General NBA insight – Page 145 – NBA Blog

Yi Jianlian is not good at basketball

New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian is not a good basketball player. He can make open mid-range jump-shots, drive past slower defenders, and not a lot else.

Julian Garcia of the New York Daily News reports:

Nearing the end of his second injury-plagued season in New Jersey, Yi has already worn out his welcome with many in the organization, and his biggest supporter – GM/interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe – may not be around long after the season finale on April 14 since he is in the final year of his contract. With Vandeweghe gone, the Nets would be more likely to trade Yi in the offseason, or at least bring him back in a significantly reduced role.

Vandeweghe helped bring Yi to the Nets from Milwaukee as part of the Richard Jefferson deal two summers ago and has continued to stick with Yi while others have called for his benching, even putting him right back into the starting lineup last night against the Raptors after he missed six games and took part in just one practice after suffering a high ankle sprain two weeks ago.

In 31.8 minutes per game this season Yi is averaging 11.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, but those scoring and rebounding stats are actually a bit inflated as quite often those numbers come when the game has already been decided.

Anderson Varjeo says he does not flop. He sambas

George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal reports

Ask Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao about his reputation as a flopper, and his reply is direct.

”I don’t flop; I samba,” said the curly-haired Brazilian.

For this season, he’s right. Varejao isn’t the King of Flop in the NBA. In fact, the number of offensive fouls he’s drawn this season is down markedly from past years.

Last year, he had lured competitors into 52 offensive fouls. In 2006, it was 99. This season, he’s drawn a mere 25 offensive fouls.

It would be easy to assume, then, that Varejao’s game is off. Not at all. Varejao isn’t drawing as many offensive fouls on opponents, but he is still bringing needed energy off the bench for the Cavs and contributing in more ways.

Magic Johnson wishes best for Nets

Fred Kerber of the New York Post reports:

Hall of Famer Magic Johnson last night said he hopes the Nets get the first overall pick in the lottery and then find one player in the draft.

“I really can’t imagine a team being 7 and 60-something, not in today’s game,” Johnson said, sitting courtside as the “60-something” Nets suffered their 61st defeat, a 108-97 loss to the 76ers, despite a lineup change that inserted Terrence Williams into the first five.

“I can’t fathom it,” Johnson said. “And the worst thing is they may not even get the first pick, which they need. Be it John Wall, whomever, they need it for the fans, for the energy in the arena, for the organization.

“They need it for [Brook] Lopez, who is really good. The league needs it for them to build around.”

Of course, LeBron James could help, but Johnson feels the Nets lost him with their temporary move to Newark before their relocation to Brooklyn.

Kings have no clear small forward

Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee reports:

When it comes to the small forward position, coach Paul Westphal continues to stare into a cloudy crystal ball.

Donté Greene is the latest to fill that role, as he has started the last four games. But as Westphal sees it, he remains one of the many who continue to compete for the job.

“I honestly don’t think that any of them have made the case (for the job) that would stand all tests,” Westphal said. “We’ve had some good play at times from Donté, Omri (Casspi), Ime (Udoka), (Andres) Nocioni and Cisco (García) in that spot. Dominic (McGuire) could probably play it pretty well if he had a chance, and he hasn’t really had a chance.”

Ryan Hollins OK with suspension

Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports:

Ryan Hollins insists he’s not a “dirty player or anything like that,” but he still was given a two-game suspension Wednesday by Stu Jackson, the league’s executive vice president of basketball operations, for striking Dallas guard DeShawn Stevenson during Monday night’s game at Target Center.

“I understand the suspension,” Hollins said after Thursday’s practice. “They said my fist was closed when it happened. That’s a league rule. I have to learn to control myself better and know what the refs are watching. I know it’s a matter of interpretation about what they see.”

Hollins is allowed to practice during his suspension, which cost him $53,252 of his $2.183 million salary this season, but he is prohibited from being in the arena for Wolves games. He was at home for Wednesday’s loss to Denver and will be again tonight for the Wolves’ game against San Antonio at Target Center.

Donnie Walsh likes Avery Johnson as a coach

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

Avery Johnson was Knicks team president Donnie Walsh’s second choice to coach Mike D’Antoni. If D’Antoni took the Bulls job, Johnson — and not Mark Jackson — would have become the Knicks head coach in May 2008, bringing his disciplinarian, defensive demeanor.

“From what I was told, yeah [that’s the truth],” Johnson told The Post Wednesday night at San Antonio’s AT&T Center. The Knicks face the Grizzlies tonight (8:00, MSG, ESPN 1050 AM).

Johnson is a coaching free agent, unsure he will coach next season. Johnson might still be on the market if things don’t work out next season for D’Antoni, whose biggest attribute now stands as his recruiting prowess in landing the top-tier free agent class headed by LeBron James.

Jerry Sloan is forever

Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports:

Jerry Sloan was asked how he’s lasted 22 years with the Jazz when most other NBA coaches seem to lose touch with their players within a few seasons.

“I tell our players, ‘I’m going to be here and you may not,’ ” he said. “I’ve been real fortunate that our owner gave me the opportunity to say that when he first started out. Coaches are going to be here and players are expendable. – If you don’t have support, you don’t have a fighting chance.”

Someone asked Sloan what he thought about his 1970s-era photo on a mural honoring Bulls legends that went up outside the locker room this year. He hadn’t seen it.

“I don’t think it affects me in any way,” Sloan said. “Like my friend said, ‘I’ll still eat hamburgers.’ “

Kevin Garnett drives Andray Blatche crazy

On Sunday, the Boston Celtics edged the Washington Wizards, 86-83. But a bigger story is Boston’s Kevin Garnett (0-of-7, 8 points off free throws) frustrating the heck out of Andray Blatche (10-of-20, 23 points, 9 rebounds):

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports:

Kevin Garnett drives Andray Blatche crazy

Blatche was noticeably upset and appeared to hold back tears as he explained his encounter with Garnett, which nearly got heated when Garnett approached Blatche and tried to wrestle the ball away from him. Blatche appeared to throw an elbow as Garnett continued to taunt him. Blatche later flung Garnett into a cameraman and sent him to the foul line for two free throws. Garnett smiled as he was helped off the ground. Reserve forward James Singleton said Garnett used his “veteran senses” to needle Blatche and get under his skin.

“I see myself as defending myself as a player. I’m a man, just like they a man. If a man is talking to me this close to my face,” Blatche said, moving his hand toward his cheek. “I’m going to say something back. He has to respect me just like I respect him. I just, ‘Get up out of my face.’ He was this close in my face – I can feel his lips touching my cheek – I wasn’t bragging saying ‘Ah we winning.’ It was ‘Back up.’ “

Kevin Love wanted to be a quarterback

Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Kevin Love flashed back Saturday to his UCLA days. Or maybe even earlier.

“My parents never let me play football,” the Wolves forward said, “and I always wanted to be a quarterback.”

It shows. Love, who built a reputation with the Bruins for length-of-the-floor outlet passes, had not displayed his unusual skill much this season — until Saturday. Love fired five passes of 50 feet or longer from under the Wolves basket and completed three of them for easy scores, a success rate that Brett Favre would appreciate.

“I’ve told the coaches, I’ve told the front office, that we need to engage that a little more,” said Love, who made long connections with Ryan Hollins and Damien Wilkins for breakaway dunks, and Ramon Sessions for a layup. “It loses [the opponent] a rebounder if they want to get back, or if they crash the boards, it’s going to be tough for them to get back.”

Bill Walker has chance to shine with Knicks

New York Knicks swingman Bill Walker is getting a chance to show his stuff, something he was rarely given an opportunity to do on the extremely talented Boston Celtics squad he used to be on.

Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun reports:

“It was just more mentally challenging,” Walker said of his time in Boston, a huge chunk of which he spent in the Development League. “Physically I was able to play every day and do things like that. Dealing with not being able to get on the floor. That was the hardest part. Keeping your mind positive.”

Walker’s get-out-of-jail-free card arrived in the form of a Eddie House for Nate Robinson trade deadline deal in which he followed House to New York.

Walker’s opportunity arrived in a 124-93 blowout loss in Cleveland to the Cavs. Cleveland had built a 26-point lead by the half and extended it to 49.

Walker wound up playing 35 minutes and hitting 9-of-14 from the field for a Knicks high and personal career high 21 points.