Who should start tanking the season?
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Monday, March 1
Updated: March 1
10:15 AM ET
Normally, I'm not allowed to use obscene words in my column ... something about
being family friendly ... but every year I go ahead and push the envelope here
and write an entire column using the dirtiest word in the NBA. Cover your
childrens' ears if you just happen to be reading this out loud.
Tank, v.: To suffer a sudden decline or failure.
There, I said it.
The Hawks deny they're doing it. The Magic, at this point, have no choice but to
do it. The Clippers and Warriors are proving once again they've perfected the
art form. The Bulls, despite all that talent, can't get off the merry-go-round.
We all know what goes on behind closed doors, in the dark corners of locker
rooms and in the wandering mind of Tracy McGrady.
Avert your eyes if you must. Flee the scene if you can't take the heat. Hang a
scarlet "T" around your mascot's neck if it makes you feel any better.
It's tanking time folks. You know it. I know it. And the American people know
it. And secretly, you love it. You want Dwight Howard or Emeka Okafor on that
wall. You need him on that wall. You don't want the truth because, frankly, you
can't handle the truth.
What else should teams like the Bulls or Wizards be doing at this point in the
season?
While it's reprehensible for a team to begin the season with such a goal, at
this point several teams would be stupid not to dump their last 20 games.
The Cavs did it shamelessly last season, and look what it landed them. Sold-out
arenas every night for the next decade and a fighting chance at the playoffs
this season.
Everyone is still playing for something. Playoffs or lottery balls? Experience
or upside? Honor or hope? For the good teams out there, there's no time like the
present. For the bad ones, there's always next year.
The key is understanding which category you're in. Sure, it's easy to say the
Suns are playing for the lottery and the Kings are playing for a ring. But what
about the Celtics, Sixers, Jazz, Blazers and Sonics?
Should they be going for the gold or enrolling in the Lottery Ball Acquisition
Program? In our ongoing effort to educate, Insider reveals the answers today.
But remember, sometimes the truth hurts.
There should be one simple mantra for lottery-bound teams 60 games into the
season: If it's broke, don't fix it.
Here's a look at 10 teams that should tank the rest of the season ...
Orlando Magic
Record: 17-44
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 25%
The Skinny: The Magic are playing their best basketball of the season (four wins
in their last 10 games) at the worst possible time of the year. The Magic don't
have the flexibility to dramatically alter their roster in free agency or via
trade. They just don't have enough pieces. After severable miserable drafts,
they need to hit a home run this year. The problem is, the two best players in
the draft -- Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor -- play the same position as
Orlando's second- and third-best players -- Juwan Howard and Drew Gooden. The
Magic do seem enamored with 7-foot-5 Siberian giant Pavel Podkolzine, but he's
not ready to contribute yet.
Chicago Bulls
Record: 17-42
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 20%
The Skinny: Deja vu? The Bulls are in serious running for the first pick in the
draft. GM John Paxson has a thing for Okafor, so don't assume the Bulls are
tired of collecting inexperienced players in the draft. If they slip to No. 2
and Dwight Howard is on the board, pass Paxson the Rolaids. Most believe the
Bulls will try to trade this pick, along with another asset or two, to land a
veteran all-star. Still, to get the most for their money, they need to stop this
silly streak of winning and get back to what they do best -- dumping the ball
into Eddy Curry, then limping off the court with another "L" in the Win-Loss
column.
Washington Wizards
Record: 18-41
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 15.7%
The Skinny: Like the Bulls, the Wizards probably have had their fill of young,
inexperienced draft picks. The team has eight players with three years of
experience or less. But there is a lot of interest in Okafor, who by NBA draft
standards is a 10-year vet, and also interest in moving the pick. If they can
add a tough, legitimate center to play alongside Kwame Brown, the Wizards might
actually be able to make some noise next season. They're another team that's
been winning a little too much lately.
