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Nuggets rookie Sonny Weems didn't practice Tuesday because of a sports hernia injury.
"I think he's supposed to start running and shooting in the next couple days," Karl said. "Then it's a process."
Karl estimates it will take two weeks for Weems, an Arkansas product, to fully return to practice.
Forward Michael Beasley (groin) was prohibited from contact but expects to return to practice today, while forward Udonis Haslem (toe) said he expects to practice later this week.
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Kevin Love said he already has interviewed three or four chefs to prepare his meals. He prepared for the NBA draft in June by losing 15 pounds by extensive exercise and changing his diet to include custom-made, packaged meals and appears to have gained some of that back over the summer. NBA scouts questioned his weight during his only season at UCLA. 'I've got to keep it healthy: gluten-free, low-fat,' Love said. 'I need to make sure my body is getting the right things, but it has to taste good. I can't be eating cardboard every day.' But isn't a professional chef expensive, even for a fellow who will make $3.3 million this season? 'I'm only 20 years old, but I'm learning what you can write off on your taxes,' Love said. 'I only went to UCLA for three-fourths of a year, but I did learn a couple of things.'"
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News: "If he can play and still has that deadly stroke, then how come he didn't try to hook up with a contender? Karl Malone did that late in his career with the Lakers. When Reggie Miller thought about making a comeback last season, he considered the Celtics. Who wants to come back to this? 'I thought about going to a team like that, but this is much bigger than trying to go and satisfy my desire to win a title,' Allan Houston said. 'This is about...I am a Knick. This is about trying to do whatever I can to help the Knicks improve and lend whatever experience I have. This is not about me saying, 'I've got to go win my ring. ... You know, when I was younger, I had people like John Starks and Patrick (Ewing) and Oak (Charles Oakley), and they taught me what it means to work and what it takes to win,' he said. 'This is about me passing on whatever I've learned to the guys. So I figured, if I'm going to do this, why not do it here, where I have my legacy?'"
Injured swingman Mike Dunleavy spent his watching from the sideline as his teammates sprinted and worked on about "75 percent" of their defensive schemes.
Dunleavy, the Pacers' second-leading scorer last season, developed tendinitis in his right knee after playing pick-up games this summer in California. He isn't sure when he will make his camp debut.
"It started getting worse and worse and it never went away," he said. "I haven't been able to get it calmed down."
Standout Santa Clara center John Bryant was recovering Monday from stab wounds to the back stemming from an off-campus incident early Saturday, Santa Clara Police said. "Yes, John Bryant was a victim of assault," Santa Clara Police Sgt. Kurt Clarke said in a phone interview. "We don't know specifically what transpired. It's still under investigation. We are interviewing victims and witnesses."
Bryant, who led the West Coast Conference in rebounds and blocked shots last season and was second in scoring, was moving around on his own Monday and expected to be playing again soon, the school said. Bryant, who will be evaluated in the coming days, will begin his senior season for the Broncos when practice starts next month. Bryant was briefly hospitalized and Santa Clara coach Kerry Keating and members of his staff visited Bryant within 30 minutes of his admission, the school said. "He's up walking around and doing fine and is expected to be back on the basketball court soon," spokeswoman Michelle Schmitt said Monday. "Kerry said John is going to class Tuesday. He doesn't have classes Monday. He needs to see the trainer before getting back on the court."
Bryant started 30 of 31 games last season as a junior, leading Santa Clara with averages of 18.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Bryant, who grew up in nearby San Pablo, worked hard this offseason to get in better shape, trimming his 6-foot-11 frame to 275 pounds. "He is expected to make a full recovery," Santa Clara athletic director Dan Coonan said in a statement. "Due to the ongoing investigation by the Santa Clara Police Department, the Santa Clara Athletics Department will have no further comment at this time."
Linas Kleiza can sign an extension by Oct. 31 that would begin in 2009-10. If he doesn't sign then, he becomes a restricted free agent next summer, but Denver could match any offer.
"We love Linas, and hope he's a Nugget for a long time," said team executive Rex Chapman, who called it "still too early" to say if there will be an October signing.
The feeling is mutual."I love Denver," Kleiza said. "I hope we work something out and I'm here for a long time. ... I'm going to continue to get better and take my game to a different level."
