Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin underwent successful surgery on his left knee Wednesday morning at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Center in Los Angeles. The two-part procedure, specifically termed a left patellar fragment excision and a patellar tendon repair “couldn’t have gone better” according to Dr. Neal ElAttrache who performed the surgery. Dr. ElAttrache was assisted by Dr. Steven Shimoyama, the Clippers’ Team Physician. Dr. ElAttrache went on to say “the expectation is that Blake will undergo a sequential rehabilitation program that should have him back in action in four to six months.” - NBA.com
Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. Wallace was fined for his comments made following the Celtics’ 99-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Jan. 18. - NBA.com
Dan Fitzgerald, the coach who built Gonzaga into a national basketball power but resigned before the school began its current run of NCAA tournaments, has died at the age of 67. Fitzgerald collapsed Tuesday evening in a restaurant in the suburb of Airway Heights. He was pronounced dead at Deaconness Medical Center in Spokane, according to a nursing supervisor at the hospital. - AP
Sources close to the thinking in Boston say that the C's plan is to allow Allen's deal to expire and look to re-sign him to a much more manageable number this summer using his "Bird Rights." However with so many major named players expected to be available at the trade deadline, it's been surprising that the Celtics have not been mentioned more as they have been among the more active "buyers" in the League. - HoopsWorld
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant has retained the top spot on the NBA’s Most Popular Jerseys list, the ranking he has held since the start of the 2008-09 season. The rankings are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the 2009-10 NBA season. - NBA.com
Yes. I was skeptical last week when I did my trade story. But since then I've had several signals come out of Phoenix that Amare is available for the right price. I think the Suns are really concerned that he wants to leave for a bigger market. I would've said last week there was a 10 percent chance he gets traded. I'd up it to 40 to 50% now based on what I'm beginning to hear. - ESPN.com
(Brandon) Roy said after participating in Tuesday's practice that he will play against the 76ers after missing the past two games because of a strained right hamstring. "I'm ready to go,'' Roy said. - Oregonian
Following Tuesday night's win over Toronto, O'Neal was asked if he would like to see teammate LeBron James participate in this year's event. That's when he offered his idea. He would like to see former dunk champion Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and others take part along with James. ''As his manager, I will only allow 'Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out,'' O'Neal said. ''If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner." - AP
It has been the most repeated question of the Raptors season: When is Reggie Evans going to play? Try Feb. 17, Toronto's first game after the NBA's all-star break, at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. - Toronto Star
With 6,229 assists, Miller ranks third among active players, behind Jason Kidd, of the Dallas Mavericks, and Steve Nash, of the Phoenix Suns. He was perplexed about coming off the bench early in the season, but seems comfortable with his current role, starting with rising young star Brandon Roy. "A lot of people made a big deal out of it," said Miller, who played two-plus seasons with the Sixers before signing a 3-year, free-agent deal with Portland last July. "I never made a big deal out of it. I just wanted to know what was going on. It was confusing. I'm a competitor, and any competitive player wants to compete for a spot." - Philadelphia Daily News
The most famous football player in Cleveland history hopes the city’s most celebrated basketball star stays put. Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown said Tuesday night that he hopes LeBron James remains with the Cavaliers. - AP
(Mike) D'Antoni is leaving nothing to chance. He put (Nate) Robinson back in the rotation on Jan. 1 and put the ball in his hands down the stretch Monday. Robinson scored a game-high 27, while (Chris) Duhon played a season-low 19:44. D'Antoni also has run more high-post plays with (David) Lee -- a point guard until his sophomore year of high school -- facilitating for others. Lee followed nine-assist outings against Toronto and Detroit with a five-assist showing Monday against the Pistons. - New York Post
"You end up having guys that are in that position that are taking away from some deserving guys,'' Denver guard Chauncey Billups said in an interview with FanHouse about the possibility of Iverson getting elected in the East or McGrady in the West. Billups could be one of those guys. - FanHouse
Not only are (the Nets) bad, but they are bad without intensity. So interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe -- whose gang ranks last in scoring, last in shooting, next to last in field goal defense and 20th in scoring defense -- indicated yesterday there may have to be some changes, even if it's in the form of quicker substitutions, if the effort doesn't improve, particularly on the defensive end. - New York Post
No one on the Pistons quite knew what to expect with Wallace’s arrival. He was known as a hot-headed player with a propensity for technical fouls, and he was joining a team that had several All-Star-caliber players with their own distinct personalities. “It took a while,’’ said Prince, who was in his second season when Wallace arrived. “I don’t care what player you bring to a team, it’s going to take a while to jell. It took us some games, but right before the playoffs started, we knew what we were going to get out of him and what he was going to bring to our team." - Boston Globe
Kevin Garnett has been assured that the knee problems that caused him to miss much of last season (bone spur) and the last nine games of this season (hyperextension) are unrelated. “That’s why you get the CAT scans and MRIs,’’ Garnett said after returning for a full-court scrimmage yesterday, his first full practice since late last month. “I try to acknowledge myself, not only with injuries, but how to better the muscles and things around it and not have to go through this twice.’’ - Boston Globe
The trade rumors swirling around Nate Robinson had appeared to calm down in recent weeks, but Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports has reported today during an interview with Tanguay and Zolak on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, that he has knowledge that the C’s have made an offer to the Knicks for the ever controversial guard Nate Robinson. - CelticsHub
Colangelo is not actively seeking to trade Bosh, but he’s bracing for an avalanche of offers between now and the trade deadline. If it becomes apparent that Bosh is intent upon leaving, Colangelo can maintain control by brokering a sign-and-trade next summer, which would be a win-win because it would bring back assets in return and get Bosh an extra year and more money on his deal. - CBS Sports
I can tell you having been through the last Tracy McGrady fiasco, there is no chance T-Mac lands in Orlando again... Too many things said and done for there to be a reunion, even to clear out capspace.... would Otis move Vince? He keeps saying he won't but its hard to see how it works with Vince on the floor... Trading Vince for ending deals conceeds the season and admits failure in the move to get him... not sure Otis is ready to do either. - HoopsWorld
Under new coach Flip Saunders, the Pistons remained an upper-echelon team, losing to Miami, Cleveland, and Boston in the next three Eastern Conference finals. “Yeah, we could have [won more],’’ Wallace said. “Things didn’t go our way. It wasn’t our time after that, even though we went back next year to defend it. It all goes in one motion.’’ Said Prince, “We should have gotten two or three but, hey, things happen in this league and you always live for the moment when you are playing those games.’’ - Boston Globe
Vince Carter was shaking his head "no,'' before the question was even finished. Returning to the NBA Slam Dunk contest -- even in the name of raising funds for charity -- at the urging of Shaquille O'Neal was not something he would consider. "No. Dwight (Howard) can do it,'' Carter said after Wednesday morning's practice. "Nobody should feel obligated to do anything they don't want to do.'' - FanHouse
So during the Tuesday film session the coach called on his veterans to lead the defensive effort. “I put it right on them,” Woodson said. “And that’s how it should be. They should want more. Thy should want more from each other, and hold each other accountable, but they are not getting it done.” Joe Johnson agreed. “It’s definitely on guys like me, Mike (Bibby), and Jamal (Crawford) to get us all on the same page, especially on the perimeter,” Johnson said. “We’ve had a lot of breakdowns and that puts our ‘bigs’ in tough positions.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In an interview posted on Shanxi's website, Marbury said he wasn't daunted by the language barrier. "I'll communicate with the fans through my basketball," he said. "I think this will be a unique experience. To go overseas to play ball, to live, for me it's a challenge." - Winnipeg Free Press
After playing the first 23 minutes, 8 seconds of the second half Monday in Minneapolis, Iverson sat out the final 52 seconds of regulation, including the last possession in which Andre Iguodala missed a long jumper at the buzzer, and all of overtime in a disheartening 108-103 loss to the Timberwolves. "Throughout my career, that's something that's never happened to me," said Iverson, a 10-time all-star, after Tuesday's practice. "Four seconds on the clock, I'm pretty sure I could at least be a decoy or something like that." Philly Burbs
Iverson is second in voting among Eastern Conference guards for the All-Star Game. If the voting holds, Iverson will be a starter for the Feb. 14 game in Dallas. There has been some frustration vocalized around the NBA that Iverson - and the Houston Rockets' Tracy McGrady - would be starters in the game despite seeing limited action. Iverson, who has played 18 games, scoffed at that notion. "It don't bother me at all," Iverson said. "If the fans want to see me, they want to see me." - Philadelphia Inquirer
However it happened to go up, the new gym did the trick. This season Kaman is averaging 20.4 points -- first among NBA centers -- to go with his 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. In my opinion, he belongs on the All-Star team for the first time in his seven-year career with Los Angeles. But Kaman didn't want to dwell on the possibility of an All-Star breakthrough. "I don't ever count my chickens before the eggs hatch," he said. "I'm not that kind of guy. I don't like crying over spilt milk either." - Sports Illustrated
The 4-7 drought that has followed Boston’s gutsy Christmas-Day performance in Orlando has even left some declaring the Celtics window of opportunity closed. Count the Celtics unconvinced. “I’m not worried about it at all, man,” said Rasheed Wallace, “because each team in this league goes through some pitfalls at some point during the season. No one has a perfect season where everything goes right for them on defense or offense. “It’s not like that. You know you’re going to have some pitfalls and some trials and tribulations throughout the season. But the key of a good team is [to] focus on the main goal and make it better.” - Connecticut Post
There are no easy answers, though, for what has led to Okur's slump. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said, "I think he's just got to pick his tempo up a little bit and get himself involved a little bit more on defense and in our rebounding." "Teams have gotten to him out on the perimeter," Sloan added. "They get used to playing against a guy. He probably needs to pass the ball and cut to the basket a little bit more instead of pass the ball and stay out on the perimeter and look for that shot." - Salt Lake Tribune
Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. Wallace was fined for his comments made following the Celtics’ 99-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Jan. 18. - NBA.com
Dan Fitzgerald, the coach who built Gonzaga into a national basketball power but resigned before the school began its current run of NCAA tournaments, has died at the age of 67. Fitzgerald collapsed Tuesday evening in a restaurant in the suburb of Airway Heights. He was pronounced dead at Deaconness Medical Center in Spokane, according to a nursing supervisor at the hospital. - AP
Sources close to the thinking in Boston say that the C's plan is to allow Allen's deal to expire and look to re-sign him to a much more manageable number this summer using his "Bird Rights." However with so many major named players expected to be available at the trade deadline, it's been surprising that the Celtics have not been mentioned more as they have been among the more active "buyers" in the League. - HoopsWorld
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant has retained the top spot on the NBA’s Most Popular Jerseys list, the ranking he has held since the start of the 2008-09 season. The rankings are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the 2009-10 NBA season. - NBA.com
Yes. I was skeptical last week when I did my trade story. But since then I've had several signals come out of Phoenix that Amare is available for the right price. I think the Suns are really concerned that he wants to leave for a bigger market. I would've said last week there was a 10 percent chance he gets traded. I'd up it to 40 to 50% now based on what I'm beginning to hear. - ESPN.com
(Brandon) Roy said after participating in Tuesday's practice that he will play against the 76ers after missing the past two games because of a strained right hamstring. "I'm ready to go,'' Roy said. - Oregonian
