NBA Insider Jan 27 - Jan 31

January 27, 2003

<font size="18">Trade Rumors Heating Up</font>

With less than a month to go before the NBA trade deadline, the names surfacing on the trading block become more curious by the minute. You've been bored to death already with the Latrell Sprewell-to-anywhere and the Wally Szczerbiak-to-nowhere speculation. But a few new names are starting to become the talk of the league.

Among the most intriguing? League sources told Insider over the weekend that Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Sixers' Eric Snow and the Raptors' Alvin Williams are all being dangled right now.

Ilgauskas has teams licking their chops for one reason -- when he's healthy, he's one of the two or three best offensive centers in the league. The big question though, is how much longer he can stay off crutches. After missing two full seasons with foot injuries, Ilgauskas made a miraculous comeback midway through last season. Is there a team out there willing to take the risk?

He has been phenomenal for the Cavs through the first half, which is partly why Cleveland wants to trade him -- his value has never been higher. Cavs GM Jim Paxson is also concerned that the heavy minutes he logged under John Lucas's tutelage will eventually catch up with him. Add three young centers -- DeSagana Diop, Chris Mihm and Michael Stewart -- to the mix and you can understand the Cavs' motivation. They need their young bigs to get more playing time and would love to be out from under the remaining two years and $28 million of Ilgauskas's contract.

So, who is rumored to be interested? The Knicks could put together a package of Charlie Ward, Travis Knight and Othella Harrington that would put them in the picture. Ward only has $2 million worth of salary protection on his contract next season, Knight has just one more year left on his deal, and Harrington's salary won't do any major cap damage. The move would allow the Cavs to clear about $5 million in additional cap room for next summer and $11 million of cap space for the summer of 2004.

The Jazz could also be interested, possibly shipping Greg Ostertag, John Amaechi, Jason Collins and a No. 1 draft pick. And the Blazers, always willing to wheel and deal, have looked at moving soon-to-be free agents Scottie Pippen and Antonio Daniels to Cleveland for Ilguaskas, Tyrone Hill and Michael Stewart.

Snow's status might even be more tenuous. Several league sources told Insider the Sixers are once again shopping their point guard in return for a post player. While Snow has been a valuable piece of the Sixers puzzle, coach Larry Brown feels that he has enough depth with Aaron McKie and rookie John Salmons to make Snow expendable. Snow's salary, $4.1 million a year, and his solid point guard play makes him attractive trade bait.

Several teams are still looking for a point guard and are rumored to be interested in Snow. The Warriors would swap Danny Fortson straight up in a heartbeat. The Hawks likely would part with a combination of rookie Dan Dickau and Nazr Mohammed. And the T-Wolves are ready to part ways with Joe Smith. However, whether any of those players would help Larry Brown turn around his Sixers is questionable.

The other player to keep your eye on is the Raptors' Alvin Williams. The emergence of Rafer Alston, combined with the team's lackluster play, has management looking to cut costs. You can add Jerome Williams and Antonio Davis to this list as well, but Alvin is generating the most interest right now. First, he's a big point guard, something just about everyone in the league covets. Second, his contract is pretty long, but he's not making outrageous money (around $5 million a year). Where will he land? Look to Boston, where the combo of Shammond Williams and Tony Delk is struggling. The Celtics could offer a package of Shammond Williams (free agent this summer) and Eric Williams (one more year left on his contract) that would allow the Raptors to clear some cap room.

<font size="18">Gooden, Turkoglu also on the block?</font>

Still hungry for more trade rumors? Ilgauskas, Snow and Williams aren't the only new names on the block. Chicago Tribune scribe Sam Smith adds the Kings' Hidayet Turkoglu and Grizzlies rookie Drew Gooden to the list.

According to Smith, the Kings are looking for a lottery-caliber draft pick in return for Turkoglu. Many in Sacramento thought Turkoglu was poised to send Doug Christie to the bench after a solid off-season playing for the Turkish national team, but lately Turkoglu has struggled to find minutes in a deep rotation that includes Keon Clark and second-year guard Gerald Wallace. Turkoglu becomes a restricted free agent after next season and according to Smith, the Kings have spread the word that he's available.

Gooden is more interesting. It's hard to believe Grizzlies GM Jerry West, who proclaimed that Gooden a legit candidate for Rookie of the Year, would pull the plug on his first draft pick so quickly. The problem for the Griz right now is fit. Pau Gasol is their power forward of the future, and Gooden has struggled to adapt to playing small forward. His struggles have led to decreased playing time. Gooden's pouting over his role with the team hasn't helped things. Smith suggests that the Grizzlies may be willing to rekindle talks with the Magic. This summer, the Grizzlies were trying to get the Magic to agree to a Stromile Swift for Mike Miller swap. Will they up the ante to Gooden for Miller?

And what would any trade deadline column be without an old standby like Gary Payton? Coach Nate McMillan gave even more evidence on Sunday why Payton's antics no longer fit with the rebuilding program he's trying to put into place.

Payton, who will undoubtedly be selected tomorrow to play in his ninth straight All-Star Game, may be leading the league in assists and averaging more than 20 points, but McMillan feels that his young players, especially Rashard Lewis, need to be taking control in the deciding moments of games. Will he really get the opportunity with the ultra competitive Payton on the floor?

"If you're going to be a go-to kind of guy, the kind of guy Gary has been for us for years, then you have to take those shots," McMillan said. "I want Rashard taking those shots. That's what he wanted and that's what we want.

"You learn from your defeats and he's no different. He'll be better the next game and the game after that because he's taking those big shots."

<font size="18">Kidd says he won't write off the Nuggets </font>

Jason Kidd continues to scare the hell out of the Nets, whose road trips are becoming a weekly free-agent tour for Kidd. And so far, Kidd has done very little to quiet all of the heavy breathing.

He was in Denver on Sunday and, of course, was asked the question: Would he consider bolting the Nets for the Nuggets this summer?

It's not as implausible as it seems. Denver should have enough cap room to go after two major free agents this summer. If Kidd signed on, he could essentially, pick another teammate to play with. As bad as the Nuggets are now, they have some nice young prospects like Nene Hilario, Rodney White and Nikoloz Tskitishvili to build around. Factor in Marcus Camby, if he's ever healthy, and a high lottery pick (you think Kidd would like to tutor LeBron?) and the Nuggets aren't too shabby.

Kidd agrees.

"In free agency, everyone is going to look around," Kidd told the Denver Post. "Denver's a place that has had success, not this year, but in past years. They have a great facility. They'll land somebody. Playing in the Western Conference, I've gotten to see Denver. Denver's nice. You definitely have a home-court advantage (with the altitude)."

Kidd knows there is a limited number of teams that can afford him next summer. The Spurs, Jazz, Nuggets and Nets are the only teams right now that have enough cash to throw the max his direction. That's why he's not writing off anyone.

"I am going to look at all my options and see what happens," said Kidd. "Nobody knew that New Jersey would have so much success. You never know what can happen."

Nets GM Rod Thorn sounds weary of all of the speculation. He should be. If he loses Kidd for nothing, the Nets would crumble quickly.

"We have a good team. Hopefully, we'll have a good team in the future so our chances are good," Thorn said. "But he never said he was going to sign with us, and he's never said he's going to sign with anyone else. He's going to go through the process."

<font size="18">Wizards still stuck between contending, rebuilding</font>

It ha taken Doug Collins 41 games, but he finally admits that his task -- meshing a team of grizzled veterans with a bunch of youngsters -- may be a more difficult task than anyone imagined.

"The dynamics on our team are unlike any other team in the NBA," Collins told the Washington Post after the Wizards' third straight lost.

The Wizards have been on a roller coaster ride all season. One minute they look like playoff contenders, the next they look like LeBron James contenders.

Collins canceled practice on Sunday to try to regroup. Michael Jordan said it may be time for a change. The Wizards play the Suns, Nets, Hornets and Bucks leading up to the All-Star break. No one wants this funk to last all the way until then.

"As a coach you're going to have to find ways to draw on that type of energy, maybe change the lineup, change personnel, try to do something to motivate each and every person," Jordan said. "Right now, I'm pretty sure Doug is trying to search and find that. Hopefully we can come up with a solution very quickly."

Collins isn't so sure. He's yet to find a consistent rotation and has struggled to keep everyone happy with their playing time. More specifically, Collins has struggled to find meaningful minutes for young players like Kwame Brown, Etan Thomas and Juan Dixon. Is Collins ready to sacrifice the future to make sure this year's Wizards make it to the playoffs.

"Every coach would like to have a nine-man rotation and know how he's going to use them every night," Collins said. "We don't have that kind of team. I've yet to be able to get a gauge on our team. It might not happen all year."

Jordan doesn't advocate a trade. He just feels it's time for everyone to pull their own weight.

"It's nothing we all can't fix. It's a correctable issue. It's not that we have to trade for something like that. It's here on this team. We have to find it and keep it in the forefront."

<font size="18">Blazers not missing 'Sheed </font>

So how are the Blazers faring without their team leader and top scorer, Rasheed Wallace?

"Rasheed who?" center Dale Davis said straight-faced after the Blazers knocked off the Mavs. The team is 4-1 since the NBA suspended him for verbally assaulting a referee after a game.

"We don't like it like this, playing without Rasheed," guard Bonzi Wells told the Oregonian. "But it helps our character out a little bit."

Character. The Blazers could use a little bit of it right now. The team has been the NBA's pariah for the last five years. The talent has always been there, but the attitude, selfishness and damaging off-court behavior always limited the team's success.

