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

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10047

Sun to Talk: The Los Angeles Lakers will introduce Chinese guard Sun Yue to the media on Wednesday afternoon.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11991

Andrew Bynum lay on the floor, his feet having been knocked out from beneath him on an alley oop pass during a recent pick up game. He got up immediately. No hesitation. No second thoughts. More importantly, no pain.

Bynum said his surgically-repaired knee is so healthy, he didn’t even blink when he landed hard on the hardwood. “I was fine. I got right back up,” Bynum said Tuesday after a 45-minute question-&-answer session with Register readers. “No pain, no swelling.”

That’s great news for Lakers fans, who are counting on Bynum’s return to get the Lakers back to the NBA Finals. Bynum said he is eager for training camp to begin Monday, when he can play with the rest of the team. “I just want to get back on the court and play with the fellas,” he said.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11991

It's not just the stationary bike that has made Goran Dragic feel as if he was going nowhere despite his early arrival with the Suns. Dragic agreed to a buyout with Tau Ceramica a month ago but has been confined to using a stationary bike as new teammates scrimmaged to prepare for training camp, which opens in a week in Tucson. "I'm Lance Armstrong," he would declare to passers-by, repeating the ribbing he gets.

Dragic can ditch the yellow jersey for a reversible practice jersey today after being cleared Monday to sign his four-year contract with the Suns. It was not a lost month. Dragic bonded with teammates, particularly Boris Diaw, whose "Dragon" nickname stuck on the Slovenian. "He's a fantastic kid," Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said. "He showed up in awe of the surroundings. He idolizes Steve (Nash). Meeting Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) and Amaré (Stoudemire) made it apparent that he's an NBA fan and wanted to be here."

He has worked out diligently with athletic trainers and Suns assistant coach Dan Majerle. He has shown a better-than-advertised outside shot. "We are certainly encouraged by his work ethic," Suns Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said. "His individual workouts with Dan have everyone coming away impressed."

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11991

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have 14 players on its roster for training camp, which begins Sept. 30, the team announced Tuesday.

The roster will include Collison, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Johan Petro, Desmond Mason, Mohamed Sene, Smith, Robert Swift, Earl Watson, Kyle Weaver, Russell Westbrook, D.J. White, Wilcox and Damien Wilkins.

The Thunder will open the 2008-09 season with media day on Monday, followed by the start of training camp Tuesday. The team's first preseason game is Oct. 8 against Minnesota in Billings, Mont.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11991

Nuggets athletic trainer Jim Gillen said rookie Sonny Weems, who underwent sports hernia surgery July 31, will be limited when camp starts Tuesday but it won't be long before he's back to full strength.

Weems injured his groin 1 1/2 years ago. But the injury wasn't properly diagnosed until last summer. "It's feeling good, but I haven't done any explosive jumping or full-speed running," Weems said.

Weems signed last week, calling it a three-year contract with the first year guaranteed for the minimum of $442,114. Three years at the minimum would make the deal worth $2 million.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11991

The Spurs signed first-round pick George Hill on Tuesday.

“I knew it was going to happen,” said Hill, who played with the Spurs' summer-league entry and has been working out in San Antonio since mid-August. “They were just getting all their free agents and stuff in order first. They told me just to be patient, and I was.”

Hill, the 26th choice overall out of IUPUI, will earn a rookie scale contract prescribed by the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. His first two years are guaranteed — at $1.22 million and $1.31 million — while the team retains options for 2010-11 and 2011-12.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11991

Fazekas, a 2003 Ralston Valley High School graduate, said Tuesday he will sign a nonguaranteed contract with the Nuggets before the start of next week's training camp. The 6-foot-11 forward said he had "lots" of camp offers but believes he can make the Nuggets, who recently lost big men Marcus Camby and Eduardo Najera. "I'm confident I can," said Fazekas, who will sign for the $711,517 minimum after averaging 4.1 points in 26 games last season as a rookie with Dallas and the Clippers. "I don't want it to sound like I'm talking with an ego, but I feel I'm good enough to play in the NBA."

If Fazekas, who worked out at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday for a second straight day after having recent workouts with Cleveland, Dallas, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, doesn't bring local flavor to the Nuggets, forward Michael Ruffin could. Ruffin, who also has been working out at the Pepsi Center, expects to attend training camp with Denver or Chicago.

"I'll know in the next few days," said Ruffin, a 1995 Cherry Creek High School graduate who played last season with Milwaukee and has a 1.8 average in eight NBA seasons. "I'll talk to my agent (Andy Miller) and talk to (Denver) coaches and try to get an idea about them keeping a 14th player."

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_11991

Free-agent center David Harrison, a former University of Colorado player, will work out today with Minnesota. Harrison, who said he's not a candidate to attend the Nuggets' camp, recently had workouts with Chicago and San Antonio.

If Harrison isn't offered guaranteed money, he said he will head overseas. Agent Chris Emens said he has multiple offers from Europe and Asia. "Maybe this will end up helping me," Harrison said of his struggle to find NBA work after four erratic seasons with the Pacers. "I came into the NBA with a chip on my shoulder."

Meanwhile, Richard Roby, undrafted in June out of CU, has signed a one-year deal with Israel's Bnei Hasharon. Emens, also Roby's agent, said Roby's NBA chances were hindered last summer by a broken hand and he'll give it another shot next year.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=12639

The University of Missouri-Kansas City on Wednesday signed men's basketball coach Matt Brown to a contract extension through the 2012-2013 season.

In his first season in Kansas City, Brown guided the Kangaroos to an 11-21 record, including a 6-12 mark in Summit League play. "Mike Brown is conducting his program in a first-class manner - in all areas," UMKC director of athletics Tim Hall said. "He is laying the foundation for future success for UMKC men's basketball and the more broad athletic department.

"Building a strong foundation takes time and I wanted to assure Matt, his staff and future recruits that we are committed to building something long enduring."

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=12640

The Charlotte Bobcats extended an offer sheet to Houston Rockets forward Carl Landry on Wednesday. Terms of the offer were not disclosed. A restricted free agent, Landry became a key contributor off the bench for the Rockets last season - particularly in the second half when Yao Ming's season-ending foot injury left a void in Houston's frontcourt.

Landry played 42 games last season, averaging 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds. After the Rockets fell behind, 2-0, in their first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz, Landry played extended minutes in the rest of the series. The 6-7 Landry collected seven points and 11 rebounds in Houston's Game Three victory in Salt Lake City, and contributed a game-saving block of Deron Williams' last-second shot to preserve the 94-92 win. He added 13 points and six boards in Game Four in a losing effort. "Landry is an emerging NBA talent, as evidenced by his play over the final 42 regular-season games and into the Rockets' first-round playoff appearance," Charlotte general manager Rod Higgins said. "His ability to play both the power forward and center position will complement our post play."

After starring at Purdue, Landry was the first pick of the second round - 31st overall - of the 2007 draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who subsequently dealt him to the Rockets. The Bobcats have a crowded but unreliable frontcourt that already features former first-round picks Emeka Okafor and Sean May, both of whom have been hampered by injuries over the last few years.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=12641

The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed center D.J. Mbenga, the team announced Wednesday. A 7-foot, 255-pound native of Congo, Mbenga signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Lakers last season before being inked for the remainder of the season on February 11.

The 27-year-old Mbenga averaged 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in just 26 games in 2007-08. He collected four points and five rebounds in seven postseason contests for Los Angeles, which lost to the rival Boston Celtics in last June's NBA Finals.

Mbenga has averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in parts of four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Lakers.

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http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/ ... the-bench/

There’s been talk about the Pistons going 10 or 11 deep on a regular basis this year. How is Michael Curry going to juggle that rotation? By being sure to utilize a guy’s talents when the situation calls for it. “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.” 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.”

It’s interesting that he mentioned “if we sold him on playing that role” — unless I’m reading too much into it, I’d imagine he’s referring to Walter Herrmann and Kwame Brown, a couple of free agents the Pistons signed who may or may not have turned down more money elsewhere.Herrmann, frequently ignored by the old regime last year, is a great big ball of long limbs and long hair on defense, and what he lacks in technique he makes up for in frantic energy. The much-maligned Brown, meanwhile, is a talented interior defender capable of banging with some of the league’s bigger post players.

So what does this actually mean? One of the biggest complaints fans had about Flip Saunders was his slow in-game adjustments, but if Curry is serious about throwing a different look at a guy who’s getting hot, it’s possible that won’t be as much of a problem. Some NBA starters might not appreciate a rookie coach keeping them on a short list, but if Joe Dumars accomplished anything this summer it was sending the message that nobody is entitled to anything and everybody will be held accountable.

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

There are mornings when Joe Dumars arrives early at his office which overlooks the Detroit Pistons' practice court, and he sees Arron Afflalo drenched in sweat. "It's been like that since he got here," said Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations who drafted Afflalo in 2007. "He's one of those players that you don't have to talk to about trying to get better. If you watch him play and watch how he prepares himself on a day-in, day-out basis, his work ethic is exactly what you want and need on your team." As training camp will start next week, those early morning workouts should result in more playing time for the second-year guard.

Pistons coach Michael Curry hasn't determined what the rotation will look like, but he knows Afflalo will be Richard Hamilton's backup at shooting guard. In the past, having the title "backup" behind Richard Hamilton didn't mean much -- not with Hamilton logging close to 40 minutes per game. But Afflalo has a greater chance to play more minutes than his predecessors, in part because of his relationship with Curry. As a Pistons assistant coach last season, Curry spent a lot of time working with the bench players, including Afflalo. Curry stressed an important message to Detroit's backups: always be ready to play, because there's no telling when an opportunity to get on the floor will come. Curry was impressed at how well Afflalo carried out that mantra, despite the limited action he saw as a rookie. "I thought he was as consistent a player as we had (last season), as far as following the game plan and doing things that we needed to do," Curry said.

Afflalo knows he will be counted on this season. But he's not taking anything for granted. "I think I'll be playing more this year, but there's no guarantee of that," Afflalo said. "That's why you have to stay on top of your game, keep trying to get better so that when you do get an opportunity to play, you'll make the most of it." After averaging 3.7 points per game last season, one would think Afflalo's focus this summer would have been on scoring. He said he'll look to score more, but it won't be something he'll focus all his attention on this season. "My scoring will come," Afflalo said. "My whole thing last year, and it's the same way this year, is winning. That's the only thing I care about -- just helping this team win a championship." Said Dumars: "We're not worried about Arron's scoring. Arron's best quality isn't in his scoring, defense or anything like that. He's a competitor; he does whatever has to be done to help his team win. Guys like that find a way to get it done, and that's what you want when you're a team like us that every year is seriously talking about winning a championship."

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=12642

Denver Nuggets guard Chucky Atkins underwent arthroscopic surgery on his bothersome right knee Wednesday and is expected to miss about six weeks.

The operation repaired torn cartilage from the knee and cleaned out loose bodies. Atkins underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed the injury after the veteran guard began experiencing discomfort two weeks ago during a pick-up game. The team's orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Steve Traina, performed the surgery.

The Nuggets signed Atkins prior to last season and expected him to be a major part of the team's backcourt rotation, but a hernia hobbled him for most of the season, when he appeared in just 24 games. He averaged 4.7 points and 2.0 assists last season and 10.6 and 3.6 while shooting 41.5 percent from the field in nine NBA seasons for seven teams.

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

Nuggets guard Chucky Atkins will miss six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Atkins, a former Piston, felt pain two weeks ago while playing pickup games.

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

Bobcats extend offer sheet : The Bobcats signed Rockets restricted free-agent forward Carl Landry to a three-year, $9 million offer.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 925&lc=NBA

Monta Ellis was riding a moped when he severely injured his left ankle last month in his native Jackson, Miss., sources close to the Warriors guard told The Chronicle. The 22-year-old tore a deltoid ligament in his ankle and sustained a high-ankle sprain in what one of the sources labeled a "low-speed" accident. Ellis underwent surgery on Aug. 27 and is expected to be sidelined for at least another two months.

The cause of Ellis' injury was unclear, even to Golden State officials, immediately after he hurt himself in late August. He initially told vice president Chris Mullin the injury occurred during a pick-up basketball game, before coming clean about the moped mishap. The team has not decided how to punish Ellis for violating the terms of his new six-year, $66 million deal by participating in a banned activity and trying to cover it up. Since riding a moped is prohibited under the uniform player contract, the Warriors could move to terminate Ellis' deal, though such a move seems highly unlikely.

The sources added that no final Warriors decision on Ellis is expected until next week after the two sides work through the situation. Ellis has been going back and forth between Mississippi and Birmingham, Ala, where his surgery took place. Ellis won't be with the team Friday, when players gather for their annual media-day festivities. The team expects Ellis to arrive in Oakland sometime early in training camp, pending medical approval.

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... .DTL&tsp=1

Monta Ellis was riding a moped when he severely injured his left ankle last month in his native Jackson, Miss., sources close to the Warriors guard told The Chronicle on Wednesday. The 22-year-old tore a deltoid ligament in his ankle and sustained a high-ankle sprain in what one of the sources labeled a "low-speed" accident. Ellis underwent surgery Aug. 27 and is expected to be sidelined for at least another two months. The cause of Ellis' injury was unclear, even to Golden State officials, immediately after he hurt himself in late August. He initially told vice president Chris Mullin the injury occurred during a pickup basketball game, before coming clean about the moped mishap. The team has not decided how to punish Ellis for violating the terms of his new six-year, $66 million deal by participating in a banned activity and trying to cover it up.

Since riding a moped is prohibited under the uniform player contract, the Warriors could move to terminate Ellis' deal, though such a move seems highly unlikely. A possible punishment for Ellis is a heavy fine or suspension. It's also possible the Warriors will let Ellis off the hook completely, chalking the incident up to the youngster's maturation process. The Lakers faced a similar situation two seasons ago when forward Vladimir Radmanovic separated his shoulder in a snowboarding accident in Park City, Utah. Radmanovic, who initially said he slipped on a patch of ice, missed about two months and was fined $500,000, or roughly one-tenth of his salary.The sources added that no final Warriors decision on Ellis is expected until next week after the two sides work through the situation. Ellis has been going back and forth between Mississippi and Birmingham, Ala., where his surgery took place.

Ellis won't be with the team Friday, when players gather for their annual media-day festivities. The team expects Ellis to arrive in Oakland sometime early in training camp, pending medical approval. The Warriors had no comment. Ellis' agent, Jeff Fried, also declined to comment. Beginning Saturday, the Warriors will hold two-a-day practices for the next week at their downtown Oakland facility. This year's edition of roster hopefuls includes rookie guards DeMarcus Nelson and Anthony Morrow and forwards Dion Dowell and Rob Kurz.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 925&lc=NBA

Rounding out the roster are draft choices Joe Alexander of West Virginia and Luc Richard Mbah a Mouta of UCLA, along with four other players who were signed for training camp - 6-9 forward T.J. Cummings, 6-10 forward Matt Freije, 6-5 guard Ron Howard, and 6-2 guard Kevin Kruger.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 925&lc=NBA

Although Gallinari doesn't have a timetable for his return and said he has been limited to only a little bit of shooting, he remains positive about his chances of participating. "It's feeling better, so much better, so I'm real optimistic about being in the training camp," Gallinari said. "It's improving in the right way."

While it was widely believed that Gallinari first injured his back in the Knicks' first summer-league game back on July 15, the 20-year-old forward disclosed Wednesday that he actually first felt the soreness flare up before that.

"It was a little bit before the summer league, when we were in Las Vegas," said Gallinari. "The reason was not just that game, when I fell down. It was not that. I think many reasons, probably. I don't know. I feel better than when I was in Vegas, for sure."