LAS VEGAS, August 17, 2007 -- A lot has been said and written about the additions of Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups to Team USA this summer. Amare Stoudemire is also a big (literally and figuratively) addition, as he's fully healthy this time around. And there's always hype surrounding LeBron James, who is coming off his first trip to the NBA Finals.
But let us not overlook the man who was Team USA's best player when they won the bronze medal at last year's World Championships.
While Kidd is the leader and floor general, Bryant is the go-to scorer down the stretch and LeBron is the runaway train on the break, Carmelo Anthony's role might be as or more important than all of them.
Throughout the first three practices of this second session of training camp, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has had a primary lineup of Kidd, Bryant, James, Anthony and Stoudemire. He has said that it won't be his only starting lineup, but it's safe to say that Anthony will spend a lot of time playing the power forward position.
That means that he will be asked to bang with the big guys, rebound and defend the paint. It's not the same role that he plays on the Nuggets for sure, when he plays alongside Marcus Camby and Nenê. Bryant though, believes that Anthony can handle the role just fine.
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source : NBA.com
Saturday, August 18, 2007
The Forgotten Man?
Nets' Kidd "The Man" When It Comes To U.S. Hoops Success
LAS VEGAS -- Make no mistake about who is the leader of the USA men's basketball team.
The New Jersey Nets' Jason Kidd got that job the minute he stepped onto the court as a member of the team, which is trying to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
The oldest player on the squad at 34, Kidd is the floor general everyone looks up to, respects and is eager to play with.
"I want to help the younger guys," he said. "That's everybody I guess, since I'm the oldest."
The team is training for the Tournament of the Americas Olympic qualifying tournament that begins Wednesday. The top two teams in the 10-country field qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Kidd is also the only member of the team with an Olympic gold medal (2000) and is a perfect 28-0 in international competition (including the 1999 and 2003 qualifying tournaments and the 2000 Olympics). An injury kept him off the 2004 Olympic team and personal issues prohibited him from playing in last summer's world championships in Japan.
Healthy now, Kidd is eager to do whatever he can to help the United States re-establish its international basketball prowess.
"I'm here to make the game easier and go out there and show the world that we are the best and come back with a gold medal," Kidd said.
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source : indystar.com
Nets' Jefferson Donates $3.5M For New Arizona Practice Facility
TUCSON (AP) — New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson announced Friday that he's donating $3.5 million to the University of Arizona so his alma mater can build a new multi-sport practice facility.
School officials said it's one of the largest individual donations ever to its athletic department.
Jefferson's donation is the lead gift toward a planned $20 million basketball and volleyball practice facility project that also includes a diving well and rebuilt area for gymnastics.
"We need that practice facility. For him to do what he's doing is just unbelievable," Wildcats basketball coach Lute Olson said at a news conference announcing Jefferson's pledge.
The facility is projected to be completed by September 2008 and could possibly be named in Jefferson's honor because of his donation, according to school officials.
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source : usatoday.com
FIBA Refs School Team USA On International Rules
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Team USA invited FIBA referees to work a scrimmage this week.
Fortunately, everyone survived.
The idea was to prepare players for the no-blood, no-foul style of international play. What might appear to be a violation in the NBA — a moving screen, say, or a forearm to the midsection — is often ignored under FIBA rules.
"You have more liberties," Kobe Bryant said. "It's upon us to take advantage of those. In the past, guys were telling me, when they were playing in these tournaments, they're so used to playing hands-off. It's an adjustment. They're not taking advantage of their size or their athletic ability.
"We're making a conscious effort to establish that early here."
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source : NBA.com
In team meetings this week, FIBA referees Terry Moore of the U.S. and Nikos Zarlanos of Greece talked to the players about what's allowed, and what's not.
"What we're doing is taking about four or five rules and showing the difference between NBA and international, or the similarities, and it was a very productive thing," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Actually, how we guard the ball is a big thing in that, and our guys responded well to it."
Wolves' Madsen To Miss Three Months
Timberwolves forward Mark Madsen had successful surgery today to repair his right shoulder and pectoral muscle, and he is expected to be out three months, the team announced.
The injury occurred when Madsen had an accident on a jet ski on Monday, a team spokesman said.
"This was an unfortunate accident that I have put behind me," Madsen said in a statement. "My focus now is to concentrate on my rehabilitation with the goal of returning to the basketball court as quickly as possible."
