Rookie Ranking - Week 15

Overall Rankings - Week 15

1. Al Horford, F-C, Atlanta G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 47 31.4 9.3 10.0 1.2 0.9 1.0 .469 .000 .659 Last Week: 2 | Drafted: 3 Why does Horford deserve to overtake the No. 1 spot from Durant 15 weeks into the season? Let's take a quick look at the résumé through 47 games: 23 games with 10 boards or more (including eight games with 15-plus bounds), 17 games of 10-points or more, 14 games with two blocks or more, nine games with two steals or more and the Hawks would be in the playoffs if they started today. If that's not enough, he has already lapped his father's production as a NBA player several times over. Tito Horford had 93 points and 84 rebounds in his three-year career, while his son already has totals of 435 and 468.

2. Kevin Durant, G-F, Seattle G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 49 33.1 19.4 4.1 2.3 0.9 1.1 .402 .287 .865 Last Week: 1 | Drafted: 2 Last week consisted of one game, one loss and 10 missed shots on 12 shot attempts for Durant Durant. When he's at his best, there's no rookie in his realm. The problem is, KD's "best" only seems to come around once every four games or so. The only award you should be in the running for if you're performing at 100 percent in only 25 percent of your team's games is the Cy Young, I'm sorry.

3. Luis Scola, F-C, Houston G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 51 21.5 8.5 5.3 1.2 0.6 0.2 .512 .000 .602 Last Week: 4 | Drafted: 56 by San Antonio in 2002 Houston has won 11 of its last 12 games and Scola has upped his production during that span to 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds while stepping into the starting lineup. With two stars in Yao and McGrady, two glue guys in Battier and Scola and two more talents in Alston and Wells, the Rockets are a team that the rest of the West doesn't want to draw come playoff time.

4. Al Thornton, F, L.A. Clippers G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 46 22.1 10.2 3.6 0.9 0.5 0.4 .426 .333 .702 Last Week: 7 | Drafted: 14 Thornton is climbing up the rankings at a rapid rate after averaging 20.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in three games last week - two of them ending in Clippers wins. The only young pup to have a better week was Uno the dog.

5. Jamario Moon, F, Toronto G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 46 28.2 8.1 6.1 1.1 1.0 1.4 .455 .290 .688 Last Week: 3 | Drafted: Undrafted Is Jamario Moon a better player or a better story? In support of the "player" argument, Odysseus had versatile outputs of 16 points vs. the Clippers, eight points on 4-for-4 shooting and two blocks against the Timberwolves and eight points and eight rebounds against the Spurs last week. In support of the "story" argument, consider the fact presented to me by D-League expert Matt Brennan: Moon only averaged 5.0 points in 59 games in the Developmental League! Your numbers are supposed to be inflated in the minors, not the other way around.

6. Sean Williams, C, New Jersey G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 47 21.0 7.5 5.5 0.4 0.5 1.9 .543 .000 .622 Last Week: 6 | Drafted: 17 Will the future core of the New Jersey Brooklyn Nets feature Williams at the five, Josh Boone at the four, Boki Nachbar at the three, Antoine Wright at the two and Devin Harris at the one? More importantly, is that a good team? If Williams keep swatting MVPs like in this picture, I think the team will be OK.

7. Juan Carlos Navarro, G, Memphis G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 51 25.5 10.8 2.6 2.2 0.6 0.0 .419 .386 0.814 Last Week: 5 | Drafted: 40 by Washington in 2002 Navarro has been in and out of the starting lineup this season and I don't think Coach Iavaroni has settled on what version of JCN helps the team more. Is it the starter who pours in 14.2 points per game, but shoots .403 from the floor and .361 from three, or the substitute who scores 9.1 per, but is more accurate with percentages of .432 from the floor and .407 from deep?

8. Thaddeus Young, F, Philadelphia G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 44 17.1 6.5 3.8 0.6 0.7 0.2 .519 .250 .705 Last Week: 9 | Drafted: 12 We know about Florida's and Ohio State's representation in last summer's draft, how about some ink for Georgia Tech? Thaddeus Young is coming on strong and Javaris Crittenton dropped 10 points in his third game with the Grizzlies.

9. Yi Jianlian, F, Milwaukee G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 50 27.1 9.6 5.8 0.9 0.6 1.0 .433 .286 .831 Last Week: 7 | Drafted: 6 Yi was relegated to the bench, but it looks like he could be back in the starting five now that Charlie Villanueva is resting a sore ankle. More games like the 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting and five rebounds he had on Monday, and the starting spot will be his to lose.

