SBNation.com User Blog: Scott Schroeder

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Jason Kidd admits he has a lot to learn about coaching

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:04:22 -0000

Jason Kidd just recently talked to the media about retiring from playing basketball, but the future NBA Hall of Famer was the center of attention once again Thursday when the Brooklyn Nets held a press conference to announce their new head coach.

Kidd obviously doesn't have any head coaching experience, seeing as he announced his retirement at the beginning of the month, and acknowledged as much, saying that there might be some initial hurdles as he's transitioning from being one of the NBA's oldest players to becoming a rookie in the coaching realm.

More: Reviewing other players that went straight into coaching

The 40-year-old is confident his playing days will help him on that front, however -- specifically when it comes to his relationship with his point guard, Deron Williams.

"Yes, I have a lot to learn about coaching, but when I played the game I felt like I was an extension of the coach," Kidd said during Thursday's press conference. "Now I look to Deron to be that guy and to execute that game plan -- along with the rest of the team -- because I believe that we can win."

Nets general manager Billy King said Kidd is exactly what the team was hoping to get when hiring a head coach.

"When this process started and we talked with Mikhail and the ownership, we were looking for coach that brings great leadership, that can help build us to where we want to get to and can show us direction and help our players to compete," King said.

"We really wanted to resemble Brooklyn -- somebody that plays hard and that teaches hard to guys that play hard. Jason Kidd embodied everything that we were looking for."

Kidd talked numerous times about his excitement for the opportunity, mentioning Mark Jackson -- a fellow point guard and assists leader -- as one of those that helped paved the way so he could make the jump from playing to coaching.

More from SB Nation:

• Comeback Kidd: Nets hire franchise's greatest player

• Deron Williams: "It's a risk" | Kidd in rare company

• Chris Bosh tired of trade rumors, wants to retire in Miami

• Spurs role players reign | The Kawhi Leonard lesson

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

NBA free agency rumors: David West preparing to return to Pacers

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:41:14 -0000

David West is technically going to be a free agent on July 1, but both he and the Indiana Pacers' front office are hoping that he returns to the team that almost upset the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals this season.

West, a 32-year-old power forward, just completed the two-year, $20 million deal he signed with the Pacers after a successful campaign with the New Orleans Hornets. West and the Pacers didn't come to an agreement on a contract extension during the season, but comments made to the media indicate that a deal will likely come soon after the free agency period begins.

More: West's thoughts on free agency after Pacers' elimination

Team president Donnie Walsh, general manager Kevin Pritchard and West all spoke on the record with the Indianapolis Star on Thursday to talk about the upcoming free agent conversations.

"We want him back as much as you can want anyone back," Walsh said. "We think he's one of the anchors of the team." Added Pritchard: "(West) knows we're in a great position moving forward. He's priority No. 1 and come July 1 (the start of free agency) we'll have a lot of conversations."

...

"I'm not (expletive) dumb," West told The Star. "I don't plan on going anywhere. This is my team. These are my guys."

Whether or not West and the Pacers are able to agree on a new contract is going to be interesting, but the two sides seem to at least want to be able to make a deal.

More from SB Nation:

• Comeback Kidd: Nets hire franchise's greatest player

• Deron Williams: "It's a risk" | Kidd in rare company

• Chris Bosh tired of trade rumors, wants to retire in Miami

• Spurs role players reign | The Kawhi Leonard lesson

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

Tony Parker injury: Spurs' PG will play in Game 4 despite hamstring strain

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:28:26 -0000

Tony Parker is expected to play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, according to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, despite a hamstring injury that caused the point guard to miss a portion of his team's Game 3 blowout victory over the Miami Heat.

Parker suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and rested during Wednesday's practice, but the Frenchman is apparently ready to play Thursday night after participating in the morning shoot-around. Further details were hard to come by, however, as neither Parker nor his coach were willing to say much, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

More: Parker wouldn't have played if it was regular season

Popovich would only say that "He's ready to go," whereas Parker answered every question related to the hamstring issue with "I will be ready to go," not giving much to reporters clamoring for more details in preparation for Thursday night's pivotal Game 4.

If Parker's ready to go and plays his usual allotment of minutes, it will definitely be an extra boost to the Spurs' offense that has already gotten so much from role players like Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and Gary Neal.

More from SB Nation:

• Comeback Kidd: Nets hire franchise's greatest player

• Deron Williams: "It's a risk" | Kidd in rare company

• Chris Bosh tired of trade rumors, wants to retire in Miami

• Spurs role players reign | The Kawhi Leonard lesson

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

NBA Draft rumors: Could Victor Oladipo go No. 1?

