Month: August 2015

Patty Mills added to Australia roster for Oceania Championship

Patty Mills added to Australia roster for Oceania Championship

Basketball Australia is excited to announce that NBA Championship-winner Patrick Mills has been added to the Australian Boomers’ team to take on New Zealand in the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championships.

Mills comes into the line-up following a left ACL tear to Dante Exum in last Wednesday’s game against Slovenia, reducing the Boomers to 11 players.

Talking from the United States, Mills said that he was excited by the opportunity to play for automatic qualification for Rio 2016.

“I’m looking forward to joining my Boomers teammates for this very important qualification series against New Zealand,” he said.

— Basketball.net.au

Celtics waive Zoran Dragic

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have waived guard/forward Zoran Dragic.

Dragic, a 6’5” guard/forward, was originally acquired by the Celtics along with a future second round pick and cash considerations from the Miami Heat on July 27, 2015. He appeared in 16 games split between the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat during the 2014-15 season and averaged 1.8 points in 4.7 minutes per game over that span. He posted a season-high 22 points on 9-17 (.529) shooting from the field, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 41 minutes of action against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 15, 2015.

Nets waive Earl Clark

Nets waive Earl Clark

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on forward Earl Clark, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Clark (6’10”, 234) was signed to a 10-day contract by the Nets on March 27, 2015 and he inked a multi-year contract on April 6. In 10 games with Brooklyn, Clark averaged 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game. He also appeared in two playoff games, registering averages of 3.0 points and 1.0 rebound in 6.5 minutes per game.

Originally selected with the 14th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Clark has appeared in 261 games in six seasons with Phoenix, Orlando, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland, New York and Brooklyn, posting career averages of 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game.

Brooklyn Nets sign guard Donald Sloan

Nets sign Donald Sloan

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Donald Sloan, General Manager Billy King announced today.

The point guard position is a weak spot on the Nets. With Deron Williams gone, the team’s starter at the position is likely Jarrett Jack. Sloan helps add a bit of depth.

Sloan (6’3”, 205) has appeared in 157 games (33 starts) in four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks (2011-12), New Orleans Hornets (2011-12, 2012-13), Cleveland Cavaliers (2011-13) and Indiana Pacers (2013-15), registering averages of 4.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 15.5 minutes per game. Sloan also saw action in four playoff games with the Pacers during the 2014 postseason. The 27-year-old Sloan put together his best professional season in 2014-15 with Indiana, posting career-highs in games played (53), starts (21), points per game (7.4), rebounds per game (2.7) and assists per game (3.6). Sloan has also spent time in the D-League and has had brief stints in China and the Philippines.

Originally undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft, the native of Shreveport, La. began his pro career after four years at Texas A&M. Sloan helped lead the Aggies to four NCAA Tournament appearances and was named All-Big 12 First Team following his senior season. He finished his collegiate career eighth on the school’s all-time points and assists lists.

NBA and Under Armour announce partnership

Under Armour and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today a multiyear global partnership that makes Under Armour the title partner of the NBA Draft Combine and presenting partner of the Jr. NBA, the league’s youth basketball program. Under Armour will also team with the league to launch an innovative NBA FIT mobile application powered by the brand’s Connected Fitness platform. This new marketing and merchandising agreement represents an expanded partnership between the NBA and Under Armour, a league partner since 2011.

This is pretty minor news from the general NBA fan standpoint. The Combine has limited visibility outside of the players involved and media in attendance.

As the title partner, Under Armour will become the outfitter of the NBA Draft Combine beginning in 2018, in addition to developing a retail line of NBA Draft Combine apparel for fans. The NBA Draft Combine is an invite-only showcase in which leading draft prospects participate in athletic testing, five-on-five games, and interviews with teams ahead of the NBA Draft presented by State Farm.

The Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour will launch its expanded efforts in the U.S. this October with the goal of engaging five million youth during the first two years of the program through a series of basketball clinics, skills challenges and regional tournaments. This program aims to develop a lifelong passion for basketball in boys and girls ages 6-14 by teaching them the fundamentals of the game, while emphasizing values like sportsmanship, respect, teamwork, and healthy living. The Jr. NBA will include ongoing programming from affiliated youth basketball organizations, resources for participating coaches, and instructional digital content for kids and parents.

“We’re proud to expand our partnership with the NBA and continue our shared commitment to help basketball players everywhere realize their potential, on and off the court,” said Adam Peake, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing, Under Armour. “The new elements of our partnership will allow Under Armour to leverage our leadership in athletic performance innovation and Connected Fitness to foster the worldwide growth of basketball.”

“Under Armour and the NBA share a commitment to basketball, fitness, and healthy living,” said Emilio Collins, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships. “Together we have a unique opportunity to teach the values of the game to millions of kids through the Jr. NBA program, and to give our fans the latest information on exercise and wellness through the NBA FIT app.”

Dee Bost signs with team in Poland

Here’s Euroleague.net with an update on a name that dedicated NBA fans will recognize:

Stelmet Zielona Gora reached an agreement with point guard Dee Bost to work together next season, the club announced Friday night. Bost (1.88 meters, 25 years old) arrives from Trabzonspor Medical Park, where he averaged 7.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 32 Turkish League games last season. He helped Trabzonspor reach the Turkish League semifinals and the EuroChallenge title game, losing against JSF Nanterre at the buzzer.

Finally, Nancy Lieberman is an NBA assistant coach

Here’s the Sacramento Bee with commentary on the recent news that Nancy Lieberman is now an assistant coach in the NBA:

The NBA is a game of angles and connections, which is why the hiring of Nancy Lieberman as a Kings assistant is such a head-scratcher.

What took so long? Lieberman’s robust Rolodex is probably trumped only by her life experiences. She has competed in the Olympics, starred at Old Dominion, played and coached in several professional leagues, worked as a television commentator. Years before joining George Karl’s staff, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native coached the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA Development League team into the playoffs, then moved into the front office as assistant general manager.

And somewhere along the way – well before the WNBA was conceived and the notion of women coaching men ever found the womb – Lieberman, 57, transformed Martina Navratilova into a superbly conditioned athlete and revolutionized the way female tennis players approach training.

So, again, what took so long?

“I think sometimes you can get taken for granted,” Lieberman said. “I’m like the loyal dog. My only frustration was wondering if this was ever going to happen – if somebody was ever going to take a look at me and say, ‘She can do this.’”

Jahlil Okafor aiming for Rookie of Year award

Here’s CSN Philly reporting on 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor, who is certainly a leading contender to win the 2015-16 Rookie of the Year award:

Jahlil Okafor aiming for Rookie of Year award

Jahlil Okafor, speaking at the NBA and Panini America’s rookie photo shoot at MSG Training Center on Saturday, shared a few of his goals for the upcoming 2015-16 season.

The Sixers’ big man already has his eyes set on some hardware.

“I’d like to win Rookie of the Year,” he said. “Just want to get better every night for myself and my coaches with the Sixers. Try and win some big games.”

The last Sixer to win the award was Michael Carter-Williams in 2014. If Okafor could pull that off, it would signify the Sixers are inching closer to resembling a respectable NBA team.

Nuggets re-sign Darrell Arthur, Will Barton and Jameer Nelson

The Denver Nuggets have re-signed Darrell Arthur, Will Barton and Jameer Nelson to multi-year contracts, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Arthur, 6-9, 225, appeared in 58 games (four starts) for Denver in 2014-15, averaging 6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.0 minutes per game. The six-year NBA veteran has played in 373 career games (82 starts) for Denver and Memphis, averaging 6.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. He was drafted out of the University of Kansas with the 27th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets and was dealt to the Grizzlies on draft night.

Barton, 6-6, 175, arrived in Denver via trade on Feb. 19, 2015 and averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.21 steals in 28 games with the Nuggets. He has appeared in 172 career games (five starts) over four seasons with Portland and Denver, averaging 5.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 13.2 minutes per game. Barton was selected out of the University of Memphis with the 40th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Nelson, 6-0, 190, appeared in 34 games (five starts) and averaged 9.6 points and 3.7 assists for Denver last season after being acquired in a trade from Boston on Jan. 13, 2015. The 11-year veteran and former NBA All-Star owns career averages of 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting .371 from three-point range in 714 career games (585 starts) with Orlando, Dallas, Boston and Denver.

Nelson spent the first 10 years of his career in Orlando where he reached the playoffs six times, including a run to the NBA Finals in 2009. He enjoyed his best statistical year in 2008-09, averaging a career-high 16.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists en route to an Eastern Conference All-Star selection. He currently stands as the Magic’s all-time leader in assists with 3,501. The Chester, Pa. native was drafted out of Saint Joseph’s University with the 20th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Nuggets before his rights were sent to the Orlando Magic on draft-night in exchange for a 2005 first round pick.