CNOTES 2018 NBA PREVIEWS - NEWS - NOTES - PROJECTIONS !

[Cnotes53]

Giannis, Bucks are all smiles with change
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo was all smiles but had no jokes.

The Milwaukee Bucks' All-Star forward was more business this time around: While he didn't indulge reporters by opening his media day session on Monday with a gag, as he had done in previous years, Antetokounmpo still flashed an infectious grin.

Things are looking up for the Milwaukee Bucks as they move into a new arena this fall, with a new coach leading a team headlined by one of the NBA's bright, young stars.

The organization once had billboards around the city that read ''Own the Future.'' That future is here.

''You could make an argument that we're number 1, 2, 3, or 4'' in the Eastern Conference, co-owner Marc Lasry said when asked about where the Bucks might fit in the conference picture. ''I mean I think if we stay healthy and we play to our potential, we'd be one of the top two or three teams, so I think we're there.''

The Bucks have made slow, steady progress since an ownership group including Lasry bought the team in 2014. They've made the playoffs three of the last four seasons. They've finished above .500 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2000-01.

The Bucks hope they've positioned themselves to take another step forward in a more wide-open East, with LeBron James having left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors sporting a new look.

Milwaukee didn't re-sign forward Jabari Parker, who left for the Chicago Bulls. They added big man Brook Lopez, while sharpshooter Ersan Ilyasova is back for another stint with the team at forward.

The team also signed guard Pat Connaughton and drafted guard Donte DiVincenzo in the first round out of Villanova. Ilyasova, Connaughton and DiVincenzo could each with long-range shooting, a problem area last season for the team.

But the Bucks' biggest change in the offseason was the hiring of Mike Budenholzer to take over as head coach. The relationship between Budenholzer and Antetokounmpo may be paramount to the success of the team.

It looks like they're off to a good start.

''Coach (Budenholzer) has been amazing. He's letting us play, He's letting us be basketball players. What he's putting out on offense and the way we're going to play this year is going to be free,'' Antetokounmpo said.

Having a 6-foot-11 forward with generational type-talent like Antetokounmpo can help bail out a team too when all else fails. Budenholzer has seen glimpses of Antetokounmpo's work ethic while watching him at pickup games and having offseason conversations.

''One of the things you always hear about Giannis whenever you're talking about him and fortunate enough to be put in this position, is his work ethic,'' Budenholzer said. ''I would say it's met or exceeded all of my expectations. He wants to be great, he puts in the time and effort.''

Budenholzer had a winning record during a five-year head-coaching stint in Atlanta, including a 60-win season in 2014-15. He's also a former assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, one of the league's standard-bearers for long-term success.

The first practice is Tuesday at the Bucks' state-of-the-art training facility, which just opened a year ago. It's located across the street from the gleaming, new Fiserv Forum, which replaced the three decade-old Bradley Center.

''With Bud and with Giannis, I feel like we truly have a path. With Giannis you can pick a style of play, you know the type of players that fit, the type of culture you want to create in the locker room,'' general manager Jon Horst said. ''We have a direction and a path that we can follow and can take us to success.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Isaiah Thomas looks to help Nuggets
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

DENVER (AP) The debates have been so lively inside the Denver Nuggets locker room recently that coach Michael Malone wanders in to make sure everything's all right.

Just the enthusiasm of guard Isaiah Thomas bubbling to the surface. He's turning up the intensity with his booming voice in what's been a rather quiet room.

Think he's chatty now, wait until he's fully cleared after undergoing hip surgery in March. That's when he will do his real talking - with his play.

Thomas hopes to provide another spark to a Nuggets team that hasn't reached the postseason since 2012-13. Last season, the team went down to the wire, with the Nuggets losing out on the No. 8 seed to Minnesota in the final game - a stinging 112-106 overtime defeat.

''We just have to be more consistent and take things more serious and I think that's what I'm here for,'' said Thomas, who signed a $2 million, one-year deal in the offseason to prove his hip is healthy and worth a more lucrative contract. ''I'm not saying I'm the guy that's going to change everything around here, but I know how to win and I know how to lead. I can help these guys take the next step.''

The Nuggets have taken a leap forward in every season under Malone - from 33 wins in 2015-16, to 40 in '16-17 and 46 last season. The team went 6-1 down the stretch, but it proved too late.

Lesson learned.

''The sense of urgency needs to be there for as close to 82 games as possible,'' Malone said.

One thing they're banking on: Nikola Jokic taking his game to another level. That's why the team signed the 6-foot-10, 250-pound center over the summer to a max contract worth around $147 million for five seasons.

''Sometimes I don't think he realizes how good he is and how great of a player he is,'' Malone said. ''There were times last year, and we would talk about other big men in the NBA and he's like, `Oh, I don't think I'm as good as this guy or that guy.' I look at him, `Are you crazy?'

''At the end of the season, after the disappointment of not making the playoffs went away a little bit, you look back on the season and he says, `You know what: I'm a pretty good player.'''

By his estimation, Jokic ran thousands of sprints to take his game to another level. He averaged 18.5 points, 6.1 assists and 10.7 rebounds last season.

''I'm bigger. I'm better. I'm stronger,'' Jokic said. ''We're going to see on the court what's going to happen.''

In addition to Jokic, the team also locked up guard Will Barton with a four-year deal that could earn him more than $50 million.

Just when Thomas will return to the court remains uncertain, but the team won't rush him. Same with rookie forward Michael Porter Jr., who had a second back procedure in July.

''I'm only going to go out on the court when I'm able to produce on a high level,'' Thomas said. ''We're not worried about the right now, we're worried about April and the playoffs and me being as healthy as I possibly can going into that stretch.''

Thomas' voice radiates throughout any room he enters. Always up for a good debate, his recent topic was how many points Golden State shooting guard Klay Thompson would average if he were on another team (Thomas' answer: More than 25 points).

''I'm making people talk,'' Thomas said. ''We've gotten into some arguments over basketball. They're fun arguments. It's all fun and games.''

Paul Millsap believes the Nuggets will have plenty of fun on the court this season, especially with his left wrist nearly healed, sharpshooter Jamal Murray adding 15 pounds of muscle to drive to the hoop with more force, Jokic being Jokic, Gary Harris taking another step in his development and Thomas stepping in when he's healthy.

''Within our own right, we have our own super-team,'' said Millsap, who missed 44 games after tearing a wrist ligament last November. ''Go down the line and the names that we have on this team are big-time names. We have a lot of players who can play. I consider us a super-team.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Grizzlies ready to erase painful memories
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Mike Conley and the Memphis Grizzlies want to make very clear that what happened last season was an aberration.

