March 2010 – Page 15 – NBA Blog

Thunder sign Antonio Anderson to second 10-day contract

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced that the team has signed Antonio Anderson to a second 10-day contract.

Anderson originally signed with Oklahoma City on February 22. He saw action in one game for the Thunder averaging 2.0 points and 1.0 rebound in 15.0 minutes.

Earlier this season Anderson appeared in 32 games (32 starts) with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League where he averaged 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 39.6 minutes per contest.

Chicago Bulls hire Lindsey Hunter as Player Development Assistant

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Lindsey Hunter has been hired as a Player Development Assistant.

“During his time with the Bulls, Lindsey has been very valuable to our team in a number of ways,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “With his experience and knowledge of the game, along with the relationships that he has built with our players, I have no doubt he will be an asset to the team.”

Hunter, 39, assumes his new role following a 17-year career in the NBA. Over his professional career, he played in 937 games (438 starts) and averaged 8.5 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.2 rpg and 1.20 spg in 24.8 mpg. During that time, he recorded career shooting averages of .388 from the field, .360 from downtown and .746 from the line. Hunter was also a member of 12 playoff teams, appearing in 129 NBA playoff games (13 starts), where he averaged 3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.2 apg and 13.8 mpg en route to two NBA Championships (2002 Los Angeles Lakers and 2004 Detroit Pistons).

“This move is a natural progression for me. Not only will it help our team in the short term, but I hope that it will reap rewards over the long term as well,” said Hunter. “I am pleased to remain a member of the Bulls organization.”

Hunter signed with Chicago as a free agent on Nov. 13, 2008. During his one-plus seasons with the Bulls, he played in 41 games and posted 2.1 ppg and 1.1 apg in 9.4 mpg. The Utica, Miss. native also played with the Pistons (1993-2000, 2003-08), the Milwaukee Bucks (2000-01), the Lakers (2001-02) and the Toronto Raptors (2002-03). Originally selected by the Pistons in the first round (10th overall) of the 1993 NBA Draft out of Jackson State, Hunter earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 1994.

InsideHoops.com says: Nice move! And expected. Though, ideally it would have happened 2-3 years ago, instead of Hunter wasting an NBA roster spot. Anyway, he’ll be good at this.

Great Josh Smith season continues

Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

Through Wednesday’s games, forward Josh Smith was the only player in the NBA averaging at least 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Since being left out of the All-Star game, a season-long goal of Smith’s, he has been playing arguably the best basketball of his career.

Said Woodson, “He’s playing so much better right now, it’s a joke.”

Woodson said he will write letters to fellow coaches urging them to vote for Smith for the All-Defensive team, just as he wrote to Eastern Conference coaches to make the case for Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Jamal Crawford and Smith for the All-Star team. Woodson said he had never promoted his players in this way until this year.

Said Woodson, “Because we’ve never been good enough.”

Bucks raise season-ticket prices

Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

After holding the line for three seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks are raising season-ticket prices, especially in the high-end seats.

The price for the courtside club seats located behind the benches is $119 per game for a season-ticket package, an increase of $5 a game. Some other high-end seats will go for $94 ($4 increase) and $89 ($4 increase). Some of the lower-priced season tickets are $28 ($1 increase), $18 ($1 increase) and $9 ($1 increase).

In recent years, many professional sports franchises have raised prices on seats but have generally increased prices by a higher percentage for high-end seats while trying to hold down prices on cheaper seats.

Rocky rookie season for Terrence Williams

Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

Rocky first season for Terrence Williams

Coming off his career-high, 21-point scoring output in Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland, Nets rookie Terrence Williams was asked Thursday how he would sum up his first professional season so far.

“Rocky,’’ was the term he chose.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” he said Thursday. “I tried to come here and use the same game that I used in college, but my shot wasn’t falling. I had to re-evaluate myself as a player and change my game to more so going to the hole, but still do the other little things that I do and love to do, as far as, like, passing, playing ‘D’ and rebounding.”

