[Sun-Sentinel] [sports]
[Ira Winderman]
[About Columnist] Agent says Mourning, Ewing coming up short
Ira Winderman has on tall order
covered the Miami October 17, 1998
Heat since the team's
inception in 1988. In filing a complaint against the
Winderman worked for union's handling of the
two upstate New York collective-bargaining process,
dailies before Atlanta-based agent Steve Woods contended a
joining the lack of qualifications by the union's
Sun-Sentinel as a player leaders, such as Knicks center
copy editor in 1983. Patrick Ewing and Heat center Alonzo
Mourning.
"I don't think Patrick Ewing and
Alonzo Mourning are equipped to make a $10
billion deal," Woods said. "I don't want to
be on the bus going over the cliff with
Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning driving
it."
The debate could lead to some
interesting matchups between Mourning and
Toronto center Kevin Willis, the leading
player represented by Woods.
"They overpromised the players and now
their sole focus is to deliver the
undeliverable," Woods said of union
leadership.
Still, the union will deliver shortly,
which could put to rest the notion the
players will fold once their first paycheck
fails to arrive Nov. 15.
The National Basketball Players
Association will make its regular,
twice-yearly licensing disbursement, worth
about $50,000 for each player, next month.
The check will be larger than what most
minimum-wage players receive per month.
There is talk of pooling those
payments to create a $25 million lockout
war chest. In other words, talk of the
first missed paycheck leading to an
agreement might prove to be overstated.
"They think we'll crack. I think
that's what they've planned all along,"
said former Heat point guard Bimbo Coles,
who is looking for a trade from the
Warriors. "But not all of us players are as
stupid as they think."
To Woods, it is a case of the players
not thinking clearly.
"The problem is that the players are
not acting like equity partners in the
league," he said. "Instead, they're acting
like disgruntled employees."
BARKLEY'S DECISION
According to Rockets free-agent
forward Charles Barkley, six teams are
vying for his services, a list believed to
be the Rockets, Knicks, Heat, Lakers,
Sonics and Bulls.
"I was talking to six teams before the
lockout started, and I expect to be talking
to six teams as soon as it ends," he said.
Barkley said a move by the Rockets to
sign Suns free-agent forward Antonio
McDyess would keep him in Houston.
"I'm not saying I would definitely be
back because of it," Barkley said. "But it
would be a positive move and I'd think very
seriously about coming back."
FEWER, THE BETTER
The lockout-reduced schedule does have
at least one supporter. "It might be good
for us," said point guard Nick Van Exel,
dealt to lowly Denver on draft night. "We
might only play two games, be 2-0 and make
the playoffs. So it might work in the
Nuggets' favor. The fewer games, maybe the
better for us. That's what I'm banking on."
. . .
Among those hit hardest by the
cancellation of the first two weeks of the
season are the Cavaliers and Celtics.
Cleveland lost home dates against Chicago,
New York, Utah and the Lakers. Boston lost
home dates against the Bulls and Lakers.
For the Cavaliers it means no home games
against either of last season's Western
Conference finalists. "All four games
likely would have been sellouts," said
James Boland, president and chief executive
of the Cavs/Gund Arena Co.
FROM THE MAIN OFFICE
Commissioner David Stern revealed last
week he has not been drawing on his $8
million annual salary since the start of
the lockout.
Stern also said that while there have
been no layoffs on the league level, the
work force has been reduced from 840 to 800
because of attrition. He also said no
raises have been extended to league-office
employees during the lockout.
As far as his new look, Stern quipped,
"When there are no games, I can always sit
around and listen to my beard grow."
NETS NOT 10-TATIVE
Nets coach John Calipari said teams
that opted for salary-cap space this
offseason instead of signing veterans could
pay the biggest price in the lockout.
"We've got guys who know how we're
going to play," Calipari said of having 10
veterans under contract, a group that
nonetheless does not include franchise
center Jayson Williams or valued point
guard Sherman Douglas. "But if we had four
players? Think about it. Some teams will
say, 'We've got a lot of free agent money.'
Yeah? Go try to figure it out in three
days."
Woods, again offering an agent's
perspective, said the signing free-for-all
at the end of the lockout could have a dire
impact.
"When the regular-season starts,
you're going to have 12 guys on the team
and half of them won't even know each
other's names," he said. "So the quality of
the basketball will suffer. The games are
going to be awful this season, regardless
of when this is decided."
REX IS VEXED
Working out in Phoenix, former Heat
guard Rex Chapman, expected to re-up as a
free agent with the Suns, admits his
frustration level is rising. "The thing
that's most discouraging is that this stuff
was rumored more than a year ago," he said.
"There was talk about a lockout last
summer, and in a full year there have been,
what, three meetings?" . . .
Heat forward Dan Majerle had been
among a large group of players working out
at a Phoenix health club. That group shrunk
once Christian Laettner sustained an
Achilles' injury in a similar pickup game
that might put him out for the season.
"That's a bad situation right there, what
happened to Laettner," said Majerle, who
continues to work out with Bulls free-agent
center Joe Kleine. . . .
Awaiting his opportunity to sign with
the Mavericks, first-round pick Dirk
Nowitzki recently scored 18 points in the
Bundesliga's All-Star Game and is averaging
21 points, 8 rebounds and 2.25 steals for
his German League team.
INFORMED CONSTITUENCY?
Notable union stat: Of the 40 or so
players working out at Houston's Westside
Tennis Club, only two (Rockets guard Brent
Barry and Spurs guard Avery Johnson)
admitted to having read any of the
proposals in the negotiations. . . .
The reality of the situation certainly
has hit home for Kings free-agent center
Michael Stewart. "It's time for both sides
to start giving things up until they reach
some kind of agreement," he said. . . .
The Clippers' deliberations over their
coaching vacancy remains focused on former
Bucks coach Chris Ford and former Kings
coach Eddie Jordan. . . .
While teams have avoided
lockout-related layoffs, some positions
have been held open because of the labor
problems. The Pacers are delaying the
hiring of an assistant trainer and
conditioning coach and the Bucks will wait
to fill out George Karl's coaching staff.
"There's been no urgency, so we'll take a
little more time," Milwaukee General
Manager Bob Weinhauer said. . . .
By delaying signing on as a Blazers
assistant, Tim Grgurich has been able to
work with several Portland players during
the lockout.
Ira Winderman's NBA column appears
Sundays.
Copyright 1998, Sun-Sentinel Co. and South Florida
Interactive, Inc.