NBA Rumors for Friday, June 6
With a strong second interview this week, former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey may have jumped ahead of Doug Collins for consideration to become next head coach of the Bulls. Sources close to the situation suggested general manager John Paxson had not made up his mind on a new coach as of Thursday afternoon. Arlington Heights Daily Herald
Sacramento assistant Chuck Person also had a second interview this week. The Bulls have not shown much interest in meeting with former Detroit Pistons coach Flip Saunders, who was fired Tuesday. Saunders has coached in the conference finals four times in the past five years, losing all four series in six games. Arlington Heights Daily Herald
One league insider believed Casey would have fared better as a head coach had he not gotten constant interference from Minnesota general manager Kevin McHale. He also was saddled with chronic underachievers such as Ricky Davis and Mark Blount, who joined the Timberwolves in a trade from Boston a few months into Casey's tenure. Arlington Heights Daily Herald
Reinsdorf is said to be upset that the news of Collins' imminent hiring was leaked last week to media, which is why he has revisited the decision. Chicago Sun-Times
Dwane Casey and Chuck Person reportedly had second interviews with the Bulls this week. Casey, 51, is the only known candidate other than Collins with NBA head-coaching experience. Chicago Sun-Times
Casey is expected to become an assistant to Rick Carlisle with the Dallas Mavericks if he's not the Bulls' head coach. Chicago Sun-Times
Anderson Varejao's season with the Cleveland Cavaliers dramatically was altered by one false step. Now it is affecting his summer plans, too. A Cavaliers' official confirmed Thursday that Varejao has informed Cleveland he has decided not to play this summer for the Brazilian National Team. Varejao will devote the offseason to rehabbing his left ankle instead. Varejao suffered a sprain and partial ligament tear in the ankle and was out for a month after stepping on Los Angeles Lakers' guard Sasha Vujacic's foot during a game in January. Akron Beacon Journal
Representatives from the Lithuanian national team and the Cavs are still in talks, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas continues to be denied permission to play in the Olympics because of insurance issues. Akron Beacon Journal
Dwyane Wade has a news flash: He doesn't think he's getting traded. Speaking out Thursday in an effort to defuse numerous reports out of Chicago suggesting the Miami Heat may be willing to trade him to his hometown Bulls, Wade said he's been assured the notion is erroneous. Wade even said he and Heat president Pat Riley have spoken about the topic and to ensure that both remain driven by the same goal — rebuilding Miami into a contender. AP/Seattle Times
Guard Dwyane Wade said Thursday he has been told by Heat President Pat Riley that he has not been put in play on the trade market. "The trade rumors circulating are simply rumors," Wade said in a statement released by his publicist. Reports had linked Wade, a Chicago native, to the Bulls, who hold the No. 1 pick in the June 26 NBA Draft. The Heat holds the No. 2 selection. South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"My focus this summer has been to rehab and train for the Olympics and the upcoming season," said Wade, who has been working out in Chicago the past few weeks, but will be in South Florida next week for promotional appearances. "Coach Riley and I spoke earlier this week to address the media reports and we are on the same page — rebuilding this team to once again become contenders." South Florida Sun-Sentinel
''I am not aware of any other plans for Dwyane,'' Wade's agent, Henry Thomas, wrote in an e-mail to The Miami Herald on Thursday. ``[Those were] just rumors started up here.'' Wade, in Chicago to host a youth basketball camp, told The Associated Press he had been told by Riley he wouldn't be traded. Riley has dismissed the rumors as ''ridiculous'' but declined an interview request. Wade, a four-time All-Star and MVP of the 2006 NBA Finals, said he viewed the trade rumors Thursday as something to ``laugh at.'' Miami Herald
The Suns have more than a coaching staff to hire for next season. With no more than nine players under contract for 2008-09, Phoenix will have to add at least four new players. That makes this month's draftees as likely to make the roster as last year's picks, Alando Tucker and D.J. Strawberry, were. The Suns likely are locked into their No. 15 pick but also will be in the market to add a first-round choice. "We feel very, very confident that the 15th (pick) will be a solid player and potentially a contributor," Suns Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said. Arizona Republic
