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  • Od Lejkersa i MZT-a, do derbija i nazad!

    Nekako smo se dogovorili. Nakon relativno uspješnih operacija u Turskoj i Litvaniji, odlučili smo da pokušamo sa kolumnom o redovnim dešavanjima u svijetu košarke. Put do moga srca kao kod većine novinara ide kroz tanjir i času, u takvom ambijentu pristajem na sve

    E sada...koliko će moje lijeno dupe biti u stanju da kontinuirano piše o omiljenom sportu i koliko će kolege iz Monda biti uporne da me konstantnim porukama i pozivima podsjećaju na slanje teksta ostaje da se vidi.Uglavnom pao je dogovor da svakog utorka pokušam da pošaljem tekst.

    Za Mondo sam prvi put pisao iz Istanbula sa SP u Turskoj i to na nagovor dragog kolege Ivana Bogunovića (sada vrlo uspješnog tviteraša). Inače, pisac ovih redova za sada uspješno odolijeva pritiscima da otvori Twitter nalog. Nikada nisam imao ni Facebook. Ne uspijevam da se uredno javljam na telefon, socijalne mreže bi već bile katastrofa u najavi.

    Istanbul je bio sjajno iskustvo uzimajući u obzir kako je Kevin Durant igrao. Iz ove perspektive privilegija je bila gledanje takvog igrača uživo.

    Lakoća postizanja koševa koju je teško utrenirati, kao što mi pijemo vodu tako KD postiže poene. Kada već pominjem Duranta......da li je moguće da je Oklahoma pustila Jamesa Hardena da ode....da li je moguće??? u NBA krugovima o Samu Prestiju GM-u Oklahome ćete čuti samo hvalospjeve. Majstor da izgradi ekipu kroz draft, vodi računa o trođkovima, ne preplaćuje igrače bla, bla...e pa jednog je morao da preplati, MORAO.

    Oklahoma je ekipa koja konstatno posluje u plusu od 20+ miliona dolara po sezoni što je za tako malo tržište izuzetna stvar. Dvorana je rasporodana od prvog dolaska sada već pokojnih Seattle Sonicsa na selo...ovaj Oklahoma City u režiji antipatičnog Claya Benetta, vlasnika tima (šta reći o tipu koji je bio jedan od glavnih finansijera Georgea Busha).

    Ovakav potez Oklahoma Citiya ruši priču o borbi za titulu OKC i Miamija narednih pet - šest godina i ruši najbolji nukleus mladih zvijezda koji je jedan tim imao u posljednjih 20 godina (sjetite se medijske pompe oko Clippersa sa Odomom, Milesom i Q Richardsonom, a oni realno ne bi mogli da nose torbe Durantu i društvu). Oklahoma je platila Ibaku i Perkinsa (Perkins će biti koristan u plej ofu protiv drvenog Howarda koji i ono malo što zna zaboravi kada na drugoj strani vidi trapavog Kendricka) i tako sebe vjerovatno izbacila iz trke za titulu, osim ako Ibaka ne postane Karl Malone, što se vjerovatno neće desiti. Harden i njegov stomačić, izlizane starke te kolekcija koledž jakni, leptir mašni i kariranih košulja su sada u Houstonu, a Presti na najboljem putu da ponovi rezultate Danny Ferrya u Clevelandu. Svi znamo kako se to završilo.

    Lakersi na početku sezone izgledaju kao MZT.

    Takva količina izgubljenosti i gotovo maloumnih pokušaja da se lopta spusti na napadački bezidejnog Howarda je u nekim trenucima zadivljujuća. Mike Brown kojeg su uvijek kritikovali da je trener samo za odbranu je uveo Princeton napad pred početak ove sezone što ne daje nikakve rezultate prosto jer ga njegov tim ne igra. Nash se povrijedio, a do povrede njegova uloga je bila da pravi blokove ili drži loptu 0,5 sekundi i zatim gleda Howarda kako lomi tablu nečim što podsjeća na poluhorog (jadni Hakeem je vjerovatno vratio Howardu onih 50 hiljada dolara za dvije sedmice individualnog treninga).

    Kada već pominjem Dwighta koji je ucjenjivao Orlando dobrih godina dana da ga pošalju u tim po njegovoj želji ("Bruklin, samo Bruklin") i nakon što je bacio pod autobus trenera Stana Van Gundya, na kraju je prošao bolje od Lebrona kojeg su razapinjali za prelazak u Miami. Howard sada može da glumi spontanost na idealnom mjestu za takvo nešto - Hollywoodu.

    Ipak ono što u LA neće imati je medijska sigurnost. U najeskponiranijem timu lige njegovu igru će svaku noć da secira oko 500 novinara koji redovno prate Lakerse i koji su gledali bolje igrače u životu od Nicka Andersona i Horacea Granta. Poseban bonus je bolesno kompetitivni Kobe koji je u svojoj karijeri zaratio sa svakim visokim igračem Lakersa u odredjenom trenutku (O'Neal, Bynum, Gasol, Malone, Odom, Samaki Walker - njega je pretukao na treningu). Kobe očajnicki želi šestu titulu, a Howard baš i ne voli da trenira i gleda skauting protivnika tako da će Lakerse i ove godine biti vrlo zanimljivo gledati.....

    Miami na početku ove sezone igra pod ručnom. Odbrana ih ne zanima, primaju preko 100 poena, primaju 50+ iz reketa na svakom meču i opet pobjedjuju. Napad je ubitačan, trojke sjevaju sa svih strana, protok lopte je perfektan i već sada se nazire scenario. Heat će u prvom dijelu sezone pokušati da maksimalno rastereti Lebrona koji se žali na premorenost, da vrati Wadea u ritam nakon operacije, te da podigne formu Rasharda Lewisa koliko je to moguće. Ray Allen već sada igra kao u transu i njegovoj karijeri ćemo da posvetimo jednu od narednih kolumni u cjelosti. S obzirom da forsira niske petorke što iziskuje veliku potrošnju Lebrona i Wadea, Spoelstri je bitno samo da njegov tim zdrav dočeka početak play offa. Pravu konkurenciju u ovom trenutku nemaju.

