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Nalod
Posts: 71931
Alba Posts: 155
Joined: 12/24/2003
Member: #508
USA
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Pete got a good line to day. We talked the other day about the Clips letting many players go over the years. He touches on that.
KVH looking cool with the facial hair thing. Imagine KVH looking anything but a dork!
I wish him success. Decent dude.
Gazy is the new Jim Jackson. Let him play a one year contract at a time. Motivation. He got enough scratch to last a life time. Or two or three.
BAD ATTITUDE PAID OFF FOR THOMAS, SUNS
By PETER VECSEY
May 23, 2006 -- HOOP DU JOUR PHOENIX - If not for Tim Thomas' 3-point poison dart that forced overtime in Game 6 of the Suns-Lakers first-round matchup, Los Angeles would've commemorated its first Staples Center Hallway Series.
Starbucks already had committed to opening a franchise an equal distance between the Clippers and Lakers dressing rooms.
If not for Tim Thomas' Cool Hand Luke impersonation that left the Lakers paralyzed from then on, there's no doubt the Suns would be long dispersed and my Paper Clips would not have been here last night to settle these shenanigans once and for all.
Instead, in all probability, they would've been back in L.A. twitching for their next opponent to emerge, halfway horizontal, from the special showdown presented by the defending champion Spurs and the Mavericks, who discovered how much suffering it takes to steal that thorny crown. If not for Tim Thomas' early March arrival in the Valley, the Suns never would've been able to withstand the loss of Amare Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas, and Brian Grant to injuries.
The team's playoff stay of execution would've been brief and bloodless.
If not for the Knicks' decision to include Tim Thomas in a trade for Eddy Curry and the Bulls' decision to cut bait, Shawn Marion would've fouled out of the series two games ago in a futile effort to contain Elton Brand.
In his March 4 initiation into Mike D'Antoni's "intricate" spot up in the next available open space offensive system, Tim Thomas downed a point (20) a minute.
How long do you think it would've taken him to adjust to Larry Brown's methods of destruction in New York, and, by all means, factor in the fact he took (and flunked) the four-discredit course as a Sixer?
If not for Tim Thomas' freeloading at practice and his potentially bad influence on the more impressionable Babyback Bulls, it would've been up to Connie Hawkins to buy the Suns in the previous round.
If not for Tim Thomas' $14 million end-of-the-contract salary, Scott Skiles never would've tolerated such an unpardonable soft shoe routine to continue three games past training camp.
(Still, TNT's Doug Collins insists on insulting his audience's intelligence by claiming Tim Thomas was sent home due to too many young forwards and a shortage of minutes. I know Collins knows better. TNT's fountain of disinformation must be preparing to get back on the sidelines, in Sacramento, perhaps.)
How lucky was Tim Thomas to check into Hotel Nirvana?
Brown, Skiles and George Karl, another one of Tim Thomas' ex-coaches, demand players leave everything on the practice court. D'Antoni would rather his players conserve their energy and save their best effort for games that count in the record book.
I'm glad I asked.
If not for Jerry Reinsdorf's last minute change of heart, Tim Thomas would've been ineligible for a playoff roster by the time Chicago released him. I'm told the Bulls' managing partner was irate when his deactivated forward, living in the Philadelphia area, let it be known in local newspapers he was considering joining the 76ers or Nets after clearing waivers.
Reinsdorf wasn't about to do a favor for a team the Bulls might meet in the playoffs. If not for agent Arn Tellem's intervention and promise his client would go west, the Suns wouldn't have their savoir and the rising free agent wouldn't have back his career.
Imagine that, an agent whose word means something. Think the Nets could've used Tim Thomas against the Heat? That's what New Jersey gets for not arranging for Carlos Boozer and his wife to represent him.
By the way, how many playoff games must my Clips participate in before the multi-nitwork's talking headaches stumble onto a new storyline?
How often must we be subjected to the monotonous accounts and descriptions of the franchise's reconstruction into a creditable entity over the last two seasons, player by player by coach by free agent by trade by draft by matched offer sheet?
In fact, the upgrading began years earlier, when Orlando needed salary room for Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill and L.A. maneuvered to secure Corey Maggette, Darius Miles and Keyon Dooling.
How many times must we re-live the alleged sins of owner Donald Sterling and how he supposedly has converted from skinflint to serious investor?
Just once you'd think some venerated analyst or valued producer might've taken the time to list the players who vanished from Clipperdom for one reason or another. The crucial question: How many created a ripple of a difference by leaving the Clips or joining another outfit?
You might make a case for Lamar Odom, except, considering his shaky background, do you really blame management for not matching the Heat's $60M, six-year offer sheet, front-loaded to the gills?
Who else? Andre Miller, Danny Manning, Dominique Wilkins, Maurice Taylor, Darius Miles, Bobby Simmons? Yeah, their exodus was real taxing to recover from.
Earl Boykins? Maybe.
Quentin Richardson? Since agreeing to a $42M sign-and-trade with the Suns, the 6-6 guard with a full guarantee despite no back insurance, has enjoyed one very good year in Phoenix and one very bad year in New York. Yup, and my Paper Clips haven't been quite the same since his departure.
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5/23/2006 2:09 PM
