'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 63

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Joe Dumars is evaluating trade market for long-term solutions: Joe Dumars, the Pistons president of basketb... http://bit.ly/4nutED

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

Freep: Pistons' Dumars will explore deadline trades: "We will not be averse to being active before the trading dea... http://bit.ly/5NpMJ5

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... possession

Wizards' Gilbert Arenas charged with felony gun possession
Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was charged Thursday with felony gun possession in connection with a Dec. 21 locker room confrontation with a teammate. Prosecutors charged Arenas with one count of carrying a pistol without a license, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The charges were filed in D.C. Superior Court in an "information," a document that often signals a plea deal. Arenas' lawyer and the team had no immediate comment.

Arenas, who has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA pending the investigation, has said he kept multiple guns in his locker at the Verizon Center. The 28-year-old three-time All-Star said he wanted to keep them away from his children and didn't know it was illegal. He says he took them out of the locker on Dec. 21 in a "misguided effort to play a joke" on a teammate.

League officials have said the locker-room incident stemmed from a card-game dispute between Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton on a plane trip back from the West Coast two days earlier. At least seven Wizards players and coach Flip Saunders have appeared before a grand jury or been questioned by authorities. Earlier Thursday, police searched for a gun at Crittenton's Arlington, Va., apartment but did not seize any evidence, according to court documents. It's unclear what role Crittenton played in the incident and whether he had a gun. He has kept a low profile and has said he did nothing wrong.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?chat_topics_id=710

matt in :
hi. wat do u think of rip & maxiell 4 hedo & evans. (det save 1.7-6.7 mil)Rip gives sg vet presence.Maxiell ok off bench. Evans trim 5 mil off maxiell's deal. Hedo could play better with a pg like stuckey(who is more of a scorer).

Jason Fleming:
I have no idea why the Raptors would make that move. I think Detroit will be very hard pressed to find anyone willing to take Rip's contract. He's a good player when he's healthy, but that contract extension was a big mistake on their part.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball ... pects.html

Daniels expects to get cast off soon
Celtics guard Marquis Daniels says he was told by team trainer Ed Lacerte today that he can expect the cast on his left hand to be removed in about a week. The Celtics still don't ecpect Daniels to return to game action until after the All-Star break (Feb. 14).

"You never know, maybe it could get better [sooner]," said Daniels.

After the cast is removed, Daniels will have a soft cast while he rehabs. He says he can touch all five of his fingers to his palm now. He's been running and doing some creative weight lifting, but Daniels says he "needs to get his body fat down" to get into true game shape.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14986

Roy's Hamstring: Like the Portland Trail Blazers need this news… All-Star guard Brandon Roy has been fighting a sore right hamstring for over a week now, but has continued to play well for a team sorely needing its star. In fact, Roy has played so well he has only scored less than 20 points twice since November 28th – and one of those game he missed to rest a sore shoulder.

Roy has also rebounded from early shooting struggles to post career-highs in points (23.6) and field-goal shooting (48.3%) to go with 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds – both right on his four-year NBA average. In January he is shooting 60% in six games, a very good number for a guard. But last night against the Milwaukee Bucks, Roy tweaked his hamstring just a bit more, prompting an MRI to be done today in Portland. The result has Roy diagnosed with a strained muscle – no tear – and his status for Friday's game with the Orlando Magic is up in the air according to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. Whether or not he plays is really dependent on how Roy feels at game time, because no one will know if his hamstring is up to playing better than him. "Brandon has to be the guy who lets us know where he's at," Coach Nate McMillan said. "We'll talk to (athletic trainer) Jay (Jensen) and make a decision on (whether) we hold him tomorrow and give him a couple days (off), because then we have two days before his next game."

Portland's injury struggles this season have been well-documented, but despite all of that they have managed to stay at .600 on the season, currently good for sixth in the Western Conference. However, while a team can take injuries up to a point, losing a player that means as much to the team as Roy would have a significant impact. Yes, they did manage to win a game in San Antonio without him, but if Roy were to miss a stretch of games the impact on the rest of the team would be significant. They wouldn't have the luxury of having the opposing team's defense focusing on Roy, and they wouldn't have his leadership on the court. Basically, Portland has been able to weather the storm so far, but every team has a tipping point; losing Roy for any stretch of time could be theirs.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14986

Arenas Charged With Felony: Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was charged this afternoon with a felony by the U.S. attorney's office stemming from his admission to having unloaded guns in the Wizards locker room. The charge specifically is for carrying an unloaded pistol outside a home or business.

Arenas has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA since the middle of last week. The league usually takes a wait-and-see stance in these situations, but Arenas' actions before a game in Philadelphia and his public comments led to the commissioner proactively suspending the three-time All-Star. Teammate Javaris Crittenton, with whom Arenas had his dispute and reportedly also brandished a gun in the locker room, had his home searched by D.C. police earlier in the day, but the weapon apparently was not found. During the details of the incident recounted previously, Crittenton had disappeared with his gun from the locker room after the incident and then come back later without the weapon, and it hadn't been seen since. Crittenton has been adamant about his innocence.

Arenas was also trying to work out a plea agreement to stay out of jail according to The Washington Post. The charge carries penalties of up to five years in prison. Arenas also admitted to having four weapons in the locker room – it's not immediately clear if he was charged with just one felony or four, although it seems to be just one. It's also not clear at this time if those plea talks broke down, leading to this charge, or if they are still ongoing, or if this was part of the agreement (one charge as opposed to four).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_23631

Blazers' Patty Mills Sent Back to NBA-DL
The Portland Trail Blazers assigned rookie guard Patty Mills today to the team's NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, the team announced. Mills had played just five minutes in four games since being called up by the Blazers on Jan. 3.

The 6-foot, 185-pound guard out of St. Mary’s was added to Portland’s roster to fill in for guard Steve Blake, who missed four games due to pneumonia. But Blake returned to action last Sunday, and his minutes are expected to increase in future games.

The Blazers want Mills — who missed all of training camp and the first two months of the season while recovering from foot surgery — to pick up as much playing time as possible, which is the primary reason he will rejoin the Stampede.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_23631

Roy: Tight Hamstring 'Could Be Serious'
Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy left the Rose Garden on Wednesday night saying he was "concerned" about the condition of his right hamstring, which kept him out of the fourth quarter of the Blazers' runaway 120-108 victory over Milwaukee.

Roy, who missed four games last season because of a strained hamstring, said his injury has the same feel and is in the same spot as last season. "I'm concerned,'' Roy said. "I don't want to have to miss two weeks of basketball. That's the thing tonight - after it got really tight, I told coach, 'This could be serious.' ''

Roy said his right hamstring has never really recovered from last season, and was aggravated on Jan. 2 against Golden State. Since then, he has played through the soreness, which turns to tightness at the end of games. "I've strained it before, so I know the feeling, and it's like we are on the cusp again,'' Roy said. "Even last game against Cleveland, there were times when it was 'Here we go again.' But my thing is, as long as I can play, I will keep trying. Hopefully Friday it doesn't flare up on me."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_23631.

Nash Receives Seven Stitches After Hit
Steve Nash was decidedly Canadian on Wednesday night, when he returned to the Phoenix Suns' 122-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers after receiving seven stitches in and around his mouth. He was hit by an inadvertent elbow from Earl Watson in the first quarter.

Watson's elbow caused Nash's tooth to puncture his lip, leading to four stitches on that upper lip and three on the inside of his mouth.

The two-time MVP, who left the game with four minutes left in the opening period, missed the rest of the half while his mug was sown up.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_23631

Gilbert Arenas Charged With A Felony
Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was charged Thursday with felony gun possession, a crime that carries a maximum five years in jail and a fine, authorities said. The charge was filed Thursday afternoon by the U.S. Attorney's office for the District.

Arenas's attorney and prosecutors had been negotiating a plea deal during the day and it was not immediately clear whether the filing of charges was a part of the deal. Court officials said they had been told to prepare to have Arenas in Superior Court on Friday.

The U.S. Attorney's office alleged that on Dec. 21, Arenas "did carry, openly and concealed on or about his person, in a place other than his dwelling place, place of business or on other land possessed by him, a pistol, without license issued pursuant to law."

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300114002

Luol Deng scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls won their third straight game with a 96-83 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

Pierce scored 20 points and Rajon Rondo added 15 for the Celtics, playing their fourth game in five nights. The loss dropped them to 11-6 at home after they went 35-6 there in each of the past two seasons.

