Thursday, 5/29/97 Don’t discount Dollar out of NBA yet
COMMENTARY: Bruin has enough heart, defensive talent to meet
challenges
Larry Bird was too slow and he couldn’t jump. There was no way
he could make the transition from college and hang with the
6-foot-9-inch acrobats of the NBA. Similarly, some say UCLA’s
Cameron Dollar flat out can’t shoot and doesn’t handle the ball
well enough to be a point guard on basketball’s highest court. Bird
could shoot. He could pass, too. But the critics argued that he
lacked the physical tools to play small forward, the position in
which the most versatile athletes were traditionally placed. The
critics, however, forgot to take one crucial thing into
consideration, the one thing that makes the biggest difference in
sports and in life. They forgot to measure his heart. And so,
ladies and gentlemen of Westwood, don’t wave goodbye to the playing
career of Mr. Dollar just yet. If he gets the opportunity, he will
make one last heroic effort at pulling off the impossible. It will
be tougher than stepping in for Tyus Edney in the national
championship game. It will be tougher than driving the length of
the court against Iowa State in the waning seconds of a Sweet 16
battle. And it’s more of a long-shot than the one against
Washington last year. But give ’em the rock, and he may surprise
us. Actually, a pro team should give someone else the rock and
watch Dollar breathe down his neck. Dollar was one of the premier
defenders in the nation during his senior season, and he may have
been the best at his position. His quickness and raw intensity on
the defensive end of the floor make him a weapon on any level. The
naysayers will argue that Dollar would be a liability on offense.
Defenders, this line of argument goes, would be able to sag off of
Dollar on the perimeter and jam up the offense. While he might
contribute on the defensive end of the floor, some would say that
his net value to an NBA team would drop below zero because of this.
I have three responses to this. First, it didn’t seem to hurt the
Bruins last season, as UCLA was one of the best field-goal shooting
teams in the nation. Moreover, as the season progressed, Dollar
stepped up his aggressiveness on the offensive end and proved he
could hit from the outside when called upon. Surrounded by Toby
Bailey, Charles O’Bannon, J.R. Henderson and Jelani McCoy, Dollar
was never able to get a rhythm going at the beginning of the year
because he was only looking to give the ball up. When he gained the
confidence to shoot, the whole Bruin offense picked up. Second,
unlike the college game in which teams are allowed to play zone
defense, the pros have strict man-to-man rules. If Dollar wasn’t a
liability on offense in college, there seems to be little reason to
suspect that his presence on the floor in an NBA game would
neutralize the effectiveness of his teammates. Third, Dollar’s
possible ticket into the NBA is primarily as a defensive role
player. He won’t be expected to come into a game and score a bunch
of points. Instead, it is likely that Dollar would be inserted into
the lineup to help short circuit an opposing team’s offense with
his tenacious, in-your-face style of defense. In the same way that
Steve Kerr comes in for the Chicago Bulls to nail three-pointers,
Cameron Dollar might be able to nail down opposing players. Is
Dollar going to be at a disadvantage because of his size? Against
guys like Anfernee Hardaway, yes. But he could be used to slow down
players like Gary Payton, John Stockton and Tim Hardaway.
Ultimately, NBA general managers will have to weigh Dollar’s talent
against that of other "bubble" players. Some will have more
polished offensive skills, and others may be comparable
defensively. With 29 teams, though, a player with Dollar’s
character, toughness, and winning attitude deserves a shot. The
mental approach Dollar takes to meeting the challenge is important.
He does not have to pass like Magic or shoot like Larry. Dollar
will create his best chance at making it if he becomes clearly
aware of his strengths and limitations and plays within his game.
Undoubtedly, Dollar will have to work hard at improving certain
elements of his game. But his ticket to the Big Show is contingent
upon continuing to do the things that made him a national champion
and the heart and soul of the Bruins. Whether or not he makes it,
one thing is certain: this is another big time shot Dollar is sure
to take. Zucker is a former Daily Bruin sports editor and a Daily
Bruin sports columnist. He can be reached via e-mail at
bzucker@media.ucla.edu. Brad Zucker