Mike Wilks signs with Spurs

[picnroll]

link (http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/bulls.asp?intID=38287149)

Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald in Chicago is reporting that point guard Mike Wilks, waived by the Bulls last week, has agreed to terms with San Antonio. The Bulls are still on the hook for his $720,046 salary.

[FromWayDowntown]

That story is on the Spurs website.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/transactions_041027.html (link)

[genghisrex]

From FWD's link (http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/transactions_041027.html):


At the same time the Spurs placed guard Marque Perry on waivers. Perry, who appeared in five preseason games for the Spurs, averaged 3.6 points, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 14.2 minutes per contest.
Wilks is in, Perry is out.

[Kori Ellis]

Yes it's official.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed free agent guard Mike Wilks. Per team policy the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Wilks, a 5-11 guard from Rice University, started training camp with the Chicago Bulls. The two-year NBA veteran has career averages of 2.7 points, 1.5 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 72 contests. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native spent the 2003-04 season with the Houston Rockets where he appeared in 26 games, averaging 1.9 points and 0.7 assists in 5.6 minutes per game. He split the 2002-03 season between Atlanta and Minnesota appearing in a total of 46 games.

Since leaving Rice University, Wilks has also had two stints with the Huntsville Flight of the NBDL. He appeared in 38 games during the 2001-02 season and 16 games in the 2002-03 season before being signed by the Hawks. Wilks holds career averages of 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the NBDL.

At the same time the Spurs placed guard Marque Perry on waivers. Perry, who appeared in five preseason games for the Spurs, averaged 3.6 points, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 14.2 minutes per contest.

Wilks is expected to be in uniform for the Spurs tonight versus the Houston Rockets in Laredo, Texas.

[picnroll]

Guess this might kill any chance of Garcia returning?

[timvp]

Not a bad move. Wilks is a tough little guy with a lot of heart. He can run a team and is an awesome ballhandler.

I bet the Spurs first took note of him when he burned Tony Parker in his first career start when he was on the Hawks.

:lol

[timvp]

Guess this might kill any chance of Garcia returning?

Yeah, probably so.

[manustarting2gd]

Good eye TIMVP, saw that notation when googling Wilks online... 5'10-5'11 PG .. Rice Grad.. Texas boy .. I thought Garcia would be back for more offensive/defensive firepower though.. Man, this one came out of the blue it seems .. not that they were short a PG being that Beno Broken is hurt again but the actual player they chose..

[FromWayDowntown]

I'm trying to figure out what this roster will look like on opening night. I'm thinking that Johnson and Marks are destined for IR early on -- it would be un-Poplike to have them sit out all preseason and still start the season on the active roster. But, that 12th spot is sort of a mish-mosh right now.

I'd guess that it will be Wilks, in light of Beno's newest injury, and based on my sense that both Sato and Boumtje-Boumtje are pretty underwhelming at this point.

I could see keeping Sato around as a project in the Stephen Jackson/Charles Smith/Devin Brown mold -- I can certainly see at least keeping him around until the NBDL gets into full swing ala Devin in 2002. But, I suspect that the Spurs are scouring the waiver wires every hour to see if anyone can fill a need . . . .

[timvp]

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Jason Terry made Terry Stotts' debut as
coach of the Atlanta Hawks a successful one.

Terry nailed an off-balance jumper as time expired as the Hawks
snapped a seven-game losing streak against the San Antonio Spurs
with an 81-79 triumph.

San Antonio's Tim Duncan, who collected 27 points, 15 rebounds
and five assists, hit a bank shot with 6.6 seconds to play to
forge a 79-79 tie.

Off a timeout, Terry got a screen from Glenn Robinson but
slipped as he pulled up. He shot over Tony Parker and lifted
the Hawks to their second win in eight games.

"I knew if I got a good look at it, I was definitely going to
make it," Terry said. "I definitely slipped, but I still had a
good look at it and I refocused."

"I'm glad that one dropped. This team needed a confidence
builder," Stotts said. "It was what we wanted. Reef curled to
the block. Amazing as it sounds, it's the way I drew it up."

Abdur-Rahim paced Atlanta with 27 points and 11 rebounds and
Robinson contributed 18 and eight. Terry finished with 15
points and seven assists.

Stotts was named coach for the rest of the season Thursday after
Lon Kruger was fired. Kruger went 69-122 in two-plus seasons
in Atlanta.

"They kept it simple, they executed," Stotts said. "I wanted
them to play like a confident team. When you have as talented
(a group) of players as we do in that locker room, it makes my
job easier. I wanted them to play like they could."

