Terrence Williams has agreed to an NBA
minimum, non-guaranteed contract with the Detroit Pistons.
Williams will report to Oct. 1 to
Detroit's training camp.
He was drafted No. 11 overall in the 2009
NBA draft by New Jersey, but hasn't played up to his potential.
The 6-foot-6 Williams averaged 8.4 points
in 78 games, including nine starts, as a rookie for the Nets. They traded him to
Houston during his second season in the league after he repeatedly broke team
rules and played just 11 games. He averaged 8.8 points in 18 games last season
in Sacramento and 4.5 points over 12 games with Houston. The 25-year-old
Williams is from Seattle and was a standout for Louisville.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Jalen Rose jovially admits trying to hurt Kobe Bryant during the 2000 NBA Finals
One of the things that earned Bruce Bowen
a reputation as one of the NBA's chippiest (and some, even former teammates,
might say flat-out dirtiest) defenders over the course of his 13-year NBA career
was his penchant for sticking his foot underneath an opposing jump shooter after
contesting a shot so that, when the shooter came back down to the floor, he ran
a serious risk of stepping awkwardly on Bowen's foot and turning his ankle (or
worse). The practice was at the heart of a November 2006 Sports Illustrated
feature on Bowen, in which most executives interviewed said they didn't think
the eight-time All-Defensive Team selection was intentionally trying to hurt
opponents with dirty pool.
And with that, we come to "The Jalen Rose Show," a podcast on ESPN.com's Grantland Network in which the Fab Five member talks shop and spins yarns from his playing days with producer Dave Jacoby. In a clip from the show released Tuesday through Grantland's new YouTube channel (the same outlet that gave us the stellar documentary on Houston Rockets rookie Royce White's draft-day experience), Rose reiterates that not sticking your foot under a shooter is basketball's "No. 1 unwritten rule" ... and then relates a story of when, as a member of the Indiana Pacers, he himself did it on the sport's biggest stage.
"NBA Finals, 2000," Rose says. "Kobe. Bean. Bryant. Goes up for a jump shot on the right wing, I contest the jump shot, Kobe lands on my foot. He hobbles off, and he actually misses the next game."
Rose is talking about Game 2 of the 2000 Finals. After getting drubbed by the Los Angeles Lakers by 17 points in Game 1 thanks to a monster Shaquille O'Neal performance (43 points on 21-for-31 shooting, 19 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 44 minutes), the Pacers were hanging with L.A., playing to a 28-all tie after the first quarter. Then, in the second quarter:
Bryant played just nine minutes in Game 2, which the Lakers went on to win by seven, but as Rose says, he missed Game 3, which Indiana won 100-91 to get back into the series at 2-1.
"Now, if it was up to me? If it was up to me? He should've just missed the whole series," Rose says. "I would've had a championship ring, and it'd be no harm, no foul."
And with that, we come to "The Jalen Rose Show," a podcast on ESPN.com's Grantland Network in which the Fab Five member talks shop and spins yarns from his playing days with producer Dave Jacoby. In a clip from the show released Tuesday through Grantland's new YouTube channel (the same outlet that gave us the stellar documentary on Houston Rockets rookie Royce White's draft-day experience), Rose reiterates that not sticking your foot under a shooter is basketball's "No. 1 unwritten rule" ... and then relates a story of when, as a member of the Indiana Pacers, he himself did it on the sport's biggest stage.
"NBA Finals, 2000," Rose says. "Kobe. Bean. Bryant. Goes up for a jump shot on the right wing, I contest the jump shot, Kobe lands on my foot. He hobbles off, and he actually misses the next game."
Rose is talking about Game 2 of the 2000 Finals. After getting drubbed by the Los Angeles Lakers by 17 points in Game 1 thanks to a monster Shaquille O'Neal performance (43 points on 21-for-31 shooting, 19 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 44 minutes), the Pacers were hanging with L.A., playing to a 28-all tie after the first quarter. Then, in the second quarter:
Bryant played just nine minutes in Game 2, which the Lakers went on to win by seven, but as Rose says, he missed Game 3, which Indiana won 100-91 to get back into the series at 2-1.
"Now, if it was up to me? If it was up to me? He should've just missed the whole series," Rose says. "I would've had a championship ring, and it'd be no harm, no foul."
Friday, September 14, 2012
Lakers say Howard won't be ready for start of camp
Dwight Howard won't finish his
rehabilitation from back surgery in time for the start of the Los Angeles
Lakers' training camp or their first preseason game next month.
The Lakers provided an update on the newly acquired center's condition on their website Thursday night, confirming their long-anticipated decision to take it easy in Howard's return from spinal surgery.
The team doesn't intend to announce a timetable for Howard's recovery, but says he won't participate in the start of training camp on Oct. 2, or the preseason opener in Fresno five days later.
The six-time All-Star has said he hopes to be ready for the start of the regular season Oct. 30, but the team isn't speculating.
Howard recently began working with the Lakers' training staff on his recovery from surgery last April repairing a herniated disc and doing additional cleanup. Howard's personal trainer is working alongside the Lakers' staff, and the center has experienced no setbacks.
Howard is doing core stabilization training while also getting in a little light running and shooting.
The Lakers can afford to be cautious with their new big man, acquired from Orlando in a four-team trade on Aug. 10 that sent All-Star center Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia.
