Wednesday Insider

[Guest]

Is Gary Payton being disrespected?

by Terry Brown

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Also Below: Kandi from a baby | Writers Bloc: Patrick Ewing's retirement | Peep Show

2003 NBA Free Agent Sneak Peek

NBA position battles: Who's going to do the Magic's dirty work?

NBA Insider Chad Ford is off for the next two weeks. He'll return on Tuesday, Oct. 1

Out of the frying pan, into the Sonics' locker room.

As word leaks out of Rashard Lewis' impending signing with the team he began his NBA career with, Gary Payton speaks up.

"Everything's 50-50 right now," Payton told the Seattle Times. "It's 50 percent odds that I'm going to be a Sonic and 50 percent odds that I'm not. But by October it's probably going to be different. It's going to be 70-30 and the 70 is that I'm going to be somewhere else. Right now everything's up in the air and it's not going in a good direction. It's becoming a bad situation."

Yes, Lewis is going to accept the Sonics' last offer of seven years at $64 million. After threatening to leave the Sonics for either the Mavericks or Rockets, who could only offer $4.5 million, Lewis backed off his demands for a $90 million contract and ended weeks of silent protest that reportedly forced the Sonics to issue an ultimatum.

Now comes the news that Payton, the franchise player who is in the last year of his contract, isn't going to show up for training camp next week because the Sonics aren't giving him the respect that the Bulls gave Michael Jordan, the Jazz gave Karl Malone or the Pacers gave Reggie Miller at the end of their careers.

"The issue of an extension is an inappropriate vehicle to insert in the last year of a player's contract," Sonics owner Howard Schultz said Tuesday. "We love and respect Gary, but that's not going to be crystallized through the extension thing. That's not the way we want to do business."

Now comes more name-calling and finger pointing.

"It's very disheartening and hurtful when the agent for the player makes such disingenuous statements that are based on things that never happened, that aren't true and pits the organization and owner against the player," Schultz said. "It's not healthy. It's not good for the team. It's not good for the NBA."

Rubber, glue, I know I am but what are you?

"They're trying to make me out to be the bad guy and they're trying to make my agent out to be the bad guy and make them look like the good guys," Payton replied. "Why should I have to go through this again? I've been playing for this organization for 12 years. Why not reward me? . . . That makes me mad. Why make me mad? Why make me upset? Why create a problem when you don't have to have one? They think that I'll just come out and play hard like I always do. Keep doing the things I've been doing and things will be fine. Well, that's got to stop and it's going to stop now."

Payton feels used. The Sonics feel betrayed. But the fact remains, Payton is the franchise icon. He is an elite NBA player with at least five more years of all-star play. He is the one player who got the Sonics to the NBA Finals and the one player who can get them back.

He may be 35 years old, but Payton again led the team in scoring last season while posting career highs in assists and playing more than 40 minutes per game.

But if the Sonics are pushed over the salary cap with Lewis and an extension that would satisfy Payton, they will have no way of improving a team that finished seventh in the Western Conference and was run out of the playoffs in the first round.

"We don't want anybody here who doesn't want to be here," Schultz said. "We would accept that, but it would be heartbreaking. And I don't think the Sonics are the enemy."

Sonics facing tempest

Steve Kelley / Seattle Times

Lewis contract saga may conclude this week

Danny O'Neill / Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Kandi from a baby

The Clippers have reached a crossroads and no one seems to even care.

Today is the day Michael Olowokandi's agent, Bill Duffy, told the Clippers that they either offer his client a contract averaging more than $10 million per season for seven years or he's simply going to have Olowokandi sign the one-year tender and become an unrestricted free agent next offseason with the ability to sign with any team at any price.

That's when Elton Brand, Andre Miller and Lamar Odom also go on the block. The year after that, Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette, Eric Piatkowski and Keyon Dooling are up for sale.

In less than 24 months, the Clippers could potentially lose or will have lost, with the departures of Darius Miles and Jeff McInnis already, 95.3 points of the team's 95.7 average of last season.

Stop me if I you've already heard all this.

In the history of the Clippers, not one of their players has ever made more than $5 million per season. In the last decade, only three players have ever made more than $4 million.

In 2000, when Shaquille O'Neal was paid $17.1 milliona for his services, the highest-paid Clipper who happened to be Mr. Olowokandi was given $3.4 million. In 1996, when Patrick Ewing was paid $18.7 million, Stanley Roberts led the Clippers at $3 million.

It's easy to see why this franchise is considered by many to be the worst in all of professional sports.

The fact is, Olowokandi was the sixth-leading scorer for the Clippers last year, but the five guys ahead of him on the scoring chart made a combined $9.59 million as the Clippers scrapped the bottom of the league's payroll structure at $33.8 million compared to an average of $53.4 million and a high of $85.4 million by the Knicks.

And only four teams, the Spurs, Nuggets, Jazz and Wizards, are sure to have Max cap room next off season. You can add in maybe three or four more teams with some space but that's it without a sign and trade, pardon our French, Mr. Sterling. He's holding almost all of the marbles.

Olowokandi will be competing with future Hall of Famers Jason Kidd, Gary Payton and Karl Malone as well as All Stars like Elton Brand, Jerry Stackhouse and Wally Szczerbiak for that money.

There are even four 7-foot big men on the list who put up better numbers than Olowokandi.

Tim Duncan: 25.5 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 50 percent shooting

Jermaine O'Neal: 19 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 48 percent shooting

Brad Miller: 15.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 0.4 bpg, 56 percent shooting

Elden Campbell: 13.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 48 percent shooting

Olowokandi: 11.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 43 percent shooting.

Yet, the signing of Olowokandi has more to do with than just a starting center. The Clippers are not only on the verge of making the playoffs, but have the personnel to push them beyond any success the team has ever enjoyed in its history. Olowokandi leads to Brand leads to Miller to Richardson, etcetera. They are young, they are exciting and they could all be gone just as fast as they arrived.

In the end, Donald Sterling may very well be able to keep Olowokandi at a lower price, along with one or two of the other players. But the means to the end may leave the team where it always has been.

This contract isn't so much about the worth of Olowokandi as it is about the worth of the Clippers as a franchise.

Olowokandi Deadline May Not Produce Deal

Elliott Teaford / Los Angeles Times

Writers Bloc: Patrick Ewing's retirement

After 17 years of media nit-picking, outright bashing and animosity over a career that produced 11 all-star seasons but no title, there is nothing but love for Patrick Ewing and an attempt at understanding in the headlines following his retirement.

"One of basketball's greatest big men retired from the game yesterday afternoon, and if you blinked, you may have missed it," writes Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Patrick Ewing called it quits after an illustrious career that spanned 17 seasons. And, sadly, it seemed as if most people did not care. Unfortunately, that's what happens in this what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. It's a world that counts championships instead of victories, that overlooks consistent productivity in favor of highlights, and that allows flamboyance to render frivolous a player's consummate professionalism . . . When your career statistics include 24,815 points and 11,606 rebounds, and you finish as an 11-time all-star selected as one of the 50 greatest players of all time, peace shouldn't be hard to find. For most people, that is. Not for Ewing . . . Someday, that will happen in Springfield, Mass."

"So, Patrick Ewing didn't win the big one," writes Kevin Blackistone of the Dallas Morning News. "Ewing felt need to apologize for his career shortcoming as if it was a great failure . . . Ewing wasn't the greatest center ever. For my money, that distinction is still held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar . . . Ewing wasn't the most powerful center. Shaquille O'Neal, the most unstoppable force ever to post up, owns that designation . . . Ewing wasn't the greatest scoring center. Chamberlain was. The Stilt averaged 50 points one season and scored 100 points in a game . . . Ewing wasn't the greatest rebounder. Bill Russell was . . . Ewing wasn't the greatest defensive center, either. Russell owns that title, too . . . But there was nothing Ewing didn't do very well, which can't be said for any of the above, save Abdul-Jabbar. Ewing could score, he could rebound, and he could defend . . . But the biggest thing about Ewing was that he breathed life into what was a proud but moribund franchise and made it, by himself, a contender almost just about every year . . . That's nothing to sniff at, no matter what's not on his fingers."

"Patrick Ewing retired yesterday to too many dry eyes in the house, to too much pained effort to better frame a staggering 24,815 points and 11,606 rebounds, to too many sarcastic giggles speculating whether he would answer questions at his own farewell news conference," says Jay Greenberg of the New York Post. "As he tried to warm up for the rest of his life, there was too much lingering chill from autographs not signed and post-practice media obligations blown off, too many regrets over opportunities missed to make the city he claimed yesterday to love want to love him back unrequitedly. Ewing always thought that if he gave everything he had in the arena, it would be enough. He should have realized long before yesterday the utter mistake of leaving it all out on the court when you play 15 years in one place, personify the dream and then the failures of a franchise, put up inarguable Hall of Fame numbers and, even with two years absence and the Knicks decline to lottery status to lend perspective to his abilities, still leave an intensely arguable impact."

