LaFrentz Glad To Be Healthy, Ready To Play

TUALATIN -- Raef LaFrentz harbors no illusions entering the Trail Blazers' season.
He's well aware he averaged a career-worst 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last season and he discouragingly remembers doing it all in only 27 games because of a lingering and debilitating left calf injury.

Even with the season-ending injury to Greg Oden, the Blazers feature one of the NBA's brightest young teams. But when fans and pundits contemplate the franchise and its promise, LaFrentz is an afterthought, barely worth a mention.

"With me right now, here, there is really limited expectations coming into the season," LaFrentz said, smiling coyly. "I won't (lie to) you. It is what it is at this point."

But a combination of factors suggests that, even with indifferent expectations, the 6-foot-11 LaFrentz could play a meaningful role this year.

Oden's sudden departure days before training camp has left the Blazers thin in the front court. They could use the wisdom of a 10-year veteran. Every team in the league covets consistent outside shooting, particularly from a big man.

And perhaps most important, LaFrentz's left calf is healed and he enters the season free of injury concerns.

"I'm 100 percent better," he said. "Last year was a hurdle I couldn't quite get over. This year, I feel like I'm in decent shape. I'm getting up and down the floor and I feel like I have some legs underneath me. To be honest, I haven't really thought about (my calf) since June. It doesn't hurt anymore."

His calf seemed fine Friday at the end of morning practice, when the Blazers participated in a 30-minute scrimmage. Competing on a team of second-stringers, LaFrentz held his own against promising second-year player LaMarcus Aldridge, once beating him down court on a fast break and once swishing a fadeaway baseline jumper over Aldridge's outstretched arms.

This is LaFrentz's 10th NBA training camp, so he's all too aware that the first week of practice is hardly a time to expend midseason energy -- or take too much away from a couple of standout plays. But he started working for this season last May, when most NBA players were lounging on a beach, and continued throughout the offseason. So he hopes to make amends for a lost 2006-07 season.

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source : oregonlive.com

From Hand-Me-Downs To His Very Own Brand

As the 10th of 11 children who grew up dirt-poor in White Hall, Ala., Ben Wallace wore shoes with no name.

"Everybody asks me what my first pair of shoes was, but by the time they got handed down to me they were just shoes," Wallace said. "They didn't have a name or a brand or anything."

That makes the story of the shoe Wallace is wearing this season all the more impressive. After all, they're named for him.

Late last season, Wallace followed Stephon Marbury to become the second NBA player to wear the affordable Starbury brand, priced at $14.98.

After a summer of input on design, the Big Ben collection will be available this fall at Steve and Barry's stores.

"I know what it's like not to able to afford basketball shoes," Wallace said. "This is about helping out and giving back. Everybody should be able to afford these."

Wallace has reported no problems with the new design thus far in training camp, joking that they make him faster.

"I had all the input," Wallace said. "We came up with a couple of different shoes. I shot a couple of ideas down. The guys did a great job of keeping me informed on everything that was going on and what they were trying to do with the shoes.

"They didn't have any problem if I said I didn't like something. They would go and change it. If I liked something, they'd make sure to go and add it."

Specifically, Wallace said he demanded a strap across the shoe for added support.

source : chicagosports.chicagotribune.com

Ellis 'Ready To Go' After Scary Injury

(10-07) 04:00 PDT La'ie, Hawaii -- Warriors guard Monta Ellis was walking around with nothing more than a headache and sore neck Saturday morning, just hours after a scary collision left him immobilized on a stretcher and headed to a hospital.

Ellis had knocked his head into a teammate's hip during Friday night's scrimmage and brought practice to a silent halt when he didn't get up. He lay nearly motionless on the court for about 25 minutes before paramedics arrived and took him by ambulance to Castle Medical Center.

But all tests came back normal and Ellis, who was diagnosed with only a sprained neck, could be back on the practice court in a manner of days.

"He's alert, fine, ready to go. Just a bit of a headache," said Jeff Fried, Ellis' agent.

The injury scare began rather innocuously as Ellis was running a high pick-and-roll with Brandan Wright and tried to squeeze through a crowd that included defenders Austin Croshere and Marco Belinelli.

Warriors coach Don Nelson said Wright ran the wrong play, and Ellis ended up running into the rookie forward. Though Ellis fell to the floor in a slow and controlled manner, he remained face-down and moved only his legs as he was tended to by trainer Tom Abdenour.

Ellis declined to speak to reporters Saturday, but said through a team spokesman that he was alert and had feeling in all parts of his body while he was lying on the court. Ellis experienced some "tingling" in his arms and was instructed to remain still by Abdenour until paramedics arrived.

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source : sfgate.com

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Raptors	23	21	23	26					93
Lottomatica Roma	19	26	21	21					87

Toronto 93, Virtus Lottomatica 87

ROME, Oct. 7 (AP)-- Chris Bosh scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Toronto Raptors held off a spirited Virtus Lottomatica Roma squad for a 93-87 preseason victory Sunday.

Andrea Bargnani added 13 points and seven rebounds to help the Raptors win in his hometown. Danish forward Christian Drejer led Roma with 23 points.

With only two players taller than 6-foot-7, Roma struggled inside where the 6-10 Bosh was able to operate relatively uncontested.

Iceland guard Jon Stefansson hit a 3-pointer to put
Roma in front 34-33 and Bargnani replied from beyond the arc a few minutes later as the lead swung back and forth in the second quarter. Christian Drejer was fouled by Joey Graham while shooting a 3-pointer, converting a four-point play that gave Roma a 45-44 lead at halftime.

Drejer and former Celtics guard Allan Ray continued their shooting streak to start the second half and Roma opened up a 65-58 lead toward the end of the third quarter.

Jason Kapono hit four straight free throws to put Toronto back in front 67-66 at the end of the third.

After Ray tied the game at 71 with another 3, Kapono and Anthony Parker both hit 3-pointers as Toronto went on a 10-0 run to take an 85-75 lead with less than six minutes remaining.

A hybrid of NBA and Euroleague rules were used for the game, with a mix of referees also.

In addition to Bargnani, the Raptors have six other players with experience in European leagues.
Parker played for Roma in 2002-03 and Rasho Nesterovic was with the Italian club in 1997-98. Garbajosa was Bargnani's teammate at Benetton Treviso, Carlos Delfino played in Italy with Reggio Calabria and Skipper Bologna, Jose Calderon made his mark in the Spanish league and Maceo Baston played in Spain from 2001-03.

Roma's Croatian guard Roko Ukic was drafted in the second round by Toronto in 2005,
Roma was missing three key players. Former Temple University standout David Hawkins is suspended for marijuana use, and Erik Daniels and Simone Bagnoli are injured.

NBA commissioner David Stern attended the game at the Palalottomatica. where the attendance was 9,823, well off the 11,118 that attended the Raptors-Celtics game a night earlier.

The Raptors now travel to Spain to play Real Madrid on Wednesday. After returning to Canada, Toronto has one more game against European competition with Zalgiris Kaunas on Oct. 17 before facing NBA teams for the remainder of the preseason.

source : NBA.com

Bobcats Experiment With Hollins As Starter

WILMINGTON --Keep it simple, listen to your elders and don't try what you can't do.

That's Ryan Hollins' to-do list as a Charlotte Bobcats starter.
A week ago it was questionable whether he was in the rotation. Eleven months ago the Bobcats shipped him to the minor-league Fort Worth Flyers to learn how to be a pro center.
Now, with experienced alternatives dwindling, the 22-year-old 7-footer is penciled in as a starter. The coaches tell him relax, play to your strengths (length, athleticism) and understand your limitations.

"With Raymond (Felton), Emeka (Okafor), Jason (Richardson) and Gerald (Wallace) around, my job is simple," Hollins said Saturday. "Those guys take so much attention, all I have to do is rebound, block shots and play a role."

Circumstance has expanded Hollins' role dramatically. With Sean May (knee) out for the season, Othella Harrington (knee) out for the preseason and Primoz Brezec missing training camp because of a family matter, the Bobcats have few experienced big men.

Coach Sam Vincent hopes to avoid using 6-9 Okafor primarily at center this season. That means the Hollins-as-starter experiment is on fast-forward.

A former track athlete (high jump and triple-jump for UCLA), Hollins added about 10 pounds of muscle over the summer, but he's still slim at 240 pounds.

