No All-Star spot annoys Carmelo Anthony

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony was an All-Star starter last season. This year, he’s not even on the team as a reserve.

Averaging 21.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 43.7% shooting (his lowest field goal percentage since 2004-05), Melo has played in just 31 of Denver’s 46 games. His missed action due to injury certainly played a big role in being left out.

Still, the proud player isn’t going to pretend he didn’t want to make it.

The Rocky Mountain News (Chris Tomasson) reports:

“A little bit,” Anthony told the Rocky Mountain News on Friday morning in his first public comments about whether he was disappointed in not being selected Thursday to the NBA Western Conference All-Star team. “But it ain’t nothing I can control. It is what it is. I’m happy for Chauncey (Billups) making it, though.” Billups, a guard, was selected by Western Conference coaches as an All-Star reserve for the Feb. 15 game in Phoenix. But Anthony, after being selected the past two years, was left off after missing 10 games with a broken right hand. “Of course,” Anthony said when asked if he didn’t make the team because of his injury. “I didn’t think I did nothing wrong. My game didn’t do nothing wrong. That’s the only thing that could have (cost Anthony). It is what it is. There’s nothing I can complain about.”

There aren’t any small forwards on the entire West All-Star team.

I think had Melo not missed so many games he’d have been picked ahead of Hornets power forward David West.

Chris Douglas-Roberts reminded of his place

Chris Douglas-Roberts is a rookie guard on the New Jersey Nets. And just because his shoulders look like they were put on backwards doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve respect.

Still, rookies have to know their place. Especially those who will have to keep working hard to prove they belong in the league.

The New York Daily News (Julian Garcia) reports:

Rookie guard Chris Douglas-Roberts was knocked down a peg by assistant coach Doug Overton Thursday. During a drill that only a few players were participating in, Overton screamed, “Shut the — up. You’re a rookie!” Douglas-Roberts then stood with his shirt pulled up over his face while he waited to get back on the court. He looked to be on the verge of tears as he returned to the locker room after practice ended.

That’s tough love, folks.

Teammates call Mo Williams an All-Star

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams is having a great season, but wasn’t named an NBA All-Star reserve.

Shooting 46.7% from the field, Williams is averaging 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who did make the All-Star team, is shooting better than Mo Williams, getting more steals and dishing more assists.

Still, it’s somewhat close. And Mo’s teammates are outraged. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Mary Schmitt Boyer) reports:

“It’s a tragedy,” Ben Wallace said. “I think it’s an injustice. It’s a fraud. We’ve got the best record in the league, and we’ve only got one guy going. You always make it the next year, after the year you were supposed to make it. It’s a travesty and a sham and a mockery. It’s a shamockery.” Said LeBron James: “It just shows the disrespect that basketball in Cleveland continues to get. I haven’t seen the All-Star list yet, so I can’t comment on who’s in it. But it’s definitely disrespectful that we continue to do work every year with nothing to show for it. They always say when you win, individual accolades will take care of itself. But sometimes it doesn’t happen.

I like that. A sham, and a mockery. A shamockery. I’m going to go outside now and start yelling those words at random strangers on the street here in NYC, while waving my arms around wildly. But not tell them what I’m actually outraged about. This has nothing to do with Mo or Jameer. It just sounds fun.

Hoop Dreams Sequel: Hoop Reality

Hoop Reality is the sequel to the groundbreaking, Academy Award nominated 1995 documentary Hoop Dreams.Narrated by “Hoop Dreams” star Arthur Agee, “Hoop Reality” explores what happened during the last decade from where “Hoop Dreams” left off, following the original basketball hero past his dream and into reality, examining where life has carried him over the decade, and taking a look at where he is today, as the torch gets passed to the next dream seeker. Along the way he mentors and inspires the up-and-coming basketball star, Patrick Beverly, who leads his team, the Marshal Commandos, for the first time since the original Hoop Dreams, to the State Finals. Directed by Lee Davis. (As quoted by the production company)

It’s said to be coming in March of 2009.

