November 2009 – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Deron Williams out due to family health issue

The following statement was issued by Deron Williams on Friday:

“I would like to thank Mrs. Miller, Greg Miller and Coach Sloan for allowing me to return to Utah to be with my wife and children today. Yesterday, one of my daughters underwent a procedure in the hospital to address some health concerns. There are still unanswered questions and the doctors have been running more in-depth tests throughout the day today. My daughter’s health is very important to my wife and I and it is important I remain in Salt Lake City as we monitor the situation. We both appreciate the support of the fans, the Jazz organization and my teammates. I will return to the court as soon as possible.”

Rockets assign Joey Doresey to D-League

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has assigned forward/center Joey Dorsey to the team’s D-League affiliate the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

“Joey had a strong offseason and a solid training camp for us, but in continuing to focus on his development, we believe that at this point of the season the Rio Grande Valley Vipers offer him the best option for his basketball progression,” said Rockets Vice President of Player Personnel/General Manager of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Gersson Rosas. “In determining Joey’s assignment, we were also encouraged by the fact that because of our single-affiliation partnership with the Vipers, we can offer him a valued opportunity to develop on a more active basis in terms of his ability to play. We know that Joey will be in good hands with Head Coach Chris Finch and his staff, as well as having all the resources necessary for him to be productive during his time in the D-League. This is one of the primary reasons for our single-affiliation partnership and we look forward to reaping the benefits of it through these development opportunities.”

Dorsey (6-8, 268, Memphis), who has yet to see game action with the Rockets this season, averaged 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in seven games (five starts) with Rio Grande Valley in 2008-09.

LeBron James may change jersey number

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Basking in the glow of a victory over the Heat, Cavs superstar LeBron James looked over at his idol sitting in the stands at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday night and made a command decision.

Out of respect to Michael Jordan, who sat courtside and watched James score 34 points, James said he is planning on switching his number after this season from No. 23 to No. 6. It just sort of came out, but it was obvious he’s been thinking about it for a while.

And James wants to lead a movement to get every player who wears No. 23 in the league to give it up as a tribute to Jordan.

It sounds like LeBron is still merely thinking of doing it, so it isn’t guaranteed to happen. And as for the move, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m as big a Jordan fan as anyone else, and I definitely think of Jordan when I hear “23,” but years more of LeBron would also make me think of him, too. And I’m not sure that would diminish any aspect of Michael Jordan. It would just diminish the number.

Thing is, I’ve never been a big jersey number guy. Others care about it more. So to me it’s no huge deal.

And, of course, LeBron switching numbers would also result in a lot more new jersey sales. But let’s not think about that right now.

Don Nelson, Monta Ellis argue in practice

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (via blog):

Warriors coach Don Nelson stormed out and a red-faced, frustrated Monta Ellis couldn’t be consoled by teammates. So ended Thursday’s practice in New York City.

As the players cooled down from a practice at the Reebok Sports Club and prepared for the bus ride to the London hotel, Ellis called Nelson over to the bench.

Sitting between Stephen Jackson and Acie Law, Ellis asked, “Coach, why do I get blamed for everything?”

Then, the coach and player had this heated dialogue:

Nelson: “What have I ever blamed you for?”

Ellis: “For everything. Everything. People not knowing their plays. I didn’t do this. I didn’t do that.”

The two best Warriors players are Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis, and both are very unhappy with coach Don Nelson. Jackson wants off the team, for sure. Ellis hasn’t demanded a trade but would probably most likely be happier elsewhere. I wonder if firing Nelson would solve these problems or if issues would linger. Probably the latter.

Raptors release Quincy Douby

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have released guard Quincy Douby. Douby had been on the inactive list since October 28 and did not appear in any regular season games. He averaged 3.0 points, 1.7 assists and 10.5 minutes in six preseason outings.

Douby joined the Raptors on March 24, 2009 when he signed a 10-day contract. He appeared in seven games with the Raptors in the 2008-09 season, averaging 4.4 points, 1.0 assists and 10.4 minutes. The four-year NBA veteran has averaged 4.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 10.7 minutes in 143 games.

Al Jefferson out two games with personal matter

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that center Al Jefferson has left the team to tend to a family member’s illness in Florida. Jefferson will miss the next two Wolves games – Friday, Nov. 13 vs. Dallas and Saturday, Nov. 14 at Memphis. He will re-join the team early next week.

This season, Jefferson in nine games is averaging 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.44 steals per game and is shooting just 43.0% from the field. He’s not quite himself yet and still coming back after being injured.

Hornets fire Byron Scott; new coach is GM Jeff Bower

Hornets fire coach Byron Scott, replace him with GM Jeff Bower

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have relieved Byron Scott of head coaching duties. Scott will be replaced by General Manager Jeff Bower.

“I want to thank Byron for the hard work he has put in during his time with the Hornets,” said Hornets Owner George Shinn. “I’ve hired Jeff Bower to take over the coaching reign. He knows this team better than anyone, has the respect of the players and in basketball circles, is regarded as one of the best basketball minds in the business. This is our best opportunity to reach our goals this season.”

