Month: October 2014

Kings exercise Ben McLemore contract option

Kings exercise Ben McLemore contract option

Guard Ben McLemore can jump high, play basketball, and do other things as well. He needs to shoot better, but has the potential to improve in that category. The Sacramento Kings appreciate this about him.

The Kings announced today they have picked up the 2015-16 option on McLemore’s contract, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

Entering his second NBA season, the 6-5 guard averaged 8.8 points (.376 FG%, .320 3pt%, .804 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 26.7 minutes per contest as a rookie last season.

Brook Lopez out 10-14 days with foot sprain

Brook Lopez out 10-14 days with foot sprain

The Brook Lopez health circus continues. Fortunately, this time, it’s a minor bump in the road — hopefully.

The Brooklyn Nets center sustained a mild right midfoot sprain in the first quarter of the Nets’ preseason contest against the Sacramento Kings on October 15th, Nets General Manager Billy King announced.

Statement from Nets Medical Director Dr. Riley Williams III:

“Brook Lopez experienced right foot soreness after being stepped on during the  pre-season game against the Kings Wednesday night. X-ray and CT scan studies done Thursday in New York reveal no fractures or bone injuries. Brook has been diagnosed with a mild midfoot sprain and is likely to be out for approximately 10-14 days.”

Bucks exercise contract options on Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Henson

The Milwaukee Bucks have exercised the third-year contract option on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the fourth-year contract option on John Henson, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Antetokounmpo, 19, appeared in 77 games last year during his rookie season and averaged 6.8 points with 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 24.6 minutes per contest. He ranked among the NBA’s rookie leaders in scoring (11th), rebounds (T-4th), assists (T-10th), field goal percentage (9th), 3-point percentage (4th), free throw percentage (9th), steals (6th), blocks (4th) and minutes (5th). He made the first of his 23 starts on Dec. 18 vs. New York and finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. In four preseason games this season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 7.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block in 24.7 minutes.

Henson, 23, played in 70 games last season and ranked among the league leaders in blocks per game (1.7, 9th) and field goal percentage (.538, 13th). He also averaged 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game. Henson posted streaks of 21 and 15 consecutive games with at least one blocked shot, joining Serge Ibaka (OKC) and DeAndre Jordan (LAC) as the only players in the league with multiple streaks of 15-plus such games during the season. In his two NBA seasons, Henson has played in 133 games (32 starts), averaging 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.2 minutes per game. Through four preseason games, Henson is averaging 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.

Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.

Milwaukee Bucks waive Chris Wright and Elijah Millsap

Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks general ganager John Hammond announced today that the team has requested waivers on Chris Wright and Elijah Millsap.

The 26-year-old Wright appeared in eight games for the Bucks in 2013-14 and averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. He also played in 41 games for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League last season and earned an All-Star berth with his 19.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. Wright did not appear in a 2014 preseason game for the Bucks.

And 27-year-old Millsap was signed to Milwaukee’s 2014 training camp roster on Sept. 27. He appeared in one game for the Bucks this preseason, recording four points, one rebound and one assist in seven minutes. Last season, Millsap split time between Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli League and the L.A. Defenders of the NBA D-League.

Austin Toros D-League team renamed the Austin Spurs

Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced today that its Austin-based NBA Development League team has been renamed the Austin Spurs.

Formerly the Austin Toros, the NBA D-League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs will share the nickname of its parent club.

“The rebranding of the Austin franchise is a terrific opportunity to capitalize on the substantial equity of the Spurs brand,” said Rick Pych, Spurs Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations. “The name change creates an instantly recognizable link between the two franchises and is a natural progression based on the important role the Austin team plays in the development of young players, general managers and coaches who are on their way to reaching their dream of making it to the NBA.”

The new Austin Spurs primary logo resembles a western-themed belt buckle and prominently features the iconic Spur in the center. It also combines the familiar silver, black and white color palate utilized by the entire Spurs Sports & Entertainment family of teams.

The Austin Spurs will celebrate their 10th anniversary when the 2014-15 season opens next month. In that span, the franchise has a history of developing NBA talent on the court and in the front office. Twenty Austin Spurs players have earned Gatorade Call-Ups to the NBA. Three head coaches have been promoted to NBA coaching positions (Quin Snyder, Brad Jones, Taylor Jenkins) and four previous assistant coaches are currently in other NBA coaching or staff roles (Bryan Gates, Dale Osbourne, Roy Rogers, and Alex Lloyd). Three former general managers (Dell Demps, Danny Ferry, Sean Marks) and two athletic trainers (Dice Yamaguchi, Nixon Dorvilien) have also been elevated to NBA positions. The Austin Spurs have advanced to postseason play five of nine seasons in Austin, winning three division championships and the 2012 NBA D-League title.

Pelicans basketball operations staff additions and promotions

pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the hiring and promotion of several members of the team’s basketball operations staff.

