Longtime star: Former Osaka Evessa power forward Lynn Washington holds up his 2011-12 All-Star Game MVP trophy in January at Saitama Super Arena. Washington's departure in March took away the team's main tone-setter. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe Evessa went 0-3 in preseason play, and Nomamoto lost his job two days after their final preseason game. They suffered blowout losses to the Kyoto Hannaryz (78-58), host Shiga Lakestars (89-62) and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (75-62) in succession in the Seiki Cup, which ended on Monday.The Evessa are three weeks away from playing host to the Takamatsu Five Arrows, who are coming off a 2-50 season, in their season-opening series under new coach Zoran Kreckovic.One longtime bj-league insider said Friday he was not surprised that Nomamoto was made the apparent fall guy for the Evessa's performance in the three-day tournament."Losing to the rival Kansai teams and Hamamatsu by a total of 60 points (is unacceptable)," the source said. "Beating Shiga and Kyoto is a priority in Osaka."After all, the Evessa are expected to win — nothing more, nothing less. They captured championships in the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons and finished runnerup in 2009-10, in original coach Kensaku Tennichi's final season.Entering this season, the Evessa's overall regular-season record is 227-103. They have appeared in six of seven Final Fours.Though Kreckovic, the veteran bench boss from Serbia, may build a strong team as the season progresses, it appears the team has already pushed the panic button. And this comes only four months after coach Ryan Blackwell, Tennichi's replacement, was not offered a new contract despite leading the Evessa to the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, and a 67-35 record in the regular season.Blackwell took the Evessa to the Final Four in May 2011 as a rookie head coach. And the team appeared on the verge of another trip to Ariake Colosseum last season, but two-time MVP Lynn Washington's season ended on March 13, when he was arrested on suspicion of smuggling marijuana into Japan.Washington, the emotional soul of the team's three championship teams, was exonerated of all charges after 18 days in police custody in Osaka, but never played another game. And an era of Evessa basketball came to a crashing halt in the offseason.Only three of the 12 men on the current Evessa roster were with the team last season. Ultimately, permitting that massive roster turnover goes back to Nomamoto's work as the day-to-day supervisor of on-court personnel. Nevertheless, team owner Koichi Sato and team president Hidetaka Isomura have the authority to dictate changes and demand results for the organization."This all goes back to last season when they broke up a very good team that could've challenged for a championship this year," the league insider said. "It's hard to bring in a new coach and imports who aren't familiar with the Japanese basketball culture and expect positive results . . . at least right away."When he was contacted by The Japan Times on Friday, team spokesman Makoto Yamada wouldn't confirm or deny that Nomamoto is no longer the Osaka GM.It's unclear at press time if Nomamoto will be reassigned to another position within the organization.Did Nomamoto find suitable replacements for departed stars Mike Bell, Bobby St. Preux, Cohey Aoki and Washington and dependable big man Wayne Marshall?The verdict is still out.But one talent evaluator who has kept close tabs on the Western Conference for years is already convinced that the Evessa's four new imports — center Larry Cox, power forward Andre Coimbra, small forward Nathan Walkup and point guard Temi Soyebo — are not adequate replacements for the aforementioned ex-Evessa standouts."The team is fractured," another source said.Meanwhile, just two days after the Phoenix routed the Evessa, bj-league commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi reportedly visited Osaka on official league business.Was Kawachi there to hold talks with Panasonic Corp. officials after the Panasonic Trians had announced on Monday they are folding after the 2012-13 JBL season?Perhaps. If so, it would support the rumor that Panasonic will merge its basketball operations with the Evessa and their parent company, Human Holdings Co., Ltd, to form a stronger business backbone for the bj-league team.
