June 2011 – Page 11 – NBA Blog

Raptors hire Dwane Casey as new head coach

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have named Dwane Casey as the club’s new head coach. Casey becomes Toronto’s eighth head coach joining the Raptors from the 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. Per team policy, financial terms were not announced. Casey’s contract runs through the 2013-14 season.

“After a lengthy and detailed search for our new head coach, it became very clear that Dwane Casey embodies every aspect of what we defined as an ideal candidate,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “Dwane’s 16-plus years in NBA coaching circles working with some tremendous basketball mentors coupled with his proven ability as a defensive architect will serve as a great backdrop for the future approach of this team.”

Casey, 54, has served as a head coach, associate head coach and assistant coach in the NBA 16 of the past 17 years. Twelve of his teams have finished in the top half of the league in fewest average points allowed and 10 have been in the league’s top 15 in lowest opponent field goal percentage. He has coached in two NBA Finals (1996 and 2011) and two NBA All-Star Games (1996 and 1998).

“I am grateful to Bryan Colangelo for this opportunity and excited to come to the Raptors to work with this young team,” said Casey. “My number one goal is to create a defensive identity and an atmosphere of hard play. It is very, very important in the NBA to establish that culture of hard work.”

Casey has been an assistant with the Mavericks for the past three seasons, helping lead Dallas to a 162-84 (.659) mark. The Mavericks won 50 or more games in each of his three seasons with the team. Casey was in charge of a defensive unit that held its opponents to 96.0 points per game (sixth in the NBA) and.450 per cent shooting from the field (eighth in the NBA) this past season.

In the 2011 postseason, Casey’s defense posted series victories over offensive powers the likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Dallas held its playoff opponents to 92.5 points per game and .447 per cent shooting from the floor.

Casey was named head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 17, 2005. He posted a 53-69 mark (.434) in two seasons. He had the club in playoff contention with a 20-20 record when he was replaced January 25, 2007. His 2005-06 squad finished in the Top 10 in fewest average points per game and lowest opponent field goal percentage.

In 2008, Casey traveled throughout Europe, attending Euroleague games and practices while studying various basketball concepts.

Casey began his NBA coaching career in 1994 as an assistant with the Seattle Supersonics. He spent 11 seasons with the Sonics where he served under longtime NBA head coaches George Karl, Paul Westphal and Nate McMillan. He was promoted to associate head coach in November 2000. Nine of his teams in Seattle finished above .500 with five winning 50 or more games.

In 14 seasons as an NBA assistant, Casey’s teams have recorded a 689-427 record (.617) with eight campaigns of 50 or more wins.

Prior to joining the Sonics, Casey spent five years as a head coach in Japan. He also coached Japan’s National Team with basketball legend Pete Newell. In the summer of 1998, Casey coached the team to its first World Championship appearance in 31 years.

From 1985-90 Casey was an assistant under legendary collegiate coach Eddie Sutton at the University of Kentucky. He also served as an assistant under Clem Haskins at Western Kentucky University from 1980-85.

Casey began his coaching career at Kentucky in 1979 as a graduate assistant under Joe B. Hall. While at UK, he recruited and coached eventual NBA players Winston Bennett, Sam Bowie, Rex Chapman, LeRon Ellis, Shawn Kemp, Chris Mills, Dirk Minnifield, Irving Thomas and Melvin Turpin.

Casey played collegiately at Kentucky and helped the Wildcats register a 30-2 record in his junior season and capture the 1978 NCAA Championship. A four-year letterman, Casey was named team captain his senior year and won Kentucky’s all-academic award.

A native of Morganfield, Kentucky, Casey earned a degree in business administration from Kentucky in 1979.

Spain picks Serge Ibaka for European championship

The AP reports:

Defending champion Spain included Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka in its preliminary team on Tuesday for the European championship.

Ibaka, who was born in the Republic of the Congo, is still waiting to become nationalized by Spain before the championship begins on Aug. 31 in Lithuania.

“We hope he can play, even though we are not sure that he will be able to,” Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. “We are in the phase of waiting for the paperwork to go through.”

Ibaka played for Spanish clubs for three years before moving to the NBA in 2009. According to Spanish media reports, he maintains a residence in Barcelona.