InsideHoops.com Says:

It’s tough to judge Williams just yet. He’s athletic and shows occasional flashes but for the most part has done what the majority of Nets players did this season — fairly little. In 19.4 minutes per game, Williams is averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds with 37.8% shooting from the field. But, again, it’s probably best to study his game more closely next year when the team is presumably better.

Maccabi Electra sets Euroleague single-quarter scoring record

Euroleague.net reports:

Besides sealing its ticket to the Quarterfinal Playoffs on Thursday night, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv also set a new Euroleague record for points in one quarter with 43. Maccabi broke the previous record of 41 set almost 10 years ago and since tied once, both times in the regular season. Maccabi’s record is all the more remarkable for having come in a Top 16 game with qualification on the line and doing all the scoring when it was needed most – in the fourth quarter. Maccabi defeated Montepaschi Siena 97-82.

Thunder assign DJ White to D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has assigned forward DJ White to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.

This season White is averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in eight games for the Thunder, but he is yet to make an appearance for Oklahoma City since undergoing successful surgery on January 21st to repair an avulsion fracture in his right thumb.

White appeared in six games (six starts) for the 66ers earlier this season before being recalled by the Thunder on January 8th. In his previous D-League assignment, the 6-9 forward averaged 18.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest while with Tulsa. He tallied four double-doubles and scored 20 or more points twice.

Jason Terry needs surgery on face

Mavericks guard Jason Terry is scheduled for surgery tomorrow to address facial injuries sustained in last night’s game vs. Minnesota. A timetable will be released after the surgery is performed.

Terry (6-2, 180) has averaged 17.0 points, 3.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.23 steals, while shooting 44.7% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range. The reigning 6th Man of the Year is the only Maverick that has played in all 62 games this season.

Wife of Allen Iverson files for divorce

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

A week after the Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson announced he was leaving basketball for the rest of the season to be with his sick 4-year-old daughter, the star’s wife filed for divorce in Fulton County Superior Court.

In the divorce petition filed on Tuesday, Tawanna Iverson said her 8 ½-year-long marriage to the guard was “irretrievably broken.” In the petition, Tawanna Iverson asked for temporary and permanent custody of their five children as well as child support and alimony.

She did not ask for a specific dollar amount.

The children range in ages from 17 months to 15 years.

QUICK REACTION FROM INSIDEHOOPS.COM

This is just not Allen Iverson’s year.

In basketball, he hurt his own reputation by making it clear to the world that he’s more focused on his own individual basketball game than he is on being a part of a team, resulting in barely any squads wanting to sign him even though he was clearly more talented than the majority of free agents who were available at the time.

Of course, Iverson was always an individual force on a court. A scorer, who didn’t typically set teammates up do to any sort of special play-making ability, but certainly made their lives easier simply by drawing so much defensive attention. He was also a one-man wrecking crew who could drop 30 on anybody. He also dragged a 76ers squad into the finals that had no business making it that far. He did amazing things on a basketball court.

But, at this point in his career, his refusal to even consider coming off any team’s bench was a bad look.

The Grizzlies-Iverson experiment didn’t go well, and the team has looked very good since it ended.

He was OK on the 76ers but didn’t really help them. They’re not hot without him, though, so that’s not really on him.

But now, actual sad personal stuff: His daughter reportedly has health issues. And now his wife is calling it quits, seemingly at a rough time.

Regardless of his refusal to accept that he’s best used as a supporting scorer and no longer a foundation to build a team around, I have to root for Iverson in his off-court issues clearing up.

And as for Iverson the basketball player, it would be cool to see him latch onto a team next season, actually help them, and go out on a positive note.

— Jeff

Daniel Gibson, Keyshia Cole announce baby boy

The AP reports:

Singer Keyshia Cole and Daniel Gibson, a basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers, have announced the birth of their son.

Cole’s publicist, Tresa Sanders, says in a statement to The Associated Press that Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr. was born Tuesday evening. He weighs 7 pounds, 3 ounces (3.2 kilograms).