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nba.605 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

Iverson appeals league suspension PHILADELPHIA (Oct 6, 1997 - 19:52 EDT) -- Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson has appealed a one-game suspension the NBA imposed on him following his no-contest plea to charges of carrying a concealed weapon. David Falk, Iverson's agent, filed the appeal Monday through the NBA player's union. The league said Friday that Iverson would have to sit out the season opener Oct. 31 in Philadelphia against the Milwaukee Bucks. Iverson, the Rookie of the Year last season, was a passenger in a car stopped by police in Virginia for speeding Aug. 3. He entered his plea Aug. 26. Police found a gun under his seat and two marijuana cigarettes in the car. The drug charge was subsequently dropped.

nba.606 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

A story about Horry PALM DESERT, Calif. -- It figures, doesn't it? Robert Horry reports to the Los Angeles Lakers training camp in maybe the best shape of his life -- sculpted, toned, buff -- and then three days into camp he's walking out of practice holding his ribs, heading to the doctor's office to have them checked. Horry was examined Sunday, after being hit in the side during the Lakers' morning practice at College of the Desert. The examination showed no serious damage, and Horry -- like Shaquille O'Neal, still sidelined with a strained abdominal muscle -- is listed by the Lakers as "day to day." The ribs will heal soon, and Horry -- if the speculation is correct -- will start the 1997-98 season as the starting power forward. He will be well prepared, judging from the amount of time he spent in the weight room this summer and the visible results. "He's thicker, isn't he?" Coach Del Harris said. "Of course, all the guys come out a little bigger now, but sometimes it's not really what you want. They're bigger in the wrong areas. "But Robert has made an obvious change in his physique. ... He played two positions last year, both the three (small forward) and the four (power forward). This year we expect him to do the same. The bulk will help him when he's a four, and hopefully he hasn't lost any quickness -- which isn't likely -- for when he's a three." Horry isn't the only Laker to have reported to camp with a more imposing physique. Nick Van Exel and Kobe Bryant also added some muscle over the summer. "Nick and myself worked with a (personal) trainer," Horry said. "We worked real hard this summer. "Overall, my strength improved a lot. When we were playing this summer, I was able to go down into the post and play with the guys who usually play the four position, like Mark Bryant and Otis (Thorpe) and those guys. It makes a big difference, because this way I won't get pushed around as much. Those guys are still a lot bigger than me, and I still get pushed around, but not as much." Horry, who is 6-foot-10, weighed 220 pounds last season. He now weighs 235, and has increased his bench-press maximum from 245 to 275. Maintaining that level of strength should be easier this year than it's ever been around the Lakers. The team has hired a strength and conditioning coach, Jim Cotta, who formerly held that position at Nevada-Las Vegas. The Lakers thus become one of the last NBA teams to add a strength and conditioning specialist to their staff. One reason is that they now have the facilities to take advantage of such a coach. The Lakers have moved their off-day workout site from Loyola Marymount to LA Southwest College and will have increased access to weight training facilities at the new site. "One of the reasons we didn't have one (a strength coach) was that we never had the facilities to use one," trainer Gary Vitti said. "We'd leave practice and we'd go all the way over to the World Gym at Venice Beach, and we'd lose guys physically and emotionally. "Now we're going to have a strength facility at the gym we're going to practice at, so the opportunity presented itself to actually have someone we can use." Horry has vowed to take full advantage of the situation. "Last year, I don't think I lifted except when I got hurt," he said, referring to the 21 games he missed with an injury to his left knee. "I promised myself I'd be lifting this whole season. I'm going to keep my muscle mass and keep strong so I won't break down." Beyond his increased strength, Horry recognizes that he'll benefit from having an opportunity to play with this team from the start of training camp. Between his late arrival last season -- on Jan. 10 in a trade with Phoenix for Cedric Ceballos -- and the subsequent knee injury that sidelined him for six weeks, he never really had an opportunity to get familiar and comfortable with his new team's offense and his teammates' styles and abilities on the floor. "I'm so happy about not being just thrown into the fire," he said. "I get to sit here and learn the plays, and I get to sit back and watch and see what guys like to do. I got a little taste of it last season, but now I'll really get the whole picture." When Horry arrived in Los Angeles in January, he was immediately plugged into the small forward spot. Now, with the arrival of free agent Rick Fox, the chances are good -- though Harris won't necessarily say so -- that Horry will move to power forward to get Fox into the lineup, with Elden Campbell shifting to a reserve role. He said he didn't embark on the weight regimen with that in mind, but he's comfortable with whatever option Harris chooses. "This is perfect for everybody," Horry said. "The people who are probably going to play the most minutes are Nick and Shaq, because Nick runs the show and Shaq is so intimidating. The rest of us, you can just switch the pieces: Eddie (Jones) and Kobe), me and Rick, Elden and Sean (Rooks) and Corie (Blount). "That won't put such wear and tear on our bodies, and it'll make it a lot easier (to run). You can just go out there and lay it all on the court, because you know the guy coming behind you is just as good or better than you are."

nba.608 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

Milic has learned to like the United States CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Oct 6, 1997 - 19:52 EDT) -- Every day is a learning experience for Marko Milic, a 20-year-old from Slovenia trying to make the Philadelphia 76ers. Milic is trying to absorb American culture and language. Sometimes, it can be a little overwhelming. For instance, Milic drove from a suburban mall to his home via the Philadelphia airport because that was the only route he remembered. Philadelphia itself was a surprise for somebody whose only contact with the city was through music videos (Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia") and movies ("Rocky.") "I didn't expect everything to be so green," he said. "It reminds me of home. The biggest difference is the size. Everything here is 10 times bigger." Milic, the 34th selection in this year's draft, is also getting an education on the court from coach Larry Brown, known as one of the game's best teachers. "He's good," Brown said. "It's a learning experience for him. He's doing better and better. He's 20 years old. He should be here" in college at North Carolina, where the 76ers are training. The 6-foot-6 Milic needs no help running the wing on the fast break. He can dunk as well as anybody in camp. It's his shooting, defending and decisions with the ball that have kept Brown busy. "I like that he tells me because he wants to see progress," said Milic, who speaks fluent English. "If he quit telling me, then I would be worried because it might mean he doesn't want me anymore." The 76ers would have preferred Milic spend another year in Europe. But he has always dreamed of the NBA and he decided to pursue it, signing a one-year contract for the league minimum $242,000. Milic realizes that a roster featuring Jimmy Jackson, Jerry Stackhouse, Mark Davis, Clarence Weatherspoon, and rookies Anthony Parker and Tim Thomas may limit his playing time. "I know it's a gamble," said Milic, who once won a car for jumping over it and dunking. "I knew it would be hard. Being a big player in Europe is like being a nobody here. Here basketball is on the highest level." Milic averaged 16.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and shot .523 in 22 games for Smelt of the EuroLeague last year, leading his team to the playoff semifinals. He has been uneven so far in camp. "The biggest difference is the athleticism," Milic said. "Everybody's so quick and strong. In Europe, I was dominating. Here I'm just one of those guys." Notes: Parker, who missed nine games at the start of his senior year with a broken right foot, hurt the foot again during Monday's practice. X-rays revealed no break, although his practice time may be limited for the next few days. Thomas (strained right groin) is also injured.

nba.607 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

Celtics' Ellison has a leg up on new season WALTHAM, Mass. (Oct 6, 1997 - 15:22 EDT) -- Pervis Ellison's fractured big toe seems fine now after a marble table top fell on it. The ankle, foot and knees are also in good shape following surgery. Once, he was the top pick in the NBA draft, an athletic scorer, rebounder and shot blocker of great potential. Injuries kept him from fulfilling that. But with the Boston Celtics embarking on a new era -- the Rick Pitino era -- Ellison is ready for a new start in his third season with the team. "Out-of-Service Pervis" is back at work. "My whole concern is that I feel good," he said at training camp. "I think everything else is going to take care of itself because I know what I can do on the court." As the oldest player on a young team, the 30-year-old center could provide leadership and an inside presence on a team rebuilding after the worst season in its history. When he was a freshman at Louisville, Ellison led his team to a national title and was voted the NCAA tournament's outstanding player. After his senior year, he was drafted first overall by Sacramento in 1989. Then, before his first NBA game, bone spurs were removed from his right foot and ankle. In his third season, he was the NBA's most improved player with Washington. But he missed 33 games the next year with a strained left knee. After the season, he had surgery on both knees that kept him on the injured list when the 1993-94 season started. He joined Boston as a free agent in August 1994 but played only six games last season. His season ended Nov. 22 while he was sitting in the home of teammate Greg Minor. A table top that movers had placed on its base slid off and dropped on his big right toe. "Evidently, they didn't set it evenly," Ellison said. "That is crazy." "People have been jabbing at Pervis the last couple of years. They call him 'Out-of-Service-Pervis,' " Celtics guard Dee Brown said. "Pervis is our trump card. We really need Pervis." But there was some question if Pitino, who has kept only five of last season's players, wanted him back. Boston has 14 players under contract and can keep 12. "He said it's going to be tough on everybody," Ellison said. "But if you come in and work as hard as you can work, it's going to be great." Pitino thinks Ellison can help Boston's new up-tempo attack and aggressive defense. "He was the No. 1 pick in the draft. He won a college championship and that's what I choose to remember about him," Pitino said. "When I met him, I shook his hand and I said, 'I'm pleased to coach you. You're playing 82 games.' " Ellison has averaged just 50 games in his eight seasons and played more than 70 only once. His best season was 1991-92 when he averaged 20 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. In his five seasons since, he has averaged fewer than 8 points four times. Ellison has been knocked for lacking toughness, but Brown thinks things will change under Pitino. "Whatever he's got to get out of Pervis, I think he will," Brown said. "Pervis has bulked up a little bit. Hopefully, Pervis can run with that weight." With two healthy legs, at least he can run. "There's a lot of players who had injuries and played through it and played in All-Star seasons," Ellison said. "I'm a guy that didn't do it. Now it's a new season and I think I can play a big role on this team."

nba.609 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

No ordinary wooing of Joe SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- Joe Smith has never experienced wooing like he's going to get from the Golden State Warriors this season. Even when Smith was a hotshot recruit at Maury High in Norfolk, Va., colleges lusting for his services had to (wink, wink) abide by NCAA recruiting rules. Monetary and automotive inducements obviously were forbidden. There are no such impediments now, and the Warriors are ready to roll out the red carpet for Smith. Heck, he can take it with him to his Oakland pad if he wants. Lifting weights proved inconvenient at the St. Mary's gym last year? Here's a brand new practice facility. The commute to San Jose was too much of a hassle? Wait till you see the rebuilt arena right in your back yard, Joe. If the Warriors can't give Smith the moon, they're certainly quick to point out how bright the Bay Area sun shines. Will that and a good chunk of owner Chris Cohan's wallet be enough to sign the high scoring forward when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season? Smith wouldn't commit to anything as the Warriors' training camp opened, but he sounded more upbeat than he has in a while. "Just from the practice we had this morning, I've seen a big improvement over what we had in the last two training camps," Smith said, his eyes sparkling in a way they rarely did last season. "I see a big difference in the coaching staff and the drills we're doing." Smith has said repeatedly he would be inclined to leave unless the Warriors show marked improvement from his first two years, when they averaged 33 victories per season. Even that figure may prove too challenging for this year's team, which has questionable talent behind Smith and shooting guard Latrell Sprewell. That makes the possibility of losing Smith without any compensation a frightening proposition for the Warriors, and it became more likely once last week's deadline for re-signing him this year passed. But coach P.J. Carlesimo said he feels no urgency to trade Smith, and insisted a patient approach actually benefits Golden State. "A big part of our waiting is continuing to convince Joe that this is the best place for him to play," Carlesimo said. "It's conceivable that three months from now Joe feels even better about the team than he does right now." Even then, it would take a monstrous offer to retain the 6-foot-10 Smith, who averaged 18.7 points and 8.5 rebounds last season. Three of the top six players from the Class of '95 have signed extensions averaging at least $9 million a year. Vancouver's Bryant Reeves got $65 million for seven years, Portland's Rasheed Wallace $80 million for six and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett a staggering $121 million for six seasons. Smith, the top selection in the '95 draft, said he believes his game's at least on par with his classmates. And for what it's worth, his numbers last year were better than those posted by any of the aforementioned. So whereas an offer of $10 million a year might have caught Smith's attention a few months ago, now it would probably make him yawn. And by the way, his agent, Eric Fleisher, also negotiated Garnett's deal. "If you go by everybody else's numbers, ($10 million a year) is very low," Smith said. "And they weren't even done with their contracts." Carlesimo has often praised Cohan's commitment to building a winner, which will be severely tested if Smith becomes a free agent. However, the coach said there's a limit to how high the team will go, and in part it will be decided by Smith's performance this year. "I don't think there's anybody who you can say, 'Yeah, we have to sign him at any price,"' Carlesimo said. "As this season goes on, we're going to have more of an opinion of how critical Joe is to us and what may be out there in a deal. There's certainly a point with every team where you decide how much is too much. That decision may come in December or January." By that time, the Warriors should know whether their recruiting efforts will help them keep their blue chipper.

nba.610 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

Nuggets hope to mine gems from rookies AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- They have heard the snickers, seen the predictions they will be the worst team in pro basketball, watched their new city mourn the loss of Antonio McDyess. They are rookies, all of them, so they can't say much. They've already been humbled at the first team meeting, where Tony Battie was required to say grace and Danny Fortson was forced to change his uniform number. But they are also first-round draft picks, players of considerable confidence who know that if they can do the unthinkable and actually make a mark as rookies in the NBA, they can change the perception of the Denver Nuggets. "I don't understand all that talk," said Fortson, the 10th pick in the June draft. "We're three first-round picks out there. We didn't ask for all that media backtalk on us. That's a lot of pressure to give three rookies right off the bat, but I think we're ready to take it and handle it. If you can't play with the big dogs, stay on the porch. Isn't that what they say?" With the departure of McDyess to Phoenix last week, all three of the Nuggets' first-round picks are competing for jobs in the starting lineup -- great news for them, not such great news for the Nuggets. Asked if that scares him, first-year coach Bill Hanzlik searched for a plausible way to say no. "You know what? Honestly? No," Hanzlik said. "It really doesn't. I know I've got to be patient and I know we're going to get drummed on some, but I also know these guys are really improved, they want to improve, they're good people, they want to learn, so we're going to get better. That's all I can ask. Let's get better." The team's critics will say it has little choice, given its starting point. But with McDyess gone and LaPhonso Ellis working his way back from Achilles' tendon surgery, Battie and Fortson are competing to start at power forward. Bobby Jackson is competing with Anthony Goldwire -- and perhaps minor league standout Elmer Bennett -- to start at point guard. "There's five spots on the floor," Battie said. "Tony Battie will have one of the spots. I don't care where it is, but I will have one of the spots." Starting doesn't matter so much to Fortson, but playing does. "I think that I'll be out there for the simple fact that I play hard," he said. "I have a big heart, I think. I'm going to show some people that this year." They are about as different as two candidates at power forward could be -- Battie the rangy, athletic shot blocker; Fortson the muscled screen setter and shooter. Jackson knows a rookie starting at point guard is a rarity. "As long as I know I'm going to get some minutes, by the season's end, hopefully, I can be in the starting lineup," he said. "I'm the type of person who's going to keep working hard each day to improve my game to be in the starting lineup." Forston said he was a little sad to see McDyess go; he had been looking forward to playing with him. Battie emphasized the party line -- that the Nuggets must put it behind them and look ahead. "I think the most important aspect of that deal is Tony Battie and Danny Fortson," team captain Bryant Stith said. "One of those guys will have to step to the forefront, or it may be done by committee, and blossom into a very good forward that may compete for some of those rookie-of-the-year honors at the end of the year." One thing is certain: With McDyess gone, the rookies will be in the fire from the start. If they play the way rookies usually do, the Nuggets could be just terrible. If they're better than that, the Nuggets might be, too.

nba.611 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

Denver will pay a price even without McDyess Sometimes, the contrast between two franchises can emerge with crystalline clarity -- all it takes is a single player transaction. Take, as an example, the Nuggets and Suns. Until last week, these two teams seemed to be fairly comparable, residing on opposite fringes of mediocrity, both eager to situate themselves among the heavies of the Western Conference a year or so from now. Then the Antonio McDyess deal was struck. If there was ever a more startling difference between franchises, ownership and aspirations, this was it. The Nuggets, who spent much of the summer trying to conceal their ineptitude, appear to be signaling their surrender to the harsh financial realities of the NBA. And the Suns, whose management team has proved to be as retiring as a cobra, have with one magnificent stroke elevated themselves to conference contenders in what was supposed to be a transition year. For three months, Nuggets vice president Allan Bristow had torn apart his roster, ostensibly with three goals in mind: getting younger, creating cap space for next summer's free-agent market and building around McDyess. We now know this to be a ruse. The Nuggets are nothing more than a casualty of NBA economics. They lost a lot of money last season, their season-ticket base is dwindling and they can't get their games on TV anymore. Ergo, in the current environment, they have concluded that holding onto their franchise player no longer makes sense. "In order for franchises to exist and stop losing money, you've got to realize that you just don't give that kind of substantial money to just anybody who's a really good player," says Bristow, who drew a $100 million line in the sand that McDyess refused to traverse. "This is not just Allan Bristow standing up here, this is a lot of teams. Like, hey, when is enough enough?" Only when you don't want to compete. Only when you are no longer willing to pay the price it takes to compete. Only when you don't mind waiting another year for some new economic guidelines -- in the form of renegotiated salary-cap rules -- to bail you out, which is a very iffy proposition. Phoenix, conversely, always has shown it is willing to pay any price to turn aspirations into realities. G.M. Bryan Colangelo recognized McDyess as a building block for the Suns' next incarnation. He grouped a collection of draft picks by inviting Cleveland into the deal -- sending a spare part, Wesley Person, to the Cavs -- without carving into the team's bankroll too deeply for next season. Denver has more cap space than anyone next year -- about $18 million. But judging by last week's trade, the Nuggets are as likely to invest in real estate on the San Andreas fault as they are on useful basketball players. Here's how the deal shakes out: Suns. McDyess will be on the team's cap for about $4.2 million next summer, leaving Phoenix with about $11 million to spend on the market -- plenty of cash to upgrade at center. Even with incumbents Hot Rod Williams and Mark Bryant to man the post, however, they're ready to make a move this season. The forward collection now ranks among the league's best. McDyess is a can't-miss star who, at 23, has barely scratched the surface of his potential. Then there is Clifford Robinson, who has something to prove in another contract year, versatile Danny Manning and Cedric Ceballos, who is likely to be moved. The backcourt quartet -- Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson, Steve Nash and Rex Chapman -- is as good as it gets. Throw in George McCloud and the rotation goes 11 deep, with perhaps the fastest lineup in the league. Nuggets. Bristow is the one under siege, but he's following orders. He did it clumsily, however. There were other deals to be made for McDyess, deals that could have brought Denver a much-needed point guard and frontcourt scoring rather than three first-round picks that the Nuggets probably won't want to pay anyway. Bristow also admits he passed on a chance to acquire Nash and Ceballos because he wanted to keep his cap flexibility -- but the former will earn only $1.2 million next year, and the latter will be a free agent. So Bristow did what he had to do: portray himself as the responsible executive, while trashing McDyess as an unrealistic negotiator and overrated commodity. To his credit, Bristow resisted the urge to strangle agent Arn Tellem, as he had done when he ran Charlotte's front office. Instead, he strangled his roster, eliminating its most vibrant player. "Do I think Phoenix is a better team because they've got Antonio McDyess? Yes," Bristow concedes. "Is Denver a weaker team this year because of not having Antonio McDyess? That is correct." 'Nuff said. Cavaliers. Well, well. Perhaps the porch light is on after all. Desperate to start gathering credible players, team president Wayne Embry nosed his way in on the deal to get Person. Coach Mike Fratello calls Person, "the prototype (shooting) guard in the NBA, as far as size and shooting ability." That is a stretch, but Person will help out at two positions. The down side We're relieved that the Timberwolves are one big happy family again, that Kevin Garnett received the richest contract in the history of team sports and that Stephon Marbury vows to make his negotiation next summer less vitriolic. Just two reservations: Now that the mist has cleared from that spitting contest between agent Eric Fleisher and Minnesota ownership, the Wolves are without a center. Dean Garrett was a vital piece last season -- remember how well he fared against Hakeem in the playoffs -- and now he's in Denver. Second, the deal that will pay Garnett an average of $20.8 million over the next six years does not include an opt-out clause. Idle thought: What if he finds out in 2002 that he's underpaid? Scattershots Bulls vice president Jerry Krause can't be as eager to test his ingenuity for the post-Jordan years. The Bulls had targeted Antonio McDyess and Kevin Garnett as their building blocks next summer (were Michael to retire, of course). They might find that the best free-agent forward available is Scottie Pippen. If it all breaks right, the Bulls can be $15.2 million under the cap next summer. . . . Consummate pro Nate McMillan -- frustrated over recurring injuries -- has said this will be his last season. Any resemblance the Sonics showed to a title contender has been because of his leadership. . . . With Dennis Scott aboard, Dallas G.M. Don Nelson claims the Mavs have "improved to the point where I expect us to make a run at one of the last playoff spots," and that coach Jim Cleamons "has more weapons to work with than he did last year." Either he's delusional, or Nellie has a different definition of "weapon" than the rest of us.

nba.612 nba.news, 07 Oct 97

A lucky seven stay with same teams for big bucks Here's the final scorecard on the NBA's draft class of '95: Seven of the first-round picks from that year passed up the opportunity to test the free-agent market next summer by signing long-term deals with their teams before last week's deadline. In draft order, Portland's Rasheed Wallace (No. 4, six years, $85 million); Minnesota's Kevin Garnett (No. 5, six years, $125 million); Vancouver's Bryant Reeves (No. 6, six years, $64 million); Denver's Eric Williams (No. 14, six years, $33 million); Cleveland's Bob Sura (No. 17, six years, $32 million), Dallas' Michael Finley (No. 21, five years, $42 million) and Utah's Greg Ostertag (No. 28, six years, $39 million). Additionally, Toronto's Damon Stoudamire (No. 7) has agreed in principle to a contract but won't sign until next summer to help the Raptors deal with salary-cap restrictions this season. Some people will say the players should have waited for free agency and the financial bonanza sure to follow. Well, security counts a lot, and each of these players is guaranteed truckloads of money even in the event of a career-ending injury next season. Each likes his current situation and didn't want to change teams or cities. An additional factor: The free-agent list next summer will be loaded with talent. Some of the players will earn windfalls, but there will be only so much money to go around. Some free agents will be left holding empty bags. Antonio McDyess, the draft's No. 2 pick, wanted $100 million from Denver. The Nuggets determined he wasn't worth that kind of green stuff and sent him to Phoenix, a move that could mean Denver will have as much as $10 million in salary-cap room next summer. The Suns have the opportunity to watch the third-year forward play this season and decide if they want to pay him superstar money. They should have plenty of room under the cap next summer. So, if they so desire, they can sign other free agents, then take care of McDyess through the Larry Bird exception, which allows them to sign him at any amount without regard to the cap. How do you like what Denver is left with as a starting probable lineup: Anthony Goldwire, Bryant Stith, Dean Garrett, Eric Williams, Tony Battie? Vancouver and Toronto are licking their chops. What a great deal for Phoenix, which basically gave up Wes Person and a bunch of mediocre draft picks in the three-way trade that landed them McDyess. "It was a good deal for all three teams," Phoenix coach Danny Ainge said. But especially for the Suns. No team has done more astute maneuvering for players the last nine months than Phoenix, which has landed Jason Kidd for little more than Finley; Clifford Robinson for the $1 million exception -- and McDyess for a song. Last year's Lollipop Kids now actually have a front line, with Robinson, McDyess, Hot Rod Williams and Danny Manning capable of rotating through the three spots. "I don't know who'll I'll start, or even how we'll play," Ainge said. "I'm going to have to wait and see how things work out in training camp. We had it all set, but the McDyess trade changes everything. We'll play the same sort of way we did last year some of the time, but we have the opportunity to play more big now, too." Garnett turns down $103 million, signs for as high as $125 million and then has the gall to say, "It's not about the loot." Then he over snoozes and is a day late for the Timberwolves' opening-day practice. Would Michael Jordan or Karl Malone do that? Grow up quickly, please, Kevin. More Garnett: Da Kid who just signed the richest multiyear contract in sports history is not exactly a frivolous spender. A Minneapolis reporter uncovered the fact that local pizza deliverers have been stiffed by Garnett for no tip so often, they don't want to come around. "We hate delivering to him," one said. "When he first came here, it was like, 'Oh, Kevin Garnett, I'm out there (to his home to deliver).' Now, no one wants to go. Most people at least give you a couple of bucks." Hmmm. Now that Garnett is making $2,374 an hour, maybe he can afford a little tip now and then. Hey, did you ever think Ostertag would be a $6.5 million-a-year player? That Fred Flintstone tattoo paid off. From the draft of '95, look for Golden State's Joe Smith (No. 1), Philadelphia's Jerry Stackhouse (No. 3), Portland's Gary Trent (No. 11) and the Clippers' Brent Barry (No. 15) to be in a different uniform this time next year. It's possible, too, that all will be moved by the February trade deadline. If Barry lasts the season and becomes a free agent, I think he could wind up in Chicago. The Bulls like him, and Barry wouldn't mind playing for an honest-to-goodness NBA franchise. Bomb of the 1995 draft: Shawn Respert, taken No. 8 by Portland and sent to Milwaukee in a deal for Trent. Runner-up: Randolph Childress, taken No. 19 by Detroit and sent to Portland. Both already are out of the league. And whatever happened to Rashard Griffith?

nba.613 nba.news, 08 Oct 97

Pippen has surgery, will miss 2-3 months CHICAGO -- All-Star forward Scottie Pippen underwent surgery on his left foot Monday and will be sidelined two to three months, leaving the Chicago Bulls short-handed as they begin defense of their NBA title. Bulls general manager Jerry Krause said Pippen flew to New York by team charter with Bulls orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Lewis on Monday. Surgery was performed by Dr. William Hamilton on the second toe on Pippen's left foot. "We're sorry to lose Scottie," Krause told WMVP Radio in Chicago on Tuesday. "We're gonna lose him for the next two months, at least. It's going to be a two- to three-month thing." Pippen will miss all of training camp and the preseason. The regular season begins Oct. 31. "He's so important to this ball club that when he comes back, we want him 100 percent and we want him to stay," coach Phil Jackson said. "Each year we start off with some sort of challenge," Michael Jordan said Tuesday following practice in suburban Deerfield. "It goes without question that if he was here, we'd be that much better of a team," Jordan said. "That's the situation and you deal with it and move on. ... First and foremost, Scottie's got to take care of himself." Pippen also missed training camp last season after minor ankle surgery. "We've done very well when he returns," Jackson said. "It changes our game for us. Whatever happens with this medical problem he's got, we'll treasure that time when he's back on the court." Pippen's absence means either Toni Kukoc or newly acquired Scott Burrell will move into the starting lineup. Kukoc is also recovering from a foot injury. "There are plenty of worse injuries," said Kukoc, who is recovering from a foot problem of his own. "We just hope that this one for Pipp is just going to be two or three months of rest and every thing will be fine." Without Pippen, the Bulls' chances of winning a lot of early games and getting in position to have the league's best record could be in jeopardy. That best record has secured a home-court advantage throughout the playoffs the last two seasons. "I think once he's healthy he can come back and hopefully we'll be in a situation where we still can challenge for a championship. I think we will," Jordan said. "I think it puts some pressure on us to try to fulfill some of the role that he's always been able to cover," Jordan said. "Maybe some of the other players, some of the other teams will take us for granted. Maybe they don't think we're capable. They may underestimate our capability and, next thing you know, we can sneak in there and steal a few." Pippen, 32, suffered the foot injury in the Eastern Conference final against the Miami Heat and played with the injury during the NBA Finals. After four months of rest, the foot still hadn't healed. He averaged 20.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 82 games last season as the Bulls won their fifth championship of the decade. Chicago's championship teams have been built around Jordan and Pippen.

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Rodman ready to re-sign on Friday CHICAGO -- Free-agent forward Dennis Rodman will re-sign with the Chicago Bulls on Friday, ESPN's David Aldridge reported. The one-year deal will have a base salary of $4 million and incentives that will get Rodman somewhere close to the $10 million he has been looking for, Aldridge reported Tuesday. "This is a deal that neither side is particularity happy with, but Dennis Rodman wanted to play in Chicago this year," Aldridge said. "All the stuff about Detroit and the other teams that are going for him were secondary. He wanted to be in Chicago. "The Bulls realize -- especially with Scottie Pippen hurt for two months -- they have got to Dennis Rodman back if they want to have any chance of the double three-peat." The Bulls confirmed that Rodman was ready to sign. "I know that it's pending," Tim Hallam, the Bulls' director of media services, said Tuesday night. "He'll be with the Bulls soon." Rodman's agent, Dwight Manley, also indicated the six-time rebounding champion would rejoin the Bulls this week. "He's a little under the weather now with a flu bug or something," Manley told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday night. "But as soon as he's able to kick that -- in the next day or two -- we expect to be in Chicago."

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Warriors give four players contracts Oakland, CA (TSN) - The Golden State Warriors have signed a quartet of players they already had in training camp, reaching deals with forwards Antonio Lang and Larry Stewart and guards Dell Demps and Isaac Burton. Lang spent last season with Cleveland, where he averaged just 2.7 points and a pair of rebounds in 64 games. The 6-foot-8 forward had seen limited action with the Cavs and Phoenix the previous two years after having been on a pair of national title teams with Duke in 1991 and '92. Stewart was with Seattle last year, averaging 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Sonics after having spent the previous season in Spain. Before heading the Europe, the 6-foot-8 forward spent four years with the Washington Bullets. Demps has spent more time in the CBA than the NBA since turning pro in 1992, with brief stints for Golden State and San Antonio. Burton is trying to make the NBA after two years of working in the Australian Basketball League. In his 24 games "down under" last year, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 20.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and three steals.

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Mavericks sign Ollie to one-year deal DALLAS (Oct 7, 1997 - 23:34 EDT) -- The Dallas Mavericks signed free-agent guard Kevin Ollie to a one-year contract on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ollie, who stands 6-foot-7, averaged 9.8 points and 2.5 assists in 22.8 minutes this summer on the Mavericks' team at the Fila Pro League in Long Beach, Calif., and 12.8 points and 3.2 assists in 29 minutes at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. The 24-year-old played the past two seasons with the Connecticut Pride of the Continental Basketball Association. Last year, he started 51 of 52 games and averaged 14.7 points and 5.8 assists.

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Van Exel to sit out two games due to knee injury PALM DESERT, Calif. (Oct 7, 1997 - 23:28 EDT) -- Los Angeles Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel will miss the team's first two exhibition games due to a bone bruise on his left knee. Van Exel, who missed three games last April with a similar injury, underwent an MRI Tuesday morning. He left the club's training camp Tuesday night to return to Los Angeles, where he will be examined by team orthopedist Steve Lombardo on Wednesday. He will miss Thursday night's game in San Diego against the Denver Nuggets, and Friday's game in Phoenix against the Suns. Team spokesman John Black said the injury was the result of "cumulative wear and tear on the knee over a period of years." "It's a situation he's always going to have with different levels of pain and swelling," Black said. "It got to the point where the pain and swelling was too much for him to play at an NBA level. But if this were the playoffs, he'd play." Van Exel, 25, averaged 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds last season.

