NBA BOSTON—Another year, another tough injury for Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who has been out since Jan. 25 with a broken right ankle. Bogut has played just 12 games this season, the fourth straight year he has missed at least 13 games—and, at this point, that litany of injuries is enough to put into doubt Bogut’s ability to play for Australia in this summer’s Olympics in London.
Coach Scott Skiles was asked Wednesday about Bogut’s status for this year’s Games. Australia has already qualified for the Olympics and, with Bogut and point guard Patty Mills, was hoping for a strong showing. Skiles did not sound sure about whether Bogut should play, especially coming off a foot injury, which can be particularly tough for big men.
“I think it is very difficult,” Skiles said before the Bucks' game against the Celtics here at TD Garden. “There’s a lot of issues when it comes to that. It’s very difficult to ask someone not to play for their country. I understand that. The other issue is, players take a lot of money to play for their teams, so, it’s a gray area. Andrew is obviously a huge part of our team, he is also a huge part of that team. Those are difficult questions, I don’t have an easy answer for that.”
Skiles did say that Bogut’s rehab is on track, and there is a chance he could play again this season. He stopped short of saying Bogut is ahead of schedule, though. “I would not go that far,” Skiles said. “He had a scan done recently and it showed he was where they thought he should be. So there was no setback. He is going to have another one in three or four weeks. Hopefully that one will show that he is healing up nicely. He won’t be cleared at that point, I don’t think. So you know, we’re at March 1 and we have one more month, we’ll have to see where we are and where he is and how long it’ll take him to get back.”
Skiles has been Bogut’s coach for four years, and has seen him suffer some difficult injuries. At the end of the 2010 season, Bogut got tangled with Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire and hit the floor out of position, dislocating his elbow, an injury that kept him out of the playoffs and hindered him for the following season. Then came this year’s foot injury, when he came down awkwardly while going for a rebound.
“You feel for him,” Skiles said. “He got a breakaway layup, went up to dunk the ball and Amare inadvertently got under him and he had a terrible injury that affected almost all of last year. He was playing very well in the Houston game, and he just kind of made a second effort on the ball and broke his foot. It would be frustrating if it is was something where a guy is in poor condition and blows a hamstring. Things like that. But that’s not who he is, it’s just out of everybody’s control.”
2.29.2012
Dwight Howard reportedly won’t sign extension with Lakers, but L.A. fans shouldn’t sweat it
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this, but Lakers play-by-play voice John Ireland, in a report cited by Pro Basketball Talk, said that Dwight Howard’s agent, Dan Fegan, has told the organization that Howard will not sign a contract extension if he’s traded to L.A.
The reasons for Howard’s unwillingness to enter a new deal with the Lakers, however, are financial and should not be of particular concern to Lakers fans. Howard would not sign an extension upon being traded even he’s moved to the Mavericks or Nets, PBT notes.
Warriors making a play? Ellis reportedly would be part of deal for Howard
“An extension is a problem,” ESPN salary cap guru Larry Coon wrote in an email to the site. “An extend-and-trade only allows three years (including the current years on his contract) and 4.5 % raises, and any extension that occurs within six months of a trade is treated like an extend-and-trade. If he was traded to the Lakers and subsequently extended, he could add on only one new year, with a 4.5% raise. If he was traded on, say, March 15, he could lock-in the additional year (on his existing deal), then sign an extension after September 15 that allowed for three new years and 7.5% raises.”
So, while it’s risky for the Lakers to part with key assets in exchange for Howard, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not worth it. As the Clippers did with Chris Paul, the Lakers could ask Howard to take his $19.5 million player option for next season and then try to convince him to stay.
Also, if they acquired Howard via trade, the Lakers would own his “Larry Bird” rights, meaning they could offer him a five-year max deal, instead of the four-year deal other teams could offer—and for $30 million more in total dollars.
The reasons for Howard’s unwillingness to enter a new deal with the Lakers, however, are financial and should not be of particular concern to Lakers fans. Howard would not sign an extension upon being traded even he’s moved to the Mavericks or Nets, PBT notes.
Warriors making a play? Ellis reportedly would be part of deal for Howard
“An extension is a problem,” ESPN salary cap guru Larry Coon wrote in an email to the site. “An extend-and-trade only allows three years (including the current years on his contract) and 4.5 % raises, and any extension that occurs within six months of a trade is treated like an extend-and-trade. If he was traded to the Lakers and subsequently extended, he could add on only one new year, with a 4.5% raise. If he was traded on, say, March 15, he could lock-in the additional year (on his existing deal), then sign an extension after September 15 that allowed for three new years and 7.5% raises.”
So, while it’s risky for the Lakers to part with key assets in exchange for Howard, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not worth it. As the Clippers did with Chris Paul, the Lakers could ask Howard to take his $19.5 million player option for next season and then try to convince him to stay.
Also, if they acquired Howard via trade, the Lakers would own his “Larry Bird” rights, meaning they could offer him a five-year max deal, instead of the four-year deal other teams could offer—and for $30 million more in total dollars.
Lakers’ Kobe Bryant concussion symptom-free, may play against Timberwolves
Kobe Bryant, who suffered a concussion after being fouled hard by Dwyane Wade in Sunday’s All-Star Game, has been symptom-free since Tuesday and could play Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The NBA’s policy mandates that after sustaining a concussion, a player must be symptom-free for 24 hours before playing. Bryant continues to undergo tests and must remain free of symptoms for the rest of the day in order to suit up tonight.
The foul by Wade also broke Bryant’s nose, and the Lakers said it is up to Bryant whether or not to wear a protective mask when he plays.
Minnesota power forward Kevin Love, meanwhile, expects to play tonight after suffering a rib contusion in the third quarter Tuesday night against the Clippers and not returning to the game.
The NBA’s policy mandates that after sustaining a concussion, a player must be symptom-free for 24 hours before playing. Bryant continues to undergo tests and must remain free of symptoms for the rest of the day in order to suit up tonight.
The foul by Wade also broke Bryant’s nose, and the Lakers said it is up to Bryant whether or not to wear a protective mask when he plays.
Minnesota power forward Kevin Love, meanwhile, expects to play tonight after suffering a rib contusion in the third quarter Tuesday night against the Clippers and not returning to the game.
NBA Draft: Thomas Robinson playing himself toward top of lottery
With college basketball about to heat up in March, here’s a look at who’s been helping their NBA draft prospects, and who’s falling down teams' boards.
Stock check—who’s up?
John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
Jenkins came into the year with a reputation as one of the best shooters in the SEC, with a 40.8 3-point percentage as a sophomore. He has only gotten better as a junior, shooting 46.7 percent on 3s, and has been especially good lately. He was the key to Vanderbilt’s upset of Florida this week, with 22 points and 6-for-9 shooting from the arc, and over his last seven games, he is averaging 21.4 points and shooting 57.7 percent on 3s. Jenkins is only 6-4 and is strictly a shooter—no one is under the delusion that he can be a combo guard—but he is a good enough shooter to be a top 20 pick.
Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas
Robinson has established himself as one of the top big-man prospects in this year’s draft, with impressive numbers—17.8 points and 11.8 rebounds. But one thing scouts really like about him is the way he elevates his game when his team needs him. In eight games against ranked teams this year, including Saturday’s overtime win against Missouri in which Robinson posted 28 points and 12 boards, he is averaging 19.8 points and 12.3 rebounds.
Stock check—who’s down?
Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor
All indications are that Miller will return to Baylor for his sophomore year, and barring a rip-roaring performance in the upcoming tournaments, that’s probably a good idea. Miller has lottery potential, but he has been inconsistent this year, and playing with another talented small forward—Perry Jones—has hindered Miller, draft-wise. If he comes back next year, he will have an opportunity to play with friend and AAU teammate Deuce Bello, who has gotten limited minutes as a freshman.
Scout’s spot
Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
More and more scouts are making the trek to Ogden, Utah, for a look at Lillard, the nation’s second leading scorer at 24.5 points per game. Lillard broke his foot last year and took a redshirt, but he came back stronger, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from the 3-point line.
“He could wind up in the lottery,” one scout told Sporting News. “He is that good with the ball. It is hard to gauge his ability to be a point guard because that team asks him to do so much offensively and he does not have the weapons around him. But he attacks the rim, he gets to the line, he finishes in the paint, he does not make a lot of mistakes—he is a little like Chauncey Billups that way. He is a smart player, and as long as there is a team that thinks he can make the jump from a small conference to an NBA point guard, he will be a high pick.”
Pro’s view
Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina
Former North Carolina guard Kenny Smith—now an analyst with TNT—doesn’t think that Marshall, a sophomore point guard, will come out in this year’s draft. But many scouts disagree. Marshall is not a scoring point guard in the vein of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, but he is an elite passer who would fit nicely with a team that has scorers at other spots.
“He has the unique ability to find people,” Smith said. “What helps him is he is 6-4. He can guard multiple positions, he can guard the shooting guard and play the points. He has multiple skill sets. He is only going to become a better shooter as he plays more basketball.
“Playmaking—that is the word. If it is scoring, if it is passing, if you can dominate the game by playmaking—scoring or passing---you are an NBA prospect. He can do those things.”
Stock check—who’s up?
John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
Jenkins came into the year with a reputation as one of the best shooters in the SEC, with a 40.8 3-point percentage as a sophomore. He has only gotten better as a junior, shooting 46.7 percent on 3s, and has been especially good lately. He was the key to Vanderbilt’s upset of Florida this week, with 22 points and 6-for-9 shooting from the arc, and over his last seven games, he is averaging 21.4 points and shooting 57.7 percent on 3s. Jenkins is only 6-4 and is strictly a shooter—no one is under the delusion that he can be a combo guard—but he is a good enough shooter to be a top 20 pick.
Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas
Robinson has established himself as one of the top big-man prospects in this year’s draft, with impressive numbers—17.8 points and 11.8 rebounds. But one thing scouts really like about him is the way he elevates his game when his team needs him. In eight games against ranked teams this year, including Saturday’s overtime win against Missouri in which Robinson posted 28 points and 12 boards, he is averaging 19.8 points and 12.3 rebounds.
Stock check—who’s down?
Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor
All indications are that Miller will return to Baylor for his sophomore year, and barring a rip-roaring performance in the upcoming tournaments, that’s probably a good idea. Miller has lottery potential, but he has been inconsistent this year, and playing with another talented small forward—Perry Jones—has hindered Miller, draft-wise. If he comes back next year, he will have an opportunity to play with friend and AAU teammate Deuce Bello, who has gotten limited minutes as a freshman.
Scout’s spot
Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
More and more scouts are making the trek to Ogden, Utah, for a look at Lillard, the nation’s second leading scorer at 24.5 points per game. Lillard broke his foot last year and took a redshirt, but he came back stronger, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from the 3-point line.
“He could wind up in the lottery,” one scout told Sporting News. “He is that good with the ball. It is hard to gauge his ability to be a point guard because that team asks him to do so much offensively and he does not have the weapons around him. But he attacks the rim, he gets to the line, he finishes in the paint, he does not make a lot of mistakes—he is a little like Chauncey Billups that way. He is a smart player, and as long as there is a team that thinks he can make the jump from a small conference to an NBA point guard, he will be a high pick.”
Pro’s view
Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina
Former North Carolina guard Kenny Smith—now an analyst with TNT—doesn’t think that Marshall, a sophomore point guard, will come out in this year’s draft. But many scouts disagree. Marshall is not a scoring point guard in the vein of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, but he is an elite passer who would fit nicely with a team that has scorers at other spots.
“He has the unique ability to find people,” Smith said. “What helps him is he is 6-4. He can guard multiple positions, he can guard the shooting guard and play the points. He has multiple skill sets. He is only going to become a better shooter as he plays more basketball.
“Playmaking—that is the word. If it is scoring, if it is passing, if you can dominate the game by playmaking—scoring or passing---you are an NBA prospect. He can do those things.”
NBA mock draft: Is Anthony Davis destined for Charlotte?
We’re heading into March, a critical phase for NBA scouts and general managers evaluating draft prospects. Here’s how the June 28 NBA Draft may shake out. All but Tyler Zeller are underclassmen who have yet to officially decide whether to enter the draft.
1. Charlotte Bobcats. Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky. Hard to imagine this changing much. No matter which team gets this pick, Davis is the overwhelming favorite.
2. Washington Wizards. Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina. The Wizards need to start putting quality pieces around point guard John Wall, and Barnes is a mature, polished wing man who can shoot the 3. The Wizards did use the No. 6 pick on Jan Vesely last year, but Barnes would be tough to pass up.
3. New Orleans Hornets. Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas. The Hornets are looking for a star-quality point guard to replace Chris Paul, but they won’t get him at this point in the draft. They are starting undersize Carl Landry at power forward, and Robinson would be a long-term upgrade.
— MORE: Kansas' Robinson leads pack of lottery risers
4. Toronto Raptors. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky. The Raptors have collected some good young talent, but they’d like to continue to toughen up defensively (as well as get James Johnson out of the starting role), and MKG fits with that mission.
5. New Jersey Nets. Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut. Who knows what will happen with the Nets between now and the draft, but if Drummond is still on the board, and the Nets have not acquired Dwight Howard are still picking here, he will be a no-brainer. Brook Lopez can play power forward.
6. Detroit Pistons. Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State. If the Pistons keep winning, they’re going to find themselves out of range for the elite players in this draft. But they’d gladly scoop up a power forward of Sullinger’s caliber.
7. Sacramento Kings. Perry Jones, SF, Baylor. The Kings are in desperate need of a point guard, and given the lack of that position in this draft, there’s a chance they could make a deal with this pick. Jones is risky, but he fills a need.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers. Bradley Beal, SG, Florida. Scouts love Beal’s shooting form, even as he has struggled as the season has gone on. The Cavs would like to add a perimeter threat to spread the floor for Kyrie Irving, and Beal fits that bill.
9. Phoenix Suns. Austin Rivers, SG, Duke. The Suns figure to begin rebuilding in earnest next year, and a tough perimeter threat to go with center Marcin Gortat would be a good start.
10. Milwaukee Bucks. Jeremy Lamb, SG/SF, Connecticut. The Bucks have tried for three years to find a wing threat to take pressure off point guard Brandon Jennings—John Salmons, Corey Maggette, Stephen Jackson. This draft could provide the solution.
11. Utah Jazz (1). Terence Ross, SG, Washington. The Jazz are stacked in the frontcourt, but they need to remake their backcourt. This draft will provide that chance, and Ross, at 6-7, could finally be the shooting guard the team has struggled to find.
12. Utah Jazz. Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina. This spot might be a stretch for Marshall, but considering the lack of point guards and Marshall’s playmaking ability, this would be a good fit.
13. Denver Nuggets. Tyler Zeller, PF/C, North Carolina. If the Nuggets wind up in the lottery, they will most likely look for a polished player who can help immediately, especially in the frontcourt. Zeller can do that.
14. New Orleans Hornets (2). Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State. This might seem to be a stretch for Lillard, but he is the nation’s second leading scorer, and the Hornets are eager to get a young point guard.
(1) From Golden State, if the Warriors’ pick is outside the top seven.
(2) From Minnesota.
1. Charlotte Bobcats. Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky. Hard to imagine this changing much. No matter which team gets this pick, Davis is the overwhelming favorite.
2. Washington Wizards. Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina. The Wizards need to start putting quality pieces around point guard John Wall, and Barnes is a mature, polished wing man who can shoot the 3. The Wizards did use the No. 6 pick on Jan Vesely last year, but Barnes would be tough to pass up.
3. New Orleans Hornets. Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas. The Hornets are looking for a star-quality point guard to replace Chris Paul, but they won’t get him at this point in the draft. They are starting undersize Carl Landry at power forward, and Robinson would be a long-term upgrade.
— MORE: Kansas' Robinson leads pack of lottery risers
4. Toronto Raptors. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky. The Raptors have collected some good young talent, but they’d like to continue to toughen up defensively (as well as get James Johnson out of the starting role), and MKG fits with that mission.
5. New Jersey Nets. Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut. Who knows what will happen with the Nets between now and the draft, but if Drummond is still on the board, and the Nets have not acquired Dwight Howard are still picking here, he will be a no-brainer. Brook Lopez can play power forward.
6. Detroit Pistons. Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State. If the Pistons keep winning, they’re going to find themselves out of range for the elite players in this draft. But they’d gladly scoop up a power forward of Sullinger’s caliber.
7. Sacramento Kings. Perry Jones, SF, Baylor. The Kings are in desperate need of a point guard, and given the lack of that position in this draft, there’s a chance they could make a deal with this pick. Jones is risky, but he fills a need.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers. Bradley Beal, SG, Florida. Scouts love Beal’s shooting form, even as he has struggled as the season has gone on. The Cavs would like to add a perimeter threat to spread the floor for Kyrie Irving, and Beal fits that bill.
9. Phoenix Suns. Austin Rivers, SG, Duke. The Suns figure to begin rebuilding in earnest next year, and a tough perimeter threat to go with center Marcin Gortat would be a good start.
10. Milwaukee Bucks. Jeremy Lamb, SG/SF, Connecticut. The Bucks have tried for three years to find a wing threat to take pressure off point guard Brandon Jennings—John Salmons, Corey Maggette, Stephen Jackson. This draft could provide the solution.
11. Utah Jazz (1). Terence Ross, SG, Washington. The Jazz are stacked in the frontcourt, but they need to remake their backcourt. This draft will provide that chance, and Ross, at 6-7, could finally be the shooting guard the team has struggled to find.
12. Utah Jazz. Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina. This spot might be a stretch for Marshall, but considering the lack of point guards and Marshall’s playmaking ability, this would be a good fit.
13. Denver Nuggets. Tyler Zeller, PF/C, North Carolina. If the Nuggets wind up in the lottery, they will most likely look for a polished player who can help immediately, especially in the frontcourt. Zeller can do that.
14. New Orleans Hornets (2). Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State. This might seem to be a stretch for Lillard, but he is the nation’s second leading scorer, and the Hornets are eager to get a young point guard.
(1) From Golden State, if the Warriors’ pick is outside the top seven.
(2) From Minnesota.
Second division NASL announces ambitious expansion plans
While MLS, now at 19 clubs, is taking a cautious, measured approach to expansion, the second-tier North American Soccer League is looking to grow quickly. Launched last year after splitting off from the USL (now pro soccer’s third tier), the NASL will field eight teams this season and is looking to add several more over the next couple of years.
In a Tuesday statement, the league announced that its board of governors “unanimously approved the parameters for the upcoming wave of expansion teams to join the league for play in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.” The NASL said it is in “active discussions with prospective owners in over 20 markets.”
The league replaced the Montreal Impact, now in MLS, with the expansion San Antonio Scorpions and already has committed to adding a team in Ottawa in either ’13 or ’14, depending on when refurbishment of the city’s Canadian Football League stadium is completed.
On Wednesday, the Scorpions broke ground on the club’s 6,100-seat soccer-specific stadium that is scheduled to open next year.
In 2012 the NASL will be comprised of San Antonio, the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina Railhawks, FC Edmonton, Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Puerto Rico Islanders and the reigning champion Minnesota Stars. The season kicks off on April 7.
