'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol:12

[nasty daddy]

Link to volume 11: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=835680&start=1185

This thread will contain Pistons news, injuries, free agent signings, trades and news throughout the NBA.

[nasty daddy]

http://info.detnews.com/redesign/blogs/ ... logid=1567

First of all, let me say this -- I have been critical in the past of some of the marketing schemes and gimmicks the administrative wing of the Pistons organization has pulled over the years. But this thing -- this two-day, preseason bus tour up and down the state of Michigan and down into Toledo -- they've gotten exactly right. It's really a pretty cool thing that they do here. Listen, this is a team that's been in the Eastern Conference Finals six straight years. The sellout streak at The Palace has lasted almost that long. If they never did a single out-reach type program, nobody would criticize them. But here they are, dragging two bus loads of people -- two players, three coaches, the president and vice-president of basketball, two broadcasters, the Palace Patrol, the dance team, the mascot and other administrators and staffers -- on a barnstorming romp that stopped in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Grand Traverse, Midland, Flint and Toledo.

Now, if you are cynical like me you say, "OK, ticket sales are down, the economy is bad, the team is getting a little stale, so they are just out hawking some tickets." Ticket sales are down and the economy is bad, but this tour wasn't really about that. How many season tickets are they going to sell in outstate and upstate Michigan? How many in Toledo? Not many. Yes, they hooked up and schmoozed some sponsors along the way. So what? Mostly, they reached out to kids and to schools. They gave away $2,500 to a kid at Lansing's Lewton Elementary School for his beautifully written essay. The school, by the way, features a library the Pistons paid to remodel. At Traverse City, there were 500 or more fans lined up to meet Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo. Afflalo and Stuckey both took a free-throw shooting challenge from a Make-A-Wish Foundation child. The kid beat both of them, by the way. Tell me that didn't make his day.

At Midland Dow High School, students heard life lessons from the coaches and players and were shown how they apply for free $2,500 college scholarships. In Flint, the Pistons visited another program they initiated, the Rock and Shock Teen Resource Center at the Boys and Girls Club, which houses the team-sponsored Fitness and Learning Center. There they entertained another wildly excited group of kids. The Pistons warmed a lot of hearts, put smiles on a lot of kids' faces and made a lot of friends the last two days. Pretty darn good stuff.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 1/SPORTS03

The Pistons expect to start the season next month with the same nucleus they’ve had in recent years. That wasn’t Plan A. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told the Associated Press today that he’s keeping the team together because no one offered him a good deal after he publicly put his players on the trading block in June. “We talked to teams this summer, but nothing was presented to me that would make us better than we already are,” Dumars said. “This can be one of the elite teams in the league that contends for a championship.”

When coach Flip Saunders was fired, Dumars said Rodney Stuckey was the only player he wouldn’t trade in a win-win deal. “Whatever I said at that press conference wasn’t new to the players,” Dumars said. “They know where I stood then and where I stand now, unhappy about how last season ended.” Detroit was eliminated on its home court in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals by the Celtics, who went on to win the title. The Pistons lost in the same round the previous two years, getting sent home by Cleveland and Miami. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess have been Pistons since the 2004-05 season, the year after the franchise won its third championship.Billups, Hamilton and Prince are entering their seventh season in Detroit, hoping to at least advance to the conference finals for the seventh year in a row.

But Dumars is confident new coach Michael Curry will motivate the old nucleus to play hard. “Part of the reason we hired Michael Curry was that he can instill a sense of urgency in how we play and the discipline that we play with,” Dumars said. “Those two things were missing last year, in my estimation.” The Pistons open training camp Sept. 29, and their season-opening game is Oct. 29 at home against Indiana. “We’re going forward with the same nucleus, but I’m still not happy with how the season ended,” Dumars said. “But we’ll put that behind us, and we’ll try to make it right this year.”

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3596956

The Detroit Pistons expect to start the season next month with the same nucleus they've had in recent years. That wasn't Plan A. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press on Thursday he's keeping the team together because no one offered him a good deal after he publicly put his players on the trading block in June. "We talked to teams this summer, but nothing was presented to me that would make us better than we already are," Dumars said. "This can be one of the elite teams in the league that contends for a championship."

