Ludden

**Bruno** · 11-04-2006

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...e.38b5fd6.html

Web Posted: 11/04/2006 01:02 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

For the better part of two seasons, the Spurs have searched for a young, athletic swingman to groom behind Bruce Bowen. Their latest candidate arrived in town Friday.

How long he stays remains to be seen.

The Spurs signed rookie James White to a non-guaranteed contract for the league minimum, filling the last opening on their roster.

Indiana waived White, 24, on Monday in what Pacers officials called "an agonizing decision." The Pacers had signed White to a two-year guaranteed contract for $1.1 million after acquiring him in a draft-night deal with Portland.

The Trail Blazers took White, who led the University of Cincinnati in scoring last season, with the first pick of the second round.

White, 6-foot-7, averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in eight preseason games.

The Spurs worked out White before the draft and were impressed by his athleticism and compe iveness.

"The word is he's a freaky athlete and has some skills," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He needs some time to maybe furbish them a bit and see if he can maybe become an NBA player at this level.

"At least he has something to work with. We'll see what kind of drive and work ethic he has."

Popovich admitted the Spurs will have a difficult time evaluating White because there isn't much playing time available on a roster loaded with veterans.

"It obviously would have been better to have him in training camp, so it's going to go slowly," Popovich said. "But he knows what the deal is before he came. He's just going to learn and see what's going on."

Good times: Cavaliers coach Mike Brown always enjoys his trips to San Antonio, where he served as an assistant coach under Popovich for three seasons. He has family in the city, as well as a lot of friends inside the Spurs' organization and out.

His team's victory Friday made his most recent trip the most memorable.

"It's always special to come back here," Brown said. "I kept my house here and my parents live in it. My sister works at USAA and she's got two kids and they live here. Not only do I have family here, but the people in the organization and the people in the city were all great to me, so I love coming back here.

"It's good to come here because of all those people, but it's usually not good to come here once the game starts because it's usually not a good result."

Brown phoned Popovich regularly during the Cavaliers' playoff run last spring, his first as a head coach. He credits Popovich for keeping him positive about the experience.

Popovich is glad to see Brown and Danny Ferry doing well with the Cavaliers. But he admits the Spurs' success has made it difficult to keep — and then replace — some of their best employees.

"Our last two film guys have left," Popovich said. "Mike has one of them and the last guy is in Detroit, and everybody has seen Danny or Lance Blanks or Joe Prunty (leave).

"When you've had guys for a decent amount of time and they've done a great job, it's tough to go find somebody that you don't trust as much. You have to teach them again from the beginning and that takes time."

Not Holt: The NBA fined an unspecified owner $25,000 Friday for violating its code of conduct. Spurs chairman Peter Holt jumped out of his chair in frustration over a call Thursday night in Dallas, but a team source said he was not the owner who was fined.

**wildbill2u** · 11-04-2006

From the Indianapolis Star:

The Indiana Pacers were so high on James White when he came out of college they said they might have selected him with the No. 17 overall pick if Shawne Williams had not been available in the 2006 draft.

It turns out they didn't like White as much as they thought.
In what they called an "agonizing decision," the Pacers released White along with center John Edwards on Monday, reducing their roster to the 15-player limit.

The Pacers acquired White, a second-round pick, from Portland in a draft-night trade in June. The Pacers signed White, who was a five-year college player at Cincinnati, to a two-year guaranteed deal.

"(Team president) Larry (Bird) and I sat and talked with James about it," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "He was very professional about it. He's a kid that's very determined."