NBA Month in Review: 10/30 to 12/1
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by Oneflydude
The first month of the NBA season is officially over and now it is time to recap everything that has happened so far. I will give you my observations on all of the teams in the league, evaluate them, and critique their performance so far.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics- 13-2 The Celtics "Big Three" are exactly what Boston was looking for. All three are contributing to the success of Boston and are giving the Celtics that "intimidation" factor that they've been looking for. Teams who play against them are intimidated physically and mentally. Their stingy defense holds opponents to only 88.6 PPG, but their high powered offense scores 102.3 PPG. Paul Pierce leads the team with 22 PPG and Kevin Garnett leads the team with 11.8 RPG. But these three aren't the only ones putting in work. Other players like Rajon Rondo setup plays for the Big Three. He averages 5.4 APG and he also shoots 53% from the field, even though he scores 8.3 PPG. The bench is also coming up big for the Celtics. The rookie, Glen "Big Baby" Davis comes in from time to time and gives the team solid play off of the bench. James Posey also helps off the bench. He’s fifth in the league in 3 point percentage, shooting 51%. The bench will help the Celtics later on in the season because you have to wonder if the Big Three will wear out deeper into the season. The three combine for an average of 38.3 minutes a game. If the bench can stay consistent like they are now for the rest of the year, Boston will become the new “Beast of the East.”
Toronto Raptors- 9-8
The Raptors have been playing O.K. basketball so far this year. They’re second in the Atlantic Division with a 9-7 record. They haven’t really been outstanding, but they still seem to be getting the job done. Chris Bosh is leading the team with 18.8 PPG and 7.9 RPG. They are managing to score 103.4 PPG, and there is a lot of help coming from Anthony Parker. He may only score 10.8 PPG but he leads the league in 3 point percentage with 54%. Andrea Bargnani is also helping the club with his solid, 12.4 PPG. The things that the Raptors have been doing so far have been their defense, their lack of turnovers, their 3 point game and their balanced scoring. They lead the league in 3 point percentage with 42% and there isn’t a player on the team that is selfish. Though Chris Bosh is the most known on the team, he isn’t the star player. They distribute the ball around well and find open shots. They are still a playoff contender despite the record. Expect more improvement from this team.
New Jersey Nets- 8-8
I was really expecting the Nets to have a better record than 7-8. They haven’t been disappointing, as much as they’ve been inconsistent. They are 28th in the league in scoring with 89.4 PPG. They also shoot poorly from 3 point range with 31%. Their leading scorer is Richard Jefferson with 25.2 PPG. They were once in a 6 game slide until they beat Portland. The brief absence of Vince Carter wasn’t helping either. He missed five games due to an ankle sprain, but since he’s been back, he’s had almost 20 PPG (18 PPG on the season). Jason Kidd has been struggling from the floor, only shooting 36%, but he has been averaging almost a triple-double a game. He only has 11.5 PPG, but he’s second in the league with 10.5 APG. So if these three are contributing their part to the team, then what is wrong with the rest of the team? Well it most likely is the bench play. They don’t have a solid bench to help the starters out. 5 of their 8 bench players have less than 4 PPG which is not helping their starters out. Jason Collins who has started 13 of 15 games averages just .9 PPG. If he is going to be a starter, he can’t help his team with just a point a game. The Nets are probably lucky to even have a 7-8 record now, but they need to pull it together to be a playoff contending team.
Philadelphia 76ers- 5-11
What do you normally expect from the 76ers? If you expect them to contend for a title every year, then I don’t know what you’re thinking. Well, at least their not the only one’s last in the division. They’re tied with the Knicks with a 5-10 record. The two Andre’s, Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller continue to play well though. A.I. leads the team with 17 PPG, and Miller has 14 PPG. There is no doubt that this team has potential, but just not this year. They’ve had a couple good performances so far, but I don’t see them getting further than they did last year. They do play better basketball this season. They are in the middle of the pack when it comes to their defense, but they don’t have the offense to go far. They are 26th in the league with 91.5 PPG.
