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Mailbag: Can't we all just get along?

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Will the Sixers bring back Theo? | Lakers: It's tough to make a deal | T-Mac one ups Vince Carter once again | Peep Show

NBA MVP Watch: No Pacer can be considered

NBA Power Outage: Suns should find relief in February

The trade deadline is a upon us, but all anyone can seem to talk about right now is the flurry of fines and suspensions Stu Jackson and company have handed out over the last few weeks. I've received tons of e-mail this week from readers who feel that players no longer understand where the line between competitiveness and insanity is. Is Ron Artest crazy or is he passionate? Is Jerry Sloan a head case, or just a tough old coot with a short fuse? Is Rasheed Wallace certifiable or is he well . . . you got me on that one.

It's time to dip into the mailbag again folks. Keep those e-mails coming. Unfortunately, the volume is so high, I can't get back to all of them personally, but I'm trying.

Q: Please explain to me how Rasheed Wallace and Latrell Sprewell will never get your respect for an all-star vote, yet you'll effusively gush over a lunatic like Ron Artest. Granted the guy plays hard and I'd probably want him on my team, but his antics have gone beyond bad behavior and are bordering on insanity. I can almost excuse the breaking of the camera as post-loss aggression, but there is no way to defend verbally, and almost physically, attacking the opposing coach. It would be an absolute disgrace and insult to the league and its fans if a player is rewarded with a selection to the all-star team for these outbursts (which are often times mislabeled as "heart" or "guts"). -- Tim Wolf, Washington D.C.

Ron Artest

Guard-Forward

Indiana Pacers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

41 15.8 5.5 2.8 .450 .737

FORD: Tim, you aren't the only one who feels that Artest has lost it. I just don't think that's the case. I know he's had two other incidents this year (throwing the camera and pushing Raja Bell) but that doesn't make him a lunatic. Maybe it's because I know him and am close to people who work with him every day, but I think the incident in Miami has been blown way out of proportion. Let's set the stage for a second. The first incident, when Artest intervened in a heated argument between Pat Riley and an official, isn't quite as nefarious as some in the media have made it out to be. A trusted source in Indiana told me Wednesday that Riley was complaining loudly to the official about how physically Artest was playing Caron Butler. Riley used the words "dirty" several times and Artest overheard him. Artest disagreed and interjected himself into the argument. Unusual? Yes. Unheard of? Of course not. Fineable? No way.

The second incident surrounded Artest's "bump" of Butler into the second row. I've watched the tape numerous times. He didn't push Butler. He was going for the ball and collided with him. Could he have avoided contact with Butler, who was diving to save a loose ball? Probably. Did he stick his chest out a bit at the end there? It sure looks like it. But when you factor in the speed of the game and the fact that both guys were going after the ball, I think it's a stretch to say that Artest was intentionally trying to injure Butler. This is the way he plays. All out for 48 minutes. It was clearly a hard foul. I have no problem with the refs calling it intentional because of the result of the foul. Should he be suspended for it? It's a stretch.

The third incident is the most controversial. After making a circus shot, Artest walked over to the Heat's bench and flexed his muscles. The move drew the ire of assistant coach Keith Askins. Artest was actually walking away from the bench when Askins stood up and said something to Artest. Artest turned his head toward Askins as he kept walking back onto the court. That is when the bump occurred. I think it's pretty clear that Artest wasn't going after Riley. He wasn't trying to make contact with him. In fact, he doesn't even make eye contact with Riley until after the bump occurred and Riley went ballistic. I've seen Kobe Bryant, Alonzo Mourning, and most recently Quentin Richardson, do similar things in the heat of a close game. Was it smart to get that close to the Heat bench? No. Could Riley, who did see Artest, have taken a step back and avoided a confrontation. Sure. Why is it that we expect an emotional 24-year-old kid to always stay in complete control and make great decisions on the court, but don't hold a veteran coach like Riley to the same standard?

The final incident was inexcusable. A player should never disrespect the fans the way Artest did. I don't care how much the fans are taunting you, a players should never flip off the crowd. He deserved to fined and suspended for that action.

That's a pretty long winded answer to a situation that I believe has been overblown by the media, my employer included. It was a slow news day and the drama made for great television. But I think there's a difference between players who make stupid decisions off the court, like Wallace and Sprewell, and players who make stupid decisions on the court. I want players to play with passion. I want them to take winning and losing dead seriously. I want the emotion in the heat of the battle. Human nature dictates that at times, in highly charged situations, emotion spirals out of control. But in the end, I wish more players played like Artest. I think the real bad guys in the NBA are the players who don't care. The guys who collect their paychecks, but refuse to give the effort. The guys who decline to come into games, who take a nights off, who don't stay in shape in the summer, who lollygag up and down the court, or who complain in the locker room after a big win that they didn't get enough touches. Giving the bird to the fans is pretty bad, but flipping off the fans with poor, uninspired play is the real obscenity.

Q: Any chance that the Lakers will make a move for Indiana's Austin Croshere before the trade deadline? With his youth and athleticism I think he would be a good fit there. They could get him for Samaki Walker or Tracy Murray without giving up Robert Horry, right? Hope this rumor is true. The Lakers definitely need to make some moves! -- Ruby Saavedra, Henderson, Nev.

FORD: The Pacers are trying and the Lakers are listening. Ideally, the Lakers would love to add a young, athletic power forward and point guard to the roster. However, Mitch Kupchak and company are fond of Croshere. Croshere has his real breakout series against the Lakers in the 1999-2000 Finals. Since then he's gotten the rep as a "Laker Killer." He's got a couple of things going for him. Like Horry, he's a great outside shooter. He's probably a better rebounder and low-post player than Horry. Horry's a better defender. Croshere's never going to get big minutes in Indiana with Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harrington firmly entrenched there. The Lakers are remiss to give up Horry, but they probably don't have to. While the Pacers would prefer to land Horry for their own playoff run, a combo of Walker, Murray and Mark Madsen would be enough to get a deal done. That gives the Pacers the cap relief they're looking for and adds another solid player to the Lakers rotation.

Q: Chad, how about solving the Sonics' woes in a deal with Atlanta -- Kenny Anderson, Vladimir Radmanovic and Joe Forte to the Hawks for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Dan Dickau? -- Mark Osborne, Pittsburgh

Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Power Forward

Atlanta Hawks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

45 20.2 8.1 2.9 .474 .821

FORD: It makes a lot of sense for the Sonics. They need a low-post presence in the worst way. Anderson and Forte are expendable. They'd hate to give up on Radmanovic, but it's pretty clear that he's a small forward. Given that they already have Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason to play the position, it isn't a huge loss. Dickau would also be a nice pickup. If they plan on re-signing Gary Payton this summer, they need to start grooming a young point guard to take his place. I think this move would absolutely propel the Sonics back into the playoff hunt.

The bigger question is why would the Hawks do this deal? This only makes sense if Stan Katsen has decided to blow this team up and it's coupled with a few other moves to seriously cut back their cap. There's talk of the Hawks sending Theo Ratliff back to Philly for Derrick Coleman (see story below). If the Hawks could swap Rahim and Ratliff for a few expiring contracts, they could have around $10 million in cap space next summer. I'm not sure that Hawks fans (all 12 of them) are ready for yet another rebuilding project after being promised the playoffs this season, but there are a lot of people in Atlanta who believe that the current group doesn't have the juice to turn the Hawks into a contender. If they're just going to be mediocre, then they should just blow things up.

Q: Chad, I don't understand why the Magic haven't made a move yet. Why are they waiting? -- A.J. Miller, Katy, Tex.

FORD: Good question. They're trying to make a deal for a young power forward, but right now they've been striking out. They tried to land Kwame Brown from Washington earlier this month, and most recently have been rebuffed in their efforts to pry Drew Gooden away from Memphis. Their problem is that, with the exception of Tracy McGrady, who's untouchable, the Magic have only one player with a lot of trade value -- Mike Miller. However, if the Magic want to give up the pipe dream of landing a top-tier free agent this summer (they'll only have around $6.5 million in cap space) they could be a real player before the Feb. 20th trade deadline. That's because the team has two big expiring contracts in Darrell Armstrong and Andrew DeClercq. Combined, they make around $7.3 million. If the Magic were to package those two contracts along with someone like Miller, they could afford to add a solid veteran like Brian Grant or a combination of players like Memphis' Stromile Swift and Lorenzen Wright. But that's a high price to pay. Armstrong is the heart of the Magic and Miller is extremely valuable if Grant Hill can't recover from his ankle woes. The Magic are in a tough position, but much of it is their own doing.

