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02/14/2007 -
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Marcus Banks didn't work, and neither did Marko Jaric.
Mike James hasn't been the answer either, and the Minnesota Timberwolves couldn't swing a deal for Allen Iverson in December.
Now they turn to Randy Foye as their starting point guard, hoping the heady rookie can be what they've been looking for since Stephon Marbury skipped town nine years ago.
Foye will make his second start in a row at point guard on Wednesday night when the Nuggets come to town sans Iverson, who will miss the game with an ankle injury.
``I'm excited to get out there with guys like KG, Ricky Davis,'' Foye said after practice Tuesday. ``It just makes it a little easier on me as a rookie out there.''
Coach Randy Wittman abruptly made the decision on Sunday against Boston, sending the veteran James to the bench in a move that did not sit well with the Wolves' biggest free-agent offseason acquisition.
``It is what it is,'' James said with a shrug. ``He's the boss. Have to listen to what he says.''
James' averages this season are down in every category, including an almost 50 percent drop in his scoring average from 20.3 last year in Toronto to 10.8 points a game.
With guys like Kevin Garnett, Mark Blount and Ricky Davis in the starting lineup, shots have been harder to come by this season for James, who parlayed a career year for the woeful Raptors into a four-year, $23 million deal with Minnesota.
He has struggled to fit in with the Timberwolves, a shoot-first point guard in a starting lineup full of guys who like to shoot the ball.
Looking to restore a little balance to the first and second units, Wittman put James on the bench in hopes his scorer's mentality will help a second team that has had trouble putting the ball in the hole.
``I didn't do it really for anything more than to try to see if we can help him,'' Wittman said of James. ``He's been up and down this year in his play.
``When you're playing with Kevin and Ricky and Mark Blount, the way Mark Blount's playing, there's a lot that you have to make sure they're getting their touches and getting in the right spots, which I think took away from his aggression.''
Foye recognizes that his approach will change with the new starter's status. He was the primary scorer in college at Villanova, and now he's charged with running the show, distributing the ball and getting everyone involved.
``I pass first with them guys,'' Foye said. ``One of the biggest things is, with them guys, I'm a passer in the beginning, but late in games I'm a scorer.''
That sounds a lot like a young Marbury, who worked so well with Garnett early in his career in what initially looked like a souped-up version of Stockton-to-Malone. The two complemented each other very well, with Garnett controlling play for the first three quarters before deferring to Marbury in the fourth period.
But Marbury eventually refused to play second fiddle to Garnett and forced a trade to New Jersey, and the Wolves have been searching for a replacement at the point ever since.
James' bravado and willingness to take the big shot seemed to make him qualified, but he scored in double figures (10) just once in his previous seven starts before coming off the bench on Sunday.
Against the Celtics, he scored just five points on free throws in 14 minutes.
``I didn't anticipate him being happy,'' Wittman said. ``What I do anticipate is him being professional and playing, which he did.
``Nobody likes to have that situation. I was a player once that lost it. You don't like it. But you have to go out and try to fight to get it back and stay aggressive. That's all I'm worried about.''
Foye had 10 points and eight assists against the Celtics and made a brilliant pass to Davis off a drive for the winning shot.
``He played under control,'' Wittman said. ``It's a fine line with him because he's an aggressive kid that looks to score and I thought he really handled moving the ball, getting guys involved, as well as attacking the basket at opportune times.''
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Thrashers-Flames, Sums
Atlanta 0 1 0-1Calgary 3 1 0-4First Period-1, Calgary, Langkow 23 (Phaneuf, Huselius), 2:59 (pp). 2, Calgary, Iginla 25 (Conroy, Tanguay), 6:19 (pp). 3, Calgary, Langkow 24 (Huselius, Iginla), 13:59 (pp). Penalties-Sim, Atl (goalie interferenc
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Anaheim 0 0 0-0Colorado 1 1 0-2First Period-1, Colorado, Hejduk 18 (Brunette, Sakic), 17:42 (pp). Penalties-Klee, Col (high-sticking), 2:32; Clark, Col (hooking), 11:24; Anaheim bench, served by Shannon (too many men), 17:02.Second Period-2, Colo
<< Sharks-Blues, Sums
San Jose 3 3 0-6St. Louis 1 2 2-5First Period-1, San Jose, Clowe 13 (Thornton, Cheechoo), :39. 2, San Jose, Carle 6 (Cheechoo, Thornton), 6:51 (pp). 3, St. Louis, Guerin 23 (Backman, Tkachuk), 13:15 (pp). 4, San Jose, Grier 12 (Marleau, Michalek)
<< Islanders-Maple Leafs, Sums
N.Y. Islanders 0 2 0 0-3Toronto 1 1 0 0-2N.Y. Islanders won shootout 2-1First Period-1, Toronto, Kubina 5 (Colaiacovo, Steen), 6:14 (pp). Penalties-Meyer, NYI (hooking), 4:38, Gervais, NYI (hooking), 9:02.Second Period-2, N.Y. Islanders
Mavericks win eighth straight; Heat rolling into All-Star break >>
The Dallas Mavericks used a strong fourth quarter to rally for their eighth straight win. The Miami Heat are rolling, too, and when they return to the court after the All-Star game, coach Pat Riley will be back on the sideline for the first time sin
Tuesday's College Basketball >>
Buffalo 98, Bowling Green 90, OTNiagara 89, Canisius 88Penn 48, Princeton 35SOUTHCharlotte 80, Louisiana-Lafayette 56E. Kentucky 46, Samford 38Georgia Tech 63, Florida St. 57Jacksonville St. 57, Morehead St. 52Old Dominion 96, Hofstra 82Stetson 88,
Weis testifies in obesity surgery lawsuit >>
BOSTON (AP) - Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis testified Wednesday he had gastric bypass surgery because he was afraid he would die if he didn't lose weight, but life-threatening complications resulted after the procedure.In his malpractice lawsuit, We
NFL COMBINE: Small school stars hoping to make big names for themselves >>
NEW YORK (AP) -Michael Coe wants what Danieal Manning has.Coe, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound cornerback from Alabama State, has looked at the career path of the Chicago Bears' rookie free safety, envisioning what it might be like to jump from a small school
MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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