NBA Draft and D-League Coverage

I don't know if anyone here uses instagram, but the instagram
page:

OfficialDamianLillardFanPage

seems like a cool page to follow to show support for a Bay Area local product.

In our first analysis of basic statistics, we take a look at the top 23 guards eligible for the 2012 NBA draft. Considered arguably the weakest position in this class, we let the numbers do the talking

The Timberwolves announced today that the team will play Maccabi Bazan Haifa, from the Israeli Basketball Super League, in a preseason game at Target Center on October 16th, 2012.

LeBron James, Serge Ibaka, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Tony Allen were named to the 2011-12 NBA All-Defensive First Team.

Yep. The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, Tyson Chandler, did not make the First Team.

Chandler made the Second Team, along with Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Luol Deng.

No Timberwolves' players received a vote.

Confirmed: Warriors get Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson from Bucks for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown - Ken Berger, CBS

The first domino has fallen. Let's see what happens now.

"A group of 50 NBA players intend to push for the dissolution of their union if a new round of labor negotiations fails this weekend, or if the talks produce an unpalatable deal, according to a person who has spoken to the players. The movement was said to be entirely player-driven, and borne of a frustration with the pace of talks between the league and union leaders"

With no real breakthroughs in talks today, NBA will have to cancel rest of Oct. preseason games and, finally, start of regular season. Progress was minimal today, and sides will reconvene on Monday in New York.

Teams began buying out contracts of several players after the trade deadline, and the Griz have a potential free-agent in mind: power forward Leon Powe.

Cleveland reached a buyout agreement with Powe and he'll clear waivers Tuesday. There will be competition for the 6-8 reserve because his former team, Boston, and New York have expressed interest.

I was able to catch up with JaVale McGee after Team USA practice at the New York Knicks practice facility in Tarrytown, N.Y., on Friday afternoon and he confirmed that he discovered late last season that he has asthma.

McGee said that it was comforting to discover that asthma had been holding him back for so long. Since he began treating the condition, McGee said he has more energy and can be more effective for longer stretches. He mentioned a home game against Charlotte last March, when he had 14 points and 12 rebounds in a career-high 46 minutes "and I didn't go to my knees once and it amazed myself."

"He's always been a great point guard," Westbrook said. "He taught me a lot when I was at UCLA and he's done a great job with that team over there so I think he's having a great season."