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Freedom of speech Supporters question league's right to fine CubanPosted: Friday January 18, 2002 5:18 PM
Neither rain, nor snow, nor Dairy Queen Blizzard can keep Mark Cuban from making the rounds. This week's mailbag was filled with letters about the maverick Mavs owner and his recent $500,000 fine for criticizing the league's referees. Many are supportive of Cuban's position, or at least his right to take it. Ryan Bass from Holland, Mich., wonders why NBA owners and players get fined simply for voicing their opinions. Kenny from Huntsville, Ala., wants to know if the league requires them to sign a First Amendment waiver. Cesar Ricardo from the Dominican Republic asks, "Whatever happened to freedom of speech?" Sorry, folks, but the First Amendment applies to the U.S. Government, not to private corporations. When Cuban bought into the NBA, he agreed to follow its rules, one of which is that its employees must not publicly demean the product. Cuban has every right to say what he wants, but his bosses have every right to fine him. Now onto the 'bag: Given salary-cap restrictions, what trades can the Knicks make that would improve their team? How about trading Latrell Sprewell and Kurt Thomas to the Blazers for Rasheed Wallace and, say, Bonzi Wells? Then you could slide Wells or Shandon Anderson into the small forward slot. I think Wallace and Marcus Camby would have a nice presence down low. What do you think? -- Andrew Cohen, New York City This trade would be great for the Knicks, Andrew. But it takes two to make a deal, and Portland isn't going to bite. Blazers GM Bob Whitsitt might want to get rid of 'Sheed, but he knows he can't leave his team without any reliable low-post threat to draw double teams. A Sprewell-Camby deal makes more sense, but Camby isn't any better than Thomas on the blocks. Until Portland finds another low post scorer, it can't afford to give away Wallace. Is it true the Clippers are interested in trading Lamar Odom and Jeff McInnis for players in the last year of their contracts, draft picks and cash? Considering Pat Riley's lust after Odom back when he was being drafted and the Heat's obviously flawed roster, would Riles make a run at Odom? Miami has its first-round draft pick, and it could be a high lottery selection. Is this just a desperate fan's pipe dream? -- Mike Liroff, Hanover, NH You never know with the Clippers, Mike. Owner Don Sterling is probably getting nervous about having to pay Odom and Elton Brand max money in two years. Also, Odom's suspension for drug use has put his lack of maturity back into focus. But it is very doubtful L.A. would give up a stud like Odom right now. The Clippers have a good chance at making the playoffs, which would mean extra revenue for the club. It looks like Riley is going to have to wait until the summer at earliest to try to snare Odom. With the emergence of Rockets forward Eddie Griffin, do you think that Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley may not have the Rookie of the Year award wrapped up like so many people thought? -- Fred Chapman, Flint, Mich. The Rookie of the Year race is still wide open. Tinsley has had a good start, but Grizzlies forwards Pau Gasol and Shane Battier both have to be considered leading candidates as well. Now Griffin, the 6-foot-9 forward from Seton Hall, is coming on strong. In fact, if there's any justice, Griffin will get the nod to replace Spurs point guard Tony Parker (sprained ankle) in the Rookie Game at next month's All-Star Weekend. In my opinion, the Bulls traded away the only conerstone the franchise had in Elton Brand. Now what do they do? Should they take Duke point guard Jason Williams if he is available in the draft? And what three young players would you keep on the current Bulls roster? -- Ralphael Longmire, Forest Park, Ill. The Bulls need help in lots of areas, Ralphael. Jason Williams looks like he'd be a good addition. Keep in mind, though, Chicago already has a promising point guard in Jamal Crawford, who has been injured all season. Depending on how well he performs when he comes back, the club might have to consider drafting a true center like 7-foot-5 Yao Ming. Either way, Chicago's future is bright. Crawford, Ron Artest, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Marcus Fizer and second-round pick Trenton Hassel all can play. If the Bulls can keep them all together, or use them wisely in trades, they could be decent again in a few years. Most of the praise for the Wizards' recent turnaround has gone to Michael Jordan, with a little on the side to Rip Hamilton. But isn't it also due to the form of Popeye Jones as a reliable low-post presence, who does a lot of the dirty work? -- Nkrumah Makinwa, State College, Pa. Glad you mentioned that, Nkrumah. It seems like every time I watch the Wizards these days, old Popeye is hitting an open jumper off a screen-and-roll, making a sound defensive play or grabbing a clutch rebound. At age 31, after several disappointing seasons marred by injury, Jones finally seems to be regaining the form that made him one of the better blue-collar guys in the league during his Dallas days. The fact that he's one of the nicest guys in the NBA only makes it better. When is Nuggets forward Antonio McDyess going to get back, and what kind of impact will he have? Will his return be enough to make Nick Van Exel change his mind about wanting a trade? -- Daniel Parker, Charlotte The latest on McDyess, who has been out nearly all season with a knee injury, is that he might decide to wait until 2002-03 to come back. McDyess apparently feels that with the Nuggets' playoff chances fading fast, there is no point in rushing back. However, McDyess was said to be making progress in his rehab; he even slam-dunked a ball at a recent charity event. Look for him to have a change of heart soon and make it back later this season. It probably won't change Van Exel's mind, but it will help Denver feel better about its future. Now that the Pistons have come back to earth from their ethereal start, what are their chances for the rest of the season? -- John Stickford, Chicago The Pistons are better than last year, but they're still probably not going to make the playoffs. Though they got off to a great start, their lack of rebounding and erratic point guard play has brought them back down to earth. With the Hornets and Sixers having yet to play to their potential, it's going to be hard for Detroit to hold on to that No. 8 spot in the East. Who does the NBA's scheduling? The Clippers played 22 of their first 30 games at home. No wonder they started 16-14, way better than their talent would indicate. This seems like an unfair boost. What's the explanation for such wackiness? -- Mickey Tveter, North Attleboro, Mass. NBA schedules are made by the league office. It is an enormous task, given that many teams share arenas with NHL teams and have special needs regarding dates and times. The league also has to accommodate its TV partners, NBC and Turner. In the Clippers' case, the lopsided schedule was mostly because the Staples Center was booked to host the NHL All-Star Game, the Grammys and the U.S. Figure Skating Championship this year. The Clips might have benefited early, but they've been paying the price on the road of late. In the end, it all comes out in the wash. After reading about Mark Cuban's latest fine for criticizing NBA officials, I wondered, "where does the fine money go?" My hope would be that the NBA donates this "instant money" to charity. Any ideas? -- Peter Gray, St. Paul, Minn. That's correct, Peter. An NBA spokesman said the money collected by the league for fines is split among charities determined by the league and the players' association. So apparently Cuban's criticisms are doing some good, after all. Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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