Bulls Turmoil Grows As Players Complain

So Michael wants to leave because Bulls management won’t do what he says about keeping Phil. Scottie wants to go elsewhere and be treated better. Phil has had enough of Jerry. Dennis says he can’t believe how badly management has treated him. And wouldn’t it just be nice to go somewhere else?

Perhaps one should ask Scott Williams and Stacey King and Horace Grant and Will Perdue and B.J. Armstrong, all angry enough with the Bulls at one time to demand trades. Now they’re all either looking to be traded again or playing with teams that only increase their frustration level.

The latest was Armstrong, whom the Bulls will see later this week when Charlotte comes to Chicago.

The usually political and careful Armstrong erupted last week and publicly criticized his employers, which led to Friday’s trade from Golden State to Charlotte for Tony Delk and Muggsy Bogues.

“I’m not going through another year like the last two,” Armstrong said before the trade. “It’s time to move on. They’ve got to try to rebuild. I’ve been here three years, and nothing. We don’t have the luxury of one guy to carry us. I’m not going to accept this. It’s time to make some changes. I’ve seen good basketball, and this isn’t good basketball. This is a bad team. We have to face facts. Saying the right things isn’t doing the situation any justice.”

Coincidentally, it was Armstrong’s elevation to point guard over Tim Hardaway two years ago that led to Hardaway’s public condemnation of management, which got him traded to Miami. Pushed aside by Bimbo Coles and Brian Shaw, Armstrong took the same path and succeeded.

Mashburn steps up

There are two interpretations of Jamal Mashburn’s fast start in Miami.

One, he is developing into the player coach Pat Riley envisioned when he acquired Mashburn from the Mavericks last season. Or, two, Riley is showcasing the small forward in an effort to increase his trade value.

Mashburn’s name has been dangled by the Heat for several months. He was one of the first players Miami mentioned in its attempts to get Sacramento’s Mitch Richmond. When asked about Mashburn in training camp, Riley made it clear he considered him a role player.

“For some reason, I believe people look at Jamal to step up and average 20 a game like he did in Dallas,” Riley said. “That’s not going to happen here.

“We believe in balanced scoring. We want him to score between 12 to 17 points night in and night out, shoot a better percentage and be more effective. Become a complete player. Handle and shoot. The only thing I want him to do is play harder every night and get on the offensive boards a little more.”

So far, Mashburn has done much more, averaging 22.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and shooting 54.5 percent from the field in four games. He has become the focal point of a Heat team that has emphasized offense over defense in the early going.

On the court

Charlotte won its fourth game in a row as Vlade Divac scored seven of his 18 points in the final 2:56 to lift the Hornets to an 89-82 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers.

Divac also had 13 rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks, and Glen Rice scored 30 points for the Hornets, who were outshot for the first time in their winning streak.

Steve Smith had 21 points, including all nine of Atlanta’s points in overtime, as the Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-97 to stay undefeated and continue their best start in 29 years.

The first-place Hawks, who beat the NBA champion Chicago Bulls on Friday, became the league’s first 6-0 team and began a season with six straight victories for the first time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.

Dennis Rodman, in the starting lineup for the first time this season, played with enthusiasm and reserves Steve Kerr and Toni Kukoc excelled as the Chicago Bulls dealt the visiting New Jersey Nets their first loss, 99-86.

Isaiah Rider scored 14 of his 24 points during a third-quarter surge that helped the Portland Trail Blazers win their fourth straight game, 101-94 over the Mavericks in Dallas.

Malik Rose and Jaren Jackson sparked the San Antonio Spurs’ night by scoring the team’s final seven points in salvaging an 87-80 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz.