August 2013 – Page 20 – NBA Blog

Greg Oden is a nice addition for Miami Heat

The Miami Heat did it again.

They won the competition for Greg Oden, another free agent multiple teams were chasing. And they got him to take less money than was being offered elsewhere. This has happened time and time again over the past four summers and it’s a central reason they’re two-time champs who are the oddsmakers’ favorite to do it again.

Because they got Oden at their price and on their terms — assuring Oden that he’ll be brought along slowly with an eye toward the playoffs, above all else — the Heat have set this up as an all-reward, no-risk transaction.

Oden’s story is well known. The five knee surgeries, the no games since December of 2009, a grand total of 82 games since being drafted No. 1 in 2007. Because of all that there is hardly any meaningful way to project what Oden will be for the Heat this season.

In an effort to put some sort of perspective on him, stories about Oden’s return have recently included what his player efficiency rating was for a 21-game stretch in 2009. This, of course, has virtually no value now. Even the workouts Oden had for various teams recently, which were controlled by him and done at relative low speed, hold little predictive value.

Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

Melo happy to have Bargnani, World Peace on Knicks

Carmelo Anthony hopes newly acquired Knick Andrea Bargnani comes into the season with a new attitude and renewed fire.

Speaking at his basketball camp at Queens College Saturday, Anthony lamented losing key teammates from last season’s 54-28 squad but said getting Bargnani was a “steal.” He’s convinced the Knicks will be better.

“I hate to lose [Steve] Novak and [Marcus] Camby,” he said, “but when you get someone like [Bargnani] in return, it’s kind of a win-win situation.”

The 7-foot forward, the No. 1 overall pick of the Toronto Raptors in 2006, averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 rebounds last season. It was his lowest point total since he averaged 10.2 points per game in 2007-08. “Hopefully, Bargnani will want to come in and prove something, come in with a chip on his shoulder and be ready to rock,” Anthony said.

He also was pleased with the acquisition of veteran forward Metta World Peace. Anthony joked that he still can’t get used to calling him Metta, but he’s happy to be his teammate. “To have him on our team right now brings some more toughness to our team and another defensive presence,” Anthony said.

Reported by Marcus Henry of New York Newsday

Carmelo Anthony says his shoulder is no longer an issue

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony says the small shoulder tear he suffered late last season is no longer an issue.

“I’m good. My shoulder feels good,” he said Saturday at his annual youth camp at Queens College.

An MRI taken shortly after the season showed that Anthony had suffered a small tear in his left shoulder. He said the injury affected him in the playoffs.

“I was surprised that I was able to get through it the way that I did,” Anthony said Saturday. “When it happened, I knew something was wrong with it, and I was kind of being a little bit naive and trying to fight it and toughen it out. But to feel the difference now … it’s night and day.”

Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Craig Ehlo released from jail

Former NBA player Craig Ehlo was released from jail Friday and ordered to stay away from family members and his rural Spokane County home.

Superior Court Judge James Triplet set Ehlo’s arraignment for Aug. 14 on a charge of first-degree reckless burning, a Class C felony, the Spokesman-Review reported.

Ehlo also was ordered to stay away from fire-starting materials and remain in Washington state.

His lawyer’s name wasn’t immediately available Friday night.

Reported by the Associated Press

John Wall plans to donate $1 million to local charities

Thursday’s event was clearly about him, but Washington Wizards point guard John Wall made sure the appropriate attention was given to the family members and friends who helped him earn a five-year contract extension worth roughly $80 million.

Wall wept as he spoke about his mother. He expressed his gratitude to Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, team president Ernie Grunfeld and Coach Randy Wittman because they “believed in me when everybody else didn’t.” And finally, Wall made a huge financial commitment to city that he hopes to call home through at least 2019.

The day after he signed the third-largest contract in franchise history, Wall announced that he would direct $1 million toward local charities, in conjunction with Leonsis’s Monumental Sports and Entertainment Foundation.

Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)

Pau Gasol meets with Syrian refugees in Iraq

Lakers forward Pau Gasol was moved by his recent trip to Dohuk, Iraq, to visit with Syrian refugees.

“Most of the people didn’t know who I was. They didn’t know what I do,” Gasol told The Times on Friday via telephone from Spain. “They saw someone that cared for them who was there to help them. That was there to listen to them, to play with children and be their speaker and be their voice and carry a message for them. It was a great experience. ”

Armed conflict in Syria has caused more than 1.7 million people, many of them children, to flee their homes.

Gasol, an ambassador for UNICEF since 2003, found his visit both challenging and heart-warming.

Reported by Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)

DeMarre Carroll joins the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward DeMarre (de-MAR-ay) Carroll, President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry announced today. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Carroll agreed to a two-year, $5 million contract on July 5th, the same day the team agreed to a deal with his Jazz teammate Paul Millsap. The delay in signing was for salary cap reasons as the Hawks rebuilt much of their roster this offseason.”