Conley and the rest of the Grizzlies - yes even oft-injured Chandler Parsons - are reporting for training camp healthy and ready to erase the memories of that painful and ugly 60-loss season.

''Now we're back both feet planted, and we give ourselves just as good of a shot as anybody,'' Conley said Monday.

The Grizzlies have been through a whirlwind of changes since wrapping up that 22-60 season.

J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over on an interim basis after David Fizdale was fired last November, starts training camp Tuesday as a head coach at the beginning of a season for the first time in his career. Conley has been cleared with no restrictions with his sore left heel finally fixed surgically after limiting him to just 12 games last season.

Memphis also has a handful of new faces on the roster trying to keep pace in an ever tougher Western Conference.

The Grizzlies drafted Jaren Jackson Jr., a star of the NBA summer league, at No. 4 overall out of Michigan State. They also signed restricted free agent Kyle Anderson away from San Antonio with a four-year, $37.2 million offer sheet and added veterans like Garrett Temple , Shelvin Mack and Omri Casspi through trades and signings.

Parsons has played only 70 games combined over the past two seasons since signing a four-year, $94 million contract. But he said he feels good and ready to play as needed.

All the offseason changes has general manager Chris Wallace believing the Grizzlies got better as well after missing the postseason for the first time in eight seasons.

''I'm very confident we'll be back in the thick of things in the Western Conference, and we've had a lot of success against these teams over the years,'' Wallace said. ''We've done well in the playoffs against some of the top teams in the West. I think we can continue that after a year on the sidelines. We're raring to get back into the playoffs and be a real factor again.''

Bickerstaff finally got to put together his own coaching staff and put together his own plan for a season after finishing two seasons as interim coach first in Houston and last season with Memphis. He embraces the idea of finding a different way to compete in the All-Star filled Western Conference.

''Let's be out on a limb a little bit, take a little bit of risk and see what happens,'' Bickerstaff said.

Not only is Conley back, but center Marc Gasol remains a cornerstone for Memphis as well.

The 7-foot-1 Gasol, who will be 34 in January, can opt out of his contract after this season. Gasol, with Conley's help, organized a minicamp of sorts for all the Grizzlies in Los Angeles to help everyone get to know each other outside of the grind of a season or training camp.

''That's why we've been in contact all summer with everyone and why we set up the little minicamp in L.A.,'' Gasol said. ''It's because I'm excited, and I think we have an important job this season coming up.''

Conley noted teams trying to rebuild often jettison the older players. He's been with Memphis 11 seasons and Gasol 10. Both veterans like the changes the front office made.

''We're a team that can get right back in the mix of things,'' Conley said.

 

[Cnotes53]

DeMarcus Cousins back on the court
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) DeMarcus Cousins has progressed in his recovery from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon and is doing light shooting and other skill work on the court and will be able to do some noncontact work as the Warriors' training camp begins.

Golden State general manager Bob Myers said anyone who thinks the two-time defending champions plan to ''save DeMarcus for the playoffs, I think that's inaccurate, when he can play he'll play.''

That doesn't mean Cousins will be pushed to return too soon. He was re-examined last week by Dr. Richard Ferkel, the surgeon who performed his procedure, and all was positive. Myers said Cousins would be evaluated again in four weeks.

''We won't rush him but we also won't hold him back,'' Myers said at Monday's media day.

Cousins injured his Achilles in late January and it prematurely ended his season with the Pelicans. Before the injury, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 48 games.

He said he's encouraged to be running full-court, playing 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 - and Cousins said he will be a new player when he returns, ''I'm seriously like a mad man right now.''

''It's been hard. I would be lying if I told you anything different. It's been an absolute grind,'' Cousins said of his recovery. ''It's taken a lot of dedication, a lot of commitment. ... It's probably one of the hardest things physically and mentally I've been through in my career so far.''

When Boogie is back, Golden State will have five 2018 All-Stars in coach Steve Kerr's starting lineup.

''Then you get to see DeMarcus Cousins, once he's healthy. How does he fit into the team? And how does the team grow as a whole?'' Kerr said. ''I think it will be fun as a coach and for fans. And by the end of the season we'll be clicking and ready to roll in the playoffs.''

Jordan Bell would like to see the fiery Cousins, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green get into it. Bell figures a little healthy scrapping on the practice floor might be good fuel for Golden State as it goes for a third straight title after winning three of the past four championships.

''I hope they fight this year, I would love ... I just want to see the fades go up, that's all I want to see is KD and him catching a friendly one, him and Draymond catching one,'' Bell said. ''Everybody just catch a friendly one, I want to record it. Just to make sure everybody's good, no hostility. I don't know when, I just hope it happens. I'm very excited about that. I'm going to be right there in front commentating, egging, gas `em, do all that.''

Green would much prefer that Bell take on Boogie.

''He's a young guy. He should be the one wanting to fight,'' Green said. ''I'm getting old, so he can have that.''

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Warriors would be the first team since Boston in 1975-76 to play five All-Stars from the previous season at the same time. That group was Jo Jo White, Charlie Scott, Dave Cowens, Paul Silas and John Havlicek.

The 28-year-old Cousins' imposing presence will mean so much.

''Obviously DeMarcus is one of the most talented players in our league. Most people see, `Oh, man, DeMarcus went to the Warriors, they won,' and it ain't that easy,'' Green said. ''Like that's 26 points a game you're working into the lineup. It's tough. But that's the fun part. The fun part is making it work. I think back to when KD came here, everybody, `Oh, man, they've got Kevin Durant, they won 73 games, it's over.' And honestly the fun part wasn't winning the championship. The fun part was during the year figuring that out, how we was going to make that work. And I'm looking forward to the same thing with DeMarcus.''

NOTES: Warriors coaching and front office promotions include adding Kerr's son, Nick, to the video staff after he spent last season with the Spurs. Bruce Fraser - Stephen Curry's regular shooting guru - is now an assistant coach and Chris DeMarco is an assistant coach and director of player development. ''He's a catalyst with who we are as a team and our identity,'' Curry said of Fraser. ''He does way more than quote-un-quote coach.'' ... Golden State signed free agent G Tyler Ulis. ... Myers said there have been talks with G Patrick McCaw's representatives and ''conversations have been cordial,'' the GM said. ''We're going to keep talking and hopefully we'll reach a resolution that works for him and us.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Pacers out to prove they weren't a fluke
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana point guard Darren Collison made his position clear: The Pacers haven't done anything yet.

Sure, they surprised everyone last season by posting a winning record, making the playoffs and forcing eventual Eastern Conference champion Cleveland to a seven-game series. They also think others around the league believe it could have been a fluke.

