'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 38

nasty daddy · Post #1061 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:09 am

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/ind ... =katz_andy

Damion James, Texas: James remains on the bubble as to whether he will stay in the draft. He's considered a borderline first-round pick. He said if he can't get a guarantee in the first round, he'll "probably go back to school."

"We can have a great team with Avery Bradley coming in, Dexter Pittman, Justin Mason, Jai Lucas as a transfer and everyone else," James said. "We can have a great team next year." But in the same breath, James said he is ready for the NBA because "I think I can take my game to another level."

nasty daddy · Post #1062 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:09 am

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/ind ... =katz_andy

Tyler Smith, Tennessee: Smith said he is experiencing a dream come true at the NBA draft combine. But he's still on the fence about his decision. He said if he returns to Tennessee, "with everybody coming back but two players, and a great coaching staff, we have a chance to be really good next season."

nasty daddy · Post #1063 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:09 am

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/ind ... =katz_andy

Austin Daye, Gonzaga: The sophomore forward went to Phoenix for a workout Sunday and said he felt like he showed his skills and was tough during the workout. He said he went against Wake Forest's James Johnson, who probably is twice as thick as the slender Daye. Daye said he is continuing to get feedback and isn't close to making a decision on whether he will stay in the draft.

nasty daddy · Post #1064 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:10 am

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/ind ... =katz_andy

• USC finally got good news from the NCAA when the school announced that Marcus Johnson earned a fifth-year of eligibility. Johnson, who transferred from Connecticut, played in 16 games for the Trojans last season, beginning after the first semester. He averaged 12.3 minutes a game, starting once, and USC was 13-4 in games he played in. He missed seven games with an injured shoulder and the Trojans were 1-6 in that span.

Johnson will be a senior next season -- again -- but the waiver said he has to miss the first two games of the 2009-10 season. Johnson played in only one exhibition game in the 2007-08 season at UConn before transferring. The Trojans have already lost freshman DeMar DeRozan and juniors Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson to the NBA draft (although Gibson technically hasn't said he's staying in yet). USC is also dealing with a swirling NCAA controversy as to whether coach Tim Floyd paid a handler of former player O.J. Mayo $1,000, which was reported by Yahoo! Sports.

nasty daddy · Post #1065 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:13 am

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=4381

Steve Blake has right shoulder surgery
Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake underwent successful arthroscopic shoulder surgery, the Portland Trail Blazers announced today. His recovery time is expected to be 6-8 weeks.

Blake separated his right shoulder trying to fight through a screen in the second quarter of Portland’s game at Philadelphia on January 14, sidelining the guard for five games. He returned to action on January 26 at the Los Angeles Clippers and re-aggravated the injury in the second quarter, forcing him to miss an additional eight games.

Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache performed the surgery at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

nasty daddy · Post #1066 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:15 am

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=4380

Mark Cuban suing the SEC
The Dallas Morning News (Brendan W. Case) reports: Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Mark Cuban. Now Mark Cuban is suing the SEC. The billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks is seeking a court order to make the nation’s securities cop turn over documents related to its insider-trading investigation of him. Cuban filed a request for the records in December under the Freedom of Information Act.

nasty daddy · Post #1067 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:18 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12795

Webster's Foot and Pritchard's Phone: Trail Blazer swingman Martell Webster told a Portland radio station that he will not be participating in this year's NBA Summer League but did say he was working out regularly on his injured foot and things were "looking good."

Webster played in only one game this season due to his injury and his health is vitally important to Portland's offseason.

G.M. Kevin Pritchard needs to know if he can count on Webster this season as he is rumored to be interested in dealing. According to John Canzano of The Oregonian, Pritchard seemed deep in trade talk while on his cell phone when the two bumped into each other recently. Many are speculating that Travis Outlaw might be trade fodder, but before any move can be made, Webster's status might need to be solidified.

nasty daddy · Post #1068 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:21 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_19142

DeMar DeRozan Declines Workouts
DeMar DeRozan will not be conducting any competitive workouts, his agent Aaron Goodwin tells us. The rumor mill indicated that he was only interested in going up against James Harden, except for in Toronto, where he was slated to face off with Gerald Henderson. Goodwin says that is not the case.

“DeRozan is not working out with anyone. He isn’t going up against Gerald Henderson or anyone else at this point. He may not even go to Toronto. He won’t fall to 9.”

It will be very interesting to see how things play out, particularly if players such as Jrue Holiday and Jonny Flynn continue to move up the board. On face value, teams like Washington, Minnesota, Golden State and New York don’t have an immediate positional need for a player like DeRozan, but his upside could clearly sway the tide in his favor.

nasty daddy · Post #1069 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:22 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_19142

Larry Brown Trading Up for Stephen Curry?
Larry Brown is reportedly extremely high on Stephen Curry, and may be willing to trade up in order to get him. Apparently he views him as being able to play either guard position, even alongside Charlotte’s current group of point guards, Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin.