Q: In light of Darius Miles' struggles this year, I was wondering what league opinion is about him now. Is he still considered a future star? Compared to others in the 2000 draft class, how highly would Miles be taken if the draft happened today? -- Jonathan Martin, Atlanta

Darius Miles

Guard-Forward

Cleveland Cavaliers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

31 8.3 5.5 2.9 .388 .554

FORD: It's slipping. Clearly, Miles' knee problems have limited what he can do. However, until he gets a jump shot and a go-to move or two, he's essentially a guy who's great finishing on the break. Yes, he does play pretty good defense and is a solid rebounder, but when he was drafted No. 3, people saw much more than that. Given how poor the entire 2000 draft class was, I still believe Miles wouldn't have slipped further than No. 4 to the Bulls. However, his value has taken a major hit this year in Cleveland. It may only get worse. With Ricky Davis and Dajuan Wagner playing so well, it doesn't look like there's a real place for Miles on this team. If I'm Jim Paxson, I try to trade him now before the word upside fades from his forehead.

Q: In your most recent article you stated that "Jamal Crawford's outplayed Williams all season...". I disagree. Both are shooting miserably (Crawford at 39% and Williams 37%), but Williams is averaging more points per game (9.5 to 7.7), more assists per game (5.3 to 3.1), more steals per game (1.42 to .86), and more rebounds per game (3 to 2). Just how has Crawford been outplaying Williams? -- John Levenhouse, Lakewood, Calif.

FORD: Numbers don't tell the whole story. It's been Crawford's teammates who claim that the offense runs better when Crawford is in the game. I'm not writing off Williams. Adjusting to the NBA is tough for any point guard, but Williams had the extra burden of adjusting to the triangle. Crawford's biggest advantage right now is that he's familiar with the system. Ironically, the Bulls' best point guard this season has been journeyman Rick Brunson. How good have Crawford and Brunson been? Good enough that coach Bill Cartwright wouldn't commit on Wednesday to re-inserting Williams back into the starting lineup when he comes off the injured list on Friday.

Pacers Surprised by Severity of Punishment

Conrad Brunner / Pacers.com

Perception can often blur reality

C. Jemal Horton / Indianapolis Star

Latest Rodman? Artest plays to the image

Buck Harvey / San Antonio Express-News

'Bad Boys' label sticking

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

Will the Sixers bring back Theo?

Larry Brown is frustrated. His constant wheeling and dealing has changed the entire face of the team that went to the NBA Finals two years ago. Some claim it's not for the better. Brown is running out of arguments to counter his critics.

The Sixers were blown out by the Hawks Wednesday night.

"I hope some of the guys we've gotten will improve," Brown told the Philadelphia Daily News. "If not...I don't know where we are. Maybe we get somebody in here at my position that can do a better job. I don't know. I think the way this league is, that's the way it goes.

"We're not very good. Bottom line. If you're good, you win games you're supposed to win. You take care of your home court. We're not doing it."

Theo Ratliff

Forward-Center

Atlanta Hawks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

45 7.8 7.2 0.7 .491 .694

Interestingly, seeing Hawks center Theo Ratliff on Wednesday had Brown pining for the good old days when Ratliff, George Lynch and Tyrone Hill terrorized their opponents in the paint.

"We got a lot of new guys who are different than we had before," Brown said. "I think their mentality's different. George Lynch, Tyrone...people like that wouldn't let this happen. Maybe we'd have lost, but it wouldn't be this way."

Even Allen Iverson waxed nostalgic after the loss. "We never looked like that team from two years ago because we don't have the same personnel. We'll never look like that. That team was much quicker than this team is right now. We had more active big guys, and we were able to do a lot of different things gamblingwise on the perimeter. And then we always had Theo or Dikembe [Mutombo] to back us up when we gambled. So it will never look like that team."

Brown's sentiments (he also claimed that he still "loved" Ratliff) have lead to speculation over the last week that the Sixers are ready to make another deal. Center Todd MacCulloch isn't healthy, forward Derrick Coleman has been a bust this year and backups like Brian Skinner and Kenny Thomas look great one night and awful the next.

With the Hawks desperately trying to move some of their underacheiving parts in return for cap room, could a Ratliff-for-Coleman swap be on the way?

"It's always a possibility," Ratliff told the Daily News. "I hear the rumors, this and that. But it's something I can't really dwell on. I just do what I do, and go where I'm told. That's the way everything works."

The move makes sense for both teams. With MacCulloch struggling to stay on the floor, Ratliff would give the Sixers a great shot blocker and tough rebounder in the middle. Ratliff hasn't been himself since missing a season and a half with a serious hip injury. But he's still a big upgrade over Coleman. The Hawks, if they pulled the trigger on the deal, could clear another $10 million off the cap for next summer.