Bower, who has spent his 14-plus seasons with the club, has been an invaluable asset for the Hornets at all levels in basketball operations. He began his tenure with the Hornets as an advance scout from 1995 to 1997 before earning a promotion as the team’s director of scouting. In addition to his scouting duties during the 1998-99 season, Bower joined the coaching ranks as an assistant after Paul Silas was named interim head coach on March 7, 1999 (and helped him lead the Hornets to a 22-13 record). After serving as the assistant general manager for the 2000-01 season, Bower was promoted to general manager in June of 2001 and has since held that position. He returned to the bench as an assistant coach under Floyd in 2003-04. Bower’s years of experience working at all levels in the Hornets’ basketball operations department culminated with his appointment to the current post of general manager just prior to the start of the team’s 2005-06 training camp.

“Accountability was our theme this past summer,” said Hornets Vice President of Basketball Chad Shinn. “We talked about the fact that everyone on our staff is held to a certain standard of performance and we didn’t feel this was happening at the head coach level. We feel like we still have an opportunity with our nucleus to get to where we want and Jeff is the right guy, right now to move us in that direction from the bench.”

“As we look at our long-term coaching plans, it’s not about who the head coach is, it’s about the role of the head coach to get the team to perform to their capabilities and reaching our potential this season,” said Bower.

Prior to joining the Hornets, Bower enjoyed an impressive career at the collegiate level. He spent three years as an assistant coach at Penn State University from 1983-86 before moving to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. After first serving as an assistant coach from 1986 through 1990, he was promoted to associate head coach, a position he held for five years. Bower helped lead the Red Foxes to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1987 after winning the Northeast Conference.

In a related move, Tim Floyd has been hired as the top assistant coach.

Floyd served as head coach of the Hornets for the 2003-04 season, leading the team to a 41-41 record. Most recently, Floyd served as the head coach at USC from 2005-2009, leading the Trojans to a 85-49 mark and three NCAA appearances during his tenure. In the 2007 NCAA Tournament, Floyd led USC to a Sweet 16 appearance. The team’s 25-12 record that season set a record for most wins in school history. The Trojans advanced to the second round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual runner-up Michigan State. Floyd also coached for the Chicago Bulls, Iowa State, the University of Idaho and Texas-El Paso. Floyd is a native of Hattiesburg, Miss., and a 1977 graduate of Louisiana Tech.

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

Brian Scalabrine angry at injury-causing cameraman

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports:

As you can imagine, “The People’s Choice” is more than a little frustrated. But he’s not cursing bad luck. He’s ticked at the person who began this entire mess. The ankle was sprained when he went to make an inbounds pass after a Knicks hoop and stepped on a cameraman whose foot was over the designated line at Madison Square Garden.

“This is the first time I’ve ever sprained my ankle in my entire life,” Scalabrine said. “I watched the film. He was 6 inches over the line, 6 inches that I needed to take the ball out of bounds.

“We’re trained to use the space that we are allowed. I’ve taken the ball out of bounds probably 10,000 times in my life, and as long as you’re behind that line I won’t hit you. But if you’re over that line, we’re trained to use that space. I went back to pivot and go, and as I went back, his foot was right there.”

That really is too bad, and I feel sorry for Scalabrine.

In general, I have always thought that basketball courts are too crowded. There’s very little space between three-point range on the sides and the out-of-bounds line. And near the basket, photographers and camermen are very close to to the players.

I’d be cool with about 3-5 feet being added on all sides, giving the players a bit more breathing room as they come close to the edges of the court.

LeBron James done talking about 2010 free agency

The AP reports:

Frustrated by the repeated questions about his future, LeBron James said Wednesday that he won’t talk about his possible free agency next summer until after this season.

The Cleveland star and reigning NBA MVP said before the Cavaliers’ game against Orlando that all the talk is “getting old.”

“This free agent talk is getting old. It’s getting old and I think I’m going to stop. Tonight will be the last time I answer any more free agent questions until the offseason,” James said.

“I think I owe it to myself, and I owe it to my teammates. It’s just getting old. I’m focusing on this season, and this is going to be a really good season for us. I don’t want anymore distractions for my teammates, for my organization, for my family. This will be the last time I answer a free agent question for the rest of the year.”

The official InsideHoops.com opinion is that it’s most likely LeBron winds up re-signing with the Cavs in 2010. Talk of him going to the Knicks, or maybe the Heat or elsewhere also could be legit. But there’s no reason to think LeBron knows for a fact where he’d go. It makes sense to wait until the time comes and see the roster situation on all these teams before having a sure opinion. He’d probably love to star in New York’s Madison Square Garden, but only if he’ll be surrounded by real ballers, not fill-in guys that drag him down.

Wizards sign Earl Boykins, waive Paul Davis

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Earl Boykins and waived C/F Paul Davis. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released. We’ll post contract details this evening. It’s probably a very short, nonguaranteed deal.

“Earl is a proven veteran point guard who will provide us with leadership and stability off of the bench,” said Grunfeld.

Boykins has career averages of 9.4 points and 3.4 assists (2.8 to 1 assist to turnover ratio) in 520 career games over 10 NBA seasons. Undrafted out of Eastern Michigan, Boykins has also played for New Jersey, Cleveland, Orlando, L.A. Clippers, Golden State, Denver, Milwaukee and Charlotte. His best season as a professional came during the 2006-07 campaign when he averaged 14.6 points and 4.4 assists while shooting .898 (220-245) from the free throw line in 66 contests with Denver and Milwaukee. Boykins played for Virtus Bologna of the Italian A League in 2008-09.

Davis appeared in two games for Washington this season and averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 assists in 4.0 minutes per game.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Boykins is actually shorter than a regulation size NBA basketball. To check into a game he has to stand on top of the scorer’s table so referees even see that he’s there.