September 27, 2010 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Jazz re-sign Kyrylo Fesenko

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has re-signed restricted free-agent center Kyrylo Fesenko. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

A three-year NBA veteran, Fesenko (7-1, 300, Ukraine) appeared in 49 games (5 starts) for the Jazz in 2009-10, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes. He also appeared in all 10 Jazz playoff games (nine starts), averaging 3.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.50 blocks in 18.0 minutes. Fesenko scored in double figures three times on the season, and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals vs. the L.A. Lakers. Originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round (38th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, the Jazz acquired Fesenko’s rights in a draft-night deal that sent the draft rights to Herbert Hill (55th overall pick) to the 76ers. Fesenko has appeared in a total of 79 regular season games (all with the Jazz) and owns career averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per game.

Utah Jazz center Kyrylo Fesenko dunks for two points over Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum in the third quarter during Game 3 of their NBA Western Conference semi-final playoff series in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 8, 2010. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

Pistons add Ike Diogu to training camp

The Detroit Pistons announced today the addition of Ike Diogu to the 2010-11 training camp roster.

Diogu, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, has career averages of 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 187 games with Golden State, Indiana, Portland and Sacramento. A veteran of four NBA seasons, Diogu averaged a career-high 7.0 points as a rookie with the Warriors in 2005-06. The 2005 Pac-10 Player of the Year averaged 21.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in 91 career games over three seasons at Arizona State. The 6-9, 250-pound forward missed last season with a knee injury.

Portland Trailblazers forward Ike Diogu dunks in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center in Denver on December 22, 2008. (UPI Photo/Gary C. Caskey) Photo via Newscom Photo via Newscom

Warriors name assistant coaching staff

The Golden State Warriors have hired Jerry Sichting and Robert Werdann as assistant coaches, hired Mark Price as a shooting coach, and moved Special Assistant Calbert Cheaney into the role of assistant coach, the team announced today. They will join returning assistant coach Stephen Silas on the staff of new Head Coach Keith Smart.

Sichting, who enjoyed a 10-year NBA playing career, has served as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves organization for 13 of the past 14 seasons, including 11 of those years as an assistant coach. Most recently, in 2009-10, he served as the Timberwovles Director of Pro Player Personnel, during which time he was responsible for scouting and evaluating current NBA players. His lone season away from the T-Wolves in the last 14 years came in 2006-07 when he served as an assistant coach at Marquette University.

Cheaney, a 13-year NBA veteran, moves to the bench to serve as an assistant coach for the first time after working in the team’s front office last season as a special assistant. He rejoined the Warriors prior to last season after playing the final three years of his NBA career with the team (2003-04, 2004-05 & 2005-06). During his playing days with the Warriors, Cheaney teamed with current Warriors Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins.

Werdann has spent the last six seasons with the New Orleans Hornets, where he served as an assistant coach in 2009-10. For the five years prior, he served as an advance scout for the Hornets, and was the team’s Summer League coach at the 2009 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. As a player, Werdann was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 46th overall selection in the 1992 NBA Draft out of St. John’s and appeared in 47 NBA games over three seasons with the Nuggets and the New Jersey Nets.

Price, the NBA’s all-time leader in free throw percentage in the regular season (.904) and in the postseason (.944), has served as a shooting consultant for the Atlanta Hawks in each of the last two seasons after spending the 2007-08 campaign with the Memphis Grizzlies in a similar position. During his 12-year NBA playing career, Price was named All-NBA First Team in 1992-93 and earned All-NBA Third Team honors three times.

Warriors name Keith Smart head coach

The Golden State Warriors announced today that Don Nelson has relinquished his head coaching duties and that Assistant Coach Keith Smart has been named his successor. Smart, 46, will become the 23rd head coach in franchise history and the 18th since the team moved to the West Coast prior to the 1962-63 season.

