Thunder's Cole Aldrich knows focus will be defense

Basketball Betting Lines

07/13/2010 -

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -Cole Aldrich says defense comes naturally to him - a trait made easier by the fact he's always been the biggest guy on the basketball court.

The 6-foot-11 Aldrich finished his career at Kansas as one of the school's great shot- blockers, and he hopes to continue focusing on defense now that he's reached the NBA.

``Defensively is, I think, really where I'm going to make an impact,'' Aldrich said Monday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Aldrich, the No. 11 pick in this year's draft, and veteran forward Morris Peterson from New Orleans in exchange to the draft rights to Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter. In making the trade, Oklahoma City added a player with a defense-first approach, something general manager Sam Presti said can be rare among rookies.

``Cole really shares the same mentality and approach that we try to embody with our team,'' Presti said. ``He's another hardworking, high-character player.''

Thunder coach Scott Brooks listed Aldrich's positives: ``Defense, protects the basket, rebounds, sets great screens. He's a great outlet passer.''

Notice Brooks didn't say anything about scoring. On a team that already includes the NBA's reigning scoring leader in Kevin Durant and other players capable of big offensive games, ``we're not looking for him to come in here and be a big-time scorer,'' Brooks said.

Aldrich, a native of Bloomington, Minn., grew up a Minnesota Timberwolves fan - and defense was an early love.

``I was, I wouldn't say a bully on the court, but I was bigger than everybody so I just loved to block shots and rebound,'' he said. ``If somebody comes in the lane, I don't want them to score. I take real pride in blocking the shot or altering the shot or (making opponents) pass it out. I've always liked to think that the paint is kind of my home and I don't want anybody coming in my home.''

As a sophomore at Kansas, he averaged 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds and recorded the first official triple-double in the history of the Jayhawks' storied program with 13 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in a NCAA tournament game against Dayton.

Last season as a junior, he set a school record with 125 blocked shots and was named the Big 12 Conference's top defensive player. Favored to make the Final Four, Kansas lost a second-round game to Northern Iowa in the same Oklahoma City arena where Aldrich now will play as a pro.

Aldrich finished his Kansas career with 253 blocks, five shy of the school record held by Greg Ostertag.

The Thunder's frontcourt, thin when the franchise arrived from Seattle before the 2008-09 season, has become crowded. Nenad Krstic started last season and rookie Serge Ibaka saw his playing time dramatically increase as the season wore on.

Another Kansas product, veteran Nick Collison, provides front-line depth, and the Thunder also has been developing a 2009 first-round draft pick, Byron Mullens. At small forward, Jeff Green is entrenched as a starter.

Brooks said he prefers a nine-man rotation and everyone in that rotation is returning next season from a team that went 50-32 and pushed the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers to six games in the playoffs. That means significant playing time for Aldrich is not guaranteed.

``It's going to be tough,'' Aldrich said. ``They just don't hand out anything. That's been my whole life. I've had to work for everything. I'm just excited to go against those guys and compete with them.''

Whether he's playing a lot or a little, Aldrich is guaranteed $1,772,000 in rookie salary as the No. 11 pick.

Brooks had some advice for his newest center if he wants to get on the floor quickly.

``Being a bully is not bad,'' Brooks said. ``Minutes? Who knows. I met the guy four days ago. We'll have to see how he continues to get better the rest of the summer and training camp. I know our guys are going to be ready to compete and he's going to be in there competing with them.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.