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[Monta Ellis #11]

Woodson succeeding as D'Antoni's replacement by reining in Knicks


No one doubts former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni is a brilliant offensive technician who wins big when players, particularly the point guard, master his complicated speedball system that relies heavily on players reading the defense and reacting.

D’Antoni’s coaching style and demeanor turned out not to be a good fit for these four tumultuous seasons of Knicks roster upheaval. And D’Antoni clearly was not the right coach for Carmelo Anthony, a player who needs a coach’s attention, whether it be love or discipline, not indifference.

According to people familiar with the situation, D’Antoni never looked at himself as a locker-room therapist. D’Antoni’s relationship with Anthony, his inflexibility with the offense despite an ever-changing roster and lack of communication skills with certain players proved his downfall and led him to resign Wednesday amidst a six-game losing streak and reports of Anthony’s keen dissatisfaction with him.

Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson is ruling with an iron fist, which is far from D’Antoni’s way, and the players have responded by playing with defensive ferocity. Woodson has them worrying less about minutes and more about victories.

Accountability has been Woodson’s buzzword. His stern approach was indeed needed, and the Knicks, who host Toronto tomorrow, are 3-0 under Woodson, winning by a combined 71 points.

“[D’Antoni’s] greatest success came when players held themselves accountable in the locker room,’’ said a D’Antoni confidant. “There are two kinds of coaches — disciplinarians and hands off. He let the players handle themselves. It’s great when you have a Steve Nash in your locker room. It’s not great when you have players who knew they wouldn’t be around too long. He’s a great coach, great X’s-and-O’s guy but never got the chance to really show it.’’

The confidant said probably any coach immersed in the massive rebuilding program former Knicks president Donnie Walsh undertook and Glen Grunwald extended would not have had great success.

D’Antoni coached 58 players in his four Knicks seasons.

Walsh, currently a Knicks consultant who lives in Indiana, attended Saturday’s Knicks-Pacers game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Walsh said he still feels badly about putting D’Antoni in such a rugged situation. D’Antoni got handsomely paid — four years, $24 million — but earned it in angst.

“With Mike, I felt bad. I thought it was a difficult four-year period because we constantly were changing the team, which is a very difficult thing to do for the coach,’’ Walsh told The Post yesterday. “It was never settled, being rebuilt on the fly. Even in the third year, we broke the team down, added players [in the Anthony trade]. And then this year, the lockout, players were coming in one at a time. But the first two years were very tough.’’

D’Antoni has taken a vow of silence with the media since resigning. He felt he had become ineffective, specifically in getting the most out of Anthony.

But D’Antoni is not bitter he lost a power struggle with Anthony and hopes to coach next season, according to the person debriefed by D’Antoni.

“Mr. Dolan picked a different prom date,’’ the person said. “There will be other dances.’’

Four years ago, D’Antoni chose the Knicks over the Bulls. And it was a bad omen a week later when Chicago won the lottery for Derrick Rose. The Knicks, meanwhile, spent two seasons making trades to clear cap space that ultimately landed them Amar’e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton — not LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

“He was promised a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but it never came,’’ a D’Antoni confidant said.

One person who spoke to D’Antoni said the test of Woodson will come when he feels Anthony or Stoudemire aren’t putting out and he benches them during a game.

Woodson has already subtly reduced Anthony’s and Stoudemire’s minutes without complaint. In a shrewd maneuver on his first full day, Woodson massaged their egos immediately, saying in “crunch time,’’ he wanted Melo and Stoudemire to take the shots because “they are guys who have done it.’’

However, Woodson has changed the substitution pattern, having Anthony play roughly the first eight, nine minutes instead of the whole first quarter because of a deep, effective bench.

Everything’s worked so far.

“[Woodson] stays on top of guys throughout the game, in shootaround, practices, before the game, during the game, halftimes,’’ Tyson Chandler said. “He keeps you on your toes.’’

That coming from a D’Antoni supporter.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knick...Q6wTQlWSu9By9O

[Monta Ellis #11]

LeBron OK with idea of Derek Fisher


MIAMI -- The Miami Heat have an open roster spot and veteran guard Derek Fisher is a free agent. Fisher, after completing a multiyear buyout with the Houston Rockets, is looking for a role on a contender.

The question is whether Fisher makes any sense for the perimeter-stacked Heat or if he still has enough left in the tank to help a team make a title run.

"One thing you know about Derek Fisher is that he's a winner; he's not afraid of the moment and he's won multiple championships," Heat star LeBron James said Monday.

"I don't know what our plans are but I don't see it as a bad fit it if happens. What we have we're comfortable with, but he could fit anyone's team because of his leadership and his commitment to winning."James' opinion of Fisher seems to be much like the rest of the league's: serious respect but just lukewarm interest. After sampling a group of league executives and coaches Monday, there was a wide array of opinion on Fisher.

"I think he's just about done," said one executive.

"He doesn't have much left but he could win a playoff game for you," said another.

"I think he's got something left; he could help a team," said one head coach.

It does not speak well for Fisher that the Los Angeles Lakers felt Ramon Sessions would help more in a playoff run.

And Fisher didn't want to help the Rockets, who are fighting for the last playoff spot, instead desiring a buyout so he could go to a stronger contender.

Fisher is not shooting particularly well from 3-point range this season, just 32 percent, his lowest in five years. He's averaging his fewest points since the 1997-98 season. Defensively, he's been a liability for years now. But he's got five title rings, a history of executing in the clutch and instant credibility in any locker room.

