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Can Hill, McDyess and Baker return to All-Star form?

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Layden waffles: Spree come home | Lewis OK, Sonics KOed | Will Isiah Thomas's "Quick Offense" get the Pacers off and running? | Writers Bloc: Kukoc a pioneer | Peep Show

Their names read like a VH1 "Where are they Now" greatest hits compilation.

Hill, McDyess, Baker, Kemp, Camby, Gugliotta, Rice, Ratliff. Former all-stars down on their luck. Burned by the demons of injuries, vice or both.

Every year one or two inspirational tales seem to emerge from the NBA season. This year looks like a bumper crop of comeback stories that, if they end happily, could change the complexion of the league this season.

1. Grant Hill, Magic

Best year: 25.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.2 apg (1999-00)

Last year: 16.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 6.2 apg in 14 games

Hill played his first meaningful game in almost a year Tuesday night. "I'm still standing," Hill said after the game. Magic fans, it's OK to exhale now. After two years of surgery and disappointment, Hill is finally healthy and ready to become the player who once dominated the Eastern Conference. "I'm happy to be running around," he told the Orlando Sentinel. "You don't appreciate it until it's taken away from you. You have the money and the fame, but you still want to hold on to that feeling of being a little kid and playing."

Hill scored a modest 10 points and had 6 rebounds in his 28-minute debut. But coach Doc Rivers has much bigger plans for him once the season begins. "Once the season starts, the shackles come off." Can Hill ever be the player he was in Detroit? Tracy McGrady, not Hill, is now the designated superstar and unquestioned leader on this team. For the first time in his career, Hill's the sidekick a role that at least one GM thinks he'll thrive in.

"I never really saw Grant as a guy who can do it alone," the GM told Insider. "He's not MJ or Iverson or even McGrady. But he does everything so well, I think he'll be an even better player with someone like Tracy in front of him. His scoring may go down a little, but I think he could easily average eight or nine assists a game in Orlando." That's IF he stays healthy. While Rivers claims he hasn't worried about Hill's health since the third day of practice, everyone's heart will skip a beat each time Hill falls to the floor.

2. Antonio McDyess, Knicks

Best year: 21.2 ppg, 10.7 rpg (1998-99)

Last year: 11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg in 10 games

Don Chaney's training camp nightmare took a small turn for the better Tuesday. Coming off a season in which a torn left patella tendon limited him to 10 games, McDyess looked like his old self in the Knicks' preseason debut versus the Celtics. McDyess put on a 17-point, 17-rebound performance and had Chaney gushing by the end of the game.

"I thought he looked damn good," Chaney told Newsday. "He has a nice skill level. Things come easy to him. He's a force, and he makes good decisions. His timing was off a little bit, but I didn't see any ill effects from his physical condition."

Can McDyess be a savior in New York? "He's never fit that mold in Denver or Phoenix," one league executive said. "He's more of a reactive player who uses his athleticism and strength to overpower his opponents. He's not a go-to guy in the post the way Patrick Ewing was, but if he's healthy he still has the potential to be one of the top five power forwards in the East."

3. Vin Baker, Celtics

Best year: 21 ppg, 10.3 rpg (1996-97)

Last year: 14.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg in 55 games

It's been a long time since Baker has brought anything but heartburn to his team, but this season the Celtics are gambling big time that a return home to a winning team will be the spark Baker needs to return to all-star form. So far, the word out of Celtics training camp has all been positive.

"I think he's in very good shape," Celts coach Jim O'Brien told the Providence Journal. "He's been really diligent from a work-ethic standpoint since he became a Boston Celtic. So I think he's pumped up. I think he has done a lot of perspiring here, in that weight room and on this basketball court."

Baker started Tuesday night's preseason opener on the bench, but still managed to score 11 points, grab 7 rebounds and show some low-post acumen that the Celtics haven't seen in a long time. "Vin really gives us a tremendous low-post threat," said O'Brien. "It's something we haven't had here. He can really seal his man, get the ball and score. Vitaly [Potapenko] could seal his man like that, but Vin can score much better than V could."

