Today’s Top NBA Preseason Stories

– 10 Takeaways From the NBA’s Rejection of Lottery Reform (from Zach Lowe, Grantland.com):

” Just two days ago, higher-ups with both the Sixers and the league office expected lottery reform to pass by a vote of either 29-1 or 28-2. Over the weekend, Thunder GM Sam Presti initiated a stealth lobbying campaign against the league’s proposed changes, outlined here, which would have smoothed out the odds across the lottery. Presti raised concerns that such reform, piled atop other coming changes, would hurt small-market teams. A bunch of those non-glamour teams — including the Spurs and just about every branch of the Spurs management tree — eventually came around to the Sixers/Thunder “no” side. According to sources, the vote was 17-13 in favor of lottery reform, but 23 positive votes were needed for the proposal to pass. The result was unexpected, but what can we take away from the latest news?”

Read it here: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-rejects-lottery-reform/

– How Josh McRoberts is going to change the Heat offense (from Matt Pineda, hothothoops.com):

” Josh McRoberts has yet to play in the preseason for the Heat. What will his eventual return to the lineup mean for the Miami Heat?”

Read and view it here: http://www.hothothoops.com/2014/10/23/7025155/miami-heat-josh-mcroberts-offense-game-rotation-roster-nba-stats-shot-chart-highlights

– Kevin Love says he needs more inside touches to get his game back (from Chris Haynes, cleveland.com):

“My entire life I played the game from inside-out,” Love explained to NEOMG. “So the more touches I can get inside to get myself going, the better. I’m not accustomed to starting out a game shooting a three, so it’s just something that I see.

“I’m 26-years-old and I’ve been playing basketball for quite a long time. Just finding ways to mix it up. If anything, keeping it around the basket a little bit more and the offense will allow me to get offensive rebounds. That will be tough for teams with Andy [Varejao] and myself and Tristan [Thompson] in there.”

Read it here: http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2014/10/cleveland_cavaliers_forward_ke.html

– Vucevic Proving His Worth (from John Denton, nba.com/magic):

“He’s very skilled. He’s not one of those guys who is going to fool you with his quickness or his athleticism, but he can get you the rebounds and points that you need every night,’’ said (Dwight) Howard, who has occasionally been resistant to give other centers credit in the past.

“I never had the mindset that I was trying to replace (Howard) because I only wanted to help the team win,’’ Vucevic said. “It’s nice (to hear praise), especially from a guy like Dwight, who is one of the best big men in the league. It means that I’ve been doing good in my short career in the NBA. When guys acknowledge you and respect your game, that’s what you want. So I’m glad that (Howard) said that.’’

Read it here: http://www.nba.com/magic/denton-vucevic-proving-his-worth-preseason

– Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Trey Burke to lead exciting, young Jazz (from allthatamar, slcdunk.com):

Read it here: http://www.slcdunk.com/2014/10/22/7044289/utah-jazz-roster-gordon-hayward-derrick-favors-trey-burke

-As Knicks triangle offense develops, Derek Fisher’s team still has problems on defense (from Flip Bondy, NY Daily News):

“The words, “switching defense” are an unwelcome phrase around the Garden this year, discarded like an old, preseason program. The tactic was encouraged at times by Mike Woodson, to the dismay of Tyson Chandler and other big men who felt teammates weren’t accepting responsibility for their own assignments, letting guys fly down the lane while relying too heavily on interior defenders.

Fisher reiterated Wednesday that he wants no part of that defense, which is difficult to install correctly. Too often, switching can mean abandoning the cutter and leaving him to the next guy.”

Read it here: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/bondy-triangle-defense-knicks-big-problem-article-1.1984115

– How the Knicks build a strong-side pick-and-roll (from Seth Rosenthal, postingandtoasting.com):

” Read and view it here: http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2014/10/21/7029149/triangulatin-how-the-knicks-build-a-strong-side-pick-and-roll

– Davis-Lin pick and roll effective already (from Jovan Buha, ESPN:LosAngeles):

” “I love playing with J-Lin,” Davis said. “He’s a pick-and-roll guy; that’s what he wants to do. He gets into the lane. I’m just trying to get him open. He can take the jump shot or he can find me at the rim. He’s always looking for me, so whenever we’re out on the floor together I make sure I get him open and set good screens for him.”

