RealGM reports
The Phoenix Suns today announced that the club has been awarded the rights to center Jarron Collins. Collins, who spent the preseason with the Portland Trail Blazers, became available after being waived October 22, 2009.
he 6-11, 249-pound Collins is an eight-year NBA veteran who has spent every career regular season with the Utah Jazz. The 30-year-old owns career averages of 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes in 480 games (206 starts). Read the rest of this entry »
Nola.com reports
After watching hours of film from last season’s first-round playoff disaster against the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Hornets Coach Byron Scott accepted the need to make changes in his offensive strategy.
Scott saw how the Nuggets’ guards easily hemmed Chris Paul to one side of the floor because of the Hornets’ predictable offensive attack that featured Paul and David West, or some other big man, on the pick and roll.
Paul handled the ball at the start of possessions a majority of the time, allowing Denver to stack the middle with the defenders, keep the lanes sealed and force the ball out of his hands with traps.
It eventually wore down Paul and rendered the Hornets’ offense ineffective. Read the rest of this entry »
Nice article on ESPN’s Celtics Blog
Ray Allen has been called a sniper before because of his accurate shooting from the perimeter. But the Celtics 14th-year guard actually studied up on snipers a few years back to improve on his free-throw shooting.
Asked about trying to better his already sterling free-throw percentage this season, Allen talked about how reading a book on snipers a few years back helped him start raising that number.
“I’m raising the bar so high, it has to continue to improve over the years,” joked Allen. “I’ve understood free-throw shooting more and understanding my heart rhythms and trying to relax. Read the rest of this entry »
This post is just some notes on stats that jumped out me during the preseason.
#1 — Michael Beasley
Similar problems for Beasley in preseason as in last season. He puts up a lot of shots but scores with very poor shooting efficiency and his rebounding is very poor for a big man. Combine this with his poor-to-very poor defense.
It doesn’t look good for fans hoping to see Beasley breakout this season. Read the rest of this entry »
The Boston Globe reports
In the early morning hours of July 16, two Douglas County sheriff’s deputies were combing through the crowds around the gaming tables at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe casino in Stateline, Nev., trying to find a certain high-roller, a sort-of celebrity, a wanted man. They carried a snapshot with them, just to be sure they arrested the right guy.
It wasn’t a face they knew well, but we do.
It was Antoine Walker. Read the rest of this entry »
The Oregonian reports
“I’ve been through a lot in my career, and after all I’ve been through, I kind of thought these times were behind me,’’ Udoka said. “But I’m not going to sit around and be depressed. I’ve worked this hard and put in the work, and I have to be ready for the next opportunity. All I can do is hope one comes up.’’
Udoka said he is hoping to sign on with another team, and is awaiting word from his agent, Mark Bartelstein, who has been talking to other teams. Udoka said some potential suitors could be Oklahoma City, Denver, Sacramento and Utah. Read the rest of this entry »
Good article on Pistons.com about Rodney Stuckey
Like his mentor Larry Brown, John Kuester doesn’t look at statistics – and especially not point totals – in assessing the play of his point guard.So ask Kuester to assess the performance of third-year point guard Rodney Stuckey through the first three weeks of training camp and the preseason and he evokes Brown in saying, “He is going to go through parts of this season where he might not score a point and have a great game. That’s one of the things – not only him, but the entire team – understanding we have to make certain sacrifices in order for us to be a complete team. He understands his role is important to us from a defensive and offensive standpoint and I expect big things out of Rodney Stuckey.” Read the rest of this entry »
The San Antonio Express reports
You get a new rookie, the tendency is to want to coach him up right away. You look at all he can’t do, and you want to start making corrections and fiddling with his game.
When it comes to first-year forward DeJuan Blair, the Spurs coaching staff is fighting that temptation for now.
They aren’t remaking his shooting form. They aren’t in his ear constantly about playing defense. They aren’t trying to teach him post moves he doesn’t have. They aren’t trying to make him Mark Price at the foul line, or Dikembe Mutombo at the rim.
For the time being, they are just letting Blair be. Read the rest of this entry »
Dave D’Alessandro reports
A coach’s prime directive is to put his five best players on the floor whenever practical, and since it has become apparent that three of the Nets’ top five guys all play the wing position, Lawrence Frank has a dilemma to wrestle with.Is there a legitimate way to play Chris Douglas-Roberts, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams for stretches together – along with point guard Devin Harris, and Brook Lopez as the only big man in the quintet? Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that forward Antawn Jamison’s right shoulder has been re-evaluated and that the findings were consistent with the original diagnosis of a subluxation.He is expected to miss from four to six weeks from the date of the injury (Jamison sustained the injury in the Wizards’ 109-104 win in Cleveland on Oct. 14). Read the rest of this entry »
