Well-traveled Murray finds a home in Atlanta |
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ATLANTA (AP)—Ronald Murray is used to taking the long way.
Instead of attending a big-time school, he went through the junior collegeand Division II ranks. Rather than stick with one team, he bounced all over theNBA. Even when it comes to his nickname—just about everyone refers to him as“Flip"—there is no simple answer.
Back in 2003, he told a Seattle reporter that he took part in gymnasticswhen he was young and “used to flip all the time." Hence, people startedcalling him Flip.
On Friday, the Atlanta Hawks guard shrugged off that explanation, blamingteammates for spreading a spurious rumor.
“I don't know where that came from," Murray said. “My nickname came fromthe movie 'Above the Rim."'
OK, that works, too. The 1994 flick about a high school basketball star inNew York does have a character named Flip Johnson, portrayed by the late BernieMac.
The Hawks couldn't care less about the origin of Murray's alternate name.All they know is they've got one of the best sixth men in the league, a guy whocould play a decisive role in their upcoming playoff series against Dwyane Wadeand the Miami Heat. Game 1 is Sunday night.
“We've given him the freedom and latitude to kind of do his thing," coachMike Woodson said. “He's been fantastic."
Murray has averaged 12.2 points a game as a combo guard, filling in fromboth Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby. Just as important, the 29-year-old teamed withanother newcomer, Maurice “Mo" Evans, to bring some much-needed leadership toa youthful team coming off its first playoff appearance in nine years.
The Hawks were even better this season, adding 10 more wins to their record(47-35) to claim the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage to start the playoffs.
“We made a pretty good assumption that this club needed to get moreveterans on it," general manager Rick Sund said. “Flip and Mo together havedone a nice job. They've fit in very well, not only from the basketball side ofthings, but with their experience off the court. They've had some scar tissuealong the way, which is good."
Murray has certainly endured his share of hardship, some of it brought on byhimself. Poor grades prevented him from attending his school of choice, so hewound up at a junior college in Mississippi. He continued to struggleacademically, spending another year at Philadelphia Community College in hishometown, just to get into a four-year school. Even then, he settled for ShawUniversity, a historically black Division II school in Raleigh, N.C.
He was right in the middle of Tobacco Road, but might as well have been amillion miles away. He averaged 23.5 points as a senior and was Division IIplayer of the year, but slid right through the first round of the 2002 NBAdraft, going to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.
Murray was traded to Seattle during his rookie season—the afterthought ina deal that centered on Ray Allen and Gary Payton. The following year, Allenwent down with an injury and the unknown Murray stepped into the Sonics lineup,averaging 12 points in 25 minutes.
“Growing up a Seattle fan, I remember when Ray Allen got hurt," said Hawksforward Marvin Williams, a Washington native. “All of a sudden, here comes FlipMurray out of nowhere."
Then, back to obscurity. Murray played only one more full year in Seattlebefore he was dealt to Cleveland, where he averaged 13.5 points a game in thefinal 28 games of 2005-06. He moved on to Detroit, only to get cut midwaythrough last season, his second with the Pistons. He hooked on with Indiana andstarted down the stretch in the Pacers' unsuccessful bid to overtake Atlanta forthe last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“It's frustrating, it's tough, but you've got to learn how to handle it,"Murray said. “Some guys are lucky enough to find their fit as soon as they getinto the league. Then there are other guys like myself who have got to bouncearound a little bit before they find the right fit."
Having failed to beat the Hawks, Murray joined them. He signed as a freeagent last summer to help fill the void left when sixth man Josh Childressstunningly left for a team in Greece.
Woodson knew what he had in Childress. When it came to Murray, the coachwasn't so sure. Why couldn't he stick in one place? What did other teams knowthat Atlanta didn't?
“When you look at guys who've bounced around the league, a red flag kind ofgoes up," Woodson said. “But Flip has come in and done everything we've askedhim to do. Sometimes it might take two or three bounces before you get itright."
A streaky shooter who loves to play on the edge, Murray found just the rightspot in Atlanta. The Hawks were looking for someone who could provide quickpoints off the bench and wasn't afraid to shoot. The only thing Woodson askedwas more effort at the defensive end, which had always been the knock on Murray.He'll never win a defensive player of the year award, but he's done enough tosatisfy the demanding Woodson.
“We've given Flip the freedom to play, to somewhat be himself," Woodsonsaid. “That might be the first time he's experienced that in his career."
Now, if we can only figure out where he got that nickname.
Notes
Williams, who missed 16 games with a back injury before returning forthe final week of the regular season, will start Game 1, Woodson said. “He'sdoing fine," the coach said. “He's moving well."
Keywords:
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