After Wednesday's game, Brown seemed sold. "You won't get me arguing that," Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I love him. It was a hard thing to move him because he did so much to put us where we were, where we are. He was a great teammate and a great guy. I think he's perfect for every team."

If that doesn't work, the Inquirer's Stephen Smith said Brown has several other moves up his sleeve. According to Smith, the Sixers have talked to the Knicks about trading Keith Van Horn for Latrell Sprewell and to Orlando about swapping Van Horn for the injured Grant Hill.

Brown could be mulling exit

Bernard Fernandez / Philadelphia Daily News

Could Theo provide blast from past?

John Smallwood / Philadelphia Daily News

There was more than one dog in the house

Stephen A. Smith / Philadelphia Inquirer

Lakers: It's tough to make a deal

It's been awhile since we've heard any "hot" Lakers trade rumors. The last time the Lakers were real players in the February trade market was when they shipped Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell to the Hornets in return for Glen Rice three years ago.

Jason Terry

Guard

Atlanta Hawks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

45 17.6 3.3 7.3 .410 .877

But with less than a month before the Feb. 20 deadline, several stories are taking a life of their own. In addition to the Austin Croshere interest I mentioned in the mailbag, the Orange County Register is reporting that the Lakers have been talking to the Hawks about trading for combo guard Jason Terry. And the L.A. Times reported that the Lakers are also looking at Horace Grant. Grant was waived by the Magic earlier this year after a dispute with coach Doc Rivers. One bonus of adding Grant? He's very familiar with the triangle.

Coach Phil Jackson admitted that he's been huddling with GM Mitch Kupchak lately.

"When we have a discussion, it's usually about what do we really need on this basketball club and then what do we have that's available that we can work at," Jackson told the Register. "At one point this season, we needed rebounding. Samaki [Walker] was injured; obviously we were getting beaten up on the inside; Shaquille [O'Neal] wasn't active enough to get rebounds and chase down balls. We solved that problem. Samaki got healthy ... we're now one of the leading rebounders in the league.

"We were an inaccurate shooting team for a long time, and we changed that. We just kind of believed in our guys up to this point. But we do know that our bench is not giving us a [censored] thing; we've got to have something out there besides just sustained effort. They've got to score. They've got to do something as defensive stoppers; Robert [Horry] has had that ability in the past, and Devean [George] has to provide that for us. And we have to have a guard come in and help us out, too."

Despite his reluctance to pull the trigger on a deal, Jackson bristled at an Insider report that claimed he often blocked Kupchak from making moves to improve the team. "There's nothing factual in an article like that at all," Jackson said.

Jackson: Trades tough

Kevin Ding / Orange County Register

O'Neal Says Yao Good for Game

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

T-Mac one ups Vince Carter once again

It hasn't been a good year for Vince Carter. While the fans obviously still adore him, another bad bout with jumpers knee and a slowly eroding image around the league have VC on the defensive. It's about to get worse.

Wizards coach Doug Collins "suggested" on Tuesday that Carter, who's only played in 11 games this season, give up his starting all-star spot to Michael Jordan. Collins did the same thing for a retiring John Havlicek in 1978, and given Carter's lack of production this season, it seemed like a great P.R. slam dunk for a guy in desperate need of an image boost.

Forget it about. While Carter was bristling at the suggestion -- "He's the greatest player, probably, to put a pair of basketball shoes on, but I appreciate the fact that I'm a starter, also" -- Carter's cousin, Tracy McGrady, was stepping up to the plate.

"I have thought about this for a while. I'll do it, absolutely," McGrady told the Orlando Sentinel. "For what Michael Jordan has done for this league and this game, I'll do anything. It's his last all-star game. I don't have any problem with that. I'll get in the game. I'd love to see it."

How ironic.

McGrady one upped Carter three years ago when he bolted Toronto for Orlando to get out from under his cousin's shadow. It worked. T-Mac is now considered a legitimate MVP prospect, while Carter languishes in Toronto. His latest gesture to Jordan cements his reputation as a first class act. Carter? He looks more selfish by the minute.

"That's a goal of mine," he told the Toronto Star. "I don't care how it happened. It's not like I planned on getting injured . . . but it happened. I'm thankful for the opportunity, regardless of the amount of games I've played."

So much for the Air apparent.

