SOMEONE'S NUMBER NINE: THE RETURN OF SHAWNE WILLIAMS

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a gathering mode leading up to training camp. Mindful of vagaries of age and health, the front office is stockpiling multi-positional projects in hopes of plugging a hole left by the amnesty of Metta World Peace. Forward Shawne Williams has faced well-publicized off-court challenges, including multiple drug busts and the loss of his older brother. This will be a low-risk deal financially, as his minimum salary is only partially guaranteed. The initial press blurbs were slimmer than they once were. Burn enough opportunities and the story tends to downsize. 

I was driving cross-country a few summers back and took a detour into downtown Memphis. A couple random historic district signs led past abandoned buildings and empty lots. The Housing Authority came in during the 1950's and wiped out about half the area. Things were never quite the same again. Nearly 1,500 acres have been deemed a menace to public safety, health, morals and welfare according to the current Community Redevelopment Agency. Another eminent domain razing is being planned in the name of gentrification. For a guy making random lefts and rights in an old green Explorer, it simply looked like a place you could get lost in real easy. About 30 minutes later I was refilling my ice chest and buying post cards at a convenience store and heading back to ten lanes of mind-numbing banality that now passes for a road trip.

A “cautionary tale” is one of sports' pet phrases, often used in primetime style and easily applied to athletes who never quite got there. Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell dunked over cars on the mean streets of Oakland. He grew up with the likes of Jason Kidd, Gary Payton and Brian Shaw, and has been called the greatest player to never make it to the NBA. Instead he played for weed and crack and wound up in and out of prison. Lamar Odom faced more loss than anyone should but eventually reached the pinnacle of NBA success, as well as marrying into the kind of tabloid status that keeps buzzards like TMZ well fed. Lamar's current woes took another turn when he checked out of rehab a day after checking in.

Getting high happens on different levels. There aren't enough prisons in the world to hold everyone who has ever smoked a joint or done a line of coke, or who has hung with someone that's just not going to make your life simple and easy, although it might seem simple and easy in the moment.

Shawne Williams grew up in South Memphis in a neighborhood marked by crime and prostitution. He and his brother Ramone, one year his senior, were primarily raised by their grandfather, Lou Williams. Shawne wasn't really seen as a bad kid by Coach Ted Anderson at Hamilton High, though he later observed that the troubled player had nine lives. It's probably a cliché to say Williams has used most of them up, it's also probably true. He was courted by Coach John Calipari and the University of Memphis. Anderson admits he lobbied for Shawne to declare for a different college, someplace far away from friends and temptation.

A standout freshman season led to Williams being taken as the 17th pick in the 2006 draft by Donnie Walsh and the Indiana Pacers. Things were good for a while until they weren't. Off-court troubles started piling up. Shawne was traded to Dallas and wound up being paid by Mark Cuban to stay away from the team. Dallas traded his contract to the Nets and he was subsequently released. Kiki Vandeweghe later said, “I'm glad he's not our issue.” Out of the NBA and hanging out with old Memphis friends, Williams said “a light switched on." He decided to get out of town and back into shape.

Timelines don't always tell the whole story but they're a part of the story nonetheless. Williams has been arrested three times during his NBA career and stopped, questioned and ticketed at various other junctures. Aggregate causes have included smoking a blunt, driving without a license, associating with a murder suspect and being part of an Operation Lockdown dragnet in Memphis. Williams pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges for that one, including intent to sell hydrocordone, aka sizzurp in a styro cup. He was placed in a six-month diversion program and tested positive for weed four times during that period. In 2012 he was popped again for codeine-based syrup.

In the spring of 2010, Williams traveled to the IMG Basketball Academy in Brandenton, Florida, and began playing again. He lost weight and dedicated himself to the game. He received a summer league invite from the Charlotte Bobcats and coach Larry Brown, who was likely influenced by the recommendation of Calipari. Summer league lead to two NBA training camp offers: the Bobcats and the New York Knicks. Williams went with the Knicks for personal reasons. Madison Square Garden was the last place his brother saw him play during a college tourney. Ramone was murdered shortly thereafter. It's also worth noting that Donnie Walsh, who drafted Williams, was now running operations for the Knicks.

Likened to a reclamation project within a reclamation project, Shawne Williams thrived in his new environment. Mike D'Antoni admittedly tested him, tossing the 6-9 forward into various rotations and situations. Williams slowed down LeBron James, was choked by an agitated World Peace and was even used at center against Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. The size mismatch was ridiculous but the forward didn't back down. He's never been accused of playing soft. As D'Antoni said, “He's coming at you. And I like that about him.” His minutes increased and his role solidified. He shot .401 from behind the arc and helped the team to their best season in a decade.

The following fall found Williams at the Knicks training camp, waiting for a free agent offer. He ultimately signed with the Nets for two years and $6.1 million, calling it a business decision. Things didn't work out in New Jersey; he was traded after 25 uneventful games to the Trail Blazers. Williams didn't play in Portland and was arrested again the following winter. According the affidavit, the 26 year-old said, “Officer, I ain't gonna lie to you, there's a blunt in the car and some syrup.”

Williams hasn't seen any NBA action in well over a year. Still, his tough-nosed play caught on with D'Antoni that one season and his coach remembers. The Memphis product will be playing for a spot against a glut of other question marks. He's burned his bridges and used up at least eight lives. Still, if you're going to be someone's number nine, it might as well be the Lakers.

A predictable thing happened after the first Lakers beat stories about the signing of Williams. National basketball writers started to circle like hawks. They remembered the cautionary tales, they might have even played a part once. During a slow summer news cycle, events like this can generate interest. Phrases are dusted off, links are explored and parsed.

Somewhere a car floats around a corner, the music's bumping and the windows are dark and you don't know if it's a guy going somewhere or if it's just another ride with a group of friends. Headlights, taillights, it could be Los Angeles or it could be Memphis. Another season's about to begin.  

THEY'RE PROGRAMMED TO DESTROY US

Increasingly despondent in recent days, David Stern decided to blow up the league. Sources close to the commissioner are painting a grim picture of the once respected chief executive of the National Basketball Association. Future plans are on hold until he finishes gutting himself and anyone foolish enough to approach.

Recently taken to drinking creme de menthe and listening to Joy Division, the commissioner vetoed a three-way trade that would have brought Chris Paul to the Lakers, packed a depleted Hornets roster with legitimate starters, and bolstered a sagging Houston front line. Riding a wave of bewilderment, Stern did it again last night, this time blocking a proposal that was spoon-fed to his naive demand for younger players. The Lakers pulled out and sent Lamar Odom to the World Champion Mavericks who were in obvious need of charity. Pressed for comment, Mark Cuban reportedly shrugged and said, “rock star!”

Lamar Odom’s been much maligned for not showing up to a training camp that didn’t want him. He hasn’t been a happy camper and I honestly can’t blame him. Perhaps being on another championship roster will ease the sting. Ironically, it’s the same team that swept his beloved Lakers in the second round last season. As for Mr. Stern, associates report that he was last seen strapping himself to an atomic bomb and hurtling toward earth - leaving his stool at the Mt. Olympus Boom-Boom Room, bereft of soft fleshy warmth.

My father, an abstract painter, didn’t allow television in the house. He felt it distracted from the creative spirit or some such. My brother and I finally convinced him that Jacques Cousteau specials were required homework. Dad ponied up for a minuscule Zenith, accompanied by a 2 ½ hour limit per week. Program planning in of itself, was entertainment. All was fine until my brother’s best friend Teddy Augustine, picked up what he believed to be an unloaded Daisy B-B gun and put a neat little hole in the Zenith’s screen. It was hilarious until we realized that we were once again, without television.

Free agency has been ridiculously shortened and compressed. The only hope for marginally effective execution stood with the general managers and their staffs, the lockout was not of their making or desire. Their chances depended on some modicum of autonomy and cooperation from their owners and league - the same crowd that spent much of the year devouring itself from the inside. Poor Chris Paul, to have the misfortune of belonging to the one team owned by the league. He never had a prayer.

As I write this accounting, the Lakers will be pursuing their next course of action, realigning an uncertain front court. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were still here as of ten minutes ago but after that, the corp of bigs consists of Derrick Caracter, Ater Majok and Chris Daniels. Caracter has played some 200 minutes in his NBA career. Majok and Daniels only actually exist on paper. Sorry guys.

The ripple effect from David Stern’s actions will be profound. It’s easy as fans to speculate about the next-in-line trade but those in the team trenches understand a pileup on an icy freeway. There are only two weeks until opening day. The season that almost wasn’t, has already been hijacked by a man who cannot find the means to get past the players’ singular defining moment. Humiliated beyond acceptance, they sued their own league. It forced Stern and company to capitulate, and they can never get past it.

If you happened by a storefront window and peered in at the past six months, you would see a series of deliberately deconstructive actions. Whether it’s the desire to destroy the players’ union, to cancel the season in its entirety, or to simply tear at those who have the audacity to succeed, the actions don’t speak to a healthy infrastructure. It’s curious - the fans have been enthused, the players have been superb, the revenue has been robust - and this in a sagging economy. Don’t tell it to David Stern, he has waded through the landscape like a child stomping on sandcastles. And all that’s left is a nagging question - when does that insect Adam Silver get his turn?

