NBA
Greg Sandoval
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 08, 2004; 3:00 p.m. ET
This afternoon, five Pacers were charged for fighting with fans at the end of a game against the Pistons last month. From the investigation of the Pacers-Pistons brawl, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, David Harrison and Anthony Johnson were all charged with one count of assault and battery and a fine of up to $500. Jermaine O'Neal was charged with two counts of assault and battery.
Also in NBA news, Jason Kidd led the Nets to an 88-86 victory over the Raptors and the Nuggets won a 115-102 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday.
What's the latest developments in the NBA? What teams are celebrating victories and others losses?
Post staff writer Greg Sandoval will be online Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m. ET to talk about the latest in the NBA season.
Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.
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Greg Sandoval: Welcome back to this chat. Let's get to it.
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Laurel, Md.:
Why are there two counts for O'Neal and one for Artest?
I'm guessing O'Neal got one count for fighting in the stands and a second one for fighting fans later on the court.
Does that mean Artest is charged for fighting only in the stands, and that his punching [edited] of that guy on the court is considered self-defense?
Greg Sandoval: Jermanine O'Neal is accused of punching Charlie Haddad on the floor and pushing a Palace employee on to a table.
Artest is accused of grabbing by the face and pushing a 26-year-old fan while in the stands. What is unclear is why Artest was not charged for hitting the fan who confronted him on the court. It's a reasonable guess that authorities deemed the blow self defense.
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Laurel, Md.:
Is the Pacer player who went into the stands as a peacemaker one of those charged?
If so, did he hit fans at ANY time and if so weren't they clearly in self-defense?
Greg Sandoval: If you're talking about Fred Jones, he wasn't just a peacemaker but a victim. The brother of Ben Wallace, the Detroit Pistons' forward, walloped three times in the back of the head.
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Adelphi, Md.:
Hi Greg,
Any insight into what the Wizards plan to do with Larry Hughes next year? He seems to be their best go-to guy, but he can probably only be 3rd on the salary-making list. They've also got to re-sign Kwame. A few years ago, I would have no faith that this could get done, but I do have faith in Grunfeld (If only the Redskins would get a competent GM).
Greg Sandoval: I've heard a lot of idle chat around the league that Hughes could be trade bait. Joining Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas, Hughes is a potent third scoring option and he's grabbing a load of steals.
If Wizards' GM Ernie Grunfeld ever does decide to trade him, he likely will get a lot in return.
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Washington, D.C.:
Can ESPN and their NBA "experts" stop talking about the Detroit debacle against Indiana? All I keep hearing is how their "experts" say the fans and the players should be ashamed of their acts. This incident happened over 3 weeks ago. Move on. I'm beginning to wonder if ESPN even cares about what happened, that they see this as a good ratings move for their network, which is downright sad.
Greg Sandoval: Some people are probably getting sick of the relentless video replay of the fight but when I go to MCI, it's all anyone wants to talk about. I predict that once the players' appeal is heard, the incident will fade away--unless it becomes an issue at the labor talks.
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Columbus, Ohio:
Watching Brad Miller begs the question: How did a player of his size and talents last all the way until the Second round of the NBA Draft? Chris Mihm, a comprable player goes 7 overall!?!?
Should Brad Miller be the focus of the King offense ahead of Chris Webber. Webber is playing better lately, but he seems to be emphasizing his high post game so much that his lost post game is nearly discarded. I don't understand why Webber wants to be Joe Smith and just be a tall guy that shoots jump shots. Are his knees still bad enough that he does not want to mix it up?
Greg Sandoval: Brad Miller is a fantastic player. But I'm not sure he's a better option than Chris Webber and you're forgetting about Peja Stojakovic. Webber and Peja are the first two scoring options. If you're just talking about who should be the go-to guy in the post, then Webber is still ahead of Miller.
Any more injuries to Webber and that could change. I know the Kings love Miller.
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Vienna, Va.:
What would the next legal step be for the Pacers players in being charged with assault and battery? How is the NBA weighing this. Will there be breaches of contracts?
Greg Sandoval: The only step left for the NBA regarding the criminal charges is that if they are found guilty, the players may face league-imposed suspensions. NBA rules require players convicted of a crime to sit out a number of games.
That means Artest could serve an additional suspension in addition to the 73 games he's required to miss already.
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Washington, D.C.:
Greg,
Are there any rumors about Miami looking to upgrade their roster with midseason trades? Or with Mailman Malone?
And, when will Kwame hit the court this year,
and will he be a starter when he's ready?
I think far too much attention has been given to the fight in Detriot already, and it devalues the sport to let the focus continue to be about off-court issues. That's why I led with my questions above.
Greg Sandoval: A healthy Karl Malone would be a great addition to any team. Heat president Pat Rily would probably like to add another big man and accurate three-point shooter.
It's obvious that even with Shaq and Dwyane Wade, the Heat are missing something.
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Washington, D.C.:
What is your assessment of the press conference on the charges?
Greg Sandoval: It might have been a little over the top in my opinion. The prosecutor, David Gorcyca that in terms of the seriousness of the charges involved, typically he wouldn't be involved in the case. One of his underlings would have handled it.
I think he could have made his points without the videoreplays and power-point presentation. That said, this was an enormous event in the sports world and I'm sure he wanted to be as thorough and lucid as he could be.
