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MINNEAPOLIS -- For a guy who was drafted second overall just three years ago, Derrick Williams has enjoyed precious little security in his short time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ed Oliver Jersey . His name has been the subject of trade rumours almost from the moment he was drafted, and he has spent his first two seasons in the league trying to get on the same page with Wolves coach Rick Adelman while grasping the complexities of learning two positions. So when he finally gets a little something to hold on to, its no surprise that Williams is appreciative. Timberwolves president Flip Saunders informed Williams on Tuesday morning that the team will pick up his contract option for next season, guaranteeing the $6.3 million on the deal. "I think everybody knows that if they didnt pick up my option I would have been unrestricted (free agent) and, basically, could have done whatever," Williams said after practice. "So it helps, the security. Youre guaranteed at least one more year in the NBA, you know? And, as long as you have that, I think everything is good." The decision by the Timberwolves doesnt mean Williams wont continue to see his name in the trade rumour mill. Hes still adjusting to playing two positions -- small forward in addition to his more natural power forward -- and he admits he still has a lot to learn on both ends of the court. "Its tough. Especially when, ever since Ive been here, Ive heard trade rumours," Williams said. "Really since I was picked. So it seems like every other day there is something new." But hes also just 22 years old, and Saunders sees him as a young asset that deserves the chance to continue to develop. Williams is the second-leading scorer for the Wolves in the preseason and has a chance to be the teams starting small forward while Chase Budinger recovers from a knee injury. Adelman said he has been pleased with how hard Williams has been working, which appears to be progress for a coach who hasnt always been happy with the youngsters effort. "I think hes played very hard," Adelman said. "He rebounded the ball very well the other night (against Boston) and its a process for him. Its kind of a disadvantage when he has to play two spots because youre jumping back and forth. Right now thats what we have to do." Williams averaged 15.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and shot 34 per cent from 3-point range over the final 33 games of the season while filling in at power forward for the injured Kevin Love. But with Love back this season, Williams will have to be able to play small forward to get significant minutes. He feels more confident this year than he ever has, so much so that he thinks he should be starting on opening night against Orlando on Oct. 30. "I think I deserve to be," Williams said. "Thats why they drafted me here. They didnt draft me to come off the bench, things like that. Ultimately, its up to Coach. Im just here to play basketball." Matt Milano Womens Jersey . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal. Jim Kelly Bills Jersey . The struggling New Orleans Pelicans were simply overmatched. Crawford hit seven 3s on his way to 24 points, and the Clippers beat the Pelicans 123-110 on Monday night. "We understand what we do well. If we all do what we do well, well make our team stronger," Crawford said. http://www.authenticbillsfanaticfootball.com/authentic-doug-flutie-bills-jersey/ . The rookie is rewarding their faith with a stellar first season. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, and Colorado beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday.PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Winning ugly is nothing that Kansas coach Bill Self will complain about. In fact, theres times he finds it downright satisfying. Like Thursday, for instance, when Canadian Andrew Wiggins was slowed by the flu, when the second-ranked Jayhawks used reserves more than starters in the second half and when the hottest scorer on the court happened to be wearing a Wake Forest uniform. No problem -- Self was all smiles afterward, because above all else, a win always beats the alternative. Wiggins scored 12 of his 17 points in the final 5:53, and Kansas held off previously unbeaten Wake Forest 87-78 in the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. A pair of reserves, Frank Mason and Joel Embiid, combined for 23 more points for the Jayhawks (5-0), who will face Villanova in the semifinals on Friday night. "Ive always taken great pride in winning ugly," Self said. "I think its good to win ugly. Id rather win pretty, but theres nothing wrong with winning ugly. The thing about it thats frustrating to me, and I think these guys will probably agree, weve always been a team that won ugly by not allowing the other team to score." That wasnt the case Thursday, at least not in the final 20 minutes. Well, the last 20:01, really. Kansas was up by 16 when Codi Miller-McIntyre got a layup to fall for Wake Forest just before the first half ended. Before that shot, Miller-McIntyre had only four points. He finished with a career-best 26, and has scored at least 20 in five of Wake Forests six games this season. "Ive been coaching for a long time and hes one of the best Ive ever been around," Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "Great, great person. Youre seeing the fruits of his labour. ... Ive never seen a young man put the amount of time into his game as he has, both on the court, in the weight room and cerebral. He watches as much film as us as coaches." Miller-McIntyre was seated to Bzdeliks right as he raved about his effort. As his coach spoke, Miller-McIntyres facial expression barely changed. The Demon Deacons let a chance slip away, and Miller-McIntyre wasnt thrilled about that realization. "I hate the term moral victory," he said. The Demon Deacons (5-1) held Kansas to a season-low 47 per cent from the field, but loost forward Devin Thomas after he was ejected for two technical fouls with 7:28 remaining. Matt Milano Jersey. Bzdelik said he was not given an explanation. And when told that Kansas was getting four free throws, even Self scoffed. "I hated what happened with Thomas," Self said. Tyler Cavanaugh scored 11 points, while Madison Jones and Coron Williams each had 10 for Wake Forest. When Thomas got ejected, Kansas Conner Frankamp made three of the four free throws to put the Jayhawks up 64-52. And when Wiggins, who was largely silent offensively for the first 35 minutes, made a 3-pointer for a 68-57 lead, the overwhelmingly pro-KU crowd might have sensed that Wakes upset bid had run dry. The Demon Deacons had other ideas. Miller-McIntyre kept attacking, and his 3-pointer with just under 2 minutes left got Wake Forest to 77-72. Desperately needing a stop, Wake Forest wound up losing Arnaud Adala Moto to his fifth foul when he got in Wiggins way on a drive with 38 seconds left. Wiggins made the first free throw and missed the second, but the ball bounced out of bounds to Kansas. Naadir Tharpe hit a pair of foul shots to make it a three-possession game, and Kansas escaped. "Were happy we won," Self said. "I thought Wake Forest really outplayed us in the second half." A three-games-in-three-days tournament is a chance for teams to show off their depth. Kansas wasted no time in doing just that. The Jayhawks had eight players score in the first 10 minutes, running out to a quick 24-13 lead. A 17-2 run put Kansas in early control, with the Demon Deacons getting only one field goal in a stretch that lasted nearly 8 minutes. Kansas had seven players score in that burst, no one getting more than four points and Wiggins not even registering a field goal. Wake Forest weathered that storm, and the score was 27-20 with 5:25 left until the break. Thats when the Jayhawks hit the gas again, scoring 13 of the next 17 points before winding up with a 40-26 edge at halftime. Miller-McIntyre got a layup to fall just before the halftime buzzer, and then the Demon Deacons opened the second half on a 16-6 run. But the Jayhawks never lost the lead in the second half, even with reserves in there for long stretches. "Our bench was really good," Self said. ' ' '