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| Pau Gasol had a nice Game 1 with 15 points, eight boards and four assists, but he will look to get more involved in the Lakers and Celtics Finals matchup moving forward, according to the Associated Press. “We want to make sure we establish a post presence and play inside-out a little bit more,” he said. “I think that’s going to help our offense and hopefully also give me a little more (room) in the lane and being aggressive, force them to play a little defense on me.” |
Our View: Gasol is key to help force the likes of Kevin Garnett to exude a bit more effort on defense. Hopefully a little better work in the post for Gasol will also open things up a bit more for Kobe Bryant to find some open looks.
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| Terry Porter is expected to be announced as the new head coach of the Suns, according to ESPN.com. |
Our View: Porter is a former head coach of the Bucks, and was previously an assistant with the Pistons. He was also a fine player, with his best campaigns coming with the Blazers.
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| Paul Pierce said his injured right knee feels better, and he expects to play in Game 2 of the Finals against the Lakers on Sunday, according to the AP. |
Our View: Pierce doesn’t plan to practice Saturday and will continue to ice the ailing knee and get electrical stimulus treatments. The swelling is down, but he is still experiencing stiffness, and cannot bend the knee as much as he would like. The Celtics lead 1-0, and he will do his best to play and try to prevent the Lakers from evening the series.
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| Bucks' GM John Hammond has informed Michael Redd that no trades involving him have been initiated yet, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Redd was told to not pay attention to the trade rumors circulating, but Redd commented that he wants to win a title and not just settle for making the playoffs. |
Our View: Redd averaged 22.7 points per contest in 2007-08, and he would hold favorable trade value if the Bucks still decide to go that route. He is owed $50 million over the next three years.
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| Cavaliers' forward Anderson Varejao will not compete in the Olympics for Team Brazil, according to the AP. |
Our View: He won't be able to participate due to ankle and thigh injuries sustained in the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston.
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| Nene Hilario has withdrawn from Brazil's Olympic team, according to the AP. |
Our View: Nene still needs treatment following his procedure to remove a tumor earlier in the year. He is suffering from inflammation in the right tendon adductor in the area he was operated on. He is expected to be ready for his 2008-09 NBA campaign.
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| Calvin Booth has exercised his player option for next season, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. |
Our View: He will make $1.1 million as a reserve for the Sixers next season. He will hold no fantasy value as he averaged less than one point per game in 2007-08.
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| Kyle Korver's surgery to remove a bone spur from the top of his left foot went well, according to the Deseret News. |
Our View: Korver's foot will be re-examined in two weeks, and he is expected to be able to start working out in a pool in about three weeks. He proved to be a solid bench performer for the Jazz, as he averaged 9.9 points over 75 games.
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| Lakers' coach Phil Jackson is skeptical that Paul Pierce was not as severely injured in Game 1 of the Finals as he is acting, according to the Boston Herald. Jackson said, "I don't know if the angels visited him at halftime (in Game 1) or in that timeout period, but he didn't even limp when he came back out on the floor (after sustaining the knee injury). I don't know what was going on there. Was Oral Roberts back there in their locker room?"
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Our View: If Pierce was adding drama to his injury or not, he is still receiving two or three treatments a day leading up to Game 2 on Sunday.
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| Kendrick Perkins is nursing a sprained ankle, and it hasn't improved much, but Perkins still expects to play in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers on Sunday, according to the Star-Telegram. Perkins said, "It's the Finals, so you've got to suck it up." |
Our View: Expect him to take the court on Sunday.
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| Paul Pierce is hobbled by a sprained right knee, but believes he can play in Game 2 of the Finals against the Lakers, according to the Star-Telegram. Pierce stated, "I think there's a great chance I'll play on Sunday, just knowing myself, knowing my threshold for pain." |
Our View: Pierce will receive two or three treatments on the knee a day leading up to Sunday. He is aware that the knee could be in bad shape, but will wait until after the series to undergo an MRI.
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