Thursday Insider

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Mailbag: Will the Knicks

make a move?

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: McMillan fed up with Sonics | Nugget envy? | Is Terrell Brandon's career over? | Peep Show

The trade deadline is coming, the world travelers are coming out of the woodwork, and frankly, my inbox is filling up. So, without further adieu, the Insider NBA Mailbag is back, baby.

Q: What are the chances the Knicks will blow up the team this year? As a fan, I don't care if Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Kurt Thomas get traded for a hot dog and a soda -- as long as the cap situation is somewhat improved and younger players are injected into the lineup. In the offseason, it was rumored that the Knicks might go after Jason Terry. What are the possibilities of a Terry and Theo Ratliff for Sprewell type of trade? Terry would complement Houston well, and if the Hawks can get a point guard, they can make a playoff push. Having said that, if the Hawks don't think Terry is a PG, who are they looking for?

-- Steve Cernak, Washington D.C.

Damon Stoudamire

Point Guard

Portland Trail Blazers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

21 6.1 2.7 3.0 .331 .700

FORD: Steve isn't the only one wondering why all is quiet on the Knicks' front at the moment. While the Knicks certainly are still looking to make a deal, Scott Layden's hands are pretty tied. Owner James Dolan is ushering in a new age of fiscal responsibility in New York, so the Knicks aren't just going to blow money for the [censored] of it (Layden's management strategy up to this point). If they could land a legitimate big prospect, they'd pull the trigger, but that doesn't seem likely. Furthermore, it isn't like the Knicks are better off making a push for the playoffs. They need to lose as many games possible. This team doesn't need another first-round exit. What they need is young talent.

As for the Terry and Damon Stoudamire rumors, I don't think it's happening. The emergence of second-round pick Milos Vujanic, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Yugoslavia, should give the team its point guard of the future when he joins the Knicks next season. Vujanic is not only the best point guard in Europe right now, he's Europe's best player period. He reminds me of a more athletic version of Steve Nash. Since the Knicks will be able to sign him at a relative bargain, don't expect them to create more problems by adding another point guard to the mix.

Q: I think you are way off base mentioning the Wizards in the same breath as the Hawks, Bulls, Bucks and Heat. And among the bad teams no one expected to be this bad, you left off the Raptors, Knicks, Cleveland etc. But my real issue is with saying the Wizards stink. They have been beating the teams they are expected to beat all season, but couldn't get over the hump against winning teams. But in the last week or two, they have beaten San Antonio and Indiana, Michael Jordan is starting to heat up, and the trio of Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes is starting to jell. I am not saying championship here, but clearly the Wizards are no longer cellar dwellers.

-- Bleik Pickett, Washington D.C.

FORD: The reason I put the Wizards in the same group is they've underachieved. No, they are not cellar dwellers. Yes, I believe they'll make the playoffs this season. But the preseason expectations were much, much higher. Jordan didn't trade away much of his young talent to get knocked out in the first round. The additions of Jerry Stackhouse and Bryon Russell were a clear sign to just about everyone that they were going for it all. I still think the Wizards won't get far without some low-post help, one good perimeter shooter and legit point guard to run the team. But they are getting better. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see them continue their hot streak throughout most of January. They have a very posh schedule and should have no problem dispatching the Raptors, Nuggets, Warriors and Knicks of the world.

Q: After an unprecedented meltdown last season, the Bucks have resumed the sloppy and sporadic play that kept them out of the playoffs last year in a wide open Eastern Conference. Who is to blame? How can the organization fix things? Is there any trade value or interest in Sam Cassell? And finally, I understand the importance of a third scorer in the NBA, but how can the Bucks succeed with their second-best player (Michael Redd) backing up their best (Ray Allen)?

-- Scott Larson, Madison, Wis.

Tim Thomas

Forward

Milwaukee Bucks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

34 13.7 5.1 1.4 .438 .790

FORD: The Bucks are a mess. I wonder if George Karl's heart is in it anymore. Whenever a coach starts answering questions about the season by telling reporters how great his life is off the court, you know there are problems. Where do you start? They desperately need a low-post presence. Anthony Mason, Joel Przybilla and Ervin Johnson just aren't getting it done. They expected much more out of Tim Thomas. He's played much better the last few weeks and the Bucks have stopped some of the bleeding. He's the guy who needs to be the third scorer behind Allen and Cassell. I also think that Cassell and Allen have tuned out Karl, to a certain extent. There's tension there. Will it lead to a trade? I doubt it. The Bucks' two most valuable assets are Allen and Redd. I'm just not sure the franchise could get any better by trading them. If I'm Ernie Grunfeld, I'd be working the phones hard trying to swing a deal. This team needs a big shake up. Thomas still has some value, as do Cassell and veteran Toni Kukoc.