The Suns head-coach selection is expected to roll over into at least late next week, particularly with finalist Detroit lead assistant coach Terry Porter being interviewed for the Pistons job that fellow assistant Michael Curry is favored to get. Detroit is expecting to name a coach early next week. Arizona Republic
Let the battle begin. The prologue to the dispute between the City of Seattle and the Sonics ownership group climaxes today when the parties meet for a pretrial conference in a federal courtroom in Seattle. The two sides will meet in front of U.S. District Court judge Marsha Pechman to plead their cases on what evidence and witnesses should be allowed in the trial, which begins June 16. Tacoma News Tribune
The city filed a lawsuit in September demanding that the Sonics honor the final two years on the team’s lease agreement with KeyArena, which ends in September 2010. The city’s argument is simple and straightforward – the KeyArena lease contains a specific-performance clause stating that the Sonics must play all their home games at KeyArena, and the city wants the team to honor its contractual obligation. Tacoma News Tribune
The city does not want to let the Sonics buy their way out of the lease because the city sees the team as a unique tenant that cannot be replaced and the Sonics bring intangible benefits to the city that cannot be reasonably calculated. Tacoma News Tribune
The Sonics counter that claim, stating that the city will not be hurt economically by the team leaving and that a fair buyout of the lease can be reasonably calculated. Attorneys for the Sonics also argue the city has unclean hands, pointing to its relationship with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s group that tried to coax current Sonics chairman Clay Bennett’s ownership group to sell the Sonics. Tacoma News Tribune
CELTICS BEAT LAKERS IN FINALS GAME 1
Sprawled near the edge of the famed parquet floor, Paul Pierce grabbed his throbbing right knee and wondered if his first NBA Finals — the ones he had always dreamed of playing in — were finished. "A lot was going though my head," Pierce said. "'It can't be over like this.'" The Boston Celtics' captain wouldn't quit. He came back out, carrying the franchise's title hopes with him. Pierce, who as a kid growing up in Los Angeles used to sneak into Lakers games, returned from a knee injury to inspire and lead Boston to an emotional and tense 98-88 victory on Thursday night in Game 1 of these tradition-soaked NBA Finals. AP/Seattle Times
Pierce's dramatic return after being carried from the court and then wheeled down a hallway for treatment will be added to the annals of Celtics-Lakers finals lore, taking a spot alongside Magic Johnson's baby sky hook and Kevin McHale's clothesline of Kurt Rambis. AP/Seattle Times
The Lakers watched James Posey's jump shot from the left corner clang off the rim. Then they watched as Kevin Garnett leaped and dunked all in one motion. It was only two points, but it served as a neat summary on Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers were caught flatfooted all too often during a 98-88 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at TD Banknorth Garden. They were a step slow and a step behind the Celtics when it mattered most of all. The Celtics held the listless Lakers to 15 points on 5-for-20 shooting in the fourth quarter to preserve a small lead. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 24 points, but scored only four in the fourth quarter. He shot 9-for-26 for the game. LA Daily News
Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 24 points and 13 points, and Paul Pierce added 22 points and sparked their rally from a small deficit in the third quarter without actually being in the game at the time. Ray Allen added 19 points for Boston. LA Daily News
A sellout crowd of 18,624 that had grown silent while Pierce was in the locker room suddenly roared to life upon his return. Allen then tied the score at 62 with a 3-pointer from the wing. "There was a little momentum change before (Pierce) came back," Jackson said. LA Daily News
"I thought that was it, I thought - there were a lot of things going through my mind," Pierce said. "I thought I tore something. ... But I was able to get through it tonight. I don't know if it was off adrenaline or what, but I got through it. "I was like 'Man, it can't be over like this,"' Pierce said. "You know, I think God just sent this angel down and said, 'Hey, you're going to be all right. You need to get back out there. Show them what you've got."' After a miserable first half, where he made just one of the four shots he took, then the scare with his knee, it was quite a comeback. LA Daily News
