NBA Report Cards: Carlos Boozer, Kevin Durant and Others Who Need to Step Up
We are now roughly 20 games into this turbulent and exciting NBA season, and now that LeBron James has made his much-hyped return to Cleveland, we can get on with the rest of the season.
Many teams have made surprising runs so far this season to put their names atop the NBA, while others have struggled out of the gate, but nobody is perfect at this point.
There are at least a few players on every team who need to step up their game if they are going to a) help their teams stay in a playoff race, b) keep their starting jobs or c) help keep their teams out of the basement of the league.
Teams will begin to see what lineups work best now that November has ended and teams have used the extent of the lineups that they will use for the season for the most part.
It is time for many players to put up or shut up, lose minutes and get benched.
So let's take a look at the players on each team that need to improve their game in order to either get more playing time or keep the time that they are getting.
Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford
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The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is struggling due to, according to Crawford himself, an uncertain future.
One of the effects of the looming lockout has been the unwillingness of owners to extend contracts that expire at the end of this season, and now it seems those players are having a downturn in output due to this. Crawford is no exception.
Crawford's scoring average has dropped four points, from 18 to 14, from last season to this season, along with a short drop in rebounds, field goal percentage and three-point percentage.
Now, with Joe Johnson on tap for elbow surgery that will keep him out for over a month, Crawford is one of the main guys in the NBA that needs to step up.
If not, the Hawks' record could take a hit, and the surging Heat could take their spot.
Boston Celtics, Nate Robinson
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Everyone knows Nate Robinson for his amazing hops and Spud Webbish dunking ability, but the little guy needs to step up his production to stay in favor in Boston.
The Kevin Hart look-alike is shooting a very pedestrian 37 percent from downtown and is collecting only two assists a game in his 15 minutes on the floor.
Where he was once putting up 17 a night in New York, the Celtics fans are wondering where that production came from.
It seems that somebody told Nate that I was writing about him, so he went out and scored 21 on the Nets last night to prove that he can step up.
Charlotte Bobcats, Boris Diaw
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The resident Frenchman in Charlotte has been shooting a very good 51 percent, leading him to nearly 13 points per game, but it's the man behind him that is forcing him to work harder.
Tyrus Thomas is scoring nearly as many points, shooting a similar percentage, grabbing more rebounds and playing better defense but is getting 15 fewer minutes a game than Diaw.
If Diaw doesn't sink a few more shots, box out some more, grab a few more boards and buckle down on defense, he could see Thomas usurp his starting power forward role.
Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer
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I have to give him some slack considering he has only played three games since coming back from an injury this season, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need to step up.
Even if he is only playing 25 minutes a game as of right now, his four-rebound average is horrible.
The Bulls were doing quite well with Taj Gibson starting, coming in at 9-6 and leading the Central Division, but they have lost two of three with Boozer starting over Gibson.
It doesn't seem as if there is any way that Gibson will be taking the starting role back any time soon, but for the sake of the team Boozer needs to produce more.
Cleveland Cavaliers, Mo Williams/Antawn Jamison
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The two guys that looked to keep the Cavaliers afloat with the departure of LeBron James are not doing nearly as well as the people of Cleveland expected.
Williams has made many bad decisions on the court and showed a lack of drive, while Jamison looks completely baffled and out of place.
Each has players who could easily replace them knocking on the door behind them, with both Ramon Sessions and Daniel Gibson able to take Williams' spot and Jawad Williams and Leon Powe looking for time in the forward role.
If the down play continues for the two Cavaliers, there is no question that they will be shopped around when the trading deadline starts to approach.
Dallas Mavericks, Jose Juan Barea
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The Dallas Mavericks have one of the best benches in the NBA, but Jose Juan Barea is not helping them out much.
His eight points and three assists aren't bad for a backup point guard getting less than 20 minutes a game, but it is his shooting that has been downright turrible, as Charles Barkley would say.
He is shooting a poor 39 percent field goal rate and an atrocious 15 percent from three-point land, a number that wouldn't be that bad if he didn't jack up at least two ugly bombs a game.
The Mavericks could start to look elsewhere for a guy to back up Jason Kidd if Barea continues on this horrendous pace.
Denver Nuggets, Chauncey Billups
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Chauncey Billups has dropped off a ton from last season's production.
He was scoring nearly 20 points a game a season ago, but this year he is down to 15, along with a slight reduction in assists and rebounds.
His biggest drop, however, has been in shooting the ball. His field goal percentage is at 37, and he is shooting 34 percent from three, both of which are four percent below his career averages.
The Nuggets are trying to stay good enough to convince the team to keep Carmelo Anthony from being traded midseason, and Billups' downturn is not helping things.
Detroit Pistons, Richard Hamilton/Ben Gordon
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Neither Richard Hamilton nor Ben Gordon is playing horribly. In fact, they are almost the exact same person on the court.