Wallace has been the poster child for the Blazers woes. His talent is superstar quality, but his attitude on and off the court has crippled the team. With second-year forward Zach Randolph excelling (17 ppg, 8 rpg over last three) in Wallace's absence, is it time for the Blazers to think about moving Sheed?

While team captain Scottie Pippen won't go that far, he's quick to point out that Randolph is giving the team a dimension that, for whatever reason, Wallace isn't comfortable giving.

"Rasheed is a little more reluctant to go out and score," Pippen said, "but Zach is more hungry to score. It is a big difference, because Sheed can make guys around him better where Zach makes our team better, because he gives us that interior post presence that we really need.",

 

January 28, 2003

<font size="18">Divining the all-stars</font>

The fans have spoken. The media have spoken and spoken. And sometime today, the coaches will speak as well.

The all-star selection process is one of the great unsolved mysteries left in the universe. There is no rhyme or reason. No pattern. No logic. Might as well sacrifice small animals, throw their innards on the ground and let a shaman or two divine the stars.

The fans would vote in Charles Barkley and Larry Bird if they could. They've played about as much as Vince Carter has this season. LeBron James would also be a shoo-in. So would Rafer Alston. The fans want to see the stars, the flash and the dunks. Period. There's nothing wrong with that.

The media love to rail on the fans for getting it wrong. Of course, they too, rarely get it right. They're great at hyping their buddies or making selections that bolster their preseason predictions. It gets them better access in the locker room, maybe an exclusive interview or two, and nice dinner for two with the SFX agent of their choice and a chance to say, "I told you so." (Aside: Bad Journalism 101 -- Tell the reader that you hate to say, "I told you so," and then proceed to do it on a weekly basis while conveniently leaving out everything you got wrong.)

The coaches have the best chance of getting things right. They do more than peruse box scores or breath heavily over the latest flavor of the month. They're less likely to be swayed by a good player putting up great stats on a horrible team. And they're more likely to give a guy who busts his butt every night (read Ron Artest) over an all-flash, no-substance scorer (read Antawn Jamison). They also have grudges. That's why you'll never see Rasheed Wallace or Latrell Sprewell get any love this time of year. Again, nothing wrong with that.

Of course, here's the part where I tell you to ignore all of that and listen to me. I don't, however, have all of the answers. My all-star ballot doesn't make much sense either. Is it OK to vote in a guy like Ricky Davis, whose team is terrible? I have no idea. What about a guy like Brad Miller? His numbers don't jump out at you, but he's a key player on the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers would be lost without him.

Company policy forbids me from mutilating squirrels, so I went for the next best thing. I called up five successful GMs and asked for their perspective. I respect the GMs' opinions for a couple of reasons. One, they see the whole picture. Skill, work ethic, bang for the buck, marketability and character all play into it for them. Second, they see the whole league. GMs are constantly scouting other players, looking for a good fit, or that guy who will put them over the top. It's not an exact science. But to these five guys, all of whom wished to remain anonymous, it's as close to science as any of this gets.

While no one agreed on everything, here's a rough consensus of who should be flying first class to Atlanta in February.

Eastern Conference Starters

G- Jason Kidd (New Jersey)
G- Tracy McGrady (Orlando)
F- Ron Artest (Indiana)
F- Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana)
C- Ben Wallace (Detroit)

Comments: All five GMs agreed that Kidd, McGrady and Wallace were the best at their positions in the East. O'Neal garnered four votes, but the big surprise was Artest, who squeaked in with three. Said one GM, "He may be the only guy in the league that you can put on just about anyone and he'll go out there and shut them down. Ask any coach or GM if they wouldn't love to have a guy like that. He may be a little crazy, but that just adds to the mystique." It's no surprise that four of these players come from the three best teams in the East.

Eastern Conference Bench

G - Paul Pierce (Boston)
G - Ray Allen (Milwaukee)
G - Allen Iverson (Philadelphia)
F - Michael Jordan (Washington)
F - Antoine Walker (Boston)
F - Jamal Mashburn (New Orleans)
C - Brad Miller (Indiana)

Comments: A few interesting snubs here. No one was willing to give any love to Cleveland's two big scorers, Ricky Davis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. They both went 0-5 among the GMs I talked to. Jerry Stackhouse also got the snub because of a direct comparison to Jordan. "Forget about the stat sheet, Jordan's the most valuable player on that team. The Wizards without Jordan would be counting pingpong balls. The Wizards without Stackhouse wouldn't be that far off the mark." Jalen Rose and Richard Hamilton also couldn't get much love. "Their both good scorers, but they don't do as much as the other guys do in the other categories. Anymore, versatility is the name of the game." Shareef Abdur-Rahim also had trouble getting any support. "He's a good, young talent," one GM said, "but I've lost faith. He should be carrying the Hawks right now. Instead, he's the first one heading for the lifeboats."

Western Conference Starters

G- Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers)
G- Gary Payton (Seattle)
F- Kevin Garnett (Minnesota)
F- Tim Duncan (San Antonio)
C- Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)


Comments: Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan were all unanimous selections. Garnett edged out Nowitzki, 3-2. Payton edged out Francis 4-1. Interestingly, the Western Conference vote broke ranks with the Eastern Conference pattern. Three starters play on teams that don't have winning records. What gives? "Shaq and Kobe are still the two most dominant players in the NBA. Their supporting cast is the problem." The KG-Nowitzki debate is an interesting one. Personally, I'd take Nowitzki because of his ability to play on the perimeter, but most of the GMs I polled felt that Garnett's athleticism, ferocity and durability set him apart. The Payton-Francis debate was more lackluster. "Franics' game has improved this season," one GM said. "But he still needs to work on getting his teammates involved. If he can do that, he'll be the best point guard in the league in a couple of years."

Western Conference Bench

G- Steve Francis (Houston)
G- Steve Nash (Dallas)
F- Shawn Marion (Phoenix)
F - Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
F - Chris Webber (Sacramento)
F- Karl Malone (Utah)
C - Yao Ming (Houston)


Comments: Again, GMs definitely went the winning route with their bench. No one playing on a team with a losing record snuck onto the bench. Among the more interesting snubs? The Kings, largely considered the best team in the NBA, get just one player in C-Webb? Why? "If Mike Bibby had been healthy all season, he'd be in for sure. But his injury allows us to fudge a little." Stephon Marbury also was left off the list. "He's having a great year, but I think he's still a step behind Francis, Payton, Nash and Bibby as far as a playmaker goes. It seems to be that Marion is the glue on that team. He's got a more unique set of skills." And while we're mourning the guys left off the roster, why no love for Antawn Jamison and Michael Finley? "Give us another two guys and they'd be on the list," one GM said.

Joe All-Star

Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention five guys who won't get much support for their all-star bid. Whether it's because their team is terrible, their play isn't highlight reel quality, or they've just appeared on the radar, here's my vote for five average Joes who are doing special things in the NBA this year.

Doug Christie, G, Kings
The Stats: 10.6 ppg, 4.7 apg, 2.8 spg
The Skinny: Ron Artest is getting all of the pub, but some teams feel that Christie is just a tick below Artest in the defensive department. His 2.8 spg lead the league and his assist numbers speak volumes about the important role he plays for the Kings. Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby may get all of the love, but Christie is the glue that holds the Kings together.

Matt Harpring, F, Jazz
The Stats: 18.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg on 51 percent shooting
The Skinny: Just when you think the Jazz are about ready to slip into the crapper, along comes Harpring (?!?) to save the day. Karl Malone and John Stockton are still the unquestioned leaders on the Jazz, but ask anyone in Utah and they'll tell you that Harpring's the team's most valuable player. He's averaging career highs in just about everything. Points, rebounds, shooting percentage, three pointers, Harpring is doing it all for the Jazz this season.

Corey Maggette, F, Clippers
The Stats: 16.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg
The Skinny: He's on the verge of being very scary. Maggette developed a nice three-point shot over the summer and has quietly become the one bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season for the Clippers. Maggette has always been a bit of a stepchild on the Clips. Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, Michael Olowokandi, Andre Miller and even Quentin Richardson have gotten more press. But Maggette's combination of extreme athleticism and an emerging perimeter game make him a player to watch the rest of the season. Right now he's the only player on the team hustling for loose balls, crashing the boards for offensive rebounds and getting out ahead of the break. His play hasn't resulted in many Clipper wins, but it should earn him a big payday this summer.

Derek Anderson, G, Blazers
The Stats: 14.8 ppg, 4.5 apg
The Skinny: It's not easy being the stabilizing influence in an insane asylum, but that's what Anderson has done for the Blazers this season. His attitude, since the moment camp began, has given Maurice Cheeks at least one guy that he can count on. Anderson's unselfishness won him the starting point guard slot over three-career point guards early in the season and it's been his quiet leadership, when things get rocky, that has kept the Blazers from sinking. Here's hoping Anderson's example wears off on his teammates before it's too late.

Michael Redd, G, Bucks
The Stats: 14.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 46 percent shooting from three
The Skinny: After a lot of hand wringing this summer, the Bucks decided to bite the bullet and pay Redd a lot of money to be Ray Allen's permanent backup. They're glad they did. Not only has Redd stepped up his game a notch, George Karl has found a way to get him almost 30 minutes a night. How well has he played? There's talk around the league that he's quickly making Allen expendable. He's proved to be a better three-point shooter than Allen (go figure) and he makes much less cash. If the Bucks squeak into the playoffs this season, they'll have Redd to thank.

Honorable Mention: Pau Gasol, Grizzlies; Earl Boykins, Golden State; Kurt Thomas, Knicks; David Wesley, Hornets; Andrei Kirilenko, Jazz; Jazz

<font size="18">Clippers more screwed up than we imagined </font>

The Clippers hit a new low Monday night when they dropped a close game to the Cavs, the NBA's bottom feeders.