10. Rodney Stuckey, G, Detroit G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% 26 16.0 5.7 1.7 2.4 0.9 0.0 .394 .143 .756 Last Week: The Next 10 | Drafted: 15 Stuckey is finally showing the type of game that had draft pundits comparing him to a young Dwyane Wade last spring. He appears fully recovered from the broken left hand that sidelined him for the first six weeks of the season as he scored in double figures (while shooting .615 from the floor) in three Pistons wins last week.

TOP 5 Teams of the Week

TEAM (LAST WK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
1	Detroit (2)	37-13	Off: 113.0 (3), Def: 103.8 (3) -- The Pistons have quietly won eight straight, sharp on both ends of the court. If they take care of business in Atlanta and against the Pacers, they should be going into the break as the best team in basketball, and the only one with three All-Stars.
2	Boston (1)	39-9	Off: 111.3 (10), Def: 99.5 (1) -- With Sunday's win over the Spurs, the Celtics are now 16-0 against the West. They've got a five-game trip with stops in Denver, Golden State, Phoenix and Portland right after the break.
3	Utah (7)	33-19	Off: 113.2 (2), Def: 107.0 (11) -- The Kings ended Utah's 10-game winning streak on Friday, but the Jazz kept their 12-game streak at home alive with Saturday's win over the Bulls. At 22-3 at EnergySolutions Arena, the Jazz are tied with Dallas for the best home record in the league.
4	New Orleans (3)	34-15	Off: 111.9 (8), Def: 105.7 (6) -- Wednesday's double-OT win over the Suns was an absolute classic and the Hornets' 13th straight win in overtime (an NBA record). Fascinating stat though: The Hornets are last in the league in free throw attempts per possession (0.22). One would think that a team that doesn't get to the line often would struggle in close games.
5	Phoenix (4)	36-15	Off: 114.2 (1), Def: 108.2 (15) -- Shaq is practicing and could play Wednesday or Thursday. And it's a small sample size, but in the four games the Suns have played without Shawn Marion this season, their defensive rating is 113.7. That's pretty bad.

Paul, Hornets Spoil Kidd’s Dallas Debut

New Orleans 104, Dallas 93

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 20 (AP) -- Perhaps Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets don't need any blockbuster trades to keep pace with their Western Conference rivals.

Paul had 31 points, 11 assists and a career-high nine steals, spoiling Jason Kidd's debut with Dallas and lifting the New Orleans Hornets to a 104-93 victory over the Mavericks on Wednesday night.

"We were excited that we would be their first game (with Kidd),'' Paul said. "We knew it was going to take some time for them to get used to playing with those guys and we took full advantage of it.''

Kidd, acquired Tuesday from New Jersey, looked out of sorts at times, committing six turnovers.

"He made some great passes and some of the time guys weren't looking for the ball,'' Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "This is kind of like a mini-training camp. We just don't have a lot of time. But at the same time, we need every practice and every game for everybody to get on the same page and everybody to get used to playing with Kidd.''

Kidd has had one full practice and one game-day shootaround with his new team. He finished with eight points and five assists.

"I caused a couple of breakdowns,'' Kidd conceded. "We can build on this. ... I have some bad habits. I just have to make some adjustments and look at the game. I just need to keep getting the feel of everybody and go to practice tomorrow.''

Meanwhile, Paul's dazzling performance on both ends of the floor had the enraptured crowd on its feet, raining down chants of "M-V-P!'' for their own All-Star point guard while a banner offering similar sentiments flapped from the upper deck.

"It's fun to watch. I was getting pumped up,'' said Hornets center Tyson Chandler, who at one point early in the fourth quarter was jumping along the sideline, arms raised triumphantly, while waiting to check into the game. "Tonight was unbelievable. The guy was all over the place. He took a personal challenge to go out and just, I mean, he was incredible. I haven't seen anything like that in a while.''

While Paul dribbled surgically through Dallas' defense, Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson shot with precision from the perimeter, combining for eight of the Hornets' 10 3-pointers as New Orleans won its fifth straight.

Stojakovic made three 3-pointers and finished with 18 points, while Jackson hit five and wound up with 17 points. David West also scored 18 for New Orleans, despite playing with foul trouble in the second half.

