February 2013 – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Dwight Howard says his conditioning still needs improvement

The Los Angeles Lakers already have lost more games this season (29) than they have in any full season since 2007, and big man Dwight Howard says he knows his inconsistent energy and struggles with conditioning have cost his team some of them.

“You’ve got to have energy and I want to bring that energy every night,” Howard said in a revealing interview Saturday afternoon. “That’s my job. They count on me to be that guy. I just know how much more effective I will be when I’m in better shape. And, unfortunately, it’s cost us a lot of games.”

Howard said his conditioning has improved throughout the season, but he’s still “not even close” to where he wants to be, and where he once was before undergoing back surgery in the offseason.

“I knew that would be a process. The better shape I’m in, the more active I can be and the more I’m able to do on the floor,” he said. “But it was a struggle at first because I just didn’t have it in the tank, especially on defense.”

— Reported by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles

Tony Parker will not play Sunday vs Suns

Spurs point guard Tony Parker has been ruled out of Sunday’s rodeo road trip finale with a right triceps contusion, the team reported this afternoon.

The All-Star apparently suffered the injury at some point in the Spurs’ 107-101 overtime loss at Golden State on Friday night. Parker scored 18 points in the defeat, his career-best 48th consecutive game in double figures but also his lowest-scoring game since putting up 17 in a Jan. 16 victory over Memphis.

Parker was the Western Conference’s Player of the Month for January, in which he averaged 21.9 points and 7.9 assists and shot 56.3 percent. He has built a solid case to repeat in February, averaging 26.6 points, 8.4 assists and shooting 55.2 percent this month.

— Reported by Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News

Andrei Kirilenko will wait until off-season to decide on Wolves option

Now that the NBA trade deadline has come and gone, Timberwolves forward Andrei Kirilenko knows, as if there were any question, he’ll be here for the rest of the season.

After that, he has until to July 1 to opt out of the final season of the two-year, $20 million contract he signed last summer.

He has 10 million reasons to stay, but said Friday he’s keeping an open mind.

“I’m going to wait until the off-season,” he said. “Right now there’s no point to make any decision.”

He said he and his agent sought the player’s option for next season because “we want to have all kind of options.”

— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Jerry Colangelo may invite Damian Lillard to USA Basketball mini-camp

Portland Trail Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard continues to take the league by storm and now he’s well on his way to taking his game global.

CSNNW.com has learned that the three-time NBA Rookie of the Month and NBA Skills Challenge champion is on the verge of being invited to participate in the USA Men’s Basketball National Team mini camp.

“Damian is definitely on our radar,” Director of USA Basketball Jerry Colangelo told CSNNW.com. “He’s one of the bright young stars we have in this game and certainly his chances are very high that he makes our list.”

Colangelo says he will announce the names of those selected sometime after the season.

— Reported by Chris Haynes of CSN NW

Carl Landry presents boxing club with much-needed equipment

Golden State Warriors forward Carl Landry presented $10,000 worth of donations in boxing, fitness and recreation equipment Thursday to the East Oakland Boxing Association, which was burglarized on several occasions last year.

Landry helped distribute equipment provided by Good Sports, including exercise benches, boxing gloves, protective head and groin gear and chin-up bars.

The East Oakland Boxing Association is a nonprofit that has served Oakland residents ages 5 to 20 since 1987. It provides free after-school and summer programs that include physical activities like boxing along with mentoring and tutoring for academics, art, gardening and leadership development.

Good Sports is a Massachusetts-based national nonprofit dedicated to donating athletic equipment to schools and programs like EOBA.

— Reported by Serena Valdez of the Oakland Tribune

Seattle judge rejects lawsuit to block Kings arena

A judge tossed out a lawsuit that could have seriously disrupted Seattle’s plan for a new NBA-ready arena.

Sacramento officials weren’t putting much stock in the lawsuit and are relying instead on their own proposal to secure the Kings.

Hours after the judge’s decision, Sacramento City Manager John Shirey said he was encouraged by preliminary talks last week on arena financing with a group of wealthy investors who want to keep the Kings in town.

In a potential stumbling block for Sacramento, the investors at first asked if the city could contribute more than the $255 million it pledged to an arena deal last spring, Shirey said. City officials didn’t present a counteroffer but, at a second meeting two days later, explained the details of the arena package approved by the City Council in March.

That second meeting “went well,” Shirey said. “They had a greater appreciation for what had been offered last year.”

— Reported by Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee

J.J. Redick speaks on move to Bucks

The 28-year-old Redick said Friday he is looking forward to his opportunity in Milwaukee after being acquired from Orlando in a trade-deadline deal Thursday.

