Sports Morning Headlines - Thursday, 12/8/11
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- Created on Thursday, 08 December 2011 07:11
- Last Updated on Thursday, 16 May 2013 07:51
- Written by MVPTexas Morning Sports Report
Former UT star Ford will sign with Spurs, back up Parker - After agreeing to sign a contract with the Spurs that will make him Tony Parker’s primary backup at the point guard position, former University of Texas star T.J. Ford said he was anxious to open training camp with the Spurs on Friday. “I can’t wait to get there,” he said from his home in Houston. Ford is expected to sign a contract for the NBA veteran minimum. With eight seasons in the NBA with Milwaukee, Toronto and Indiana, that makes the deal worth $1.266 million, which will be pro-rated for the shortened season. Just one week removed from playing for KK Zagreb in the Euroleague, where he emigrated after the NBA locked out its players in July, Ford said he is more than ready for the start of Spurs camp. READ MORE
Jefferson's tenure with Spurs looks to be over - Team will use amnesty on forward, eyes Butler as possible replacement. Richard Jefferson arrived from Milwaukee in the summer of 2009, amid so much hope and promise, bringing with him the belief that he would be the missing piece to the Spurs' latest championship puzzle. After two mostly disappointing seasons as the Spurs' starting small forward, it appears Jefferson will not be around for a third. According to an NBA source with knowledge of the Spurs' plans, the team will exercise its one-time amnesty clause to waive Jefferson and free itself from the three years and $30.5 million left on his contract. The move would nudge the Spurs' payroll below the luxury-tax threshold and allow them full use of the $5 million mid-level exception in pursuit of a new starting small forward. Jefferson's replacement, in fact, might already have been present at Spurs headquarters Wednesday afternoon. READ MORE
Project Spurs: Josh Howard says Spurs want him on the team - As word spread like wildfire over the San Antonio Spurs reportedly set to chuck Richard Jefferson and his albatross of a contract using the amnesty provision in the upcoming new CBA, the Spurs also have been working tirelessly at finding a suitable replacement at small forward. And while it seems free agent Caron Butler might have the inside track, Josh Howard also met with San Antonio and according to him, the Spurs told him they want him in black and silver. READ MORE
Butler liked what he saw in San Antonio - Free-agent forward Caron Butler told the San Antonio Express-News Wednesday that he considers the Spurs his personal “frontrunners” for his services. Butler met with Spurs officials Wednesday in San Antonio. And later, Butler told the Express-News that he was pleased with how the meeting turned out. “The meeting went great, I enjoyed it,” he said. Butler said he is considering five teams — Detroit, Chicago, New Jersey, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Spurs. But the “first-class” amenties he saw in San Antonio apparently have swayed him in his personal pecking order. “I think the Spurs are the frontrunners, based on conversations I’ve had today,” he said. READ MORE
Carlisle shows off his piano skills - During some of his free time while the NBA lockout was in session, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle spent some time last month playing the piano at The Hockaday School. It’s the school where Carlisle’s daughter attends, as does two daughters of owner Mark Cuban. Carlisle proved to be an accomplished pianist while he showed off his musical talents for the students. He also has performed a series of musical assemblies around Dallas. READ MORE
Carlisle kept "running into'' the championship trophy - The Dallas Mavericks' players got a chance to spend their own individual time “hosting’’ the NBA championship trophy, thanks to a gesture by owner Mark Cuban. Coach Rick Carlisle also got an opportunity to show off the team’s first NBA championship trophy, which they won in a six-game series against the Miami Heat. Asked about that unusual opportunity, Carlisle said: “I spent a lot of time with the trophy, but I was running into it at a lot of different places,’’ Carlisle said. “Mark and I were at The Hockaday School with it early in September because he’s got two daughters there and my daughter goes there, so we had a blast over there with it. READ MORE
Don't rule out any of the Maverick free agents for sure - While it looks like the primary Maverick free agents -- Tyson Chandler , J.J. Barea and Caron Butler -- are definitely headed to new teams, the door isn't slammed shut on any of them yet. That's what a couple NBA insiders said today. While the likelihood of all three leaving has become obvious to everybody, given the Mavericks' determined stance that they will offer only one-year contracts, people around the league still aren't totally convinced that the Mavericks will come up empty-handed. The lure of trying to repeat as champions can be strong. But with Chandler getting strong interest from New Jersey, Golden State and others, plus Butler visiting San Antonio as we mentioned yesterday and having impressive visits to the LA Clippers and Chicago, those players look like longshots to stay. READ MORE
