ESPN NBA Insider - 3/12/03

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Wednesday, March 12 Updated 12:15 PM EST


Could Curry and Swift be
the next Ricky Davis?
by Chad Ford
Send an Email to Chad Ford


Also Below: Is Curry the next Shaq? | From trade bait to power in the paint | Uncle Cliffy gets his golden parachute | Peep Show




Ricky Davis, you're no Michael Jordan.

But we can understand why former Cavs coach John Lucas got carried away late last season when Davis, a bench warmer for most of the year, went on a late tear, scoring 20 or more points in seven of Cleveland's final 13 games.

"I think he can be the next Michael Jordan if he develops into the great player he has the potential to be," Lucas said at the time. "Davis really can be as good as he wants to be if he continues to work hard and improve. We definitely want to keep him in Cleveland."

Your season's on the rocks. Your fate in the lottery assured. Your season ticket base is on life support.

A coach's job is no longer to sell great basketball. Right now, it's about selling hope.

Davis, as it turns out, wasn't the next Jordan. But he was able to capitalize on a last-minute chance to prove that he can play.

Will the Bulls' Eddy Curry and the Grizzlies' Stromile Swift be this year's Ricky Davis? Insider investigates.

Is Curry the next Shaq?

Shaquille O'Neal sat in the locker room with a wry smile on his face.

Reporters were asking him about Eddy Curry, the Bulls' second-year center who many compared to Shaq coming out of high school two years ago.

Eddy Curry
Forward-Center
Chicago Bulls
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
63 8.1 3.6 0.4 .570 .608



Shaq, ever the diplomat, was polite.

"He's a nice, young, aggressive kid," O'Neal told the Chicago Sun Times before the Lakers' game against the Bulls Tuesday night. "I wish him well."

Shaq is bored. With David Robinson saying his farewells and Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon with both feet in the NBA grave, the Big Aristotle has run out of worthy opponents worthy.

What happened to all the great centers Shaq?

"I killed them," he replied.

While the emergence of Yao Ming has given some hope that Shaq has finally found someone to battle in the paint, a dark horse may be emerging.

With the playoffs out of reach, coach Bill Cartwright finally has turned Curry loose. Tuesday night, Curry dominated Shaq in the paint, finishing with 20 points and six rebounds to Shaq's 13 points and 10 rebounds. Even more surprising, the Bulls walked away with 116-99 victory over the defending world champions.

After the game, Shaq finally seemed interested. He claimed that there were "about two or three legitimate centers," in the entire league -- himself, Yao Ming and ... "Eddy."

"He's only 20 years old," Shaq said of Curry. "He has plenty of time to claim the 'best center' title. Whatever title he wants."

Indeed, lately, Curry has been having his way in the paint. He has scored 20 or more points in his last three games, going for 20 against the Lakers, 26 against the Clippers and 24 against the Warriors. He recently dropped 24 on the Raptors and 26 on the Heat.

Is Curry's latest hot streak just a fluke?

"No, no, no," Cartwright said. "That's the point. Eddy does have all the talent, and he works hard. He's had other good games, you know."

The Bulls have to be drooling at Curry's offensive potential.

"He's probably the most polished scorer in the paint since Shaq," one GM told Insider. "If he gets in shape, works hard on his game and learns to play defense, he'll dominate in the league. Very few big guys have his confidence on the offensive end."

Curry's combination of power dunks, baby hooks and slick moves on the block have given the Bulls a dimension they've missed all season. Cartwright started giving Curry more minutes on Feb. 19 against the Sixers. He has played more than 20 minutes in nine of the Bulls' 11 games since then. His average in those nine games? 19.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 1.9 bpg in just under 28 minutes per game.

So why didn't the Bulls unleash Curry sooner? Poor practice habits, bad defense and a tendency to get into quick foul trouble. But lately, Curry has been pouring it on in practice, he's improved his rebounding and shot blocking on the defensive end and, for the most part, he's starting to keep his fouls down.

"My confidence is a lot higher now," Curry said. "I feel I'm on a bit of a roll. I love going up against guys like Shaq to see where I stand. I want to be dominant like him. He overpowers everybody, and I want to develop that."

Told that Shaq is a fan, Curry couldn't help but smile. "If we can do this against a team like the Lakers," young Curry summed up, "we should be able to do it against anybody."

Shaq likes what he sees in Curry
Rick Telander / Chicago Sun-Times
Bulls play beat the champs
Roman Modrowski / Chicago Sun-Times
From trade bait to power in the paint

How could Grizzlies big man Stromile Swift go from trade bait during February to the Grizzlies' power in the paint in March?

