Bleacher Report - Articles by Nate Rossman

Jason Williams: A Tribute to White Chocolate

Nate Rossman — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:33:26 -0500

It's been two months since Jason Williams announced, with little fanfare, his retirement from the NBA, and it's about time we put his career in perspective.

To say that Williams was at any point in his 10-year career one of the best point guards in the NBA is simply untrue. Never did he make an All-Star team, nor did he ever win any major awards.

Yet, one thing that Williams did do was capture the imagination of basketball fans worldwide. No player was as flashy as "White Chocolate," and he had the unique ability to be a showman on the court while at the same time being a winner.

Seven out of his ten seasons his teams made the playoffs. He was the starting point guard on the 2006 Miami Heat team that won the title. His assist-to-turnover rate was among the league's best during the prime of his career.

These facts do not, however, do Williams justice when trying to illustrate how important he was to the league. The player who was once called the "Pete Maravich of hip-hop" by none other that Shaquille O'Neal was literally a SportsCenter highlight waiting to happen.

Who could forget the behind-the-back elbow pass to Raef LaFrenz in the Rookie All-Star game? Or how about the time he faked Gary Payton out of his shoes with a sudden change of direction that only Barry Sanders could duplicate? And what about the time he battled John Stockton as a rookie and the young Kings pushed a veteran Jazz team to an elimination game in the 1999 playoffs?

J-Will had the ability to make you jump out of your seat on the couch, run to the kitchen and say to your wife, "Honey, you gotta come in here and see this replay!" Even the wife could appreciate the sheer genius of his creativity.

Of course, there are the haters who say that Williams was more style than substance. Be that as it may, I think everyone would agree that his entertainment value alone makes his retirement something that demands the attention of basketball fans everywhere and is noteworthy, even if he never was a true superstar.

Jason, thank you for the memories. We will miss you. Heck, we already do.

Who are Basketball's True Franchise Players?

Nate Rossman — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:37:31 -0400

Who is really a franchise player? There are alot of players who are the best on their team, but that does not make them a franchise player.

For example, Kevin Martin is the best player on the Kings, but can he really be considered a franchise player?

I believe the definition of a franchise player is a player who is so good that he can be considered the cornerstone of the organization.

In other words, he can be the best player on the team and the team can actually expect to be good. Case in point: Michael Redd has been the best player on the Bucks for the past few years and the team hasn't been any good.

Why?

Because although Redd is a darn good player, he isn't a franchise player. Franchise players make their teams good even if they have mediocre talent around them.

Here are four separate lists that illustrate what I am getting at. The first list are the players who I think are currently franchise players. The second list is of players who were believed to be franchise players by their teams but were actually better off being the second or third option. The third list is of players who were franchise players but are better off now being the second or third option. And finally, the fourth list is of players who are believed to be franchise players but need time to prove if they are or not.

Players who have never been considered franchise players at any point in their career will not be on any list. This does not mean they are not very good players. It just means they do not qualify based on my defenition of "franchise player".

Some examples would be Richard Jefferson, Manu Ginobli, David West, Caron Butler, Carlos Boozer, Richard Hamilton, Ron Artest and Shawn Marion.

CURRENT FRANCHISE PLAYERS

Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwayne Wade

BETTER OFF BEING SECOND OR THIRD

Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, Joe Johnson, Baron Davis, Ray Allen, Elton Brand, Emeka Okafur, Rasheed Wallace, Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury, Pau Gasol, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Gilbert Arenas, Zach Randolph

THESE PLAYERS WERE FRANCHISE PLAYERS BUT ARE NOW BETTER OFF BEING SECOND OR THIRD

Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Jason Kidd, Jermaine O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning

THE JURY IS STILL OUT

Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Derrick Rose, Al Jefferson, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley

Carl English Should Be in the NBA

Nate Rossman — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:39:16 -0400

Carl who? That's right—Carl English.

If you haven't heard of him, that's okay, because I'm about to tell you all about him.

On the surface, he appears to be just another guy who had a good college career who wasn't good enough to make an NBA roster. He participated in the Indiana Pacers training camp in 2003 and the Seattle Supersonics training camp in 2004, and was cut both times.

So why is he worthy of an article? It turns out that he's not just another guy.

English was born in St. John's, Newfoundland—that's in Canada—and when he was five years old he lost both his parents in a house fire. He was separated from his four brothers and went to live with his aunt and uncle in Patrick's Cove-Angels Cove, Newfoundland (pop. 97).

Basketball became his outlet in the tiny Canadian town, and when he was in high school he sought to gain exposure for himself—so he moved to Toronto and lived with a cousin. It was there—at St. Thomas of Aquinas High School—that he caught the eye of a few Division I schools. Ultimately, he decided on the University of Hawaii.

Just before English was about to leave for Hawaii, tragedy struck again—his uncle passed away on a fishing trip. If that wasn't enough to deal with, English was only able to play in two games as a freshman before needing season-ending surgery on his left ankle. He was granted a medical redshirt.

The next three years saw English thrive under UH coach Riley Wallace. As a junior, English earned First Team All-WAC honors, and finished second in the conference in scoring, averaging 19.6 points per game. He decided to forego his senior year and declare for the 2003 NBA Draft. He was projected to go either in the late first round or early second round.