But with the Heat, who rely on their perimeter players to be athletic and cover a lot of ground, his skill set doesn't seem to be a great fit. Also, the team is known to be seeking to pick up a big man that can help them with their rebounding and post defense issues.

If Fisher is interested, the Heat could potentially create another roster spot by waiving rookie guard Terrel Harris, who hasn't played a game in six weeks.

But even with rookie point guard Norris Cole in the midst of an extensive slump, it would be hard to see the Heat promising Fisher the kind of role and guaranteed playing time he might be looking for. And if the Heat's leaders are campaigning to bring him in, they're doing it quietly.

"I'm not focused on anybody that's not here," Dwyane Wade said. "It's not my call and I'm not worried about it."

It is well known that Wade and several of his Heat teammates tried to recruit Fisher in the summer of 2010 when he was last a free agent. There was even an episode when James ran into Fisher at the private aviation terminal in Miami when Fisher was landing to talk to the Heat and James was taking his own jet out of a town.

Fisher's flirtation with the Heat then was a ploy to get the Lakers to pony up for him and they did, giving him a three-year, $10 million contract that they knew wasn't prudent and they never probably intended to pay him.

Then the Heat needed help at point guard. They ended up going through a string of them last season, dumping Carlos Arroyo for Mike Bibby along the way. Picking up Bibby in March ended up having minimal impact and his numbers when he got a buyout were better than what Fisher has put up this year.

Now Miami is getting strong play from Mario Chalmers and grooming Cole to be its future at the position. Barring injury, it's hard to see where Fisher would fit in the present other than elder statesman, a role he doesn't seem ready for.


http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miam...t-pursue-guard

[Monta Ellis #11]

Report: Celtics, Heat in lead to get Ronny Turiaf’s services

Ronny Turiaf headed west on the trade deadline — well, that’s not accurate, his contract headed West.

His contract followed JaVale McGee from Washington to Denver (with Nene headed the other direction) but the Nuggets had no intention of keeping him and he is being waived and bought out as we speak. He will be a free agent.

A serviceable big man that everybody in the locker room will like has value and there is interest, reports Brian Windhorst at ESPN on twitter:

"Free agent Ronny Turiaf to decide new team by Wed., agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN. Celtics & Heat lead pack of teams interested"

Both of those teams — and plenty of others — could use the depth and energy Turiaf provides. He’s not a game changer, but he can give you 15 solid minutes a night. And he’ll cheer from the bench like no other.

Wouldn’t be shocked if he joined the big rotation in South Beach.



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

[Monta Ellis #11]

Warriors fans hijack Mullin number retirement to boo owner

I’ve never seen a number retirement ceremony go badly before.

I have now. Chris Mullin was having his number retired by the Golden State Warriors Monday night, but when owner Joe Lacob took the microphone — right after Mullin — fans unleashed a torrent of boos. You can see it in the video above.

Why? Apparently for some it is the Monta Ellis trade for Andrew Bogut, a move disliked by many fans in the Bay Area. Ellis was popular — scorers always are — and there is a sense that if they had to trade him they could have done better, that this was a sideways trade. At best.

But other people — such as Bay Area resident Eric Freeman of Ball Don’t Lie and The Classical — noted frustration from Warriors fans runs much deeper than just the deadline deal. They have issues such as Lacob promising change that the fans have yet to see (and fans are frustrated with the state of the franchise from far before this ownership, this team has gone to the playoffs once in the last 18 seasons). Or the feeling Lacob inserted himself into this night when he should have taken a back seat. Or Lacobs’s plans to move the team to a new, yet-to-be-built arena in San Francisco (they currently play across the bridge in Oakland). Besides, fans boo owners. There are maybe five in the NBA that if they stood at center court would not hear boos from the fans.

Lacob (and partner Joe Guber) purchased the Warriors last year and have spoke openly about changing the culture of a franchise. One of the things Lacob did change was bringing Mullin back into the fold of a franchise where he had been frozen out.

Watch the video above. When Lacob took the microphone to speak, he had to wait for the boos to subside. When he did speak the first thing he did was say, “now that we’ve got that out of the way…”

But the fans were not done and continued to boo through Lacob trying to talk about the new ownership embracing history. It got to the point that Mullin himself cane out and tried to calm the situation by saying that, “sometimes change is inevitable but it’s going to work out just fine.”

The boos did not stop, and the situation was exacerbated by Rick Barry taking his turn at the microphone to play the stern father and reprimand the fans for their treatment of Lacob and the timing. That was just gasoline on the fire.

After the game, Lacob said this to Marc Spears of Yahoo (via twitter):

“The fans are upset I guess that we traded one of our favorites. That’s all I can attribute that to. What I feel bad about is… they kind of ruined a night that was very special. The organization really tried to do the right thing with Chris.”

Fans can be frustrated with Lacob and Warriors ownership. But he’s right about the timing. Rather than talking more about Mullin and his fantastic Hall of Fame career, we are talking about the boos. That will be the story. This is what Chris Mullin’s jersey retirement will be remembered for. Which is too bad.


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

[Monta Ellis #11]

Grizzlies set to sign Gilbert Arenas for the rest of the season

Few athletes' public images have changed as much over the past few years as combo guard Gilbert Arenas, the one-time internet hero who has become an NBA pariah. Much of that sharp downturn in popularity can be explained by his controversial 2010 gun charge, but there's also been a growing sense that Arenas has limited use on the court. He's a big personality used to playing as a star, and it's not yet clear how well he can adjust to being a role player. His play with the Orlando Magic last season suggests that he still needs time to acclimate to his new status.

