- Bargnani is no longer in the picture in Toronto, they'll play him to prove he's healthy, but a trade is almost inevitable at this point
@stevekylerNBASteve Kyler
The Knicks have to be feeling that getting some of their injured players back is a little more urgent after a loss to Sacramento. Nate Taylor of the New York Times says that one of those players could be back as soon as Tuesday: “Because the Knicks are short-handed, Woodson said Friday that he needed (Amar’e) Stoudemire to be ready for Tuesday’s game. Stoudemire will be re-evaluated by a knee specialist Sunday before he participates in another practice. Woodson said he hoped Stoudemire could practice Sunday and Monday. It will be the first time in weeks that the Knicks have had two straight days of practice. ‘Those two practices will give us some indication of where he is,’ Woodson said of Stoudemire. ‘I’m going to put him through a full practice in terms of running up and down and banging some with him, too. Hopefully, there will be no setbacks, and he’ll be ready to go New Year’s Day.’ “
- Yesterday, word came out that Brandon Roy was contemplating retirement after yet another knee injury. Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says that right now it looks like he’s not ready to call it quits again: “His right knee still aching, Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy spent the past few days contemplating his future, and whether the NBA would be a part of it. Ultimately, Roy – after consulting with yet another doctor – has decided upon a new treatment on his right knee that he hopes will allow him to return to action. Neither Roy nor the Wolves will know whether the new treatment will work for at least three or four weeks, team President of Basketball Operations David Kahn said before Saturday’s game with Phoenix.”
- Here’s the latest on the Royce White situation, via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: “A day after the Rockets assigned rookie forward Royce White to the NBA Development League affiliate, a move they considered the next step in bringing him back to the team, White has refused to accept the assignment. White was to report to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Monday, after the team returned from a game in Bakersfield, Calif. A person with knowledge of the team’s thinking said that the assignment was the second part of a plan to bring him back to the team that began with White working out with a basketball staff intern last week at Toyota Center. White, however, issued a statement indicating that the Rockets have not followed the recommendations of medical professionals working with White to manage his generalized anxiety disorder.” Click through to read White’s statement.
- Lakers' Jamison apologizes for complainig about playing time, says he's "disappointed" he "expressed my frustration the way I did."
@Mike_BresnahanMike Bresnahan
Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com has a Derrick Rose update: “CSNChicago.com has learned that over the last two days, minus the contact portions, the former league MVP has been a full participant in the team’s practices at the Berto Center. However, that doesn’t mean Rose will return to the court in the near future, as it was always the plan to have him increase his basketball workload in an effort to get familiar with his new teammates, have a comfort level in running the offense and regain a semblance of his timing, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. While there is no set timetable for Rose to resume playing, according to multiple sources, the 24-year-old point guard will be back on the court sometime after the NBA All-Star break.”
- Zach Harper of CBSSports.com gives us one of the more fun stories you’ll read all week: Gregg Popovich talking about Stephen Jackson. Here it is: ” “Stack Jack” was recently fined for basically threatening Serge Ibaka using Twitter. And after the Spurs’ shoot around Sunday morning, Popovich saw Stephen Jackson using his cell phone and reacted in a very Pop way. Via Dwain Price: ‘Jack’s a pain in the (butt),’ Popovich said. ‘Look at him, all he does is twitters. He’s twittering some stuff right now that’ll probably get him fined, and then I’ve got to call the league and talk to the league and say, “Yeah, I talked to him.” ‘ Jackson then chimed in and said: ‘It’s not Twitter. It’s Instagram.’ “All he does is twitters” is probably my favorite thing Popovich has ever said and there is a long list of Pop-isms for everybody to enjoy. The pairing of Popovich and Jackson is one of the more interesting coach-player duos in the NBA. On the surface, most people would assume the two wouldn’t work well together at all, but Pop’s ability to find the perfect role for his players coupled with Jackson’s willingness to do whatever it takes to win games is actually perfect.”
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Dan Malone is a third-year journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He blogs on weekends for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.
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