In order to maintain its U.S. Soccer Federation sanctioning as a second-division league, the NASL will have to have at least 10 teams in ’13 and 12 teams in ’16, with 75 percent of the clubs based inside the U.S.
The NASL also announced a two-year extension for commissioner David Downs through the ’13 season. Downs, a former TV executive, directed the failed U.S. bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
In a Tuesday statement, the league announced that its board of governors “unanimously approved the parameters for the upcoming wave of expansion teams to join the league for play in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.” The NASL said it is in “active discussions with prospective owners in over 20 markets.”
The league replaced the Montreal Impact, now in MLS, with the expansion San Antonio Scorpions and already has committed to adding a team in Ottawa in either ’13 or ’14, depending on when refurbishment of the city’s Canadian Football League stadium is completed.
On Wednesday, the Scorpions broke ground on the club’s 6,100-seat soccer-specific stadium that is scheduled to open next year.
In 2012 the NASL will be comprised of San Antonio, the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina Railhawks, FC Edmonton, Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Puerto Rico Islanders and the reigning champion Minnesota Stars. The season kicks off on April 7.
In order to maintain its U.S. Soccer Federation sanctioning as a second-division league, the NASL will have to have at least 10 teams in ’13 and 12 teams in ’16, with 75 percent of the clubs based inside the U.S.
The NASL also announced a two-year extension for commissioner David Downs through the ’13 season. Downs, a former TV executive, directed the failed U.S. bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
Warriors contemplate rolling the dice for Dwight Howard
The Warriors are still willing to trade for Dwight Howard even without assurances—or any real likelihood—that the current Orlando Magic center would sign a long-term deal to remain in Golden State beyond the season, multiple outlets are reporting.
The Warriors are willing to part with some of their best players—certainly including Monta Ellis—in order to acquire Howard and take the chance that they can convince him to sign a long-term contract. Howard’s list of teams with which he’s willing to sign a new contract are understood to be limited to the Lakers, Nets and Mavericks.
Rookie Klay Thompson and power forward David Lee could also be shipped to Orlando in exchange for Howard, and the Warriors would have to be willing to take on Hedo Turkoglu and the two years, $23 million left on his contract.
Report: Cap rules likely would discourage Howard from signing extension with Lakers
Several things would have to align for such a deal to happen, the San Jose Mercury News writes, including that Orlando “would have to focus on Ellis, (Ekpe) Udoh and maybe Lee, and also agree to keep (Stephen) Curry and possibly even Klay Thompson OUT of the package.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reports, “Warriors sources said there is little to the buzz about dealing Ellis for New Jersey center Brook Lopez. They're still convincing themselves that they're in the running for Orlando center Dwight Howard, who has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't want to play in the Bay Area.”
Said Warriors coach Mark Jackson, "That's for the front office. We have dialogue every day, but my focus is on getting better every possession, every quarter, every game. We talk about how we can get better and how we can accomplish our goals, which are to get to the playoffs and have a legitimate chance to win it all."
The Warriors are willing to part with some of their best players—certainly including Monta Ellis—in order to acquire Howard and take the chance that they can convince him to sign a long-term contract. Howard’s list of teams with which he’s willing to sign a new contract are understood to be limited to the Lakers, Nets and Mavericks.
Rookie Klay Thompson and power forward David Lee could also be shipped to Orlando in exchange for Howard, and the Warriors would have to be willing to take on Hedo Turkoglu and the two years, $23 million left on his contract.
Report: Cap rules likely would discourage Howard from signing extension with Lakers
Several things would have to align for such a deal to happen, the San Jose Mercury News writes, including that Orlando “would have to focus on Ellis, (Ekpe) Udoh and maybe Lee, and also agree to keep (Stephen) Curry and possibly even Klay Thompson OUT of the package.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reports, “Warriors sources said there is little to the buzz about dealing Ellis for New Jersey center Brook Lopez. They're still convincing themselves that they're in the running for Orlando center Dwight Howard, who has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't want to play in the Bay Area.”
Said Warriors coach Mark Jackson, "That's for the front office. We have dialogue every day, but my focus is on getting better every possession, every quarter, every game. We talk about how we can get better and how we can accomplish our goals, which are to get to the playoffs and have a legitimate chance to win it all."
2.28.2012
D.J. Kennedy leads Erie BayHawks against Fort Wayne Mad Ants in D-League action
It’s been almost a year since D.J. Kennedy’s knee fell apart.
On March 10 of last year, Kennedy, a guard for NCAA Tournament-bound St. John’s, fell to the floor in the Red Storm’s loss to Syracuse. He’d torn his ACL. His season, done. His recovery, six to eight months, if you’re being optimistic. His career, on hold.
Now, skip the intervening period and flash forward to today. Three months into his first season in the NBA Development League, Kennedy’s turned into one of the league’s premier NBA prospects, turning out 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game over his last eight contests for the Erie BayHawks, the New York Knicks’ NBA D-League affiliate. And on Tuesday night, when Kennedy, Keith McLeod and the BayHawks host Darnell Lazare, Ron Howard and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (7 pm ET), you can watch it live on SportingNews.com.
Kennedy’s season opened in early December. And while he’s increased his production over the season, he came to the NBA D-League prepared to contribute. With his rehab firmly in the past and his knee back in order, he averaged 33 minutes and 12.4 points through his first month of the season. He came into the D-League Showcase in early January as a potential call-up for later in the season, after he’d gotten back to 100 percent.
He left January as one of the league’s best bets for a triple-double on any night he takes the court. His minutes are up – he’s played 40 or more minutes in four of his last eight—and so are his numbers. Most importantly for NBA teams, he’s defending, too. He’s averaged 2.2 steals per game over his last six, and helped hold Dakota Wizards star Edwin Ubiles to 14 points (on 4-of-14 shooting) in the BayHawks’ win over Dakota on Feb. 18.
On Tuesday, the 6-6 swingman should draw Lazare, who spent time with the Pistons in training camp and just competed in the NBA D-League All-Star Game over the weekend (where he scored 13 points with six rebounds). Lazare’s bigger (6-8, 240) than Kennedy, so the matchup should give scouts a chance to see how Kennedy matches up against a player built like an NBA power forward and, on the other side, how Lazare can keep up with a forward with a guard’s quickness.
Running the show for Erie will be Keith McLeod, who joined Lazare on the Eastern Conference team in the All-Star Game. McLeod, who played 200 games in the NBA between 2003 and 2007, came to Erie in late January after opening the season with Canton. Seeing the need for an experienced, quality point guard to run their (and Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni’s) system, Erie management shipped away Devin Green in favor of the veteran McLeod.
McLeod and Kennedy will both have to pick up a little bit of the scoring load going forward, too, as the BayHawks just cut third-leading scorer Tirrel Baines due to injury.
On March 10 of last year, Kennedy, a guard for NCAA Tournament-bound St. John’s, fell to the floor in the Red Storm’s loss to Syracuse. He’d torn his ACL. His season, done. His recovery, six to eight months, if you’re being optimistic. His career, on hold.
Now, skip the intervening period and flash forward to today. Three months into his first season in the NBA Development League, Kennedy’s turned into one of the league’s premier NBA prospects, turning out 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game over his last eight contests for the Erie BayHawks, the New York Knicks’ NBA D-League affiliate. And on Tuesday night, when Kennedy, Keith McLeod and the BayHawks host Darnell Lazare, Ron Howard and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (7 pm ET), you can watch it live on SportingNews.com.
Kennedy’s season opened in early December. And while he’s increased his production over the season, he came to the NBA D-League prepared to contribute. With his rehab firmly in the past and his knee back in order, he averaged 33 minutes and 12.4 points through his first month of the season. He came into the D-League Showcase in early January as a potential call-up for later in the season, after he’d gotten back to 100 percent.
He left January as one of the league’s best bets for a triple-double on any night he takes the court. His minutes are up – he’s played 40 or more minutes in four of his last eight—and so are his numbers. Most importantly for NBA teams, he’s defending, too. He’s averaged 2.2 steals per game over his last six, and helped hold Dakota Wizards star Edwin Ubiles to 14 points (on 4-of-14 shooting) in the BayHawks’ win over Dakota on Feb. 18.
On Tuesday, the 6-6 swingman should draw Lazare, who spent time with the Pistons in training camp and just competed in the NBA D-League All-Star Game over the weekend (where he scored 13 points with six rebounds). Lazare’s bigger (6-8, 240) than Kennedy, so the matchup should give scouts a chance to see how Kennedy matches up against a player built like an NBA power forward and, on the other side, how Lazare can keep up with a forward with a guard’s quickness.
Running the show for Erie will be Keith McLeod, who joined Lazare on the Eastern Conference team in the All-Star Game. McLeod, who played 200 games in the NBA between 2003 and 2007, came to Erie in late January after opening the season with Canton. Seeing the need for an experienced, quality point guard to run their (and Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni’s) system, Erie management shipped away Devin Green in favor of the veteran McLeod.
McLeod and Kennedy will both have to pick up a little bit of the scoring load going forward, too, as the BayHawks just cut third-leading scorer Tirrel Baines due to injury.
Nets coach sees Mark Cuban as ‘threat’ to steal away Deron Williams
Deron Williams has been laying strong hints that he’s interested in playing for the Dallas Mavericks, and New Jersey Nets coach Avery Johnson admitted that Mavs owner Mark Cuban is a “threat” to sign the star point guard as a free agent this offseason.
Williams, who is from the Dallas area, said, “Fans are great (at the Dallas arena). It’s always good when arenas have a lot of energy. Ours (in Newark) doesn’t have too much energy.”
He added, per the New York Daily News, “I just enjoy playing here—enjoy playing in front of my friends, family. It’s always good for them to get the chance to come and see me play.”
The Nets desperately want to keep Williams as a centerpiece of the franchise as they move into their new arena in Brooklyn, the Barclays Center, before next season. If they convince Williams to stay, Dwight Howard might not be far behind.
Johnson, who coached the Mavericks for four seasons, from 2004-05 through 2007-08, said of Dallas potentially signing Williams, “For me personally, working for Mark Cuban, he’s a threat. I know the guy. ... And for us, we don’t make any assumptions until we get Deron
Williams, who is from the Dallas area, said, “Fans are great (at the Dallas arena). It’s always good when arenas have a lot of energy. Ours (in Newark) doesn’t have too much energy.”
He added, per the New York Daily News, “I just enjoy playing here—enjoy playing in front of my friends, family. It’s always good for them to get the chance to come and see me play.”
The Nets desperately want to keep Williams as a centerpiece of the franchise as they move into their new arena in Brooklyn, the Barclays Center, before next season. If they convince Williams to stay, Dwight Howard might not be far behind.
Johnson, who coached the Mavericks for four seasons, from 2004-05 through 2007-08, said of Dallas potentially signing Williams, “For me personally, working for Mark Cuban, he’s a threat. I know the guy. ... And for us, we don’t make any assumptions until we get Deron
Brandon Roy says he may return to the NBA
Brandon Roy, who retired from the NBA before the season, is contemplating a comeback.
“It's hard being away from the game. Don't be surprised if you see Brandon Roy make his way back to the court,” Roy told Eurobasket (via Pro Basketball Talk).
Roy, drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 draft, was NBA rookie of the year in the 2006-07 season, and was an All-Star the following three seasons. His minutes and production dropped sharply in the 2010-11 season, his fifth, due to chronic knee issues. It was clear last season that Roy would never return to his old form.
But there were factors besides health that led to Roy’s decision to retire, sources told the site.
“There's something to it, but it's not the right time for me to get into it right now,” Roy said. “I've been doing some treatment and I'm trying to leave the window open to returning to basketball. ... If the treatment I've been looking into can work, I believe there's a good chance you will see Brandon Roy back hoopin'."
“It's hard being away from the game. Don't be surprised if you see Brandon Roy make his way back to the court,” Roy told Eurobasket (via Pro Basketball Talk).
Roy, drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 draft, was NBA rookie of the year in the 2006-07 season, and was an All-Star the following three seasons. His minutes and production dropped sharply in the 2010-11 season, his fifth, due to chronic knee issues. It was clear last season that Roy would never return to his old form.
But there were factors besides health that led to Roy’s decision to retire, sources told the site.
“There's something to it, but it's not the right time for me to get into it right now,” Roy said. “I've been doing some treatment and I'm trying to leave the window open to returning to basketball. ... If the treatment I've been looking into can work, I believe there's a good chance you will see Brandon Roy back hoopin'."
Jeremy Lin helps Knicks land Taiwanese tire sponsor
The New York Knicks have signed Taiwan-based tire manufacturer Maxxis International as their newest sponsor, as the company looks to capitalize on the stir created by star point guard Jeremy Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan.
Maxxis branding will be visible courtside and on the videoboard at Madison Square Garden, and the company will also sponsor a giveaway at an upcoming game, according to the report.
“This new marketing partnership shows the power of ‘Linsanity' and how the Knicks brand can help drive real results for companies from around the world,” MSG Sports President Scott O'Neil said.
Maxxis is the Knicks’ only Taiwanese sponsor, though since Lin’s emergence, several Asian companies have expressed interest in marketing deals with the team.
“I think if Jeremy Lin continues to perform as he has, the Knicks will have their pick of the litter in terms of sponsors, be they Asian or otherwise,” said Robert Routh, executive director of equity research at Phoenix Partners Group. “In reality, they already did but what has happened has clearly made the Knicks more interesting to sponsors of all types.”
Maxxis branding will be visible courtside and on the videoboard at Madison Square Garden, and the company will also sponsor a giveaway at an upcoming game, according to the report.
“This new marketing partnership shows the power of ‘Linsanity' and how the Knicks brand can help drive real results for companies from around the world,” MSG Sports President Scott O'Neil said.
Maxxis is the Knicks’ only Taiwanese sponsor, though since Lin’s emergence, several Asian companies have expressed interest in marketing deals with the team.
“I think if Jeremy Lin continues to perform as he has, the Knicks will have their pick of the litter in terms of sponsors, be they Asian or otherwise,” said Robert Routh, executive director of equity research at Phoenix Partners Group. “In reality, they already did but what has happened has clearly made the Knicks more interesting to sponsors of all types.”
Kobe's revenge: Tense All-Star moments thicken Heat vs. Lakers plot
Don’t act like that can’t happen.
— Second-half predictions: Three teams will rise
— Power rankings: Guess who is on top
— SI: The biggest questions of the second half: What's next for the Knicks
Don’t laugh it off because when Dwyane Wade mugged Kobe Bryant in the second half of Sunday’s All-Star Game, broke his nose and gave him a concussion, it was in a lighthearted, fan-friendly exhibition that didn’t mean anything in the standings.
And don’t act like the Lakers can’t make it to the NBA Finals, giving Kobe a chance to inflict full retaliation on Wade’s Miami Heat crew, just because the Lakers are wheezing and geezing their way through an injury-riddled, trade-clouded, new-regime-disrupting season so far.
You know that even if Bryant does eventually exhibit concussion symptoms—it was still a blow to the head, despite the Lakers denying he’d suffered one—loss of memory will not be one of them.
All-Star games really aren’t supposed to produce this much drama, are they? For all the talk every year about how the old-timers played the games hard and for keeps, the way these kids today decidedly do not ... has a beef ever carried over from one of them?
Maybe the Great Michael Jordan Freeze-Out of 1985, but that’s got to be it.
Until now.
If we’re lucky.
Good, then, for the All-Star Game, which was reaching new depths of ferociously-enacted non-competition, and driving its last bastion of defenders over the edge, until Wade went Bad Boys on Kobe in the third quarter. Amazingly, Wade admitted what he’d done and why.
It was in total contrast to the summer-league pro-am feel of that, and most other, All-Star get-togethers. It also immediately and completely changed the tone of the game from then on.
Don’t be shocked if we later discover a fistful of wadded-up hundred-dollar bills in both Wade’s and Bryant’s possessions, with David Stern’s fingerprints all over them.
Hey, one team scored 88 in the first half, with more uncontested dunks than in the actual dunk contest. Can you blame the commish?
Whatever the motivation, it suddenly got real, and it came down to the last couple of possessions. Which brings us to the warm-up act for the Revenge Tour—LeBron James turning down a shot to tie or win the game in the final seconds in favor of passing off to Wade. And getting an earful from an opposing player about his deficiency in late-game courage.
That opposing player: Kobe Bryant. Head too foggy to speak publicly afterward, but clear enough to stick the needle in during the critical moment of the game. And to know exactly who to stick it to, and where.
Meaningless. Yeah, right.
So now we’ve got plotlines to follow the rest of the season—to our great fortune, starting this Sunday, when Miami and its league-leading record travels to L.A. to play the Lakers in the day’s marquee TV game.
The Lakers, as they currently stand, are in no position to hold up their end of the matchup. They’re a mess. They could get messier, even if deals are made to make them better. Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum (or both) could go out; Dwight Howard and some major upgrade at point guard could come in. Rasheed Wallace, of all people, is reportedly on his way. They talked to Gilbert Arenas, for goodness’s sake.
This won’t be the all-time reality-show lineup of 2003-04, with the Kobe courtroom/locker room doubleheaders, but it will certainly be watchable.
Yet the one aspect that could take this Lakers season to the next level on every front is Bryant himself.
Kobe got serious in the middle of an All-Star Game, a rival got serious right back, and Bryant came back and upped the ante again. The best in the NBA challenged him, and he challenged them right back and won—and it was just an exhibition.
Now the games count again. He’s banged up, again, but expect the scowl to get darker, the teeth-gritting firmer, the focus tighter ... the hunger for vengeance devouring everything in sight.
Of course, none of this might transpire. But it will be fun seeing if it does. For us, at least.
For Wade and LeBron? Not so much.
— Second-half predictions: Three teams will rise
— Power rankings: Guess who is on top
— SI: The biggest questions of the second half: What's next for the Knicks
Don’t laugh it off because when Dwyane Wade mugged Kobe Bryant in the second half of Sunday’s All-Star Game, broke his nose and gave him a concussion, it was in a lighthearted, fan-friendly exhibition that didn’t mean anything in the standings.
And don’t act like the Lakers can’t make it to the NBA Finals, giving Kobe a chance to inflict full retaliation on Wade’s Miami Heat crew, just because the Lakers are wheezing and geezing their way through an injury-riddled, trade-clouded, new-regime-disrupting season so far.
You know that even if Bryant does eventually exhibit concussion symptoms—it was still a blow to the head, despite the Lakers denying he’d suffered one—loss of memory will not be one of them.
All-Star games really aren’t supposed to produce this much drama, are they? For all the talk every year about how the old-timers played the games hard and for keeps, the way these kids today decidedly do not ... has a beef ever carried over from one of them?
Maybe the Great Michael Jordan Freeze-Out of 1985, but that’s got to be it.
Until now.
If we’re lucky.
Good, then, for the All-Star Game, which was reaching new depths of ferociously-enacted non-competition, and driving its last bastion of defenders over the edge, until Wade went Bad Boys on Kobe in the third quarter. Amazingly, Wade admitted what he’d done and why.
It was in total contrast to the summer-league pro-am feel of that, and most other, All-Star get-togethers. It also immediately and completely changed the tone of the game from then on.
