http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/16359803.htm At the end of Sunday's Timberwolves practice, players participated in a lighthearted shooting contest, launching basketballs from about 75 feet away. There were plenty of laughs and jokes on the first day this season that the Wolves practiced with leather basketballs. NBA Commissioner David Stern recently was swayed by players' demands that a change was needed. The Wolves' game against the Charlotte Bobcats tonight on New Year's Day will be the NBA's first featuring the leather basketball, which will be reintroduced tonight after a failed experiment with a synthetic basketball that was roundly rejected by the league's biggest stars. Minnesota's Kevin Garnett was among the players who criticized the synthetic ball, so perhaps it's fitting that he will be among the first to usher in a new, or should we say old, era. The leather basketball is back. "Hallelujah," Garnett said. Garnett is among the players who feel that the leather ball feels better and is easier to grip when wet. He touched the leather ball again on Friday and immediately looked forward to playing again with it. "There was a big difference from how it bounces, to how it feels, to the seams, so (Monday is) a big day," Garnett said. The switch, announced by the league on Dec. 11, means a bit of an adjustment period might be necessary, but there won't be much time. The Wolves had just one practice with the leather version after playing with the synthetic ball Saturday night at New Jersey. "There's going to be a lot of guys sleeping with the leather ball, so wives watch out," Garnett joked. Sunday's Wolves practice was essentially dedicated to getting comfortable with the leather ball again. The players participated in shooting drills, dribbled and just felt the ball in their hands. Each NBA team was sent shipments of leather balls in recent weeks, so every team has a minimum of 24 with more on the way by the end of January. The change to the leather ball might not seem like a big deal to some outside observers, but to most of the players, the equipment with which they play the game is vital. That's why they raised such a big fuss over the league's decision to adopt a synthetic ball at the start of this season without much input from players. The NBA players association even filed a grievance over the issue. Some Wolves players, such as Trenton Hassell and Marko Jaric, said they don't care which ball is used. "I'll shoot anything," Hassell said. "Either it's going to go in or not." But others are giddy about the change. "The leather ball, it's coming off my fingertips the same every time when I shoot," Wolves guard Troy Hudson said. "The (synthetic) ball, it seemed like I was shooting different shots at least seven out of 10 times. Everybody picked up the leather ball (Sunday) and was like, man, this is great." Some coaches have predicted that shooting percentages might dip with the leather basketball, which doesn't stick to the rim like the synthetic ball. Turnovers are another issue. Players complained it was difficult to handle the synthetic ball, but that the leather version produces a livelier and more consistent bounce. "It's going to be interesting to see shooting percentages and turnovers and all that and see if there's a difference," Casey said. Joked point guard Mike James: "I'm shooting horrible with the synthetic ball. We need the old ball back." --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 218.170.221.44