'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 38

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.nola.com/hornetsbeat/2009/0 ... _ja_2.html

New Orleans Hornets forward James Posey had surgery to repair cartilage tear
At some point last season, New Orleans Hornets forward James Posey tore the meniscus cartilage in his right knee, which was repaired last week in Miami by arthroscopic surgery, according to his agent Mark Bartelstein.

There were times during the year when Posey was limited in practice because of knee soreness, but the injury wasn't discovered until a postseason MRI was performed. Posey never missed any game time with the knee injury but did sit out six games with a sprained left elbow. "It was a small tear," Bartelstein said. "They went in, fixed it, he's feeling great and everything worked out really well. He'll be back in another four or five weeks at 100 percent. "He's about as tough as they come. When it comes to toughness, James Posey is in the upper echelon. The doctor said the knee looked great; very little wear and tear for a guy who has played so long (10 years). Everything looks really good going forward."

The surgery was performed last Friday by Miami Heat physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick. Posey played two years for the Heat. "He's had a long relationship there," Bartelstein said. "Nothing against the Hornets doctors; they're terrific. It's just that James had a history with Dr. Selesnick and is comfortable with him and is going to be spending time in Miami at his home there. It's always good to have the surgery done where you're having the rehab."

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.nola.com/hornetsbeat/2009/0 ... _ja_2.html

Hornets general manager Jeff Bower declined to give any details about the surgeries performed last week on Posey and center Tyson Chandler, who had work done on his troublesome left ankle and toe."Our release pretty much covered it," Bower said of the 71-word announcement the team made about the procedures late Tuesday night. "Just based on privacy and the whole thing, we don't have a lot to comment (on) about injury situations."

Bower did say no other Hornets players are scheduled for surgical procedures during the offseason.

Chandler's agent Jeff Schwartz has not returned phone calls seeking comment.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 529&lc=NBA

Carmelo Anthony Dealing with Migraine
If it's not one ailment, it's another for forward Carmelo Anthony. He suffered a migraine Thursday and didn't meet with the media. Anthony has gotten more beaten up as the series has progressed. He had a stomach virus before Game 4 and has dealt with a sore right ankle.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 4fc02.html

Dallas Mavericks' Barea has surgery on injured shoulder
Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea had successful arthroscopic surgery on Thursday to repair cartilage damage in his left shoulder. The operation was done by Dr. Richard Levy and Dr. T.O. Souryal at Texas Sports Medicine in Dallas. Barea is expected to be at full strength in time for training camp, which opens on Sept. 28.

Barea played the final two months of the season with the injury and wore a protective sleeve on his shoulder for most games.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 529&lc=NBA

Poor Shots Affecting J.R. Smith Mentally
"I'm getting good looks. It's just the shot is not falling like I want it to," (J.R.) Smith said Thursday. "It tends to go long. And missing free throws is taking a toll on me mentally."

Smith was the Nuggets' best 3-point shooter, hitting 39.7 percent in the regular season. So, what did he plan to do about it? "Go into the gym as soon as I get home," he said.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_12474208

Aching head.
If it's not one ailment, it's another for forward Carmelo Anthony. He suffered a migraine Thursday and didn't meet with the media. Anthony has gotten more beaten up as the series has progressed. He had a stomach virus before Game 4 and has dealt with a sore right ankle.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 529&lc=NBA

Melo Admits Sore Ankle Problematic
(Carmelo) Anthony didn’t quite look like himself. He acknowledged that his sore right ankle is becoming a problem and it’s starting to look like it. He was 9-of-23 from the floor, but at the same time was persistent in his effort.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_12474208

AWOL.
In the fourth quarter Wednesday, Chauncey Billups turned from Mr. Big Shot to Mr. Not Taking A Shot.

He took just two shots in the quarter and scored only three points after starting with nine in the first quarter. Billups has made his name in the league as a late-game critical shotmaker, but the Lakers have double-teamed him. "He's the point guard, but he still needs help getting those guys around from him," forward Kenyon Martin said, "because they are putting two or three guys around him at all times."

