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[Monta Ellis #11]

St-out-emire to miss 6-8 weeks

It will be a six-to-eight week absence for Amar’e Stoudemire, a development that has Carmelo Anthony astonished.

“It’s shocking,” Anthony said yesterday.

Anthony’s star sidekick will undergo left knee surgery this week, sidelining him until at least mid-December and possibly for the rest of the calendar year. The Knicks say the 29-year-old Stoudemire will have a debridement, which is a cleaning out of loose bodies. It’s a far worse timetable than originally set. Stoudemire had been diagnosed with a ruptured cyst behind the knee and was expected to be out only one or two more weeks.


Instead, Stoudemire — entering the third season of his five-year, $100 million pact — is out for potentially four times as long as anticipated. Six weeks from yesterday would put him at Dec. 11 (the season’s 21st game) and eight weeks would put him at Dec. 25 (the 28th game).

It would be reasonable for Stoudemire to possibly make his return for the Christmas clash vs. the Lakers. But even that may be optimistic. Who knows how he’ll come through the operation (he also had microfracture surgery on the knee in 2005) or how his rehab will proceed?

What’s more, Stoudemire will also have conditioning issues because he won’t have played all season. It’s certainly feasible he’ll need more time than the eight weeks and won’t return until January 2013.

“At first it was two-to-three [weeks]. So we were looking forward to having him back still early,” Anthony said. “Just to hear that, out six-to-eight now, obviously the injury was very severe, more severe than what we thought it was gonna be.”

The news is plenty damaging to the Knicks, who have no ideal backup power forward and who also will have to re-incorporate Stoudemire back into the offensive and defensive mix when he does return. This will disrupt Mike Woodson’s in-season rotation and will only further strain the chemistry issues between Stoudemire and Anthony.

“I definitely thought this was gonna be the season that we’d have a chance to go out there and play together in a full season, no injuries and things like that,” Anthony said. “But at the end of the day, you can’t control that.”

Added Tyson Chandler, “[Amar’e’s] been one of the hardest workers throughout the entire summer. Been motivating, keeping the team on track, sending out mass text messages. I feel more for him personally. But like I told him, it’s a little setback in the big picture.”

Stoudemire missed the first two preseason games with what was termed a “bruised left knee.” He then played 27 minutes on Oct. 19 against the Raptors, scoring 18 points. But two days after that, it was announced he had the cyst.

Without Stoudemire, the Knicks have a major scoring void behind Anthony. Two of last season’s top three scorers (Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin) and three of the top six (Iman Shumpert being the other) will not be on the floor to start the season. Last year the Knicks averaged more points without Stoudemire (99.1 in 19 games) than with him (97.4 in 47 games).

Woodson said he’ll start his power forward “based on personnel, who other teams start.” Kurt Thomas is a possibility, and Woodson mentioned Rasheed Wallace could play there and moving Anthony to the four.

“It’s tough. Amar’e’s a big piece to our puzzle. I don’t care how you slice it,” Woodson said. “We’ll be here when he gets back.”

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knick...oRjXj38S8u1cBJ

[Monta Ellis #11]

Ray Allen Shows He Is Still Far From Damaged Goods in Heat's Victory Over Celtics

As soon as Ray Allen agreed to sign with the Miami Heat, the most fervent Celtics supporters began their over-rationalizing. The Celtics were better off without him, they said, and he was not even capable of contributing much to the team anymore, anyway. The loss of Allen was made out to be some sort of addition by subtraction. That was not true at the time, of course. Jason Terry was on board when Allen reportedly agreed to his two-year deal with the Heat in July, but Terry is a notch below Allen as a player both right now and over the course of their illustrious careers. The eventual additions of Courtney Lee and Leandro Barbosa may have made the Celtics deeper and more versatile at the off-guard position, but that is the benefit of hindsight. Losing Allen immediately made the Celtics worse while making an Eastern Conference rival better. Allen reminded the Celtics that he is not quite done with a vintage performance in helping his new team, the Heat, beat his old team, the Celtics, in a defense-optional track meet on Tuesday. Playing more than 30 minutes, Allen scored 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting to bury Boston 120-107. The most egregious mistake was made by the player who nominally replaced Allen, and it came within a minute of both players checking in for their new teams for the first time. As Miami point guard Norris Cole dribbled along the baseline, he was momentarily trapped by Celtics defenders. But Terry, guarding Allen, inexplicably took his eye off the most accomplished 3-point shooter in NBA history, who slid behind Terry and into the corner, directly into Cole's line of sight. Cole passed to Allen and Allen fired a shot, slightly fading to the left, as Celtics fans watched him do hundreds of times over the last five years. Of course, it went in. "He was terrific," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of Allen. "He made shots, he went right all game and we allowed him. But he made a lot of shots. You can live with LeBron [James] and [Dwyane] Wade making jump shots, but the first play Ray was on the floor, we leave him by himself in a corner. You would think we would know better." The Celtics probably did know better, but so did the Lakers, Cavaliers, Magic and others over the years. Allen's ability to get the shot he wanted, no matter the defense's intentions, helped deliver a 17th championship banner to Boston in 2008. Last season was an injury-riddled year for Allen. He shot a career-best 45 percent from long distance but bone fragments in both ankles limited him to 46 games and his production tapered off as the pain intensified in the playoffs. He looked finished, but anybody who remembered how he bounced back from his last major ankle surgery in 2007 and saw the way he obsessively trained to get back on the court last season knew better. Allen appeared far from finished on Tuesday. Hate him if you want. Boo him if that makes you feel better. But do not act like the future Hall of Famer guard had nothing left. He has plenty left. He just happens to be expending it for a different team.


http://www.nesn.com/2012/10/ray-alle...r-celtics.html

[Monta Ellis #11]

Flagrant foul upsets Dwyane Wade

MIAMI -- Add another tab to the Miami Heat-Boston Celtics bad blood file.

Dwyane Wade accused Rajon Rondo of committing a "punk play" in the closing seconds of the Heat's 120-107 victory in the season opener Tuesday night. Rondo was called for a flagrant foul on the play after he grasped Wade around the neck area on a drive to the basket.
After the whistle, Wade raised the ball over his head like he was about to throw it at Rondo but stopped himself.

"I got my kids watching so I stopped myself but it was a punk play by him," said Wade, who had a team-best 29 points in the win. "He clotheslined me."

Wade hinted he might have a response the next time the teams play on Jan. 27 in Boston.

"I'm here to play basketball, man," Wade said. "If you want to do something else, then go do something else. Boxing, this is not it. I was glad I was able to stop myself in that very moment and move on from it. We'll see next time we play."

Rondo, who had a near triple-double with 20 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists in the loss, blew off Wade's comments.

"I don't have any response to that," Rondo said. "Everybody is entitled to their opinion. He has a voice. There's nothing else to it."

Ray Allen, Wade's new teammate and someone who has his own running grudge with ex-teammate Rondo, came in to pull Wade away from the mini-confrontation after the foul.

LeBron James watched the play on TV in the locker room while being treated for leg cramps and said he was relieved Wade didn't get caught in retaliation.

"He did show poise, I saw the anger on his face and what he wanted to do and I'm glad he restrained from what he wanted to do," James said. "It wasn't a basketball play."

Wade and Rondo have a history that dates to the 2011 playoffs. In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the players got tangled up and it resulted in Rondo dislocating his elbow after a fall. At the time, some Boston players felt Wade had intentionally tried to throw Rondo to the ground.

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miam...ondo-punk-play

[Monta Ellis #11]

Harden tops self with stellar encore performance

ATLANTA — After consecutive games in which James Harden’s sensational play went beyond even the Rockets’ outsized hopes and emphatically answered just about any question imaginable, Kevin McHale heard a new one.

How, he was asked, are Harden and Jeremy Lin getting along.

Now we were getting to what really matters.

“Good, I hope,” McHale said. “I’m not Dr. Phil. I don’t know. I’ll ask and get back to you.”

The question might have been about how well they were working together, but McHale could be excused for not catching that inference.

That might have been uncertain a week ago when the Rockets traded for Harden and made him the centerpiece of their plans. Not now. After he and Lin carried the Rockets to a 109-102 win over the Hawks on Friday, spoiling another home opener and offering spectacular evidence for why the Rockets so heavily invested in getting and keeping Harden, the fit of the Rockets’ backcourt tandem was as much of a concern as the progress of Harden’s adjustment to life as a star.

“Oh, on the court. OK,” McHale said. “I think they’re going to play well. They’re both unselfish. They both move the ball. … They have a nice little symmetry right now.”

Lin had 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, and would have had a triple double had the Rockets been able to knock down 3s, finishing with seven assists.

Harden, who traded in the facilitator cap he donned while dishing out 12 assists in the opener for that of a scorer, had a career-high 45 points, making 15 of 17 free throws, also career bests. After missing his first two shots and then charging into Josh Smith, he made 14 of 17 from the field the rest of the way against a defense geared toward stopping him.

“Being crafty,” Harden said. “It’s a lot different from coming off the bench and now starting and having basically the entire offense run through you. I got to get used to it. It’s my job now.”

Yet, as brilliant and indispensable as Harden has been, he did cause a problem that does not need a session with a television therapist to uncover.

There were times the Rockets couldn’t resist the temptation to stop and watch, too.

“That’s what we did for a while,” Lin said. “He makes it easy for everybody. He makes sure everybody get involved so we stay active.”

That helped Lin. But Lin also helped Harden, finding him on several cuts to set him up for dunks.

“It’s easy,” Harden said of playing with Lin. “He does a great job of creating for me and his (other) teammates, too. He can score the ball, but he did a great job of passing it. That’s what makes us so good together because I can do the same thing.”