4. Shawn Kemp, Magic

Best year: 19.6 ppg, 11.4 rpg (1995-96)

Last year: 6.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg in 75 games

No one is expecting the return of the Reign Man. In fact, no one is expecting anything out of Kemp after two seasons of misery in Portland. Kemp is still out of shape. He no longer has any explosion in his legs. And, the Magic understand that a drug relapse is always a possibility. But the team needs a low-post presence in the worst way and so far, Kemp has been giving the Magic the effort they're looking for.

"He comes early, he stays late, he's provided leadership," GM John Gabriel told the Orlando Sentinel. "We've got a long way to go, but he's had a great start." Kemp is already a changed man. He swallowed a significant amount of a guaranteed contract so that he could get off the bench in Portland and end his career on his own terms. If he can provide some leadership, rebounding and an occasional basket or two, the Magic will be grateful."

He's off to a good start. At practice a few days ago, Kemp stood in the middle of the huddle and told his new Magic teammates, "This team works hard, but I've been to the Finals and I can tell you this: We need to work even harder." Said Magic coach Doc Rivers: "I never knew he was a guy to speak up to his teammates. That's a good sign."

5. Marcus Camby, Nuggets

Best year: 12 ppg, 11.5 rpg (2000-01)

Last year: 11.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg in 29 games

It wasn't necessarily a good sign, but any sign of life from Camby will do at this point. Camby played the first half of a scrimmage Tuesday before sitting out the second half with pain in his right hip. Some things never change.

Camby missed all but 29 games last season with a right hip injury. He was almost an afterthought in the Nuggets' draft night trade that sent Antonio McDyess to the Knicks. The Nuggets were after the draft pick -- a young Brazilian power forward named Nene Hilario. McDyess, once a top lottery pick himself, was just along for the ride. Now Camby, once a bright star for the Knicks, finds himself in a rebuilding situation trying to prove himself.

He should get the opportunity to sink or swin in Denver. Now that he's out of the shadow of Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston, this team belongs to Camby and Juwan Howard. Putting up big numbers would be nice, but what Camby really needs to show is that his body can withstand the rigors of an 82-game season. In his six season in the NBA, he's never played more than 63 games.

"It's tough. Coming from New York, it's definitely a big adjustment on my part. I was with Toronto when they were an expansion team. So I know what it's all about."

6. Tom Gugliotta, Suns

Best year: 20.1 pg, 8.7 rpg (1997-98)

Last year: 6.5 ppg, 5 rpg in 40 games

For a while, it looked like Gugliotta's career was over. Sure, he would ride out the rest of his contract, collect a paycheck, play in a few games and spend much of the season on the injured list. By the end of last season, just about everyone had written him off.

"The last two seasons -- whew, they've been frustrating," Gugliotta told the Arizona Republic. "Just when you feel like you're starting to get somewhere, you have a setback." But for the first time in three years, Gugliotta's no longer suffering setbacks. The buzz out of the Suns camp is downright giddy.

"He really looks healthy and strong again," one Suns source told Insider. "He's still got a little ways to go before we're completely comfortable that he'll stay healthy, but in practice, we're seeing the old Tom Gugliotta. We'll take it slow, but he's got an opportunity to really contribute to our team this year. If he stays away from injuries, I think we'll be back in the playoffs this year."

While Gugliotta was never know for dominating inside play, the Suns still have Shawn Marion and rookie Amare Stoudemire to crash the boards. If Gugliotta can provide leadership, run the floor and sink a lot of open 18-footers, the Suns should start rising again in the West.

7. Glen Rice, Rockets

Best year: 26.8 ppg, 4 rpg (1996-97)

Last year: 8.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg in 20 games

Glen Rice is 35 and coming off two injury-plagued seasons, so why all of the buzz in Houston? Rice insists he is ready to be the player he was before bouts with plantar fasciaitis and a torn patella tendon the past two seasons.

"I've looked at the last couple years and I've been hurt a lot," Rice told the Houston Chronicle. "I try not to make that an excuse, but it is what it is. I'm behind a little bit. I'm definitely going to come out strong and get back to playing the way I know how to play. I don't want to talk about it as much, I want to go out and do it. I joke that the last couple years because of the injuries I've been able to save myself. Now it's time to go out and push it."

