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with the Warriors will depend on how his players perform in th

(2014-08-08 18:48:35) 下一個
OAKLAND, Calif. Khyri Thornton Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson handled questions about the "chatter" swirling around his future with his usual bold and boisterous banter Sunday night, raising his eyebrows and smiling after every answer. Jackson still knows his critics -- and the decision-makers in the organization -- will not be satisfied just because he can spin a sentence that projects confidence. He understands a secure future with the Warriors will depend on how his players perform in the playoffs. "My job will be determined on winning," Jackson said. "Im fine with that." Even in the midst of the franchises best season in 20 years, Jacksons job security and his relationship with ownership have been at the forefront of discussion. Much of that has been fueled by the curious moves involving two of his assistant coaches the past two weeks. The Warriors management fired Darren Erman on Saturday for "a violation of company policy" but declined to reveal the policy he violated. Jackson also reassigned Brian Scalabrine to the teams NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz on March 25 because of what Jackson called a "difference in philosophies." Support still remains high for Jackson in the locker room. Everybody from All-Star point guard Stephen Curry to veteran centre Jermaine ONeal has gone out of their way to applaud the job Jackson has done. General manager Bob Myers also said the team believes in Jacksons abilities. But co-owner Joe Lacob has yet to publicly support Jacksons future beyond this season. And the teams decision to pick up Jacksons contract option for the 2014-15 season last summer instead of negotiating a long-term deal has led to speculation that the Warriors need to at least match last seasons second-round playoff appearance or Jacksons job could be in jeopardy. Jackson, for his part, said he has a great relationship with the front office and Lacob. He added that the two spoke for about 15 minutes in San Antonio during Golden States recent road trip. "Theres no friction at all," Jackson said. "I humbly submit to you, if youve got a problem with me as a person, then its your problem. Im low maintenance. What you see is what you get, and Im going to be a fun-loving enjoyable guy thats easy to talk to. I have no issues with anybody in this organization and its been that way from day one." Jackson has repeatedly praised his players and the job Myers and his staff have done to reconstruct a roster that went 23-43 just two years ago during the labour-lockout shortened season. He also has tried to put the focus back on the floor, where the Bay Areas beloved basketball team is beginning to blossom again this spring. The Warriors (48-29) eclipsed last seasons win total in Sunday nights rout of Utah, moving 19 games over .500 for the first time in 20 years. Golden State is 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Portland and 1 1/2 games ahead of seventh-place Dallas in the crammed conference standings. Barring an epic collapse in the final five games, the Warriors will make the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. And theyve done that while coping with injuries that have sidelined starters Andrew Bogut, David Lee and Andre Iguodala for prolonged stretches. "The numbers speak for themselves," Jackson said. Winning in the regular season, though, doesnt always mean much. All Jackson has to do is look back at what happened after beating Denver in the first round last season, when the Nuggets fired George Karl after he led them to a franchise-record 57 wins and earned NBA Coach of the Year honours. Jackson noted that the depth of the Western Conference this season means that plenty of good teams with good coaches wont make it past the first round. And, like most years, that could mean some dont return next season -- though hes not planning to be among either group. "Believe it or not," Jackson said, "I am absolutely convinced that my future is just fine." Davante Adams Womens Jersey . Captain Munnerlyn is ready to fill those shoes. The Vikings agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the free agent cornerback on Thursday, continuing the teams aggressive pursuit of defensive help in free agency. Carl Bradford Jersey . First, the Miami Heat will continue their march toward the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference when they welcome the Brooklyn Nets to AmericanAirlines Arena.PRETORIA, South Africa - Children chatter about the Oscar Pistorius murder trial at South African schools, startling parents with details about how the athlete