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:11:17 -0000

Victor Oladipo is in the conversation to be the 2013 NBA Draft's top pick, according to ESPN's Chad Ford, after being much lower on most NBA draft boards heading into his junior season with the Indiana Hoosiers. At worst, it seems, Oladipo won't slide out of the top five when the draft commences later this month.

More: SB Nation's in-depth scouting report on Victor Oladipo

Oladipo, a 6'4 swingman known best for his defense and athleticism, is currently projected to be the second-overall pick in SB Nation's 2013 NBA mock draft. Our own Jonathan Tjarks has him ranked a much-lower ninth on his big board, but justified Oladipo going off the board at the No. 2 pick with the following analysis.

Oladipo is an elite athlete with a high motor who plays with a ton of polish. Given how much he improved during his last season in college, it's hard to put a ceiling on how good he can become at the next level.

That's apparently what the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and even the Phoenix Suns think, too, as Ford wrote that a workout between Oladipo and Shabazz Muhammad (scouting report) -- fellow top prospect Ben McLemore (scouting report) was in Phoenix the same day, but declined to work out against his fellow projected lottery picks -- apparently helped cement his status as a top-five pick.

By all accounts the Suns (like just about every other team) were impressed. Sources say that Oladipo has moved into the Cavs' conversation for the No. 1 pick and also is under heavy consideration from the Magic at No. 2. Sounds like it would be a surprise if he goes past the Suns at No. 5.

Whether he goes No. 1, No. 5 or anywhere in between, it seems Oladipo has set himself up very well for a solid NBA career.

More from SB Nation:

• Comeback Kidd: Nets hire franchise's greatest player

• Deron Williams: "It's a risk" | Kidd in rare company

• Chris Bosh tired of trade rumors, wants to retire in Miami

• Spurs role players reign | The Kawhi Leonard lesson

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

NFL OTA news: Steelers plan to throw deep, Jets plan to throw less and Jaguars could keep 5 QBs

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:03:53 -0000

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't relied on throwing the longball much in the past, but it seems Ben Roethlisberger might be airing it out a bit more this season. Pittsburgh began their OTAs this week and, after a reporter noticed that the Steelers seemed to be throwing further down the field, Roethlisberger was secretive with his answer.

"I don't know," said a coy Roethlisberger. "We are going to have to wait to see what happening in game one. I don't want to unveil any secrets yet."

It's a bit odd that the Steelers might plan to throw further now that Roethlisberger lost his fastest receiver in Mike Wallace, but our friends at Behind the Steel Curtain view the OTA deep-passing preview as a welcome one.

It's enticing to think about designed deeper passing with the speed they have in Markus Wheaton, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders in a three-wide receiver formation. While none of them have the blazing speed of departed WR MIke Wallace, the ability all of them possess with inside route running can set up double-moves aimed to get the ball deep and exploit softer coverage on any of them.

Jets expected to install option package for Geno Smith

Geno Smith isn't slated to start in front of Mark Sanchez, but that apparently hasn't stopped the New York Jets from experimenting with finding more ways to get the rookie quarterback on the field. The most likely option seems to be that Smith will be a more successful version of Tebow in the read-option game.

"I know what everybody's thinking if we did that - didn't we try that last year?" Ryan said. "I think certainly that's a possibility. To probably make assumptions now probably isn't the thing to do but we'll let this thing work out and pan out and we'll see."

Our friends at Gang Green Nation believe that this will be good for the Jets, but it could be even better if Smith is the starting quarterback, so it adds to the element of surprise.

Jacksonville Jaguars could take five quarterbacks to training camp

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had quarterback problems for quite awhile and, although it seems as though Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne will be the starter, there are quite a few other options waiting in the wings. Surprisingly, it seems as though the team could bring three additional options to training camp, not counting the aforementioned starting candidates.

Big Cat Country brings news that Matt Scott, Jordan Rodgers and Mike Kafka could all be invited to training camp after proving their abilities as roster-worthy quarterbacks early on in mini-camps and OTAs.

Buffalo Bills narrowed starting QB competition to two

The Buffalo Bills took Tavaris Jackson out of the competition for their starting quarterback when they released him earlier this week. That leaves Kevin Kolb and rookie E.J. Manuel as the two candidates to start the season under center. Buffalo Rumblings breaks down the snap counts early on in the OTAs.

For the mathematically disinclined: Kolb is getting roughly half of the reps early in this minicamp, Manuel is getting a healthy 40 percent, and Jeff Tuel is taking the leftovers. That's a significant departure from when Jackson was still on the roster, when he and Kolb split a large chunk of reps and Manuel was left as an also-ran in many cases. Now, the rookie is getting much more practice time, while still riding second in the pecking order behind Kolb.

