Fanhouse NBA Blog

Billups Key Addition for Team USA's World Championships Player Pool

Chris Tomasson — 2010-02-09T20:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Nuggets

When Chris Paul went down with a knee injury last month, there became even more of a sense of urgency for USA Basketball to have another veteran point guard in the mix for the World Championships this summer in Turkey.

It's Chauncey Billups to the rescue.

FanHouse has learned the Denver Nuggets point guard has agreed to have his name in a list of about 25 players that will be announced Wednesday by USA Basketball. The pool of players, which USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said could number as many as 28, eventually will be cut to 12 for the Aug. 28-Sept. 12 World Championships.

Billups has a very good chance of making the final roster. Team USA does have Utah's Deron Williams at the point remaining from the 2008 Summer Olympics, but lost Dallas veteran Jason Kidd after he decided to retire from international competition.

The ranks at point guard might have gotten thinner due to Paul having knee surgery last week, which will keep him out of action until at least early March. It remains to be seen what the New Orleans star's level of interest in playing this summer will be due to the injury.

After Paul got hurt, USA stepped up its interest in Billups, who played for Team USA in the 2007 Olympic qualifying tournament before bowing out before the 2008 Olympics due to family reasons.

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Some Tough Questions About H.O.R.S.E.

Bethlehem Shoals — 2010-02-09T15:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Celtics, Kings, Warriors, NBA All-Star Game, Thunder

We tried, we failed. Despite the best efforts of myself and others to get Monta Ellis in the NBA's vaunted H.O.R.S.E. contest, when the field was announced, Monta was nowhere to be found. Instead, we got defending champion Kevin Durant, shooting-impaired Celtics All-Star Rajon Rondo, and Israeli up-and-comer Omri Casspi. And with that announcement, a good idea died before it even got off the ground.

I was more of a fan than most of Durant's showing last year. Long arms and long threes are always exciting, especially from a seated position. But Rondo and Casspi are, to say the least, curious selections. Rondo is a master of seeing the court in unorthodox, seemingly arbitrary ways, but his only reliable scoring move is a streaking lay-up. I like Casspi's game a lot, but have absolutely nothing in my memory banks that would lead me to pick him for this event.

While last year's field of Durant, O.J. Mayo, and Joe Johnson wasn't perfect, for a first try, it wasn't bad. However, I'm fairly certain that Durant -- one of my favorite players -- ruined the new H.O.R.S.E. contest forever.

When taken in tandem with his wondrous doings in the equally inconsequential Rookie/Sophomore Challenge, Durant managed a mini-coming out party of sorts. Remember, this is a guy many felt belonged in the real thing, and someone the league very much wants on the minds of fans. Unfortunately, he plays in one of the most minor of markets, and at the time the playoffs, and network broadcasts, seemed a ways off for the Thunder.

But between his record-setting showing in Friday's event, and his relatively entertaining win in H.O.R.S.E., Durant did get some national exposure out of that weekend -- and the chance to make a good impression. The league smiled, and with that, H.O.R.S.E. went from being, well, H.O.R.S.E. to a way to promote young players. You'd think the dunk contest would be a better fit, not in the least because it's not on in the middle of the day and has a long, storied tradition (and its own commercials!), but I guess even the NBA knows how broken it is.

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Might Injuries Keep Kobe Out of the All-Star Game?

Brett Pollakoff — 2010-02-09T13:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Lakers, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Injuries, NBA Videos

When Kobe Bryant sat out the Lakers' win over the Blazers in Portland on Saturday, it snapped a personal streak of 235 consecutive games played. But after missing his second straight on Monday -- another Lakers' victory, this time over the Spurs -- the question now becomes this: Just how long should Kobe rest that injured ankle?

The opinions, as you might imagine, are somewhat all over the place.

There's one school of thought that goes like this: Kobe knows his body better than anyone else, and he shouldn't sit just for the sake of sitting. Besides, when the team makes its run at a title defense once the playoffs start, everyone else is going to have to play well with Kobe on the court. So, this time without him when the rest of the team might be able to gain some additional confidence isn't necessarily going to help in the long run.

There's some truth to all that. But there's also the simple fact that Kobe's body doesn't recover from injuries the way it used to. And while he can certainly go through a ton of treatment and get himself ready to play through something like a sprained ankle, there's little reason to do so when the ultimate goal is to be healthy for June, not just to win a regular season game in February.

