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Pacers seek status quo
Posted: Monday May 08, 2000 12:55 PM
Pacers GM Donnie Walsh apparently has seen enough. Before the season Walsh declined to offer contract extensions to any of his team's six free agents -- Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, Austin Croshere and Sam Perkins -- wanting to see how they performed through the 1999-00 season. Now Walsh says he intends to re-sign them all -- assuming he can reach contract terms. "We want to keep them together," Walsh told me last week at the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational, where he was busy trying to uncover the next Croshere. "They've all given us a great season up to this point." Given the relatively advanced ages of Miller (34), Jackson (35) and Smits (33), Walsh's strategy to keep the team together would be risky. If the Pacers cleared house (including Rose), they would wind up about $12 million under the salary cap -- giving them enough room to make a run at Tim Duncan or Grant Hill. Portsmouth sleepersThe Portsmouth tournament, now in its 48th year, always features some surprises, and this year was no exception. Mike Smith, an athletic 6'8" forward from Louisiana-Monroe, won MVP honors and had possibly the play of the tourney when he soared about a foot above the rim to slam home a dunk off a teammate's miss. "He's athletic, he runs the floor and he shot the ball well," Raptors director of basketball operations Bob Zuffelato says. "He could be a real sleeper." Other players who scouts say helped themselves at the tournament included Purdue forward Brian Cardinal, St. John's forward Lavor Postell, Samford forward Reed Rawlings and Colorado guard Jaquay Walls. Vince can't escape Michael's shadowAccording to USA Basketball officials, Raptors star Vince Carter hasn't called them to voice any displeasure about being issued the No. 9 jersey -- the same number Michael Jordan wore -- for the upcoming 2000 Games. Carter, who dislikes the constant comparisons to His Airness, was reportedly so uneasy about wearing the No. 9 that he was going to talk to Grant Hill (who was assigned Carter's regular No. 15) about trading jerseys. Even if Hill agreed, USA Basketball rep Craig Miller said marketing concerns might prevent the organization from allowing it. For example, some players have already been photographed for commercial purposes while wearing their official jerseys. For the record, Miller says Carter got the No. 9 jersey only after it had been previously assigned to Tom Gugliotta, whose injury opened the way for Carter to be selected to the team. The organization had no other choice, since Olympic rules only allow jersey numbers to run from No. 4 to No. 15. This week's awardsSurprise of the week: Wizards point guard Chris Whitney. Filling in for the injured Rod Strickland, Whitney had 18 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and six assists in a win Tuesday over the Nets, then contributed 19 points and seven assists in a win Saturday over the Hawks. Goat of the week: Blazers forward Rasheed Wallace. By getting called for two technical fouls -- and an automatic ejection -- in a win Monday over the Sonics, Wallace set an NBA record for most Ts in a season (34), held previously by Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman. Wallace added to the mark by drawing his 35th T in Thursday's 89-87 loss at Vancouver. Brick of the week: Sonics guard Gary Payton. In a rare defensive lapse, the Glove failed to rotate after double-teaming Rockets guard Steve Francis in the closing seconds of their game last Friday. While Payton froze near half court, the Rockets swung the ball to an open Walt Williams in the corner, who buried the game-winning three-pointer. Quote of the week: "We'll gain a game. We ain't losing." -- Knicks center Patrick Ewing , guaranteeing a victory before his team's game Sunday at Miami. It proved to be yet another erroneous prediction by Ewing. The Heat won 95-94 on guard Tim Hardaway' s three-point prayer at the horn. Sports Illustrated staff writer Marty Burns covers pro basketball for
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