A second chance... Former Cyclone Taylor is changing his
ways in the NBA's Developmental League
Mike Taylor thought he'd
gotten away from the freezing temperatures of Ames.
As temperatures reached
the mid 30s Monday evening in Boise, the former Cyclone
point guard isn't just getting used to the cold - he's
adjusting to a new life in basketball as a member of the
Idaho Stampede, part of the NBA's Developmental League.
Player To Watch
Mike Taylor, Idaho Stampede A rookie guard
from Iowa State, Taylor was acquired and waived by the
Stampede in December, but re-joined the team a week
later and has blossomed into a scoring threat for the
Stampede. The 6-2 Taylor is averaging 19.6 points over
his last five games, all off the bench for Idaho. The
Stampede have gone 12-0 with Taylor's spark off the
bench since he was re-acquired. A key to Taylor's
success as instant offense off the bench has been his
accuracy from three-point range. Taylor is shooting .447
(12-38) from beyond the arc this year, which makes him
one of the D-League's best three-point shooters. The
Stampede will look to defeat Bakersfield on Friday for
their 15th straight win, which will tie the D-League
record for consecutive wins.
Stampede Shock D-Fenders to Extend Win Streak to 14
BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 26 –
Cecil Brown scored 41 points on 14-for-18 shooting
for Los Angeles, but the D-Fenders fell for the second
straight game to the Idaho Stampede, 100-99 on
Saturday. The win for Idaho over its Western Division
rivals secures its 14th straight overall win, and sets a
franchise and NBA D-League record for straight home wins
at 13.
Two free throws in the
final seconds by Idaho’s Mike Taylor gave the
Stampede the win. The reserve guard scored a team-high
21 points and and had 10 assists.
“We fought off a very
good team tonight,” said Stampede coacfh Bryan Gates.
“Our crowd was in a frenzy all game long and they really
helped us pull out the win.”
Utah Jazz: Hart provides spark
The Jazz showed some Hart
on Tuesday night.
Backup point guard Jason
Hart tied his season high with 11 points in 23 energetic
minutes, helping Utah roll to a 111-89 victory over
Indiana at EnergySolutions Arena.
Hart has struggled as a
12-minute per game replacement for starter Deron
Williams, but the Pacers probably don't believe it after
watching his play in this rout.
In the first half, Hart
was on the floor for 8:20. In that span, the Jazz
outscored Indiana, 23-5. They turned a 10-point
advantage into a 50-22 lead.
In his previous two
games, against Portland and Philadelphia, Hart played 21
minutes. He went scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting.
Aked about the role he
inherited after signing a two-year, $5 million contract
last summer, Hart said, "It's been difficult, only
because you want to play so well in a short period of
time. Sometimes you press. . . . But I knew that coming
here. Deron is a great young player. I just have to pick
my spots and . . . be ready."
Basketball: Fire still burns for American star in
Guangdong
He enjoys the food, the
culture and his teammates, and the basketball is fun
too, but for American Jason Dixon, who has played in
China for nine years, there is nothing like winning a
championship.During his career as the longest-playing
foreigner in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA),
Dixon has won three titles and a fourth could be on the
way this season with his team, the Guangdong Tigers,
currently leading the league.Not only has Dixon, 34,
dunked on current Houston Rockets star Yao Ming, he has
battled toe-to-toe against top Chinese players such as
former NBA centres Wang Zhizhi and Menk Bateer, who are
his current top CBA foes."All my moments in China are
good memories, and that's why I love coming back," the
six-foot-nine-inch (2.06-metre) centre told AFP.Dixon, a
native of Denver, Colorado, and former star at Liberty
University, played in Europe and the Middle East before
venturing to China.Unlike many other American and
Western players -- who rarely stay for more than two
years -- Dixon overcame the cultural and other hurdles
of playing in China and soon settled comfortably into an
enduring Chinese career.
 Brown
Earns Big West Player of the Week Honors
Anthony averaged 15.5 points
and 8.5 rebounds in two Tiger wins...
Irvine, Calif. -
University of the Pacific junior forward
Anthony Brown (Sacramento, Calif.) was named Big
West Conference Player of the Week for his performances
last week against Santa Clara and Montana.
Anthony came off the
bench for the first time this year against Santa Clara,
scoring nine of his 15 points in the second half to help
the Tigers to the 71-65 road win. In the Tigers' home
win over Montana on Dec. 15, Brown again led the Tigers
in scoring with 16 points and a game-high eight
rebounds. Five of his points came in overtime, including
two free throws with 15 seconds left to help seal the
win. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game
last week, leading the team in both categories in both
games.
