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The best team flying under the radar has two rookies in its starting lineup. But it’s not the Charlotte Bobcats.
It is missing its oft-injured big man. But it’s not the Philadelphia 76ers.
It has All-Star candidates at point guard and power forward. But it’s not the Los Angeles Clippers.
It is an original NBA franchise that has not won a title since the 1970s. But it’s not the New York Knicks.
As the time for training camp reaches near, we will start to hear more in detail about about the mindset and the health status of players around the league. It’s a small dosage, but we have some updates on the health situations of Chauncey Billups, Earl Watson and Ronnie Brewer today. You can also dive into the mind of second year player Brandon Knight heading into the season, how Mitch Kupchak feels about his transactions over the summer, what Tyson Chandler is doing to help support his teammates and more below:
Brandon Knight is ready to roll for the Pistons in the upcoming season, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com: “In the broader sense, Knight is even more eager to get training camp rolling and, beyond that, his second season. “Some of the things I wish I would have been better at last year, I think I will show this year because I’ve gotten so much better at them,” he said. “That’s why I’m very excited about the season. I can’t wait. I’m going to be able to do a lot more things as far as getting guys involved. I’m looking forward to getting guys to play harder and to want the basketball and look for me as a player that is going to help them have a good game, somebody that’s making everybody around them better. “I’m visualizing getting wins, visualizing the Pistons taking strides to being a championship team like it used to be. You get tired of hearing how the Pistons used to be a good team. You take pride in bringing the Pistons back to what Pistons basketball is.”
Chauncey Billups is “way ahead of schedule” to return from left Achilles tendon injury, from Helene Elliott of Los Angeles Times: ”Expected to need at least eight months’ healing time after tearing his left Achilles’ tendon on Feb. 6, the veteran guard is back on the court, though he hasn’t played five-on-five yet and wouldn’t declare a target for his return. When my body feels right, that’s when I’ll be back,” he said. “That being said, I’m far ahead of schedule. ”It’s not even like I had a summer. I’ve been on the whole time, doing rehabbing and other work every day. I’m looking forward to getting back to playing and being with the guys and resuming my normal life as a player.”
Manu Ginobili is still feeling the disappointment of losing out on the Bronze medal during the Olympics, and also touched on the uncertainty of his status for FIBA Basketball World Cup, from FIBA.com: “Now back home in Bahia Blanca, before returning to San Antonio for the new NBA season with the Spurs, Ginobili is reflecting on the summer with the national team. ”I still have mixed emotions about London,” he said. ”We were among the top four, we played well, I played well and that is why I am satisfied. ”On the other hand, I still feel pity and anger with the fact that we let the bronze medal go by a small margin.” Russia were deserving winners of the bronze, yet they claimed it by the skin of their teeth by beating Argentina, 81-77. ”It’s like as if it had been decided by a coin flip,” Ginobili said. ”But what can I say? This happens and we left a good image. We did what we had to do and I don’t have any regrets.” The next big event that Argentina expect to play in will be the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. That sporting spectacle will take place in 2014. ”I never said I would continue, and I never said I would quit,” Ginobili said. ”There are still two years, it’s a long time. ”I don’t know how I will be and everything will depend on that. ”But I do know that I will be 37 and it’s not the same at that age as another age.”
Don Nelson explained why he doesn’t feel like he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports: “Don Nelson will officially enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. But there is one notable person that thinks the NBA’s all-time leader in coaching victories should not be inducted. Nellie himself. ”I don’t really feel deserving to be in the Hall of Fame, but I am in and I’m happy about that,” Nelson told Yahoo! Sports. “It’s a great, great honor. There are a lot of guys who deserve it more than me that haven’t got in yet like Al Attles, Bill [Fitch], [Dick] Motta and those guys. They were real coaches. Man, did they ever coach. ”So I feel a little undeserving. But anyway, here I am. Here I come.” Nelson walks into the Hall of Fame with one thing that can’t be questioned. His record win total.”
Reggie Miller gave a touching speech during his induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame about how inspirational his sister Cheryl Miller has been in his life. Ben Golliver of CBS Sports has the video.
Tyson Chandler will help Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony organize a “pre-training camp”, from Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York: “Tyson Chandler knows what it’s like to be a part of a great team. He won a championship with the Mavericks in 2011. That’s why he wanted to help organize, along with the Knicks’ two other key veterans — Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire — the team’s “pre-training camp,” which starts on Monday and includes most of the players. He told a small group of reporters at the new Knicks jersey unveiling on Thursday that’s what great teams need to do. ”I’m proud of the guys for being willing to come back early and come together to bond as a team,” Chandler said. “It’s a sign of maturity and that guys are willing to give up a month of their summer and come back and train and get to know one another. I think it’s only going to help us down the road.”
