Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by BangDak

what are the Rockets going to do with tmac then? just let him rot on the bench?

tell dude you can be a 6th man and come off the bench and fire away. if you dont like that roll you and the water boy can have nice long talks on the benchdurning the season

 

[al3xis]

After a series of delays caused by the economic recession, the Nets still maintain that their plan is to move to Brooklyn the season after next, during the 2011-2012 season.

Forest City, the firm headed by Nets' owner Bruce Ratner, has previously stated that construction of the new arena in Brooklyn would begin before the end of the year. There is no word yet if this goal will be met, and even if it is, the team could be hard-pressed to play its first game in Brooklyn before the 2011-2012 season comes to a close.

AECOM Ellerbe Becket, the developer of the Barclays Center, expects construction to take 28 months. If ground is broken later this month as scheduled, construction would not be completed until late April of 2012. But the 2011-2012 regular season will end in mid-April of 2012.

It is not clear if the team intends to play its first game in Brooklyn before all work on the site has been finished -- perhaps moving in as non-essential areas of the arena complex are still under construction -- or would wait to open the Barclays Center until the start of the 2012-2013 season.

The timetable for the Nets' move to their new home could be a major factor next summer. The team will hold a large amount of salary cap room and the allure of playing in Brooklyn is considered a key selling point to the all-star free-agents whom the team will attempt to sign.

Amid continuing lawsuits in opposition to the project, and the pending sale of the team to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, Ratner is rushing to complete financing for the project before the end of the year.

 

[i nasmatic i]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-091214

I'm gonna need someone to post that please.

 

[proshares]

[h2]Knicks find answers without A.I.[/h2] [h3]PER Diem: Dec. 14, 2009[/h3]

Comment Email Print >http://a.espncdn.com/icons/share-i... -moz-initial;">Share </div><cite class= By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
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Nick Laham/Getty ImagesThe Knicks have won four straight and five of their last six. Is passing on Iverson the reason why?

Remember how people used to say that every team Stephon Marbury left improved dramatically upon his departure?

Now we're seeing a similar phenomenon with one of Marbury's contemporaries. After Allen Iverson exited Philadelphia for the first time early in 2006-07, the 76ers rallied to make a surprise playoff appearance. The Nuggets dealt him early last season and zoomed all the way to the conference finals, which was the team's best NBA finish ever. And while this season's Pistons haven't rallied yet, they've managed largely to replicate last season's performance despite numerous injuries.

If anything, the pace of the Iverson effect has accelerated. The Sixers haven't won a game since Iverson rejoined the team, while the Grizzlies experienced the opposite phenomenon after his brief stay in Memphis. After a 1-8 start with Iverson on the roster, the Grizzlies have won nine times in 14 games after Sunday night's 118-90 blowout of the Heat in Miami. Seemingly hopeless just three weeks ago, the Grizzlies are now on pace for a win total in the mid-30s -- if they were in the East and the season ended today, they'd be a playoff team.

And then there are the Knicks. New York bypassed the process of signing Iverson entirely -- just mentioning the possibility of signing Iverson and getting to the brink, before deciding to move on, appeared to improve the team significantly.

Since ending their dalliance with "The Answer," the Knicks have gone 6-6, including their current four-game win streak. That statement dramatically understates how well they've played, as it was quite possibly their toughest stretch of the season. New York's losses came at the hands of the Lakers, Nuggets, Celtics and Magic (twice); the only stinker was on the road in Sacramento. Meanwhile, New York flogged Phoenix by 27, beat Atlanta on the road, and knocked off the Blazers and Hornets convincingly.

So profound has been their success that they're on Page 1 of the Power Rankings for the first time in memory. Today's Playoff Odds give them better than 50-50 odds of making the postseason, which is another phrase we haven't heard in the Big Apple for several years.

How have the Knicks accomplished this? The unconsummated affair with Iverson is actually just a coincidence; at almost the same time, the Knicks shifted around their rotation. For instance, the day they stopped pursuing Iverson (Nov. 20) was also the day they decided to stop bothering to play perennial disappointment Darko Milicic, who hasn't seen a minute since.

Another example is guard Nate Robinson. Although he's put up decent individual numbers, the Knicks banished him to the bench because of his bizarre behavior -- including shooting at the Sixers' basket just after the buzzer in an early-season game and cavorting with Orlando players before a recent loss. Although Robinson's on-court versus off-court stats aren't that bad, New York has yet to win game in which he's played more than 15 minutes.

With those two out of the picture and rookie Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas also seeing less duty, Mike D'Antoni has done what he does best -- limit the rotation to seven guys and make sure all of them get plenty of minutes and shots.

Three players in particular have benefited. The first is Al Harrington, who is having a career year after a very slow start; New York's renaissance corresponds almost exactly with his rediscovery of his shooting stroke in mid-November. Harrington is averaging 25.6 points per 40 minutes and has broken the 20-point plateau six times in his past 11 games, including 30 against Boston's vaunted D and 41 in a close loss to the Nuggets.