Coach Alvin Gentry was quick to point out that the team was without Lamar Odom, who's suffering from a sore right ankle, but after watching the Clippers blow yet another fourth-quarter lead, you have to wonder how much longer the Clippers will let the excuses fly.

"It's the most frustrating year that I have ever had in coaching," Gentry told the LA. Times. "You think you're going to have a whole team and you don't. You miss a guy here, a guy there. We've spent 44 games trying to redefine roles and put guys in different roles and play different rotations."

True. But when Odom's replacement, Corey Maggette, scores a career-high 34 points, can you pin the loss on Odom? Maggette has a different theory.

"I don't really think that it's our play but our attitude going into the second half," Maggette told the Orange.County Register. "I think we just took this for granted. We have to go back to the drawing board."

At this point in the season, most teams would have had enough. It's time to fire the coach, light a fire under the most underachieving team in the league, and try to resurrect the season before it's too late. On most teams. But we're talking about the Clippers here.

I talked to a Clippers team source late Monday night about Gentry's future with the team. He said simply, "Who knows? No one knows anything here. It's a huge giant mess. We have all of this talent and no real plan in place to do anything with it. Having the talent isn't enough. There has to be a plan that comes into play in situations like this. We have nothing."

Ouch. That's harsh, but there's an explanation behind all of this.

Now, before we go and blame owner Donald Sterling for this whole mess again, we should let him defend himself. The Boston Globe recently obtained a transcript Sterling's 90-minute, 94-page deposition he gave in the Clippers' lawsuit against former coach Bill Fitch.

In the deposition, Sterling denied having any input in basketball decisions for the team. Here's a few snippets of the deposition.

Q. Do you play a role in the final decision to sign a player, resign (sic) a player, draft a player, not sign a player, anything like that?

Sterling: No.

Q. You don't play any role in that?

Sterling: No.

Q. Let's say signing a player.

Sterling: The basketball people do that.

Q. OK. And the basketball people being?

Sterling: Well, there is a personnel director. There is the general manager. There's - I don't even know. There's some other people in that department.

Sterling wasn't even able to identify the team's personnel director. He also said he doesn't play any role in the hiring or firing of a coach.

Sterling: I rely on my people ... My business people and my basketball people.

Q. OK. Do you have any input whatsoever in the decision making, or is it just, they just let you know what they're doing.

Sterling: They let me know what they are doing ... I really don't have the experience.

Now here's where it gets really interesting. Sterling also claims that he hasn't instructed his basketball people to be tight wads.

Q. OK. Is (sic) there instructions you give that you want to be under the (salary) cap, over the cap, anything like that?

Sterling: No.

Q. OK. Is (sic) there any instructions you give that you want Mr. Roeser (Andy Roeser, the team's executive vice president) to run the club very leanly or meanly or words to that effect?

Sterling: No.

And if that isn't the new definition for passing the buck, listen to Sterling's response when asked whether he wants the Clippers to win.

"Yes, but it [the basketball operation] hasn't listened too much to me.''

That should explain just about everything.

<font size="18">Peep Show</font>

Hornets: Baron Davis spent Monday night pondering today's arthroscopic surgical procedure that will repair damaged cartilage in his left knee. "I'm optimistic," Davis told the Times Picayune. "I'm looking at it as a blessing in disguise. It gives me an opportunity to continue to rehab my back as well as get the knee stronger. I probably needed the time off to get my back to 100 percent. So I feel when I come back, I'm really going to be at 100 percent. I've been through the worst with my ACL surgery [in college], not being able to play for eight months. When somebody tells me I'll be out for a month, three to four weeks, it doesn't really bother me. They gave me a big window, three to six weeks. The harder I work, the better the results, but I won't rush back." The Hornets signed journeyman Randy Livingston to replace Davis.

Sonics: Coach Nate McMillan has had enough. McMillan blew his stack in practice on Monday, prompting Gary Payton to call a team meeting. "I'm coaching," McMillan told the Tacoma Tribune. "I'm a coach. I'm going to stop doing as much counseling as I have to do. There are some things that are going on that we have to grow up and accept. I want to coach this team. I don't want to baby-sit or have to do all the one-on-one sessions that I'm having to do with this group. It's time for guys to grow up and mature."

Lakers: The Lakers are 4-15 away from Staples Center and play four of their final five games before the All-Star break on the road. "If we can't win road games, we're not going to win in the playoffs anyway, because we're going to be on the road in the playoffs," Jackson told the O.C. Register. Still, Jackson believes the Lakers will turn it around this season. "Have faith . . .We feel strong about who we are . . .We see a hope; we see our guys playing with more intelligence and teamwork."

Grizzlies: Coach Hubie Brown is slowly coming to the realization that his team really does stink. "How many times have you seen us favored this year with our 10 best guys healthy?" Brown told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "Not many. When we have those 10 guys, we have to almost perfect to beat playoff teams here at home."

T-Wolves: Soon-to-be free agent Rasho Nesterovic, when asked the chances that he'll return to the Wolves next season, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "Big. I've been here for four years now."

Magic: Is Jeryl Sasser ready to break out. His 26-point performance in the absence of Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill has the Magic wondering. "In a sense, maybe I'm just a diamond in the rough," Sasser told the Orlando Sentinel. "Maybe it was my NBA breakout game. But it just shows that there's no substitute for playing time."

 

January 29, 2003

<font size="18">Lakers losing the faith</font>

Forty games to turn a season around. A six-game winning streak here. A four-game winning streak there. Some dominating post play by Shaquille O'Neal. Some fourth-quarter heroics by Kobe Bryant. A few last-second 3s by Robert Horry.

Phil Jackson says he has tried everything to turn the Lakers around.
It's possible. The Lakers know that. Phil Jackson knows that. The Rockets, Jazz, Warriors and Suns -- the four teams that stand in the Lakers' way -- all know it.

"Things have a way of changing," assistant coach Tex Winter told the L.A. Times.

They sure do. But in what direction? The confidence that has been a hallmark of the Laker's run the past few seasons appears to have eroded. The players themselves sound tentative when they talk about the task ahead of them.

"There really aren't any more nights off," Derek Fisher told the Times. "We're not going to win 40 games in a row. But at the same time, we have to come out and understand that each game, basically, we feel like we have to win."

"Well, being [4] games out with 40 games remaining, it's not an unattainable goal of ours to regain some of our form and make it to the playoffs," forward Rick Fox said. "I don't think in any way are we underestimating what we're about to do. ... The road has not been the greatest thing for this team all year."

The Lakers would likely have to play .600 ball the rest of the way to make the playoffs. Given their road record (5-15), that isn't encouraging.

How can a team that essentially has the same talent it did last year, when the Lakers won it all, stink so horribly this season? Injuries? Lack of motivation? Improved competition? Everyone has theories. Inside the Lakers, most of them revolve around the Lakers' lackluster defense this year.

"I just don't think they're ready to play," Winter said. "They're professional athletes. They're getting paid awfully good money. I should think they would recognize the urgency of the situation and motivate themselves."

The Lakers rank 22nd in the league in points allowed with a shocking 96.9 ppg. Even the Clippers are playing better D this season.

The crisis has Jackson, the Zen optimist, expressing grave reservations about the ability of this team to turn it on in the second half. Jackson is running out of answers at this point. He isn't used to motivating mediocre teams. L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke wonders if Phil has it in him.

"He's not the sort of disciplinarian struggling teams need," Plaschke wrote. "He doesn't instill the sort of fundamentals scuffling players need. He doesn't teach freshman English, he teaches graduate literature, which works only on eager and accomplished scholars. When he arrived here four years ago, the Lakers were filled with such scholars. Today, flush with diplomas, they have reverted to spitballs and food fights. They've changed. Their teacher doesn't know how to change. The chaos has been palpable."

It sounds like Jackson agrees.

"I've looked for everything," he acknowledged to the Times on Tuesday. "And I can't come up with a combination. ... I have not moved us much further down the line. ... I've always been known for being positive, maybe I've been too positive. Maybe I should just say that, positively, this is not a good team."

Jackson's frustrations have raised speculation that it may be time to break up the Lakers. The Lakers have several players, including Horry, Tracy Murray and Samaki Walker, who are in the last year of their contracts. With so many teams looking to get under the cap, the Lakers have a chance to shake things up before the Feb. 20 trade deadline.

Insider has been reporting for weeks that the Lakers' front office has been pushing to make some adjustments. Jackson was always against adding new blood to the Bulls during his reign there. So far, he's resisted breaking up the Lakers as well. Even now, it sounds like he is struggling with the ramifications of a big mid-season move.

"In the history of basketball, you've got to know when a team is finished," he said. "The Celtics made that mistake. That's what happened in Detroit. ... You're talking about betraying heart and loyalty, and you can't do that."

Are the Lakers finished? We're 40 games from unraveling the mystery.

<font size="18">Artest, Rose, Stackhouse biggest all-star snubs in East</font>

There's a lot of fallout this morning from the league's announcement of the all-star reserves. In the East, Ron Artest, Jalen Rose, Jerry Stackhouse, Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton were the most glaring omissions.

Ron Artest's "bump" of Pat Riley didn't cost him a spot in the All-Star Game Coaches had to have their ballots in Monday morning, hours before Artest went on his rampage in Miami. So how does the best defender in the league, the MVP of the best team in the East, get left off the all-star roster?

Artest's teammates want to know. "He's been our most valuable player," Reggie Miller told the N.Y. Daily News. "It's a shame that a player of his stature and with his stats can't make the All-Star team. Looking at that roster, the East's coaches ought to be shot for not putting him on."

Maybe coaches were trying to send Artest a message. You've got to believe that opposing coaches would love for Artest to tone it down a bit. He's a nightmare on defense, and it isn't like Monday's outburst was Artest's first. He was fined $10,000 for pushing Raja Bell earlier in the season, and who can forget the camera-throwing tantrum that earned Artest a three-game suspension. Miller isn't so sure that Artest will get the message.

"This is only going to make him hungrier and meaner," Miller said. "And the rest of the league doesn't want that to happen. ... Everybody used to say how dirty Bill Laimbeer was. Well, everybody would have loved him to be on their team. It's the same with Ron. Everything he does, we back him 100 percent."

The issue no one is talking about in the Artest debate is the support his behavior gets from his teammates, coaches and front office. They all believe Artest is fine, mentally, and a great teammate on and off the court. Coach Isiah Thomas has been trying to rebuild his Bad Boys for the last three years. Artest's role as the resident bad ass is in perfect keeping with Thomas' philosophy. Does it get out of hand sometimes? Sure. But Thomas would rather have Artest teetering on the edge than regressing into a calmer, more cerebral player.

Ron Artest's "bump" of Pat Riley didn't cost him a spot in the All-Star Game Coaches had to have their ballots in Monday morning, hours before Artest went on his rampage in Miami. So how does the best defender in the league, the MVP of the best team in the East, get left off the all-star roster?

Artest's teammates want to know. "He's been our most valuable player," Reggie Miller told the N.Y. Daily News. "It's a shame that a player of his stature and with his stats can't make the All-Star team. Looking at that roster, the East's coaches ought to be shot for not putting him on."

Maybe coaches were trying to send Artest a message. You've got to believe that opposing coaches would love for Artest to tone it down a bit. He's a nightmare on defense, and it isn't like Monday's outburst was Artest's first. He was fined $10,000 for pushing Raja Bell earlier in the season, and who can forget the camera-throwing tantrum that earned Artest a three-game suspension. Miller isn't so sure that Artest will get the message.

"This is only going to make him hungrier and meaner," Miller said. "And the rest of the league doesn't want that to happen. ... Everybody used to say how dirty Bill Laimbeer was. Well, everybody would have loved him to be on their team. It's the same with Ron. Everything he does, we back him 100 percent."

The issue no one is talking about in the Artest debate is the support his behavior gets from his teammates, coaches and front office. They all believe Artest is fine, mentally, and a great teammate on and off the court. Coach Isiah Thomas has been trying to rebuild his Bad Boys for the last three years. Artest's role as the resident bad ass is in perfect keeping with Thomas' philosophy. Does it get out of hand sometimes? Sure. But Thomas would rather have Artest teetering on the edge than regressing into a calmer, more cerebral player.

Jerry Krause is livid that his best player, Rose, was snubbed. Shaking in anger, Krause went on a diatribe for the Chicago Tribune, "This is one of the worst decisions I've seen in a long time. ... I wonder if the coaches voting are seeing the same thing we're seeing. Jalen Rose is an All-Star. He belongs on the All-Star team. He has been wronged as a player and wronged as a person. I'm not getting into other individuals, but Jalen is an All-Star."

Rose isn't happy either. "I'm surprised and disappointed. I can't act like none of the 12 [selected] don't deserve it. But I can't say I don't deserve it either. I've proved over the last few seasons I'm one of the best players in the league. I was a key player on a [Pacers] team that had the best record in the conference. And this time last year the Bulls had [nine] wins."

Rose, Stackhouse and Antawn Jamison were the only players ranked in the top 10 in scoring to be left off the team.

Bucks coach George Karl blamed the Bucks' lackluster first half for Allen's snub. "I've felt all along the NBA coaches vote for guys on winning teams," Karl told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's been playing with sensitive feet, and he hasn't had the greatest year. It goes back to winning. I don't think players and fans respect how much you get paid to win. Ray said in the paper the other day he got paid to score. He doesn't get paid to score. He gets paid to win, period."

Allen has taken the news in stride. "I won't let it rule my existence," said Allen. "When next year comes around, I'll come right back at it again. When you have something taken away from you, you see what you're missing. I've done it for three years, and I never took it for granted."

If winning is such a big deal, how did the Pistons' Hamilton miss the cut? Hamilton believes his age may have something to do with it.

"I feel as though I'm still young and I still have a lot more years in this league," Hamilton told the Detroit Free Press. "It's a tough thing to swallow. This just gives me motivation to just keep going out there and prove myself."

Malone, Finley, Brand get shaft in West

The West selections weren't nearly as controversial. The West is overloaded with great forwards, meaning someone deserving had to be left out. But while coaches honored one living legend in the East, Michael Jordan, they snubbed his counterpart, Karl Malone, in the West.

How did Malone respond to the end of his 14-year streak of All-Star Game selections. " 'Silent Warrior' -- that's my motto," Malone told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Just go out and do your job. Don't get caught up in things you can't control. ... Of course you're disappointed. Of course you are. Eighteen years [in the league], still being able to be on the All-Star team would have been satisfying. There are a lot of ways to handle [disappointment], and I choose to handle it like this: I'm trying to help us win games."

Malone's snub is surprise for a number of reasons. The Jazz, who most people wrote off at the beginning of the season, are actually better than last year's playoff version. While Malone's numbers have slipped a bit, his 19.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg aren't too shabby.

Instead of becoming too bitter, Malone took his frustrations out on the Bucks. Teammate Calbert Cheaney thought Malone's 29-point, 10-rebound performance was meant to be a message to the league. "The way he's played for the first half of the season, he's shown what a great player he is," Cheaney told the Tribune. "He doesn't have to prove it anymore, but sometimes he might feel like he needs to remind people. ... And they couldn't stop him down the stretch."

The Mavs got two players in -- Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki -- but had difficulty completing a rare all-star trifecta. Michael Finley will be left behind on all-star Sunday. According to coach Don Nelson, that's an outrage.

"There's something that we've overlooked the past few days that has been very important to the development of our team, and that's Michael Finley having made a conscious effort the last couple of years to make our team the best it can be," Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "The recipients of that are Nash and Nowitzki. We owe a debt of gratitude to Mike. I thought he deserved it."

"They say they don't like having three players off one team, but if ever there was a year when a team should have three, this is it," guard Avery Johnson said. "We have the best record, and if stats and victories matter, we're the best of the best. I'd take Mike over [Phoenix's] Shawn Marion. But I guess this says just how tough the West is."

The Kings are considered by many to be the best team in the NBA, and they only got one player, Chris Webber, in. Why no love for Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac, Bobby Jackson or Peja Stojakovic?

" 'Webb' was a lock," coach Rick Adelman told the Sacramento Bee. "All the other guys were hurt by the injuries. Everybody has had their turn. Bobby played in 30 games, and I was hoping he'd get a little more of a shot [to make the team]."

Now it appears that Webber may become a victim of the same curse. Webber's sprained ankle, sustained in Tuesday night's game against the Jazz, may mean that he has to miss the game. That could open the door to a veteran like Malone or a young star like Clippers forward Elton Brand or the Warriors' Antawn Jamison.

<font size="18">Can the T-Wolves trade Terrell Brandon?</font>

With Rod Strickland out for a month and Troy Hudson treading water, you've got to believe no one is more interested in point guard Terrell Brandon's rehabilition from offseason knee surgery than the T-Wolves.

Most people within the organization believe Brandon will announce his retirement sometime this season. Several teams, desperate to dump a bad salary or two, are awaiting Brandon's decision as anxiously as the T-Wolves.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, teams are interested in trading for Brandon if there's an assurance that he's going to retire. If Brandon retires and is deemed physically unable to perform by an independent NBA doctor, his team could apply for and receive full salary-cap relief in February 2004 (two years from the date he was injured). That's not the immediate relief that most teams would like, but overall, it's not too shabby.

"If you're a [luxury] taxpayer, it could be significant savings, especially if you're a taxpayer paying $11 million over," Rob Babcock, the Wolves' vice president of player personnel, told the Pioneer Press "If you've got him, and that takes you below the tax bracket, you're saving $11 million-plus in taxes, plus you're saving the 80 percent in salary [which insurance is currently paying]. So next year, it could have an $18 million significance to your overall costs, and that's a lot of money."

Trading Brandon could be a godsend to the T-Wolves. The team has been stripped of most of its first-round draft picks and has struggled to lure top-tier free agents to Minnesota. Brandon, who makes $10.1 million this year, could bring back an impact player like Latrell Sprewell, Eddie Jones, Brian Grant, Damon Stoudamire or Tim Thomas in return.

Why don't the T-Wolves just keep Brandon and save the money themselves? It's a possibility, but extension talks with Kevin Garnett broke down last summer in part because KG still isn't convinced the T-Wolves are prepared financially to do what it takes to make this team a legit contender in the West. Shipping off Brandon in return for a solid veteran like Spree or Jones may be just the commitment Garnett is looking for.

<font size="18">Raptors trying to pry 'Sheed out of Portland</font>

How desperate have the Raptors become in their ongoing effort to bail out Air Carter and company?

The latest, courtesy of the Toronto Star, has Raptors GM Glen Grunwald talking to the Blazers about a deal that would ship Rasheed Wallace off to Canada. According to the report, Grunwald's offer was shot down by Blazers GM Bob Whitsitt. If nothing else, it shows that Grunwald is prepared to take extreme measures to shake up the lowly Raptors.

