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The Charlotte Bobcats, who will begin play in 2004, hired Bernie Bickerstaff as GM/head coach this week. It's a safe choice. Bickerstaff is an NBA lifer who knows his X's and O's and is hip enough to relate to young players.
But give Bobcats executive vice president Ed Tapscott credit for thinking outside the box and including on his short list Maurizio Gherardini. For those NBA fans who haven't heard of Gherardini (and, let's face it, that's just about everyone), he is considered the best GM in Europe.
In his 11 years at Benetton Treviso, Gherardini was responsible for acquiring a number of future NBA players, including Toni Kukoc, Zeljko Rebraca and two of the top 15 picks in the '02 draft, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Bostjan Nachbar. His teams have won several Italian league titles. Ticketmaster
As for those who wondering about language or cultural barriers, forget it. Gherardini attended prep school in suburban St. Louis, speaks fluent English and once worked as a banker.
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"I think he'd do a great job," said former Benetton Treviso head coach
and current Suns assistant Mike D'Antoni. "He's a good judge of talent
... and, as a former banker, he'd understand the salary cap and how to make
the numbers add up."
Tapscott was serious enough about Gherardini that he flew to Paris to interview him. Tapscott came away impressed, but ultimately the timing was not right. The Bobcats needed somebody to start immediately and Benetton Treviso's season is about to start.
Don't be surprised if Gherardini's name comes up again in a future opening. With so many international players, NBA teams are truly becoming global enterprises. It's only a matter of time before he or some other international figure gets a chance to come here and run an NBA club either as a GM or head coach.
Other than New Orleans moving to the West -- who says the rich don't get richer? -- the NBA's plan to realign into six five-team divisions for the 2004-05 season probably won't make much difference. Playoff spots will still go to the division winners, followed by the next five teams with the best records. Home-court advantage will still go to the team with the better record regardless of seeding. Ticketmaster
Some NBA officials, including Mavs owner Mark Cuban, were hoping the league would use this realignment opportunity to at least consider revamping its playoff format. During last year's Finals, for example, there was growing sentiment to reseed the teams regardless of conference affiliation. Apparently, the NBA decided it wasn't ready for a radical change.
For now, the league will stick to its current system and turn its attention to naming the divisions. Expansion Charlotte will take the Hornets' spot in the East. Here's how the NBA plans to break down the divisions (with our own suggested names):
Eastern Conference Atlantic: Boston, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto Central: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee Southeast: Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, Washington
Western Conference Pacific: Golden St., L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Phoenix, Sacramento Southwest: Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio Mountain: Denver, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle, Utah
It's still early, but Celtics forward Vin Baker has looked decent in his return to action after missing nearly all of last season with personal problems. Baker hasn't posted big numbers in his first four games (7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds in 20 minutes per game), but he's run the floor well and shown signs he could be a contributor.
Baker, who admitted over the summer that he battles alcoholism, spent the offseason working out with a personal trainer. The 6-foot-11 forward looks much closer to his listed 250-pound playing weight and is noticeably lighter on his feet. In fact, coach Jim O'Brien says Baker might even be a little too light, considering he might be needed to play center at times. Ticketmaster
"My expectations are high for Vin," O'Brien said Tuesday. "I think he can give us a low-post presence that we maybe haven't had before. I expect him to get minutes at the 5 and as a backup to Antoine Walker. If the season started tonight, I'd see him getting no less than 25 minutes."