Hakeem Olajuwon discussed how he feels badly for the Rockets’ situation and the pain of losing Yao Ming, from Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld: “It is tough (to see them struggle),” Olajuwon said to HOOPSWORLD. “I know management especially is trying to get back to the glory days, having a championship caliber team. It’s very difficult when you’re in the middle, where you don’t get a chance to pick the best (in the draft). We have an average team, maybe get in the playoffs or first round. Being in the middle is very difficult. How can you end that cycle where you stand in the middle of the pack all the time? That’s been their challenge.”…“That was tough especially knowing Yao and how bad he really wanted to play,” Olajuwon said. “I could see the disappointment in his will. It was like a joke. I thought maybe ‘ok that’s not true I’m not reading that right’. To really realize that was like ‘wow, that’s it’. I felt for Yao. He responded positively. He took it very well, moved on. It was tough for the Houston Rockets, especially the owner with all the investments in China and Asia and how that put the popularity of Rockets in Asia. Just to see it for so short, then that was it. Just for the NBA as a whole, I think it was a huge loss for the league and especially the Rockets.”
Dwyane Wade is leaving the Nike Jordan Brand for Chinese shoe company Li-Ning, from David Astramskas of Ball is Life: “During that time in 2009, a shoe company in China was unknown to most in the US despite having Shaquille O’Neal on their roster who signed in 2006 after ex teammate Damon Jones convinced him of the potential. For the next few years, Li-Ning quietly built up it’s roster full of NBA players including Baron Davis, Evan Turner and Chuck Hayes – yes Chuck Hayes. The days of Chuck Hayes popularity is dead with the signing of marketing machine & future hall of famer Dwyane Wade. Details about the deal have not been released yet. It will be real interesting to hear what Nike/Jordan Brand has to say.”
Ronnie Brewer will be sidelined for a while after undergoing arthroscopic surgery, according to Zwerling: “The New York Knicks announced Friday that newly acquired shooting guard Ronnie Brewer underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined approximately six weeks. Brewer tweeted on Friday that he will be ready for the season opener, Nov. 1 against the Nets in Brooklyn. ”If y’all haven’t already heard I had successful meniscus surgery. Started rehab this morning. Minor setback for a major comeback,” he tweeted. “I appreciate the prayers and get well soons from everyone. Much appreciated. Will for sure be 100 (percent) for season opener.” The team said Brewer had suffered a medial meniscus tear in the past two weeks.”
Andray Blatche will definitely sign with the Nets, according to Michael Lee of Washington Post: “Nearly two months after the Wizards gave him $23 million to go away,Andray Blatche has found his second NBA home with the Brooklyn Nets. Blatche’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed on Friday that his client will sign a contract with Brooklyn some time next week. Blatche told Hoops World on Wednesday that he had hoped to soon get back on an NBA roster and he chose the Nets over theMiami Heat. Miller said the decision came down to the opportunity for playing time in Brooklyn, where the Nets plan to use the 6-foot-11 big man at power forward and center.”Shaquille O’Neal may play in Mexican League, Allen Iverson to play in China
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has undergone two major overhauls. 
It’s time for another one.
Not the dramatic architectural changes of 1985 and 2002, in which new buildings were constructed to accommodate the growth of the greatest sport in the world. No, this overhaul will ensure that sort of renovation won’t be needed again for quite some time.
It’s time for an NBA Hall of Fame.
Tonight’s ceremonies in Springfield will induct 12 new members to the Hall. And as has often been the case in recent years, there will be more head-scratchers than no-brainers.
Here’s some of the folks who have entered the Hall in just the last five years: Mirko Novosel, Pedro Ferrandiz, Cathy Rush, Maciel Pereira and Herb Magee. I’ll take Obscure Basketball Immortals for $200, Alex.
Also inducted in that time span were Van Chancellor, Vivian Stringer, Bob Hurley, Cynthia Cooper, Goose Tatum, Tara VanDerveer and Teresa Edwards. Those are certainly much more recognizable names – whose combined connection to the NBA totals zero games.
Meanwhile, truly legitimate candidates such as JoJo White, Sidney Moncrief and Maurice Cheeks remain on the wrong side of the velvet rope, wondering if their significant achievements at the unquestioned highest level of the game will ever be acknowledged.
Alongside the no-brainers of Reggie Miller, Don Nelson, Chet Walker and Mel Daniels, here is this year’s class of head-scratchers:
Although it may appear otherwise, this is not an attempt to discredit the bodies of work of these folks on one of the greatest days of their lives. I’m sure there are people much older, smarter and more worldly than me who can effectively argue on behalf of each of them.
