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

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 526&lc=NBA

Cavs: Pietrus is Orlando's 'X-Factor'
Mickael Pietrus' title as the "X factor" in the Eastern Conference final didn't come from all the X-rays the Orlando Magic forward has had this season. But it easily could have.

Pietrus broke his right wrist, sprained it, tore a ligament in his right thumb, missed time with bruised ribs and is still playing with pain in the shooting hand that hasn't healed – maybe never will. "An injury doesn't bother me, as long as I'm not dead," Pietrus said yesterday. "My philosophy is today you're here, tomorrow you might not be."

The Magic's biggest off-season acquisition had been mostly a bust, a seldom-used reserve constantly out with injuries. The forward from the French island Guadeloupe who has incredible athleticism, when healthy, that earned him the nickname "Air France," but most just call him "M.P." Now he's got new titles. The sometimes soft-spoken, sometimes eccentric Pietrus has been swatting LeBron James' shots and swishing enough three-pointers to give Cleveland fits. The Cavaliers simply can't figure out how to stop him. "Their wild card is Pietrus," Cavs guard Mo Williams said. ``He's the X factor. It has been like that all three games."

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12753

Daye, who is just a sophomore, is an imposing 6'11 with a 7'4 wingspan. He played on a Gonzaga team that was loaded with talent and upperclassmen, helping them advance to the Sweet 16 before being knocked out by the eventual champion North Carolina Tar Heels. Although he's held back somewhat by his slight frame of 200 lbs, there's very little that Daye cannot do.

Daye has yet to hire an agent, preserving his eligibility and leaving the option to return to Spokane open. He originally told the coaching staff that he would be there for at least three years, but the feedback Daye is currently hearing is some very positive feedback. "I'm hearing good things," stated Daye. "I think I'm slowly climbing the ladder and that's what I wanted to do. I think I'm bringing the right thing that coaches and scouts want to see in individual workouts. I think my ability to just work hard is going to get me where I want to go."

That dream could still be put on hold for another year though. While Daye is likely to work his way into the 10-20 range, should he return to Spokane for his junior year he could turn into a top five pick in 2010. Either way, Daye's future is extremely bright.

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http://www.thestar.com/article/640322

Then the injuries began.

Pietrus spent more time on the trainer's table than in the lineup. He couldn't shoot for weeks at a time because of pain. Mostly, he spent time at his central Florida home with his now 18-month-old son, Evan, his biggest motivation. "Hopefully, I can sit back watching a video of these games and tell my son, `You see that? You see those little shorts that I used to wear?'" Pietrus joked, his French accent rising in tone. "I just do it for my son. He's one of the reasons that I'm playing great right now. I always told him that I'm going to bring him a championship ring."

The shooting guard-small forward position has been a constant shuffle this season for the Magic. Rookie Courtney Lee finally earned the job permanently after Pietrus' injuries, and J.J. Redick has struggled with consistency. While no one has been able to stop James, Pietrus has been able to contain him more than anyone on Orlando.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/playoffs2009/05 ... index.html

Flagrant foul by Magic's Anthony Johnson rescinded
The NBA has rescinded the flagrant foul against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Johnson for elbowing Cleveland's Mo Williams in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said after the team's shootaround Tuesday he was glad the league took back the call. Johnson drove the lane and extended his elbow in the second quarter of the Magic's victory Sunday. Williams was struck around the left eye and knocked to the floor.

Williams was called for a blocking foul, and Johnson was whistled for a flagrant foul. Williams' bleeding, puffy eye needed four stitches. He called the play as. Game 4 is Tuesday night.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/news/05/26/garn ... index.html

Celtics' Garnett undergoes right knee surgery
Kevin Garnett had surgery Tuesday on his right knee after missing all of the Playoffs. The Boston Celtics defensive star and inspirational leader had bone spurs removed during the arthroscopic surgery. "I expect Kevin to return to active duty in full force and be that consummate two-way professional that he has shown all of us throughout his fantastic NBA career," coach Doc Rivers said.

Garnett was the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2007-08, his first season with Boston and 13th in the league. He was an outstanding defender again this season but was limited to 57 games. With a strained tendon along with the bone spurs, Garnett played in just four games in the last two months of the regular season. Two days before the Celtics began their first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls, Rivers said he didn't expect Garnett to play at all during the postseason. The Celtics won that series in seven games then were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in seven, ending their hopes to repeat as NBA champions. Garnett's 57 games were the second fewest in his career. He averaged 15.8 points with 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.