By the time Harden was through with all he did, he joined Wilt Chamberlain, Walt Hazzard and Glenn Robinson as the only players to top 30 points in their first two games with a new team.

Only Chamberlain and Michael Jordan have scored more than Harden’s 82 points to open a season.

Most of all, when the game was on the line, he pushed the Rockets over the top. With the game tied, Harden reeled off seven points in less than two minutes to give the Rockets a five-point lead with 3½ minutes left.

While he added six more free throws and Lin put in a pair, the Rockets’ backcourt had meshed so well, at least that question — and many others — had been answered.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterocket...milar-talents/

[Monta Ellis #11]

Bulls rotation work in progress
Thibodeau's philosophy for playing time simple: Earn it

Just because Tom Thibodeau unveiled some rotations during Wednesday's season-opening victory over the Kings that had not been used in exhibitions, it doesn't mean he hasn't tried them in practice.

Think Nate Robinson and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt. Or Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler together.

"A lot of what you're doing is based on matchups," Thibodeau said. "What I like about all our guys is they can play multiple positions."

Still, it's clear the rotation is a work in progress. Though all 10 players who logged action scored, Thibodeau didn't go back to Nazr Mohammed in the second half after the veteran center picked up two quick fouls in less than three minutes.

"It was just the way the game was going," Thibodeau said. "Jo was going pretty well and (the Kings) were small and quick. We're going to need Nazr. He's a proven veteran. He's an excellent offensive rebounder. He makes your offense function well. His shot-blocking is critical."

Thibodeau's philosophy for playing time is simple.

"You base everything on performance," he said.

Westward low: Richard Hamilton, who scored 19 points in an impressive opener, is as surprised as anyone the new-look Lakers are winless through the preseason and regular season.

"You see the team they have and it's a surprise," Hamilton said. "Do I think they're going to panic? No. It's an adjustment period for them and everybody's trying to learn each other's games. So it's going to take a minute."

Layups: Hinrich said he has had no issues with his strained right groin since returning other than heavy legs that should disappear as he finds his game shape. … Thibodeau on Taj Gibson's contract extension: "He has earned it. It's important to reward people who work hard and perform well. He has gotten better every year. I'm happy for him."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,5251832.story

[Monta Ellis #11]

Paul Pierce & company out of sorts

Brandon Jennings carved up the Celtics defense all game, but at 5:03 of the fourth quarter last night, he was merely a facilitator.

As the Milwaukee Bucks’ point guard brought the ball up past halfcourt, he sent a casual pass in the air to Larry Sanders. There the 6-foot-11 forward soared through the Celtics’ helpless defense and over Paul Pierce [stats] to slam home the alley-oop.

It was that kind of night for Pierce and the Celtics, who dropped their home opener, 99-88, to the Bucks.

For Pierce, the trouble started quickly. The 35-year-old picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter. At 6:06, he checked out and wouldn’t come back into the game until 8:44 of the second.

The early foul trouble kept Pierce, who finished with 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting, out of sync all night.

“It was tough. I think it kind of threw me out of rhythm,” said Pierce. “You know, I was able to sub early and come back in to the second quarter but even when that happens we have to have guys ready to step up but it really wasn’t about me. It was about the way our team played tonight. It was disappointing on offense and on defense. Both sides of the ball, we didn’t play well tonight.”

When Pierce checked back in in the second half, buckets didn’t come easy. By the time he hit his first shot, a 26-foot 3-pointer, there was 1:02 left in the third quarter. Four of his 11 points came at the free throw line.

Pierce said as the offense struggled, players got too aggressive and ended up playing too much of a one-on-one game.

“I thought (Milwaukee) did a good job at loading to the paint,” said Pierce. “Guys were trying to be aggressive. I think that’s what happens when the offense is struggling. The tendency is to try to drive your man or do something aggressive. But that will come, we have a lot of offensive weapons here. We implemented a new system offensively too, so we’re still trying to learn one another.”

Not only have the Celtics implemented a new system, but they have eight new players. Pierce said it’s a matter of time before they’re on the same page.

“We’re still trying to develop some chemistry with one another, offensively and defensively,” said Pierce. “Understanding what we need to do, understanding the system, which is going to take some time.

“(It’s) the first two games, we’ve got 80 games left so, we have time to get it together."


http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/b..._out_of_sorts/

[Monta Ellis #11]

Hornets' Eric Gordon sets timetable of return from knee injury at 4-6 weeks

New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon told Yahoo! Sports he will be out 4-6 weeks before he can return from a lingering knee injury.

Bracing for bad news, Gordon was pleased to get that non-surgical prognosis from a doctor he visited in Chicago on Thursday. He said he will "grind" in his knee strengthening and rehabilitation exercises to ensure his return to the court in the time frame.

Gordon had arthroscopic right knee surgery on Feb. 14 and played in only nine games of the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season. The Hornets matched a five-year, $58 million contract offer sheet he signed with the Phoenix Suns during the offseason to keep him in New Orleans.