And you don’t even have to bother making a case for Don Barksdale, another of this year’s inductees. He was the first black player to be named an All-American, Olympian and All-Star, the sort of pioneer that mandates a historical wing in every Hall of Fame.
But when Miller and Nelson are enshrined alongside the likes of Sampson and Alexeeva, it can also be effectively argued that true basketball immortality has been devalued.
Years ago, I asked former longtime NBA coach and broadcaster Kevin Loughery about the Hall of Fame merits of Mark Jackson, who had ascended to second on the all-time assists list but had played in just one All-Star Game. Loughery spent several minutes pointing out the arguments for and against Jackson, then ended our chat with this gem.
“It doesn’t matter. Everybody gets in now.”
It sure seems that way.
Sampson and Wilkes played a combined 1,284 games, or two less than Sam Perkins. They have one All-NBA selection between them. They never led the league in any category. They never finished higher than 10th in any MVP balloting.
Their ability to perform at a truly great level ended when they left college, where Sampson was a three-time Player of the Year and Wilkes was a two-time All-American and NCAA champion. If both had chosen grad school over the NBA, they would still be worthy of the Hall of Fame — the National College Basketball Hall of Fame, which opened in 2006 in Kansas City.
If Sampson and Wilkes can ride their college resumes into Springfield, who else is under consideration? Tyler Hansbrough? Joakim Noah? Kevin Houston? Should we really be reserving immortality for players whose level of greatness was obviously diminished by the level of competition?
McClain also is worthy of the Hall of Fame – the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, which opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee. A two-time All-American, Olympic gold medalist and world champion, she was inducted in 2006.
And Alexeeva is Hall of Fame material – the FIBA Hall of Fame, which opened in 1991 in Madrid, Spain. Having never lost a major international competition in 22 years as coach of the Russian women’s team, she was inducted in 2007. She also was an inaugural inductee to the Women’s Hall.
Knight built Nike into an omnipresent international brand. However, his company also makes footwear, apparel and equipment for football, baseball, track and just about every other sport. Does that make him eligible for those Halls as well? Perhaps he belongs in the American National Business Hall of Fame, which opened in 1972 and boasts Ray Kroc, Walt Disney and Sam Walton as members.
The mere fact that the college, women’s and international games each have opened a Hall of Fame in the last generation illustrates the need to honor those whose greatness, while undeniable, does not transcend the sport at its highest level.
That is the NBA, whose players and coaches continue to be evaluated alongside these inductees, rather than above them.
Is that elitist? If it isn’t, it should be. Today more than ever, the NBA towers above all other levels of the game in both skill and scope. Its players have never been better and its global reach has never been greater. It is folly to compare any achievement in any other level of basketball to the accomplishments of NBA players, coaches, executives and administrators.
Instead of implementing a hard salary cap or lowering the age limit on the Olympics, this should be David Stern’s coda as commissioner. Forget the money pits of the NBA Store, WNBA and international offices and instead smartly fund, plan and construct a shrine whose exclusivity befits basketball’s sole stratosphere.
A place that doesn’t value a sneaker salesman above Sidney Moncrief.
Chris Bernucca is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear Wednesday and Sunday during the season. You can follow him on Twitter.
As we slowly prepare ourselves for an exciting upcoming season, it’s good to have an idea of who is still left on the market and what teams can go after them. Who still has enough cap room or trade exceptions to land a player of relevance? Moke Hamilton has all the details on the subject.
On to today’s news, soon-to-be Hall of Famer Don Nelson had plenty to say about a wide range of topics, including his former player Monta Ellis. You’ll also find out how the Knicks can open up their terrible offense this season, along with plenty of entertaining videos below (you may want to plug your ears when Charles Barkley tries to sing):
Nelson also spoke in detail about how Monta Ellis was not ready to handle the duties of a point guard when he was a younger player, from Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area: “I really like what they’ve done. As much as I love Monta I thought he was – just because of his size and not his ability, a 6-3 two guard – it’s very hard to win with a small two guards in our league. When I first had him, I tried to get him to think more like a point guard – if he could ever be a point guard. “He did have the ability to pass. He does have that. He’s doing more of that now. But you know, a player has to be willing to see that and to do those things. His approach when he was younger was a like a lot of guys. He’s not ready to do that. So he was going to be what he was. But now he’s more of an all-around player than I’ve seen out of him. “He is passing more and seeing players. He’s a good teammate now. When he was young he was just … he thought he was so dominant that he could do all these things that we witnessed that he can do. He can get you 35 (points) in a game and that’s what he wanted to do. Now that he’s maturing, he’s a better basketball player.”One more thing of note about Nelson: he hates isolation plays and wishes he could have coached Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, from Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: “He despises the isolation game he once so effectively exploited; considers the European system of cutting, movement and passing as more appealing that the modern NBA diet of dribble-heavy, one-on-one play; regards his close friend, Gregg Popovich, as the league’s premier coach; and admits that he desperately wanted the Minnesota Timberwolves job that went to Rick Adelman – “I would love to have coached Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love” – but insists his career victory total will stay at 1,335.”
