April 2011 – Page 14 – NBA Blog

Atlanta Hawks sign Magnum Rolle

The Atlanta Hawks today signed forward Magnum Rolle to a contract, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Rolle spent training camp with the Indiana Pacers, and appeared in five preseason games before being waived on October 25, 2010. Rolle was the 51st overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was then acquired by the Pacers in exchange for the draft rights to Ryan Reid.

The Gatorade callup played in 15 games (seven starts) with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League this season, averaging 14.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 spg, 1.3 apg and 1.2 bpg (.508 FG%, .585 FT%) in 25.9 mpg. He was the third overall pick of the D-League Draft by the Claws.

Rolle played his sophomore season at LSU, before transferring to Louisiana Tech. As a senior with the Bulldogs in 2009-10, he led the WAC in blocked shots (2.1 bpg), adding 13.9 ppg and 8.4 rpg in 34 games (33 starts). He finished his career with Louisiana Tech fourth all-time in blocks in just two seasons of action.

Magnum Rolle was born on February 23, 1986 in Freeport, Bahamas, and attended St. George’s High School in Freeport before spending a year at Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina. He will wear uniform number 25.

Jimmer Fredette stops attending classes

Ken Tingley of the Post Star reports:

Jimmer Fredette has stopped going to classes at Brigham Young University.

That is not unusual for college basketball stars who plan to make their living in the NBA, but in this case it was the school that requested it.

“It was getting too disruptive,” said Al Fredette, Jimmer’s father, who explained that Jimmer’s fame in Provo, Utah, has led to constant requests for autographs and photographs. “He can’t go anywhere in Provo without being recognized.”

He now does all his schoolwork online.

Fredette has become a national celebrity over the past few months and has been named almost everyone’s national collegiate basketball player of the year.

He is in Los Angeles this weekend where the winner of the John Wooden Award was announced Friday night and he appeared Thursday night on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” with University of Connecticut star Kemba Walker.

Monta Ellis suffers concussion, will not play final two Warriors games

Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis, who exited last night’s game vs. Sacramento with 58.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter after falling to the floor and hitting his head, did not travel with the team to Denver for Monday’s game against the Nuggets.

Ellis spent last night in a Bay Area Hospital for observations after suffering a Grade 2 concussion and was released earlier this morning. A CT Scan was negative.

Ellis will not play in the final two games of the season tonight in Denver and Wednesday vs. Portland.

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Rockets sign Marcus Cousin, recall Hasheem Thabeet, waive DeMarre Carroll

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed center Marcus Cousin to a non-guaranteed contract and assigned him to Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. The Rockets have also recalled Hasheem Thabeet from the Vipers and have waived DeMarre Carroll.

Cousin (6-11, 255, Houston) earns his second GATORADE Call-Up of the season by signing with the Rockets. His first GATORADE Call-Up came when he signed a 10-day contract with Utah on Mar. 9, averaging 1.0 points and 0.8 rebounds in four games with the Jazz. A 2011 D-League All-Star selection, Cousin averaged 14.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.16 blocks while shooting .533 from the field in 38 games (38 starts) for the Austin Toros. Cousin also appeared in five games with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2010 preseason, averaging 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. He spent the 2009 NBA Summer League with the Rockets. After transferring from Seton Hall, Cousin played two seasons at the University of Houston, averaging 10.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks as a senior in 2008-09.

Thabeet (7-3, 263, Connecticut) was assigned to Rio Grande Valley on Mar. 21, averaging 9.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 blocks with two double-doubles in seven games (six starts) including the playoffs with the Vipers. Acquired by Houston from Memphis on Feb. 24, Thabeet has played in two games with the Rockets since being acquired from the Grizzlies. He averaged 1.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.33 blocks in 45 games with Memphis this season and made his Rockets debut vs. New Jersey (2/26/11). Selected by the Grizzlies with the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Thabeet stands as the first Tanzanian-born player to be drafted by and play for an NBA team.

Carroll (6-8, 212, Missouri), who was acquired by Houston from Memphis on Feb. 24, has played in four games with the Rockets. He also averaged 1.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in seven games with the Grizzlies this season.

Deron Williams has wrist surgery

New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams underwent successful wrist surgery today, April 11, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

The surgery, performed by hand specialist Dr. Andrew Weiland and Nets team orthopedic Dr. Riley Williams III, involved the removal of loose bodies (three bony fragments) and scar tissue from William’s right wrist.

