Next step for NBA is hiring women in positions of power

San Antonio Spurs coach

Gregg Popovich sees one simple way for both the NBA and women to mark real progress in the league.

Hire more women in positions of power.

“I think there just has to be more, more of the same,” said Popovich, who during the offseason promoted assistant coach Becky

Hammon, moving her one step closer to a head coaching seat. “There are more Beckys out there, they just have to be noticed and given the opportunity by people who are wise enough and courageous enough to do it and not just sit in the old paradigm.”

And not just on the bench, but on the business side of the NBA as well.

The NBA routinely gets high marks for its diversity efforts and is widely viewed as a leader on social issues. Still, NBA Commissioner

Adam Silver believes the league needs to be better, and he made his feelings known in a memo to teams in the wake of the Dallas Mavericks’ embarrassing scandal.

Several NBA teams tout statistics about women in their workforce, but beyond a handful — including Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss and Pelicans owner

Gayle Benson — the next step for the league seems to be more women in positions of power such as CEOs and COOs.

Howard sidelined with back pain

Dwight Howard’s first preseason with the Washington Wizards is apparently over before it started.

Howard needs an injection to alleviate pain in his back, and Washington coach

Scott Brooks said that the eight-time All-Star has hopes of being back on the court by early next week.

If it takes that long, that means Howard won’t appear in any of Washington’s preseason games. And if he doesn’t play in the preseason, that would cast doubt on Howard being ready when Washington’s regular-season slate starts against Miami on Oct. 18.

“We’re going to take it day by day,” Brooks told reporters before Washington’s preseason game at New York on Monday night.

Howard, who turns 33 in December, has always been durable.

He missed a total of seven games in his first seven seasons, and played in 81 of 82 games with Charlotte last season. The one game he missed was while he was serving a suspension — and the Hornets wound up beat- ing Memphis that night by 61 points anyway.

But the back problems have kept Howard from practicing or playing with the Wizards so far in training camp and the preseason.

Clippers waive Rodriguez

The Los Angeles Clippers have waived forward Desi

Rodriguez a week before the season begins.

The team announced the move before its preseason home game against Denver on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez had one assist and one steal in two preseason games. He appeared in six games for the Clippers’ Las Vegas Summer League team, averaging 7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

Rodriguez played four years at Seton Hall, averaging 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds.