Magic to honor Darrell Armstrong Feb. 19
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As part of the Orlando Magic’s “Commitment to the Past,” fan-favorite guard Darrell Armstrong will be honored by the organization when the Magic host Dallas on Friday, Feb. 19 at Amway Arena. Game time is 8 p.m.
Undrafted by any NBA franchise, Armstrong was originally signed as a free agent by Orlando on Apr. 8, 1995. He went on to play 502 regular season games during nine seasons with the Magic, averaging 11.7 ppg., 5.1 apg. and 1.65 stlpg.
Armstrong ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in almost every single category, including games played (3rd, 502), points (8th, 5,898), assists (3rd, 2,555), steals (2nd, 830), three-point field goals made (3rd, 654) and three-point field goals attempted (3rd, 1,892).
From Feb. 5, 1999 to Apr. 3, 2001, Armstrong played in 206 consecutive games, at the time a franchise record (Dwight Howard later appeared in 351 straight games from Nov. 3, 2004 to Dec. 12, 2008). He still holds the team record for most consecutive free throws made without a miss with 47.
Past honorees of the Orlando Magic’s “Commitment to the Past” include Nick Anderson, Matt Guokas, Dennis Scott, Scott Skiles, Jeff Turner and Pat Williams.
Reggie Evans not a suit guy
Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star writes:
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Reggie Evans, the Raptors’ designated banger, is expected to make his regular season debut on Wednesday, and what kind of shape is he in?
If you’ve watched him in his only regular-season turn as a Raptor – as a sometimes-manic bench presence – it’s been difficult to say. Evans’ courtside wardrobe has mostly consisted of two blazers that run a couple of sizes baggier than Bryan Colangelo’s tailor might advise. They’re Polo brand, one blue, the other beige, both 100 per cent linen. And yes, he has heard the teasing from teammates and Twitterers alike. Linen in winter?
“Hey, I ain’t here to make a fashion statement. Those are my jackets, so I roll with ‘em. They save me money. I don’t get fined (for violating the NBA’s jacket-required dress code),” Evans said. “I don’t like suits. … I don’t have one suit, period. I’m not a suit type of guy.”
A well-cut suit, mind you, might have made it a little easier to judge if Evans’s long-time inability to do weight-bearing exercise had a weight-gaining downside. Club employees, though, will happily tell you there are no new wrinkles beneath his baggy wrinkles. Evans was 265 pounds on the day he damaged the ligaments in his left foot in a pre-season game. And when he takes the floor on Wednesday, he’ll be 265 pounds. He’ll have even shaved a few percentage points off his body-fat content.
Sixers go 3-0 against winning teams without Iverson
Tom Moore of The Intelligencer reports:
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The 19-31 Sixers have won three in a row - all against teams with a .500 or better record at the time - with Allen Iverson absent and Willie Green starting in his place.
The 6-foot-3 Green and 6-4 rookie Jrue Holiday have given the Sixers better size and matchups in the backcourt than when the 6-1 Lou Williams and 5-11 Iverson started. They’ve also cut down on opponents’ dribble penetration, allowing teammates to stay on their man rather than having to rotate over to help on the ball.
Green has also scored in double figures all three times, averaging 11.3 points on 15-for-25 shooting (60 percent) from the field.
“It’s a comfort area for him,” Jordan said. “It doesn’t bother him to start. He’s aggressive. He’s playing with other front-line guys on our team, so it’s a little easier for him.”
Vince Carter scores 48
The AP reports:
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Vince Carter had a season-high 48 points, leading the Orlando Magic back from a 17-point second-half deficit to beat the New Orleans Hornets 123-117 on Monday night.
Carter was 19 for 27 shooting and had 34 points in the second half with some of the most sizzling moves since he joined the Magic, who have won nine of their last 11 games.
Dwight Howard added 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Rashard Lewis finished with 18 points for Orlando…
It was by far Carter’s best performance since he was traded from New Jersey in the offseason, finishing three shy of his career high. The eight-time All-Star expected to be Orlando’s missing piece to a title was back in peak form, and the Magic can only hope he stays there.