Madsen is entering his fifth season with the team and is expected to provide depth as a reserve power forward/center.
source : twincities.com
Vegas Trip Is All Business For Team USA
LAS VEGAS • If Amaré Stoudemire wasn’t preparing for the FIBA Americas championship, he might be far from a basketball court this week. “Right now, I’d probably just be on a vacation with my family,” the All-Star center said.
Read Jerry Brown's Rim Shots blogLeBron James said he would probably be back home “working out and playing video games all day.”
But both NBA stars are in Las Vegas, along with the rest of Team USA, practicing for the tournament that begins next week. The U.S. will be among 10 teams competing for two spots in the 2008 Olympics.
The tourney could be viewed as punishment for finishing third in last year’s world championships in Japan, behind champion Spain and Greece. Had the U.S. defeated the underdog Greeks in the semifinals, it wouldn’t be preparing to play 10 games in 12 days beginning Aug. 22.
Of course, it could have been worse — the tourney was originally scheduled to be held in Venezuela, which lost the bid for financial reasons.
Las Vegas is a popular destination for NBA players, but perhaps not in the summer, with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees each day since training camp opened. Players also were in town for a minicamp in July.
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source : eastvalleytribune.com
Carmelo Anthony Proves He Can Thrive In Any Environment
LAS VEGAS - Some NBA players struggle with rough- and-tumble international basketball.
It seems to bring out the best in Carmelo Anthony, who also has thrived in the NCAA and NBA.
"I can adjust to all types of games," Anthony said after U.S. practice Thursday at Valley High School. "I don't need the ball to be effective. I can go in there and get some rebounds, get some assists and get some steals and score when I have to.
"I don't really have to try to go out there and score 30, 40 points for this team to win. I can do the little things."
Anthony has averaged 24.1 points in four seasons with the Nuggets.
As the Americans prepare for the FIBA Americas tournament next week, there has been a lot of attention on newcomer Kobe Bryant and how he'll mesh in the backcourt with LeBron James.
But if Anthony reprises his performance from the world championship last year, he might be the glue that holds the Americans together.
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source : rockymountainnews.com
Pistons Add Depth With Swingman Hayes
Former Wizard offers potential as a scorer and versatility to the lineup by playing two positions.
The Pistons added another swingman to the roster, signing restricted free-agent guard/forward Jarvis Hayes on Thursday.
Hayes averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 rebounds over four seasons in a mostly reserve role for the Wizards. He has been hampered by injuries but was healthy last season.
Hayes, 26, played in 81 games last season, averaging 7.2 points and 41 percent shooting.
A team normally has seven days to match an offer to a restricted free agent, but the Wizards declined to make an offer.
Hayes, who is 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, gives the Pistons another potential scorer.
"Jarvis has proven himself as a solid NBA player over the last four seasons," Pistons president Joe Dumars said in a statement.
"We like the flexibility and depth he will bring to our team at the small forward position."
The knock on Hayes, who likely will sub for Tayshaun Prince or Richard Hamilton, is defense.
The Pistons have stocked up on guards and small forwards.
Those on the roster include: Chauncey Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Sammy Mejia, Ronald Dupree, Lindsey Hunter, Hayes and Flip Murray.
The status of forwards Chris Webber and Dale Davis, both free agents, remains unresolved.
Nazr Mohammed and Rasheed Wallace are the only experienced centers. Antonio McDyess is another frontcourt reserve. He re-signed during the offseason.
source : detnews.com
Perkins Will Follow Leaders On Celtics
WALTHAM -- Even though Kendrick Perkins remains with the Celtics, no player on the current roster may have been more affected by the offseason changes created by two trades and free agency than the 22-year-old center. No longer one of the more experienced players on a young team, Perkins expects to do a lot more listening, rather than leading, in the locker room as he learns from new veteran All-Star teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
Above all, Perkins doesn't want to take his current situation for granted and hopes his teammates think about a team loaded with talent the same way. Perkins plans to be an integral part of what he believes should be a run to the NBA Finals.
"I've got to be able to give my best every night," said Perkins, fully recovered from the left foot plantar fasciitis that sidelined him for a spell and prevented him from playing at top form during the second half of last season. "I'm excited about this season and I'm trying to put my all into it. This is a blessed opportunity to be on a team with Paul [Pierce], Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen."
To that end, Perkins has spent a lot of time at the Celtics' practice facility, working on his conditioning, strength, and 15-foot shot and returning for only brief stays to his hometown of Beaumont, Texas. He also has tried not to dwell on the loss of Al Jefferson, whom he still calls his "right-hand man." Perkins has spoken once with Jefferson since the trade that sent the power forward to Minnesota for Garnett a little more than two weeks ago.
