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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories More snow likely en route to local passes Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 10 things to know for Monday Since You Asked: Crater Lake Avenue road sign confuses motorist Britt upgrades to be re-examined after state land-use ruling Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 Missing girl's family, friends, want more info from police Emergency Services Emergency Services Suspect in high-speed chase still unaccounted for Politics and Elections State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change GMO labeling votes recounted under careful watch in Jackson County Kent Bush: First Amendment doesn’t mean what you think it means Education Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Logos may offer students 'fifth year' at RCC or SOU St. Mary's plays host to youth robotics tournament Environment Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams State News Oregon missionary deported back to U.S. faces molestation charges Poverty rate in Oregon schools jumps since 2007 Northwest poultry producers fear bird flu outbreak may hurt exports John Day loggers, conservationists cut a deal to save a mill Seaside man accused in child's death Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Patricia Ann Burton Alan Leslie Kenmoen Sharon Kay Boldt David A. Schneider Dovie Mae Stout Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Barry, North heat up in win Reyes scores 28 to power Crater Panthers pull away Pistons rout Cavs, elicit boos from fans Matthews sharp from long range in Blazer win Varsity 541 College Sports Beavers' Andersen hires offensive coaches No. 10 Beavers fall to No. 8 Vols UCLA isn’t looking back after Kentucky shellacking No. 1 Kentucky holds off No. 4 Louisville Winston is in his 'sanctuary' at Rose Bowl Pro Sports Pistons rout Cavs, elicit boos from fans Matthews sharp from long range in Blazer win Harbaugh, 49ers agree to part ways Raptors halt Clippers' home streak NBA’s trading season has started early Community Sports Keeping Fit: Runners need to do more than run to stay in shape Business Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving LNG project: Where the gas would flow, so would the money Southern Oregon Surrogacy Center opens in Medford Silvio Calabi: GLA250 is a Merc for the masses Real Estate News Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate More sales, but no change in residential housing median price People In Business People in Business, Dec. 3 Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Southern Oregon wine industry had a robust 2013 Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: New Year's predictions Granlund cartoon: Russian economy Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Our View: Council is barking up the right tree Letters to the Editor, Dec. 28 Editorials Our View: Council is barking up the right tree Other Views: Roseburg VA director sets the right goals Our View: Thanks to four departing leaders Other Views: Yes, Virginia ... Our View: Small post offices no longer practical Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 28 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 26 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 25 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 24 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Guest Opinion: Suit threatens family farms and democratic vote Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Lifestyle Latest stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI It Is What It Is: For the new year, resolve not to resolve Jeff Vrabel: A bustling day at the funeral home Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving Get a Life: New year, new way of thinking Food Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Kitchen Call: The comfort of creamy soups Community blog: Baking contest finalists combine cookies, candies Community blog: 'Cookbook Book' digests genre's past 300 years Community blog: Liver pat� an easy nosh for Hanukkah and beyond Home and Garden Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Bathtub or shower: What’s best for you? Home Help: Home safety tips for a safe and happy winter season How NOT to install drywall Dear Monty: Siblings dispute inherited real estate Health Community blog: Why New Year�s Resolutions Don�t Work and What to Do Instead Community blog: I Get It. Took a While. Health Watch: Small diet changes can make a big difference Community blog: Removing Barriers Is Good Insurance Health Watch: Change up your treadmill workout Hiking Biking Faith (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Hundreds enjoy Christmas dinner, gifts at St. Vincent de Paul SinceYou Asked: SBA would work with Mt. Ashland Ski Area about loan Fans, friends and family welcome home victorious SOU team at airport Wedding: Boldt-Mahon Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory In the Pocket releases 'I Got News' Live Music in Local Clubs Theater ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Plumbing the depths of meaning TMTO presents 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical' Music Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory In the Pocket releases 'I Got News' Live Music in Local Clubs Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present 'The Holly and the Ivy' Community Events Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dance to the Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Dining Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Over Easy serves 'pop-up' brunch Sundays Ooblies Artisan Waffle Sandwiches Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW More snow likely en route to local passes ... Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 ... Our View: Council is barking up the right tree ... More snow likely en route to local passes ... Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 ... Our View: Council is barking up the right tree ... NBA Davis all work, and oh how he can play Comment By K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune MailTribune.com By K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune Posted Dec. 25, 2014 @ 4:46 pm By K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune Posted Dec. 25, 2014 @ 4:46 pm » Social News He can stuff a box score, as he does regularly but perhaps never as impressively as when he announced his ascendance with 26 points, 17 rebounds, nine blocks and three steals in the Pelicans’ season-opening victory over the Magic. He can make veterans question the veracity of his birth certificate, as in the oft-repeated incredulous inquiry of, “He’s only 21?” And he can make a mockery of the player efficiency rating, the detailed formula former ESPN-columnist-turned-Grizzlies-executive John Hollinger created. But as far as scintillating off-the-court stories about Anthony Davis, the Perspectives Charter School product who returns home Saturday to face the Bulls, gaudy averages in tow? Well, that’s where you may be out of luck. “He was all business,” said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who served as Davis’ assistant coach with USA Basketball this summer. “That’s what stood out the most. He’d get there early, work on his game, practice hard, get in the weight room. You can tell he’s hungry.” Said USA Basketball teammate Derrick Rose: “He’s very, very serious about his game. That’s mostly what we talked about.” Added former Bulls guard Kyle Korver, one of USA Basketball’s final cuts: “You see how good he is right now. And when you see him day-to-day from the inside and how he works, you also see how much better he’s going to be.” That concept is as daunting as Davis’ development, which featured the 6-foot-10 power forward, who doesn’t turn 22 until March 11, taking a player efficiency rating of 33.46 into Tuesday’s game against the Pacers. Though Hollinger didn’t create PER until the early 2000s, its backdated application lists Wilt Chamberlain’s 1962-63 season with the San Francisco Warriors of 31.82 as the single-season high. However, the NBA didn’t begin keeping blocked shots and steals as official statistics until 1973-74, the season after Chamberlain retired. Chamberlain often routinely blocked 10 shots per game. Hollinger designed the formula to measure players’ per-minute performances, adjusting for pace. It balances positive contributions, including blocks and steals, with negative ones such as turnovers, personal fouls and missed field goals. Some critics cite its emphasis on offensive statistics. Still, beyond Davis’ averages of 24.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks, his PER screams success. “He’s a monster,” said Warriors guard Klay Thompson, another USA Basketball teammate. “Man, the sky is the limit for that guy. Talent like his doesn’t come around a lot. Just to be so agile and athletic at his size is something really rare. It’s something only a few guys in the game have possessed. You’re talking about guys like Wilt Chamberlain and Kevin Durant, guys that are long and tall and that light on their feet.” Davis, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA draft after one season at Kentucky, has worked to make himself less light. His daily weightlifting regimen last summer added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame. “You don’t need somebody to tell you that either,” Thibodeau said. “You can see with your own two eyes how much muscle he has put on. That’s through his dedication. That’s why I think winning is important to him.” With Thibodeau in Chicago, and Pelicans coach Monty Williams a fellow USA Basketball assistant coach, he had heard plenty of stories about Davis. Most centered on his humble nature and work ethic. “Being around him, you see they’re all true — and even more than what you were told,” Thibodeau said. “His talent is just amazing. But the way he carries himself, he’s a great teammate, great worker, smart, can’t get enough. It’s amazing how good a player and person he is.” Korver drew comparisons to Rose in their quiet nature but strong desire to succeed. “Like Derrick, he has that humble, coachable personality,” Korver said. “That’s rare when you get someone with elite-level skills to have that kind of mentality. That’s what is going to make him great because he wants to work.” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo teamed with men’s national coach and Duke czar Mike Krzyzewski to pick Davis as Clippers’ star Blake Griffin’s injury replacement on the 2012 Olympic team. Just 19 and fresh out of his lone season at Kentucky, Davis only played 52 minutes on that gold-medal winning team as an understudy. In Spain, Davis started and averaged 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in just 19.7 minutes per game on 54 percent shooting as the U.S. won gold at the FIBA World Cup. Days later, Davis returned to New Orleans to get back to work. “He’s really down-to-earth, a great guy,” Thompson said. “He’s very low-key. It seems like he doesn’t seek the spotlight. It just came to him because he’s so talented.” The spotlight isn’t going away. Perhaps its glare one day will produce some off-the-court color. Actually, DeMar DeRozan finally burst the bubble that Davis is all work and no play. “We got stories for days,” his USA Basketball teammate said with a sly smile. “But that’s going to stay in Spain with us.” Pressed further, the Raptors’ All-Star guard wouldn’t budge. So the imagination will have to suffice. Maybe Davis got really nutty and only arrived for practice 10 minutes early one day? By K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune MailTribune.com By K.C. Johnson Chicago Tribune Posted Dec. 25, 2014 @ 4:46 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Week 17 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Dec. 28, 2014 at 10:00 am Last-Minute Outlook for Fantasy Flex Players Dec. 28, 2014 at 9:00 am Last-Minute Fantasy Advice for Week 17 Dec. 28, 2014 at 7:00 am Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 17 Dec. 27, 2014 at 12:00 pm Final NFL Week 17 Odds Projections and Fantasy Stars to Watch Dec. 27, 2014 at 10:00 am Fantasy Football Daily League Guide to Week 17 Dec. 27, 2014 at 8:06 am calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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