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

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

Post#841 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:30 am

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Houston's leading scorer said Monday that his left shoulder is arthritic and will require surgery after this season. He also said his left knee is healing slower than expected from surgery in the spring.

McGrady sprained his shoulder against Sacramento on March 24, and wore padding to protect it for the rest of the season. He had surgery in May to clear loose tissue in his shoulder and knee. He said his knee is "probably 75-80 percent" healthy and will take another two months to fully heal.

McGrady said an MRI revealed the arthritis in his shoulder. "That's something I've got to deal with again this season," said McGrady, who averaged 21.6 points last season and was selected third-team all-NBA. "My knee should be ready to go by opening night."McGrady said the shoulder injury was not going to keep him out of practices or games, but added that, "it's going to bother me."

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Post#842 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:52 am

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Pistons forward Antonio McDyess could only laugh.

When asked today whether he was surprised that the team's core of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and himself remained intact on the eve of training camp, all he could say was: "Yeah," with a grin.

The main news at today's media day at the Pistons' practice facility was the team will roll with pretty much the same lineup -- despite team president Joe Dumars' declaration that there were no sacred cows after the Pistons were eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals by the Boston Celtics. McDyess said he didn't blame Dumars, and he appreciates the expectations.

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

Post#843 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:06 am

http://www.mlive.com/sportsflash/index. ... ichigannba

The nucleus of Detroit Pistons veterans that was expected to be broken up in the off-season was back together Monday, all focused on bringing an NBA Championship together. It's a title quest that many thought would take on a new look after Pistons' president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in June there would be "no sacred cows," essentially putting all of Detroit's marquee players on the trading block. Four months later, the talk was business as usual. "It's a great opportunity. I think a lot of people and a lot of teams would want us to break up," guard Richard Hamilton said Monday at the team's annual media day. "I think everybody was licking their chops at the end of the summer. "But we feel good about our chances."Detroit has been eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals in each of the past three years losing to Boston, Cleveland and Miami.After the Pistons' latest disappointing finish, head coach Flip Saunders was fired and Dumars talked about rebuilding his corps of veterans that includes Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Price, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.

But after hiring Michael Curry to replace Saunders, Dumars chose to stick with his stable of household names while adding some youth with center Kwame Brown, guard Will Bynum and forward Walter Sharpe and promising more playing time to returning youngsters like Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey, who appeared in 57 games last year averaging 7.6 points per game, was the only player Dumars said he wouldn't trade. Curry said Monday he's pleased with the collection of players he has to work with, adding he wasn't surprised that his team's nucleus remains in tact. "We don't have guys that you just want to get rid of," Curry said. "If there was a trade out there that was going to make us better, (Dumars) was willing to do that. "Nothing came close to coming across his desk that was going to make us better as a team." While Curry won't tinker with his team's core, he knows that age also will be a factor. He's pleased with the physical condition Detroit's veterans reported to camp in, and he knows he must get more out of his younger players.

And if another successful postseason run comes as a result of Curry's dedication to play youthful players more, Pistons' veterans aren't complaining. "To me, that's good," Wallace said. "When you get in those tough situations, our young guys will be prepared in the playoffs for a tough game. They're going to win some games for us this year and they're going to lose some games for us. "But I would rather that happen in the regular season so they know how to prepare themselves and they know what to do." The Pistons will attempt to reach at least the conference finals for the seventh straight year, combining the new with the old. And although some analysts believe the Pistons are too old to make another run and that their window of opportunity has closed, Curry's players are anxious to prove the naysayers wrong. Chief among those most eager are Detroit's veterans, who look at Dumars' decision to keep them together as another chance to succeed. "We've had some great years and I believe we're going to have some great ones," Billups said. "Like I've said all along, I love playing with these guys. We've been to the top of that mountain before together and I think with a few little change-ups, we can get back there."

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Post#844 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:11 am

http://www.mlive.com/sportsflash/index. ... basketball

Deanna Nolan scored 21 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 19 to help the Detroit Shock reach the WNBA finals for the third straight season with a 75-73 win Monday over the New York Liberty. The Shock won the best-of-three Eastern Conference finals and advanced to play San Antonio for the championship. Detroit beat Sacramento in 2006 for its second league title, then lost in five games to Phoenix last year. The Shock led by 20 in the first half, but had to fight off the deeper Liberty in the second half. Sixth woman Plenette Pierson, who played well in Sunday's Game 2 just seven days after dislocating her shoulder, was limited to two points in six minutes on Monday.

