Gooshie
11-07-2005, 05:40 PM
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-051107smith,1,2574592.column?coll=cs-bulls-utility
INSIDE THE NBA Sam Smith
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Pro Basketball
Quietly, Duncan solidifies legend
November 7, 2005
It's one of those great nights Monday at the United Center. It's a chance to see a future Hall of Famer and one of the best players in NBA history. And, no, Michael Jordan isn't coming out of retirement again to solve the Bulls' problem at shooting guard.
On second thought . . . nah.
No, it's the Spurs' Tim Duncan, who quietly--and he does everything that way -- is surpassing Shaquille O'Neal as the best at his position today and moving into the top 10 all-time players in the NBA.
"As long as Tim Duncan is around, I'm a pretty good coach," Gregg Popovich likes to say. But Popovich is sincere as well. "This guy has won championships with three different teams," Popovich says, noting the different compositions of the 1998-99, 2002-03 and 2004-05 teams. "He's special."
It's easy to overlook Duncan because he is so effortless -- O'Neal nicknamed him "the Big Fundamental" -- and because he doesn't care for the media and reveals as little of himself as possible. He's a legendary fun teammate, a side never seen by the public or media. Great brooding centers are nothing new. See Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Bill Russell. If Duncan is considered a power forward, the position he technically plays, he already is the best ever. Forget the Karl Malone-Bob Pettit debate. But Duncan is more a center, granted the most versatile one ever, with post dominance, rebounding, defense and a perimeter game. (He also has the inconsistent free-throw shooting that seems to go with being a center, though he's much better than Russell, O'Neal and Chamberlain and just behind Abdul-Jabbar.)
At 29, Duncan could win four or five more NBA titles before he's done. After all, the Spurs have youngsters Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and have become a destination for veterans with Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel hooking on this season.
Duncan never has averaged below 21 points and 11 rebounds in his career; his averages in points, rebounds and assists are higher in the playoffs than the regular season; he has been the Finals MVP in all three championships; he's an eight-time all-defensive team player; and he has been all-NBA first team every year he has played. When he leaves the NBA, he'll be one of the 10 best ever and perhaps have been more successful than anyone except Russell.
Note to self: I'm nuts
I can't believe I'm mentioning this -- and I may even write myself one of those raging reader letters accusing myself of being nuts -- but what about Latrell Sprewell for the Bulls?
Big guard, plays defense, can score. Yes, the Bulls need that guy after being burned in consecutive games for 28 apiece from the shooting guards. OK, one was Vince Carter in the loss Saturday to the Nets. But the Bobcats' Gerald Wallace? Plus, how about that 23-4 rebounding deficit in the starting backcourt against the Nets?
No one is the face of evil in the NBA more than Sprewell, whether it's from the P.J. Carlisimo choking incident or the infamous comment that he needed to feed his family when the Timberwolves offered him a $7 million annual contract down from $14 million. He's still unemployed and in need of late-career resurrection, so presumably he'd come cheaply. But would he destroy the team? Hey, we once thought Dennis Rodman could. So how bad is Sprewell? I asked the NBA's Mr. Nice Guy, former teammate Fred Hoiberg, now a Timberwolves assistant.
"Spree was a great teammate," insisted Hoiberg. "People, unfortunately, see the bad part, and maybe it's his fault because he gives the impression he doesn't care [what people think]. But he's a guy who had lunch catered for the team every day. He's the kind of guy who'll do anything for a teammate. He's very personable. His main objective is winning. He feeds off people yelling at him. Playoff time, he takes his game to another level. The true judge of a person is what Mark Madsen thinks of you, and Mark said he's one of the best teammates he's ever had. He'll make a great teammate for whoever picks him up."
Let's make a deal
I'm still working on my Kevin Garnett-for-Dirk Nowitzki deal. Garnett might be working on one too. Garnett is stuck with a mix of rookies and role-playing veterans on what looks like a non-playoff Timberwolves team again. He skipped the famed preseason lunch for local business and civic leaders, the same one that Sprewell and Sam Cassell skipped last year, leading to a season of discontent for both. Garnett, not a media favorite in Minneapolis, was testy when asked about his absence, saying: "Miscommunication. I wasn't there." Asked if it was a statement, he said: "What kind of statement? I'm not those guys. I don't create statements like that. Statements come from the mouth, not from actions." The word around the NBA is some teams are holding up on possible trades to see whether the Garnett situation deteriorates and he asks to be traded. They don't want to move assets they might need to acquire a player like Garnett.
Selfish start for James
You wish the media that's so quick to anoint LeBron James would watch him play. He is a wonderful talent, but he closed the last two seasons seeking out statistics and now he has fallen in love with the three-point shot. He said during camp that he had worked on something new all summer, but wouldn't say what it was. So in a 1-2 start for the Cavs, he has attempted 19 threes and 20 free throws, a horrible ratio and one that points to selfish play. It's sad for such a gifted passer and all-around talent.
The firing line
In the first-coach-to-be-fired poll--hey, it's a week into the season, what took so long?--Golden State's Mike Montgomery is off to the early lead. The Bulls will see the Warriors twice in three games, starting Wednesday. After a strong finish last season and big contracts to all the key players, the Warriors are expected to produce. But already Baron Davis is hurt after not practicing, anyway, for fear of getting hurt. Davis reportedly has been declining Montgomery's requests to practice, which has been Davis' history. And Jason Richardson has been talking about sore knees. One coach who could survive the rumors because of injury is Miami's Stan Van Gundy, who may not have the injured O'Neal for a month, about the time many were speculating he might be replaced by Pat Riley.
Double dribbles
At 2-1, the Hornets have been an early surprise. The league's new Ben Gordon, rookie Chris Paul, beat Houston on Saturday with two late-game floaters. He has been the best rookie thus far. . . . New Knicks coach Larry Brown already has begun to sit the veterans and play the kids. Eddy Curry has played 16 minutes in foul trouble in each of the last two games (sure, he was in shape) and Jerome James, the $30 million free agent, has 10 fouls in 18 minutes and four points in three games. And there was a little bit of a Jamal Crawford pout when he was benched in favor of Quentin Richardson. Crawford had two points Sunday and was next to last off the bench. ... The Knicks have a partial season-ticket plan to see the eight previous teams Brown has coached. . . . Not that anyone's come out yet, but Seattle's Danny Fortson told an interviewer in Seattle that he would have issues with a gay teammate. Said Fortson: "I wouldn't want to be on that team. As athletes, we still have a grade-school mentality where we pick on people. I don't think it's very acceptable behavior for men."
INSIDE THE NBA Sam Smith
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Pro Basketball
Quietly, Duncan solidifies legend
November 7, 2005
It's one of those great nights Monday at the United Center. It's a chance to see a future Hall of Famer and one of the best players in NBA history. And, no, Michael Jordan isn't coming out of retirement again to solve the Bulls' problem at shooting guard.
On second thought . . . nah.
No, it's the Spurs' Tim Duncan, who quietly--and he does everything that way -- is surpassing Shaquille O'Neal as the best at his position today and moving into the top 10 all-time players in the NBA.
"As long as Tim Duncan is around, I'm a pretty good coach," Gregg Popovich likes to say. But Popovich is sincere as well. "This guy has won championships with three different teams," Popovich says, noting the different compositions of the 1998-99, 2002-03 and 2004-05 teams. "He's special."
It's easy to overlook Duncan because he is so effortless -- O'Neal nicknamed him "the Big Fundamental" -- and because he doesn't care for the media and reveals as little of himself as possible. He's a legendary fun teammate, a side never seen by the public or media. Great brooding centers are nothing new. See Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Bill Russell. If Duncan is considered a power forward, the position he technically plays, he already is the best ever. Forget the Karl Malone-Bob Pettit debate. But Duncan is more a center, granted the most versatile one ever, with post dominance, rebounding, defense and a perimeter game. (He also has the inconsistent free-throw shooting that seems to go with being a center, though he's much better than Russell, O'Neal and Chamberlain and just behind Abdul-Jabbar.)
At 29, Duncan could win four or five more NBA titles before he's done. After all, the Spurs have youngsters Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and have become a destination for veterans with Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel hooking on this season.
Duncan never has averaged below 21 points and 11 rebounds in his career; his averages in points, rebounds and assists are higher in the playoffs than the regular season; he has been the Finals MVP in all three championships; he's an eight-time all-defensive team player; and he has been all-NBA first team every year he has played. When he leaves the NBA, he'll be one of the 10 best ever and perhaps have been more successful than anyone except Russell.
Note to self: I'm nuts
I can't believe I'm mentioning this -- and I may even write myself one of those raging reader letters accusing myself of being nuts -- but what about Latrell Sprewell for the Bulls?
Big guard, plays defense, can score. Yes, the Bulls need that guy after being burned in consecutive games for 28 apiece from the shooting guards. OK, one was Vince Carter in the loss Saturday to the Nets. But the Bobcats' Gerald Wallace? Plus, how about that 23-4 rebounding deficit in the starting backcourt against the Nets?
No one is the face of evil in the NBA more than Sprewell, whether it's from the P.J. Carlisimo choking incident or the infamous comment that he needed to feed his family when the Timberwolves offered him a $7 million annual contract down from $14 million. He's still unemployed and in need of late-career resurrection, so presumably he'd come cheaply. But would he destroy the team? Hey, we once thought Dennis Rodman could. So how bad is Sprewell? I asked the NBA's Mr. Nice Guy, former teammate Fred Hoiberg, now a Timberwolves assistant.
"Spree was a great teammate," insisted Hoiberg. "People, unfortunately, see the bad part, and maybe it's his fault because he gives the impression he doesn't care [what people think]. But he's a guy who had lunch catered for the team every day. He's the kind of guy who'll do anything for a teammate. He's very personable. His main objective is winning. He feeds off people yelling at him. Playoff time, he takes his game to another level. The true judge of a person is what Mark Madsen thinks of you, and Mark said he's one of the best teammates he's ever had. He'll make a great teammate for whoever picks him up."
Let's make a deal
I'm still working on my Kevin Garnett-for-Dirk Nowitzki deal. Garnett might be working on one too. Garnett is stuck with a mix of rookies and role-playing veterans on what looks like a non-playoff Timberwolves team again. He skipped the famed preseason lunch for local business and civic leaders, the same one that Sprewell and Sam Cassell skipped last year, leading to a season of discontent for both. Garnett, not a media favorite in Minneapolis, was testy when asked about his absence, saying: "Miscommunication. I wasn't there." Asked if it was a statement, he said: "What kind of statement? I'm not those guys. I don't create statements like that. Statements come from the mouth, not from actions." The word around the NBA is some teams are holding up on possible trades to see whether the Garnett situation deteriorates and he asks to be traded. They don't want to move assets they might need to acquire a player like Garnett.
Selfish start for James
You wish the media that's so quick to anoint LeBron James would watch him play. He is a wonderful talent, but he closed the last two seasons seeking out statistics and now he has fallen in love with the three-point shot. He said during camp that he had worked on something new all summer, but wouldn't say what it was. So in a 1-2 start for the Cavs, he has attempted 19 threes and 20 free throws, a horrible ratio and one that points to selfish play. It's sad for such a gifted passer and all-around talent.
The firing line
In the first-coach-to-be-fired poll--hey, it's a week into the season, what took so long?--Golden State's Mike Montgomery is off to the early lead. The Bulls will see the Warriors twice in three games, starting Wednesday. After a strong finish last season and big contracts to all the key players, the Warriors are expected to produce. But already Baron Davis is hurt after not practicing, anyway, for fear of getting hurt. Davis reportedly has been declining Montgomery's requests to practice, which has been Davis' history. And Jason Richardson has been talking about sore knees. One coach who could survive the rumors because of injury is Miami's Stan Van Gundy, who may not have the injured O'Neal for a month, about the time many were speculating he might be replaced by Pat Riley.
Double dribbles
At 2-1, the Hornets have been an early surprise. The league's new Ben Gordon, rookie Chris Paul, beat Houston on Saturday with two late-game floaters. He has been the best rookie thus far. . . . New Knicks coach Larry Brown already has begun to sit the veterans and play the kids. Eddy Curry has played 16 minutes in foul trouble in each of the last two games (sure, he was in shape) and Jerome James, the $30 million free agent, has 10 fouls in 18 minutes and four points in three games. And there was a little bit of a Jamal Crawford pout when he was benched in favor of Quentin Richardson. Crawford had two points Sunday and was next to last off the bench. ... The Knicks have a partial season-ticket plan to see the eight previous teams Brown has coached. . . . Not that anyone's come out yet, but Seattle's Danny Fortson told an interviewer in Seattle that he would have issues with a gay teammate. Said Fortson: "I wouldn't want to be on that team. As athletes, we still have a grade-school mentality where we pick on people. I don't think it's very acceptable behavior for men."