When coach Flip Saunders was fired, Dumars said Rodney Stuckey was the only player he wouldn't trade in a win-win deal. "Whatever I said at that press conference wasn't new to the players," Dumars said. "They know where I stood then and where I stand now, unhappy about how last season ended." Detroit was eliminated on its home court in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals by the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the title. The Pistons lost in the same round the previous two years, getting sent home by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess have been Pistons since the 2004-05 season, the year after the franchise won its third championship.

Billups, Hamilton and Prince are entering their seventh season in Detroit, hoping to at least advance to the conference finals for the seventh year in a row. But Dumars is confident new coach Michael Curry will motivate the old nucleus to play hard. "Part of the reason we hired Michael Curry was that he can instill a sense of urgency in how we play and the discipline that we play with," Dumars said. "Those two things were missing last year, in my estimation." The Pistons open training camp Sept. 29, and their season-opening game is Oct. 29 at home against the Indiana Pacers. "We're going forward with the same nucleus, but I'm still not happy with how the season ended," Dumars said. "But we'll put that behind us, and we'll try to make it right this year."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 90403/1051

The question was about big man Rasheed Wallace, but you quickly got the feeling new Pistons coach Michael Curry could have been referring to the whole team. Shortly after Curry arrived at the Boys & Girls Club of Flint on Thursday for the second day of the team's statewide media tour, a reporter asked Curry if he had talked with the mercurial power forward over the summer. Curry said he had and stressed that he wanted Wallace -- and the whole team -- to be in better shape when training camp begins later this month. If that happens, Curry said the Pistons finally can shed the Eastern Conference bridesmaid status and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2005. "We talked about focusing more on our strength and conditioning program," Curry said. "Arnie Kander, who we feel is one of the best in the business, I don't think we've taken full advantage of him over the last few years."I want him (Wallace) to be able to maintain his conditioning throughout the season. You can get in basketball shape, but you can play the whole season but not be in great conditioning as well." Kander is the team's strength and conditioning coach.

Curry said he expects to go to Wallace in the low post more and said that to withstand all the bumping and grinding, Wallace needs to be in great shape."That's when teams become champions, when you can dig down and you got that extra strength to be successful," Curry said. Curry missed the first day of the media tour because of the death of his grandmother, Henrietta Curry. His father, James Curry Sr., died in June. "Everybody goes through it," Curry said. "But it's fortunate for us that my grandmother lived 80 years, and she did a great job with her kids and our lives.

Notebook: No word on whether backup defensive specialist Lindsey Hunter will play his 16th NBA season. The team has 14 players under contract. ... Pistons second-round pick Deron Washington, a small forward, signed recently to play in Israel. Power forward Trent Plaisted, another second-round pick, signed earlier this summer to play in Italy.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11898

Pistons second-round pick Deron Washington, a small forward, recently signed to play in Israel this season. Power forward Trent Plaisted, another second-round pick, signed earlier this summer to play in Italy.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11898

There is still no word on whether backup defensive specialist Lindsey Hunter will play his 16th season. The team has 14 players under contract.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11898

He hopes to use a five-man frontcourt rotation. Amir Johnson, it appears, is going to get every opportunity to win the starting spot alongside Wallace. McDyess will be the first big man off the bench, with Brown and Jason Maxiell getting regular minutes -- Brown getting more minutes against bigger teams and Maxiell against smaller, more athletic teams.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11898

Daily conditioning and player development sessions. Curry believes the Pistons have the best strength and conditioning coach in the league (Arnie Kander), and they haven't used him to the fullest in recent years.

"We aren't going to just run guys into the ground, but we are going to spend time every day, regardless if it is a light (practice) or heavy day," Curry said.

