A week into training camp, revamped Liberty looking forward to 1st season under Bill Laimbeer

GREENBURGH, N.Y. –  One week into their first training camp under Bill Laimbeer, the New York Liberty are full of excitement and optimism.

"He has a great system for us, utilizes everyone at their strengths," forward Essence Carson said Monday at the team's annual media day. "We're just trying to get this chemistry together and get it rolling."

Laimbeer's hiring in New York last October has energized a franchise that reached the WNBA Finals four times in the league's first six years, but has not been back to the championship round since losing to Los Angeles in its last appearance in 2002.

"I'm excited," said Liberty star Cappie Pondexter, who joined the team Sunday after helping Fenerbahce win the Turkish League title. "(Laimbeer) is a player's coach, definitely. ... I'm excited I get to learn a lot from him."

After struggling to a .500 record the last two years under former coach John Whisenant, expectations are sky-high for the team under Laimbeer, who led the Detroit Shock to three championships in a six-year stretch before stepping down early in the 2009 season to pursue opportunities in the NBA.

"Bill is a perfect fit for New York," Pondexter said. "He's got that New York swagger, that New York attitude and he brought players in that fit that and we're going to have a great year. ... He's a defensive guy, but he's smart, too, with his offensive tricks and things like that."

Forgotten is the rivalry Detroit and New York had over the years while meeting in the postseason three times. The Liberty won a first-round series in 2004, knocking out the then-defending champs on a buzzer-beater in the decisive Game 3, but then came up short in hard-fought three-game series in the first round in 2007 and the conference semifinals in 2008 during the Shock's run to their last title.

Carson, the longest-tenured player on the roster entering her sixth season, was a rookie during that last playoff meeting.

"I was just coming into the league, just looking to win, period," she said. "I didn't care who I was playing, what coach it was, what the other team was. I just wanted to win. It doesn't feel weird to play for him. It just seems weird that he's in New York because you always identify him with Detroit, his playing days and his coaching days."

Laimbeer didn't waste any time putting his stamp on the Liberty, signing free agents Katie Smith and Cheryl Ford to join a team that also had former Detroit players Plenette Pierson and Kara Braxton the last couple of years.

Pondexter believes that group's familiarity will be a big asset to the Liberty.

"The old Detroit players, they understand Bill," Pondexter said. "They're going to help bring everybody along quickly in terms of what he expects and wants. They're great additions."

The training camp roster also includes rookies Kelsey Bone, Toni Young, Kamiko Williams and Shenneika Smith. The other returning players include Leilani Mitchell, Alex Montgomery and Kelley Cain, as well as camp invitee Loree Moore, who spent five seasons in New York from 2005-09.

"We've got a great mix here," Pierson said. "It'll help the rookies and younger players come along a lot faster, and also help us. We know that some of us are aging and not capable of doing the same things we used to do, maybe not at the same speed, so to have those young rookie players that can go in there and go, it adds a little mix for other teams to stay on their heels."

Laimbeer said Pondexter and Carson will be starters while the rest of the lineup and rotations are undecided. Two of the coach's biggest decisions for the starting five likely hinge on picking between Pierson and Ford at power forward, and Braxton and Bone at center.

Laimbeer pointed to both Ford and Bone as players who will improve New York's rebounding, which has been one of the team's weak points in recent years. While the Liberty have not had a player put up more than 6.9 rebounds per game since Elena Baranova in 2005, Ford has averaged 10.8 points and 9.7 boards over 196 games in her WNBA career, and Bone — selected No. 5 overall in this year's WNBA draft — averaged 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds in two years at Texas A&M.

Ford is back in the league after sitting out the last three years to rest and recover from injuries. However, she played in Europe during the last three winters.

"She looks good, a monster on the boards still," Smith said. "She's got great hands, still can finish ducks in with the best of them. She looks great. ... Still is feisty and a great rebounder. She hasn't lost her tools that she's been good at and is still good at."

