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LUCAS AT LARGE M I K E LUCA S • UWB A DGERS.C OM Stiemsma continues to be NBA survivor C all it gallows humor. Saying that he would be keeping an eye on the NBA draft, Greg Stiemsma added, "I always joke with people, 'As long as they go small, I'm happy.''' This was before the 2013 draft, and he was saying, "You kind of look at the draft as all of these young guys are going to come in and try to take your job.'' This was before he attended a draft party of season ticketholders and was saying, "We'll make some changes, whether through the draft or trades, and I'm just hoping to be part of it.'' This was when the 6-foot-11, 280-pound Stiemsma, the former Wisconsin center and Randolph native, was still a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They didn't make him happy. They didn't go small. Instead, the Timberwolves exchanged draft selections with the Utah Jazz and wound up acquiring Louisville center Gorgui Dieng. Ten days later, they waived Stiemsma. It probably didn't help his cause that Minnesota has a new general manager in Flip Saunders, who has no allegiance to any holdover, especially the more expendable ones on the roster. By now, though, Stiemsma should be used to the vagaries of the business. "You have to stay the course,'' he said before the draft. "There's go- 6 » VARSITY JULY 11, 2013 ing to be some ups and downs but you have to have the belief ― deep down ― that you're meant to do something special. "The road is not always easy,'' continued Stiemsma, who didn't make it to the NBA until he was 26. "It might be a little longer road than you expect, but you just have to stay the course.'' On Wednesday, the New Orleans Pelicans signed Stiemsma to a oneyear contract worth $2.7 million. How could you not be happy for him? In so many respects, Stiemsma is a survivor. He won't go away without a fight. The Pelicans are among the worst teams defensively in the league. He can definitely upgrade that end of the floor. Last season, Stiemsma saw action in 76 games, including 19 starts. He averaged four points and three rebounds. On March 22, he had 14 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs, against Phoenix. On April 17, the final game of the regular season ― and what would be his final game with the Wolves ― he had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals in Minnesota's win over the San Antonio Spurs. That bodes well. "Obviously, I can't get away from the things that got me here,'' he said. "At the same time, you want to elevate your game. At this level, you just have to go out and make plays.'' It was obviously a brutal year for the last-place Timberwolves, who had a 31-51 record. "It was tough at times,'' he conceded. "But we had a good group of guys to play with and we didn't cash it in.'' Stiemsma has been released three times by NBA teams, including twice by Minnesota. He has honed his game in Turkey and South Korea and for the Sioux Falls Sky Force of the D-League. His first breakthrough came in 2012, when he played in 56 games for the Boston Celtics. He grew up watching Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and now they were his teammates. "To be in the same locker room with those guys was unbelievable,'' he said. "I tried to soak up as much of that experience as I could. KG was a wealth of knowledge and always willing to teach.'' Stiemsma has had many people in his corner, including a former UW teammate, Tanner Bronson, a coach in Sioux Falls. "He told me there's no reason why I can't play at this level,'' he recalled. Whenever he's down on his luck, he remembers a pep talk from brother-in-law. Recounted Stiemsma, "He told me, 'Suck it up. Do you want to trade places with me? You can go and do my job every day and I'll play basketball for a living. Live your dream.''' And stay the course.