"The doctor could tell I was going through a lot of pain," Gordon said. "But I know I can strengthen it during the four- to six-week time period and return. This was a big break. I've been dealing with this injury for a year. To hear that news was good to me because I thought it would be possibly worse."

Gordon, who missed all of the preseason, felt compelled Thursday to squash any talk that his injury wasn't legitimate and he wasn't happy to be in New Orleans after the Hornets matched the Suns' offer sheet this past summer.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-...102271010.html

[Monta Ellis #11]

Washington Wizards: A rebuilding project full of bricks

The Washington Wizards have taken small steps to try and end their long run at the bottom of the NBA. President Ernie Grunfeld finally gave up on knuckleheads Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee and Nick Young, and retooled the roster with players who practice even harder than Blatche partied.

In a nice change for frustrated Wizards fans (is there another kind?), they’ll be able to root for hard workers. But once again, the Wizards probably won’t be winners.

Even when they’re eventually at full strength — point guard John Wall and center Nene are sidelined because of injuries — the Wizards still are among the NBA’s least talented teams. And after the Wizards stockpiled all those first-round picks during four consecutive trips to the draft lottery, it’s now fair to ask: Will they ever transition from rebuilding to actually winning?

At the starting line of a new season, they’ve already broken down.

Wall — by far the most skilled player in this below-average bunch — is expected to be sidelined another month because of a knee injury. Nene, second to Wall in both ability and importance to the franchise, is out indefinitely because of a foot problem. You don’t have to understand pick-and-roll defense to know that the Wizards needed Wall and Nene in Tuesday’s 94-84 season-opening loss in Cleveland.

Without Wall to direct them, the Wizards were painful to watch on offense. Shooting 35.6 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the three-point arc (Washington missed 24 of 32) is not a formula for sustained success at any level of the game, let alone the world’s highest. Missing Nene near the basket, the Wizards were pushed around for much of the game.

“From a rebounding standpoint, we were just getting totally destroyed on the inside,” Coach Randy Wittman said.

Center Emeka Okafor deserves a big slice of blame for that.

The Wizards acquired Okafor and forward Trevor Ariza in the offseason in exchange for forward Rashard Lewis and a draft pick. Okafor, who has averaged 12.7 points and 10.1 rebounds in his career, is grossly overpaid; he’s guaranteed more than $28 million the next two seasons. But the Wizards are counting on Okafor, Nene and third-year post player Kevin Seraphin, who sat out the first game because of a calf injury, to provide toughness, rebounding and interior scoring.

Okafor was so ineffective that Wittman left him on the bench in the fourth quarter. In the most important stretch of the game, journeyman center Earl Barron played in place of Okafor. Obviously, one game won’t define Okafor’s season, but owner Ted Leonsis isn’t paying Okafor big bucks to sit and watch Barron play during crunch time.

Despite Okafor’s marshmallow effort, the Wizards rallied late against the Cavaliers. They just didn’t have a go-to scorer to help them finish.

When the defense tightens and pressure rises late in games, winning teams turn to players who consistently make shots. Playoff clubs generally have at least two productive late-game scorers. Three or more? That’s Miami Heat territory. On the Wizards’ active roster no one is a proven scorer.
“There was no question that was a concern of mine with Nene and John out of the lineup,” Wittman said. “We just don’t have a guy that I can pencil in for 20 [points] a night.”

Twenty? Wittman should be happy to get 15 per game from anyone on this roster.Ideally, rookie guard Bradley Beal would have been eased in behind a productive veteran. The Wizards don’t have anyone to fill that type of role.

Most NBA observers are high on Beal. “He could be a poor man’s Ray Allen,” one Western Conference general manager told me, referring to the Miami Heat’s sharp-shooting future Hall of Famer.

At only 19, though, Beal is being put in a difficult position. He’ll have to grow up quickly without Wall and Nene in the lineup to share the scoring load. Wittman realizes he’s asking Beal to shoulder a lot. The last thing Wittman would want is for the kid’s confidence to be ruined, “but thus far, I don’t worry about that,” Wittman said. “He hasn’t given me any indication of being intimidated or being scared. Can that change? Absolutely.”

Okay. I know what you’re probably thinking: Won’t the return of Wall and Nene help Beal and the entire team?

The answer is yes. Just not enough to make a major difference in the Wizards’ record.

Although Wall has shown the ability to take command of games in stretches, he still has a lot to prove. Can Wall become an elite scorer after he averaged 16.3 points in his first two seasons? Will his bad three-point shooting — he has a 23.6-percent career mark — improve? Does Wall possess that take-charge trait (call it the Jordan gene) needed to lead the Wizards out of the basement?

The Wizards are counting on Wall to make the leap from good player to superstar leader this season. It’s hard to make that jump when you’re injured.