Katie Smith, brought in for her leadership, is third on the league's career scoring list with 6,244 points — trailing only Seattle's Tina Thompson (7,009) and the retired Lisa Leslie (6,263). However, entering her 15th season in the WNBA, Smith said this will likely be her finale as a player.

"I'm so excited about this year, so excited about playing and helping this team any way I can," she said. "(But) I think I'm ready to move and transition to the next and finish grad school. I would like to coach. ... I'm ready to let this part go and be done, close this chapter and move on to the next."

The Liberty are entering their third and final season of playing home games at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., while Madison Square Garden undergoes the last phase of its three summers of renovations. They open the league's 17th season at Connecticut on May 25, and then host Tulsa in the home opener on May 31.

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Follow Vin Cherwoo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP

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Jazz C Enes Kanter to have surgery on dislocated shoulder; out for rest of season

Published April 09, 2013

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY –  Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter will have surgery to repair damage on his dislocated left shoulder and will miss the rest of the season.

The team announced the decision Tuesday before Utah's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Surgery is set for Wednesday and will be performed in Chicago by Dr. Guido Marra.

The 20-year old Kanter hinted last week that he might be done when he indicated he was riding a stationary bike to stay in shape for "summer."

The injury occurred March 27 against Phoenix when the Suns' 7-foot-2, 265-pound center Hamed Haddadi fell on Kanter as they battled over a loose ball.

Kanter was averaging 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds a game.

The Jazz entered Tuesday trying to hold on to the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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Freeman, Braves open season with win over Phillies

Atlanta, GA –  Freddie Freeman went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBI to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the season opener for both teams at Turner Field.

Justin Upton and Dan Uggla both had solo homers and Gerald Laird drove in a run for the Braves, who lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the one-game National League Wild Card round last season.

"It was a great start, I'll tell you that," said Upton, who was acquired from Arizona in a trade this past offseason. "Being able to contribute to the first win in my first game here is a great feeling. Hopefully we can keep going out and play good baseball."

Upton was dealt to Atlanta in a seven-player deal in January, joining his brother B.J. Upton, who signed with the club in November.

Luis Avilan (1-0) earned the win after allowing one hit over 1 2/3 innings of relief. Starter Tim Hudson allowed three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 frames.

Craig Kimbrel, who tied Cardinals closer Jason Motte for the NL lead in saves with 42 in 2012, picked up his first this year with a perfect ninth inning.

Chase Utley was a double shy of the cycle with a solo homer and three RBI and Ryan Howard knocked in a run for the Phillies, who missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006.

"I worked hard this offseason to get to this point," said Utley, who hasn't played in a Phillies' season opener since 2010 because of various injuries. "I thought tonight (the Braves) swung the bats pretty well. You have to tip your cap. We had some opportunities there to tie the game, we just didn't get the big hit. We will take tomorrow off and stay ready to rock."

Cole Hamels (0-1) was shelled for five runs on seven hits, including three homers, over five innings to absorb the loss.

Freeman's two-out blast in the first inning gave the Braves an early 2-0 edge. Jason Heyward walked and Freeman crushed a 2-1 fastball deep into the right- field seats.

Uggla added a solo shot in the second and Freeman plated Andrelton Simmons with a base hit in the third to make it 4-0.

Utley got the Phillies on the board with a leadoff homer in the fourth, and drove in a pair in the fifth help the visitors pull within 4-3.

With the bases loaded in the fifth, Utley roped a base hit to right field to score Hamels and Ben Revere.

The Phillies, though, couldn't push another run across as Howard struck out and Domonic Brown grounded out to second to end the inning.

Justin Upton belted a solo homer in the fifth, and Atlanta added a pair of runs in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead.

Uggla drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and moved to third on Chris Johnson's double down the left-field line. Laird followed with a base hit to left to plate Uggla. Following a pitching change, Reed Johnson grounded into a double- play, but Johnson was able to score.

