SL: Agent says Nate will return to Knicks; Jefferson’s thumb

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September 16, 2009

Each weekday morning, Ball Don’t Lie serves up a handful of NBA-related
stories to digest with your cupcakes.

Chris Tomasson, NBA FanHouse: "This much is said to be certain: Nate Robinson (notes) will play for the New York Knicks this season. ‘Yes, I’m 100 percent sure of that,’ his agent, Aaron Goodwin, said Tuesday in an interview with FanHouse. ‘Where else is he going to go?’ Well, the 5-foot-9 guard is a restricted free agent. And, while it’s highly unlikely a team would put an offer down on him at this late stage and in this economy, isn’t that still a possibility? ‘No,’ Goodwin said. ‘Nate has made it clear from the start that he only wants to play for New York. After July 1, we didn’t talk to any other teams.’ That includes other countries. Goodwin expects Robinson to return to New York on a one-year deal, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. Goodwin expects a deal will be finalized by next week."

Jeff McDonald, S.A. Express-News: "Richard Jefferson, the prize jewel of the Spurs’ offseason makeover, dislocated his right thumb during a workout Tuesday, casting a degree of doubt over his availability for the start of training camp. Jefferson, a 6-foot-7 swingman obtained in a blockbuster trade with Milwaukee earlier this summer in exchange for Bruce Bowen (notes), Fabricio Oberto (notes) and Kurt Thomas (notes), suffered the injury in a pick-up game at the Spurs’ practice facility. The injury is not considered serious, and the Spurs are expecting Jefferson’s absence to be measured in weeks, not months. Still, it remains unclear whether he will be a full participant when the Spurs open camp Sept. 29. X-rays taken of Jefferson’s thumb showed no bone or ligament damage. He is set to be re-evaluated next week, at which point the team will establish a firmer timetable for Jefferson to return to basketball activities."

RealGM: "The Timberwolves plan on playing both Jonny Flynn (notes) and Ramon Sessions (notes) in the backcourt at times. ‘In the times that they do play together it’s going to be pretty fun to watch because of their ability of both of them to create for other people, to get inside the lane, either to draw a foul or find a teammate,’ Minnesota president David Kahn said Tuesday. Sessions played some shooting guard for the Bucks last season after Michael Redd (notes) went down with a knee injury. ‘This past year was really my first year playing off the ball and I felt really comfortable with it,’ Sessions said. ‘With Michael Redd going down in Milwaukee, that gave me the opportunity to show that I can off the ball a little bit so I’m definitely looking forward to that challenge.’"

Gary Bedore, Lawrence Journal: "Scot Pollard, who in 11 days will play in his first organized basketball game in 19 months, says his two-game stint with the Midwest All-Stars isn’t the start of a full-fledged pro comeback. ‘I don’t think an (NBA) offer will come. I’m probably done,’ said the 34-year-old Pollard. The 6-foot-11 former Kansas University power forward/center recently accepted an invitation to play in a pair of exhibitions against his former teammate Vlade Divac’s Club Partizan team. ‘I will not hold a press conference to say I’m retired,’ said Pollard, who has been out of basketball since playing for the 2008 world champion Boston Celtics. ‘(But) the fact I didn’t hear from more than a couple teams last year … I don’t think it’ll happen this year.’"

Mike Jones, Washington Times: "The leg looked like it belonged to
someone who had been in a coma for a year, not a world-class athlete
who a year earlier had signed a $111 million contract. Atrophy set in,
signals weren’t being sent properly. The muscles in Gilbert Arenas’(notes)
left leg, in essence, had been switched to ‘off.’ Those were the
findings of trainer Tim Grover when the Washington Wizards‘ three-time
NBA All-Star turned three-time surgery patient reported this summer to
Attack Athletics, a Chicago training facility with a client roster of
high-profile athletes. ‘A lot of things weren’t firing - his glutes,
his hips, thighs,’ Mr. Grover said in a telephone interview Monday
night. ‘I wouldn’t say his condition was the most severe, I wouldn’t
say it was the best. … But if I were to classify it on a scale of one
to 10 with 10 being the most extreme, I’d say he was definitely in the
seven, eight category.’ And now, less than two weeks before the Wizards
start training camp, Arenas and Mr. Grover say the guard is at full
strength and better than ever — a claim that, if true, makes his
decision to finally work with Mr. Grover look brilliant and, perhaps,
career-saving. ‘Nobody could guard me before, and can’t nobody guard me
now," Arenas, 27, told The Washington Times …"

Tim Kawakami, San Jose Mercury News: "The league announced that it has fined Stephen Jackson (notes) $25,000 for ‘public statements detrimental to the NBA,’ referring to Jackson’s late-August informal declaration that he wanted to be traded from the Warriors. And just as soon as the commissioner’s office can show me proof that Kobe Bryant (notes) was fined a single penny for his long, long, long loud public tantrum/campaign in early 2007 to get himself traded from the Lakers … I’ll say that the league treated SJax’s situation fairly. Or that the NBA inflicted any punishment on Larry Brown, when he negotiated with the Cleveland Cavaliers and maybe the NY Knicks while, at the same time, coaching the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs. Or that the NBA did anything, anything at all, to the NY Knicks management, before during and after its Isiah Thomas phase (until Donnie Walsh took over), for cartoonishly cloddy behavior. Or that Shaquille O’Neal (notes) ever got more than a gentle wrist slap for any of his various thunderous exits, from the Lakers (trade demand), Miami (trade suggestion) and Phoenix (who the heck knows what that was?)."

Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News: "The more Rodney Carney (notes) played for the Minnesota Timberwolves down the stretch of last season, the more effective he became. When he made some big plays to help them to a two-point victory over Milwaukee, he became the postgame TV guest and his teammates responded by chanting his name as he arrived in the locker room. He was playing for his future. He just couldn’t be certain where that would be. But it could be an excellent opportunity for a 6-7 wing player who has always been viewed as an outstanding athlete. He can run, jump and create highlight-reel moves to the basket, and — by all accounts — has improved his three-point shooting, defense and ballhandling [...] ‘When I left [Philly], I thought it was for the best, [the Sixers] just trying to get E.B. in here,’ he said. ‘I thought my presence was needed elsewhere. But to come back, it was never in my mind till [Sixers president/general manager] Ed Stefanski called me and said he would like me back. It’s still kind of surreal that I’m back. Driving up [I-76], I realized I was back where I actually started.’"

Kate Fagan, Philadelphia Inquirer: "Andre Iguodala said he’d like to play a little point guard this year for the 76ers. Yesterday, a few minutes before he and Lou Williams participated in the ‘What It Takes 2′ forum at the School District of Philadelphia headquarters, Iguodala talked about the coming season. ‘I’ll be really interested to see — it’s up in the air,’ the swingman said of exactly how good the team would be. ‘I think we’ll be good regardless. This year, I’m trying to be open to everything.’ [...] Iguodala also said he had been in the gym endlessly — specifically in the last month - working on various skills, including the ‘catch-and-shoot’ because of new coach Eddie Jordan’s pass-and-cut offense. Jordan’s system calls for a two-guard front, not necessarily including a traditional point guard, and there has been mention of Iguodala’s handling some lead-guard duties."

Sacramento Bee: "The Kings appear to have rounded out their roster Tuesday, signing second-round pick Jon Brockman (notes) to a contract. The 6-foot-7 forward out of the University of Washington was picked 38th overall by the Kings, who continue to be impressed by his potential as a physical and tenacious forward. In four seasons with the Huskies, Brockman — who played with Kings center and childhood friend Spencer Hawes (notes) — was the school’s all-time rebounder (1,283 rebounds) and second-leading scorer (1,805 points)."

Interbasketnet.net: "Recent reports [Ed. note: rumors] say that Greek center Ioannis Bourousis has been offered a four-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs. It comes as no surprise as the 7-0, 280lbs center has been making waves as of late. Most recently Ioannis averaged 12.5 points and 7.4 rebounds in 22 games with his Euroleague club Olympiakos Piraeus. The hulking center made his first All-Euroleague team and was named MVP of the 2009 Greek all-star game. And before the ULEB, Bourousis played well in the 2008 Summer Olympics for the Greek National Team. In six Olympic games with Hellas, Boroussis averaged 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steal filling in for Lazaros Papadopolous and underachieving Sofoklis Schortsianitis."

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