SAME AS IT EVER WAS

No absurd stories this time, no silly Alfred E. Neuman photos or abstractions about a Ukrainian blowing into town with a single-minded obsession to put the biscuit in the bucket. No jokes, no Sasha, no YouTube vids, just some thoughts about camp. The more far-reaching aspects have been covered by other outlets, stories abound about London and Kobe’s Italian roots and even a touch of international brouhaha as Ron-Ron makes some salient points about Eurobasket quota systems (only two Americans allowed to a team). My own thoughts run closer to home and derive from last night’s viewing of NBA TV’s "Real Training Camp", going into 2 o’clock in the morning Austin time when I knew I was getting up in a few hours for work.

I had the TV on for background filler, had browsed my favorite hoops sites and finished an excellent book that had nothing to do with sports. The Knicks were on and to be honest, I haven’t watched many of their games for years but it caught my attention nonetheless. Amare’s definitely the man there now, very vocal and positive and there were a couple decent halves of scrimmage. Next up was Miami and I’m less a fan than ever due to decision related reasons. They held camp at Elgin Airforce Base and there was a long wait between halves as military families left in order to make room for the next batch. It was a nice opportunity for those that serve, to see training camp up close and personal. The Miami press is finding lots of good stuff to say about the Riley-centric knock down battles but I personally thought it looked disorganized, not much flow and communication, lots of banged-up bodies and sour looks until it was over with LeBron tossing wristbands to the crowd. I had no idea the Lakers were up next, hadn’t bothered with the basic guide function but when the action switched to El Segundo, all bets were off and I stayed up and was all the happier for it.

I’ve caught Lakers camp action before but it always strikes me afresh, especially coming on the heels of more prototypical NBA hoopla. It’s just so quiet, almost Spartan. Jackson’s notoriously reluctant to allow outsiders into the sanctum and even though cameras were there, the overall atmosphere was both calm and serious. It was almost entirely the rudiments. Jackson started off showing players how to hold the ball, how to get into a proper stance and I could swear, in one early shot he was hobbling around with some kind of wooden flute or peacepipe. From there it progressed to run and pivot drills followed by simple passing, spacing and conditioning. It took me back to elementary school P.E., chest passes and simple lay-up drills and the Lakers still run these basics today and nearly each and every day. B-Shaw sat down for an interview, saying how he really feels it’s a lost art and how they’ve been doing this his entire time with the team as both player and assistant coach. As Phil writes in 'More Than a Game', "repetition from the first day of training camp to the last day of the playoffs, is essential".

Mitch Kupchak gave a detailed and honest assessment of Bynum’s knee which contrasted with the recent media sturm und drang, saying that sewing the cartilage instead of removing it was the right thing to do but it takes a lot longer for the blood flow to do its work. He thinks it could be up to 12 weeks recovery but they’ll deal with it. Kobe talked about his decision not to have surgery on the sausage he calls a finger, saying it’s stronger after a summer of rest and rehab and he’ll try going without wrap or support.  Lamar also had a turn on the folding chair as well, talked about his one-year anniversary and FIBA.  When asked about all the attention Miami's now getting, he shrugged it off, saying "well, we're still all rock stars here in L.A.".

Last up, fittingly, was Phil himself who talked a lot about basketball fundamentals and drills and why he thinks they’re so important, adding that they do mix things up to keep it from getting boring - defense one day, the complexities of the triangle the next, and ultimately scrimmages to allow the guys some fun. Still, it all comes back to basic concepts and as I watch this markedly calm and almost old-fashioned approach to the game, I’m left feeling that it’s basketball at it’s purest and most seminal and that the only thing missing is Tex Winter, the snowy-haired guru of triangle. More will have to be written about Tex, he deserves a post of his own. Lastly, a programming note: the Lakers first preseason game against the T-Wolves will air Monday at noon pacific, 2:00 central, on NBA TV and 7:00 pacific (time delay) on KCAL 9.

BIG OWIE!

I keep meaning to post something new but have been a), too busy doing actual work or b), spending all my late nights scouring real blogs for info I can easily appropriate.  Only problem being, my brain's an increasingly soggy sponge and nothing seems to stick anymore.  Repercussions of a misspent youth, long ago.

Regardless, SfS is looking a wee bit slim in its premiere month and I got nothing new on the Ukrainian front except that not surprisingly, our ex-sniper's film career is going nowhere since his bit-part in 2009's "Oy Vey!  My Son is Gay!", starring Bruce Vilanch and produced by none other than Slava's wife, Sveltlana Anufrieva.  I read that it's really bad and that's enough proof for me. 

Meandering ahead, most of the Lakers' current buzz and commentary centers on Bynum's surgery and his lengthening rehab arc - like nobody saw that coming!  Rather than go into my own tedious facts and analysis, I'll use the increasingly popular links-madness trend which can easily pad out a page.  I'll leave you all to your reading while I go watch some TV.

Andrew Kamenetzky at ESPN's 'Land O' Lakers', writes about Andrew's need for a break after emotional  highs of the title run.
Brian Kamenetzky has a different view, questioning Bynum's willingness to give away a sizable chunk of the season.
Darious Soriano from Forum Blue & God, wonders how Bynum's absence might affect other players' playing time, both positively and negatively.
Kevin Ding at the O.C. Register, recounts the highs of Andrew's South African trip and ponders the cost of his surgery-delaying tactics.
Mark Medina from the LA. Times understands the criticsm but feels it's misguided.

Okay, everybody caught up on what they already knew?  I don't have much to add to the cacophony except that I question Ding’s contention that Laker’s staff were left in the dark about the extent of Bynum’s cartilage damage until hours before the start of camp. The medical and training staff is always in direct contact with a performing surgeon in the immediate aftermath of a procedure and if they somehow didn’t do their due diligence then shame on them.

Still there is the larger picture of Bynum’s health and on that I find myself somewhat torn.  On the one hand I can understand fans' frustrations - Bynum's injury cycle seems to spin ever faster and he often seems a bit glib about it.  On the other hand, I'm of the firm mind that without a gimpy 7-footer with flashes of brilliance, you're nothing in this league (see, I'm glib as well).

Ultimately, it comes down to numbers for me.  Around 90% of the true centers in this league miss significant chunks of playing time, more seasons than not.  Abnormally large bodies don't wear well, pounding up and down a hard wood court.  Given this reality and how ingrained it is into the talent pool, I think I'd rather hang onto a kid who can play a dominant low post game for around 65 games a year, than somebody of sound body and average talent, for the full season.

CAMP LOOMS, STILL NO SIGN OF SLAVA

So it's what, about five days before the start of Lakers training camp and normally it would be a time of high anticipation.  Before the advent of instant web information, I'd pore over paper sports pages, looking for news about camp invites and more recently, I'd keep a running list in a word doc and revisit it in the dog days of summer, wondering if somebody  from the past would take one more shot, hoping against slim hope. And it would happen now and then.  Mostly not, mostly just bodies to bang around but you might recognize a name here or there, guys from summer league or journeymen vets or just undrafted rookies.  In recent years there were names like Maurice Carter and Jamal Sampson, Eric Cheonowith or Dickie Simpkins, Janero Pargo, Adam Parada, Tierre Brown, Nick Sheppard, Will Conroy and Mike Penberthy, Paul Shirley (yes, that Paul Shirley) and Guy Rucker, Devin Green, Al Guyton, Michael Fey and Tony Gaffney.  And more, plenty more and sometimes these guys would get signed and every now and then they'd crack the rotation and actually get an option picked up, maybe even enjoy a little success in the league, like Pargo who still comes up annually on some Lakers fans' wish lists.

Not this year though.  This year we got 14 slots filled already and it's highly unlikely we'll carry the maximum 15.  Mathematically possible, but nobody would seriously consider it.  Even so, you'd have expected the typical camp fodder announcements by now, especially this close in.  But there's been next to nothing.  Henry Abbott on True Hoops broke the story of Russell Hicks and it spread like web wildfire, hitting every Lakers outlet from major to micro and all this for a 7-foot lug who's played about 20 minutes in the D-league and if you've heard of him before you're some kind of savant.  And now there's mention of one other signing, 6-2 guard Anthony Roberson who's knocked around a little with Memphis, Golden State and the Knicks.

That's it as far as I can tell.  Hicks and Roberson.  We can expect more in the next couple days, there has to be some live bodies for target practice, but this isn't like any camp I can remember.  I wouldn't swap a bunch of hopefuls for what we have of course, we're coming into the season with a seriously deep and balanced roster, all ready to roll out and do its job. 

With so little to write about, the various Lakers sites are busying themselves with blogger profiles, article links (the cyber version of the AP), obscure 80's music videos, space-eating polls (vote on Phil's beard!) and of course, the kind of stuff you'll find here at Searching for Slava which so far has been a bunch of made-up nonsense and nothing that really gets to the heart of whatever actually happened to our Ukrainian bomber.  Maybe we'll all get lucky and the loquacious one will stroll into camp on September 25th like he'd never been gone at all, ready to fire at will and reclaim his rightful place on the bench.