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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/1273085.html

Abdur-Rahim announced his retirement last week, concluding a 12-year playing career, but not stepping away from the organization. Basketball president Geoff Petrie said he plans to add the 2000 Summer Olympian to the Kings' coaching staff or use him in another capacity.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 137PGF.DTL

Ex-Sacramento big man Justin Williams has been added to the training-camp roster.

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http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/baske ... 05517.html

Heat forward Udonis Haslem was on the court Sunday after sitting out Saturday's opening workout with a left foot sprain sustained during an offseason workout.

Haslem was limited to half-court work and did not participate in the team's aggressive defensive drills. ''It felt good, but the real test is when I start cutting and running,'' said Haslem, who hopes to practice at full speed by next week. ``As far as shooting and walking in a straight line, I'm fine with that.''

Haslem had season-ending surgery on the same foot last spring, but now is dealing with a different injury. ''It's definitely something I don't want to bother me throughout the season,'' he said. ``I want to take my time with it. I'm anxious, but at the same time I have to be smart.''

[nasty daddy]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/baske ... 05517.html

Forward James Jones continues to nurse a wrist injury and is day-to-day. Forward Dorell Wright (knee surgery), and guard Jason Richards (knee surgery) did not practice.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10121

McGrady Already a Question Mark: This is not how the Houston Rockets wanted to start training camp. With everyone on the planet talking about how good they might be if everyone happens to be healthy, the team is already missing Shane Battier for four weeks and now they're hearing mixed reviews from Tracy McGrady. McGrady had surgery during the offseason on both his injured knee and his injured shoulder, and while he says the knee is probably 75% healthy, the shoulder is a bigger problem.

It's been determined that McGrady's shoulder, which he injured in a game against the Sacramento Kings last season, is now arthritic. This may not sound like a big deal, but it actually is. This is the kind of injury that ends careers, as there is no truly effective treatment. There's surgery, but at the end of the day it's a joint disorder that doesn't go away. Depending on the type of arthritis, and it's likely he has degenerative joint disease, it could mean anything up to and including joint replacement surgery (worst case scenario). It could also mean he just has to play through some pain and change his diet up a little bit, maybe have a floating chip removed. Either way, it's not good news for the Rockets long-term. McGrady says he's prepared to play through the pain, and that he feels the team around him this season will inspire him to ignore pain. One thing you have to realize with McGrady is that he went from playing a handful of games as a high school player to playing 82 games of high intensity pro ball. So when you think about McGrady's age, add four or five years when you compare him to other players who played college ball between high school and the NBA.

In a related note, Ron Artest says he's turning over a new leaf. He understands that he has a "golden opportunity" to play for a contender and he wants to make the most of it. Given that he was on his best behavior with the Kings, it's safe to expect a banner year from Ron this season - and it probably couldn't come at a better time with McGrady's health on the bubble. And a final Rockets piece . . .Joey Dorsey reached an agreement with the Rockets on a four-year, $3.5 million contract with the last two being team options.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10121

Beasley Out, Too:The Miami HEAT are pinning most of their hopes for the 2008-09 season on the shoulders of rookie Michael Beasley, and for good reason. Everyone who has seen Beasley play says there's no question he'll be one of the best players in the league from his first opening tip. The only questions surrounding him are about his maturity level and his approach to the "other" aspects of being a professional athlete. He admitted today that the "mental" aspect of the game has been more difficult for him than the physical side.

Beasley is going to miss out on the physical side of the game for a couple of days, though HEAT coach Erik Spoelstra says his absence from practice is precautionary. The Beazer tweaked his hamstring, temporarily postponing his "official" debut, though the team has been working out informally for weeks leading up to training camp opening.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10121

Josh Howard Apologizes: The media has been abuzz about Josh Howard since he was caught making some irresponsible racial comments in a video that got put up on YouTube. Today, he took his first opportunity to offer the following apology:

"I'd like to state that I truly and really am sorry for everything that's happened in the past five months with me. This is not the way I carry myself. This is not how I want to be portrayed, and I really and truly am sorry to everybody that I offended. I'm upset with myself and the way I've acted the past months. I truly and really am sorry."

Thanks, Josh. Now let's get back to playing basketball . . .and be more aware of what you're saying and to whom.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10121

Redick: Playing Time is All That Matters: JJ Redick has heard his name bantied about in the media, and today during Media Day he told HOOPSWORLD exactly how he feels about that.

"It's not what they say in the press; all that matters is playing time."

Redick said that during his exit interviews last season head coach Stan Van Gundy told him there was a 95% chance he'd be back. He gave JJ some specific things to work on over the summer and he gave it 150% because he was led to believe he'll actually get playing time this season.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10109

From the Blazers: The Portland Trail Blazers will honor former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth this season.