The Chicago Bulls today announced that guard Ben Gordon agreed to accept the one-year qualifying offer that had been tendered to him by the team.
Gordon will thus be under contract with the Bulls until the end of the 2008.09 season, at which time he will become an unrestricted free-agent.
The 6-3, 200-pound Gordon has appeared in 316 games, including 128 starting assignments, in four seasons with the Bulls. During that time, he has averaged 18.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 2.9 apg, while shooting .432 from the field and .416 from three-point range. Last season in 72 games, he led the team in scoring for the third consecutive season, posting 18.6 ppg and shot a career-high .908 percent (third in NBA) from the free throw line. Gordon was selected by the Bulls in the first round (third overall) in the 2004 NBA Draft.
Amir Johnson laughs off the idea that he’s not ready to join the Pistons’ starting unit. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “It’s just the same to me. I’m going to play a lot more, but I’ve been playing in the summer league and all that, so I think I’ll be fine.” If there’s one major personnel issue to be resolved at Pistons training camp, it’s the starting job that new head coach Michael Curry has opened up. Johnson, Kwame Brown and Jason Maxiell will compete for a frontcourt spot while Antonio McDyess returns to his former role as the first ‘big’ off the bench. As training camp began Tuesday, Johnson came in as the lukewarm favorite to claim that spot.“They told me I’ve got a good chance of starting,” he said. “They just said, ‘Be ready.’ ”The 6-foot-9 Johnson has always intrigued the Pistons with his potential since he was drafted straight from high school in 2005. After appearing in 62 games last year, Johnson believes he can give the veteran group of Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups a jolt with his athletic skills, quickness, rebounding and shot-blocking. Johnson has to prove he can avoid picking up quick fouls. He averaged one every 5.4 minutes last season. That’s a poor ratio, even for a frontcourt player guarding the lane. Wallace, one of the league’s biggest complainers about fouls, was whistled for one every 11 minutes. “I’m going to watch my fouls, but I’m still going to stay aggressive and just go after the ball,” Johnson said. “That’s one thing I do need to work on, watching my fouls.”
Maxiell, the team’s sixth man last season, isn’t ready to concede that he’s better off in a reserve role. Curry feels that Maxiell’s full-throttle style works better in spurts, but the 6-7 Maxiell believes he can be just as effective from the opening tip. “That’s something I would love to do,” he said. “I know coming into training camp I’ve got to practice hard every time to get that starting position. I understand (Curry’s position), but you also want that boost coming out of the gate, so starting might be a positive thing or a negative thing.” Brown’s candidacy for the job is enhanced by his 6-11, 270-pound stature, which would allow Wallace to play his natural power forward position. Brown has the clear edge in experience, starting 186 games in seven seasons with Washington, the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis. “I can bring a presence down low defensively,” he said. What else can he do for that unit? Brown says that remains to be seen. “I’m going to have to go out and prove that,” he said. “I could sit here and say 100 things I think I can bring but I’m going to have to go out and show it.”
As for McDyess, he doesn’t seemed too fazed by going back to the bench, even though Curry didn’t tell him of his intentions before camp. “I’m willing to play anywhere,” he said. Curry wants to take better advantage of McDyess’ scoring prowess. As a starter last season, McDyess averaged 0.26 shots per minute. The previous three years as the team’s sixth man, McDyess averaged 0.32 shots per minute. “I’m not the coach but if he feels that would benefit us, I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” McDyess said.
Rip Hamilton admitted after practice today that he’s among those happy to see Flip Saunders gone. From Vince Ellis’ blog: “I had a son and that was one of the greatest times of my life so I was never actually mad or disappointed,” he said. “I was disappointed sometimes with the way Flip did things. That was the most frustrating thing about it. My personal life and everything and I everything I did off the court was the greatest thing; but more than anything I was frustrated with how Flip ran things.” If my memory serves correctly, the only public beef that Rip had with Flip last year had to do with playing time. Last December, A. Sherrod Blakely wrote the following: For those who didn’t watch tonight’s game, there was a moment in the second quarter where Rip Hamilton was very upset at Flip Saunders for taking him out of the game. Saunders wants to play the bench as much as possible, knowing that it’ll keep the veterans fresher during the season and into the playoffs. Rip is all for that, provided he can play more minutes than he’s averaging now.
There may have been a little bit more to it — looking back at my post on this incident, it Rip was yanked after turning the ball over twice and was apparently frustrated he wasn’t being given a longer leash to find his rhythm. Either way, by the time all was said and done, Rip averaged 33.7 minutes last year, his fewest in five years. I don’t want to read too much into this — there are countless things that happen behind closed locker room doors that fans will never hear about, so the frustration he spoke of could have stemmed from any number of things — but if his playing time is still a concern, he’s due for another frustrating year. There’s been a lot of talk about Rodney Stuckey averaging 30 minutes a game this year, and those minutes have to come from somewhere.
Maybe it’ll be easier to swallow now that Rip has seen Stuckey’s talent, and maybe Rip more open to change after yet another disappointing finish. (For that matter, maybe Rip is like Rasheed Wallace and has an easier time taking direction from someone who actually played the game.) Whatever the case is, it makes me uneasy to hear players complain about the old regime. After the Pistons were eliminated by the Celtics, Rip told reporters that the team needed to be more accountable. Dumping on a guy who’s not around to defend himself suggests that hasn’t happened yet.
Rip Hamilton admitted after practice today that he’s among those happy to see Flip Saunders gone. From Vince Ellis’ blog: “I had a son and that was one of the greatest times of my life so I was never actually mad or disappointed,” he said. “I was disappointed sometimes with the way Flip did things. That was the most frustrating thing about it. My personal life and everything and I everything I did off the court was the greatest thing; but more than anything I was frustrated with how Flip ran things.” If my memory serves correctly, the only public beef that Rip had with Flip last year had to do with playing time. Last December, A. Sherrod Blakely wrote the following: For those who didn’t watch tonight’s game, there was a moment in the second quarter where Rip Hamilton was very upset at Flip Saunders for taking him out of the game. Saunders wants to play the bench as much as possible, knowing that it’ll keep the veterans fresher during the season and into the playoffs. Rip is all for that, provided he can play more minutes than he’s averaging now.
There may have been a little bit more to it — looking back at my post on this incident, it Rip was yanked after turning the ball over twice and was apparently frustrated he wasn’t being given a longer leash to find his rhythm. Either way, by the time all was said and done, Rip averaged 33.7 minutes last year, his fewest in five years. I don’t want to read too much into this — there are countless things that happen behind closed locker room doors that fans will never hear about, so the frustration he spoke of could have stemmed from any number of things — but if his playing time is still a concern, he’s due for another frustrating year. There’s been a lot of talk about Rodney Stuckey averaging 30 minutes a game this year, and those minutes have to come from somewhere.
Maybe it’ll be easier to swallow now that Rip has seen Stuckey’s talent, and maybe Rip more open to change after yet another disappointing finish. (For that matter, maybe Rip is like Rasheed Wallace and has an easier time taking direction from someone who actually played the game.) Whatever the case is, it makes me uneasy to hear players complain about the old regime. After the Pistons were eliminated by the Celtics, Rip told reporters that the team needed to be more accountable. Dumping on a guy who’s not around to defend himself suggests that hasn’t happened yet.
Richard Hamilton said out loud Wednesday what everybody has said or hinted at in private -- the biggest frustration the players had with former coach Flip Saunders was that he didn't hold every player accountable and he had different standards for different players (re: Rasheed Wallace).Listen, whenever there is a coaching change, the first part of the next season is awkward. The old coach isn't here to defend himself and I think the players, for the most part, have been good about avoiding cheap shots. Rip's wasn't a cheap shot. I asked him, point-blank, what was bothering him last season and he said, "I was disappointed at the way Flip did things, that was what was frustrating about it. I was frustrated with the way Flip did things." That was it. He refused to go any further, instead saying it was time to put the past behind and move ahead. That's been the standard response -- let's not look back. Which is as it should be.
