OFFICIAL 2010-2011 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD : VOL. MOST. ANTICIPATED. PLAYOFFS. EVER?

Hornets Mavs game was a good one...Ariza w those 2 good looks at the end...damn....they rematchin this tom, may fall thru in the game
 
Pretty surprised it was Prince who was barking at his coach liek that. He always seemed to come off as mild mannered.
 
Pretty surprised it was Prince who was barking at his coach liek that. He always seemed to come off as mild mannered.
 
Man shaping up to be another 50 win minimum or bust out West for the playoffs. 10 teams with only 8 spots...gonna be crazy again.
 
Man shaping up to be another 50 win minimum or bust out West for the playoffs. 10 teams with only 8 spots...gonna be crazy again.
 
Originally Posted by AIRJORDAN JB23

Pretty surprised it was Prince who was barking at his coach like that. He always seemed to come off as mild mannered.
Click to expand...
Same here when I saw that I'm like Prince?
 
Originally Posted by AIRJORDAN JB23

Pretty surprised it was Prince who was barking at his coach like that. He always seemed to come off as mild mannered.
Click to expand...
Same here when I saw that I'm like Prince?
 
laugh.gif

[font=Verdana, Tahoma, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif]

"I'm not Chris Bosh," Anthony declared. "We're not the same person. What I do will be straight up. Management knows that." 
[/font]
 
laugh.gif

[font=Verdana, Tahoma, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif]

"I'm not Chris Bosh," Anthony declared. "We're not the same person. What I do will be straight up. Management knows that." 
[/font]
 
Before losing at home to Oklahoma City Monday night, the Utah Jazz put together a remarkable streak of five consecutive double-digit, second half comebacks, the final four coming on the road. Ahead of Sunday's loss to Phoenix, I asked Phil Jackson how a team can be so bad in one half and so dominant on the next, particularly away from home.

His response: "When Utah goes on the road, they play flip-flop of every other team. They play offense on the far end of their court, and when they come back in the second half, they're playing offense in front of their bench, and they generate a lot of points in front of their bench because of that. For whatever reason, teams a lot of times play better when the coach is yelling at the guys to make the right moves and the right passes and whatever. They're more comfortable... It's been in front of their bench that they've been able to do it, but I think they're the only team in the NBA that does that."

The visiting team has the option to choose the direction in which they play, something I didn't know. Jackson said he's pulled the proverbial Jerry Sloan at points in his career, but only back in his Chicago days. He certainly has no intention of doing so as the Lakers kick off their first multiple game roadie of the season. But why not do it more?

"It's what you trust. Do you trust the fact that your team can go and operate in the offensive end with confidence and with assuredness. If you have a system, like Jerry has a system, like we have a system, you hope that the guys would be able to, whatever happens they can still organize themselves and play out of the system and under duress or pressure," he said. "Defensively, a lot of coaches like to be in front of the bench because they can call out stuff. People can call what's going on, or the tendencies you can see behind you. Give eyes to the players that have their back to the basket."

http://

How much any of this actually impacts the final score of a game would require the sort of statistical analysis for which I am ludicrously unqualified, given all the factors that play into the equation. Just for fun, I went back and checked the box scores for each of the eight games played at Staples between the Lakers and Jazz during the last three postseasons. In six, the Jazz indeed scored more points in the second half than the first, and in seven of eight actually outscored the Lakers (the eighth was a draw). Except they tended to be in deep holes by halftime, and lost all eight games.

In the grand scheme of things, I doubt Sloan's directional preferences have a great deal of impact on wins and losses (nor would I expect him to say they do), and as Jackson notes there are benefits to playing defense with coaches in a team's ear. But for the sake of argument, let's agree teams perform better, offensively in particular, in front of their own bench. As a road team, I'd rather play on my "good side" early, get off to a good start, try to take the crowd out of the game, and establish a good rhythm my team might carry into the second half, where I'd take my chances.

That only one coach (far as Jackson/i know) does it, though, makes it one of those quirky hoops things always fun to kick around.
Click to expand...
 
Before losing at home to Oklahoma City Monday night, the Utah Jazz put together a remarkable streak of five consecutive double-digit, second half comebacks, the final four coming on the road. Ahead of Sunday's loss to Phoenix, I asked Phil Jackson how a team can be so bad in one half and so dominant on the next, particularly away from home.

His response: "When Utah goes on the road, they play flip-flop of every other team. They play offense on the far end of their court, and when they come back in the second half, they're playing offense in front of their bench, and they generate a lot of points in front of their bench because of that. For whatever reason, teams a lot of times play better when the coach is yelling at the guys to make the right moves and the right passes and whatever. They're more comfortable... It's been in front of their bench that they've been able to do it, but I think they're the only team in the NBA that does that."

The visiting team has the option to choose the direction in which they play, something I didn't know. Jackson said he's pulled the proverbial Jerry Sloan at points in his career, but only back in his Chicago days. He certainly has no intention of doing so as the Lakers kick off their first multiple game roadie of the season. But why not do it more?

"It's what you trust. Do you trust the fact that your team can go and operate in the offensive end with confidence and with assuredness. If you have a system, like Jerry has a system, like we have a system, you hope that the guys would be able to, whatever happens they can still organize themselves and play out of the system and under duress or pressure," he said. "Defensively, a lot of coaches like to be in front of the bench because they can call out stuff. People can call what's going on, or the tendencies you can see behind you. Give eyes to the players that have their back to the basket."

http://

How much any of this actually impacts the final score of a game would require the sort of statistical analysis for which I am ludicrously unqualified, given all the factors that play into the equation. Just for fun, I went back and checked the box scores for each of the eight games played at Staples between the Lakers and Jazz during the last three postseasons. In six, the Jazz indeed scored more points in the second half than the first, and in seven of eight actually outscored the Lakers (the eighth was a draw). Except they tended to be in deep holes by halftime, and lost all eight games.

In the grand scheme of things, I doubt Sloan's directional preferences have a great deal of impact on wins and losses (nor would I expect him to say they do), and as Jackson notes there are benefits to playing defense with coaches in a team's ear. But for the sake of argument, let's agree teams perform better, offensively in particular, in front of their own bench. As a road team, I'd rather play on my "good side" early, get off to a good start, try to take the crowd out of the game, and establish a good rhythm my team might carry into the second half, where I'd take my chances.

That only one coach (far as Jackson/i know) does it, though, makes it one of those quirky hoops things always fun to kick around.
Click to expand...
 
It amazes me how a guy plays well in the first half for our team, but Hollins doesn't play them in the 2nd half. Happened last night against Orlando and tonight with Thabeet FINALLY. 
It also amazes me how we still don't go to Rudy after he just hit another clutch shot, instead OJ and Conley are the ones to touch the ball. I'm really starting to get tired of Hollins coaching. 
 
It amazes me how a guy plays well in the first half for our team, but Hollins doesn't play them in the 2nd half. Happened last night against Orlando and tonight with Thabeet FINALLY. 
It also amazes me how we still don't go to Rudy after he just hit another clutch shot, instead OJ and Conley are the ones to touch the ball. I'm really starting to get tired of Hollins coaching. 
 
[h3][/h3]
[h3]Spurs waive Gee[/h3]
4:44PM ET

[h5]Alonzo Gee | Spurs[/h5]


According to Spurs.com, the team has waived Alonzo Gee.

A look at Sham Sports' Spurs salary page reveals that Gee's non-guaranteed contract was structured in such a manner that had the team held onto him until Nov. 25, he would have made $200,000. But cutting him before that date leaves him with $100,000.

The Spurs are now left with 12 on their roster, so they'll need to add another player to have the league minimum of 13.

With Gee and Bobby Simmons waived since the start of the season, it's possible the Spurs will target a backup small forward behind Richard Jefferson.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Dampier in play for Lakers?[/h3]
4:01PM ET

[h5]Theo Ratliff | Lakers[/h5]


As we noted earlier, Theo Ratliff was set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles chimes in Tuesday afternoon with a report that Ratliff's surgery was successful, and he's set to miss a minimum of four to six weeks.

With Andrew Bynum still not back from injury -- though his return appears to be nearing -- and coach Phil Jackson somewhat adverse to playing rookie Derrick Caracter for extended minutes, Jackson indicated the team could look to the free-agent market for help.

"We'll look at some outside talent and see what's available out there to help us out, but there's nothing we have that guarantees we can bring in somebody to fit in," Jackson said.

One possible name McMenamin throws out is Erick Dampier. The Suns, Raptors and Heat have all been named as possible destinations for Dampier once his deal with Houston fell through.

But with Phoenix signing Earl Barron and no reported imminent deals between Dampier and either of the other two listed suitors, it's possible the Lakers could get in the mix.

McMenamin has a few other possible options for the Lakers if they indeed look to sign someone to fill in the gap:

-- Ryan Corazza

McMenamin_dave_30.jpg
[h5]Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles [/h5]
With free-agent pool small, Lakers could turn to D-League
"Overall, the free-agent center crop is pretty barren after the Phoenix Suns signed Earl Barron and another journeyman, Dwayne Jones, who has had stints with five NBA teams, is headed to China. Other options include Marcus Cousin who was a late training camp cut by the San Antonio Spurs; Darryl Watkins who was in camp with the New Orleans Hornets; and Brian Zoubek who did not make the New Jersey Nets' final roster. They could also go the NBA Development League route. Drew Naymick, who was a training camp invitee for Los Angeles, is playing for the Lakers' D-League affiliate in Bakersfield. The other top centers in the D-League include Courtney Sims of Iowa (who played on the Lakers' summer league team in Las Vegas), Cheikh Samb of Sioux Falls (who the Lakers drafted with the No. 51 pick in 2006), Chris Hunter of Fort Wayne, Sean Williams of Texas and Magnum Rolle of Maine."
Click to expand...

http://[h3]Wolves PGs on the mend[/h3]
3:39PM ET

[h5]Minnesota Timberwolves[/h5]


UPDATE: Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune tweeted Tuesday that Ridnour should play Wednesday, but "not yet" for Flynn.

The Wolves play the Lakers on Friday, so it's possible Flynn could be ready by then.

---

According to a tweet from Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Timberwolves PG Luke Ridnour, who's been out the last four games with a hamstring injury, is likely to return Wednesday against the Clippers.

Zgoda also reports that Jonny Flynn, who's yet to play this season as he's been recovering from summer hip surgery, could also be available Wednesday.

Even if it's only Ridnour who's able to play, it'll likely mean Sebastian Telfair, who's been getting heavy minutes as the starting PG for the Wolves in Flynn's and Ridnour's absence, will move back to a reserve role on the bench.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Murphy losing favor in NJ[/h3]
2:29PM ET

[h5]Troy Murphy | Nets[/h5]


Troy Murphy missed the first three games of the Nets' season due to a back injury.

And though he started upon returning Nov. 3, his lack of production -- coupled with a minor foot injury -- has seen Kris Humphries taking over his starting power forward spot the last three games.

