September 2012 – Page 9 – NBA Blog

Toronto Raptors sign center Jamaal Magloire

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have re-signed veteran center Jamaal Magloire.

Magloire averaged 1.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 11.0 minutes in 34 appearances with the Raptors last season. He posted season bests of seven points at Orlando on January 1 and 10 rebounds at New York on January 2.

Magloire is a veteran of 12 NBA seasons and owns career averages of 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 21.9 minutes in 680 regular season outings. He has appeared in 46 postseason contests, averaging 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 19.8 minutes.

Magloire, 6-foot-11, 265 pounds came to the Raptors after spending three seasons with the Miami Heat. His best statistical campaign came in 2003-04 when he was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Magloire averaged 13.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 33.9 minutes in 82 games with the New Orleans Hornets in 2003-04. He was one of only 11 players that season to average a double-double. Magloire set single-season career highs in minutes, field goals made and attempted, free throws made and attempted, free throw percentage, offensive, defensive and total rebounds, rebound average, points and scoring average.

Magloire was born in Toronto and attended high school at Eastern School of Commerce. He is the first Canadian-born player to play for the Raptors in the club’s history.

Indiana Pacers sign Luke Nevill and Ben Hansbrough

The Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday the signing of free agents Luke Nevill and Ben Hansbrough to contracts. We presume these are training camp deals.

Nevill is a 7-2 center out of the University of Utah (2009). He was the Mountain West Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Since then, he has played in the NBA D-League with the Utah Flash and overseas in Australia and Russia.

Hansbrough is the younger brother of Pacers’ forward Tyler Hansbrough. The 6-3 guard played at Notre Dame (2011) where he was the Big East Player of the Year in 2010-11. He spent last season playing in Europe and was a member of the Pacers’ Summer League team in Orlando this past July.

Miami Heat sign Josh Harrellson

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed center Josh Harrellson.

Harrellson appeared in 37 games (four starts) for the New York Knicks last season averaging 4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes of action while shooting 42.3 percent from the field, including 33.9 percent from three-point range. In his four starts, he averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.00 blocks and 30.8 minutes while shooting 46 percent from the field. He scored a career-high 18 points in a 104-84 victory at Charlotte on April 26 and posted a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double at Sacramento on December 31, helping New York capture the 114-92 win. He appeared in five postseason games with New York during the Opening Round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the HEAT and totaled 10 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes.

Harrellson, drafted in the second round (45th overall) by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2011 NBA Draft, played three seasons at the University of Kentucky after transferring from Southwestern Illinois Junior College. He appeared in 94 games (40 starts) for the Wildcats and averaged 4.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.

The HEAT’s roster now stands at 18.

Nets sign Stephen Dennis, James Mays, Carleton Scott to training camp roster

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agents Stephen Dennis, James Mays, and Carleton Scott, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not released. All three players played overseas last season. The Nets training camp roster stands at 18 players.

Dennis, a 6’6” guard, spent four years at Kutztown University. In his senior season he averaged 26.6 points per game and was named to the Division II All-American Team. After college, Dennis played for the Bakersfield Jam in the NBA D-League, where in 51 games he averaged 18.5 points, 6.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds. The West Chester, PA native then spent the 2011-12 season in Germany playing for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig, where in 18 contests he averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. Dennis shot .424 from the field, including .304 from three-point range and .731 from the free-throw line. Dennis was a member of the Nets 2012 summer league team.

Mays, a 6’9’’ forward, spent four years at Clemson University. After his senior season, he was the second overall pick by the Colorado 14ers in the 2008 NBA D-League Draft. In 12 games with Colorado, Mays averaged 18.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists. During the 2009-10 season, Mays played for the Shougang Beijing Ducks in China, where he averaged 26.0 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. During the 2010-11 campaign he played in the NBA Summer League for both the Indiana Pacers and the Toronto Raptors. The Garner, NC native then went back overseas and played for Oyak Renault Bursa (Turkey), where he averaged 17.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Mays spent the 2011-12 season with Mersin Buyuksehir Beldiyesi (Turkey), where he averaged 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds, and Captanes de Arecibo (Puerto Rico), where he averaged 2.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in eight minutes per game.

Scott, a 6’8” forward, played three years at the University of Notre Dame. Named the 2010 Co-Most Improved Player. After graduating in 2011, Scott went to Austria and played for the UBC Carefuel Gussing Knights. In 27 contests with the Knights he averaged 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game. He shot .494 from the field, including .294 from three-point range and .730 from the free-throw line. Scott was a member of the Nets 2012 summer league team.

Curtis Stinson signs in Croatia

Cedevita Zagreb fortified its backcourt by signing point guard Curtis Stinson for one season. Stinson (1.91 meters, 29 years old) has played briefly in Europe before, but has found much of his success in the NBA D-League. He was that competition’s MVP two years ago after averaging 19.3 points, a league-best 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds in the regular season for Iowa. He then led the club to the league title with 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the playoffs. Stinson joined Krka Novo Meston of Slovenia at the start of last season and produced 8.3 points and 4.5 assists through four Adriatic League games, but later moved back to Iowa and compiled 11.3 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 28 games the rest of the season.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Former congressman Harold Ford Jr. will join Grizzlies ownership group

Former congressman Harold Ford Jr. has agreed to become a member of Robert Pera’s Memphis Grizzlies ownership group.

Less than two weeks after Pera added some star power in the person of homegrown pop star and actor Justin Timberlake, he’s come to an agreement with the former five-term congressman from Memphis.

“I’m honored to be a part of Robert’s ownership group,” said Ford, who did not specify what percentage of the team he will own. “He’s a genuine guy and a great guy.”

Ford said he met Pera through mutual friends more than a year ago, before Pera began his pursuit of the Grizzlies. When Pera reached an agreement with Michael Heisley to buy the franchise, Ford said he had the same concerns as everyone else.

— Reported by Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Grizzlies guard Tony Allen back in action following knee surgery

Memphians might have noticed Grizzlies guard Tony Allen in the community recently at block parties and autograph signings at retail stores.

However, the best news regarding Allen these days is that he’s back on the basketball court while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. The Grizzlies’ stalwart on defense underwent a minor procedure during the offseason to repair cartilage in his left knee.

Allen has been in town working out in FedExForum and declared that he’ll be ready when training camp opens Oct. 2.

“I’m definitely getting myself back to being that thirsty dog,” Allen said. “I don’t want to rush it. But I’ll be back for the first game, Oct. 31, against the (Los Angeles) Clippers. I guarantee that.”

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Lawrence Frank pleased with Pistons work ethic

Lawrence Frank wouldn’t say whose idea it was to bring a ping-pong table to the practice facility, but the Pistons coach admitted he was pleased with the competitive spirit of the 11 players who have participated in unofficial workouts and are expected to make the roster.

“I mean, this is all voluntarily; they don’t have to be here, and we can’t force them,” Frank said. “Eleven of the 15 have been here, and we expect Jonas (Jerebko) and Slava Kravtsov to be here Tuesday.”

Jerebko and Kravtsov have been at the Eurobasket 2013 qualifying tournament, with Jerebko playing very well and Kravtsov showing promise.

With camp just weeks away, Frank has the luxury of having time to work his players, unlike last season when he, like all teams and coaches, had to deal with a lockout and playing just about every other day.

— Reported by Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press

Mike Miller says he will be ready for Heat season

Three months later, he’s still in one piece, his limbs attached to all the right places. For the first time with the Miami Heat, Mike Miller might actually start a regular season in uniform.

After considering retirement during the NBA Finals and then contemplating back surgery at the completion of the Heat’s championship run, Miller is up and running and looking forward to the Sept. 29 start of training camp at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” he said Saturday.

Instead of gaining a $2.9 million injury exception for a replacement player, the Heat apparently will have the real thing, with Miller hoping to pick up where he left off, which just happened to be with seven 3-pointers in the Game 5 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder that gave the Heat their second championship.

— Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Ronnie Brewer says Knicks defense can shine this season

So, just how good can this team be on the defensive end?

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Brewer said on Friday night.

After struggling to get stops for much of the Mike D’Antoni era, New York made a significant improvement on defense last year.

With Chandler in the middle, the Knicks finished fifth in the league defensive efficiency (a measure of points allowed per 100 possessions), up from 21st in 2010-11. Chandler was named Defensive Player of the Year and Shumpert established himself as one of the top young perimeter defenders in the league.

Brewer believes that the addition of himself and Camby, among others, can make the Knicks even more stingy this year.

“I think with those ingredients, we’re going to a very dangerous,” he said.

— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York