December 2010 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Cavaliers waive Jawad Williams

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived forward Jawad Williams, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.

Williams averaged 4.0 points on.325 shooting and 1.8 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game in 26 games (one start) this season. In three seasons (all with the Cavaliers), he had career averages of 3.8 points on .369 shooting and 1.5 rebounds in 90 games (seven starts).

“We would like to wish Jawad and his family the best in the future and thank him for his contributions, not only on the court but in the community,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant.

The Cavaliers roster now stands at 14.

Have an opinion on the team? Share it on the Cleveland Cavaliers forum.

Hawks assign Pape Sy to D-League

The Atlanta Hawks today assigned rookie guard/forward Pape Sy (POP SEE) to the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund.

Sy was the Hawks’ second round pick (53rd overall selection) in the 2010 NBA Draft. He missed the first 18 games of the season due to a low back injury, and has been on the inactive list in the remainder of the games this year. Sy appeared in two games for Atlanta’s summer league squad in Las Vegas, averaging 4.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg and 1.0 apg.

He signed with the Hawks on September 15, 2010.

Knicks defense is improving

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

The Knicks have risen to 18th in what the coaching staff views as the most important defensive stat — points per 100 possessions. (The Knicks were 28th during their 3-8 start). The Knicks are second in the NBA in blocked shots, with Stoudemire setting a ton of toughness.

“We’re playing better team defense, we’re playing better help defense,” said Felton. “Amare getting six blocks [on Christmas] was big, just helping weak side and cleaning up. It makes me and Toney [Douglas’] job much easier pressuring the ball because we know we have guys who are going to clean things up when we make mistakes.”

The Knicks have the makings of a competent defensive club. Felton, Douglas and Turiaf breathe and sleep defense. Wilson Chandler is an active defender. Rookie Landry Fields rarely makes a mistake. Danilo Gallinari, despite some inconsistent offensive nights, has been tenacious on the other end, among the league leaders in charges drawn.

Raptors re-sign Ronald Dupree

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have re-signed forward Ronald Dupree. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Dupree, 6-foot-7, 210 pounds participated in Toronto’s 2010 training camp before he was released October 19. He appeared in five preseason games, totaling 20 points and eight rebounds in 55 minutes.

Dupree was also a member of the Raptors’ entry in the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League. In five outings, Dupree averaged 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds helping the club to a 5-0 mark. He had a team-high 24 points and added eight rebounds in a victory over New Orleans.

Dupree has played in 154 NBA games with Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Seattle, averaging 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds. He has also seen action in the NBDL with Huntsville, Tulsa and Utah. He has averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 boards in 122 D-League outings.

Toronto’s roster now stands at 15.

Bobcats name Ralph Lewis, Charles Oakley and Stephen Silas assistant coaches

The Charlotte Bobcats today named Ralph Lewis, Charles Oakley and Stephen Silas as assistant coaches on the staff of Interim Head Coach Paul Silas.

“It was important to me to quickly put together a staff that I feel comfortable with and one that mirrors my coaching philosophy and can immediately make an impact on this team in a positive way,” said Silas. “Ralph Lewis brings experience as both a player and a coach, and Stephen has been part of my staffs on a few of my NBA stints. I’ve always admired Charles Oakley and I feel his overall experience as a competitor and his mental toughness will only enhance our preparations.”

Lewis played professionally for 10 years, including three seasons in the NBA with the Pistons and Hornets. He served as assistant coach of the Huntsville Flight during the inaugural season of the NBA Development League in 2001-02 before becoming head coach from 2002-05. During his three seasons as head coach, the Flight compiled a 73-71 record and made consecutive playoff appearances in 2003-04 and 2004-05. Lewis went on to serve as an assistant coach for the SuperSonics/Thunder from 2005-09. In addition to his playing and coaching experience, Lewis has worked as an executive in the human resources and healthcare fields.

A 19-year NBA veteran, Oakley comes to the bench as an assistant coach for the first time. During his NBA career, he averaged 9.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in 1,282 games played for Chicago, New York, Toronto, Washington and Houston. In addition to being selected for the 1994 Eastern Conference All-Star Team, his playing honors include being named to the All-Rookie First Team in 1985-86, All-Defensive First Team in 1993-94 and All-Defensive Second Team in 1997-98. Oakley, who led the league in rebounds in both 1986-87 and 1987-88, currently ranks 20th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list (12,205), while also ranking ninth all-time in offensive rebounds (3,924) and 13th in defensive rebounds (8,281). In addition, his 1,282 games played is the 14th-best total in NBA history.