Here is the Hoop Reality trailor video clip:

Grizzlies sign Darius Miles for rest of season

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward Darius Miles for the remainder of the season, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

The 6-9, 235-pound forward has averaged 5.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.80 blocks in 12.1 minutes in 10 games with the Grizzlies this season.

The seven-year NBA veteran originally signed with the Grizzlies as a free agent on Dec. 13 (and was later waived on Jan. 7) after missing all of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons following microfracture surgery on his right knee.  The 27-year-old signed consecutive 10-day contracts with Memphis on Jan. 10 and on Jan. 20.

Miles signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics on Aug. 22, 2008 and appeared in six preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes before his release on Oct. 20.

The third overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Miles became the first player in league history drafted straight out of high school (East St. Louis High School) to earn All-Rookie honors when he posted 9.4 points and 1.54 blocks for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000-01.

The Bellville, Ill. native holds career averages of 10.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.14 blocks in 27.4 minutes in 422 career games (190 starts) with Memphis, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Steve Nash OK with not making All-Star team

Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash isn’t an NBA All-Star this season. But he’s cool with it. The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: His assist average has been on a steady recovery from the first 13 games, when he averaged 7.6 assists in a slower offense that took the ball out of his hands more. “The truth is I don’t really deserve it,” Nash said of being selected for the All-Star Game. “The team’s in seventh place (in the West). Maybe if we were in fourth or fifth, it’d be a different story. There are others who are more deserving.” Nash passed Terry Porter on Thursday for 11th on the NBA career assists list.

Al Jefferson not picked for All-Star reserves

The 2009 NBA All-Star reserves are official, and a young star big-man likely came close to getting picked, but big old Shaq won out instead. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jerry Zgoda) reports: Western Conference coaches passed over Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson and chose now 15-time All-Star Shaquille O’Neal as the reserve center for next month’s All-Star Game. Jefferson’s averages of 22.7 points and 10.5 rebounds — he’s one of only three NBA players averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game — and the Wolves’ 16-28 record didn’t convince the coaches. They instead chose O’Neal, who at age 36 often doesn’t play in back-to-back games. The Feb. 15 game is in Phoenix, where O’Neal now plays.

Economy slows future Kings arena

The Sacramento Bee (Mary Lynne Vellinga) reports:  The NBA’s urgent effort to get a new arena for the Kings built at Cal Expo has gone into slow motion because of the sputtering real estate economy. “There’s no lending out there right now, so real estate development is absolutely flat,” said NBA point person John Moag. Moag said this week that the NBA and Cal Expo likely will push forward with planning for a mixed-use project at the fairgrounds that would include an arena and a revamped venue for the State Fair. The two parties expect to seek proposals from developers in March, he said.

Ginobili leads Spurs past Suns

The AP reports: “We’re scoring way too many points,” Popovich said jokingly after the Spurs beat the Suns 114-104 on Thursday night. “We shouldn’t be having this much fun.” Manu Ginobili had the most fun. He made 18 free throws, setting a franchise record for foul shots in a game without a miss, and finished with 30 points and nine rebounds. Tony Parker added 26 points, and Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Southwest Division leaders (31-14)… Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Grant Hill had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Steve Nash finished with 16 points and 18 assists, and Shaquille O’Neal and Matt Barnes each scored 13 points. It was the first time in 20 games that O’Neal failed to score at least 15 points.

Magic beat Cavs 99-88

The AP reports: The Orlando Magic are looking more and more like a contender in the Eastern Conference. Dwight Howard had 22 points and 18 rebounds, Hedo Turkoglu added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the Magic took advantage of LeBron James’ shooting struggles to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-88 on Thursday night… Orlando finished 11-of-31 from 3-point range—most of them open shots because Cleveland double- and triple-teamed Howard down low… Mo Williams, trying to prove he belonged in the All-Star game over Nelson, was 4-of-15 shooting and finished with 12 points. Wally Szczerbiak scored 14 points in his first 7 minutes on the floor, but he didn’t get another bucket the rest of the way.