Pat Riley says he will not coach again

Whenever an amazing coach has called it quits and moved on to another line of basketball-related work, you can’t help but to wonder if he’ll eventually make a comeback to the profession.

Especially if the team he works for has a loaded, star-studded roster like the Miami Heat.

But Pat Riley will reportedly stick to executive offices.

The AP reports:

Heat President Pat Riley says he will not return to coaching, and says the team has a strong leader in Erik Spoelstra.

Riley spoke Tuesday at his annual end-of-season wrapup and touched on several topics including the disappointment of Miami’s loss in the NBA finals to the Dallas Mavericks. He lauded the Mavericks for winning the title, plus says he still believed the first Heat season with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as teammates was “a great year.”

This has nothing to do with Riley or the Heat, but I wonder if we’ll ever see Jerry Sloan on the sideline again.

Kemba Walker supports Rice High School

Legendary CHSAA basketball powerhouse Rice High School in New York City is expected to close, but some supporters are still keeping hope alive and rallying to keep it open.

Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News reports:

Kemba Walker led UConn to an improbable NCAA title this past season, and graduated from college in just three years. On Thursday, he’s expected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft.

But if Walker hadn’t attended Rice High School, he says, much of that success wouldn’t have happened.

“It meant everything,” he said. “It made me the man who I am today.”

That’s why the Bronx product couldn’t say no when his former basketball coach asked him to swing by the school at the corner of Lenox Ave. and W. 124th St. Monday. Walker, 21, spent the afternoon outside the building along with about 75 other students, parents and alumni at a rally designed to raise awareness about Rice’s plight.

Unfortunately, despite the well-wishes of Walker and many others, Rice HS will still likely fade into history. But the show of support is cool.

Glen Davis likely to test free agency this summer

The Boston Celtics have enjoyed success while forward Glen Davis has been a key part of the rotation.

And, they’ve done just fine while he was sitting on the bench, watching the action.

He’s definitely a useful player. But whether he’ll remain in Boston or not remains to be seen.

Evans Clinchy of NESN reports:

Glen Davis sounds as though he’s got one foot out the door after four years as a Boston Celtic. Maybe a foot and a half, even.

He also sounds perfectly OK with that.

Speaking with reporters at a charity event this week in Medford, Mass., the C’s youngster known as “Big Baby” had a few interesting words to say about his upcoming free agency.

“I can be Glen Davis wherever,” he said when asked about being himself in Boston. “It depends on the system, the people around the system, who is going to let Glen Davis be Glen Davis, not let Glen Davis be something they think he should be.”

It’s not just Davis’ 295-pound body that’s grown a lot over these last few years. Clearly it’s his ego, too.

Davis is just a bench guy. In 277 career games, he’s started 31 of them, only sneaking into the Celtics’ first unit when Kevin Garnett has been injured. But he’s become one of the league’s very best bench guys, finishing fourth last season in the voting for Sixth Man of the Year.

He’s a unique player, and no matter where he goes, Davis should keep making his mark.

Kyrie Irving likely No.1 pick in NBA Draft

The NBA Draft is awesome and, perhaps aside from the first day or so of free agency is the biggest roster-related day of the year. And it’s coming, this Thursday.

This is considered a down year when it comes to new talent, but there are still plenty of players to be excited about. Especially the guy probably going first overall.

Al Iannazzone of the Bergen Record reports:

As the NBA Draft nears, Kyrie Irving has been looking back on all he’s experienced. But the former Duke point guard anxiously looks forward to Thursday.

Irving grew up in West Orange, attended Montclair Kimberley Academy and graduated from St Patrick High School in Elizabeth. On Thursday night, when commissioner David Stern announces the draft’s first pick in Prudential Center — which is less than 15 minutes from Irving’s house — Kyrie’s name is expected to be called.

“It’s something I’m thinking about every single day now,” Irving said. “I don’t really think about my reaction. I think about my sister’s and my father’s reaction.

“It will be a dream come true.”

Irving lost his mother when he was 4 years old and is very close to his father, Drederick, and sister, Asia. They will be among roughly 100 family and friends attending that night.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers use the No 1 pick on Irving, who averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists as a Duke freshman, he would be the first New Jersey high school graduate to be taken No. 1 overall. Shaquille O’Neal, the No. 1 choice in 1992, is from Newark, but graduated from San Antonio’s Cole High School. Plainfield’s Jay Williams, who also attended Duke, went second in 2002.

Can’t wait to see what happens.

Nuggets exercise fourth-year contract option on Ty Lawson

The Denver Nuggets have exercised the fourth-year option on guard Ty Lawson’s contract, team Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today.

Lawson appeared in 80 games (31 starts) for the Nuggets during the 2010-11 season, averaging 11.7 points, 4.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.00 steals in 26.3 minutes. In his 31 starts, Lawson averaged 14.6 points, 6.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.35 steals in 32.1 minutes.

Lawson was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a future first-round pick in a draft night trade on June 25, 2009.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel was selected in the first round (18th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft and has averaged 10.2 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 23.6 minutes in two seasons with Denver.

Nuggets extend qualifying offers to Afflalo, Chandler, Forbes

The Denver Nuggets have made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Arron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler and Gary Forbes, Nuggets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today. Per team policy, terms of the offer were not released.

Afflalo, in his second season with the Nuggets, posted career highs in nearly every statistical category in 2010-11, including points (12.6), rebounds (3.6), assists (2.4), field-goal percentage (.498), three-point percentage (.423) and minutes (33.7).

In 21 games (19 starts) with the Nuggets after being acquired from New York on Feb. 22, Chandler averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.14 blocks in 30.6 minutes.

Forbes, who made the Nuggets roster as a training camp invitee, finished his rookie season with averages of 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 63 games (11 starts).

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

VH1 Basketball Wives Los Angeles

If you enjoy seeing the stars of VH1 Basketball Wives yell and scream at each other while attending parties and navigating through their lives, InsideHoops.com has good news for you.

VH1 is expanding their “Basketball Wives” franchise with a new series set in Los Angeles featuring the wives and girlfriends of players both the Lakers and their cross-town rivals, the Clippers. VH1 has also given the greenlight to a new dating series, “Siggy Flicker” (working title) featuring the dynamic matchmaker Siggy Flicker and her match-making service in New York teaching the lovelorn to be dating powerhouses.

VH1 Basketball Wives Los Angeles premieres on Monday, August 29 at 8pm ET/PT.

Elbow throwing, trash talking and in-your-face action: forget the NBA, we’re talking about their wives! (Or ex-wives. Or girlfriends. Or ex-girlfriends. Or something!)

The VH1 Basketball Wives L.A. cast includes: Kimsha Artest (wife of Ron Artest, Los Angeles Lakers), Gloria Govan (fiancée of Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Lakers), Laura Govan (sister of Gloria Govan) and Jackie Christie (wife of Doug Christie, former player for the Los Angeles Clippers) and Imani Showalter (fiancée of Stephen Jackson, Charlotte Bobcats) as well as others.

This 10 episode, hour-long series will dive into the real-life locker room of these leading ladies, giving viewers a never-before-seen look at what it takes to live in La La Land and be connected to a famous professional athlete. For the most part, these women live the life with the best cars, biggest mansions and hottest bling but living the high life is not all glamour and often there is a price to pay. Cameras will follow these women as they attempt to juggle their relationships, infidelity issues, children and friendships while trying to find the perfect balance between supporting their families and realizing their own career ambitions. “Basketball Wives LA” brings a full court press to VH1 Monday, August 29 at 8 PM ET/PT. InsideHoops.com will keep you updated if there are changes to the premiere episode.

Shed Media is producing the series. Executive producing for Shed Media are Nick Emmerson, Jennifer O’Connell, Sean Rankine and Alex Demyanenko. Tom Huffman is a consulting producer. Shaunie O’Neal is an executive producer. Executive producing for VH1 are Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes and Noah Pollack.

VH1 Basketball Wives Los Angeles Video Clip Intro

Pau Gasol wants to stay with Lakers

AFP reports:

Spanish forward Pau Gasol, who has been linked to a move to the Minnesota Timberwolves, said Monday he wants to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers for “as many years as I can”.

The Timberwolves have reportedly been strongly pursuing Gasol to pair with Barcelona guard Ricky Rubio, who will play for the NBA side next season.

“My desire is to stay with the Lakers. I don’t have control over it but I want to stay with the Lakers for as many years as I can to be able to remain eligible for the maximum possible championships,” Gasol told reporters in the northeastern city of Alicante.