Monday, October 03, 2005

Mullin's Twelve

SignArenas put together an entertaining article about a fictitious trip around the country as Mullin checks in on the squad he's assembled.

NBA training camps don't open for a few more weeks, but Chris Mullin wasn't about to let that stand in his way. His Golden State Warriors ended last season on a positive note, lending more promise to the 2005-06 season than any before it in the past decade. But to reestablish the chemistry of last year's team, Mullin knew his players would need as much time as possible together. So he decided to round all of them up in person, several weeks early, and he recounted his efforts to me so that I could publish them on my website. Why me, you ask? Well, Mully and I have shared a special bond ever since my 7th grade season in CYO basketball, when I was voted "Player Most Likely to Make Chris Mullin Gag in Horror". That kind of bond doesn't just fade away with time.

The first stop on Mullin's Warrior odyssey was Bloomington, Indiana, heart of Hoosier territory and the home of Indiana University. Mully told me about his trip to a modest-looking apartment complex, located in a student housing area. I asked him if he was making a brief scouting trip before scooping up his players, and his mood suddenly changed...

So I sent Adonal to work with Felton Spencer this offseason, to try and refine his moves in the low post."

"The first few weeks, it was rough. Adonal's footwork was all wrong, he shot with the wrong hand....the man was just lost. I kept in constant contact with Felton throughout the process, and I asked him how difficult this was going to be. Felton said it was like trying to teach a giraffe how to surf. But one thing Adonal has always had is a superior work ethic. And by the end of the summer, Felton told me he'd molded Adonal into one of the best backup centers in the NBA. I told Big Spence that Foyle was actually our starting center, and Felton hung up the phone. I think that meant he felt Adonal was ready."


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