It seems as though Bryant himself is leaning towards rest at this point. And maybe, as evidenced by his post-game comments from Monday, he is finally thinking about things as they relate to the bigger picture, instead of simply taking them on a game-to-game basis.

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Video: Roger Mason Jr. Stars in 'The Buzzer Beater'

Brett Pollakoff — 2010-02-09T11:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Spurs, NBA Videos

As more and more NBA players work to expand their personal brand, the use of videos that they hope will go "viral" seems to be the easiest way to do so. Steve Nash is an example of someone who's been exceptionally busy with the camera this season, and now we have this little ditty showcasing the comedic stylings of the lesser-known San Antonio Spur, Roger Mason Jr.

This one came across as more silly than funny, but you get the idea.

Any attempt by an athlete to show fans his or her funny side is appreciated, so let's applaud the effort here. Playing off of Mason's reputation for late-game heroics was the way to go, and since these videos will likely only get funnier in the future, I say keep 'em coming.

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NBA Union's New Web Site Off to Rollicking Bad Start

Tom Ziller — 2010-02-09T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: NBA Media Watch

For years, the Web site of the National Basketball Players Association has been fairly basic: the text of the league's collective bargaining agreement, a few dated press releases on awesome and worthwile union activities, mention of the Association's leadership and -- the truly crazed will miss this; consider me guilty -- the embedded sound of a bouncing basketball when you first visit the site.

Again, it was a basic, useful site. Hardly third-millenium stuff, though.

With negotiations for the 2011 CBA heating up, the union apparently decided it needed a new website more pleasing to the eye. And ... success! The new site looks sharp. Well, almost.

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NBA's Amateur Dunk Contest Will Likely Overshadow the Real Thing

Tom Ziller — 2010-02-09T08:30:00+00:00

Filed under: NBA All-Star Game

The organizers of the 2010 Sprite Showdown Dunk Contest know what they're doing. The contest is set up for Friday night at the NBA Jam Session at the Dallas Convention Center. It will be broadcast live on the web before the rookie-sophomore game, but won't be on T.V. until Saturday -- and even then, it's on NBA TV. Yet it's almost guaranteed to get more buzz than the real shebang on Saturday night.

For one, LeBron James -- the mythical creature everyone wishes would have agreed to enter the dunk contest -- will judge the amateurs. Where LeBron goes, attention follows. (Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins and Drake are the other two judges.) The broadcast circumstances, in which not many folks will watch live, but a few clips will make their way around the web, building excitement for Saturday's cable broadcast, is also a boon to the buzz factor. (I can already see myself hunting for Twitvids of the action late Friday night.)

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Vinsanity Returns Again in Orlando

Tim Povtak — 2010-02-09T02:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Hornets, Magic

ORLANDO -- This looked like an old Vince Carter highlight tape -- just without the dunks.

Carter, whose first season with his hometown team has been marked mostly by disappointment, finally delivered the game he had promised, exploding for a season-high 48 points while carrying the Magic to a 123-117, come-from-behind victory against New Orleans.

"That was vintage Vince Carter,'' gushed Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. "He was incredible, unbelievable tonight. Most of his shots didn't even hit the rim.''

For Carter, it was his highest-scoring game since getting a career-high 51 points for the New Jersey Nets against Miami early in the 2005-06 season.

Carter, 33, was averaging just 15.8 points going into Monday night, heading for his first sub-20-point average since his rookie season.

His performance Monday, coupled with considerable improvement from January to February, has re-sparked talk that the Magic (35-17) indeed can defend their Eastern Conference title against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"With Vince playing like this,'' said point guard Jameer Nelson, "you just keep getting him the ball.''

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Thomas Wants to Be Given What Gibson Has Earned

Matt Moore — 2010-02-08T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Bulls

Tyrus Thomas did not play versus the Heat on Saturday. Instead, Chris Richard, recently signed from the D-League's Tulsa 66ers (owned by the Oklahoma City Thunder and rife with talent) got the minutes Thomas would have. And he didn't score the winning field goal, or spur an offensive explosion. But Richard came in, and did his job. He grabbed seven rebounds, handed out two assists, nabbed a steal, and had two blocks. This is the box score version. But the combination of effort and size he put in what exactly what the Bulls needed, especially with Joakim Noah out, and helped the Bulls outlast Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat.

That effort is in deep contrast to Thomas' absence, caused by a post-game tirade after the Bulls loss in Atlanta the night before. Thomas has been on the outs in Chicago since an injury derailed him early in the season. Upon return, he discovered that Taj Gibson's steady, consistent, but un-jaw-dropping play had cemented him in the starting power forward spot. Thomas responded with the same approach he's taken for most of his career. Disinterest mixed with resentment, lacking any effort to consistently produce what's being asked of him. If Tyrus Thomas is everything the fans want when he tries, Chris Richard is good enough for what his coaches want because he does try.

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Collison Shines Quickly In Place of Paul

Tim Povtak — 2010-02-08T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Hornets, Magic

Darren Collison didn't improve his NBA Draft position by staying all four years at UCLA, but it certainly has saved the New Orleans Hornets this season, keeping their playoff hopes afloat.

This is no ordinary late-first-round pick.

Collison, chosen 21st overall in the 2009 Draft, has played surprisingly well for an unheralded rookie after replacing All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who is out another four weeks following knee surgery.

After Paul limped off the court Jan. 29 against Chicago, Collison replaced him with a 17-point, 18-assist performance in an overtime victory against Memphis. He followed with 16 points and 14 assists against Phoenix, becoming just the third NBA rookie in the last 20 years to have 14-plus assists in back-to-back games.

"He looks like a guy who has the confidence, and a strong understanding on how to play. He knows what his team needs from that position,'' said New Orleans coach Jeff Bower before playing the Orlando Magic Monday night. "He's a product of his experiences. He has the mentality, the maturity we needed.''

Collison is coming off a game-high 24 points -- including the game-clincher with 10 seconds remaining -- in a victory Saturday in Charlotte.

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Making the Most of Andre Iguodala

Bethlehem Shoals — 2010-02-08T15:08:00+00:00

Filed under: 76ers, Cavaliers, Rockets

I wrote it as clear as you heard: Bethlehem Shoals is sick of rumors. I wouldn't refer to myself in the third-person unless I really wanted to call attention to my own folly. So there's your disclaimer on this: I LIE.

However, the future of Andre Iguodala is about more than who goes where and for what. Comparing Andre Iguodala to Lamar Odom is misleading; besides being a more unique player, Odom is at once spacier and in theory, more likely to serve as a nervous center of a team. A weird one, indeed, but wasn't that the premise behind that rad Odom/Dwayne Wade/Caron Butler Heat team? Why does Shaquille O'Neal ruin all the interesting teams?

As we've seen from Odom's post-Heat career, though, he's either most comfortable, or at least has no problem with, taking a secondary role. In fact, with the Lakers, Odom's nearly an afterthought.

Iguodala has much to recommend him: stellar defense, great feel for the game, strong passing and rebounding, world-class athleticism, superb slashing, and the willingness to develop his outside shot. And yet Iggy, like Odom, might be about to surrender his place on pedestal.

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Chris Kaman Replaces Brandon Roy on Western All-Stars

Tom Ziller — 2010-02-08T14:45:00+00:00

Filed under: NBA All-Star Game, NBA Injuries

Brandon Roy continues to suffer ill effects caused by a hamstring strain, an injury which has kept him out of action since January 20, and which has cost him 12 games in all. As such, there will be no All-Star Game appearance for Portland's best, leaving an empty spot many considered Monta Ellis as the favorite to fill. No dice, as the commissioner's office instead selected beloved guard Chris Kaman. (Note: Kaman is actually neither beloved nor a guard, which means David Stern just started off 0-for-2.)

Kaman probably deserves the berth more than does Ellis, at least by my reckoning. Ellis scores a-plenty, but remains among the league's least efficient top scorers. In other words, if you gave Ricky Davis enough shots, he'd score 26 too. (That comparison is considerably unfair; I immediately apologize to Ellis and the entire Golden State Warriors organization for my hurtful words.)