The Rockets can sure use him. Rice is the only Rockets player in his 30s and is the team's best option at small forward. While Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Mo Taylor plan on shouldering most of the scoring load, Rice is the team's best perimeter shooter and should be able to play a major role in the offense this season.

8. Theo Ratliff, Hawks

Best year: 12.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.7 bpg (2000-01)

Last year: 8.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg in 3 games

Ratliff is realistic. After missing most of the last two seasons with injuries to his hip and abdominal muscles, he doesn't what expectations spiraling out of control.

"I'll never be 100 percent of who I was," Ratliff told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "But I can be 100 percent of who I am, and that's what I'm working on. If I start to feel discomfort or I have some pain, I have to be smart and take some time. I've got to know when to back off, when I can go full speed."

The Hawks are taking things slow, but are quietly optimistic. Ratliff played 14 minutes in the Hawks' preseason opener and won't average more than 16 minutes this preseason. He'll get plenty of help this season from an awesome frontcourt that includes Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Glenn Robinson and Nazr Mohammed. Ratliff played well enough with his teammates Tuesday night to draw praise from Doc Rivers.

"They might have the best frontcourt in the East. You can make the argument."

9. Shawn Bradley, Mavs

Best year: 14.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg (1996-97)

Last year: 4.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg in 53 games

Bradley, coming off a new low in a career that's rarely seen a high, was in danger of never seeing the light of day after last season's debacle. Out of shape and out of motivation, Bradley spent the end of last season wasting at the end of the Mavs bench. However, Bradley has been the biggest and most important story of camp. He spent the summer working out, bulking up and getting in shape for the upcoming season.

"I'm not ready to give him the league's most-improved award just yet," assistant coach Del Harris told the Dallas Morning News. "But he looks very, very good. A lot better than last year."

The improvement showed during the Mavs' first preseason game Tuesday night, a 105-94 victory over the Kings. Bradley went off in the fourth quarter, with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Not only is he out of Nellie's doghouse, even his teammates are beginning to talk him up.

"That 7-6 frame of his and his natural instinct to challenge the ball when it comes into the middle, he can really change the game for us when he plays like that," Raef LaFrentz said. "If he can play like that, it'll go a long way toward helping our cause."

10. Bryon Russell, Wizards

Best year: 14.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg

Last year: 9.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg

You can blame Russell's terrible season last year on Michael Jordan. Russell sustained a hairline pelvis fracture while guarding Jordan. Russell's game dropped so much last season that the Jazz didn't even make an effort to re-sign him. Jordan owed him a job, but apparently not a starting spot on the Wizards. Jordan balked on playing a sixth-man role after coach Doug Collins announced that Russell, not Jordan, would start at small forward this season.

You know MJ will probably get his way, but Russell won't go down without a fight. "It [not starting] doesn't even matter to me," said Russell, 31. "I don't mind coming off the bench behind the greatest player ever to play the game. I can learn something from him. I'm never too old to learn. I'm going to make him compete for it if he wants it [the starting small forward slot]."

Hill not even panting after encouraging return

Brian Schmitz / Orlando Sentinel

Impressive Debut for McDyess

Greg Logan / Newsday

Baker finding his happiness close to home

Carolyn Thornton / Providence Journal

'Inspirational' Kemp making most of chance

Mike Bianchi / Orlando Sentinel

Gugliotta suffers long road back

Bob Young / Arizona Republic

Rockets' Rice making no concessions to age

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Ratliff's aim is to avoid further injury

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bradley finishes strong in preseason opener

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Layden waffles: Spree come home

One day after telling Latrell Sprewell to go stand in the corner of his houseboat until further notice, Knicks GM Scott Layden reversed course Tuesday, claiming that he was "anxious" for Spree to return to the team.

"We know Latrell's a great competitor and we know he wants to be here," Layden told the N.Y. Times. "We know he's going to be a part of our team and we want him back. We know Latrell is anxious to get back, and we know he'll be back, and we're anxious to have him back."