On Monday night in a win over the Clippers, Murphy didn't even get off the bench.

"This is a year where we're young, we're in transition (and) we're looking at a lot of different combinations," Nets coach Avery Johnson told the Star-Ledger. "We hope to get settled on something.

"We've seen Joe Smith start; we've seen Humphries start; we've seen Murphy start. We think, to help protect Brook Lopez, the skill set that Humphries has seems to be working out. But it could change."

Murphy is on an expiring contract, and he's been named as a potential trade chip for the team. But if he continues to get limited -- or no -- minutes, it could hurt his trade value as the February deadline approaches.

If the Nets end up rekindling talks with Denver for Carmelo Anthony and they agree to ship rookie Derrick Favors back in return, Murphy would likely have more opportunity for minutes at PF for the Nets then.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Lawal to D-League; Janning gone[/h3]
1:48PM ET

[h5]Gani Lawal | Suns[/h5]


UPDATE: According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Janning has indeed been released by the Suns.

---

Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports Tuesday that Gani Lawal, a second-round pick of the Suns in June, will be assigned to the Iowa Energy, the team's D-League affiliate.

"Lawal needs playing time and was not expected to contribute this season after Phoenix selected him 46th overall in the June draft as its top pick," wrote Coro.

With Earl Barron expected to join the team soon, Coro also notes that another roster move could be on the way.

Barron's addition would max out Phoenix's roster at 15 players, but Coro writes a full roster is not something the team has done previously, and "that would leave rookie guard Matt Janning as vulnerable to being waived."

Janning is on a non-guaranteed contract.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Iguodala's lingering Achilles injury[/h3]
1:46PM ET

[h5]Andre Iguodala | 76ers[/h5]


Andre Iguodala missed two recent games against the Knicks and Thunder due to an Achilles injury.

He returned to play last week against Dallas on Friday and the Spurs on Saturday. But he only played 19 minutes against San Antonio due to the Achilles slowing him down.

And after he was limited in Monday's practice, coach Doug Collins told this to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I don't think Andre is still healthy," Collins said to the paper. "He looked to be still limping. We asked him to sit down and get treatment. He still did not look to be himself."

Now comes word from Collins that Iguodala will not play Tuesday night against the Cavs.

Andres Nocioni will likely start in Iguodala's place at small forward.

Iguodala has also reportedly been of interest to several teams looking to trade for him. So if this injury continues to linger, it's possible it could affect his value going forward -- though he has proven quite durable up to this point, as he's played in all 82 games in each of his first six seasons in the league expect for 2006-07 when he played in 76.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Why Smith didn't play[/h3]
12:32PM ET

[h5]J.R. Smith | Nuggets[/h5]


J.R. Smith didn't see the court during the Nuggets' loss to the Suns on Monday night.

According to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, coach George Karl decided not to play Smith because he showed up late for the morning's shootaround.

"Coach has also been down on him of late," added Hochman.

Smith has had a history of getting under Karl's skin, and as ESPN's Marc Stein reported Friday in the Weekend Dime, the team is determined to trade him.

Yet, Smith has also been a player the team has looked to move previously, and they've come up empty.

Smith is on an expiring $6 million deal, so that might make him more attractive around the trade deadline for teams looking to ditch salary.

-- Ryan Corazza

stein_marc_30.jpg
[h5]ESPN's Marc Stein[/h5]
Smith's on the block
"Smith's ability to frustrate his coach with his famously loose play is one of the league's worst-kept secrets. George Karl has spoken about it openly in recent weeks. The reality, furthermore, is that Smith's name could have easily appeared with the Gilbert Arenas-Baron Davis-Elton Brand group of players that have been, uh, highly gettable for some time.Yet we're listing Smith here just to slam home the notion that the Nuggets, successful as they've been in slowing/calming the trade frenzy that engulfed the whole league just days before training camp opened when Carmelo Anthony was nearly sent to New Jersey, remain determined to find a taker for the unpredictable guard. As soon as possible. Team officials have been pleasantly surprised by the team's chemistry, especially considering the potential damage they feared as a result of the constant Melo speculation and the potential despair stemming from the knee injuries that will keep big men Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen out until December at the earliest. Yet the claim that continues to emanate from Denver's inner sanctum is that Smith's uneven play has been the only real threat to the chemistry so far."
Click to expand...

http://[h3]Korver's knee injury not serious[/h3]
12:14PM ET

[h5]Kyle Korver | Bulls[/h5]


UPDATE: K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweeted Korver has a "simple bone bruise" on the knee, and he participated in portions of the Bulls' shootaround in preparation for their game against the Rockets on Tuesday night.

Johnson added that Korver is a gametime decision against Houston.

---

Starting Tuesday night against the Rockets, the Bulls will begin their yearly circus trip -- seven straight games on the road as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus takes over the United Center.

In recent years, it's been a tough stretch for the Bulls marred with many losses.

And this year, they may be without sharpshooter Kyle Korver for part of it.

"Korver not accompanying team immediately on Bulls road trip because of sore right knee," tweeted Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune. "He will undergo an MRI."

Korver is hitting a strong 57.1 percent of his 3-pointers, good for fifth in the league. His addition to the squad this season has helped the Bulls to their current rank of 14th in 3-point percentage (35.7 percent), up from last year's mark of 33.0 percent which ranked the Bulls third to last in the league.

If Korver misses any games due to the knee, the Bulls may lean more heavily on Luol Deng for shots beyond the arc, as he's currently hitting a career-high 44.1 percent of them.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]James headed to China[/h3]
12:08PM ET

[h5]Mike James[/h5]


According to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype, Mike James, who played for the Wizards last season, will be heading to China to play for Zhejiang of the Chinese League.

James' addition to the team has affected Joe Alexander's future.

The Hornets released Alexander recently, and it was reported Zhejiang could either add him or James.

"Zhejiang chose James. They already has two foreign players," tweeted Rijay Wang of HoopChina. "That means Alexander must find another team."

The D-League's season begins Thursday, so Alexander could still go that route if China or another locale overseas doesn't work out.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Smart's deal[/h3]
11:37AM ET

[h5]Keith Smart | Warriors[/h5]


When it was announced Keith Smart would be installed as the new head coach of the Warriors before this season, reports stated the team was working on a multi-year deal with him.

And at the media session new team owners Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber held Monday in San Francisco, it was revealed the multi-year deal is actually just a two-year deal with next season being a team option, according to Sam Amick of FanHouse.

"That being said, Lacob said Smart is not interim and should be viewed as a coach who they picked as opposed to next in line," added Amick.

While this may be true, there's no denying the new owners certainly have the option of ditching Smart after this season if they see it as fit.

Yet, the Warriors are out to a solid 7-4 start, and are playing defense (ninth in defensive efficiency at 102.9) -- something that wasn't really the case under Don Nelson.

So early on, Smart seems to be earning that second year.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Could the Warriors move to San Fran?[/h3]
11:21AM ET

[h5]Golden State Warriors[/h5]


New Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber met with members of the media Monday.

The team plays in Oakland at Oracle Arena, but Lacob made several mentions to San Francisco during the media session.

According to ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher, when asked about the references, Lacob didn't mince words about a possible future move.

"To his credit, he didn't duck speculation that the team could move across the bay, admitting the World Series champion Giants officials even made 'a hallway mention' of building an arena next to their AT&T Park," he wrote.

So while nothing is imminent, and such discussions of a move have been but "a hallway mention" at this point, it appears to be something that could happen at some point in the future.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Walsh still backs D'Antoni[/h3]
11:05AM ET

[h5]Mike D'Antoni | Knicks[/h5]


Even though the Knicks have struggled the last few seasons and are 3-7 this year, president Donnie Walsh says he has not come to any conclusions regarding the status of head coach Mike D'Antoni.

"I've made no judgment on Mike in the first few years, basically because I didn't think he had the personnel to compete because of what we were doing," Walsh told The New York Times. "This team is a young team that has to be brought along a certain way. He's trying to do that. In the first 10 games, I expected that we would be up and down, and we have. So I don't think it's time for me to make judgments on Mike."

D'Antoni says he's not panicking over the early record this season.

"I'm always concerned, when you're 3-7," D'Antoni said. "And again, we could have won a couple games and then you're 5-5, you're a little less concerned. But I do think these guys will get it. I hate it that we're in this spot.

"I'm not pushing the panic button. I've got my juices flowing, and we're trying to get this thing solved."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Prince- Kuester verbal exchange[/h3]
11:05AM ET

[h5]Tayshaun Prince | Pistons[/h5]


The Warriors were killing the Pistons by 25 points in the second quarter Monday when Tayshaun Prince and head coach John Kuester had a verbal exchange during a timeout.

Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News writes: "On the way to the bench, Kuester and Prince had words. Then Prince slammed his towel down, yelling at Kuester and walked away from the huddle. Kuester responded in kind, and had to be restrained by assistant coach Darrell Walker. Kuester and Prince continued jawing throughout the stoppage in play. After the timeout, Kuester attempted to walk over to Prince and continue their discussion, but Walker stepped in again."

"This game is emotional," Kuester said. "This game is played with passion. That's what we needed at this stage of the game, that passion. And I thought he responded in the second half."

Prince did start the second half and took some of the blame for the argument.

"You can call me the bad guy, because I've said something to Flip (Saunders), Larry (Brown) and all my other coaches," Prince said. "It's part of the game. When you're getting beat by 30 early, strange things happen. I hope it don't happen again. I can't say it won't. I'm the type of guy where if I see something ain't right, I'm gonna say something."

Prince and Kuester traded barbs earlier in the season after a blowout loss to the Celtics when the head coach said he needed more leadership from some of the players.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Knicks frontrunner for Melo?[/h3]
10:50AM ET

[h5]Carmelo Anthony | Nuggets[/h5]


Peter Vecsey of the New York Post talked with Carmelo Anthony over the last couple of days and thinks the Knicks and not the Nets are at the top of his wish list.

Vecsey writes: "Don't reach for your spectacles, you got that right; the Knicks remain a viable option. I repeat, a viable option. ... the Nets, at the very least, appeared to be the frontrunners. Now they're also-rans, I'm informed. In a nutshell, the fact they're two seasons away from moving to Brooklyn from New Jersey places them in the loser bin."

Vecsey adds, "I can't tell you how much Melo admires James Dolan's willingness to great lengths to avoid contaminating Madison Square Garden with a loss."

Anthony wants the Nuggets to prove they can challenge for a championship and if they can't, he'll leave by a trade or free agency. Either way, he won't leave the team waiting for him to make a decision.

"I'm not Chris Bosh," Anthony declared. "We're not the same person. What I do will be straight up. Management knows that."

Howard Beck of The New York Times thinks the Knicks should focus on getting a point guard like Steve Nash now via atrade, or Chris Paul or Deron Williams, when they can become free agents in the summer of 2012.

One NBA scout doesn't think Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire would make a winning duo right now.

