January 2016 – Page 4 – NBA Blog

Bucks coach Kidd to return next week

Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd is expected to resume his normal head coaching duties next week when the team returns from its current four-game road trip. Beginning with the Jan. 26 game vs. Orlando, Kidd will be back on the sideline, while his recovery and travel will continue to be monitored by his medical team. Kidd underwent right hip surgery on Dec. 21st and has missed the last 15 games while rehabilitating following surgery.

“I feel great after surgery and am looking forward to getting back on the sidelines full-time next week,” Kidd said. “I received a good report from my doctor last week in New York and I am ahead of schedule on my recovery. Provided everything continues to go well this week, I plan on being back to my normal duties on Monday.

“Joe (Prunty) and the rest of the coaching staff along with the players have done a very good job in my absence and I’m grateful for all of their efforts. We’re all looking forward to continued improvement during the second half of our season.”

The Bucks are currently 19-25 and 8-7 in the 15 games Kidd has missed following hip surgery. Milwaukee has two games remaining on its current road trip (Friday at Houston and Saturday at New Orleans), before returning home to host Orlando on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. Coach Kidd will be available to the media following Monday’s practice at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin Training Center.

Grizzlies sign Ryan Hollins to 10-day contract

The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that the team has signed center Ryan Hollins to a 10-day contract.

Hollins (7-0, 240) enters his third stint with the Grizzlies this season. After joining Memphis for training camp, he was re-signed on Dec. 29 and made four regular season appearances before he was waived on Jan. 7. The 31-year-old also played five games, making three starts, for the Washington Wizards earlier this season.

The 10-year NBA veteran has averaged 3.7 points on 58.1 percent shooting and 2.2 rebounds in 490 career games (67 starts) with the Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. The Pasadena, Calif. native was selected by Charlotte in the second round (50th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft following his senior season at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Emmanuel Mudiay more aggressive lately

The Denver Nuggets (16-26) are getting 10.7 points (just 31.6% FG), 3.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game from athletic rookie guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Nuggets rookie Emmanuel Mudiay has a different look about him of late, a more confident, aggressive turn in his play that has shown up in each of his last two games.

“I feel good,” Mudiay said. “I think I’m getting myself, getting my groove back. I’m just going to keep working on my game and keep my confidence going.”

The dunks are part of it. He dunked on Miami’s Hassan Whiteside last Friday, which was three games ago. He had two-hand monster dunk late in the Indiana two days later at a point when the Nuggets needed the points.

If it seems like he’s attacking the rim more lately it’s only because he is. Eight of his 10 shots against the Pacers were at the rim. He was 4-of-8 in those attempts. Six of his 14 shots in the Nuggets’ last game, against Oklahoma City, were at the rim. He made four of the six, including a breakaway dunk.

Bucks coach Jason Kidd should return soon

Here’s ESPN.com reporting on the Milwaukee Bucks (19-25, winners of 6 of their last 10 games), who should get their head coach back soon:

Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd is returning to the bench to resume his coaching duties next week, league sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Kidd, who underwent hip surgery shortly before Christmas, plans to return next week — ahead of schedule — as the Bucks return from a four-game road trip that still has stops Friday and Saturday in Houston and New Orleans.

Eric Gordon suffers finger injury, out 4-6 weeks

A very tough season for the New Orleans Pelicans just got tougher. At 14-27 through Tuesday’s games, they have the sixth worst record in the league. And now starting shooting guard Eric Gordon (14.9 ppg on 41% shooting) will miss serious time.

The team announced today that guard Eric Gordon underwent successful surgery this morning to repair his fractured right ring finger. Gordon sustained the injury during the third quarter of last night’s 114-99 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. His expected timetable to return is 4-6 weeks.

Gordon, 6-4, 215, has appeared in 41 games this season for New Orleans, averaging 14.9 points, 2.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 33.4 minutes per contest.

Pregame Cameron Payne, Russell Westbrook dance routine: Swagdaddies

Look, people. Pregame NBA dance routines from players are important. They set the tone. Bad dance routine? Expect a loss. That’s just the way it is.

OK, maybe not quite. Perhaps we’re just being silly. Still, pregame dance routines are fun, so we support them and any coverage they receive.

Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Cameron Payne says there’s a simple name for it.

“Swagdaddies,” he says.

Hyphen?

“No hyphen. One word. Swagdaddies.” With an emphasis on swag.

Payne has used that word to describe other things, like a ridiculous Euro step, but in this case is talking about his now moderately infamous pregame dance routine — if you want to call it that — with Russell Westbrook. It goes like this: Actually, it doesn’t go like anything. You’ve just sort of got to see it. And then watch the next game’s routine, because no two are the same.

“Every game is something new,” Westbrook said.

Nuggets front office staff get contract extensions

The Denver Nuggets have signed General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, Assistant General Manager Arturas Karnisovas and their staff to multi-year contract extensions, President and Governor Josh Kroenke announced today.

“Over the past few years Tim, Arturas, and the rest of our front office staff have worked tirelessly in reshaping our roster and our entire organizational vision for the future,” said Kroenke. “Whether through the draft, trades, or free agency, we have an excellent mix of players and are extremely well positioned moving forward.”

Connelly took over as General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2013 after spending the previous three seasons with New Orleans serving as their Assistant General Manager. Prior to his time in New Orleans, Connelly spent 10 years with the Washington Wizards organization where he rose to director of player personnel.

Karnisovas came to Denver after spending five years with the Houston Rockets organization, where he most recently was the Director of Scouting. He spent four years with the NBA league office prior to that.

“We’re excited and honored by this opportunity to continue what we have started here in Denver,” stated Connelly. “We have a locker room full of dedicated players and staff, led by head coach Michael Malone, who look forward to winning in this great city for years to come. As a staff we would like to thank Josh and the entire Kroenke family for their continued support; we are unbelievably fortunate to work for such committed ownership.

Number of NBA preseason games may be reduced

Here’s Michigan Live reporting on the NBA preseason landscape and how it is expected to change in upcoming seasons:

It is anticipated that there will be a movement to reduce the number of preseason games by 2017, when the players and owners both can opt out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was in Detroit for his first Pistons home game since taking the job in February 2014, said he has a position on the matter “but it’s something that we’re going to save for bargaining with our players.” Teams typically play eight preseason games. Some coaches and general managers, including Pistons president-coach Stan Van Gundy have advocated for a reduction. “It’s something that we’re currently discussing,” Silver said. “Obviously, it has an economic impact on the league if we reduce the number of preseason games, but I’m also sympathetic to the wear-and-tear issue on our players as well.”

Wizards have below .500 record at home

Here’s CSN MidAtlantic reporting on the Wizards, who are 10-8 on the road this season yet a disappointing 9-13 at home:

Six teams have a sub-41 winning percentage at home: Wizards, Nuggets, Nets, Lakers, Timberwolves and 76ers. Overall, the Wizards are 19-21 this season, having reached .500 last week before losing two straight. Those other five teams are a combined 54-156 (.346).

Portland’s 3-point shooting barrage highlighted a major difference for Washington at home over the last two season.

Opponents are shooting an NBA-best 40.1 percent from beyond the arc (on 23.4 attempts per game) at Verizon Center this season. That’s a steep fall from last season’s 32.1 clip.

Overall visiting teams are sinking 47.3 percent of their field goal tries in Washington. That’s also the worst in the NBA. Last season, opponents made 42.2 percent.

Quinn Cook named D-League Performer of Week

Quinn Cook of the Canton Charge, was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 11 through Sunday, Jan. 17. The honor is the first of Cook’s career.

Cook (6-2, 179, Duke) led Canton to a 3-0 week, with all three wins coming on the road, to extend Canton’s winning streak to six games, bringing them back to .500 with an 11-11 record. Cook averaged 26 points (fourth in the league) on 52- percent shooting (30-for-58), including his connection on 8-of-15 attempts from behind the arc.

On Jan. 15, in the first game of a back-to-back vs. the Maine Red Claws, he scored 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting to go with six assists and four rebounds in a 105-93 win. On the following night, he recorded career highs with 32 points and three steals in a 96-83 victory over Maine.

For the season, Cook is pacing Canton with 19.0 points to go with 4.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals.

Other top D-League performers considered for this weekly honor include Bakersfield’s Xavier Munford, Idaho’s Bryce Dejean-Jones and J.J. O’Brien, Iowa’s Lazeric Jones, Los Angeles’ Vander Blue, Oklahoma City’s Marquis Teague, Sioux Falls’ Jarnell Stokes (on assignment from the Miami Heat) and Texas’ Brandon Ashley.