Bulls' rookie Fizer says he's most interested in the Bulls' win-loss record
Taking One for the Team
Marcus Fizer could have been bragging to the heavens about his pro debut on Halloween Night. He scored 16 points, 12 of which were amassed in the second quarter, in just 24 minutes against the Sacramento Kings. Included was a spectacular 34-foot buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the first half. He looked fluid and full of promise.
But, already, the Bulls' No. 1 draft pick had put his new life in perspective. The Bulls had lost the game. The impressive numbers and the spectacular individual showing meant little in the larger scheme of things.
"If it was a shot to win the game, I'd probably have had a bigger reaction to it," Fizer said of the long bomb. "But we had a big job left for us [in the second half] and we didn't get it done."
Was Fizer satisfied simply because of his overall performance?
"No, not at all," he said. "All the personal things mean nothing because we lost the game. I'm going to focus on being part of a winning team, more so than what I can do individually."
Thus everything Fizer did in college doesn't count for much among the grownups of pro basketball. He's no longer a big fish in a small pond living in Ames, Iowa.
Fizer's first step toward trying to duplicate in the NBA his success at Iowa State is a stark understanding that all the great feats of his college career are strictly scrapbook material these days. Most nights he's just another rookie, sometimes brilliant, sometimes lost, but always realizing in order to be a success, he'll have to work harder than at anytime in his life.
"It's not the case of being an All-American anymore," Fizer said. "You don't take a bunch of games off. You have to do it at this level, because everyone at this level can play. You have to concentrate night in and night out. And you have to concentrate when you go home and think about the next day, what you'll do in the next practice and the next game."
The fourth overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, Fizer says he doesn't feel crushed by the high expectations that swelled when he became a consensus first-team All-American, and a powerful scoring machine. He's confident that he can make the necessary adjustments to playing in the NBA at a new position (small forward) in order to work in tandem with last year's NBA Co-Rookie of the Year, Elton Brand.
"I don't feel the pressure," Fizer said of the expectations. "It's a great honor that people go around and say [good] things about me. I'm thankful and humbled for that. I know I'm blessed to be in this situation, to go out and play basketball and to be able to do what I want to do."
Fizer started his big-time basketball learning process four years ago when he signed a national letter of intent to attend Iowa State University and play for then Cyclones Head Coach, Tim Floyd.
Floyd first got to know the 6-9, 262-pound forward when Fizer was a kid growing up in Arcadia, Louisiana. Floyd's wife Beverly happened to be visiting her grandmother one afternoon in a local nursing home when she met Fizer's aunt, Sheila Frazier, who worked at the home. When Sheila overheard Beverly talking to her grandmother about her husband's new job coaching the University of New Orleans' men's basketball team, she asked Beverly if her nephew, Marcus, could someday meet her because he was a big basketball fan. At that time Fizer was a 5-11, 170-pound 7th grader. He and Beverly soon met and became good friends.
A few years later, young Fizer became an Arcadia High School basketball legend. Beverly's mother began collecting local newspaper clippings touting the young star's accomplishments, faithfully sending them to her son-in-law. Floyd says he would glance at the clips, but never paid close attention until one day he read a clip detailing Fizer's 47-point scoring effort in a state championship game. By that time, Beverly and Tim Floyd had moved to Ames, Iowa, where Tim was now the head coach at Iowa State.
"At that point, I became real close with my mother-in-law," laughs Floyd. "Marcus was a junior in high school and had grown to 6-7, 240-pounds.
"I first saw him play at the Nike camp in Indianapolis the summer between his junior and senior year in high school. I had heard, and read, that he was a terrific talent. Based on the reports of some friends of mine who saw him play regularly and whose evaluation skills I trusted, we offered Marcus a scholarship right away to attend Iowa State.
"He ended up being the highest-rated player ever signed at Iowa State in terms of those high-school player lists that are published every year."
Fizer made good on those projections. He averaged 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in three seasons in Ames. He was a consensus first-team All-American, the first Cyclone in school history to receive that honor. Iowa State made the Elite Eight and racked up a 32-5 record last season, thanks to Fizer. He was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, averaging 22.8 points, ranking eighth in the nation in scoring and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Under Floyd's direction, Fizer was named Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year, averaging 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 1997-98. But after that season, Floyd left Iowa State for the Bulls.
Fizer says he feels a comfort zone in re-joining Floyd. But familiarity with his old college coach won't be the make-or-break factor for him. "He's just going to be as hard on me as he was at Iowa State," Fizer said. "He had to teach me a lot of things [in college], and he's still teaching me things."
Bringing his natural talents to play under Floyd this time will be vastly different than in college.
"You do have to temper the high expectations," claims Floyd. "The tendency with a high [draft] pick is that everyone expects him to come in and affect change immediately. But, in reality, it often takes time."
Fizer will need to work hardest on the defensive end of the court, a fact the rookie knows all too well.
"Everyone has great strides to make defensively," declares Fizer. "No one worked any harder than Michael Jordan. He was one of the greatest defensive players ever. If he had to work hard at it, who am I to say I don't need to? Everyday I try to improve defensively. In the end, it's only going to make me a more valuable player."
Eyebrows were raised when the Bulls announced plans to move Fizer to small forward. His 6-foot-9, 262-pound bulk teamed with Brand gives the Bulls a pair of gifted bruise brothers up front. But small forwards are usually prized for quickness, not strength. Fizer's ability to keep up with the sleek bodied scorers at his new position is a test he relishes.
"My future lies as a professional basketball player," he says confidently. "It doesn't matter what position I play. Numbers or positions don't matter. People said Charles Barkley was too small and too slow to play at either forward position, and look what he did."
Fizer can always go back to power forward when Brand switches to center. Floyd has employed such a lineup against smaller opposing centers. Having both Brand's and Fizer's big bodies in the game at the same time can be an asset.
But in whatever role the Bulls put him, he has the right perspective, preferring status as a humble NBA rookie instead of a glittering college star. It's like the big-league baseball player who realizes it's better to be the last man on the bench in the majors, than the star of stars in the minors.
You can bet that Fizer won't be near the bench for too long, as long as he marries his natural talents to the concept of a team game.
"I'm someone who's willing to do whatever it takes to win. I excel when I'm faced with a challenge and playing in the NBA is the biggest challenge I've ever come across. I'll show that I'm no coward and that I'm not going to back down from anyone. I want to show the world that I'll do whatever it takes to win."
Marcus Fizer is averaging around seven points per game this season. (Bill Smith/Chicago Bulls)
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"If it was a shot to win the game, I'd probably have had a bigger reaction to it," Fizer said of the long bomb. "But we had a big job left for us [in the second half] and we didn't get it done."
Was Fizer satisfied simply because of his overall performance?
"No, not at all," he said. "All the personal things mean nothing because we lost the game. I'm going to focus on being part of a winning team, more so than what I can do individually."
Thus everything Fizer did in college doesn't count for much among the grownups of pro basketball. He's no longer a big fish in a small pond living in Ames, Iowa.
Fizer's first step toward trying to duplicate in the NBA his success at Iowa State is a stark understanding that all the great feats of his college career are strictly scrapbook material these days. Most nights he's just another rookie, sometimes brilliant, sometimes lost, but always realizing in order to be a success, he'll have to work harder than at anytime in his life.
"It's not the case of being an All-American anymore," Fizer said. "You don't take a bunch of games off. You have to do it at this level, because everyone at this level can play. You have to concentrate night in and night out. And you have to concentrate when you go home and think about the next day, what you'll do in the next practice and the next game."
The fourth overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, Fizer says he doesn't feel crushed by the high expectations that swelled when he became a consensus first-team All-American, and a powerful scoring machine. He's confident that he can make the necessary adjustments to playing in the NBA at a new position (small forward) in order to work in tandem with last year's NBA Co-Rookie of the Year, Elton Brand.
Fizer plays some defense during a recent home game. (Bill Smith/Chicago Bulls)
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Fizer started his big-time basketball learning process four years ago when he signed a national letter of intent to attend Iowa State University and play for then Cyclones Head Coach, Tim Floyd.
Floyd first got to know the 6-9, 262-pound forward when Fizer was a kid growing up in Arcadia, Louisiana. Floyd's wife Beverly happened to be visiting her grandmother one afternoon in a local nursing home when she met Fizer's aunt, Sheila Frazier, who worked at the home. When Sheila overheard Beverly talking to her grandmother about her husband's new job coaching the University of New Orleans' men's basketball team, she asked Beverly if her nephew, Marcus, could someday meet her because he was a big basketball fan. At that time Fizer was a 5-11, 170-pound 7th grader. He and Beverly soon met and became good friends.
A few years later, young Fizer became an Arcadia High School basketball legend. Beverly's mother began collecting local newspaper clippings touting the young star's accomplishments, faithfully sending them to her son-in-law. Floyd says he would glance at the clips, but never paid close attention until one day he read a clip detailing Fizer's 47-point scoring effort in a state championship game. By that time, Beverly and Tim Floyd had moved to Ames, Iowa, where Tim was now the head coach at Iowa State.
"At that point, I became real close with my mother-in-law," laughs Floyd. "Marcus was a junior in high school and had grown to 6-7, 240-pounds.
"I first saw him play at the Nike camp in Indianapolis the summer between his junior and senior year in high school. I had heard, and read, that he was a terrific talent. Based on the reports of some friends of mine who saw him play regularly and whose evaluation skills I trusted, we offered Marcus a scholarship right away to attend Iowa State.
"He ended up being the highest-rated player ever signed at Iowa State in terms of those high-school player lists that are published every year."
Fizer made good on those projections. He averaged 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in three seasons in Ames. He was a consensus first-team All-American, the first Cyclone in school history to receive that honor. Iowa State made the Elite Eight and racked up a 32-5 record last season, thanks to Fizer. He was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, averaging 22.8 points, ranking eighth in the nation in scoring and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Fizer averaged 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds over his career at Iowa State before being drafted by the Bulls. (Bill Smith/Chicago Bulls)
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Fizer says he feels a comfort zone in re-joining Floyd. But familiarity with his old college coach won't be the make-or-break factor for him. "He's just going to be as hard on me as he was at Iowa State," Fizer said. "He had to teach me a lot of things [in college], and he's still teaching me things."
Bringing his natural talents to play under Floyd this time will be vastly different than in college.
"You do have to temper the high expectations," claims Floyd. "The tendency with a high [draft] pick is that everyone expects him to come in and affect change immediately. But, in reality, it often takes time."
Fizer will need to work hardest on the defensive end of the court, a fact the rookie knows all too well.
"Everyone has great strides to make defensively," declares Fizer. "No one worked any harder than Michael Jordan. He was one of the greatest defensive players ever. If he had to work hard at it, who am I to say I don't need to? Everyday I try to improve defensively. In the end, it's only going to make me a more valuable player."
Eyebrows were raised when the Bulls announced plans to move Fizer to small forward. His 6-foot-9, 262-pound bulk teamed with Brand gives the Bulls a pair of gifted bruise brothers up front. But small forwards are usually prized for quickness, not strength. Fizer's ability to keep up with the sleek bodied scorers at his new position is a test he relishes.
"My future lies as a professional basketball player," he says confidently. "It doesn't matter what position I play. Numbers or positions don't matter. People said Charles Barkley was too small and too slow to play at either forward position, and look what he did."
The Bulls' rookie has shown some flashes of brilliance this season. (Bill Smith/Chicago Bulls)
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But in whatever role the Bulls put him, he has the right perspective, preferring status as a humble NBA rookie instead of a glittering college star. It's like the big-league baseball player who realizes it's better to be the last man on the bench in the majors, than the star of stars in the minors.
You can bet that Fizer won't be near the bench for too long, as long as he marries his natural talents to the concept of a team game.
"I'm someone who's willing to do whatever it takes to win. I excel when I'm faced with a challenge and playing in the NBA is the biggest challenge I've ever come across. I'll show that I'm no coward and that I'm not going to back down from anyone. I want to show the world that I'll do whatever it takes to win."
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