October 2013 – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Cavs waive DeSagana Diop, Kenny Kadji, Jermaine Taylor, Elliot Williams

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived center DeSagana Diop, forward Kenny Kadji, guard Jermaine Taylor and guard Elliot Williams, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Diop averaged 3.7 minutes in three preseason games for the Cavs. Kadji played in seven preseason games with averages of 5.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game. Taylor averaged 5.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in seven preseason games. Williams played in six Cavs preseason contests, averaging 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game.

The Cavs roster now stands at 15.

Utah Jazz to add Jamaal Tinsley

It seemed like veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley’s time in the NBA had wrapped up. But the Utah Jazz have reportedly decided they can make use of his services. Here is Jody Genessy of the Deseret News:

Marvin Williams was surprised by the news. Derrick Favors was all for it. Coach Tyrone Corbin and general manager Dennis Lindsey were evasive because it’s not yet official.

And the guy who’ll have another experienced player competing for his point guard minutes?

Current Jazz starter John Lucas III was both diplomatic and optimistic about the impending addition of 10-year NBA veteran Jamaal Tinsley, an impending acquisition that was confirmed to the Deseret News after Wednesday’s deadline.

The move was deemed necessary in the aftermath of point guard Trey Burke fracturing his right index finger two weeks ago. The rookie was dubbed as the Jazz’s starter but could be sidelined for six weeks or more, pending how his shooting hand responds to last Tuesday’s surgery.

Golden State Warriors waive Joe Alexander, Seth Curry, Dewayne Dedmon

The Golden State Warriors have waived forward Joe Alexander, guard Seth Curry and center Dewayne Dedmon, the team announced today.

Alexander, 26, was signed as a free agent on September 27 and did not appear in a preseason game due to a tibial stress reaction in his left leg.

Curry, 23, was signed as a free agent on August 22. He appeared in six preseason contests and averaged 2.2 points and 1.0 assist in 7.2 minutes.

Dedmon, 24, was signed as a free agent on September 23 and appeared in five preseason games, averaging 3.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.00 blocks in 10.3 minutes.

The Warriors roster currently stands at 14 players.

John Wall disappointed with preseason performance

NBA preason wins and losses don’t matter, but it’s still an important tune-up period for individual players as well as total teams, as they develop chemistry, work on their plays and prepare for the real thing. Here’s Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog).

If John Wall is going to have a season in which he propels the franchise to the postseason and rises to all-star status, the lift-off will have to begin with the season opener on Oct. 30 against the Detroit Pistons. Wall’s uneven play during the preseason left much to be desired.

Standing in a hallway at US Bank Arena on Wednesday after the Wizards defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 101-82, Wall acknowledged that he was disappointed with how he performed. His last game was arguably his worst, as he had more turnovers (four) than points (three) and shot 1-for-7 in 26 minutes.

“I didn’t play too good this whole preseason, to me, to be honest,” Wall said.

Wall averaged 11.2 points and a team-best 6.3 assists, but he struggled with his shot – especially from three-point range – and also had a hard time holding on to the ball. He led the team with 3.43 turnovers per game.

OKC Thunder waive Diante Garrett and Rodney McGruder

The Oklahoma City Thunder waived guards Diante Garrett and Rodney McGruder, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Garrett appeared in six preseason contests for the Thunder and recorded averages of 3.2 points and 1.5 assists in 10.2 minutes per game.

McGruder saw action in two exhibition games and averaged 1.0 point and 0.5 assists in 10.2 minutes per contest.

Oklahoma City’s roster now stands at 14.

NBA preseason ends tonight (Friday) with four games. All teams have to trim their rosters to 15 players or less by the start of the regular season, which kicks off Tuesday. Many more players around the league will be let go in the next few days. Most of those players were likely signed to non-guaranteed deals that merely brought them onto training camp/preseason rosters.

A glance at Mavs forward Shawn Marion

Shawn Marion has been around. You know his game by now, though as he’s gotten older, naturally things change. Here’s Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas:

The 15-year veteran remains the Mavs’ starting small forward and the primary backup to Dirk Nowitzki at power forward. Marion, a four-time All-Star during his time with the Phoenix Suns, has transitioned into a gritty role player during the later years of his career. He’s the Mavs’ best and most versatile defensive player and has led them in rebounding the last two seasons, averaging 7.8 boards per game last season.

Marion doesn’t have many plays designed for him, but he’s an effective cutter who scores often on unconventional floaters and an outstanding finisher. He averaged 12.1 points per game last season, shooting 51.4 percent from the floor. It’s reasonable to project him to produce like that again, particularly with the Mavs’ major upgrade at point guard.

Timberwolves will hopefully hit better from outside this season

Good three-point shooting opens up the paint area for inside players. Generally, the further a team can stretch the defense, the better. Here’s Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Last season, the Wolves made only 30.5 percent of their threes. This preseason, with Kevin Love back healthy and Kevin Martin brought aboard, they made 37.6 percent and weren’t shy doing it.

“I don’t mind that if they’re good shots,” coach Rick Adelman said, referring to the 62 threes his team tried on consecutive nights. “I don’t mind that at all. We had some good looks at it. There’s where the ball is going to go.”

The ball in Adelman’s offense is going to find Martin and Love — deft shooters both — beyond the arc, and it’s going to find Rubio, too.

If Rubio makes enough to keep opposing defenses honest — and Thursday’s 15-point performance was more than that — it just might define the team’s upcoming season.

LeBron James speaks on return of Greg Oden

The return of center Greg Oden to NBA (preseason) action is a fun story, and hopefully it continues with Oden staying healthy and being a key member of the Miami Heat. Here’s Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:

LeBron James put it this way: “I have no idea what my feeling would be like after being away from the game for three years. I was so excited for him when he got on the court and his first basket he gets a dunk.

“Can you write it any better? Obviously he’s not where he wants to be, but the process is going great. I was so happy for him. I was like a big brother seeing his little brother succeed again. It was a great moment.”

Chris Bosh said: “We remind him daily that we’re going to need him. So, just to see him take that first step forward is huge.”

Oden played alongside Bosh, and that pairing should be effective against teams with two offensively gifted power rotation players, such as the Indiana Pacers, with Bosh slotted into his natural power forward position in those lineups.

Danny Granger banged up, but hopefully back somewhat soon

Well, Danny Granger is banged up again. But it’s minor, hopefully. And not directly related to the stuff that kept him out for a long time. Hopefully. And the good news is, the Pacers are a talented team with a nice bench, so they can afford to be patient. Here’s Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star:

Danny Granger’s return to the Indiana Pacers likely will be delayed a bit longer — although no one knows exactly how long.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after practice Thursday that the strained calf suffered by Granger last week is worse than previously thought and he doubts the former All-Star forward will play in the team’s regular-season opener against Orlando on Tuesday.

“There’s a chance he could play (against the Magic), but it’s probably unlikely,” Vogel said.

Granger did not play in Tuesday’s 107-89 preseason victory at Atlanta and will not play Friday night in the Pacers’ preseason finale at Dallas. He missed all but five games last season because of a knee injury.

Toronto Raptors exercise contract options on Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have exercised the third-year team options on the Rookie Scale Contracts of center Jonas Valanciunas and guard Terrence Ross.

The contracts for Valanciunas and Ross are now guaranteed through the 2014-15 season. In accordance with the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Raptors had until October 31 to exercise their option on both players.

Valanciunas, seven-foot, 257 pounds, joined the Raptors after being selected fifth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft and spending the 2011-12 season playing overseas. He was named to the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after finishing the year ranked third among rookies in rebounds (6.0), blocks (1.26) and field goal percentage (.557). Valanciunas also ranked seventh among rookies averaging 8.9 points in 23.9 minutes.

A native of Utena, Lithuania, Valanciunas became the fifth rookie in franchise history to start on opening night and the second to record a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in his debut October 31 versus Indiana. He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for March, averaging 11.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and shooting .620 from the field in 15 games. Valanciunas scored a career-high 24 points and set a team rookie record shooting 16-for-18 at the free throw line April 3 versus Washington.

In July, Valanciunas was named Most Valuable Player of the 2013 NBA Summer League after averaging 18.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 29.3 minutes in four outings. Following Summer League, he returned to the Lithuanian National Team and helped his country earn a silver medal at the FIBA Eurobasket Tournament and qualification for the 2014 FIBA World Championship. Valanciunas has been named FIBA Europe’s Young Men’s Player of the Year the past two years (2011 and 2012).

Ross, 6-foot-7, 197 pounds was selected eighth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Raptors. Last season he posted averages of 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 17.0 minutes in 73 contests. He shot .332 (65-196) from beyond the arc and finished fifth among rookies in made three-pointers. He led the team in bench points 16 times and scored in double digits on 22 occasions. Ross recorded career highs of 26 points and six three-pointers January 2 versus Portland.

Ross won the 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk during All-Star Saturday Night on February 16 in Houston. He defeated Jeremy Evans in the final round with 58 per cent of the fan votes.

Ross netted a game-high 27 points in Monday’s double overtime victory versus New York. He is averaging 12.0 points and leads the team with nine three-pointers through seven preseason games.