Inside Hoops – Page 2561 – NBA Blog

Riley right to step down as coach

Heat coach Pat Riley, probably realizing that it’s no fun coaching a team that gets destroyed by 70 points a night, is making the wise move to just be team president. Former assistant coach/director of scouting Erik Spoelstra is now head coach. It’s not surprising that the new coach came from within, as Spoelstra obviously has Riley’s respect, knows the players and the team’s secrets. And until Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion get a lot more help around them the team has plenty of rebuilding to to.

“The game of basketball is a game about talent,” said Riley. “While we are always looking for NBA talent to perform on the court, the most important talent that you may find has to perform on the bench, in the locker room, on the practice court, late at night, watching film, motivating and executing all the responsibilities of a head coach. I believe Erik Spoelstra is one of the most talented young coaches to come around in a long time. This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative and bring fresh new ideas. That’s what we feel we are getting with Erik Spoelstra. He’s a man that was born to coach.”

More info about Spoelstra is here.

Apr. 27: Hornets 97, Mavs 84

The AP reports: David West bounced back from a miserable Game 3 with a determined effort in Game 4, scoring 10 points in an early second half rally that sent the Hornets surging past the Mavericks 97-84 on Sunday night, giving them a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. West had 24 points and nine rebounds, Chris Paul had 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and the Hornets ended an 0-for-14 drought in Dallas that dated to January 1998. Now they’re headed to New Orleans, hoping to win Game 5 on Tuesday night and avoid coming back to Big D until next season. The Mavericks are on the brink of a second straight first-round exit… Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Jason Terry scored 20 points, but they didn’t get much help. Josh Howard was 3-for-16 and Kidd had only three points, three assists and four rebounds before getting ejected with 7:16 left for a flagrant foul on Jannero Pargo. The exodus in the aisles came soon after, even before Hornets coach Byron Scott pulled his starters… Peja Stojakovic scored 19 points and Julian Wright added 11, including a tremendous dunk off a midcourt steal of Jerry Stackhouse, a play that emphasized the difference in the age and agility of these teams… Even with Pargo running the offense instead of Paul, the Hornets went on a 15-2 run to regain the lead, with Wright’s big dunk coming in that spurt.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Hornets shot 50%, the Mavs just 36%. The Hornets hit 4-of-10 three-pointers, the Mavs just 8-of-25. The Mavs had a slight rebounding edge, assists were tied and both teams barely committed any turnovers. For the Hornets, West had 24 points and 9 rebounds. Stojakovic, hitting three of the team’s four three-pointers, had 19 points and 5 rebounds. Chris Paul had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Morris Peterson, Jannero Pargo and Julian Wright (5-of-6) all scored double-digits. For the Mavs, Nowitzki needed 18 shots to get his 22 points and 13 rebounds. Jason Terry took 16 shots to get 20 points and little else. Brandon Bass took 12 shots to get 12 points and 9 rebounds. No other Mavs reached double-digits. Jason Kidd, playing just 29 minutes, shot 1-of-6 for 3 points and little else.

Joe Johnson says Kevin Garnett talks constantly

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Sekou Smith) reports: There’s no question Kevin Garnett’s relentless verbal barrage has energized the Hawks’ retaliatory talents. “That’s all he does is talk. He talks probably every play,” Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson said Sunday when asked about Garnett’s running dialogue. When asked if Garnett was asking for suggestions about dinner hot spots around town, Johnson just smiled. “A lot of times he talks to himself,” Johnson said. “It’s crazy.”

Real Heat future starts in 2009-10 season

The Palm Beach Post (Chris Perkins) reports: The big picture for Miami should be going into training camp in 2009, about 18 months from now, with a team just a tweak or two away from winning the title. That’s possible with the talent that could be available at the trade deadline. Elton Brand and Corey Maggette of the Los Angeles Clippers could have expiring contracts going into next season and therefore be trade-deadline bargains. The same could be true for Sacramento forward Ron Artest and Washington guard Gilbert Arenas. And New Orleans guard Jannero Pargo, Philadelphia guard Andre Miller and swingman Andre Iguodala, Portland sharpshooter James Jones, and Toronto guard Carlos Delfino, to name a few.

Bucks will have all new assistants

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Tom Enlund) on Friday reported: None of the Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches from this past season will be a part of new coach Scott Skiles’ staff next season. Skiles confirmed Friday that Tony Brown, Brian James, Jim Todd, and Jarinn Akana – all assistant coaches under Larry Krystowiak – had been informed that they would not be retained for next season. This was James’ third season with the Bucks while Brown and Akana were in the first season. Todd was in the first season of his third tenure with the team.

