Mark Jackson is facing coaching challenges in Golden State: “Over the past two years, Jackson’s difficulty with managing his coaching staff and creating a functional work environment has developed into one of the issues that threatens his future on the job, league sources said. Scalabrine, who joined the staff in July, was Jackson’s choice as an assistant coach. For two straight years, Jackson has had issues with assistant coaches that he hired. Michael Malone and Jackson would go weeks without speaking to each other a year ago, league sources said. Malone left Golden State to become the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. Jackson, in his third year at the helm of the Warriors, has one year left on his contract, but has come under increased scrutiny within the organization for how he has run the team and worked on the job. There have been no conversations about an extension for Jackson – nor are they expected to take place, sources said.”
Shaq is the subject of an assault investigation: “According to the police incident report, Robert Williams said O’Neal tackled him as he was working at Turner Studios on May 9, 2013. “Shaquille O’Neal ran out of a room and hit me with a tackle punch to the back knocking me down and falling on top of me injuring my neck and back,” Williams told police, according to the report. Williams, 44, reported the incident to Turner Security and received medical care. No charges have been filed. “(The co-worker) alleged Shaquille O’Neal tackled him to the ground causing injury to his back while they were at work at Turner Studios,” Sgt. Greg Lyon with the Atlanta Police Department said, reports USB TV in Atlanta. “The investigation was initially handled by the zone and as that investigation deepened, it was transferred (to) the complex case squad. At the conclusion of their investigation, we’ll have their findings and we’ll go forth from there, whether charges will be filed, whether it be reviewed by the DA’s Office.””
Dwyane Wade hopes to return for the Miami Heat on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers: “Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade would be evaluated before and after the team’s midday shootaround on Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to solidify his status for the game. But Wade participated in the Heat’s full workout at their practice facility Tuesday before traveling to Indiana. “I feel good,” Wade said. “I came in today to test it out, and it felt pretty good. So now, hopefully, [Wednesday] it’s not as sore and I can continue to progress and get back on the court.” Barring a setback, the Heat (48-21) should be at full strength when they face the Pacers (51-20). Indiana holds a two-game lead over the Heat for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with three weeks remaining in the regular season. The teams split their first two matchups and wrap up their regular-season series in Miami on April 11. With Wade back in the lineup, the Heat hope to use Wednesday’s game to strengthen their push to overtake the Pacers for home-court advantage throughout the East playoffs. “It’s a plus when we’ve got him in the lineup,” LeBron James said of Wade. “He commands attention when he’s handling the ball, in the post or on the break. Anytime we can get guys who can attract attention from other guys … it helps a lot.””
Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony had their first 1-on-1: “Anthony was cryptic about what the two spoke about, saying only that he’d seen Jackson “here and there, not that we sat down and talked. But we’ll figure that out. I’m pretty sure we’ll get together very soon.” It was unclear whether Jackson would attend Tuesday night’s game against the Lakers. A source with knowledge of the situation said that he was not expected to attend, preferring instead to watch the game from his Playa Del Rey home and avoid the inevitable media spectacle. If Jackson changed his mind, however, there are ways for him to enter Staples Center without being seen. Jackson declined comment, other than to say hello to several reporters who had previously covered him in Los Angeles. Either way, the game figures to be an emotional one for both sides. The Knicks are frantically chasing the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are in the midst of a historically bad season, and still coping with seeing Jackson move on to New York. “Six degrees of separation,” Anthony joked, when asked about all the connections between the franchises at the moment. “You’ve got us coming back to L.A. tonight, with [Jackson’s] history out here and now him being back in New York. There’s a lot going on right now, but our focus is on winning the game tonight.””
Ryan Anderson of the New Orleans Pelicans is officially done for the season: “The New Orleans Pelicans say forward Ryan Anderson will miss the remainder of the season because of a herniated cervical disk that has sidelined him since early January. Anderson is scheduled to have neck surgery April 8 to repair the injury, which occurred when he collided with the Celtics’ Gerald Wallace during a game in Boston on Jan. 3. The 6-foot-10 Pelicans forward, who had been averaging 19.8 points during the first two months of the season, had been undergoing routine evaluations for nearly three months in hopes he would heal adequately with rest and that surgery could be avoided. However, team officials say physicians monitoring Anderson have determined that surgery will provide the six-year veteran with the best chance of a full recovery.””
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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