September 2012 – Page 11 – NBA Blog

Miami Heat sign guard Garrett Temple

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed guard Garrett Temple.

Temple has appeared in 51 NBA games (four starts) over the last three seasons with five different teams and averaged 3.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 11.1 minutes of action. He has also appeared in 54 NBA Development League games (16 starts) over that span averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.30 steals and 34.6 minutes while shooting 42 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from three-point range and 77.5 percent from the foul line. He spent last season with Junior Casale Monferrato of the Italian Serie A2 League, appearing in 28 games and averaged 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.50 steals in 27.3 minutes while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 83 percent from the foul line.

Temple split the 2010-11 season between the Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs while also spending time in the NBA D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Erie BayHawks. Prior to that during the 2009-10 season, he spent time with the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Temple attended Louisiana State University, appearing in 134 collegiate games for the Tigers.

The Heat’s roster now stands at 17.

Brooklyn Nets sign Josh Childress

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Josh Childress, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Childress played in 34 games for the Phoenix Suns in 2011-12. The 6-8 forward averaged 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.

The Stanford alum was selected sixth overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. A six year NBA veteran, Childress owns career averages of 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game. In 373 career NBA games, including 70 starts, with Atlanta and Phoenix, he has shot .524 (1,337-2,550) from the field, .329 (98-298) from three-point range and .779 (762-978) from the line. In seven postseason games, all with Atlanta during the 2007-08 playoffs, Childress averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 29.3 minutes per game.

In 2008 Childress signed a contract to travel overseas and play for the Greek professional club Olympiacos Piraeus. In two seasons with the organization, he averaged 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

O.J. Mayo amazed by Dirk Nowitzki`s work ethic

After arriving in Dallas a month ago to work on his game, O.J. Mayo was stunned to see a certain 7-foot German dude sweating on the American Airlines Center practice court.

Rest assured that there won’t be a repeat of a rusty, out-of-shape Dirk Nowitzki showing up at training camp.

“He was in here working out and staying in shape,” Mayo said. “It was a crazy, crazy thing to see because he’s a franchise player and he was here early like it’s his first or second year. I think that’s enough said there.”

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

LeBron James switches agents; childhood friend will represent him

LeBron James has parted ways with agent Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency and will now be represented by his longtime friend, Rich Paul, who also has left CAA to start his own company: Klutch Sports Management, sources told Yahoo! Sports. James made the move official when he filed paperwork with the NBA Players’ Association Wednesday afternoon.

Paul will be James’ third representative since James entered the league in 2003 as a client of Aaron Goodwin.

Paul began working for CAA in 2008. Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson and San Antonio Spurs guard Cory Joseph are among his clients, along with Charlotte Bobcats rookie forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who is jointly managed by Paul and Rose. Paul is working to soon become officially certified as an agent. His new agency will be based in his hometown of Cleveland, where James played for the Cavaliers from 2003-2010.

— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports

Brooklyn Nets sign Andray Blatche

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Andray Blatche, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Blatche played in 26 games for the Washington Wizards in 2011-12, making 13 starts. The 6-11 forward averaged 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game. As a starter, Blatche posted averages of 11.5 points and 7.4 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game. Due to a calf injury, Blatche was forced to miss the last 40 games of the season.

The South Kent High School (South Kent, CT) alum was selected 49th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Wizards. In seven NBA seasons, all with the Washington, Blatche holds career averages of 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 409 games, including 176 starts. During the 2010-11 season, Blatche posted career-highs of 16.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. Blatche has made postseason appearances twice, in 2006-07 and 2007-08. In eight career playoff games, he averaged 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per contest.

OKC Thunder sign DeAndre Liggins and Andy Rautins

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed guards DeAndre Liggins and Andy Rautins to contracts, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Liggins (6-6, 209 pounds) saw action in 17 games during the 2011-12 season as a member of the Orlando Magic where he registered averages of 1.9 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.8 minutes.

After spending three years at the University of Kentucky, Liggins was selected in the second round (No. 53 overall) of the 2011 draft by the Orlando Magic.

Rautins (6-4, 190 pounds), a second round pick of the New York Knicks in 2010 (No. 38 overall) spent the 2011-12 season playing in Spain for Lucentum Alicante where he appeared in 17 games and averaged 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest.

The former Canadian National Team member appeared in five NBA games with the Knicks after concluding his four year collegiate career at Syracuse University.

Jason Kidd will fight DWI charge

New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd intends to fight a charge that he was drunk when he crashed his SUV into a telephone pole in the Hamptons over the summer, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Kidd, wearing a navy pinstriped suit and tie, said “good morning” to reporters outside Southampton Town Court on Long Island. But he didn’t speak as he stood, back straight, facing the judge during his brief procedural appearance.

When asked about the allegations, attorney Edward Burke Jr. told reporters, “We are defending that.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Toronto Raptors sign forward Dominic McGuire

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed forward Dominic McGuire.

McGuire, 6-foot-9, 235 pounds, spent the 2011-12 season with Golden State, appearing in 64 games (six starts), averaging 3.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 17.6 minutes. He achieved career highs in 2008-09 averaging 4.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 26.2 minutes in 79 games (57 starts) with Washington.

McGuire was selected 47th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Wizards and has also appeared in games for Sacramento (2009-10) and Charlotte (2010-11). He has posted career averages of 2.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 316 career games (74 starts).

After two seasons at the University of California, McGuire played one season at Fresno State where he averaged 12.5 points and 9.8 rebounds. He ranked fifth in the nation with 3.6 blocks during the 2006-07 season with the Bulldogs.

The Raptors open training camp October 2 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Josh Childress is signing with Nets

The Nets have made plenty of moves since free agency began July 1, but they still needed a backup small forward.

It took them a while but the Nets filled that need yesterday, when sources confirmed they had agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with free agent Josh Childress.

The Nets had been on the verge of signing free agent Donte Greene late last month before Greene injured an ankle in a pickup game in Charlotte. That opened the door for Childress, who, assuming both he and power forward Andray Blatche sign with the Nets in the near future as expected, will bring the team’s roster to 15 players.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Photo: WTC Freedom Tower, September 11, 2012

I am the founder of InsideHoops.com and a born-and-raised New Yorker, and saw the World Trade Center twin towers fall with my own eyes while standing on a lower Manhattan sidewalk. Remembering the day still gives me chills, all these years later.

Here is a photo I took five minutes ago from West Broadway and Spring street in downtown Manhattan of the WTC Freedom Tower today, September 11, 2012.

wtc freedom tower