Yao for ROY: anonymous poll this week

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Top rookie? Wrong year for Butler

By Ira Winderman
Staff Writer
Posted March 6 2003

MIAMI -- He leads the league in Rookie of the Month honors. He was among the hottest topics of discussion on draft night, when he slipped to the Heat at No. 10.

But when it comes to a shot at NBA Rookie of the Year, Caron Butler might as well be Melvin Ely, Marcus Haislip or Bostjan Nachbar.

Based on a non-scientific poll of potential voters, the three Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors garnered by the Heat small forward will not be cashed in for the bigger prize.

Just before the close of the regular season, 127 media voters will be asked to select the 2002-03 Rookie of the Year. Asked this week for their thoughts on the award, with anonymity offered for their responses, 31 potential voters replied to three e-mail questions.

The bottom line is the performances of Rockets center Yao Ming and Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, combined with the Heat's lack of exposure and 20-40 record, will leave the franchise without a Rookie of the Year through its 15 seasons.

In the informal poll, Yao, the No. 1 pick last June, received 58.1 percent of the vote. Stoudemire, selected No. 9 by the Suns, one spot ahead of Butler, received 25.8 percent. None of the respondents listed Butler on their ballot.

But that doesn't mean there isn't respect.

"If Butler had played like this during Mike Miller's rookie year," one national NBA writer said of when the then-Magic forward won Rookie of the Year in 2001, "Butler would have won the award easily, because he is complete."

The Heat and Cavaliers are the only teams without national television exposure this season. Stoudemire's Suns have been scheduled for 11 national appearances, Yao's Rockets for seven.

"It's not just Miami's record, it's the lack of exposure,'' said a Seattle-based writer. "I know we all can get NBA DirecTV, but games on ESPN, TNT, ABC carry added weight. Who didn't see the big Yao-Shaq matchup on ESPN a while back?"

Even should the Suns and Rockets fade from playoff contention in the competitive Western Conference, 74.2 percent of those polled said it would not elevate Butler in their deliberations.

"Probably not,'' said a Texas-based writer. "If you were to put Stoudemire or Yao on the Heat, I think they'd be a much better team. Don't get me wrong; Butler is a very, very good player."

However, 83.9 percent of those polled said they would not hold the Heat's overall struggles against the forward in their considerations.

"The Heat's poor record doesn't automatically rule out Butler, but I give a lot of credence to the importance of the games a player plays in,'' a Chicago-based writer said. "Miami doesn't play in any important games because of its record."

Said a New York-area writer, "Miami's record is insignificant, because they're not a tanking team that plays a pad-your-stats game."

Heat coach Pat Riley traditionally frowns on organizational campaigning for postseason awards. The Heat public-relations staff, however, has attempted to raise awareness of statistics that have Butler leading all rookies in scoring, minutes and steals, as well as among the leaders in assists, rebounding and free-throw percentage. A promotional push also is in the works.

"The thing that's really not in his favor is word-of-mouth hype, national TV exposure. Amare has the first, Yao the second," a New York-area writer said. "And no string of Rookie of the Month awards will change that when it comes to the national media, which probably doesn't even know there's a Rookie of the Month award."

That doesn't mean the potential electorate is not impressed.

"He has been the most consistent rookie, in my mind," a Florida-based writer said. "It's just that his spectacular moments haven't been as spectacular or as noticeable as those of Yao and Amare. But Caron has had the more even-keeled season.''

Ira Winderman can be reached at iwinderman@sun-sentinel.com.

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