In Kruger's last game, Atlanta was beaten at Indiana, suffering
its sixth loss in seven games.

But the Hawks put together a 20-2 run in the second quarter
against San Antonio. Rookie guard Mike Wilks converted a pair
of free throws to cap it with just over four minutes left in the
half, giving Atlanta a 36-24 lead.

"I'm happy for Terry and the Hawks to get that one," Spurs coach
Gregg Popovich said. "They were emotional and wanted it really
bad tonight. They played better than we did. I thought we had
a really poor second quarter. ... We made a couple of mistakes
down the stretch, and it's anybody's game at that point."

Wilks was signed from the NBDL on Tuesday and, in a bold move by
Stotts, started in his Hawks' debut. He chipped in seven
points, four assists and a pair of steals in 33 minutes.

"I was really proud of him," said Stotts, a former assistant
coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. "We had him in Milwaukee in the
summer league. He's smart, he doesn't make mistakes. He even
did a lot better than I thought he would.

"He pressured Parker, and that set the tone. I don't know if
he'll start tomorrow against the big guards in Washington.
Tonight, I thought, was a game with Parker being a penetrator,
that fit him well."

The 23-year-old Wilks played 16 games with Huntsville of the
NBDL before joining Atlanta.

"Just trying to be sound on the defensive end and on the
offensive end, just take care of the ball," Wilks said. "For my
first game, I made some mistakes. But I'll take it. We got
the win. It's definitely a dream come true."

Terry dunked with 6:55 to go in the third quarter to give the
Hawks their largest lead, 56-42.

"I think this win is very, very big for us, it's a confidence
boost," Abdur-Rahim said. "We've been a fragile team, but you
can't overstate it. Our problem has been our inconsistency.
We've had wins against teams like Philadelphia and (New
Orleans). We have to play the same way tomorrow. That's our
test now."

[tekdragon]

"All I needed was a chance, and it came in the NBDL"

[ChumpDumper]

I would've preferred waiting for someone with a bit more experience, but he does meet the Jason Hart keep-up-with-Tony-in practice critereon.

[Kori Ellis]

He might not stick. They might just be trying him out.

[ChumpDumper]

There will be plenty more coming down the waiver wire the next couple of weeks.

[timvp]

He might not stick. They might just be trying him out.

I think he'll stick. You don't sign someone this late in training camp to let them go. They must have had their eye on him for awhile.

ChumpDumper, I would have liked them to get Alex Garcia or Jannero Pargo, but this guy was a top five available point guard. However, that's not saying much.

He's pretty much a faster Jason Hart who can knock down a couple threes.

[FromWayDowntown]

I don't think Wilks is the last word here, but they must have decided that Perry definitely isn't ready and that Wilks has enough experience to be a better choice than Perry. I'd think that if a savvy vet PG comes available, particularly a savvy vet with a little bit of size, the Spurs would be sniffing for interest.

[Kori Ellis]

One of Anthony Goldwire or Anthony Carter is going to get waived. I don't think the Spurs would want Carter; they might consider Goldwire.

[timvp]

After some addition research, it sounds like the Bulls are keeping Pargo. Garcia might not be waived also, so Wilks might indeed have been the best available.

What is curious is that Wilks was waived about a week ago. If the Spurs thought that Wilks > Perry, why did they wait?

Perhaps they were waiting to see if a Garia or Pargo got released, but it is still kinda odd.

[ChumpDumper]

I like that Wilks shot lights out from the arc last year with Yao in the middle anyway.

As I said, there are lots more coming down the pike, and it could be that Wilks was holding out for guaranteed money somewhere else. Who knows?

[picnroll]

Maybe Beno's injury tendencies make the Spurs want to keep a relative experienced PG around. Plus he's on the Bulls dime.

[timvp]

The Spurs should sit Parker tonight and just throw Wilks into the fire. Give him 40 minutes and he'll learn the system.

[timvp]

Surprise move: Bulls release Wilks
By Mike McGraw Daily
Herald Sports Writer

The Bulls took the first step toward paring down their roster by releasing guard Mike Wilks before Wednesday's practice.

Wilks was acquired from Houston last month in the Dikembe Mutombo trade and has a guaranteed contract worth $720,046, which the Bulls will have to pay if Wilks is not claimed on waivers within 48 hours.

The simple explanation is Wilks became expendable when rookie second-round draft pick Chris Duhon played so well in Tuesday's 95-92 preseason victory over Boston. Duhon had 8 assists, 6 points and 1 turnover in 24 minutes.

