SH Blog: Nets will “fight for the heart” of NYC fans, Knicks “considering” Rasheed Wallace

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It’s been tough for Nets fans the last few years. In addition to playing in New Jersey, the team just wasn’t anything to get excited about. But this offseason, things have changed, and now it’s at the point where I’m seeing Nets gear as far away from Brooklyn as Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s funny how that happens.
More on that below, with all the latest NBA news:
  • Perhaps the biggest storyline in the East this season is the Nets’ complete overhaul of their roster and image, with the clear intent to compete with the Knicks for fans, as well as on the court. Tim Bontemps writes for the New York Post about how that is a distinct possibility now: “I think when we were in New Jersey, we didn’t really have the platform to do that,” Nets CEO Brett Yormark said. “We were the after thought. We were certainly the second team in the market. That’s not debatable.”  What’s also not debatable is the loud and clear signal being sent the Knicks way that, now that the Nets have officially moved to Brooklyn and into the brand-new Barclays Center, the days of being able to ignore the Nets are over. … “I think every NBA team needs to establish a strong sense of identity based on where it is located, who the players are and what the fans relate to,’ Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said. ‘In terms of the Knicks, honestly I just think it’s great for everyone that a real rivalry is being born, most of all for the fans. We’re ready to fight for the heart of every one of them.’ They’ve gotten off to a good start, thanks to the wildly successful launch of the team’s redesigned logo and color scheme on April 30. Even though the new Nets jersey still hasn’t been released, Nets merchandise has been among the best-selling among all NBA teams since the redesigned logos and color scheme were made public. The demand for the merchandise has far exceeded what both the Nets and the NBA had anticipated. ‘I think, in many things, we may have underestimated how broad the appeal would be for the team,’ NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said.”
  • As for New York’s elder statesmen, it appears that they might be taking the “elder” part of that label a little too literally:
NBA news: Rasheed Wallace working out at NYK practice facility w/Camby and Kurt Thomas. Knicks' considering.
September 23, 2012 1:59 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite
@RicBucher
Ric Bucher

 

  • It was a tough offseason for the Bulls after getting bounced from the playoffs by the eighth-seeded Sixers, losing Derrick Rose to a torn ACL along the way, but for Bulls fans worried that the team is going to lose its marquee player down the road, RealGM’s Shams Charania offers a glimmer of hope: “The notion of leaving Chicago and the Bulls’ organization hasn’t even crossed the minds of Derrick Rose and his family. As superstars have bolted from one team to the next in recent years, Rose’s family has a message for the people who believe the 2011 NBA MVP could be the next star to move on: We love Chicago too much to leave. ‘I don’t see us leaving Chicago,’ Rose’s older brother, Reggie Rose, told RealGM on Saturday afternoon during the “Peace Basketball Tournament” at St. Sabina church in Chicago. ‘We love this city and I just don’t see us [leaving] ever. It’s our hometown.’ “
  • Yi Jianlian will spend next season playing with the Guangdong Tigers in his native China, but as Weibo reports, he still wants to play in the NBA: Yi “signed a one-year contract, if the opportunity is good next year, he will continue to fight to go to the NBA“ (translated with Google Chrome)
  • John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirerhas an excellent piece on how the Sixers’ frontcourt will shape up with the addition of Andrew Bynum: “Despite all the brand-new pieces that everyone

    Andrew Bynum of the Philadelphia 76ers

    is so excited about, the new faces in new roles – and some old ones in some new roles as well – will have to work hard to make necessary adjustments. This is especially true of the frontcourt, particularly at power forward, where playing time will be contested fiercely. Collins has already said – loosely – that the preliminary plan is to move center Spencer Hawes over to power forward, teaming him early on the floor with Andrew Bynum, who will get the majority of the minutes at center and will be spelled by Kwame Brown. Collins likes the idea of having Hawes at power forward alongside Bynum, because Hawes is skilled at manning the high post offensively and should let the Sixers take advantage of his ability to hit the elbow jumper (which will give Bynum infinitely more room to operate in the post) and use his ball skills to create more opportunities for players cutting off of him.”