We should find out just how much he can help a contender soon enough. As reported by Ronald Tillery in The Commercial Appeal, the Memphis Grizzlies are prepared to offer Arenas a contract for the rest of this season:

Free agent guard Gilbert Arenas worked out for the Grizzlies this morning and the team is preparing to sign him to a deal for the rest of this season, according to sources close to the process.

Arenas appeared slender and shot the ball well during the workout. He is scheduled to take a physical this afternoon. All that would remain is for Arenas to pass the physical and agree to a prorated veteran's minimum contract requiring the Griz to pay about $300,000.

Nothing's official yet, so it's not quite right to discuss Arenas as a member of the Grizzlies. Their interest makes some sense, though, if only because they've struggled to find a steady backup point guard for Mike Conley and are exploring all possible avenues. Young, untested players like Jeremy Pargo and Josh Selby don't figure to cut it, although Memphis managed to get by with the since-departed Greivis Vasquez in 2011.


http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ba...qzc9IAk4C8vLYF

[Monta Ellis #11]

Agent: Diaw, Bobcats agree to contract buyout

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Boris Diaw's days in Charlotte are finally over.
The agent for veteran forward Boris Diaw says his client has reached an agreement on a contract buyout with the Charlotte Bobcats that will allow him to sign with another team.
Doug Neustadt said his client is leaving Charlotte on good terms but that "losing was tough this year and he really wants to be able to participate on a playoff team."

The Bobcats have won only seven games this season, worst in the NBA.

Diaw was in the final year of his contract and was still owed about $2 million of his original $9 million salary this season. It's unclear how much money Diaw gave up in order to leave.

The 29-year-old Diaw had fallen out of favor with coach Paul Silas this season and barely played in the last three weeks, often listed as inactive. He only played twice over the past eight games.

He started 28 games this season and averaged 7.4 points.

Earlier this month, coach Paul Silas was asked about Diaw's reduced playing time.

"I like a player who is really committed to not only the team but to himself and then doing the best he can as a player," Silas said. "Some of the things that would go on, like not shooting the ball, passing all of the time, that doesn't help us.

"I needed hoops and he could put the ball in the hoop. When that wouldn't happen, it was very disturbing."

Silas later added: "I think if he had played all out, the way he should have, it would have been a much, much better club."

Diaw arrived in Charlotte in December, 2008, in a trade along with Raja Bell and Sean Singletary. In return, the Bobcats sent Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley to the Phoenix Suns.

Diaw was an immediate hit in Charlotte and started in a franchise-record 258 games as a Bobcat prior to being benched on March 6.

Diaw never seemed to have the same chemistry after Larry Brown was fired and Silas was brought in to replace him as coach.

By agreeing to a buyout prior to Friday, Diaw is eligible to compete in the playoffs.

Neustadt said Diaw has a couple of options and he'll likely sign with another team later Wednesday once the terms of the buyout are approved by the league office.

An announcement on Diaw's status with the Bobcats is expected later Wednesday.


http://www.nba.com/2012/news/03/21/b....ap/index.html

[Monta Ellis #11]

Rick Adelman rips Darko’s motivation, conditioning


With the emergence of Nikola Pekovic to play center along side Kevin Love, Adelman has not had to suffer Darko Milicic. Even when Pekovic was sent home from a road trip to rest sore ankles, Milicic could not get off the bench this week.

When asked about using Milicic, Adelman ripped the former No. 2 overall pick to the Star-Tribune.

“He hasn’t done anything to really give you a lot of faith that he’s going to go out and do the job,” Adelman said of Milicic. “He’s gotten himself out of shape. He hasn’t been as driven as you’d like so when a situation like this happens, it’s time for someone to have their opportunity and get back in there. Today, [Derrick Williams is] going to get his chance and Anthony Randolph is going to get his chance and we’ll see if any of those guys can step up.”

There you have it. Might want to drop Darko from your fantasy team if you already haven’t.

Milicic has one year after this one at $5.2 million (there is another year on the deal after that but he can be bought out of it for just more than $1 million). You get the feeling after that he may be headed back to Europe to play.


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

[Monta Ellis #11]

Celtics’ Big Four could scatter after season


Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were standing in front of the Boston Celtics’ private jet during a recent Western trip when they decided to have a picture taken. The Celtics’ stars have taken plenty of photos, but this one was different: Just days before the NBA’s trade deadline, Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Rondo jokingly questioned whether this would be the last shot of them together.

Though none of the four were traded, they all know their time together is running out. The core that carried the Celtics to the NBA championship in 2008 and another Finals appearance in 2010 will likely be broken up this summer.

“I’ve been [sentimental] since the beginning,” Pierce said. “Every day since we’ve been together I just appreciate being on the court with these guys. [A breakup] could’ve happened last year or the year before.

“I appreciate every moment I have with them, but even more so this year because Kevin and Ray are in the last year of their deals. This could be our last run.”

The Celtics’ Big Three came together before the 2007-08 season when trades brought Garnett and Allen to Boston to join Pierce. Rondo was an unproven, young point guard and has since become a two-time All-Star. Pierce, Allen and Garnett are all in the twilight of their careers – a fact Celtics general manager Danny Ainge knows well.

Ainge once told Red Auerbach that the late Celtics patriarch should have traded Larry Bird when Bird still had value near the end of his career so the franchise would have an easier transition to its next era. Ainge sent center Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder last season and seemed like he was prepared to disassemble the rest of the Celtics’ core this season. With the Celtics in a fight to just make the playoffs, Rondo, Pierce, Allen and Garnett were all discussed in trade talks.“It’s a part of the business,” Garnett said. “I’ve been here for a while and I understand what it is.”