Usefulness of the minor league

The Sacramento Bee (Scott Howard-Cooper) reports: Seven seasons after the NBA started the D-League as a training ground for all levels, from management and referees to players and coaches, the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs remain the only franchises to run their own affiliate. No matter how logical it seems for the development of first-round picks and other well-regarded hopefuls, the 28 other organizations, including the Kings, share assignments and have no authority to dictate the critical decisions of hiring coaches, distribution of minutes or the style of play. “I think it is a big advantage (for L.A. and San Antonio),” Timberwolves general manager Jim Stack said. “They’re running all their stuff. They can kind of control it how they want to control it, where we may be able to influence it, but we don’t control it. There’s that level of difference between those two things.” … That 29 of the free agents have been signed this season indicates the D-League is serving a purpose for players who would otherwise be scattered around smaller minor leagues and overseas. But the unmistakable trend of the parent clubs keeping top young players in the NBA, even with limited minutes, rather than sending them down, raises speculation that some front offices don’t trust the affiliate.

Josh Howard likes to smoke marijuana

The AP (Jamie Aron) reports: Hours before the Dallas Mavericks’ biggest game of the year, forward Josh Howard went on the radio Friday to talk about something else — his fondness for marijuana. It was quite a follow-up to teammate Jerry Stackhouse calling opposing coach Byron Scott “a sucker in my book” on local airwaves. Howard’s comments are more serious because marijuana use is illegal and eligible for punishment from the NBA. It’s a topic he’s addressed before, but never so publicly, so close to tipping off such an important game, the Mavericks down 0-2 in their first-round series against the New Orleans Hornets. “Most of the players in the league use marijuana and I have and do partake in smoking weed in the offseason sometimes,” Howard told The Michael Irvin Show on the local ESPN affiliate. “I mean, that’s my personal choice and my personal opinion, but I don’t think that’s stopping me from doing my job.”

Boris Diaw says he knows how to contain Tony Parker

The San Antonio Express-News (Mike Monroe) reports: Boris Diaw said he has a good “book” on how to defend his friend [Tony Parker]. “I think it does help a little bit because I’ve seen him play a lot,” Diaw said. “I kind of know sometimes when he wants to go to his floater, when he tries to go for his jump shot, or when he is looking to pass. But the main thing is trying to stay close to him and bother the pass or the shot.” Parker was willing to heap praise on Diaw’s offense, if not his defense. The Suns’ forward was just two rebounds shy of a triple double, with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Parker’s praise was offered with a caveat.

Apr. 27: Pistons 93, Sixers 84

The AP reports: Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points and made all but one shot from the field, and Detroit played with a purpose and dominated the second half to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 93-84 on Sunday night, tying the best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series at 2-2… All the euphoria the Sixers created after a 20-point win in Game 3 only grew as they raced to a 14-point first-half lead. The younger, faster, confident Sixers were taking it to the aging, slumping Pistons yet again. Then those 59-win Pistons showed up in the third quarter… The Pistons picked up the defensive pressure and forced seven turnovers in the third. Detroit played like the 76ers did in Game 3, with active hands in the lane and pressure up top that rattled the upstart home team.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Sixers shot better than the Pistons did from the field, but the Pistons took 80 shots, the Sixers just 67. Credit Pistons hustle to getting those extra attempts. Neither team was impressive from three-point range. Both teams made 19 free throws, but the Pistons did it on fewer attempts. Rebounding and assists were close. For the Pistons, Tayshaun Prince shot 11-of-12 for 23 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Rasheed Wallace (4-of-7 three-pointers) had 20 points, 10 rebounds and too many turnovers. Chauncey Billups shot a miserable 4-of-16 but got free throws for 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. And Richard Hamilton shot just 7-of-22 for 18 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Antonio McDyess shot 5-of-8 for 10 bench points. For the Sixers, all five starters scored between 12 and 15 points, and Louis Williams had 10 off the bench. Samuel Dalembert had 12 rebounds.

Apr. 27: Suns 105, Spurs 86

The AP reports: A Frenchman put Phoenix on the brink of elimination, another brought the Suns back to life. Boris Diaw fell two assists shy of a triple-double Sunday and the Suns avoided a first-round sweep at the hands of San Antonio with a 105-86 rout of the Spurs. Diaw, starting in place of injured Grant Hill, had 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in one of the best playoff performances of his career… Diaw also played tough defense on his good friend and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, who scored 18 points after a career-high 41 in San Antonio’s 115-99 victory Friday night in Game 3… No one was more aggressive than Raja Bell, who scored 21 of his 27 points in a dominant first half to help Phoenix bring a one-sided end to the defending NBA champions’ nine-game playoff winning streak. The Suns were 11-0 in the regular season when Bell scored at least 20… The Suns won in a blowout even though Amare Stoudemire scored just seven points and Steve Nash had four assists. Nash and Leandro Barbosa scored 15 apiece for the Suns. Shaquille O’Neal had 14 points and 12 rebounds. D’Antoni drew two technicals and was ejected with 3:38 to play and his team up 104-80… San Antonio was 4-for-19 shooting with six turnovers in the first two quarters. The Spurs cut it to 12 three times in the second quarter, the last at 49-37 on Ginobili’s 15-foot bank shot with 4:55 to go. Phoenix, though, scored the next 12—six on free throws by Bell—to go up 61-37 on Diaw’s layup with 1:33 left in the half.