It is the first weekly
honor of Brown's career and the second time a Tiger has
earned the award this season.
The Tigers are in action
this week with a road game at Fresno State on Saturday,
Dec. 22 at 7:00 p.m.
With help in the frontcourt this season, Cal's Ryan
Anderson is flourishing
He makes
it all look so easy: the drop-step
layup on the low post, the smooth
stroke from three-point range, the
precise pass to an open teammate for
an easy basket.
Life on
the college basketball court
certainly feels less demanding this
season for 6-foot-10 Cal sophomore
Ryan Anderson, who after a season of
carrying the inside load for the
Bears now has plenty of help in the
paint.
DeVon
Hardin, Cal's 6-11 senior center,
has recovered from a stress fracture
in his left foot that sidelined him
for the final 22 games last season.
Jordan Wilkes, a 7-foot sophomore
backup, has returned after
redshirting in 2006-07 with a knee
injury. And 6-8 freshman Harper Kamp
is making a sizable contribution.
Which
means Anderson, the former Bee
Player of the Year from Oak Ridge
High School, can move back to his
natural power forward position after
spending much of his freshman season
manning the middle.
The
early reviews? Let's just say
Anderson's development continues to
impress, with the NBA moving onto
his radar screen.
Anderson has emerged as the
Pacific-10 Conference's leading
scorer, his 23.3-point average
ranking 12th nationally. That and
his 9.4 rebounds per game have
helped the Bears fashion a 7-1
record, their best start in six
years, entering today's 3 p.m.
meeting with Utah at Haas Pavilion
in Berkeley.
Wilks to fill Daniels' roster spot
The
Washington Wizards will fill the
roster spot of injured Antonio
Daniels with Mike Wilks, whom
Denver released last month,
according to a league source.
The
Nuggets cut the five-year
veteran after eight games during
which he averaged 3.0 points and
0.8 assists.
Wilks will not receive a
guaranteed contract because the
Wizards (13-10) don't want to
surpass the luxury tax trigger
of $67.86 million, the point at
the end of the season when teams
over the trigger must pay a
dollar-for-dollar extra tax. His
future with the team upon
Daniels' return is uncertain.
D-League Q&A: Rod Benson, Dakota Wizards
Rod Benson
of the Dakota Wizards made history on
Sunday night when he set a D-League
single game record with 28 rebounds in a
win over Sioux Falls. Benson, who is
leading the D-League with 14.5 rebounds
per game, was named the
D-League Performer of the Week for his
efforts. The 6-10 forward from
California, who is also known for his
popular blog TooMuchRodBenson.com, spoke
to D-League.com's Matthew Brennan about
his record-setting game and his newest
endeavor as a blogger for Yahoo! Sports.
 Rod,
did you ever expect that you would set a
D-League record for rebounds in a game?
Rod
Benson: "I wouldnt say I expected it,
but I knew it was possible. I had 21
rebounds in 24 minutes in a game last
season, so I figured if I came out and
set a goal then I could get it done."
Where
you
aware of how many rebounds you had while
the game was going on?
Rod
Benson:"Actually I had set a goal before
the game to get 25, and I told one of my
teammates about it. During the game they
kept updating me, telling me five more,
three more, two more. So I had a pretty
good idea of what was going on during
the game."
read more
Rod Benson, Dakota
Wizards
Rod Benson of the Dakota
Wizards is the third
D-League Performer of
the Week for the 2007-08
season.
Benson set a D-League
single-game record with
28 rebounds, and also
scored 28 points, in
Sunday's 115-105 victory
over the Sioux Falls
Skyforce. Benson broke
the previous record of
26 rebounds set by
Rodney Bias of
Huntsville on March 24,
2005. In the Wizards
other game of the week,
Benson scored 25 points
with 15 rebounds as the
Wizards defeated Idaho.
Benson finishes the week
with averages of 26.5
points, 21.5 rebounds,
2.0 steals and 2.0
assists while shooting
21-27 from the field in
two games.
Benson, a 6-10 forward
from California, is
averaging 15.0 points
and a league-leading
14.5 rebounds in his
second season with the
Wizards. He spent time
with the New Jersey Nets
in training camp prior
to this season. Benson
averaged 8.3 points and
6.4 rebounds last season
in 49 D-League games,
splitting time between
the Wizards and Austin
Toros.