    Euroliga i ABA derbi...

    Za razliku od prosle sezone evidentan je pad kvaliteta. Jasnog favorita je nemoguće imenovati. Real igra daleko najljepše ali kako ekipu sa centarskom linijom Slaughter, Begić, Reyes i nedavno potpisani Hettsheimer proglasiti favoritom za osvajanje bilo čega, bez obzira koliko dobri bili Rudy, Carroll, Llull i Rodriguez.

    Pablo Laso je pustio svoj tim da se igra košarke i za njihovu utakmicu uvijek vrijedi platiti kartu, ali sa ovim Realom nikada niste sigurni. Maccabi je opet doveo odlicne strance. Ricky Hickman je briljirao u Pesaru prošle sezone i nastavlja da tako i u Euroligi, dok je Malcolm Thomas zvijer u reketu i mogao bi izgraditi sjajnu karijeru u evropskoj košarci.

    CSKA je prilično neubjedljiv. Sonny Weems ih je spašavao sa ruba provalije u tri meča. Olympiacos izgleda vrlo loše, ni sjena onog tima iz drugog dijela prošle sezone kada su brzim napadima i rotacijom velikog broja igrača lomili protvinike ritmom.

    Kritike na račun Jorgosa Barcokasa se gomilaju. Panatinaikos je kratko rečeno užasan. Uspjeli su da izgube i od Ikarosa. Efes je opet utukao 20+ miliona eura i ne izgledaju kao ozbiljan kandidat za F4, Barsa je dovela možda i tri najslabija odbrambena igraca u Evropi Jasikeviciusa, Jawaija i Tomića.

    Armani Jeans i naš dragi Scariolo troše novac ali nema ni igre ni rezultata. Fener je takodjer doveo sumnjiva pojačanja, Sato i Batiste su daleko od svojih najboljih dana.

    U najboljoj formi, ali daleko najboljoj je Žalgiris. Joan Plaza u igru uvodi i pomocne trenere. Svi igraju, svi pogadjaju, presing po čitavom terenu i 15 hiljada navijaca na svakoj domaćoj tekmi, ali kako će sve da funkcioniše do kraja sa vlasnikom kakav je Romanov ostaje dilema. Ko u ovom drustvu pogodi šampiona - svaka čast.

    Za kraj da pomenemo i derbi jadranske lige koji nas očekuje u nedelju.

    Nakon serije predsezonskih saopštenja prvi put se na terenu ove sezone suočavaju Partizan i Crvena Zvezda. Ako imate nešto novca uplatite na kladionici 50+ faulova, 65+ slobodnih bacanja, minimalno tri tehničke, trajanje utakmice preko dva sata i press konferenciju od barem 45 minuta.

    -Edin Avdic

    http://www.mondo.rs/s265904/Edin_Avd...a_i_nazad.html
    "Moja generacija je zivela na ulici. Mi smo imali tu srecu da smo imali pripadnost kraju,
    odnosno cosku. Tu smo se obrazovali, tu smo postali ljudi, tu smo postali lopovi,
    fudbaleri... A ulica je kao sto znate jedan veliki univerzitet."

    Comment


    • John Wall to visit doctor, no target for return

      John Wall plans to visit a doctor in Washington on Thursday to get an update on the stress injury in his left knee. Wall found out about the problem five weeks ago, when he visited orthopedic specialist David Altchek in New York and the Wizards projected that he would miss at least eight weeks.

      He isn’t expected to return until close to December, and while those close to him have hoped that he could return by Nov. 30 in New York, Wall said he doesn’t have a scheduled return in his mind.

      “No target at all,” Wall said, shaking his head. “No. I wish I did.”

      Wall remains limited to stretching and shooting jumpers while standing still as he recovers, but he doesn’t want to rush back and aggravate the injury, especially with Altchek warning him of the risk of a stress fracture without the appropriate rest.

      “I learned my first year to listen to my body more than my heart,” Wall said. “I came back injured but I still came back okay, but I didn’t come back the way I wanted to. I know to take my time this time.

      “Not playing basketball, period, is tough,” Wall said. “This is my first time really being out for a long time and not being able to come back. Especially when you start with new coaches, new team, so many guys new, it’s pretty tough, but it’s something you’ve got to deal with and take your time and come back healthy.”

      Wall has spent his time offering support for his teammates on the bench, serving as a pseudo-assistant coach and patiently waiting for his chance to contribute on the floor with them. He maintains high expectations for what he can accomplish this season.

      “I don’t like to tell my goals. I like to kind of keep them to myself,” Wall said. “I go to the doctor tomorrow and see where my process is going, so just take my time and wait and see.”

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...izards-insider

      Comment


      • Phil Jackson reunion with Lakers could lack perfect Hollywood ending

        By Adrian Wojnarowski


        Everyone remembers the glorious Phil Jackson, the championships, the genius, and they forget the way they had watched him so tired, so beaten in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. They forget the way the work ethic had eroded within the franchise, the way that he lost discipline within the roster.

        Lakers owner Jerry Buss wants to bring Jackson back to coach again, and perhaps he's holding onto something that left long ago: the coach's drive and determination to withstand the grind of the job. He'll come back, cash those checks and leave everyone unsure whether he's still hell-bent on molding championship teams. His old assistants – Jim Cleamons and Kurt Rambis – are out of coaching jobs and anxious to come back to the bench with history's greatest coach.

        Everyone's going to get paid again, but you wonder: Do they have the stomach to chase championships again?

