Go back to front pageOAKLAND, Nov. 3 -- Don Nelson finally got himself a center Wednesday, but that's not all he got in the Warriors' blockbuster trade.
By landing the 6-foot-11 Rony Seikaly from the Miami Heat in exchange for 6-9 forward Billy Owens, the Warriors coach rid himself of one of his team's most persistent problems, which was how to use Owens as an effective player.
"He's a power forward,'' said one Warriors insider, "but Billy always wanted to play small forward, which is fine except that he couldn't shoot and didn't score consistently.''
In his three years with the Warriors, who open their new season Friday night in San Antonio, Owens scored an average 15 points a game and was consistently overshadowed by other players on the team, such as guard Tim Hardaway, forward Chris Mullin and guard Latrell Sprewell.
He is Miami's problem now, though, and Nelson, who has never coached a true center while that player was in his prime years, chose instead to focus on his new acquisition.
"I love this,'' Nelson said in an interview with The Free Press Wednesday night. "We got ourselves a legitimate center, and how often can you get one of those?''
Seikaly, 29, has averaged 15.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in his six seasons with Miami. A native of Beirut, Lebanon who went to college at Syracuse, Seikaly has ranked among the league's leading rebounders in four of the past five seasons, and has on his filesheet an amazing 34-rebound effort against Washington on March 3, 1993.
By getting the veteran center, the Warriors pave the way for Chris Webber at power forward, if and when they sign their 6-9, second-year restricted free agent.
"We look forward to giving (Chris) the opportunity to become a superstar at the position for which he is best suited -- power forward,'' Nelson said.
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