Month: March 2010

Qyntel Woods comeback possible

ESPN reports:

Qyntel Woods comeback possible

Is Qyntel Woods, at 29, playing his way back to the NBA?

The answer: Yes and no.

Talk to NBA personnel folks about Woods and you get a mixed response. Some are quick to say that Woods’ baggage — after pleading guilty to an animal-abuse charge involving dogs in October 2004 that ended his career with the Blazers — outweighs any potential payoff from giving him another shot.

Said one Western Conference general manager: “Samsonite.”

Yet Woods has also won a few admirers around the league for his willingness to go to Poland and keep refining his game after his own unsuccessful stint with Olympiacos and a stop in Italy with Fortitudo Bologna.

“He’s been playing great for Prokom,” one veteran personnel man said. “He’s been solid overseas. I think someone will take a chance on him.”

Said another GM out West: “He’s an NBA talent for sure. And he’s grown by leaps and bounds as a person.”

Bucks sign Darnell Jackson

The Milwaukee Bucks have been awarded the contract of forward Darnell Jackson (6-9, 253) on a waiver claim, General Manager John Hammond announced today.  Since Jackson was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 23, after the March 1 waiver deadline for playoff eligibility, he will not participate in the 2010 postseason.

Jackson, 24, was originally selected out of Kansas by the Miami Heat in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, before being traded to Cleveland for a 2009 second round draft pick.

Jackson appeared in 27 games for Cleveland this season, and a combined 78 games over the past two seasons with averages of 1.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.0 minutes.  He started in two games for the Erie BayHawks (NBDL) this season and averaged 33.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

A member of four straight Big 12 regular season title teams at Kansas, Jackson helped the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA Championship.  As a senior he averaged 11.2 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game while being awarded All-Big 12 Third Team honors.

The Bucks roster is now at 15 players.

Danny Granger returns to form

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Danny Granger returns to form

It took nearly the entire season, but Pacers forward Danny Granger is averaging 31 points and shooting 54 percent from the field in the past four games. He has had 13 games of at least 30 points, including three straight, this season.

Granger missed more than a month with a torn right plantar fascia and has had a difficult time adjusting to his new teammates.

“I think he’s found a comfort level,” O’Brien said. “He’s taking what’s there. He’s not forcing the issue, and his assist-to-turnover ratio is up. . . . This is the Danny Granger we became accustomed to seeing last year.”

Return to San Francisco possible for Warriors

C.W. Nevius of the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

The rumor that the Golden State Warriors might move to San Francisco is recycled every few years.

But this time, it has a chance to happen.

Potential buyers of the team have asked the San Francisco Giants about building a state-of-the-art arena in Mission Bay, south of AT&T Park, sources say.

The team is on the verge of finishing an agreement that would give the Giants exclusive negotiating rights with the Port Commission to develop the parking lot behind AT&T Park. So if you want to talk about an arena in what the team is calling the Mission Rock District, you need to speak to the Giants.

Danilo Gallinari getting noticed

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

Danilo Gallinari getting noticed

Danilo Gallinari made a believer out of Tracy McGrady and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony after the 6-foot-10 forward scored 17 of his team-high 28 points in the third quarter of Tuesday’s win over the Nuggets. Gallinari asked to guard Anthony, and in the decisive third quarter, the two players traded shots and words in a classic duel that had the Garden buzzing.

“That was like, ‘(forget) everybody else, it’s me and you,’ ” McGrady said. “I haven’t seen (Hedo) Turkoglu and Dirk (Nowitzki) do that. They play within the team concept. That was ‘get me the ball and everybody move out of the way.’ I was enjoying it.”

Gallinari has always been one of the Knicks’ more physically and mentally tough players. He’ll play through pain, he’s not afraid to take big shots and he won’t back down from a challenge. In December, after the Clippers’ Baron Davis hit Gallinari with an elbow, Gallinari returned the favor after grabbing a rebound. Davis looked stunned.

Lawrence Frank will return to coaching… someday

Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports

He’s preparing again.

Not for a game, or for a practice, or for anything immediate or specific.

Lawrence Frank will return to coaching... someday

But make no mistake, Lawrence Frank is preparing for something, and his specific purpose won’t be apparent until some general manager rings his phone in a month or two.

