All I want for Christmas is someone who can get a rebound, defend an opponent with size and take pressure off the guards.
Yes, this is the time for all those corny sports wish lists, but this one could rescue the Bulls from what looks like six months of mediocrity. Granted, this was supposed to be the Bulls’ fall-back season before next summer’s free-agent bounty, so the question is whether the Bulls should even try to do something to become more competitive–or whether it’s even possible.
And whether what seemed impossible a few months ago should occur: Trade Ben Gordon.
Even given my unofficial title as shadow general manager, I’m not sure any move would make sense now. It’s hard to see where this Bulls team could go with one trade. Since division winners get the top seeds, there seems little chance the Bulls could get a first-round playoff bye, so why panic for a likely opening-round playoff ouster?
But this mini-guard thing is getting old and seems to be breaking down. And the odd man out might well be Gordon. Not because he has played poorly, but because he is valuable and still has considerable value around the NBA after being the first rookie ever to win Sixth Man of the Year Award.
There is little question Gordon, despite not saying much, believes he’s a starting player. That’s a bigger issue than most believe with young players.
Listen to the Celtics’ Paul Pierce: “I remember my first couple of years, I was playing for my next contract. Even though I wanted to win games, you’re playing for your NBA livelihood. Your first two or three years are your most important. I think they think about winning, but at the same time they want to play well and be the best individual you can be.”
Though it won’t become an issue for at least a year, another problem with a youth movement is that most players come up for contracts at about the same time, meaning the Bulls could be looking at almost simultaneous demands from Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon and Andres Nocioni. You can’t pay them all.
There have been rumors all season, denied by Gordon, that he would like to be traded. It may not be a bad time to think about it if the Bulls can find a piece that fits for the future.
The Bulls continue to play hard and it’s impressive to watch the relentlessness of their style. But the size issue that they and everyone else talked about to open the season appears to be having a cumulative effect. There’s really nothing wrong with playing the season out and taking the one or two lottery picks and salary-cap room and making moves. No one was predicting a championship this season.
But it may come time soon to get Hinrich to a full-time point guard position where he’ll play in the future for the Bulls and get Duhon back coming off the bench where he fits best with erratic shooting. Maybe use Deng some in the backcourt and find a power forward. Jannero Pargo isn’t as talented as Gordon, but he can score in bunches like Gordon does. Gordon is quite a luxury as a sixth man.
Maybe put a deal together with the Clippers for Chris Wilcox. The athletic power forward has little place with Elton Brand and Chris Kaman both getting at least 20 rebounds in the same game last week against Charlotte. It was the first time since Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere did it in 1970 that teammates had a 30/20 and 20/20.
The Bulls have eyed Denver’s Nene, who will be a free agent they can pursue after this season. He’s not playing after knee surgery. Unrestricted free agents will include Minnesota’s Michael Olowokandi, who last week said after a loss to Portland: “Perhaps if someone in a position of authority (coach Dwane Casey?) would have said something (about foul calls). I saw Nate McMillan, on their side, stand up to the refs.”
Another major free-agent center (yes, this could be a bad summer to recoup) is Portland’s Joel Przybilla. Other so called “bigs” probably available include: Charlotte’s Melvin Ely; Houston’s Stromile Swift, replaced after halftime as a starter last week by Lonny Baxter (yes, that Lonny Baxter); Milwaukee’s Dan Gadzuric; the 76ers’ Steven Hunter, who fell behind rookie free agent Shavlik Randolph in the rotation; Seattle’s Vitaly Potopenko; San Antonio’s Rasho Nesterovic; Boston’s Mark Blount; and the Hornets’ Chris Andersen.
Right, not much there. Perhaps the Bulls could make a run at Seattle’s Nick Collison, who went back to a reserve role.
Maybe go after a big perimeter player who can play defense, though why are so many of those guys nuts? Like Latrell Sprewell and Ruben Patterson. Maybe someone like Philadelphia’s John Salmons, who let a little secret out last week when he basically said the substitute teacher is coaching. Salmons said players were snickering about his shot selection on the bench in a loss.
Maurice Cheeks is a wonderful man, but with little defense and incidents like Chris Webber recently loudly telling an assistant to ask his permission before he is substituted for, it seems there’s little discipline in Philadelphia.
“This is not how a team should be.” Salmons said. “It’s been like this for a while.”
It’s no secret around the NBA that Pierce can be had. You don’t need a 7-footer to command a double team. Though I’m not a big fan, Pierce can score and take over quarters. At some point, the Bulls probably need to get a scoring star to make any significant move.
Perhaps Matt Harpring, who seems to be breaking down and is more of a small forward. It might be worth a run at the Hornets’ Desmond Mason, who hasn’t quite fit in after the trade from Milwaukee.
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If Al Harrington doesn’t go in a Ron Artest three-way deal, it seems like the Bulls can get him if they want as the Hawks are shopping for a first-round pick and the Bulls have two. I’d try to pry away Mickel Pietrus from Golden State, although they likely would want you to take Mike Dunleavy, recently overpaid and probably untradeable.
The Bulls may have to just sit back and do the best they can with what they have for now.
Hill for the taking?
Here’s an interesting thought for a team like the Bulls: Trade for Grant Hill. The Magic guard is back from his hernia surgery and playing well, though Orlando has lost four in a row.
With Hill’s contract ending after next season, one wonders whether the financially ailing Magic would take a first-round pick and someone like Tim Thomas to save about $16 million next season as the team looks like it needs to rebuild around Dwight Howard. The word in Orlando is there is a lot of internal griping about shots among the players. One can see the classy Hill quietly asking to finish his career where he may have a better chance to succeed. . . . Who has Jan. 7 in the “When does Tracy McGrady leave with injury” pool? When Yao Ming went out for what will be at least two months, McGrady said, “As long as I’m in that uniform and out on the court, we’ll be fine.” McGrady then shot 6-for-16, 2-for-11 and 4-for-17. “The season is slipping away,” Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said.
