SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
I saw this on Hoopshype, I don't know if this has been posted yet.
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/index.ssf
Wells changes scenery, but not attitude
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Flashback. Dec. 2003. The concrete tunnel inside The Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tenn.
I'd been dispatched to write a column about Bonzi Wells' first day on the new job, and bumped into him as he was arriving and looking for the Memphis Grizzlies' locker room.
Already, Wells seemed like a refreshed, changed man.
"Hi Bonzi," I said.
"You're a punk (expletive) (expletive)," he said.
What followed was a brief conversation about journalism and basketball. And Wells explained how he was going to turn over a new leaf and prove to everyone that Portland -- "not Bonzi" -- was the problem.
Wells finished last season suspended by Memphis coach Mike Fratello, who advised Wells that if he tried to come to the Grizzlies' final game of the season he would be arrested for trespassing.
Now Wells is being traded to Sacramento as part of a deal that will send the Kings' Bobby Jackson and Utah's Kirk Snyder, Raul Lopez and Curtis Borchardt to Memphis.
An acceptable risk, Sacramento is thinking.
A wonderful trade, Memphis is thinking.
Hey, we only got Wesley Person and a draft pick, you're thinking.
The temptation will be to hold up what Grizzlies President Jerry West and general manager Dick Versace just received in exchange for Wells and compare it to the Trail Blazers got for Wells in Dec. 2003. The temptation will be to say something like, "Man, we knew that West was good, but. . . ."
But you just can't do that to yourself.
The trade back then wasn't about talent. It wasn't even about a franchise giving up on a young, talented player. It was simply about cutting away rotting bait. And even though Blazers management has made mistakes, jettisoning Wells wasn't one of them.
To understand what the Blazers were thinking 19 months ago, you're going to have to come with me into the concrete tunnel of general manager John Nash's mind.
Back then, Nash still was new on the job. He was under building pressure to do something. And Wells, prone to spitting and gesturing, had just unleashed a tirade for the fourth time at then-coach Maurice Cheeks.
The Cheeks-Wells relationship was irreparable, and the whole league knew it. The Blazers were losing games. And season-ticket holders and corporate sponsors were fed up with Wells.
Nash was told to trade Wells, but he also was under a directive to not take any long-term contracts in return. As a result, Nash basically had zero leverage and minimal flexibility when he was dispatched to make his first big trade.
Nash will tell you that Dallas discussed getting involved with a "bigger version" of the eventual trade with Memphis. But that three-team deal would have stuck Portland with Raef LaFrentz's contract, which even now still has four years and roughly $46 million left on it.
The team was left with three choices: A) Deal with Memphis; B) Deal with Memphis and Dallas; or C) Deal with Bonzi.
They chose A -- the wise choice.
The Blazers drafted Sergei Monia in 2004 to complete the Wells trade. And if Monia never plays a single important minute, the trade was still a good one because it wiped away Wells' tantrums, influence and salary.
Maybe you wish Wells finally would understand that the changing scenery isn't just a new chance to exploit a fresh pack of suckers. If so, you're wasting your time. Because he believes "Turn over a new leaf" means "It'll take them 18 months to figure me out."
The day Wells was traded, teammate Rasheed Wallace turned to him at Blazers' practice and sang the television theme song to "The Jeffersons."
"Moving on up . . ." Wallace crowed across the gym.
That tune is all yours, Sacramento.
Right after you trade him, too.
John Canzano: 503-294-5065; JohnCanzano@aol.com; to read his Web log, go to www.oregonlive.com/canzano/
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Is it just me or does this guy sound like a punk (expletive) (expletive)
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/index.ssf
Wells changes scenery, but not attitude
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Flashback. Dec. 2003. The concrete tunnel inside The Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tenn.
I'd been dispatched to write a column about Bonzi Wells' first day on the new job, and bumped into him as he was arriving and looking for the Memphis Grizzlies' locker room.
Already, Wells seemed like a refreshed, changed man.
"Hi Bonzi," I said.
"You're a punk (expletive) (expletive)," he said.
What followed was a brief conversation about journalism and basketball. And Wells explained how he was going to turn over a new leaf and prove to everyone that Portland -- "not Bonzi" -- was the problem.
Wells finished last season suspended by Memphis coach Mike Fratello, who advised Wells that if he tried to come to the Grizzlies' final game of the season he would be arrested for trespassing.
Now Wells is being traded to Sacramento as part of a deal that will send the Kings' Bobby Jackson and Utah's Kirk Snyder, Raul Lopez and Curtis Borchardt to Memphis.
An acceptable risk, Sacramento is thinking.
A wonderful trade, Memphis is thinking.
Hey, we only got Wesley Person and a draft pick, you're thinking.
The temptation will be to hold up what Grizzlies President Jerry West and general manager Dick Versace just received in exchange for Wells and compare it to the Trail Blazers got for Wells in Dec. 2003. The temptation will be to say something like, "Man, we knew that West was good, but. . . ."
But you just can't do that to yourself.
The trade back then wasn't about talent. It wasn't even about a franchise giving up on a young, talented player. It was simply about cutting away rotting bait. And even though Blazers management has made mistakes, jettisoning Wells wasn't one of them.
To understand what the Blazers were thinking 19 months ago, you're going to have to come with me into the concrete tunnel of general manager John Nash's mind.
Back then, Nash still was new on the job. He was under building pressure to do something. And Wells, prone to spitting and gesturing, had just unleashed a tirade for the fourth time at then-coach Maurice Cheeks.
The Cheeks-Wells relationship was irreparable, and the whole league knew it. The Blazers were losing games. And season-ticket holders and corporate sponsors were fed up with Wells.
Nash was told to trade Wells, but he also was under a directive to not take any long-term contracts in return. As a result, Nash basically had zero leverage and minimal flexibility when he was dispatched to make his first big trade.
Nash will tell you that Dallas discussed getting involved with a "bigger version" of the eventual trade with Memphis. But that three-team deal would have stuck Portland with Raef LaFrentz's contract, which even now still has four years and roughly $46 million left on it.
The team was left with three choices: A) Deal with Memphis; B) Deal with Memphis and Dallas; or C) Deal with Bonzi.
They chose A -- the wise choice.
The Blazers drafted Sergei Monia in 2004 to complete the Wells trade. And if Monia never plays a single important minute, the trade was still a good one because it wiped away Wells' tantrums, influence and salary.
Maybe you wish Wells finally would understand that the changing scenery isn't just a new chance to exploit a fresh pack of suckers. If so, you're wasting your time. Because he believes "Turn over a new leaf" means "It'll take them 18 months to figure me out."
The day Wells was traded, teammate Rasheed Wallace turned to him at Blazers' practice and sang the television theme song to "The Jeffersons."
"Moving on up . . ." Wallace crowed across the gym.
That tune is all yours, Sacramento.
Right after you trade him, too.
John Canzano: 503-294-5065; JohnCanzano@aol.com; to read his Web log, go to www.oregonlive.com/canzano/
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Is it just me or does this guy sound like a punk (expletive) (expletive)
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