Following Tuesday night's win over Toronto, O'Neal was asked if he would like to see teammate LeBron James participate in this year's event. That's when he offered his idea. He would like to see former dunk champion Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and others take part along with James. ''As his manager, I will only allow 'Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out,'' O'Neal said. ''If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner." - AP
It has been the most repeated question of the Raptors season: When is Reggie Evans going to play? Try Feb. 17, Toronto's first game after the NBA's all-star break, at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. - Toronto Star
With 6,229 assists, Miller ranks third among active players, behind Jason Kidd, of the Dallas Mavericks, and Steve Nash, of the Phoenix Suns. He was perplexed about coming off the bench early in the season, but seems comfortable with his current role, starting with rising young star Brandon Roy. "A lot of people made a big deal out of it," said Miller, who played two-plus seasons with the Sixers before signing a 3-year, free-agent deal with Portland last July. "I never made a big deal out of it. I just wanted to know what was going on. It was confusing. I'm a competitor, and any competitive player wants to compete for a spot." - Philadelphia Daily News
The most famous football player in Cleveland history hopes the city’s most celebrated basketball star stays put. Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown said Tuesday night that he hopes LeBron James remains with the Cavaliers. - AP
(Mike) D'Antoni is leaving nothing to chance. He put (Nate) Robinson back in the rotation on Jan. 1 and put the ball in his hands down the stretch Monday. Robinson scored a game-high 27, while (Chris) Duhon played a season-low 19:44. D'Antoni also has run more high-post plays with (David) Lee -- a point guard until his sophomore year of high school -- facilitating for others. Lee followed nine-assist outings against Toronto and Detroit with a five-assist showing Monday against the Pistons. - New York Post
"You end up having guys that are in that position that are taking away from some deserving guys,'' Denver guard Chauncey Billups said in an interview with FanHouse about the possibility of Iverson getting elected in the East or McGrady in the West. Billups could be one of those guys. - FanHouse
Not only are (the Nets) bad, but they are bad without intensity. So interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe -- whose gang ranks last in scoring, last in shooting, next to last in field goal defense and 20th in scoring defense -- indicated yesterday there may have to be some changes, even if it's in the form of quicker substitutions, if the effort doesn't improve, particularly on the defensive end. - New York Post
No one on the Pistons quite knew what to expect with Wallace’s arrival. He was known as a hot-headed player with a propensity for technical fouls, and he was joining a team that had several All-Star-caliber players with their own distinct personalities. “It took a while,’’ said Prince, who was in his second season when Wallace arrived. “I don’t care what player you bring to a team, it’s going to take a while to jell. It took us some games, but right before the playoffs started, we knew what we were going to get out of him and what he was going to bring to our team." - Boston Globe
Kevin Garnett has been assured that the knee problems that caused him to miss much of last season (bone spur) and the last nine games of this season (hyperextension) are unrelated. “That’s why you get the CAT scans and MRIs,’’ Garnett said after returning for a full-court scrimmage yesterday, his first full practice since late last month. “I try to acknowledge myself, not only with injuries, but how to better the muscles and things around it and not have to go through this twice.’’ - Boston Globe
The trade rumors swirling around Nate Robinson had appeared to calm down in recent weeks, but Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports has reported today during an interview with Tanguay and Zolak on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, that he has knowledge that the C’s have made an offer to the Knicks for the ever controversial guard Nate Robinson. - CelticsHub
Colangelo is not actively seeking to trade Bosh, but he’s bracing for an avalanche of offers between now and the trade deadline. If it becomes apparent that Bosh is intent upon leaving, Colangelo can maintain control by brokering a sign-and-trade next summer, which would be a win-win because it would bring back assets in return and get Bosh an extra year and more money on his deal. - CBS Sports
I can tell you having been through the last Tracy McGrady fiasco, there is no chance T-Mac lands in Orlando again... Too many things said and done for there to be a reunion, even to clear out capspace.... would Otis move Vince? He keeps saying he won't but its hard to see how it works with Vince on the floor... Trading Vince for ending deals conceeds the season and admits failure in the move to get him... not sure Otis is ready to do either. - HoopsWorld
Under new coach Flip Saunders, the Pistons remained an upper-echelon team, losing to Miami, Cleveland, and Boston in the next three Eastern Conference finals. “Yeah, we could have [won more],’’ Wallace said. “Things didn’t go our way. It wasn’t our time after that, even though we went back next year to defend it. It all goes in one motion.’’ Said Prince, “We should have gotten two or three but, hey, things happen in this league and you always live for the moment when you are playing those games.’’ - Boston Globe
Vince Carter was shaking his head "no,'' before the question was even finished. Returning to the NBA Slam Dunk contest -- even in the name of raising funds for charity -- at the urging of Shaquille O'Neal was not something he would consider. "No. Dwight (Howard) can do it,'' Carter said after Wednesday morning's practice. "Nobody should feel obligated to do anything they don't want to do.'' - FanHouse
So during the Tuesday film session the coach called on his veterans to lead the defensive effort. “I put it right on them,” Woodson said. “And that’s how it should be. They should want more. Thy should want more from each other, and hold each other accountable, but they are not getting it done.” Joe Johnson agreed. “It’s definitely on guys like me, Mike (Bibby), and Jamal (Crawford) to get us all on the same page, especially on the perimeter,” Johnson said. “We’ve had a lot of breakdowns and that puts our ‘bigs’ in tough positions.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In an interview posted on Shanxi's website, Marbury said he wasn't daunted by the language barrier. "I'll communicate with the fans through my basketball," he said. "I think this will be a unique experience. To go overseas to play ball, to live, for me it's a challenge." - Winnipeg Free Press
After playing the first 23 minutes, 8 seconds of the second half Monday in Minneapolis, Iverson sat out the final 52 seconds of regulation, including the last possession in which Andre Iguodala missed a long jumper at the buzzer, and all of overtime in a disheartening 108-103 loss to the Timberwolves. "Throughout my career, that's something that's never happened to me," said Iverson, a 10-time all-star, after Tuesday's practice. "Four seconds on the clock, I'm pretty sure I could at least be a decoy or something like that." Philly Burbs
Iverson is second in voting among Eastern Conference guards for the All-Star Game. If the voting holds, Iverson will be a starter for the Feb. 14 game in Dallas. There has been some frustration vocalized around the NBA that Iverson - and the Houston Rockets' Tracy McGrady - would be starters in the game despite seeing limited action. Iverson, who has played 18 games, scoffed at that notion. "It don't bother me at all," Iverson said. "If the fans want to see me, they want to see me." - Philadelphia Inquirer
However it happened to go up, the new gym did the trick. This season Kaman is averaging 20.4 points -- first among NBA centers -- to go with his 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. In my opinion, he belongs on the All-Star team for the first time in his seven-year career with Los Angeles. But Kaman didn't want to dwell on the possibility of an All-Star breakthrough. "I don't ever count my chickens before the eggs hatch," he said. "I'm not that kind of guy. I don't like crying over spilt milk either." - Sports Illustrated
The 4-7 drought that has followed Boston’s gutsy Christmas-Day performance in Orlando has even left some declaring the Celtics window of opportunity closed. Count the Celtics unconvinced. “I’m not worried about it at all, man,” said Rasheed Wallace, “because each team in this league goes through some pitfalls at some point during the season. No one has a perfect season where everything goes right for them on defense or offense. “It’s not like that. You know you’re going to have some pitfalls and some trials and tribulations throughout the season. But the key of a good team is [to] focus on the main goal and make it better.” - Connecticut Post
There are no easy answers, though, for what has led to Okur's slump. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said, "I think he's just got to pick his tempo up a little bit and get himself involved a little bit more on defense and in our rebounding." "Teams have gotten to him out on the perimeter," Sloan added. "They get used to playing against a guy. He probably needs to pass the ball and cut to the basket a little bit more instead of pass the ball and stay out on the perimeter and look for that shot." - Salt Lake Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment