Nets Want Answer from Nuggets in 24 Hours on Carmelo Anthony

How uncomfortable must it be for Devin Harris and Derrick Favors to be starting practices with the NJ Nets knowing that the team is hoping to trade you for a shot at Carmelo Anthony….

Billy King has reached the point we all were waiting for him to with the Carmelo Anthony situating dragging on as long as it has.

A Nets source said there will be a conclusion to the matter within the next 24 hours. The Nets want to know if the Nuggets are going to move on trading Anthony or keep everyone hanging. If so, King is going to remove the Nets from the talks.

The reasoning is the Nets don’t want this to linger any longer. As much as the players involved – starting point guard Devin Harris and rookie power forward Derrick Favors – say it’s not bothering them it’s cast a cloud of uncertainty over coach Avery Johnson‘s first training camp.

The proposed four-team trade has been out there since Friday. Until today, when the Nuggets, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Bobcats opened camp, the Nets were the only one of the four teams in the original deal practicing.

The Nets have praised Harris for being professional, but sources said the early practices and some meetings were awkward because guys were wondering about their future.

Read more details via Nets in the Zone

The Greg Oden Saga Continues

To say that Greg Oden has had a tumultuous start to his pro career would be putting it very lightly. Highly touted out of Ohio State, Oden had huge expectations from day one. Playing with one hand for a good portion of his freshman year in Columbus, he was hubbed as the next best big man. That was a lot of pressure to put on a guy who can barely create his own shot. He missed his entire rookie season due to microfracture surgery, then somehow managed to miraculously appear in 61 games the following year. Last season, Oden broke his right kneecap in December and missed a significant portion of the season as a result. As camps open up, Oden’s timetable for his return is still a big question mark.

At this juncture, we do know this much: he won’t be around for preseason or the start of the regular season. Speculation right now is that he may not even be on the floor until 2011. The injury that he sustained is a serious one and you hate to see that happen to anyone. Due to extended time on the shelf during his relatively short career, Oden has become somewhat of a distant memory. I can honestly say that he doesn’t cross my mind that often. I’ve become conditioned to not seeing him on the floor.

For a guy of his size and age, you definitely can’t rush him back too soon. That’s the last thing you want to do. He has missed just about as many games as he has played in his career, so you may as well keep him out until he’s really ready to go. The Blazers still managed to boast an impressive 50 – 32 record last year even with Oden in street clothes for a good portion of the season, so they’ve learned how to manage without him.

In a perfect world, Greg Oden should’ve been in Turkey this summer playing for Team USA, anchoring their frontline. He was supposed to lead the next new crop of talented big men in the NBA. Instead, his Yao Ming-esque repeated injuries to his lower extremities leaves many wondering how the Blazers could’ve passed on reigning scoring champ, Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft. Oden was averaging 11.7  points and 8.8 rebounds before his injury last year and many thought that he had finally arrived. With no timetable for his return, Blazers faithful are simply hoping for his healthy arrival this upcoming season  – whenever that may be.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook

The Hoop Doctors Podcast: Episode 030

This week on THD Podcast Kevin Burke discusses the latest happenings from around the league…

If you often find yourself too busy to watch The Hoop Doctors Podcasts, get them on the go for your iPhone or iPod! Subscribe to our Podcasts in the iTunes Directory, free of charge. Also, if you have any questions you’d like answered by Kevin or any other member of The Hoop Doctors team, feel free to email them to admin@thehoopdoctors.com and we will be sure to select the best of the best to have answered by Kevin On-Air next week or in a future episode.

Chris Bosh’s New $12 Million House in Miami [PICS]

Miami Heat big man Chris Bosh at the end of last week finalized the purchase of a 12,000-square-foot home on North Bay Road in Miami Beach. The seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion just south of La Gorce Island on North Bay Road sold for $12.5 million. The new construction features 20-foot ceilings, a gourmet kitchen, gym, elevator and an infinity pool with unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay.

After living in a modest condo in the cold winters of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada can you really blame Bosh for signing with the Heat and landing in a place like this….

Tracy McGrady Says He is Feeling Healthy in Detroit for the Pistons

Could this be just trash talk, or is McGrady really finally back to full health and fitness and ready to regain the form of the lethal scorer we once knew and loved….

Even at age 31, time was beginning to run out for Tracy McGrady.

