seems as if he might soon enter the starting lineup, but as of last night's game against the Suns, he was still coming off the bench.
"I liked the fact Marreese played well in the second quarter," Jordan said. "He was doing some things that allowed us to be good, and I wanted to continue that in the third quarter."
Speights played 29 minutes, 37 seconds in the 119-115 loss to the Suns, finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Dalembert had eight points and five rebounds in 18:23.
Entering last night's game, Speights was averaging 15.3 points (on 64.0 percent shooting) and 6.7 rebounds per game. Dalembert was averaging 6.3 points and 6.2 rebounds, and had 17 turnovers and only one assist.
Speights was averaging 22.3 minutes per game, and Dalembert 22.8.
"He's getting better defensively, and that's important to us," Jordan said of Speights. "He needs to think of himself in terms of a complete player and not just a scorer. And we see a lot of improvement defensively from him. He still has a long way to go."
On Sunday, Speights was sidelined down the stretch with a bruised knee. He said before last night's game that not playing was never an option.
"He's fine," Jordan said. "Life in the NBA."
Struggling Young
Entering last night, forward
Thaddeus Young was shooting just 39.4 percent from the floor this season. In his last three games coming in, he was 11 for 38 (28.9 percent).
"I'm trying to get it going, but nothing is going down; it's getting frustrating," Young said.
Young said he had thought a few times - while running back downcourt after a miss - "Oh, my God, I can't get it going right now."
Against the Suns, Young made 5 of 10 shots and scored 15 points.
Humble at home
Entering last night, Speights was averaging 20.3 points a game on the road and 6.3 at home. He was shooting 70.6 percent from the floor on the road and 40.0 percent at home.
Speights said he talked to his mother after Sunday's game, mentioning how much better he had been away from the Wachovia Center.
Said Speights: "I told my momma last night and she said, 'I don't know, son.' "
- Kate Fagan
