Danilo Gallinari believes he will be ready for training camp: “”I’m feeling good,” Gallinari said. “The surgery went very well — this one went very well — and so we’re just on the road, back from the beginning on the road to recover. The good thing is that all the work that I put in before is going to be, I can use it. The rehab is going to be much easier, so it’s going to be much better.” Gallinari expects to be ready by the time training camp rolls around in October. He’s already walking, and says he has been for “the last four or five days now.” “One of the reasons I was able to walk so fast after surgery is because of all of the work that I did before,” Gallinari said. “So, I’ll be following the team and doing the rehab with the staff.” The Nuggets could use him. Only the point guard position has taken a worse hit than small forward this season. And Gallinari wasn’t just any player. At 16.2 points per game, he was the team’s second-leading scorer in 2012-13 — and rapidly improving. The most difficult part, particularly in the immediate days following the surgery, he said, was staying upbeat.”
“It was tough,” Gallinari said. “But I am pretty good in this situation. I’ve been in this situation before. This is my fifth surgery in six years in the NBA. So, I’ve been through that already, and the most important thing is the mental part, to always be positive and think that things are going to go in a good way. I think it’s important to approach the rehab in a better way.”
Portland’s second year star point guard Damian Lillard will participate in three All-Star Weekend events: “Lillard, the reigning Rookie of the Year and a first-time Western Conference All-Star, will play in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night before defending his Skills Challenge title and competing in the 3-point contest. The remainder of the dunk field is defending champion Terrence Ross of Toronto, Golden State’s Harrison Barnes and rookie Ben McLemore of Sacramento. Cleveland All-Star Kyrie Irving will defend his 3-point title against a field that also includes All-Stars Stephen Curry of Golden State, Kevin Love of Minnesota and Joe Johnson of Brooklyn, plus Orlando’s Arron Afflalo, Washington’s Bradley Beal and San Antonio’s Marco Belinelli.”
LeBron James spent his first year in Miami wondering if he made the right decision: “It was more than a fair assumption. Because for all the predecessors LeBron and D-Wade had in hand – Scottie and Michael ham and egging in Chicago, Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe going gestalt over everyone’s rear end in New York – there just wasn’t a lot of precedence behind this sort of setup. Because of expansion and a real paucity of go-to franchise stars in the years following the Jordan Era’s limp off into the sunset, players like James, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Wade, and to some extent Kobe Bryant had to work as standalone perimeter icons on teams without a clear Number Two. Wade won a ring in 2006 with Shaquille O’Neal, but by then the big man was far removed from the brilliant MVP turn he worked in tandem with Bryant with over half a decade before. And James’ supporting cast on the 2007 Eastern champs in Cleveland had to be one of the worst working rotations in NBA Finals history. By the time the two hooked up in 2010, a lot of instincts had to be worked over. Not selfish instincts, mind you, but timing issues. The two were alternately deferential and aggressive, seemingly in all the wrong places. Then you toss in Chris Bosh, a year removed from scoring 24 a game with the Toronto Raptors, and you have a bit of a well-heeled mess. Even Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will admit that his brand of 2010-era offense didn’t exactly help things, as his strong side screen and roll game allowed for opponents to key in on one player at a time, as they just about took turns dominating the ball.”
Kemba Walker believes it is ridiculous to tank: “”I don’t see why we can’t make the playoffs,” Walker told the Charlotte Observer after Thursday’s practice. “I think we have a great team and are playing great basketball. As long as we keep it up, I think we can. “We go out each night with the mindset we can make the playoffs. We practice like we can make the playoffs.” The Bobcats (22-28) have a two-game lead on the Detroit Pistons for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Walker believes that’s where the focus should be — not on potentially adding another piece of the puzzle early in the NBA draft. “That’s ridiculous, as far as us tanking and getting a high draft pick,” said Walker, who returned Tuesday after missing seven games with a sprained left ankle. “I don’t think we need any more [high] draft picks at this point. “I could never [tank]. I play this game to win, not to lose. If we are going to lose, we’ll make sure it’s not easy.””
Miami’s Ray Allen has no plans to retire at the end of the season: ” “He can run forever,” Rivers said. Apparently, that’s the plan. A week ago, after the Heat had just defeated the New York Knicks behind an unexpected burst of youth fromShane Battier, Battier spoke of the meaning of the moment, the 35-year-old forward noting it well could have been his final game at Madison Square Garden. “Yeah,” Allen said, “I mean, I think there’s a lot of us in this locker room that could have those same thoughts, that could be mulling over those same ideas. Battier sees the end could be near. Allen, 38, is not as inclined entertain such visions. “I just try not to predetermine,” he said. “It’s like waking up in the morning and having an injury and saying, ‘I’m not playing at 7:30 at night.’ I say, ‘Well, let me build my body into it and see.'””
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.