Atlanta Hawks
Record: 19-40
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 12%
The Skinny: They have nothing to play for. Next year's roster, with the possible
exception of Boris Diaw and Travis Hansen, won't look anything like this
season's ragtag squad. The Hawks' latest move, dumping Dion Glover, proves they
have the right idea, but when are they really going to get serious and sit Jason
Terry for the season? The Hawks' worst nightmare is an injury to Terry that
makes him untradeable this summer. As far as the draft goes, it's likely the
Hawks' chances of landing the No. 1 pick will improve, as the odds of them
reaching 22 wins seems pretty slim right now. Look for Atlanta to nab local
product Dwight Howard if it gets the No. 1 pick.
Phoenix Suns
Record: 20-41
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 8.9%
The Skinny: The Suns are, by far, the most talented team in this group. Unlike
everyone else here, they have a very solid core with Amare Stoudemire, Shawn
Marion, Joe Johnson and some nice young players in Leandro Barbosa, Zarko
Cabarkapa, Casey Jacobsen and Maciej Lampe. Throw in the draft rights to Milos
Vujanic, and it's pretty clear the Suns don't need this pick. Unless there is a
legitimate, Western Conference center waiting for them in this draft, you can be
pretty sure they'll try to package this pick, along with Jahidi White's
contract, to get the cap room they need to make a major run at a veteran free
agent. Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant have the buzz, with Mehmet Okur as a sleeper
should the Pistons decide to only re-sign Rasheed Wallace.
Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 24-36
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 6.4%
The Skinny: The Sixers have crumbled before our eyes this season. I know they're
still trying to grit things out and make a run at the playoffs -- and they have
a legit shot, as almost everyone in the East does -- but is it in the Sixers'
best interest? The team is getting old and needs fresh blood, especially on the
front line. Philly's only young players with much promise are Samuel Dalembert,
John Salmons and, to a lesser extent, Kyle Korver. The Sixers need a freakishly
versatile, athletic player like Howard in the worst way. Landing the No. 1 pick
could turn a dying franchise around pretty fast.
Boston Celtics
Record: 25-36
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 2.9%
The Skinny: Danny Ainge loves this draft so much, he was willing to take on the
last two years of Chucky Atkins' contract just to get a third first-round pick,
even if it's low in the round. With the Celtics playing some of the worst
basketball in the league right now, I believe Ainge has decided it's time to
throw in the towel. He wants head coach John Carroll to play young players like
Jiri Welsch, Brandon Hunter, Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins so he has a
better feel for what he does and doesn't have going into the summer. Given
Danny's preference for up-tempo basketball, you can be pretty sure he's gunning
for a player like Howard to add size and versatility to his front line.
Golden State Warriors
Record: 25-33
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 1.5%
The Skinny: No one knows this game better than the Warriors. They should miss
the playoffs for a league-leading ninth consecutive year. Another late lottery
pick isn't going to help things, and the playoffs appear to be out of the
question now. Time to pull Erick Dampier (before he gets hurt), Cliff Robinson
and Calbert Cheaney out of the rotation and let Mike Dunleavy and Mickael
Pietrus shoot the team into lottery land.
Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 25-33
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 1.4%
The Skinny: Does it really matter?
Seattle SuperSonics
Record: 27-32
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 0.7%
The Skinny: Nate McMillan hates this. You don't blame him. But when the Sonics
decided not to make a move at the trade deadline, GM Rick Sund essentially told
McMillan the playoffs weren't a priority this year. It's probably just as well.
Now's the time to throw Ronald Murray and Luke Ridnour out there and see how
well they'll mesh with Ray Allen.
Around the League
Kobe heats up: Has there been a better player over the past two weeks than Kobe
Bryant. Kobe got off to a slow start this season, and the constant distractions
of the trial of the year hanging over his head and some nagging injuries have
been a problem. For the first time all season, though, he seems focused, healthy
and he's lighting everyone up. He dropped 40 points on the Suns, a triple-double
on the Wizards and had a streak of six games in seven where he averaged 28
points or more. That stopped with an 11 point, 10 assist "off night" in New
Jersey on Sunday. What's gotten into Kobe? He's averaging 30 ppg, 8.3 apg and 8
rpg on 53 percent shooting since the break.
"This is the fist time this season I've had to try to will us back in the game,"
Bryant said. "A lot of times you can look at the stats and put up good numbers,
but a lot of times that's not what does it. You really have to put forth the
will and, when your teammates see that you're putting forth 110 percent, then
they have to follow suit. They have to believe. And I believe."