Said coach George Karl: "Chauncey's not going to force the game. That's one of those stats that you guys get real turned on by, but it wasn't necessarily that Chauncey played poorly (Wednesday) night."

[nasty daddy]

http://blogs.denverpost.com/nuggets/

Anthony didn’t quite look like himself. He acknowledged that his sore right ankle is becoming a problem and it’s starting to look like it. He was 9-of-23 from the floor, but at the same time was persistent in his effort.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/ ... ann-rumor/

About that Herrmann rumor …
There’s been some chatter about Walter Herrmann possibly hopping across the pond to play for Pamesa Valencia, almost all of it stemming from a mention in a French article that most people are likely accessing via Google Translate. Near as I can tell, there’s no real substance to the article aside from the president of Valencia expressing interest in signing Herrmann … just like he did last summer when Herrmann re-signed with the Pistons for (presumably) less money than he could have earned overseas. Maybe he ends up leaving this time, maybe he doesn’t — but take this “rumor” with a grain of salt.

[pistons_own]

hey nasty daddy, im not sure if theres info on this topic but ill try and conttribute,
because on NBATV on the bottom it said Chinese have took part in owning quicken loans and the team does this mean they can get rid of those annoying defense tunes... i don't mind the normal defense tunes but they have arena music that actually say defense like the crowd doesn't know wht to chant on defense!

anyways i hope those chinese people change quicken loans it is just annoying to watch a cavs home game

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/05/29/knic ... index.html

Lawsuit against Knicks' Curry will be settled in arbitration
A lawsuit against Eddy Curry that accuses the New York Knicks center of sexual harassment, among other claims, was dismissed by a judge who ruled the case will be settled in arbitration rather than by a jury. Curry's former driver, David Kuchinsky, sued the NBA player in January, accusing him of making lewd and suggestive remarks, brandishing a gun and failing to pay $91,000 in wages and expenses. Curry denies the charges and his attorneys argued the case does not belong in court because of a contract agreement between the two parties that mandates arbitration.

The New York Times reported in Friday editions that a ruling was handed down Thursday by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote that denies a motion from Curry's attorneys to dismiss certain allegations and will send the entire complaint to an arbitrator. "We're absolutely thrilled at the outcome," said Mercedes Colwin, one of Curry's lawyers. "It's clear that the employment contract and the provisions therein concerning arbitration clauses were upheld as valid. And thus the plaintiff cannot seek to have his claims heard in a court of law before a jury."

Kuchinsky's lawyers tried to get the arbitration provision nullified. Once a decision is made by an arbitrator there are no appeals possible in the court system. "Of course, we much prefer to be in front of a New York jury," Leslie Levine, one of Kuchinky's attorneys, said. "Second to that, we're really glad we have a case to move forward on." Curry has 30 days to file for arbitration. Rulings by arbitrators are typically confidential, so the result of a hearing may never become public.

[nasty daddy]

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800026172

Phil Jackson complained about the referees after Game 4. George Karl complained about Jackson complaining about the referees after Game 5. Call in gamesmanship. Call it drama. Call in intrigue.

But what do you call it when an anonymous Nuggets player, as reported by the Denver Post, refers to the league’s fine of $25,000 on Jackson and $25,000 on Los Angeles as a team and says “the Lakers paid $50,000 to win [Game 5]”?

“It’s unfortunate,” Jackson said at the Lakers practice before boarding the team plane for a flight to Denver. “But that’s the way sometimes these series boil down to who’s got home court advantage and who thinks they’re going to get advantage on that end of the game, but we don’t want to make any issue out of that … It’s not something we want to focus on or get that focus in that direction.”

[nasty daddy]

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5800026172

Clearing Up Some Calls
Denver has eight technicals fouls as a team in the last three games, but Lakers backup point guard Shannon Brown picked one up also early in the fourth quarter of Game 5 when he and Chris Andersen were both T’d up after a little grappling together. “Lamar just got an and-one and I was just trying to chase him down to congratulate him and I guess [Andersen and I] bumped into each other,” Brown said. “He tried to shove me a little bit and I got him off me. It wasn’t nothing at all.”

Meanwhile, Lakers starting center Andrew Bynum, who had a strong start on Wednesday with all nine of his points in the first half knows that his four fouls were the reason he didn’t have the chance to turn a strong half into a monster game. “It’s the same thing, getting more comfortable,” Bynum said. “I just can’t avoid the fouls. I don’t know [what causes it]. It’s a little bit of mobility, a little bit of not understanding what we need to do and a little bit of bad calls.”

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090529/S ... o+overcome

Artest's past too much for Pistons to overcome
In the Free Press’ list of possible big-name free agents for the Pistons, one name stands out: Ron Artest. Could that work?

Ha! A talented forward, respected by teammates, who can be a distraction off the court with some of his antics. Naaaah. The Pistons would never hitch their wagon to someone like that. (Quasi-subtle Rasheed reference there in case it wasn’t obvious). Of course Artest will never happen. He remains the centerpiece of the ugliest moment in Detroit sports history (other than the Matt Millen era). And for the Pistons to sign him would represent a tacit endorsement of what happened. He’s not kryptonite as evidenced by the fact that he’s played for three teams since the brawl. But he is Detroit kryptonite. So why debate something that will never, ever happen? Because this is the internet, and it’s Friday. So here goes …

Artest has gone through a bit of a renaissance this postseason. When it looked as if the Rockets might pull an upset on the Lakers, there were some who called him a top 10 player and even a better player than Tracy McGrady, whose absence during the Rocket run was notable to say the least. That may have been a slight exaggeration. But he’s still an outstanding defensive player and a very good all-around player. The only problem for the Pistons is that he plays a position they already have filled. Tayshaun Prince is not the player Artest is, but he’s not far behind. And when you’re trying to reshape your roster, I don’t think you strengthen a position of strength. The wrinkle there of course would be if Joe Dumars plans to trade Prince in any off-season moves he has in mind. Only he knows that. The Palace brawl is still a fascinating event to me. I watched it again on YouTube before I wrote this, just to reset everything in my mind. I’m still annoyed that Artest was held up as the only reason the incident occurred. His actions are inexcusable, and I’m in no way defending him. But a lot of people’s actions were inexcusable that night, including Ben Wallace’s, many of the fan’s, and even some of the security. Those to try to portray it as the awful Artest vs. the angelic Palace faithful are crazy. Artest didn’t throw the cup. Artest didn’t throw the chair. Artest didn’t throw the popcorn. And Artest didn’t allow two dopey fans to walk onto the floor to challenge some of the Pacer players. A lot of people were wrong that night. Artest was at the forefront, and he paid the stiffest penalty. But I’ve always thought that too many others got off with a slap on the wrist. Would signing Artest undo any of that? Of course not. But it will never happen anyway. I just like to consider the irony when I ponder such a union.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090529/S ... +at+No.+15

Gonzaga small forward could intrigue Pistons at No. 15
One of the more intriguing prospects in the NBA draft is Gonzaga small forward Austin Daye. Several mock drafts have the sophomore going to the Pistons with the No. 15 selection of next month’s draft. He measured at nearly 6-feet-11 today at the NBA Draft Combine. It’s obvious the Pistons are doing their due diligence with him, as Daye said this morning that he'll visit Auburn Hills next week for a workout and interview.

Daye, who has not signed with an agent, is basically testing the waters. He has until June 15 to withdraw his name from draft consideration. The draft is June 25. Right now, Daye, the son of former NBA player Darren Daye, is leaning toward staying in the draft. But only if he gets assurances he'll go in the top 20. “If it’s a situation where I’m not at the position where I want to be, then I’ll definitely probably go back to school and try to up my stock next year,” Daye said. “I think I’m impressing some people in these workouts and drills, so we’ll see from there the next couple of weeks. “If you slide in the 20s, a lot of crazy things can happen.”

Daye, who will turn 21 next Friday, is a multi-skilled player who is intriguing as such as big small forward. But he weighs 190 pounds, so there are questions about whether he would be able to bang with the big guys in the NBA. There also are doubts about whether his game is ready for the NBA, but some say Daye has the most upside of any prospect in the draft. So if there are no prospects that really catch the Pistons' eye, they could take a flier on a guy they think might grow into an impact player.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090529/S ... +at+No.+15

MORE FROM THE COMBINE: Pittsburgh power forward DeJuan Blair, Wake Forest power forward James Johnson and Ohio State center B.J. Mullens, all projected first-round picks, said they will visit the Pistons. Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn, who some project as a lottery pick, said he hopes to visit, too.

[nasty daddy]

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

Arnie Kander impresses potential Detroit Piston draft picks
The legend of Arnie Kander, the Detroit Piston strength and conditioning coach, continues to grow. Four players worked out for the Pistons recently, Chase Budinger, Danny Green, Dionte Christmas and Jack McClinton, and they all were impressed by the Piston organization, particularly Arnie Kander.

The stretching exercises with strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander before the actual workouts began left quite an impression. "It was a lot different, and I learned a lot from it," Green said. "I hear that guy is one of the best in the league..."I was more prepared than I was at other places," said Christmas, who has visited nine NBA teams. "It was weird. He had us doing a lot of different movement. We were stretching joints and parts of my body I didn't usually use. "It was funny because it was actually less stretching than I do with other teams, but it was actually more effective. He was telling us about how some of the stretches we do can end up hurting us in the long run. It was cool."

Some of the jokes on MLive's Piston forum range between Kander's sweat being the cure for cancer to mimicking Chuck Norris facts and replacing Norris with Kander. Heck, Piston beat writer Krista Jahnke even asked Kander how to have a pain-free labor.

[nasty daddy]

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

2009 NBA draft combine update
With day one of the NBA draft combine complete, evaluations of some of the players and the combine itself are being made by NBA executives and scouts.

With no competitive action to be found, most of the teams we talked to at the official networking point of the Combine--the Westin Hotel--don't appear to be all that enthusiastic about what they've learned here so far. Many are already calling for changes to be made next year. The NBA's competition committee held a meeting last night, and David Stern did not look all that enthused as we watched him exit the building. "I can't imagine that the NBA is going to allow this to happen again next year," one General Manager and Competition Committee member told us today. "The agents are making a mockery of this process, and it's making things increasingly difficult on us in terms of making decisions." The top seven players in our mock draft were all either not in attendance (Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings) or declined to compete in the skill-portion of the workouts today.

It's absurd that the NBA has allowed agents and potential NBA players to dictate the evaluation process for the draft. Think about why the camp was changed into the combine. Players and agents didn't like the idea of the potential draft picks having a bad showing during drills and losing their presumed slot in the NBA draft. It seems as if the agents and players went to the NBA and asked if they could take away an evaluation tool so the players could fool NBA executives into drafting a player in a slot that is not deserved, and the NBA said 'OK'.

[nasty daddy]

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

The Draft Express combine update also has some news about potential Detroit Piston first round pick James Johnson.

James Johnson is being knocked by some teams for not being very impressive in their interview sessions, but others are wondering if those are the same franchises that appear to be most interested in him at this point. We're hearing that Phoenix at 14, Detroit at 15 and Chicago at 16 all like him quite a bit, and there are some question marks about whether there are smokescreens being placed in order to cause him to fall. "He was great in the interview we did with him. Seems like a really nice kid," one team that sat down with him here in Chicago said. "I'm not really sure where that stuff is coming from." Johnson is being knocked by some for not always being terribly enthusiastic about practice, and also for butting heads with Wake Forest head coach Dino Gaudio and teammate Jeff Teague at times.

Whether the rumors are smoke screens or not, that sort of thing happens frequently leading up to the NBA draft, designed to put some doubt about players and having them drop. Surprisingly, it works some of the time, and it's why teams keep the practice up.