  • It’s fairly uncommon for NBA players to publicly campaign for teams to sign them, but when you’re this close to training camp without a team, it stands to reason that you do what you have to, and it’s also a bit refreshing to see players ditch the standard clichés and be as candid as Jamario Moon in this Lang Greene piece at HoopsWorld: “President of basketball operations and general manager Danny Ferry has been on the hunt for a defensive minded wing player and there is a veteran forward who would like an opportunity to earn a spot on the team’s opening night roster. Free agent forward Jamario Moon believes he’s the logical choice to help fill the small forward void and clearly makes it known the Hawks are an organization he’d like to play for in 2012-13. ‘Atlanta makes sense to me,’ Moon told HoopsWorld on where he would fit best. ‘Danny was the general manager when I was playing for Cleveland and [Hawks assistant general manager] Wes Wilcox was there too. They already know me and what I bring. It just makes sense.’
  • Here’s an intriguing training camp deal, reported by Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest: “Free agent point guard Jonny Flynn and the Detroit Pistons have agreed upon a one-year non-guaranteed training camp deal, CSNNW.com has learned. The No. 6 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Syracuse, (Flynn) played for the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers during the 2011-12 season.”
  • After suffering a serious knee injury in the playoffs, Baron Davis hopes to make a return to the game, but while he’s recovering from the injury, he’ll still have a role with the Knicks, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com: “Baron Davis will have a multi-faceted role with the Knicks this season: He will spend some time around the team in an advisory role; he will work with Madison Square Garden’s “Garden of Dreams” Foundation; he’s expected to provide content for MSG’s in-game entertainment and he may do some scouting for the team, according to two sources with knowledge of Davis’ agreement with the Knicks. Davis, 33, suffered a serious right knee injury in last season’s playoffs, and is expected to miss the entire 2012-13 season. He’s currently an unrestricted free agent, but the veteran point guard has maintained close ties with the team. He’s spent a significant time rehabbing his injury at the team facility and he maintains a close relationship with several players.”
  • Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has this on the Cavs’ need for leadership: “They thought about adding another veteran for leadership purposes, but decided against it. They had Anthony Parker and Antawn Jamison in those roles last season. The Cavs believe veteran coach Byron Scott is strong enough to fill part of that role, and they also want Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao to add leadership. … The Cavs know Varejao is not a vocal leader, but his play is so inspired that teammates are forced to defend and rebound with more passion.”

Prokhorov guarantees playoffs this season, title by 2015

Howard hopes to have long career in Los Angeles

 

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SH Blog: Lil B vs. KD?; Dwight Howard still loves Orlando

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It’s Labor Day weekend, and that means that NBA training camps are just a few short weeks away.  While you wait for them to kick off, we’ve still got you covered with all the latest news from the basketball world. Check out Sunday’s Tweet of the Day from Mike Fratello, which deals with actual basketball being played in remote outposts, and definitely give a look to A.J. Mitnick’s extensive update on the qualifying for Eurobasket ’13.

If you haven’t already, you should also check out Chris Bernucca’s previews of the playoff pictures in the Western and Eastern Conferences, and Moke Hamilton’s column on which NBA teams still have exception money to work with.

Here’s the latest news from the NBA:

  • Dwight Howard may be gone from Orlando, but contrary to what you might have thought from his months-long trade demands, he still loves the city –or so he says.  Howard took out a full-page ad in today’s Sentinel to profess his love for Orlando.  The text of the ad is as follows (click through above to see it as it appeared in the newspaper): “To play the game of basketball in the NBA is a blessing and to have had the opportunity to play before the Orlando fans for eight years was truly a privilege and an honor. Words cannot express the love that I have for Orlando. With your support we have done great things in this city from hanging banners to impacting our youth. Although my career with the Magic has come to a close, my love for the city and the people that make it beautiful will never end.”
  • Included at the bottom of this Gary Washburn piece for the Boston Globe is a note on Mickael Pietrus: “Among the free agents remaining on the market is former Celtic Mickael Pietrus, who does not want to play for the league minimum. The Bucks had expressed interest in Pietrus but he remains without a team. The Celtics still have their $1.95 million biannual exception remaining but are expected to wait until close to the regular season to use that, perhaps on a player waived by another team.”
  • One of the players who turned a lot of heads at the Olympics was Russia’s Alexey Shved, who is also set to make the jump to the NBA with the Timberwolves. RIA Novosti talked to his former coach with CSKA Moscow, who gave some insight into what American fans can expect from Shved this year and in the future: “New Minnesota Timberwolves signing Alexey Shved has the skills to succeed as an NBA guard but needs to bulk up to cope with the league’s physical demands, his former CSKA Moscow coach Ettore Messina has told R-Sport in an interview. Messina, who spent last season on Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown’s staff, coached Shved when he first broke into the CSKA team, and has now returned to the 19-time Russian champion team. ‘Alexey has for sure the talent to play there. He’s probably at a good age to go there,” Messina said. ‘I think they will ask him to use his creativity on the floor. At the same time, I think they will ask him to become stronger physically because contact is a very big factor in the NBA. If he manages to, let’s say, play through the high level of contact that there is in the NBA, for sure he has the talent to be a very, very interesting player at that level.’ ”
  • IAmAGM.com reports that there is a rap album in the works that will feature several well-known rappers collaborating with NBA players: “The rap album is titled, “Full Court Press Vol. 1.” NBA players that will be featured include Juwan Howard, Baron Davis, Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer, Glen Davis, Shawn Marion, Josh Smith and others. Rappers expected to be on tracks include Rick Ross, Trina, Snoop Dogg, Birdman, The Game, T-Pain, Bun B, Twista and Soulja Boy.”
  • On a similar topic, rapper Lil B released a music video for his song “Warm Ups” off his new mixtape, Based Jam. At the end of the video, Lil B calls out Kevin Durant, saying he’s “ready for their game”. Durant responded by saying Lil B would have to come to Oklahoma City to play against him, and, hilariously, Lil B appears to be taking him up on the offer:
    IM READY TO GET OUT TO OKC MONDAY TO PLAY DURANT ONE ON ONE I HAVE BEEN WORKING A LONG TIME FOR THIS DAY KEEP IT REAL - Lil B
    September 1, 2012 2:15 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite
    @LILBTHEBASEDGOD
    Lil B From The Pack

