Joel Przybilla take a free decision Before All-Star Weekend
Joel Przybilla was in no rush to return to the NBA following the 2011 lockout. Although the former Charlotte Bobcats center was able to sign with a team when free agency began, he instead waited out the free agency period to recuperate from injuries and get back into shape. He also waited, perhaps, in order to make sure he received the best possible offer.
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reported on Wednesday that according to Przybilla's agent Bill Duffy, the center is expected to choose between either the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls before the end of the week.
Przybilla was previously rumored to be considering a deal either with his hometown team of the Milwaukee Bucks where he started his NBA career, or with another of his old teams the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played the longest. He was with the Blazers from 2004 until 2011, when he was traded mid-season to the Charlotte Bobcats.
While either, or both of those teams may have been in the running for his services, it is understandable that Przybilla would entertain offers from the Bulls or the Heat, both of which figure to be easy playoff contenders this year.
Hawks' Johnson miss All-Star game
Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the All-Star Game because of tendinitis in his left knee.
The team says an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis. Johnson will sit out the Hawks' next two games: at New York on Wednesday night and a Thursday night contest at home against Orlando. He'll also skip the All-Star Game in Orlando and all related activities this weekend, giving his knee additional time to rest.
NBA Commissioner David Stern will select Johnson's All-Star replacement and Atlanta's Josh Smith is one of several candidates.
Johnson leads the Hawks in scoring at 17.6 points a game and was named to the All-Star team for the sixth year in a row.
After the break, he'll be re-evaluated before Atlanta's next game against Golden State on Feb. 29.
Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the All-Star Game because of tendinitis in his left knee.
The team says an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis. Johnson will sit out the Hawks' next two games: at New York on Wednesday night and a Thursday night contest at home against Orlando. He'll also skip the All-Star Game in Orlando and all related activities this weekend, giving his knee additional time to rest.
NBA Commissioner David Stern will select Johnson's All-Star replacement and Atlanta's Josh Smith is one of several candidates.
Johnson leads the Hawks in scoring at 17.6 points a game and was named to the All-Star team for the sixth year in a row.
After the break, he'll be re-evaluated before Atlanta's next game against Golden State on Feb. 29.
2012 NBA All star:By the numbers
NBA All-Star 2012 will bring together the league's most talented players for a global celebration of the game in Orlando. Three days of live game action will culminate with the 61st NBA All-Star Game at Amway Center on Sunday, Feb. 26.
TNT will televise the All-Star Game for a 10th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 27th season of All-Star coverage. Fans in 215 countries and territories and in 44 languages will be able to experience a weeklong celebration of the game through an array of TV, Internet, film and digital technologies offered by NBA Digital, TNT and ESPN.
The following is a look at NBA All-Star 2012 by the numbers:
• 113 -- Players on All-Star rosters have a combined total of 113 All-Star appearances (East -- 59, West -- 54).
• 20 -- The 20th anniversary of Magic Johnson's 25 point, nine assist, All-Star MVP performance in 1992 after returning from retirement following HIV announcement in Nov. 1991.
• 55 -- A combined 55 Grammy nominations by All-Star performers, including Mary J. Blige, Pitbull, will.i.am, and Nicki Minaj.
• 1,800 --?More than 1,800 media will cover events, including 336 international reporters.
• 31 -- Turner Sports will utilize 31 TV trucks and trailers with 65 miles of fiber optic strands.
• 42 -- Turner Sports will use 42 HD cameras, 3 jib cameras and 30 camera effect microphones.
• 37 -- TNT and NBA TV analysts were selected as All-Stars a combined 37 times during their playing careers (Charles Barkley -- 11, Shaquille O'Neal -- 15, Reggie Miller -- 5, Chris Webber -- 5, and Steve Smith -- 1).
• 1 Billion -- More than 1billion videos have been viewed by fans this season on NBA.com.
• 500 -- More than 500 tweets will be sent from @NBA and @NBAAllStar during NBA All-Star 2012.
• 25 -- More than 25 NBA Cares hands-on service events and activities in Central Florida.
• 22,824 -- Collected 22,824 lbs of electronics from fans to be recycled as part of the NBA All-Star E-Recycling Day presented by Sprint.
