March 2011 – NBA Blog

John Wall suspended, Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas fined

John Wall of the Washington Wizards has been suspended one game without pay, and Juwan Howard of the Miami Heat has been fined $35,000 for their roles in an incident during a game on Wednesday, March 30. Additionally, Miami’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been fined $25,000. The penalties were announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Wall has been suspended for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two, which included throwing a closed-fist and forearm into the midsection of Ilgauskas, and Howard has been fined for escalating the altercation. The incident occurred with 8:48 remaining in the second quarter of the Heat’s 123-107 victory at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Ilgauskas, who received a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two, for an elbow to the face of Wall, has been fined for making an obscene gesture following his ejection.

Wall will serve his suspension on Friday, April 1 when the Wizards host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Washington junior guard Isaiah Thomas will enter 2011 NBA Draft

Washington junior guard Isaiah Thomas has decided to enter his name into the upcoming NBA Draft. The two-time first team All-Pac-10 member issued the following statement:

“Although it was a tough decision, I have decided to forego my senior season and enter my name into this year’s NBA draft. At this time I will not hire an agent. Over the past 3 years I’ve enjoyed every single minute of my Washington Husky career. I am very thankful to have played for a great coach like Coach Romar and our entire coaching staff. I have just over two quarter left to earn my degree, and I fully plan on finishing school. Also, I would like to take the time to thank all of my teammates and Husky fans for their support and the unforgettable memories. Go Dawgs!”

Coach Lorenzo Romar, who is in Houston for the NCAA Final Four, issued the following statement:

“Isaiah Thomas has had an unbelievable impact on our program during his time with us. We will definitely miss him, but we are behind him in his quest to fulfill a lifelong dream to play in the NBA.”

Thomas (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS/South Kent Prep [Conn.]), an honorable mention Associated Press All-American after averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 assists per game for the Huskies during their 2010-11 campaign, led the Pac-10 in assists, ranked fourth in scoring, 8th in steals (1.3 spg) and 8th in three-point makes per game (1.7). His 213 assists are the second most in UW single-season history.

Thomas helped the Huskies to their second-consecutive Pac-10 tournament championship and a 24-11 overall record. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the conference tournament for a second time, joining Arizona’s Sean Elliott as the only two-time winner.

Thomas also led Washington with 15.5 points and 7.5 assists in the Huskies two NCAA tournament games.

Thomas ended his junior season ranked among the Huskies all-time leader in points (1,721/6th), assists (415/3rd), 3-point makes (164/3rd) and steals (122/8th).

Bobcats center Joel Przybilla will not play again this season

Bobcats center Joel Przybilla out for rest of season

Charlotte Bobcats center Joel Przybilla will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2010-11 season after continued pain and immobility in his right knee. Last season, Przybilla had season ending surgery to repair a ruptured patella tendon. He will undergo an additional procedure to remove surgical hardware (wires) that were inserted to help attach and repair the tendon.

A 7-1 center, Przybilla was selected by Houston with the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft before having his rights traded to Milwaukee. In 553 NBA games with Milwaukee, Atlanta, Portland and Charlotte, he holds career averages of 4.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, while connecting on .568 from the field. Przybilla has also appeared in 10 career postseason games with the Bucks and Trail Blazers. This season, he has appeared 36 games total, including five with the Bobcats, with averages of 1.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes.

The Bobcats acquired Przybilla along with forwards Dante Cunningham and Sean Marks, two first-round draft picks and cash considerations from Portland on Feb. 24 in exchange for Gerald Wallace.

Nets sign Mario West to 10-day contract

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Mario West to a 10-day contract, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

West, 6’5”/ 210, is a fourth-year NBA veteran with career averages of 0.8 points and 0.8 rebounds in 156 games with Atlanta. The Georgia Tech product went undrafted in 2007 and signed with Atlanta as a free agent on October 1, 2007.

West has appeared in 42 games, all starts, with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League this season. He averaged 13.7 points, 2.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting .526 from the field and .365 from 3-point range. Last season with the Hawks, West appeared in 39 games, including one start, while averaging 0.8 points and 0.7 rebounds in 3.6 minutes per contest.

West will wear No. 6 with the Nets.

Read fan reaction or share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Nets waive Quinton Ross

Quinton Ross

On NBA bubble

The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on guard/forward Quinton Ross, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Ross played in 36 games for the Nets this season, making four starts, and averaging 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. Ross missed a total of 24 games due to injury throughout the season, including 15 of the last 16 games with a lower back injury.

In seven NBA seasons, Ross holds career averages of 4.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.

