Timberwolves Sign Billups
Steve Smith
today announced the NBA club has signed free agent guard Chauncey Billups to
a multiyear contract. Per team policy, no terms of the contract were
disclosed.
Billups, a 6-3 guard from the University of Colorado, was originally
selected in the first round (third overall) by the Boston Celtics in the
1997 NBA Draft. He began the 1999-2000 season on the injured list with the
Denver Nuggets due to a sprained left ankle, missing the team's first nine
games. He was activated on Nov. 24 and came off the bench to score nine
points in the Nuggets win over Toronto. He appeared in 13 games for Denver
before dislocating his left shoulder. He underwent season-ending surgery on
the shoulder on Dec. 17.
Billups was traded by the Nuggets along with Ron Mercer and Johnny Taylor to
the Orlando Magic on Feb. 1, 2000, for Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Chris Gatling.
Prior to his injury, Billups averaged 8.6 points, 3.0 assists and 2.6
rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, scoring in double-figures on five
occasions. While with the Nuggets, he had a season-high 20 points and seven
assists in 40 minutes on Dec. 3 vs. Orlando.
In 138 NBA games over four seasons, Billups has averaged 11.3 ppg, 3.8 apg,
and 2.3 rpg.
QUOTES FROM THE NEWS CONFERENCE
Kevin McHale:
"I had met Chauncey before, years ago, and really was impressed by him as a
person and a player -- a quality guy who fits right in with the type of guys
that we have here. He really is a solid individual and a solid player so we
are really excited and feel very fortunate that Chauncey chose Minnesota."
"He brings things to our team that we really need, and it's a good fit.
We've been lucky in the past to take players and bring them here that have
been a good fit. I have great faith in him as a player and I know he's going
to do very well and know that it's going to be really a fun year for
Chauncey and for the Timberwolves."
Chauncey Billups:
"This is the team I wanted to come to. I'm very close with and good friends
with a couple guys on the team: Kevin (Garnett), Joe Smith, Tommy Hammonds.
Everything I've heard about this organization from good players and other
people that have played here, it all looked good to me. Everybody told me it
was like a family-type, close-knit team and that's what really helped and
what I'm looking forward to being a part of."
"Once I get to the point where I can learn the system, I think that I'll be
called upon to do some scoring, I'll be called upon to play some tough
defense. And those are things that I can do."
"I'm just looking for some stability. I feel like I could be an All-Star in
this league, maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but I do feel like at
some point in my career I can be an All-Star."
"Hopefully I'll be a Timberwolf 'til the day I don't play the game anymore."
Kevin McHale:
"We feel very fortunate that Chauncey chose us. This is a big boost because
the last thing to happen to the Timberwolves as a team was the tragedy of
Malik (Sealy) passing away. That hit everybody very, very hard and was one
of those things in life where no one could prepare for anything like that;
that just shocks you."
"Our players need a guy like Chauncey, what he can bring to help them. And
also I think they can help Chauncey. In our league so much of it is a fit,
you get the right fit and everything works great."
"As you can tell, he's a very intelligent young man, really wants to
improve, really wants to get better and has goals. I love when a guy says I
can be an All-Star in this league, because I tell you what, I don't see how
you can be an All-Star if you don't think you can be."
"Chauncey has a firm belief in his ability and we have that same belief in
him, and that's a good marriage and I think it's going be a good
relationship. We feel very fortunate in the wake of everything that happened
with Malik to be able to take a positive step with this team."
"We have a couple more things that we're going to try to do hopefully, but
I'm just glad we got this done right now."
--
Steve Smith
steve...@tiscalinet.it
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^new addy
Program in Molecular Medicine
UMass Medical Center
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