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Man pleads guilty in Miller extortion case SALT LAKE CITY -- A man who threatened to blow up the Delta Center unless Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller gave him $150,000 pleaded guilty Tuesday to sending a threatening communication through the U.S. Mail. Richard Lewis Christiansen, 43, could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and fined $250,000 for the crime. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys think Christiansen will do considerably less time. A disheveled Christiansen, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with his shirttail hanging out the back, answered in monotones as U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Greene asked him if he understood the repercussions of his guilty plea. Christiansen said the extortion idea had been inspired by the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, but he told Greene that he never intended to carry out his threat to set off a bomb in the 19,911-seat arena. "I couldn't have done it if I tried," he said. "I just wanted him (Miller) to think I was serious." Greene set sentencing for Dec. 17. Christiansen was arrested June 18 after he picked up an envelope left in a field by a Larry Miller look-alike FBI agent. The envelope was to have contained $150,000 cash. Instead, it was stuffed with shredded newspaper. It was placed in the field at the direction of two letters sent six days earlier to auto dealerships owned by Miller. The letters included a map to the drop-off point in Woods Cross, 8 miles north of Salt Lake. Christiansen was drowning in debt over a failed used car lot of his own when he arrived at the plan to extort Miller. It was better, he said, "than telling my wife. I was worried she would leave me." He said he planned to pay off his $90,000 in debts and infuse the other $60,000 into his business. Once on his feet, Christiansen said, he planned to pay Miller back. "The only thing that I could think of was to go ahead and write that letter," he said. "I never dreamed of the circumstances, or what would happen afterward never crossed my mind." As part of the plea arrangement, a second federal felony count of sending threatening communications through the U.S. Mail is to be dismissed. Prosecutors also agreed to knock two points off the federal sentencing matrix after a presentence report is compiled. Defense attorney Stephen G. McCaughey said he thinks Christiansen could qualify for probation. If he goes to prison, McCaughey doubts it will be for more than a year.

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Gilliam phones Bucks, due in town Tuesday MILWAUKEE (Oct 7, 1997 - 10:22 EDT) -- Forward Armon Gilliam, a no-show so far at the Milwaukee Bucks' training camp, called the team Monday to say he has been taking care of personal matters. Gilliam was expected to arrive in town Tuesday and meet with Bucks general manager Bob Weinhauer. "The only thing I would say is he has some personal matters that he needs to tend to," Weinhauer said. "He and I need to sit down and discuss those matters and how they apply to the Milwaukee Bucks' situation." Training camp opened Friday. Gilliam, an 11-year veteran, averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds last season. He made 25 starts in 80 games.

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Bogues rejoins Hornets against doctor's advice FORT MILL, S.C. (Oct 7, 1997 - 15:40 EDT) -- Muggsy Bogues rejoined the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday after tests showed he still has damage in his left knee but that it has not gotten significantly worse. "I know my body and I know how much pain I can deal with and how much pain I can't deal with," Bogues said after practicing with the Hornets for the first time since they opened training camp last Friday. The Hornets refused to allow Bogues to participate in practice or games until he passed his physical, which included having a magnetic resonance imaging test on the knee. Bogues refused to have the MRI, saying the test was not required of anyone else on the team, and he filed a grievance against the club with the NBA players' union. The Hornets said they insisted on the MRI because Bogues has been bothered for years by pain and stiffness in the knee and because there is little cartilage remaining in the joint. A lesion was detected by a team-ordered MRI last year during training camp. Another MRI in May after Charlotte was eliminated from the playoffs showed the damage in the area of the lesion had grown. The 5-foot-3 Bogues had another MRI Monday night, and Dr. Glenn Perry, the Hornets' team physician, said the damaged area appears to be similar in size to what was detected in May. "He still thinks that Muggsy's taking a risk, a dangerous risk, to continue to play," said Bob Bass, the team's executive vice president of basketball operations. "But it's his decision to play. He knows his condition." "It's hard to just walk away from something when there's somebody telling you there's a possibility," said Bogues, 32, the NBA's all-time leader in assists-to-turnovers ratio. "They can, of course, give you the scenarios of it. My doctor and Dr. Perry, they both gave me an indication that I am taking a risk. But that risk has always been there. "No one can determine when you need to stop playing the game of basketball. Only you decide that." Knee and hamstring problems have limited Bogues to 74 of a possible 167 games over the past two seasons. He spent much of last season receiving regular acupuncture treatments on the knee, and he would ride an exercise bicycle at halftime of games to keep the joint loose. Bogues said Tuesday that he has been pain-free since February and has not had any acupuncture treatments since then. "There hasn't been any pain for quite some time," he said. "That's all I can go by. I let my body dictate when I need to stop playing or what I need to do." With the status of Bogues' knee uncertain as he approached his 11th year in the NBA, the Hornets made several offseason moves to add youth to their backcourt. That included the signing of point guard David Wesley, a free agent entering his fifth year in the league, to a seven-year, $22-million deal. "They made it clear that they got who they wanted as a starter," Bogues said. "I don't make the decisions about who plays and who goes on the floor. I'm going to do my job. I'm still here."

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NBA roundup Wizards: Chris Webber was hospitalized Tuesday following a second attack of a stomach virus. Webber received fluids due to dehydration. The first attack came Sunday for Webber, who is uncertain when he will return to practice.

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Sixers bonding in North Carolina two-a-days CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Oct 7, 1997 - 19:28 EDT) -- The Philadelphia 76ers left town last week sounding like a dysfunctional family. Clarence Weatherspoon griped about not getting any respect from the front office. Derrick Coleman complained about still being with the team. But in Chapel Hill for preseason workouts, the Sixers are bonding -- happily -- with a new coach. "I think God sent me Larry Brown," point guard Allen Iverson said Tuesday. "I think we've got the best coach for me. Everybody told me I wouldn't be able to deal with Larry Brown, that he's too hard on point guards and we wouldn't mix. "I have no problem doing what coach asks me to do," he said. Iverson, in turn, has been a particular favorite of Brown's. "He's treated me with respect from the first meeting," Brown said. "He looks me in the eyes and tries to do what I ask him to do. And I ask him to do a lot. It'll only help our team. Every day I look at him, it makes me feel like he's a lot better than he was the day before." Brown started teaching the moment he stepped onto the court at training camp. And he hasn't stopped in a week of two-a-days. The Sixers -- tired of losing and aware that Brown has coached 23 of his 25 teams to .500 records or better -- are listening. And they're not talking back to the man with the five-year, $25 million contract. "He keeps it simple," said Billy King, the team's vice president of basketball administration. "He understands human beings and demands a lot. He tells them when they do something wrong, but also tells them when they do it right. All he wants them to do is try." He spent part of the second day of camp working on inbounds plays. "We would've won three more games last year if we could've just inbounded the ball," owner Pat Croce said. Three times the Sixers were unable to get the ball in play with only seconds left last season. "Number one, I want them to know they have to defend and rebound," Brown said. "I'm more concerned with the halfcourt stuff right now. We'll do a lot of scrimmaging. I think it's important we spend time teaching." Rookie Tim Thomas said, "He does seem like a college coach. He's a teacher and a motivator at the same time. He takes time out to teach us what we're doing wrong." Brown's efforts even include trying to reach the disgruntled Coleman, who showed up 15 pounds overweight. "I don't think one coach in the league questions his skills," said Brown. "If he was in great shape, there'd be no doubt he's one of the top five players in the league. The one thing I see is he's working hard. That's encouraging."

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For Lakers, no more Mr. Nice Shaq PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Conversations That Could Have Changed Last Season, Part I: Shaquille O'Neal: "Hey, Nick." Nick Van Exel: "Yeah, Shaq?" O'Neal: "Shut up." In a Los Angeles Lakers debut filled with howls and growls, nothing said more about Shaquille O'Neal than what he wouldn't say. On the court, he was a dizzying light. In the locker room, he was a lamp post. When a teammate needed his ears cuffed, O'Neal stood uncomfortably with his hands in his pockets. When the entire squad was desperate for an authoritative voice, he spoke in whispers. O'Neal was the Lakers' center, their main attraction, their most delightful presence. But he was not their leader. He says he knows that now. He says this season he will try to change, to run the Lakers as Michael Jordan runs the Chicago Bulls and as Karl Malone runs the Utah Jazz. He says he will not be afraid to criticize privately those who are loafing or publicly praise those who are not. He says he wants to be more than just the prettiest room in the house. He says he wants to be the foundation. No More Mr. Mice Guy. "Last year, with me being new and everything, I didn't want to step on anybody's toes," O'Neal said Monday at training camp. He shook his head. "This year, I'm not going to worry about hurting anybody's feelings." Who knows if this new approach will last more than a month before it is eaten alive by his fun-loving personality? But for now, Lakers fans should consider this about 320 pounds' worth of good news. Conversations That Could Have Changed Last Season, Part II: O'Neal: "Hey, Elden." Elden Campbell: "Yeah, Diesel?" O'Neal: "Wake up." Last year's Lakers offered plenty of offensive and defensive pressure. What they didn't have was any peer pressure. That was particularly evident during crunch time of their second-round playoff series with the Utah Jazz, which they lost, four games to one. There was nobody to keep Van Exel from losing his head. There was nobody to remind Campbell that he was embarrassing himself. There was no liaison between coach Del Harris and the players, nobody to provide the sort of man-to-man motivation that today's highly paid seem to heed most. There was no Jordan ripping Dennis Rodman, or Malone ripping Chris Morris. "When you're a player, hearing something from one of your teammates, who you respect, often means more than hearing it from the coach," said Kurt Rambis, a Lakers assistant who was around when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson presided over the locker-room court. The Lakers have always thrived on this sort of leadership, but insecurity, and then injury, kept O'Neal from offering it. "By the time I was feeling comfortable here, I hurt my knee," he said. "In the end, I couldn't say anything. I didn't feel I was at full strength." But it was the end that perhaps represented the beginning. After Kobe Bryant's 14-foot airball at the end of regulation eventually led to the Lakers' final-game overtime loss in Utah, the first person to reach Bryant was O'Neal. He put his giant arm around the teenager and walked him off the floor. In the next couple of months, the Lakers told O'Neal they need that sort of behavior the entire season. Not only did O'Neal get the message, he turned it inward. Remember two summers ago, when he said he has won at every level except college and pro? And how people are still laughing about that today? On Monday, he clarified that. "I can look in the mirror and say, 'Yeah, I'm a great player,' " he said. "But I know I haven't won yet, so I'm not that great." Lakers teammates, get ready for more of that same about you. "For us to be a team, we have to be able to get on each other," he said. "We have to learn to take criticism. "I have to be able to say, 'C'mon Eddie, that guy is killing you. Get your butt in gear.' " O'Neal said he is going to share what he learned from his military father. "Criticism is good, it can help you get better," he said. "My father used to tell me, 'Don't listen to how I say things, listen to what I say.' "That's the way it has to be around here. We have to learn to take it." O'Neal is certainly entitled to dish it out, based on his hustle and hard work. And he said he can accept criticism too. When everybody talked about his game being limited, he said, he listened. "Wilt and Kareem, they dog me every day, I never say anything," he said. Instead, he said, this summer, he did something. "I didn't work on anything but shooting, free-throw extended," he said. "No dunks or short stuff, just outside shooting, two hours a day by myself." Conversations That Could Have Changed Last Season, Part III: O'Neal: "Hey, Eddie." Eddie Jones: "Yeah, Shaq?" O'Neal: "It's the playoffs, man. Could you please shoot?"

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Lakers' Bryant has new look entering second NBA season PALM DESERT, Calif. (Oct 7, 1997 - 16:52 EDT) -- Kobe Bryant has a new hairstyle, a new physique and a new position -- part time, at least -- in his second NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also has a new commitment. The 19-year-old Bryant jumped from high school to the pros last year and averaged 7.6 points in 71 regular-season games and 8.2 points in nine playoff games. He also won the NBA's slam-dunk contest during the All-Star break and became a favorite of Lakers fans with his charisma and acrobatic game. Still, the last images Lakers fans remember were the missed 18-footer at the end of regulation time and two 3-point airballs in overtime in Utah's series-clinching Game 5 victory during the second round of the playoffs in May. Did Lakers executive vice president Jerry West need to speak to Bryant about those shots and rebuild his confidence? "Not really," West said. "If you're afraid to fail, you're never going to achieve. He's not afraid. "The thing that sets him apart is that he's just willing to try anything to get better." Bryant played in the Los Angeles Summer Pro League as well as pickup games during the summer. He also spent a lot of time in the weight room, and the lifting sessions combined with natural growth -- from 6-foot-6 a year ago to 6-7, and from 200 pounds to a more defined 210 -- probably will enable him to play some small forward as well as off guard. Maybe with all the time devoted to self-improvement, he didn't have time to get a haircut. Last season, Bryant had a shaved head. Since then, his hair has grown to a moderate length. "I'm going to have one of those big (hairdos)," he said, joking. "Just like Dr. J (Hall of Famer Julius Erving). It'll be blowing in the wind." Seriously, the changes and new challenges don't faze Bryant. At this stage of his life, what really counts is basketball. "Playing (small forward) is fine with me," he said at training camp. "I'm just looking forward to playing. Learning the new position, you're making yourself a well-rounded basketball player, and this is going to make the team better, too. It's fine. It's a lot of fun." Bryant's ability to play guard and forward provides the Lakers with more flexibility and he'll probably get more playing time. "When we first got him, someone asked what his ultimate position might be, and I said he might well be a three (small forward), depending on how he grows," Lakers coach Del Harris said. "At age 18 (last year), and knowing the size of his parents, you've got to figure he's going to get pretty big. "Again, Kobe is the kind of guy who's like (Scottie) Pippen or (Michael) Jordan, in the sense that you can just stick them out there and they can play. If they end up with the ball in their hands, they can simulate a point guard. Otherwise, they can play two (off guard) or three, and they're all strong enough that they can guard most of the twos or threes." A challenge for Bryant and Harris is to get the youngster to blend his individual skills into the team framework. That was a struggle at times last season. "No one ever questioned his one-on-one skills, or even his team skills," Harris said. "But he didn't have college as a transition, to (advance) from where he could dominate everybody he played and do virtually what he wanted without paying a price. "There's almost no embarrassment factor for him against high school kids; he could make a mistake come out all right, because he's so good. He would have gotten into some situations in college where he would have gotten stopped and had to adjust. "The good news is that he's consciously working at it, and he's making good progress."

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Another year, another Ewing promise CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Through the various episodes of Patrick Ewing's career, the supporting cast has changed and there have been assorted and sordid plot twists. Yet, like any formulaic but popular serial, Ewing's annual quest to win an NBA title is required to open with the same scene. Monday, the New York Knicks' All-Star center did what he has been asked to do to open season after season: He guaranteed that this year his team would finally beat the Chicago Bulls and win it all. "Guarantees?" Ewing said with a knowing and eye-rolling laugh. "We're kicking (butt) and taking names. We're going to win a championship." Ewing, of course, said the same thing last year and for the first time in his career, truly believed he had the team to back him up. Ewing said Monday he still believes in that team, believes it should have won the title and that this year, it finally will. Last season's installment of the Ewing saga ended with him declaring that the league had robbed him of a title. It was clear Monday that those feelings have not changed. "I still haven't adjusted (to what happened)," Ewing said. "I'm still frustrated. I'm still disappointed in the fact that I didn't lose on the court instead of in the courtroom or whatever." Ewing believes the courtroom scene was the turning point of last year's story, when commissioner David Stern suspended five Knicks, including Ewing, for fighting or leaving the bench in Game 5 against the Miami Heat. The Knicks subsequently lost the series in seven games, meaning Ewing never got a chance to meet perennial arch-villains Michael Jordan and the Bulls. "Definitely, I feel like we're capable of beating the Bulls," Ewing said. "I felt we would have beaten them last year, but we didn't have the opportunity. Now, we have another year under our belts together. We know what to expect from each other." Ewing, of course, was not the only one in the organization disappointed. Madison Square Garden President Dave Checketts, in town Monday to catch the morning practice, did not issue any guarantees. "I think this team is the most criticized 57-win team in history," Checketts said. "I like our guys. But . . . I think it's time for them to step up their professionalism and be consistently better and keep their goals in mind through all kinds of circumstances and difficult times. If they do that, and I think they will, they're going to have a great year." With that, Checketts might have singled out the one element of the Ewing story that is most riveting, the hook that keeps fans tuning in season after season. The script always involves some sort of unexpected circumstance or difficulty -- whether it be a coach leaving, a coach getting fired or players getting suspended at the worst time. Only time will tell if this time, the Knicks will back up Ewing's annual promise to win it all. If past episodes are any indicator, Ewing and his supporting cast will make it interesting. Checketts singled out point guard Chris Childs. "I think Chris is going to have a great year," Checketts said. "I expect great things from him. . . . Probably (our) biggest difference will be at point guard. I don't know if that's the biggest key, but it's a key. You've got to have great play there. I think he's going to step in there and be comfortable right from the get-go. He's in terrific shape. He's really mentally ready to play."

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Great expectations: Thomas sees 50 wins SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Oct 7, 1997 - 05:40 EDT) -- Kings owner Jim Thomas is either extremely optimistic or a little wacky. Thomas said Sunday night after watching his team work out for the sixth time in three days that his goal for the club is to win 50 games. Now this is a Kings team that has not reached the .500 mark since the 1982-83 season, lost starting power forward Brian Grant to free agency and is coming off a disappointing 34-win season. Yet, Thomas remains strong in his conviction. "I don't think that is out of the question," the team's majority owner said of his goal. "That's where we should be. We should pick up what we lost last year and improve over that." In a wide-ranging interview, Thomas also discussed the role he plays in the basketball operations, the failure of the Kings to retain Grant, the team's diminished season-ticket base, the future of vice president Geoff Petrie and the league's collective bargaining agreement. Thomas says he has reasons for such a seemingly lofty goal. He was told that many national prognosticators have predicted that the Kings will finish in the Pacific Division cellar. "I don't agree with that at all," he said. "I'm really encouraged by what I've seen. I think there are three really encouraging things. "First of all, Eddie (Jordan) as a new coach, has exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds. I think without question this is the best training camp we've had. I think the new offense that is being installed and in particular the pressure defense, which I couldn't endorse more, makes me believe the coaching change will be very, very helpful to us." Thomas believes the aggressive defensive approach will help the team win "five or six games that we otherwise would not have won. "We're bigger, stronger, and I think Bobby Hurley is playing much better," he said. "I think we're going to see a lot more out of him. We have (Terry) Dehere, (Olivier) Saint-Jean and Lawrence Funderburke and I think they will be very helpful. "It hurts losing Brian but the other thing is that some of the players who had off seasons last year are going to come back and have strong season. Then there are other players who are improving." Jordan's face sported a look of humor and horror when apprised of Thomas' goal. "That tells me that the team and the coaching staff must be doing a great job if he can say that after watching us for (six practices)," Jordan said. "It makes me feel proud that he can say that. As a coaching staff and a basketball team, it's good for us to have big expectations. "No one can really predict how many games a team will win, but he's seen the way everybody has worked. He's eaten breakfast and dinner with us and sat in on team meetings and watched practice. He sees the preparation and the dedication." Thomas said he was tremendously disappointed by last season's performance. "Last year, we should have been over .500. It was particularly disappointing because I don't think we lived up to our potential. We had a very serious injury, in particular with Grant. "But we had several players who didn't live up to their potential. We were in seventh place when Brian Grant returned (from shoulder surgery) and we were unable to hold on and make the playoffs. I thought that team would break .500 and I think it could have if everything had gone right. It should have (broken .500)." Thomas said the team will be hard- pressed to continue its league-leading sellout streak of 495 games. "We're under pressure there," he said. "We've had a number of season tickets that didn't renew, a substantial number more than in previous years. Hopefully, we can continue to count on the support we've had and keep this streak alive. I don't think it is the first time it has been under pressure, but we're working very hard to keep it alive and I think we can." Kings president Rick Benner said the team began last season with about 12,500 season-ticket holders. "I think we're going to be at about 80 percent of that or 10,000 when the season starts," Benner said. "That's not including game plans, either 15 or eight. The largest number of season tickets we've entered the season with is about 14,500 in the first couple of seasons the new building opened." Grant's departure may have played a role in the diminished ticket renewals. Thomas said the price unexpectedly became too steep for the Kings. "He got an offer for $63 million or whatever it was, which in our collective judgment didn't make sense for us to spend that type of money. He was a great player and we'd have loved to have him. But at that price we didn't think it made sense in terms of what we need to accomplish. We put a very strong offer on the table." Petrie has been the object of criticism over the past year because the team took a step back for the first time during his reign. But Thomas says he is not one of Petrie's detractors. "I hope Geoff is a permanent fixture in Sacramento," Thomas said. "I'm real pleased with what he has done. I think he has been a very positive force. I hope he ends his career here." Thomas described his status as the team's driving force by saying, "the buck stops here. Geoff is in charge and Eddie is in charge. Certainly on the key decisions, Geoff consults with me. That's the way it should be. I'm there to help and support him and call the big ones." Thomas, like many small-market owners, is concerned about the escalating salaries and the ability to compete with some of the league's big-money, big-market squads. " ... the new collective bargaining agreement has not been effective and I think that the commissioner (David Stern) has indicated that this is something that the league needs to take a look at. We haven't had a chance to see the collective bargaining agreement work totally. It's been a relatively short period of time. But I think what we've seen so far has been discouraging." That also would be a fairly accurate assessment of the Kings' performance last season, but it still remains to be seen if Thomas is overly optimistic or gifted with surprising insight.

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Stoudamire says Raptors will be better BUFFALO, N.Y. (Oct 7, 1997 - 10:10 EDT) -- The Toronto Raptors were far from perfect in their second year. Perfectly frustrating was more like it. They improved to 30 wins from 21 and won games against the championship-bound Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons. Yet they lost repeatedly to the woeful Boston Celtics, Vancouver Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. The Raptors finished with a 30-52 record, between the infuriating episodes of inconsistency. They showed flashes of being a competent National Basketball Association team, but there were nights when even captain Damon Stoudamire, the franchise cornerstone, threw his hands up in frustration at a gang that couldn't shoot straight -- or pass the ball or block shots, for that matter. But a number of things that have happened since last fall's training camp put Stoudamire and his teammates in a better frame of mind for the start of the 1997-98 campaign. Some of those experiences have been tough -- Carlos Rogers's sister died from kidney disease; Sharone Wright's career may be in jeopardy after he crushed his elbow in a car crash; the players' beloved general manager, Isiah Thomas, failed in his bid to become the first black majority owner in pro sports. Some of what transpired has been positive: namely that the core of the team has grown together and been solidified with the signings of Walt Williams and Doug Christie to new deals. Marcus Camby has put behind him an embarrassing scandal of accepting gifts, money and sexual favors from a would-be agent during his days at the University of Massachusetts. And the Raptors have added a very talented 18-year-old in Tracy McGrady. "I don't know what everybody else is thinking, but for me this is the make-or-break year. How do you look at it: either we're going to win more than 30 games, or we're going to lose more than 52," Stoudamire said. "What would push us up to the next level? Hopefully, it's the players maturing and understanding their roles. Last year we had a role problem, an identity problem. We didn't establish that jump (from the beginning). 'Look, you go out and get rebounds, that's how you're going to get on the court; you go out and you got to score 20 a night, that's how you're gonna stay on the court.' "It's a matter of guys accepting those roles and not being egotistical about things." It's the speech of a captain who knows it's time for the team to get down to serious business in its market. Year three usually is the end of the honeymoon between fans and a new franchise. In the case of the Raptors, the team is still playing basketball in an ill-suited venue, the SkyDome, and charging customers five-star rates for it. "Being realistic, we can get to playoffs, but everything has to fall into place. What's important is for us to try and get there, establish something from training camp," Stoudamire said. "Last year was a little lenient and it was taken advantage of. That carried over to our first couple of preseason games and we couldn't build on what we had from the year before. We had to rehabilitate and come back up. It took 10 games into the season to establish what we were doing. This time head coach Darrell Walker and his captain agree that roles need to be established "from the first day of camp," Stoudamire said. "I'm talking about players and attitude and no bull. We come here, get out and work, establish defense, get everyone on the same page." The Raptors' biggest plus remains the backcourt of Stoudamire and Christie, which proved to be one of the best young guard duos in the NBA. Combined, they averaged 34.7 points, 12.7 assists and 9.4 rebounds a game last season. The team's foundation also includes Camby, who was on the all-rookie team but received no rookie-of-the-year votes. The multitalented Camby played every position except point guard but also missed 19 games with everything from a bad back to the flu. He averaged 14.8 points a game -- third best on the team -- and showed flashes of brilliance playing forward. He's added five pounds to his lanky frame, but says his improvement in overall strength is greater than his weight gain. He was too frail for the 82-game season, otherwise. "I think the playoffs is a very realistic goal," Camby said. "We've got a year together with most of the starters. I think we can get up to eighth or seventh spot in our conference and make some noise." As for Thomas, he said his commitment to the team and to winning a championship in Toronto remain firm, despite the failure of his takeover offer when the Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs couldn't get together on a mutual site for a new arena. "The goal for this team will always be mental and physical commitment. If you prepare properly, the wins and losses take care of themselves," Thomas said. "Our goal is to win the NBA championship: that's still the process and we're still in the beginning of that process." The number of close losses doesn't matter to Thomas -- they're losses no matter how pretty they're painted. "The bottom line is you still lost, and until you win, that's all that matters. "The attitude is 'go get it.' This is an important training camp for us from a mental standpoint. When we come out of this camp, the attitude has to be we're going to take it, not just go after it. Until you can take it and make it yours, everything else is just good luck and best wishes. You can't just want to conquer the world, you have to go conquer the world."

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Charles barks at new deal With the start of the NBA season just around the corner, that means one thing: start getting ready for more Charles Barkley quotes. What's he think of 21-year-old Kevin Garnett's new $121 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves? "One hundred 21 million dollars, that's a lot of damn money, isn't it? What a great country. Imagine if he could play." Asked what he was making when he was 21, Barkley said: "I had a four-year deal for $2 million. And that was when I was in college." Any little bit helps With New York Knicks camp under way, center Patrick Ewing claims his knees are "feeling fine," says the New York Daily News. But remember, that's the stock answer the 35-year-old gave last year, even though the club admitted he was suffering from chronic knee soreness the final three months of the season. The Knicks, however, are taking precautionary steps to try and keep Ewing as healthy as possible. They've added backup center Chris Dudley, which should slightly reduce Ewing's minutes during the regular season. Then the team went out and brought their own regulation court to training camp, after receiving a few complaints from players that the College of Charleston floor is too hard. The Knicks placed the WNBA New York Liberty's home floor on top of the permanent court.

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A look inside Bulls training camp After an summer of speculation, Michael Jordan is back, Phil Jackson is back and Scottie Pippen wasn't traded, but he will be sidelined for at least two months. Dennis Rodman still wasn't signed at the start of training camp, although his agent says Rodman will stay with Chicago. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 SEATTLE Oct. 11 Seattle (Lawrence, Kan.) Oct. 13 ATLANTA Oct. 17 McDonald's Championship (Paris) Oct. 18 McDonald's Championship (Paris) Oct. 22 PHILADELPHIA Oct. 24 Philadelphia (Chapel Hill, N.C.) Oct. 25 SACRAMENTO At Bulls training camp at the Berto Center in Deerfield, Ill., there are two major questions and a few other important ones for owner Jerry Reinsdorf, GM Jerry Krause and Jackson to address. When will Rodman sign? Rodman's agent, Dwight Manley, said The Worm would rejoin the Bulls by Wednesday or Thursday. "He's a little under the weather now with a flu bug or something," Manley told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday night. "But as soon as he's able to kick that -- in the next day or two -- we expect to be in Chicago." It seemed Rodman and the Bulls were near a deal a week prior to the start of camp. Manley said each side had agreed to a base figure of $2.5 million for the season, but needed to compromise on the incentive clauses. The Bulls' proposal would bring the total value to $6 million, but Rodman is seeking around $10 million. How will the Bulls replace Pippen? Pippen's left foot, injured in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, had not healed and he underwent surgery on Oct. 6. While the news was a surprise to some, it obviously wasn't to Jackson, who had already begun thinking about a lineup without Pippen to start the year, with new acquisition Scott Burrell taking on a major role. "We're worried about Scottie," Jackson said. "It was a difficult situation he went thorough last year. But Scottie has faced this before. He'll come back and play well." Coming to the Bulls from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Dickey Simpkins, Burrell is anxious to fill in when needed. "I'm just going to try and take advantage of the situation since I am here," the oft-injured Burrell said. "The last couple of seasons were very frustrating. Injuries are a part of the game, but when you battle back from one and then you get hurt again, it takes a toll on you. But you have to stay positive and keep battling back." But the real burden figures to fall on Toni Kukoc, who has long been touted as Pippen's replacement. Also look for Jason Caffey to see increased playing time. Is Kukoc finally healthy? Last season, Kukoc was limited to just 57 games because of plantar fasciitis of the right foot. With Pippen potentially out for two months, Kukoc will be called upon to take on an added role -- and it appears he is ready. "It's almost normal," he said Monday of his foot. "I've been surprised, really, how good it's felt. If I feel like this during the year, no problem. I think I'm going to be healthy for a whole year and play all 82 games." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Caffey, Ron Harper, Jordan, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, Pippen, Bill Wennington. Old faces in new places: Burrell, Joe Kleine (free agent from New Jersey). Draft picks: Keith Booth (Maryland, first round, 28th overall) Camp longshots: Dante Calabria (played for Bulls summer league team, graduated from North Carolina in 1996), Kornel David (from Hungary, played for Bulls summer league team), Eric Gingold (back for second Bulls camp, 7-2, 275-pound project from tiny Williams College), Boris Gorenc (from France, played for Bulls during summer), Rusty LaRue (former Wake Forest QB played with CBA's Connecticut Pride last season), Dwayne Whitfield (6-7 forward played at Jackson State) and Thomas Hamilton (7-3, 300-plus pound Chicago native).