"Carmelo needs the ball in his hand all the time to be a factor," the scout said, concluding, "Carmelo is not the immediate answer."

-- Nick Borges

sheridan_chris_30.jpg
[h5]ESPN's Chris Sheridan[/h5]
Knicks in play for Melo
"From what I am hearing, everything is in a holding pattern until Dec. 15 when players who signed over the summer can be dealt. I still see the Knicks as the favorites, because I think Melo wants to be here and can effectively veto any fair-value trade by refusing to sign the extnsion that is sitting on the table."
Click to expand...

http://[h3]Grizz hold players-only meeting[/h3]
10:19AM ET

[h5]Memphis Grizzlies[/h5]


According to FanHouse, the Grizzlies were not happy after losing to Orlando on Monday and they held a players-only meeting.

"It's never too early to have a team meeting," Mike Conley said. "The issues that we have as a team, being held accountable individually, we have to accept as a team."

"We should be further along at this point in the season. We're still working the kinks out, and it's kind of late in the game to still be doing that," said Rudy Gay. "That (meeting) is for us to talk about. Obviously, we are not playing well right now."

The Grizzlies dropped to 4-7 after Monday's loss in Orlando.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Randolph seeks an extension now[/h3]
10:10AM ET

[h5]Zach Randolph | Grizzlies[/h5]


Zach Randolph is in the last year of his contract, which is paying him $17.3 million, and he let everyone know Monday how much he wants to sign an extension with the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I want to do it now," he told FanHouse. "Sooner the better. If we don't do it now, there are a lot of other teams out there who like me."

Randolph and the team talked some time ago and the Grizzlies offered a reported three-year, $40 million extension. The two sides have not spoken since that time.

"I'd like to get it out of the way, but they (his agent and the Grizzlies) aren't really talking right now, at least not that I know of," Randolph said. "And that's disappointing. I like playing for this team. I want to stay with this team. I'm a blue-collar player in a blue collar town, and it's a good fit. I'm in my prime, and we all know it's a business, too."

The Grizzlies have to sign Marc Gasol to a new deal next summer and possibly extend O.J. Mayo's contract, so there's a good chance he won't get what he wants from the team.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Boozer two steps away[/h3]
9:49AM ET

[h5]Carlos Boozer | Bulls[/h5]


Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau gave Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com an update Monday on Carlos Boozer and his broken right pinky.

"He can do some light shooting," Thibodeau said. "But he hasn't been cleared for the next step yet."

And the next step being?

"The next thing will be to go through actual practice," Thibodeau said. "The stuff that he's doing now is really pre-practice. The next thing will be the non-contact part of regular practice. Once he's cleared, after that it will be contact in practice. Once he can handle the contact in practice, then he'll be cleared to play. He's two steps away."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]West ready to play[/h3]
9:34AM ET

[h5]Delonte West | Celtics[/h5]


Delonte West's 10-game suspension is over and he will play Wednesday against Washington.

"He'll play. I'm not sure how much," head coach Doc Rivers told ESPNBoston.com. "We've still got to get all our stuff down so we may limit what we do when he's out there."

West was the last to leave the practice court on Monday and knows he'll have to earn playing time.

"It feels good [to have the suspension done]," said West. "Who knows where we go from here? I have to still earn my playing time. This is a talented team; guys that want to be out there, earn the right to be out there. So it starts here[on the practice court], just getting in here, showing the guys I'm committed to this, and hopefully they trust me enough to have me out there."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Thompson not affected by trade talk[/h3]
9:24AM ET

[h5]Jason Thompson | Kings[/h5]


Even though Jason Thompson is hearing his name in the rumor mill, including a report by ESPN.com's Marc Stein that he was offered to Atlanta for Jeff Teague, he says it won't affect him.

"Until I hear it from Geoff (Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie), coach or guys who are reliable about the situation, it's just guessing or hearsay," he told The Sacramento Bee.

Thompson will rely on Petrie and his agent, Leon Rose, to keep him informed on his situation.

"I can only control what I can control," Thompson added. "I'm just trying to get better in whatever situation I'm in, and hopefully, it's here."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Przybilla's timeline won't change[/h3]
9:23AM ET

[h5]Joel Przybilla | Trail Blazers[/h5]


Joel Przybilla is confident that he can play now. However, after speaking with head trainer Jay Jensen on Sunday, the Blazers center has agreed he won't return until Nov. 26 against the New Orleans Hornets. Nov. 26 had been the original target date for Przybilla.

"I feel good, but I had a long talk with Jay and we just decided it would be on the smart side to wait," Przybilla told The Oregonian on Monday. "We'd rather (sit out) this week then to get to March or April and say, 'I wish I had that week back.'"

Head coach Nate McMillan says he agrees the team should be cautious with Przybilla.

"It's one of those things where, if he feels like he's ready to go, why not give him a few more days?" McMillan said.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Positive step for Beaubois[/h3]
9:21AM ET

[h5]Rodrigue Beaubois | Mavericks[/h5]


Rodrigue Beaubois is still weeks away from returning to game action, but he was smiling Monday because he is no longer wearing the walking boot on his left foot.

"That's great for me. It's a big step," Beaubois told ESPNDallas.com. "It's great to know it's getting better."

The team physician will start examining Beaubois every 10 days to monitor the healing process.

"He's making progress. From here, we're going to continue to be very cautious with his rehab," head coach Rick Carlisle said. "But, this is another positive step."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Suns to sign Barron[/h3]
9:00AM ET

[h5]Earl Barron[/h5]


The Suns need help at center since Robin Lopez will be out for a few weeks and The Arizona Republic reports the team will sign free agent Earl Barron on Tuesday.

Barron finished last season with the New York Knicks, playing in seven games and averaging 11.7 points and 11.0 rebounds.

Barron will back up Channing Frye at center until Lopez is able to play again.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Lopez out several weeks[/h3]
8:52AM ET

[h5]Robin Lopez | Suns[/h5]


UPDATE: Lopez was diagnosed Monday with a moderate sprain of his medial-collateral ligament and posterior-cruciate ligament in his left knee. The Suns project he'll miss "several" weeks.

"My experience is whenever you put a time frame on it, it's wrong, so we might as well be a little bit vague and hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby told The Arizona Republic. "It's a little bit more serious than we first thought it would be. We were very cautious, took a MRI, and that revealed it was a moderate sprain as opposed to a mild sprain."

-- Nick Borges

----

During the second quarter of the Suns' win against the Lakers on Sunday, Robin Lopez sprained his left knee.

According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, Lopez will undergo an MRI on the knee Monday.

"It's a little stiff but I think it'll be OK," Lopez said as he walked out of Staples Center, according to the paper. "I got a pretty positive checkup on it in the locker room.

"It was pretty painful but I'm feeling pretty good that I'm able to walk on it. It didn't pop at all. It kind of came back and in a little bit. Right now, they're telling me it's day-to-day so I'm pretty positive."

If Lopez misses time, it'll leave the Suns with little option but to go small in the frontcourt with the likes of Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick and Channing Frye getting the bulk of the minutes.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Green wears a boot[/h3]
7:38AM ET

[h5]Jeff Green | Thunder[/h5]


Thunder power forward Jeff Green played Sunday, but tweaked his sprained left ankle and ended up Monday in a protective boot on his left foot. Green says the injury is not serious.

"It's just precautionary," Green told The Oklahoman. "It's mainly to take the pressure off of it so it can get better and heal a little bit quicker. I'm just taking it day by day."

Green didn't play against Utah on Monday and is listed as day-to-day.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Howard's tech rescinded[/h3]
7:18AM ET

[h5]Dwight Howard | Magic[/h5]


According to the Orlando Sentinel, the NBA has rescinded the technical foul Dwight Howard received Nov. 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Magic spokesman Joel Glass made the announcement before Monday's game against Memphis.

The league's decision leaves Howard with four technicals this season, 12 short of a mandatory one-game suspension.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Wizards' injury woes[/h3]
7:06AM ET

[h5]Washington Wizards[/h5]


UPDATE: Wall was on crutches Monday and Gilbert Arenas will take the rookie's spot in the starting lineup Tuesday if Wall can't play.

"Kirk Hinrich and Gil played a lot together, played pretty well together in the fourth quarter. If they're there and John's there, then we'll make that adjustment," head coach Flip Saunders told The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Yi said he was feeling better.

"It was pretty painful at the time, but a few minutes away, it felt better," said Yi, who had an MRI exam after the game that revealed no ligament damage. "But it was fine, it won't be long. I see how it feels. It's kind of day-by-day."

Saunders said Blatche will play Tuesday, but the power forward didn't agree with his coach.

"I'm just going to take it a day at a time and see how I feel [Tuesday]," said Blatche. "If I feel better and the swelling is down, I'm going to play. If not, it's going to be a chance for the rookies to step up."

-- Nick Borges

----

The Washington Wizards not only left the United Center on Saturday with a 103-96 loss to the Bulls, but injuries to John Wall, Andray Blatche and Yi Jianlian.

Wall sprained the arch in his left foot and was wearing a walking boot after the game. The team is hoping the swelling will go down with some rest.

Blatche's left knee has been sore for the last week and he didn't play well against Chicago.

"I just tried to be a warrior. I tried to fight through it," Blatche told The Washington Post. "It just gave out on me. All the pain came, in every different way. Soon as I got here, I knew it was going to be a problem."

Wall fell into Yi's right knee on one play and the forward suffered a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise. Yi's injuries appear to be the more serious and he could be out for some time.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Benching baffles Young[/h3]
5:59AM ET

[h5]Sam Young | Grizzlies[/h5]


Sam Young, who produced the most last season off the bench for Memphis, has received three DNP-Coach's Decision's in the last five games.

Young says he's baffled by the benching from head coach Lionel Hollins.

"I had a great summer. I had a great preseason. I thought I would come in and help the team," Young tells The Commercial-Appeal. "It's beyond my control. I'm just working so that I can stay ready when my number is called."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]MRI's for Odom and Ratliff[/h3]
5:36AM ET

[h5]Los Angeles Lakers[/h5]


UPDATE: Odom's MRI came back negative. He only has a bone bruise and will play Tuesday against the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Ratliff will have arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to determine what is causing the soreness in his left knee. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, there is no timetable for Ratliff's return.

Ratliff's spot in the rotation will probably be given to rookie Derrick Caracter.

-- Nick Borges

----

Lamar Odom is dealing with soreness in his right foot and is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.

"It's been aching, especially in the morning," Odom told the ESPNLosAngeles.com. "I've played a lot of basketball. Hopefully it's just wear and tear, hopefully, and there's nothing wrong."

"I'll get it checked out [Monday] and hopefully all I need is ice," Odom added.