Stromile Swift
Forward-Center
Memphis Grizzlies
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
50 8.9 5.3 0.6 .471 .726


Thank Magic GM John Gabriel.

For months Jerry West had been pushing Orlando to accept a package of Swift and Gordan Giricek in return for Mike Miller. Gabriel held out until the Grizzlies finally agreed to part with Drew Gooden instead of Swift.

Before you go and declare the Magic winners in the deal, take a look at this month's stats:

Swift: 19 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 3.5 bpg
Gooden: 15.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 0.5 rpg

The Grizzlies have won four straight, in part because of the improved play of Swift in the middle. Swift, who appeared to be in hibernation for the first 2½ years of his career, has plenty of people besides Gabriel to thank for his recent emergence.

Start with the Grizzlies' front office, who made a clandestine visit with one of Swift's relatives during the All-Star break. The message they sent? If Swift doesn't change the way he approaches the game, he'll be out of a job in a year.

According to team sources, Swift came back to the team after the break a changed man. Finally, the Grizzlies are starting to see the kid they thought they were getting when they spent the No. 2 pick on him in 2000.

"He's got the ability to be a dominant player in the league," one Grizzlies source said. "It's all up to Stromile. Right now, he's playing the way we always envisioned he could play. It couldn't have come at a better time. He was running out of chances."

Swift wowed the Grizzlies with his freakish athleticism (he set team records in several vertical jumping drills) and quiet demeanor in pre-draft workouts. While the Grizzlies knew he'd have to fill out to play power forward full time, they were shocked by his lack of work habits and low threshold for pain once he joined the team.

Pau Gasol
Power Forward
Memphis Grizzlies
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
62 19.0 8.8 2.7 .522 .737


Over the past month, however, Swift's practice habits have improved, as has his aggressiveness on the court. Having Miller, Pau Gasol and Wesley Person on the perimiter also has opened things up for Swift in the paint. But he still wouldn't be where he is right now without the direction of Hubie Brown.

"There's no question that we believe in what we're doing a lot more than last year," center Pau Gasol, who also has been on fire of late, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "Everybody knows their role. Everybody knows when they're going to get in the game and leave the game. That gives you confidence, too. We're much more comfortable in this situation, and you can see it on the court. Confidence makes you pay attention to detail. You trust your teammate more and make the extra pass."

Swift claims that the opportunity to play without looking over his shoulder has been the biggest change. "It's a mental thing," said Swift. "I just try to go out and play with energy. Hubie is playing me a little more and I'm just trying to make the best of the my opportunity."

Griz finally jell, meet coach's expectations
Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial-Appeal
Late shot gives Griz 4th win in row
Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial-Appeal
Uncle Cliffy gets his golden parachute

Pistons fans can forget about talk of cap room or landing a major free agent this summer.

Clifford Robinson
Forward-Center
Detroit Pistons
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
62 12.5 4.0 3.2 .402 .663


The Pistons decision to extend Cliff Robinson for another two years, along with their stated intention to re-sign Richard Hamilton this summer, will lock up their cap for the next two seasons.

"Any cap space we would have had would have been created if we chose not to re-sign Cliff and Rip," John Hammond, vice president of basketball for the Pistons told the Detroit News. "But you would be talking about losing a huge part of our team. Obviously we want to re-sign Rip. We want him here, and we want him here long-term, and we plan on doing so. That will take up our cap space, but no one in this organization is interested in us not re-signing him."

Robinson signed a two year, $10 million extension. Robinson will earn $4.74 million next season and $5.28 million in 2004-05. The team holds an option for a third year.

"Cliff's legacy in this league, I believe, will be as a true winning player," coach Rick Carlisle told the Detroit News. "He has never won fewer than 44 games in a season, and he has never missed the playoffs in his 14 seasons. This sends a clear message that contributions to winning are going to be rewarded by the Detroit Pistons."

"I am pleased that this is done and it's over," Robinson said. "It lets me know they are pleased with what I brought to the team, and they would like to keep me around. I could have played it out, waited and gone into the summer, but I am really excited about the direction this team is going. I weighed all my options, but in the end it just didn't make any sense to go anyplace else. We have started something here, and I want to be part of it when we finish it."

Robinson's signing doesn't mean the Pistons will stand pat this summer, however. The team has two first-round picks (including a potential lottery pick from the Grizzlies) and will be far enough under the luxury tax threshold to make a play for a second-tier free agent with their mid-level exception.

Robinson stays for two years, $10 million
Chris McCosky / Detroit News
Two more years for Pistons' Robinson
Helene St. James / Detroit Free Press
Peep Show

Washington Wizards: Jerry Stackhouse told the Washington Post that despite the criticism he's taken from Michael Jordan and others, he wants to remain a Wizard after this season. Stackhouse can opt out of his contract this summer. "I want to put it on the record that I want to stay here in Washington," Stackhouse told the Washington Post, offering the point unsolicited. Stackhouse said he has no problems with Jordan. "We don't have any problems, no matter what it may seem like. Tonight we were all on the same page. . . . People think because we both played for North Carolina they assume we know a lot about each other. We don't. We're trying to learn enough to build something."

Indiana Pacers: The team has lost 11 of its last 12 after Tuesday night's loss to the Hornets. They're running out of answers. "I don't know what to tell you," Jermaine O'Neal told the Indianapolis Star. "I have no answer. Hopefully as professionals we're thoroughly embarrassed. No more pep talks. No more staying in the locker room for late meetings. It's all us. Everything that's going on within the team as far as differences needs to be handled. I can't understand why as a team we won't put on our jerseys and play hard and play with pride."

New York Knicks: The team's second-round draft pick, Milos Vujanic, continues to give GM Scott Layden a hard time when pressed on whether he'll join the team next season. Vujanic first told Insider, back in December, that he was uncomfortable joining a team with three point guards already on the roster. The Knicks will likely exercise their buyout on Charlie Ward this summer, leaving them with Howard Eisley and rookie Frank Williams. Still, Vujanic doesn't want to come here and just wave towels from the bench. "I want to play in New York, but at this moment I can't guarantee 100%," Vujanic told the N.Y. Daily News. "I'm thinking about my club right now. I'll have to see how things go in New York. My goal is to be in the NBA and play in New York, but right now, I don't know."

Golden State Warriors: Talk about being tough to please. Can you believe local talk show radio hosts are blasting the Warriors (currently 2 1/2 games out of the last playoff spot) for not playing great defense. Coach Eric Musselman can't. "Last year, we held teams under 100 24 times," Musselman told the San Francisco Chronicle. "This year, we're already at 28. In 1999-2000, we held teams under 40 percent shooting seven times . . . in 2001, 10 times . . . in 2002, eight . . . this year, 12. Double-digit losses, in 2000, 41 . . . 2001, 31 . . . last year, 27 . . . this year, 11." The point is that the Warriors are trying. But they probably won't get any better until they make a few personnel moves this summer. Currently, Musselman's team is built for speed, not off-roading. He's going with what works.

Angry Words, Inspired Play
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post
Pacers continue their slide
Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star
Knicks going the extra Milos
Frank Isola / New York Daily News
Warriors lack defense, but who cares?
Ray Ratto / San Francisco Chronicle
Defending Warriors' defense
Tim Kawakami / San Jose Mercury News

New lows after the New Year
By Terry Brown
Wednesday, March 12 Updated 11:30 AM EST


Here lies the
Eastern Conference
Died Jan. 1, 2003
RIP

At a funeral, they say, everyone has something nice to comment on about the recently departed.

We'll do our best.

Six of its 15 teams have posted winning records up until this point after the New Year.

The team that represented it in the NBA Finals last season, New Jersey, got back to .500 in that same period by beating the Hornets on Sunday.

The team that represented itin the NBA Finals the year before that, the Philadelphia 76ers, beat the Sonics in Seattle last Friday to give the conference one team with a winning record on the road.

The Indiana Pacers, trailing those aforementioned Nets by only one game for the second-best record in the conference and the team that represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals before the Sixers, finally ended that nasty six-game losing streak back on Feb. 28 and have only lost five in a row since.

One of those teams with the 2003 winning record, the Detroit Pistons, has won two in a row after losing seven straight to become the team with the best record in the conference.

As a group, the Eastern Conference has won 228 games, even if it's taken 494 games to do it.

And no one can prove in a court of law that the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost a single game on purpose.

Amen.

HOTTEST TEAMS SINCE JAN. 1
1. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 25-5 (83%)

Comment: Let Gregg Popovich gloat for a second. Or two. Since January, the Spurs are 13-3 on the road and 13-4 against teams currently qualified for the playoffs. Do the math and that makes them 12-2 at home and 12-1 against lottery teams. In one particular stretch, in the midst of their legendary nine-game road conquest, they scored 109 points to beat Orlando by one, then 67 to beat Miami by two (on back-to-back nights), then 103 to beat Golden State by four (making it three victories in a row by a total of seven points), then 83 to beat Denver. Now get this. After six straight games on the road, after fast-paced games, slow-paced games, mostly close games and an occasional blowout, they then beat Portland (which had won 9 of 10 before that game and is now second in the Pacific Division), Los Angeles (which had won seven in a row before the game and are now third in the Pacific) and Sacramento (in the middle of a seven-game homestand at the time and the team with the second-best record in the entire NBA, tops in the Pacific) in a row. Or three.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 22-8 (73%)

Comment: Life and death. Or the other way around as the case may be. Prior to the New Year, the three-time defending champs were 13-19. Make that 13-20 after their first game on the calender. Make that out of the playoffs and getting even worse. Since then, they've won 22 games by an average of almost 11 points, including 12 of 15 against playoff teams and seven of 10 on the road. By the way, Kobe averaged 40.6 points per game in February. Shaq is averaging 35 per game in March.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 25-10 (71%)

Comment: Tear February off the calender on the wall and frame it. In 28 days, the Timberwolves went 12-1 and from first-round bystanders to methodical Western Conference killers. Perception is everything. And right now, Kevin Garnett is the MVP, Flip Saunders is a genius and you can almost say LakersKingsSpursMavsTimberwolves in one breath.

4 (tie). Dallas Mavericks

Record: 23-10 (69%)

Comment: The Spurs may be 25-5 after the New Year, but the Mavericks were 25-5 before it, including a 14-0 run to start the season. But doesn't that seem so very, very long ago . . . Very, very rarely does the team with the best record in the league post three-game losing streaks in back-to-back months, coming within overtime against a non-playoff Eastern conference team of making it three times. And very, very rarely does a team go through that and still get to say it's more than three games ahead of the second-best team in the league (San Antonio) and four games ahead of the team everyone thought would win the regular season (Sacramento).

4. (tie) Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 23-10 (69%)

Comment: They ended the year winning eight of nine and settled into the fourth seed smiling as everyone else covered their ears and squinted tight in anticipation of the blow up. This is Portland, right? This is Bonzi Wells? And Rasheed Wallace? And Ruben Patterson? Tick . . . tick . . . tick . . . Now open your eyes and realize that the Blazers won four in a row on the road at the end of January, four in a row to start February and four in a row to start March. And are still ahead of two teams above them on this list for home-court advantage in the first round.

COLDEST TEAMS SINCE JAN. 1
25. Chicago Bulls

Record: 12-22 (35%)

Comment: This is what happens when the worst road team in the league plays 14 of its first 21 games of the year away from home and all that's left to scrape off the pavement is the fact that five of those losses within a one month span came in overtime.

26. Miami Heat

Record: 10-24 (29%)

Comment: Thank goodness for moral victories like the two-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks on March 7 and two-point loss to San Antonio on Feb. 1, a couple referees getting fined and the best player in franchise history who hasn't played since last season getting booed in the house of your rival as he speaks in behalf of his retiring friend.

27. Los Angeles Clippers

Record: 8-24 (25%)

Comment: Shake your head and spit. Wash your hands, your face, burn the clothes you were wearing and try to forget you ever thought this team, this franchise, would ever make the playoffs. If it weren't for the Bulls, this team would be working on a 10-game losing streak as we speak. Instead, the Clips are 1-9, fighting over towels in the shower and wondering if their billionaire owner even paid the water bill.

28. Denver Nuggets

Record: 8-27 (22%)

Comment: Well, these guys did lose 10 in a row. Right before they lost 11, then 12, then 13, then 14. The good news is that they beat Miami to end the streak there. The bad news is that there are 17 games left in the season to start another one.

29. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 5-26 (16%)

Comment: The closest this team has gotten to winning two games in a row all season was back on Jan. 25, when they lost to the Hawks by one point in overtime, 102-101, and then beat the Clippers the next game by four. But you remember that game against Atlanta, don't you? Up by five with 1:53 to go before Glenn Robinson hit a three and Shareef Abdur-Rahim hit that jumper with 12 seconds left. The Cavs never lead in overtime but came within one when Smush Parker drilled a three with 57 seconds left to make it 100-99 and Dajuan Wagner hit some free throws to make it 102-101. If only Ricky Davis had called a timeout right after Jason Terry missed that three-pointer for Atlanta as the shot clock wound down. He dribbled once, thought about it, twice, thought about it, three times. Heck, that 40-footer almost went it . . . kind of. Aw shucks, those were the good old days.