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Webber likes Detroit; Shaq doesn't like the zone
By Dave D'Alessandro - The Sporting News


This week's stop on the Chris Webber Travelogue: Detroit! "I love Detroit," Webber told the Detroit News. "The Pistons are definitely still a possibility. I'm not saying I'm locked down to it, but Detroit is an exciting situation. Coming home would really be special. But to come home and not have a chance to succeed, that would not be special. That would hurt.". . .

NOT IN THE ZONE

If you enjoyed watching Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal dominate the 2001 postseason, he has some advice: Don't get used to it. As the NBA goes zone for 2001-02, he expects the worst. "I don't know what the league is doing," he says. "If they want to pay me all this money to be a token, then the fans are really going to be ticked when they come to the games and don't see me doing anything. If it gets to the point where the game's not fun anymore, I'll do something else.". . .

TOP PICK FOR SALE

Michael Jordan continues to shop the Wizards' top pick in the draft, but he is finding few takers. One GM explains why: "In this draft, nobody wants to take the chance and be the first guy." . . .

BLAZERS JOB STILL AVAILABLE

Blazers GM Bob Whitsitt on the media's fun with his coaching search: "I have not offered it to anybody, and I'm sure that tonight I'll hear another report that I've hired somebody else." Two days later, he heard on NBC that he's going to ask the Knicks for permission to interview Jeff Van Gundy. . . .

CURRY SLIMS DOWN

Everyone's favorite project, Chicago high school center Eddy Curry, didn't play at the Chicago pre-draft camp, but he weighed in at a fairly promising 301 pounds. However, Jordan's personal trainer, Tim Grover, claims Curry is down to 285 with 13 percent body fat. . . .

FRANCIS, P.I.?

Rockets point guard Steve Francis is back at Maryland this summer, keeping a promise to his grandmother that he'd get his degree in criminology. When the season begins, he'll take some courses on the Internet, and finish up next May. . . .

HARDAWAY DONE IN MIAMI?

Judging by the early rhetoric, it sounds as if free-agent point guard Tim Hardaway has played his last game in Miami. Agent Henry Thomas is unhappy coach Pat Riley gave Hardaway, 34, such a heavy workload. "Maybe the focus should be whether Tim could be healthy come playoff time to make a playoff run," Thomas says. "Not so much if he can hold up to play 30, 35 minutes." Thomas adds that Hardaway's six-year run in Miami "very well could be" over. . . .

EUROS ON THE RISE

Scouts still are enamored with strong forward Pau Gasol, but if you're looking for a talented Euro who can contribute immediately, power forward Vladimir Radmanovic is the hot choice. One scout claims the 6-10, 235-pound Yugoslavian actually is further along than Gasol with a better offensive package