Wednesday, October 31st (All times eastern)
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (0-0) AT TORONTO RAPTORS (0-0), 7 P.M.
Atlantic Division rivals open the new season tonight, as the Toronto Raptors welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to Air Canada Centre.
The Raptors will try and duplicate their excellent 2006-07 campaign. They made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2002 and proved that they are a team on the rise.
Toronto surprised everyone last season, as it ended with a 47-35 record and won its first division title in franchise history, finishing six games ahead of second-place New Jersey in the Atlantic. However, the playoffs were a different story for the Raptors, as the Nets knocked out Toronto in six games in the opening round of the postseason.
All-Star forward Chris Bosh led the club in scoring (22.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.7 rpg), while point guard T.J. Ford, who was acquired from Milwaukee during the summer of 2006, finished second on the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) with a club-high 7.9 assists per game.
Bosh has developed into one of the best power forwards in the league and is the cornerstone of the franchise. The lightning-quick Ford is a solid lead guard and is a big asset for the Raptors in transition.
Forward Andrea Bargnani, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, averaged 11.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 65 games during his rookie campaign. Bargnani should continue to get better, while Anthony Parker, Juan Dixon, Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa and Joey Graham are all role players who can contribute.
During the offseason, Toronto signed free agent forwards Maceo Baston and Jason Kapono to contracts, while Carlos Delfino was acquired in a trade from Detroit. Swingman Morris Peterson, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Raptors, opted to leave the club via free agency and ink a deal with New Orleans.
Bryan Colangelo, who was Executive of the Year last year, and 2006-07 Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell have done a great job working together and making the Raptors a contender in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto is scheduled to visit Vince Carter and the Nets on Friday at the Meadowlands.
Philadelphia head coach Maurice Cheeks, who is back for his third season as the Sixers’ general, has a tough job ahead of him for the 2007-08 campaign. Last season, the Sixers finished 35-47 and did not qualify for the playoffs for the second straight year. Team president Billy King and Cheeks are on the hot seat. Cheeks, who spent four seasons as the head coach in Portland, is 73-96 in his two campaigns on Philadelphia’s bench.
The 76ers have a completely new look after dealing All-Star guard Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets on December 19, 2006. The Sixers, who acquired point guard Andre Miller, veteran power forward Joe Smith, who signed with Chicago in the offseason, and two first-round picks in the Iverson trade, will get a taste of what its like to start a season without the superstar guard for the first time in over 10 years.
With the departure of Iverson, Andre Iguodala has stepped up to become the go-to guy. Iguodala averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 76 games last season, while the 31-year-old Miller made all of his teammates better with his excellent play-making ability. Miller registered 13.4 points and 7.8 assists in 80 games for Philadelphia and Denver.
Sharp-shooter Kyle Korver posted 14.4 points per game and shot 43.0 percent from beyond the arc. Center Samuel Dalembert, who averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds, showed a lot of improvement after the Iverson trade. Dalembert did suffer a stress fracture in his left foot during the summer and is probable for tonight’s contest.
On draft night, King added Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith, Derrick Byars, who was waived, and Herbert Hill. Young, who played one season at Georgia Tech, was selected with the 12th overall pick and has a great upside. However, the 6-8 Young is a project and is not expected to make a quick contribution
The seven-foot Smith was originally selected at 20th overall in this year’s draft by the Miami Heat. His rights were traded to Philadelphia in exchange for the rights to Daequan Cook, who was drafted at No. 21 by the Sixers, along with a second-round pick in 2009 and cash considerations. Smith, who spent his college days at Colorado State, will get minutes at center and power forward during his rookie campaign.
King did make a move that should help his club. On September 10th, the Sixers acquired forward Reggie Evans and the rights to forward Ricky Sanchez from the Nuggets for forward Bobby Jones and center Steven Hunter. Evans is not afraid to get physical down low and has a knack for rebounding. Evans collected 7.0 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game last season, and averaged a career-best 9.3 boards as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics during the 2004-05 campaign.
Philadelphia will visit the Chicago Bulls on Friday before returning home to host the Nets on Saturday at the Wachovia Center.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS (0-0) AT ORLANDO MAGIC (0-0), 7 P.M.
The Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks tip off the 2007-08 campaign tonight at Amway Arena.
