Bowen's defense inspires, irritates
Web Posted: 04/04/2006 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.d3d6afb.html
SALT LAKE CITY — As the Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers lined up to begin their final meeting last season, Kobe Bryant smiled and knocked fists with Bruce Bowen. Then he leaned over and offered a few kind words for the man who would be hounding him.
"I want to be the first to congratulate you," Bryant said, "on being defensive player of the year."
The NBA had yet to announce the award, and when it did nearly a month later, Detroit center Ben Wallace won for the third time in four seasons. Bowen finished second.
But not in Bryant's mind.
"Because of our compe ive nature, he respects me, and I respect him," said Bowen, whose Spurs play at Utah tonight. "He understands what I do out here."
Whether Bowen has to settle for the respect of (some of) his peers — the league's coaches also are expected to name him to one of the two all-defense teams for the sixth consecutive season — remains to be seen.
After finishing fourth in 2004 voting and as the runner-up last season, Bowen figures to do no worse this season.
Sacramento forward Ron Artest, one of the few perimeter defenders considered in Bowen's class, missed nearly a third of the season when Indiana suspended him. Wallace's rebounding and blocks have dipped slightly, but he ranks fourth and eighth, respectively, in those areas and is 11th in steals.
Only twice, however, in the previous 17 seasons has a perimeter defender won: Artest in 2004 and Gary Payton in 1996.
The NBA has done its best to make perimeter defenders an endangered species. To boost scoring, the league outlawed hand checking, then nearly all other perimeter contact.
Bowen has countered by showing his hands more and moving his feet quicker. Almost 35, he still ranks as one of the best at beating opponents to their comfort spots.
"He takes pride in taking on the best offensive player and making it a tough night for him," Michael Finley said. "When you have that mentality, refereeing can't do much about the way you play."
Bowen also has shown versatility. Despite giving up nearly 6 inches, he successfully fronted Toronto's Chris Bosh. During one six-day stretch, Bowen helped force Bryant into making only 9 of 33 shots; limited Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki to 14 points on 3-of-13 shooting; and held Philadelphia's Allen Iverson without a basket in the third quarter of a come-from-behind victory.
USA Basketball officials recognized Bowen's defense enough to invite him to try out for the national team this summer.
"If they're really serious about having a team approach, which I'm sure they are," said Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni, who will serve as an assistant for Team USA, "then Bruce should have a heck of a chance to make it."
Not everyone, however, is so eager to praise Bowen. A recent Sports Illustrated players' poll had him ranked as the league's second-dirtiest player behind Seattle's Danny Fortson.
Said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich: "I don't know how a 175-pound guy could be called dirty."
Bowen also didn't help his image last week when he was fined $10,000 for kicking Seattle's Ray Allen in the back. Bowen apologized, but Allen called the incident "coward's basketball." The following day, Allen called NBA senior vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson to lobby for Bowen's fine.
While Bryant and Miami's Dwyane Wade, among others, seem to embrace the challenge of facing Bowen, Allen has been his biggest critic.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson has jumped in as well, calling Bowen "Edward Scissorhands." Bowen's reputation as one of the league's best defenders, Jackson said, allows him to "whack away at you."
"He's had a license for about four years now," Jackson said. "Prior to that, he was a spot player, and it was difficult for him to get those kind of calls."
Though Bowen long ago tired of the criticism, in part because he worries the complaining would influence officiating, he rarely offers a rebuttal.
"What am I going to say about a coach?" Bowen said. "Especially one of (Jackson's) caliber."
Bowen flails his hands in what he calls "short movements" because he can disrupt an opponent's shot even if he doesn't touch him. He also has been accused of stepping under players but attributes that to trying to crowd or block out his man. Or beat him to a spot.
Is that dirty? No more so, Bowen said, than when the same player jams a forearm into Bowen's chest while driving to the basket.
"What about Michael Jordan's push on Byron Russell (in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals)?" Bowen said. "We don't get to say those things as defenders because (the officials) will look at us as crazy."
Allen's comments didn't frustrate Bowen as much as his game-winning shot. After springing loose from Bowen, he buried a 3-pointer to beat the Spurs.
Allen finished with 33 points, and Bowen understands there will be nights like that. Or like Saturday against Washington, when Popovich had him shuttling between Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison depending on who had the hotter hand, then ripped him for not keeping Jamison off the 3-point line.
In those instances, Bowen has learned it's best to have a short memory.
It's the same at ude he has when asked about the one defensive honor that's eluded him.
"I have two championships right now and a reputation in this league for being a hard-nosed player," Bowen said. "If it doesn't happen, I can't be deflated. I still have a job to do."
Coach honored: Popovich was named the Western Conference Coach of the Month after the Spurs finished 12-4 in March.
why not 13-3?Coach honored: Popovich was named the Western Conference Coach of the Month after the Spurs finished 12-4 in March.
Hey I know Bowen is a shy person, but why didn't he show the license? I never heard about it and I haven't seen it. wtf? I didn't knew about that.
man i really hope bowen gets defensive player of the year. he's one of the few players int he league who could have 0 points but still change the game entirely with his ability to lock down the opposing team's star player. i also have mucho respect for kobe on appreciating and acknowledging bowen's D instead of pussy allen and carter who cry all the time
That's really interesting. I noticed Kobe and Bruce seemed to be having a nice discussion before the recent game too. In my imaginary fantasyland, where everything connects to everything else, that would've been Bowen congratulating Kobe on being MVP; but in reality I bet it was something else. Still, would've been pretty cool.As the Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers lined up to begin their final meeting last season, Kobe Bryant smiled and knocked fists with Bruce Bowen. Then he leaned over and offered a few kind words for the man who would be hounding him.
"I want to be the first to congratulate you," Bryant said, "on being defensive player of the year."
They were chatting about Allen. I'm sure.
Props to Kobe. See? He's not as bad a sportsman as people think
s
if only nba fans at stadiums were like the fans from wwe, chantin ray u suckwould be awesome.
Yea, the Ray Allen incident really pushed me over the edge. It's one thing to to the media, it's another to call up the VP of Basketball ops and tattle-tail. Very unsportsman-like of him. Especially since Bruce had apologized.
As much as I can't stand Kobe, I really respect his at ude with Bruce. That's really awesome.
I'm going to have a heart-attack, Spurs fans actually saying nice things about Kobe??I knew Allen whined about Bruce, I didn't know he actually called Stu Jackson. Get a life dude.
^I think a lot of the Kobe hate stems from those days when he used to kill the Spurs in the 4th quarter of playoff games.
Bowen = The Man!
I don't think there's a bigger wuss in pro sports than Ray Allen. The contrast between him calling Stu Jackson to cry like a little girl and Kobe and Wade relishing the challenge of playing Bowen says all that needs to be said.
Bruce should win this year.
I wish I could say that Ben did, but his numbers fell a little too much this year for the honor to be his.
Yeah I hated Kobe when he would just light us up in the playoffs. I hated it but it was always the best feeling when we beat LA when Shaq and Kobe where together. Now it just doesnt feel the same. Hearing what Kobe said gives me a new respect for him, but I still won't cheer for him. HAHA. Although 81 points is freakin amazing!
I agree. Kobe said something to Bruce as a joke and Bruce shook his head and said "Man, what an asshole, that was whacked."
Certain players have always respected Bruce. Kobe and Peja are at the top of that list.
Every dog has his day.I'm going to have a heart-attack, Spurs fans actually saying nice things about Kobe??
Gooo Bruce!
*gulp* that was very nice of Kobe
I found an old quotes
I was at a point where I wanted to fight him. I wasn't thinking about playing basketball. I wanted to fight him." -- Ray Allen, on Bruce Bowen.
Mavs coach Don Nelson said, "You can put me down now as one of the many who have called him dirty. I've never cast an aspersion toward Bruce Bowen -- but he's a dirty player. And I'll remember it. I'm shocked he wasn't suspended."
After an elbowing incident, Dallas' Michael Finley said of Bowen, "A coward guy made a coward play. He gave me a cheap shot from behind and I retaliated."
"I told one of our guys when he gets up close like that just knock the ball into his face and I'll pay the fine," Cuban said.
Allen reiterated his displeasure to Bowen's teammate, Tim Duncan, at the All-Star Game. The Spurs' center asked if Bowen was a dirty player, and Allen replied: " , yeah, he's dirty."
Allen recounted: "When we were at the All-Star Game, Tim Duncan asked me, and we were in front of Peja (Stojakovic, Sacramento), and he asked me, 'Is Bruce Bowen dirty?' I said, ' , yeah, he's dirty.' And Peja was like, 'I don't think so ... well, sometimes.' I was like, 'The only reason you say that is because you're catching it and shooting it. He doesn't have a chance to put his hands up on you.' And Tim was like, 'Yeah, maybe you have a point.' ... He knows. The whole league knows about Bruce."
"I agree with him he plays hard, but there's a lot of other stuff that's outside the realm of playing hard," Allen said. "We all see it. We all see the things that toe the line of being dirty basketball."
"I question if it was an accident or whether it was on purpose," Vince Carter said of Bowen on the play. "(But) I'm sure he will say it was an accident and I'll live with that."
San Antonio Spurs defensive ace Bruce Bowen is getting noticed around the league, but not in a complimentary way. During the Spurs' recent road trip, Seattle's Ray Allen accused him of playing "sissy basketball," Toronto's Vince Carter hinted that he tried to hurt him when he landed on Bowen's foot after a shot, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders used the word "dirty" to describe him to the referees, and Houston's Cuttino Mobley called him a "flopper." Bowen called Saunders' move "disrespectful" but didn't want to respond to Mobley's comment, saying, "I've got enough of that going on right now."
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"Never. (Popovich) and I talked, he's a lot like Eddie Haskell of 'Leave it to Beaver,' you know, and we mean it as a compliment. He's a pest. I've never seen him do anything dirty. He's relentless. It's a big deal for him to come out every night and guard the best player on the perimeter and try to stop him." -- Larry Brown, on whether he'd call Bruce Bowen a dirty player.
"If you're going to be a nasty defensive player, you've got to be on the borderline of what some people might consider dirty," Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said. "I don't think Bruce ever does anything malicious. I don't think he's ever doing anything to try and hurt somebody.
Yeah that's right, i told bruce that he had my vote for DPOY last year and this year. Bruce does things on the court that 98% of the nba can't do. The way he uses his hands, they always waving around around the ball and my face. He rarely bites for my jabs, and lets face it, the rest of the league has nightmares about my jab/pump fake.
And oh yeah, we did talk about Ray. All i gotta say is that if it weren't for my Denzel Washington, Ray would be a nobody.
see what i mean, that kid would be a NOBODY without D-Wash. Ray is jealous that he isn't even the top 5 to come out of our class.
(Me, AI, Nash, JO, Derek Fisher, THEN Ray)
I think Phil meant that as a figure of speech. Accorinding to Jackosn, he's had the "license" to get away with some calls because of his reputation as a good defender.
I don't think the DPOY race is even close. Bowen should win barring Sternie interference. With all the new BS hand-checking rules, Bowen's win would look more impressive. Here is my ranking for DPOY in order.
1. Bowen
2. Kirelenko
3. B. Wallace
4. Marion
and you explained it to me
ps. It was a sarcasm or something like that by me.
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