There are also questions about Nene. Undoubtedly, the Wizards benefited from his roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-dirty approach last season. Nene has credibility around the league because he has produced on winning teams (he played in 44 playoff games with the Denver Nuggets).

But Nene missed 14 of 25 games after the Wizards acquired him from the Nuggets last season and is injured again. The Nuggets were willing to trade Nene just a few months after signing him to a $67 million extension, of which the Wizards are on the hook for $52 million. Did Denver know something the Wizards didn’t? Let’s put it this way: That contract sure could become an albatross over the next four seasons.


Losing Nene for prolonged stretches would be easier for the Wizards to handle if second-year power forward Jan Vesely, the sixth overall pick in the 2011 draft, emerged as a big-time player. Vesely is fast and athletic, but we don’t know whether he can actually play. Still, that’s better than what can be said about most of the Wizards’ players.

The Wizards want fans to believe they’re getting closer. And perhaps they are. But only as close as Charlie Brown comes to kicking Lucy’s football.

Ideally, rookie guard Bradley Beal would have been eased in behind a productive veteran. The Wizards don’t have anyone to fill that type of role.

Most NBA observers are high on Beal. “He could be a poor man’s Ray Allen,” one Western Conference general manager told me, referring to the Miami Heat’s sharp-shooting future Hall of Famer.

At only 19, though, Beal is being put in a difficult position. He’ll have to grow up quickly without Wall and Nene in the lineup to share the scoring load. Wittman realizes he’s asking Beal to shoulder a lot. The last thing Wittman would want is for the kid’s confidence to be ruined, “but thus far, I don’t worry about that,” Wittman said. “He hasn’t given me any indication of being intimidated or being scared. Can that change? Absolutely.”

Okay. I know what you’re probably thinking: Won’t the return of Wall and Nene help Beal and the entire team?

The answer is yes. Just not enough to make a major difference in the Wizards’ record.

Although Wall has shown the ability to take command of games in stretches, he still has a lot to prove. Can Wall become an elite scorer after he averaged 16.3 points in his first two seasons? Will his bad three-point shooting — he has a 23.6-percent career mark — improve? Does Wall possess that take-charge trait (call it the Jordan gene) needed to lead the Wizards out of the basement?

The Wizards are counting on Wall to make the leap from good player to superstar leader this season. It’s hard to make that jump when you’re injured.

There are also questions about Nene. Undoubtedly, the Wizards benefited from his roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-dirty approach last season. Nene has credibility around the league because he has produced on winning teams (he played in 44 playoff games with the Denver Nuggets).

But Nene missed 14 of 25 games after the Wizards acquired him from the Nuggets last season and is injured again. The Nuggets were willing to trade Nene just a few months after signing him to a $67 million extension, of which the Wizards are on the hook for $52 million. Did Denver know something the Wizards didn’t? Let’s put it this way: That contract sure could become an albatross over the next four seasons.

Losing Nene for prolonged stretches would be easier for the Wizards to handle if second-year power forward Jan Vesely, the sixth overall pick in the 2011 draft, emerged as a big-time player. Vesely is fast and athletic, but we don’t know whether he can actually play. Still, that’s better than what can be said about most of the Wizards’ players.

The Wizards want fans to believe they’re getting closer. And perhaps they are. But only as close as Charlie Brown comes to kicking Lucy’s football.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...d93_story.html

[Monta Ellis #11]

Kenyon Martin says he will play for anyone. At league minimum.

Kenyon Martin doesn’t have an NBA team.

Which seems a little strange — at age 34 last season he struggled a little with knee issues and that led to shooting struggles (he shot 44.8 percent last season, down from 51 percent the season before) and rebounding issues. His PER fell to 9.8. But his knee is healthy now and when you look at teams around the league you can’t think someone shouldn’t give Martin a chance.

Reports within the last week said Martin only wanted to play for a contender and for more than the league minimum. Which certainly limited the pool of teams, and none of those fish bit.

But Martin told Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports he would take the league minimum and play for anyone.

“If someone calls me tomorrow, I don’t care who it is, whether it’s losing or winning at this point,” Martin said. “If someone calls me tomorrow and wants me to come in, I’m going. Guys are going down and [teams] are like, ‘Well, we are going to stick with what we got.’ I’m like, ‘Really?’ I started questioning myself, ‘Am I that bad of a guy?’ “

His reputation as a challenging guy in the locker room is certainly not helping his cause right now. Spears spoke to Neil Olshey, the current Trail Blazers GM who was head man with the Clippers last season when they had K-Mart, and he spoke glowingly of him. Olshey said Martin was the guy who held others accountable in the locker room and the team needed that.

Martin thinks he’s misunderstood.

“There is a notion about me that is not accurate at all – I don’t know who started it or where it came from – that people can’t control me,” Martin told Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t understand. Have I had my issues like a lot of other people? Yeah. But I’m getting back that people think they can’t control me, that if I don’t play I’m going to explode, or I can turn a locker room.