It was an interesting offseason for the Magic. They have a new head coach and added an impact player through a sign-and-trade deal. After becoming the new general of the Magic, Billy Donovan decided he didn’t want the job. The team allowed him out of his contract to return to the University of Florida. Former Miami Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy will now call the shots from the bench.
Van Gundy served as head coach of the Heat for two-plus seasons from 2003-05 and recorded a regular-season mark of 112-73 and a postseason record of 17-11. His .605 regular season and .607 playoff winning percentages are both tops in franchise history. Van Gundy will stress defense and a controlled offense.
The Magic added arguably the top free agent in the offseason class in forward Rashard Lewis, who was acquired from the Seattle SuperSonics in a trade. The 28-year-old Lewis was an unrestricted free agent and received a lucrative, multi-year contract prior to the deal. Lewis was dealt by Seattle in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick
The 6-10 Lewis averaged a career-high 22.4 points per game and 6.6 rebounds for Seattle last season. He has played in 16 playoff games during his career, and posted 15.6 points and 5.3 boards per game in those contests.
Free agent center Adonal Foyle signed with the club. Foyle, who was waived by Golden State in August, played in 48 games last season with the Warriors, averaging 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Gone is veteran Grant Hill, who signed with the Phoenix Suns. Hill collected 14.4 points, 3.6 boards and 2.1 assists in 65 games in 2006-07 for Orlando. Promising forward Darko Milicic, who averaged 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Magic last season, signed a contract with Memphis, while Travis Diener inked a deal with Indiana.
Orlando finished 40-42 in 2006-07 and was the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Magic were swept by the Detroit Pistons, 4-0, in the first round of the postseason.
All-Star big man Dwight Howard is on the verge of becoming a superstar. The 21-year-old Howard led the Magic in scoring (17.6 ppg), rebounding (12.3 rpg) and blocks (1.9 bpg) last season. He was the only Orlando player to play in all 82 regular-season games, and is the cornerstone of the franchise.
Point guard Jameer Nelson averaged 13.0 points and a team-best 4.3 assists in 77 contests in 2006-07. Nelson is a pure point guard who, like Howard, continues to become more of a complete player.
Howard, Lewis and Nelson are the nucleus. Hedo Turkoglu and Trevor Ariza join Howard in the frontcourt, while Carlos Arroyo is a solid guard and sharp- shooting J.J. Redick will look to improve on a disappointing rookie campaign. Redick played just 42 games and posted 6.0 points per game.
The Magic will host Chauncey Billups and the Pistons on Friday before embarking on a four-game road trip. They will visit Washington, Minnesota, Toronto and New York on the upcoming swing.
Milwaukee has talent and could be a team that sneaks up on its opponents this season. The Bucks finished a dismal 28-54 in the 2006-07 campaign, and did not qualify for the postseason.
Sharp-shooting Michael Redd led the Bucks in scoring (26.7 ppg) last season, while center Andrew Bogut grabbed a team-best 8.8 rebounds and Maurice Williams handed out a club-high 6.1 assists.
The front office is building the team around Bogut, who netted 12.3 per contest, and shooting guard Redd. Williams, who signed a multi-year contract with the Bucks during the summer, was second on the club in scoring at 17.3 points per game.
Forward Charlie Villanueva averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 boards in just 39 games in 2006-07, while Charlie Bell, Earl Boykins, who was acquired from Denver during the season were also solid contributors. Bell registered a career-best 13.5 points per game in 2006-07 and was a restricted free during the offseason, but the Bucks matched Miami’s multi-year offer to keep the 6-3 guard with the club.
The Bucks drafted forward Yi Jianlian of China with the sixth overall pick in the draft. The 6-11 Yi was not planning on signing with the franchise after his agent Dan Fegan stated he wanted his client to play in a city with a more prominent Asian community. However, that changed after the Bucks front office met with Yi, his family and Mr. Chen Haitao, owner of Yi’s team in the Chinese Basketball Association, in Hong Kong.
Less than two years after being traded to the New Orleans Hornets, Desmond Mason re-signed with Milwaukee as a free agent. The Bucks inked the former Oklahoma State star to a multi-year contract. Mason played in 75 games and averaged 13.7 points and 4.6 boards for the Hornets in 2006-07.