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A look inside Hawks training camp Last season, the Hawks improved by 10 games, compiling a 56-26 record sparked by the addition of 1996-97 Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo and with Christian Laettner playing his first full season in Atlanta. This offseason has been a relatively quiet one as the Hawks have just slightly tweaked the roster. Their biggest move came when their home since 1972, the Omni, was imploded. This season they will play 28 home games at the huge Georgia Dome and the remaining 13 at Georgia Tech. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 Boston (University Park, Pa.) Oct. 11 Boston (Huntsville, Ala.) Oct. 14 at Chicago Oct. 16 at Toronto Oct. 17 Detroit (Nashville, Tenn.) Oct. 21 at L.A. Clippers Oct. 24 at L.A. (Great Western Shootout) Oct. 25 at L.A. (Great Western Shootout) During training camp at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Ga., Lenny Wilkens will answer several key questions. Will the Hawks pull the trigger on a deal to bring in a small forward? GM Pete Babcock has been hard at work, looking for more firepower from the three spot. "We haven't given up," Babcock said. "Our first objective was to get some help at the small forward position." The Hawks have been rumored to be interested in Suns scorer Cedric Ceballos, as Phoenix looks to open up a log jam of small forwards (Ceballos, Clifford Robinson and George McCloud). As insurance, the Hawks recently re-signed forward Tyrone Corbin, who started 65 games at small forward last season. But they lost key reserve Henry James, who returned to Cleveland as a free agent. Atlanta drafted Chris Crawford and have also invited three small forwards (Walter Bond, Matt Steigenga and Jared Prickett) to camp with hope of finding a capable backup. Will someone emerge from the bench to play some major minutes? Last season, each of Atlanta's five starters averaged more than 32 minutes per game. Only one reserve played more than 1,000 minutes: backup point guard Eldridge Recasner (1,207). The Hawks went out and drafted guard Ed Gray in hopes that he will score like he did at California, where he averaged 24.8 points as a senior before breaking his foot in the last regular-season game. Will 1995 draft pick Alan Henderson finally become a key performer for the Hawks? Coming out of Indiana, the Hawks expected the 6-foot-9 Henderson to make an immediate impact. But in two seasons with Hawks he has averaged just 6.4 points per game. Last season, he missed the first four months with acute viral pancreatitis and averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds. Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Mookie Blaylock, Corbin, Henderson, Laettner, Mutombo, Ken Norman (injured), Recasner, Steve Smith. Old faces in new places: Bond (last played in the NBA in 1994-95 with the Jazz, averaged 13.0 ppg with Yakima of CBA last year), Anthony "Pig" Miller (played one game with Hawks last year), Steigenga (member of last year's Bulls title team, played in two games). Draft picks: Crawford (Marquette, second round, 51st overall), Gray (California, first round, 22nd overall). Camp long shots: Drew Barry (1996 draft pick of Seattle out of Georgia Tech, played in six games in CBA), David Crouse (rookie free agent out of USC), Prickett (rookie free agent out of Kentucky, 8.0 ppg), Donald Whiteside (played 27 games with Toronto, 2.2 ppg. Former teacher in Chicago went to Northern Illinois).

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An inside look at Pistons camp The Pistons are fresh off a busy offseason in which they waved goodbye to Terry Mills, Otis Thorpe and Michael Curry, and said hello to Brian Williams and Malik Sealy. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 MINNESOTA Oct. 11 Minnesota (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Oct. 14 SEATTLE Oct. 17 Atlanta (Knoxville, Tenn.) Oct. 18 Orlando (Memphis, Tenn.) Oct. 22 SACRAMENTO Oct. 24 MIAMI Oct. 25 Denver (Louisville, Ky.) Coach Doug Collins has several issues to take care of in training camp, which will be at the Pistons' Practice Facility in Auburn Hills. Who will start at power forward? With the departure of Thorpe, who started 79 games last season but was dealt to Vancouver, Theo Ratliff, Grant Long and Don Reid will battle it out. Reid, who recently signed a multiyear contract with the Pistons, is a Collins favorite. "Don has a great chance to start," Collins said. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one to emerge." Long looks 15 pounds lighter, according to Collins, and will see more minutes whether he wins the starting slot or not. Ratliff is in the last year of his contract and Collins has challenged him to step up his game. Will Brian Williams do the job as the starting center? Williams will see his first major playing time since the 1995-96 season, when he averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds with the Clippers. Last season he played in just nine regular-season games with the Bulls after holding out all season. Collins feels the Pistons will be able to open up the floor more with Williams theman in the middle. "I would like to be a team that has more speed and quickness," Collins said. "With Brian, we will be able to throw the ball into the post and get opportunities off of that. We won't have to manufacture so many scoring chances." Will Grant Hill take more of a leadership role on the court with Joe Dumars nearing the end of his career? Entering his fourth year, Hill is a co-captain, and Collins expects him to be more vocal and demonstrative on the court. "Grant has to become the mouthpiece of the team," Collins said. "That's not his nature right now, but I want him to become the real vocal leader of this team." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Randolph Childress, Dumars, Hill, Lindsey Hunter, Long, Rick Mahorn, Aaron McKie, Ratliff, Reid, Jerome Williams. Old faces in new places: Rumeal Robinson (invited to camp after playing with Lakers, Suns, Blazers last season), Sealy (signed as free agent from Clippers), Brian Williams (signed as free agent from Bulls). Draft picks: Charles O'Bannon (UCLA, second round, 32nd overall), Scot Pollard (Kansas, first round, 19th overall). Camp long shots: Ashraf Amaya (played in 31 games with Washington last season), Reggie Elliott (first-year free agent from Mercer), Art Long (first-year free agent out of Cincinnati, who played in Portugal and Argentina last year), Thomas McGhee (first-year free agent from Rice), Ray Weathers (rookie free agent from Michigan State).

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An inside look at Hornets camp After winning a club-record 54 games last season, the Hornets went out and bought a new backcourt, luring David Wesley and Bobby Phills to Charlotte and leaving Muggsy Bogues without a starting job. Coach Dave Cowens brought defense to Charlotte last season with the infusion of Anthony Mason and Vlade Divac on the front line. Scorer Glen Rice emerged as one of the league's premier players, netting 26.8 ppg, third in the NBA. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 Golden State (San Jose, Ca.) Oct. 11 at Utah Oct. 16 GOLDEN STATE Oct. 19 Minnesota (at Roanoke, Va.) Oct. 21 Indiana (Nashville, Tenn.) Oct. 22 UTAH Oct. 24 Minnesota (Fargo, N.D.) Oct. 25 at Indiana Cowens has several questions to answer as he begins his second training camp, held at the Hornets' Training Facility in Fort Mill, S.C. What's the story with Bogues? When last season ended it seemed Bogues, the only point guard the Hornets have known, was done in Charlotte. With recurring problems in his left knee, the Hornets were telling him to retire so they could open a spot on their roster and free up salary cap room. They also considered trading him to a team where he would get some playing time, knowing they had signed Wesley to fill his role. But by the end of the summer there was talk of Bogues getting a lifetime contract that would give him a position within the organization when he decided to retire. At the start of camp, Bogues initially balked at having an MRI on the knee, which might give the Hornets reason to fuel retirement talks once again. Bogues says he has no pain, and feels his knee is in the same condition it was last season, when he started 65 games. "My knee hasn't changed from last year to this year," Bogues said. "I played then, so why not let me play now?" Bogues finally agreed to the MRI on Monday night, but he also filed a grievance against the club with the players' union. Should the team and Bogues compromise on his knee's condition and allow him to play, he will be relegated to coming off the bench, after starting for nine of the last 10 years. Bogues understands Wesley is the point guard of the future. "I'm quite sure they've got their starter," Bogues said. "They brought in Wesley and gave him seven years, so that's their decision." How will the new backcourt of Phills and Wesley mesh with Rice, Mason and Divac? Charlotte signed both Wesley and Phills to seven-year, multimillion-dollar deals. Cowens feels the Hornets are significantly improved and have one of the most solid starting fives in the NBA. "I like the team that's out here now better than the team that was out here last year," Cowens said. "The talent level is better." Wesley and Phills, each 26, combined to score almost 30 points and hand out 12 assists with Boston and Cleveland, respectively. Last season, the Hornets used seven different starters in the backcourt, including Tony Smith, who signed a deal in Spain. Can the Hornets compete for a top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference? Cowens is convinced the Hornets will be able to improve on last year's first-round ouster by the Knicks. "Our goal is definitely to go deeper into the playoffs," Cowens said. "We're a lot more organized. We're more specific in what we want to do." The Hornets' improved bench will be one of the keys to their success. With J.R. Reid returning to Charlotte after a stint in Europe to join Matt Geiger, Tony Delk and Bogues, the Hornets are solid down the line. Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Bogues, Dell Curry, Tony Delk, Divac, Geiger, Mason, Rice. Old faces in new places: Corey Beck (played five games with Charlotte in 1995-96, CBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1996-97 with Yakima), Darnell Mee (last played in NBA with Denver in 1994-95), Phills (free agent from Cleveland), Reid (averaged 17.9 points with Paris of the French League), Wesley (free agent from Boston). Draft picks: none. Camp longshots: Junior Burrough (Virginia product played in Italy last year, last played in NBA with Celtics in 1995-96), Tony Farmer (came out of Nebraska in 1991, played three years in CBA), Nate Wilbourne (rookie free agent out of South Carolina), Travis Williams (six-year CBA star, played at South Carolina State).

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An inside look at Pacers camp Indiana has its native son back. In his first camp as Pacers coach, Larry Bird has Chris Mullin, new uniforms and several injury situations to deal with. Bird does know what he'll get from Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Dale Davis and Antonio Davis, which should ease the transition. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 Cleveland (Dayton, Ohio) Oct. 11 Toronto (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Oct. 14 CLEVELAND Oct. 17 UTAH Oct. 18 Utah (Evansville, Ind.) Oct. 21 Charlotte (Nashville, Tenn.) Oct. 24 SACRAMENTO Oct. 25 CHARLOTTE The Pacers thought the media crush would be so big for the beginning of the Bird Era, they are holding their training camp at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Fla. Here are the questions Bird will face: Will Rik Smits and his feet be ready to go? The 7-foot-4 center missed the first 30 games of the 1996-97 season after undergoing surgery on both of his feet. Bird feels Smits' health and presence in the Pacers pivot is a key to Indiana's success. "We can't afford to lose Rik Smits in training camp," Bird said. "It's that simple. You've seen what happened last year. Rik's got to be a man about it and come tell me when he's not feeling well, and we'll back off. You can ask Reggie or anybody on this team: if Rik Smits is not out there, we're not going to be as good of a team." Smits said it will be to his advantage now that Bird's at the helm. "He knows what it's like to play with injuries," Smits said. "So, I don't have to feel bad about missing a practice when I'm hurt. He'll understand. I didn't always feel that way last year." Last year with Larry Brown as coach, Smits was slow to get in gear after missing the start of the year, and did not have a strong season on the boards, as he pulled down only 6.9 rebounds per game. Smits is also in the final year of his contract, which could provide him with extra incentive. Indiana signed Mark West away from Cleveland to fill in if Smits is not be at full strength. When will Derrick McKey and Haywoode Workman be available? McKey, who started all but one game he played in a year ago, will most likely be sidelined until the start of January. When McKey comes back, he will be the backup to Mullin, who will slide nicely into the small-forward slot McKey held for four years in Indiana. Workman played just four games last season before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament. With Jackson and Travis Best, the Pacers will allow Workman to ease back into the rotation. "Realistically, I could get out there and play, but it would hurt me," said Workman, who knows retirement could be looming. "I'd be about two steps slow. I was hoping to be playing by now, having fun, and not rehabbing still. It's frustrating." How will Bird adjust to coaching? Having never coached a day in his life at any level, Bird jumps right into the NBA game. Many people around the game feel he will not be able to deal with the losing the Pacers might suffer through and it will cause him to quit after a year or two. He expects nothing but hustle and winning. "I expect them to come out to win," Bird said. "Not just play, but to win." Bird has surrounded himself with experienced, veteran assistant coaches in Dick Harter and Rick Carlisle, so he has provided himself with a cushion. Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Best, Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Fred Hoiberg, Jackson, McKey, Miller, Jalen Rose, Smits, Workman. Old faces in new places: Mullin (acquired in trade from Golden State for Duane Ferrell and Erick Dampier), West (signed as free agent from Cleveland). Draft picks: Austin Croshere (Providence, first round, 12th overall). Mark Pope (Kentucky, 1996 second round) Camp longshots: Etdrick Bohannon (rookie free agent out of Auburn-Montgomery), Todd Lindeman (first-year free agent out of Indiana, played for Connecticut Pride of CBA last year), Gerald Madkins (four-year CBA vet, played with Cleveland in 1993-94 and 94-95), Ron Riley (second-round draft pick out of Arizona in 1996, then traded to Detroit, cut in preseason by Pistons).

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An inside look at Cavaliers camp The Cavaliers have undergone a major face-lift, with just five players -- Danny Ferry, Donny Marshall, Vitaly Potapenko, Shawnelle Scott and Bob Sura -- remaining from last year's club that finished 42-40 and missed the playoffs. Indeed, last year's entire starting five is gone, but Shawn Kemp has come to Cleveland and revitalized the city's basketball fans. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 Indiana (Dayton, Ohio) Oct. 12 Minnesota (St. Louis, Mo.) Oct. 14 at Indiana Oct. 16 NEW JERSEY Oct. 18 L.A. Lakers (Kansas City, Mo.) Oct. 22 Minnesota (Minot, N.D.) Oct. 24 at New Jersey In addition to Kemp, other key additions were Sherman Douglas from Milwaukee, Wesley Person and Tony Dumas from Phoenix, and first-round picks Derek Anderson and Brevin Knight. They will be counted on to help run the new offensive brand of basketball that has started at the University of Dayton, where Mike Fratello is running training camp. Will Fratello continue to play his tough defensive style? No. With the new composition, Fratello will open up the floor as he did during his days with Dominique Wilkins in Atlanta. But Fratello is cautious not to change the style too much. "We have to make sure that the style we use, both offensively and defensively, gives our players the best opportunity to win games," Fratello said. "And sometimes you need to tinker with that into the season. Twenty games into the season, we still may not be set with this team, because there are so many new pieces here." How will Kemp adjust to his new team? Kemp, who will be the team's marquee player, has already brushed off the title of star. He just wants to "blend" in. "In actuality, it's really their team and I've got to come in here and blend in with them," he said. "It's something I thought I could do, go with a group of guys and blend in with them." He has come in with an open mind and a new number -- No. 4, because the zero in No. 40 "was weighing me down," he said. Kemp is trying to downplay the expectations, but knows he will be challenged to produce for his new team. "I wouldn't call myself 'The Man' unless I go out there on the court and earn it," Kemp said. "You know what it means, the expectation. I like challenges. You don't have any goals if you don't have a challenge. You can't reach your goals unless you have someone doubting you. I've always enjoyed people doubting me." How will Sura and Douglas play in the backcourt, now that they're replacing Terrell Brandon and Bobby Phills? Cleveland is depending on Sura to step up his game after signing him to a six-year, $32 million extension a week before training camp. Douglas could be a quick fix until Knight is ready to take over sometime later this year. Douglas has proven to be a good distributor with Miami, Boston and Milwaukee, but he can't shoot well. Fratello should be able to convey that Kemp and Ferry will see most of the shots. Sura will have to score as he did at Florida State, when he averaged 20 points over his final three years with the Seminoles. Last year, he averaged just 9.2 points, but came off the bench for most of the season. Who's at center? The Cavs have three centers -- Potapenko, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Scott -- on their roster with a combined three starts in the NBA, all by Potapenko. Potapenko, a Ukrainian native, showed flashes in his rookie season. He showed he wasn't intimidated by the league's top centers and battled with division foes Dikembe Mutombo and Vlade Divac in the paint. The 7-foot-3, 260-pound Ilgauskas, who missed all of last season with a broken right foot, shows the most promise. The Lithuanian native averaged 15 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks for the Cavs' summer league team at the Atlanta Summer Shootout. Scott figures to be the third-string center, but could see more minutes than he did a season ago (3.1 per game). Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Ferry, Marshall, Potapenko, Scott, Sura. Old faces in new places: Douglas (acquired in trade from Milwaukee), Dumas (acquired in trade from Phoenix), Henry James (signed as free agent from Atlanta), Kemp (acquired in trade from Seattle), Person (acquired in trade from Phoenix) Draft picks: Anderson (Kentucky, first round, 13th overall), Cedric Henderson (Memphis, second round, 45th overall), Knight (Stanford, first round, 16th overall) Camp long shots: Jerome Allen (free agent invitee, played for Indiana and Denver last year), Mitchell Butler (free agent invitee, played for Portland last year), Adrian Caldwell (free agent invitee from Philadelphia), Sherell Ford (1995 draft pick of Seattle, went to Illinois-Chicago).

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An inside look at Raptors camp For an organization in just its third year of existence, the Raptors had a very quiet offseason. Their most significant addition came at the draft, when they selected high school phenom Tracy McGrady. Most of the team's position battles are solved, other than center. The team did not sign Damon Stoudamire to an extension prior to the Oct. 1 deadline for Class of 1995 draft picks, meaning he will become a free agent at season's end. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 11 Indiana (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Oct. 13 SEATTLE Oct. 15 PHILADELPHIA Oct. 16 ATLANTA Oct. 19 New York (Hartford, Conn.) Oct. 20 Vancouver (Halifax, NS) Oct. 24 Denver (Hamilton, Ont.) Oct. 27 New Jersey (Springfield, Mass.) Here are some questions coach Darrell Walker will address as he opens his second training camp, at Erie Community College in Buffalo. Who will start at center? The Raptors are very thin at this position, having been plagued by injuries both on and off the court. Power forward Marcus Camby could be used on occasion, as he was during his rookie season. Most significant is the loss of Sharone Wright, who suffered a severely broken arm and collarbone in a car accident in late July and could miss most of the season. "The doctors are hopeful I can come back in mid-March," Wright said. "We'll have to wait and see." Zan Tabak is coming of an injury-riddled season in which he played just 13 games because of plantar fasciitis in his left heel. The 7-foot Croatian came on late in his first year with the Raptors two seasons ago. Oliver Miller, who joined the team late last year, has not been brought back after he added on even more weight. Forward Carlos Rogers could see some time in the pivot, as could rebounder Popeye Jones. Two training camp invitees with NBA experience, John Coker and Julius Nwosu, will be given chances to win a roster spot. Will Walt Williams repeat his performance of last season? Playing for the league-minimum salary in 1996-97, Williams had a breakthrough year. He posted career-best averages in points (16.4) and rebounds (5.0), while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. A season of playing for $250,000 paid off when the Raptors rewarded him with a four-year, $20 million deal. Now, Walker and GM Isiah Thomas are expecting similar numbers from the lanky small forward, and they expect him to take on a leadership role. "I expect Walt to be able to rely on the experiences he had in Sacramento -- the growing pains they went through -- and take the final steps they took," Thomas said of Williams. "If we get there, near the playoffs, I want this experience. He's walked that road before." What does Stoudamire think about his future in Toronto? The 1996 Rookie of the Year will be free to negotiate with any team at the conclusion of the 1997-98 season. Stoudamire has also aligned himself with Thomas, who has been a core of a fiery front office situation in which Thomas' management group failed in an attempt to gain majority ownership of the Raptors from Allan Slaight. "I have to make the decision that's best for me," said Stoudamire, who led the Raptors in scoring (20.2) last year. "If he (Thomas) was to leave, I'd have to see who was brought in as a replacement and then base my decision on that. Right now, I'm a Toronto Raptor and I always wanted to be a Toronto Raptor." Stoudamire understands the reality when he looks at Thomas' situation. "You're dealt bad luck in life and right now it wasn't meant to be (for Thomas)," he said. "Everybody and everything has to move along." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Camby, Doug Christie, Popeye Jones, Martin Lewis (free agent invitee, played nine games with Toronto last year), John Long (free agent invitee, played 32 games with Toronto last year), Shawn Respert (out with broken left hand), Rogers, Reggie Slater, Stoudamire, Tabak, Williams, Wright (likely out for season). Old faces in new places: Coker (free agent invitee, played with Phoenix in 1995-96), Nwosu (played with San Antonio in 1994-95) Draft picks: McGrady (Mt. Zion HS, first round, ninth overall) Camp long shots: Rowan Barrett (first-year invitee, Toronto native who played at St. John's), Chris Garner (rookie free-agent guard out of Memphis), Brandon Williams (first-year free agent invitee from Davidson)

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An inside look at Bucks camp The Bucks sport a new look with three new starters, thanks to a pair of trades that brought in Terrell Brandon, Tyrone Hill and Ervin Johnson. Milwaukee has just five players returning from last season's 33-49 club. Coach Chris Ford is expecting big things from returning starters Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen, but the big question is how will they adjust to life without Vin Baker, who was traded to Seattle. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 12 Sacramento (Fresno, Calif.) Oct. 16 L.A. Clippers (LaCrosse, Wis.) Oct. 17 at Minnesota Oct. 18 Boston (Green Bay, Wis.) Oct. 19 New York (Hartford, Conn.) Oct. 21 Minnesota (Des Moines, Iowa) Oct. 24 at Boston Oct. 25 MIAMI Ford is hoping to solve that and other questions at the Bucks training camp at Archbishop Cousins Center in St. Francis, Wis. How will the offense change without Baker? Robinson and Allen will be the biggest beneficiaries of the trade, at least from an offensive standpoint. Baker took an average of 16 shots per game. Robinson, who scored 21.1 points, figures to jump his average by three to four points. Allen, who averaged 13.4 points in his rookie season, is hopeful of returning to the 20-point plateau he surpassed in two of his three years at UConn. Overall, Ford expects the Bucks to play a more wide-open game with flashy Brandon at the point, Hill at power forward and defense-oriented Johnson at center. "This is going to change our style," Ford said. "I'm not happy the way the style of play has developed in the NBA, basically with two or three players standing still on one side of the court working one-on-one." Even though Milwaukee featured two 20-point scorers last year, Ford feels the new Bucks will be even better offensively. "We're going to be a more exciting team," he said. "With Terrell we're going to be able to push the ball, but Tyrone has to get down and do the dirty work. He's got to play good defense, bang the boards and turn Terrell Brandon, Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen loose on the fast breaks." How will Johnson be at center? One of the NBA's top shot blockers and rebounders, Johnson should be a good fit with the Bucks. He will allow the offense to do its job while he grabs errant shots. Last season he was fourth in the NBA with 11.1 rebounds per game and fifth in blocks with 2.77. Andrew Lang, who started 52 games at center, before an Achilles tendon problem shut him down, will be a very capable backup. The Bucks also have former Celtic and Raptor Acie Earl for added insurance. How hot is Chris Ford's seat? If the Bucks don't get off to a fast start, Ford could be in trouble. He probably needs a playoff appearance to save his job. The Bucks have not made the playoffs since 1991 and owner Herb Kohl expected Ford to change the losing ways. Last season's 33-49 record did not sit well and assistant coach Bob Weinhauer was elevated to general manager when Mike Dunleavy left for Portland's head coaching job. Weinhauer has gone out and changed the Bucks dramatically, and has put his imprint on the team through trades and free agent signings (Michael Curry), but won't feel in complete control until Ford is out. "With the addition of (Hill and Brandon), we have a group of people who can put us in position to do everything we want to this year," Weinhauer said. Those are high expectations. Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Allen, Earl, Armon Gilliam, Lang, Elliot Perry, Robinson. Old faces in new places: Brandon (acquired from Cleveland in three-way deal involving Shawn Kemp), Tim Breaux (signed as free agent, last played with Houston in 1996), Curry (signed as free agent from Milwaukee), Hill (traded along with Brandon from Cleveland), Johnson (traded from Denver). Draft picks: Jerald Honeycutt (Tulane, second round, 39th overall) Camp long shots: Melvin Booker (free agent invitee, played with Denver and Golden State last year), Jamie Feick (free agent invitee, played with Charlotte and San Antonio last season), Reggie Freeman (rookie free agent from Texas), Michael McDonald (first-year free agent from New Orleans, played in CBA with Grand Rapids last year).

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An inside look at Celtics camp The Celtics have shed their coaching staff and most of the roster which compiled a 15-67 record in 1996-97. The reclamation project in Boston is in the hands of Rick Pitino. The former Knicks coach has returned to the pros from Kentucky to rebuild one of sports' proudest organizations with the likes of second-year pro Antoine Walker and draft picks Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 Atlanta (University Park, Pa.) Oct. 11 Atlanta (Huntsville, Ala.) Oct. 15 New Jersey (Lexington, Ky.) Oct. 18 Milwaukee (Green Bay, Wis) Oct. 21 at Orlando) Oct. 22 NEW YORK Oct. 24 MILWAUKEE Oct. 25 at Philadelphia Heading into his first Celtics camp at the U.S. Naval Education and Training Center in Newport, R.I., Pitino has many questions to answer. Will Walker become an NBA star? After leading the Celtics in scoring (17.5), rebounding (9.0) and field goals (576) as a rookie, Walker will need to step up his game if the Celtics want to win more than 25 games. Pitino has put a lot of expectations on the 6-foot-9 forward who played for him at Kentucky. "Antoine is the guy we need to make the All-Star team," Pitino said. "When we look down the road, we're going to need three All-Stars to win a championship. Antoine is the one player who has the potential to make the All-Star team, and that's what we've got to develop in him." Walker has a special bond with the coach, dating back to their NCAA championship days. "I talked to Coach P frequently last season," Walker said. "I went down (to) the Final Four. We have a great relationship. ... Coach Pitino got me to the NBA." Will Travis Knight handle the load at center? Pitino handed out millions to the former Laker, tying him up for seven years with a $22 million deal in July. Now, Knight must perform in the pivot. The UConn product played in 71 games for the Lakers, averaging just 4.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. The 235-pounder -- who averaged 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 14 starts -- will have a difficult time battling the likes of Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning in the Atlantic. Remember, most teams weren't willing to take a chance on Knight when he came out of college. Knight wasn't selected until the final pick of the first round of the 1996 draft, by the Bulls, who subsequently cut him. He landed with the Lakers at the league minimum. Pitino knows he has taken a chance on Knight. "Toward the end of next year, when you look back on Travis Knight, then we'll determine whether he's worth it," Pitino said. "I can't emphatically say he worth every penny. ... He's got to get it done on the court." Knight doesn't know either what to expect in his first year as and NBA starting center. "I don't consider myself an All-Star by any means," he said. "I think I can be a very good player in this league. I'm just going to play as hard as I can and work as hard as I can." Of course, Knight is a step up from Brett Szabo, who started 24 games at center last year. The C's do have injury-plagued Pervis Ellison and former Warrior Andrew DeClercq to back up Knight. Will Mercer and Billups help the Celtics to the playoffs? If the Celtics are to come close to doubling their win total of 15 last year, both of these rookies will have to play well enough to make the NBA's All-Rookie team. Billups will be counted on as the Celtics starting point guard and Mercer is slotted to start at small forward or shooting guard with new acquisition Chris Mills starting at the other spot. "We will rush them," said Pitino, who is bringing a new attitude to Boston. "Whatever it takes to make the playoffs is what we're interested in," he said. "We're raising the bar as high as we can raise it the first year. That will help us in three or four years. Making the playoffs has to be a dream of ours. "We are focusing on the team now. It's team or nothing. It's amazing to me how stat-conscious everyone has become. Stats are meaningless to me unless they relate to winning." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Dana Barros, Dee Brown, Ellison, Greg Minor, Walker. Old faces in new places: DeClercq (signed as free agent from Golden State), Tyus Edney (signed as free agent from Sacramento), Knight (signed as free agent from L.A. Lakers), Tony Massenburg (signed as free agent from New Jersey), Mills (signed as free agent from Cleveland). Draft picks: Billups (Colorado, first round, third overall), Mercer (Kentucky, first round, sixth overall). Camp long shots: Bruce Bowen (two-year CBA vet, also played one game with Miami last year), Lorenzo Coleman (rookie free-agent invitee from Tennessee Tech).

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An inside look at Knicks camp One year after overturning most of their roster, the Knicks entered training camp at the College of Charleston having made only minor additions. Jeff Van Gundy opens camp with many familiar faces as the Knicks try to move past their postseason debacle against the Heat, which saw them lose a 3-1 series lead and get knocked out the playoffs, thanks in part to a melee in Game 5. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 9 Philadelphia (Uniondale, N.Y.) Oct. 12 San Antonio (Syracuse, N.Y.) Oct. 13 NEW JERSEY Oct. 16 Philadelphia (at Albany, N.Y.) Oct. 19 Toronto (at Hartford) Oct. 22 at Boston Oct. 25 at San Antonio Oct. 27 DALLAS New York doesn't have many pressing roster-related questions other than if and when Chris Dudley officially will join the team. Will Dudley join the Knicks? If so, when? The Knicks are waiting for the NBA to rule on their three-way trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors, which would see Dudley join the Knicks, John Wallace move to the Raptors and the Blazers pick up a No. 1 draft pick from Toronto. But before that happens, the NBA must rule Dudley isn't trying to circumvent the salary cap by signing a league-minimum contract with Portland, knowing the Blazers would trade him to the Knicks, who are over the cap but would be able to keep Dudley at the league minimum. Both Dudley and Wallace are in limbo until the league panel of three arbitrators meets on Oct. 9 and rules if the trade happens. Dudley has not showed up in Portland, but Wallace has joined the Knicks in South Carolina. Van Gundy knows Wallace is in a very difficult situation, waiting to see if he is traded. "I've told John numerous times that it's a very cruel situation he's been put in," Van Gundy said. Will the Knicks be able to put the Miami fiasco behind them? The Knicks have spent much of the offseason lamenting their exit from the Eastern Conference semifinals. Many players felt they had a good chance of reaching the conference finals and beating the Bulls. Van Gundy opened camp with some anger and has challenged his team. "One hundred, thirty-seven days passed since we lost," Van Gundy said when camp opened. "Do we still feel the same way we felt -- still feel that disappointment that we felt in the locker room in Miami? I don't know. If we do, then certainly that will keep us focused. "If we don't, then how it ended last year will have no bearing on this year. And I think it should have a bearing. I still feel it. It's been a very long summer. "How they feel about it is more important that how I feel about it. We're either going to be better for the experience or bitter because of the experience. That choice will determine how we move on from it." New York will have completely cleansed itself from the incident when Dontae' Jones sits out his lingering one-game suspension. He wasn't on the playoff roster, so he couldn't serve his punishment until this season. Can the Knicks improve with nearly the same team as last year? The Knicks biggest transaction of the offseason was re-signing Patrick Ewing to a four-year, $70 million deal. Outside of the possible addition of Dudley, the only new faces in camp are first-round draft pick John Thomas and free-agent addition Pete Myers. Knicks management is confident that with one year of New York under their belts, players like Larry Johnson, Allan Houston and Chris Childs will be better in their second Knicks campaign. "We had seven new players in training camp last year and it takes time for a team to grow as a unit," Knicks GM Ernie Grunfeld said. "At the end of last season, we were playing very, very good basketball, as good as anyone in the league." Van Gundy knows the Knicks didn't make any major additions, but feels that will be advantageous. "You can get better with draft picks and free-agency signings, or your personnel from within can get better," he said. "What we need to do is make improvements individually and as a team. Chicago, Miami and Utah are not going to drop down to our level. We're going to have to move up to theirs." What are the health conditions of Charlie Ward, John Starks and Houston? Ward has a slight stress fracture of the lower right leg that will keep him from participating in full workouts in training camp. It is questionable if he will begin the year on the active roster, which led the team to re-sign free agent Scott Brooks. Starks had surgery on his left middle finger and is expected to be at full strength for the season opener. Houston had surgery on his right wrist earlier this summer, but the guard doesn't expect to miss any of the preseason. "I haven't been 100 percent since college," he said. "It's like a bad tooth: Sooner or later, it had to be pulled." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Brooks, Childs, Ewing, Houston, Johnson, Jones, Walter McCarty, Charles Oakley, Starks, Wallace (pending NBA action), Ward, Buck Williams, Herb Williams. Old faces in new places: Myers (eight-year NBA vet, played in Italy last year) Draft picks: Thomas (Minnesota, first-round, 25th overall). Camp long shots: none.

