October 2015 – Page 19 – NBA Blog

Zach LaVine wants to prove he is a shooter, too

Here’s the St. Paul Pioneer Press reporting on Timberwolves dunking phenom Zach LaVine, who wants you to know that he’s… more than a dunking phenom:

There’s no question LaVine loves to dunk — and his above-the-rim highlights have made him a fan favorite all over the world, including China, where he ran an event this summer.

But the 6-foot-5 high flier could be the Wolves’ starting shooting guard this season because he’s more than just a dunker.

“People put a label on me that I’m just a driver, but coming out of high school I was a good shooter,” LaVine said.

“I was second in UCLA history for threes put up and made as a freshman. So I don’t know why people say I can’t shoot the ball for. I feel like I’ve always been able to shoot the ball.”

Many Sixers bumped and bruised in preseason

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the 76ers, who face another year of rebuilding, and as for right now in preseason are trying to shake off various injuries:

Nik Stauskas said he definitely will be back for the start of the regular season – if not sooner.

But the announcement Monday that the 76ers shooting guard will be sidelined two weeks with a right tibia stress reaction is a huge setback for his bonding on the court with teammates. The move has been called “precautionary,” but Stauskas joins an already long list of Sixers who are out with injuries.

Center Joel Embiid (broken right foot) will miss his second straight season. Point guards Tony Wroten (partially torn right anterior cruciate) and Kendall Marshall (torn ACL) are out until at least the end of the month with right knee injuries. Power forward Carl Landry (right wrist) won’t see the floor for at least four weeks. Two more point guards, Pierre Jackson (groin) and T.J. McConnell (left foot sprain) were held out of a scrimmage Monday and will miss the preseason opener Tuesday against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.

Belinelli scores 32 in Kings preseason win

Marco Belinelli scores 32 in preseason win for Kings

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting on the Kings in NBA preseason, which is a mere tuneup for the regular season but still useful as a gage to see which players are in shape, or may have added something to their game, etc:

The plan was not to play anyone in the rotation anywhere near 30 minutes, but Marco Belinelli and Darren Collison forced Kings coach George Karl to re-evaluate.

Belinelli scored a game-high 32 points and Collison had 21 points and 10 assists to lead the Kings to a 109-105 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night at Moda Center. It was the preseason opener for both teams.

After a slow start by the Kings, the bench, led by Collison and Belinelli, outscored the Blazers’ reserves 29-15 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Grizzlies waive Daniel Nwaelele

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced the team has waived guard Daniel Nwaelele (wah-LAY-lay).

Nwaelele (6-5, 205) was signed by Memphis as a free agent on Sept. 28. Undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft, the 31-year-old Air Force product has played two seasons with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA Development League (2012-14).

The Grizzlies’ roster stands at 19 players.

Pelicans center Alexis Ajinca out 4-6 weeks

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that center Alexis Ajinca is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a right hamstring strain. The injury occurred during the second quarter of the Pelicans’ preseason opener against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Ajinca, 7-2, 220, appeared in 68 games for New Orleans during the 2014-15 season, averaging a career-best 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In 195 NBA games for New Orleans, Toronto, Dallas and Charlotte, Ajinca holds career averages of 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds. After originally signing with New Orleans on Dec. 20, 2013, the French native signed a multi-year contract with New Orleans on July 9, 2015.

Brook Lopez getting a Star Wars bobblehead

This is pretty awesome. Here’s the New York Post reporting what might possibly be the greatest news ever in Brook Lopez’s life:

The Force is with Brook Lopez.

The noted “Star Wars” fan and comic book aficionado was over the galactic moon the Nets have made a bobblehead doll of Lopez dressed up as a Jedi Knight, to given away for the Dec. 14 game against the Magic.

“[Did you] see that it’s a Jedi?” Lopez asked after Friday’s practice at Duke University. “Pretty sweet.”

Lopez said he was happy he now is even in bobbleheads with his twin brother, Robin, after their hometown Fresno Grizzlies – a Triple-A baseball team – honored Robin with a bobblehead this summer.

Preseason: Rondo acting as leader for Kings

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting on the Kings, whose new point guard Rajon Rondo is reportedly trying to step up early as a leader and mentor. Rondo is coming off an extremely disappointing season, so it’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back, especially in a new environment:

Even on a day at training camp when he sat out because of an injury, Rondo couldn’t be still or keep quiet. He walked around the court at UC San Diego’s Rimac Arena, pointing out spots on the floor where David Stockton might be able to better execute a play.

After Saturday’s practice, Rondo asked assistant coaches to help him show teammates how to run a set properly.

The Kings signed the four-time All-Star to a one-year deal to help them solidify the point guard spot and boost an offense short on players adept at passing.

Rondo already has taken the reins as a vocal leader, something the Kings have lacked for years.

“He’s a guy who just talks, talks, talks and tries to make the team better,” said forward Rudy Gay, who has known Rondo since high school. “That’s what you need out of your point guard.”

On the Bulls offense this season

Here’s CSN Chicago reporting on the Bulls offense this upcoming season:

[Pau] Gasol and fellow Spaniard Nikola Mirotic will be key pieces in the diversity of the Bulls offense this season, as the Bulls will employ the popular “four-out, one-in” offensive set many teams use to maximize floor spacing for drivers and open 3-pointers for shooters.

“We’ll run some four out and one in,” Hoiberg said. “We’ll run some four out and one in with two bigs on the floor, especially with Pau out there. He has proven he can make shots and he can also make plays. If you swing it to him and he doesn’t shoot it, you can get into a second side action.”

Mirotic, in theory and form, is a good 3-point shooter but the numbers say he’s a 31.6 percent shooter. Teams won’t be so quick to run out and defend a shooter with those numbers, no matter his skill set.

Apparently it’s been a point of emphasis in camp, as the Bulls hope to improve on their 35 percent efficiency last season, but they were middle in the pack in terms of attempts.

JaVale McGee a wildcard for Mavericks

JaVale McGee a wildcard for Mavericks

Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on new Mavs center JaVale McGee, whose ability to contribute to the team in the near future is unknown:

The 7-footer who has been plagued by leg problems the last two seasons has always been a little bit of an “out there” kind of person. He’s made lots of highlight reels, but often times for the wrong reasons, such as passing the ball to nobody on the other end of the court.

He’s been a blooper-reel editor’s best friend.

But at 27, he’s still a very young center who has more athleticism than the rest of the Mavericks’ center hopefuls put together. If he ever gets healthy – and that’s admittedly a big if – and if he can stay focused on the court, he’s got oodles of talent and could be a starting center for years to come.

But he’s a long way from that right now. He hasn’t been cleared to do any real basketball work, other than take some jump shots and his ballhandling.

He’s played just 28 games the last two seasons and if he makes the Mavericks’ roster – something that everybody expects – he’s probably not going to be ready to contribute until the regular season has already begun.

Early report: Paul Pierce fitting in with Clippers

Early report: Paul Pierce fitting in with Clippers

NBA preseason is just getting started, so it’s super early, but right off the bat the Clippers have reasons for optimism. Here’s the Orange County Register reporting:

Even though it was his first start as a Clipper and even though he was joining a starting group that was one of the NBA’s best, Pierce had few problems fitting in during the Clippers’ preseason opener.

That was especially evident on a possession in the second half, where the Clippers zipped the ball around the perimeter, finding Pierce open in the corner for a 3-point shot.

“That’s what we’ve got to kind of emphasize,” Pierce said. “When you have the weapons that we have, we don’t care who gets the shot, who gets the credit, it’s tough to guard. These guys make the extra pass when it’s there; everyone is being selfless. Those are the teams usually standing at the end of the day.”

Pierce, 37, is able to fit so seamlessly partly because of his smarts, partly because of his 17 years of NBA experience and partly because a huge chunk of that experience came while playing for Doc Rivers.