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Sterling, Va.:
Wait, what?! Hughes is trade bait?! He's arguably their MVP. Who would replace him, Jarvis Hayes? Hayes is good, but he doesn't play D the way Hughes does, nor is he as effective on the break. Arenas and Hughes are the best back-court tandem in the East right now. If Grunfeld trades Hughes for anything less than an all-star power-forward , then I'm convinced Wes Unseld is still running the team. Anything less than Shawn Marion or Amare Stoudmire or Zach Randolph, for Hughes and the Zards are getting ripped off.
Greg Sandoval: No, no, no. I didn't say that the Wizards are going to trade Larry Hughes. There's speculation around the league that he might be the oddman out if the Wizards could obtain a true point guard. Let's face it, Arenas is dominate player, sensational.But he's better suited for the shooting guard spot as his first instinct is to score.
But the Wizards are keeping pace with the conference's best teams so I doubt that the club is in a hurry to make any changes.
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Washington, DC:
What's your take on the Sprewell situation? Jump to conclusion or justified? I think the latter. What irked me was how his teammates had the nerve to say this has been a "tough" season for him when he brought everything on himself by making those dumb comments about feeding his family and not playing hard. It's mindboggling how clueless these guys are. What exactly did he think the response would be sympathy?
Greg Sandoval: You're right. His actions: invoking the name of his family to push the Timberwolves into paying him more is insulting and suggesting that he might give less than his all if they didn't pay him was worth a suspension.
Choosing now to curse a heckler, with the melee coverage in full swing and the NBA taking major public relations hits, is stupid. An ambassador of the game Sprewell is not.
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Richmond, Va.:
It seems that your "average American" has lost nearly all interest in the NBA. Do you think the NBA is on a slow death march in terms of interest, or can it make a meteoric, phoenix-like rise, ala the renaissance welcomed by Magic and Bird, and topped off by Jordan?
I mean, if it's weren't for the Wiz looking like a legit playoff team and the Pistons-Pacers fight, I don't think I would have even spent a minute thinking about the NBA so far this year, and compared to most I like the NBA!
Greg Sandoval: I don't know what the demographics are. I only know that the game is reeling after the Auburn Hills brawl, has few stars with the fan appeal of Bird or Magic or even Charles Barkley.
No one comes close to approaching the drawing power of Michael Jordan.
I think this is absolutely a turning point for the league and how they respond to this crisis may make or break them.
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Olney, Md.:
How good is LeBron James! This guy at 19 years of age is already a head and shoulders above everyone else in NBA except for a few. I see Magic and MJ rolled into one in this kid. He is special!
Greg Sandoval: Special is right. At last, someone with talent to match the hype. People are going to mention LeBron James when they mention the game's all-time greats. He hustles, has a nice medium-range jumper, drives to the hoop, passes and plays defense.
Once he starts knocking down his three-point shots, he's going to be impossible to defend. We can only wait to see if he emerges with the same kind of star potential and fan appeal as Michael Jordan.
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Fairfax, Va.:
Granted the NBA has a fair share of knuckleheads, prima donnas and out-of-touch-with-reality megalomaniacs, but the majority of players are relatively normal. Most are good guys, and truly want to win, and aren't whining about not having enough $$ to feed their family. How is the NBA going to convey this message so that they don't lose more fans?
Greg Sandoval: Good question. In truth, fans rarely learn see the personalities of the majority of players. Marquee players get most of the attention so fans judge the NBA via the game's stars.
A complete marketing rennovation of the league
s public image is probably needed. I'm talking wrecking ball here. They absolutely need to come up with compelling new storylines.
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Potomac Falls, Va.:
I am so thrilled that Grant Hill has had a successful comeback so far. I've followed his career even since I had the supreme honor of getting dunked on by him when we were both in high school. Is he experiencing any trouble with his ankle/foot/heel, or is he relatively pain and problem free at the moment?
Greg Sandoval: Grant Hill is quickly becoming the feel-good story of the NBA. He's somebody that, if he can stay healthy, could become one of the league's more watchable figures.
So far, no reports of any trouble for Hill's ankle. Keep your fingers crossed for him. He's known around the league as one of the most personable players. He's also missed out on what should have been some of his most productive years due the ankle injury.
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Herndon, Va.:
The NBA needs LeBron James to step up as the "voice of the NBA". Unfortunately for the NBA, but luckily for Cavs fans, it seems that King James is more intent on winning and developing as a player than he is marketing himself to (insert product placed soda here). Same with Dewayne Wade, Tim Duncan and Shawn Marion. The best players in the league don't have and/or don't want to cultivate the personalities to rejuvenate fan interest. And Kobe has totally isolated himself, as more people root against him than for him. The NBA needs to adopt what the NFL has done, and market The Jersey, and not The Player. Am I correct? Greg Sandoval: David Stern would probably disagree. By promoting its stars, the NBA built itself up from a barely watched regional spectacle to the behemoth sports league it is today. The league did it by showcasing the Magic Johnson's Larry Birds, Bill Russell's and Oscar Robertson's.
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Greg Sandoval: Well, that's it for another chat session. Sorry I couldn't get to more of your questions.
Try me next week at the same time. Thanks for logging on.
Greg
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