Curry is getting love from teams as high up as Washington and also has a chance to be drafted 6th (Minnesota) or 7th (Golden State). While the Knicks clearly like him, he isn’t the only player they will consider—the other top candidates on their board currently appear to be Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday.

nasty daddy · Post #1070 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:24 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_19142

DaJuan Blair's Height Could be a Problem
It's hardly a secret Pittsburgh power forward DeJuan Blair is on the Bucks' radar for their first pick.

But some NBA officials are concerned about Blair's lack of height. Those concerns weren't dispelled at the pre-draft camp.

Blair said he was measured at 6-6 1/2 in shoes. On the plus side, Blair's wing span is an impossing 7-2.

nasty daddy · Post #1071 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:25 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_19142

Blake's Surgery Successful
Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake underwent successful arthroscopic shoulder surgery, the Portland Trail Blazers announced today. His recovery time is expected to be 6-8 weeks.

Blake separated his right shoulder trying to fight through a screen in the second quarter of Portland's game at Philadelphia on January 14, sidelining the guard for five games. He returned to action on January 6th at the Los Angeles Clippers and re-aggravated the injury in the second quarter, forcing him to miss an additional eight games.

Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache performed the surgery at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

nasty daddy · Post #1072 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:33 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=18959

AP Source: 76ers offer coaching job to Jordan
The Philadelphia 76ers have an agreement in principle with Eddie Jordan to become their next head coach.

A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that Jordan was offered the job on Friday and has an agreement to coach the team. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because an announcement has not been made. The person said the Sixers have scheduled a news conference for Monday.

Jordan, fired by the Washington Wizards in November, interviewed twice with Sixers president Ed Stefanski.

nasty daddy · Post #1073 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:43 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12797

Potential Draftees Impossible Not to Like
After meeting with 50 of the top draft prospects in the world yesterday in Chicago, I can tell you that despite an obvious lack of real All-Star caliber talent, this is a group with some very likeable guys who are likely to interview well.

DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh is one such guy, and despite reports that his 6'6" frame could hinder his draft status, it's impossible not to find this young man incredibly charming. During his group interview with media on Thursday he had reporters around him laughing out loud with charming responses to blasé questions. A couple of the beat guys from a prominent lottery market told him out right, "We really hope we're able to work with you more in the future." You wanted to hug him when he was done. He was like a little Elton Brand, right down to the charming smile. Ohio State's B.J. Mullens is another guy teams are likely to fall in love with. His is a pretty incredible story, but he's such a professional, humble fellow that it's hard not to fall in love him. He talked about growing up down the street from Michael Redd's family (Mullens's older brother played high school ball with the Milwaukee guard) and how they're still close to this day. Just a sweet kid who, eventually, is likely to drop "B.J." and start going by his birth name, Byron.

Austin Daye and Gani Lawal were two more guys with loads of charisma. Probably two of the more intelligent young men in the Combine, both Daye and Lawal talked on and on about basketball, life as a potential draftee, and anything else you'd potential talk about with a regular ol' guy down the street. The bottom line is that even if these guys end up as no more than solid role players in their career, many of them are going to be great in a locker room and well-liked by their teammates. These four are just examples of some of the great characters in this class. There are more—there are certainly many, many more—that are going to make this group of kids very fun to watch grow.

nasty daddy · Post #1074 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:44 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12798

NBA Draft: The Bubble Guys
When you're a top five pick, like Blake Griffin or Hasheem Thabeet, this time leading up to the draft isn't very suspenseful. Their spot in the lottery is locked down and all they have to do in the next four weeks is just confirm what scouts and GMs believe. For others, like Joe Ingles, Gani Lawal, Jermaine Taylor, and DaJuan Summers, the short-term of their basketball careers hang in the balance of what they accomplish leading up to June 25th. At the pre-draft combine in Chicago we got a chance to sit down with some of these guys firmly on the 1st round bubble and found out where their mindset is at and how they feel about the process up to this point.

nasty daddy · Post #1075 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:48 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12798

Joe Ingles – Small Forward – Australia – 6'8", 194 lbs.
By the time the NBA draft has come to an end there may not be any player more exhausted than Joe Ingles. Ingles, a relative unknown up to this point from Australia, is making his rounds to just about each and every team in the league as he tries to make up for the lack of exposure he's gotten over the past few years. "It's been long," said Ingles. "I've been here for about two months based in Chicago. It's been pretty busy. I've had seven workouts so far and now this. I'll go to the group workout in Golden State straight from here. Come back here for a day then go to Treviso in Italy and then another bunch of team workouts. It's been busy and good. We've had a year to do all I could. I came over last year and decided to declare but did the Olympics instead, which was a great experience. It's been a long time waiting, a lot of teams have wanted to see me so that's why I've had so many workouts. I knew I had to be in shape and that's why I came over so early."