But the roster move caught Wilks by surprise. He was told by Bulls coach Scott Skiles to go ahead and rent an apartment, which he did, because he was going to be the team's backup point guard.

And then Wilks never got much of a chance to prove himself. He totaled just 27 minutes in the first three preseason games and didn't play at all Tuesday. Duhon has been given 90 minutes of court time during preseason.

The silver lining for Wilks is if he clears waivers and then signs with another team, he'll be paid twice, since the Bulls have to honor his salary regardless.

It will be interesting to see if the Bulls are willing to trim more guaranteed contracts. At least two players must be cut by Nov. 1. Guard Frank Williams ($957,480) and center Cezary Trybanski ($1.7 million) appear to be the most likely candidates if money is not an issue.

Williams didn't play against Boston and missed Wednesday's practice with what was described as tendinitis in his right ankle. Williams said he turned his ankle during the summer, though he couldn't specify when or where it happened, and is still feeling lingering effects.

The possibility of getting cut doesn't seem to bother Williams, who just bought a townhome in Vernon Hills.

"There's no extra stress because I know what I can do and I'm pretty sure the coaches around here have seen me play," Williams said. "At the same time, who knows how things will play out? I think I'll be cool."

One alternative to cutting Williams would be to waive Jannero Pargo, whose contract is not guaranteed. Pargo has been underwhelming in preseason, but the Bulls like his ability to provide instant offense off the bench - a skill that could be useful on this team. Pargo has also played little (28 minutes) in preseason.

"Any of the guards on our team, it's probably a little difficult right now because of Duhon's play," Skiles said. "The guy has played very, very well. He has nice poise out there and everything else. It's difficult for anybody who has to jump in front of him."

The other decision the Bulls must make is whether to keep the 7-foot-2 Trybanski over 6-11 Jared Reiner or 6-10 Tommy Smith. Reiner, an undrafted rookie from Iowa, has played well in preseason. Smith scored 13 points in the first game and has been sidelined since with a bruised right shoulder.

But Skiles indicated he may take a longer look at Trybanski, who has played just 12 minutes in preseason, when the Bulls visit Houston tonight.

http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intid=38281112

[timvp]

In an interview with Bill Shoening, Mike Wilks said that the Spurs "were one of a number of teams that showed interest" after he was waived by the Bulls.

I guess for a scrub signing, he was wanted around the league.

[ShoogarBear]

It's not like the Bulls have incredible depth or anything.

Doesn't say too much about Paxson if other, better teams around the league were ready to scoop him up.

[Kori Ellis]

PJ Carlesimo just said something interesting regarding Wilks. He was saying that Wilks is a good guy, blah, blah, and then he said, "too bad he won't be here long enough to really learn our system". :wtf

[ShoogarBear]

Maybe Dr. Wilkes was brought in to, ah, increase Beno's pain threshold.

[timvp]

Yeah, that was an odd comment. So the Spurs are going to bring him in for the next two games and then waive him?

If that's the case, they should have just stuck with Marque Perry.

:wtf

[Kori Ellis]

He also said something like Marque Perry wasn't going to make the team anyway, so this just moved it (the cut) up a couple days. And this gives the Spurs the opportunity to have a look at Wilks for a couple games while Beno is out and see if he can possibly make the roster.

[ChumpDumper]

It's not like the Bulls have incredible depth or anything.Six point guards may not be incredible, but it is SIX point guards nonetheless.

[danyel]

Bulls have Hinrich, Gordon #3 pick who is more of a SG but could play PG, Duhon who is playing really well in preseason, Janero Pargo who had a couple of good games in preseason and might be their 3rd PG, Williams former Knick did not see many minutes in preseason and would probably be cut too and Wilks already cutted.

I'd say they are pretty depth at PG, while our 2nd PG is an european injury prone rookie, and our 3rd PG is expected to play some SG and SF too.

[mattyc]

When listening to the free trial coverage on NBA for Fan Center members, I thought I was tuned in to the wrong game at one stage because I kept hearing Wilks name. They are saying good things about him on the broadcast especially as he doesn't know the system.

Interesting pickup in terms of seeing if he sticks.

[SequSpur]

The Spurs have no clue about point guard recruiting. NONE.

And now it looks like they are going to not extend Parker.

Nice.

[sickdsm]

I liked wilks when he was here. He played conservative mistake free basketball, a good thing for a 3rd string PG. He's a good pickup. It sounds as if Goldwire is gone, i think Anthony Carter has the 3rd string job wrapped up with another strong performance.

