Truth & Rumors > NBA

07:59 AM ET 05.24 | Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is unquestionably one of the best shooters in professional basketball and he was on fire early in the NBA postseason. Unfortunately for Curry and the Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs were too much too handle and they were bounced from the playoffs. Curry will have a chance to show his skills on a much larger platform, however. Curry is expected to join the Team USA basketball at some point after July's mini-camp. Team USA features one of the greatest groups of athletes in the world, but it is the lack of shooters that holds the team back. That will all change with Curry in the lineup.

FanSided.com

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07:06 AM ET 05.24 | Dwight Howard's struggles have been well-documented and parsed for the better part of 2012-13, a season in which he averaged his lowest scoring and rebounding averages since 2006-07. None of this dampens [Mitch Kupchak's] belief that Howard will return to the Lakers. ... Kupchak won't have clarity on Howard's future anytime soon. A source familiar with Howard's thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State. Nothing remains binding, though. The source added Howard's main concern involves "what team he feels has the best chance to win championships, has the best team and system around him." The source also stressed Howard has not and will not ask the Lakers to make any moves on his behalf.

Press-Telegram

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07:05 AM ET 05.24 | Credit the Nets for swinging for one of the NBA's coaching stars. Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge denied [Brooklyn] permission to speak to Doc Rivers about their vacant coaching position, team and league sources confirmed to ESPNBoston.com. Rivers has three years and $21 million remaining on his contract. The Nets did not retain interim coach P.J. Carlesimo after getting knocked out of the playoffs earlier this month. Reached late Thursday, Ainge refused to comment on the Nets' interest in Rivers and reiterated that he expects him back on the Celtics' bench next season. "Doc has told me he's coming back," Ainge said bluntly. "I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward."

ESPN.com

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07:04 AM ET 05.24 | Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who spent much of Thursday taking criticism for his Game 1 decisions, turned the tables a bit, too. And he pointed it directly at Knicks coach Mike Woodson. While praising the Miami Heat's offensive approach against Indiana center Roy Hibbert in Game 1 of the conference finals, Vogel took a shot at Woodson. "They had a more intelligent plan against Roy Hibbert than New York did and we've got to adjust to it," Vogel told reporters with the Pacers in Miami. "It was effective [Wednesday night] and we've got to adjust to it." It's unclear if Vogel meant it as a direct criticism of Woodson, but it's hard to misinterpret his words: he was ripping the Knicks' offensive scheme against Hibbert.

ESPN New York

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07:04 AM ET 05.24 | Another day, another candidate in Detroit. The Pistons coaching search seems like it's dragging on, a small hallmark of the Tom Gores regime, one that wants to thoroughly evaluate every possible candidate, paying no mind to time. But as the Pistons concluded their interview with Oklahoma City assistant Maurice Cheeks Wednesday, their first face-to-face meeting after phone conversations while the Thunder were still in the playoffs, it appears they won't be bringing in any more candidates, a source tells The Detroit News. "We're still in the process of it. We don't have a timetable," Pistons president Joe Dumars said during a teleconference with media after the NBA draft lottery, where it was determined the Pistons would be selecting eighth.

The Detroit News

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