On Stith and Herren

[Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

    FWIW, Denver Rocky Mountain News confirms reports that Bryant
Stith's contract (5.2 million last year) ends after the upcoming season.
That would mean six roster slots are scheduled to clear the cap next
summer, notably Stith (over 5 million), the two retirees Hot Rod (around
2 million) and Greg Minor (around 3 million) plus Chris Carr (1.2
million), Adrian Griffin (850k) and most likely Herren.

  BTW, you can go to "www.ChrisHerren.com" to find more info than you'd
need to know about the Fall River (Durfee High) legend and former
McDonald's All American drafted #33 last year. It is Herren's own
personal Web site actually. Plenty of photos of his high school days in
Fall River.

    Below are some clips from the Denver news links on the site,
reporting positive stuff obviously. I wonder what Dan Issel's true
feelings about Herren are now. There was no comment on Herren today by
the Denver brass, but as you'll see Issel had very nice things to say
about him before the real games started last year. We'll probably hear
the same things from Pitino/Wallace now, and I hope they prove right in
the long run. This kid is almost surely going to be the biggest local
fan favorite since Terry Duerod, because he hustles and plays tough,
he's already a decent 12th man talent, he's a handsome guy, and he's got
a big local fanbase.

   At UPenn last season, Michael Jordan--in his first year as a
pointguard-- shot .510 from the field (.369 on threes) and .847 from the
line, averaging 16.0 ppg, 4.3 assists, 2.9 turnovers and 4.9 boards. MJ
had teammates named Ugonna (Onyekwe), Oggie (Kapetanovic) and Koko
(Archibong) on a team that ran the tables in the Ivy League with a
perfect 14-0 record to break Princeton's long run. UPenn actually once
made it to the Final Four in the late 1970s, an amazing achievement.

----------

Pick-up game successful
By Vicki Michaelis
Denver Post Sports Writer
http://www.denverpost.com./nuggets/nugs0702.htm
"I'm probably his biggest fan,'' (Dan Issel) said. "I love his
toughness. I love his work ethic. I'm cheering for him to make it.'' So
are the folks in Fall River, where hundreds came out on the streets and
celebrated by the waterfront Wednesday night after Herren's name flashed

across their televisions. "To get drafted is a very special thing, not
only for myself but for my family and friends and the whole city I'm
from,'' Herren said. "It's a basketball town, and it was a special night

(Wednesday).''

----------

Denver Nuggets
Team Report posted SEPTEMBER 11, 1999
Clay Latimer
Rocky Mountain News

Although he was average in the Utah Summer League, rookie Chris Herren
has received praise from G.M. Dan Issel. Issel admires Herren's
tough-minded play and spirited effort to conquer alcohol and substance
abuse.

Herren is a natural leader. During a predraft workout, he scolded
another player for not playing defense.

"He has a voice, he has energy," (assistant coach John Lucas) says. "He
brings some juice to the team. We don't have that (in the backcourt)."

Lucas also is impressed with Herren's ability to deal with harsh
criticism; not one of Nick Van Exel's strengths.

"He lets it roll off his back," Lucas says. "He's not temperamental. We
need that. The other guys will listen to him if he becomes an impact
player. The question is whether he'll become an impact player."

-----------

Herren a quick study as he learns to play point
By Dave Krieger
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
http://www.insidedenver.com/nuggets/1020nugs1.shtml

(.....)"The thing about having a player like Chris is Chris understands
the game," Nuggets coach Dan Issel said. "Not only does he pass the ball

very well, but after he was here for three or four days, he knew who to
pass it to and when to pass it to him. And I think that's very important

in a point guard's mentality.

"To give a non-shooter an open 18-footer doesn't do you any good. To
give the ball to a guy in the low post who doesn't have any low-post
moves doesn't do you any good. You have to know when to get it to him
and where to get it to him, and Chris seems to have that sense."

(.....)"It's coming, but it's funny, I make three steps forward and I
take one back," (Chris Herren) said. "It's a learning experience for me.

In practice, guys know the plays now and guys are anticipating the
plays, so I've got to read that stuff. It's like a quarterback. I'm
still learning a lot out there.

"But it's my natural spot because it's my nature. That's how I think. I
was raised to be unselfish, so that helps. But you do what it takes to
win. And for us to win, when I'm in the game, I know it's not for me to
shoot. I know other people get paid to do that."

---------

Herren's a big fan of Bird
By Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Sports Writer

"Of course you get excited about Larry Bird," said Herren, who lists
Bird as his favorite player in his media guide bio. "That's "Larry
Legend.' He is one of the all-time players. Oh sure, I'd get excited if
I got a chance to meet him . . . I would be honored to meet him. I was
honored to play against (his team) in an exhibition game." With Bird
wearing a Celtics uniform his entire career, Nuggets fans only got to
see the sharpshooter once a season."
http://www.sports.sleuth.com/framewrap.cfm?LOC=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edenverpost

%2Ecom%2Fnuggets%2Fnugs0106%2Ehtm&ARTT=Herrens%20a%20big%20fan%20of%20Bird&S

N=DENVERPOST&SD=Denver%20Post&SHP=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edenverpost%2Ecom%2Fspor

ts%2Fsports%2Ehtm&DF=06%2DJAN%2D00&SF=1