July 8, 2009 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Dallas Mavericks sign Quinton Ross

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed Quinton Ross. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ross (6-6, 193) joins the Mavericks after spending the 2008-09 season with Memphis. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 17.1 minutes in 68 games (seven starts) with the Grizzlies. The five-year NBA veteran, who began his career as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Clippers, owns career averages of 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 20.4 minutes in 370 games (158 starts).

“Quinton has been part of the Dallas basketball fabric for many years,” President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said. “He played his high school ball under Royce Johnson at Kimball before attending Southern Methodist University. We are happy and proud to bring him home. His athleticism, defensive versatility and experience will add depth to our backcourt.”

A native of Dallas, Ross averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 119 games at SMU. He finished his four-year career as the school’s fourth all-time scoring leader (1,763 points).

InsideHoops.com editor says: Perfectly good backup to play limited minutes off the bench as a 9th – 12th man.

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Atlanta Hawks re-sign Mike Bibby and Zaza Pachulia

The Atlanta Hawks on July 13 signed unrestricted free agents Mike Bibby and Zaza Pachulia to new contracts, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

“We are very pleased to keep Mike as part of our team,” Sund said. “His consistent production and leadership over the last year-and-a-half have been major components to the team’s success. In all of our postseason meetings and discussions, Coach Woodson stressed the importance of keeping him on board. Mike’s own desire to return to our team speaks to the confidence he has in the direction of the franchise, and in his teammates and coaches.”

Last year, Bibby became one of the league’s most dangerous long-range threats in his first full season in Atlanta, finishing 8th in the NBA with 167 3FGM (the sixth-most in a season in Hawks history), hitting .390, the third-best percentage of his career. He concluded the season averaging 14.9 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.5 rpg and 1.2 spg in 34.7 mpg (.435 FG%, .789 FT%) in 79 starts.

Bibby came to the Hawks from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second-round draft pick on February 16, 2008. He has played in 802 career regular season games and 69 playoff contests, including all 11 during the Hawks’ run into the second round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

“Zaza is a valuable piece of our frontcourt rotation,” Sund added. “In addition to his rebounding ability and scoring touch, his hustle and passionate play have connected with his teammates and the fans. He has excelled off the court as well, becoming a fixture in the Atlanta community.”

Pachulia appeared in 77 games last season (26 starts), and averaged 6.2 ppg and 5.7 rpg (career-high .497 FG%, .709 FT%). He also tied for 30th in the NBA in offensive rpg (2.2). Pachulia played in all 11 postseason games (one starting assignment), and put in 6.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg, including 18 rebounds in the First Round game four win in Miami.

The Republic of Georgia native originally signed with the Hawks as a restricted free agent on August 11, 2005. He was selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

Mike Krzyzewski to continue coaching USA Basketball’s national team

The Boston Globe (Marc J. Spears) reports (via blog): Two sources close to the situation told The Boston Globe today that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be back for another tour coaching USA Basketball’s national team. The announcement is expected to be made in a press conference Las Vegas prior to a USA Basketball mini-camp featuring young prospects for the national team on July 22-25.

Raptors sign Andrea Bargnani to contract extension

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed forward-centre Andrea Bargnani to a multi-year contract extension. The Raptors tipped-off a busy off-season for the club when Bargnani signed the contract at 12:01 a.m. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed. A few media outlets reported that the deal is for around 5 years and at least $50 million. This has not yet been confirmed.

“Andrea has worked very hard to establish himself as a top-flight, multi-dimensional big man in the NBA,” said Bryan Colangelo, Raptors President and General Manager. “He overcame a rough start last season to emerge as a primary scorer for us, and we anticipate quite a bit more from him in the future.”

Bargnani averaged career highs of 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.24 blocked shots and 31.4 minutes in 78 games in the 2008-09 season. He made 59 starts, averaging 17.7 points and 5.9 rebounds. He topped 20 or more points a career-best 23 times. He also scored in double figures in 41 of his final 45 starts, with 20 or more points in 24 of those contests.

Bargnani recorded a career-high 31 points January 14, 2009 versus Chicago. He also set an NBA record last season for the longest streak of consecutive games with two or more three-pointers by a starting centre with 10 consecutive games (December 31 – January 16).

The 7-foot native of Rome, Italy has posted career averages of 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 221 NBA regular season games. He has shot .831 (221-266) from the charity stripe in his three NBA seasons.

Bargnani became the first European-born player selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft when he was taken by the Raptors on June 28, 2006. During his first season in the NBA, Bargnani averaged 11.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 65 games. He was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team and captured T-Mobile Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honours in January and February.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Bargnani is young and promising, but there’s no way he’s earned a contract of this size yet. Assuming he signs this, I hope he works hard to keep improving, rather than relaxing and failing to live up to expectations.

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