Please know that every compliment to Michael Curry is not an indictment of Flip Saunders. We all have been writing and talking about the length and structure, the discipline and the energy of Curry's practices. There has been a lot of focus on Curry's emphasis on getting the team in better shape and maintaining conditioning throughout the season. That isn't a reflection on what Saunders did. It's just letting you all know what things are like with Curry. These are two very different men and they go about their business in very different ways. Saunders said right from the beginning that he would treat the players like men, that he would rely on them to act professionally and he would give them all, as he put it, "enough rope to hang themselves." He worked the young players harder than the vets -- makes sense, right? Curry is different. If conditioning is an emphasis, then he is going to coach conditioning hard every day with every player. He isn't going to leave it up to the players to work on their own. Saunders, to his own detriment, avoided conflict. Curry has no problem with conflict.
You can argue which way is right or wrong all you want, but the proof is in the results. Saunders posted the highest winning percentage of any coach in Pistons history. He got the team to three straight conference finals and lost all three times. So he's gone. Maybe Curry's ways will work, or maybe by midseason the players will grow weary of the daily focus on conditioning and individual drill work. We don't know. All we know is that it would have been folly for Curry not to come in with a starkly different approach. The point is, as Joe Dumars pointed out himself, Saunders is and was an excellent basketball coach. He proved not to be the right guy for this team, but the failures weren't all on him. The players know they share the blame, and I think that's part of the reason they have been careful to look ahead and not get hung up on trying to pin every bad thing on Flip.
Work has become Michael Curry's escape, an opportunity to channel his grief. The more he concentrates on his new responsibilities and challenges as the Pistons' head coach, the less he fixates on his emotionally conflicted summer. Curry got the job of his dreams, only to lose his father and his grandmother soon afterward. "When I've had down time, it's bothered me the most," Curry said earlier this week, "because that gives you the most time to think about what you've lost. But the job has been therapeutic for me. A lot of guys have been here since August, so that's kept me busy. I've been able to pour myself into what we're trying to accomplish."Who knows whether the personal tumult will make Curry a better coach? It has, however, made him more reflective. As with anyone who has had a death in the family, sadness eventually morphs into an appreciation for what you had for as long as you had it. Curry will be thankful that his father was there when he reached his professional zenith.
James Curry was in the audience during his son's introduction as head coach June 10. "He was here for the playoffs," Curry said. "He stuck around afterwards because he wasn't ready to travel just yet. It worked out fine because I'll always have the memory of him sitting there with the rest of my family when I became head coach." James Curry was a diabetic. The disease's complications limited his mobility, but he felt strong enough to travel back to Georgia a couple of weeks later. Michael took his father to Flint's Bishop International Airport for a flight to Atlanta. James required a wheelchair. An airline attendant escorted him onto the plane, but not before father and son shared a quick wave good-bye. "It couldn't have been more than five minutes later," he said. Curry was at a gas station across the street from the airport when he received an emergency alert on his beeper. He raced back to the terminal. Security rushed Curry through the crowd and onto the plane, where he found his father slumped in his seat. Paramedics feverishly worked on him, but Curry knew it was too late. The inspiration of his life was gone. It's the day every son dreads. How do you say good-bye to a beacon that suddenly goes dark without warning? "You're never prepared for it," Curry said. "I told him that I loved him when they took him onto the plane, and you just assume that you were going to hear from him again when he got back home to Augusta. But when something like this happens, you just commit yourself even more to using the things that he taught you every day in your life. Things like working hard and putting every ounce of effort in what you're doing."
Then there was Curry's grandmother, Henrietta, who went into a physical tailspin after losing her son. "It was tough for her," Curry said, "and then she was gone. You begin wondering how much more you can take, but you find strength in understanding that there's a reason for this, and it makes you stronger." The Pistons always have been Curry's second family. It's basically why he replaced Flip Saunders as head coach. It bothered owner Bill Davidson that Saunders didn't move his family to Detroit when he succeeded Larry Brown three years ago. Davidson made a point of reminding everybody that Curry doesn't just work in the area. He lives here. He's part of the community. He travels with Michigan State's football team as often as possible to follow his son Deon, a senior wide receiver. That heightened sense of family might not translate into more playoff victories, but it definitely has helped Curry persevere.