        The old band could get back together, and it is fair to suspect that one of those staggering $10 million-a-season salaries could be the most compelling reason for Jackson to return to the bench in Los Angeles. Jackson has the Lakers right where he wants them: desperate, needy and perhaps willing to pay a steep price to bring him back a third time.

        Mike Brown had arrived at the Lakers' practice facility for the morning shootaround believing he needed a victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night to spare his job. Ownership and management had been meeting about him his future throughout Thursday, and general manager Mitch Kupchak advocated to give the beleaguered Brown longer than five games before firing him, sources said.

        [Related: Lakers fire coach Mike Brown after 1-4 season start]

        Jim Buss, the Lakers' executive vice president, had gone along with the plan on Thursday, but something changed overnight into Friday. Jerry Buss wanted Brown out, and wanted him out now. As Brown gathered his assistants to plan for Friday night's game, a request came for him to step outside the room. The forever chipper, eager Brown returned to his coaching staff 10 minutes later with a decidedly different disposition.

        "They fired me," Brown simply said.

        All around the franchise, the belief was that the decision had come from Jerry Buss, who had lost patience with his $100 million roster investment losing four out of five games to start the season. He was tired of the Princeton offense, tired of the season-ticket holders' complaining, tired of the coach who he let his son, Jim, hire two years ago. For the $100 million of payroll – and the $30 million more of luxury tax – the old man wanted to bring Showtime back to the Staples Center. This was Jerry Buss playing the part of patriarch again. Eventually, Kupchak would turn to his old NBA coach with the Washington Bullets, Bernie Bickerstaff, to get the team through Friday night's game against Golden State. Dump the Princeton offense, Bickerstaff was told. Showtime doesn't do Ivy League, and few in ownership – nor management – had to be convinced that the brief exploration had been a failure.

        Only, the Lakers were sixth in offensive efficiency. In this short sampling, the bigger issues were defense and the bench. "Kobe likes the offense, and has from the start," one league source briefed on the conversations told Yahoo! Sports. "But they told Bernie: 'This is about the offense. It has to go.' "

        Everyone is so sure that Jackson is the savior here, but they forget how uninspired he had seemed in that final season. They forget that too much of the Lakers' staff had become lethargic, that the arrival of Brown had been uncomfortable for so many so used to leaving early every day. Yet this is a results business, and no one cares how many hours that Brown invested into the job, or how late he made his assistants stay.

        This is about public relations now, about feeding that Staples Center and Hollywood monster, and Buss needs a coach with a pedigree. The greatest coach of all, Phil Jackson, could be waiting to come cash Buss' checks again, and motivated and inspired, his hiring would be a bargain at any price. He still needs to decide that he wants to coach again, that he wants the Lakers, but he's forever a sucker for the drama, for riding back to save the franchise. Two years ago, he couldn't wait to get out of the Lakers, get out of the NBA, and you wonder what's changed except for boredom and that lust for the next big score, that next big Hollywood ending.

        "We want Phil," the Lakers fans chanted on Friday night in the Staples Center. "We want Phil."

        Jerry Buss' plan is to give the people what they want: the great Phil Jackson. They remember the five titles with the Lakers, but everyone wants to forget the end, the way that Jackson dragged himself, dragged a team, to the finish line. This job is a grind, and those cheers fade fast. There are no Hollywood endings in the NBA – just old guys staying too long, coming back for all the wrong reasons.

        Phil Jackson needs to think long and hard, because this job demands something out of a man that maybe's no longer inside of him. Remember the way it ended two year ago, remember the way that Jackson, that the organization, that too many of the players no longer drove themselves. Remember, Phil Jackson knew it was time to go.

        http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--ph...-09281209.html

        Comment


        • Brandon Roy out, considered day to day with sore right knee

          Brandon Roy returning to basketball after being forced to retire due to knee issues is certainly a heartwarming story. But he’s been a shell of his former self in his first few games with the Timberwolves this season, and those knee issues are creeping up once again.

          Roy sat out Saturday’s game against the Bulls due to soreness in his right knee, reports ESPNChicago. He’s considered day to day with the injury, and Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman doesn’t know how long he’ll be out, but did say that coming into the season, a certain amount of missed time from Roy was to be expected.

          “You know the guys that have had the knee problems he’s had or anybody who had knee problems, you’re going to have things where you step back a little bit. So I’m not going to be overly concerned right now.

          “We knew it could be a situation where he wouldn’t be playing (at times this season.) But we didn’t know when it was. We just had to go and try to play him and take it day by day and see how he’s responded. So far since the start of training camp, he’s been pretty good. Hopefully, it’s just a minor setback. I certainly expected him not to go all the way through the whole time (this season).”

          Chase Budinger got the start for Roy on Saturday, and managed nine points and four assists in 28 minutes. Minnesota dropped the game in Chicago by a final of 87-80 to fall to 4-2 on the young season.

          http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...re-right-knee/

          Comment


          • Lakers to interview D'Antoni, Dunleavy

            The Los Angeles Lakers plan to speak with former Knicks and Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni and former Lakers, Blazers, Bucks and Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy about their head coaching job in the coming days, according to a league source.

            Those upcoming discussions will follow Saturday's meeting between Lakers officials and Phil Jackson, in which the two sides discussed the job but no official offer was made. "There is nothing to report," said a source involved with the discussions Saturday. Jackson, though, remains the overwhelming favorite to take over early next week. The 11-time champion, who won five of those rings in two stints with the Lakers, has the enthusiastic support of all of the team's star players, including Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol. Interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff, who took over Friday after the Lakers fired former coach Mike Brown, will coach Sunday's home game against Sacramento.

            The Lakers next play at home Tuesday against San Antonio, but then have two days off before their next game, next Friday, at Staples Center against the Suns. Not making a hire until after the Spurs game would give the next head coach two days of practice before debuting against Phoenix, and give them a chance to interview other candidates. It is not believed that the Lakers have contacted former assistant coach and player Brian Shaw, who was Jackson's and Bryant's choice to succeed Jackson after Jackson's final season with the team in 2011. Shaw is now the associate head coach of the Pacers.

