Inside Hoops – Page 1236 – NBA Blog

Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis says he is tired of losing

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has run out of patience with his team’s rebuilding efforts and expects to finally receive a payoff for his investments this season in the form of a playoff appearance.

Before the Wizards held an open practice and scrimmage on Friday at Verizon Center, Leonsis addressed reporters for roughly 30 minutes and put the organization on alert that the excuses of the past are over. The team has all that it needs to compete and he wants to see different results when he grabs his courtside seat.

“I’m tired of losing,” Leonsis said. “It’s not a lot of fun coming to games knowing, ‘This is going to be a tough night.’ We’re just at that point now, it’s the fourth year, we’ve retained our players, we’ve added players, we’ve spent a lot of money. And I expect us to be a playoff-caliber team. I think our fan base expects that too and that’s the pressure I’ve placed on our organization, that we have to meet the expectations of our fans – and it’s time.”

Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)

Pistons: Kyle Singler looking to prove himself

Kyle Singler looking to prove himself on Pistons

Enter a new coach — the Pistons’ fourth in six seasons. It means proving time again for Singler — especially when considering the addition of Smith, Caldwell-Pope and even Chauncey Billups.

“Every year you kind of have to prove yourself again,” Singler said. “Last year was last year for a lot of players and, for me personally, I thought I had a decent year. But this year I have to prove that I belong out on the floor.”

Singler, 25, doesn’t mind the competition.

“It just makes us more dangerous as a team,” Singler said. “I still view myself as a very good player and an asset to the team.”

Singler spent most of the off-season relaxing in the outdoors before beginning preparations for the season. He struggled against the elite small forwards last season, but maybe he can match up better against second-teamers. He can finish in traffic better, and he can probably improve his deep stroke as well.

“I just want to be a guy that can move, create havoc on both sides,” Singler said. “That’s basically the vision that I have for myself and that they have for me.”

Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Jose Calderon rests sore hamstring, misses Friday scrimmage

Dallas Mavericks fans will have to wait another night to see how well point guard Jose Calderon and shooting guard Monta Ellis work together.

The Mavs spent nearly $60 million over the summer in signing Calderon and Ellis. While Ellis was able to flourish in Friday’s Blue-White scrimmage at American Airlines Center — the Blue prevailed 31-15 — Calderon didn’t play because of a sore left hamstring.

Calderon has been limited the past three days. Coach Rick Carlisle hopes to have Calderon back for Sunday morning’s practice, a day before the Mavs open preseason play at home at 7:30 p.m. Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

New 76er Royce White not on overseas trip with team

New 76er Royce White tried last week to dispel any speculation that air travel would hinder him from playing for the team this season.

However, the 6-foot-8 forward, who has an anxiety disorder, wasn’t among the 14 players who flew here [Spain] Thursday. The Sixers will face Bilbao Basket on Sunday at the Bizkala Arena at Bilbao Exhibition Center. On Tuesday, they will face Oklahoma City in Manchester, England.

“It really was just based on our team doctor giving me and [general manager] Sam [Hinkie] and the club advice that it may be best for him to remain at home,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said of White’s absence. “You know we are with him. We will support and help him.”

Reported by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer

The plan was to have Royce White accompany the team on the European trip that includes two games and stops in Bilbao, Spain and Manchester, England. As late as Wednesday, a day before the team’s departure, that plan was still in place. In the hours before the flight, however, the plans changed, and White didn’t go.

White, the 16th overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 2012, didn’t play at all in the NBA last season because of a battle with the team over his anxiety disorder, which makes it difficult for him to get on a plane. He said last week at media day that he would fly to games when necessary and drive to others when he could. But the team decided to let him sit out the trans-Atlantic flight at the last minute after conferring with White’s doctors.

“He was given a hall pass,” is what one team executive said yesterday.

Reported by Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News

Chuck Hayes determined to regain leadership role on Kings

Early in the 2011-12 season, as reporters surrounded Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, laughter broke out among the players.

Chuck Hayes took offense, yelling that the behavior was unacceptable. But as losses piled up over the next two seasons, Hayes blended into the background when teammates laughed afterward. Hayes now says he no longer wants to be a part of a culture that accepts losing.