The problem for the Raptors is convincing someone to take one of their big contracts off their hands. In many ways, that's why the Wallace deal makes some sense. The Raptors could package Antonio Davis and someone like Hakeem Olajuwon, and the Blazers wouldn't have a problem swallowing the contracts. Davis would give the Blazers a solid citizen and low-post presence. Wallace is the type of star the Raptors need to help alleviate some of the pressure off Vince Carter.

<font size="18">Hawks still shopping Terry?</font>

Hawks GM Pete Babcock acknowledged Tuesday that he's still looking to make a deal before the trading deadline. On his shopping list? A true point guard and some defensive help. So where does that leave Jason Terry?

"[Terry] has improved and is doing a good job," Babcock told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "We're a team that has committed a lot of turnovers, but those turnovers have come from our forwards, not our point guard. Jason has kept his turnovers at [3.2] a game."

While no one in Atlanta wants to trade Terry, he may be their only asset that can fetch an impact player in return. And for all of the praise, privately the team still does not believe he's the long-term answer at point guard. Unless they find a way to land a big, physical point guard that allows Terry to play at the two, he may have to go.

The challenge will be in getting equal value in return. Right now, the word around the league is that Babcock is try to package Terry with some dead weight -- someone like Alan Henderson, Nazr Mohammed or Theo Ratliff. If the Hawks aren't going to win, ownership wants them under the luxury tax threshold. The Hawks likely would have to move about $4 million in salaries off the books to escape paying the tax this season.

<font size="18">Peep Show</font>

Magic: Grant Hill showed up to practice on Tuesday with crutches and a protective boot wrapped around his sore ankle. "I thought I could put these in the attic and not have to use them again," Hill told Florida Today. "It looks like I'm going to be wearing this [cast] for a while. I haven't been told how long yet. But we just want to get this thing calmed down."

Sonics: Have Gary Payton and Soncis owner Howard Schultz finally kissed and made up? The Tacoma Tribune reported that Schultz and Payton had a meeting last month at a Christmas party that "smoothed things over" between the two. The two had a falling out last summer after Payton accused Schultz of reneging on a promise to give the all-star guard a contract extension.

Blazers: Benched point guard Damon Stoudamire told the Oregonian he is considering talking to team president Bob Whitsitt about his future with the Blazers. Stoudamire said he might explore a contract restructuring to see if that draws the interest of other teams. However, Stoudamire said that does not necessarily mean he would take a pay cut.

Bulls: Just when the Bulls' point guard situation looked like it couldn't get any nastier, it did. Jay Williams is getting ready to come off the injured list, but no one's sure who he should replace. Jamal Crawford's outplayed Williams all season and Rick Brunson has outplayed them both. Someone has to go on the injured list if the Bulls activate Williams. Who should it be? "I'm not opposed to having three point guards on the roster," Krause told the Sun Times. "Bill [Cartwright] and I will sit down and figure out who belongs on the roster. . .Either one of those two guys [Crawford or Williams] can play the wing. Jamal has played some shooting guard, but that's up to Bill to decide who plays where." Krause hinted that Lonny Baxter may end up on the injured list instead. "I'd rather have the problem of too much talent," Krause said. "That's a much nicer problem than struggling to find talent. There's enough talent now to have a very good team."

Rockets: Glen Rice is anxious to come off the injured list. Asked when he would be ready to play, Rice told the Houston Chronicle: "What time does the game start tomorrow? I'll be ready to go tomorrow. Seriously. Those are my plans. If they're waiting on me to say I'm OK, they got the word."

Clippers: Lamar Odom knows that if the Clips don't start turning things around now, there's no way that owner Donald Sterling will keep everyone together this summer. "We need to put together a long winning streak," Odom told the O.C. Register. "But there is something even deeper than that. We need to win now so that we can show that we are a good team so we can stay together. We have to win games now so that we can put pressure on our front office to keep us together. If you're asking me what's missing now, I could go on forever. Execution, guys knowing their roles, eliminating careless turnovers ..." Of course, knowing Sterling, does anyone think he'll fork out the cash even if everyone is on the same playbook.

 

January 30, 2003

<font size="18">Mailbag: Can't we all just get along?</font>

The trade deadline is a upon us, but all anyone can seem to talk about right now is the flurry of fines and suspensions Stu Jackson and company have handed out over the last few weeks. I've received tons of e-mail this week from readers who feel that players no longer understand where the line between competitiveness and insanity is. Is Ron Artest crazy or is he passionate? Is Jerry Sloan a head case, or just a tough old coot with a short fuse? Is Rasheed Wallace certifiable or is he well . . . you got me on that one.

It's time to dip into the mailbag again folks. Keep those e-mails coming. Unfortunately, the volume is so high, I can't get back to all of them personally, but I'm trying.

Q: Please explain to me how Rasheed Wallace and Latrell Sprewell will never get your respect for an all-star vote, yet you'll effusively gush over a lunatic like Ron Artest. Granted the guy plays hard and I'd probably want him on my team, but his antics have gone beyond bad behavior and are bordering on insanity. I can almost excuse the breaking of the camera as post-loss aggression, but there is no way to defend verbally, and almost physically, attacking the opposing coach. It would be an absolute disgrace and insult to the league and its fans if a player is rewarded with a selection to the all-star team for these outbursts (which are often times mislabeled as "heart" or "guts"). -- Tim Wolf, Washington D.C.

FORD: Tim, you aren't the only one who feels that Artest has lost it. I just don't think that's the case. I know he's had two other incidents this year (throwing the camera and pushing Raja Bell) but that doesn't make him a lunatic. Maybe it's because I know him and am close to people who work with him every day, but I think the incident in Miami has been blown way out of proportion. Let's set the stage for a second. The first incident, when Artest intervened in a heated argument between Pat Riley and an official, isn't quite as nefarious as some in the media have made it out to be. A trusted source in Indiana told me Wednesday that Riley was complaining loudly to the official about how physically Artest was playing Caron Butler. Riley used the words "dirty" several times and Artest overheard him. Artest disagreed and interjected himself into the argument. Unusual? Yes. Unheard of? Of course not. Fineable? No way.

The second incident surrounded Artest's "bump" of Butler into the second row. I've watched the tape numerous times. He didn't push Butler. He was going for the ball and collided with him. Could he have avoided contact with Butler, who was diving to save a loose ball? Probably. Did he stick his chest out a bit at the end there? It sure looks like it. But when you factor in the speed of the game and the fact that both guys were going after the ball, I think it's a stretch to say that Artest was intentionally trying to injure Butler. This is the way he plays. All out for 48 minutes. It was clearly a hard foul. I have no problem with the refs calling it intentional because of the result of the foul. Should he be suspended for it? It's a stretch.

The third incident is the most controversial. After making a circus shot, Artest walked over to the Heat's bench and flexed his muscles. The move drew the ire of assistant coach Keith Askins. Artest was actually walking away from the bench when Askins stood up and said something to Artest. Artest turned his head toward Askins as he kept walking back onto the court. That is when the bump occurred. I think it's pretty clear that Artest wasn't going after Riley. He wasn't trying to make contact with him. In fact, he doesn't even make eye contact with Riley until after the bump occurred and Riley went ballistic. I've seen Kobe Bryant, Alonzo Mourning, and most recently Quentin Richardson, do similar things in the heat of a close game. Was it smart to get that close to the Heat bench? No. Could Riley, who did see Artest, have taken a step back and avoided a confrontation. Sure. Why is it that we expect an emotional 24-year-old kid to always stay in complete control and make great decisions on the court, but don't hold a veteran coach like Riley to the same standard?

The final incident was inexcusable. A player should never disrespect the fans the way Artest did. I don't care how much the fans are taunting you, a players should never flip off the crowd. He deserved to fined and suspended for that action.

That's a pretty long winded answer to a situation that I believe has been overblown by the media, my employer included. It was a slow news day and the drama made for great television. But I think there's a difference between players who make stupid decisions off the court, like Wallace and Sprewell, and players who make stupid decisions on the court. I want players to play with passion. I want them to take winning and losing dead seriously. I want the emotion in the heat of the battle. Human nature dictates that at times, in highly charged situations, emotion spirals out of control. But in the end, I wish more players played like Artest. I think the real bad guys in the NBA are the players who don't care. The guys who collect their paychecks, but refuse to give the effort. The guys who decline to come into games, who take a nights off, who don't stay in shape in the summer, who lollygag up and down the court, or who complain in the locker room after a big win that they didn't get enough touches. Giving the bird to the fans is pretty bad, but flipping off the fans with poor, uninspired play is the real obscenity.

Q: Any chance that the Lakers will make a move for Indiana's Austin Croshere before the trade deadline? With his youth and athleticism I think he would be a good fit there. They could get him for Samaki Walker or Tracy Murray without giving up Robert Horry, right? Hope this rumor is true. The Lakers definitely need to make some moves! -- Ruby Saavedra, Henderson, Nev.

FORD: The Pacers are trying and the Lakers are listening. Ideally, the Lakers would love to add a young, athletic power forward and point guard to the roster. However, Mitch Kupchak and company are fond of Croshere. Croshere has his real breakout series against the Lakers in the 1999-2000 Finals. Since then he's gotten the rep as a "Laker Killer." He's got a couple of things going for him. Like Horry, he's a great outside shooter. He's probably a better rebounder and low-post player than Horry. Horry's a better defender. Croshere's never going to get big minutes in Indiana with Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harrington firmly entrenched there. The Lakers are remiss to give up Horry, but they probably don't have to. While the Pacers would prefer to land Horry for their own playoff run, a combo of Walker, Murray and Mark Madsen would be enough to get a deal done. That gives the Pacers the cap relief they're looking for and adds another solid player to the Lakers rotation.

