Eddy Curry should bring his A-game

Eddy Curry should bring his A-game

By Jerald Hoover

New York Knicks center Eddy Curry should seize the moment, get his act together, get in shape and become a viable part of the rotation.

With the trade of Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill, the club was left devoid of bigs.  True, Jeffries nor Hill are what you would call “classic centers” but they were 6-feet-11 inches.

For all of Tracy McGrady’s  wondrous gifts and talents as a basketball player, the hot shooting that Eddie House can provide and for all of the flashy passes that Sergio Rodriguez can throw, there isn’t a real BIG MAN to provide lost post scoring.  Curry is a horrible defender and that’s well known but he is a huge seven-footer that could be a real BEAST down low.

If McGrady stays healthy and can play like a star, perhaps it’ll bring the best out in Curry, if he ever sees the floor.

Curry is talented, and if he needs to be coddled, pampered and consoled to an extent then do it, if you can get 20 points and at least five rebounds and a block or two.  That would allow Coach D’Antoni to move David Lee to his natural position of power forward and the Knicks can become a little more conventional.

Tough to say whether coach Mike D’Antoni will ever give Curry a shot, and no one is sure if Curry is in the type of shape needed to play in the first place.

Jerald L Hoover is a producer and director of a Mount V, NY basketball documentary: Four Square Miles to Glory.

NBA fines Andrew Bynum

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum has been fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Bynum was fined for his comments made following the Lakers 101-96 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

“It’s hard to win when it’s five against eight,” Bynum said Wednesday.

He meant it was difficult to play against five Mavs plus the three referees. Bynum said he had expected to be fined for the first time in his career.

“I knew it was going to happen,” he said. “Whether it’s fair is debatable.”

Wizards sign Shaun Livingston to 10-day contract

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard Shaun Livingston to a ten-day contract.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

A former “Mr. Basketball” in Illinois (2003-04), Livingston led Peoria Central High (Peoria, IL) to Class AA state titles in 2003 and 2004 before jumping straight to the NBA as the L.A. Clippers’ first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 2004 NBA Draft.  Livingston has appeared in 167 games (61 starts) in parts of five seasons in the NBA, compiling career averages of 6.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.  He most recently appeared in 10 games this season for the Oklahoma City Thunder and also played briefly for the NBA D-League’s Tulsa 66ers in 2008-09.  Livingston was enjoying his best professional season as a member of the Clippers in 2006-07 (9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.1 apg, .463 fg% in 29.8 mpg) before sustaining a season-ending knee injury on February 26 that kept him out of action for the duration of the 2007-08 season.

Cavaliers recall Darnell Jackson from D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers have recalled forward Darnell Jackson from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Jackson was assigned to Erie on Wednesday and played in the BayHawks’ 114-108 victory over the Dakota Wizards last night. He posted game highs of 34 points on 14-22 shooting (.636) and 12 rebounds while adding two assists, four steals and one block in 42 minutes. Pending his arrival in Toronto this afternoon, he will be available to play tonight for the Cavaliers in their 7 p.m. game versus the Raptors.

The BayHawks are the D-League affiliate of the Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.

Alvin Robertson wanted by authorities for sex trafficking ring

Guillermo Contreras of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

Local and federal authorities are searching for former Spurs player Alvin Robertson, who is wanted in connection with a sex trafficking ring that allegedly forced a 14-year-old girl to have sex with men throughout San Antonio and Corpus Christi.

Authorities announced charges against seven people tied to the ring on Friday morning. Of the seven, Robertson is the only one who hasn’t been arrested, said Deputy Ino Badillo, a spokesman for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

“We don’t know where he is,” Badillo said. “We have ICE (Immigration Custom Enforcement) and other agencies looking for him.”

Stephen Jackson wants to make All-Star team

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports:

Stephen Jackson wants to make All-Star team

Charlotte Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson took a nice, little vacation during the All-Star break: tropical weather, good food, umbrellas in the drinks.

