HoopsHype.com Behind the Beat

KC Johnson: "The Heat is too proud and talented to be swept"
by HoopsHype / April 27, 2007

Do you miss covering the Blackhawks? How is the arena atmosphere different for the two teams?

KC Johnson: I thoroughly enjoyed my two seasons covering the Blackhawks. The NHL players don't suffer from the same media demands as other professional sports. As a result, players tend to offer more time to reporters. After one interview, I once had Wayne Gretzky ask me, "Do you have everything you need?" Um, yeah, thanks.

I most enjoyed covering hockey when the Blackhawks played in Canada. There, the sport ranked No. 1 and the crushing media attention seemed to offer more legitimacy to what is a terrific sport.

That should answer your second question. Sadly, the Blackhawks' poor play and mismanagement have made hockey practically disappear from the Chicago sports scene. It's sad, especially for us Chicago natives who remember growing up during the raucous days of the old Chicago Stadium in the 1970s.

As for your first question, I don't miss covering hockey mostly because I'm a basketball guy first and foremost and always have been. And most NBA players are wonderful to deal with and, in my opinion, are some of the best athletes in the world.

What are your expectations for the rest of the Bulls-Heat series? Sweep coming?

KCJ: I think the Heat is too proud (and talented) to be swept. I do wish I could alter my pre-series prediction to say Bulls in five, rather than seven, because I really think they'll win either Game 3 or 4. They just match up amazingly well with this team, even with a healthy Dwyane Wade. And he's not 100 percent healthy.

I think Miami is done. Chances of beating Detroit too?

KCJ: As for a possible Bulls-Detroit series, it's another team the Bulls match up well with. They won three of four meetings during the regular series and led by 16 in the third quarter of the game they lost. I've picked Detroit to win the East all season, so I'll stick with that as a nod to their veteran ways and unselfish play. But that would be a fantastic series should it happen.

Which player has surprised you more this season (both on a positive and a negative way)?

KCJ: Tyrus Thomas, hands down. I don't follow college basketball that closely until near NBA draft time, so, other than reading about it, I mostly missed his one season at LSU. Having covered the Bulls for all but the first season of the Tim Floyd-era, I could go seasons without seeing great athleticism. Every time Thomas plays, he does something that makes you go, "Wow." He's a super athlete and has a chance to be a fantastic player.

On the negative side, I remain shocked at how standoffish he can be with the media and league officials. I'm the writer who conducted two one-on-one interviews with Thomas regarding his participation in the All-Star weekend slam dunk contest and quoted him as saying he was only into it for the "free money." Bulls general manager John Paxson fined him $10,000 the next day. That same day, I had long conversations with Thomas and one of his agents. I was impressed with Thomas' maturity in talking to me about the incident and appreciated his agent's professionalism. But since then, Thomas often looks like he'd rather undergo root canal surgery than talk to the media. And stories continue to pop up about how rudely he has treated other reporters or league officials.

It's fine if a player dislikes a reporter. I've had several icy relationships over my years as a professional beat writer. And I have no idea what Thomas' opinion of me is. But what players have to understand is that reporters are a conduit to fans, who pay their salaries.

I had heard just after the Bulls drafted him that Thomas is slow to trust and doesn't let many into his inner circle. That's fine. But Thomas makes dealing with him so unpleasant that he rarely is interviewed anymore. Thomas had said several silly things to me even before the "free money" quote that I hadn't printed because, quite frankly, he was a rookie who wasn't contributing much and I had the power to protect him. The "free money" quote revealed how either shallow or misunderstood Thomas can be at times. Let's hope he opens up with the media next season.

How should the Bulls view Nocioni for their future plans? As a SF, a PF or a SF/PF tweener? Clearly Deng has locked in major starter minutes at SF for years to come, and the more he plays, the more Thomas defines himself as a PF and probable long-term starter at that position.

KCJ: There might not be any long-term plans. While Nocioni certainly has a strong chance to return, he is a restricted free agent. The Bulls never would let him walk for nothing but only want him back at the right price since players like Deng and Gordon will demand long-term extensions at some point.

The length of the Bulls' playoff run could determine general manager John Paxson's offseason to-do list. He remains committed to either drafting, signing or trading for a low-post scorer. If a team signs Nocioni to a large offer sheet and/or a trade possibility for an established big man involves the manic forward, a sign-and-trade scenario could happen.

If he is back, I see him staying in a reserve role and logging most of his minutes at power forward. Scott Skiles likes his ability to create mismatches and stretch defenses with his three-point shot.

How would you describe Scott Skiles' relationship with his players?

KCJ: The main word I would use is respect. Players respect his knowledge, preparation and creativity. Contrary to stereotype, Skiles is more of a teacher than screamer. He is quite direct and demands accountability, with playing time in the balance. Skiles also has a sense of humor with his players, particularly the core players like Gordon, Deng, Duhon and Nocioni, who have been with him the longest. All that said, Skiles isn't the buddy-buddy type with players and never will be.

Tell us something about Tyrus Thomas. Is he really a jerk like some people say?

KCJ: I'll tell you something that isn't included in my long answer from above about Thomas: He's well-liked by his teammates.

How's your relationship with Sam Smith? And what do you think about his work nowadays?

KCJ: I consider my relationship with Sam one of the most fortunate byproducts of my career. His advice, expertise and humor have been invaluable to me during my time as Bulls beat writer.

As for his work, all I'll say is this: Few people in the country love the NBA as much as Sam does. As a former president of the Basketball Writers Association, he does tons of work behind the scenes trying to better the league and the coverage of it.

His knowledge, connections and contacts are unparalleled. Want an example? How many writers can contact Kobe Bryant and get a return call on a tight deadline for a recent column? The list is short. That's serious respect right there.

Who are your favorite and less favorite NBA writers?

KCJ: Anybody who does what we do for a living – the countless deadlines, the travel, the attempt to be original daily – is a good writer and reporter, in my opinion.

That said, here are 41 that I read as regularly as I can. And if you think 41 is a lot, well, it's a talented profession.

Sam Amick, Sacramento Bee; Steve Aschburner, ex of the Minneapolis Star Tribune; Chris Ballard, Sports Illustrated; Howard Beck, New York Times; Rick Bonnell, Charlotte Observer; Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times; Chris Broussard, ESPN The Magazine; Ric Bucher, ESPN The Magazine; Tim Buckley, Deseret Morning News; Marty Burns, Sports Illustrated; Paul Coro, Arizona Republic; Dave D'Alessandro, Newark Star Ledger; Kevin Ding, Orange County Register; Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle; Israel Gutierrez, Miami Herald; Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times; Frank Hughes, Tacoma News Tribune; Frank Isola, New York Daily News; Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News; Michael Lee, Washington Post; Johnny Ludden, San Antonio Express News; Peter May, Boston Globe; Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated; Chris McCosky, Detroit News; Phil Miller, Salt Lake Tribune; Mark Montieth, Indianapolis Star; Roscoe Nance, USA Today; Jason Quick, The Oregonian; Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel; Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News; Chris Sheridan, ESPN.com; Doug Smith, Toronto Star; Sam Smith, Chicago Tribune; Marc Spears, Denver Post; Marc Stein, ESPN.com; Ian Thomsen, Sports Illustrated; Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News; Ron Tillery, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Ira Winderman, Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel; Brian Windhorst, Akron Beacon Journal; Peter Vecsey, New York Post.

As a beat writer, I guess you have to play nice with a lot of people you may not like in the Bulls organization. How do you deal with that?

KCJ: My job is to cover the Bulls objectively, so you try to eliminate personal feelings as much as possible. That said, covering the Bulls is great because it truly is an organization filled with classy, respectful people. One of the wondrous aspects of this profession is the opportunity to meet and talk to so many different people from so many different backgrounds.

Like in any profession, there are times you occasionally clash with people. Typically when that happens – and it happens infrequently with this organization – you just try to talk matters through. But collectively, the organization understands I have a job to do and respects that. That's all you can ask.

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