Rockets sign Garrett Temple to 10-day contract
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed Rio Grande Valley guard Garrett Temple to a 10-day contract, marking his first-ever Call-Up to the NBA.
“Garrett is a versatile player who can play multiple positions,” said Rockets Vice President of Basketball Operations and Rio Grande Valley General Manager Gersson Rosas. “Garrett spent a lot of time with our coaching staff during the summer as a member of our Summer League entry as well as during training camp. He’s done a great job with the Vipers this season and his familiarity with the system will allow him to step right in and provide added depth at two positions where we are a little thin, due to injury.”
Temple (6-6, 190, LSU) has averaged 14.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 30 games (30 starts) with Rio Grande Valley this season. He was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by Houston on Sept. 22, 2009. Temple averaged 2.5 points and 0.3 assists in four preseason games with the Rockets before being waived on Oct. 21. He also averaged 4.6 points and 0.4 assists in five games with Houston in the 2009 NBA Summer League.
As a collegian, Temple finished his career as the all-time leader in games played (134), starts (131) and minutes played (4,432, 33.1 mpg) at LSU, averaging 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists over his four seasons with the Tigers. He also ranked fourth in career assists (482), seventh in steals (191) and fourth in blocks (113) in school annals. Temple was one of just nine players all-time at LSU to play on two Southeastern Conference championship teams.
Jeff Foster to have season-ending back surgery
The Indiana Pacers announced Monday that veteran forward/center Jeff Foster will undergo surgery after the All-Star break for continued lower back pain. He is expected to miss the remainder of the season, but is also expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp this fall.
The 6-11 Foster has played in 16 games this season, starting three, and averaged 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 points per game. The 10-year veteran is fourth in Pacers’ history in games-played for the franchise with 697.
Chris Kaman replaces injured Brandon Roy in All-Star game
Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman has been named by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace injured West All-Star guard Brandon Roy (right hamstring strain) of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas. Kaman will be making his first All-Star appearance.
The NBA All-Star Game will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages worldwide at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 14.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas loves his orthotics
Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:
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Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who has become a bit of a foot expert because of the troubles he had earlier in his career, practically could be a spokesman for orthotics. Most of the Cavs’ big men use them, including Shaquille O’Neal and Anderson Varejao, because their feet take extra abuse.
Ilgauskas swears by his orthotics, and he wears them in all of his shoes, even when he’s not playing. He has encouraged teammates over the years to use them.
“Forget athletes, I think everyone should have them just to walk around,” Ilgauskas said. “All your problems start with your feet. The first ones I had years ago were hard plastic and not very good, but they’ve evolved and become better. Now without my orthotics, I couldn’t play.”
Warriors have no chemistry
Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reports:
The Warriors have used 27 starting lineups in 49 games. They’ve lost 280 games due to injury. They have five players currently on the roster who didn’t take part in the team’s training camp.
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So when forward Corey Maggette says the team has “no chemistry whatsoever,” it’s easy to understand why the Warriors are in such a predicament though the season is more than half done.
“It’s pretty hard when you don’t have a consistent group that’s playing together,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “Chemistry is just a good balance of players who play off of each other well. That’s what we’re talking about.”
As tonight’s opponent — the Dallas Mavericks — can attest, Golden State once had a special chemistry on the court and off. It helped the Warriors upset the Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs.
Bucks competing for playoff spot
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:
The Bucks (23-26) have used their recent surge to put some pressure on the teams above them in the playoff chase. On Saturday they climbed into a virtual tie with eighth-place Miami (24-27), which lost in Chicago to suffer its fifth straight defeat.
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And Milwaukee also stayed within one game of sixth-place Chicago (24-25) and gained ground on seventh-place Charlotte (24-25) in the conference standings.
The team’s only losses during this stretch were a five-point decision at Toronto, a one-pointer at Dallas and a 17-point defeat at Orlando.
The Bucks have benefited from solid play by center Andrew Bogut and point guard Brandon Jennings.
And the entire starting five has clicked since Carlos Delfino moved in at small forward, with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute switching to the power spot and Charlie Bell taking the shooting guard role vacated by the injured Michael Redd.
Milwaukee’s bench also has contributed, bolstered by the play of Ersan Ilyasova and the mid-January signing of free agent Jerry Stackhouse, who had not been in the league this season.
Dallas Mavericks struggling
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:
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The Mavericks have lost four of their last five games. They’re in desperate need of a wake-up call and can’t afford to limp into the All-Star break on a 1-6 free fall.
“Right now, I don’t want to jump the gun,” Mavericks forward Shawn Marion said, “but we have to get this one.”
Dallas’ low point of the season came Friday in a head-scratching 117-108 home loss to the woeful Timberwolves. Afterward, coach Rick Carlisle questioned his team’s effort.
“We’re not going to be good until we play hard,” Carlisle said.
The Mavericks climbed near the top of the Western Conference early in the season because of great defense. But that’s a distant memory. Their last six opponents have shot at least 49 percent from the field.
Caron Butler is popular
Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports (via blog):
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Caron Butler’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors for almost a year, and the talk has only intensified with the Feb. 18 trade deadline less than two weeks away. He’s been rumored to be headed to Dallas, to Houston, to the Los Angeles Clippers, to New Jersey, to Portland, to Phoenix.
“I’m popular,” Butler said with a smile after scoring a season-high 31 points, including the game-winning jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining, against the Orlando Magic on Friday. “I’ve always been a popular kid, since middle school, I’ve been bigger than everybody. I’m very popular right now.”
Butler has had a disappointing season, with him struggling to develop chemistry with Gilbert Arenas, looking uncomfortable in Flip Saunders’s offense and upset over his role within it. Throw in Arenas’s season-ending suspension and his continued troubles to adjust and it was easy to see that he was unhappy and this season couldn’t end soon enough for him. He never complained publicly, but the worn expression on his face said it all.
Brandon Roy to miss 2010 All-Star game
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will miss Portland’s next three games and the NBA All-Star Game with a right hamstring strain, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.
“Unfortunately, I’m not where I was hoping I would be physically at this point,” said Roy. “It’s a setback and I’m obviously disappointed, but my entire focus is getting back on the court, contributing and helping our team down the stretch.”
Roy initially injured his hamstring January 13 vs. Milwaukee and re-aggravated it January 20 at Philadelphia. He has missed 11 of Portland’s last 12 games heading into tonight’s game with the L.A. Lakers.
“This was not a decision that any of us wanted to make, but in the end we had to do what was best for Brandon,” said Pritchard. “We’re hopeful that this extended rest will put Brandon in the best possible position to return to the line-up shortly after the All-Star break.”
Roy will undergo Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy with Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles on Monday.
Roy leads the team in scoring (23.1), free throws made (213) and minutes (38.3), and ranks second on the squad in assists (5.0) and steals (1.03). In just 40 games this season, he has led the team in scoring 25 times and assists on 15 occasions (including ties).
Bulls suspend Tyrus Thomas
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Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas has been suspended for one game by the team for conduct detrimental to the team. Thomas will serve his one-game suspension this evening, when the Bulls host the Miami Heat.
On the year, the fourth-year forward has appeared in 25 games (three starts) and averaged 8.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.68 bpg, 1.28 spg and 1.0 apg in 22.5 mpg. He has shot .457 from the floor and .642 from the stripe.
On February 8, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported:
“You don’t lose your starting job to injury” is one of the older clichés in sports, which, sadly, “a Tyrus Thomas team-imposed suspension” is becoming too.
Following Thomas’ verbal tirade at coach Vinny Del Negro on Friday in Atlanta, that’s three disciplinary actions taken by management in four seasons for Thomas, the soon-to-be former Bull.
Whether the Bulls find a taker for the forward by the Feb. 18 trade deadline or simply renounce his rights this summer, Thomas either will or won’t reach his tantalizing potential elsewhere.
The Bulls will say the steady play of rookie Taj Gibson is why Thomas is no longer the starting power forward after missing seven weeks with a fractured radius in his left forearm.
It’s been a rocky road for the Bulls and Thomas. Maybe things will smooth out.
February 6 Hawks at Wizards game postponed
The National Basketball Association game scheduled for this evening between the Atlanta Hawks and the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center has been postponed due to severe weather conditions in the Washington, D.C. area.