“The bony fragments and scar tissue taken from Deron’s wrist today were interfering with this ability to flex his wrist,” said Dr. Williams. “We expect a full recovery and a return to basketball-related activities in approximately 6-8 weeks.”

Williams’ wrist will be encased in a soft splint for two weeks, after which time he will begin rehabilitation. He is expected to fully participate in training camp for the 2011-12 NBA season.

The two-time NBA All-Star was acquired from the Utah Jazz on February 23 in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, two first round draft picks (Nets 2011, Golden State 2012) and cash considerations.

Williams played in 12 games for the Nets, averaging 15.0 points and 12.8 assists.

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Heat rock Celtics 100-77

The AP reports:

LeBron James scored 27 points, Dwyane Wade added 14 and the Heat moved closer to wrapping up the No. 2 seed in the East playoffs by beating the sliding Celtics 100-77 on Sunday.

Miami moved a game ahead of Boston, and trimmed its magic number to clinch the second seed to two.

Chris Bosh added 13 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which had been 0-3 against Boston this season.

Paul Pierce scored 24 points and Kevin Garnett added 21 for Boston, which lost for the 10th time in its last 19 games.

The Heat finally solved the Boston hex, beating the Celtics for the third time in the last 21 meetings. Bosh had been 1-13 against Boston since March 2007, and the Celtics ended both the 2009-10 seasons for Wade (in the first round) and James (in the second round).

Miami won for the 13th time in its last 16 games and outrebounded Boston 42-26, the Celtics’ total a season low.

Ray Allen scored 13 points for the Celtics. Rajon Rondo was held to just seven points and five assists on 3 for 8 shooting.

Jazz do not re-sign guard Kyle Weaver

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has elected not to re-sign guard Kyle Weaver to a second 10-day contract. Following the transaction, the Jazz roster now stands at 14 players.

Weaver was originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 31 and appeared in five games for the Jazz (all as a reserve), averaging 5.6 point, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13.8 minutes per game. He scored a career-high 19 points (7-11 FG) with three assists and two rebounds in 30 minutes at Sacramento on April 3.

Originally selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the second round (38th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Weaver (6-6, 201, Washington State) averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 30 games (24 starts) for the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros and Iowa Energy this season prior to being called up by the Jazz. At the time, Weaver became the NBA’s 17th D-League Call-Up and 14th different player promoted to the NBA this season. He was also the seventh D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04), Louis Amundson (2006-07), Sundiata Gaines (2009-10), Othyus Jeffers (2009-10) and Marcus Cousin (2010-11).

Nets sign Mario West for remainder of season

The New Jersey Nets have signed guard Mario West for the remainder of the season, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

The fourth-year veteran out of Georgia Tech has appeared in five games, three starts, for the Nets while averaging 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 20 minutes. He tallied a career-high 13 points in his Nets debut on 4/1/11 at Philadelphia.

West has appeared in 161 career NBA games, including nine starts.

Ty Lawson hits 10 three-pointers for Nuggets

The AP reports:

Just keep shooting those 3s, Raymond Felton implored Ty Lawson.

Except for that last one.

Lawson made his first 10 3-pointers Saturday night on his way to a career-high 37 points in leading the short-handed Denver Nuggets to a 130-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Lawson became the first player in NBA history to start a game with 10 straight 3-point conversions but missed out on another record by finally missing from behind the arc…

Lawson missed a running 28-foot heave, though, as the third quarter ended with Denver ahead 101-69, finishing 10 for 11 from behind the arc.

“I told him not to,” Felton said. “Don’t shoot not crazy shot over there. But he wasn’t aware, though.”

Lawson had no idea that had he just stopped shooting 3s, he’d have been in the NBA record books for most 3-point conversions without a miss. Latrell Sprewell went 9 for 9 from behind the arc for the New York Knicks in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2003.

Pacers guard Lance Stephenson demoted for violating team rules

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Lance Stephenson’s ongoing immaturity issues could be pushing him closer to the door with the Indiana Pacers.

Any chance of Stephenson playing in the final two regular-season games or the playoffs ended Saturday, when coach Frank Vogel said Stephenson was demoted for violating team rules.

“He’ll be the fourth point guard through the playoffs,” Vogel said. “This is being done for disciplinary reasons. T.J. (Ford) will be our third point guard.”

Stephenson had been expected to play in the final two games but will assume the role formerly held by Ford, who has not played since Jan. 28.

Vogel declined to say what Stephenson did to warrant those actions. He did say, though, that there are no legal issues involved with Stephenson.