Listening to Bulls center Eddy Curry assess his disappointing 3-point, 6-rebound season?opening performance Tuesday night vs. the Phoenix Suns would tell you all you need to know about the enigmatic fourth-year player.

 ?It felt like the first time I ever played here,? said Curry afterwards.  ?I was nervous.  I kind of felt that I wouldn?t be nervous, since I?ve been here so long.  But, man, it felt like the first game all over again.?

 ?I felt the nervousness before I got on the court.  I tried to fight it, but it got the best of me.?  

 Curry, 21, although immensely talented, has simply lacked the hunger and drive- the killer instinct, if you will- to succeed at the pro level on a consistent basis in his three seasons in the Windy City.  

 After arriving in camp 30 pounds lighter and in the best shape of his life, Curry, we all thought, had finally ?got it,? had finally understood that the game is not simply about one?s physical, God-given talents, but how hard one works at improving their craft along the way.  

 Curry then followed up his strong off-season with a solid exhibition campaign, and after receiving a two-game suspension for his role in an Oct. 25 pre-season altercation with Washington Wizards center Brendan Haywood, many figured the 21-year-old had developed a mean streak to go along with his improved conditioning (although let?s just say Curry may need to learn a thing or two still about how/where to land a punch).  The table had appeared to be set for- finally- a breakthrough year.

 But instead of coming out like a man on a mission- and let?s not forget a new contract, as he becomes a restricted free agent at season?s end- Curry delivered one of his familiar lackluster, deer-in-a-headlights performances, which included more turnovers (4) than points (3) in only 17 minutes of action, in a 20-point loss to the Suns.  

 So instead of taking responsibility, holding himself accountable for a poor performance and vowing to turn the fortunes of his team?s season around, Curry did the exact opposite: he whined and complained about how tough it is playing in his home town and sought a trade (or more specifically, he went to his agents and they, in turn, sought a trade through a local Chicago newspaper).  Not what you would expect from a supposed franchise cornerstone.

 ?I will operate under the assumption of getting Eddy a trade,? said one of Curry?s agents, Darren White.  ?Eddy is in a no-win situation.  The media in Chicago have really beaten this young man up, but statistics show he?s gotten better.?  

 ?The city has grown tired of losing and Eddy has become the pin-cushion.  I am asking for a trade now so we can get the most out of this season for this young man.  I?m looking at his future.?

 Curry has since retracted from his remarks, saying that in no shape or form did he ever ask his agents to seek a trade for him.  But while some backtracking may have been in order- the public backlash has been enormous in recent days- Curry nevertheless sounds like someone who?s fed up and wants out.

 ?I had no idea what was going to happen the next day (after venting his frustration to his agents),? said Curry after Friday?s practice at the Berto Center, the Bulls? training facility.  ?A lot of times when I go home upset, I talk to my agents about this and that, and everything seems to heal itself.  But this particular time, I felt they were out of order.?

 ?I just told them I was upset.  That was how I was feeling.  I just was talking to them like I would anybody I felt like was close to me.  ?I?m frustrated and all of this,? and  ?Losing and this and that and this and that.? I just didn?t expect for it to get out.?

 Yet it has all gotten out and Curry?s comments, though understandable- just ask Bulls fans, who still come out to the United Center en masse despite six straight miserable seasons- nevertheless shows a lack of accountability on his part.

 A primary reason the Bulls have been unable to remotely compete for a playoff spot during the post-dynasty era has been because of the play of Curry and fellow 2001 first-round pick Tyson Chandler (traded for Elton Brand), whether both youngsters like to hear and read about it or not.  That is simply the price one has to pay when you are a top draft pick with heavy expectations placed upon you.  

 Granted, as his agents have pointed out, Curry?s statistics have improved every season.  His 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds last season were both career highs.  

 But stats alone do not tell the story.  Offensively, Curry possesses all the tools- great footwork, nimbleness and a wide array of low-post moves- but has yet to complement his talented offensive game with solid defense and rebounding.  If he can ever put it all together, Curry would have more allies on his side.

 ?I know one thing, he can score,? said Bulls general manager John Paxson, who has not denied he would unload Curry if the price were right.  ?He?s proven that.  Whether he has other deficiencies, that?s another question.?

 And then there are inconsistent efforts like Saturday night?s heartbreaking 97-96 loss to the L.A. Clippers at home, a game in which Chicago blew a 24-point first half lead.  

 Curry started off the game looking like a dominant force in the low paint, scoring 10 points and adding 3 rebounds in the first quarter alone, only to fade the rest of the way, finishing the game 20 points and 11 rebounds.   In the end, a typical Curry performance: nice, but leaving you wanting more.  

 Which is what Curry will likely be for the remainder of his Bulls tenure- a world-class tease capable of so much more.  A great talent, a real nice guy- perhaps too nice- but likely not the building block the organization once had such high hopes for.

 So when it's all said and done, maybe Curry does wind up getting just what he asked for, which is probably best for both he and the Bulls.