April 27, 2011 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Knicks exercise option to keep Chauncey Billups for 2011-12 season

The New York Knicks have a pair of star forwards in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, and today made a decision to keep one of the roster’s only other proven assets on board for next season.

“We have made a decision to keep Chauncey Billups for the upcoming 2011-12 season,” said Knicks team president Donnie Walsh in a statement. “Chauncey, Amar’e and Carmelo are a great nucleus, as we continue to look to improve our team going into the off-season. Chauncey is an extremely talented and experienced point guard – we are very happy to have him back.”

According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the Knicks have decided to pick up the one-year, $14.2 million option on Chauncey Billups’ contract.

As the most talented guard on the Knicks roster, Billups is past his prime, but provides leadership, competitiveness, scoring and experience.

In the future, the team is expected to eventually target young star point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Warriors will not keep Keith Smart as their head coach

The Golden State Warriors have informed Head Coach Keith Smart that he will not be retained for the 2011-12 season, the team announced today. Smart, who was named head coach of the Warriors on September 27, 2010, led Golden State to a 36-46 record during the recently-completed 2010-11 NBA season.

“It’s never easy to make difficult decisions, especially when it involves someone that we have a great deal of respect for like Keith Smart,” said Warriors Owner Joe Lacob. “After meeting extensively with Larry Riley and Bob Myers, we came to the conclusion that a change was necessary at this particular time. I think Keith did an admirable job this season and he should be commended for many of the positive things that transpired both on and off the floor. The team showed improvement and their effort was never in question. However, we’ve elected to pursue a new path and we wish Keith the very best. He’s a quality person and we thank him for the time he invested with our organization.”

Smart, 46, originally began his tour of duty with the Warriors as an assistant coach during the 2003-04 season. He spent seven seasons in that capacity before being elevated to head coach – the 23rd in franchise history – prior to the start of last season. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Smart also served as interim head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the final 40 games of the 2002-03 season.

“I obviously have a great deal of admiration for Keith as both a professional and a friend,” said Warriors Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations/GM Larry Riley. “He’s dedicated a lot of time, hard work and commitment to this job, not only over the course of the last year as the head coach, but the previous seven years with our organization. We’re grateful for his contributions and have the utmost respect for him. From our standpoint, however, we feel it is in our best interest as we move as an organization and begin to focus and prepare for the future. At this time, we do not have a timetable for hiring a successor. We’ll conduct our due diligence and make a good, sound decision when we’ve identified that individual.”

Knicks may seek to bring Wilson Chandler back this summer

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

The Knicks would have to get lucky, but one of their targets this summer is to bring Wilson Chandler back into the fold, The Post has learned.

Chandler, who was dispatched to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade, will be a restricted free agent, and a source said he would love to return to the Knicks. And the Knicks would love to have him back, as coach Mike D’Antoni believes he’s the perfect versatile fit for his system who does so many things, including rebound. Chandler’s Nuggets trail Oklahoma City 3-1 in the first round.

Chandler’s new agent is Happy Walters, who also represents Amar’e Stoudemire and Knicks surprise reserve standout Shawne Williams, also a free agent whom the Knicks would like to bring back.

Danny Granger says Joakim Noah played dirty

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Danny Granger had to be restrained from going after Bulls center Joakim Noah as the teams exchanged handshakes on the court at the end of the Bulls’ series-ending 116-89 win.

Granger accused Noah of playing dirty throughout the game, taking cheap shots at Pacers, including forward Josh McRoberts, who was ejected in the third quarter.

Granger was in the hallway outside the locker room using expletives to describe Noah’s play.

“Everybody saw what Josh did and he got ejected,” Granger said. “Nobody caught what happened first. It’s always the second man. (Noah) was playing dirty the whole game. My teammates got caught with it and nothing happened.”

McRoberts was ejected in the final seconds of the third quarter for throwing an elbow at Noah. The former Carmel High School standout said he was retaliating for an “elbow to his throat” from the Bulls center.

Kevin Durant downplays verbal dispute with Russell Westbrook

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reports:

Durant downplays verbal dispute with Westbrook

The cameras didn’t catch it, but the broadcast’s sideline reporter did.

Midway through the first half of Monday’s Game 4 loss at Denver, the Thunder’s All-Star duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook reportedly had a heated exchange during a timeout. TNT sideline reporter Pam Oliver reported the verbal dispute during the game.

On Tuesday, the Thunder insisted the jawing was positive.

“It was all about trying to do the right thing,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “We got to get a stop. That’s what it was about. We got to stop the ball. Their point guards are getting inside the paint. The bigs and the guards have got to do a better job of stopping the basketball. That’s what the conversation was about.