English was in a Toronto restaurant on draft night together with his girlfriend, close friends and family. Even in Hawaii, his coach and teammates were watching the draft together to see where he would be picked. They all waited in vain as all 29 NBA teams passed on him. Twice.

From there, English played two years in the D-Leauge, where he put up some impressive numbers, but still couldn't land a spot in the association. Then, in the 2005-06 season, he played in Italy, followed by a season in Croatia ('06-07).

In the summer of 2007, he played for the Houston Rockets summer league team and this past season he played in the super-competitive Spanish League.

"Captain Canada," as he is affectionately called (he's been on Team Canada since 2000) is still optimistic about one day playing in the NBA. "I know I can be a good role player in the NBA," English says. "I just need someone to take a chance on me."

He isn't the only one who thinks so. When he was in training camp with the Sonics in 2004, Ray Allen took English aside and said to him, "You might not make this team, but just know—you can definitely play at this level. It's all about being in the right situation."

So as English's chances of making it to the League get smaller and smaller with every passing year- he's 27 now- I implore any NBA front office person who happens to read this article: "PLEASE give this guy a chance!"

He can actually help a team, with his outside shooting and ability to play both guard spots. He will be a good signing for any team from a PR standpoint. Imagine the story in the local paper about how he made it to the NBA after everything he's been through!

Some guys just have that "it". He might not be the biggest guy (6'5") or the most athletic, but he just knows how to play—as evidenced by the fact that this past season he was the only North American shooting guard in the Spanish League. His strength is his unlimited range and you can't tell me that Richie Frahm can make a roster and English can't. I like to compare him to Bob Sura before the injuries. He can play some point, he's pretty athletic and he's a confident shooter.

His best shot to make an NBA roster might be with the Toronto Raptors. He played under Raptor's assistant coach Jay Triano for the national team and the Raptors have signed guys like Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon when they proved to be solid players in Europe after originally being labeled not good enough.

And Carl, in closing, I just want to say that whether you make it to the NBA or not, you are a real hero because of your story and your perseverance. Good luck and God bless!

Charlotte Bobcats 2008-09 Season Preview

Nate Rossman — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:11:01 -0400

There is much optimism in the Queen City on the eve of the Bobcats' fifth season in the NBA—and for good reason.

Larry Brown was brought in to be the teacher. While he may have some baggage, he has a proven track record of turning teams just like the Bobcats into winners.

More specifically, he has a track record of helping young guards with talent play like poised veterans. He turned Allen Iverson into an MVP, and he transformed Chauncey Billups from a journeyman into an NBA Finals MVP.

Stephon Marbury couldn't be helped because—well, "Starbury" isn't coachable. Look for Brown to work his magic this year, and turn Raymond Felton into a top-ten point guard.

If that wasn't reason enough to be optimistic, the team also has Adam Morrison and Sean May returning after both missed all of last season with injuries. Morrison had a disappointing rookie campaign two years ago, but he did average 12 points a game while having to create shots for himself way too often.

It's not a stretch to say Morrison could become a Mike Miller-type of player coming off the bench behind Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace. Few teams in the Eastern Conference have a trio of swingmen of equal caliber.

Another source of excitement has been the addition of rookie point guard D.J. Augustin. He should see quality minutes behind Felton, and should be a high-energy guy off the bench, with his ability to get by his defender and into the paint.

And while there is a lot to be excited about, there are still questions. One big question on the minds of the Bobcat faithful is "Who will be the fifth starter?" Emeka Okafor was re-signed to a mega deal over the summer—but who will start alongside him in the low post?

None of the options seem ideal. There is May, who couldn't be counted on to play a full college season, let alone 82 games in the NBA. Then there is Nazr Mohammed, who has played on more NBA teams than anyone this side of Tony Massenburg.

There is also super-raw Euro Alexis Ajinca, who only averaged five points a game in the French League. He was taken with the 20th pick in the draft, and at this point he can't be considered anything more than a project.

Personally, I would have liked to see the team sign Nenad Krstic for mid-level money, but that's neither here nor there because now he plays for the Moscow Whatevers.

Another option that has been bandied about is to go small and start Okafor at center, Wallace at power forward, and Morrison at small forward. What's intriguing about that lineup is that it would allow second-year forward Jared Dudley to play significant minutes off the bench.

Last season, Dudley impressed fans and management alike while filling in for the injured Morrison, and Brown should find minutes for him

Despite these questions, the overwhelming consensus among Bobcats fans is that this year can be the year that the team makes the playoffs for the first time. Even analysts who are not biased towards the team admit that making the playoffs in the mediocre Eastern Conference is a possibility.

Whether they do or not, the team should be greatly improved under Brown's leadership. Remember, Brown has something to prove after the Knicks debacle. He doesn't want one year with Isiah to be how he's remembered—and if he succeeds in Charlotte, his failure in New York will be largely attributed to the impossible situation that Isiah created before Brown ever got there.

In contrast, Michael Jordan—and Bernie Bickerstaff before him—have assembled a roster in Charlotte that is full of guys who are hungry to win, very coachable, and model citizens off the court. Look for Charlotte to host its first playoff game since George Shinn took the Hornets and bolted for New Orleans.