Q: Chad, how about solving the Sonics' woes in a deal with Atlanta -- Kenny Anderson, Vladimir Radmanovic and Joe Forte to the Hawks for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Dan Dickau? -- Mark Osborne, Pittsburgh

FORD: It makes a lot of sense for the Sonics. They need a low-post presence in the worst way. Anderson and Forte are expendable. They'd hate to give up on Radmanovic, but it's pretty clear that he's a small forward. Given that they already have Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason to play the position, it isn't a huge loss. Dickau would also be a nice pickup. If they plan on re-signing Gary Payton this summer, they need to start grooming a young point guard to take his place. I think this move would absolutely propel the Sonics back into the playoff hunt.

The bigger question is why would the Hawks do this deal? This only makes sense if Stan Katsen has decided to blow this team up and it's coupled with a few other moves to seriously cut back their cap. There's talk of the Hawks sending Theo Ratliff back to Philly for Derrick Coleman (see story below). If the Hawks could swap Rahim and Ratliff for a few expiring contracts, they could have around $10 million in cap space next summer. I'm not sure that Hawks fans (all 12 of them) are ready for yet another rebuilding project after being promised the playoffs this season, but there are a lot of people in Atlanta who believe that the current group doesn't have the juice to turn the Hawks into a contender. If they're just going to be mediocre, then they should just blow things up.

Q: Chad, I don't understand why the Magic haven't made a move yet. Why are they waiting? -- A.J. Miller, Katy, Tex.

FORD: Good question. They're trying to make a deal for a young power forward, but right now they've been striking out. They tried to land Kwame Brown from Washington earlier this month, and most recently have been rebuffed in their efforts to pry Drew Gooden away from Memphis. Their problem is that, with the exception of Tracy McGrady, who's untouchable, the Magic have only one player with a lot of trade value -- Mike Miller. However, if the Magic want to give up the pipe dream of landing a top-tier free agent this summer (they'll only have around $6.5 million in cap space) they could be a real player before the Feb. 20th trade deadline. That's because the team has two big expiring contracts in Darrell Armstrong and Andrew DeClercq. Combined, they make around $7.3 million. If the Magic were to package those two contracts along with someone like Miller, they could afford to add a solid veteran like Brian Grant or a combination of players like Memphis' Stromile Swift and Lorenzen Wright. But that's a high price to pay. Armstrong is the heart of the Magic and Miller is extremely valuable if Grant Hill can't recover from his ankle woes. The Magic are in a tough position, but much of it is their own doing.

Q: In light of Darius Miles' struggles this year, I was wondering what league opinion is about him now. Is he still considered a future star? Compared to others in the 2000 draft class, how highly would Miles be taken if the draft happened today? -- Jonathan Martin, Atlanta

FORD: It's slipping. Clearly, Miles' knee problems have limited what he can do. However, until he gets a jump shot and a go-to move or two, he's essentially a guy who's great finishing on the break. Yes, he does play pretty good defense and is a solid rebounder, but when he was drafted No. 3, people saw much more than that. Given how poor the entire 2000 draft class was, I still believe Miles wouldn't have slipped further than No. 4 to the Bulls. However, his value has taken a major hit this year in Cleveland. It may only get worse. With Ricky Davis and Dajuan Wagner playing so well, it doesn't look like there's a real place for Miles on this team. If I'm Jim Paxson, I try to trade him now before the word upside fades from his forehead.

Q: In your most recent article you stated that "Jamal Crawford's outplayed Williams all season...". I disagree. Both are shooting miserably (Crawford at 39% and Williams 37%), but Williams is averaging more points per game (9.5 to 7.7), more assists per game (5.3 to 3.1), more steals per game (1.42 to .86), and more rebounds per game (3 to 2). Just how has Crawford been outplaying Williams? -- John Levenhouse, Lakewood, Calif.

FORD: Numbers don't tell the whole story. It's been Crawford's teammates who claim that the offense runs better when Crawford is in the game. I'm not writing off Williams. Adjusting to the NBA is tough for any point guard, but Williams had the extra burden of adjusting to the triangle. Crawford's biggest advantage right now is that he's familiar with the system. Ironically, the Bulls' best point guard this season has been journeyman Rick Brunson. How good have Crawford and Brunson been? Good enough that coach Bill Cartwright wouldn't commit on Wednesday to re-inserting Williams back into the starting lineup when he comes off the injured list on Friday.Will the Sixers bring back Theo?

Larry Brown is frustrated. His constant wheeling and dealing has changed the entire face of the team that went to the NBA Finals two years ago. Some claim it's not for the better. Brown is running out of arguments to counter his critics.

The Sixers were blown out by the Hawks Wednesday night.

"I hope some of the guys we've gotten will improve," Brown told the Philadelphia Daily News. "If not...I don't know where we are. Maybe we get somebody in here at my position that can do a better job. I don't know. I think the way this league is, that's the way it goes.

"We're not very good. Bottom line. If you're good, you win games you're supposed to win. You take care of your home court. We're not doing it."

Interestingly, seeing Hawks center Theo Ratliff on Wednesday had Brown pining for the good old days when Ratliff, George Lynch and Tyrone Hill terrorized their opponents in the paint.

"We got a lot of new guys who are different than we had before," Brown said. "I think their mentality's different. George Lynch, Tyrone...people like that wouldn't let this happen. Maybe we'd have lost, but it wouldn't be this way."

Even Allen Iverson waxed nostalgic after the loss. "We never looked like that team from two years ago because we don't have the same personnel. We'll never look like that. That team was much quicker than this team is right now. We had more active big guys, and we were able to do a lot of different things gamblingwise on the perimeter. And then we always had Theo or Dikembe [Mutombo] to back us up when we gambled. So it will never look like that team."

Brown's sentiments (he also claimed that he still "loved" Ratliff) have lead to speculation over the last week that the Sixers are ready to make another deal. Center Todd MacCulloch isn't healthy, forward Derrick Coleman has been a bust this year and backups like Brian Skinner and Kenny Thomas look great one night and awful the next.

With the Hawks desperately trying to move some of their underacheiving parts in return for cap room, could a Ratliff-for-Coleman swap be on the way?

"It's always a possibility," Ratliff told the Daily News. "I hear the rumors, this and that. But it's something I can't really dwell on. I just do what I do, and go where I'm told. That's the way everything works."

The move makes sense for both teams. With MacCulloch struggling to stay on the floor, Ratliff would give the Sixers a great shot blocker and tough rebounder in the middle. Ratliff hasn't been himself since missing a season and a half with a serious hip injury. But he's still a big upgrade over Coleman. The Hawks, if they pulled the trigger on the deal, could clear another $10 million off the cap for next summer.

After Wednesday's game, Brown seemed sold. "You won't get me arguing that," Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I love him. It was a hard thing to move him because he did so much to put us where we were, where we are. He was a great teammate and a great guy. I think he's perfect for every team."

If that doesn't work, the Inquirer's Stephen Smith said Brown has several other moves up his sleeve. According to Smith, the Sixers have talked to the Knicks about trading Keith Van Horn for Latrell Sprewell and to Orlando about swapping Van Horn for the injured Grant Hill.

<font size="18">Lakers: It's tough to make a deal</font>

It's been awhile since we've heard any "hot" Lakers trade rumors. The last time the Lakers were real players in the February trade market was when they shipped Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell to the Hornets in return for Glen Rice three years ago.

But with less than a month before the Feb. 20 deadline, several stories are taking a life of their own. In addition to the Austin Croshere interest I mentioned in the mailbag, the Orange County Register is reporting that the Lakers have been talking to the Hawks about trading for combo guard Jason Terry. And the L.A. Times reported that the Lakers are also looking at Horace Grant. Grant was waived by the Magic earlier this year after a dispute with coach Doc Rivers. One bonus of adding Grant? He's very familiar with the triangle.

Coach Phil Jackson admitted that he's been huddling with GM Mitch Kupchak lately.

"When we have a discussion, it's usually about what do we really need on this basketball club and then what do we have that's available that we can work at," Jackson told the Register. "At one point this season, we needed rebounding. Samaki [Walker] was injured; obviously we were getting beaten up on the inside; Shaquille [O'Neal] wasn't active enough to get rebounds and chase down balls. We solved that problem. Samaki got healthy ... we're now one of the leading rebounders in the league.

"We were an inaccurate shooting team for a long time, and we changed that. We just kind of believed in our guys up to this point. But we do know that our bench is not giving us a damn thing; we've got to have something out there besides just sustained effort. They've got to score. They've got to do something as defensive stoppers; Robert [Horry] has had that ability in the past, and Devean [George] has to provide that for us. And we have to have a guard come in and help us out, too."

Despite his reluctance to pull the trigger on a deal, Jackson bristled at an Insider report that claimed he often blocked Kupchak from making moves to improve the team. "There's nothing factual in an article like that at all," Jackson said.

<font size="18">T-Mac one ups Vince Carter once again</font>

It hasn't been a good year for Vince Carter. While the fans obviously still adore him, another bad bout with jumpers knee and a slowly eroding image around the league have VC on the defensive. It's about to get worse.

Wizards coach Doug Collins "suggested" on Tuesday that Carter, who's only played in 11 games this season, give up his starting all-star spot to Michael Jordan. Collins did the same thing for a retiring John Havlicek in 1978, and given Carter's lack of production this season, it seemed like a great P.R. slam dunk for a guy in desperate need of an image boost.