PORTLAND, Ore. - At media day this afternoon, the Portland Trail Blazers will introduce a memorial stripe on their jerseys which will be worn during the 2008-09 season in honor of the late Kevin Duckworth. The team will also wear a patch on its warm-ups and shooting shirts.

All three uniforms (home, road, alternative) will feature a black stripe with a white "00" stitched into the upper left shoulder of the jersey. The black patch on the warm-ups and shooting shirts will read "DUCK" in red and "00" below it in white.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10117

From the Raptors: As a result of concerns raised during routine pre-season cardiac screening, Nathan Jawai will be held out of practice until further tests are conducted. It is anticipated that these tests will be concluded later this week.

The club acquired the draft rights to Jawai (pronounced JA-why) from the Indiana Pacers on July 9. He was the 41st overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. He is the first indigenous player from Australia to be drafted by an NBA team.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10107

Ben Gordon Expected At Camp: The Chicago Bulls told media that they "expected" Ben Gordon to be in camp before Wednesday, the day his Qualifying Offer expires. Gordon texted several members of the media this weekend saying he "planned" to be at camp which opens today at 5:30pm at Berto Center. It's believed Gordon will sign the one-year qualifying offer sheet worth roughly $6.4 million and will play out one more season with the Bulls before hitting unrestricted free agency next July. The Bulls are rumored to have a six-year, $59 million deal still on the table, so it is still possible Gordon inks the long-term deal, although most around the team doubt that happens today. The Bulls have had the bulk of their team in the gym at Berto Center for most of the month and the two biggest surprises from early workouts has been the slimmer, more agile Aaron Gray, who seems to be responding to the Bulls desire to be more up-tempo by shedding a ton of weight in off-season work. and the more "mature" Tyrus Thomas, whom the Bulls are expecting a huge season from. Tyrus has been in and out of Chicago all summer working hard on his game and spending a lot of time around the Bulls coaches who are very impressed with Tyrus on a lot of levels. Tyrus is said to have added eight pounds to his frame and is killing his teammates in pickup games. Joakim Noah has also added some bulk looking to be more durable in the paint for the Bulls and Derrick Rose is said to be killing it from outside, attempting to answer his critics that say he can not shoot at this level. There is a genuine positive buzz around the Bulls and with Ben Gordon getting into camp today; the Bulls could be poised for a pre-season without distraction.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10107

Dorsey Gets His Deal: In HOOPSWORLD's latest Rockets update – Joey Dorsey will ink a four-year $3.5 million deal with the Rockets. The deal is said to have two guaranteed years, and two team option years, giving Dorsey a deal on par with a late first round pick. Dorsey was selected with the 33rd pick and looks to be a big part of the Rockets front line this season. We have gotten a lot of comments about the frequency and depth of the Rockets reports lately, and if you're not in tune to who we are – Bill Ingram is as dialed into what the Rockets are doing as anyone, much like Eric Pincus is with the Lakers and Clippers, as Tommy Beer is with the Nets and Knicks, as much as Joel Brigham is with the Bulls and Pacers. In short, we're going to give you the news that is happening all over the league, but there are several teams that we have deeper access and deeper relationships with and the Rockets are absolutely one of them. So while the Rockets may appear here more often than, say, the Thunder, a lot of that has to do with who we have relationships with. However in this case, beyond the Rockets, who else is making news these days? It's Houston turn at dominating the news cycle. Don't worry the Knicks are up next as training camp is only going to fuel the Stephon Marbury rumors. Can you smell it? That's right there is BS in the air, which means only one thing – the NBA is back and so are the trade rumors.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10106

The Chicago Bulls open camp this afternoon with their Media Day, and the biggest story unquestionably will be whether or not holdout Ben Gordon will be in uniform answering questions and snapping pictures. To date, Bulls sources have said they are hopeful he'll report, but nobody is particularly optimistic.

"I'll be there," Gordon wrote in a text message to the Chicago Tribune, indicating he'd show for training camp, he may also sign the one-year qualifying offer worth roughly $6.4 million that he swore he wouldn't accept.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_12128

Also Monday, backup point guard Sam Cassell showed up for media day and signed a new contract.

Cassell had been in touch with Rivers during the summer, but the Celtics coach didn't know if Cassell had decided to come back for another season with the team until last week.

The 38-year-old Cassell joined the team in March for the playoff run, playing in 17 regular-season games before averaging 4.5 points in the playoffs. "I think if I put it out there, no doubt about it, I could probably play somewhere else," he said. "Why would I?"

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_12128

The Rockets’ hopes for an injury-free season for Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming did not make it through media day.

