Atlanta - Stephen Jackson is still confused as to why he doesn't have an NBA contract. He doesn't know why everyone in the league has turned away from him. Now the Hawks are reportedly interested in his services, but is Jackson a good fit for this Atlanta ballclub? Hoopsworld is not so sure. Also, news on Jason Terry and how soon he will be back in red, white, and yellow. In today's NEWS@ Atlanta report, the answers are revealed.
Boston - The Boston Celtics have reached into their past in bringing Danny Ainge on board as their president of basketball operations. Wonder if Ainge has anything available for an old teammate, should he need a job. Rumors are rampant that with ABC's hiring, or re-classifying, as is were, of veteran play-by-play man Al Michaels, that former Celtic Bill Walton may be looking for work. There's been no actual statement dismissing Walton from Michaels' side come the 2003-04 season, but there's been nothing solidly said that would give Walton much comfort that he'll be wearing the network's blazer --- no pun intended --- this season. In fact, one could read a lot into ABC executive producer Mike Pearl's brief assessment of Walton. "We're looking both inside and outside the (ABC/ESPN) family," Pearl said. He continued to aver that Walton "certainly has his own style of doing things. Whether or not he fits into this will be part of our discussions."
Chicago - Much has been made of the Tyson Chandler/Eddy Curry combination, and many are expecting big numbers from one or both of them this season. If the Bulls are to make the playoffs, their play will be a large factor in the success of the team. Upon further examination, maybe some people are giving them too much credit. With the exception of rebounding, Jermaine O'Neal averaged more than both of them combined in the main statistical categories. Also, today is Scottie Pippen's 38th birthday.
Cleveland - Cavaliers head coach Paul Silas has many plans to make, and now that he has revealed LeBron James will not be the team's starting point guard when the regular season rolls around, it may have complicated things somewhat. Since James will not be the point guard, NEWS@ takes a look at the factors that are in favor of both Kevin Ollie and J.R. Bremer.
Dallas - Often the best plans take time to reach full fruition. Correlate last summer's pursuit of Rashard Lewis to this summer's acquisition of Antawn Jamison and you'll what we mean. The solution got here, and resulted in a player that might even end up being a better overall fir than Lewis would ever have been. This summer focused at first on the free agent signing of Alonzo Mourning to provide help at the center spot. So, will next summer bring a solution there?
Denver - Free-agent power forward Chris Anderson is close to signing a deal that will keep him in Denver. With training camp right around the corner, Anderson's agent is busy working out the details and getting the best deal for his young client. Denver has already offered the league minimum of $638,679 for one year.
Detroit - Pistons head coach Larry Brown is not happy about waiting an extra three days to get his veterans into training camp, as he wants to get a jump on the upcoming season. This is very understandable, as he is obviously planning on making the Pistons back-to-back-to-back Central Division Champions.
Golden State - Reports out of the Bay Area claim power forward Troy Murphy has been working all summer to improve his three point shot. The question that first popped in my mind when I heard this news was, "why?" Too many big men have become infatuated with the three point line ever since it was first moved closer to the basket in the mid-90's, and they haven't looked back ever since. If you were the head coach of the Golden State Warriors would you want one of your best rebounders setting up shop on the perimeter? I thought not.
Houston - The Toyota Center hasn't hosted a single NBA game yet, but the new home of the Rockets is already under consideration by NBA officials as a possible venue for either the 2006 or 2007 NBA All-Star Game. There is every reason to believe that Houston will be successful in it's quest.
Indiana - Pacers.com is asking if Ron Artest implied that he was unhappy and expects to be traded from the Pacers due to a recent interview that was in the New York Post. Maybe Pacers.com should ask Artest himself? It certainly seems that may have been a better idea than asking the fans. We here at Hoopsworld are sure that Larry Bird and Rick Carlisle would like to know.
L.A. Clippers - If yesterday's inside reports of Predrag Drobnjak's defection to the Clippers were true, it has yet to surface in mainstream media. If he was in L.A. completing medical exams and finalizing a deal as he announced on Serbian radio recently, no one seemed to notice. What intrigues us about his whole mess is the timing of it.
L.A. Lakers - For the Lakers to win, they have never needed Rick Fox. But having him sure has made winning it all a whole lot easier. Now as he attempts to come back from a rare foot injury, Fox is focused on being a part of that winning scheme again - and not having to spend another postseason watching the drama unfold from a hospital bed instead of from the court.
Memphis - The Grizzlies have started to do a little trimming and training camp hasn't even started yet. The team was prepared to go into with 18 players on the roster but have decreased that number by one. Small forward Chris Owens was the victim and now the roster still stands at a robust 17 players, which means more moves still have to be made. Who's on the block? Well there are a couple of suspects out there and only a few will survive.
