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02-12-2007, 11:46 AM
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#1 |
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 2,039
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[Mike] James isn't happy with benching
James isn't happy with benching
Offseason pickup hints at possible trade BY RICK ALONZO Pioneer Press Mike James didn't sign up for this. Last summer, he had free-agent contract offers from the likes of the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets. He picked Minnesota's offer and the opportunity to be a starter and a significant player alongside Kevin Garnett. He wasn't happy when he found out Saturday from coach Randy Wittman that he wouldn't be starting Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics. It wasn't what he had imagined for himself when he joined the Wolves. "Not at all," James said after his team's 109-107 victory. "But they were preparing him, and they were seasoning him, Randy (Foye, the rookie who took James' place Sunday). This is what they want for him. They're getting what they want. It's tough at times because I just feel like, if I'm not a fit here, then like they always say, if it ain't one place, it always can be another." James was indicating that he could have been — and might yet be — a better fit elsewhere. His reaction to the change in the starting lineup? "He's the boss (Wittman), so you've got no choice but to … whatever he says goes, so I can't worry about nothing I have no control over," James said. "I don't think that it was right, but that's his decision, so that's what he went with." James has to make his role work with the Wolves, apparently as a reserve for the foreseeable future. "You've just got to play the game," James said. "The game is the game. When you're on the court, you've just got to take advantage of it. It don't matter." Whether the move to Foye is considered a short-term fix or a long-term move remains to be seen. But it wouldn't make much sense to make this change without committing to it for the long term. If the Wolves are committed to Foye, they might have a problem on their hands with James. It's doubtful James would have signed with Minnesota to be a reserve. The winter weather is demanding, and the team finished 33-49 last season. He could have signed with Dallas and been a reserve on one of the best teams in the NBA, or he could have signed with Houston and possibly been a starter for another one of the Western Conference's top teams. He might not have received as much money, however. James signed a four-year contract worth about $23.5 million. Veteran Kevin Garnett said he thinks James can remain a valuable member of the team. James finished with five points, three assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes. "Mike's a vet," Garnett said. "He knows how the league works. He knows he has to be professional and stay ready. Just because he's not a starter doesn't necessarily mean we don't need him. It's not about one person around here, it's about what's best for this team. We've all got full faith that he'll do that. He was ready (against Boston). Played good minutes, kept things afloat. Cheering on Randy, so that was a good thing." |
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02-12-2007, 11:57 AM
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#2 |
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Decapod 10
Posts: 4,149
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I´m happy, we didn´t get him.
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 "Talk to the claw." "They're getting 15, 16 assists some games. I dream about getting 15 assists. It's just not possible with the team I'm on." - Devin Harris about top-notch point guards and him playing with the Mavs "For me, it’s like a kid in a candy store." - Jason Kidd on playing with the Mavs |
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02-12-2007, 11:57 AM
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#3 |
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,526
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"Mike James didn't sign up for this." - Mike James.
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02-12-2007, 11:58 AM
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#4 |
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Richardson, TX
Posts: 612
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I can't believe I was pulling for the Mavs to sign this guy this offseason.
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"But come on, this is JJ Barea! There isn’t a book on stopping him, there’s a pamphlet. It’s three paragraphs long and consists mostly of jokes about his arm length and allusions to Lord of the Rings." --Beckley Mason, hoopspeak.com |
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02-12-2007, 01:17 PM
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#5 |
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Hippie Hollow
Posts: 3,128
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Who?
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Back up in your ass with the resurrection. |
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02-12-2007, 01:19 PM
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#6 | |
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Rooting for the laundry
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 21,342
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Quote:
Didnt he die last year? 
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02-12-2007, 02:06 PM
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#7 |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 625
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He got his money and now he just has to deal with what comes with that. I do like the guys desire to be a starter. He believes in his ability, but apparently his ability isn't going to get him a ring...just a contract and a bad case of splinter-ass.
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There's a time when a man needs to fight, and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny is lost, that his ship has sailed and that only a fool would continue. The truth is, I've always been a fool. ~Big Fish |
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02-12-2007, 03:56 PM
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#8 |
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3,687
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uh, sorry but I don't see anything wrong with what he said in the article
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02-12-2007, 04:01 PM
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#9 |
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bee Cave, Texas
Posts: 3,238
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I am so glad the Mavs didn't sign him, I felt we were real close after all of the meetings
he had with Cuban and Avery. I wonder what his role here would be given the way Devin has blossomed. Look at how few min. AJ2 gets. Would he be bitchin' here, or does winning cure a multitude of ills. |
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