Month: January 2018

Thabo Sefolosha undergoes knee surgery

Utah Jazz swingman Thabo Sefolosha (6-7, 220, Switzerland) had surgery on his right knee to repair an avulsion of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). He suffered the injury on January 12 in a game against the Hornets.

In his 12th NBA season, Sefolosha is averaging 8.2 points, his highest scoring average since 2008-09, on 49.2 percent from the field, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 38 games (six starts) for the Jazz on the year.

Sefolosha will continue to rehab in Salt Lake City and will be out indefinitely.

Kawhi Leonard is back on the injured list

Kawhi Leonard returns to the injured list

The Spurs began their season with Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker unavailable due to injuries, and now in mid January the 29-16 squad will be without Leonard.

The team announced today that Leonard will be out for an indefinite period of time, so he may continue recovering from right quadriceps tendinopathy.

“Kawhi has made significant progress and continues to move forward in his rehabilitation,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford, obviously trying to sound as diplomatic as possible. “This is the best approach for the next steps in his return to play.”

Leonard has managed to play in just nine games this season, but has done big things in very limited playing time, averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in just 23.3 minutes per outing.

Only four Spurs are averaging double-digit scoring this season: LaMarcus Aldridge at 22.4 ppg, Leonard, Rudy Gay at 11.5 ppg, and Pau Gasol at 10.4 ppg.

According to the San Antonio Express News, “the Spurs will also face the Nets tonight without Rudy Gay, who Popovich said is “still a couple weeks” from returning from a bout of right heel bursitis. They also will not have Manu Ginobili, who Popovich expects will miss tonight’s game and Friday’s contest in Toronto with a thigh contusion. Pau Gasol (hand) and Danny Green (groin) are planning to play through their bumps and bruises, Popovich said.”

JJ Redick out with leg injury

 

 

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The Philadelphia 76ers will be without shooting guard JJ Redick for at least the next 10-14 days.

Mid 4th quarter of yesterday’s game against the Raptors, which the Sixers won 117-111, Redick suffered an injury to his left leg. X-rays after the game were negative. An MRI performed today revealed that Redick has bone edema and a small cortical crack in the fibular head of his left leg.

The team says he will be re-evaluated in approximately 10 days to two weeks.

The Sixers are 20-20 this season, placing them 9th in the Eastern conference, behind the 8th place Detroit Pistons (22-20). For the season, Redick is second on the team in scoring, averaging 17.3 points and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 44.8% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range.

Celtics legend Jo Jo White has died

 

 

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Statement from the Celtics: “We are terribly saddened by the passing of the great Jo Jo White. He was a champion and a gentleman; supremely talented and brilliant on the court, and endlessly gracious off of it. Jo Jo was a key member of two championship teams, an NBA Finals MVP, a gold medal-winning Olympian, and a Hall of Famer. His contributions to the team’s championship legacy may have only been surpassed by the deep and lasting impact that he had in the community. The thoughts and sympathies of the entire Celtics organization are with the White family.”

The Boston Herald reports: Celtic legend JoJo White has passed away at 71 after his battle with cancer. A 2015 Hall of Fame inductee, White was a seven-time All-Star and MVP of the 1976 NBA Finals. He won two NBA titles with the Celtics. White’s No. 10 is retired by the Celtics at TD Garden. He played 10 seasons in Boston before moving on to Golden State and Kansas City to finish his career.

ESPN.com reports: White underwent life-threatening surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2010. With many vocal supporters, he earned induction into the Hall of Fame after a long wait in 2015 and gave a moving speech as part of the induction week where he reveled in the honor. White was also drafted by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and MLB’s Cincinnati Reds. He finished his 12-season NBA career playing for Golden State and Kansas City.

Bucks sign Marshall Plumlee to two-way contract

Bucks sign Marshall Plumlee to two-way contract

The Milwaukee Bucks last night (Monday) signed center Marshall Plumlee to a Two-Way contract.

Plumlee, 25, played in 27 games (25 starts) this season for the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, the NBA G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 8.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game with Agua Caliente while shooting 58.3 percent from the field.

The 7-0 center went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Duke, but made 21 appearances (one start) for the New York Knicks in 2016-17, averaging 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game. Plumlee also played 15 games (all starts) with the Knicks’ G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, last season where he averaged 12.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.