Benson gets Big Record
The
Wizards finally reached .500 on the
season, as last night they took down
their long time rivals, the Sioux Falls
Sky Force.
But, the Wizards win wasn't the big
story to come out of the two-win
weekend.
Rod Benson was.
Benson had 25 points and 15 rebounds in
Saturday's win against Idaho.
The next night against the Sky Force, he
set both a D-League and Wizards single
game record for rebounds.
He had 28 boards, to go along with his
28 points.
He says rebounds will get him to the
next level.
" (Rod Benson/ Forward) well I feel
really confident that my abilities are
right at that border line or else I
wouldn't have come back to the D League
but for me specifically its about
getting really good at one thing and
thats why have certain rebounding goals
because I feel like if a team needs
something I can be that guy that they
need, so if they need a rebounder
hopefully they'll come looking for me"
Benson’s Perfect Double-Double Pushes Wizards Past Skyforce
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Dec. 9
– The Sioux Falls Skyforce failed to avenge last
season’s playoff loss to the Dakota Wizards, losing
115-105 on Sunday at the Sioux Falls Arena to drop to
1-5 on the season.
Rod Benson led
the way for the Wizards as he set a NBA D-League record
with 28 rebounds. Benson also added a game-high 28
points for the Wizards, who never trailed in the game.
“For me it’s all about
effort,” said Benson, “I had a big rebounding night last
night, and I woke up today, like, I think I can get 25.”
Maurice Baker
and Carlos Powell also had big games, scoring
22 points apiece, while Dontell Jefferson
posted 20 for Dakota.
“We knew Rob was going to
go out and get us some rebounds,” said Dakota head coach
Duane Ticknor. “A lot of great players have come
through this league, and to say that you’re the all-time
single-game rebounding leader is a real testament to his
effort level.”
 Player
Spotlight: Julian Welch
A.W. Prince
Elk Grove (Calif.)
Franklin high school scoring guard Julian Welch is off
to a phenomenal start to his senior season. One of the
top scorers in the Sacramento area last year as a
junior, Welch has come back with a vengeance to begin
his final year of high school basketball. He poured in
nearly 100 points in a 3-game, 3-day stretch to power
the Wildcats to a 3-0 start. While his game has been
impressive on the court, Welch is someone who is getting
it done off the court as well.
Welch's stat-line caught our eye last year, leading
Franklin to 21 overall wins and the Delta Valley
Conference league championship, posting a notable 18.2
points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per
game. He also hit on 50 percent of his shots from the
floor, 35 percent from three, and 79 percent of his
free-throw shots. That effort earned Welch All-Metro
Sacramento Bee 2nd Team honors along with former
Roseville (Calif.) guard Elston Turner, who signed with
the University of Washington in November. His game-high
came in mid-December against Rocklin, a very solid
program which features 2009 Top 50 prospect Brendan
Lane. He pumped in 35 points that night, which was the
second highest single-game scoring total in Sacramento
last year. read story
Ailene Voisin: With heavy heart, Barnes follows mom's
instructions
Matt Barnes needed to do this. Drive
to Arco Arena. Change into his work
clothes. Talk briefly about his late
mother. Play passionately for his
Warriors. Get on with his life. He
did what he was told.
He took her advice, one final
time.
 Duke's
Nelson: 'This is my last shot'
For three college basketball
seasons, Duke senior guard DeMarcus
Nelson hasn't been himself. Three
injuries, the latest to his left
wrist, and three surgeries have
derailed the explosive game that
made Nelson the all-time leading
scorer in California prep history
while playing at Vallejo and Sheldon
high schools.
Most of the time he has been on
the court at Duke, his team of
supporters back home in Elk Grove –
family, friends, workout partners,
coaches, trainers – has watched and
thought: Who is that?
Nelson has played second fiddle and
played hurt for the Blue Devils.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski says he feels
bad about two players whose careers
have been derailed by injuries
during his 28 years at Duke, and
Nelson is one. Nelson, 6-foot-4,
hopes this is his year.
Tulsa 66ers Grab Post Player in First Round
TULSA, Okla., November 1,
2007 – The Tulsa 66ers selected 6-9, 230 pound forward
Glen McGowen with the team’s first round pick in the
2007 National Basketball Association Development League
draft.