Q: Don't you think what is happening to the Raptors is in actuality the best thing that could happen to them? The fact is, they only have one high lottery pick on the entire team. Most teams I can think of have two or three at least. Most of Toronto's players are second rounders or guys who weren't drafted at all.

-- Chris Cramsay, Toronto

FORD: You're right. The Raptors have a lot of good talent, but only one great talent. Carter has proved over the last few season that he's incapable of carrying the entire scoring load by himself. He needs help. Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams and Mo Peterson are all solid players, but none of is capable of taking over a game on a nightly basis. The Raptors have so many bad contracts, it won't be easy for them to make a trade. If things keep going poorly, adding a lottery pick may be the only way to jump start the franchise. As for trading Carter, forget about it. Not only is his trade value at an all-time low because of his knee injury, he's a base-year compensation player, making him almost impossible to trade.

Q: Does Cleveland get the Raptors' first pick in the 2003 draft, and if so do they still get it if the Raptors finish with a lottery pick or with one of the first three draft picks?

FORD: The Raptors do owe the Cavs a first-round pick. However, it is lottery protected through the 2008 season. If the Raptors keeps tanking it, they'll keep their pick this year. The only unprotected draft pick this summer is the one the Rockets owe the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies will get the Rockets pick, no matter what record the Rockets post. The Grizzlies also owe the Pistons their first-round pick this summer. The only way the Pistons don't get this pick is if it is the No. 1 pick overall in the draft. Given Jerry West's luck, that's probably a given. First Kobe, now LeBron. The other high pick that may change hands this summer is Atlanta's. The Hawks owe the Bucks their first-round pick this year, and it's only top-three protected. The Pacers (to the Hawks), Sixers (to the Celtics), and the Kings (to the Magic) also likely will lose their picks this season.

Q: While it seems to be obvious that Lebron James will be the first pick, I was wondering if you could tell me what team he would be best suited for.

-- Thomas Graham, Gilbert, Ariz.

FORD: Great question. Of the current lottery teams, the Nuggets (Vincent Yarbrough), Grizzlies (Michael Dickerson, Wesley Person), Hawks (Ira Newble) and Bulls (Trenton Hassell) could all use a dominant two guard. Ironically, the Cavs, who are leading the charge for LeBron, may need him the least. With Dajuan Wagner, Ricky Davis and Darius Miles on the roster, its the only position where they don't need help. However, you can bet that if the Cavs get the No. 1 pick, they're taking LeBron and shipping someone else out. Ditto for all of the other 28 teams in the league.

Q: How do you rate the chances that Slavko Vranes will get into the draft this year and if so, how high can he realistically go? Is he considered a project, like Dalibor Bagaric or more of an eventual sure think like Yao?

-- Jeff Alexander, Pittsburgh

FORD: His agent, Marc Cornstein, is leaning toward putting Vranes' name in the draft. Vranes is still pretty raw, but there's a lot of interest in him. This is going to be another terrible draft for centers, so Vranes won't have much competition. I think he'd probably be a late first-round pick right now. Whoever drafts him would probably leave him overseas for another year or two until he's more physically ready to play in the NBA.

Q: Phil Jackson coaches the team to possibly five or six championships and he's the enemy? Your doomsday scenario is predicated on the unlikely event that Kobe and Shaq won't be suiting up for the Lakers three years from now. The most likely scenario is that these two players will still be around in 2006. (It will be hard for Shaq to walk away from a $100 million, and Kobe will eventually sign once a new labor agreement is in place. Why sign now when you can potentially garner more $$$ by waiting two years?) The Lakers brought Jackson in to win titles, and that's exactly what he has done. Jackson, unlike many sportswriters, understands that an opportunity to win rings comes along very rarely, and you better milk that opportunity for all that it's worth.

