http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/155168.html
NBA Beat: Stern's message is clear: Oklahoma City is OK
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, April 15, 2007
An arena that was not supposed to get a team and a city that was not supposed to get a chance let go of the Hornets on Friday, but not of the dream.
This could end up as the greatest tryout in NBA history, after all. If it was an unwanted opportunity because of how it came about, it was not wasted, with Oklahoma City earning such positive reviews as the temporary home of an organization driven from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina that it undoubtedly will end up with a permanent team.
It might get the same Hornets, set to play all of 2007-08 in the "Big Easy" but far from definite beyond that as the league concedes the uncertain future of a city that had serious financial concerns even before Katrina. It might get the SuperSonics, whose new owner happens to be an Oklahoma businessman and is running into walls trying to get a new arena in suburban Seattle.
But Oklahoma City almost certainly will get some team at some point. That is the actual development of the last two seasons as temporary housing, well beyond the feel-good story line of embracing the basketball orphans who made their final scheduled appearance at the Ford Center on Friday. The region jumped Las Vegas, Anaheim, Kansas City and all the hopefuls as the No. 1 option for relocation.
"I don't have a team to send, and I can't tell you a date, but it's my expectation that the NBA has not played its last game in Oklahoma City," Commissioner David Stern said, an underlined statement none of the other cities has received.
The pronouncement comes complete with timing. Las Vegas officials just informed the league that sports books would not be asked to stop taking bets on the NBA if a franchise were placed there, information that will be noted in the updates as the board of governors meets this week.
The contrast was the group hug Friday, when Hornets starters came through the concourse and down the stairs to reach the court during pregame introductions and owner George Shinn posed with fans for pictures on the court after the game.
Word from Las Vegas to the NBA wasn't the compromise Stern had hoped for as momentum built to put a team there, but it also wasn't a fatal setback. It could easily be viewed as negotiation rather than an ultimate stand, with months and, perhaps, years of discussion ahead. Oklahoma City, though, just made its final proposal.
Digging deeper
In the greatest of ironies, the final Bonzi Wells appearance as a member of the Houston Rockets likely came at Arco Arena, just in case trips to Sacramento weren't already going to generate fond memories. In the harshest of realities, it just keeps getting worse for Wells.
His problem just went from momentary to being played out on a loop, with the historically bad decision last summer of passing on $38.5 million from the Kings giving way to a bad 2006-07 in Houston, giving way to Wells walking out on the Rockets.
Bailing on the team a few hours before its game Monday in Seattle, the night after being taunted at Arco, might have been an unwanted issue for players and coaches trying to get into playoff mode, but it was nothing compared to the additional questions Wells himself will have to face.
The planned season of rehabilitation, with the expectation of playing well and opting out this summer to become a free agent again and recoup some of the lost money, ended with 28 appearances and a mostly losing battle with conditioning. In the end, all he did was give teams that might be interested another reason to doubt.
The Rockets publicly took the high road and said all the right things about his contributions, declining to do damage beyond that which had been self-inflicted.
Privately, though, they might, ahem, come to an understanding that he would be better off opting out of the final season of the contract and seeking employment elsewhere. They could get out from under the $2.284 million due in 2007-08, and Wells could get a new start, again.
Draft datebook
The schedule leading to the draft: Underclassmen must declare by the night of April 29, the lottery to determine the order of the first 14 picks is May 22, and the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw is June 18, as long as they have not signed with an agent. Hiring representation means the end of NCAA eligibility. The draft is June 28 in New York.
The big finish
Of the four teams battling for the final two Western Conference playoff spots, the Lakers have the easiest path, playing the SuperSonics and the Kings. The Clippers get the Kings, Suns and Hornets; the Warriors face the Timberwolves, Mavericks and Trail Blazers; and the Hornets meet the Kings and Clippers.
