Month: September 2015

Cavaliers re-sign J.R. Smith

Cavaliers re-sign J.R. Smith

The Cleveland Cavaliers have re-signed guard J.R. Smith, General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

According to ESPN.com, “the deal is for two years and more than $10 million total… The second year of the contract [is] a player option.”

Smith played in 70 games (51 starts) with Cleveland and New York in the 2014-15 regular season, averaging 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 29.7 minutes per game. He also shot .383 from the three-point line and ranked 11th in the NBA in three-pointers made with 163. In his 46 games (45 starts) with the Cavs, the 6-6 guard shot .390 from beyond the arc and averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 31.8 minutes per game. He led Cleveland in steal-to-turnover ratio (1.23) and made the most three-pointers in the Eastern Conference since the Cavs acquired him in a three-team trade on Jan. 5, 2015 (131 three-pointers).

Over his 11-year NBA career, Smith owns career averages of 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 26.5 minutes over 762 games (218 starts) with New Orleans, Denver, New York and Cleveland. He currently ranks 24th in NBA history in three-pointers made (1,475) and has 13 games with at least eight three-pointers, which is the most in NBA history. He also holds the NBA record with 25 games of at least seven three-pointers made.

During Cleveland’s NBA Finals run in the 2015 playoffs, Smith appeared in 18 games (four starts), averaging 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game.

Atlanta Hawks to retire Dikembe Mutombo jersey number

Hawks to retire Dikembe Mutombo jersey number

Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin and President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Mike Budenholzer announced earlier today that the organization will retire Dikembe Mutombo’s No. 55 uniform in a special ceremony on November 24th when the Hawks host the Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. The announcement was made during a ceremony recognizing today as Dikembe Mutombo Day in Fulton County.

“There are very few players who have had the impact on- and off-the-court that Dikembe has had, and he’s very deserving of this honor,” Koonin said. “As a player, man and humanitarian, he represents everything we want to be associated with. November 24th is going to be a memorable night in our franchise’s history, in Atlanta, in Fulton County, and for Dikembe and his family.”

Mutombo, who will be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 11, spent five seasons (343 games) with the Hawks (1996-2001), finishing with averages of 11.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.2 assists in 36.2 minutes (.529 FG%).

He ranks third in franchise history in career field goal percentage (.529), blocks (1,094) and rebounds per game (12.6), seventh in defensive rebounds (3,093) and ninth in offensive rebounds (1,228) and minutes per game. He holds the second (277, 1997-98), fourth (269, 1999-00) and fifth positions (264, 1996-97) on the franchise list for most blocks in a single season, and has the sixth-best field goal percentage season (.562, 1999-00) in club history.

Overall, he played 18 years in the league (1,196 games), ranking second in NBA history in blocked shots (3,289) and 19th in rebounds (12,359), averaging 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.0 assists in 30.8 minutes (.518 FG%). He was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year (tied for the most in league history), eight-time All-Star and is the only two-time winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

Mutombo will join Hawks legends Dominique Wilkins (#21), Lou Hudson (#23), Bob Pettit (#9) and Ted Turner as those honored in Philips Arena’s rafters.