-- David Bradley

FORD: Hold on a second. Five or six? Right now the Lakers are stuck on three. The scenario isn't as far fetched as you make it out to be. Jackson's contract is up after next season. Shaq has said repeatedly that he's gone when Jackson's gone. If the Lakers really do slip this year, that becomes even more likely. Money isn't the only reason that Kobe hasn't signed that extension. He wants to see what his options are in the summer of 2004. If Jackson and Shaq are gone, he doesn't want to be the last guy left on the Titanic.

Yes, it's possible that Jackson will re-up for another six years, and it's possible that Shaq and Kobe decide to carry their love affair into the next decade, but I think it's unlikely. If even two of those three leave, the Lakers are screwed. As for Jackson's desire to milk his teams for all they're worth -- it's understandable. His job is to win now. The problem is, when you don't have a good separation between a coach and the front office, it can cause problems down the road. Jackson didn't have that power officially in Chicago, but his threats to quit if Jerry Krause tried to rebuild were just as effective. As for the plethora of Lakers fans who e-mailed me saying they'd rather have a fourth championship and years of Bulls-like misery over a quick rebuilding project -- I'll believe it when I see it. Which leads me to the last question of the week ...

Q: I read your chat transcript today and something you said really bothered me. There is no chance whatsoever that Jerry Krause should have sacrificed a sixth championship in order for the team to be in the playoffs today. It's this simple, only one team wins every year, that's it. Nothing else matters. How can you suggest not taking advantage of that opportunity when it is there? Whether the Bulls would have won a seventh title or not, that is the only real problem I ever had with the disintegration of the team. If the Bulls had the chance to win again, how do you not go for it with the only rationale not to be bad later? If you don't win, deal with the repercussions, but I just don't get this attitude. It is worth it to have experienced this horrendous "rebuilding" effort -- even if it was retarded by a year -- because of the championships. It is illogical and unjustifiable to trade a title for a one-year headstart toward respectability.

-- David Mehlman, Chicago

FORD: If it was just a one-year headstart, I could understand. Or if it was the team's first or second championship, I could understand. But it was much, much more than that. For reasons that are tough to explain, players on championship teams get what I call a "halo" effect. Their value is greatly enhanced because of their high-profile participation on a winning team. When Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson both jumped ship, Krause was forced to hold a fire sale. Had he traded Scottie Pippen in the last season or two of his contract, he would have gotten several young prospects in return. The same goes for Toni Kukoc. Those young players would have had a chance to learn from veterans like Jackson and Jordan. The Bulls would be much better off.

Look at the Pacers. People thought Donnie Walsh was nuts when he traded away Antonio Davis and Dale Davis after a trip to the NBA Finals. But just a few years later, the Pacers are completely reloaded and competing for a championship again. Walsh never let them sink too far. Obviously, reasonable people can disagree on this. But I think Lakers fans have no idea what's in store if Shaq, Phil and Kobe all jump ship. I have enough e-mail from depressed Bulls fans to fill the Bristol office.

McMillan fed up with Sonics

That 8-2 start gave the Sonics a lot of hope. But the subsequent 8-15 mire that the Sonics are stuck in has just about everyone fed up.

Vladimir Radmanovic

Forward-Center

Seattle SuperSonics

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

34 10.7 4.8 1.3 .445 .667

The Sonics, losers of seven of their last nine, rank 21st in the league in rebounding and are dead last in blocked shots. The four-headed monster of Calvin Booth, Jerome James, Vitaly Potapenko and Predrag Drobjnak aren't getting it done in the middle. Rashard Lewis, at seven boards per game, is the team's leading rebounder, and over the latest streak, coach Nate McMillan has been forced to start a rookie, Reggie Evans, and another small forward, Vladimir Radmanovic, at power forward. The results have been disastrous.

Mix in a volatile Kenny Anderson and a position battle between Brent Barry and Desmond Mason and McMillan has had enough.

"I've got two free-agent point guards who want minutes," McMillan, speaking of Gary Payton and Anderson told the Seattle Post Intelligencer, "and I've got five big men who all play with a similar style. Until we make some moves, this is what we're going to have to work with."

Vin Baker may have been shipped off to Boston this summer, but his ghost hung around to haunt the team.

McMillan said his players are "kind of moping" about their lack of minutes but he also readily admitted that none is really earning them. When McMillan decided to shake up the starting lineup, substituting Radmanovic for Evans, he stumbled when a reporter asked him whether Radmanovic, whose play has been sporadic this season, had earned the promotion.

