Second Guessing?

Second Guessing?

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The strategies seemed to be working beautifully. For the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic, the 2000 NBA draft was all about rebuilding for the future while also looking to win today. The two teams had a combined five picks out of the draft's first 13 and plenty of money to entice an All-Star list of free agents. After Cincinnati forward Pete Mickeal was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks with the last pick in the June 28 draft, the two teams seemed to have executed their plans perfectly. 

It was reported that Doc Rivers, the Magic's highly respected head coach, tried to move up from his fifth pick to take either Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin or the high school phenom, Darius Miles. When that didn't work out, the team "settled" for Florida's Mike Miller, a 6'7" forward who saw his stock skyrocket during the Gators' surprising second-place finish in the NCAA tournament last year. Then Rivers really started rolling, trading the rights to the 10th pick, Missouri point guard Keyon Dooling, along with Corey Maggette and Derek Strong, to the Clippers for a future first round pick. Then he traded the rights to Fresno State guard Courtney Alexander, the 13th overall pick, to the Mavericks for another future first round pick. The Magic were able to clear an extra $5 million in salary cap room on draft day, bringing the team to a total of $18 million under the cap, money with which Rivers and GM John Gabriel planned to lure free agents Grant Hill and Tim Duncan to the Land of Disney. Mission One complete. Well, sort of anyway. 

Hill agreed "in principle" to sign with Orlando on August 1, the first day free agents can sign a new contract. But as report after report had Duncan following Hill's lead, the Wake Forest alum instead decided to show some loyalty and re-up with San Antonio. In this era of free agency, where "Gone in 60 Seconds" relates more to an athlete's loyalty to one team than it does to an overly hyped Nicholas Cage movie, it's great for the NBA to have one of its only remaining true stars creating some identity for himself and his team. 

A disappointed Rivers then turned his attention (and a huge wad of cash) toward Tracy McGrady. Again, reports claimed McGrady had chosen Orlando over the Bulls and the Toronto Raptors on one day, but then a trip to Chicago changed his mind, and then a phone call from Miami Heat thug Alonzo Mourning had the young forward leaning toward Miami. Now, McGrady's agent says his client, who owns a house in the Orlando area, will sign with the Magic on August 1. Promise?

Who's to say McGrady and Hill won't go back on their words and sign somewhere else? I'm not calling them dishonorable, but neither has signed on any legal dotted line promising any alliance with any team, much less Orlando. And from what the media portrayed, these high-talent free agents were planning some beach party in southern Florida, but the emcee may have been Duncan. Now that he's decided he looks better in spurs than he does in those silly plastic mouse ears, will Hill rethink his decision? After all, his former team, the Detroit Pistons, isn't exactly lacking in talent with Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner, Mateen Cleaves and Lindsey Hunter. Plus, if Jalen Rose, the former Michigan Fab-Fiver, jumps the sinking Pacers ship for Detroit, the Pistons would be an attractive team to play for. As for McGrady, a call from Deion Sanders probably would convince him to sign with the Washington Redskins -- everyone else apparently is.

The Bulls are a slightly different story. With Elton Brand, last year's Co-Rookie of the Year, and Ron Artest, Chicago has a nice foundation for a competing team. But the Bulls surprised nearly everyone by drafting Marcus Fizer from Iowa State with the fourth selection. The pick was shocking not because of Fizer's talent level (no problems there, believe me), but because of his size. He's a natural power forward, but that's Brand's stomping ground. And at 6' 8", 250 pounds, Fizer is too small to fill Chicago's weakness at center, but too big to be a small forward. Sure, there are plenty of 6' 8" small forwards (Kevin Garnett), but at 250 pounds, the mismatches Fizer would create on offense for the Bulls are overshadowed by the mismatches the Bulls would have to deal with on defense -- the smaller threes would blow past the heavier Fizer off the dribble. Some insiders said Fizer was on his way to Portland for center Jermaine O'Neill, but that hasn't happened yet. And even when the Bulls seemingly drafted their center with the 7th pick, Chris Mihm, they traded him to the Cavs for point guard Jamal Crawford and cash.

Did the Bulls rely that heavily on their ability to sign Duncan that they ignored their black hole in the middle of the lane? Surely, they didn't expect to impress Duncan more than Orlando or San Antonio could. And now it appears McGrady has declined the Bulls' offer. For now, at least. Rumor has it Chicago now is courting Eddie Jones and Tim Thomas, but more rumors say most free agents have the Windy City pretty low on their potential employer lists for one major reason: respect. Jerry Krause doesn't demand it from his players, his peers, his parking lot attendants or his favorite hot dog vendor. Free agents admire the history of the team, built largely on the broad shoulders of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and in turn despise Krause's callous and methodical dismantling of a basketball dynasty. If this is the organization that didn't show Michael Jordan any class, why would they show Duncan, Hill or McGrady any? Jones and Thomas probably know better too.

Chicago and Orlando went into and came out of the draft banking, well, on their respective banks. Even though the strategy probably didn't work out exactly the way Doc Rivers had planned, at least he was able to grab some future first round picks and a talented forward in the draft. The Bulls could be left with little consolation. But what's the lesson here? Has this class of high-talent free agents proven that sometimes, even in today's greedy sports world, the slimy dollar isn't as important as loyalty and respect? There's a novel idea.


In the Bullz-eye:
The Yankees' newly acquired starting pitcher, Denny Neagle. Many veteran pitchers have crumbled under the scrutiny of the New York sports microscope (see: Jack McDowell, Kenny Rogers). King George won't be a happy man if Neagle doesn't reverse the Yankees pitching woes in a hurry. It's never a good idea to upset King George, no matter who you are (see: Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson, George Costanza).

 
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