Milwaukee also added free agents Jake Voskuhl and Royal Ivey, while forward Ruben Patterson inked a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Voskuhl gives head coach Larry Krystkowiak, who replaced Terry Stotts on March 14, 2007 and is the 10th head coach in team history, another big man off the bench, and Ivey will compete for minutes in the backcourt.
Bogut (sprained left wrist) is probable for Milwaukee, which will visit the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (0-0) AT INDIANA PACERS (0-0), 7 P.M.
The Jim O’Brien era begins tonight in Indiana, as the Pacers welcome the Washington Wizards to Conseco Fieldhouse.
Re-building could be in the very near future for the Pacers. O’Brien, who replaced Rick Carlisle as Indiana’s new head coach, takes over a club that finished 35-47 and did not qualify for the playoffs last year for the first time since 1997.
Jermaine O’Neal is still the cornerstone of the Pacers. Rumors were flying all summer of a possible trade with the Los Angeles Lakers involving the All-Star forward. O’Neal led the Pacers in scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg) last season, while point guard Jamaal Tinsley handed out a team-best 6.9 assists in 72 contests.
The Pacers made a big move during the 2006-07 season. On January 17th, they dealt swingman Stephen Jackson, forwards Al Harrington and Josh Powell and guard Sarunas Jasikevicius to the Golden State Warriors for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod. The deal worked out for Golden State, which qualified for the postseason for the first time since 1994. Dunleavy and Murphy, who were the keys to the deal for Indiana, did not seem to get comfortable in their new surroundings.
Danny Granger had a productive sophomore season. The New Mexico product played in all 82 regular-season games, and averaged 13.9 points and 4.6 boards. The 6-9 Granger shot 45.9 percent from the floor and will be a big part of the Pacers’ plans moving forward.
President of basketball operations Larry Bird was not able to make any significant moves during the offseason. The Pacers also did not have any picks in the draft and were spectators throughout draft night.
O’Brien is a veteran general who was brought in to try and keep the Pacers in the playoff hunt. O’Brien is not known for his work with younger players. He is a fit for a veteran club that has a shot at advancing to the postseason.
Indiana will host Shaquille O’Neal and the Miami Heat on Friday before going on the road to visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at FedExForum.
Injuries killed the Wizards during the 2006-07 regular season and in the playoffs. They played the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round of the postseason without All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. The result, a Cavaliers sweep of the Wizards in four games.
Arenas played in 74 games during the regular season, and led the club in scoring (28.4 ppg) and assists (6.0 apg), while Butler averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 63 games. Arenas suffered a knee injury and Butler was sidelined with a hand injury.
Forward Antawn Jamison, Arenas and Butler give Washington a potent threesome. Jamison ended the 2006-07 season with averages of 19.8 points and a club-high 8.0 boards in 70 games. Guards Antonio Daniels, DeShawn Stevenson, forward Darius Songaila and center Brendan Haywood form a serviceable supporting cast for Washington’s trio.
Center Etan Thomas required surgery to repair a leak of the aortic valve. Thomas was not cleared to play after a routine physical revealed an abnormality. The 29-year-old Thomas played in 65 games last season for the Wizards and averaged 6.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. He could be lost for the entire season.
Washington, which has made the playoffs three straight years, selected versatile guard Nick Young of USC with the 16th overall pick in the draft. The Wizards are hopeful that the athletic Young will be able to make an immediate impact.
Forward Jarvis Hayes and guard Juan Carlos Navarro are no longer with the club. Hayes was a free agent and signed a contract with the Detroit Pistons, while the Wizards dealt the rights to the Navarro to Memphis in exchange for a conditional first-round draft pick. Washington has held the rights to Navarro since selecting him with the 40th pick of the 2002 draft.
Eddie Jordan is entering his fifth season on Washington’s bench. Including a brief stint with the Sacramento Kings, Jordan owns a record of 186-239 as an NBA head coach. He is 6-14 in the postseason.
The Wizards are scheduled to visit the new-look Celtics on Friday at TD Banknorth Garden.
Washington has won three in a row and five of its last six contests against the Pacers. The Wizards have won three straight at Indiana.
CHICAGO BULLS (0-0) AT NEW JERSEY NETS (0-0), 7:30 P.M.
The Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets begin their 2007-08 schedules when they battle tonight at the Izod Center.
