'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 31

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/sport ... basketball

Chris Duhon rejoined practice after skipping two games to rest his back. He is expected to play Wednesday against the Nets.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/sport ... basketball

Al Harrington sprained his right ankle in a collision with Eddy Curry in the final minutes of practice. He is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/sport ... basketball

The Knicks signed Demetris Nichols to a second 10-day contract.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball ... ys_rivers/

Kevin Garnett, returning from his strained knee, has resumed his normal routine - in practice - and the Celtics considered using him for 4 minutes of the second quarter last night, but changed plans after Garnett felt soreness following the morning shootaround.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/basket ... 1-sun.html

Jawai works to return
He's slimmer and appears to be quicker around the basket. As good as Nathan Jawai looked yesterday when reporters were granted access to the Raptors' practice facility, the affable Aussie isn't sure when he'll be back on an NBA court. "My goal is to get into a game,'' Jawai said. "The ultimate goal is to be ready for next year."

Jawai no longer has to worry about a heart condition that curtailed his rookie development. He returned to Toronto following a stint in the D-League to consult with doctors, a scheduled appointment that prevented Jawai from practising with his teammates yesterday.

The D-League is a guard-oriented training ground that routinely overlooks post players. But at least Jawai got to bang elbows in the paint as a member of the Idaho Stampede, lose some excess fat and improve his overall conditioning. He has no clue if he'll be re-assigned to the D-League or be asked to stay with the Raptors for the rest of the season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/basket ... 1-sun.html

Kris Humphries hasn't played since Jan. 18, when he fractured his right fibula in the fourth quarter against Phoenix.

He may not play again this season, but there was an encouraging sign yesterday when he arrived at the Air Canada Centre after consulting with doctors.

"I didn't see any crutches, which is a good sign," interim head coach Jay Triano said.

[nasty daddy]

http://newsok.com/d.j.-white-recalled-f ... le/3355742

White recalled from Tulsa
Rookie forward D.J. White has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers. The 29th overall pick played in three games, averaging 17.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 assists in 37.7 minutes.

White hasn’t played in a game with the Thunder all season after undergoing two surgeries to remove and repair a benign growth in his jaw. It’s unclear if White will be in uniform tonight against the Lakers, but he is expected to make his debut over the team’s final 12 games.

"The biggest adjustment is just conditioning,” White said. "I’m just trying to get my wind back and trying to get a better feel for the game ... It’s just a matter of getting back into it. I took six months off, so I just want to keep working hard and see what happens.”

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03242009/sp ... 161057.htm

NEAR STROKE CAN'T STOP BERNARD KING
Three months ago, Bernard King fell down 17 stairs, cracked his head open and nearly died. Saturday night in Atlanta, he ended up in the hospital after barely being able to finish a walk home.

Saturday night, King suffered what he called a "precursor to a stroke," and he said yesterday that if he hadn't called an ambulance to get him to the hospital, he "probably wouldn't be here."

King's stroke "precursor" occurred after he had walked a mile and a half, then sat down for 20 minutes before starting his journey back home. But he said he was able to walk only 10 steps at a time, then had to take a two-minute rest. He repeated that pattern the entire walk home. "I finally got home and realized I was in trouble and called for an ambulance," said King, who works in energy management. As a result of the hospital stay and a visit with a cardiologist yesterday morning, King learned he has high blood pressure and is now on medication.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2009/03/antonio-m ... heart.html

Antonio McDYess - All Heart
This season has been rough for the Detroit Pistons, but can you imagine what it would be like if Antonio McDyess wasn’t playing the way he has all season long? Dyess plays with unbelievable heart and goes after every block, steal, rebound and loose ball like it was game 7 in San Antionio. If everyone had half the heart as Antonio McDyess, the world would be a better place.

Clip in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12039

Can Pistons Hold On? Don't look now, but it might be the Detroit Pistons who are in danger of falling out of the Eastern Conference playoffs, not the Chicago Bulls. The Pistons have had various injury issues with Rip Hamilton, Allen Iverson, and Rasheed Wallace, but the end result is they have lost six of their last 10 games and 14 of their last 21. That is not the mark of a team ready for the postseason. Over the same last 10 games the Bulls and the Charlotte Bobcats – the team currently ninth in the playoff race and 1.5 games behind Chicago – have both made up two games in the standings on the playoff stalwart Pistons. With the Philadelphia 76ers tightening their grip on sixth place in the East with seven wins in their last 10 after an overtime win in Portland, it's beginning to look more and more like the final two spots will be determined by two things: whether or not Detroit can put it back together, and which of Chicago and Charlotte can be hotter coming down the stretch.