The feeling of appreciation and on-court synergy is mutual.

“Ed does his job in terms of just getting me open and then rolling hard and finding the open gap,” Lin said. “Ed is one of those guys where, if he comes and sets 20 pick-and-rolls, and the weak side is there 20 times in a row and he doesn’t get the ball, he’ll still continue to do his job and get me open and roll to the right spot. That’s just unselfishness and him being smart.” ”

Read it here: http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/40215/davis-lin-pick-and-roll-effective-already

– Small Forward Depth an Issue For Clippers (from Jesse Blancarte, Basketball Insiders):

Read it here: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-am-small-forward-depth-an-issue-for-clippers/

– Omer Asik Scouting Report (from Rafael Uehara, Bball Breakdown):

Read it here: http://bballbreakdown.com/2014/10/21/omer-asik-scouting-report/

– How Lance Stephenson Greatly Improves The Hornets Offense (from Matthew Hochberg, BBall Breakdown):

Read and view it here: http://bballbreakdown.com/2014/10/20/how-lance-stephenson-greatly-improves-the-hornets-offense/

– Pelicans: Utilizing More Catch and Shoot Situations (from Oleh, thebirdwrites.com):

Read and view it here: http://www.thebirdwrites.com/2014/10/22/7028101/winning-moves-part-ii-utilizing-more-catch-and-shoot-situations

– 11 NBA Training Camp Invitees Who Look Like Locks to Make Their Teams (from Josh Martin, Bleacher report):

” Surely, the league’s players and coaches will be relieved to see the marathon of the 2014-15 regular season finally get under way. At least any injuries suffered or squabbles started therein won’t have come completely in vain.

And, well, all interested parties won’t have to spend any more time sweating out what the 12-to-15-man rosters will look like on opening night. It’ll be a sad (albeit inevitable) day for a slew of NBA D-Leaguers, international men of mystery and erstwhile hangers-on who were happy to survive the initial round of training-camp cuts and hopeful for a brighter basketball future.

But for these 11 fringe players who could actually stick with their respective clubs into November and beyond, the end of the preseason will mark a moment of jubilee in their basketball lives.”

View the slide show here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2239522-11-nba-training-camp-invitees-who-look-like-locks-to-make-their-teams

– For those with access to ESPN Insider:

– Examining why defenders nearly never leave D-Wade open at the 3-point line (from Tom Haberstroh):

Read it here: http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11743150/nba-examining-why-defenders-play-close-dwyane-wade-3-point-line

– For professional athletes, talent isn’t enough to achieve greatness (from Tim Grover, Sports Illustrated):

Read it here:http://www.si.com/edge/2014/10/16/tim-grover-talent-isnt-enough

Additional player updates:

-JaKarr Sampson: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20141023_Sampson_could_be_the_type_of_guy_who_sticks_with_Sixers.html

– Jared Sullinger, Marcus Smart: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/10/jared_sullinger_s_offense_now_awaits_the_real_season   and  http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4715247/sullinger-growing-into-bigger-role

– Dwight Powell: http://www.csnne.com/blog/celtics-talk/future-bright-dwight-powell

– Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueira: http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/10/22/toronto-raptors-rookies-bruno-caboclo-lucas-nogueira-hope-to-learn-from-veterans-this-season/  and   http://www.torontosun.com/2014/10/22/bebe-makes-his-long-awaited-raptors-debut

– Allen Crabbe: http://www.csnnw.com/blazers/crabbe-taking-advantage-his-opportunities

– Ben McLemore: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article3314298.html

– Otto Porter, Caldwell-Pope: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-pm-wizards-porter-ready-to-contribute/

Today’s Top NBA Preseason Stories

– As NBA tries to save time with shorter game, it should lose the timeouts (from Flip Bondy, NYDailyNews):

” From a spectator’s point of view actual playing minutes aren’t the problem. Fans enjoy the action. What they hate, more than anything, are the timeouts that wreck the ends of games.”