New York Knicks- 5-10
The Knicks are just a horrible team overall. Despite all of the off court issues, New York looks like a team that should be playing in the D-League. They are 25th in the league with 93 PPG and the defense and they allow over 100 PPG. We all knew the Knicks were horrible after that disastrous loss to the Celtics the other night. They only scored 59 points and lost the game by 45 points. There really is nothing positive to say about the way this team is playing. They did manage to beat a very good Utah team and a decent Milwaukee team, but that’s about it. They have won 3 of their last 4 games, and they could possibly be on the verge of turning things around, but there still are a lot of issues with this team. Other than last night, they look like they give up when they are behind by a lot. Don’t count them out just yet because they’ve played well in the games that they’ve won, but they still are an inconsistent team.
Central Division
Detroit Pistons- 10-5 The Pistons are literally finding ways to win games right now. They really are not as good as they look, but they’re still a great team. They tend to be playing a little sloppy in some games. The starters aren’t playing like they should be, but the bench has been backing them up. They haven’t been getting consistent guard play from Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. They have been playing team ball by distributing the ball around, and Flip Saunders hasn’t been afraid to go to his bench when he needs to. He is putting more trust in them and they keep gaining it. One thing that sticks out to me is the way the Pistons play in the paint. Jason Maxiell is the only one that plays solid under the basket and he isn’t afraid to make a play in the paint. But it seems like the players don’t know how to take the ball to the hole. The sometimes look like they’re afraid to draw the foul. On some fast breaks, they seem to have numbers on the other team but they’ll pull up for a jumper instead of taking the ball to the basket. They still play good offense but their defense is often inconsistent. They might have a 10-5 record right now, but they do have much to improve on to remain the “Beast of the East.” For now, they just look like an above average team.
Cleveland Cavaliers- 9-8
With Lebron James out the past couple of games, we can see that the Cavs don’t play well without him. Lebron does lead the league in scoring with 30.7 PPG, but if you take him away from a team that averages 102.5 PPG and you put Devin Brown in for him, the team only averages 78.9 PPG. The last two games without him, they’ve averaged exactly 78 PPG. But they are also without Donyell Marshall and Larry Hughes who are key players for this team to compete. So a 9-8 record isn’t really that bad considering the fact that they’ve been a little unhealthy. Daniel Gibson has been stepping up for the team though. He is shooting 52% from behind the arch, and averaging 12.6 PPG. Drew Gooden has also been doing his part with his consistent 14.7 PPG. They still have the ability to compete once again for a playoff spot, but the quiet off-season won’t help them win a championship. They’ll need either better play from their defense that allows 102 PPG, or they will need another piece to the puzzle.
Milwaukee Bucks- 7-8
Despite the 7-7 record, the Bucks have been playing exceptionally well. The rookie, Yi Jianlian has been adjusting his game to the pro level. Though he is only averaging only 9.6 PPG, he still averages 5.6 RPG and he is improving. Being tossed right into the starter’s position immediately will boost his confidence level and by the end of the season, I expect him to have at least 12 PPG and 9 RPG. Michael Redd leads the team in scoring with 24.1. The most impressive thing about this team is the starters shooting percentage. The starting five combine for a shooting percentage of 48%. Andrew Bogut and Mo Williams are playing very well. Bogut is shooting 51% along with 12.3 PPG and Williams is shooting 50% with 14.6 PPG. Bogut is also helping down in the paint, grabbing 8.8 RPG. But one of the reasons why this team is only 7-7 is the lack of production that they’re getting from their bench. The bench combines for a shooting percentage of 33%. The bench will need to step up for this team if they want to get back to the playoffs.
Indiana Pacers- 8-9
Nothing was done over the off-season to help the Pacer this year, but they’re not letting that bother them. It’s still a little early in the season to determine the outcome of this team but they are still playing team ball. They are ninth in the league in scoring with 102.3 PPG and they are dominant in the paint. They lead the league in rebounds with 46.2 RPG, and they’re fifth in the league in BPG with 5.52. Remember, Jermaine O’Neal was out six games with an injury so they haven’t had him in all of their games. Danny Granger has stepped it up for the Pacers. He leads the team so far with 18.6 PPG. A key bench player (who started several times this year) is Jeff Foster. He shoots 51% from the floor and he averages 7.1 PPG. Look out for him later on in the season. I believe that he can be a key in the success of the Pacers season. If he can give you solid minutes on the floor, he will definitely help this team out.
Chicago Bulls- 4-10
This is another team that I am pretty disappointed in so far this season. Scott Skiles doesn’t have his team together and he now finds his team in last place in the division. I’m pretty sure that it’s not cool to say that the Knicks have a better team than your team. In my opinion, I think that the Bulls are the worst team in the East right now. They are last in the league in scoring, field goal percentage, and three point field goal percentage. With the way they are playing now, I don’t know if I can see them turning it around, though it is a possibility. Ben Wallace is not helping out at all. With his usual dominance in the paint, this year he only averages 4.6 PPG and 7.8 RPG as the starting center. Chicago will need much better production from Wallace if they want to get on the winning road. But I can just put this on Wallace because it is a team thing. They are shooting poorly and forcing bad shots, and under those circumstances, that is what is causing them to be last in the league in shooting. The Bulls were a playoff team a year ago but they are not looking like the same team from last year anymore.
Southeast Division
Orlando Magic- 14-4 I can’t say that this team was a surprise because they did make the playoffs last year, but only to be swept by the Pistons. But I see a different approach to there game this season. They come out ready to play and they now have that winning mentality. With the addition of Rashard Lewis who has 19.1 PPG, this team can go further than they did last year. The Magic are turning into a dominant team in the NBA and they will continue to dominate for years to come with the youth on the team. Dwight Howard leads the league in rebounding and he has now become one of the best centers in the league. He also is scoring for his team, averaging 23.8 PPG. Between the staring five, they all combine for 83.9 of their 103.4 PPG. Very good. The only thing I’m worried about is the minutes for the starters. I feel they might be spending too much time on the floor. Between all five, they average about 35 minutes a game. I’m not too worried though because they do have a bench that is capable of taking over for their starters and contribute minutes off of the bench.
Washington Wizards- 8-9
With the absence of Gilbert Arenas for three months, there is no telling where the Wizards will end up going. It all depends on the play of the rest of the team. Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler will be looked at the most because right now, the Wizards are depending on them to do big things for them. They both average over 20 PPG but taking out Arenas, the rest of the team averages under 10 PPG. Jamison and Butler are holding up there end of the deal but the rest of the team isn’t holding up there end. In order to replace the contributions from Arenas, the rest of the team will have to play twice as hard to take the pressure off of Arenas’ replacement, Antonio Daniels. He only has 7.6 PPG compared to Gilbert’s 22.4 PPG. I personally think that this team may be able to play better without Arenas, but they are starting to prove me wrong. They’ve went 4-4 without him so far, but I don’t see the rest of the team stepping up like they should be. It will be interesting to see what Washington will do later on in the season.
Charlotte Bobcats- 6-9
This team is not really a threat in this league but they are not a team to sleep on. They still haven’t beaten any notable teams but they did come very close to beating the Celtics. In all seriousness, I do see something good coming from this team, but just not this year. The addition of Jason Richardson helped somewhat, but he shoots 41% from the field. He does get his 16.9 PPG and gives you solid minutes. Gerald Wallace looks like he is trying to become a star on this team. He’s not afraid to take shots in any type of situation and he has 18.5 PPG and shoots 45%. Charlotte does have potential but they don’t have the depth to contend in a weak Eastern Conference.
Atlanta Hawks- 6-9
This is a team with plenty of depth and a very great lineup, but they just cannot get the ball rolling in their direction. I did expect them to have a better record, but they just don’t know how to be consistent. The season is definitely not over for them but they have to play better than they are now. I expected Josh Smith to play better than he is now. He may have 16.9 PPG but he is just shooting 37% from the field. The two rookies, Al Horford and Acie Law combine for a better shooting percentage (50%) than the rest of the team (40%). The rookie Law is injured at the moment but I would love to see him play more when he comes back. He is shooting 48% and I feel he is ready for that starting role. Another player who is playing well for the team is Josh Childress. He is shooting 56% from the floor and averaging 12 PPG, just coming off of the bench. He hasn’t started yet but it should be considered. He may just be a better player coming off the bench though. Atlanta doesn’t have real specific problems; they just have to play better basketball if they want to be taken serious in this league.
