Month: November 2009

Michael Redd out two weeks due to left knee

michael redd

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that guard Michael Redd (6-6, 215) suffered a strained left patella tendon in Saturday’s home opening win against Detroit.  Redd, 30, played 23 minutes in the win and left the game late in the third period with left knee soreness and did not return.

Redd underwent an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) exam on Sunday which revealed the injury.  Redd will be re-evaluated in two weeks by Bucks orthopedic physician Dr. Michael Gordon, M.D., and his status will be updated at that time.

In two games this season, Redd has averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.5 steals (T-2nd in the NBA) in 31.0 minutes per game.Redd played just 33 games in the 2008-09 NBA season, averaging 21.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 36.5 minutes per game.

This season he got off to a slow start. In the two games Milwaukee has played, Redd averaged just 13.0 points on 32.0% shooting, and 4.5 rebounds.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay shout it out

The Memphis Grizzlies are a young team built around just a few players, two being guard O.J. Mayo and small forward Rudy Gay. Last season there were rumblings of some disagreements between the two players. Nothing too serious, though. But yesterday the two guys tossed some heated words at each other.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay shout at each other

The scoreboard wasn’t all that provided fireworks in what turned out to be a shootout Sunday night between the Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets.

The Grizzlies had to douse an explosive shouting match between O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay on their bench before the end of a 133-123 loss in a wildly entertaining affair at the Pepsi Center.

Mayo tossed in a career-high 40 points only to have the performance overshadowed by Nuggets’ forward Carmelo Anthony’s 42-point outburst, and somewhat marred by an incident during a late fourth-quarter timeout.

The Commercial Appeal continues:

“We’re both competitors. We just felt that defensively we weren’t communicating,” Mayo said. “Our energy was going down and we said some things. But we got it situated, and continued to play the game.”

Gay said the incident was “nothing” and his hope is that people won’t blow it out of proportion because of rumors he didn’t get along with Mayo from last season.

“It’s not what people think it was,” Gay said. “Me and O.J. were together all summer. We’re fine.”

It’s probably nothing. Competitive players are prone to get annoyed at their teammates once in a while, whether they’re buddies or not. Now, if they start punching each other in the face some day, that’s something. Still, we’ll keep an eye on this.

Popeye Jones accused of drunk driving

Chris Dell of the Dallas Morning News reports:

Former Dallas Mavericks player and current assistant coach Ronald Jerome “Popeye” Jones was arrested Sunday evening in Richardson and accused of drunken driving.

Jones, who played for the Mavericks from 1993 until 1996 and again in 2002-03, was bonded out of jail this morning at about 4 a.m., according to Richardson Police Department public information officer Jonathan Wakefield.

The report went on to say that Jones declined to take the breathalyzer test, which we logically assume is usually only done by someone who has something to hide, unfortunately.

Brent Barry joins NBA TV

NBA TV today announced the addition of two-time NBA Champion and 14-year veteran Brent Barry to its announcer roster for the 2009-10 season.  Barry will work as a studio analyst for NBA GameTime, the network’s live studio show filled with highlights, analysis, commentary and live look-ins at games being played across the league. Barry will join on Monday nights, beginning Monday, Nov. 2, alongside host Andre Aldridge and analyst Eric Snow.

Barry is the newest studio analyst on the network’s impressive roster which includes Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber, 14-year veteran Steve Smith, Snow and Scott.  Barry is best known for his three-point shooting in which he currently ranks 10th all-time in career three-point field goals made. Barry spent 14 years in the NBA with six teams including the L.A. Clippers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.

