Sports (26)
In Exchange Wizards Get Okafor, Ariza
The Washington Wizards recently traded Rashard Lewis, sending him and the No. 46 selection in the upcoming NBA Draft to the New Orleans Hornets for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza. The franchise was concerned about the prospect of keeping the second-highest paid player in the NBA on their roster for another season if he stayed beyond the end of June.
Lewis was not a part of the Wizards' plans going into the next season, and they needed to find a willing trade partner or give him a $13.7 million buyout by June 30. Instead of paying Lewis not to play for them, the Wizards chose to use that money on Okafor, the No. 2 pick of the 2004 NBA draft, and Ariza who won a championship ring in 2009 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"We are pleased to add two more solid pieces as we continue to build our roster with a balance of proven veterans and the core of young talent that we have developed," said team president Ernie Grunfeld. Emeka's defensive presence and rebounding ability will combine with Trevor's versatility to add new dimensions to our frontcourt, and both players fit in very well with the type of team-first culture that we have been working to establish."
Okafor, 29, averaged 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, but was limited to only 27 games and a left knee injury caused him to miss the final three months of the season. Ariza, 26, has played with five different teams during his seven-year career, including, New York, Orlando, the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston, and New Orleans. He has career averages of nine points and 4.4 rebounds. Last year, he averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Lewis had a disappointing stint as a Wizard, after arriving in a December 2010 deal that sent Gilbert Arenas to Orlando. Last season he only averaged 7.8 points which was his worst season since his rookie year.
Now that Okafor's on the roster, it 's unlikely that the Wizards will select Kansas forward and D.C. native Thomas Robinson with the No. 3 pick in the June 28 NBA draft. Adding Ariza to the squad could indicate that Washington is interested in Florida shooting Bradley Beal, but they could also be looking at Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or North Carolina's Harrison Barnes. Both are small forwards who could also play in the backcourt, and neither would have to start immediately.
Washington shortstop Ian Desmond slides into second base as New York's Robinson Cano tries to avoid contact in his attempt to force a double play during action on Sunday, June 17 at Nationals Park in Southeast. The Yankees defeated the Nationals 4-1 to win the weekend series.
The Nationals and Major League Baseball have joined with the Major League Baseball Players' Association and the Prostate Cancer Foundation to "Keep Dad in the Game" by dedicating Father's Day to the fight against prostate cancer. Players, umpires, coaches and on-field personnel have been asked to wear blue ribbons in support of prostate cancer awareness.
In addition, money will be donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation for each home run hit during the Sunday, June 17 game as part of the annual "Home Run Challenge." In this photo, members of the Prostate Cancer Foundation display their "Keep Dad in the Game" banner prior to the Nationals vs. New York Yankees game on Saturday, June 16 at Nationals Park in Southeast.
Mystics guard Matee Ajavon drives past Indiana Fever guard Shavonte Zellous in the first half of WNBA action on Friday, June 15 at the Verizon Center in Northwest.
Mystics coach Trudi Lacey inserts Shannon Bobbitt into the game during the second half of WNBA action on Friday, June 15 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. Bobbitt, a new addition to the Mystics, helped Washington defeat her former team 67-66. "One team's trash is another team's treasure," Bobbitt said after scoring eight points and receiving numerous standing ovations from the crowd.
Starting next summer the Redskins will conduct training camp away from their headquarters in Ashburn, Va. The decision gives Coach Mike Shanahan just what he wanted. The Redskins will expand their facility in Ashburn, ensuring the team will be there for many years to come, which is a dream come true for Loudoun County.
The state of Virginia and the team announced Wednesday that the Redskins will hold training camp in Richmond starting in 2013. A specific site for the camp remains undetermined. Richmond is considering a number of locations for the site and will be making announcements regarding that process in the days and weeks ahead. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will join Redskins officials on Aug. 4 to celebrate the deal. McDonnell has approved an initial $4 million "performance-based grant to support the expansion and retention" of Redskins Park.
Since joining the Redskins in 2010, Shanahan has expressed his desire to conduct training camp elsewhere. He feels that this would create a stronger bond between the players. Except for a two-year stint in Carlisle, Pa., the Redskins have trained in Ashburn most of the past 12 years. They also held camp in Frostburg, Md., prior to the year 2000.