He’d rather have been working. And it saddens him he might never get the chance to work the Sunday of All-Star Weekend.

“I’m not on (NBA commissioner) David Stern’s favorites list because of a couple of incidents,” Jackson said when asked why he’s never been selected for an All-Star Game.

“I get really depressed when I don’t get in because I think that’s one of the last things on my ‘to-achieve’ list. I won a championship (in San Antonio) and I’ve gotten better every year. My last two goals are to be on first- or second-team All-NBA and to play in an All-Star Game.” …

“I thought the All-Star Game was about (assembling) the 20 best players in the league, not the guys who they want (promoted) to sell tickets. Nothing against (the Knicks’) David Lee, but he made it and my team has a better record,” Jackson said.

Kevin Durant consecutive 25-point games streak ends

Mike Baldwin of the Oklahoman reports:

Kevin Durant streak of consecutive 25-point games ends

Kevin Durant’s streak of consecutive 25-point game ended at 29 Wednesday night in a loss at San Antonio. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said the streak was never a priority. Brooks’ only caveat was Durant shoot within the offense.

Durant scored 30 or more points in 23 of the 29 games, shot 50.8 percent from the field and drained half his 102 3-point attempts.

One key was Durant got to the free-thrown line an average of 11 times a game, while attempting just over 20 field goal attempts.

The AP reports:

Manu Ginobili didn’t believe he would actually stuff Kevin Durant when the NBA’s leading scorer elevated for a runaway dunk on a crucial fast break in the final minutes.

“I was more expecting to be dunked on, to tell you the truth,” Ginobili said.

Think again.

Coming almost out of nowhere to block Durant and deny Oklahoma City from retaking the lead, Ginobili made what Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a “superhero” play that propelled the San Antonio Spurs to a 95-87 victory on Wednesday night.

The AP reports:

The block had other repercussions: It helped finally end Durant’s streak of scoring 25 points or more at 29 games. He finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, marking the first time Durant has scored fewer than 25 points since Dec. 19.

Manu Ginobili feels like himself again

Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

Manu Ginobili feels great

Manu Ginobili, the beating heart of a four-time NBA champion, has declared he feels like, well, Manu Ginobili.

The importance of such self-actualization can’t be overstated for a team that will play the Rockets at the Toyota Center still seventh in the Western Conference.

“I feel great, and I bet you can tell,” Ginobili said after submitting Exhibits A through Z in a Wednesday night victory against the Thunder. The performance gave every Spur aboard the short flight to Houston reason to believe a late-season surge is possible.

The 32-year-old guard scored 26 points Wednesday, his second-highest output of the season and his sixth game with at least 20 in the past nine outings.

Jason Thompson out two weeks with back injury

Sacramento Kings’ forward Jason Thompson will miss up to two weeks of action with two non-displaced transverse processes fractures in his lower back, which were confirmed by X-Rays taken today.

Thompson, currently in his second NBA season, is averaging 12.7 points (.458 FGs, .717 FTs), 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.05 blocks per game through 55 outings of which he has started in 50.

Grizzlies assign Hasheem Thabeet to D-League

Grizzlies assign Hasheem Thabeet to D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies assigned center Hasheem Thabeet to the Dakota Wizards, Memphis’ NBA D-League affiliate, it was announced today.

The assignment is the 23rd time an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate this season.

Thabeet, the second overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, becomes the highest-drafted NBA player to join an NBA D-League roster.  In 50 games for Memphis this season, he averaged 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 10.3 minutes.

A 7-3 native of Tanzania, Thabeet played three seasons at the University of Connecticut, averaging 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in 100 career NCAA games.  Named the Big East Co-Player of the Year and the Big East Defensive Player of the year in 2009, Thabeet was also a two-time NABC National Defensive Player of the Year.  During his final campaign at UConn, Thabeet averaged 13.6 points, 20.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocks (second in the nation).