OKC’s Perkins (quad) to miss some of camp

Kendrick Perkins is going to miss the beginning of training camp. (USATSI)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins is recovering from a strained quadriceps and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, general manager Sam Presti told reporters on Thursday, via ESPN's Royce Young. This means Perkins will miss some of training camp.

There's been public pressure on Oklahoma City to amnesty Perkins' contract for the last few years, but Presti has consistently shot down that possibility. At the end of last season, Perkins told reporters that he was headed into "the biggest off-season of my career."

This will be the last season of Perkins' contract, and he's on the books for $9.4 million. It'll be interesting to see the results of his offseason work once he comes back from this injury, as young big man Steven Adams seems primed to take his starting spot.

Topics: Kendrick Perkins, Steven Adams, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Basketball Hot News

Mark Cuban: Don’t expect any Mavericks to score 20 points per game

In 16 of the last 17 seasons, the Mavericks have featured a 20-point-per-game scorer. Heck, a couple of those years featured two 20-point-per-game scorers.

Between Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley, Dallas has not lacked a clear go-to scorer.

That’s about to change – at least if Mavericks owner Cuban gets his wish.

Cuban, via Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News:

“I’m not expecting anybody on our team to be a 20-point scorer,” the owner said as the Mavericks introduced six new players at a news conference. “Not Dirk. I don’t want him to be a 20-point scorer. Seriously. Monta (Ellis) has that capability. Chandler (Parsons) has that capability. Dirk has that capability. Richard Jefferson’s got that capability. Jameer (Nelson could score) 15. Raymond (Felton) could do 15, if that was the focus, but that’s not our focus.

“That’s the cool thing. There are going to be times when we overpass. And that will be the challenge.”

Since the 2000-01 season, of the 70 teams with top-five offenses each season – and that’s the type of potential these Mavericks have – 62 have produced a 20-point-per-game scorer:

(Click here to view a larger, interactive, version of the chart)

Season	Team	Offensive rating rank	Offensive rating	Scoring leader	Points per game
2013-14	LAC	1	112.1	Blake Griffin	24.1
2013-14	POR	2	111.5	LaMarcus Aldridge	23.2
2013-14	DAL	3	111.2	Dirk Nowitzki	21.7
2013-14	HOU	4	111	James Harden	25.4
2013-14	MIA	5	110.9	LeBron James	27.1
2012-13	OKC	1	112.4	Kevin Durant	28.1
2012-13	MIA	2	112.3	LeBron James	26.8
2012-13	NYK	3	111.1	Carmelo Anthony	28.7
2012-13	LAC	4	110.6	Blake Griffin	18
2012-13	DEN	5	110.4	Ty Lawson	16.7
12/1/2011	SAS	1	110.9	Tony Parker	18.3
12/1/2011	OKC	2	109.8	Kevin Durant	28
12/1/2011	DEN	3	109.2	Ty Lawson	16.4
12/1/2011	LAC	4	108.5	Blake Griffin	20.7
12/1/2011	CHI	5	107.4	Derrick Rose	21.8
11/1/2010	DEN	1	112.3	Carmelo Anthony	25.2
11/1/2010	SAS	2	111.8	Tony Parker	17.5
11/1/2010	MIA	3	111.7	LeBron James	26.7
11/1/2010	HOU	4	111.3	Kevin Martin	23.5
11/1/2010	OKC	5	111.2	Kevin Durant	27.7
10/1/2009	PHO	1	115.3	Amar’e Stoudemire	23.1
10/1/2009	ATL	2	111.9	Joe Johnson	21.3
10/1/2009	DEN	3	111.8	Carmelo Anthony	28.2
10/1/2009	ORL	4	111.4	Dwight Howard	18.3
10/1/2009	TOR	5	111.3	Chris Bosh	24
9/1/2008	POR	1	113.9	Brandon Roy	22.6
9/1/2008	PHO	2	113.6	Amar’e Stoudemire	21.4
9/1/2008	LAL	3	112.8	Kobe Bryant	26.8
9/1/2008	CLE	4	112.4	LeBron James	28.4
9/1/2008	DAL	5	110.5	Dirk Nowitzki	25.9
8/1/2007	UTA	1	113.8	Carlos Boozer	21.1
8/1/2007	PHO	2	113.3	Amar’e Stoudemire	25.2
8/1/2007	LAL	3	113	Kobe Bryant	28.3
8/1/2007	GSW	4	111.8	Baron Davis	21.8
8/1/2007	NOH	5	111.5	Chris Paul	21.1
7/1/2006	PHO	1	113.9	Amar’e Stoudemire	20.4
7/1/2006	DAL	2	111.3	Dirk Nowitzki	24.6
7/1/2006	WAS	3	110.1	Gilbert Arenas	28.4
7/1/2006	UTA	4	110.1	Carlos Boozer	20.9
7/1/2006	SAS	5	109.2	Tim Duncan	19.99
6/1/2005	DAL	1	111.8	Dirk Nowitzki	26.6
6/1/2005	PHO	2	111.5	Shawn Marion	21.8
6/1/2005	SEA	3	111.1	Ray Allen	25.1
6/1/2005	DET	4	110.8	Richard Hamilton	20.1
6/1/2005	TOR	5	109.5	Chris Bosh	22.5
5/1/2004	PHO	1	114.5	Amar’e Stoudemire	26
5/1/2004	SEA	2	112.2	Ray Allen	23.9
5/1/2004	SAC	3	110.5	Peja Stojakovic	20.1
5/1/2004	DAL	4	110.3	Dirk Nowitzki	26.1
5/1/2004	MIA	5	110.2	Dwyane Wade	24.1
4/1/2003	DAL	1	112.1	Dirk Nowitzki	21.8
4/1/2003	SAC	2	110.3	Peja Stojakovic	24.2
4/1/2003	SEA	3	107.3	Ray Allen	23
4/1/2003	MIL	4	106.5	Michael Redd	21.7
4/1/2003	MIN	5	105.9	Kevin Garnett	24.2
3/1/2002	DAL	1	110.7	Dirk Nowitzki	25.1
3/1/2002	MIL	2	108.8	Ray Allen	21.3
3/1/2002	GSW	3	108.3	Antawn Jamison	22.2
3/1/2002	LAL	4	107.2	Kobe Bryant	30
3/1/2002	MIN	5	106.1	Kevin Garnett	23
2/1/2001	DAL	1	112.2	Dirk Nowitzki	23.4
2/1/2001	LAL	2	109.4	Shaquille O’Neal	27.2
2/1/2001	SAC	3	109	Chris Webber	24.5
2/1/2001	MIN	4	109	Kevin Garnett	21.2
2/1/2001	SEA	5	108.9	Gary Payton	22.1
1/1/2000	MIL	1	108.8	Ray Allen	22
1/1/2000	LAL	2	108.4	Shaquille O’Neal	28.7
1/1/2000	UTA	3	107.6	Karl Malone	23.2
1/1/2000	DAL	4	107.1	Dirk Nowitzki	21.8
1/1/2000	HOU	5	106.7	Steve Francis	19.9

Unsurprisingly, a plurality of the exceptions are Spurs teams. Gregg Popovich’s squads move the ball, spreading the scoring.

Which is exactly what Cuban wants for his Mavericks.