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KoriEllis
03-16-2003, 07:52 AM
San Antonio Express-News

Web Posted : 03/16/2003 12:00 AM

The looming war against Iraq is affecting some teams' plans to conduct their overseas scouting expeditions.
"I think it has to be a concern," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "I've delayed a couple of trips. It's not that I wouldn't feel safe while I'm traveling, it's more that I wouldn't want to be stuck overseas if war does break out."

Airlines severely curtailed service after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, stranding passengers around the world.

"But eventually I'm going to have to just make a couple of trips," Buford said.

Miami Heat general manager Randy Pfund plans at least three more trips overseas before the Heat exercise their lottery selection, despite concerns about tenuous travel with a potential war looming.

"It hasn't impacted us yet," Pfund said. "The situation over there hasn't changed anything we've done at this point. The trips we've had have been good. Once the NCAA tournament is over, we'll go back there, unless we feel there's some sort of situation."

Elliott plaudits: Sean Elliott has received a few high marks from some of his notable colleagues in the broadcasting game.

Says Bill Walton: "He's a terrific broadcaster. He sees the game and has a passionate feel for how the game unfolds.

"He likes the challenge and he is articulate and insightful. Danny Ainge is one of my favorite analyzers and he is approaching that level. Sean will move up to the major level of broadcasting teams."

USA Today's longtime sports television columnist, Rudy Martzke, says Elliott is one of ABC/ESPN's best hires for the NBA package.

"(Play-by-play announcer) Dick Enberg once told me that it usually takes ex-players and coaches about three years before they feel comfortable criticizing former peers. Sean has picked up on that in his first year."

True enough. Elliott has had no problems critiquing teams and players and then hearing the targets firing back at him during postgame interviews.

Ho-hum attitude? One of Elliott's continuing complaints has been the Lakers' seeming lack of interest in moving up in the eventual playoff seeding.

Actually, most of the players seem to be confident they can still win the title without the homecourt advantage, and coach Phil Jackson doesn't seem overly concerned about it.

"We don't really have to have homecourt advantage, but we'd sure like to have it," Jackson said. "It sure facilitates the process."

Jackson says that the new seven-game format for Round 1 doesn't really favor his team.

"I know a lot of people think that this seven-game first-round series is built for the Lakers," he said. "I don't really believe that. But it does mean that a team will have to beat us four times to win the series."

Shaquille O'Neal likes that notion.

"I say that a team would have to play a perfect game to beat us four times in a series, and I don't see any team in this league capable of doing that," boasts Shaq.

We'll see how all that comes out in the wash.

I agree with Jackson that the new format doesn't necessarily favor his group.

In a five-game first-rounder against the Mavericks, Spurs or Kings, the Lakers' foe may be dealt a tremendous mental blow if the Lakers pull out Game 1 on the other guys' court. A full seven games gives the opponent more than enough time to recover.

Not so Smart: Charges of tanking are being liberally hurled at the Cleveland Cavaliers, and interim coach Keith Smart didn't exactly help matters the other night.

The coach at first tried and was fairly successful in defending his franchise by denying any such claims that his team had quit for the season. This rebuttal came when Magic star Tracy McGrady said he got the feeling that the Cavs weren't playing all out.

But then Smart took his leading scorer, Ricky Davis, out of the starting lineup for a couple of games and said it was to "to solidify the team."

Oh, well.

Anyway, suspicions abound that owner Gordon Gund is getting ready to sell the team and is being advised that the most valuable asset the team could have would be one LeBron James, sure to be the No. 1 pick this June.

Let's see. Gund paid about $20 million for the team back in 1983 and has floored a few tough squads through the years.

But now it cost the new franchise owners in Charlotte about $300 million to buy into the league. A team already equipped with a few quality players plus James would have to ring up a few million more than the 300.

From $20 million to $300 plus million — that's what we'd call preparing a retirement fund.

Making a point: Houston point guard Steve Francis admits it would be somewhat awesome to have Jason Kidd in Texas along with Francis and the Mavericks' Steve Nash.

"That's crazy," Francis told the media. "That would be hard. I'd feel sorry for (Spurs point guard) Tony Parker. He's done a good job. But if you get a chance to get a guy they say is the best point guard in the NBA, you have to take him.

"He's definitely up there (among the best). I don't know what people say makes him best, but if it's wins, he's there. He's definitely (No.) 1 or 2. He can't be lower than that."


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