"It was a game we had to come in and be dominant and show everybody what we could do,'' Jackson said. "We've got so many great shooters and guys who can make plays, when one person gets going it opens up the floor for everybody else.''

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 31 points. Reserve Jason Terry scored 14 points and Erick Dampier added 11.

Paul, whose nine steals also tied a franchise high, scored 19 points in the third quarter, when he hit all seven of his shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, to help New Orleans surge to an 11-point lead.

New Orleans began to pull away when Stojakovic hit a jumper and Paul followed with an open 3 after Kidd got tangled up with two other players and fell. Soon after, Paul fed Hilton Armstrong inside for a three-point play, then Paul capped a 10-2 run with a pull-up jumper with just over a second left in the third quarter to give New Orleans a 75-64 lead heading into the final period.

New Orleans widened its lead to 17 in the fourth quarter, when Jackson made two of his 3-pointers and Dallas began to look tired and miss shots.

Neither team led by more than six during an intense but sometimes sloppy first half during which both teams turned the ball over 11 times.

Nowitzki and West each scored 14 points during the first two periods, but both also were called for three fouls.

Kidd made an immediate contribution on Dallas' first possession, feeding Josh Howard for a basket inside. However, he sometimes looked out of synch with his new teammates, who sometimes pulled him aside after unfruitful possessions and pointed out instructions.

Some of Kidd's problems had more to do with Paul, who set a franchise record for steals in a half with seven.

Dallas outshot and outrebounded New Orleans during the first half, but Stojakovic and Jackson each hit three 3-pointers and Stojakovic turned one of those into a four-point play when he was fouled. Paul then hit a pull-up jumper in the final minute of the second quarter, giving New Orleans a 47-44 halftime lead.

Bryant’s 41 Help Lakers Spoil O’Neal’s Suns Debut

LA Lakers 130, Phoenix 124

PHOENIX, Feb. 20 (AP) - Kobe Bryant spoiled Shaquille O'Neal's debut with Phoenix. The Suns believe with the big guy just getting started, there are better days ahead.

Bryant, despite his dislocated right pinkie, scored 41 points to help the Lakers to an intense 130-124 victory over Phoenix on Wednesday night.

Lakers newcomer Pau Gasol added 29, including a breakaway dunk that put Los Angeles up 123-117 with 1:15 to play. Lamar Odom added 22 for the Lakers, who won their sixth in a row to move into a tie with Phoenix atop the Pacific Division.

O'Neal scored nine of his 15 points in the final quarter and grabbed nine rebounds in 29 minutes against his old team in his first game in nearly a month.

"I'm in better shape than I thought I was,'' he said, "the adrenaline factor and just being out there with the guys.''

O'Neal came to the Suns a week ago in an unexpected trade that sent Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Miami. O'Neal played for the Lakers from 1996-2004.

"He did seem to get stronger as the game went on, which is incredible,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I did really think he'd run out of steam sometime in the second half, and he really didn't. Him not being used to anything that we do - 124 points - I didn't think we could put that many up, just starting out.''

Amare Stoudemire had 37 points and 15 rebounds for Phoenix, while Steve Nash added 26 points and eight assists, and Leandro Barbosa and Grant Hill each had 17 points.

"I think everyone was excited for the game and to lose is difficult,'' Nash said, "but I think if you take a step back it's encouraging. I thought Shaquille was great, and I think the possibilities are very exciting.''

The Lakers improved to 3-1 against the Suns, clinching the season series and knocking Phoenix out of a virtual tie with New Orleans for the best record in the West.

I Kidd You Not. Nets, Mavs Reach a Deal

Nothing could keep the Mavericks and Nets from completing the NBA's fourth blockbuster trade in February.

After a week of rumors and speculation, a trade veto and bringing a player out of retirement, the Mavericks and Nets reached a deal Tuesday that sends Jason Kidd back to the city where his Hall of Fame career began.

Dallas acquired Kidd, Antoine Wright and Malik Allen from New Jersey in exchange for Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop, Keith Van Horn and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010.

It appeared a deal between the two teams was finalized last week, but Mavericks forward Devean George exercised his right to veto the trade, forcing the two teams to go back to the drawing board. Van Horn, who hasn't played since the 2006 NBA Finals, was then brought into the picture and agreed to a sign-and-trade with Dallas to help make the deal go down financially. To make room to sign Van Horn, the Mavericks waived rookie Nick Fazekas.

