Month: September 2014

Heat sign Andre Dawkins, Shawn Jones

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed guard Andre Dawkins and forward Shawn Jones.

Dawkins, who helped Duke University to the 2010 NCAA Championship as a freshman, appeared in four games with the HEAT during the 2014 Orlando Summer League and averaged 12.3 points, 1.3 assists and 19.1 minutes while shooting 40 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and a perfect 5-of-5 from the foul line. He hit seven three-point field goals in Miami’s Summer League playoff game vs. Oklahoma City on July 11, finishing with 27 points on 8-of-17 from the field, 7-of-12 from three-point range and a perfect 4-of-4 from the foul line. He then joined the Houston Rockets in the 2014 Vegas Summer League and averaged 8.6 points and 17.4 minutes.

Dawkins played all four seasons at Duke, appearing in 142 career collegiate games (25 starts) and averaged 7.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 17.4 minutes while shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from three-point range and 76.9 percent from the foul line. He finished fifth in three-point field goal percentage and eighth in three-point field goals made (231) on the school’s all-time list. Additionally, he became the 63rd player in Duke history to score at least 1,000 points (1,014).

Jones, a Miami native, appeared in five games with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2014 Vegas Summer League and averaged 5.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 14.4 minutes. He tallied 10 points, eight rebounds, an assist and a block in 19:02 minutes of action while shooting 4-of-7 from the field and a perfect 2-of-2 from the foul line vs. Houston on July 15, 2014.

The Hialeah High School alum played all four seasons at Middle Tennessee State, appearing in 131 career collegiate games (62 starts) and averaged 8.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.24 blocks and 19.2 minutes while shooting 54.1 percent from the field. During his senior season, he appeared in 33 games (all starts) and averaged 14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.91 blocks and 28.2 minutes while shooting 57.7 percent from the field. He led the team in points (467), rebounds (279), blocks (63), field goals made (183) and free throws made (101) and was named the Conference USA Player of the Year and selected to the All-Conference USA First Team.

The HEAT’s roster now stands at 19.

Spurs announce promotions and additions to basketball operations staff

spurs

The San Antonio Spurs today announced multiple promotions and additions to the basketball operations staff. Sean Marks returns to the front office as an assistant general manager and Brandon James has been promoted to director of basketball administration and legal affairs. Phil Coles has been hired as director of medical services and Marilyn Adams as director of rehabilitation. In addition, Xavi Schelling joins the Spurs as applied sports scientist and Paul West has been named assistant athletic trainer.

Marks makes the move back to the front office after spending last season on the Spurs bench as an assistant coach. The Auckland, New Zealand native completed a 12-year NBA career before joining the Silver and Black in 2011 as a basketball operations assistant. He was then promoted to director of basketball operations in September of 2012 before moving to the sidelines for the 2013-14 season.

James enters his third season in the Spurs front office, having spent the last two years as the manager of basketball administration. Prior to joining the Silver and Black, the University of Georgia graduate spent four years with IMG.

Coles comes to San Antonio from the Newcastle Knights, a professional rugby league team in Australia where he was the head of physiotherapy for the last two seasons. Prior to joining the Knights, the University of Sydney graduate served as the head of physical therapy for Liverpool Football Club from 2010-12 and as the head physiotherapist for the Australia National Soccer Team from 2007-10.

Adams has signed on with the Spurs after working independently with various elite athletes and serving as the team physiotherapist for Triathlon Canada at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London. In addition, the University of Alberta graduate spent 2009-14 on the FIS Snowboard World Cup Tour with the Canada Snowboard Team.

Schelling previously served as the director of athletic performance for Bàsquet Manresa, a first-division ACB team in Spain from 2006-14. The University of Barcelona grad also spent the summer of 2014 as the strength and conditioning coach for the Spanish National Basketball Team at the U20 European Championships.

West joins the Silver and Black training staff after earning his Master’s degree in Kinesiology in 2014 from San Diego State University. The Maryland native previously interned with the Spurs during the 2012-13 season.

