Jackson already taking swipes at Kings - Nando Times

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

Sports: Jackson already taking swipes at Kings

Copyright ) 2002
AP MegaSports


By CHRIS SHERIDAN, Associated Press

(October 5, 2002 12:38 a.m. EDT) - When it comes to needling the Sacramento
Kings, Phil Jackson already is in midseason form.

A few days before the start of training camp, Jackson publicly advanced the
theory that Chris Webber's legal troubles and Vlade Divac's advancing age
could be detrimental to the Kings during the upcoming season.

Now comes word that Jackson thinks the Lakers might have swept Sacramento in
last season's Western Conference finals if not for the ill effects caused by
a bacon cheeseburger prior to Game 2.

Kobe Bryant got food poisoning after ordering room service at the Lakers'
hotel in Sacramento prior to Game 2. Bryant was weak throughout the game, and
the Kings defeated the Lakers to even the series at a game apiece.

The Lakers eventually beat Sacramento in overtime of Game 7 at Arco Arena to
advance to the NBA Finals, where they won their third straight title.

"My ultimate belief is if Kobe hadn't gotten sick, perhaps that would have
been a four-game series," Jackson said Thursday. "We came in there awful
confident about who they were and what we could do against them. They got
that win (in Game 2) and gave them some confidence and really came into our
building and played well, extremely well."

If the Lakers had won the second game and opened a 2-0 lead heading back to
Staples Center for Games 3 and 4, Jackson said the Kings would have been in
trouble.

When the Lakers opened a 2-0 lead against the Kings in the 2001 Western
Conference semifinals, Los Angeles won the next two at Arco Arena for a 4-0
sweep. Perhaps, Jackson said, the same thing could have happened last season.


"They'd have that futility at that point," Jackson said. "I think the
strength of that (Game 2) gave them confidence."

GLOBAL SPURS: The San Antonio Spurs could eventually have a starting
backcourt of a Frenchman and an Argentinian, and now they've picked up a
center from Inner Mongolia to bolster their frontcourt.

The Spurs acquired center Menk Bateer from the Detroit Pistons on Thursday
for a future second-round draft pick.

"We think he's a very, very underrated basketball player," Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News. "Everyone's known about him but
kind of pigeonholed him in a sense that he's another foreign player."

Popovich was an assistant to George Karl for Team USA during this summer's
World Championships, and San Antonio general manager R.C. Buford also spent
plenty of time in Indianapolis scouting international talent.

Bateer, a bulky 7-footer who scored 19 points in China's loss to the United
states, displayed a soft shooting touch from the outside that apparently
impressed the Spurs enough for them to go after him.

Detroit acquired Bateer earlier in the week from Denver in the Rodney White
trade, but the Pistons had no room for him on their roster.

"The opportunities to add size haven't been many, especially with where we
draft, and this was an inexpensive opportunity to get a closer look at this
guy," Buford said.

Popovich handed the starting point-guard job to 19-year-old French rookie
Tony Parker a year ago, and this season there is competition at shooting
guard between veteran Steve Smith, who led the league in 3-point accuracy
last season, and Argentinian rookie Emanuel Ginobili, a left-hander who
averaged a team-high 14.1 points for his national team at the World
Championships.

At the team's behest, Ginobili has been held out of scrimmages at training
camp to reduce strain on a sprained ankle that sidelined him for all but 12
minutes of Argentina's overtime loss to Yugoslavia in the gold-medal game at
the Worlds.

NOBODY LISTENED: Agent Herb Rudoy says he tried to get all 29 NBA teams to
listen when he called to tell them about Argentinian center Fabricio Oberto.

"I pushed him with everybody, and a lot of teams now wish he was free. They'd
take him in a heartbeat," Rudoy said.

Oberto was the most dominant player on the floor in the gold medal game at
the World Championships, scoring 28 points on 11-for-19 shooting with 10
rebounds. He also helped shut down Yugoslavia's Vlade Divac, who was 1-for-10
from the field.

The 6-foot-10, 27-year-old Oberto signed a four-year contract with a team in
Spain earlier this summer. Rudoy said Oberto cannot get out of the contract
for at least two years.

THE FINE PRINT: Contrary to some reports, there are no sign-and-trade options
for the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks regarding their restricted free
agents who have signed offer sheets with other teams.

Wang ZhiZhi signed a three-year offer sheet with the Los Angeles Clippers,
which the Mavericks have the right to match.

Michael Redd signed a three-year offer sheet from the Mavericks, which the
Bucks have 15 days to match.

Should the Mavs and Bucks match the offers, they would be prohibited from
trading those players for three months. Additionally, the Mavs cannot trade
Wang to the Clippers for a year, and likewise with the Bucks and Mavs doing a
deal for Redd.

If the Mavs retain Wang and the Bucks keep Redd, each player would have veto
rights over any trade for one year.

CeltsSteve