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» Update: 08:38 PM ET |
 Tim Reynolds: LeBron says he's happy Coach K will be back for 2016 Olympics, says he'd love to join him if health allows. Twitter @ByTimReynolds Jason Richardson: After 3 months I'm finally able to walk without crutches. It's been a long time coming but getting healthier everyday in rehab. Twitter @jrich23 The Phoenix Suns recently asked and received permission from the Lakers to talk with assistant coach Steve Clifford about their vacant head-coaching position, according to Lakers spokesman John Black. Los Angeles Daily News Sacramento Kings officials say their sales staff sold more season tickets Tuesday than any day in Sacramento team history, other than day one, nearly 30 years ago. Team spokesman Chris Clark said the team has a policy of not released specific ticket sales counts, but said requests were coming in every few seconds when the team officially opened sales Tuesday morning for new season tickets for the upcoming season. Sales remained "brisk" today, he said. The team is planning on hiring 40 new sales staff this week to help out. Sacramento Bee James Pallotta, president of the soccer team AS Roma and a minority owner of the Celtics, presented a Celtics jersey to Pope Francis at the Vatican Wednesday. Pallotta was there to represent Roma in the Coppa Italia, a match pitting the team against city rival Lazio. The Pope was given Roma gear but also a Celtics jersey with the No. 1 and "The Pope" written on the back. Can banner No. 18 be far behind? Boston Globe King County prosecutors said they need more time to review the allegations against NBA player Terrence Williams, who was arrested Sunday after the mother of his 10-year-old son told police he had flashed a handgun at her. “There’s an ongoing investigation and a charging decision will be made at a later date,” Dan Donohoe, a spokesman for the prosecuting attorney’s office, said today. Today was the deadline for prosecutors to file a second-degree assault charge against Williams, a former Rainier Beach High School star. Seattle Times |
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» Update: 07:29 PM ET |
 In recent months, Harden made it clear that he was planning to recruit free agents this summer. Now, with free agency still roughly six weeks away, he’s already starting to call and text some potential targets for Houston to sell them on the city, situation and future. Most free agents, including Howard, are big fans of Harden’s game and have a lot of respect for the up-and-coming shooting guard. On Wednesday afternoon, Harden confirmed via his Twitter account that he has been recruiting some players. HoopsWorld Jared Zwerling: Copeland: "After Game 6, I didn’t take my jersey off for a long time. I just sat there and was staring at it. [New York] is a part of me." Twitter @JaredZwerling Some executives believe that McLemore could end up being the best player to come out of this draft class. He is an all-around talent and he has plenty of potential at 20 years old. Not only is he an exceptional shooter, he’s also a terrific athlete, as evidenced by his 42-inch vertical. McLemore showed glimpses of greatness during his one season at Kansas and he averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 32.2 minutes. He would be a quality pick for Orlando and someone who could play alongside the Magic’s young core of Maurice Harkless, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic. HoopsWorld Less than a year ago Bucks center Larry Sanders was playing in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, trying to show he belonged in the league. This summer it appears Sanders will be back in Las Vegas, but this time as an invited player for a USA Basketball Select Team camp. A total of about 25 players will be invited to the camp, scheduled July 22-25, and Sanders sent out a Twitter message that he was among them. "Just found out I got selected to work out/try out for the USA Basketball Team this summer!" Sanders tweeted. "Such an amazing honor. Glory be to God." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Alex Kennedy: Phil Jackson isn't interested in coaching the Clippers. On Sportscenter, he was asked about Clippers' job and said, "Thanks but no thanks." Twitter @AlexKennedyNBA The Thunder finished the season with a 20.7 rating on TNT in its Game 5 loss to Memphis on May 15. The Thunder-Grizzlies series averaged a 21.8 rating, down 23 percent from the Thunder-Lakers series, which averaged 28.3. Local tornado coverage cut into several sports telecasts Sunday. Oklahoman Terrence Williams: A Million Stories Not One Thats TRUE.....Thanks To Those That Continue To Support Through Devil Testing Times...Those Thats Negative..THANKS Twitter |
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» Update: 06:04 PM ET |
