Mr.Bottomtooth
01-24-2009, 05:15 PM
Williams won't defend Skills title
By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/23/2009 04:35:22 PM MST
The NBA invited Deron Williams to defend his Skills Challenge championship during All-Star weekend.
He declined.
"They already asked me, but I need the rest," Williams said prior to Friday morning's practice. "I've got too many things hurting right now, so the rest will do me good. . . .
"I'd definitely like to do it. But I don't know if I'll make the [All-Star] game and I didn't want to make the trip just to play in the Skills Challenge."
The starting guards for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game in Phoenix on Feb. 15 are Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and New Orleans' Chris Paul .
This week, Williams could be voted onto the team as a reserve by the conference coaches, although he faces strong opposition for the two or three remaining spots for guards from Portland's Brandon Roy , Denver's Chauncey Billups , Dallas' Jason Terry , San Antonio's Tony Parker and Steve Nash from Phoenix.
Williams' numbers are good enough for All-Star consideration. He averages 16.4 points and 9.9 assists, which is second in the league behind Paul. But due to injury, he has played in only 29 of the Jazz's first 43 games and that could hinder his chances.
Last year, Williams defeated Jason Kidd , Dwyane Wade and Paul to win the Skills Challenge, which is a test of dribbling, passing and shooting while navigating an obstacle course.
All aboard
The Jazz might have everyone available except Carlos Boozer for tonight's game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Andrei Kirilenko , who missed Wednesday's 108-99 loss at Houston because of a sore ankle, did not practice. But his status will be a game-time decision.
"I feel better," Kirilenko said. "But we will see how it feels tomorrow."
Matt Harpring and Paul Millsap also skipped practice. Both have been bothered by knee injuries. But Harpring will play against the Cavs and Millsap is expected to play, according to team spokesman Jonathan Rinehart .
Boozer remains sidelined after arthroscopic knee surgery on Jan. 9.
So far, Jazz players have missed 118 games this season because of injuries, illness or personal reasons. They missed a total of 45 last year.
One coach to another
Jerry Sloan expressed dismay over Thursday night's firing of Marc Iavaroni , the former Jazz player who has spent the last 1.5 seasons as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iavaroni will be replaced by Lionel Hollins . It is the 10th coaching change in the 14-year history of the franchise.
"Marcus, I've always has a lot of respect for him," said Sloan. "He played for us here and I thought he'd get an opportunity to coach. But I don't think they gave him an opportunity to coach because they traded his best player right off the bat."
Sloan was referring to Memphis' cost-cutting decision to trade All-Star center Pau Gasol to the Lakers for next-to-nothing last February.
"I just hate to see it happen," Sloan said, "especially to someone I had the opportunity to coach a little bit myself."
Iavaroni played 262 regular-season games and 21 playoff games for the Jazz from 1986-89. He is the seventh NBA head coach to be fired this season.
No TV, again
The Jazz-Cavs game will be carried locally on KJZZ, which means subscribers to Direct TV will be unable to see it.
The Jazz and DirecTV have been battling since Jan. 1 over the amount of the fee that will be paid to the team-owned station for the rights to carry its programing.
The stalemate continues, so DirecTV subscribers won't be able to see James play his only game this season in Utah.
"We are talking . . . I'm hoping we're getting close," said Jazz president Randy Rigby . "I have reached out to some of their senior people to see if I can expedite things and help get this resolved. But they move at a relatively slow pace, we've found."
http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_11539467
By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/23/2009 04:35:22 PM MST
The NBA invited Deron Williams to defend his Skills Challenge championship during All-Star weekend.
He declined.
"They already asked me, but I need the rest," Williams said prior to Friday morning's practice. "I've got too many things hurting right now, so the rest will do me good. . . .
"I'd definitely like to do it. But I don't know if I'll make the [All-Star] game and I didn't want to make the trip just to play in the Skills Challenge."
The starting guards for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game in Phoenix on Feb. 15 are Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and New Orleans' Chris Paul .
This week, Williams could be voted onto the team as a reserve by the conference coaches, although he faces strong opposition for the two or three remaining spots for guards from Portland's Brandon Roy , Denver's Chauncey Billups , Dallas' Jason Terry , San Antonio's Tony Parker and Steve Nash from Phoenix.
Williams' numbers are good enough for All-Star consideration. He averages 16.4 points and 9.9 assists, which is second in the league behind Paul. But due to injury, he has played in only 29 of the Jazz's first 43 games and that could hinder his chances.
Last year, Williams defeated Jason Kidd , Dwyane Wade and Paul to win the Skills Challenge, which is a test of dribbling, passing and shooting while navigating an obstacle course.
All aboard
The Jazz might have everyone available except Carlos Boozer for tonight's game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Andrei Kirilenko , who missed Wednesday's 108-99 loss at Houston because of a sore ankle, did not practice. But his status will be a game-time decision.
"I feel better," Kirilenko said. "But we will see how it feels tomorrow."
Matt Harpring and Paul Millsap also skipped practice. Both have been bothered by knee injuries. But Harpring will play against the Cavs and Millsap is expected to play, according to team spokesman Jonathan Rinehart .
Boozer remains sidelined after arthroscopic knee surgery on Jan. 9.
So far, Jazz players have missed 118 games this season because of injuries, illness or personal reasons. They missed a total of 45 last year.
One coach to another
Jerry Sloan expressed dismay over Thursday night's firing of Marc Iavaroni , the former Jazz player who has spent the last 1.5 seasons as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iavaroni will be replaced by Lionel Hollins . It is the 10th coaching change in the 14-year history of the franchise.
"Marcus, I've always has a lot of respect for him," said Sloan. "He played for us here and I thought he'd get an opportunity to coach. But I don't think they gave him an opportunity to coach because they traded his best player right off the bat."
Sloan was referring to Memphis' cost-cutting decision to trade All-Star center Pau Gasol to the Lakers for next-to-nothing last February.
"I just hate to see it happen," Sloan said, "especially to someone I had the opportunity to coach a little bit myself."
Iavaroni played 262 regular-season games and 21 playoff games for the Jazz from 1986-89. He is the seventh NBA head coach to be fired this season.
No TV, again
The Jazz-Cavs game will be carried locally on KJZZ, which means subscribers to Direct TV will be unable to see it.
The Jazz and DirecTV have been battling since Jan. 1 over the amount of the fee that will be paid to the team-owned station for the rights to carry its programing.
The stalemate continues, so DirecTV subscribers won't be able to see James play his only game this season in Utah.
"We are talking . . . I'm hoping we're getting close," said Jazz president Randy Rigby . "I have reached out to some of their senior people to see if I can expedite things and help get this resolved. But they move at a relatively slow pace, we've found."
http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_11539467