November 2010 – Page 3 – NBA Blog

Texas Legends (D-League) sign Joe Alexander

The Texas Legends today announced that they have claimed former University of West Virginia sharp-shooting forward Joe Alexander off of waivers.

Alexander, 23, joins Antonio Daniels, Reece Gaines, Rashad McCants and Sean Williams as the fifth Texas Legend who was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.

The Milwaukee Bucks took Alexander eighth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft and that season he became the first ever Taiwanese-born NBA player.

Alexander also lived in China for six years where he became conversant in Mandarin, which is an interesting connection to part owner of the Legends, Sonny Xiao, who recently became the first Chinese-born owner of an NBA or NBA D-League team.

During his junior year at West Virginia, the 6’8”, 230 pound Alexander was named to the All-Big East First-Team as well as an All-American Honorable Mention in leading the Mountaineers to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

In his rookie season with the Bucks, Alexander appeared in 59 games, averaging 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 12.1 minutes per game, while shooting 34.8% from beyond the arc.

Alexander is no stranger to the D-League. After missing the first 41 games of the 2009-10 season with a hamstring injury, he was assigned to the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants in January. In six games (three starts) with the Mad Ants, Alexander averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.

In February, shortly after his stint in Fort Wayne, Alexander was traded to the Chicago Bulls along with Hakim Warrick in exchange for John Salmons. Alexander played in eight games for the Bulls, averaging 0.5 points and 0.6 rebounds per game in 3.6 minutes of play.

On September 20, Alexander was signed by the New Orleans Hornets, but was released on November 13 after spending the first few weeks of the NBA season on the Hornets inactive list.

Hamed Haddadi charged with assault

The AP reports:

Police say Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies and his girlfriend have been charged with assault following an altercation between the two.

Memphis police were called Thursday morning to a downtown apartment building and found Haddadi, a backup center from Iran, and his girlfriend with bruises and scratches.

The arrest report says a verbal disagreement turned physical, and both Haddadi and Goolnaz “Asal” Karbalaeinematmoeeney were taken to the Regional Medical Center for treatment.

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

Knicks win fifth in row to reach .500

New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire (R) drives into the key past Toronto Raptors' Andrea Bargnani in second quarter action of the Raptors' home opener at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Canada on October 27, 2010. The Raptors defeated the Knicks 108-103. UPI /Christine Chew Photo via Newscom

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

The Knicks were 3-13 after 16 games last season on the way to their ninth straight losing season. They hadn’t won four straight road games since 2001. And at 8-8, they are half-game behind the Miami’s Dream Team (8-7). Crazy.

“The difference [from last season] is everybody cares,” said Wilson Chandler, who had a wonderful 21-point night in which he bagged 4 of 5 3-pointers. “Losing for so long, it was like the norm. This year everybody wants to win.”

This year they have Amar’e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, playing like studs now.

“I’m not going to sit here and single me and Amar’e out as the reason we’re winning,” Felton said. “Gallo’s been great, Will’s been great, Landry (Fields) and Ronny’s been great. Me and Amar’e have been playing great but so many other guys are contributing. You can’t win with just two guys.”

Share your opinion on the New York Knicks forum.

Warriors a foul-happy bunch

Utah Jazz Deron Williams (8) slips under a leaping Golden State Warriors Monta Ellis in the first half at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on April 13, 2010. The Jazz defeated the Warriors 103-94. UPI/Terry Schmitt Photo via Newscom

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Entering Wednesday’s game against Houston, the Warriors were committing 23.93 fouls a game (worst in the league) and were drawing 18.79 (third from the bottom). Their entire roster had combined to make 224 free throws – similar to the combined numbers of Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (221).

“We’ve got to figure out how to get into the penalty, because that will soften the opponents’ defense,” point guard Stephen Curry said. “Right now, they can be as aggressive as they need to be against us and not worry about sending us to the line.”

Without a dominant post player, the Warriors rely mostly on their guards to draw fouls, and that doesn’t always work. During the Lakers game Sunday, an advanced scout said he was amazed at how much contact Ellis draws compared with how few fouls he draws.

Delonte West breaks right wrist

The AP reports:

Boston guard Delonte West left the Celtics’ game against the New Jersey Nets after breaking his right wrist.

West crashed to the ground after a layup with 2:48 left in the second quarter. He stayed there, grimacing in pain, until the medical staff came to help him. A few minutes later, he walked off, holding his right arm in his left, still in obvious pain.

Ian Thompson of SI.com reports:

It’s a big loss for the defending Eastern Conference champs, who were counting on West to help lead a second unit to relieve the burden on the starting five. Though West shoots left-handed and could eventually play with a cast, the injury left coach Doc Rivers to express hope that West could return in time for the playoffs. “It’s a compound fracture, most likely,” said Rivers. “It’s going to be a long time, let’s put it that way.”

West, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, was expected to provide backup minutes to starting point guard Rajon Rondo. Boston will hope to replace his defense and three-point shooting with 6-2 rookie Avery Bradley, the Celtics’ first-round pick who made his debut Monday in Atlanta after undergoing ankle surgery last summer.