    Pierce Watson of VladTVhas an excellent recap of this bizarre situation: “Lil B has been trying to play Kevin Durant one-on-one ever since Durant called him a wack rapper on Twitter back in May. Following the release of Lil B’s “Warm Ups” video, which calls out Durant, the Thunder star decided to respond. Durant got on Twitter and basically asked Lil B to leave him alone. One tweet simply read, “@LILBTHEBASEDGOD Yo shut up”. His next tweet read, “Yo leave me alone lol, if you wanna play me you gotta come to OKC I’m not coming to Oakland.” Hilariously, Lil B tweeted back at Durant about 20 minutes later and had no intentions of backing down saying, “So book a ticket to OKC for this Monday? @KDTrey5 I WILL BE THERE FLIGHT IN THE MORNING, AND PREP.” If this one-on-one game actually happens, it will certainly be David vs. Goliath. Kevin Durant is 6′ 9”. Lil B is 5′ 6”.”
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SH Blog: Chris Bosh says Lakers are the best team “on paper”, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez aiming for championship

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The NBA is constantly active for the most part, but it does have quiet moments and phases in the summer — and we appear to be at one of those times. So what do we do when nothing is going on? Sometimes, asking players thought-provoking questions such as “Who do you think will win it all for the upcoming season?”, or “Who is the best player of all time?” can get us through a day, if the answers are interesting. Usually, players will tell you that their team can come out on top – no matter how deluded they may seem.

Chris Bosh changed things up a bit, though, and decided to name another team when asked about who the best team in the league may be. See what he said, along with a load of thoughts from other players around the league in today’s news:

  • Chris Bosh thinks the Lakers are better on paper than his own team and elaborated on his thought, from Ira Winderman of South Florida Sun Sentinel:  ”The Lakers, I think, right now, I mean on paper, they probably have the best team in the West and probably the league right now,” he said. “On paper. I’m saying on paper. But it’s a lot, a lot, it’s a long season. And the best team always isn’t the one who starts out the season as the best team. ”We know we’re the champs, but we have to start off from scratch. We have a lot of chemistry building to do. And we have to come out there and we have to start over. We know favorites and all that stuff really doesn’t matter.” Bosh said the Heat have learned to deal with the type of pressure the Lakers are expected to face and “how the hype can get to you.” Bosh pointed out how the Heat stood as championship favorites in 2010-11, only to fall in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, and how they did not have quite the same expectations and then defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in this past season’s NBA Finals.”
  • As great as the Lakers appear to be with the new roster, Kenny Smith thinks the Miami Heat are still the favorites to win it all again, from Mark Medina of Los Angeles Times: “How will the Lakers fare against Miami? I never compare much East to West, because you have to get all the way to there. But I think Miami has three guys who are the  top five in their position. I don’t think they’re nervous about what happened with the Lakers. They kept an eye on it for sure. But they have a better chance and have done it now. I would say Miami is still the team to beat.”
  • Joe Johnson talked about how he is training like he never has before, and thinks the Nets are good enough to win a championship, from Zach Lowe of SI: “SI.com: So is the goal to win a championship in Year 1? Or do you look at Miami and think, “Wow, even they needed a year to figure it out and gel”? Johnson: That’s what we are shooting for — the ring. There’s no need to sell ourselves short. You talk about gelling and figuring it out, and I think we have the perfect pieces: a great point guard, a great center. I don’t think any of our positions are the same or overlap at all. SI.com: You mentioned you are training in a way you never really have before. You’re down in Miami, with Manning Sumner, right? What new stuff does he have you doing? Johnson: I’m really just training a lot more this summer, with a lot more focus, and being down here with Manning really helps. My role is going to change a lot playing with the Nets, and I’m fine with that. I just want to be prepared for that situation. I want to start on a positive note.”
  • Brook Lopez also thinks the Nets can win a championship and claims to be “already a good playoff team”, according to Aldo Avinante of Phil Star: “Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez, who was in town last weekend for the NBA 3X event, said he believes that the newly relocated franchise has the tools to win the Larry O’Brien trophy in the upcoming season. Lopez is part of the Nets’ “Core Fore” of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace. “Obviously our main goal is no question the NBA championship. I think it is realistic for us. We’re already a good playoff team so with the addition of other pieces, we can target the ring,” said Lopez, who was recently re-signed by the Nets to a four-year deal.
  • Baron Davis looks to remain involved with the Knicks, although his goal is still to make a comeback, from Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York: “He’ll still be around the team and could kind of help some of the younger guys just through his experience,” Ramasar said. “The Knicks have been wonderful in terms of just extending support to Baron, whether it be through obviously his physical therapy or just having him involved with the organization going forward. He really loves that team and that organization has done an excellent job with Baron, and Baron feels like that’s home. He really, really enjoyed last season with the Knicks.” Ramasar said Davis’ goal remains the same from the moment he suffered a partial tear of his right patella tendon and complete tears of his right anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments during Game 4 against the Heat. “He wants to make a comeback,” Ramasar said.”
  • Carmelo Anthony does not care about what you think, whether you are Charles Oakley or anyone else, according to Ian Begley of ESPN: “I didn’t really hear exactly what he said, but at this point it really doesn’t matter,” Anthony said. Oakley, an ex-Knick, said earlier this month that Anthony and Stoudemire “don’t make the people around them better.” Perhaps bolstering Oakley’s point: Since Anthony came to New York midway through the 2010-11 season, the Knicks have a sub-.500 record when both he and Stoudemire are in the lineup. Anthony said Friday that he wouldn’t be paying attention to any criticisms this season. Which, by the way, is probably what you want to hear if you are a Knick fan. You don’t want your star player wrapped up in the daily critiques of the media. ”Everything that you do, whether it’s good or bad, somebody’s going to say something about it,” Anthony said at his ProCamps youth hoops camp on Friday at St. John’s. “But my mentality, my mindset is to play ball, not worry about what nobody says and just have fun and enjoy it.”
@ I wasn't criticism melo, I was just talking 101 basketball, if melo didn't like what i said, he see me all time,
August 24, 2012 6:09 pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite
@CharlesOakley34
Charles Oakley
  • Oakley also shared his dream starting five, excluding LeBron James: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon.
  • Chris Sheridan gave the Detroit Pistons an F on the team’s report card, but Joe Dumars is encouraged by what he has seen over the summer from his players, from Keith Langlois of NBA.com: “What’s taken place this summer has been encouraging,” Joe Dumars said late last week as another wave of players – Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe, Charlie Villanueva, Andre Drummond, Kim English and Khris Middleton – had wrapped up workouts with Arnie Kander and his strength and conditioning staff and a handful of Lawrence Frank’s assistant coaches. “We have young guys who are in the gym every day. They’re putting in really major work on their games. When you have a team of young guys the way we do right now, player development becomes extremely important. We’re seeing the transformation of a young team. The middle of August, your gym is full. That’s what happens with young guys. It’s not about resting your body because you made a long playoff run, it’s about developing your game and taking it to the next level. To do that, you have to put in a lot of hours and a lot of work to get there. That’s what we’re seeing right now.”
  • Jeremy Lin had a realistic approach about the Houston Rockets’ upcoming season in a brief interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide: “Lin shot to stardom last season with the New York Knicks, dazzling fans with his clutch shooting and passing skills. Last month, he signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Houston Rockets. ”We are going to be young, we are going to be inexperienced,” he said of his new team. ”We have a chance to build a new team, to build a new culture and to start from the ground.”

