Content provided in partnership with

An age minimum will have a maximum benefit: David Stern's age-minimum dream is almost a reality, and the result will boost the NBA. But if you're a fan of college hoops, this plan could be a nightmare

Sporting News, The, April 15, 2005 by Sean Deveney

<< Page 1 Continued from page 1. Previous | Next

No Dominique Wilkins in the Hall of Fame? OK, so he was mostly a dunker and never won a championship. But he also was one of the most exciting and explosive scorers in league history, and if you have to be "just a dunker," then you would want to be Wilkins.

With nine in-season coaching changes already, here's hoping 76ers coach Jim O'Brien does not become No. 10. O'Brien was put in a difficult position when the team added an out-of-shape Chris Webber at the end of February. Just when O'Brien had made some adjustments to get Webber more involved, Webber injured his shoulder.

INSIDE DISH

Most Popular Articles in Sports: The first family: Archie, Peyton and Eli are incredibly famous, immensely ...; The growing gap: driving distances are skyrocketing on the PGA Tour. So why ...; Which pistol caliber for self defense? Four different people come to four ...; Drag racing - National Hot Rod Association; The world's most popular .22: the Marlin Model 60 just keeps on ticking; More »

Give credit to Bulls vice president John Paxson, and not just for his wildly successful draft last year, which netted G Ben Gordon, SF Luol Deng and PG Chris Duhon. Paxson also played the trade market well, foisting defenseless SG Jamal Crawford and overpaid F Jerome Williams on the Knicks and adding veterans PF Othella Harrington and SG Eric Piatkowski. The Bulls suffered a scare last week when C Eddy Curry began experiencing an irregular heartbeat. Harrington has filled in nicely, averaging 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in Curry's first three games out. Depth has been a strength for the Bulls, who have eight players averaging at least 24 minutes and only one (G Kirk Hinrich) who averages more than 30 minutes. * Another invaluable Bulls big man is F/C Antonio Davis, whose status as the team's veteran leader got a boost when he defended Hinrich in a preseason fight with the Wizards. Davis was not getting many minutes from coach Scott Skiles early in the season and quietly complained about it--it would be difficult to lead, he figured, if he did not have the credibility that comes with playing time. Skiles got the message, and Davis has become a regular. * Since returning from his persistent right hamstring injury, Timberwolves PG Sam Cassell has proved to be a valuable asset--off the bench. Cassell backed up PG Troy Hudson on March 20 and shot 7-for-9, leading the Timberwolves to a win over the Rockets. Since then, coach Kevin McHale has used Cassell off the bench, with good results. The Timberwolves won five of their first six games with Hudson starting ahead of Cassell. * The Nuggets' uptempo pace is a nice fit for F Eduardo Najera, acquired in a February trading-deadline deal. Najera has been piling up the minutes lately and has hit it off with the team's conditioning crew. Folks in Denver say he has lost as much as 15 pounds since the trade. * The offseason priority in Milwaukee, obviously, is to keep free-agent SG Michael Redd. But the No. 2 goal will be to address the team's porous interior defense. PF Joe Smith provides a nice offensive option, and C Dan Gadzuric plays welt in stretches, but neither has been tough or consistent enough to warrant a starting spot next season. * Of all the injuries suffered by the Pacers this season, the one to PG Jamaal Tinsley's left foot is the most disturbing; it has been around the longest and remains a mystery. Tinsley's left ankle was sore for much of last season and led to pain in his hamstring. When the playoffs came, he was noticeably limping. The same problem is plaguing him now, and he spent part of last week in New York trying to figure out what is wrong. The Pacers do not expect Tinsley back at full strength this season but want to figure out whether he can get back to normal for next season. * A big guy for NBA draftniks to keep an eye on is 7-1 Chicago State sophomore Deji Akindele, the Mid-Continent defensive player of the year. He has been working out at Chicago's Hoops the Gym with Michael Jordan's former trainer, Tim Grover. Word is, Akindeie has been impressive. He is very raw but has an NBA body and might be inclined to enter the draft because of the lack of big guys in this year's group.

An age minimum will have a maximum benefit: David Stern's age-minimum dream is almost a reality, and the result will boost the NBA. But if you're a fan of college hoops, this plan could be a nightmare

Sporting News, The, April 15, 2005 by Sean Deveney

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Autos

Most Popular Articles in Sports

Most Popular Publications in Sports