HoopsHype.com Rumors

Q: What did you learn about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the NBA? Marcin Gortat: All the games are about business. I learned that from Jermaine (O’Neal) with how he approaches it. You better perform and show what you can do. I know how people are talking about different players on the team right now. When you have two or three games that you’re not performing, you get the rumors of “I don’t think we need this guy” and “I think we’re going to trade this guy.” Those guys don’t hear it or know it, but you don’t want to be in that situation. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat 

Question: What things have you started doing to pass the time during your rehabilitation period? Marcin Gortat: Clash of Clans (an online strategy game). You build your own village, and you have to protect your resources. Channing (Frye) is the master of that. I just started, so I’m trying to catch up. You have to come up with different things to do to pass time. It’s hard to do. I’m on the 33rd level, but he’s on like the 68th level. I wish to be in his clan, but I can’t be. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Injuries 

Q: What are you going to do about playing with the Polish national team? Marcin Gortat: : In the worst case, I might take a break that’s six months. That’s going to be almost impossible to do. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Poland 

NBA D-League: .@Suns have reassigned Diante Garrett to top-seeded @BakersfieldJam, who tip off their Game 1 v. @austintoros, tonight 8:30et @YouTube! Twitter

Phoenix Suns, D-League, Diante Garrett 

Jared Dudley: Y'all heard that new Jay Z song!!!? He kilt it!!! Crazy beat to Twitter @JaredDudley619

Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Jared Dudley, Jay-Z 

According to Dudley, Beasley, who is known as a sort of enigmatic figure around the league, should take heart to the instruction he is receiving from the coaching staff. "I don't know why he would be tuning out the coaches because sometimes when he may be tired of people getting on him all the time, they're trying to stay on him to become a better basketball player," the shooting guard said. "He shouldn't take it as a negative, it should be a positive. "I would say there's got to be a better balance. Don't tune them out, listen to them but play your game in a concept of what the team wants you to do." Arizona's Sports Page

Phoenix Suns, Michael Beasley 

It's safe to say in terms of wins and losses little progress has been made (10-27) since Lindsey Hunter was tagged as the interim head coach back on January 20. So is Hunter a shoe-in to have his tag removed this off-season? "It's a fair question," Suns president Lon Babby told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Tuesday. "We're in a results business, so you have to look at the results. But I think also in fairness you have to put the results in context where we are in the season and how difficult it is to persevere, which I don't think we've fully done by any stretch of the imagination." When pressed further on whether that meant the organization had already made a decision on Hunter's future, Babby wouldn't commit to anything. "You can interpret (my comments) any way you want," said Babby. "I'm not going to answer one way or the other...there's plenty of time to sort it out and make the right decision and move forward." Arizona's Sports Page

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lon Babby, Lindsey Hunter 

Rarely have the Suns strung together four quarters of solid play in a single game. "We can't just play the game and pick out the good parts of the game and say we play well for a quarter or two or three. If you don't play well for 48 minutes, you don't play well," Luis Scola said following the team's most recent loss Sunday against New Orleans. Arizona's Sports Page

Phoenix Suns, Luis Scola 

He was just getting started. "We just don't know how to play well," he continued. "We don't know how to play basketball and that's why we lose. Until we learn how to play 48 minutes of basketball, we're not going to win games. I'm surprised we won (23) games playing this way. Many of the games we won, we did the same thing. We just overcame it somehow. I'm also surprised we didn't fix it. We saw the problem pretty much the first week and we couldn't fix it. It's very frustrating. It's a bad year." Arizona's Sports Page

Phoenix Suns, Luis Scola 

One source with knowledge of the situation said this week that Hunter has a "good shot" to see his interim label switched to permanent head coach at season's end. Makes sense with Babby staying and general manager Lance Blanks already under contract for next season … and with Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat -- if Dudley and Gortat aren't dealt to teams better equipped to use -- needing so much more help for the coaching to really make a difference. ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lindsey Hunter 

This season’s disappointment is hard for Scola to hide behind his supreme work ethic. He battles physically, runs like a cartoon character and talks with rare maturity in the locker room. “It’s hard,” Scola said. “It’s not what I thought it was going to be. But I can’t say it’s somebody else’s fault. I know I have to be part of the blame. We have to work hard and finish the season strong. “I feel like I’m a big part of the team, and when a team goes this wrong, you can’t say it’s everybody else. If it went well, I’m sure people would talk about how much of an influence I had. So it’s only fair to take that kind of blame when things go wrong. It’s hard. I never thought it was going to be like this, but it’s only a good challenge to change things around and do things the right way.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Luis Scola 

But Scola is not ready to bail on this city. The enjoyment is in the climb, and he wants to be part of a Suns franchise turnaround. “The whole organization, the fans and the city deserve a different situation,” Scola said. “It’s painful for me to see the Phoenix Suns be so successful throughout the years and when I finally get here, we have one of the worst seasons ever. Hopefully, we can change that. I don’t want to be remembered like this.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Luis Scola 

There have long been hopes by many in the Suns organization that Hill would return in a front-office role when he retires. “I’ve really just focused on enjoying the last year, if this is the last year, and not focusing on the future,” Hill said. “We’ll get to the end and once the end’s over, I’ll start worrying about what I’m going to do from there.” Hill has remained friends with Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver but his off-season experience changed his relationship with Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby, who agreed to a two-year extension Tuesday night. “It’s different,” Hill said. Arizona Republic

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Grant Hill 

Hollins, a 7-foot center, picked on Goran Dragic, a 6-3 point guard, with a backcourt Flagrant Foul 1 on an inbound play because Dragic tried to use his body into Hollins for separation to get open against his pressing (again, with a 25 -point lead and nine minutes to go). Hollins pressed his left arm across Dragic’s chest and ran it around his neck as he dragged Dragic from the paint to the Suns bench. Jermaine O’Neal got involved immediately while official Billy Kennedy walked alongside them. When it got toward the sideline, Michael Beasley shoved Hollins away. Hollins and Beasley were ejected. Arizona Republic

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Goran Dragic, Ryan Hollins 

“He hooked me and then I tried to separate,” Dragic said. “He was choking me and I tried to get free. That’s it. I don’t know why that happened. It was just a dirty play. I tried to separate but he’s strong. “You have to stand for yourself and get separated. Michael helped and separated us. I feel sorry for him because he got ejected. He was a true teammate and he helped me. I would do the same thing. It’s hard when the big guy is going against a point guard.” Arizona Republic

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic, Ryan Hollins 

Earlier in the game, Dragic was on the floor in the lane when Clippers star Blake Griffin stood over him with his legs straddling Dragic’s body. P.J. Tucker came over to push Griffin off Dragic. “Maybe that was the plan — to try to get me frustrated,” Dragic said. “Blake does this kind of thing a lot. It’s not the first time. He didn’t step on me. He just stood over me.” Arizona Republic

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Blake Griffin, Goran Dragic 

“He choked Gogi,” Beasley said of Hollins’ foul on Dragic. “These guys in this locker room are my family. They’re my brothers. You’re not going to choke my brother and sit there and smile about it. I feel like the only reason he did that was because it was Gogi. He’s bigger than Gogi. I’d do it a million times. I’d do it for anyone in this locker room. That’s not right to do anybody. You want to pick on somebody. I got a 7-footer to my right (O’Neal) that likes that kind of stuff. Don’t pick on our smallest guys and then to put him in a headlock and hold it for five minutes? I just wanted to get him off Gogi and he threw his fists up at me. That’s when the situation got heated.” Arizona Republic

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic, Ryan Hollins 

Clipper Darrell, one of the NBA’s last quality clean hecklers, had Suns center Jermaine O’Neal’s attention in Wednesday’s first half. He got him to look on his usual “U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got no alibi” bit while at the free-throw line when the arena is mostly quiet. With Wesley Johnson, he got him to look and laugh with “Jermaine, who is that?” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Jermaine O'Neal, Clipper Darrell 

Melissa Rohlin: Clipper Darrell took issue to fans leaving w/ the Clips up, 117-92 "I want everybody to sit back down. This is not a Laker game," he yelled Twitter @melissarohlin

Phoenix Suns, Jermaine O'Neal, Clipper Darrell 

Lampe, speaking exclusively to fibaeurope.com, sent exactly this message of tranquillity to Polish fans: "Yes, I'm going to play," he stated briefly but firmly, when asked whether he had considered his participation at the EuroBasket. There is hardly time to mention the recent developments concerning Gortat before the Caja Laboral Vitoria forward/center interrupts decisively: "He'll play too," he says firmly. Eurobasket 2013

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Poland, Eurobasket