Pip Done? Bye, don't let the door...

I truly don't wish others ill, but for some I just can't get lathered up about their problems. So, if Pip is done I hope he just goes away...

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...pippen,1,211902.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines

Injury dims Pippen's future
Sore left knee has Bull questioning whether he's done

By K.C. Johnson, Tribune staff reporter

December 10, 2003, 10:15 PM CST

Scottie Pippen's playing future is in jeopardy because of a sore left knee that had the 16-year veteran speaking in ominous tones Wednesday.

"I've questioned myself whether I can play another year—or this year," Pippen said after practice. "I just have to wait and see."

Pippen, who signed a guaranteed, two-year deal July 20 worth $10.3 million, has missed the last three games and eight of the Bulls' 20 overall. His left knee, for which he underwent arthroscopic surgery March 18, continues to swell and more frequent fluid drainings aren't curing the problem.

"We're not making the progress that we'd like to think we would be making," trainer Fred Tedeschi said. "We're still having problems with swelling and investigating where we need to go from here.

"[Draining the knee] certainly isn't a good thing. I'm not going to say it's ominous, but it isn't a positive sign when the fluid keeps returning."

Another surgery to remove more cartilage could be the next step.

"It's always a possibility, especially with what we knew about it," Tedeschi said. "He had a surgery at the end of last season. To say it was going to be clear sailing, we certainly didn't feel that was the case."

Wearing sweats on another day of inactivity, Pippen delivered his sobering news in tones as casual as his dress.

If the six-time NBA champion voted one of the best 50 players in league history is forced to have another surgery or retire before the contract runs its course, however, its ramifications will be anything but casual for a franchise that counted on him to provide stability on the court and leadership off of it.

Such a scenario also would call into question general manager John Paxson's decision to guarantee Pippen the full midlevel exception for two years in last summer's free-agent market. No other team offered Pippen a guaranteed second year.

Paxson, who is battling the flu virus, declined comment until Thursday. He consistently and openly has acknowledged the risks involved in signing Pippen, 38, who has undergone nine surgeries and played a combined 49,029 regular and postseason minutes in his career.

But management was confident it could avoid the scenario it faces if it used Pippen wisely and sparingly. Pippen is averaging 22.3 minutes in his 12 games.

The problem with such a belief is that Pippen offers so much in intangibles and stability when he does play that coaches struggle to rest him. Portland coach Maurice Cheeks watched Pippen lead his team to 22 wins in 27 games last season before Pippen broke down and needed the March surgery.

"I try to keep his minutes down, but he's so valuable," Cheeks said then.

Former Bulls coach Bill Cartwright talked about the same dynamic earlier this season. It's frustrating Pippen too.

"It's a little uncomfortable sitting out and not being able to get involved," Pippen said. "But what is there to do?"

The Bulls paced Pippen through a rigorous physical July 21 and said he passed without a problem.

Pippen has missed an average of 18.7 games over the previous three seasons. Tedeschi said Pippen is undergoing daily treatment and the soreness is related to previous surgeries and general wear and tear.

Astoundingly, a player could play every minute of all 82 games for 12 straight seasons and not total the number of career minutes Pippen has.

"I'd love to have him," coach Scott Skiles said. "But I've been an older player myself and understand there's nothing worse than being hurt all the time. It just gets to the point mentally where it's such a drag. You have a hard time getting up in the morning and the whole bit. I'm definitely sympathetic."

At least the Bulls received good news on Corie Blount, who may return from his sore knee Friday.

And at least Pippen hasn't lost his sense of humor. As recently as Sunday, he chastised a Bulls employee for taking a piece of gum from the players' stash. Shortly after popping a piece into his mouth, Pippen grinned.

"Then why am I chewing it?" he said, posing a rhetorical question that pales in significance to the larger one concerning his future.
Copyright © 2003, The Chicago Tribune

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...mith,1,7494386.column?coll=cs-bulls-headlines

A good move turns sour

By Sam Smith

I missed by four days. When the Bulls signed Scottie Pippen back in July, I advised to take Dec. 6 in the office pool for the Pippen "meltdown." The time when Pippen would lose it and throw a chair or just check out for some arthroscopic surgery.

There's always a risk associated with Scottie Pippen, more so the 38-year-old Scottie Pippen, who sounded at Bulls practice Wednesday like he's close to ending his career after playing only 12 games in his return to the Bulls.

There is no definite word, although Pippen recently has been talking around the team of not being able to tolerate his deteriorating knee condition anymore. It seems with his comments Wednesday that he has "questioned myself whether I can play another year—or this year," that it's time to consider when to have that banner-raising ceremony—next to Jerry Krause's would be sweet—and get the clock started for the Hall of Fame.

Yes, Pippen should get there, and his signing was the right thing for the Bulls.

But it hasn't worked out, although you should figure Pippen will try one more surgery and perhaps an abbreviated return before calling it quits.

If that happens, give new general manager John Paxson a .500 summer. He had the nice draft pick of Kirk Hinrich, who looks like he'll be a solid point guard, and his free-agent signing of Pippen. Too often we ask the people who run our teams to be prescient instead of simply prepared, to make sure they're right all the time.

Just like everyone in their own jobs and lives, right?

Mistakes are part of life, except if you're a sports team executive. Then you should have known!

Sure, everyone knew Pippen had knee problems. He had missed at least 18 games in each of the last three seasons, but he was effective and valuable when he played.

Even so, there was much more to the signing than Pippen's basketball production.

The Bulls hoped Pippen could provide some guidance and knowledge to the young players, and he has tried. Although it's questionable how receptive they have been.

It also was important to put a new face on the Bulls' organization, to change it from the image of losing and angry resentment it had in recent years. Part was the hiring of Paxson, but Pippen's return was something of a symbolic gesture, to show the league and its free agents Chicago again was a player-friendly place to come. Look! Even Scottie Pippen came back.

That goal was accomplished, but it doesn't appear Pippen will be able to provide the on-court direction and leadership the Bulls hoped he would.

Signing Pippen for a full second year ($4.9 million this season and $5.4 million in 2004-05) doesn't really hurt the Bulls' future flexibility with players because they are above the salary cap anyway.

Pippen could retire but then he would forfeit the second year of his contract. The Bulls shouldn't count on that. They probably will end up paying him as the New Jersey Nets have with Alonzo Mourning. It's unclear if the team had insurance, given Pippen's knee problems.

Paxson admits he has put himself on the critics' clock sooner with his quick firing of Bill Cartwright and the trade for Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams. It hardly helps that the Toronto Raptors are 5-0 since and have gained 3½ games on the Bulls for the playoffs.

The loss of Pippen is huge for this season's team, perhaps even fatal. It forces the Bulls to rely on the erratic Eddie Robinson, or even Marcus Fizer, at small forward. It makes the Bulls that much younger and inexperienced again with inconsistent Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford the main offensive decision-makers, a role Pippen—as well as the departed Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall—was supposed to inherit.

Davis isn't exactly the vocal leader with all of the championship rings of Pippen, and don't be surprised to see Davis traded to a contending team in February if the Bulls are going nowhere.

At 35, with balky knees and increased playing time, and with Tyson Chandler and his troublesome back out at least several more weeks, Davis might be better served with a contender.

With the underrated loss of Jay Williams, Paxson is discovering playing was a lot easier than being an executive—and how much smarter he was back then.

But Paxson first became a Bull the year Michael Jordan broke his foot and the team featured George Gervin, Gene Banks, Quintin Dailey and Orlando Woolridge. Because of that, he knows it has been worse here and can be repaired, although perhaps it will take longer than he had imagined.
Copyright © 2003, The Chicago Tribune