Shawn Bradley's first two weeks in the NBA have been, as expected, a rough ride. He may as well get used to it. Everyone wants a piece of the newest Goliath.
The schooling of the Philadelphia rookie has been rapid as well as relentless. If it isn't Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal backing him into the goal standard, it's New York's Patrick Ewing snarling in his face. If not Boston's Robert Parish, demonstrating a move he perfected when Bradley was still in kindergarten, it's Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon, trash-talking at Bradley in two languages.The former BYU center is learning his lessons from the masters of the game. Sometimes he looks wonderful, blocking shots and making even jaded NBA scouts shake their heads as he dribbles the length of the court and swoops in for a dunk. Other times, he looks exactly like a kid who played only one year of college basketball, then sat out two years for an LDS mission.
"He's a project. A very interesting project," said Orlando general manager Pat Williams. "He's a very big remarkably gifted player for that size. Nobody like that has ever come along. But he is not a ready-made player. To be away for two years then make the transition to the pro game, I mean, that's just unheard of."
There's no doubting he's back in the game now. Bradley has already had two chances to put in the game-winning shot. The first was off the mark in a loss to Boston, but he made his late-game shot to provide the Sixers a win over New Jersey.
After a relatively easy opening night against Washington, in which he contributed eight blocks, Bradley and the Sixers played at Orlando against the massive O'Neal. Bradley made just two of 11 shots, collected only four rebounds and blocked two shots in 24 minutes. O'Neal scored 33 points, blocked five shots and grabbed seven rebounds.
"He felt light," said O'Neal. "I could move him anywhere I wanted to on the floor. But I can do that to most guys in the league."
Added O'Neal, "I wasn't going to let him stand in my way."
Three nights after enduring a Shaq attack, Bradley ran up against Ewing. Though Bradley came away with five blocks, he made just three of 12 shots in 33 minutes. Ewing, playing with a sprained neck, scored just eight points and took in eight rebounds.
"He made me adjust my shot, but then I started taking it to the hole," Ewing told ESPN.
Against Parish, Bradley's shooting improved to 5-of-11 for 11 points, while Parish added 11 points of his own.
"No experience is a bad experience," said Philadelphia coach Fred Carter, referring to Bradley's initiation into the league.
Oddly enough, Bradley's worst experience so far came compliments of a forward, not a center. Early in last Monday's game with Houston, Bradley was accidentally struck in the eye by the Rockets' Robert Horry, suffering a slight corneal abrasion. In 28 minutes, Bradley managed just 1-for-7 shooting and four rebounds. Houston's Olajuwon racked up 21 points and five rebounds.
"He can move, he can play," said Olajuwon. "But I think it will take some time to develop his strength. It will take a couple of years before he can really become a dominant player - and I believe he can."
Wednesday he played just 13 minutes in a loss to Atlanta, complaining of dizziness. He finished with four points, four rebounds and a block but committed five turnovers.
Whatever Bradley learns in his rookie season, nothing will be more important than gaining weight. He was on a 7,000-calorie-a-day diet through the summer, but by the season's start he still hadn't gained any significant weight. That will likely continue as the long NBA season wears on.
Williams said due to body type, Bradley will never be a massive specimen, such as O'Neal. "I think he'll always be a slender, finesse-type player," Williams said.
"People just have to look and see that his advantage is his height. He can take advantage by shooting over people. It will take time to gain strength," added Olajuwon.
For his part, Bradley says he's willing to take things gradually, including the crush of national attention. "I've had attention all my life in one way or another," he said.
The Sixers appear happy with Bradley's progress, saying he will soon be among the best players in basketball. "He's already gone through about three levels since this summer," Philadelphia assistant Jeff Ruland told reporters. "We're talking about a guy when he started, who would run up the court three or four times, then stop to throw up. He's made incredible progress."
During the exhibition season, Carter said they were surprised at Bradley's skills, even after thoroughly checking him out before the June draft. "In the beginning, we felt he was primarily a shot-blocker. Then he showed his passing skills that we had not recognized. We didn't know his passing skills were that profound," said Carter. "Then there's his rebounding. It seems he's an even better rebounder than we though, and his passing skills surprised us. I predict in three years he will be one of the dominant players in the league."
"When he gets more comfortable," said Denver coach Dan Issel, "he will be very difficult to defend."
So the long process continues for Shawn Bradley. There will be more tests with Ewing, Olajuwon and Shaq, not to mention David Robinson and Brad Daugherty. More force feeding and weight-lifting to gain strength and bulk. And, of course, more people hoping to shoot down Goliath.
"Absolutely," said Bradley, when asked if other players gun for him. "I'm one of the tallest players in the league, the attention I've gotten, just everything about me, especially that I'm a rookie, will cause teams to gun for me."
Most experts agree that with time, Bradley will be sensational. But whether he'll be allowed that time - by the fans, the media and the team - is another matter.
"They've got to be very patient," added Orlando's Williams. "And that's hard to do in this league. Patience is not a good byword in this league. It's all predicated on winning. If you don't win, teams have the habit of going out and getting someone who will."
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Here is how Shawn Bradley compared in games against some of the top centers in the NBA:
FG/FGA FT/FTA Reb Blk Pts Min
Bradley 2-11 2-4 4 2 7 24
O'Neal 16-22 4-6 7 5 3 33
Bradley 3-12 0-0 5 5 6 33
Ewing 2-9 4-4 8 0 8 24
Bradley 5-11 1-2 8 3 11 36
Parish 5-11 1-2 7 2 11 33
Bradley 1-7 1-2 4 0 3 28
Olajuwon 8-12 5-7 5 1 21 44