October 2013 – Page 32 – NBA Blog

San Antonio Spurs hire Dave Telep as draft scouting coordinator

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Dave Telep has been hired as the team’s draft scouting coordinator.

Telep joins the Spurs organization after most recently serving as ESPN.com’s senior national recruiting analyst. He also spent time as a sideline reporter for ESPNU and a studio analyst for Recruiting Nation. During the past year, Telep has also served on the USA Developmental National Committee for the USA National Team.

He has been covering basketball recruiting for 16 years and in 2001 launched Dave Telep Scouting Services, which has been utilized by 230 Division I college programs around the country.

Denver Nuggets plan to get nasty

Forget 57 regular-season wins for the Nuggets. That’s not going to happen. But here is the real goal for the local NBA team:

No more wimpy basketball.

The Nuggets have a new way to play.

“Smashmouth basketball,” new Denver coach Brian Shaw said.

I asked Shaw to define his terms. What qualifies as smashmouth basketball?

“Smashmouth means that you are literally going to get your mouth smashed if you’re going against us for a rebound or a loose ball,” Shaw said. “We want to have a nasty disposition, both offensively and defensively.”

Reported by Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post

Some key Knicks still recovering from surgery

J.R. Smith is recovering from knee surgery, then faces an NBA suspension when he returns.

Amar’e Stoudemire is recovering from knee surgery — yes, that’s three in the last year — and faces a restriction on his minutes when he returns.

The New York Knicks have the NBA’s leading scorer in Carmelo Anthony, but after that there are questions about who’s going to put the ball in the basket until their second- and third-leading scorers get back.

They downplayed those concerns Tuesday after their first practice of the season.

“We’ve just got to be patient until we get those guys back, and then when they get back, they’re going to fit right in,” coach Mike Woodson said.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

John Salmons surprised to be back with Kings

Veteran swingman John Salmons figured he was expendable.

The Kings hadn’t used their amnesty waiver provision on him, so it seemed logical that his $7.6 million salary might be used to free salary cap space for this season.

“A little bit,” said Salmons, when asked if he was surprised to still be with the Kings. “A little bit. I can’t lie about that. But I’m good with being here, but I am a little surprised.”

The Kings had been trying to upgrade the small forward position where Salmons, 33, finished last season as the starter.

The Kings traded for Luc Mbah a Moute but decided to keep Salmons, too.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Greg Oden participates in NBA practice for first time in years

Greg Oden participates in an NBA practice for first time in years

Tuesday was a bit surreal for Miami Heat center Greg Oden.

Not only was he going through his first NBA practice in four years, but it was taking place in the middle of a hotel ballroom on a tropical island.

The Heat opened training camp with a standard, defensive drill-oriented workout in a warehouse-like conference center at the Atlantis Resort. Oden took part in about half of the practice, but that still was a significant step forward as he attempts a long-shot comeback after not playing since December 2009 because of chronic knee problems.

“It felt good just being out there,” Oden said. “First time in a while, I’m happy I got it completed. They had to pull me off the floor. But I’ve got to take steps.”

Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

Eric Gordon may not play until later in preseason

New Orleans Pelicans fans will be watching closely throughout preseason to see how Monty Williams fills out his starting lineup and rotation, but it’s likely the first few games won’t provide a complete picture of his plans. On Tuesday, Williams told local reporters that shooting guard Eric Gordon is not expected to be able to play in an exhibition game for “about two weeks.” Gordon participated in practice but is being monitored as he progresses in his conditioning following offseason ankle surgery.

“He’s ramping up, getting his conditioning back, since he just got his release from the doctors,” Williams said. “He’s moving toward the type of conditioning he needs to be in. I don’t want him to go out there full bore and pull a hamstring or something, because he hasn’t been going (physically) as long as the other guys have.”

Reported by Jim Eichenhofer of the NBA.com Pelicans Blog

Lester Hudson joins Utah Jazz training camp

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free-agent guard Lester Hudson, finalizing Utah’s 2013 training camp roster at 20 players.

Hudson (6-3, 190, Tennessee-Martin) has appeared in 52 career NBA games with four teams, over three seasons (Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers). The 29-year-old, who last played in the NBA during the 2011-12 season with Memphis, holds career averages of 4.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10.3 minutes per game.

In 2012-13, Hudson was a member of the Dongguan Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League. He appeared in 11 games (10 starts) with the Toros, averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 36.6 minutes and also saw action in four of the Toros playoff contests where his averages increased to 23.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists. In 15 games with the Leopards, he posted averages of 27.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 37.0 minutes.

The Memphis, Tenn., native was originally selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round (58th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft after a stellar final two seasons at Tennessee-Martin. The highlight of his collegiate career occurred during his junior season when he became the first NCAA Division I men’s basketball player to record a quadruple-double, putting up a line of 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals vs. Central Baptist on 11/13/07.

Russell Westbrook undergoes knee surgery, will miss 4-6 weeks of NBA regular season

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier today, Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced.

“Russell has been incredible in his work and rehabilitation. He has been pain-free and has performed at a high level during practice, but has experienced recent swelling that had not subsided,” said Presti. “After careful consideration and recommendations from the medical team, we elected to do the procedure today based on our consulting physician’s belief that the swelling would be alleviated, and in turn give Russell the best chance for sustained performance throughout the season and beyond. During the procedure it was determined that the source of swelling was due to a loose stitch, and fortunately we were also able to confirm that the meniscus has healed properly.”

Westbrook is expected to miss the first 4-6 weeks of the 2013-14 regular season.

Monta Ellis says he will prove critics wrong

For Monta Ellis, “efficient” might as well be a four-letter word.

He’s become a sort of analytics antihero the past couple seasons, a model of scoring inefficiency. Frankly, Ellis is sick and tired of hearing about it, which he made clear by shaking his head and chuckling when the subject was broached during the Dallas Mavericks’ media day Monday.

“I’m going to get criticized for what I do anyway,” Ellis said. “The only thing I can do is laugh it off because there’s a lot of guys that take a lot of bad shots in this league. A lot of bad shots. Don’t nobody want to talk about them, but everybody talks about shots that Monta take[s]. The only thing I’m going to do is take the punches and prove everybody wrong.”

There are a lot of guys in the NBA who take bad shots, but precious few put up more bricks than Ellis did in his final season with the Milwaukee Bucks, which explains why he settled for signing a three-year, $25 million deal with the Mavs that was far shy of his asking price when free agency opened.

Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

Jae Crowder says he is 15 pounds lighter

Jae Crowder said at Mavericks media day on Monday that he’s 15 pounds lighter. A small of that portion might have to do with his hair.

Crowder shortened his dreadlocked pony tail on Sunday, cutting off what he estimates was an inch and a half of hair. It’s an annual tradition. Just before basketball season every year, he trims the nest.

“During the summer I just let it go, I don’t cut it at all,” Crowder said. “But during the season I keep it cut. This summer it got down to the middle of my back.”

Reported by Michael Florek of SportsDayDFW