Brent Barry

Shooting Guard

Seattle SuperSonics

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

31 10.5 4.5 4.8 .453 .762

"Right now, I'm looking at something that can possibly spark this team," he said. "Has [Radmanovic] earned that? I won't even get into that. I'm doing this for a change to see if we can get something to spark the club."

The problem for the Sonics is that they have too many scorers and not enough defenders, rebounders or guys willing to do the dirty work. The chemistry is failing and McMillan is hoping that the front office can get him some real help, especially down low.

The Sonics do have plenty of trade bait. Anderson is in the last year of his contract, making him a valuable commodity. The team may also be able to afford to move a top-tier player like Brent Barry (Mason may have lapped him) or Radmanovic (he's playing out of position as long as Lewis is on the team). The Sonics haven't figured out all of the answers, but McMillan seems to have a firm grasp of the problem.

"We're not playing good basketball," McMillan said. "Or working together, trusting, encouraging, supporting or playing as a unit right now. We're having different guys different nights not involved, or in tune,into the game, and it's showing out on the floor."

McMillan tires of playing baby-sitter

Blaine Newnham / Seattle Times

Spurs deflate Sonics late

Danny O'Neil / Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Nugget envy?

Former protege Jeff Bzdelik took it to Pat Riley's Heat on Wednesday night, and after the game, Riley said he expects the Nuggets to do the same thing to his team in the summer.

The Nuggets will have about $23 million in salary-cap space this summer, when several big-name free agents will be available. The Heat, meanwhile, is caught in a rebuilding limbo, with only about $7 million available.

"If I could've, I would've done the same thing," Riley told the Miami Herald. "If you're going to start over, you're going to start over. I think they've done a great job. If you're going to sweep the table, sometimes it's hard because you have salaries that others don't want."

The Heat has been attempting to trade Eddie Jones and Brian Grant for about a year in an attempt to clear more cap room, but so far they've come up empty

"For next year [Denver's position] is 10 times better than ours," Riley said. "Now, if they can get some of those [free agents] to come here, then they're ready to strike. They get another lottery pick and if they get two free agents, they're ready to roll. That's where we want to be. That's where I was my first year here. We cleaned the table. We can't do that because we have a couple of max contracts that we want to augment with other players. So we have to wait a little longer."

Marcus Camby

Forward-Center

Denver Nuggets

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

- - - - - -

Meanwhile, don't be surprised if the Nuggets make yet another move to clear another $7 million off their cap. They're doing their best to speed up Marcus Camby's return to the court. Why? They don't have any interest in winning more games. But they wouldn't mind getting his deal off their cap. With teams like the Sonics, Bulls and Lakers looking for help down low, Camby, if he's really healthy, would be a big coup. Not only is he a legit all-star when he isn't injured, his contract is pretty reasonable. He has only two more years on his contract, and one of those is a team option.

Camby is already angling for a trade. He admits he's unhappy in the current situation and wouldn't mind being shipped off to a contender.

"I'm an East Coast guy," Camby told the Denver Post. "I grew up in Connecticut, went to school in Massachusetts and played the majority of my pro career in New York. Coming out West in itself has been a big adjustment for me. My whole life is on the East Coast. I'm basically out here by myself. No family or nothing."

Asked directly if he would consider trading Camby, GM Kiki Vandeweghe would say only that he firmly believes in the often-injured player's talent, but that nobody currently on the Nuggets' roster can be considered untouchable.

What would Camby cost a team? Players in the last year of their contracts and/or draft picks are the only currency Vandeweghe is taking these days.

Heat's Riley envies Denver's clean slate

Israel Gutierrez / Miami Herald

Camby doesn't fit in Denver

Mark Kiszla / Denver Post

Is Terrell Brandon's career over?

The T-Wolves' wait may finally be over.

Injured point guard Terrell Brandon is still trying to rehabilitate his surgically repaired left knee. But Kevin Garnett thinks Brandon might be sidelined for good.

"In his mind, he has let us know he's pretty much done," Garnett told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We all respect that, and we've all come to that, and that's reality. Just from a life standpoint, we're all happy for him and hopefully he will make a speedy recovery so he's able to walk. From a basketball standpoint, he let us know early on that it was pretty much a done deal, so we all support his decision and we all support him."

If Brandon eventually determines that he can no longer play, the T-Wolves can apply to the league for salary-cap relief. Brandon still has two years and $23 million left on his contract after this season. Right now, an insurance policy is covering 80 percent of Brandon's salary.

