Around The World: May 9

05/09/12

Written by: DHawes22 / avg. rating: 5.0

May 9

Trail Blazers: Paul Allen Reflects, Looks Toward Future
"At the same time, I believe personnel decisions should come to me as recommendations from the GM and the president. Certainly there are times I've pushed hard in the draft room or free agency, as I did in recent years for LaMarcus, Wesley Matthews, Joel Freeland, Sergio Rodriquez, Armon Johnson and Patty Mills. But with very few exceptions, I expect the team's executives to make the final calls."

Grantland: Oden on Oden
"I'd be lying if I said that it didn't suck to see Durant doing so well," he said. "Only because every time he had a good game in those first few years, I knew I was going to get a bunch of crap from all of my haters. But that doesn't mean I dislike him as a person or anything like that. He's a good guy and one of the three best players in the league right now. The only reason it hurts to watch him play is because I know that if I got the chance to show what I've got, I could be making All-Star teams like he and Horford are, too. That's the worst part about all of the injuries and the criticism. It would be one thing if I had been healthy for five years and just sucked when I was on the court. But I can't prove what I can do because I can't stay healthy. Not having control over the situation makes it tough."

Oregon Live: You Be The GM: Nolan Smith
"The 23-year-old appeared in 44 of Portland's 66 games this season, but rarely saw double-digit minutes the first half of the year. Through February, Smith averaged just 3.9 minutes, along with 1.1 points and 0.6 assists (including 15 DNPs), mostly in garbage time."

CSNNW: Bower the mystery man; Blazers to meet with Morway
"Sports Illustrated is reporting the mystery candidate that interviewed with Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen for the open general manager position last week was former New Orleans Hornets GM Jeff Bower."

CSNNW: Colangelo irked with lack of communication regarding LaMarcus' Olympic status
“In our minds, he's (Aldridge) on our unavailable list,” Jerry Colangelo told CSNNW.com. “We haven't heard from anybody telling us he's going to try and play. I got to hear from somebody. An agent, a doctor, somebody. As of now, we're going in thinking he's unavailable. We're going to go with healthy players,” Colangelo said. “He (Aldridge) hasn't even had his surgery yet. If he's going to be back in time and plans on playing, I need to know.”

Blazersedge: Former Blazers G Brandon Roy Talks Possible NBA Comeback
"The thing about the situation that I'm in is that I can always come back if I choose to. Having that option is always a good thing for me. I've been in the gym working out with Tony Wroten and you just find out how fast you miss the game. In the back of my mind, maybe this is something I may do again. But who knows? It's something right now where I'm enjoying playing and not playing with the pain I had last year after going through two knee surgeries. I was never the fastest or the highest leaper but being smart -- those are all little things I have up my sleeve if I do decide to play, those are all positives I do have going for me."

Ball Don't Lie: The Orlando Magic? Gone till November
"Chris Duhon? He's on the books. Hedo, Glen Davis, Richardson? All around for a few more years, though Hedo's 2013-14 salary is half-guaranteed for $6 million. The team will have to fight to keep Ryan Anderson, if it so chooses, as the forward is a restricted free agent. Matching any offer will likely push the team into luxury tax territory. It isn't a good situation to be in."

Ball Don't Lie: Rajon Rondo, cameraman clash over post-Game 5 filming (VIDEO)
"That cameraman's job description is pretty much entirely to film whatever players are doing in press-accessible areas of the arena, whether it's walking from the garage to the locker room, chatting in the hallway or, yes, waiting to start a press conference. It's not like the cameraman was accosting Rondo at his house or rifling through his trash, or even walking into the dressing room before it had been officially opened to working media. He was just pointing his camera at an athlete in a place where he's totally within his rights and responsibilities to do so; the only reason we're talking about this as a "confrontation" is because Rondo boiled over about it."

Ball Don't Lie: Behind the Box Score, where the Denver Nuggets proved they belong
"Twenty-four points and eight dimes off the bench for Miller, who had his body squared and timing down all night. McGee was just as annoying as George Karl probably hoped he'd be on his way to 21 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks off the bench. And Danilo Gallinari did the best he could trying to keep Kobe Bryant from turning into the complete hero late — Bryant just had to settle for being typically brilliant, finishing with 43 points on 32 shots in a late-game flurry of 3-pointers; nailing 5 of 11 from behind the arc."

Ball Don't Lie: JaVale McGee threw away his game ball (VIDEO)
"Somehow, though, I think the reaction might have been very different if McGee had done this after a random game during his time with the Washington Wizards. When a player helps win a really important road playoff game, actions like this one showcase his confidence. When that same player does it in a meaningless January contest, it's a sign that he'll never grow up. It's amazing what a little success can do for a guy's reputation."

The Basketball Jones: Great moments in NBA pizza history
"As part of his rookie hazing, Carmelo Anthony actually falls for the “It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiornio” trick that Voshon Lenard pulls. Embarrassed to the core, this seemingly trivial event sets in motion Carmelo Anthony’s exit from Denver, as he is overheard telling associates that he “can’t believe the Nuggets would do that to him."

DIME: Video: JaVale McGee Has A Crazy Night In Los Angeles
"JaVale McGee alone had more highlights in Tuesday’s Game 5 win in Los Angeles than there were combined in the Lakers-Nuggets series’ first four games (unless you count the clips of the reactions of his mom, Pam McGee, in the stands). Mixed into his 21-point, 14-board game were the crazy dunks, head-scratching goaltends and blocks we’ve all come to expect — plus something new."

DIME: The Classic Reebok Question Is Coming Back Later This Month
"Allen Iverson has been on our minds a lot lately. We just passed the 10th anniversary of his famous “Practice” rant. We’re doing a Draft Diary with Dion Waiters, a Philly cat who has professed his love for AI multiple times on there. And then there’s the bit of news about Iverson possibly playing in China. But perhaps the most exciting Answer-related stuff circulating comes directly from Reebok: his most famed sneaker ever – the Question – will be released again on May 25."

SLAM: Post Up: Never Say Never
"Of course it wouldn’t be a Bulls game if someone didn’t get hurt. This time, it was the aforementioned Gibson who suffered an ankle sprain late in the third quarter when going for a blocked shot on Philadelphia’s Lavoy Allen. Gibson would return later in the fourth quarter and said after the game, “I was going back in regardless of the pain. I was only worried about riding until the wheels came off.”

SLAM via Yahoo!: Denver Nuggets Were Motivated By Andrew Bynum’s ‘Arrogant Statement’
"George Karl’s first order of business when he walked into the Denver Nuggets’ locker room Tuesday was to find video coordinator Nate Anderson. “You put that quote at the end of the film?” the Nuggets coach asked Anderson. Yes, Anderson had done his work, attaching the inflammatory words of Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum at the end of the Nuggets’ pregame film. “Closeout games are actually kind of easy,” Bynum had said a day earlier. “Teams tend to fold if you come out and play hard in the beginning.”

ESPN: Will this series get to Game 7 in Memphis on Sunday?
"No. I could see the Grizzlies forcing the series back to Staples with a win at home Wednesday, but when they fly back to Memphis, it will be to clean out their lockers. It's become apparent that the Clippers can play a Grit 'n' Grind style, as well, and as we've seen, that generally sets them up for close games and Chris Paul possessions down the stretch. Advantage, Clippers."