Milwaukee - With a team full of young players and ones new to the area, the Milwaukee Bucks will need to get leadership from someone while they are on the court. Will one of the younger guys step up, like T.J. Ford or Michael Redd? Or will it be a veteran, like Joe Smith or Erick Strickland? We delve into this topic in depth in today's NEWS@ Milwaukee report.
Miami - The Heat went into the off-season with plenty of money to spend in order to improve a last place team that won 25 games the past season. They've made wholesale changes, but are they better? Will players like Samaki Walker and Bimbo Coles improve this team? Will Lamar Odom ever reach his full potential? Those questions are soon to be answered.
Minnesota - Gary Trent's agent made somewhat of a surprising announcement yesterday when it was revealed that his free agent client was going to re-sign with Minnesota. What? Isn't this the same team that Trent was complaining about not getting enough playing time for and seemed unhappy playing for last season? The answers would be yes and now more questions arise. What does the return of Trent mean for new guy Mark Madsen and rookie Ndudi Ebi? Probably less playing time.
New Jersey - Byron Scott has four players that can man his middle. That's at least one too many centers. Which big man takes a seat on the bench? Can one be moved before the start of the season? Right now, the coach will let the best men earn their playing time.
New Orleans - Kirk Haston was selected after junior season at Indiana by the Hornets with the 16th pick pick of the 2001 NBA Draft. Other than hearing about him being a unanimous selection to All-Big Ten Conference First Team, or one of 10 finalists for the USBWA's National Player of the Year, you probably haven't heard much about him since.
New York - It's nearly pre-season and training camp time in New York. Let's see..... checking the calendar..... ah, yes, time for someone to go down with a knee injury. Okay, now that the atomic clock has been set by another Knick injury, let's get on with the annual scrambling to find bit players and play those and other people out of position in order to muster at least 35 wins this season, shall we?
Orlando - With the signing of ex-Florida Gator Donnell Harvey, who proclaimed himself "the missing piece," the Magic have added some muscle not seen in quite a few years to their frontcourt.
Philadelphia - Guard Allen Iverson signed a four-year extension in front of more than 3,000 season ticket holders last night. He has said that he was committed to Philadelphia and last night he proved it by signing his name on the dotted line.
Phoenix - Training camp begins early for the younger players as any Phoenix Suns with three years of experience (or less) will report to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Monday, September 29, to begin work on the season. That camp, while limited, will display an impressive array of youthful talent that the Suns possess.
Portland - All summer we have heard about how Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, Zach Randolph, and Qyntel Woods have been working out like crazy during the offseason in preparation for next season. If this information is true, it could be the start of something huge for Portland, however, one has to stop and ponder the source of this great news. Have these players really turned over a new leaf, or are the Blazers simply trying to keep the fans from revolting due to the lack of movement?
Sacramento - Bobby Jackson is the consummate teammate. He come off the bench and gives 110% whenever he gets in the game. On a contender like the Kings, Jackson is an integral piece to the puzzle that could mean a title for Sac-town, and losing him would greatly hurt the Kings' chances at making it to the Finals next season. However, one could argue that the Kings' time has passed them by, which would make Jackson's sacrifice futile. You have to wonder, how long can Jackson sit on the bench losing before he says, "when's my time?"
San Antonio - The San Antonio Spurs won't have to wait long to gauge how it's new roster will matchup with the rest of the Western Conference. On November 6, six games into the regular season, the Spurs will host the Los Angeles Lakers in a game the Lakers have surely circled as well, and follow it up two days later with a home date against the Dallas Mavericks.
Seattle - Luke Ridnour certainly has a knack for making news as progress of his rehabilitation from abdominal surgery has been followed closely throughout the country. But with the increasing likelihood that he will not be able to play until the regular season, one worries that Ridnour may have effectively lost his rookie season in the process.
Toronto - Raptors NBA TV is replaying the 2001 series vs. the New York Knicks this week. Each night through Friday, Raptors NBA TV airs games one through five, the deciding win at Madison Square Garden. Check the schedule for airtimes.
Utah - Today was suppose to be D-day for the Atlanta Hawks and whether they plan to match Jason Terry's offer sheet from Utah. Terry signed the offer sheet on Sept 10th, however the significant date is when Atlanta received documentation of the offer. Atlanta has 15 full days after receiving the documents to match the offer which gives them until Friday night to make a decision.
