So far, Scot Pollard hasn’t decided to be a Shrek lookalike, but Pollard is a man who changes his appearance periodically by shocking his locks and painting his fingernails in outlandish hues.
It would be difficult for a man as eccentric as Pollard to disappear, but that’s exactly what the former Kansas University basketball player has done, although hardly of his own choosing.
In Indianapolis, Pollard rode the pine for the Indiana Pacers.
KU basketball fans who have tuned into the NBA playoffs have noticed the only time Pollard got onto the floor was to help an ailing Pacer off the court. In 18 postseason games, Pollard recorded 14 DNP-CDs. That doesn’t stand for “Digitally Non-Plastic-Compact Discs.” Pollard fell under the dreaded “Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision” acronym.
The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Pollard missed a bunch of games last season with Sacramento. He was shelved 40 games because of a bad back and sat 13 more because of a broken hand bone. But Pollard is fully recovered and no doubt wondering why the Pacers traded for him.
A valuable reserve on those strong Sacramento teams, Pollard was a bench decoration in Indianapolis, but, as prone as he is to hearing a different drummer, he is no boat rocker.
“I’ve had times when I’ve gotten really frustrated,” Pollard told the Indianapolis Star. “I’m a winner first and foremost, so I’m not going to do anything to make an ass of myself. I’m on a winning team and in a winning program, like I’ve always been.”
Although limited offensively, Pollard can play defense and rebound. He also can sit on the bench and not pout — a strong asset in the ego-oriented world of pro sports.
“We know he’s a guy that’s a winner and understands the nuances of playoff basketball, not only on the court but in the locker room,” first-year Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s been one of our unsung leaders this year.”
They also serve, I guess, who sit and wait and don’t bitch. Pollard has two years remaining on a six-year contract that paid him $5.31 million this season.
Another former Jayhawk who disappeared during the 2003-2004 season was Raef LaFrentz, a Pollard contemporary on Mount Oread. In fact, many people have forgotten LaFrentz was traded from Dallas to Boston soon after the season started.
After playing in just eight games for the Celtics, where he teamed with former KU teammate Paul Pierce, LaFrentz had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and was lost for the remainder of the season. Word is LaFrentz has had a successful rehab and would have played if the Celtics had reached the Eastern Conference finals.
Here’s an update on the other former KU players in the NBA:
