He ruined his team’s chances in the playoffs. When the pressure peaked, he cracked. Teams around the NBA were afraid to take a chance on him when his team finally ran out of patience. His trade value plummeted to the point that offers for the league’s best defensive player came down to backups.
Yes, that is how the Bulls got Dennis Rodman from the Spurs for Will Perdue. Less known is that Bulls coach Phil Jackson lobbied for fellow bad boy Derrick Coleman, who had exasperated all in New Jersey by then. But Coleman had three years left on a big contract at the time and Rodman was going into his final season. The Bulls, who told Jackson he could take a chance on Rodman, went on to win 72 games in 1995-96 and the first of three titles in Michael Jordan’s comeback.
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The Bulls probably could have done the same with any decent power forward. After all, Rodman missed 45 games his first two seasons with the Bulls because of injury and suspension. While he was out, the Bulls won more than 80 percent of their games. That was a higher percentage than when Rodman played.
Jackson now is said to be willing to take a chance on another of the NBA’s problem kids, Ron Artest. Jackson has mentioned privately in recent years that Artest is a player he likes.
“I don’t see how you’re going to get [trade] value out of this player who, in my estimation, is one of the most valuable players in the league,” the Lakers coach said last week in Los Angeles. “Of course, I estimate him perhaps higher than other people. I think he’s a terrific player. He adds a big dimension to every game he plays in.”
The Artest situation may be a little different, though, because Rodman, despite his antics, generally knew where the line was that he couldn’t cross. Artest doesn’t seem to know what a line is.
Now, a week after demanding to be traded, Artest and his agent are saying Artest didn’t know what he was talking about and wants to stay with the Pacers.
Most of the Pacers put on a good show all preseason about how much they wanted Artest back. (They were basically told their best chance to get rid of him was to rehabilitate him.) But now they generally agree they’re better off without him. Jermaine O’Neal, who privately had feuded with and covered for Artest, said he didn’t want him back. Rookie Sarunas Jasikevicius, who has seen war in Eastern Europe but nothing like Artest, told reporters in New York after a Pacers win Saturday that, “Things are much better now in Pacerland.”
The problem in Pacerland is that it may be difficult to deal Artest. One general manager said he’s interested but added: “We can’t give up much with that risk, so I don’t know if we’d been in it.”
Names most often mentioned in possible Artest trade scenarios include Atlanta’s Al Harrington, who let Pacers officials know last season that he’d like to return, and Sacramento’s Peja Stojakovic (the Kings say they’re not interested in Artest). There also is talk the Pacers will play out the season and try to rebuild.
Big names who were talked about last summer–like the Clippers’ Corey Maggette and the Celtics’ Paul Pierce–likely will come on the market again, though neither seems likely to end up with the Pacers.
The most motivated buyer is said to be Denver. George Karl isn’t being called a genius anymore, with the Nuggets under .500 after losing in Atlanta on Sunday. But Karl is the coach who took a chance on Anthony Mason in Milwaukee, and Carmelo Anthony is lobbying for Artest. Seattle, Washington and Golden State also have been mentioned as possible trade partners.
And what about Miami? Pat Riley has a strong personality in Shaquille O’Neal, but Artest could endure him for a while. If Riley doesn’t think the Heat can get past the Pistons, it’s clear from his off-season moves he’s willing to try anything. Most teams seem to be waiting for the Pacers to make a move before entertaining other trades.
Trouble in Jersey
Not that anyone is that excited, but players who are talking about getting traded include Washington’s Chucky Atkins and Jeff McInnis and New Jersey’s Marc Jackson. The Nets are big-time underachievers and behind the scenes they’re focused on Vince Carter. He doesn’t seem to like to run the court. That has slowed a running game many believed would make the Nets a serious contender. Also there is his defense, which has never been good. He could be the one to go if the Nets continue to stagger.
New York, New York
Eddy Curry remains out with an ankle sprain for the Knicks, who are about to be passed by the Hawks in the conference standings. Those around the team say Stephon Marbury now responds to questions about coach Larry Brown with either “no comment” or “next question.” Brown is saying he realizes his job will be harder than he thought. Said Brown: “One guy asked me, `How do I know the [shot clock] time?’ Well, it’s on top of the backboard. I never thought I’d have to have that kind of response, but you can’t take anything for granted.” . . . Malik Rose and Knicks rookie Nate Robinson got into a fight in the shower after a game. Rose said it was over not paying off a bet. A few days later, Rose said he was joking. Apparently someone from the NBA told him gambling looks worse than the fighting. The New York Post headline: “Brown’s Clowns!”
Nun better
That wacky Allen Iverson. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that Iverson won a poker hand in Atlantic City but that the dealer gave him too many chips back, approximately $10,000 worth. When the dealer realized his mistake, he asked Iverson to return the chips, but Iverson refused and a loud argument with the casino staff ensued. The Philadelphia Daily News writer asked Iverson about the incident, but Iverson turned to his personal assistant and said, “Tell him to kiss my [butt].”
Iverson then said, “Tell him to write the most devilish story he can write about me. If he says I did something, just tell him all those things are true. And say I hit somebody, too, and I cursed at a nun.”
Sight seen
Yes, that was Matt Barnes you saw sleeping on the floor at O’Hare International Airport last week. The 76ers signed him (he had been home in California after being cut by the Knicks), but while trying to change planes in Chicago, he was stuck overnight because of bad weather. . . . Announcer and Hall of Fame center Bill Walton doesn’t seem that impressed with the Mavericks’ Erick Dampier. Said Walton: “The Mavericks are the second-best team in the Western Conference right now, clearly a step behind San Antonio because of the limitations of Erick Dampier. It looked like they were moving forward when they bought out Shawn Bradley’s contract. Now, they still have him. His name just changed to Erick Dampier.” . . . They call it “Jeff’s rant of the week” in Houston and this week it was on players who complain about their roles. Said Jeff Van Gundy: “`I don’t know what my role is.’ Translation: `I don’t like my role. I don’t get to shoot enough.’ I never hear, `I don’t know what my role is’ from a good player. It’s always the [bad] players whose role is `sit your [butt] on the bench because you [stink] and we have a better chance of winning without you.'” . . . Portland’s Zach Randolph got himself benched again for being late for shootaround. He said he forgot when they start. Hey, he is making only $10.7 million this season. . . . Former Bull Fred Hoiberg had an echocardiogram that looked good last week. Doctors turned down his pacemaker, with Hoiberg’s natural heartbeat kicking in. “It was about the best news possible,” Hoiberg said.
Chief concern
Utah’s Deron Williams made a rookie mistake when he was arrested for giving police a false identity after a bar fight last week. It probably wasn’t a good idea, either, to be partying with fellow rookie Robert Whaley, whose past includes a statutory-rape charge that ended in a mistrial when he was in high school and two felony counts that were plea-bargained to probation after a campus brawl at a Kansas community college. Williams said he was “Torrey Ellis.” He should have just said Ron Artest. Williams’ first season, meanwhile, hasn’t been any better than that of former Illini teammate Luther Head, who ranks 11th in the league in three-pointers.
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Holiday message
A little trash-talking from Pat Riley. Reacting to Damon Jones’ comments that Stan Van Gundy was set up to fail, Riley said: “That’s why he’s who he is. If he said that, it’s a lie. But that’s why he’s Damon Jones.” Riley, 60, also sounds somewhat more mellow. “For some reason it has become a very negative society in a lot of ways,” he said. “All we look for is the headline instead of the truth in everything. We could all be nicer to one another.”
Good will toward men. Check. Peace on earth too?
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