Washington - Forward Jarvis Hayes has some big shoes to fill in Washington as he will take over the small forward position last manned by Michael Jordan, but Hayes has an advantage of his own in that no one seems to think he will have an impact with the Wizards straight away; he's determined to prove all of the detractors wrong.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_5378.shtml
Boston - The Boston Celtics have reached into their past in bringing Danny Ainge on board as their president of basketball operations. Wonder if Ainge has anything available for an old teammate, should he need a job. Rumors are rampant that with ABC's hiring, or re-classifying, as is were, of veteran play-by-play man Al Michaels, that former Celtic Bill Walton may be looking for work. There's been no actual statement dismissing Walton from Michaels' side come the 2003-04 season, but there's been nothing solidly said that would give Walton much comfort that he'll be wearing the network's blazer --- no pun intended --- this season. In fact, one could read a lot into ABC executive producer Mike Pearl's brief assessment of Walton. "We're looking both inside and outside the (ABC/ESPN) family," Pearl said. He continued to aver that Walton "certainly has his own style of doing things. Whether or not he fits into this will be part of our discussions."
Chicago - Much has been made of the Tyson Chandler/Eddy Curry combination, and many are expecting big numbers from one or both of them this season. If the Bulls are to make the playoffs, their play will be a large factor in the success of the team. Upon further examination, maybe some people are giving them too much credit. With the exception of rebounding, Jermaine O'Neal averaged more than both of them combined in the main statistical categories. Also, today is Scottie Pippen's 38th birthday.
Cleveland - Cavaliers head coach Paul Silas has many plans to make, and now that he has revealed LeBron James will not be the team's starting point guard when the regular season rolls around, it may have complicated things somewhat. Since James will not be the point guard, NEWS@ takes a look at the factors that are in favor of both Kevin Ollie and J.R. Bremer.
Dallas - Often the best plans take time to reach full fruition. Correlate last summer's pursuit of Rashard Lewis to this summer's acquisition of Antawn Jamison and you'll what we mean. The solution got here, and resulted in a player that might even end up being a better overall fir than Lewis would ever have been. This summer focused at first on the free agent signing of Alonzo Mourning to provide help at the center spot. So, will next summer bring a solution there?
Denver - Free-agent power forward Chris Anderson is close to signing a deal that will keep him in Denver. With training camp right around the corner, Anderson's agent is busy working out the details and getting the best deal for his young client. Denver has already offered the league minimum of $638,679 for one year.
Detroit - Pistons head coach Larry Brown is not happy about waiting an extra three days to get his veterans into training camp, as he wants to get a jump on the upcoming season. This is very understandable, as he is obviously planning on making the Pistons back-to-back-to-back Central Division Champions.
Golden State - Reports out of the Bay Area claim power forward Troy Murphy has been working all summer to improve his three point shot. The question that first popped in my mind when I heard this news was, "why?" Too many big men have become infatuated with the three point line ever since it was first moved closer to the basket in the mid-90's, and they haven't looked back ever since. If you were the head coach of the Golden State Warriors would you want one of your best rebounders setting up shop on the perimeter? I thought not.
Houston - The Toyota Center hasn't hosted a single NBA game yet, but the new home of the Rockets is already under consideration by NBA officials as a possible venue for either the 2006 or 2007 NBA All-Star Game. There is every reason to believe that Houston will be successful in it's quest.
Indiana - Pacers.com is asking if Ron Artest implied that he was unhappy and expects to be traded from the Pacers due to a recent interview that was in the New York Post. Maybe Pacers.com should ask Artest himself? It certainly seems that may have been a better idea than asking the fans. We here at Hoopsworld are sure that Larry Bird and Rick Carlisle would like to know.
L.A. Clippers - If yesterday's inside reports of Predrag Drobnjak's defection to the Clippers were true, it has yet to surface in mainstream media. If he was in L.A. completing medical exams and finalizing a deal as he announced on Serbian radio recently, no one seemed to notice. What intrigues us about his whole mess is the timing of it.
L.A. Lakers - For the Lakers to win, they have never needed Rick Fox. But having him sure has made winning it all a whole lot easier. Now as he attempts to come back from a rare foot injury, Fox is focused on being a part of that winning scheme again - and not having to spend another postseason watching the drama unfold from a hospital bed instead of from the court.
Memphis - The Grizzlies have started to do a little trimming and training camp hasn't even started yet. The team was prepared to go into with 18 players on the roster but have decreased that number by one. Small forward Chris Owens was the victim and now the roster still stands at a robust 17 players, which means more moves still have to be made. Who's on the block? Well there are a couple of suspects out there and only a few will survive.