At Monday's media day, Pistons power forward Antonio McDyess joked that all he knew about coming off the bench this season was what he had read in the papers. Well, McDyess said Wednesday he had a discussion with new coach Michael Curry and it's official -- he will likely be a reserve when the season opens Oct. 29 with a visit from the Indiana Pacers. He talked of what Curry had indicated: that McDyess could provide solid scoring presence up front to support backup combo guard Rodney Stuckey on the second unit. "He didn't want a lot of young guys on the floor and he said that would help them out with a big veteran out there," McDyess said on the second day of training camp. "I think that's a positive and I think that's a pretty good idea."
Free-agent acquisition Kwame Brown, fourth-year power forward Jason Maxiell or fourth-year big man Amir Johnson could join Rasheed Wallace in the starting frontcourt. That would send McDyess' low-post game and jump shot to the bench, but there is evidence McDyess is more effective as a reserve. In the 2004-05 season, McDyess' first with the Pistons, he started only eight games, but put up 598 shots in less than 1,800 minutes. Last season, he started 78 games and logged just under 2,300 minutes. His shot total? Merely 600.
It's hard to find shots when you are playing with scorers like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. "When he starts, he doesn't get many shot attempts," Curry said. "He's more effective coming off the bench, but we'll see how it plays out." McDyess is used to coming off the bench, so the move won't be much of an adjustment. "It's pretty comfortable for me," McDyess said. "The first time I did it, I had to get used to it, but after a while, it felt like home. "It's a comfort zone."
Portland center Greg Oden is OK after rolling his right ankle during the first day of training camp. "He's fine," Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said Wednesday. "Everybody, he's fine. He's OK."
Oden, who missed all of his rookie season because of knee surgery, was injured Tuesday during a drill while pushing fellow center Joel Przybilla for rebounding position.
After walking with a slight limp, he finished practice by riding a stationary bike.
Chicago guard Ben Gordon accepted the Bulls' one-year, $6.4 million tender offer just before the deadline Wednesday night. A restricted free agent, Gordon was looking for a long-term deal that never materialized. He led the Bulls in scoring last season with an 18.6 average. "He's very happy to be able to go back and play basketball," agent Raymond Brothers said. "He looks forward to talking to the Bulls next summer about an extension."
Chicago's leading scorer the past three years, Gordon can not be traded this season but could leave as an unrestricted free agent next summer. He had few options this time. He was unable to work out a sign-and-trade deal and rejected the idea of playing overseas since the Bulls would have retained his rights. The only other option would have been a multiyear deal.
The fifth-year guard was present but did not participate in a morning practice at the Bulls' suburban training facility, a team spokesman confirmed. He was a no-show for a late afternoon session, but he will be there on Thursday.
RIP SOUNDS OFF: It was Hamilton's turn to let everyone know he approved of Curry.And by doing so, he added his name to the list of those critical of former coach Flip Saunders, who was fired shortly after the Pistons lost to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals last season.
Hamilton was asked about his happiness last season. "I had a son and that was one of the greatest times of my life, so I was never actually mad or disappointed," he said. "I was disappointed sometimes with the way Flip did things. That was the most frustrating thing about it. My personal life and everything I did off the court was the greatest thing, but more than anything, I was frustrated with how Flip ran things."
Then he gave a ringing endorsement to Curry."It's a new season and I'm just happy M.C.'s coaching and hopefully we can get off to a good start," Hamilton said. "You can't look to the past. You got to move on and you got to look at the situation ahead of us."
MIX AND MATCH: Johnson and Wallace played on the same unit during portions of workouts open to the media the past two days.
Curry wasn't tipping his hand as to whether the pairing would be permanent.
"They work well together," he said. "When you are trying to balance out the team, you look at trying to balance out your younger guys with a veteran."
Lee, meanwhile, is vying for a contract extension by the Oct. 31 deadline, and sources indicated strongly he's probably going to get it, unless agent Mark Bartlestein comes in with an unreasonable number.
For Knicks president Donnie Walsh to justify Lee's contract extension that will impair their 2010 cap situation, he'll have to consider Lee as a starting big man. Sources close to Lee said contract numbers have yet to be exchanged, as Walsh has told Bartlestein he'd like to first watch preseason before hitting the negotiating table.
Indiana Pacers backup point guard Travis Diener might not be ready for the start of the regular season.
Diener, entering his fourth year in the NBA, is out indefinitely with soreness in his left foot. He had surgery in May to remove bone spurs but said this injury is unrelated.