Dwyane Wade does not think LeBron James is yet in the class of Michael Jordan

Stephen Curry thinks the Warriors should sign him now


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SH Blog: Andrew Bynum leaning towards staying with 76ers, Derrick Rose opens up about knee injury

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We have covered and linked you to Dwight Howard stories as much as anyone could possibly want to read about him since the blockbuster trade that sent him to Los Angeles, so Andrew Bynum – the other major star of the trade – will lead the topic of discussion today. Be sure to read up on Jon Marks’ column about Bynum’s welcome party, as well as how Bynum feels about joining the 76ers and what Kareem Abdul Jabbar thinks of his former student below:

  • Kareem Abdul Jabbar talked about the acquisition of Dwight Howard and was rather critical of Andrew Bynum, from Mark Medina of Los Angeles Times: ”Dwight is very committed to playing and winning,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “Andrew has been up and down on that issue. There are times he wants to play, do a great job and he goes out and does it. Then there are other times where it seems like he’s not focused.”…”When I first started working with him, he was eager to learn,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He appreciated me shortening the learning curve. Once he figured he did everything he wanted to do in terms of learning, he didn’t want me to bother him constantly going over the fundamentals.”… Abdul-Jabbar said he was unsure if Bynum would thrive in a larger role in Philadelphia: “It’s up to him to determine how much of a leader he wants to be and how to make that happen on the court. Some people like that position and adjust to it naturally. Other people aren’t comfortable with it.”
  • Bynum has already enjoyed his new team so much that he is already leaning towards staying with 76ers long term, from Amick: “New Philly center Andrew Bynum breaking future free agency news in his presser. When asked about his free agency next summer, he says, “To be honest man, my first experience here has been so great (that) I’m really leaning towards making this my home (fans who are at press conference go nuts). I’m not a guy who tries to be all around and have a lot of teams on my belt, so I don’t know man. It’s crazy. That’s really the answer man. I’m really leaning towards being able to stay here and making it my home.”
  • For the first time since suffering a devastating knee injury, Derrick Rose opened up about the experience, from Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago: ”I remember it,” he recalled. “I remember everything. I remember jumping in the air and coming back down, and just that popping sound. I felt it actually tear when I laid all the way out and it just let go. ”I didn’t have that that much pain after that. In the beginning I did, but I didn’t want to yell or anything. When that happened, all I could think about was people just talking. You could hear the whole arena, people just whispering all around — one of the things, like ‘Not again. Come on, man. First game back. We had the win’ — and I was just hoping [it was] nothing serious,” Rose continued. “Then, we got to the hospital, got in the MRI machine, the whole time praying. ”Dr. [Brian] Cole, the Bulls doctor [who also performed the subsequent surgery], came up to me and told me it was torn. I couldn’t believe it. That’s the closest thing to death, the closest to death I’ve got to right there, where it just seemed like the wind and everything was taken out [of me].”
  • Jim Boeheim stated that LeBron James may have surpassed Michael Jordan as the best player he has ever seen, and Ken Berger of CBS Sports took issue with the thought: “There’s nothing technically inaccurate in what Boeheim said — except the part about “Michael Jordan-type skills.” Nobody who has ever lived possessed Michael Jordan-type skills, with the lone exception of Michael Jordan. Not even Kobe Bryant, who is the closest I’ve seen in terms of a perimeter/midrange game since I’ve been watching the NBA… But to suggest that, after one championship at age 27, James has surpassed Jordan as the greatest player a renowned basketball authority has ever seen? It is both silly and predictable — and unnecessary. Bryant enters his 17th season in a few months, and only by virtue of two brilliant acquisitions by Mitch Kupchak appears to have one more legitimate shot at a sixth title to equal Jordan. Seventeen years. A lot can, and will happen for (and to) LeBron if he plays that long. Let’s just enjoy his talent and see how it plays out, shall we?”
  • Meanwhile, Michael Jordan detailed and reiterated why the 1992 Dream Team was notably better than the 2012 USA Team, from Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated: ”In [terms] of how the game is played from an offensive standpoint and a defense standpoint — from a team standpoint — I feel like we were much more solid defensively. We could definitely guard the perimeter and force them to penetrate to shot-blockers, which I felt like would’ve made a big difference with this team in 2012. They only had one shot-blocker. Granted, I know LeBron [James] and some of those guys can still block shots. It’s not the same defense and it’s not the same intensity.” ”Granted, I think those guys are much more athletic than maybe we were at that particular time, but I’d like to think that we were a little bit smarter and well-groomed about playing at that level of basketball,” Jordan said. “So in all honesty, I don’t think we would’ve had any problems with them, as much as they think they probably would’ve given us a lot more difficulties. I think our team would’ve been a lot better in terms of all-around basketball game.”