“I have a great deal of respect for Brandon and Monta as players, two really dynamic guards,” Redick said during a news conference at the Cousins Center.

“And I actually think I fit well because I’m a guy who doesn’t need to have the basketball in his hands a lot. I don’t need a lot of touches necessarily; I don’t need a lot of dribbles. That’s not my game.

“I’ll continue to be who I am as a player and that’s just a quick decision-maker. Drive, pass, shoot, whatever it may be. But get off the ball and let those guys play to their strengths.”

Redick was acquired along with forward Gustavo Ayon and guard Ish Smith in exchange for Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb.

The Bucks had targeted Redick as a player who could help their perimeter shooting and provide a needed boost as they seek to secure an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

— Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Andrew Bynum finally practices with 76ers

The long and protracted wait by the 76ers to get center Andrew Bynum on the floor ended Friday as the center participated in a spirited practice, according to multiple sources.

According to at least two of the sources, Bynum, who has been working out with coaches and team medical personnel exclusively, participated in a five-on-five scrimmage with teammates. Just how long the scrimmage lasted was unknown.

This is a huge step for Bynum and the Sixers, who have just 30 games remaining in the regular season, including Saturday’s game with the defending champion Miami Heat, winners of nine straight. For both parties, the most important element now is to see how Bynum’s knees react in the coming days.

Earlier this week, Bynum, who has been recovering from bilateral bone bruises and weakened cartilage in both knees, told reporters that he thought he might be able to begin practicing with his teammates in one or two weeks. He also has said that he had ramped up his activity in recent days.

— Reported by John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Knicks sign Kenyon Martin to 10-day contract

Veteran free agent forward Kenyon Martin finally has a new job. For 10 days, at least.

New York Knicks Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has signed Martin to a 10-day contract.

Martin, 6-9, 230-pounds, holds averages of 13.0 points, on 48.1-percent shooting, 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.21 steals and 1.17 blocks over 31.6 minutes in 696 career games (641 starts), over 12 seasons with New Jersey, Denver and the L.A. Clippers. He has appeared in 100 postseason games (87 starts), averaging 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 33.4 minutes.

Last season, Saginaw, MI-native appeared in 42 games for the L.A. Clippers to post 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds over 22.4 minutes. He was originally selected by New Jersey, following a four-year collegiate career at the University of Cincinnati, with the first pick overall of 2000 NBA Draft. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2001 and represented the Eastern Conference at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game.

Martin should be able to play solid bench depth in limited minutes of action.

According to the New York Post, “Though Anthony once touted Ronnie Brewer in October as the Knicks’ unsung signing, he welcomed with open arms his former Denver teammate, Kenyon Martin, who replaced Brewer on the roster. “If he’s in shape and locked in, I think he can be a big attribute to this team,’’ Anthony said before last night’s defeat. “I’ve been able to play with him for a few years and I know from a basketball standpoint what he brings to the game when he’s locked in and focused. I haven’t talked to him yet. People that I know have spoken to him and say he’s been playing and he’s in shape, ready and focused. As long as that’s the plan, we’re all for it.’’

Kobe scores 40, Lakers hold off Blazers

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Dwight Howard had 19 points and 16 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers capped a trying week with a gritty 111-107 victory over the slumping Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Hours after longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss was buried, and a day after a moving memorial service punctuated by eulogies from Bryant and other franchise greats, the team got back to basketball with a much-needed victory at Staples Center.

Bryant scored 11 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes and the Lakers won for the seventh time in 10 games. They remained ninth in the Western Conference playoff race, 3 1/2 games behind Houston for the final spot with 26 remaining. Portland trails Los Angeles by 1 1/2 games.

Howard, looking for his sixth rebounding title in seven seasons, came in averaging an NBA-best and 11.8 boards per game. The Lakers are 19-12 when he gets double digits in rebounds, and 11 of those losses have come on nights when he grabbed 14 or more. They wasted 26 boards in a home loss to Denver on Jan. 6, and 20 in a Dec. 11 loss at Cleveland.

Antawn Jamison scored 16 points off the bench, helping to hand Portland its season-worst seventh straight loss. The Trail Blazers have lost five straight road games and 10 of their last 11 away from the Rose Garden.

J.J. Hickson had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, and Nicolas Batum also scored 22. Two-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 15 points in 34 foul-plagued minutes after picking up his fifth personal with 8 minutes remaining.

Damian Lillard added 19 points. All of Portland’s starters scored in double figures, while the bench produced just 14 points.

— Reported by Joe Resnick of the Associated Press