Man in the middle

Nets looking forward to getting Mutombo back in lineup

Before his team's game against the Celtics last week, Nets center Dikembe Mutombo was on the Continental Airlines Arena floor with his teammates, shooting, dribbling and showing no obvious ill effects from the wrist injury that has kept him out much of the season.

"I'm feeling good," Mutombo said. "I can't wait to get back."

With Mutombo set to return as early as next week, the big question for the Nets is do they really want him back? Even before his injury the veteran 7-footer was having trouble adjusting to the team's Princeton offense, which required him to work the high post more and handle the ball. Some observers wonder if he'll disrupt the team's chemistry just a month before the playoffs.

"I'm not concerned at all," coach Byron Scott said. "The fact that he's doing a lot of dummy stuff [on his own in practice] now helps. He's in good shape. I'm not worried about it.

"I'll bring him along gradually and hope that by the time the playoffs start, that he's got his timing back."

New Jersey's lack of an interior defensive presence has cost it several games this season, with the likes of Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Andrei Kirilenko, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson scoring key baskets inside late in games. The Nets say Mutombo's fly-swatter presence inside might have made a difference. They also say his shot-blocking ability could help ignite the team's offense by creating more fast breaks.

"We've missed his presence, period," Scott said. "He's a guy that everybody on the [other team] has to know where he is at all times. They have to locate Dikembe, because, otherwise they're going to get their shot blocked or they're going to have to alter their shot. Then maybe they end up taking shots they otherwise might not take.

"And he'll help our rebounding. He makes a big difference there. We can also use him to defend post-ups without help. So we're definitely looking forward to him getting back."

Is Korean 7-footer the next Yao?

Some are calling him the next Yao Ming. Others say he's way too raw to even be considered a decent prospect yet. In any event, expect to hear more in the coming year about South Korean center Ha Seung-jin.

Ha, a 7-foot-3, 300-pound center, is a high school star in his native Seoul. According to scouting reports, the 18-year-old has size, dexterity, composure, stamina and a nice touch on his jump shot. Unfortunately, he hasn't played against anything close to NBA competition, so nobody really knows how good he is.

According to the Korea Times, Ha recently returned from a week-long visit to Los Angeles to work out for officials from the SFX Sports Group, which represents several pro athletes. He also apparently plans to enter the 2004 NBA Draft.

"I feel that the NBA is not just a pipe dream," he told the Korea Times.

Jordan likely to retire as No. 1 scorer

It looks as if Michael Jordan will hold onto his status as the game's all-time greatest scorer. With 15 games remaining, beginning Friday night in Phoenix, Jordan is averaging 30.2 points for his career. Wilt Chamberlain, second all-time, owns a 30.1 scoring average.

Two weeks ago, with Jordan battling back and thigh problems, it seemed he might be vulnerable to dropping below Wilt on the all-time list. However, Jordan has been able to play through the ailments so far. As of Thursday, he needed to average just 17.5 points per game the rest of the way to ensure that he would retire ahead of Wilt on the all-time list.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.

 

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