls to 7-8.

? Copyright 2007 thesackattack.com?

Nov

28

Missed free throw allows Pacers to escape with win over Nuggets 112-110

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Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger reacts after hitting a basket to put the Pacers ahead of the Denver Nuggets late in the fourth quarter of the Pacers? 112-110 victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday night.

The Indiana Pacers may want to add Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith to their Christmas card list this season. Smith’s missed free throw with 2.7 seconds left in the game allowed the Pacers to escape with a 112-110 win over the Nuggets at Denver. Not unlike their previous meeting in Indianapolis on November 10, the Pacers started fast; Indiana scored the first thirteen points of the game and led 21-3 midway through the first quarter. But Nuggets reserve guard Anthony Carter scored 6 points, sparking a Denver rally and reducing the Pacers lead to 27-25 in the quarter.Denver tied the score at 37 early in the 2nd period, then took their first lead when forward Eduardo Najera hit consecutive 3-pointers to make the score 45-44 with 4:22 left in the half. The Nuggets led 48-46 with 2:53 left in the half, but the Pacers would go on a 10-2 run to take a 56-50 lead into halftime. Indiana would increase their lead to 64-52, but the Nuggets charged back, going on a 23-4 run, capped by Allen Iverson’s 9 points and Carter’s 3-pointer to retake the lead 75-68.

Indiana trailed 83-76 with 50 seconds left in the third period, but scored the final 6 points of the period, reducing the lead to one. The Pacers would take control to begin the 4th period, going ahead on F Mike Dunleavy’s 3-pointer with 7:22 left in the game. But Denver’s Iverson and J.R. Smith hit consecutive 3’s to pull to 107-103. After Pacers guard Jamal Tinsley hit a free throw, Iverson’s layup made it 108-105.

Pacers center Shawne Williams converted 2 FT’s, but the Niggets’ Smith hit another 3 to pull to 110-108 with 12.5 seconds left. Indiana’s Williams’ FT made it a 3-point lead for Indiana, but Dunleavy fouled Smith behind the 3-point arc. Smith hit the first 2 free throws, but missed the third, which sealed the win for the Pacers.

5 Pacers scored in double-figures, led by Dunleavy with 30 points, while Williams, in a rare start, adding 21 with 11 rebounds. Tinsley and reserve guard Marquis Daniels chipping in 15 each; Tinsley also had 8 rebounds and 11 assists. Denver was led by Iverson with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists; Carmelo Anthony poured in 25, while Carter chipped in 17, along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Indiana (7-8) flies west to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, while Denver (9-6) travels to Los Angeles to challenge the Lakers on Thursday.

Nov

28

Deng, Gordon lead Bulls past Hawks 90-78

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Chicago Bulls guard Chris Duhon, left, dribbles past Atlanta Hawks guard Tyronn Lue during the second half of the Bulls? 90-78 win over the Hawks on Tuesday night.

To the Chicago Bulls, it has to be comforting to know that despite their recent woes, they can usually rely on the Atlanta Hawks to cure what ails them. The Hawks obliged, as Bulls guard Ben Gordon and forward Luol Deng combined for 43 points in a convincing 90-78 Bulls win over the Hawks.Despite a lot of similar stats for both clubs (Atlanta shot 39.7% from the floor; Chicago shot 39.3%), a big rebounding edge provided the edge for the Bulls as they outrebounded the Hawks 60-37. Neither team shot well in the first half, with Chicago holding a 34-30 lead at halftime. But the Bulls would improve greatly in the third quarter, scoring 36 points as they stretched their 4-point lead to a 70-51 edge; the Hawks would not pose a serious challenge from that point on.

Chicago’s high scorer was Deng with 22 points and 9 rebounds, while Gordon added 21. Atlanta was led by Joe Johnson with 21 points; Josh Smith added 12 while rookie forward-center Al Horford only scored 8 points yet grabbed 14 rebounds in 33 minutes of play. Chicago (3-10) gets a well-deserved rest until Saturday when they host the Charlotte Bobcats, while Atlanta (5-8) returns home to host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

Nov

28

Cleveland’s Big Three Beat Boston In O/T 109-104

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When Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Drew Gooden is focused, he is an elite player in the NBA. Having covered him on a daily basis for his first few years in Cleveland, I saw that you could tell if he was focused or not within the first 25 seconds of a game. If he had that laser like intensity, in his eyes, it would be a productive night for Gooden. Tuesday night was one of those nights as the Cavaliers beat the visiting Boston Celtics in overtime 109-104.

Saturday night?Celtics guard Ray Allen won the game against the Charlotte Bobcats, with a three point shot that just beat the buzzer. Allen had the chance to be the hero of this game as well, as he went to the charity stripe with the game tied at 102-102. There was less than 24?seconds left on the clock, and Allen missed both shots from the line. Cleveland’s LeBron James milked the clock down before taking the final shot of regulation that clanged off the rim, sending the game to overtime.

?James of course was the high scorer of the game with 38 points, but that was not the reason that Cleveland won this game. Boston was defeated because the Cavaliers big three of James, Gooden, and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas outscored Boston’s “Elite Three” 77-64. This was a team win for the Cavaliers in every sense of the word as Sasha Pavlovic was the fourth starter to score in double figures. Pavlovic scored 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. James along with his game high 38, had 13 assists, 4 rebounds,2 steals, 2 blocked shots. Gooden had his best game of the year scoring a season high 24 points, 13 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, and “Z” had 15 points, a game high 14 boards, 5 assists, and 4 blocked shots.

Boston had 5 players in double figures, including?4 of their 5 starters, but it wasn’t enough. Allen led the way with 29, Kevin Garnett scored 19, Paul Pierce scored 16, and Kendrick Perkins, as well as James Posey scored 11 each. The game featured 14 ties, and 18 lead changes, and was back and forth through regulation. But James took over in the overtime, scoring 11, and putting the game away. Boston suffers only their second defeat of the year are now 11-2, while Cleveland having now won 4 in a row are?9-6.

? Copyright 2007 thesackattack.com??

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