Vescey Has Some Interesting Stuff on O'Blather and Baker

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Peter Vescey
NY Post

October 29, 2002 --
NBA PREVIEW:
BEASTS OF THE EAST

The 2002-03 NBA season opens for real tonight. Realize what that means?
Players can no longer spend quality time with their summer chums. You
know them as Nick Nolte and Noelle Bush.

Not since Red (he invented the color, you know) Auerbach's Celtics won
the last of their eighth straight titles has any franchise exceeded a
threepeat and it's going to stay that way. But before making a
Sacrilegious (Kings) statement, first the superior eight (with apologies
to the Hawks) in the East, where always is heard a discouraging word.

NETS: For all the good vibes coming out of the Continental Breakfast
Arena, what would Jason, Joumana, T.J. and the Beaver be thinking today
about the Kidd family's future in New Jersey if Keith Van Horn (not
Kenyon Martin, mind you) hadn't chased down that offensive rebound in
Game 3 and pitched to Kerry Kittles for the winning jump shot?

Afterthought: Byron Scott notes that a lot of his team's offense will go
through Dikembe Mutombo's hands.

PISTONS: What Rick Carlisle loves most about his defending Central
Division champs (half of 14-man roster is brand new), is Cliff Robinson.
One of the leagues most underrated. Been a pro 14 years. Never won less
than 44 games. "And he comes to me," marvels the coach, "several days
before our first exhibition and says he hears I might want to start
[Zelijko] Rebraca at center, then tells me he'd have no problem coming
off the bench if that's what I want to do. I couldn't believe it. He
made the all-defensive second team, is still one of most potent scorers
and he's in a contract year and he's willing to sacrifice like that.
What a tone that sets for us!

Afterthought: A perfect 8-0 in the pre-season, allowing just one
opponent to score more than 80 points. As long as their point guards
play at a high rate of intensity - really work to keep their man six
inches to two feet out of their comfort zone - nobody in their
conference is gonna want to deal with them.

BUCKS: Despite what Glenn Robinson undoubtedly accepts as Dogma, George
Karl pointed no fingers following last season's free fall (dropping 14
of the last 19) that cost them a playoff spot. "I didn't care who was
traded," Karl said. "Things had gotten stale. I told my owner somebody
had to go to clear the air." And that included long-time
assistant/friend Terry Stotts. Thus, Big Dog was exchanged for Toni
Kukoc and, presto, they have one more passer than they had all last
season. True, co-captain (not a typo) Anthony Mason is an expert
distributor out of the double team, but opponents rarely feel the need
to double him anymore.

Afterthought: Talk about tone-setting occurrences; three players went to
Karl in the last week and offered to give up some salary so another
passer, 5-10 Rice rookie Mike Wilks, could be kept on Milwaukee's
capsized payroll. Homeric Convulsion has been transformed into Homeric
Convergence.

HORNETS: Tex Winter's book should be required reading for Baron Davis
(Steve Francis and every other over-dribbler). One of the legendary
Laker assistant's favorite sayings is, "The better the player, the
faster he will make a decision when the gets the ball." The idea is not
to catch and hold (an automatic turnover these days in Milwaukee's
practices), but to anticipate situations before receiving the ball and
instinctively react, which leads to simple passes, vs. complicated ones.
By all means, shoot, but if the shot's not there, get rid of it and cut.
When five players unionize and do it together - passing, driving and
cutting - you've got yourself a well-synchronized, friction-free team;
European style.

Afterthought: An epidemic of injuries prevents them from a quick
getaway, but once healthy there's no reason they can't compete with the
conference elite.

PACERS: Kevin Ollie exemplifies everything coaches and management crave
players to be. Every thought, word and deed is to make the team look
good, not himself. Never stops working hard (check out his improved
mid-range jumper). Encourages others to do the same. Picks up teammates
when they're down. Accepts his role as a part-time
playmaker/defender/stabilizer. Stays physically fit and mentally
prepared. In other words, does all that he can do and responds
positively to everything asked and expected.

Yet, despite his last year's important contribution, Donnie Walsh
begrudgingly passed on re-signing Ollie (importing Erick Strickland as
Jamal Tinsley's ill-equipped backup instead) because he was asking for
two-year minimum guarantee (a relatively paltry 750G per) vs. one;
eventually inking a one-year deal (960G) with the Bucks.

To me, that sends a terrible message (identical to the one posted by Rod
Thorn when he replaced Anthony Johnson with Chris Childs, a mistake
that's been corrected through no genius of his own: Management preaches
sacrifice, unselfishness and being a solid citizen, but often neither
recognizes or rewards it.

Afterthought: Reggie Miller, I'm informed, is out a month; maybe more if
an ankle operation proves unavoidable. Jermaine O'Neal must toughen up.
Tinsley's springer remains suspect. But richly endowed Indy, whose coach
is criminally underrated, can play with anybody.

CELTICS: There's a sinful misconception being dispersed throughout the
league, but especially in Boston, that Jim O'Brien has distanced himself
from the Vin Baker trade, as if GM Chris Wallace and personnel director
Leo Papile acquired the greatly over-compensated fragile forward against
his will. Fact is, they were all in on it (craving inside presence who,
if nothing else, can catch the ball) and actually interviewed Baker
twice to make sure he'd accept tough love, as well as a backup role
behind Tony Battie before pulling the trigger. O'Brien will be happy if
he parlays both centers into 20 points and 15 rebounds.

Still, had former boss Paul Gaston not refused to slightly exceed the
projected $53 million luxury tax number by re-signing Rodney Rogers,
there never would have been a trade. O'Brien was furious. "I want my
(49-win) team back!" he demanded. "I want my bleepin' team back!" When
it didn't happen (financial restraints have reduced it to a eight-man
rotation, health permitting), he became insubordinate with Gaston's
peeps, almost daring them to fire him so he could coach elsewhere. The
anger and numbness only recently wore off.

Afterthought: Rick Pitino says, "If Boston's fans and media think that
Rodney Rodgers, Kenny Anderson, Erick Strickland and Mark Blount are
going to walk through that door, they're mistaken. It's not going to
happen."

WIZARDS: Guess we've got to figure they've got a Stacked House (seven
new able bodies) and are fairly dangerous if Doug Collins has the luxury
of utilizing Michael Jordan as a sixth man. Already the prohibitive
co-favorite (with Nick Van Exel) to earn the award (a suitable way to
end his career) and for the Wiz to crash the playoff party for the first
time since Aff-Air Jordan's Bulls swept them in '96-97. Who's gonna want
a piece of them?

Afterthought: Larry Hughes, Yuan Dixon and Tyronn Lue are sharing
maestro duties. Meanwhile, Chris Whitney, the team's only established
caretaker, was excised to Denver. Jordan and Collins must see something
virtuous about procuring off guards to handle the point.

SIXERS: I understand perfectly why Mutombo was traded; when his
rebounding and quickness to challenge trespassers became fainter than
ever before, it gave Larry Brown justification to gamble on Van Horn,
someone desperately desired to draw the defense in order to give Allen
Iverson breathing room. Question is, how will Iverson treat Van Horn, as
a limited partner, patsy or another member of his posse?

Afterthought: Good for me; I have early November in the pool for the
first time Van Horn shoots 5-21 and Iverson throws him out of his crib
naked.