Prior to signing Carroll, the Hawks requested waivers on DeShawn Stevenson.

“DeMarre is a great fit for our program,” Ferry said. “He is an unselfish, highly competitive player. His versatility in defending multiple positions will make him a valuable contributor to our basketball team.”

According to HawksBasketBlog, “Carroll is a more than capable offensive player, as shown by his 15.5 PER and 53.5 True Shooting percentage last season. He is most effective attacking the basket on off-ball cuts, running in transition, and scoring after offensive rebounds. In transition, Carroll was excellent last season shooting 64.6% from the field on 65 transition field goal attempts, per Synergy Sports. He will look to become a more proficient spot-up shooter this season, as he shot just 34.7% on 118 spot-up attempts last season. However, being surrounded by other shooters such as Korver, John Jenkins, Lou Williams, and others, Carroll’s spot up shooting will likely not be a prominent spot-up shooter. On offense, Carroll’s role will likely be small and he will be asked to attack the basket and bring pace and energy to the offense. The main focus for Carroll will be on the defensive end where he will look to come in and be a key defender for the Hawks on the wing.”

Carroll, 27, posted career highs last season with the Utah Jazz in nearly every statistical category including points (6.0), rebounds (2.8), assists (0.9), steals (0.9), minutes (16.8) and starts (12). He played in 66 games, scoring 10 or more points 15 times (the Jazz were 11-4 in those games) and playing at least 20 minutes on 27 occasions. The Jazz were 16-11 in those games and his averages jumped to 9.3 points on .514 shooting, including .429 from three-point range, and 4.1 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game. His +/- average of +1.8 led the Jazz.

Before joining the Jazz on Feb. 8, 2012, the four-year veteran spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets. The 6-foot-8, 204-pound forward attended Missouri and is from Birmingham, Alabama.

Corliss Williamson happy to join Sacramento Kings coaching staff

“I’m coming home to my NBA family,” Williamson said by phone. “It felt like being recruited, and it felt great. I’m very flattered and was caught off guard. I didn’t expect this. I’ve always wanted to get back into the NBA and coach, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon. I’m still in awe with the opportunity. Of all places to coach … .”

Williamson is the next piece in a sweeping change for the Kings, from new principal owner Vivek Ranadive to general manager Pete D’Alessandro to Malone. Williamson joins Brendan Malone, Dee Brown, Chris Jent and Micah Nori as assistants in their first season with the Kings.

Williamson, a forward who steered Arkansas to the 1994 NCAA championship, played 12 NBA seasons. He started and ended his career in Sacramento, playing for three other teams in between. Known as “Big Nasty,” Williamson averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 466 games with the Kings, becoming a fan favorite for his gritty play on the court and generosity off it.

Williamson is the only two-time recipient of the Kings’ Oscar Robertson Triple-Duty Award, bestowed to the player who best exemplifies excellence in and out of the arena. Williamson was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2002 with Detroit, where he won an NBA title in 2004. He returned to Sacramento in 2005 and retired in 2007.

Reported by Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee

Greg Oden decision: Miami Heat it is

Greg Oden’s NBA comeback will be launched on South Beach.

Oden told ESPN.com on Friday night that he has chosen the two-time defending champion Miami Heat as his new team, capping a monthlong recruiting process which culminated with Oden spending this entire week making his final selection from a list of six suitors.

Referring to Miami, home of the two-time reigning champions, as the “best place” and “best fit” after years of knee troubles, Oden will report to the Heat on Monday and, according to sources close to the process, sign a two-year deal at the league minimum with a player option for Year 2.

The contract will pay $1.03 million in 2013-14 and $1.14 million in 2014-15 if Oden picks up that option. The 25-year-old has earned nearly $24 million in salary since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007 but has appeared in only 82 career NBA games because of his many knee troubles.

Reported by Marc Stein and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com

Orlando Magic waive Al Harrington

In a move that aids their future financial flexibility and also accommodates the wishes of a veteran player, the Orlando Magic requested waivers on veteran power forward Al Harrington on Friday.

The transaction allows Harrington, 33, to become an unrestricted free agent and possibly join another contending team. The 15-year NBA veteran said after last season that he understandably wasn’t in the plans for the transitioning Magic and hoped to finish out his career with a team in the playoff race.

Harrington’s contract called for him to be owed $14.7 million over the next two seasons, but only half of his salary in 2013-14 and 2014-15 was guaranteed. Magic GM Rob Hennigan worked on several trade possibilities for Harrington, but ultimately reached a buyout compromise that best-suited both the franchise and the player.

The Magic have yet to reach an agreement with small forward Hedo Turkoglu, another veteran player whose contract is only partially guaranteed for next season.

Reported by John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com