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source : boston.com
Anthony Emerges As U.S Team Star
LAS VEGAS — Some NBA players struggle with rough-and-tumble international basketball.
It seems to bring out the best in Carmelo Anthony, who has also thrived in the NCAA and NBA.
"I can adjust to all types of games," Anthony said after U.S. practice Thursday at Valley High School. "I don't need the ball to be effective. I can go in there and get some rebounds, get some assists and get some steals and score when I have to.
"I don't really have to try to go out there and score 30, 40 points for this team to win," said Anthony, who has averaged 24.1 points in four NBA seasons. "I can do the little things."
As the Americans prepare for the FIBA Americas tournament next week, there's been a lot of attention on newcomer Kobe Bryant and how he'll mesh in the backcourt with LeBron James.
But if Anthony reprises his performance from the world championships last summer, he might be the glue that holds the Americans together.
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source : usatoday.com
Kidd Expected To Lead U.S Team
The last time the U.S. basketball team was in this predicament, Jason Kidd bailed out his country by helping it qualify for the Olympics.
That was in 2003, after the Americans had been embarrassed by a sixth-place finish at the world championships the previous year.
International Rules Seen As Biggest Challenge
LAS VEGAS -- The three-point line and games will be shorter and officials will operate under international rules.
In recent years, that has been a bad combination for NBA players used to getting calls to go their way as Team USA has failed to win a gold medal in its last four world competitions since the 2000 Olympics.
The differences between the NBA and international play "sounds so trite but it's big because you're going to work the same way every day and then all of the sudden, there's a roadblock: You are not as familiar with," Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski said about the challenges of this year's FIBA Americas Championship, which begin Wednesday at Nevada Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center,
"It takes adjustments," Krzyzewski added. ". . . when you add all the little things together, it's big and that's what we're trying to get across.For players such as Amare Stoudemire, an athletic big man who excels playing the NBA style, adapting to the international game takes time.
"The physical play is different and the no three-second rule in the paint defensively, those two are the main two changes for me," said Stoudemire, who played on the 2004 USA Olympic team but did not compete in last year's World Championships because of a knee injury.
"You are so used to getting out of the paint because you're afraid of the three-second call. But in the European game, you can stand in there as long as you want."
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source : latimes.com
Luol Deng Ready For Great Britain
Playing in front of 450 spectators in Sussex is a long way from megastardom in the US with Chicago Bulls, but for Luol Deng, it is just as important.
KNICKS' LEE ENJOYING TIME WITH TEAM USA
August 17, 2007 -- On his first day in Las Vegas Wednesday as a member of Team USA's practice squad, Knicks forward David Lee heard the words he wanted to hear: he's being considered for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.
Team USA CEO Jerry Colangelo spoke to the newly created band of young guns scrimmaging against Team USA, which will compete next week in the Olympic qualifier in Sin City.
"The first day Coach K and Colangelo talked about putting together a team, not necessarily the best players in the league, not the best scorers," Lee said. "It's not like that anymore. They're trying to do a team filling holes."
According to Lee, Krzyzewski pointed to the forward's rebounding ability and said, "We want one of the best offensive rebounders in the league on this team."
"I'm here to be a rebounder and lead the defense, the same reason I get playing time with the Knicks," Lee said.
In the first scrimmage against the Olympic stars Wednesday, the youngsters upset Team A, which featured Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Amare Stoudamire.
"We're simulating what other teams will do, so we packed in a zone and forced them to shoot outside," Lee said. "You can't guard Kobe and LeBron off the dribble, so it's the only way to be successful."
Lee, who missed the final 23 games with a mysterious stress reaction in his right leg, said he's feeling sore, but his injury has healed.
"I have muscle soreness from both legs because I had so much time off, but the injury itself is feeling normally," he said. "I have a good bounce in my step."
Wizards, Grizzlies Finalize Trade of Spanish Guard
Guard Juan Carlos Navarro's trade to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a future conditional first-round draft pick was completed yesterday, the Washington Wizards announced.
The Wizards and Grizzlies agreed in principle to the trade on Aug. 3, but the deal's completion was delayed because Navarro had to finalize the details of the buyout on his contract with his team in Spain, FC Barcelona.
Navarro, a 6-foot-3 guard who has been one of the top players in Europe for several seasons, was drafted by the Wizards in the second round of the 2002 draft but never signed with the team.