Brandon's injury could be career-ender

Robbi Pickeral / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Peep Show

Raptors: Vince Carter is ready to play. "I like playing, I like being on the floor, I like being a part of what's going on, whether it's winning or losing," Carter told the Toronto Star. So I hope I get my opportunity to get back [tomorrow]. I'm ready to go." But Carter hasn't been cleared to play by the team's medical staff, which has been supervising his recovery from a strained right knee. "He worked out a little bit [yesterday], and we'll look at him [today] and see how he is," coach Lenny Wilkens said. "But he hasn't been cleared yet."

Knicks: Plagued by foul trouble early and benched in the fourth quarter, Allan Houston played just 25 minutes and finished with 10 points on 2 of 7 shooting Wednesday night. His three-point prayer missed at the buzzer, sealing Indiana's 89-87 victory. Houston sat out most of the fourth quarter and was fumed after the game. "To come out at that point, it is frustrating," Houston told the Newsday. "As a player you want be out there. It's extremely tough. It's much easier when we win." Asked if he would talk to coach Don Chaney about fourth-quarter benchings, Houston replied tersely: "If I feel like I need to, I will. I never will complain about something again before I go to him. If I've got something I need to talk to him about, I will. His door's open, and I have no problem with it."

Hawks: Rookie Dan Dickau is the latest point guard to get the nod over Jason Terry. Terry, who started the year as the team's starting point guard, has been logging most of his minutes at shooting guard lately. Dickau, who started for the first time, had 10 assists and just three turnovers in 32 minutes . "I liked what Dan gave us," coach Terry Stotts told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Cavs: GM Jim Paxson is anxious to see whether Chris Mihm is worth keeping around next season. That means convincing John Lucas to put him in the game. "The coaches have to make a commitment to put Chris in the game and give him an opportunity," Paxson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It doesn't necessarily have to be for long stretches, but we need to get him some time to get comfortable." Paxson said he and Lucas talk regularly about how to find minutes for Mihm and fellow front-court youngsters DeSagana Diop and Carlos Boozer. "The guy who might be affected is Tyrone Hill," Lucas said of the 12-year pro. "I already know what Tyrone brings and does for us."

Mavs: Shawn Bradley suffered a strained right thigh muscle during the game against Denver on Monday. He dressed for Wednesday's game but did not play. He is listed as day-to-day. . .French swingman Antoine Rigaudeau could join the Mavericks on their Western Conference trip, perhaps as soon as Monday. Rigaudeau already is receiving a stamp of approval from some people who know him best. "He used to be really athletic, but now he's more of a shooter," San Antonio's Emanuel Ginobili, a former teammate of Rigaudeau's, told the Dallas Morning News. "With that team [the Mavs], that's all he needs to do. With Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki and the way they play, he will get shots and should be a good player for them."

Pacers: GM Donnie Walsh says that the team is getting Ron Artest some help for his anger management problems. "I've alerted some of the people I have that we've got to start something here where he's got access to help," Walsh told the N.Y. Times. "We're going to make it more of a priority because this is something we have to deal with. I think Ronnie's a terrific guy, but he's getting a reputation because of all these wild things he's done."

Carter awaits OK but 'ready to go'

Jennifer Quinn / Toronto Star

Top Gun in Holster

Greg Logan / Newsday

Shots go cold as rally falters

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cavs will give Mihm more miles on road

Dennis Manoloff / Cleveland Plain Dealer

French guard bids farewell

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Artest's Temper Becomes a Concern

Chris Broussard / New York Times

[Blunt91]

Hmmm Chad Ford said our pick is only protected through the first 3picks.Well if we don't start winning by the end of the month I say we start throwing some games to get James.More than likely we will end up with the 8 or 9th spot which the Bucks will end up getting. I hope the Pacers go into a slump so they will give us a better pick, although it will probably be no higher than the 20thpick.

[jaywalker72]

I wonder why I post here sometimes....Over the last two weeks, the question of protection of that pick has cropped up a half dozen times or so.

Each time, myself and others have made it clear about the protection being Top 3, through 2007 in the Bucks trade.

Links have been provided, Babcock quoted, etc.

And still, even the regulars miss those posts.

I wonder if people only read their own threads and ignore the rest.

I guess I am nuts because I read all of them, and that's why it drives me nuts when people who are here all the time still miss common info provided on the boards...

No wonder there are always multiple people claiming "they called it".....lol....they simply missed the other twelve instances of the same information/opinions....

[Gray Mule]

Sure, we read our own posts. Someone should.

Most of the posters "Skim over" the rest of the posts

to see if there is anything really exciting going on, a

hot rumor to spread, an argument to jump into, etc.

With this type of reading we often forget what we have

read shortly after reading it. Then, when it crosses our

mind later we assume it is our own originial idea.

Any thoughts on the Hawks trading anyone soon after

the signing of two from the Development League?

Actually, the re-signing of two who have been here before.

[BlackHawkDown]

Actually I never saw that until you responded to a post I made.

But in general I read every post, Just some I find boring. i.e. Hawksfreaks post, The NBA2K3 Tournament, etc.... I also avoid Diesels trades because they have lost legitamacy. But I hope everyone looks over all the post because the Hawksquawk is great for gathering public opinion

[KB21]

.....how, if Big Dog is this cancer you try to make him out to be, the Bucks are for all intents and purposes worse without him than with him?

[Admin]

Big Dog playing? We have won 3 consecutive games with Big Dog not in the lineup. Thats got to be more than coincidence. I really think that some of the players must have some animosity towards Big Dog because they just dont hustle nearly as much when he is playing.

[KB21]

Big Dog played in the San Antonio game. You are mistaken. Big Dog is the guy who set the pick for Terry's game winning shot.

I think the last two wins have more to do with Jason Terry being given more freedom to take his shots than it does with Big Dog being out of the line up.

Big Dog hasn't been a cancer on this team. He's been one of the few guys who have cared. This guy has had this elbow problem since the first month of the season, but he has continued to play with this problem even though it clearly has effected him. He's also had a back problem that he has played with as well. He kept his mouth shut when he was playing for an incompetent coach in Lon Kruger and there was no structure to the offense.

[Guest]

Of course Puppy Dog is gunna shutup as long as he

is getting his shots.Take away his shots and he

will start bitchin.We should trade him for a more

well round SF....[censored] his 20/7 bloated stats.As long

as he has got people believing stats is what counts

there will alsways be fools.When I watch him on the

court I don't see a star player.I see a jumpshooter

with a limited offensive game and careless defense.

Puppy Dog ws the start of the Bucks problems.Sadly,

once problems start they start to fall on down the line.

I'd rather have a 16PPG 5RPG team player than a

selfish loser like Puppy Dog.Puppy Dog bleeds selfishness.

[Teeareess]

In reply to:

---

Big Dog played in the San Antonio game. You are mistaken. Big Dog is the guy who set the pick for Terry's game winning shot.

---

True, but he missed the Philly win (I think it was two games before). We're 3-0 in games he's missed.

[Diesel]

Many people say we have won because of Big Dog's absence.

Actually we have won because JT Moved over to the 2. In both the Houston and the Charlotte game, when JT played the 1, we struggled and had Scoring droughts. I think that's enough proof. IN Dallas, Houston, and N.O> games, Wilks and Dickau stepped in and made the offense run a lot smoother.

That's QED right there. The problem isn't big dog. He's not a cancer. The problem is:

1. Players out of position.

2. begginning the season with Bad Coaching.

and it's a myth that Big Dog didn't play in the SA game.

http://www.nba.com/games/20021227/SASATL/boxscore.html

He Logged in 40 minutes?

[Admin]

but that still doesnt take away from the fact that we have won our last 3 games that Big Dog did not play, correct? What you are saying about the reason we won is because JT moved to the 2 guard is partly correct, however was JT not playing SG with Big Dog in the lineup the previous 6 games that we lost, or at least most of those 6 games? My contention is that this team plays more fluidly with Big Dog not in the lineup. I agree with many on this site that he is a black hole with the ball. Sure JT takes a large amount of shots, but as the SG that is his job. Its somewhat declared in his title is it not? The role of Big Dog should be to come off of screens and hit jumpers, not to just shoot it up everytime he gets the ball while not even in an offensive set yet. I would really love to see him moved for a more athletic SF or even a top flight PG, but due to the PR nightmare that it would likely cause I cannot see it happening. I think we can be more than okay with Big Dog in the lineup, but he must learn that he is going to be the 3rd option out of our big 3 while all 3 are on the floor together and he must be okay with that. If he continues to think that he is more than that, we are doomed.