Called for traveling
The Mavericks had a better record on the road (30-9) entering Saturday than every team except Phoenix (33-7) and San Antonio (31-9) had at home.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
NBA Beat: Stern's message is clear: Oklahoma City is OK
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, April 15, 2007
An arena that was not supposed to get a team and a city that was not supposed to get a chance let go of the Hornets on Friday, but not of the dream.
This could end up as the greatest tryout in NBA history, after all. If it was an unwanted opportunity because of how it came about, it was not wasted, with Oklahoma City earning such positive reviews as the temporary home of an organization driven from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina that it undoubtedly will end up with a permanent team.
It might get the same Hornets, set to play all of 2007-08 in the "Big Easy" but far from definite beyond that as the league concedes the uncertain future of a city that had serious financial concerns even before Katrina. It might get the SuperSonics, whose new owner happens to be an Oklahoma businessman and is running into walls trying to get a new arena in suburban Seattle.
But Oklahoma City almost certainly will get some team at some point. That is the actual development of the last two seasons as temporary housing, well beyond the feel-good story line of embracing the basketball orphans who made their final scheduled appearance at the Ford Center on Friday. The region jumped Las Vegas, Anaheim, Kansas City and all the hopefuls as the No. 1 option for relocation.
"I don't have a team to send, and I can't tell you a date, but it's my expectation that the NBA has not played its last game in Oklahoma City," Commissioner David Stern said, an underlined statement none of the other cities has received.
The pronouncement comes complete with timing. Las Vegas officials just informed the league that sports books would not be asked to stop taking bets on the NBA if a franchise were placed there, information that will be noted in the updates as the board of governors meets this week.
The contrast was the group hug Friday, when Hornets starters came through the concourse and down the stairs to reach the court during pregame introductions and owner George Shinn posed with fans for pictures on the court after the game.
Word from Las Vegas to the NBA wasn't the compromise Stern had hoped for as momentum built to put a team there, but it also wasn't a fatal setback. It could easily be viewed as negotiation rather than an ultimate stand, with months and, perhaps, years of discussion ahead. Oklahoma City, though, just made its final proposal.
Digging deeper
In the greatest of ironies, the final Bonzi Wells appearance as a member of the Houston Rockets likely came at Arco Arena, just in case trips to Sacramento weren't already going to generate fond memories. In the harshest of realities, it just keeps getting worse for Wells.
His problem just went from momentary to being played out on a loop, with the historically bad decision last summer of passing on $38.5 million from the Kings giving way to a bad 2006-07 in Houston, giving way to Wells walking out on the Rockets.
Bailing on the team a few hours before its game Monday in Seattle, the night after being taunted at Arco, might have been an unwanted issue for players and coaches trying to get into playoff mode, but it was nothing compared to the additional questions Wells himself will have to face.
The planned season of rehabilitation, with the expectation of playing well and opting out this summer to become a free agent again and recoup some of the lost money, ended with 28 appearances and a mostly losing battle with conditioning. In the end, all he did was give teams that might be interested another reason to doubt.
The Rockets publicly took the high road and said all the right things about his contributions, declining to do damage beyond that which had been self-inflicted.
Privately, though, they might, ahem, come to an understanding that he would be better off opting out of the final season of the contract and seeking employment elsewhere. They could get out from under the $2.284 million due in 2007-08, and Wells could get a new start, again.
Draft datebook
The schedule leading to the draft: Underclassmen must declare by the night of April 29, the lottery to determine the order of the first 14 picks is May 22, and the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw is June 18, as long as they have not signed with an agent. Hiring representation means the end of NCAA eligibility. The draft is June 28 in New York.
The big finish
Of the four teams battling for the final two Western Conference playoff spots, the Lakers have the easiest path, playing the SuperSonics and the Kings. The Clippers get the Kings, Suns and Hornets; the Warriors face the Timberwolves, Mavericks and Trail Blazers; and the Hornets meet the Kings and Clippers.
Called for traveling
The Mavericks had a better record on the road (30-9) entering Saturday than every team except Phoenix (33-7) and San Antonio (31-9) had at home.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