Utley tripled in the seventh and scored on Howard's ground out, and Erik Kratz's base hit in the eighth scored John Mayberry to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Atlanta held a 12-6 edge in the season-series in 2012 ... The Braves are 22-26 in season opener's since moving to Atlanta in 1966 ... Hudson made his sixth career Opening Day start ... Utley hit his 200th career homer ... Hamels made his first start in a season opener.

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Tim Lincecum labors in final start before regular season, Giants lose to A's 7-3

Published March 29, 2013

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO –  Back on the mound at AT&T Park, Tim Lincecum was still far from his old form.

The former ace allowed five runs in his final start before the regular season, and the San Francisco Giants lost to the Oakland Athletics 7-3 in the Bay Bridge Series opener Thursday night.

With a black-and-orange crowd announced at 40,630 returning for the first time since San Francisco won the World Series last October, many left guessing about Lincecum's future again. He struck out six and walked one in 4 2-3 innings. He gave up five hits, including a home run to Yoenis Cespedes for the second straight start.

Lincecum ended a shaky spring with a 10.57 ERA in five starts.

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Thomas scores 31 points, leads Kings past Warriors 105-98 to take season series 3-1

Published March 28, 2013

Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. –  Isaiah Thomas had 31 points and seven assists, DeMarcus Cousins added 14 points and the Sacramento Kings put another dent in Golden State's playoff chase by beating the Warriors 105-98 on Wednesday night.

Marcus Thornton scored 13 points off the bench and helped harass Stephen Curry to send Sacramento to its first road win against a team with a winning record all season. The Kings entered the game an NBA-worst 6-30 on the road.

Sacramento won the season series 3-1.

David Lee had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Curry finished with 17 points and 12 assists on a difficult shooting night for the Warriors point guard. Golden State (41-32) missed an opportunity to build its lead on seventh-place Houston (39-32), which remains a game back after losing 100-91 to Indiana.

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Knicks keep Martin for rest of season

Published March 15, 2013

Sports Network

New York, NY –  The New York Knicks have signed forward Kenyon Martin for the remainder of the season.

Martin is averaging 5.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in six games since signing with the Knicks. He'll be a focal point now that the team has been hampered by injuries to Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.

Martin had his best game as a Knick on Thursday when he had 12 points in 30 minutes of a 105-90 loss at Portland.

Before signing with New York, the 35-year-old veteran had not landed a job this season after playing 42 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He averaged career lows of 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds during the shortened 2011-12 campaign.

Martin, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft and a 12-year veteran, was an All-Star with the Nets in 2003-04 and has averaged 12.9 points and 7.0 rebounds over 702 career games with New Jersey, Denver, the Clippers and Knicks.

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Ski resort says it's given away 22,000 kids ski free days this season

KEYSTONE, Colo. –  Keystone Resort has boosted its family-friendly image this winter with a free ski lift ticket offer for kids, and families are taking advantage.

Kids ages 12 and under who stay at least two nights in Keystone's lodging get free lift tickets for their entire stay. The ski resort said Thursday that through the first four months of its season, it has awarded about 22,000 kids ski free days. Keystone's season ends April 7.

The offer is saving families money. The walk-up price at the ticket window for a child lift ticket for Friday is $64.

Keystone is operated by Vail Resorts Inc., whose four Colorado resorts had more than 4.8 million skier visits last season. The company also has resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, Michigan and Minnesota.

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Kansas clears snow to start spring practice after ugly first season under Weis

LAWRENCE, Kan. –  Kansas coach Charlie Weis had crews working all week to clear the snow from the field so the Jayhawks can start spring practice Tuesday — with the weather still feeling very much like winter in Lawrence.

The Jayhawks went 1-11 last season, their first under Weis, and have only one conference victory the past two years.

Weis started laying the foundation for this season at the end of last one, taking players aside during the finale against West Virginia and challenging them to do better this year.