Showing posts with label teams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teams. Show all posts
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Evessa GM Nomamoto fired after team's rocky preseason start: sources
Hirotaro Nomamoto, the Osaka Evessa general manager since the team entered the bj-league in 2005, was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, sources familiar with the situation told The Japan Times.Longtime star: Former Osaka Evessa power forward Lynn Washington holds up his 2011-12 All-Star Game MVP trophy in January at Saitama Super Arena. Washington's departure in March took away the team's main tone-setter. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe Evessa went 0-3 in preseason play, and Nomamoto lost his job two days after their final preseason game. They suffered blowout losses to the Kyoto Hannaryz (78-58), host Shiga Lakestars (89-62) and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (75-62) in succession in the Seiki Cup, which ended on Monday.The Evessa are three weeks away from playing host to the Takamatsu Five Arrows, who are coming off a 2-50 season, in their season-opening series under new coach Zoran Kreckovic.One longtime bj-league insider said Friday he was not surprised that Nomamoto was made the apparent fall guy for the Evessa's performance in the three-day tournament."Losing to the rival Kansai teams and Hamamatsu by a total of 60 points (is unacceptable)," the source said. "Beating Shiga and Kyoto is a priority in Osaka."After all, the Evessa are expected to win — nothing more, nothing less. They captured championships in the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons and finished runnerup in 2009-10, in original coach Kensaku Tennichi's final season.Entering this season, the Evessa's overall regular-season record is 227-103. They have appeared in six of seven Final Fours.Though Kreckovic, the veteran bench boss from Serbia, may build a strong team as the season progresses, it appears the team has already pushed the panic button. And this comes only four months after coach Ryan Blackwell, Tennichi's replacement, was not offered a new contract despite leading the Evessa to the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, and a 67-35 record in the regular season.Blackwell took the Evessa to the Final Four in May 2011 as a rookie head coach. And the team appeared on the verge of another trip to Ariake Colosseum last season, but two-time MVP Lynn Washington's season ended on March 13, when he was arrested on suspicion of smuggling marijuana into Japan.Washington, the emotional soul of the team's three championship teams, was exonerated of all charges after 18 days in police custody in Osaka, but never played another game. And an era of Evessa basketball came to a crashing halt in the offseason.Only three of the 12 men on the current Evessa roster were with the team last season. Ultimately, permitting that massive roster turnover goes back to Nomamoto's work as the day-to-day supervisor of on-court personnel. Nevertheless, team owner Koichi Sato and team president Hidetaka Isomura have the authority to dictate changes and demand results for the organization."This all goes back to last season when they broke up a very good team that could've challenged for a championship this year," the league insider said. "It's hard to bring in a new coach and imports who aren't familiar with the Japanese basketball culture and expect positive results . . . at least right away."When he was contacted by The Japan Times on Friday, team spokesman Makoto Yamada wouldn't confirm or deny that Nomamoto is no longer the Osaka GM.It's unclear at press time if Nomamoto will be reassigned to another position within the organization.Did Nomamoto find suitable replacements for departed stars Mike Bell, Bobby St. Preux, Cohey Aoki and Washington and dependable big man Wayne Marshall?The verdict is still out.But one talent evaluator who has kept close tabs on the Western Conference for years is already convinced that the Evessa's four new imports — center Larry Cox, power forward Andre Coimbra, small forward Nathan Walkup and point guard Temi Soyebo — are not adequate replacements for the aforementioned ex-Evessa standouts."The team is fractured," another source said.Meanwhile, just two days after the Phoenix routed the Evessa, bj-league commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi reportedly visited Osaka on official league business.Was Kawachi there to hold talks with Panasonic Corp. officials after the Panasonic Trians had announced on Monday they are folding after the 2012-13 JBL season?Perhaps. If so, it would support the rumor that Panasonic will merge its basketball operations with the Evessa and their parent company, Human Holdings Co., Ltd, to form a stronger business backbone for the bj-league team.