Allen was viewed as the most likely of the four players to be dealt, but he didn’t sweat the trade deadline nearly as much as his family.

“Obviously, you don’t want to go anywhere, but that’s part of the game,” Allen said. “The last two or three years I’ve been dealing with it more. If I was one of those people that stayed online looking, it would have probably been nerve-wracking because I would have been wondering if something was going to happen. I wasn’t that guy.”

The Celtics offered Rondo to the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul before the season began. As the trade deadline neared, Celtics officials stressed they would part with Rondo only if they received an elite player in return. To move Pierce, they also wanted a young star. League sources said the Celtics asked for first-round picks in this year’s draft for Allen and Garnett.

Minutes before the trade deadline, Rondo asked a Boston Globe reporter at the team’s hotel in San Francisco if any moves had been made. “Am I still a Celtic?” Rondo said.

“I’m glad it’s over with so everyone else can stop talking about it,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Regardless, this summer is expected to bring significant change for the Celtics. Garnett, 35, and Allen, 36, will be free agents. Pierce, 34, also will have just one year remaining on his contract (worth $16.7 million), which makes him tradeable.

But even if the Celtics clear significant salary-cap room, this summer’s free-agent class isn’t deep. Dwight Howard has opted for another season with the Orlando Magic, leaving Deron Williams as the biggest potential free agent. If Williams leaves the New Jersey Nets, he’s expected to strongly consider signing with the Dallas Mavericks. The remainder of the class will likely be filled with older veterans like Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Chris Kaman, Andre Miller, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd and Kirk Hinrich – the same kind of players the Celtics currently have in Garnett and Allen.

That’s why Rivers thinks the Celtics’ core could return intact next season.

“I’m always sentimental with them,” Rivers said. “I won a title with them and lost another one in a Game. 7. I think people assume they won’t be back next year. I don’t know why there is that assumption. [Garnett and Allen] are free agents, but you can sign your own free agents last time I checked.

“I don’t know if we will sign them both. We may sign one. But they’ve been great for us. Our [free agents] are probably the best ones and we will have the most money.”

Rivers said he believes Garnett’s preference would be to return to Boston. “When he doesn’t think he can help a team, he’d stop playing,” Rivers said.

Allen’s free-agent options are up in the air. The Miami Heat are expected to make a strong run at signing him this summer, one league source said.

“First of all, the team has to be willing to have me back,” Allen said. “Then you have to look around to see what’s acceptable and who is capable of having me on the team and then you go from there. It’s hard to really say.”

The Celtics (24-21) hold the Eastern Conference’s seventh playoff seed. How they do in the playoffs – assuming they make it – will play a role in how the roster looks next season.

For now, even Garnett admits to feeling sentimental about the possible final days of the Big Three.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” he said. “I try to look at this thing for the long haul. That’s where my mindset is.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...run_nba_032212

[Monta Ellis #11]

Boris Diaw, Spurs reach deal

By Adrian Wojnarowski


Free agent Boris Diaw has reached agreement on a deal with the San Antonio Spurs, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Diaw agreed to a buyout with the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday and cleared waivers Friday afternoon. The Spurs will sign Diaw for the remainder of the season.

The deadline for signing free agents to be eligible for the NBA playoffs is Friday.

Diaw, 29, is a versatile forward who fell out of favor with Bobcats head coach Paul Silas this season. For his nine-year career, Diaw has averaged 9.4 points and remained one of the league’s better passing forwards.

Despite starting Diaw in 28 games for Charlotte, Silas was frustrated with his unwillingness to be more aggressive in scoring. Diaw’s fitness issues have dogged him throughout his career, but he continues to show the ability to be a productive offensive player.

San Antonio is 30-14, trailing Oklahoma City by 3½ games for top seed in the Western Conference. The Spurs have bolstered themselves with forward Stephen Jackson and point guard Patty Mills for the stretch run of the season.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu..._waivers032312

[Monta Ellis #11]

LeBron acknowledges sore elbow impacting shooting


OKLAHOMA CITY—
Miami Heat forward LeBron James continues to downplay the elbow stinger he sustained early in Tuesday's home victory over the Phoenix Suns, although his shooting has gone south since.

After struggling with his shot late in that game, he also had closing struggles in Friday night's victory over the Detroit the Pistons, missing his final six shots, including all three in his two-point fourth quarter.

"It's been short the last couple of games," he said after Saturday's practice in Oklahoma City in advance of Sunday's game against the Thunder. "It's as good as I want it to be right now. I don't want to say it's been bothering me, but I've been short on a lot of shots.

"Hopefully, I can just continue to get treatments and continue to work my hardest. I was able to get into the gym [Saturday] and make a lot of shots. That definitely helped."
The right elbow first became an issue for James while he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"If I was in uniform, I had to try to help our team win," he said of playing through that pain. "If I'm out on the court, then I have to perform at a high level. I never like to use an excuse. It's a lot of people playing with injuries. I'm not one to want someone to give me a way out if I'm playing with injuries."

He said the levels of discomfort are considerably different.

"It's not as bad as it was when I was leaving Cleveland, but it will get better," he said. "I'm not putting a crutch on me, no excuses. I'll figure a way to make shots."

James has continued to wear a protective pad on the elbow.

"Hopefully it's not a reoccurrence of what I was going through, the pain I was going through in Cleveland," he said. "That would be the last thing I'd want."

He insists there had not been lingering discomfort since the injury was initially sustained in 2010.

"There hasn't," he said. "The last two years there hasn't been any pain, discomfort. But I wear the pad for protection and psychologically it gives me a sense of comfort, as well. So I'll keep the pad on."


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/m...,0,33402.story

[Monta Ellis #11]

Ricky Rubio could be top factor in keeping Kevin Love happy with the Timberwolves


OAKLAND, Calif. – Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves watched Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob get strongly booed during Chris Mullin’s jersey retirement ceremony at halftime Monday. Long after the final buzzer sounded on the T’wolves’ odd win, team president David Kahn approached his franchise player to give him a vision.“That’s exactly the same ceremony we want for you 15-16 years from now,” Kahn told Love.

Sitting at his locker, Love said, “Except they won’t boo [owner] Glen [Taylor].”

"But in all seriousness, you can see that if you are at one place a really long time, it’s the greatest thing of all for everybody,” Kahn said.

Lost in the conversation was the fact Mullin didn’t play his entire 16-year career with the Warriors. Mullin had a three-year stint with the Indiana Pacers before returning to Golden State for his final season. Love, 23, is in his fourth season with the Wolves and has signed a contract extension paying $62 million over the next four years instead of testing restricted free agency this summer. There is an out-clause in the contract three years into the extension.
Love loves the laid back life in Minneapolis, playing with rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams, and being coached by Rick Adelman. But the two-time All-Star also said “it’s tough to say” if he could see himself staying in Minnesota his entire career. If things don’t continue to progress, greener pastures could be calling for Minnesota’s star, just like they did for LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Chris Paul.

“For me, at the end of the day, I want to win. My first three years were 24 wins, 15 wins, 17 wins,” Love told Yahoo! Sports. “Now things are finally turning around. Losing Ricky [to a season-ending knee injury] was terrible for us. We didn’t make a move at the deadline, which is tough. But we just got to rock with the guys we have now.

“But at the end of the day, if we continue to progress as we get older, learn the system, learn to play together, things are going to look up for us. But am I going to be here my whole career? That’s really up in the air.”

The Wolves entered Thursday with a 20-25 record and were 2½ games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Minnesota has lost five of seven games since Rubio got hurt. While there were strong rumors about acquiring Portland Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford, the Wolves didn’t replace Rubio by the trade deadline – much to Love’s chagrin.

Love credits Rubio for playing a major role in improving his scoring average by five points. Rubio will be a key figure in keeping Love happy in Minnesota.

“I never played with a pass-first point guard,” Love said. “He hits me rolling to the basket with easy buckets. The jump in my scoring has been from the work I’ve put in during the off-season. But a lot of it had to do with how he was setting me up on the court. He’s been great to play with and someone I want to continue to grow with.”

The Wolves have three talented young players to build around in Love, Rubio and Williams and a respected coach. Bolstering this roster will be a challenge since Minneapolis isn’t a hotbed for free agents due to its cold winters, lack of championships, old arena and average-sized media market. The biggest free agents signings in franchise history include Joe Smith, Terrell Brandon, Mike James and J.J. Barea. That isn’t saying much.

With all the challenges, winning will be the biggest draw.

“With a guy like Ricky, if you want to score he’s the kind of guy you want to play with,” Love said. “I mentioned adding some key veterans to this team and obviously drafting well. I think coach Adelman is a drawing force in bringing guys in. That’s the biggest way to do it. At the end of the day, you got both L.A. teams, Chicago, Orlando, Miami, New York, Brooklyn now, teams that are in bigger markets that are always going to draw more attention from free agents because they want the bigger market and they want maybe a warmer climate.”

The Wolves play in the 15th largest TV media market, according to the latest Nielsen rankings. Even so, Love has endorsements from Right Guard, Jose Cuervo, Target and Best Buy.

Love, however, didn’t rank in the top 15 among the top-selling NBA jerseys in 2011. He was also fifth in All-Star balloting among Western forwards this season. Love is averaging Most Valuable Player-type numbers with a double-double of 25.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, but is not well-known.

Is Love missing out on popularity, respect, brand building and money by playing in Minnesota?

“I feel like I could be a lot more well-known,” Love said. “I feel like I could get a lot more respect. But respect is gained by continuing to get better and working my ass off and continuing to get better at what I can be: winning and every night competing and working as hard as I can. …

“Building a brand is definitely big. If someone said they didn’t want to do that they’d be lying to you. If you win everything takes care of itself. That’s how greatness is formed. But guys in bigger markets are going to get more endorsements because that’s just what sells.”
The grass on the other side could seem greener this summer assuming Love plays on USA Basketball Olympic team with superstars such as James, Anthony, and Kobe Bryant, who are enjoying NBA life in big markets.

“It was the right decision for me at this time,” Love said of signing a contract extension. “Heading into my prime, if I’m here all four years, I’ll have my chance to pick and be 27. I will have my chance to go wherever I want. But if we are rolling? Who’s to say what will happen.”


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...t_rubio_032212

[Monta Ellis #11]

Clippers not ready to contend just yet


Despite 11 losses in 18 games, the Clippers remain in good position to make the playoffs because of their relatively hot start, their favorable remaining schedule and the struggles of other postseason hopefuls.

But a team that appeared to mark itself a contender when it thumped the Thunder on Jan. 30 now appears to be playoff roadkill. Its struggles, including a blowout loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday and a home defeat last week to a Phoenix team resting Steve Nash and Grant Hill, have prompted two locker-room shouting sessions and rumblings that coach Vinny Del Negro’s job is in danger.

