Lakers sign Manny Harris to second 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Manny Harris to a second 10-day contract, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

In five games with the Lakers this season, Harris is averaging 6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20.9 minutes.

Before signing his first 10-Day contract with the Lakers on January 16th, Harris was most recently a member of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ NBA Development League affiliate, and was the D-League’s leading scorer at 30.6 points per game. Overall, in 13 games with the D-Fenders (13 starts) this season, Harris averaged 30.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 48.5% from the field. On January 13, Harris was named the NBA D-League Performer of the Week for the second consecutive time, and fourth time in his career.

In his previous 80 career NBA games (20 starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, the Detroit, Michigan native averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.4 minutes per game.

Deron Williams playing well off bench for Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are winning lately, having enjoyed victories in nine of their last ten games. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — right? Point guard Deron Williams, who certainly gets paid like a starter, has been coming off the bench, and chemistry-wise it’s been working. It’ll be interesting to see how long this continues. Here’s ESPN New York on the situation:

Deron Williams playing well off bench for Nets

Since returning to the lineup, Deron Williams has given the Brooklyn Nets’ second unit a major lift.

In his third game coming off the bench Friday night, Williams had 18 points — 14 in the second half — and 11 assists to just one turnover in 35 minutes.

“I felt pretty good,” said Williams, who has dealt with ankle injuries all season. “I’m getting a rhythm back and trying to get healthy and get back to playing like I’m capable.”

Williams made the selfless decision to work his way back into the rotation slowly, rather than disrupt the chemistry that starters Shaun Livingston, Alan Anderson, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have formed.

Coach Larry Drew feeling frustration in Milwaukee

Here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting on Bucks coach Larry Drew, whose team through Saturday’s games is 8-35 this season, which is the worst record in the NBA:

Coach Larry Drew feeling frustration in Milwaukee

Larry Drew has been frustrated plenty of times this season.

But it was quite visible Saturday night after the Milwaukee Bucks coach emerged from a 21-minute post-game meeting with his players, following the Bucks’ 112-87 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

And he didn’t mince words when asked about the Bucks’ lack of competitiveness against a short-handed Hawks team that was missing two of its best players – Al Horford and Jeff Teague.

“I’m disappointed in everybody, myself included,” Drew said. “We’re just not playing hard enough. I don’t care what the situation is. And again, me included.

“We’re paid to play hard. I’m paid to coach this team to the best of my ability and get these guys ready to play.”

Suns recall Archie Goodwin from D-League

Suns recall Archie Goodwin from D-League

The Phoenix Suns have recalled guard Archie Goodwin from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, the team announced today.

Phoenix originally assigned the rookie guard to their D-League affiliate on Jan. 23. Selected with the 29th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Goodwin appeared in two games for the Jam, averaging 29.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 44.0 minutes. The 19-year-old tallied 32 points, shooting 15-of-18 from the free throw line, against Sioux Falls on Friday and scored 27 points against Reno on Saturday.

Goodwin will be with the Suns for their game tonight at the Cleveland Cavaliers. The contest will tip off at 4:00 p.m. (Phoenix time) and will be televised on FOX Sports Arizona with radio broadcast on Arizona Sports 620 (KTAR-AM).

Former NBA player Jim Jackson discusses his time on the Mavericks

Here’s the Dallas Morning News talking to former NBA player Jim Jackson, who discusses why the era of the “Three Js” never flourished:

Jim Jackson discusses the Mavericks

Jim Jackson: “It’s a couple of things. It’s not as easy to point to one thing, but I try to tell people this all the time that I was the first when I came in in ’92. Jamal came in the following year, so we got a chance to play 82 games together, Jamal and myself. When Jason [Kidd] came in my third year (Jamal’s second) I got hurt 51 games into the season, so we never completed an 82-game season. The following year, Jamal got hurt 20 games into the season, so we never completed an 82-game season. Then the following year, we all got traded. Now, couple that with that during my five years here in Dallas, had three different ownership groups … Then you also have four different coaches … We never really had an honest shot at it really working because of all the moving parts that took place.”

“It’s more so the outside influences that kind of took hold of what was going on. And a lot of it had to do with management that didn’t understand how to really get these three young guys and build around it, and I love Donald Carter to death, but from a management perspective, I think you can see a difference between a Mark Cuban and what the past ownerships were able to do.”

Kevin Durant going extra wild lately

Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on Thunder forward Kevin Durant, who is simply going nuts on the court lately:

Want an idea of how unguardable Kevin Durant has been lately? Just take a look at the postgame quotes from Sixers coach Brett Brown. Durant went off for 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, his fifth career triple-double. And an perplexed Brown had no answers postgame.

Brown: “I thought we did a pretty good job on him. We try, we get small guys chasing him around, denying him and fronting him, and we get everybody scared because he’s Kevin Durant, because he’s so long and scores in such a variety of ways. He is the NBA’s hardest player. He’s always been an incredibly difficult guard. I gameplanned back in my Spur days. How do you guard him? Is it Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, whoever. I thought our guys, I thought James (Anderson) was great and you look down and he’s got a triple double.”

– Durant is now averaging 36.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 13 January games.

– In his last five games, Durant has scored 198 points on 70-of-107 shooting (65 percent).

Terrence Ross puts up 51-point game for Raptors

The Toronto Raptors lost yesterday, but there was still a fun story on their side of things: A ridiculous 51-point game from Terrence Ross. Here’s the Toronto Sun reporting:

Terrence Ross puts up 51-point game

Dwane Casey was probably the only person in the building who didn’t enjoy Saturday’s Raptors-Clippers tilt.

Terrence Ross certainly enjoyed it.

In as entertaining a contest as the Air Canada Centre has seen in years, the teams played high-octane, all-out offensive basketball, but the undermanned Raptors came up short 126-118 despite a franchise-record-tying 51 points by Ross.

And, in the end, though frustrated to lose, even the famously defensive-minded Raptors head coach couldn’t help but marvel at what went on.

“For the fans it was a great exhibition of basketball,” Casey said. “The young man, Terrence, picked it up. We lose DeMar (DeRozan) and put on a heck of a display. Not only did he have 51 points, he had nine rebounds which was huge too.”

Ross spearheaded the Toronto attack with his dazzling display, including a club-record seven three-pointers in the first half, in a performance reminiscent of the Vince Carter glory days. Carter scored his 51 back in 2000 against Phoenix, in a game telecast across North America.

Celtics recall Vitor Faverani from D-League

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have recalled center Vitor Faverani from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.

Faverani, a 6’11” center, appeared in one game for the Red Claws while he was on assignment against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on January 25 and recorded 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block in just under 26 minutes of action.