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Summarized by Kent Larsen
Madsen Gives Fans Favorable First Impression
Orange co CA Register 17Jul00 S2
By Pauline Vu: Orange County Register
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- Over the past few weeks, Laker's fans have
had their first look at the team's first round draft pick, LDS Church
member Mark Madsen and more than a few have come away favorably
impressed. Madsen has been playing for the Lakers in the Sothern
California Summer Pro League, along with fellow Lakers rookie Cory
Hightower.
"Mark Madsen was my favorite player in college," says Lakers fan
Maxwell Trueblood of Los Angeles. "He's a good guy, a good influence
on the rest of the players. He's Mormon, religious, God-fearing - he
thinks he'll be a hypocrite if he acts like an idiot. Plus, he got a
Stanford education. He's smart."
Both Madsen and Hightower are trying to master the Laker's complex
triangle offense, something the veterans say takes a while."Right now
they're just not playing their best. They're thinking out there, not
just reacting," said guard/forward Devean George. "I think once they
learn the offense it'll be OK. It'll take awhile ... about the middle
of the season to actually feel comfortable. Maybe the beginning."
Madsen agrees, "The more repetition I get running the triangle
offense the more I'll be able to contribute." And summer-league
assistant coach Tex Winter says both players are making progress,
"For the short time we've had them in the summer pro league, they've
done an outstanding job," Winter said. "We're very proud of both of
them. I think both of them are certainly capable of helping us."
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