Spree's response? "Right now, I just don't know what to think. A lot of stuff is going through my mind."

He's not the only one. Whether Layden caved to pressure of Knicks players, who clearly want him back, or the pressure from the Players' Association, is anyone's guess. While Layden vowed not to rescind the $250,000 fine (the Players' Association will take care of that), it looks like once again the Knicks have caved and Spree will be joining the club sooner rather than later.

"When he comes back, I'll coach him the same way I coached him before," coach Don Chaney told the N.Y. Post. "I truly believe in his game and believe in him and what's in the past, it's in the past. I don't dwell on anything. When he's ready to come back and is on the floor, it's going to be as if nothing happened."

Of course, not everyone wants him back. N.Y. Daily News columnist Mitch Lawrence wants the Knicks to ship Spree now.

"Fan favorite or not, they've got to trade him. Put him on a Wiz delivery truck to get him out of New York, but make the move. Here's the bottom line: Sprewell isn't worth the trouble. The tardiness. The missed practices/team functions. The suspensions. The offseason troubles. The mysterious broken hands. The $250,000 fines (laughable as this one is). The appeals. The distractions ..."

The Post's George Willis agrees.

"Why does the Knicks' latest spat with Latrell Sprewell remind me of a parent who failed to discipline a child when he was young, trying to show some tough love after he has become a rebellious teenager? Do we need Dr. Phil here?"

Sprewell Still Focal Point for Knicks

Chris Broussard / New York Times

Spree Comeback In Knicks' Plans

Marc Berman / New York Post

Forget fine, just lose Sprewell

Mitch Lawrence / New York Daily News

It's Time To Ship Him Out

George Wills / New York Post

Lewis OK, Sonics KOed

The Sonics received great news on Tuesday when Rashard Lewis' MRI on his shoulder came back negative.

According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer, the Sonics team doctor concluded Tuesday that Lewis' left shoulder does not require surgery. Lewis' MRI showed no additional ligament damage. The conclusion: the joint probably shifted, causing soreness.

Lewis' teammates didn't fare as well, as the Sonics suffered their second defeat of the preseason, this time at the hands of the Warriors.

Coach Nate McMillan was livid at the team's performance. "A bad display of basketball," McMillan said. "That's no excuse for not playing with intensity. . .I don't care who's out there and what combination, the effort has to be given to the team, regardless of what players are out on the floor."

McMillan seemed to be putting much of the blame on Jerome James, who showed up to camp out of shape.

"We have guys who are out of shape, and we have to get guys in shape," McMillan said. "It's a shame that some of us come into camp not ready, not in condition to play, and it's showing in our effort. There's no need to name names, but we're not in shape to play basketball at the NBA level."

Lewis OK, Sonics not

Danny O'Neil / Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Will Isiah Thomas's "Quick Offense" get the Pacers off and running?

Isiah Thomas has taken his knocks as one of the worst coaches in the NBA. He's been accused of everything from blowing off practices to blowing close games. How bad is the perception?

ESPN.com recently polled their basketball experts on the top coaches in the league. Thomas ranked 23 out of 27 (the two new head coaches weren't ranked). He was ranked behind Don Chaney in New York and Bill Cartwright in Chicago. ESPN.com users were even less kind, ranking him dead last.

Thomas probably doesn't care; he's been taking this kind of abuse in one form or another for the last few decades. Instead, he's putting in place a new offensive system that he thinks will put him up there with the other great coaches in the league.

Thomas calls it the Quick Offense, and it incorporates three of the most successful offenses in the game's history: the Triangle, developed by Tex Winter and which Phil Jackson implemented with the Bulls and Lakers; the high post "shuffle cut" system that John Wooden used at UCLA; and Bob Knight's motion offense, in which Thomas played at Indiana University.

"I tried to combine those three schools of thought and fit an offense around the talent we have," Thomas told the Indianapolis Star. The offense is a major reversal from the one-on-one play that has come to dominate the league.

"This is an offense that makes you have to play with your teammates," Thomas said. "When you don't, you look bad. It requires a lot of trust of your teammates. Trust is the key to everything. You need your teammate to help you get a basket."