The 35-year-old Kidd, who began his career in Dallas in 1996, had been with the Nets since 2001. He represented the East in Sunday's All-Star Game.

"He's a once in a lifetime type of guy to play with and coach," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said of Kidd. "He's had an unbelievable impact on everyone in this organization and we wish him nothing but the best."

Kidd is expected to be in the Mavericks' lineup tomorrow night when they visit the Hornets.

LeBron’s All-Star MVP Performance Helps East Edge West

East 134, West 128

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 17 (AP) -- Toss some leftover Mardi Gras beads toward the East. LeBron James and his crew earned them.

Outdunking, outpassing and outperforming their more trumpeted counterparts from the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference All-Stars avenged a year-old beating with a 134-128 win on Sunday night.

Ray Allen scored 28 points, making three straight 3-pointers in the final 3:15, and James added 27, including a did-he-really-do-that? dunk in the last minute to propel the East and earn MVP honors.

Last year, the West humiliated the East in a 153-132 rout in Las Vegas when Kobe Bryant and Co. rewrote the event's record books. However, this time led by Allen's 14 fourth-quarter points and James, the East salvaged some pride and can return to the season's second half with bragging rights.

"They beat up on us pretty bad last year,'' James said. "We didn't want to allow that to happen. We wanted to win.''

James, who added nine assists and eight rebounds, was MVP for the second time in three years. He also won the honor in 2006, when the East beat the West in Houston.

Amare Stoudemire, Brandon Roy and Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points apiece to lead the West, which trailed by 13 entering the fourth quarter before rallying behind New Orleans' own Chris Paul. The sensational guard's seventh assist of the final period set up Roy's layup to give the West a 122-119 lead.

But Boston's Allen, the final player added to either roster, knocked down his second 3-pointer in 48 seconds to tie it before Paul answered with a 3, sending the hometown crowd into a frenzy.

Allen finally missed and James poked away the ball, and then came up with the night's most stirring moment.

Slashing through the lane, Cleveland's megastar rose and dunked over several West defenders, much like he did in Game 5 of last year's Eastern Conference finals in Detroit when he scored the Cavaliers' final 25 points

"We had two people on him,'' Paul said. "but that still wasn't enough.''

Paul was called for an offensive foul on the West's next trip. Dwyane Wade hit a layup and Allen scored to make it 131-125. Roy's 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds brought the West within three, but Allen made three free throws to close it out.

The weekend in New Orleans was about much more than spectacular dunks, a game featuring marginal defense or collecting strings of beads while strolling down boozy Bourbon Street. The NBA came to the Big Easy hoping to help this special city continue its comeback from Hurricane Katrina, the effects of which are still being felt 2 1/2 years since she blasted through.

On Friday, the world's biggest basketball names as well as hundreds of volunteers fanned out to all sides of the city to help refurbish playgrounds, paint houses and lend a hand with whatever they could on a day devoted to community service.

Many of the players were moved by the experience and came away with a greater sense of what the area has gone through and the monumental work that lies ahead in the Gulf Coast Region.

"Well, I hope not just me, but every All-Star from the East and West was able to put smiles on kids and on families faces,'' James said. "I think we all know what happened, the devastation down here and to bring the NBA All-Star game here I think it really uplifted the families down here. We had a great time.''

Bryant, who won MVP honors last year, played less than 3 minutes so he could rest his injured pinkie. The 10-time All-Star dislocated his finger earlier this month and doctors have advised him to have surgery.

Bryant, though, energized by the club's addition of center Pau Gasol in a trade, wants to delay any operation until late summer. As soon as he took on the West's bench, a trainer wrapped a large ice pack around his entire hand, rendering arguably the league's top player to spectator status.

The West could have used him.

"There's one player we really, really missed, and that was Kobe,'' West coach Byron Scott of New Orleans said. "Obviously, Kobe would have loved to play.''

New Jersey's Jason Kidd spent the weekend wondering whether he would be going back to the Nets or changing into a Dallas jersey. A complex trade, snagged when Mavericks guard Devean George blocked the deal, may have new life.

The clubs still hope to get a deal done before Thursday's deadline.

Players were grooving even before they hit the floor.

Introduced under a balcony resembling one in the city's historic French Quarter, several of the All-Stars danced as a local brass band filled New Orleans Arena with the sounds that exemplify the area's laid-back, fun-loving ethos: Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez - Let The Good Times Roll.

The East came out flying, getting seven dunks and a layup in the first 5 minutes to take an early 11-point lead before the West awakened. Paul and Hornets teammate David West sparked the West, which cut it to two before James, Kidd and Dwight Howard, whose Superman routine won him Saturday's dunk contest, put on passing display like they were playing pickup ball in the schoolyard.

On one possession, Kidd threw a lob pass to James, who then bounced it off the glass for a charging Howard, who slammed it in. Both teams were scoring so quickly in the second quarter that the p.a. announcer was having a hard time keeping up.

"Rasheed Wallace,'' he said before catching a breath to say, "Carmelo Anthony.''

The game was missing one of its biggest stars as Shaquille O'Neal was not selected, snapping his record-tying 14-year run. Without O'Neal, there were no comedic moments like when Shaq pulled out a giant sneaker phone or made like a point guard and dribbled his way up the court.

Notes: Phoenix will host next year's All-Star game. The event was last held there in 1995, when the West won 139-112 and Sacramento's Mitch Richmond was named MVP. ... Celtics C Kevin Garnett, the leading vote getter who missed the game because of an abdominal strain, worked out for coach Doc Rivers on Sunday. He's expected to practice with the club in Denver on Monday and could return to action on Tuesday. "I'm back to my old self again,'' he said. ... The East attempted 36 3-pointers, breaking the record of 30 set by the West in 2002. ... Paul's 14 assists are the most since Kidd had 14 in 2000. ... James is the 11th multiple MVP winner.

It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's the Slam Dunk Champion

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 16, 2008 -- If you look up the word "creative" in the dictionary, you will come across the following definition...

Having the quality of something created rather than imitated

Creativity was clearly the focus of this year's Sprite Slam Dunk competition, leading up to it and during the competition itself. Imitation would not be accepted. If you didn't bring something new to the contest, you would be staring at five NBA legends green cards with nothing but 8s on them.

"I don't think people want to see the same old dunks," Dwight Howard said afterward. "They want to see something else, see some spice."

And Howard brought the spice tonight. And it wasn't just spicy. It was down right impressive. Howard dominated both rounds of the competition, scoring 50s on both of his first round dunks and receiving 78 percent of the fans' votes in the finals.

The key to Howard's victory may have been that his two best dunks (the two he showed us in his YouTube video) were not in the same round.

And it's quite possible that no one else in the world could do those two dunks.

On his first dunk of the night, Howard tossed the ball to himself off the back of the backboard, caught it, and threw it down with his left hand while his head was still on the other side of the glass. It was a variation, and a nice one at that, of Andre Iguodala's 50 in 2006.

"I've been working on that one for two years," Howard revealed. "I saw Iguodala did it, and I was working on it after that, coming up with my own little thing."

On his first dunk of the finals, Howard did a high toss from the left wing, tipped off the backboard (on the right side) with his left hand, and then threw it down with his right. And he made it look very easy.

But Howard wasn't going to do the tip dunk, maybe because most basketball fans had seen it already on YouTube. Fortunately though, his friends convinced him that the rest of the world needed to see it.

In between those two came the Superman dunk, a showcase of Howard's playful personality. And the showcase continued late in the night after the New Orleans Arena crowd had gone home, as Howard donned the cape for his post-contest photo shoot and danced around Jennifer Pottheiser's set backstage.

But while Howard was clearly the star of this night, each of the other dunkers also provided some theatrics of their own.

Gerald Green's cupcake dunk, where he put his head above the rim to blow out a candle as he threw it down, was arguably the best dunk of the night. Rudy Gay did another variation of the Iguodala dunk, having teammate Kyle Lowry toss the ball off the rear support of the backboard. And Jamario Moon had two solid dunks of his own, a 360 off a high toss, and a lefty catch-and-jam while taking off just inside the foul line.

But if you combined the other three's performances, you might not be able to beat what Howard came up with.

You voted. You decided. Dwight Howard was creative, Dwight Howard was impressive, and Dwight Howard was the best dunker on All-Star Saturday.

Gibson Gone Wild

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 16, 2008 -- Boobie likes the long ball.

Boobie especially likes the long ball from the left wing.

And Boobie might just have an allergy to paint.