Don’t be shocked if we later discover a fistful of wadded-up hundred-dollar bills in both Wade’s and Bryant’s possessions, with David Stern’s fingerprints all over them.
Hey, one team scored 88 in the first half, with more uncontested dunks than in the actual dunk contest. Can you blame the commish?
Whatever the motivation, it suddenly got real, and it came down to the last couple of possessions. Which brings us to the warm-up act for the Revenge Tour—LeBron James turning down a shot to tie or win the game in the final seconds in favor of passing off to Wade. And getting an earful from an opposing player about his deficiency in late-game courage.
That opposing player: Kobe Bryant. Head too foggy to speak publicly afterward, but clear enough to stick the needle in during the critical moment of the game. And to know exactly who to stick it to, and where.
Meaningless. Yeah, right.
So now we’ve got plotlines to follow the rest of the season—to our great fortune, starting this Sunday, when Miami and its league-leading record travels to L.A. to play the Lakers in the day’s marquee TV game.
The Lakers, as they currently stand, are in no position to hold up their end of the matchup. They’re a mess. They could get messier, even if deals are made to make them better. Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum (or both) could go out; Dwight Howard and some major upgrade at point guard could come in. Rasheed Wallace, of all people, is reportedly on his way. They talked to Gilbert Arenas, for goodness’s sake.
This won’t be the all-time reality-show lineup of 2003-04, with the Kobe courtroom/locker room doubleheaders, but it will certainly be watchable.
Yet the one aspect that could take this Lakers season to the next level on every front is Bryant himself.
Kobe got serious in the middle of an All-Star Game, a rival got serious right back, and Bryant came back and upped the ante again. The best in the NBA challenged him, and he challenged them right back and won—and it was just an exhibition.
Now the games count again. He’s banged up, again, but expect the scowl to get darker, the teeth-gritting firmer, the focus tighter ... the hunger for vengeance devouring everything in sight.
Of course, none of this might transpire. But it will be fun seeing if it does. For us, at least.
For Wade and LeBron? Not so much.
Mavericks deny rumors of Lamar Odom buyout
With Lamar Odom not reporting to the Mavericks on Monday and not suiting up for Dallas' next two games, the Mavericks are being forced to respond to rumors that they’re about to buy out Odom’s contract.
"Lamar is not here today," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Monday, "He is still dealing with a family matter and the hope is he'll join us soon, and we'll update you when there's an update."
Odom missed last Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, his former team, to be with his sick father in L.A., and will also not play Tuesday at home against the Nets and Wednesday in Memphis.
But owner Mark Cuban shot down talk of a pending buyout. "We haven't discussed a buyout and we wouldn't do a buyout,” Cuban wrote in an email to ESPN Dallas. “No chance that happens at all. We want to help Lamar work through any personal issues and expect him to be a valuable contributor to the Mavs this season. Players go through challenges from time to time and we try to be (an) organization that fully supports our players when things are challenging for them. We will do the same for Lamar."
Cuban’s statement is affirmed by SI.com’s Sam Amick, who reports via Twitter, “(Odom is) owed $8.9 million this year (pro-rated, 66 gms), $2 million buyout for next season. But source tells me buyout isn't going to happen.”
A source tells The New York Post’s Peter Vecsey, however, “Odom is trying to get a buyout. Don’t be surprised if the Mavs oblige. He’s just not happy in Dallas. Maybe his wife (Khloe Kardashian) is making him.”
DallasBasketball.com reports that the Mavs’ plan all along has been to use Odom to help the team make a run at another championship, then cut him and his $8.2 million contract after the season, which would leave Dallas on the hook for just $2.4 million next season, with the intention of making bids for Dwight Howard and Deron Williams.
It’s been a tough year for Odom. He considered retiring during the offseason after his younger cousin died. Then, before the season, he was traded from L.A. to Dallas, where he has underperformed, averaging 21.4 minutes, 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists, all, by far, career lows.
But Carlisle is confident Odom will improve this season.
"I think we're closer than we've ever been to him playing well," Carlisle said last Friday on ESPN Radio in Dallas. "We've just got to stay the course and stay positive about it. The guy's too good of a player and ... he has two bad games in a row and everybody's ready to jump again, but I'm not going there."
"Lamar is not here today," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Monday, "He is still dealing with a family matter and the hope is he'll join us soon, and we'll update you when there's an update."
Odom missed last Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, his former team, to be with his sick father in L.A., and will also not play Tuesday at home against the Nets and Wednesday in Memphis.
But owner Mark Cuban shot down talk of a pending buyout. "We haven't discussed a buyout and we wouldn't do a buyout,” Cuban wrote in an email to ESPN Dallas. “No chance that happens at all. We want to help Lamar work through any personal issues and expect him to be a valuable contributor to the Mavs this season. Players go through challenges from time to time and we try to be (an) organization that fully supports our players when things are challenging for them. We will do the same for Lamar."
Cuban’s statement is affirmed by SI.com’s Sam Amick, who reports via Twitter, “(Odom is) owed $8.9 million this year (pro-rated, 66 gms), $2 million buyout for next season. But source tells me buyout isn't going to happen.”
A source tells The New York Post’s Peter Vecsey, however, “Odom is trying to get a buyout. Don’t be surprised if the Mavs oblige. He’s just not happy in Dallas. Maybe his wife (Khloe Kardashian) is making him.”
DallasBasketball.com reports that the Mavs’ plan all along has been to use Odom to help the team make a run at another championship, then cut him and his $8.2 million contract after the season, which would leave Dallas on the hook for just $2.4 million next season, with the intention of making bids for Dwight Howard and Deron Williams.
It’s been a tough year for Odom. He considered retiring during the offseason after his younger cousin died. Then, before the season, he was traded from L.A. to Dallas, where he has underperformed, averaging 21.4 minutes, 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists, all, by far, career lows.
But Carlisle is confident Odom will improve this season.
"I think we're closer than we've ever been to him playing well," Carlisle said last Friday on ESPN Radio in Dallas. "We've just got to stay the course and stay positive about it. The guy's too good of a player and ... he has two bad games in a row and everybody's ready to jump again, but I'm not going there."
NBA second-half predictions: Look out for the Timberwolves, Pacers and Clippers
The first half of the NBA season has been spotty, at best, with a significant drop-off in scoring, some key injuries and lots of funky basketball being played. You’d have to expect that to improve in the second half—there’s just no way teams can continue to score at a 95.0 points-per-game rate and shoot so poorly from the field. Count that as one prediction for the NBA’s second half.
Count these, too:
— Power rankings: Guess who is on top
— SI: The biggest questions of the second half: What's next for the Knicks
1. Your NBA champion will be the Miami Heat. Expect an epic Eastern Conference finals series between the Heat and Bulls, especially if Chicago gets Richard Hamilton back and averaging 13 or 14 points per game. But ultimately, the Heat are too athletic, too deep (yes, deep) and too focused after the disappointment of last year’s Finals flop. They match up well with the Bulls and should be able to withstand Chicago’s frontcourt edge over a seven-game series.
In the West, the Thunder have established themselves as the class of the conference, even with concerns in the frontcourt and on the defensive end. The West playoffs figure to be more wide-open than the East, but Oklahoma City is the most complete team.
Call the weatherman, we’re going to have Heat and Thunder in the Finals, with Miami ultimately taking the title. “We feel like we have come a long way in a year-and-a-half,” Miami’s Chris Bosh said. “I think our focus is in the right place.”
2. Dwight Howard will be in Brooklyn next season. The big question is whether the Nets can put together a deal that offers the Magic enough assets to entice them to do a deal by the March 15 trade deadline. The Nets are trying to pull in other teams to facilitate a trade, because they don’t have many assets themselves.
Another problem is Magic owner Rich DeVos’ belief that he can keep Howard in Orlando when he hits free agency this summer. The smart money is on Orlando finishing out the year with Howard and either dealing him at the draft or orchestrating a sign-and-trade in free agency.
Beware the Lakers and Mavs, for sure, but the Nets have been the favorites all along.
3. The surprise playoff team in the West will be Minnesota. The fact that the Timberwolves were at .500 at the break is a major step up for a team that has been in the doldrums since Kevin Garnett was traded four years ago. Minnesota has talent, with power forward Kevin Love, rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams, and burgeoning big man Nikola Pekovic, and they finally have a coach who has put it together in Rick Adelman.
They’re just a game out of the eighth playoff spot, and a strong second half seems to be in the offing. “We’ve played well,” Love said. “But the thing is, we know we can play better.”
4. The surprise playoff team in the East will be Indiana. Maybe it should not be a surprise at this point to have the Pacers in the playoff discussion, but we should probably bump up their expectations from playoff team to second-round team. The Pacers are currently third in the Eastern Conference, and are just beginning to really get a hold on Frank Vogel’s offense. They have established themselves as a tough defense-and-rebounding team, and for Chicago or Miami, that probably means a rough-and-tumble semifinal foe.
The Pacers will have room to make more moves this summer, as they try to crack into the elite level that the Bulls and Heat have established in the East.
5. The Clippers will win the Pacific Division. The Clippers have a slight lead over the Lakers, in a race that means much more than the division title—it’s also about the Lakers’ resentment over not getting Chris Paul and the Clippers’ long history of being overshadowed by not only the Lakers, but just about every other athletic organization in Los Angeles.
The Clippers miss guard Chauncey Billups, who is out for the year with an Achilles injury, but the team can make up for it with further improvement by frontcourt mates Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Lakers’ early fissures have developed into full-on cracks as they try to decide what to do with trade target Pau Gasol, and as their obvious flaws on the bench and at point guard take their toll.
Neither the Lakers nor the Clippers are particularly deep, but the Clippers have better overall talent, and should hang on to win the Battle for L.A.
Count these, too:
— Power rankings: Guess who is on top
— SI: The biggest questions of the second half: What's next for the Knicks
1. Your NBA champion will be the Miami Heat. Expect an epic Eastern Conference finals series between the Heat and Bulls, especially if Chicago gets Richard Hamilton back and averaging 13 or 14 points per game. But ultimately, the Heat are too athletic, too deep (yes, deep) and too focused after the disappointment of last year’s Finals flop. They match up well with the Bulls and should be able to withstand Chicago’s frontcourt edge over a seven-game series.
In the West, the Thunder have established themselves as the class of the conference, even with concerns in the frontcourt and on the defensive end. The West playoffs figure to be more wide-open than the East, but Oklahoma City is the most complete team.
Call the weatherman, we’re going to have Heat and Thunder in the Finals, with Miami ultimately taking the title. “We feel like we have come a long way in a year-and-a-half,” Miami’s Chris Bosh said. “I think our focus is in the right place.”
2. Dwight Howard will be in Brooklyn next season. The big question is whether the Nets can put together a deal that offers the Magic enough assets to entice them to do a deal by the March 15 trade deadline. The Nets are trying to pull in other teams to facilitate a trade, because they don’t have many assets themselves.
Another problem is Magic owner Rich DeVos’ belief that he can keep Howard in Orlando when he hits free agency this summer. The smart money is on Orlando finishing out the year with Howard and either dealing him at the draft or orchestrating a sign-and-trade in free agency.
Beware the Lakers and Mavs, for sure, but the Nets have been the favorites all along.
3. The surprise playoff team in the West will be Minnesota. The fact that the Timberwolves were at .500 at the break is a major step up for a team that has been in the doldrums since Kevin Garnett was traded four years ago. Minnesota has talent, with power forward Kevin Love, rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams, and burgeoning big man Nikola Pekovic, and they finally have a coach who has put it together in Rick Adelman.
They’re just a game out of the eighth playoff spot, and a strong second half seems to be in the offing. “We’ve played well,” Love said. “But the thing is, we know we can play better.”
4. The surprise playoff team in the East will be Indiana. Maybe it should not be a surprise at this point to have the Pacers in the playoff discussion, but we should probably bump up their expectations from playoff team to second-round team. The Pacers are currently third in the Eastern Conference, and are just beginning to really get a hold on Frank Vogel’s offense. They have established themselves as a tough defense-and-rebounding team, and for Chicago or Miami, that probably means a rough-and-tumble semifinal foe.
The Pacers will have room to make more moves this summer, as they try to crack into the elite level that the Bulls and Heat have established in the East.
5. The Clippers will win the Pacific Division. The Clippers have a slight lead over the Lakers, in a race that means much more than the division title—it’s also about the Lakers’ resentment over not getting Chris Paul and the Clippers’ long history of being overshadowed by not only the Lakers, but just about every other athletic organization in Los Angeles.
The Clippers miss guard Chauncey Billups, who is out for the year with an Achilles injury, but the team can make up for it with further improvement by frontcourt mates Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Lakers’ early fissures have developed into full-on cracks as they try to decide what to do with trade target Pau Gasol, and as their obvious flaws on the bench and at point guard take their toll.
Neither the Lakers nor the Clippers are particularly deep, but the Clippers have better overall talent, and should hang on to win the Battle for L.A.
Wizards shop Blatche as trade deadline approaches
The Washington Wizards have aggressively tried to move troubled forward Andre Blatche in advance of the March 15 trade deadline, with no fanfare.
Rooted in the struggle to find a suitor for Blatche are his high salary—he is owed nearly $23 million over the next three seasons—and his reputation as a disgruntled player. Many of his character questions were heightened when Blatche was stripped of his captaincy after a postgame rant about former Wizards coach Flip Saunders.
Blatche previously was offered to the Charlotte Bobcats for Tyrus Thomas but the trade was rejected, according to The Washington Post. Questions about Blatche's conditioning have played a part in other failed opportunities, the Post reported.
The best opportunity for the Wizards to move Blatche came and went last offseason, after he averaged 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in 2010-11.
This season will be the first time Blatche won’t improve on his scoring and rebounding numbers, mainly because he has missed several games because of injury and played hurt. He has missed 16 games this season and was replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Jan Vesely.
Blatche is averaging 10.3 points and shooting a career-low 38 percent this season.
2.27.2012
Marcus Morris ticketed after bar fight following Missouri-Kansas game
Marcus Morris, who the Houston Rockets selected with the 14th pick in last June’s NBA Draft, was ticketed at 2:37 a.m. on Sunday for allegedly participating in a bar fight in Lawrence, Kan, according to a TV report.
Morris went to Kansas University and was in Lawrence for Saturday’s Missouri-Kansas game. He was one of two men ticketed for the incident at the bar called The Cave.
"A male employee was allegedly punched by another man after a verbal dispute turned physical," said Kim Murphree, police spokeswoman. "Another man allegedly punched the employee from behind."
Morris is scheduled for a March 20 court appearance in Lawrence.
He’s played in just three games this season and was sent to the Rockets’ D-League team in early January, where he averaged 22.8 points and 9.1 rebounds in 10 games, not counting the game in which he sprained his right ankle in the first minute. The Rockets, however, called him up before the All-Star break.
Morris went to Kansas University and was in Lawrence for Saturday’s Missouri-Kansas game. He was one of two men ticketed for the incident at the bar called The Cave.
"A male employee was allegedly punched by another man after a verbal dispute turned physical," said Kim Murphree, police spokeswoman. "Another man allegedly punched the employee from behind."
Morris is scheduled for a March 20 court appearance in Lawrence.
He’s played in just three games this season and was sent to the Rockets’ D-League team in early January, where he averaged 22.8 points and 9.1 rebounds in 10 games, not counting the game in which he sprained his right ankle in the first minute. The Rockets, however, called him up before the All-Star break.
If it’s a ring he seeks, Dwight Howard should go to Dallas
ORLANDO – Dwight Howard says he wants to win a championship. If that’s really the case, Oklahoma City would be happy to sign him.
That’s not really the case, of course. The Thunder could offer only a peanut contract, and Howard isn’t about to give up about $75 million for an NBA title or two.
You can’t hold the “I want to win a championship” edict over Howard’s head with Oklahoma City. You can raise it with a team 189 miles south.
Dallas could offer Howard what he supposedly values most. It's not bright lights or a big city, but a big old championship ring.
He probably knows that, though not even his mother apparently knows for sure what Howard’s thinking.
She told TNT during Sunday night’s game that she’d like her son to stay in Orlando. That came a few minutes after Howard was spotted yukking it up next to Rich DeVos.
The Magic owner said if he were a betting man, he’d wager Howard will stay put. For your own good, Mr. DeVos, stay away from Vegas.
There’s a better chance Howard will be playing for Manchester United next year than the Magic. Come to think of it, wasn’t that one of the rumors over All-Star Weekend?
Among the various off-the-record reports, the Lakers are trying to package a Pau Gasol-Andrew Bynum deal with Toronto throwing in Jose Calderon.
The Knicks have renewed interest in Howard, and could deal Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony. The Nets are confident they’ll get Howard because they apparently have incriminating photos of him wearing Marv Albert’s old underwear.
The Clippers are now on Howard’s secret wish list. The Magic are going after Steve Nash, hoping the thought of an aging point guard will entice Howard into signing a long-term deal.
I’m undoubtedly missing a few rumors, but just assume all parties involved shot them down. The only definite is, now that All-Star Weekend is over, Dwight Hunting season has really begun.
He made it official in his pregame speech to the Amway Arena crowd. Howard called Orlando “my city, my home.” At least until the March 15 trade deadline.
Just for simplicity’s sake, let’s take Howard at his word on where he’s willing to go. The Magic could trade him to Sacramento, of course. But no team will give up much unless it knows Howard will sign a long-term deal after the season.
That presumably eliminates everyone except the Lakers, Nets and Mavericks. The Nets are desperate for Dwight. It’s the big city Howard longs for, though their new arena will be decidedly off-Broadway in Brooklyn.
The only other lure is Deron Williams, who is also a free agent at season’s end. Howard and Williams make a winning foundation, but a championship foundation?
Winning a title would require a lot of confidence in Nets management. I’m not sure what Howard would base that confidence on, other than owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s track record as a mining magnate in Russia.
That’s still better than the Lakers. The standard NBA narrative for years has been that L.A. somehow finds a way to get big deals done. But that’s the Lakers under Jerry Buss.
His son Jim is running things now. Phil Jackson and most of the front-office brainpower are gone. Kobe Bryant’s days of being Kobe Bryant are dwindling.
It’s still L.A., but it’s not the same Lakers. If Howard wants a title, he should want a proven owner and coach (Mike Brown?). He should want a nucleus of established talent.
In short, he should want Dallas.
Dirk Nowitzki has two or three top-notch years left. Rick Carlisle can X and O with any coach. Then there’s Mark Cuban.
For all his annoying theatrics, the guy has built a great organization. Howard wanted more input with the Magic, and Cuban also will let him at least feel he’s in on things.
The sweetener is that Williams is from Dallas. He’d like to go back there if this Brooklyn thing doesn’t work out.
The hitch?
Dallas has cleared a lot of salary space, but probably won’t have enough to offer both Howard and Williams max contracts. Somebody might have to get by on about $15 million a year.
And it’s Dallas, a big city with big boots and belt buckles. But it’s not New York or L.A., where Howard can pursue everything a 26-year-old zillionaire could dream of.
That’s fine, but this 26-year-old says his big goal in life is to win a championship while he’s still young. Howard holds all the cards to make that happen.
If he doesn’t end up in Dallas, it was all a bluff.