“In 12 years there was not one day where I told one guy to dislike anybody. If you ask guys who I’ve played with that know me, they know what it is and know I’m about winning basketball games and competing.”

It’s early in the season, teams are not willing to shake up what they have yet, injuries have not hit teams that hard yet (save Golden State and Brandon Rush). But something is going to change, and when it does Martin is going to get his call. Maybe not this week, but it will happen soon.


http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...nimum/related/

[Monta Ellis #11]

Doc Rivers, Celtics on quest for consistency

The Celtics broke into the win column Saturday after two false starts, but they are still searching for their optimal equation.

The victory over a Wizards team playing without John Wall and Nene was hardly a benchmark decision. The 89-86 victory came after blowing all of an early 16-point lead.

Coach Doc Rivers is still reaching.

“We’ve just got to find the right group of guys,” Rivers said. “And not only just the starters. I’m actually not as concerned with the starters. I’m far more concerned with the second unit. We’ve got to find a consistent second group.”

That was part of the thinking behind starting rookie Jared Sullinger at power forward and moving Brandon Bass to the bench. The hope is that Bass will get more opportunities to use his versatile offensive game with the reserves, especially with Rivers wanting even more of the scoring focus with Paul Pierce [stats] and Kevin Garnett.

Also interrupting the development of the desired rotation is the continued absence of Avery Bradley, who is rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgeries.

“Obviously Avery’s out. I think people forget that,” said Rivers of Bradley, who is expected to return to his role as starting shooting guard. “That’s going to make it a lot easier when he’s back, but he’s not going to be back for six weeks or so, so we have to get it done now.”

But the Celtics don’t expect it to happen overnight.

“We understand that it’s a building process, and it’s up to us to just try to get better each and every game,” said Pierce.

Speaking of the way the C’s let Washington back in, allowing Kevin Seraphin to make 8-of-9 shots from the floor in the process, Pierce added, “We’ve got to start building consistency to where we have an opportunity to put teams away when we go up. We should be able to maintain that. You don’t want to give teams any life.”

Garnett was looking more at the bottom line and trying to run it through the copier.

“Consistency is the biggest thing in this league, and we’ve got to be able to duplicate this as well as we can,” he said.

Asked what the club can do to become more consistent, Garnett said, “Focus, along with games and experience.”

The C’s did start out well, helping the Wizards miss 13 of their first 14 shots. But the effort was apparently too hard to maintain.

“I thought we came out with great defensive energy,” said Rivers. “But you could see we’re still not used to doing it.

“I thought as the game went on we got tired, because defense is exhausting. But I thought overall we did a great job of it.”

Indeed, the Celts held Washington without a point on its last six possessions to secure what was a very important win after season-opening losses to Miami and Milwaukee.

Celtics notes

Pierce has been dialing long distance quite a bit in this young season.

He made four of eight 3-pointers, including the game winner, on Saturday. That brings him up to 7 for 15 on the year.

According to the captain, it’s a matter of running the Celtic attack and taking what defenses are giving him.

“I just think it’s the way our offense is built, the way we move the ball, the way the bigs screen,” Pierce said. “I think there’s more opportunities there. I’m wide open there.

“It’s not like I’m really forcing a lot of them. So I’m just taking advantage of it. I did take a lot of 3’s (Saturday), but I thought they were all good shots.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/b...lt#articleFull

[Monta Ellis #11]

Ray Allen adds fourth dimension to Miami Heat’s Big 3

The Heat’s Big 3 already was formidable, but the addition of Ray Allen has given the team one of the best clutch shooters in history.

Three games into his first season with the Heat, reserve guard Ray Allen is making 56.3 percent of his three-pointers, which is third in the NBA among players with at least 10 attempts.

Yes, the Heat has its Big 3, but it also has the guy who makes big threes, and that’s Allen.

The Heat, which hosts the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. Monday, rested Sunday, which will be a major advantage against the Suns, who played at Orlando on Sunday.

The Suns will arrive in Miami on Monday for Part 2 of back-to-back road games. Even more tiring for the Suns is the prospect of chasing around screens to keep up with the 37-year-old Allen, the most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history.

Allen so far appears to have been an astute free agent signing for the Heat. In fact, it’s conceivable the Heat could be 0-3 right now without Allen, who hit the game-winning shot Saturday in a 119-116 victory over Denver. He also had 19 points in a 13-point win over Boston on opening night.

Allen is fourth on the team in scoring average (15.7), trailing only the Big 3 of Chris Bosh (23.7), LeBron James (23.0) and Dwyane Wade (19.3).

With all that firepower, it’s no surprise the Heat ranks first in the NBA in team scoring average (107.7).

“They have shooters all over the place,” Nuggets coach George Karl said of the Heat. “Then you have a guy like Ray Allen who makes shots in big-time situations.

“His two three-pointers in the fourth quarter [Saturday] got them the momentum. He has done that for every team he’s ever been on, and he does not need a lot of room to shoot it.”

Fitting in

Allen, a career 40.1 percent three-point shooter, has made a smooth transition from Boston, where he played last season.

The Heat has had a different high-scorer in each of its first three games — in order: Wade (29), James (23) and Bosh (40) — and Allen has learned to play off all three of them.

“Ray has found a way to fit in and mesh with a team that has had a lot of success already,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That speaks to his willingness to sacrifice and his ability to adapt.”

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/0...dimension.html

[Monta Ellis #11]

Pacers' Danny Granger expected to miss 3 months with knee injury

ATLANTA - The Indiana Pacers will have to try to remain in playoff contention without leading scorer Danny Granger for the next three months.

The Pacers announced today that Granger received an injection to treat left patellar tendinosis. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla.

The Pacers have struggled offensively without Granger, the team's leading scorer the past five years, in the lineup.

They are 25th in the league in scoring, 26th in field goal percentage, 28th in assists and 30th in the league in turnovers.

Coach Frank Vogel changed his starting lineup earlier this week by moving Gerald Green to the bench and starting Sam Young at small forward.

The Pacers (2-2) play the Atlanta Hawks tonight.


http://www.indystar.com/article/2012...nclick_check=1

[Monta Ellis #11]

NBA fines New Orleans Hornets' Monty Williams $25,000 for comments critical of concussion policy



New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams has been fined $25,000 for public comments that were critical of the NBA's concussion policy, it was announced Tuesday by Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president basketball operations. Williams’ comments were made prior to the Hornets' game against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

Williams made the comments when asked about Hornets forward Anthony Davis, who was injured last Friday night when he was hit in the heat with an elbow from teammate Austin Rivers.

"The better he feels in the next couple of days, it helps the situation,'' Williams said before Saturday's game at the United Center. "But when you're dealing with the brain, I guess what's happening in football it's impacted everybody. So he got touched up a little bit last night and I'm sure that happens a lot in basketball. It's just that now you treat everybody like they have on white gloves and pink drawers. It's just getting old, but it's just the way the league is now.''

Following the NFL's lead, the NBA put in a new concussion policy in 2011 to determine when players return from head injuries. Under the rule, Davis will have to complete a series of tests to determine if he's fit to return. Davis is free of symptoms, he will have to make it through increasing stages of exertion, from a stationary bike, to jogging, agility work to non-contact drills while ensuring the concussion-like symptoms don't return after each one, according to the league's concussion policy.

Before Davis is cleared, the Hornets will have to consult with a neurologist hired by the NBA. Davis could miss several games before he returns because of the league's extensive concussion protocol procedures. As of Tuesday Davis hasn't been cleared to play. The Hornets take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night at the New Orleans Arena.

On Saturday Williams said he's not against the league's concussion policy, but thinks players should have more say so on how they feel.

"I'm not saying I don't like it; we've got to protect our players,'' Williams said in Chicago. "I'm sure I had four or five concussions. When I played it didn't bother me. The NBA is doing what’s necessary to protect the players but this is not the NFL. You don’t get hit in the head that much. I understand it, but as a coach I’m a baby about it. I want my guys ready to play.''


http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ss...ams_25000.html

[Monta Ellis #11]

When Will Andrew Bogut be 100%?

OAKLAND -- The stat sheet from Sacramento on Monday showed another productive night for Andrew Bogut. But the winces on his face and the laborious way he ran the floor might have provided Warriors fans with reasons for concern.

At this point, it's probably hard to tell if Golden State's biggest acquisition in years should be sitting or playing. Even the Warriors themselves don't seem quite sure.

At first the team said Bogut would not play on his surgically repaired left ankle until it was 100 percent; but now he's playing 20 minutes per game while it is clearly not. Then the Warriors said they would gauge how he felt to determine his minutes; now how he feels is out of the equation.

The one thing that is clear: "The process," as coach Mark Jackson has been calling it since training camp began, seems to be taking a mental toll.

"I have a lot more work to do to get to a level where I play 40 minutes," Bogut said after totaling 12 points in 19 minutes of Monday's loss at Sacramento. "Conditioning wise, I don't feel too bad. That's getting better every game. But the ankle is still a work in progress."

So what is the deal with Bogut's left ankle, which was fractured in January and underwent arthroscopic surgery in April?

The Warriors said Bogut hasn't experienced any setbacks. He is just under strict protocol from Dr. Richard Ferkel, a renowned orthopedic surgeon who performed the surgery on Bogut's left ankle more than six
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months ago. Ferkel -- who has repaired the ankles of Ray Allen and Manu Ginobili -- recommended from the beginning that Bogut be on the shelf for six months. Then, he laid out "the process," which limits him to 20 minutes per game, prohibits playing in back-to-back games and calls for constant monitoring.

At the end of November, Ferkel and the Warriors' doctors will come up with the next phase of the plan based on Bogut's progress.

"Bogut has been cleared," Warriors general manager Bob Myers explained. "But if you're a runner and you injure your foot, you don't immediately come back and run a marathon."

