Attila Toth

University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson on Jamal Shead signing a new three-year $24 million extension with the Toronto Raptors a year early, just two seasons into his NBA career: "I told Toronto before the draft, I told all those guys, 'Look you can sit there and figure out what's wrong with every player.' That's what most cynical people do. Always figure out what's wrong, that's how they see things. "But if you want to win and have a player that's dependable you can count on. . . Sometimes a player's greatest strength can be dependability. And that's what Jamal is. His attributes talent wise is No. 1 his strength. I mean, he is strong. His thighs and his butt. That's a powerful little dude. But his leadership, his basketball IQ, his fearlessness, his competitiveness. I hear a lot of people say he's not quite big enough. "My response is always the same. You're always big enough if you're good enough. And Jamal is."