Del Negro’s job, of course, was in danger the moment the Clippers traded for Chris Paul, transforming themselves into a team that needed a championship-level coach sooner rather than later. Del Negro is not a championship-level coach, unless they give out championships for coaches who scream and stomp their feet at opposing shooters. The knock on Del Negro, dating to his two seasons in Chicago, is that his offense is boring and predictable. It is. I have news for you, team playing the Clippers tonight: Caron Butler is going to set a back screen for Blake Griffin on the left wing, turn to the side, set a ball screen for Chris Paul and then pop to the left corner while Griffin sets up in the post. Repeat 25 times, sprinkle in some more traditional Paul high pick-and-rolls, add a dash of Mo Williams running around screens at the elbows and, presto, you have the Clippers’ offense. Everyone knows what’s coming.

But most teams generally know what’s coming against every team they play, and the Clippers still rank sixth in offensive efficiency with 104.1 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. The best coaches can catch opponents by surprise out of timeouts, by switching up what plays they emphasize night-to-night, and by constantly adding wrinkles and counters to their bread-and-butter stuff. Del Negro isn’t elite at making these adjustments. Nevertheless, the Clippers’ offense is just fine and has basically held steady during this poor stretch. Their scoring has dropped by less than a point per 100 possessions over the last 15 games, per NBA.com.

Their defense, on the other hand, is a total disaster. And while a better defensive coach could mitigate the damage, I’m not sure this Clippers team was ever going to be ready to play championship-level defense in this lockout-compressed season. The Clippers rank 23rd in points allowed per possession, a mark that essentially disqualifies them (historically speaking) from title contention and makes them the worst defensive team among those competing for a playoff spot. In the last 15 games, the Clippers have regressed badly, allowing 106.1 points per 100 possessions, which would about tie them with Washington as the league’s third-worst defense.

The Clippers have had two major problems all season, the latter of which has gotten much worse lately:

1. They foul constantly. Only the Jazz and Raptors allow more free-throw attempts per shot attempt. The Clippers feature two of the 25 most foul-prone rotation players in the league in Kenyon Martin and the set of large whirring body parts that constitutes Reggie Evans. DeAndre Jordan, a decent defender who can’t stay on the court because of foul trouble and his lack of shooting range, isn’t far behind the Martins/Evans foul machine. Bobby Simmons would rank right with them had he logged enough minutes to qualify for such leaderboards.

This is a season-long issue that doesn’t explain the Clippers’ recent dip from bad to worse. Los Angeles’ fouling has actually decreased a bit over the last 15 games.

2. Teams get a lot of good looks against the Clippers and make them at a high rate, especially from three-point range. This problem has become a crisis over the last month or so, and given all the horrifying video footage, I’m skeptical that the Clippers have run into a random streak of hot opponent shooting. This team is just fundamentally broken on defense, and there is no easy fix at hand.

L.A. has allowed 37.7 percent shooting from deep this season, the third-worst mark in the league. Opponents aren’t hitting at such a high rate by being shy; only five teams have allowed more three-point attempts than the Clippers (19.1 per game). During the last 15 games, opponents have shot more threes (a whopping 21 per game) and hit them at a higher rate (39.4 percent). That is death for any team.

If this isn’t just a prolonged streak of bad luck, what is going on? A few things stand out when you watch L.A.’s perimeter defense:

• The Clippers switch endlessly, and it kills them. Switching too much hurts in obvious ways, as when Paul ends up on Kevin Durant, who then darts into the post, draws a double team and kicks to an open shooter.

But it also hurts in subtle ways, sometimes having to do with communication. When two L.A. guards switch on the perimeter, either because of a screen or a dribble hand-off between opposing guards, there is often a split second of confusion during which one Clipper isn’t 100 percent sure whether he and his buddy are indeed switching assignments. In that moment, both defenders may slide toward the same opponent, leaving one guard a lane to either dribble (if he has the ball) or cut wide open to the rim.

• Griffin and Jordan are still learning to communicate on defense, which is to be expected, given their age and experience. Big men have to do a lot of subtle shifting and outright switching, especially against the pick-and roll. If Jordan has to slide onto Rajon Rondo for a second or two, should Griffin leave his man (perhaps Kevin Garnett) to help on Jordan’s (a rolling Brandon Bass)? And if he does, should Jordan, once through cutting off Rondo, go back to Bass, or does it make more sense for him to find Garnett?

Griffin and Jordan don’t make these decision smoothly yet. You can often catch them recovering toward the same big man, leaving another one open, thus forcing someone else from the perimeter to leave a shooter and crash into the paint. This can be especially troublesome against teams with power forwards capable of hitting three-pointers.

• This is a major reason for another fatal flaw: Opponents have shot 43.4 percent on corner three-pointers against the Clippers. Only the Knicks have allowed a higher percentage on the game’s most efficient non-dunk/layup shot type. (Thanks to the stats crew at NBA.com for this nugget.)

When Griffin is defending the screener in a pick-and-roll, he just hasn’t figured out a way to consistently prevent point guards from turning the corner. And once a point guard turns the corner, the rest of the defense is compromised. At the start of the season, Griffin was sagging back instead of jumping out hard above the screen. He now mixes things up more but hasn’t mastered any single technique. Again: This is expected. Defense at the NBA level is incredibly hard, especially for a young big man.