Second is guard Larry Hughes, who has proven far more potent than expected as a playmaker despite his usual wayward shooting (39.4 percent). His 5.7 assists per 40 minutes help offset the disappointing start by Chris Duhon, and his newfound passing ability makes him a useful creator in the backcourt when Duhon leaves the game. It's Hughes' ability to play the point that has allowed D'Antoni to limit his rotation to seven players.

And finally there's center David Lee. He's added a stronger midrange game to his arsenal and has proved more accurate than ever, shooting 57.3 percent from the floor. And he's shooting a lot -- his 20.7 Usage Rate is easily a career high -- and as a result he's added three points to his 40-minute scoring rate. Lee has been good enough that if the Knicks can get somewhere close to .500 by the All-Star break, he has a great shot at making his first All-Star team.

Knicks fans may have missed all this in their lamentation over New York's failure in the draft. Both Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson slipped through the Knicks' grasp with the eighth overall pick while the player New York picked, Hill, can hardly get off the bench.

That's particularly painful in light of Duhon's struggles. He's shooting just 32.8 percent from the floor and averaging a measly 9.8 points per 40 minutes. But as the only pure point guard on the roster, he almost has to play for D'Antoni's system to function. One can only wonder how well the team might be playing with Jennings or Lawson at the controls.

Nonetheless, the Knicks are much improved, which has fans in the Apple reinvigorated and those in Utah worried. (The Jazz own New York's first-round pick in 2010.) New York's renewed vigor could have important implications going forward as well. It should be much it easier to persuade a top-level free agent to join their roster next season if the Knicks aren't viewed as such a daunting rebuilding project. That's especially true when you consider the rapid development of 21-year-old Danilo Gallinari, who's thriving in his first full, healthy season with a 17.3 PER and a league-leading 64 3-pointers made.

Of course, much water must go under the bridge between now and then, and we're still talking about a team that's 8-15. If they don't take advantage of a stretch of winnable games coming up this month, they may not get nearly as close to .500 as our current projections indicate.

But the mere fact that the Knicks are threatening to become relevant is a newsworthy development in light of the horrors of the past half-decade. It's something that would be much more apparent if they hadn't been playing such a rough schedule the past few weeks. Iverson or not, they appear to have found enough answers to have a good shot at the playoffs.

 

[CP1708]

Remember how people used to say that every team Stephon Marbury left improved dramatically upon his departure?

Now we're seeing a similar phenomenon with one of Marbury's contemporaries. After Allen Iverson exited Philadelphia for the first time early in 2006-07, the 76ers rallied to make a surprise playoff appearance. The Nuggets dealt him early last season and zoomed all the way to the conference finals, which was the team's best NBA finish ever. And while this season's Pistons haven't rallied yet, they've managed largely to replicate last season's performance despite numerous injuries.

If anything, the pace of the Iverson effect has accelerated. The Sixers haven't won a game since Iverson rejoined the team, while the Grizzlies experienced the opposite phenomenon after his brief stay in Memphis. After a 1-8 start with Iverson on the roster, the Grizzlies have won nine times in 14 games after Sunday night's 118-90 blowout of the Heat in Miami. Seemingly hopeless just three weeks ago, the Grizzlies are now on pace for a win total in the mid-30s -- if they were in the East and the season ended today, they'd be a playoff team.

And then there are the Knicks. New York bypassed the process of signing Iverson entirely -- just mentioning the possibility of signing Iverson and getting to the brink, before deciding to move on, appeared to improve the team significantly.

Well damn.

 

[big j 33]

AI saving the Knicks season

 

[bangdak]

you have to be kidding.
because they considered to have signed him, and now they're on a streak? as an knicks fan, i can say %#@*.


Dlee added an midrange?

 

[CP1708]

[h1]Lakers are about to get a 1-2 punch from schedule[/h1]Brian Shaw smiles. Or maybe it's a grimace. It wasn't that long ago that he was the one who had to work his way through back-to-back games.

The Lakers assistant coach knows all too well the pratfalls that await, the 24-hour endurance checks lingering in the very near future for a team that has fattened up on home games.

The Lakers coasted through the first month and a half of this season, mostly sleeping in their own beds, strolling through game after game at Staples Center, experiencing only three situations in which they played on consecutive nights.

Welcome to the rest of their schedule. Last Friday at home they beat Minnesota, then flew to Salt Lake and lost badly to Utah on Saturday. So began a period during which 22 of 32 Lakers games are scheduled in back-to-back sets, a majority of them on the road.

Not since the lockout-condensed NBA schedule in 1999 have the Lakers had such a rush of back-to-back attacks.

The fun begins anew tonight at Chicago and Wednesday at Milwaukee, continuing Saturday at New Jersey and Sunday at Detroit.

