Tag: Tyson Chandler

How would David West look in Silver and Black?

David West took a risk Monday when he announced he was opting out of his current contract with the New Orleans Hornets to file for free agency.

It’s a gamble for West in a couple of respects. He’s coming off surgery after tearing the ACL in his left knee on March 24.

And he’s also putting aside a chance to earn $7.5 million this season with the Hornets in order to test the free agent market in perhaps the league’s most uncertain economic time ever.

West was in the midst of having a quality season when he went down with his knee injury, averaging a team-leading 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Hornets before missing the final 10 games of the season and the playoffs.

He’s been rehabbing from his injury twice a day and is said to be ahead of schedule as he works at his off-season home in Raleigh, N.C., to prepare for the upcoming season. The injury was expected to idle him for six to eight months, but an extended lockout would obviously give him extra time to prepare as he readies himself for the 2011-12 season.

The most interesting comment he made in a story this morning in the New Orleans Times-Picayune is the primary reason he would potentially bolt from the Hornets.

“I want to win and win big,” West , adding that he decided on his move before the injury.

A team that would fill his need would be the Spurs, coming off a 61-21 season that was the best in the Western Conference before an unexpected first-round series loss to Memphis in the playoffs.

There’s no way that the Spurs could land West the way the NBA’s economic model is currently structured. With too much money tied up into long-term contracts with the core of the team, the Spurs would have to go far over the luxury tax to sign West — a not-so-palatable alternative for team owner Peter Holt.

But who knows how the league’s economic model will be structured after the lockout and the eventual settlement. There might be a way for the Spurs and West to come together — particularly if the Spurs have a chance to offer him similar money to most of the other potential teams where he would play.

West is an outstanding outside shooter with range up to 20 feet with a strong array of inside moves. He turned 30 in April and would provide a strong inside presence that would go well with Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter. West is not the best interior defender, but thrived in Monty Williams’ team defense that limited opponents to 94 points per game to rank fifth in the league.

But there’s also a point of view among some NBA scouts that West’s offensive production has been boosted over the years by playing with Chris Paul with the Hornets.  

Most observers have West ranked as the fourth-best potential free agent of this season’s class, trailingly only Nene, Marc Gasol and Tyson Chandler. He’s the best free agent available at power forward — even coming off the injury.

And he’s exactly the kind of player the Spurs desparately need if they want to contend for the NBA title.     

But it will be interesting to see what kind of demand there is for West after the lockout ends.

What about it Spurs Nation?

Would you like to see West teaming inside with Duncan and Splitter in a retooled Spurs inside rotation?

And most importantly, is he worth the financial risk considering his age and injury concerns?

Dirk and ‘The Jet’ lead the Mavs to another wild fourth-quarter comeback

A game away from his first NBA title, Dirk Nowitzki knows that the Dallas Mavericks still have much work to do.

That’s why Nowitzki wasn’t in a particularly jovial mood after Dallas claimed a 112-103 victory over Miami that gave them a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series.

“There’s really nothing to celebrate,” Nowitzki told reporters after the Mavericks went ahead in the series for the first time. “We’re going in there Sunday swinging, like we did today, from the jump, and hopefully steal one Sunday.”

The Mavericks will have a chance to wrap up their first NBA title in franchise history Sunday night in Miami, where the series returns for the rest of the games.

Nowitzki tallied 29 points, including the go-ahead dunk with 2:45 left that was a part of a clinching 17-4 run to finish the game.

The main reason for the triumph was Dallas’ blistering shooting. The Mavericks hit 56.5 percent from the field, including 13 of 19 (68 percent) from 3-point range.

Nowitzki’s game was supported by a strong contribution from his supporting cast. Jason Terry came off the bench to score eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Five Dallas players  notched double-figure scoring efforts.

“It’s what I do. It’s my job,” Terry told reporters after the game. “All season long, ever since I’ve been a Maverick, I’ve been the guy in the fourth quarter they rely on to either make plays or make shots. Regardless of what’s going on throughout the three quarters of the game, in the fourth quarter I know I’m depended on to come through.”

Nowitzki chuckled when he heard  about Terry’s comments about his late-game exploits.

“We all know Jet is a confident young man,” Nowitzki said. “He always has a lot to say to us in the locker room. He’s always talking. He’s just an energetic guy. He loves to talk and he loves to hear himself talk.”

