Lakers should have Lonzo Ball back right after All-Star break

The 23-32 Lakers, now with Isaiah Thomas in uniform, look forward to getting Lonzo Ball back as soon as possible. How much they’ll actually play together remains to be seen, but that’s a whole other discussion. Step one is just to get Lonzo back in action. Which reportedly should happen right after the All-Star break. Here’s the Daily Breeze reporting:

As Josh Hart ran off the Pelicans home court on Wednesday morning, he stopped in front of Lonzo Ball, who was chatting with reporters, to tease the point guard about when he would return to the court.

“First game back after All-Star, man,” Ball responded. “I’ll be there.”

Ruled out earlier this week for Wednesday’s contest at New Orleans and Thursday’s game in Minnesota, Ball said he “definitely” expects to play on Feb. 23 against Dallas, 42 days after spraining his left MCL in an overtime win against the Mavericks.

While Ball has progressed to full contact practices, the Lakers will not practice until next Wednesday, by which time Ball expects to be free of the soreness that has persisted.

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Steve Kerr brushes off criticism after turning coaching huddles over to players

Steve Kerr trusts his players. Especially when the Warriors are going against a team they should definitely be able to beat. He recently allowed players to essentially act as coaches during timeouts/huddles. There’s no reason to think he did so to disrespect the opponent. Still, it drew reactions in all directions. Here’s the SF Chronicle reporting:

After turning his team huddles over to players in Monday night’s rout of the Suns, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr drew plenty of criticism. Some viewed Kerr’s approach as disrespectful to Phoenix. Others saw it as demeaning to the coaching profession.

“I heard some things,” Kerr said of such backlash after shoot-around Wednesday. “I don’t care.”

During each huddle Monday, Kerr handed his clipboard to a player and turned away as the team discussed the game plan. It was Kerr’s way of empowering a group that has struggled to focus in recent weeks. Sensing that his players had tuned him out, Kerr figured it was time to let someone else give orders.

The change in approach helped pave the way for Golden State’s most lopsided win ever over the Suns. However, many weren’t so pleased with Kerr’s tactic.

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No Heat playing restrictions for Dwyane Wade

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Heat, who recently welcomed Dwyane Wade back and currently have no plans on restricting his play in regard to back-to-backs:

After being put into a “maintenance” program with the Miami Heat during his previous tenure with the team, Dwyane Wade said no such contingencies have been discussed for this reunion tour.

That had Wade again in the rotation in Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers on the second night of a back-to-back set, after playing 21 minutes in Tuesday night’s loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Wade had been held out of games in four of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ back-to-back sets earlier this season before his recent buyout…

The Heat have three remaining back-to-back sets, with coach Erik Spoelstra saying Wednesday a maintenance plan has not been discussed since Wade’s signing.

“Not right now,” Spoelstra said, “no.”

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Rockets sign Joe Johnson, waive Troy Williams

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed free agent guard/forward Joe Johnson for the remainder of the season. Johnson will wear #7 for the Rockets.

In a related move, the Rockets have waived Troy Williams.

Johnson (6-7, 240) was originally the 10th overall pick by Boston in the 2001 NBA Draft and is in his 17th NBA season. In 1,253 games with 1,090 starts, Johnson is averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. He is one of 12 players in NBA history with at least 1,000 games played to have averaged at least 16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 4.0 apg and one of three (Kobe Bryant and John Havlicek) with over 1,200.

Among active players, Johnson ranks fourth in games played, second in minutes played (43,729; 20th all-time), eighth in scoring (20,266), and sixth in 3-pointers made (1,960; 10th all-time). He has also appeared in 112 playoff games with 97 starts, averaging 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Johnson has been to the playoffs in each of the past 10 seasons and advanced to the Conference Semifinals six times over that span.

Johnson appeared in 32 games with three starts for Utah this season. He saw action in 78 games for the Jazz in 2016-17, and averaged 1.4 3-pointers made on 41.1% shooting, marking the second-highest percentage of his career.

The seven-time All-Star is reunited with Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni. In his final season playing for D’Antoni in Phoenix in 2004-05, Johnson averaged a career-high 2.2 3-pointers made on a career-best 47.8% shooting.

Amar`e Stoudemire signs with the BIG3 for 2018 summer season

Amar’e Stoudemire has signed with the BIG3, a 3-on-3 basketball league co-founded by Ice Cube that plays during the summer months. He’ll be a Co-Captain of Tri-State alongside Captain Jermaine O’Neal and Co-Captain Nate Robinson.

This offseason, BIG3 expanded rosters by adding a second Co-Captain to each team.

In recent weeks, Baron Davis (3’s Company), Ron Artest (Killer 3s) Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis (Power), Carlos Boozer (Ghost Ballers) and Drew Gooden (3’s Company) have been announced as high-profile Co-Captain acquisitions.

Stoudemire played 14 seasons in the NBA. He was drafted with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, where he won 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year, and played for eight seasons. In 2010, he signed with the New York Knicks as a free agent. His high-profile signing put an end to the team’s playoff drought and sparked a three-season playoff run. He went on to play with the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat, before signing a one-day contract to retire as a New York Knick in 2016. Following his NBA career, Stoudemire moved overseas and played two seasons in Israel for Hapoel Jerusalem, helping his team win the Israeli Basketball League Cup in 2016 and the Israeli League championship in 2017.

Throughout his career, Stoudemire averaged 18.9 points (15,994 total) and 7.8 rebounds (6,632) in 846 career games. He was a six-time NBA All-Star, and was named to five All-NBA Teams (two first teams, three second teams). He also won a bronze medal with the United States national team at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Stoudemire will join a Tri-State squad that finished sixth in 2017, after falling short to 3’s Company in the BIG3 Playoffs. Tri-State will round out its three remaining roster spots in the BIG3 Draft.

The BIG3 previously announced two-year agreements with 22 player captains, co-captains and coaches from the inaugural season, including 2017 BIG3 MVP Rashard Lewis, 2017 BIG3 Champions Trilogy’s Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington and coach Rick Mahorn, Allen Iverson, Corey Maggette, Chauncey Billups, Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton, Brian Scalabrine, Jermaine O’Neal, Charles Oakley, Stephen Jackson, Mike Bibby, DerMarr Johnson, Jermaine O’Neal, Ricky Davis, Josh Childress, Cuttino Mobley, Jerome “Junk Yard Dog” Williams, George “The Iceman” Gervin, and Rick Barry.

Pelicans sign Emeka Okafor to second 10-day contract

Pelicans sign Emeka Okafor to second 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans today signed forward/center Emeka Okafor to a second 10-day contract.

Okafor, 6-10, 252, who was originally signed to a 10-day contract by New Orleans on Feb. 3, has appeared in three games, including one start, for the Pelicans, averaging 5.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 14.3 minutes per contest.

New Orleans’ roster stands at 15, including one two-way player (Charles Cooke).

De`Aaron Fox replaces Lonzo Ball in Rising Stars game

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox will replace injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball on the U.S. Team in the 2018 Rising Stars game, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 16.

Fox, the fifth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is averaging 11.3 points and 4.3 assists in 27.2 minutes while starting 37 of his 49 games in his rookie season. His selection gives the Kings three players in 2018 Rising Stars, with second-year guard Buddy Hield (Bahamas) and rookie guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) representing the World Team.

Ball has missed the Lakers’ last 13 games after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee on Jan. 13. The second pick in NBA Draft 2017 is averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 36 games. The Lakers have second-year forward Brandon Ingram and rookie forward Kyle Kuzma playing for the U.S. Team.

The Rising Stars game is an annual showcase of premier young talent at NBA All-Star. For the fourth consecutive year, the game features 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the U.S. against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world.

Past Sacramento Kings All-Star Rookie Game Participants
1994 Bobby Hurley – Honorary Coach
1995 Brian Grant, Michael Smith
1996 Tyus Edney
1998 Michael Stewart
2000 Jason Williams
2002 Hedo Turkoglu
2010 Tyreke Evans (MVP), Omri Casspi
2011 Tyreke Evans*, DeMarcus Cousins
2012 DeMarcus Cousins
2013 Isaiah Thomas
*Evans named to Sophomore Team but due to injury did not participate