Once, as the team bus passed the famous giant doughnut near Los Angeles International Airport, Michael Jordan couldn’t resist needling the general manager he nicknamed “Crumbs.” Jerry Krause ate sweets with such delight that particles sometimes fell down his shirt.
“Hey, Jerry,” Jordan called out, “there’s your doughnut.”
Teammates broke up over the image of Krause’s dream meal: a two-story doughnut.
Now Krause must feel like a kid in a very confusing and dangerous candy store. He has the fourth, seventh and 24th picks in a draft without a sure-fire star. Uh-oh: The best three players in last year’s draft (Elton Brand, Steve Francis, Lamar Odom) would go 1-2-3 in this one.
I know what I’d do. But as I wrote the day after the lottery, I fear what Krause will do: Take the 7-foot doughnut.
Taking Texas center Chris Mihm at No. 4 would be the most significant mistake of Krause’s career. Mihm has some sugary big-man skills that allowed him to put up decent college numbers. But he also has a two-story doughnut hole in his game–a lack of burning desire to win or improve. He’ll never be any more than a journeyman backup center.
After all the early hullabaloo about Mihm going No. 1 to New Jersey, the Nets wised up. So did the Grizzlies at No. 2 and the Clippers at 3. The first three picks almost certainly will be Kenyon Martin, Stromile Swift and Marcus Fizer. If Krause could resist picking Mihm at 4, he almost certainly could lessen his mistake by getting him at 7.
I prefer center Joel Przybilla at 7 because he has much better shot-blocking spring than Mihm and he has a fearless bad-boy streak that should serve him well in the NBA’s paint. But Przybilla doesn’t fit Krause’s mold. Neither does super-cool high-school dominator Darius Miles. Krause has a sweet tooth for bright, polite young men from good families who kiss up to him and become surrogate sons. Krause has fallen head-over-donuts for doctor’s son Mihm.
Portland has shopped 6-11 Jermaine O’Neal, who might be available for the fourth pick. But O’Neal, who skipped college and rarely played for Portland, has this in common with consensus fourth pick Miles: You’re guessing on both.
For now all that Miles has in common with Kobe Bryant is mystique. For sure this O’Neal is no Shaquille.
One GM said: “Is [Jermaine] really a center? He has such a small head for his body that he never seems like much of an intimidating presence. Miles has tremendous wingspan and athletic ability, and he really loves to play and wants to get better. But he has a lot of growing up to do and does not have a pure [shooting] stroke, and you have to wonder if he’ll ever become a big-time scorer.”
Former Bulls assistant Jim Wooldridge, now head coach at Kansas State, was assigned last year to scout Portland. Of Jermaine O’Neal he said: “He’s long, rangy and athletic and the Bulls don’t have anybody like that. But you saw so little of him, what you don’t know is if he could score.
“One thing I learned about the NBA is that you have to have somebody who can score the ball (a coach’s term for a natural-born scorer who can create opportunities whenever necessary). The Bulls need somebody besides Elton who can do that. My two cents is that I’d try to trade the picks for established players. But the one guy in this draft who can flat score the ball is Marcus Fizer.”
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That’s why Fizer would be the best pick for this team. Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy soured on Fizer’s indifference on defense and the boards, yet several sources said his ability to score from anywhere would complement Brand. The problem: Clippers GM Elgin Baylor prefers Fizer at 3 because he can’t afford to wait three or four years on Miles.
Now we see what “Crumbs” can cook up. Picking Brand No. 1 last year was a simple, safe choice. Now does Krause trade another pick to move up one notch for Fizer? I’d try.
Better still, I’d shoot the moon by offering all three first-rounders and Ron Artest in a sign-and-trade with Toronto for Tracy McGrady. If the Raptors have qualms about losing McGrady to free agency, why wouldn’t they consider that kind of compensation?
Said another GM: “McGrady’s a freak–even more all-around talented than Vince Carter. Krause would have an easier time trading for him than signing him [as a free agent]. McGrady would be a major step.”
That’s what I’d do. Krause isn’t commenting. Mihm’s the word.