Kobe Bryant started the game guarding Boston's Ray Allen. Derek Fisher played against Rajon Rondo. Vladimir Radmanovic guarded Paul Pierce. Odom checked Kendrick Perkins. Pau Gasol was matched against Kevin Garnett. LA Daily News
The Celtics certainly couldn't put the Lakers away Thursday night, couldn't come up with the big push to put distance between them and the Lakers. They kept letting the Lakers hang around, always within range, always a threat to steal a game that just might turn the series. Instead the Lakers almost melted down the stretch, a series of turnovers and missed shots and silly mistakes resulting in a 98-88 Boston victory that didn't have to end that way. If the Lakers are going to get hammered by ancients Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown in this series, they're in real trouble. LA Daily News
Lakers didn't convert a field goal in the final 3:43 of the game. Kobe Bryant looked like the guy trying to do too much, Pau Gasol seemed to wear down, Sasha Vujacic suddenly couldn't find his jumper. LA Daily News
The Lakers led 51-46 at the half, and really, should have been up by much more. The Celtics looked off their game, their defense struggling, Garnett keeping them alive almost by himself. LA Daily News
The Lakers need to put this spin on it all: They have to believe if they play their game, they can beat the Celtics. They had this huge opportunity Thursday on a night Kobe made just 9-of-26 field goals and had four turnovers. Ray Allen may be an underrated defender, but he's not that good. "I think he thought he was shooting the ball pretty well," Jackson said. "They just didn't stay in. A lot of them rattled out. That's going to happen." LA Daily News
"It's one game," Lakers forward Lamar Odom said, breaking into a wry smile after the game. "It's hot in here and I ain't sweating. It's one game." Certainly, no one expects a repeat of their fourth-quarter collapse in Game 1, when they went ker-plunk down the stretch. The Lakers scored only 15 points in the final period on 25 percent shooting (5 for 20). LA Daily News
Later, after the Lakers lost a Game 1 for the first time in the 2008 playoffs, their mood was calm, cool and collected. Publicly, at least, they showed no signs of anger. No one lashed out. No one kicked a chair in the locker room. The Lakers vowed to improve. "Just do what we normally do, come back and practice the next couple of days, tweak some things, get ready for Game 2," Bryant said. "We got a little stagnant. I think our rhythm wasn't there, wasn't like we wanted it to be. "Some balls bounced their way. They scrapped and they clawed their way to this victory. They played a lot more physical than we did, and I think that's something we have to adjust to and get ready for in Game 2." LA Daily News
"I thought I had torn something," Pierce said. "I heard something pop." Fortunately for the Celtics, the NBA and ABC, it was just a huge false alarm. The Celtics' very worst nightmare never came to pass. Pierce returned and did what few expected. He out-Kobe'd Kobe with a 13-point third period and two huge threes to start the fourth quarter. NY Daily News
"I was scared when I saw him down on the floor," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "Obviously it was great to see him come back and obviously we were concerned when he went down. "Him coming back lifted us up." The atmosphere inside a seething sold-out Garden was electric with anticipation when the NBA's two most successful franchises ran onto the famed hardwood as grainy black-and-white clips of past series played on the scoreboard. Reuters/Boston Globe
"We don't like to be outrebounded like we were tonight," said Gasol, who did not have a rebound in the first half. "There were a lot of loose balls that we didn't get. That's a big difference. We started shooting a lot of jumpers. Hopefully next time out, we won't be as anxious and we'll be more focused and sharper." Pierce helped hone the Celtics by returning only a few minutes after being carried off the court in front of a concerned crowd. LA Times
Afterward, Pierce played the part of the resurrected hero, shaking his head at the wonder of it all. "You know, I think God sent this angel down and said, 'Hey, you're going to be all right, you need to get back out there, show them what you've got,' " he said. The Lakers, meanwhile, were just shaking their heads, period. "You know, you don't know what happens," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said of Pierce. "Guys can break a shoelace and go out, the pants break down, a drawstring falls apart." LA Times