That’s not really the case, of course. The Thunder could offer only a peanut contract, and Howard isn’t about to give up about $75 million for an NBA title or two.
You can’t hold the “I want to win a championship” edict over Howard’s head with Oklahoma City. You can raise it with a team 189 miles south.
Dallas could offer Howard what he supposedly values most. It's not bright lights or a big city, but a big old championship ring.
He probably knows that, though not even his mother apparently knows for sure what Howard’s thinking.
She told TNT during Sunday night’s game that she’d like her son to stay in Orlando. That came a few minutes after Howard was spotted yukking it up next to Rich DeVos.
The Magic owner said if he were a betting man, he’d wager Howard will stay put. For your own good, Mr. DeVos, stay away from Vegas.
There’s a better chance Howard will be playing for Manchester United next year than the Magic. Come to think of it, wasn’t that one of the rumors over All-Star Weekend?
Among the various off-the-record reports, the Lakers are trying to package a Pau Gasol-Andrew Bynum deal with Toronto throwing in Jose Calderon.
The Knicks have renewed interest in Howard, and could deal Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony. The Nets are confident they’ll get Howard because they apparently have incriminating photos of him wearing Marv Albert’s old underwear.
The Clippers are now on Howard’s secret wish list. The Magic are going after Steve Nash, hoping the thought of an aging point guard will entice Howard into signing a long-term deal.
I’m undoubtedly missing a few rumors, but just assume all parties involved shot them down. The only definite is, now that All-Star Weekend is over, Dwight Hunting season has really begun.
He made it official in his pregame speech to the Amway Arena crowd. Howard called Orlando “my city, my home.” At least until the March 15 trade deadline.
Just for simplicity’s sake, let’s take Howard at his word on where he’s willing to go. The Magic could trade him to Sacramento, of course. But no team will give up much unless it knows Howard will sign a long-term deal after the season.
That presumably eliminates everyone except the Lakers, Nets and Mavericks. The Nets are desperate for Dwight. It’s the big city Howard longs for, though their new arena will be decidedly off-Broadway in Brooklyn.
The only other lure is Deron Williams, who is also a free agent at season’s end. Howard and Williams make a winning foundation, but a championship foundation?
Winning a title would require a lot of confidence in Nets management. I’m not sure what Howard would base that confidence on, other than owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s track record as a mining magnate in Russia.
That’s still better than the Lakers. The standard NBA narrative for years has been that L.A. somehow finds a way to get big deals done. But that’s the Lakers under Jerry Buss.
His son Jim is running things now. Phil Jackson and most of the front-office brainpower are gone. Kobe Bryant’s days of being Kobe Bryant are dwindling.
It’s still L.A., but it’s not the same Lakers. If Howard wants a title, he should want a proven owner and coach (Mike Brown?). He should want a nucleus of established talent.
In short, he should want Dallas.
Dirk Nowitzki has two or three top-notch years left. Rick Carlisle can X and O with any coach. Then there’s Mark Cuban.
For all his annoying theatrics, the guy has built a great organization. Howard wanted more input with the Magic, and Cuban also will let him at least feel he’s in on things.
The sweetener is that Williams is from Dallas. He’d like to go back there if this Brooklyn thing doesn’t work out.
The hitch?
Dallas has cleared a lot of salary space, but probably won’t have enough to offer both Howard and Williams max contracts. Somebody might have to get by on about $15 million a year.
And it’s Dallas, a big city with big boots and belt buckles. But it’s not New York or L.A., where Howard can pursue everything a 26-year-old zillionaire could dream of.
That’s fine, but this 26-year-old says his big goal in life is to win a championship while he’s still young. Howard holds all the cards to make that happen.
If he doesn’t end up in Dallas, it was all a bluff.
NBA power rankings, midseason edition: Heat, Thunder on top
With Sunday’s nail-biter of an All-Star game behind us, the second half of the year is here in much the same manner the season began—quickly and relentlessly. Here’s how all 30 teams stack up heading into the final two months of this season, and what they should be focused on going forward.
1. Miami Heat. Stay healthy. Having established themselves as a much more resilient team with better chemistry than they were last year, all the Heat need to do is get to the playoffs without any major injuries.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder. Defend. Coach Scott Brooks has expressed some concerns about the defense, and they can be too reliant on their potent offense. Kendrick Perkins has not been the cure-all, and they need to address that.
3. San Antonio Spurs. Tighten the rotation. Expect coach Gregg Popovich to winnow his rotation down as the second half progresses. The Spurs have gotten nice contributions from a variety of spots, but Popovich uses a short bench in the playoffs.
4. Chicago Bulls. Get Richard Hamilton back. Late-game offense was a problem for the Bulls in last season’s conference finals, and they’re hoping that Hamilton can take pressure off Derrick Rose in those situations. But Hamilton has been out with a groin issue.
5. L.A. Clippers. Add veterans to the bench. Depth is still the most significant issue here, especially with Chauncey Billups out. They don’t have many tradeable parts, but they could make some free-agent moves.
6. Dallas Mavericks. Develop that defensive chemistry. This is a team that has Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry—they can score. But the Mavs defense this year has come around nicely in the absence of Tyson Chandler.
7. Indiana Pacers. Keep hustling. The Pacers have talent, but they have won a lot of games this year by outworking opponents. They can’t look at their 21-12 record and get fat and happy.
8. Orlando Magic. The Magic have fought through adversity and can make one more run with Dwight Howard, and that’s the probable scenario. Or they can trade him and start rebuilding.
9. Atlanta Hawks. Score 89 points. The Hawks play very good defense, and, basically, if they can put up 89 points, they’re going to win. They’re 19-2 when they score 89 or more, and 1-12 when they don’t.
10. Houston Rockets. Stay under the radar. Houston is probably the best 20-14 team no one knows about, especially considering they got off to a 3-7 start. The Rockets will continue to look for roster upgrades, but they seem to work best as a team no one is noticing.
11. Memphis Grizzlies. Get Z-Bo back. For the second straight year, the Grizzlies have held down the fort while a major player was injured. Zach Randolph should return in the coming weeks, and they’ll be primed for a stretch run.
12. L.A. Lakers. Make Kobe Bryant happy. The Lakers have had some embarrassing moments in the last year, and Bryant has grown frustrated. He deserves to be brought in on decisions that affect the team now and in the future.
13. Philadelphia 76ers. Get their legs. The Sixers are deep, and they play a pretty intense style on both ends. But they seemed to run out of gas before the break, averaging just 83.2 points over a five-game losing streak.
14. New York Knicks. Retool around Jeremy Lin. This has been repeated ad nauseum, but the Knicks’ big question remains how to work in star forward Carmelo Anthony with their new-found point-guard sensation. That could define Mike D’Antoni’s tenure as Knicks coach.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves. Win the tight games. Amazingly, 14 of the Timberwolves 34 games have been decided by five points or fewer, and they’re 5-9 in those games. They’re .500, and that is impressive, but they could be even better.
16. Portland Trail Blazers. Wake up Raymond Felton. Coach Nate McMillan gave Felton the keys to the offense early on, but Felton has not been up to the task. He’s been replaced by Jamal Crawford, but Crawford should be this team’s sixth man.
17. Denver Nuggets. Get healthy and finish games. The Nuggets are 4-12 in their last 16, and while some of that can be attributed to injuries, they have also blown too many late leads. This bunch looked like a contender in the West—but only briefly.
18. Golden State Warriors. Make defense a reality, not a slogan. They’ve played better lately, especially with Ekpe Udoh in the lineup. But until Mark Jackson gets them to play the defense he has been preaching, they’ll be lottery-bound.
19. Phoenix Suns. Show some intensity. The Suns are not a contender, of course, but they have underachieved. They will likely hang on to Steve Nash and probably have one final playoff push in them.
20. Boston Celtics. Blow it up. Easy to say, tough to do, and ultimately, Boston is probably stuck with the roster it has, as disappointing as this team has been. Rajon Rondo is the prime trading chip, but why trade a 25-year-old All-Star?
21. Utah Jazz. Decide what to do with Devin Harris. The Jazz have a wealth of big men—Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter. But Harris is not the kind of playmaker best suited to feed them the ball. The Jazz need a point guard.
22. Cleveland Cavaliers. Keep developing Kyrie Irving. In his rookie year, Irving has already become a leader and shows the makings of a franchise cornerstone. They probably won’t make the playoffs, but if they can stay in the hunt and play meaningful games, it will be big for his maturation.
23. Milwaukee Bucks. Figure out the Stephen Jackson situation. The Bucks were hoping Jackson would click with coach Scott Skiles and take on some offensive burden, but it just did not work. Now he wants out, and the Bucks may have to waive him.
24. Detroit Pistons. Push past the summer of ’09. The Pistons overpaid Ben Gordon, and Charlie Villanueva is a bust. But they’ve been revitalized by younger guys like Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Jonas Jerebko.
25. Sacramento Kings. Find a point guard. The Kings are pretty well stocked with backcourt players—Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans, John Salmons, Jimmer Fredette and now, the emerging Isaiah Thomas—but none are true point men. They can’t take full advantage of DeMarcus Cousins inside without a point guard.
26. Toronto Raptors. Figure out the backcourt. DeMar DeRozan came into the year hoping to take a step toward stardom. He has regressed instead. Jose Calderon, however, has returned to form, giving the Raptors a tough call on whether to keep him or move him.
27. New Jersey Nets. Keep Deron Williams. It still more likely than not that Williams, a free agent this summer, will stay with the Nets. But the roster is thin, and if they can’t add Dwight Howard, they better be able to tell Williams, who will be wooed by the Mavericks, what Plan B is.
28. New Orleans Hornets. Look to the future. The Hornets should get a new owner soon, and he had better be patient. The front office must keep collecting young assets, and Monty Williams needs to keep playing them. That will mean losing now but will help in the long run.
29. Washington Wizards. Identify useful pieces. The Wizards are stacked with players of some talent but with low work ethic and basketball IQ. They need to figure out who falls where, and jettison anyone who does not fit the plan.
30. Charlotte Bobcats. Lose a lot of games, win the lottery, take Anthony Davis. That’s as good a plan as any.
1. Miami Heat. Stay healthy. Having established themselves as a much more resilient team with better chemistry than they were last year, all the Heat need to do is get to the playoffs without any major injuries.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder. Defend. Coach Scott Brooks has expressed some concerns about the defense, and they can be too reliant on their potent offense. Kendrick Perkins has not been the cure-all, and they need to address that.
3. San Antonio Spurs. Tighten the rotation. Expect coach Gregg Popovich to winnow his rotation down as the second half progresses. The Spurs have gotten nice contributions from a variety of spots, but Popovich uses a short bench in the playoffs.
4. Chicago Bulls. Get Richard Hamilton back. Late-game offense was a problem for the Bulls in last season’s conference finals, and they’re hoping that Hamilton can take pressure off Derrick Rose in those situations. But Hamilton has been out with a groin issue.
5. L.A. Clippers. Add veterans to the bench. Depth is still the most significant issue here, especially with Chauncey Billups out. They don’t have many tradeable parts, but they could make some free-agent moves.
6. Dallas Mavericks. Develop that defensive chemistry. This is a team that has Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry—they can score. But the Mavs defense this year has come around nicely in the absence of Tyson Chandler.
7. Indiana Pacers. Keep hustling. The Pacers have talent, but they have won a lot of games this year by outworking opponents. They can’t look at their 21-12 record and get fat and happy.
8. Orlando Magic. The Magic have fought through adversity and can make one more run with Dwight Howard, and that’s the probable scenario. Or they can trade him and start rebuilding.
9. Atlanta Hawks. Score 89 points. The Hawks play very good defense, and, basically, if they can put up 89 points, they’re going to win. They’re 19-2 when they score 89 or more, and 1-12 when they don’t.
10. Houston Rockets. Stay under the radar. Houston is probably the best 20-14 team no one knows about, especially considering they got off to a 3-7 start. The Rockets will continue to look for roster upgrades, but they seem to work best as a team no one is noticing.
11. Memphis Grizzlies. Get Z-Bo back. For the second straight year, the Grizzlies have held down the fort while a major player was injured. Zach Randolph should return in the coming weeks, and they’ll be primed for a stretch run.
12. L.A. Lakers. Make Kobe Bryant happy. The Lakers have had some embarrassing moments in the last year, and Bryant has grown frustrated. He deserves to be brought in on decisions that affect the team now and in the future.
13. Philadelphia 76ers. Get their legs. The Sixers are deep, and they play a pretty intense style on both ends. But they seemed to run out of gas before the break, averaging just 83.2 points over a five-game losing streak.
14. New York Knicks. Retool around Jeremy Lin. This has been repeated ad nauseum, but the Knicks’ big question remains how to work in star forward Carmelo Anthony with their new-found point-guard sensation. That could define Mike D’Antoni’s tenure as Knicks coach.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves. Win the tight games. Amazingly, 14 of the Timberwolves 34 games have been decided by five points or fewer, and they’re 5-9 in those games. They’re .500, and that is impressive, but they could be even better.
16. Portland Trail Blazers. Wake up Raymond Felton. Coach Nate McMillan gave Felton the keys to the offense early on, but Felton has not been up to the task. He’s been replaced by Jamal Crawford, but Crawford should be this team’s sixth man.
17. Denver Nuggets. Get healthy and finish games. The Nuggets are 4-12 in their last 16, and while some of that can be attributed to injuries, they have also blown too many late leads. This bunch looked like a contender in the West—but only briefly.
18. Golden State Warriors. Make defense a reality, not a slogan. They’ve played better lately, especially with Ekpe Udoh in the lineup. But until Mark Jackson gets them to play the defense he has been preaching, they’ll be lottery-bound.
19. Phoenix Suns. Show some intensity. The Suns are not a contender, of course, but they have underachieved. They will likely hang on to Steve Nash and probably have one final playoff push in them.
20. Boston Celtics. Blow it up. Easy to say, tough to do, and ultimately, Boston is probably stuck with the roster it has, as disappointing as this team has been. Rajon Rondo is the prime trading chip, but why trade a 25-year-old All-Star?
21. Utah Jazz. Decide what to do with Devin Harris. The Jazz have a wealth of big men—Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter. But Harris is not the kind of playmaker best suited to feed them the ball. The Jazz need a point guard.
22. Cleveland Cavaliers. Keep developing Kyrie Irving. In his rookie year, Irving has already become a leader and shows the makings of a franchise cornerstone. They probably won’t make the playoffs, but if they can stay in the hunt and play meaningful games, it will be big for his maturation.
23. Milwaukee Bucks. Figure out the Stephen Jackson situation. The Bucks were hoping Jackson would click with coach Scott Skiles and take on some offensive burden, but it just did not work. Now he wants out, and the Bucks may have to waive him.
24. Detroit Pistons. Push past the summer of ’09. The Pistons overpaid Ben Gordon, and Charlie Villanueva is a bust. But they’ve been revitalized by younger guys like Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Jonas Jerebko.
25. Sacramento Kings. Find a point guard. The Kings are pretty well stocked with backcourt players—Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans, John Salmons, Jimmer Fredette and now, the emerging Isaiah Thomas—but none are true point men. They can’t take full advantage of DeMarcus Cousins inside without a point guard.
26. Toronto Raptors. Figure out the backcourt. DeMar DeRozan came into the year hoping to take a step toward stardom. He has regressed instead. Jose Calderon, however, has returned to form, giving the Raptors a tough call on whether to keep him or move him.
27. New Jersey Nets. Keep Deron Williams. It still more likely than not that Williams, a free agent this summer, will stay with the Nets. But the roster is thin, and if they can’t add Dwight Howard, they better be able to tell Williams, who will be wooed by the Mavericks, what Plan B is.
28. New Orleans Hornets. Look to the future. The Hornets should get a new owner soon, and he had better be patient. The front office must keep collecting young assets, and Monty Williams needs to keep playing them. That will mean losing now but will help in the long run.
29. Washington Wizards. Identify useful pieces. The Wizards are stacked with players of some talent but with low work ethic and basketball IQ. They need to figure out who falls where, and jettison anyone who does not fit the plan.
30. Charlotte Bobcats. Lose a lot of games, win the lottery, take Anthony Davis. That’s as good a plan as any.
Kings, Sacramento reach arena deal, keeping team in town for long term
After years of fruitless negotiations, the Kings have reached a deal with the city of Sacramento to build a new downtown arena and remain in town for the foreseeable future, according to multiple reports on Twitter.
The Kings nearly left Sacramento for Anaheim after last season but agreed to stay in northern California for one more season and see if they could reach an agreement on a new facility. The deadline for them to do so was this coming Thursday, March 1.
In addition to Anaheim, the city of Seattle was waiting in the wings with plans for new state-of-the-art building in the works.
Sacramento insisted that the Kings contribute significanly toward the cost the new arena. The Maloof brothers, who own the Kings, have agreed to contribute $73 million toward the $387 million facility. SI.com’s Sam Amick reported. Additionally, starting in 2015, when the arena is expected to open, the Maloofs will pay a five percent surcharge on all tickets, which means an additional $60 million.
The agreement was finalized at a meeting on Monday, attended by the Maloofs, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and NBA commissioner David Stern.
"It's game over, so our community should be really excited," said Johnson, a former star point guard in the NBA.
Joe Maloof added, per Amick, "It's a great day for Sacramento. ... Our family is just so excited."
The Kings nearly left Sacramento for Anaheim after last season but agreed to stay in northern California for one more season and see if they could reach an agreement on a new facility. The deadline for them to do so was this coming Thursday, March 1.
In addition to Anaheim, the city of Seattle was waiting in the wings with plans for new state-of-the-art building in the works.
Sacramento insisted that the Kings contribute significanly toward the cost the new arena. The Maloof brothers, who own the Kings, have agreed to contribute $73 million toward the $387 million facility. SI.com’s Sam Amick reported. Additionally, starting in 2015, when the arena is expected to open, the Maloofs will pay a five percent surcharge on all tickets, which means an additional $60 million.
The agreement was finalized at a meeting on Monday, attended by the Maloofs, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and NBA commissioner David Stern.
"It's game over, so our community should be really excited," said Johnson, a former star point guard in the NBA.
Joe Maloof added, per Amick, "It's a great day for Sacramento. ... Our family is just so excited."
Dwight Howard dominates NBA trade buzz but numerous others figure in talks
In a typical year, the NBA trade deadline falls on the Thursday after the All-Star game, making the weekend a particularly intense time for swap talks. Because of the lockout, though, this year’s trade deadline was pushed back to March 15, giving front-office types 18 post-All-Star days to ponder their moves. That does not mean, however, that the weekend passed without the typical feeler discussions we’d normally see.
“There has been as much of that as always,” one general manager told Sporting News. “It was just another All-Star weekend as far as that goes. I probably heard from most other guys. That does not necessarily mean we’re going to see that much movement, it just means everyone was asking the usual questions.”
Consider the extended version of this year’s trade-rumor season to be underway, then. There is, of course, one very big player overshadowing all of the trade market. But there are also about a dozen teams very conscious of their cap space situation, which could hinder player movement. Still, these are some players to keep an eye on:
Dwight Howard, Magic.