One that got away won't tarnish Ewing's career

Kevin B. Blackistone / Dallas Morning News

Ewing retires unappreciated as the one who revived Knicks

Stephen A. Smith / Philadelphia Inquirer

All after is said and done, we hardly knew Ew

Jay Greenberg / New York Post

Peep Show

Hawks: Forward Darvin Ham has joined former Buck teammate Glenn Robinson in Atlanta. "Darvin's a player we've always had interest in, because of his high-energy and competitive toughness," Hawks general manager Pete Babcock said. Ham has averaged 3.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game over his 5-year career.

Pistons: The international red tape has been cut and Detroit has signed Pepe Sanchez to be the thrid-string point guard. The deal is for two years at $512,000 the first. "We got a chance to get to know Pepe and watch him play when he was here for our international tournament," said John Hammond, Pistons vice president of basketball. "We were going to hold off on signing a third point guard, but once we got to see Pepe, we felt like we weren't going to find a better fit for that role." Sanchez helped Team Argentina reach Silver status at the recent World Championships and has played for the Sixers and Hawks in the past.

Cavs: The deal that sent Jumaine Jones to the Kings for point guard Mateen Cleaves has been called off. Cleaves failed Cleveland's physical and now the Cavs are left without a point guard after already trading Andre Miller for Darius Miles earlier in the off season. "When we made the trade, we felt good about it and I think Sacramento did, also, so we have four very disappointed parties in this," Paxson said. "Part of the reason that you require physicals is to make sure that everything is OK before you go through and in this case, our doctors didn't feel they could pass [Cleaves] him on the physical at this point."

Magic: As far as we can tell, Grant Hill is fine and ready to resume his career after two seasons of re-occuring ankle injuries. But the same can't be said for Tracy McGrady, the player who carried the Magic and is now showing the consequences. "When you're hurt in the playoffs and you can't move," Rivers said, "that's enough proof that you have a back problem." McGrady isn't expected to miss any preseason activities but there is no guarantee that his back problems won't resurface again.

Johnson to leave hospital; Ham joins team

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ham joins 'Big Dog' in Atlanta

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Pistons, Sanchez reach two-year deal

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Sanchez to join Pistons as hurdle over Spanish deal is removed

Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News

Cavs rescind deal for Cleaves

David Lee Morgan Jr. / Akron Beacon-Journal

Hill tip top, McGrady not for Magic

Ken Hornack / Daytona Beach News-Journal

[beav]

"Payton feels used. The Sonics feel betrayed. But the fact remains, Payton is the franchise icon. He is an elite NBA player with at least five more years of all-star play. He is the one player who got the Sonics to the NBA Finals and the one player who can get them back.

He may be 35 years old, but Payton again led the team in scoring last season while posting career highs in assists and playing more than 40 minutes per game."

*at least* 5 more years of all star play? so a 40 year old point guard is going to the all-star game in 2008 eh? are you sure that chad ford is still on vacation?

payton has 2 years *tops* as an all star and probably 3 productive years left...

[Traceman]

He's a lot like Stockton in that he rarely gets hurt and in the fact that neither of them are great leapers who rely on tremendous athleticism to be effective. I think GP will likely contine to eat up the young PGs around the league for years to come. I will actually be surprised if he isn't still playing at a high level for 5 more years.

That being said, I agree with the Sonic position on this. Signing GP to a longterm deal is not going to get them a title. Signing him to a huge deal would make it impossible for them to go out and get the supporting cast he needs. If I were Seattle, I'd offer him to Indiana for Harrington, Bender, Tinsley, filler or maybe to San Antonio for Parker, Smitty, a #1 and filler. The first deal would give them an infusion of young talented players to rebuild with. The 2nd deal would give them a talented young PG to replace GP with in addition to giving them cap room and a pick when Smitty's contract ends. With Smitty and Anderson having ending cxontracts, Seattle would be able to bring in a top level player (maybe two) to go along with Parker, Mason, Barry, Lewis and Radmanovic.

[Guest]

were I the sonics, I'd think about the first...and not even consider the second.

~sidenote~ I'm against their trading him to Indiana simply cause I'm a Hawks fan and it'd make the Pacers that much tougher....very tough.

[beav]

"He's a lot like Stockton in that he rarely gets hurt and in the fact that neither of them are great leapers who rely on tremendous athleticism to be effective. I think GP will likely contine to eat up the young PGs around the league for years to come"

I agree with you to a point that he might eat up young PG's for years to come... I just think that those years will not be more than 2...

there really aren't too many PG's that have played up to their late 30's... mark jackson, derek harper and stockton are the only 3 that come to mind at all, so from that aspect it is hard to believe that payton will be anything approaching an all-star.... even comparing him to the point guard methuselah that is stockton it is obvious that at 40, stockton's all star games days are a thing of the past...

jordan was quite likely the best player of our generation and at 39 he is not the player that he was at 35...