 Houston Rockets assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff will meet with Suns officials on Friday in Phoenix, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Suns have also received permission to interview Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, sources said. Bickerstaff (Detroit and Milwaukee) and Clifford (Charlotte and Milwaukee) have each interviewed for two other jobs in recent weeks. Yahoo! Sports The Suns are also interested in speaking to CSKA Moscow assistant coach Quin Snyder, sources said. As a Lakers assistant last year, he received interest for the Charlotte and Orlando coaching jobs. Utah assistant coach Jeff Hornacek is also on the Suns' short list. Yahoo! Sports  The split-second decision backfired after Ginobili was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul, leading to a four-point possession that tied the game and forced overtime. (Flagrant 1s are defined as “unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent” per the NBA rule book.) Catastrophic as the call might have been, Ginobili said he had no major problem with the call a day after the Spurs escaped with a 93-89 victory to take a 2-0 series lead. “It was sort of a 2 on 1 or 1 against 0, and I tried to foul him,” he said. “I thought I had him well in the arm. It was not like a dangerous play or anything like that. But I guess it was. “Yeah, I was surprised. I know I grabbed his arm. I kind of hold him…but I guess he fell awkwardly. When you have three refs watching a replay 1,000 times, I guess they made the right call.” San Antonio Express-News Tony Parker’s three-day layoff between Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference finals will include a precautionary MRI on Thursday to track the progress of his bruised left calf. Parker was initially injured 12 days ago in Game 3 of the conference semifinal series against Golden State, resulting in what he described as “by far” the biggest bruise he’s ever had. “The calf is doing better,” he said. “Doing the MRI…just to make sure. It definitely limited me in the limit me in the last (three) games against Golden State and those two games (against Memphis). “But slowly and surely I’m turning the corner. Those three days arrive at a perfect time for me, so I’m definitely going to use them wisely. I’ll be ready to go on Saturday.” San Antonio Express-News The Wizards initially stated that he would be out for at least six weeks, but Beal is anxious to have another update in the next week or two, so that he can get back to doing what he loves most. He had his last X-ray almost a month ago, “so I’m probably due for a checkup real soon. I feel no pain, but the [stress reaction] is still there.” “It’s always frustration,” Beal said of being out. “But at the same time, I have to stay positive, make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Making sure I’m able to take care of myself and just stay on top of it. Basically just being patient and when I get out there, I’ll get out there.” Washington Post  Daryl Morey: Best draft interview answers ever part 1: player, can you pass a drug test? [grabs table] TODAY?!? Twitter @dmorey Daryl Morey: More best answers: "anyone who is projected ahead of U that U think U R better than?" ALL OF THEM "Have you ever seen them play?" NEVER Twitter @dmorey Mark Berman: NBA sources confirm Nick Nurse, head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, is a candidate to become an ass't coach with the Toronto Raptors Twitter @MarkBermanFox26 Rick Bonnell: There's a misconception Hornets name change took less than 18 months. Benson made request even before closing on purchase. Twitter @rick_bonnell  In this edition of the new video series LBTV, Packers hall of famer LeRoy Butler talks with former Milwaukee Bucks GM Larry Harris, now a consultant with the Golden State Warriors, about the NBA draft process, Andrew Bogut, coaching searches, player contracts, free agency and and more. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel If you're like me or my friend Trey Kerby, this photo of Russell Westbrook high-fiving a young victim of the tornado that devastated Oklahoma City and Moore, Okla., on Monday filled your heart to bursting, and also made you want to know a little bit more about the injured Oklahoma City Thunder point guard's new friend. First off: The little guy is Grayson Ketchie. He's 3 years old, he's the big brother of a 6-month-old named Brayden and, based on the company he keeps, appears to be a boss. On Monday afternoon, the brothers were at a day care facility destroyed by the storm; while Brayden came out unscathed, Grayson did sustain some injuries, which landed him in the Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center. Yahoo! Sports Kevin Durant unveiled his completed back tattoo Wednesday on Instagram. The artwork, which took years to complete, has a religious theme, with portraits of Jesus and an angel holding a basketball, along with two hands signaling three and five for Durant’s No. 35 jersey number. There’s also a 58-word bible passage from James 1:2-4. It’s a fitting quote that deals with accepting pressures and working hard to overcome them. But there’s just one problem. Sarah Kogod of The Washington Post noticed that one of the words isn’t spelled correctly. Can you find which one? For The Win Andre Iguodala: This jimmy kimmel skit is going to be hilarious! #staytuned instagram.com/p/ZoJBRTFQOf/ Twitter @andre |
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» Update: 02:41 PM ET |
 Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be returning as the head coach of USA Basketball for the 2016 Olympics, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. A formal announcement is expected in the next 48 hours. Krzyzewski led Team USA to gold medals in both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. He had maintained for months that he would not return before reversing course in an interview with SI.com on Saturday. SI.com Krzyzewski, 66, has a 62-1 record with USA Basketball, and his tenure will now be extended to coach in the 2014 FIBA World Championship in Madrid and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has stayed confident since the end of the 2012 Olympics that he could persuade Krzyzewski to return. He waited until the end of Duke's season in March to court Krzyzewski. In an interview on Saturday, Colangelo said he would not begin contacting other candidates until Krzyzewski said no. SI.com Mike Monroe: Looks like Coach K just relegated #CoachPop to an afterthought re. Pop's dream of ever coaching Olympic team; Pop will be 71 in 2020 Twitter @Monroe_SA USA Basketball has scheduled a news conference on Thursday at Duke University, where Krzyzewski coaches. Krzyzewski had adamantly maintained the 2012 London Olympics were his last Olympics as coach. He said the prior to the Olympics, during the Olympics and as recently as February. But USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo remained patient and gave Krzyzewski enough time to reconsider. USA Today Sports LeBron James, who is a huge Coach K fan, had told me yesterday he wanted Coach K do what made him happy. “Coach K is a great coach,’’ LeBron said Tuesday about the likelihood Coach K would return for a third Olympics. “And USA would love to have him back. But it’s up to him… I want Coach K to be happy. Whatever he wants to do. Absolutely.’ Sulia  The Dallas Mavericks, with their first lottery draft pick in a dozen years firmly in hand, have their eyes on a bigger prize. Multiple sources have told ESPN.com's Chad Ford the Mavs are likely to shop the pick in hopes of creating the cap space necessary to make a run at Dwight Howard in free agency. The 13th overall pick has a cap hold of $1,655,300. ESPN.com The hope is to sell Howard or Chris Paul -- who would each have to sacrifice a fifth year on the max contract that he could get from the Lakers and Clippers, respectively -- on the possibility of building a championship contender. "We'd love to get one of the main guys," Nowitzki said last week. "It's going to be tough to get them out of the situation that they're in. I think that's pretty easy [to see]. I think both are in L.A., where you want to play basketball, and both are in great positions and situations. We'll just have to wait and see." ESPN.com Sam Amico: NBA exec says anyone who thinks Wolves would trade Kevin Love "can't actually follow the NBA," and other teams know not to bother asking. Twitter @SamAmicoFSO  Julian Mozo: #NBA Pablo Prigioni: "It's not true that I want to leave New York because my wife didn't adjust to the city. She is pissed off." Twitter @JulianMozo Julian Mozo: "If I can choose, I prefer to play in United States and stay in the #NBA", said Prigioni on the rumors about returning to Spain. Twitter @JulianMozo  This year’s field, which may actually feature a number of solid role players if not franchise changers, is particularly fluid. Ainge will draft the best player available instead of attempting to fill a need. He could use a rebounder, scorer and even a backup point guard — that last position a concern now that Terrence Williams is in legal trouble, thus clouding his Celtics future. Boston Herald The Cleveland Cavaliers won the lottery and the right to pick No. 1 overall. "I'd be telling you how happy I was if we'd have gotten one (the first overall pick), so I'm not going to completely lie to you," Dumars said. "But ... I'm good with it. I just talked to Tom Gores about five minutes (ago) and I basically said the same thing ... there are no franchise changers, there's no franchise guy, really, that you're looking at in this particular draft. "So to be at seven or eight, we're going to get a good player. We'll add another really nice piece to the core we that already have and we'll move forward. So like I said, I'm very, very comfortable with it and OK with it -- totally OK with it." Booth Newspapers Tom Haberstroh: Shane Battier didn't watch Spurs-Grizzlies last night: "I made homemade gnocchi." Twitter @tomhaberstroh Jeff McDonald: Tony Parker going for another MRI on his left calf tomorrow. No new injury. Just tracking the progress of his recovery. Twitter @JMcDonald_SAEN  It's been 20 years since the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft was traded, when the Orlando Magic moved Chris Webber, but it's possible that streak could end this year. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who scored the top pick at Tuesday night's draft lottery, will be willing to listen to trade offers for it. "You want to look at all your options and make the best decision for your team," Cavs general manager Chris Grant said. "This is a valuable asset that we can add to the group, whether it's in trade or keep it and add a player." ESPN.com Oh, the Wolves will have their options, even after the top shooting guards -- Kansas' Ben McLemore and Indiana's Victor Oladipo -- go top 5 probably. They could choose Lehigh's C.J. McCollum, who's a great shooter but is point-guard sized at 6-3, or Georgia's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who would fill Wolves need for both shooters and real 2-guard size. But don't be surprised if the Wolves end up going for a shotblocker -- Maryland center Alex Len if he drops that far, or maybe 7-2 French center Rudy Gobert -- for a team that lacks a rim defender. Minneapolis Star-Tribune Chad Ford: Scouts frustrated with Phil Pressey. Great passing but too many bad, bad shots. Has got to change his mentality. He's not a scorer in NBA Twitter @chadfordinsider Lang Greene: Vegas sets line Nerlens Noel will be top pick of this year's draft. Otto Porter is the other player they believe has best shot at No. 1 Twitter @LangGreene  Jackson said he would be open to taking a front office position in the NBA but is not actively pursuing that either as he considers offers that come his way. Jackson is