Kyrie Irving has been cleared to practice again, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: “If one listens to two-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, he’s days away from rejoining the Cavaliers. He’s missed the last eight games with a strained biceps tendon in his left arm. According to the Cavs, he has been cleared to resume full-contact practice, but his status for Cavs’ game on April 2 at Orlando has not been determined. But one can almost guarantee that when Irving returns, it won’t be at the expense of veteran guard Jarrett Jack. Jack has played his best basketball of the season with Irving out of the lineup since the Los Angeles Clippers game on March 16. The 30-year-old Jack is averaging 15 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists and is shooting 49 percent from the field (49 of 100) in his last eight games. More importantly, he’s emerged as the team’s floor general. “That leadership on the floor and off the floor has been terrific, especially down the stretch in tight ball games,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said. “He’s kept us composed offensively. In the past, if we were down, we rushed ourselves or we were going too fast for the situation. “No matter what the time and score, Jack has done a terrific job of understanding and feeling the game in helping out his teammates.”
Rudy Gay has no idea what he wants to do beyond this season, but did say that happiness is more important to him than money, from Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com: “He says he has not made a decision on the $19.3 million on the table or whether he wants to remain with the Kings at any price. He has so not made a decision, Rudy Gay insists, that he is asked to list a couple factors that will go into the final call and responds, “I don’t know.”… “What does my gut tell me?” Gay says of the looming decision and possibly decisions, plural. “I don’t know. My gut tells me different things every day.”… Being 28 at the start of next training camp and being on a team that just finished at or very near the bottom of the Western Conference? “I’m not the age right now where I just have to be on a championship team,” he says. “Right now, I’m at the age where I can still make a good team great. Rebuilding, I possibly could do that too. Those are the things I have to weigh. Do I want to be on the rebuilding side? Do I want to make a good team great?”… “I don’t think about that at all,” he says. “I love this game. I don’t play it for money. Obviously it’s a very big plus that we make a lot to play this game, but I think it’s more important to be happy.”
Zach Lowe of Grantland explains why it may take years for the New Orleans Pelicans to figure out how to use Anthony Davis in the best way possible (it’s a very positive piece on how good the “brow” is): “Davis has murdered this parlor game. People around the league don’t know what to make of him anymore. They are just terrified, especially after having watched Davis average 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and three blocks per game on 55 percent shooting over a 10-game stretch in March — a period during which he turned 21 freaking years old. He’s already fourth overall in Player Efficiency Rating, behind only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kevin Love. His game has so many elements on both ends of the floor, it’s going to take years for the Pelicans to figure out the optimal uses and roster construction for him. It’s hard to decide what someone is best at when the answer might be “everything.” The race to surround him with the right talent, and to figure out his ideal positional use, is already on. The Pelicans will have only limited cap flexibility in each of the next two summers, and the Magic and Cavaliers can testify about the fragile and fleeting chance of surrounding a true superstar with the right pieces — especially since that superstar will likely take his team out of the lottery.”
What exactly happened between Mark Jackson and Brian Scalabrine that caused a riff between them? According to Ric Bucher, Scalabrine simply may have gotten tired of Jackson’s lack of attention to detail. If that’s the case, it’s easy to understand the former assistant’s frustration, if you watch the Golden State Warriors on a regular basis.
- Staying on the Warriors topic, Jackson was apparently asked not to re-assign Scalabrine until after the season, according to Sam Amick of USA Today: “There have been no public backings or votes of confidence from Lacob since, but only because ownership and management see this story as the mess Jackson made and must now clean up. According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Jackson was advised to wait until the offseason to part ways with Scalabrine because it wouldn’t cause such a commotion then. Instead, he insisted that Scalabrine — who is very friendly with Lacob (he played for the Boston Celtics when Lacob was a minority owner there) and Warriors general manager Bob Myers (who had been Scalabrine’s player agent) — needed to be sent to the Santa Cruz (Calif.) Warriors now. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the situation.”
Sam Dalembert has made a positive impact on the Dallas Mavericks this season, and the team will make sure he returns next season, from Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas: “As far as president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson is concerned, the Mavericks don’t have to make a decision about Samuel Dalembert’s partially guaranteed contract this summer. That decision has already been made. The Mavs signed Dalembert to a two-year deal this summer, but only $1.8 million of the big man’s $3.87 million salary next season is guaranteed. However, Nelson said the Mavs fully intend to have Dalembert return next season. “Absolutely we’ll have Sam back,” Nelson said of the center who is averaging 6.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.3 minutes per game this season. That would at least temporarily halt the 32-year-old center’s tour around the NBA. The Mavs are the fifth team Dalembert has played for in the last five seasons.”
- Reggie Evans was fined $15,000 by the league for getting Anthony Davis with this hit. Warranted?
- Dirk Nowitzki made a guest appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show, and it was absolutely terrific. Harrison Barnes made a guest appearance on The Pete Holmes Show, and this is how that went.
James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. You can find him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
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I’m a Raptors fan but I feel for the Pacers. I know they’re struggling but still, they’re still the team in the East with the best chance of toppling the Heat. It’s not that I’ve lost my faith on my Raptors but we gotta accept it, The Pacers will create matchup problems for the LeBron and co. I just hope they can regain the top seed before the playoffs.