NBA Insider 5/20

NBA Draft: Are the Rockets really after Dunleavy?

by Chad Ford

Also Below: Bulls sitting pretty at No. 2 | Warriors in familiar territory | Draft rumors: Could Mike Dunleavy Sr. draft his son? | Writers Bloc: Hating C-Webb | Peep Show



NBA playoffs: Four more questions you were afraid to ask

NBA Draft Lottery conspiracy theories took a huge hit Sunday when neither the Knicks, Wizards nor Jerry West's Grizzlies managed to land the No. 1 pick in this year's draft.

But for those of you who believe the NBA is somehow behind the growing disparity of the Western Conference haves and the Eastern Conference have nots -- start your engines.

The Rockets, a team that would have seriously challenged for a playoff spot this season were in not for serious injuries to several key players, just hit the jackpot.

Literally.

Beating the odds, the Rockets had only an 8.9 percent chance of winning the lottery. Houston became the 12th team in a row to win the NBA lottery without having to endure the league's worst record.

The Rockets aren't really rebuilding. This season was a bit of an aberration. They more closely resemble the 1997 Spurs, who took the No. 1 pick after a slew of injuries demoted them from playoff contenders to lottery team. The Spurs selected Tim Duncan and two years later took home the NBA Championship.

This year, there's no Duncan. And the Rockets are still a few pieces away from being a championship contender. They have no post game to speak of. Two of their starters, Glen Rice and Mo Taylor, are coming off season-ending injuries. To make things more dicey, several league sources claim that Taylor has gained an enormous amount of weight, making his rehab that much tougher. Add in All-Star point guard Steve Francis's reoccurring migraine headaches and insecurity complex and . . . it won't be as easy as adding one more piece to the puzzle..

Just moments after the team won the lottery, Francis launched a warning shot across the Rockets' bow.

When asked who he thought the Rockets should take with the No. 1 pick, Francis made it clear that Duke's Jay Williams wasn't welcome.

"I'm definitely happy I'm not a GM right now," Francis said. "There's so many ways we can go. Hopefully, we will go the right direction and get a player that can help us immediately. We won't be looking for a point guard. Anything else, I don't know."

Remember Francis's reaction in 1999 to playing in the backcourt with Mike Bibby in Vancouver?

The Rockets better take Francis seriously. He's sensitive as it is. With a contract extension due this fall, the Rockets can't afford to have the Franchise grumbling.

A source close to Francis told Insider Sunday night that he definitely doesn't want to be moved to shooting guard to accommodate Williams in the Rockets' already crowded backcourt.

What about Williams moving to shooting guard? Some scouts feel he's better suited there anyway? Francis is vehemently opposed to the Rockets pushing out Cuttino Mobley.

So what will the Rockets do? GM Carroll Dawson told the Houston Chronicle that the interest in the Rockets' pick is high around the league. Knicks GM Scott Layden told the New York Post that he would attempt to swing a trade with the Rockets for the No. 1 pick. Grizzlies president Jerry West said he wouldn't mind trading positions either. And the Warriors? They'll be dangling all kinds of carrots for the right to grab ahold of Williams.

Here's five options the Rockets will consider going into the draft.

1. Draft Yao Ming

Rockets center Kelvin Cato is making about $6,965,000 more than he should be next season. Kevin Willis is gone and Jason Collier has bust written all over him. Yao might not be the next Bill Walton or the even the next Rik Smits. But, he can run the floor, block shots and pull his defender away from the basket. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich loves big men who can shoot from the perimeter (hence the Collier pick). The Rockets have the eight largest Asian-American population in the U.S., a coach who understands the international game and the ability to compete right away. In other words, it isn't a bad fit from Yao's perspective. The Rockets are also in the best position to take the risk on Yao. If, for whatever reason, he can't figure out how to get out of China, the franchise isn't ruined. The Rockets already have the talent to compete for a playoff spot. This pick is gravy, so why not roll the dice and hope for something big? If Yao pans out, the Rockets become very, very dangerous.

