| "A game recap and other stuff" (January 18, 1998)
I've been watching a lot of basketball this week. I went to the Clippers/Raptors game on Tuesday. I watched the Nets/Raptors game and the Seattle/Chicago game. Since football season is almost over, I want to watch more hoops. I can't wait for the NBC game of the week. I need my hoops fix. This weekend I get free satellite basketball on DirectTV as well. They are giving it away to entice people to buy it. Personally, I can do without it, but I know what I'm doing for the next 3 days. During the Clips game I noticed a few things. First, the SkyDome is the worst place to see a basketball game. It's terrible. I mean it's cavernous. They don't have a curtain up to make it more intimate. The sound is terrible. The sightlines are crap. I know why they don't put a curtain up though, the damn dome wants the restaurants there to have a good view. Do I care if the people at Windows or Sightlines can see the damn game? They are 350-400 feet away. The guys look like Smurfs to them on a black and white television to the patrons anyway. Also, no matter how big a place the SkyDome is, or how many people go, or how people there are in Toronto, I will always see someone I know. I hate that. This time, I didn't have to say hello, because he didn't see me, but come one, this must be an international conspiracy to piss me off. Can't I go to a game and not see anyone I know. It's even worse at a Blue Jay game, but luckily enough, I don't go them too much anymore. So back to the Clips/Raps game. The Clips didn't have Lorenzen Wright. No Wright, no center. They had to play the useless two headed monster we call Stojko Vrankovic and Keith Closs. Closs showed some skills, but he's so damn timid. He doesn't go to the hoops strong. He doesn't jump (or maybe can't). He doesn't rebound well. He's so damn thin. I know why he got the big contract in the summer. How many 7 footers are in the summer league? Not too many. He can dominate there with inferior ability because he is probably 4-5 inches taller than the closest guy who has the same ability. Stojko is slower than a glacier. He makes Sabonis look like The Admiral. Stojko didn't do too much either. He does block out well, but when you're seven foot two inches and weight almost three hundred pounds, you don't move too easily. Besides, the Raptors don't have a strong rebounder, not too mention any muscle at all. Marcus Camby doesn't strike fear into the heart of power forwards. I'm heavier than Camby. Sad but true. If I wasn't 8 inches shorter, I might actually be able to box him out. But we don't live in Bizarro world. In this world, he could hurdle me like speed bump. Aw well, such is life. There's not a big demand for 6'2" slow white guards who can't shoot outside 20 feet, but can box out anyone his height and shorter. But once again, I digress. Time for a new paragraph to clear my thoughts.Clip game, right. The Clippers give up a league worst 102 points a game. I think that's a good thing. No, I don't mean I like it that they have the worst defense in the league, I think it's good they run more than most teams in the league, which means they also give up a lot of fast break points. The Clips have a relatively young team which likes to get out into the open court and run. They have the horses. I saw Maurice Taylor for the first time as a pro. He shows me some real game. I didn't think he was so special at Michigan, but he was really good versus the Raptors. He scored on Marcus Camby and Reggie Slater, the Raptors two best defensive forwards. He showed good range on his shot as well. He needs to learn how to really bang to get rebounds, but he's a good player. I was surprised. If the Clippers lose Loy Vaught this year, I think Taylor can step in at power forward. He might not be the rebounding force or defensive presence, he definitely can score as much or more than good ol' Loy (a fellow Michigan alum). The game itself was exciting. There were a lot of running opportunities. Damon Stoudamire controlled the game. He scored 36 points. The Clips don't really have a point guard who can stop him. Darrick Martin and James Robinson are decent, but not real good defensively. They didn't play Pooh Richardson, which kind of sucks, because I'm a big UCLA fan, and I wanted to see him. Back to the game. A lot of running, fast breaks, easy buckets, dunks and layups. I think it's a good style of ball to play. I remember when 109-101 was a normal score. Now