Detroit Pistons Re-Sign Forward Walter Herrmann

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has re-signed forward Walter Herrmann to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. “We are pleased to re-sign Walter Herrmann,” said Dumars. “Walter is a player with tremendous work ethic and showed last year that he is a player that can contribute to this team.”

Herrmann, 29, was acquired by the Pistons on December 14, 2007 along with Primoz Brezec in a trade that sent Nazr Mohammed to the Charlotte Bobcats. He appeared in 45 games last season with Charlotte and Detroit, averaging 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 8.2 minutes per game. In 17 games with Charlotte, Herrmann averaged 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game. He played in 28 games with Detroit (no starts) and averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game. The 6-9, 229-pound forward scored a season-high 16 points (6-15 FG, 2-5 3FG, 2-2 FT) in a season-high 33 minutes at Orlando (11/23).

Herrmann was not drafted by an NBA franchise and signed with Charlotte as a free agent on September 11, 2006. He played six seasons of professional basketball in his native Argentina and four seasons in Spain. Herrmann averaged 9.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 48 games during the 2006-07 season with the Bobcats. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and was named Eastern Conference T-Mobile Rookie of the Month for games played in March. He scored in double figures in 17 of the last 18 games of the season, averaging 17.9 points per game on 58.2% shooting over that span.

U.S. Women Get Hot, Make Short Work of China

In their first game in Beijing, it took the U.S. Women’s Senior National Team about five minutes to get warmed up. Tonight, in their second game, it didn’t take nearly as long. And they didn’t just get warm. They got hot, making short work of hosts China, 108-63, Monday night at the Wukesong Culture and Sports Center.

After missing their first three shots of the game, the U.S. made 12 of their next 13 attempts from the field, scoring on 12 straight possessions. After trailing 11-10, they finished the first quarter on a 23-0 run to put the game away early. And like The Czech Republic before them, China was overwhelmed by the U.S. onslaught.

Tina Thompson led the way, stroking a pair of long threes during the 23-0 run, and shooting 5-for-6 from the field in the period. By herself, she outscored China 15-11 in the first. “Tonight Tina did a great job stepping up our team,” Lisa Leslie, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, said after the game. “She shot the ball really well.”

Thompson and her teammates didn’t exactly cool off in the second quarter either, shooting 13-for-20 and committing just one turnover in the period. By halftime they had more than doubled up on China and led by 34. That both Leslie and Candace Parker were in foul trouble early in the second quarter was of no consequence.

And of course, in holding China scoreless on 13 straight possessions at one point, and to just 27 points in the half, the U.S. defense wasn’t too shabby either.

Marc Gasol

Marc Gasol Sáez (born January 29, 1985 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish professional basketball player. He was drafted in the second round, 48th overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft. He stands 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) and is the younger brother of current Lakers center Pau Gasol.

Gasol played high school basketball for the Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee before returning to Spain to play in the ACB. He originally played with FC Barcelona Bàsquet before moving to CB Girona, where he played two seasons and was named 2008 ACB Most Valuable Player. Additionally, he was part of the Spanish team which won the FIBA World Championship in 2006.

On February 1, 2008, his draft rights were traded by the Lakers to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a package for his brother, Pau. The PBA team Alaska Aces had an interest on acquiring Gasol as an import to play for the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference. On June 23, 2008 he announced his intention to play in the NBA next season.