According to a league source, the draft pick received by the Wizards will be top 19 protected in 2008, meaning the Grizzlies would keep the pick if they finish with one of the top 19 picks. The pick is top 16 protected in 2009, top 14 protected from 2010 to 2012 and top 12 protected in 2013.
If the Wizards have not received the pick by 2013, they will receive a second-round pick and cash considerations.
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source : washingtonpost.com
Pistons Sign Jarvis Hayes from Wizards
All summer, the Pistons said they could live with a backup-small-forward-by-committee system. They said they could fill minutes behind Tayshaun Prince with second-round draft pick Sammy Mejia, rookie guard Arron Afflalo and maybe even shooting guard Richard Hamilton.
Now, consider that Plan B.Plan A is small forward Jarvis Hayes, a restricted free agent the Pistons signed Thursday to a one-year deal using a small portion of their $5.6-million midlevel exception. Washington did not match the offer.
"We are pleased to add Jarvis Hayes to our roster," team president Joe Dumars said in a news release. "Jarvis has proven himself as a solid NBA player over the last four seasons, and we like the flexibility and depth he will bring to our team at the small forward position."
Hayes fits the typical Pistons prototype as a player who has endured more than his share of struggles and was eventually cast off from another team. The No. 10 pick of Washington in the illustrious 2003 draft, Hayes has spent most of his four-year career with the Wizards battling injuries.
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source : freep.com
Nets Sign Hite
August 17, 2007 -- The Nets didn't necessarily get bigger but they added Hite - Robert Hite - to their roster yesterday.
Hite, a 6-foot-2 guard who played 12 games for the Heat last season, signed a one-year, $687,456 minimum deal with a partial guarantee (about $20,000) after impressing the Nets on their summer league team. Hite, undrafted in 2006 out of the University of Miami, averaged 4.3 points for the Heat. In four summer league games with the Nets, he averaged 12.0 points and shot .385 overall - but .467 on 3-pointers.
Hite became more attractive to the Nets when free agent Eddie House elected to sign for more money with the Celtics, getting one year and $1.5 million. Team president Rod Thorn, who noted Hite "performed capably" in the summer league, had said the Nets were looking to sign two more minimum guys so Hite fills one of those spots.
source : nypost.com
Sonics' Swift Sheds His Skin
In one swoop, Robert Swift's development as a man and a basketball player has reached its apex, at the precise moment when the Sonics are seeking a mature and productive center as a cornerstone of their future.
Quietly, as the Sonics franchise moves toward slow-simmering success on the court and uncertainty off it, Swift has rehabilitated his torn right anterior cruciate ligament in near anonymity. Not yet considered a bust because he was robbed of his opportunity to showcase his skills by the catastrophic injury, Swift has not played in an NBA regular-season game in 16 months, and he's hoping to make it to Oct. 31 at Denver's Pepsi Center with his rebuilt knee intact.
While many of his teammates were lying on tropical islands with umbrella drinks, Swift was begging the Sonics' strength and conditioning coach, Dwight Daub, to stay at the Furtado Center for more work. He arrived here Thursday at 11:30 a.m. as the Storm was practicing and worked arduously in the weight room while construction workers were milling around.Swift ignored them, flipped on an AC/DC compact disc and went to work.
"It's been exactly the opposite," Swift said when asked whether he's had to be coerced to rehab. "There are times when things are tough at home or I just want to be here, and I have to beg Dwight to stay here and he would say that I was done and to go home. I sometimes have been working too much."
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source : seattlepi.nwsource.com
Kings coach Reggie Theus received Sam Lacy Award
New Kings coach Reggie Theus was in Las Vegas on Friday to accept a Sam Lacy Pioneer Award from the Sports Task Force for the National Association of Black Journalists at their 32nd annual convention.
Theus was one of several recipients of the award, each with Las Vegas ties. The others included: boxing promoter Don King, boxing referee Richard Steele, ESPN NBA analyst and fromer UNLV standout Greg Anthony, UNLV women's basketball coach Regina Miller, and former University of Nevada-Reno women's athletics administrator Dr. Angela Taylor.
"I'm honored to be recognized with a Pioneer Award by the Sports Task Force of the NABJ," Theus said in a statement released by the Kings. "I have fond memories of my time at UNLV, and those years helped shape my career as an NBA player, as a broadcaster and now as a coach."
The Pioneer Awards honors black groundbreakers in the sports world and is the most prestigious accolade given by the NABJ Sports Task Force, which is made up of African American broadcasts sports journalists.
source : sacbee.com