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An inside look at Nets camp The Nets offseason featured a major trade and a major blowup. New Jersey sent Jim Jackson, Eric Montross and No. 7 overall draft pick Tim Thomas to Philadelphia for Don MacLean, Michael Cage, Lucious Harris and No. 2 overall draft pick Keith Van Horn. The controversy came as rebounding machine Jayson Williams made numerous derogatory comments about coach John Calipari after the 1996-97 season ended. Williams later apologized and made up with Calipari, but there are lingering after-effects. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 13 at New York Oct. 15 Boston (Lexington, Ky.) Oct. 16 at Cleveland Oct. 18 at Miami Oct. 20 Utah (at Cincinnati) Oct. 23 Orlando (at Hershey, Pa.) Oct. 24 CLEVELAND Oct. 27 Toronto (Springfield, Mass.) Calipari will handle several questions about his roster at training camp in Atlantic City. Can Williams and Calipari smooth out their differences? Both say they have patched up their differences for the time being, but there have been rumblings in Jersey that the Nets are still looking to move Williams. According to the Bergen Record, the Nets have been shopping Williams for a center, but the St. John's product says he wants to stay near home. "I'm still here. They need me to win, and I need them, too," Williams said. "We sat down for 15 minutes (at a workout in August) and hashed it out," Williams said of Calipari. "We don't hate each other. We just have different opinions on a lot of things. He said a lot of things he shouldn't have said, I said a lot of things I shouldn't have said. We both decided to trust each other this season. Let bygones be bygones." Last season, Williams gained recognition as one of the NBA's top glass cleaners as he hauled down 13.5 rebounds per game before being sidelined with thumb surgery in February. How much pressure will be put on Van Horn? Van Horn is the key to the Nets trade with the Sixers. Although Calipari knows how talented Van Horn is, he says the 6-foot-10 forward shouldn't be viewed a savior for an organization which went 26-56 last year. "He's not the franchise," Calipari said. "And I don't want to consider him as the franchise. That would be expecting too much. He's just another piece to the puzzle to give us what it takes to win." At Utah, Van Horn was a first-team All-America who averaged 22.0 points and 9.5 rebounds. He doesn't feel Calipari's remarks are any indication of his lack of confidence in him. "I don't look at it that way," he said. "I don't think I have to carry the entire team on my shoulders. We have a ton of good players. And I've always been a guy who has been depended upon by his team, so that doesn't bother me." Who will emerge as the Nets' center? New Jersey has six players -- including forwards Williams, Cage and Chris Gatling -- who could be used at center. But Calipari is looking for big things from 1994 top pick Yinka Dare, who has been a bust in his three years in the NBA. But Dare has been one of the most impressive performers at the Nets camp. Dare, who averaged 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds during his career, has been scoring, rebounding and blocking shots as he did at George Washington, according to Calipari. "I grabbed him afterwards and said, 'Yin, you just had yourself a great day,'" Calipari said. "I said that he had to love this and love what he was able to do." The other two candidates for the center spot are NBA journeymen Jack Haley and Robert Werdann. Haley averaged 2.0 points in 20 games and Werdann 1.5 in six games last season with the Nets. Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: David Benoit, Sam Cassell, Dare, Kevin Edwards, Gatling, Kendall Gill, Kerry Kittles, Williams. Old faces in new places: Cage, Harris, MacLean (acquired in trade from Philadelphia), Kenny Smith (invited to camp as free agent, played with Detroit, Orlando and Denver last year) Draft picks: Van Horn (Utah, first round, second overall). Camp long shots: Jimmy Carruth (first-year free agent, played four games with Milwaukee last year), Kent Culuko (first-year free agent out of James Madison, played in Finland), Haley (camp invitee, nine-year NBA vet), Steve Henson (camp invitee, five-year NBA vet), Werdann (camp invitee, three-year NBA vet).

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An inside look at Heat camp Until Alonzo Mourning went down for two months with a torn left knee ligament, optimism reigned supreme in Miami. The Heat picked up valuable playoff experience against the Knicks and Bulls last season and Pat Riley thought he had Miami closer to challenging the Bulls for their Eastern Conference crown. But with Zo out to start the year, Riley's team will have to work hard to fend off the Knicks, who will be hot for redemption after their playoff melee with the Heat last year. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 12 PHILADELPHIA Oct. 14 MINNESOTA Oct. 17 at Orlando Oct. 18 NEW JERSEY Oct. 24 DETROIT Oct. 25 MILWAUKEE Riley has several questions to answer at training camp, which is being held at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla.: How will the Heat fill in the center spot? The Heat will be able to plug the hole left by Mourning's absence with the NBA's reigning Most Improved Player, Isaac Austin, and trade-acquisition Duane Causwell. Riley feels either player could step it up, but gives the nod to Austin, who started 17 games at the five-spot last year when Mourning was sidelined. "(Mourning's injury) opens up an opportunity for someone like Ike," Riley said. "But the starting position could be open for up to 25 games." Austin averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in his first season of significant playing time. "I really want to see how I respond to the challenge," said the 6-foot-10 Austin. "All my life I've been responding to challenges and this is one of the biggest ones that has come around. I will be ready. That's one thing I know." Causwell, who has been plagued by injuries for the last five years of his career with the Kings, scored just 2.2 points per game last year. Can the Heat and P.J. Brown put the playoff melee with the Knicks behind them? Although the Knicks undoubtedly felt the brunt of their playoff fight with the Heat during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, there were still some lingering effects in Miami. Brown, who was suspended for the final two games of the series for flipping Charlie Ward, is still haunted by the incident. "I haven't gotten over it yet," he said. "It's still with me. You just don't forget it. "I feel better than a couple of months ago. Then it was bad. I felt like I let the team down. I'm a household name because of that incident." Brown, a member of the All-Defensive second team, is waiting for the day to get back in the good graces of basketball fans. "You just hope and pray," he said, "for the opportunity to get in the same situation and redeem yourself." Can Voshon Lenard repeat his breakthrough season of 1996-97? In his first full-time season in the NBA, Lenard emerged as a key contributor for the Heat as he earned a starting role (47 games) and averaged 12.3 points. Lenard also came on as one of the NBA's top 3-point shooters. The 6-4 guard went from earning the league-minimum of $247,500 to $2.3 million this season. With the raise, Lenard doesn't feel any added pressure. "That doesn't matter to me," Lenard said of his new salary. "The thing with this is I'll still approach camp the same way as when I first came in, work hard and not worry if I start or come off the bench." Will free-agent addition Terry Mills be at full strength to begin the season? After signing a two-year, $2.15 million contract with the Heat, Mills will be limited in camp because his recovery from May knee surgery is not complete. "We are a little perplexed by it," Riley said. "He had arthroscopic surgery, and usually that kind of stuff would be done. It's been five months." Mills claims he did not have proper guidance in starting his rehabilitation because he was at odds with his former team, the Pistons. He has spent much of training camp riding a stationary bike during camp to rehab and lose weight he gained during the summer. Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Keith Askins, Austin, Brown, Tim Hardaway, Lenard, Dan Majerle, Jamal Mashburn, Mourning, Mark Strickland. Old faces in new places: Causwell (acquired in trade from Sacramento), Ben Davis (signed as free agent from Phoenix), Todd Day (signed as free agent from Boston), Mills (signed as free agent from Detroit), Eric Murdock (signed as free agent, played 12 games with Denver last year). Draft picks: Charles Smith (New Mexico, first round, 26th overall), Mark Sanford (Washington, second round, 31st overall). Camp long shots: Muntrelle Dobbins (rookie free agent from Arkansas-Little Rock), Malcom Huckaby (free agent out of Boston College), Ruben Nembhard (signed as free agent, played 10 games with Portland and Utah last year), Patrick Savoy (first-year free-agent from UNLV, played in CBA, USBL last two years).

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An inside look at Magic camp Orlando has undergone a major face-lift during the offseason. The team added executive vice president Julius Erving, Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly, and many new players, including Derek Harper, Ed O'Bannon, Charles Outlaw and first-round pick Johnny Taylor. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 10 at Houston Oct. 11 Detroit (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Oct. 14 SAN ANTONIO Oct. 17 MIAMI Oct. 18 Detroit (Memphis) Oct. 21 BOSTON Oct. 23 New Jersey (Hershey, Pa.) Oct. 26 HOUSTON As Daly returns to the sideline for the first time in four years, he will have several questions about himself and the Magic at training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Kissimmee, Fla. How will Daly adjust in his return to the coaching ranks? Daly, 67, says he wasn't lured by the money ($15 million for three years), but rather the challenge of coaching and Orlando's proximity to his home in Jupiter, Fla., 90 miles southeast. The Magic is thankful the coach with two NBA championship rings chose the leave the broadcast booth for the Orlando Arena. "Our players and organization will benefit from being around Chuck Daly, whether it's for a day, a week, a year or three years," said GM John Gabriel. The Magic needs Daly more than Daly needs the Magic. In the team's post-Shaquille O'Neal period, it has been lacking a boost on the court and at the box office -- which is what Daly will provide. "I've talked to Chuck and we both have the same goals -- to win," Anfernee Hardaway said. "I think this is the best team that we've ever had. We're completely changed from the team we had when Shaquille was here." How will Hardaway adjust to his role as shooting guard? With the acquisition of point guard Harper for the troubled Dennis Scott, the Magic has paved the way for Hardaway to move to the shooting guard. Orlando hopes Hardaway will be able to provide more excitement and leadership and possibly challenge Michael Jordan for the league's scoring title. The addition of Harper will give Orlando backcourt experience the teams hasn't had before. "Nothing takes the place of experience, and I've got plenty of it," Harper said. "You look at the playoff teams that went deep last season. They all had veterans on the floor. I'll help Orlando by doing things I've been doing for 14 years in this league. Age is overrated, anyway." Will Nick Anderson return to his form of the early 1990s? With the departure of Scott, Anderson will be the top candidate to move into his small forward slot, now that Hardaway has moved into Anderson's shooting guard position. Last season, Anderson had his worst year since his rookie season, as he averaged 12.0 points and shot just 39.7 percent from the floor and 40.4 percent from the foul line. With the new infusion, Anderson understands his role will change. "All that matters to me is that I contribute something to help our team win," Anderson said. "I've made adjustments all throughout my career. The times they asked me to move from two to the three in the past, I've done that and adjusted well. I will continue to adjust to whatever they want me to do." Daly isn't worried about Anderson scoring 19-plus points as he did in 1991-92 and 1992-93. He sees him filling a certain role similar to a player who was a key to Daly's title teams in Detroit. "Nick Anderson is a premier player," Daly said. "He reminds me so much of Vinnie Johnson, I can't believe it. He's a great offensive player. He's got unbelievable strength. He's a terrific rebounder, and he can defend. That's a brilliant combination." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Anderson, Darrell Armstrong, Brian Evans, Horace Grant, Hardaway, Dan Schayes, Rony Seikaly, Brian Shaw, Derek Strong, David Vaughn, Gerald Wilkins. Old faces in new places: Harper (acquired in trade from Dallas), Tim Kempton (signed as free agent from San Antonio), O'Bannon (acquired in trade from Dallas), Outlaw (signed as free agent from L.A. Clippers). Draft picks: Taylor (Chattanooga, first round, 17th overall), Jason Lawson (Villanova, second round, 42nd overall, acquired in trade from Denver). Camp long shots: Rick Brunson (first-year free agent out of Temple).

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An inside look at Wizards camp Washington's NBA club will have a different look, as it changed its name from Bullets to Wizards and will move into a new arena, the MCI Center, in early December. But the players in the new blue, bronze and black uniforms will not be different from the ones that finished in the Bullets' red, white and blue. The only key change is the addition is second-round pick God Shammgod. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 11 San Antonio (Fairfax, Va.) Oct. 16 at San Antonio Oct. 17 at Denver Oct. 20 Denver (Boise, Idaho) Oct. 22 L.A. Lakers (Las Vegas) Oct. 24 at L.A. Western Shootout Oct. 25 at L.A. Western Shootout With Juwan Howard, Chris Webber and Rod Strickland leading the way, head coach Bernie Bickerstaff will not have to answer many questions during training camp at Shepherd College in Shephardstown, W. Va. What's Gheorghe Muresan's injury status? The 7-foot-7 center has been sidelined for training camp because of a strained tendon in his right ankle. Wizards GM Wes Unseld doesn't feel it's anything serious, but hasn't ruled out the worst -- surgery. "He just has to rest it. That's all you can do for it," Unseld said. "I'm sure surgery is always a possibility, but it's not one anyone is talking about right now." Muresan didn't know when he would be ready to return to action, but he reassured his teammates it would be before the Oct. 31 opener at Detroit. He also cleared the air about how he got injured. There was a lot of speculation that it was related to acting -- he spent the summer in Los Angeles playing a part in Billy Crystal's movie, "The Giant." "I practiced on it. I worked out and one day it happened," he said. "Never did I feel the pain; it just felt weaker and weaker. Before that I was in very good shape." Last season, Muresan averaged 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds after a break-out campaign in 1995-96, when he averaged 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds. Can the Wizards avoid a slow start? Washington has been notorious for getting out of the gate slowly. Last year, the slow start led to the dismissal of Jim Lynam before Bickerstaff got things turned around and led the club to a 22-13 record and playoff berth. Washington finished with a 42-38 record, its first winning mark since the 1986-87 season and best mark since 1978-79. "I feel good about what's happening here and what's going to happen," said Strickland, who averaged 17.2 points and 8.9 assists in his first season with Washington. Will Shammgod make the roster? Prior to his signing a contract in September, there was some speculation, the Wizards might not even offer Shammgod a contract. But they signed him to a non-guaranteed deal on Sept. 10. The Wizards have Strickland cemented as the starter at point and Chris Whitney proved to be a valuable backup last season. Bickerstaff isn't quite sure he wants to carry three point guards. "You have to remember, he's just a youngster," Bickerstaff said of Shammgod. "He was a sophomore last year in college. I'm going to try to go into training camp objectively. I think it's up to Shammgod, in terms of what he has to do." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Calbert Cheaney, Harvey Grant, Howard, Tim Legler, Muresan, Tracy Murray, Strickland, Ben Wallace, Webber, Whitney, Lorenzo Williams. Old faces in new places: none Draft picks: Shammgod (Providence, second round, 46th overall). Camp long shots: Darvin Ham (free agent, played with Indiana and Denver last year), Chuck Kornegay (rookie free agent from Villanova), Eric Leckner (free agent, played with Vancouver and Charlotte last year), Amal McCaskill (free agent, played with Orlando last year), Jimmy Oliver (free agent, played with Toronto last year), Johnny Rhodes (first-year free agent from Maryland, played in Germany last year), Charles Shackleford (free-agent center who has played with Philadelphia and New Jersey, spent the last three years in Europe).

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National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 7 1997 Minnesota Timberwolves: Signed Clifford Rozier to a 1 year, guarantee contract; signed Mikki Moore, Jimmy King, Victor Page, and Jason Osborne. Philadelphia 76ers: Signed Derrick Phelps. Seattle SuperSonics: Waived center Mark Blount and forward Derrick Battie. Washington Wizards: Added center Charles Shackleford to the training camp roster.

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An inside look at Sixers camp The Sixers had another offseason of off-the-court problems. Allen Iverson got into trouble with the law. The team wasn't able to move Derrick Coleman or Clarence Weatherspoon, or sign Jerry Stackhouse to an extension. Thus, Larry Brown has many difficult situations to deal with in his first season in Philadelphia. Preseason schedule Date Opponent (Site) Oct. 9 New York (Uniondale, N.Y.) Oct. 12 at Miami Oct. 15 at Toronto Oct. 16 New York (Albany, N.Y.) Oct. 18 Golden State (Norfolk, Va.) Oct. 22 at Chicago Oct. 24 Chicago (Chapel Hill, N.C.) Oct. 25 BOSTON Brown has rebuilt many teams that had bottomed out, but the Sixers' difficulties may present him with his greatest challenge to date. Brown began to deal with issues and questions in Chapel Hill, N.C., where Philadelphia is holding training camp at the Dean Smith Center. Can Iverson stay out of trouble? The reigning Rookie of Year is being counted on as the future of the Sixers -- as long as he can keep himself out of trouble. During the summer, he pleaded no contest to carrying a loaded weapon when he was pulled over in speeding car on Aug. 3. Police also found two marijuana cigarettes in the vehicle. Iverson received two years probation and he cannot own a gun during that time. He also must undergo regular drug testing. Iverson, 22, claims ignorance about the situation, but he was handed a one-game suspension by the league for the incident (Iverson has appealed the suspension). "I was with somebody I really didn't know about that night," Iverson said. "It turned out to be something bad. I just want to be smart. I wasn't with any friends." The guard has met with Brown and the coach has laid down the law . "He came at me real straight," Iverson said. "I respect that. He has kids. I deserve any type of punishment I get. I made a mistake. I need to learn from it." He also feel the Sixers might be able to turn the corner with Brown at the helm. "This is going to be a different year because we have a lot of weapons. We have a coach who's proven himself in this league. I'll learn a lot from coach Brown." How will the Sixers treat Coleman? Coleman has worn out his welcome in Philadelphia and Brown isn't about to put up with the 6-foot-10 forward. The Sixers tried to trade the disgruntled Coleman all summer. "What are you going to do?" Brown asked. "(Sixers V.P.) Billy King tried all summer to trade Coleman. Every team. Every possible scenario. We weren't looking to have a team mortgage their franchise to move him, but nothing could be worked out." Brown will not tolerate any of Coleman's antics. Said Brown, "He won't be a distraction to anybody. He'll either play or deal with Pat (Croce, Sixers president)." Croce, a fitness guru, didn't have kind words for Coleman either, saying Coleman had better be in shape during the season. "He can stay at home and eat a box of doughnuts," said Croce, who also said he would suspend Coleman if he doesn't abide by team rules. Brown told Coleman he was excited to coach him and felt he could help him and the Sixers become winners, but Coleman didn't want to hear it. After improving by four games last year (22-60) Brown isn't ready to deal with disappointing No. 1 overall picks (Coleman and Iverson) saying, "We can lose with anybody." What happens with Weatherspoon? The 6-6 forward has had to go through the indignity of being traded and then un-traded when his deal to Boston fell through after Dino Radja failed a physical. Now, the six-year veteran is looking for some respect from the team which has showed the league it doesn't want him. "I don't care what they do," Weatherspoon said. "It's not like I'd have anything to do with it. (Oct. 2) was the first time I've heard from them all summer, anyway. No respect, man. "Respect -- where is it? I've worked hard every year I've been here, and I've been here, and I've done my job. But my agent can get a call. My mom can get a call. But not me? I heard about the trade from (someone) in the office. It wasn't someone in management. They talk about service. How about respecting someone that's given them good service." Weatherspoon has been using the failed trade as motivation and has impressed Brown. "I am watching him," Brown said. "He's much better than I ever thought he was. ... I wasn't aware of what he can do. We've got to make sure we put him in a situation where he's a part of things." Camp Roster Roundup Back for another term: Coleman, Mark Davis, Iverson, Doug Overton, Stackhouse, Rex Walters, Weatherspoon, Scott Williams. Old faces in new places: Terry Cummings (signed as free agent from Seattle), Jim Jackson, Eric Montross (acquired in trade from New Jersey) Draft picks: Marco Milic (Slovenia, second round, 34th overall), Anthony Parker (Bradley, first round, 21st overall), Kebu Stewart (Cal-Bakersfield, second round, 36th overall), Tim Thomas (Villanova, first round, seventh overall), Camp longshots: Brett Szabo (free-agent invitee, played in 70 games with Boston last year), Vincent Rainey (rookie free agent from Murray State).

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Rodman agrees to one-year deal with Bulls CHICAGO -- Forward Dennis Rodman, the NBA's rebounding champion the last six years, is back with the Chicago Bulls. Rodman has agreed to a one-year contract worth at least $4 million with escalating clauses. Dwight Manley, Rodman's agent, said Rodman will sign the deal this week. Rodman signed a one-year contract worth $9 million last season with the Bulls. The agreement with Rodman comes on the heels of the news that starting forward Scottie Pippen will miss up to three months recovering from left foot surgery. The one-year deal will include incentives that will get Rodman somewhere close to the $10 million he has been looking for, ESPN's David Aldridge reported Tuesday. "This is a deal that neither side is particularity happy with, but Dennis Rodman wanted to play in Chicago this year," Aldridge said. "All the stuff about Detroit and the other teams that are going for him were secondary. He wanted to be in Chicago. "The Bulls realize -- especially with Scottie Pippen hurt for two months -- they have got to Dennis Rodman back if they want to have any chance of the double three-peat." The Bulls confirmed that Rodman was ready to sign. "I know that it's pending," Tim Hallam, the Bulls' director of media services, said Tuesday night. "He'll be with the Bulls soon." Rodman, known for his outrageous antics and assortment of hair colors, was in trouble for much of the 1996-97 season. But the NBA's rebounding king will be a part of the Bulls' drive for a sixth NBA title this decade. In December, the Bulls suspended Rodman two games for swearing on the air in a live postgame interview. He drew an 11-game league ban in January and was fined $25,000 for kicking a cameraman in Minneapolis and was warned in a meeting with NBA commissioner David Stern that his next act of craziness could be his last. He picked up another one-game suspension for a tussle with Milwaukee Bucks forward Joe Wolf and spent the final month of the season on the injured list with a sprained knee. Rodman averaged 16.1 rebounds in 55 regular-season games, but he was bothered by the sprained knee in the postseason when he averaged 8.4 rebounds in 19 games. Rodman was acquired by the Bulls in October 1995 and provided needed rebounding and defense. He began his career with the Detroit Pistons in 1986 and was a key member of Detroit's championship teams in 1989 and 1990. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991. Rodman led the NBA in rebounding in 1992 and 1993 with Detroit and 1994 and 1995 with the San Antonio Spurs. Moses Malone is the only other player to win five consecutive rebounding titles.

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Hawks release three, wrap up camp SAVANNAH, Ga. (Oct 8, 1997 - 21:40 EDT) -- The Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday released free agents David Crouse, Jared Prickett and Chris King as they wrapped up their training camp. Crouse played college basketball at Southern California, Prickett at Kentucky and King at Wake Forest. The Hawks play their first exhibition game on Friday at Penn State against the Boston Celtics.

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Musselman leaves South Alabama for assistant's job with Trail Blazers MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Oct 8, 1997 - 21:34 EDT) -- After abruptly quitting at South Alabama, vagabond coach Bill Musselman is headed back to the NBA as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers announced late Wednesday afternoon that Musselman has been hired as an assistant to new coach Mike Dunleavy, just one day after he resigned at South Alabama. It adds yet another entry on the 57-year-old coach's lengthy resume, which has included 13 head coaching jobs over 35 years in high school, college, the CBA and NBA. "Bill brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our staff," Dunleavy said. "I've known Bill for a long time and we share a lot of the same philosophies about the fundamentals of the game. He's a great fit for our staff." Musselman's latest move left South Alabama, which finished 23-7 and made the NCAA tournament last year, deflated just 10 days before practice is scheduled to begin. "We went from being really confident this preseason and getting into the swing of things, to not having a coach and not knowing how things are going to go," said guard Toby Madison. "It's just a feeling of uncertainty. It's frustrating because we don't know the whole story behind the thing." Madison and teammate Jerome Coaxum each said Musselman met with players Tuesday night and told them it was irreconcilable differences with athletic director Joe Gottfried -- and not another job -- that was prompting him to quit. Musselman did not immediately return phone messages left at his house Wednesday. In an interview with the Mobile Register on Tuesday, he blamed Gottfried for his departure. "I can't stand working one more day for that guy," Musselman said. "I wasn't going to continue to battle on a daily basis with him on things that were counterproductive." Gottfried did not return messages left at his office Wednesday. In two years, Musselman transformed South Alabama from a struggling team into one that nearly knocked off eventual national champion Arizona in the first round of last year's NCAA tournament. He recruited players that reminded him of himself -- smart, tough, willing to spend hours each day preparing and, most of all, underdogs who many times were overlooked by the big boys. Musselman was out to prove that last year was no fluke, and he appeared to have the talent to lead the Jaguars' to a repeat of their Sun Belt Conference championship. Four of last year's starters were returning. One preview magazine cited Musselman's coaching as the prime reason for ranking South Alabama 24th in its preseason poll. South Alabama did not immediately name a successor. Whoever it is will be hard-pressed to match Musselman's passion for coaching. "You can't blame him for wanting to get back to the NBA," said point guard Rusty Yoder. "He's the kind of guy who is most interested in coaching basketball. He's not as interested in the academics and the off-court stuff. I just wish he would have gotten around to making a decision a little earlier."

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Van Exel seeks second opinion from own doctor INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel, sidelined due to a bone bruise on his left knee, will be examined by his own physician in the next couple of days. Team spokesman John Black said Van Exel wants to go to Oklahoma and see his own doctor for another opinion. "We're going to allow him to do that, and he'll do that within the next two or three days," Black said Wednesday night. Black said Van Exel underwent an MRI Tuesday morning and was examined Wednesday by team orthopedist Dr. Steve Lombardo. "There is nothing significantly different from the last time we did an MRI in April," Black said. Van Exel missed three games last April with a similar injury. Black said Tuesday that Van Exel's injury was the result of "cumulative wear and tear on the knee over a period of years." "It's a situation he's always going to have with different levels of pain and swelling," Black said. "It got to the point where the pain and swelling was too much for him to play at an NBA level. But if this were the playoffs, he'd play." Van Exel will miss the Lakers' first two exhibition games. The team plays against Denver at San Diego on Thursday night followed by a game at Phoenix on Friday night. Derek Fisher will start in his place. The Lakers hope he'll be able to play Oct. 17 against the Los Angeles Clippers at St. Louis. Van Exel, 25, averaged 15.3 points and 8.5 assists last season.

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NBA Players Association files grievance over suspension of Rider PORTLAND, Ore. (Oct 8, 1997 - 10:28 EDT) -- The NBA Players Association has filed a grievance seeking to overturn the league's two-game suspension of Portland Trail Blazers guard Isaiah Rider for off-court transgressions. Bill Hunter, executive director of the union, said commissioner David Stern was acting as "judge, jury and executioner" last week when he suspended Rider and Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson for their off-court behavior. The league cited Rider's conviction for marijuana possession and his no-contest plea to possession of an unregistered cellular phone. The Blazers had already suspended Rider one game for the marijuana offense, a non-criminal infraction from a year ago. The phone charge, a misdemeanor, occurred while Rider played for Minnesota, but wasn't resolved until a plea agreement was reached this summer. Iverson was suspended from this year's regular-season opener because he pleaded no contest to a weapons charge in Virginia. No date has been set for arbitration in Rider's case.

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National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 8 1997 Denver Nuggets: Signed rookie guard Eric Washington to a contract. Indiana Pacers Waived fowards Darrin Hancock and Billy Thompson. Toronto Raptors: Waived guard Martin Lewis. Vancouver Grizzlies: Waived center Eric Mobley and forward Mark Hendrickson. Washington Wizards: Named Dave Johnson radio play-by-play announcer.

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NBA roundup Pistons: Reserve point guard Randolph Childress is considering an offer to play in Turkey -- with the Pistons' blessing. "Nothing is official yet, and he could very well end up back here. It's something he wants to explore," said Pistons vice president Rick Sund. Kings: Coach Eddie Jordan threw C Olden Polynice out of practice Tuesday for being a disruptive influence. Polynice sped off the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus, but later returned and met privately with Jordan to work out the problem.