• 100,000 -- Up to 100,000 fans are expected to come through the doors at the Orange County Convention Center.
• 600,000 -- More than 600,000 square feet of interactive basketball activities and games will be featured including more than 45 basketball courts and attractions.
• 15,000 -- More than 15,000 volunteer hours will be provided by 1,500 Central Florida residents during Jam Session.
• 14 -- Making his 14th consecutive All-Star selection, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers ties a record shared by Jerry West, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O'Neal.
• 8 -- Eight international players selected for the All-Star Game, including Luol Deng, who is the first NBA player to represent Great Britain.
• 6 -- Six first time All-Stars participating in the 61st All-Star Game, most since 2005 (7).
NBA Draft Toolbox news
In many ways, the point guard is the quarterback of the basketball team, responsible for making the right decisions distributing the ball. And over the last generation, as the country's best athletes have migrated to those two positions, their responsibilities have grown.
PGs who can score and QBs who can run have to be able to call their own number without short-changing their teammates.
When Vince Young took over at Texas, the production of Roy Williams and B.J. Johnson, two WRs who became high NFL draft picks, slipped. Similarly, Washington PG Tony Wroten Jr. is still figuring out how to take advantage of his offensive gifts while fully utilizing Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox, two future first-round draft picks on the wings.
Wroten, a powerful 6'5 guard with a 6'8 wingspan and excellent ball-handling skills, could score at will in high school and AAU ball. But for the first time in his life, he's no longer the most dangerous player on the floor.
He's the Huskies' leading scorer at 16.5 points a game on 46.5 percent shooting, but Ross, a better athlete and shooter, is right behind him at 15.6 points on 45.7 percent shooting. And while Ross and Wilcox will move the ball around the perimeter before trying to initiate offense, the ball has the tendency to stick in Wroten's hands.
As a result, both players can disappear for long stretches of games. Washington's dramatic 71-69 win over UCLA on Feb. 2 is a perfect example of this problem. Ross, after barely touching the ball while Wroten went 4-11 and turned the ball over five times, took over when Wroten got into foul trouble, scoring 10 of the Huskies final 12 points to finish with 22 on 9-13 shooting.
Washington's offense has so many weapons that it would be hard for any PG to keep everyone happy, much less someone with a score-first mentality like Wroten. There's Wilcox, one of the country's most dangerous shooters, Abdul Gaddy, a 6'3 PG who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, Darnell Gant, a 6'8 shooter and Aziz N'Diaye, an extremely raw 7'0 center with a slowly developing post game.
Nor was there much of a pecking order as the season began. The Huskies lost their top three scorers from last year: Isaiah Thomas, now with the Sacramento Kings, Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Justin Holiday, older brother of Philadelphia 76ers PG Jrue Holiday.
The result has been an uneasy transition process. Washington, one of the most talented teams in the country, has stumbled out to a 19-8 record, with the low-light coming in a 92-73 home loss to South Dakota State in December.
However, Wroten, after playing 27 games for coach Lorenzo Romar, is a more polished player than he was at the beginning of the season. He still has the occasional stinker, like his six-turnover game against Oregon on Feb. 9, but he's getting better at knowing when to pick his spots offensively.
The Huskies would probably have a better record with Gaddy at the point, but Romar chose to ride out the growing pains of his tremendously talented freshman.
That's why, as March nears, Washington is extremely intriguing. They have the talent to beat anybody, but if not utilized properly, they can lose to anyone, too.
Joel Przybilla was in no rush to return to the NBA following the 2011 lockout. Although the former Charlotte Bobcats center was able to sign with a team when free agency began, he instead waited out the free agency period to recuperate from injuries and get back into shape. He also waited, perhaps, in order to make sure he received the best possible offer.
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reported on Wednesday that according to Przybilla's agent Bill Duffy, the center is expected to choose between either the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls before the end of the week.
Przybilla was previously rumored to be considering a deal either with his hometown team of the Milwaukee Bucks where he started his NBA career, or with another of his old teams the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played the longest. He was with the Blazers from 2004 until 2011, when he was traded mid-season to the Charlotte Bobcats.
While either, or both of those teams may have been in the running for his services, it is understandable that Przybilla would entertain offers from the Bulls or the Heat, both of which figure to be easy playoff contenders this year.