Miami Heat- 4-11
This team hasn’t been right since last year. They may still be suffering from the hangover of their 2006 Championship. This team is no longer a threat in the league; with or without Dwayne Wade. Wade did come back from his shoulder injury earlier this year but it didn’t seem to help at all. Wade may be averaging 20 PPG, but he is deteriorating as a star. He is shooting just 41% from the floor, he can no longer hit the three, shooting at a horrendous 11% from behind the arch, and his free throw percentage is down to 68%. Shaquille O’Neal was also called out by Wade for not being enthusiastic about his play. I feel Wade was right. Shaq isn’t playing with the motivation that he used to play with, but he is still playing his part on the team. He has 16.3 PPG and is shooting at a 60% clip. I’m sorry, but I just can’t see Miami making it to the playoffs. They have too many old heads on the team and they are slowly, but surely fading away.
Western Conference
Northwest Division
Utah Jazz- 12-5 The dynamic duo of Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams is what makes this team successful. Williams is shooting 51% while Boozer shoots at a 57%. Everybody is impressed at the way that Williams has adjusted to the NBA. He plays with a lot of intensity and he creates plays for the rest of his team. Boozer just continues to dominate in the post and he is third in the league in scoring with 25.4 PPG. It is these two who propel this team, but the rest of the team is pitching in to make a run back into the playoffs. Utah also shoots 49% from the field; the best in the NBA. A surprise for me is the play coming from Ronnie Brewer. He is quietly putting up decent numbers, game in and game out. He averages 13.7 PPG and shooting 52% from the floor. The rest of the team is also chipping in to give this team a 12-5 record. Overall, I believe this is the best team in the West so far. They continue to play well and consistent. This high powered offense is third in the league in scoring, averaging 106.8 PPG as a team. Expect Utah to do big things this season.
Denver Nuggets- 10-7
I sense a lot of inconsistency from Denver. They probably have one of the best teams (player wise) in the league, but they just don’t seem to have the consistency that a great team is supposed to have. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony both lead the team in scoring (25 & 23.7), and the team is ranked fourth in the league in scoring with 106.1 PPG. But if they continue to give up 102.3 PPG, they won’t be the dominate team that most people expect them to be. Even though the Nuggets have been challenged in a few games this season, they tend to lose to teams that are fairly beatable. I do see them getting better this year, but they will have to do it quickly if they will be fighting for a playoff spot in the very tough Western Conference.
Portland Trail Blazers- 5-11
Without Greg Oden where they were hoping he would be this year, the Blazers are playing like they have given up without him. Darius Miles has also been missing in action and they just can’t get enough good play from the team to become a threat. Portland is 27th in the league in scoring with only 91.2 PPG. They don’t have an offense that is ready to compete this season, but they do have a future waiting for them. LaMarcus Aldridge is playing at a high level, and he is trying to carry this team to that high level. Aldridge averages 19 PPG and 8 RPG. Jarrett Jack and Brandon Roy are also helping the team out, but Portland doesn’t have the depth in their roster to compete, well at least not yet. If the Blazers were to have Oden right now, I would expect them to be a better team. But for now, they will remain Odenless.
Minnesota Timberwolves- 2-13
After the departure of Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis, I find no reason to believe that the Wolves will be competing this year. This is a time for them to rebuild and focus on the future. Speaking of future, I see a very bright future in Al Jefferson. He is averaging a double-double a game with 20.9 PPG (50% from the floor) and 11.2 RPG. He has stepped up in the departure of his former teammates, and he won’t let this team fall to the bottom. One player who probably won’t be the future for the team, but may be able to help the team now is Antoine Walker. He has chipped in his little bit with 11.1 PPG. This is just a slow team right now and there really isn’t a whole lot that they can do to compete. Their defense gives up 101.5 PPG and they only score 93.9 PPG so far this season. I can see them improving, but I don’t see them making the playoffs.
Seattle Supersonics- 3-14
The rookie, Kevin Durant has only been able to enjoy just three wins in his career in the NBA. He is responsible for one of those wins, with a game winning shot against the Atlanta Hawks. However, he has been able to experience what 14 wins feel like. This was another team that I expected to have a better record than 3-14. Their defense is a major contribution to their four losses. The defense gives up 107.5 PPG. Durant looks like he’s falling right into his place. He isn’t scared to take shots, but he has a habit of taking bad shots; a reason why he is shooting 40%. He leads the team in scoring with 20.4 PPG and he is doing exactly what he was drafted to do. Chris Wilcox has bee helping out tremendously with his 52% from the floor and his 15.3 PPG. The other rookie, Jeff Green is shooting 44.7% from the court and he gets in almost 10 PPG. The way the Sonics defense is playing, I don’t see these rookies making the playoffs in their first season.
Pacific Division
Phoenix Suns- 12-4 The Suns have been fairly quiet so far this season, but that doesn’t give any reasoning to sleep on them. They are on top of the division with their 12-4 record. Amare Stoudemire has played healthy thus far and he has averaged 18.6 PPG with 8.4 RPG. His dominance in the paint along with the production from his other teammates is what really makes this team win. The Suns are second in the league in scoring behind the Warriors. Phoenix still looks like the team they’ve been the past two seasons. Not any worse, not any better. That is one reason why they haven’t found themselves in the NBA Finals these last few years. The funny thing is that they continue to be a dominant team every season. They continue to get good play from their bench as well as their starters.
Los Angeles Lakers- 9-7
The whole Kobe Bryant soap opera has been quiet as of late, and Kobe has been playing like he usually does. So have the Lakers. They score 106 PPG but their defense continues to struggle, giving up 101.8 PPG. Derek Fisher has come through for L.A., shooting 50% and averaging 11.6 PPG. Other Lakers who are shooting 50% or more from the field are Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton. The Lakers are playing pretty well this season, and it is still too early to determine their fate. They do get solid play from their bench, especially from Jordan Farmar. He can come off of the bench and give them 10.1 PPG and 3 APG. They are playing consistent, but the reason for the 9-7 record is because of their tough schedule. Expect the Lakers to improve on other parts of their game in order to compete in the West.
Golden State Warriors- 8-7
I didn’t believe that the Warriors would turn it around after starting off 0-6, but they’ve managed to not let it get to them. They’ve won eight of their last nine games and have been playing like they want to get back into the playoffs. The Warriors offense has been very dominant in this first month. They’ve been averaging 108.6 PPG which leads the league. The defense is probably the reason why they don’t have a better record than 8-7. The defense gives up 107.9 PPG. Andris Biedrins has been superb in field goal percentage. He leads the league with 61%. Six players on Golden State average more than 10 points a game, which is why they are on a roll right now. They have been getting solid bench play during the late stages of the game, which is also giving them the ability to win. Don’t sleep on Stephen Jackson because he has been contributing a lot to the team by scoring 21.6 PPG. If the Warriors can play better defense and lower the points a game that they give up, you can expect them to make it right back into the playoffs.
Los Angeles Clippers- 6-8
The Clippers aren’t great or bad; they are just an average team like they’ve always been. But I am really impressed with the play of Chris Kaman. He is just a physical player in the post and he is second on the team in scoring with 18.4 PPG. Kaman is a very aggressive player and he’s not afraid to put his body in the paint to get the ball in the basket. He really helps on the boards, grabbing 13.5 RPG. There isn’t much to say about the Clippers so far. They haven’t showed me much so far, but they still are a underestimated team, so this is a team that you cannot sleep on.
Sacramento Kings- 6-10
The Kings started of this season struggling. They had to adapt to the new head coach, Roger Theus. But it looks like they are putting all their struggles behind them and they are trying to do something big this season. Sacramento does have a good team, but they are really in need of some team defense. They have a full arsenal with their starting five, but they still find themselves last in the division. Offense is definitely not the problem for this team. Kevin Martin has been a big weapon on the floor, averaging 24.5 PPG. He is obviously the best player on this team, and he is everything you look for in a guard. Ron Artest was gone for the first eight games of the season, due to his suspension, but he has come back and averaged 22.3 points a night and shoot 49% from the floor. The Kings have other guys in their lineup that can cause problems for the opposing team; Brad Miller, Beno Udrih, and Mikki Moore. They don’t play team ball though. They are last in the league in APG wit just 16.1. If they are looking to go far, they will have to distribute the ball around more. Sacramento will need to improve their defense to compete, so expect them to turn a lot of that around in this next month.
Southwest Division
San Antonio Spurs- 14-3 The defending champs have started out the season strong, with the best record in the West. They are being carried by the play of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Tim Duncan; the West’s version of the Big Three. The Spurs are still playing like champions and they still look like they want to win another one. They play stellar defense by holding opponents to 92.8 PPG, and their offensive play is just as good, scoring 101.6 PPG. This month has been great for San Antonio, going 14-3. I haven’t seen any flaws in their play, and I look forward to watching more from them during the course of the season.
New Orleans Hornets- 12-6
New Orleans has surprised me so far this year. Chris Paul is just a beast on the floor. He averages 19.6 points a game with 9.9 APG. They only average 96.8 PPG as a team, but they play outstanding defense holding their opponents to just 93.3 points a game. Tyson Chandler has been a great addition for this team, as he is shooting 53% and giving his team 11.1 PPG. He has been that last piece that the Hornets have been looking for. He and David West are dominant in the paint, and they average 19.3 RPG between the both of them. They don’t fear any other team in the West and they play team basketball. Nobody has said much about them but this is a fairly good team. They don’t slack off against teams that they are expected to beat, and they play even harder against the big teams. Look out for this team later on in the season.
Dallas Mavericks- 11-6
Even though the Mavs have a record of 11-6, I feel like they are sort of like the Pistons. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very dangerous team. But they also show inconsistency at some times. They do get solid play from everyone on the team, but they seem to struggle against weak teams. They’ve lost to teams like Atlanta, Portland, Indiana and Washington. They also sleep on other teams that aren’t so good. Nonetheless, they still find ways to win the game, but they will have to get tougher mentally if they want to win a championship. Avery Johnson stated that they were struggling because they weren’t getting good point guard play from Devon Harris. He has stepped it up these past couple of games and now Dallas has to get past that part. They are still a dangerous team though.
Houston Rockets- 9-9
The Rockets sort of remind me of the Denver Nuggets. They have a very great team, but they can’t seem to pull things together. Houston doesn’t have bad numbers statistically, but they just don’t have the consistency. Just like the Mavericks, they struggle against teams that they are expected to win against. For example, Miami and Memphis are two teams that they lost to that added on to their recent, six game losing streak. They also lost to Sacramento on Saturday night, which proved that they are not a tough team mentally. Houston only scores 95.5 PPG, but that doesn’t mean that they are playing bad. They have had a tough schedule so far this year. They’ve had to play against tough opponents like Phoenix, Dallas, the Lakers, Golden State and Utah. The schedule isn’t favoring them so far, but this still is a really good team with a few mental flaws.
Memphis Grizzlies- 6-10
Memphis is a very young team that doesn’t have the experience to compete in the West yet. They have a great lineup, but they lack the experience. They have the depth in their bench and they have a great offensive team; they score 104.5 PPG. They have a defense that really needs to be worked on though. The defense fives up 105.5 PPG, and they lack they paint play to stop teams from taking the ball right to the hole on them. The rookie, Juan Carlos Navarro has been the surprise to me on this team. He has been averaging 10.7 PPG and he’s shooting 45 % from the field. The Grizzlies do have the potential to end up with a decent record this year, but it is still a little too early to call this team a bad team. Watch out for Memphis as well.
League leaders
Points Per Game
Lebron James 30.7 Kobe Bryant 27.6 Carlos Boozer 25.4
Rebounds Per Game
Dwight Howard 15.0 Marcus Camby 14.3 Chris Kaman 13.5
Assist Per Game
Steve Nash 10.9 Jason Kidd 10.5 Chris Paul 9.9
Rookie Report
Kevin Durant 20.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.1 RPG
Juan Carlos Navarro
10.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.1 APG
Daequan Cook
10.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.6 APG
Jeff Green
9.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.7 APG
Yi Jianlian
9.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.6 APG
Jamario Moon
9.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.1 APG
Al Horford
8.7 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.2 APG
Sean Williams
8.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.2 APG
Nick Young
7.1 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.7 APG
Luis Scola
6.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.9 APG
Al Thornton
6.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.2 APG
Kyrylo Fesenko
6.0 PPG, 7 RPG, 1 APG
Alando Tucker
6.0 PPG, 1 RPG, 0 APG
Acie Law
5.9 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 3 APG
Mike Conley
5.6 PPG, 1 RPG, 4.2 APG
Players to watch for: Kevin Martin, Deron Williams, Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, Chris Paul, Chris Kaman, Manu Ginobli, Josh Howard, Stephen Jackson.
All stats are from NBA.com