Longtime star: Former Osaka Evessa power forward Lynn Washington holds up his 2011-12 All-Star Game MVP trophy in January at Saitama Super Arena. Washington's departure in March took away the team's main tone-setter. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe Evessa went 0-3 in preseason play, and Nomamoto lost his job two days after their final preseason game. They suffered blowout losses to the Kyoto Hannaryz (78-58), host Shiga Lakestars (89-62) and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (75-62) in succession in the Seiki Cup, which ended on Monday.The Evessa are three weeks away from playing host to the Takamatsu Five Arrows, who are coming off a 2-50 season, in their season-opening series under new coach Zoran Kreckovic.One longtime bj-league insider said Friday he was not surprised that Nomamoto was made the apparent fall guy for the Evessa's performance in the three-day tournament."Losing to the rival Kansai teams and Hamamatsu by a total of 60 points (is unacceptable)," the source said. "Beating Shiga and Kyoto is a priority in Osaka."After all, the Evessa are expected to win — nothing more, nothing less. They captured championships in the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons and finished runnerup in 2009-10, in original coach Kensaku Tennichi's final season.Entering this season, the Evessa's overall regular-season record is 227-103. They have appeared in six of seven Final Fours.Though Kreckovic, the veteran bench boss from Serbia, may build a strong team as the season progresses, it appears the team has already pushed the panic button. And this comes only four months after coach Ryan Blackwell, Tennichi's replacement, was not offered a new contract despite leading the Evessa to the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, and a 67-35 record in the regular season.Blackwell took the Evessa to the Final Four in May 2011 as a rookie head coach. And the team appeared on the verge of another trip to Ariake Colosseum last season, but two-time MVP Lynn Washington's season ended on March 13, when he was arrested on suspicion of smuggling marijuana into Japan.Washington, the emotional soul of the team's three championship teams, was exonerated of all charges after 18 days in police custody in Osaka, but never played another game. And an era of Evessa basketball came to a crashing halt in the offseason.Only three of the 12 men on the current Evessa roster were with the team last season. Ultimately, permitting that massive roster turnover goes back to Nomamoto's work as the day-to-day supervisor of on-court personnel. Nevertheless, team owner Koichi Sato and team president Hidetaka Isomura have the authority to dictate changes and demand results for the organization."This all goes back to last season when they broke up a very good team that could've challenged for a championship this year," the league insider said. "It's hard to bring in a new coach and imports who aren't familiar with the Japanese basketball culture and expect positive results . . . at least right away."When he was contacted by The Japan Times on Friday, team spokesman Makoto Yamada wouldn't confirm or deny that Nomamoto is no longer the Osaka GM.It's unclear at press time if Nomamoto will be reassigned to another position within the organization.Did Nomamoto find suitable replacements for departed stars Mike Bell, Bobby St. Preux, Cohey Aoki and Washington and dependable big man Wayne Marshall?The verdict is still out.But one talent evaluator who has kept close tabs on the Western Conference for years is already convinced that the Evessa's four new imports — center Larry Cox, power forward Andre Coimbra, small forward Nathan Walkup and point guard Temi Soyebo — are not adequate replacements for the aforementioned ex-Evessa standouts."The team is fractured," another source said.Meanwhile, just two days after the Phoenix routed the Evessa, bj-league commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi reportedly visited Osaka on official league business.Was Kawachi there to hold talks with Panasonic Corp. officials after the Panasonic Trians had announced on Monday they are folding after the 2012-13 JBL season?Perhaps. If so, it would support the rumor that Panasonic will merge its basketball operations with the Evessa and their parent company, Human Holdings Co., Ltd, to form a stronger business backbone for the bj-league team.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Colts take Luck with top pick as teams wheel and deal
NEW YORK — With so much wheeling and dealing, maybe the NFL Draft should move to Wall Street.
Not by chance: QB Andrew Luck, the top pick in Thursday's NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, shows off his new uniform alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York. APMinutes before Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III went 1-2 to the Colts and Redskins on Thursday night, the draft at Radio City Music Hall turned into a deal-a-thon. Through the first seven picks, only Indianapolis kept its original draft spot, and a total of eight trades were made in first round.The Browns, Jaguars, Cowboys and Eagles all traded up to get players they coveted. The Vikings dropped a spot and still came away with the guy they wanted.Credit the rookie wage scale for so much buying and selling so early, with general managers making last-minute moves knowing that extravagant salaries for top picks have been replaced by a compensation plan.Before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell opened the draft, Minnesota swapped its No. 3 choice for Cleveland's No. 4 pick, with the Vikings also getting fourth-, fifth- and seventh- rounders. After the Browns went for Alabama running back Trent Richardson, and before the Vikings took tackle Matt Kalil, Florida neighbors Tampa Bay and Jacksonville swung a deal.Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said the Browns were convinced a team would leapfrog them to take Richardson, so they pulled the trigger on the 4-for-1 trade."Unfortunately we had to make a little trade to secure the pick," Shurmur said. "We knew as we went through the process that he was our guy and so we did what we had to do to secure it. We had pretty good knowledge that there were teams behind that wanted him as well, so we gave up a couple of picks to make sure we got him. We're thrilled a bunch about Trent."The Jaguars moved up to No. 5 from No. 7 and grabbed wide receiver Justin Blackmon. The Buccaneers, at No. 7, chose Alabama safety Mark Barron, and also acquired the Jaguars' fourth-round choice.The St. Louis Rams made a second trade of their first-round pick. The Rams traded away the No. 2 overall pick to the Washington Redskins last month, and were set to select sixth. But Dallas traded its No. 14 choice and a second-rounder to the Rams and grabbed LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne with No. 6.The Cowboys came into the draft desperate for defensive playmakers, and Claiborne is considered by most as the best cornerback available. Claiborne led LSU with six interceptions last season, won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back, and averaged 25 yards per kickoff return.Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik said he wanted Barron all along at No. 5, but felt he could deal down and still get the All-American who was a vital cog in the nation's best defense last season."I was a little nervous, though, when the Cowboys moved up to No. 6," he said.Deals weren't done yet. Philadelphia, looking to strengthen its defensive line, moved up three spots to No. 12 by making a trade with Seattle and selecting Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. Even the New England Patriots got in on the action with two first-round deals.The Patriots traded their No. 27 pick and third-rounder for the Bengals' No. 21 spot and took Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones. They then dealt the No. 31 choice and a fourth-rounder to Denver and went for Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower.The Vikings added another first-round choice when they acquired the No. 29 overall choice from Baltimore. The Ravens received the Vikings' second- and fourth-round picks. Minnesota used its pick to grab Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith.Tampa Bay made a deal for Denver's 31st pick and selected Boise State running back Doug Martin.INDIANAPOLIS — Forget the comparisons, the predecessor and the hype. Andrew Luck can't wait to start playing football in Indianapolis.Less than 90 minutes after officially becoming Peyton Manning's successor, Luck promised to do everything he could to turn around a storied franchise that started last year with Super Bowl aspirations and wound up with the No. 1 pick, largely because Manning couldn't play.At least Indy was lucky enough to get what many expect to be the next big thing."I realize you could go crazy trying to measure yourself to Peyton Manning every day. That would be an insane way to live," Luck told local reporters during a conference call. "I know his legendary status, really. He was my hero growing up. Huge shoes to try and fill if you're trying to do that. I'll just put my best foot forward and work hard every day. If one day I can be mentioned alongside Peyton as one of the football greats, that would be a football dream come true."
Not by chance: QB Andrew Luck, the top pick in Thursday's NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, shows off his new uniform alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York. APMinutes before Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III went 1-2 to the Colts and Redskins on Thursday night, the draft at Radio City Music Hall turned into a deal-a-thon. Through the first seven picks, only Indianapolis kept its original draft spot, and a total of eight trades were made in first round.The Browns, Jaguars, Cowboys and Eagles all traded up to get players they coveted. The Vikings dropped a spot and still came away with the guy they wanted.Credit the rookie wage scale for so much buying and selling so early, with general managers making last-minute moves knowing that extravagant salaries for top picks have been replaced by a compensation plan.Before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell opened the draft, Minnesota swapped its No. 3 choice for Cleveland's No. 4 pick, with the Vikings also getting fourth-, fifth- and seventh- rounders. After the Browns went for Alabama running back Trent Richardson, and before the Vikings took tackle Matt Kalil, Florida neighbors Tampa Bay and Jacksonville swung a deal.Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said the Browns were convinced a team would leapfrog them to take Richardson, so they pulled the trigger on the 4-for-1 trade."Unfortunately we had to make a little trade to secure the pick," Shurmur said. "We knew as we went through the process that he was our guy and so we did what we had to do to secure it. We had pretty good knowledge that there were teams behind that wanted him as well, so we gave up a couple of picks to make sure we got him. We're thrilled a bunch about Trent."The Jaguars moved up to No. 5 from No. 7 and grabbed wide receiver Justin Blackmon. The Buccaneers, at No. 7, chose Alabama safety Mark Barron, and also acquired the Jaguars' fourth-round choice.The St. Louis Rams made a second trade of their first-round pick. The Rams traded away the No. 2 overall pick to the Washington Redskins last month, and were set to select sixth. But Dallas traded its No. 14 choice and a second-rounder to the Rams and grabbed LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne with No. 6.The Cowboys came into the draft desperate for defensive playmakers, and Claiborne is considered by most as the best cornerback available. Claiborne led LSU with six interceptions last season, won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back, and averaged 25 yards per kickoff return.Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik said he wanted Barron all along at No. 5, but felt he could deal down and still get the All-American who was a vital cog in the nation's best defense last season."I was a little nervous, though, when the Cowboys moved up to No. 6," he said.Deals weren't done yet. Philadelphia, looking to strengthen its defensive line, moved up three spots to No. 12 by making a trade with Seattle and selecting Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. Even the New England Patriots got in on the action with two first-round deals.The Patriots traded their No. 27 pick and third-rounder for the Bengals' No. 21 spot and took Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones. They then dealt the No. 31 choice and a fourth-rounder to Denver and went for Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower.The Vikings added another first-round choice when they acquired the No. 29 overall choice from Baltimore. The Ravens received the Vikings' second- and fourth-round picks. Minnesota used its pick to grab Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith.Tampa Bay made a deal for Denver's 31st pick and selected Boise State running back Doug Martin.INDIANAPOLIS — Forget the comparisons, the predecessor and the hype. Andrew Luck can't wait to start playing football in Indianapolis.Less than 90 minutes after officially becoming Peyton Manning's successor, Luck promised to do everything he could to turn around a storied franchise that started last year with Super Bowl aspirations and wound up with the No. 1 pick, largely because Manning couldn't play.At least Indy was lucky enough to get what many expect to be the next big thing."I realize you could go crazy trying to measure yourself to Peyton Manning every day. That would be an insane way to live," Luck told local reporters during a conference call. "I know his legendary status, really. He was my hero growing up. Huge shoes to try and fill if you're trying to do that. I'll just put my best foot forward and work hard every day. If one day I can be mentioned alongside Peyton as one of the football greats, that would be a football dream come true."Monday, January 23, 2012
Gaborik scores twice to lead Rangers past Bruins in matchup of top teams
BOSTON — The New York Rangers finally broke their power-play drought with just 3.6 seconds to spare. Ryan McDonagh wasn't around to help them celebrate.After Andrew Ference was ejected for sending McDonagh crashing into the boards in overtime, Marian Gaborik scored a third-try goal and the Rangers beat Boston 3-2 on Saturday in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference."We don't care about first place, the division, the conference," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "We are just trying to play the right way."The Rangers hadn't scored a power-play goal in seven games — a total of 15 opportunities after going 0 for 2 in regulation on Saturday — and had just one since Christmas. But they earned one during a 4-on-3 advantage after Ference pushed McDonagh into the boards, shoulders- and chest-first, with 3:10 left in overtime.Ference was given a five-minute major and game misconduct. Both teams said they expect the NHL to review the hit, and a suspension is possible."It was one of the most dangerous hits I've seen in a while," Tortorella said. "Nothing needs to be said about what has to be done."McDonagh remained on the ice for a few minutes before he skated off with a trainer. The Rangers wouldn't specify the injury except to say it was to his upper body.Red Wings 3, Blue Jackets 2 (SO)In Detroit, Valtteri Filppula scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Red Wings their 16th straight home victory,Blues 4, Sabres 2In St. Louis, David Backes had two goals and two assists, and Jaroslav Halak made 19 saves.Flyers 4, Devils 1In Newark, New Jersey, Scott Hartnell scored two power-play goals, and Wayne Simmonds had a goal and two assists.Flames 6, Oilers 2In Edmonton, Lee Stempniak had a hat trick and added an assist to help Calgary rout the Oilers.Ducks 2, Senators 1In Anaheim, Jonas Hiller made 31 saves, Corey Perry scored, and Lubomir Visnovsky was credited with a goal that Ottawa's Erik Karlsson knocked into his own net.Canucks 4, Sharks 3In Vancouver, Cody Hodgson scored his second goal of the game with 4:17 left.Islanders 2, Hurricanes 1 (OT)In Uniondale, New York, John Tavares scored his second goal of the game 3:58 into overtime.Panthers 4, Jets 3 (SO)In Winnipeg, Kris Versteeg scored two goals and added an assist for Florida, which snapped an eight-game, road-losing streak.Predators 5, Blackhawks 2In Nashville, Sergei Kostitsyn, Kevin Klein and Patric Hornqvist each had a goal and an assist.Avalanche 3, Kings 1In Los Angeles, Peter Mueller had the go-ahead goal in the fifth game of his inspirational comeback, Cody McLeod scored on a breakaway and Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 25 saves for Colorado.Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 1In Toronto, Carey Price made 32 saves, and Rafael Diaz and Lars Eller scored third-period goals.Lightning 4, Coyotes 3In Glendale, Arizona, Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 32nd goal, and Martin St. Louis and Steve Downie each had a goal and an assist.Wild 5, Stars 2In St. Paul, Minnesota, Cal Clutterbuck, Chad Rau and Kyle Brodziak scored goals during a 59-second span of the second period.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Nakase, Westover to lead All-Star teams
Natalie Nakase of the Saitama Broncos grabbed the spotlight by becoming the first female head coach in bj-league history on Nov. 24.