McGowen started the
2006-07 season with Galatsaray Cafecrown Istanbul in
Turkey, averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in five
games. He moved on to play with Telindus BC Oostende in
Belgium, averaging 8.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 17
games and participated in NBA summer league with the
Philadelphia 76ers in 2006. McGowen was originally an
early entry candidate for the 2002 NBA Draft before
withdrawing his name from consideration.
He earned All-West Coast
Conference honors his junior and senior seasons at
Pepperdine University and finished his collegiate career
as the 17th all-time leading scorer in school history
with 1,314 points. McGowen was granted a medical
red-shirt after missing all but one game of the 2002-03
season due to recovery from knee surgery and Thoracic
Outlet Syndrome, a blood clot in his left arm. He
underwent multiple surgeries to dissolve the clot,
including the removal of the top rib on each side of his
body to relieve the compression of nerves and blood
vessels.
|
IDAHO GRABS GUARD JAMAAL TATUM WITH FIRST ROUND PICK
17-Man
Roster Set for Training Camp Which Begins November 11
Your Idaho Stampede
utilized their first round pick (fourth overall) in the
2007 NBA Development League Draft to select former
Southern Illinois Saluki and rookie Jamaal Tatum.
The 6-2, 175 pound guard
was one of the final players released in this year’s
Atlanta Hawks training camp, after averaging 15.2
points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his
senior season. In the second round, Idaho selected
rookie forward Brent Petway out of Michigan. Petway was
undrafted in this season’s NBA draft, and was released
from the Portland Trail Blazers training camp this fall.
The 6-7, 225 lbs swingman was runner-up in the 2007
College Slam Dunk contest held during the Final Four.
 Hudson’s jumper with less than 1 second left lifts
Warriors to 111-110 win over Lakers
HONOLULU(AP) Troy Hudson hit a
jump shot with less than 1 second to play to lift the
Golden State Warriors to a 111-110 victory over the Los
Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night in the teams' preseason
opener.
Matt
Barnes: Driven For Success...
Former Training Camp Invitee Has Worked His Way Up To A
Team Captain
To those outside the
inner-workings of the Golden State Warriors, the
announcement that
Matt Barnes was named as one of the team’s
tri-captains may have seemed very surprising; in fact, it
may have seemed odd.
Barnes is not a superstar
player and he is not a 10-year veteran with mountains of
playoff experience. Rather, he was a training camp invitee
and an admitted role player who was playing on a one-year
contract. Like many aspects of a Don Nelson-coached team,
Barnes being named a team captain isn’t a by-the-book
decision.
Utah Jazz: Hart quick to impress Sloan with work
BOISE, Idaho - After the
first day of training camp, Jason Hart said he had formed
an early impression of Jerry Sloan as a "pretty
straightforward guy." Then again, that's really all Hart
was looking for out of a prospective coach as a free agent
this summer.
To appreciate where Hart is
now with the Jazz, you have to understand where he was
last season in Sacramento. Banished to the bench by
then-coach Eric Musselman, Hart was either left inactive
or did not play in 44 games before being released in
March. "That's how the NBA is,'' Hart said. "That's
how it goes. It's a tough business."
|
Wolves Reach Settlement with Hudson
The Minnesota
Timberwolves today announced the team has requested
waivers on guard Troy Hudson after reaching a
contractual buyout agreement. Per team policy, terms
of the agreement were not disclosed.
"This decision is in the best interest of both the
organization and Troy," said Timberwolves Vice
President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale.
"Looking at our roster and what would have been Troy's
role on the Timberwolves, this was the most amicable
way to move forward for both parties. We wish Troy the
best in the future."
read more
|
|
 Pure
NBA Talent... Tatum's defensive skills are turning heads
at all camps.
Assistant coach Rodney Watson
said he is sure about Jamaal Tatum's future in the NBA.
He's certain Tatum, who won
the Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference player of the
year award, is well on his way to the NBA.
"There is no
doubt in my mind he will wear an NBA uniform at some
point, because he has a unique passion for basketball,"
Watson said.
With just more
than a week remaining before the June 28 draft, those who
know Tatum best feel the former Saluki will hear his name
called come draft day.
"It's a
journey," Tatum said. "Right now I am focusing on
impressing the scouts and just taking it one workout at a
time."
Bill Neff,
Tatum's agent, said since graduation in May, Tatum has
been training full-time in Sacramento, Calif. with trainer
Guss Armstead.