It'll be interesting to keep an eye on that battle, as it seems as though Manuel is increasing his popularity.

New York Giants practicing more than fighting in OTAs

Ed Valentine of Big Blue View has been attending the Giants' OTAs and, unfortunately, the big news has been the scuffles that have surrounded practices rather than practices themselves.

It appeared that offensive lineman Bryant Browning was involved in both scuffles. tangling first with rookie defensive end Damontre Moore and then with cornerback Charles James. After the second scuffle, which saw both players hit the ground, head coach Tom Coughlin screamed at his players to simply "execute the play."

The fisticuffs seemed extremely unusual for a no-contact practice held without pads or shells. Coughlin said after practice that "there's no place for that."

A pair of fights in a non-contact practice seems odd, but tempers are likely flaring as players vie to improve their stock heading into training camp.

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• NFL Pulse: Tebow, Te'o and rookie QBs

• 3 reasons why signing Tebow was a smart move

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Jason Kidd is 'strong frontrunner' to be Nets' next coach, according to report

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:59:41 -0000

Jason Kidd is on track to make a smooth transition into retirement and the recently-retired point guard is a "strong frontrunner" for the Brooklyn Nets' head coaching job. Kidd just recently announced his retirement from the New York Knicks, but Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the future Hall of Famer is already in talks with the Nets on a possible contract.

More Nets coverage available at NetsDaily

Kidd is obviously well known around the NBA and would give owner Mikhail Prokhorov a star on the sideline, making it a bit more likely that the longtime NBA floor general will be hired before the week ends, as Wojnarowski reports.

There's also some history with Kidd and the Nets, as the 40-year-old led the former New Jersey franchise to a pair of NBA Finals appearances and reportedly has a close relationship with point guard Deron Williams.

If Kidd is hired, he's expected to hire a strong staff to complement him that includes former Nets coaches Lawrence Frank and Roy Rogers, according to Wojnarowski.

More from SB Nation:

• Turnovers doom Spurs | Flannery: Off-day stories with T-Mac.

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

Patrick Ewing hired as Bobcats assistant coach, according to report

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:27:23 -0000

Patrick Ewing has finally got his head coaching job in the NBA -- though it comes with an "associate" tag in front of it -- courtesy of the Charlotte Bobcats. The Hall of Fame center came to an agreement on Tuesday with the Bobcats to be newly hired Steve Clifford's associate head coach, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

For more coverage on Charlotte, visit Bobcats blog Rufus on Fire

The former standout for the New York Knicks spent eight years as a big man coach split between the Houston Rockets and then with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic (where Clifford previously worked), but Ewing elected to sit out of coaching last year after being disappointed he wasn't getting any head coaching jobs.

Ewing was most recently personally turned down by Michael Jordan's Bobcats last year in favor of Mike Dunlap and, after that, he decided to turn down a couple of jobs -- most notably a head coaching job in the D-League that would've given him valuable experience at the helm of a team -- in lieu of coaching last year.

His year-long layoff apparently didn't hurt his opportunities this offseason, however, as Wojnarowski reports that Ewing had an offer to join the Sacramento Kings coaching staff as well.

More from SB Nation:

• Turnovers doom Spurs | Flannery: Off-day stories with T-Mac.

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

Chauncey Billups says Blake Griffin is 'too nice'

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:05:58 -0000

Blake Griffin has a reputation around the league as being pretty fan friendly and playing with an exciting style, but Los Angeles Clippers teammate Chauncey Billups believes the reckless high-flyer is a bit "too nice."

More: Chauncey Billups will likely explore free agency options

Griffin's veteran point guard wouldn't say that the burgeoning forward was soft -- which is often looked at as a demeaning term for players who like to smile and have fun on the court -- but Billups did seem to note that Griffin might be better off with a rougher image while appearing on ESPN's First Take.

"I don't agree that Blake Griffin is soft. But what I will say about Blake is that he's maybe too nice of a guy," Billups said. "Because there's been times in games where people take shots at Blake. And I tell him if that's me, you're going to have to take this two- or three-game suspension, and I'm going to punish somebody.

"That's just how I'm built. Blake is not really built like that. He's ... too soft of a guy inside for him to be like, 'All right, I'm just going to hurt somebody.' He just won't do it. I wish he would, and I think that people would look at him a lot different if he did that. But he's just not that kind of person."