Fan favorite: Osaka Evessa guard Cohey Aoki (11), seen driving against Chiba Jets defenders Jamel Staten (left) and Takaki Ishida on Dec. 1, will make a sixth consecutive All-Star Game appearance on Jan. 15. Aoki is the only six-time All-Star in bj-league history. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTONakase, a former UCLA player and women's pro basketball coach in Germany, will add another chapter to her ongoing season of accomplishments when she guides the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the sixth annual All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Saitama Super Arena.The East's starting lineup, selected by fan balloting, will feature guards Masashi Joho (Toyama Grouses, a four-time All-Star) and Takehiko Shimura (Sendai 89ers) and forwards John "Helicopter" Humphrey (Saitama) and Daiki Terashita (Saitama) and ex-Bronco Kazuhiro Shoji (Akita Northern Happinets), the oldest All-Star at age 37. The All-Stars were named on Wednesday.Chiba Jets bench boss Eric Gardow is the East's assistant coach.The East's backups are guards Makoto Sawaguchi (Iwate Big Bulls) and Maurice Hargrow (Chiba), Takaki Ishida (Chiba); forwards Lee Roberts (Shinshu Brave Warriors) and Justin Burrell (Yokohama B-Corsairs); and centers Atsuya Ota (Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix) and Chris Holm (Niigata Albirex BB).For the Western Conference, six-time All-Star and Osaka Evessa standout Cohey Aoki is the headliner in the backcourt, and he's joined by All-Star debutant and Ryukyu Golden Kings rookie guard Narito Namizato. The frontcourt features a trio of well-known players: five-time All-Star center Jeff Newton (Ryukyu), Osaka's Lynn Washington and four-time scoring champion and Shimane Susanoo Magic leader Michael Parker.Shiga Lakestars bench boss Alan Westover is the West's head coach, and Miyazaki Shining Suns sideline supervisor Koto Toyama is his assistant.The West's reserves are guards Shiga's Yu Okada, Takamatsu's Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Rizing Fukuoka's Jun Nakanishi, Miyazaki's Taishiro Shimizu; forwards Kevin Palmer (Fukuoka) and Wendell White (Oita HeatDevils); and ex-NBA center Lance Allred of the Kyoto Hannaryz.The 3-Point Shootout contestants are Shoji, Sendai's Dan Fitzgerald, Saitama's Yasuaki Arai, Hamamatsu's Wayne Arnold, Okada and Aoki.The Slam Dunk Contest participants are two-time champion Yoshihiro Tachibana of the 89ers, Sendai's O'Neal "Trey" Mims, Shinshu's Edward Morris, Humphrey, Burrell and Osaka's Lawrence Blackledge.Solid start: To play .500 or better basketball is an ambitious goal for any first-year franchise.Two of the bj-league's four current expansion squads are at that level through Sunday: the Chiba Jets (9-7) and Shinshu Brave Warriors (8-8). The Yokohama B-Corsairs and Iwate Big Bulls are 6-8 and 3-13 respectively.The Brave Warriors, guided by sideline supervisor Motofumi Aoki, have not had any long winning or losing streaks yet; their biggest stretch of success was three straight victories and they've lost more than two in a row only once (a recent three-game slide). They've won four games by single digits. They've also lost four games ranging from 20 to 28 points, but bounced back to win the next game in each of those instances."Coach Aoki always has his teams play an up-tempo style, and already Shinshu reflects that style and their coach's personality," one longtime hoop observer told The Japan Times."Over the years he has been a very good judge of talent, bringing in talented import players, but more importantly recognizing which Japanese players will thrive in his system."Shinshu has struggled at home, though, with a 2-6 record to date. But the club is 6-2 in road contests.Roberts is the team's top scorer (18.2 points per game). Sharpshooter Derek Raivio is averaging 16.6 and Edward Morris checks in at 13.8 ppg. Center Tyler Hughes is averaging 10.4).Guard Takato Saito has started all 16 games for Aoki, who led the Five Arrows to a championship runnerup finish as an expansion team in the 2006-07 season. Saito has a 6.8 ppg average, 60 assists with 30 turnovers.Coach's assessment: First-year Niigata coach Matt Garrison offered this analysis of his team coming off a weekend split against the Brave Warriors:"We are OK so far but getting better. Nagano this weekend played really well. They are a dangerous team who really needed a home victory. They played really hard on Sunday and made their free throws when they needed to. We played a bit fast in the fourth quarter and could have controlled the tempo a bit better. Our guys were down, of course, after the game, but know we are improving."Around the league: The Chiba Jets will become the first bj-league team to participate in the All-Japan Basketball Championship (also known as the Emperor's Cup), when the event tips off in early January. The men's field for the 87th annual championship, held at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, also includes all eight JBL teams, three JBL2 teams and four university squads. . . . Kyoto announced the signing of veteran center Babacar Camara on Wednesday. The 211-cm big man previously played for the Toyama Grouses and Takamatsu Five Arrows. . . . Parker will serve a two-game suspension this weekend after attempting to hit a Five Arrows player last weekend. . . . The Sendai 89ers are featured in the latest issue of Sports Graphic Number magazine, which hit newsstands on Thursday.League accolade: Sawaguchi, who helped the Big Bulls record the first back-to-back wins in franchise history, is the Lawson/Ponta Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.Sawaguchi, who turned 20 on Monday, had 16 points, including 3-for-5 shooting from 3-point range, and three steals in 22 minutes off the bench in Iwate's win over Takamatsu on Sunday.The Morioka native is averaging 12.1 ppg.