“I hope to get another opportunity to coach another NBA team, and only time will tell how soon that may come,” the former Nets coach said Wednesday. “So I’m working on some things, visiting people, doing some writing, formulating thoughts and ideas, putting together material about the components of coaching – mostly studying the DNA of successful organizations.”

And he’s doing all these things the way Frank does everything: at a whirlwind pace…

“A college team takes on the personality of its coach,” Frank said. “But when you study the NBA, you know a team takes on the personality of its best player. With any team on a high level, the top player embodies its winning culture. So if you’re going to upgrade, it can change quickly – as long as you’re fortunate to get the right franchise player.”

Spurs sign Curtis Jerrells

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Curtis Jerrells from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.  Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Jerrells, 6-1, 200 pounds, has appeared in 43 games this season with the Austin Toros. He averaged 20.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 40.0 minutes.

Jerrells has been selected as the NBA Development League Performer of the Week twice this season, most recently for games played during the week of March 15 when he averaged 32.7 points, 6.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds.  Jerrells also appeared in five preseason games for San Antonio, averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 assists in 14.8 minutes.  He was waived on 10/22.

Jerrells played collegiately for four years at Baylor University.  As a senior he averaged a team-high 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists while starting in all in 39 games for the Bears.  He was selected to the All-Big 12 Third Team and was named to the 2009 NIT All-Tournament Team after leading the Bears to the NIT championship game.  As a junior Jerrells was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, after averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists.  He scored a career-high 36 points, including a school and Big 12 record 20-of-24 free throws, in a five-OT 116-110 win at Texas A&M on 1/23/08.

For his career, Jerrells averaged 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.34 steals.  Jerrells is the only player in school history to finish his career with more than 1,000 points, 400 assists and 100 steals.

Rumors Talk: Blatche blowing it

Rumors Talk: Blatche blowing it

Since the Washington Wizards scrapped their team, two main things have happened that I can think of. First, Josh Howard’s season ended due to injury. And second, big-man Andray Blatche emerged as a legit talent. His stats in the last month or so are inflated because he tends to get the ball a heck of a lot, but still, he’s doing great.

But as you read on the rumors page today, he messed up yesterday, arguing with Flip Saunders and then reportedly refusing to play the rest of the game. By doing this, Blatche sent a message to the masses that he has maturity issues to work on. Hopefully he does the right thing, says sorry to his coach and team, and moves on positively from there. But the Wizards really don’t need any more nonsense from any players.

The Knicks don’t need Raja Bell at all this season. It’s pointless to add him. Bell should probably just hang out someplace cool, regain full health, and focus on joining a championship contender next season.

I definitely hope Don Nelson goes on to coach the Warriors in summer league play, as he reportedly plans. The more head coaches involved in those games, the better. It’ll just raise the level of everything and make the games that much better.

Madison Square Garden’s atmosphere is electric and amazing, even in losing seasons. Can’t wait to see what it’s like when they have an actual good team out there.

The Nuggets without Kenyon Martin probably aren’t a championship contender. He’s certainly not their best player, but they drop a half-rung down the ladder without him.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas returned to the Cavaliers! In equally shocking news, I ate food today, and will likely do so again tomorrow.

I laughed when hearing that Nets CEO Brett Yormark snapped at a fan. I have no followup comment. That’s just friggin funny on its own. Anyway, Yormark is a respected guy. He’s fine. Just a rough day. Or season. But the Nets should give that fan a signed jersey and a free basketball or something. Or a date with a Nets dancer.

On second thought, I’ll take the Nets dancer date. The fan can have the jersey.

Talk to you tomorrow.

This feature is an editorialized take on the day’s hot NBA rumors stories.

Mother of Kiki Vandeweghe passes away

Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

Kiki Vandeweghe flew from California to New Jersey last night, only to learn this morning that his mom, Colleen, died Wednesday morning at her home in Newport Beach.

The Nets coach will stay on the job for a while, or until they work out the funeral arrangements. Colleen Kay Hutchins, who was 83, is survived by her husband – former Knicks star Dr. Ernie Vandeweghe – and two sons and two daughters.

Vandeweghe, who had left the Nets Sunday and skipped Monday’s loss to Miami to be with his family, had been contending with his mother’s illness for more than a year.

“I was happy I went back. I was very lucky to spend some time with my dad, it’s harder on him than anybody,” Vandeweghe said at the shootaround Wednesday morning.