SH Blog: Lakers may look to acquire LeBron in 2014, Love broke hand doing knuckle pushups
Mark Cuban would bring the same team from this season back for next season if they kill it, from Dwain Price of Star Telegram: “Every Mavs player except Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and rookie Jared Cunningham could potentially be in last year of their contract — if all of the options are exercized. But Cuban explained that doesn’t necessarily mean those players will be wearing new uniforms next fall. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told them,’’ Cuban said before Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. “The best situation is everybody kills it, and they’re all back. “Then, I don’t have to deal with all the idiot questions over the summer and we’ve got a great team to build on. That’s what I want.’’
- Have you ever tried to google the name C.J. Miles to find images of him? Jack Moore of Buzzfeed did, and he did not necessarily find what he was looking for. Something tells me he wasn’t complaining, though.
Brook Lopez has seen a decline in his rebounding numbers over the past couple of seasons. The presence of Kris Humphries has plenty to do with that, though, according to Michael Scotto of SNY Nets: “The pressure is on Lopez to become the defensive anchor of the paint by blocking shots and corralling more rebounds. Lopez has seen a sharp decline in his rebounding totals across the board (offensive, defensive, and total rebounds) and blocks after his rookie season. But it’s no coincidence that Kris Humphries’ arrival in Lopez’s second season has negatively impacted his rebounding totals. Last season, Humphries finished 16th in total rebounding percentage (15.30).”
- J.R. Smith has a sore Achilles that appears to be more serious than originally thought, from Mark Berman of New York Post:
Yeah, it's serious with J.R. Smith. He won't make trip with his sore Achilles. Didn't practice today.
@NYPost_Berman
Marc Berman
John Wall thinks his third season will help determine what kind of player he will be in the league, from Tzvi Twersky of Slam: “I think your third season makes you what you’re going to be made in this League,” the 22-year-old told SLAM earlier this week over the phone. “Are you going to be a good player or are you just going to be average? Are you going to be great or not? That’s my motivation.” Wall is acutely aware that his legacy is being written as he speaks. He knows that he’s being judged on his improvement, stats and overall play. He knows that, despite currently being sidelined with a knee injury, the next few months might decide the rest of his career. “This a big year for me,” says Wall, who averaged 16 ppg and 8 apg this past lockout-shortened campaign. “Not just for myself, but for my team also.”
- Wall, by the way, has no idea who Jon Bon Jovi is, from Michael Lee of Washington Post: “Legendary rock musician Jon Bon Jovi sat courtside during the Wizards’ 104-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Center. The arena speakers pumped his classic staple, “You Give Love a Bad Name,” while his image flashed across the HD scoreboard. And as it all unfolded, John Wall applauded from his seat along the bench. Wall was simply being polite, because after the game, Wall was asked about Bon Jovi and he replied, “Who’s that?” Jan Vesely, the Czech forward getting dressed nearby, was stunned as he looked at Wall. “No. You don’t know him?” Vesely said. Emeka Okafor, seated in an adjacent locker room stall, shook his head and laughed. Wall smiled and said, “I’m a 90s baby. I never heard of him.”
Rudy Gay has really impressed coach Lionel Hollins during camp this season, from Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal: “Hollins is often asked by national media about his core players, and Rudy Gay’s development continues to be a big topic. Gay, who is entering his seventh NBA season, is having arguably his best training camp. Before the Griz took on the Houston Rockets, Hollins sounded as if he’s bracing for a breakout campaign from his 6-8 starting small forward. “He’s having an outstanding camp,” Hollins said. “It he continues to play like this he’s going to have one of those years where everybody says ‘Wow. This is what I thought he could be.’ ” Hollins and teammates continue to be impressed by Gay’s improved playmaking though point guard Mike Conley is right with Gay in terms of consistency throughout camp.”
Brandon Jennings’ contract situation is still murky due to the fact that there still isn’t a clear sense of how good he actually is, from Jeremy Schmidt of Bucksketball: “Jennings has the charisma and sense of duty of your average franchise player, but thus far, he’s demonstrated the game of only an almost All-Star at his best. This could be the year where we see him take another step forward, but the Bucks don’t exactly have the luxury of time. If Milwaukee doesn’t extend Jennings by October 31, he’ll be a restricted free agent come July 1. Then his worth will be dictated by the league, not Jennings and the Bucks alone. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If Jennings makes it clear he’s a big time player this season, worthy of a max contract from another team, the Bucks will have the opportunity to match and almost certainly will. If Jennings struggles or regresses a bit this season, those big time offers won’t come pouring in because NBA general managers are too smart for that.