Critiques made were just general, Pippen says

[richard]

Critiques made were just general, Pippen says

By Sam Smith
Tribune pro basketball reporter

January 6, 2008, 7:25 PM CST

Scottie Pippen says I owe him an apology.

He says I also owe one to Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich, though Hinrich hardly seemed upset about a story in this space last week about Pippen's potential as Bulls coach.


(Hinrich said you have to know Pippen and his personality and he was hardly upset. In fact, Hinrich observed the article was "funny. I might have to start reading your articles if they are all as funny as that one." Funny guy. I know it's difficult to believe, but Hinrich has a playful, droll sense of humor.)

Back to Pippen.

I was making the case for someone like him to be considered a candidate, contrary to the NBA's tendency to recycle the same names. Pippen called and indicated

[NLK]

Pip is and has shown himself as being a fan of the Bulls after retiring in 2004. I think we ought to give him a little benefit of the doubt that he was venting at the poor performance of this team. Dude did watch our Bulls team win its 1st Round playoff last year in Miami (Games 3 and 4). Granted he wants a coaching gig too. If this team reels of 10 wins, I won't care how they got it, ala Pip's comments or Boylan. A Win is a Win.

BTW, is he suggesting that TT is not a PF, but more of a SF? I can actually agree to that, once TT works on improving his form/follow through. Maybe he ends up being a really good 3, and we can actually afford to move Deng for a real PF...

[AAU Teammate]

"in general"??

If he hasnt been misquoted, then he has to stand by his statements.

He said Tyrus Thomas has no b-ball brain, and that the free agents are shooting for a paycheck.


If you said it, stand by it. I dont know what that Sam Smith article is... It pretty much says Scottie WANTS an apology, was "general" not specific (even though he was specific) and then goes off on some remembrance of the Jordan Rules.

Man, Sam Smith cannot write. What is he trying to say?

[DuckIII]

Weren't those direct quotes written down by Smith?

"In general" Tyrus Thomas is great from the neck down.

"In general" Ben Gordon is selfishly shooting for a contract.

"In general" Hinrich comprises a midget backcourt you can't win with.

Scottie, I love you. But stand by your comments or shut your cake hole bro.

By the way, LOL at Sam Smith saying Paxson needs to pull off a "big trade" for the Bulls to get the 6th seed in the playoffs.

[bullzman23]

Pippen said he was speaking in broad terms about small backcourts and players who don't think in the game. He blamed me for applying it to the Bulls.

So I guess he never said it directly about Hinrich and Gordon.

[Susan]

Sam really has a huge ego if he thinks that his articles has anything to do with the recent pickup in play.

[theawakening]

Pippen said he was speaking in broad terms about small backcourts and players who don't think in the game. He blamed me for applying it to the Bulls.

So I guess he never said it directly about Hinrich and Gordon.

Aishwarya Rai

[Rerisen]

Sam Smith and Pippen deserve each other. Both dolts, at least concerning this issue. Sam was lobbying for Pip to get a job? Yeah Riiiight. And Pip was just being 'general' in his criticisms despite specifically ripping on Bulls players with a very mean streak to it? Uh huh.

[TB#1]

The Bulls came into 2007-08 swimming in the accolades of having swept Miami and dreaming about dollars, not floor burns. I commented on their lack of passion late in the exhibition season. Skiles sought me out and said he saw the same thing. He was worried more than ever about his team.

Looking back, I can see now he was beginning to doubt them. He apparently was telling management the same thing. And with my usual keen insight, I never put it together. Of course.

[Zeb]

I hate when the media tries to make the story about themselves.

[coldfish]

I wonder if Sam Smith has any regrets? He basically goaded Skiles into trashing Tyrus in the media which may have contributed to his firing. Now he has himself in the middle of the Pippen thing, which probably permanently severed any ties between Scottie and the organization. Who quoted Skiles on the Noah shut up comment?

I suppose he is getting a lot of action for the Tribune, but he is leaving a lot of wreckage in the process.

[AAU Teammate]

Who quoted Skiles on the Noah shut up comment?

I saw him say that to a group of reporters on air

[ATRAIN53]

Scottie - you won't just be handed an NBA coaching job without any coaching experience. Spend a year as an assistant, coach in the NBADL or something.

Seems to me like there is an open spot on the Bulls since Boylan got promoted. Call your buddy Paxson and ask to fill out an application for an assistant job and then prove you deserve a shot at the head coaching job.

[DuckIII]

Call your buddy Paxson and ask to fill out an application for an assistant job and then prove you deserve a shot at the head coaching job.

Scottie: "Pax, whats up buddy? I'm calling to inquire about an assistant coaching job on your flawed, selfish, lazy, stupid, midget-sized basketball team!"

Pax: "What?!?!?"

Scottie: "Well, I'm just speaking in generalities you understand."

[ATRAIN53]

Pax: "You got any references?"

