Doc Rivers says Clippers March schedule was brutal

Here’s the OC Register reporting on the Clippers, who are currently the 5th seed in the Western conference:

Doc Rivers called the March schedule “one of the hardest months I’ve ever seen,” with 18 games, five sets of back-to-backs and four one-game trips.

For better or worse, the Clippers survived it.

Now, they get to play their final five games over 13 days, giving them ample time for rest and practice.

“That’s going to be helpful for us just to practice,” the Clippers coach said. “Even though we won’t go long, we went a whole month without a practice (before Tuesday), so it will be nice to be able to get back on the floor and just work, and try to get our continuity.”

Scottie Pippen not impressed with job Phil Jackson has done in NY

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting Scottie Pippen’s thoughts on the job Phil Jackson has done with the Knicks:

“To be honest with you, I’m going to have to go at my old coach Phil Jackson,” Pippen said on ESPN’s “The Jump.” “I think he just hasn’t put the right pieces on the floor. I give a lot of credit to Carmelo who is being very professional in getting through these 82 game season. And now he’s being benched to some degree, they’re taking a lot of his minutes away. But this team just hasn’t had it. They haven’t had it since Phil Jackson landed there. There hasn’t been any upside.”

After saying “fans would love to see Carmelo in New York and Phil out,” Pippen was asked by host Rachel Nichols if he believes Jackson “should be out.”

“Yes,” Pippen replied emphatically.

The fact that Pippen openly criticized is surprising.

Lance Stephenson is back on the Pacers

Lance Stephenson is once again a member of the Indiana Pacers. The team signed him to a contract today.

Stephenson, a 6-5 guard/forward, was drafted by the Pacers in the Second Round of the 2010 NBA Draft as the 40th overall pick. He played four seasons with the Pacers and averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in the regular season. He played in 42 games in the playoffs with the Pacers, including twice in the Eastern Conference Finals, and in those 42 playoff games he averaged 10.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

According to the Indianapolis Star, “Stephenson, the tenacious, versatile and mercurial combo guard who once flourished in a blue and gold Indiana uniform, will make his stunning return to the Pacers later this week and be reunited with George. He signed a three-year, $12 million deal Thursday that includes a team option in the final year of the contract.”

“We’re very happy to have Lance back as part of our team,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “We always knew he wanted to come back here, and we feel now is the right time, not only for the rest of this season, but moving forward. We look forward to having a long relationship with him, because we know what he can bring to our franchise, both on and off the court.”

After the Pacers, Stephenson played for Charlotte, the L.A. Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has career averages of 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Stephenson will join the team in Cleveland for Sunday’s game.

Pelicans: Omer Asik and Quincy Pondexter done for season

New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik and forward Quincy Pondexter will miss the remainder of the season.

Asik, who was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal infection, is expected to return to basketball activities in 3-4 weeks.

Pondexter underwent left knee arthroscopic surgery on January 4, 2017. Further updates on his rehab progress will be announced appropriately.

Draymond Green does not support Raiders move

Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting Draymond Green’s view on news that the Raiders will be taking their football talents to Las Vegas. Of course, it should be noted that Green as a member of the Warriors plays in Oakland/San Francisco area and it wouldn’t be a smart move for him or anyone around there to say that they agree with losing the Raiders. Still, here’s what he said:

Draymond Green does not approve of Raiders move

After Tuesday’s win over the Rockets, forward Draymond Green called the Raiders’ move “ridiculous” and said he doesn’t plan to attend any more of their games. The team will stay in Oakland for the next two seasons, and possibly a third, as it waits for a $1.9 billion domed stadium to be built in Las Vegas.

“That’s like moving the Dallas Cowboys or moving the (Green Bay) Packers,” Green said. “Moving the Raiders? You can move a lot of teams, but there aren’t many fan bases like the Raiders’ fan base. It’s like moving the Boston Celtics from Boston or the Lakers from Los Angeles. You just don’t move certain franchises.”

Suns sign Jarell Eddie to second 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed forward Jarell Eddie (pronounced juh-RELL) to a second 10-day contract. Eddie initially signed with the Suns on March 19.

Eddie has played in five games since joining the Suns and averaged 4.8 points in 12.5 minutes, scoring a career-high 13 points in his debut with the team on March 19 at Detroit.

