December 7, 2012 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Hornets insert Xavier Henry into starting lineup

Hornets coach Monty Williams announced before Friday night’s game against Memphis that he has made a change in his starting lineup.

Xavier Henry has been inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season, replacing Al-Farouq Aminu, who had started every game so far this season.

Aminu is coming off a 3 for 6 shooting night in which he scored six points during Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Henry came off the bench to contribute eight points on 2 of 5 shooting in season-high 19 minutes against the Lakers.

— Reported by Terrance Harris of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Big expectations on Ricky Rubio when he returns for Timberwolves

Ricky Rubio knows that there are a lot of expectations being put on his return to the Timberwolves. He knows he is being cast as the magic sand that will fill in every crack and mask any blemish in the team’s promising, if flawed, foundation as soon as he hits the court. It’s nothing new for basketball prodigy who has been carrying the weight of expectations since he was a teenager in Spain.

“I don’t know why, but the pressure has been following me since I turned pro,” Rubio told The Associated Press on Friday. “I was 14 and I was they said I was unimpressive. `He’s too young to play. He’s not going to do well.’ And I did well back in Spain.

“The pressure followed me when I came here and they said, `Oh Ricky’s coming after two years, he’s going to bring everything to this team.’ It’s just hard, but it’s something that I’m used to. I like the pressure, I like the challenge. The more difficult the challenge, the better it is for me.”

What makes this hurdle different than any other he’s had to leap before it is that Rubio is recovering from his first significant injury. It’s been almost nine months since he tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee late in a game against the Lakers, ending a terrific rookie season and sucking the life right out of a young Timberwolves team that he helped return to relevance in the Western Conference.

— Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

Virginia governor will not include money for new arena in budget

In a possible blow to Virginia Beach’s efforts to lure the Sacramento Kings, the governor of Virginia doesn’t plan to include any subsidy for the team’s move in his proposed budget.

Virginia Beach officials were seeking $150 million in state funds to bring the Kings to their city, including a $70 million contribution toward a new arena and $80 million to assist the team’s relocation.

But Gov. Bob McDonnell won’t include any subsidy in his 2013 proposed budget. In a prepared statement, McDonnell’s spokesman, Tucker Martin, indicated the governor wasn’t convinced the proposed subsidy penciled out.

— Reported by Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee

David Kahn denies latest Timberwolves-Lakers Pau Gasol rumor

David Kahn made a special guest media appearance at shootaround this morning to shoot down Thursday’s ESPN.com — the latest in a series of semi-regular such rumors — that the Lakers are refusing Wolves’ overtures for Pau Gasol.

Kahn said he hasn’t talked to the Lakers since last June. He didn’t say this, but that was when he was talking with the Lakers about a bigger deal that would have brought Gasol here and sent away Derrick Williams, probably to a third team.

The latest ESPN.com said the Lakers had turned down a Wolves deal built around Williams and Nikola Pekovic.

— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Rip Hamilton could be out longer than expected

When Richard Hamilton tore the plantar fascia in his left foot last weekend, there was a lot of one- to two-weeks thrown out there as the recovery time.

That still might be the case for the Bulls shooting guard, but Hamilton admitted on Friday that a month on the shelf might be more realistic.

“[The doctors] said four weeks, but they said I could probably come back before that,’’ Hamilton said. “Every one’s body is different, so it’s just one of those things where you want to try and get better every day.

“We’re working really hard on it, trying to get flexibility, trying to get the swelling down, get all the blood that’s in there down. Every day it gets better. The good thing about it is there hasn’t been a setback or anything like that.’’

— Reported by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times

Trail Blazers assign Will Barton and Victor Claver to D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned guard Will Barton and forward Victor Claver to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Trail Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey.

Barton and Claver, both rookies, will join the Stampede tomorrow, Dec. 7 in advance of the team’s contests against the Austin Toros tomorrow night and on Saturday, Dec. 8, in Boise.

Barton, the 40th overall pick out of Memphis in the 2012 NBA Draft, has played in 16 games this season for the Trail Blazers, and has averages of 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 8.8 minutes per game.

Claver has appeared in four games with Portland this season, and averages 0.3 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 5.8 minutes per contest. Claver was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 22nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and signed with Portland on July 11, 2012.

Wizards uncertain when John Wall will play

Ten weeks after the Wizards announced that John Wall would miss “approximately” eight weeks because of a stress injury in his left patella, the injured point guard is still unable to practice, scrimmage or even elevate to shoot.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld and Wall both referred to the injury as a “bump in the road” that wouldn’t keep him down for long, but the team now has no timetable for his return. His extended absence has raised concerns, but Coach Randy Wittman acknowledged Thursday that the original estimate was actually eight-to-12 weeks. Wittman began to panic when a reporter asked if Wall would return this season.

“I hope so. What the heck is that? You’re scaring me,” Wittman said before cursing a few times. “I just talked to my mother again today. I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not looking at it like that”

He added, “We’re not hiding anything here.”

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)

Mike Brown has no grudge against Lakers

Former Lakers head coach Mike Brown not bitter

“I don’t hold grudges against people, but it’s the Busses’ team and Mitch (Kupchak) is the GM and they have to make decisions and sometimes the decisions are tougher than others.”

Brown shakes off any notion that he got a raw deal. It was believed the Lakers would use a six-game homestand to evaluate Brown, but after numerous discussions, Lakers management unanimously decided that the team was going sideways and Brown was let go.

“I didn’t think anything (about how the decision was made),” Brown said. “My job was to coach the team as long as they allowed me to and that was as long as they allowed me.

“I got no hard feelings. You see me walk in here and I get to watch my son. He’s a senior. I’m enjoying my family. I enjoyed my time with the Lakers. I appreciate the opportunity the Busses gave me and Mitch gave me. I’ve moved on. I really have.” …

“It’s kind of funny because people say, ‘you don’t seem (upset),'” Brown said. “I tell them that I have no control over the decision, and I understand the business. So I’m thankful what they allowed me to do, I’m thankful for the opportunity and now I’m trying to cheer on my son’s team to a third victory.”

— Reported by Janis Carr of the Orange County Register

Eric Gordon making progress in his rehabilitation work

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon is making progress in his rehabilitation work in Los Angeles to recover from a sore right knee, according to the team. Gordon was sent to Los Angeles a month ago to get more personalized rehabilitation work to help in his knee recovery and to strengthen his quad muscles.

Hornets spokesman Harold Kaufman said Thursday that Gordon’s quad muscles have strengthened to 65 percent, but there remains no set timetable on his return.

— Reported by John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Cavaliers assign Jon Leuer to D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers have assigned forward Jon Leuer to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.

Leuer has played in five games this season for the Cavs, averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.

He will be available for the Charge’s next game, Saturday, December 8th at Springfield against the Armor.