Forget it about. While Carter was bristling at the suggestion -- "He's the greatest player, probably, to put a pair of basketball shoes on, but I appreciate the fact that I'm a starter, also" -- Carter's cousin, Tracy McGrady, was stepping up to the plate.

"I have thought about this for a while. I'll do it, absolutely," McGrady told the Orlando Sentinel. "For what Michael Jordan has done for this league and this game, I'll do anything. It's his last all-star game. I don't have any problem with that. I'll get in the game. I'd love to see it."

How ironic.

McGrady one upped Carter three years ago when he bolted Toronto for Orlando to get out from under his cousin's shadow. It worked. T-Mac is now considered a legitimate MVP prospect, while Carter languishes in Toronto. His latest gesture to Jordan cements his reputation as a first class act. Carter? He looks more selfish by the minute.

"That's a goal of mine," he told the Toronto Star. "I don't care how it happened. It's not like I planned on getting injured . . . but it happened. I'm thankful for the opportunity, regardless of the amount of games I've played."

So much for the Air apparent.

<font size="18">Peep Show</font>

Kings: Chris Webber's out a least three weeks. Scot Pollard is expected to miss five or six weeks. Lawrence Funderburke is already on the IL. That leaves just Vlade Divac and Keon Clark in the paint. "It's a real challenge," coach Rick Adelman told the Sacramento Bee. "I told the team, 'You have three things that are happening right now. First, we haven't played very well the last few games. We have more injuries, and we have a tough schedule. But what are you going to do about it? You have to go out and compete. You've got to play and try to win games until we get people back. That's the challenge. Guys have to step up.' We're going to have to change things and play a little bit differently, and hopefully, that's going to happen."

Nets: Jason Kidd sat out the last 15 minutes of Wednesday's victory over the Wizards with a groin injury. Kidd, however, believes he'll be ready to go on Friday when the Nets take on the Hornets. "We'll take it one day at a time and see how it feels tomorrow," Kidd told the New York Times. "I've played injured before, so this is nothing new to me. It just depends on how I feel tomorrow, and then Friday. I would say I'll play Friday, but that's me. The doctors have to make that decision. . .You can do more damage. Sometimes being stubborn can put you in that situation. There's no reason to jeopardize things in the regular season."

Magic: Seeing Grant Hill on crutches again has sapped the Magic's morale. Coach Doc Rivers said his goal of late has been to try and get the Magic to move on from the Hill issue that has lingered over the team the past three seasons. He has tried to stress to the team that using Hill's injury as an excuse is not an option. "There's nothing we can do about it now and I've told the guys we've just got to keep grinding until we can get him back," Rivers told Florida Today. "We could fold, but that would [upset] me. Grant being out would be such a convenient excuse. We might fail to make the playoffs, but we're going to fail trying. I could at least live with that."

Heat: Pat Riley may be upset with Ron Artest, but he wishes that he had two or three players like him on the Heat. "I'd like to have two or three Ron Artests myself," Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "Know what I'm saying? He's a hell of a player, a very competitive player. . .Every team needs to have a presence, and whoever it is, it's obvious. It doesn't have to be a presence that goes over the top. I think players sort of create that identity as they play in the league over the years." While Riley acknowledged that one of his players, Brian Grant, fits that mold, he said he wants more. "We need another one. Actually, we could use another one, two, three, four."

Celtics: GM Chris Wallace is still trying to explain what the hell he was thinking when he traded for Vin Baker last summer. "I don't think the last chapter's been written on Vin yet," Wallace told the Boston Herald. "He's been a very significant player in this league at times in the past, and he can go on in the future and help us. Right now we're seven games above .500. He has helped us hold the fort when Tony [Battie's] been injured, and he's had some good games. So I think over and all, he's helped us with some depth and punch at the center position. He gives us an alternative there." Notice he didn't say good alternative.

Mavs: Coach Don Nelson is taking extra precautions with Eduardo Najera. Nelson said he plans on holding out their starting small forward another couple of weeks. It's been eight weeks since the surgery, and he probably could have been out there for a game or two already," Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "But we want to be very conservative and wait until after the All-Star Game. There is no reason for him to come back early before he's completely ready and healed. We're going to take extra time."

Warriors: If you've been following the sudden rise of the Warriors out West, you must read San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami's take on what has to happen next in Oakland. The Warriors are turning the corner and Kawakami is pushing the Warriors to seize the day and move a few pieces of their young talent for an established veteran who can put them over the top. Good stuff.

 

January 31, 2003

<font size="18">Time to pluck the Hawks</font>

They say there are no guarantees in life. Hawks GM Pete Babcock is learning that lesson the hard way. At the start of the season, the Hawks were guaranteeing season ticket holders a playoff berth this season. Three months later, the dreaded, but all too familiar "r-word" has crept back into the Hawks vocabulary. The Hawks are talking rebuilding ... again.

It's rare to hear an NBA GM publicly take the blame for a train wreck. But if you're Babcock, at this point, you don't have much of a choice.

Almost every move Babcock has made the last few years has blown up in his face. Trading Steve Smith for Isaiah Rider. Signing Alan Henderson to a long-term deal. Swapping Dikembe Mutombo (and his expiring contract) for an injured Theo Ratliff. Drafting DerMarr Johnson ahead of Desmond Mason, Hidayet Turkoglu or even Jamal Crawford. Exchanging Lorenzen Wright and the draft rights to Pau Gasol for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Swapping Toni Kukoc and the Hawks' 2003 first-round pick for Glenn Robinson. The list keeps going and going.

"We stuck with our plan, and I was wrong -- across the board," Babcock told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Those are harsh words. But these are harsh times in Atlanta right now. The fans have abandoned the team. The Hawks owners, AOL Time Warner, announced $100 billion in losses this week, the most ever by a U.S. corporation. The team's one bright spot, hosting the 2003 All-Star Game, suffered a huge setback when not one Hawks player was selected to participate in any of the events.

Team president Stan Katsen has vowed to "leave no stone unturned to get this thing fixed." Originally, the thinking was that the Hawks would do that by trying to add another veteran impact player to the roster, which on paper appears quite talented. But for some reason the Hawks are less than the sum of their parts. After weeks of being rebuffed in trade talks, Atlanta has changed its thinking. The quick fix is out. The wrecking ball is on its way. The Hawks may have to destroy this team to save it. Numerous GMs around the league now claim that everyone on the Hawks' roster is available. And they mean everyone.

Abdur-Rahim, Ratliff, Jason Terry, Nazr Mohammed, rookie Dan Dickau and even the newly acquired Robinson all have been attached to at least one trade rumor this week. The latest, according to the NBA GM Rumor Network, has the Hawks talking to the Spurs about Abdur-Rahim for Steve Smith and Danny Ferry. The Raptors and Sixers are offering to take Ratliff off the Hawks' hands. The Raptors are reportedly offering quasi-retired Hakeem Olajuwon and guard Lindsey Hunter. The Sixers are offering to swap Ratliff for Derrick Coleman. Terry's name is popping up all over the board. New York, L.A., New Jersey, Miami, Denver. In almost every instance, the Hawks are insisting that whoever takes Terry also take on the last two years and $16 million of Henderson's ungodly contract. There's talk that the Blazers, Kings and Lakers are all interested in Mohammed.

While many in the league are scratching their heads, trying to figure out which deal may happen, they may be missing the point. This behavior all seems to be pointing in a different direction altogether. Maybe all of these deals will happen. Every proposed deal has one thing in common: The Hawks get back players whose contracts are set to expire this summer. It makes no sense for them to do this with just one player. The Hawks' payroll is currently $55,994,703. Moving one player would get them out of luxury-tax land, but their hands would still be tied as far as the cap goes. If they could move Ratliff and Rahim, they could slip anywhere from $8 million to $10 million under the cap. If they could package Terry and Henderson together, they could clear another $9 million. Dump Mohammed, as well, and another $4.7 million comes off the books. If Babcock was "wrong across the board," why not pluck every feather you can out of the decaying Hawks?

Finances and cap flexibility aren't the only incentives for the Hawks to hold a fire sale. Babcock, who was convinced the Hawks would be a playoff team this year, traded away his 2003 first-round pick to the Bucks as part of the Robinson deal. The pick is top-three protected, but unless the Hawks start losing more games, it's probably gone.

"We were willing to burn that pick, because the history of that stage of the draft is you get role players," Babcock said. "If we knew it was going to be [a high lottery pick], then we would've thought twice about it. I go back every day and rethink every single move I've made in this rebuilding process to see what went wrong and why we're not better than where we are."

Babcock told Sports Illustrated last week that "there's no one more aggressive than we are" on the trading market. However, he continues to tell local reporters he isn't shopping anyone. "We don't market our players," he told the Journal Constitution. "We have players we'd prefer to keep and build around, [but] we're talking to everybody about every conceivable possibility to straighten it out, because we don't want to ride the course the rest of the season." But everyone, including Babcock, sees through that.

The only real question left is whether Babcock will be around this summer to rebuild the Hawks once again.

"The thing that's really bothered me isn't people are calling for [my] job, but Stan Kasten's," Babcock said. "Calling for my job is fine. I'm the one that made the decisions. It's absolutely unfair for people to be calling for Stan's job. He hired me to do this. He's the boss. I feel badly because I put him in a bad spot. If he decides he needs to make a change, that's his decision. I would respect his decision, but my fondest wish would be to see this thing through to completion."

Heat, Nuggets, Magic trying to massage the cap

Speaking of cap woes and free-agent dreams gone bad, three interesting stories appeared today that could have some impact on what happens before the Feb. 20th trade deadline and during the free-agency period the summer.

