?????????

- So you say quotes like these....."He knows how to finish games," Johnson proclaimed, "and that's what we're looking for." And then you proceed to bench him in the final half minute of the 4th quarter down by a score. And then losing his cool during that whole JET/Bowen incident, which propelled San Antonio on a 13-1 run that put them right back in the game. And of course all of the suspensions and outcoaching that has gone on during the last 2 playoff runs. Avery's grace under fire is starting to come into question with me. Things like this are what make him puzzling to me at times.

- A guy you got for his mental toughness and late game intelligence is useless to you if he's sitting next to Avery on the bench. Why even make the trade? Isn't this the guy you traded for to get easy shots for players at the end of games? Just ridiculous.

- And I don't buy the "he hasn't been here for late game situations before, so we wanted guys out there who have" crap. When's he going to learn? On the road in game 2 of the 1st round? Why not start building that chemistry now before the friggin playoffs? Good gosh.

- Bruce Bowen is a punk. That guy makes up for a lack of athetlicism and legs with the most blatant clutching, grabbing, elbowing, etc of any player in the league. And then does the "what did I do?" dumb face afterwards, just like Raja Bell. I wish Josh Howard or Stackhouse would just give him a forearm shiver to the head and be done with it.

- All in all, I felt good about the game. Michael Finley and Bowen are not going to go 10-17 (5-9 from 3 pt) every game. And I still don't think Tony Parker is all that healthy. His usual deadly 18 footer was missing. He can still drive, but that jumper that makes him unguardable, is lacking this year. And Avery isn't going to go braindead and leave the best PG of his generation on the sidelines when you need him most in the 4th quarter. At least I hope he won't.



- Marc Stein.....



Avery Johnson's Decision To Shelve Kidd Puzzling

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Five games.

Or make that four games and one TNT Thursday showdown in San Antonio that had an undeniable playoffs-in-February kind of feel.

Either way . . .

It didn't even take two weeks for Mavericks coach Avery Johnson to make us question why he pushed for the Jason Kidd trade.

Not even two weeks to register fresh doubts that Johnson's ego can prevent him from overthinking or overtaking the game or that he's really ready to relinquish control of his offense to a veteran point guard who doesn't need to be micromanaged.

In just the fifth game of Kidd's Dallas rebirth, Johnson stunningly and inexplicably benched Kidd for the Mavs' final two possessions in crunch time against their biggest rival. Two possessions, spanning nearly 35 seconds.

That's the same Kidd who Dallas worked so hard to bring back because, in Johnson's words, this team needed someone after those playoff collapses against Miami and Golden State who "knows how to finish games."

On this night, though, it looked as if Dallas' own Lil' General had already forgotten the new game plan. With the Mavs down two points in the final minute of a certifiable thriller that they wound up losing 97-94, Johnson came out of two straight timeouts with a play call that -- unfathomable as it sounds -- he thought would work better without Kidd's involvement.

Both calls were from the Mavs' catalog of trusted isolation plays, designed to get Dirk Nowitzki to attack the Spurs' defense from the middle of the floor. Johnson explained afterward that he wanted to make sure Nowitzki was surrounded by shooters after catching the ball to discourage San Antonio from double-teaming, leading him to hold Kidd out because he feared Spurs coach Gregg Popovich surely would have ordered Kidd's defender to immediately double Nowitzki.

Yet there are at least three major flaws in that thinking.

1. Kidd has never been a shooter. You can't trade for Jason Kidd to be your ace closer and then worry about his shooting. Kidd actually said earlier this week that Dirk has been "helping me with my shot," but it's not going to improve fast enough to prevent this from being an issue in every playoff game Dallas plays. The solution? You trust Kidd's resume as a closer, put him in pick-and-roll situations with Nowitzki at game's end and thus give your trade maximum opportunity for success as it was conceived.

2. Johnson himself has likened the Mavs' final 20-odd games to a learning-on-the-fly training camp. So why would you delete Kidd from the exact situation that you, as head coach, described as his specialty just days earlier?

