January 2016 – Page 5 – NBA Blog

Magic sign Keith Appling to 10-day contract

The Orlando Magic have called-up guard Keith Appling from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League and signed him to a 10-day contract, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. In addition, guard Devyn Marble has been recalled from Erie.

Appling (#15, 6’1”, 185, 2/13/92) has played in 17 games this season with Erie, averaging 16.8 ppg., 5.6 apg., 4.1 rpg. and 2.12 stlpg. in 31.3 minpg. He was leading the BayHawks in scoring, assists and steals at the time of his call-up. Appling appeared in five preseason games with Orlando, averaging 1.2 ppg. in 8.7 minpg., before being waived on October 19.

Not drafted by an NBA franchise in 2014, Appling appeared in 38 games last season with both the Los Angeles D-Fenders and Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, averaging 10.5 ppg., 3.9 apg. and 2.7 rpg. in 24.4 minpg. He also played with the Orlando Magic “White” team during the 2015 Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League, averaging a team-high 15.6 ppg., 3.0 apg., 1.2 rpg. and 3.00 stlpg. in 26.2 minpg.

Appling played in 142 games (123 starts) during four seasons at Michigan State University from 2010-14, averaging 10.6 ppg., 3.3 apg., 3.0 rpg. and 1.06 stlpg. in 29.8 minpg. He finished his collegiate career tied for third on the Spartans’ all-time list in games started, fourth in games played, seventh in free throws made (389), eighth in three-point field goals attempted (413) and steals (151), ninth in assists (465), tenth in free throws attempted (520) and 18th in points scored (1,509). Appling was named Second Team All-Big Ten as a junior (2012-13) by the league’s coaches and named Third Team All-Big Ten as a sophomore (2011-12). He helped Michigan State reach the Sweet Sixteen three times during the NCAA Tournament (2012-14) and the Elite Eight in 2014.

Marble (#11, 6’6”, 200, 9/21/92) has appeared in six games this season with Orlando, averaging 0.3 ppg. in 2.3 minpg. Originally selected in the second round (56th overall) by Denver, his draft rights, along with Evan Fournier, were acquired by Orlando in exchange for Arron Afflalo on June 26, 2014. Marble has also played in 14 games this season with Erie, averaging 14.8 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 2.2 apg. and 1.57 stlpg. in 30.9 minpg.

The Orlando Magic and the Erie BayHawks are in the second year of a three-year single affiliation partnership. Orlando became the 16th NBA team to have a one-to-one affiliation with an NBA D-League team. The partnership, also referred to as a “hybrid affiliation,” allows an NBA team to control the NBA D-League team’s basketball operations, while the existing local ownership maintains primary responsibility for the team’s off-the-court business operations and community initiatives.

Suns sign Lorenzo Brown to second 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns announced today they have signed guard Lorenzo Brown to a second 10-day contract.

Brown signed his first 10-day contract with the Suns on Jan. 8. The 25-year-old guard has appeared in three games with Phoenix, totaling 13 points and six assists in 34 minutes.

A 6-5, 189-pound guard, Brown is a third-year NBA player who appeared in 55 total games with Philadelphia in 2013-14 and Minnesota in 2014-15. Originally selected with the 52nd overall pick by Minnesota in the 2013 NBA Draft, Brown played in 29 games (seven starts) with the Timberwolves last season seeing action in each of their final 22 games. Brown has four career double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 13 points in his final appearance of last season on April 15 against Oklahoma City.

The sixth Call-Up of 2015-16 at the time he signed with the Suns on Jan. 8, Brown averaged 16.4 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 16 games this season with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA Development League.

Warriors not scared by a few losses

The Golden State Warriors are an amazing 37-4. But two of their losses have come in their last three games. As you’d expect, the squad isn’t exactly worried. Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting:

The Warriors’ post-practice session Sunday started with Draymond Green playfully mocking Luke Walton’s work ethic and ended with Stephen Curry proudly wearing a Carolina Panthers cap while signing the team’s theme song.

If the Warriors are panicking about their declining play during the past 11 games, including an 18-point spanking from Detroit on Saturday, they sure weren’t conveying it before flying to Cleveland for an NBA Finals rematch.

“There’s no need to panic, turn on each other or point a finger. We all sucked,” Green said. “… You want to keep the environment loose. You don’t want to tense up and feel like it’s the end of the world and play like that. Yeah, we have to play with a chip on our shoulder, and we have to play with that fire and intensity, but you don’t want to play like you’re in a panic.”

The Warriors (37-4) will have a good barometer for their keep-it-loose approach during the next five games. They play road games at Cleveland and Chicago before hosting Indiana, San Antonio and Dallas — teams that went into Sunday’s games a combined 131-68 (.775).

Sixers enjoy blowout win vs Blazers

On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers let a 24-point lead slip away in an especially difficult overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Two days later, they made sure that wouldn’t happen again.

Jahlil Okafor had 25 points and 10 rebounds and the 76ers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 114-89 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.

Richaun Holmes added 17 points, and Ish Smith and Robert Covington scored 16 apiece for the Sixers. They improved to 5-37 with their most lopsided win of the season, erasing many of the lingering bad feelings that come from blowing a game they thought they had in the bag.

