Derrick Williams has struggled to find a fit in Minnesota, and as Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes, that might be continuing: “Three weeks ago, the Timberwolves seemed prepared to replace reinjured Chase Budinger for the coming weeks or months with a player already signed or one invited to their training camp. This week, after having four preseason games and a week’s break to contemplate, Wolves coach Rick Adelman said he and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders are looking at all options — trade, free-agent signing, in-house promotion — to find someone who can back up Corey Brewer at small forward until Budinger returns from another knee surgery. Does that mean he’s already decided that playing slimmed-down Derrick Williams there won’t work? “No, we’re trying to play him at both spots and see where we’re going,” Adelman said. “We’re playing other people there. We’re just watching. I have to make some decision about who’s going to play behind Corey there. Right now, I’m really not sure how we’re going there.””- The Heat gambled on a pair of players that would be considered high-risk for just about any other team this offseason. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today looks at whether the Heat will be able to turn around Michael Beasley and Greg Oden: “Seven Miami Heat players — Ray Allen, Shane Battier, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley and Greg Oden — were taken in the top six when they were drafted. Two of those players are not like the others: Beasley and Oden. For different reasons — injuries for Oden and on- and off-court issues for Beasley — neither has maximized his ability. But with nothing to lose (except for minimal salary payments) and a lot to gain (solid performers off the bench), the Heat signed Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, and Beasley, the No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft. “Both players were unbelievably talented coming out of college — obviously drafted one and two in their respective drafts,” Heat forward LeBron James says. “Reasons that you sometimes can’t explain have hindered what they’re capable of doing. But I’m excited to have them here. … It’s unfortunate what’s happened to this point, but we can’t change the past. We can only focus on the present and the future. As a leader, I’m excited to have them here and help them get back to the point where they feel they mean something — not only to this team but prove to themselves that they can play this game and play it at a high level.” “
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