theMUHMEshow
12-24-2005, 09:44 PM
SPECIAL WEEKEND EDITION
Stein's holiday wish list
Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein supplies each item for this weekly around-the-league notebook edition of the Dime.
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Christmas Day question: What do you get the teams that have everything?
Answer: Detroit and San Antonio don't actually have everything, so it's a misleading question.
Something they won't have this Christmas, yet again, is the spotlight. Perhaps it shouldn't be terribly surprising by now, given how their shared lack of glamour so frequently denies them top billing, but it has to be somewhat disheartening to the NBA Finals rivals that their first rematch since going seven games in June doesn't seem to be generating much anticipation. It has to be somewhat surprising, too, after these teams spent the first two months of the season separating themselves from The Other Twenty-Eight.
You keep hearing that the public supposedly misses the days when team ball was emphasized over individual brilliance, and Spurs at Pistons is definitely the game I want to watch most Sunday, but my preference appears to be a minority view. Which got my editors thinking that someone -- me -- should send the league's most team-oriented teams a few gifts, just to remind the Pistons and Spurs that they aren't forgotten during this blizzard of Phil vs. Riles/Kobe vs. Shaq hoopla.
Some ideas that came to mind:
For Tim Duncan: No more than one Stein Line mention of the fact that, after shooting 78 percent from the line in November, he's down to 58.6 percent in December.
For Ben Wallace: A snazzy case to protect those funky red goggles, if he's not going to wear them again.
For Rasheed Wallace: A reminder typed in big print and taped to his locker that the league is charging more than ever for technical fouls. A new policy instituted this season stipulates that the first five technical fouls cost $1,000 each. The next five cost $1,500 each, and then $2,000 each for Nos. 11-15. After 15 technicals, each T costs $2,500 -- with one-game suspensions issued for every other technical. With 'Sheed at five Ts through 23 games and thus on pace for 18, that would add up to a total of $30,000 in fines ... but also two one-game suspensions that would cost him (yikes) $186,545.45 in salary.
For Manu Ginobili: Besides some long-awaited good health, how 'bout a one-night jersey swap with the Spurs' famed Coyote mascot ... so Manu gets a chance to wear the exclamation point.
For Chauncey Billups: Not just a first-time spot on the East's All-Star team, but a starting spot.
For Tony Parker: Maybe not a starting spot in the West, but definitely a maiden spot on the bench.
For Rip Hamilton: Yes, an All-Star berth for you, too.
For Bruce Bowen: Some serious Defensive Player of the Year consideration would be nice, but a full-fledged jersey retirement ceremony at Cal State Fullerton -- and induction into every Hall of Fame we have at Titan Tech -- is a must.
For Gregg Popovich: A foot doctor convincing enough to assure him that the ailments hobbling Duncan and Ginobili aren't serious.
For Flip Saunders: An iPod pre-loaded with that Li'l Flip song and the unmistakable "Game over, Flip, Flip, Flip" chorus.
For Robert Horry: An official name change to Big Shot Rob, so nobody messes it up in the playoffs next time. (No, it was never Big Shot Bob.)
For Darko Milicic: A B-12 shot ... with a Starbucks gift card ... and any other legal stimulants. Whatever it takes to wake Darko up, get him moving with some urgency and give Joe Dumars a reason not to start seriously thinking about trading him for the bench help Detroit can obviously use. Larry Brown's departure was supposed to be Christmas in July for Darko.
For Rasho Nesterovic: An opportunity to pick his ESPN channel, come on and fire back at Stephen A.
For both teams: A later tipoff time than 12:30 p.m. The NBA owns Christmas Day. Make the gridiron guys play early and let the true entertainers have the night slots.
Stein's holiday wish list
Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein supplies each item for this weekly around-the-league notebook edition of the Dime.
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Christmas Day question: What do you get the teams that have everything?
Answer: Detroit and San Antonio don't actually have everything, so it's a misleading question.
Something they won't have this Christmas, yet again, is the spotlight. Perhaps it shouldn't be terribly surprising by now, given how their shared lack of glamour so frequently denies them top billing, but it has to be somewhat disheartening to the NBA Finals rivals that their first rematch since going seven games in June doesn't seem to be generating much anticipation. It has to be somewhat surprising, too, after these teams spent the first two months of the season separating themselves from The Other Twenty-Eight.
You keep hearing that the public supposedly misses the days when team ball was emphasized over individual brilliance, and Spurs at Pistons is definitely the game I want to watch most Sunday, but my preference appears to be a minority view. Which got my editors thinking that someone -- me -- should send the league's most team-oriented teams a few gifts, just to remind the Pistons and Spurs that they aren't forgotten during this blizzard of Phil vs. Riles/Kobe vs. Shaq hoopla.
Some ideas that came to mind:
For Tim Duncan: No more than one Stein Line mention of the fact that, after shooting 78 percent from the line in November, he's down to 58.6 percent in December.
For Ben Wallace: A snazzy case to protect those funky red goggles, if he's not going to wear them again.
For Rasheed Wallace: A reminder typed in big print and taped to his locker that the league is charging more than ever for technical fouls. A new policy instituted this season stipulates that the first five technical fouls cost $1,000 each. The next five cost $1,500 each, and then $2,000 each for Nos. 11-15. After 15 technicals, each T costs $2,500 -- with one-game suspensions issued for every other technical. With 'Sheed at five Ts through 23 games and thus on pace for 18, that would add up to a total of $30,000 in fines ... but also two one-game suspensions that would cost him (yikes) $186,545.45 in salary.
For Manu Ginobili: Besides some long-awaited good health, how 'bout a one-night jersey swap with the Spurs' famed Coyote mascot ... so Manu gets a chance to wear the exclamation point.
For Chauncey Billups: Not just a first-time spot on the East's All-Star team, but a starting spot.
For Tony Parker: Maybe not a starting spot in the West, but definitely a maiden spot on the bench.
For Rip Hamilton: Yes, an All-Star berth for you, too.
For Bruce Bowen: Some serious Defensive Player of the Year consideration would be nice, but a full-fledged jersey retirement ceremony at Cal State Fullerton -- and induction into every Hall of Fame we have at Titan Tech -- is a must.
For Gregg Popovich: A foot doctor convincing enough to assure him that the ailments hobbling Duncan and Ginobili aren't serious.
For Flip Saunders: An iPod pre-loaded with that Li'l Flip song and the unmistakable "Game over, Flip, Flip, Flip" chorus.
For Robert Horry: An official name change to Big Shot Rob, so nobody messes it up in the playoffs next time. (No, it was never Big Shot Bob.)
For Darko Milicic: A B-12 shot ... with a Starbucks gift card ... and any other legal stimulants. Whatever it takes to wake Darko up, get him moving with some urgency and give Joe Dumars a reason not to start seriously thinking about trading him for the bench help Detroit can obviously use. Larry Brown's departure was supposed to be Christmas in July for Darko.
For Rasho Nesterovic: An opportunity to pick his ESPN channel, come on and fire back at Stephen A.
For both teams: A later tipoff time than 12:30 p.m. The NBA owns Christmas Day. Make the gridiron guys play early and let the true entertainers have the night slots.