It's interesting that Billups mentioned later that Griffin might be "too soft of a guy inside" after previously declaring that his teammate isn't soft, but that it probably isn't such a bad thing that he doesn't just randomly decide that he's "just going to hurt somebody."

Whether or not Griffin needs to alter his image, he'd likely need to factor that change in with all of the off-court opportunities he's been given as one of the more marketable players in the NBA. If he switches from being a nice guy, the Sprite paychecks and such might not come quite as easy.

More from SB Nation:

• Turnovers doom Spurs | Flannery: Off-day stories with T-Mac.

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

NBA Finals 2013: The history of the 2-3-2 format

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:56:36 -0000

The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs seem to be involved in a pretty even matchup heading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals, allowing the location of the next few games the potential to cause a bit more havoc than it would in most series. The location, of course, will be the AT&T Center in San Antonio because -- since 1985 -- the NBA uses a 2-3-2 format for the championship series.

The guise of homecourt advantage isn't always as advantageous as some would like to believe, but the fact that Miami wasn't able to take a 2-0 advantage at home before heading into Texas with three games in opponent territory has caused some to wonder if the Spurs might be able to finish the series in Game 5 in front of their home fans instead of ending up in Miami for Games 6 and 7.

More: NBA Finals odds for Game 3 ... don't really matter?

The belief that San Antonio should now win the series simply because they didn't lose both games in Miami isn't exactly sound logic, as the above link explains in great detail, but it's always sort of interesting to know what has happened in previous series as a sort of benchmark for the current one. No NBA Finals is created the same, obviously, but it's sometimes fun to see how things unfolded in the past.

Home games won	No.	Won series
Game 3 only	2	0
Game 4 only	3	1
Game 5 only	0	0
Games 3 and 4	4	2
Games 3 and 5	5	1
Games 4 and 5	5	1
All 3	3	3
None	6	0

The 2011 Dallas Mavericks are the only team to ever win Games 4 and 5 and also win the series, but the above statistics show that it's obviously a good indicator that if the home team takes cares of business during the "3" portion of the 2-3-2 format, that team is going to have a pretty good chance of winning the series.

The rest isn't necessarily important as anomalies are abundant and all over the place -- aside from no team ever winning a Finals series by going undefeated exclusively on the road -- but it's likely not an exercise in complete futility if one wants to say that winning NBA Finals home games are a good indicator of whether or not teams are going to win the series ... however obvious it might be to most readers.

Whether or not the 2-3-2 format needs to be changed is going to largely be up to personal preference, but it does seem a 2-2-1-1-1 format or something similar might be more beneficial to evening things out. If that were to occur, however, many other concerns would likely pop up ... and the anomalies regarding home teams winning might occur just as often.

More from SB Nation:

• Turnovers doom Spurs | Flannery: Off-day stories with T-Mac.

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

NBA Draft rumors: Nerlens Noel to visit with Wizards, according to report

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:20:32 -0000

Nerlens Noel is considered by many to be the primary candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers top overall selection, but the NBA Draft rumors are swirling a bit more steadily as the calendar moves closer to June 27. The latest involves Noel, too, as it sounds as though he could have doubts about being picked in the top two spots, as he's apparently going to visit with the Washington Wizards.

More: Nerlens Noel Scouting Report from Jonathan Tjarks

The Wizards pick third overall, but that hasn't stopped them from luring Noel -- formerly a lock at the top of most draft boards due mostly to attrition -- in for a meeting this weekend, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

The interesting part of the equation here is that Noel's handlers seem to see the writing on the wall as the athletic big man didn't meet with the Wizards at the NBA Draft combine because they were slotted too low in the Draft (prior to moving up a few spots after the lottery), but he's now considering a more realistic look at his value. To wit, SB Nation's resident expert ranks Noel as the fifth-best player on his 2013 NBA Draft big board.

Noel is scheduled to visit with the Wizards over weekend because he's still working on rehabbing his ACL injury during the week, according to the Post. That won't keep Washington from staying busy, however, as Anthony Bennett (scouting report) and Otto Porter (scouting report) are scheduled to workout with the Wizards on Friday.

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• Turnovers doom Spurs | Flannery: Off-day stories with T-Mac.

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

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3 steps to success: Packers need Aaron Rodgers to benefit from running game

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:38:45 -0000

The Green Bay Packers weren't as successful as they probably hoped last season. They still made the NFL Playoffs, however, and entered the offseason with the ability to continue building around Aaron Rodgers, too.

The team had quite a few pieces to fill in around the former Most Valuable Player, too, because a slew of veterans either left for more money or retired after Green Bay finished an oddly disappointing 11-5 season.

