southsider2k5 Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 General manager John Paxson addressed his beleaguered Bulls at the conclusion of Thursday's practice, sternly challenging them to play tougher, to transfer practice court energy to games, to lose with effort, at the very least, if they're going to continue to lose. In case Paxson's words rang hollow, Scottie Pippen, as he did so many times when they were teammates, had Paxson's back. "It's a lack of effort," Pippen said. "Guys have accepted losing here. It's to the point where losing and winning are on the same scale. Until they change their attitude and understand that it's more important to give a hard effort every night—even if you still come away with a loss—they won't feel better about themselves. Going out and giving a half-assed effort most nights, you're always going to come away with a loss. "No one wants to watch a losing team. No one wants to watch a team that doesn't care, doesn't give any effort, doesn't play hard. We have to find guys who want to do [those things]." Pippen didn't name names, but it's clear his blistering critique of the Bulls' dismal 12-30 record was directed at the young players from whom so much was expected this season. Eddy Curry is walking around in a funk. Jamal Crawford was benched for the entire fourth quarter in Atlanta on Wednesday night for the third time in coach Scott Skiles' tenure. Tyson Chandler is saying the right things, but that doesn't mean much when he has been wearing street clothes for eight weeks. "If anything, they have to show they've gotten better," Pippen said. "That's what it all comes down to. Have you gotten any better since you were drafted here? Are you showing that you're going to make this franchise better in the near future? Have you made any steps? I don't see a lot of steps from a lot of players who have been in this game for two, three years." Pippen spoke these words calmly and with little emotion, belying the intensity of his message. He stood on the edge of the Berto Center practice court, a building—it's not a stretch to say—that he helped get built. The Berto Center opened in October 1991, four months after Pippen, Paxson, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright and—oh yeah—Michael Jordan led the Bulls to their first championship. After so many bitter playoff losses to the Detroit Pistons, that group met consistently in the summer of 1990 to work out and bond for a common goal. Success has its spoils. Pippen agreed with the theory that the road to success begins in the off-season, when the sweat equity doesn't make headlines but is no less important. "You have to be dedicated to the game," he said. "You have to have some pride in yourself to want to get better, want to be the best, want to make some strides in your game and in your life. "Basketball has been great for a lot of people. To see the way a lot of these guys have taken advantage of it, it's sad. They're not putting the effort that I felt like a guy like me or a guy like Pax had to deal with to get to this level and to stay at this level." Pippen walks a fine line with his comments, given that he has missed 25 games with knee problems, doesn't practice all the time and didn't even show up to some home exhibition games as he rested various aches and pains. Double standards sometimes can make attempts at leadership fall short. Pippen also carries the baggage of infamous moments such as his refusal to play the final 1.8 seconds of a 1994 playoff game because he was miffed a last-ditch play wasn't designed for him. Paxson acknowledged from Day One, however, that six championships and a Hall of Fame career earned Pippen his own set of rules. Skiles discounted a theory that Pippen's walk hasn't backed up his talk. "Pip was our most active player in the first half [Wednesday], and he's 38 years old and just coming off knee surgery," Skiles said. "Guys have to listen and learn." Some will. Some may not. "Forget speeches," Chandler said. "It's time for us to step up." Then again, Chandler's competitiveness, hustle and intensity render him somewhat immune from Pippen's criticism—if he can stay healthy. And Chandler isn't completely immune, given that his two-plus years in the league have brought only losses, part of the losing culture Paxson, Skiles and Pippen are trying to change. "I worry about that every day," Paxson said. "That has been this organization's fear for several years now, ever since the championship teams broke up. You have to find a way to win. "A lot of it goes to being a competitive person. At some point, you have to feel a little unhappy or embarrassed about the record and the way you're playing. If you're going to go down, go down scratching and clawing. Give somebody a shot. That's just an instinct that has to be there." Pippen, who hasn't missed the playoffs in any of his 16 seasons, has that instinct. His harsh words Thursday were his strongest attempt to impart it to others. "That was the whole reason for having me come here, to try and be a leader and get these guys going in the right direction as far as working hard and what it takes to be professional and what it takes to compete every night," Pippen said. "But if you don't have the effort inside of you, I can't pull it out of you. Coach can't pull it out of you. Eventually, people are going to give up on you. They're going to give up on whatever potential you have." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 shhh.....can you hear it?.....that cracking sound?...... ...it's the sound of a basketball team imploding.... Curry's another "little big man" ( get in the boat with Lazy Dazey ), Cryford is a selfish baby, Chandler's fragile, "E-ROB" ( do bench players with bloated contracts deserve nicknames? ) was a complete waste of money, etc etc etc... everything can change in the blink of an eye, everyONE can change in the blink of an eye, everyone can QUIT in the blink of an eye.... History In The Making - These Guys Are History Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggio202 Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 didnt someone from the bulls , maybe reinsdorf , say after he broke the michael jordan bulls that it would be just a couple of years before they were back on top again??? :dips*** :dips*** :dips*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Pippen for Pres. in 2004! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 24, 2004 Author Share Posted January 24, 2004 They did look better against a good Dallas team last night. I guess we will see if this carries over, or if they forget it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Man, f*** Pippen. I can understand if Skiles said s*** or Pax or someone high up. But not someone who is averaging 6.4 ppg, and consistantly is getting beat on D. It's not his job to say that, and if a players is going to say something the least he can do it back it up by doing something on the court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 24, 2004 Author Share Posted January 24, 2004 Man, f*** Pippen. I can understand if Skiles said s*** or Pax or someone high up. But not someone who is averaging 6.4 ppg, and consistantly is getting beat on D. It's not his job to say that, and if a players is going to say something the least he can do it back it up by doing something on the court. The guy has 6 NBA rings, and is one of the 50 greatest players of all time. I would say his play on the court has said plenty. As for Pip taking control, that is exactly why they brought him back, and that was to teach these babies how to play at the NBA level. If any of the big 3 had the guts that Pip has shown over his career, he wouldnt' have been needed in Chicago this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 The guy has 6 NBA rings, and is one of the 50 greatest players of all time. I would say his play on the court has said plenty. As for Pip taking control, that is exactly why they brought him back, and that was to teach these babies how to play at the NBA level. If any of the big 3 had the guts that Pip has shown over his career, he wouldnt' have been needed in Chicago this year. I know what he did 5 years ago, but what has he done now. If he was brought back to help the young players then he shouldn't be playing. Let him coach, but he is far too slow now and only hurts when he is on the court. I am not gonna argue that the babies don't need someone to direct them. Maybe if he was a coach, but no someone who goes out and hurts the team. Like in the game on Wednesday against the Hawks. They were down 3 with about 30 seconds left and Pip gets a wide open look at a trey, and he bricks it. If he wants to coach then so be it, but I don't want him going out there and hurting the team. Then b****ing about the young guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 24, 2004 Author Share Posted January 24, 2004 I know what he did 5 years ago, but what has he done now. If he was brought back to help the young players then he shouldn't be playing. Let him coach, but he is far too slow now and only hurts when he is on the court. I am not gonna argue that the babies don't need someone to direct them. Maybe if he was a coach, but no someone who goes out and hurts the team. Like in the game on Wednesday against the Hawks. They were down 3 with about 30 seconds left and Pip gets a wide open look at a trey, and he bricks it. If he wants to coach then so be it, but I don't want him going out there and hurting the team. Then b****ing about the young guys. He isn't b****ing about the results. He is b****ing about the team quitting. He never claimed to be the best player on the Bulls today. The guys knees swell with fluid on a regular basis, and he still goes out onto the floor and players harder than Crawford and Curry combined. He is talking about them being happy with losing. They don't seem to care what the scoreboard saids. And essentially they brought back Scottie to be a coach on the floor. He is doing exactly what the Bulls wanted him to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan99 Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 I like that Pippen is calling the team out and all, but he really shouldn't be talking about quitting. Leaving a game with 1.8 seconds because you aren't getting the last shots is one of the most inexcusable things I have seen done in a basketball game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Great so we have a 5 million dollar assistant coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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