Fan favorite: Osaka Evessa guard Cohey Aoki (11), seen driving against Chiba Jets defenders Jamel Staten (left) and Takaki Ishida on Dec. 1, will make a sixth consecutive All-Star Game appearance on Jan. 15. Aoki is the only six-time All-Star in bj-league history. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTONakase, a former UCLA player and women's pro basketball coach in Germany, will add another chapter to her ongoing season of accomplishments when she guides the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the sixth annual All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Saitama Super Arena.The East's starting lineup, selected by fan balloting, will feature guards Masashi Joho (Toyama Grouses, a four-time All-Star) and Takehiko Shimura (Sendai 89ers) and forwards John "Helicopter" Humphrey (Saitama) and Daiki Terashita (Saitama) and ex-Bronco Kazuhiro Shoji (Akita Northern Happinets), the oldest All-Star at age 37. The All-Stars were named on Wednesday.Chiba Jets bench boss Eric Gardow is the East's assistant coach.The East's backups are guards Makoto Sawaguchi (Iwate Big Bulls) and Maurice Hargrow (Chiba), Takaki Ishida (Chiba); forwards Lee Roberts (Shinshu Brave Warriors) and Justin Burrell (Yokohama B-Corsairs); and centers Atsuya Ota (Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix) and Chris Holm (Niigata Albirex BB).For the Western Conference, six-time All-Star and Osaka Evessa standout Cohey Aoki is the headliner in the backcourt, and he's joined by All-Star debutant and Ryukyu Golden Kings rookie guard Narito Namizato. The frontcourt features a trio of well-known players: five-time All-Star center Jeff Newton (Ryukyu), Osaka's Lynn Washington and four-time scoring champion and Shimane Susanoo Magic leader Michael Parker.Shiga Lakestars bench boss Alan Westover is the West's head coach, and Miyazaki Shining Suns sideline supervisor Koto Toyama is his assistant.The West's reserves are guards Shiga's Yu Okada, Takamatsu's Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Rizing Fukuoka's Jun Nakanishi, Miyazaki's Taishiro Shimizu; forwards Kevin Palmer (Fukuoka) and Wendell White (Oita HeatDevils); and ex-NBA center Lance Allred of the Kyoto Hannaryz.The 3-Point Shootout contestants are Shoji, Sendai's Dan Fitzgerald, Saitama's Yasuaki Arai, Hamamatsu's Wayne Arnold, Okada and Aoki.The Slam Dunk Contest participants are two-time champion Yoshihiro Tachibana of the 89ers, Sendai's O'Neal "Trey" Mims, Shinshu's Edward Morris, Humphrey, Burrell and Osaka's Lawrence Blackledge.Solid start: To play .500 or better basketball is an ambitious goal for any first-year franchise.Two of the bj-league's four current expansion squads are at that level through Sunday: the Chiba Jets (9-7) and Shinshu Brave Warriors (8-8). The Yokohama B-Corsairs and Iwate Big Bulls are 6-8 and 3-13 respectively.The Brave Warriors, guided by sideline supervisor Motofumi Aoki, have not had any long winning or losing streaks yet; their biggest stretch of success was three straight victories and they've lost more than two in a row only once (a recent three-game slide). They've won four games by single digits. They've also lost four games ranging from 20 to 28 points, but bounced back to win the next game in each of those instances."Coach Aoki always has his teams play an up-tempo style, and already Shinshu reflects that style and their coach's personality," one longtime hoop observer told The Japan Times."Over the years he has been a very good judge of talent, bringing in talented import players, but more importantly recognizing which Japanese players will thrive in his system."Shinshu has struggled at home, though, with a 2-6 record to date. But the club is 6-2 in road contests.Roberts is the team's top scorer (18.2 points per game). Sharpshooter Derek Raivio is averaging 16.6 and Edward Morris checks in at 13.8 ppg. Center Tyler Hughes is averaging 10.4).Guard Takato Saito has started all 16 games for Aoki, who led the Five Arrows to a championship runnerup finish as an expansion team in the 2006-07 season. Saito has a 6.8 ppg average, 60 assists with 30 turnovers.Coach's assessment: First-year Niigata coach Matt Garrison offered this analysis of his team coming off a weekend split against the Brave