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Krause can't stop meddling with Bulls (Oct 8, 1997 - 08:22 EDT) -- Somebody needs to let Jerry Krause dance in an end zone, take a victory lap, or stand at home plate, admiring a nonexistent home run. Better yet, maybe Merton Hanks could license out his chicken dance. You'd pay to see that, wouldn't you? Not on its own merits, of course, but as a charity benefit. Save the Chicago Bulls. Put Your Hands Together for Jerry Krause, you see, is tired of being the man behind the curtain. He wants to be The Man. He told a bunch of Chicago reporters last week that players and coaches don't bring home trophies. "It's organizations that win championships," he said in a show of hubris that let this Jerry keep up with the Jones. The difference is that when that the Man in Dallas fired the best coach in football, he warmed hearts all over the land. For every American who cooed over America's Team, there was one who demanded a paternity test. No so with the Bulls. They are truly and universally beloved. Some of that affection might have spilled over to the front office, but Krause didn't want leftovers off the plates of Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. He believes that the Bulls are an executive brainstorm, a tribute to the managerial skills of himself and owner Jerry Reinsdorf. But the best front offices are something like good referees, quiet and invisible, dignified. In an era of well-compensated histrionics, that might be too much to ask, even of bean counters with no discernible hang time. But Krause and Reinsdorf could have provided a reasonable facsimile. Krause, in particular, should have known how to do it. On scouting assignments, he developed a reputation for slinking around games, hiding out as if he were a CIA operative. Why demand attention now, when the Bulls are in what should be a glorious twilight? Krause could have let the players age gracefully into the sunset, let Jackson's natural curiosity lead him elsewhere. Instead, the general manager has sullied the whole outfit. And he hasn't even done it artfully. There has been none of the Steinbrenner bombast, none of the high comedy panache that the other Jerry orchestrates inDallas. Krause's gig is charisma free, all unembroidered pettiness. Consequently, two of the greatest moments in Chicago sports history turned into ugly turf battles. In June 1996, as the Bulls celebrated Championship No. 4, Reinsdorf took a microphone and introduced Krause as the man most responsible for the title. Boos descended from the crowd. A year later, Jordan had to turn another celebration into lobbying effort on behalf of Scottie Pippen and Jackson, demanding that the team not be split up. Krause hankered to tear the roster apart, proving that he is the architect, the great and powerful Oz. But in this macabre game, he couldn't take the ball away from Jordan. That's why Jackson is back this year, for one final spin. "I assured (Krause) I'd walk out at the end of the season, and he assisted me in that belief," the coach said. Jordan restated his intention to retire if he can't continue playing for Jackson. He won't, he said, follow the coach to another team. These retirement plans may be no more permanent than Jordan's baseball career. But it's obviously the final bow for the Bulls of the '90s. They will get adoration and respect from everyone but the suit that signs their checks. Remember: "It's organizations that win championships." The quote was relayed to Jackson, who replied: "He would say that." Then Jordan heard the quote. "I didn't see any of the organization playing sick last year," he said. "In Game 5, I'd like to see some of those organization guys step in there and play, and I didn't see that." Playing hurt, in a trance? In Krause's fantasy basketball league, Michael Jordan is just a tool, easily replaced. And the photocopier is more valuable than Phil Jackson. Last week, Krause pointed out that the team trainer has five rings. In some franchises, that remark would be regarded as purely generous. The San Francisco Giants unfailingly credited their trainers for a healthy run at the National League West title. But when Brian Sabean cut his bold deadline deal for three pitchers, he said he did it for the players already in San Francisco, because of how hard they had worked. The players, in turn, complimented the front office. The praise was especially loud from the ex-White Sox players who arrived in the deal. Reinsdorf's other empire, which once employed Krause as a baseball scout, went down in managerial flames this season. For the Sox, the baseball trading deadline was Game 5. Things got a little tough, and the executives quit playing. That's what Bulls fans can expect after this season, an organization that talks the talk and walks the plank. But while the Bulls' final act is on stage, Krause has to be silenced. The best pacifier appears to be applause, the kind of attention 2-year-olds demand from their parents. So what the heck, folks. Give it up for Jerry.

nba.653 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Will trying to win now burn out Jordan for the playoffs? DEERFIELD, Ill. (Oct 8, 1997 - 21:58 EDT) -- The biggest problem with Scottie Pippen's injury is not that the Chicago Bulls might lose too many games but that Michael Jordan might expend too much energy. "Twenty percent of our scoring is off the floor. Someone else is going to have to fill it up," coach Phil Jackson said Wednesday, the day after the team announced that Pippen had undergone foot surgery and will miss up to three months. "And if Michael has to take it up, it's going to put a lot of pressure on him to play physically tired, do more things at the beginning or middle part of the game and not save his efforts for the end ... when we need the critical points he gives us." Jordan, the nine-time NBA scoring champion and four-time league MVP, resents losses, regardless of how meaningless a regular-season game might be. "We know what Michael's going to do with Scottie out," said Toni Kukoc, who might start in Pippen's place at small forward. "He is not a man who is going to let down. Even if he's by himself on the court -- one against five -- he's going to try to win." That's a wonderful characteristic, but it worries Jackson. The coach wants Jordan to be healthy and fresh next spring, when the Bulls go for their third consecutive NBA title and sixth in eight years. And if it means sacrificing some victories in November and December -- and, perhaps, home court advantage in the playoffs -- so be it. "You'd like to ... measure his minutes according to how we win. And the kind of margin we won the last two years, it was real easy to pace the kind of minutes this guy played," Jackson said. "But if you're not going to be winning games by 10 points, everything's a battle, then it puts pressure on a coach to keep a player out there on the floor to help win games. That would hurt. "We may have to (endure) loss; that may end up being a win situation for us later on. So I'm going to have to measure how important it is to win and how fast everybody else gets out in the Eastern Conference." When Dennis Rodman missed 27 games due to suspensions and injuries last season, Jordan gave himself more rebounding responsibility. Now the Bulls are without Pippen, a 20-point-a-game scorer, their top assist man and their No. 2 rebounder. "Sure, there's a natural tendency, from a competitive standpoint, to try to do all the work," Jordan said. "But I think what Phil is going to try to do is incorporate different players into the situation to relieve some of the tension off myself." Jackson will choose among Kukoc, Jud Buechler and newcomer Scott Burrell, depending upon the matchups each night. In Friday's exhibition opener against Seattle, for example, the 6-foot-11 Kukoc would match up best against 6-10 Detlef Schrempf. Rodman's new contract is "all set," Jackson said, though some technicalities remain before the six-time NBA rebounding leader can join the team. But even after Rodman arrives, he won't be in game shape. In addition, Kukoc is coming off a serious foot injury, and Luc Longley and Ron Harper have chronic knee conditions. It all could add up to a tough first couple of months for the Bulls, who used fast starts to go 72-10 and 69-13 the last two seasons. "I think we'll just march down this direction and take care of business and let the chips fall where they may," Jordan said. "We know how to win on the road in the playoffs, so if it comes down to that, then we have to do that. But to say that we won't have the home court advantage is getting way ahead of things."

nba.654 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Pacers giving a select few a second chance (Oct 8, 1997 - 08:34 EDT) -- No way both of them make the Indiana Pacers. Probably, neither lives to see Halloween in New Jersey -- which might be the name of a bad HBO movie, but definitely is where the Pacers begin their season. Former Kentucky Wildcat Mark Pope would love to be in New Jersey on Halloween. In his situation, you take the tricks with the treats. "I'll do anything," he says, almost breathless. "I'll play backup point guard." Because Pope is 6-foot-10 this is unlikely, though he's got a better shot at the job than Damon Bailey, who at last report was the best eighth-grader Bob Knight had ever seen. Meantime, former Indiana center Todd Lindeman -- who also has a better chance at playing point guard than Damon Bailey -- is, like Pope, getting a second shot with the Pacers. But let's be honest: If Pope wasn't 6-10, if Lindeman wasn't 7-0, there never would have been a first chance. Allowances are made for size, even in the NBA. The big guy always has a little hope. So, if you're aiming to snare the 11th or 12 spot on the roster, the agenda is simple: You work your tail off every second, you walk around with a big grin, and you never lay a hand on the resident star (Reggie Miller). You show that besides taking up space on the floor for two or three minutes every fourth game, you won't hurt the team. You don't have to help the team, just don't make three turnovers and miss two free throws while losing a rebound to a 6-5 guard and getting stuffed by a 6-7 forward. Is that so hard? Of course. It's the NBA. "I don't know if I have any chance at all," says Pope, smiling that big smile. "But fortunately, I don't have to make that decision." The guy who does have to make that decision, first-year coach Larry Bird, says Pope and Lindeman aren't merely at training camp in Orlando, Fla. so they can do Disney World on their way back into the real world. In fact, the other day Bird was talking about the Pacers' good new players and he mentioned Pope in the same breath as former Dream Teamer Chris Mullin. And what he said about Lindeman would have made Bob Knight goofy. Hey, that's the word Knight once used when describing life with Lindeman. Said Knight: "The guy's driving me goofy. If I can survive Lindeman, I may coach a very long time." Bird says Lindeman has improved his game by 20 percent in the last three weeks: "He's been unbelievable. He's played hard, but with ease." Do not tell Bob Knight this while he's on a hunting trip; at least not while he's holding a loaded gun. Don't tell him what Bird said about Lindeman next, either. "He's a player that should be in this league, there's no question about that." Lindeman averaged 9.8 points as a college senior, but his career average was 5.9. He finished with a career rebounding average of 3.3. You would think he could have bumped into more basketballs than that. Last year in the CBA with Connecticut, he averaged just 4.4 rebounds and 6.9 points. But there's no question he should be in the NBA? Goofy. Daffy, too. Lindeman says he more confident than last time and now "knows what to expect." He believes if he plays good defense and screens effectively on offense -- he surely had enough practice at IU -- he can make the team. If he doesn't, he'll probably return to the CBA. Pope doesn't know what he'll do, only that it's very unlikely he again would play professionally in Turkey. "On our media day there, we sacrificed a ram," he says, recalling the good times. "It's a little different situation." Of course it is. On Pacers Media Day, Reggie Miller and Rik Smits sacrificed whatever good memories remained from the Eastern Conference Finals years under coach Larry Brown. We learned Brown was too tough, too demanding ... and not in the room to defend himself. But Brown also left this legacy: He made quick, obvious, decisions about the ability of Lindeman, a free agent, and Pope, a 1996 second-round draft choice. Now, there's a new coach and a new chance. And, if Bird meant what he said, it's actually possible Todd Lindeman could be in the NBA. And, if that comes to pass, it can only mean one thing: When no one was looking, Todd Lindeman must have sacrificed a stork.

nba.655 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Larry Legend finds Pacers in awe of him INDIANAPOLIS -- The brightest star on the Indiana Pacers won't score a point, fire a no-look pass or dive on the floor for a loose ball all season. Heck, Larry Bird hasn't done any of those things since he retired five years ago, and he certainly won't be doing them from the sideline while wearing a sport coat and tie. But the coach will be the main attraction as the Pacers wind their way through the NBA this season. Sure, Reggie Miller played on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, has been selected to three all-star teams and is one of the league's more colorful personalities. Yes, Chris Mullin played on the 1992 Olympic team and has made five all-star teams. That means, combined, they have four fewer all-star selections than their coach, not to mention three fewer MVP awards and three fewer championship rings. What happens when a team's players are in awe of their coach? The Pacers will find out this season. All five starters and one reserve played at least one season against Bird's Boston Celtics teams. For the rest, the classic matchups between Bird's Celtics and Magic Johnson's Lakers are stamped in their memories, indelibly. Now, suddenly, the living legend is their coach, doing coach-like things like rebounding free throws after practice and taking them aside for courtside chats. It's going to take some getting used to. "You look at him and you can remember fadeaway jump shots, diving on the floor," Mark Jackson said. "It's difficult sometimes to look at him and say, 'Coach Bird.'" "Sometimes when I go back to my room I'm thinking, I just can't believe that Larry Bird is our coach," Miller said. "People don't understand ... it's almost like a godfather atmosphere. There's Michael (Jordan), Magic (Johnson) and Larry ... what more is there? We've got one of those three with us." If the team's training camp at Disney World is an indication, hero worship agrees with the Pacers. Those who go way back with the franchise call it one of the best, if not the best, the team has ever had. Practices have been demanding and physical, but fun and productive. For the players, it's a welcome contrast to the past few seasons under Larry Brown. Whereas Brown constantly stopped full-court scrimmages to teach nuances, Bird lets them go and saves the instruction for later. Whereas Brown could be biting in his criticism, Bird is more encouraging. Whereas Brown would send an assistant to have a heart-to-heart talk with a player, Bird does it himself. "There's been such a big change, it's almost day and night," Miller said after a recent session. "It's so relaxed out here. He's talking to everyone. And even though he's very demanding, he says it to you in a positive way. You can feel he's going to be one of those coaches you're going to die for. Because we don't want the onus to come back on us." That, too, is a factor. Bird's reputation is so pristine, particularly in the state of Indiana, that even though he's never coached a game fans are likely to blame the players if things don't go well. If Jimmy Stewart had taught acting and one of his students had fumbled his lines, who would have been held responsible? Bird wants none of the idle idol worship. To him, admiration from his players falls into the same bland soup as worship from fans, and he has no taste for it. He can think of only one basketball player he truly admired, and that was his older brother, Mark, who starred on the high school basketball team. Watching him play well made Bird feel good. Nobody else could give him that sense of pride. "I never did listen to much of that," Bird said. "It's just like when people have told me I can't do something. I just sort of go, 'Oh, really?' and go on and do my best. "It's just like autographs. I think a lot of that is blown out of proportion. I can't understand why somebody would ask me for my autograph. I guess that's a small town upbringing, I don't know. If somebody says they're in awe of me, I think, 'Come on, get a life."' Get a life? It might not be a bad strategy for the Pacers, a team trying to come back from the dead.

nba.656 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Anatomy of a mega-deal: Garnett's $126 million contract with Timberwolves (Oct 8, 1997 - 22:05 EDT) - Only in the screwball world of sports accounting, where number crunchers perform bookkeeping gymnastics, can a $126 million deal for a 21-year-old seem rational. And only in the paranoid universe of sports agents, where inflation races ahead oblivious to the rest of the economy, would anyone worry that maybe Kevin Garnett's contract is too small. Here, then, is the anatomy of a mega-deal being studied around the sports landscape. Two questions raised by Garnett's contract with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves -- "Can a small-market team afford to pay that kind of money?" and "Can the Timberwolves keep other good players without busting the salary cap?" -- have the same answer: Yes. An analysis of the contract and the Timberwolves' finances by The Associated Press, based on discussions with team and league officials, industry analysts and sports economists, shows: --Garnett's deal is bigger than originally reported and can grow beyond its $126 million in salary payments over six years; --There's room in the deal for the Timberwolves to re-sign point guard Stephon Marbury and high-scoring All-Star forward Tom Gugliotta next summer, despite the salary cap; --Team losses could reach $56 million over the life of the deal, with $103 million in losses occurring over the last four years; --The deal is built on the rosiest of scenarios and yet-to-be-negotiated agreements -- including a possible doubling of the NBA's $1.1 billion, four-year TV contract with NBC and Turner Broadcasting starting next season. --If all goes well, the Timberwolves could blossom into a glamour franchise and grow in value to more than $300 million by the end of the contract. According to league figures provided this week to the AP by an NBA source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Garnett's salary will leap from $2.1 million this season to $14 million next year, $16.8 million the following year, then $19.6 million, $22.4 million, $25.2 million, and, in the last year of the deal, $28 million. The "very substantial," though undisclosed, bonuses tied to the Timberwolves' success are not included in those figures, said a team executive and Garnett's agent, Eric Fleisher. There are no bonuses for individual achievements. "That was purposely done by both sides," Fleisher said. "Here's a kid who's been painted, in light of all this, a greedy kid, and it was far from that. We wanted to make certain that the bonuses related only to team success." Every dime is guaranteed, even if Garnett is injured or doesn't develop into a superstar, and Garnett cannot opt out of the contract early. "One of the concerns I had was that Kevin is making a six-year commitment to them," Fleisher said, reflecting on the sometimes acrimonious negotiations with Minnesota. "The market has escalated so rapidly over the last couple of years, who's to say that, after a year or two years or three years, Kevin wouldn't be in a position where he's worth far more." If the skinny, 7-foot Garnett, who jumped to the NBA out of high school two years ago, can lead the Timberwolves to a title in a few years, he may very well be as valuable to them as Michael Jordan, at $36 million this season, is to the Chicago Bulls. But if Garnett and the Wolves flop, so might the whole franchise. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor agreed to the contract, which surpassed Shaquille O'Neal's seven-year, $120 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and made Garnett's the largest long-term team pact. Taylor expects the deal will make the Wolves successful and more profitable. "I'm betting on that," said Taylor, who bought the team for $88.5 million two years ago and has seen it rise in value, according to Financial World Magazine, to $123 million this year. The Garnett deal differs from some other big contracts in that it provides for no huge annuities, loans or back-loaded payments that inflate their value for bragging rights. What it does is take advantage of the Timberwolves' prospects, his worth to the team at the gate and in marketing, and the anticipated growth of the NBA. All those elements were taken into account by both sides. The result was a payment schedule designed to allow the club to re-sign Marbury, Garnett's best friend who also is represented by Fleisher, and Gugliotta next summer. Two years ago, in Garnett's rookie season and Taylor's first full year at the helm, the club barely broke even with about $40 million in total revenues and $40 million in operating expenses, according to a club source. The Timberwolves labored through a 26-56 season, and attendance dropped for a fifth straight year to 585,685 despite the fourth-lowest ticket prices in the league. By comparison, the New York Knicks that year had $99.9 million in total revenues and $76.9 million in expenses, Financial World said. Last season, however, the Timberwolves reached the playoffs with a 40-42 record, attendance reached 697,727, and, according to the AP's analysis, the team had $50.6 million in revenues vs. $43 million in costs. Projections for this season are even more impressive -- $61.9 million in revenues vs. $43.4 million in costs -- with anticipated higher attendance despite higher ticket prices. The day after Garnett signed, hundreds of fans ordered season tickets. Season ticket sales are 11,000, compared with 8,000 last year. "We're projecting, overall, something in the neighborhood of a 20 percent revenue increase," said team chief financial officer Roger Griffith. The profits will help the Timberwolves when the first year of Garnett's deal kicks in. So, too, will the extra revenues anticipated from a share of the NBA's new national TV contracts, the renewal of contracts expiring with Minnesota media, and still higher ticket prices. For 1998-99, the Timberwolves' revenues are projected to reach as high as $84.9 million -- $30.8 million from the gate, $20 million from national TV, $16.2 from local media, $13.3 from venue revenue and $4.6 million from other revenue -- against $41 million in player salaries and $20.5 million in other costs. That's assuming the Timberwolves sell out all regular-season home games and play at least four games at home in the playoffs, with ticket prices rising about 10 percent a year. No estimate is made for any bonuses Garnett might receive. The biggest boost, by far, in 1998-99 is expected to come from the NBA's national TV deals, which has brought in about $10 million a year to each team since the 1994-95 season. Negotiations are under way with NBC and Turner Broadcasting, and if those talks break down, the NBA could go to other networks. Some analysts have speculated that NBC, which pays the NBA $750 million over four years, and Turner, which pays $350 million, might triple their combined package. Neal Pilson, former CBS Sports president and now head of a sports consulting firm, believes it's more likely to double. The Timberwolves are counting on Pilson's more conservative target, and they will need the profits built up through the 1998-99 season to help pay for higher salaries the next year. In the 1999-2000 season, the Timberwolves' costs could soar to $95.7 million, while revenues reach only $91.6 million. But one issue that shouldn't plague the Timberwolves is the team salary cap. The cap, now $26.9 million, figures to rise to about $32 million in two years when the first year of Marbury's new contract would begin. The Timberwolves would pay Garnett $16.8 million that year and have $15.2 million left under the cap. The team is likely to re-sign as many of their other players as they can by next summer to stay under the cap, in order to have the flexibility to negotiate with Marbury and Gugliotta. Since Marbury and Gugliotta would be the Timberwolves' own free agents, the team can exceed the cap to sign them for any amount -- locking them up for a long time just as the team did with Garnett. Projections for the final four years of Garnett's contract, when his salary is added in with an extra $20 million a year to cover Marbury, Gugliotta and others, show the Timberwolves absorbing increasing operating losses: $17 million in 2000-2001; $27.6 million the next year; $28.8 million the following year; and $29.9 million in the final year. If those projections, which assume a doubling of national TV rights again in 2002-2003, are in the ballpark, the Timberwolves would have operating losses of $56 million during the length of Garnett's contract. The team might avert those losses by broadcasting some playoff games on pay-per-view TV each year, as several other teams have. Moreover, any operating losses have to be viewed in light of the overall appreciation of a club's value. If the Timberwolves grow by only a modest 8 percent in value each year through the end of Garnett's contract, the franchise would be worth $211 million. At 15 percent annual growth, the franchise would go to $327 million. If Garnett and his teammates can deliver on court, and enhance the franchise's value along the way, his deal will one day seem like a bargain.

nba.657 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Timberwolves may be helped by change in three-point line (Oct 8, 1997 - 06:40 EDT) -- Doug West, when he took a spill in the Minnesota Timberwolves' first training-camp practice the other day, did not trip over the freshly painted three-point line on the Target Center basketball court. But plenty of players might this season. The line, thanks to an NBA rule change for this season, has been moved back to its original distance of 23 feet, 9 inches. The change, curiously enough, was made with the idea of opening up the game and creating more scoring opportunities. Funny, but boosting scoring totals was the reason given three years ago when the line was nudged in to 22 feet. What happened, though, was that the typical team's offense devolved into a) a feed into the low post; or b) a three-pointer. Shooting percentages dropped, but most coaches incorporated the long-distance shots -- originally intended for buzzer-beating situations or desperate comeback attempts -- into their basic attacks anyway, calculating that hitting two of five three-point attempts has the same scoring impact as making three of five regular field goals. The Timberwolves, however, remained something of a throwback. By lack of reliable shooters rather than by choice, they ranked 23rd among 29 teams in three-pointers made and attempted last season. In 1995-96, they were worse, finishing 28th in each category. Wolves coach Flip Saunders joked that rivals will now sink to his club's level. "That was not one of our weapons last year, and I don't think it's going to be a big weapon this year," Saunders said. The team's top three-point shooter, guard James Robinson (102-for-267, .382), is gone. Stephon Marbury was second (102-for-288, .354). Terry Porter hit 67 of 200, Chris Carr 31 of 88 and Tom Gugliotta 24 of 93. No other Wolves player made more than 20, and the team's overall performance was 371-for-1,093, .339. By contrast, their opponents sank 467 of 1,290, a .362 clip. So what the rule change does to other teams might be more important than the effect it has on the Wolves. "It should help us," Saunders said, "because now you're not going to have average shooters taking those shots. Even though it will stretch the defense more, you can be more selective on how hard you go out to defend them." Said Porter: "The line was at a point where a lot of pretenders thought they could shoot it. Going back to the old line won't allow them to do that." Three-point attempts last season reached an average of 16.8 per team, per game, yet scoring drooped to a 42-year low of 96.9 points per team. This season, three-point attempts are expected to decline to nine or 10 per team, per game. But it is unclear if the distant line will force defenders to spread out. "If you've got non-three-point shooters behind the line, the defender's going to be, 'What's the big deal?' He may give them one or two to see if they can make 'em," Porter said. A consolation for the Wolves is that two of their remaining deep threats, Marbury and Shane Heal, often launched three-pointers from well beyond last season's line. "It's a good thing for me, I guess, 'cause I'm still going to be able to shoot them," Heal said. "I grew up shooting from a long way out. I preferred, when I was in Australia with the international line, shooting from a meter out. People would be like, 'Ohhhh!' Here, it's just a normal three-point shot."

nba.659 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Chambers has shot at backup center for Suns PHOENIX (Oct 8, 1997 - 10:28 EDT) -- Even at 38 years old, Tom Chambers could become the Phoenix Suns' backup center this year. He is one of four players competing for the backup spot, but it will likely come down to a two-way fight between Chambers and second-year pro Horacio Llamas. Another possible contender, Dwayne Schintzius, missed the second straight day of training camp to resolve what team officials described as "personal" issues. Will Cunningham, who signed as a free agent, has performed better than expected, but probably is headed to Europe or the Continental Basketball Association. "Tom is playing better basketball than any of them right now," coach Danny Ainge said. "He's played better than I expected, definitely." Chamber admits that he has even surprised himself. "I'm playing really, really well," Chambers said. "I don't have to toot my own horn. I think I've surprised them, and I've surprised myself as well." Ainge might be forced to choose between Llamas' potential and Chamber's experience. Size might be another consideration. "Tom doesn't offer size," Ainge said. "Dwayne and Horacio offer size and the ability to bang somebody. Horacio is still young, but he played pretty well for us last year. He just needs experience." Ainge said he will evaluate the situation as the preseason unfolds. The Suns play their first preseason game Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

nba.658 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Knicks find no relief in Pippen, Mourning injuries PURCHASE, N.Y. (Oct 8, 1997 - 21:46 EDT) -- Scottie Pippen is out for two to three months and Alonzo Mourning will be sidelined, too. This is a good thing, it would seem, for the New York Knicks. Problem is, they don't see it that way. "Chicago absolutely will not be affected at all," coach Jeff Van Gundy said Wednesday. "Pippen is a great player, but the only guy on that team that has an effect on winning or losing is (Michael) Jordan. That's it." If Van Gundy and his players are privately high-fiving each other over a Pippen- and Mourning-free start to the season, they weren't letting on during their first full day in New York after training camp in Charleston, S.C. Pippen had surgery in New York on Monday on his left foot. Mourning is out until at least mid-December following surgery for a partially torn tendon in his left knee. Chicago and Miami are the two teams that finished ahead of New York in the Eastern Conference last season. So it stands to reason the Knicks have an excellent opportunity to be the team to catch in the East. "If we start thinking that way, then we'll take easy," guard Chris Childs said. "And you can't take a deep breath. We can only concern ourselves with how the Knicks play." Added Larry Johnson: "We can't relax at all. Jeff already told us this. We don't have to worry about what's happening around the league." Van Gundy and general manager Ernie Grunfeld maintain that Chicago remains a threat to win 70 games. "We don't need Scottie Pippen's injury to inspire us. We should be inspired anyway," Grunfeld said. "They still have a formidable club, they made a nice pickup in Scottie Burrell and we'll have to wait and see. "Being the veteran team that they are, they might want to use this as motivation for the other guys -- hold the fort down until Scottie gets back and then peak into the end of the season and the playoffs." Van Gundy said Mourning's absence will be of no consequence to the Heat, who finished four games ahead of New York in the Atlantic Division and defeated the Knicks 4-3 in an Eastern Conference semifinal. Van Gundy points to Miami's 11-4 record without Mourning last season. "They proved last year they are very good without him," he said. Chicago and Miami aren't the only Eastern teams with injuries. Mookie Blaylock of Atlanta broke his ring finger in training camp, and the Knicks themselves are hoping Allan Houston recovers quickly from offseason surgery to his shooting wrist. Van Gundy is most demonstrative when expressing his disdain for the Bulls -- especially Pippen and coach Phil Jackson -- and his admiration of Jordan. And that was the case again Wednesday when he dismissed as myth the Bulls' vaunted triangle offense. "They give the ball to Jordan, in the post or the perimeter," he said. "They still call it triangle, but what they should call it is triangle 23 -- give him the ball and get out of the way." And it's Jordan who will be there while Pippen is on the mend. "That guy (Jordan) is so good that he will make the guys around him that much better and they'll still win," Van Gundy said. "They've got Jordan. When Jordan leaves, then they don't have a shot."

nba.660 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Duncan better than Spurs expected SAN ANTONIO (Oct 8, 1997 - 21:52 EDT) -- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was pacing in his office in July, nervous about calling Tim Duncan, his newest star and the NBA's top draft pick. Popovich was trying to iron out his sales pitch to convince Duncan to attend the Rocky Mountain Review, a series of games involving young players from more than a dozen NBA teams held each summer in Utah. Fully aware of the horror stories about rookie egos, Popovich had no idea if Duncan would be agreeable or appalled by his call. To bolster his position, Popovich compiled a list of reasons why Duncan should attend, including getting used to the physical play in the NBA, learning the illegal defense rules, getting to know the NBA officials who would be there, becoming familiar with the sets the Spurs would run and seeing how the 7-footer would respond to Popovich "riding his butt a little bit." But before Popovich could even get through a quarter of the list, Duncan interrupted and said, "Pop, is it important that I go there?" "I really think it will help you," Popovich said. "I'm there," Duncan said. That was easy, Popovich thought. "When I called him, I was fumbling around and I was trying to convince him that he needed a head start, and he just stops me. It was a pleasant surprise," Popovich said. Unlike rookies who become instant millionaires and travel with a shady entourage and make coaches sick wondering if their star will be in the game lineup or a police lineup from night to night, Duncan is cordial, demure and has the laid-back demeanor of someone born on St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. "He's on island time," Popovich said. "Whatever is closest to island activity, where you can be laid back, casual and just enjoy, that's where he's going to be." On the court at training camp, however, Duncan has been a picture of intensity and hard work, banging unapologetically with teammate David Robinson under the boards, blocking shots and scoring from both inside and outside. Talk to different Spurs veterans and each one says something different about what they like in the guy. Forward Chuck Person marvels at his tough play and humble nature. "We have another version of Dennis Rodman, only we have a good-natured Dennis Rodman," Person said. "I knew he was a good post-up player and could block shots, but I didn't know he could rebound as well, and he can shoot," said point guard Avery Johnson. "He can take you out to 15 feet and knock down shots consistently." Duncan's attitude is what most impresses Robinson. "I love that he's hungry to learn," the center said. "He doesn't think he knows it all. He's a lot further along than I was at his stage." Everyone agrees, however, that Duncan's truly special quality is his passing. "The only big guy who can pass like Tim right now is Arvydas Sabonis," Popovich said. "I've always been able to pass," Duncan said. "It's just something I love to do. It just makes me that much more effective." Popovich said Duncan will be the Spurs' starting power forward when the season opens at Denver on Oct. 31. Robinson, who has claimed to be full of rookie enthusiasm, said he is excited about Duncan drawing attention away from him. "Knowing that the double teams aren't going to be quite as frequent, knowing that he's going to have some one-on-one opportunities, and I'm going to have some one-on-one opportunities is great," Robinson said. Duncan is unaffected by the attention he gets as the league's top draft pick. He shrugs his shoulders at pictures of himself on magazine covers and says he doesn't deserve any attention until he proves he can perform during the season. He has endeared himself to teammates with his lunch pail work ethic. "Growing up, I was a swimmer and swimming's kind of an individual sport where you have to push yourself a whole lot," Duncan said. He averaged 16.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in four years at Wake Forest, where he passed up the certainty of being the top pick in the draft in 1996 if he would have come out early.

nba.661 nba.news, 09 Oct 97

Malone might leave Jazz to find respect (Oct 8, 1997 - 05:46 EDT) - "You call my bluff . . . we'll see . . . we'll see what happens." -- Karl Malone Man, Karl's mad. Really ticked. Put a note pad, a microphone, a tape recorder in front of him nowadays and he'll give you something to write, something to replay, something for your readers, your listeners, your viewers to think about. How about those freshly re-signed fat-asses to whom the Jazz are paying all that money? It's a disgrace. How about the Jazz playing against Karl Malone instead of with him? Ooooh! How about a little respect from the franchise to the man who made the franchise? Ahhhhhh. We'll see . . . we'll see what happens. Roger Clemens jumped ship, Karl says. Found his respect in Toronto when it was nowhere to be found in Boston. Maybe the Mailman will follow suit. Go elsewhere to find his. Respect is the word. What Karl says he wants. What Karl says he deserves. He has said it all plain like to the media this preseason. In fact, if he shook his hips and growled it soulfully, he'd sound a whole hell of a lot like Aretha Franklin: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, give it to me . . . I do not know what respect Karl is seeking from the Jazz. I do not know what respect is anymore. However, whatever it is, Karl feels it's in short supply. He is not alone. Wife's Response: Kay Malone phones up a radio talk show Tuesday morning and goes off for more than six minutes, complaining about callers who are critical of her husband, and saying, among other things, that the Jazz do not value their players, that there is a lack of respect toward them from the club. At almost the same time, Karl, at training camp in Boise, lets loose with thinly veiled threats that he might leave the team when his current contract extension runs out after next season, citing . . . you guessed it . . . lack of respect. "Who knows?" he says. "We'll see what happens." The Jazz need to figure out this respect thing before Karl decides to finish his career in . . . Toronto. Webster's defines respect thusly: ". . . an act of giving particular attention or consideration; high or special regard; esteem; the quality or state of being esteemed; expressions of respect or deference . . ." Karl's definition: money; expressions in the form of thickets of bills with Ben Franklin's mug on them. Following Instructions: Everybody knows, at $5 mill per, Malone is an absolute bargain, relative to today's ridiculous NBA market. He has been made a hero in Utah for hanging around to play for such a paltry sum. After all, he signed the deal. So, what happens? The Jazz do their best to comply with Malone's post-playoff edict last summer to reassemble the team's free agents to make another run at a title. They do so, shelling out $20 million for Bryon Russell and an additional $39 million over a six-year extension to Greg Ostertag, and Malone comes back to camp squawking like a jealous bridesmaid. Karl deserves more money. Has needs unique to a superstar. Has family to take care of. Whatever. But the more he cries out for respect -- and this is the sad irony here -- the more he loses it. Nobody wants to call Karl Malone's bluff. Everybody wants him to be the man he seems to be when he plays the game.

