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Andrew Bynum: Overseas Knee Surgery Shouldn’t Scare 76ers Fans

Aug 142012

Anytime you see the words “knee injury” associated with your star player, the typical response is one of panic.

Andrew Bynum is a different story.

The newest member of the Philadelphia 76ers is reportedly undergoing an “experimental procedure” on his knee in Germany next month according to a source who spoke with John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It’s the same surgery that Kobe Bryant, Grant Hill and Alex Rodriguez have endured in the past, and the reviews have been strong. Bryant, who played in 70 games in last year’s 66-game slate and two rounds of playoffs, still looked healthy competing in the Olympics this summer.

According to Mitchell, it sounds like that was the main reason why he decided to go through with the procedure (via Philly.com):

According to the source, Bynum was so impressed with the results that Bryant experienced last season that he agreed that exploring the procedure was a viable option.

Bynum has undergone surgery on both of his knees in the past and has played in all 82 games only once in his seven-year professional career. The report states that it may be on either one or both of his knees.

Obviously the surgeries haven’t done the trick completely in the past, so might as well try your luck with a procedure that some of the greatest athletes of all-time have tried out.

Mitchell provides a brief description of the procedure, which is called Orthokine/Regenokine (via Philly.com):

The procedure is a derivation of platelet-rich plasma therapy, or PRP. The procedure, which is not yet performed in the United States, is less invasive than many, if not all, other forms of knee surgeries presently used.

Bynum is coming off a season in which he averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds in 35.2 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers, which were career highs across the board. His knees are getting stronger, and getting this procedure done should be looked at as insurance more than anything else.

He’ll be 25 when the season starts and is looking to have his best season yet. Not only is Bynum trying to impress a new fan base and city, but Bynum is also entering a contract year. He’s looking to get Dwight Howard money, and needs a season of 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks to do it.

This procedure is a preventive measure to ensure he is built to last for the entire season. The 76ers are a serious contender in the Eastern Conference this season, and need a full season of Bynum to fully reach their potential.

This is Bynum’s way of telling fans he wants to have strong and healthy knees deep into the summer. In the grand scheme of things for the 76ers 2012-13 season, today’s news is an encouraging development.

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Knicks Rumors: Best Remaining Options to Shore Up Perimeter Defense

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Jul 242012

The New York Knicks have yet to find a player to fill the shoes of Iman Shumpert for the first half of the season, and the options are beginning to dwindle.

With the 39-year-old Jason Kidd and the inconsistent Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith on board, they need to bolster their defense on the perimeter.

With little more than the veteran’s minimum left to offer, the Knicks are sifting through the bargain bin.

So who is still available?

ESPN New York’s Jared Zwerling has laid out multiple options who are “likely on the Knicks’ radar.” They include: Sonny Weems, Matt Barnes, Ronnie Brewer, Carlos Delfino, Randy Foye and C.J. Miles.

Going off that list, here are the three top free agent options best suited for what the Knicks need to ensure they don’t get passed by the Brooklyn Nets in the Big Apple.

Ronnie Brewer

This is the ideal fit for the Knicks.

Brewer ranked 10th among shooting guards in steals last season with 1.09. It’s a testament to his quick feet and terrific anticipation in the passing lanes.

At 6’7’’, he has a height advantage over almost every other player at his position, and that led to 3.5 rebounds a night in only 24.8 minutes last year with the Chicago Bulls.

He certainly doesn’t have the prettiest jump shot, but he doesn’t need to on this Knicks team. They need defense and Brewer can provide it at a cheap price.

Sonny Weems

You may have forgotten about Weems after he played overseas in Lithuania this past season because of the lockout.

He averaged 9.2 points in the 2010-11 season for the Toronto Raptors, but he isn’t a great shooter (44 percent in his career). What Weems brings to the table is impressive athleticism that allows him to be an above-average defender with the ability to effectively defend opposing point or shooting guards.

Yet the 26-year-old suffered a brutal left ankle injury in March, and it remains to be seen if he is going to be 100 percent ready to go by the beginning of the season.

Not the best option, but Weems can certainly be an asset to this Knicks team.

C.J. Miles

The seven-year veteran certainly fits in with the Knicks’ aging backcourt, and he is the best offensive player on the list.

Then again, a career 41 percent volume shooter is not exactly what the Knicks need from this position.

His defense is merely average, and if he could never average more than 25 minutes a night for the Utah Jazz, it’s hard to see him getting any better.

Not a great fit.

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Knicks Rumors: Cross off Mickael Pietrus from New York’s Wish List

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Jul 192012

The New York Knicks are still short on perimeter defenders, and it looks as if finding a solid one is going to be a rather daunting task.

One potential option, who has playoff experience and would come at a cheap price, is former Boston Celtic Mickael Pietrus.

Not so fast.

Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York reports that Pietrus will not be playing in Madison Square Garden:

Count Mickael Pietrus out for #Knicks. He has a “huge” offer overseas but wants to play for an NBA playoff team for more than vet’s minimum.

— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) July 19, 2012

Was it a subtle jab suggesting the Knicks aren’t a playoff team? Or was it more about the money?

Either way, he is another player to delete from the list. With the roster currently at 13, and Iman Shumpert not expected to return until January, the only guards on the roster are Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni and J.R. Smith.

Unless Prigioni is the next great defensive star, perimeter defense is going to be a glaring weakness until Shumpert returns.

Zwerling suggested Ronnie Brewer, Maurice Evans, Sonny Weems, Marco Belinelli, Carlos Delfino and Jodie Meeks as potential targets who could fit in New York.

The Knicks are looking to offer one of the above-mentioned players roughly $1.4 million (via Zwerling), which means they’ll have to really sell the whole “playing at Madison Square Garden” card. That can lead to mixed results, as not everybody wants to be in the spotlight.

Brewer and Delfino are the best options due to their defense, but both could likely land more money somewhere else.

You also have to wonder what players around the league are thinking about the Knicks, specifically owner James Dolan, after the Jeremy Lin debacle. Could that scare off a guy who was considering a pay cut to join the team?

The ripple effect may have already been felt with the decision of Pietrus. He is the stout defender that the Knicks desperately needed.

Shumpert was one of the more underrated players in the league last season, and unless the Knicks can bring on more help on defense, it’s going to be rough sledding for the first two months of the season.

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Phil Jackson Interested in Joining Blazers in Non-Coaching Capacity

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Jul 162012

Phil Jackson may be back in the NBA for the 2012-13 season.

Jason Quick of The Oregonian is reporting that a source close to the 66-year-old believes he is willing to join the Portland Trail Blazers in a role that doesn’t involve coaching.

The source thinks Jackson can still provide a lot to the club without patrolling the bench (via The Oregonian):

Phil would be interested in talking about a possible role in the organization. My sense is there is a lot Phil can offer by being there, be it handling players, advising trade scenarios, managing coaching staff … I think he would be a tremendous adviser to the owner.

Owner Paul Allen has yet to comment on Jackson, and the team hasn’t reached out to him, according to the report.

While Blazers fans may already be dreaming of a scenario where Jackson regains the itch and decides to coach, the source close to Jackson believes that won’t be happening (via The Oregonian):

We told them he didn’t want to be head coach, but that we had interest in Phil speaking with Paul. Is that door still open? That’s up to Paul Allen. But Phil is open to a conversation.

The ball is now in Allen’s court, and it will be an interesting development in the next few days to see if a conversation between the two will be conducted. It would appear that Jackson gave this “source” permission to leak the information in a clear attempt to grab the attention of Portland.

Anytime you can get a man who has won 11 NBA championships to work for your organization, you have to do it. Then again, how much does Jackson know about scouting and working in the personnel department?

That’s the question Portland will be asking if they do decide to sit down with the Zen Master.

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Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Rockets Reportedly Form New Proposal to Land D12

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Jul 132012

The Houston Rockets just won’t give up.

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford, the Rockets have created a new trade proposal to entice the Orlando Magic into trading Dwight Howard.

This time, they are willing to absorb even more long-term salary commitments.

According to the report, ESPN’s sources claim Houston is now willing to take on the contracts of forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis and guards Jason Richardson and Chris Duhon, while also handing over at least one future first-round pick and one or more of the three players (Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, Terrence Jones) Houston selected in last month’s NBA draft.

Orlando would essentially be hitting the “restart button” on their franchise with the enormous amount of cap flexibility this potential deal would give them, in addition to multiple first-round picks in the 2013 draft.

According to the report, Houston is offering some variation of Kevin Martin, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris and Chandler Parsons Orlando’s way to ensure the salary-cap math works out.

The Rockets were able to absorb more salary after today’s official announcement that they used the amnesty clause on Luis Scola (per the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen), which frees up $21 million over the next three years.

It’s been a busy Friday for Houston, who also signed free-agent guard Jeremy Lin to a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet, which is expected to be matched by the New York Knicks (per Newsday‘s Al Iannazzone). They now have three days to do it.

Despite Howard’s insistence that he’ll only sign a long-term deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is convinced he can persuade Howard to stay past the 2012-13 season.

Houston has clearly been constructing its team around a potential Howard trade for some time now, and it currently has the best offer on the table.

Previously, there had been reports that the Rockets would merely be the third wheel in a deal for Howard, with the Magic star heading to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Rockets acquiring Andrew Bynum.

This latest potential deal would strictly be between the Magic and the Rockets.