Both are playing around 27 minutes a game, and both are averaging 12 points, two rebounds and exactly 2.6 assists.
Hamilton has a PER of 14.3; Gordon's is 14.4. It's creepy how similar their numbers are right now.
One of them has to step up to get rid of the doubt on who the starting shooting guard should be in order to put the best unit on the floor night in and night out.
Golden State Warriors, Rodney Carney
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Rodney Carney has been in the league for four seasons, and in that time he has shown flashes of brilliance that make it seem that this kid could be great.
He has the athletic ability to do anything on a basketball court, but he is too streaky and has been undisciplined.
He is fast, athletic, can shoot and can defend, but he has never been able to do them all at the same time since graduating from Memphis.
If he can finally put it all together in Golden State, he could be one of the best sixth men in the league or earn a starting spot on that squad.
Houston Rockets, Shane Battier
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Shane Battier has ridden through his career on his great defense, and he has been good enough to start for Houston since 2006.
He has been pretty good this year, but he has not been as good as he has been in the past.
He has begun to lose a step here and there, and his defense seems to be on a downturn at this point in his career.
Aside from that, he is continuing to take too many three-pointers, as he is shooting just around 35 percent and jacking up four deep balls a game.
Indiana Pacers, T.J. Ford
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T.J. Ford had been a starter for his whole career and has averaged more than 10 points a game for the past five seasons.
However, the arrival of Darren Collison and the loss of his starting job seem to have gotten him down at this point.
He is averaging a miserable 5.7 points on 36 percent shooting and only 31 percent from beyond the arc.
Ford has been asked to play some more minutes lately, as Collison has turned the ball over too often as of late, so he needs to pick up his production a bit.
Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Kaman
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The Clippers, with all their hope and hype for at least a decent season this year, have reverted to the Clippers of old—terrible.
Chris Kaman starting at center isn't helping the team much, although nobody who has played center for them this season has done much good.
Kaman was hobbled for much of the month of November, but before then he was averaging a decent 11 points on an alarming 38 percent shooting, a number that is unacceptable for a seven-footer.
Los Angeles Lakers, Ron Artest
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Ron Artest was signed for his defense, as his offense hasn't been desirable for a few seasons. His defense is still quite good, but his offensive drop-off isn't exactly unnoticeable.
His career average is around 15 points a game, so his eight this season is quite surprising, especially considering he's doing it while shooting below 40 percent.
With Matt Barnes knocking on the door behind him and shooting much better at this point in the season, while playing good defense on his own accord, Artest could end up losing his starting job by the end of the season.
Memphis Grizzlies, O.J. Mayo
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After two seasons of quite good basketball in Memphis, O.J. Mayo has dropped off quite a bit this season.
He is on his career average shooting the three, but he is five points less everywhere else, sporting a 40 percent field goal percentage.
Mayo has already lost sole possession of his role as the starting shooting guard, as he seems to have lost his role to Xavier Henry.
Miami Heat, Carlos Arroyo
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It seems like just a matter of time before Carlos Arroyo loses his starting job to Mario Chalmers or Eddie House.
Arroyo is doing his job offensively, shooting 48 percent from downtown and getting out of the way so LeBron James and Dwyane Wade can handle the ball, but his defense is atrocious.
He gets absolutely eaten up by any decent ball-handler and is probably one of the worst defensive point guards in the league.
If he doesn't buckle down, he could find himself buried on the bench in no time flat.
Milwaukee Bucks, John Salmons
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The man that helped the NBA fear the deer a season ago has cooled off tremendously since his hot half-season with Milwaukee last season.
He started out slow in Chicago last year, so they shipped him to the Bucks, where he in turn went ablaze, as he averaged 19 points on 47 percent shooting.
This season he is down to 11 points and is shooting 10 percent worse, as the Bucks are struggling to stay afloat in the East.
If the Bucks wish to make it back above .500 and make it back to the playoffs, then they had better hope Salmons gets it back together.
Minnesota Timberwolves, Wesley Johnson
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The small forward out of Syracuse took the starting shooting guard spot from Wayne Ellington five games into the season, but he hasn't exactly been great in that position.
He has been able to gather up a handful of blocks on the smaller players, but he has been beat off the dribble too many times this season, and that's starting to undermine his offense.
Shooting 43 percent is quite good, but he is only grabbing three rebounds a game, and for a guy who is guarding players two to four inches shorter than him, that number should be higher.
New Jersey Nets, Travis Outlaw
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Outlaw has been given the starting small forward role in New Jersey and has done well offensively, but his defense leaves much to be desired.
He can shoot the ball effectively, but he is getting beat by defenders too often and seems lazy from time to time.
The Nets are full of unproven forwards, so if he doesn't buckle down, he could end up losing his starting role.
New Orleans Hornets, Trevor Ariza
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Trevor Ariza still has the good defense that helped him make a name for himself in Los Angeles, but he can't seem to shoot well at all these days.
