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Dog Eat Dog
October 20, 2000

OK, I saw the socks poll results and it looks like "High Socks" won big. My vote, however, is 100% down! As I said last year, I have am superstitious and when things are going well I am not going to change. Hopefully, I'll go thorough the entire season with them down but if I do change, you now know why.

Cindy wrote in and asked about my relationship with Avery. AJ and I have a great relationship. I have a lot of respect for him as both a player and a man. The NBA is an egotistical dog eat dog world. For him to take me under his wing and mentor me has meant a lot. He has taught me about basketball and about life and I am truly appreciative.

Dave asked me about stepping into the starting role. It is not something that you can just step in to. Even now, while AJ has been out, it has been difficult. Playing the point is something that you have to learn over time. It's a gradual process and I want to be sure I am ready when the opportunity presents itself.

Chris wanted to know who the vocal leaders on the team are this season. AJ and Sean are vocal leaders while Dave and Tim are quiet leaders. We have different leaders for different situations. The good news is there are a lot of guys who can fill those roles.

Todd was wondering about my off-season training program. During the off-season I run, lift and play. Really it is very similar to the regular season but without the games. I continue to practice and continue to workout very hard. I try to make myself a better player and that is a year round job.

Many of you have asked about some of the players that I haven't mentioned yet. Let me catch you up! Samaki has had a great camp. He came in great shape and is playing hard. Another guy that is having an excellent camp is Malik. He has worked hard on his game over the summer. The only problem with that is that they both play the same position. Having these two big games ready to go really strengthens our team.

Jeremy asked me about Derrick Dial. He is playing well. Derrick has a lot of intensity and the coaches look for that. He is very active and should contribute a lot.

This Friday, Derek Anderson is going to be here to answer your questions. Learn more about DA at: http://www.nba.com/playerfile/derek_anderson.html and then send your questions to me at Antonio@antoniodaniels.com. The season is almost here! Be sure to tell your friends to check out http://www.antoniodaniels.com.

--AD

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