December 2015 – Page 3 – NBA Blog

NBA Eastern conference doing well this season

Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting on the NBA Eastern conference, which so far this season has collectively been around as good as the West:

For so many years, analysts and fans used to refer to the collection of teams in the East as the Leastern Conference or the Other Conference because the West was so dominant. Yes, the West still has the two best teams in the league with the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, and San Antonio Spurs.

But this season has shown there is more of a balance of talent throughout the NBA. Entering Wednesday, 10 teams in the Eastern Conference possessed a winning record, double the five it had last season on Dec. 23. The East also had a winning record – 85-84 – against teams from the West through Wednesday’s games.

The Indiana Pacers are one of the many reasons the East has regained its footing. A resurgence from Paul George and a remodeled offense from coach Frank Vogel has pushed the Pacers from out of the playoffs to one of the conference’s better teams. Yet the Pacers understand their place in the standings can change quickly if they have a losing streak or win three consecutive games, as they did last week.

Knicks, Robin Lopez chemistry still in development

The Knicks (14-16) are getting 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game from defensive-minded center Robin Lopez. So far, he hasn’t delivered the impact Knicks brass hoped he would. Here’s the New York Post with insight:

The riddle of RoLo continues.

It’s little secret why the Knicks have lost two in a row during an 11-game stretch against winning teams. In both losses, to the Magic and Cavaliers, shooting guard Arron Afflalo was lousy (8 of 25). Carmelo Anthony missed Wednesday’s contest in Cleveland, and reserve power forward Kyle O’Quinn was out both defeats with a sprained ankle, showing how valuable he has become to Derek Fisher.

But one of the more under-the-radar issues is the season’s biggest enigma, starting center Robin Lopez, their most expensive free-agent signing at four years and $54 million. Nobody is more confused than Fisher in his attempt to place Lopez in a role that can positively affect the outcome.

Fisher benched Lopez in Cleveland for the game’s final 13:14. On Monday against the Magic, Fisher stuck with Lopez on Orlando center Nikola Vucevic and got burned for it. So Lopez never saw the Quicken Loans Arena court in the fourth quarter despite the absence of Anthony and O’Quinn.

Video: Stephen Curry drives past Derrick Favors

Look at what Stephen Curry did to Jazz forward Derrick Favors on this one-man fast break:

Video: Spike Lee directs anti-gun violence PSA with Melo, Steph, CP3, J.Noah

On Christmas Day, new Spike Lee-directed video PSAs featuring Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers) and survivors of gun violence will debut on ABC and ESPN’s NBA game coverage.

Lee joins Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and the NBA to launch “End Gun Violence.”

Here is the video:

Wizards sign Jarell Eddie, waive Ryan Hollins

The Washington Wizards announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Jarell Eddie and waived center Ryan Hollins.

Eddie (6-7, 220) went undrafted in 2014 out of Virginia Tech. The former Hokie has spent the last two seasons with the Austin Spurs of the D-League. He has appeared in 11 games (nine starts) with Austin this season, averaging 14.1 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting .530 from the field and .525 from three-point range in 29 minutes per game. Eddie spent the 2015-16 preseason with the Golden State Warriors, where he appeared in two contests, and played in six games with the Wizards during the 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Hollins, who was signed as a free agent on November 30, appeared in five games for the Wizards and averaged 1.6 points in 10 minutes per game.

Brandon Jennings has big praise for Reggie Jackson

Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson is averaging 20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game this season. Guard Brandon Jennings is just set to return from injury and should be in the mix soon. Here’s Michigan Live with more:

Brandon Jennings was back in uniform and active, though he did not play against the Heat. Jennings said his role until Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy calls upon him is “to be a great leader on the bench and cheer guys on, things like that.” Jennings, who is one of the Pistons’ leaders in social-media use, posted on Twitter that he believes Jackson is the best point guard in the Eastern Conference right now. “He’s definitely living up to what people thought he was going to be. That’s why I say, right now, he’s playing like the best point guard in the East,” Jennings said. “Two-time player of the week, that’s pretty hard to get. We’re over .500 and things like that, so I think he’s doing a great job. Me, I keep it real on Twitter. I don’t care. I say what I feel and I just feel like he’s the best point guard in the East. First-time starter, a guy who’s had a lot of pressure on him, I think he’s handled it really well.”

