February 23, 2013 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Chris Kaman available again for Mavs

Dallas Mavericks center Chris Kaman is available to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing the last 10 games due to a concussion.

Kaman, who continued to experience headaches for several days after passing the cognitive testing portion of the NBA’s concussion protocol that he referred to as “the stupidest test ever,” declared himself ready after Saturday’s practice.

“Hopefully, I’ll get a few minutes tomorrow,” Kaman told reporters. “The headaches are gone, so I’m clear. I’m going to play. It’s been too long.”

Kaman, who was injured during the Mavs’ Jan. 28 practice, fully participated in two practices this week after being medically cleared. The Mavs wanted him to practice twice before playing in a game.

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

Kenyon Martin excited for chance with Knicks

Kenyon Martin spent the past four months waiting for the phone to ring, hoping he’d get a chance to play basketball again.

There were days when he worried the call never would come.

“It was a daily struggle … I went through every emotion early in the season. Mad, sad, upset, frustrated, you name it, I went through it. It just got to a point where I couldn’t let that consume my daily thoughts,” Martin said. “I wanted to play.”

Martin now has the chance to play again. On Saturday, the New York Knicks agreed to terms with the 35-year-old veteran on a 10-day contract.

Martin spent Saturday afternoon working out at the Knicks’ practice facility, running on the side with a trainer and going through some of the Knicks’ offensive and defensive sets with teammates.

“It feels great just to throw a uniform on again,” Martin said.

— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Syracuse retires jersey of Carmelo Anthony

Syracuse retired former star Carmelo Anthony’s No. 15 jersey during halftime of its game against Georgetown on Saturday in the Carrier Dome.

A sellout crowd of 35,012, the largest to see a college basketball game in an on-campus arena, watched a large replica of Anthony’s jersey get unveiled in the rafters. The New York Knicks star was presented a framed jersey at center court.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Jordan Crawford solid in Celtics debut

In his debut with the Boston Celtics, former Wizards guard Jordan Crawford joined an exclusive club, becoming the 46th player in NBA history to take the floor wearing number 27.

Regardless of his jersey number, the player that took the floor on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns was remarkably similar to the one Wizards’ fans watched in Washington.

In 17 minutes Crawford scored 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 2-for-5 from long distance in the Celtics’ 113-88 win. Crawford also had three rebounds and two assists, while only turning the ball over once.

— Reported by Michael Huberman of CSN Washington

Danny Granger expected to play tonight for Pacers

As if the Pistons needed another scorer from the team that waxed them and clowned on them for the better part of 40 minutes on Friday, Pacers scorer Danny Granger will return tonight after a length absence, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.

Granger hasn’t played at all this season due to recovering from a knee injury and will come off the bench, behind the emerging Paul George. He’s a likely candidate to get moved during the summer, and has been a Pistons’ killer in previous years against the likes of Tayshaun Prince.

— Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (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