The Bucks roster now stands at 17 players.

Rockets sign Markel Brown, waive Briante Weber

The Houston Rockets made a late-night move on Monday, signing guard Markel Brown to a two-way contract.

And in a related transaction, the team waived guard Brianté Weber.

Brown (6-3, 185) joins the Rockets from the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League, where he averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. He also averaged 2.9 3-pointers made and had nearly as many steals (31) as turnovers (33).

Following a four-year career at Oklahoma State University, Brown was the 44th overall pick by Minnesota in the 2014 NBA Draft before his rights were acquired by Brooklyn. In two seasons with the Nets from 2014-15 through 2015-16, he appeared in 109 games with 35 starts. Brown spent last season playing in Russia.

John Wall scoring big in January

John Wall scoring big in January

The Wizards were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks 104-95 yesterday, finishing their five-game homestand 2-3.

John Wall recorded 27 points and nine assists, his fifth game with at least 25 points in January.

25+ Point Games, January
Lou Williams 7
John Wall 5
Giannis Antetokounmpo 5
DeMar DeRozan 5
Kevin Durant 5

Wall is averaging the second-most points in the Eastern Conference in the month of January (seven games) and the most assists in the entire NBA in that same span.

Points Per Game-EC, January
DeMar DeRozan 30.8
John Wall 25.9
Giannis Antetokounmpo 25.6

Assists Per Game-NBA, January
John Wall 11.3
Kris Dunn 7.9
Goran Dragic 7.0

Kelly Oubre Jr. notched his 30th game this season with at least 10 points, the third-most on the team this season (Beal-41, Wall-32).

— Wizards Notes

Timberwolves sign Amile Jefferson to two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed forward Amile Jefferson to a two-way contract.

Jefferson, 24, has played in 22 games this season for the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves’ NBA G League affiliate, averaging 18.0 points and a league-best 13.1 rebounds per contest while shooting 64.0% from the field. Jefferson, 6-9, has 16 double-doubles on the season, including one in each of his last seven games dating back to Dec. 29. The Duke graduate was recently named to the NBA G League Showcase First Team, averaging 22.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 65.0% from the field over two contests. Jefferson’s best games include a 28-point, 21-rebound performance Jan. 6 at Texas and 29 points, 15 rebounds and six assists Jan. 10 at Canton (G League Showcase).

The Timberwolves originally signed Jefferson to a training camp contract on Sept. 18, 2017. Jefferson appeared in one preseason game for Minnesota, totaling one rebound in 4:15 of action. Jefferson was waived on October 16, 2017.

Two-way contracts allow teams to sign two players to two-way contracts in addition to the 15-man regular-season roster. Players signed to a two-way contact can accrue no more than 45 days of service with their respective NBA club during the regular season and will spend the remainder of their time with the team’s NBA G League affiliate. Jefferson is the second Timberwolves player to sign a two-way contract, joining Anthony Brown.

Sixers sign Demetrius Jackson, waive James Michael McAdoo

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed guard Demetrius Jackson to a two-way contract.

In a related move, the team has waived forward James Michael McAdoo

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to sign two players to two-way contracts in addition to the 15-man NBA regular-season roster. As a two-way player for the 76ers, Jackson will provide services to the team’s G League affiliate – the Delaware 87ers – but, pursuant to the contract signing date, he can spend up to 23 days with the 76ers, not including any time spent with the 76ers following the conclusion of the Sevens’ regular season.

Jackson has spent time this season with the Houston Rockets and their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He appeared in 12 games with Houston, averaging 5.3 minutes per game. In the G League, Jackson played in 16 games, posting averages of 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.9 minutes per contest.

Originally selected with the 45th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Celtics, Jackson has played in the NBA with both Boston and Houston, appearing in a total of 17 games. The second-year pro has played in 48 total G League games with the Maine Red Claws and Vipers, averaging 15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.6 minutes per game.

In his three collegiate seasons at Notre Dame, Jackson played in 103 games (88 starts) and averaged 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 31.5 minutes per game. In his junior season, he led the Irish in points, assists and steals, helping the team to a 24-12 record and its second consecutive Elite Eight appearance. He was named to the 2016 NCAA Tournament All-Region Team for the East and selected 2016 Second Team All-ACC following his final season at Notre Dame.

Jackson will wear No. 11 for the 76ers.