Source: http://www.nba.com/video/games/jazz/2012/10/21/0011200080-lac-uta-recap.nba/index.html
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Knicks vs. Celtics: Injury Report, Preview and Key Matchups for Saturday Clash
The Boston Celtics will be without key players in their Saturday night matchup against the New York Knicks. New York may also elect to rest some of its key players who played an abundance of minutes in its Friday night loss in Toronto.
Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reported via Twitter that several key Celtics will be out for this Saturday night Atlantic Division clash.
#Celticstalk: No Pierce, KG, Bass or Darko tonight for the #Celtics.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@SherrodbCSN) October 20, 2012
Also, according to Blakely, Leandro Barbosa will not be with the team until at least Sunday as he is still in Boston and undergoing physicals.
For the Knicks, this may be the perfect opportunity to rest some of their starters as they begin to prepare for the beginning of the regular season.
Amar’e Stoudemire, who has been battling a dinged-up left knee, said he wasn’t sure if he was going to play in back-to-back games.
However, head coach Mike Goodson may elect to play his team at least marginally to take advantage of the remaining preseason games he’s got left.
“I’ve got to get guys on the floor as a unit in the next week in terms of trying to get some chemistry together, in terms of who my rotation is going to be," Woodson said, according to Alan Hahn of MSG Network.
Injury Report
Celtics
| Avery Bradley | Surgery | Out |
| Brandon Bass | Knee | Out |
| Paul Pierce | Knee | Out |
| Chris Wilcox | Lower Back | Out |
| Darko Milicic | Wrist Sprain | Out |
| Kevin Garnett | Rest | Out |
| Leandro Barbosa | Did not travel | Out |
Knicks
| Amar'e Stoudemire | Bruised Knee | Day-to-Day |
| Ronnie Brewer | Meniscus Tear | Out |
| Marcus Camby | Strained Calf | Out |
| Iman Shumpert | ACL | Out |
| Chris Smith | Patella Tendon | Out |
| JR Smith | Achilles | Out |
Key Matchup
Jared Sullinger vs. Knicks Bigs
With Darko Milicic and Kevin Garnett due to get some rest, it will be up to Jared Sullinger to continue to build upon his impressive summer performance. He’ll have a tough challenge as Kurt Thomas and Amar’e Stoudemire are experienced NBA veterans that will give him a battle in the paint.
If Sullinger can keep up with the banging down low, he may be able to keep the C's in this one. If not, it may be a long learning experience for Doc Rivers’ young lineup.
Last Time They Met
These two teams squared off just one week ago in what was a close game that ended in a narrow 98-95 Knicks overtime win.
Boston had most of their regulars playing only a portion of the contest, while the Knicks held out Amar’e Stoudemire because of his bruised left knee.
Overall, the game was sloppy and the Celtics struggled offensively. They did substitute in more bench players than they typically will during the season, but it’s important for them to build up confidence in their bench because of their aging superstars.
Prediction: Knicks 94, Celtics 73
The depleted and resting Celtics will employ a very young and inexperienced lineup at Madison Square Garden. New York, on the other hand, will likely play its starters long enough to establish a lead that it will not relinquish.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Lakers Rumors: Leaving Heat for Lakers Would Destroy LeBron James' Career
He can't get away with it twice.
Look, most of America understands not wanting to live in Cleveland. This more than anything is why LeBron got away with 'The Decision.' Who wouldn't want to take their talents from Cleveland to South Beach? Sure, it was classlessly done.
Sure, it seemed like the move of a mercenary at best, and the move of a coward at worst. C'mon! Joining a rival's team? Who does that? That's a Four Horsemen move right there. If LeBron had left Cleveland to join Dwyane Wade's team in Milwaukee, he'd have been reviled even more for dumping Cleveland live on TV.
But he went to a city that prides itself on warm weather and fun. It's hard to argue with that, long term, especially since the basketball part of the plan worked too. James and Wade (and Bosh et al) won a title.
James promised more titles, and now that he has a title, Pat Riley's plan of enticing veterans to take less money to play with LeBron and have a title shot is coming to fruition; witness Ray Allen.