The Beijing Olympics were really the only time that those of us who aren't scouts got a chance to see Ingles play. However, he feels he's a combination of two prominent NBA players, which helps gives us a better idea of who he is on the court. "I'm similar to Tayshuan Prince and Manu Ginobili, if you can kind of mold them into one player," stated Ingles. "With Ginobili his penetration, he can get to the line, finish, hand it to a big, or kick it out for a shot. Tayshaun he's a long body like me, he's 6'8, not the biggest or bulkiest guy you've seen. He's long defensively though and can guard 1-3 or probably 1-4. Offensively he can get the rebound and take it up the floor. So if you can kinda mold those two together, I'm somewhere around there."

Ingles has a lot to prove to these teams who have seen him on such a limited bases, but he's got four weeks to familiarize them enough with his game to make an investment in him come June 25th. "I think my passing is probably the best attribute I've got and versatility," revealed Ingles. "I can play the 1-3. I think the process has been good, that's why I'm doing so many workouts so teams can see what I can do. Find out who I am, from all the little things to the big things."

nasty daddy · Post #1076 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:52 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12798

DaJuan Summers – Junior – Combo Forward – Georgetown – 6'8", 240 lbs.
After a season to forget DaJuan Summers quickly hired an agent, deciding he had gotten all he could have out of the college game. Many questioned the decision because of Summers' room to improve and lack of a true position, but he isn't paying any mind to the negative perceptions about him. "It's tough to say cause everyone has their knocks," said Summers. "I watch the playoffs right now, people have knocks on Lebron and Kobe. It's all relative. It's all about how you approach the game and what you listen to. When I look at it I always feel like I need to get better at everything. I always feel like even if I shoot well I need to shoot better. I shot 38% from 3 this year, I want to get to 40-42%. I want to handle the ball better, improve my IQ, and overall game. If you love the game you want to get better at everything."

The Chicago Bulls were brought up a couple of times in association with Summers, but because of their position in the draft and their talented group of forwards he doesn't see much of a need for himself there. There are several other teams though where he would fit just fine. "I think Detroit needs a forward," Summer said. "A young guy who can come in and score, play multiple positions, and defend them. The Bobcats as well, Cleveland later in the first round, and also L.A. They have Odom, but another guy like Ariza could help too."

As confident as Summers and the rest of the players are that they're going to be selected in the first round, in the end only 30 guys are selected there despite many others feeling like their worthy. Being selected in the 2nd round or even going undrafted does not mean that no chance remains to be a very successful NBA player. It's not about how you start it's about how you finish, and all of these guys have a long way to go before the end. These next four weeks and draft night are only the beginning.

nasty daddy · Post #1077 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:56 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?chat ... s=Inactive

Mike in Detroit, Michigan: What is the Pistons most likely move this off season ?

Anthony Macri: Dump AI, Sheed, and start to change the culture with guys that will commit for the long haul.

nasty daddy · Post #1078 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:59 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?chat ... s=Inactive

John in Philippines: Do you think Dice is regretting his decision to not play for Denver? Also, will the Nuggets make significant moves this offseason (aside from signing their own free agents)?

Travis Heath: Privately, I would guess McDyess probably is regretting his decision a bit. He would be just the kind of veteran big off the bench the Nuggets could use to complement Birdman. Funny you should ask about what the Nuggets will look to do in the offseason because it involves picking up a veteran big man. I've been told by people in the organization that the goal this offseason is to construct a team that they feel matches up with the Lakers. Not to say Denver couldn't come back and win the series this season, but the Nuggets feel they need another big with some length who can defend. The man they almost got before the trade deadline is Jeff Foster of the Indiana Pacers. This is the type of player they'll be looking for, and I would expect the Nuggets to give the Pacers a call again this summer and start up that dialogue again. The Nuggets may very well have acquired Foster had the Tyson Chandler to the Thunder deal not been rescinded. When that happened, the Pacers thought they might have a shot a Chandler and shifted their focus away from a possible deal with the Nuggets. I expect the Nugs to revisit those conversations this summer as they believe a guy like Foster could match-up well with a Pau Gasol.

nasty daddy · Post #1079 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 2:01 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?chat ... s=Inactive

travis in : hey how are you doin? wanna ask if B.J mullens have an allstar potential someday? which team needs him the most in this years draft. tnx!

Travis Heath: Way too early to say. We always hear stories this time of year about potential, especially when it comes to bigs. More often than not, these players never reach that potential. In a perfect world, I think Mullen could develop into a nice NBA contributor, but I don't see him becoming an All-Star. That said, if he plays even decent basketball I think he'll make a nice career for himself. Look at the kind of money guys like Kwame Brown, Chris Kaman and Andrew Bogut have gotten over the years. None of them are dominant players, but they are tall. Bigs are hard to find. So I don't think Mullens will be a stiff, but I also don't see him becoming anywhere close to a dominant player in the league.

nasty daddy · Post #1080 » by **nasty daddy** » Sat May 30, 2009 2:10 am

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4216449

Sources: Jordan to coach Sixers
Eddie Jordan has been hired as the new coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com on Friday night that the Sixers have reached an agreement with Jordan, who along with Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Dwane Casey were the only candidates to be interviewed twice.

Jordan is 230-288 in coaching stints with the Wizards and the Sacramento Kings.