''I guess you'd kind of say we're still going under the radar,'' Collison said during the team's annual media day Monday. ''People still think we haven't really accomplished anything yet, and we haven't, really. We made the playoffs, which is a good plus for a team that just got together. But at the same time, to have some success you've got to go further in the playoffs and I think that's where we're at right now.''

All-Star guard Victor Oladipo and promising center Myles Turner understand questions remain, too. Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has even heard similar sentiments expressed during chats with other decision-makers around the league.

Those conversations have everyone inside the organization intent on proving the outsiders wrong and showing they can contend in the suddenly wide-open East.

''I don't know if people think we're Milli Vanilli, a one-hit wonder, but I think there's a little bit of that, I do,'' Pritchard said. ''I think people think we're a solid team that overachieved last season and now we've got to prove it again.''

The Pacers believe they have a solid foundation in place.

Oladipo wants to show his breakout season was just a start after being acquired in the Paul George trade. A buffed-up Turner has focused on becoming a better rebounder and a more consistent defender while embracing the opportunity to play more minutes with Indiana's other big man, Domantas Sabonis. Collison spent the summer refining his shooting prowess after leading the league in 3-point percentage (46.8).

In all, Indiana returns its entire starting lineup and its two most frequently used backups - Sabonis and Cory Joseph.

They also hope to get additional scoring from guard Tyreke Evans and forward Doug McDermott, both free-agent signees, as well as forward T.J. Leaf and guard Aaron Holiday - their last two first-round draft picks.

While it's enough to make the Pacers look better on paper, nobody inside the organization intends to rely on talent alone.

So Oladipo this summer gathered his teammates, old and new, for a sort of mini-camp workout in Miami to get everyone acclimated to the revamped roster. Coach Nate McMillan, Pritchard and Pacers players said they've never seen anything quite like it.

Oladipo did it for one essential reason - he's eager to start winning playoff series to show the detractors last year was just the beginning.

''It just keeps getting bigger and bigger,'' he said of the chip on his shoulder. ''To be honest with you, it was only one year - and that's the criticism, it was just one year. Can he do it again, can they do it again is what they say.''

It's a question the Pacers expect to hear all season, or at least until proving they're capable of challenging conference favorites Boston and Toronto.

Yes, one season was a nice start. But McMillan knows it's going to at least a second strong season for the Pacers to establish themselves as a legitimate contender.

''There's a buzz, which is good, about our team and some of the things we did,'' McMillan said. ''But we've flipped the page on that. It's over, it's done and we have to create that atmosphere all over again.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Parker, Walker eager to build Hornets
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Tony Parker is excited about finishing his impressive NBA career with the Hornets after 17 seasons with the Spurs. Kemba Walker said he wants to stay in Charlotte, too.

The two point guards are at vastly different stages of their careers, but both share the same goal - to make Charlotte a perennial playoff team.

Parker expects no less.

He's already told his new teammates, ''Don't mess with my playoff streak.''

The 36-year-old Parker has never missed the playoffs, winning four NBA championships along the way. Walker has become a two-time All-Star despite playing on a Hornets team that hasn't won a playoff series since Parker's rookie season in 2001-02.

Walker, 28, will become a highly sought after free agent next season but said he emphatically Monday that he has no desire to join a so-called super team.

''I don't want to be nowhere else,'' said Walker, the Hornets' all-time leading scorer. ''You see guys who are on elite teams. I don't want to do that. I want to create something special here in Charlotte, something that we have never had here before. I want to create some consistency.''

Walker said he's ''confident'' the Hornets will try to resign him next summer, adding ''I just have that feeling.''

Parker's decision to leave the Spurs for the Hornets shocked many around the NBA world given his loyalty to coach Gregg Popovich, but not fellow Frenchman and close friend Nicolas Batum.

They've played together for years with the French national team and have formed such a close relationship over the years that they consider each other brothers. Batum, the Hornets small forward, said he and Parker discussed the prospect of coming to Charlotte before it came to fruition.

Along with playing alongside Batum again, Parker liked the idea of playing for new Hornets coach James Borrego, a former Spurs assistant, and owner Michael Jordan.

''Growing up, Michael Jordan was my idol,'' said Parker, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract with Charlotte. ''I would wake up at 3 in the morning (in France) to watch all of his games. So for me it is like coming full circle to play the last couple of years for his team. It's a great honor.''

Parker will have to make adjustments though.

Outside of an injury-plagued season a year ago, he's always been a starter.

But this year he will have to take a backseat to Walker, a role he said he's ready to accept.

However, Borrego said Walker and Parker will often be paired together in the backcourt in the fourth quarter of tight games.

''Tony is very comfortable in fourth quarter situations,'' Borrego said. ''We will be in that fourth quarter situation a ton this year - and we have to close. Now it's up to me and my staff to figure out how to close with those guys on the floor.''

Parker said it doesn't matter what his role is with the Hornets, saying ''I'm up for anything.''

''If I finish games, great. If I don't, that's fine too,'' Parker said. ''... Kemba needs to be that leader on the court. I will help him out being a different type of leader.''

Parker said that means helping Walker take the next step in his progression as a point guard, particularly improving as a ball distributor.

''I was in the same spot as him once. I was a good scorer. But to be a great point guard you have to do both,'' Parker said. ''You have to know when to score and when to pass and involve your teammates. He's made the last two All-Star games, but I told him, `Hey, All-Stars is great, but it's better to win and have success in the playoffs.'''

Walker couldn't agree more.

''I just want to win,'' Walker said.

 

[Cnotes53]

Porzingis rehabbing conservatively
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) Kristaps Porzingis is a one-of-a-kind player, a 7-foot-3 package strong enough to pound in the paint but with plenty of speed and shooting to play on the perimeter.

That's ideal for the basketball court.

Not so much for rehabbing a serious knee injury.

Porzingis said Monday his size has necessitated a slow recovery from a torn left ACL and prevents him or the New York Knicks from establishing a timetable for his return to action.

''We've done things differently because there is no protocol for a 7-3 guy,'' Porzingis said. ''There is no timetable for my type of body, my size and all that. So we've done things differently. We've been really conservative and at the same time I've been killing myself working, so we're just going to have to keep moving forward and keep progressing and then see when is the right time for me to be back.''

Porzingis was injured after a dunk in a Feb. 6 loss to Milwaukee, just before he was set to play in his first All-Star Game. He is doing light running and shooting but is not cleared to do anything serious enough to make an early season return likely.

''It's already been 7+ months so obviously I'm getting itchy and want to be back on the court as soon as possible, but it won't happen until I am 110 percent and I'm medically cleared,'' Porzingis said.

