SH Blog: D’Antoni could drive Howard away, Gasol privately expects to be traded

• Timofey Mozgov just wants to play, which means the Nuggets may look to move him, from Christopher Dempsey of Denver Post: “I want to play,” he said Thursday. Mozgov, who is making $3.1 million this season, is averaging 9.6 minutes per game and has played in only 24 of Denver’s 44 games. He is averaging three rebounds and 2.6 points. He averaged 15.6 minutes last season. “I want to stay,” he said. “But more than I want to stay, I want to play.” The Miami Heat is among several teams believed to be interested in Mozgov. “People ask me, but I don’t know what to say to people because I don’t know what is going on,” Mozgov said. “You’ve got to understand, the (trade) deadline is coming soon. So people are going to be talking more and more. I don’t really know what’s going on. I just want to play.”

• Charles Barkley is interested in becoming a GM for the Suns, from Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: “When I look at the Suns, I’m just confused what direction they are trying to go,” Barkley said. “There’s no rhyme or reason to what they’re doing right now. “It bothers me because I have to watch them every night. It should be interesting because I’m going to do my job and be honest. I hope they don’t take it personal. I have no idea what they’re doing.”… “Would I be interested in being a GM there? Sure, of course, I would be,” said Barkley, who does not know Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver personally and wants to be approached. “I don’t have a preference (of which team). Everybody knows that I want to be a GM. But I don’t think that you can cherry-pick your job.”

• The Lakers made a mistake by emphasizing the importance of Mike D’Antoni and Steve Nash, according to Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “Buss doubled down on the wrong coach, and wrong player. D’Antoni and Nash are busts, unable to bring the systematic and connective threads to a lineup that they were charged to regenerate. As far back out of the playoffs as these Lakers have dropped, here’s the most disturbing truth: Los Angeles is closer to the drop-dead bottom of the Western Conference with Phoenix and New Orleans – three games – than they are climbing four games to reach the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers haven’t won a game outside of Staples Center in a month. These Lakers resemble D’Antoni in every way: Mumbling, soft and shrouded in marketed mythology.”

• Josh Smith thinks it is devastating to have no All-Star from his team, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Q. What do you think about the fact that there are no Hawks on the team? A. Now that is a devastation. To have two people … that probably aren’t going to make the playoffs that are on the All-Star list, I feel that one of us should have made it, me or Al. I’ve seen stranger things happen. I can’t really worry about it or scratch my head on decision that the coaches made. It is what it is. Hopefully, me and Al (Horford) can take out our frustrations on the Eastern Conference teams from here on out.”

• Kendrick Perkins called Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook an interesting name, from Justin Verrier of ESPN: “Westbrook’s physicality, owed to a long and muscular frame, is unlike most other point guards, Perkins said. His approach is also unique, but it does bear some resemblance to that of enigmatic Celtic Rajon Rondo, the center’s former floor leader and a player known as much for his surly in-game demeanor as his deft dishes.”They definitely different [from other point guards],” Perkins said. “They both some divas. In a good way though.”

•  The Celtics may have strong interest in J.J. Redick, according to Marc Stein of ESPN:

• Chris Kaman thinks David Stern hates the Spurs, from The Dallas Morning News: “One exception to that is the Spurs. They understand what they have. That’s why David Stern hates the Spurs. I probably shouldn’t say that but he doesn’t like when the Spurs are in the finals because the ratings go down. People say that all the time. I don’t know how true it is but you hear stories all about that is that the ratings are down. Their basketball is the purest basketball you’re going to find, in my opinion, in the NBA, just watching them play. They play a nice pace game. They’re defense is solid. Their plays are solid. They get all their guys involved. That’s why when he sat them guys against the Heat and sent them home, they still almost won that game.”

• LeBron James tackled a fan for hitting an unbelievable shot to win big money (via Ben Golliver of SI):

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