January 2011 – Page 3 – NBA Blog

Suns sign Zabian Dowdell to 10-day contract

The Suns have signed guard Zabian Dowdell (ZAY-bee-in dow-DELL) to a 10-day contract, the team has announced.

The 6-3, 191-pound Dowdell returns for his second regular season stint with the Suns after signing a 10-day contract on Jan. 9, 2011. Dowdell, who appeared in two games in his initial tenure with Phoenix, also spent training camp with the Suns in 2010 before being waived on Oct. 19.

Dowdell played 18 games of the 2010-11 season with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League, where he averaged 14.5 points, 4.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 29.3 minutes in 18 starts. Dowdell, who also spent 10 games with the 66ers in 2009-10, saw both his scoring and assist averages increase in 2010-11.

A four-year performer at Virginia Tech (2003-07), Dowdell was a member of the Suns’ 2009 and 2010 Las Vegas Summer League entries. As a Hokie, he was a 2006-07 All-ACC First Team honoree and a two-time All-ACC Defensive Team selection.

Bulls assign James Johnson to D-League

Chicago Bulls forward James Johnson was assigned to the Iowa Energy, the Bulls’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today. The assignment marks the 34th 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 Johnson, a second-year pro out of Wake Forest.

Johnson (6-9, 245) has appeared in 12 games this season with the Bulls, averaging 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 10.2 minutes. In 77 career games with Chicago, Johnson is averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.4 minutes.

The Bulls selected Johnson in the first round (16th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft. In two seasons at Wake Forest, Johnson averaged 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 61 games, and was named an All-ACC Third Team selection both seasons.

Johnson is expected to join the Energy for the team’s home game against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday.

Nets have Troy Murphy just stay home

Ever dream of being paid millions of dollars to sit around the house, maybe watch some TV, and keep in good shape just in case you have to actually go do something fun that you’d happily do for free anyway? That’s Troy Murphy’s job right now.

Of course, I’m sure Murphy would rather be an active piece of an NBA rotation and be playing basketball. Still, the average fan out there probably doesn’t feel too bad for him.

Fred Kerber of the New York Post reports:

The on-going confusion regarding Murphy’s status resurfaced when Nets general manager Billy King spoke about the possibility of Murphy rejoining the team. In the morning, coach Avery Johnson was unaware of any impending move and said he would address the matter with King. Last night, he claimed it’s not happening.

“Billy said we’re just going to stay along the same path,” Johnson said of Murphy, who has been told to stay home in case the Nets try to trade him — or hang on to him in case Denver calls back about Carmelo Anthony. “He will not be joining our team.”

Murphy last played on Jan. 7 and basically has been a non-entity. Johnson acknowledged he has no spot for him.

“We tried that [playing him],” Johnson said before the Nets’ 93-88 victory over the Grizzlies last night.

“Right now there’s just no minutes there to play,” said Johnson, who starts Derrick Favors and brings in Kris Humphries off the bench.

Murphy’s NBA career average is 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He’s still useful to any team who needs a big guy who can shoot and rebound.

Marcin Gortat may be rising for Suns

Center Marcin Gortat got signed to a pretty decent contract in Orlando and although he was playing behind Dwight Howard, general opinion was that he’s worthy of getting full-game minutes as a team’s main center. It didn’t happen in Orlando, but now he’s got new life in Phoenix.

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic reports:

The Suns’ problems are numerous and far-reaching, but one thing is certain: If the team could secure better play at center, this rollercoaster ride of a season wouldn’t be quite so harrowing.

Robin Lopez, are you paying attention?

Marcin Gortat looked more like the center of the future with his effort against Charlotte on Wednesday night at US Airways Center. He finished with a career-high 16 points and added seven rebounds in 29 minutes.

Lopez, meanwhile, started the game and finished with four points and two rebounds in 15 minutes.

The Suns hope the competition serves both well as they attempt to solve the riddle that is Lopez.

They see a 7-footer with athleticism, a sold work ethic and a promising upside.

Since becoming a member of the Suns, Gortat is only averaging 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per game, but those numbers should rise as the season progresses.

Roy Hibbert lost weight, now wants it back

Usually, losing weight is a good thing. Especially in today’s world of fattening, unhealthy foods. General advice for the average person is, if you manage to be thin, do what you can to stay that way.

For pro athletes, though, things aren’t always so simple.

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert spent the summer cutting all “bad foods” out of his diet and living in the gym so that he could get in the best shape of his life.

Now Hibbert, who has struggled for almost two months, is about to bring back some of those “bad foods” so that he can put on weight.

“I talked to (strength and conditioning coach) Shawn Windle, and he said I need to start drinking a lot of protein shakes and eat more throughout the day,” Hibbert said. “I had been trying to eat healthy the whole year, but he said I can mix in some bad food sometimes, too, just to put some more weight on.” …

Hibbert said he weighs about 248 pounds and would like to get back to about 260.

Hibbert this season is averaging 12.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 blocks per game for the 16-26 Pacers.

Coach Monty Williams doing great job for Hornets

John DeShazier of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

Entering this season, the Hornets looked like a lottery team. More, the franchise looked as if it had taken the economical route when selecting its coach, a first-timer who never had served as a lead assistant in San Antonio or Portland.