He hurt his knee Feb. 19 against the Utah Jazz then missed the next 13 games before returning for four and playing a total of 66 minutes. But he aggravated the injury against Orlando while jumping for a rebound and didn't play again. "Kevin can now begin to focus on rehabilitating his knee, returning to top physical shape and fully preparing for the 2009-10 season," said Danny Ainge, Boston's president of basketball operations.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/playoffs2009/05 ... index.html

Cavs' Wallace angered over Van Gundy 'flop' remark
First, Shaquille O'Neal. Now, Ben Wallace. For the second time this season, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy has accused one of the NBA's biggest, baddest players of flopping. On Monday, Van Gundy said he was bothered by the number of times Wallace and Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams dropped to the floor in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Magic. He said the pair "fell down more than a baby learning to walk."

Wallace, a four-time defensive player of the year and one of the league's most intimidating players, took offense to Van Gundy's remarks. Speaking at a shootaround Tuesday, suggested that Van Gundy "come out here and do something about it" or shut up, adding an expletive for emphasis. "Whatever he says isn't going to change the way I play defense or the way we play defense. It is what it is." Van Gundy made the same claims about O'Neal in March, saying he flopped while guarding Magic center Dwight Howard. O'Neal played for Van Gundy in Miami for parts of two seasons.

Williams said he was unaware of Van Gundy's comments. "That's what he said?" Wallace asked before deciding not to escalate the feud. "OK. I play basketball. I don't talk to coaches. That doesn't help us win any basketball games." Cleveland coach Mike Brown also claimed he didn't hear Van Gundy's reference of Wallace. "Stan called Ben a flopper?" he said. "That's great. I guess I'll go tell Ben." Also Tuesday, the league rescinded the flagrant foul called on Magic guard Anthony Johnson for elbowing Williams in the head on a drive in Sunday night's game. Williams, who was called for a blocking foul on the play, needed four stitches to close two gashes around his left eye for the blow both he and teammate LeBron James felt was intentional.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/playoffs2009/05 ... index.html

Nuggets' Jones given flagrant foul after tripping Kobe
A day later, the NBA blew the whistle on Dahntay Jones for tripping Kobe Bryant. The league assessed Denver's defensive specialist a flagrant-1 foul for sending the Lakers' star sprawling through the lane with a trip late in the third quarter that Bennett Salvatore's officiating crew missed.

Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson complained about Jones' "unacceptable defense, tripping guys and playing unsportsmanlike basketball" during a rant about the officiating.

Jackson's rip on Jones came after Los Angeles fell 120-101 to Denver to tie the Western Conference finals at 2.

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http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop

•John Hollinger (Insider) with some pretty big Dahntay Jones news: "He already has two flagrant foul points in the playoffs and would earn more points -- either one or two -- if his blatant, intentional trip of Kobe Bryant in Game 4 is reclassified a flagrant foul. If it's called a Flagrant 1, he would be on the verge of a potential suspension -- four points gets you suspended. If the league reclassifies it a Flagrant 2, then Jones is really hosed. He would presumably be suspended for Game 5 since he wasn't ejected at the time of the play, plus it would give him four flagrant points -- potentially providing an automatic one-game suspension on top of the first penalty. In that case, see you Sunday, Dahntay, provided the series goes seven." UPDATE: Jones was given a Flarant 1.

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http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop

Piston Powered: Another point guard?

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4207241

NBA upgrades trip to flagrant foul
Denver Nuggets guard Dahntay Jones is on the brink of a one-game suspension after the NBA upgraded his Game 4 trip of Kobe Bryant to a flagrant foul.

The foul -- deemed a Flagrant 1 by the league office -- is Jones' third flagrant of the postseason and his second in the past two games in the Western Conference finals. That gives Jones three flagrant-foul points in the playoffs, with players who exceed three flagrant-foul points receiving an automatic one-game ban.

The league does not formally announce its rulings on such fouls, but the Nuggets confirmed Tuesday that Jones' trip has been reclassified as a Flagrant 1.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/ ... id=4206639

Johnson's flagrant foul rescinded
The NBA has rescinded the flagrant foul against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Johnson for elbowing Cleveland's Mo Williams in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said after the team's shootaround Tuesday he was glad the league took back the call.

Johnson drove the lane and extended his elbow in the second quarter of the Magic's victory Sunday. Williams was struck around the left eye and knocked to the floor.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/ ... id=4206803

Van Gundy's comment irks Wallace
First, Shaquille O'Neal. Now, Ben Wallace. For the second time this season, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy has accused one of the NBA's biggest, baddest players of flopping.

Wallace, a four-time defensive player of the year and one of the league's most intimidating players, took offense to Van Gundy's remarks.

Speaking at a shootaround Tuesday, Wallace suggested that Van Gundy "come out here and do something about it" or shut up, adding an expletive for emphasis. "Whatever he says isn't going to change the way I play defense or the way we play defense. It is what it is."

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4207291

Cuban asks for dismissal of SEC case
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants an insider trading lawsuit against him thrown out, but he'll have to wait for a judge's decision.