He’s the big fish, and the latest rumor, according to the Orlando Sentinel, has the Lakers back in the mix, sending Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to the Magic, with the Raptors acting as a third party, sending point guard Jose Calderon to Orlando.
The Lakers had disengaged from Howard talks, and have said they won’t trade Gasol and Bynum in exchange for him, but there is, of course, plenty of time for them to re-engage. They don’t have much competition—the Nets have tried to find ways all year to collect enough assets to entice Orlando to trade Howard but had to put those plans on hold with center Brook Lopez, the key to any trade with the Magic, injured. The Knicks have nibbled at the Howard possibility, but would probably have to deal Carmelo Anthony to make it work, and that’s a longshot.
Until Orlando gets a credible offer, the scenario in which Howard finishes out his contract with the Magic and hits free agency in the summer remains the most probable.
Ray Allen, Celtics.
While there has been plenty of focus on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, sources indicate Allen has generated the most interest from contenders. He is a knock-down perimeter shooter and a veteran who can blend well with any team. Even at age 36, Allen is in great shape and, as a free agent after the season, an easy fit into a team’s books.
The Celtics don’t want to trade Allen, but if they continue to slide and are offered a young piece or a draft pick, making a deal would be hard to resist.
Shawn Marion, Mavericks.
Dallas has played better and gotten itself back into championship form, and Marion remains an important and underrated cog. But if the Mavericks believe they have a chance to land both Howard and Deron Williams in free agency next summer, they have to rid themselves of Marion’s salary now and use the amnesty clause on Brendan Haywood in July.
That, of course, would mean chipping away even more at the defending champs’ roster, which would be difficult given the players the Mavericks already lost and the fact that there’s no guarantee Williams and Howard will come to Dallas.
Stephen Jackson, Bucks.
Jackson has painted himself into a tough corner. He has not gotten along with coach Scott Skiles, and making matters worse, he has struggled badly on the floor, shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 27.8 percent on 3s, averaging just 10.5 points.
Problem is, he is making $9.3 million and has another year on his contract. The Bucks would give him away, if possible.
Nicolas Batum, Blazers.
Portland has two starting-quality small forwards, Batum and Gerald Wallace. Batum will be a restricted free agent next summer after failing to reach a deal with the Blazers on an extension in January. It’s unlikely that Portland will make long-term commitments to both Batum and Wallace, and considering the Blazers’ holes at point guard and in the frontcourt, trading Batum now for some immediate help makes sense.
Batum averages 13.9 points in 27.8 minutes, and shoots 42.3 percent on 3s, and there are plenty of teams that love his potential—he is still only 23.
Jose Calderon, Raptors.
Toronto would like to create cap space, and the easy way to do so would be to shed the $10.5 million Calderon is owed next year, which would free up more than $20 million this summer. The Raptors could use the amnesty clause on Calderon—who has played better and stayed healthy this year—but shuttling him somewhere else for a trade exception or an expiring deal allows Toronto to use amnesty elsewhere.
Michael Beasley, Timberwolves.
Beasley has reestablished some of his value in Minnesota, but ultimately, he is still a tweener and the Timberwolves want to see rookie Derrick Williams on the floor more. The Lakers’ interest in Beasley is real, but Minnesota would like to get something of value in return for him. If all they can get is a trade exception, they’d have to consider it.
“There has been as much of that as always,” one general manager told Sporting News. “It was just another All-Star weekend as far as that goes. I probably heard from most other guys. That does not necessarily mean we’re going to see that much movement, it just means everyone was asking the usual questions.”
Consider the extended version of this year’s trade-rumor season to be underway, then. There is, of course, one very big player overshadowing all of the trade market. But there are also about a dozen teams very conscious of their cap space situation, which could hinder player movement. Still, these are some players to keep an eye on:
Dwight Howard, Magic.
He’s the big fish, and the latest rumor, according to the Orlando Sentinel, has the Lakers back in the mix, sending Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to the Magic, with the Raptors acting as a third party, sending point guard Jose Calderon to Orlando.
The Lakers had disengaged from Howard talks, and have said they won’t trade Gasol and Bynum in exchange for him, but there is, of course, plenty of time for them to re-engage. They don’t have much competition—the Nets have tried to find ways all year to collect enough assets to entice Orlando to trade Howard but had to put those plans on hold with center Brook Lopez, the key to any trade with the Magic, injured. The Knicks have nibbled at the Howard possibility, but would probably have to deal Carmelo Anthony to make it work, and that’s a longshot.
Until Orlando gets a credible offer, the scenario in which Howard finishes out his contract with the Magic and hits free agency in the summer remains the most probable.
Ray Allen, Celtics.
While there has been plenty of focus on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, sources indicate Allen has generated the most interest from contenders. He is a knock-down perimeter shooter and a veteran who can blend well with any team. Even at age 36, Allen is in great shape and, as a free agent after the season, an easy fit into a team’s books.
The Celtics don’t want to trade Allen, but if they continue to slide and are offered a young piece or a draft pick, making a deal would be hard to resist.
Shawn Marion, Mavericks.
Dallas has played better and gotten itself back into championship form, and Marion remains an important and underrated cog. But if the Mavericks believe they have a chance to land both Howard and Deron Williams in free agency next summer, they have to rid themselves of Marion’s salary now and use the amnesty clause on Brendan Haywood in July.
That, of course, would mean chipping away even more at the defending champs’ roster, which would be difficult given the players the Mavericks already lost and the fact that there’s no guarantee Williams and Howard will come to Dallas.
Stephen Jackson, Bucks.
Jackson has painted himself into a tough corner. He has not gotten along with coach Scott Skiles, and making matters worse, he has struggled badly on the floor, shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 27.8 percent on 3s, averaging just 10.5 points.
Problem is, he is making $9.3 million and has another year on his contract. The Bucks would give him away, if possible.
Nicolas Batum, Blazers.
Portland has two starting-quality small forwards, Batum and Gerald Wallace. Batum will be a restricted free agent next summer after failing to reach a deal with the Blazers on an extension in January. It’s unlikely that Portland will make long-term commitments to both Batum and Wallace, and considering the Blazers’ holes at point guard and in the frontcourt, trading Batum now for some immediate help makes sense.
Batum averages 13.9 points in 27.8 minutes, and shoots 42.3 percent on 3s, and there are plenty of teams that love his potential—he is still only 23.
Jose Calderon, Raptors.
Toronto would like to create cap space, and the easy way to do so would be to shed the $10.5 million Calderon is owed next year, which would free up more than $20 million this summer. The Raptors could use the amnesty clause on Calderon—who has played better and stayed healthy this year—but shuttling him somewhere else for a trade exception or an expiring deal allows Toronto to use amnesty elsewhere.
Michael Beasley, Timberwolves.
Beasley has reestablished some of his value in Minnesota, but ultimately, he is still a tweener and the Timberwolves want to see rookie Derrick Williams on the floor more. The Lakers’ interest in Beasley is real, but Minnesota would like to get something of value in return for him. If all they can get is a trade exception, they’d have to consider it.
Alex Rodriguez says knee pain nearly forced Kobe Bryant to retire
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez told reporters this weekend that Lakers star Kobe Bryant considered retiring after last season because the pain in his right knee was nearly intolerable.
Bryant’s visit to Germany for special treatment on his knee allowed Bryant’s career to continue, Rodriguez said. The procedure, performed by Dr. Peter Wehling, involves drawing blood from the patient’s arm and then drawing platelets from that blood. The platelets are then injected into the injured area to stimulate tissue repair.
"I know that he was hurting before, almost even thinking about retirement, that's how much pain he was under. And then he said after he went to Germany he felt like a 27-year-old again," Rodriguez said, per the Los Angeles Times.
The treatment seems to have worked. After playing just 33.9 minutes per game last season—the lowest since his second year in the NBA—Bryant is averaging 38.2 minutes this season and is scoring a league-high 28.4 points per game, up from 25.3 last season.
Bryant recommended the treatment for Rodriguez.
"Now the thing is, if I can play as well as Kobe, we're in business," Rodriguez said.
"My knee does feel a lot better," he added. "Basically it was five injections right into your knee on five consecutive days. After the third day it felt pretty darn good. Kobe said, 'Look, your third or fourth day you actually will start feeling a lot better,' and he was exactly right."
Bryant’s visit to Germany for special treatment on his knee allowed Bryant’s career to continue, Rodriguez said. The procedure, performed by Dr. Peter Wehling, involves drawing blood from the patient’s arm and then drawing platelets from that blood. The platelets are then injected into the injured area to stimulate tissue repair.
"I know that he was hurting before, almost even thinking about retirement, that's how much pain he was under. And then he said after he went to Germany he felt like a 27-year-old again," Rodriguez said, per the Los Angeles Times.
The treatment seems to have worked. After playing just 33.9 minutes per game last season—the lowest since his second year in the NBA—Bryant is averaging 38.2 minutes this season and is scoring a league-high 28.4 points per game, up from 25.3 last season.
Bryant recommended the treatment for Rodriguez.
"Now the thing is, if I can play as well as Kobe, we're in business," Rodriguez said.
"My knee does feel a lot better," he added. "Basically it was five injections right into your knee on five consecutive days. After the third day it felt pretty darn good. Kobe said, 'Look, your third or fourth day you actually will start feeling a lot better,' and he was exactly right."
Kobe Bryant suffers concussion after hard foul from Dwyane Wade
Kobe Bryant sustained a mild concussion, in addition to a broken nose, after a hard foul by the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade in the third quarter of Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game in Orlando.
The broken nose and concussion should not keep Bryant out of any games, as he plans to play Wednesday when the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves, a source told Yahoo. Bryant had a CT scan in Orlando on Sunday night, before flying back to L.A., according to the report.
Bryant finished the All-Star Game with 27 points, breaking Michael Jordan’s record for most points in All-Star Game history in the process. Bryant now has 271 points over his All-Star Game career.
Wade, before knowing of Bryant’s broken nose and concussion, said after the game, “Obviously, I didn’t try to draw blood. Kobe fouled me two times in a row, so he’s still got one up on me. But I am glad that everything was cool and we got back to being competitive and having fun.”
The Lakers and Heat play Sunday in L.A.
The broken nose and concussion should not keep Bryant out of any games, as he plans to play Wednesday when the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves, a source told Yahoo. Bryant had a CT scan in Orlando on Sunday night, before flying back to L.A., according to the report.
Bryant finished the All-Star Game with 27 points, breaking Michael Jordan’s record for most points in All-Star Game history in the process. Bryant now has 271 points over his All-Star Game career.
Wade, before knowing of Bryant’s broken nose and concussion, said after the game, “Obviously, I didn’t try to draw blood. Kobe fouled me two times in a row, so he’s still got one up on me. But I am glad that everything was cool and we got back to being competitive and having fun.”
The Lakers and Heat play Sunday in L.A.
2.26.2012
Nike selling Jeremy Lin-themed shoe online
A report out of China last week said Nike has renewed its endorsement deal with Jeremy Lin and that plans for a Lin signature shoe is in the works. Nike is neither confirming nor denying this, but the company did start selling Lin-themed shoes, through the Nike iD customization process, on its website this weekend.
The $130 Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Low iD is not available at retail, but Nike is giving consumers the opportunity to create a shoe just like the one Lin has been wearing this season. Lin’s name can also be added to the tongue.
"Fans can utilize nikeid.com to create and purchase this shoe or other versions that include their own design inspiration," Nike spokesperson Brian Strong said, per Newsday.
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, as well as Jordan Brand endorsers Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, are the only current NBA players to have Nike signature shoes, The Oregonian noted.
When asked when Lin will get his own line of shoes, Strong said, "We are not commenting on any speculation around future plans for Jeremy."
The $130 Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Low iD is not available at retail, but Nike is giving consumers the opportunity to create a shoe just like the one Lin has been wearing this season. Lin’s name can also be added to the tongue.
"Fans can utilize nikeid.com to create and purchase this shoe or other versions that include their own design inspiration," Nike spokesperson Brian Strong said, per Newsday.
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, as well as Jordan Brand endorsers Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, are the only current NBA players to have Nike signature shoes, The Oregonian noted.
When asked when Lin will get his own line of shoes, Strong said, "We are not commenting on any speculation around future plans for Jeremy."
Will Dwight Howard, Deron Williams be on same team next season?
While the New York Knicks have reportedly made calls to the Orlando Magic to explore a trade for Dwight Howard, the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets seem to be more realistic landing spots for the NBA’s best center.
Howard also has the Lakers, in addition to the Mavs and Nets, on his short list, but he’s understood to be reluctant to follow in the footsteps of Shaquille O’Neal, and he had a conversation with Kobe Bryant that reportedly did not go over too well—Bryant allegedly told Howard that he’d be the team’s third offensive option and would not become the face of the team until Bryant retires. Bryant denied this.
An Eastern Conference GM told the New York Daily News that the Nets are optimistic about their chances to acquire Howard. “The Nets think they’re getting him,’’ the GM said.
But others round the league believe the Mavs are the favorites if the Magic don’t deal Howard before the March 15 trade deadline.
By many accounts, there’s a good change Howard and point guard Deron Williams will end up on the same team. Williams, who currently plays on the Nets but is a Dallas native, can opt for free agency this summer, too.
The Nets are “not trying to move Williams, not at all,” the GM said, per the Daily News. “They’re all-in to get Howard, one way or another. But if Williams leaves, then they’ll be an expansion team going to a new arena (in Brooklyn). That’s a disaster."
The Mavs have different ideas—teaming Howard and Williams with Dirk Nowitzki to form their own Big Three.
“The Mavs want to do what Miami did and put together their own big three,’’ another GM told the Daily News. “That’s their goal.”
Howard also has the Lakers, in addition to the Mavs and Nets, on his short list, but he’s understood to be reluctant to follow in the footsteps of Shaquille O’Neal, and he had a conversation with Kobe Bryant that reportedly did not go over too well—Bryant allegedly told Howard that he’d be the team’s third offensive option and would not become the face of the team until Bryant retires. Bryant denied this.
An Eastern Conference GM told the New York Daily News that the Nets are optimistic about their chances to acquire Howard. “The Nets think they’re getting him,’’ the GM said.
But others round the league believe the Mavs are the favorites if the Magic don’t deal Howard before the March 15 trade deadline.
By many accounts, there’s a good change Howard and point guard Deron Williams will end up on the same team. Williams, who currently plays on the Nets but is a Dallas native, can opt for free agency this summer, too.
The Nets are “not trying to move Williams, not at all,” the GM said, per the Daily News. “They’re all-in to get Howard, one way or another. But if Williams leaves, then they’ll be an expansion team going to a new arena (in Brooklyn). That’s a disaster."
The Mavs have different ideas—teaming Howard and Williams with Dirk Nowitzki to form their own Big Three.
“The Mavs want to do what Miami did and put together their own big three,’’ another GM told the Daily News. “That’s their goal.”
Mike Dunleavy involved in group close to buying New Orleans Hornets
Former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy is part of a group zeroing in on purchasing the New Orleans Hornets, ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. The group, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, is led by California-based businessman Raj Bhathal and also includes Larry J. Benson, the brother of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. Dunleavy has taken a lead negotiating role for the group, sources told ESPN.
NBA commissioner David Stern said during his state of the league press conference on Saturday that there are two groups lined up to buy the Hornets, which have been under NBA ownership since the league purchased the franchise from George Shinn in December 2010 for about $318 million, ESPN noted. Stern would not name the people involved in those bids but said he believes the transaction should happen within the next week to ten days.
Gary Chouest, who held a minority share of the Hornets when Shinn still owned the team, is reportedly heading the second group. Chouest’s deal to purchase the team from Shinn fell through in 2010, a development that led the league to take the franchise off Shinn's hands.
"We're optimistic that we will make a deal with group one," Stern said. "And we're a little bit behind here because we haven't concluded our deal with the state yet, but I think it's moving closer day by day. It's progressing well, but it's not finished. We expect to have it finished, I'm told, in the next week or ten days, and that's the period of time that we would like to hopefully have this deal for the sale of the club come into much sharper focus."
Dunleavy coached four different teams over 17 NBA seasons—the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers.
NBA commissioner David Stern said during his state of the league press conference on Saturday that there are two groups lined up to buy the Hornets, which have been under NBA ownership since the league purchased the franchise from George Shinn in December 2010 for about $318 million, ESPN noted. Stern would not name the people involved in those bids but said he believes the transaction should happen within the next week to ten days.
Gary Chouest, who held a minority share of the Hornets when Shinn still owned the team, is reportedly heading the second group. Chouest’s deal to purchase the team from Shinn fell through in 2010, a development that led the league to take the franchise off Shinn's hands.
"We're optimistic that we will make a deal with group one," Stern said. "And we're a little bit behind here because we haven't concluded our deal with the state yet, but I think it's moving closer day by day. It's progressing well, but it's not finished. We expect to have it finished, I'm told, in the next week or ten days, and that's the period of time that we would like to hopefully have this deal for the sale of the club come into much sharper focus."
Dunleavy coached four different teams over 17 NBA seasons—the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers.
New York Knicks knocking on Orlando Magic’s door to talk about Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard’s list of preferred teams, as far as anyone knows, has not changed beyond the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets, but that doesn’t mean others teams won’t make inquiries about trading for him. The New York Knicks may be first in line.
“I’m positive the Knicks have called just in case Dwight changes up,” an Eastern Conference GM told the New York Post. “I’m sure they’ve offered a combination of everybody, excluding Jeremy Lin, of course. (Magic GM) Otis (Smith) deserves a lot of credit for not putting it out on the street which teams have offered what.”
Those combinations almost certainly include center Tyson Chandler. There have already been rumored discussions between the Magic and Knicks about a Chandler-Amare Stoudemire package for Howard, and The Post wonders if Orlando would be amenable to a Chandler-Carmelo Anthony offer. Rookie guard Iman Shumpert could also be included, according to the report.
The Knicks would have to be willing to take on the two years and $23.8 million left on Hedo Turkoglu’s contract, as well as Chris Duhon’s $7.2 million two-year guarantee, The Post notes.
But the most likely scenario may be the Magic holding onto Howard with the hope of re-signing him at the end of the season, a source told Sporting News on Friday. Many around the league, according to The Post report, believe the same thing.
“I can tell you for a fact the Lakers offered Andrew Bynum and the Magic do not want him,” said a Western Conference executive.
“I’m positive the Knicks have called just in case Dwight changes up,” an Eastern Conference GM told the New York Post. “I’m sure they’ve offered a combination of everybody, excluding Jeremy Lin, of course. (Magic GM) Otis (Smith) deserves a lot of credit for not putting it out on the street which teams have offered what.”
Those combinations almost certainly include center Tyson Chandler. There have already been rumored discussions between the Magic and Knicks about a Chandler-Amare Stoudemire package for Howard, and The Post wonders if Orlando would be amenable to a Chandler-Carmelo Anthony offer. Rookie guard Iman Shumpert could also be included, according to the report.
The Knicks would have to be willing to take on the two years and $23.8 million left on Hedo Turkoglu’s contract, as well as Chris Duhon’s $7.2 million two-year guarantee, The Post notes.
But the most likely scenario may be the Magic holding onto Howard with the hope of re-signing him at the end of the season, a source told Sporting News on Friday. Many around the league, according to The Post report, believe the same thing.