This is Eddie’s second NBA season as he is a three-year NBA Development League veteran, most recently playing with the Windy City Bulls before being signed by the Suns. Eddie played 26 NBA games with the Washington Wizards last season, averaging 2.4 points and 5.7 minutes with a high of 12 points at Brooklyn on Dec. 26, 2015.

A 6-7, 220-pound forward, Eddie began 2016-17 with the Austin Spurs of the D-League before being traded to Windy City on Jan. 25. He has averaged 14.1 points in 45 D-League games overall this season, scoring 17.8 per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the field and 49.3 percent from beyond the arc in 20 games after joining Windy City.

The 41st GATORADE Call-Up in the NBA this season, this was the third call-up of Eddie’s career as, in addition to his time with the Wizards, he signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks in 2014-15 though did not appear in a game. In his three D-League seasons, Eddie has averaged 13.6 points and 3.7 rebounds, shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from long range and 87.6 percent from the line in 100 games with Austin and Windy City. The champion of the three-point shootout at the 2015 NBA D-League All-Star Game, one of Eddie’s assistant coaches with Austin in 2014-15 was current Suns Head Coach Earl Watson.

A native of Tampa, Florida, Eddie played four seasons at Virginia Tech before going undrafted in 2014. As a senior in 2013-14, he led the Hokies in points and rebounds with a career-high 13.3 points per game in addition to 5.4 boards.

Pelicans sign Quinn Cook to second 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans today signed guard Quinn Cook to a second 10-day contract.

Cook, 6-2, 179, who was originally signed by New Orleans on March 19, has appeared in three games with the Pelicans, averaging 1.0 points and 0.7 assists in 2.7 minutes per game. Cook has played in a total of eight NBA games this season (five with Dallas), posting averages of 3.8 points and 1.8 assists in 10.6 minutes per contest.

Kevin Durant injury update

Kevin Durant injury update

Following evaluations by the Warriors medical and athletic training staffs in recent days, the team announced the following update on Kevin Durant’s injury status:

Kevin has made very good progress since suffering the injury four weeks ago in Washington. He has not experienced any setbacks to date and has progressed as well as could be expected.

At this point, he is being incorporated into non-contact basketball drills – shooting, running and jumping – and the plan is to intensify his level of movement over the next several days, which will include more explosive cutting and lateral maneuvers.

His eventual return to contact drills and practice will be predicated upon his progress to the increased intensity of his workouts, and a return to game action prior to the end of the regular season remains a possibility.

He will be re-evaluated again in the next 7-10 days.

Pacers waive Rodney Stuckey

Pacers waive Rodney Stuckey

The Indiana Pacers have requested waivers on injured 6-5 guard Rodney Stuckey.

Stuckey appeared in 39 games off the bench for Indiana this season while averaging 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

In a recent injury report, the Pacers said Stuckey will be out for the next 4-6 weeks. The 2017 NBA playoffs begin in around 2.5 weeks.

In his three seasons with the Pacers, Stuckey recorded averages of 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game over 168 appearances.

“We want to thank Rodney for his commitment to our franchise in his three years with the Pacers,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He was a positive influence not only to our team but also in the community. We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

The Pacers’ roster now stands at 14 players.

Mavericks sign Jarrod Uthoff to multi-year contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed rookie forward Jarrod Uthoff to a multi-year contract.

Uthoff (6-9, 220) originally signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks on March 9 and then a second 10-day deal with the team on March 19.

The 6-9 forward has seen action in two games for the Mavericks this year and has logged a total of 5 minutes. He has also appeared in two games (both starts) for the Mavericks’ D-League affiliate Texas Legends in 2016-17, averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 32.6 minutes.

Uthoff went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft and signed as a rookie free agent with the Toronto Raptors. He appeared in one preseason game for the Raptors before being waived on Oct. 22. He was acquired by the Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League on Oct. 30 and was traded the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on Jan. 27.

In a combined 37 D-League games (nine starts) with the 905, Mad Ants and Legends this season, Uthoff averaged 11.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.4 minutes.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native played collegiately at the University of Iowa. As a senior, he earned First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-America honors while averaging 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.6 blocks.