T Park
06-13-2005, 02:58 AM
Buck Harvey: Bowen reshapes the award he didn't get, series by series
San Antonio Express-News
Roy Williams came to a game during the Denver series, and afterward the North Carolina coach walked through the Spurs' locker room. There was a crowd, and Bruce Bowen stood 30 feet away, dressed in typical coat and tie. Feeling playful, happy after a Spurs' victory, Bowen raised his voice just enough to be loud, but not enough that Williams could hear him.
"Coach," Bowen mock-yelled, smiling. "You remember recruiting me?"
Williams kept walking, which is what all Division I coaches did around Bowen years ago.
What has followed since that first round begs another question. From Carmelo Anthony to Ray Allen to Shawn Marion to Rip Hamilton, hasn't Bowen reshuffled his status?
Is the 2005 defensive player of the year really a Detroit Piston?
The Pistons are better than this, and they likely will be in Detroit. They didn't reach two consecutive NBA Finals by giving up 58 points in first halves; in fact, they never had the last two years in the playoffs until Sunday night.
Ben Wallace is better than this, too. He's won his three defensive player of the year awards because he combines an NFL body with admirable work ethic. His story — rising from undrafted status to start as an All-Star — is something to applaud.
But this is also the second series in a row when he's struggled for air. He was a bird on the back of a rhino when he defended Shaquille O'Neal, and now he's no more effective against Tim Duncan and the various Spurs drivers than Steven Hunter was in the previous series.
Voters should wonder: Is this the criteria of the best defender in the league?
Part of it is about teammates. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili sped around the Pistons, forcing Wallace and other Detroit big men to react, leaving open shooters.
Asked Sunday night what he thought of his team's defense, Wallace had the perfect answer: "We didn't play any defense."
Bowen played with a team-full, with teammates switching and swarming. When Robert Horry wasn't diving for a steal, then Ginobili was fronting Tayshaun Prince.
One came with about five minutes left, when the Pistons were coming back. Ginobili tipped away a steal from Prince, then drove at the other end, pulling Pistons defenders to him again — finding Bowen for another 3-pointer.
As Ginobili put it, "Bruce made himself available."
Bowen succeeds while Wallace fails, too, because of matchups. David Robinson, for example, often had his best games against his biggest opponents. Then he used his quickness, and someone such as Wallace would have given him some trouble.
Duncan is the opposite. The giants have sometimes bothered him, but small defenders get caught in Duncan's footwork. Once he seals, he's set. Wallace, one of only four players in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and blocks in the same season, cannot stop him.
Bowen finished second to Wallace in the defensive player of the year voting, and Bowen, too, wasn't drafted. He was lucky to get his scholarship.
But these playoffs show the difference. In every series Bowen has found a man to shadow, changing the equation. He's taking out what other teams rely on, and he did again Sunday.
This night, though, came with another plus. As he did to Kobe Bryant and Anthony this season, Bowen outscored Hamilton.
Bowen has something else on his side. Rather, this edge is usually behind him. Duncan waits, keeping his position, further confusing the defensive player of the year stuff.
A coaches' poll taken a season ago confuses this even more. Then Wallace received the most votes as the best low-post defender, with Duncan second, and Wallace was also named the best off-ball defender.
Coaches respect him as much as media voters do.
But when the coaches were asked about the one they would want to make a stop to win a title?
That was Duncan.
Duncan's Spurs have never given up more than 90 points over three years of Finals series. And when they cut through the Pistons as if the Phoenix Suns were back in town, Bowen has the right to smile.
And playfully ask another question.
San Antonio Express-News
Roy Williams came to a game during the Denver series, and afterward the North Carolina coach walked through the Spurs' locker room. There was a crowd, and Bruce Bowen stood 30 feet away, dressed in typical coat and tie. Feeling playful, happy after a Spurs' victory, Bowen raised his voice just enough to be loud, but not enough that Williams could hear him.
"Coach," Bowen mock-yelled, smiling. "You remember recruiting me?"
Williams kept walking, which is what all Division I coaches did around Bowen years ago.
What has followed since that first round begs another question. From Carmelo Anthony to Ray Allen to Shawn Marion to Rip Hamilton, hasn't Bowen reshuffled his status?
Is the 2005 defensive player of the year really a Detroit Piston?
The Pistons are better than this, and they likely will be in Detroit. They didn't reach two consecutive NBA Finals by giving up 58 points in first halves; in fact, they never had the last two years in the playoffs until Sunday night.
Ben Wallace is better than this, too. He's won his three defensive player of the year awards because he combines an NFL body with admirable work ethic. His story — rising from undrafted status to start as an All-Star — is something to applaud.
But this is also the second series in a row when he's struggled for air. He was a bird on the back of a rhino when he defended Shaquille O'Neal, and now he's no more effective against Tim Duncan and the various Spurs drivers than Steven Hunter was in the previous series.
Voters should wonder: Is this the criteria of the best defender in the league?
Part of it is about teammates. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili sped around the Pistons, forcing Wallace and other Detroit big men to react, leaving open shooters.
Asked Sunday night what he thought of his team's defense, Wallace had the perfect answer: "We didn't play any defense."
Bowen played with a team-full, with teammates switching and swarming. When Robert Horry wasn't diving for a steal, then Ginobili was fronting Tayshaun Prince.
One came with about five minutes left, when the Pistons were coming back. Ginobili tipped away a steal from Prince, then drove at the other end, pulling Pistons defenders to him again — finding Bowen for another 3-pointer.
As Ginobili put it, "Bruce made himself available."
Bowen succeeds while Wallace fails, too, because of matchups. David Robinson, for example, often had his best games against his biggest opponents. Then he used his quickness, and someone such as Wallace would have given him some trouble.
Duncan is the opposite. The giants have sometimes bothered him, but small defenders get caught in Duncan's footwork. Once he seals, he's set. Wallace, one of only four players in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and blocks in the same season, cannot stop him.
Bowen finished second to Wallace in the defensive player of the year voting, and Bowen, too, wasn't drafted. He was lucky to get his scholarship.
But these playoffs show the difference. In every series Bowen has found a man to shadow, changing the equation. He's taking out what other teams rely on, and he did again Sunday.
This night, though, came with another plus. As he did to Kobe Bryant and Anthony this season, Bowen outscored Hamilton.
Bowen has something else on his side. Rather, this edge is usually behind him. Duncan waits, keeping his position, further confusing the defensive player of the year stuff.
A coaches' poll taken a season ago confuses this even more. Then Wallace received the most votes as the best low-post defender, with Duncan second, and Wallace was also named the best off-ball defender.
Coaches respect him as much as media voters do.
But when the coaches were asked about the one they would want to make a stop to win a title?
That was Duncan.
Duncan's Spurs have never given up more than 90 points over three years of Finals series. And when they cut through the Pistons as if the Phoenix Suns were back in town, Bowen has the right to smile.
And playfully ask another question.