Rockets sign Kostas Papanikolaou

Rockets sign Kostas Papanikolaou

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Kostas Papanikolaou.

Papanikolaou (6-9 225, Greece) was drafted 48th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. On July 16th, 2012 his rights were acquired by Portland in a trade that sent Raymond Felton to New York. Houston later acquired his rights in a trade that sent Thomas Robinson to Portland on July 10, 2013.

The Greek forward spent last season overseas playing for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB, where he won the 2013-14 Spanish National Champiosnhip. Papanikolaou averaged 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per game with FC Barcelona during the 2013-14 season. The 24 year old spent the previous four seasons (2009-2013) with Olympiacos BC in his native Greece. In his stint there, Papanikolaou won two Euroleague Championships (2011-12, 2012-13), the Greek League Championship (2012) and two Greek Cup Championships (2010, 2011). He was also named Euroleague Rising Star (2013), Greek League All-Star (2013), two-time Greek League Best Five Team (2012, 2013), and two-time Greek League Best Young Player (2009, 2012).

Kostas Papanikolaou has played with two current Rockets in his time overseas. He shared the floor with Joey Dorsey during the 2013-14 campaign on FC Barcelona and played alongside Patrick Beverley in 2012-13 with the Olympiacos.

Adonal Foyle named Community Ambassador for Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors announced today that Adonal Foyle will serve as a Community Ambassador for the team. Foyle, who is one of only six players in franchise history to play 10 seasons in a Warriors uniform (1997–2007), will join current Warriors Community Ambassadors and Legends, Alvin Attles and Nate Thurmond, to support community efforts throughout the Bay Area. Foyle will participate in a variety of Warriors-related initiatives to give back to the Bay Area community through programs focused on education, health & fitness, social responsibility and cultural diversity and the arts.

Foyle was originally drafted by the Warriors with the eighth pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. Over the next 10 seasons, he appeared in 641 games with Golden State, averaging 4.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.78 blocks per game. To this day, he remains the Warriors all-time leader in blocked shots (1,140), while ranking seventh on the team’s all-time games played list. After leaving the Warriors, Foyle played two more NBA seasons, appearing in 82 games with the Orlando Magic in 2007-08 and a total of 10 games combined between the Magic and Memphis Grizzlies in 2008-09. He finished his 12-year professional career with averages of 4.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.63 blocks over 733 regular-season games.

During the 2001-02 season, Foyle received the Warriors Community Service Award, which was presented to the player who best exemplified the spirit of community service through his outstanding commitment of time, dedication and financial support to children and families in the Bay Area community. Foyle also received the NBA’s Community Assist monthly award twice during his NBA career, earning the recognition in 2002 and 2004. In addition, Foyle has been recognized multiple times by The Sporting News as one of the “Good Guys” in sports, highlighting his outstanding character and exemplary civic responsibility.

In 2003, Foyle founded the Kerosene Lamp Foundation (KLF), whose mission is to empower youth to grow into healthy and well-educated adults. KLF uses basketball as a bridge to the next generation, promoting education and health awareness, providing free athletics and academics camps, mentoring at-risk student-athletes and building/refurbishing basketball courts. To date, KLF has directly reached over 5,000 children in the Caribbean and USA.

In 2009, Foyle was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame for his work throughout his career, particularly for his work with the Kerosene Lamp Foundation.

Foyle, who has maintained a home in the East Bay since his playing days with the Warriors, most recently served as a Director of Player Development for the Orlando Magic for two seasons (2010-12).

Sacramento Kings sign Ramon Sessions

Sacramento Kings sign Ramon Sessions

The Sacramento Kings today signed free agent guard Ramon Sessions, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

Sessions was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (56th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft. He is averaging 11.7 points (.439 FG%, .311 3PT%, .800 FT%) and 4.7 assists in 25.8 minutes per game through 467 career contests in seven seasons with five teams – Milwaukee (2007-08 – 2008-09, 2013-14), Minnesota (2009-10), Cleveland (2010-11 – 2011-12), L.A. Lakers (2011-12), and Charlotte (2012-13 – 2013-14).

