Rule crackdown doesn't faze Bowen

[Kori Ellis]

Rule crackdown doesn't faze Bowen
Web Posted: 10/14/2004 12:00 AM CDT

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...11d937bf8.html

They called Bruce Bowen dirty, as well as a few other filthy things best left unprinted. They complained he hit, poked, grabbed, held, kicked and, yes, even dared to flop.

Vince Carter inferred Bowen intentionally tried to injure him. Ray Allen and Michael Finley lobbed their own accusations. Don Nelson and Flip Saunders, representing Coaches for a Safer NBA, also chimed in.

And that was only last season. Now comes word the league, in an effort to facilitate more offense, wants its officials to closely scrutinize any contact made on the perimeter. In other words, keep your hands (and forearms) to yourself.

Though Bowen has ample reason to wonder whether his selection to the NBA's top All-Defensive team last season also classified him as an endangered species (defendus physicalus), he isn't complaining.

"I think it would say more about me if I did that," Bowen said. "I just have to deal with it."

Bowen should have a better idea of what he's dealing with after the Spurs meet next week with one of the league's veteran referees. While the league did not implement any major rule changes for this season, officials have been told to call a foul anytime a defender uses a forearm or extends his arm to impede an offensive player's progress. Officials also expect to call fewer charges this season, possibly resulting in defenders getting whistled for more blocking violations.

"If you put any of the great defensive players in the league under a microscope — and Bruce is clearly one of those — you're going to find fouls," Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "If you're a perimeter defender in this league, you're physical. You're annoying and persistent. You can't be a great defender in this league and not be those things.

"You ain't trying to win a popularity contest with the guy you're playing."

Bowen was called many things last season, but Mr. Popular was not one of them. No less than three All-Stars publicly complained about his physical play. Ironically, the "moaning and groaning," as Spurs coach Gregg Popovich calls it, helped prepare Bowen for any tighter officiating he might encounter this season.

"There was so much madness going on, it did force me to show my hands more," Bowen said. "Now it's more of a conscious effort night in and night out to not get the cheap (fouls). It's almost like going back to high school and you're that one new player and the opposing coach says, 'Go at him.' What are you going to do, sink or swim?"

If the past couple of weeks are any indication, Bowen intends to keep swimming. This summer he got married, signed a new four-year contract and turned 33, but he still reported to training camp in great shape. At an age when many players begin to lose a step, Bowen is outrunning and outhustling many of his younger teammates.

"You don't improve in training camp," Bowen said. "You improve in the summer.

"I never want to be in the position in which I'm behind the eight ball, where the coaches are saying, 'Oh, look at Bruce. He's dragging. He must not have done anything this summer.' That's my biggest fear."

Though Bowen went home to Fresno, Calif., and visited Miami during the offseason, he remained a regular visitor to the team's practice facility when he was in town. After developing a fairly respectable pull-up shot last season, he has continued to work on his in-between game. His free-throw shooting, which improved by more than 17 percent last season, obviously can still get considerably better.

"I want to be consistent, be the best I can be," Bowen said. "I think I earned respect from Pop to call plays for me last year. That may not happen five times a game, but he used to not even think about it."

That said, Bowen hasn't forgotten why he pulls down an NBA paycheck. Which is one reason why he finds it somewhat amusing to hear people fret about the league's scoring.

"They say they want it like the olden days," he said. "Well, in the olden days, some guys weren't athletic enough to stay in front of guys. Whenever Bob Cousy can dribble with his right hand all the way across court and then dribble (in a circle) around you and no one is poking the ball away from him, what does that say?

"That's not a discredit to them. But the athleticism has continued to go up and up."

So far, Bowen has continued to keep step.

"He has some of the greatest footwork in the league, in terms of being able to stay with guys, especially with the ball," Brent Barry said. "Most of the great offensive players in this league are a step ahead of any good defender. But it seems with Bruce — and he's proven it time and time again against some of the best offensive players — that he's a step ahead of most of those guys.

"That's a tremendous compliment to the type of skill set he has on the defensive end."

Barry should know. During his days in Seattle, he occasionally found himself having to go at Bowen.

"To be honest with you," Barry said, "I didn't like it very much."

Few do.

[SequSpur]

I have a problem with a lot of crap the NBA comes up with. In the first 2 games of the Laker series, Parker was able to run the offense. This led to 2 Spurs wins, easily.

Then the Lakers started manhandling Parker and the other Spurs and then suddenly, basketball was no longer basketball. WTF do they want? The Pistons play football on defense rather than basketball. Hence, low scoring games. I don't understand why there are rules problems. Its quite simple, basketball rules were set along time ago, it seems that the NBA adjusts the rules to cater to the Kobe, McGrady, Iverson style of player.

Then they clarify the .4 rule. After the fact! WTF?, the NBA is stupid as far as I am concerned. The refs don't call the game according to basketball rules. Players are allowed 3 steps instead of 2. Carrying the ball is okay with superstars but not okay with the average Joe. Sometimes its a lane violation and sometimes its not. The no charge circle under the basket is stupid. Where did that come from?

Then in the olympics, the NBA was totally baffled by the real rules of basketball. They couldn't adjust and really looked like fools. Marbury, Duncan, Carmelo, and Lebron were average players at best.

NBA is starting to resemble the WWF and Boxing.