Dahntay Stars in Indy
The Indiana Pacers have only to look at the win-loss column to see how successful the addition of Dahntay Jones to their starting lineup has been. After starting the season 0-3, Coach Jim O’Brien made Jones the starting shooting guard, and Indiana is 2-0 since. In two games as a starter, Dahntay averaging an impressive 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shooting 53.8% from the field. On the season, the powerful wing is almost as good, averaging 16.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on 47.5% shooting.
The remarkable transformation from NBA journeyman to rising star started with defense. Jones earned a starting role on the playoff-bound Denver Nuggets last season as the team’s defensive stopper, assigned to slow down superstar wing scorers like Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade. In Indiana, Jones’s presence in the starting lineup has transformed the Pacers’ defense from porous to potent, anchoring a squad that has held their recent opponents to just 34.6% shooting in the past five quarters of play. That includes a matchup against the Wizards on Friday in which Jones outplayed Gilbert Arenas on both ends of the court, holding the explosive scorer to only 13 points as Indiana held the Wizards to 39% shooting for the game. While his defense has been a constant, his aggressive offensive game is what earned Dahntay the starting role. Slicing through defenses for powerful finishes and mid-range jumpers, Jones has also averaged six trips to the charity stripe per game, converting 80% of his free throws.
It’s unclear how the Pacers starting lineup may again be shuffled once former Duke teammate Mike Dunleavy returns from his knee rehab, but one thing is certain… Dahntay Jones is a fixture on this Pacers team, and the Pacers are better for it on both ends of the court.
Top Performer
As good as Dahntay Jones has been, Carlos Boozer has managed to top him this week. In his last three games, the All-Star forward has averaged 22.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game while shooting 60.9% from the field, including a 27-point, 14-rebound explosion on November 5th in a win over Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. For the season, Boozer is averaging 16.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
Line of the Week
It’s difficult to leave out performances like Carlos Boozer’s line against San Antonio, or Dahntay Jones’s 19-point, 12-rebound game against New York, but 20/20 games have to be recognized, and Luol Deng’s 24-point, 20-rebound performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 3rd clearly deserves the spotlight here. The slender forward notched his first career 20-rebound game and led the Chicago Bulls to a win, shooting 7-of-16 (43.8%) from the floor, 1-of-2 from long range, and 9-of-11 (81.8%) from the free throw line. On the season, Deng is averaging a double-double from the small forward position, with 16.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game!
Redick Wins Iron Magic Award
Entering the NBA out of the draft lottery in 2006, some people were unsure of J.J. Redick’s ability to compete athletically with the NBA elite. As he did at Duke, J.J. took the questions as a challenge. In addition to starting the past six games for the defending Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic and averaging 13.3 points per game this season, Redick also won the “2009 Iron Magic Award” this past weekend, an award handed out by the team trainers based on each player’s performance on a series of strength, speed, and agility tests. “I’ve always done well on standardized tests,” joked J.J. afterwards. All joking aside, though, not many questions remain about Redick’s athleticism at the NBA level.
Williams Finds Role with Celtics
Shelden Williams has played for four teams in his young NBA career and the two-time NCAA National Defensive Player of the Year seems to have found his best fit yet. Williams has become a regular part of the rotation for the powerhouse Celtics, and has produced good numbers when given the opportunity. In games were Williams logs 20 or more minutes, he’s averaging a solid 11.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. On the season, Shelden is averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Mike Dunleavy Injury Update
According to his blog on NBA.com, Mike Dunleavy, Jr. is progressing nicely following his knee surgery and hopes to be back on the practice court for the Pacers in the next week or two. He has been testing his knee out with full-court and half-court drills, helping to get his timing and conditioning back. Dunleavy had a break-out season for the Pacers in 2007-08, playing all 82 games and averaging a stellar 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 42.4% from long range . He played only 18 games last season, but looks to be on track for a healthy return by Christmas.
DBP NBA Fantasy League Update
Even with the return of versatile scorer Mike Dunleavy still several weeks away, Duke continues to hold down the top spot in the 2009-10 Fantasy League. That’s also despite having played fewer total games (76) than both UCONN (80 total games) and UCLA (78 total games).
1. Duke Blue Devils: 1845.5
2. UCONN Huskies: 1758.9
3. Florida Gators: 1746.6
4. UCLA Bruins: 1597.1
5. Arizona Wildcats: 1543.1
6. UNC Tar Heels: 1110.9
7. Texas Longhorns: 931.4
8. Kentucky Wildcats: 856.7
9. Kansas Jayhawks: 856.2
10. Memphis Tigers: 543.6
Scoring summary: one point for each point scored, 1.5 point for each rebound, two points for each assist, steal or block, 0.5 points for each 3-pointer made, and -1.2 points for each turnover. Field-goal percentage is included by subtracting 0.2 points for each field goal attempt and adding 0.5 points for each field goal made, which would mean you break even by shooting 40% from the field (as of 11/10/09)
Quote of the Week
“You have to handle success and adversity with the same amount of determination. The tendency is, especially when you had success early on, to take it for granted and not play as hard. I was telling some of the guys today we have to keep our edge of a team that is fighting for every scrap, every inch, every game. Here at practice, we can’t afford to be fat cats and coast. We have to have that edge, and it’s tougher to do when you win a few . You go around town, and everyone is patting you on the back, telling you how wonderful you are.” Shane Battier (November 8th, Houston Chronicle)
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