He attended a
pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fl. From May 29-June 4 and
since then has been invited for five workouts with the
Sacremento Kings, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers,
San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors, Neff
said.
In addition,
Tatum has also been invited to rookie camps by three or
four other teams.
Armstead said
Tatum has been training in Sacremento, working on
improving his game and refining his abilities to compete
in the NBA.
read entire article
Palmer is the man in Osaka... But Yuba City grad still has
dream of NBA... However, living in Osaka – Japan’s
second-largest city – has been a bit of a challenge for
the forward. Japanese cities weren’t designed for men
standing 6-foot-7.
“It’s a big change, but everyone there is respectful and
nice. That makes is really easy,” said Palmer, who just
finished his second season playing for the Osaka Evessa of
the Basketball Japan League.
“For me, it’s difficult because the apartments are small,
the subways are packed and I’m so much bigger, so I’m
sticking out completely and ducking my head everywhere I
go. My legs barely fit under tables and I can’t find
clothes or anything. But overall, it’s been a really good
experience.”
Fans can catch some Kings this month... For
Sacramento pro basketball fans, summer started way too
early with the Kings missing the playoffs for the first
time in nine seasons.
However, for the 17th
consecutive year, local fans can get their hoops fix with
the Sacramento Professional Development League beginning
Monday at Capital Christian High School. One game will be
played Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m. through June. The
league's All-Star Game will be held at 7 p.m. June 29.
Guss Armstead
has been running the league since its inception and
recently said that it long has outlasted its life
expectancy.
 Jamaal
Tatum Interview: Pursuit of the NBA...... Tatum is
working out with Professional Basketball Trainer and
Pre-Draft Camp Hoops Instructor Guss Armstead. Armstead
who has worked out a plethora of backcourt players
including current NBA guards such as the Hornets Bobby
Jackson, the Supersonics Mike Wilks, and the Timberwolves
Troy Hudson has shared the viewpoint that Jamaal Tatum is
in the mode of the aforementioned back court personnel and
compares favorably to another client long time NBA point
guard Kevin Ollie. So what can the training impart on
Tatum that is not commonly known after hours of scouting
his talents? Armstead says for one thing, “We’ll be
working on the retreat dribble.” The repeat dribble you
ask? Here what Armstead had to say about the retreat
dribble. “Jamaal will be working on moves to help him
escape out of double teams off the half court set based on
the different scenarios NBA teams run their pick and roll
offenses. The retreat dribble allows Jamaal to find
spacing so off the pick and roll if a big player steps out
on Jamaal he can instinctively build the process to make
an effective combo move to keep the offense fluid while
maintaining his dribble.”
There are some more nuances
that Tatum is working on to morph his game to the NBA way.
This is what Armstead shared on some other basketball
protein he plans to impart on the talented Tatum. “We’ll
be working on shooting floaters and runners so he can
express his offensive creativity at the next level. We’ll
also be working out full court drills such as NBA
scenarios when there is a two for one field goal situation
with ball possession and 35 seconds on the game-clock.
Additionally Jamaal will be handling offensive situations
with 4 seconds on the shot clock off the half-court set,
and how to effectively speed dribble in the transition
game.”
 Warriors
Sign Free Agent Guard Troy Hudson
The Golden State
Warriors have signed free agent guard
Troy Hudson, it was announced today by Executive
Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin.
Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not
announced.
Hudson, 31, appeared in
34 games last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves,
averaging 5.9 points and 2.1 assists in 16.3 minutes
per game. He scored a season-high 26 points at Boston
on March 4, one of three 20-plus point outings (also
22 at Phoenix on January 21, and 20 vs. New Orleans on
November 18). Additionally, his three-point field goal
percentage (.350) marked the fifth time in the last
six seasons in which he shot at least 35% from behind
the arch.
“We’re excited to add a
player of Troy’s caliber to our team,” said Mullin.
“He’s had a productive NBA career and, most
importantly, will provide us with additional depth in
the backcourt. He has the ability to run a team and
some of his other strengths – such as three-point
shooting – will fit in well with our style of play.”
Guard Hudson agrees to contract with Warriors..
The Warriors didn't get
Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves, but
they're benefiting indirectly from the deal that sent
him to Boston.
Two people with
knowledge of the negotiations confirmed Friday that
the Warriors have agreed in principle with veteran
point guard Troy Hudson on a one-year contract.