Chicago is a team on the rise. The Bulls finished 49-33 during the 2006-07 campaign and advanced to the East semis for the first time since 1998. The Detroit Pistons eliminated the Bulls, who had been knocked out in the first round the previous two playoffs, in six games in the postseason.
Ben Gordon and Luol Deng are rising stars, while Ben Wallace, who completed his first season with Chicago after six seasons in Detroit, is the intimidating inside presence down low. Kirk Hinrich provides steady play at the point, while Gordon led the Bulls in scoring (21.4 ppg) during the regular season and Wallace grabbed a team-best 10.7 boards. Hinrich handed out a club- high 6.3 assists per game.
Deng, who averaged 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds, and Gordon were the only Bulls to play in all 82 regular-season games. Forwards Tyrus Thomas, Andres Nocioni, and guards Thabo Sefolosha and Chris Duhon give the Bulls depth and athleticism.
The offseason was quiet for Chicago. The Bulls did add some size through the draft, as they grabbed forward Joakim Noah of Florida with the ninth overall pick and center Aaron Gray in round two. Veteran forward Joe Smith signed with the club, while Malik Allen decided to leave and ink a deal with the New Jersey Nets.
Nocioni, who averaged a career-high 14.1 points and 5.7 rebounds last season, decided to stay with team and signed a multi-year deal with the club during the summer. The 6-7 Nocioni is a hard-nosed player who plays physical defense and can drain the outside jumper.
Noah should add enthusiasm, help in transition and the low post, while Gray is a project and will hopefully develop into a productive player in the near future. Smith can play center and power forward in the East, and will help the Bulls on the boards. The 32-year-old Smith averaged 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2006-07, splitting time between the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers.
Chicago is a very deep club with a nice mix of veterans and younger players. Head coach Scott Skiles knows what he is going to get out of Deng, Gordon, Hinrich, Nocioni and Wallace. If the younger players continue to develop and produce, Chicago could get back to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 10 years.
On the injury front for Chicago. Noah Wallace are both out indefinitely, while Thomas is day-to-day. Noah and Wallace are both dealing with ankle sprains. Thomas has a right foot strain.
The Bulls will host Andre Iguodala and the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday at the United Center.
Chicago has dropped 11 straight and 14 of its last 15 at New Jersey.
New Jersey will try once again to win with the nucleus of Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd. Head coach Lawrence Frank signed a multi- year contract extension and continues to call the shots from the Nets’ bench.
Carter, Jefferson and Kidd give the Nets a dangerous threesome. However, it has not been good enough to get them back to the top of the Eastern Conference. In 2006-07, New Jersey finished 41-41 and earned a playoff berth in the East. The Nets knocked out the Atlantic Division champion Toronto Raptors in six games in the first round of the playoffs, but fell in six to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semis.
The 30-year-old Carter. who re-signed with the club in the offseason, averaged a team-high 25.2 points per game during the regular season, while Kidd, who posted 13.0 points per game, led New Jersey in rebounds (8.2 rpg) and assists (9.2 apg). Jefferson collected 16.3 points, 4.4 boards and 2.7 assists in 55 games.
Center Nenad Krstic missed 56 games during the 2006-07 campaign because of a serious knee injury. He registered 16.4 points and 6.8 boards in the 26 contests he played in.
New Jersey signed free agent big men Allen and Jamaal Magloire to one-year deals during the offseason. Magloire registered 6.5 points and 6.1 boards in 81 games for Portland last season, and will get the chance to earn a starting spot for the Nets. The 6-10 Allen will work in a reserve role and adds depth up front.
Gone are Eddie House, Mikki Moore and Clifford Robinson. House signed with Boston, Moore, who played very well for the Nets last season, inked a deal with Sacramento and Robinson was waived.
Center Sean Williams was selected out of Boston College with the 17th overall pick in the draft. Williams has questionable character and is a project. The Nets are gambling on his potential.
The Nets expect forwards Josh Boone, Antoine Wright and guard Marcus Williams, who will miss the start of the campaign after he suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal of his right foot, to play more minutes in 2007-08.
New Jersey is scheduled to host the Raptors on Friday at the Meadowlands.
DALLAS MAVERICKS (0-0) AT CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (0-0), 8 P.M.
The Dallas Mavericks try to rebound from a disappointing end to last season, as they open the 2007-08 campaign against the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.