Andrei a giant? Sometimes being selected to the All-Star game too early can ruin
a guy's career. It was no secret Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan was worried
third-year forward Andrei Kirilenko made the cut too soon, fearing Kirilenko
would become complacent and quit working on the areas of his game that needed
improvement. Well ...
Kirilenko has been on fire since the break. The Russian forward averaged 16.3
ppg before the break and is averaging 23.3 ppg after it. And he's doing it with
more steals, the same number of rebounds and assists and with a better field
goal percentage. Kirilenko already has made the leap from great prospect to
All-Star this year. Is he about to make the jump to superstar in the second
half? He dropped in a game-winning 3-pointer against the Sonics last Wednesday
and sounded like a man with new-found confidence afterward.
"It's tougher when people say, 'All-Star, All-Star,' but I'm liking it," said
Kirilenko, who scored 24 points, including seven of the Jazz's nine points in
overtime. "I can make big shot at important moment, like the 3-pointer -- boom!
I like it."
Posey for most-improved: The Grizzlies also have come out of the All-Star break
on fire, and it's becoming pretty clear their best player is not Pau Gasol or
Mike Miller but the unheralded James Posey. Jerry West signed Posey to a
bargain, mid-level deal this summer without much fanfare. The thinking at the
time was Posey would give the Grizzlies a big, athletic, defensive-minded
swingman to balance the plethora of offensive types on the team. Who knew that
by February he'd also be the team's first option on offense?
Posey's improvement over the course of the season has been stunning. He averaged
8.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg on 40 percent shooting in November. He upped that to 11.9
ppg and 4.3 rpg in December on 46 percent shooting. In January the numbers
jumped again to 14.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg while shooting 51 percent from the field.
In February the numbers increased again to 18.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg on 54 percent
shooting. It gets even better if you focus on his post All-Star break numbers --
22.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg on 54 percent shooting. He's been doing all of this the last
seven games despite a badly bruised inner thigh that would put a player like
Marcus Camby out for the season.
I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I throw Posey's name into the
ring for most improved player of the year. He's been downright awesome and the
biggest reason the Grizzlies are 5-2 since the break.
Rookie surprise: Either LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony will walk away with
Rookie of the Year honors in a few months, but who would've guessed their
closest competition at this point would be Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich?
Hinrich's game has slowly evolved to the point coach Scott Skiles now believes
the rookie point is the best player on the entire team.
Hinrich's post All-Star numbers are impressive. He's averaging 16.7 ppg, 7.5
apg, 5.8 rpg and shooting 47 percent from downtown, including his first
triple-double Saturday night against the Warriors. Hinrich becomes the first
member of the draft class of 2003 to accomplish that.
Only Anthony (27.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 47 percent shooting) and James (22 ppg, 7 rpg,
4.7 apg, 46 percent shooting) have been better since the break.
Soaring Hawks: Who are the two big winners in Atlanta after the Rasheed Wallace
trade? Stephen Jackson and Chris Crawford. In the absence of anyone else who can
shoot and score the basketball, both players have seen a big boost in minutes
and shots since the trade.
Start with Jackson, who has the most to gain. He can and will opt out of his
contract this summer, and he now has his first chance to show what he can do
outside the shadow of Tim Duncan and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He's averaging 21 ppg,
6 rpg and 3.6 apg since Wallace was traded, a nice up-tick over his 14.8 ppg and
4.1 rpg season average before the trade.
Crawford's production has been even more eye-popping. He averaged just 8.4 mpg
and 2.6 ppg on 37 percent shooting before Abdur-Rahim was dealt. He's been
averaging 19.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg on 52 percent shooting since taking over as the
team's starting power forward five games ago.
"When [Wallace] got traded, there were no more power forwards left," Crawford
told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I just decided to take advantage of the
opportunity that came before me."
Crawford played a total of 12 games the previous two seasons. He tore his
anterior cruciate ligament during the 2001-02 season and has had to endure three
surgeries. "The last two years have been a struggle," Crawford said, "but I'm
getting my athletic ability and my jumping ability back to where it was."
