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New lease on life Moving to contenders helps players reach potential
What a difference a year makes. Players who have gone from losing teams to contenders can tell you about that difference in no uncertain terms. If you put a player who hasn't lived up to expectations in the right atmosphere, around the right players, or possibly the right coach, they're more comfortable and they understand what winning is all about. And winning really solves a lot of problems. Here are a few examples: Derek Anderson: When Anderson was with Cleveland, Danny Ferry said he was the best talent on the team. So when he left Cleveland for the Clippers, there were some high expectations for him, but that never worked out in L.A. His current situation, in San Antonio, is much better. He's been a major factor for the West-leading Spurs, because he gives them outside shooting and one-on-one play, and he can go to the basket. Between Anderson and Tim Duncan, they're able to get other teams in foul trouble, and that's key.
Othella Harrington: When Harrington was traded to New York from Vancouver, most people thought he would fit in with the Knicks pretty easily. But New York is such a structured team defensively that it takes a while for a new player to learn the system. Not that it's tremendously different from most teams, but he has to earn the trust of the other players and head coach Jeff Van Gundy. Harrington is a good post-up player who should be able to get 10 points and six rebounds a game for the Knicks if he plays at least 20 minutes. And New York is going to need him if Larry Johnson can't play. Juwan Howard: Because of his salary, Howard was expected to score 50 points a night in Washington, but that's not his game. He's a good NBA player, and you can't begrudge him his salary. He's going to get you 14 points and nine boards every night, and those are pretty good numbers. By acquiring Howard, the Mavs have become a team that can score at almost every position, which makes it very tough to defend them. Donyell Marshall: Marshall is the biggest surprise in the NBA this season. A lot of credit goes to Utah's VP of basketball operations, Kevin O'Connor, for seeing the talent there. Minnesota and Golden State couldn't wait to get rid of Marshall, but he's been sensational with the Jazz -- rebounding, scoring and hitting big shots. He's in great condition, and he's around a bunch of winners. In fact, it should almost be a rule in the NBA that every rookie has to play a week with John Stockton and Karl Malone before they go to training camp. After they retire, Stockton and Malone should start their own school: How to compete in the NBA. Maurice Taylor: Last summer, most general managers dismissed Taylor's abilities, and up until about six weeks ago, they were right. At that point, though, he got caught up in Houston's playoff race, and he got excited about playing. He's also started shooting the basketball extremely well, and he's giving a lot of credit for that to Rudy Tomjanovich, saying that his coach told him not to pass up any open jump shots. The Rockets' offense creates one-on-one matchups for the guards, which forces opposing teams to double-team Cuttino Mobley, Steve Francis and Moochie Norris, so someone's going to be open on the weak side. That's made for a lot of open shots for Taylor. Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN's This Week in the NBA.
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