  • Stan Van Gundy shared his thoughts about why Dwight Howard may have went back and forth about staying with the Magic, from Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews: “Well, I think it confuses everyone. It confuses all of us. I was a little bit surprised at the time. Look I think Dwight Howard is a guy, who likes his teammates, enjoys the camaraderie of the locker room and he’s gotta realize you are in season making that decision and the guys you are with every single day are your teammates. It’s also…the timing of it is we were also out on the road at that time and just played San Antonio, so it’s not like he’s going home after practice or something else. He is with his teammates all day and sort of got wrapped up in that and just decided hey I want to…I might as well just finish this season in Orlando and he opted in, but at the same time I don’t think his desire to leave at some point ever left him, so it was more I think to finish the year in Orlando.”
  • Apparently, Greg Oden is not as ready to return to the NBA for next season as reported through the internet, from David Hughes of The Tribune-Star: “An unrestricted free agent, the 7-foot Oden disputed Internet reports that he wants to play for the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat and that he intends to play next season. These rumors were fueled by a si.com report that quoted his agent, Mike Conley Sr., saying Oden “has talked about Miami.” Oden’s denial doesn’t mean he is ruling out a return in 2012-13, but he stressed that it’s unlikely. “I would love to play [in 2012-13], but I’m not going to rush anything,” he said Thursday. “I need to take a year off. What I told Mike was ‘Look, I want to get back with a team. I want to play. If there’s a chance that later on in the [NBA] year, if I feel good or if I’m healthy enough to play, I would love to play this year.’ That’s the conversation we had. I think some people kinda blew that up and took his words and kinda changed them around. I know I need to get healthy first before I do anything.”
The Rockets have waived c/f Josh Harrelson, a source said. Needed to make a cut to add Delfino. He'll put the roster at 20 players.
August 15, 2012 3:47 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite
@Jonathan_Feigen
Jonathan Feigen
  • Hakeem Olajuwon has been working with JaVale McGee, and is highly impressed by the agility of the center, from Mark Berman of My Fox Houston: “No question, I see him as another star,” Olajuwon said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. “That guy should dominate the league. ”He has tremendous talent. I give him all these moves and he can finish and he’s already skilled. So now just show him how to use that skill to (get) to the next level.”… ”McGee is incredible because he’s not just a seven-footer, he’s skilled,” Olajuwon said. “He’s very agile. ”Most of my moves are designed from a shot-blockers perspective. I am a shot blocker. What are the moves most difficult for a shot blocker? I’m coming from inside out. This move is very difficult for a shot blocker to block.” Olajuwon believes what he has to offer fits McGee’s game. ”The moves that we work on are not for a stiff big guy,” Olajuwon said. “With him he’s agile. The move flows. So I’m excited to see what he’s going to do this year.”
  • Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic had some news about the Phoenix Suns today:
#Suns also announced waiving Brad Miller & Jerome Dyson, expected moves as part of the Lopez trade. Miller gets an $850K buyout.
August 15, 2012 12:13 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@paulcoro
Paul Coro
#Suns made Jermaine O'Neal's signing official today. He may talk about it later. Here's a link from when he committed. http://t.co/E1h0qlNv
August 15, 2012 12:10 pm via bitlyReplyRetweetFavorite
@paulcoro
Paul Coro
Chinese media says Yi Jianlian has MCL strain which will affect his chances of returning to NBA this season.
August 13, 2012 9:29 pm via Mobile WebReplyRetweetFavorite
@NetsDaily
NetsDaily.com
  • Baron Davis is somehow hoping to return at some point in the upcoming season, according to Eric Pincus of Hoops World: “While Davis, a free agent of the New York Knicks, is currently recovering from a significant knee injury, he looked trim and healthy considering how badly he was hurt. “I’m feeling good, getting there,” Davis said on Sunday.  “A lot of rehab.  A lot of rehab. My summer is just consisting of rehabbing, focusing in on this foundation and these kids and doing as much good as I possibly can with my time off.” A source close to Davis said he intends to return to the league this season. Given he tore the ACL and MCL of his right knee back in May, a recovery any time sooner than a full year may be a stretch but Davis is committed to getting back in the league.  It just might take another season for that to happen.”
  • Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa thinks if her husband is going to spend time away from her and her kids, he’d better be winning championships every year, from Vanessa Grigoriadis of NYMag: “I love basketball. And I know what goes on behind the scenes, so I have a different perspective on things, but still, I do. I certainly would not want to be married to somebody that can’t win championships. If you’re sacrificing time away from my family and myself for the benefit of winning championships, then winning a championship should happen every single year.”
  • Team USA’s top 10 plays in the Olympics can be found here, with some feel-good music.