Warriors:"We are OK so far but getting better. Nagano this weekend played really well. They are a dangerous team who really needed a home victory. They played really hard on Sunday and made their free throws when they needed to. We played a bit fast in the fourth quarter and could have controlled the tempo a bit better. Our guys were down, of course, after the game, but know we are improving."Around the league: The Chiba Jets will become the first bj-league team to participate in the All-Japan Basketball Championship (also known as the Emperor's Cup), when the event tips off in early January. The men's field for the 87th annual championship, held at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, also includes all eight JBL teams, three JBL2 teams and four university squads. . . . Kyoto announced the signing of veteran center Babacar Camara on Wednesday. The 211-cm big man previously played for the Toyama Grouses and Takamatsu Five Arrows. . . . Parker will serve a two-game suspension this weekend after attempting to hit a Five Arrows player last weekend. . . . The Sendai 89ers are featured in the latest issue of Sports Graphic Number magazine, which hit newsstands on Thursday.League accolade: Sawaguchi, who helped the Big Bulls record the first back-to-back wins in franchise history, is the Lawson/Ponta Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.Sawaguchi, who turned 20 on Monday, had 16 points, including 3-for-5 shooting from 3-point range, and three steals in 22 minutes off the bench in Iwate's win over Takamatsu on Sunday.The Morioka native is averaging 12.1 ppg.Thursday, December 8, 2011
NBA teams face tough, compacted schedule
NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Lakers will play games on the first three nights of the NBA season, the first of 42 back-to-back-to-back sets of games that teams will face during this lockout-shortened season.The NBA announced the compacted, 66-game schedule on Tuesday night, one that will require every team to play on three consecutive nights at least once.It will also force every team to navigate demanding stretches that are never seen during a full season, such as the nine games in 12 nights the Atlanta Hawks face starting with their Dec. 27 opener.The league's 66th season begins with five games on Christmas, including the Lakers hosting the Chicago Bulls. Los Angeles then visits Sacramento the next night before returning home to host Utah on Dec. 27.Teams will play 48 conference games and 18 against the opposing conference, meaning they play only three nonconference opponents home and away.The league did preserve its most storied rivalry, with the Lakers traveling to Boston for a Feb. 9 matchup before the Celtics open a stretch of eight road games in 13 nights in March with games on back-to-back nights in Los Angeles.Dallas and Miami also will play twice, following their NBA finals rematch on Christmas with a March 12 game in Miami. The Heat and Lakers also play twice.The NBA's only other shortened season was in 1999, which was 50 games long, featured 64 sets of back-to-back-to-back games and was plagued by sloppy basketball being played on fatigued legs. The NBA faces a similar predicament now after failing to reach a new labor deal in time to save the Nov. 1 start to the season.Instead, a tentative agreement was reached on Nov. 26. Lawyers for the owners and players are still finalizing the rest of the deal, with both sides expected to vote on it Thursday before training camps and free agency open on Friday.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
WBC adds 12 teams for next tourney
New York — The World Baseball Classic is expanding by 12 teams, with Israel, Thailand and France among the newcomers set to take part in 2013.There will be 28 teams in the next competition that features major league players. Japan won the first two WBC events in 2006 and 2009.The new nations will play in a 16-team qualifying round. The other first-time participants are: Brazil, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Britain, New Zealand, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Spain.Winners from the qualifying round in the autumn of 2012 advance to the WBC in March 2013.
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