            Former Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan told USA Today Saturday that he had not been contacted by the Lakers.

            D'Antoni's camp was resigned earlier Saturday to the idea that Jackson would be the next head coach. The Lakers didn't contact D'Antoni throughout the day while interviewing Jackson. The Los Angeles Times reported that executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak met with Jackson.

            Jackson's longtime agents, Todd and Brian Musburger, said in June that Jackson was looking for a deal similar to the one that Pat Riley has in Miami if he were to return to the game. At the time, they said Jackson's inclination was not to return to coaching, but to seek a job where he would pick a coach and work with that coach and his staff. In Los Angeles, Jim Buss has the final say on basketball-related matters. But Buss did not have a very good relationship with Jackson, and after he left the team got rid of almost all of the people that had had any association with Jackson. Jim Buss chose Mike Brown to replace Jackson instead of other candidates like Rick Adelman, who subsequently took the head job with the Timberwolves.

            Jackson, according to a source who knows him well, is in good shape after having a knee replacement last March. The likelihood is that if Jackson returns to coach, he'd want to bring back many of his longtime assistants, including Jim Cleamons, Frank Hamblen and Kurt Rambis. Most observers around the league think it would be easy for the team's current personnel that weren't in Los Angeles when Jackson last coached the Lakers to pick up the triangle offense Jackson has used since his days in Chicago in the 1990s. The offense would be especially good for Howard, who could thrive in the low post the same way Shaquille O'Neal did when the Lakers won three straight titles from 2001 through 2003.

            D'Antoni, who resigned as head coach of the Knicks in March, is obviously familiar to Nash, who won back-to-back league MVP honors playing in D'Antoni's system in Phoenix. D'Antoni is also quite familiar with Bryant, whom he first met while he played--and Bryant lived--in Italy, and then coached as an assistant on the U.S. Olympic teams that won the gold medal in 2008 and 2012.

            Dunleavy started his head coaching career with the Lakers, making the Finals in 1991 before losing to the Bulls in six games, before moving on to the Bucks, Blazers and Clippers. He last coached in 2010, getting fired with a 21-28 record with the Clippers. He put together a group that tried to buy the New Orleans Hornets and was thought to be the favorite before the team was sold by the NBA to New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson.

            http://www.nba.com/2012/news/11/10/l...oni/index.html

            Comment


            • Lakers hire Mike D'Antoni

              Lakers hire Mike D'Antoni

              The Los Angeles Lakers, in a wholly unexpected move, announced Monday morning that they signed former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni to replace Mike Brown as head coach.

              D'Antoni's deal is for four years, his agent, Warren LeGarie, confirmed to ESPNLosAngeles.com late Sunday night several hours after the Lakers beat Sacramento 103-90 for their second straight win under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff. A league source said D'Antoni's deal is for $12 million with a fourth year as the club option.

              The deal was signed around 11:30 p.m. PT Sunday night, a source close to the situation told ESPN.

              The Lakers said they plan to hold a press conference most likely on Tuesday or Wednesday. In a statement released by the team, Lakers spokesperson John Black said team owner Jerry Buss, executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak were "unanimous that D'Antoni was the best coach for the team at this time."

              Sources confirmed a Los Angeles Times report that D'Antoni quickly agreed to coach the Lakers after L.A.'s weekend of negotiations to bring back Phil Jackson broke down.

              It had been widely anticipated that the Lakers would be bringing back Jackson after deciding to oust Brown just five games into the regular season, but sources said that the Lakers ultimately couldn't stomach Jackson's contract demands to return, which were believed to include a salary ranging from $10 to 15 million annually, significant say in personnel decisions as well as his eventual replacement along with the ability for the 67-year-old to skip selected road games.

              Other sources told ESPN that Jackson's Triangle offense was seen as a benefit to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but not as conducive to the rest of the players on the roster -- namely Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. Another strike against the Triangle was the fact that this Lakers team struggled mightily picking up the similarly complicated Princeton-style offense being instituted by Mike Brown.

              D'Antoni, who had knee surgery at the beginning of November, hasn't yet been cleared to travel, according to sources and "it'll be a couple of days before he comes in, but he's further along than people believe." There is a possibility that Bickerstaff will remain interim head coach even after D'Antoni's introductory press conference, according to a source, if D'Antoni isn't feeling physically able to coach games yet because of his recent knee surgery.

              Part of the current crop of leftovers from Brown's staff are expected to be retained by D'Antoni, along with "one or two" new coaches that D'Antoni will bring in with him, according to a source. Two candidates to join D'Antoni are his older brother and longtime assistant, Dan D'Antoni, as well Phil Weber, another longtime aide.

              D'Antoni spent five seasons coaching Lakers point guard Steve Nash in Phoenix. Nash won two MVP awards while running D'Antoni's signature up-tempo offense, and they won at least 54 games in each of D'Antoni's last four seasons.

              D'Antoni then coached New York for the past four seasons, resigning last March after a largely unsuccessful tenure featuring just one playoff appearance and no postseason victories.

              Nash and Kobe Bryant both expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of playing for D'Antoni, although Bryant eagerly campaigned for a third stint for Jackson on the Lakers' bench. Bryant idolized D'Antoni while growing up in Italy, where D'Antoni was a star player in the Italian league.

              "Obviously I think everyone knows how much I love Mike," Nash said. "If (D'Antoni) were to coach, it would be seamless and terrific for me, and I think the team as well."

              The Lakers have improved to 3-4 after following up their winless preseason with four losses in their first five regular-season games, the club's worst start since 1993.

              Brown was fired after the Lakers stumbled badly out of the gate, struggling to learn his Princeton-inflected offense and playing mediocre defense.