There is no reason to rush. The Knicks are a young team unlikely to challenge for a playoff spot, so they can prioritize their franchise player's health even if it means sitting Porzingis for most or all of the season.

He didn't rule that out, though he wants to play, and it would certainly help the Knicks attract free agents next summer if Porzingis can get back on the floor and show his array of skills that led Kevin Durant - potentially one of those free agents - to nickname him a unicorn.

Porzingis spent most of his summer in Europe so he could be near his home in Latvia, where he was visited by new Knicks coach David Fizdale. Porzingis, who played professionally in Spain before the Knicks drafted him with the No. 4 pick in 2015, did his rehabilitation with Real Madrid, saying those were the best facilities available. He said he's pleased with where he's at in his recovery - even though doctors who have worked on similar injuries can't say where exactly that is.

''Yeah, but they haven't done it on a 7-3 guy,'' said Porzingis, whose weight is listed at 240 pounds. ''So I think it's something new for everybody and as I said we're trying to just be conservative and doing the right thing without pushing it too much.''

He said all his energy is on his recovery, so he hasn't thought much about the contract extension he is eligible to sign before the season. It's unclear if the Knicks even intend to offer one, with both sides possibly feeling it's better to wait until next summer.

In the meantime, he intends to be around his Knicks teammates as much as possible, though he doesn't know if he will travel with them. But whenever he is around will be a benefit.

''We know he's not going to play beginning of the season, but at the same time we know that he's still going to be out there, giving us his insight, giving us his ideas of what he sees out there on the floor that can help the team throughout the way,'' swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. said. ''So until he gets back we're going to hold down the fort.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Wade's last dance with Heat begins
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) Dwyane Wade doesn't know how this whole notion of his final season being called ''The Last Dance'' even started.

Fun fact: He can't dance.

But the three-time champion and 12-time All-Star can still play, and the Miami Heat are hoping - and expecting - Wade to still be extremely valuable in this, his 16th and last season in the NBA. And at Heat media day Monday, Wade said that even he doesn't know what to fully expect from what will be the last months of his playing career.

''I have no idea what I want out of this year,'' Wade said. ''We're going to be able to figure this thing out as the year goes on. It's going to take on a life of its own. ... To me, that is the beauty of it, is that I do not know and we do not know.''

Starting Tuesday, the story starts getting told.

Wade and the Heat head about 45 minutes north to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida for training camp - five straight days of workouts preceding Sunday's preseason opener at San Antonio. Decisions will have to be made quickly about playing time and roles, and part of that formula is figuring out how Wade best fits into coach Erik Spoelstra's plan.

''Most pro athletes, unfortunately, they don't get to know when the end is - or at least they're the last ones to know and it's certainly not on their terms,'' Spoelstra said. ''He has this incredible blessing to know when that finish line will be and be able to have the perspective to make every day matter. It's the right player, the right organization, the right coaching staff, the right timing for all of this.''

Wade said one of the reasons why he's back is to fulfill a promise to Udonis Haslem that they would end their careers together. Later Monday, Haslem - also entering his 16th season with Miami - confirmed that he is retiring when this season ends.

''I don't have a video,'' Haslem deadpanned after climbing - without a ladder - atop a backboard on the Heat practice floor.

Wade announced his decision in a 10-minute video released on Sept. 16 that he was coming back for a final season, after at one time leaning about ''90 percent'' toward retirement over the summer. He agreed to a minimum contract worth $2.4 million, or roughly about $200,000 less than he made in his rookie season after the Heat took the Marquette guard with the No. 5 pick in the 2003 draft.

''At the end of the day, he's a Hall of Famer,'' Heat point guard Goran Dragic said. ''He still can produce. He showed that last year. He can still take over a game at any time. And just to have him on the court is special. His ability, his aura, his presence on the floor, it influences everyone. It's contagious, know what I mean? His confidence spreads, his ability, it's a feeling that's so good for us.''

Wade returned to the Heat in a trade last February, after spending the 2016-17 season with Chicago and the start of last season with Cleveland. For his career, he's a 22.5-point scorer and the Heat all-time leader in points, assists, steals and games played.

''He has more to give this game,'' Spoelstra said.

Wade enters this season 113 points shy of Clyde Drexler for No. 30 on the NBA's all-time scoring list. The legacy was secured long ago. That's not why he's still on the court. Wade has turned much of his basketball attention already to his son Zaire, a rising high school junior who has Division I offers and will surely be getting more.

Before he becomes a full-timer in the bleachers at his kid's games, there's the last dance.

''I'm going to continue to be very uncomfortable with this whole thing,'' Wade said. ''The farewell tour is not something I wanted. I think people around me know I really, really, really didn't want this. So I just look at it as this is me just saying `goodbye' more than anything.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Howard could miss start of Wizards camp
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Dwight Howard joked Monday about the sore back that's expected to keep him out for the start of training camp with the Washington Wizards.

Coach Scott Brooks downplayed the significance of the injury, too. Still, it's not ideal that the team needs to put off incorporating its one offseason addition to the starting lineup.

''I've been having to do a lot of traveling with shoe companies and stuff like that in China. So just from training, traveling - and airplanes weren't made for tall people. ... It kind of sucks to fly 15 hours curled up in the fetal position,'' said Howard, a 6-foot-11 center entering his 15th NBA season.

''So just a minor setback. It shouldn't take that long for me to get back on the court,'' he added. ''I've been feeling great all summer. Just something that we'll have to deal with, and it shouldn't keep me out too long.''

The Wizards traded away starting center Marcin Gortat to the Los Angeles Clippers and added Howard, who'll turn 33 in December, on a two-year, $11 million contract with a player option. He averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds last season for a Charlotte Hornets team that missed the playoffs and now is with his fourth team in four years.

That means adjusting yet again - to new teammates, to a new coach, to a new system.

In Washington, everything revolves around the backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Last season, when Wall appeared in only 41 of 82 games, the Wizards went 43-39 and were eighth in the Eastern Conference, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Toronto Raptors.

Howard, an eight-time All-Star, said that he has not had a chance to get on a court with Wall and Beal to start getting a feel for one another.

''But one thing that I have done is I've watched a lot of film to really learn the tendencies of my teammates. Where they like the ball. Where they like to get screened at. Just things that will really help them get to their sweet spots,'' Howard said. ''A lot of times, the best way to really understand your teammate is by watching film.''

Brooks, Beal and others said all the right things at Monday's media day about Howard.

''He's going to make my job a lot easier. He's going to make everybody's job a lot easier on both ends of the floor, because you still have to respect his ability at the rim. He averaged 16 and 13 last year. Those are great numbers, you know? In our system, those can increase, easily,'' said Beal, who led Washington in scoring by averaging 22.6 points and was an All-Star for the first time.

''Watching him, if you don't hit him, it's over. He's going to dunk on you. And I love it. Because I think that's going to get me hyped - just being able to have a big who'll just flush it on you every time and somebody who will block some shots if you get beat on defense,'' Beal said. ''He's a threat on both ends of the floor.''

Now it's just a matter of getting Howard out on that floor with the rest of the Wizards.

''We're just going to be careful. Not sure if he will practice tomorrow'' when camp opens, Brooks said at the club's media day.

Brooks listed Howard's status as ''day-to-day,'' saying he wasn't ''overly concerned.''

''But we're not going to rush him to get back,'' the coach said.

 

[Cnotes53]

Nets focused on taking 'small steps'
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) For the Brooklyn Nets, familiarity breeds continuity.

They hope that will lead to a few more wins.

Growth was the overarching theme during media day at the Nets' practice facility Monday. Entering its third season under general manager Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson, Brooklyn has won 48 of 164 games. In the first season under the new regime, the Nets won 20 games. Last year, that number increased to 28.

So the goal for this season is progression.

''Knowing how the rebuild process goes, we're going to have to slowly get back,'' Jarrett Allen said. ''It's just small steps we're taking.''

Ten of the 19 players the Nets have on their preseason roster have five or fewer years of NBA experience, including five rookies.

But there are questions about how long and how many of the Nets' young pieces will remain in Brooklyn. The Nets will have plenty of money for free agency next summer, but they may not want to wait if they could trade for Minnesota's Jimmy Butler or another All-Star player.

Spencer Dinwiddie, who emerged as the Nets' top player last season while point guards D'Angelo Russell and the since-departed Jeremy Lin were injured, knows he could be moved, after his name was linked to some trade chatter in the offseason.

''Being in trade rumors all summer I guess is two pieces: I want to be here. I love being here. I'm happy that they didn't (trade me). On the flip side, the spectrum of teams calling me (meant) obviously I played well,'' Dinwiddie said. ''I've been on the other side of the situation where obviously nobody really cared what I was doing. It's cool in that respect. I guess mildly stressful, but at the same time, I can't control it, so it doesn't too much matter.''

Butler did not participate in Minnesota's media day Monday and Timberwolves coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau said the team would make a deal if it made sense for the organization.

Brooklyn likely will have the salary cap space to afford Butler, who will be a free agent after this season. The Nets could have anywhere from $50 million to $70 million in cap space next year, and possess their first-round draft pick next year and Denver's, should it fall between 13 and 30, along with potentially two second-round picks.

''Jimmy Butler is a phenomenal player. Who wouldn't want to add him to their roster?'' Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said. ''I feel like we have a lot of good pieces, a lot of good assets here. (That's not a) knock on Jimmy if he comes. We'd love to have him.''

But the Nets aren't exactly waiting around for next summer. Ed Davis, Kenneth Faried, Jared Dudley and Shabazz Napier were all signed or acquired in the offseason, veteran players who will bolster the young roster.

''If you look at us, there's no star player here, no someone here saving the game,'' Dudley said. ''Some players on the team make other players better.''

Adding Butler would cost the Nets some of the assets Marks has stockpiled since becoming general manager. Under previous GM Billy King, the Nets traded first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018, the right to swap first-round picks in 2017, plus Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph and Keith Bogans to Boston for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White in 2013.

Garnett played 96 games spanning two seasons with the Nets. Pierce spent one season in Brooklyn. Terry played in only 35 games as a Net, while White never played. Celtics GM Danny Ainge turned the picks into Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving.

While Butler, 29, is not as old as Garnett (37) and Pierce (35) were when the Nets acquired them, a trade would fundamentally change the state of the organization's rebuild.

''At the end of the day you have to know that it's a business, you have to know decisions have to be made for the betterment of the organization,'' Hollis-Jefferson said. ''Jimmy's human. We know he's really talented and does a lot of things well. At the end of the day, we (are) all human, we all connect in some way. So we find out who he is and how he is as a person, and make the best of it at the end of the day.''

 

[Cnotes53]

DeAndre Jordan joins Mavs with humor
September 21, 2018
By The Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) DeAndre Jordan took off his warmup jacket, tossed it aside and declared that his decision to join the Dallas Mavericks didn't mean he also would be playing for his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.

Humor was the center's way of easing into all the questions about his infamous jilting of the Mavericks in free agency three years ago, when he agreed to play for Dallas and changed his mind before contracts could be signed.

When it was pointed out to him that folks in Dallas hadn't seen the fun-loving side of the native Texan before Mavericks media day Friday, Jordan did what he had done for most of his 15 minutes with reporters. He smiled.

''You haven't seen this side?'' Jordan asked, repeating the observation. ''You guys hated me the past three years so I probably wasn't very open in interviews. You know what I mean? I'm excited to get to know all of you guys.''

Jordan wanted to get one thing straight before agreeing again to sign with the Mavericks, this time after opting out of the final year of that four-year contract he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2015. He wanted to make sure coach Rick Carlisle and Dirk Nowitzki, among others, didn't have any hard feelings.

Well, Jordan was pretty sure he was cool with the 40-year-old German superstar who is about to set an NBA record by spending all 21 of his seasons with the same franchise.

''Dirk is an old man so he forgets a lot of stuff,'' Jordan said, sending a wave of laughter through the interview room. ''Like I said at the beginning, before I committed again I just wanted to make sure that we were OK and everything was positive. They said they forgot about all that and they were looking forward to the future.''

It wasn't necessarily forget for Nowitzki, who started at center the past couple of years and likely won't have a regular spot in the starting lineup for the first time since his rookie season of 1998-99. But it was definitely forgive - long before Jordan actually followed follow through on his plan to be Nowitzki's teammate.

''We've been over that a long, long time ago,'' Nowitzki said. ''It wasn't only about basketball. He made some other decisions about what was best for him. We're in no position to judge anybody. Everybody in a free agent situation has to make a decision that's best for himself first. And that's what he did.''

Besides, Nowitzki gets to see that other side of Jordan now, too.

''He's got a crazy personality,'' Nowitzki said. ''He's fun to be around. He enjoys life and he'll be a great addition to our team. That's off the court. I think on the court he's going to be pretty great, some of the defensive stuff he's going to wipe out.''

Jordan is one of the NBA's best rebounders, finishing in the top three each of the past five seasons. Although his shot-blocking numbers have dropped off the past two seasons, the 30-year-old is still considered one of the best rim protectors.

Those are a couple of reasons Carlisle didn't even have to forgive the 6-foot-11 Jordan when the exploratory phone call came.

