January 2010 – Page 6 – NBA Blog

Chris Wilcox stepping up for Pistons

Detroit Pistons big-man Chris Wilcox has mostly been a forgotten man this season, contributing about as much to the team as you. Which isn’t a lot. Unless you buy Pistons tickets, or gear, or something. Then it’s probably a tie.

Anyway, the 14-25 Pistons have been terrible this season, though constant injuries to key players is a very legitimate excuse. But they’ve rattled off several wins in a row, and Wilcox has helped.

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports:

After Wilcox, an eight-year veteran power forward, was benched for 13 of the first 26 games, it looked as if he wouldn’t have an impact on this season.

But Wilcox has helped the Pistons to a 3-1 record since coach John Kuester put him in the starting lineup.

And with a 14-point, 10-rebound effort in Saturday night’s victory over the Knicks, Wilcox proved that his athleticism and shooting touch could be a boon to the Pistons the rest of the season.

“I thought in the third period he did some great things,” Kuester said. “Playing the amount of minutes (16) and him giving us that kind of energy … that’s awfully impressive.”

For the season, Wilcox is averaging 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game. His stats are barely better than that in the three recent wins, but he’s hustled and helped the squad.

Elton Brand starting to come alive for Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers are just 13-26 this season, but they’ve actually looked like an NBA team lately. A big reason why has been the emergency of power forward Elton Brand, who is starting to finally come alive.

Tom Moore of Philly Burbs reports:

After injuries limited him to 37 games during the previous two seasons, Elton Brand is finally starting to feel more like the Elton Brand who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in his first 10 NBA seasons. And it’s showing on the court.

In the Sixers’ last nine games, he’s shooting 58-for-108 (53.7 percent) from the field. The Sixers are 6-3 during that span, with Brand averaging 18.7 points and shooting 59.2 percent in the victories.

Brand had 25 points on 11-for-16 shooting in a Dec. 28 victory over the Trail Blazers, another 25 in a Jan. 9 drubbing of the Pistons and 18 in Monday’s 96-92 win over the Hornets.

Up next for the Sixers is a road game in Minnesota and tough home games vs Portland and Dallas.

Bucks to sign Jerry Stackhouse

Jerry Stackhouse is 35 years old and hasn’t brought much to an NBA court over the last few seasons, but he’ll reportedly get a shot at helping the Milwaukee Bucks, who will be without Michael Redd for the rest of the season.

ESPN.com reports:

The Milwaukee Bucks will sign veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse to a contract for the rest of the season, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Stackhouse is expected to formally sign with the Bucks on Monday or possibly Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday.

The former All-Star guard has been looking for a new team since the summer and was targeted by the Bucks — who began play Sunday two games out of the final playoff spot in the East — after Michael Redd suffered a season-ending knee injury last Sunday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

Stack averaged 12.0 points per game for the Dallas Mavericks in 2006-07, 10.7 ppg on 40.5% shooting (and just 32.6% threes) in 2007-08, and last season played just 10 games for just 4.2 ppg on 26.7% shooting.

Warriors sign Anthony Tolliver to 10-day contract

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Anthony Tolliver to a 10-day contract, the team announced today.

Tolliver, 24, is a call-up from the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, where he has appeared in 14 games this season, averaging 21.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.29 steals and 1.21 blocks in 35.0 minutes per contest. Amongst D-League statistical leaders, he currently ranks eighth in scoring and third in rebounding. A 6-9, 240-pound forward, Tolliver was called-up earlier this season by the Portland Trail Blazers on December 17 and appeared briefly in two games before being waived on December 29.

Last season, Tolliver split time between the D-League and the San Antonio Spurs, for whom he played 19 games and averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per contest. A graduate of Creighton University, Tolliver went undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft and began his professional career in 2007-08 with the D-League’s Iowa Energy.

Golden State’s roster now stands at 17 players. The Warriors are able to add Tolliver to the roster under the NBA’s hardship rules, which allow a team the ability to sign an additional player if that team already has 15 players on its Active and Inactive Lists and has four-or-more players unable to perform playing services due to injury or illness for an extended period of time. Golden State currently has two additional players on its roster under the NBA’s hardship rules, as the team has no fewer than five players out with injury for an extended period.

Tolliver will wear uniform #44.

Bulls improving with lineup changes, Tyrus Thomas return

Sam Smith of Bulls.com reports:

Slowly, though perhaps steadily, the Bulls are turning into a team. That’s 8-3 now since they moved Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson into the starting lineup, since Tyrus Thomas returned from injury, the team’s second four-game winning streak in that span with Friday’s 121-119 double overtime victory over the Washington Wizards thanks to Derrick Rose’s game winning 10 footer in the lane with 5.4 seconds left.