2. Draft Jay Williams

A backcourt of Francis and Williams would be unstoppable. No, Francis might not like it, but Williams is a much surer thing than Yao. Both players have the ability to swing between the one and two and both are smart enough to make it work. Mobley could either be a super sub or trade bait for a more established big man. Of course, that's not the only scenario if the Rockets were to take the artist formerly known as Jason Williams. Wouldn't it be ironic if Francis's lottery day luck got him a one-way out of Houston? Inconceivable? Almost. But it wouldn't be unprecedented. If the Rockets took Williams, Francis has enough value in the league to land them a top pick and another All-Star.

3. Draft Mike Dunleavy

The Rockets were one of only two teams that would seriously consider taking Dunleavy No. 1. The other was Memphis. Dunleavy would give them a sweet-shooting small forward to replace Glen Rice when he stubs his toe midway through training camp. The Rockets' brass loves Dunleavy and would've taken him in a heartbeat had he been available at No. 5. If they decide that Yao's too risky and Williams will cause too many chemistry issues, Dunleavy could be the guy. Which leads us to No. 4 . . .

4. Trade down

There will be plenty of teams trying to leap frog the Bulls for the right to draft either Williams or Yao. The most obvious team is the Warriors sitting at No. 3. They love Williams and have plenty of players they'd be more than happy to pawn off on Houston. The Rockets have a few real bad contracts they're trying to dump as well. What about the No. 1 and Mo Taylor for the No. 3 and Antawn Jamison? That's a terrible deal for the Warriors so you know they're interested. Then, the Rockets could select Dunleavy and start challenging the Mavs. More plausibly, the Rockets could probably send the No. 1 and Kelvin Cato for the No. 3 and Erick Dampier. The Knicks have already said they'll make an offer and the N.Y. Post is reporting in today's editions that they may be willing to swap Latrell Sprewell and the No. 7 pick for Glen Rice and the No. 1. If the Rockets trade down to No. 7, they could take a chance on three other players they like -- Stanford's Curtis Borchardt, UConn's Caron Butler and 19-year-old Nikoloz Tskitishvili. And don't count out the Grizzlies. They covet Dunleavy. If they feel he'll be gone by the time they draft, they have the expendable talent to move up.

5. Trade out of the draft

The team would like to compete for the playoffs this season. Yao and Dunleavy can't really help them there. They need a more seasoned low-post presence or a hot-shooting small forward to take them to the next level. The Mavs, T-Wolves and Sonics don't have a draft pick, but all covet a player at the top of the draft. Would the Mavs do a sign-and-trade that would send Raef LaFrentz to Houston in return for the No. 1 and say, Cato? Would the T-Wolves send along scoring machine Wally Szczerbiak for the right to draft Williams? Terrell Brandon already has one foot in the grave and Williams is the perfect player to re-energize the franchise. Would the Sonics consider a sign-and-trade that would send Rashard Lewis to Houston in return for the No. 1 pick and Taylor? All three scenarios were talked about by several different league sources after the lottery went down.

Houston, you're on the clock . . .

Rockets, Francis leapfrog to first for NBA's draft
Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle
Yao could turn out to be wow
Fran Blinebury / Houston Chronicle
Yao-Za! Knicks May Swap For No. 1 Pick
Marc Berman / New York Post




Bulls sitting pretty at No. 2

There was a huge sigh of relief in Chicago Sunday after the Terri-Bulls failed to land the No. 1 pick in the draft for the third year in a row.

This time, apparently, no one wanted GM Jerry Krause to have the chance to land Yao Ming. While it isn't as simple as that, at least Bulls fans can sleep better at night knowing that Krause won't pass up on Jay Williams just to get his hands on Yao.

Krause did everything but hang a "For Sale" sign around his neck after the Bulls landed the No. 2 pick in the draft.