''I said, `Hey, I've been waiting for this phone call for three years. You kidding me?''' Carlisle said. ''And so we're thrilled to have him here. Our guys love him. And he's going to be a big asset for us.''

Harrison Barnes was a defending NBA champion with Golden State when Jordan jilted the Mavericks. But the team's leading scorer the past two seasons still got caught up in the story a year later through a photo that was tweeted when Barnes signed the Mavericks immediately after the moratorium ended.

In it, Barnes is handcuffed to president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, standing alongside Carlisle and Nelson's top assistant, former player Michael Finley. All four of them are smiling, and yes, Barnes played along.

It was a final nod to the emoji-driven drama that included Blake Griffin and Clippers coach Doc Rivers holing up with Jordan in his Houston home while Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tried to contact the former Texas A&M standout. Griffin and Rivers didn't leave until Jordan had signed.

''I never thought all of us would be on the same team this many years later,'' Barnes said. ''I was like, `That is nuts.' It was crazy, but everything happens for a reason.''

The Mavericks have been telling themselves that a lot, through their first consecutive losing records in nearly 20 years after yet another first-round playoff exit the season after Jordan stayed in LA.

Dallas hasn't won a postseason series since winning its only championship in 2011. But with Jordan joining a pair of top-10 draft picks in Dennis Smith Jr. and rookie Luka Doncic, the Mavericks believe the franchise's fortunes may finally be turning.

Jordan is hopeful fans who booed him incessantly all five times he came to Dallas after the decision will come around as well.

''I don't think I would have changed what happened,'' Jordan said. ''I think I would have changed the way that it was handled. Because I don't regret my decision staying with the Clippers. I'm excited about this new chapter. I don't really think about it as much as I used to when I was younger anymore.''

 

[Cnotes53]

10 NBA stories worth noting for 2018
September 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) Training camps for most NBA teams open Tuesday, and with the season fast approaching, here's 10 items of note as the league heads into the 2018-19 campaign:

JIMMY BUTLER

As media days were ending Monday, Jimmy Butler was still with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It's likely temporary. The first big saga of the 2018-19 season is Butler and his trade request. ''Our job is to seek out the best opportunity for us,'' Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''If something's good for us, then we're interested in doing it. If not, we're ready to move forward the other way.'' Several teams - including Miami, Cleveland, Brooklyn - have interest, as would be expected when talking about a four-time All-Star.

GOLDEN STATE

The Warriors have won three of the last four NBA titles and added DeMarcus Cousins over the summer, making a great roster even greater. But Cousins, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and more could all be free agents next July 1, meaning Golden State may be changing more than its address (the Warriors are moving into a new arena in 2019) after this season. ''The idea is to really focus on how lucky we are to be here together in this era, this time and place,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''We're well aware it's not going to last forever.''

THE EAST

For the first time since 2010, the Eastern Conference team in the NBA Finals will not be led by LeBron James - since he's now with the Los Angeles Lakers. So while Boston, Toronto and Philadelphia are clearly good, the East race is as open as it has been in a decade. James helped Miami win the East from 2011 through 2014, and Cleveland in each of the last four seasons. ''A `LeBron-less East.' That's a good way to put it,'' Washington coach Scott Brooks said. ''He's gone. He got a lot of players cut, traded, coaches fired.''

VINCE CARTER

Carter is now with Atlanta, his eighth NBA team. He has an Olympic gold medal from 2000, but no NBA championship yet - though instead of ring-chasing in a season where he's turning 42, Carter decided to join a young team in Atlanta and simultaneously be a player and a mentor. ''I'm trying to wring the towel all the way out,'' Carter said. The Hawks might not have a great chance at the playoffs this season, but if they get there and Carter plays, he would become the third-oldest player to appear in a postseason game.

STREAKING SPURS

San Antonio has been to the playoffs in each of the last 21 seasons. The NBA record is 22 straight, set by Philadelphia from 1950 through 1971. If the Spurs get there this season, it'll be the first time they do so without any of their Big Three - Tim Duncan (retired two years ago), Manu Ginobili (retired this summer) or Tony Parker (now in Charlotte) - on the roster. ''It's a great opportunity for a new challenge,'' said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who took Ginobili along for San Antonio's preseason coaching retreat last week and picked his brain on strategy for the coming season.

MVP WATCH

There are seven active MVPs in the NBA right now - LeBron James has won it four times, Stephen Curry twice, and Dirk Nowitzki, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and reigning MVP James Harden all have claimed the award once. All seven now play in the Western Conference, and Harden plans to do his part to keep the trophy on that side of the league. ''I've got to take it to another level,'' the Houston star said. ''Every single year, I've got to improve and make sure that I'm a leader.''

WELCOME, ROOKIES

No. 1 overall draft pick Deandre Ayton goes into his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns with a rookie (at least, an NBA rookie) coach in Igor Kokoskov. Suns guard Devin Booker raves about what he's already learned from Kokoskov, and Ayton is duly impressed. ''Coach Igor is a smart coach, a very smart coach,'' the Suns' new center said. ''He's all about fundamentals and really taking your time in the post, taking care of your body and really all about conditioning, as well and studying the game.''

WAITING GAME

Memphis veteran Omri Casspi enters this season with a distinction nobody wants - no player in the NBA right now has been in more regular-season games without playing in a single playoff contest. Casspi has been in 552 games, none of them of the postseason variety, and that makes his playoff drought 17 games longer than Golden State's DeMarcus Cousins. But Casspi has made a career out of being patient; the first Israeli to play in the NBA remembers a time when few people thought he'd ever reach the league. ''If you believe in yourself,'' Casspi said, ''good things will happen.''

LEBRON'S SALARY

It's hard to find an NBA all-time list of anything where the Lakers' LeBron James isn't one of the leaders, and that includes earnings. James will pass Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki and climb to No. 4 on the league's career salary list this season, the $35.5 million he'll be getting in his first season with Los Angeles pushing him to about $270 million for his 16 seasons. He's on pace to pass Shaquille O'Neal for the No. 3 spot in the 2019-20 season, and would then pass Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett for the No. 1 all-time spot in 2020-21.

LAST DANCES

This will be the 21st and possibly final season for Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, and two guys he faced in the 2006 and 2011 NBA Finals against Miami are among those who are going into a season for the last time. Dwyane Wade said earlier this month this is his ''last dance,'' and Heat forward Udonis Haslem made the announcement Monday that his 16th season is his finale.

 

[Cnotes53]

DeMarcus Cousins back on the court
September 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) DeMarcus Cousins has progressed in his recovery from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon and is doing light shooting and other skill work on the court and will be able to do some noncontact work as the Warriors' training camp begins.

Golden State general manager Bob Myers said anyone who thinks the two-time defending champions plan to ''save DeMarcus for the playoffs, I think that's inaccurate, when he can play he'll play.''

That doesn't mean Cousins will be pushed to return too soon. He was re-examined last week by Dr. Richard Ferkel, the surgeon who performed his procedure, and all was positive. Myers said Cousins would be evaluated again in four weeks.

''We won't rush him but we also won't hold him back,'' Myers said at Monday's media day.

Cousins injured his Achilles in late January and it prematurely ended his season with the Pelicans. Before the injury, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 48 games.

He said he's encouraged to be running full-court, playing 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 - and Cousins said he will be a new player when he returns, ''I'm seriously like a mad man right now.''

''It's been hard. I would be lying if I told you anything different. It's been an absolute grind,'' Cousins said of his recovery. ''It's taken a lot of dedication, a lot of commitment. ... It's probably one of the hardest things physically and mentally I've been through in my career so far.''

When Boogie is back, Golden State will have five 2018 All-Stars in coach Steve Kerr's starting lineup.

''Then you get to see DeMarcus Cousins, once he's healthy. How does he fit into the team? And how does the team grow as a whole?'' Kerr said. ''I think it will be fun as a coach and for fans. And by the end of the season we'll be clicking and ready to roll in the playoffs.''

Jordan Bell would like to see the fiery Cousins, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green get into it. Bell figures a little healthy scrapping on the practice floor might be good fuel for Golden State as it goes for a third straight title after winning three of the past four championships.

''I hope they fight this year, I would love ... I just want to see the fades go up, that's all I want to see is KD and him catching a friendly one, him and Draymond catching one,'' Bell said. ''Everybody just catch a friendly one, I want to record it. Just to make sure everybody's good, no hostility. I don't know when, I just hope it happens. I'm very excited about that. I'm going to be right there in front commentating, egging, gas `em, do all that.''

Green would much prefer that Bell take on Boogie.

''He's a young guy. He should be the one wanting to fight,'' Green said. ''I'm getting old, so he can have that.''

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Warriors would be the first team since Boston in 1975-76 to play five All-Stars from the previous season at the same time. That group was Jo Jo White, Charlie Scott, Dave Cowens, Paul Silas and John Havlicek.

The 28-year-old Cousins' imposing presence will mean so much.

''Obviously DeMarcus is one of the most talented players in our league. Most people see, `Oh, man, DeMarcus went to the Warriors, they won,' and it ain't that easy,'' Green said. ''Like that's 26 points a game you're working into the lineup. It's tough. But that's the fun part. The fun part is making it work. I think back to when KD came here, everybody, `Oh, man, they've got Kevin Durant, they won 73 games, it's over.' And honestly the fun part wasn't winning the championship. The fun part was during the year figuring that out, how we was going to make that work. And I'm looking forward to the same thing with DeMarcus.''

NOTES: Warriors coaching and front office promotions include adding Kerr's son, Nick, to the video staff after he spent last season with the Spurs. Bruce Fraser - Stephen Curry's regular shooting guru - is now an assistant coach and Chris DeMarco is an assistant coach and director of player development. ''He's a catalyst with who we are as a team and our identity,'' Curry said of Fraser. ''He does way more than quote-un-quote coach.'' ... Golden State signed free agent G Tyler Ulis. ... Myers said there have been talks with G Patrick McCaw's representatives and ''conversations have been cordial,'' the GM said. ''We're going to keep talking and hopefully we'll reach a resolution that works for him and us.''

 

[Cnotes53]

LeBron captivates crowd in L.A. debut
October 1, 2018
By The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) LeBron James rubbed his hands in chalk powder at the scorer's table, yelled ''Yes!'' to ecstatic fans in the first few rows and the Los Angeles Lakers' new era was underway.

Playing in the same arena where Magic Johnson made his regular-season debut for Los Angeles 39 years ago, James captivated the crowd from the start of the Lakers' exhibition opener Sunday night, a 124-107 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

The opening tip came James' way and he tapped it to fellow newcomer Rajon Rondo, who threw an alley-oop pass to JaVale McGee for the game's first score.

James missed his first shot, a turnaround fadeaway, but then made a no-look bounce pass from about 27 feet out to Brandon Ingram for a dunk. A minute later, James hit a long 3-pointer.

He finished with nine points, three rebounds and four assists in just more than 15 minutes.

''It was great to get back on the floor and then just start a new journey for myself and hear the Lakers fans that we have here in San Diego,'' said James, who was married here in 2013. ''It was great feeling to go out there and hear the roar from the fans here. I very much appreciate it.''

The three-time NBA champion, four-time NBA MVP and 14-time All-Star said he played a little more than expected, ''and I felt pretty good.''

Seeing James in a Lakers uniform for the first time ''was awesome,'' said coach Luke Walton, who grew up in San Diego. ''When you're coaching the Lakers and you look out and see LeBron wearing your team's colors, it' a pretty good feeling.''

While the Lakers have a lot to work on, fans hope James' arrival will turn things around after the worst half-decade in the franchise's lengthy history.

He left the Cleveland Cavaliers for a four-year, $153.3 million free-agent deal with the Lakers.

''It always feels different for me anytime you change uniforms,'' he said. ''It felt different when I changed from wearing a St. Vincent-St. Mary jersey to wearing a Cavs jersey from a Cavs jersey to a Heat jersey, back to a Cavs jersey and now being a Laker. It definitely feels different and takes a little bit of time getting used to.''

He, Rondo and fellow veterans McGee, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley signed to team with the Lakers' talented young core.

James was the focus on and off the court Sunday night.

He was cheered from the minute he ran onto the court with his new teammates for warmups. He played the first eight minutes before being subbed out.

When he came back in midway through the second quarter, he was greeted by a roar.

As he stood near the scorer's table during a video review, a fan yelled: ''LeBron, we love you!'' and the superstar responded with a hang-loose sign.

Walton said James and Rondo ''were great. Their commitment to pushing it, defensively. I thought the first group as a whole played really well, to start. Both groups were fouling way too much. They hit 30-some free throws. It's going to be tough to win a game like that. But there's some new rules we have to get adjusted to from this summer. The first group I thought played really well, obviously being led by the two of them out there.''

Asked before the game what stands out about James, Walton said, ''His intelligence. He sees everything. He knows even before drills. He knows where he's going. His work ethic. He's out there pre-practice with the guys, post-practice with the guys. Taking care of his body in the weight room.

''He's the ultimate professional.''

The Lakers' regular-season opener is Oct. 18 at Portland. Their home opener is two nights later against Houston.