              D'Antoni has a reputation as an offensive-minded coach, although his NBA teams typically have played fairly solid defense, statistically speaking.

              The Lakers' next game is Tuesday night against San Antonio. Phoenix visits Staples Center on Friday.

              Code:
              http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8622773/mike-dantoni-agrees-four-year-deal-coach-los-angeles-lakers-agent-says
              Originally posted by Brajkula
              Veruj meni, radi kako hoćeš

              Brajkula, 2014. N.E

              Comment


              • Timberwolves' Chase Budinger to undergo knee surgery

                Add forward Chase Budinger to the growing list of injury concerns for the Timberwolves.

                Budinger, a valuable performer off the bench during the Wolves' 4-2 start, was diagnosed Sunday, Nov. 11, with a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, a day after he was injured during an 87-80 loss to the Chicago Bulls at United Center.

                In a statement released Sunday night, the Wolves said the 6-foot-7 Budinger will undergo surgery this week and a timetable for his return will be determined after that.

                Budinger, acquired in an offseason trade in June, is averaging 11.8 points and 3.5 rebounds and is shooting 48 percent from the floor. He was injured with six minutes to play during a scramble for a rebound. He was on crutches after the game and accompanied the Wolves to Dallas for Monday night's game against the Mavericks.

                The Wolves already are without Kevin Love (broken right hand) and Ricky Rubio (torn left knee ligaments) until at least mid-December and are not sure when Brandon Roy (sore right knee) and J.J. Barea (sprained left foot) will be available.

                Roy, who started the first five games at shooting guard, aggravated his sore knee in the first half of the Wolves' win over Indiana on Friday night at Target Center and did not play in the second half of that game or at Chicago.

                Barea, also a vital performer off the bench, has not played since spraining his left foot Wednesday night in a game against Orlando after crashing into the scorer's table in the
                fourth quarter while chasing a loose ball.

                Budinger's injury is the latest blow for the Wolves, who have gotten off to an impressive start without Love and Rubio, the team's marquee players. Along with Dante Cunningham, rookie Alexey Shved and Greg Stiemsma, Budinger has been part of a productive second unit.

                The other critical fallout from Budinger's injury is that he also can play shooting guard. He filled in for Roy during the second half Friday night and started against Chicago.

                Budinger's absence puts more responsibility on Shved to handle the shooting guard role until Roy and Budinger return.

                http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_...o-knee-surgery

                Comment


                • Kings' Cousins suspended for two games

                  DeMarcus Cousins' decision to leave the locker room to confront a television analyst was costly.

                  The NBA suspended the Kings' center for two games without pay Sunday for "confronting Spurs announcer Sean Elliott in a hostile manner" after Friday's loss to San Antonio at Sleep Train Arena.

                  The suspension will cost Cousins $94,653. He was already in Los Angeles for Sunday's game against the Lakers but was not allowed to attend.

                  Calls to Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie about the incident were not immediately returned.

                  When Cousins returned to the locker room, he was angry over what he'd been told Elliott said about him.

                  Elliott had said "some humility is in order" in reference to Cousins, who trash-talked with Spurs star Tim Duncan late in the game. Elliott called Cousins' talking "premature."

                  "Don't start talking and flapping your gums against one of the greatest players ever," Elliott, a former teammate of Duncan's, said on the broadcast. "He's going to make you pay. Tell me who got the best of this exchange."

                  Cousins left the locker room, bypassing team officials to wait for Elliott to finish his broadcast. After returning to the locker room, Cousins said Elliott was "immature" for his comments during the game.

                  Cousins' maturity has been questioned for years and is a reason he was available with the fifth pick in the 2010 draft, even though many scouts believed he was no worse than the second-most talented player in the draft.

                  Kings coach Keith Smart said this incident shouldn't be seen as a sign Cousins isn't maturing. The center came to training camp in the best shape of his career and has worked to be less abrasive with teammates.

                  "We're looking for the polished person to eventually come out," Smart said. "You're going to have setbacks … We have a 22-year-old guy that had a mistake right here."

                  This wasn't the first mistake by Cousins that has led to a fine or cost him playing time. This was the third time in three seasons he has missed time for disciplinary reasons but the first time the league handed down the punishment.

                  In Cousins' rookie season, the Kings fined him after a verbal altercation with the team's strength and conditioning coach. Later that season, Cousins was removed from the team plane and missed a road game after a physical altercation with teammate Donté Greene after a loss.

                  Early last season, former coach Paul Westphal sent Cousins home from a game after he said the center had requested a trade for a second time. Cousins denied ever asking to be traded.

                  Smart said the team must stay proactive in dealing with Cousins.

                  "Let's try to stay 15 steps ahead of the next one," Smart said. "We've got the right people around to keep growing this 22-year-old man into the image of what we all want him to become."

                  Smart said Cousins must remember his actions not only hurt and reflect poorly on him but on the organization.

                  The coach likened the relationship he must have with Cousins to that of raising his own children.

                  "Constant communication (is necessary) to keep him (growing)," Smart said. "I've got to do the same thing with my 16-year-old son. You've got to stay in his ear, stay in his mind.

                  "Unfortunately, we're in a professional environment that we've got to do those things, but that's where our society is right now."

                  http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/12/497...d-for-two.html

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                  • Knicks' Smith, a force off bench, admits he partied too much last season

                    SAN ANTONIO — J.R. Smith is picking his spots on the court and on the party scene.

                    Responding to Knicks coach Mike Woodson’s remarks he has become “more professional’’ this season, Smith candidly confessed he partied too much last season because he was swept away by Manhattan’s bright lights.

                    “I’m not going to lie, the New York City nightlife pretty much got to me,” Smith said at Thursday’s morning shootaround at the At&T Center before he scored 17 points to help the Knicks rally to a 104-100 win over the Spurs. “I was going out pretty much every other night and not focused on the task at hand.”