The former Nevada Wolf Pack guard averaged 12.3 points (.429 FG%, .282 3pt%, .807 FT%), 2.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 26.7 minutes per game in 83 contests last season with Charlotte and Milwaukee.

Ersan Ilyasova aims for bounce-back season

Here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting on a key Buck:

Ersan Ilyasova aims for bounce-back season

Nothing went right for Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova last season.

It started in the opening preseason game when he suffered a severe right ankle sprain, an injury that hampered him throughout the 82-game schedule. His production and shooting suffered, and it wasn’t easy to keep his spirits up as the Bucks struggled to a league-worst 15-67 record.

But big changes happened over the summer. Enter coach Jason Kidd, new owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry and a bunch of new players, including No. 2 overall draft pick Jabari Parker.

Amazingly, the 27-year-old Ilyasova is still with the Bucks, the only NBA team he has played for after being drafted in the second round by Milwaukee in 2005. He did go to Barcelona to play two seasons before returning in 2009 to sign a new contract under new Bucks management. He currently is starting the third year of a four-year, $32 million deal signed in the summer of 2012.

Dallas Mavericks sign Doron Lamb

doron lamb

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Doron Lamb.

Lamb (6-4, 200) is a three-year NBA veteran with career averages of 3.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 12.7 minutes in 100 games with Milwaukee and Orlando. Last season, the shooting guard averaged 3.6 points and 13.1 minutes in 53 games with the Magic.

The Queens, N.Y., native was a standout at the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the 2012 NCAA Championship squad. Lamb declared for the 2012 NBA Draft after averaging 13.7 points and 31.2 minutes while shooting .474 from the field and .400 from 3-point range during his sophomore season. He was drafted with the 42nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Chicago Bulls re-sign Nazr Mohammed

Chicago Bulls re-sign Nazr Mohammed

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has re-signed center Nazr Mohammed (pronounced “NAH-zee”).

Last season with the Bulls, Mohammed saw action in 80 games (one start) and averaged 1.6 ppg and 2.2 rpg in 7.0 mpg. He also appeared in two of Chicago’s five playoff contests.

A 16-year veteran of the NBA, Mohammed has also played with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2010-12), the Charlotte Bobcats (2007-10), the Detroit Pistons (2006-08), the San Antonio Spurs (2004-06), the New York Knicks (2003-05), the Atlanta Hawks (2000-04) and the Philadelphia 76ers (1998-01). In 977 career games, he has posted averages of 5.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 0.65 bpg in 16.1 mpg. He owns career shooting averages of .487 from the field and .640 from the line.

Hornets add Justin Cobbs, Dallas Lauderdale, Brian Qvale to training camp roster

hornets

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Justin Cobbs, forward Dallas Lauderdale and center Brian Qvale to its training camp roster.

The training camp roster now stands at 17.

A 6-3 guard, Cobbs was not selected in the 2014 NBA Draft. As a senior at California last season, he averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds. Over his three-year career at California, he appeared in 102 games averaging 14.4 points, 5.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 34.1 minutes. Prior to joining the Golden Bears, Cobbs played one season at the University of Minnesota.

A 6-8 forward, Lauderdale was not selected in the 2011 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks last season with the Idaho Stampede in the NBA D-League. Lauderdale, who also played one season professionally in Poland, spent four seasons at Ohio State, averaging 4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 138 games.

A 6-11 center, Qvale was not selected in the 2011 NBA Draft and has spent the last three years playing internationally in Turkey, Belgium and Germany. He was named 2010-11 Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Sky Conference after averaging 14.9 points on .626 shooting (189-302) and 8.8 rebounds as a senior at Montana. The school’s all-time leader in blocks, Qvale appeared in 117 career games for the Grizzlies, averaging 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 23.2 minutes.