“I can tell you for a fact the Lakers offered Andrew Bynum and the Magic do not want him,” said a Western Conference executive.
NBA must attract marquee players to add juice to dunk contest
ORLANDO, Fla. -- On the day before this year’s Slam Dunk contest, Heat forward LeBron James summed up the problem with the event—there isn’t much incentive for star players to be in it. James explained that the contest isn’t really his kind of thing, because he is a “game” dunker, not a props kind of guy. But, asked if he would participate if there was a $1 million prize on the line, James did not hesitate: “I would reconsider. Wouldn’t you?”
Of course. The question of why NBA stars don’t participate in the dunk contest is a common one around the league, but the reality is, they hesitate to say the obvious—they don’t compete because the prize money isn’t big enough. The $35,000 is a nice payday for young players still on their first contracts and those still looking to make a name for themselves. It’s not particularly significant for James, who earns more than five times that much in a single NBA game.
So you get the kind of field we had Saturday night, which actually featured some pretty good dunks but failed to register much on the excitement meter. The winner was Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans, who has appeared in just 16 games this year and averages 1.7 points per game. He was challenged by Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets and Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
George was the only starter in the group and, before the contest began, while he was shaking the hand of Dwyane Wade’s son, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said, “America has more of a chance of knowing who Dwyane Wade’s kid is than who these guys are.”
The dunk contest tends to ebb and flow through the years and, when you have a dull one like this, it’s easy to contemplate getting rid of it altogether. Dwight Howard resurrected the contest with his creativity and his addition of props—who can forget the phone booth in 2009?—but props have become so common that they’re now unremarkable.
George’s glow-in-the-dark dunk was cool, as was Evans’ two-ball dunk with an assist from Jazz teammate Gordon Hayward. But how many times can we watch someone jump over something, whether it’s a teammate (or two, as George did), or P-Diddy (as Budinger did), or a motorcycle (as Williams did)? Blake Griffin jumped over a car last year—that pretty much exhausts the possibilities when it comes to things to jump over.
The dunk contest is exhausted. There isn’t much left that can wow us, there isn’t much left that we will remember. Not unless the NBA can get its star players involved.
That comes back to money. We can sit and reminisce about the days when Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins were battling for dunker supremacy, but we can’t ignore the fact that they were doing that for very real financial reasons. They were not doing it for the glorification of the sport. Jordan won it in 1987 and ’88, and in those years, he made about $1.5 million combined. The dunk paycheck was big for him, and helped launch his very lucrative endorsement career. When Jordan got a raise to $2 million in 1989, he suddenly stopped competing in the dunk contest.
It’s time, then, for the NBA to make a choice. If the dunk contest is to be taken seriously, then it is going to have to be financed seriously—and yeah, it might take $1 million, maybe to charity, maybe to the player, maybe to a mix of the two. But if that can’t happen, it could be time to put the contest out of its misery.
Of course. The question of why NBA stars don’t participate in the dunk contest is a common one around the league, but the reality is, they hesitate to say the obvious—they don’t compete because the prize money isn’t big enough. The $35,000 is a nice payday for young players still on their first contracts and those still looking to make a name for themselves. It’s not particularly significant for James, who earns more than five times that much in a single NBA game.
So you get the kind of field we had Saturday night, which actually featured some pretty good dunks but failed to register much on the excitement meter. The winner was Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans, who has appeared in just 16 games this year and averages 1.7 points per game. He was challenged by Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets and Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
George was the only starter in the group and, before the contest began, while he was shaking the hand of Dwyane Wade’s son, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said, “America has more of a chance of knowing who Dwyane Wade’s kid is than who these guys are.”
The dunk contest tends to ebb and flow through the years and, when you have a dull one like this, it’s easy to contemplate getting rid of it altogether. Dwight Howard resurrected the contest with his creativity and his addition of props—who can forget the phone booth in 2009?—but props have become so common that they’re now unremarkable.
George’s glow-in-the-dark dunk was cool, as was Evans’ two-ball dunk with an assist from Jazz teammate Gordon Hayward. But how many times can we watch someone jump over something, whether it’s a teammate (or two, as George did), or P-Diddy (as Budinger did), or a motorcycle (as Williams did)? Blake Griffin jumped over a car last year—that pretty much exhausts the possibilities when it comes to things to jump over.
The dunk contest is exhausted. There isn’t much left that can wow us, there isn’t much left that we will remember. Not unless the NBA can get its star players involved.
That comes back to money. We can sit and reminisce about the days when Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins were battling for dunker supremacy, but we can’t ignore the fact that they were doing that for very real financial reasons. They were not doing it for the glorification of the sport. Jordan won it in 1987 and ’88, and in those years, he made about $1.5 million combined. The dunk paycheck was big for him, and helped launch his very lucrative endorsement career. When Jordan got a raise to $2 million in 1989, he suddenly stopped competing in the dunk contest.
It’s time, then, for the NBA to make a choice. If the dunk contest is to be taken seriously, then it is going to have to be financed seriously—and yeah, it might take $1 million, maybe to charity, maybe to the player, maybe to a mix of the two. But if that can’t happen, it could be time to put the contest out of its misery.
2012 NFL Scouting Combine: Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill stands out among skill players
INDIANAPOLIS—The NFL Scouting Combine's Sunday session featured quarterbacks, receivers and running backs. Here are the players who impressed and who struggled:
1. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 215, 33 3/8 arm, 4.36 (40 time)
Coming from a program like Georgia Tech and getting limited opportunities to show his receiving skills, the Combine was a huge opportunity. Hill aced his exams and impressed scouts with the day's fastest 40-yard time and fluid routes during drills. He also showed strong hands the ability to make acrobatic catches. Hill increased his value and should fly up draft boards with his combination of size and skills.
2. Chris Polk, RB, Washington, 5-11, 215 weight, 31 1/2 arm, 4.57 (40 time)
After looking a bit heavy at the Senior Bowl, Polk lost nine pounds and came to the Combine fit and trim. It was noticeable especially after knocking out a strong 40-yard dash. He accelerated quickly out of his cuts and looked more athletic in drills. Polk also answered questions about his skills as a receiver by running crisp routes and showing good-enough hands to be a three-down back at the next level.
3. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame, 6-3, 220, 32 7/8 arm, 4.47 (40 time)
Floyd had a lot to potentially lose Sunday. After running very and working out so well, Floyd locked up the spot as the second-best receiver in this draft. For a man of his size, he showed a combination of speed, agility and burst coming out of his breaks as a route-runner. Additionally, he caught the ball well by plucking the ball with his hands without letting it into his body. NFL teams love to see a top prospect have the confidence to compete and prove his skills, which is exactly what Floyd did Sunday.
4. Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State, 6-3, 214, 31 3/4 arm, 4.84 (40 time)
Of all the quarterbacks who worked out Sunday, Cousins stood out as the best. He showed a smooth, easy delivery and all of his passes were accurate. He no doubt benefited from playing in a pro-style offense at Michigan State. It showed as other quarterbacks looked unnatural in their three-, five- and seven-step drops, while Cousins made it look easy. He did a great job with his ball placement, allowing the receivers to make catches in stride.
5. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers, 6-2, 211, 33 1/2 arm, 4.67 (40 time)
Sanu is the most recent example of a big receiver who doesn't run fast 40-yard times, but shows enough compensating factors to be a highly effective player in the NFL. Many coaches and scouts learned a valuable lesson several years ago, when Anquan Boldin ran a 4.67 in the 40 and dropped down many draft boards. Although Sanu shows average explosiveness and burst, he has outstanding body control. He also does a great job of coming back to the quarterback, where his long arms and ability to extend to catch the ball away from his body make it nearly impossible for the corner to make a play.
Struggled (in order of least impressive performances)
1. Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas, 6-3, 219, 34 1/8 arm, 4.50 (40 time)
Childs has struggled through the postseason evaluations, including the Combine. While his measureables are good, Childs struggled to make catches throughout receiving drills and lacked explosiveness in his routes. He showed a lack of fluidity and rounded out his breaks consistently. His inability to plant and go means he'll struggle to create separation. With his Sunday performance, Childs is likely to fall to the lower rounds of the draft.
2. Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 6-1, 208, 30 7/8 arm, 4.75 (40 time)
Keenum's sidearm delivery and below-average arm strength made him look really bad in comparison to his peers. He particularly struggled in the short, underneath passes, which is strange considering the nature of his college spread offense. With his performance Sunday, it's unlikely Keenum will be drafted.
3. Patrick Witt, QB, Yale, 6-4, 225, 31 3/8 arm, did not run 40
Witt had more to prove coming from a lower-level program than some of his peers. Unfortunately, Witt confirmed he still has a lot of work to do before being considered as a draft-worthy prospect. He was the least accurate of all of the quarterbacks who worked out Sunday. Witt appeared to allow one bad throw to turn into several as he pressed on the big stage.
4. Marc Tyler, RB, USC, 5-11, 219, 32 arm, 4.78 (40 time)
Tyler struggled Sunday, starting with his time in the 40. In addition, he looked unnatural in transitions and showed poor balance during drills. In the bag drill, he was caught guessing instead of using patience and vision to get him through the hole. Tyler wasn’t nearly as productive at USC as he was projected to be coming out of high school. Adding Sunday’s performance to his college film, it’s difficult to imagine him being productive at the NFL level.
5. James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State, 5-7, 184, 29 5/8 arm, 4.68 (40 time)
Rodgers ran a disappointing 40 on Sunday. Combined with his stature and injury (knee) history, it's questionable he'll be drafted come April. On film, he looks like an elusive playmaker, but Rodgers didn't show the same flash during Sunday's workout. He may not be 100 percent just yet. He will need a big Pro Day to revive his draft status and join his brother Jacquizz (Falcons) in the NFL.
1. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 215, 33 3/8 arm, 4.36 (40 time)
Coming from a program like Georgia Tech and getting limited opportunities to show his receiving skills, the Combine was a huge opportunity. Hill aced his exams and impressed scouts with the day's fastest 40-yard time and fluid routes during drills. He also showed strong hands the ability to make acrobatic catches. Hill increased his value and should fly up draft boards with his combination of size and skills.
2. Chris Polk, RB, Washington, 5-11, 215 weight, 31 1/2 arm, 4.57 (40 time)
After looking a bit heavy at the Senior Bowl, Polk lost nine pounds and came to the Combine fit and trim. It was noticeable especially after knocking out a strong 40-yard dash. He accelerated quickly out of his cuts and looked more athletic in drills. Polk also answered questions about his skills as a receiver by running crisp routes and showing good-enough hands to be a three-down back at the next level.
3. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame, 6-3, 220, 32 7/8 arm, 4.47 (40 time)
Floyd had a lot to potentially lose Sunday. After running very and working out so well, Floyd locked up the spot as the second-best receiver in this draft. For a man of his size, he showed a combination of speed, agility and burst coming out of his breaks as a route-runner. Additionally, he caught the ball well by plucking the ball with his hands without letting it into his body. NFL teams love to see a top prospect have the confidence to compete and prove his skills, which is exactly what Floyd did Sunday.
4. Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State, 6-3, 214, 31 3/4 arm, 4.84 (40 time)
Of all the quarterbacks who worked out Sunday, Cousins stood out as the best. He showed a smooth, easy delivery and all of his passes were accurate. He no doubt benefited from playing in a pro-style offense at Michigan State. It showed as other quarterbacks looked unnatural in their three-, five- and seven-step drops, while Cousins made it look easy. He did a great job with his ball placement, allowing the receivers to make catches in stride.
5. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers, 6-2, 211, 33 1/2 arm, 4.67 (40 time)
Sanu is the most recent example of a big receiver who doesn't run fast 40-yard times, but shows enough compensating factors to be a highly effective player in the NFL. Many coaches and scouts learned a valuable lesson several years ago, when Anquan Boldin ran a 4.67 in the 40 and dropped down many draft boards. Although Sanu shows average explosiveness and burst, he has outstanding body control. He also does a great job of coming back to the quarterback, where his long arms and ability to extend to catch the ball away from his body make it nearly impossible for the corner to make a play.
Struggled (in order of least impressive performances)
1. Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas, 6-3, 219, 34 1/8 arm, 4.50 (40 time)
Childs has struggled through the postseason evaluations, including the Combine. While his measureables are good, Childs struggled to make catches throughout receiving drills and lacked explosiveness in his routes. He showed a lack of fluidity and rounded out his breaks consistently. His inability to plant and go means he'll struggle to create separation. With his Sunday performance, Childs is likely to fall to the lower rounds of the draft.
2. Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 6-1, 208, 30 7/8 arm, 4.75 (40 time)
Keenum's sidearm delivery and below-average arm strength made him look really bad in comparison to his peers. He particularly struggled in the short, underneath passes, which is strange considering the nature of his college spread offense. With his performance Sunday, it's unlikely Keenum will be drafted.
3. Patrick Witt, QB, Yale, 6-4, 225, 31 3/8 arm, did not run 40
Witt had more to prove coming from a lower-level program than some of his peers. Unfortunately, Witt confirmed he still has a lot of work to do before being considered as a draft-worthy prospect. He was the least accurate of all of the quarterbacks who worked out Sunday. Witt appeared to allow one bad throw to turn into several as he pressed on the big stage.
4. Marc Tyler, RB, USC, 5-11, 219, 32 arm, 4.78 (40 time)
Tyler struggled Sunday, starting with his time in the 40. In addition, he looked unnatural in transitions and showed poor balance during drills. In the bag drill, he was caught guessing instead of using patience and vision to get him through the hole. Tyler wasn’t nearly as productive at USC as he was projected to be coming out of high school. Adding Sunday’s performance to his college film, it’s difficult to imagine him being productive at the NFL level.
5. James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State, 5-7, 184, 29 5/8 arm, 4.68 (40 time)
Rodgers ran a disappointing 40 on Sunday. Combined with his stature and injury (knee) history, it's questionable he'll be drafted come April. On film, he looks like an elusive playmaker, but Rodgers didn't show the same flash during Sunday's workout. He may not be 100 percent just yet. He will need a big Pro Day to revive his draft status and join his brother Jacquizz (Falcons) in the NFL.
2012 NFL Scouting Combine: LaMichael James enhances draft value with strong overall Combine
INDIANAPOLIS—Former Oregon running back LaMichael James didn't waste his chance to grab attention Sunday at the NFL Combine.
Running an unofficial 4.37 in the 40, James displayed the kind of speed that will impress scouts and potentially elevate his draft stock. It has become difficult for running backs to crack the first round, with many teams feeling they can get effective backs later in the draft. Mark Ingram Jr., who went 28th to the Saints, was the only first-round running back last year. Trent Richardson of Alabama may be the only back taken in Round 1 this April.
"If you’re not Adrian Peterson, you probably shouldn’t be a top five, or a top 10 running back," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. "For instance, Darren McFadden, who I think went fourth, has had all the injury problems. There are so many other backs you can get later. Why not go down a little bit further?"
With Richardson (knee injury) not at the Combine, others backs had an opportunity to create some buzz. James did his part, making teams looking for a back more likely to look his way.
"I think I can do anything," James said. "I’ll be an all-round back. You don’t have to take me out on third down."
Lamar Miller of Miami (Fla.), Doug Martin of Boise State and David Wilson of Virginia Tech are other backs hoping to go no later than the second round. But James’ Combine speed will be a plus on his resume, and he believes the size he has added will also be viewed us a plus. James measured at 5-foot-9, 194.5 pounds. He believes that will help his durability and pass blocking.
"I think pass blocking is just effort," James said. "If you’re scrappy, I think the job is not to let the defender get to the quarterback, and that’s the most important thing. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, as long as you don’t get caught for holding.’’
Whether James excels at pass blocking remains to be seen. But Sunday, he excelled at getting from point A to point B.
Running an unofficial 4.37 in the 40, James displayed the kind of speed that will impress scouts and potentially elevate his draft stock. It has become difficult for running backs to crack the first round, with many teams feeling they can get effective backs later in the draft. Mark Ingram Jr., who went 28th to the Saints, was the only first-round running back last year. Trent Richardson of Alabama may be the only back taken in Round 1 this April.
"If you’re not Adrian Peterson, you probably shouldn’t be a top five, or a top 10 running back," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. "For instance, Darren McFadden, who I think went fourth, has had all the injury problems. There are so many other backs you can get later. Why not go down a little bit further?"
With Richardson (knee injury) not at the Combine, others backs had an opportunity to create some buzz. James did his part, making teams looking for a back more likely to look his way.
"I think I can do anything," James said. "I’ll be an all-round back. You don’t have to take me out on third down."
Lamar Miller of Miami (Fla.), Doug Martin of Boise State and David Wilson of Virginia Tech are other backs hoping to go no later than the second round. But James’ Combine speed will be a plus on his resume, and he believes the size he has added will also be viewed us a plus. James measured at 5-foot-9, 194.5 pounds. He believes that will help his durability and pass blocking.
"I think pass blocking is just effort," James said. "If you’re scrappy, I think the job is not to let the defender get to the quarterback, and that’s the most important thing. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, as long as you don’t get caught for holding.’’
Whether James excels at pass blocking remains to be seen. But Sunday, he excelled at getting from point A to point B.
2012 NFL Scouting Combine: Janoris Jenkins tries to convince NFL teams he's a changed man
INDIANAPOLIS – For Janoris Jenkins, interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine have been more like interrogations.
How many times has he been arrested? How many drug tests did he fail in college? Does he still smoke marijuana?
Jenkins, a 5-foot-10 cornerback from North Alabama, is hoping his draft stock is not severely hurt by his troubled past. It’s an interesting case. Jenkins is one of the draft’s most talented corners with clear first-round talent. But he may fall to the second round, because teams must determine if Jenkins has really matured, or if he has simply learned to say the right things.
'One of the ultimate boom-or-bust guys in this draft,’’ said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock during a pre-Combine conference call.
Sunday during his media session, Jenkins was calm and straightforward, patiently answering questions. After all, Jenkins has a lot of explaining to do.
"I’m grateful for my second chance,’’ said Jenkins, who landed at North Alabama after being dismissed from the team at Florida.
Jenkins said he failed one drug test at Florida and was arrested three times -- once for a bar fight and twice for marijuana possession. When teams have asked about those incidents at the Combine, Jenkins said he didn't make excuses.
"I was honest, straightforward," Jenkins. "Told them I did it. I admitted to everything. I take full responsibility. I learned from it. It made me a stronger person. How to separate myself from certain guys, certain people. In order to be successful at the next level, I can’t do the things that I used to do.’’
Teams looking for a first-round corner have options. Morris Claiborne of LSU, Leonard Johnson of Iowa State, Trumaine Johnson of Montana and Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama are among the other top prospects. Any of those corners would be a safer pick than Jenkins. But Jenkins has eye-opening ability. Some think he can be a better NFL corner than former Florida teammate Joe Haden, drafted seventh by the Browns in 2010.
However, Jenkins knows some teams will eliminate him from their draft board. What’s past is not always past. Not when it comes to paying a draft pick millions of dollars and trusting him to stay out of trouble.
"I’m pretty sure it will hurt me," Jenkins said. "But I’m moving past that."