Dallas enters the 2007-08 campaign with high expectations. The Mavericks finished an NBA-best 67-15 last season, but were stunned in the first round of the playoffs by Don Nelson and the Golden State Warriors in six games, 4-2.
Golden State became just the third eighth-seeded team to defeat a No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs. Denver eliminated the Seattle SuperSonics, 3-2, in the first round of the 1994 playoffs, while the Knicks knocked out the Miami Heat in five, 3-2, during the opening round of the 1999 postseason. The Warriors were the first eight seed to knock out a one seed in a best-of-seven series.
The Mavericks, who lost in six games to the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, reached the 60-win mark for the third time in franchise history. Head coach Avery Johnson continued to get the most out of his squad, but it wasn’t good enough in the postseason against the Warriors. After starting the season with four straight losses, the Mavericks won 12 straight and 27 of their next 30 games to take control of the Southwest Division and finish with the best overall record in the league.
Reigning NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki, who struggled against Golden State in the postseason, led the Mavericks in scoring (24.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg) during the regular season, while Jason Terry, who posted 16.7 points per game, dished out a team-best 5.2 assists per game.
Forward Josh Howard continued to improve his all-around game, and became a first-time All-Star. The 6-7 Howard averaged 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in 70 contests. Howard, Nowitzki and Terry make up a potent threesome. The main supporting cast is solid, as it consists of veteran Jerry Stackhouse, point guard Devin Harris, Devean George and Eddie Jones and centers Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop.
George and Stackhouse both re-signed with the team during the offseason, while free agent forward Austin Croshere inked a deal with Golden State and the team waived Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Forward Brandon Bass and Jones were free agent acquisitions, and North Carolina product Reyshawn Terry, who was selected by Orlando in the second-round of the 2007 draft, was obtained via trade with the Magic.
Nevada forward Nick Fazekas was added through the draft, as the Mavericks selected him with the 34th overall pick. The 6-11 Fazekas will be given the opportunity to earn immediate playing time.
Howard, who has a sprained left wrist, was suspended two regular season games without pay by the NBA for his involvement in an altercation with Sacramento’s Brad Miller during a preseason contest on October 16th. Howard is eligible to return on November 3rd at home against the Kings.
On Tuesday, Dallas agreed to terms on a contract with forward Juwan Howard. The deal will be made official on Wednesday after Howard clears waivers. Over the course of his 12-year career, Howard has averaged 16.1 points and over seven rebounds per game with Washington, Denver, Orlando, Houston, and a previous stint with Dallas from 2000-2002.
The Mavericks will visit Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks on Friday at Philips Arena.
Dallas has won four of its last six at Cleveland.
Superstar LeBron James and the Cavaliers enter the new campaign as the hunted for the first time ever. The Cavaliers are coming off their most successful campaign in franchise history. They won 50 games during the 2006-07 regular season, defeated Washington, New Jersey and Detroit in the playoffs to capture the Eastern Conference crown and advanced to the NBA Finals.
Cleveland was swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs in the finals, but the experience will only benefit the Cavaliers in the future. It took James just four years to get the Cavaliers over the hump and into the championship round.
James, who appeared in the postseason for the second time in his career last year, played in 78 games during the regular season. A three-time All-Star, James led the club in scoring (27.3 ppg), assists (6.0 apg) and also pulled down 6.7 rebounds per game. The 6-8 James is arguably the top player in the league and is the cornerstone of the franchise.
Larry Hughes, who battled a heel injury during the finals, averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 boards and 3.7 assists in 70 contests for the Cavaliers. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas posted 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds, while forward Drew Gooden, who was the subject of trade rumors during the summer, netted 11.1 and grabbed a team-best 8.5 boards.
Gooden, Hughes and Ilgauskas are James’ main supporting cast, while Sasha Pavlovic, who signed with the team on Tuesday, Donyell Marshall, Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson, who shined in the East finals, are decent role players. Gibson hit some big shots during the postseason, and will get a chance to play a bigger role this season.
One problem for the Cavaliers. Varejao is a restricted free agent and has not signed with the team. He is an important player and Cleveland needs him in the lineup.
The offseason was extremely quiet for the Eastern Conference champs. The Cavaliers lost veteran big man Scot Pollard, who was an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Boston Celtics. They did not have any draft picks and were inactive on draft night.
Head coach Mike Brown returns for his third season on the bench. Brown has led the Cavaliers to back-to-back 50 wins seasons and is 100-64 in regular-season contests. The 37-year-old Brown, who earned a championship ring as an assistant with San Antonio in 2003, has compiled a 19-14 record in the postseason.
Cleveland is scheduled to host the New York Knicks on Friday, before embarking on a six-game road trip to Phoenix, Golden State, Utah, Sacramento, the Clippers and Denver.
On the injury front for Cleveland, Gibson (strained right hamstring) and forward Cedric Simmons (bruised left ankle) are probable for tonight’s game. Veteran point guard Eric Snow is still sidelined after having left knee surgery.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1-0) AT MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (0-0), 8 P.M.
The Memphis Grizzlies open their regular season this evening, as they welcome the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs to FedExForum.
Memphis has a new head coach and a young roster with plenty of potential. The Grizzlies finished a league-worst 22-60 during the 2006-07 campaign, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time in four years.
New head coach Marc Iavaroni has a roster full of players who have something to prove. One-time All-Star Pau Gasol played in 59 games and led Memphis in scoring (20.8 ppg) and rebounding (9.8 rpg) in 2006-07, while sharp-shooting Mike Miller averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 boards, 4.3 assists and shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Gasol and Miller headline a roster that also includes forwards Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick and point guard Kyle Lowry. Gay and Lowry will be entering their sophomore seasons in the NBA in 2007-08, while Warrick played in all 82 games and posted 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in his second year in the league.
The Grizzlies grabbed Ohio State’s Mike Conley Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the draft. Conley was rated as the best point guard available in the draft, and should make an immediate impact.
Promising forward Darko Milicic signed with the club as a free agent during the summer. Milicic played 80 games for the Orlando Magic last season, starting 16, and averaged a career-best eight points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.
Memphis acquired guard Juan Carlos Navarro, who has been compared to San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili, in a trade from Washington, signed free agent guard/forward Casey Jacobsen, and allowed veteran Chucky Atkins to ink a deal with Denver.
The Grizzlies will host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday before hitting the road for a three-game trip. Memphis will visit Seattle, Portland and Utah on the upcoming swing.
San Antonio opened its campaign with a victory. On Tuesday, Tim Duncan scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Spurs over the Portland Trail Blazers, 106-97, at AT&T Center in the season opener for both clubs.
Tony Parker added 19 points for the defending champion Spurs, who lifted the banner and received their rings for winning the fourth NBA title in the last nine seasons. Manu Ginobili added 16 points and eight assists, while Brent Barry netted 12 for San Antonio, which has won 10 straight and 17 of the last 18 against Portland.
The Spurs return home to host the Sacramento Kings on Friday at the AT&T Center.
Veteran forward Forward Robert Horry (personal) is expected to miss tonight’s contest. Horry, who has earned seven championship rings, did not play against the Trail Blazers.
San Antonio has won eight of its last 10 against the Grizzlies, who have lost six straight season and home openers.
SACRAMENTO KINGS (0-0) AT NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (0-0), 8 P.M.
The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets open their 2007-08 seasons tonight at New Orleans Arena.
The Hornets are back in New Orleans for their first full season since the city was crushed by Hurricane Katrina. They relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast region in August 2005.
New Orleans has not qualified for the playoffs the last three years. This season could be different, as the Hornets have a deep, talented roster that wants to prove it can compete with the best. Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic headline a talented Hornets’ roster. Add forward David West and swingman Morris Peterson to the mix, and this is a team that should be in the thick of the playoff race in 2007-08.
Paul is one of the most dynamic players in the league. The Wake Forest product can score and is excellent at creating opportunities for his teammates. The 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, Paul averaged 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-best 8.9 assists in 64 games.
Chandler was a monster on the boards in 2006-07 for the Hornets, who finished 39-43 and were three games behind the Golden State Warriors for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference. The 6-11 Chandler posted 9.5 points and a team-high 12.4 rebounds per game.
New Orleans dealt with its share of injuries during the 2006-07 campaign, as Stojakovic, who was playing in his first season with the club, missed 69 games and West was sidelined for 30. Bobby Jackson was out for 26, Paul 18 and Chandler nine. West averaged a club-high 18.3 points and 8.2 rebounds, while Stojakovic netted 17.8 per game in the 13 contests he participated in.