We'll start with the good news.

LaPhonso Ellis is willing to sacrifice his $3.4 million contract option for next season in order to give the Heat more cap space this summer. Ellis told team officials that he's willing to waive that provision in his contract. There has been talk for the last few weeks, after an Insider report detailing Ellis' contract incentives, that the Heat would be forced to waive Ellis before Feb. 14th. Ellis' contract stated that if he was on the Heat's active roster for 120 games, it became guaranteed for 2003-04. Ellis was on schedule to hit 120 games on the 14th.

The move does allow Ellis to finish the season with the Heat. But while Pat Riley was quick to praise his forward for his unselfishness, he didn't offer him any guarantees he'll have a job next season.

"He's one of the best guys that I've ever had as a real ally," Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "As a coach, you need guys that are going to be for you, your system, what you do, the culture, everything. . .We'd like to keep him, but he belongs on a contender. When we got Fonz, because of all those [veteran] players we had at that time, he could really help us. But now we're at the opposite end of the spectrum with all these younger guys."

With Ellis' salary off the Heat's cap, they should have anywhere between $5 and $7 million to spend on free agency this summer.

The Nuggets are also looking to clear a little more cap room before the summer hits. Right now they're looking at around $18 million in spare change to spend on a top free agent or two. With max starting salaries expected to start in the range of $10.5 million next season, that won't be enough to offer to max contracts.

That's why there have been so many rumors surrounding Marcus Camby. He's one of the few players on the Nuggets' roster who could clear away a significant amount of cap room if he was traded for an expiring contract. However, recent reports out of Denver had the Nuggets exploring a contract extension with Camby.

That's led the Nuggets to look for cheaper alternatives this summer. As the Rocky Mountain News reports today, Clippers small forward Corey Maggette may be at the top of their list. If they offered Maggette an offer sheet starting at about $7 million a year, the Nuggets, who realistically figure to be about $18 million under the salary cap on July 1, still would have enough dough left to offer a player a maximum deal.

"He's a guy who couldn't shoot at all [when he entered the NBA in 1999]," Cleveland coach Keith Smart to the Mountain News after watching Maggette score 34 points against his team Monday. "People backed off from him and let him shoot. That guy has worked on his game. He's playing as well as any small forward in the league."

While Maggette isn't ready to commit to anyone (and don't forget he's a restricted free agent), he says he likes Denver.

"I think Denver is a nice place," he said. "I know [Denver general manager] Kiki [Vandeweghe]) very well and some of their staff. But we have to wait and see what happens. You can't close the door on anyone. If it's an option in the summer, it's an option."

Magic GM John Gabriel has to be sick when he hears Denver complaining about being only $18 million under the cap. Gabriel's been working for years to get the Magic around $13 million under the cap this summer so he could make a second run at Tim Duncan. But with revenues and the cap falling in recent years, and a couple of bone headed moves (I'll never understand why they gave Pat Garrity all that cash last summer after being so frugal for years), the Magic are looking at somwhere between $2 and $4 million in cap space this summer (not even the $6 million the Orlando Sentinel reported today).

That won't be enough to land Duncan, Jermaine O'Neal or Michael Olowokandi. Even guys like P.J. Brown, Elden Campbell and Juwan Howard are probably out of their reach. That's why the Magic have been so active, of late, trying to make a trade with one of their expiring salaries. Their best shot is packaging someone like Andrew DeClercq and Darrell Armstrong for a low-post player while they still have the chance..

"For us to take that next step, we're going to have to take some gambles," Magic coach Doc Rivers told the Sentinel.

<font size="18">Will Larry Brown call it quits?</font>

Larry Brown is playing with us again. For the 500th time in his career, Brown, after a terrible loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, looked reporters in the face and wondered aloud about his future.

"Maybe we get somebody in here in my position that can do a better job. I don't know. The way this league is, that's the way it is. If we think our players are good enough, we'll see."

That alone wasn't enough to send everyone scrambling. But Brown's decision to skip practice Thursday raised a lot more eyebrows. His explanation? He was meeting with GM Billy King. Here we go again.

King was quick to discount Brown's absence at practice. "The meeting with me was the typical meeting we have every day," King told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It was nothing out of the ordinary. It was more assessing the team, talking, brainstorming - nothing earth-shattering." The subject of quitting, retiring, or taking a leave of absence never came up, King said.

After practice, Eric Snow and Aaron McKie tried to answer questions about their coach's future. "He loves what he's doing," Snow said. "It may be tough, but it's tough for everyone. I don't think he'd walk away, especially like this. He's done too much for this game and for basketball in this league to do that."

With that said, Snow said his coach was "probably worse" than normal. "But I still don't think he's going anywhere... . He's still upset. We keep talking about the same things over and over again. He feels that's a reflection toward him, and it should be more toward us than him."

"We've been down this road before, so until that point, he's still our coach, and this is our team," McKie said. "I don't think a Hall of Fame coach gets down. I think, what I know of him, he takes a lot of it on himself. We all have to be accountable for our actions and what's going on in the court."

Is this just a case of Brown being honest and telling reporters exactly what crossed his mind at a particular moment?

"My overall reaction is, I wish Larry would count to 10 before he says certain things," chairman Ed Snider said in a telephone interview with the Philly Daily News. "I hope it's a tempest in a teapot. I don't see him going anywhere, I just see him very frustrated. I really think that's a shame, because I feel that we've just been wracked with injuries constantly. You never know what you have in a situation like that."

<font size="18">Peep Show</font>

Blazers: Rasheed Wallace returns from his seven-game suspension tonight. And he's gonna be pissed. "I think he will be angry and aggressive -- inside," coach Maurice Cheeks told the Oregonian. "But I don't think it will be toward an official or anything like that. I think he was hurt by the whole thing. He had to take a step back and look at it, and he was hurt by it. Rasheed is a very sensitive guy in terms of he doesn't want to do anything to hurt our team. He has tried to take steps in that area, and never this season had he put himself in a position to hurt our team by his actions. So I think that really bothered him, that his absence presented the chance to hurt our team."

Nets: Jason Kidd's strained right groin is serious enough that he does not know whether he will play in games on Friday and Saturday. "Just from straining it, I don't want to do anything to jeopardize it where I'll be out longer," Kidd told the N.Y. Times. "One day, miss a game isn't bad, instead of missing a week or two. We'll see. We're going to be safe rather than be sorry. There's no need to jeopardize something right now. We're right before the All-Star break, so I'll get some rest there, too, hopefully."

Wizards: Jerry Stackhouse aggravated his pulled left groin Thursday night. Stackhouse, who missed four games this month because of the injury, sat out the final 18 minutes after struggling to five points on 2 of 13 shooting. Stackhouse said he probably would sit out until after the all-star break. "I think I'm going to shut it down," Stackhouse told the Washington Post. "I'm not going to rush it this time. This is a pain. You get going, get back in the flow of things and then you're back out of it. I was out there dragging. I don't think I'm doing myself any good and I don't think I was doing the team any good." . . . Jahidi White might not play at all this season as he recovers from a left knee operation he had last summer. "I don't know that he's going to be able to go all year, as it stands right now," coach Doug Collins told the Post. "I would not bet on him right now being able to play at all this year. I just think he's having a tough time getting strength back in that leg where he can move. His weight is down, he's working hard. He just doesn't have any confidence in his leg. When we practice, he's fouling all the time because he can't move."

Clippers: Another bad blow for the Clippers. Michael Olowokandi is tentatively scheduled to undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday and, depending what is discovered, could be sidelined for up to two months, the Los Angeles Times reported. "I think they're going to have a look at it next week," coach Alvin Gentry said. "Depending on what they find, they will determine if it will be a short-term or long-term layoff. He's not going with us on the trip." . . . Why did Lamar Odom sit the last 17 minutes of the Clippers' win over the Bulls on Wednesday. According to the Times, he and assistant Dennis Johnson had a heated exchange in front of the bench midway through the third quarter.

Celtics: Antoine Walker practiced Thursday and is expected to play for the first time in four games tonight against the Pistons. He'll have to wear a knee brace for 4 1/2 weeks. "I have to get back into action, so I gotta get used to playing with it, hopefully for a couple of games, then I'll be finished with it," he told the Boston Globe. "I think it's going to be more of a mental thing as far as playing with the brace and not favoring [the knee]. I don't want to cause other injuries to other parts of my body. I just gotta go out and play free and know that the brace is the support . . . It's different. You're playing with an extra 2 pounds on your leg. I know it's for support and I'm hoping at the All-Star [break] they tell me I don't have to wear it anymore."

Bulls: You think Bill Cartwright is getting frustrated? Here's what he had to say about his team after the Bulls lost to the Clippers on Wednesday. "We had guys not show up," Cartwright told the Chicago Tribune. "And until we have guys who play on the road as well as home, we may not win a game. Who knows? Rick Brunson wasn't very good (no points or assists). But who was good? Nobody. It's terrible. Marcus Fizer was terrible, a [bleeping] embarrassment." Cartwright refused to back off those comments on Thursday. "I don't regret anything. I told these guys this morning, 'The reason I was upset is because I think you're good when you play right. And you should be upset too.'"

Rockets: Remember when owner Les Alexander said before the season that the Rockets may be one of the greatest teams ever assembled? He does. "My faith," he told the Houston Chronicle Thursday, "is not shaken. When you take Glen Rice off this team, and we have because he's been injured, we're the most inexperienced team in the NBA. I think when you're inexperienced, you have ups and downs because you don't have the experience to combat everything. Inexperienced teams always go through ups and downs."