July 2013 – Page 8 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Could Peyton Siva be odd man out for Detroit Pistons?

With last week’s signings of draft picks Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tony Mitchell, Detroit Pistons fans are wondering about point guard Peyton Siva, picked by the Pistons in the second round of the draft.

Siva has more name recognition than your average 56th pick because he is coming off a senior season where he led the Louisville Cardinals to the NCAA title.

But he could be a victim of the numbers game. The NBA only allows 15 players on the active roster and with the signings of Caldwell-Pope and Mitchell the Pistons have reached their allotment.

Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Warriors sign Jermaine O’Neal

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent center Jermaine O’Neal to a contract, the team announced today.

Although 34 years old and clearly past his prime, O’Neal did nice things for the Phoenix Suns in very limited minutes last season. He appeared in 55 games (four starts), averaging 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.42 blocks in 18.7 minutes per contest, marking his highest scoring and rebounding averages since 2009-10. The 6’11” center recorded multiple blocked shots 24 times, including a season-high seven blocks on April 10 at Dallas, and his 1.42 blocks per game average would have ranked 15th in the NBA had he played in enough games to qualify. In 23 games when playing 20-or-more minutes last season, O’Neal averaged 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.91 blocks.

Originally selected out of high school at the age of 18 by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 17th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, O’Neal owns career averages of 13.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.84 blocks in 967 regular-season games (684 starts) over 17 seasons with the Blazers (1996-00), Indiana Pacers (2000-08), Toronto Raptors (2008-09), Miami Heat (2008-10), Boston Celtics (2010-12) and Phoenix Suns (2012-13). A six-time NBA All-Star (all with Indiana in six consecutive seasons from 2002-07), the Columbia, SC, native was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2001-02 and is a three-time All-NBA selection, having earned Second Team honors in 2003-04 and Third Team recognition in 2001-02 and 2002-03. O’Neal, who currently ranks fifth among active NBA players in blocked shots (1,780), has appeared in the playoffs in 13 of his 17 NBA seasons, posting career playoff averages of 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.82 blocks in 90 postseason contests.

He will wear uniform #7.

Dallas Mavs sign Monta Ellis

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Monta Ellis. According to multiple reports, it is a a three-year deal worth over $25 million.

Ellis (6-3, 185) is an eight-year veteran guard with career averages of 19.4 points, 4.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 36.0 minutes in 516 games (437 starts) with Golden State and Milwaukee. In 2007, he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player and has since averaged 19 points or more in each of the past six seasons.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, “the Mavs are optimistic that Ellis will benefit from playing with pass-first point guard Jose Calderon and Nowitzki, whose shooting ability creates space for teammates.”

2009-10 was a breakout season for Ellis when he averaged 25.5 points, 5.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 41.4 minutes per game with Golden State. On March 13, 2012, Ellis was traded to Milwaukee, along with Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown, in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson ending his nearly seven-year tenure with the Warriors.

Last season, Ellis started all 82 games for Milwaukee and averaged 19.2 points, 6.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 37.5 minutes per contest.

The Jackson, Miss., native, jumped directly to the NBA Draft from Lanier High School where he was named 2005 Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year and USA Today All-American. The Warriors selected him with the 40th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Chicago Bulls waive forward Malcolm Thomas

The Chicago Bulls announced today that they have waived forward Malcolm Thomas.

Thomas (6-9, 225) appeared in seven games during the 2012-13 season with Chicago, and averaged 2.5 ppg in 8.4 mpg.

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, “Thomas, who averaged 2.5 points in seven games last season for the Bulls, signed a contract that would’ve become guaranteed for $250,000 on Wednesday had he not been waived. With the Bulls in the luxury tax, his guaranteed money would’ve cost the Bulls more at the end of next season. The Bulls have 12 players under contract and remain in the hunt for veteran center Marcus Camby, along with the Heat and Rockets. If Thomas doesn’t sign with another team, he could be invited back to Bulls’ camp. However, his chances of making the regular-season roster always were a longshot.”

Carlos Boozer recommended Utah Jazz to John Lucas III

Among the reasons John Lucas III ended up as a member of the Utah Jazz were a long-term relationship with Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey and good reviews of the organization and city from none other than former Jazzman Carlos Boozer.

Lucas was introduced Monday afternoon at EnergySolutions Arena as the latest Jazz signee. Terms of the contract were not released. Lucas has played parts of five seasons in the NBA since leaving Oklahoma State, most recently with the Toronto Raptors in 2012-13.

The soft-spoken 30-year-old had some options as a free agent, but chose Utah after talking with his father, John II, a former NBA star and coach, Lindsey, and a couple of his former Chicago Bulls’ teammates — Boozer and Ronnie Brewer.

Reported by Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News

Kings taking a look at Greg Oden

As long as center Greg Oden can still walk — and even if he can’t — there’s going to be some NBA interest in him. Talented big men like him are too good to not glance at.

The Kings will have representatives in Indianapolis to watch a workout with free agent center Greg Oden on Tuesday.

New Orleans will reportedly also attend the workout.

Oden, the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft has played in just 82 games in his career due to injuries.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Blog)

I won’t be surprised if Oden winds up back in the NBA next season. On a very nonguaranteed contract.

Coach Krzyzewski begins quest for third straight gold

Ten months after Colangelo first saw that gleam return to Krzyzewski’s eye, and two months after the coach made his return official, the two men are back to work at a four-day camp that began Monday. As Krzyzewski sat down in a chair outside a meeting room at the Wynn resort with a red polo and the USA logo on the left breast, he said he spent most of Duke’s college season last year fully convinced he wouldn’t be back for a run at a third gold.

“Throughout the year I did not think I would be coaching (Team USA),” Krzyzewski told The Associated Press before the camp kicked off. “I just felt that that wasn’t going to happen. But then after discussions, not just talking with Jerry, but my staff and my family, to be given that opportunity again, it’s something I’m really excited about and feel very honored and privileged to have that opportunity.”

When Krzyzewski leads the Americans at the Rio Olympics in 2016, he’ll join Henry Iba as the only coaches in U.S. history to coach in three Olympics. Together with Colangelo, Krzyzewski has changed the culture of USA Basketball and restored some sense of pride, professionalism and prestige to a brand that was tarnished after a bronze medal finish in Athens in 2004.

Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

Karl Malone is helping Derrick Favors bulk up mentally

Even with an undeniable new layer of muscle, Derrick Favors has a long way to go to catch his newest mentor in terms of bulk. That’s because almost any NBA would have a long way to go to catch Favors’ newest mentor in terms of bulk. That, in turn, is because his newest mentor is Karl Malone.

Favors, the projected started power forward for the Jazz, has spent nearly two months working out daily alongside the No. 2 scorer in NBA history.

No, Favors has not taken to running sprints with parachutes tied to his waist.

Not yet, anyhow.

The two Jazz big men are working primarily on a different muscle, Favors said.

“He just taught me just a lot of mental stuff,” he said. “During workouts we’re just talking. He was just showing me things here and there, that everything was mostly mental.”

Reported by Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune

Warriors beat Suns in first-ever NBA Summer League championship game

The third-seeded Phoenix Suns fell to the top-seeded Golden State Warriors 91-77 in the inaugural NBA Summer League championship game.

Ian Clark led the Warriors in scoring with 33 points off the bench and won the Most Valuable Player award of the championship game. Clark averaged just nine points a game going into Monday’s contest.

The Suns were down only four going into the fourth quarter before the Warriors took control of the game.

Suns first round draft pick Archie Goodwin continued his good play in the summer league by leading the team with 18 points on 6-11 shooting.

Marcus Morris scored 17 points on 7-15 shooting with two three-pointers, while Markieff Morris added 10 points and seven rebounds, but shot 3-11.

Reported by Jeffrey Sanders of Arizona Sports

Mavs set to welcome new GM

The Mavericks missed out on the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, but they’ve just snagged a key member of the welcoming party that brought Howard to Houston.

Gersson Rosas, the Rockets’ executive vice president of basketball operations, has agreed to become the Mavericks’ new general manager, owner Mark Cuban confirmed.

Rosas will take the title from Donnie Nelson, who will retain his role as president of basketball operations.

“We try to take pride in being one of the most technologically advanced teams out there in all of professional sports, not just the NBA,” Cuban told “ESPN” KESN-FM (103.3).

Reported by Corbett Smith of the Dallas Morning News (Blog)