Carter won't step aside for Jordan

Jennifer Quinn / Toronto Star

McGrady would sit down to let Jordan start final all-star game

Brian Schmitz / Orlando Sentinel

Peep Show

Kings: Chris Webber's out a least three weeks. Scot Pollard is expected to miss five or six weeks. Lawrence Funderburke is already on the IL. That leaves just Vlade Divac and Keon Clark in the paint. "It's a real challenge," coach Rick Adelman told the Sacramento Bee. "I told the team, 'You have three things that are happening right now. First, we haven't played very well the last few games. We have more injuries, and we have a tough schedule. But what are you going to do about it? You have to go out and compete. You've got to play and try to win games until we get people back. That's the challenge. Guys have to step up.' We're going to have to change things and play a little bit differently, and hopefully, that's going to happen."

Nets: Jason Kidd sat out the last 15 minutes of Wednesday's victory over the Wizards with a groin injury. Kidd, however, believes he'll be ready to go on Friday when the Nets take on the Hornets. "We'll take it one day at a time and see how it feels tomorrow," Kidd told the New York Times. "I've played injured before, so this is nothing new to me. It just depends on how I feel tomorrow, and then Friday. I would say I'll play Friday, but that's me. The doctors have to make that decision. . .You can do more damage. Sometimes being stubborn can put you in that situation. There's no reason to jeopardize things in the regular season."

Magic: Seeing Grant Hill on crutches again has sapped the Magic's morale. Coach Doc Rivers said his goal of late has been to try and get the Magic to move on from the Hill issue that has lingered over the team the past three seasons. He has tried to stress to the team that using Hill's injury as an excuse is not an option. "There's nothing we can do about it now and I've told the guys we've just got to keep grinding until we can get him back," Rivers told Florida Today. "We could fold, but that would [upset] me. Grant being out would be such a convenient excuse. We might fail to make the playoffs, but we're going to fail trying. I could at least live with that."

Heat: Pat Riley may be upset with Ron Artest, but he wishes that he had two or three players like him on the Heat. "I'd like to have two or three Ron Artests myself," Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "Know what I'm saying? He's a [censored] of a player, a very competitive player. . .Every team needs to have a presence, and whoever it is, it's obvious. It doesn't have to be a presence that goes over the top. I think players sort of create that identity as they play in the league over the years." While Riley acknowledged that one of his players, Brian Grant, fits that mold, he said he wants more. "We need another one. Actually, we could use another one, two, three, four."

Celtics: GM Chris Wallace is still trying to explain what the [censored] he was thinking when he traded for Vin Baker last summer. "I don't think the last chapter's been written on Vin yet," Wallace told the Boston Herald. "He's been a very significant player in this league at times in the past, and he can go on in the future and help us. Right now we're seven games above .500. He has helped us hold the fort when Tony [battie's] been injured, and he's had some good games. So I think over and all, he's helped us with some depth and punch at the center position. He gives us an alternative there." Notice he didn't say good alternative.

Mavs: Coach Don Nelson is taking extra precautions with Eduardo Najera. Nelson said he plans on holding out their starting small forward another couple of weeks. It's been eight weeks since the surgery, and he probably could have been out there for a game or two already," Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "But we want to be very conservative and wait until after the All-Star Game. There is no reason for him to come back early before he's completely ready and healed. We're going to take extra time."

Warriors: If you've been following the sudden rise of the Warriors out West, you must read San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami's take on what has to happen next in Oakland. The Warriors are turning the corner and Kawakami is pushing the Warriors to seize the day and move a few pieces of their young talent for an established veteran who can put them over the top. Good stuff.

A whole lotta hurtin'

Martin McNeal / Sacramento Bee

Nets Lose Kidd on Jordan's Night

Clifton Brown / New York Times

Hill's status depresses Magic

John Denton / Florida Today

Riley: Enforcer needed

Ira Winderman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Wallace hits Baker deal head-on

Steve Bulpett / Boston Herald

Najera will get more time off

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Warriors headed in right direction

Tim Kawakami / San Jose Mercury News

[JTFan31]

The only reason the Hawks might do that Theo and DC deal is to resign JT. I will hate to see Theo go, because last night he did alot for us.

Lakers interested in JT, hahaha, what the heck do they have that we want other than Kobe and Shaq, absolutely NO ONE. Thank you very much.

[capstone21]

I hope we don't trade Terry to the Lakers. There is really no player on their roster that I think we can get from them that would be worth Terry.

Kobe and Shaq are the only players on that roster I would want. Those guys are unattainable. The rest are a bunch of scrubs. Plus I completely hate Derek Fisher and his game. THe most overrated PG in the NBA.

[JTFan31]

Derek Fisher Overrated? are you being nice cap. IMO he just plain sucks.