Curry has already talked to Rasheed Wallace about coming to camp in shape, and they have mapped out a plan to maintain that conditioning throughout the season. Wallace, who has been at the practice facility most of the summer, has complied.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11898

Pay attention to detail. "Going back to the basics," is a phrase Curry will use a lot. Curry respects veteran players and their past success. What he plans to do, though, is reinforce all the little things that led to their success.

"It sounds simple, but if the play calls for a pick, set the pick," Curry said. "If you are supposed to be in a certain spot on defense, be there. What's happened is, we've had slippage here and because of our talent, we've gotten away with it. But when that slippage starts seeping in and you get into a series against a team that's just as good as you or better, there is no way you can overcome it."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11898

Former Washington Wizards guard Donell Taylor will be in the Charlotte Bobcats' training camp, general manager Rod Higgins told the Observer Thursday. At 6-foot-5, Taylor can play point or shooting guard. He's been scrimmaging with the Bobcats and appears to be a strong defender – twice stripping point guard Raymond Felton of the ball in pickup games Thursday.

Taylor played 98 games for the Wizards during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. His shooting hurt him (39.5 percent from the field) and he was waived last preseason.

Taylor and fellow signee Shannon Brown – who played 15 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and six with the Chicago Bulls last season – figure to compete for the Bobcats' last roster spot along the perimeter.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 348_2.html

After missing 66 games, Arenas returned on April 2 but lacked the explosiveness he displayed prior to suffering the original injury and shut it down for the season following Game 4 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Arenas said he was too aggressive in rehabbing the knee last summer and vowed to take a more cautious approach this time around.According to Arenas, as well as several team sources familiar with the situation, Arenas has followed the rehabilitation guidelines established by team doctors and trainers during the offseason.

Arenas waited until Aug. 1 to resume on-court basketball activity but said he has been bothered by soreness related to "floating particles" in the knee and made the decision to have it taken care of yesterday. "It was my decision," Arenas said. "They told me that I could be back in two or three months without pain or discomfort if I just took care of it now, so that's what I decided to go with." The procedure was performed by team doctor Marc Connell at Sibley Memorial Hospital. "After Gilbert's normal course of rehabilitation was ramped up, he experienced some swelling and discomfort in his knee," Connell said in a statement released by the team. "A subsequent MRI showed that the knee is structurally sound. The decision was made to perform an arthroscopic lavage procedure, during which a moderate amount of debris was removed after saline solution was washed through the knee. The presence of the debris is common with the nature of his previous injury. This was a proactive procedure that will enhance his rehabilitation process."

Grunfeld said the team was aware that Arenas was still going through the rehabilitation process when it signed him to the $111 million contract in July and was not caught off guard by the recent developments. "This is not a one- or two-month proposition for us," Grunfeld said. "Gilbert is 26 years old and we are looking at the big picture and we are expecting to have him in this franchise for a long time and to be an outstanding player for us." Including Arenas, the Wizards have 14 players under contract. League rules allow a maximum of 15 players but Grunfeld said he would be content to open the season with veteran Antonio Daniels and Dee Brown manning the point guard position. DeShawn Stevenson returns as the starting shooting guard, and Nick Young will likely be asked to increase his production following a solid rookie season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports ... 00968.html

Two guards, including former Wizard Taylor, will be in training camp vying for a roster spot.Former Washington Wizards guard Donell Taylor will be in the Charlotte Bobcats' training camp, general manager Rod Higgins told the Observer Thursday.

At 6-foot-5, Taylor can play point or shooting guard. He's been scrimmaging with the Bobcats and appears to be a strong defender – twice stripping point guard Raymond Felton of the ball in pickup games Thursday. Taylor played 98 games for the Wizards during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. His shooting hurt him (39.5 percent from the field) and he was waived last preseason. Taylor and fellow signee Shannon Brown – who played 15 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and six with the Chicago Bulls last season – figure to compete for the Bobcats' last roster spot along the perimeter.

Both have potential to add defensive presence. Adding Taylor and Brown, 6-4, means the Bobcats will take at least 14 players to camp Sept.30 at UNC Wilmington. Taylor played at Alabama-Birmingham, where he starred on a team that upset Kentucky in the 2004 NCAA tournament.

[nasty daddy]

http://rimshots.freedomblogging.com/200 ... -done-yet/

Each night, Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr goes to bed thinking tomorrow will be the day Goran Dragic officially becomes a Sun. So far, he’s been wrong every time.

Eveything is done but the paperwork. The twisted buyout deal with Tau Cerimaca has been agreed upon, and the Suns have their fingers crossed that it is now a matter of hours, not days, until the final stamp is applied. Dragic has been in Phoenix most of the month but hasn’t taken part in any of the five-on-five scrimmages. He’s been restricted to running and working out on the sidelines and watching. And as soon as the deal is finalized, he will have to return to his native Slovenia to complete the work visa process — which could also involve the typical red tape.

Everyone still expects the deal to be completed before training camp begins Sept. 30 in Tucson. It’s disappointing that an opportunity for Dragic to mesh with his teammates and begin the adaptation process on the court has slipped away, but it’s not likely to have much impact provided the deal is resolved quickly.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 04350.html

One day after having minor arthroscopic surgery to clean out debris in his surgically repaired left knee, Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas posted a 2,210-word blog entry yesterday in which he said he will likely return from the procedure between mid-December and early January -- several weeks later than the early December return he originally set Wednesday morning. "I know time frames are dicey, but they said anywhere from mid December to January 1, I'll be back by then at 100 percent," Arenas posted in the entry. "I should be, if everything goes well. So that's the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza present I'm hoping for."

In the blog post, Arenas described his decision-making process in electing to have the procedure and said he had followed a more regimented schedule this summer in hopes of returning to full strength from the injury. "I actually did everything I was supposed to after the season," Arenas said. "I sat out a whole month without doing anything. No nothing. No rehab, no jogging, no nothing. I took the time because whatever the pain was that felt like a pinch or a bruised bone, we felt that over time, with me not doing anything the pinch would go away. . . . It wasn't pain to where I couldn't play, but it was pain to the point where I couldn't get through rehab the way I wanted to and before I stepped on the floor I didn't want anything holding me back."

Arenas, who signed a six-year, $111 million contract this summer, has struggled to return to full health since originally injuring his knee in a collision with Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace on April 4, 2007. Arenas underwent season-ending surgery the next day, and after rehabilitation returned to the starting lineup for the first eight games of last season. But continued problems with the knee forced Arenas to undergo a second surgery in November to repair a medial meniscus tear and an articular surface defect. The all-star guard returned April 2 after missing 66 games, but ended his season after Game 4 of the Wizards' playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the entry, Arenas seemed positive about his ability to return and said he would continue rehabilitation after three days on crutches. "It's going to show what kind of will power I do have," Arenas wrote. "I'm somebody who's gone through three knee surgeries within 17 months. As fast as my stardom came, my knee tried to take it away from me. It's going to just take that much to get back, but for somebody who loves basketball as much as I do, that's not going to be a problem."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketbal ... 6784.story

Don't expect to see Knicks rookie Danilo Gallinari playing any time soon. Gallinari, the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft, might not be ready for the start of training camp Sept. 30. He hurt his back July 15 in the first game of the NBA Summer League. "We'll see," he said at last night's Liberty playoff game when asked if he will be ready to go. "I was optimistic about that, but I don't know now."

Gallinari, who said he arrived in New York last week, hasn't played since leaving the Italian national team in late August and isn't sure when he'll begin practicing with the Knicks. "I've been taking treatment and resting," he said. Gallinari dismissed the notion that the Knicks were upset he didn't come back sooner for treatment. "No," the 20-year-old said. "Everybody was OK."

He said a recent MRI showed no damage. "My back is a little sore," he said. "I just need to take my time. I want to get out there as soon as possible."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=1720

Michael Beasley of the Miami Heat has been fined $50,000 for his involvement in an incident at the league’s Rookie Transition Program earlier this month, and for his initial failure to cooperate with a league investigation of the matter.

Beasley was involved in the same incident for which Miami’s Mario Chalmers and Memphis’ Darrell Arthur were previously fined.

