After strangely telling Derrick Rose that he can’t wear tape around his neck for protection, the league changed its mind, from Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago: “After telling Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose that he can’t wear Kinesio tape on his sore neck, the NBA reversed course later Wednesday and will allow its use on an “experimental basis.” “After a discussion today with Jerry Stackhouse, representing the union, we have decided to allow Kinesio tape on an experimental basis so that we can take a fresh look at the possible benefits it might bring to our players,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said in a statement on Wednesday.”
Zach Lowe of Grantland explains why the New York Knicks are in danger of missing the playoffs after losing Tyson Chandler to injury: “New York is now in serious danger of missing the playoffs, and I genuinely worry for everyone working at MSG. The place is on edge. No team has started the season amid more rotational chaos. Coach Mike Woodson has done a wonderful job since replacing Mike D’Antoni, but he is weirdly torn between the reality that New York has done very well with Carmelo Anthony at power forward and his own desire to play two traditional big men at once. That has led to a starting job for Bargnani, who has predictably struggled. He has shot well enough, and shown potential to stretch the floor around Anthony post-ups and pick-and-rolls centered on Chandler’s explosive lobability. But he hasn’t generated any free throws, he’s committed a ton of turnovers (including traveling violations and moving screens galore), and he’s rebounding at levels well below his own sad norms. And that’s saying something, considering Bargnani’s rebounding rates — both his defensive rebounding rate and his overall rebounding rate — rank him among the two or three worst rebounding big men in the history of the league.”
Charles Barkely thinks Amare Stoudemire has lost his talent, from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN NY: “You all in trouble with Amar’e,” Barkley said. “I like Amar’e as a person, but I don’t see him doing anything in the NBA, to be honest with you. I think he has lost his skill. He lost his talent. “He played the game on talent when he was younger,” Barkley added. “He played the game 100 percent on talent. And now he has lost his talent and he is in serious trouble.” This season, Stoudemire hasn’t resembled the player the Knicks signed to a $99.7 million deal in 2010. He is averaging 3.5 points and four turnovers while playing in just two of the Knicks’ first four games.”
Randy Wittman expressed regret for cursing and getting fined by the league as a result, from Michael Lee of Washington Post: “A day after getting slapped with a $20,000 fine for using a bad word during his postgame news conference following the Wizards’ home opening loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Coach Randy Wittman said he was “embarrassed” by the incident and should’ve expressed his frustration in a different manner. “It’s a situation, one I’m not proud of,” Wittman said. “You guys know me. I’m very passionate, okay, about my team, about how we play, the players individually and it’s a situation I’m embarrassed by it, in how it came out. Not the message. The message that I want to portray is the one I wanted to get out, but … the wrong way. Got to do a better job of controlling a situation like that and one, that, hey, it’s on me and you move forward from that. Not one that you’re real proud of.”
Derrick Favors explained why it’s hard to stay out of foul trouble, from Lowe of Grantland: [ZL]”What’s one part of your defensive game you need to improve? [DF] Just defense overall. In the past years, I got in a lot of foul trouble because I was out of position, or because I was just too aggressive. I was trying to block too many shots. It’s really just learning when to take a chance at blocking shots, and to get to spots early. [ZL] I asked LARRY SANDERS! this last week, because he’s had foul issues, too: How do you learn NOT to foul? [DF] It’s kinda hard. When you first come in the league as a big man, they tell you to be physical down there. No layups, all that kind of stuff. So you have to buy into it, because you think it’s going to get you more playing time. But it really just gets you more foul trouble. I had to learn how to not foul so much, and not try to be too aggressive early in the game.”
Chris Kaman didn’t have very nice things to say about Rick Carlisle, from Medina of Daily News: “Coach Carlisle is uptight and plays games with people here and there,” Kaman said. “But Coach D’Antoni is more relaxed and goes with the flow and tells you to play the game. He lets the guys play and gets a feel and lets you make mistakes and play. That’s the kind of basketball that I like to play. You can’t micromanage every tight situation and pull guys in and out. It doesn’t work that way. If you have some superstars, you might get away with that. But for some guys who aren’t as good as the superstars, it’s hard to do that.”… “I didn’t fit into Coach Carlisle’s style and what he wanted to do,” Kaman said. “I figured out another way to make it work somewhere else.”
- Carlisle also took a jab at Kaman, from Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News: “Carlisle said little before the game in response, pointing out that things just didn’t work out well for Kaman in Dallas. Carlisle took his share of responsibility for that. But after the Mavericks’ 123-104 victory over the Lakers, as a few reporters stood near Dirk Nowitzki’s locker, asking about Kaman, Carlisle walked in and, without changing expression, interjected: “I thought Kaman played great tonight. And I was shocked he didn’t play more minutes. It should be noted for the record that he played 17 minutes tonight and averaged 20 here.”
James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. You can find him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
Pages: 1 2
What’s wrong with grabbing DeMarcus Cousin’s balls? In fact, he had requested it. It was a medical exam and a free public service. He’s been complaining of pain in his groin, and because of Obamacare, he can’t get an appointment to see the team doctor for the next FOUR MONTHS.
I wish Antawn Jamison would finally shut his mouth.
The guy has been tripping over his own shadow since 2010.
He’s always been one of the most selfish players on the planet.
He hasn’t played a lick of defense since elementary school.
He portrays himself as a huge family man, he said he worshipped his kids, and he said he wanted to stay close to them in Charlotte. It’s then it’s revealed he’s bedded more women than Wilt Chamberlain, and thinks so highly of his wonderful kids, that instead of playing in Charlotte or on the East Coast, he chooses to play with the Lakers on the WEST Coast. Then after that, with the Clippers on the WEST Coast.
He blew off his exit interview in Cleveland. Then he blew off his exit interview with the Lakers. Again proving that the guy the media portrays as the ultimate professional (because he bothers to talk to them) is really the ultimate UNprofessional.