NBA TV will take the court for its first week of Tuesday Fan Night with the Lakers @ Thunder match-up, as voted upon by fans on NBA.com. The game will air on Tues., Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. (ET) with host Ernie Johnson and analysts Chris Webber and Kevin McHale on-hand for studio coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

Timberwolves today

Sunday Night’s Recap

Phoenix 120, Minnesota 112: In the team’s first road game of the 2009-10 campaign, the Wolves dropped a 120-112 decision to the Phoenix Suns at U.S. Airways Center. Despite falling down by 17 points in the fourth quarter, the scrappy Wolves fought back, trimming the Suns lead to as little as five points on a Ryan Hollins 15-foot jumper with 3:13 remaining. However, on the next possession, Grant Hill answered with a three-pointer pushing the Suns lead back to eight points and the Wolves could not get any closer. Ryan Gomes led the way with season-highs of 23 points and 15 rebounds. Al Jefferson added 21 points and Corey Brewer scored a career high with 19 points. All five Phoenix starters scored in double figured topped by Channing Fry’s 25 points. Minnesota is now 1-2 on the season.

Leader of the Pack: Wolves point guard Jonny Flynn entered last night’s game leading all rookies in scoring with 17.5 ppg. The 6-0 guard led the Wolves in scoring in the first two games with 18 points (13 points in the fourth quarter) and 17 points respectively. His 35-point two-game total to start his career is the second-most by a Wolves rookie. Donyell Marshall had 38 points in his first two games to start the 1994-95 campaign. Flynn finshed with 11 points vs. Phoenix.

Big Al: Entering last night’s game, Al Jefferson has feasted on the Suns since joining the Wolves. In the six games he has played against Phoenix as a member of the Wolves, Big Al has posted averages of 28.7 points and 15 rebounds. Jefferson finished with a season-high 21 points and 8 rebounds in last night’s game.

Monday’s Game: Minnesota at L.A. Clippers, 9:30 p.m. – FSN/KFAN-AM: The Timberwolves wrap up their brief two-game road trip tonight at STAPLES Center as they battle the L.A. Clippers beginning at 9:30 p.m. Minnesota won last year’s season series by a 2-1 count, with both wins coming in Los Angeles. In the all-time series, the Wolves hold a 43-35 advantage and are 17-22 in Los Angeles. There will be a couple of familiar faces on the Clippers roster as Minnesota goes against former teammates Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair, who were traded to the Clippers during the summer.

Alan Ogg dies

The AP reports:

Alan Ogg, a 7-foot-2 shotblocker who played for UAB and spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, died Sunday from complications from a staph infection, a university spokesman said. He was 42.

UAB spokesman Norm Reilly said Ogg died at UAB Hospital.

Ogg averaged around 2.2 points per game in his short NBA career.

Condolences go out to his friends and family.

Pacers exercise options on Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush

The Indiana Pacers announced Sunday they have picked up the options on second-year players Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush.

Rush, a 6-6, 210-pound guard, entered the league in the 2008-09 season and averaged 8.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game.

Hibbert, a 7-2, 278-pound center, also began his NBA career last season and averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 14.4 minutes per game.

Nuggets sign Renaldo Balkman to contract extension

The Denver Nuggets have signed forward Renaldo Balkman to a contract extension, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today. Per league policy, terms of the deal were not released. We’ll post details Sunday or Monday.

Last season, Balkman averaged a career-high 5.0 ppg and 3.8 rpg while shooting a career-high .558 from the field in 53 games with the Nuggets.

Balkman was acquired by trade from the New York Knicks on July 28, 2008 in exchange for guard Taurean Green, forward Bobby Jones and a 2010 second round draft pick.

Balkman was originally selected by New York in the first round (20th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft out of the University of South Carolina and has averaged 4.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg and has shot .517 from the floor in 186 career games.

Nuggets exercise Arron Afflalo option

The Denver Nuggets have exercised the fourth-year option on guard Arron Afflalo’s contract, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

In his first two games with Denver, he has averaged 1.5 ppg and 1.0 apg in 18.5 minutes.

Afflalo was acquired by trade from the Detroit Pistons on July 13 in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

The UCLA product was selected by the Pistons in the first round (27th overall)   of the 2007 NBA Draft and averaged 4.3 ppg and 1.8 rpg in 14.8 minutes per contest in two seasons in Detroit.