There were no new injuries, but rather slow recoveries from McGrady’s off-season surgeries and an announcement that the veteran forward will play the season with an arthritic left shoulder.

“My knee is about 75, 80 percent right now,” McGrady said. “It took longer than expected. I was expecting to recover 100 percent in four months, but (ellipses) the doctor told me it would be six months or even more. My shoulder had after surgery kept bothering me. I had another MRI and discovered I have arthritis in there so I have to have surgery again on my shoulder. That’s something I have to deal with again this season, but my knee should be ready by opening night (Oct. 29).”

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3617246

Ben Gordon's contract status remained unsettled and the fifth-year guard and the Chicago Bulls are both hoping for a resolution by midweek. Gordon was on hand for the team's media day Monday, the day before training camp opens, but said he won't practice until after Wednesday's deadline to accept a one-year qualifying offer.

According to published reports, Gordon was expected to sign a one-year deal worth $6.4 million by Wednesday, then become an unrestricted free agent following the season. He reportedly rejected a five-year, $50 million deal last summer. "I thought [a deal] would be done by now," said Gordon, Chicago's leading scorer last season with an 18.6-point average. "I'm disappointed that it lasted all the way into training camp." Bulls general manager John Paxson said negotiations with Gordon's agents will continue."We're still seeing if there's a way to come to some resolution," Paxson said. "As I said the other day, we have anticipated that Ben would sign the qualifying offer. ... One way or another, it's pretty obvious that Ben's going to be a part of this team this year."

Gordon said he would be on hand when two-a-day practice sessions begin Tuesday. "I'll be here watching, but I'm going to wait [to practice] until my decision on Wednesday," he said.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_12127

Spurs center Ian Mahinmi will miss at least the first several days of training camp, which begins Tuesday, as he continues recovery from a sprained right ankle he suffered recently in informal workouts at the team's practice facility.

Mahinmi, a 6-foot-11, 230-pound big man from France who is entering his second season with the Spurs, spent the bulk of the 2007-08 season with the Spurs' Development League team, the Austin Toros. He played only six regular-season games with the Spurs, averaging 3.5 points and 0.8 rebounds.

Mahinmi showed up Friday at the team's preseason benefit golf tournament sporting a walking boot on his right leg. Spurs general manager R.C. Buford acknowledged the ankle sprain.“Everybody wishes he were fit and ready to go,” Buford said, “but he's not ready right now. We're trying to be preventive, as we always are. It's an ankle sprain and a boot, so it's something we're being careful with.”

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_12127

Hornets point guard Chris Paul got his first view from the sideline at Sunday's second training camp practice, but he still managed to see more action than Coach Byron Scott planned. Paul, coming off a full summer of competing with the USA Basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal, did not take part in any of the three 5-on-5, half-court scrimmages in the 3 1/2 hour workout at the Alario Center.

However, Scott did look up at one point and see Paul involved in a 3-on-3 scrimmage that he was scheduled to skip. "He took it good," Scott said, laughing, "even though he snuck in. I told him all the drills I wanted him to do and then told him once we were done with those, he was done. We went 3-on-3 half-court, and I told him he was done, he didn't have to do that. "I walked down here to make sure these other guys were doing it right, and I turned around and he was playing. So I had to ask him, 'Didn't we decide on this?' So he got out of it after I caught him. He sat down and watched everything."

Paul's idle time, however, wasn't wasted. "He went over with the guards like he normally does and was talking with guys and encouraging guys and helping," Scott said. "He took it well. I think he understands where I'm coming from, that we need him at his best, and he needs rest because it has been a long summer for him."

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_12127

Shaquille O’Neal set the bar of expectation himself by saying he would be in town working with the training staff this summer. That didn’t happen, save a few cameo appearances. When you are rapping about Kobe Bryant, walking around Belmont Park and Churchill Downs in a jockey suit, building a high-rise condo in New Jersey, promising help for families with upside-down mortgages in Orlando, Fla., patching up a marriage and dealing with restraining orders … well, the summer can really fly by. (There is also talk that Shaq wasn’t too fond of our 110-degree weather.)

But those who have seen him scrimmage this month report his weight is within 10 pounds of where he finished last year. He continued workouts with Royce Gracie (Ultimate Fighting legend) religiously, and videos show a trim physique. For some reason, his “730 days to retirement” pronouncement made big headlines, but it is the same mantra he’s been using for more than a year, and one he worked into almost every interview session since becoming a Sun. No news there.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_12127

Abdur-Rahim announced his retirement last week, concluding a 12-year playing career, but not stepping away from the organization. Basketball president Geoff Petrie said he plans to add the 2000 Summer Olympian to the Kings' coaching staff or use him in another capacity.