The loony Moonies at the Washington Times report on the Wizards’ latest free-agent signing, a move that could well signal DC’s reluctance to match the Knicks’ offer sheet to Jared Jefferies.
The Washington Wizards believe they have improved their defense with yesterday’s free agent signing, and no one sounded more adamant about that than the man who signed, DeShawn Stevenson.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Stevenson, considered on his way to becoming one of the league’s better perimeter defenders, finalized terms of a two-year deal yesterday, saying he recognized he would fit with Washington while watching the Wizards try to stop LeBron James in the playoffs.
“They have guys like Caron [Butler] and Gilbert [Arenas] who are going to give them scoring,” Stevenson said. “But they didn’t really have that lockdown guy who was going to come into games and concentrate on just doing that. They need someone who is going to come in and lock down the other team’s best player and I think I can be that guy.”
While noting recent Hornets acquisition Janero Pargo’s flirtation with European clubs, BlogaBull’s Matt opines,
While losing the likes of Jannero Pargo and Alex Acker from the ends of NBA benches is marginal (there have been higher-profile defections like 2005 Orlando lottery pick Fran Vasquez), I do see the trend continuing. The Euroleague clubs are offering money and playing time that NBA squads won’t, and it’s likely that their development as players will be better fostered in the Euroleague than the D-League anyway.
I’m still waiting for when some OJ Mayo-type decides to thumb his nose at David Stern and the NCAA (and even a couple years of high school) to get some coin overseas.
Though I can confirm that rumors of J.R. Rider trying out for the Plymouth Raiders are indeed, just that (for one thing, cell phone reception in Devon really sucks), Tony Delk will apparently be plying his trade next season for Panathinaikos of Greece.