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Monday, March 1
Updated: March 1
10:15 AM ET
Normally, I'm not allowed to use obscene words in my column ... something about
being family friendly ... but every year I go ahead and push the envelope here
and write an entire column using the dirtiest word in the NBA. Cover your
childrens' ears if you just happen to be reading this out loud.
Tank, v.: To suffer a sudden decline or failure.
There, I said it.
The Hawks deny they're doing it. The Magic, at this point, have no choice but to
do it. The Clippers and Warriors are proving once again they've perfected the
art form. The Bulls, despite all that talent, can't get off the merry-go-round.
We all know what goes on behind closed doors, in the dark corners of locker
rooms and in the wandering mind of Tracy McGrady.
Avert your eyes if you must. Flee the scene if you can't take the heat. Hang a
scarlet "T" around your mascot's neck if it makes you feel any better.
It's tanking time folks. You know it. I know it. And the American people know
it. And secretly, you love it. You want Dwight Howard or Emeka Okafor on that
wall. You need him on that wall. You don't want the truth because, frankly, you
can't handle the truth.
What else should teams like the Bulls or Wizards be doing at this point in the
season?
While it's reprehensible for a team to begin the season with such a goal, at
this point several teams would be stupid not to dump their last 20 games.
The Cavs did it shamelessly last season, and look what it landed them. Sold-out
arenas every night for the next decade and a fighting chance at the playoffs
this season.
Everyone is still playing for something. Playoffs or lottery balls? Experience
or upside? Honor or hope? For the good teams out there, there's no time like the
present. For the bad ones, there's always next year.
The key is understanding which category you're in. Sure, it's easy to say the
Suns are playing for the lottery and the Kings are playing for a ring. But what
about the Celtics, Sixers, Jazz, Blazers and Sonics?
Should they be going for the gold or enrolling in the Lottery Ball Acquisition
Program? In our ongoing effort to educate, Insider reveals the answers today.
But remember, sometimes the truth hurts.
There should be one simple mantra for lottery-bound teams 60 games into the
season: If it's broke, don't fix it.
Here's a look at 10 teams that should tank the rest of the season ...
Orlando Magic
Record: 17-44
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 25%
The Skinny: The Magic are playing their best basketball of the season (four wins
in their last 10 games) at the worst possible time of the year. The Magic don't
have the flexibility to dramatically alter their roster in free agency or via
trade. They just don't have enough pieces. After severable miserable drafts,
they need to hit a home run this year. The problem is, the two best players in
the draft -- Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor -- play the same position as
Orlando's second- and third-best players -- Juwan Howard and Drew Gooden. The
Magic do seem enamored with 7-foot-5 Siberian giant Pavel Podkolzine, but he's
not ready to contribute yet.
Chicago Bulls
Record: 17-42
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 20%
The Skinny: Deja vu? The Bulls are in serious running for the first pick in the
draft. GM John Paxson has a thing for Okafor, so don't assume the Bulls are
tired of collecting inexperienced players in the draft. If they slip to No. 2
and Dwight Howard is on the board, pass Paxson the Rolaids. Most believe the
Bulls will try to trade this pick, along with another asset or two, to land a
veteran all-star. Still, to get the most for their money, they need to stop this
silly streak of winning and get back to what they do best -- dumping the ball
into Eddy Curry, then limping off the court with another "L" in the Win-Loss
column.
Washington Wizards
Record: 18-41
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 15.7%
The Skinny: Like the Bulls, the Wizards probably have had their fill of young,
inexperienced draft picks. The team has eight players with three years of
experience or less. But there is a lot of interest in Okafor, who by NBA draft
standards is a 10-year vet, and also interest in moving the pick. If they can
add a tough, legitimate center to play alongside Kwame Brown, the Wizards might
actually be able to make some noise next season. They're another team that's
been winning a little too much lately.