“It’s funny because it’s in the playoffs on national TV, but it happens a lot. It doesn’t happen every timeout every game. But guys are emotional. Guys care about what we do and they express that and I like that. I do the same thing.”

Durant also downplayed the incident.

“We’ve been doing that all season,” Durant said. “That’s a part of a basketball team. You’re not going to always be happy all the time. … Sometimes you have to scream at guys for them to get the point. That’s what we were doing.”

Does Carmelo Anthony doubt Mike D`Antoni?

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

On Monday, Carmelo Anthony was asked every which way to endorse D’Antoni and he answered the questions like a senator caught in a love triangle.

Melo was evasive and non-committal, which was apparently enough to fool some in the media that Dolan’s new favorite player believes the Knicks have the right head coach. In fact, the exact opposite is true. According to a person close to Anthony, the player D’Antoni wasn’t thrilled about acquiring, is far from convinced that D’Antoni’s system is the right fit for his game.

And when Chauncey Billups comes out and says there is no perfect coach and happens to mention that Larry Brown – D’Antoni’s polar opposite and Dolan’s sworn enemy – is his all-time favorite, I think it’s safe to assume that the veteran point guard isn’t reading “Seven Seconds or Less” in his spare time.

Rick Pitino will not coach Puerto Rico national team

The AP reports:

Louisville’s Rick Pitino will not coach Puerto Rico’s national team, citing scheduling conflicts in announcing his change of plans Wednesday.

The Cardinals’ coach had agreed in December to coach Puerto Rico in a pre-Olympic qualifying tournament late this summer and had hoped to have his Louisville team play the Puerto Rican national team as part of a foreign trip. But the NCAA shot down that proposal because Puerto Rico is Commonwealth of the United States and is not considered a foreign country under NCAA rules.

Zaza Pachulia now a villain in Orlando

Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

Before Hawks center Zaza Pachulia took the floor in Orlando on Tuesday night he knew the good vibes he once shared with Magic fans were over.

“My rookie year I was fans’ favorite here,” Pachulia said before Game 5 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. “Now I am the most hated.”

The relationship soured after Pachulia head-butted Magic guard Jason Richardson during Game 3 in Atlanta on Friday. Richardson retaliated by smacking Pachulia in the face, and the NBA suspended both players for Game 4 on Sunday in Atlanta.

Magic fans greeted Pachulia with boos when he checked into the game and also when he touched the ball early. The Magic selected Pachulia in the second round of the 2003 draft, and he was on the cover of the team’s in-house magazine in April 2004.

Andre Iguodala fights through knee issue

Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News reports:

The chondromalacia in Iguodala’s right knee, a chronic condition that dates back more than 5 years, flared in mid-March. That’s right about the time Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was shelved with the same condition, possibly for as long as 3 months.

Had it happened earlier this season, Iguodala would have been shelved, too. Had the Sixers been out of the playoff picture, Iguodala would have been shut down.

Instead, he played for the next month. The knee cost Iguodala only the last two games of the regular season, when Sixers management insisted he sit, general manager Ed Stafanski said.

Then, on that knee, four times in 9 days in the NBA playoffs’ marquee matchup, as the Sixers faced the Miami Heat, Iguodala played. He drew the masochistic duty of defending LeBron James, the world’s most punishing small forward, and Dwyane Wade, currently the world’s best shooting guard. He also was asked to be the hub of the offense.

In agony.

“It hurts, because you can’t really lift,” Iguodala said. “You go into a jump shot and you feel like it’s going to give at times. You feel a pinch. You don’t know if the pain is going to come back. You’re thinking about it every shot. Every plant. That’s probably the toughest.”

Bulls set to play winner of Magic-Hawks series

Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times reports:

The Bulls will open their second-round series Monday against the winner of the Orlando Magic-Atlanta Hawks series, which is headed to Game 6 on Thursday in Atlanta after the Magic’s 101-76 victory at home Tuesday. The Hawks lead the series 3-2.

‘‘I’m speechless right now,’’ Rose, who played only 30 minutes because of foul trouble, not his ankle, said after winning an NBA playoff series for the first time. ‘‘I really can’t believe it. It’s a great accomplishment. We’re going to try to keep this thing going.’’

Coach Tom Thibodeau knew this was a moment for his players.

‘‘It’s always good to advance,’’ he said. ‘‘It doesn’t mean a lot to me as coach.’’

Still, he seemed pleased that the Bulls had delivered a solid knockout punch in Game 5 after four tough encounters.

‘‘We knew we were capable of playing better,’’ Thibodeau said. ‘‘There were things we had to correct, but we were also up 3-1. In the playoffs, every win is hard to get. I liked our mentality today.’’