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On the block Kobe may get his wish sooner rather than later
Updated: Friday April 06, 2001 8:21 AM
The more we hear out of Los Angeles, the more it looks as if Kobe Bryant will be traded. It's a shame the Lakers' star players can't coexist, but it's becoming clear that one of them will have to go. The team will definitely keep Shaquille O'Neal, because of his size, and they'll get some great offers for Kobe, one of which they'll probably take. The latest incident in the Lakers' soap opera involves excerpts from head coach Phil Jackson's new book. Kobe can't be happy with the statements made there; they open old wounds and appear to single him out in regard to the team's problems. Jackson is a good motivator, but the book looks to have gone beyond motivation, and Kobe may not be able to handle that kind of public criticism from his coach. If the Lakers get it together and win the championship, that certainly would change things. But, right now, that's a long shot.
Nellie could be messing with successWang Zhizhi, the first Asian player in the NBA, was expected to make his debut Thursday, but the Mavs are playing so well lately that it's surprising Don Nelson is going to try to incorporate him into the lineup. Dallas just won four out of five in the toughest stretch imaginable to clinch its first playoff spot in 11 years, so working him in now seems a little risky.
The driving factor for the Mavs' coaching staff is that they want to get a good look at Wang before he goes back to China in the summer and doesn't return until December. Because he won't be at training camp next season, it's their only chance to see how good he is. An argument could be made that a 7-foot-1 player who can shoot is worth taking a few risks.
New rules could do more harm than goodTeams are scheduled to vote on the new rules April 12, and it's a good bet they'll pass easily. When the commissioner wants something, it goes. Unfortunately, these changes aren't going to help scoring at all; in fact, they'll probably make things worse. It's a major, major mistake to allow zones to be played. The league is centered around great athletes who like to take it to the basket; there aren't many good outside shooters. The new rules are ignoring that fact completely, and we could see games in the 50s, which isn't going to do anybody any good. The impetus for the changes is a concern about isolation plays, probably because David Stern is in New York and he watches the Knicks, who have gone totally into a one-on-one offense. League officials might not see the Kings or Mavericks very often. San Antonio's Twin Towers provide a good example of what these proposals could bring. Tim Duncan and David Robinson are tough enough to score on as it is. With the new rules, one of them will be in the lane all the time. The three-second defensive lane rule is supposed to prohibit that, but a defender can stay in the lane if his man is close by, within arm's length or whatever they decide the guideline should be. They're trying to eliminate the isolation plays and force teams to run, but these rules will turn the game into a jump-shooting contest, and there aren't enough pure shooters in the league to support that. This may not be pretty.
Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN's This Week in the NBA.
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