Hawks' Johnson miss All-Star game
Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the All-Star Game because of tendinitis in his left knee.
The team says an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis. Johnson will sit out the Hawks' next two games: at New York on Wednesday night and a Thursday night contest at home against Orlando. He'll also skip the All-Star Game in Orlando and all related activities this weekend, giving his knee additional time to rest.
NBA Commissioner David Stern will select Johnson's All-Star replacement and Atlanta's Josh Smith is one of several candidates.
Johnson leads the Hawks in scoring at 17.6 points a game and was named to the All-Star team for the sixth year in a row.
After the break, he'll be re-evaluated before Atlanta's next game against Golden State on Feb. 29.
Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the All-Star Game because of tendinitis in his left knee.
The team says an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis. Johnson will sit out the Hawks' next two games: at New York on Wednesday night and a Thursday night contest at home against Orlando. He'll also skip the All-Star Game in Orlando and all related activities this weekend, giving his knee additional time to rest.
NBA Commissioner David Stern will select Johnson's All-Star replacement and Atlanta's Josh Smith is one of several candidates.
Johnson leads the Hawks in scoring at 17.6 points a game and was named to the All-Star team for the sixth year in a row.
After the break, he'll be re-evaluated before Atlanta's next game against Golden State on Feb. 29.
2012 NBA All star:By the numbers
NBA All-Star 2012 will bring together the league's most talented players for a global celebration of the game in Orlando. Three days of live game action will culminate with the 61st NBA All-Star Game at Amway Center on Sunday, Feb. 26.
TNT will televise the All-Star Game for a 10th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 27th season of All-Star coverage. Fans in 215 countries and territories and in 44 languages will be able to experience a weeklong celebration of the game through an array of TV, Internet, film and digital technologies offered by NBA Digital, TNT and ESPN.
The following is a look at NBA All-Star 2012 by the numbers:
NBA All-Star in Orlando
• 1992 -- Orlando last hosted an NBA All-Star Game in 1992.• 113 -- Players on All-Star rosters have a combined total of 113 All-Star appearances (East -- 59, West -- 54).
• 20 -- The 20th anniversary of Magic Johnson's 25 point, nine assist, All-Star MVP performance in 1992 after returning from retirement following HIV announcement in Nov. 1991.
• 55 -- A combined 55 Grammy nominations by All-Star performers, including Mary J. Blige, Pitbull, will.i.am, and Nicki Minaj.
All-Star Global Reach
• 215 -- All-Star events will be broadcast in 215 countries and territories and in over 44 languages.• 1,800 --?More than 1,800 media will cover events, including 336 international reporters.
NBA on TNT
• 10 and 27 -- Tenth consecutive year that the All-Star Game will be shown in prime time on TNT, and 27th season that Turner Sports has provided All-Star coverage.• 31 -- Turner Sports will utilize 31 TV trucks and trailers with 65 miles of fiber optic strands.
• 42 -- Turner Sports will use 42 HD cameras, 3 jib cameras and 30 camera effect microphones.
NBA Digital
• 95 -- NBA TV will air more than 95 hours of All-Star coverage.• 37 -- TNT and NBA TV analysts were selected as All-Stars a combined 37 times during their playing careers (Charles Barkley -- 11, Shaquille O'Neal -- 15, Reggie Miller -- 5, Chris Webber -- 5, and Steve Smith -- 1).
• 1 Billion -- More than 1billion videos have been viewed by fans this season on NBA.com.
NBA Social Media
• 200 Million -- Nearly 200 million followers and likes across official NBA, team, and player pages on Facebook and Twitter that will have access to NBA All-Star.• 500 -- More than 500 tweets will be sent from @NBA and @NBAAllStar during NBA All-Star 2012.
NBA Cares
• 3,000 -- More than 3,000 NBA family members, including current and former players, executives, partners and volunteers, will participate in four days of NBA Cares All-Star Community Caravan events.• 25 -- More than 25 NBA Cares hands-on service events and activities in Central Florida.
• 22,824 -- Collected 22,824 lbs of electronics from fans to be recycled as part of the NBA All-Star E-Recycling Day presented by Sprint.
