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| | Wednesday, August 2 One thing's for sure, players aren't dummies | |||||
| ESPN.com When we spoke to ESPN.com's Jeffrey Denberg about his thoughts on the Bulls and why Jerry Krause was having so many problems signing one of the top free agents, he had a strong opinion. After checking out nearly 1,000 of your e-mails on Denberg's controversial topic, it's clear ESPN.com users had strong opinions as well. We thank you for your comments. Here are some of the best ones.
Tim Cox Rolla, Mo. If Jerry Krause is going to treat his meal tickets (Jordan and Pippen, not to mention Phil Jackson) the way he did, who is to say things won't be worse for players like Eddie Jones, Tracy McGrady or Grant Hill? Krause chose to dismantle a team with negligible weaknesses just to prove to the basketball world he was the person responsible for all those banners. How wrong he was. Granted he played a part, but he let his ego get in the way and ruined a good thing. Who would want to work for a guy like that? Personally, I would rather be paid less to be happy and working with people I like and respect than to be paid more and be in a miserable situation. Leif Kemp Mission Viejo, Calif. Jeffrey Denberg has hit right on the nose. These guys don't want the responsibility of living up to the Jordan/Pippen legacy. Let's find someone who wants the challenge and who thinks they can be as good, not someone who wants to go home to play. That's what Christmas is for. Let's wait for a man who says I want to be challenged. And what greater challenge then to try and be the next Michael Jordan. The man that can say that is the kind of ball player Chicago should wait for. For the time being, let's let the young guys mature. They are a great core of young talented players with a great work ethic. Jim Langen Chicago I think this article hits it on the spot. I know it might sound bias, being from Chicago, but players don't like a challenge. Today's athletes are spoiled babies just in it for the money, not to win. When the good teams of the past lost, they worked harder during the offseason to get better. Now, no one does. What rising star has been in the gym to get better than they already are? No one adds things to their game. Jordan added a new piece to his game every year, that is why he was three steps ahead of the league. He always was trying to get better. There is no better way to improve than to go to a young team, with a good nucleus in a city with six out of 10 championships. Players like Hill don't improve their game, that's why they won't win championships. Duncan, well it is a good idea for him to stay in San Antonio, but Hill, Jones and McGrady all missed the boat. Maybe they will buy boats to sail in the ocean, but my advice to them, Lake Michigan is safer. Greg Chicago NBA players aren't holding a grudge due to treatment of Jordan/Pippen. You're right, they are too selfish for that. But they did see how Jordan/Pippen were treated, and are steering clear, in part, to protect themselves. The fact that sooner or later a high-priced free agent will accept money from Chicago does not discount the fact that many have rejected because of Chicago ownership/management. Adam Andreassen Harker Heights, Texas I cannot understand for the life of me why Jeffrey Denberg is lashing out at NBA free agents for not signing with the Bulls. This is not about "guts," this is about people using their heads and their hearts to decide what's best for them. The age-old question goes: "When you back down from something, are you being smart or chicken?" I believe guys like Duncan, Hill, Jones and McGrady have given themselves – and us – the correct answer. Here's another question: Why make a wild gamble (play for the Bulls) when you can go with a safer bet (play for the Magic, Spurs, or Heat)? Ez Hsiang Riverhead, N.Y. Mr. Denberg: You're kidding yourself if you think that there isn't some sort of hostility towards Jerry Krause's handling of the Jordan-led dynasty at the end of '98. I will grant you that today's players (along with their agents) don't much care about anything but the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but to believe that these same players don't have "the guts" to go to a team like Chicago is ridiculous. Do you think Grant Hill or Tracy McGrady went to a championship-caliber team in Orlando? Not even close. It certainly took guts, wouldn't you say, for Grant Hill to leave the stability and security of home for a team that, in its failure to land Tim Duncan, isn't really that much better off than it was in Penny Hardaway's last season. C'mon Mr. Denberg, the cynicism is pretty gutless. Anyone that goes to Chicago not named Tim Duncan wasn't winning a championship with Elton Brand, Marcus Fizer (who doesn't even belong there), Ron Artest and the rest of that bunch. It takes guts to turn down Krause's pot of gold, especially when you're a guy like Tim Thomas. He chose to take less money to come off the bench for a pretty mediocre team. Guts indeed. Get a clue. Oh, I forgot, you're from Atlanta, home of John Rocker, Ted Turner and the Atlanta Hawks. There's no clue to be had. Maurice Recanati New York I think Jeffrey is a little off base here. You can't blame a guy for wanting to be on a contender, especially a player who has been in the league for a while. You can't say that Grant Hill came to Orlando because we are a contender. We did worse than his team last year. The thing that we do have is an organization that loves its players and treats them right. We have Doc Rivers, who is a player's coach and will bring the best out of the superstars, just as he did out of the Heart and Hustle group. We have great fans. Why didn't Hill or McGrady or anyone else go to Chicago? Because they have no one. Their coach doesn't have any playing experience, so he can't relate to the players as well. Jerry Krause did mistreat Michael and Scottie and I am sure that has something to do with it. Who wants to go to a team where they won't be treated well?
I don't look for Chicago to have any better luck next year either. The only way Chicago will get some quality free agents is if they treat the guys they have now like royalty and reward them for their hard work.