BYU transfer and former highly touted recruit Jake Heaps is expected to take over at quarterback for the Jayhawks. He should have a solid running game to work with as backs James Sims and Tony Pierson return.

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'13 Season Preview: Rebuilding process continues in New England

Foxborough, MA –  Jay Heaps' first season in charge in New England didn't exactly go as planned.

The club entered 2012 with elevated expectations after Heaps was hired to replace longtime manager Steve Nichol, but they hovered around the .500 mark for most of the season before things went south in the final two months of the campaign.

Heaps' squad went winless in five of its last six league matches and finished with 17 losses. But with last season behind them, 2013 is all about continuing to rebuild what has been a historically successful franchise.

The Revolution pulled off a big splash at the SuperDraft by working a deal with Toronto FC to acquire the first overall selection, which they used on Louisville defender Andrew Farrell.

Farrell, 20, was a star during his three-year career at Louisville. He started 44 games over the three seasons and earned the Big East Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2012.

He likely won't garner a spot in the starting 11 early in the season, but Farrell definitely has a chance to be a first-team regular once he adjusts to life in MLS.

Farrell offers the Revs some much-needed versatility along the backline.

"I think that for this organization to be successful, I can bring some speed on the outside if I play outside back," Farrell said. "I can bring depth within the center back and outside back spots. Sometimes things don't work out but this is a new season and I think everybody starts new."

Along with Farrell, New England certainly has some serviceable bodies in defense with the likes of veteran Kevin Alston, A. J. Soares and Stephen McCarthy.

Soares is probably the most reliable piece in defense. The 24-year-old played 30 of 34 games last season and was a rock in central defense. He also added a pair of goals on the offensive end.

Kelyn Rowe returns to anchor a midfield that was largely ineffective last season. Rowe was drafted third overall by New England in 2012 and showed flashes of elite playmaking ability as an attacking midfielder.

Rowe started 21 matches in his rookie campaign and scored three goals to go with five assists. The UCLA product will be leaned on by Heaps this season to direct traffic and be the creative force in the middle of the park.

In addition to Rowe, another key midfield piece is Andy Dorman. Dorman began his MLS career with the Revs in 2004 and was a teammate of Heaps before moving to Europe to play with St. Mirren of the Scottish Premier League and Crystal Palace of the English Championship. Dorman returned to the Revs when his Crystal Palace contract expired this past summer.

Dorman should combine nicely with Rowe in the middle of the field.

Honduras international Jerry Bengston and Frenchman Saer Sene will be counted on to drive the offense in 2013 for New England, while veteran attacker Chad Barrett, who was signed this month, will provide some leadership.

Bengston signed with the club on a free transfer in July 2012 and made 13 appearances. He scored just twice last campaign while adjusting to life in MLS, but Heaps will be counting on the man who single-handedly broke U.S. hearts on Feb. 6 in a 2-1 World Cup qualifier win to consistently put the ball in the back of the net.

Sene played 25 games last season and had a productive campaign, scoring 11 times. The Paris native has a nose for goal, and can score from outside the box should the opportunity present itself.

All in all, New England has some talented pieces, but may need a season or two to develop before consistency becomes commonplace.

2012 IN REVIEW: Optimism was high with the appointment of Heaps, but the club struggled, finishing in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 35 points and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

ACQUISITIONS: Chad Barrett (F), Andrew Farrell (D), Andy Dorman (M), Kalifa Cisse (M).

LOSSES: Benny Feilhaber (M), Blake Brettschneider (F), Blair Gavin (M).

OUTLOOK: The rebuilding process is in full effect at Gillette Stadium. With Soares and Farrell in the back, Rowe and Dorman in the midfield and Bengston and Sene up front, New England certainly has some solid players in the team, but Heaps will need to figure out a way for them to play as a cohesive unit before making the playoffs is a real possibility. Expect the Revs to have moments of brilliance throughout the year, but a fourth consecutive season without the postseason is likely.

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