As a result of those conditions, neither the Hawks nor Wizards were able to fly to Washington after their respective games last night. The date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.
FEB. 8 UPDATE: THE GAME IS RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 11
The National Basketball Association announced today the rescheduling of the Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards game that was postponed on Saturday, Feb. 6. The Hawks and Wizards will make up that game on Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
WIZARDS TICKET EXCHANGE PROCEDURE:
Patrons holding tickets for tonight’s postponed game vs. the Hawks can hold onto those tickets and use them for the rescheduled game, which has yet to be scheduled by the NBA. Details of that game will be announced at a later date.
Patrons can also take their tickets for the Wizards vs. Atlanta game (2/6/10) to the Verizon Center Box Office and redeem their ticket for a ticket to the Wizards vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game on Wednesday, February 17th at 7:00 pm. There will be no service charges added.
Wizards planholders can also exchange their tickets at the Verizon Center Box Office for the Minnesota game on February 17th, or redeem their tickets for one of the pre-selected planholder exchange games listed in their planholder on-line guide. No service charges will be added.
Patrons still holding unused tickets for the game vs. the New York Knicks that was played on January 30th, who were unable to attend that game due to the inclement weather, can also turn in their unused tickets for the game vs. Minnesota on February 17th. No service charges will be added.
Bulls sign Chris Richard to 10-day contract
The Chicago Bulls today signed forward Chris Richard to a 10-day contract. Richard, a 6-9, 256-pound forward, will be in uniform tonight in Atlanta when the Bulls take on the Hawks at Philips Arena at 7:00 p.m. (CT).
Richard, 25, appeared in six preseason games with Chicago this year and averaged 3.5 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 19.7 mpg, before he was waived on Oct. 22, 2009. Richard joins the Bulls by way of the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. In nine games (all starts) with the 66ers, he averaged 10.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.22 spg, 1.11 bpg, 0.9 apg and 30.6 mpg. He shot .623 from the field and .600 from the line while in Tulsa.
A product of the University of Florida, Richard was originally selected in the second round (41st overall) of NBA Draft 2007 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. While with the T-Wolves, Richard played in 52 games (three starts) and recorded 1.9 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 10.7 mpg, and shot .471 from the field and .593 from the line.
Chicago’s roster now stands at 14.
Hornets sign Jason Hart to 10-day contract
The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent guard Jason Hart to a 10-day contract.
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“Jason is a solid veteran basketball player that will add depth to our backcourt,” said Hornets General Manager and Head Coach Jeff Bower.
Hart (6-3, 180) has career averages of 4.8 points, 2.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 steals over 337 games with eight different NBA teams (Milwaukee, San Antonio, Charlotte, Sacramento, L.A. Clippers, Utah, Denver, Minnesota).
The Syracuse alum was recently traded from the Timberwolves to the Suns on December 29, 2009 for Alando Tucker, a second-round pick in 2010 and cash before being waived by the Suns.
Chris Paul out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery
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New Orleans Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Thursday afternoon for a meniscal repair. Paul is expected to be out approximately four-to-six weeks. Paul underwent the surgery in Pensacola, Florida by Dr. James Andrews. He will be on crutches for the next two-to-three weeks and will begin rehabilitation immediately.
“Obviously this is a tough thing for me,” said Paul. “I have been fortunate through my career as a basketball player to not have suffered many injuries. The main thing is for me to get back healthy and to help this team however I can. Everything happens for a reason and I know I will come back stronger than ever. I have the utmost confidence in Darren Collison to step up in my absence.”
Paul tweaked the knee against the Golden State Warriors last Wednesday night, and then suffered the injury to the knee while chasing down a loose ball in the final seconds of Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
“You never want to be in this position to replace a guard like Chris Paul in the middle of the season,” said general manager and head coach Jeff Bower. “We want to continue to take advantage of the talent and skills that Darren and Marcus have shown over the course of this season.”
Paul has averaged 20.4 points, 11.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 38 games this season, ranking 1st in assists, 2nd in steals and 16th in scoring in the NBA. Yesterday, he was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for January after leading the Hornets to a Western Conference-high 12 wins during the month with averages of 20.8 points, 11.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals.
