BallerBlogger.com » Points in the Paint

» August 19, 2009 6:24 PM | By Brandon Hoffman

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports: “For 10 consecutive days, Amar’e Stoudemire was given nothing more than a two-hour reprieve. Two hours to eat, to stretch his legs, to use the bathroom. The other 22 hours of each day were spent lying on his chest, staring down at the floor or, if he was fortunate, into a magazine or book. Ten straight days, 22 hours a day. This was Stoudemire’s reward six weeks ago for undergoing a minor operation that removed fluid from his right eye – a follow-up procedure necessitated by previous surgery to repair his detached retina. He spent the 10 days on a massage table at a swank resort near Phoenix. His family and friends visited him. He prayed and, yes, he certainly caught up on his reading. But there was nothing about the experience Stoudemire found relaxing. Not even the microfracture surgery Stoudemire underwent on his left knee four years ago – and all the subsequent complications – proved as grueling as his recent recovery. ‘That was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through in my life, man,’ Stoudemire told Yahoo! Sports by phone this week. ‘The microfracture was tough. But then you have to compare it to being face down for 22 hours a day.’”

FOXSports.com published another edition of Straight Shooting with Charley Rosen. Rosen has something negative to say about everyone, including ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons.

Steve Kyler of HOOPSWORLD: “Signature shoe deals like the one LeBron has with Nike now are not what they used to be, and rumor has it Nike has not sold nearly as much LeBron apparel as they expected when they signed the $90 million deal that expires this year. The other aspect of LeBron’s deal is not just the cost involved in manufacturing products and paying out cash, it’s the marketing and promotional aspects that are built into these kinds of deals. You do not get a LeBron James on cash alone, it’s about how much you will promote and market him as well.”

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Magic players have gathered in Philadelphia for team-bonding activities organized by point guard Jameer Nelson. The week-long retreat consists of training sessions and nights out on the town.

Neil Paine at Basketball-Reference.com examines Allen Iverson’s statistical decline: “Iverson shot the ball worse than he had since 2004 with Philly, but it’s not like he was getting to the rim less than he did in, say, 2007 or even in his Sixers heyday. And it’s not like he was taking on a greater offensive burden, either — his Usage was as low as it’s ever been. It’s just that he wasn’t as effective at finishing drives as in previous seasons, and his jumper reverted to the inconsistency of years past. Couple that with fewer assists, more turnovers, & more infrequent trips to the line, and you’ve got the recipe for a down year. The bad news for A.I. is that while he still gets to the rim enough (a good sign for a 34-year-old small guard), the sharp decline in FG% on those forays into the paint is likely a sign of age and may not reverse itself. But the good news for Iverson is that his eFG% on jumpers has also wavered a great deal in the past and he has righted it, so there’s probably a decent a chance Iverson shoots better on J’s in 2010 than he did in ‘09.”

Chris Sheridan on Iverson’s odds of catching on with the Bobcats: “With the franchise up for sale, it won’t be easy for Brown and team executive Michael Jordan to convince owner Bob Johnson to make Iverson a financial offer that would not be considered insulting to a player of Iverson’s stature. The guard made $21.14 million last season with the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons, but the Bobcats’ offer would be much closer to the league minimum, which is $1.306 million for players with 10 or more years of experience. More from Brown: ‘I’ve spoken to a lot of people on his behalf, because last year was a difficult situation for him being put in where he was, replacing Chauncey Billups. That would have been a difficult situation for anybody. But I know he’s comfortable with me, and we’ve had a lot of discussions. When he played for me was probably when he played his best. Would I like to coach him again? Absolutely.’” Via SI’s Chris Mannix: “I’m hearing rumblings are that Charlotte is the leader for Allen Iverson. Miami won’t offer enough money and NY not realistic.”

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