Daniel "Boobie" Gibson took 20 shots in tonight's T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, all of them from beyond the three point line. He connected on 11 of the bombs for a game-high 33 points, leading the Sophomore squad to their sixth straight Challenge win, a 136-109 victory at New Orleans Arena.

The Rookies kept the game surprisingly competitive in the first half, and it was tied at 24 with 10:46 remaining in the first half when Gibson checked in. He immediately hit a three off an assist from Jordan Farmar. The Rookies answered and led by three a few minutes later when Gibson hit four straight bombs (with a Paul Millsap miss mixed in) to help the Sophomores take back control.

"He made three in a row early and I was like, 'Wow, this dude's on fire,'" Sophomore teammate Brandon Roy said after the game. "And I did a dribble handoff with him and he made his fourth. I was like, 'We're pretty much gonna win this game.'"

For the half, Gibson hit 7-of-11 from downtown, and the "veterans" finished the half on a 19-8 run and take a 14-point lead into the break.

Gibson benefited from the drive-and-kick skills of Farmar (who assisted on four of Gibson's first-half threes) and Roy, as well as the sometimes-slow-to-get-out Rookie D.

"He told us he wanted to get ready for tomorrow night," Farmar revealed after the game, "so as the point guard, it was my job to find him, and he was just knocking them down."

Tomorrow night is the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, where Gibson will compete against defending champ Jason Kapono and four other guys who are or were All-Stars.

You shoot 25 threes in each round of the Shootout, so putting up 20 would certainly qualify as a good warmup, except that almost all of them came from the left wing. Five of Gibson's seven first-half bombs came from right in front of his Cavaliers teammate, All-Star LeBron James, who reacted to each one by walking down the court to gloat in front of buddy Chris Paul like a proud older (by just 14 months) brother.

The second half was more of the same. The Rookies were hanging around within shouting distance (14 points) when Gibson reentered the game with 10:23 on the clock. He missed his first attempt from downtown, but on the next possession, he fed Rudy Gay with a beautiful alley-oop feed on the break. He hit a three from the left wing two possessions later, and then stripped Sean Williams to ignite a break that resulted in another Gay dunk.

More Boobie threes ensued and the rout was on.

When Gibson hit his 11th three of the night, LeBron, as if he was responsible for the barrage, stood up, started walking toward the exit and said "I'm gonna go home."

After all, the Rookies were done and so was any discussion about who should be the MVP. The award belonged to Daniel Gibson, no questions asked.

NBA.com: All Star 2008 Slam Dunk Contest

NBA.com: All Star 2008 Slam Dunk Contest

2008 AllStar Roster

NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
5	* Jason Kidd (New Jersey)	G	6-4	210	03/23/73	California
3	* Dwyane Wade (Miami)	G	6-4	216	01/17/82	Marquette
5	* Kevin Garnett (Boston)	F	6-11	220	05/19/76	Farragut Academy (HS)
23	* LeBron James (Cleveland)	F	6-8	250	12/30/84	St. Vincent/St. Mary HS
12	* Dwight Howard (Orlando)	C	6-11	265	12/08/85	SW Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)
1	Chauncey Billups (Detroit)	G	6-3	202	09/25/76	Colorado
4	Chris Bosh (Toronto)	C	6-10	230	03/02/84	Georgia Tech
3	Caron Butler (Washington)	F	6-7	228	03/13/80	Connecticut
32	Richard Hamilton (Detroit)	G	6-7	193	02/14/78	Connecticut
4	Antawn Jamison (Washington)	F	6-9	235	06/12/76	North Carolina
2	Joe Johnson (Atlanta)	G	6-7	235	06/29/81	Arkansas
34	Paul Pierce (Boston)	F	6-7	235	10/13/81	Kansas
Head Coach: Doc Rivers (Boston)

NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
24	* Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers)	G	6-6	205	08/23/78	Lower Merion HS
3	* Allen Iverson (Denver)	G	6-0	180	07/07/75	Georgetown
15	* Carmelo Anthony (Denver)	F	6-8	230	05/29/84	Syracuse
21	* Tim Duncan (San Antonio)	F	6-11	260	04/25/76	Wake Forest
11	* Yao Ming (Houston)	C	7-6	310	9/12/80	China
5	Carlos Boozer (Utah)	F	6-9	266	11/20/81	Duke
13	Steve Nash (Phoenix)	G	6-3	178	02/07/74	Santa Clara
41	Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)	F	7-0	245	06/19/78	Germany
3	# Chris Paul (New Orleans)	G	6-0	175	05/06/85	Wake Forest
7	# Brandon Roy (Portland)	G	6-6	229	07/23/84	Washington
1	Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix)	C	6-10	245	11/16/82	Cypress Creek (Orlando, FL)
30	# David West (New Orleans)	F	6-9	240	08/29/80	Xavier (Ohio)
Head Coach: Byron Scott (New Orleans)