Kyrie Irving explains the evolution of his crossover moves

Carmelo Anthony seeks championship


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SH Blog: LeBron James wants Kevin Durant to be a scorer, Kobe Bryant admits Dream Team is better than current team

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The Olympics is fully underway, which means  you’ll be reading plenty of news about NBA players involved in the special event for the foreseeable future. In today’s news, you’ll find LeBron James’ take on Kevin Durant’s role on a team full of superstars, Nicolas Batum’s thoughts on Team USA, Kobe Bryant’s trackback on Dream Team comment along with some player movements.

  • Kevin Durant has tried his best to not be a ball hog on a team full of dominant scorers, but LeBron James wants him to shoot as much as possible, according to Scott Fowler: “Kevin Durant, the scoring champ in question, has not played in an Olympics before. Like any newcomer, he wants to be liked. So time and again during the U.S. team’s brief time together this year, Durant has passed up the sort of open shots that he drills with the Oklahoma City Thunder. “I told KD (Durant) to just be himself,” LeBron James said Sunday after Durant led the U.S. with 22 points and added nine rebounds in a game that was only close for one quarter. “On a team like this you can kind of shy away because there are so many great players here. But KD’s on this team for a reason. He’s one of the best players the world has and he’s a three-time scoring champ. So we don’t want the KD that defers. We want the KD that he is in Oklahoma City.” James seemed determined to make that KD show up on Sunday. He threw the ball to Durant every time he could, passing up one open shot after another to get the ball to Durant. It was a bit ironic, considering that Durant and James went head-to-head in the NBA Finals this season when the Miami Heat defeated the Thunder.”
  • Despite suffering a blowout loss on Sunday, Nicolas Batum believes Team USA can be beaten by a number of teams, from Marc Berman: “Moments after Team USA’s men’s basketball team fried the French yesterday, 98-71, in its Olympic opener yesterday before 12,000 at Olympic Park’s basketball arena, Nicolas Batum wasn’t convinced. The Frenchman and rising NBA star said the American juggernaut can be beaten — not by only one Olympic club, but several. “You have to play a 40-minute game [to do it],’’ said Batum, who plays for the Trail Blazers. “Rebound, take care of the ball and play good defense. Some team can do it. I think some team can beat them, really. Spain, Argentina, Brazil. A lot of teams can beat them.’’
  • Sonny Weems will join CSKA Moscow for three seasons, according to E. Carchia: “Weems decided to move to Europe when the lockout delayed the start of the 2011-12 season and signed 1-year contract with Zalgiris. His averages: in Euroleague – 15 games, 29.9 minutes, 15.5 points (51.4% two-pointers, 36.0% three-pointers, 68.6% free throws), 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocked shots; in LKL – 13 games, 23.6 minutes, 9.9 points (50.7% two-pointers, 34.3% three-pointers, 69.4% free throws), 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.2 blocked shots; in VTB United League – 16 games, 25.5 minutes, 10.3 points (52.6% two-pointers, 34.2% three-pointers, 73.5% free throws), 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocked shots.”
  • Andrei Kirilenko discussed why he felt the desire to return to the NBA, from The Associated Press: “Speaking to American media for the first time since signing his deal, Kirilenko said he felt refreshed after deciding to stay home during the grueling NBA season that was compacted by the lockout. He played last season with CSKA Moscow, and appears to have an extra bounce in his step after slowing down in the last of his 10 seasons in Utah. ”Last season in CSKA, I feel comfortable, I feel great at home,” Kirilenko said. “I feel I should play at the highest level possible. If I’m not going back to NBA, I would probably feel sorry for myself over the next four or five years. I got a call and it was a very, very interesting offer.”
  • Despite trade rumors, Andre Iguodala will stay put in Philadelphia, according to John Finger: “According to a source, a trade involving Iguodala “won’t happen” during the off-season. As a result of that, the Sixers’ off-season tinkering to their roster is complete and aside from a few free agents who get invitations to training camp, the team is set. Moreover, a report on HoopsWorld.com indicates that the Sixers are actually building the team around Iguodala and that if any move is to come regarding the Olympian, it would be in the distant future. As for London, Iguodala made his Olympic debut in the victory over France, scoring one point and missing the only shot from the field that he attempted. However, Iguodala had two assists, a steal and a block in 11 minutes off the bench as the team’s defensive stopper.”
  • Kobe Bryant admitted that 1992 Dream Team was a better team than the current USA team, from Mike Bresnahan: “On second thought, maybe the original Dream Team was better. So says Kobe Bryant, who lighted a metaphorical fire around his feet earlier this month by saying this year’s U.S. team would beat the original cast of NBA stars from 1992. This time, though, Bryant indicated that Michael, Magic and Larry were more talented than LeBron, Kevin Durant and himself. ”I didn’t say we were a better team,” Bryant said Friday amid a mob of reporters at an introductory Olympic news conference. “But if you think we can’t beat that team one time? Like I’m going to say no, that we’d never beat them.” Bryant agreed with President Obama, who countered Bryant’s comments earlier this month by saying the 1992 squad was superior. ”He’s right. They are a better team,” Bryant said. “The question was ‘Can we beat them?’ Yes we can. Of course we can.”
  • Bryant was also caught without a shirt on in a recent photo during a party, from TMZ: “Kobe Bryant’s wife has some serious questions about his judgment after seeing pics of him partying with women last week — but that didn’t stop her from flying to London to watch him play in the Olympics. Sources close to Vanessa Bryant tell us she is “furious” and “embarrassed” over the photos — one of Kobe chatting up 2 women at an afterparty last week in Barcelona … the other showed him hanging with 2 different women in a nightclub. But we’re told Vanessa’s anger is NOT because she thinks Kobe cheated … instead she’s mad that he put himself in situations where the photos could be taken.”
  • The NBA owners are looking for financial gain from the Olympics rather than watching it go to IOC, according to Adrian Wojnarowski: “For NBA teams, the ability to control their talent in a rebranded World Cup of Basketball goes far past benefiting financially in ways that the IOC will never allow. This is the fight now, but everyone knows how it will end: The owners are organized, unified, and determined to make the World Cup of Basketball the financial boon that they always believed a European expansion of NBA franchises could be for them. They’re determined to control the way that medical staff administer to players in whom they’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars, control the circumstances under which those players are cleared to play with injury, and ultimately, control the fate of guaranteed contracts they’re obligated to pay. As one Western Conference GM told Yahoo! Sports, in responding to Team USA players saying they want final say over whether they play in the Olympics: “If players take this control, should they also take the risk on their contract money?”
  • The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to sign Willie Green, according to Eric Pincus: “The Los Angeles Clippers have added on yet another veteran, agreeing to acquire Willie Green from the Atlanta Hawks via sign and trade.  The Clippers give up the rights to Sofocles Schortsianitis who they drafted back in 2003 (34th pick).  “Sofo” played one summer league for the Clippers but never officially joined the team. Green played a season in New Orleans with Chris Paul.  At 31-years old, Green is a steady 6’3″ shooting guard.  In 53 games for Atlanta last season, Green shot 44.2% from three-point range on 113 attempts.”
  • In a recent interview, Yao Ming said he was glad the Knicks declined to match Houston’s offer for Jeremy Lin, from Berman: “Yao Ming doesn’t give many interviews anymore, but he stopped long enough yesterday as he entered the Olympic Park’s basketball arena to give a thumbs up to Jeremy Lin leaving the Knicks and joining his former club, the Rockets. The 7-foot-6 Yao is doing Olympic commentary for Chinese TV and worked Spain’s 97-81 victory over China. When asked what he thought of Lin joining the Rockets, Yao told The Post, “It will be good for both of them, Jeremy and Houston.’’
  • Nate Robinson will soon join the Chicago Bulls, according to Sam Amick: “Back from vacation & free agency continues: the agent for Nate Robinson, Aaron Goodwin, says the veteran point guard will sign with Chicago today “barring unforeseen problems.” Robinson averaged 11.2 points (42.4 percent shooting overall), 23.5 minutes, 1.2 steals and a career-high 4.5 assists per game with Golden State last season. Assuming the signing takes place, this will be the 28-year-old’s fifth team since the 2009-10 campaign (NY, Boston, Oklahoma City, Golden State and the Bulls).”
  • The Golden State Warriors continued to add depth on the team by signing Carl Landry and are close to re-signing Brandon Rush, according to Matt Steinmetz: “The Warriors have signed free-agent power forward Carl Landry and are close to re-signing restricted free agent Brandon Rush, according to Mark Bartelstein, the agent for each player. Bartelstein confirmed that Landry’s deal was for two years, $8 million. The second year is a player option. Bartelstein indicated on Monday morning that it was possible both signings could become official later in the day — and now the Landry signing has.”

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