But there’s something else curious about Griffin: When he’s on the back line and Jordan (or Martin) is out hounding a point guard on a pick-and-roll, Griffin is strangely reluctant at times to leave his guy and help on the big man rolling to the basket. On Saturday against Houston, for instance, Griffin stayed attached to Samuel Dalembert at the edge of the paint as Luis Scola rolled toward the opposite side of the lane. Griffin was the closest help defender, but because he stuck with Dalembert, that left Randy Foye to rotate all the way in from the corner and take Scola. Guess what happened? Goran Dragic, handling the ball, found Foye’s man (Chase Budinger) for an easy corner three-pointer.

This kind of thing happens enough that I wonder if Del Negro and the Clippers’ coaching staff has instructed Griffin to stay put, and for others to pick up the slack. Griffin is a scoring star, and the Clippers do need him to reserve a lot of energy for offense; they aren’t exactly loaded with quality scorers beyond Griffin and Paul. It also makes sense, depending on the context, to stay near the offensive player closest to the hoop, especially if there isn’t a wing defender nearby to crash down.

But Griffin is an unenthusiastic and sometimes-slow help defender in most situations, and so perhaps such breakdowns are the price of doing business with a 23-year-old centerpiece power forward learning the NBA game on the fly for a new pseudo-contender.

That’s the thing: There’s no question someone like Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau could make the Clippers a better defensive team. But he wouldn’t be able to implant experience and savvy that aren’t there yet, or give Jordan the kind of even minimal shooting range that would allow the Clippers to play him more minutes. Paul and Griffin would still be awkwardly developing chemistry as pick-and-roll partners on offense. And even with Nick Young now aboard, the Clippers would be thin and small on the wing, vulnerable to big scorers with post-up games.

The Clippers just look more and more like they are a year away from fulfillment — a team in need of a roster tweak or two.


http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012...sct=nba_bf2_a3

[Monta Ellis #11]

Derrick Rose can’t say when he might return


Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, who missed his seventh consecutive game with a strained groin, said he is ‘‘getting better every day,’’ but could not predict when he would return.

‘‘It’s day-by-day,’’ Rose said Monday after the Bulls’ shootaround at the Berto Center. ‘‘It’s getting better every day. I’m able to move a little bit more. I’m getting treatment twice a day. Hopefully, I’ll be out there soon.’’

Rose has been getting massage treatment and has been running in a pool and on a treadmill, ‘‘where it takes your body weight off.’’ But he still is not running on the court or participating in practice.

‘‘I’m trying to rush back as quickly as possible,’’ Rose said. ‘‘But this is my first time injuring my groin. It takes a little time. It’s getting better. But they’re playing great without me.’’

Rose has missed 17 games with three different injuries this season — back spasms, turf toe and the groin. He said the decision to return will be his.

‘‘Whenever I feel like I’m 100 percent or close to it, I’m going to play, no matter who says what,’’ he said. ‘‘The call is up to me.’’

Rose, who had missed six games through his first three NBA seasons, has missed 17 this season. At 23, he said he might have to adjust how he physically gets through a season.

‘‘I guess stretch a little bit more before games, after games, when I go home, before I go to sleep,’’ he said. ‘‘Just try to work on my flexibility.’’

Rip update

Richard Hamilton, who has missed the last 11 games with a bruised shoulder, is participating in practice and closer to returning than Rose. He also is a game-time decision for tonight. But Hamilton has yet to go through a practice with contact and is unlikely to return until he does.

‘‘But right now we’re not doing a whole lot of contact, either,’’ Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. ‘‘But they’re doing more and more each day. It’s a good sign.’’


http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baske...ht-return.html

[Monta Ellis #11]

It's not easy to write, but Kobe did the right thing after benching
Bryant acted like a team leader in his comments after Lakers Coach Mike Brown took him out in the fourth quarter of a loss to Memphis. Kobe acted like a pro, but a lot of headline writers didn't.


I feel fine.

It might not read like it when I'm done here complimenting Kobe Bryant, but that's only because I'm kind of out of practice.
I didn't see the disaster Sunday night with Memphis, returning from Dodgers camp and in no rush to be further depressed.

But I picked up the morning newspaper and noticed the headline: "This loss doesn't sit well with Kobe."

So you know what I'm thinking right away: The Big Baby is crying again.

And you just know I'm going to pounce on that.

I read further, even though Mike Bresnahan wrote the story for The Times. He went to the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin made a whole bunch of my Las Vegas parlay tickets into nothing but scrap paper after winning its first two games in the NCAA tournament.

Shame on Brez.
As for Brez's story, he's telling me Kobe is sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter, so I can only imagine the explosion of ugly faces after the game in the locker room.

Been there, seen that.

But I'm also curious to learn why Coach Mike Brown would do such a thing. He's not going to bench Kobe for taking a bad shot, or he'd be benching the guy every game.

Brown lost his job in Cleveland because he didn't always hit it off with LeBron, so I can't see him going out of his way to irritate Kobe unless he's intent on making a career change.
I continue reading, knowing Wisconsin has been eliminated from the tournament, and Brez must be just miserable.

I'm a little surprised, though, to not find Kobe quoted early in the story. But then I figure Brez has nothing but obscenities to work with and those can't go in the paper.
There's also no Kobe moaning or groaning; instead I'm getting this guy who sounds like a pro while only stating the obvious.

"It's his decision to make," Bryant says of Brown. "If you guys are looking for a story, I'm not going to contribute to it. I can't sit here and criticize the decision. As leader of this ball club, it's something I can't afford to do. I've got to have his back."

I keep waiting for Brez to tell me Kobe is reading from a statement prepared by Lakers PR whiz John Black.

I go online to see video of the interview. But I notice the headline writers really have it in for Bryant, ESPN's reading: "Kobe upset at being benched."