Some other notable double dips over the next eight weeks: Christmas Day at home against Cleveland followed by an immediate departure to Sacramento for a Dec. 26 game; back-to-back lung-burners against run-and-gun teams Phoenix and Golden State (Dec. 28-29); two sides of the Texas triangle in San Antonio and Dallas (Jan. 12-13); an eight-game Eastern trip that begins in Cleveland and New York (Jan. 21-22) and ends with an electrifying starter at Boston (Jan. 31) and a potential trap game the next night at Memphis; and a home game against Denver (Feb. 5) followed by a visit to their personal house of horrors, Portland.

It's all part of the penance they pay for a schedule in which they played 17 of their first 21 games at home.

The Lakers will have a total of 20 sets of back-to-backs this season, their most since 22 in 1999-2000, when Shaw was a reserve guard for the Lakers.

"The first night of those back-to-backs, you've got to take care of business, get yourself in position to get an [opposing] team down, keep them down and try to get the starters off their feet as early as possible," said Shaw, in his fifth season as a Lakers coach. "The second night of back-to-backs are when you definitely rely on your bench a lot more to make a contribution."

It could be worse: NBA teams sometimes played on four consecutive nights from the 1950s to the 1970s, not to mention three nights in a row for some of the Lakers' " Showtime" teams of the 1980s. (NBA teams also sometimes played three consecutive nights in 1999 to squeeze 50 games into three months.)

The Lakers (18-4) claim they are ready for the consecutive-night consequences.

"They're good tests to see where we're at," reserve forward Lamar Odom said. "If we can come out of them really strong, that says a lot about us. It helps on the back-to-backs if we can avoid the close games, know what I mean? It's going to be a test, which we should expect after all these home games."

For all their talents, the Lakers aren't exactly young. Derek Fisher is 35. Kobe Bryant is 31. Odom and Ron Artest are 30.

"For Kobe and particularly for Fish, it's going to be harder to get everything all lubed up and going on that second night," Shaw said. "The guys that are coming off the bench have to contribute greatly."

That used to be Shaw's duty, along with Robert Horry and Rick Fox in 1999-2000, when the Lakers began the first of three championship runs by going 19-3 in the ever-important second games of back-to-backs.

This season, they are a mundane 2-2 in similar situations, with one-sided losses at Denver and Utah. Now they get plenty of chances to show they're better than .500 in that area after going 14-5 last season.

"You just have to play through that," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said of follow-up nights. "The start of the season might be a little difficult for teams to recover, but you get used to doing that. There's no excuse. You have to play through it. Some years, you have 20 back-to-backs, some years 15."

The schedule really is the luck of the draw. The Lakers often play most of their road games in the second half of the season because the Grammy Awards knock them out of Staples Center in late January and early February, though that 1999-2000 team had plenty of road games in the early part of its schedule on the way to a 67-15 record.

"It's going to be a good time to get in the weight room, stay sharp, stay strong, try to avoid fatigue as much as possible," Odom said. "Back-to-backs are when you want to do all the small things -- control tempo defensively and offensively."

Many observers say the Lakers have the NBA's best starting five, but their reserves will need to make a mark after some inglorious efforts this season. The second night will be the barometer.

Shaw remembers those times as a player.

"Phil always made us aware of the fact that the rotation on the starters might be shorter in their first run," he said. "He would come around to the [backup] guys -- myself, Robert and Rick -- and say, 'Be ready to come in a little bit earlier than normal.'

"Not that I felt like I was going to have to come in and do something great, but for somebody coming off the bench and probably playing anywhere between 12 and 20 minutes, if you can't get cranked up for the second night, then something's wrong."



Hope this makes everyone feel better now.

 

[bigmike23]

Twolves better not go to jefferson for the win

great play by D.williams right now to tie the game


EDIT:

FLYNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CP1708]

D Will with a HUUUUUUUUGE game.......


........in the L.

 

[bigmike23]

he rush that shot to, had time to square up and fire it

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by CP1708

D Will with a HUUUUUUUUGE game.......


........in the L.

That's why I hold my stance that these dudes are fraudulent.

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Originally Posted by CP1708

D Will with a HUUUUUUUUGE game.......


........in the L.

That's why I hold my stance that these dudes are fraudulent.

Everybody loses games they aren't supposed too. It happens. I'd take Utah over Dallas right now in a series, Williams and Boozer are too much forDirk by himself imo.

 

[bigmike23]

got a computer at the house now clown?

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Originally Posted by CP1708

D Will with a HUUUUUUUUGE game.......


........in the L.

That's why I hold my stance that these dudes are fraudulent.

Everybody loses games they aren't supposed too. It happens. I'd take Utah over Dallas right now in a series, Williams and Boozer are too much for Dirk by himself imo.

Cool.

2-on-1, you're right, Deron and Boozer against Dirk I'd take Deron and Boozer too.

Good thing there's other guys on the floor that contribute.

Not a chance we'd lose against them in a series.

LAL, Denver, sure. Not teams like Utah.