Hudson became a free
agent in August after the Timberwolves - their roster
bloated by the five-for-one Garnett trade - agreed to
buy out the last two years of his contract at a cost
of approximately $10 million.
 Kings,
Martin agree to deal... Downtown rally is planned
after signing
The Kings announced
Tuesday that they have agreed in principle with Kevin
Martin on a contract extension.
The fourth-year
shooting guard's extension, according to two league
sources, is for five years and approximately $55
million and is expected to be signed today. Once the
deal is signed, the team has planned a celebration
reminiscent of the 2001 Chris Webber re-signing party
downtown.
After an afternoon news
conference, Martin will join Kings basketball
president Geoff Petrie, co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof
and coach Reggie Theus at the corner of K and 13th
streets downtown near the Esquire IMAX Theatre for a
fan rally that is open to the public.
Marty Mac's World: NBA career not just swish-ful
thinking for him
JeVale McGee is a
6-foot-11, 235-pound sophomore forward-center at
Nevada with potential on top of potential.
He has been around the
game, literally, since before he could walk.
"He always had a little
backpack and was in a stroller alongside the court,"
says his mother, Pam McGee, the former Monarch and
current girls basketball coach at Sacramento High
School.
read more
Jones makes a
decision
Chris Jones, a 6-foot-4 combo guard from
Newark Memorial High has given a verbal commitment to
Fresno State University.
"I like the school and it feels like a very good fit
for me," said Jones. "They play the way I like to
play. They run the floor and they let their players
play and make plays."
Jones picked Fresno State over basketball scholarship
offers from San Jose State, Loyola Marymount,
Portland, St. Mary's, Oral Roberts, TCU and San
Francisco. Other schools showing recruiting interest
included Miami, Illinois, UNLV, Washington State,
Washington, Utah, San Diego State, Santa Clara, UOP,
UC Irvine and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The Bulldogs won out because of their style of play,
Jones' connection with the coaching staff, the needs
of the program, fan support and the opportunity to
play in the Save Mart center, which is arguably the
second best arena on the West Coast behind the Staples
Center in Los Angeles. read
more
SIXERS’
KEVIN OLLIE SETS ANOTHER ASSISTS RECORD - ON THE GOLF
COURSE
Glastonbury, CONN.-
Just 10 miles east of where the Sixers'
Kevin Ollie helped set UCONN assist records, Kevin
was making a new kind of assist-helping athletes with
disabilities.
Kevin hosted the 21st
annual Tolland Fund golf tournament, last week (August
6th), at Kevin's home course of Glastonbury Hills
Country Club in his new hometown of Glastonbury, Conn.
The Tolland Fund, which
organized the Tournament, sponsors many programs and
athletic events for athletes with disabilities. The
Tolland Fund has underwritten Paralympic Gold Medalist
Paul Nitz and tennis Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl's
Wheelchair Tennis Camp.
"Helping the Tolland
Fund is the most important assist I do on or off the
court," Kevin said. "These athletes only know what
they can do, not what they can't. They are real stars
here today."
read more
 Jazz
Sign Free Agent Jason Hart
Utah Jazz senior vice
president of basketball operations, Kevin O’Connor,
announced today that the team has signed free agent
guard
Jason Hart to a multi-year contract. Per team
policy, terms of the contract were not released.
Hart (6-3, 185,
Syracuse) has appeared in 240 career games over six
NBA seasons with Milwaukee, San Antonio, Charlotte,
Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers, owning career
averages of 5.7 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds
in 18.0 minutes per game. He split time between
Sacramento and the Clippers in 2006-07, appearing in a
combined total of 36 games and averaging 6.9 points,
2.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.22 steals in 23.6
minutes. With the Clippers, he appeared in 23 games
(22 starts) and posted 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.6
rebounds and 1.78 steals in 32.4 minutes per game.
His best statistical
NBA season came in 2004-05 with Charlotte, when he
averaged career-highs of 9.5 points and 5.0 assists in
74 games (27 starts) with the Bobcats.
|
Jamaal Tatum invited to NBA Draft Camp in Orlando...
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Former Saluki guard
Jamaal Tatum has been invited to participate in the
NBA Draft Camp that takes place in Orlando from May 29 to
June 4.
The camp is reserved for
elite NBA prospects, the majority of which are likely to
be picked during the league's annual two-round draft that
takes place on June 28.
 UTAH
JAZZ: Warriors' Barnes an unlikely of success story...