Bogut will play Wednesday against Cleveland. Ever eager for the marathon, he has been frustrated after every game, especially losses. He said he will no longer talk about how his ankle feels as he's focused on getting through November "relatively sane."

"He's a guy that understands that as an organization we are looking out for his best interest," Jackson said after Tuesday's practice. "We could selfishly say let's play him as much as possible. But we understand how important he is to this team. He can make the pitch (for more minutes) all he wants, but we're going to stay true to the process."

Bogut is not alone in his suffering.

Jackson is having to employ the quadratic equation to properly manage Bogut's minutes. Analyzing which games Bogut will play in is just another duty for the second-year head coach.

And Myers, a rookie general manager who made the blockbuster trade to land Bogut, is having to ignore every competitive bone in his body to set an example of patience.

Many Warriors fans, teased by the way Bogut changes games when he's on the floor, seem to be growing antsy because of the lack of certainty.

But Ferkel has been adamant about easing Bogut along. In addition to regular treatment and rehab, Bogut has to all but keep an ankle diary. He was checked out by Ferkel in Los Angeles on Saturday. He will probably get a visit from Ferkel on Friday, when the Warriors visit the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It is what it is at the moment," Bogut said. "I'm just trying to get through these next three or four weeks relatively sane. Obviously, I'd like to be out there for more than (20) minutes. But that's not going to happen for a while."


http://www.contracostatimes.com/warr...nce?source=rss

[Monta Ellis #11]

James Harden disappointed Thunder didn't give him more time to consider offer

By Adrian Wojnarowski


HOUSTON – Even with the rapid embrace of life as the franchise player for the Houston Rockets, something still troubles All-Star guard James Harden about the way his departure unfolded with the Oklahoma City Thunder: Why didn't officials give him longer than an hour to consider a final four-year, $54 million offer before trading him?

"After everything we established – everything we had done – you give me an hour?" Harden told Yahoo! Sports on Monday afternoon. "This was one of the biggest decisions of my life. I wanted to go home and pray about it. It hurt me. It hurt." Asked if additional time might have caused him to accept a deal several million dollars short of the $60 million maximum contract Harden had long sought, he responded: "Who knows? Another day, who knows what another day would've done?"

Looking back a week later, Harden believes he likely had to leave his sixth-man role in Oklahoma City and become what Houston general manager Daryl Morey calls the Rockets' "foundational player" for the public to truly understand the depth of Harden's abilities.

"I was there with talented guys in Oklahoma City, some All-Star guys, and I would've been in the back seat there – which I was fine with – but I wouldn't have gotten the chance to show how talented I really am," Harden said. "It's a different opportunity for me here."

Thunder and Rockets executives give the same explanation for the timing of the trade four days prior to the Oct. 31 deadline for contract extensions: Houston needed a deal done on that Saturday, because Rockets officials felt that was the bare minimum to assure they could get their eventual five-year, $80 million deal with Harden into place.

Houston had been pressing hard to complete the trade on that Friday, but Thunder GM Sam Presti waited until Saturday to present his final offer with a 60-minute deadline to accept. Presti believed the Thunder would've lost leverage in potential trade packages if rivals weren't sure they could keep Harden off the restricted free-agent market next summer.

Oklahoma City traded Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to the Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first-round draft picks. For the Thunder, the trading of Harden was a financial decision.

The organization wasn't willing to deal with the punishing luxury-tax consequences and restricted roster flexibility that would come with paying a third player beyond Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook a maximum contract. Oklahoma City had drafted Harden with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, and he rapidly developed into a 2012 All-Star and gold-medal-winning player for Team USA in the London Olympics.

"I think they valued my talent there," Harden said. "They built me there: my work ethic, my body. They changed my life. I think they know how good I can be."

Harden has made an immense impact on the Rockets: Back-to-back games of 37 and 45 points in victories earned him Western Conference Player of the Week honors. Most of all, the performances affirmed his readiness to be a leading man. Harden insists he's embraced the role of franchise player, of team builder, of the star responsible for setting the tone.

"That's why they brought me here for: to embrace the leadership, to embrace building the camaraderie," Harden said.

On the way out of Oklahoma City, Harden has been naturally aware of the public debate his contract talks and eventual trade inspired.

"I heard a lot of those things," Harden said. "I heard that I was greedy; that I didn't care about winning; heard the questioning of my loyalty. And I'm thinking: 'Of course I want to win. I've been winning my entire life.'

"Everybody has their own opinion about me [as a role player and focus of a team]. I can do both: I'm versatile. Growing up in college, in high school, I was the focal point. I was the leader. I was the go-to guy. I was the third overall pick. I took a back seat and did whatever it took for the team to win. Some nights I scored, some nights I passed. Whatever was needed to win.

"Now, I'm back to my old ways: Needing to be the leader, needing to score. In any situation, I'm going to be good."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--ja...-06561809.html