Hardaway, Laettner start anew as Strickland stews

Sporting News, The, March 11, 1996 by Shaun Powell

The problem with Rod Strickland is that he was a few days late.

He didn't build momentum before he blasted Blazers Coach P.J. Carlesimo and the franchise. He walked out of practice the day before the trade deadline, not the week before.

He didn't copy Tim Hardaway and Christian Laettner, and now he's being penalized for it. Strickland is on indefinite suspension and even worse, still a Blazer.

Hardaway and Laettner gave a course on How To Get Traded, and that's why both are better off today. Hardaway is away from the madness in Golden State and is auditioning for a future in Miami. Laettner is now a Hawk and loves his coach for the first time since leaving Duke.

OK, all you disgruntled athletes. File this one away for next year's trading deadline. Here's how to get traded -- and how not to be traded -- in today's NBA.

The Hardaway Method: Hardaway's campaign started December 12, when he was benched by Warriors Coach Rick Adelman in favor of B.J. Armstrong, who didn't exactly wrestle the job away from Hardaway. Adelman thought the offense would run smoother under Armstrong. What Adelman didn't anticipate was that his relationship with Hardaway would get rockier.

Hardaway rebelled. He cursed assistant Rod Higgins, who was once Hardaway's best buddy, and took a swing at Higgins. He sulked on the bench. He told the team back in January that he wanted to be traded. The front office had no intentions of signing Hardaway, a free agent this summer, for next season. But they figured keeping him this season was worth it, because the team could use his $3.6 million salary to spend in the free-agent shopping spree. That is, until Hardaway committed a pair of flagrant acts.

First, he re-ignited a feud with a spirited exchange February 14 with teammate Latrell Sprewell in a game against the Celtics, and the two had to be separated. That helped Hardaway's cause, because the team wants to resign Sprewell and wants him as happy as possible. Then, three days before the deadline, he refused to enter a game against the Mavericks, called Adelman "a liar" and said their relationship had turned personal.

Presto -- Hardaway to Miami.

The Laettner Plan: Laettner demonstrated good behavior through much of this season, quite a contrast from the past when his pouts became the signature with the Timberwolves.

The difference this time is that Laettner picked the wrong -- make that the right -- target. Before, he confined his outbursts to Minnesota coaches who were headed out the door anyway and a few teammates. A week before the deadline, Laettner had stern words for rookie Kevin Garnett.

"I told him that you don't mess with The Franchise in the paper," guard Terry Porter says.

Laettner's famous last words: "Kevin, how come when you say something I have to listen, but when I say something, you've got an answer?"

Wolves G.M. Kevin McHale wanted the team this season to be more ferocious on the court, not to each other, and Laettner gave him a reason to take action.

Presto--Laettner to Atlanta.

The Strickland Struggle: After his dislike for Carlesimo became public late in '94-95, Strickland decided to take a professional approach. When the season began, Strickland played the good soldier. He kept his mouth shut. He came late to a few practices but accepted the fines. He still had no use for Carlesimo and wanted out, but kept those feelings in-house and internal.

Yet the Blazers refused all trade requests for Strickland, which caused him to erupt.

His timing was off, however. Strickland blew out of practice 24 hours before the deadline and when he brushed past a Portland reporter, he asked: "Any trade rumors? Me for (Isaiah) Rider? They'd better get rid of me. I'm getting out of here one way or another. I'm sick of this crap."

That was the last anyone saw of Strickland.

Epilogue: Hardaway produced a pair of 20-point games during his first week with the Heat and drew the praise of Coach Pat Riley. "He was an All-Star a few years ago," Riley reminded everyone.

There's a decent chance Hardaway could stay in Miami, provided Riley is unable to sign the point guard he really wants, free agent Gary Payton.

Laettner loves the different atmosphere with the Hawks. "I've been on so many losing teams in Minnesota," he says, "that I don't even know how to say `above .500.' "

Laettner is also grateful for the opportunity to play for Lenny Wilkens. "I had four different coaches at Minnesota," Laettner says. "Not one of them had been a head coach before, and none of them will be one again."

Strickland? As the week began, he was still AWOL and AWOP -- Away Without Pay.

Whew!

The old saying about the best trades being the ones you don't make applies to the Rockets this season. They tried to dump Kenny Smith before last month's trading deadline and are now glad they didn't.

Smith lost his starting job to CBA guard Eldridge Recasner and regressed to the Rockets' 12th man. But with Clyde Drexler lost for six weeks following knee surgery and Mario Elie out at least another week, Smith is back in the rotation and the Rockets discovered he still has value.