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Celtics Rumors: Boston Should Avoid Inconsistent Courtney Lee

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Jul 132012

The Boston Celtics may be licking their wounds over the loss of Ray Allen to their arch-rival Miami Heat, but that doesn’t mean they should overreact and add unnecessary payroll while surrendering draft picks in the process.

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, free agent guard Courtney Lee has spoken with coach Doc Rivers about heading to Beantown.

Rivers and Lee both have mutual interest, according to the report.

The problem is, the Celtics couldn’t afford Lee under the new salary cap rules, which means they’d have to conduct a sign-and-trade with Lee’s team last year: the Houston Rockets.

Considering how much Rockets general manager Daryl Morey loves acquiring draft picks, that would likely be the asking price as they continue to push for Dwight Howard. With Lee telling The Globe that eight teams are interested in his services, a bidding war may be on the horizon.

Lee isn’t worth draft picks.

Lee is coming off a disappointing season in which he averaged 11.4 points and only 1.5 assists while shooting a career-low 43.3 percent from the field.

He is a volume shooter that doesn’t create opportunities for others, and lacks the hunger to become a decent defender. Lee is still living off his outstanding performance in the 2009 playoffs as a member of the Orlando Magic, and has shown little improvement since then.

Statistically, his best regular season was two years ago as a member of the New Jersey Nets. He has regressed ever since.

After four years in the league, it has become clear that Lee is nothing more than a jump shooter.

While his 38.6 career mark from three-point territory is a plus, he isn’t needed on this particular Celtics team.

Jason Terry is essentially a better version of Lee (and a superior shooter), Avery Bradley is poised for his breakout season next year and Keyon Dooling (if they bring him back) is a terrific backup that works well for the team while Rajon Rondo is getting a breather.

Lee is a below-average player who will cost far too much. Boston needs to pass on Lee and trust the team they already have.

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Lakers Rumors: Trade for Antawn Jamison Is Not the Solution for LA

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Jul 122012

“Antawn Jamison would put us over the top. He averaged 17 points last year! OMG OMG”—every Los Angeles Lakers fan right now.

Fans of the purple and gold are still on an unbelievable high after Steve Nash signed with their team, and now they are looking for management to go for the jugular.

According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are looking to bring in free-agent forward Antawn Jamison. ESPN Los Angelels’ Dave McMenamin adds Elton Brand and Jermaine O’Neal to the list.

While the additions of Brand and O’Neal are brand new rumors, Jamison has been linked to the Lakers for the last couple of days.

The Lakers have what Bresnahan calls a “mini” mid-level exception, which would give Jamison up to $3.1 million. If not, they could only give him the veteran’s minimum.

While the Charlotte Bobcats are also a major player to sign the hometown hero according to David Scott of the Charlotte Observer, if Jamison wants a shot at a championship then he’ll pick the Lakers.

Don’t get too excited, Lakers fans.

A year after averaging 17.2 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers, he would certainly fill the offensive void that Metta World Peace hasn’t been able to fill recently. This would be a good thing considering the Lakers averaged 97.3 points last regular season (15th in the league).

That’s not the issue here. The problem I have with Jamison going to the Lakers is how awful he’ll make the team’s defense.

Jamison is easily one of the worst veteran defenders in the NBA, and after 14 years in the league, I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to miraculously change next year.

He has weak foot speed, doesn’t anticipate opponents’ moves and isn’t exactly the most muscular player in the league.

Reading this quote that Jamison gave to Cleveland Plain Dealer before last season is really all you need to know about his defensive proficiency:

“I think defensively I have to not be a liability, and when we watch film coach can always rely on me being in the right spots and not being the teaching point of our film sessions,” Jamison said. “I think defensively letting guys know I’m not what they call a defensive specialist but just through hard work and paying attention I can improve on that.”

With Nash now on board, the defense has already taken a significant hit. Adding an even worse defender would be put far too much pressure on Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to cover for their mistakes.

The Lakers don’t need more scorers. They need guys who can rebound and provide sound defense both on the perimeter and in the paint.

Guys like Brand or O’Neal.

Brand, a 13-year veteran, averaged 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in under 30 minutes a game last year. He is one of the best at boxing out and denying offensive rebounds. O’Neal isn’t as proficient as a rebounder, but he did block 1.7 shots in only 22.8 minutes of action a night in 2011-12.

I think Brand is the better fit of the two, and is certainly a more essential acquisition than Jamison.

Bottom line: The Lakers don’t need Jamison and his defensive woes. Brand is the way to go.

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LeBron James: Winning 3 ESPY’s Solidifies Historic Run for Heat Star

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Jul 122012

The ESPY’s certainly have their flaws, but when you win three separate awards, it’s pretty clear the season you just had was rather spectacular.

LeBron James walked home with every award an NBA player could win on Wednesday night. He took home the ESPY for Athlete of the Year, Championship Performance of the Year and NBA Player of the Year.