Not long ago a team that routinely was collapsing down the stretch, unable to find enough points and big game players, uncertain and uneven, the Bulls go into their final Western Conference trip of the season averaging 108 per game the last six games and with Rose officially a closer as he finished off Friday with a career high 37 points.

“Usually we were always a team that let it slip toward the end if we were in a close game,” said Rose, who rimmed out a potential game winner at the end of regulation. “It shows how much we’re improving and we’ll get better. These are the type of games you dream about when you are younger. I’m playing in my hometown, so everybody is standing up cheering. I’ve got the ball in my hand and everybody is looking at you and seeing what you are going to do. You hit the shot. It’s crazy. I really couldn’t believe it. I don’t show no emotion anyway, but I was happy. I think I missed like 20 something of these to lose games, too. To hit this one told me I’ve come a long way.”

Stan Van Gundy talks with frustrated Rashard Lewis

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Coach Stan Van Gundy said he met with PF Rashard Lewis on Thursday “for quite a while” to discuss his frustration — and the team’s.

Lewis said after Wednesday night’s game loss to the Denver Nuggets that he wasn’t getting quite enough shots.

Does he have a point?

“Yes and no. We need to find more shots for our keys guys, but part of it is the defense is keying on those guys, especially on Rashard,” Van Gundy said. “Part of it his energy and aggressiveness. I talked to him quite a while (Thursday).

“I think he’s frustrated. That’s a bit of the problem. There’s sort of a frustration running through our team. Rashard had made a comment that sometimes it feels like we’re a last-place team. That sort of sums up a little bit of where our guys are right now.”

Shawne Williams indicted, arrested on drug charges

Hank Dudding of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Former Memphis Tigers basketball player Shawne Williams, who was waived by the NBA’s New Jersey Nets today, was indicted by a Shelby County Grand Jury on Tuesday on eight drug charges.

According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, Williams was indicted on four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture/deliver/sell, and four counts of conspiracy to manufacture/deliver/sell a controlled substance, a codeine-based syrup. Both are considered Class E felonies and carry standard sentences of 1-2 years, if convicted.

Williams turned himself into authorities and was booked today into the Shelby County Jail. His bond has been set at $16,000. He is one of 24 defendants indicted following the Memphis Police Department’s “Operation: Lockdown” investigation.

Nets waive Shawne Williams

The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on forward Shawne Williams, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.

Williams was acquired on January 11 via trade from Dallas along with Kris Humphris in exchange for Eduardo Najera. Currently in his fourth NBA season, Williams has career averages of 5.2 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 126 games with Indiana and Dallas. The former first round draft pick (17th overall) of the Pacers in 2006 has not played in a game this season.

Jazz sign Sundiata Gaines to second 10-day contract

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the Jazz has signed rookie guard Sundiata Gaines to a second 10-day contract.

Gaines (6-1, 185, Georgia) signed his first 10-day contract with the Jazz on Jan. 5 and has appeared in all five Jazz games since, averaging 4.2 points and 1.4 assists in 9.3 minutes per game. The Jazz is 4-1 since signing Gaines, who hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to beat Cleveland, 97-96, on Thursday night. The former University of Georgia Bulldog also recorded a career-high nine points vs. the Cavaliers. Gaines reached career-highs in minutes (21) and assists (five) in his NBA debut vs. Memphis on Jan. 6.

Gaines was the fourth D-League Call-Up to the NBA this season, as well as the fourth D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04) and Louis Amundson (2006-07).

The Jamaica, N.Y., native had averages of 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 14 games with the D-League’s Idaho Stampede prior to being signed by the Jazz. Gaines was selected by the Stampede in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2009 NBA D-League Draft after spending the 2008-09 campaign in Italy with NGC Cantu. The former Southeastern Conference Tournament MVP was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Blake Griffin to undergo season-ending surgery

After experiencing some discomfort during his recently-accelerated rehabilitation program, Clippers’ forward Blake Griffin was examined Tuesday afternoon by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.

As a result of that examination, it has been determined that the healing in his left patella area has not improved to the expected required level. Griffin will undergo a surgical procedure in the near future, with a recovery prognosis of four to six months. Team personnel will be made available to the media. Further details will be made available as events develop.

Previously on December 23rd, after undergoing a CT Scan and MRI Griffin had been cleared to increase his rehabilitation workload.

Griffin, the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, suffered a non-displaced stress fracture of his left patella during the Clippers’ last preseason game vs. the New Orleans Hornets on Friday, October 23rd.

He has not played in the 2009-10 NBA regular season at all.