NBA All-Star Jam Session
• 18 -- Jam Session will celebrate its 18th anniversary after debuting in Salt Lake City in 1993• 100,000 -- Up to 100,000 fans are expected to come through the doors at the Orange County Convention Center.
• 600,000 -- More than 600,000 square feet of interactive basketball activities and games will be featured including more than 45 basketball courts and attractions.
• 15,000 -- More than 15,000 volunteer hours will be provided by 1,500 Central Florida residents during Jam Session.
NBA Players and Legends
• 1,600,390 -- Magic's' Dwight Howard was this year's leading vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by Sprint with 1,600,390 votes.• 14 -- Making his 14th consecutive All-Star selection, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers ties a record shared by Jerry West, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O'Neal.
• 8 -- Eight international players selected for the All-Star Game, including Luol Deng, who is the first NBA player to represent Great Britain.
• 6 -- Six first time All-Stars participating in the 61st All-Star Game, most since 2005 (7).
NBA Draft Toolbox news
In many ways, the point guard is the quarterback of the basketball team, responsible for making the right decisions distributing the ball. And over the last generation, as the country's best athletes have migrated to those two positions, their responsibilities have grown.
PGs who can score and QBs who can run have to be able to call their own number without short-changing their teammates.
When Vince Young took over at Texas, the production of Roy Williams and B.J. Johnson, two WRs who became high NFL draft picks, slipped. Similarly, Washington PG Tony Wroten Jr. is still figuring out how to take advantage of his offensive gifts while fully utilizing Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox, two future first-round draft picks on the wings.
Wroten, a powerful 6'5 guard with a 6'8 wingspan and excellent ball-handling skills, could score at will in high school and AAU ball. But for the first time in his life, he's no longer the most dangerous player on the floor.
He's the Huskies' leading scorer at 16.5 points a game on 46.5 percent shooting, but Ross, a better athlete and shooter, is right behind him at 15.6 points on 45.7 percent shooting. And while Ross and Wilcox will move the ball around the perimeter before trying to initiate offense, the ball has the tendency to stick in Wroten's hands.
As a result, both players can disappear for long stretches of games. Washington's dramatic 71-69 win over UCLA on Feb. 2 is a perfect example of this problem. Ross, after barely touching the ball while Wroten went 4-11 and turned the ball over five times, took over when Wroten got into foul trouble, scoring 10 of the Huskies final 12 points to finish with 22 on 9-13 shooting.
Washington's offense has so many weapons that it would be hard for any PG to keep everyone happy, much less someone with a score-first mentality like Wroten. There's Wilcox, one of the country's most dangerous shooters, Abdul Gaddy, a 6'3 PG who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, Darnell Gant, a 6'8 shooter and Aziz N'Diaye, an extremely raw 7'0 center with a slowly developing post game.
Nor was there much of a pecking order as the season began. The Huskies lost their top three scorers from last year: Isaiah Thomas, now with the Sacramento Kings, Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Justin Holiday, older brother of Philadelphia 76ers PG Jrue Holiday.
The result has been an uneasy transition process. Washington, one of the most talented teams in the country, has stumbled out to a 19-8 record, with the low-light coming in a 92-73 home loss to South Dakota State in December.
However, Wroten, after playing 27 games for coach Lorenzo Romar, is a more polished player than he was at the beginning of the season. He still has the occasional stinker, like his six-turnover game against Oregon on Feb. 9, but he's getting better at knowing when to pick his spots offensively.
The Huskies would probably have a better record with Gaddy at the point, but Romar chose to ride out the growing pains of his tremendously talented freshman.
That's why, as March nears, Washington is extremely intriguing. They have the talent to beat anybody, but if not utilized properly, they can lose to anyone, too.
Terrence Ross
6'7 sophomore shooting guard- Shot-creation: A gifted scorer with an NBA-caliber step-back jumper and range out to the three-point line (shooting 35.8 percent) to go with excellent ball-handling skills and phenomenal athleticism. Averaging 15.7 points but can get 25+ on any given night.
- Defense: Like most young scorers, defensive effort can be inconsistent, but projects as an excellent defender at all three perimeter positions due to quickness and athleticism at 6'7+. Averaging 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks a game as a sophomore.
- Outside shot: Great shooter with a quick release but can fall in love with the jumper instead of attacking the basket and getting higher-percentage shots.