Gone are former standouts like wide receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, defensive back Charles Woodson and starting center Jeff Saturday. Green Bay's front office elected not to replace any of their departing veterans with similar players around the league, however, and instead is hoping to use what many consider a solid draft class (along with its own lesser-known backups) to fill the gaping holes the departing veterans left in their wake.

So what will constitute a successful season for the Packers in 2013? Let's dive in.

3 Steps To Success

1. Aaron Rodgers needs to remain spectacular
Rodgers has been mostly spectacular for the Packers since taking over for Brett Favre five seasons ago. If Green Bay is going to win a second Super Bowl under his command, he'll need to stay spectacular until the team can be less reliant on the All-Pro quarterback.

2. Rookie running backs will have to produce early
Green Bay hasn't really had a consistent ball carrier while Rodgers has led the Packers' charge, but the front office went out of its way to draft two running backs that should complement the passing game -- and each other -- nicely this season. If either Alabama's Eddie Lacy or UCLA's Johnathan Franklin can produce like they many project they can, Green Bay could be able to play deeper into the playoffs this season.

3. Unproven players need to step up
The Packers lost a bevy of players that contributed to the team's past successes, but believe that they have younger, cheaper and equally capable players waiting in the wings. The offensive line will be very important, but the pass-catching crew will need to make sure there isn't a breakdown in their abilities — and the front seven on defense has to show more as well.

3 Feats Toward Failure

1. Leaning too much on the passing game
The Packers have been very reliant on the passing game over the past couple of years, and although they've won quite a few more games than they've lost, it's becoming easier for teams to key in on Aaron Rodgers down the stretch. If Green Bay isn't able to establish a more consistent running game, trouble could loom late for Green Bay.

2. The defense will have to move closer to the level of the offense
The Packers' offense has spent a lot of time on the field, as Green Bay's defense hasn't been able to consistently stop most high-powered attacks. If Clay Mathews doesn't get the necessary help on his side of the ball, it will be tough for the Packers to compete with fellow high-octane offenses.

3. Offensive line play must improve
Green Bay's offensive line has undergone quite a few changes over the past few years, but nothing — not even spending early draft picks — has helped. If that continues to be the case this season, the running game will likely continue to be lackluster, and Rodgers will have to keep making players after being run out of the pocket.

Ultimate answer

The Packers probably already have the "ultimate answer," a top-flight quarterback that led the team to a Super Bowl victory without all of the necessary ingredients not long ago. The times are a-changin', however, as last season's sub-par finish obviously showed.

The "ultimate answer" then, essentially, is everything working as planned — if the drafted running backs are as good as advertised, the offensive line has a modicum of success and the Packers were correct in allowing their aging veterans to walk — things should turn out just great for the famous franchise.

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George Karl's gone, and the Nuggets are in chaos

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:32:08 -0000

The Denver Nuggets finished this past season with the best record in franchise history thanks to the leadership of George Karl, the league's Coach of the Year winner, and general manager Masai Ujiri, named the NBA's Executive of the Year in his third year on the job.

But just weeks after their season unceremoniously ended with a first-round exit in the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors, the Nuggets drastically altered nearly everything that seemed to lead them to their most successful season since moving to the NBA from the ABA over 35 years ago.

First Ujiri left the Nuggets for the greener pastures of the Toronto Raptors after Denver refused to match the offer from north of the border. Now, less than a month after Karl was named his league's top coach, the Nuggets "parted ways" -- fired, essentially, considering he had a year left on his contract -- with the man that led his team to the playoffs every year since taking over nine seasons ago.

The Nuggets are now in a state of flux typically reserved for bottom-dwellers and rebuilding teams.

The Nuggets are now in a state of flux typically reserved for bottom-dwellers and rebuilding teams, not teams that just recently completed their best season in franchise history with an overachieving roster that was still on its way up considering just one player -- backup point guard Andre Miller -- was over the age of 30.

It'll be very interesting to see where the Nuggets go from here, considering that they're now charged with replacing a coach and general manager that were just honored as best in class. Unfortunately for Nuggets fans, however, SB Nation's own Mile High basketball experts over at Denver Stiffs aren't optimistic:

Either way, you are looking at an extended period of chaos for this team with so many difficult questions to answer. The franchise's short and long term success hangs in the balance, and in large part rides on the next few moves that Josh Kroenke makes. At this point, all any fan can do is trust in Josh's decision-making to equip the team with the right organizational people and players while our window with the current roster remains open - if you believe it ever was or could be.

We must embrace the chaos. There is no other choice. Throw away your expectations of what happens next with this franchise, because at this point, there is virtually no telling.

