| "NCAA wrap up and playoff preview..." (April 1, 1998)
If anyone has been watching the NCAA championships, then you know what real basketball really is. Have you been watching how players are diving for loose balls and rebounding with reckless abandon and especially listening to their coaches. Mostly, players are taking the game personally. It's not a game, it's not a job, it's a passion. The college players are there because they love to play. Some may never go to the next level, some with struggle and come to grips that their biggest game was the 2nd round game versus Tennessee-Chattanooga. But the point is, these players love to play and it's a pleasure watching these gladiators play at their highest level.
The NCAA tournament has been a pleasure to watch. Upsets galore. And not just small ones, there were a bunch of double digit seeds making the sweet 16. Utah was just spectacular. Rick Majerus has cemented his place at one the best college coaches and developers of talent. Michael Doleac has played himself into a high first rounder. Tubby Smith filled the smallest big shoes and took his team to the championship. Pitino didn't leave the cupboard bare, he did redshirt Jeff Sheppard. Sheppard has been playing great of late. He looks like the second coming of Rex Chapman and played himself into a mid first rounder. With his explosiveness to the hoop, his shooting range and his exposure to big time college hoops, he'll be a valued commodity. Bottom line, the NCAA tournament was fun to watch.
Enough about this college crap, let's talk about the pros. Chicago. It begins and ends with the Bulls. They are killing the opposition. They are on a run. And with Luc Longley. Can you imagine how unbeatable they will be when they get a real center? They'll be unstoppa-Bull. No one in the east will be able to challenge. New York, even with the returned Patrick Ewing, will not be able to challenge. Miami is too injured and doesn't have the fire power. As well, Dennis Rodman really knows how to f^#$ with Alonozo Mourning's head. I mean, he does a superb job taking Zo out of his game. As for the rest, none of the other teams have a chance of making any dent on the Bulls. Of note, New Jersey which started out so promising, is fading fast. Injuries to Jayson Williams have severely hurt them, and the controversy with Rony Seikley hasn't helped. I wonder if they'll make it and if they do, they'll just be slaughtered by the Bulls. Charlotte looks good, but you've got to wonder how far they'll go with a team with only one true scoring threat. True they have a deep team with Divac, Geiger, Mason, Phills and Wesley, not to mention Curry off the bench, but it seems teams need three offensive threats to win. Without the addition of Richmond, the Heat can not win. If Zo is shut down, Hardaway has to be the man and vice versa. There is no third threat to score in bunches. The Bulls have Toni, Scottie and Mike. Utah has Stockton, Malone and Hornacek. The Lakers have their whole lineup. The Sonics have four-fifths of their starting five. And the list goes on. In the end, it's the Bulls.
In the west, it's wide open, but I want to say right now, I don't like Phoenix. They have great guard play and "small ball", but I don't think they have what it takes to go all the way. If the game slows down, they don't have any serious post threat. Most of their big men play small anyway. John "Hot Rod" Williams is too old to bang on a consistent basis. Mark Bryant is a limited player. Danny Manning is a small forward in a power forward body (even though he's one of my favorite players). Antonio McDyess has to guard the center most often and he's a true power forward and not proving to anyone (especially the Suns) that he's worth $100 over 7 years. Maybe Denver was smart for unloading him at the time, because his demands were so ludicrous for his play. Just a side note, is he worth what Big Country is getting paid? $70 million over 7 years. Not is he a better play, even though Big Country puts up better stats, is he worth it to the team? I don't think so. Look for him to lower his asking price to stay in Phoenix, because I'm sure he'll say "because I want to stay with a winning franchise." This might be true, but in the end, Denver probably could have offered him more money than Phoenix. Ok, Phoenix has one other big man, which is Clifford Robinson. Good player. Plays like small forward, has to guard a center. The Suns can put a lineup of three point guards and two small forwards. How can they expect to win a seven games series when other teams can slow the game down and pound it down low. That is playoff basketball. I think Phoenix can win a five game series against a better team, but Seattle, the Lakers, San Antonio and Utah are just too big and too powerful against the Suns. In the end, I see the Lakers making the finals. They are deep. They are talented. And I think Shaq wants to show everyone he can be the man. Besides, Kobe is falling in line. He's not taking those ego-driven ill-conceived three pointers any more. So that's a good thing.
Just some more little notes. I watched ABA: Long shots on HBO. Damn, that was a good show. If anyone hasn't seen it, I would suggest it to anyone who loves basketball and the wide open ABA style of ball. I just wish I could find a three colored ball like that.
Isn't it weird that three of the top four players in the 1995 draft have played themselves out of huge money. Each, Joe Smith, Antonio McDyess and Jerry Stackhouse, were great in their rookie year and had good second years as well. But each has faltered in the development to an extent in their third year. You would think they would have improved their play because it was a contract year. Most players seem to do this. Look at the Raptors overspending on Christie, Carlos Rogers and Walt Williams. All had career years in the final year of their contract. Go figure. I guess the pressure was too much.
Finally, after the end of the NCAA tournament I always say that players should stay in school for their full four years (or five if red shirted). I think it's best for them and their schools. Now I know there are some serious debates and there are special circumstances. I understand the "hardship" stance. I also understand if a player is just not a good student and can't hack the school and basketball. But as someone who spent four years in university, I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life. School is something to be cherished. When these players are done playing basketball, all they will have is their education. Now I know this may sound foolish, because some players come out of school after their freshmen year get a guaranteed contract paying them $8 million over 3 years and then sign a huge deal after that and get endorsements, etc. But I'm not really talking about these superstar talents. I'm talking about players who are marginal. There were a bunch of players who turned pro too early and got lost out there in basketball land. And when they finish out their career in Turkey or the CBA, they won't have a degree. Sure they can go back, but if they stayed in school, they would have been with their friends, developed their game better under a college coach and possibly improved their draft situation. I just think players like Victor Page and Scotty Thurman are more the norm than the exception. I have to give props to players like Juwan Howard who got his degree during his rookie year. That's cool. Even Michael Jordan got his degree too. But when you ditch college after your first or second year, it's rare that the player will go back and get his degree. Of course, the players who leave college that early are potential superstars like Tim Thomas and Stephon Marbury. Jamaal Magloire of Kentucky said to Rick Pitino when he signed him, that he wanted to play college ball for two years and move onto the NBA. Pitino laughed at him and said, "ok, son, whatever you want." It's eerie that players are thinking this even before they get into college. Just before I go, I have to mention Jeff Sheppard again. He is a senior. Red shirted in his junior season, so he was a fifth year senior. If he turned pro last year, he would have been a marginal draft pick. But now he's a middle first rounder. Michael Doleac of Utah is a high first rounder now. Olowaski of Pacific played himself in to the lottery and the list goes on. I just think, stay in school it's your best move.
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