Read it here: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/bondy-nba-save-time-lose-timeouts-article-1.1974709

– LaMarcus Aldridge Q & A (from Casey Holdahl, forwardcenter.net):

Read it here: http://forwardcenter.net/aldridge-says-hell-definately-take-more-threes-implies-he-wont-wait-for-new-tv-money-to-sign/

– Pacers need George Hill to attack leading role (from Jeff Caplan, nba.com):

” “He’s just going to have the ball in his hands more, have his number called a lot more,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “We’ve always wanted him to be aggressive, but I think he understands that that’s needed more than ever. Years past he would be aggressive at times, but the ball would be in Lance and Paul’s hands a lot.  So a lot of times he was the secondary option; most times he was the secondary option. He’s going to be more of a primary option this year.” ”

Read it here: http://www.sportal.com.au/nba/pacers-need-to-hill-to-attack-leading-role/qfbb6ly6q5m16rvhchlrl9sx

– The Third Coming Of Derrick Rose (from Wright Thomspon, ESPN The Magazine):

” Two reconstructed knees later, the former MVP isn’t the same man he used to be. And that’s the point.”

Read it here: http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/11694655/derrick-rose-new-player-new-man-ready-end-cycle-injuries

– Memo to Magic: Start Elfrid Payton at point guard (from Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel):

” This should be an easy call for coach Jacque Vaughn.

Hand Payton the point-guard keys and watch the rookie turn this test-drive into a road rally. Stick with him through all his warts and wonder.

If you’re uncertain about where this thing is going since Dwight Howard bolted, Payton has the potential to ease your mind and find the open man.”

Read it here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/os-magic-elfrid-payton-brian-schmitz-20141014-column.html

– Line-up Love: Golden State Warriors (from Ben Dowsett, Bball Breakdown):

” Lineup rotations are vital, perhaps the most critical element of a given coach’s responsibilities. And while all elements herein are crucial, of paramount importance are the high-volume line-ups who set the tone for their teams. We want to delve deeply into these big minutes units, from the very best to the very worst – what makes them so good (or bad), and what separates them from others? Today is Part One of Line-up Love, looking at a Golden State Warriors starting line-up that was among the league’s very best last season.

As far as the top of the high-volume line-up list goes, you will not find better bang for your buck than last year’s Golden State Warriors starting unit. The group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut saw 819 minutes of court time together last regular season, the fifth most of any five-man line-up in the league. But their quality likely exceeded even their immense volume…”

Read and view it here: http://bballbreakdown.com/2014/10/14/line-up-love-golden-state-warriors/

– Kevin Durant’s Absence Will Hurt Oklahoma City On Defense, Too (from Seth Partnow, BBall Breakdown):

” Certainly, Durant’s loss on offense will be the bigger story, and rightly so. But it is much more of a double-whammy than than just the team struggling to score more. Defense leads to offense, famously, but offense also leads to defense. So in losing the best part of their offense, Oklahoma City are also confronted with many more defensive adjustments than just replacing one individual defender. ”

Read it here: http://bballbreakdown.com/2014/10/14/kevin-durants-absence-will-hurt-oklahoma-city-on-defense-too/

– Steven Adams continues to makes NBA waves (from Marc Hinton, stuff.co.nz):

” Adams was drafted No 12 by the Thunder last season, but was considered a project in need of significant tutoring to be ready to play at the NBA level.

Instead the raw 2.13m big man improved steadily throughout his rookie campaign to the point where by the playoffs he had become a key member of coach Scott Brooks’ rotation off the bench.

But his committed and physical style did seem to cut a swathe through the NBA, with Randolph among seven players ejected or suspended for reacting to Adams’ play.

Randolph threw a punch at the big Kiwi in game six of last year’s western conference playoffs and was subsequently suspended for the deciding seventh game.

Read it here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/10620645/Steven-Adams-continues-to-makes-NBA-waves

-Ray McCallum bides his time on the Sacramento Kings bench (from James Ham, cowbellkingdom.com):

” Ray McCallum is on the outside looking in.

This is not how anyone expected the season to go for the former Detroit Mercy star.  After a strong showing late last season when starter Isaiah Thomas went down with an injury, McCallum looked like a second round steal for the Sacramento Kings.

