Category: General NBA insight

The New York Knicks say new X-rays of Rasheed Wallace’s left foot show a broken bone, and he is expected to miss another eight weeks.

The forward will have surgery this week, a damaging blow for a team that has missed his play off the bench.

The 38-year-old Wallace came out of a two-year retirement to join the Knicks this season and averaged 7.2 points while appearing in 20 of the first 22 games, helping the Knicks get off to a 17-5 start.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Taj Gibson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a sprained left knee, forcing the Chicago Bulls to play without one of their key reserves at a pivotal point in the season.

Gibson stepped on the foot of Oklahoma City guard Reggie Jackson in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 102-72 loss to the Thunder and knew something wasn’t right almost immediately.

”The first thing I did was grab my knee,” he said. ”I was in shock because I felt great. I went up for a regular shot block and I came down and it just gave way.”

Gibson had an MRI and was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament. He said doctors are planning to take another look to make sure there are no small tears.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Heat forward Shane Battier was held out of Miami’s game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night because of tightness in his right hamstring.

It’s the seventh game Battier has missed this season. He missed three games in late November and early December with knee soreness, and then sat out three more games in January with hamstring tightness.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team wants ”to be proactive” when it comes to Battier.

— Reported by the Associated Press

The Denver Nuggets will be without leading scorer Danilo Gallinari against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night as the forward sits out with a bruised left thigh.

Gallinari only played sparingly in a win over Charlotte on Saturday. He’s averaging 16.9 points this season.

Nuggets coach George Karl was fully expecting Gallinari to be in the starting lineup, saying before the game, ”I think he’s good. I didn’t even check today. He told me this morning it was fine.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will not be suspended for his brief altercation with Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes on Sunday night, ESPNNewYork.com reported.

Anthony hit Hawes in the back of the head while the two were battling for position for a rebound.

Hawes angrily confronted Anthony after being hit, but Hawes was pushed away by Knicks center Tyson Chandler.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

The Sacramento Kings today acquired forward Patrick Patterson, center Cole Aldrich, guard Toney Douglas and cash considerations from the Houston Rockets in exchange for forwards Francisco Garcia, Thomas Robinson and Tyler Honeycutt, according to Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

“We are excited about the addition of Patrick, Toney and Cole,” said Petrie. “They will add skill and depth along with the potential for a different look to our roster. We all want to thank Francisco, Thomas and Tyler for their efforts and contributions.”

In Patterson, the Kings receive the 14 th overall selection of the 2010 NBA Draft (Kentucky) who averaged 11.6 points (.519 FGs, .365 3FGs, .755 FTs), 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game in 47 outings with the Rockets this season (started 38). The 6-9, 235-pound forward has posted career numbers of 8.4 points (.495 FGs, .347 3FGs, .723 FTs), 4.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game in 163 contests with Houston (started 45).

Aldrich is a 6-11, 240-pound center selected by Oklahoma City with the 11th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft (Kansas) and is averaging 1.7 points (.530 FGs, .704 FTs) and 1.9 rebounds in 74 career games with both the Thunder and Rockets.

Douglas is a third-year pro who tallied 8.1 points (.395 FGs, .377 3FGs, .882 FTs), 1.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals in 49 games with the Rockets this season. The 6-2, 185-pound guard was drafted by the New York Knicks out of Florida State and has notched career averages of 8.8 points (.406 FGs, .357 3FGs, .825 FTs), 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 224 career contests.

Garcia, whose years with the Kings (8th season) made him the longest-tenured player on the roster, was selected by the Sacramento as an early entry candidate out of Louisville with the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and is averaging 5.2 points (.376 FGs, .367 3FGs, .857 FTs), 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 17.8 minutes per game in 40 contests (started 15) this season. He has amassed career averages of 8.3 points (.433 FGs, .360 3FGs, .809 FTs), 2.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 22.2 minutes per game in 460 outings (started 128).

Robinson is averaging 4.8 points (.424 FGs, .577 FTs), 4.7 rebounds and 15.9 minutes per game in 51 contests as a rookie this season. He has scored in double-figures in seven games and grabbed 10 or more rebounds on five occasions. Robinson was selected by the Kings as an undergraduate (junior) out of Kansas with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Honeycutt, currently in his second NBA season, is averaging 0.9 points (.273 FGs, 0-2 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), 1.1 rebounds and 3.6 minutes per game in nine contests off the bench for Sacramento. He has recorded career averages of 1.2 points (.314 FGs, .200 3FGs, .714 FTs), 1.0 rebounds and 5.0 minutes per game in 24 outings. Honeycutt was selected by the Kings as a sophomore out of UCLA with the 35th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Jerry Buss had been a chemist and a mathematician long before he bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. The self-made millionaire with a head for business and an impresario’s heart assailed the NBA with every skill he acquired along the way.

With his personal alchemy and charisma, he blended two generations of marquee basketball stars and big-name coaches into 10 championship teams. His financial wizardry allowed him to pay top dollar to get the best players and keep them together without a huge personal fortune.

Buss built a glittering life for himself and the Lakers, playing a huge role in the NBA’s move from a second-tier pro sport into can’t-miss Hollywood entertainment while polishing his oddly nicknamed franchise into a glamorous global brand.

Magic, Kareem and Big Game James. Kobe, Shaq and Pau.

They were the stars, but Buss created Showtime.

The applause still hasn’t died down.

Buss, who shepherded the Lakers from their 1980s dynasty through the current Kobe Bryant era while becoming one of the most important and successful owners in pro sports, died Monday. He was 80.

”Jerry Buss was more than just an owner. He was one of the great innovators that any sport has ever encountered,” said Pat Riley, who coached four of Buss’ 10 title teams. ”He was a true visionary, and it was obvious with the Lakers in the ’80s that ‘Showtime’ was more than just Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was really the vision of a man who saw something that connected with a community.”

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum, who has yet to play this season because of bone bruises to both knees, might have his possible return pushed back.

However, in a bit of semantic obfuscation, he insisted it wasn’t a setback.

Before the 76ers lost 107-90 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Bynum said he experienced a lot of pain in his left knee after working out two consecutive days on the court. He said he is uncertain when he will be able to return, after saying last week that he hoped to be back by the end of the month.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Already without Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger, the Boston Celtics suffered what could be another serious injury when guard Leandro Barbosa sustained a knee injury in Monday’s game against Charlotte.

The extent of the injury will not be known until an MRI is performed on Tuesday, but it did not look good.

Barbosa had to be helped off the floor by a teammate and a trainer.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Danny Granger’s impending return has the Indiana Pacers thinking hard about how to work him back into the rotation.

He could jump right into the starting lineup and play limited minutes or he could come off the bench for a few games to get back in rhythm. He could come back as soon as Wednesday or he could wait until after the All-Star break. Whatever the decision is, the Pacers believe teaming one All-Star forward with another during the second half of the season will make them a better team come playoff time.

”Our best lineup last year was when Paul (George) and Danny were wings together,” coach Frank Vogel said before Monday night’s game against Brooklyn. ”There’s merit to having either one of those guys coming off the bench, but putting their length and wing span together makes us better.”

Even without Granger, the Pacers have been pretty darn good.

— Reported by Michael Marot of the Associated Press