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle sounds off

Here’s ESPN Dallas reporting on Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, who was pretty annoyed tonight:

Coach Rick Carlisle hasn’t been able to figure out a solution to the Dallas Mavericks’ maddening inconsistency, so he resorted to making a rather drastic threat.

Carlisle vowed to get rid of players if the Mavs continue to have frequent lapses of energy and effort.

Carlisle first made the comments in the Dallas locker room after the team’s 103-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, a game that was only close because the Mavs’ reserves made a late run. Carlisle repeated the threat for public consumption during his postgame news conference after calling Dallas’ performance in the first half “embarrassing.”

“Look, if it’s going to be like that, these guys aren’t going to be Mavericks very long,” Carlisle said after his team fell to fifth place in the Western Conference with a 15-13 record. “I can promise you that.”

Mikhail Prokhorov now owns 100 percent of Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center

Per the following press release, Mikhail Prokhorov’s company now owns 100 percent of the Brooklyn Nets team and the Barclays Center arena. According to CNBC, the deal values the team at $875 million and the arena at $825 million.

Onexim Sports and Entertainment Holding USA, Inc. today has signed an agreement with Nets Sports and Entertainment, LLC, an entity controlled by Forest City Enterprises, to consolidate a 100 percent equity interest in Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets. The transaction was approved unanimously by the NBA’s Board of Governors earlier this month.

In 2010, Onexim acquired 80 percent of the team and 45 percent of the arena. Since the arena opened in 2012, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment has managed the team and the arena and will continue to do so under the new structure.

Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of Onexim, said, “Today’s deal brings the ownership structure of the Brooklyn Nets and their state-of-the-art home in line with NBA guidelines and comes at an opportune time for all involved. We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Forest City and Bruce Ratner and worked together to open one of the most successful arenas in the country and to bring professional sports back to Brooklyn. We will continue to support arena management to provide a high level of service to our fans and the best sports and entertainment experience in the world. We also remain fully committed to community programs that were created as part of the arena. We believe a successful arena must be a destination, but also be part of the communities that surround it and more broadly the collection of neighborhoods that represent Brooklyn.”

Bruce Ratner, Executive Chairman of Forest City’s New York subsidiary, Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), added, “The development of Barclays Center enabled the return of major league professional sports and world-class entertainment to Brooklyn, and in just over three years of operation, it has become one of the top-grossing arenas in the country. As an anchor for the continued development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, Barclays Center stands as an iconic landmark for the borough.”

“It’s a seamless transition due to the incredible partnership between Onexim and Forest City over the years,” said Brett Yormark, Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “Exciting times are ahead for our fans, partners, and employees as we continue to improve and grow all of our businesses.”

The parties expect to complete the transaction either late this year or early in 2016.

Report: Jarell Eddie to Wizards

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting that the Wizards are about to make a minor roster move:

In urgent need of perimeter players, the Washington Wizards will sign forward Jarell Eddie out of the NBA D-League to a nonguaranteed contract and waive center Ryan Hollins on Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

A sharpshooter, the 6-foot-7 Eddie went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2014, when he played on the Wizards’ summer league team in Las Vegas. He then played the Austin Spurs last season, averaging 12.9 points and converting 45.2 percent of his threes in 44 games. He also won the league’s three-point contest at all-star weekend.

Goran Dragic tech and ejection rescinded

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on Heat point guard Goran Dragic, who is averaging a modest 11.3 points and 5.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per game this season:

The NBA confirmed Tuesday to the Sun Sentinel that the second of the two technical fouls called on Miami Heat Goran Dragic during Sunday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers has been rescinded.

Because of that decision, the league also confirmed that Dragic’s first career NBA ejection also has been rescinded, with that ejection the result of being called for two technical fouls in the same game.

Dragic was called for the first of his two Sunday technical fouls with 4:48 to play in the third quarter of the 116-109 victory over the Trail Blazers. He acknowledged that he used harsh language while disputing the officiating during that sequence. He then was called for his second technical foul with 1:37 to play in that quarter, which he contended was for asking referee James Williams, “What?”