There's a chance that Kroenke is able to uncover another promising up-and-comer to lead the franchise's front office -- Ujiri was hardly a well-known name prior to his hiring by the Nuggets -- but even then, it seems as though that'll be based more on luck than anything else. Consider that Ujiri reportedly left because the Nuggets weren't willing to open their pocketbooks, either for him or the team he was intent on building.

That new general manager will have his hands full, too. The team that was thought to have overachieved this season is now in turmoil. It could lose Andre Iguodala, the highest-profile player and best defender, if he decides to opt out of the final year of his contract. Aside from Iguodala, surprising veteran contributor Corey Brewer will enter the free agent market and Danilo Gallinari, a rising star in his own right, will be coming off of a major knee surgery.

The Nuggets may not miss a beat if they're able to lure current Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins or someone with similar credentials and somehow find a competent replacement for Ujiri, but the Kroenkes have stacked the deck against themselves with moves they didn't need to make.

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• Dr. J: Andrew Bynum was "damaged goods"

• Flannery: Your NBA Finals Primer | The surprisingly sympathetic Spurs

• 3 reasons why the Spurs could unseat the Heat

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George Karl out as Nuggets coach

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:11:17 -0000

George Karl will not return as the Denver Nuggets coach for the final year of his contract, the team announced Thursday. The decision comes almost a week after the team allowed general manager Masai Ujiri to leave for the Toronto Raptors.

“George has been an instrumental part of our success over the past decade, and we appreciate everything he did to keep us among the top teams in the Western Conference,” team president Josh Kroenke said in statement released by the team. “He is a Hall of Fame coach whose legacy in Denver will last for years to come. George is a legend in the game of basketball and I could not have more respect for him as a person and coach.”

More: Denver Stiffs has more on the chaos currently surrounding the Nuggets

Karl's departure was first reported by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

Karl took over the team in 2004 and was headed into his last season under contract, but Wojnarowski reports that the two sides apparently decided to go their separate ways after being unable to agree on a contract extension.

In nine seasons with the Nuggets, Karl's teams never once missed the NBA playoffs and finished this past campaign with a 57-25 record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. It was the best win total ever for the franchise and earned him NBA Coach of the Year honors. In 2010, the cancer survivor became the seventh head coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 wins.

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• Dr. J: Andrew Bynum was "damaged goods"

• Flannery: Your NBA Finals Primer | The surprisingly sympathetic Spurs

• 3 reasons why the Spurs could unseat the Heat

• The Heat as we knew them | Dynasties are supposed to be hard

• NBA mock draft: Let's collaborate! | Scouting reports | Big Board

• #Panquake: The pancake-eating marathon for charity

NFL news roundup: Ben Roethlisberger had minor surgery; Ravens visited White House

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:36:35 -0000

The biggest news item of the day was that Ben Roethlisberger elected to have a minor surgery on his knee due to some slight discomfort he's been feeling in the offseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers' star is expected to be ready for training camp since he decided to have surgery right away, leading our Steelers' blog to wonder why Jerome Harrison wasn't as proactive when he had a similar issue.

Here's what else happened on Wednesday:

Baltimore Ravens visited the White House

The Ravens were President Barack Obama's special guests on Wednesday afternoon, cashing in on their Super Bowl win with a trip to Washington, D.C. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were both in attendance, but not all of the former Ravens decided to take Obama up on his invitation, as Anquan Boldin and Bernard Pollard were among the more notable absentee Ravens.

There wasn't expected to be a ton of news coming out of the visit, but Reed -- now with the Houston Texans -- did hint that he might not be healthy enough to play his old team when the Texans face them in Week 3 of the regular season.

Dallas Cowboys draft board leaked again; Jerry Jones didn't care

The Dallas Cowboys had their rankings leaked once again following this year's NFL Draft as SB Nation's Blogging The Boys was able to reconstruct their draft board thanks to some video shots and the like that were recently released. That apparently isn't a worry of owner Jerry Jones, however, as he said the sharing of that information after the fact "doesn't impact" the Cowboys.

Jason Pierre-Paul could miss season-opener after back surgery

The New York Giants could be missing an important piece of their defense when they start the 2013 NFL season. Pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul underwent "successful" back surgery, but the defensive end will be out at least 12 weeks -- putting his status for the season-opener in doubt.

Atlanta Falcons lineman not quite as big as reported, maybe

Fans of the Atlanta Falcons have been keeping a close eye on offensive lineman Phillipkeith Manley because there were reports that the offensive guard ballooned up to 380 pounds. Dave Choate at The Falcoholic doesn't believe that's the case, however, opining he's much closer to the 310 pounds he ended last season at after close examination of some pictures of Manley bowling (seriously).