Collison, a rookie out of UCLA, has averaged 14.6 points and 8.4 assists as a starter this season in Paul’s absence (5-6 record), including a 17-point, 18-assist effort in the Hornets overtime win in Memphis on Saturday. Paul missed eight games this season due to sprained left ankle.
Paul, a three-time All-Star, will not participate in the All-Star game, but will be on hand to support the Western Conference.
Clippers coaching change: Kim Hughes replaces Mike Dunleavy
The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that Head Coach and General Manager Mike Dunleavy will step away from his day to day coaching responsibilities and focus exclusively on the team’s personnel matters. The decision was reached mutually during a meeting at the team’s Playa Vista Training Center earlier today. In attendance at that meeting were Clippers’ President Andy Roeser, Dunleavy and Assistant General Manager Neil Olshey, who will continue in his role as Dunleavy’s top aide in Basketball Operations.
Current Clippers’ Assistant Coach Kim Hughes will immediately assume the role of Interim Head Coach, and will retain the position through the remainder of the ’09-’10 season.
Hughes will be available to the media on Friday following the Clippers’ 10:00 AM practice session at the team’s Training Center at Playa Vista.
In defining the move, Dunleavy said, “I’ve had several conversations with our owner (Donald T. Sterling) concerning what we think is best for the team overall. We have discussed the possibility of my concentrating only on Basketball Operations. That option has always been available to me.”
Dunleavy continued, “I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the ideal time for me to direct my efforts toward the many personnel opportunities that lie before us, such as the trade market, the Draft and the free agent process. We fully expect to be active and productive on all those fronts.”
Roeser stated, “We fully agree with Mike that this is the right time to make this change. It just seems clear that the team needs a fresh voice and we hope that our players will respond in a positive way. As we approach the trade deadline, the NBA Draft and the upcoming Free Agent period, our team is very well-positioned from a salary cap standpoint. Mike’s experienced input will be vitally important as we continue to develop our young talented nucleus and shape our team’s future.”
The Clippers all-time franchise leader in wins with 215, Dunleavy has coached the 15th most games in NBA history (1,329) and became the 21st coach in NBA history to win 600 career games on Nov. 29, 2009. Dunleavy coached a Clippers record 540 games since 2003, accumulating a 215-325 (.398) record. In 2005-06, Dunleavy led the Clippers to their best season since moving to California finishing second in the Pacific Division and advanced to within one game of the Western Conference Finals in their first playoff appearance in nine seasons.
Kim Hughes has worked as a Clippers assistant for seven seasons after serving the previous five years with the Denver Nuggets. Hughes started with Denver in 1998 as Director of Scouting before being named Director of Player Personnel and also was a Nuggets assistant coach in 1998-99. Before joining the Nuggets, Hughes spent seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks as a head and regional scout. A member of the 1975-76 ABA All-Rookie First Team with the New York Nets, the former University of Wisconsin star (1970-74) played six years in the NBA and ABA and also played professionally in Italy.
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Rockets recall Jermaine Taylor from D-League
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has recalled guard Jermaine Taylor from Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. Taylor was assigned to the Vipers on Jan. 28.
“Jermaine made the immediate impact we had hoped for with a pair of 30-point games with the Vipers,” said Rockets Vice President of Basketball Operations and Rio Grande Valley General Manager Gersson Rosas. “He really made the most with his extended minutes with the Vipers, which shows us his ability to apply the things he has learned during his time with the Rockets and translate that into furthering his basketball development.”
Taylor (6-4, 210, Central Florida) averaged 21.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.25 steals in four games (one start) with Rio Grande Valley. He also posted back-to-back 30-point outings with the Vipers at Albuquerque, netting 30 points (11-14 FT) on Feb. 2 and scoring 32 points (14-23 FG) on Feb. 3. A rookie out of Central Florida, Taylor has averaged 2.4 points and 0.2 assists in 13 games with the Rockets this season. Taylor, who had his draft rights acquired by Houston from Washington on June 25, 2009, was selected by the Wizards in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft.