Watch Darnell’s video
Oklahoman NBA reporter Darnell Mayberry blogs live on the NBA Draft’s stunners and sleepers tonight. Darnell gives his insights this afternoon via video. Watch here!
How I voted
Since today is the last day of the regular season, I thought I’d share my postseason awards ballot. This will be my second year voting, and for the second year in a row I’ve found it to be more of a chore than an honor. The actual process is quick and easy. The NBA e-mails you a document that already has the awards separated by category with the spaces for you to type in your vote. Then you e-mail it back. Simple.
But I’ve stressed over my votes these last two years because there is always someone deserving that ends up left out. For example, they ask you for your top five picks for MVP. Well, my last slot came down to Tim Duncan and LeBron James. Both are deserving. Both mean everything to their teams. After going back and forth for days, I ultimately picked Duncan over James.
With all that said, here’s how I voted. I welcome your feedback. Let me know your gripes on my slights, snubs and screw ups.
T-Mobile Rookie of the Year:
PLAYER, TEAM
1. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
2. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
3. Adam Morrison, Charlotte Bobcats
NBA Coach of the Year:
PLAYER, TEAM
1. Avery Johnson, Dallas Mavericks
2. Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors
3. Mike D’Antoni, Phoenix Suns
NBA Defensive Player of the Year:
PLAYER, TEAM
1. Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
2. Bruce Bowen, San Antonio Spurs
3. Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns
All-NBA First Team
F Dirk Nowitzki
F Tim Duncan
C Yao Ming
G Kobe Bryant
G Steve Nash
All-NBA Second Team
F LeBron James
F Kevin Garnett
C Chris Bosh
G Tracy McGrady
G Gilbert Arenas
All-NBA Third Team
F Carlos Boozer
F Carmelo Anthony
C Amare Stoudemire
G Dwyane Wade
G Allen Iverson
NBA Sixth Man:
PLAYER,TEAM
1. Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns
2. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
3. Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas Mavericks
NBA Most Valuable Player:
PLAYER,TEAM
1. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
2. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
3. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
5. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
NBA Most Improved Player:
PLAYER, TEAM
1. Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
2. Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors
3. Tyson Chandler, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
-DM-
To all Hornets fans
Just wanted to let you all know that we will not be covering the last two Hornets games this season. With the Hornets officially out of playoff contention, the final two games have no real significance. Since they’re both in California and will not start until 9 and 9:30 p.m. our time, the games are too late to make our paper’s deadlines as well. Those factors ultimately led to a cost-benefit decision on our end.
I would like to thank all of you for reading our coverage of the Hornets over the past two seasons. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you join me in wishing the Hornets well in their return to New Orleans. I hope we in Oklahoma City soon get a major league franchise of our own that we can all cheer for.
-Darnell Mayberry-
Feeling a draft
It was around this time 24 years ago when Hornets coach Byron Scott had just finished his junior season at Arizona State.
Scott was exhausted, having averaged 36.5 minutes and 21.6 points per game that season for the Sun Devils. Mulling over his early entry into the upcoming NBA draft, Scott decided to take a day off and not play in any pickup games.
One of his ASU coaches approached Scott and suggested he reconsider his day of rest.
“My coach told me, ‘Well, I didn’t want to tell you this but Jerry West, Gail Goodrich and Bill Sharman are going to be sitting in the stands. They want to make a trade and get up to where the (San Diego) Clippers are in the draft. They want to see you play,’ ” Scott said.
Scott went up against guard Dennis Johnson and several other members of the Phoenix Suns. “And I played my ass off,” Scott said. “D.J. guarded me and I guarded him. D.J. helped me a lot (with advice).”
Scott wound up being the No. 4 overall pick in the 1983 draft, selected by the Clippers and traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he would win three world championships and play in six NBA finals.
- John Rohde
Paul is amazing, Chandler coming back?
I can’t tell you how bad Chris Paul looked tonight. Physically. The guy is beat up. Probably mentally, too. He was playing with an obvious limp in the first half, but he didn’t stop. Then he gets elbowed in the waist by Randy Foye late in the game and doesn’t let it bother him. His injury count is up to his foot, thumb, waist and who knows what else?
Coach Byron Scott said it best, the Hornets wouldn’t have won this game without him. Now they need the next one against a hot Clippers team. I’m not sure what kind of performance Chris can/will have in that one. He’s probably hurting a lot more than he’s leading on. But give the guy credit for at least trying to will his team into the playoffs.
Because the Hornets won, Tyson Chandler also said he’s pretty much a go for Tuesday because of how important the game is. He says it’ll take a lot to keep him out. Kudos to him as well.
I got a look at his left big toe before Saturday’s game, and it looks terrible. For anyone who thinks a toe injury is minor or doesn’t understand why he’s missed the past two games, that thing is severely swollen. It’s to the point that I don’t even expect him to have that much of an impact on the game Tuesday if he does play. But knowing Chandler, he’ll find a way to play through the pain and score eight points with seven rebounds and a blocked shot. We’ll see.
I’m excited about Tuesday’s game. And every basketball fan in Oklahoma should be as well. This is what the NBA season is all about. The Hornets are in the thick of a playoff race in the NBA’s toughest conference. The Ford Center should be packed. And loud. Doesn’t matter that it’s a Tuesday night game. Fans should come early and stay till the end. The Hornets should give out those rally towels to create more of a boisterous environment.
If the Hornets go down, at least their star player is going down fighting.
The fans shouldn’t let him go down swinging alone.
-DM-
Three straight
None were pretty, but the Hornets did what they had to do to get wins against the Knicks, Bucks and Sonics over the last week. The rest of the schedule is tough, though, and the Hornets are going to run into some mighty big challenges in the coming days.
It doesn’t help that nearly their entire team is hobbled right now…..
Chris Paul — sore left foot.
Desmond Mason — Possibly concussion.
Tyson Chandler — jacked up left toe.
Jannero Pargo — Right knee sprain.
Hilton Armstrong — sprained wrist.
Cedric Simmons — sprained ankle.
Bobby Jackson — sore right foot.
Peja Stojakovic — back surgery.
“I told Bobby (Jackson), I said, ‘If we didn’t have bad luck, we wouldn’t have no luck at all.’”
Tyson walked out of the Ford Center with one of those big black protective boots on his left foot. I don’t expect him to play Friday.
Desmond looked bad. I don’t expect him to play Friday.
Chris never sits. I don’t expect him to play Friday.
But here’s one way of looking at the situation. The injuries that this team encountered earlier this season might be a blessing in disguise. Guys like Jannero Pargo and Rasual Butler and Marc Jackson and Linton Johnson have played heavy minutes already this season. If they are forced to again for the next two or three games it won’t be anything new.
But will that experience be enough?
Teams are playing with a different intensity now. Can the Hornets keep up?
-DM-
Hornets stay in the race
MILWAUKEE — To be honest, the game against the Bucks worried me a little bit. Not too long ago, this would have been a game the Hornets easily would have dropped. Third worst team. On the road. Everything to gain. Opponent has nothing to lose. The Hornets surprised me with how they came out and controlled the game from the start. That’s what they need to do in each of these last eight games if they want to qualify for the postseason.
For as good as Tuesday’s blowout win was, I’d caution against getting too excited about this team’s playoff chances just yet. Forget the fact that the Bucks are 25-48. Forget about how Charlie Villanueva, Bobby Simmons and Andrew Bogut are all out for the season. The things that didn’t look good despite the blowout win were defense (of course), turnovers and bench play.
The Hornets had 21 turnovers, leading to 24 Bucks points. That’s pretty much a guaranteed loss against the Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. Obviously the Hornets can’t afford anymore losses, let alone four, so they need to take better care of the ball.
The Hornets shouldn’t have given up 101 points to an injury-plagued Bucks team. The Bucks do average 99, but without the aforementioned names, they shouldn’t have reached 101 points or shot 48.2 percent for the game. That tells me, this team’s defense still isn’t where it needs to be to be successful. Again, against the better teams, that’s a loss on most nights.
And the bench play can’t have a drop off like it did in the second quarter. Entering the fourth quarter, the Hornets had 11 bench points. Milwaukee guard Lynn Greer had scored 15 by himself.
The Hornets have one more gimmie Wednesday as the Sonics come into town. They had better take care of business because their chances are slim to none if they don’t beat Seattle. Maybe they’ll correct some of their mistakes against the Sonics.
-DM-
Yes, you were paying attention
At 7-foot-1, 235 pounds, Hornets center Tyson Chandler is hard to miss.
And given the way he’s played this season, it was hard to miss our poll question of the week: “Who is the Hornets’ MVP this season?”
Last season, there was no doubt rookie point guard Chris Paul was the team MVP.
Though Paul remains a valuable commodity, this season there is equally no doubt Chandler is the Hornets’ top man.
Acquired last July in a trade that shipped veteran center PJ Brown and gifted guard J.R. Smith to Chicago, Chandler immediately made his presence known.
Though only 24 years old, this already is his sixth season in the league.
Chandler leads the league in field-goal percentage (.625), is second in rebounding (12.4) and is on the cusp of averaging a double-double (9.4 ppg).
As impressive as those numbers are, what’s more impressive about Chandler is his attitude. He has untapped potential that he wants to tap. He is an open-minded sponge, a coach’s dream.
Sadly, many NBA players can become a coach’s nightmare.
The Hornets have made it clear they’ll do everything they can to hang on to Paul for as long as they can. It’s safe to say they now feel the same way about Chandler.
Congrats to those who voted in our on-line poll. Chandler won handily with 58 percent of the vote, followed by Desmond Mason with 23 percent, Paul with 11 percent, David West with 6 percent and Devin Brown with 2 percent.
John Rohde
Hope you enjoyed the Mavs
Hope you enjoyed Tuesday’s visit by the Dallas Mavericks. Those of you in attendance at the Ford Center got to witness the 2007 NBA champions. No one’s beating this team in the playoffs. Not Phoenix. Not San Antonio. Not Miami, with or without Dwyane Wade. Not Detroit. Nobody.
And I’m not just saying that because they thrashed the Hornets. Aside from the fact that I’ve felt this way since the preseason, the regular season has proved that this team is on a mission. Have been since Day One. They have too many weapons. Too much depth. Too much experience. Too much versatility. Too good a coaching staff.
No NBA team can match what the Mavs bring over the course of a seven-game series. Phoenix probably has the best shot, but when the game’s on the line, Phoenix can’t get stops. Been that way for two years over in Arizona.
Tuesday’s game was over before it even started. The Mavs took care of business just like they have in the past 20 games against the Hornets. I’ve witnessed Dallas’ last eight wins over the Hornets live. And it’s been the same script each time these two teams take the floor. The Mavs go up. The Hornets, sometimes, make a little push. The Mavs turn up the intensity and the Hornets have no answer.
Chris Paul might as well have grabbed some popcorn and stayed on the bench. He scored two points, his lowest point total since Nov. 14. But in that game, he had 10 assists and Peja Stojakovic had a career-high 42 points. Paul had just three assists Tuesday, and a healthy Peja probably wouldn’t have helped the Hornets on this night.
But Paul’s stats suggest he’ll bounce back strongly Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Paul is averaging 16.2 points, 8.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals in the second game of back-to-backs this season.
I don’t know what’s wrong with Devin Brown, who missed six of his nine shots Tuesday. His three made shots came in the garbage time fourth quarter. When I asked Byron Scott on Monday about Devin’s struggles, he said he still has faith in him and that won’t change. Maybe it’s time for a change in the starting lineup. Maybe Rasual Butler, who averages 14.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists as a starter warrants another look as the 2-man. Don’t think it will happen, though.
-DM-
Have you been paying attention?
This entire week, on the same page where you entered this website, you will be able to vote for the Hornets’ most valuable player in 2006-07.
This is a no-brainer, but here’s hoping people use theirs when casting a vote.
Without this player, the Hornets might be battling Memphis for the league’s worst record. No exaggeration.
This player has probably won a dozen games for the Hornets this season, which would make the Hornets 19-50 without him heading into tonght’s game against Houston inside the Ford Center.
The Hornets simply can’t compete without this player.
So click your back-arrow button, return to the Hornets main page, and cast your vote.
We’ll check back with you next Sunday to see how many people got it right.
John Rohde
