Profile Of The Warrior's Todd Fuller

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

I don't know if he fits into the Pitino system, but someone worth
stealing away
from the Warriors.


   Posted at 8:47 PM, Nov. 13, 1998                      
                                                         
   Fuller gets outside help on his game                   

   Warriors center is using time off to work with former NBA stars
   Thompson and Jones in hopes of making himself a better player

   By Matt Steinmetz
   TIMES STAFF WRITER
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   Remember for a moment the grace, athleticism and basketball artistry
   of former North Carolina State All-American and NBA star David
   Thompson. Picture anything -- a drive or a jumper, a swoop, spin or
   slam dunk.

   Now think about Warriors center Todd Fuller in the low post. Picture
   it -- a tentative fake here, a mechanical move there, uncertainty and
   doubt all around.

   Face it, the basketball gods never created more contrary players.

   Yet Thompson and Fuller share a love for the game, and that passion
   meets four times a week for 90 minutes on a basketball court at
   Queens College in Charlotte, N.C.

   Still seeking confidence in his own game and relentlessly trying to
   earn respect from his NBA peers, Fuller is paying Thompson, one of
   the most dynamic offensive players in league history, and Bobby
   Jones, another former great and one of the game's best-ever
   defenders, to make him a better player.

   "Looking at Todd's game, one of his strong suits is that he shoots
   the ball well from the outside," said Thompson, who like Fuller
   attended North Carolina State. "What he needs to work on are things I
   was able to do: footwork, facing the basket, quickness. Todd is
   quicker than most people think. He is one of the best shooting big
   men in the game if he gets his confidence going. We're working on his
   one-on-one moves, working on his explosion to the basket. That's the
   way I played and I can help Todd with those things."

   A cynical response would be to say Fuller needs help with a lot of
   things. The 6-foot-11 center has averaged 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds
   per game in his first NBA two seasons. His offensive game is often
   mechanical and his defensive struggles translate into frequent foul
   trouble.

   Adding to Fuller's travails, Erick Dampier, who as the 10th pick of
   the Pacers was selected one spot ahead of Fuller in the 1996 draft,
   is the team's starting center and perhaps future franchise
   cornerstone.

   None of that matters to Fuller, who has put his money where his mind
   is. And it's his head that tells him he can be productive in the NBA.

   "David played outside and was mainly a driver and a leaper," Fuller
   said. "He has helped me out with his experience. I've picked up a lot
   in five weeks already. The work we're doing has kept me productive.
   It's not like in five weeks I'll go through a magical transformation,
   but I'll take something from both of them."

   One thing he won't need to take is a work ethic and commitment.
   Fuller owns those.

   Two weeks ago, Fuller began playing with Athletes in Action, a
   touring Christian squad that competes against college teams. Casey
   Shaw, the 76ers' second-round selection this year, and NBA veteran
   Ronnie Grandison also play for the team, which ends its season
   tonight against the University of Cincinnati. Fuller will head back
   home to Charlotte on Sunday and go back to work with Jones and
   Thompson on Monday.

   "David and I aren't doing this for free," said Jones, who coached
   Fuller at Charlotte Christian High School. "He's paying us money.
   I've committed time to watching film. David's working with him on
   moves he may never use. But there are guys sitting around, taking it
   easy right now during the lockout, probably thinking the shortened
   season is a good thing. Todd sees the clock ticking and he's not one
   to let moss grow under his feet. He wants to get better."

   There is little doubt that money has spoiled many an NBA career;
   Fuller hopes money can jump-start his.

   "I'm not going to say how much I'm paying them," said Fuller, who was
   joined at his workouts recently by former Warrior and current Celtic
   Andrew DeClercq. "It's not by the hour, though. It's just been a
   blessing for me to have these two guys in my life, not just from a
   basketball point of view but for friendship. Just having them around
   has helped. I'm not going to be a whole new player, but I'll
   improve."

   He'll first need an opportunity, according to Jones.

   "I don't think the fit is perfect there for Todd," Jones said of the
   Warriors. "He can be effective in a situation where he has a chance
   to contribute. But because the urgency has been great to win there,
   they haven't had time to wait for development. They have a lot of
   one-on-one players and he's going to be the bailout guy. He's going
   to get the ball when something doesn't work and there's three seconds
   on the shot clock. That's not his strength."

   "Todd has already shown improvement from when he first started," said
   Thompson, who works in community relations for the Hornets and does a
   lot of public speaking to civic groups and students. "He's one of the
   hardest-working guys you'll see. I think his quickness has already
   improved 100 percent. It's like night and day. I think people will be
   surprised when they see him."
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                         © 1998 Contra Costa Times