Sam Smith: Time to take advantage of guard surplus

Kirk Hinrich is likely to draw suitors as it becomes more obvious that other teams need point guard talent.

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Posted by Sam Smith | 11.03.08 | 8:30 a.m. CT

Sam Smith wonders, "[Once] Larry Hughes comes back, it figures with his size, he'll move back to starting at shooting guard, and, again, is it worth it to have a player like Hinrich as a reserve?"

When the Bulls fell into the No. 1 draft pick last May, the question was first whether it would be Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley.

It seems obvious the Bulls made the right selection as Miami continues to stumble around with bad losses to miserable Knicks and Bobcats teams while Beasley already has embarrassed the franchise with a rookie orientation incident. The second question was how soon Kirk Hinrich would be traded.

After all, it hardly seemed to make sense to have a player solicited by the USA Olympic basketball team and with a contract averaging close to $10 million as a backup, which Hinrich has become. And who among the Bulls would have more trade value, which Hinrich apparently does with a usual league wide shortage of competent point guards.

The Bulls, though, paused on doing anything regarding because of the uncertain status of Ben Gordon, who is playing out his contract this season, and the always fragile health and future uncertainty of Larry Hughes, out now with a shoulder injury. Thabo Sefolosha, though starting, probably isn't the classic shooting guard.

Not that Hinrich is, either. But he looked the best playing with Rose, especially in Saturday's win over Memphis with 18 points on five of seven threes and four assists. Hinrich has more assists this season than Rose and is leading the Bulls in shooting at 50 percent, including 63.6 percent on threes, which is ninth in the NBA in the first week. This when the Bulls, once again, are off to a poor shooting start at 38.5 percent, 29th in the NBA.

But once Hughes comes back, it figures with his size, he'll move back to starting at shooting guard, and, again, is it worth it to have a player like Hinrich as a reserve?

For now, the Bulls seem satisfied to have Hinrich there, though the noise in some places around the NBA is to make a move for Hinrich. With point guards in demand, perhaps the Bulls could score a coup.

The first so called "big name" to come up in trade discussions has been Golden State's Al Harrington. The Warriors acknowledged Harrington asked to get away from coach Don Nelson, after which Nelson made Harrington a co-captain. It apparently was a ploy to try to make Harrington look bad if his demand became public, which it did, and likely only further solidified Harrington's position.

The Warriors would send a plane for Hinrich and lifetime supply of Dungeness crab. Some Bay Area writers in columns already are urging the team to pursue Hinrich with Baron Davis gone and Monta Ellis out and Stephen Jackson handling late game point guard. Harrington can play power forward, though is smallish for the position and while he has posted up in the past, he's been mostly a long distance shooter in Golden State. Still, he's averaging about 18 points and seven rebounds this season and is a veteran pro.

The interesting part is given the Warriors' desperation and that Hinrich would seemingly fit well with Nelson's motion game, you might be able to get the Warriors to part with some of their young prospects who Nelson doesn't use, like Brandon Wright and rookie Anthony Randolph. I think both will be good, though I like the 6-10 Wright better as he seems to have more offensive ability inside. Could the Bulls make a steal?

The team really pushing for Harrington is the Knicks with Harrington's former boss in Indiana, Donnie Walsh. Though with Chris Duhon starting, they have no point guard to offer. The Knicks want Harrington's overall game, though just as much his contract, which expires after the 2009-10 season, which is the free agency summer of LeBron, Wade and Bosh.

Teams don't expect the Knicks, as a result, to resign springy forward David Lee because it would endanger their salary cap room plan. The Bulls could put themselves in a multi-team deal and get Lee and an expiring deal like Malik Rose from the Knicks (and perhaps work a deal with Ben Gordon or, better yet, work themselves well below the salary cap for a run at Wade in 2010) and perhaps one of those young Warriors' prospects with Harrington going to New York and Hinrich to Golden State. Readers know I've long supported Hinrich, but I'd have to ask myself if I were him whether I wanted to be a backup in Chicago behind a 20-year-old phenom or a starter in San Francisco.

Around the NBA

-- The NBA released its annual preseason survey of league general managers last week and they picked the Lakers followed by Boston as most likely to win the NBA title. So if your dream is to be an NBA general manager, it's probably not that you're not smart enough, but more perhaps that you didn't play in the NBA or know an owner. The general managers each year tend to pick whom they last saw do well. Before last season, the general managers voted the Spurs most likely to win the championship followed by the Suns and Mavericks. There was little mention of the Lakers, who were battling to keep Kobe Bryant at the time, or the Celtics, whom the general managers did pick to be the most improved team. They also don't get it right too often. This year they have Michael Beasley to be rookie of the year followed by Greg Oden, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph and Russell Westbrook. Derrick Rose didn't get one vote, though he tied with Beasley behind Oden for best in five years. The GM's last year had LeBron James as the MVP choice with Kobe third. They have James again as the MVP choice. They did get Kevin Durant as Rookie of the Year and named as their most likely breakout players for last season Al Jefferson (not bad) and Luol Deng (not as good). Two years ago, before the 2006-07 season following the Dallas-Miami Finals, the GM's picked the Spurs to win the title (they do almost every year) followed by the Mavericks and Heat. But here's a topic you don't get in their selections. I do my own surveys on occasion, and one general manager sent me his list before the season of Most Likely Coach to be Fired First: It was Don Nelson, George Karl, Randy Wittman, Sam Mitchell, Lawrence Frank. Since the list was from a general manager, and based on their prediction history, you'd suggest perhaps these guys had the best chance at seniority. Nelson was on many minds because of losing Baron Davis and Monta Ellis' moped ride to purgatory. But Nelson looks to be winning the power play over Chris Mullin, a surprise to many, with a new deal. Karl is just hanging on, many feel, with a declining payroll and aging, overpaid players. Wittman probably is safe with a slightly improved Timberwolves while Sam Mitchell and GM Bryan Colangerlo are said to remain at odds and Mitchell could be vulnerable if the team heads in the wrong direction while Colangelo is said to covet Memphis' Marc Iavaroni, whose team ownership remains in a shaky situation. Frank may have a chance with a debilitated roster and lame duck team that might not want to spend money.

-- The Newark Star Ledger did a nice quiz of point guard Devin Harris, who said the best is Chris Paul, the best shooter Steve Nash, the best penetrator Tony Parker, best passer off the dribble Paul, best on the break Deron Williams, quickest first step Parker, best one on one Gilbert Arenas, best screen roll Williams (on the side) and Paul (on top), best defender Chauncey Billups, best catch and shoot Mo Williams and best handle Allen Iverson. So three games into his career, leading all rookies in scoring, does Derrick Rose fit in yet? Of course, three rookie games doesn't matter much, but Rose is way ahead of Nash, Parker and Williams in being ready as a rookie. Only Iverson matches in athleticism, though not for Iverson now. Iverson setting up Michael Jordan and crossing him over when Iverson was a rookie was a breakthrough moment. Right now I'd put Rose ahead of Williams as best on the break, particularly because of Rose's athletic ability to finish at the basket.

-- So let's see: Eddy Curry criticized coach Mike D'Antoni for not telling him he was out of the rotation while D'Antoni was condemned earlier in camp for joking that maybe Curry with apparent heart issues as a Bull had "dropped dead" when he missed a session, Jamal Crawford was said to be trying to push out Stephon Marbury (which Crawford denied as players gave D'antoni the game ball after his first win amidst the Marbury benching), fans chanted for Marbury to come in the opener and D'Antoni got upset and mocked them, and Marbury's status with the team as he's now asked to be deactivated is the New York media's obsession virtually every day over the rest of the team. Marbury declines to discuss a buyout and is said to just be waiting to be paid off his $22 million owed this season while general manager Donnie Walsh says he has to meet again with the principals. Honeymoon? What honeymoon?

-- It sounded like more George Karl excuse making last week when the Jazz stole a game late over Denver. But it also is one of those so called "little things," the gamesmanship in sports that exists and prevails. It's also a further indication of when you play harder than your opponent, good things happen, and Jerry Sloan teams generally do. With 12.5 seconds left and Utah up two, Kyle Korver missed a free throw, but Chris Andersen was called for a lane violation and Korver got another shot and he doesn't miss much. So what happened, George? "Utah violates the lane, they push and shove. They're the best free-throw rebounding team because they cheat the line all the time," Karl whined. "And then they get the call that cost us the game..." No one call like that does, but you need to be ready playing the Jazz for they teach their players the Sloan way, which is the tough way, and it works...

-- It's the economy? In putting off an extension for Linas Kleiza, Nuggets officials also suggested the NBA salary cap could go down for the first time, thus lowering the midlevel exception and deals based on that, which many are. With Nene and Kenyon Martin locked into long term deals no one is likely to want, you wonder if cost cutting Denver, with Allen Iverson's contract ending after this season, would seek out some high draft picks and an expiring contract, say someone like Shawn Marion, for Carmelo Anthony as Miami works desperately to find a legitimate partner for Dwyane Wade.