“We all remember last year in those last games when Isaiah (Thomas) was out,” head coach Michael Malone said earlier this month.  “What Ray was able to do in the minutes he played was really impressive.  That assist to turnover ratio was unbelieveable.”

In Summer League, McCallum showed he was ready to run a team, taking the Kings all the way to the title and winning the final game MVP.  But that was just summer league.

Read it here: http://cowbellkingdom.com/ray-mccallum-bides-his-time-on-the-sacramento-kings-bench/

– Mike Penberthy: the Timberwolves’ new shot whisperer (from Jerry Zgoda, startribune.com):

“Long after a recent practice concluded, Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio sat on the Target

Center scorer’s table, engaged in a lengthy conversation with the man hired by the team recently

to be both a coach and confidante.

The team sent Rubio to Los Angeles last July to work for a week with specialist Mike Penberthy and then hired the shooting coach who has spent summers with Indiana’s Paul George and Oklahoma City’s Reggie Jackson, among others. With the Wolves, Penberthy will work with everyone from Rubio to big men Nikola Pekovic and Gorgui Dieng.

Sometimes that means repetitive work on the court, modifying Rubio’s positioning and mechanics in an attempt to correct the biggest deficiency left in his game, or pushing veteran forward Chase Budinger out to halfcourt to work on his midrange shot.

Sometimes it means long conversations off the court concerning the art of shooting and the mind’s fragile nature when it comes to said subject.”

Read it here: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/278880931.html

– Talking numbers with Raptors’ Casey (from John Schuhmann, nba.com):

” The Raptors are returning 84 percent of last year’s minutes, a number which ranks seventh in the league. But they’re returning 94 percent of their playoff minutes. John Salmons is the only non-returnee who scored a point for them in the series against Brooklyn, and he’s been replaced by James Johnson. He isn’t exactly a new face because Johnson spent the 2011-12 (Casey’s first) season with the Raps.

“A lot of times you get something started, you started a program and you start a philosophy, and you don’t get to see it through,” Casey said about his extension on Monday. “I’m very thankful our staff got the opportunity to continue what we’ve been doing and to still try to go on that upward path.”

All that continuity allows Casey to go through things a little quicker in training camp. But nothing will be overlooked.

“You can go through steps faster, but you can’t skip steps. I don’t care who you are, whether you have an old team, young team. You got to continue to go through steps. That’s one thing you don’t want to do, because the one step you skip is probably the one you see, probably, the first week of November.”

The question, though, is how the Raptors continue to improve, on one end of the floor or the other.”

Read it here: http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/10/14/talking-numbers-with-dwane-casey/

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– DeRozan talks his summer, Team USA and the upcoming season (from Josh Lewenberg, tsn.ca):

” Two weeks into training camp, Raptors All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan hasn’t missed a beat, picking up where he left off following last year’s breakout campaign.

His conditioning, confidence and leadership qualities have caught the attention of Dwane Casey and the rest of the coaching staff, something the 25-year-old credits to his eventful off-season.

With his sixth and most important season around the corner, DeRozan looks back at what he is calling the busiest summer of his life, capped off by a character building experience representing his country and helping Team USA win gold at the FIBA World Cup.

DeRozan shares the highs and lows of his experience, including his toughest moment – watching Paul George suffer a gruesome leg injury, recalling what that moment was like for him and his teammates. He also has strong words for those who believe the risk of lending NBA players to international competition outweighs the reward.”

Read the Q & A here: http://www.tsn.ca/talent/lewenberg-derozan-talks-his-summer-team-usa-and-the-upcoming-season-1.106848

– Ettore Messina adds taste of Italy to Spurs (from Fran Blinebury, nba.com):

” The team with nine international players from seven different countries now adds another bit of overseas flair to the mix with an assistant coach with a worldly resume.

The 55-year-old Italian has won four titles in his home country, four Russian League titles, four Euroleague championships and was named one of the 50 greatest contributors to the Euroleague.

“He’s a smart guy, a helluva good coach and a very interesting man,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.“Why wouldn’t you want somebody like Ettore to be around your team?”