“We feel that Keith Smart is ready for this challenge as we embark on a new season,” said General Manager Larry Riley. “He has a wealth of experience as a player and coach in this game and has been fortunate to be around some of the best minds in the business, including Don Nelson at the NBA level and Bobby Knight in college. He’s an outstanding communicator, has a vast knowledge of the game and I’m confident that he is the right person for the job. Additionally, he has previous head coaching experience in the NBA, including several games during Nellie’s absence last season, and in the CBA. In regard to Nellie, we simply felt it was the right time to make a change. He’s been a terrific coach for over three decades and has left a lasting legacy in this league as the winningest coach in the history of the NBA.”

Smart, who joined the Warriors prior to the 2003-04 season, has spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach with the club. Overall, the Baton Rouge, LA, native has served a total of 11 seasons as an NBA assistant coach and has amassed 21 years of experience in professional basketball as either a player or coach. Prior to joining the Warriors, Smart spent three seasons in Cleveland, where he concluded his stint with the Cavaliers as the club’s interim head coach over the final 40 games of the 2002-03 campaign.

In addition to his vast NBA coaching experience, Smart has served as a head coach for various teams at different levels, including the Ft. Wayne Fury of the CBA. He helped guide the Fury to its first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history in 1997-98 and 1998-99 during a three-year tenure with the club. During his initial campaign with the team (1997-98), he guided the Fury to a franchise record 31-win season and a trip to the playoffs. The following season, the Fury qualified for post-season play again, despite having a single-season franchise record nine (9) players signed to NBA contracts during the course of the year. Smart was named the CBA’s Coach of the Month five times during his stint in Ft. Wayne and had a CBA-high 21 players signed to NBA contracts.

During his professional basketball playing career, Smart spent six seasons in the CBA, two seasons in France and one in Venezuela. He also played briefly in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs during the 1988-89 season. Smart was originally drafted by the Warriors in the second round (41st overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft.

As a collegian, Smart spent two season at Indiana University, where he played for Bobby Knight and helped lead the Hoosiers to the 1987 NCAA Championship. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1987 Final Four and is widely recognized for his game-winning shot against Syracuse in the 1987 title game in New Orleans.

Bucks hire Anthony Goldwire as assistant coach

General manager John Hammond announced today that the Bucks have added Anthony Goldwire as an assistant coach to the 2010-11 Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff. Goldwire, who has playing experience in the NBA, CBA and internationally, most recently served as an assistant coach for the 2010 Phoenix Suns Summer League team. Goldwire joins Jim Boylan, Kelvin Sampson, Joe Wolf and Bill Peterson on the coaching staff of Head Coach Scott Skiles.

From 1995-2005, Goldwire spent eight seasons with nine NBA teams, including two stints with Milwaukee in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons, respectively. In 24 games during the 2004-05 season, Goldwire averaged 6.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Bucks. In 266 career NBA games, Goldwire averaged 6.3 points, 2.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds.

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Goldwire played at the University of Houston and was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round (52nd overall pick) of the 1994 NBA Draft. He began his professional career with the Yakima Sun Kings of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he earned Second Team All-Rookie honors in 1995 while leading the Sun Kings to a CBA Championship. In 2006 he won another CBA Championship with Yakima and was named the League and Finals MVP.

Goldwire spent several seasons playing basketball overseas, most recently with CB Sant Josep Girona of Catalonia, Spain in 2009. He replaces Adrian Griffin, who took a coaching position with the Chicago Bulls.

Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian reach 1-year anniversary

Janis Carr of the Orange County Register reports:

45271, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - Tuesday September 21 2010. A curvaceous Khloe Kardashian fuels pregnancy rumours by wearing a figure-hugging dress to dinner at Katsuya with hubbie Lamar Odom. Photograph: Greg Tidwell, PacificCoastNews.com

And they said it wouldn’t last even a month.

But on Monday, Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary. The unlikely pair married after a month-long courtship and immediately speculation (and probably some over-unders) began on how long the union between the Lakers forward and the TV reality star would last.

“No one can really determine who loves,” Odom said. “You don’t really know who you are going to love. Only the two people determine that.

“We’re so blessed to have each other.”

InsideHoops.com editor says:

Kim Kardashian and myself continue to not share a relationship together at this time.

More updates later.

Pistons seek big-man

Terry Foster of the Detroit News reports:

The Pistons are loaded with guards but are thin up front. They re-signed 14-year veteran Ben Wallace, who was their best frontcourt player last season. Rookie Greg Monroe is a 6-foot-11 big man out of Georgetown who has a nice passing touch but is rough around the edges offensively. Chris Wilcox played in just 34 games and sometimes the Pistons were so desperate in the post that they put 6-7 energy man Jason Maxiell inside.

Dumars has assets other teams don’t appear to want. Guard Richard Hamilton and forward Tayshaun Prince have been named in trade talks for years, yet they remain.

Dumars wouldn’t say if anybody was on the trade block, saying: “I want a big man. Let’s put it that way.”

Prince is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $11.1 million this season. Hamilton is difficult to move because he will be paid $12.65 million in each of the next three seasons. Unless a team becomes desperate, it’s unlikely Dumars will get his wish.

Grizzlies bench must step up this season

Ronald Tillery of the Memphihs Commercial Appeal reports:

It’s no secret that the Achilles’ heel for this team last season was a serious lack of bench production. Aside from Sam Young’s 7.4 points per game, the Griz couldn’t count on much in reserve.

There will be a tendency to place improved bench productivity on the shoulders of 19-year-old sharp-shooting rookie Xavier Henry in the wake of a summerlong contract dispute. Yes, the Griz will need Henry’s scoring (especially his three-point shooting), but the bench’s improvement bears watching a number of players.

If the Griz are to have a second unit that can change tempo with scrappy defense and offensive proficiency then Young must show development beyond being a one-on-one offensive player, center Hasheem Thabeet has to provide consistent shot blocking and rebounding and free agent Tony Allen should live up to his reputation as a defensive stopper on the perimeter.

Report: Sixers offer Iguodala for Melo

Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

The 76ers have contacted the Denver Nuggets about a potential trade for star forward Carmelo Anthony, multiple NBA sources confirmed on Sunday.

The centerpiece of the Sixers’ offer is swingman Andre Iguodala, although other players, including expiring contracts and young talent, would be needed to convince the Nuggets to part with their franchise player.

Anthony has only one season left on his contract and has made it clear he does not intend to re-sign with Denver, the team he joined as a rookie in 2003.

The Nuggets have offered Anthony a three-year, $65 million extension; the offer is still on the table. Iguodala agreed to a six-year, $80 million deal before the 2008-09 season; he has four years and approximately $55 million remaining on his deal.

April 12, 2010: Philadelphia 76ers guard Andre Iguodala (9) looking to pass the ball during the NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Heat beat the 76ers, 107-105.

Utah Jazz sign Earl Watson

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has signed free-agent guard Earl Watson. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Watson (6-1, 185, UCLA) owns career averages of 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists over nine NBA seasons with Memphis, Denver, Seattle/Oklahoma City and Indiana. Watson has also appeared in eight postseason contests, all with Memphis in 2004 and 2005.

UCLA’s all-time leader in steals and minutes played, Watson’s best statistical NBA season came in 2007-08 with Seattle, when he appeared in 78 games (73 starts) for the SuperSonics, averaging 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 29.1 minutes. Last season with Indiana, Watson saw action in 79 games (52 starts), averaging 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists in in 29.4 minutes.

March 14, 2010 Milwaukee, WI. Bradley Center..Indiana Pacers Earl Watson brings the ball up the court, Watson had 15 points and 5 rebounds against the Bucks today..Milwaukee Buck won over the Indiana Pacers 98-94. Mike McGinnis/CSM.