When talking about people who are no longer alive it's very difficult not to romanticize and overrate their abilities. Could you please give me a brutally honest Rosen-style scouting report on the late Drazen Petrovic? — Ben Craven, London, UK

Oddly enough, I happened to interview Petro during the last week of his last NBA season, so I think I have a good handle on his game.

He was much stronger than he looked, strong enough so that he could take a hit and not get derailed on his drives to the hoop. Even so, ball-handling was not his specialty — shooting was. And, man, could he shoot, particularly in clutch situations. But what made Petro's jumper so special was the quickness of his release — he claimed he could catch and shoot (accurately) in less than 0.2 of a second.

A heady player, he maximized the effectiveness of any proffered screens, and he moved smartly without the ball. Petro was also a step slow, an OK passer, a subpar rebounder and an awful defender.

Off the court, he was slightly suspicious of the American media hounds, but was still cooperative and gregarious. The fact that he was fluent in six or seven languages was a testament to his intelligence.

For all his success in the NBA, his plan was to quit after the 1992-93 season — during which he averaged 22.3 ppg for the Nets — and resume his career back in Europe.

"I don't really like most of the players in the NBA," he confided to me in the Nets post-game locker room. "They have no sense of personal responsibility. Every mistake they make is always somebody else's fault. And look at how they just drop their sweaty uniforms, socks, and jocks on the floor. And how they do the same with the tape they've cut off their ankles. They've been pandered so much all their careers that they pay no attention to cleaning up their own messes. In here, and in their private lives, too. I've had enough of these prima donnas. Players are more mature in Europe."

A good player, and an even better human being.