Suns Acquire Shaquille O’Neal

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns today acquired four-time NBA Champion Shaquille O’Neal from the Miami Heat in exchange for forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks, pending completion of physical examinations by both teams.

“We’re thrilled to add a player and person of Shaquille’s quality to our roster,” President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr said. “We believe this addition strengthens our team. We thank Shawn and Marcus for their contributions to our team. Shawn in particular has been a tremendous player for this organization the past eight-and-a-half years and his impact both on and off the court in Phoenix will not be forgotten.”

In the 7-1, 325-pound O’Neal, Phoenix acquires one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players and one of the most prolific scorers in league history. O’Neal owns a career scoring average of 25.6 points, the ninth-highest in league history, and ranks 11th all-time in scoring (25,908) in 1,013 career games. The 16-year veteran is a career 58.0 percent shooter, third-highest in NBA history, and has led the league in field goal accuracy nine times, matching Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record. O’Neal has averaged 11.5 rebounds (21st-NBA history) and grabbed 11,630 (21st) boards as a member of the Orlando Magic (1992-97), Los Angeles Lakers (1997-2004) and Miami Heat (2005-2008). The three-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team honoree (2000, 2001, 2003) ranks 8th all-time in blocks (2,485).

O’Neal, 35, won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000, 2001, 2002) and one with the Miami Heat (2006). A three-time NBA Finals MVP (2000, 2001, 2002), O’Neal owns career playoff averages of 25.5 points (10th), 12.1 rebounds and 2.19 blocks and is a career 56.6 percent (6th) shooter from the field in the postseason. Shaq has pulled down the third-most rebounds in NBA playoff history (2,401) and blocked the third-most shots (433).

The Louisiana State product, who won a gold medal as a member of the 1996 USA Men’s Senior National Team, was named the 1999-2000 NBA MVP after averaging 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds for the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. O’Neal is a 13-time All-NBA First Team selection, a 14-time All-Star and the 1992-93 Rookie of the Year.

Originally selected with the first overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Shaq signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 18, 1996, before being acquired by the Heat on July 14, 2004, in exchange for Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and a future first-round pick.

Marion has played all nine of his professional seasons with the Suns after being selected by Phoenix with the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. The UNLV product owns career averages of 18.4 points and 10.0 rebounds in 660 games (647 starts). The four-time All-Star is second in minutes played in franchise history (24,948), fourth in points (12,134), second in rebounds (6,616), second in steals (1,245) and third in blocked shots (894). Amaré Stoudemire, in his sixth season with Phoenix, is now the longest-tenured Sun.

Banks signed with the Suns on July 20, 2006 and in just over one season has averaged 5.0 points, 0.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 11.8 minutes in 69 games (two starts) for Phoenix.

The three-time defending Pacific Division Champion Phoenix Suns own the best record in the Western Conference (34-14) and tonight host the New Orleans Hornets (32-15, 1.5 games back) at 7 p.m. at US Airways Center. All the action can be seen on FSN Arizona and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.

Lakers Acquire Gasol From Grizzlies

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired forward Pau Gasol in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. The Lakers will also receive the Grizzlies second round draft choice in 2010. In exchange Memphis will receive forward Kwame Brown, guard Javaris Crittenton, guard Aaron McKie (who the Lakers signed earlier today), the draft rights to Marc Gasol and first round picks in 2008 and 2010.

Gasol, a 7th year player out of Spain, is averaging 18.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.44 blocked shots per game this season. The 27 year old 7’0” forward/center has career averages of 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. A 2006 NBA All-Star and 2001-02 NBA Rookie of the Year, Gasol also won a gold medal with Spain at the 2006 FIBA World Championships while being named tournament MVP.

“We’re extremely pleased to be able to make this trade.” said Kupchak. “Pau is a proven player of all-star caliber in this league who can score and rebound and he’s still a young player. We feel this move strengthens our team in the short term as well as the long term.”