Kori Ellis
05-14-2005, 12:11 AM
Fortson plans to keep attacking
Web Posted: 05/14/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051405.7C.BKNsonics.fortson.270681eb6.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
SEATTLE — The serious portion of practice was over for the Sonics on Friday afternoon, so the players engaged in shooting games or ran through some individual drills with assistant coaches at the team's practice facility near KeyArena.
Guards Luke Ridnour and Antonio Daniels were engaged in a spirited shooting contest, mostly from 3-point range, but they were joined by an unusual competitor: bulky power forward Danny Fortson.
Watching from the side as Fortson put the finishing touches on a convincing victory over the two point guards, Seattle assistant coach Bob Weiss shook his head in amazement.
"Danny wins these shooting games with the guards all the time," Weiss said, "but he hasn't taken a single shot all season outside the paint."
Fortson, whose bull-in-a-china-shop style makes him both a feared rebounder and a foul magnet, knows who he is and what his game has to be for the Sonics: rebounder, screen-setter and occasional "enforcer."
That doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy outshooting the point guards.
"The guards think they're a bunch of Larry Birds and Dirk Nowitzkis," Fortson said, "so I have to go out there and show them a little something."
Sonics forward Vladimir Radmanovich is out for the rest of the Spurs-Sonics NBA Western Conference semifinals series. Forwards Reggie Evans and Rashard Lewis are listed as "game-time decisions" after suffering injuries in Game 3. So Fortson knows that he has to be ready to go in Sunday's Game 4.
"The game will dictate the guys that are playing and the rotations," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "I thought we made it tough for their bigs to get anything easy in the paint. We were aggressive on the boards and did a better job helping our guards contain (Tony) Parker's and (Manu) Ginobili's penetrations."
Fortson played only 10 minutes combined in Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio. He got an early call in Game 3, but he also got in early foul trouble. After playing only six minutes in two separate shifts, Fortson had four fouls and four points, making both shots he took.
Nick Collison, a more common member of McMillan's up-front rotation, played 18 minutes, including the bulk of the fourth period, after Lewis left with a sprained left big toe. His rebound basket with 2:32 remaining gave the Sonics a 90-88 lead and was Seattle's final basket.
"We all have to be ready to play when our number is called," Collison said. "Nate's confident in everybody who's suited up, and when you get out there I think everyone is confident we're going to play well.
"We've played with so many different lineups all year I didn't feel the deal was going to change that much (after Lewis got hurt). We didn't score much, but we got enough stops to win the ballgame."
One of Collison's three fouls in Game 3 was a hard non-shooting foul that sent Manu Ginobili crashing to the floor. Ginobili got right back to his feet, and on the ensuing possession took the ball right back to the rim for a score.
Fortson has gained a well-earned reputation as one of the league's most physical players. Weiss clearly believes he gets refereed very closely. But Fortson says teammates Collison, Evans and Vitaly Potapenko are "unheralded hackers" capable of putting a lick on opponents, just as he does.
"We play like that in practice, and do that to each other," Fortson said.
Some players can be cowed when they take a hit from one of the Sonics' hackers, Fortson said, but not Ginobili.
"I wouldn't expect Manu not to come back at us," Fortson said. "He's got a lot of heart."
Web Posted: 05/14/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051405.7C.BKNsonics.fortson.270681eb6.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
SEATTLE — The serious portion of practice was over for the Sonics on Friday afternoon, so the players engaged in shooting games or ran through some individual drills with assistant coaches at the team's practice facility near KeyArena.
Guards Luke Ridnour and Antonio Daniels were engaged in a spirited shooting contest, mostly from 3-point range, but they were joined by an unusual competitor: bulky power forward Danny Fortson.
Watching from the side as Fortson put the finishing touches on a convincing victory over the two point guards, Seattle assistant coach Bob Weiss shook his head in amazement.
"Danny wins these shooting games with the guards all the time," Weiss said, "but he hasn't taken a single shot all season outside the paint."
Fortson, whose bull-in-a-china-shop style makes him both a feared rebounder and a foul magnet, knows who he is and what his game has to be for the Sonics: rebounder, screen-setter and occasional "enforcer."
That doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy outshooting the point guards.
"The guards think they're a bunch of Larry Birds and Dirk Nowitzkis," Fortson said, "so I have to go out there and show them a little something."
Sonics forward Vladimir Radmanovich is out for the rest of the Spurs-Sonics NBA Western Conference semifinals series. Forwards Reggie Evans and Rashard Lewis are listed as "game-time decisions" after suffering injuries in Game 3. So Fortson knows that he has to be ready to go in Sunday's Game 4.
"The game will dictate the guys that are playing and the rotations," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "I thought we made it tough for their bigs to get anything easy in the paint. We were aggressive on the boards and did a better job helping our guards contain (Tony) Parker's and (Manu) Ginobili's penetrations."
Fortson played only 10 minutes combined in Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio. He got an early call in Game 3, but he also got in early foul trouble. After playing only six minutes in two separate shifts, Fortson had four fouls and four points, making both shots he took.
Nick Collison, a more common member of McMillan's up-front rotation, played 18 minutes, including the bulk of the fourth period, after Lewis left with a sprained left big toe. His rebound basket with 2:32 remaining gave the Sonics a 90-88 lead and was Seattle's final basket.
"We all have to be ready to play when our number is called," Collison said. "Nate's confident in everybody who's suited up, and when you get out there I think everyone is confident we're going to play well.
"We've played with so many different lineups all year I didn't feel the deal was going to change that much (after Lewis got hurt). We didn't score much, but we got enough stops to win the ballgame."
One of Collison's three fouls in Game 3 was a hard non-shooting foul that sent Manu Ginobili crashing to the floor. Ginobili got right back to his feet, and on the ensuing possession took the ball right back to the rim for a score.
Fortson has gained a well-earned reputation as one of the league's most physical players. Weiss clearly believes he gets refereed very closely. But Fortson says teammates Collison, Evans and Vitaly Potapenko are "unheralded hackers" capable of putting a lick on opponents, just as he does.
"We play like that in practice, and do that to each other," Fortson said.
Some players can be cowed when they take a hit from one of the Sonics' hackers, Fortson said, but not Ginobili.
"I wouldn't expect Manu not to come back at us," Fortson said. "He's got a lot of heart."