Friday was the 15th anniversary of what may be the most unbreakable NBA record, Scott Skiles’ 30 assists when Orlando beat Denver 155-116. It’s unlikely that mark can be challenged unless Paul Westhead, then the anti-defense coach of the Nuggets, comes back.
An offense to defense
Dirk Nowitzki was offended by Kobe Bryant’s 62 points against the Magic:
“I guess that’s what American sports are–a one-man show.”
Of course, Bryant might not have had such success if Nowitzki actually ever defended someone. It became clear no one in the NBA is treated more harshly than Bryant when ESPN hosts Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann spent considerable time blaming Bryant for not asking to stay in the game to go for 80 or 90 points. Bryant became the 19th different player to score at least 60 in a game. The feat has been accomplished 55 times, with Chamberlain doing it 32 times. That’s what you call most dominant.
The Jazz is worrying some over Deron Williams, an alleged point guard, who has led the team in shots 11 times with the team 1-10 in those games. . . . He can be ungrateful, like the way he walked out on the Nets and the Raptors, but Alonzo Mourning has been remarkable playing like every game is his last. And it could be. Last week was the two-year anniversary of when the NBA said goodbye to Mourning after a kidney transplant. He leads the NBA in blocks and is third in shooting.
Final shots
The excuse of the week came from Nuggets coach George Karl, who said after a loss to Washington that returning to the high elevation of Denver after a road trip is difficult. . . . The Clippers’ fall as the league’s top shooting defense coincided with the return of Shaun Livingston, who seems almost afraid to defend. . . .
Asking players about their favorite Christmas memory, the Washington Times got this remarkable and open admission from the Wizards’ Caron Butler about his release from a youth facility:
“Honestly, this is probably going to strike a nerve with a lot of people. But my most memorable Christmas memory was having all of my uncles and aunties out of prison for one Christmas, and that includes me. We had a lot of run-ins with the law, and to have us all out at one time was great.”
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SAM’S BIGGEST SURPRISES
Two months into the NBA season, there are some surprises. (A surprise is defined as something that wasn’t predicted by the media.) The Rockets, Nuggets and Kings aren’t as good as expected while the Clippers, Lakers and Grizzlies are better than we figured. We thought Kobe Bryant would be pretty good, and so would LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. But who are the guys no one expected to make a contribution, let alone become irreplaceable for their teams?
1. Mo Williams, Bucks
The big little-guard story in Milwaukee was the return of bottle-rocket T.J. Ford. But Williams, the 2003 second-round pick whom the Jazz let go after his rookie season, is averaging 15 points and is ninth in the league in three-point shooting. He finishes games instead of Ford because he is a better shooter and has hit two game-winning three-pointers at the buzzer this season.
2. Zaza Pachulia, Hawks
The 2003 second-round pick from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia was let go in the expansion draft, traded for a second-round pick and then signed by the Hawks as a free agent last summer when the Bucks elected to re-sign Dan Gadzuric instead. The early talk in Atlanta focused on all of its athletic forwards, but the tough 6-11 Pachulia is averaging 11.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, leading the team in double-doubles and leading the NBA in offensive rebounding.
3. David West, Hornets
The 2003 late first-rounder (18th) from Xavier played little the last two seasons. But the 6-9 forward has averaged 16 points and 7.2 rebounds. He has been a good pick-and-roll option with rookie point guard Chris Paul and is tough popping out to shoot and using his quickness at power forward.
4. Smush Parker, Lakers
The undrafted point guard from Fordham was released by the Pistons and Suns and played in the CBA, NBDL and Greece along with parts of two seasons with the Cavs, Pistons and Suns. But he has started all season for the Lakers and is averaging 11.5 points, shooting almost 40 percent on threes and ranks in the top 10 in the NBA in steals.
5. Boris Diaw, Suns
The French player who doesn’t make the tabloids because he doesn’t date someone from the TV show “Desperate Housewives” was a late first-rounder (21st) in 2003 and a throw-in in the Joe Johnson deal with Atlanta. The 6-8 swing-man has emerged as a Scottie Pippen-like player, averaging 10.7 points, more than six assists and six rebounds. He also can defend centers, forwards and guards.
SAM’S QUOTE OF THE WEEK
`How ’bout them Redskins?’
–Mavericks guard and Washington Redskins fan Darrell Armstrong, addressing the Mavs’ crowd last week after Washington beat the Dallas Cowboys. Owner Mark Cuban fined Armstrong $1,000 for the anti-Dallas comment.
SAM’S GAME OF THE WEEK
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Heat at Pistons
7 p.m. Thursday, TNT
There doesn’t seem to be any challenger for the Spurs in the Western Conference, so the East is the only race left. Perhaps Indiana or Cleveland will rise up, but it looks like the Pistons and Heat are heading for another conference finals meeting after last season’s seven-game series. The Heat has the two best players in Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade. The Pistons have the best record in the NBA.
SAM’S PLAY OF THE WEEK
The Bucks’ beautiful inbounds play with seventh-tenths of a second left to beat the Spurs. Rookie Andrew Bogut (below, center) got Rasho Nesterovic on his hip and lured him into fronting him. Toni Kukoc threw the inbounds pass over the top and the weakside guard cleared the area by cutting up top to leave Bogut open for a short bank shot. It was the Bucks’ third game-winner at the buzzer this season, not counting a Michael Redd winner with a second left. With the Bucks 9-0 in games decided by five points or fewer, early coach of the year consideration has to go to Terry Stotts for the team’s play under pressure.
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