I’m always a little bit disappointed that I’m not a professional basketball player, but air travel takes it to a whole new level.
I originally booked a two-part flight to Halifax on Monday, and ended up having to leave Sunday night and sleep in the Philadelphia airport after my first flight was cancelled. That was fine, until my flight the next afternoon had to turn around and go back to Philadelphia when we were right over Halifax.
Four days later, I finally got into Halifax, only to find that my suitcase was still in Philly, and had been since Monday. Also, I’m 6’4 with a genetic knee problem, so airline seats aren’t built for me. So basically, this week made me wish I could travel like an NBA player: chartered flights, big seats, in-flight food… yeah, that would be great.
The other side effect of a week in airport limbo is that I’m not totally up to date with the NBA news like I usually am. So putting together today’s blog was pretty beneficial when it came to me keeping me up to date with the latest from around the basketball world. With that considered, let’s get right to it:
ESPN.com’s Marc Stein has a jam-packed piece on who may or may not be traded. Here’s a couple pieces on the point guard market: “For the first time, there are certifiable rumbles emanating from Toronto suggesting that the Raptors might well keep point guard Kyle Lowry for the rest of the season. Word is new GM Masai Ujiri continues to resist locking into any sort of firm position — leaving open the possibility of a Lowry deal if the offers suddenly get sweeter — but team officials appear to be growing increasingly comfortable with the idea that it’s better to go for what would be just Toronto’s third playoff berth in 13 seasons rather than try to do the absolute uber-tanking it would take from here for the 17-17 Raps to get into Andrew Wiggins range now. You’ll recall that the Knicks were originally at the front of the queue trying to trade for Lowry in mid-December when the Raps were shopping him hard in the wake of the Rudy Gay deal with Sacramento. The Knicks are now said to want to work their way into the bidding for Denver’s very available Andre Miller, but the same problem that doomed New York in the Lowry chase a month ago — limited assets to offer — doesn’t bring much hope.”- More on Andre Miller from Christopher Dempsey at the Denver Post: “According to a league source, there is a slim chance embattled guard Andre Miller could suit up again while the Nuggets continue to attempt to trade him. Miller has missed four consecutive games after being dismissed from the team for a mandatory two games after an on-court verbal confrontation with Shaw during the Nuggets’ loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 1. Miller worked out on the Nuggets’ practice court as recently as Thursday. Any return by Miller would come with the understanding that playing time still would be scarce or nonexistent.”
Still more on Miller, this time from USA Today’s Sam Amick: “One possible obstacle to the trade of Denver Nuggets guard Andre Miller to the Kings that seemed somewhat likely a few days ago? Travis Outlaw. The Sacramento forward is owed $3 million this season and another $3 million next, and the Kings’ insistence that he be included in a possible deal with the Nuggets is one of the many reasons it hasn’t happened (and may not). The Nuggets were sending a strong message this week in Reno that Miller would be moved in a matter of days after his spat with coach Brian Shaw and subsequent excusing from the team, but he remains and, according to The Denver Post, could even return to the lineup sometime soon after missing four games. It’s a safe bet he’s not the only unhappy player here, though: the Kings’ Jimmer Fredette will be a free agent this summer and is hoping to find momentum in a new uniform before that time arrives. The former BYU star deserves immense credit for his professionalism in these last few frustrating years, and that’s the very reason you won’t likely hear him complain publicly (or even privately) about his lot in Kings Land. But with Sacramento hoping to get at least a second-round draft pick in return for him in any possible deal, count me among the masses who hope he’s on the move sooner rather than later and that he finds a better fit elsewhere.”- This is an interesting idea, via Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News: “Trade season is approaching, and not even the poker-faced Spurs are immune to speculation. In addition to a recent CBS Sports report describing them as “unusually aggressive” in attempting to upgrade their roster, former Nuggets coach George Karl told the New Jersey Star-Ledger that the Spurs could be an ideal spot for Knicks knucklehead J.R. Smith. While fans might devour such rumors like crack-dusted potato chips, Mills said the players ignore it at all costs. “It’s just like media and newspapers and what you see on TV, as a player you stay away from it as much as you can,” he said. “There’s a bigger picture of what we’re trying to do as a team. You have to carry on with what you can control.””
- Here’s Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe on Rajon Rondo’s impending return: “Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who has been sidelined all season while recovering from knee surgery, adamantly denied a Yahoo Sports report that, citing unnamed sources, stated that Rondo had targeted Jan. 17 as a possible return date. … When asked if he had any targeted return date at all, Rondo said, “Honestly, I don’t.” … The Celtics’ final game before the break is Feb. 12, when they host the San Antonio Spurs at TD Garden. So it is reasonable to expect that the All-Star point guard will make his much-anticipated return at some point before that game. “It may be this month, next month. It’ll be before All-Star Break,” Rondo said.”
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com has a real cool interview with Mitch Kupchak up. Here’s Kupchak’s take on the repeater penalty in the luxury tax: “You have to be out of the luxury tax in two out of five years to avoid a repeater penalty. If we stay in the tax this season, it will be three consecutive seasons as taxpayers. Now, how that impacts future decisions depends on the mechanics of each deal. Like anything else, if there is a debt that you have to pay, you’d like to get it behind you as soon as possible. But ownership here has never been afraid to be in the tax. If you’re $30 million over the tax as a repeater, that’s a tax bill of about $130 million. But if you’re in the tax and it’s only $1 million over, it’s around $2.5 million. So you’re still a repeater in the latter situation, but that’s a big difference. MT: In short, the repeater tax is a major factor you have to be aware of, but isn’t a black and white line you can’t cross, at least for the Lakers. Kupchak: Correct. It’s a looming black cloud that was created for a reason.”-
KG on reluctance playing C: “should’ve put that (bleep) in my contract (that I don’t have to). You can tell J that” #Nets
— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzESPN) January 11, 2014
Good news for the Clippers: JJ Redick is back. Here’s Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com: “J.J. Redick returned to the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time in six weeks Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. “He made a lot of shots in practice, the last couple of practices,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “He may have been able to play against Boston [on Wednesday], but we went the extra practice with him. He’s ready to play, but I didn’t know if he was ready to start, but the game the other night and our second unit’s inability to score told me let’s get Jamal [Crawford] back in that group as soon as we can.” Redick suffered a fracture in the small bone of his right hand and a tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament Nov. 29, and had not played since. He originally was expected to miss six to eight weeks. “He’s a pretty conditioned athlete,” Rivers said. “He’s ready.””
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Dan Malone is in his fourth year as a journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and spent this summer as a features intern at the Cape Cod Times. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.