Thomas says he's trying to break free from the NBA traditions that hold the rest of the NBA captive. "I want to win," he said. "I'm going to do whatever I have to do. If we're going to continue to act like the rest of the league, then the Lakers are going to keep kicking our a--. You can't come back with the same game and expect to beat those guys. And when I say those guys, I mean their [coaching] braintrust. They have about 200 years of basketball knowledge on their bench. They've seen it all, done it all, and have invented a lot of stuff we're trying to beat them with. I'm going to say it again: They invented the stuff we're trying to beat them with. How are you going to beat them?

The great coaches, which is what I want to be one day, have all taken a path where they've put themselves out on the line."

Pacers ready to try coach's Quick Offense

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

Writers Bloc: Kukoc a pioneer

Folks still can't get over Team USA's thrashing at the World Championships. Toni Kukoc, who is now old-school European, wonders if players like Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki understand their roots.

"It would be nice if guys would say, 'If not for you and a couple of other guys, there is no way we would be treated as we are now,'" said Kukoc.

The Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith writes a nice piece about a time, not too long ago, when Europe's best players couldn't get any respect.

"Toni Kukoc has been a pioneer of sorts, a groundbreaker. Kukoc, the valuable sixth man on three Bulls championship teams, was part of the first class of international players to prove they were tough enough and good enough to play important roles for successful teams in the NBA. At the time, European players were ridiculed and considered unable to compete effectively in the NBA."

It didn't take long for the NBA to give Charlotte another team. And it didn't take much longer for Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler to start complaining about the hometown team again.

"OK, I'm thinking about applauding for this tentative agreement, which could well become a sure thing before the end of this year. I really wouldn't mind applauding. Except I've got a drink in my hand and someone might kick it over if I set it down. And it's hard to think about George Shinn and Ray Wooldridge getting $10 million or so of the expansion-team fee, and even harder to think of Shinn sitting on the expansion committee with a smirking grin and some Mardi Gras beads."

Finally, with all of the bad role model stories that have come out of the offseason, I'd be remiss not mention Jerry Brewer's column on Tracy McGrady in the Orlando Sentinel today. The good guys still exist.

"Tracy McGrady sent a video message and autographed jersey to the 13-year-old boy who was wounded by a sniper Monday in the Washington area. McGrady learned Tuesday morning that the boy had said he was a fan. The boy, who was shot once in the chest after his aunt dropped him off at school, is expected to survive. McGrady and the Magic want to fly the boy, who is in critical but stable condition, to a game when he is better for a face-to-face meeting. "That's really touching," McGrady said. "It was real touching to me that of all the guys in this league — Shaq [O'Neal], Kobe [bryant], Michael Jordan — he called my name. Wow."

NBA foreigners in debt to Kukoc

Sam Smith / Chicago Tribune

This NBA comeback isn't exciting

Scott Fowler / Charlotte Observer

T-Mac responds to sniper victim

Jerry Brewer / Orlando Sentinel

Peep Show

Warriors: What's up with Troy Murphy getting the starting power forward nod over Danny Fortson Tuesday night? Is Fortson already in coach Eric Musselman's doghouse? "Danny's had a good camp," a Warriors source told Insider. "But Troy's had a fantastic camp. I think we'll use both of them in different situations but against the Sonics, who are small up front, we didn't want Fortson chasing around [Vladimir] Radmanovic." The move paid off. Murphy led the Warriors to victory with 16 points and 12 rebounds. . .Gilbert Arenas got the start at point guard, but don't pencil him in as a starter just yet. The Warriors still have Bob Sura peged for that position but a calf injury kept him out of action Tuesday.

Grizzlies: Drew Gooden wowed a lot of folks in Memphis Tuesday with his 26-point, 14-rebound debut. He earned the immediate respect of the Rockets with his performance. "Gooden is a heck of a player," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "He's active inside and outside, he's hungry. He's going to score a lot of points and get a lot of rebounds in this league."

Wizards: Rookies Jared Jeffries and Juan Dixon are making a good impression in camp. "They've really earned the respect of the veterans," coach Doug Collins told the Washington Post. "Our veteran players like being on the floor with them. They like how hard they work. They like the fact that they've come in and played with the kind of energy they play with."

