Leandro Barbosa out one month

Leandro Barbosa out one month

Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa will undergo surgery on his right wrist to remove a cyst, the club announced today.

The surgery is schedule to take place this Tuesday, Jan. 26, and is expected to sideline Barbosa for approximately one month.

Currently in his seventh NBA season, the former Sixth Man of the Year is averaging 10.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.7 minutes this season.  The 27-year-old Barbosa, who has appeared in 29 games this season (five starts), missed three games from Nov. 3-6 due to inflammation in his right wrist.

The Suns (25-19) return to the court tonight, taking on the Golden State Warriors (13-28) at US Airways Center at 7 p.m.  The game can be seen locally on FOX Sports Arizona and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.

Tulsa WNBA team, which moved from Detroit, named Tulsa Shock

After months of anticipation, the new WNBA Tulsa franchise officially unveiled its identity today with the announcement of the new team name, logo and colors. The new franchise will be named the Tulsa Shock and its colors black, red and gold. The logo features a basketball on top of “Tulsa Shock” with a lightning bolt through it.  The “Tulsa” lettering has an Art Deco inspiration which was influenced by the city’s rich history in Art Deco architecture.

The Tulsa Shock, formerly the Detroit Shock, moved to Tulsa in October 2009. In November, the team decided on a short list of three potential names which included Fire, Tempo and Shock and then gave the fans an opportunity to vote for their favorite on the team’s Web site – www.wnba.com/shock.  The name “Shock” received the highest amount of votes with 38 percent.  Tempo finished second with 32 percent and Fire was third with 30 percent.

The Shock’s new president, Steve Swetoha, believes the familiarity WNBA fans have with the Shock name will go a long way in developing brand recognition for the team and lends itself well to promotions and marketing opportunities.

“I think its clear the Shock name resonated with fans because of the championship history it invokes, as well as the feelings of speed and power it brings. Our new name and identity fits perfectly with the style of play Coach Richardson brings to the team,” Swetoha said.  “It’s the same name with a whole new meaning.”

“The Tulsa Shock – I love it,” head coach Nolan Richardson said.  “Having an identity gets me more excited because I know we’re one step closer to tip-off, and we’ll look good when that day comes.”

Tulsa Shock uniforms are not finalized at this time.  The team will unveil the uniforms this spring.

Tulsa WNBA team, which moved from Detroit, named Tulsa Shock

Cavaliers sign Cedric Jackson to 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Cedric Jackson from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. The signing of Jackson marks the ninth Call-Up of the 2009-10 D-League season. Jackson will wear No. 9 for the Cavaliers.

During 10 games during the month of January with Erie, he increased his averages to 21.5 points on .407 shooting, 4.7 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.4 steals in 35.0 minutes per game and led the BayHawks to a 6-4 record, including a four-game winning streak from Jan. 10-17. The point guard posted game highs of 34 points on 9-21 (.429) shooting and 13 assists in his most recent game with the BayHawks on Jan. 19th versus the Austin Toros. In his 14 starts this season, he is averaging 16.5 points on .369 shooting, 4.7 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 35.4 minutes per game and in 23 games (14 starts) overall, Jackson has averaged 14.7 points on .397 shooting, 4.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 31.3 minutes per game.

As a senior at Cleveland State in 2009, the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder was named 2009 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Horizon League Second Team for the second consecutive season. In two seasons with the Vikings, he had career averages of 12.3 points on .405 shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.8 steals in 32.2 minutes per game. He is only the second Cleveland State alumnus (Darren Tillis, 1982-83) to ever play for the Cavaliers.