Month: December 2014

Thunder recall Mitch McGary from D-League

Thunder recall Mitch McGary from D-League

The Oklahoma City Thunder has recalled forward Mitch McGary from the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

During his most recent assignment, McGary appeared in two games (two starts) for the Blue, averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.00 steal, and 1.00 block in 26.5 minutes. Overall, the rookie forward has appeared in four games (four starts) with the Blue this season, averaging 16.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.25 steals in 23.8 minutes per game.

Pistons on 11-game losing streak

Here’s Michigan Live reporting on the Detroit Pistons, who lately have mastered the art of losing basketball games and at 3-17 through Saturday have the second worst winning percentage in the league:

The Detroit Pistons have run plumb out of explanations.

They will win again eventually. The nature of the NBA dictates as much.

But they have to get out of their own way first, and after 11 consecutive losses — the most recent a stunning late collapse in a 108-101 overtime loss Saturday to the Philadelphia 76ers — that could prove their biggest challenge.

The Pistons scored seven points on their last 23 possessions. They scored one overtime point, when they had 10 possessions and shot 0 of 11 from the field with a turnover.

They are within three losses of the franchise-record losing streak, 14, and they stand alone with the worst 20-game record in Pistons history, 3-17.

Pistons plan to run fewer plays

The Detroit Pistons plan to get more creative in their offense. Here’s Michigan Live reporting:

Spoiler alert: The Detroit Pistons will free-wheel it a little bit more offensively the next few games, with fewer play calls from the sidelines, to see if that gets them into sets more briskly.

How it works remains to be seen because Stan Van Gundy already allows his team to run off set principles, not a set play call, after defensive stops, but Pistons forward Kyle Singler hinted Friday that the coach plans to cede some play-calling in favor of increased tempo.

“So the next few games, you’ll see us hopefully not call as many plays, and just coming down the court, unpredictable sets, kind of movement and screens, which I think will help us out,” Singler said. “Just us coming down with us having the idea of just playing the game, just coming down, setting pin-downs, or setting early drags for our point guards, and then just playing out from there, instead of just coming over, looking at the bench, looking for a play call.

“I think it will help our tempo and hopefully free our minds a little bit and just open up our offense.”

Pelicans sign Gal Mekel

Pelicans sign Gal Mekel

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Gal Mekel. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mekel, 6-3, 191, appeared in 31 games (one start) last season with the Dallas Mavericks, posting averages of 2.4 points and 2.0 assists. Mekel appeared in all eight of Dallas’ 2014 preseason games (two starts), averaging 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Prior to joining the Mavericks, Mekel spent five years playing professionally in Israel, winning two Israeli Super League championships with Hapoel Gilboa Galil in 2010 and Maccabi Haifa in 2013, as well as being named the 2009 Israeli Super League Rising Star and winning the league MVP award twice (2011, 2013). Before starting his professional career, the Israeli native played two seasons at Wichita State University from 2006-08.

Mekel will wear #24 and will be available for New Orleans’ game tomorrow night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 15.

Sixers sign Malcolm Lee, waive Drew Gordon

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has signed free agent guard Malcolm Lee from its NBA Development League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers. He is the ninth D-League to NBA “Call-Up” of the 2014-15 NBA Development League season.

Lee has appeared in four games with three starts for the Sevens this season. He also saw action in three games for the Sixers this preseason.

Lee was originally the 43rd overall pick by Chicago in the 2011 NBA Draft following his junior season at UCLA. He spent both of his NBA seasons (2011-12 and 2012-13) with Minnesota.

In a related move, the Sixers waived Drew Gordon.

Jeremy Lin still finding his place in Lakers offense

Here’s the Orange County Register reporting on Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin, who like most of his teammates is still adjusting to what should be a tough run all season long:

What label to use for Lin from night to night has pinballed: efficient, inefficient, spotty, reliable, aggressive, facilitator. In Wednesday’s loss to Washington, he was just bad, missing all 10 of his shots, including six 3-pointers, which Coach Byron Scott chalked up to an off night. It was the second time he has been held scoreless this season.

But there are issues, bigger issues. Namely, Lin still isn’t particularly comfortable in the Lakers’ offense.

However, it was not entirely unexpected that this marriage between the offensively minded Lin and the Lakers, whose new offense features a two-guard front, would take some work.

“Houston was the ideal system for me,” Lin said earlier this week, “personally as a player in terms of spreading the floor, running and making plays and having guys with a lot of space, stretch fours. That’s the ideal system, but that’s not what we have here.”

Brandon Jennings says Pistons lack energy

The Detroit Pistons are a miserable 3-16 this season. There’s much work to be done, and while roster changes are needed, there are some talented pieces on this squad. Flawed pieces, that don’t fit too well together. Still, the Pistons as they stand now should be better than this. Here’s Michigan Live reporting:

“It starts with our energy,” Jennings said. “We’ve got to start running up and down the court. If we don’t have no energy, we’re not going to be able to get in our sets and run our sets hard.”

Jennings cited three major problems with the Pistons’ offense: Slow tempo, late screeners, and lack of movement away from pick-and-roll action.

“There’s a lot of times when I’m coming off (a screen) and I just have to throw the pass back to Josh and then we’ll just play like a two-man game or something,” Jennings said. “Nobody’s really cutting. I think we need to be a better cutting team.”

The Pistons (3-16) average 91.9 possessions per 48 minutes, sixth-fewest in the league. They have played six of the seven fastest-paced teams in the league, lost all of those games, and will play the other such team Saturday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers (1-17), who play the league’s second-fastest pace, 97.7 possessions per 48 minutes.

Blazers set some season lows in win over Pacers

A win is a win, right? That’s what they say. Some wins are pretty, others not so much. And the opponent? Can’t fault the winning team for beating the opponent they were required to face. Here’s the Oregonian reporting on Portland’s win Thursday:

The Portland Trail Blazers set season lows in a handful of offensive categories, but still managed to grind out an 88-82 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night at the Moda Center.

The Blazers set new seasons lows for points scored (88), field goal percentage (.398) and three point field goal percentage (.190) in an ugly win over the defensive minded Pacers.

Damian Lillard led Portland with 23 points and eight rebounds and LaMarcus Aldridge chipped in a double-double with 18 points and 13 boards on a night where the Blazers never settled into an offensive rhythm.

The Blazers shooting woes never allowed them to pull away. The Portland defense held the Pacers to 39 percent shooting from the floor and forced Indiana into 17 turnovers, but never Portland largest lead was just 11 points.

Knicks fall to 4-16 for season

The New York Knicks are now 4-16 this season, one of the worst winning percentages in the league. They came close to beating the Cleveland Cavaliers at home in MSG Thursday night on national television, but fell just short. The struggle is real. Here’s the New York Post with more:

Carmelo Anthony had one of his worst nights with the Knicks, and now they are off to their worst start in franchise history.

Despite getting plenty of help from his teammates, Anthony couldn’t close the deal as his miserable evening ended with a missed 3-pointer that rimmed out over LeBron James in the final seconds to seal the Cavaliers 90-87 victory at the Garden.

The Knicks fell to 4-16 — the worst record any Knicks team has had after 20 games. Anthony finished shooting 4-of-19 for nine points, scoring just two points in the second half, shut out in the fourth quarter. He also didn’t take one free throw. Incredibly, the Knicks are just two games ahead of the 1-17 Sixers in the standings.

Jersey City native Kyrie Irving starred over James (19 points, 12 assists) and Anthony. Irving finished with 37 points and hit the game-sealing bucket.