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Ed Reed injury: Texans safety could miss regular season games

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:58:55 -0000

Ed Reed made his name patrolling the defensive backfield with the Baltimore Ravens, but the former Ravens star might not be healthy enough to face his former team when his new team -- the Houston Texans -- plays the defending Super Bowl champions.

Reed had offseason hip surgery that was expected to keep him out of the Texans' lineup until around the middle of training camp. It seems as though that timeline might've been a bit off, however, because Reed seemed to indicate that he could actually miss regular season games while being interviewed by the Ravens' website following the team's visit to the White House.

"I plan on being back for Week 1," Reed said after visiting the White House. "But as you've known me for the longest time, I'm going to be smart about my injuries and make sure I'm there for the later part of the season when the team really needs me."

More: Battle Red Blog has more on the Texans

It would make sense that Reed isn't interested in rushing anything considering he's 34 and has a bit of a recent history with injury issues so his statement to the Ravens' website shouldn't come as a surprise.

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Doug Legursky signs with Buffalo Bills

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:31:37 -0000

The Buffalo Bills have been looking for help along the offensive line and, following a workout on Tuesday, the team settled on four-year veteran Doug Legursky. Legursky spent the past four seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in all 16 games for the team last season.

The veteran offensive lineman spent the majority of his career with the Steelers at center, but it's expected that he'll compete for the starting left guard spot left open after the departures of Andy Levitre and Chad Rinehart. Legursky told the team's website that he's ready to compete for playing time wherever he can get it:

"I've had a starting season at guard," Legursky said. "I've played just as much guard as I have center, but whatever they need me to do, right, left, center, fullback, tackle, just throw me in there and I'll get the job done."

More: Legursky shakes up Bills' LG competition

If Legursky isn't able to claim the starting spot at guard, it seems that there's a good chance he'll serve as the team's primary backup at a couple of the interior line positions -- something he obviously seems comfortable doing going forward.

To make room for Legursky, the Bills released linebacker Greg Lloyd.

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DeMarcus Cousins receives invite to Team USA minicamp

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:00:44 -0000

DeMarcus Cousins had some difficulty with Team USA last year while he was a member of the "Select Team" scrimmaging against the actual Olympians. All of that difficulty is apparently water under the bridge, however, as it sounds as though Cousins has earned a second chance at donning the red, white and blue in international competition.

Ziller: For America's sake, let DeMarcus Cousins be DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins was famously lambasted last year by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, but Colangelo told Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski that Cousins will be given a second chance this summer:

"You bury the past and go forward," Colangelo said. "He's invited and he's definitely on the list. New year, new summer, new opportunity."

There's no doubt that Cousins has the talent to be a difference-maker for Team USA, but the on- and off-court issues always seem to come up before talent evaluators get to the part about the Sacramento Kings' star being one of the more gifted big men currently playing in the NBA.

If Cousins and Team USA can get past the "other stuff," though, this could be a very good thing for both sides going forward.

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Pacers blog Indy Cornrows on Game 7

Pacers' Paul George hopes for max contract in next deal

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:46:35 -0000

Paul George enjoyed a coming-out party over the past couple of weeks. The Indiana Pacers' new playmaker nearly led his team to an upset over the Miami Heat before the underdogs succumbed to LeBron James and Co. in Game 7 on Monday night. George fouled out with just seven points to his name.

Monday night's loss hasn't dampened George's expectations for the future, however, as he talked to Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson about his plans to eventually be the NBA's Most Valuable Player -- while playing on a maximum contract with the Pacers:

"I would hope, George said. "I would hope. Max guys get the job done at this time (the playoffs).''

George, making $2.6 million this season and $3.3 million next season, could sign an maximum extension this summer with the Pacers that could start at around $14 million for 2014-15. But he stopped short of saying he wants to get his deal done this offseason.

"I haven't really put my mind to that right now,'' said George, who would become a restricted free agent in 2014 if he doesn't sign an extension this offseason. "I really want to focus on what's at the plate now."

It'll be interesting to see if George does indeed get a max deal in the coming offseasons, but his play against James in the Eastern Conference Finals certainly made it seem like he deserves the opportunity to talk about it in the near future.

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Danny Granger expects to be back in Pacers' starting lineup in 2013

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:21:18 -0000

The Indiana Pacers had a pretty impressive run in the NBA Playoffs. Paul George had a coming-out party as he nearly led his team to an upset of the heavily favored Miami Heat, David West had some big moments and Roy Hibbert was able to keep LeBron James from doing too much damage in the paint -- making fans nearly forget about former All-Star Danny Granger.