Theo Ratliff has been suffering with tendinitis in his left knee and will also have an MRI on Monday.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Will Cavs send Eyenga to Erie?[/h3]
5:08AM ET

[h5]Christian Eyenga | Cavaliers[/h5]

NBA clubs can start sending players to the D-League because their season tips off this week. Rookie Christian Eyenga is a candidate to be sent to the Erie BayHawks, but head coach Byron Scott, at this time, is hesitant to remove him from the Cavaliers roster.

"You want to get him on the floor and get him some playing time, and if we can't do that in our games, then obviously the best thing is the D-League," Scott told The Plain Dealer. "But right now with Mo (Mo Williams) and Andy (Anderson Varejao) being out, bodies are short, so we kind of need him here now."

The Cavaliers, like all NBA teams, can send a player to the D-League three times during the season.

Beasley's hot streak will come to an end sooner or later.

Each Monday throughout the NBA season, ESPN Insider will investigate the latest trends in the NBA. Basketball Prospectus' Kevin Pelton is keeping an eye on all the numbers and will have a first look at how players, teams and the league as a whole are evolving.
[h3]Trending Player: Michael Beasley, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves[/h3]
Beasley just enjoyed his best week as a pro. The No. 2 overall pick in 2008 averaged 29.8 points as Minnesota split four games and played tough in road losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks. The highlight of Beasley's coming-out party was a 42-point outburst Wednesday in Sacramento, making him one of four players this season to score 40 or more. But despite the gaudy numbers and efficient shooting, it is not yet clear that Beasley has found a sustainable formula for big-time scoring success.

After struggling to find a role in Miami, Beasley has settled in as a small forward with the Timberwolves and adapted his game accordingly, becoming more of a perimeter player. According to Hoopdata.com, Beasley has attempted 5.8 shots per game from 16 to 23 feet, putting him 11th in the league.

It was those perimeter shots that Beasley relied upon to beat the Kings. Fifteen out of his 31 field goal attempts came on long 2-pointers. Beasley knocked down 10 of them, accounting for almost half his 42 points. While Beasley did get to the free throw line 10 times, the most amazing statistic from Beasley's big game was that he did not make a single shot at the rim. Beasley had more of a presence in the paint against New York on Friday, when he scored 10 of his 35 points at the rim. Yet Beasley also was a red-hot 7-of-9 from 16 to 23 feet.

That kind of accurate shooting on long 2s will be difficult for Beasley to sustain. Before Wednesday, he was shooting 42.9 percent from 16 to 23 feet. The league average from that distance is even worse (39.9 percent). While players like Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki show that it is possible to make a living with long 2s as a staple, Beasley has not yet proved to be at their level. But his 25-point game Sunday at Atlanta might be more encouraging for the long term. Beasley made all six of his attempts in the paint and added just enough longer shots to finish 10-of-16 from the field.
[h3]Trending Team: Orlando Magic[/h3]
The Magic just can't seem to wrest attention away from their Florida rivals. Even when Orlando slumped last week, it was overshadowed by the Miami Heat's losing two games in a row. While the Magic snapped the streak Saturday, beating the New Jersey Nets to improve to 6-3, it took a last-second score by Jameer Nelson to secure the victory.

[h4]Magic 3-point shooting[/h4]
J.J. Redick.120.405
Quentin Richardson.256.397
Rashard Lewis.318.397
Ryan Anderson.316.370
Chris Duhon.273.349
Jameer Nelson.400.381
Jason Williams.500.380
Vince Carter.424.367
Mickael Pietrus.576.379
[th=""]Player[/th][th=""]10-11[/th][th=""]09-10[/th]

Orlando's biggest problem has been a simple one. The Magic's offense is designed around the 3-point shot -- more than a third of Orlando's attempts this season have been behind the arc, by far the league's highest percentage -- and so far that has meant dying by the 3 rather than living by it. The Magic shot 37.5 percent from downtown in 2009-10, en route to setting a league record for 3s made. So far this season, that mark is down to 34.7 percent. With similar personnel on hand, Basketball Prospectus' SCHOENE projection system predicted that Orlando would shoot … 37.5 percent. If that had been the case thus far, the Magic would have scored an additional 2.3 points per game.

Three-point shooting hasn't always meant the difference between winning and losing -- Orlando won despite 4-of-22 accuracy beyond the arc against Atlanta, and lost while making 12 3s in 24 attempts against Toronto. Still, the extra points would be enough to take the Orlando offense from a below-average 17th in the league in offensive rating all the way into the top 10 (ninth).

The biggest culprit thus far has been J.J. Redick, who has made just three triples in 25 attempts. Over the same number of attempts, Redick would have hit 10 based on his 2009-10 3-point shooting. Quentin Richardson and Rashard Lewis have also been below expectations, while Mickael Pietrus' hot shooting cannot entirely make up the difference.
[h3]League Trend: Little change from 2009-10[/h3]
There is an annual trend that is worth noting this time each season. Some writer will compare league-wide offensive statistics to the previous season and note they are down across the board. There is an easy explanation -- offense tends to improve over the course of the season, as teams get more familiar with their sets, improve their shooting rhythm and have less energy to expend at the other end of the floor.

The only way to account for league-wide trends on offense, then, is to compare stats through the same period of the season. Doing so for 2009-10 and 2010-11 (through Saturday) shows little difference at the league level.

[h4]League changes[/h4]
2009-10107.7.483.357.762
2010-11108.0.485.352.750
[th=""]Year[/th][th=""]ORtg[/th][th=""]2P%[/th][th=""]3P%[/th][th=""]FT%[/th]

The differences in 3-point and free throw shooting are tiny at this point in the season (in fact, Phoenix's barrage from beyond the arc against the Lakers on Sunday made up the entire difference in that category). Offenses have been slightly more efficient in large part because they are doing a better job of taking care of the basketball. Turnover rates around the league have declined from 14.3 percent of teams' possessions this time a year ago to 13.5 percent so far this season.

The league-wide offensive rating has remained between 109.1 and 109.8 points per 100 possessions during the last three full seasons. Based on the early results, we can expect something similar this season. It would take a stronger offensive effort the rest of the way for the NBA to crack 110 points per 100 possessions for the first time in modern league history.

Michael Beasley and Kevin Love have given Wolves fans something to be excited about this season.

The nice thing about the NBA, at least for the have-nots of the league, is that the game is rigged to nurse the worst teams back to health fairly quickly. Any team, no matter how badly run*, eventually will accumulate enough high lottery picks to put together a couple of playoff-caliber seasons before sinking back to the mediocrity from whence it came.

(* except the Clippers).

Here in Atlanta, for instance, the Hawks went from 13 wins to 53 in five seasons despite a stewardship under general manager Billy Knight that teetered between garden-variety mediocre and flat-out disastrous. Atlanta used lottery picks to draft Shelden Williams and Acie Law, and signed John Edwards, Esteban Batista, Speedy Claxton and Lorenzen Wright to multiyear guaranteed deals. For much of that span, the Hawks couldn't even settle who owned the team.

Still, they couldn't avoid becoming a playoff squad. There are simply too many opportunities for teams to add talent; no matter what, each franchise will eventually field a competent team.

Which brings us to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite being one of the league's worst-run teams during the miserable tenure of owner Glen Taylor, they appear to have landed a young forward combination that could be the envy of the league if all goes right.

The pairing of Kevin Love, 22, and Michael Beasley, 21, had a breakout week, culminating in Love's 31-point, 31-rebound explosion against the Knicks on Friday -- the league's first 30-30 since Moses Malone accomplished the feat in 1982.

The duo, ironically, was formed by a pair of trades by two general managers whose track records rank among basketball's spottiest. Love came to Minnesota in a draft-day swap with Memphis for O.J. Mayo that was engineered by former GM Kevin McHale, and it was one of the few very good moves he made in the dozen years he was in control after hitting the jackpot with Kevin Garnett in 1995.

As for Beasley, he was a value pickup from Miami in a swap that cost the Wolves only two second-round picks -- one of several moves in an erratic summer from current general manager David Kahn and still the only one that looks as though it will provide any lasting value.

So far, Love and Beasley rank among the best lines on each GM's rÃ[emoji]169[/emoji]sumÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] and have ushered in a rare spasm of competence from the cellar-dwelling Wolves. After absorbing a series of savage beatings to begin the season, Minnesota is on a hot streak that's boosted the Wolves all the way up to 29th in the Power Rankings. That's more impressive than it sounds -- five games ago, they were so far behind the other 29 teams that I was going to have to rank them behind a few Big Ten squads.

(Side note: Since the Wolves have played a league-high 12 games thus far, this is also a good place to note that the "past 10 games" part of the Power Rankings will kick in and be in effect from now until Game 40. After Game 40, it switches from the past 10 games to the past 25 percent of the schedule.)

Love leads the league in rebounding despite playing only 30.8 minutes per game, a baffling lack of burn that seems unlikely to continue given his breakout performance against New York. To put his rebounding performance into perspective, consider that he averages nearly a board every two minutes -- 18.6 per 40, to be exact. He's also sporting a healthy 21.76 player efficiency rating and, despite his team's poor record, has to be considered a serious candidate to nab an All-Star berth.

Love ranks second in the NBA in rebound rate because of the prodigious efforts of Toronto's Reggie Evans, but unlike Evans, he's not just diving to the boards on every play. Love often spots up outside the 3-point line, which makes it even more impressive that he still boards 16.4 percent of his own side's missed shots when he's on the floor.

If Love has an issue, it's his finishing skills around the basket. He's converting an underwhelming 54.2 percent of his shots in the basket area this season, and that average is augmented by how many easy putbacks he gets. Love's elevation is the weakest part of his game, and although he has a real nice jump hook move, he can struggle to get enough space to launch it. Sunday's matinee in Atlanta provided a good example, as he had to wipe away Josh Smith with his off arm on one attempt and had another served back to him.

As for Beasley, he's finally evolving into the scoring threat we all figured he could become. And I'm kicking myself for not pushing this storyline more before the season -- my projection system showed him with the league's biggest PER increase, but I couldn't buy it given what a goofball he'd been in Miami.

That hasn't been the case up north. Instead, he's basically become Carmelo Lite -- a high-scoring 3 who can move up to the 4 with middling percentages and low assist rates. Historically, he's played better as a 4, but Beasley showed up in dramatically better shape this season and seems to be moving much better. Better yet, he's lookin' rad with long braids and a samurai bun up top.

The improved conditioning is a big factor, because it's made him much more viable as a 3 at both ends of the floor. Or perhaps it's the samurai bun. Whatever the cause, his defense may have improved as much as or more than his offense -- on Sunday in Atlanta he checked Joe Johnson and didn't embarrass himself, while Monday night he matched up against Charlotte's Gerald Wallace most of the evening.

I still think Beasley's best long-term spot may be as a spot-up 4, but with Love around, it's best if he can adapt to the 3. And with the versatility of these two forwards, Minnesota also can play small ball as well as anyone by shifting Love to the 5 and Beasley to the 4.