It pushes them closer than the Mavericks have ever been to a title, but they have to nail one down one more win to accomplish the ultimate goal.

“It’s not a best of five series; it’s a best of seven. So the first team to four wins,” Nowitzki said. “So we couldn’t celebrate tonight, even though it was a big win for us. The series is not over.”

STUDS

Dallas F Dirk Nowitzki: Went for 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and was plus-14 in the Mavericks’ 112-103 Game 5 victory over Miami.

Dallas G Jason Terry: Came off the bench to produce 21 points, four rebounds and six assists in the Mavericks’ comeback victory over the Heat.

Dallas G J.J. Barea: Tallied 17 points and five assists in the Mavericks’ triumph over Miami.

Dallas G Jason Kidd: Notched 13 points, six assists, three steals, two rebounds and was plus-13 in Dallas’ victory over Miami.

Dallas C Tyson Chandler: Produced 13 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots and was plus-14 in the Mavericks’ victory over the Heat.

Dallas F Shawn Marion: Tallied eight points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and was a game-best plus-21 in the Mavericks’ victory over the Heat.

Miami G Dwyane Wade: Overcame a hip injury to produce a team-best 23 points, eight rebounds and two steals in Miami’s loss to Dallas.

Miami F Chris Bosh: Notched 19 points and 10 rebounds in the Heat’s loss to Dallas.

Miami G Mario Chalmers: Came off the bench to produce 15 points, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, in the Heat’s loss to the Mavericks.

DUDS

Miami F LeBron James: Might have produced the quietest triple-double in NBA Finals history after scoring only two points in the fourth quarter when his team needed him to close. James was 8-for-19 from the field, missing all four 3-pointers, with four turnovers and was minus-11 in the Heat’s loss to Dallas.

Bad memory No. 9: Spurs squander fourth-quarter lead in Black Friday collapse to Mavs

In our continuing look at the best and worst moments of the 2010-11 Spurs’ season, we look at the Black Friday tumble where they saw their early 12-game winning streak snapped by Dallas.

No.  9: Black Friday fourth-quarter collapse snaps Spurs’ 12-game winning streak.

When:  Nov. 26, 2010

Where: ATT Center, San Antonio.

What happened: The Spurs’ offense fell apart down the stretch as they were held without a field goal for a four-minute stretch late in their 103-94 home loss to Dallas on the day after Thanksgiving. Despite 31 points from Manu Ginobili, the Spurs saw Dallas take control as they scored nine straight points late in the game. It enabled the Mavericks to earn a a small measure of revenge for their 2010 playoff series loss to San Antonio. Dirk Nowitzki went 12-for-14 from the field en route to a team-high 26 points and Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion each scored 19 points for the Mavericks. Tony Parker was limited to nine points and was minus-17 in plus/minus. And Richard Jefferson clanked through a miserable shooting night with only two points as he missed all four field-goal attempts.

What was said:  ”Dallas did a great job tonight. As a group they executed better than we did. I think they were a bit hungry and a bit more competitive than we were tonight. And it showed up in the fourth quarter,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, describing the late collapse.   

What was said, Part II:  ”The last few games we were executing great down the stretch and making shots, but today they did. It was pretty clear they made all the shots they needed and we didn’t,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, describing the end of the Spurs’ 12-game winning streak.

What was said, Part III: We didn’t know what the streak was. It was just a matter that they’ve been playing well. We’ve been playing pretty good and we know this is our rival. And this is what the rivalry is all about,” Dallas guard Jason Terry on snapping the Spurs’ 12-game winning streak.

What was said, Part IV: “I guess it’s a magnet (for Nowitzki’s elbow). Things happen and you’ve just got to be tough and be ready to keep playing,” Ginobili, who sustained a bloody nose early in the fourth quarter, courtesy of an elbow from Nowitzki. Ginobili’s nose was broken by Nowitzki in the 2010 playoffs.

The upshot: The victory snapped San Antonio’s 12-game losing streak which was their longest of the season. But it was the Spurs’ last home loss in a long time as they immediately started a 22-game home winning streak that would stretch through March 6 and finish as the longest home winning streak in team history. And after that loss to Dallas, the Spurs would beat the eventual Western Conference champions in each of the three remaining games against them during the regular season.

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