— Associated Press

Pistons beat Warriors 113-95

Before the game, Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said Golden State simply has more margin for error than other teams, meaning the Warriors can win even when they don’t play their best.

Not on this night against Van Gundy’s Pistons.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope held his own against Stephen Curry for most of the night, scoring 20 points as the Pistons handed the Warriors their second loss in three games, 113-95 on Saturday.

Much of the pregame talk centered around how well Caldwell-Pope might be able to defend Curry. The Golden State star scored 38 points, but Caldwell-Pope gave the Pistons a boost offensively.

“I think we know that we’re capable of beating anybody,” Van Gundy said afterward…

Drummond had 14 points and 21 rebounds, and Reggie Jackson scored 20 points for Detroit. The Pistons had six players in double figures, while Golden State had only three. Klay Thompson scored 24 points for the Warriors.

— Associated Press

Joakim Noah needs shoulder surgery, will miss 4-6 months

During last night’s game against Dallas, Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah sustained a dislocation of the left shoulder which was reduced in the training room. Earlier today, he was evaluated at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush, where it was determined that he will undergo surgery to stabilize his left shoulder.

His recovery time is estimated at four to six months. The details of the timing, location, and rehabilitation program have not yet been finalized.

The Bulls say Noah is expected to have a full recovery.

Chicago is 23-16 this season — the third best record in the East, though they are just half a game ahead of both the Hawks and Heat.

Noah came off the Bulls’ bench for 27 of the 29 games he played this season but was still a huge part of the team. Averaging just 4.3 points per game, Noah is Chicago’s second-leading rebounder with 8.8 rpg, and is third on the team in assists at 3.8 apg.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Noah was likely to be on the shelf for the next four-to-six months, which is not only a season-ender for the veteran big man, but could close the book on his career with the Bulls as he’s headed to free agency this summer. “It hurt,’’ Rose said, when asked what it was like seeing Noah in the locker room following the injury. “It hurt just knowing how hard he works, how hard he wants to be on the court, how much he means to this team. It’s devastating, but we have to come back in here and make sure the guys are ready. Everybody has to be ready, but you never know. He’s a big piece, he’s a big piece.’’

And according to ESPN Chicago, “In the short-term Noah’s absence means more time for rookie Bobby Portis in the rotation, but the reality for the team is there is a chance that Noah may have played his last game as a Bull. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.”

Earl Clark currently playing in D-League

Here’s the Arizona Republic with an update on Earl Clark, who is averaging 20.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks in 35.1 minutes per game in the D-League this season:

After 4 1/2 NBA seasons, Earl Clark had to swallow hard on his basketball-sized pride this season to play in the D-League.

With credentials as a former Suns draft lottery pick bumped to the bottom of his resume, Clark left his family and nice cars in Florida to share an apartment and rides to the grocery store while rebuilding his name in the game on a $26,000 salary for Suns affiliate Bakersfield.

Passing up more money overseas, Clark bet on his ability to prove his NBA worth with hopes pinned on January call-ups as 10-day contracts began.

Instead, Clark was traded Saturday by Bakersfield, which sent him to Delaware for a D-League second-round draft pick. The move, a familiar one after three NBA trades, keeps his quest alive with a clean slate after a frustrating stretch for Bakersfield.

Jazz sign JJ O`Brien to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz today signed forward JJ O’Brien from the Idaho Stampede to a 10-day contract. The Stampede are the Jazz’s exclusively owned and operated NBA D-League team, and O’Brien becomes the NBA’s eighth overall NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2015-16 season and the second Stampede player to be called up.

O’Brien (6-7, 220, San Diego State) has appeared in 24 games (23 starts) for the Stampede this season, averaging 9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 33.4 minutes of action. He has scored 10-plus points on 10 occasions, including two games of 20-or-more points. O’Brien has also recorded seven-or-more rebounds in seven contests. The 23-year-old forward attended training camp with the Jazz and appeared in one preseason game after also competing for the Jazz entries in both the Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He was waived by the Jazz on Oct. 13.

He played one season at University of Utah (2010-11) before transferring to San Diego State (2011-15) to finish his collegiate career. A native of San Diego, O’Brien played high school basketball at Alta Loma High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

O’Brien will wear No. 22 for the Jazz. He will be available for tonight’s game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

Following the move, Utah’s roster now stands at 15 players.

Nikola Mirotic moved to bench for Bulls

Nikola Mirotic is no stranger to coming off the bench. After all, that’s how he spent most of his first year in the NBA last season.

So call Friday a reunion.

Not exactly a good one for the second-year power forward.

Prior to the game with Dallas, coach Fred Hoiberg announced that not only was Mirotic was out of the starting lineup, but the experiment to play him at the three-spot was going to take a few steps back.

“The big thing is talking to him, try and build up the confidence,’’ Hoiberg said of Mirotic.

— Chicago Sun-Times

Ronnie Price undergoes toe surgery

Phoenix Suns guard Ronnie Price today underwent successful surgery to remove loose bodies in his right great toe. The surgery was performed by Dr. Gus Armendariz in Phoenix. Price is anticipated to return to basketball activities around the All-Star break.

Currently in his 11th NBA season and second with the Suns (also 2011-12), Price is averaging 4.2 points, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 14.8 minutes in 34 games (one start) this season.