Head coach Byron Scott is back for his fourth season on the Hornets’ bench. Scott guided the club to a dismal 18-64 record 2004-05 and 38-44 mark in 2005-06. Injuries hurt the Hornets big time last season, but Scott did a good job keeping the team in playoff hunt until the final week of the season.
Peterson and big man Melvin Ely signed with the club as free agents during the offseason, while forward Brandon Bass and swingman Desmond Mason left through free agency. Jannero Pargo re-signed and the team added Kansas forward Julian Wright with the 13th overall pick on draft night.
The Hornets will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday before embarking on a three-game road trip. They will visit Denver, the Lakers and Portland on the upcoming swing.
A new chapter is set to begin in Sacramento. Reggie Theus, who played 4 1/2 of his 13 seasons in the NBA with the Kings, was introduced as Sacramento’s new head coach on June 21st. Theus, who coached the previous two years at New Mexico State, led the Aggies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999 this past season.
A former NBA guard, Theus replaced Eric Musselman, who was relieved of his duties on April 20th after just one season as the general of the Kings. Prior to his time at New Mexico State, Theus spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Louisville under Rick Pitino.
In 2006-07, the Kings finished a disappointing 33-49, and didn’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Sacramento’s poor performance forced management to make Musselman’s tenure a short one.
Point guard Mike Bibby, who was the subject of trade rumors during the summer, averaged 17.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. The Arizona product, who was the only King to play in all 82 regular-season games in 2006-07, still could be moved in a trade because of his contract.
Bibby tore a ligament in his left thumb during a team practice on October 25th and will likely be out for six-to-10 weeks.
Kevin Martin had a breakout season. The 6-7 guard led the Kings in scoring (20.7 ppg), pulled down 4.3 boards and shot 47.3 percent from the field, including 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. Martin was one of the few bright spots during a very disappointing campaign.
The volatile Ron Artest ended with averages of 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 70 outings, while center Brad Miller and forward Shareef Abdur- Rahim had disappointing seasons.
Artest will miss the first seven games of the campaign as he received a suspension from the league for pleading no contest to infliction of injury on a spouse stemming from a domestic dispute in March in Placer County, California. At the time, Artest was suspended indefinitely by the Kings and later fined $600, ordered to get counseling, conduct 100 hours of community service and take part in a 10-day work project.
During the offseason, Sacramento drafted Washington center Spencer Hawes, who is out indefinitely after having arthroscopic left knee surgery, with the 10th overall pick, and signed free agent big man Mikki Moore, who registered career-highs in points (9.8 ppg) and rebounds (5.1 rpg) for New Jersey in 2006-07, to a contract.
Veteran forward Corliss Williamson opted to retire, while free agent guard Ronnie Price inked a deal with the Utah Jazz.
Sacramento is scheduled to visit San Antonio on Friday and Dallas on Saturday, before returning home for its home opener against the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Kings have dropped five in a row on the road against the Hornets.
SEATTLE SUPERSONICS (0-0) AT DENVER NUGGETS (0-0), 10:30 P.M.
Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson begin their first full season together, as the Denver Nuggets host the Seattle SuperSonics tonight at the Pepsi Center.
Last season, Denver earned its fourth straight playoff berth, but it was eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The Nuggets are 4-16 during their streak of postseason appearances. They fell in five games in the opening round to Minnesota in 2004, the Clippers in 2006 and the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and 2007.
The last time the Nuggets advanced to the second round of the playoffs was during the 1994 postseason. Denver upset the SuperSonics in five games, 3-2, in the opening round that season, but was ousted in seven games by Utah in the Western semifinals.
To say Denver’s 2006-07 campaign was boring would a be an understatement. On December 16th, another embarrassing moment for the NBA occurred during the Nuggets’ 123-100 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Denver had the game in hand and were headed towards victory late in the fourth quarter. However, Nuggets head coach George Karl still had some of his starters on the court, including Anthony, while New York had its reserves on the court to finish out the contest.
With Denver leading 119-100, New York rookie Mardy Collins committed a hard flagrant foul against J.R. Smith on a breakaway layup with about 1:15 left in the contest. Chaos then broke out, as Smith and Knicks guard Nate Robinson started to wrestle and both went onto the ground. Anthony lost his cool and blindsided Collins with a punch that seemed to knock the rookie to the ground. Knicks forward Jared Jeffries went after Anthony, who backpedaled towards his bench and away from Jeffries.