Jenkins has plenty of motivation to earn NFL dollars. He is 23 years old, but he already has four children ranging in age from three years old to three months.
Playing at North Alabama was far different than being at Florida. North Alabama sometimes played on Thursday night, giving Jenkins a chance to watch Florida play on Saturdays. Jenkins said that was difficult.
"It struck me," Jenkins said. "I was just like, 'Man, I’m supposed to be there with those guys.
"It made me appreciate a lot. Coming from Florida, getting three or four pair of cleats a week. Going to North Alabama, getting one pair of cleats. Playing in front of 3,500 people. Being in The Swamp, playing in front of 95,000 is a big difference."
Jenkins said he had given up marijuana.
"I’m done," Jenkins said. "I can’t do it. I thought about my mom and my kids. In order for them to have a nice life, I have to put that aside."
When defensive backs go through Combine workouts on Tuesday, Jenkins hopes to impress with his speed and overall skill-set. Jenkins said he was rarely tested at North Alabama, only thrown at by opposing quarterbacks three or four times per game. Why challenge Jenkins when you can throw elsewhere?
Now Jenkins is back competing against college football’s best players, vying for attention at the Combine, trying to convince interested teams he is a changed man. The Cowboys (No. 14 pick), Bengals (No. 17) and Lions (No. 23) are among the teams that could take a hard look at Jenkins.
If they all pass, Jenkins could tumble into Round 2. However, cover corners are precious commodities, and Jenkins may be the most talented of this year’s group.
"They see the talent," Jenkins said. "They just want to know what kind of kid I am. I’m not a bad kid. I’ve made a few mistakes and I learned from them. Everything I did, I did. I’m admitting it. I did it. I’m looking to put that in my past and move forward."
But the Combine will help determine how much Jenkins’ past impacts his future.
How many times has he been arrested? How many drug tests did he fail in college? Does he still smoke marijuana?
Jenkins, a 5-foot-10 cornerback from North Alabama, is hoping his draft stock is not severely hurt by his troubled past. It’s an interesting case. Jenkins is one of the draft’s most talented corners with clear first-round talent. But he may fall to the second round, because teams must determine if Jenkins has really matured, or if he has simply learned to say the right things.
'One of the ultimate boom-or-bust guys in this draft,’’ said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock during a pre-Combine conference call.
Sunday during his media session, Jenkins was calm and straightforward, patiently answering questions. After all, Jenkins has a lot of explaining to do.
"I’m grateful for my second chance,’’ said Jenkins, who landed at North Alabama after being dismissed from the team at Florida.
Jenkins said he failed one drug test at Florida and was arrested three times -- once for a bar fight and twice for marijuana possession. When teams have asked about those incidents at the Combine, Jenkins said he didn't make excuses.
"I was honest, straightforward," Jenkins. "Told them I did it. I admitted to everything. I take full responsibility. I learned from it. It made me a stronger person. How to separate myself from certain guys, certain people. In order to be successful at the next level, I can’t do the things that I used to do.’’
Teams looking for a first-round corner have options. Morris Claiborne of LSU, Leonard Johnson of Iowa State, Trumaine Johnson of Montana and Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama are among the other top prospects. Any of those corners would be a safer pick than Jenkins. But Jenkins has eye-opening ability. Some think he can be a better NFL corner than former Florida teammate Joe Haden, drafted seventh by the Browns in 2010.
However, Jenkins knows some teams will eliminate him from their draft board. What’s past is not always past. Not when it comes to paying a draft pick millions of dollars and trusting him to stay out of trouble.
"I’m pretty sure it will hurt me," Jenkins said. "But I’m moving past that."
Jenkins has plenty of motivation to earn NFL dollars. He is 23 years old, but he already has four children ranging in age from three years old to three months.
Playing at North Alabama was far different than being at Florida. North Alabama sometimes played on Thursday night, giving Jenkins a chance to watch Florida play on Saturdays. Jenkins said that was difficult.
"It struck me," Jenkins said. "I was just like, 'Man, I’m supposed to be there with those guys.
"It made me appreciate a lot. Coming from Florida, getting three or four pair of cleats a week. Going to North Alabama, getting one pair of cleats. Playing in front of 3,500 people. Being in The Swamp, playing in front of 95,000 is a big difference."
Jenkins said he had given up marijuana.
"I’m done," Jenkins said. "I can’t do it. I thought about my mom and my kids. In order for them to have a nice life, I have to put that aside."
When defensive backs go through Combine workouts on Tuesday, Jenkins hopes to impress with his speed and overall skill-set. Jenkins said he was rarely tested at North Alabama, only thrown at by opposing quarterbacks three or four times per game. Why challenge Jenkins when you can throw elsewhere?
Now Jenkins is back competing against college football’s best players, vying for attention at the Combine, trying to convince interested teams he is a changed man. The Cowboys (No. 14 pick), Bengals (No. 17) and Lions (No. 23) are among the teams that could take a hard look at Jenkins.
If they all pass, Jenkins could tumble into Round 2. However, cover corners are precious commodities, and Jenkins may be the most talented of this year’s group.
"They see the talent," Jenkins said. "They just want to know what kind of kid I am. I’m not a bad kid. I’ve made a few mistakes and I learned from them. Everything I did, I did. I’m admitting it. I did it. I’m looking to put that in my past and move forward."
But the Combine will help determine how much Jenkins’ past impacts his future.
2.24.2012
NBA dunk contest has lost some shine, but not to Kenny Smith
ORLANDO—Kenny Smith knows a little bit about dunk contests.
During his playing career, Smith appeared in three All-Star weekend dunk contests, with only three players having appeared in more—Dominique Wilkins (six), Clyde Drexler (five) and Nate Robinson (four). He has had a first-hand view, then, of how these things can go. In his first contest, Smith was runner-up to Wilkins, a legendary dunker. In his second, he lost to relatively unknown rookie Dee Brown and, in his third, the winner was an equally unknown rookie, Harold Miner.
Wilkins is a Hall of Famer. But when NBA fans hear the names “Dee Brown” or “Harold Miner,” it is the dunk contest that immediately comes to mind. Miner did little in his four-year NBA career besides win those contests, and Brown landed a major Reebok ad campaign by pumping up his shoes before his dunk. So when Smith hears fans complain that players such as LeBron James, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard are not in this year’s contest, he rolls his eyes.
“I can’t wait for the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, that is always one of my favorite things to see,” Smith told Sporting News. “When you think (about) some of the great dunk contests, they aren’t always the guys you think. It would be great to have Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin in there, sure. But think about it—-we didn’t really hear of Nate Robinson, we didn’t hear much about Spud Webb or Brent Barry or Harold Miner or Dee Brown before they won the dunk contest. These guys make their names there. This is their opportunity to shine, when they have this stage.”
This year’s field is especially unknown, especially with the withdrawal of Knicks guard Iman Shumpert. Pacers guard Paul George is the only starter among the group, and the only player averaging double-figure scoring (12.1 points per game). Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams made his name in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and was the No. 2 pick in the draft. Rockets forward Chase Budinger—-who was also a volleyball star—will be in the mix, as will Shumpert’s replacement, Jazz forward Jeremy Evans.
All are dunk-contest newbies, and Smith said it is almost impossible to imagine what making your dunk-contest debut is like. “That was the first time in my life when I walked on the court in my team uniform and I looked around, and I didn’t have my team with me,” Smith said. “All these things you practice when you were alone out there, well now, you’re not alone. I was excited. It was a surreal kind of moment. They’re looking at you out there.”
So who will we be looking at when the trophy is handed out? Smith was not going to venture a guess. “We don’t know whether these guys are game dunkers or prop dunkers,” he said. “We don’t know-—there is a different flair, a different confidence you need to be a contest dunker. You will try things in a dunk contest you would not normally try.”
We, though, will take a stab at it …
Dunk contest: Budinger. Evans is a darkhorse in this contest, but Budinger has great athleticism and might, somehow, get Yao Ming involved in this thing. Back in 2006, Budinger was the runner-up of the McDonald’s All-America game dunk contest.
3-point contest: Anthony Morrow. Morrow does one thing and he does it very well-—he can shoot. He has shot better than 40 percent on 3-pointers in each of the four years he has been in the league, and his 43.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line would rank fourth in league history. Plus, Morrow is honoring the late Nets star Drazen Petrovic by wearing his jersey, which is pretty cool.
Skills contest: Kyrie Irving. We’re looking for Irving to follow in the footsteps of another No. 1 overall rookie point guard, Derrick Rose, who won the contest in 2009. Irving does not quite have the speed of Rose, but he does have enough skill to take this title.
During his playing career, Smith appeared in three All-Star weekend dunk contests, with only three players having appeared in more—Dominique Wilkins (six), Clyde Drexler (five) and Nate Robinson (four). He has had a first-hand view, then, of how these things can go. In his first contest, Smith was runner-up to Wilkins, a legendary dunker. In his second, he lost to relatively unknown rookie Dee Brown and, in his third, the winner was an equally unknown rookie, Harold Miner.
Wilkins is a Hall of Famer. But when NBA fans hear the names “Dee Brown” or “Harold Miner,” it is the dunk contest that immediately comes to mind. Miner did little in his four-year NBA career besides win those contests, and Brown landed a major Reebok ad campaign by pumping up his shoes before his dunk. So when Smith hears fans complain that players such as LeBron James, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard are not in this year’s contest, he rolls his eyes.
“I can’t wait for the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, that is always one of my favorite things to see,” Smith told Sporting News. “When you think (about) some of the great dunk contests, they aren’t always the guys you think. It would be great to have Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin in there, sure. But think about it—-we didn’t really hear of Nate Robinson, we didn’t hear much about Spud Webb or Brent Barry or Harold Miner or Dee Brown before they won the dunk contest. These guys make their names there. This is their opportunity to shine, when they have this stage.”
This year’s field is especially unknown, especially with the withdrawal of Knicks guard Iman Shumpert. Pacers guard Paul George is the only starter among the group, and the only player averaging double-figure scoring (12.1 points per game). Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams made his name in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and was the No. 2 pick in the draft. Rockets forward Chase Budinger—-who was also a volleyball star—will be in the mix, as will Shumpert’s replacement, Jazz forward Jeremy Evans.
All are dunk-contest newbies, and Smith said it is almost impossible to imagine what making your dunk-contest debut is like. “That was the first time in my life when I walked on the court in my team uniform and I looked around, and I didn’t have my team with me,” Smith said. “All these things you practice when you were alone out there, well now, you’re not alone. I was excited. It was a surreal kind of moment. They’re looking at you out there.”
So who will we be looking at when the trophy is handed out? Smith was not going to venture a guess. “We don’t know whether these guys are game dunkers or prop dunkers,” he said. “We don’t know-—there is a different flair, a different confidence you need to be a contest dunker. You will try things in a dunk contest you would not normally try.”
We, though, will take a stab at it …
Dunk contest: Budinger. Evans is a darkhorse in this contest, but Budinger has great athleticism and might, somehow, get Yao Ming involved in this thing. Back in 2006, Budinger was the runner-up of the McDonald’s All-America game dunk contest.
3-point contest: Anthony Morrow. Morrow does one thing and he does it very well-—he can shoot. He has shot better than 40 percent on 3-pointers in each of the four years he has been in the league, and his 43.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line would rank fourth in league history. Plus, Morrow is honoring the late Nets star Drazen Petrovic by wearing his jersey, which is pretty cool.
Skills contest: Kyrie Irving. We’re looking for Irving to follow in the footsteps of another No. 1 overall rookie point guard, Derrick Rose, who won the contest in 2009. Irving does not quite have the speed of Rose, but he does have enough skill to take this title.
Jeremy Lin growing tired of all the attention
It has been quite a rise for point guard Jeremy Lin, who went from hoping he would not get cut (what would have been the third time this year) from the Knicks a few weeks ago to gaining international acclaim with an eyebrow-raising 12-game stretch. On Friday, the league anticipated a media crush for Lin and his participation in the BBVA Rising Stars game that they gave him his own 20-minute press conference.
At this point, Lin wouldn’t mind having the attention rolled back a bit. “I am definitely surprised that people are still talking about Linsanity or whatever,” he said. “I think, hopefully, as the season progresses it will go from that to New York Knicks. And hopefully the Knicks can win basketball games and we can make a good push after the All-Star break and people will start talking about the Knicks and not necessarily me.”
The Knicks are still very much a work in progress. The had a seven-game winning streak that got the Lin ball rolling, but they have dropped two of their last three games as the team has been working star small forward Carmelo Anthony back into the lineup. That has been a hot topic of discussion, but when asked on Friday about which players have helped him along the most during his rise, Lin pointed first to his best friend on the team, Landry Fields. But Anthony was next.
“Carmelo, I think a lot of people have asked how is he fitting in, what is his attitude,” Lin said, “but he has definitely taken me under his wing, he talks to me pretty much every timeout, given me a lot of advice, he told me to keep being aggressive, keep doing what I’ve been doing and we’ll learn to play off of each other.”
Lin has not been shy about going to veterans for guidance, and they have been supportive. Apart from Fields and Anthony, Lin said a couple other veterans have offered big-time help. “The other two that really stand out, Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries,” Lin said. “Tyson is an unbelievable leader, a professional, he plays the way he carries himself. He called me last night (after the Knicks’ loss to the Heat), just to kind of pick me up and give me words of encouragement. And Jared, the most underrated guy on our team, he is an absolute team-first guy. His defense has been unbelievable. He is always talking to me and he has been in the league for a while.”
At this point, Lin wouldn’t mind having the attention rolled back a bit. “I am definitely surprised that people are still talking about Linsanity or whatever,” he said. “I think, hopefully, as the season progresses it will go from that to New York Knicks. And hopefully the Knicks can win basketball games and we can make a good push after the All-Star break and people will start talking about the Knicks and not necessarily me.”
The Knicks are still very much a work in progress. The had a seven-game winning streak that got the Lin ball rolling, but they have dropped two of their last three games as the team has been working star small forward Carmelo Anthony back into the lineup. That has been a hot topic of discussion, but when asked on Friday about which players have helped him along the most during his rise, Lin pointed first to his best friend on the team, Landry Fields. But Anthony was next.
“Carmelo, I think a lot of people have asked how is he fitting in, what is his attitude,” Lin said, “but he has definitely taken me under his wing, he talks to me pretty much every timeout, given me a lot of advice, he told me to keep being aggressive, keep doing what I’ve been doing and we’ll learn to play off of each other.”
Lin has not been shy about going to veterans for guidance, and they have been supportive. Apart from Fields and Anthony, Lin said a couple other veterans have offered big-time help. “The other two that really stand out, Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries,” Lin said. “Tyson is an unbelievable leader, a professional, he plays the way he carries himself. He called me last night (after the Knicks’ loss to the Heat), just to kind of pick me up and give me words of encouragement. And Jared, the most underrated guy on our team, he is an absolute team-first guy. His defense has been unbelievable. He is always talking to me and he has been in the league for a while.”
Reggie Miller, Maurice Cheeks lead 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame finalists
NBA ORLANDO—In some ways, it is still baffling that Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller is not yet in the Hall of Fame. He took a step toward achieving that on Friday, though, when he was named one of 12 finalists for enshrinement in Springfield, Mass.
Introduced among a handful of Hall of Fame inductees—including Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin, Chris Mullin and David Robinson—Miller said, “It’s great. I’ve played against a lot of these guys up here and I’ve watched a lot of them. … So, it’s wonderful to just even be mentioned with these guys.”
Also being considered are point guard Maurice Cheeks, forward Bernard King, center Ralph Sampson, forward Jamaal Wilkes, referee Hank Nichols, and coaches Rick Pitino, Don Nelson, Dick Motta and Bill Fitch. Katrina McClain, a two-time gold medalist for Team USA women’s basketball is also a candidate, as well as the All-American Red Heads, the first professional female basketball team. The announcement of the inductees will come during Final Four weekend in New Orleans, and enshrinement will take place on Sep. 7.
Miller scored 25,279 career points and was the league’s top 3-point shooter until last year, when Boston’s Ray Allen broke his record. He played all 18 years of his career with the Pacers, three of those with Mullin.
“Reggie Miller, man, what an incredible player,” Mullin told Sporting News. “I had the great fortune to play with him for three years, and those were three of the most professional teams I ever played on. You’re talking about a clutch, big-time performer on the big stage, a great teammate, one of the hardest workers I have even seen. He was everything to that city. What Peyton Manning is now, that’s what Reggie Miller is to Indianapolis.”
Also honored on Friday were “direct electees” Lidya Alexeeva (International committee); Mel Daniels, (ABA committee); Don Barksdale (Early African-American committee); Chet Walker (Veterans committee); and Nike founder Phil Knight (Contributors committee). Veteran writer Sam Smith and Portland broadcaster Bill Schonely were given the Curt Gowdy media awards.
Magic senior vice president Pat Williams was also given the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. He was the general manager of the Sixers when Cheeks was drafted, and called Cheeks, “the best all-around true point guard in the history of basketball.”
Scott Brooks, who coaches Oklahoma City, where Cheeks is an assistant, echoed Williams’ praise. “It’s actually surprising that he hasn’t been included in the Hall of Fame already,” Brooks told Sporting News. “I have known him since I was his rookie back in my rookie year in the late ‘80s in Philadelphia. I have known him for more than 20 years. He represents himself and the NBA and the game of basketball in the highest form that you can represent it.
"When he left the game, he was first in history in steals, fifth in assists, he has been a head coach twice, the team he played on in ’83 might be one of the best teams ever. Maurice is a great guy and I hope the voters look at him in the way I look at him.”
Introduced among a handful of Hall of Fame inductees—including Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin, Chris Mullin and David Robinson—Miller said, “It’s great. I’ve played against a lot of these guys up here and I’ve watched a lot of them. … So, it’s wonderful to just even be mentioned with these guys.”
Also being considered are point guard Maurice Cheeks, forward Bernard King, center Ralph Sampson, forward Jamaal Wilkes, referee Hank Nichols, and coaches Rick Pitino, Don Nelson, Dick Motta and Bill Fitch. Katrina McClain, a two-time gold medalist for Team USA women’s basketball is also a candidate, as well as the All-American Red Heads, the first professional female basketball team. The announcement of the inductees will come during Final Four weekend in New Orleans, and enshrinement will take place on Sep. 7.
Miller scored 25,279 career points and was the league’s top 3-point shooter until last year, when Boston’s Ray Allen broke his record. He played all 18 years of his career with the Pacers, three of those with Mullin.
“Reggie Miller, man, what an incredible player,” Mullin told Sporting News. “I had the great fortune to play with him for three years, and those were three of the most professional teams I ever played on. You’re talking about a clutch, big-time performer on the big stage, a great teammate, one of the hardest workers I have even seen. He was everything to that city. What Peyton Manning is now, that’s what Reggie Miller is to Indianapolis.”
Also honored on Friday were “direct electees” Lidya Alexeeva (International committee); Mel Daniels, (ABA committee); Don Barksdale (Early African-American committee); Chet Walker (Veterans committee); and Nike founder Phil Knight (Contributors committee). Veteran writer Sam Smith and Portland broadcaster Bill Schonely were given the Curt Gowdy media awards.