Of late, Beasley's eye-popping scoring numbers are getting even more attention than his 'do. He's scored 42, 35, 25 and 28 points in his past four games and is averaging 26.9 points per 40 minutes. As with Love, his per-game averages have been sullied by playing fewer minutes than one would expect for a player of this caliber -- just 31.5 per game so far this season.

At either the 3 or the 4, he's a matchup nightmare. Beasley is huge for a 3 and can elevate right over smaller wings for his jumper, a weapon that has looked absolutely deadly in the early part of the season. Against 4s, however, he can use his blinding quickness going left to get easy looks at the rim.

As our Kevin Pelton noted recently, Beasley's success has been heavily dependent on a jumper that's unlikely to continue to find the net quite as consistently. He's shooting 52.4 percent on long 2s and 50 percent on 3s -- there's no way he'll keep up those numbers.

But part of the reason he won't have to is that opponents will adjust to his improved perimeter game. It's the same reason no player shoots in the 50s on midrange J's for long -- eventually, you start crowding the Nowitzkis of the world and forcing them to beat you in other ways. Beasley's jumper has looked amazing -- you think every one is going in -- but opponents also have conceded the face-up 20-footer to him, and that will cease very soon, if it hasn't already. Witness the close of the game in Charlotte on Monday night, when the Bobcats' Stephen Jackson crowded him to take away the jumper and then forced a key turnover when Beasley tried to put it on the deck.

That will be a problem only if Beasley continues to settle for the J. At the moment his right hand is strictly ornamental, but he's so quick to his left that he still can get to the basket and finish. More drives would help him improve upon a middling free throw rate that has his true shooting percentage at a ho-hum 54.2.

Additionally, Beasley needs to fill in the other parts of the box score. Although he's making the right pass when the play is there, he opts to face up for a jumper so often that his assist rate remains poor. That could change as he gets more double-team attention. His rebound rate is also a concern, down to a paltry 8.6. Although that can be blamed partly on Love swallowing up every rebound in sight, it's a below-average number even for a 3, let alone a 4.

Nonetheless, the Wolves' new tandem provides the one thing that the league's forlorn franchises find most difficult to sell: hope. There's real foundation here in Minny, and the Wolves should have a decent offense once they stop starting Sebastian Telfair at point guard and punting 10 possessions a game on post-ups for Darko Milicic.

(Seriously, Sota, I don't get it. Milicic is shooting 30.8 percent, nobody doubles him and he never draws fouls. He's a career 45.1 percent shooter, and he's not getting better. You're just taking away touches from your two best players. This needs to stop, like now, or I'm taking Tom Hanneman hostage.)

The Wolves have been quietly ravaged by injuries as well -- rotation players Luke Ridnour, Nikola Pekovic, Martell Webster, Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn all missed the trip to Atlanta and Charlotte -- which makes it even more impressive that they were able to put up a good fight in these past five games.

I don't want to get too optimistic here -- it's still likely to be a long winter in the Great North. As coach Kurt Rambis noted before the game in Atlanta, it's not as though everything's suddenly fine now; this team still has plenty of issues. But with Love and Beasley emerging as two of the league's brightest young stars, the foundation is in place for the Wolves to recover quickly from their current malaise.

Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
[h3][/h3]
[h3]Spurs waive Gee[/h3]
4:44PM ET

[h5]Alonzo Gee | Spurs[/h5]


According to Spurs.com, the team has waived Alonzo Gee.

A look at Sham Sports' Spurs salary page reveals that Gee's non-guaranteed contract was structured in such a manner that had the team held onto him until Nov. 25, he would have made $200,000. But cutting him before that date leaves him with $100,000.

The Spurs are now left with 12 on their roster, so they'll need to add another player to have the league minimum of 13.

With Gee and Bobby Simmons waived since the start of the season, it's possible the Spurs will target a backup small forward behind Richard Jefferson.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Dampier in play for Lakers?[/h3]
4:01PM ET

[h5]Theo Ratliff | Lakers[/h5]


As we noted earlier, Theo Ratliff was set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles chimes in Tuesday afternoon with a report that Ratliff's surgery was successful, and he's set to miss a minimum of four to six weeks.

With Andrew Bynum still not back from injury -- though his return appears to be nearing -- and coach Phil Jackson somewhat adverse to playing rookie Derrick Caracter for extended minutes, Jackson indicated the team could look to the free-agent market for help.

"We'll look at some outside talent and see what's available out there to help us out, but there's nothing we have that guarantees we can bring in somebody to fit in," Jackson said.

One possible name McMenamin throws out is Erick Dampier. The Suns, Raptors and Heat have all been named as possible destinations for Dampier once his deal with Houston fell through.

But with Phoenix signing Earl Barron and no reported imminent deals between Dampier and either of the other two listed suitors, it's possible the Lakers could get in the mix.

McMenamin has a few other possible options for the Lakers if they indeed look to sign someone to fill in the gap:

-- Ryan Corazza

McMenamin_dave_30.jpg
[h5]Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles [/h5]
With free-agent pool small, Lakers could turn to D-League
"Overall, the free-agent center crop is pretty barren after the Phoenix Suns signed Earl Barron and another journeyman, Dwayne Jones, who has had stints with five NBA teams, is headed to China. Other options include Marcus Cousin who was a late training camp cut by the San Antonio Spurs; Darryl Watkins who was in camp with the New Orleans Hornets; and Brian Zoubek who did not make the New Jersey Nets' final roster. They could also go the NBA Development League route. Drew Naymick, who was a training camp invitee for Los Angeles, is playing for the Lakers' D-League affiliate in Bakersfield. The other top centers in the D-League include Courtney Sims of Iowa (who played on the Lakers' summer league team in Las Vegas), Cheikh Samb of Sioux Falls (who the Lakers drafted with the No. 51 pick in 2006), Chris Hunter of Fort Wayne, Sean Williams of Texas and Magnum Rolle of Maine."
Click to expand...

http://[h3]Wolves PGs on the mend[/h3]
3:39PM ET

[h5]Minnesota Timberwolves[/h5]


UPDATE: Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune tweeted Tuesday that Ridnour should play Wednesday, but "not yet" for Flynn.

The Wolves play the Lakers on Friday, so it's possible Flynn could be ready by then.

---

According to a tweet from Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Timberwolves PG Luke Ridnour, who's been out the last four games with a hamstring injury, is likely to return Wednesday against the Clippers.

Zgoda also reports that Jonny Flynn, who's yet to play this season as he's been recovering from summer hip surgery, could also be available Wednesday.

Even if it's only Ridnour who's able to play, it'll likely mean Sebastian Telfair, who's been getting heavy minutes as the starting PG for the Wolves in Flynn's and Ridnour's absence, will move back to a reserve role on the bench.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Murphy losing favor in NJ[/h3]
2:29PM ET

[h5]Troy Murphy | Nets[/h5]


Troy Murphy missed the first three games of the Nets' season due to a back injury.

And though he started upon returning Nov. 3, his lack of production -- coupled with a minor foot injury -- has seen Kris Humphries taking over his starting power forward spot the last three games.

On Monday night in a win over the Clippers, Murphy didn't even get off the bench.

"This is a year where we're young, we're in transition (and) we're looking at a lot of different combinations," Nets coach Avery Johnson told the Star-Ledger. "We hope to get settled on something.

"We've seen Joe Smith start; we've seen Humphries start; we've seen Murphy start. We think, to help protect Brook Lopez, the skill set that Humphries has seems to be working out. But it could change."

Murphy is on an expiring contract, and he's been named as a potential trade chip for the team. But if he continues to get limited -- or no -- minutes, it could hurt his trade value as the February deadline approaches.

If the Nets end up rekindling talks with Denver for Carmelo Anthony and they agree to ship rookie Derrick Favors back in return, Murphy would likely have more opportunity for minutes at PF for the Nets then.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Lawal to D-League; Janning gone[/h3]
1:48PM ET

[h5]Gani Lawal | Suns[/h5]


UPDATE: According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Janning has indeed been released by the Suns.

---

Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports Tuesday that Gani Lawal, a second-round pick of the Suns in June, will be assigned to the Iowa Energy, the team's D-League affiliate.

"Lawal needs playing time and was not expected to contribute this season after Phoenix selected him 46th overall in the June draft as its top pick," wrote Coro.

With Earl Barron expected to join the team soon, Coro also notes that another roster move could be on the way.

Barron's addition would max out Phoenix's roster at 15 players, but Coro writes a full roster is not something the team has done previously, and "that would leave rookie guard Matt Janning as vulnerable to being waived."

Janning is on a non-guaranteed contract.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Iguodala's lingering Achilles injury[/h3]
1:46PM ET

[h5]Andre Iguodala | 76ers[/h5]


Andre Iguodala missed two recent games against the Knicks and Thunder due to an Achilles injury.

He returned to play last week against Dallas on Friday and the Spurs on Saturday. But he only played 19 minutes against San Antonio due to the Achilles slowing him down.

And after he was limited in Monday's practice, coach Doug Collins told this to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I don't think Andre is still healthy," Collins said to the paper. "He looked to be still limping. We asked him to sit down and get treatment. He still did not look to be himself."

Now comes word from Collins that Iguodala will not play Tuesday night against the Cavs.

Andres Nocioni will likely start in Iguodala's place at small forward.

Iguodala has also reportedly been of interest to several teams looking to trade for him. So if this injury continues to linger, it's possible it could affect his value going forward -- though he has proven quite durable up to this point, as he's played in all 82 games in each of his first six seasons in the league expect for 2006-07 when he played in 76.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Why Smith didn't play[/h3]
12:32PM ET

[h5]J.R. Smith | Nuggets[/h5]


J.R. Smith didn't see the court during the Nuggets' loss to the Suns on Monday night.

According to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, coach George Karl decided not to play Smith because he showed up late for the morning's shootaround.

"Coach has also been down on him of late," added Hochman.

Smith has had a history of getting under Karl's skin, and as ESPN's Marc Stein reported Friday in the Weekend Dime, the team is determined to trade him.

Yet, Smith has also been a player the team has looked to move previously, and they've come up empty.

Smith is on an expiring $6 million deal, so that might make him more attractive around the trade deadline for teams looking to ditch salary.

-- Ryan Corazza

stein_marc_30.jpg
[h5]ESPN's Marc Stein[/h5]
Smith's on the block
"Smith's ability to frustrate his coach with his famously loose play is one of the league's worst-kept secrets. George Karl has spoken about it openly in recent weeks. The reality, furthermore, is that Smith's name could have easily appeared with the Gilbert Arenas-Baron Davis-Elton Brand group of players that have been, uh, highly gettable for some time.Yet we're listing Smith here just to slam home the notion that the Nuggets, successful as they've been in slowing/calming the trade frenzy that engulfed the whole league just days before training camp opened when Carmelo Anthony was nearly sent to New Jersey, remain determined to find a taker for the unpredictable guard. As soon as possible. Team officials have been pleasantly surprised by the team's chemistry, especially considering the potential damage they feared as a result of the constant Melo speculation and the potential despair stemming from the knee injuries that will keep big men Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen out until December at the earliest. Yet the claim that continues to emanate from Denver's inner sanctum is that Smith's uneven play has been the only real threat to the chemistry so far."
Click to expand...

http://[h3]Korver's knee injury not serious[/h3]
12:14PM ET

[h5]Kyle Korver | Bulls[/h5]


UPDATE: K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweeted Korver has a "simple bone bruise" on the knee, and he participated in portions of the Bulls' shootaround in preparation for their game against the Rockets on Tuesday night.

