During this year’s NBA Playoffs, everyone around the country may have noticed Orlando Magic super sub Mickael Pietrus was in dire need of a haircut. The former French National Team stand-out usually keeps his do fresh and very closely cut, but in interviews after the season, Pietrus revealed the reason for sporting the giant afro: some pretty sizeable cold hard cash. You see, before the season began, a number of his Magic teammates, namely Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson, made a rather sizeable bet that he couldn’t go the entire season without cutting his hair. Pietrus obviously saw it as easy money and made it through the entire season without cutting his locks. Guess what?……….you lose Dwight, Jameer, and Rashard! During interviews after the season was over, Pietrus finally revealed that he had one-upped his teammates to the tune of more than $17,000 large.
Now, Pietrus apparently likes the new do which reminds him of around the time he was 7 or 8 years old, which was the last time he had an afro. Even though the season is over and the bet is won, Mickael continues to sport the huge hair. Maybe he will spark a new fashion trend and other players will help bring back the fro! Hopefully not.
Unfortunately for Pietrus, the only talk recently about the 7 year pro is about his rather large head of hair instead of his play on the court. During last year’s post-season, Pietrus was just starting to become a household name after providing 10.5 ppg and some pretty stifling defense off the bench in helping the Magic make their first NBA Finals appearance in more than a decade. But this year, Pietrus was virtually non-existent in the Eastern Finals against the Celtics, averaging only 6 ppg, reaching double figures in scoring only once, and connecting on only 10 FG in the entire series. Surely Mickael is one of the many Magic players who wish they would have made a few more open 3 point shots to possibly create a different outcome for the Magic, who once again must go back to the drawing board for next season.
Pietrus just completed the 2nd year of a 4 year contract signed back in 2008, when he was pried away from the Golden State Warriors, who originally selected him with the 11th overall pick in the ’03 NBA Draft. With one more year and a 4th year option, Pietrus undoubtedly will be a part of the core players returning to Orlando next season. In my opinion, the underrated Frenchman probably should have been used a bit more considering the lackluster play of Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis in the Celtics series. His lockdown defense maybe could have helped to slow down Paul Pierce a bit since Carter and matt Barnes didn’t have of any much of any success at slowing down the “Truth.”
With a returning core of good young players next season, the Orlando Magic will probably be in the hunt for another Finals appearance as long as they still have Dwight Howard and great role players like Mickael Pietrus. Let’s just hope he decides to cut his hair before next season.
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