it's considered high scoring. First off, neither team has a real center shot blocking presence. While Camby and Closs can block shots, neither are the presence of a Robinson, Ewing or Motumbo. Also, both teams are small, so running is their best option. Do I have anything else to add? No. Ok, one more thing. I saw Brent Barry for the first time live. He's damn good. I mean, he's really really good. He could be a star if he was given the ball more often. I think he could score 20 a game easily. He definitely has the outside shot. He can take the rock to the rack. He had a great blind side block on Damon as well. Besides, he played over 40 minutes as well. He's a horse for this team. I think if the Clippers knew what was good for them, they'd give me the damn ball more often. Kind of a side note: Lamond Murray, he's playing like he was during rookie year. He's like silk, because he's so smooth. It looks like he's coasting and then he'll knock down a trey. Then he'll take one to the whole and dunk. He's a talent. It only took him 3 years to recapture his lost form. I think the additional PT due to Vaught's injury has helped.After watching the Bulls/Sonics game, I realized the Bulls smoked the "best team" in basketball. The Sonics supposedly were the best team because they had the best record. The Bulls did them in. Let's face it, boys and girls, the Bulls, with Pippen, Kukoc, Rodman and a certain Mr. Jordan are the best team in basketball. Jordan will not let them lose. In a seven game series, there is no way any team can take four from Jordan. He single-handedly can win games. Pippen, who is rustier than the Titanic, will return to form soon. Kukoc is back at 6th man. He's as good as there is there. Kukoc also seems to have increased confidence because he had to play with the ball in his hands for the games when Pippen was gone. Rodman is playing like he did back at San Antonio. He's playing great. He's rebounding like a fiend and leading the league, no surprise there. He's playing great defense and this time he's defending outside the key. Luc Longley is finally tapping that potential he showed at New Mexico. He's scoring 12 ppg and pulling down some rebounds as well. I think he gives the Bulls a legitimate low post threat from a big man. He can hit the open Bulls center jumper. He can use both hands, with a nifty hook shot and a nice drop step. Without Pippen, the Bulls had to get other players involved and Longley really has stepped up. I think if the Bulls wanted to get him the ball more often, he could score more. He's not just 6 fouls to give anymore. I think it's great. My boy, Ron Harper is having a great year. Never a great shooter, he's shooting well. But his defense is stellar. I wonder, was he a bad defender as a kid, or was his reputation of being a pure scorer with a bad attitude the cause of his bad defense label. Remember, Harper was the only Cav to ever actually reasonably control Jordan back in the day.I was thinking, what the hell are the Bulls going to look like next year. No Jordan. No Pippen. I bet most of the team is probably gone as well. I don't know who is under contract and who isn't. Kukoc is still there. He can be a 20 ppg guy, but I doubt he ever will. He's a great team player and passer. I assume Krause knows this and will most likely get a scorer to go along with him. With Jordan gone, the Bulls will have to sign a shooting guard to replace him. Since Pete Myers is under contract somewhere, I guess the Bulls will have to look elsewhere. Of course, the last time the Bulls spent big bucks to replace Jordan, he didn't score that much. Ron Harper wasn't the scoring sensation he was for the Clips or Cavs. He was on the downside of his scoring cycle. The Bulls should try to get a young shooting guard. There are three I can name who are available in this year's free agent market. Latrell Spreewell, Brent Barry and Jerry Stackhouse. I don't think Krause will want to deal with Spree's baggage. But then again, they got Rodman. The Bulls do have Phil Jackson and Jordan to keep Rodman in line, who will keep Spree in line? Former Iowa State coach, Tim Floyd? Doubt it. Brent Barry is a good player. He's got skills. He could be a star. Will he leave L.A.? Probably. I can see Barry going to Golden State to play for the same team as his dad, and they have a gaping hole at shooting guard. Stack would jump at the chance to replace his idol at shooting guard. The Bulls would love to have him as well. He could be