- Passing: Hard to accurately gauge ability to create shots for teammates with Wroten dominating the ball. Doesn't seem inclined to press the action offensively, which is a good sign. Averaging 1.5 assists and 2.0 turnovers a game this season.
- Rebounding: Elite athlete who crashes the boards at both ends of the floor. Averaging 6.8 rebounds a game, an extremely impressive number for a shooting guard.
- Best case: Five-tool 6'6+ shooting guard with dunk-contest caliber athleticism: Vince Carter.
- Worst case: Explosive perimeter scorer who doesn't always impact game without the ball: J.R. Smith.
C.J. Wilcox
6'5 shooting guard- Shot creation: Pure shooter more comfortable finishing than creating his own shot, has suffered from Wroten's ball-dominant style. Averaging 13.7 points a game in 28 minutes a game after a limited role as a freshman. Next step is increasing offensive efficiency from the field (42 percent).
- Defense: While not as explosive as Ross and Wroten, a good athlete at 6'5+ with above-average quickness who projects as a solid two-way shooting guard at the next level. Averaging 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks a game as a sophomore.
- Outside shot: Has one of the most beautiful shots in the country. Doesn't need much space to get off extremely quick and compact release. Career 40.3 percent shooter from beyond the arc who could win a Three-Point Shootout one day.
- Passing: Not a great ball-handler, but is a willing passer who doesn't force shots. Averaging 1.2 assists and 1.3 turnovers a game this year.
- Rebounding: Could use extra weight on 185-pound frame, but length and athleticism allow him to average 3.3 rebounds a game.
- Best case: Deadly 6'5+ shooter who can contribute on both sides of the ball -- Rip Hamilton.
- Worst case: Carves out 10-year NBA career due to combination of long-distance shooting and defensive ability -- J.J. Redick.
Darnell Gant
6'8 senior power forward- Shot creation: Role player who rarely looks for own shot and knows how to play off offensive stars after four years in Seattle. Averaging 7.2 points a game on 45.6 percent shooting as a senior.
- Defense: At 6'8 230, may be a "3.5": too slow to defend NBA small forwards and too short to defend NBA power forwards. However, he is a smart, hard-working player who knows how to overcome physical limitations.
- Outside shot: Has a good-looking perimeter jumper, with career averages of 35.5 percent from three and 72 percent from the free throw line. Ability to stick at next level will depend on being a consistent long-range shooter.
- Passing: Not asked to make decisions with ball in his hands and averages only 0.7 assists and 0.8 turnovers a game this year.
- Rebounding: Solid rebounder with decent athleticism who is unafraid to mix it up inside, averaging 4.6 rebounds in 22.7 minutes a game this season.
- Best case: Finds spot in an NBA rotation as an undersized "stretch 4" -- Anthony Tolliver.
- Worst case: Collegiate role player whose lack of a defensive position sends him overseas
- James Gist. Down-the-road possibilities:
Tony Wroten Jr.: 6'5 guard with excellent vision and ball-handling ability, but is averaging 3.8 assists and 3.9 turnovers a game as a freshman and needs to significantly improve decision-making ability. Biggest red flag for next level is lack of a three-point shot (shooting 18.8 percent from long-range). Inability to space the floor will prevent Wroten from being an effective NBA role player; like Tyreke Evans, has to dominate the ball to be effective.
Aziz N'Diaye: Athletic 7'0 junior center from Senegal. Averaging 8.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in only 22 minutes and has shown desire to improve as well as a high motor in first two years in Seattle.
Abdul Gaddy: 6'3 junior guard who is still only 20 years old. Hasn't been able to fulfill recruiting pedigree in first three years due to age, injuries and extremely talented teammates who prevent him from dominating the ball. Has a good feel for the game but isn't a great athlete, so will need to refine every aspect of his game next year, from long-range shooting (31.7 percent from beyond the arc this season) to scoring off the bounce (39.9 percent from the field) and running point (4.7 assists to 2.0 turnovers), to be an NBA-caliber player.
Shawn Kemp Jr.: Doesn't have father's unreal athleticism, but can play above the rim at 6'9 and 265 pounds. Has not gotten much playing time as a freshman, but combination of size and athleticism is worth keeping an eye on.
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