Carlisle doesn't mind opening the season against the Heat - It’s very rare for the two teams who met in the previous NBA Finals to meet on opening day of the ensuing season. But that’s the case with the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. The Mavs defeated the Heat last June in the NBA Finals, 4-2, and those two teams will open the regular season at 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Day at American Airlines Center. “It’s very unusual,’’ Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “Miami is a team we have great respect for. “It’s such an important showcase game for the league. It’s always an honor to be involved with it.’’ READ MORE
Farewell Chuck; Rockets forward/center/leader likely on his way out - via @Jonathan_Feigen: Per Marc Stein, the Kings have offered forward Chuck Hayes $20 million over four years. The Rockets are not expected to extend an offer. It’s a sad day but one that was inevitable. While Hayes is worth every penny, with the direction in which this team is now headed, it would not have been wise to match such a price tag. Hayes was this team’s leader and one of the most underappreciated men in our league. This was a payday well deserved. READ MORE
Trading Teams For Superstars Is Not As Smart As It Sounds - If you’re an NBA general manager not employed by the Oklahoma City Thunder or Miami Heat, it seems that the trendiest thing you could possibly do at the moment is make every player on your roster available in a very public (and very desperate) attempt at acquiring Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Dwight Howard. (Or, if you’re a voracious halfwit, might as well make a run at two!) Asking why a front office would employ this not so covert strategy isn’t a cool or popular question to pose, and it would probably make those within earshot lose a tiny bit of respect for you as a basketball fan/human being. These are superstars we’re talking about! And they’re available! Real life superstars! READ MORE
Rockets' schedule released - The Houston Rockets tip off the 2011-12 regular season with a trip to Orlando to take on the Magic on Dec. 26, which was announced today by the NBA. The Rockets open the 2011-12 home slate by hosting Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and the San Antonio Spurs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29, which marks the first time in team history that home games will begin at 7:00 p.m. for weekday games. This season’s home lineup also features two appearances by Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 7 and Feb. 15. Chris Paul and the division-rival New Orleans Hornets invade Toyota Center on Jan. 19 and close out the regular season with a game in Houston on Apr. 26. The Spurs make a second visit to Toyota Center on Jan. 21. Carmelo Anthony, Amaré Stoudemire and the New York Knicks take center stage against the Rockets on Jan. 28. READ MORE
What about Samuel Dalembert? - With all the focus on the troika of Marc Gasol, Nene, and Tyson Chandler dominating the free agency talk these days, an old Rockets' target, Samuel Dalembert has seemed to have gone by the wayside. However, Dalembert has returned to the stage after an interview with Fox Sports Florida where he indicated that the Rockets are his personal favorite. "Houston, that one is the best," said Dalembert. He later added, "I'm interested in the Rockets. They have a good team over there, a running team." Dalembert is certainly no Gasol or Chandler, but he'd fill a gaping hole with a big body and bring some much needed defense and rebounding skills to a position currently held by the two-headed monster of Jordan Hill and Hasheem Thabeet. READ MORE
Astros hire Luhnow as general manager - The Astros turned to their division rival and the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals for their next general manager, announcing late Wednesday they had hired Cardinals vice president of player procurement Jeff Luhnow. Astros owner Jim Crane will introduce Luhnow on Thursday at a 1 p.m. CT press conference at Minute Maid Park in Houston. "We are very pleased to have Jeff as the new general manager of the Houston Astros," Astros president and CEO George Postolos said. "Jeff is the perfect fit for the Astros because of his track record in scouting and player development during his eight-plus seasons with the Cardinals. READ MORE
Have The Astros Made A Mistake Firing Ed Wade - Not only is he being paid for this season but he'll be paid for the 2013 season as well due to an evergreen clause that activated at the end of October. No doubt Drayton McLane on his way out hooked up his boys. But this isn't really about that. This is about a general manager search that has seen several high profile names decline to even interview with the organization. The problem isn't the Astros, it's the timing. Sure the Major Leauge team's bad and the farm system is still pretty bad, but it seems to be more about the timing of the price. Which is why Andrew Friedman and several others have decided to decline an interview, they've got work to do and leaving in the middle of the offseason just wouldn't be fair to their current organization. READ MORE
Rangers discuss Gonzalez, Prince with Boras - Rangers president Nolan Ryan said early Wednesday afternoon here at the Winter Meetings that he did not see his club getting involved in free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder. "I don't see that fitting into our budget," Ryan said. But the Rangers did meet with Fielder's agent, Scott Boras, on Wednesday. The main topic of conversation was reliever Michael Gonzalez but the sides did discuss Fielder. The Rangers, Ryan said, always look at everything. READ MORE