You could also give him a healthy dose of the credit for the Miami Heat winning Team of the Year.

It’s clear the past 12 months have been the year of LeBron—no other athlete comes close.

He was the undisputed MVP of the league after averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting a blistering 53 percent from the floor in the regular season. He was a freight train with no brakes—regardless of who stood in his way.

He did all of this while getting booed relentlessly the entire season. The vast majority of fans wanted to see him fail.

For his regular season accomplishments alone, he deserved the ESPY for NBA Player of the Year

Then came the postseason.

After years of hearing yapping heads like ESPN’s Skip Bayless harp on his inability to win a title and play his best in the clutch, James proved everybody wrong with a postseason stat line that placed him alongside the all-time greats: 30.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 5.6 apg, 1.9 SPG and 50 percent shooting.

Wow.

His triple-double in the closeout Game 5 of the finals over the Oklahoma City Thunder was as “clutch” as it gets without nailing a buzzer-beater. Nobody had a bigger weight on their shoulders entering April, and LeBron shut up each and every one of his critics. And he did it with two hobbled co-stars as both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were dealing with various ailments through the postseason.

Remember his 45-point 15-rebound and 5-assist performance to stave off elimination in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals over the Boston Celtics? While it still may be fresh on our minds, I’d argue it was one of the 10 greatest postseason performances of all time.

Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal…this is the company LeBron is now in when it comes to all-time great postseason efforts.

From the scapegoat for multiple failed playoff runs to the king of the sports world, it’s been quite a year for LeBron James.

Nobody else comes even close.

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Indiana Pacers Reportedly Reach 1-Year Deal with D.J. Augustin

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Jul 122012

The Indiana Pacers have found a new point guard.

According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, the Pacers have agreed to terms with free agent D.J. Augustin:

Pacers have agreed to a 1 year deal with DJ Augustin, according to a source.

— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNBA) July 12, 2012

ESPN’s Chad Ford is reporting that the deal will pay the former Charlotte Bobcat $3.5 million.

The Pacers have to be thrilled with today’s news considering yesterday, there were multiple reports the team would have to trade Tyler Hansbrough in order to secure Augustin’s services.

But once the Bobcats signed free-agent point guard Ramon Sessions, they decided to withdraw their qualifying offer to Augustin, making him an unrestricted free agent, according to Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD. Previously he was considered a restricted free agent.

The four year veteran out of Texas is coming off a disappointing year. Augustin averaged 11.1 points while shooting only 37 percent from the floor in addition to dishing out 6.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds in just under 30 minutes a night for arguably the worst team in NBA history.

This comes a year after averaging 14-6-3 while shooting 41 percent.

The Pacers desperately needed another point guard after yesterday’s trade with Dallas that sent Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones to the Mavericks in a sign-and-trade for Ian Mahinmi.

Augustin will likely be the starter alongside George Hill in the Pacers backcourt.

The 24-year-old will be expected to contribute heavily to an Indiana Pacers team looking to improve on last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Semis, where they gave the eventual champion Miami Heat all they could handle before losing the series 4-2.

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Dallas Mavericks Agree to Contract with Veteran Chris Kaman

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Jul 112012

The Dallas Mavericks have finally found their replacement for Tyson Chandler one year later.

Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that free-agent center Chris Kaman will be headed to Dallas:

Mavericks have agreed in principle to sign center Chris Kaman, a source tells Yahoo! Sports.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 11, 2012

A mere five minutes later Kaman himself confirmed the news via Twitter:

Partnering up with @swish41 and heading to the Mavs……..

— Chris Kaman (@ChrisKaman) July 11, 2012

While the financial terms of the agreement have yet to be disclosed, ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that the deal is expected to be for one year.

The nine-year veteran and former All-Star had reportedly drawn interest from the Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings, but it’s the Mavericks who have emerged victorious.

Last season as a member of the New Orleans Hornets, the 30-year-old Kaman averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds while blocking 1.5 shots per game.

Kaman’s reference to Dirk Nowitzki’s Twitter handle in his tweet comes as no surprise. The pair competed together on the German national team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Kaman will join a Mavericks team that has been the big loser in free agency thus far.

After failing to land All-Star and Texas native Deron Williams, the team also whiffed on Jason Kidd and Steve Nash in addition to losing Jason Terry to the Boston Celtics. Dwight Howard is completely off the radar as well.

One of the glaring holes of the Mavericks last season was their weak defensive presence in the paint. Brendan Haywood has proven to be nothing more than a role player and defensive guru Shawn Marion at 6’7’’ can’t guard opposing team’s centers.

Now with the 7’0’’ Kaman on board, both the offense and defense have improved. Kaman has always been a strong offensive player in the paint, and has shown steady improvement on defense over the years.

While this may not make up for all of the other losses, Kaman will certainly make the Mavericks a better team.