One thing's become quite obvious after less than two full days into the NBA Pre-Draft camp here at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex outside of Orlando: The action in the stands is far more intriguing than anything that takes place on the court.
There was a buzz of activity Wednesday off the court, where GMs and other team execs, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Larry Brown, Steve Kerr, Chris Mullin and Elgin Baylor, mingled during the morning session. Here are some of the highlights.
Kerr has no regrets
None about Mike D'Antoni leaving to New York. None with Shaquille O'Neal coming in from Miami. Kerr, cornered Wednesday by a group of Florida and New York reporters, said he would do the Shaq trade all over again - even after the Suns were knocked out of the first round by the Spurs.
That's not a surprising statement, considering it would be hard to see Kerr saying he wished he never traded for Shaq after all. But Kerr did strongly suggest that Shaq still has plenty to prove, especially now, in order to show that the trade was worthwhile for Phoenix.
"We love Shaq - love what he does for our team," Kerr said. "He's great in the locker room. The fact that we lost to the Spurs in the first round doesn't change that."
Again, what else is Kerr supposed to say?
O'Neal is still due $40 million over the final two seasons of his contract. Kerr said he focus for O'Neal to push himself and stay in proper condition. It will also be critical for O'Neal to accept and embrace whoever the Suns hire to replace D'Antoni.
"I'm open to criticism - I accept that," Kerr said of the backlash from the O'Neal trade in the wake of the Suns' early playoff ouster. "The key is going to be how he responds this summer. He's lived up to everything we expected, and we expect that to continue."
Pfund has no info
At least not any he was willing to offer Wednesday when asked about the Heat's plans for workouts after the camp. Heat GM Randy Pfund said the Heat hasn't scheduled workouts for the top prospects and that he wasn't certain how many players the team would work out for the No. 2 overall pick.
"The process will let us know what that number will be," Pfund said. "It could be real small, it could be bigger depending on a couple of answers to questions with some of the key people. I do not have an answer to that right now because it could go either way."
Dorsey has insight?
Forward Joey Dorsey, who played with Derrick Rose at the University of Memphis, insists that Rose is going to be passed over by Chicago with the No. 1 pick and land in Miami.
"I've talked to him, and that's where I think he's going to end up," Dorsey said after playing in the opening game of the pre-draft camp on Wednesday. "You watch what I tell you."
Pressed further, Dorsey wouldn't reveal his sources. Which means, he'll fit right in with the rest of the media at camp if this basketball thing doesn't work out. Dorsey has been known for saying some outlandish things. Calling out Ohio State center Greg Oden during last year's NCAA Tournament counts among them. If his statements about Rose and the Heat are true, Miami fans have quite a bit to be excited about. If not, they were worth entertaining to say the least.
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