currently working as an adviser to Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores as he tries to find a new coach for his team. "I don't feel the ultimate urge to go back and be in management either. Mentoring is something that I feel is good. I'm doing pro-bono work for the Detroit owner and the Pistons organization, which is almost a conflict of interest when you think of the Bulls and Pistons in the '90s and the rivalry that we had. But they have a young owner that wants to do something different." ESPN.com Although Jackson was interested in returning to the Lakers last season he said he wouldn't be interested in the job now even though Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, who he is engaged to, still thinks Jackson can coach. "I don't see myself coaching again, I really don't," Jackson said. "When I discussed this with Jeanie Buss, she said make sure you tell them that Jeanie still thinks you can coach even though you might say you're not going to coach again. Jeanie still thinks I can coach but I'm not going to go there." ESPN.com “Well, the Brooklyn situation, I think, is a good situation,” Jackson said in an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. And while Jackson has talked about an interest in potentially joining a team in a front office capacity, he said such a role never came up in his discussions with the Nets. “They wanted to know if I was interested [in coaching],” Jackson said, adding that he “didn’t even think about” the possibility of only coaching home games or some other timeshare arrangement to cut down on travel. New York Post Jackson added that he has never had contact with the Clippers, who announced Tuesday they won’t be signing coach Vinny Del Negro to a new contract, about an opening, and also said that he was never contacted by the Knicks. “No,” Jackson said, adding he wasn’t disappointed about it. “They’re pretty locked into the people they’ve got there, and they have a nice rapport between [general manager Glen Grunwald] and [coach Mike] Woodson. “That Indiana connection goes back a long way. They think alike, they have a good idea of what they want to have. That’s pretty solid.” New York Post  When Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak called Phil Jackson to tell him the Lakers were hiring Mike D'Antoni instead of him as coach, he responded the only way he knew how. "I laughed," Jackson told ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" show Wednesday. "It was humorous to me when Mitch said that we think that Mike is a better coach for this group of guys." ESPN.com Jackson said he believes the Lakers made the decision largely based on catering to Steve Nash, their 39-year-old point guard who was limited to 50 games this season as he battled a variety of injuries. "I think it didn't happen because there was some concern how are we going to move in the right direction for this ballclub," Jackson said. "When Mitch gave me the call close to midnight on Sunday night right before I was going to give them an answer Monday morning and said, 'We've made a choice. We're going to hire Mike D'Antoni. We think he's the best coach for this group of guys.' My answer was, 'For Steve Nash, yes, I agree but for Dwight Howard, I'm not so sure.' "In the process of thinking about how they could best use the team I think they thought first and foremost about Steve Nash and how Steve Nash was going to fit inside of an offensive system that I coach. ... I think that was a concern for them." ESPN.com  As the Clippers look for a replacement for just-let-go coach Vinny Del Negro, former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan has emerged as a potential candidate, according to several NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the situation. McMillan is one of about five candidates the Clippers’ front office is seriously considering and will present to owner Donald Sterling, one NBA executive said. Los Angeles Times Marc J. Spears: Phil Handy has joined Mike Brown's staff as an assistant coach with Cavs, sources tell Y! Sports. Handy was @Lakers player development coach Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo Vincent Goodwill: Mo Cheeks will have another interview with the #Pistons today, according to sources Twitter @vgoodwill  Others were simply surprised because they'd assumed Durant was tattoo-free because they'd never seen any; this is also a bit silly, but at least not quite so judgmental. Whatever your reaction to the artistic revelation, it confirmed that — like many of his peers, both within the NBA and outside it — Durant digs ink, setting the stage for new and interesting decorations to come. The self-expression continued a couple of months later, with the Oklahoma City Thunder star getting "Maryland" (his home state) tattooed across his shoulder-blades above a basketball-holding angel flanked by hands gesturing with Durant's number 35. Apparently, though, the piece wasn't complete. This week, Durant used some of his newfound, unexpected free time to get it finished: Yahoo! Sports Markieff Morris already has played for the Suns longer than Dumas did. Dumas’ 128 games, including 23 in the 1993 playoffs, left everyone, except Dumas, wanting more. Dumas let it all go with amazing ease and lives simply now. He scraps to make a living with more appreciation than regret about his fame, which was fleeting in the NBA, even though it is everlasting in Suns lore. “I just played for fun and was blessed to do it,” said Dumas, who turned 44 on Sunday. “I didn’t get caught up in all that. People took it more