UPDATE: The Palm Beach Post (Chris Perkins) reports: “According to NBA sources, Beasley was in a hotel room with Chalmers, Arthur and two women when the incident took place, but he might have been hiding. The incident occurred when hotel security investigated a smoke alarm going off. When they used a pass key to enter the room, they smelled marijuana. No drugs were found, and Chalmers and Arthur denied using any. Beasley intially was cleared by the NBA, but apparently came forward later.”

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... ing_t.html

Julius Hodge was the ACC Player of the Year in 2004 and drafted 20th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2005. But in so many ways, he is more prepared now to play in the NBA than he was then.Not only is Hodge physically stronger than he's ever been, he feels mentally tougher as well. An incident that nearly ended his life 2-1/2 years ago has made him so. Late in his rookie season, Hodge was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting on a Colorado highway and came within minutes of bleeding to death. After struggling to resume his career, getting traded and eventually playing overseas, Hodge is ready to make his comeback - and the Nets are giving him a chance.

The odds are still stacked against Hodge making the Nets, who already have 16 players under contract - one more than the maximum - but at the very least, he could put himself into position to impress other teams. "Right now, I haven't felt better at any point in my life in terms of getting ready for a basketball season," said Hodge, who is up to his desired playing weight of 220 pounds. "I am more than 100% ready."

Getting to this point has been difficult for Hodge. Following the April 8, 2006 shooting, which left him with five wounds, Hodge underwent three surgeries to remove bullet fragments. Before the start of the following season, he developed a foot infection related to the shooting. After playing in just 18 games for the team that drafted him, Hodge was traded from the Nuggets to the Bucks in the middle of the 2006-07 season. Less than a month later, Hodge was released. Since then, he has played in Europe, Australia and the NBA Developmental League.

[nasty daddy]

http://blogs.herald.com/miami_heat/2008 ... ned-5.html

Heat rookie forward Michael Beasley was fined $50,000 by the NBA Thursday, after admitting he was involved in an incident at the Rookie Transition Program. He will not have to repeat the league's rookie symposium, faces no suspension or further punishment from the Heat.

Beasley did not cooperate with the league's investigation into the incident, which also involved Heat point guard Mario Chalmers and Memphis forward Darrell Arthur. Chalmers and Arthur were expelled from the rookie symposium and each fined $20,000.

As you may recall, two women were found in Arthur and Chalmers' hotel room, a violation of league policy, and security detected the smell of marijuana but did not find drugs or drug paraphernalia. Now it comes to light that Beasley was in the room--for at least part of the time--and that he came forward this week about involvement.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/cont ... almer.html

Despite his young, prized rookies _ Michael Beasley is 19; Mario Chalmers is 22 _ being involved an incident at the Rookie Transition Program, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he doesn’t think they’ll need extra supervision this season. “Being young is no excuse,” Spoelstra said Thursday, a few hours before Beasley’s $50,000 fine was announced. “But we feel we have the structure and discipline in place that we can handle things.”

The Heat had an 18-year-old forward Dorell Wright straight out of high school a few years ago (Spoelstra was an assistant coach then), so Spoelstra feels confident the organization can handle growing pains with Beasley and Chalmers. The Heat has also done well with other “young” rookies (guys with three or fewer years of college) in recent memory, including Dwyane Wade, Caron Butler, and, last year, a 19-year-old Daequan Cook.“We have a great staff…and we feel we have a system in place to help with the discipline process and structure” needed for young players, Spoelstra said.

While the Beasley-Chalmers incident is troubling — Spoelstra said he’d talked to Chalmers “two or three times” about it — it’s being chalked up as a huge learning experience. For now. “That goes without saying it’s a learning experience, and we obviously don’t condone any of that,” Spoelstra said, “but the teaching and the communication process between them and us is not going to stop.” So the Heat, its faith perhaps shaken a bit, continues to trust its rookies. “Everybody is different,” Spoelstra said. “Some people mature and understand the big picture quicker than others.”