Brandon Roy will miss about four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on Monday, according to The AP: “Brandon Roy’s balky right knee put him back on the operating table Monday, an ominous sign for a player trying to come back from years of chronic knee issues. The latest setback doesn’t appear to have dashed those hopes completely just yet. Roy had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee at a Twin Cities clinic, a procedure the team said would keep him out approximately one month. “We fully support Brandon’s decision to have today’s arthroscopic procedure, and look forward to his return when he feels ready to play,” team president David Kahn said in a statement issued by the team.”
- Stephen Jackson has a fractured finger and will miss up to six weeks, according to Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News:
Darko Milicic, who has had a limited role with the Celtics, is contemplating leaving the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “Darko Milicic is leaning strongly toward leaving the Boston Celtics for the season and returning to Europe to be with his ill mother, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Milicic, the No. 2 overall pick in the famed 2003 NBA draft, didn’t travel with the Celtics to Detroit this weekend, and sources say that he’s close to deciding to leave the NBA for the season to be with his ill mother in Serbia. After failing to play since opening night, After failing to play since opening night, Milicic has also been frustrated with his lack of a role with the Celtics, sources said. If Milicic, 27, leaves the Celtics less than a month into his one-year contract, it could ultimately spell the end of a disappointing NBA career that has included stops in Detroit, Orlando, Memphis, Minnesota and briefly, Boston.”
- Tyrus Thomas will miss about two months after suffering a calf strain and tearing a plantaris muscle, from vice president B.J. Evans:
Kevin Durant got the first triple-double of his career on Sunday, from Josh Sanchez of Fansided: “On Sunday, in a 119-109 win over the Golden State Warriors, Durant reached a new career milestone. Durant recorded the first triple-double of his career with a great all around performance that goes to show Durant is developing into more than just a brilliant scoring machine. Durant’s line on the night was 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. He also added two steals. Thunder head coach Scott Brooks praised his star forward for the performance. “Some guys can just pass, some guys can just shoot, some guys can just rebound. Obviously, with Kevin, he can do many things on the floor and we always have to challenge him because we don’t know how good he will end up being,” he said.”
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From fibaeurope.com
Marcin Gortat sounded off on how unhappy he is at the moment with his coach and teammates, from Adam Koscielak of GothicGinobili (via Kurt Helin): “Unfortunately, my two strongest plays – the pick and roll and post-ups have been taken away from me. It’s not easy, we have a lot of plays that don’t include me. And my chemistry with Goran Dragic hasn’t been quite equal to what I had with Steve. These are things that we need to work on.MG: We have plenty of players who like to create for themselves, but it doesn’t always work. We don’t share the ball as much as we have in previous seasons. The ball doesn’t move around the perimeter – it usually stops after one or two passes. You can’t play like this, let alone win. Basketball is a team sport. Nobody ever won a game alone. MG: Before the season started, I was a huge optimist. I thought we’d play a completely different game. Right now, it doesn’t look good. We still have a lot to learn, and a lot to fight for. We need to fix our team defence. We can’t give up a hundred points per game. We’ll see how it works out. Right now, I’m not losing hope, there’s still a shot at the playoffs.”
Mike D’Antoni hopes to coach the Lakers for the first time on Tuesday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles: “Mike D’Antoni did not coach the Los Angeles Lakers’ game Sunday against the Houston Rockets. D’Antoni delayed his debut as the 24th coach in Lakers franchise history because he is not fully recovered from recent knee replacement surgery. “I’m a little disappointed, I wanted to be on the bench,” D’Antoni told reporters before the game. “After talking with (Lakers trainer) Gary Vitti … he convinced me a little bit not to do it.” D’Antoni plans to make his Lakers debut Tuesday at home against Brooklyn, a source close to the coach told ESPN.”