The coaches' message: Understand you're a runner, not a banger, so learn to avoid unnecessary collisions.

"Coach has helped out, reminding me I'm faster than guys," Ryan said. "Just because I've gotten stronger doesn't mean I have to fight with them. That's their (preferred) battle.

"So me moving around, running after rebounds, and not just banging into guys but playing good defense with my hands up, that's going to make me more valuable to the team."

source : charlotte.com

Spurs Sign Bowen To Extension

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have signed Bruce Bowen to a contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Bowen, a 6-7 swingman, is entering his seventh season with the Spurs. Last year he was named to the All-Defensive First Team for the fourth consecutive year and finished second in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year. Bowen has earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Defensive Team in each of the last seven seasons (First Team 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007; Second Team – 2001, 2002, 2003) joining Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd as the only players in the NBA with that distinction. He is also one of just six swingmen in NBA history who have earned All-Defensive Team honors in seven-or-more straight seasons: Scottie Pippen (10 straight from 1991-00), Bobby Jones (nine straight from 1977-85), John Havlicek (eight straight from 1969-76), Michael Cooper (eight straight from 1981-88) and Walt Frazier (seven straight from 1969-75).

Last year Bowen was the only Spur to play in all 82 games and enters this season with a streak of 436 consecutive games played – and started – which is the longest active streak in the NBA and a Spurs franchise record. He is the Spurs all-time playoff leader in three-pointers made with 134 and ranks second on the Spurs all-time regular season list in three-pointers made with 529. Bowen’s .439 (134-305) shooting percentage from three-point range during the playoffs is second on the Spurs all-time playoff list and his .401 (529-1,319) mark from downtown in the regular season ranks fifth among Spurs all-time leaders.

For his career, Bowen has played 11 NBA seasons for four different teams, including the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. He has appeared in 712 regular season games, averaging 6.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.2 minutes per game. Bowen has seen action in 113 playoff games, averaging 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 31.4 minutes in the postseason. He is also a two-time winner of the NBA’s Community Assist Award.


source : NBA.com

Garnett, Celtics Beat Raptors

Team	1	2	3	4					Full Time
Raptors	27	13	28	17					85
Celtics	20	23	27	19					89

ROME, October 6, 2007 (AP) -- Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 16 rebounds in his Celtics debut, and Boston ruined Andrea Bargnani's homecoming with an 89-85 preseason victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Paul Pierce added 21 points for Boston, while Ray Allen had an off night with only 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The start of the NBA Europe Live tour marked the Celtics' first game since Garnett and Allen joined the team, creating a "Big 3'' with Boston veteran Pierce.

"It was good to finally get out there and get our feet wet,'' Pierce said. "It was probably the best first game since I've been with the Celtics.''

Coach Doc Rivers left both Pierce and Garnett in for 32 minutes, while Allen played 31.
"Doc told us we're not going to play a lot of minutes tonight, but he wanted us to go really hard,'' Garnett said. "We had a lot of energy tonight.''

Bargnani, last year's top overall draft pick by Toronto, played his first game in his hometown in an NBA jersey and scored 13 points in less than 15 minutes.

"Andrea was pretty good. I probably could have done a better job at getting him back in, but I wanted to keep him fresh for tomorrow,'' Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "I know where Andrea's at.''

T.J. Ford and Anthony Parker started at guard for the Raptors, with Chris Bosh and Jason Kapono at forward and Bargnani at center.

Ford led the Raptors with 15 points.

The other Celtics starters were Rajon Rondo at point guard and Kendrick Perkins at center.
The Raptors play Roma on Sunday, then travel to Spain to face Real Madrid. The Celtics meet Garnett's former club, the Minnesota Timberwolves, on Wednesday in London.
"We did some good things and we need to work at some other things,'' Mitchell said. "We play again tomorrow and we'll try to clean some things up.''

The sold-out crowd of 11,118 at the Palalottomatica gave Bargnani a standing ovation when he came out for warmups and grew even louder when he scored six of the Raptors' first eight points, including a 3-pointer on his first attempt from the field.

The Celtics had a slow start, while Toronto's international cast of Carlos Delfino, Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa and Rasho Nesterovic sunk a series of perimeter shots to open a 34-22 lead.

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source : NBA.com