3. When the Mavs came up with offensive rebounds after two Nowitzki misses in that final half-minute, they ended up with a busted play to decide things. But instead of a Kidd/Nowitzki pick-and-roll for the Mavs to force overtime or win it, their combo was Jason Terry and Nowitzki. You saw the result.

Nowitzki did get open briefly on the screen/roll, but Terry couldn't get the ball to him. Nor could Terry avoid getting his shot blocked in the lane, sealing Dallas' defeat.

Meanwhile . . .

The veteran who has the ability to make something out of nothing -- Kidd -- was rooted to the bench for that sequence as opposed to having the ball in his hands to try to slip it to Nowitzki or find a shooter in the corner like Jerry Stackhouse (or, say, Terry) for a clean look. Worse yet: Dallas' first play Nowitzki for didn't work and Johnson declined again after a second timeout to send Kidd in, even though you always want a Kidd or Manu Ginobili making that decisive play -- whether or not they've been with the team long enough to know all the plays -- because so many last-second situations in the NBA turn into busted plays because of sophisticated defenses.

No one's suggesting Johnson was the Mavs' lone culprit Thursday night. Nowitzki couldn't convert his final jumper or a lefty drive after sinking a strongly contested J with 1:38 to play to make it 94-94. Terry missed a big free throw and a wide-open jumper of his own in crunch time and, whether or not he was provoked by the Spurs' Bruce Bowen, earned himself a costly technical foul that triggered Dallas' loss of composure in the third quarter as soon as the visitors had seized a 10-point lead.

It wasn't Kidd's best night, either, even before he wound up as a spectator. He was actually better defensively on Ginobili than he was at his preferred end, credibly pestering one of the league's hottest players but totaling just seven points on 3-for-10 shooting, four rebounds and 10 assists while struggling somewhat to impose himself in the halfcourt when the pace slowed in the fourth quarter.

Yet none of that can make sense of Johnson's reasoning in this one. Kidd was a diplomat in his postgame address -- telling reporters in San Antonio that "I understand and support my coach's decision" essentially since he's a newcomer -- but pulling Kidd would have been just as mind-boggling had the Mavs pulled out a victory.

As discussed in this cyberspace on multiple occasions already my only skepticism regarding the wisdom of parting with five players, two first-round picks and $3 million to reacquire Kidd -- as well as the extra $11 million it'll cost Mavs owner Mark Cuban this season after his first trade with New Jersey collapsed -- was Avery-related. As in: Will Avery ever really be able to restrain his controlling instincts and relinquish lead decision-maker status offensively?

Now that's only one of the questions confronting Johnson entering Game 6 of the new Kidd Era at home Friday against Sacramento. You inevitably wonder what sort of messages Avery transmitted to Kidd, when they're just building a relationship, by holding him out of a such a high-profile finish on national TV.

If you're an optimist, by contrast, perhaps you're wondering whether Dallas can come out of all this unexpectedly fortunate, based on the idea that such an ill-conceived coaching decision happening so soon after the trade will generate such an outcry in Big D that Johnson winds up backing off faster than expected.

In the interim?

This might be remembered as the first Thursday on record that the studio assessment of TNT's Charles Barkley was met with near-unanimous approval:

"There's no sense in making the Jason Kidd trade," Barkley said, "if they're not going to play him in crunch time."



- David Moore on the decision.



Kidd not in it to help win it for Dallas Mavericks

That's because Avery took him off the court for final 34.5 seconds


08:58 AM CST on Friday, February 29, 2008

SAN ANTONIO – Watching the end of Thursday's game, I flashed back to something Avery Johnson said less than 10 days ago when Jason Kidd was welcomed back to Dallas.

The Mavericks coach paid tribute to Kidd like everyone else. He raved about the point guard's leadership and his ability to make big plays when they're needed most.

"He knows how to finish games," Johnson proclaimed, "and that's what we're looking for."

I guess Johnson was looking for something else Thursday night.

Down by two with 34.5 seconds left, Kidd was pulled and replaced by Jerry Stackhouse. One of the best players of his generation was reduced to a cheerleader in the final, fateful seconds of this loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Maybe Kidd's presence wouldn't have made a difference. We'll never know. But by asserting his control at the end of the game, Johnson took the game out of Kidd's talented hands. For this to work, Johnson must learn to trust Kidd in a way he never did Devin Harris.

The irony is if this trade had not been made, Johnson likely would have had Harris on the floor at the end of Thursday's game.

The Mavericks did manage to squeeze off three shots in that final sequence. Forward Dirk Nowitzki missed two of them. Jason Terry missed the last one.

Nowitzki has been positively giddy since Kidd's arrival. He wasn't so giddy in the aftermath of this game. Was Nowitzki surprised that Kidd wasn't on the floor?

"You have to talk to coach about that," Nowitzki said.

Good idea.

What about it, coach?

"We were looking at spreading the floor with all of our shooters in the game," Johnson said. "We wanted to put Stack and Josh [Howard] and Jet [Terry], and that gave Dirk some more room to operate in those situations.

"Our spacing was good, and that is what we were doing on that particular one."

Spacing? I'd argue Johnson spaced out. The four shooters that surrounded Nowitzki on the final possession were a combined 2-of-9 in the fourth quarter.

Now, if Johnson had said that Kidd hasn't been around long enough to run the play he wanted at the end, I might understand that. Might.

"We had a couple of breakdowns there in the fourth," Johnson said. "We talked about a lot of different things. Then he had a chance to take a look at it. Jet and Dirk made some plays for us.

"Again, we just wanted to give Dirk a little bit more space. He got the space. A couple of shots just didn't go down."

Kidd doesn't walk on water. But he should at least walk on the court at the end of a tight game.

Kidd has already altered the identity of this team with his passing. But if he is to put his stamp on the Mavericks, if he does rescue this team from its postseason meltdowns of the past two seasons, it will be by what he does at the end of highly competitive games like the one played here Thursday.

"I support that move," Kidd said. "I feel like they've had that team together down the stretch. They understand the play they're looking for. And so, I'm over there cheering for my guys to knock down a two or a three."

Still, Kidd takes great pride in his ability to make plays that win games. He had to be discouraged that he wasn't in there to pull the trigger.

"I wasn't discouraged," Kidd said. "I understand and support my coach's decision. That will happen."

It shouldn't happen too often.

Kidd was only 3-of-8 from the field. He hit only one shot in the second half.

But as everyone knows, Kidd isn't special because of his shot. He had 10 assists against the Spurs, and Johnson did praise his defense on Manu Ginobili.

That's nice. But when the Mavericks' braintrust discussed the reasons to make this trade, I doubt much time was spent on Kidd's defensive prowess against Ginobili. The trade was made to give them a leader on the floor at the end of close games.

"He's going to help us because at the end of games, he just knows how to win," Johnson said at the news conference when Kidd was introduced.

Too bad Johnson didn't remember his own words Thursday.




- Another viewpoint from San Antonio's Buck Harvey.



Buck Harvey: Still the same in Dallas - Johnson can't let go

Web Posted: 02/29/2008 12:30 AM CST

San Antonio Express-News

Avery Johnson coached for the first time in his career with his No. 6 in the rafters. Maybe that explains why he all but wore the jersey.
Maybe that explains why the former point guard subbed out his Hall of Fame point guard. He took control of the floor just as he always did before here.

But nothing explains this.

In the final seconds, Johnson sat down the one the Mavericks traded their future for, the instinctive winner brought in to make everyone forget past playoff chokes, the 35-year-old who has played in a few last-second moments before.

No. 6 sat down No. 2 in the Dallas program and No. 1 on Mark Cuban's payroll. Jason Kidd.

Kidd did play 35 minutes with his customary 10 assists, and he changed the look of the Mavericks. But his appearance didn't change the look of the rivalry. Squint, and this was the 2006 playoffs all over again.

Tim Duncan rolled to the basket for 31 points, albeit without plantar fasciitis. Jason Terry had some anger issues. And Michael Finley again gave Cuban his money's worth.

Then there was Dirk Nowitzki. As it was then, he was unguardable.

The Spurs tried five different defenders on him, and Nowitzki's jerky cleverness created 21 free throws. In Game 3 of the 2006 series Nowitzki attempted more free throws (24) and made more (21) than anyone in Dallas playoff history.