Atlanta Hawks
Record: 19-40
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 12%
The Skinny: They have nothing to play for. Next year's roster, with the possible
exception of Boris Diaw and Travis Hansen, won't look anything like this
season's ragtag squad. The Hawks' latest move, dumping Dion Glover, proves they
have the right idea, but when are they really going to get serious and sit Jason
Terry for the season? The Hawks' worst nightmare is an injury to Terry that
makes him untradeable this summer. As far as the draft goes, it's likely the
Hawks' chances of landing the No. 1 pick will improve, as the odds of them
reaching 22 wins seems pretty slim right now. Look for Atlanta to nab local
product Dwight Howard if it gets the No. 1 pick.
Phoenix Suns
Record: 20-41
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 8.9%
The Skinny: The Suns are, by far, the most talented team in this group. Unlike
everyone else here, they have a very solid core with Amare Stoudemire, Shawn
Marion, Joe Johnson and some nice young players in Leandro Barbosa, Zarko
Cabarkapa, Casey Jacobsen and Maciej Lampe. Throw in the draft rights to Milos
Vujanic, and it's pretty clear the Suns don't need this pick. Unless there is a
legitimate, Western Conference center waiting for them in this draft, you can be
pretty sure they'll try to package this pick, along with Jahidi White's
contract, to get the cap room they need to make a major run at a veteran free
agent. Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant have the buzz, with Mehmet Okur as a sleeper
should the Pistons decide to only re-sign Rasheed Wallace.
Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 24-36
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 6.4%
The Skinny: The Sixers have crumbled before our eyes this season. I know they're
still trying to grit things out and make a run at the playoffs -- and they have
a legit shot, as almost everyone in the East does -- but is it in the Sixers'
best interest? The team is getting old and needs fresh blood, especially on the
front line. Philly's only young players with much promise are Samuel Dalembert,
John Salmons and, to a lesser extent, Kyle Korver. The Sixers need a freakishly
versatile, athletic player like Howard in the worst way. Landing the No. 1 pick
could turn a dying franchise around pretty fast.
Boston Celtics
Record: 25-36
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 2.9%
The Skinny: Danny Ainge loves this draft so much, he was willing to take on the
last two years of Chucky Atkins' contract just to get a third first-round pick,
even if it's low in the round. With the Celtics playing some of the worst
basketball in the league right now, I believe Ainge has decided it's time to
throw in the towel. He wants head coach John Carroll to play young players like
Jiri Welsch, Brandon Hunter, Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins so he has a
better feel for what he does and doesn't have going into the summer. Given
Danny's preference for up-tempo basketball, you can be pretty sure he's gunning
for a player like Howard to add size and versatility to his front line.
Golden State Warriors
Record: 25-33
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 1.5%
The Skinny: No one knows this game better than the Warriors. They should miss
the playoffs for a league-leading ninth consecutive year. Another late lottery
pick isn't going to help things, and the playoffs appear to be out of the
question now. Time to pull Erick Dampier (before he gets hurt), Cliff Robinson
and Calbert Cheaney out of the rotation and let Mike Dunleavy and Mickael
Pietrus shoot the team into lottery land.
Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 25-33
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 1.4%
The Skinny: Does it really matter?
Seattle SuperSonics
Record: 27-32
Chance of landing No. 1 pick: 0.7%
The Skinny: Nate McMillan hates this. You don't blame him. But when the Sonics
decided not to make a move at the trade deadline, GM Rick Sund essentially told
McMillan the playoffs weren't a priority this year. It's probably just as well.
Now's the time to throw Ronald Murray and Luke Ridnour out there and see how
well they'll mesh with Ray Allen.
Around the League
Kobe heats up: Has there been a better player over the past two weeks than Kobe
Bryant. Kobe got off to a slow start this season, and the constant distractions
of the trial of the year hanging over his head and some nagging injuries have
been a problem. For the first time all season, though, he seems focused, healthy
and he's lighting everyone up. He dropped 40 points on the Suns, a triple-double
on the Wizards and had a streak of six games in seven where he averaged 28
points or more. That stopped with an 11 point, 10 assist "off night" in New
Jersey on Sunday. What's gotten into Kobe? He's averaging 30 ppg, 8.3 apg and 8
rpg on 53 percent shooting since the break.
"This is the fist time this season I've had to try to will us back in the game,"
Bryant said. "A lot of times you can look at the stats and put up good numbers,
but a lot of times that's not what does it. You really have to put forth the
will and, when your teammates see that you're putting forth 110 percent, then
they have to follow suit. They have to believe. And I believe."