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

March 06, 2010 Milwaukee, WI. Bradley Center..Cleveland Cavaliers Delonte West had 27 points and 7 assists coming off the Cavaliers bench tonight..Milwaukee Buck won over the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-85. Mike McGinnis/CSM.

Elton Brand suspended for foul on JaVale McGee

Elton Brand of the Philadelphia 76ers has been suspended one game without pay for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two against JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident, in which Brand made contact by shoving McGee during a layup attempt and was ejected following the Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two call, occurred with 3:32 remaining in the 4th period of the 76er’s 116-114 overtime loss to the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.

Brand will serve his suspension tonight when the 76ers face the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

InsideHoops.com editor says: It was a dangerous foul, and I absolutely see why the NBA suspended Brand for it. Elton doesn’t usually do things like that. He’s frustrated.

Share your opinion and read what other fans think in this forum topic.

Spurs sign Ime Udoka

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard/forward Ime Udoka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Udoka (#5, 6’5”, 220, 8/9/77) returns to San Antonio after spending the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons with the Silver and Black. In his two seasons with the Spurs, he appeared in 140 games, averaging 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 16.8 minutes. In 21 career playoff games, all with the Spurs, Udoka averaged 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds.

In his six-year NBA career, Udoka has averaged 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 296 games. He spent last season with the Sacramento Kings, where he played in 69 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.

He enjoyed his best campaign during the 2006-07 season when he started 75 games for Portland, averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.6 minutes per game. He shot a career-best .461 (237-for-514) from the field and .406 (89-for-219) from three-point territory. Udoka has also played for the L.A. Lakers, in 2003-04, and the New York Knicks in 2005-06.

Undrafted out of college, Udoka has spent time in NBA Development League, USBL, IBA and internationally in Spain and France. In 2005-06 he was named to the All-NBA D-League First Team and was also the recipient of Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award after averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 45 games for the Fort Worth Flyers. Udoka began his D-League career in 2002-03 with the Charleston Lowgators. He also represented Nigeria at the 2006 FIBA World Championships, where he averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Udoka closed out his college career at Portland State where he led the Vikings in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocked shots during the 1999-2000 season. He was also named First Team All-Big Sky Conference and selected as the league’s Newcomer of the Year. Udoka began his college career at Eastern Utah and spent a year at University of San Francisco before arriving at Portland State.

FOR SPORTS - Spurs' Ime Udoka shoots against the Rockets during second half action Sunday March 22, 2009 at the AT&T Center. The Rockets won 87-85 Photo via Newscom

Thunder assign Cole Aldrich to D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder center Cole Aldrich was assigned to the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today. The assignment marks the sixth time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the first assignment for Aldrich, a rookie out of Kansas.

Aldrich (6-11, 245) has appeared in five regular season games for the Thunder, averaging 1.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.6 minutes. Oklahoma City acquired Aldrich, the 11th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft, in a draft-day swap with the New Orleans Hornets.

A member of Kansas’ National Championship team in 2008, Aldrich averaged 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds in 111 games over a three-year career with the Jayhawks. The school’s record holder for blocks in a season (125), Aldrich was an AP Third Team All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a junior.

Cole Aldrich, the 6-11 center who averaged 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Kansas Jayhawks, has announced he will skip his senior year for the NBA, it was announced in Kansas City on March 29, 2010. The Jayhawks were the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament before they were upset by Northern Iowa. Aldrich, an academic All-American set the Kansas record for blocks with 125. Aldrich is shown in this March 6, 2010 file photo against the Missouri Tigers. UPI/Bill Greenblatt Photo via Newscom

Terrence Williams out 2 games for breaking team rules

The AP reports

New Jersey Nets sixth man Terrence Williams will miss the next two games after repeatedly breaking team rules.
Nets coach Avery Johnson said the second-year guard will be inactive for Tuesday night’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks and won’t travel to Boston for Wednesday night’s game.

Johnson wouldn’t discuss specifics. The coach said Williams has been fined a couple of times, and the message hasn’t sunk in.

“It has been something that we have dealt with for the past two to three weeks or so, and I don’t know if he completely understands what we are trying to do,” said Johnson, adding that Williams being inactive was a substitute for a fine.

Malik Rose joins Spurs broadcast team

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that former Spur Malik Rose will serve as a fill-in color commentator for Sean Elliott on Spurs broadcasts this season.

Rose will join play-by-play announcer Bill Land for his first road broadcast tomorrow night when the Spurs take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:00 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest. He will join Land for various games throughout the season, including the Nov. 28 game at New Orleans Hornets at 2 p.m. on FSSW.

“I have always thought Malik would make a great basketball analyst,” said Mike Kickirillo, Spurs director of broadcasting. “He always provided terrific insight in interviews and his reception with Spurs fans has been off the charts since he stepped into town. He will fit in well with Bill and do a great job stepping in for Sean.”

Rose played for the Spurs from 1997 to 2005, including two Championship seasons (1999, 2003). During his eight-year career with San Antonio, he averaged 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 509 games played. The 13-year veteran forward also played with the Hornets, Knicks and Thunder before retiring in 2009.

After retiring, Rose stepped into the broadcast world, currently serving as an in-studio analyst for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks. He will continue to serve in those roles in addition to his new duties as color analyst for San Antonio.