Pau Gasol will be ready to play in the middle when training camp opens in two weeks, and the Lakers have years of experience in dealing with injured centers during Bynum's injury struggles.
The Lakers provided an update on the newly acquired center's condition on their website Thursday night, confirming their long-anticipated decision to take it easy in Howard's return from spinal surgery.
The team doesn't intend to announce a timetable for Howard's recovery, but says he won't participate in the start of training camp on Oct. 2, or the preseason opener in Fresno five days later.
The six-time All-Star has said he hopes to be ready for the start of the regular season Oct. 30, but the team isn't speculating.
Howard recently began working with the Lakers' training staff on his recovery from surgery last April repairing a herniated disc and doing additional cleanup. Howard's personal trainer is working alongside the Lakers' staff, and the center has experienced no setbacks.
Howard is doing core stabilization training while also getting in a little light running and shooting.
The Lakers can afford to be cautious with their new big man, acquired from Orlando in a four-team trade on Aug. 10 that sent All-Star center Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia.
Pau Gasol will be ready to play in the middle when training camp opens in two weeks, and the Lakers have years of experience in dealing with injured centers during Bynum's injury struggles.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Dwyane Wade is improving his shooting by working on his catching
Way back in late June, when the Miami
Heat's championship was but a few days old, Dwyane Wade indicated that he would
hire a shooting coach this summer. It was a smart move for a player who
occasionally looked a little limited in the playoffs, both because of injury and
the diminished athleticism that comes with it. At 30 years old, Wade is reaching
a point where he has to adjust his game to a changing set of skills and
abilities.
However, Wade's work has not focused solely on his shot. In fact, he's particularly focused on another aspect of his mechanics: the catch.
By "catch," Wade is referring to more than just catch-and-shoot situations — the issue is really more about how he brings the ball up into his motion in all shooting situations. It's similar to how a hitter in baseball must work on both his step as well as the swing itself.
When we talk about shooting, we typically look at the most obvious elements of the play: squaring up, elevating, releasing, following through, etc. What Wade recognizes, though, is that athletic motions are interrelated. In other words, a player can't shoot properly if he doesn't first get himself in a good position to shoot, just as a point guard can't make a good pass if he doesn't first get himself a usable passing lane. It's a holistic view of the sport, not one where skills can be isolated as if one didn't affect the other.
As Wade ages, then, changing his game won't just be a matter of adding and discarding various aspects of his game. He'll have to consider how those individual parts relate to each other and the kind of player he wants to be. He can't flip a switch and become a different kind of player — the transition never ends.
However, Wade's work has not focused solely on his shot. In fact, he's particularly focused on another aspect of his mechanics: the catch.
By "catch," Wade is referring to more than just catch-and-shoot situations — the issue is really more about how he brings the ball up into his motion in all shooting situations. It's similar to how a hitter in baseball must work on both his step as well as the swing itself.
When we talk about shooting, we typically look at the most obvious elements of the play: squaring up, elevating, releasing, following through, etc. What Wade recognizes, though, is that athletic motions are interrelated. In other words, a player can't shoot properly if he doesn't first get himself in a good position to shoot, just as a point guard can't make a good pass if he doesn't first get himself a usable passing lane. It's a holistic view of the sport, not one where skills can be isolated as if one didn't affect the other.
As Wade ages, then, changing his game won't just be a matter of adding and discarding various aspects of his game. He'll have to consider how those individual parts relate to each other and the kind of player he wants to be. He can't flip a switch and become a different kind of player — the transition never ends.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Michael Phelps Wins $100k in Vegas Poker Game
After cleaning up a record number of
medals at the Olympics, Michael Phelps has extended his winning streak at the
poker table.
According to TMZ, the retired gold medalist raked in $100k from a single poker game at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas this week.
A source reports that the 27-year-old athlete spent a chunk of it afterwards at Tryst nightclub in the Wynn.
Recently, Phelps came under fire for possible International Olympic Committee violations when photos for his Louis Vuitton ad campaign were leaked during the London Games. The IOC prohibits athletes from promoting non-official sponsors during a time period around the Games. Sanctions include stripping medals won by the offenders.
However, Phelps' agent Peter Carlisle insists the leaks were not the fault of the
swimmer. "He didn't violate Rule 40; it's as simple as that. All that matters is whether the athlete permitted that use. That's all he can control. In this case, Michael did not authorize that use. The images hadn't even been reviewed, much less approved. It's as simple as that. An athlete can't control unauthorized uses any more than you can guarantee someone isn't going to break into your house."
According to TMZ, the retired gold medalist raked in $100k from a single poker game at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas this week.
A source reports that the 27-year-old athlete spent a chunk of it afterwards at Tryst nightclub in the Wynn.
Recently, Phelps came under fire for possible International Olympic Committee violations when photos for his Louis Vuitton ad campaign were leaked during the London Games. The IOC prohibits athletes from promoting non-official sponsors during a time period around the Games. Sanctions include stripping medals won by the offenders.
However, Phelps' agent Peter Carlisle insists the leaks were not the fault of the
swimmer. "He didn't violate Rule 40; it's as simple as that. All that matters is whether the athlete permitted that use. That's all he can control. In this case, Michael did not authorize that use. The images hadn't even been reviewed, much less approved. It's as simple as that. An athlete can't control unauthorized uses any more than you can guarantee someone isn't going to break into your house."
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