Duane Brooks, who brings over two decades of experience in his field, enters his first season as head athletic trainer with the New Orleans Pelicans after spending the previous 13 seasons as the New Orleans Saints’ assistant athletic trainer. Brooks is responsible for the health care, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, daily training room operations and maintenance of the team’s medical records.

Jason Sumerlin joins the Pelicans as assistant strength and conditioning coach, where he will assist with the athletic development and training of players. Prior to joining New Orleans, Sumerlin spent five seasons as the assistant strength coach for the San Antonio Spurs.

Jared Lewis begins his first season with the Pelicans in the role of physical therapist, where he will oversee players’ prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. Lewis, a Northeastern University graduate, previously worked as a physical therapist with Marathon Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine of Norton, MA.

Jamelle McMillan has been elevated to player development coach after serving as a coaching intern for the Pelicans the past two seasons. McMillan came to New Orleans in 2012 from Drake University where he served as the director of basketball operations after playing four years at Arizona State University.

Terrance “Doc” Martin adds the role of player development coach to his director of player programs title, which he’s held the past two seasons. Martin served as a scout for the Pelicans from 2010-12 after spending the three previous years in Portland as a collegiate scout for the Trail Blazers. A four-year letterman from the University of Alabama, Martin also has experience as an assistant coach on the NBA Summer League teams for Portland and San Antonio.

Michael Ruffin enters his first season with the Pelicans as player development coach. Ruffin, who played nine seasons in the NBA, coached the ABA’s Colorado Kings in 2010-11 before continuing his professional basketball career in Spain.

Matt Whinrey has been promoted to head video coordinator after serving as the team’s assistant video coordinator last season. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Whinrey was an NBA regional scout and basketball operations assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After graduating from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2009, Whinrey worked as a student assistant for the men’s basketball team before being named an assistant coach from 2010-2012.

Jason Brown has been named assistant video coordinator after working one season as the Pelicans’ video intern. Brown previously served as the Charlotte Bobcats’ video intern in 2012-13, a collegiate scout for NetScouts Basketball in 2011-12, and a Philadelphia 76ers video intern and youth programs assistant in 2011.

Bryson Graham has been promoted to scouting coordinator after spending the last two seasons as the Pelicans video coordinator. Graham previously served as the team’s player development director/basketball operations associate in 2011-12 and was a front office intern in 2010-11.

Dallas Mavericks sign guard Yuki Togashi

mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Yuki Togashi.

Togashi (5-7, 143) was most recently a member of the Mavericks’ NBA Summer League team. In his four games, he averaged 5.3 points and 1.3 rebounds while shooting .467 from the field.

A native of Niigata, Japan, Togashi attended high school in the United States at Montrose Christian School which produced NBA players Kevin Durant, Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez. He was part of the 2011 Montrose team that captured the ESPN Rise National High School Invitational title.

Togashi graduated high school in 2012 and returned to Japan to play professionally in the Basketball Japan League. He signed with the Akita Northern Happinets and averaged 16.3 points, a league-high 7.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 58 games during the 2013-14 season.

Big responsibility on shoulders of Russell Westbrook

NBA observers have had plenty of time to watch Kevin Durant lead the Oklahoma City Thunder while Russell Westbrook was out healing. But now the situation has reversed, and although it’s still just NBA preseason all eyed in OKC and beyond are glued on Westbrook as he deals with even more responsibility than ever. Here’s the Oklahoman reporting:

In the Thunder’s 117-107 preseason victory over the Grizzlies on Tuesday night inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, that connection offered a peek into the burgeoning chemistry between Westbrook and Adams. But more importantly, it was a much-anticipated glimpse of how exactly Westbrook might captain this short-handed squad as it awaits the return of scoring phenom Kevin Durant.

Westbrook scored 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting and dished a game-high 12 assists in 26 minutes. Six of those assists went to Adams, who again strengthened his case for the starting center position after assembling his third straight stellar performance, this time a 22-point, six-rebound, one-block effort.

When the Grizzlies began taking control, building a double-digit lead in the second quarter, it was Westbrook who took over and put a stop to it, not by hoisting shots but with pinpoint passes.

Jeremy Lin may be Lakers starting PG

Who should start at point guard for the Lakers, old Steve Nash or unspectacular Jeremy Lin? Perhaps it doesn’t matter. Maybe they should split time fairly equally, assuming Nash is physically able and actually worthy of minutes.

It seems like Lin may be the better option, especially if Nash is hobbling around. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

Entering what is probably his final NBA season, two-time MVP Steve Nash faces the very real prospect of spending it in a new role: as a backup.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott said Jeremy Lin could become the team’s starting point guard because of Nash’s nagging health issues.

“That is something I’m definitely thinking about it,” Scott said after the team’s practice Tuesday. “Is it in our best interest to start Jeremy or Ronnie [Price] or do we wait day by day, game by game? We’ll play these last five preseason games out. We’ll figure it out from there.”