the marquee star needed to keep the Bulls flame going. This is all dependent on whether Stack resigned with Detroit. I doubt he will. I think he wants big money and since Detroit wasn't willing to pay Allan Houston big money two years ago (and the Pistons signed Brian Williams to a big money contract this year) I don't think they'll dole out the bread necessary to keep him there. Remember, the Bulls are the marquee franchise in the NBA. They will have a lop of cap space. A lot of young players grew up idolizing that team. I think there are few third-year players who aren't under contract for next year who will want to play for Red Death even without Jordan. Reasons: Jerry Krause is a good GM. Jerry Reinsdorf is a good owner. They pay well. They have packed houses. It's a good franchise. It's a new arena. It's a great city. It's a big city. They have a big TV deal. Good endorsement potential. I can see guys like Antonio McDyess, Joe Smith, Damon Stoudamire, Jerry Stackhouse, Brent Barry, Ike Austin and Latrell Spreewell wanting to go there. I just wonder if Jerry-squared will go the star route or a couple lesser players to fill out there roster. I think they can get Barry and Austin cheaper than the others. They could sign Barry and Austin combined for a bit more than what the others want. I hear Austin wants Brian Williams money, 7 years at $60 million. He also wants to play with his friend in Utah, Karl Malone. But since Utah signed Greg Ostertag, Howard Eisley and Bryon Russel last off season, they don't have a lot of cap space. Unless they unload Eisley (which they can because they have Jacques Vaughn) or someone else, I don't see him going there. You can bet this will be a busy off season.And out of the files of "I guess we were all wrong", Roderick Rhodes is going to the rookie game. I don't think we, as a whole were wrong. I think it's a statement of how bad the rookies are in the Western Conference. I shouldn't say that. The first seven who are going are pretty good players. I just think Kelvin Cato from Portland should have gone instead of Rhodes. I can't argue with the guys in the west, but I do have to laugh at Denver. Danny Forston and Bobby Jackson are going. Tony Battie isn't. I guess Rick Pitino was right in not drafting him. When players like Adonal Foyle and the former Olivier St. Jean, who are selected higher, had better years in college and are on worse teams so should get more playing time don't make the game, it shows you why bad teams remain bad. They can't draft. Alvin Williams was a steal, wasn't he. In the east, four Cavs. Not bad. They beat the Lakers record of three from last year. Once of the rookies is from last year, but he didn't play all year. Cedric Henderson, the second rounder, was a steal. He's playing really well. I just wish Tracy McGrady could play. He could throw down some wicked dunks. The rookie game is nothing more than a controlled alley-oop contest anyway. But once again, I can't complain with any of the picks. For all of Billups inconsistencies, he made the team and is playing well of late. The rookie game is the new diamond in the NBA All-Star crown. The three point shootout is still cool. I wonder how good 2ball will be. I saw my first game of two ball at the Clipper game. It's basically 60 seconds to shoot from five spots on the floor, with higher points for increased difficulty, where a player shoots and has to rebound his/her own shot and pass to their teammate. My money is on Sacramento's team of Mitch Richmond and Ruthie Bolden-Holifield. He can shoot. She can shoot. The L.A. contingent has the most explosiveness but I don't think Lisa Leslie and Kobe Bryant can shoot from deep like the former. The New York team of Rebecca Lobo and Allan Houston might do some damage as will the Houston team of Clyde Drexler and Cynthia Cooper. I with Cheryl Swoopes was there. She's an awesome shooter. The NBA should have a special clause for the best male-female shooting team though. The Millers, Reggie and Cheryl could beat any team there by 10 points. Cheryl is a better player than most now, and she's retired with two bad needs from blown ACLs. She is under contract to the Phoenix Mercury, even if it's as coach/GM. I think Phoenix is sending Steve Nash and that little Australian woman, Michelle something. I guess it's an international flavor from Phoenix, an Aussie and Steve Nash, the Canadian.Return to the 1998 edition of Hoop-LA
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