The District of Columbia, Bowie State University and other interested parties have attempted to lure the Redskins into relocating on their turf. In 2027, their stadium lease at FedEx Field expires. As that time approaches, there will be even more attempts to persuade the Redskins to move their facility out of Virginia.
Redskins Park opened in 1992. Dan Snyder purchased the team in 1999, and since that time, the facility has been through several renovations. Last month, they opened an indoor practice site.
"At this time in order to make a more seamless transition instead of trying to pick up roots and move 60 players and 25 coaches and everything else, we felt the best thing to do was remodel what we have here, make this facility state of the art," Bruce Allen, Redskins general manager, said.
"Virginia considers the Redskins our team. Virginia is committed to keeping the Redskins right here in our state for years to come, and today we've taken a significant step towards accomplishing that goal,"McDonnell added in statement.
During the Redskins' rookie minicamp on May 28, Robert Griffin III had the chance to prove to Coach Mike Shanahan and the rest of the coaching staff why he deserved to be the team's first overall pick.
The team had its first organized team activity of the offseason. But in this case, the Heisman Trophy winner had a different group to please – his veteran teammates.
"With rookie minicamp, you're more there to show Coach that, 'Hey, the team drafted me, I'm as advertised,'" Griffin said. "But with the vets, it's more of, 'I can help this team win, show them why Coach has so much confidence in you.'"
Shanahan expressed his confidence in Griffin's talents when he announced in early May that the 22-year-old would be the starting quarterback. But along with that distinction came the challenge of figuring out how the Redskins offense works and learning how to lead a team composed of veteran players.
"We got him here to be that guy. He's our guy," wide receiver Santana Moss said. "Right now, he's doing all the things he needs to do to show us that, 'Hey, day-by-day, that I learn and grasp some more, that I'm going to be all that I can be for you guys.'"
The activity started with a series of timed drills for the various position groups before moving into two sets of 11-on-11 matchups. Though Griffin is new to the team, in Monday's workout he looked anything but.
For nine-year veteran, Chris Cooley, Griffin's high comfort level is a product of a work ethic that doesn't seem to subside.
"We've been back just working as a team. He stays for an hour and throws to guys," Cooley said. "His ability to be great for us and to be great early will be to understand what we're doing offensively, and we will be able to build a trust with the guys he's around now. I think he has all the skills to do that."
Griffin said he's been entrusted with a big job, so he reviews the playbook every night so that he can be best prepared. But he also admits that being successful is as much about doing as it is about studying. And Griffin is a quick study, when you stop to consider he is just beginning to see things from his playbook finally materialize on the field.
In the May 28 workout, Griffin's agility helped him connect with his wide receivers on the rollout, and he looked to be already in sync with many of them. After each drill, Griffin received congratulatory gestures from his teammates, many with whom he's already building a strong bond.
The Redskins' veterans have not forgotten that Griffin is a newcomer. Thus, there is the threat of a little inoffensive rookie hazing.
"Nobody has done anything," Griffin said. "But I'm definitely keeping an eye out for anything anyone tries to do."
The once budding Oklahoma City Thunder has fully blossomed. The team's ascent has occurred as quickly as a Russell Westbrook drive to the basket.
Three seasons ago, the Thunder was a struggling, small market team that quite frankly, didn't draw a lot of attention. Watching them play, you got the impression that it would be several years before the franchise would attain mediocrity, let alone real success. Today, the Thunder is a top tier NBA team.
This team has been built by General manger Sam Presti, who does all he can to avoid the spotlight. This season, the Thunder swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks during the first round of the NBA playoffs. In the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals, the Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1, pushing their post-season record to 8-1.
The Thunder has achieved success by building through the draft. Over the past five years, Presti has acquired Kevin Durant, James Hardin, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka, all through the draft. The worst NBA executives get lucky from time to time in the draft. In Presti's case he has made great selections consistently, which means he has a real eye for talent.
Having won the Northwest Division title the past two years, and now in its third straight playoff appearance, the Thunder is again proving that you don't have to be a large market team to have success. Large market cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami have used their marquee names to attract talent, and ultimately build a winning team. But smart draft selections and sound decision-making can be equalizers.
That's the foundation of the Thunder's success. It's why several teams, including our own Washington Wizards, strive to emulate the Thunder model – and not only teams from less-chic zip codes. In today's NBA, it's not about keeping up with the big market teams. It's about mimicking the Thunder.
For seven years Presti worked for the San Antonio Spurs in various capacities. In 2007, at age 30, he was named general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics. The SuperSonics were in the process of moving to Oklahoma City at the time, and they had the No. 2 overall draft pick. With the draft's first pick, the Portland Trailblazers selected center Greg Oden. Then Presti chose Durant.
Oden's career has been plagued by injuries. Since he entered the NBA, Durant, who was born in the District and raised in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, has played like a future Hall of Famer. Durant has led the league in scoring for the past three seasons, and the thought of this Thunder team playing together for several years to come isn't comforting for the rest of the league. NBA experts look for the Thunder to be championship contenders for many years to come.
A year ago, some would have argued that Albert Pujols was the best player in Major League Baseball. Today, his on-field performance is merely a shell of what he's been over the past 11 years.
During the off-season Pujols, 32, left St .Louis and headed for Southern California. He became only the second baseball player ever to sign a contract worth more than $200 million, when he signed with the Los Angeles Angels. Surprisingly, New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez has done it twice. First, with the Texas Rangers, and then with the Yankees.
Pujols is the only player in major league baseball history to hit 30 or more home runs in each of his 11 seasons; in this his 12th season, he has one. He's averaged 40.5 homers a season in his career, and at his current pace, he'll hit five. Pujols' career batting average is .326, and this season he's batting .196.
Today, he'd have trouble hitting a slow-pitched softball. In fact, he'd have trouble hitting it if he tossed it up to himself. If he jumped off a park bench, he might have trouble hitting the ground.
Pujols went without a home run in his first 27 games as an Angel, sat out a game, then in game 28 and at-bat 111 he finally hit his first home run with his new team. Did I mention that Pujols has only one home run as an Angel? I don't like being critical, but how difficult can it be to hit a home run? This season, Josh Hamilton has done it 18 times, Curtis Granderson, 13 times, and Carlos Beltran, 13 times.
Publicly, Pujols doesn't appear to be fazed at all by his lack of performance. At a recent press conference Pujols said, "I come out here every day and try to get myself ready for the game and give 110 percent to the team."
When you're in the middle of May, and you've only hit one home run, maybe you should try to give 120 -- or even 130 -- percent to the team. Pujols, who signed a 10-year contract, has four and a half months to get this turned around. If he doesn't come out of this funk, we could be looking at something that goes well beyond a free agent bust. He could become of the biggest flops in modern American culture.
![India Andrews [holding the ball] received pointers from Mystics players during a session on how to get around an opponent during a basketball skills clinic for girls at Stoddert Recreation Center in Northwest on Saturday, May 12. Two hundred girls from the Metropolitan area participated in the two hour clinic thanks to the Mystics coaches and players. The girls were divided into various groups according to their age and moved from station-to-station every 10 minutes to learn different skill sets./](/media/k2/items/cache/d04090bcf1d22abeaf360d19264a20cb_S.jpg)
The Washington Mystics hosted their fifth annual Mystics Youth Summer League (MYSL) tip-off event on Saturday, May 12 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., at Stoddert Recreation Center in Northwest. For the second consecutive year, Kay Jewelers served as the presenting sponsor of the league while the Mystics continued their partnership with the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation to ensure its success. For the fifth year, MYSL has provided an outlet for girls between the ages of 10 and 18 who are interested in basketball.
"Kay Jewelers is proud to continue its partnership with the Mystics organization and support its youth summer league program," said Mark Light, president and CEO of Kay Jewelers. "We are excited to be affiliated with a team that empowers young women and is passionate about cultivating future leaders on and off the basketball court."
The Mystics Youth Summer League tip-off included a basketball skills clinic for the girls and a clinic for coaches. The day wrapped up with an autograph session and raffle. The entire 2012 Washington Mystics team as well as General Manager and Head Coach Trudi Lacey showed up to provide assistance with the clinics.
MYSL participants received a reversible jersey along with a complimentary ticket to see the Mystics take on the Atlanta Dream at the Verizon Center on August 24. MYSL championship games will take place before and after the Mystics vs. Dream game.
The Washington Mystics will begin its regular 2012 season on Saturday, May 19 against the Chicago Sky.
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