"There will be a lot of interest in the second pick," Krause told the Chicago Sun Times. "I won't have to make a lot of calls. People will be calling me. When you're picking 23rd, you're the one who has to make the calls, not when you're picking second. It's a very flexible position. I'm wide open to thoughts, and if someone comes up with a thought I like, I'll entertain it."

What will the Bulls do? Insider breaks down five different scenarios for the Bulls.

1. Draft Jay Williams

The Bulls have the same problem the Rockets do. They already have their point guard of the future. Unlike the Rockets' Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford isn't an All-Star. Yes, they like Crawford, but he doesn't have the leadership or the court savvy that Williams does. Crawford's and Williams's ability to swing between the one and two gives them lots of flexibility. Williams is as close to a veteran as you get in the draft. He'll be able to step in and contribute immediately. The Bulls have enough cap room to add another veteran via-free agency, so they might as well keep the youth movement rolling while they can.

2. Draft Yao Ming

It's not a slam dunk that Yao goes No. 1. There are several scenarios where the Rockets either skip Yao or trade their pick to someone who wants Williams. Krause loves Yao and he'll take a lot less heat if he didn't pass on Williams to get him. With Yao in the fold, the Bulls can move Eddy Curry to power forward, Tyson Chandler to small forward and keep Crawford and Jalen Rose in the backcourt. That might be the tallest starting five in the NBA.

3. Draft Mike Dunleavy

Krause likes him and the Bulls could use him. The team went after Wally Szczerbiak and Mike Miller the last two summers and Dunleavy has the potential to be better than both of them. He's a better shooter and is fundamentally more rounded than just about anyone in the draft.

4. Trade down

Krause should be able to have several deals in place by draft night. If Williams falls, the Nuggets, Cavs, Clippers, Heat, Wizards, Raptors, Magic and Pistons will all be interested. The Bulls could have their choice of Andre Miller, Mike Miller and the No. 18; Keon Clark (via sign-and-trade), James Posey and the No. 5; Richard Hamilton or Courtney Alexander and the No. 11 or Rodney White and the No. 23 in return for Williams. If Yao falls, the Knicks will dangle whatever they can. And, it may be wise for the Bulls to play up their interest in Dunleavy. With the Grizzlies sweating it out at No. 4, the team could trade down and still get a stud.

5. Trade out of the draft

There's already talk in the Sun Times that the Hornets would part with Baron Davis and the T-Wolves have offered Wally Szczerbiak if the Bulls can get their hands on Williams. If Yao's available, the Bulls might be able to get either Raef LaFrentz or Michael Finley regardless of what owner Mark Cuban says publicly. If the Bulls can get an established All-Star-caliber player to help out Rose, how can they pass?

Krause is sitting pretty
Roman Modrowski / Chicago Sun-Times
Rockets need Yao; Bulls need Duke's Williams
Sam Smith / Chicago Tribune
Krause's mission: Find the best deal
Jay Mariotti / Chicago Sun-Times




Warriors in familiar territory

Warriors GM Garry St. Jean looked like he could use several large doses of Milk of Magnesia Sunday.

The look of constipation on his face was striking after the Warriors slipped to No. 3 in a two-horse draft Sunday. For Warriors fans, it was nothing new.

The Warriors, who were open about their affection for Duke point guard Jay Williams, are now the odd team out.

"There are going to be a number of good players available at the three spot," St. Jean said in a conference call Sunday. "No one has any knowledge of who is going above us. We will begin workouts with players this week and it will be an ongoing process. We'll see where it takes us as we get into June. We can still come out of this draft with a heck of a player."

Still, the team had pegged Williams as the answer to its ongoing point guard woes. The team has searched for a steady floor leader since shipping Tim Hardaway to the Heat in 1996.

If the Warriors failed to land Williams, the team would have taken a chance on Yao. With a huge Asian-American population and only Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle in the post, Yao would have been a major upgrade.

What do they do now?

1. Draft Mike Dunleavy

Antawn Jamison has been pining for a move to power forward since the team traded for Danny Fortson two summers ago. Dunleavy would give the Warriors the outside threat they've lacked since Chris Mullin left. The team could try to package Danny Fortson and Larry Hughes for a veteran point guard and, in the end, it might be better off. The big question is whether Dunleavy will play for the Warriors. He's threatened to pull his name out of the draft if he didn't like the team that would draft him. While he only publicly identified the Clippers, league sources say he wouldn't be fond of joining the Warriors, Cavs or even the Bulls. If Dunleavy gets information that the Warriors want him, he could be starting at Duke next season.

2. Draft Dajuan Wagner

He's the next best thing to Williams. No, he doesn't have the point guard skills that Williams does, but he's a relentless scorer. A backcourt of Wagner and Jason Richardson would be as high octane as any in the league. The bigger question is whether the Warriors are ready to try to convert another two guard into a floor leader. It blew up in their face with Hughes, and Wagner seems to be cut out of the same cloth. His people have been telling teams that work him out that he's a pure two guard. Apparently, he's afraid his scoring average might suffer if he's forced to run a team.

3. Draft Drew Gooden

Yes, he's a tweener, but on basketball talent, most teams have him rated as the third-best prospect in the draft. He's more polished than most of his peers and his ability to swing between the three and four gives the Warriors more flexibility with Jamison. Once he hits the weight room, he should be fine down low. If he can add a solid long-range jumper to his arsenal, he'd be scary. The fact that Gooden's from California doesn't hurt matters.

4. Trade up for Williams

The Rockets and Bulls will both be entertaining offers. It might cost them a player like Dampier, Foyle or Troy Murphy, but Williams is worth it.

5. Trade down

There are several other good point guards in the draft who can be had in the mid-first round. If the team likes Frank Williams or Dan Dickau, there would be plenty of teams willing to pay the Warriors handsomely to move up and get a chance at a player like Dunleavy or Chris Wilcox. The Grizzlies and Heat would both be willing to pay a price to get their hands on Dunleavy. And the Suns are in love Chris Wilcox. It isn't likely that he'll be around when they draft at No. 9. Would the Warriors take a chance that Penny Hardaway could play the point for them?

Unlucky in the lottery
Brad Weinstein / San Francisco Chronicle
Positioned for top pick, Warriors instead settle for third spot
Skip Bayless / San Jose Mercury News
No need to worry about selecting Yao or Williams
Scott Ostler / San Francisco Chronicle




Draft rumors: Could Mike Dunleavy Sr. draft his son?

Could Mike Dunleavy be holding out for a chance to play for Dad? Chicago Tribune columnist Sam Smith thinks that Jerry West is hot for Mike Dunleavy Sr. and Jr.

That may explain Dunleavy's mysterious "I'm in the draft unless I'm not" news conference Thursday. Now that the Grizzlies have fallen to No. 4, that task may become tougher. There's no guarantee that the Bulls or Warriors will pass on Dunleavy when they draft No. 2 and No. 3.

According to Smith, ever since Jerry West signed on to run the Grizzlies, the talk around the NBA has been that West wants to hire Dunleavy Sr., whom he first hired in 1990 in Los Angeles.

Obviously, Sidney Lowe's job is in jeopardy with new management, and West is going to do his best to shake things up. Whether Dunleavy Jr. is actually a fit -- what will they do with Shane Battier? -- is another question.

Draft workouts started to heat up this weekend now that the NBA is able to work out underclassmen. Among the top names working out this weekend or early this week:

Jay Williams and Drew Gooden: Both players have told teams that they will only hold personal workouts for clubs picking in the top three. Of course, with all the trade talk going on, that could change soon. While the strategy makes sense for Williams, he'll be a top 2 pick, Gooden's is a little riskier. While many teams have him as the No. 3 or No. 4 prospect in the draft, depending on how the draft goes, he could be in for a Paul Pierce like fall.

Chris Wilcox: He pulled out of a workout with the Suns Saturday, citing a slight hamstring strain. That's bad news for the Suns, who are as high on Wilcox as anyone in the draft. If that wasn't bad enough, the news got even worse. Wilcox has hired Rock Newman, former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe's manager, to represent him. That ought to be interesting.

Jared Jeffries: Jeffries gets his first workout Monday in Houston. The workout was scheduled before the Rockets got the No. 1 pick so he should be able to relax. There's no way he's going No. 1.

Maybyner "Nene" Hilario: He has his first big workout today in Cleveland.

Amare Stoudemire: Has his first big workout Tuesday for the Magic. He'll be matched up against Notre Dame forward Ryan Humphries.

Dan Dickau: Dickau was matched up again versus Maryland's Juan Dixon Friday in a workout for the Pistons. He'll be in Chicago Wednesday and Milwaukee Thursday.

Carlos Boozer: He worked out Saturday in Phoenix and apparently wowed the Suns. "He looked much better on the perimeter than I expected," coach Frank Johnson told the Arizona Republic. "I didn't know he could extend his game out to 15, 16 feet." Boozer, along with high school star DeAngelo Collins and Cincinnati's Steve Logan, is scheduled to work out in Denver Friday.

Jiri Welsch: He worked out for Houston Friday and Phoenix Saturday.

Boris Diaw: He'll have several workouts the next few days before returning to France. Today he'll be in Denver working out against Matt Barnes and JUCO star Kei Madison.

It looks like Virginia combo guard Roger Mason Jr. is in the draft for good. While Mason still hasn't officially hired an agent, coach Pete Gillen thinks Mason has made up his mind.

"He could come back, but I think he's going. I've been gathering information and I shared it with him," Gillen told the Roanoke Times. "I don't want to go into specifics. He talks to people up in D.C. His parents are very active in calling different GM's. He thinks he's going to be a first-round pick and he might. He's a very good player. I don't want to say what I think. I hope he is [a first-round pick] if he does go, but I don't know what's going to happen. A lot could happen in the draft. It's crazy."

Louisville junior big man Brandon Bender said he didn't declare for the NBA draft, despite what the league's official list says. "It's a surprise to me. I think it's a mistake. I'm trying to figure out how it happened myself. . .I guess when you call to find out about the NBA for the future, in case one day you make it, and you ask about the paperwork, I guess they automatically declare you," he told the Louisville Courier Journal. "But I never did any paperwork to put myself in that position."

Bulls can make point?Williams
Sam Smith / Chicago Tribune
Lottery gives Griz No. 4 draft pick
Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial Appeal
Duke's Boozer shows surprising perimeter game
Bob Young / Arizona Republic
Nuggets to work out players
Marc J. Spears / Denver Post
Mason still intent on leaving for NBA
Doug Doughty / Roanoke Times
Bender on draft list, calls it error
Eric Crawford / Louisville Courier-Journal




Writers Bloc: Hating C-Webb

Maybe it's time to stop writing off the Nets and Lakers.

We do it for different reasons. The Nets because, well, they're the Nets. There's nothing less sexy than a team from New Jersey in the NBA Finals. The Lakers because, they're the Lakers. Everyone outside of L.A. is sick of seeing Shaq and Kobe hogging that trophy.

After this weekend's games, it looks like we might be in for the inevitable: an unsexy, but solid Lakers-Nets Finals.

In L.A., they're already writing the obituary for the Kings after they fell apart in Game 1. L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke thinks that Chris Webber is the Tin Man where the Kings' heart should be.

"Chris Webber is the smiling slugger who hits 40 home runs a year, three of which anyone remembers. Chris Webber is the congenial quarterback who throws for 35 touchdowns a season, two after Thanksgiving, none in the final two minutes. Chris Webber is ominous and odd enough to be classified as science fiction, a double feature. At 7 p.m., he's cute, magical E.T. At 10 p.m., he's Hollow Man."

The Washington Post's Michael Wilbon agrees. Good just isn't good enough.