The Spurs protested several calls Thursday night while they clawed at him, and the Mavericks had the right to think Nowitzki should have had a few more. On a late drive it appeared Tony Parker grabbed him.

But as it also was two years ago, Johnson couldn't let that go, either. Afterward he said the game had "shifts for several reasons."

Asked what those reasons were, he answered, "Watch the tape."

Johnson mentioned Parker's tug, and he added an Erick Dampier foul on Duncan. Dampier has his "hands straight up," Johnson said.

Maybe he's right on all of it. But on a night when Nowitzki shot just one fewer free throw than all of the Spurs combined, should officiating be his beef?

If anything, his players should be the ones with a complaint. With 34.5 seconds left, Duncan threw in two free throws after the Dampier "hands straight up" foul. Down by that difference, Johnson called time.

In came Jerry Stackhouse. Out came Kidd.

Just nine days ago, in the wake of the trade, Johnson saw Kidd going in the opposite direction. "He knows how to finish games," Johnson said then, "and that's what we're looking for."

Gregg Popovich compares Kidd to Manu Ginobili, and there were other similarities Thursday. Ginobili, on his way to missing 14 shots, had Kidd's touch.

Popovich naturally sees these two in the best terms. He called Kidd "fearless," and he said he has the "same juice" as Ginobili. "They would have been great warriors in the middle ages," Popovich said.

Kidd is nearly old enough to have played then, so he wouldn't be stumped by whatever sets the Mavericks run. Johnson, too, said his newness to the team wasn't why he benched him.

Instead, Johnson said, "We wanted to spread the floor and give Dirk more room to operate."

That's not illogical strategy. Popovich does the same when trying to free Duncan and, again, Kidd is a notoriously poor shooter.

But if Johnson felt this way, the Mavericks should have never made this trade. The deal cost Dallas both a young talent in Devin Harris and a lot of Cuban's money.

Johnson didn't feel this way when Dallas made the trade, of course. "He's going to help us, because at the end of games he just knows how to win," Johnson gushed on at the time. "A big steal, a big block, a big rebound, big three, his penetration."

The Mavericks shot three times in those final 34.5 seconds, and on the final time there was penetration. But Terry was the one who made it, and Bruce Bowen blocked his shot.

Kidd has spent a career specializing in these kinds of broken plays.

So why didn't Johnson let him?

He couldn't help himself. Going back to his days in San Antonio, No. 6 was always most comfortable being in charge.




- Devin makes his debut. I watched this game in between the Stars and the Mavs. He looked just like he always does. Very fast, driving to the basket, staying with quick point guards on defense. All in all, doing very good things, just like he did here.

- But there was one thing I noticed....Now that I've watched Kidd for 4 games, and then seeing Harris again for the 1st time. I underestimated the instincts and general point guard intelligence that Kidd brings. Harris, for all the good that he brings, and all the things I hated giving up, doesn't even come close. The way he runs the point and the way Kidd runs the point, it's night and day.

- Harris is a bad to average-team point guard and is not a clutch time, get your teammates an open shot kind of guy. He's a flow of the game effective point guard. Kidd's ability to make his teammates better and his ability to get players good looks in crunch time, sets him apart. And I came to this realization after watching them both last night. Even though Kidd never got that opportunity.



By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Perhaps 3,000 fans were still hanging around with 2 minutes left when the chant began.

"De-vin Har-ris. De-vin Harris," it went, sung to the same sing-songy cadence they use across the Hudson River when they're calling for the firing of Isiah Thomas.

"Took me back to college. Haven't heard that since I left Wisconsin," Harris said after making an outstanding debut for the New Jersey Nets, hitting his first six shots and scoring 16 of his team-high 21 points in less than nine minutes of first-half playing time.

Harris entered with the game tied 22-22, and by the time he left the Nets were ahead 50-35 and well on their way to a 120-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The 120 points represented a season-high for the Nets, and their 25 fast-break points tied a season high.

"When you have a 'push' point guard, it inspired everyone else to push," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "Devin was obviously a game-changer."

The game had the feel of a new beginning for the Nets, who had been waiting for Harris' ankle to heal and had not yet used him since acquiring him in the Jason Kidd trade over the All-Star break.

Harris had a three-point play and buried a long 3-pointer shortly after checking into the game for the first time, and his second 3 just over three minutes into the second quarter capped a 20-5 run that brought a feel-good vibe to the building and put the Nets in control for good.

"The Devin made me do it!" over-the-top public address announcer Garry Sussman screamed into the microphone (Sussman also called DeSagana Diop "The Big Dioper" at one point) after Harris dunked 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, and by the end of the quarter the same fans who started the Devin Harris chant were holding up their thundersticks to spell out the new point guard's first name.

"It's kind of a new start here, and I'm kind of letting it all out of the bag," Harris said. "I couldn't have scripted it any better."

Harris seemed genuinely surprised and delighted by the chant, saying the last time he had heard such a thing he was playing at home for Wisconsin against Minnesota, trying to eclipse Michael Finley's single-game school scoring record of 40.

"I missed it, just like I missed my last shot tonight," Harris said, frowning.

That, however, was the only frown to cross Harris' face on a night when his debut for his new team couldn't have gone much better.



- Stars keep rocking, finish the month 12-2, a franchise record. Brad Richards is unbelievable. He has the skate speed, vision, and passing skills of Modano, the 2 way skills of Lehtinen, and the defensive skills of any of the best defenseman the Stars have. He's just as advertised. And his transition into the team was seamless and painless. 5 assists in his debut.



Richards relentless as Dallas Stars rout Chicago

02:53 AM CST on Friday, February 29, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

As debuts go, Brad Richards' was, well, perfect.

The Dallas Stars' blockbuster trade deadline acquisition tied the franchise record – and set a personal best – for assists in a game, recording five to help lead the Stars to a 7-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night at a sold-out American Airlines Center.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done that," Richards joked when asked about elevated expectations.

No, no, this is exactly why the Stars brought him in.

This is exactly why they sent Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This is exactly why they took on Richards' hefty salary, which will count $7.8 million against the salary cap for the next three seasons.

This is exactly why they decided to mess with the chemistry of a team that was winning.

Because it gives Dallas the chance to get better.

Stars coach Dave Tippett played Richards on a line with Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen, and Hagman responded with the first hat trick of his career. He left Mike Modano on a checking line with Steve Ott and Jere Lehtinen, and Modano finished with a goal and an assist.

Tippett rolled four lines, and the passing seemed infectious as the Stars danced around an outmanned Chicago team that had played the night before against Phoenix.

"That's certainly how you'd like to draw it up," veteran forward Stu Barnes said of the start of the Richards era. "When you bring in a player like that and you get a rhythm in your game and you're rolling lines, the confidence does really spread throughout the team.

"It is just one game, and you don't want to get too excited, but hopefully this is a glimpse of what we can be."

The Stars improved to 41-22-5 (87 points) and continue to chase Detroit for the NHL's best record. Dallas has won 13 of its last 15 games and finished with 12 wins in February – the most in one month in franchise history. These are heady times for the Stars.

"We brought in an elite player, and he is going to make us better," Modano said.

Marty Turco had an unspectacular game in net, allowing three third-period goals, but that was after Dallas had built a 5-1 lead on some spectacular offensive plays.

Richards' first assist came in transition, as he took a pass entering the offensive zone and then put a perfect 40-foot pass onto Hagman's stick at the doorstep. Modano then grabbed a loose puck and whipped in an unassisted wrister for the second goal.

Richards stole a puck at the defensive blue line and fed Miettinen, who made a brilliant pass back to Hagman for the third goal. Brenden Morrow faked a slap shot before feeding the puck across the ice to Loui Eriksson for the Stars' fourth goal.

Richards made a stunning fake to Hagman on the rush before feeding a trailing Trevor Daley for the fifth goal. Richards found Hagman in the slot for a quick redirection for the sixth goal. And Richards passed through the box on a 5-on-3 power play for the seventh goal.

There were no flukes in this game. The Stars earned all seven goals with beautiful plays.

"Talent and skill guys never have a hard time adjusting," Tippett said. "If anything, they raise their level, and other players try to get to that level."

Of course, now the expectations will be sky-high for Richards. But, heck, it's not like he needs to get five assists every game.

"I was so nervous and I wanted to fit in so badly," Richards said. "I know it's going to get harder. I just have to keep playing hard. There's a good thing going here, and I hope we can keep it up."



- Kinsler the Rangers' 2008 lead off man?



Texas Rangers consider leading off with Kinsler

09:41 PM CST on Thursday, February 28, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

TEMPE, Ariz. – Ian Kinsler hit leadoff in the Rangers’ intrasquad game. He hit leadoff against a left-hander in the exhibition opener. He hit leadoff against Los Angeles right-hander Ervin Santana on Thursday.

See a pattern developing? You bet.

The Rangers are thinking about using Kinsler exclusively as the leadoff hitter this season rather than have him platoon at the spot as he did with Frank Catalanotto for the second half of last year.

“There’s a chance of that,” manager Ron Washington said Thursday. “I didn’t think of Ian as the prototypical leadoff guy last year, but he changed my mind. We’ll just wait and see what happens. I’m not going to make up my mind after one or two games.” Against a right-hander on Thursday, Catalanotto dropped to seventh in the batting order. If the Rangers go with Kinsler in the leadoff spot in the regular season, its likely Catalanotto might drop another spot since that lineup is expected to include Milton Bradley.

Such an alignment would also allow the Rangers to shuffle fewer pieces when Catalanotto does not play. Whoever starts in his place could easily slide into the eighth spot. When Catalanotto doesn’t start, he could be replaced by another left-handed hitter, David Murphy, or by a number of outfielders vying for the final spot on the club: Nelson Cruz, Kevin Mench, Jason Botts or Chris Shelton. Washington used 139 different lineups last year and no lineup spent more than five games together. Washington would like a more regular lineup this season.

“I think it’s an advantage if a guy knows pretty much every single day where he’s going to be,” Washington said. “If it happens that we have something we can stick with regularly this year, we’ll stick with it.”

Kinsler got only six leadoff opportunities before suffering a stress fracture in his foot in late June. By the time he returned, however, the Rangers had traded Kenny Lofton and the club used a platoon of Catalanotto and Kinsler. Kinsler hit .275 in 20 games in the leadoff spot, but had a .408 on-base percentage. Los Angeles’ Chone Figgins was the only full-time leadoff man with a higher OBP (.415).

What will determine whether Kinsler hits in the spot full-time is likely to be his plate-discipline and his OBP. Thursday, in three official plate appearances, he saw 15 pitches, going 2-for-3. He took all three at-bats to two strikes.

“I want to hit leadoff,” Kinsler said. “I want to be a table setter. But I know if you are going to hit leadoff, you’ve got to be willing to hit with two strikes. I’m normally an aggressive hitter, but you’ve got to be a little more patient when you hit leadoff. I’m pretty comfortable hitting with two strikes.”

The Rangers’ plan and Kinsler’s desire seem to be of no issue to Catalanotto. He said where he hits in the lineup is of no concern to him. Catalanotto has at least 100 career at-bats at five different spots in the lineup. He is a .280 hitter (.357 OBP) for 100 at-bats in the eighth spot; a .271 hitter (.327 OBP) in the seventh spot.

“Whatever they want to do, it’s no skin off my back,” Catalanotto said. “Whatever [Washington] thinks is the best lineup for this team, I’m comfortable with.”

For the first couple of days of spring, it looks like the Rangers are most comfortable with Kinsler at the top of the lineup.

Old-timers' day: Former Rangers Mark McLemore and Rusty Greer have joined the team for morning workouts as guest instructors and will be on hand for four days. It’s not sure how their time will be divided between instruction, counseling and reliving memories. Greer said his main baseball goal was to take batting practice while here. “We’ll have some conversations with some of the younger guys who haven’t experienced winning in Texas. We’ll just be around in case anybody has any questions.”

Briefly: Owner Tom Hicks still had not finalized the details on the contract for new President Nolan Ryan or for the contract extension for GM Jon Daniels Thursday afternoon. It’s still possible, Hicks could get the finalities taken care of before he leaves Arizona this afternoon. Ryan is likely to get a contract of three or more years and Daniels’ extension will put give him the same security as Ryan. Daniels is currently signed through 2009. .. Hicks said the club still has no interest in free agent DH-OF Barry Bonds. Hicks said the Rangers want “character” players only.



- Another Josh Hamilton piece...



No guarantees on Texas Rangers' Hamilton, but he's worth risk

02:39 AM CST on Friday, February 29, 2008

TEMPE, Ariz. – Talk to anyone wearing Rangers blue at spring training and they'll tell you the same thing about Josh Hamilton.

They'll talk about his moon shots during BP. And the easy way he covers ground in center field. They'll talk about his speed and how he's fitting nicely into the Rangers clubhouse.

Then, each and every one of them will tell you how he's blessed with every attribute a baseball player could want. Some of them will even tell you he's the most talented player they've ever seen.

All of that begs the question: Why in the world did Cincinnati trade him for a box of Cocoa Puffs?

His drug problems are well-documented, but the cynic in me figured there had to be more to it than that. Frankly, the question has been nagging me since the Rangers acquired the multitalented outfielder.

Perhaps you're one of those people who think Edinson Volquez will become a solid member of Cincinnati's rotation after going 3-11 with a 7.20 ERA in 17 career starts with the Rangers. By the way, batters hit .329 against him over three seasons with Texas.

To be fair, he was much better last season, going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in six starts. We can debate just how good Volquez will eventually become, but there couldn't possibly be anyone walking around the Reds clubhouse calling him a stud. Or saying he can be one of baseball's best pitchers.

But you do hear plenty of folks in the Rangers' organization – players, coaches and front-office types – saying Hamilton has the ability to be one of the game's best. So I spent the bulk of Thursday trying to figure out why the Reds let him go.

Here's what my research has revealed.

The Reds actually consider themselves contenders in the National League Central, which is why they hired Dusty Baker as manager. You don't shell out the cash Baker commands for yet another last-place finish.

To compete, the Reds needed starting pitching. Getting teams to part with quality young pitchers is next to impossible these days. Usually, the best you can do is getting a team to trade a flawed pitcher with potential.

Volquez certainly fits into that category, which is why Texas was willing to deal him and why the Reds were eager to acquire him.

The Reds also felt comfortable trading Hamilton because they already have Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn in the outfield, and Baseball America considers outfielder Jay Bruce the game's No. 1 prospect. Obviously, he's going to need somewhere to play.

There were also whispers that some in the Reds clubhouse weren't enamored with some of the special treatment Hamilton receives as part of his support to ensure he doesn't have any substance abuse issues.

Finally, the Reds figured Hamilton, the first player selected in the 1999 draft, would never have more value than he did this off-season after hitting .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs in just 90 games and 298 at-bats.

He missed some games with a hamstring injury, and there were legitimate concerns about whether the years of drug use would make him more susceptible to injury because of how much he had abused his 6-4, 235-pound sculpted body.

You can't really argue with any of that, but the Reds' decision to bail on him might eventually make up for general manager Jon Daniels not acquiring Josh Beckett when he had the chance.

Hamilton, batting second Thursday against the Angels, had a two-strike triple down the right-field line that drove in a run. He also singled to right on a hit-and-run, moving the runner to third.

But it was his bouncer back to the pitcher in his second at-bat that shows his mentality as a player.

With Ian Kinsler on second and none out, Hamilton slapped the first pitch back to the mound. Hamilton was easily thrown out, while failing to move Kinsler to third.

It was the epitome of a poor at-bat. The positive: Hamilton knew it and admitted it.

"I was trying to get the runner over, and he threw me a sinker," Hamilton said. "I should have let it go. They weren't going to pitch me inside in that situation, so I should have just taken that pitch and hit it to left center.

"I talked to Rudy [Jaramillo] about it, but that's what spring training is all about. It's about getting experience and making adjustments and seeing what works and what doesn't."

There are no guarantees Hamilton will be a terrific player – even for a short period – but you must admit he has a better chance of being a big-time player than Volquez.



- Stole this from the Sturminator.


- You insulted him a little bit.