Inside Hoops – Page 1237 – NBA Blog

Sixers coach Brett Brown faces a tough challenge

The coach left for Europe yesterday for two preseason games armed with a 15-man active roster that features six players who haven’t played a game in the NBA (Vander Blue, Michael Carter-Williams, Hollis Thompson, Royce White, Rodney Williams and Khalif Wyatt), four others (Solomon Alabi, Darius Morris, Tim Olbrecht and Tony Wroten) who have experience in the league but have combined to play just 131 games, and a starting shooting guard (James Anderson) who has averaged 3.7 points on 39.1 percent shooting in his 116 games. Veterans Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen round out the group. Mac Koshwal will not make the trip because of visa problems.

That lack of experience causes Brown to teach, teach and teach some more. While something is explained, demonstrated and explained again, it is not always reaching its intended target. So before the new coach can move forward with another part of the offense or a different set of rotations on the defensive end, he must stop for further and repeated instruction often. Kind of like telling a 5-year-old to pay attention in the outfield.

“We’ll compete,” said Brown with a “if nothing else” sort of tone.

Reported by Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News

Rubio reaches a recovery milestone: He dunks

While peers Chase Budinger and Russell Westbrook returned to operating rooms this week for repair on knees previously operated upon, Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio demonstrated in a small way Thursday that his own recovery progresses.

He dunked.

It was a simple one-hander before the start of Thursday’s training camp practice, but it was a dunk nonetheless. It also is a sign of progress that had been more than a year coming since he underwent March 2012 surgery to repair two torn knee ligaments.

“I’ve been working this summer, finally I can dunk,” he said. “I could never jump too high, but at least I could dunk before the injury. This summer is the first time I dunked. It wasn’t easy, but I could.

“I’m dunking. But only in warm-ups, not in games yet.”

Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

David Lee ready to raise his game for Warriors

To his credit, Lee came to camp prepared to take it up a notch. The biggest need for improvement is defense, though he said a more reliable midrange jumper was also a priority.

Being in the best condition of his life, Lee said, will help on that end of the court and make him even more potent on offense. He should be more explosive, exploit the transition game more and have the energy he needs on the defensive end.

“As a former player I will say this,” [Warriors head coach Mark] Jackson said, “You can become very smart at when to cut corners or when to take a breather when you’re running out of gas. Those moments won’t happen as often with him because he’s in better condition.”

Perhaps the biggest hope is that the slimmed down Lee and the Warriors’ added depth will allow him to be fresher toward the end of the season.

Reported by Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group

Kobe Bryant goes overseas for medical procedure

Kobe Bryant is heading overseas to have a medical procedure unrelated to the torn Achilles tendon he sustained in April.

The Los Angeles Lakers said Thursday that Bryant is expected to return early next week.

He went to Germany twice in 2011 for a procedure on his sore right knee and a sore left ankle that bothered him at the time.

The Los Angeles Times on Thursday cited people with knowledge of the situation as saying that Bryant was going to Germany this time. He was having a knee procedure that involves removing blood from the affected area and spinning it in a centrifuge. Molecules that cause inflammatory responses are then removed to create a serum that is injected back into the affected area.

Reported by the Associated Press

Recovery from Orthokine or Regenokine is typically quick compared to more severe knee procedures and does not add to Bryant’s recovery time from a torn Achilles’ tendon, which remains the larger issue. His availability for the Lakers’ Oct. 29 season opener against the Clippers is still unclear.

Bryant plans to have only his knee treated but will get other areas examined as well. His Achilles’ will not be part of the treatment, a Lakers spokesman said.

Orthokine targets proteins or molecules called interleukin that cause inflammatory responses. Blood is taken from a patient’s affected area and spun in a centrifuge to create a serum that is injected back into the targeted area.

Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

Marcus Thornton hopes to bounce back from off year

After a season of career highs, Kings guard Marcus Thornton had plenty of lows last season.

In 2011-12, Thornton averaged a team-high 18.7 points. Last season, as a reserve with inconsistent playing time, he had career lows in minutes (24.0 per game) and scoring average (12.7).

Now he’s looking forward to a fresh start under new coach Michael Malone, who was on New Orleans’ staff when Thornton played there before being traded to the Kings.

“I’m so ready to get out there and prove myself again,” Thornton said. “I’ve been doing that for five years now, and I’m ready to do it again.”

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Miami Heat training hard in the Bahamas

Thursday proved to be about rigor and reward for the Miami Heat on the third day of training camp at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.

Perhaps fittingly, coach Erik Spoelstra threw a blowout at the ballroom-turned-court in the resort’s conference center, pushing his players through an unrelenting 90-minute morning session. The reward was cancellation of the afternoon session, meaning two-a-days are over, with a single session planned here Friday before a return flight to Miami.

“Just intense work,” guard Dwyane Wade said.

“We got at it right from the beginning,” forward LeBron James said.

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Kirk Hinrich, Joakim Noah held out of Bulls practice again

For a second consecutive day, both Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah were held out of action during an afternoon where playing time was cut short because of a slippery court.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said Wednesday that Hinrich and Noah were dealing with “general soreness” that cropped up from the first few workouts of camp, and he did not expand on that Thursday. He did sound optimistic, though.

“Yeah, they’re both better,” Thibodeau said. “We just want to make sure they’re completely healed.”

Thobodeau did not say if either would be available for the preseason opener Saturday at Indiana, and didn’t sound worried about it whether they could play.

Reported by Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago

Iman Shumpert misses practice with sore right shoulder

Iman Shumpert was just happy it wasn’t his left knee.

Shumpert was held out of Knicks’ practice today after suffering a sore right shoulder during a 3-on-3 drill Wednesday. Shumpert said it’s “minor,” and plan is just to rest it right now.

“Nothing major,” Shumpert said. “They just want to make sure that I’m healthy. First time I’ve been healthy so they just want to make sure that I’m healthy before I go back out there.”

Shumpert said there is no plan at this point to have an MRI or an X-ray.

Reported by Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday

Houston Rockets not at full speed yet

With two days until the Rockets take the court for their first preseason game, the team is still working out the kinks in their own game.

“We’re not going to get everything down pat right away. It takes time,” Rockets center Dwight Howard said. “The biggest thing is not to get frustrated with it, not allow the mistakes to slow us down, but to keep moving. I think we’re doing a pretty good job at it.”

The Rockets scrimmaged Thursday afternoon, playing game-like situations with referees and free throws, but stopping every few possessions to make sure everyone’s on the same page and reset on offense and defense.

Reported by John Kelly of CSN Houston

Pistons rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope showing poise

“Kentavious as a rookie doesn’t get wide-eyed,” said [Pistons coach Maurice] Cheeks, trying to resist a smile. “He has a poise about him when he plays. He doesn’t get stressed out, doesn’t get nervous. Today he had an excellent day. (Rodney) Stuckey had an excellent day.”

Caldwell-Pope and Stuckey went head-to-head in the team scrimmages Thursday, in the part the media was allowed to watch. While Stuckey beat him on a cut to the rim, he lost the rookie in the set offense, where Caldwell-Pope was able to probe the perimeter and make himself available for open threes, which he made with ease.

On a three that came up short, he timed the rebound and beat everyone to it for a layup, impressing his coach with the simplicity of the play.

“The thing about him — he plays defense and plays hard,” Cheeks said. “He runs the floor and does a lot of things well.”

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News