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Panic button It's a little early for closed-door meetings in CharlottePosted: Thursday November 22, 2001 3:43 PM
The Charlotte Hornets are off to a 5-6 start, and they've already called two team meetings this season. The first, after Charlotte had lost three in a row, was a players-only meeting. The second was a 30-minute closed-door conference between head coach Paul Silas and the starters following the team's lackluster 97-87 home loss to Portland last weekend. It's a little early for that kind of thing, and the problems the Hornets have can't be fixed through meetings, anyway. Losing Brad Miller and then Eddie Robinson in consecutive offseasons to Chicago weakened their bench, and they're a little banged-up -- Jamal Mashburn pulled his groin and David Wesley is nursing a sore foot. And while they're not as strong as they have been, the Eastern Conference has gotten tougher. In fact, Charlotte is no longer a lock to make the playoffs, and that realization must have sunk in, because it looks as if there's a little panic somewhere along the line. Silas isn't a likely candidate for that, though. He's a very low-key, basic, old pro; it's not his M.O. at all. So it might be coming from up above him. Their attendance isn't what they were hoping for, and they're trying to look attractive to other cities. A winning team would help that.
Van Gundy doesn't take compliments wellDespite his team's 5-8 start, Knicks' GM Scott Layden gave this vote of confidence to head coach Jeff Van Gundy last week: "I'm still very positive about the group for several reasons. The thing is, we're very well coached and it's good to know when we struggle or go through tough times, you are well coached." Van Gundy wasn't having any of it, though. "Scott's a great guy, and he's great to work for, and he meant well," he said in response. "I'm not doing a great job. If I was doing a great job, we'd be winning."
The thing is, Van Gundy has more clout in that organization than Layden. Layden may have the GM title, but Van Gundy has the power, so a pat on the back from Layden isn't worth much to Van Gundy. And while no one enjoys losing, Van Gundy isn't going to be able to accept it. One telling sign is that he's started to mess with the minutes of Mark Jackson and Allan Houston, and that may be a bigger indication of panic than the meetings in Charlotte, because it's really out of character for him. But, like the Hornets, the Knicks are missing a key player in Marcus Camby, and his return could turn things around quickly.
Cuban, Shaq stir things upShaquille O'Neal is hitting 55 percent of his free throws this season. That's two percent better than his career average, and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says that vast improvement can be credited to Shaq's bending the rules. Cuban recently complained that Shaq steps over the line before the ball hits the basket. NBA senior vice president Stu Jackson must have agreed, because he told referees to keep a close eye on the Lakers center. No violations have been called as of yet -- probably because Cuban was getting a little too technical. If Shaq is violating the rules, it's not obvious. You'd have to watch a slow-motion replay to see what he's doing. The real story here is that Cuban loves stirring up trouble, and Shaq likes it, too, so they're both enjoying the spotlight. It's just two guys having a little fun and getting their names in the paper -- as if they really need to work to do that.
Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/SI's This Week in the NBA.
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