After two seasons ruined by knee problems, McGrady approached this offseason with determination and urgency.
“I was going to work hard. I was going to give it a shot,” McGrady said. “If it didn’t work out this offseason to where I didn’t feel well, that was going to be it for me, because it was just too much to really come back from.”

Now, McGrady says he’s healthy and at ease, and he’s awaiting another chance to revive a career that once looked so promising. The two-time NBA scoring champion signed with the Detroit Pistons last month, and he’ll have a couple of new teammates who can relate to his struggles.

Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are also trying to bounce back from injury-plagued seasons, forming a potential logjam for the Pistons on the perimeter for coach John Kuester to resolve.

“Coach, he’s going to have a good time,” Hamilton said. “When you’ve got a lot of special guys that can put the ball in the basket and play … it’s a good thing for a coach. You’re never really worrying a lot.”

McGrady had major surgery on his left knee in February 2009, and a year later he was traded from Houston to the Knicks. He started all 24 games he played with New York but averaged only 9.4 points.

At Detroit’s media day Monday, McGrady described some difficult nights watching basketball and wondering what had become of his career.

“It was frustrating. There were times when I actually teared up when I was by myself. … When you go from being one of the elite players in this league and you have this injury, it’s tough,” McGrady said.

“I’ve been fighting my whole career to try to advance in the playoffs, and then an injury comes about, and I sit in Chicago and watch my team (the Rockets) advance to the second round and fight the Lakers hard in a Game 7, and I’m not able to help those guys out.”

Read more details via the AP on NBA.com

Add Dominique Wilkins to the List Confused By Lebron James to Miami

Dominique Wilkins, aka ‘The Human Highlight Reel’ was kind enough to take a few minutes out of his busy schedule to chat with The Hoop Doctors Kevin Burke at an EA Sports event in NYC this weekend.

Of course we had to hit him up on his thoughts about the ‘state of dunk’ today and the best in game dunkers. But aside from that dunk fodder we had to ask ‘Nique about Lebron James to Miami. Sorry folks who are sick of hearing about Lebron and Miami, but Dominique was one of the legends from the Jordan, Bird, Magic era that we have yet to hear from. Check out what the Human Highlight Reel thinks about LBJ to Miami:

Andrew Bynum Out Until Late November with Knee

This news story title is starting to get far too familiar for fans of the LA Lakers. Then again it could be worse, they could be fans of the Blazers Greg Oden instead…

Center Andrew Bynum, revealed he’s unlikely to play until late November while recovering from offseason knee surgery…

Bynum has a problem: He had his injured knee drained twice during the playoffs and a third time after the season, but then postponed surgery so he could make a trip to Europe and South Africa, visiting Germany and Spain before attending the World Cup with Bryant and Gasol.

“It was amazing, because I never saw to much emotion going through people,” Bynum said.

Bynum wrapped up the trip with a four-day safari. Coach Phil Jackson praised the center for indulging in life experiences that aren’t always available to a 23-year-old who joined the workforce straight out of high school.

Bynum said he delayed the surgery until late July because everybody thought his recovery would last no more than eight weeks, but his surgeon changed plans and did a more thorough procedure that requires more down time. Bynum can’t put any undue stress on his leg for another four weeks.

Read more details via the AP on Yahoo.com

The NBA to its Players: There’s No Crying in Basketball

If you’re tired of seeing players complain and cry to the refs about calls that they disagree with, you’re not alone. Apparently, so is the NBA. This coming season, the NBA will crack down on player tirades. Referees will not tolerate players lashing out or expressing themselves in a way that may be deemed as disrespectful or that may slow down the game. This means that there will be more technical fouls and subsequently, more ejections.

If this feels like Deja Vu, that ‘s because it is. The NBA tried this a few years ago. If you remember, when this league-wide mandate was put into place back in the 2006 – 2007 season, there were a bunch of technical fouls being called at the beginning of the season. But as the season progressed, that tapered off. That was partially because the players eventually filed an unfair labor practice charge against the league with the National Labor Relations Board. As a result, the whistles blew a little less.

Although this is a drop in the bucket for players around the league, players are fined $1,000 for each of their first five technicals. That increases by $500 for each tech after that. Then it is capped by a $2,500 penalty for each technical foul starting with the 16th. Then of course, a one-game suspension also comes at that point and for every tech after that.

There is going to be some gray area as far as what will earn you a tech, but here are some sure fire causes: waving off an official as a sign of disrespect, running up to an official from across the court, waving arms in disbelief or jumping up and down in disbelief, and clapping sarcastically at an official.

Addressing why the league has decided to make this initiative again, Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations stated:

“Why are we doing this? We just want to have everyone take ownership of how our game looks and the image of our game, and send a message that we want player complaining to be minimized and for everyone to have respect for the game. Our fan research shows that people think NBA players complain too much and they do so much more than players in other leagues. But that aside, in reviewing our games, what we have observed is an excessive amount of complaining to referees’ calls or non-calls.” 

I’m all for any initiative with the objective of improving the image of the league, but this is set up for failure. If this is supposed to be more strict than the mandate from a few years ago, they should allow more guys on a roster because we are going to see ejections left and right. They are asking these guys to shelve their emotions. Basketball can be a very emotional game and it’s tough to not get caught up in the moment. This is a very sticky situation. This also assumes that refs get every single call right, which we all know isn’t the case. Yes, guys do cry about calls, but if there’s a call that the a ref blatantly missed, I can’t fault a guy for getting upset. Let’s just hope ejections as a result of this don’t impact meaningful games.

And for what it’s worth, NBA players don’t necessarily complain more than other leagues. It’s just that faults of the NBA are magnified more so than any other league for whatever reason. Subtle difference.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook

Rare Footage of Kobe Bryant in High School Scoring 43 Points

We all know Kobe Bryant can get buckets, and he keeps getting better every year. After dropping 80+ in an NBA game his scoring excellence cannot be denied. But how far back does it go? When did he develop that killer instinct to not let up on the gas peddle, or to not take his foot off his opponents neck regardless of the score?

My guess is that it must have pre-dated his high school days as I just watched this very rare footage of the Black Mamba dropping 43 pieces in a high school midnight madness game for Lower Merion High….

9 Potential First Time Western Conference All Stars in ’10-’11

With the Summer almost officially over and basketball on all levels in a slow period, as we await the start of training camp, it’s time to start to prognosticate on just how the 2010-2011 NBA Season will play out. Some of the game’s best players have not only changed teams, but have completely switched conferences, consequentially shifting the balance power across the league as a few new All Star spots may now be up for grabs. Who will take advantage of all the player movement?

Previously we showed you our selections for which 9 Players Could Get Their First Eastern Conference All Star nod, so here is my list of the 9 most likely players to make a push towards grabbing their first Western Conference All Star Selection in 2011:

1) Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder – Russell is all about opportunity. After finally getting a chance to shine on the collegiate level with the unfortunate injury to Darren Collison at UCLA, he found himself in another opportunistic position after getting drafted as the heir apparent at point guard for one of the up-and-coming teams in the entire NBA. Westbrook took advantage by averaging 15.3 and 16.1 ppg in his first two seasons as a pro. This comes as a bit of a surprise since his forte has always been defense, even back to high school. He also increased his assist numbers as well from 5.3 to an impressive 8.0 last season, no doubt getting some big time help from scoring champion Kevin Durant. Westbrook also gained some national buzz after starring for USA Basketball in FIBA Worlds, and was instrumental in providing a boost off the bench for a talented US squad. Hopefully that helps Westbrook come All Star voting time.

2) Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings – It’s just logical progression to go from NBA Rookie of the Year to NBA All Star the following season. Evans will look to follow the script as he has an ever improving supporting cast forming around him in Sacramento. Getting the shot-blocking Sam Dalembert from Philly has to help Evans facilitate and run the break, which is his strong-suit. Newly drafted big man DeMarcus Cousins also will help in pick-and-roll situations as well as his securing offensive rebounds to give Tyreke other opportunities to score. Tyreke has a world renowned work ethic, as we should anticipate a gradual improvement from “Reke” on a yearly basis. The sky’s the limit, and that’s scary for the rest of the league.

3) Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors – The self proclaimed “Mississippi Bullet” has been labeled the future of Golden State basketball for a few seasons now. After averaging career highs across the board last season(25.5 ppg, 5.3 ast, 4 rebs, 2.2 stl), Ellis has established himself as one of the game’s most potent offensive scorers, and fastest players, and should garner more attention come voting time. With Steph Curry’s emergence as a prime time point guard last season as a rookie, Monta should be solidified as the starting 2 guard for the for-seeable future. With the constant feuding with Don Nelson finally over, Ellis and the franchise may finally get the chance to grow and move forward with a number of good young players, led by Ellis. Monta seems to take pride in being the best player on the court at all times, and he will be challenged at times by his own teammate(Curry), which bodes well for another probable increase in his career 18.1 ppg scoring average. Dare I say Monta challenges for a scoring title?

4) Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz – Poor Al Jefferson. The talented big man, who has been putting up some eye-popping numbers since high school(46 ppg and 20 rebs as a senior), may finally get the opportunity to make an All Star Team with a fresh start in Utah. Having one of the best young point guards in Deron Williams to dish him the rock will definitely help pad his stats and help his cause come voting time. But seriously, Jefferson has been an All Star caliber performer for a number of years now since he has averaged a double-double 3 times and 20 and 10 twice in only 6 seasons in the Association. He recovered nicely from a devastating knee injury halfway through the ‘08-’09 campaign by posting very good numbers(17.1 ppg, 9.3 rebs, 1.3 blk) last year despite a less than stellar supporting cast in Minnesota. Look for his numbers to increase, a year removed from injury, along with playing in a tried and true flex offense in Utah.

5) Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors – Steph has superstar written all over him. After struggling to find his game in the early part of last season, Steph came on strong to finish in the Top 3 in the league’s ROY voting. After already posting borderline All Star numbers last season(17.5 ppg, 5.9 ast, 4.5 rebs, 1.9 stl), Curry along with Monta Ellis will look to shoulder the scoring load in Golden State. He dispelled the notion of being to small or slight of build to succeed at the next level by being a lights out 3 point shooter, as evidence of hitting on more than 46% on treys. We’ve all heard of the sophomore slump, but Steph’s strong work ethic and determination won’t allow it.

6) Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets – As one of the under the radar surprise stories of last season, Brooks exploded for career highs of 19.6 ppg, 5.6 ast, 2.6 rebs, and .398% from behind the arc in earning the ’10  Most Improved Player Award. After taking the long road through the NBA D-League, then playing behind Rafer Alston, Brooks took full advantage of becoming the full time starter at the point in Houston. He proved to be deadly from behind the arc by becoming only the 6th player in history to make over 200 3-pointers and amass more than 400 assists in a single season. Look for his assist numbers to increase with the return of a healthy Yao Ming back in the line-up.

7) Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies – The time is now for Gay. After having yet another outstanding season averaging 19.6 ppg, 5.9 rebs, 1.5 stl, along with gaining a ton of national exposure playing for the Gold medal winning Team USA this Summer, Rudy should finally be in the All Star discussion come February. The Grizzlies organization proved that they think he is a franchise player by giving him a 5 year/$82 million extension as soon as free agency began in July. At only 23 years of age, Gay seems poised to take that next step towards becoming one of the truly great NBA superstars along with Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo.

8 ) David Lee, Golden State Warriors – Even though Lee finally got rewarded for a number of great seasons by being selected as an injury replacement for Allen Iverson for the East in last year’s All Star Game, David will try and parlay a move to Golden State into his first Western All Star Selection. David has been a double-double machine in New York, averaging the milestone in 3 of 5 seasons. He has already set a number of NY team and NBA marks by becoming the first Knick since Patrick Ewing in ‘97 to notch 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game two seasons ago, and in compiling his first ever triple-double(37 pts, 20 rebs, and 10 ast), became the first player since Kareem to record 35-20-10 in a game since 1976.  He would have gotten more exposure but an injury during the selection process kept him off of USA Basketball for FIBA Worlds.

9) LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers – Back in 2004, Shaquille O’Neal once gave LaMarcus some kindly advice as a highly touted senior graduating high school. After initially declaring for the ‘04 NBA Draft, Shaq told him to go to school(at Texas) and evaluate his Draft prospects after a few seasons. Aldridge took that advice to heart and despite overcoming a serious heart ailment in early ‘07, has steadily made strides in his all around game, reaching career highs in a number of categories last season like rebounding(8.0), assists(2.1), and 3 PT%(.313), to go along with scoring at a 17.9 ppg clip. As the 2nd option in Portland behind Brandon Roy, LaMarcus has made great strides as a passer in the post and continues to be one of the tougher frontcourt players in the league to defend because of his unique combination of size, skill, and athleticism.

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

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