Aktuelles » e Tim Duncans bank shot. I wanted to take Kobe

Drew Petrie looks set to avoid the axe in week one of the AFL finals, with North Melbourne skipper Andrew Swallow throwing his support behind the outgoing forward.Petrie is one of the four much-loved veterans at the club told last week this season will be their last at Arden St.The key forward had just three kicks in the final round of the season, indicating the decision impacted his form.Jarrad Waite is expected to return from hip surgery in next Saturdays elimination final against Adelaide, with many pundits suggesting it should be at the expense of Petrie instead of Majak Daw.Swallow acknowledged September isnt the time for sentimental selections but made it clear he believed Petrie was entrenched in Norths best 22.Itd be hard to go into a game without him, Swallow said on Thursday.Ive got no idea what the match committee are thinking but Id be pretty confident well see him there.Last week he probably wasnt at his best but Im really confident (he will play) - hes a competitive bloke.Were confident hell be there and he will give us a really strong target.The Adelaide Oval clash could be the final game in the careers of Petrie, Brent Harvey, Nick Dal Santo and Michael Firrito.Swallow admitted the timing of last weeks announcement was a real shock and it took players some time to digest the news.I can understand now why it was done, he added.Obviously the boys wanted to know and credit to the club for being honest with them.It was probably hard to hear but they told them the truth.Its been dealt with.Now we just want to go out there and put some good performances on for the guys because they have been legends of our club and we want to do the right thing for them.Swallow, who is 29, rejected the idea his side couldnt be competitive in 2017.We are having a bit of a reset, we are not rebuilding. We are not going to go down the bottom, the midfielder said.The core of our team is still pretty young.I dont think it is a complete rebuild, we just had to make some tough decisions on some guys because we had a large group of guys over 30.Swallow was also adamant North could do some damage in finals despite finishing eighth on the ladder and winning just three of their past 13 games.We really challenged Sydney (in round 22) and could have quite easily won that game, he said.Weve been able to identify some things that have been really holding us back. Hopefully we can continue to build and it all clicks. Nike Air Max 90 Cheap Wholesale .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Cheap Air Max 90 Free Shipping . 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MIAMI -- Hassan Whitesides talents are apparently not limited to the dunks and defense that convinced the Miami Heat he was worthy of a $98 million contract this offseason.Turns out, he also does a very respectable Shaquille ONeal impression.When I met him, he was just, `Big fella, youve got to dunk everything, Whiteside said, perfectly mimicking ONeals oft-imitated tone. `I like how you play. Dunk everything.Sounding like ONeal, thats the easy part.Playing like ONeal, thats now the challenge.The Heat guaranteed Whiteside a fortune, and hes now starting to realize that the teams fortunes -- with Dwyane Wade now in Chicago and questions surrounding Chris Bosh health -- are on his copious shoulders. Its a challenge he says that hell embrace, insisting hes still fueled by so many teams passing on him.Each month hes been with us, hes gotten better, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. And I think thats a great statement to make. For two straight years, hes gotten better. Seems like each week, each game that hes played, hes understanding his role. Hes playing with a great motor right now.Hes also coming off a season the likes of which no NBA center had managed in nearly a quarter-century.Whiteside averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and a league-best-by-far 3.7 blocks per game last season. The last player to finish a season averaging so much in each of those three categories was Hakeem Olajuwon, in 1993-94.In a league where only nine players -- DeMarcus Cousins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, Pau Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, Julius Randle and Whiteside -- averaged a points-rebounds double-double last season, a truly elite big man is a rarity these days.He is going to be an essential part of what we do, Heat president Pat Riley said.He was one of seven big men to get deals this summer averaging $16 million or more in free agency. Whiteside, Drummond, Howard, Al Horford and Joakim Noah got deals that will pay them a combined $682 million over the coming seasons. Timofey Mozgov and Ian Mahinmi each got $64 million over the next four years -- and they have career averages of 6.9 and 5.1 points, respectively.In Atlantas case, for example, giving Howard $70.5 million over three years came down to dollars and sense.I still think that players like Dwight, Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said, have a huge impact on what you do.ddddddddddddWhiteside insists that he isnt just a back-to-the-basket player. Hes lobbying each day to have freedom to bring the ball up after rebounds, is working on improving his outside game, even tried to put on a 3-point shooting display for Spoelstra after one recent practice.But he knows the Heat need him to dominate around the rim, on both ends.And thats where he thinks he can separate himself from any center out there.I can score and I can defend, Whiteside said. Youve got guys at the (center) position that can score but they cant guard a shoebox. And youve got guys who are really great defenders but they couldnt score on a shoebox. I just want to be balanced.Whitesides meteoric rise is a story almost like none other in the NBA. The Heat signed him as a free agent a month into the 2014-15 season, doing so in part out of desperation and in part because he captured their attention by dominating a game against the teams NBA Development League affiliate in Sioux Falls. Not even two years later, hes got a max deal.His game, he said, doesnt mimic one past player. Hes taking pieces from several.I wanted to take Hakeems shot-blocking abilities, Whiteside said. I wanted to take Kevin Garnetts face-up jumper. I wanted to take Tim Duncans bank shot. I wanted to take Kobe Bryants work ethic. And Shaqs aggressiveness.Whiteside was the featured guest at a Heat promotional event for fans on Sunday, one of those meet-and-greet appearances where some autographs get signed and selfies get taken. Whiteside was pulling up to the arena and slowed down when he saw about 200 people lined up on a sidewalk, wondering why they were all there.It took him a moment to realize that the fans -- many of whom wore Whiteside jerseys, and one who wrote Whitesides name and No. 21 on his biceps and wanted to flex for the Heat center -- were there for him.Only 23 months after he first hit Miami, the Heat will go as he goes now.It takes a little getting used to, Whiteside said. But I know what the challenge is, and Im ready. ' ' '