Posted: 7:17 PM- If a tattoo can tell a life story, then
Matt Barnes' search for belonging in the NBA is written in
ink on the right side of his neck, where the word
"Believe" in cursive letters is joined by a pair of hands
pressed together in prayer.
Barnes made the decision to get the original tattoo - - he
added the hands in recent weeks - - two years ago in
Philadelphia, when he was sent to the injured list with a case
of knee tendonitis that didn't exist, when just getting on the
court seemed like a distant dream.
Barnes' spirit plays a key role for Warriors... Came out of nowhere. Little
was expected. All heart and audacity. Thrives because of versatility.
Sounds like a craigslist
description of Golden State, huh? But it also describes
Warriors forward Matt Barnes.
If point guard Baron Davis
is the face of the franchise, and guard Jason Richardson
is its soul (and swingman Stephen Jackson its
personality), then Barnes is the spirit of this squad.
"Matt Barnes is like our
(Dennis) Rodman," Davis said.
As much as any player, if
not more, Barnes exemplifies what this season's Warriors
are about. Like his team, Barnes was written off and
overlooked. Like his team, he has surprised everyone with
his production and success.
Like his team, he relishes
being the underdog.
"That's been my whole
career," Barnes said. "It doesn't bother me one bit. That
drives me."
Barnes embodies Warriors' grittiness...
Journeyman, like team, is proving he belongs...
The right side of Matt
Barnes' neck was red and irritated. Etched into his skin
was a fresh tattoo. The artwork showed hands pressed
together in prayer.
They were set over the word
"Believe" that he had inked a few years ago.
"It reminds me to have
faith in myself," Barnes said. "A lot of people kept
telling me that I can't do this and I can't do that. I
needed to remember to just believe in myself."
The Warriors long ago
adopted Barnes' defiant, me-against-the-world attitude and
made "We Believe" the catchphrase of this improbable
playoff run. While Barnes may be a mere supporting cast
member to Golden State's leading men such as Baron Davis
and Jason Richardson, he has come to epitomize a gritty
team that has the flashier Dallas Mavericks on the brink
of a stunning first-round exit.
Ailene Voisin: Barnes blooms with the Warriors....
Matt Barnes is all grown up. He has a real job now. He
dunks. He swipes passes. He converts three-pointers.
He has become an impassioned defender. He gets yelled
at occasionally -- "only when he makes those silly
turnovers," says his coach, Don Nelson -- and scraps
elsewhere for his living.
But the former Del
Campo High School star is coming home tonight to raise
some hell and make some noise, and, no, he's not
talking about cowbells.
 Hart's
a vital part for Clippers... The point guard from
South Central Los Angeles, who came to the team as an
emergency fill-in two months ago, can be counted on to
bring full-throttle intensity.
The season is on the brink
and here are the hard-luck Clippers, of course, laying a
big chunk of hope on a homegrown point guard nobody seems
to know.
"Who is Jason Hart?"
On a busy downtown street corner, you stop 20 people and
ask them.
Twenty people stare back, eyes blank. Some turn the
question on its heels. "Uh, who is Jason Hart?"
There he is, down on the court, in his low, determined
crouch. It is part of what he is, what has made him a
Clipper and kept him in the NBA.
Wilks
making his case for more playing time...
Mike Wilks needed just two games to make Bob Hill
begin second-guessing himself.
Before the season, the
Sonics coach had a fixed opinion of how the
seldom-used point guard would figure in a three-man
rotation that included Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson.
Hill didn't believe he could play the 5-foot-10 Wilks
consistently because of his size and didn't think he
could be a normal backup averaging 12 to 15 minutes
per game.
"Until now, I would say
obviously not, but now I'm not sure he couldn't be,"
Hill said. "He's such a phenomenal person and he's
such a great pro. He sure is building a case for it."
The Bee's 2006-07 All-Metro Girls Basketball Team...
First Team
EMILY CHRISTENSEN...
5-10, Sr., G, Oak Ridge • Her game improved so much,
the 2005-06 All-Metro honorable mention became a
first-teamer. She averaged 18 points and scored at
least 14 points in her final seven games. She'll play
at Sacramento State next season.
LISA PETERSON... 2, Sr.,
C, El Camino • She earned
her second consecutive first-team All-Metro honor
after grabbing 319 rebounds (fourth-best in the
section) and scoring a third-best 559 points for the
25-5 Eagles. Her next goal is to strengthen the UC
Davis program this fall.
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