NBA Commissioner David Stern handed down significant suspensions. Anthony received a 15-game suspension, Robinson and Smith were both suspended for 10 games, Collins got six, Jeffries received four and Nene and Jerome James both were suspended for one game. The Knicks and Nuggets were both fined $500,000 for the incident.
Just days after the infamous brawl, the Nuggets made a blockbuster trade when they acquired Iverson on December 19th from the Philadelphia 76ers for a pair of 2007 first-round draft picks, point guard Andre Miller and forward Joe Smith.
The Nuggets struggled, but the team eventually jelled and they put together a season-best eight-game winning streak from April 1-13, which helped them move securely into a playoff spot in the West.
Anthony, who averaged a team-best 28.9 points per game last season, and Iverson are still learning to play together, while center Marcus Camby, Nene and Smith, who was suspended by the Nuggets for the first three games of the regular season for conduct detrimental to the team, are a solid supporting cast. Anthony and Iverson provide the scoring, and Camby is the athletic center who can block shots, rebound and run the floor.
Denver acquired big man Steven Hunter in a trade with Philadelphia during the offseason, and also inked free agent point guard Chucky Atkins to a deal. The Nuggets lost Steve Blake, who signed with Portland, in free agency, and Reggie Evans, who was sent to the Sixers in the Hunter deal. Guard Anthony Carter was re-signed by the team.
Forward Kenyon Martin is back. Martin played just two games last season because of an injury to his right knee. If Martin can come back 100 percent healthy, it would give Karl another rebounder and sound defensive player to add to his rotation.
The Nuggets have some early injury problems. Atkins (severely strained right groin) is expected to miss at least six-to-eight weeks, while Carter (fractured right hand) is out indefinitely. Smith (three-game suspension) is eligible to return on November 6th against New York at Madison Square Garden.
Denver will visit Al Jefferson and the new-look Timberwolves on Friday at the Target Center.
Seattle will have a new look in 2007-08. The SuperSonics, have hired a new coach, traded their two best players during the offseason and started to rebuild through the draft.
On draft night, the SuperSonics grabbed multi-talented Kevin Durant of Texas with the second overall pick, and dealt seven-time All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen, who averaged a team-best 26.4 points in 55 games last season, to the Boston Celtics for guard Delonte West, forwards Wally Szczerbiak and Georgetown’s Jeff Green, who was chosen with the No. 5 overall pick. Boston also received Seattle’s second-round pick, LSU forward Glen Davis, while the SuperSonics will receive a future second-round pick.
Durant was the most talented offensive player in the draft, while Green is also expected to make an immediate impact. In one night, Seattle changed the face of its franchise and started the rebuilding process.
July 5th was another big day for Seattle, as it hired P.J. Carlesimo to be its new head coach. Carlesimo had spent the previous five seasons as an assistant under Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. After 19 seasons as a head coach on the collegiate level, Carlesimo, who replaces Bob Hill on the Seattle bench, made the jump to the NBA when he was named the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 1994. Carlesimo guided the Trail Blazers to the playoffs for three straight seasons before he was hired by Golden State. He was fired as Warriors head coach in late December 1999.
The SuperSonics traded forward Rashard Lewis to the Orlando Magic in a sign- and-trade deal on July 11th. They received a future conditional second-round draft pick for Lewis, who averaged a career-high 22.4 points per game during the 2006-07 campaign.
Seattle also added veteran big man Kurt Thomas to its roster. The SuperSonics dealt a a future second-round pick to Phoenix for Thomas and two future first- round draft picks. The 35-year-old Thomas spent the last two seasons in with the Suns and averaged 6.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest in 120 regular season games during his tenure with the club.
Last season, the SuperSonics finished a disappointing 31-51 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Forwards Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox and point guard Luke Ridnour had solid campaigns. Collison led the club in rebounding (8.1 rpg), while Wilcox averaged 13.5 points and 7.7 boards and Ridnour collected 11.0 points and 5.2 assists. Earl Watson led the team in assists (5.7 apg).
On the injury front for Seattle, Durant (sprained left ankle) and Green (sprained left ankle) are both probable, while center Robert Swift (knee surgery) is questionable.
The SuperSonics are scheduled to host Steve Nash and the Suns on Thursday at KeyArena.
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