Zach Lowe of SI (soon to be Grantland) explained how some newly acquired statistics on Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire could open up the Knicks’ offense. Here’s a bit of a scoop on Anthony: “Of all players who drove the ball at least 40 times in camera-recorded games last season, Anthony proved to be the most efficient of anyone in the league. The Knicks scored 1.66 points per possession on trips that included an Anthony drive (from 20 feet out to 10 feet in) at any point in the possession. Anthony shot the ball on 55 percent of those drives (53 total, in 17 recorded games), a pretty normal figure for a top player at any position. He drew fouls on 25 percent of his drives, one of the half-dozen highest numbers in the sample of 91 players that STATS sent along. (Among players who piled up more than a token number of drives, only James Harden drew fouls more often.) Anthony shot a hair better than 60 percent from the floor on driving attempts. But here’s the thing: Despite all those touches and more isolation plays than any player in the entire league (as a share of his total possessions, per Synergy Sports), Anthony only pulled off only 3.1 drives per game in the sample size. That mark was equivalent to the numbers for Chandler Parsons and Luol Deng, a bit below those for Kevin Durant (3.6) and Paul Pierce (3.7) and about half to one-third of the number that most point guards recorded.”
Gregg Popovich believes Kawhi Leonard is the future of the Spurs, from NBA.com: “GP: I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly. He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had one year of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else.”
Shaquille O’Neal wants to bring an NBA team to his hometown in Newark, New Jersey. Didn’t we just finish removing a team from there? Mike Vorkunov of The Star-Ledger has the story: “Shaquille O’Neal, never shy to re-brand himself in the moment, didn’t hesitate to think of a new nickname to dub himself if the former perennial NBA All-Star can accomplish the latest goal he has in mind. “The black Ray Chambers,” he said. Chambers, a billionaire philanthropist, co-owner of the Devils and a former Nets owner, helped move the Devils to Newark. O’Neal, a native of the city, wants to deliver a professional team as well. “Yes, still working on it, still having conversations and still doing certain things to help beautify this city,” O’Neal said. “When the time is right, we’ll have a party. I don’t want to say things that are out of pretext or context. There’s things going on, we’re working on it, trust me. We’re working on it every day.”
Stephon Marbury has been sued in Richmond (via Slam), according to Aaron Kremer of Richmond BizSense: “A former star Georgia Tech point guard and NBA All-Star was sued in Richmond Circuit Court last week for defaulting on a loan on investment properties that included a commercial building in Petersburg. U.S. Bank, which is servicing a bundle of loans originally owned by Wachovia, sued Stephon Marbury and several of his investment entities — one of which is called Starbury GSA — for $3 million. Marbury’s nickname as a high school phenomenon was “Starbury.” The suit contends that, through the entities, Marbury bought industrial and office properties across the county, including one on Poplar Drive in Petersburg that was leased to the US.”
If you’d like the breakdown of a short list of noteworthy free agents for 2013, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports has it. Here is what he said about Chris Paul and Dwight Howard: “Chris Paul: The Clippers are doing everything in their power to keep him, to the point that CAA seems to run this team at points. They brought back Chauncey Billups for him, they have taken the young core and turned it into Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe with veterans like Jamal Crawford and Grant Hill. The “grow with the youth” plan is out. The smart money is that Paul re-signs with the Clippers. But he could look around the West, see the Lakers and Thunder, and decide the Clippers are not where he can win. And remember, Donald Sterling still owns his team so the potential for him to screw it up exists. Dwight Howard: He has to be on the list as an unrestricted FA, but there is little or no chance the Lakers do not re-sign him. He will want that. After his public relations disaster the past year, he doesn’t want to start the free agency public process up again.”
Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie believes Mike Miller still has a trick up his sleeve, and it has nothing to do with his stroke: “Forget the idea of Mike Miller, designated shooter. The guy can still stroke, but on a team that just added Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, that sort of spacing isn’t as paramount any more. Nah, forget the bombs. Please welcome, if his body is up to it, the idea of Mike Miller the point forward. The designated passer. The skip guy. The extra dish after that up fake and drive that drove us so batty when Mike was passing up good looks from long range in Minnesota. The things that Allen and Lewis can’t do. Returning from debilitating injuries to try and line up at pressurized 25-footer after sitting on the bench stiffening up for 30 minutes of real time is a tough gig for one of the greats — and Miller, that 40 percent career shooter from long range, is one of the greats. Doesn’t matter. The new guys have one trick, you have two. Use the second trick to set up the other guy’s one trick.”
Knicks point guard Raymond Felton recently got married. See the beautiful wedding video, from Beyond the Buzzer. Seriously, it’s moving stuff.Blake Griffin’s knee ready for action
Sharpshooter Reggie Miller, disrespectfully snubbed a year ago, heads the 2012 Hall of Fame Class.
This year’s class was announced Monday in New Orleans, hours before the NCAA title game between Kentucky and Kansas. Other prominent new members are Don Nelson, Jamaal Wilkes and Ralph Sampson, all with ties to the Golden State Warriors.
Miller played his entire 18-year career with the Indiana Pacers, scoring 25,279 points. He somehow was overlooked last year, when the inductees included Chris Mullin – and Dennis Rodman.
“It’s a humbling experience, obviously,” Miller said at a news “To be part of this exclusive club is special. It’s a proud day for me. It’s special for me. I get a chance to join Cheryl, the first brother-sister act in the Hall of Fame. She was a role model.”
Miller’s sister, Cheryl, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995 for her exploits in women’s basketball.
Miller is 14th on the all-time scoring list and was the all-time leader in 3-pointers with 2,560 until he was surpassed late last season by Ray Allen.
The spindly shooting guard, now an analyst for TNT, is best known for his clutch postseason shooting. He scored 25 points in the fourth quarter of a Game Five victory at New York in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals and eight points in 8.9 seconds to lead a miraculous comeback in Game One of the 1995 conference semifinals, also at New York.
In Game Four of the 1998 conference finals, his buzzer-beater shot down the mighty Chicago Bulls and evened the series at two games each.
“Reggie’s career speaks for itself, but he ranks at the top with any player at making end-of-game shots,” Pacers president Larry Bird said. “I was fortunate enough to see it first-hand as a coach and his ability and leadership helped drive this franchise to another level.”
Miller was among five members elected by the North American Committee. Nelson, Sampson, Wilkes and referee Hank Nichols were the others.
Nelson is the all-time leader in coaching victories with 1,335 compiled with Milwaukee (1976-87), Golden State (1988-95 & 2006-10), New York (1995-96) and Dallas (1997-2005). His innovations included the point forward and Hack-a-Shaq and is one of just two coaches to win Coach of the Year three times.
Sampson probably could have been elected merely on his accomplishments at University of Virginia, where he was a three-time Naismith Award winner as Player of the Year. He was the top overall pick in the 1983 draft by Houston, won the 1984 Rookie of the Year award and twice made the All-Star team.
The 7-4 Sampson’s NBA career was limited by injuries. In 456 games with Houston, Golden State, Sacramento and Washington, he averaged 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. He helped the Rockets reach the 1986 NBA Finals.
Wilkes won two championships and one All-America honor at UCLA before being taken 11th overall in the 1974 draft by Golden State. He was Rookie of the Year in 1975 as he helped the Warriors win the championship and was named an All-Star the following year.
In 1977, he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he received two All-Star berths and helped win three titles over the next eight years. In 12 years with the Warriors, Lakers and LA Clippers, he averaged 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds over 828 games.
Former Pacer Mel Daniels was elected from the ABA Committee. He was a Rookie of the Year, two-time ABA MVP and is the ABA’s fourth-leading scorer and all-time leading rebounder. He also was Western Athletic Conference MVP at New Mexico in 1967.
“I’m honored because I’m the second Indiana Pacer behind the No. 1 Pacer (Daniels),” said Miller.
Chet Walker was elected from the Veterans Committee. Walker missed just 21 games in a 13-year career that included seven All-Star berths with the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls. He was a starting forward on the 1966-67 76ers, regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time.
Don Barksdale was elected from the Early African-American Pioneers Committee. He was the first African-American player to win NCAA All-America honors, earn an Olympic gold medal and receive an NBA All-Star Game berth.
The Women’s Committee elected two-time Olympic gold medalist Katrina McClain and the All-American Red Heads, a pro barnstorming team that played for six decades.
Nike CEO Phil Knight was elected from the Contributor Committee and Russian coach Lidia Alexeeva was elected from the International Committee.
