來做點功課吧，這一篇談哈寶寶的文章不錯，晚點再來聊。^^
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http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/083208-1753-039.html
Harrington: I'm ready to start
Rejuvenated forward says he will accept any role the Pacers
give him when season starts.
By Mark Montieth
mark.montieth@indystar.com
October 14, 2003
Some people in the Indiana Pacers' front office believe Al Harrington
will contend for NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors.
It's a nice compliment, but Harrington would rather hear his name
called when the starting lineup is introduced Oct. 29 at Detroit.
Harrington's unbridled enthusiasm, ambition and optimism have inspired
far greater goals for himself than becoming one of the NBA's top
reserves. Sixth man? He thinks more along the lines of being the man.
"He wanted to be an All-Star the first week he was here," recalled
Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird, who coached
Harrington as a rookie.
The 6-9 forward will again have patience thrust upon him -- in the
course of games, when he'll be expected to avoid forcing the issue
so often, and in the context of his career, where the 23-year-old
veteran of five seasons will have to continue making progress.
"I really want to start, but if it takes me being a sixth man for
another year I'll do it -- and be happy with it," said Harrington,
whose Pacers will play a preseason game at Chicago tonight. "As long
as I can play and be productive, I'll be happy with it.
"It's funny how things happen, so I'll wait it out. I'll be starting
soon enough."
Coach Rick Carlisle has not ruled out Harrington's chances of starting
this season, but the most likely scenario is a repeat of the past two
seasons and the first two preseason games. That would mean coming off
the bench but playing extensive minutes.
Harrington has played more minutes than everyone but forward Ron Artest
in the first two exhibition games and ranks second to Jermaine O'Neal
in scoring with a 13.5 average.
In a sense, the versatility and enthusiasm that are Harrington's
greatest assets work against him in his quest to become a starter.
Carlisle, like Isiah Thomas before him, values the jolt and scoring
he can provide off the bench.
"The whole issue of who will and won't start is based upon different
things," Carlisle said. "Al's one of the top three or four players
on this team. Based upon that, he probably should start. But the
chemistry of a team doesn't always dictate that's the way to go."
Harrington's complicated status is appropriate for someone who is
a contradiction at this stage of his career. He's a veteran, but
young. He's shown flashes of brilliance, such as in a 40-point game
against Atlanta last season, but also signs of immaturity. He's
already suffered and recovered from a major injury to his right knee,
but has so much life left in his legs.
What's clear so far is that he should at least be improved from last
season. He averaged 12.2 points during the regular season in an
impressive comeback from the knee injury he suffered in January 2002.
But he faded down the stretch and flamed out in the first-round playoff
loss to Boston, when he averaged just 3.0 points on 21 percent shooting.
Harrington says now his knee was only 60 to 70 percent of full strength
last season, but is completely recovered this fall.
"It affected me, definitely," he said. "I always knew I was never in
top shape. On defense, it didn't seem like I could stop anybody. It
always seemed like I was too slow. I was never at a point I felt like
I could dominate a game."
Following another summer's worth of serious workouts, Harrington came
to training camp lighter, stronger and proud owner of a healthy knee.
He's more confident as a result, but the first two exhibition games
and Sunday's public scrimmage have only emphasized the contradictions
of his game. He scored a team-high 18 points in 25 minutes in the
first game with Chicago, but came back to hit 2-of-10 shots in 30
minutes against Boston.
The lingering deficiency, and the key to becoming the player he wants
to be, is to overcome the tendency to look for his shot more aggressively
than he looks for open teammates, and to be less reckless in his desire
to make something happen.
Harrington has accumulated more turnovers than assists in each of his
five NBA seasons, as opposed to Reggie Miller, who has had more assists
than turnovers in each of his 16 seasons.
"He's got everything that he needs," Bird said. "He just needs to be
patient and things will come for him. The older he gets the more he'll
realize that."
Harrington had five turnovers and one assist in the first two preseason
games, but Carlisle hopes to reverse the trend by changing his job
description. Carlisle isn't forbidding Harrington from firing up a
jumper now and then, but he wants to use him much like he uses O'Neal:
by posting him up and running the offense through him.
"It's important for our team to play to its strengths, and the real
strength of Al's game is in the post," Carlisle said. "When he's
playing (power forward) or he has a smaller guy on him on the perimeter,
I'd like to see him use his quickness and his creativity more.
"We want to keep this game simple and as often as possible we want to
put guys in position to do things well."
Even if that position starts with sitting on the bench.
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