TOMASSON: West lags, but past says it's no sweat

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 11, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

Text size

Photo by Matt Slocum / Associated Press

Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks had the best record in the NBA last season but lost in the first round. Dallas is 24-11 this season. "I know, ultimately, it comes down to the playoffs," he said.

More Denver Nuggets

More stories »

The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference would seem as coveted as the Hope Diamond.

Well, maybe not. There is the Hope Diamond curse, so dubbed because many owners of the precious jewel have met premature demises.

French royals and Hope owners Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded. A tale has been told of a man named Tavernier who stole the diamond from a Hindu statue and soon died of a fever and had his body ripped apart by wolves.

Which brings us to the Timberwolves.

Minnesota had the top record in the West in 2003-04 and was dispatched in the conference final by the Lakers. That really got going the curse of the West's top seed, with none of the past four teams to earn that spot having made the NBA Finals and the past two not even the conference final.

We interrupt this column to report that five straight East No. 1 seeds have not made the Finals, but at least each reached the conference final. Besides, this column is about the West, so on we go.

Phoenix was No. 1 in the West in 2004-05. The Suns fell in the conference final to San Antonio, which then inherited the curse.

The Spurs were tops in 2005-06. They lost in a conference semifinal to Dallas, which then was afflicted with the curse.

The Mavericks were No. 1 last season. They lost in the first round to Golden State.

It's doubtful the Warriors will be the top seed this season. Then again, the way West superpowers San Antonio, Dallas and Phoenix are going, perhaps each wouldn't mind seeing Golden State carry that torch.

When the Spurs fell Monday to, yes, the Warriors, it meant every team in the West had double-digit losses. Dallas last season didn't become the final West team to lose a 10th game until March 12 and Phoenix didn't get there until Feb. 3.

"I've never seen so many teams with double-digit losses so early," Nuggets guard Anthony Carter said.

But there isn't a lot of grumbling among the West's elite. Not that this is interrupt-soap-operas news, but there seems to be a renewed sense the NBA regular season is overrated.

"I know, ultimately, it comes down to the playoffs," said Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, whose team is 24-11 this season compared with a 27-8 start last season, when Dallas finished 67-15. "So whatever we do in the regular season, nobody is going to believe in us anyway."

Sounds as if Nowitzki has compared notes with Suns forward Grant Hill.

The Suns are a West-best 25-11compared with a 28-8 start last season when Phoenix went 61-21. Coach Mike D'Antoni grumbled a bit early this week about his team still needing to click, but Hill put matters in perspective before learning he would miss two to three weeks after Wednesday's appendectomy surgery.

"If we were 31-4, there would be people saying, 'Can they do it in the postseason?' " said Hill, whose Suns, like Dallas, have gained a reputation for being porous in the postseason.

Sounds as if the Mavericks and Suns want to emulate the Spurs. San Antonio began last season 23-11 before turning it on to finish 58-24 and win a fourth title.

The Spurs began this season 17-3 but have since, because of injuries to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, fallen to 23-11. But they've done little more than shrug.

"December and early January are times to stay patient," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.

One reason for reduced dominance by the Spurs, Mavericks and Suns is the West suddenly has much more depth. New Orleans, Portland and the Lakers are among surprise teams that have inflicted some unexpected losses upon the heavy hitters.

Considering the curse of West top seeds, though, the superpowers might not mind seeing one of those teams get a crack at the top.

Over the Hill

Before signing with Phoenix, Hill toiled for Orlando. During his seven seasons, the Magic never won a playoff series, and three times it didn't even make the playoffs.

Much of it had to do with Hill's injuries, primarily to his foot. He had seasons in which he played 65 and 67 games but logged 29 or less in the other five.

With Hill gone, the Magic is 23-14 under new coach Stan Van Gundy and leading the Southeast Division. Hill isn't surprised and wondered if better coaching would have helped the team during his tenure.

"We had the talent in years past," said Hill, who played his final two Orlando seasons under much-maligned Brian Hill. "We didn't get the right coaching there. . . . I think we underperformed the last few years. I don't think we maximized the talent we had and I think now they're getting the most of what they have."

As for Van Gundy, his Orlando magic works a lot better far from Disney World. Entering tonight's game at Denver, Orlando is 16-6 on the road compared with 7-8 at home.

Jostling for Jones

Not surprisingly, there was interest in forward Bobby Jones after he was waived Monday by the Nuggets.

Jones said Portland was intrigued but needed to make a trade due to having the maximum of 15 players. He said San Antonio and Dallas also called his agent, although the Mavericks also have 15.

Jones chose Memphis. He signed a 10-day contract Thursday, which he hopes will lead to a deal for the rest of the season.

"I know they're not doing that well right now, but this is probably the best place for me to get some playing time," he said.

As for the Nuggets letting him go, Jones said "some of it was money and some was so they could have some open roster spots" for possible future moves. The Nuggets, deep into the luxury tax, saved roughly $820,000.

The Nuggets have a $2.95 million trade exception that expires today. But it's unlikely they will use it.

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com

NUMBERS GAME

61 losses are the most in a season by a coach ranked in the top five in NBA history for wins (fifth-place Larry Brown went 21-61 for San Antonio in 1988-89). At 8-28, Miami's Pat Riley, third all time, is on pace to go 18-64.

HE WANTS RELIEF

Adrian Dantley saw relief pitcher Goose Gossage finally get the call, and it gave him additional hope.

"I saw Goose Gossage saying it was his ninth time (on the ballot)," Dantley said about the Colorado Springs resident finally making the baseball Hall of Fame.

Dantley, a Nuggets assistant and two-time NBA scoring champion, has been a finalist six of the past seven years for the basketball Hall.

"I should be in there," he said. "I don't think anybody has been nominated as much as I have and not gotten in."

Dantley finds out next month whether he will be a finalist a seventh time.

HE SAID IT

"There were probably five people in the world that thought he was going to make it to the league. (Nuggets assistant Tim Grgurich) and I were probably two. And his mom. Mitch (Kupchak, Lakers general manager) maybe."

George Karl, Nuggets coach, on his son, rookie Lakers guard Coby, who had his contract guaranteed this week for the remainder of the season.

Curse of the West

Of the past seven No. 1 playoff seeds in the Western Conference, only one has advanced to the NBA Finals.

Season Team Record Playoff result

2000-01 San Antonio *58-24 Lost West final

2001-02 Sacramento *61-21 Lost West final

2002-03 San Antonio *60-22 Won NBA title

2003-04 Timberwolves 58-24 Lost West final

2004-05 Phoenix *62-20 Lost West final

2005-06 San Antonio 63-19 Lost West semifinal

2006-07 Mavericks *67-15 Lost West first round

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News