It has been well-documented that the Bulls are the league’s youngest team with seven rookies, an average age of 22.9 and average NBA experience of 1.1 years per player.
Those facts didn’t stop General Manager Jerry Krause from defending his use of all six picks in last June’s draft. The picks–three first- and three second-round selections–represented the team’s highest number since the draft went to two rounds in 1989.
All six picks made the roster, a rarity.
“When we did the drafting, I didn’t think all six of them would be on this team by any means,” Krause said. “I thought three or four would be. I also thought we were going to get veterans through free agency. But I don’t regret using all six picks at all. We took two young players who we thought would be backup players behind veteran experienced players. That didn’t work out.”
Star gazing: Dragan Tarlac is an All-Star.
OK, that’s a stretch, especially given that the rookie center had played just six minutes in the Bulls’ six games preceding Tuesday’s. But Tarlac made an unheralded appearance at last weekend’s All-Star Game as part of a league program to promote the game internationally.
Tarlac joined fellow international players Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas (Germany), John Amaechi of Orlando (England), Daniel Santiago of Phoenix (Puerto Rico) and Vlade Divac and Predrag Stojakovic of Sacramento (Yugoslavia) in meeting sponsors from around the world and taking part in activities for charity.
Tarlac participated in a shooting contest Saturday that was won by Milwaukee’s Sam Cassell, a non-international player. Tarlac still won $2,500 for charity. Tarlac chose Divac’s charity called Group Seven, which helps people from their native Yugoslavia.
“It was a great experience because I had never been to an All-Star Game,” Tarlac said. “And the ceremony for the all-time great players had so many great personalities. I was just hanging by the floor on Sunday.”
Another `L’: For those who wonder about such matters, Tim Floyd’s dismal career record didn’t catch a break last week when assistant Bill Berry coached the Phoenix game as Floyd served a one-game suspension. The league decided several years ago, in an attempt to mainstream career records, not to award wins and losses to substitute coaches in special situations.
For instance, each game that acting Dallas head coach Donn Nelson is coaching as his father, Don, recovers from surgery for prostate cancer goes on Don’s career record. Donn has coached every Mavericks game since Jan. 5.
Berry, a longtime assistant, had finished games for ejected coaches before, but the Phoenix game marked his first full game as an NBA coach. Floyd’s career mark, meanwhile, stood at 36-144 entering Tuesday’s game.
Looking `four’ward: Hawks coach Lon Kruger said he still follows the University of Illinois team he coached and recruited. But the school’s No. 4 national ranking hasn’t made him second-guess his decision to leave for pro basketball.
“I don’t spend a lot of time dwelling on what could’ve been,” Kruger said. “I’m happy for the players and [coach] Bill Self.”
Layups: Center Jake Voskuhl, on the injured list since Dec. 15 with left foot tendinitis, still isn’t practicing but has been working on lateral footwork on the sidelines. He said he’s a week or two away from being healthy. Forward Michael Ruffin is still four weeks away from returning from his broken right hand but is doing conditioning work and some shooting. … Ruffin and Elton Brand will recognize Black History Month with an appearance at Anderson Community Academy Middle School on Thursday.
