January 2015 – Page 15 – NBA Blog

That Kyle Korver jumpshot is special

Here’s the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting on shooting guard Kyle Korver, whose ability to shoot a basketball is something special:

Kyle Korver doing amazing jumpshot-things

Korver leads the NBA in 3-point percentage at .520 (91 of 175). He led the league last season at .472 (185 of 392). He also holds the record for best percentage in a season of .536 (59 of 110) set in the 2009-10 season with the Jazz.

The shooting guard is flirting with the 50/50/90 mark this season of shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 3-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line. He is currently the only player in the NBA shooting at least 49 percent from the field (.498) and 3-point range (.520) and 90 percent from the free-throw line (.938). He ranks third in the league in effective field goal percentage at .679, which takes into account all three percentages.

Korver has made four or more 3-pointers in a game 12 times this season. He has made five or more five times already after accomplishing that feat seven times all of last season. Korver is still well over 50 percent from 3-point range despite going a combined 3 for 13 in games last week against the Bucks.

Pistons, Brandon Jennings playing well lately

The Detroit Pistons have won three games in a row, and are playing solid basketball. Looking good lately is point guard Brandon Jennings. Here’s Michigan Live reporting:

Pistons, Brandon Jennings doing well lately

When Josh Smith was abruptly released almost two weeks ago, the Detroit Pistons lost one of their most experienced players not to mention their most dominant personality both on and off the court.

That created a void that needed to be filled and Brandon Jennings has been up to the challenge.

Jennings has been the Pistons’ on-court leader since Smith was waived Dec. 22 and he’s also become more vocal off of it, according to coach Stan Van Gundy, who has seen a big difference in his veteran point guard over the past 10 days.

“Brandon has noticeably gotten back to probably what is his natural personality,” Van Gundy said Wednesday. “He’s really having fun. He’s talking a lot, joking with guys, things like that. I think he had been suffering. He hadn’t been playing real well, we hadn’t been winning. He had gotten really quiet.

David Lee remains a reserve for Warriors

Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting on the Golden State Warriors, who are having a fantastic season, and seem to be sticking with David Lee as a reserve, not a starter:

Coach Steve Kerr on Tuesday made official what had been presumed for weeks. Draymond Green, who assumed the role when Lee strained his left hamstring in the Oct. 24 preseason finale, is the starting power forward until further notice.

“With David, I wasn’t planning on bringing him off the bench,” Kerr said. “But he got hurt. He had a great preseason. He was going to be the starting (power forward). He got hurt. I put Draymond out there. Draymond took the job.”

Lee missed the first three regular-season games, returned for the fourth and was re-injured after seven minutes. He missed the next 21 games, a period during which the Warriors put together the best start in franchise history (22-3) and reeled off a franchise-record 16-game win streak before Lee returned Dec. 22.

“At that stage,” Kerr said, “you’re going to stick with what got you to 22-3.”

Difficult times for Miami Heat lately

Here’s the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporting on the Miami Heat, who are certainly a different team now that LeBron James is gone:

At 14-19, the Heat still hold the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference race for the postseason. The question is for how long. Things don’t get any easier in the upcoming weeks. Five of the next six games are against teams in playoff contention, including four on the road versus Western Conference powers.

It’s not exactly the ideal schedule for a team still trying to figure out what has gone wrong of late. The Heat have dropped seven of 10, with some of the losses coming against bottom-feeding teams.

“If I had that answer, then we wouldn’t be in this situation,” guard Dwyane Wade said. “Bad stretch.”

For the first time, the Heat are pointing fingers at every aspect of the game. In the past, it was either offensive spacing or defensive issues. Now, it’s both simultaneously.

Hard work from Dewayne Dedmon paying off

Here’s the Orlando Sentinel reporting on some Magic-related hard work:

Dewayne Dedmon has plenty to be thankful for when he looks over the last year.

On Jan. 1, 2014, he was a member of the NBA Development League’s Santa Cruz Warriors, hoping an NBA team would just give him a chance.

On Thursday, exactly one year later, Dedmon spent New Year’s Day in a far different situation: as a member of the Orlando Magic. Not only is he on an NBA roster, but lately he’s carved out consistent minutes in the Magic’s playing rotation.

“It’s definitely gratifying,” Dedmon said. “It definitely shows that in 2014 I really put in a lot of work and hard work does actually pay off. It means a lot. If you look back at what 2014 had in store for me and to be where I am right now, it’s definitely gratifying.”

Celtics rookie James Young making progress

Here’s ESPN Boston reporting on a young Celtic:

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens continues to suggest that rookie James Young has made the sort of progress that could help him fight his way into the team’s already overcrowded rotation sooner than later.

Young was back with the team Thursday after scoring 25 points during his latest one-game stint with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. The No. 17 pick in June’s draft has been slowed at times this season by injuries — whether it was the pre-draft car accident that kept him out of summer league, a hamstring injury that kept him out of most of the preseason, or a shoulder injury that recently shelved him for two weeks. But Stevens said Young is making progress behind the scenes and positioning himself for potential playing time. Now he just needs an opportunity.

“I think that he’s really getting better,” said Stevens.

LeBron James injured, out two weeks

LeBron James injured, out two weeks

LeBron James was evaluated yesterday at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health by Richard D. Parker, MD, Cavaliers Head Team Physician. Tests included physical exam, radiographs and a MRI, the results of which
revealed left knee and low back strains. These conditions will be treated via a multimodal approach consisting of anti-inflammatories, rehabilitation, training room treatments, and rest.

LeBron is currently projected to be Out for the next 2 weeks.

Nets assign Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson to D-League

The Brooklyn Nets have assigned Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the flexible assignment rule, General Manager Billy King announced today. The flexible assignment rule was used because the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Nets’ D-League affiliate, had four players on assignment at the time the Nets initiated Brown and Jefferson’s assignments to the D-League.

Brown, a 6’3” rookie guard, has appeared in seven games with the Nets this season, averaging 1.9 points in 5.4 minutes per game. He was selected with the 44th pick of this year’s NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to the Nets in exchange for cash considerations.

Jefferson, a 6’9” rookie forward, has appeared in 15 games (one start) with the Nets this season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game. He was selected with the 60th pick of this year’s NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Nets in exchange for cash considerations.

These will be the first D-League assignments of Brown and Jefferson’s careers and the first D-League assignments the Nets have made this season.