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發表於 2005-12-23 15:52:04
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Wally-for-Artest trade could mean playoff run
Ron Artest's attempt to make amends with the Pacers has failed. Donnie Walsh, Indiana's CEO, has insisted the Pacers will not take Artest off the inactive list as they attempt to trade him.
The Timberwolves' Wally Szczerbiak ended his shooting slump a month ago. He has played his best basketball in the four years since his All-Star appearance. If there was ever a chance for Szczerbiak to be coveted by a team such as the Pacers, now would be the time.
Andrew Hjelmeland Sr. of Plymouth was in the stands 45 minutes before Wednesday's tipoff against New Orleans. Would you make the deal -- Szczerbiak, 28, and offensively talented, for Artest, 26, and among the best two-way players in the world?
"Not in this town," Hjelmeland said. "We have enough jerks in this town already."
Andrew Jr., a 30-something fan, said: "It's not a question of skill with Artest, but how could you touch that attitude?
And how could you get rid of Wally? He's a great guy and he's playing very well."
Jim Waters of Bloomington was in Target Center with his wife and two young children.
"Of course, I'd make that trade," Waters said. "Artest might get thrown out of the league, but we're trading Wally, so who cares? Wally's OK, until you want him to guard somebody, and then he has two left feet."
Liz Heim, in her 20s from Wayzata, was wearing a Kevin Garnett jersey. Wally for Artest?
"No," said Heim, with enthusiasm. "I like Wally as a player, but it's more what I don't like about Ron Artest."
The Timberwolves have been extra bold only once in the 11 seasons that Kevin McHale has run the basketball operation for owner Glen Taylor. That was before the 2003-04 season, when they needed an incentive for ticket sales and for Kevin Garnett to sign a contract extension.
They brought in Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, talented, controversial veterans, and reached the Western Conference finals.
This was followed by a season of chaos -- so much so Taylor would declare the Cassell-Sprewell acquisitions to have been a "failed experiment."
It's now a season later, Cassell and Sprewell are gone, and the Wolves are more of a team than in 2004-05. Yet, it's a very limited bunch, and there is no excitement among the ticket-buying public.
Szczerbiak is giving everything he has, and it's not enough to get the Wolves hovering much above the .500 mark.
Artest is beyond erratic as a personality, but he's also one of the 10 best all-around players in the NBA. Put him with Garnett and that would give the Wolves two of the top 10.
Garnett and Artest would play off one another brilliantly. They would create the possibility of a playoff run next spring in a much-weakened Western Conference.
Artest also would create the possibility of a complete implosion. He could elect to practice once and decide he again preferred to be a rap singer. He could punch an opponent and face a career-destroying suspension from David Stern, the NBA's autocrat.
The Wolves also would be creating the chance for Garnett and Artest to join forces and provide the best-ever basketball seen in Target Center from the home team.
Knowing the salary difference (Artest, $6.5 million; Szczerbiak, $10 million) would require taking on a piece of Indiana's dead wood, and Artest would need a big extension to kick in after the 2008 season in order to have any chance to remain content and productive ... what would you do?
If I was Taylor, I would take a look at a team destined to remain slightly above average, and take a look at all those empty seats, and tell McHale to take his shot at Artest, even if it would cost Szczerbiak.
It would be the gamble of gambles, but it would provide a base of talent and a level of conversation that would be unmatched for this franchise.
The odds are probably above 50 percent the gamble would fail, but the odds are close to 100 percent that the Wolves as currently constituted will be a non-factor in the playoffs and maintain their lowly status with Twin Cities sports consumers.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/508/5796185.html
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發表於 2005-12-23 14:17:57
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發表於 2005-12-23 20:20:12
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