April
7, 2001 NBA
BASKETBALL - NBA
NOTES By
MARSHON ROBINSON Contributor
*
Well, the experiment hasn't just failed, it's
literally
exploded. The Trailblazers' attempt to buy a
dynasty
has been on life support for a while now, but
with
Kemp heading to rehab and Rasheed still having
trouble
wiht his temper, the Blazers seem destined for
an
early exit from the playoffs and a new coach and
revamped
roster for next year. So what went wrong?
This
team is as close to a Dream Team as anyone in the
league
will get. We can start with their coach.
Hailed
to be the next great one, Dunleavy has had a
hard
time living up to expectations, and his stint in
Portland
has been no different. But he's not the sole
person
to blame for this mess, even though he'll
likely
take the fall. Paul Allen is just as big if
not
the biggest thorn in this team's side. His
constant
attempts to buy a championship wiht no regard
to
team chemistry have kept the team from forming any
true
identity or on-court leader. It was always
as
if they're just a bunch of superstars on the court
together
instead of a team. So what can we do to fix
them?
1.
Ditch Dunleavy and bring in someone like
Mike Fratello.
2.
Dump some of these guys like Scottie
Pippen, Steve Smith, Sabonis, etc and start
bringing in some folks to run with Wallace,
Damon, and Bonzi Wells. With Kobe Bryant,
Jason Kidd, and Gary Payton apparently
becoming more and more available, this team
could be one deal from finally reclaiming
some of its past glories.
3.
Once you've made all of your line-up
changes, create a 8/9 man rotation and
stick with it. Something that's been done
now, but is probably too little, too late.
*
Never before have so many stars been viewed as what
ails
there team. Are we really supposed to buy into
all
this stuff about some of our favorite players?
Apparently
many of you are, as the message boards of
most
sites are littered with 'Trade Payton, Trade Kobe',
etc.
Lets sift through some of these...
Trade
Payton - I think this would be great for Gary
Payton
as long as he winds up with the right team.
All
he has done is carry the Sonics on his back for
most
of career and now the team is losing
and
they need a new scapegoat. First Kemp and Karl,
now
Payton. While I agree that it is time for Baker to
go,
Payton is still a phenomenal player with plenty
left
in his tank. The problems with the Sonics this
year
were, in random order: a bad coach, a soft power
forward
and a old center.
Trade
Kobe - How many players do we have to lose in
Laker
land before people stop and let this team
develop
into the dynasty its always been meant to be?
First
Nick Van Exel was the problem, then Del Harris,
then
Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell, then Kurt Rambis,
then
Glen Rice, and now Kobe Bryant, one of the top
ten
players in the league. This witch hunt is just
maddening
and I, like a growing number of people, am
sick
of how Phil keeps attacking Bryant to save face
for
failing to make this team gel. Hopefully all this
just
turns out to be is talk, but the rumors are getting
a
little too specific for my tastes. Bryant for two
players
wouldn't be bad for the Lakers if they are
able
to bring in a guard and a forward, especially the
rumored
Vince and Antonio Davis or Kidd and Shawn
Marion
packages. The main thing I don't like is the
way
he's been run out of town and blamed for all of
the
Lakers' problems all because that's the way the
world's
greatest opportunist wants it. Phil has done
a
great job of making Kobe the enemy and it looks as
if
he'll be in new colors pretty soon and that's a
shame.
Shaq successfully runs away another player.
Trade
Kidd - This one's a bit odd to me, but
apparently
he's worn out his welcome in Phoenix. Just
like
the Payton situation, he's carried this team and
now
is being blamed for its faults. Although I am
very
intrigued at the thought of Kidd and Marion in
Laker
jerseys, I'm still just don't see how your best
player
could be the source of your problems. The Suns
have
never had enough of an inside presence to survive
in
the West. Period.
Trade
Van Horn - Now here is one that is a bit more
solid.
Van Horn hasn't really turned into the player
everyone
thought he'd be, and its definitely time for
the
Nets to try to make their team better. Who
they'd
swap him for, I've got no idea, but I'm sure
someone
would take the bait.
*
So were we all wrong? Is Don Nelson actually a
good
coach? Well, stranger things have been
revealed.....
*
Best team in the East. I like the Bucks,
even
with Mourning back. Yeah you read that
right.
With all the hoopla over the Heat, Knicks, and
76ers
the Bucks might just be in the perfect spot to
slide
in and win the East.