LeBron thinks D-Rose is MVP

Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

Derrick Rose

derrick rose

Kid is ballin’

Earlier this season, James backed New York Knicks center Amar’e Stoudemire for league MVP. With a few weeks left before the playoffs, things have changed.

James said Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is his choice. Rose is generally regarded as the top candidate, with the Bulls on pace to earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Rose has kept the Bulls afloat despite injuries to Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.

“I think Derrick Rose,” James said. “What he’s done for that team, with all the injuries they have and them being first in the Eastern Conference. They’re playing some really good basketball.”

James said he was leaning toward Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki until he was injured. Now, he’s in full support of Rose.

“You’ve got some guys here that have done their job also,” James said. “But Derrick Rose definitely has gotten a lot of the exposure and a lot of the media attention because of the work he’s done. He’s playing some unbelievable basketball.”

Dominique Wilkins attacked after Hawks game

Alexis Stevens of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

The man who allegedly attacked NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins after Wednesday night’s game said Wilkins owed him money, Atlanta police said.

Rashan S. Michel, 36, was arrested and charged with one count of simple battery following the incident, Officer K.Y. Jones with Atlanta police told the AJC.

Michel, who told police he was owed money for suits purchased several years ago, hit Wilkins in the chest and also hit a security guard, Jones said. Michel, of Atlanta, has worked as an NBA and college basketball referee and previously owned his own clothing store.

ESPN.com and the AP report: Wilkins is a vice president with the team and serves as a television analyst. He had just finished working Atlanta’s 85-82 victory Wednesday night from his customary spot on press row when the alleged incident occurred at Philips Arena. Team spokesman Arthur Triche says the attacker was “promptly arrested and taken into custody by the Atlanta police department.” Wilkins was not injured.

Knicks edge Nets in MSG thriller

The AP reports:

Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points for the second straight game, including the tiebreaking jumper with 1:08 left, and the New York Knicks rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the New Jersey Nets 120-116 on Wednesday night.

Chauncey Billups added 33 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points for the Knicks, who have won two in a row after a six-game losing streak and trimmed their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to three.

Anthony scored only two points in the fourth quarter after a 20-point third, but it was the basket the Knicks needed in the first meeting since they beat out the Nets in the race to acquire the All-Star forward.

Deron Williams had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in his return from a six-game absence with an injured wrist, but was short on a potential tying jumper in the final seconds and appeared hurt again after going down trying to chase down his miss.

Anthony Morrow scored a season-high 30 points to lead the Nets. Brook Lopez added 26 points and Kris Humphries finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, but New Jersey came up short in a game it desperately wanted to win.

Wizards forward Trevor Booker fractures bone in right foot

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that Trevor Booker has sustained a fractured sesamoid bone in his right foot. Booker will be placed in a walking boot and will be re-evaluated in six weeks. He last appeared in action on March 25th at Denver.

The 23rd overall selection in the 2010 NBA Draft, Booker finishes his rookie campaign ranked 19th among all rookies in points per game (5.3 ppg), tied for ninth among rookies in rebounds per game (3.9 rpg), and 2nd among all rookies with a .549 field goal percentage.

Booker appeared in 65 games and started 14 contests in 2010-11.

Jazz sign Kyle Weaver to 10-day contract

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has signed guard Kyle Weaver of the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros to a 10-day contract. Weaver becomes the NBA’s 19th D-League Call-Up and 15th different player promoted to the NBA this season. Following the transaction, the Jazz roster now stands at 15 players.

A 6-6 guard from Washington State, Weaver averaged 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting .429 from the field through 21 games (20 starts) for the Iowa Energy this season before being acquired by the Austin Toros. During his nine-game stint with the Toros, Weaver averaged 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 30.8 minutes of play.

Originally selected by the Charlotte in the second round (38th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Weaver was traded by the Bobcats to the Oklahoma City Thunder on August 8, 2008, in exchange for a future second-round pick. During his two seasons with the Thunder (2008-10), Weaver appeared in 68 games (19 starts), averaging 4.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 points in 19.3 minutes of play.

Weaver attended training camp with the Chicago Bulls prior to the 2010-11 season, appearing in three preseason games and averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 assists in 8.7 minutes before being waived on October 21.

The 25-year-old Beloit, Wisconsin, native played four collegiate seasons at Washington State (2004-08), averaging 12.2 points with 4.3 assists during his senior season. Weaver finished his Cougars career as the first player in Pac-10 history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 175 steals and 75 blocked shots.

Weaver becomes the seventh D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04), Louis Amundson (2006-07), Sundiata Gaines (2009-10), Othyus Jeffers (2009-10) and Marcus Cousin (2010-11).