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After hot start, Timberwolves cool off

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune with an update on the Timberwolves:

After a 5-2 start that provided their long-suffering hope for the playoffs and perhaps even a 50-victory season, the Timberwolves now are 8-7 and headed to Indianapolis on Monday to play a Pacers team that shares the NBA’s best record.

They have lost three of their past four games and five of their last seven. They are 6-2 at home but are 2-5 away from Target Center and have lost their last four on the road.

A challenging November schedule in which they will play a franchise-record 18 games by month’s end hasn’t helped. Neither have injuries to key reserves Chase Budinger and Ronny Turiaf that have exposed weaknesses in the team’s depth.

Is it time to worry?

“We’re fine,” Wolves veteran guard Kevin Martin said after Saturday’s 112-101 loss at Houston. “We’re a solid team right now. We’ve got some work to do. It’s a long season. Things will start to work in our favor. Everybody goes through tough stretches. We just have to weather the storm.”

Shawne Williams explains scuffle with DeMarcus Cousins

Here’s the Los Angeles Daily News blog on some positivity involving the Lakers:

In a sign that the Lakers’ team unity goes beyond sharing the ball and accepting roles, forward Shawne Williams believed he made a bold statement when he aggressively confronted Kings center DeMarcus Cousins after he bumped Lakers guard Jordan Farmar to the floor.

“Everybody in this locker room is part of a team,” Williams said following the Lakers’ 100-86 win Sunday over the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center. “We’re family. Anybody who tries to mess with our family or do a dirty play, I’m going to stand up for them on the court.”

Williams believed Cousins tried to do that.

After bumping Farmar to the ground, the Lakers guard appeared agitated by the contact. But Cousins offered to pick him up. Before that happened, Williams intervened and signaled to back away.

Daniel Orton hoping to prove himself on 76ers

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer with a glance at Daniel Orton:

Daniel Orton is ready – ready to do the little things the 76ers need.

Whether it’s setting picks, grabbing rebounds, or defending on the block, the 6-foot-10, 266-pound center said that’s what he’s going to do.

“I’ve pretty much always been a team player,” Orton said. “I just think that’s been my attitude toward everything.”

But the fourth-year NBA veteran also realizes that’s his only way to secure a roster spot with the Sixers (6-8) beyond this season. Orton signed a non-guaranteed deal Oct. 15, a week after being released by his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder.

No Carl Landry for Kings anytime soon

Here’s the Sacramento Bee with a review of the status of forward Carl Landry:

Carl Landry isn’t close to returning to the court for the Kings, but he is able to travel with the Kings as he recovers from surgery for a torn left hip flexor.

Landry underwent surgery Oct. 15 for the injury suffered during training camp in Santa Barbara. He was expected to miss three to four months after the surgery.

Landry is going through his rehab on the road, but is still unable to do anything on the court.

“Just being patient is the toughest part for me,” Landry said. “I’ve got to sit back and watch my teammates go to war and I can’t be involved physically. The main thing is to be patient and remember that it’s a journey, it’s a marathon, and things will be better in due time.”

Kings forward Travis Outlaw fined for foul on J.J. Redick

Sacramento Kings forward Travis Outlaw has been fined $15,000 for making excessive and unnecessary contact with Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Outlaw was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 8:06 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 103-102 loss to the Clippers on Saturday Nov. 23, at Staples Center.

Original Hornets colors of purple and teal to return to Charlotte

The Charlotte Bobcats announced today that the team will utilize purple and teal as its primary colors when it changes its name to the Charlotte Hornets prior to the 2014-15 NBA season. The colors, which were used by the original Charlotte Hornets during their tenure in the city from 1988-2002, will be accented by secondary colors black, cool gray and light blue.

“It was important to us to acknowledge the heritage of the Charlotte Hornets when bringing the name back to the market,” said Bobcats Sports & Entertainment Chairman Michael Jordan. “The purple and teal color scheme was instantly recognizable as being associated with the original Hornets and we felt it was only appropriate to utilize the colors once again with this historic brand.”

As part of the survey process prior to the decision to change the name, Harris Interactive surveyed the Charlotte community, as well as current season ticket holders and team sponsors. In each of the three groups, an overwhelming majority of those surveyed were in favor of using the purple and teal of the original Hornets as the colors of the rebranded team.

The revealing of the colors is the first step in the process of transforming the Bobcats into their new identity as the Hornets. Additional phases include the unveiling of the logo, uniforms, court, mascot and dance team.

Andre Iguodala out indefinitely with strained left hamstring injury

Relatively good news for the Golden State Warriors: Forward Andre Iguodala’s injury is fairly minor.

Iguodala has been diagnosed with a strained left hamstring following an MRI that took place earlier today. He originally suffered the injury in the third quarter of last night’s game against the Lakers at Staples Center.

Iguodala will not play in tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers and is out indefinitely. In 13 games this season, he is averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.92 steals in 37.2 minutes per contest.

Derrick Rose suffers right knee meniscus tear injury, needs surgery, out indefinitely

Bulls guard Derrick Rose sustained an injury to his right knee against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Subsequent examinations and an MRI confirmed a medial meniscus tear to his right knee, which will require surgery. Rose is out indefinitely, and will not accompany the team on the rest of its current road trip.

According to Yahoo Sports, “It is unclear when – or if – Rose will return this season. If Rose decides to reattach the meniscus – usually the route taken by young players – he’ll be expected to miss the rest of the regular season. To clip off the meniscus is a riskier long-term issue, but could have Rose back in one to two months.”

And AFP reports: “He showed flashes of his former MVP form on Friday, but late in the third quarter, when a pass from team-mate Joakim Noah was picked off by Nicolas Batum, Rose stepped awkwardly as he tried to get back on defense and hyper-extended his right knee. After hobbling to the bench he was helped the locker room. “He has pain and it felt like he couldn’t push off his right knee,” Thibodeau said.”

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Marc Gasol injured with MCL sprain in his left knee

The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that center Marc Gasol underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which revealed a MCL sprain in his left knee. He will be out indefinitely and no surgery will be required.

Gasol (7-1, 265), who sustained the injury in the second quarter last night against San Antonio, was evaluated at the Campbell Clinic today by team physician Dr. Fred Azar.

The reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Gasol ranked second on the Grizzlies in scoring, rebounding and assists and led the team in blocks entering the game against the Spurs. The 2012 All-Star and 2012-13 Second Team All-NBA center has missed just four games dating back to the start of the 2010-11 season, playing and starting in 239 of a possible 243 regular season contests.

Kevin Garnett has good things to say about the Timberwolves

The Brooklyn Nets are in Minnesota, where they will play the Timberwolves tonight. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune blog:

Kevin Garnett says good things about Timberwolves

Garnett had nice things to say about the Wolves, calling Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. He called the Wolves “electrifying.’’

“They play with a real fast pace,” Garnett said. “Kevin Love is in an unbelievable groove…. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. And trying to slow any of these guys down is going to be a task for all of us tonight.’’

But Garnett deflected any questions about where he is at in his career. When asked if he has contemplated retirement after this season, he said, “Next question.” A question about whether he could see a scenario in which he finished his career in a Wolves uniform got the same response.

Indeed, Garnett said, he is not thinking much about the past or the future. He’s worried about the present. Namely, trying to get the Nets back on track. “You deal with reality,” he said. “You deal with the current (situation). I don’t think outside of whatever I’m doing at the time. And the focus needs to be (there). ‘’