http://www.sportsnipe.com NBA news headlines from all sources http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762803/officials-break-ground-on-new-jersey-nets-brooklyn-arena.html Officials have broken ground on a New York City development project including a $1 billion arena for the New Jersey Nets basketball team amid hollers and whistles of the project's opponents. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762802/officials-break-ground-for-nets-arena-in-brooklyn.html NEW YORK (AP) -- Officials have broken ground on a New York City development project including a $1 billion arena for the New Jersey Nets basketball team amid hollers and whistles of the project's opponents. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762801/protests-mar-groundbreaking-for-nj-nets-nyc-arena.html NEW YORK (AP) - Officials broke ground Thursday on a much-delayed 22-acre development project that will bring the NBA's New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762800/timberwolves-longterm-approach.html Most NBA teams sell themselves to fans as a good night out. The Minnesota Timberwolves, on the other hand, are selling themselves as a good upcoming half-decade or so. They aren't making any promises about tonight. Consider, for instance, some recent  Minnesota Timberwolves sales materials. New basketball boss, new coaches, new players, new hope. And just when you thought the season was winding down we’re really cranking things up: A 2010 draft with two -- or possibly even three -- first-round draft picks, and massive cap room for this summer’s free-agency market. Combine that with being one year closer to Ricky Rubio and maybe signing European big man Nikola Pekovic, and you have a recipe for another exciting offseason. Nikola Pekovic, currently playing for Panathinaikos, is part of the sales pitch -- and yet not one current Timberwolf is. Could it be any clearer that this team is positioning itself for the long term? That kind of thinking has been evident in the coaching, too. In recent days, the team has had private trainer Idan Ravin in to run some special sessions in addition to regular practices and shootarounds. It is yet another break from the norm. Ravin is the focus of a whole chapter of Chris Ballard's The Art of a Beautiful Game, in which Carmelo Anthony explains why he calls the trainer Crouton: "Because his name rhymes with crouton, and he's a lot cooler than a regular cracker." Ravin -- who has a reputation both for challenging, and connecting with, players -- took some questions on the phone on Thursday, and says he hopes to inspire the young Timberwolves. Word from the players has been that the workouts these last few days have been tough! Hopefully, if this has been hard for players, that's a good thing. It's good to break out of your routine. That keeps you from losing sight of the fact that it's not about this season. It's good to get excited about change. People only see the losing, but there's a lot more going on here. I think it is important to see the lessons in losing. That's foresight. That's smart. For a lot of players this may not be going as planned. But if you can see the silver lining in the cloud ... there's a lesson to learn from everything. I'm here to socialize you to a different mindset. There's so much growth that's possible over time with consistency of effort. It's seven months until next season. There's a lot you can do. Is it uncommon to bring someone in like you at this time of year? I've done it with several teams. My schedule didn't allow me to make it here earlier. But there are some very good guys here, and it has been really good. In today's newspaper, there's an article about Kevin Love being frustrated. One of the things that came up is the fact that he was asked to guard Carmelo Anthony one-on-one for a bit last night, which nobody thought was optimal. Is that the kind of challenge you propose for players? I think it's important to give players new opportunities. You're more versatile than you think. You have to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. That's incredibly important. I don't think you can ever grow when your whole world is laid out so that at 11am you do this, 11:16 you do that ... too much ritual can kill you. That routine gets old fast. You can say you want to get up at this time, or shoot at that time, but you better mix up what you're doing every week. So, are you wearing out these players? Are they working extra hard? No. They're doing new stuff. New things. If they're fatigued, I suspect it's more mental than physical. But the sessions are maybe 30 - 45 minutes, two hours before practice. Or a little bit in the evening. You can still play with a lot of effort. These are 21-year-olds, in a world where AAU teams play six games in two days. They might practice for an hour and 15 minutes, and then they get the rest of the day to be off their feet. These are not 12 hours in the gym. This is not China. And learning new things can be exciting. It's like if I came into your office and taught you how to write with your toes, and you were good at it! You'd say you didn't know that was possible! We have to feel challenged, to keep growing. How's the team? There's some good promise there. Al Jefferson ... wow. He's got a lot of upside, let's put it that way. He's a 20 and 10 guy pretty much just using jump hooks. Have you seen him shoot with two hands? Jump-shots? And he could get to the line a lot more. He has just scratched the surface. We worked on free throws the other day, and then he had a 36 and 16 game. Afterwards, he said "Idan, that free throw stuff was great." The guy's going to be a killer. Jonny Flynn is just getting started with what he can do. Corey Brewer, Kevin Love ... they've all just scratched the surface. And Darko Milicic -- he's way more talented than anyone ever gave him credit for. He has been beat up in his first six years in the NBA. I wish I could sneak you into the gym so you could see what he can do. He really is seven-feet-plus. He's really bouncy. He's really running. You can see why it was a debate who should be first, second or third in that draft. And your'e a Carmelo guy! Carmelo's my guy. But Darko's ta-len-ted. They're doing something smart here by welcoming him openly, and making him feel a part of what's happening. He's a good kid. There's nothing bad about him. What's the point of all the yelling and screaming and cursing and insulting that he has endured? Once you have lost your dignity and self respect, it's hard to be professional. Now he's somewhere where they are acting like they're happy to see him, and it's awesome. It's good for people to be challenged. Kids get excited when they realize there's a lot still to be done. This is just the beginning. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762488/wesley-matthews-proud-mamas-boy.html Filed under: JazzIt's there for all to see. On the left bicep of Wesley Matthews is a tattoo in cursive that reads "Dynamic Duo,'' and, adorned with a basketball, has the initials "WM'' and "PM." The tattoo refers to Matthews and the single mother, Pam Moore, who raised him in Madison, Wis. "He got it when he was 18,'' Moore said. "I wouldn't let him get a tattoo until he was of legal age. He had little skinny arms then so it wasn't a very big tattoo.'' Matthews, 23, has grown up plenty since then. As an undrafted rookie out of Marquette, he's surprisingly become the starting shooting guard this season for the Utah Jazz. But Matthews' admiration for his mother hasn't waned in the least. In fact, if a general assumption is made about from whom Matthews learned the game of basketball, there is a quick correction. Many might think Matthews' skills were honed by his father, Wes Matthews, a quick 6-foot-1 point guard who played in the NBA from 1980-88 and 1989-90, winning two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. But that's not so. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762278/beasley-gametime-decision-friday-bruised-thigh.html Heat forward Michael Beasley has a bruised left thigh and is listed as a game-time decision for Miami's key game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762276/roundup-lackey-cruises-as-red-sox-beat-bay-mets.html Thursday's spring training roundup: John Lackey threw three shutout innings in Boston's 8-2 victory over Jason Bay and the New York Mets. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1762273/pbt-dantoni-convinced-his-system-works-just-fine.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761821/michael-beasley-miami-heat-game-time-decision-bruised-thigh.html Heat forward Michael Beasley has a bruised left thigh and is listed as a game-time decision for Miami's key game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761820/lebron-james-likely-to-return-cleveland-cavaliers-lineup-on-friday.html Cavaliers star LeBron James has missed two games after twisting his right ankle last Friday against Detroit, but is likely to play at Philadelphia on Friday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761819/lebron-ready-to-return-against-76ers-friday.html Cavaliers star LeBron James is tired of watching basketball and ready to start playing again. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761818/beasley-gametime-decision-friday-bruised-thigh.html Heat forward Michael Beasley has a bruised left thigh and is listed as a game-time decision for Miami's key game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761817/cavaliers-james-likely-to-return-friday-ap.html Cavaliers star LeBron James is tired of watching basketball and ready to start playing again. James missed two games after twisting his right ankle last Friday against Detroit, but is likely to play at Philadelphia on Friday night. "I'm always a guy who wants to play every game, but I think now looking back it was definitely the right decision to give the injuries I had some rest,"... Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761816/heats-hobbled-beasley-gametime-decision-friday.html Heat forward Michael Beasley has a bruised left thigh and is listed as a game-time decision for Miami's key game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761815/lebron-excited-to-return-friday-in-philadelphia.html Cavaliers star LeBron James is tired of watching basketball and is ready to start playing again. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761814/pbt-knicks-nets-will-be-everybodys-darlings.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761813/pbt-amare-might-be-leaving-phoenix-after-all.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761812/pbt-tyreke-evans-all-kind-special-if-you-noticed.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761811/rose-bulls-lure-top-free-agent.html Filed under: Bulls, Magic, NBA RumorsORLANDO, Fla. -- It often takes a star to get a star, which is why point guard Derrick Rose believes his Bulls are on course to land one of the big-name, high-profile free agents this summer. Either Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson could be coming to Chicago soon. "It would be huge for us. It would make us a serious contender,'' Rose told FanHouse Thursday afternoon before the Bulls played the Magic in Orlando. "I think we can get one of them. We have other things to worry about right now, getting into the playoffs, but I can't wait for that day (landing another star) to come.'' By trading away John Salmons and his $6.4 million contract last month, the Bulls became one of eight teams that can offer a maximum salaried contract to one of the free agent stars this summer. James, Wade and Bosh all have had their interests linked to the Bulls at some point this season. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761744/lebron-ready-to-return-jamison-likely-sit-out.html INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) -- Cavaliers star LeBron James is tired of watching basketball and ready to start playing again. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761743/beasley-to-be-gametime-decision-against-bulls.html MIAMI (AP) -- Heat forward Michael Beasley has a bruised left thigh and is listed as a game-time decision for Miami's key game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761742/fanhouse-pistons-extreme-makeover-has-failed.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761741/76ers-reportedly-close-to-firing-jordan.html Filed under: 76ers, NBA Rumors, NBA CoachesIf you believe the latest scuttlebutt coming out of Philadelphia, Eddie Jordan is a dead man walking, serving out his final days as head coach of the 76ers until inevitably being fired at the end of the season. In fact, some reports suggest he was nearly fired at the All-Star break along with the team's GM and president Ed Stefanski, according to Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News. For what it's worth, the team's ownership staunchly denies that a decision has been made. "No, we haven't [made a decision]," Peter Luukko, Comcast-Spectacor's COO and president, told the Daily News on Wednesday. "We have not done any of that. I've had a lot of people telling me things, and I'm getting calls, but we have not made a predetermined decision." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761740/tyreke-evans-may-have-clinched-rookie-year.html Filed under: Kings, Warriors, NBA Awards Ever since December, as Brandon Jennings's 55-point outburst turned into a curse, Tyreke Evans has been the hands-down favorite for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award. Evans, Sacramento's lead guard, has flirted with the rare 20-5-5 line all season, a mark only Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James have ever done as rookies. Some argue Golden State's Stephen Curry has caught Evans in the R.O.Y. race. More likely, observers are looking to manufacture excitement in the contest. Consider that Curry's best month -- 21-5-7 on 53 percent effective field goal percentage in February -- is only a bit better than Tyreke's worst month -- 20-5-5 on 48 percent eFG in November. (In fact, in February, Evans did exactly what Curry did, minus one point per game.) Still, first leaguewide acknowledgment in years in grasp, the Kings have sought to push Evans over the top. This is how "Reke R.O.Y. Night" came about. The franchise showered Evans with love, making him the centerpiece of Wednesday's game against Toronto -- 10,000 fans got t-shirts, 5,000 got pictures of Reke's head attached to a stick, Evans got a special intro during the presentation of starting lineups, and the video screen broadcast a montage of various NBA stars heaping praise on the rookie. It was truly something Donald Trump would set up for his own birthday. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761739/report-norm-roberts-will-be-retained-at-st-johnamp8217s.html New York Post’s Lenn Robbins is reporting that current St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts coached his final game with the team last night in a 57-55 loss to Marquette at the Big East Conference Tournament in MSG. From the NY Post: “Multiple highly placed sources - in the athletic department, on the board of trustees and in the booster sector - told The Post that Roberts will not be retained for a seventh season.” Roberts, who went 81-100 in his first six seasons with the program, has been under fire for not winning enough games as well as for not being able to land any of the top New York City recruits such as Sylvan Landesberg, Lance Stephenson and Jayvaughn Pinkston (the last 3 years). Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761738/pac10-live-blog-quarterfinals.html by Sean Ceglinsky Here we go, this is it, the last chance to qualify for the Big Dance. By and large, it’s been a down year for every Pac-10 program out there. The beginning of the season brought plenty of optimism. Things changed fairly quickly though. Pessimism, unfortunately, prevailed for the once proud conference as its teams struggled from start to finish in an effort to keep up with the rest of the country. All, however, is not lost, due in large part to the Pac-10 Conference Tournament. A pair of victories over the course of the next couple of days and a win in Saturday’s championship game assures an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It will be interesting to see who takes advantage of the golden opportunity in front of them. That said, let’s get things started. March Madness awaits. And believe us, there will be plenty of action taking place. No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 5 UCLA Given both teams rich tradtition, its hard to believe one of them won’t be making a postseason appearance. In fact, the Wildcats and Bruins are in danger of having their respective seasons end if they don’t win the tournament title. Go figure. *** With Westwood about 20 minutes away from downtown, traffic permitting, everyone was expecting it to be a pro-Bruin crowd. Think again. The Arizona faithful is out in full force. The Wildcats’ fans are going wild already. *** Behind the hot-shooting of three-point specialist Michael Roll, UCLA  jumps out to a 7-2 lead at the first television timeout. There’s 15:51 left in the first quarter. *** Malcolm Lee gets loose in the lane and converts a nice double-clutch layup to extend the Bruins advantage to 17-11. *** Arizona answers, Derrick Williams in particular. The Pac-10 Freshman of the Year hits a bucket inside to cut the deficit to 19-13 at 8:18. *** There’s been a Jerime Anderson sighting. For the most part, he’s struggled to fit in with UCLA. That, however, hasn’t prevented him from coming in and making an impact in this game. He goes hard to the hole, is fouled in the act, and makes a tough layup in traffic. A free-throw follows, completing the three-point play. UCLA is up 22-15 with 7:40 remaining in the first half. *** Josh Fogg buries a big three for Arizona, prompting a Ben Howland to call timeout. The Wildcats trail by six points at 6:20. *** Nic Wise is nice. He makes a pair of free-throws and a runner in the lane. Arizona is still down, 33-28, at 3:10. *** Williams is putting in work. He finds Kevin Parrom cutting to the basket before the hafltime buzzer. The Wildcats are down, 37-33 at the break, but not out. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761737/game-notes-raptors-at-kings.html by Jonathan Santiago / @ITSjonsantiago Both the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors came into last night on the tail-end of a back-to-back. The Raptors, however, were coming off a more heart-wrenching loss to the Los Angeles Lakers which saw Kobe Bryant being…well, you know…Kobe Bryant. In the midst of a Playoff race, the Raptors have something to play for as the regular season winds down. They had lost six of their last seven games and stood only a half-game ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats for the sixth seed out East coming into Sacramento. But, the Kings had something to play for yesterday evening too — at least marketing wise. Last night’s game was themed “Rally for RekeROY Night”, in honor of none other than their stand-out rookie, Tyreke Evans. As expected, Evans wound up leading the rally, guiding the Kings to a 113-90 victory over the visiting Raps, tallying his first-career triple-double in the process. PRE-GAME Right from the get-go of the pre-game show, it was all about Tyreke. During the XO Crossover, one the Kings pregame entertainment mainstays, Lamont Peterson, AKA @TyrekesTrainer, sat down for a one-on-one conversation about Evans with Kings PA Announcer, Scott Moak. Fans probably couldn’t hear much of the conversation because of ARCO’s bad acoustics. Not surprisingly, Hedo Turkoglu looked at home. He exchanged pleasantries with some familiar faces who have remained with the organization since his departure. He also received the largest applause during team introductions from the ARCO crowd, as most players do from that golden era of Kings basketball. FIRST HALF NOTES For the Raptors, the first half was characterized by missed opportunities. By the five minute mark of the first quarter, the Raptors were shooting a blistering 69 percent. They didn’t have trouble executing their offense, scoring early in the shot clock. But, they never got on a scoring run to capitalize on the Kings porous defense. Their lead never ballooned to double-digits, peaking at nine. And at halftime they were only up by five. On the other hand, the Kings were unable to score — no credit necessary to the Raptors defense. Sacramento simply missed easy buckets in the paint during the first quarter and settled for jumpers in the second, resulting in shooting 39.1 percent from the field. It wasn’t a great first half for Evans, just making 3-9 shots and only attempting four free throws. But with less than three minutes to go in the second quarter while driving to the hoop, Evans hit a ridiculous behind-the-backboard shot and was fouled in the process by Chris Bosh. It took the referees a few moments of deliberation to finally count the basket. But this bucket seemed to get Evans on track en route to his first-career triple-double. First-Half Bullets " I haven’t gotten a chance to see much of DeMar DeRozan this season. But for the most part, he looked comfortable out there on both ends of the floor. Starting at the two for the Raptors had him matched-up against Evans. He did what he could to keep the leading Rookie of the Year candidate from getting to the basket. " During a timeout with 2:56 left to go in the first quarter, former NBA All-Star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson addressed the crowd. He gave a spiel on why the city needs to rally around Tyreke’s rookie of the year campaign. He mentioned good rookies in both Golden State and Milwaukee. No love for NOLA, KJ? " During a few timeouts, in accordance with the Reke ROY theme, Kingsvision featured canned interviews of various NBA personalities speaking highly of Evans’ ability. Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Roy and Jason Kidd were some of the players beaming positives about the Kings rookie’s game. Even good old Craig Sager, in a purple suit no less, gave his two cents on the leading candidate. SECOND HALF NOTES Facing only a five-point deficit, the Kings looked confident right out of the halftime gate. They scored 10 unanswered points in less than two minutes, taking advantage of fast-break opportunities. The Kings also moved the ball better, leading to improved shot attempts. By midway through the third, the Kings wound up shooting a higher percentage than the Raptors. They would finish shooting 50.5 percent from the field to the Raptors 43.9 for the game. Bosh was ineffective in the first-half for the Raptors. But he was completely shut-down in the second. A play indicative of his rough night came in the fourth quarter when he established himself perfectly in the paint underneath the basket. Despite Bosh’s effort to get in ideal position, Kings forward Jason Thompson made an even better play, breaking up the intended pass from the Raptors Andrea Bargnani then running the floor to finish the fast break with a layup. Around the same time, a fan sitting behind me wondered aloud, “How’d this turn into such an a** whooping?” Toronto’s defense, which I mentioned earlier had nothing to brag about in the first half, broke down in the third and fourth quarters. As the Kings picked up the tempo and started making baskets they should’ve made in the first half, the Raptors simply couldn’t keep pace. Second Half Bullets " Though the night belonged to Evans, Kings point guard Beno Udrih shined as well. He finished with 24 points on 10-14 shooting, 8 assists and only 2 turnovers. That performance earned him the post-game radio interview. " Throughout most of the game, the Kings entertainment crew tried to lead chants of R-O-Y in honor of Evans. The crowd didn’t seem very into it in the first half but bought in during the second when, of course, the Kings started winning. The Portland Trailblazers come into town on Friday. They might want to drop that R-O-Y chant by then. " In the game’s final two minutes, Evans grabbed his tenth rebound and notched his tenth assist. He pumped his fist after teammate Francisco Garcia sunk a 17-foot jumper to seal the deal on his first career triple-double. 19, 10 and 10 may not be as eye-popping as 36, 13 and 10. But at 20, five and five all season long, Evans’ first triple-double is just the icing on the cake for an ROY trophy that’s his for the taking. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1761498/spike-lees-conundrum.html Spike Lee is almost defined by his love of the Knicks. He wrote a book about it, in fact, and essentially represents "the Knicks" in a story about that team's greatest rivalry of the last twenty years. But he's from Brooklyn. So what is the world like for him in a world with an NBA team based in Brooklyn? Is it really even possible the Knicks' best-known fan would ditch the Knicks? It'll be interesting to see how the award-winning director plays it. Curbed.com is doing a nice and slightly PG-13 job of liveblogging the Barclays Center groundbreaking in Brooklyn. Blogger Joey notes that the lobster roll sliders being served at the ceremony are very nice, that Mayor Bloomberg may or may not have taken a brief nap in his chair, that David Stern is reportedly a no-show and that ... there's a nice seat reserved at the press conference for Spike Lee. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760936/heat-forward-wright-charged-dui.html Miami Beach police say Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760935/heat-f-wright-charged-dui-ap.html Miami Beach police say Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Wright was stopped around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, then booked. Bond was set at $1,000, according to Miami-Dade County corrections officials. The team did not have an immediate comment, and Wright did not return a message left on his cell phone Thursday afternoon. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760934/slamadaday-meyers-leonard-on-matt-moran.html Aggrey Sam introduced you to incoming Illini Meyers Leonard of Robinson (IL) High in Ish 133. Time to get re-acquainted with this super-athletic 7-footer (click here for another angle): Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760830/police-say-miami-heats-dorell-wright-charged-drunken-driving.html Miami Beach police say Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760829/heat-forward-wright-charged-dui.html Miami Beach police say Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760828/chris-mannix-newest-mavs-fill-in-missing-pieces.html The Mavericks are undoubtedly the hottest team right now, but we've seen them in this position before, only to lose it in the playoffs. Asks Chris Mannix, can this team make it last? Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760827/miami-f-wright-charged-dui-early-thursday.html MIAMI (AP) -- Miami Beach police say Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760826/barkley-says-kobe-nowhere-near-mj.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760825/cuban-considered-tearing-down-before-trade.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760824/heat-f-dorell-wright-charged-dui.html Miami Beach police say Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760823/following-nets-getting-to-10.html Filed under: Nets DALLAS -- For a few teams, reaching the 10-win plateau was a piece of cake. Take the Phoenix Suns for example. On Nov. 17, they became the first team to win 10 games this season and it took them a mere 12 games to do it. For others it was a struggle. The Minnesota Timberwolves won their 10th game this season on Jan. 29. But for 29 of 30 NBA teams, the 10th win of the season can be described in the past tense. Not for the New Jersey Nets. For them, on March 11, getting No. 10 is a goal for the immediate future. As you know, the Nets are the sole straggler as they sit at 7-57 after a loss in Dallas on Wednesday night. Their .109 winning percentage puts them on pace to win 8.9 games and puts them on the wrong side of history, one-tenth of a win shy of the NBA's worst-ever record, 9-73 by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. If it feels as if the Nets have been winning nine-tenths of a game lately its because they've played tough, but ultimately fallen short. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760822/bill-walton-trivia.html As I learned from reading Jackie MacMullan's When the Game Was Ours, the night after winning a title with the Celtics in 1986, Bill Walton spent the night alone, in someone else's kitchen, listening to the Grateful Dead and sipping Wild Turkey. Who's kitchen was it? Answer after the jump.(Read full post) Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760821/big-east-live-blog-quarters.html by Adam Fleischer and Tzvi Twersky Welcome to Madison Square Garden, the house that Willis Reed, Earl Monroe and other great (read: winners) Knicks built. The same house that is currently being sustained by Chris Duhon and Al Harrington’s (read: not winners) bricks.The house that, aside from a statistically amazing performance or three from visiting players, hasn’t been home to much great ball in a long while. We’re not here for the Knicks, though. We’re here for college ball, for Big East Tourney ball. And when the Big East is is in the casa, great games usually are, too. It was just a year ago today that one of the greatest college games ever was played right here at the Garden. We’re not guaranteeing a classic like that will be played here today, but if we don’t get at least one tight game, we’ll be uber-surprised. So, with the regular season in the rearview, and with Tourney bids and seeds on the line, join us as we bring you updates live from Day 3 of the Big East Tourney. No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 1 Syracuse *So we’re finally here. Well, we’ve actually been here since the start of the first game, but security gave us issues. Actually, I don’t want to sell out the good folks who run security at the Garden like that, the Big East gave us flack (something about no credentials for today’s games). The inept $$ grubbing corporation, masquerading as an organization that helps student-athletes, had told us on Monday that we were credentialed for today. Whoops. Guess they dropped the ball on us, but I’m sure they think it’s cool because we’re only SLAM. Well, guess what? It’s not cool. Yes, they finally let us in the building. No, they still don’t have seats for us. So we’re seating here in the media room–thanks for the cake and cookies, Big East–missing a great game. I hope they’ll straighten this out before the Villanova-Marquette game at 2, and maybe then I’ll feel bad about calling ‘em out like this. But someone had to let them know I ain’t playing; Syracuse and Georgetown are, and I’m missing it. I usually don’t like to write when I’m steamed, but I’ll make an exception here. Thanks for everything so far, Big East. I really appreciate it. *The score at the half is 40-37, Cuse is on top. Of course, I haven’t seen a second of it. Been here squabbling with the Big East, trying to find a place to rest my bag. Oh, as for “Celebrity Spotting,” bumped into Steve Kerr and a dude who I think was Felipe Lopez. *So we’re in What’s-our-next-move mode. Should we try  to squat seat somehwere deep in the ‘bleeds for the second half? Should we chill in the media room ’til the Nova-Marquette game and then try to make our move? Or, and this is a tempting option, should we jet across the street to a bar and at least enjoy some suds. I mean, once we’re watching the game on TV, may as well do it from a bar stool. Right? *Also, and take notes here kids: It sucks to watch a game on TV from inside the arena where it’s being played. The eight or so second tape-delay is so effing notiecable (read: annoying). I wish I could gamble on games tape-delay style. I’d always know the scorer of the next bucket. *Older media types always look at me dirty? Is it cause I’m young? Cause I have hair? Cause they’re scared I’m gonna hook up with their daughters? I’m a good guy; get to know me. I don’t hate you. Don’t hate me. Thanks! *”Bitter much? Not really. Bitter lots. Consider this a free therapy session for me. *I’m now sure of two things: a) Few people even bother to read the blog updates (which is totally understandable). b) We’re missing a stellar game. G’town up 3. *Watching the game on a TV similar to the one I had in my crib growing up. It’s kinda small and the images are a little snow flaky. All good, though. As an aside: I’m about to start writing this week’s newsletter. If you don’t get SLAM’s weekly Friday letter, sign up on the homepage. You don’t know what you’re missing. *A lot of cute shorties here. May have to be a player and throw some game. I’ma give Wesley Johnson a run for best player in the house. *Cuse’s big man Arinze Onuaku was just helped off the court after injuring his leg. Will give you updates as they come. *Just under 5 minutes left in the game, 73-70 G’town’s in the driver’s seat. *If anyone reading this (is anyone reading this?) is a fan of the A-10 conference, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a great piece on Temple’s Lavoy Allen. It’s worth a minute of your time. Check it here… *I’m in the link sharing mood now, so for you Cuse fans out there, here’s a piece that people here are raving about. It’s all about last year’s 6-OT thriller against UConn. *This game seemed just about over…until Cuse just pulled up and hit a three. G’town up four, 51 seconds to play. Turn the game on now! Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760820/wisdom-jerry-sloan.html by Bryan Crawford Turnover is becoming more and more common in professional sports these days. The NBA is no exception. In fact, the NBA may have more turnover than any other professional sports league around. In this league, players change uni's, coaches change benches, and GM's get fired on the regular. It's a never ending carousel, except when you're talking about the Utah Jazz and Jerry Sloan. Since 1988, Sloan has been the man on the sidelines in Salt Lake City. In his 22 years as coach of the Jazz, he's only missed the playoffs three times. In 25 years of coaching in the NBA, with the exception of the year he was fired in Chicago during the '81-82 season, he's only missed the playoffs four times. The rest of his resume you can look up on your own, but that's not only longevity, that's a lot of Ws. How he's never won a COY award is beyond me, but that's another story. Last year he received a much bigger honor when he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame with a legendary class that included David Robinson, C. Vivian Stringer, Michael Jordan, and his former point guard, John Stockton. Soon to be 68 years young in a couple of weeks, Sloan has probably forgotten more basketball than many of us even think we know. But despite his age, no one views him as someone whose time should be up. When you're winning with the consistency that he has, those types of thoughts and arguments just don't hold up. His recipe for success? Well, he's from the old school. The old, old school. He does things the only way he knows how to do them, the way they were done when he was a player. Take into consideration that the Utah Jazz are the only team in the NBA with a curfew on the road. And not a "curfew,” but an up-and-down-the-hallway knocking on your door curfew. These are grown men making millions of dollars yet when they come to your town don't expect to see any of them experiencing the local night life. And if you do happen to catch one of them out, you'd better get your autographs and your pictures while you can because I can guarantee you they won't be wherever you are for very long. So how does Sloan do it? How does he manage to hold down the same job when a guy like Larry Brown-who's only been coaching for three seasons longer than he has-is on his ninth team? And how does he maintain longevity and stability when change is such a constant? "There are coaches who are a lot better than I am that have gotten fired, I know that for a fact,” said Sloan. "I don't know if [teams] have the staying power to try and keep a guy as long as I've been able to keep my job in Utah. Our ownership has been supportive and when y'all [the media] get a little rough on coaches, a lot of [owners] cave in. Ours never caved in.” That last comment addressed what has been the topic of discussion for a very long time and it's either widely agreed upon or dismissed altogether and that is the notion the media has the power to actually get coaches fired. But when you have a career winning percentage of .603, TWO losing seasons in a quarter century, and a run of fifteen straight playoff appearances, when a guy like Jerry Sloan hits a rough patch, a writer who calls for his job could very well end up losing theirs. His resume demands that you give him an opportunity to get things back in order. "[Winning] is a lot easier when you have good players. I lost 56 games when we didn't [have good players]. That's common sense. You can't be a good team unless you have good players. You have to have good players. I've been fortunate to have good players for a long period of time and when we lost those guys [John Stockton and Karl Malone] we had to start all over. But the job still remains the same. That doesn't change. You have to coach whoever's there and try to get them to play as well as they can. And that's why sometimes, you have losing teams.” He also feels coaches should be given a chance to prove something to the players who are essentially seen as the proverbial inmates running the asylum. "I think [sticking with a coach] would send a message to the players. Players [feel like] 'I don't have to play for this guy so when the next guy comes in, I'll wait and play for him.' It's an attitude that players have.” And how does he deal with that kind of attitude from guys? "I tell our players I'm gonna be here and you may not.” End of discussion. "I've been really fortunate that [Larry Miller] gave me an opportunity to say that when he first started out [as team owner]. Coaches are going to be here, players are expendable,” offered Sloan. "That's very difficult to say because you've got a lot of great players and as soon as something goes wrong it's usually the coaches fault and I accept that. But you have to have support. If you don't have support [from management] then you don't have a fighting chance.” He also has a soft spot for coaches who aren't given a chance to prove their worth due to a lack of organizational support. "I feel bad for coaches that do a good job and really don't get an opportunity to coach. They probably deserve [an opportunity] as much as anybody... It's a tough job to coach a team in this league day-in and day-out and try to be able to do what you think is reasonable within the team concept.” How long Jerry Sloan will continue to coach is a question only he can answer and one I dare not ask. But one thing is for certain, when he does hang up his whistle and his whiteboard, it'll be on his own terms and he's earned the right to do so. When a conversation about great NBA coaches comes up, he may not get name dropped as often as guys like Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, or Red Auerbach; but that's only because he hasn't won an NBA championship and he coaches in Salt Lake City, Utah which isn't exactly the same as coaching in LA, Boston, New York, or Chicago. But a championship wouldn't be enough to cement his legacy anyway. It would be mere decoration in the larger story of the man from tiny McLeansboro, IL whose life and legacy will be defined by one thing. Loyalty. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760302/definitive-analysis-knicks-season.html by Matt Lawyue / @mlawyue Knickled & Dimed List -See Above Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760217/performance-enhancing-drugs-in-nba.html The party line has always been that there are not a lot of performance enhancing drugs in the NBA, because they wouldn't help much in the NBA. When people say "the kind of bulk people get from steroids isn't handy in the NBA" it's not enough. Did you notice that in baseball, a lot of the drug cheats turned out to be those skinny little pitchers? Not to mention, there are far more PEDs these days than anabolic steroids. Human growth hormone, genetic therapies ... I don't know if there are a lot of PEDs in the NBA or not, but I do know what I have never been inclined to follow the argument that it's safe to assume there are not. I'm also not sold that players would get caught (cheating techniques are ever evolving, and exceedingly tough to test for in every sport), or the argument that players are too scared to mess with their bodies in that way. NBA players have tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. There are drugs, these days, that help people recover between contests. Think about how great that would be? There are gene therapies that help mice gain the exact kind of muscle people are working hard for in NBA weight rooms. Not to mention -- what about stimulants? Wouldn't a little extra energy be handy on those nights when you just don't have it? All that leaves me open to the idea that it's not a pervasive problem, but hungry to understand how that could be so. And that's hard to come by. But this past weekend, on a panel about performance enhancements at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Steve Kerr did more than anyone ever has to make me feel like there's some real reason to believe PED use is not pervasive. Consider: Kerr admitted that late in his career, he used Vioxx, and found it to be a performance enhancer. They cycled the doses, so he was on it sometimes, and off other times. He found that when he was on it, he was a better player. Admitting that gives him some credibility. This was not going to be a whitewash. Kerr is the president of the Suns. In that role, his most precious assets are the players he knows well and cares about. He has a real interest in keeping them healthy, long-term. Kerr was notably terrified when Tom Gugliotta nearly died after some amateurish supplementing with combinations of things he bought for himself at GNC. Gugliotta collapsed, and the proper treatment was only discovered once his wife had been consulted, and was able to supply a precise list of the things that he had been taking, which informed the doctors in how to treat the collapse. From that moment on, Kerr says he has been convinced that, for safety reasons, he is adamant that the team's medical staff needs to know everything every player is taking. He's convincing on this point, I think he really believes that. OK, so, you take all of those points, each of which is intuitive and believable out of Kerr's mouth. And then let me add one more element, which is circumstantial and potentially meaningless. But consider that the bunch of players Kerr manages were also the stars of the last book to really dig deep and first-hand into an NBA team -- Jack McCallum's "Seven Seconds or Less." Kerr wasn't running the Suns then, but he was involved. Most teams won't give anyone that kind of access, no matter what. But the Suns did. McCallum was all over that team for the better part of a season. If Kerr is right, that in a post-Gugliotta collapse world, teams want to know who's taking what, would anyone in their right mind have invited a writer to crawl all over the team and potentially discover a secret that more than a few people might know about? It's weak as proof the NBA is clean. But it's meaningful as a glimpse into the kind of thinking that could keep NBA players clean, despite omnipresent pressure to seek out each and every competitive advantage. I come away from the PEDs panel genuinely convinced that Steve Kerr does not think he's running a team of drug cheats, and that he believes being cavalier about such things is potentially a matter of life and death. That's no proof the league is clean, but it's something. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1760216/king-rock.html by Wendell Maxey The smile on Carl Landry's face said it all. "You can't hold me,” Landry warned Sacramento Kings assistant coach Truck Robinson, as the two battled in the post during pregame warm-ups at the Rose Garden. It was about an hour before tip-off against the Portland Trail Blazers and the newest member of the Kings was holding court on the one of the best power forwards in the NBA in the late 70s and early 80s. Truck can still roll and he wasn't afraid to remind the kid either. Landry replied with the truth. "They want me to be an All-Star,” Landry barked at Robinson as the two joked and jawed. "I'll get that call.” Back in February with the NBA trade deadline looming, Landry received a different kind of call - four of them to be exact from his agent, Buddy Baker. The Houston Rockets had just finished a game in Milwaukee - Landry's hometown - against the Bucks and when the team plane finally touched down in Houston two and a half hours later, the 6-9 forward saw four "missed calls” from Baker on his cell phone. That's when Landry knew something was up. That's when the smile left his face. "The trade deadline was the next day at 3 o'clock and we all knew the Rockets were trying to trade Tracy (McGrady) and that someone else was going to be involved in the trade, but we didn't know who it was going to be,” Landry remembered. "I didn't hear my name at all, especially in a trade.” Now three weeks after Sacramento acquired Landry in a three-team deal that sent McGrady to New York and Kevin Martin to the Rockets, the ear to ear grin has returned. Carl has officially moved on from Houston, despite knowing how he went from a second-round hopeful out of Purdue back in 2007 to one of the League's most efficient — albeit still underappreciated — forwards in the game. "I believe everything happens for a reason. My opportunity is here. My opportunity came in Houston because Yao (Ming) went down. I went from being nothing to a name in the NBA, and they (Houston) gave me a chance and a second chance. But it's time to move on. My dream was never to play for the (Charlotte) Bobcats (who pursued Landry last offseason) or the Rockets or anything like that. My dream was to play in the NBA. And I knew when I got the chance to play here in Sacramento that it was going to be great.” After the adjustment to a new city and new system, Landry is picking up where he left off with the Rockets. He played two games with the Kings even before getting a chance to practice with the team, but has scored 20 or more points in three of the last five games and has grabbed eight or more rebounds in five of last seven games. One of those games was against his former teammates. Landry went for 22 points and 10 rebounds last week at Houston. Still, there was some uneasiness. "To go back and play against those guys was weird. It was like going up against your brothers. It's part of the game.” Already in this short time, the Kings have come to love Landry's game. "Carl pretty much gives everybody fits. He knows his way around the low post and is explosive. He's already made a name for himself in this league only in his third season. He's competitive and has a real skilled offensive package. Carl's our best low post player, no question about that,” said head coach Paul Westphal. Landry now gives Sacramento a legit low post presence on a team so perimeter oriented, a facet the Kings have seriously lacked in years past. "That's a real postman we can get the ball to - not taking anything away from JT (Jason Thompson) or Spencer (Hawes) - but he's a banger,” Tyreke Evans began. "He got his teeth knocked out and shot in the leg and still came back. Anytime you have a guy like that, you're going to take advantage of it.” While Landry continues to put up numbers (16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in 63 games between Houston and Sacramento), he's looking forward to playing with and off Evans, a guy Carl believes will be NBA Rookie of the Year. "It's a privilege to play with him - a big guard who go down low and score. I don't only think I'm going to make him better with my experience, but he's going to make me better,” Landry admitted. "The opportunity is great here and I get the chance to start and showcase my talents to the League a little bit more.” Sitting at his locker with an ice pack on each knee, Landry fielded post-game questions with reporters about another night at the office - this time finishing with 17 points and 8 rebounds in a loss to Portland. As Carl reminisced about where he's been this season and where he'd like to go in this League in the coming years, Truck Robinson sat on a black folding chair to Landry's left tipping back a bag of popcorn into his mouth. Truck looked on and listened in, but he's heard the kid loud and clear before. "Everyone in this locker room hopes one day to be an All-Star, and I think I'm growing closer and closer each year,” Landry said with a smile. "Hopefully in the near future I'll be there.” Wendell Maxey is a freelance writer and has covered the NBA for the past six years from New York to Portland. A contributing writer for USA TODAY, Wendell can be read more at www.beyondthebeat.net. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1759695/kevin-durant-on-his-love-for-okc.html Durant tells his local paper that one of the reasons he’s fallen in love with the city, is the overall small-town vibe, which he digs. That, and the free cookies and candy: “I was watching the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson documentary the other day,’ Durant said. ‘I?m similar to Bird. I like being at home. I like staying at my mom?s house and her cooking. That?s the kind of person I am. I?m not into the big city lights and the paparazzi, that type of stuff. I just love playing basketball and chillin? out.’ In the HBO documentary Durant referred to, Bird was comfortable in French Lick, Ind., while Johnson preferred the constant entertainment in Hollywood. ‘I can relate to both of those guys ? Magic Johnson for how much he loves the game and his enthusiasm for the game and Larry Bird for how laid back and relaxed he is,’ Durant said. ‘That?s the kind of guy I am off the court. I?m good in Oklahoma City. I love it here. I like going outside and seeing the neighbors and they say, ?Hello.? They make me cookies and give me Skittles. There are cities you may not get that.?’ Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1759554/knicks-losing-in-depressing-historic-fashion.html Well, at least these Knicks will always be remembered. Too bad it’s for something truly shameful, as the NY Post details: “It was another night filled with setbacks as the Knicks fell apart late and fell to 22-42, officially securing their franchise-record ninth straight losing season.  Now Walsh is a full-fledged part of the darkest era in Knicks history. This sad period has topped the eight straight losing seasons from 1959 to 1967. From Scott Layden to Isiah Thomas to Walsh, the Knicks have mastered the art of losing. Soon they will attempt to lure free agents, carrying a losing culture imbedded into the Garden hardwood. Curry is the era’s poster boy — and it’s a large poster — of this wasted era. Curry and David Lee are the longest-tenured Knicks, now part of five straight losing seasons.” Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1759114/day-135-170-i-win-for-me.html Line of the Night: Jason Kidd (1.31). Playing his former team in the Nets, Kidd finished with 20 points, 9 assists and 4 steals in 44 minutes on the court. He was also 5-8 from three in the game as the Mavs won 96-87. This brings up the interesting question, after being left for dead [...] Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1759113/marc-cuban-considered-blowing-up-mavs.html According to sources, Marc Cuban considered exploding the roster prior to the blockbuster deal for Caron Butler and Brenden Haywood. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1759112/slamadaday-jr-smith-360-alleyoop.html This space is normally reserved for humiliating facial dunks, but what J.R. Smith did last night was simply too filthy not to get properly featured: Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere