ANALYSIS : FAR FROM A HORRY-BLE DEAL CEBALLOS WON'T BE MISSED AS LAKERS THINK FORWARD.Byline: Marc Stein Marc Stein is a sports reporter. He began writing for ESPN.com in 2000 and signed on full-time in 2002 to serve as the site's senior National Basketball Association writer. Daily News Staff Writer He's a Havasu Laker no more. Cedric Ceballos Cedric Z. Ceballos (born August 2 1969 in Maui, Hawaii) is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA. As a small forward, he played most notably for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, later finishing his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit has been permanently shipped out to Arizona, and the crew he left behind couldn't be happier. From the front office to locker room, upstairs and downstairs at the Forum, the excitement is overflowing now that the reality of Friday's big trade has sunk in. For Ceballos, a player the Lakers didn't need and few liked, they got someone who can actually defend and pass. For Ceballos, a player who will forever be remembered here for his four-day getaway to Lake Havasu last spring, they got Robert Horry Robert Horry (born August 25, 1970 in Harford County, Maryland) is an American National Basketball Association basketball player. Currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Horry is is known for his ability to make clutch shots in big games. . ``We've changed our team tremendously in the last six months, and we feel the style of basketball we play right now is more conductive to the style Robert Horry plays,'' Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak (born May 24 1954 in Hicksville, New York) is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000-01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization. said in announcing the stunning swap that sent Ceballos and Rumeal Robinson Rumeal James "Meal Time" Robinson (b. November 13 1966, Mandeville, Jamaica) is an American former professional basketball player at the guard position. He grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and graduated from Rindge and Latin High School. to Phoenix for Horry and Joe Kleine For the journalist, see . Joseph William Kleine (born January 4 1962, in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. A seven-foot center from the University of Arkansas, Kleine was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the sixth . ``It's not that Cedric Ceballos can't play for us,'' Kupchak continued. ``We just think that Robert Horry is a better fit.'' For all his potential drawbacks - and there are a handful - Horry should indeed snap into place nicely alongside Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). and the rest of his new mates. Yes, his play in Phoenix has been abysmal. Yes, he missed his last two games with the Suns after being suspended for throwing a towel at coach Danny Ainge Daniel Ray Ainge (born March 17, 1959 in Eugene, Oregon, USA) is a former professional basketball and baseball player who played in the NBA for the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Phoenix Suns, and also in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue . And, yes, he's a free agent at season's end Season's End are a British band based in Hampshire. They describe themselves as playing Progressive symphonic metal[1], although they are often tagged as a gothic metal band by reviewers and reference sources[2][3]. . Given all that, Horry is still better for the Lakers than Ceballos, assuming he's in the mood to play. If only because the other Lakers want to play with him. Ceballos, conversely, won't be missed by too many of his L.A. colleagues, especially the holdovers who remember his unauthorized spring break to protest a diminishing role after the return of Magic Johnson “Earvin Johnson” redirects here. For the Milwaukee Bucks center, see Ervin Johnson. Earvin Effay Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan), nicknamed Magic . ``The player that got traded didn't play at all anyway, so it doesn't make that much difference,'' co-captain Nick Van Exel Nickey (Nick) Maxwell Van Exel (born November 27 1971 in Kenosha, Wisconsin) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. Van Exel, a 6'1" left-handed point guard, was most well known for his flashy style of play and his ability to hit critical shots during said before waving off reporters. That realization - that the Lakers were a not-too-shabby 21-7 since Ceballos suffered a partial tear of his right patella patella (pətĕl`ə): see kneecap. tendon Nov. 13 - made management start thinking of ways (re: new names) to make the club even stronger. Remembering how Ceballos struggled before he got hurt, averaging just 10.8 points in the first eight games after leading the Lakers in scoring the previous two seasons, they pursued the unhappy Horry. And they found Phoenix just as eager to deal. ``Robert has been struggling in our system,'' Ainge said. ``I never felt like Robert felt Robert Felt (1953-2002) was a computer programmer, chess USCF rated Expert and champion Scrabble player. In 1990, Felt became the first Scrabble player to win both the US national Scrabble championship and the UK Scrabble championship in the same year, an amazing feat that like he belonged on our team. He communicated that to me yesterday. ``He said that the only guys he talked with were Sam (Cassell) and Chucky (Brown), and they weren't here anymore. He just didn't fit in with this group of guys.'' After winning two championships in Houston, Horry found himself in Phoenix with Cassell, Brown and Mark Bryant Mark Craig Bryant (born April 25 1965, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1st round (21st overall pick) of the 1988 NBA Draft. as part of the Charles Barkley This article is about the basketball player. For the politican, see Charles E. Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player. blockbuster deal. He and Cassell, especially, didn't want to go, and it showed in Horry's numbers: 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 22.5 minutes with the Suns. Horry had hoped to be included in the recent trade that sent Cassell to Dallas for Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23 1973, in San Francisco, California) is an American All-Star professional basketball player in the NBA. After earlier tours with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, he is currently the New Jersey Nets starting point guard and captain. . When it didn't happen, he continued to sulk, leading to the towel-throwing incident in last Sunday's loss at Boston. ``I think his frustration with losing, something he never experienced in his 26 years, led him to throw in the towel in Phoenix,'' Lakers coach Del Harris said of Horry, who was considered All-Star material before leaving Houston. ``We feel he won't do that here.'' Instead, they expect the 6-foot-10 shot-blocker to shut down those lanky small forwards who always abuse Ceballos. Like, say, Seattle's Detlef Schrempf . . . or maybe Chicago's Toni Kukoc in the NBA Finals. ``(Horry) can guard any forward in the league,'' Harris said. ``And at this point, we are what I would call a decent defensive team. We're all right. With the addition of Robert Horry, I think we move into the top category.'' Horry has a history of excellence in tandem with a power center (Hakeem Olajuwon). Since O'Neal arrived to clog up the basket area, Ceballos was nowhere near the offensive force that earned him an All-Star berth in 1995 and saw him wind up the only three-man in the league to average 20 points (21.2) on 50-percent shooting (53.0) last season. In Phoenix, with Kidd and without a dominant big man, Ceballos should return to his fast-breaking best. That is, once he overcomes the disappointment of being asked to leave his hometown. Much as he loves the desert - besides his affinity for Lake Havasu, Club Ced still has a house in Phoenix from his first tour with the Suns - Ceballos took it hard when called in after Friday morning's shootaround. Kupchak said Harris had to fight back tears when he saw Ceballos' reaction. ``I'm (happy) to be come back to where I feel appreciated, where I think my game is respected and (where) they want me,'' Ceballos said after arriving at America West Arena in the third quarter of Friday night's Suns-Hornets game and receiving a standing ovation. Harsh as it is to say, L.A. ain't that place. The Lakers were 20 games under .500 in the two seasons before Ceballos arrived and 38 games over in the two years he was here, but it's a new age. Horry is the story, and a championship is the goal. The TRADE Lakers get: Robert Horry Age: 26 Position: Forward Season averages: 6.9 pts., 3.7 reb. Career averages: 10.2 pts., 5.2 reb. Joe Kleine Age: 35 Position: Center Season averages: 3.4 pts., 3.5 reb. Career averages: 5.2 pts., 4.4 reb. Phoenix gets: Cedric Ceballos Age: 27 Position: Forward Season averages: 10.8 pts., 6.6 reb. Career averages: 14.9 pts., 5.3 reb. Rumeal Robinson Age: 30 Position: Guard Season averages: 3.0 pts., 0.7 reb. Career averages: 7.3 pts., 1.7 reb. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Chart Photo: (1) Lakers coach Del Harris, right, said the acquisition of shot-blocking forward Robert Horry helps elevate the team's defensive capabilities. Associated Press (2--color) HORRY (3--color) CEBALLOS Chart: THE TRADE (see text) |
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