October 2017 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Pelicans sign Josh Smith

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the team has signed forward Josh Smith after receiving an injury hardship exemption by the NBA.

Smith, 6-9, 225, most recently played for Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association, appearing in 26 games in China, Smith averaged 18.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 blocks.

A 12-year NBA veteran, Smith has appeared in 891 career regular season games (772 starts) with Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers, holding career averages of 14.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.9 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game. Additionally, Smith has appeared in 73 career postseason games (60 starts), averaging 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks in 31.6 minutes.

Selected 17th overall by Atlanta in the 2004 NBA Draft out of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Smith was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2010.

Smith will wear #5 and be available for New Orleans’ game tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Smoothie King Center.

Bulls exercise options on Bobby Portis, Kris Dunn, Denzel Valentine, Jerian Grant and Cameron Payne

The Chicago Bulls have exercised third-year options on guards Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine, and fourth-year options on guards Jerian Grant and Cameron Payne, along with forward Bobby Portis. By exercising their options, all players will be under contract with the Bulls for the 2018-19 season.

The Bulls acquired Dunn in a Draft-night trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves last offseason in which Dunn, Zach LaVine and the rights to Lauri Markkanen were exchanged for Jimmy Butler and the draft rights to Justin Patton. In his rookie year with the Timberwolves, Dunn played in 78 games (7 starts) and averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He ranked sixth among rookies in assists, second in steals and fourth in blocks. Dunn has missed the start of the 2017-18 season while rehabbing the dislocation of his left index finger.

Valentine was selected 14th overall by Chicago in the 2016 NBA Draft. The Michigan State product saw time in 57 games and averaged 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game his rookie year. Valentine hit at least one 3-pointer in 15 consecutive games from March 8 to April 4, and hit multiple 3-pointers in seven games in a row from March 8 to 18, both of which were the longest such streaks on the team last season. He scored a career-high 19 points with five 3-pointers made at Washington on Jan. 10. This season, Valentine is averaging 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists through four games.

Grant has played in 67 games for the Bulls after completing his rookie year with the New York Knicks (76 games). He was acquired by the Bulls, along with Jose Calderon and Robin Lopez, in a trade for Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick on June 22, 2016. Grant has career averages of 5.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.3 rebounds per game, but through four games (4 starts) this season is averaging 10.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He has posted his first two career double-doubles in his last six regular season games: April 10, 2017, and Oct. 24, 2017.

Payne was traded to Chicago on Feb. 23, 2017, along with Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow, for Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second round draft pick. The former Mr. Basketball in Tennessee has career averages of 5.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists through 88 games. He only appeared in 31 games in 2016-17, missing time due to a right foot injury, but in the 10 games he played with the Bulls, Payne averaged 4.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 12.9 minutes. He has not played in 2017-18 while recovering from offseason surgery on his right foot.

Selected by the Bulls 22nd-overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, Portis has appeared in 126 games (17 starts) with career averages of 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds. He was the 25th player in Bulls history to have a double-digit scoring career debut (10 points in 10 minutes at Charlotte on Nov. 3), and was the first Bull to post a double-double with 20 points and 11 boards in one of his first five career games since Elton Brand in 1999 (at New York on Dec. 19). He scored a postseason-high 19 points with nine rebounds in his playoff debut on April 16 at Boston. Portis has not played in 2017-18 while serving an eight-game team suspension.

NBA notes, Oct. 26, 2017

Cleveland’s Isaiah Thomas guest-starred as himself on Wednesday’s episode of Law & Order: SVU, one of his favorite television shows. “To be a part of SVU is something I’ll tell people about forever,” Thomas said.

Brooklyn is the first team to score at least 115 points in each of its first five games since the 1985-86 Pistons. The Nets have opened 3-0 at home for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

With San Antonio’s 4-0 start, coach Gregg Popovich has moved within two victories of passing Phil Jackson (1,155) for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list.

Cleveland’s LeBron James needs 75 points to become the seventh player in NBA history to reach the 29,000-point mark.

On Wednesday, 24-year-old Andre Drummond of Detroit became the second-youngest player to reach 5,000 career rebounds. Dwight Howard did it at age 23 in 2009.

— Via NBA News newsletter

Warriors playing lousy defense so far this season

The Warriors have the same core roster this season as last, so on paper they’re still the best team in the NBA. However, on the court so far, they’ve been disappointing. The season is still brand new. So, no reason to panic. Way too early. Still, here’s the San Jose Mercury News/Bay Area News Group reporting:

So far this season, Golden State is yet to put together a 48-minute game where they look good on both ends of the court, but outside of pride, what’s their incentive to go all-out for a full game? This Warriors roster is so talented, they can win with mediocre all-around performances on a near nightly basis.