Both games were played on the campus of Eastern Michigan University because of scheduling conflicts at the Palace of Auburn Hills — about an hour's drive away. New York got within two early in the fourth, but Loree Moore missed a free throw and Alexis Hornbuckle answered with five quick points for the Shock.

Cathrine Kraayeveld missed two free throws with 2:42 remaining that could have again got the Liberty two points away, and Nolan hit a jumper at the other end to make it a six-point game. Detroit had a chance to put the game away from the line, but two misses by Hornbuckle with 17 seconds left gave New York a chance, trailing 75-71. The Liberty missed two 3-pointers, before McWilliams-Franklin fouled Shameka Christon with 0.8 seconds left. Christon made both free throws, cutting Detroit's deficit to two, but the Shock ran out the clock. Katie Smith added 16 for the Shock, while Janel McCarville led New York with 21.

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

Post#845 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:22 am

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 00364/1051

Pistons forward Antonio McDyess could only grin and laugh. Asked if he was surprised that the core of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and himself remained intact on the eve of training camp, all McDyess could say was: "I'm surprised, yeah. I'm definitely surprised at that. "Going through four years in a row and not getting back to the finals three of those years, it is surprising because anyone else would pull the trigger any time." The main news at Monday's media day at the Pistons' practice facility was no news. The team will have pretty much the same lineup entering camp as it had in previous seasons -- despite Joe Dumars' declaration that there were no sacred cows after the Pistons were eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals by the Boston Celtics last season.

It marked the third consecutive year the Pistons' season ended at that point, but Dumars' frustration as president of basketball operations came out at the season-ending news conference. That set off a summer of trade speculation surrounding the core group, but Dumars has said he didn't get a sufficient deal to break up the veteran group. "If there was a trade out there that was going to make us better, he was willing to do that," new coach Michael Curry said. "But the deals we discussed, nothing close came across his desk that would make us better without taking two or three of our guys so it wouldn't have made us better."The Pistons are hoping the continued maturation of young players Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Jason Maxiell, the addition of free-agent power forward and former No. 1 draft pick Kwame Brown and a new voice on the bench in Curry will be enough to get the team back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2005 -- and possibly grab another title to go with the one won in 2004. The team captain endorsed the non-moves. "I love playing with those guys," point guard Chauncey Billups said. "We've been to the top of that mountain together. With a few different change-ups now we can get back there so I was definitely happy to see this team didn't change."

Billups took the trade rumors in stride, saying that playing for four teams the first six years of his NBA career had prepared him well for this summer. "It wasn't really different," he said. "I just had forgotten about (it) because it had been so long. "But one thing about it is, it's just business. I understand that and I've been a part of that for a long time. When you lose, somebody's going to take the blame. And most of the time, the captain or the best player, you are going to take a lot of that blame so you got to take the good with the bad."McDyess said he didn't blame Dumars for feeling the way he did. Heck, he felt it himself after the loss to Boston. "It left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth knowing we were right there on the edge of getting back to the finals -- a game or two away from not making it," McDyess said. "The things that Joe said were true."

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Post#846 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:26 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 930&lc=NBA

Kendrick Perkins prepared himself by envisioning the worst following off-season shoulder surgery. He braced for a more delayed return to action than appeared to be the case yesterday, when the Celtics opened training camp with their annual Media Day.

Perkins hopes to resume full contact by the second week of camp, before the first exhibition game on Oct. 8 against Philadelphia.

“I was expecting the worst,” he said. “I thought I was probably going to be out for a few regular-season games. Even if that’s not what happens, it still (ticks) you off because you can’t just get back to things right away. But that’s why it was such a big decision of whether or not to have surgery. It was the timing of everything, when I would be back.”

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Post#847 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:29 am

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t’s not quite what they teach you in biology, but in Tony Allen’s case, the knee is connected to the head.

And, thankfully for the Celtics [team stats], both seem to be in fine working order as the season commences today with training camp.

“I feel good,” said Allen, who struggled at times last season coming back from left knee surgery. “I’m all right, ready to attack the season.”

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Post#848 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:29 am

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Heat general manager Randy Pfund, who helped Miami win the 2006 NBA championship as the highlight of his 13 years with the franchise, resigned Monday.

Pfund said Monday night that it was "the perfect time to pursue other opportunities within the NBA," without offering specifics.

Team president Pat Riley - who already had final say on virtually all personnel moves - will assume at least some of Pfund's duties, which included overseeing draft preparation, scouting, salary cap management and player personnel decisions.

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Post#849 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:33 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 930&lc=NBA

There was no noticeable limp when Manu Ginobili walked into the San Antonio Spurs training facility Monday. Even better, there was no sign of bad feelings from his teammates

Ginobili, who had surgery on his left ankle in early September, could miss at least two months of the season. Though off crutches and out of a protective boot, he's still got plenty of rehab. "It could be a blessing he's gotten operated on, and (surgeons) went in there and cleaned things out," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Had he not hurt it in the Olympics, he probably would have done it 15, 25, 35 games into the season.

"His ankle probably would be in better shape now than it's been in years."

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Post#850 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:35 am

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Matt Harpring's knees are fine. It's complications from ankle surgery this summer that are keeping him from joining his teammates at Utah Jazz training camp.

Harpring said Monday at Jazz media day that he developed a strep infection after the surgery to remove a bone spur in his right ankle in June. He spent several days at a hospital in Atlanta, then as he was recovering the antibiotics that had been pumped into his body made him painfully sick for another week.

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Post#851 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:38 am

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The Houston Rockets, buzzing about the arrival of Ron Artest, already have injury concerns with Tracy McGrady. Houston's leading scorer said Monday that his left shoulder is arthritic and will require surgery after this season. He also said his left knee is healing slower than expected from surgery in the spring.

McGrady sprained his shoulder against Sacramento on March 24, and wore padding to protect it for the rest of the season. He had surgery in May to clear loose tissue in his shoulder and knee. He said his knee is "probably 75-80 percent" healthy and will take another two months to fully heal.

McGrady said an MRI revealed the arthritis in his shoulder. "That's something I've got to deal with again this season," said McGrady, who averaged 21.6 points last season and was selected third-team all-NBA. "My knee should be ready to go by opening night."

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Post#852 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:44 am

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Minnesota Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson says he's "feeling wonderful" just a couple weeks after spraining his right knee during a workout with teammates.

Jefferson was moving around fine during the team's media day on Monday and says he plans to do plenty of running and some light work when the team gathers in Mankato for training camp on Tuesday. But he probably won't be doing any contact drills for another week or two.Jefferson was injured when point guard Blake Ahearn fell into his knee. Jefferson says he heard a pop and "thought it was all over."

But it turned out to be just a sprain, and Jefferson says he can't wait to join his teammates in practice.

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Post#853 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:49 am

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Despite Monday dialogue between Bulls management and Raymond Brothers, Gordon's representative, Gordon's disappointment that he couldn't match Luol Deng's long-term extension was palpable.

"I thought it would be done by now," Gordon said. "That's why I'm so disappointed."

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Post#854 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:55 am

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/bask ... position=4

Kendrick Perkins prepared himself by envisioning the worst following off-season shoulder surgery. He braced for a more delayed return to action than appeared to be the case yesterday, when the Celtics opened training camp with their annual Media Day.

Perkins hopes to resume full contact by the second week of camp, before the first exhibition game on Oct. 8 against Philadelphia.

“I was expecting the worst,” he said. “I thought I was probably going to be out for a few regular-season games. Even if that’s not what happens, it still (ticks) you off because you can’t just get back to things right away. But that’s why it was such a big decision of whether or not to have surgery. It was the timing of everything, when I would be back.”

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Post#855 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:09 am

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/bask ... position=2

And, thankfully for the Celtics, both seem to be in fine working order as the season commences today with training camp.“I feel good,” said Allen, who struggled at times last season coming back from left knee surgery. “I’m all right, ready to attack the season.”

The wingman appeared tentative at times last season, and the resultant mistakes left him out of the rotation by the time his health truly came around. Now, with James Posey departed and playing time readily available, Allen clearly is in “attack” mode. “It’s a challenge I have to attack,” he said. “If I want it, I’ve got to go get it. Training camp’s starting, and I’ve got to make my mark. I’ve just basically got to tune in to what (Doc Rivers) wants and what the coaching staff wants, and I think everything will play out successful.”

What Rivers wants is for Allen to play his signature defense and be a slasher to the hoop at the other end. He’d like to see him moving more in straight lines than getting fancy. Rivers stopped a few feet short of handing Allen the keys to the rotation, remaining more hopeful than certain. “He has a great opportunity, but again, he’s going to have to do it,” Rivers said. “A lot of guys have had opportunities. I’m just happy he’s not running around with the knee brace. Mentally I think he’s in a great place. We’ll see, but he’s put in the time.” A summer of working out has Allen more confident in his knee and his explosiveness, and confidence is a major key. By all accounts, his knee was structurally ready for the rigors last season, but things didn’t work out as planned. “I really thought he would be big for us last year,” Rivers said. “I thought it would be more at the end of the year, and he just never got there, more mentally than physically. I will say I thought he turned a corner in the practices during the playoffs, but I had already made up my mind at that point on the group that I was going to go with, and he wasn’t in that group at that time.”

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Post#856 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:11 am

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 930&lc=NBA

Veteran guard Damon Jones will not join the Bucks when training camp opens Tuesday morning at the Cousins Center.

That was one bit of news that came out of the team's annual media day on Monday, although it was hardly a major surprise. The 6-foot-3 Jones was acquired by the Bucks from Cleveland on Aug. 13 in the three-team trade that sent Mo Williams to the Cavaliers and brought point guard Luke Ridnour to Milwaukee from Oklahoma City. Jones has a $4.4 million expiring contract, and it's possible the Bucks could make a deal involving the guard at some point during the season.

The Bucks released a statement that said: "The Milwaukee Bucks and Damon Jones have mutually decided that he will not join the team. Damon will continue to work on his own in preparation to play in the NBA this season. Both parties will explore options for Damon to reach this goal."

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Post#857 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:16 am

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Heat first-round draft pick Michael Beasley missed most of Monday's first practice session after suffering a mild left groin strain.

"Just a little sore," coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Beasley's injury. "Really precautionary. He started practice, did dummy offense and moved around a little."

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Post#858 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:18 am

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The deadline for Maxiell to sign the three-year, $15 million contract extension the Pistons have offered is Oct. 31. If he doesn't sign, he will become a restricted free agent next season.

"We're just talking; there's nothing going on there yet," Maxiell said. "I am not going to focus on that now. Either way, I am coming back, so I just have to get ready for this training camp."

Maxiell knows that Johnson is the pre-camp frontrunner to win the starting spot, but he's not about to give up the fight. "Starting is something I would love to do," he said. "I just know I have to practice hard every day and try to win the job."

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Post#859 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:21 am

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Heat general manager Randy Pfund, who helped Miami win the 2006 NBA championship as the highlight of his 13 years with the franchise, resigned Monday.

Pfund said Monday night that it was "the perfect time to pursue other opportunities within the NBA," without offering specifics.

Team president Pat Riley - who already had final say on virtually all personnel moves - will assume at least some of Pfund's duties, which included overseeing draft preparation, scouting, salary cap management and player personnel decisions. "Randy Pfund has done a tremendous job for the Heat, helping to build this team into a champion," Riley said in a statement. "His work ethic and contributions to the organization have been invaluable. I've known Randy for over 20 years and in addition to our great working relationship he has been a wonderful friend."

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Post#860 » by nasty daddy » Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:24 am

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Matt Harpring's knees are fine. It's complications from ankle surgery this summer that are keeping him from joining his teammates at Utah Jazz training camp.

Harpring said Monday at Jazz media day that he developed a strep infection after the surgery to remove a bone spur in his right ankle in June. He spent several days at a hospital in Atlanta, then as he was recovering the antibiotics that had been pumped into his body made him painfully sick for another week.

Coach Jerry Sloan, who is in his 21st season with the Jazz, said Harpring was excused from training camp to go work on his ankle. Harpring is the Jazz's sixth man and after 10 years in the league, including the past six with Utah, he wasn't likely to miss much in camp.

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