Miami will win more titles. Everything is going according to plan. Everything. And people outside the city of Cleveland will forgive LeBron in direct proportion to how many titles he wins.
L.A. is much like Miami. Beautiful people, nice weather, coastline, celebrities, glamour. Star Island and Malibu aren't dissimilar. Celebrities aplenty; Jack Nicholson in the front row instead of Jimmy Buffett. And now Brian Windhorst of ESPN speculates that the Lakers are planning to make a run at LeBron in 2014, when LeBron can opt out of his contract.
Furthermore, Windhorst suggests that LeBron may be ready to move on in 2014, when there will be two more years of mileage on Wade's already-high odometer.
This would be a worse Decision than the first one no matter how many titles the Heat win in the next two years. If LeBron leaves Miami, he will forever be seen as a ring collector at best; a mercenary with no loyalty to fans or friends.
At worst, he will be seen as a coward that runs to teams with established superstars he can hide behind, like the whiny kid on the playground who won't play games unless he gets to be on the same team as the best player.
James was able to leave Cleveland because, subconsciously, the average sports fan empathized with his leaving Cleveland, and that made it easier to forgive his joining an existing star on an already-successful team. If he leaves Miami, with one, two, or three titles, it will ruin his career.
He will be seen forever as a player who was afraid to win without help, afraid to be the alpha dog, afraid to lead. His career will never recover.
In this day, when public perception of an athlete and that athlete's career arc are inseparably fused, he got away with a massive blow to the public perception of him once, and recovered.
But he can't get away with it twice.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
UMass freshman CB still on Twitter at halftime
A cornerback at UMass spoke about getting "mo' money" on his Twitter account during halftime of a game on Saturday.
Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/UsatodaycomSports-TopStories/~3/6LDPVyM_Uxo/
NFL fines Skins, Bills $20K each over reporting RG3, Williams injuries
The NFL has fined the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills $20,000 each for violating league procedures on reporting injuries.
Source: http://feeds.cbssports.com/click.phdo?i=1536057aee8991bf6c374929a910b07f
Painful Absence
The Mavericks are in unfamiliar territory -- without Dirk Nowitzki for an extended period. The next six weeks, perhaps longer, figure to be excruciating for Dallas, writes Rob Mahoney.
Source: http://nba.si.com/2012/10/19/dirk-nowitzki-dallas-mavericks/?xid=si_nba
Friday, October 19, 2012
NBA Preseason 2012: Assessing Performances of Top Rookies So Far
At the 2012 NBA Draft, a number of teams believed they'd improved the long-term fortunes of their franchise by selecting prospects who were projected to be impact players down the road.
Well, for players who heard their names called early on draft night, the future is now, as the 2012-13 NBA preseason is underway and fans across the league have gotten their first look at this year's top rookies.
Though preseason stats have a tendency to be misleading, here's a look at how some of the headliners of this year's rookie class have performed thus far.
Anthony Davis
As the clear-cut crown jewel of the 2012-13 rookie class, Anthony Davis was faced with the daunting task of being the franchise player for the New Orleans Hornets.
So far, the former Kentucky Wildcat has been extremely impressive, as the No. 1 overall pick has averaged over 15 points and eight boards a game while playing less than 30 minutes a night.
After suiting up for Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games, Davis is destined for stardom, and unless he goes down with an injury, he has to be the overwhelming favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors.
Bradley Beal
With the No. 3 selection in the 2012 draft, the Wizards took Florida Gators sharpshooter Bradley Beal, and through his first five preseason games, he's looked like a good bet to be a major scorer in the NBA.
During his first preseason game, Beal went 2-for-4 on three-pointers and scored 18 points for Washington. He has looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Averaging more than 14 points per game this preseason, Beal will be an impact player for the Wizards right away, but it could be another long year for Washington.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
After winning the 2012 NCAA championship, teammates Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist went 1-2 in the draft, and Kidd-Gilchrist was expected to become an immediate difference maker for the Bobcats.
Though MKG was impressive in his debut—as he put up 12 points and six boards against Washington—he has struggled since, shooting a combined 0-for-6 from the field against the Thunder and Hornets.
Averaging just 6.5 points per game thus far, Kidd-Gilchrist will almost assuredly put up bigger numbers during the regular season, but he has to shoot more consistently if he's going to be an offensive force for the Bobcats as a rookie.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Winderman: Fun police going after handshakes?
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Word of warning: Jack hears from NBA on flop
The effects of the NBA's new anti-flopping program are being felt by players even before the program has been fully implemented.
Video: Five things to know for 2012-13
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/49352474#49352474
Lakers Rumors: Why L.A. Should Pass on Derek Fisher
The Los Angeles Lakers are free to sign Derek Fisher. It's too bad they don't need him.
It was originally believed that Fisher, who was moved by L.A. during last year's trade deadline, wouldn't be able to re-sign with the Lake Show until March, but ESPN's Marc Stein put the kibosh on that late Tuesday night:
Sources briefed on the discussions told ESPN.com on Monday that Fisher has, indeed, been verified by the league office as eligible to re-sign with the Lakers since July 1, which runs counter to the widely held assumption that Fisher had to wait at least one year from the date that the Lakers dealt him to Houston in March before a reunion with Kobe Bryant would be permissible.
That's all good and well, but with the exception of his giant biceps, what exactly would Fish bring to this team?
His skills certainly aren't what they used to be.
The 37-year-old shot an anemic 32 percent from three-point range on just under two attempts per game last year, easily his worst shooting season since 2006-07. Additionally, his per-36 minute numbers of 8.4 points, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 turnovers on 37 percent shooting are well, downright atrocious.
At the very least, they aren't numbers that Steve Blake can't produce.
If not for Fisher's high basketball IQ, leadership abilities and reputation for hitting clutch jumper after clutch jumper, his production would have him nowhere near a conversation regarding Los Angeles' roster.
That's the thing, though—the Lakers don't need any of those things.
They already have enough leaders. No matter what Iron Man will try to tell you, this is still Kobe Bryant's team and he's about as vocal as a human being can possibly be. He's the obvious leader. Steve Nash is a newbie, but he's a 16-year veteran point guard. It would be impossible for him to not have leadership qualities at this point in his career. Pau Gasol, another veteran, isn't quiet.
Derek Fisher isn't going to bring anything that Bryant, Nash or Gasol don't already provide.
Then you have the clutch factor.
However, it's not like Fisher is going to start every game and average 26 minutes per contest. He's going to be sitting on the bench for most of the time.
If the Lakers want to have him in the game during "clutch" time, what are they going to do? Bench Steve Nash for a cold Derek Fisher? It doesn't really work that way.
A third stint for Fisher in L.A. would certainly make the most loyal fans very happy, but when it comes down to it, he won't provide anything that Steve Blake can't and he certainly doesn't have the potential that someone like Darius Morris possesses.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1375502-lakers-rumors-why-la-should-pass-on-derek-fisher
Vilma practices, his Saints' teammates encouraged
As the Saints began their pre-practice stretch on Wednesday, receiver Lance Moore hopped up, looked over at linebacker Jonathan Vilma, and hollered, 'Glad you're back! We missed you!' while the entire team offered a round of applause.
Source: http://feeds.cbssports.com/click.phdo?i=cba670b5c8511dfc199885244a91a1d2
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Slideshow: Slideshow: Celebs shine at NBA playoffs
Crennel: Cassel, Quinn competing for Chiefs' QB job
Duck, Kansas City, a nasty quarterback controversy may be headed your way.
Source: http://feeds.cbssports.com/click.phdo?i=c85e753c0dded7a194a9ea98637d8ad7
Mavs' Nowitzki still hopes to avoid knee surgery
DALLAS (AP) -- Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki missed Monday night's preseason game against the Houston Rockets.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sixers' Bynum set for another injection in knee
Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum is scheduled for another injection on his injured right knee.
Source: http://www.nba.com/2012/news/10/15/sixers-bynum-another-knee-injection.ap/index.html?rss=true
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