The Boston Globe (Marc. J. Spears) reports: It started as a gentlemen’s bet before the season between two ultracompetitive Celtics, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The issue was free throws. As long as Pierce can stay within 6 percentage points of Allen’s free throw accuracy, he wins. No money was involved. Just pride. At .838, Pierce is just .06 shy of surpassing his career-best mark. But even with that average, he is getting trounced by Allen, who is not only doing the best free throw shooting of his career but seems poised to surpass a longstanding Celtics record and challenge the NBA standard, too. “That dude’s having a super career year, Ray Allen,” Pierce said. “He’s never shot over 92 percent. I thought I’d get within like 6 or 8 percent of him, but he is just running away with it. That’s little stuff we do to push each other. Dang, he’s got his career year. I didn’t know he was shooting 95. He’s killing me.”
Category: General NBA insight
General NBA insight
Andrei Kirilenko has faded
The Deseret News (Tim Buckley) reports: When the season started, the plan was to bring versatile Andrei Kirilenko off the bench but perhaps play him what amounts to starter minutes. But it hasn’t exactly gone that way in the 12 games Kirilenko has played since returning from January ankle surgery. Before surgery, partly because various teammates were injured, Kirilenko played 30 minutes or more in 22 of 38 games — including one regulation-length game with 42, and 50 in a double-overtime loss at Houston. Since then, he hasn’t played more than 26 minutes. He’s often used almost exclusively now in the second and fourth quarters, and isn’t subbing in for center Mehmet Okur like at times previously. Sloan said the forward from Russia no longer is on restricted minutes, and the coach believes he’s fully healthy.
Larry Hughes was bummed out on Cavs
The New York Post (Marc Berman) reports: A Cavaliers source admitted Larry Hughes played in a depression-like state his last 2 ½ seasons in Cleveland. His stay was a disappointment, considering the Cavs signed him to a five-year, $70 million deal to be James’ running mate. “Just watching him play in Chicago early this season, you could see the difference, he looked like he was having fun,” the Cavs’ source said. But it didn’t work in Chicago either, as Hughes fell out of favor with new coach Vinny Del Negro and didn’t play the last five weeks before the Feb. 19 trade to the Knicks.
Renaldo Balkman helps the Nuggets
The Denver Post (Chris Dempsey) reports (via blog): The tattooed words on Renaldo Balkman’s calves say everything the man is about, and, incidentally pretty much do all of the talking for the Nuggets soft-spoken forward. “Hustle,” on his left calf. “Harder,” on his right. No one on the team hustles quite like Balkman. It is equal parts inspiring and breathtaking, and it is necessary for a team that many times lacks the all-out effort needed to carry it through tough games. Yet, Balkman is a spot player. Yes, he’s received more time lately – a 24.7 average in the Nuggets’ last three games. But consider the circumstances. He remains mainly an injury-replacement player, so this latest stretch of more court time can’t be construed as anything other than that. He’s played, and started some, when Kenyon Martin has been out. Evidence that the Nuggets are actually fitting him into the lineup will come when the team is completely healthy and intact and he’s still playing.
Jay Triano, Raptors struggling
The Toronto Star (Dave Feschuk) reports: Toronto Raptors coach Jay Triano, think about it, has to make daily attempts at explaining a dud of a campaign without trashing the wafer-thin roster that has been assembled by Bryan Colangelo, the resident president and general manager. Repeatedly suggesting that a lack of talent is at the heart of these past couple of years of woe, after all, is one of the key reasons a truth teller named Sam Mitchell got a paid vacation after 17 games. Unlike Mitchell, Triano doesn’t have a multi-million-dollar golden handshake awaiting him if he loses his gig. He has to remain in Colangelo’s favour if there is any chance of him retaining the job come autumn (and there is, make no mistake, a good chance that he will).
Al Harrington on MTV Cribs
New York Knicks forward Al Harrington and his house were recently featured on a new episode of MTV Cribs.
The 6,800 square foot house in Las Vegas, Nevada has five bedrooms and 6 bathrooms.
Harrington introduced himself at the door alongside his fiance, Michelle.
It was a true Cribs type of house: extremely large, insanely perfect, and absurdly beautiful, with perfect furnishing, an amazing pool, truly a dream home.
Harrington also introduced his personal chef, Jay Gross.
Al went out of his way to plug Protege basketball. He was wearing a Protege t-shirt. And when he opened his fridge to show what food and drinks were stored in there, his Protege basketball sneaker, the A3H, was sitting inside, in front of the food. Al, of course, kidded around, pretending to be surprised it was there, and then declared that “it’s so hot, I got to leave it in the Fridge.”
Elsewhere in the house, Harrington’s cousin, NBA player Dahntay Jones, was in a red-walled video game room.
The majority of the crib appears to have yellow, beige and off-white walls.
Amazing place. It looks exactly like a much smaller version of the InsideHoops.com guest house.
As is a Cribs tradition, Harrington also showed his cars: His everyday car, a white 2008 S5-50 Mercedes with tinted windows. And a blue 2009 Rolls Royce that he just got last week.
Rough life, but someone has to live it.
Greg Oden bummed out
The Oregonian (Jason Quick) reports (via blog): In Greg Oden’s world, everything, and everyone, is seemingly against him. “It’s like, dang, can I ever do anything right?” Oden says. His body has been besieged by injuries during his two seasons in Portland, the most prominent setbacks to his knees. His right knee required microfracture surgery in September 2007, forcing him to miss all of his first season. Now, his left knee is threatening to put an end to this season. On Feb.12, in what seemed like an innocuous collision near the free throw line with Golden State’s Corey Maggette, Oden suffered a chipped left kneecap. Since then, everything has been a mess. The Blazers admit they misplayed the injury, announcing Oden’s status was day-to-day, when in fact, team doctors and trainers knew from the start they were dealing with a potential long-term injury.
No reason to think Ben Gordon will leave Bulls
Chicago Bulls scoring guard Ben Gordon will be a free agent this summer. The team reportedly offered him a reasonable, generous contract that Gordon didn’t want to accept.
But as is the case every off-season, only a small handful of teams will have salary cap space to offer anything more than the mid-level exception. And I see no reason to think that any of the squads that will have money available will offer Gordon a better deal than the Bulls did.
It’s very possible he winds up staying in Chicago.
Here’s the Arlington Heights Daily Herald (Mike McGraw):
Oklahoma City and Memphis are two teams that will have the ability to chase free agents. But as two of the league’s smallest markets, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if both teams decided to sit tight and spend little. Also, Gordon makes no sense for the Grizzlies since they have O.J. Mayo at two guard and the Thunder might have greater need for a point guard, depending on how they see rookie Russell Westbrook fitting in.
One team that figures to be planning a significant makeover is Detroit, which can create about $20 million in cap space by letting Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace walk away as free agents. With Wallace and possibly Antonio McDyess leaving, the Pistons’ top priority is a big man, with Carlos Boozer or Lamar Odom possible targets.
The Bulls see Gordon the same way they always have, as a scorer who still needs to improve other aspects of his game.
Kings and Kenny Thomas want separation
The Sacramento Bee (Ailene Voisin) reports: The demise of Kenny Thomas, in fact, remains one of the hidden mysteries of the declining Kings empire. He is still the Kings’ best rebounder. He is still the Kings’ best post defender. He is still anchored at the end of the bench, except during road trips. Then he just stays home. Team officials recently decided that the brooding veteran was a negative influence on the youngsters and deleted him from the traveling squad. So what exactly did Thomas do to tick off his bosses besides gain 10 to 15 unwanted pounds? “I don’t know,” said Thomas, who was acquired from Philadelphia four years ago in the Chris Webber trade. “I DON’T know. I wish I could tell you. I don’t have any answers. It’s on them (the Kings). I’ve got one year left on my contract. They’ve got to move me. Why would I want to stay here? I played well in Houston, played well for Larry Brown in Philly. I’ve just accepted it. I’ll get on with my career when I get out of here.”
Chris Duhon has fallen off
New York Newsday (Alan Hahn) reports (via blog): Chris Duhon, who used to regularly log 40-to-48 minutes a game for D’Antoni earlier in the season, played just 25:44 and had five points and three assists with three turnovers. He now has 30 turnovers in his past seven games, which is a concerning average of 4.2 per game. The former Dukie is also struggling with his shooting — 22 for 56 (39.2 percent) from the floor over the past seven games — which, along with the turnovers, points to fatigue. And that doesn’t bode well for the Knicks, with seven back-to-backs (including this weekend’s, which ends tonight against the Nets)… Duhon has played with a sore back for most of the entire season. You often see him trying to stretch it before games and it’s impossible not to notice his lack of explosiveness on drives to the basket (as a result, he almost always will look to pass on the pick-and-roll play, which opponents have picked up on).