Scottie: "yeah, my buddy Sam Smith"

Pax: "OK, just give me 1.8 seconds to think about it and i'll call you back"

[TB#1]

Pax: "OK, just give me 1.8 seconds to think about it and i'll call you back"

Well, John had left the Bulls org completely by that point -- maybe Pip is lucky and Paxson never heard that story...

[Gregnice33]

Weren't those direct quotes written down by Smith?

"In general" Tyrus Thomas is great from the neck down.

"In general" Ben Gordon is selfishly shooting for a contract.

"In general" Hinrich comprises a midget backcourt you can't win with.

Scottie, I love you. But stand by your comments or shut your cake hole bro.

By the way, LOL at Sam Smith saying Paxson needs to pull off a "big trade" for the Bulls to get the 6th seed in the playoffs.

I love Scottie, he is my favorite alltime Bull. When the article came out I thought he was accurate but harsh.

However, when reading the quotes, they just sounded "off." I suspected that Pippen wasn't misquotes, rather Sam Smith jumbled up his sentences to make comments seem more harsh.

I don't have the time to go back and reread the original comments, but if someone is bored you will see the comments just don't make sense, in terms of flow and transition (and I don't think it's b/c Pip is stupid, he's actually pretty expressive, for NBA player). Can someone give it a look?

[TB#1]

-= original quote snipped =-


I don't have the time to go back and reread the original comments, but if someone is bored you will see the comments just don't make sense, in terms of flow and transition (and I don't think it's b/c Pip is stupid, he's actually pretty expressive, for NBA player). Can someone give it a look?

On Tyrus Thomas:
"He can be a defender and a shot blocker. You don't want him taking those ill-advised shots, jumping and trying to pass the ball. He dribbles better with his left hand than his right. He must have broken his arm when he was a kid. He shouldn't be dribbling. He should be a fetcher. Like Ben Wallace, [Joakim] Noah, go get the ball. They don't have enough athletes. I could see why they went for someone like Thomas. He's athletic, but he doesn't know how to play the game. He's great from the neck down. What can he do? Have him do that."



On Ben Wallace:
"I'd say I need more effort from him. I need positive numbers in rebounds, deflections, charges. He's not playing with four All-Stars anymore. He plays defense every night or Tyrus Thomas is out there playing. You don't pay a rebounder $15 million. OK, they did. He doesn't know the game like Dennis Rodman did. Dennis knew how and why he got rebounds. So you keep on him or he doesn't play."


On Ben Gordon:
"It's his shot selection. You take those bad shots, you're sitting down. He's out there shooting for a contract. Offensively, they can be as good as last year. But their shot selection is horrible. [Luol] Deng also is playing for a contract. There's no flow to their game. Gordon has to make plays. If there's two, three guys running at him, he still wants to make a shot. Those shots are out of position, your teammates don't expect them, you are not in position to rebound and get back. Taking bad shots is a sign of a lack of respect for your teammates. You think I'm going to run back if I know B.J. Armstrong is jacking it up? My shot is just as good as his. That's what players think."


On Kirk Hinrich:
"He just needs direction. He's guarding Kobe, Tracy McGrady, the best players. He's not that talented. Let him run the offense. But you can't have midgets running your backcourt. Little guards always put you in a vulnerable position. You've got to send help. It puts too much pressure on the defense. I'd tell Kirk to try to control the game, don't force shots, but late in the game be ready. Early, I'd have him off the ball."


On Luol Deng:
"He's solid. But he doesn't have enough speed. He plays more upright, so it's tough for him to go out and guard smaller guys. I think Deng is on the verge of being a star. But all that money talk added pressure. Now he's trying to show 28, 29 teams what he's about instead of going out and playing. When the reality is maybe one or two would be looking at him."


On Andres Nocioni:
"I'd sit down with him and say, 'Show me you're a winner and play like it. Not with those crazy antics. Make your hustle work in a positive way.' He's turning into Rasheed Wallace with the kinds of things he does on floor. It makes the officials turn on the whole team. And you stop getting calls. Don't shoot those ill-advised shots. Don't look to get bailed out by the refs."

[MrSparkle]

Pippen's analysis is spot-on. It's straight-forward, I don't see why people get so offended for other players. Gordon has pride, so it's good that he came back at him. What would ass-padding have done for Gordon? He doesn't need to hear that he's got it going on, the guy has been up-and-down every year. I am impressed with his skill-set and am glad he's tearing it up off the bench, but he's obviously not on the level of Wade.

[NLK]

Pippen's analysis is spot-on. It's straight-forward, I don't see why people get so offended for other players. Gordon has pride, so it's good that he came back at him. What would ass-padding have done for Gordon? He doesn't need to hear that he's got it going on, the guy has been up-and-down every year. I am impressed with his skill-set and am glad he's tearing it up off the bench, but he's obviously not on the level of Wade.

Well said! This team is lacking the mentality and fire it needs to be a good team, let alone a great one. They're below .500, i.e. below average. Sam Smith is also the writer, I guess Pip couldn't find Jay Mariotti's number.