Month: January 2008

Nuggets waive Bobby Jones

InsideHoops.com NewsWire: The Denver Nuggets have waived G/F Bobby Jones team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

Jones appeared in 23 games for the Nuggets this season, averaging 3.3 ppg and 1.4 rpg in 9.0 mpg.

Jones came to the Nuggets from the Philadelphia 76ers as a part of the Sept. 10 trade that included C/F Steven Hunter in exchange for F Reggie Evans and the draft rights to F Ricky Sanchez.

The Nuggets roster now stands at 13 players.

Nets waive Billy Thomas

InsideHoops.com NewsWire: The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on guard Billy Thomas, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.

Thomas, who signed with the Nets on December 24, 2007, scored two points in four games with New Jersey. Prior to signing with the Nets, Thomas played for the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League.

That was quick.

– Subscribe to the InsideHoops blog RSS feed and get the news first.
– Talk with other fans all day and night on the InsideHoops basketball forum.

Pippen scores 9 in Finland game

The AP reports: Former NBA star Scottie Pippen scored nine points to help Finland league leader Torpan Pojat beat Honka 98-85 on Saturday. Pippen also had nine rebounds.     “It was great. I did not know what to anticipate without a game for the last three years,” the 42-year-old Pippen said. “My conditioning is not at the top level, but I played with a great team and had a lot of fun.”

Isaiah ‘JR’ Rider arrested

The AP reports: Former Atlanta Hawk Isaiah Rider was in custody Sunday on outstanding arrest warrants after Berkeley police responded to a report of a disturbance between a taxi driver and a passenger. Officers arrived on the scene to find the passenger was Rider. They arrested him on a no-bail warrant issued by Oakland police for unlawful firearm possession and another warrant for grand theft.

Warriors recall Kosta Perovic from D-League

The Golden State Warriors have recalled center Kosta Perovic (COAST-a PEAR-a-vich) from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today.

Perovic, who was originally assigned to the Jam on November 18, 2007, appeared in 19 games for Bakersfield, averaging 8.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.37 blocks in 22.1 minutes per contest.  The 22-year-old tallied a season-high 18 points in 28 minutes at the Utah Flash on December 22.

Mavericks recall Maurice Ager from D-League

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have recalled guard Maurice Ager from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League.

Ager (6-5, 202) is being recalled for the first time this season after recently being assigned to Tulsa on December 16.  He has played in 8 games for the 66ers and averaged 17.4 points and 2.3 assists in 33.4 minutes per game.

Ager, who was drafted by Dallas with the 28th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, has played in 7 games for the Mavericks this season and holds averages of 2.1 points and 0.6 rebounds. He is scheduled to meet the team in Minnesota today for the Mavericks game against the Timberwolves on Sunday, Jan. 6.

Warriors waive DJ Mbenga

InsideHoops.com NewsWire: The Golden State Warriors have waived center DJ Mbenga, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today.

Mbenga, who originally signed with Golden State as a free agent on November 17, 2007, appeared in 16 games for the Warriors, averaging 1.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per contest.

The Warriors roster now stands at 14 players.

Theus Still A King On The Court

The Sacramento Kings, minus the injured Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ron Artest, Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin, beat the Knicks 107-97 at MSG on Wednesday [January 2]. The win boosted the Kings’ record to 12-18.

“[During the interview with the Maloofs], I had told them,” said Reggie Theus, their first year coach, “that I will coach this team hard, and I wouldn’t play guys if they didn’t deserve to be on the floor. I let them know that before they gave me the job ‘cause I needed to know where my support was coming from. We needed to change the culture around here.”

Theus, who averaged 18.5 points and 6.3 assists over 13 seasons, also weighed in with this summation of the Knicks. “I didn’t see any quit in them. But, I didn’t see any effort to take it to the next level. I didn’t see anyone out there [on their side] that was trying to make a difference.”

So, how much of that is Isiah Thomas’ fault?

“The coach is not on the floor. That is the players’ fault. I know Isiah is telling them the right things. There is a lot of talent over there. But, this league coddles the players way too much. Players have to take responsibility, and be accountable for [their play] on the floor. That’s the way it should be.

“The blame has to be spread out. I’ve been on losing teams. I know what it’s like. I’ve never had a coach tell me not to do certain things. In a lot of cases [when I played], it was talent-based. We weren’t very good. But, the Knicks are a lot better than that. The coach has to take the hit; we all understand that. But, the accountability still needs to fall on the players’ shoulders.”

Paul Davis out 6-8 months after right knee surgery

Los Angeles Clippers’ forward Paul Davis underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee.  The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews of the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Davis is scheduled to remain in Birmingham undergoing physical therapy until his return to Los Angeles on January 11th.  The timetable for his return is expected to be six to eight months.

Davis originally sustained the injury in the second quarter of the Clippers’ game in Dallas on December 21st.  In 22 games this season, Davis averaged 2.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 8.8 minutes per game.