Offensively, the Warriors are fine so far this season. The Golden State offense doesn’t seem to be fully operational, but the talent on the court at any given moment is so lopsided that it hasn’t mattered — the Warriors are going to put roughly 120 points on the board every single night.

The issue for Golden State — the reason they’re 3-2 on the season and could easily be 2-3 with a 0-2 home record — is the defense.

“Our defense has been horrible,” Green said. “Nobody’s communicating.”

Full article

Brad Stevens facing tough coaching challenge

Having a star-filled team as the Celtics do is great, but when the bulk core of the team has changed, it’s a major challenge for the squad’s head coach to quickly transform them into a contender. It’s a nice problem to have — having talent — but it’s still a daunting task when the talent has little experience playing together. But things get even tougher when the team goes through training camp and preseason, then loses a key star to injury just as the regular season begins. Here’s ESPN Boston reporting:

Brad Stevens was already facing a unique challenge entering the 2017-18 season, when the Celtics brought back just four players from a 53-win team and essentially asked him to rebuild a puzzle that took four seasons of perpetual piece-shifting to construct.

Then six minutes into Boston’s season-opener last week in Cleveland, Hayward fractured his ankle as he landed awkwardly after going up for an alley-oop. The team is operating under the notion that Hayward will not play again this season as he begins what Stevens has suggested is at least a five-month recovery.

With new Celtic Marcus Morris still working his way into game shape after missing the start of training camp while on trial in Arizona and Marcus Smart sidelined early in the season with an ankle injury, Stevens found himself operating with a roster in which six of his 12 available bodies were rookies.

At one point late in Tuesday’s win over the New York Knicks, Stevens had a lineup of Jabari Bird (a rookie second-round pick on a G-League two-way contract), Shane Larkin (who played in Spain last season), Abdel Nader (a 2016 second-round draft pick and the G-League Rookie of the Year while stashed domestically last season), Semi Ojeleye (a 2017 second-round pick), and Daniel Theis (a 25-year-old German import this offseason) on the floor.

Full article

Manu Ginobili cheered on road in Miami

Here’s the San Antonio Express News with a feel-good report about a legendary visiting player being treated kindly on the road in Miami:

Heat fans showed their appreciation for Spurs guard Manu Ginobili by giving the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer a standing ovation when he exited Wednesday night’s game for good with 1:52 left.

“It’s always great when it happens on the road,” Ginobili said. “I am kind of spoiled here because there’s so many Argentinians. When I come here, I see all them come to support me and it feels like home. It’s great. Of course, I am thankful.”

Full article

Pistons enjoy big win vs Timberwolves

The Timberwolves were without Jimmy Butler, but still, nice win by the Pistons. Here’s the Detroit News reporting:

After another slow start, the Pistons got it together quickly.

And did they ever get it together.

After falling into another hole in the first quarter, the Pistons responded with their best quarter of the season — a 40-point second-quarter outburst — and cruised in the second half.

That was more than enough to fuel a 122-101 blowout victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena.

Tobias Harris had 34 points, Avery Bradley added 20 points and Andre Drummond 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Pistons (3-2), who embark on a three-game west-coast trip this weekend.

Full article

Wade Baldwin undergoes thumb surgery

Portland Trail Blazers two-way guard Wade Baldwin underwent successful surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his right thumb, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

The Trail Blazers signed Baldwin to a two-way contract on October 19. He is expected to miss six weeks.

Blazers bench off to good start

Here’s NBC Sports Northwest reporting on the Trail Blazers, whose bench has been a nice super-early season surprise:

One of the early season storylines during the Trail Blazers’ 3-1 start has been the emergence of a deep and effective bench.

Led by Evan Turner, Ed Davis and Pat Connaughton, the Blazers’ bench has the top offensive rating in the NBA (115.8), the third best net rating, and the third best plus/minus behind Toronto and the LA Clippers.

Never was the bench more on display than during Tuesday’s home opener against New Orleans, when the starters struggled and needed big games from Davis, Turner and rookie Caleb Swanigan to pull out a 103-93 victory.

Full article

Rockets sign Isaiah Canaan

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Isaiah Canaan.

Canaan (6-0, 201) began his career with the Rockets in 2013-14 and has since played for Philadelphia and most recently Chicago last season. He has appeared in 185 career games with 60 starts.

While playing for the Sixers in 2015-16, Canaan averaged a career-high 11.0 points and ranked 15th in the NBA with 176 3-pointers made. Over a two season span from 2014-15 through 2015-16, he joined Mirza Teletovic as the only players to have averaged at least 2.0 3-pointers made while playing fewer than 24.0 minutes per game.

Canaan has hit at least three 3-pointers in a game 56 times during his career, including four or more 29 times, and a career-high 8 for Philadelphia at Oklahoma City on March 4, 2015.