- Why did the NBA not fine the Miami Heat for sitting out their stars? Ian Thomsen of SI has the answer in his mailbag: “So why was San Antonio fined $250,000 for resting its players in Miami, but the Heat received no penalty? For one thing, the Heat players weren’t put on an early plane back home, which was the act that appeared to gall commissioner David Stern more than anything. It was the image of fans paying big money for tickets and making plans to arrive at a game that was important to them, while the Spurs thought so little of the game that their best players left town early. It was a bad message to send to the fans. What Miami did was more nuanced. At this time of year teams are beginning to rest their stars for the playoffs anyway. The Heat trio was in the arena; the players didn’t fly home early. Plus, there was gamesmanship involved here that will lead ultimately to more attention on the two teams if they should meet in the NBA Finals.”
- George Karl sounds unhappy about his son not getting picked up by any NBA team, from Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida: “Nuggets coach George Karl is miffed NBA teams haven’t given another chance to his son Coby Karl. Coby is averaging 13.2 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds for the D-League’s Idaho Stampede. Coby, 30, hasn’t been on an NBA roster since finishing the 2009-10 season with the Nuggets, when George Karl was sidelined by cancer. The coach believes Coby gets overlooked because he’s older and NBA teams are seeking younger prospects. “Right now, you go to the D-League and no one looks at Coby Karl because he’s (30) years old,” said George Karl. “If he’s the best player in the D-League, he still should get picked up. It should not be based upon youthful potential.”
- Blake Griffin thinks the Clippers need to win the remaining seven games as a way to show urgency, from Broderick Turner of Los Angeles Times: “The Clippers have seven regular-season games left to see whether they can find what has been missing. “Really, we’ve got to win the rest of them,” Blake Griffin said Tuesday after practice. “Obviously you are going to say that throughout the entire season. But this is really the time when our sense of urgency needs to be at its highest.” The Clippers have lost three consecutive games and four of their last five. They were a .500 team in March (7-7) and already are 0-1 in April. The Clippers keep talking about turning that corner, but they have yet to do so. “It’s kind of to the point where I’m tired of talking about it,” Griffin said. “Now I want us to really go out and do it. I need to do it.”
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Mark Cuban raised eyebrows by saying he’d consider drafting Brittney Griner, from the AP: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he would consider drafting Baylor All-American Brittney Griner. Cuban told reporters before Tuesday night’s game between the Mavericks and the Lakers that if Griner is the best player available, ”I will take her.” The 6-foot-8 Griner finished her college career as the NCAA leader in blocked shots and the second-leading scorer in women’s college basketball history. Cuban says he has already thought about it and ”Right now, I’d lean towards yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance.” Cuban said Griner would have to make the team and he isn’t ”opposed to giving her the opportunity.” He adds: ”That’d sell out a few games.” Griner responded with a tweet: ”I would hold my own! Lets do it”
- Taj Gibson injured his MCL again, from K.C. Johnson of Chicago Tribune: “The Bulls also lost Taj Gibson to the same MCL sprain in his left knee that previously sidelined him for 10 games. Though team officials wouldn’t estimate how long Gibson will be sidelined until an MRI exam is completed Wednesday, the versatile big man moved gingerly in the postgame locker room and said his knee “feels the same as when I hurt it the first time.”Sadly, the Bulls could have staged a solid 3-on-3 game inside their locker room as their late collapse unfolded. “That’s what happens when you rush back to try to help your team win,” said Gibson, who exited for good just past midway through the second. “All I can remember is I was guarding Trevor (Ariza). I did a basic rotation, tried to slide and it buckled on me. I tried to play through it, but I finally told Thibs to take me out. I knew I couldn’t keep going. I didn’t want to hurt my teammates.”
- Kenyon Martin was miffed that the Heat were not fined for sitting out their star players, from Marc Berman of New York Post: “Kenyon Martin was one Knick who found Miami’s decision Tuesday night to sit LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and starting point guard Mario Chalmers hard to believe. When asked by The Post what he thought Heat president Pat Riley’s decision, Martin said, “Did they fine them for the other day?’’ Told no, Martin, shaking his head said, “Boy, oh boy.’’ “I guess they clinched the No. 1 spot,’’ Martin said. Told no again, Martin said, “Well they think they have.’’ “It’s the NBA,’’ Martin added. “If they don’t want to play their guys, we’ll come out, if they’re playing or not, and come get this W — bottom line.’’
matt says
I think the best possible scenario for the Nugget’s season would be a ruin to the finals; the subsequent shift in the NBA “Superstar” concept would be huge, and would hopefully lead more clubs to redirect their thinking back to more of a “team” concept, than that of a “primadonna” culture. I love the Nuggets and love the way they all rely on each other; I’ve been turning on my iPad after my shifts at DISH end and watching the games live on the bus ride home. They are actually an inspiring team, rather than a bunch of bloated, overpaid attention-junkies. My DISH Anywhere app lets me take my TV and DVR wherever I go, and there’s nothing I like better, after working all day, than turning on the tablet and watching my TEAM dominate.
James Park says
It’s a real shame that Gallo will miss the remainder of the season. It really hurts what they had going.
Daniel says
It’s always so easy to throw guys under the bus once they’re gone. If it weren’t for Karl’s valiant fight with cancer, I’d totally put him on blast right now.
If JR Smith and Carmelo Anthony had unmanageable egos then, and were so uncoachable, how do you explain Mike Woodson’s success with both? I have a hard time imagining it’s simply because of time and maturity. I think A LOT of it can be traced back to Karl’s own personality.
All of these Larry Brown-taskmasters ultimately become tiresome for a player.