Maybe he is, but who made the headline writers mind readers?
You watch video of the Kobe interview and he's as classy as any competitor can be after losing a game and failing to get a chance down the stretch to change the outcome.

He's saying all the right things and without a wink or raised eyebrow to suggest he's saying one thing and meaning another.
And yet Yahoo.com's headline atop its NBA video reads: "Move triggers angry response from Kobe."

Maybe everyone expected such a thing to trigger an earthquake, but it isn't happening.

Foxsports.com's headline reads: "Kobe beefing with Brown after benching in loss to Grizzlies."

While way too wordy, the story written below it suggests nothing of the kind. It includes the same benign quotes in Brez's story.
As quick as I am to criticize Kobe, I find myself now defending him. Just please don't tell him.
Sure, he's unhappy and he probably will be until the day he takes off his uniform. Too often that seems to be who he is.
But when he goes Tebow on everyone and manages his unhappiness like a team leader, where are the kudos for a job well done?
As for Brown's sub-sanity, I don't know. But then I don't know why Steve Blake continues to be such a disappointment.

There are 5 minutes 45 seconds remaining and the Lakers are down by 14 points when Kobe goes to the bench. He's back at the scorer's table with about three minutes to go, returning to the bench when he realizes there will be an automatic timeout after the three-minute mark.

It doesn't come until there is 1:51 remaining; the Lakers are down to their last timeout, so they can't very well use it to get Kobe back in the game.
The situation, just as the timeouts, probably got away from Brown. Sometimes a coach ought to be benched.
As for Brown's postgame remarks, it sounded as if he went macho-coach on reporters, saying he doesn't have to explain to players why he puts them in or takes them out.

Ordinarily, that would make reporters very happy. They could then take remarks like that to Kobe, tell him what the coach had to say, and at the very least get a good roll of his eyes in return.
But by all accounts, if you don't just read the headlines, the Kobester remained the consummate team player.

Funny thing; it wasn't as hard to write that as I thought it would be.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/basket...2676589.column

[Monta Ellis #11]

New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon looking to make return

OAKLAND, CALIF. — Barring any unforeseen setbacks or missteps, Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon — the team’s leading scorer despite playing two games this season — could be back on the court in a matter of days.Gordon was expected to go through the team’s practice session Tuesday evening, the final step in the rehabilitation process after arthroscopic knee surgery Feb. 14 that removed some cartilage and other debris from his right knee, an injury that arguably wrecked the Hornets’ season and cast Gordon’s future with the team in doubt.

In recent weeks, Gordon has ramped up the intensity of his workouts, he said, building to the point where he’s ready for the final post-operative exam: a full-contact practice to determine if the knee is strong enough to play in the final month of the regular season.

“I’ve been working out hard, like I wasn’t injured,” Gordon said of his recent training regimen that has included non-contact work in team shootarounds. “At this point, it’s almost to the point where I should be getting back to play very soon.”

How soon is the question uppermost in the mind of Hornets Coach Monty Williams.

Tonight, the Hornets visit the Golden State Warriors in the second of a five-game, West Coast swing that continues Thursday at Portland, Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles Lakers and Sunday night at Phoenix.

Gordon, who was acquired from the Clippers on Dec. 14 in the trade for Chris Paul, has not played since the Jan. 4 home game against the 76ers; the other game he’s played this season was the season opener Dec. 26 at Phoenix.

His 21-point average is the team’s best, and Williams said Tuesday’s practice and how Gordon’s knee responds to the more vigorous process will determine how soon he will suit up for another game.

“You know me; I’d like to have him back yesterday,” Williams said. “But if he can practice, then that means he could be closer than we think. I don’t want to lead you on to think that if he has a good practice he’ll play against Golden State. But if he does have a good practice and he’s feeling good, you never know.”

Gordon hit the winning shot in the season opener at Phoenix in the final seconds, then missed the next four games with soreness in the knee, indicating at the time the knee was troubling him before the trade to New Orleans. Gordon bumped knees with Suns forward Grant Hill in the second half, which was said to aggravate the situation.

He played 39 minutes against the Sixers and hasn’t played since.

It took nearly six weeks for the injury to be diagnosed. It initially was said to be a “bone bruise,” but surgeons removed cartilage debris Feb. 14, necessitating a rehabilitation period that indicated Gordon might not be able to play until April.

Before the surgery, Gordon declined the Hornets’ offer of a four-year extension in the neighborhood of $50 million, well below the totals of two of his fellow 2008 draft classmates, Russell Westbrook (five years, $80 million) and Kevin Love (four years, $60-plus million).

Gordon has dedicated himself to his rehabilitation since the surgery, itching to get back.

“I didn’t do anything for about 2½, almost three weeks,” Gordon said. “Next thing you know, I started lifting on it, and then started running, basically. At this point now, it’s just all about feeling comfortable, cutting and doing things on the court at this point. I’ve had no problems cutting, jumping, and now it’s just all about having that comfort level and being ready for contact.

“I’m just making it a process. That was my first surgery, so I really was trying to be careful, but I didn’t have any setbacks at all, even when I was working out hard. I just haven’t had any setbacks and have been working with the (training and rehab) staff pretty good. That’s the main thing, the practices, maybe get one or two in and see how things feel with contact. It’s always different when you’re working out and playing.”

How Gordon plays when he does return, Williams said, could impact his future value with the Hornets, who have 17 games remaining to gauge his worth.

“I think you need more than 10 or 12 games to get a good look at somebody,” Williams said. “The kind of investment we’re talking about making, you want to make sure you’re right about that.”

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