                    Smith, the Freehold, N.J., product, is on a scoring tear, averaging 18.0 points per game and hitting 14-of-19 3-point attempts. The Knicks’ sixth man said he’s more focused at practice this season than at any time in his nine-year career.

                    He came to the Knicks last season after a rocky stint in China, bearing that flaky reputation. (The Post reported last June he sued his Chinese team $1.07 million for docking his pay. The club, Zhejiang Chouzhou, charged he missed 80 practices and shootarounds.)

                    “Every day I’m getting into the gym, getting in as much work as I can,’’ Smith said. “A lot of times previously in my career, I had negative energy coming into the gym, not wanting to be there, joking around, goofing off. This year, it’s been more serious. I understand every road trip we take is a work trip, not just a play trip. You come and work hard. If I work hard, maybe the next guy will see me work hard. ‘’

                    Asked why he didn’t take practice seriously enough, Smith said, “I thought I could get by on talent a lot more than I thought. I’m trying to think the game, taking my time, slowing it down. So far it’s been working. I’m trying to stick with it as much as I can.’’

                    The Post reported soon after Smith signed with the Knicks that Carmelo Anthony, his teammate in Denver and friend, told a confidant he was against adding Smith to the mix. Anthony was concerned Smith could be disruptive. (Anthony denied the report last season.)

                    Anthony acknowledged Smith has a different approach this season.

                    “It’s night and day off the court,’’ Anthony said. “Just being maturing and growing up. Willing to lock in and focus in, it carries over to the basketball court. His commitment and focus level, I haven’t seen that.’’

                    Last season, Woodson said he wanted Smith to become more professional regarding his wardrobe and other matters. On Wednesday, Woodson cited Smith being more focused, wearing suits to games instead of his former hip-hop look of sagging jeans.

                    “Being around the coaching staff, they’re very professional,’’ Smith said. “They’ve been on me about being professional since ... [the] day I got here.’’

                    Smith expressed his extreme disappointment during training camp after Woodson declared he wouldn’t start this season. Since then, Smith has piped down, embracing the sixth man role and emerging as one of the best in the league in the role.

                    “My thing is being professional 24 hours a day — 24 hours a day, seven days a week,’’ Smith said. “I can’t let myself slip as well as my teammates slip. In order for me to hold them accountable, I have to hold myself accountable. I go out here and there. I definitely have to choose my spots. Definitely not before games. I’ve been smart about it.’’

                    Woodson said he is glad Smith confessed to not being a perfect teammate last season.

                    “That’s a good thing,’’ Woodson said. “This is an important year for all of us. He’s a big piece of what we’re trying to do. He’s got to be professional and got to be ready to play and do all the necessary things on and off the court. I applaud him for that.’’

                    Of course, his Twitter followers know he still is no angel based on his occasional wee-hour tweets from clubs, but he has toned it down. Last season, the NBA fined him for tweeting a naked picture of a woman in his Milwaukee hotel room at 4 a.m.

                    http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knick...CSwjw9SFqvXzoK

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                    • D'Antoni says he will reach out to a 'mourning' Magic

                      EL SEGUNDO – Mike D'Antoni isn't naive. He knows there is a large faction of Lakers fans who wanted Phil Jackson to take over as coach, and D'Antoni has joked that some of his friends who are Lakers fans wanted Jackson instead of him, too.

                      Then there is Magic Johnson. On Wednesday, he said on Twitter that he was "mourning" over Jackson not being hired and later on ESPN blamed team vice president Jim Buss for his happiness.I love Dr. (Jerry) Buss. I don't believe in Jim Buss," Johnson said. "He's made two critical mistakes already . . . First, hiring Mike Brown, he wasn't the right coach . . . And I don't feel Mike D'Antoni is the right coach for the Lakers.

                      "Especially when you have Phil Jackson sitting out there, who wanted to be the Laker coach."

                      D'Antoni said he understands Johnson's concern.

                      "Phil was a great coach. He is a great coach. He'll always be a great coach," D'Antoni said at his introductory news conference Thursday.

                      D'Antoni said he had not heard the comments but would try to speak with Johnson.

                      "When you think of the Lakers, you think of Magic," D'Antoni said. "I will reach out to him. We'd love to be able to play Showtime-type basketball. ... We'd like to try to get someplace close to that, and I think that would be awesome. So there's no better person to talk to and pick his brain than him."

                      BLAKE'S STATUS

                      Guard Steve Blake said he has taken it easy since straining an abdominal muscle Sunday against Sacramento, but isn't sure how well it has healed.

                      "I haven't done anything to stress it out," said Blake, who didn't participate in the pick-and-roll drills or scrimmage Thursday. "Tomorrow maybe I'll do a little bit more and see how it feels."

                      Blake didn't know whether he would play Friday night against Phoenix, calling his availability a game-time decision. Steve Nash remains out because of a fractured leg.

                      DEFENSE MINDED

                      Much has been made over the years about the lack of defense in D'Antoni's system, but Kobe Bryant said to put all those worries to rest.

                      "Dwight (Howard) is a multiple defensive player of the year," Bryant said. "Metta (World Peace) is a defensive player of the year. I've been on many all-defensive teams. How many defensive players to do you need on one team?

                      "At some point, just throw the ball out and let us figure it out on our own. That's sometimes what we do best."

                      http://www.ocregister.com/articles/a...h-johnson.html

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                      • Rajon Rondo’s Injury Not to Blame for Celtics’ Breakdowns in Loss to Brooklyn Nets

                        The easy thing would be to saddle this loss on Rajon Rondo‘s right ankle and imagine that the game would have gone differently if the point guard had been on the court.