Join our Pacers community, Indy Cornrows, for more

Granger missed almost the entire season due to a knee injury that took longer than expected to fully recover -- after making his debut with a brief five-game stretch in late February, he was sidelined for the rest of the season -- but that isn't keeping him from believing that he'll be back in the Pacers' starting lineup next season. Via Mike Wells at the Indianapolis Star:

I expect to be back in the starting lineup. We really didn't have a drop off from the team before in this team. We lost to the Heat again and my role is kind of secondary to my health.

The team didn't necessarily have a drop off with Granger out of the lineup, but it did allow George to blossom into a pretty prolific player ... meaning one of the two players, along with Lance Stephenson, will likely have to temper their expectations when it comes to shot attempts next season.

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Roy Hibbert didn't want to interrupt Heat's moment with handshake

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:00:41 -0000

Roy Hibbert and the Indiana Pacers were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs on Monday night in a bit of a blowout. That isn't the reason the All-Star center skipped shaking hands with the Miami Heat after the game, however, according to comments he made to the Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells.

Hibbert explained to Wells that he understood that some of his teammates probably felt more obligated to go through with the routine handshakes because they'd previously been teammates of some Heat players. He didn't feel that was necessary, because he felt their "moment" was more important than a handshake:

"I know some of our guys have played on teams with some of them, but I don't know them personally," Hibbert explained to The Star. "It was their moment because they won. I have tremendous respect for them, but I don't know any of those guys personally and I didn't want to interrupt their moment."

Hibbert wasn't the only player that skipped the handshake line, however, as David West told the Star he skipped the line because "he doesn't have time to be buddies with his opponent." Hibbert's dismissal caught a bit more flak, since -- as Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver posted -- TNT showed video of Hibbert going straight to the locker room instead of the handshake line after the final buzzer.

No harm, no foul if Hibbert's comments are genuine -- but it does paint an interesting picture on the TNT broadcast.

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Kobe Bryant injury: Lakers star still hopes to play in season opener

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:22:06 -0000

Kobe Bryant suffered a rather gruesome injury when the Los Angeles Lakers star tore his Achilles in the latter portion of his team's season. The future Hall of Famer doesn't plan on letting the injury affect him too far into the future, however, as the All-NBA First Team member has plans to play right away next season.

More: Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll breaks down Kobe's latest comments

The initial diagnosis wasn't clear how long Bryant would be out considering his age and the amount of minutes he's put on his legs, but the veteran sat down with the ESPNLA's Dave McMenamin this week to speak about a timetable. And the timetable appears to be "ASAP", to no one's surprise.

"I hope so," Bryant said in a sit-down interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com on Monday. "That's the challenge. With the tendon, there's really only but so much you can do. There's a certain amount of time that they deem necessary for the tendon to heal where you don't overstretch it and now you never get that spring back.

"So, you just have to be patient, let the tendon heal, and then when that moment comes when they say, 'OK, we can take off the regulator so to speak and now it's on you to train as hard as you can to get back to where you want to be,' that's going to be a good day."

Bryant obviously hasn't got to the point where he can take the 'regulator' off so it's unclear if he'll actually be able to start next season in a jersey instead of a suit, but the Lakers' star seems pretty determined to make that dream a reality.

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Lionel Hollins wants to stay with Grizzlies, has no desire to leave

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:05:27 -0000

Lionel Hollins led the Memphis Grizzlies a bit further in the NBA Playoffs than most experts anticipated, but that hasn't stopped ownership from telling the coach he's free to speak to other teams until his contract officially expires at the end of the month.

Grizzlies blog Grizzly Bear Blues: Lionel Hollins: When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong, The Final Chapter?

That would seem that the Grizzlies have a bit of a 'Lionel Hollins problem' -- something Tom Ziller wrote about in detail earlier this week -- but the veteran coach still insists that his first option is to continue coaching in Memphis. Via Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports:

"I hope things can work out and I think things can work out," Hollins told Yahoo! Sports on Monday. "I'm happy in Memphis. I've been there for a long time. My kids went to school in Memphis. My son graduated as a doctor in Memphis. My daughter is a grad student at the University of Memphis.

"I love the city of Memphis and really want to be there. I have no reason to want to leave."

Hollins is reportedly a candidate with the Brooklyn Nets and rumors swirled on Monday that he's interested in taking over for Vinny Del Negro as the Los Angeles Clippers' head coach, but it would seem as though the comments the coach made to Wojnarowski would indicate Memphis is his first option.

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