(Yes, the Milwaukee Bucks are just a half game behind the Bobcats, and the New Jersey Nets a half game behind them, but since both teams have lost seven of their last 10 they don't seem to be in quite the right shape to be making justifications for their place in the playoff discussion at the moment. They need to right their own ship first.) Today the Pistons are 3.5 games in front of the Bobcats. Can Charlotte catch them? Just the other day we discussed how Chicago seems like they have the easiest schedule for the final playoff spot, but we didn't include the Pistons in that discussion because at the time they seemed pretty safe. Have to keep up – things change quickly in the NBA's 2009 race for the playoffs. Let's compare Charlotte's and Detroit's final games.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12039

Detroit – Eight of Detroit's final 13 games are on the road, four of them (Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Miami) against teams currently in the playoffs. They also play at Indiana and New York who currently both have .500 or better records at home. Three of their home games (L.A. Lakers, Chicago, Philadelphia) are against playoff teams, plus they face the Bobcats on April 5th in a game that is starting to get more and more important. Four of those games will be televised nationally (two on NBATV, which not everyone gets), including tonight's game with the Bulls.

It's a very, very difficult for the Cats to overcome to get into the playoffs. They may be hotter than the Pistons, Detroit's schedule may be tough, and the Bad Boys may not be healthy, but it's going to take an amazing stretch of play for the Bobcats to get in. Yes, even if the Pistons continue their generally horrible play.

People who root for the underdog everywhere will be pulling for the Bobcats, but the numbers are not on their side.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Chat.asp?CHAT_TOPICS_ID=204

Ken in Philippines: If detroit lose the 7th spot come playoffs, who will take the anvil? Curry? iverson? dumars? ... and is the bulls their biggest threat on the spot?

Mike Moreau: This would not be happening if Flip Saunders were still their coach. I've about had enough of the "we need a former player as the coach because he can relate to the players" garbage. Tell that to the Magic and the Heat. Coaches coach, players play, and the two have about as much correlation as an anvil and nail polish remover. The Billups/Iverson deal was done for the long-term, but no one expected this to happen. Iverson should have been coming off the bench from the beginning, but the coaching staff wasn't strong enough to implement that. Rip took the bullet for the team because he's a good soldier. All three of the guys you mentioned share in the responsibility. Yes, the Bulls are a threat. Give Vinny credit.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Chat.asp?CHAT_TOPICS_ID=204

Ey Coach! in your opinion, given the current make up of their teams, which teams should consider pursuing iverson in the off season? thanks!

Mike Moreau: "Practice? We talkin' bout practice." Nobody who wants to seriously contend for a championship. As I've stated before, Iverson is a hard guy to play with, because he makes spectators out of his teammates. If you are off the ball, you aren't sure if you should cut, spot up, flash to the basket, or get out of the way. As talented as he is, he isn't easy to mesh with on the offensive end. If the Tattoohead experiment works in Boston, then possibly he could be a second unit scorer on a champhionship caliber team. But, that could only happen with a huge pay cut and a change in mindset - neither of which would probably come easy for AI.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Chat.asp?CHAT_TOPICS_ID=204

KNOXXX in : Rasheed and a.i. gone this summer, where do you see them best fit? and also who do the pistons need to acquire to put them back into finals caliber?

Mike Moreau:
Their best fit is in the Philly Pro Am. I would hope that both would take less money to play a role on a contender. The Pistons need more scoring from their front court and better perimeter shooting.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Chat.asp?CHAT_TOPICS_ID=204

KNOXXX in : Thank you for taking all of my questions, do you think the celts pick up iverson in the summer and would they want to? Maybe Solify their bench.

Mike Moreau: Thanks for asking them. Depends on how the Tattoohead experiment goes. I'm sure the Boston fans would embrace him, and if AI embraced the whole "practice thing", then maybe it could work.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12034

Danilo To Have Surgery: The word out of New York is that Knicks rookie Danilo Gallinari will have minor back surgery in the coming days. Marc Berman of the New York Post is reporting that the procedure will be a less invasive procedure than most disc related surgeries, that they will make a smaller incision and "shave" down the effected nerve that Danilo's bulging disc is pressing on. The belief is this less invasive procedure will solve the issue and leave Danilo ready for Vegas Summer League this July. The Knicks met with Danilo yesterday and discussed the course of action, although no details have been officially released by the team. The general consensus is Danilo is done for the season and will be available for off-season work with the Knicks.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12034

Luol Likely Done?: Luol Deng has taken some hits from the Bull's faithful recently with labels of "soft" and "not having heart" as the common term used to describe the player recently signed to the largest contract in Bulls' history. HOOPSWORLD's Joel Brigham proposed the question to most of the Bull's players and staff this week, asking had Luol's role and value to the team changed this year, especially with the arrival of John Salmons. Pretty much to a man, it was not hard to get the Bulls players to gush about Luol as a leader and Luol as a cornerstone piece to the team going forward. Injuries are tough on everyone, and there is little doubt it's hard to be effective when your hurt. For Luol his season may already be over and that's only adding to the fuel.

"It could be [season-ending]," coach Vinny Del Negro said Monday to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "You just don't know how it's going to react. We don't want him to come back and really seriously injure himself. He's still got discomfort and pain. "It's a stress fracture. Until that heals—and that takes time—we'll be smart about it. Luol wants to be out there as much as anybody. But injuries happen and this one is tough."

Fans may not like the idea that the Bull's seeing Luol as a cornerstone, but that does not mean the team doesn't see him that way. There is little doubt that Luol has a lot to prove this summer and next season, but before he can even start to win fans over, he's got to get and stay healthy.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_17262

Banks To Have Surgery
The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday that guard Marcus Banks is scheduled for surgery today to remove a bone spur on his right big toe. Banks is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

The procedure will be performed by Dr. John Lau at Toronto Western Hospital.

Banks was acquired February 13 in a four-player trade with the Miami Heat. The six-year NBA veteran has seen action in six games with the Raptors, averaging 2.3 points and 1.0 assists.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_17262

Raptors Sign Douby To 10-Day
The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed guard Quincy Douby to a 10-day contract. He is the 17th GATORADE Call-Up of the 2008-09 NBA Development League season and the 135th overall since the league began play in 2001.

Douby, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, averaged 18.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 28.6 minutes in five games with the D-League's Erie BayHawks this season. He scored in double figures in all five games, with a high of 23 points at Albuquerque. Douby, 24, was the 19th selection as an early entry candidate by the Sacramento Kings in the 2006 NBA Draft. He averaged 4.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 10.7 minutes in 116 career games with the Kings. He posted a career-high 32 points at the Los Angeles Lakers on April 15, 2008. He was released by Sacramento on January 21.

Douby averaged 17.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 95 career games at Rutgers University. He finished his career ranked sixth in school history in scoring (1,690) and holds the school record for points scored in a single season (839 in 2005-06). He averaged 25.4 points as a junior, leading the Big East in scoring and finishing sixth nationally. He earned first-team All-Big East honours in his junior season. Douby will be available to the team Wednesday when the Raptors play host to the Milwaukee Bucks at Air Canada Centre.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/03/24/rapt ... index.html

Raptors' Banks has season-ending foot surgery
Toronto guard Marcus Banks had season-ending surgery on his right foot Tuesday, and the Raptors signed guard Quincy Douby to a 10-day contract for the final 12 games.

Banks and forward Shawn Marion were acquired from Miami in a Feb. 13 trade that sent center Jermaine O'Neal and forward Jamario Moon to the Heat. Banks appeared in six games for Toronto before being sidelined by a bone spur in his big toe. He has not played since March 11. A six-year veteran, Banks is averaging 2.5 points and 1.3 assists.

Douby played in 20 games for Sacramento this season, averaging 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds. He was released Jan. 21 and joined the D-League's Erie BayHawks. A three-year veteran, Douby will be available when the Raptors host Milwaukee on Wednesday night.