serious than I wanted. Basketball ain’t my problem. Life was. It was off the court that I had my problem. That’s been a lifelong thing.” Arizona Republic Dumas went astray again in 1998 for a cocaine arrest. He tried comebacks in Croatia, where he played center until he hurt his knee, and the minors, where he never showed up to play because he said he hurt his knee a day before his trip to Westchester, N.Y. More honestly, he said he had lost his passion. That kneecap sticks out of a bony joint today, but Dumas said hard-labor jobs have kept him in shape. “I don’t want to be sitting there looking like Charles Barkley on a Weight Watchers commercial,” Dumas said. Arizona Republic Dumas said he lost all his NBA fortune on drugs, back taxes and a divorce but said he never played for riches. Today, he is trying to wipe the slate clean with basketball. He has started Richard Dumas and Friends Athletic Association, with the help of old friends for sponsors — Mark West and the Suns, Dan Majerle and his Majerle’s Sports Grill chain and Miller, who sells cars at Superstition Springs Chrysler Jeep Dodge. Dumas and Friends organizes sports camps and clinics, including Dumas coaching. At 6 feet 7, Dumas’ frame begs the question about whether he played basketball — most do not recognize him from the best season in Suns history. “I used to, back when I was young,” Dumas tells them. Arizona Republic The Hawks and Celtics occupied much different places in the NBA pecking order in 1988, but the tide was turning. Boston won the title in 1986 with what some consider the greatest team in NBA history, but lost in the Finals to the Lakers in 1987 and faced challenges from up-and-coming squads in Detroit, Chicago and Atlanta. The Hawks finished the 1987-88 season 50-32, and after dispatching the Milwaukee Bucks in round one, matched up with Boston in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Dominique Wilkins (Hawks small forward): We thought we were going to win it that year. We really did. We felt good about the way we were playing, particularly the second half of the season. We just grew to have so much confidence in ourselves and each other that we believed we could have won. Larry Bird (Celtics small forward): They were up and coming. They were young. They played together, and Dominique was the leader. They had the makings of a great basketball team. NBA.com Dumas is living backward, finding joy on the court like a kid and reveling in chances to attend Suns games in the building he helped open. “I’m enjoying life,” Dumas said after a long pause of reflection. “I traveled the world. I’ve done what a lot of people wanted to do. “I did it the opposite way. Now I’ve got to work for a living.” Arizona Republic |
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» Update: 09:49 AM ET |
 Why has it taken so long for the Bucks to find their man? If you believe some insightful NBA officials, it’s simply because the Bucks are playing the waiting game. They are biding their time until the Memphis Grizzlies’ season ends and they can talk to Grizzlies free-agent in-waiting coach Lionel Hollins. Hollins, you may recall, had a cup of coffee in Milwaukee as one of Skiles’ assistant coaches before bolting to Memphis where, in the last three seasons as head coach, his teams have won 46, 41 and 56 games. Hollins led the Grizzlies into the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs — without a single superstar. Racine Journal-Times But some NBA insiders claim Hollins is still very interested in the Bucks’ job. They note Hollins enjoyed his brief stint in Milwaukee, forged a good rapport with the Bucks’ management and is even intrigued by a few of the team’s players. The defensive-minded Hollins realizes the Bucks have one of the best, young interior defenders in Larry Sanders, who received strong support for both Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year honors. Racine Journal-Times The Grizzlies say they want to re-sign Hollins, but with widespread interest, they won’t get a bargain. Hollins just happens to be the Clippers’ new favorite option, should they turn out to need a coach. He’s reportedly on Brooklyn’s list. (In what may be pure coincidence, Sterling sat courtside at Game 1 of the Grizzlies-Spurs series in San Antonio.) Lakers Nation Some agents, like Warren LeGarie, who reps Dunleavy—and Hollins–now insist on arbitration clauses in any contract with the Clips. Lakers Nation Mark Heisler: Source says Lionel Hollins is No. 1 on #Clippers list w/Byron Scott, Alvin Gentry. Team officials just relieved Sterling gave in, axed VDN. Twitter @MarkHeisler A Clippers source told ESPN Los Angeles that the team "really is starting our search for a new coach now," but they intend to move quickly. ESPN.com One source with knowledge of the Clippers' thinking said Phil Jackson would "pretty much be excluded" from consideration because of his engagement to Lakers executive Jeanie Buss. While the source insisted it wasn't a reflection on Jackson's coaching ability, it would simply be "too creepy" for the Clippers to bring in a coach who was engaged to the owner of their crosstown rival. ESPN.com Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald thought Mike Woodson should have won Coach of the Year this season. So he is hardly listening to fan and media complaints that Woodson had a bad playoff. Woodson, 55, finished third in the Coach of the Year voting, won 54 games, the Atlantic Division title and the Eastern Conference’s second seed. Woodson’s regular-season record as Knicks coach is 72-34, but critics point to his playoff miscues. He never has been out of the second round in eight seasons as a head coach with the Knicks and Hawks. The naysayers knock Woodson for his misuse of rookie Chris Copeland, his blind allegiance to slumping J.R. Smith, his insistence on forcing a rusty Amar’e Stoudemire into the rotation midstream and ignoring 3-point ace Steve Novak versus Indiana. New York Post “I think Woody did a great job,’’ said Grunwald, an Indiana classmate of Woodson’s. “I think he’s my coach of the year still, although he finished third. He did an excellent job this year. We wound up where we didn’t want to be — out of the playoffs. We all have to take a look at ourselves from the front office to the coaching staff to the players.’’ New York Post  On the head-coaching search front, McDonough said his list expands as he narrows it because new names are cropping up as possibilities. The scheduling of interviews is complicated by the number of coaching vacancies, which could wind up being one-third of the league’s teams. Some candidates are also with active playoff teams and that becomes an issue with draft prospects possibly starting to come to Phoenix next week for individual workouts. “Ideally, I would like to have a guy in place for the draft workouts but I’m not going to rush the process just to hire a guy to run the draft workouts,” McDonough said. Arizona Republic Goran Dragic: "We all loved playing for coach Alvin Gentry. He didn't fulfill the club's expectations although all of us players wanted him to stay in charge! He still ended up being fired. Lindsey Hunter became the new head coach, but he didnt have any coaching experience prior." Kosarka.si Dragic feels sorry that players themselves contributed to the departure of Alvin. He doesnt hide the fact that he wanted Dan Majerle as a head coach. Kosarka.si  Del Negro is just the second coach to leave the team with a winning record, following Larry Brown in 1993. "This was a difficult decision, but we feel this is the best decision for our franchise moving forward," said Gary Sacks, the Clippers' vice president of basketball operations. Del Negro and Sterling never officially met in person after the season, but they did have an extended conversation on the phone last weekend that a source described as "positive." ESPN.com Sterling told Del Negro that he was "optimistic they'd bring him back," the source said, but there "were some issues with the players" they needed to sort through. "Obviously they couldn't work through those issues with the players, or, player," the source said, referring to Clippers guard Chris Paul. ESPN.com Del Negro was surprised when he was informed of the organization's decision on Tuesday morning, the source said. Team president Andy Roeser thanked him for his service and said the organization would do whatever it could to help him find another job, the source said. ESPN.com Adrian Wojnarowski: Boston assistant Ty Lue and Rio Grande head coach Nick Nurse are candidates for assistant coaching job in Toronto, league sources tell Y! Twitter @WojYahooNBA  A league source says Chris Paul will check out other teams, as Howard is expected to do. If Paul leaves, it could could pose a problem for the Lakers, who had enough already, if he and Dwight Howard decide to create a new option, joining up in Atlanta. Howard and Paul are pals. The Hawks can open up two maximum slots. They mused about Atlanta (D12’s from there, CP3 from North Carolina) years ago, before fate led them in other directions. Lakers Nation A league source told me that despite the apparent thaw between Howard and Bryant, Dwight complained privately about Kobe late in the season. If this summer wasn’t billed as an NBA-chang event, it was because insiders were sure Paul would stay, and Howard would accept the extra $30 mill from the Lakers, however grudgingly. Lakers Nation Grunwald confirmed the Knicks are unable to do a sign-and-trade for free agents Chris Paul or Dwight Howard because of new collective bargaining agreement rules forbidding luxury taxpayers from partaking in free agency. They only have the $3.1 million mini-midlevel exception, plus the 24th overall pick in June’s draft. New York Post For the Timberwolves to reach any vision, Saunders will need Love on board. So far, the team’s new general manager has that. “He’s very hopeful that I’ll be part of the team, a big part of the team, for many years to come,” Love said. “And I don’t see why he should think otherwise.” NBCSports.com Anyone else think it seemed odd that Glen Grunwald seemed more convinced Jason Kidd would be back than J.R. Smith? Speaking of Kidd, he stressed the positive exit interview - but as Frank Isola tweeted earlier - I still would not be surprised if Kidd looked for a buyout for a lesser role with a contender to finish his career. Sulia But he wasn't so glowing about Smith. "Like I said before, I think it’s best in general for us to maintain some continuity, the same group, the same core group together," Grunwald said. "But I’m not going to comment on any individual player because we’re not finished with our evaluation. I don’t think you should read that one way or another - I just don’t think it’d be fair for me to start talking about, ‘yeah, we really want him back’ or ‘yeah, maybe he comes back.’ I think right now we’re just going to go through the evaluation. I’m very happy for J.R. He had a great year. Obviously, he’s disappointed how it finished for himself as it is for our team, but now I think that’s going to make us stronger and more committed to next season." Sulia Colangelo, who famously once called Bargnani the “enigma of enigmas,” said he wasn’t sure why Bargnani didn’t harness his talent more often. “We know he’s got it, we’ve seen how he’s capable of playing at a certain level. How would I handle it differently? I’m not sure I would. “Maybe I would have traded him before he got hurt so the trade value didn’t go down or there was an opportunity to do something before the trade deadline, but I can’t control the injury aspect of things and this past year he had two distinct injuries to his elbow that really put a crimp on timing,” Colangelo said. “I still would say there’s value in Andrea as a player. I get the fact that a change of scenery is probably best for all sides. I’ve publicly acknowledged that but, again, the new guy is going to have to decide how to handle it and there are a few options. You can obviously move down different paths with Andrea now." Toronto Sun As expected, Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva has picked up his $8.5-million option for next season. Detroit Free Press  Parker checked back in and soon had the lead growing again, ducking under Darrell Arthur to hit a floater and then knocking down a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 83-70 with 8:14 to play. But then Parker finally went cold, missing five straight shots down the stretch as the Grizzlies rallied back. He had 14 assists in the second and third quarters and went past his career-high for the regular season of 17 during overtime. "He was unbelievable," Duncan said. "I know he's exhausted. We asked a lot of him. He was controlling the ball every time down the floor and he was making every right play there was. "He was finding people, and people knocked down shots for him." ESPN.com "He's a Hall of Fame guard, people. He's been around, he's done great things in his career," Hollins said. "He just controlled the pace and got in the paint, found open guys. ... We battled him, though, and we wound up being in the game." ESPN.com Tony Parker once again sliced and diced the Grizzlies in Game 2, and was the biggest reason they had such a massive lead to be able to survive the Grizzlies charge. The Grizzlies were intent on two things going into Game 2: limiting the Spurs' effectiveness in the pick and roll and forcing them to slow down. Parker made both of those efforts fruitless for the first 36 minutes of the game. He found cutters, he found shooters, he drove and kicked relentlessly on his way to 18 assists. It was surgical. "He was unbeliveable," Manu Ginobili said. "He started very well. It was a game where he wasn't partciularly good with his shot. He always found somebody. He was very explosive. He kind of ran out of juice a little bit at the end. But he was the Tony Parker that we need and know. He's always threat for the opponents." CBSSports.com But if they can't do a better earlier on Parker, it won't matter. And the Grizzlies weren't biting when it comes to whether they made an impact on him. "I can't say nothing bad that they did, they're up 2-0," Tony Allen said. "In that first half, he was just unbeliveable," Conley said. CBSSports.com Ben Golliver: "I think Tony [Allen] just tried to sell it more than anything." -- Tim Duncan on Manu Ginobili's flagrant foul Twitter @blazersedge  Asked about Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim attacking the Knicks roster, going after Chandler and Pablo Prigioni, among others, Grunwald said, “Jim’s a great coach and he’s obviously very loyal to Melo. So I understand where his comments came from.’’ Boeheim stated the Knicks can’t win a title without getting better players around Carmelo Anthony. New York Post Dan Gelston: Adam Aron on Bynum's knees: MRIs in September looked "very different" than August. "We had every confidence Andrew would take us to glory." Twitter @APgelston Dan Gelston: Adam Aron takes a shot at Jason Wolf's story on Bynum. Mocks the use of medical textbooks in the story. He says nothing in the story was rt. Twitter @APgelston Pick acquired from Raptors: There is increasing chatter among NBA executives that the Thunder -- with two first- round picks and young talent in Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones on the roster -- will look to make a major move on draft night. If they keep this pick, Saric, a smooth, mobile big man one executive describes as "the best passing big in the draft" is a nice find. Saric isn't the bruising back-to-the-basket scorer that Oklahoma City craves, but he is exactly the kind of high potential talent GM Sam Presti loves to develop. SI.com Dan Gilbert: On plane back from NYC. Did that just happen? Again! @cavs will be force in east for years to come. Happy for best fans in world: Cavs fans! Twitter @cavsdan  Noel's timing wasn't planned but has worked out perfectly. He was originally in the class of 2014 but reclassified and then graduated from Tilton (N.H.) before selecting Kentucky over Syracuse and Georgetown. Had he stayed in high school, any chance of his being the top pick in 2014 probably wouldn't have occurred with the arrival of Andrew Wiggins. The season at Kentucky, the ACL injury, the possibility of being a top pick, the rehab and ultimately the chance to play with All-Star Kyrie Irving in Cleveland is all overwhelming. "It has been surreal,'' Noel said. "It's crazy. I could be graduating high school right now, walking out on stage. I definitely made the best decision for myself. My year at Kentucky was the best year I've ever had.'' ESPN.com Wilk said the recovery is looked at in blocks of time. Noel is shooting on the court now. He will work toward jumping and landing before they can get to scrimmaging. "We're about three major steps away,'' Wilk said of Noel being cleared. "The advantage of waiting is maturation of the graft, and as that happens, the graft matures and gets stronger. Theoretically it will be stronger at 10-12 months more than six. The muscles can get bigger, the quads and hips can get stronger to take the pounding off the knee. That's the advantage of waiting. "But the disadvantage is that there can be a confidence issue and competitiveness,'' Wilk said. "You don't want to lose confidence in your leg.'' ESPN.com Noel didn't hesitate to come down here full time. He didn't want to commute from Boston. He wanted to show teams his commitment to his rehab. He spoke with Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix, New Orleans and his hometown Boston Celtics in Chicago last week. He's hoping he has to interview only one place on the road -- in Cleveland. "I want everyone to know that I want to play this game, the game I love as soon as possible,'' Noel said. "I want to be ready. I've really benefited by being here. I want to come back as strong as possible.'' Noel said he likes being in Birmingham where no one bothers him and there aren't distractions. There was no crew hanging here with him. After the lottery show Tuesday night, he sat with his same group of four -- his friend Ricky, Shenbaum, Driscoll and his mom -- having a quiet dinner. ESPN.com  If Mike Krzyzewski is unsure whether to return as USA Basketball’s coach for the 2016 Olympics, would Kevin Love try to convince the Duke coach to return? “Of course,” Love said. Love said he’s been in “constant contact” with Men’s National Team Director Sean Ford about Krzyzewski’s status. “I’ve really enjoyed my time playing under Coach K in the World Championships and the Olympics and developing a relationship with him,” Love said. “It’s been really great. So, I’m really hoping he does come back. NBCSports.com Adrian Wojnarowski: Toronto expects a response today on its request to Denver for permission to speak to GM Masai Ujiri, league sources tell Y! Sports. Twitter @WojYahooNBA Earlier this month the team’s ownership group dismissed president of basketball operations David Kahn, who compiled a league worst 89-223 (.285) during his tenure at the helm. The club hired league veteran Flip Saunders into the role and he has immediately received praise from Love since his arrival. “I think Flip is great,” Love said to HOOPSWORLD. “I’ve always admired what he’s done, obviously coming from the Timberwolves prior, being with Detroit and having been in the Western and Eastern Conference Finals he’s got quite a reputation. “I think as far as him meshing and being in constant contract with coach [Rick] Adelman is going to be great for us. We’re hopeful and confident that he’ll make the right decisions and move us forward in the right direction.” HoopsWorld  Jordan said his hope in pursuing the Hornets name is to move the atmosphere at Time Warner Cable Arena toward what it was like at Charlotte Coliseum when he played there as a Chicago Bull in the late ’80s and ’90s. “When I first played here years ago, the thing I was totally astounded by was the energy. I wanted to bring that energy back,’’ Jordan said. “(This decision) says a lot about how we’ve taken the input from our community and put that in action.” Charlotte Observer Jordan said the team wouldn’t try to assume the Hornets’ records from when they were in Charlotte, but is interested in embracing players from that era. “When the time comes we want to incorporate some of the past,” Jordan said. “Dell (Curry) is with the team (as a television analyst) and I believe Muggsy (Bogues) is in town.” Charlotte Observer Jordan acknowledged this name change is just one aspect of the many fixes the franchise needs. The Bobcats were an NBA-worst 28-120 over the past two seasons and will have their third head coach in as many seasons, after firing Mike Dunlap. “I understand the name is a name. What we want to be proud of is what’s on the basketball court,” Jordan said. “I totally understand that. I’m not running away from that.” Asked about churning through three coaches in three seasons, Jordan didn’t offer anything specific: “I anticipate these guys (president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho) have done their due diligence. I feel very confident these guys going through the process to make the right decision.” Charlotte Observer  Few weeks ago Divac was admitted to the Clinic Center of Serbia in Belgrade, because of the problems with his ulcer, and his condition was stabilized there. According to Twitter message of his wife, Snezana Divac, the president of the Olympic Committee of Serbia Vlade Divac has been again admitted to the hospital because of the repeated problems with his ulcer. In Serbia News A legal expert said the potential charges facing Boston Celtics guard Terrence Williams, who is being investigated for second-degree domestic assault following a Sunday altercation in Kent, Wa., could be decided in the next week. Bellingham, Wa., attorney Jeffrey A. Lustick, who has no personal involvement in the case, offered insight into it during a telephone interview with MassLive.com on Tuesday. Williams, 25, is under investigation for second-degree domestic assault after admitting he brandished a gun Sunday during an argument with the mother of his 10-year-old son. A second hearing is scheduled for Wednesday after Monday's initial hearing. Booth Newspapers |
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