by Randy Hill

98 comments

But that hasn't stopped us before, so we're screaming into the NBA's second week with an early scouting report. What follows is a look at several teams, players and issues that have managed to tweak the collective interest of the league's watchdogs.

For the record, we'll have nothing for you on the Pistons and Denver Nuggets until Chauncey Billups can schedule a doctor's appointment.

Our categories include The Good, The Bad and The Too Early To Tell. If your favorite player or team is missing from this projection, please remember that this is a big league.

The good

Boston Celtics

Beyond that hiccup supplied by the Indiana Pacers, the Cs appear to have sidestepped a post-championship erosion in their commitment to prevail.

That commitment begins and ends, of course, with protecting the rim.

The sticky, Pack-Line-style of defense that enabled Kevin Garnett and his playmates to hoist the O'Brien Trophy last June has limited Boston's first four foes to 38-percent shooting.

So, while we're trusting the Celtics to be quite crusty defending their crown, that big off-season question — who is going to replaced James Posey's sniping and defense in the rotation? — has an early answer.

Nobody ... yet.

Los Angeles Lakers

Yeah, another stunner.

OK, so despite pedestrian scoring numbers in his early return, Andrew Bynum seems capable of working that little hi-lo dance with Pau Gasol. More importantly, Kobe Bryant is retaining his magnanimous spirit, Jordan Farmar continues to improve, Lamar Odom makes the Bench Mob even more viable, and the depth enables Phil Jackson to limit Luke Walton to a reasonable 4.7 minutes per game.

The defense, which wasn't exactly suspect until The Finals last season, limited opponents to 39-percent shooting through the first three games. Can Bynum's goalie skills make that defense — and the rebounding — as formidable in June?

Derrick Rose

Aside from the baseline-to-baseline speed, those Jason Kidd comparisons are a bit cockeyed. The top pick in the 2008 NBA Draft goes to the hole with more lift and finishing power, doesn't have anywhere near the passing skill of Kidd, but will be a much more reliable shooter.

Unlike the New Jersey edition of Kidd, the Chicago Bulls' rookie probably won't squeeze off that many deep rounds before he's really consistent at making them.

Bottom line ... the new kid is good and the type of leader who could have kept Scott Skiles employed in Chicago if he'd arrived a year earlier.

Danny Granger

A reward for trading most of the franchise's top talent is the opportunity for someone to step into the spotlight and flourish. The former New Mexico Lobo has seized this chance and looks legit ... especially at the bank.

It's been a bumpy start for Tim Duncan and the Spurs. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)

The bad

San Antonio Spurs

This tag should change once Manu Ginobili returns, but the Spurs earned a trip into the category by beginning 0-3. Don't ask for curtain calls from Tim Duncan and Tony Parker (Eva Longoria's hubby broke the victory drought by bagging 55 in an overtime win against Minnesota), who are scoring like never before.

And don't look at newcomer Roger Mason, who averaged a dozen points on 64-percent shooting in the losses.

Instead, credit the blacksmith shooting touches of Ime Udoka (23 percent), Kurt Thomas (a scalding 14 percent) and Matt Bonner (31 percent) for making those defeats possible.

Bonner also proved to be a defensive liability when compared to the temporarily infirm Fabricio Oberto, who is more accomplished at performing the Spurs' multiple tactics while guarding the screener in pick-and-roll defense.

With Manu joining Mason (the newbie had 26 points vs. the T-Wolves) on the wings, you probably won't want to see the Spurs in May.

What Manu gives the San Antonio offense is added breakdown skill, especially on a quick ball reversal after the defense loads up against Parker.

LeBron James (from deep)

The Frozen One is shooting a chilly 0 percent from three-point range. Someone please remind skill-development coach Chris Jent that LeBron's free-throw accuracy and long-range efforts won't improve much until that backward lean goes away.

He can get away with powering to the rack against the Bulls, but Boston's help-side gauntlet isn't going to change and the copycats won't be far behind.

Los Angeles Clippers

While picking on the Clips isn't fair with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby working on a limited basis until now, this selection is a referendum on Mike Dunleavy's work as a general manager.

And in the choppy wake of Elgin Baylor's recent departure, please note we've all been aware that Dunleavy has been making the personnel moves for a while. So, please let Mike know that Ricky Davis, for example, is a spare part with talent and not the answer for a team needing sacrifices from role players in an effort to win.

Dunleavy also should take a bow for the departure of Elton Brand, whose escape from Planet Clipper was more than well-timed hubris exacted by agent David Falk.

New York Knicks

Despite a modest measure of first-week won-loss success, Mike D'Antoni's first group of Knicks are who we thought they were.

They're scoring more and defending less. With Chris Duhon and David Lee in the starting lineup, defense isn't impossible, but D'Antoni -- whose offensive philosophy is a real treasure for the sport -- needs to try promoting aggressive defense as fuel for the pace he prefers.

Having the pricey scraps from the Isiah Thomas Project makes this difficult to implement.

Too early to tell

Marc Gasol

While the Memphis rook certainly is the roughhouse post player his brother isn't, let's wait and see how he fares when coaching sharpies try exploiting that below-average range and mobility.

Terry Porter may prove to be the right choice for the Suns. (Bill Kostroun / Associated Press)

Phoenix Suns

First-year coach Terry Porter allegedly has the Suns thinking defense and seems to have convinced many local media sharpies that attempting to pinch screen-roll offensive schemes toward the sideline is something new.

It's not, and with Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire involved, Phoenix will remain challenged to stop these maneuvers. But even though Amare's still terrible at using his lower body on post defense and Shaq is limited laterally, the big guys (throw rookie Robin Lopez in there) are providing crucial weak-side deterrents around the hoop.

With Nash in control, these guys haven't exactly regressed on offense (fourth in the league in scoring, first in field-goal accuracy), so the defense has time to find its footing.

For now, Porter's get-tough mandate looks impressive. Its long-ranging efficacy depends on how long the bench will remain in his good graces.

Vinny Del Negro

Vinny, in his first year coaching at any level, should be informed that just because the NBA has advocated lack of weak-side player movement on offense for years, he isn't required to do the same.

It also should be pointed out that isolations only work with really skilled offensive players. Rose will be a plus with his break-down skills and GM John Paxson continues a failure in finding anyone who can score inside.

Houston Rockets

Those employees labeled as role players are top-notch, but the ticking sensibilities of Ron Artest team with medical histories of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady to keep the burden of proof on what could be the best team in Texas.

Miami Heat

Rookie Michael Beasley looks more than fine as Dwyane Wade's running buddy and a victory over Philly goes the Heat hope at 2-2.

But Shawn Marion has had less than 10 field-goal attempts in half of Miami's four games ... in a contract year. It's amazing how such a splendid, stat-sheet-crowdin' role player can be so selfish when the game is over.

Philadelphia 76ers

The slower-than-expected beginning can be forgotten once newcomer Elton Brand can find consistent shooters out of the double team. It will be really interesting to see what transpires after the Eastern Conference realizes double-teaming the reliable-but-limited Brand may not be required.