                        The Celtics rely on Rondo for so much of their offensive identity, after all, that an All-Star playmaker may have made up those few extra points in a close loss. Perhaps if Rondo had not been scratched shortly before Thursday’s game, a few early possessions might have changed all that proceeded in the Celtics’ eventual 102-97 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. That is merely wishful thinking, though, because Rondo’s absence had little to do with Boston’s shortcomings against the Nets. Rondo is one of the best rebounding guards in the NBA, but he would not have significantly decreased Brooklyn’s 18 offensive rebounds. He possesses an uncanny ability to create good shots for his teammates, but the Celtics managed to shoot a solid 46 percent from the field. He can push the pace for the offense, but the Celtics reached their season scoring average of 97 points per game without him while generating 25 free throws.

                        No, Rondo’s injury was not the problem.

                        The problems were a series of defensive breakdowns that started with Leandro Barbosa and compounded whenever Jason Terry and Barbosa shared time in the backcourt.

                        The problems were anemic rebounding by Boston’s front line, which entered the pivotal fourth quarter with seven rebounds combined between Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass. The problems were a defense that forced only 11 turnovers, even while Deron Williams committed his customary four. Rondo would have helped with some of these issues. He would have put up a greater defensive resistance to Williams and lurked in the passing lanes to force a few more turnovers, but he was not at the foul line with 43 seconds left in a three-point game. Paul Pierce was. In fact, Pierce almost had a chance to tie the game, had his layup attempt fallen as he was fouled by Reggie Evans. But the layup spun out, Pierce missed both free throws and the Celtics were effectively sunk. After storming into the lead with a 29-point third quarter in which Pierce scored 11 points, the Celtics folded in the fourth quarter, when they missed four of their six free throws and allowed the Nets to hit half of their 16 field goal attempts, many of which came just a few feet from the hoop. Celtics coach Doc Rivers and Pierce were insistent following their win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, when Rondo missed the final 17 minutes, that the Celtics cannot simply count on Rondo to mask their deficiencies for 82 games a season. Rondo missed 11 games last season with a sore right wrist and other minor injuries, plus two games after he was suspended for tossing a ball at an official. He was likely to miss some games at some point this year, too. “You don’t wish any hurt or harm upon any of your teammates, but it’s the nature of the business,” Pierce said Wednesday. “It happens. We went without him for a few games last year, so we’ve just got to make the adjustment.” Rondo’s absence on the court, save for a few minutes during a timeout when he walked onto the Barclays Center’s herringbone court to converse with an official, was too easy a target to explain Boston’s loss. As the seconds ticked away on the defeat, Pierce could be seen near the bench patting his chest and mouthing the words, “My bad.” Pierce knew why the Celtics lost, and it was not because their point guard was sidelined with a balky ankle.

                        http://nesn.com/2012/11/rajon-rondos...brooklyn-nets/

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                        • YouTube to televise D-League games

                          The NBA has agreed to a deal with YouTube to televise the remainder of the D-League schedule, the league announced Tuesday.

                          More than 350 games of the D-League -- the NBA's minor developmental league -- will be broadcast on YouTube.com and via a video player on NBA.com.

                          Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

                          “The NBA's latest initiative with YouTube marks another milestone in our partnership and a great way to tip off the 12th season of the NBA Development League,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “By turning to our longtime partner, YouTube, we are able to bring the NBA D-League to basketball fans around the world, further expanding the league's growth and showcasing future NBA stars.”

                          The D-League started with eight teams located in the South in 2001 and has expanded to 16 teams spanning from Los Angeles to Maine. All teams have an affiliate agreement with at least one NBA team with some franchises using players from up to four NBA teams.


                          http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,1902519.story
                          IO NON RUBO IL CAMPIONATO
                          ED IN SERIE B NON SON MAI STATO
                          C'E SOLO L'INTER

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                          • James regains No. 1 spot as NBA's top-selling jersey

                            New York -- Reigning NBA Finals MVP LeBron James of the Miami Heat reclaims the No.1 spot on the NBA top-selling jerseys list and the New York Knicks are the top-selling team for the first time since December 2004. The list is based on sales at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue and on NBAStore.com from April 2012 through Nov. 26, 2012, a record-breaking Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

                            James, who last held the top spot in April 2011, climbs from No. 4, taking the lead away from the Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose, who slips to No. 5. At No. 2 on the list is the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant, who, after making his NBA Finals debut in June, catapults from the No. 8 spot. Also included in the top five are the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (No. 3), and New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony (No. 4).

                            Top 10 Most Popular Team Merchandise

                            Knicks
                            Heat
                            Lakers
                            Bulls
                            Celtics
                            Thunder
                            Nets
                            Clippers
                            Spurs
                            Mavs

                            Since 2001, Bryant has claimed the No. 1 position six times in the bi-annual survey, while James has held it three times.

                            The Knicks rose from No. 2 to No.1 to emerge as the top-selling team, overtaking the top spot from the Bulls, who are No. 4 this season. The 2012 NBA champion Heat came in at No. 2, the Lakers at No. 3, and Boston Celtics at No. 5.

                            Additional highlights:

                            * The Thunder's Russell Westbrook debuts at No. 12.

                            * The Celtics' Rajon Rondo and the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul each move up four spots from last year to Nos. 6 and 10, respectively.

                            * The Lakers were the only team with three players on the list, with Bryant (No. 3), and new additions Dwight Howard (No. 9) and Steve Nash (No. 13).


                            http://www.nba.com/2012/news/11/28/l...ist/index.html
                            IO NON RUBO IL CAMPIONATO
                            ED IN SERIE B NON SON MAI STATO
                            C'E SOLO L'INTER

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                            • ROSE RUNNING, READY FOR EARLY RETURN?

                              The holiday season in Chicago will be much brighter if the Bears take care of their business on the gridiron and the Bulls get closer to the return of the face of their franchise, Derrick Rose.