"Even though he has been the best player on the second-best team in the NBA, Webber found himself in a familiar position Sunday afternoon: defending himself, answering questions as to why what he gave wasn't enough. It's the same position he was in a couple of years ago when the Kings entertained us but couldn't advance in the postseason, the same position he was in when his Washington Bullets/Wizards didn't come close to fulfilling expectations or potential, the same position he was in at Golden State and, for that matter, at the University of Michigan, where neither of two trips to the NCAA title game produced a national championship."

You've read about Jason Kidd ad nauseam this year, but N.Y. Daily News writer Mike Lupica writes that only now is Kidd truly rounding into form.

"This is a team now. This is real band. More than just the bandleader, even though he is the one out front that everybody who follows the sport wants to see now."

This was supposed to be Paul Pierce's coming out party. But as New Jersey Star Ledger writer Dave D'Alessandro writes, Pierce learned a tough lesson Sunday.

"Paul Pierce was absolutely right: No man can stop him. Throw five men and one referee at him, however, and you have an entirely different story. Call it another lesson learned in the life of a 24-year-old kid. He didn't have a bad game yesterday, mind you, but it wasn't exactly a Paul Pierce game, either. The numbers were the only proof you needed."

A Tin Man Where Kings' Heart Should Be
Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times
Will Webber's All-Around Game Add Up To Be Enough?
Michael Wilbon / Washington Post
Triple-Double Half the Story
Mike Lupica / New York Daily News
Pierce learns his lesson the hard way
Dave D'Alessandro / Newark Star-Ledger




Peep Show

Lakers: Shaquille O'Neal gradually is regaining his strength and his aggressiveness, and Robert Horry said the reason is simple. "I think he can see the light at the end of the tunnel," he told the L.A. Daily News. "I think he knows that we're close to going back to the Finals, and he's doing something that a lot of players don't get a chance to do. If he can get back to the Finals and win this Finals, he's going to be really put up there as an elite player. Especially with all the trouble he had this year with feet, toes, ankles, shoes, finger. They're going to say he overcame all this adversity to get back."

Clippers: Rumors continue to swirl that the team is looking at trading troubled forward Lamar Odom this summer. GM Elgin Baylor didn't exactly close the door. "We don't want to trade Lamar," Gentry told the OC Register. "But you always have to listen to teams when they ask you about players."

Heat, Grizzlies: Another rumor flying around the league right now has Jerry West making a play for one of his favorite Lakers -- Eddie Jones. According to the report in the Chicago Tribune Sunday, the Grizzlies might be willing to offer Stromile Swift and Michael Dickerson in return. West denied the report. "That's false," West told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "I haven't talked to Miami at all."

Wizards, Bulls: Is Michael Jordan trying to push free agents away from the Bulls? Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey thinks it's time for free agents to quit dissing the Bulls just because GM Jerry Krause broke up the team. "Jordan's reach is long and far, and it has been clear that he has steered players away from Chicago since his retirement. But sometimes I wonder if free agents now avoid the Bulls simply because they think that's what they're supposed to do. Be like Mike, and all that."

Hornets: The city of Charlotte, apparently, might not be without a team for long. If the city can get its act together and build a new arena, it could have an expansion team before long -- perhaps one owned by Celtics legend Larry Bird and M. L. Carr. "We did get a letter that they would very much like to have a team," Stern told NBC's Ahmad Rashad during a broadcast Sunday. "M.L. said that he was going to be in Charlotte this summer working very hard on that." The city's main opposition will likely come from Mexico City. "There really is no magic about an even number," he said. "There is some possibility that we will go to 30 teams. Maybe in Mexico City or maybe a return to Charlotte."

George feels added pressure
Howard Beck / Los Angeles Daily News
Lottery helps Clippers
Art Thompson III / Orange County Register
For Heat, 'this is not our kind of party'
Israel Gutierrez / Palm Beach Post
MJ's trash talk keeps veterans away from Bulls
Rick Morrissey / Chicago Tribune
Stern: Bird interested in Charlotte team
Leonard Laye / Charlotte Observer