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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

Contenders:1. Boston: Will winning the title temper the fire and selflessness they displayed last year? How will they compensate for the loss of reserves James Posey and P.J. Brown? Will age finally catch up to Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (both will be 33 by the end of the season)? 2. Detroit: Can new coach Michael Curry keep Rasheed Wallace focused, fresh and productive beyond the second round of the playoffs? Will internal growth from Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Amir Johnson and a new coaching staff be enough? Can the aging core -- particularly point guard and captain Chauncey Billups -- stay healthy and at least maintain past productivity? 3. Orlando: Can the addition of another athletic wing player (Mickael Pietrus) and an aging backup (Anthony Johnson) make up for still being grossly undersized at point guard? Is this the year Dwight Howard does more on offense than just dunk? And if so, will there be enough shots to placate him, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Pietrus? 4. Cleveland: Adding Mo Williams gives the Cavs a solid secondary scorer, but how well will a shoot-first point guard mesh with LeBron James? How much do Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas have left? Will it take an MVP year from James to get the Cavs back to the NBA Finals? 5. Philadelphia: Will Elton Brand, at 29 and coming off Achilles' tendon surgery, still be a 20-point, 10-rebound guy in the more rugged East? Do the 76ers have enough perimeter scoring threats with Thaddeus Young (small forward), Andre Iguodala (shooting guard) and Andre Miller (point guard)? They are a more traditional low-post team now, but weren't they at their best last year playing small and fast?

Pretenders: 6. Toronto: Having missed 122 games the last four years, does anybody know what kind of player Jermaine O'Neal is anymore? Jose Calderon might be one of the top three point guards in the East, but can he handle the burden of being the full-time starter? Can Andrea Bargnani, coming off a horrible sophomore season, boost a critically-thin bench? 7. Miami: Even with a healthy Dwyane Wade, a hungry Shawn Marion (contract year) and an exciting rookie (Michael Beasley), can this team really win more than 30 games? With Udonis Haslem and Marcus Banks starting at point guard? Will Marion be a distraction if the Heat don't offer him a suitable extension? 8. Washington: Can Gilbert Arenas regain his all-star form after having three knee surgeries in 17 months? The Wizards gave huge contract to Arenas and Antawn Jamison, but did they do so again at the expense of improving the team's depth and balance? Are they not the same team, maybe a little worse, than the ones that have made early playoff exits the last few seasons? 9. Atlanta: Couldn't this team win as many games as last season (37) and be way out of playoff contention this year? Do you think Josh Smith is going to be a happy camper after the travails of this summer? We love Mo Evans, but do you really think he can provide a stabilizing veteran presence? 10. New York: Am I the only one who thinks Mike D'Antoni can get something out of this team, especially once the specter of Stephon Marbury is gone? Am I the only one who thinks a nucleus of Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson (who fits D'Antoni's style), David Lee and Eddy Curry can at least be taken seriously in the East? Especially if Zach Randolph buys into the program?

Lottery lane:11. Milwaukee: Credit general manager John Hammond for dumping some bad contracts and adding a quality talent like Richard Jefferson, but is there enough talent left to fight for a playoff spot? With Luke Ridnour and Tyronn Lue as the point guards? Will Scott Skiles rejuvenate or alienate Michael Redd? 12. Charlotte: Which Larry Brown will coach this team -- the guy who took the Pistons to a title or the guy who melted down in New York? Can Brown and shoot-first, pass-never guard Jason Richardson co-exist? Can freewheeling Gerald Wallace adapt to the strictures of Brown's system? 13. Indiana: Will addition by subtraction (unloading O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley) be enough to challenge for a playoff spot? Can they get enough offensive production from the frontcourt (Troy Murphy, Rasho Nesterovic, Jeff Foster)? Will T.J. Ford be any more willing to share the point with Jarrett Jack than he was with Calderon in Toronto? 14. Chicago: Even if Derrick Rose is as advertised and Ben Gordon somehow gets re-signed, can this team still win more than 25 games? Who out of this collection of brick-layers becomes the go-to scorer? Who do you like at center, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, Drew Gooden? 15. New Jersey: Does anybody expect Vince Carter to last a full season with this crew? Who do you like at center, rookie Brook Lopez or undersized Josh Boone? Does coach Lawrence Frank survive?

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102

PLAYER MOVEMENT:
A team-by-team look at who's playing where in the Eastern Conference this season:
Atlanta
Added: Maurice Evans (Orlando), Flip Murray (Indiana)
Lost: Josh Childress (Greece)
Unsigned: Salim Stoudamire
Boston
Added: Patrick O'Bryant (Golden State), Darius Miles (Portland), Bill Walker (rookie)
Lost: James Posey (New Orleans), P.J. Brown (retired), Scot Pollard
Charlotte
Added: Shannon Brown (Chicago), D.J. Augustin (rookie)
Lost: Nobody
Chicago
Added: Derrick Rose (rookie)
Lost: Chris Duhon (New York), Shannon Brown (Chicago)
Unsigned: Ben Gordon
Cleveland
Added: Maurice Williams (Milwaukee), Lorenzen Wright (Sacramento)
Lost: Damon Jones (Milwaukee), Joe Smith (Oklahoma City)
Detroit
Added: Kwame Brown (Memphis), Will Bynum (Israel)
Lost: Jarvis Hayes (New Jersey), Theo Ratliff (Philadelphia), Juan Dixon (free agent)
Unsigned: Lindsey Hunter

Indiana
Added: T.J. Ford (Toronto), Rasho Nesterovic (Toronto), Jarrett Jack (Portland), Brandon Rush (rookie)
Lost: Jermaine O'Neal (Toronto), Kareem Rush (Philadelphia), Flip Murray (Atlanta), Ike Diogu (Portland)
Miami
Added: James Jones (Portland), Yakhouba Diawara (Denver), Jamaal Magloire (New Jersey), Michael Beasley (rookie), Mario Chalmers (rookie)
Lost: Ricky Davis (Clippers), Jason Williams (Clippers), Earl Barron (Italy)
Unsigned: Alonzo Mourning
Milwaukee
Added: Richard Jefferson (New Jersey), Luke Ridnour (Oklahoma City), Tyronn Lue (Dallas), Malik Allen (Dallas), Francisco Elson (Oklahoma City), Damon Jones (Cleveland), Adrian Griffin (Oklahoma City)
Lost: Yi Jianlian (New Jersey), Bobby Simmons (New Jersey), Maurice Williams (Cleveland), Desmond Mason (Oklahoma City), Joe Smith (Oklahoma City)
New Jersey Added: Jarvis Hayes (Detroit), Eduardo Najera (Denver), Bobby Simmons (Milwaukee), Yi Jianlian (Milwaukee), Keyon Dooling (Orlando), Brook Lopez (rookie), Ryan Anderson (rookie), Chris Douglas-Roberts (rookie)
Lost: Richard Jefferson (Milwaukee), DeSagana Diop (Dallas), Nenad Krstic (Russia), Bokie Nochbar (Russia), Marcus Williams (Golden State)
New York Added: Chris Duhon (Chicago), Danilo Gallinari (rookie)
Lost: Randolph Morris (Atlanta), Renaldo Balkman (Denver)

Orlando
Added: Mickael Pietrus (Golden State), Anthony Johnson (Sacramento)
Lost: Carlos Arroyo (Israel), Maurice Evans (Atlanta), Keyon Dooling (New Jersey)
Philadelphia
Added: Elton Brand (Clippers), Theo Ratliff (Detroit), Kareem Rush (Indiana), Donyell Marshall (Oklahoma City)
Lost: Calvin Booth (Minnesota), Rodney Carney (Minnesota)
Toronto
Added: Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana), Hassan Adams (Italy)
Lost: Carlos Delfino (Russia), Rasho Nesterovic (Indiana), T.J. Ford (Indiana)
Washington
Added: JaVale McGee (rookie)
Lost: Roger Mason (San Antonio)
• Next week: Western Conference

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ons_o.html

In other news, former Detroit Piston guard Juan Dixon has signed a contract to return to the Washington Wizards.

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ons_o.html

The NBA season is getting closer and closer, and fans that want to see the Pistons practice can get a glimpse of the team for free next week.

The Detroit Pistons will host an open practice inside the Oakland University Athletic Center Arena (The O'Rena) on Thursday, October 2 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Admission is free for all fans and Oakland University students and doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to park in the Oakland University Athletic Center Arena parking structure or at the Vandeberg Hall parking area. Pistons players will practice on the court beginning at 6:30 p.m. Oakland University students attending the open practice will have an opportunity to compete in a special contest between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. One male and one female winner will be determined and both will receive a $500 gift certificate toward the purchase of their books for the winter semester. Specially priced tickets for Pistons opening night on October 29 will also be offered to Oakland University students and faculty.

With the Tigers slouching towards the end of a disappointing season and the Lions starting off their season like...the Lions, Michigan sport fans can get excited about the Red Wing and Piston seasons getting ready to start.

[nasty daddy]

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

No major moves by Joe Dumars this summer means the Detroit Pistons, one of the NBA's deepest teams a year ago, still have an abundance of talented players. That depth has first-year coach Michael Curry giving some thought to utilizing a 10-man rotation heading into training camp, which begins next week. "I think looking at our guys, we have 10 guys that have been playing minutes at times throughout," Curry said. "Our goal is to not set a number, but to prepare guys to play certain roles." To achieve that, Curry will have to trim some minutes from starters, who are accustomed to playing in the mid-to-high 30-minutes-per-game range. Last season, former Pistons coach Flip Saunders tried something similar, which led to open resentment by some starters. Curry doesn't expect that to be an issue this season. "I've told our players this summer when I've talked to them, we have a very talented team; not just our starting five," Curry said. "Sometimes you're going to come out of the game not because you're tired or because you made mistakes, but because it's time for other guys to get a chance to get out on the court and play and perform as well."

Second-year guards Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo are expected to come off the bench and play more this season. Fourth-year forward Amir Johnson, who has appeared in just 73 total NBA games, will be looking to join Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace in the starting frontcourt. Johnson will be competing with incumbent starter Antonio McDyess, as well as Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown who was signed by the Pistons this summer. And forward Walter Herrmann, who re-signed with Detroit this summer, is expected to have a shot at cracking the regular rotation this season as well. Curry spent 11 seasons in the NBA as a player, with the bulk of his career as a backup, who saw action primarily because of his defensive play. That experience allows Curry to understand better than many coaches the frustration that reserves sometimes feel when not given an opportunity to play when the team appears to be in need of what they do best. "If someone who is supposed to be a defensive guy and that position is being scorched, if he's a defensive guy, he expects to be in the game," Curry said. "And if we sold him on playing that role, than we have to put him in the game at that time."

This surely will result in a starter or two finding themselves on the bench from time to time, more often than they are accustomed. Curry did not hesitate to take a player off the floor during summer league when the Pistons on the floor weren't executing to his standards. He said he won't treat the team's regulars any differently. "Even in summer league, we gave guys a lot of opportunities," Curry said. "We didn't just jack them out if they made a mistake. But if you come out of a time-out, or you start a game off or a quarter off, making mistakes out of something we just went over, that's just a lack of concentration and focus. So there's no need to have that person in the game at that time. "They're going to have to come and regroup themselves. It's on us (coaches) to make sure our guys are in the condition that they need to be in at a level we want them to play at. And if they're not, we have to make sure someone else is in there."

[nasty daddy]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy has reported to a federal prison camp to begin his 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal. Donaghy's attorney, John Lauro, says his client arrived at the Saufley Field minimum-security prison about 1 p.m. Tuesday.

A New York judge sentenced Donaghy in July after the 41-year-old referee said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on games - including games he worked. Donaghy said he was a gambling addict who needs treatment, not incarceration.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce in the tips-for-payoffs scheme.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

Marbury's $21.9 million is a big number. Some agents suggest that a fair buyout would be about 75 percent of that, around $16.5 million, which is a hefty price to pay to set someone free to go play elsewhere. That's not an easy check to write, as we said in the Tuesday report:

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

“He’s coming to training camp,” Donnie Walsh, the team president, said Tuesday night.

It was the most forceful declaration that Walsh has made on the subject, and it came in the wake of a report by Newsday that Marbury would be waived by the end of this week. The newspaper, citing anonymous sources, reported that the Knicks would try to negotiate a buyout of the final year of Marbury’s contract. He is due $21.9 million this season. Marbury has been a source of controversy and locker-room tension throughout his four and a half years with the Knicks. There is a strong feeling within the organization that dumping Marbury is necessary to change a losing culture, and that desire was broadcast to others in the league this summer.

Last week, a veteran Knicks player said he had been assured that Marbury would be gone before the team’s media day, next Monday. The Knicks leave for training camp in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., that day. A number of other people with close ties to the team reiterated Tuesday that they were certain that Marbury would not be present next week. But Walsh, saying that he did not wish to prejudge anyone, insisted that nothing was in motion.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

With 15 contracts (technically, 16 if you include Van Horn), camp probably won't have many make-good types. As of now, the only non-roster guys who are confirmed are Julius Hodge and Brian Hamilton, the 6-6 wing whose only pro experience is in the USBL ('05-06) and the D-League (07-08). Eddie Gill, honorary Jersey Guy, might be added to the group, but he is considering other offers.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

Oleksiy Pecherov (ankle) played 5-on-5 Monday for the first time since the end of the season and is ready for camp. So is Darius Songaila (back).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

The team added depth at guard by signing former Wizards and Maryland player Juan Dixon on Tuesday. "He's a proven NBA player," Grunfeld said. "He's a tough, hard-nosed competitor."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

The prospect of a month or two - or who knows how long? - without Gilbert Arenas has not dimmed the expectations of the men who run the Washington Wizards.

Sitting side by side Tuesday, president Ernie Grunfeld and coach Eddie Jordan made clear they expect their team to make the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. Grunfeld's stated goal is to earn home-court advantage for the first round.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

Salim Stoudamire has a new home.

The former Hawks reserve guard will play in San Antonio with the Spurs. Stoudamire, who left as an unrestricted free agent after three seasons with the Hawks, signed a two-year deal with the Western Conference power and moves into a place where there is a glaring need for some scoring punch off the bench.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

The Orlando Magic will take 16 players into training camp next week, adding small forward Jeremy Richardson and power forward-center Dwyane Jones to the roster.

Jones, 6 feet 11, 250 pounds, finished last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, participating in five playoffs games as a backup. Jones, 25, has played 74 NBA games over three seasons.

Richardson, 6 feet 7, has played 33 NBA games since 2006, finishing last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He has played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2008/0 ... sessm.html

With 15 contracts (technically, 16 if you include Van Horn), camp probably won't have many make-good types. As of now, the only non-roster guys who are confirmed are Julius Hodge and Brian Hamilton, the 6-6 wing whose only pro experience is in the USBL ('05-06) and the D-League (07-08). Eddie Gill, honorary Jersey Guy, might be added to the group, but he is considering other offers.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

With Dorell Wright to open training camp still limited after last season's knee surgery, and with Dwyane Wade expected to be given extended breaks after a grueling month at the Olympics, the Heat is looking at three additions to round out its camp roster.

The best-known of the trio is former University of Florida swingman Matt Walsh, who played three games for the Heat in 2005, after going undrafted earlier that year. The 6-foot-6 Walsh has spent the past two seasons in Greece, Spain and Belgium, after tryouts with the Nets and Cavaliers. Walsh and the Heat have verbally agreed on a non-guaranteed deal at the veteran's minimum.

Also working with the team in advance of Saturday's start of training camp at AmericanAirlines Arena have been former Jacksonville State power forward Omar Bartlett and former South Carolina guard Tre Kelley, who won the 2007 Naismith Award as the nation's top 6-foot-or-under collegian and then signed to play this past season in Croatia.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 924&lc=NBA

Redd said he will monitor his body after spending most of the summer practicing and playing for the U.S. squad. He did not wind up playing a lot of minutes during the Olympics, but there also were tune-up games, two training camps in Las Vegas and numerous practices.

“The body took a lot of wear and tear, no question about it,” Redd said. “We’ll see how it goes, and we’ll figure it out.

“It was draining, though. I’ve been trying to get revved up again the last few weeks.”

[nasty daddy]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/b ... 7432.story

The Orlando Magic will take 16 players into training camp next week, adding small forward Jeremy Richardson and power forward-center Dwyane Jones to the roster.

Jones, 6 feet 11, 250 pounds, finished last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, participating in five playoffs games as a backup. Jones, 25, has played 74 NBA games over three seasons.

Richardson, 6 feet 7, has played 33 NBA games since 2006, finishing last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He has played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs. Richardson and Jones join point guard Mike Wilks, point guard Anthony Johnson and shooting guard Mikael Pietrus as the Magic's new players.

[nasty daddy]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

The prospect of a month or two - or who knows how long? - without Gilbert Arenas has not dimmed the expectations of the men who run the Washington Wizards.

"We don't have a time frame for when he's going to be back," Grunfeld said. "It's a process. We expect him to be back and be an outstanding player in this league. This, for us, is not a two- or three-month proposition. We're looking at the long term here. He's only 26."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/bask ... 9394.story

With Dorell Wright to open training camp still limited after last season's knee surgery, and with Dwyane Wade expected to be given extended breaks after a grueling month at the Olympics, the Heat is looking at three additions to round out its camp roster. The best-known of the trio is former University of Florida swingman Matt Walsh, who played three games for the Heat in 2005, after going undrafted earlier that year. The 6-foot-6 Walsh has spent the past two seasons in Greece, Spain and Belgium, after tryouts with the Nets and Cavaliers. Walsh and the Heat have verbally agreed on a non-guaranteed deal at the veteran's minimum.

Also working with the team in advance of Saturday's start of training camp at AmericanAirlines Arena have been former Jacksonville State power forward Omar Bartlett and former South Carolina guard Tre Kelley, who won the 2007 Naismith Award as the nation's top 6-foot-or-under collegian and then signed to play this past season in Croatia.

Walsh, Bartlett and Kelley would leave the Heat at the NBA camp maximum of 20.