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Pacific Notes: Bogut, Clippers, Lakers

November 27th, 2012 at 7:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

For all their struggles this season, the 7-7 Lakers are just a game out of first place in the Pacific Division, behind the Clippers and Warriors, who are tied at 8-6. We're still less than a month into the season, but the Clippers, who've lost four in a row, may wind up ruing their inability to keep their Staples Center rivals at arm's length. We've got both L.A. teams covered, plus more, as we round up the Pacific.

Andrew Bogut won't return as planned on Saturday, and the Warriors center isn't sure when he'll play again, writes Carl Steward of the Bay Area News Group. Bogut thinks it was probably a mistake to rush his recovery from left ankle surgery so he could make it back for the start of the season. He played in four games before his latest absence.
The relationship between Chris Paul and coach Vinny Del Negro, both in the final seasons of their contracts, could ride on the Clippers' ability to quickly return to winning, opines Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks have helped the Lakers' bench improve, but Jamison's play has come at the cost of minutes for fellow offseason signee Jordan Hill, notes Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
We're in the midst of covering the Pacific Division in our Offseason In Review series, hitting the Warriors today with the rest of the division's teams to follow.

Odds & Ends: Ginobili, Bogut, Cavaliers, Bobcats

November 24th, 2012 at 10:30pm CST by Michael Pina

After a startling slow start to the 2012/13 season, Manu Ginobili is beginning to break out and play like the future Hall of Famer we're accustomed to seeing, writes the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald.

According to Yahoo! Sports reporter Marc J. Spears, Warriors center Andrew Bogut will return to the lineup on Saturday, December 1st against the Pacers.
In a mailbag from her readers, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer discusses whether or not the Cavaliers would have any interest in acquiring Sixers swingman Evan Turner.
Charlotte Observer reporter Rick Bonnell gives five reasons why the Bobcats are different this season than they were last year.
With all their injuries in the front court, the Spurs are thankful to have re-signed Boris Diaw in the offseason, writes the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic is beginning to receive playing time down the stretch of close games, writes the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins. He could develop into a major asset for the team sooner than later.

Western Notes: Petrie, D’Antoni, Collison, Batum

November 20th, 2012 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few of today's noteworthy odds and ends from around the Western Conference:

If the Maloofs are serious about trying to keep the Kings in Sacramento, they need to cut ties with team president Geoff Petrie, argues Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. According to Voisin, the repeated mistakes made by the NBA's longest-tenured head of basketball operations have "stripped the once-proud franchise of its passion, its identity, its collective soul."
Coach Mike D'Antoni will make his official debut on the Lakers' bench tonight, he confirmed today to the media, including Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
As the Mavericks prepare to face former Dallas point guard Jason Kidd and the Knicks tomorrow night, the Mavs' new point guard, Darren Collison is struggling, as NBA.com's Jeff Caplan writes.
Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com details how Nicolas Batum's offseason trip to Cameroon gave him a new-found perspective on life during his free agent negotiations.
Andrew Bogut, who has only appeared in four games during his Warriors' career, will miss at least three more contests before hopefully returning to practice next Monday, the team announced today in a press release.
Another injured star in the West, Dirk Nowitzki, is now aiming to return to the Mavericks in mid-December, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

Western Notes: Lakers, Howard, Bell

November 15th, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

During an interview at the Lakers practice facility today, Mike D'Antoni acknowledged that his job will be to compete for a championship this season and added, "I told the team if we're not averaging 110-115 points a game, we need to talk." Zach Harper of CBS Sports relayed a plethora of other notable quotes as the new Lakers coach touched upon the offensive freedom he plans to give his players, the promise he sees in the second unit, and the notion that maximizing the amount of possessions per game will help offset one bad shot or bad call affecting the final outcome. Here's more of what we've heard tonight out of the Western Conference:

Dwight Howard told reporters that he is playing at about "75-80%" and still needs to get his explosiveness back to where he can sustain it over longer stretches of the game (Arash Markazi of ESPN LA tweets).
Marc Stein of ESPN mentions that Raja Bell would naturally be a target for the Lakers to pursue at this point, but him still being under contract with the Jazz, Los Angeles' $100MM payroll and a full roster remain as the most significant obstacles in their way (Twitter link).
The Suns approach to rebuilding includes stockpiling assets and being prepared for circumstances in which a good player may become available via trade, similar to how Houston was able to acquire James Harden from Oklahoma City, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link) reports that Warriors center Andrew Bogut has received multiple injections of Regenokine in his left ankle to help with his overall recovery process.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside explains why a trip to the D-League for Scott Machado will be a golden opportunity for him to garner attention as a strong talent, something that would have been difficult without any significant playing time on the Rockets.

Western Notes: White, Bogut, D’Antoni, Gay

November 15th, 2012 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

You'd be hard-pressed to argue that the undefeated Knicks and the defending champion Heat aren't currently the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Both clubs head west tonight to take on a pair of Western Conference contenders, with the Knicks in San Antonio to face the Spurs, and the Heat playing the Nuggets in Denver. As we await what should be a great night of NBA action, let's round up the latest updates out of the West….

In a pair of columns for the Houston Chronicle, Jerome Solomon argues that the Rockets are handing the Royce White situation poorly, and that patience, not fines, should be central to the team's approach.
Discussing his ankle injury on KNBR in San Francisco, Andrew Bogut said the Warriors have been supportive and haven't pressured him since he arrived in Golden State, but that he still feels as if he's let people down. Brad Gagnon of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.
Timberwolves president David Kahn is expecting great things from his club when everyone starts getting healthy, as he tells Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
It was Jerry Buss who had the final say on the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, a source tells Joe McDonnell of FOX Sports West.
ESPN.com's five-man panel weighs in on how D'Antoni's arrival will affect the performances of the Lakers' stars, supporting cast, and defense.
The list of head coaches that Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes could be on the hot seat are mostly from Eastern Conference clubs, but Kyler identifies Keith Smart of the Kings as one coach who might be in trouble if his team continues to struggle.
In a piece for the New York Times, Beckley Mason asks whether Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' highest-paid player, is the team's centerpiece or an expensive accessory.

Pacific Rumors: Nash, Bryant, D’Antoni, Bogut

November 13th, 2012 at 7:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

Steve Nash said he's "thrilled, but definitely shocked" by Mike D'Antoni's hiring as Lakers coach, and expressed a level of disappointment about not getting to play for Phil Jackson, as Sam Amick of USA Today chronicles. "Well I mean, of course. In some ways, I thought it was Phil, and so I was geared up for that, and excited in a totally different respect because of his experience and success, and particularly here with this organization," Nash said. "That would have been a whole different circumstance that I would've been excited for as well. But I'm back with Mike and thrilled." We have plenty more on D'Antoni, his new team, and their Pacific Division rivals right here.

Kobe Bryant expressed sentiments similar to Nash's, and said he and his teammates all believed Jackson would be the next coach, notes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
D'Antoni laid out the expectations for his team, telling Mason & Ireland of ESPNLA 710 radio, "If we're not at least in the hunt, a serious hunt, then I've failed as a head coach. I'm comfortable with that," as ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne documents. D'Antoni also indicated he planned to reach out to Nate McMillan about joining his staff.
Warriors center Andrew Bogut will be out longer than the team's original seven-to-10 day projection, and might not return before January, according to Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. It's unlikely he'll return before December as he nurses his surgically repaired left ankle, Thompson says.
Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms confirmed a meeting recently took place between him and a representative of an unnamed NBA team, writes Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. According to other reports, the representative was Kings co-owner George Maloof. The mayor said the team believes the area is a "good market."

Odds & Ends: Bogut, Jennings, Rose, Irving, Roy

November 8th, 2012 at 11:04pm CST by Alex Lee

We learned tonight that the Warriors have shutdown center Andrew Bogut for 7 to 10 days and Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News says that all signs point towards the Aussie big man's absence extending longer than that. Bogut said that he may have pushed it too much and that he would consider himself a liability on the court right now, writes Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times. There are only two games tonight, but still plenty of links from around the league:

In the early going, the absence of a contract extension has brought out the best in Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, writes Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen. Since he couldn't come to an agreement with Milwaukee, Jennings will hit free agency this summer.
According to Russell Westbrook, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will come back from his knee injury this season stronger than ever, writes Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago. Westbrook and Scott Brooks also said that while the Bulls are a different team without Rose, they still must be feared because of the way Tom Thibodeau prepares them to play, says Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
Beckley Mason of the New York Times opines that it isn't too early to consider the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving among the NBA's elite point guards.
After sitting out last year, Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy is rusty, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Roy says his knee are fine, however, and will begin to look more for his shot to try to get his career back on track.

Western Notes: Stephen Curry, Bogut, Spurs

October 20th, 2012 at 8:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are some rumblings out of the Western Conference tonight:

Grizzlies guard Wayne Ellington is in the final year of his rookie contract and aims to be more aggressive in order to earn consistent playing time in Memphis, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal).
Brad Townsend of SportsDayDFW discusses the importance of Rick Carlisle's leadership skills as it relates to the Mavericks' ability to succeed this season (subscribers only).
Kevin McHale commented on some of the coaching challenges he's encountered with his inexperienced Rockets team (Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets notes).
According to this report from CSN Bay Area, Stephen Curry received no concerns from Dr. Richard Ferkel after the orthopedic surgeon evaluated his ankle today. Dr. Ferkel also checked out the progress of Andrew Bogut's left ankle and determined that his rehabilitation has been on schedule. Warriors GM Bob Myers says that while Bogut does not need clearance to participate in full-contact practice, the team wants to make sure that he is completely free of any pain or discomfort before they let him scrimmage.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters that the their final roster spot will come down to deciding between Derrick Brown and Eddy Curry (Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation reports).
Dwight Howard fully participated in today's practice with the Lakers and is prepared to make his debut tomorrow under the approval of their training staff (says Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN Los Angeles). Also, forward Jordan Hill was cleared to practice with the team today after being diagnosed with a herniated disk less than two weeks ago, and told reporters that he could possibly return before the season opener on October 30.
According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, forwards Louis Amundson and Dante Cunningham have emerged as "energy guys" for Rick Adelman and the Timberwolves.

Odds & Ends: Possible Cavs/Heat Cuts, Olshey

October 20th, 2012 at 8:22pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott said that two of the team's cuts could come from Luke Harangody, Michael Eric, and Kevin Jones (Bob Finnan of The News Herald via Sulia link). Finnan thinks that Jones will be one of the cuts and also says that the team "likes Harangody too much." When Scott was asked about potential cuts from the point guard position, he replied that he would prefer to be able to keep both Jeremy Pargo and Donald Sloan.

Earlier today, Chuck Myron relayed some stories surrounding training camp rosters. We've got a few more noteworthy links to share on that front, as well as this evening's miscellaneous NBA news:

Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer takes a closer look at the decision the Cavaliers have to make on Sloan and Pargo and lists the pros and cons of keeping both. She also notes that Byron Scott believes one of them currently has an edge over the other, but the coach would not elaborate beyond that.
Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald took to Twitter to speculate on what he calls the Heat's "no-doubt-about-it cut list," listing Rodney Carney, Jarvis Varnado, Mickell Gladness, and Robert Dozier. He mentions that the last two spots could come down to a competition among Josh Harrellson, Garrett Temple, and Terrel Harris, adding that he would keep the latter two (Twitter link).
Interestingly enough, although Juwan Howard is not part of Miami's training camp roster, Goodman points out that the former Heat player still has a locker.
Ben Golliver of the Blazers Edge shared a transcript of Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey's in-game interview with CSNNW on Friday. Some notable comments include Olshey's thoughts on Will Barton's potential, Nicolas Batum and the team moving forward after his contract extension, and landing J.J. Hickson.
In response to a report that Stephen Curry will sit out the rest of pre-season, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets that Curry's long-term extension talks with the Warriors are on hold.

Pacific Notes: Scola, Suns, Odom, Clippers, Bogut

October 18th, 2012 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up the latest notes out of the Pacific Division, where the preseason standings, which feature the Warriors at the top and the Lakers at the bottom, are nearly an inverse of last year's regular-season standings….

While many players weren't happy on the Rockets last season, Suns forward Luis Scola wasn't one of them, says Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld (via Sulia). According to Ingram, Scola had been hoping to finish his career in Houston.
Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson feel as if they've been cast off by their previous teams and are hoping to prove themselves with the Suns, according to Ingram (Sulia link). Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry still believes both players can live up to their draft slots (No. 2 for Beasley, No. 4 for Johnson).
Lamar Odom, acquired by the Clippers in the offseason, was held out of the team's game last night, and coach Vinny Del Negro attributed it in part to conditioning issues. "He's got to work through some conditioning things and some health things right now, which he's doing," Del Negro said, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. "Yeah, I wish he was in a little bit better conditioning, and he wishes he was. But he's just got to continue to work every day and I'm sure he'll get there eventually."
On the other hand, Chauncey Billups, who was re-signed by the Clippers this summer, is ahead of schedule in his rehab from an achilles injury, and Del Negro believes he could return in late November, according to Turner.
After having been traded by the Clippers to the Jazz this offseason, Mo Williams told Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com he holds no ill will toward the Clips.
Andrew Bogut will have his left ankle, which continues to keep him out of action, examined on Monday in Los Angeles, as Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group writes. Bogut hopes to be ready to play in the Warriors' regular-season opener, but he's "still a ways away," according to coach Mark Jackson.