He shot below 40 percent for the first time in his career last season, and it is getting worse this year, as he is shooting 39 percent right now.
Even more bizarre, in the past two seasons, he seems to have caught the "I should be a three-point shooter" bug, and he has been horrible at it.
Ariza is shooting 29 percent from downtown this season, but it isn't stopping him from jacking up four long shots a game and completely giving away those possessions.
New York Knicks, the 5 Spot
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The centers for the New York Knicks have been pretty bad this season, forcing Amar'e Stoudemire into the starting center role, one in which he has never looked comfortable.
Much-hyped Timofey Mozgov started the season at center and never scored more than 10 points in a game while shooting 37 percent, even though he is the biggest guy on the court.
The job was then given to Ronny Turiaf, who did a better job than Mozgov, actually shooting quite well, but ended up being unable to grab rebounds at a reliable pace before injuring his knee.
Having Stoudemire play the 5 has worked so far, but his past as a center isn't anywhere near as good as his past as a power forward.
Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant is by no means doing as badly as some of the other players on this list, but he is doing much worse than he did a season ago.
Durant is down six points in field goal percentage and down an ugly 10 points in three-point percentage, sitting at 41 and 26 percent respectively.
He has been shooting more shots this season but scoring fewer points in return. If more of those shots fall, the Thunder could easily be 17-4.
Orlando Magic, J.J. Redick
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It seems that every team contending for a championship this season has made it a point to have a three-point specialist on their team. In Orlando, Redick was supposed to be that guy.
Redick's main job is to stand outside the three-point line and drain two or three bombs a game.
He hasn't been doing that thus far this season, shooting a lame 27 percent from downtown, taking two or three possessions per game away from his team.
Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner
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This was probably the easiest selection of the whole list.
Turner was a stat-stuffer at Ohio State and the No. 2 pick in the draft. He was expected to come in and be their next Andre Iguodala.
Instead, given 26 minutes a game to fill his stat line, Turner is averaging just seven points, two assists and five rebounds a game, along with terrible nine percent shooting from three.
Phoenix Suns, Jared Dudley
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Jared Dudley has been a great spot-up shooter in the past, and a great shooter overall; this season, however, he has been far from great.
He is shooting a miserable 29 percent from downtown and his field goal percentage is sitting at 38 percent. For a guy with a career average of 46 percent shooting, that is a huge drop-off.
If Dudley can step up his production, then there is no question that it would help the Suns to further overcome their defensive shortcomings.
Portland Trail Blazers, Rudy Fernandez
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Rudy Fernandez has been on the downslope ever since he arrived in Portland three years ago.
He went from averaging 10 points his rookie season to eight and now seven a game.
His shooting percentage is not good by any standards, at 33 percent from the field and 34 percent from three.
Fernandez's slump has buried him on the depth chart, as he is losing minutes left and right to more effective players.
Sacramento Kings, Samuel Dalembert
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The Kings brought in Dalembert this season expecting him to be the same defensive presence he has been in the past.
Well, his defense has been pretty good this season, but the man has absolutely forgotten how to shoot.
A career 52 percent shooter who shot 54 percent a season ago is shooting a terrible (for a center) 39 percent and has felt the wrath.
Due to his poor shooting, he has lost his starting job to DeMarcus Cousins.
San Antonio Spurs, Antonio McDyess
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DeJuan Blair took the starting power forward spot away from Antonio McDyess a season ago and has held a death grip on the spot ever since.
McDyess isn't doing much to try to win the spot back, however.
A career 50 percent shooter, McDyess is shooting 45 percent this year and is down to a block every other game, when he is used to averaging one a game.
Toronto Raptors, Linas Kleiza
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Linas Kleiza was lured to Toronto and away from Denver with some dollar bills and the hopes of a starting spot.
Well, he started the season as a starting forward for the Raptors, but he has since given up the starting role to Sonny Weems.
Kleiza is doing worse on defense this year than he was a season ago and is shooting terribly from beyond the arc at 23 percent.
Utah Jazz, Raja Bell
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Raja Bell is in the starting shooting guard role for the Jazz, but he isn't doing a great job of if.
Bell is averaging a measly assist and two rebounds per game, while scoring only eight points a game, all while playing 28 minutes a game.
He has played pretty good defense this season, but his shooting has been less than impressive, shooting only 32 percent from three.
Washington Wizards, Gilbert Arenas
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Right now, Gilbert Arenas is in basketball purgatory. He's an aging guard who is probably on the verge of being traded, as there is a young buck coming in and showing him up.
Arenas is shooting pretty poorly at 38 percent, down from his 42 percent career average, while scoring 17 points a game, meaning he is probably forcing up too many shots.
It seems that playing only 62 games in the past four seasons is finally getting to him.
His assists are down to around five a game, but he is still playing pretty good defense, giving him pretty good trade value—so he is some benefit to the team.
