Just My Type

AP: Well, it was a scrambling 71.

DP: You don't apologize for a 71. Did you make any money on it?

AP: Yeah, I made a few bucks.

DP: What's the most you ever played for?

AP: Well, in tournaments, a lot. With my guys around here—maybe $100.

Is Detroit the Answer?

GEORGE KARL'S Nuggets have taken off since the team gave up Allen Iverson (above, with Richard Hamilton) to get Chauncey Billups from the Pistons in early November. "We went two years without a really good point guard," Karl told me. "We struggled with passing." Karl said that Billups enjoys playing in Denver's up-tempo system. On the flip side, Karl said that Iverson is struggling in Detroit because the Pistons play a more conservative game. "I still think AI is a dynamite scorer, but he has to be in the open court a little bit more than Detroit wants to play," Karl said. "That conflict has been so glaring. They're more comfortable running plays, where AI is more comfortable just playing basketball."

Food for Thought

HERE'S ONE thing I have to look forward to in a couple of years: an expensive dinner, courtesy of Reggie Miller. Last week Reggie said he thought that Tyler Hansbrough would end up having a better NBA career than Blake Griffin. His argument is that Hansbrough will go later in the draft, which will put him on a better team. Miller also said he thought Griffin was undersized as a power forward. ("He kind of reminds me of Charles Barkley, but he doesn't run like Charles," Miller said, presumably talking about Charles in his prime.) Maybe, but I'm taking Griffin, and we wagered a nice meal on it. A good sign for me: George Karl, a North Carolina guy, came down on my side. "I don't know if Reggie's a personnel guy," Karl said, pointing out that Griffin is so strong on the glass—which bodes well for his future. "The one fundamental that transfers to pro basketball almost every time is great rebounding."

Fighting Until the End