Nuggets: The point guard situation in Denver is still incredibly shaky. At Tuesday's scrimmage, the three Nugget point guards (Kenny Satterfield, Darrick Martin and Junior Harrington) combined to shoot 3-for-19 and commit 14 turnovers. "I've always been concerned [with the point-guard situation]," coach Jeff Bzdelik told the Rocky Mountain News. "It's a tough position to play. You look around the league and the majority of teams have experienced point guards. It makes it even tougher on the court when you don't have a nucleus of experienced players surrounding the point guard."

Pistons: Coach Rick Carlisle said point guard Chucky Atkins has been the best player in Pistons camp. "I think Chucky is a pretty clear example of how competition on your own team brings out the best in everybody," Carlisle told the Detroit News. "I really believe Chucky worked harder than anybody on the team this summer . . .He's much stronger, and he's playing very efficiently."

T-Wolves: Wally Szczerbiak bruised the tendon at the base of his left pinkie toe and will have X-rays today. Neither Szczerbiak nor Wolves coach Flip Saunders would guess how long — or if — Szczerbiak might be sidelined, but Szczerbiak was still limping, tender and visibly concerned after the game. "I went out to jump and met [bucks forward] Toni Kukoc, and when I landed... I kind of felt something funny happen over on the left pinkie toe, where it connects [to the foot]," Szczerbiak told the Pioneer Press. "When I ran up and down the floor, I felt something loose and moving around. I have no idea what it is. We'll have to let the doctors look at it. But it's pretty sore right now. Hopefully it's nothing bad."

Bulls: Donyell Marshall's sore right hamstring is expected to sideline him for Thursday's exhibition opener against Boston, and at least initially, it will deprive the Bulls of an opportunity to experiment. The plan this season is to play Marshall at both forward positions. But Cartwright will likely only use the 6-foot-9-inch, 235-pounder at power forward against smallish teams. "I know I need to play to learn the offense, but we want to be careful too," Marshall told the Chicago Tribune. "During the season I'll play either position, whatever I can do to help the team win."

Clippers: The injury woes continue in L.A. Rookie point guard Marko Jaric was forced to miss Tuesday night's game against the Lakers with a strained left groin and rookie Melvin Ely was forced to leave with 5:41 left in the first quarter as he aggravated the tendinitis in his left foot. That left just Andre Miller, Eric Piatkowski and Corey Maggette as the team's healthy regulars. Miller's plan for the exhibition season is this: "Try not to get hurt. I want to try to make it to the first game."

Bucks: Coach George Karl said Tuesday that there was a good chance center Joel Przybilla, who had surgery on his left ankle in late August to remove bone spurs, would start the season on the injured list. "We've got a 7-foot, 265-pound kid with a foot problem," Karl told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "That rehab tends to be on the long side rather than on the short side."

Gooden solid in first NBA game

Ron Higgins / Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Jeffries, Dixon Are Impressive

Steve Wyche / Washington Post

At the point, guards don't make many

Chris Tomasson / Rocky Mountain News

New-look Pistons impress in debut

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Wally hurt in Wolves' victory

Robbi Pickeral / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Sore hamstring slows newcomer Marshall

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

Clips grapple with injuries

Joe Stevens / Los Angeles Daily News

Bucks have their ups and downs in exhibition opener

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

[Diesel]

Troy Murphy as Starting PF.

You have to like what Mussleman has to work with in GS.

I believe he should bite the trade that Chicago has Sent his way.

Jaimeson for Robinson, Fizer, and Crawford. I'd do it Simply because Jaimeson will not be part of their future. Crawford might be help at the PG too.

But even with the trade, I have said before that GS's future is:

Arenas, Richardson, Dunleavy Jr, Murphy, and Some C. I figure they trade Jaimeson and Fortson away and get Depth and a C. Trade Foyle or Damp for Depth as well. E-Muss got some good players. IN 2 yrs I would look out for them.

[jaywalker72]

I don't know which was worse, seeing the formerly great Shawn Kemp playing with the scrubs, or the fact that he couldn't even score with them in there.

