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As the NBA regular season winds down and the playoffs approach, several teams are trying to get their teams in sync before the stretch run.
The Indiana Pacers, who many believe are the only potential threat to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference are awaiting the return of forward Danny Granger, once the face of the franchise.
Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu has been suspended for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. According to Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com, Turkoglu tested positive for methenolone.
Methenolone, not to be confused with methadone, is an anabolic steroid. According to Wikipedia, it’s found in nature in the adrenal glands of “pregnant domesticated felines.” Nadzeya Ostapchuk, a shot putter from Belarus, was stripped of a gold medal in the Olympics when she tested positive for methenolone.
Here’s Turkoglu’s statement, via Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel:
“While I was back home in Turkey this past summer, I was given a medication by my trainer to help recover more quickly from a shoulder injury,” Turkoglu said in the statement. “I didn’t know that this was a banned substance and didn’t check before taking it.
“I take full responsibility for anything that goes into my body. This was a complete error in judgment on my part and I apologize to the Orlando Magic organization, the league, my teammates, and the Magic fans. I know I have let down a lot of people and I am truly sorry for my mistake.”
Hennigan said: “Hedo unknowingly took a banned substance. There are more than 125 banned substances on the NBA List, and we spend a lot of time educating our players on the contents of that list and will certainly continue to do so moving forward. We believe this was an honest mistake.”
Alex C. is one of the many Sheridan Hoops readers who make this site possible.
We have a number of interactive features on Sheridan Hoops. One of them is this one – The Bernucca List, which tests the NBA knowledge of our readers in what we think is a fun way.
Alex C. nailed the correct answer to last week’s list, which was “Players who have finished second in MVP voting multiple times.” Everyone on the list finished second at least twice; Jerry West finished second four times without ever winning it.
I told Alex C. that he had the right answer and asked him if he had correctly answered any other lists earlier this season. I have been trying to keep track of which readers have the most correct answers, and the truth is I didn’t want to click back through every list this season.
So Alex C. took pity on my laziness and responded to my response.
That is what we want here at Sheridan Hoops. Sure, we want huge readership. Yes, we want to be bookmarked and followed by everybody. But more important, we want a site that NBA fans find comfortable, intelligent and inclusive.
Readers like Alex C. make that goal realistic.
This week’s list is after the jump.
Now that we are about a month into the NBA season, are you disappointed in the performance of a player or two on your favorite team?
Take a number and get in line.
There are dozens of players who are not coming close to meeting expectations this season. And when you factor in their salaries and how much they limit their team’s financial flexibility, it can be downright infuriating.
All the attention in the NBA right now is on the Lakers, who lost again last night. Unlike the first two losses, to the Dirk Nowitzki-less Mavericks and the projected also-ran Blazers, this one was to the Clippers, who are a likely playoff team and potential title contender.
But that’s not a whole lot of consolation to the Lakers, who are now 0-11 including preseason games. And amidst all the discussion of Mike Brown and the Princeton offense, the Lakers got even more bad news: Steve Nash has a small fibula fracture, and will miss at least a week. We’re wondering around here: How long will Brown last as head coach?
We’ve got a whole boatload of links to the latest news from around the NBA, but first — especially among our growing legion of fantasy players — you should check out Kent Williams’ roundup of last night’s games and Jeff Nichols’ review of the last week and look ahead to the rest of the season.
Now, on to the news:
