Central Notes: Waiters, Bucks, Young
Here are a few notes from around the NBA's Central Division.
- Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott has told Dion Waiters—who Cleveland selected with the fourth overall pick in this year's draft—he will have to earn a spot in the team's starting rotation, reports FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico.
- NBA.com's Truman Reed believes that if the Bucks can replicate their defensive performance from two seasons ago, then combine it with their offensive output last year, they'll make the playoffs in 2012/13.
- Mark Montieth from Pacers.com writes that the newly acquired Sam Young could embrace a role on the team as a strong wing defender, especially with a player like LeBron James looming in the playoffs.
Injury Notes: Hill, Lowry, Tolliver, Noah
As training camps are underway, injuries have begun to pop up throughout the league. Here are a few:
- Lakers forward Jordan Hill has a herniated disc in his back. He'll be re-evaluated later this week, according to a tweet from the Orange County Register's Kevin Ding.
- New Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry will sit at least another week as he rehabilitates a strained abductor muscle in his left leg, writes The Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat.
- After missing practice for the third straight day on Monday for personal reasons, Joakim Noah's status for the Bulls preseason game against Memphis is uncertain, writes ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell.
- After having offseason surgery on his back, Heat forward Mike Miller expects to experience playing time issues throughout the season, writes the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman.
- Hawks big man Anthony Tolliver suffered a scratched cornea in his team's exhibition game on Sunday against the Heat, writes AJC.com's Chris Vivlamore. Tolliver expects to be out a few days.
Kobe Bryant Speaks On Retirement, Union
In a talk with CBSSports.com NBA reporter Ken Berger, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reiterated a point he's made several times in the past: once his contract expires in 2013/14, he will retire from the NBA. For the 34-year-old Bryant, who averaged 38.5 minutes per game last season, the decision to project the end of his career is not solely based on physical health, but mental well-being.
"It's about 'Do I want to do it? Do I have that hunger to continue to prepare at a high level?' ", he said.
Later in the conversation, Bryant and Berger spoke briefly about the ongoing rift that exists inside the player's union between Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter. Bryant was clearly on the side of his former teammate.
"You can always hire new people to come in and manage the situation. But as players, if we don't stick together and rely on our unity, then we have nothing."
Royce White Rejoins Rockets
After a missing out on his team's opening days of preseason while dealing with personal anxiety issues, Rockets rookie forward Royce White has rejoined the team for his first training camp, reports the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. The reason for White's absence was an ongoing negotiation with the team about how he could travel by bus to most of Houston's road games, as opposed to flying with the rest of his teammates.
White will travel with the Rockets to their first preseason game against the Thunder on Wednesday. He was selected with the 16th pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
Pistons Notes: Daye, Drummond
Here are a few notes coming out of Detroit:
- Coming off a season that saw him barely get off the bench as a small forward, Austin Daye has solely been playing power forward in the Piston's training camp, writes MLive.com's David Mayo.
- The Detroit Free-Press' Vince Ellis has a detailed recap of the team's practice earlier today. Included in it are some positive reviews of lottery pick Andre Drummond's performance.
- The Pistons have four power forwards right now: Austin Daye, Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell, and Jonas Jerebko. It'll be interesting to see how each of them can find playing time, reports Pistons.com writer Keith Langlois.
- On SheridanHoops.com, Sean Corp gives five reasons why Pistons fans should feel positive about their team.
Odds & Ends: Coaches, James, Randolph, Williams
Here's a look around the NBA on this Monday afternoon.
- Bulls.com writer Sam Smith has several interesting things to say in his latest "News, Notes, and Nonsense" column, but perhaps the most interesting bits of information come when he begins to discuss head coaches who are currently serving on the final year of their contract.
- HoopsHype.com has an interview with incoming Mavericks rookie Bernard James.
- Anthony Randolph is with the Nuggets this season. Throughout his career, Randolph's been a player full of untapped potential, and the Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman does a great job explaining why this year could finally be a breakout season.
- Nets guard Deron Williams told reporters today that Mark Cuban's decision not to show up to their free agency meeting was a big factor in his decision to sign with the Nets, tweets the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy.
- Ridiculous Upside's Gino Pilato asks if Dexter Pittman should go back to the D-League.
- The Bobcats coaching staff wants to make sure they don't overload Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's brain with too many plays, writes the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell. The rookie swingman has great basketball instincts, and the team's coaching staff just doesn't want to get in his way.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Smith, Prigioni, Melo
On this Sunday afternoon, here are a few bits of notes from around the Atlantic Division.
- Rajon Rondo tells CSNNE.com that this year's Celtics team has the most talent of any he's been a part of.
- Raptors rookie Terrence Ross will be expected to push fourth-year guard DeMar DeRozan, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
- After finishing their second preseason game with a better performance than their first, the Celtics are looking like a very strong basketball team, writes WEEI.com's Paul Flannery.
- Being that the Celtics have no true backup point guard on their roster, Jamar Smith has a great chance at making the team if he can fill that role, tweets the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn.
- Knicks rookie point guard Pablo Prigioni is ready to put his disappointing Olympics performance behind him as he heads into his first NBA training camp, writes the New York Post's Marc Berman.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if the Celtics would be wise to send Fab Melo to the D-League.
Odds & Ends: Bynum, Seattle, Suns, Beal
Here are a few pieces of news from around the league.
- Philly.com's John Mitchell writes that the fact that players on the Sixers think Andrew Bynum is better than Dwight Howard is good for the team's future.
- David Stern says "if everything works perfectly" that the city of Seattle should have an NBA team and new stadium within five years, according to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. (Sulia link)
- When the Suns acquired several players from last year's Rockets roster, they also took on the team's offensive strategy, writes AZCentral.com's Paul Coro.
- The Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones has a piece detailing rookie Thomas Robinson's possible role at the small forward position.
- Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal isn't nervous for his preseason debut against fellow rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, writes the Washington Post's Michael Lee.
- DeseretNews.com's Randy Hollis writes about newly signed guard Randy Foye, and how he's fitting in nicely with the Jazz.
- The Hawks are in search of a consistent small forward to fill in the void left by Marvin Williams, writes HoopsWorld.com's Lang Greene.
- The Chicago Sun-Times' Seth Gruen has a nice feature on Bulls second year forward Jimmy Butler, and how he's ready to fill in for the departed Ronnie Brewer.
- ESPNNewYork's Jared Zwerling on Timberwolves forward Andrei Kirilenko, and why he didn't sign with the Nets.
- Injuries throughout the league could be a huge positive for would-be D-League players fighting for roster spots on NBA teams, writes Gino Pilato on Ridiculous Upside.
- Stephen Brotherston from Hoopsworld.com writes that Cavaliers forward Jon Leuer is searching for a spot in the team's starting rotation.
Grizzlies Waive D.J. Kennedy, Jarrid Famous
The Grizzlies have waived D.J. Kennedy and Jarrid Famous from their roster, the team announced. Neither player competed in Memphis' lone preseason game. Both played in the D-League last season, and both were signed by the team on September 29. Memphis' roster no stands at 18.
Clippers Waive Chris Johnson, Courtney Fortson
The Clippers have waived Courtney Fortson and Chris Johnson, leaving their roster at 18 players as the team heads to China, according to a tweet from Clippers reporter Madelyn Burke.
Fortson was signed by Los Angeles after being released by the Rockets earlier this summer, while Johnson was an undrafted rookie out of the University of Dayton.