“That’s exactly what happened,” Hayes said. “I tried to come in and be the vocal leader, but when things went bad, I let that bring me down. I let it bring down my spirit. That was wrong on my part. It’s unfair to my teammates; it’s unfair to the coaching staff. So I just want to sustain that veteran role.”

It was uncertain if Hayes would be back this season, if the Kings could find a taker for the two years and $11.7 million still owed to him after two underwhelming seasons with the team.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Larry Johnson sees Iman Shumpert as future of Knicks

Iman Shumpert went to Summer League in Las Vegas for two reasons: The New York Knicks wanted to see him play a little point guard and to get used to playing a bigger role within the team, according to ex-Knicks star and current Knicks staff member Larry Johnson, who was in Las Vegas with the team.

“We wanted [Shumpert] to know, ‘You’re our future.’ We wanted him to play a bigger role, [be] a little more vocal and have a little more leadership,” Johnson said in an interview last week.

Shumpert’s entering his third season in the NBA, but this is the first year he will play a full training camp and preseason. He was a rookie during the lockout-shortened season of 2011-12, which featured an abbreviated camp. Last year, he sat out the first 2 1/2 months of the season while rehabbing his knee after surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament.

“I’m extremely excited,” Shumpert said Thursday. “I’m just happy I’m healthy and ain’t nothing wrong with my knees, man. [I’m ready to] get out here and play, put my jersey on for the first game and we’re going to get rolling.”

Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Brook and Robin Lopez shopping TV script

The recent offseasons haven’t been so easy for Brook Lopez. There was the bout with mono three years ago, and then the three foot surgeries that stalled his career.

But all this time away from the court has provided Lopez an opportunity to advance his eclectic interests, specifically a script for an animated adventure/comedy that he and his twin brother — Robin Lopez, a center for the Trail Blazers — have been shopping to television networks.

“We have a pilot all written out,” says Lopez.

Brooklyn’s All-Star center is quite serious about this endeavor, as well his future plans to create books, comics and video games. He and Robin have visited the studios at Disney and Fox, even sitting at a taping of “The Simpsons.” Like any Hollywood writer, he is keeping the details of the script a secret, providing only the theme.

“This one is Robin’s brainchild,” Lopez says.

Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

No retirement plans for Vince Carter yet

From the looks of the calendar, Vince Carter is in the twilight of his NBA career.

But don’t ask the Dallas Mavericks’ small forward if he’s thought about retiring and hanging up his high-flying sneakers. Although he is in the last year of his contract, Carter, who turns 37 on Jan. 26, doesn’t have a timetable for ending his career.

“I don’t want to do that to myself,” Carter said after Thursday morning’s practice. “I don’t want to limit myself. I think doing that you’ll start thinking about [retirement] as the season goes on. I’ll just let the body pretty much dictate how I’m feeling in the end.”

Carter acknowledged that his body is telling him that he’s got a few more years left to play. Especially after he averaged a solid 13.4 points — mostly off the bench — in just 26 minutes per game last season.

Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Nets coach Jason Kidd suspended by NBA

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd isn’t starting his coaching career on a high note.

Kidd has been suspended for two games for pleading guilty to driving while ability impaired, in violation of the law of the State of New York, the NBA announced today.

Kidd will be suspended for the first two games of the 2013-14 NBA regular season.

Brooklyn Nets General Manager Billy King issued the following statement on this news: “The decision is consistent with what the league has done in the past and we look forward to Jason leading our team versus Orlando and the rest of the year.”

Detroit Pistons have open practice tomorrow

The Detroit Pistons conduct an open-to-public workout annually, but this year decided to bring it back into their own home arena because getting people back to The Palace of Auburn Hills is one of their chief priorities.

“I think that the number-one priority objective is to get them back in that seating bowl and see the product,” said Dennis Mannion, president of Palace Sports and Entertainment and the Pistons.

The 11 a.m. Saturday practice is free.

Doors open 10 a.m.

Reported by David Mayo of Michigan Live