I totally agree with the argument presented in this article. We only have a few stars in the NBA who give a 110 percent each night, the rest are mostly pretenders looking for an easy way to earn millions. I stronly feel that Tim Floyd is a good coach and things will turn around in time for him and the Bulls. Numair Jan Chicago I think Denberg makes a couple of good points, however, I don't agree with his overall assessment that these players are not going to Chicago because they "don't have the guts to." I mean, who in their right mind would rather play with Elton Brand and Marcus Fizer as opposed to the likes of Zo and Grant Hill (in McGrady's situation)? They are getting the same amount of money, so its not like they took less, but rather got the same amount to go to a situation where they are more likely to win a title. And plus, Duncan is being loyal (great quality in a quality individual), and Jones, Hill, and McGrady are going to Florida, not exactly a bad place to be (especially for Jones and McGrady, who live there). Chicago was a nice backup to have, but I don't think that it got no one because the players were scared, but rather cause they just had better situations for the same amount of money to go to. Mark Shimizu Hermosa Beach, Calif. Denberg makes a lot of good points about why the top free-agents are avoiding Chicago. I am a T.V. sports director, a former college player at Illinois State and draft pick of the Houston Rockets (1975), so I have followed the league very closely. Denberg might be absolutely right. Guys are so image conscious. Very few will take a risk of any kind and, like he says, expose themselves as perhaps not being as good as they are suppose to be. I am not a big fan of Jerry Krause, but his money is good and the city is great for players who can really play. Rick Whitlow Jackson, Miss. This is the first article I have read in which the writer has had the insight to question an individual player's motivation. Chicago is a fantastic city with a great basketball organization – how else do you win six championships? Today's player isn't impressed, they are too concerned with their own image and with immediate gratification. The current Bulls just don't cater to these short-sighted needs. It's very popular (read: safe) for writers in Chicago to bash Krause. Kudos to Mr. Denberg who, unlike this year's crop of free agents, has the courage and the insight to look beyond the surface. John Arguello Chicago Jeffery Denberg's article is one of the dumbest things I ever read. Why is it so unbelievable that the NBA players wouldn't want to play for Chicago? They didn't go for the cash in Chicago, they went to places where they felt comfortable with the organization. It is common knowledge that Krause is a jerk. Tim Duncan already has one championship in San Antontio, so why is it unthinkable for him to return? Grant Hill chose not to go to Chiacgo because they don't have any team. If he wanted to keep losing, he would have stayed in Detroit. So, instead of going to Chicago and losing he picked Orlando, which has the coach of the year and a hungry organization. Real bad decision. I think ESPN should start taking donations so Jeffery Denberg can buy himself a clue! Lance Haynes East Newark, N.J. It is about time everybody stopped picking on Jerry Krause. I am one of the few people that defend him in the state of Illinois, and I believe that the fans should support the team, not the players who have left the team. MJ will always be an icon in Chicago, but he was just as selfish as the press makes Krause out to be. He wouldn't play for anyone but Phil Jackson, so he retired. I agree with the column, and I am looking forward to watching the Bulls build a strong team from the draft. If this year's crop turns out to be two-thirds as good as last year's, they will improve considerably as a team. What is amazing is that nobody is talking about the Bulls' second-round draft picks. They are all players who could contribute to this very young Bulls team. Anthony Gagliardi Bartlett, Ill. Amen, Mr. Denberg. I've been repeating this over and over for weeks. Chicago is a beautiful metropolitan city with so much to offer in terms of culture, night life, fan support and endorsements for its players. Hey, warm weather is nice, but you're on the road half the season and nobody says you have to stay where you play when it's over. But the players make the decisions they think are best at the time, regardless of how wrong they are. Michael McLaughlin New Haven, Conn. I take it that hack of a columnist Jeffrey Denberg is from Chicago. Look Jeffrey, buy a clue. It's the year 2000, and the last time I looked, free agents love to go for the money. Just look at John Wetteland, who gave up a chance for $40 million and the seat of honor on the best team of the 90's, to head for Texas oblivion, all for a little more jack. The reason players are not jumping on the Chicago bandwagon (a lot of these guys grew up as MJ fans and had No. 23 Bulls jerseys in their closets) is that since the breakup of the dynasty, the Bulls management has done nothing to convince anyone that they are serious about putting a contender together. Hey ESPN, its time to do that "Why hasn't Chicago Landed any Big Name Free Agents" poll. Then Mr. Denberg can learn what every sports fan in the country already knows: The ownership and management of the Bulls is a joke. Brian Levine Orlando, Fla. This article could not have said it any better. The supposed "star" athletes are really too afraid to go out and take on a challenge. Two examples: 1. Tracy McGrady has the potential to lead a team to greatness. Yet, he decides to be a member of the supporting cast behind Grant Hill. If he wanted to stay in a supporting role, why wouldn't he stay with Toronto and Vince Carter. There is a greater chance of winning there. 2. Tim Thomas had an OK year, and he was offered tons of money (more than he was worth) to prove his ability as a starter on the Bulls. Why on Earth would he make the decision to stay with the Bucks and be a sixth man? Yes, the Bucks should be a good team next year, but what is fun about being a 6th man when you can lead a team to victories. Granted, I am a Bulls fan and I have a bit of bias on this subject, but this is a trend through out professional sports that I am really disgusted by. Thank God for college football and basketball. That isn't going down the tubes ... yet! Jason Schretter Stamford, Conn. | ALSO SEE Offseason spotlight: Cleveland Cavaliers Offseason spotlight index | |||||
