August 2017 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Erie BayHawks open tryouts

The Erie BayHawks, NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, will hold its only open tryout on Sunday, September 24 at the Georgia State University Sports Arena (125 Decatur Street, Atlanta GA 30303). This will be a one-day tryout and will take place from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Staff members from both the Erie BayHawks and Atlanta Hawks will be on hand to evaluate all participants. Players will be taken through a series of skill work and live scrimmages. Prospects who participate in the open tryout will compete for an invitation to the BayHawks training camp.

There is a non-refundable registration fee of $150 and can be paid by money order or cashier’s check payable to the Erie BayHawks. Pre-registration is highly advised as space is limited and walk-up registrations the day of the event are subject to availability.

For more info, go to www.eriebayhawks.com/player-tryouts-17-18/

Salt Lake City Stars finalize coaching staff

The Salt Lake City Stars, the NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, have finalized their coaching staff for the 2017-18 season. Bryan Bailey and Nathan Peavy will join new head coach Martin Schiller on the bench. Bailey and Peavy both played for Schiller with the Bundesliga’s Artland Dragons.

“I had the pleasure of coaching both Bryan Bailey and Nathan Peavy while I was an assistant with the Dragons and am very happy to add them to the Stars’ bench,” said Schiller. “They bring a diverse background in basketball from playing overseas to coaching in the NBA G League and I know they will be a tremendous asset to our team.”

Bailey joins the Stars after spending the 2016 season as an assistant coach for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. Bailey spent 13 years playing professional basketball in Europe, including the Euroleague and Eurocup. He began his career with DJK s.Oliver Würzburg (2002-03). He’s also played for Landstede Zwolle (2003-04); two stints with the Artland Dragons (2004-07, 2010-12); KK Bosna (2007-08), where he won the Bosnian League championship as the starting point guard; PGE Turow (2008-09), where he reached the final four of the Polish Cup; EWE Baskets Oldenburg (2009); Keravnos (2010); Virtus Roma (2013); and Medi Bayreuth (2012-15), selected to the 2013 German All-Star Game.

The Hempstead, N.Y., native is the co-founder of DIME Athletics, which focuses on assisting competitive high school, collegiate and professional basketball players on improving their basketball skills, strength, conditioning and overall athleticism to reach their highest performance level. Bailey played four years at Bucknell University (1998-02) and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Peavy, who just completed the 2016-17 season playing for Cariduros de Fajardo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league in Puerto Rico, has played professionally for eight seasons overseas. The 6-8 forward began his career in 2007 with the Uni Baskets Paderborn in the German Basketball Bundesliga League. He also played for the Artland Dragons (2009-12), Alba Berlin (2012-13), Atenienses de Manati (2015-16) and was member of the Puerto Rican National Team (2010-12). The Dayton, Ohio, native played four seasons at Miami (OH) from 2003-07.

Solomon Hill out 6-8 months after surgery

New Orleans Pelicans forward Solomon Hill has been diagnosed with a proximal hamstring tear in his left leg, it was determined following examination by Dr. Michael Gerhardt and consultation with Pelicans Director of Medical Services/Head Team Physician Dr. Misty Suri. The injury occurred while Hill was participating in a basketball workout in Los Angeles, CA.

Hill underwent successful surgery by Dr. Gerhardt in Santa Monica, CA and is expected to make a full recovery. An injury of this nature takes approximately 6-8 months to heal.

A timetable for his return will be determined at a later date.

Brandon Knight out for season after knee surgery

Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight today underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. The procedure was performed by Head Team Physician Dr. Tom Carter in Phoenix. Knight will remain out for the 2017-18 season.

For his career, Knight holds averages of 15.2 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 382 games with Detroit, Milwaukee and the Suns. Knight averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds over 54 appearances in 2016-17, his sixth NBA season and third with the Suns after initially being acquired by the team in February of 2015.

Suns rookie Davon Reed out after knee surgery

Phoenix Suns guard Davon Reed yesterday underwent a meniscus repair of his left knee. The procedure was performed by Head Team Physician Dr. Tom Carter at Gateway Surgery Center in Phoenix.

Reed is expected to return to full basketball activity in approximately four to six months.

The team’s selection with the 32nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Reed averaged 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals while appearing in all six of the Suns’ games at NBA Summer League 2017 in Las Vegas. Reed completed a four-year career at the University of Miami in 2017 by earning ACC All-Defensive Team and All-ACC Third Team honors, in addition to the ACC’s Skip Prosser Award, presented annually to the conference’s top scholar-athlete in men’s basketball.

Spurs re-sign Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili is keeping it going. The San Antonio Spurs re-signed him today.

According to the San Antonio Express News, “the 40-year-old Argentine dynamo re-signed a two-year deal worth about $5 million, according to league sources.”

The upcoming season will mark Ginobili’s 16th campaign with the Silver and Black, which will make him the eighth player in NBA history to spend his entire career with one team and play at least 16 seasons, along with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, John Stockton, Reggie Miller and John Havlicek.

Over the course of his 15-year NBA career, Ginobili has appeared in 992 games, averaging 13.6 points, 3.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.36 steals in 25.8 minutes. He has shot .447 (4,383-9,799) from the field, .370 (1,431-3,863) from three-point range and .826 (3,270-3,958) from the free throw line.

The native of Argentina was drafted by the Spurs with the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft. Coming to San Antonio in 2002, he is the Spurs all-time NBA leader in three-pointers made (1,431), while ranking second in steals (1,349), third in games (992), fourth in free throws made (3,270), as well as fifth in total points (13,467) and assists (3,838). He has twice been named to the All-NBA Third Team (2008, 2011). The 2008 NBA Sixth Man of the Year and two-time All-Star (2008, 2011), He and Parker currently have 652 wins together, fourth-most of any teammates in NBA history. Trailing only Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Ginobili owns the third-best winning percentage in NBA history of any player that has played at least 500 games (.729, 723-269).

The four-time NBA champion has appeared in 213 career playoff games, averaging 14.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.34 steals in 28.0 minutes. Ginobili and LeBron James are the only two players in NBA postseason history with at least 3,000 points (3,009) and 300 three-pointers (318) in the playoffs. One of 10 players ever to appear in over 200 playoff games, he has come off the bench 160 times and is the all-time leader in NBA postseason history as a reserve in points (1,969), assists (560), total rebounds (620), steals (198), three-pointers made (220), field goals made (615) and free throws made (519). Ginobili and Parker have 131 playoff wins together, which is tied for the most of any duo in postseason history.

Ginobili has been a member of the Argentinian National Team since 1998. He led his home country to the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and is one of only two players to have won a Euroleague title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal (Bill Bradley).

Palace of Auburn Hills will close after Bob Seger concert

Here’s Michigan Live reporting on the end of an era in the greater Detroit area:

The Palace of Auburn Hills is officially closing for business.

Palace Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) confirmed on Thursday, Aug. 24, that Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s sold-out concert will mark the final event on Sept. 23 at the former home to the Detroit Pistons.

Speculation has been flowing for months about the closure of the major sports and concert venue, and a potential transformation into a mixed-use development after the Pistons officially announced their move to the nearly complete Little Caesars Arena in Downtown Detroit.

Spurs sign guard London Perrantes

The San Antonio Spurs have signed guard London Perrantes.

Perrantes, 6-2/190, most recently played with the Miami Heat in the 2017 MGM Resorts Summer League, averaging 10.0 points, 5.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.50 steals in 27.9 minutes. He also appeared in the 2017 Orlando Pro Summer League with the Heat, averaging 11.3 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.33 steals in 28.4 minutes.

Perrantes played four years at the University of Virginia and is the school’s all-time leader in games played (138) and minutes played (4,425). During his senior season, Perrantes averaged 12.7 points, 3.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 32.1 minutes, earning All-ACC Second Team honors. For his career with Cavaliers, he averaged 8.9 points, 4.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds in 32.1 minutes while shooting .409 (211-516) from beyond the arc, second all-time in UVA history.

Hornets sign Julyan Stone

The Charlotte Hornets signed guard Julyan Stone today.

Stone (6-6, 200) has appeared in 47 career NBA games (two starts) over three seasons with Denver (2011-13) and Toronto (2013-14), averaging 1.3 points, 1.1 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per contest. He most recently joins Charlotte after a stint with Reyer Venezia Mestre of the Lega Basket Serie A in Italy, appearing in 26 games and helping the squad to a 2017 Serie A Championship. Prior to his time with Reyer Venezia Mestre, Stone played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League last season, seeing action in 33 games (31 starts), averaging 7.9 points, 8.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 34.7 minutes per contest.

The 28-year-old has additional playing experience with Royal Hali Gazientep (2015-16) of the Turkish Basketball Super League, a first stretch with Reyer Venezia Mestre (2014-15) and G League experience with the Iowa Energy (2013) and Idaho Stampede (2012).

Stone was a four-year collegiate player at the University of Texas-El Paso (2007-11), earning 2010-11 All-Conference USA Second Team honors following his senior season, where he averaged 8.5 points, 7.5 boards, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 36.5 minutes per contest.

Stone will wear No. 32 for the Hornets.

Cavs trade Kyrie Irving to Celtics for Isaiah Thomas

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have acquired four-time All-Star and 2016 NBA Champion Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first round pick.

“Kyrie is one of the best scorers in the NBA. He has proven that on the biggest stage, the NBA Finals, the last three years,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “He’s been an NBA Champion, an Olympic Gold Medalist, and a four-time All-Star. For all he’s accomplished, we think his best years are ahead of him.”

“Isaiah and Jae have been a huge part of our success,” said Celtics Co-Owner and Governing Partner Wyc Grousbeck. “Isaiah’s playoff performance under very difficult circumstances will live on in history, and we wish them all the best.”

Selected by Cleveland with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Irving, 25, has posted career averages of 21.6 points (45.7% FG, 38.3% 3-PT, 87.3% FT), 3.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.32 steals and 34.2 minutes in 381 games (all starts) throughout six seasons with the Cavaliers. The 6-3 guard has registered a scoring average north of 20.0 points in four of his six NBA seasons, including a career-high 25.2 points in 2016-17.

Irving played a vital role in helping Cleveland capture its first NBA title in 2016, averaging 25.2 points on 47.5% shooting (44.0% 3-PT), and 4.7 assists during the Cavaliers 21-game playoff run to history. He scored a postseason-high 41 points on 17-of-24 shooting (5-7 3-PT) in a win against the Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals that season, one of 18 games in which the Duke product logged at least 20 points. In three career postseason appearances, all of which resulted in trips to the NBA Finals, Irving has averaged 23.9 points (46.5% FG, 41.5% 3-PT, 87.6% FT), 3.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.46 steals and 36.4 minutes in 52 games.

In parts of three seasons with the Celtics, Thomas averaged 24.7 points (44.3% FG, 36.8% 3-PT, 88.9% FT), 2.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Crowder produced 12.8 points (44.4% FG, 35.3% 3-PT, 80.4% FT), 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in parts of three seasons in Boston.

“Isaiah embodied what it meant to be a Celtic. He captured fans’ hearts not only with his spirit, but his personality,” said Ainge. “Jae’s toughness was contagious for our team. He improved his skills each year, but it’s his energy and fight that will be remembered. We wish them and their families the very best.”