This was another big night for an L.A. basketball team at San Diego's sports arena.

In 1975, John Wooden coached his final game here, leading UCLA to its 10th NCAA title in 12 seasons. In 1979, Johnson made his NBA debut when Los Angeles beat the then-San Diego Clippers in the season opener. After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a buzzer-beating sky hook, Johnson hugged the center like they'd just won the championship. Seven months later, they did win the NBA title.

Johnson is now the Lakers' president of basketball operations and James was the prized acquisition of an offseason roster revamp.

As a kid, Walton used to watch his father, Bill, play for the Clippers, although the Hall of Famer's years in his hometown were largely marred by injuries.

 

[Cnotes53]

Rockets hope Paul can escape bad luck
September 28, 2018
By The Associated Press

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said this week that his team was a ''hamstring'' away from the Western Conference title last season.

The hamstring he was referring to was Chris Paul's, with the injury the latest setback for the point guard whose illustrious career at times has seemed cursed.

After signing Paul to a four-year, $160 million extension in the offseason, the Rockets hope the bad luck ends this year and he'll help them to their first title since 1995.

''Chris deserves a championship,'' Fertitta said. ''It is time. But luck is luck and it just takes a little luck in sports. You have to set yourself up to be one of the best and then you need a few things to fall into place.''

The Rockets led the Warriors 3-2 in the conference finals last season before Paul's season ended with a hamstring injury in Game 5. Golden State won the next two games to advance to the Finals and go on to win the title.

Paul scoffed at the notion that his ill-timed hamstring injury was the worst thing that's happened to him.

''If that's the toughest thing, then I'm living a real good life,'' he said. ''But it's definitely up there as far as basketball goes, as far as not being able to influence the outcome. If that doesn't do something to you then you're in the wrong profession.''

But that disappointing end to Paul's first season in Houston was far from the first time things have gone awry at the worst times for the nine-time All-Star. He was dogged for years about his inability to escape the second round of the playoffs after making nine trips to the postseason without ever reaching the conference finals before finally breaking through with the Rockets last season.

Paul looked sure to advance in 2015 when he and the Clippers were up 3-1 over the Rockets in the conference semifinals. But they were routed in Game 5 before squandering a 19-point second-half lead in a loss at home in Game 6 and being eliminated in Houston in Game 7.

No one with the Rockets would go as far as to say that Paul might be cursed, but everyone agreed that he's had more than his share of bad luck. Coach Mike D'Antoni feels for Paul. But this isn't the first time he's worked with a superstar point guard with problems such as these.

D'Antoni coached Steve Nash for four seasons on those great teams in Phoenix that were never able to win a title. Nash was named MVP twice, but finished an 18-year career without a ring.

''(Paul's) had a remarkable career, so I don't know how bad of luck it is,'' D'Antoni said. ''Just sometimes at the end of a season it doesn't quite work out. Steve Nash was that way where he had just weird stuff happen. It happens.''

''But you keep knocking on the door and eventually it will (open),'' D'Antoni continued.

So, does Paul spend a lot of time sitting around thinking about what might have been if he'd been healthy for those last two games last season?

''It sounds crazy but unfortunately I've had a lot of different adversities and challenges and whatnot,'' he said. ''And I know it sounds cliche, but it only made me stronger mentally and everything like that. So for me ... I don't even think about it now.''

As the owner of Golden Nugget casinos across the country, Fertitta knows a thing or two about luck. He also knows about heartbreak as a sports fan after cheering on the Houston Oilers for years only to see them fall short of winning a title again and again before leaving for Tennessee.

''The Oilers kept trying to kick the door down and it never happened,'' he said wistfully.

That doesn't mean he isn't optimistic that it's time for the tide to turn for Paul, who is entering his 14th NBA season. But Paul doesn't think of it that way. Of course, his goal is to win a title and put his years of coming up short behind him. He just doesn't see it as him being due for some good fortune.

''Whatever's going to happen is going to happen and if that's the bad luck that I've had there's some people who have had a lot worse luck than I've had,'' he said. ''So, for me ... whatever happens you move on and you go to the next thing.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Wade, Haslem get big cheers from fans
September 29, 2018
By The Associated Press

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) Dwyane Wade's first touch of the game was a lob to set up a dunk. His first shot was a corner 3-pointer. And his first trip into the lane resulted in getting his shot swatted away.

All three of those plays left him smiling.

Wade's 16th and final season - his ''last dance,'' as he calls it - got off to an unofficial start Saturday, when the Miami Heat broke training camp at Florida Atlantic University with their annual scrimmage. His stats, as if they even mattered: eight points on 2 for 7 shooting, with three assists and a steal in 23 minutes.

''It was cool,'' Wade said. ''We've been working hard in practice, obviously. But to be out here today in front of some fans, getting to play in a different energy, you could see it in everybody. Guys were moving quicker. Guys were into it.''

Wade got the big cheer at the start, and his fellow 16-year veteran got the biggest cheer at the end: The final play of the scrimmage was Udonis Haslem hitting a game-winning jumper, one that gave his team a 15-13 win in the final 10-minute period.

''It's always fun, man,'' Haslem said after the final shot, a play drawn up by Justise Winslow in a time-out with about 3 seconds remaining. ''It's always enjoyable to win a game. I still take it seriously. I still play the game at a certain level and compete, so when you have an opportunity you want to make good.''

The ''Red, White and Pink Game'' is an annual Heat tribute to breast cancer survivors, two of whom were honored at Saturday's game. Jeanine Werner is a fifth-grade teacher and a two-year survivor, and Michelle Rohloff is a former teacher and a three-year survivor - both having beaten triple negative breast cancer.

''It's very close to us,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''We want all the survivors to know we're right there with them on this fight and we're going to continue to do more each year.''

There was a serious cause, even if the game wasn't exactly played with playoff intensity.

There were plenty of moments of real up-and-down play and blowing off steam, with a four-minute span of Winslow's third quarter perhaps the best illustration of both. He and Bam Adebayo took part in a midcourt danceoff during a time-out, and not long afterward Winslow got called for a technical after throwing the ball at a basket stanchion.

Scores were reset after every quarter, and players bounced between teams. Derrick Jones Jr. led all scorers with 21 points, Adebayo finished with 17 and Duncan Robinson scored 16.

''It's great to be back,'' Wade said.

The game ended five days of work by the Heat at FAU. Wayne Ellington didn't play because of ankle soreness, Josh Richardson departed mid-game with what was described as a left thigh contusion. Dion Waiters (ankle) and James Johnson (sports hernia) remain sidelined to continue rehabbing injuries from last season.