U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater heard arguments Tuesday on Cuban's motion to dismiss the Securities and Exchange Commission suit, but didn't rule. Cuban, sporting a black suit rather than his usual T-shirt and jeans, declined to comment afterward. He sat quietly in the front row of the court gallery throughout the proceeding.

The SEC alleges Cuban engaged in insider trading when he sold shares in an Internet search engine company, Mamma.com Inc., after receiving confidential information about a private offering. Cuban's attorney argued the SEC is not correctly defining insider trading.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4207128

Garnett has knee surgery
Kevin Garnett had surgery Tuesday on his right knee after missing all of the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics defensive star and inspirational leader had bone spurs removed during the arthroscopic surgery. "I expect Kevin to return to active duty in full force and be that consummate two-way professional that he has shown all of us throughout his fantastic NBA career," coach Doc Rivers said.

Garnett was the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2007-08, his first season with Boston and 13th in the league. He was an outstanding defender again this season but was limited to 57 games. With a strained tendon along with the bone spurs, Garnett played in just four games in the last two months of the regular season.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20090526/S ... ft+combine

Complete list of players set for NBA's predraft combine
The following players will participate in the 2009 NBA draft combine this week in Chicago. The camp starts Wednesday. Players will be available to the media on Thursday and Friday.

Free Press sports writer Vince Ellis will be on the scene in the Windy City to bring you the scoop.

PLAYER, COLLEGE/CLUB
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut
Rodrigue Beaubois, Cholet (France)
DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh
Jon Brockman, Washington
Derrick Brown, Xavier
Chase Budinger, Arizona
Nick Calathes, Florida
DeMarre Carroll, Missouri
Omri Casspi, Maccabi Elite (Israel)
Dionte Christmas, Temple
Earl Clark, Louisville
Darren Collison, UCLA
Dante Cunningham, Villanova
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Austin Daye, Gonzaga
DeMar DeRozan, Southern California
Toney Douglas, Florida State
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Tyreke Evans, Memphis
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse
Taj Gibson, Southern California
Danny Green, North Carolina
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
James Harden, Arizona State
Gerald Henderson, Duke
Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga
Jordan Hill, Arizona
Jrue Holiday, UCLA
Joe Ingles, Melbourne South Dragons (Australia)
Damion James, Texas
James Johnson, Wake Forest
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech
Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth
Jack McClinton, Miami (Fla.)
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky
Patrick Mills, Saint Mary's
B.J. Mullens, Ohio State
Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State
A.J. Price, Connecticut
Tyler Smith, Tennessee
DaJuan Summers, Georgetown
Jermaine Taylor, Central Florida
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
Marcus Thornton, Louisiana State
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
Terrence Williams, Louisville
Sam Young, Pittsburgh

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http://www.freep.com/article/20090526/S ... ing+claims

Ben Wallace irked by Stan Van Gundy's flopping claims
First, Shaquille O’Neal. Now, Ben Wallace. For the second time this season, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy has accused one of the NBA’s baddest players of flopping. On Monday, Van Gundy said he was bothered by the number of times Wallace and Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams dropped to the floor in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Magic. He said the pair “fell down more than a baby learning to walk.”

Wallace, a four-time defensive player of the year as a Piston, took offense to Van Gundy’s remarks. Speaking at a shootaround today, Wallace suggested that Van Gundy “come out here and do something about it” or shut up, adding an expletive for emphasis. "Whatever he says isn’t going to change the way I play defense or the way we play defense. It is what it is.” Van Gundy made the same claims about O’Neal in March, saying he flopped while guarding Magic center Dwight Howard. O’Neal played for Van Gundy in Miami for parts of two seasons.

Williams said he was unaware of Van Gundy’s comments. “That’s what he said?” Williams asked before deciding not to escalate the feud. “OK. I play basketball. I don’t talk to coaches. That doesn’t help us win any basketball games.” Cleveland coach Mike Brown also claimed he didn’t hear Van Gundy’s reference of Wallace. “Stan called Ben a flopper?” he said. “That’s great. I guess I’ll go tell Ben.”

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/truebluepistons.html

Good news for Pistons: Cavs, Lakers get pushed
There’s a perception out there that Joe Dumars must be sitting at home decked out in Kobe Bryant’s jersey, ferociously rooting against the Denver Nuggets in their Western Conference semifinals which now heads to Game 5 all even. For Joe, it ain’t so. Why would it be? Denver’s fate has nothing to do with the Pistons. Would it be tough watching Chauncey Billups hoisting a championship trophy in June? No tougher than it was to watch Kevin Garnett hoist it last June, or Tim Duncan the June before that, or Dwyane Wade the previous June. See the trend there? None of them played for the Pistons. And after watching the Pistons lose to Boston last June, Joe D was as convinced as he could be – allowing for the given that nothing in sports is certain – that his team, as currently constructed, had exhausted its championship possibilities. So it’s on to the next thing. And, as it turned out, the way to facilitate the next thing, the evolution of the Pistons, was to trade Chauncey Billups. Dumars didn’t set out last June, when he publicly declared it was his intention to alter the static core of the Pistons, to deal Billups specifically. But, all along, Billups made the most sense. As a point guard still with at least a few prime years left, he would be naturally attractive. With a young point guard who’d displayed superior physical attributes as a rookie in Rodney Stuckey waiting in the wings, Dumars had a ready-made replacement for Billups that wouldn’t have been the case if he’d moved, say, Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince. The cost certainty of playing under a rookie contract – and a relatively modest one, given Stuckey’s status as the No. 15 pick in 2007 – meant fielding a lineup with Stuckey as the starting point guard would give the Pistons $7 million or $8 million a year for the next three years to use at another position, until Stuckey was due for a hike.

Dumars would be the first to admit – he already has – that the Allen Iverson part of the trade equation met the lowest end of his expectations. Age and whatever else had caught up to Iverson, causing him to lose the half-step that not only once allowed him to beat his man but all help defenders to the rim, and the ego that emboldened Iverson to greatness refused to allow him to sublimate his game for the greater good. So Iverson flopped. But Iverson was always a roll of the dice. The sure thing was always the cap space. And here’s where I think what we’re seeing now on both sides of the NBA – the Denver-LA series and the Cleveland-Orlando series – is actually heartening to Dumars for what it says about the vulnerability of the league’s perceived powers and what it means for the wave of contenders positioned at their heels. Put another way, a month ago I would have said it was preposterous that anyone was challenging the Lakers in the West. And a week ago I would have guessed it impossible that Orlando could push the Cavaliers in the East. Now? The Lakers are being called soft and dispassionate. Kobe’s pushing 31. He doesn’t get to the free-throw line nearly as much as he did two or three years ago. Maybe Andrew Bynum isn’t destined to fill Shaq’s big man void. Bottom line, maybe the Lakers are just as close to where they were two years ago – when Bryant demanded a trade after getting routed by Phoenix in the first round – as to where we thought they were a month ago.

Closer to home, maybe Cleveland is something less than the runaway freight train the Cavs appeared to be when they flattened the Pistons and Atlanta to get to the conference finals. They’re a LeBron James miracle heave away from heading into Game 4 against Orlando in danger of being swept. The Cavs bordered on invincible throughout the season and the group of players put in place around LeBron, for the first time in his NBA run, actually appeared capable of winning some games on their own. Now they’re losing to a team playing with a backup point guard. You think that doesn’t give GMs around the league renewed optimism that with the right move or two, their team could be playing into June next season? But most GMs around the league don’t have nearly the opening Joe D has. That’s what that trade last November was all about. It has to be an easier sell today to premier free agents, guys like Carlos Boozer should he opt out or Ben Gordon, than it was a week ago that their addition is all that separates the Pistons from a legitimate championship run. And that’s why watching Denver push the Lakers to the brink – and seeing Cleveland reduced to praying for LeBron miracles – won’t be causing anyone at Six Championship Drive any undue duress.

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http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_12448719

The Lakers will have five unrestricted free agents over the summer and many difficult decisions to make.

Ariza sits front and center in all of them. The better he plays, the larger the market for his services will grow. And while the Lakers would undoubtedly like to keep the wiry Westchester High grad, the larger the market he finds, the less money there is for their other free agents: Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga. "When you play well, that normally is a good thing if you're going to be a free agent," Kupchak said. "It's all good, when guys play well I'm happy for them. It's a good problem to have.

Kupchak said his first impressions of Ariza were on much the same, instinctual level. He first saw him at Westchester High, almost by accident, but immediately recognized his athleticism and tenacity. "We knew of him, because he went to high school three miles away from our practice facility," Kupchak recalled "Back then I was allowed in high school gyms, so we watched him, (because) he was a teammate with Amir Johnson. So we went to go see Amir and Trevor was there.

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Reports are that Walter Herrmann could be headed to the Spanish club Pamesa Valencia.

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http://www.news-herald.com/articles/200 ... 945507.txt

When Cavaliers guard Mo Williams woke up Monday morning and looked in the mirror, it reminded him of former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes after one of his fights.

Williams took an elbow to the face from Magic guard Anthony Johnson in Game 3 and became a bloody mess. He got four stitches after the play.

He sounds as if he might have had a concussion on the play. "(My head is) still ringing right now," Williams said. "It was a tough hit. Obviously, the adrenalin of the game and me being so angry endured over the pain. I felt it last night and again today. "It threw off my equilibrium. I'm going to see the doc. I've never had a concussion. I've never gotten stitches in a game."