Derrick Rose scored 17 points for the Bulls, while Noah had his 19th double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... rmine.html

With losing skid behind them, Pistons now must prove they're a playoff team
The Detroit Pistons lugged a losing streak back and forth across the country for a month. They went 30 days between wins. During that stretch, they lost 13 consecutive games by an average of 14.4 points. They suffered embarrassing losses at home (by 30 points against Toronto) and on the road (by 33 points at Chicago). They got the weight off their backs Tuesday with a victory against the Washington Wizards, closing the chapter on one of the worst stretches of basketball in franchise history. Now, the next chapter begins. It's the most important one of the season. Pistons coach John Kuester will tell you the team takes one game at a time, and the players will tell you it's a long season, that there's plenty of time to make a push for the postseason. But the next two weeks will determine the fate of the 2009-10 Pistons. Is Detroit a playoff team? Or a lottery team?

The Pistons play eight of their next nine at home, starting with back-to-back games this weekend against New Orleans and New York. After a trip to New York for a game Monday, the Pistons close out the month with six consecutive home games. It's time to make a move. And the Pistons know it. "This is definitely a chance for us to make a push, make a run," forward Charlie Villanueva said. "We're playing on our home court. We must protect it. We've got a little taste of winning. And hopefully, we can build on that and move forward." The good news: The Eastern Conference is so awful that the Pistons will be just four or five games out of eighth place when they take the court Friday night to play the Hornets. The Pistons are still in the playoff hunt. The bad news: They aren't the only ones. Eight teams in the Eastern Conference have 12 to 17 wins, including Detroit (12-25). Those teams appear to be fighting for two playoff spots, which means Detroit not only has ground to make up, it has several teams to leap over if it hopes to make the playoffs. The task would be easier if the Pistons could get fully healthy. Will Bynum (left ankle) will not play Friday, and guard Ben Gordon (right groin) and forward Tayshaun Prince (left knee), who both sat out Tuesday, are day-to-day.

Of course, the task would be tougher if the Pistons were in the Western Conference. They would be buried deep among the also-rans if they played in the West. "It's frustrating just dealing with all the injuries," Villanueva said. "But we're in the Eastern Conference. We were on a 13-game losing streak and we still have a chance. We're not out of it at all. We're just a couple games back." The Pistons do appear to think they are just a bit behind but headed in the right direction after Tuesday's win. The mood among the players would be much different at the start of this stretch of home games had they lost to the Wizards. Instead of looking forward to making a move in the standings, they would be trying to avoid the longest losing streak in franchise history. The weight of the losing streak still would be square on their backs. "We've been lugging that losing streak for a long time," rookie forward Austin Daye said. "It feels good to have a win under our belts." That win could turn out to be a pivotal point in the season. Or, it could be just a rare win sandwiched between a ton of losses. Only time will tell.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/01/first-swe ... rview.html

First Swede in the NBA – Jonas Jerebko Interview
Jakob TöRnell, who works in PR for The Swedish Basketball Federation visited Jonas in December to interview him. With all the press Jonas has been getting in Detroit, the man is a Rock Star Sweden.

It’s not shocking that we have a Need4Swede, and that they have an even bigger appreciation for Jonas in his home country.

What surprises me is that Arie Kandor’s Magic knows no boundaries.

Video interview in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3262 ... he-pistons

Detroit Pistons: It's Time to Have Faith
Sniff Sniff (grabs tissue), wipes eyes—WAHHHH! Excuse me, I just finished watching the Pistons-Wizards game on DVR, and take my word for it, it was heartwarming. Not just because they won, mind you. The Pistons were soldiers on the battlefield, doing whatever it took to go home with a victory. Between Charlie Villanueva's dagger three's in the fourth, Jerebko's stunning energy, Stuckey's solidity (he hit two straight turnaround jumpers!) and Rip's sharp shooting, you got the sense that this team finally felt each other's presence. Speaking of sharp shooting, the Pistons had plenty of it, connecting on 68 percent of their three pointers, a feat I envisioned they would be easily capable of from glancing at the roster last offseason. For a team flirting with irrelevance, their three-point prowess was the highlight of the night. I'm proud to say that the Pistons took care of business as if they were businessmen and the game was a black-tie event.

However, the future still remains uncertain. On Friday they face New Orleans, a team that helped start the streak. The Pistons still haven't realized the great concept of defense and most of all, they tend to disappear when they need to step up. But this is no time to worry. The Pistons are a proud and successful franchise. This streak is absolutely necessary for the team to move on. You can't taste greatness until you've choked down insignificance. Most of us still get nostalgic over the Pistons' most recent period of glory. But what did they go through to get to that point? Many of us have forgotten about the evaporation of the Bad Boys, the embarrassing "Teal Era," the loss of Grant Hill. The champions of 2008, the Boston Celtics, endured countless setbacks. In a nutshell, they were sold in 2003 in the midst of rebuilding around Al Jefferson, traded Antoine Walker in 2004, hired new general manager Danny Ainge, traded for the rights to Rajon Rondo in 2007, and signed Leon Powe.The 2006-07 was their nightmare season, losing legendary coach Red Auerbach, suffering an 18-game losing streak, losing Paul Pierce for much of the second half of the season, and finishing with a record of 24-58. That offseason, the Celtics traded away part of their young core in Delonte West, Al Jefferson, and Gerald Green, along with many other players, for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. The next season they won 66 games and defeated their old rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, for their 17th championship, their first championship in 22 years.

You can't taste greatness until you've choked down insignificance. Let's imagine that the Pistons are a phoenix. High and mighty, the phoenix ruled the sky, like the Pistons once did. No bird was strong enough to take it down nor smart enough to put out it's swagger. However, when the phoenix begins to lose it's cockiness, it collapses. However, the phoenix is smarter than that, for it knows when it's time to pass the baton. So it turns to ashes, knowing that it is best to stop when you are on top. The Pistons' losing streak was a concealed blessing, a hidden fortune that the team will be thankful for in the future. This season was never meant for victorious triumph anyway. This season was meant to achieve cohesion, to erase the erratic tendencies that young teams have to work out. Instead of talking about how Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are defensively impaired, let's celebrate their natural gifts of shooting. Instead of criticising the injures, let's be thankful that the guys are learning how to play through adversity—for it is obvious that the Pistons will rise from the ashes of defeat sooner rather than later. Instead of being thankful that the streak is over, lets be thankful that the trial is finished. The insignificance has passed; success is around the corner. So let's move beyond their recent toils and embrace a new age of excellence.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... at-Celtics

Deng scores 25 points as Bulls beat Celtics
Deng scored 25 points and the Bulls played aggressively from the start in their third straight victory, 96-83 on Thursday night.

Pierce scored 20 points and Rajon Rondo added 15 for the Celtics. The loss dropped them to 11-6 at home after they went 35-6 there in each of the past two seasons.

Derrick Rose scored 17 points for the Bulls, while Noah had his 19th double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ons-lineup

Hornets at Pistons
Tip-off: 8 tonight, The Palace, Auburn Hills
TV/radio: FSD/WXYT 97.1
Outlook: The Hornets defeated the Pistons in New Orleans earlier in the season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ons-lineup

Jonas Jerebko looks sharp in return to Pistons lineup
Being a rookie, Jonas Jerebko doesn't take anything for granted. He knows and understands nothing is given him. Which is why, when Jerebko found himself on the bench Jan. 6 in San Antonio, after having been in the starting lineup most of the season, he wasn't surprised. That's life in the NBA. "It was unexpected," said Jerebko, admitting he was a little shocked. "I'm a rookie. I'll take what I can get. I'll be ready to play when I'm called." Jerebko wound up playing two minutes at the end of that game. He didn't start the next game, either, against Philadelphia, but did start the second half. And when Tayshaun Prince was unable to play because of a knee injury, Jerebko found himself back in the starting lineup the last two games.

This time, maybe for the foreseeable future. Jerebko's worth was apparent again in Tuesday's victory over Washington by the numerous times he kept balls alive, came down with a clutch offensive rebound, or made a back-breaking 3-pointer when an opponent didn't respect him. "It's never any fun to not play," said Jerebko, who sat in favor of Jason Maxiell for two games as coach John Kuester tinkered to find a lineup that could end the Pistons' losing streak. "It's not fun to be on the bench. You want to play. I just try to take advantage of the time I get. I try to be ready."

The brief respite seems to have re-energized Jerebko. "He was able to catch his breath and get his legs, I tell you, this young man has far exceeded all my expectations as a player," Kuester said. "I'm impressed with him. He has a bright future."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ons-lineup

Key stretch ahead
If the Pistons are going to salvage this season, it's probably going to have to happen between now and Jan. 31. Eight of their next nine games, beginning tonight against New Orleans, are at The Palace.

Despite just ending a 13-game losing streak, the Pistons were only 4 1/2 games out of the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture before Thursday's games. But don't expect Kuester to look ahead any further than tonight. "I just worry about the next game," Kuester said. "We have to focus on New Orleans."

Said Charlie Villanueva : "We're not out of it (the playoff picture) at all. Take it game by game, and as coach says, stay in the moment."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ons-lineup

Slam dunks
Will Bynum (sprained left ankle) remains out, while Tayshaun Prince (left knee) and Ben Gordon (groin) remain day-to-day.