Month: December 2010

Ron Artest still does not understand the triangle offense

Los Angeles Lakers NBA player Ron Artest wore his championship winning team s colors, purple and gold, as he made his way through a sea of fans outside Voyeur Nightclub in West Hollywood, California on June 24, 2010.Ron Ron sported a large necklace that reads True Warier. Fame Pictures, Inc

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

Ron Artest acknowledged during an interview with ESPN what almost every Lakers watcher has assumed since he signed with the team as a free agent during the summer of 2009. He admitted he doesn’t know the Lakers’ offense.

“See, I can’t really understand the triangle,” he said in a story posted Saturday on ESPN.com. “There’s 1,000 plays in the triangle. It’s such a challenge. I get so frustrated about it. So I just stay in my one spot in the corner.

“If I leave my spot, I get yelled at. (Lakers coach) Phil (Jackson’s) gonna say, `What are you doing over there!’ So I just don’t move.”

Artest made his comments Dec. 3 during a day-long visit with Rick Reilly.

The Lakers called off Saturday’s scheduled practice, so Artest was not available for comment. He was the first player to leave the locker room after the Lakers’ loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, the first game on their six-game trip.

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Rumor: Danilo Gallinari is dating Michelle Trachtenberg

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 07: Michelle Trachtenberg attends the New York premiere of Blue Valentine hosted by Quintessentially at The Museum of Modern Art on December 7, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

Page Six, from the New York Post, reports:

The Knicks’ “Italian Stallion,” Danilo Gallinari, has a new love interest — “Gossip Girl” star Michelle Trachtenberg. The NBA heartthrob and the beauty have been spending time together in some of the city’s hottest clubs over the last few weeks. Sources tell us of the 22-year-old, 6-foot-10 “Gallo” and Trachtenberg: “They are seeing each other, but it is very early days. Michelle seems pretty excited about Danilo and was overheard talking about him at the Knicks game recently, saying she really likes him.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: The other female stars of Gossip Girl want me. They just don’t know it yet. But they will. Oh yes.

Chris Kaman out at least three weeks

Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman will miss a minimum of three weeks due to an aggravated bone bruise and deltoid ligament sprain of his left ankle.

Kaman was examined by team physician Dr. Steven Shimoyama after undergoing an MRI on Dec. 6. He was then was re-evaluated on Dec. 9 by Dr. Richard D. Ferkel.

Kaman will wear a protective boot when not participating in assigned rehabilitation.

The 2010 All-Star has appeared in 10 games this season and is averaging 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Kaman originally injured the ankle on Nov. 9 in New Orleans.

Tyreke Evans has plantar fasciitis

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

Sacramento Kings’ guard Tyreke Evans underwent a precautionary MRI yesterday in Sacramento which confirmed the diagnosis of mild plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The MRI also revealed that the plantar fascia is intact and there is no stress fracture.

Evans will continue his prescribed treatments of the combination of medication, sleeping in a night splint and walking in a boot when not playing or practicing. He has been cleared to practice and play.

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Thunder assign Byron Mullens to D-League

Oklahoma City center Byron Mullens was assigned to the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today.  The assignment marks the 18th time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the second assignment for Mullens, a second-year pro out of Ohio State.

Mullens (7-0, 275) has appeared in 18 games for the Thunder in the last two seasons, including five this year. He was first assigned to the 66ers last season, when he averaged 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in 27 games, earning All-NBA D-League Honorable Mention honors.

Oklahoma City acquired Mullens in a Draft-night deal with the Dallas Mavericks, who selected the early-entry candidate in the first round (24th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft. A former McDonald’s All-American, Mullens averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes in one season at Ohio State, and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

Mullens joins the 66ers for the team’s back-to-back games at Sioux Falls on Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11.

Mario Elie arrested on suspicion of DUI

The AP reports

An assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

The California Highway Patrol says 47-year-old Mario Elie was taken into custody at 1:15 a.m. Thursday in downtown Sacramento after an officer pulled him over for a broken taillight.
The officer reported smelling alcohol in the car and said Elie showed signs of being intoxicated.

The CHP says a breath test showed the first-year Kings coach had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Warriors sign Acie Law; Jeff Adrien waived

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent guard Acie Law, the team announced today.  Terms of the deal were not released.  To make room for Law on the team’s 15-man roster, the Warriors have waived rookie forward Jeff Adrien.

Law, 25, began the season with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 1.1 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.3 assists in 8.5 minutes over 11 games before being waived on December 4.  Currently in his fourth NBA season, Law has appeared in 148 regular-season games with Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Golden State and Memphis, owning career averages of 3.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.6 assists per contest.  He began the 2009-10 campaign with Golden State, where he averaged 6.2 points and 1.4 assists over five games before being traded to Charlotte on November 16, 2009.

Adrien appeared in 15 games for Golden State, averaging 2.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per contest.

Law will wear uniform #2.

Raptors recall Solomon Alabi from D-League

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday rookie centre Solomon Alabi has been recalled from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League.

Alabi was assigned to the BayHawks on November 15. He appeared in seven games with Erie, averaging 8.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 22.7 minutes. He had 12 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double Tuesday in the Bayhawks’ 102-82 victory over the Utah Flash.

Alabi is expected to rejoin the Raptors for practice Thursday. The Raptors play host to the Denver Nuggets on Friday at Air Canada Centre.

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Bobcats assign Sherron Collins to D-League

OKLAHOMA CITY - MARCH 20: Sherron Collins #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks brings the ball up court against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the second round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Ford Center on March 20, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has assigned guard Sherron Collins to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws. Collins is expected to see his first action with the club on Friday, December 10, at the Erie (PA) BayHawks.

The 5-11 Collins went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft but signed as a free agent with the Bobcats on August 6.  Hampered by injury prior to training camp, Collins has appeared in only 12 games this season, with averages of 0.3 points, 0.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 2.4 minutes.  He averaged 12.5 points and 2.8 assists in four games for the Bobcats summer league entry at the 2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer League in Orlando, connecting on .556 from the field (20-36) and .615 from beyond the three-point line (8-13), the best percentage of any player with more than six attempts.

As a senior at the University of Kansas last season, Collins was named Consensus First Team All-America, while also receiving the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the nation’s top player 6 feet or under and the inaugural Lute Olson Player of the Year Award, which is presented to the nation’s top Division I player who has played at least two seasons with his respective team.

During his four years at Kansas, Collins was named First Team All-Big 12 as a junior and senior, Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player as a senior and Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore. A member of Kansas’ 2008 national championship team, Collins is the winningest player in school history with 130 victories, having helped the Jayhawks to four straight Big 12 regular-season championships and three Big 12 Tournament titles. One of only two players in school history to record at least 1,800 points and at least 500 assists, Collins finished his career fifth on Kansas’ all-time scoring list (1,888 points) and seventh on the all-time assists list (552).

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Timberwolves send Jonny Flynn back to D-League

March 14, 2010: Jonny Flynn of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the game between the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Ben Munn/CSM.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the club has reassigned second-year guard Jonny Flynn to the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. Flynn will re-join the Skyforce following Thursday’s Wolves practice and is expected to play in both their Friday and Saturday night games against Tulsa.

Flynn was previously assigned to Sioux Falls on Dec. 1, where he tallied eight points, nine assists and two steals in 25 minutes of action during the Skyforce’s game against Iowa on Dec. 3. He was recalled to the Timberwolves the following day.

The sixth overall pick by Minnesota in last year’s draft, Flynn started each of the 81 games he appeared in as a rookie last season. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a rookie before missing the season finale with the hip injury that ultimately required offseason surgery. He finished his first NBA season ranked 5th among the league’s rookies in scoring (13.5 ppg), 4th in free-throw accuracy (82.6%), 5th in assists (4.4 apg) and 7th in steals (1.01 spg).

Flynn is yet to appear in a game for the Wolves this season after undergoing offseason surgery on his left hip on July 27. Per NBA rules, a first- or second-year player can be assigned to the team’s D-League affiliate a maximum of three times in a season.

InsideHoops.com editor says: This is a good tune-up to help Flynn prepare to actually help the Timberwolves.