Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal has an in-depth look at Byron Scott’s future as Cavaliers coach, or perhaps the lack thereof. It’s really good journalism and a highly recommended read. Here’s a really interesting excerpt: “Asked directly last week if he has received any indication he could be fired at the end of the season, Scott said, “No.” But as these crushing losses have mounted, players are privately questioning Scott’s guidance. To characterize the Cavs’ locker room as divided or turning on their coach would be inaccurate and melodramatic, but the whispers are growing louder. “We’re exhausted,” said one player, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic. “It goes back to training camp. He killed us in camp. We don’t have any legs left. Our shootarounds are an hour and 45 minutes. They’re not physically demanding, but we’re still on our feet all that time. We had a two-hour and 15-minute practice the other day and an hour and a half of that was a hard scrimmage. At this point in the season, that’s crazy.” Teams hold shootarounds the morning of games. They are intended to serve as a walk-through or strategy session and are typically scheduled to last an hour. Another Cavs player, who has been around the league a few years, dismissed the notion Scott is too hard on them. “That’s [expletive]. If we were going to the playoffs, that’d be one thing,” he said. “We’ll have six months to rest. Shut up and play.” “
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has an absolutely jam-packed NBA news column up today that you should click through to read. Here’s a taste: “Keyon Dooling wants to return to the NBA, but it won’t be with the Celtics. After they waived him following his retirement, Dooling became ineligible to return as a player to the club for a year. He accepted a position of director of player development with Boston, but when Rajon Rondo went down with a knee injury, Dooling and Doc Rivers had a conversation about a possible return. When the Celtics found out Dooling was unable to return to them, he drew interest from other teams. He has been talking with the Grizzlies and told the Globe he should know by Sunday whether he will sign with them. The Grizzlies have been seeking a dependable backup to Mike Conley for weeks. And Dooling had clicked in as a Celtics reserve toward the conclusion of last season. What’s more, the team brought him back on a one-year deal before he decided to retire after revealing that he had been molested as a child. Dooling told the Globe a few months ago that he was considering playing again; now he is expected to return and seems to have productive years left.”
Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida says Andre Iguodala wants to be around Team USA basketball as much as he possibly can, including the next World Cup. Also included in the same piece is an interesting note on Iguodala’s contract future: “As for Iguodala’s NBA future, he doesn’t know where he’ll be playing. But Iguodala, a nine-year veteran who is averaging 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists and is Denver’s perimeter stopper, indicated it’s more likely now he will opt out of his contract by July 1 to sign a long-term deal. Iguodala is on the books to make $15.9 million next season, likely more than he could get from any team for 2013-14. But he could become a free agent and then sign a multi-year deal that would pay less next season but would provide long-term security. “Yeah, definitely,’’ Iguodala, 29, said of that being a distinct possibility. “You got to weigh options. Security-wise, a player would opt out, especially with the type of season we’ve had as a team. Teams know what I can bring to them, and I know (the Nuggets) know what I can bring to a team here. “Players get like $50, $60 or $70 or $80 (million over multiple years), whatever the number was, they gave up a big number (in an option season by opting out). But in the grand scheme of things, pretty much get it back. You got security.’’ Iguodala said it’s no guarantee he would re-sign with Denver if he does the expected and opts out. But he has liked the progress the Nuggets (50-24) have made recently, which has included a 15-game winning streak that ended last Monday.”
- The guy who Philadelphia got when they traded away Iguodala still has yet to play a game for them, and may in fact never suit up for the Sixers. Here’s John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer on Andrew Bynum: “While it would be wonderful if Bynum – an unrestricted free agent – gave the Sixers special consideration in light of all that they lost in trading for him and the agonizing wait for him to return, a team source with knowledge of the situation said last week that he does not believe that will be the case. The Sixers ultimately may have nothing to show for this deal – no Bynum, no Nik Vucevic, who looks as if he could be a budding star with the Magic, no Maurice Harkless, blossoming in his own way in Orlando, and one less first-round draft pick. All once sparkling assets, they now are reminders of a potentially franchise-crippling mistake by the front office.”
After a 17-point loss to a Rockets team missing James Harden, Vinny Del Negro and the Clippers were… let’s just say unhappy with their performance. Dan Woike of the Orange County Register writes: “For 3 minutes, 25 seconds, Del Negro verbally destroyed his team for its performance, citing lack of effort, toughness, execution and concentration for the unexpected loss. “We all agree,” Clippers guard Willie Green said. “It’s B.S. the way we went out and played tonight.” Del Negro had no problem sharing his feelings. “They played harder than we did,” Del Negro said. “We were terrible. Our effort was terrible. Our attitude was terrible. Our urgency was terrible. I’m very disappointed. I didn’t see the fight in us tonight. We need guys to step up. We were soft. We were sloppy. Our urgency was poor. Our defense was poor. Our transition defense was poor. Our post defense was poor. Our pick-and-roll defense was poor. I could go on and on.”
- Shams Charania of RealGM talked to Ronnie Brewer about Brewer’s former teammate, Derrick Rose, and his recovery from knee surgery: ” “I felt it was unfortunate the [Bulls] released that Derrick was cleared to play,” Brewer told RealGM on Saturday night. “It’s a process and that’s a dramatic injury. If you’re not 110 percent mentally there and you still have thoughts and regrets about the injury, you’re not going to be playing at a high level. Until you can do that, he’s still not cleared in my opinion.” Rose has made clear he could sit out the entire season after undergoing knee surgery last May, and a major issue he’s dealt with is being fully confident mentally. In Brewer’s mind, the mental facet is just critical as the physical one – no matter if Rose wants to return in a limited part or his old superstar role. “I think it’s as important mental as it is physical,” Brewer said. “[The injury] happened on a freak play: Him coming down the lane, doing the play he’s done a thousand times. Whenever he’s comfortable doing the things he was used to doing, that’s when he’ll jump out there.” As far as when Rose will return, Brewer doesn’t think anyone around the Bulls knows, but he was adamant it should come when only his former teammate is ready.”
- Another stellar game for Michael Carter-Williams. Peaking at right time. NBA scouts warming back up to him in a hurry. 3 PGs in Top 10?
@chadfordinsiderChad Ford
- The Hawks are getting hurt at the wrong time for the playoffs, having already lost Lou Williams and now Zaza Pachulia. Here’s an AP story on Pachulia’s injury: “Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia will undergo surgery on his sore right Achilles and miss the rest of the season. The Hawks said the 29-year-old Pachulia is scheduled for surgery Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C. The expected recovery time is approximately six months, meaning the Hawks will be without another valuable member of their bench heading into the playoffs. The team already lost guard Lou Williams to a season-ending knee injury. “I think this is the right decision,” Pachulia said Saturday before the Hawks played Orlando. “I’ll be able to come back as soon as possible. It’s a partial tear. … I’ll take this injury rather than a total rupture.”
Here’s a fun story from Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post on JaVale McGee: “The masters are rare, those whose brilliance transcends their peers, and as such, they’re given the desired designation as a poet’s poet or a comic’s comic or, in the case of JaVale McGee, a weirdo’s weirdo. “JaVale McGee, by far, is the goofiest teammate I’ve had. He’s goofiest guy in the NBA,” said Nuggets forward Corey Brewer, whose previous interview was interrupted when McGee swatted a microphone and declared, in a hoarse Dikembe Mutombo voice, “Not in my house!” “He’s unpredictable,” Brewer continued, “with both what will come out of his mouth and what he’ll do in the game. I call him ‘The Great Adventure,’ because you never know what’s going to happen. It’s going to be an adventure either way it goes, good or bad.” McGee, a 7-footer who’s lanky and loony, says weird things and does weird things and says weird things while doing weird things. On the court, the backup center will complement an aerodynamic alley-oop with a boneheaded goaltend at the other end. The only thing predictable is the unpredictability, which makes some sense when, lounging at his locker on a quiet morning recently, McGee admitted: “I have extreme ADD. They tried to put me on Ritalin, but I wouldn’t do it. I just didn’t want to take it. I was young (when it was diagnosed); it was a long time ago. But, yeah, it’s definitely fun having ADD. It’s extremely fun. I’m not boring.” “
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Dan Malone is a journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.
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