The bulls management don't exactly have a good rep for noticing talent. The keep curry and chandler yet get rid of Crawford? Hassell and Hoiberg last year?

[picnroll]

link (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2870617)

Rockets Summary
Spurs sign Wilks
For the second consecutive year, with both teams searching for a backup point guard, the Spurs beat the Rockets to a player both teams wanted by signing former Rockets and Rice guard Mike Wilks on Wednesday.

The Rockets had sent Wilks to Chicago to help complete the deal to acquire Dikembe Mutombo. But with the strong preseason showing of second-round pick Chris Duhon, the Bulls released Wilks last week, beginning the Rockets' efforts to bring Wilks back.

Last season, both the Spurs and the Rockets went after point guard Charlie Ward after the Knicks bought out the remainder of Ward's contract. Ward chose to sign with the Spurs, but he played sparingly and then signed with the Rockets as a free agent.

"We tried to get him," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said of Wilks. "We thought he would be an interesting addition. It didn't work out. ... I really enjoyed our year with him, hated that he had to go in the trade to Chicago and tried to talk him back because we really like him a lot."

With rookie Beno Udrih out, the Spurs are using Brent Barry as a backup to starting point guard Tony Parker.

[boutons]

"The Spurs should sit Parker tonight and just throw Wilks into the fire. Give him 40 minutes and he'll learn the system."

He got 20 minutes, and did damn well for his first hours in the Spurs org and uniform:

3-7 FGA-M
42% from the floor (Brent?),
hit both his FTs (Spurs material?),
hustled his little 5'11" butt for 5 rebounds (Rasho?),
stayed in front of his man.

I couldn't have been more pleased with this guy being signed by the Spurs, and his accepting the Spurs' offer vs others. I'd be very surprised if Pop and friends weren't also pleased.

[CAPARG]

From Bull´s home page:

Mike Wilks (5-11, 180 – Rice ’01), a newcomer from the Sept. 8 trade with Houston, brings experience and aggressive play to the team. Wilks has averaged 2.7 ppg and 1.5 apg in 11.6 mpg with Houston, Minnesota and Atlanta over two seasons.

“Mike’s a very, very good defensive player,” Skiles said. “I would say he’s above average in terms of running the team from a point guard standpoint. He can penetrate and he can also make an open shot when it presents itself.”

In a relatively short time, Wilks has made a good impression on team management with his solid work ethic and style of play.

“We really like Mike; we think he’s going to be good for our team. He’s one of those guys who is always in the gym working on his game and he has a real nice personality. So far he’s had a great camp.”

[polandprzem]

Future backup for Beno

[Solid D]

Don Newman also knows Wilks from Summer play when Coach Newman and Terry Stotts were in Milwaukee with George Karl's staff.

Wilks is wearing number 11 for the Spurs, BTW (KSAT video revealed)

[Brodels]

The Spurs have no clue about point guard recruiting. NONE.

And now it looks like they are going to not extend Parker.

Nice.

Wait a minute. You claim that they Spurs have "no clue" about recruiting point guards, yet you're upset at the fact that they may not keep a very good point guard that they found?

The Spurs found Tony. They'll find him another backup.

[timvp]

From Bull´s home page:

Mike Wilks (5-11, 180 – Rice ’01), a newcomer from the Sept. 8 trade with Houston, brings experience and aggressive play to the team. Wilks has averaged 2.7 ppg and 1.5 apg in 11.6 mpg with Houston, Minnesota and Atlanta over two seasons.

“Mike’s a very, very good defensive player,” Skiles said. “I would say he’s above average in terms of running the team from a point guard standpoint. He can penetrate and he can also make an open shot when it presents itself.”

In a relatively short time, Wilks has made a good impression on team management with his solid work ethic and style of play.

“We really like Mike; we think he’s going to be good for our team. He’s one of those guys who is always in the gym working on his game and he has a real nice personality. So far he’s had a great camp.”

Thanks for posting this, CAPARG.

Wilks is a guy who can pressure the ball for 94 feet. He's also been a good rebounder everywhere he's been. His three-point percentage was high when he was in Houston ... which is always a good sign for a point guard on the Spurs.

I think that Beno is going to struggle with injuries for the rest of the season and that Wilks is going to become Parker's main backup. I love what Beno can do but if he is going to go down every over week with a bruise, then they need another option.

[T Park]

Will Paino play tommarow night??

Im interested to see what the little shit does in person.