Read it here: http://www.sportal.com.au/nba/messina-adds-taste-of-italy-to-spurs/k5npxxyi88a919w8osvy66ban

– O.J. Mayo Went from Top Prospect to the NBA’s Biggest Reclamation Project (from Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report):

Read it here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2231052-how-oj-mayo-went-from-top-prospect-to-the-nbas-biggest-reclamation-project

– What Detroit Pistons Need from Andre Drummond This Season (from Jakub Rudnik, Bleacher Report):

” The Detroit Pistons have missed the playoffs the past five seasons, and they will need a monster season from Andre Drummond to have a chance at ending that drought.

Though last season’s Pistons were a major disappointment, Drummond was their lone bright spot. In just his second NBA season, he averaged 13.5 points, 13.2 assists, 1.6 blocks, 1.2 steals and had a player efficiency rating of 22.65. And at 6’11” and 279 pounds with phenomenal athleticism, the 21-year-old projects to be one of the best big men in the league for years to come.”

Read it here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2232256-what-detroit-pistons-need-from-andre-drummond-this-season

– Jodie Meeks’ injury leaves Pistons with much younger option (from Zach Harper, CBS Sports):

” With Meeks out of commission for now, Van Gundy’s easiest option is calling upon second year shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to fill that role.

Caldwell-Pope had a scare this past weekend with a sprained knee, but the MRI showed muscle irritation and zero long-term concerns. Assuming he’s just a week of rest away from being right back out on the court, can the No. 8 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft end up being the stopgap solution or even the long-term answer to what Van Gundy needs in the backcourt next to Brandon Jennings?”

Read it here: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24752191/jodie-meeks-injury-leaves-pistons-with-much-younger-options

– On Carmelo Anthony, and his New York Knicks’ initial struggles with the triangle offense (from Kelly Dwyer, Yahoo Sports):

Read it here: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/on-carmelo-anthony–and-his-new-york-knicks–initial-struggles-with-the-triangle-offense-201717024.html

– How Rebounds Work (from Kirk Goldsberry, Grantland.com):

” New cameras are teaching us more about where missed shots land than ever before”

Read and view it here: http://grantland.com/features/how-rebounds-work/

– Showing up is part of NBA skill set (from Steve Aschburner, nba.com):

” Regardless of how many tools your go-to handyman has in his belt, no matter his craftsmanship and creativity, it doesn’t mean much if he doesn’t show up to work. The same holds true for chefs, pilots, cubicle drones and, yes, NBA players.

“Staying healthy is a skill” is the way some old-school types have put it, and while that might be too broad – neglecting simple ingredients such as luck and good genes – there is no doubt that durability is an asset. To a player and to his team.

Injuries are back in the headlines due to Kevin Durant’s foot fracture, Bradley Beal’s wrist, Rajon Rondo’s hand, Paul George’s leg and assorted dings, bruises and sidelining setbacks around the league. The key word, unfortunately, is back.

Despite heavy media coverage, the NBA’s analysis suggested that the injury rate remained largely unchanged across multiple years. Numerous theories were floated in search of an explanation for what injuries there were. Too much year-round basketball at a young age, some said. Too many games in the NBA season, from pre- through regular right onto post-, argued others. Shoe technology, court size, strength training, nutrition — all were factors examined by some, ignored by others, without much consensus, never mind solutions.

And maybe that’s all the explanation we’ll ever get: Athletes get hurt.”

Read it here: http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/10/14/showing-up-is-part-of-nba-skill-set/

Additional Player Updates:

Dwight Powell: http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/powell-relying-athleticism-he-moves-sf

Alonzo Gee: http://www.timescall.com/ci_26729443/well-traveled-alonzo-gee-is-battling-role-nuggets

Bruno Caboclo: http://www.raptorshq.com/2014/10/14/6975177/raptors-bruno-caboclo-performance-against-new-york-knicks

Marcus Smart: http://www.celticsblog.com/2014/10/15/6970733/marcus-smart-tries-to-fill-rajon-rondos-shoes

Draymond Green: http://hoopshabit.com/2014/10/13/golden-state-warriors-evolution-draymond-green/

Jared Dudley: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/cavs-kevin-love-dion-waiters-shoot-down-bucks-b99370828z1-279225222.html