HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – So much has been written and said about Jeremy Lin in the past few days that it’s hard to separate fact from fiction.
Instead of trying to decipher all of the madness, why not just let Lin speak for himself:
Category: Free Agency 2012 / Tags: , Jerermy Lin, Knicks, Rockets / 3 Comments /
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – In the wonderful world that is the never-ending Dwight Howard drama, the news one day can be debunked the very next day.
A Thursday report that suggested Howard was warming up to the idea of potentially signing a long-term extension with the Lakers, if traded there, is being refuted today by Howard’s agent, Dan Fegan, who told ESPN The Magazine‘s Ric Bucher something that totally contradicts that stance.
According to this latest report, Howard will not sign an extension anywhere, and that includes Brooklyn, the one team he has said all along was his required destination:
“Dwight’s position has remained unchanged since the end of this past season,” said Dan Fegan of LaGardere Unlimited. “He fully intends to explore free agency at the end of next season, regardless of what team trades for him, including Brooklyn.”
A source said the Nets never insisted Howard commit to an extension as a prerequisite for acquiring him, which Nets president Billy King confirmed in a text message.
Howard told the Magic, according to GM Rob Hennigan, he would like to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets above any other team. The Nets made concerted efforts to strike a deal for Howard earlier this month, but were forced to stop when the Charlotte Bobcats threatened to sign their restricted free agent center, Brook Lopez, to an offer sheet.
Category: Free Agency 2012 / Tags: , Dan Fegan, Dwight Howard, ESPN, Lakers, Magic, Nets, Ric Bucher / 214 Comments /
By Drew Packham, NBA.com
LAS VEGAS – A rookie stole the show Thursday, taking over the scoring lead and proving his doubters wrong.
Point guard Damian Lillard, who many thought was a stretch for Portland with the No. 6 pick, scored 31 points (see more below) in the most captivating performance (and 84-78 win over Atlanta), and Kemba Walker finished off the night by leading the Bobcats to a 99-86 win over the Nuggets.
Walker scored 19 points with 10 assists and had his smile and swagger going in helping his ball-hawking Bobcats improve to 4-0 with the victory. Denver’s second-year swingman Jordan Hamilton continued his impressive play, putting up 21 points and nine rebounds in the setback.
Non-rookie of the day: Walker’s double-double was impressive, but for the second straight day Tobias Harris kept up his stellar play, notching another double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) in Milwaukee’s 88-77 win over the D-League Select team. The Bucks’ sophomore looks polished and the big game follows his 24-point, 12-rebound showing on Wednesday. Other notables: Sacramento’s Jimmer Fredette closed out his five games with 19 points on just seven shots (4-for-7, 9-for-10 on FTs), while Lakers forward Christian Eyenga had 22 points to help L.A. get a win (its first) in its finale, beating the Clippers 75-69. Minnesota’s Derrick Williams also had a big game, scoring 23 points by getting to the line 16 times (making 11) to offset a 6-for-14 shooting night in the Wolves’ 75-68 win over Cleveland.
Category: 2012 Summer League / Tags: , Charlotte Bobcats, Christian Eyenga, Damian Lillard, Derrick Williams, Dionte Christmas, Jimmer Fredette, Kemba Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Thomas Robinson, Tobias Harris / 5 Comments /
LAS VEGAS – The Board of Governors on Thursday voted to expand the use of instant replay beginning this season and indicated that advertisements on jerseys, a revolutionary idea for the league, will be coming as soon as 2013-14.
The board – an owner from all 30 teams or someone on their behalf – approved replays on three fronts, without vote totals being released:
Category: HT News / Tags: , Adam Silver, Board of Governors, instant replay, referees / 165 Comments /
By Drew Packham, NBA.com
LAS VEGAS – The Raptors’ top pick in the 2012 Draft admitted he was tired.
Still, after his five games in Las Vegas, Terrence Ross said he can’t wait to get back in the gym.
“I had to fight through some fatigue,” Ross said after scoring five point in just 17 minutes in his final Summer League game. “Now I know what I need to work on.”
Ross, taken with the No. 8 pick in the Draft, says he’ll travel back to Portland, Ore., and begin his preparations for his rookie season, focusing especially on his conditioning. The shooting guard out of Washington averaged 14.4 points in five games, but shot just 37.1 percent from the floor, admitting his shot suffered because of his tired legs.
“That’s a big part of being a shooting guard is fighting through adversity,” said Toronto coach Dwane Casey. “As a shooting guard, you’re getting bodied, you’re getting held, so you’ve got to be able to fight through that takes a lot of energy. He’s got to learn how to fight through that.”
Category: 2012 Summer League / Tags: , DeMar DeRozan, Landry Fields, Las Vegas, Raptors, Summer League, Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors / 2 Comments /
LAS VEGAS – Former All-Star guard Baron Davis said Thursday he plans to play in the NBA again, even though he will probably miss all 2012-13 because of a serious knee injury.
The 33-year-old veteran of 13 seasons with five teams suffered complete tears of two ligaments in his right knee and a partially torn tendon while playing for the Knicks in the May 6 playoff game against the Heat. The typical recovery time is 12 months.
Davis averaged 20.5 minutes in 29 games (14 starts) in his one season in New York, dealing with hamstring and previous knee issues along the way.
He is still wearing a knee brace, but otherwise looked in good condition.
Category: HT News / Tags: , Baron Davis, New York Knicks / 50 Comments /
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – We don’t have to wait for the competition in London to start to see just how hospitable the host nation team will be to the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team.
We’ll get a sample of that this afternoon, when the U.S. squares off against Great Britain in Manchester (2 p.m. ET on ESPN2) in their third exhibition leading up to the Olympics.
They didn’t exactly dazzle in that win over Brazil Monday night, escaping the Verizon Center with an 80-69 win thanks to some heavy lifting from LeBron James.
We’ll be watching (and writing) live from the hideout here, locking in on several key issues:
FIRST QUARTER –
– Deron Williams and Kevin Durant replace Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony in the starting lineup. Tough choices for Coach K. “Uh, not this All-Star point guard, give me the other one. And let’s go with the three-time scoring champ instead of the dude with the career 25-point scoring average.”
– I’ve been waiting years to see Joel Freeland in action. So good to see him score the opening bucket in this game.
– Durant missing 3-pointers and now a dunk and a bunny. He went all the way to Manchester and got nervous?
– I love Fran Fraschilla like a play cousin, but he just said something about it being obvious from courtside that the U.S. has more athleticism on the floor than the Great Britain … uh, you can see that from the moon sir!
Category: London 2012, USA Basketball / Tags: , Anthony Davis, Ben Gordon, Great Britain, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, London Olympics 2012, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler, USA Basketball / 24 Comments /
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – Has persistence finally paid off for the Los Angeles Lakers?
If the rumblings prove correct, that could be the case. Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, whose months-old trade request to the Brooklyn Nets, is apparently warming up to the idea of joining the Los Angeles Lakers, per a report from RealGM’s Jarrod N. Rudolph.
With Howard reportedly set to sign a long-term extension with the Lakers, all that’s needed now is for all sides to sign off on a three-team blockbuster that will reshape the balance of power in the Western Conference and the league. The details from Rudolph (click here to hear Rudolph discussing the latest on the Howard drama on Episode 87 of the Hang Time Podcast):
Dwight Howard has long coveted the Brooklyn Nets as his next landing spot, but after a summer filled with daily rumors of four-team trade proposals, the six-time All-Star has moved on from his Big Apple infatuation and is locked in on joining the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell RealGM.
The Lakers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly discussing a three-team trade that would send Howard to the Lakers, Andrew Bynum to the Cavaliers, while the Magic would receive Anderson Varejao and multiple draft picks.
Howard has always been impressed with the Lakers’ winning tradition and intrigued with the off-court opportunities that come with playing in Los Angeles.
Category: Free Agency 2012, HT News / Tags: , Anderson Varejao, Andrew Bynum, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwight Howard, Hang Time Podcast, Jarrod N. Rudolph, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, RealGM, Steve Nash / 420 Comments /
By Drew Packham, NBA.com