Weekly Essentials: Curry growing up for Bulls
Dec. 20, 2004
By Tony Mejia
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
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The Chicago Bulls have won five of their past seven, and there is a chief reason for it. Yes, rookies Luol Deng and Ben Gordon are more effective, but that's not it. Second-year point guard Kirk Hinrich is more at ease and has produced some fabulous efforts, but he hasn't been the key either.

To succeed the way Chicago is succeeding, beating the likes of Cleveland and Minnesota by double-figures, you need a big man.

Eddy Curry has become older, wiser, and appears to have finally decided to come into his own. Upset about playing just 13 minutes on Dec. 6, his first game after turning 22, he's forcing his game to mature. He sat and watched most of a 91-75 home loss to San Antonio, and has made himself invaluable to Scott Skiles since.

After Saturday night's season-high 23-point outing against Indiana, Curry is shooting 60 percent from the field (52-for-87) over the past seven games, averaging 18 points and seven rebounds, and, most important, giving the Bulls a presence inside that allows everyone else to get their game going.

No one has ever doubted Curry's ability. It has been his desire to succeed and consistency that have been called into question. If the corner is indeed being turned, Chicago should re-emerge as a playoff team in the weak Eastern Conference.

Given his short history, Curry still has to prove that this isn't just another brief flash of potential. The proving ground continues this week, and it's a difficult one. Shot-blocking specialist Theo Ratliff is the adversary Monday, and he's the easier of Curry's tasks; a visit to Detroit for a meeting with Ben Wallace is on tap Wednesday.


http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/8019325

YET...

Chris Wilcox has been demoted again in Clipper land, the latest stage of a freefall that has sabotaged a once promising breakout campaign. Mike Dunleavy is now playing him sparingly, if at all, as the team's third center behind Chris Kaman and Mikki Moore.

When Kaman was injured before the season opener, Wilcox was inserted at center and flourished, scoring in double figures in nine of the first 10 games. His touches diminished in late November as Bobby Simmons asserted himself and Kaman returned, and he went into the tank shortly thereafter, openly sulking on the court. He no longer crashed the boards with the same veracity, and his energy only seemed to surface on the rare occasion he got to throw one down.

The Clips are 0-4 since Dunleavy removed him from the lineup, a sign the team clearly needs him to reassert himself. In Elton Brand, Wilcox and Kaman, Los Angeles has a ready-made post rotation of lottery picks that must be forced to blend together. ...



[Edited by - raven on 12/21/2004 03:54:15]

the one guy that I really want to see in N.Y. is Brandon Haywood. He has worked with Ewing, Jordan, and Oakley, now he is playing like a real Center. If the Wiz decides to retain Kwame, they will have to move Haywood and Jerred Jefferies. Those two should be pursued by the Knicks because they both bring the defensive presence that we need. Jerred is as big as TT, but he is a beast with excellent touches, handles, etc.

Posted by crzymdups:

if the Knicks could get Wilcox for say, Sweetney and a pick...DO IT.

Marbs
Craw
TT (ugh, but Ariza soon)
Wilcox
Nazr

NO!

I would do KT and a second rounder for Wilcox, but not Sweets.