J.R. Smith suspended for striking Glen Rice Jr

J.R. Smith suspended one game for striking Glen Rice Jr in groin

JR Smith suspended

New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith has been suspended one game without pay for striking Washington Wizards guard Glen Rice Jr. in the groin, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 5:45 remaining in the fourth quarter of Washington’s 98-83 win over New York on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Madison Square Garden.

Smith will serve his suspension tonight when the Knicks visit the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

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Sixers announce additions and promotions to basketball operations staff

Sixers announce additions and promotions to basketball operations staff

Sixers announce additions and promotions to basketball operations staff

The Philadelphia 76ers officially announced today several additions and promotions to the basketball operations staff. Sachin Gupta has been named Vice President of Basketball Operations and Ben Falk has been named Vice President of Basketball Strategy. Vince Rozman has been promoted to Director of Basketball Operations & Scouting Innovation. Phil Jabour (Director of Scouting Development) and Danny Mills (International Scout) join recently promoted Rod Baker as new additions to the Sixers scouting department. NBA veteran Sean Rooks joins the Sixers as Player Development Coach and Philadelphia native Eugene Burroughs will serve as the Sixers Shooting Coach.

Gupta began his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2006 as General Manager Daryl Morey’s first hire, laying the foundation for the team’s extensive analytics undertaking. In addition to his responsibilities as an analyst, Gupta also assisted in managing the team’s salary cap during his six-year tenure in Houston. Prior to joining the Rockets, Gupta spent two years at ESPN where he developed the widely popular NBA Trade Machine. Gupta joins the Sixers in a full-time capacity after completing his MBA from Stanford, during which he served as a Sixers consultant.

Falk joins the Sixers after spending the previous four seasons as the Basketball Analytics Manager for the Portland Trail Blazers. While with the Blazers, Falk worked closely with both the front office and coaching staff, leading team efforts in integrating statistics and technology into coaching and management processes. Falk originally hails from Potomac, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Maryland.

Rozman begins his ninth season with the Sixers basketball operations department. Rozman served most recently as Scouting Coordinator prior to this promotion.

Jabour joins the Sixers from the Orlando Magic where he served the past two seasons as a Scout. Jabour previously worked five years in the scouting department of the Houston Rockets and served on the support staff of USA Basketball in 2006.

Mills, an Australian Native and a former player at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), was most recently the Video Coordinator of the Bakersfield Jam. Mills brings with him experience in international basketball outside of Australia, having served as an assistant coach in Europe with both Sigma Basket Barcellona and UPEA Orlandina Basket in Italy.

As was recently announced, Philadelphia native and Roman Catholic High School alum Rod Baker was a Sixers call-up from his role as Head Coach of the Delaware 87ers last season. The longtime coach from NCAA, CBA, ABA and the NBDL will join the Sixers full-time as a Scout.

Rooks spent last season as an assistant coach with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. Prior to that, Rooks served on three other D-League coaching staffs following his 12-year playing career, including stops with the Lakers, Mavericks, Clippers, Timberwolves, Hornets, and Magic.

Burroughs, a Philadelphia native who played high school basketball at Episcopal Academy, joins the Sixers as Shooting Coach from Marist, where he served as an Assistant Coach. Prior to Marist, Burroughs 18-year coaching career included stops at Penn State, the U.S. Naval Academy, Hofstra, and American University.