In his 10th season as an assistant coach, Stephen Silas joins the Bobcats from the Golden State Warriors, where he has been as an assistant coach since 2006. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach on his father’s staffs with the Hornets from 2000-03 and the Cavaliers from 2003-05. Silas has also served as head coach for Summer League entries for the Hornets (2002), Cavaliers (2003) and Warriors (2010). In addition to his coaching roles, Silas was an advance scout for the Hornets in 1999-2000 and the Wizards in 2005-06.

Wizards suspend Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee

March 12 2010: Washington Wizards' Andray Blatche (7) during the NBA basketball game between the Washington Wizards and Detroit Piston at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that forward Andray Blatche and center JaVale McGee have both been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

“After further investigation into an incident on Thursday night, we concluded that Andray and JaVale conducted themselves in an unprofessional manner,” said Grunfeld. “As a result, both players will be suspended for tomorrow’s game at San Antonio.”

The AP reports:

The Washington Post said on its website that Blatche and McGee were involved in an altercation outside an area club early Friday. The newspaper reported that two league sources said the players cursed at each other and exchanged punches. The Post said another source said police were called to break up the fight.

Michael Jordan buys $3.15 million condo in Charlotte

The Charlotte Observer reports:

July 15, 2010 - Stateline, Nevada, USA - MICHAEL JORDAN plays in the 21st annual American Century Championships at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Offering a total purse of 600,000 dollars, the made-for-tv ACC, owned and broadcast by NBC Sports, is the world's premier celebrity golf tournament. For the fifth year in a row, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and its LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign is the Championship's official charity.

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is officially a Charlotte homeowner.

Jordan has purchased and combined the two top-floor penthouses at The Trust, a luxury uptown condominium building at 139 South Tryon St. He closed on the $3.15 million property Thursday, according to the McDevitt Agency, which brokered the deal.

His new, 7,000-square-foot residence is about two blocks from Time Warner Cable Arena, where the Bobcats play. The seven-floor Trust building also houses Chima Brazilian Steakhouse.

InsideHoops.com editor says: $3.15 million is pocket change. He probably paid it in $20 bills that he found in his jeans. I’m sure my readers can relate.

Awful Kings sticking with front office for now

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports:

Oct 19, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans (13) dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. The Kings defeated the Clippers 96-94. Photo via Newscom

There’s no dancing around the Kings’ rough start this season.

They have the NBA’s worst record, 5-22. They’ve lost 21 of their last 23 games.

Each loss draws more scrutiny, but Kings ownership and management remain resolute in keeping with their plan to rebuild the team back to prominence.

Co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, basketball president Geoff Petrie and coach Paul Westphal are echoing the same message as the team takes two days off before returning to practice Sunday in preparation for Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite the rough start, the ownership said it has no plans to make sweeping changes on the sideline or in the front office.

“Paul is going to be our coach through the end of the season, and Geoff will remain with us, no doubt about it,” Gavin Maloof said. “We’re going to stick together and know the future is bright. We have a lot of cap space, and we’re going to use it and know that brighter days are ahead.”

Reggie Williams living his dream playing in NBA

Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reports:

Last year, forward Reggie Williams spent Christmas in his apartment in Sioux Falls, S.D.

In the morning, he walked through a foot of snow to buy groceries from a Wal-Mart across the street. He and roommate Leemire Goldwire, his teammate in the NBA Development League, cooked and ate Christmas dinner together. By that evening, they were glued to the couch waiting for the tipoff of the Denver-Portland game on ESPN, dreaming about the day they would get their shots in the NBA.

“It seems like just yesterday,” Williams, 24, said. “Now, I’m spending Christmas in California, in beautiful weather and about to play on national TV. My family can watch me play.”

Tonight Williams again will be waiting for the tipoff of a game involving Portland on ESPN (and CSNBA). But this time, he is playing in it. The Warriors host the Trail Blazers in the nightcap of the NBA’s five-game Christmas Day schedule.

This time last year, Williams was an overlooked star in the D-League, watching other D-Leaguers get called up to the big show ahead of him.

“My dream was to play in the NBA,” Williams said. “So for me to play on Christmas Day and on national TV, that’s a pretty big achievement.”

Warriors hire Lloyd Pierce as an assistant coach

The Golden State Warriors have hired Lloyd Pierce as an assistant coach, the team announced today. Pierce joins the Warriors after spending the previous three seasons as the player development coordinator for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he worked closely with the team’s players on individual skill development.

A Bay Area native from San Jose, Pierce attended Santa Clara University from 1994-1998, where he was a four-year letterman and helped lead the Broncos to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Following his college career, Pierce played professionally in Mexico, Australia and Germany before returning to Santa Clara to join the team’s coaching staff under Dick Davey.

Pierce, 34, fills the vacancy on the Warriors coaching staff that was created when assistant coach Stephen Silas left the team to join his father Paul’s staff with the Charlotte Bobcats. Paul Silas was named interim head coach of the Bobcats on Wednesday.