Worst of all for the Lakers, Allen was the Ray Allen of old, scoring 19 points, looking for his shots, giving the Celtics three options, or two more than the Lakers had Thursday night. As Bryant put it, it was a "nice little kick" in the butt. Now to see what the young Lakers, who hadn't been behind in a series this postseason, have. LA Times
THE DRAFT
UCLA forward/center Kevin Love highlighted a quartet of draft hopefuls that began workouts for the Sonics on Thursday. Love was joined at the Furtado Center by Ohio State 7-foot center Kostas Koufos, North Carolina State 6-9 forward J.J. Hickson and 6-10 Australian Nathan Jawai. Today the Sonics will bring in Georgetown center Roy Hibbert, UCLA 6-4 guard Russell Westbrook, Illinois 6-9 forward Shaun Pruitt and George Hill, a 6-2 guard out of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Seattle Times
For the Sonics, Koufos and Hibbert are possibilities for the 24th pick; each would be a project. Koufos or Hibbert could serve as a Plan B if injured centers Robert Swift and Mouhamed Sene are unable to return healthy next season. Seattle Times
The Heat worked out five players at AmericanAirlines Arena, including University of Miami forward Anthony King. Also at the session that was conducted with an eye toward the Heat's No. 52 pick in the second round were Xavier senior guard Stanley Burrell, Georgia senior guard Sundiata Gaines, Virginia senior guard Sean Singletary and Ohio State senior forward Othello Hunter. South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Richard Roby: On the third day of camp, the former CU star broke the second metacarpal in his right hand — his shooting hand. The break, which is expected to take six to eight weeks to heal, ended his camp and, more important, will keep him from showcasing his skills in workouts for NBA teams in advance of the June 26 draft. Denver Post
Roby said he doesn't expect to play in the NBA summer league July 11-20, which is often considered a critical step for young players looking to make a professional roster. "I've just got to stay positive," said Roby, who had so many problems with the same hand during his senior season it required an X-ray. "At the end of the day, it's a minor injury. It's just bad timing, more than anything else. Teams have seen me play for four years, so they know what I'm capable of doing." Denver Post
Still, it is a sizable setback. Roby has canceled workouts with NBA teams, though some will still fly him in for interviews. He expects to be in Seattle June 10 and said a visit to the L.A. Clippers might be on the list, as well. Denver Post
With draft depth and the Suns projected to exceed the luxury-tax threshold again, there is a strong chance that the 48th pick and even a free-agent rookie could make the roster at the minimum $442,000 salary. D.J. Augustin is the star of today's group, as yet another prospect who could be considered a Steve Nash backup and heir apparent. He is hailed for his speed, ballhandling and ability to set up teammates but will be scrutinized for his size (5 feet 11). Arizona Republic
This is the future for C.J. Giles. After being dismissed from the basketball teams at Kansas and Oregon State, the 6-11 center now has a series of NBA predraft workouts that includes one today with the 76ers. Giles will go through various drills and interviews, along with 7-foot JaVale McGee, of Nevada, and 6-10 Callistus Eziukwu, of NCAA Division II Grand Valley State, at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Sixers hold the No. 16 pick in the first round of the June 26 draft. They do not have a second-round pick but will evaluate all sorts of prospects during the next few weeks. Philadelphia Daily News
Bulls workouts: Among the players to visit Thursday was 6-foot-2 point guard Mike Taylor, who may be the first D-League player drafted into the NBA. The Milwaukee native was kicked off the Iowa State team for academic reasons and spent last season with the D-League champion Idaho Stampede. He's described as a terrific athlete whose point-guard skills are a bit raw. Arlington Heights Daily Herald
Nuggets workouts: Scheduled for Saturday are Darrell Arthur of Kansas, Marcus Dove of Oklahoma State, James Gist of Maryland, J.J. Hickson of North Carolina State and Omri Casspi, who plays in Israel. Guards coming in Sunday include Mario Chalmers of Kansas, Ty Lawson of North Carolina, Shan Foster of Vanderbilt, Lester Hudson of Tenn.-Martin and Robert Vaden of Ala.-Birmingham. Denver Post
