NBA Teams – Page 2012 – NBA Blog

Brian Scalabrine angry at injury-causing cameraman

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports:

As you can imagine, “The People’s Choice” is more than a little frustrated. But he’s not cursing bad luck. He’s ticked at the person who began this entire mess. The ankle was sprained when he went to make an inbounds pass after a Knicks hoop and stepped on a cameraman whose foot was over the designated line at Madison Square Garden.

“This is the first time I’ve ever sprained my ankle in my entire life,” Scalabrine said. “I watched the film. He was 6 inches over the line, 6 inches that I needed to take the ball out of bounds.

“We’re trained to use the space that we are allowed. I’ve taken the ball out of bounds probably 10,000 times in my life, and as long as you’re behind that line I won’t hit you. But if you’re over that line, we’re trained to use that space. I went back to pivot and go, and as I went back, his foot was right there.”

That really is too bad, and I feel sorry for Scalabrine.

In general, I have always thought that basketball courts are too crowded. There’s very little space between three-point range on the sides and the out-of-bounds line. And near the basket, photographers and camermen are very close to to the players.

I’d be cool with about 3-5 feet being added on all sides, giving the players a bit more breathing room as they come close to the edges of the court.

LeBron James done talking about 2010 free agency

The AP reports:

Frustrated by the repeated questions about his future, LeBron James said Wednesday that he won’t talk about his possible free agency next summer until after this season.

The Cleveland star and reigning NBA MVP said before the Cavaliers’ game against Orlando that all the talk is “getting old.”

“This free agent talk is getting old. It’s getting old and I think I’m going to stop. Tonight will be the last time I answer any more free agent questions until the offseason,” James said.

“I think I owe it to myself, and I owe it to my teammates. It’s just getting old. I’m focusing on this season, and this is going to be a really good season for us. I don’t want anymore distractions for my teammates, for my organization, for my family. This will be the last time I answer a free agent question for the rest of the year.”

The official InsideHoops.com opinion is that it’s most likely LeBron winds up re-signing with the Cavs in 2010. Talk of him going to the Knicks, or maybe the Heat or elsewhere also could be legit. But there’s no reason to think LeBron knows for a fact where he’d go. It makes sense to wait until the time comes and see the roster situation on all these teams before having a sure opinion. He’d probably love to star in New York’s Madison Square Garden, but only if he’ll be surrounded by real ballers, not fill-in guys that drag him down.

Wizards sign Earl Boykins, waive Paul Davis

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Earl Boykins and waived C/F Paul Davis. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released. We’ll post contract details this evening. It’s probably a very short, nonguaranteed deal.

“Earl is a proven veteran point guard who will provide us with leadership and stability off of the bench,” said Grunfeld.

Boykins has career averages of 9.4 points and 3.4 assists (2.8 to 1 assist to turnover ratio) in 520 career games over 10 NBA seasons. Undrafted out of Eastern Michigan, Boykins has also played for New Jersey, Cleveland, Orlando, L.A. Clippers, Golden State, Denver, Milwaukee and Charlotte. His best season as a professional came during the 2006-07 campaign when he averaged 14.6 points and 4.4 assists while shooting .898 (220-245) from the free throw line in 66 contests with Denver and Milwaukee. Boykins played for Virtus Bologna of the Italian A League in 2008-09.

Davis appeared in two games for Washington this season and averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 assists in 4.0 minutes per game.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Boykins is actually shorter than a regulation size NBA basketball. To check into a game he has to stand on top of the scorer’s table so referees even see that he’s there.

Eddy Curry slims down

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reports:

Eddy Curry might never be cut out for Mike D’Antoni’s open-floor style of basketball, but at least the Knick center finally looks like he can get up and down the court without any difficulty.

Looking nothing like the slow, burly player with a history of weight and conditioning problems, a streamlined Curry returned to practice Tuesday and took the first major step toward resurrecting his disappointing career.

From the looks of it, he’s considerably lighter than he was when he left the team with a knee injury on the first day of training camp. So how much weight did he lose while working out with the Knicks’ conditioning guru, Greg Brittenham?

“I didn’t keep track of it,” said Curry, who was believed to be around 320 pounds when he reported to camp and is now listed at 295. “I just know I look different. Everybody says I look different.”

Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports:

After a knee injury limited him to just 12 minutes last season, Curry’s weight ballooned to 365 pounds. He worked out away from the team over the summer, showed up weighing 317 pounds but having already tweaked his calf and hamstring, then tore his right plantaris muscle on his first day back.

Curry was banished from the team last month until he got down to a certain weight. The Knicks won’t say how much he lost, but assistant Greg Brittenham’s regimen clearly worked.

It’s common knowledge that the Knicks want to clear salary cap room, and trading Eddy Curry would greatly fasciliate that. But, even if they can’t deal him, if he’s actually in shape it’s possible he’ll emerge as a real basketball player again.

When at his best a few years ago, Curry wasn’t a great player but was very functional as a rugged inside scorer.

Hasheem Thabeet suffers broken jaw

Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Rookie center Hasheem Thabeet suffered a ridgeline fracture in his mandible — a bone in his lower jaw — when he appeared to collide with Zach Randolph’s head going for a rebound late in the first quarter.