He scored only two points in major minutes against the Hawks second team, and then got four more against the "We're Not Gonna Make It" squad the Hawks ran out there in the fourth.

His footwork and touch seem to still be there, but his astounding weight seems to prevent him fom doing the things he does best, like move in the post and run the floor.

Ekezie looked the best of the Magic "bigs", but I wouldn't count on much from Kemp except for trying to hang on to his NBA life...

[Guest]

But even with the trade, I have said before that GS's future is:

Arenas, Richardson, Dunleavy Jr, Murphy, and Some C. I figure they trade Jaimeson and Fortson away and get Depth and a C. Trade Foyle or Damp for Depth as well. E-Muss got some good players. IN 2 yrs I would look out for them."

Arenas is a undersized SG but is GS future while JT

must be traded.lol oh the haterade.

[Diesel]

Well,

Arenas Showed promise playing the PG position. He showed that he could distribute and play defense. Which is why GS didn't waste a draft pick on any of the PGs in the draft when their time to select came.

The haterade is right.

Now, you want to make an issue out of each PG I mention. Quit hating.

[Guest]

I didn't see much promise when we played

Golden State.

"Arenas Showed promise playing the PG position. He showed that he could distribute and play defense. Which is why GS didn't waste a draft pick on any of the PGs in the draft when their time to select came. "

Funny how it works one way and not the other...spin

doctor.That is why Bobby Sura might start at PG

for them.

[Diesel]

San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/info/copyright>

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/10/04/SP190853.DTL>

'Early Bird' may fly the coup Tough for Warriors to keep Arenas

Brad Weinstein, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, October 4, 2002

http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/info/copyright> URL:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...04/SP190853.DTL

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/10/04/SP190853.DTL>

The Warriors believe they have locked up a young nucleus that will

lead them back to respectability. But the contractual ties that bind

one of those players to the team are quite loose.

Second-year guard Gilbert Arenas can become a restricted free agent

next offseason, and he might be difficult to retain because of the

Warriors' limited negotiating power. The Warriors are helpless to do

anything until after the season, and even then the team will be

challenged to keep one of the steals of the 2001 draft.

By lasting until the second pick of the second round, Arenas lost

out on long-term financial security but gained a chance to enter

free agency more quickly than first-round selections, who are

guaranteed three-year contracts with a team option for a fourth.

With his two-year deal expiring after the season, Arenas can test

the market as a so-called "Early Bird" free agent.

The Warriors will be handicapped because they only can match offers

for Arenas that start at or under the league's average salary

(currently about $4. 5 million), a concern because more teams are

expected to have salary-cap space this summer, including the

rebuilding, backcourt-thin Denver Nuggets.

If, for example, Arenas had been a restricted free agent this past

offseason, the Warriors could have offered him a maximum of about

$35 million over six years. Assistant general manager Gary

Fitzsimmons said that because the Warriors are over the salary cap,

league rules prohibit them from extending or renegotiating Arenas'

contract this season.

The 20-year-old Arenas is determined to not let an unsettled future

[Guest]

Yeah so?

He still can't play PG.After seeing us play the

Warriors twice they were the worst team in

the league last year.

It still doesn't change your bias arguement.Again,

you simply have no clue as to what you are talking

about.Gilbert is a backup player.The fact that Sura

could start at PG says enough.

PS does it say anywhere Gilbert is there starting

PG?Nothing says in here he will be a sucessful

PG either.

HAHA!pointless article.Pricks like you feed off

wasting peoples time.Thanks for taking up my

time for nothing.

[Diesel]

The Warriors believe they have locked up a young nucleus that will lead them back to respectability

This says nothing about your expectations. This talks about the same thing I mentioned. The warriors believing they have a young nucleus in Arenas, Richardson, Dunleavy Jr., and Murphy. That was my point and this article gives verification that Arenas is definitely part of that group. So enough of your short sided BIASed BS. Nobody asked for your wrong take on the matter?

[Guest]

I'm sure the Warriors have believed alot of things

over the last 8 years but still look at them.Whatever.