Kaman has been just lovely in L.A., rebounding well despite being paired with one of the era's great rebounders (Marcus Camby). He's also adjusted well to his newly expanded offensive role in his first non-plagued season without Elton Brand, taking far more shots than he's used to and losing little in the way of efficiency. I mean, he hasn't been overwhelmingly brilliant -- Carlos Boozer quite honestly deserves the All-Star nod much more, and I'm not sure Kaman has much of a better case than Roy's bud LaMarcus Aldridge, or even Houston's Luis Scola. But "it is what it is" and you can never curse a man his first All-Star berth, so cheers, Chris Kaman!

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Wiz Shouldn't Count on Gasol Trade Redux

Bethlehem Shoals — 2010-02-08T12:53:00+00:00

Filed under: Grizzlies, Wizards

The Gilbert Arenas scandal may not have been so bad for the Wizards. It allowed them to recognize that, Gil or no Gil, they're no longer outfitted to be taken seriously in the East.

Oh wait, they loaded up this summer with Randy Foye and Mike Miller. In the preseason, many important thinkers designated DC and Dallas as teams that could finish anywhere from lottery to home-court. Sometimes, all you can say for sure is that you don't know for sure what's going to happen.

Yet now the Wizards are free, free to clean out their high-priced garage by any means necessary and maybe even turn the page on this era. Arenas's contract will likely not be voided, but the rift between the team and its star guard is at this point beyond repair. We've lately heard reputable murmurs about Antawn Jamison and fellow shipwreck victim Caron Butler welcoming trades, with no shortage of suitors burning up the telegraph lines.

Today in the Washington Post, Michael Lee suggests that moving Jamison to the hated Cavs, as hard to stomach as it might be, could be the Wiz's Pau Gasol trade. As in, a short-term loss that positions them for for the future in a real way. However, it's worth noting that the hype surrounding the Gasol trade may now have swung too far in the other direction.

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Can Celtics Make Another Brilliant Ray Allen Trade?

Tom Ziller — 2010-02-08T09:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Celtics, Kings, NBA Rumors

In retrospect, Danny Ainge has executed no trade as brilliant as the one which in essence sent the fifth pick in the 2007 draft and Delonte West to Seattle for Ray Allen. It was a huge risk at the time: Allen had come off double ankle surgery, at age 31. The player the Celtics were purported to be leaning toward in the draft -- Yi Jianlian -- was a highly coveted mystery. It wasn't a no-brainer, like the Kevin Garnett-Al Jefferson deal.

Ray has been utterly healthy since coming to Boston, though -- he's played in 94 percent of the Celtics' games in the 2-1/2 seasons, just two games fewer than ironman Paul Pierce and a full 35 games more than the younger Garnett. And he's been good, too, a key component of the 2008 title run and a stunningly efficient weapon in 2009.

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Heat Starring in Episode of 'Lost' With 5th Straight Defeat

Chris Tomasson — 2010-02-07T01:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Heat

CHICAGO -- Give Miami a road map. Give the Heat a compass. If you really want to splurge, how about a GPS?

"We've lost our way right now,'' said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

Indeed Miami has. The team is somewhere in the middle of Siberia without a Coleman stone.

Wait a minute. The team is the Heat. Make that in the middle of the Gobi Desert with an empty canteen.

Miami lost its fifth straight game on Saturday night at the United Center, falling 95-91 to a Chicago team that was without center Joakim Noah, who has plantar fasciitis, and forward Tyrus Thomas, serving a one-game suspension. The dry spell also is seven of eight.

Spoelstra added he believes the Heat is lost "temporarily, and we will find our way again.'' But, while Spoelstra did vow not-exactly-spelled-out changes, there's not yet evidence he has been nicknamed "Nostradumus'' by his friends.

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Chicago's Lindsey Hunter to Retire

Chris Tomasson — 2010-02-06T22:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Bulls

CHICAGO -- Lindsey Hunter got up Saturday morning and walked around the house.

"Click. Click. Click,'' was a sound he heard. His wife, Ivy, wondered what it was.

"It's ridiculous,'' said Hunter, the Chicago Bulls guard who is the NBA's oldest player at 39. "When I got up and started walking around, my ankles click when I walk. My wife asked, 'What is that?' I said, 'It's my ankles.' Seriously, my ankles click when I walk. You can't recover (at his age) the way you used to.''

That's one reason Hunter said in an interview with FanHouse he expects to retire after this season. Hunter, who was brought back for a final year primarily to serve as a mentor for Chicago's young players, realizes the NBA is no place for 40-year old guards.

"It is unless something drastically changes,'' Hunter, a 17-year veteran, said of this being his final NBA season.

Later, after Hunter was asked if he was pretty sure this is indeed his final season, he said, "Yeah.''

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Suddenly Struggling Bulls Suspend Tyrus Thomas a Game

Chris Tomasson — 2010-02-06T20:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Bulls

CHICAGO -- From darling to snarling.

Chicago last week was the toast of the NBA after becoming the first team in NBA history to win five straight games on the road with all against teams .500 or better. But this week has been the pits for the Bulls.

The Bulls entered Saturday's home game against Miami with a three-game losing streak. And two of the losses were to the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia, definitely not teams over .500.

The news didn't get any better before Saturday's game. The Bulls announced forward Tyrus Thomas had been suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

"It's unfortunate, but it's an internal matter,'' said Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro. " Gar [Forman, the general manger] and myself will handle it ... It's disappointing. But I believe it is the right thing to do ... No one player is bigger than the team.''

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Joe Johnson and the Ambiguous All-Star Duo

Matt Moore — 2010-02-06T17:24:00+00:00

Filed under: Hawks

Joe Johnson is kind of the indie-pick of the 2010 Free Agency Summer of Doom. While the first names vomited out in stories about his summer's available class are LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire (maybe, maybe not), Johnson is often discussed as the guy you can get if you don't get one of the biggies you can get Johnson and still have an All-Star acquisition.

The critics talk about his age (29 this summer), the percentage of possessions he uses, (17th in players playing 30+ minutes in usage), and that he's not a truly elite player. Which is why many feel that you can get Johnson for solid value and then pick up another star. After all, that paradigm's been gaining steam what with the conversations about Wade and James attempting to play together. Why get one superstar when you can have two?

Joe Johnson, for one, isn't getting wrapped up in all that nonsense.

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Warriors Waive Speedy Claxton, Surrender Trade Asset

Tom Ziller — 2010-02-06T15:53:00+00:00

Filed under: Warriors, NBA Transactions

Golden State has decided it'd like to keep D-League call-up Anthony Tolliver around a while, and decided fellow D-League alum Chris Hunter (who has played less than 30 minutes total in the last two weeks) was too valuable to cut. Needing to open up a roster spot, the Warriors waived injured guard Speedy Claxton.

It'd seem sensible if Claxton didn't have a $5.2 million expiring contract, with just two weeks to go until the trade deadline. The Warriors have appeared in a handful of rumors, though none thought to be particularly serious. Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins may be on the block, depending on who you believe. Regardless, the opportunity for movement exists, and Speedy's expiring deal could have served as effective lubricant to balance salaries under fairly strict NBA trade rules.

The Warriors still have Raja Bell's $5.2 million expiring contract, but you wonder if the Warriors will use Hunter enough over the rest of the season to justify surrendering an asset at this critical time.

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Washington Snowstorm Forces Hawks, Wizards to Postpone Game

Brett Pollakoff — 2010-02-06T13:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Hawks, Wizards

A storm is expected to drop a record two and a half feet of snow on the Washington, DC area today, which is more than enough to ground air traffic and make flying into the area an impossibility. As a result, Saturday night's game between the Wizards and the Hawks that was scheduled to take place at the Verizon Center has been postponed.

The Wizards played in Orlando on Friday and the Hawks were at home in Atlanta, and neither team was going to be able to make it into the DC area in time for tonight's game. A make-up date for the contest has not yet been set.

The last time an NBA game was postponed because of the weather was on Jan. 13, 2007, when the Hornets' flight was unable to make it to Milwaukee in time for a game against the Bucks.

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Hedo Turkoglu, Raptors at Odds Over Protective Mask

Brett Pollakoff — 2010-02-06T13:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Raptors, NBA Injuries

Hedo Turkoglu is in his first season with the Toronto Raptors, after signing with the team last summer for five years and a total of over $50 million dollars. You would think all that money would buy the Raps a little cooperation, but at the moment, in regards to Hedo's latest injury, that's not yet the case.

Turkoglu caught an elbow from the Pacers' Mike Dunleavy a few games ago, and suffered a small fracture of the orbital bone under his right eye. After missing virtually all of the last three games, he's now been medically cleared to play -- but only if he wears a protective mask, which is something Turkoglu is fighting.

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