Speaking of the Lakers, coach Mike D’Antoni says Steve Nash will sit on and off this year: “Nash, who will turn 40 in February, is the league’s oldest player this season, and his early preseason production has underscored that fact. Nash, who sat out the Lakers’ preseason opener to rest, is averaging just 1.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 17.3 minutes in the three games since while shooting just 25 percent from the field. “We’ll see,” Nash said Thursday when informed of D’Antoni’s comments. “I’m hoping. Because [the ankle] has gotten better. At the start of camp, it wasn’t very good at all, and through camp it did improve. I think [Thursday] was more of an unfortunate day than a real problem. It could linger, but I don’t expect that to be the case. I’m hoping that through this month we can try to put it behind me. It’s kind of a little bit of a dance because I need this time to prepare, but at the same time, you obviously don’t want to pound the ankle to where I’m not able to function.” Nash said he cannot remember a specific play that caused the ankle injury but thinks it occurred sometime in September when the Lakers were holding voluntary scrimmages at the team’s practice facility prior to training camp beginning.”
Who Houston plays at point guard does not concern Dwight Howard: ““It doesn’t matter and it shouldn’t matter to any of those guys who starts the game or whatever,” Howard said. “The biggest thing is that we all accept our roles. If we do that, we will have a great season. We can’t allow anything to affect us as a team and pull us in the wrong direction. I enjoy playing with both of those guys. “We have great chemistry so far. I like the fact that all of us are talking a lot. We spend a lot of time together off the court and this trip has really helped us bond. I’m really excited about our future as a team. I believe that everybody has the confidence that we can win the championship. We’re all talking about how great we can be if we all play together and stay focused. That’s going to be amazing.” Though Rockets coach Kevin McHale revealed that Howard has been battling a sore hamstring, when asked about his surprises through training camp, he immediately cited Howard’s impact on those around him. “I’ve been impressed with what Dwight brings, Dwight’s ability to run,” McHale said. “He got hurt a little bit. His hamstring is a little bit tender. But as Jeremy (Lin) said, he’s such a presence. He runs down the court and widens out in the paint. He attracts two or three players. He’s just strong. Coaching against him I always knew he was unique. He draws so many fouls.””
Michael Beasley is not off to a great start in Miami: “Michael Beasley is pretty hard on himself sometimes. Beasley received his first minutes of playing time and he was great. He scored nine points in his first five minutes of action and was diving on the floor and doing things coaches generally like to see out of players trying to make a roster. Of course, Beasley also did something a little odd after one offensive play. Upset with himself over a mistake, Beasley started punching himself in the head while running back on defense. He punched himself so hard that he needed treatment after the game from the Heat’s trainer. Steel compresses (like the ones cut doctors use in boxing) were applied to Beasley’s brow in the locker room.”
Norris Cole is not concerned about trade rumors: “Norris Cole was the subject of vague trade rumors earlier this week before the Heat exercised its team option on his contract for next season. Even though the Heat locked up Cole’s contract, he can still be traded. On Wednesday, he seemed unconcerned about the rumor. “I didn’t think anything of it because I can’t control what goes on in the business aspect of it,” Cole said. “All I can control is what [happens] on the court and how I play.” It has been a wild two-year ride for Cole, who has won championships in each season he has been in the NBA. Cole’s development now represents an asset for the Heat, which could hold onto him and pay him $2 million next season (which could actually represent $7 million if the team remains in $2.5/$1 luxury tax bracket), or trade him for a draft pick and then take its chances on the open market and hope a veteran point guard would sign on for the minimum.””
After making major offseason moves, the culture in Brooklyn is changing: “No wonder Kidd said it took Garnett and Pierce “a tenth of a second” to make their impact felt. “You root for the next guy as much as he’s rooting for you. So if a guy’s on the ground, we pick him up,” Garnett told reporters after the game. “We’re creating something. We’re going to keep taking care of each other.” “He’s so intense,” Williams said of KG. “You kind of have a feeling playing against him [of] how intense he is, but you really don’t know until you’re around him. “It’s not just on the court; it’s everything he does, when he’s telling stories. He’s just an intense guy. He’s been great for this organization, he’s great for me, watching him every day, work hard. The young guys watching him work and be a leader.” “Kevin’s Kevin. This is who he is,” Kidd said. “He knows no other way. It helps his teammates, the coaching staff. It just becomes contagious, and we hope that it spreads throughout the team.””
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it, you’re a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your
blog and will eventually come back sometime soon. I want to encourage one to continue your
great writing, have a nice afternoon!
Hey, Baroff, it’s not a big deal, but Bryant is 35, not 37.