Month: January 2020

Hawks sign forward Paul Watson to 10-day contract

The Atlanta Hawks signed Paul Watson to a 10-day contract today.

The 6’6” forward has started all 13 games this season for the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League, averaging 18.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 34.3 minutes (.533 FG%, .467 3FG%, .706 FT%). He spent the previous two seasons in the G League with the Westchester Knicks, who selected him in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2017 G League Draft.

Watson played four years at Fresno State, where as a senior in 2016-17, he compiled 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 32.3 minutes (.414 FG%, .341 3FG%, .679 FT%).

The native of Phoenix, AZ led Paradise Valley High School to the state championship his senior year. He will wear jersey No. 2.

Will the Pistons trade Andre Drummond?

 

 

 

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The Pistons are going nowhere fast this season, and Andre Drummond can opt out of his contract this summer. It will cost Detroit a ton of money to keep him. Naturally, this leads to trade speculation.

Here’s ESPN.com with an update:

Drummond, who has spent his entire eight-year career with the organization, did not hesitate when asked why he would like to stay in Detroit.

“I’m not a quitter, for one,” Drummond said after scoring 14 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in Saturday’s 111-104 win over the Golden State Warriors. “I was never brought up to be a quitter. If I start somewhere, I try to finish there, try to complete the mission, which is to win a championship here. It will never be me that wants to go anywhere … I love being here. I would love to play here the rest of my career.”

The Pistons are 13-23 this season. Drummond is putting up big stats, but Blake Griffin is having a very disappointing season, guards Derrick Rose and Luke Kennard are getting buckets, but there isn’t much else to write home about. The team has tough decisions to make. A rebuild is clearly necessary, and whether it should include Drummond on a massive new contract or not is up for debate.

Nets sign guard Chris Chiozza to two-way contract

Saturday night, the Brooklyn Nets signed guard Chris Chiozza to a two-way contract.

Chiozza (5’11”, 176) joins Brooklyn from the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League. In 10 games (nine starts) this season for the Go-Go, he averaged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.6 steals in 31.1 minutes per contest. Chiozza signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards earlier this season on Oct. 21, and appeared in 10 games for the Wizards, averaging 2.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 12.3 minutes per game. During the 2018-19 season, Chiozza was signed to a 10-day contract with the Houston Rockets on Feb. 22 and was later signed for the remainder of the season by the Rockets on March 23. He appeared in seven games for Houston, averaging 0.9 points in 4.6 minutes per game. Over two NBA G League seasons with Rio Grande Valley (2018-19) and Capital City (2018-20), the 24-year-old has appeared in 57 games (55 starts) and holds career averages of 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game.

The Tennessee native played four collegiate seasons (2014-18) at the University of Florida. In 139 career games (65 starts), he averaged 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 25.1 minutes per contest. Following his senior season, the Gators’ all-time assists leader (571) was named to the All-SEC First Team after appearing in 34 games (32 starts) and averaging 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals in 32.0 minutes per game.

The Nets roster now stands at 16 players.

Wizards waive forward Johnathan Williams

Late Saturday night, the Washington Wizards waived forward Johnathan Williams, who had reached the 10-day limit on the team’s injury hardship exception.

Williams appeared in six games for the Wizards (four starts), averaging 5.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.

There are now 16 players on the Wizards roster, plus two-way players Garrison Mathews and Anzejs Pasecniks.

The Wizards are 11-24 this season. They’re being led in scoring by shooting guard Bradley Beal at 27.8 points per game, and have seven other players averaging double-digit points. And have one of the league’s most efficient offenses, despite playing without point guard John Wall this season. But their defense is one of the league’s worst.

Cavs forward Larry Nance Jr out 1-2 weeks

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. will miss around 1-2 weeks of action due to continued left knee soreness that he’s experienced since missing December 23 Cavs game against the Hawks.

Nance underwent imaging and evaluation at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health by the Cavaliers medical staff today. He will now undergo a period of treatment and rehabilitation and his return to play will be updated as appropriate.

An active member of the team’s rotation this season, Nance has come off the bench for 26 of his 31 games played, and in 24.3 minutes per outing is averaging 8.0 points and 7.0 rebounds.

Cavs give forward Tyler Cook a standard contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have converted the Two-Way contract of forward Tyler Cook into a standard NBA contract.

Cook, listed at 6-foot-9, 255 pounds, was claimed off waivers by the Cavaliers as a Two-Way player on Oct. 19. He has played in six games for Cleveland this season. He has also played in 15 games (four starts) with the Cavaliers’ G League team, the Canton Charge, for whom he averaged 12.6 points on .602 shooting from the field and 6.1 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game.

Cook played college basketball at the University of Iowa, putting up modest stats. He went undrafted in 2019. But has worked hard and gotten himself a real deal, and must now continue to step up in the hope of solidifying his place in the NBA.

The Cavs have a 10-24 record, but have won first of their last ten games. They’re being led in scoring this season by Collin Sexton (18.1 PPG), Kevin Love (16.6 PPG) and Tristan Thompson (12.6 PPG).

EuroLeague: James Nunnally signs in Turkey

Here’s Eurocupbasketball.com with an update on guard/forward James Nunnally:

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has brought back one of its most important players of recent years, forward James Nunnally, until the end of the season, the club announced Friday. Nunnally (2.01 meters, 29 years old) arrives from China, where he played with the Shanghai Sharks. In China, Nunnally averaged 22.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Nunnally has played for teams in Greece, Spain, Turkey, Italy and China.

Magic forward Jonathan Isaac out 8-10 weeks with knee injury

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, who suffered a hyperextended left knee early first quarter during Orlando’s 122-101 road win January 1 against the Wizards, on Jan. 1, underwent an MRI yesterday which revealed a posterior lateral corner injury and a medial bone contusion.

Isaac will be re-evaluated in 8-10 weeks.

The team says that operative and non-operative treatments will be considered and his return to the court will depend on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation.

“While this certainly is disappointing news, there was no damage to his ACL, MCL and PCL ligaments,” said Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman. “All signs point to a complete recovery and this should not impact his future growth.”

According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Isaac injured his knee when he tried to convert a steal into a layup. Isaac’s knee buckled as he tried to slip past Wizards guard Bradley Beal and get to the basket. As Isaac tried to step across Beal and get into the lane, video showed the back of Isaac’s left leg catching Beal’s right leg.”

The 6-foot-10, 230-pound Isaac has played in 32 games this season for the Magic, starting all 32, and has been a bright-spot for the team, especially due to his defensive ability. His season average is 12.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, a team-high 2.44 blocks. and a team-high 1.56 steals. in 29.7 minutes per game.

Through yesterday’s games, Isaac has a higher total of blocks plus steals than any player in the league.

Nets waive David Nwaba, who was out with a season-ending injury

The Brooklyn Nets have waived guard/forward David Nwaba, who recently suffered a season-ending injury.

According to the New York Daily News, “Nwaba was ruled out for the season after tearing his Achilles in a Dec. 19 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.”

Nwaba appeared in 20 games for Brooklyn this season, recording averages of 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per contest. He signed with the Nets on July 17, 2019.

More from the Daily News: “The Nets had a full roster and could only add a full-time replacement by waiving the injured Nwaba.”

The Nets’ roster now stands at 16 players.