Play was stopped with 57.4 seconds remaining as Thabeet rolled around near the basket in obvious pain.

He will not make the trip to Houston for the team’s game against the Rockets tonight, but his status will be day-to-day after that.

Thabeet is off to a very quiet start in his rookie season, playing just 6.0 minutes per game and averaging 0.6 points and 1.6 rebounds. He’s extremely raw and may not be able to contribute much for most of the season and possibly beyond.

Kings attendance is lacking

Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee reports:

The Kings’ attendance is still lagging. After selling out only one of their first two home games as part of the Sellout 2009 initiative, the Kings had crowds of 11,751 and 10,760 in their following two home games. But Westphal said he’s confident the fans will come out if the team continues to compete as it has recently.

“This town is watching,” he said. “Whether this building is full yet or not, people are paying attention to see what we do. We can’t guarantee any records. We know how tough this league is. But we do have a lot of players with a lot of fight in them, and we’re doing that on purpose.”

The Kings have actually been worth watching lately and are playing better team basketball ever since Kevin Martin went out. That’s not a knock on Martin; he’s a super-scorer and the entire team has stepped up in his absence. They’re also playing better defense without him, though.

Tracy McGrady has target date for return

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports:

A day after he reportedly said he would be playing Nov. 18, Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said he was misunderstood. Rather, he merely hopes to be playing Nov. 18, a week before the Rockets said he could be back at the earliest.

“It’s a target date,” McGrady said on Tuesday. “I didn’t say I was coming back; I said it was a target date just like we have a date to have the MRI on the 23rd. Everybody is blowing it out of proportion like I’m guaranteed to come back. I want to play, so that’s what we’re targeting. I’ve been working out every day, improving every day, and that’s what it is.

“It’s not a guarantee that I’m coming back. It’s a target date.”

He also said, however, that he would not rush his return and indicated that he does not expect to play until the week of his scheduled MRI, Nov. 23.

I say T-Mac has no reason to rush back until he’s as close to fully healthy as possible. Coach Rick Adelman is doing a terrific job with the current rotation of players and for now, at least, they’re playing like a squad that will qualify for the playoffs.

Of course, things change in a hurry, but McGrady’s main goal should be returning and staying healthy for a long time.

J.R. Smith almost became Earl Smith

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports:

Nuggets guard J.R. Smith has made a decision — from now on, he wants to be called by his given name, Earl.

His given name is Earl Smith III, but he got “J.R.” because people would call him “junior,” even though, yeah, he’s actually a third-generation Earl.

Regardless, the Denver sharpshooter is now Earl Smith III — which should lead to some cutesy puns about “III” and “3-pointers.”

“I just felt like changing it,” Smith said Tuesday morning at the Nuggets shootaround, in preparation for tonight’s Nuggets-Bulls game, Smith’s first game back from a seven-game suspension. “It’s been a long time, and J.R. has no significance to my name. My name is Earl, so I figured – why not?”

Smith doesn’t exactly give a compelling reason for the change. Usually when someone makes a big decision, like altering the first name millions of people know you by, there’s more behind it than “just feeling like it.” But of course, it’s J.R.’s decision.

I wonder how long it’ll take fans to break the habit and call him Earl.

I remember when another J.R. — last name Rider — became “Isaiah” Rider. For years later, everyone still wanted to call him J.R. To me, he’s still J.R. Rider.

Anyway, welcome to the NBA, Earl Smith III!

NOVEMBER 11 UPDATE: NO NAME CHANGE

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports: Nuggets guard J.R. Smith made a big proclamation Tuesday morning — from now on, he wanted to be called by his given name, Earl. But by game time Tuesday night, he was back to being J.R. “There was too much controversy with the switch,” Smith said after Denver’s 90-89 win in Chicago. “I got a lot of calls and text messages and e-mails. It wasn’t a good move.”

Josh Childress has swine flu in Greece

The AFP reports: Greek basketball club Olympiakos announced on Tuesday that their former NBA star Josh Childress has come down with the H1N1 flu and will be out of action for more than a week. “Our player Josh Childress has been diagnosed with the H1N1 flu. He is currently being treated and doctors are completely satisfied with his condition,” an announcement by Olympiakos said.

According to Euroleague.net, “Olympiacos announced Wednesday that star forward Josh Childress would miss Thursday’s game against Efes Pilsen after being diagnosed with the H1NI virus. He is the third player on the Reds to come down with the virus. Both Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Kostas Papanikolaou missed the team’s Euroleague season opener with H1NI.”

InsideHoops.com adds: The NBA recently had its first (publically confirmed) player with swine flu, guard/forward Chris Douglas-Roberts of the New Jersey Nets.

Basketball Hall of Famer Al Cervi dies

The AP reports:

Al Cervi, a pro basketball star who coached the Syracuse Nationals to the 1955 NBA championship, has died in upstate New York at age 92.

The 5-foot-11-inch Cervi was one of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s. Nicknamed “Digger,” he was the 1947 National Basketball League scoring champion and MVP as a guard for the Rochester Royals.