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The waiting game High-schoolers take time to develop in NBAPosted: Tuesday April 01, 2003 1:52 PM
Who’s better: Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler or Eddy Curry? It’s been a common query to the mailbag over the past two seasons. The 2001 draft trio (Nos. 1, 2 and 4, respectively) have struggled to make the adjustment from the high school ranks to the NBA. Some already have labeled them busts. Others have said they need more time. In a recent 'bag, I mentioned that I thought Curry, the Bulls center who has struggled the most, might turn out to be the best of all. Lately he has done nothing to change my mind. Since the All-Star break, the 6-foot-11, 300-pounder has averaged 15.0 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 60.2 percent. The bottom line is, it is impossible to predict how fast an 18-year-old will develop. Earlier this season, the Wizards' Brown looked to have turned the corner. Then it was Chandler’s turn to break out in Chicago. Now it’s Curry who is looking like a future star. In today’s society, we love quick outcomes. Sometimes we just have to be patient. In the end, all three players probably will turn out to be pretty darn good. Now onto the 'bag:
I enjoyed your article covering the success of Joe Dumars as an executive. However, you failed to mention that while improving the team over the past year, the Pistons also will have three first-round picks in this year's draft, two of which could be lottery picks. The praises of Mr. Dumars should continue for some time. Don’t count on all those picks just yet. It’s still not certain the Pistons will have three first-rounders in the 2003 Draft. In addition to their own, they will get Memphis’ pick, assuming the Grizzlies don’t get the No. 1 overall pick. They also could get Milwaukee’s, but it's not a sure thing since it’s protected through No. 18. As for Joe D.’s role, he can’t take credit for the Memphis pick since it was part of the 1997 Otis Thorpe trade. But he didn’t trade it away, and now it looks like a pretty valuable asset.
Why won't the Lakers invest money in a power forward who will get them through the season as well as the playoffs? Lakers owner Jerry Buss didn't want to pay the luxury tax. With all the money tied up in Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, GM Mitch Kupchak had to make do with lesser-paid role players. It has worked the past three years. But if L.A. doesn’t win the title this season, a lot of fans will be left wondering what might have been had they signed Keon Clark or some other decent free-agent big man.
I'm sure Greg Popovich appreciates your putting him in your top five GMs article; the only problem is he isn't the GM. R.C. Buford is. Another prime example of how a large portion of the media ignore San Antonio, and when you reluctantly have to notice us down here, the facts aren't even correct. I believe inserting Buford in there would be your best recourse. Don’t be confused by the titles. For all practical purposes, Popovich is still the GM of the Spurs. He gave up the official title last summer to Buford (his assistant), but he’s still the one who calls the shots. By the way, his first name is spelled "Gregg," with two "g's" at the end. What are the top five backcourt combinations in the East in your opinion? -- Tom, Grand Rapids, Mich. In terms of both talent and overall effectiveness as a tandem, I’d say the top five (in no particular order) are: Sam Cassell/Gary Payton (Bucks); Eric Snow/Allen Iverson (Sixers); Jason Kidd/Kerry Kittles (Nets); Baron Davis/David Wesley (Hornets); and Chauncey Billups/Richard Hamilton (Pistons). Darrell Armstrong/Tracy McGrady (Magic) are great, too, but T-Mac and anybody would form a great duo. Also, Toronto’s combo of Alvin Williams and Vince Carter can be quite good when healthy. What happens if a team gets a player in the draft and the player doesn't want to play for the respective team? Is he somehow forced to play, or can he go back in the draft the next year? -- Valentin Petcu, Toronto Once a player gets drafted, his rights belong to that particular team and there is little he can do other than try to force a trade (see Steve Francis in Vancouver). According to an NBA spokesman, even playing overseas for a year or two won’t necessarily make a player a free agent. As for trying to re-enter the draft, forget it. A player is allowed in the draft only one time, whether he gets selected or not. He can withdraw his name up to a week before the draft, but once he’s in, that’s it.
I'm a huge Warriors fan, and to my dismay it looks like we are going to miss the playoffs once again. My question is, who will and/or should Golden State draft? Nobody in college really strikes me as an immediate force in the league. Can you help me out here? You’re probably right about there being few impact players in this year’s draft, especially mid-first round, where Golden State is likely to pick. How about a guard, such as Oregon’s Luke Ridnour (should he decide to come out) or Kansas’ Kirk Hinrich? If Gilbert Arenas leaves, the Warriors might need somebody to run the show. Or maybe they could trade the pick to the Bulls, along with Mike Dunleavy Jr., for Jay Williams.
How good do you think Manu Ginobili's chances for Rookie of the Year would be if he played for a worse team than the Spurs? It seems like he always does well when he comes in; it's just that he doesn't get too much playing time. Ginobili was my preseason pick for Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately for him, he was hurt early in the season and it took him a while to get adjusted to the NBA game. Also, as you point out, his numbers probably have been limited by his lack of playing time. I’m not saying he’s better than Yao Ming or Amare Stoudemire, but I agree that he could have had a higher profile in the rookie race had he been playing with a losing team. If Grant Hill were to retire today, does he deserve to go in the Hall of Fame? More important, would he actually get in? -- Robert Lake, Salt Lake City Hill’s career stats (21.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.52 steals) compare well to other Hall of Fame forwards, including this year’s nominee James Worthy (17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists). As a six-time All-Star and a former co-Rookie of the Year, Hill also has the requisite individual honors on his résumé. But Hill’s injury problems and the fact that he never played for a contender have somewhat tarnished his career. He probably would deserve to get in right now, but I don’t think he would. Hopefully, he can make it back next season and build on his case. Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment. |
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