                              The Chicago Sun-Times‘ Joe Cowley reports, via sources, that Rose is just weeks away from joining the Bulls on the practice floor.
                              Rose is doing his part, he was “sprinting in bursts” after practice Monday, per Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. It’s the latest step in a long and arduous rehabilitation process for Rose, who tore his left ACL in Game 1 of the Bulls’ playoff series against Philadelphia in April.
                              The eight months since the injury (he actually had surgery May 12) have been rough on the Bulls (8-7), who have scrapped their way back to the top of the Central Division standings after an uneven two-week stretch of basketball early this season.
                              An earlier-than-anticipated return for Rose, however, would do more than just lift spirits in Chicago.

                              “I think he looks really good,” Bulls center Joakim Noah told Friedell. “He looks great, actually.”


                              Noah has been one of the anchors for the Bulls in Rose’s absence, which has forced the Bulls to lean harder on their defensive fundamentals and to search out different catalysts to sustain them:
                              Aside from a major advertising campaign from adidas, Rose has stayed out of the public eye by design. He hasn’t traveled much with the Bulls this season and has not formally spoken with reporters since media day early in October. Noah admitted that like many of his teammates there are still times when he looks on the floor and still can’t believe his close friend and teammate isn’t out there with him.
                              “Of course,” Noah said. “I think everybody does. But at the same time it’s also knowing that if we keep working individually, as a whole, we’ll be better for the long run. It’s always about looking at the big picture. There’s a lot of basketball to be played and the exciting thing about it is he’ll be back.”


                              Even without Rose on the floor, Noah is in the midst of a career season averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists a game in close to 40 minutes a night. While it’s been strange for him to play without Rose, he is motivated by seeing his friend’s recent workouts because he realizes Rose will be back in the near future.

                              “I think that this season there’s been highs and lows,” Noah said. “First of all, it’s been different playing without Derrick, but it also makes you (realize) … what I love about playing with Derrick is I feel like it’s always more than basketball. Just him being from Chicago, it gives me more motivation and if things go well I feel like he’ll be back and that’s exciting. But right now we’re trying to hold the fort down and we’re playing as hard as we can every night. Win or lose I feel like we’re giving everything we got and I think if we keep doing that we’re going to have success.”
                              As valiant as the effort has been, the Bulls need a healthy (or as close to it as possible) Rose to fight for their spot among the Eastern Conference and league elite.

                              sigpic

                              Sever celi sada se veseli, crveno-beli, 'ajmo u napad zajedno! Sa severa nek zapeva svako, nek grmi jako, Zvezda šampion!

                              "Nema velike ljubavi bez velike radosti, ali i bez velike patnje. E, to vam je Crvena zvezda. Ima da se raduješ do neba, ali sekiracija ti ne gine." Gospodin Ljuba Tadic

                              Batica Wilshere je gospodin covek...

                              All hail the Chan-Chan man!

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                              • Amar’e Stoudemire might not be back in the lineup by New Year's Day

                                The wait for Amar’e Stoudemire continues.

                                Stoudemire, who hoped tomorrow, New Year’s Day, would represent his return from left knee surgery, went through a full practice yesterday with some approximation of the Knicks’ roster. While claiming he felt better, Stoudemire admitted he is not yet 80 percent and felt soreness on some moves.

                                Stoudemire wants to soldier on for the banged-up Knicks.

                                “If I got to sacrifice my health a little bit for the betterment of the team, then I will,” he said.

                                But he said he needs to see how he feels today to determine whether he plays against the Trail Blazers tomorrow at the Garden.

                                “It felt pretty good,” said Stoudemire, who scrimmaged with the second unit — which included a coach’s assistant just to get the number of bodies to 10. “Hopefully, I’ll get a good reaction out of it tonight and tomorrow, see how it feels. But it’s all predicated on how I feel the following day after a long hard day like today. ... I was able to move how I wanted with little restriction, but not much.

                                “I can do pretty much anything, but it just feels sore when I make certain moves,” he concluded. “It would be great if I could go on Jan. 1, [but] I can’t determine how I feel tomorrow or the following day.”

                                Regardless of what Stoudemire says, the Knicks will proceed with caution. They have waited this long.

                                “We’ve got to be cautious, this is just 30 games we put in,” coach Mike Woodson said. “We still have a long way to go.”

                                An ominous sign for Stoudemire, who last practiced with the Knicks in October then went through a couple of practices with the team’s D-League affiliate two weeks ago, was the acknowledgment he does not even feel 80 percent.

                                “I’m not there, 80, yet,” Stoudemire said. “But I am improving. I’m starting to get stronger by the day. [This] was the most that I’ve done since the injury, so we’ll see how it feels.

                                “[The goal is] 100 percent or at least 80 percent, just to the point where I can feel comfortable on the basketball court with no restrictions, no limitations. I want to get to that point. I’m not quite there yet.”

                                In a perfect world, the Knicks would be healthy and Stoudemire might take a little more time to feel even stronger. But the Knicks recently have gotten on a first-name basis with medical personnel and X-ray technicians.

                                “I know a lot of our guys are pretty banged up,” Stoudemire said. “If it’s needed for me to sacrifice my body ... I will. But hopefully I’ll continue to improve the next two days where I can feel 100 percent before I get back out there.”

                                He’s still “getting my legs under me, wanting to have my explosiveness back, I’m not quite there yet.”

                                And he feels he can make a significant jump in how he feels in just a day or two.

                                “After a hard day like today when you can feel much better tomorrow, that’d be a great sign,” he said.

                                As much as the Knicks long to have their All-Star power forward back, they don’t want to have come this far and face a setback. They are the league’s third worst rebounding team — an area where Stoudemire can help. Still, caution prevails.

                                “He looked good running up and down,” Woodson said. “I thought his conditioning was pretty good. He banged around a little ... so it was a positive day.

                                “Everything is going to be gauged on [today’s] practice. Let’s see how he feels physically, and then we’ll assess it from there.”

                                http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knick...lTHJZTBX5vsgGI

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