Rangers prepared to move on without Wilson - The Rangers are leaving the Winter Meetings after the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. They are prepared to leave without signing free-agent pitcher C.J. Wilson. The Rangers made it clear on Wednesday that they expect Wilson to sign elsewhere. The Rangers just haven't been competitive against the Marlins and the Angels in their pursuit of Wilson, who was their Pitcher of the Year for the past two seasons. The Rangers met with Wilson's agent, Bob Garber, on Tuesday night and did not have a followup meeting on Wednesday. Instead, Wilson was seen at the Hilton Anatole for a possible meeting with the Marlins, who have offered him a six-year deal and could be closing in on an agreement. READ MORE
Gillette ProGlide Top 5 Defensive Plays: Week 13 - The fine folks at Gillette --- makers of the incomparable Fusion ProGlide Power, which is great for shaving whatever you might wish to shave (we won't judge you here) --- have sponsored a new series of posts that will run through the end of the regular season. The concept is simple: I pick what I think were the five most important defensive plays from the previous game, and you vote for the play that you think was truly the cat's pajamas. (If that explanation is not clear enough, see last week's post for an example. Also consider remedial education.) This week's selections come from a bizarre game that saw a Kareem Jackson interception but zero sacks. Which is another way of saying that it wasn't easy to come up with five plays that stood out in a positive manner. But I soldiered on and did it for you. You're welcome. Now jump already and engage in some Texans-related suffrage! READ MORE
This Cowboys-Giants game is not just any old game - Listening to Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett one would think Sunday's much-anticipated NFC East showdown against the New York Giants is no different than last week's matchup against Arizona or the game before that against Miami. For that matter, Garrett said it is no different than the Oct. 23 game against the St. Louis Rams -- never mind that first place is on the line and the winner controls its playoff destiny with three games left in the season. The Cowboys (7-5) have a one-game lead on the Giants (6-6). "Every game is important," Garrett said. "You get 16 chances in this league. You want to be your best for three hours each week to try to take full advantage of those opportunities." Asked a second time and Garrett went into rewind mode, "They are all important. You have 16 chances. You want to win them all. Division games are important. You try to prepare your best every week. You try to be your best for three hours on Sunday." READ MORE
Garrett says timeout talk is now over - If Jason Garrett now has a great answer for whether he told Tony Romo to clock the ball on the last-minute drive against the Arizona Cardinals, he didn't offer it Wednesday. He wasn't offering anything new about the Cardinals game. "We talked about that after the ballgame, talked about it again on Monday. We're not going to revisit that," he said. "We have a 24-hour rule that we stick with around here, and that talk has gotten a lot of conversation, so we're going to leave it at the 24-hour rule and certainly focus on the next challenge against the Giants." Monday, asked whether he told Romo to spike the ball to stop the clock after Dez Bryant's catch to the 31-yard line, Garrett said, "I don't have a great answer for you on that." Asked Wednesday if he now had an answer for that same question, Garrett said, "I'll answer it the same way. It's a 24-hour rule, and we're on to the Giants. We've been on to the Giants for a couple of days now." READ MORE
Stars-Sharks Preview - Dallas Stars at San Jose Sharks
Thursday December 8 - 9:30 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Southwest - Radio: KTCK-1310 (AM)
About the Stars - The Stars (15-10-1) last played Saturday, losing 5-4 to the New York Islanders at American Airlines Center. The Stars overcame a 3-0 deficit in the game, but Matt Moulson’s fourth goal of the game late in the second period held up as the game-winner for New York.
About the Sharks - The Sharks (14-9-1) fell 2-1 to Minnesota Tuesday in San Jose, despite outshooting the Wild 42-21 in the game. “There were a lot of missed opportunities,” Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. “We had a ton of chances but our execution ... that's a word we're going to hear a lot ... we're just not putting the puck in the net right now.” READ MORE
Five-game road trip a big test for Stars - On Thursday night at HP Pavilion, the Dallas Stars start a five-game road trip by facing Pacific Division rival San Jose. These clubs have already met this year and it was the Sharks who handed Dallas a 4-1 defeat on Nov. 19, the second game of a back-to-back. Well, these clubs meet again at the Shark Tank on Thursday and the Stars are looking to start their five-game, bicoastal excursion off on a positive note with a favorable result against San Jose. "We've got a real tough game with San Jose. They came into our building and beat us and played hard," Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said. "We just want to go back into their building, play hard and see what happens again. We thought we played a pretty good game against them. We took some penalties but played a pretty good game. We just want to bring that same game and see what transpires again." READ MORE
---Staff and Wire Reports contributed to this story
Spurs vs Grizzlies
Winner Goes To The Finals ...