nba.662 vpoznanovic, 10 Oct 97

1997 NBA Preseason Thursday, October 9 L.A. Lakers at Denver 135:102 Philadelphia at New York 104:101 OT NBA AT SAN DIEGO CA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- LA LAKERS 31 39 33 32 135 DENVER 19 34 30 19 102 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: LAL - KOBE BRYANT 31, SHAQUILLE ONEAL 25, RICK FOX 12 DEN - ERIC WILLIAMS 27, DANNY FORTSON 21, JOHNNY NEWMAN 16 HIGH REBOUND: LAL - CORIE BLOUNT 7, SHAQUILLE ONEAL 6 DEN - FOUR PLAYERS WITH 6 HIGH ASSISTS: LAL - JON BARRY 6, DEREK FISHER 5 DEN - BOBBY JACKSON 4, ERIC WILLIAMS 3 NBA AT UNIONDALE NY FINAL IN OT 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL --- --- --- --- --- ----- PHILADELPHIA 14 31 15 32 12 104 NEW YORK 25 24 15 28 9 101 FINAL IN 1ST OT HIGH SCORERS: PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 30, JERRY STACKHOUSE 14, TWO PLAYERS WITH 11 NYK - PATRICK EWING 20, CHARLES OAKLEY 18, JOHN STARKS 18 HIGH REBOUND: PHI - JIM JACKSON 8, CLARENCE WEATHERSPOON 6 NYK - CHARLES OAKLEY 10, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6 HIGH ASSISTS: PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 7, JIM JACKSON 5 NYK - JOHN STARKS 7, CHRIS CHILDS 7 ATT: 13,526

nba.663 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

LA LAKERS (135) AT DENVER (102) LA LAKERS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === CAMPBELL F 17 2-4 3-4 0 3 3 3 2 0 1 7 HORRY F 23 3-3 3-4 0 1 1 2 4 0 1 11 ONEAL C 22 8-14 9-11 2 4 6 1 1 0 7 25 JONES G 24 3-9 4-5 2 2 4 4 3 5 1 10 FISHER G 21 2-5 0-0 0 1 1 5 1 0 1 4 FOX 22 5-9 1-2 0 3 3 4 3 0 1 12 BRYANT 25 10-14 8-10 0 2 2 2 5 3 2 31 BARRY 19 1-6 0-0 0 2 2 6 2 1 4 2 ROOKS 13 3-3 0-0 1 1 2 1 3 0 1 6 BLOUNT 16 5-6 1-1 1 6 7 0 3 1 0 11 BENNETT 6 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 2 WHEAT 12 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 0 2 0 SEALS 14 2-4 1-2 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 6 FORREST 6 2-4 4-4 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 8 TOTALS 240 47-84 34-43 8 30 38 31 32 10 21 135 (.560) (.791) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 21(19 PTS) DENVER REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === BATTIE F 12 3-6 1-2 2 2 4 0 2 0 2 7 WILLIAMS F 34 10-13 7-11 4 2 6 3 4 1 6 27 GARRETT C 24 3-9 0-4 4 2 6 1 1 0 1 6 JACKSON G 24 1-8 2-2 2 3 5 4 2 3 1 4 STITH G 30 3-9 1-1 1 5 6 2 4 1 2 7 FORTSON 23 7-14 7-8 4 2 6 0 5 1 1 21 NEWMAN 22 4-10 8-9 2 1 3 1 3 0 3 16 GOLDWIRE 17 0-2 2-2 1 3 4 2 2 2 4 2 LAUDERDALE 15 2-7 0-0 0 3 3 1 3 1 3 4 WASHINGTON 14 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 2 1 2 WOLF 4 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 2 ZIDEK 8 1-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 0 3 2 BENNETT 7 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 CODE 6 0-2 2-2 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 TOTALS 240 36-88 30-41 21 26 47 17 32 12 29 102 (.409) (.732) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 29(39 PTS) LA LAKERS 31 39 33 32 - 135 DENVER 19 34 30 19 - 102 BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - ONEAL 3, ROOKS 3, BRYANT 2, CAMPBELL 2, HORRY. DENVER - WILLIAMS, FORTSON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 7-15 (.467), HORRY 2-2, JONES 0-2, FOX 1-2, BRYANT 3-3, BARRY 0-4, SEALS 1-2. DENVER 0-1 (.000), BATTIE 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: TERRY DURHAM, LEON WOOD, LUIS GRILLO. A - 0. T - 2:23. LA LAKERS (135) AT DENVER (102) Kobe Bryant scored 31 points off the bench and Shaquille O'Neal added 25 points in just 22 minutes to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Denver Nuggets, 135-102, in the exhibition season opener for both teams. The Lakers ended the first quarter with a 13-3 run, taking a 31-19 lead behind 12 points from O'Neal. The Lakers starting center finished with six rebounds but committed seven turnovers. Bryant, who shot 10-of-14 from the field, scored nine in the second quarter to help Los Angeles to a 70-53 cushion. The Lakers, who led by as many as 38, were never challenged in the second half. Denver's starting lineup consisted of all newcomers except for guard Bryant Stith. One of those first-year Nuggets was former Celtic Eric Williams, who registered a team-high 27 points. Also in the starting lineup were rookies Bobby Jackson and Tony Battie, but the rookie playing the most significant role was Danny Fortson, who scored 21 off the bench. Rick Fox contributed 12 points in his debut for the Lakers, who shot 56 percent from the floor and held the Nuggets to 41 percent shooting. Veteran Johnny Newman contributed 16 points for Denver, which played its first game under new head coach Bill Hanzlik. Lakers starting point guard Nick Van Exel missed the game with a bone bruise in his left knee and is expected to sit out Friday's game in Phoenix. This game capped the first night of the preseason, with the only other game taking place in Uniondale, New York, where the Philadelphia 76ers squeaked out a 104-101 overtime win over the Knicks.

nba.664 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

PHILADELPHIA (104) AT NEW YORK (101) - FINAL IN OT PHILADELPHIA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === STACKHOUSE F 33 5-9 4-5 1 0 1 2 4 2 6 14 COLEMAN F 31 4-9 0-0 0 3 3 1 2 0 2 8 MONTROSS C 21 1-1 0-2 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 2 IVERSON G 39 10-16 10-17 1 3 4 7 3 4 3 30 JACKSON G 37 2-8 2-2 2 6 8 5 3 1 3 6 THOMAS 19 4-7 1-1 0 1 1 1 5 2 1 9 WEATHERSPOON 29 3-6 5-7 1 5 6 2 2 0 3 11 CUMMINGS 24 5-12 1-2 1 2 3 3 3 3 0 11 DAVIS 18 1-4 2-6 3 1 4 1 0 0 2 4 WALTERS 14 2-4 3-4 0 4 4 0 0 3 1 9 TOTALS 265 37-76 28-46 9 26 35 22 24 16 22 104 (.487) (.609) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 22(21 PTS) NEW YORK REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === JOHNSON F 36 3-11 7-10 0 4 4 5 4 1 4 13 OAKLEY F 36 7-9 4-5 1 9 10 2 4 2 5 18 EWING C 23 8-11 4-6 2 4 6 1 4 1 2 20 HOUSTON G 29 6-11 0-0 0 2 2 2 0 0 3 12 CHILDS G 32 3-6 1-1 0 1 1 7 6 1 5 8 BROOKS 20 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 5 6 2 1 0 H WILLIAMS 18 2-4 0-0 2 1 3 0 2 0 0 4 STARKS 34 7-14 2-2 1 1 2 7 3 1 4 18 MCCARTY 23 1-4 2-2 1 5 6 0 3 2 2 4 THOMAS 8 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 2 JONES 6 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 2 TOTALS 265 39-75 20-26 7 30 37 29 38 10 28 101 (.520) (.769) TEAM REBS: 14 TOTAL TO: 29(40 PTS) PHILADELPHIA 14 31 15 32 12 - 104 NEW YORK 25 24 15 28 9 - 101 BLOCKED SHOTS: PHILADELPHIA - CUMMINGS 2, COLEMAN, IVERSON, WEATHERSPOON. NEW YORK - MCCARTY 2. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHILADELPHIA 2-7 (.286), STACKHOUSE 0-3, IVERSON 0-1, THOMAS 0-1, WALTERS 2-2. NEW YORK 3-7 (.429), JOHNSON 0-1, CHILDS 1-1, STARKS 2-4, JONES 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: DICK BAVETTA, SEAN CORBIN, DEREK RICHARDSON. A - 13,526. T - 2:48. PHILADELPHIA (104) AT NEW YORK (101) - FINAL IN OT Jerry Stackhouse's layup with 1:07 left in overtime triggered a 6-0 burst that gave the Philadelphia 76ers a 104-101 victory over the New York Knicks in the NBA exhibition season opener in Uniondale, New York. Allen Iverson scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter for the 76ers, who were coached by assistant Gar Heard. Larry Brown, who signed a five-year contract to coach the Sixers, was in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for the retirement announcement of Dean Smith, his former coach. Stackhouse scored 14 points, including a basket off a steal by Jimmy Jackson that gave the Sixers a 100-99 lead. Terry Cummings added a reverse layup with 24 seconds remaining and Jackson had two free throws to seal it. Cummings, signed as a free agent during the offseason, scored 11 points and 20-year-old rookie Tim Thomas had nine for the 76ers. Patrick Ewing scored 20 points and John Starks and Charles Oakley added 18 apiece for the Knicks, who dropped to 5-2 in preseason games at Nassau Coliseum. New York held a 25-14 lead after one quarter.

nba.665 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Sonics sign Anthony to one-year deal SEATTLE (Oct 10, 1997 - 02:16 EDT) -- The Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday signed free agent guard Greg Anthony to a one-year contract. Terms were not announced. Anthony, 29, was drafted by the New York Knicks as the 12th overall pick in the 1991 draft. The 6-foot-2 guard spent the past two seasons with the Vancouver Grizzlies, who renounced his rights in the offseason. He played in 65 games last season and averaged 9.5 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 37 percent from 3-point range. Anthony's best season was 1995-96 after he was selected by the Grizzlies in the expansion draft. He averaged 14 points and 6.9 assists.

nba.666 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Meyer undergoes back surgery, McCloud's knee injury not serious PHOENIX (AP) Phoenix Suns forward Loren Meyer will be sidelined at least three months after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disc. The Suns said Meyer, obtained last year in a multi-player trade with the Dallas Mavericks, had the operation at Southern California's University Hospital in Los Angeles and there were no reported complications. Meanwhile, forward George McCloud had an MRI exam on his right knee, which he injured in Wednesday night's scrimmage in Flagstaff. Team physician Richard Emerson said there was no structural damage and McCloud should be able to resume playing in one week. The Suns open their preseason schedule Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

nba.667 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Appeals panel rules for union, clearing way for Dudley-to-Knicks trade NEW YORK (Oct 9, 1997 - 23:40 EDT) -- A three-man appeals panel issued a quick decision in the Chris Dudley case Thursday, upholding an earlier judgment that clears the way for a trade of the backup center to the New York Knicks. Dudley will be sent to the Knicks from the Portland Trail Blazers, who reached an agreement with the player on a $1.13 million contract while he was a free agent and then traded him to the Knicks in a three-way deal also involving Toronto. The Raptors will receive second-year forward John Wallace from New York, the Knicks will get the Raptors' first-round draft pick in 1998 and Portland will receive New York's No. 1 pick. A snag in the trade, apparently involving the draft picks, developed Thursday evening and general managers Ernie Grunfeld and Isiah Thomas spent several hours on the phone trying to work it out. "We're ecstatic," NBA Players Association director Bill Hunter said. "Clearly, the panel recognized there was little merit to the NBA's argument. The collective bargaining agreement clearly specifies that a sign-and-trade transaction involving a Larry Bird free agent is permissible." "We disagreed with the result, but we will obviously comply with the ruling of the appeals panel," NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said. "This is an issue we will have to address in the next round of collective bargaining." At issue was whether Dudley, who opted out of a contract with three years and $13 million remaining on it and then re-signed with Portland after realizing he had misjudged the free agent market, could sign for a lower salary with the Trail Blazers, be traded to the Knicks and still retain his Larry Bird-exception rights. The Bird rule gives players who play three or more years with the same team the ability to re-sign with their current team regardless of the salary cap. It would grant Dudley the right to secure a long-term deal with the Knicks after playing for a lower salary this season. If Dudley had not retained his Bird rights, the Knicks -- who are over the salary cap -- would only have been allowed to give Dudley a 20 percent raise. Arbitrator Kenneth Dam ruled in the union's favor after a three-day hearing Sept. 2-4. The NBA immediately appealed, leaving Dudley and Wallace in limbo. No further appeals are permitted. It was Dudley's second victory in an action against the NBA. Three years ago, when he first signed with Portland, the league challenged a one-year opt-out clause that allowed the Blazers to resign him at a much higher salary regardless of cap restrictions. The NBA fought that battle all the way through the courts but lost at each stop. Dudley, who attended Thursday's appeal, had not reported to Portland's training camp. He did not show up at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday night as the Knicks lost their first exhibition game, 104-101 to Philadelphia. Dudley, who averaged 3.9 points and 7.3 rebounds for Portland last season -- his 10th in the NBA -- will be the backup to Patrick Ewing. "We always believed that we were doing everything by the book," Dudley said. "While it was unfortunate we had to go through these drawn-out proceedings, we felt confident all along that our position would be vindicated. I am very relieved to have this ordeal behind me, and while I will miss the Blazers fans and Portland community, I look forward to pursuing a championship with the Knicks." Wallace, who got off to a fast start last season but was used sparingly thereafter, averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. He was a first-round choice (18th overall) from Syracuse in the 1996 draft and had been practicing with the Knicks since camp opened Oct. 3. Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy informed Wallace of the panel's ruling during the afternoon. "He made it clear that he wanted to be here in how he handled himself during his seven weeks in limbo, how much work he put in and what he said," Van Gundy said. "John is one of the top players in the game finishing on the break, and the (Raptors) run more than we do. He's going to a good place for himself. They'll be able to play him through whatever mistakes he makes."

nba.668 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 9 1997 Atlanta Hawks: Released David Crouse, Jared Prickett, and Chris King. Dallas Mavericks: Waived free agent Derrick Chandler. New Jersey Nets: Waived forward Jimmy Carruth and guard Kent Culuko. San Antonio Spurs: Waived guards Donnie Boyce and Artie Griffin. Named Greg Papa television play-by-play announcer and Doc Rivers and Rolando Blackman color commentators.

nba.669 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Body of NBA draft analyst pulled from river in apparent suicide CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct 9, 1997 - 23:40 EDT) -- A body pulled from the Delaware River was positively identified Thursday as that of an NBA draft analyst who had been missing since last month, police said. Don Leventhal, 44, of Willow Grove, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb, was identified through dental records, said Lt. Joseph Richardson, a spokesman for the Camden police department. His body was found Wednesday in the river in South Camden by a dock worker. A day after Leventhal was reported missing on Sept. 29, his car was found abandoned on the campus of Rutgers University in Camden. His wallet was found that day on a pedestrian walkway of the Ben Franklin Bridge, which spans the river. "It appears to be a suicide," Richardson said. Friends said Leventhal had complained about pain in his neck caused by a bulging disc. They also said Leventhal was having problems with the Internal Revenue Service. Leventhal was well-known in basketball circles. His work included the NBA Draft Report, a ranking available to subscribers, a draft evaluation for ESPN SportsZone, an online service, and an NBA injury report for USA Today.

nba.670 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

The Summit no more; Rockets to play in Compaq Center HOUSTON (Oct 9, 1997 - 20:16 EDT) -- The Houston Rockets will no longer play in The Summit. No, the NBA team isn't leaving town. Their arena is changing its name to the Compaq Center in a deal announced Thursday by Compaq Computer Corp., and the Summit's management company, Arena Operating Co. If the City Council agrees, Compaq will pay $5.4 million over six years to upgrade the city-owned stadium. "This agreement enables Houston to undertake a capital improvement program without using taxpayer dollars," Mayor Bob Lanier said. The money will fund new lights and seat covers, better video screens and a new ice floor for the minor-league Houston Aeros hockey team. The Summit was built with $18 million in taxpayer-supported bonds and opened in 1975. The Rockets' lease there goes through November 2003. Rockets owner Les Alexander has been campaigning for a new arena, but he is not interested in a 50-50 deal that would have him share control over the new facility with another team, perhaps an NHL franchise. A call to the Rockets for comment was not immediately returned Thursday. Both Alexander and Chuck Watson, owner of the Aeros and chairman of Arena Operating Co., recently met with the owner of the Edmonton Oilers, which were put up for sale in June. The city's application for an NHL expansion team was rejected this summer because the arena issue hadn't been worked out. For more than a year, Alexander and Watson have disputed how to manage a new arena and split the proceeds.

nba.671 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Celtics close camp at naval base NEWPORT, R.I. (Oct 9, 1997 - 20:16 EDT) -- The banners hanging from the ceiling displayed nautical signals, not NBA championships. The men milling about the sidelines wore uniforms festooned with medals, not leprechauns. On the basketball court, there were even more obvious signs that the Boston Celtics are doing things differently these days: They were running, practicing hurt, and generally doing a lot of heavy breathing on Thursday as they wrapped up their first training camp under Rick Pitino. "I think everybody here realizes now what it takes to play this system," said center Travis Knight, who was one of a handful of players needing intravenous fluid replacement earlier in the week. "He's not militant about it. He's going to make you work hard, but when it's over, it's over, and he'll be your friend." After the worst season in team history and an 11th consecutive year without a title, the Celtics hired Pitino to restore the once-proud franchise to its former glory. And Pitino has chosen to do it with a running system that will make up for a lack of talent with hard work. Before he can run down opponents, though, Pitino needs to make sure his own players are up to the task. Thus the retreat to Building 1801 of the Naval Education and Training Center in Newport, previously known in sporting circles only as the home of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the America's Cup. But this was no sailing and tennis vacation for the Celtics. "It was more like a boot camp," guard Greg Minor said. "I don't call it survival. I call it getting started. It was tough, but it can be even tougher." Minor was another who needed fluid replenishment in the early part of the week -- some pulling their IV bags up to the TV on Monday night to watch the Patriots play the Broncos. Seven-footer Andrew DeClerq had two. "That surprised me a bit. I haven't seen too much of that," Pitino said of the intravenous tubes, which he said were precautionary. Pitino commended Dee Brown, who was named co-captain with Antoine Walker, for his conditioning, and noted that Pervis Ellison practiced for an hour on Thursday even though he had a cold. But the coach said he didn't blame those who weren't as well conditioned. "I don't think you can be ready for what they're about to enter," he said. "They caught on the last couple of days. As we leave camp, they're much more conditioned than when they came in. But more than anything else, it got the players to bond a little bit."

nba.672 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Van Exel, Harris say problems are behind them PALM DESERT, Calif. (Oct 9, 1997 - 14:52 EDT) -- Nick Van Exel says he has no problem with coach Del Harris, and Harris says the same thing. Despite their on-court fight in last season's Western Conference semifinals, both say whatever might have been wrong between them is in the past. "Everything is over with as far as last year is concerned," Van Exel said recently at the team's training camp in Palm Desert, Calif. "Coming in last year, I really didn't understand my role in the big picture. Now I do." Van Exel's role is to keep his emotions under control while running the team on the court and allowing himself to be coached. "Nick and I have been together for about 300 games, and we've had four or five days when there were problems," Harris said. "I don't think it's worth talking about anymore." Maybe not, but it's understandable that the subject is still being talked about because of the way last season ended for the Lakers. First was an ugly, in-game confrontation during Game 4 of the Lakers-Utah series on May 10. Early in that game, in full view of a capacity Forum crowd and a national television audience, the two made public the friction that had been private beforehand. Two days later in Utah, after the Lakers suffered an overtime loss in Game 5 to end their season, the assumption was that Van Exel would probably be traded. But player and coach subsequently had a 45-minute meeting mediated by executive vice president Jerry West, after which each apparently left with a better understanding of the other's point of view. Van Exel, now sidelined temporarily because of a bone bruise on his left knee, had all summer to listen to the criticism of his actions and speculation about his future. And to do some serious soul-searching. "I was definitely embarrassed, because that's not me," he said. "I'm normally an emotional player and everything, but my emotion can be controlled. "I can behave better. I don't have a problem with the coach. I may not agree with what he says, but my job is to go out there and do what he says. That's the most important thing, right there. Van Exel, 25 and about to start his fifth NBA season, said he had to really look at himself. "After seeing yourself on TV negatively so many times, you don't want that image," he said. "I know I don't, because I'm not that kind of person. I'm not a bad person off the court. "You guys (reporters) never hear of Nick getting in trouble (away from basketball). This is where I have my most troubles. I wanted to try and be hard on myself, so I could be a better person on the court." Van Exel, who averaged 15.3 points and 8.5 assists last season, said he received some important advice from his uncle, Colin Van Exel. "He said I have all the potential in the world right now, but my attitude is the only thing that's holding me down," he said. "I fight myself a lot. That really made a lot of sense when I thought about it." Harris would prefer to put the tension with his starting point guard as far behind him as possible. "Everybody has a level of coachability," Harris said. "Some are coachable on a 10 scale, and some are less than that. "By his own admission, he has said that over the course of his life, he has had some trouble accepting authority. Well, that's all right. We're going to work with it. As I've said a thousand times, I think he's made awfully good progress in the four years he's been in the league. We're just looking for more progress. And I'm not looking for perfection." Van Exel's knee problems aren't believed to be serious, but he will sit out the Lakers' first two preseason games -- at San Diego against Denver on Thursday night, and at Phoenix on Friday night. He missed three games last April with a similar injury.

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Van Exel tries to tone his act down PALM DESERT, Calif. (Oct 9, 1997 - 11:46 EDT) -- A year ago, the stories were eerily similar. "Issue for Van Exel is control," was the headline in one newspaper in October of 1996, above a story detailing Nick Van Exel's attempt to get a handle on his emotions and redeem his reputation. Then, Van Exel was trying to wipe away the stigma of pushing a referee. One year later, he is again seeking reputation rehabilitation -- this time, to prove that he can co-exist with the man the Los Angeles Lakers are paying to coach him, Del Harris. Will the change in attitude really take root this time? Is there, indeed, a New Nick, or should Lakers fans fear the next implosion? "Coming in last year, I really didn't understand my role in the big picture," Van Exel said before a recent practice at College of the Desert. "Now I do." His role: To keep his emotions under control while running the team on the floor ... and to allow himself to be coached. All the while, everything he says and every bit of body language will be scrutinized, for clues that might lead to the next blowup. "Thus far, he's shown that some things that have bothered him in the past (don't) affect him the way they used to," said Lakers assistant coach Larry Drew. "He seems to be smiling a little bit more these days." Well, that's a start. "Everything is over with as far as last year is concerned," Van Exel said. "It's time to really step up for this team, for this organization. "We gotta grow up now." What had been the Lakers' dirty little secret for a couple of seasons burst into the open at the start of Game 4 of last May's second-round playoff series against Utah. Harris said he tried to communicate an offensive problem involving Elden Campbell to Van Exel, his floor leader, but couldn't get his attention. So Harris took his starting point guard out of the game just 117 seconds after it had started. That led to an ugly confrontation on the sideline, with Van Exel kicking a chair in disgust and Harris getting into his player's face in front of not only a sellout crowd at the Forum but a national television audience. In the aftermath, Van Exel said things like, "I think we have everything we need to be a championship team... almost everything. I'll leave it at that." Or, "It's going to be on me, so I've just got to suck it up like I always do and get on with my life... Del always has his quotes in each paper, but it's not about that. It's about us in the locker room." Harris responded with statements like: "At some point, Nick has to realize somebody's going to coach him... It's out in the open now, but I've dealt with it on a daily basis for three years, for the good of the team." But three days after the season had ended, player and coach met for 45 minutes, with Lakers executive vice president Jerry West mediating. Each, apparently, left with a better understanding of the other's point of view. Then, Van Exel had an entire summer to listen to the criticism of his actions and the speculation about his future. The prevailing wisdom was that he would be gone, exiled elsewhere. Was he surprised to be back in a Laker uniform when training camp began? "I'm surprised at anything," he said. "Every day I wake up it's a blessing, the way the world is now. "In the beginning, when you first hear those things (criticism and trade rumors), you're a little concerned. But now it's to the point where if I'm here, I'm going to do the best job I can do. And if I'm not, I'm going to go to the next place and do the best job that I can do. It's not important where I'm playing at. "I would definitely love to be on a winning team, and I definitely love playing in LA, because of the fans and the great tradition here. But it really wouldn't make a big deal (of difference) if I went to another place to play." And yet, even as Van Exel said coming into training camp that his personal relationship with Harris was probably "shaky," he also acknowledged that much of the blame for the conflict was properly laid on him. "I was definitely embarrassed, because that's not me," he said. "I'm normally an emotional player and everything, but my emotion can be controlled. I can behave better. I don't have a problem with the coach. I may not agree with what he says, but my job is to go out there and do what he says. That's the most important thing, right there. "I had to really look at myself ... After seeing yourself on TV negatively so many times, you don't want that image. I know I don't, because I'm not that kind of person. I'm not a bad person off the court. You guys never hear about Nick getting in trouble (away from basketball). This is where I have my most troubles. I wanted to try and be hard on myself, so I could be a better person on the court." He said he received some to-the-point advice from his uncle, Colin Van Exel: "He said I have all the potential in the world right now, but my attitude is the only thing that's holding me down. I fight myself a lot. That really made a lot of sense when I thought about it." Additionally, in a summer in which Van Exel wanted to regain patience, he played a lot of golf. One wouldn't seem to promote the other, but it did. "It gave me a lot of patience, believe me, because I was hitting the ball all over the course," he said. Drew, the assistant coach, called the self-examination process a good sign. "I know he wants to change," Drew said. "I think when a guy knows it's time to really sit down and look in the mirror, you know he's taking himself seriously. "When things aren't going well, a lot of times it's easy to put the blame on people or (other) things. I think he wants to get out of that. He wants to show everybody that he can be a different person, and that he can get along with everybody." The head coach, for his part, would prefer to put the tension with Van Exel as far behind him as possible. "Everybody has a level of coachability," Harris said. "Some are coachable on a 10 scale, and some are less than that. "By his own admission, he has said that over the course of his life, he has had some trouble accepting authority. Well, that's all right. We're going to work with it. As I've said a thousand times, I think he's made awfully good progress in the four years he's been in the league. We're just looking for more progress. I'm not looking for perfection." And yet Harris knows, just as Van Exel and every other member of the Lakers organization knows, that the public will be waiting for that first hint of friction. "If he and I, or any other player and I, have a confrontation or two or three this year, I know the first thing will be, 'Aha, there's something wrong,"' Harris said. "But that's normal. If we don't have three or four things happen, then we don't have enough people in an emotional state. They don't care enough." Added Drew: "I think he has everybody in this camp rooting for him, hoping things will turn out well. But certainly, if I were an outsider, I'd look at the track record and say, 'Yep, something else is going to happen.' "It's up to him... It can't come from anybody else -- from his mom, his dad, his pastor or his close friends. It can't come from anybody but himself."

nba.674 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Sonics' Hawkins still hopes to contribute SEATTLE (Oct 9, 1997 - 12:05 EDT) -- It is time to pull the wraps off Hersey Hawkins, the infallible player who carries a fail-safe jumper. His preseason mission appears endless, even after preserving for nine NBA seasons: He has something to prove. He has to prove that there are a few coats of paint left on his scoring ability for the Seattle SuperSonics, that he can still change the complexity of the game with a flick of his right wrist. And -- George Karl willing -- perhaps get an extended taste at point guard. "It's always been something that someone said I couldn't do," said Hawkins, preparing for his 10th season. "It motivates me and makes me work that much harder. I think I've been in the league long enough now that I don't have to prove to anyone I belong." He has been one of the more systematic shooting guards this decade, but last season Hawkins' scoring average dipped to a career-low 13.9 points despite shooting a respectable 46.4 percent from the floor and a team-high 40.3 percent of his 3-pointers. Hawkins took 141 fewer shots last season (795), than in 1995-96 (936) when the Sonics advanced to the NBA Finals. For a career producer of 17 points a game, last season was disenchanting. "Scoring wise, I was disappointed," said Hawkins, who turned 31 in September. "On my part, I was not as aggressive as I should have been at times. I just sat back and let things happen." As a player, Hawkins cannot change his laid-back approach to the game, and his influence has a calming effect that flows freely throughout the Sonics' locker room. But he will work on the details: becoming more assertive offensively and being a bit more greedy. "I made up my mind this year that I'm not going to have a spell for two or three weeks where I'm not involved in the offense," he said. "It's tough because we have a lot of guys who can score points, and sometimes, on a given night, it's not in the cards for me to do it. But, there are times when I'm going to have to be selfish." Karl would like to free up Hawkins for more scoring opportunities. "The one thing we felt in the regular season is that we didn't get him enough shots to get him ready for the playoffs," Karl said. "I don't know if that means he's going to improve his average, but this is a more unselfish team, a passing team. Shooters usually benefit from those qualities." Another reason for his scoring drop is that Hawkins, a slow starter of some renown, came to training camp last year weighing 207 pounds, 12 over his playing weight. The Sonics' 1996 NBA Finals run was intoxicating, but the October to late June stretch burned out Hawkins and he didn't play any basketball that summer. "I kept myself in better shape this summer," Hawkins said. "It was a problem last year and the Sonics let me know. I came into training camp so out of shape last year that it took me a long time to get into game shape. It took me about a month and a half or two months. But I'm looking forward to having a great year." Which could include, whenever the time is right, asking Karl for a chance to play some point guard. "I don't want to play a whole quarter or anything like that," said Hawkins, in almost a whisper. "I just want to spell Gary (Payton) for a little bit. I don't know ... maybe I want to prove something to myself."

nba.675 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

McGrady's leap BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The dunk was so spectacular that it will be talked about for years, like when Julius Erving jumped from the foul line and the 5-foot-7 Spud Webb spun 360 degrees and made it look easy. Unlike the others, this one did not come in an NBA slam-dunk contest. It came in a game in July 1996 at the exclusive ABCD camp in Teaneck, N.J., for promising high school players. It was the first time many had seen the real Tracy McGrady. In fact, it was the first time most had heard his name. McGrady was dribbling down the left wing against the 6-9 James Felton, considered among the top prospects in camp. With a quick move to the basket, the 6-8 McGrady cupped the ball with his right hand and arm, brought it down near his waist and slammed it through as if he were trying to tear down a helicopter. "It was unbelievable," said Providence assistant Bob Gonzalez, one of the top scouts in the country. "The whole camp stopped. It was like a moment in time when everything stood still. "Most of the time, guys are well known by all the gurus," he said. ``He was like a freak. Nobody had him on any list. He comes out, and he's just killing guys." McGrady, then 17, had the best camp of anyone, but the windmill dunk over Felton stood out most. "It was a spectacular dunk," McGrady said. ``That dunk right there, the college scouts knew (then) who Tracy McGrady was." Felton signed with St. John's. McGrady signed with the Toronto Raptors, who took him ninth overall in the NBA draft. One meeting several years ago proved key to McGrady's leap from high school to the NBA. Joel Hopkins, the coach at the strict Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., was passing thr000 Lexus and already bought a house by a Florida lake for his mother and grandmother. In Toronto, he will live by himself and take college correspondence courses during the season. Thomas wants to make sure he gets his degree. A representative from Adidas will check in regularly. The critics wonder whether too much has happened too soon. "I can't answer that," McGrady said. ``What I can say is this: If you're able to play in the NBA, somebody is going to pick you, like Isiah. I'm really glad I'm in Toronto. I think I'm going to love it."

nba.676 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Utah's Malone says gripes are not about money SALT LAKE CITY (Oct 9, 1997 - 10:28 EDT) -- Karl Malone has a number of complaints, but he said money is not one. The star forward has been complaining since just before the Utah Jazz training camp opened at Boise, Idaho. He returned to Salt Lake and held a news conference Wednesday night at his home. Malone said his comments earlier in the week that he feels he doesn't get respect from team management have been misconstrued. "I'm fine with my contract," he said. Malone has two years remaining on his contract with the Jazz, and will be paid about $5 million for the upcoming season. Malone's apparent suggestion that he might leave Utah after his contract is up sparked a firestorm of indignation. The reaction prompted Kay Malone to call a local radio station on Tuesday and spend six minutes defending her husband. Though he acknowledges being disgusted by the grandeur of some contracts being signed -- Minnesota's Kevin Garnett recently signed for $123 million -- Malone says everybody has missed his point. "It's not about money," he said. Malone said he felt betrayed when Jazz owner Larry Miller failed to back him up when Malone ripped his teammates who arrived at camp in Boise out of shape. "I was disappointed that Larry said I was just spouting my mouth off," said Malone. "That showed me no respect. ... It should have been, 'I agree with him."' Malone also has been angry with the attention the Jazz have paid to their future. While signing six players to new contracts or contract extensions over the summer, the organization frequently referred to the days when Malone and John Stockton retire. "To talk about retirement is a lack of respect," he said. It didn't help any when Malone thought Miller said he had lost a step. Malone and Stockton "realize this year more than ever there is just a few years left," Miller told the Shreveport (La.) Times. "They would never admit they lost a step ... but the fact remains that we are thinking of the long-term with the franchise more than ever." "Lost a step?" Malone said. "I'm a hell of a lot better than a lot of them with the steps." Entering his 13th season in the NBA, the 34-year-old Malone is the team's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 25,592 points and 10,542 rebounds. He's coming off his best season ever, having won the league's Most Valuable Player award while averaging 27.4 points per game and taking the Jazz to the NBA Finals for the first time. "I want one thing for this community and this state," he said, "and that's a championship." Regarding whether he might one day seek his fortunes elsewhere, he said, "I have two years to win a championship with the Jazz. ... After two years, who knows?"

nba.677 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Jazz management, players buying what Sloan is selling BOISE, Idaho (Oct 9, 1997 - 11:28 EDT) -- Long-lived is the assumption that Jerry Sloan has coached the Utah Jazz so long and so well because he has a couple of built-in heavies on the roster in John Stockton and Karl Malone. But Sloan says there's an even more important reason. "It all depends on the support of the front office," says Sloan. "That's the most important thing you can have." That's because the front office is the first place -- maybe the second, after the media -- that players go when they have complaints about the coaching. "If the front office buys that," says Sloan, "I'm dead." You'll notice Sloan is still breathing. Of course, having Malone and Stockton watch your back in the locker room helps the respiration. Players who grouse tend to earn quick rebukes from the two superstars without Sloan having to do anything, and the 55-year-old Sloan has benefited from the combination to become the longest-tenured coach in the NBA. He'll officially begin his 10th year with the Jazz on Oct. 31 at the Los Angeles Lakers. "We're proud of that fact," says Scott Layden, the vice president of player personnel. Only Phil Jackson comes close to Sloan; he's entering his ninth season as coach of the Chicago Bulls. Assistant coach Phil Johnson says Sloan "understands in his own mind how good we can be," and that might be the linchpin to the whole thing. With Sloan and the front office working together, each side has realistic expectations of the team. If something goes awry, management is not likely to blame Sloan. The NBA "has this crash-and-burn mentality," says Layden. "You can't fire the players, so fire the coach. But we've been able to weather the tough times." Which, by the way, have been few and far between. Argue about the team's failure to win an NBA Championship if you want, but Sloan has at least kept the Jazz on a steady uphill climb since he became coach in December 1988. Including parts of three seasons as coach in Chicago, Sloan has won 577 games, 14th in NBA history. "The bottom line in this league is you have to have some players who buy into what you want to sell," says Johnson. "And it has to be good players. Can't be role players." Sloan certainly has those, but for how much longer? Stockton is 35 years old and Malone is 34, and popular opinion suggests that the average NBA rookie isn't nearly as interested anymore in the Sloan trademarks of defense and hard work. Might one day Sloan's message grow tiresome to a generation of young players -- envision the post-Malone era -- just as Pat Riley's did after nine seasons with the Lakers? "I don't know," says Sloan. "I've never been in that situation." As the Jazz break camp and head home, Sloan's goal remains the same as it was when he took over: win a championship. And the Jazz figure to have another pretty good shot at it this season, what with all the important people back from last season's run. But say they win. Then what? After a decade of surviving the rigors of the NBA, might Sloan decide he has had enough and ride off into the sunset of retirement with a ring on his finger? "I never thought about it," he says. "I don't know what I'd do with myself."

nba.678 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Some heavyweight feuds It didn't take long -- just a single weekend of training camp -- for the NBA to adopt a new theme for its 1997-98 season: Hatred. The verbal free-for-all touched players, coaches and management-types alike; and there was enough dirty laundry aired to outfit Dennis Rodman's wrestling circuit. A look at the disputes, and how they'll shake out: -- Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson vs. Jerry Krause: It all began when Jackson informed the breathless Chicago media that there's no way he'll return next year -- mostly because Krause made it clear that he's no longer wanted. Mike reiterated that if Phil's gone, he's retiring. Krause added gasoline to the fire by saying that it's not coaches and players who win titles. "It's organizations that win championships," he said. Jordan, proving again that he's quicker off the dribble than anybody, added, "I didn't see any of the organization playing sick last year. In Game 5, I would have liked to see some of those organization guys step out and play. I didn't see that. I saw the team step out there and play." VERDICT: Jordan/Jackson by KO. Krause is just dying to show everybody his ingenuity in the rebuilding process, but now he's waddling upstream. The players he had identified as possible cornerstones (Antonio McDyess, Kevin Garnett) aren't going to Chicago. And, in a marvelous bit of karmic justice, Scottie Pippen will be the best forward Krause will find on next year's market. -- Karl Malone vs. Everybody: The reigning MVP arrived at camp to find a group of teammates "who came a point or two from the championship that didn't come back in shape." Then he characterized the majority of them as -- paraphrasing here -- "lardbutts." Speaking of which, owner Larry Miller moved the camp to Boise, because that's where his new car dealerships is. Both Malone and John Stockton claimed that Miller, as usual, placed profits ahead of practicality. The Mailman even went after Greg Ostertag, who made the mistake of suggesting that he'll be a leader once Mailman retires. "It kind of (ticked) me off," Malone said. "A lot of guys want to be 'the man' on this team. Do it now while I'm playing. Don't wait until I retire. That's a cop out." VERDICT: Draw. As Malone showed in last year's Finals, he can't take on Everybody by himself, but he can put up a hell of a fight. -- Muggsy Bogues vs. Bob Bass: The Charlotte GM said Muggsy couldn't take part in camp until he had an MRI on his knee. Muggsy had missed two appointments, then left it up to David Falk to decide whether he'd comply. VERDICT: Falk, unanimous decision. He got Muggsy to take the MRI, then turned the screws on GM George Shinn, who's having a bit of a PR problem now: "George gave us assurances that he is not following through on now," Falk said, "and if he gives his word, he should honor it." -- Larry Brown vs. Derrick Coleman: The Thrilla in Phila. It's been brewing ever since their first conversation. "I started out by saying how excited I was to coach him, how good I thought he was," Brown imparted. "He didn't want to hear any of that. Now I'm going to tell him that if he wants to get himself traded, the best he can do is come in here and play great, and we'll do everything we can to try to help him. But he won't be a distraction to anybody. Either he'll play or deal with Pat (Croce, the owner)." VERDICT: Coleman, by TKO. Larry's pugnacious, but DC's a superheavyweight when it comes to spitting contests. In fact, he showed up at camp Friday weighing 275 pounds. -- Gheorghe Muresan vs. Wizards: Big Gheorghe didn't make it to the start of camp because of a strained tendon in his ankle, which Wes Unseld said was the result of his wearing street shoes during the filming of that Billy Crystal movie. Harvey Grant and Juwan Howard questioned Gheorghe's commitment to the team. VERDICT: Rod Strickland by KO. Because you just know when a fight breaks out, he'll manage to get in a sucker punch to settle the argument. -- Antonio McDyess vs. Allan Bristow: Just 24 hours after leaving Denver for Phoenix, Dice opened fire on his former team. He called the Nuggets cheapskates, suggested that the trade resulted from that lingering feud between Bristow and Arn Tellem (the 5-foot-7 agent he tried to choke back in Charlotte, remember), and added this final thrust: "He's got two faces -- print that." VERDICT -- Dice, by default. Bristow was just following orders when he refused to give in to Tellem's $105-million demand, and is now the impotent caretaker of a team with no star and no future. -- George Karl vs. Wally Walker: Karl, in the final year of his contract ($3.5 million) didn't get the extension he wanted from his GM this summer. "Basically, he told me they have no interest in talking to me," he pounted. "I don't understand why I'm being put in a lame-duck situation. Players can get you in a position where they can use it against you. I think it can very, very, very much be a distraction." VERDICT -- Karl, by rope-a-dope. He seems very, very, very upset. Shaddap, be happy And here you were, believing that the Collective Bargaining Agreement was a tempest in a teapot, an unqualified disaster, and the most ill-conceived, cynical document since the Contract with America. Take a shower, Buck Williams suggests. It's working just fine, and it should stand on its merits. Then again, you expect the guy who spent four months of his life trying to settle it last summer to say that. His argument is simple: Look at where the salaries are now, and where they're going. The players should shaddap and be happy, is what he's saying. "I'm still waiting for my parade," said the former NBA Players Association president, who last month was succeeded by Knicks teammate Patrick Ewing. "Average players are getting $30 million, $60 million dollars, and then some are saying there are haves and have-nots. "I agree that players such as myself are getting squeezed a little bit -- it would be nice to see a minimum (salary) for guys who play eight or 10 years, something like $1 million or $2 million. But the (marginal) players are doing well, and the superstars are doing tremendously well. So I'm still waiting for my cut -- my two or three percent." He's being only facetious, of course -- at least partly. He knows that the majority of players -- and owners alike -- have concluded that they can't live with the present deal and would be perfectly happy to see the league dump it and start over again next summer. Still, Buck wonders why. "When you cut a deal of this size, you can't cut it for 100 percent of the players," he said. "Some guys are (going to fall through the cracks). Some teams just might not want your services, or may not have salary cap room. But there are plenty of situations like the one with Rick Fox, who turned down $18 million (from Cleveland) to sign for $1 million (with the Lakers) -- I can think of five or six players who turned down huge sums of money to play for (less with) another team. "So it's a myth that players are being hurt by the system. Many of them have turned down lucrative deals. I think the Agreement is working out extremely well. It's not a perfect Agreement, but the players are much richer than people thought they would be."

nba.679 nba.news, 10 Oct 97

Rippin' Pippen New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy isn't too worried about Chicago Bulls forward Scottie Pippen being out for three months because of foot surgery. "The only guy who has an effect on winning or losing is Michael Jordan," Van Gundy said. "That's it." Van Gundy also had an idea of what the Bulls can do with Phil Jackson's famous triangle offense. "They should call it triangle 23," Van Gundy said. "Give him the ball and get out of the way." Passing the torch In this month's Men's Journal, Mike Lupica asked people around the NBA which young player they thought was ready to carry the league's torch after Michael Jordan departs. Grant Hill, Anfernee Hardaway, Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett are named the likely successors. Atlanta Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens: "The league wants it to be Grant, I know that. But I'm not sure if Grant can ever be that guy." TNT's Doc Rivers: "I believe Garnett might be the one to watch, just in terms of star quality." Red Auerbach on Shaq: "He does have that smile." And what does Charles Barkley think of Hardaway? "The jury's still out on the personality, because I'm still not sure the boy has one." Pssst ... Magic Johnson has signed with BIG Entertainment to develop textbooks, children's books, novels, and action figure cartoon characters with special appeal to children.

nba.680 vpoznanovic, 10 Oct 97

Da li ste se i vi kao i ja pitali zašto već više od mjesec dana nema nove rang liste igrača za naredni NBA draft? Odgovor je u poruci 4.669. :(

nba.681 gligo, 11 Oct 97 -> #622, nba.news

> "I think God sent me Larry Brown," point guard Allen Iverson > said Tuesday. "I think we've got the best coach for me. > Everybody told me I wouldn't be able to deal with Larry Brown, > that he's too hard on point guards and we wouldn't mix. > > "I have no problem doing what coach asks me to do," he said. Ha,ha, vidim ja ko je novi (stari) lider tima.....

nba.682 gligo, 11 Oct 97 -> #675, nba.news

> McGrady's leap > > BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The dunk was so spectacular that it will be > talked about for years, like when Julius Erving jumped from the > foul line and the 5-foot-7 Spud Webb spun 360 degrees and made > it look easy. Zna li ovaj jos nesto sem da dobro zakuca ? ;)

nba.683 gligo, 11 Oct 97 -> #676, nba.news

> Though he acknowledges being disgusted by the grandeur of some > contracts being signed -- Minnesota's Kevin Garnett recently > signed for $123 million -- Malone says everybody has missed his > point. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > ^^^^^ > "It's not about money," he said. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ma ne, uopste nije do toga....:) Jos kad je video kako mutavi Ostertag potpisuje za 40 mil.$ nacisto je puk'o. Sve, sve, al' ta patetika....

nba.684 gligo, 11 Oct 97 -> #662, vpoznanovic

> Philadelphia at New York 104:101 OT Eh, za koga navijati kad se sastanu ovakva, dva najbolja tima u ligi.......:)

nba.685 gligo, 11 Oct 97 -> #679, nba.news

> In this month's Men's Journal, Mike Lupica asked people around > the NBA which young player they thought was ready to carry the > league's torch after Michael Jordan departs. > Atlanta Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens: "The league wants it to be > Grant, I know that. But I'm not sure if Grant can ever be that > guy." > TNT's Doc Rivers: "I believe Garnett might be the one to watch, > just in terms of star quality." > Red Auerbach on Shaq: "He does have that smile." gligo: " Allen Iverson. League don't wants it to be Allen, I know that. But the games he played and still playing..... That's something special. "

nba.686 vpoznanovic, 11 Oct 97

Potpuna statistika utakmice između Charlottea i Golden Statea nije objavljena. 1997 NBA Preseason Friday, October 10 Atlanta at Boston 113:89 Indiana at Cleveland 98:105 Minnesota at Detroit 81:79 Orlando at Houston 92:98 Seattle at Chicago 100:79 Portland at Sacramento 107:96 Charlotte at Golden State 109:98 L.A. Lakers at Phoenix 91:93 NBA AT STATE COLLEGE PA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- ATLANTA 25 25 35 28 113 BOSTON 24 18 16 31 89 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: ATL - CHRIS CRAWFORD 16, CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 14, STEVE SMITH 14 BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 27, BRUCE BOWEN 11, TRAVIS KNIGHT 8 HIGH REBOUND: ATL - DIKEMBE MUTOMBO 14, CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 9 BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 16, TRAVIS KNIGHT 9 HIGH ASSISTS: ATL - STEVE SMITH 3, CHRIS CRAWFORD 3 BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 3, TYUS EDNEY 3 ATT: 6,124 NBA AT DAYTON OH FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- INDIANA 23 25 27 23 98 CLEVELAND 28 26 29 22 105 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: IND - REGGIE MILLER 15, THREE PLAYERS WITH 14 CLE - SHAWN KEMP 16, WESLEY PERSON 12, VITALY POTAPENKO 11 HIGH REBOUND: IND - TRAVIS BEST 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4 CLE - VITALY POTAPENKO 7, SHAWN KEMP 4 HIGH ASSISTS: IND - CHRIS MULLIN 5, REGGIE MILLER 5 CLE - BOB SURA 7, DEREK ANDERSON 4 ATT: 8,487 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- MINNESOTA 17 22 24 18 81 DETROIT 23 20 20 16 79 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: MIN - KEVIN GARNETT 16, MICHEAL WILLIAMS 10, FOUR PLAYERS WITH 8 DET - GRANT HILL 16, LINDSEY HUNTER 13, TWO PLAYERS WITH 10 HIGH REBOUND: MIN - CLIFFORD ROZIER 11, CHEROKEE PARKS 6 DET - BRIAN WILLIAMS 8, AARON MCKIE 8 HIGH ASSISTS: MIN - TOM GUGIOTTA 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3 DET - LINDSEY HUNTER 6, GRANT HILL 4 ATT: 14,185 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- ORLANDO 25 14 18 35 92 HOUSTON 20 32 27 19 98 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: ORL - ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 18, DEREK HARPER 15, BRIAN EVANS 14 HOU - HAKEEM OLAJUWON 20, CLYDE DREXLER 15, TWO PLAYERS WITH 11 HIGH REBOUND: ORL - BRIAN EVANS 8, CHARLES OUTLAW 6 HOU - CHARLES BARKLEY 9, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6 HIGH ASSISTS: ORL - DARRELL ARMSTRONG 7, THREE PLAYERS WITH 2 HOU - RODRICK RHODES 6, CLYDE DREXLER 5 ATT: 16,285 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- SEATTLE 23 21 28 28 100 CHICAGO 26 22 10 21 79 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: SEA - VIN BAKER 24, SAM PERKINS 14, FOUR PLAYERS WITH 10 CHI - MICHAEL JORDAN 15, LUC LONGLEY 11, JASON CAFFEY 8 HIGH REBOUND: SEA - JEROME KERSEY 11, TWO PLAYERS WITH 7 CHI - JASON CAFFEY 7, TONI KUKOC 6 HIGH ASSISTS: SEA - ERIC SNOW 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5 CHI - TONI KUKOC 3, RANDY BROWN 2 ATT: 23,469 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PORTLAND 18 27 30 32 107 SACRAMENTO 23 32 19 22 96 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: POR - STACEY AUGMON 18, RASHEED WALLACE 16, GARY TRENT 14 SAC - OLDEN POLYNICE 33, CORLISS WILLIAMSON 16, LAWRENCE FUNDERBURKE 16 HIGH REBOUND: POR - KELVIN CATO 9, GARY TRENT 7 SAC - OLDEN POLYNICE 8, BILLY OWENS 8 HIGH ASSISTS: POR - KENNY ANDERSON 7, JOHN CROTTY 6 SAC - BOBBY HURLEY 6, KEVIN SALVADORI 4 ATT: 13,617 NBA AT SAN JOSE ARENA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- CHARLOTTE 30 33 21 25 109 GOLDEN STATE 27 23 19 29 98 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: CHA - MATT GEIGER 19, ANTHONY MASON 12, VLADE DIVAC 12 GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 20, JOE SMITH 12 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- LA LAKERS 34 20 20 17 91 PHOENIX 32 15 19 27 93 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 27, ROBERT HORRY 16, EDDIE JONES 14 PHO - DANNY MANNING 24, ANTONIO MCDYESS 13, CEDRIC CEBALLOS 12 HIGH REBOUND: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 15, TWO PLAYERS WITH 10 PHO - CLIFF ROBINSON 9, JASON KIDD 9 HIGH ASSISTS: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 4, DEREK FISHER 3 PHO - JASON KIDD 10, REX CHAPMAN 5 ATT: 19,023 Saturday, October 11 Vancouver vs. L.A. Clippers at Anaheim, Calif., 4:00 p.m. Toronto vs. Indiana at Fort Wayne, Ind., 7:00 p.m. Orlando vs. Detroit at Grand Rapids, Mich., 7:30 p.m. San Antonio vs. Washington at Fairfax, Va., 7:30 p.m. Seattle vs. Chicago at Lawrence, Kan., 8:30 p.m. Boston vs. Atlanta at Huntsville, Ala., 8:30 p.m. Houston at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Charlotte at Utah, 9:00 p.m.

nba.687 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

ATLANTA (113) AT BOSTON (89) ATLANTA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === LAETTNER F 24 5-7 4-7 4 5 9 1 2 1 3 14 CORBIN F 24 3-9 5-6 1 2 3 2 2 0 3 11 MUTOMBO C 27 1-2 8-12 3 11 14 0 3 0 1 10 SMITH G 24 3-9 7-8 0 1 1 3 2 1 1 14 BLAYLOCK G 26 3-9 2-2 0 4 4 2 1 1 2 8 CRAWFORD 17 6-9 4-7 4 2 6 3 5 0 1 16 GRAY 17 4-9 5-6 0 2 2 1 2 2 2 13 BROWN 20 1-2 3-4 0 3 3 1 6 0 0 5 MILLER 17 2-4 2-4 0 2 2 1 4 1 2 6 WHITESIDE 17 2-5 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 5 RECASNER 14 3-4 0-0 1 3 4 1 0 0 4 7 BARRY 5 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 STEIGENGA 5 1-1 0-0 1 3 4 1 2 0 0 2 ANDERSON 3 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 TOTALS 240 35-73 40-56 15 40 55 17 31 6 21 113 (.479) (.714) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 21(21 PTS) BOSTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === BOWEN F 17 2-7 7-8 3 0 3 0 5 1 0 11 MILLS F 25 2-9 3-4 2 3 5 2 3 1 0 7 ELLISON C 14 2-3 0-0 3 1 4 0 4 0 3 4 BROWN G 19 1-7 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 WALKER G 31 9-19 8-10 6 10 16 3 4 2 4 27 MINOR 21 2-8 2-4 2 1 3 1 2 0 1 7 DECLERCQ 25 1-2 3-6 0 1 1 1 4 4 3 5 BILLUPS 20 0-7 1-2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 MERCER 19 3-13 0-0 1 1 2 0 5 2 0 6 KNIGHT 17 3-8 2-2 4 5 9 0 5 1 4 8 BARROS 15 0-6 4-4 0 1 1 2 2 0 1 4 MASSENBURG 9 1-3 3-4 5 1 6 0 2 0 0 5 EDNEY 8 1-3 0-1 1 1 2 3 1 0 0 2 TOTALS 240 27-95 33-45 27 26 53 13 38 13 17 89 (.284) (.733) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 17(20 PTS) ATLANTA 25 25 35 28 - 113 BOSTON 24 18 16 31 - 89 BLOCKED SHOTS: ATLANTA - MUTOMBO 3, CRAWFORD. BOSTON - MERCER, MASSENBURG. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ATLANTA 3-6 (.500), SMITH 1-1, BLAYLOCK 0-2, WHITESIDE 1-1, RECASNER 1-1, BARRY 0-1. BOSTON 2-13 (.154), BROWN 0-1, WALKER 1-2, MINOR 1-2, BILLUPS 0-3, KNIGHT 0-1, BARROS 0-4. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: JOE DEROSA, JIM KINSEY. A - 6,124. T - 0:00. ATLANTA (113) AT BOSTON (89) Christian Laettner scored 14 points and the Atlanta Hawks opened up a tight game with a huge third quarter to rout the Boston Celtics, 113-89, spoiling the debut of Celtics coach Rick Pitino in the exhibition opener for both clubs. Steve Smith also had 14 points for the Hawks, who led 50-42 at the half before outscoring Boston 35-16 to take an 85-58 lead after three quarters. Ed Gray, Atlanta's first round selection in the NBA draft, added 12 points. Antoine Walker scored 15 of his 27 points in the first half to lead Boston. The Celtics lured Pitino away from the University of Kentucky in the offseason, signing him to a to 10-year, $70 million contract to become head coach and team president.

nba.688 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

INDIANA (98) AT CLEVELAND (105) INDIANA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MULLIN F 23 4-8 0-0 0 1 1 5 2 1 0 8 D DAVIS F 23 4-6 1-3 3 1 4 0 5 0 4 9 SMITS C 19 4-5 6-9 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 14 MILLER G 30 6-17 2-2 0 2 2 5 3 0 1 15 JACKSON G 12 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 3 1 0 4 0 A DAVIS 13 0-1 1-2 1 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 BEST 29 5-9 2-3 2 3 5 4 3 0 3 14 WEST 18 1-1 3-4 1 3 4 0 3 0 0 5 ROSE 18 6-11 0-2 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 14 HOIBERG 18 2-6 5-5 0 1 1 3 4 0 1 10 LINDEMAN 11 0-0 0-2 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 CROSHERE 2 1-1 2-4 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 4 POPE 19 2-7 0-0 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 4 BOHANNON 5 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 35-74 22-36 12 18 30 24 28 6 20 98 (.473) (.611) TEAM REBS: 14 TOTAL TO: 20(24 PTS) CLEVELAND REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === PERSON F 19 5-6 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 2 0 12 KEMP F 18 5-12 6-8 2 2 4 2 4 1 1 16 POTAPENKO C 18 4-6 3-4 2 5 7 0 5 0 2 11 SURA G 19 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 7 1 1 3 2 ANDERSON G 19 0-1 5-6 0 2 2 4 2 3 0 5 BUTLER 17 2-3 0-0 0 2 2 2 2 0 1 4 DOUGLAS 14 2-3 3-4 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 7 FERRY 17 3-5 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 7 HENDERSON 17 2-5 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 1 3 4 ILGAUSKAS 18 3-5 1-2 0 2 2 1 3 0 2 7 MARSHALL 9 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 SCOTT 12 2-2 3-6 2 1 3 1 2 1 0 7 CALDWELL 13 0-2 4-4 1 2 3 1 2 0 1 4 JAMES 9 1-3 3-4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 KNIGHT 9 1-2 1-1 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 3 FORD 6 2-2 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 ALLEN 6 0-1 1-2 0 1 1 2 1 2 0 1 TOTALS 240 35-65 31-43 9 26 35 25 28 13 17 105 (.538) (.721) TEAM REBS: 16 TOTAL TO: 19(18 PTS) INDIANA 23 25 27 23 - 98 CLEVELAND 28 26 29 22 - 105 BLOCKED SHOTS: INDIANA - D DAVIS, SMITS, MILLER, WEST. CLEVELAND - ILGAUSKAS 3, SURA, HENDERSON, JAMES. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: INDIANA 6-16 (.375), MILLER 1-6, BEST 2-3, ROSE 2-3, HOIBERG 1-3, POPE 0-1. CLEVELAND 4-9 (.444), PERSON 2-3, FERRY 1-1, HENDERSON 0-1, MARSHALL 0-2, JAMES 0-1, FORD 1-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: DERRICK STAFFORD, TOMMIE WOOD, NOLAN FINE. A - 8,487. T - 2:18. INDIANA (98) AT CLEVELAND (105) Shawn Kemp scored 16 points in his first game for Cleveland as the Cavaliers opened their exhibition season with a 105-98 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Dayton, Ohio. Kemp, acquired from the Seattle SuperSonics in a three-way trade with Milwaukee last month had all 15 of his points through three quarters. Bob Sura taking over at point guard for Terrell Brandon, who was sent to Milwaukee in the Kemp trade, added seven assists. Vitaly Potapenko chipped in with seven rebounds for Cleveland. Reggie Miller's 15 points led Indiana. Chris Mullin, playing in his first game for the Pacers since being acquired from Golden State, added eight points and five assists. Travis Best led the Pacers on the boards with six rebounds.

nba.689 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

MINNESOTA (81) AT DETROIT (79) MINNESOTA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === K GARNETT F 32 8-16 0-0 1 4 5 3 4 1 5 16 GUGLIOTTA F 21 4-11 0-0 1 4 5 4 5 0 2 8 GRANT C 25 2-6 0-0 1 1 2 0 3 0 2 4 HEAL G 24 3-6 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 0 2 8 WEST G 20 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 MITCHELL 21 2-6 0-1 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 4 PORTER 21 2-5 4-4 0 4 4 3 0 0 1 8 PARKS 23 2-5 4-6 3 3 6 0 4 0 1 8 ROZIER 21 2-4 2-4 1 10 11 0 2 1 1 6 WILLIAMS 21 4-6 2-3 0 2 2 2 3 2 3 10 KING 8 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 COLLINS 3 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 TOTALS 240 33-71 12-18 7 32 39 15 26 5 20 81 (.465) (.667) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 20(27 PTS) DETROIT REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HILL F 25 7-13 2-4 1 1 2 4 0 3 4 16 G LONG F 15 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 3 0 2 0 B WILLIAMS C 22 3-7 4-8 3 5 8 2 2 2 2 10 HUNTER G 35 4-12 4-6 1 3 4 6 0 2 2 13 DUMARS G 18 4-9 2-2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 MCKIE 20 1-4 0-0 2 6 8 2 3 0 2 2 RATLIFF 26 3-8 0-1 3 1 4 0 3 0 3 6 SEALY 23 2-7 4-4 0 3 3 1 2 2 2 8 ROBINSON 5 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 REID 15 0-0 3-4 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 3 J WILLIAMS 16 4-8 0-0 2 5 7 1 0 0 0 8 OBANNON 10 1-4 0-0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 2 POLLARD 6 0-2 0-0 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 MAHORN 4 0-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 TOTALS 240 29-79 19-29 18 30 48 16 18 10 17 79 (.367) (.655) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 19(17 PTS) MINNESOTA 17 22 24 18 - 81 DETROIT 23 20 20 16 - 79 BLOCKED SHOTS: MINNESOTA - PARKS 4, PORTER 3. DETROIT - B WILLIAMS 2, RATLIFF 2, POLLARD. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MINNESOTA 3-9 (.333), K GARNETT 0-1, HEAL 2-5, WEST 0-1, ROZIER 0-1, COLLINS 1-1. DETROIT 2-10 (.200), HUNTER 1-4, DUMARS 0-3, MCKIE 0-1, MAHORN 1-2. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: ED MIDDLETON, DAN CRAWFORD, BENNIE ADAMS. A - 14,185. T - 2:08. MINNESOTA (81) AT DETROIT (79) Cherokee Parks made two free throws with nine-tenths of a second left to give the Minnesota Timberwolves an 81-79 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the exhibition opener for both teams. The game was tied at 79-79 when Parks, who finished with eight points, was fouled by Pistons' newcomer Brian Williams to set up the winning points. Kevin Garnett, in his first game since signing a six-year, $120 million contract, led the Timberwolves with 16 points. Micheal Williams added 10. Second-year point guard Stephon Marbury sat out the game with a sprained left pinky finger. Grant Hill had 16 points and Lindsey Hunter added 11 for the Pistons. Brian Williams, who signed as a free agent during the off-season after playing with the Chicago Bulls last year, contributed 10 points, as did veteran Joe Dumars.

nba.690 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

ORLANDO (92) AT HOUSTON (98) ORLANDO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ANDERSON F 29 2-11 0-0 1 2 3 2 2 0 0 4 STRONG F 14 1-3 2-3 2 2 4 0 2 2 0 4 SEIKALY C 15 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 6 3 4 0 A HARDAWAY G 30 7-17 4-6 0 2 2 2 0 4 3 18 D HARPER G 28 6-13 1-2 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 15 OUTLAW 34 5-8 2-4 4 2 6 1 5 3 1 12 KEMPTON 14 3-6 0-1 1 3 4 0 2 0 1 6 ARMSTRONG 21 4-12 4-5 0 3 3 7 2 1 2 12 EVANS 27 5-12 3-5 4 4 8 1 2 1 1 14 VAUGHN 16 1-3 5-6 3 2 5 2 2 0 0 7 BRUNSON 3 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 OBANNON 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 LAWSON 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 34-89 21-32 15 21 36 17 28 17 13 92 (.382) (.656) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 13(18 PTS) HOUSTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ELIE F 20 1-1 2-3 1 3 4 3 2 2 2 4 BARKLEY F 24 3-5 5-10 3 6 9 1 4 1 3 11 OLAJUWON C 23 7-8 6-8 0 5 5 0 2 0 3 20 DREXLER G 23 7-10 0-0 0 2 2 5 2 1 4 15 MALONEY G 27 1-4 2-3 0 2 2 2 1 0 1 5 RHODES 28 3-3 5-8 0 0 0 6 3 1 5 11 JOHNSON 25 3-9 3-4 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 10 LIVINGSTON 8 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 WILLIS 20 2-6 0-0 0 6 6 1 1 1 0 4 HARRINGTON 20 5-8 0-0 2 4 6 1 2 0 2 10 DAVIS 13 0-1 2-2 1 4 5 3 4 1 3 2 ZWIKKER 5 2-3 2-2 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 6 BRANDT 4 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 34-62 27-40 9 33 42 25 26 7 25 98 (.548) (.675) TEAM REBS: 17 TOTAL TO: 26(22 PTS) ORLANDO 25 14 18 35 - 92 HOUSTON 20 32 27 19 - 98 BLOCKED SHOTS: ORLANDO - EVANS 2, OUTLAW. HOUSTON - HARRINGTON 2, MALONEY, OLAJUWON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ORLANDO 3-11 (.273), ANDERSON 0-2, A HARDAWAY 0-1, D HARPER 2-2, ARMSTRONG 0-4, EVANS 1-2. HOUSTON 3-11 (.273), DREXLER 1-2, MALONEY 1-4, JOHNSON 1-4, DAVIS 0-1. TECHNICALS: HOUSTON - ILLEGAL DEFENSE. OFFICIALS: JIM CLARK, BILL SPOONER, WOODY MAYFIELD. A - 16,285. T - 2:14. ORLANDO (92) AT HOUSTON (98) Hakeem Olajuwon scored 20 points and the Houston Rockets capitalized on a key second-quarter run to post a 98-92 victory over the Orlando Magic in the exhibition opener for both clubs. Olajuwon had 14 of his points in the first half as the Rockets turned a 25-20 first quarter deficit into a 52-39 lead at halftime. Clyde Drexler had 15 points and Charles Barkley added 11 and nine rebounds for the Rockets. The Magic were led by Penny Hardaway's 18 points. Derek Harper, acquired in the offseason from the Dallas Mavericks added 15 points and Brian Evans finished with 14 and eight rebounds for the Magic. Orlando outscored the Rockets 35-19 in the fourth quarter to make the final score respectable. The game marked the debut of Orlando coach Chuck Daly, who agreed to a three-year contract in the offseason. The 66-year-old Daly has not coached since he left the New Jersey Nets after the 1993-94 season.

nba.691 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

SEATTLE (100) AT CHICAGO (79) SEATTLE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === KERSEY F 21 0-5 0-0 4 7 11 0 3 2 0 0 PERKINS F 19 5-11 1-2 2 2 4 1 2 1 1 14 BAKER C 25 8-13 8-9 2 3 5 1 3 0 2 24 SNOW G 27 4-8 2-2 1 1 2 8 2 0 1 10 HAWKINS G 22 4-6 1-2 1 1 2 5 2 0 3 10 WILLIAMS 26 5-10 0-0 2 1 3 1 3 1 0 10 WINGATE 15 1-8 0-0 4 0 4 2 2 2 0 2 HOWARD 24 4-10 2-4 3 4 7 1 3 3 4 10 EHLO 18 2-6 0-0 0 2 2 3 3 2 2 6 COTTON 21 1-4 2-2 1 2 3 5 2 1 4 4 ELLIS 19 4-9 0-0 1 6 7 1 1 0 0 8 STOKES 3 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 TOTALS 240 39-91 16-21 21 30 51 29 26 12 17 100 (.429) (.762) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 18(15 PTS) CHICAGO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === KUKOC F 19 0-3 2-2 1 5 6 3 2 0 0 2 CAFFEY F 23 3-6 2-4 1 6 7 1 3 0 2 8 LONGLEY C 15 4-7 3-3 0 1 1 1 3 1 1 11 BROWN G 17 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 JORDAN G 23 6-12 3-4 0 1 1 1 0 2 3 15 KERR 18 1-6 1-2 0 3 3 1 0 1 1 4 BURRELL 19 2-7 2-4 4 1 5 1 1 1 3 6 BOOTH 17 3-6 1-2 1 1 2 1 0 1 3 7 BUECHLER 20 2-4 0-0 0 3 3 1 3 1 1 4 WENNINGTON 17 1-5 0-0 2 2 4 1 1 1 3 2 KLEINE 9 0-0 1-2 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 LARUE 13 2-6 2-2 1 4 5 0 2 1 1 7 GORENC 10 1-3 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 CALABRIA 8 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 DAVID 8 1-1 1-2 0 0 0 1 2 2 1 3 HAMILTON 4 1-3 0-0 2 1 3 0 3 0 1 2 TOTALS 240 28-74 21-31 13 30 43 16 24 11 22 79 (.378) (.677) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 23(28 PTS) SEATTLE 23 21 28 28 - 100 CHICAGO 26 22 10 21 - 79 BLOCKED SHOTS: SEATTLE - SNOW 2, ELLIS. CHICAGO - DAVID 2, LONGLEY 2, KUKOC, JORDAN, BOOTH, BUECHLER, WENNINGTON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SEATTLE 6-11 (.545), PERKINS 3-4, HAWKINS 1-2, EHLO 2-3, COTTON 0-1, ELLIS 0-1. CHICAGO 2-12 (.167), JORDAN 0-1, KERR 1-4, BURRELL 0-2, BUECHLER 0-1, LARUE 1-1, GORENC 0-1, CALABRIA 0-2. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: DEE KANTNER, HUGH EVANS, MONTY MCCUTCHEN. A - 23,469. T - 2:03. SEATTLE (100) AT CHICAGO (79) Newly acquired Vin Baker scored 24 points to lead the Seattle SuperSonics to a 100-79 victory over the Chicago Bulls in the exhibition opener for both teams. Baker, who was traded to Seattle from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-way deal involving the Cleveland Cavaliers, played 25 minutes and shot 8-of-13 from the floor. Sam Perkins tallied 14 points and Eric Snow added 10 and eight assists for Seattle. Michael Jordan scored 15 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor in 23 minutes for Chicago. Luc Longley added 11 points and Jason Caffey grabbed seven rebounds for the Bulls, who shot just 38 percent (28-of-74) from the field.

nba.692 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

PORTLAND (107) AT SACRAMENTO (96) PORTLAND REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === GRANT F 12 1-2 2-2 0 4 4 0 1 1 2 4 WALLACE F 28 7-10 2-4 1 4 5 0 2 2 1 16 SABONIS C 17 0-0 2-2 0 3 3 2 4 1 1 2 RIDER G 27 3-9 2-2 1 1 2 3 1 0 4 11 ANDERSON G 24 4-13 3-5 2 0 2 7 3 3 1 11 CATO 21 2-4 2-4 4 5 9 1 5 1 1 6 TRENT 21 7-9 0-0 3 4 7 0 6 2 3 14 ONEAL 17 2-7 2-2 1 3 4 0 2 0 1 6 CROTTY 24 3-4 4-4 0 0 0 6 1 1 2 11 AUGMON 21 5-6 8-10 1 1 2 1 2 1 4 18 HIGGINS 13 2-6 0-0 2 2 4 1 2 0 0 4 WINGFIELD 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 WILLIAMS 8 1-3 1-2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3 BELL 4 0-1 1-2 2 1 3 0 3 0 0 1 ASKEW DNP - SPRAINED LEFT ANKLE LISTER DNP - COACH'S DECISION TOTALS 240 37-74 29-39 17 29 46 21 34 12 22 107 (.500) (.744) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 23(23 PTS) SACRAMENTO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === C WILLIAMSON F 24 5-10 6-8 1 1 2 1 2 0 3 16 SMITH F 20 0-2 1-4 1 2 3 3 1 2 1 1 POLYNICE C 25 13-18 7-11 6 2 8 2 4 0 1 33 DEHERE G 25 1-4 1-2 1 2 3 1 1 0 2 3 HURLEY G 23 0-7 0-0 0 3 3 6 1 2 3 0 OWENS 24 2-7 2-6 2 6 8 1 1 2 4 6 SALVADORI 18 2-4 0-2 3 0 3 4 4 1 0 4 JOHNSON 22 2-5 0-2 1 0 1 2 6 0 3 4 ABDUL-RAUF 11 3-7 0-0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 7 FUNDERBURKE 21 8-13 0-2 4 2 6 1 3 0 1 16 SAINT JEAN 20 2-9 2-4 1 0 1 2 4 1 2 6 STEWART 5 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 GRIMM 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GAMBLE DNP - COACH'S DECISION RICHMOND DNP - SORE RIGHT ACHILLES SIMMONS DNP - REHABILITATION ON RIGHT KNEE TOTALS 240 38-87 19-41 22 19 41 24 29 8 21 96 (.437) (.463) TEAM REBS: 20 TOTAL TO: 22(22 PTS) PORTLAND 18 27 30 32 - 107 SACRAMENTO 23 32 19 22 - 96 BLOCKED SHOTS: PORTLAND - WALLACE 4, CATO 2, ANDERSON, BELL. SACRAMENTO - OWENS 2, C WILLIAMSON, POLYNICE, SAINT JEAN. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PORTLAND 4-8 (.500), RIDER 3-4, ANDERSON 0-1, CROTTY 1-1, HIGGINS 0-1, WILLIAMS 0-1. SACRAMENTO 1-5 (.200), HURLEY 0-2, OWENS 0-1, ABDUL-RAUF 1-1, FUNDERBURKE 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: JACK NIES, TOMMY NUNEZ, BILL KENNEDY. A - 13,617. T - 2:17. PORTLAND (107) AT SACRAMENTO (96) Stacey Augmon scored 18 points off the bench and Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and five rebounds to lift the Portland Trail Blazers to a 107-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the exhibition opener for both teams. Portland, down by 10 at the half, rallied for 62 second-half points in Mike Dunleavy's debut as Trail Blazers coach. Kenny Anderson added 11 points and seven assists for the Blazers who played without the services of forward Brian Grant in the second half. Grant, a former King, strained his left hamstring in the second quarter and did not return. Sacramento center Olden Polynice scored 33 points, surpassing his regular season career-high of 30. Corliss Williamson and rookie Lawrence Funderburke chipped in with 16 points each for the Kings, who played without shooting guard Mitch Richmond who was a late scratch due to a sore right achilles heel. The Kings first-round draft choice Olivier Saint-Jean scored six points on 2-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes.

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CHARLOTTE (109) AT GOLDEN STATE (98) Matt Geiger scored 19 points as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Golden State Warriors, 109-98, in the exhibition opener for both teams. Anthony Mason and Vlade Divac added 12 points apiece for the Hornets, who played without leading scorer Glen Rice. Rice, who was third in the league in scoring last year at 26.8 points per game, did not travel with the team to attend a family wedding. Latrell Sprewell scored 20 points and Joe Smith contributed 12 for the Warriors, playing their first game under coach P.J. Carlesimo. Golden State guard B.J. Armstrong left the game late in the third quarter after suffering a mouth injury.

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LA LAKERS (91) AT PHOENIX (93) LA LAKERS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HORRY F 29 6-12 0-0 3 7 10 2 2 0 0 16 CAMPBELL F 27 4-8 3-4 3 7 10 1 4 0 0 11 ONEAL C 37 9-18 9-19 4 11 15 4 4 1 6 27 FISHER G 39 4-7 4-5 0 3 3 3 1 3 0 12 JONES G 29 6-14 0-0 3 0 3 1 4 2 3 14 FOX 26 2-7 0-0 2 0 2 0 4 0 4 5 BRYANT 16 1-7 2-2 0 0 0 1 4 1 3 4 BLOUNT 17 1-6 0-0 3 4 7 1 4 0 1 2 ROOKS 8 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 BARRY 9 0-5 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 SEALS 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 TOTALS 240 33-85 18-30 20 32 52 14 29 8 20 91 (.388) (.600) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 20(22 PTS) PHOENIX REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === CHAPMAN F 26 4-12 0-0 0 3 3 5 0 3 1 9 MCDYESS F 25 5-10 3-4 1 7 8 1 3 1 5 13 WILLIAMS C 4 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 KIDD G 35 1-4 5-7 4 5 9 10 2 0 3 7 JOHNSON G 12 1-4 1-2 1 1 2 3 0 0 2 3 CUNNINGHAM 6 1-1 1-3 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 3 MANNING 31 11-19 1-2 2 5 7 1 3 0 2 24 CEBALLOS 19 3-8 6-8 5 1 6 1 1 0 2 12 LLAMAS 7 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 4 1 1 2 MILLARD 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ROBINSON 31 1-6 2-2 1 8 9 1 3 1 1 4 BRYANT 12 1-2 3-6 3 0 3 0 6 2 1 5 NASH 27 4-8 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 11 JACKSON 4 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 33-78 22-34 17 33 50 25 30 8 19 93 (.423) (.647) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 19(20 PTS) LA LAKERS 34 20 20 17 - 91 PHOENIX 32 15 19 27 - 93 BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - FOX, ONEAL, BLOUNT, JONES. PHOENIX - ROBINSON 2, MANNING 2, MCDYESS 2, JOHNSON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 7-20 (.350), HORRY 4-8, FISHER 0-2, JONES 2-3, FOX 1-3, BRYANT 0-3, BARRY 0-1. PHOENIX 5-13 (.385), CHAPMAN 1-3, KIDD 0-1, JOHNSON 0-1, MANNING 1-1, ROBINSON 0-2, NASH 3-4, JACKSON 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: TED BERNHARDT, BOB DELANEY, KEVIN FEHR. A - 19,023. T - 2:26. LA LAKERS (91) AT PHOENIX (93) Danny Manning's 15-footer from left baseline with 2.9 seconds left in regulation lifted the Phoenix Suns to a 93-91 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the exhibition opener for both teams. Manning, who hit 11-of-19 shots from the field, led the Suns with 24 points. Jason Kidd, who found Manning with the pass that led to the winning shot, led the Suns with 10 assists and had nine rebounds. Antonio McDyess, playing in his first game for the Suns since being acquired from Denver, added 13 points and eight rebounds. Shaquille O'Neal paced the Lakers with 27 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers, who had an 80-69 lead with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter, also got 16 points and 10 rebounds from Robert Horry and 10 boards from Eldon Campbell.

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'The Worm' returns to Bulls DEERFIELD, Ill. (Oct 10, 1997 - 17:10 EDT) -- The rainbow hair. The tattooed torso. The pierced nostril. The feather boa. The flying elbows. The acid tongue. And, the Chicago Bulls hope, lots of rebounds. They're all back, in the person of Dennis Rodman. "I think Dennis knows that this is an opportunity for him to stand up behind a year which was marred with not just suspensions but also injuries that cost him a lot of games," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said Friday after the team announced that their flamboyant forward had agreed to contract terms. "What we really want Dennis to do is play 70, 75 games for us. He's going to have to stay healthy and he's going to have to stay in a position where he's not suspended or kicked out of games." Rodman, who missed 14 games because of three separate suspensions and 13 more with a knee injury last season, was scheduled to take a physical examination before he could sign the one-year deal. He wasn't available for comment. The six-time NBA rebounding leader wasn't expected to play in the defending champions' exhibition opener Friday night against Seattle. But general manager Jerry Krause said Rodman might play against the SuperSonics Saturday at Lawrence, Kan. Asked if he felt Rodman could behave himself, Krause said: "I think he can. I don't think there's any problem with Dennis. There hasn't been." Ted Barnhardt, Joe Wolf and Eugene Amos might disagree. Barnhardt was the referee Rodman head-butted in his first season with the Bulls (six-game suspension). Wolf was the Milwaukee player Rodman smacked in the groin last March (one game). Amos was the television cameraman Rodman kicked last January (11 games). Even Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf suspended "the Worm" -- for two games last December after Rodman's profanity-laced diatribe during a postgame interview. Jackson is Rodman's most vocal supporter, but he offered no guarantees about the player's behavior this season. "I've learned one thing: Don't predict anything from Dennis," Jackson said. "If you do, you just set yourself up." Michael Jordan said the Bulls can't afford Dennis to be a menace this season, especially with Scottie Pippen to miss about three months after undergoing foot surgery earlier this week. "He's one of the leaders of this team," Jordan said. "He may not want to look at it in that sense, but he is, because of the energy he brings to the court. We're going to be asking for a lot of that now that Scottie isn't going to be there." Rodman averaged 16 rebounds last season, but only half as many in the playoffs, when he was limited by a sore knee and a shortage of playing time as he drew at least one technical foul in each of the Bulls' first 13 postseason games. Neither Krause nor Rodman's agent, Dwight Manley, would discuss terms of the contract. Reports have mentioned a base salary between $3 million and $4.5 million with incentives that could push the deal close to $10 million. Rodman's salary last season was $6.3 million plus deferred compensation, bringing the deal to about $9 million, but he lost more than $1 million to suspensions and fines. During the NBA Finals in Salt Lake City, he received the largest fine in league history, $50,000, for derogatory comments about Mormons. Rodman more than made up for the lost income by writing two autobiographies, appearing in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie and starring in his own cable TV show. "If he wants to play basketball, he's one of the best there is," teammate Toni Kukoc said. "It's just about his mind, whether he wants to play ... or do all this other stuff."

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Ailments complicate Rodman's return DEERFIELD, Ill. (Oct 10, 1997 - 20:58 EDT) -- The man with the multicolored hair hasn't re-signed with the Chicago Bulls yet. Dennis Rodman has agreed to terms on a one-year contract but didn't finish taking his physical examination Friday because of bronchitis and a touch of pneumonia, general manager Jerry Krause said. Rodman returned to California and will not accompany the defending NBA champions to Paris for next week's McDonald's Championship. The Bulls already are without All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, who underwent foot surgery Monday and will miss up to three months. Krause had scheduled a news conference before Friday night's exhibition opener against Seattle, but he canceled it abruptly when he got the news about Rodman, the league's six-time rebounding leader. Krause then refused to answer questions and referred reporters to a news release from the team's media services department. "After seeing Bulls team physician Dr. Jeffrey Weinberg, it was determined that (Rodman) was not well enough to take a stress test," Krause said in the statement. "Dennis will be treated with antibiotics for another week." Rodman wasn't available for comment. Krause said Rodman's knee, which was injured late last season, "is fine," and said the flamboyant forward "is expected to return to Chicago for the completion of his physical and to sign his contract when the team returns from Paris." It's always something with the "Worm," whose tattooed torso, pierced nose, collection of women's clothing and foul mouth usually overshadow his rebounding prowess. Nevertheless, coach Phil Jackson expects a big year from Rodman -- when he's finally able to play. "I think Dennis knows that this is an opportunity for him to stand up behind a year which was marred with not just suspensions but also injuries that cost him a lot of games," Jackson said. "What we really want Dennis to do is play 70, 75 games for us. He's going to have to stay healthy and he's going to have to stay in a position where he's not suspended or kicked out of games." Last season, Rodman missed 14 games because of three suspensions and 13 more with his knee injury. Asked early Friday if he felt Rodman could behave himself, Krause said: "I think he can. I don't think there's any problem with Dennis. There hasn't been." Ted Bernhardt, Joe Wolf and Eugene Amos might disagree. Bernhardt was the referee Rodman head-butted in his first season with the Bulls (six-game suspension). Wolf was the Milwaukee player Rodman smacked in the groin last March (one game). Amos was the television cameraman Rodman kicked last January (11 games). Even Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf suspended the Worm -- for two games last December after Rodman's profanity-laced diatribe during a postgame interview. Jackson is Rodman's most vocal supporter, but he offered no guarantees about the player's behavior this season. "I've learned one thing: Don't predict anything from Dennis," Jackson said. "If you do, you just set yourself up." Michael Jordan said the Bulls can't afford Dennis to be a menace. "He's one of the leaders of this team," Jordan said. "He may not want to look at it in that sense, but he is, because of the energy he brings to the court. We're going to be asking for a lot of that now that Scottie isn't going to be there." Rodman averaged 16 rebounds last season but only half as many in the playoffs, when he was limited by a sore knee and a shortage of playing time as he drew at least one technical foul in each of the Bulls' first 13 postseason games. Neither Krause nor Rodman's agent, Dwight Manley, would discuss terms of the contract. Reports have mentioned a base salary between $3 million and $4.5 million with incentives that could push the deal close to $10 million. Rodman's salary last season was $6.3 million plus deferred compensation, bringing the deal to about $9 million, but he lost more than $1 million to suspensions and fines. During the NBA Finals in Salt Lake City, he received the largest fine in league history, $50,000, for derogatory comments about Mormons. Rodman more than made up for the lost income by writing two autobiographies, appearing in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie and starring in his own cable TV show. "If he wants to play basketball, he's one of the best there is," teammate Toni Kukoc said. "It's just about his mind, whether he wants to play ... or do all this other stuff."

nba.697 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

SuperSonics 100, Bulls 79 CHICAGO (AP) Michael Jordan played less than half the game. Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Ron Harper didn't play at all. So it wasn't all that surprising the Chicago Bulls lost their exhibition opener Friday night, 100-79, to the Seattle SuperSonics. "We've kind of been put in a hole by injuries and whatever, but I'd rather have it now than at the end of the season," said Jordan, who scored 15 points in 23 minutes. "I don't think it was an indication of what the Chicago Bulls are all about." Pippen underwent foot surgery Monday and will miss up to three months. Rodman, bothered by bronchitis and a touch of pneumonia, couldn't complete his physical examination Friday and isn't expected to sign his new one-year contract for about two weeks. Harper is bothered by sore knees. Asked if the game provided a glimpse of what life will be like without Pippen, Steve Kerr said: "I hope not. If it is, we're in trouble." Even when healthy, however, the Bulls often sputter in exhibitions. They were 5-3 and 4-4 in the last two preseasons, but still went 141-23 in the best back-to-back regular seasons in NBA history and went on to win consecutive championships. "We've been going easy in training camp. We haven't been running too much and that showed," Kerr said, noting that Seattle outscored the Bulls 28-10 in the third quarter. "We just ran out of gas." The Sonics also were shorthanded. They were without starters Gary Payton (sore back) and Detlef Schrempf (hand surgery), as well as backups Nate McMillan (knee surgery) and Jim McIlvaine (sprained ankle). But they got a great game from newcomer Vin Baker, who had 24 points in 25 minutes. Acquired from Milwaukee in last month's big three-team trade that sent disgruntled Shawn Kemp to Cleveland, Baker was simply too powerful and quick for the Bulls. "I'm not here to fill any shoes. I'm just here to help the Sonics chase a championship," he said. "I'm excited. I see a great opportunity for me. It opens up all kinds of new things for me." The teams meet again Saturday night in Lawrence, Kan.

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Croshere breaks hand in Pacers' exhibition game DAYTON, Ohio (Oct 10, 1997 - 22:58 EDT) -- Austin Croshere, the Indiana Pacers' first-round draft pick, broke his left hand Friday night in the second quarter of an exhibition game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Croshere, the 12th overall pick out of Providence, said he hurt the hand going for a rebound. Doctors told him he'll probably be out for six weeks. "The thing that's disappointing is I spent so long getting ready and in shape for training camp, I was happy with how I did at training camp and now I have to sit and watch for six weeks," Croshere said. Croshere will be examined by team Dr. Sanford Kunkel in Indianapolis on Saturday. Croshere signed a three-year, $4 million deal in July. He played only two minutes Friday night, scoring four points.

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Howard to miss Wizards' preseason opener SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Washington Wizards forward Juwan Howard will sit out Saturday's preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs because of a sprained right ankle, the team said. X-rays revealed no fracture. But the sprain Howard suffered Thursday night during an intrasquad scrimmage is severe enough that doctors advised him to sit out the Spurs game at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., said Maureen Lewis, Wizards spokeswoman. After Howard missed a double-pump layup, rookie free agent forward Chuck Kornegay grabbed the rebound and dunked it, but his feet got tangled with Howard's. It's not clear yet when Howard would be well enough to play, Ms. Lewis said. Training camp ended Friday.

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Sacramento says so-long to King, Fish Sacramento, CA (TSN) - The Sacramento Kings waived free agents Stacey King and Matt Fish Friday, reducing the club's preseason roster to 16. King, once a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls from Oklahoma, was a member of three NBA championship teams with the Bulls (1991-93). The 6-11 forward/center has averaged 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 438 regular-season games for Chicago, Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas. Fish, a journeyman center from North Carolina-Wilmington, was selected in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft. He played in 50 regular-season games with the Los Angeles Clippers, New York, Denver, Washington and Miami. The 6-11, 235-pound Fish enjoyed his best season with the Clippers in 1994-95, averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 26 games.

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Knicks-Blazers trade dispute goes to arbitrator, Knicks win NEW YORK (Oct 10, 1997 - 20:58 EDT) -- A dispute between general managers Ernie Grunfeld of New York and Bob Whitsitt of Portland held up the Chris Dudley-John Wallace trade for another day until an arbitrator ruled in the Knicks' favor Friday. It was the second major conflict between the GMs since the trade was first agreed to Aug. 19. NBA arbitrator Kenneth Dam, a University of Chicago law professor, was called in to resolve the dispute Thursday night when Grunfeld and Whitsitt disagreed over whether a first-round draft pick going from New York to Portland was lottery protected in 1999 and thereafter. Lottery protection allows the team that traded the pick to hang on to it if it is among the first 13 selections. Whitsitt claimed Grunfeld did not extend lottery protection to the pick for the 1999 draft. The arbitrator told Whitsitt to present documentation supporting his claim, and the Portland GM was unable to do so by Friday. "It was made more difficult than it needed to be," Grunfeld said. "They didn't gain anything. I'm glad it's over. The trade came out exactly the way we agreed to it." Whitsitt called the trade a "win-win situation" for both Dudley and Portland since Dudley is going to New York -- the one and only city he wanted to go to -- and the Blazers got a draft pick in return for a free agent that they originally had no intention of re-signing. This was the second time the arbitrator ruled against Whitsitt regarding the drawn-out Dudley trade saga. The NBA voided the deal when it was made, Dam overruled the league and the dispute went to a three-man appeals panel that ruled Thursday it must proceed. "It's been a lot of turmoil," Dudley said. "It was difficult not knowing where my wife and I were going to move to, whether to put our house in Portland on the market, being in limbo for so long." During the original arbitration hearing, Dam noted that Grunfeld and Whitsitt "disagreed on many of the facts ... with regard to what transpired in the conversations between them. I have concluded ... the Grunfeld testimony was more credible than the Whitsitt testimony." Dam added that he found the Whitsitt testimony "to lack credibility." "When you have the union, the Knicks, the player and the agent on one side, the league on another and yourself on the outside, that's probably why it would seem that way. No one ever said I lied or Ernie lied," Whitsitt said. The Knicks get Dudley, who will be Patrick Ewing's backup at center, the Toronto Raptors get second-year forward John Wallace, the Trail Blazers have the option to take New York's 1998 No. 1 pick (it remains lottery protected in perpetuity), Portland also gets a No. 2 pick in 2000 from Toronto and New York receives the Raptors' lottery-protected No. 1 pick in 1998. "I'm ready to get on with my life and the season," Wallace said. "I'm a Raptor now. They (the Knicks) are the enemy. I have to treat them as such."

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National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 10 1997 Detroit Pistons: Released guard Randolph Childress from his contract so he can play with Tofas of the Turkish professional league. Los Angeles Clippers: Waived forward Quinn Harowood and swingmen Malcolm Leak and Mark Young. Toronto Raptors: Waived forward Julius Nwosu. Utah Jazz: Waived forward Bryon Ruffner. Oct 9 1997 Minnesota Timberwolves: Released Virginius Praskevicius and Gordon Malone; signed Chris Collins. Utah Jazz: Waived forward Nate Green.

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NBA Modifies Illegal Defense Rule The NBA Board of Governors approved a recommendation by the League's Competition Committee today to modify the guidelines regarding illegal defenses. Previously, if two offensive players were positioned above the tip-of-circle extended on either the strongside or weakside, the defenders had to play above the free throw line extended. Now, if two offensive players on the weakside are positioned above the tip-of-circle extended, the defender may occupy any area on the weakside, including below the free throw line extended. However, that weakside defensive player cannot enter the inside lane, except to aggressively defend the ball, defend an offensive player who is open due to a double-team on the ball, or as a normal reaction to a ball fake. Following a ball fake, the defender must either double-team the ball or return to a legal position. The rule is to take effect immediately. The Competition Committee already approved a return to the old, longer three-point line for the upcoming season. The three-point line is now 23 feet, nine inches on top and 22 feet along the sidelines. The three-point line was instituted in 1979 as it stands currently and was shortened to a uniform 22-foot semicircle in 1994. Among the other changes enforced is the prohibition of players calling a timeout when they are above or beyond the boundary line. A player may no longer be able to call timeout if both of his feet are in the air and any part of his body has broken the vertical plane of the sideline or baseline. Another recommendation approved was to prohibit players from using a forearm on offensive players facing the basket in order to impede their progress. This automatically will be called a foul. The "no-charge area" near the basket will be expanded. The "no-charge area," where an offensive call is not called if contact is made with a secondary defensive player who has established position, will be the area consisting of a half circle with a four-foot radius measured from the middle of the goal.

nba.704 nba.news, 11 Oct 97

Woman says she was injured inside room of Pacers' player ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct 10, 1997 - 15:05 EDT) -- An Orlando woman sustained a severely broken jaw when she was attacked by a man inside an apartment where Dale Davis of the Indiana Pacers was staying during the team's training camp, police said today. Shala Miller, 19, was taken to a hospital for treatment about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. She was released Thursday night. Police said it appeared that no team members were involved in the incident, which occurred at a two-level townhouse at the Disney Institute that Davis was occupying. Commander Steve Jones, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office, said the woman was struck after she took issue with a remark the man made about another woman in the group of about a half dozen people at Davis's apartment. "Our investigators talked to Dale Davis, and he apparently -- even though he was in the same (apartment) -- didn't hear any of this, which we find difficult to understand because there was blood all over the kitchen and the female was taken to the hospital in an ambulance." Pacers teammate Rik Smits, in the apartment next door, heard the fight, investigators said. Pacers officials cooperated with police, Jones said. However, "the investigators didn't think very highly of Mr. Davis' cooperation," he said. "They said he was smiling like he didn't care," Jones said. "Usually, if you have somebody around who's that seriously hurt, you would show some kind of concern." Police were still looking for the attacker, identified by the woman only as "Tyrone." Davis declined to comment on the incident. Pacers spokesman David Benner, asked to respond to Jones' comments, said today, "We're not going to comment on that because the investigation is still going on. But we're comfortable that Dale was not involved in the incident." Pacers President Donnie Walsh said he has received no indication that Davis was guilty of any wrongdoing. Pacers coach Larry Bird said the matter remains under investigation.