Magic senior vice president Pat Williams was also given the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. He was the general manager of the Sixers when Cheeks was drafted, and called Cheeks, “the best all-around true point guard in the history of basketball.”
Scott Brooks, who coaches Oklahoma City, where Cheeks is an assistant, echoed Williams’ praise. “It’s actually surprising that he hasn’t been included in the Hall of Fame already,” Brooks told Sporting News. “I have known him since I was his rookie back in my rookie year in the late ‘80s in Philadelphia. I have known him for more than 20 years. He represents himself and the NBA and the game of basketball in the highest form that you can represent it.
"When he left the game, he was first in history in steals, fifth in assists, he has been a head coach twice, the team he played on in ’83 might be one of the best teams ever. Maurice is a great guy and I hope the voters look at him in the way I look at him.”
NBA: Rasheed Wallace to sign with Lakers
Rasheed Wallace, who hasn't played since Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, will come out of retirement to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to CSN New England.
Reports surfaced last month that Wallace was serious about returning to the game.
The big question with Wallace, 37, given his status as one of the most skilled big men of his era and ability to shoot and defend, is whether he's in shape to play. It's the same question that dogged him during his final season with the Boston Celtics, who, according to CSN, had no interest in bringing him back. That apparently is not an issue—Wallace has reportedly worked out hard and is in better shape than he was before his retirement.
If Wallace indeed signs with the Lakers, the next question becomes whether the team is bringing him in as a potential replacement for Pau Gasol, who has been the subject of trade rumors and drama for the entire season. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said Monday that the team would continue exploring trade proposals after Kobe Bryant stated that it was time for the team to either move Gasol or take him off the block.
Gasol, in his 11th season is averaging a career-low 16.6 points and has said the rumors have bothered him. One Western Conference executive told Hoopsworld that the Lakers are overvaluing him.
“I doubt Pau goes anywhere,” the executive said. “I love Pau, but the Lakers are asking for way too much.”
Additionally, one front-office executive source told CSN that Wallace's days as a starter are over—a fact that likely means that Gasol will be unaffected.
"His days as a starter in this league are gone," said the source. "I think he knows that, and so do the Lakers. But think about it. Of the big men that are available, is there one that's really better? And if he's gotten himself in shape, adding him becomes a huge get for them."
In 15 seasons with Washington, Portland, Atlanta, Detroit and Boston, Wallace averaged 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Reports surfaced last month that Wallace was serious about returning to the game.
The big question with Wallace, 37, given his status as one of the most skilled big men of his era and ability to shoot and defend, is whether he's in shape to play. It's the same question that dogged him during his final season with the Boston Celtics, who, according to CSN, had no interest in bringing him back. That apparently is not an issue—Wallace has reportedly worked out hard and is in better shape than he was before his retirement.
If Wallace indeed signs with the Lakers, the next question becomes whether the team is bringing him in as a potential replacement for Pau Gasol, who has been the subject of trade rumors and drama for the entire season. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said Monday that the team would continue exploring trade proposals after Kobe Bryant stated that it was time for the team to either move Gasol or take him off the block.
Gasol, in his 11th season is averaging a career-low 16.6 points and has said the rumors have bothered him. One Western Conference executive told Hoopsworld that the Lakers are overvaluing him.
“I doubt Pau goes anywhere,” the executive said. “I love Pau, but the Lakers are asking for way too much.”
Additionally, one front-office executive source told CSN that Wallace's days as a starter are over—a fact that likely means that Gasol will be unaffected.
"His days as a starter in this league are gone," said the source. "I think he knows that, and so do the Lakers. But think about it. Of the big men that are available, is there one that's really better? And if he's gotten himself in shape, adding him becomes a huge get for them."
In 15 seasons with Washington, Portland, Atlanta, Detroit and Boston, Wallace averaged 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Steve Nash sees himself playing longer, still not on market
NBA ORLANDO—Suns point guard Steve Nash just turned 38, which, for most players, would mean the second or third year of a comfortable retirement. Instead, Nash spent part of Friday afternoon perched on a stage here, talking about his NBA future—a future that, considering he is averaging 13.9 points and a league-high 10.9 assists, he can imagine going on for at least two more years.
“We’ll see,” Nash said when asked how many years he had left. “I really don’t know. You can’t predict Father Time. But I still feel capable. I would like to think next year I can play the same way and I can be capable the year after. But at this stage, it is hard to look three, four, five years down the road. But I could still play a long time.”
Of course, in the early part of the year, there was some question about whether Nash would play out his contract in Phoenix, where he has been since leaving Dallas in 2004. The Suns, with a 14-20 record, are on the wane, and it would make sense for Nash, who is in the last year of his deal, to push the organization to deal him to a contender. It might also make sense for the team to get something in return for Nash ahead of his free agency.
But general managers around the league have said that the Suns are not taking offers for Nash. And Nash—as he has said all year—insists he perfectly happy with that.
“I am happy where I am,” Nash said. “I am not happy with our record but I feel like I owe it to our fans and my teammates. But at the same time, I would understand if the team wanted to make a move. I am completely open and to be honest, I am just trying to occupy myself helping every player on the team play as well as he can.”
In fact, Nash said on Friday that he was not even aware that trade talk about him had been muted recently. It’s just not in his consciousness. “I really don’t know about it,” Nash said. “You could have told me trade talk was on the rise and I would have said, ‘Oh, really?’ I don’t know whether it has died down or what. I have tried to stay oblivious to all the chatter, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I am just trying to concentrate on preparing myself and being the best that I can for my team. Outside of that, especially this season, I don’t have time.”
“We’ll see,” Nash said when asked how many years he had left. “I really don’t know. You can’t predict Father Time. But I still feel capable. I would like to think next year I can play the same way and I can be capable the year after. But at this stage, it is hard to look three, four, five years down the road. But I could still play a long time.”
Of course, in the early part of the year, there was some question about whether Nash would play out his contract in Phoenix, where he has been since leaving Dallas in 2004. The Suns, with a 14-20 record, are on the wane, and it would make sense for Nash, who is in the last year of his deal, to push the organization to deal him to a contender. It might also make sense for the team to get something in return for Nash ahead of his free agency.
But general managers around the league have said that the Suns are not taking offers for Nash. And Nash—as he has said all year—insists he perfectly happy with that.
“I am happy where I am,” Nash said. “I am not happy with our record but I feel like I owe it to our fans and my teammates. But at the same time, I would understand if the team wanted to make a move. I am completely open and to be honest, I am just trying to occupy myself helping every player on the team play as well as he can.”
In fact, Nash said on Friday that he was not even aware that trade talk about him had been muted recently. It’s just not in his consciousness. “I really don’t know about it,” Nash said. “You could have told me trade talk was on the rise and I would have said, ‘Oh, really?’ I don’t know whether it has died down or what. I have tried to stay oblivious to all the chatter, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I am just trying to concentrate on preparing myself and being the best that I can for my team. Outside of that, especially this season, I don’t have time.”
Linsanity spares U.S. Olympics team
ORLANDO—The world has been on a Jeremy Lin bender. Thankfully, Jerry Colangelo has managed to remain sober.
He likes the kid and all that. But as boss of USA basketball, Colangelo’s first priority is to win a gold medal, not a popularity contest.
Sorry, Linsanity sufferers. London is not calling for Jeremy Lin.
“You don’t go from A to Z in life in anything,” Colangelo said. “You have to pay your dues.”
MORE ON JEREMY LIN
Lin may not have gone to Z, but he’s pretty near T or U or V. If People magazine conducted a poll, Lin would probably be the starting point guard for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.
Repeat after Colangelo:
Not. Gonna. Happen.
He didn’t actually say those words Friday. Colangelo was at All-Star Weekend to unveil Team USA’s pre-Olympic schedule. The NBA’s hottest topic inevitably came up.
Reading between his diplomatic lines, Colangelo is a voice crying in the Lin wilderness. He’s not even worried that Lin might take his basketball skills to Beijing, though the possibility that Lin plays for China in the London Games at least exists.
If that makes Colangelo the Grinch Who Stole Linsanity, he’ll take the rap.
“It’s a great story for the NBA and a great story for him,” Colangelo said. “But one week or two doesn’t make a career.”
The bottom line is that Lin is a good player. But the hype has far exceeded his basketball resume. Colangelo would have said that before Thursday night’s game, when the Heat basically made Lin look like an undrafted free agent from Harvard.
“Players always have to go around the league a couple of times. You get to know them and make adjustments,” Colangelo said. “Let’s talk again after another 20 games, and we’ll see how he’d doing.”
Even if Lin continued to play like Steve Nash circa 2005, which point guard would he replace on Team USA?
Derrick Rose? Chris Paul? Russell Westbrook? Deron Williams?
The second-tier of guard candidates like Rajon Rondo, Eric Gordon, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings is daunting enough.
“We really have more depth than we’ve ever had,” Colangelo said.
The former Phoenix Suns owner was hired in 2005 to revitalize the disorganized mess USA Basketball had become. He’s big into “equity,” meaning he favors players who’ve been in the program.
Most of the players on the roster—18 of the 20 potential players identified in January—have played in previous Olympics or world championship competitions. The younger ones have been on the “select” team.
“They get a chance to scrimmage the big guys, if you will,” Colangelo said. “We get a chance to know them better, and they get a chance to see how we do things.”
Lin may well get invited to scrimmage the big guys when they open camp this summer. But he’d have to be as stupendous as the most crazed fans believe.
Maybe 34 points, 12 assists and a couple of dunks over LeBron per game would do it. Anyone who saw Heat-Knicks Thursday night knows that notion is beyond Linsanity.
There is a chance Lin could make it London with the Chinese team. The state news agency, Xinhua, has called for him to renounce his U.S. citizenship and play for the good old People’s Republic.
The idea certainly has marketing appeal, but there are complications. A big one: Lin’s parents are from Taiwan, and most Taiwanese don’t consider their island part of China; Lin's maternal grandmother, according to the New York Times, fled mainland China for Taiwan in the 1940s.
Plus, Taiwan, which competes in the Olympics as Chinese Taipei, did not qualify for the London Games.
This would be much simpler if we could revert to 1992, when pros first started playing. The Dream Team was so good it could afford to set aside a slot for a college player. Christian Laettner essentially carried everyone’s luggage around Barcelona.
The world caught up with America, which is why Colangelo was brought in. As good as LeBron, Kobe, etc. are, he knows America can’t turn over a roster spot to the NBA public relations department.
“There are a lot of players who want to play,” Colangelo said. “And they’re paying their dues. No exceptions.”
Sounds like a guy who won’t let anything get between the U.S. and a gold medal.
Not even Linsanity.
He likes the kid and all that. But as boss of USA basketball, Colangelo’s first priority is to win a gold medal, not a popularity contest.
Sorry, Linsanity sufferers. London is not calling for Jeremy Lin.
“You don’t go from A to Z in life in anything,” Colangelo said. “You have to pay your dues.”
MORE ON JEREMY LIN
Lin may not have gone to Z, but he’s pretty near T or U or V. If People magazine conducted a poll, Lin would probably be the starting point guard for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.
Repeat after Colangelo:
Not. Gonna. Happen.
He didn’t actually say those words Friday. Colangelo was at All-Star Weekend to unveil Team USA’s pre-Olympic schedule. The NBA’s hottest topic inevitably came up.
Reading between his diplomatic lines, Colangelo is a voice crying in the Lin wilderness. He’s not even worried that Lin might take his basketball skills to Beijing, though the possibility that Lin plays for China in the London Games at least exists.
If that makes Colangelo the Grinch Who Stole Linsanity, he’ll take the rap.
“It’s a great story for the NBA and a great story for him,” Colangelo said. “But one week or two doesn’t make a career.”
The bottom line is that Lin is a good player. But the hype has far exceeded his basketball resume. Colangelo would have said that before Thursday night’s game, when the Heat basically made Lin look like an undrafted free agent from Harvard.
“Players always have to go around the league a couple of times. You get to know them and make adjustments,” Colangelo said. “Let’s talk again after another 20 games, and we’ll see how he’d doing.”
Even if Lin continued to play like Steve Nash circa 2005, which point guard would he replace on Team USA?
Derrick Rose? Chris Paul? Russell Westbrook? Deron Williams?
The second-tier of guard candidates like Rajon Rondo, Eric Gordon, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings is daunting enough.
“We really have more depth than we’ve ever had,” Colangelo said.
The former Phoenix Suns owner was hired in 2005 to revitalize the disorganized mess USA Basketball had become. He’s big into “equity,” meaning he favors players who’ve been in the program.
Most of the players on the roster—18 of the 20 potential players identified in January—have played in previous Olympics or world championship competitions. The younger ones have been on the “select” team.
“They get a chance to scrimmage the big guys, if you will,” Colangelo said. “We get a chance to know them better, and they get a chance to see how we do things.”
Lin may well get invited to scrimmage the big guys when they open camp this summer. But he’d have to be as stupendous as the most crazed fans believe.
Maybe 34 points, 12 assists and a couple of dunks over LeBron per game would do it. Anyone who saw Heat-Knicks Thursday night knows that notion is beyond Linsanity.
There is a chance Lin could make it London with the Chinese team. The state news agency, Xinhua, has called for him to renounce his U.S. citizenship and play for the good old People’s Republic.
The idea certainly has marketing appeal, but there are complications. A big one: Lin’s parents are from Taiwan, and most Taiwanese don’t consider their island part of China; Lin's maternal grandmother, according to the New York Times, fled mainland China for Taiwan in the 1940s.
Plus, Taiwan, which competes in the Olympics as Chinese Taipei, did not qualify for the London Games.
This would be much simpler if we could revert to 1992, when pros first started playing. The Dream Team was so good it could afford to set aside a slot for a college player. Christian Laettner essentially carried everyone’s luggage around Barcelona.
The world caught up with America, which is why Colangelo was brought in. As good as LeBron, Kobe, etc. are, he knows America can’t turn over a roster spot to the NBA public relations department.
“There are a lot of players who want to play,” Colangelo said. “And they’re paying their dues. No exceptions.”
Sounds like a guy who won’t let anything get between the U.S. and a gold medal.
Not even Linsanity.
2.23.2012
Is there an ideal age for the NBA All-Star Game?
The NBA All-Star Game is a gathering of the best basketball players in the world. Age, size and nationality are irrelevant on the game's biggest stage—if you're one of the best 24 players in the world, you'll likely find a place amid the celebrities, hype and festivities of All-Star Weekend.
We dug into the record books to find out a little more about the extremes of past NBA All Stars. For instance, you might know that former Rockets center Yao Ming is the tallest NBA All Star ever (7-foot-6), while former Houston guard Calvin Murphy is the shortest to ever play the game (5-foot-9). Of course, there are always going to be extremes in height in a game that has a place for towering centers and pesky point guards and all sizes in between.
MORE ALL-STAR COVERAGE
But what about age? Lakers Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the oldest All Star at age 41, while fellow Laker legend Kobe Bryant was the game's youngest player at age 19.
Is there an ideal age for an NBA All Star? How about a typical age? We mined some data, looking at the rosters of the past 20 years worth of NBA All-Star games, and the results—while not necessarily surprising—certainly illustrate the makeup of the NBA All Star rosters.
The average age of an NBA All Star from 1993 to 2012 is 27.5 years old. This year's game is essentially a perfect example of that statistic – the average age of the East roster is 27.5, while the West checks in at 27.3. The oldest player this year is Steve Nash (38 when the season started), while the youngest is Blake Griffin (22). There are five 27-year-olds (Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and Marc Gasol) and one 28-year-old (Andre Iguodala) who straddle the average-age line.
The average age has remained relatively consistent. Going into this exercise, we thought perhaps the mid-90s teams—featuring the aging but still formidable members of the original Dream Team—might skew older, while the surge of players skipping college and going straight to the NBA in the late 90s would push the average age lower.
And on the surface, that appears to be the case. The oldest roster (29.5, 1996 West) featured Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton, each of whom was at least 32 years old. Meanwhile, the youngest All-Star team (25.4, 2002 West) included Bryant and Kevin Garnett, who were already veterans but not yet 26 years old.
However, the NBA has done such a remarkable job of replenishing its talent pool that even through the retirement of that wave of elder statesmen, the average age of an All-Star roster never deviated more than two years from the 20-year norm.
Even the MVPs follow the age trend. The oldest MVP in that span was 34-year-old Michael Jordan in 1998, and the youngest was 21-year-old LeBron James in 2006, but all told, the average age of the All-Star MVP in the past 20 years is 28.1 years old.
In the end, age isn't a reliable predictor of success in the All-Star game. In the 18 games since 1993, the older team has won nine and the younger team has won nine. The East is 4-4 when it has the older roster, while the West is 5-5 when it has the older collection of players.
Thus, when it comes to the NBA All-Star game, the old saying is true: age is just a number.
We dug into the record books to find out a little more about the extremes of past NBA All Stars. For instance, you might know that former Rockets center Yao Ming is the tallest NBA All Star ever (7-foot-6), while former Houston guard Calvin Murphy is the shortest to ever play the game (5-foot-9). Of course, there are always going to be extremes in height in a game that has a place for towering centers and pesky point guards and all sizes in between.
MORE ALL-STAR COVERAGE
But what about age? Lakers Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the oldest All Star at age 41, while fellow Laker legend Kobe Bryant was the game's youngest player at age 19.
Is there an ideal age for an NBA All Star? How about a typical age? We mined some data, looking at the rosters of the past 20 years worth of NBA All-Star games, and the results—while not necessarily surprising—certainly illustrate the makeup of the NBA All Star rosters.
The average age of an NBA All Star from 1993 to 2012 is 27.5 years old. This year's game is essentially a perfect example of that statistic – the average age of the East roster is 27.5, while the West checks in at 27.3. The oldest player this year is Steve Nash (38 when the season started), while the youngest is Blake Griffin (22). There are five 27-year-olds (Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and Marc Gasol) and one 28-year-old (Andre Iguodala) who straddle the average-age line.
The average age has remained relatively consistent. Going into this exercise, we thought perhaps the mid-90s teams—featuring the aging but still formidable members of the original Dream Team—might skew older, while the surge of players skipping college and going straight to the NBA in the late 90s would push the average age lower.
And on the surface, that appears to be the case. The oldest roster (29.5, 1996 West) featured Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton, each of whom was at least 32 years old. Meanwhile, the youngest All-Star team (25.4, 2002 West) included Bryant and Kevin Garnett, who were already veterans but not yet 26 years old.
However, the NBA has done such a remarkable job of replenishing its talent pool that even through the retirement of that wave of elder statesmen, the average age of an All-Star roster never deviated more than two years from the 20-year norm.
Even the MVPs follow the age trend. The oldest MVP in that span was 34-year-old Michael Jordan in 1998, and the youngest was 21-year-old LeBron James in 2006, but all told, the average age of the All-Star MVP in the past 20 years is 28.1 years old.
In the end, age isn't a reliable predictor of success in the All-Star game. In the 18 games since 1993, the older team has won nine and the younger team has won nine. The East is 4-4 when it has the older roster, while the West is 5-5 when it has the older collection of players.
Thus, when it comes to the NBA All-Star game, the old saying is true: age is just a number.
订阅：
博文 (Atom)