Yes, he came highly recommended, but for all anyone knew, those were nothing more than courtesy platitudes.

So far, Williams has made the recommendations appear to be more than professional courtesies spouted by friends. So far, Williams has been about the best salesman — and he and his staff have been about the best teachers — in the league.

Simply, the Hornets have been transformed under Williams, from a team that periodically defended to one that prides itself on making stop after stop after stop. New Orleans is the stingiest team in the league, allowing 90.9 points per game, and the brakes are being applied by players who aren’t great individual defenders, but collectively have learned to lock down.

Hornets match club record with 10th straight win

The AP reports:

Chris Paul had 18 points and 17 assists, and the New Orleans Hornets matched a franchise record with their 10th consecutive victory, beating the Golden State Warriors 112-103 on Wednesday night.

David West added 22 points as New Orleans kicked off a three-game West Coast trip by equaling the club’s longest unbeaten run, also produced from Feb. 21-March 13, 1998. The Hornets also avenged a disappointing seven-point home loss to the Warriors back on Jan. 5 with their fifth straight road victory.

New Orleans, owner of the NBA’s longest active winning streak, also got 19 points from Trevor Ariza and 11 from former Warrior Marco Belinelli.

Monta Ellis scored 26 points in another big night for his bid to become Golden State’s first All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997. Stephen Curry added 20 points and six assists a day after spraining his troublesome right ankle during practice and the Warriors shot 50.7 percent.

Spurs sign Larry Owens to second 10-day contract

The San Antonio Spurs today announced they have signed forward Larry Owens to a second 10-day contract. Owens signed his first 10-day contract with the Spurs on January 16 becoming the second call-up of the 2010-11 NBA Development League season.

Owens, a 6-7, 210-pound forward, has appeared in five games for the Spurs, averaging 1.8 points in 5.2 minutes per game. He is shooting .600 (3-5) from the field and .333 (1-3) from three-point territory.

Owens spent the past two seasons with the Tulsa 66ers. This year he started in all 23 games for Tulsa, averaging 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 31.1 minutes while shooting .462 (108-234) from the field, .373 (25-67) from three-point range and .743 (52-70) from the foul line. He scored in double figures 18 times, including a season-high 22 points vs. Iowa on November 26. Owens recorded a double-double in the season opener with 16 points and a season-high 13 rebounds at Bakersfield on November 19.

Magic waive Jason Williams

Jason Williams, also known as “White Chocolate” for his old flashy days when he could run around and play basketball and stuff, hasn’t been much of a factor on the Orlando Magic this season. And now the team has waived guard Williams, President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith announced today. The Magic’s roster stands at 13.

Originally selected in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Williams played in 777 career NBA regular season games with Sacramento, Memphis, Miami and Orlando, averaging 10.6 ppg., 5.9 apg., 2.3 rpg. and 1.20 stlpg. in 29.7 minpg. He has also played in 67 career playoff contests, averaging 8.3 ppg., 3.3 apg. and 1.9 rpg. in 25.9 minpg. Williams was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1998-99, currently stands as Memphis’ all-time leader in assists (2,041) and helped Miami capture the 2005-06 NBA Championship.

John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com reports:

Orlando reserve point guard Jason Williams, who has been upset for weeks over his lack of playing time, was released by the Magic on Wednesday prior to the game against the Indiana Pacers.

Williams has been vocal this season about his displeasure over his lack of playing time and did not accompany the team on the trip to Indianapolis. The 12-year NBA veteran appeared in just 16 games all season with the Magic, mostly in mop-up roles as the Magic’s third or fourth point guard.

Williams was signed late in the summer as the Magic’s third point guard, but said back in December he’s had a difficult time dealing with not being a part of the regular rotation. Magic President of Basketball Operations/GM Otis Smith said originally that the team would decide Williams’ fate upon getting back to Orlando after Friday’s game in Chicago, but instead decided to waive Williams Wednesday afternoon.

Williams (#44, 6’1”, 190, 11/18/75) played in 16 games this season for Orlando, averaging 2.1 ppg., 1.5 apg. and 1.4 rpg. in 10.7 minpg.

This could be the last we see of him in the NBA.

Raptors sign Trey Johnson to 10-day contract, release Sundiata Gaines

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed guard Trey Johnson to a 10-day contract. He is the sixth Call-Up of the 2010-11 NBA Development League season. To make room on the roster the Raptors released Sundiata Gaines early from his 10-day contract.

Johnson, 6-foot-5, 215 pounds is the leading scorer in the D-League this season averaging 25.8 points for the Bakersfield Jam. He has scored in double-digits in each of his 26 games, posting 20 or more points on 22 occasions and 30 or more in five games and a season-best 43 on December 15 at Austin. Johnson is also averaging 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting .510 percent from the field.

Johnson is in his fourth season with the Jam. He owns career D-League averages of 20.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 36.2 minutes. His head coach during the 2007-08 season was current Raptors assistant coach Scott Roth.

A product of Jackson State in Mississippi, Johnson played four games with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2008-09 campaign totaling four points and one rebound. In October he went to training camp with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Gaines was signed to a second 10-day contract Monday. He appeared in six contests with the Raptors averaging 5.8 points, 1.8 assists and 15.0 minutes.

Toronto’s roster stands at 15 players.