Milwaukee - With a team full of young players and ones new to the area, the Milwaukee Bucks will need to get leadership from someone while they are on the court. Will one of the younger guys step up, like T.J. Ford or Michael Redd? Or will it be a veteran, like Joe Smith or Erick Strickland? We delve into this topic in depth in today's NEWS@ Milwaukee report.
Miami - The Heat went into the off-season with plenty of money to spend in order to improve a last place team that won 25 games the past season. They've made wholesale changes, but are they better? Will players like Samaki Walker and Bimbo Coles improve this team? Will Lamar Odom ever reach his full potential? Those questions are soon to be answered.
Minnesota - Gary Trent's agent made somewhat of a surprising announcement yesterday when it was revealed that his free agent client was going to re-sign with Minnesota. What? Isn't this the same team that Trent was complaining about not getting enough playing time for and seemed unhappy playing for last season? The answers would be yes and now more questions arise. What does the return of Trent mean for new guy Mark Madsen and rookie Ndudi Ebi? Probably less playing time.
New Jersey - Byron Scott has four players that can man his middle. That's at least one too many centers. Which big man takes a seat on the bench? Can one be moved before the start of the season? Right now, the coach will let the best men earn their playing time.
New Orleans - Kirk Haston was selected after junior season at Indiana by the Hornets with the 16th pick pick of the 2001 NBA Draft. Other than hearing about him being a unanimous selection to All-Big Ten Conference First Team, or one of 10 finalists for the USBWA's National Player of the Year, you probably haven't heard much about him since.
New York - It's nearly pre-season and training camp time in New York. Let's see..... checking the calendar..... ah, yes, time for someone to go down with a knee injury. Okay, now that the atomic clock has been set by another Knick injury, let's get on with the annual scrambling to find bit players and play those and other people out of position in order to muster at least 35 wins this season, shall we?
Orlando - With the signing of ex-Florida Gator Donnell Harvey, who proclaimed himself "the missing piece," the Magic have added some muscle not seen in quite a few years to their frontcourt.
Philadelphia - Guard Allen Iverson signed a four-year extension in front of more than 3,000 season ticket holders last night. He has said that he was committed to Philadelphia and last night he proved it by signing his name on the dotted line.
Phoenix - Training camp begins early for the younger players as any Phoenix Suns with three years of experience (or less) will report to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Monday, September 29, to begin work on the season. That camp, while limited, will display an impressive array of youthful talent that the Suns possess.
Portland - All summer we have heard about how Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, Zach Randolph, and Qyntel Woods have been working out like crazy during the offseason in preparation for next season. If this information is true, it could be the start of something huge for Portland, however, one has to stop and ponder the source of this great news. Have these players really turned over a new leaf, or are the Blazers simply trying to keep the fans from revolting due to the lack of movement?
Sacramento - Bobby Jackson is the consummate teammate. He come off the bench and gives 110% whenever he gets in the game. On a contender like the Kings, Jackson is an integral piece to the puzzle that could mean a title for Sac-town, and losing him would greatly hurt the Kings' chances at making it to the Finals next season. However, one could argue that the Kings' time has passed them by, which would make Jackson's sacrifice futile. You have to wonder, how long can Jackson sit on the bench losing before he says, "when's my time?"
San Antonio - The San Antonio Spurs won't have to wait long to gauge how it's new roster will matchup with the rest of the Western Conference. On November 6, six games into the regular season, the Spurs will host the Los Angeles Lakers in a game the Lakers have surely circled as well, and follow it up two days later with a home date against the Dallas Mavericks.
Seattle - Luke Ridnour certainly has a knack for making news as progress of his rehabilitation from abdominal surgery has been followed closely throughout the country. But with the increasing likelihood that he will not be able to play until the regular season, one worries that Ridnour may have effectively lost his rookie season in the process.
Toronto - Raptors NBA TV is replaying the 2001 series vs. the New York Knicks this week. Each night through Friday, Raptors NBA TV airs games one through five, the deciding win at Madison Square Garden. Check the schedule for airtimes.
Utah - Today was suppose to be D-day for the Atlanta Hawks and whether they plan to match Jason Terry's offer sheet from Utah. Terry signed the offer sheet on Sept 10th, however the significant date is when Atlanta received documentation of the offer. Atlanta has 15 full days after receiving the documents to match the offer which gives them until Friday night to make a decision.
Washington - Forward Jarvis Hayes has some big shoes to fill in Washington as he will take over the small forward position last manned by Michael Jordan, but Hayes has an advantage of his own in that no one seems to think he will have an impact with the Wizards straight away; he's determined to prove all of the detractors wrong.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_5378.shtml