 

[CP1708]

You're right, I forgot Okur, AK47, Brewer, Williams, and Maynor.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Toss up between the Mavs and Jazz if you ask me. Dirk is good enough to carry a squad. Jazz are deep but never healthy nor do they play defense or win roadgames.

 

[mateen cleaves]

Dwill

nice game

 

[bigmike23]

@ the wizards

 

[85wasagreatyear]

damn baron davis and gilbert arenas both stunk it up

 

[bigmike23]

ariza got one game for throwing that elbow

 

[do be doo]

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Originally Posted by CP1708

D Will with a HUUUUUUUUGE game.......


........in the L.

That's why I hold my stance that these dudes are fraudulent.

Everybody loses games they aren't supposed too. It happens. I'd take Utah over Dallas right now in a series, Williams and Boozer are too much for Dirk by himself imo.

Cool.

2-on-1, you're right, Deron and Boozer against Dirk I'd take Deron and Boozer too.

Good thing there's other guys on the floor that contribute.

Not a chance we'd lose against them in a series.

LAL, Denver, SAN ANTONIO sure. Not teams like Utah.

That's whats up

But I would take Dallas over Utah

 

[proshares]

http:// [h3][/h3]

[h3]Randolph on the trading block?[/h3]
3:53PM ET

[h5]Anthony Randolph | Warriors[/h5]
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The intermittently awesome Anthony Randolph -- whom the Warriors dangled in proposed trade deals last year during his rookie season -- is again on the trading block, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

"Several NBA teams say Golden State officials have offered Randolph in trade discussions, but as one Eastern Conference executive said: 'I think all of their roster could be had.'" writes Wojnarowski.

So who are some potential suitors? Well the Bulls are in need of some low-post scoring, but they'd likely send Tyrus Thomas' expiring contract in a deal. Thomas might have to prove he's fit and ready to play in the coming weeks as he returns from injury.

The Knicks are also looking to unload Al Harrington plus some other contracts, so that's also a potential destination for Randolph.

http:// [h3]LBJ's and Calipari's growing friendship[/h3]
3:33PM ET

[h5]LeBron James | Cavaliers[/h5]
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If you've kept up with John Calipari's Twitter feed since he took over as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, you may have seen some references to him hanging out with LeBron James here and there.

According to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, James has also forged a friendship with Kentucky point guard and surefire No. 1 NBA draft pick John Wall.

Today, Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski makes the leap that Wall is a clear target for James' marketing company, LRMR. But does his relationship with Coach Cal mean he might someday come to the league to coach him? It's not likely right now, but in the future it's a possibility.

One source close to Calipari told Wojnarowski this: "I don't see a scenario anymore where he would leave to join LeBron in Cleveland, but another situation? Different team? In two or three years? That might be a different story."

http:// [h3]Blazers' future less bright?[/h3]
3:13PM ET

[h5]Portland Trail Blazers[/h5]
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Back on Nov. 10, ESPN's Chad Ford and John Hollinger ranked the Trail Blazers as the No. 1 team in their Future Rankings.

A young, talented roster mixed with a good front office had them atop the rankings.

But what a difference a month makes. The Blazers have now slid to sixth in the latest version of the Future Rankings, thanks to some question marks about their roster.

[h5]NBA Future Power Rankings[/h5]
Blazers: No. 6

"Although the Blazers' roster still appears formidable, virtually every player has underperformed expectations or given us reason to doubt him. Most prominently, the season-ending knee injury to Greg Oden requires us to treat the Blazers center as a high risk to miss more time in the future," they write. "The struggles of Brandon Roy hurt, too, as they make last season look like a possible outlier. Add in struggles of young core players Martell Webster and Rudy Fernandez as well as LaMarcus Aldridge's inability to progress beyond his current level, and Portland dropped from first to fifth in the players category -- accounting for the Blazers' decline in the rankings."

http:// [h3]More bad reviews for Vinny[/h3]
2:55PM ET

[h5]Vinny Del Negro | Bulls[/h5]
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Vinny Del Negro has seen his face in these parts far too often this season, but we felt compelled once more today. That's because the death knell for any young coach is often the classic "in over his head" assessment.

Well, Exhibit A: In their Future Power Rankings out today, John Hollinger and Chad Ford don't necessarily think the Chicago Bulls are heading south as a franchise, but Vinny? "First, the coaching. With the Bulls having a miserable season, the spotlight in on coach Vinny Del Negro. In contrast to the coach the Bulls could have had, Mike D'Antoni, and the former Bulls coach now thriving in Milwaukee, Scott Skiles, Del Negro seems to be in way over his head, and in fact, he probably can't last."

As Carl from Bushwood might say, "It's a little harsh," but Hollinger and Ford aren't the only ones.

[h5]NBA Future Power Rankings[/h5]
Bulls: No. 11

"The Bulls took a pretty big hit in our latest rankings, sliding from No. 7 to No. 11. In particular, the team dropped badly in the management category, from 13th to 25th, for a couple of reasons."

http:// [h3]Utah's big play[/h3]
1:23PM ET

[h5]Carlos Boozer | Jazz[/h5]
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The Knicks are currently on a win streak, but it's no stretch to think Utah's front office is hoping they come back down to earth. After all, Utah owns the rights to the Knicks' first-round pick in the 2010 draft. The worse the Knicks do, the better chance they'll have at more lottery balls.

But might Utah be looking to use that pick for some serious trade bait? It's an idea NBA.com's David Aldridge throws out today. With Carlos Boozer likely walking after this season and Paul Milsap waiting in the wings to take over at power forward, the Jazz might be able to get some serious value by packaging Boozer in a sign-and-trade with the draft pick.

He writes: "Is there any team, outside of Kobe's Lakers and LeBron's Cavaliers, that wouldn't have to seriously consider such an offer? Wouldn't Washington, which is rapidly coming to the conclusion that no one from a 7-14 team is untradeable, have to think about giving Utah it's pick of, say, Caron Butler, Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee and its own first-rounder? (I'm assuming there would be no interest in Gilbert Arenas on Utah's part.) Wouldn't Chicago have to open up the vault to all non-Derrick Rose personnel, from Luol Deng and rookie Taj Gibson to Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons?"

http:// [h3]Holiday to remain starter?[/h3]
12:31PM ET

[h5]Jrue Holiday | 76ers[/h5]
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The Sixers were losers of 13 of 14 and 12 straight, but they finally got in the win column with a victory of the Warriors last night.

Coach Eddie Jordan inserted Jrue Holiday into the starting lineup last night to pair up with Allen Iverson in the backcourt and he had 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

"Allen and Jrue in the backcourt gives us solid, true guard play. Andre [Iguodala] gives us great defensive presence at the guard position, at any position, actually," Jordan to the Philadelphia Daily News. "To get real good guard play, it's good to have Jrue and Allen in there to start and have Thad at four. The object and the concept is to get those guys [Young and Iguodala] running the lane after a make or a miss, just sprint the lane and let either of the guards push. I like their decision-making. We have good, solid, playmaking guards."

So is this a lineup that might continue? Perhaps, as Jordan seems to have liked what this combination of players did last evening. But he also mixed it up to toss a small lineup against the Warriors, so it might only be used when matchups dictate it.

http:// [h3]Speights eying Christmas return[/h3]
12:04PM ET

[h5]Marreese Speights | 76ers[/h5]
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When Marreese Speights went down with a partially torn left MCL on Nov. 14, he was proving rather valuable off the bench, as he scored over 20 or more points in three separate games and 19 in another.

With starters Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert struggling, Speights was instant offense off the bench.

So news via the Doylestown Intelligencer that Speights is hoping to be back around Christmas is a good sign for the team.

"We're (having him scrimmage in) 4- to 5-minute bursts, then getting him out of there," Sixers coach Eddie Jordan told the paper. "He's not ready to play a game, conditioning-wise, but he's getting there."

Jordan inserted Jrue Holiday into the lineup last night, and put Brand on the bench. This was the third time Brand didn't start this season. If Speights shows the same kind of offensive spark when he returns -- and can flash some defense, the one part of his game Jordan wants improvement on -- he may push Brand out of the starting lineup permanently at some point down the road, especially if the Sixers continue to struggle.

http:// [h3]New York's road ahead[/h3]
11:35AM ET

[h5]New York Knicks[/h5]
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According to ESPN's John Hollinger's Playoff Odds, the New York Knicks -- they of four-game winning streak fame -- now have better than a 50-50 shot at making the playoffs. It's 56.9 percent, to be exact. Yes, you read that right.

And as the New York Times points out today, their schedule ahead isn't too daunting.

"Starting Tuesday night in Charlotte, the Knicks (9-15) play seven of their next nine games against teams with losing records," writes Howard Beck. "The stretch includes home-and-away series against the Bobcats and the Chicago Bulls, and road games against the Nets and the Detroit Pistons. The only elite team left on the December schedule is San Antonio -- and the Spurs (12-9) are not exactly themselves.

"The Knicks' January schedule is just as soft: 10 of their 15 opponents are currently below .500. In fact, between now and the All-Star break, the Knicks will face just seven winning teams, in 28 games."

But Beck cautions the Knicks have been down this road before in recent years: winning streaks have been met with returns to reality. And remember: this team, even with winning four straight, is only 8-15 right now.

[h5]John Hollinger[/h5]
'Antoni has limited the rotation during win streak

"Mike D'Antoni has done what he does best -- limit the rotation to seven guys and make sure all of them get plenty of minutes and shots. Three players in particular have benefited. The first is Al Harrington ... Second is guard Larry Hughes, who has proven far more potent than expected as a playmaker despite his usual wayward shooting (39.4 percent). His 5.7 assists per 40 minutes help offset the disappointing start by Chris Duhon ... And finally there's center David Lee. He's added a stronger midrange game to his arsenal and has proved more accurate than ever, shooting 57.3 percent from the floor ... the Knicks are much improved, which has fans in the Apple reinvigorated and those in Utah worried. (The Jazz own New York's first-round pick in 2010.) New York's renewed vigor could have important implications going forward as well. It should be much it easier to persuade a top-level free agent to join their roster next season if the Knicks aren't viewed as such a daunting rebuilding project. That's especially true when you consider the rapid development of 21-year-old Danilo Gallinari, who's thriving in his first full, healthy season with a 17.3 PER and a league-leading 64 3-pointers made."

http:// [h3]Williams back this month?[/h3]
11:21AM ET

[h5]Lou Williams | 76ers[/h5]
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When Lou Williams broke his jaw at the end of November, he was charted to miss eight weeks of the season.

But might it only be a month? According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Williams wrote on his Twitter account yesterday that he was "projecting" to be back Dec. 26 against the Jazz.

If that's the case, we may be seeing what the Sixers plan to do with Allen Iverson and Lou Williams sooner than expected.

But don't count on Williams coming back early, says coach Eddie Jordan.

"The schedule is still the schedule," Jordan told the paper last night. "Whatever it was."

http:// [h3]Season not lost says McMillan[/h3]
11:08AM ET

[h5]Nate McMillan | Trail Blazers[/h5]
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The Blazers are 2-6 in their last eight games and have been decimated by injuries, but they're not giving up on the season.

"We've had a lot of bad breaks here early this season and we just have to keep working and keep fighting and overcome this," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan told The Oregonian. "I think things will turn around eventually. But we can't give in to what has been going on or what is happening to us right now. We have to stick together and continue to work to turn this around.

"We're not giving up on this season and quitting on the season. We do have nine guys. Let's give it what we've got and try to get to the playoffs and (when) we get there, let's see what happens after that."

http:// [h3]Green finally finds a job[/h3]
11:06AM ET

[h5]Boston Celtics[/h5]
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The Celtics are happy that Gerald Green finally found work. The NBA free agent signed with Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia) last week.

"I'm just glad Gerald's still involved with the game," Paul Pierce told the Boston Herald. "He's got a lot of talent. We'll probably see him again in the NBA some time soon.

"I think he's still a tremendous talent, but, you know, it's tough to try to make that adjustment out of high school, learning the pro game. In high school, you really don't understand what it's all about. I've always said that the easiest thing sometimes is making it into the NBA. The hardest thing is staying."

http:// [h3]Hudson sent down[/h3]
11:06AM ET

[h5]Lester Hudson | Celtics[/h5]
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Rookie Lester Hudson will be sent to the D-League today and should play in three games for the Maine Red Claws this week before returning to the Celtics on Sunday.

"He's on a very good team where it's very difficult to get minutes, but that hasn't sidetracked his work," Head coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Herald. "We're going to send him down pretty soon to the NBDL for a week or so to get him some games, because I don't like our young guys going these long stretches without playing games. And then we're going to bring him back. I think that will help him."

http:// [h3]Hack-A-Howard getting out of hand?[/h3]
11:05AM ET

[h5]Dwight Howard | Magic[/h5]
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Jim O'Brien's gameplan coming into their game against Orlando last night was to "foul the hell out of Dwight Howard." Well, the Pacers head coach succeeded. Howard attempted 22 free throws and made 13 of them.

At one point in the third quarter Pacers forward Troy Murphy and Howard had a bit of a tussle and both players were assessed a technical.

"It's out of hand what they're letting people do to Dwight," Stan Van Gundy told the Orlando Sentinel. "And if you're going to let people continue to hit him around the head and grab him around the neck, look, I don't care, those are flagrant fouls, they need to be called. I don't care who you are, you're only going to take that for so long. It's absurd what's going on."

Van Gundy doesn't think Howard will be suspended for retaliating against Murphy.

http:// [h3]Rockets schedule is ridiculous[/h3]
11:04AM ET

[h5]Rick Adelman | Rockets[/h5]
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Head coach Rick Adelman is not happy about the Rockets schedule in December and he vented Monday.

"We have a horrendous stretch here," Adelman told the Houston Chronicle. "I don't know if the league really understands that they gave us four back-to-backs. It's awful.

"And it's not just the back-to-backs. We play at home (tonight), then travel to Denver for the next one. Then the next week we play at home, then travel to Orlando for the next one. To me, it's just utterly ridiculous. But that's the schedule we have."

Adelman also is frustrated at the lack of time players and coaches will be at home around Christmas.

"I just think every team should have a chance when they're home a little bit to spend time with their families, and we have no chance," Adelman said. "This is the most ridiculous schedule I've ever seen. I wouldn't even know Christmas was coming unless someone told me, because that's all we're doing is traveling and playing games."

http:// [h3]Trading Amare unlikely[/h3]
10:16AM ET

[h5]Amare Stoudemire | Suns[/h5]
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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=phoPhoenix Suns general manager http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=425Steve Kerr told AOL FanHouse Monday that he doesn't foresee making a deal before the February trade deadline. That would include Amare Stoudemire, who can become a free agent next summer.

"I don't think we're going to do anything,'" Kerr said. "I'm pretty happy with this group. ... I'd be pretty surprised if we did anything (with Stoudemire). We're playing well. You always want to get better and you never say never (regarding a move). But we're playing well."

Stoudemire says he doesn't know if he'll opt out of his contract or sign an extension.

"I'm right in the middle," he said. "There's no particular way I'm leaning. ... "I think we're going to talk about something soon. I'm not totally sure."

http:// [h3]Bayless rumor not true?[/h3]
10:05AM ET

[h5]Jerryd Bayless | Trail Blazers[/h5]
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There was a report recently that Jerryd Bayless asked to be traded, but he says that's not true when asked by Blazersedge.com.

Blazersedge: Did your agent or anyone else approach Kevin Pritchard on your behalf?

"Not that I know of," said Bayless.

Blazersedge: How do you think something like that gets started?

"Probably because I wasn't playing. Someone wanted to write it," replied Bayless.

http:// [h3]Brown wants game called equally[/h3]
9:55AM ET

[h5]Larry Brown | Bobcats[/h5]
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Bobcats coach Larry Brown thinks superstars are treated differently by referees and he says that's not right.

"The reality is, it depends on the person," Brown told The Charlotte Observer. "Some people can do that and some can't. And that's wrong. You can't ref that way. For players to say they're confused by how things are called, I can see a lot of guys honestly saying that."

http:// [h3]Bender to play tonight?[/h3]
9:46AM ET

[h5]Jonathan Bender | Knicks[/h5]
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Jonathan Bender practiced for the second straight day yesterday after he signed with the New York Knicks Sunday. Head coach Mike D'Antoni wouldn't rule out the possibility that Bender will make his debut tonight.

"I don't know ... we'll see," D'Antoni told the New York Post. "He could, because I wouldn't mind, not knowing how the game is going to go, to get him time as soon as I can, in maybe a non-stressful time."

http:// [h3]Knicks eye Augustin[/h3]
9:00AM ET

[h5]D.J. Augustin | Bobcats[/h5]
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The Knicks talked with the Bobcats last season about .J. Augustin and a source tells the New York Daily News that New York is still interested in the point guard.

"He was part of a bigger deal," the source said. "But I know the Knicks like him very much."

Bobcats head coach Larry Brown is open to trading Augustin but has been overruled by Michael Jordan.

http:// [h3]Nuggets maybe need help[/h3]
8:44AM ET

[h5]Denver Nuggets[/h5]
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"Do we need to find another player to play in the rotation?" Nuggets head coach George Karl said to The Denver Post Monday. "Maybe."

The Nuggets would probably sign a big man if a roster move is made. They are one of the smaller teams in the league, with just three players who play regularly that stand 6-9 or higher.

http:// [h3]Nelson to return this week[/h3]
8:31AM ET

[h5]Don Nelson | Warriors[/h5]
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Warriors head coach Don Nelson has almost completely recovered from a bout with pneumonia and should be back on the bench Wednesday.

"He'll be fine and ready to go when we get home," general manager Larry Riley told The Oakland Tribune Monday. "He's anxious to get with the team. He'll have some ideas about what he wants to do. There should be no more problems from here on out."

http:// [h3]Jack a better fit than Calderon?[/h3]
7:39AM ET

[h5]Jarrett Jack | Raptors[/h5]
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Should Jarrett Jack replace Jose Calderon permanently as the Toronto Raptors starting point guard? Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun thinks Jack is a better fit with the starters.

Wolstat writes: "Jarrett Jack took T.J. Ford's starting point guard gig last year in Indiana and over the next few games, he might just take advantage of Jose Calderon's injury and do the same thing in Toronto. Jack is not the dead-eye shooter Calderon is, nor is he a pass-first 'true' point guard like the Spaniard, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that his skill-set meshes better with the rest of the starting lineup than Calderon's ... Though he, like Jack, has posted better numbers as a starter, Calderon also has had success as a backup and likely would thrive even more now playing against second units."

http:// [h3]Jordan won't change[/h3]
7:28AM ET

[h5]Eddie Jordan | 76ers[/h5]
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Even though he was fired after a 1-10 start by the Wizards last season and has began his first year 6-18 with the Philadelphia 76ers, head coach Eddie Jordan says he's not going to change his coaching style.

"You believe in the principles, no matter what," Jordan told the Philadelphia Daily News. "You have to have more belief. You look for adjustments, but you don't change your style of coaching; you don't change your whole demeanor. I am who I am as a coach, and I have beliefs, and I know in coaching, Jerry Sloan has his beliefs and he's had tough stretches; I know Pat Riley has his beliefs and he's had tough stretches. The same with Larry Brown. That's naming three of the top coaches in the history of basketball; they've all had tough stretches.

"I was thinking the other day, they once hung Dean Smith in effigy [at North Carolina]. It doesn't rattle me to [make me] think I'm not a good coach. We have a veteran staff here; we're not coaching wrong, and we have to make adjustments, emphasize what we need to do to get better. You have to believe in your principles. You keep teaching through your experiences, understanding there will be some ups and downs, for you and your players."

http:// [h3]Arroyo stays, Randolph goes[/h3]
6:24AM ET

[h5]Shavlik Randolph | Heat[/h5]
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The Miami Heat made a roster move Monday. They waived forward Shavlik Randolph and kept guard Carlos Arroyo.

"We wanted to keep our flexibility and keep our options open and possibly do something down the line," coach Erik Spoelstra told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "We actually like Shav quite a bit. He impressed us. The more and more he was with us, the more we noticed him in practice."

Spoelstra offered a vote of confidence for Arroyo.
"I like what Carlos has done," Spoelstra said. "He's got a great competitive spirit. Even in the game [Sunday] night, where we're getting throttled by 30, he's out there competing, very physical. For an undersized guard, he's got a lot of fight in him. I like that. It fits with what we do."

http:// [h3]T-Mac not an option[/h3]
5:42AM ET

[h5]Tracy McGrady | Rockets[/h5]
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Just because Trevor Ariza has been slapped with a one game suspension by the NBA, that doesn't mean Tracy McGrady will take his spot.

Rockets' head coach Rick Adelman says there has been no change in his approach to McGrady's situation.

"That's something I haven't thought about," he told the Houston Chronicle. "We've been talking about a lot of things. Tracy's situation is what it has been."

http:// [h3]Should Rose shoot or pass?[/h3]
5:35AM ET

[h5]Derrick Rose | Bulls[/h5]
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Derrick Rose is one of the few players on the Bulls' roster capable of creating his own shot and finishing in traffic. Why doesn't he take over more often since the Bulls desperately need additional scoring?

"Yeah, but it's hard when everybody's focusing on you on the court," Rose told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's very hard being in the position where I'm the point guard and I'm supposed to pass the ball and everything.

"People say they want me to shoot the ball more, but I'm the point guard; I can't do that. I've got to pass the ball to people and get people open. Taking over as a point guard is getting people open and shooting here and there. If I was a 2-guard, it would be something else."

http:// [h3]Asik to miss two months[/h3]
5:30AM ET

[h5]Chicago Bulls[/h5]
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From today's Chicago Tribune:

"The Bulls' injury bug has somehow crawled overseas. Omer Asik, whom the Bulls selected in the second round in 2008 and project to be a contributor once his Turkish contract expires after this season, broke his collarbone on Saturday and is expected to miss two months following surgery. It's the second significant injury for Asik, 23, who missed most of last season following knee surgery to repair torn ligaments."

http:// [h3]Kuester right man to coach Pistons[/h3]
5:16AM ET

[h5]John Kuester | Pistons[/h5]
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Richard Hamilton looks at the Detroit Pistons 11-12 record and five-game winning streak as evidence that first-year coach John Kuester is the right man for the job.

"He really showed he can coach with the guys out on the floor," Hamilton tells the Detroit Free Press. "That says a whole lot, and you give a whole lot of credit to Q. Seeing the guys he had out there, they still played hard and got some wins."

http:// [h3]Sessions available?[/h3]
4:56AM ET

[h5]Ramon Sessions | Timberwolves[/h5]
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Ramon Sessions is now eligible to be traded starting today. ESPN.com's Marc Stein listed Sessions as one of the top players that will likely be made available by their team.

Timberwolves president of Basketball Operations, David Kahn, told the Star Tribune Monday that today's date is not significant to him.

"No, not for us it isn't. Tomorrow is Tuesday. We're going home tomorrow. That's the only significance."

"I don't feel at all compelled that we need to make a move right now, but that's not to say, as I've always said, that if something comes our way, in season, that we wouldn't respond," Kahn told the Pioneer Press. "Through the natural events of drafts and free agency, of course, there will be a lot of chances down the pike."

http:// [h3]Gomes' streak ends[/h3]
4:35AM ET

[h5]Ryan Gomes | Timberwolves[/h5]
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Ryan Gomes' streak of consecutive games played ended at 203 Monday due to a left ankle sprain. He will have an MRI Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury.

"I didn't know it was that long, I just knew I played every game last season," Gomes told the Star Tribune. "I don't think [my ankle] is that serious. I've been walking on it fine. I have a little pain, but they said if it was really bad, I wouldn't be able to walk on it right now."

 

[i nasmatic i]

http://www.youtube.com/v/TC3d609LEt8?f=videos&app=youtube_gdatahttp://www.youtube.com/v/TC3d609LEt8?f=videos&app=youtube_gdata

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[CP1708]

Utah has a chance to be real nice if they turn Boozer into something. New York winning lately isn't helping them, but they should still get a decentpick at least.