fatally shot his girlfriend. Big audiences in South Africa are watching a 24-hour television channel dedicated to coverage of the sensational trial. Turns of phrase from the courtroom — the defence lawyers "I put it to you" challenge to prosecution witnesses — are creeping into popular culture. The rise and fall of the double-amputee runner, who competed in the London Olympics in 2012 and then killed model Reeva Steenkamp less than a year after that inspirational triumph, is a consuming saga for South Africans that has drawn sheepish comparisons to reality television shows. The more people hear, the hungrier they are for more. Was Oscar on his stumps or wearing prosthetic limbs when he battered the toilet door with a cricket bat? Does he scream like a woman, as the defence suggests, or did neighbours indeed hear a womans screams on the night of the killing? Will apparent missteps by police investigators muddy the prosecutions case? Did Pistorius vomit during graphic testimony about Steenkamps wounds because of anguish, or was he trying to curry sympathy with the impassive judge? Some people turn up their noses at the spectacle, then dive into television or social media to soak up the latest, often extraordinary revelations. The parade of witnesses, some shown in the televised proceedings and some concealed from TV viewers to respect their privacy, gives a glimpse into rich, diverse, flawed and accomplished lives, swept into a single narrative from previously anonymous routines. Prof. Gert Saayman, the pathologist, described Steenkamps wounds and the general impact of gunshots on flesh and bone in metaphor-studded monologues so precise and structured that they were almost lyrical, the macabre contents notwithstanding. Here was a man, clinical and courtly, who had conducted between 10,000 and 15,000 autopsies over the decades. "Death is effectively a process rather than an event, and may take some minutes for it to come to its conclusion at a physiological level," he said. Saayman was followed by witness Darren Fresco, who dropped an expletive while recounting alleged gunplay involving Pistorius, his onetime friend, in the months before the runner shot his girlfriend. Fresco seemed miffed at the defences suggestion that he was wearing tracksuit ppants in the middle of summer, rather than shorts as he claims, during a 2012 incident in which a gun went off in a Johannesburg restaurant. www.packersstore.us.com/Black-17-Davante-Adams-Womens-Jersey/. "If Its got Wheels or a Skirt its Gonna Cost You Money," reads the caption on Frescos Twitter feed. Fast-living image aside, he aptly summarized the intense media coverage, saying it seemed to be everywhere: "It doesnt matter where you look, where you turn, where you go, what you listen to, what you watch." Later came the police investigators, cast by defence lawyer Barry Roux as bumblers reminiscent of the "Keystone Cops" characters from the old silent movies. Col. Johannes Vermeulen squatted awkwardly as he sought to show that Pistorius was not wearing prostheses when he hit the toilet door with a cricket bat, based on the policemans analysis of marks in the wood. "Im not standing on my knees when Im washing the dishes," Vermeulen said to emphasize his point. "Maybe if youre scared of your wife, you can do that," Roux replied, briefly lightening the sombre mood. Pistorius said he hit the door with the bat after realizing he had shot Steenkamp by mistake, fearing she was an intruder. Prosecutors say he killed her after an argument. South Africans are increasingly captivated by Rouxs relentless cross-examination. A producer at the Highveld Stereo radio station recorded a parody rap song. Lyrics include: "I put it to you/that it is true/everything you say/I will misconstrue/Im Barry Roux/And I put it to you/Ten times in a row/Just to confuse you." The 2-week-old trial is expected to run into April. One commentator said it is even interfering with South African democracy ahead of elections on May 7. "The trial will peak at the same time as the election campaign swings into high gear, which means political parties will have to take extraordinary measures to hold the voters attention," Ranjeni Munusamy wrote in the Daily Maverick, an online news outlet. The role of Jaco van Vuuren, the court sketch artist, seems quaint alongside all the high-tech scrutiny. Van Vuuren, who knew Pistorius before the killing, said it was emotionally difficult at first. "I said to him before this court session that Im not there to judge him. Im just there to do my job," van Vuuren told South Africas Eyewitness News. "He understands it. And the first day, he just hugged me and asked me for coffee." ' ' '
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