Simon struggles to find playing time in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. - OK, so maybe Miles Simon does have a few things on former Arizona backcourt mate Mike Bibby these days. Like playing for a winning team, nice weather and a U.S. address.
"Mike was telling me about how different the money is, how cold it is there," Simon said of Bibby, who is with the Vancouver Grizzlies. "He was saying, `Man, it's 80 degrees and sunny there every day and you're only 45 minutes from the beach. You're lucky.' "
Yeah, but Simon knows Bibby has one precious thing - playing time - that he won't have this season. Or maybe any other season.
Bibby and another former UA teammate, Michael Dickerson of theHouston Rockets, moved immediately into prominent roles with their respective teams, while Simon is attempting to prove himself with the Orlando Magic.
Simon has played in just two games, averaging two minutes and zero points. He's 0 for 3 from the field with one foul, one turnover and no assists.
It's quite a change of scenery for a guy who, two years ago this weekend, earned the Final Four MVP award while leading the Wildcats to the national championship.
"Mike D went into a great situation with the way he can shoot and Houston not having a shooting guard," Simon said yesterday at Orlando Arena before watching the Magic's 96-86 win over Cleveland. "Mike Bibby went to a young team as their No. 1 pick - you know they're going to expect him to play right away.
"And what you learn about the NBA is a lot of it is timing. I could be on a lot of other teams that aren't as good and get playing time. You want to play but you want to win at the same time. We have a chance to win an NBA championship and you can't ask for more than that. Bibby has to learn on the fly."
But there also is some doubt about how much Simon will be able to learn on the court this season. He's the fourth point guard on the Magic depth chart, and the fifth if you count Nick Anderson and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway as point guards. Much of the season, Simon has been on the disabled list to make room for somebody else.
In practice, Simon said he often will assume shooting guard duties on the scout team. Recent acquisition B.J. Armstrong - the third veteran brought in this season to handle the third point guard position over Simon - handles the point for the scout team.
That is, when there is a practice. This season's crammed NBA schedule, thanks to the lockout, allows for few practices between games, while game-day shoot-arounds are sometimes canceled to conserve energy.
Also, rookies don't get many chances to prove themselves against starters, who practice infrequently, Simon said.
That's one reason why Magic coach Chuck Daly said Simon might have been better off playing this season in the CBA or overseas.
"His season will begin this summer," Daly said. "If I were him, I'd play as much as I possibly could. . . . He's a very bright basketball player and a very good one, but what needs to be determined is, `What is his NBA skill?' Is he going to be a point guard and handle the pressure, run the team? Or can he be a shooting guard, can he defend?"
Of course, the idea that Simon could, at some point, convert his highly regarded basketball intuition and moxie into a contributing role is precisely why the Magic drafted Simon in the second round.
Magic GM John Gabriel, saying a Final Four MVP does count for something in the NBA, said he was surprised Simon was still available with the 42nd overall pick.
"He could be one of those guys that, with two or three experiences, finally becomes a player in this league," Gabriel said. "But quite often, that isn't in favor of the team who drafts him."
So, to make sure it kept him at least through the next training camp, the Magic gave Simon a one-year guaranteed contract and will place him on its summer-league team in Atlanta after this season. Gabriel said the Magic typically holds on to promising second-round picks and free agents for two or even three years.
One example is Darrell Armstrong, the Magic's backup point guard, who barely left the bench for two seasons in Orlando before emerging as a major factor in the past three seasons.
Although Armstrong and Simon arrived from vastly different backgrounds - Armstrong was a walk-on at Division II Fayetteville (N.C.) State - Armstrong said he could see Simon following his path from a college shooting guard to a pro point.
"That's the biggest thing - the transition from two-guard to one-guard," Armstrong said. "It's going to take some time. I told him to hang in there. I told him he has to crawl before he can walk."
For now, all Simon can do is try to stay sharp with extra individual workouts on the court, log plenty of stair machine time and lift weights. Having reported at 198 pounds, Simon said he's now up to 215.
It helps, Simon said, that the rest of the team has embraced him no matter how small his role.
"I'm having a great time," Simon said. "I love my teammates. Nick Anderson, Dominique Wilkins, Penny - those guys take care of me. They tell me I'm going to be a success at this level. Penny invites me over to his home all the time for dinner, to play video games or whatever.
"Sometimes, I'll go out to eat with Dominique and you can't get any better than that - going out to eat with the eighth all-time leading scorer. There's a lot you can learn from him."
Simon has not forgotten his old friends, keeping in touch frequently with UA players John Ash, Justin Wessel and Josh Pastner.
"He's so used to being the star and I know it's got to be frustrating," Ash said. "But I know he enjoys the situation there."
Simon spent plenty of time on campus during the lockout, playing with and getting to know Arizona's freshmen players. He said he was surprised by the Wildcats' first-round NCAA tournament loss to Oklahoma.
"I wasn't around, but it seems like they had problems with the freshmen; I know there was a lot of discipline, a lot of extra running," Simon said. "But those freshmen are great guys and great players. They have so much talent. They could be really great. They just have to focus on the game and not on all the distractions in Tucson."
Similarly, Simon is hardly worried about the fate of departing senior guard Jason Terry. Simon said one of the Magic's scouts told him that Terry would probably be the eighth or ninth player taken in June's NBA draft.
"I think JT's going to have a great career, with his quickness, the way he understands the game and the way he can shoot the ball," Simon said. "He can handle the ball and defend. The only thing is, he's got to be strong. If they know you're weak, they'll go right to the post."
But while Terry has a somewhat proven jump shot, Simon still doesn't. It is Simon's shooting, that chest-high release, that continues to hurt him.
Daly said Simon is working on the shot.
"He has to learn to shoot. He has to," Daly said. "So, in the off-season, his fate will be totally in his hands. Of course, that's the way it is for most players."