Month: December 2017

Mirza Teletovic out with lung issue

Bucks forward Mirza Teletovic will be out of action due to pulmonary emboli in both lungs.

The Bucks discovered Teletovic’s condition after he experienced unusual fatigue earlier this week.

Teletovic will undergo a 10-day rest period, then begin a supervised rehabilitation program. More should be known about his possible return date at that time.

The 32-year-old Teletovic has missed the last 16 games, including 10 after successful arthroscopic surgery to fix cartilage in his left knee on Nov. 21.

Teletovic is averaging 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 15.9 minutes per game this season, in ten games played. He is shooting 46.7 percent from 3-point range.

Suns sign Isaiah Canaan

A post shared by Isaiah Canaan (@da_future3) on

The Phoenix Suns have received an injury hardship exemption by the NBA, and the team today announced they’re using it to sign guard Isaiah Canaan.

Canaan (6-0, 200-pounds) is in his fifth NBA season.

This NBA season, he appeared in one game for the Rockets.

For his NBA career, Canaan is avearging 8.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 20.2 minutes over 186 games (60 starts). He’s played for Houston (2013-15; 2017), Philadelphia (2015-16) and Chicago (2016-17).

Canaan played some real postseason minutes as a member of the Bulls. In three playoff games for Chicago, he averaged 11.7 points on 50.0 percent shooting.

He’s the 4th G League to NBA “Call-up” of the season.

Drafted 34th overall by Houston in the 2013 NBA Draft, Canaan had an excellent college basketball career at Murray State University.

Canaan will wear uniform No. 2.

The Suns roster now stands at 18 players.

Cody Zeller out after knee surgery

Cody Zeller out after knee surgery

Hornets center Cody Zeller had arthroscopic surgery in his left knee today. The team didn’t estimate a return date for him, so for now he’ll be listed as Out Indefinitely.

The injury occurred in the third quarter in the team’s December 6 game against the Warriors.

Zeller this season is averaging 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game.

Overall during his 298 games with Charlotte, Zeller has averaged 8.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per outing.

The Hornets are just 10-16 this season, which is the 13th best record in the Eastern conference. They were expected to be better than this.

The team is led in scoring by Kemba Walker (22.5 ppg), Dwight Howard (16.0 ppg), Jeremy Lamb (14.8), Frank Kaminsky (10.5 ppg) and Nicolas Batum (10.1 ppg).

The Hornets play the Rockets in Houston Wednesday night.

Tony Allen out 3-4 weeks with injury

Pelicans guard Tony Allen will be out of action for the next 3-4 weeks. The team announced today that the veteran has been diagnosed with a non-displaced left proximal fibula fracture.

Allen, who is 6-4 and 213, has played a limited role on the team. He is averaging 4.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game and has not been a serious factor.

Known as a defensive stopper, Allen has played in 820 career regular season NBA games, with an average of 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per outing. He has played for Boston, Memphis and New Orleans.

Trail Blazers all-time scoring list

This is through Monday, December 11, 2017:

Trail Blazers All-Time Scoring List
Player, Total Points, Seasons Played

1. Clyde Drexler 18,040 (1983-95)
2. LaMarcus Aldridge 12,562 (2006-15)
3. Terry Porter 11,330 (1985-95)
4. Cliff Robinson 10,405 (1989-97)
5. Jerome Kersey 10,067 (1984-95)
6. Jim Paxson 10,003 (1979-88)
7. Geoff Petrie 9,732 (1970-76)
8. Damian Lillard 9,532 (2012-Current)
9. Mychal Thompson 9,215 (1978-86)
10. Rasheed Wallace 9,119 (1996-04)

Markelle Fultz should injury update: no return date yet

 

 

A post shared by markellefultz (@markellefultz) on

The 76ers rebuilding process that took place over the last few seasons has finally materialized. With a 13-11 record, the Sixers are a solid team. Not great — that’s just the 9th best record in the Eastern conference — but solid, and the future should only be brighter. Especially when rookie guard Markelle Fultz eventually regains full health and can perhaps become a serious contributor.

For now, Fultz remains out. According to the Sixers, he is “no longer experiencing soreness in his right shoulder and the scapular muscle imbalance is resolved.”

He’s still undergoing physical therapy. Still healing. The team says they’ll issue another update on his shoulder and overall health in three weeks.

Hopefully, in three weeks we hear that he’s actually ready to play. And that the process won’t be extended.

There’s clearly no rush for Fultz to come back until he’s truly ready.

The Sixers have lost two games in a row. They play the Cavs in Cleveland tonight.

Grizzlies hire Greg Buckner as assistant coach

A post shared by Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) on

The Memphis Grizzlies today hired Greg Buckner as an assistant coach on Grizzlies interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s staff, General Manager Chris Wallace said today.

Buckner has five years of coaching experience with the Houston Rockets (2011-16), where he worked alongside Bickerstaff for two seasons as an assistant coach (2014-16). This after three seasons as a player development coach (2011-14).

Drafted in 1998 by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (53rd overall), Buckner played in 570 career games (117 starts) and averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Known as a defensive stopper, Buckner’s teams reach the playoffs in six of his 10 NBA seasons.

In 1998-99, he played for the Grand Rapids Hoops, a team in the Continental Basketball Association.

Playing college ball at Clemson University, Buckner was the first Tiger to ever lead his team in scoring in four straight years (1994-98). The teach reached the NCAA Tournament three times.

Bucker is in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kawhi Leonard may be set to return

The Spurs have had an excellent season considering they’ve been without star small forward Kawhi Leonard. Good news: Leonard may finally be ready to return. Here’s the San Antonio Express News reporting:

Kawhi Leonard may be set to return

The wait for Kawhi Leonard’s return may finally be coming to an end. League sources tell the Express-News Leonard could make his season debut for the Spurs on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns barring any setbacks.

According to sources, Leonard participate in a final workout session Thursday. The team will re-evaluate Leonard on Friday. If all goes well, and Leonard feels OK, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year will travel with the team to Phoenix after Friday’s game against Boston to play in the second game of a back-to-back.

Full article

Suns sign Mike James to regular contract

A post shared by Phoenix Suns (@suns) on

The Phoenix Suns have signed guard Mike James to a standard NBA contract. James had previously been under a two-way contract with the team.

The Suns have also waived forward Derrick Jones Jr. The team’s roster now stands at 16 players.

James ranks eighth among NBA rookies with 10.5 points per game and fifth with 4.0 assists per game as he has appeared in all 26 of the Suns’ contests this season (10 starts). James scored a career-high 26 points to go with seven assists at Minnesota on November 26. He also scored 20-plus with 24 points and four steals in a win at Brooklyn on October 31. James currently joins Suns Ring of Honor members Kevin Johnson and Alvan Adams as the only rookies in franchise history to average at least 10 points and four assists.

A 27-year-old in his first NBA season, James initially signed with the Suns on July 3, 2017. An athletic guard at 6-1, 190 pounds, he averaged 13.1 points, 3.0 assists and 0.9 steals in 25 Euroleague games with Panathinaikos in 2016-17, helping the team to the Euroleague playoffs where they lost to eventual champion Fenerbahce. He also posted 12.0 points, 2.8 assists and 0.9 steals in 24 Greek A1 League games as the team won both the Greek Basketball League and the Greek Cup. After going undrafted out of Lamar University in 2012, James had a productive pro career with clubs in Croatia, Israel, Italy, Spain and Greece, prior to joining the Suns.

A member of the Suns’ entry at NBA Summer League 2017 in Las Vegas, James also played for the Suns at NBA Summer League in 2015, helping the team to a runner-up finish.

Jones Jr. appeared in 38 games with the Suns over the past two seasons, averaging 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes.