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 Abdul-Jabbar managing his illness Nov. 15: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wants to be very clear that his cancer was caught early and that he's not dealing with a death sentence. |
Ask the NBA expert: Ira Winderman |
Do you have a burning question about your favorite team or player? Submit it now, and then check back for our reader mailbag on the 1st and 15th of each month. |  |
Q: If Reggie Miller is being lured out of retirement by the Celtics, will the Lakers do the same with Scottie Pippen?
— Ronnie Reyes, Mandaluyong City, Philippines
A. I think Scottie is done with that episode, and I have questions whether Miller will do it. It's harder than it looks, especially after being away. And Reggie was slowing at the end, also. The Lakers offered Pippen a spot last season, but wanted him to play regularly. He told them he wasn't up to that kind of role, so I would doubt he is now after not working out that much since.
Q: Which player to you think has the potential to be the biggest "sleeper" in the most recent NBA draft, and why?
— Charlie Ingram, Arlington, Va.
A. That's always a big guess, and you can't consider someone in the top 10 a sleeper. So I'd watch for Rodney Stuckey with the Pistons, who looks like he could be a tough guard, and Marco Belinelli. Maybe also the Clippers Nick Young will give them a chance to move Corey Maggette.
Q: I have been in a heated debate with a co-worker of mine. The debate is over contact sports. I feel like basketball is more of a contact sport than football because of the lack of safety equipment. He feels that football is more of a contact sport because there are harder hits. Which one do you feel like is more contact?
— Kyle Cornwell, Louisville, Ky.
A. I'd have to admit football since very few NBA players get knocked out during games. I would never want to minimize the physical contact in basketball, and an elbow from an athletic 250-pound rebounder will rearrange some teeth. But there is nothing like the collisions in football, and if America weren't betting so much money on it, you'd have to consider making it illegal given the size and speed of players today. Looking at the retired played trying to get pensions and hospital payments from the NFL, I'd say football today could be more violent and dangerous than boxing.
Q: Steroid use in the NBA has not been the significant problem it has been in almost every other major sport? Why do you think that is?
— Jerry, San Antonio
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A. There probably has been some, though steroids or human growth hormones or whatever bicycle riders use, wouldn't seem to help the biggest NBA skill, which is shooting the ball. Though the big reason is probably that the NBA has had a tough drug policy for some time and have been throwing drug users oput of the league for two decades. All players are subject to several random drug tests every year. Strength is obviously important in the post, and being able to heal quickly is important, though I'd say more so in football because they don't have long term guaranteed contracts. Some NBA guys don't always worry about getting back too fast. But it's also primarily a quickness and coordination sport, which wouldn't seem to benefit that much from steroids to outweigh the risks.
Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more.
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