Johnson added that Korver is a gametime decision against Houston.

---

Starting Tuesday night against the Rockets, the Bulls will begin their yearly circus trip -- seven straight games on the road as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus takes over the United Center.

In recent years, it's been a tough stretch for the Bulls marred with many losses.

And this year, they may be without sharpshooter Kyle Korver for part of it.

"Korver not accompanying team immediately on Bulls road trip because of sore right knee," tweeted Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune. "He will undergo an MRI."

Korver is hitting a strong 57.1 percent of his 3-pointers, good for fifth in the league. His addition to the squad this season has helped the Bulls to their current rank of 14th in 3-point percentage (35.7 percent), up from last year's mark of 33.0 percent which ranked the Bulls third to last in the league.

If Korver misses any games due to the knee, the Bulls may lean more heavily on Luol Deng for shots beyond the arc, as he's currently hitting a career-high 44.1 percent of them.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]James headed to China[/h3]
12:08PM ET

[h5]Mike James[/h5]


According to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype, Mike James, who played for the Wizards last season, will be heading to China to play for Zhejiang of the Chinese League.

James' addition to the team has affected Joe Alexander's future.

The Hornets released Alexander recently, and it was reported Zhejiang could either add him or James.

"Zhejiang chose James. They already has two foreign players," tweeted Rijay Wang of HoopChina. "That means Alexander must find another team."

The D-League's season begins Thursday, so Alexander could still go that route if China or another locale overseas doesn't work out.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Smart's deal[/h3]
11:37AM ET

[h5]Keith Smart | Warriors[/h5]


When it was announced Keith Smart would be installed as the new head coach of the Warriors before this season, reports stated the team was working on a multi-year deal with him.

And at the media session new team owners Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber held Monday in San Francisco, it was revealed the multi-year deal is actually just a two-year deal with next season being a team option, according to Sam Amick of FanHouse.

"That being said, Lacob said Smart is not interim and should be viewed as a coach who they picked as opposed to next in line," added Amick.

While this may be true, there's no denying the new owners certainly have the option of ditching Smart after this season if they see it as fit.

Yet, the Warriors are out to a solid 7-4 start, and are playing defense (ninth in defensive efficiency at 102.9) -- something that wasn't really the case under Don Nelson.

So early on, Smart seems to be earning that second year.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Could the Warriors move to San Fran?[/h3]
11:21AM ET

[h5]Golden State Warriors[/h5]


New Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber met with members of the media Monday.

The team plays in Oakland at Oracle Arena, but Lacob made several mentions to San Francisco during the media session.

According to ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher, when asked about the references, Lacob didn't mince words about a possible future move.

"To his credit, he didn't duck speculation that the team could move across the bay, admitting the World Series champion Giants officials even made 'a hallway mention' of building an arena next to their AT&T Park," he wrote.

So while nothing is imminent, and such discussions of a move have been but "a hallway mention" at this point, it appears to be something that could happen at some point in the future.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Walsh still backs D'Antoni[/h3]
11:05AM ET

[h5]Mike D'Antoni | Knicks[/h5]


Even though the Knicks have struggled the last few seasons and are 3-7 this year, president Donnie Walsh says he has not come to any conclusions regarding the status of head coach Mike D'Antoni.

"I've made no judgment on Mike in the first few years, basically because I didn't think he had the personnel to compete because of what we were doing," Walsh told The New York Times. "This team is a young team that has to be brought along a certain way. He's trying to do that. In the first 10 games, I expected that we would be up and down, and we have. So I don't think it's time for me to make judgments on Mike."

D'Antoni says he's not panicking over the early record this season.

"I'm always concerned, when you're 3-7," D'Antoni said. "And again, we could have won a couple games and then you're 5-5, you're a little less concerned. But I do think these guys will get it. I hate it that we're in this spot.

"I'm not pushing the panic button. I've got my juices flowing, and we're trying to get this thing solved."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Prince- Kuester verbal exchange[/h3]
11:05AM ET

[h5]Tayshaun Prince | Pistons[/h5]


The Warriors were killing the Pistons by 25 points in the second quarter Monday when Tayshaun Prince and head coach John Kuester had a verbal exchange during a timeout.

Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News writes: "On the way to the bench, Kuester and Prince had words. Then Prince slammed his towel down, yelling at Kuester and walked away from the huddle. Kuester responded in kind, and had to be restrained by assistant coach Darrell Walker. Kuester and Prince continued jawing throughout the stoppage in play. After the timeout, Kuester attempted to walk over to Prince and continue their discussion, but Walker stepped in again."

"This game is emotional," Kuester said. "This game is played with passion. That's what we needed at this stage of the game, that passion. And I thought he responded in the second half."

Prince did start the second half and took some of the blame for the argument.

"You can call me the bad guy, because I've said something to Flip (Saunders), Larry (Brown) and all my other coaches," Prince said. "It's part of the game. When you're getting beat by 30 early, strange things happen. I hope it don't happen again. I can't say it won't. I'm the type of guy where if I see something ain't right, I'm gonna say something."

Prince and Kuester traded barbs earlier in the season after a blowout loss to the Celtics when the head coach said he needed more leadership from some of the players.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Knicks frontrunner for Melo?[/h3]
10:50AM ET

[h5]Carmelo Anthony | Nuggets[/h5]


Peter Vecsey of the New York Post talked with Carmelo Anthony over the last couple of days and thinks the Knicks and not the Nets are at the top of his wish list.

Vecsey writes: "Don't reach for your spectacles, you got that right; the Knicks remain a viable option. I repeat, a viable option. ... the Nets, at the very least, appeared to be the frontrunners. Now they're also-rans, I'm informed. In a nutshell, the fact they're two seasons away from moving to Brooklyn from New Jersey places them in the loser bin."

Vecsey adds, "I can't tell you how much Melo admires James Dolan's willingness to great lengths to avoid contaminating Madison Square Garden with a loss."

Anthony wants the Nuggets to prove they can challenge for a championship and if they can't, he'll leave by a trade or free agency. Either way, he won't leave the team waiting for him to make a decision.

"I'm not Chris Bosh," Anthony declared. "We're not the same person. What I do will be straight up. Management knows that."

Howard Beck of The New York Times thinks the Knicks should focus on getting a point guard like Steve Nash now via atrade, or Chris Paul or Deron Williams, when they can become free agents in the summer of 2012.

One NBA scout doesn't think Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire would make a winning duo right now.

"Carmelo needs the ball in his hand all the time to be a factor," the scout said, concluding, "Carmelo is not the immediate answer."

-- Nick Borges

sheridan_chris_30.jpg
[h5]ESPN's Chris Sheridan[/h5]
Knicks in play for Melo
"From what I am hearing, everything is in a holding pattern until Dec. 15 when players who signed over the summer can be dealt. I still see the Knicks as the favorites, because I think Melo wants to be here and can effectively veto any fair-value trade by refusing to sign the extnsion that is sitting on the table."
Click to expand...

http://[h3]Grizz hold players-only meeting[/h3]
10:19AM ET

[h5]Memphis Grizzlies[/h5]


According to FanHouse, the Grizzlies were not happy after losing to Orlando on Monday and they held a players-only meeting.

"It's never too early to have a team meeting," Mike Conley said. "The issues that we have as a team, being held accountable individually, we have to accept as a team."

"We should be further along at this point in the season. We're still working the kinks out, and it's kind of late in the game to still be doing that," said Rudy Gay. "That (meeting) is for us to talk about. Obviously, we are not playing well right now."

The Grizzlies dropped to 4-7 after Monday's loss in Orlando.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Randolph seeks an extension now[/h3]
10:10AM ET

[h5]Zach Randolph | Grizzlies[/h5]


Zach Randolph is in the last year of his contract, which is paying him $17.3 million, and he let everyone know Monday how much he wants to sign an extension with the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I want to do it now," he told FanHouse. "Sooner the better. If we don't do it now, there are a lot of other teams out there who like me."

Randolph and the team talked some time ago and the Grizzlies offered a reported three-year, $40 million extension. The two sides have not spoken since that time.

"I'd like to get it out of the way, but they (his agent and the Grizzlies) aren't really talking right now, at least not that I know of," Randolph said. "And that's disappointing. I like playing for this team. I want to stay with this team. I'm a blue-collar player in a blue collar town, and it's a good fit. I'm in my prime, and we all know it's a business, too."

The Grizzlies have to sign Marc Gasol to a new deal next summer and possibly extend O.J. Mayo's contract, so there's a good chance he won't get what he wants from the team.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Boozer two steps away[/h3]
9:49AM ET

[h5]Carlos Boozer | Bulls[/h5]


Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau gave Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com an update Monday on Carlos Boozer and his broken right pinky.

"He can do some light shooting," Thibodeau said. "But he hasn't been cleared for the next step yet."

And the next step being?

"The next thing will be to go through actual practice," Thibodeau said. "The stuff that he's doing now is really pre-practice. The next thing will be the non-contact part of regular practice. Once he's cleared, after that it will be contact in practice. Once he can handle the contact in practice, then he'll be cleared to play. He's two steps away."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]West ready to play[/h3]
9:34AM ET

[h5]Delonte West | Celtics[/h5]


Delonte West's 10-game suspension is over and he will play Wednesday against Washington.

"He'll play. I'm not sure how much," head coach Doc Rivers told ESPNBoston.com. "We've still got to get all our stuff down so we may limit what we do when he's out there."

West was the last to leave the practice court on Monday and knows he'll have to earn playing time.

"It feels good [to have the suspension done]," said West. "Who knows where we go from here? I have to still earn my playing time. This is a talented team; guys that want to be out there, earn the right to be out there. So it starts here[on the practice court], just getting in here, showing the guys I'm committed to this, and hopefully they trust me enough to have me out there."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Thompson not affected by trade talk[/h3]
9:24AM ET

[h5]Jason Thompson | Kings[/h5]


Even though Jason Thompson is hearing his name in the rumor mill, including a report by ESPN.com's Marc Stein that he was offered to Atlanta for Jeff Teague, he says it won't affect him.

"Until I hear it from Geoff (Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie), coach or guys who are reliable about the situation, it's just guessing or hearsay," he told The Sacramento Bee.

Thompson will rely on Petrie and his agent, Leon Rose, to keep him informed on his situation.