-- Jeff Hornacek is back as a special assistant with the Jazz after coaching interviews with the Suns and Bulls. Hornacek told the Salt Lake Tribune he contacted Karl Malone about working with him if he would have gotten the Bulls job…..the Nets were privately crowing about how they fooled everyone by grabbing Sean Williams late in the first round of the 2007 draft after he was suspended at Boston College. But Williams now is out of the rotation (telling the coach he didn't want to start a preseason game when asked and suggesting rookie Robin Lopez instead probably didn't help) and saying he wished the Nets had not picked up his third year option because he wants to get a new, second contract sooner. Yeah, should be big demand for this guy.… Phil Jackson generally came back to Chicago every summer with a slightly different look and this season shaved his mustache and soul patch chin hair. Jackson says he does it so the NBA photographers cannot use old pictures of him. Don't people want to look younger?

-- Rookie Watch: Derrick Rose leads in scoring at 18.3 with No. 2 pick Michael Beasley at 17. Rose also is by far the leader in free throw attempts at 17 and shooting 88 percent from the line, answering a big question from his one year in college. The early surprises, so far, have been the Kings' Jason Thompson, thought a reach at No. 12. He is averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. Also second round pick Mario Chalmers is averaging second most minutes among rookies (33.7 per game) and leading in assists at six (Rose is second at 4.3) playing point guard. Though Miami is 1-2 with opponents attacking their point guards and Dwyane Wade averaging 7.7, most among non point guards other than LeBron James.

-- Where's Manu? The Spurs opened 0-2 with Manu Ginobili out, forcing Tim Duncan and Tony Parker into being scorers with both in the top four in the league after the opening week. It's not the San Antonio way, and no way for Duncan to be rested and at a high level late in the season, as he has been in recent seasons. Amazingly, Duncan had yet another shot at a dramatic three against the Suns, this time missing to tie the game in regulation in their opener as the Suns won this time. Had Duncan missed last April, would Mike D'Antoni still be in Phoenix? Could the Suns have won that series? Greg Popovich was in playoff form, though, saying the Spurs played the worst transition defense he'd seen in years, and using the hack-a-Shaq foul tactic relentlessly, including after the jump ball as a peace offering to O'Neal, who'd been calling Popovich a coward for using it. Shaq missed some and as he says makes them when he needs to. Or not.

-- The most impressive teams of the first week have been pretty much as expected: The Lakers, by far, Hornets, Rockets and Pistons. Atlanta and Toronto have been some surprise with both better than expected defensively. One interesting element was the Rockets holding out Tracy McGrady much of the final period in a nice win over Dallas as they seemed to slow better and defend more with McGrady off the floor... it's going to be interesting watching Dallas as Rick Carlisle, a notorious control-oriented coach, is allowing Jason Kidd to push the ball. If they falter, it would seem to be difficult for Carlisle to stay that way, perhaps opening the door to move Kidd in his final season. For Allen Iverson? Marion? Stephon Marbury? There are a load of final year deals hanging around out there for failing teams to consider. It will be a wild trading deadline. You can see Dallas splintering as they complained about not practicing defense under Don Nelson and then not playing around offense under Avery Johnson. Hey, maybe it's not the coach. Maybe it's them.

-- After seeing the Grizzlies in Chicago Saturday, I can't believe they won't make a deal with pointless Portland. This seems a natural with the modest Greg Oden, likely in a depression now as he's hurt again amidst amazingly huge expectations in the community, likely yearning for his old, aggressive buddy Mike Conley, who though starting doesn't seem the favorite of coach Marc Iavaroni, who seems to favor Kyle Lowry. Sources say the Trailblazers continue to only offer Travis Outlaw. I wouldn't give up LaMarcus Aldridge, either. But if I were Memphis and even with a loaded perimeter , I'd ask for Rudy Fernandez, Nicholas Batum and Channing Frye and take Raef LaFrentz's expiring deal and save some money and give them Darko Milicic (wow, is he awful) or Marko Jaric's bad deal and Antoine Walker. I don't see how that can't happen.

-- Interesting to see the Suns after all the talk of D'Antoni refusing to play reserves, going mostly with an eight-player rotation to beat Portland Saturday after the Suns had played poorly in their home opener against New Orleans... so what do you do when you get a raise? On the verge of his $58 million four-year contract extension, Lakers' center Andrew Bynum went to a strip club and showered dancers with money, what the players call "making it rain." Who knew there was a term for it? Said Phil Jackson: "He said it was only $100 - all ones. I guess it's what we have to expect in this day and age." C'mon, don't tell me you can live without these guys... what's next, punking Aaron Gray? Shaq was trash talking Joel Przybilla, saying in getting 16 points, "Przybilla can't guard me when I'm 27, 37 or 47." The big guy is in Chicago Friday with the new look, dull Suns.