TOMASSON: Hall of Fame door assessed

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Friday, February 29, 2008

Vince Carter once admitted to not going all out during a game.

The Web site FireGeorgeKarl.com was started by Denver native Andrew Feinstein, a nationally syndicated cartoonist.

Baseball Hall of Fame arguments used to be so much more clear until they came up with something called "the clear." Hits, home runs and wins were key ammunition.

Now, we're waiting to see if a Bill James type comes up with the statistic, "injections per at-bat."

And, yes, there are Pro Football Hall of Fame bar arguments. Let's just say, though, bouncers don't need to break them up when centers and cornerbacks come up.

Then there's the Basketball Hall of Fame. No, there wasn't much fervor last year about coaching inductees Pedro Ferrandiz and Mirko Novosel.

But if the basketball Hall, which includes international enshrines unfamiliar to even the most diehard fans, ever starts to induct NBA players again (none got in last year), the speculation will be fun. And so far, I see only three whose chances have been torpedoed due to steroid use.

I'll go out on a limb and say Don MacLean, Matt Geiger and Soumaila Samake, the three former NBA players once suspended because of steroids, have absolutely no chance.

But there are plenty of worthy basketball Hall candidates active in the NBA. And none, to borrow a line from Roger Clemens, has talked about not giving a "rat's . . . " about making it.

The Web site Basketball- Reference.com provides a statistical breakdown of Hall of Fame probabilities for active players who have been in the league at least since 2002. It's a neat list, but there are flaws.

To say Vince Carter, who never has won anything and once admitted to not going all out as a player, has a 94 percent chance compared with Jason Kidd's 88 percent is, well, half-man, half-brained.

Then there's Denver native Chauncey Billups, whom Hall of Famer Bill Walton said still has time to make it to Springfield, Mass. Billups is a long shot, but he has a better chance than the site's 5.7 percent, which puts him behind no-hopers Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker and Sam Cassell.

For the purpose of creating arguments, here's a look at how active players stack up when it comes to the basketball Hall. But, for now, let's not debate young stars such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

To be considered, a player must have been selected for at least three All-Star Games and been born in the 1970s. Then again, we'll also consider Dikembe Mutombo, born in the 1940s. (Or so it seems.)

* Slam dunks (start molding a bust): Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Kidd, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki.

Comment: Forget that Nash barely can dunk. It would have been outrageous to list him here three years ago, but then he stunningly won two MVPs, and no eligible former MVP has not made the Hall.

* Finger roll in the lane (looking strong, but don't showboat and miss): Carter, Tracy McGrady.

Comment: If McGrady actually can win a playoff series, that really will help. Unless you're Adrian Dantley, two scoring titles has meant a lock.

* Midrange jumper (resume still needs polishing): Ray Allen, Paul Pierce.

Comment: If Boston's new big three can roll to some titles, Garnett, Allen and Pierce could retire at the same time and later make the induction ceremony look like St. Patrick's Day.

* Three-pointer (must close career with a flourish, or hope history becomes a kind judge): Billups, Richard Hamilton, Grant Hill. Shawn Marion, Mutombo, Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber.

Comment: Houston's Mutombo, actually born in 1966, can aid his hopes if he can help overcome the loss of center Yao Ming. Then again, he's 0-of-2 on three-pointers in his career.

* Desperation long heave (better make like Phil Jackson and try to get in as a coach): Steve Francis, Eddie Jones, Peja Stojakovic, Walker, Rasheed Wallace.

Comment: All these guys have somehow made three All-Star Games. At least Wallace hasn't been ejected from one.

Web campaign

Andrew Feinstein was frustrated seeing his beloved Nuggets suffer embarrassing road losses last weekend against Chicago and Milwaukee. But he didn't write a letter to the editor. He didn't call a radio show.

He started a Web site.

Feinstein, 32, a Denver native and nationality syndicated cartoonist who said he has been a Nuggets fans since being in his "mother's womb," launched FireGeorgeKarl.com on Sunday. It has since gotten about 10,000 hits, no doubt helped by a mention on ESPN.com.

It's not certain if any hits have come from George Karl. But the Nuggets coach is aware of the site, which has as many good things to say about him as Ann Coulter does about Democrats.

"The longer you're with a team, the more people like you and the more people dislike you," Karl said. "I don't think it's valuable to pay attention to that, to de-energize me and waste my energy right now."

Feinstein isn't your typical Internet basher. He's co-creator of Girls & Sports, a comic strip that's published in about 125 U.S. daily newspapers.

"This is not a personal attack (on Karl)," said Feinstein, who believes the talented Nuggets have been underachieving under Karl. "I don't think he's the right coach at this time. I think it's time for a change."

The Web site includes a poll, which Thursday showed 64 percent wanting Karl to be fired or asked to resign.

Of course, this would be akin to a poll at NationalReview.com asking a possible presidential preference between John McCain and Barack Obama.

Top 40

If a fifth player can reach 40 points in a game this season, the Nuggets will make NBA history.

When J.R. Smith recently joined Carmelo Anthony, Iverson and Linas Kleiza in that category, Denver joined the 1969-70 Baltimore Bullets (Mike Davis, Kevin Loughery, Jack Marin, Earl Monroe) and 1988-89 Phoenix Suns (Tom Chambers, Armon Gilliam, Eddie Johnson, Kevin Johnson) as the only teams to have four.

So who's the Nuggets' best candidate for a fifth? If you're thinking Kenyon Martin, his career high is 35.

NUMBERS GAME

11 players changing teams in the recent trade among Chicago, Cleveland and Seattle, tying for the third biggest in NBA history. Five teams made a 13-player deal in 2005 and there was a 12-player trade in 2000 and another 11-player one in 1999.

GOOD OMEN?

Miami forward Dorell Wright's girlfriend, Mia Lee, recently delivered the couple's first child, named Devin Quentin Dwyane Wright.

Wright said the two middle names come from New York forward Quentin Richardson and Heat guard Dwyane Wade, whom he calls big influences in his career.

Perhaps the youngster will end up with the shooting ability of Richardson and the athleticism of Wade. As for the ballhandling skills of New Jersey point guard Devin Harris, there was no word on whether he played any role in the naming process.

HE SAID IT

"There's only one time when I ever disagreed with Bob Dylan. That's when Dylan, in I Shall Be Released, sang, 'They say everything can be replaced.' That is just not the case with Yao. He's one of a kind."

Bill Walton, Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst, on Houston's loss of Yao Ming for the season because of a stress fracture in his left foot.

Hall passes

* The active players with the best Hall of Fame chances, according to Basketball-Reference.com:

Player Team Pct.

Shaquille O'Neal Phoenix 100

Tim Duncan San Antonio 100

Kevin Garnett Boston 100

Allen Iverson Nuggets 100

Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers 99.96

Steve Nash Phoenix 99.92

Dirk Nowitzki Dallas 99.92

Vince Carter New Jersey 94.18

Jason Kidd Dallas 88.62

Tracy McGrady Houston 85.77