"I can only control what I can control," Thompson added. "I'm just trying to get better in whatever situation I'm in, and hopefully, it's here."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Przybilla's timeline won't change[/h3]
9:23AM ET

[h5]Joel Przybilla | Trail Blazers[/h5]


Joel Przybilla is confident that he can play now. However, after speaking with head trainer Jay Jensen on Sunday, the Blazers center has agreed he won't return until Nov. 26 against the New Orleans Hornets. Nov. 26 had been the original target date for Przybilla.

"I feel good, but I had a long talk with Jay and we just decided it would be on the smart side to wait," Przybilla told The Oregonian on Monday. "We'd rather (sit out) this week then to get to March or April and say, 'I wish I had that week back.'"

Head coach Nate McMillan says he agrees the team should be cautious with Przybilla.

"It's one of those things where, if he feels like he's ready to go, why not give him a few more days?" McMillan said.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Positive step for Beaubois[/h3]
9:21AM ET

[h5]Rodrigue Beaubois | Mavericks[/h5]


Rodrigue Beaubois is still weeks away from returning to game action, but he was smiling Monday because he is no longer wearing the walking boot on his left foot.

"That's great for me. It's a big step," Beaubois told ESPNDallas.com. "It's great to know it's getting better."

The team physician will start examining Beaubois every 10 days to monitor the healing process.

"He's making progress. From here, we're going to continue to be very cautious with his rehab," head coach Rick Carlisle said. "But, this is another positive step."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Suns to sign Barron[/h3]
9:00AM ET

[h5]Earl Barron[/h5]


The Suns need help at center since Robin Lopez will be out for a few weeks and The Arizona Republic reports the team will sign free agent Earl Barron on Tuesday.

Barron finished last season with the New York Knicks, playing in seven games and averaging 11.7 points and 11.0 rebounds.

Barron will back up Channing Frye at center until Lopez is able to play again.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Lopez out several weeks[/h3]
8:52AM ET

[h5]Robin Lopez | Suns[/h5]


UPDATE: Lopez was diagnosed Monday with a moderate sprain of his medial-collateral ligament and posterior-cruciate ligament in his left knee. The Suns project he'll miss "several" weeks.

"My experience is whenever you put a time frame on it, it's wrong, so we might as well be a little bit vague and hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby told The Arizona Republic. "It's a little bit more serious than we first thought it would be. We were very cautious, took a MRI, and that revealed it was a moderate sprain as opposed to a mild sprain."

-- Nick Borges

----

During the second quarter of the Suns' win against the Lakers on Sunday, Robin Lopez sprained his left knee.

According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, Lopez will undergo an MRI on the knee Monday.

"It's a little stiff but I think it'll be OK," Lopez said as he walked out of Staples Center, according to the paper. "I got a pretty positive checkup on it in the locker room.

"It was pretty painful but I'm feeling pretty good that I'm able to walk on it. It didn't pop at all. It kind of came back and in a little bit. Right now, they're telling me it's day-to-day so I'm pretty positive."

If Lopez misses time, it'll leave the Suns with little option but to go small in the frontcourt with the likes of Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick and Channing Frye getting the bulk of the minutes.

-- Ryan Corazza

http://[h3]Green wears a boot[/h3]
7:38AM ET

[h5]Jeff Green | Thunder[/h5]


Thunder power forward Jeff Green played Sunday, but tweaked his sprained left ankle and ended up Monday in a protective boot on his left foot. Green says the injury is not serious.

"It's just precautionary," Green told The Oklahoman. "It's mainly to take the pressure off of it so it can get better and heal a little bit quicker. I'm just taking it day by day."

Green didn't play against Utah on Monday and is listed as day-to-day.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Howard's tech rescinded[/h3]
7:18AM ET

[h5]Dwight Howard | Magic[/h5]


According to the Orlando Sentinel, the NBA has rescinded the technical foul Dwight Howard received Nov. 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Magic spokesman Joel Glass made the announcement before Monday's game against Memphis.

The league's decision leaves Howard with four technicals this season, 12 short of a mandatory one-game suspension.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Wizards' injury woes[/h3]
7:06AM ET

[h5]Washington Wizards[/h5]


UPDATE: Wall was on crutches Monday and Gilbert Arenas will take the rookie's spot in the starting lineup Tuesday if Wall can't play.

"Kirk Hinrich and Gil played a lot together, played pretty well together in the fourth quarter. If they're there and John's there, then we'll make that adjustment," head coach Flip Saunders told The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Yi said he was feeling better.

"It was pretty painful at the time, but a few minutes away, it felt better," said Yi, who had an MRI exam after the game that revealed no ligament damage. "But it was fine, it won't be long. I see how it feels. It's kind of day-by-day."

Saunders said Blatche will play Tuesday, but the power forward didn't agree with his coach.

"I'm just going to take it a day at a time and see how I feel [Tuesday]," said Blatche. "If I feel better and the swelling is down, I'm going to play. If not, it's going to be a chance for the rookies to step up."

-- Nick Borges

----

The Washington Wizards not only left the United Center on Saturday with a 103-96 loss to the Bulls, but injuries to John Wall, Andray Blatche and Yi Jianlian.

Wall sprained the arch in his left foot and was wearing a walking boot after the game. The team is hoping the swelling will go down with some rest.

Blatche's left knee has been sore for the last week and he didn't play well against Chicago.

"I just tried to be a warrior. I tried to fight through it," Blatche told The Washington Post. "It just gave out on me. All the pain came, in every different way. Soon as I got here, I knew it was going to be a problem."

Wall fell into Yi's right knee on one play and the forward suffered a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise. Yi's injuries appear to be the more serious and he could be out for some time.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Benching baffles Young[/h3]
5:59AM ET

[h5]Sam Young | Grizzlies[/h5]


Sam Young, who produced the most last season off the bench for Memphis, has received three DNP-Coach's Decision's in the last five games.

Young says he's baffled by the benching from head coach Lionel Hollins.

"I had a great summer. I had a great preseason. I thought I would come in and help the team," Young tells The Commercial-Appeal. "It's beyond my control. I'm just working so that I can stay ready when my number is called."

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]MRI's for Odom and Ratliff[/h3]
5:36AM ET

[h5]Los Angeles Lakers[/h5]


UPDATE: Odom's MRI came back negative. He only has a bone bruise and will play Tuesday against the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Ratliff will have arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to determine what is causing the soreness in his left knee. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, there is no timetable for Ratliff's return.

Ratliff's spot in the rotation will probably be given to rookie Derrick Caracter.

-- Nick Borges

----

Lamar Odom is dealing with soreness in his right foot and is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.

"It's been aching, especially in the morning," Odom told the ESPNLosAngeles.com. "I've played a lot of basketball. Hopefully it's just wear and tear, hopefully, and there's nothing wrong."

"I'll get it checked out [Monday] and hopefully all I need is ice," Odom added.

Theo Ratliff has been suffering with tendinitis in his left knee and will also have an MRI on Monday.

-- Nick Borges

http://[h3]Will Cavs send Eyenga to Erie?[/h3]
5:08AM ET

[h5]Christian Eyenga | Cavaliers[/h5]

NBA clubs can start sending players to the D-League because their season tips off this week. Rookie Christian Eyenga is a candidate to be sent to the Erie BayHawks, but head coach Byron Scott, at this time, is hesitant to remove him from the Cavaliers roster.

"You want to get him on the floor and get him some playing time, and if we can't do that in our games, then obviously the best thing is the D-League," Scott told The Plain Dealer. "But right now with Mo (Mo Williams) and Andy (Anderson Varejao) being out, bodies are short, so we kind of need him here now."

The Cavaliers, like all NBA teams, can send a player to the D-League three times during the season.

Beasley's hot streak will come to an end sooner or later.

Each Monday throughout the NBA season, ESPN Insider will investigate the latest trends in the NBA. Basketball Prospectus' Kevin Pelton is keeping an eye on all the numbers and will have a first look at how players, teams and the league as a whole are evolving.
[h3]Trending Player: Michael Beasley, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves[/h3]
Beasley just enjoyed his best week as a pro. The No. 2 overall pick in 2008 averaged 29.8 points as Minnesota split four games and played tough in road losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks. The highlight of Beasley's coming-out party was a 42-point outburst Wednesday in Sacramento, making him one of four players this season to score 40 or more. But despite the gaudy numbers and efficient shooting, it is not yet clear that Beasley has found a sustainable formula for big-time scoring success.

After struggling to find a role in Miami, Beasley has settled in as a small forward with the Timberwolves and adapted his game accordingly, becoming more of a perimeter player. According to Hoopdata.com, Beasley has attempted 5.8 shots per game from 16 to 23 feet, putting him 11th in the league.

It was those perimeter shots that Beasley relied upon to beat the Kings. Fifteen out of his 31 field goal attempts came on long 2-pointers. Beasley knocked down 10 of them, accounting for almost half his 42 points. While Beasley did get to the free throw line 10 times, the most amazing statistic from Beasley's big game was that he did not make a single shot at the rim. Beasley had more of a presence in the paint against New York on Friday, when he scored 10 of his 35 points at the rim. Yet Beasley also was a red-hot 7-of-9 from 16 to 23 feet.

That kind of accurate shooting on long 2s will be difficult for Beasley to sustain. Before Wednesday, he was shooting 42.9 percent from 16 to 23 feet. The league average from that distance is even worse (39.9 percent). While players like Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki show that it is possible to make a living with long 2s as a staple, Beasley has not yet proved to be at their level. But his 25-point game Sunday at Atlanta might be more encouraging for the long term. Beasley made all six of his attempts in the paint and added just enough longer shots to finish 10-of-16 from the field.
[h3]Trending Team: Orlando Magic[/h3]
The Magic just can't seem to wrest attention away from their Florida rivals. Even when Orlando slumped last week, it was overshadowed by the Miami Heat's losing two games in a row. While the Magic snapped the streak Saturday, beating the New Jersey Nets to improve to 6-3, it took a last-second score by Jameer Nelson to secure the victory.

[h4]Magic 3-point shooting[/h4]
J.J. Redick.120.405
Quentin Richardson.256.397
Rashard Lewis.318.397
Ryan Anderson.316.370
Chris Duhon.273.349
Jameer Nelson.400.381
Jason Williams.500.380
Vince Carter.424.367
Mickael Pietrus.576.379
[th=""]Player[/th][th=""]10-11[/th][th=""]09-10[/th]

Orlando's biggest problem has been a simple one. The Magic's offense is designed around the 3-point shot -- more than a third of Orlando's attempts this season have been behind the arc, by far the league's highest percentage -- and so far that has meant dying by the 3 rather than living by it. The Magic shot 37.5 percent from downtown in 2009-10, en route to setting a league record for 3s made. So far this season, that mark is down to 34.7 percent. With similar personnel on hand, Basketball Prospectus' SCHOENE projection system predicted that Orlando would shoot … 37.5 percent. If that had been the case thus far, the Magic would have scored an additional 2.3 points per game.

Three-point shooting hasn't always meant the difference between winning and losing -- Orlando won despite 4-of-22 accuracy beyond the arc against Atlanta, and lost while making 12 3s in 24 attempts against Toronto. Still, the extra points would be enough to take the Orlando offense from a below-average 17th in the league in offensive rating all the way into the top 10 (ninth).

The biggest culprit thus far has been J.J. Redick, who has made just three triples in 25 attempts. Over the same number of attempts, Redick would have hit 10 based on his 2009-10 3-point shooting. Quentin Richardson and Rashard Lewis have also been below expectations, while Mickael Pietrus' hot shooting cannot entirely make up the difference.
[h3]League Trend: Little change from 2009-10[/h3]
There is an annual trend that is worth noting this time each season. Some writer will compare league-wide offensive statistics to the previous season and note they are down across the board. There is an easy explanation -- offense tends to improve over the course of the season, as teams get more familiar with their sets, improve their shooting rhythm and have less energy to expend at the other end of the floor.

The only way to account for league-wide trends on offense, then, is to compare stats through the same period of the season. Doing so for 2009-10 and 2010-11 (through Saturday) shows little difference at the league level.

[h4]League changes[/h4]
2009-10107.7.483.357.762
2010-11108.0.485.352.750
[th=""]Year[/th][th=""]ORtg[/th][th=""]2P%[/th][th=""]3P%[/th][th=""]FT%[/th]

The differences in 3-point and free throw shooting are tiny at this point in the season (in fact, Phoenix's barrage from beyond the arc against the Lakers on Sunday made up the entire difference in that category). Offenses have been slightly more efficient in large part because they are doing a better job of taking care of the basketball. Turnover rates around the league have declined from 14.3 percent of teams' possessions this time a year ago to 13.5 percent so far this season.

The league-wide offensive rating has remained between 109.1 and 109.8 points per 100 possessions during the last three full seasons. Based on the early results, we can expect something similar this season. It would take a stronger offensive effort the rest of the way for the NBA to crack 110 points per 100 possessions for the first time in modern league history.

Michael Beasley and Kevin Love have given Wolves fans something to be excited about this season.

The nice thing about the NBA, at least for the have-nots of the league, is that the game is rigged to nurse the worst teams back to health fairly quickly. Any team, no matter how badly run*, eventually will accumulate enough high lottery picks to put together a couple of playoff-caliber seasons before sinking back to the mediocrity from whence it came.

(* except the Clippers).

Here in Atlanta, for instance, the Hawks went from 13 wins to 53 in five seasons despite a stewardship under general manager Billy Knight that teetered between garden-variety mediocre and flat-out disastrous. Atlanta used lottery picks to draft Shelden Williams and Acie Law, and signed John Edwards, Esteban Batista, Speedy Claxton and Lorenzen Wright to multiyear guaranteed deals. For much of that span, the Hawks couldn't even settle who owned the team.

Still, they couldn't avoid becoming a playoff squad. There are simply too many opportunities for teams to add talent; no matter what, each franchise will eventually field a competent team.

Which brings us to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite being one of the league's worst-run teams during the miserable tenure of owner Glen Taylor, they appear to have landed a young forward combination that could be the envy of the league if all goes right.

The pairing of Kevin Love, 22, and Michael Beasley, 21, had a breakout week, culminating in Love's 31-point, 31-rebound explosion against the Knicks on Friday -- the league's first 30-30 since Moses Malone accomplished the feat in 1982.

The duo, ironically, was formed by a pair of trades by two general managers whose track records rank among basketball's spottiest. Love came to Minnesota in a draft-day swap with Memphis for O.J. Mayo that was engineered by former GM Kevin McHale, and it was one of the few very good moves he made in the dozen years he was in control after hitting the jackpot with Kevin Garnett in 1995.

As for Beasley, he was a value pickup from Miami in a swap that cost the Wolves only two second-round picks -- one of several moves in an erratic summer from current general manager David Kahn and still the only one that looks as though it will provide any lasting value.

So far, Love and Beasley rank among the best lines on each GM's rÃ[emoji]169[/emoji]sumÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] and have ushered in a rare spasm of competence from the cellar-dwelling Wolves. After absorbing a series of savage beatings to begin the season, Minnesota is on a hot streak that's boosted the Wolves all the way up to 29th in the Power Rankings. That's more impressive than it sounds -- five games ago, they were so far behind the other 29 teams that I was going to have to rank them behind a few Big Ten squads.

(Side note: Since the Wolves have played a league-high 12 games thus far, this is also a good place to note that the "past 10 games" part of the Power Rankings will kick in and be in effect from now until Game 40. After Game 40, it switches from the past 10 games to the past 25 percent of the schedule.)

Love leads the league in rebounding despite playing only 30.8 minutes per game, a baffling lack of burn that seems unlikely to continue given his breakout performance against New York. To put his rebounding performance into perspective, consider that he averages nearly a board every two minutes -- 18.6 per 40, to be exact. He's also sporting a healthy 21.76 player efficiency rating and, despite his team's poor record, has to be considered a serious candidate to nab an All-Star berth.

Love ranks second in the NBA in rebound rate because of the prodigious efforts of Toronto's Reggie Evans, but unlike Evans, he's not just diving to the boards on every play. Love often spots up outside the 3-point line, which makes it even more impressive that he still boards 16.4 percent of his own side's missed shots when he's on the floor.

If Love has an issue, it's his finishing skills around the basket. He's converting an underwhelming 54.2 percent of his shots in the basket area this season, and that average is augmented by how many easy putbacks he gets. Love's elevation is the weakest part of his game, and although he has a real nice jump hook move, he can struggle to get enough space to launch it. Sunday's matinee in Atlanta provided a good example, as he had to wipe away Josh Smith with his off arm on one attempt and had another served back to him.

As for Beasley, he's finally evolving into the scoring threat we all figured he could become. And I'm kicking myself for not pushing this storyline more before the season -- my projection system showed him with the league's biggest PER increase, but I couldn't buy it given what a goofball he'd been in Miami.

That hasn't been the case up north. Instead, he's basically become Carmelo Lite -- a high-scoring 3 who can move up to the 4 with middling percentages and low assist rates. Historically, he's played better as a 4, but Beasley showed up in dramatically better shape this season and seems to be moving much better. Better yet, he's lookin' rad with long braids and a samurai bun up top.

The improved conditioning is a big factor, because it's made him much more viable as a 3 at both ends of the floor. Or perhaps it's the samurai bun. Whatever the cause, his defense may have improved as much as or more than his offense -- on Sunday in Atlanta he checked Joe Johnson and didn't embarrass himself, while Monday night he matched up against Charlotte's Gerald Wallace most of the evening.

I still think Beasley's best long-term spot may be as a spot-up 4, but with Love around, it's best if he can adapt to the 3. And with the versatility of these two forwards, Minnesota also can play small ball as well as anyone by shifting Love to the 5 and Beasley to the 4.

Of late, Beasley's eye-popping scoring numbers are getting even more attention than his 'do. He's scored 42, 35, 25 and 28 points in his past four games and is averaging 26.9 points per 40 minutes. As with Love, his per-game averages have been sullied by playing fewer minutes than one would expect for a player of this caliber -- just 31.5 per game so far this season.

At either the 3 or the 4, he's a matchup nightmare. Beasley is huge for a 3 and can elevate right over smaller wings for his jumper, a weapon that has looked absolutely deadly in the early part of the season. Against 4s, however, he can use his blinding quickness going left to get easy looks at the rim.

As our Kevin Pelton noted recently, Beasley's success has been heavily dependent on a jumper that's unlikely to continue to find the net quite as consistently. He's shooting 52.4 percent on long 2s and 50 percent on 3s -- there's no way he'll keep up those numbers.

But part of the reason he won't have to is that opponents will adjust to his improved perimeter game. It's the same reason no player shoots in the 50s on midrange J's for long -- eventually, you start crowding the Nowitzkis of the world and forcing them to beat you in other ways. Beasley's jumper has looked amazing -- you think every one is going in -- but opponents also have conceded the face-up 20-footer to him, and that will cease very soon, if it hasn't already. Witness the close of the game in Charlotte on Monday night, when the Bobcats' Stephen Jackson crowded him to take away the jumper and then forced a key turnover when Beasley tried to put it on the deck.

That will be a problem only if Beasley continues to settle for the J. At the moment his right hand is strictly ornamental, but he's so quick to his left that he still can get to the basket and finish. More drives would help him improve upon a middling free throw rate that has his true shooting percentage at a ho-hum 54.2.

Additionally, Beasley needs to fill in the other parts of the box score. Although he's making the right pass when the play is there, he opts to face up for a jumper so often that his assist rate remains poor. That could change as he gets more double-team attention. His rebound rate is also a concern, down to a paltry 8.6. Although that can be blamed partly on Love swallowing up every rebound in sight, it's a below-average number even for a 3, let alone a 4.

Nonetheless, the Wolves' new tandem provides the one thing that the league's forlorn franchises find most difficult to sell: hope. There's real foundation here in Minny, and the Wolves should have a decent offense once they stop starting Sebastian Telfair at point guard and punting 10 possessions a game on post-ups for Darko Milicic.

(Seriously, Sota, I don't get it. Milicic is shooting 30.8 percent, nobody doubles him and he never draws fouls. He's a career 45.1 percent shooter, and he's not getting better. You're just taking away touches from your two best players. This needs to stop, like now, or I'm taking Tom Hanneman hostage.)

The Wolves have been quietly ravaged by injuries as well -- rotation players Luke Ridnour, Nikola Pekovic, Martell Webster, Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn all missed the trip to Atlanta and Charlotte -- which makes it even more impressive that they were able to put up a good fight in these past five games.

I don't want to get too optimistic here -- it's still likely to be a long winter in the Great North. As coach Kurt Rambis noted before the game in Atlanta, it's not as though everything's suddenly fine now; this team still has plenty of issues. But with Love and Beasley emerging as two of the league's brightest young stars, the foundation is in place for the Wolves to recover quickly from their current malaise.

Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

antidope
2024-2025 NBA Predictions Thread
Replies
7
Views
717
worldbeefreeg
worldbeefreeg
Hijo Del Promo
  • Locked
Official 2024-25 NBA Season Thread
2
Replies
38
Views
4K
Methodical Management
Methodical Management
therealest1
Official Wu-Tang Clan Thread
Replies
3
Views
375
therealest1
therealest1
Brownstone
Buzzer Beaters Only Thread
Replies
11
Views
895
ThaxbyChamblis
ThaxbyChamblis
S
Nike Air Max BW 2011 Pink
Replies
1
Views
723
7792
7792

Latest News

View All News

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

Site contents may not be incorporated into AI training data or any other derivative works without prior express written consent.

Links to participating merchants may generate referral or affiliate commissions that help support our community. See our policies for details. NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

| Xenforo Add-ons © by ©XenTR | Media embeds via s9e/MediaSites
Back
Top Bottom