Andrei a giant? Sometimes being selected to the All-Star game too early can ruin
a guy's career. It was no secret Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan was worried
third-year forward Andrei Kirilenko made the cut too soon, fearing Kirilenko
would become complacent and quit working on the areas of his game that needed
improvement. Well ...
Kirilenko has been on fire since the break. The Russian forward averaged 16.3
ppg before the break and is averaging 23.3 ppg after it. And he's doing it with
more steals, the same number of rebounds and assists and with a better field
goal percentage. Kirilenko already has made the leap from great prospect to
All-Star this year. Is he about to make the jump to superstar in the second
half? He dropped in a game-winning 3-pointer against the Sonics last Wednesday
and sounded like a man with new-found confidence afterward.
"It's tougher when people say, 'All-Star, All-Star,' but I'm liking it," said
Kirilenko, who scored 24 points, including seven of the Jazz's nine points in
overtime. "I can make big shot at important moment, like the 3-pointer -- boom!
I like it."
Posey for most-improved: The Grizzlies also have come out of the All-Star break
on fire, and it's becoming pretty clear their best player is not Pau Gasol or
Mike Miller but the unheralded James Posey. Jerry West signed Posey to a
bargain, mid-level deal this summer without much fanfare. The thinking at the
time was Posey would give the Grizzlies a big, athletic, defensive-minded
swingman to balance the plethora of offensive types on the team. Who knew that
by February he'd also be the team's first option on offense?
Posey's improvement over the course of the season has been stunning. He averaged
8.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg on 40 percent shooting in November. He upped that to 11.9
ppg and 4.3 rpg in December on 46 percent shooting. In January the numbers
jumped again to 14.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg while shooting 51 percent from the field.
In February the numbers increased again to 18.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg on 54 percent
shooting. It gets even better if you focus on his post All-Star break numbers --
22.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg on 54 percent shooting. He's been doing all of this the last
seven games despite a badly bruised inner thigh that would put a player like
Marcus Camby out for the season.
I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I throw Posey's name into the
ring for most improved player of the year. He's been downright awesome and the
biggest reason the Grizzlies are 5-2 since the break.
Rookie surprise: Either LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony will walk away with
Rookie of the Year honors in a few months, but who would've guessed their
closest competition at this point would be Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich?
Hinrich's game has slowly evolved to the point coach Scott Skiles now believes
the rookie point is the best player on the entire team.
Hinrich's post All-Star numbers are impressive. He's averaging 16.7 ppg, 7.5
apg, 5.8 rpg and shooting 47 percent from downtown, including his first
triple-double Saturday night against the Warriors. Hinrich becomes the first
member of the draft class of 2003 to accomplish that.
Only Anthony (27.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 47 percent shooting) and James (22 ppg, 7 rpg,
4.7 apg, 46 percent shooting) have been better since the break.
Soaring Hawks: Who are the two big winners in Atlanta after the Rasheed Wallace
trade? Stephen Jackson and Chris Crawford. In the absence of anyone else who can
shoot and score the basketball, both players have seen a big boost in minutes
and shots since the trade.
Start with Jackson, who has the most to gain. He can and will opt out of his
contract this summer, and he now has his first chance to show what he can do
outside the shadow of Tim Duncan and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He's averaging 21 ppg,
6 rpg and 3.6 apg since Wallace was traded, a nice up-tick over his 14.8 ppg and
4.1 rpg season average before the trade.
Crawford's production has been even more eye-popping. He averaged just 8.4 mpg
and 2.6 ppg on 37 percent shooting before Abdur-Rahim was dealt. He's been
averaging 19.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg on 52 percent shooting since taking over as the
team's starting power forward five games ago.
"When [Wallace] got traded, there were no more power forwards left," Crawford
told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I just decided to take advantage of the
opportunity that came before me."
Crawford played a total of 12 games the previous two seasons. He tore his
anterior cruciate ligament during the 2001-02 season and has had to endure three
surgeries. "The last two years have been a struggle," Crawford said, "but I'm
getting my athletic ability and my jumping ability back to where it was."
Comment