Inside Hoops – Page 1173 – NBA Blog

Kobe, Nash will be re-evaluated January 27

Here’s ESPN Los Angeles with an update on the banged-up Lakers:

With 10 of the team’s 15 games coming on the road, January figures to be difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers. But there might be a silver lining at the end of the month in the form of a future Hall of Fame backcourt returning to the fold.

Coach Mike D’Antoni said after shootaround in preparation for Friday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers that Kobe Bryant (fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee) and Steve Nash (nerve root irritation in his back and hamstrings) will be re-evaluated Jan. 27, when the Lakers return to L.A. after an upcoming 12-day, seven-game trip.

If they are cleared, the veteran guards could play shortly thereafter. Nash has been out since Nov. 10, and Bryant has been sidelined since Dec. 17.

D’Antoni recently joked that a bus will show up at the team’s practice facility in February and drop off the five currently injured Lakers players, all healthy and ready to contribute. But it turns out the players’ returns will be staggered.

Chicago Bulls sign Cartier Martin to 10-day contract

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent forward Cartier (Karr-tee-A) Martin to a 10-day contract.

Martin (6-7, 220) is currently in his sixth year in the NBA. After being drafted by the Iowa Energy with the 15th pick in the 2008 NBA Developmental League Draft, Martin was signed by the Charlotte Bobcats (Feb. 18, 2009) for the remainder of the 2008-09 season. In addition to the Bobcats, Martin has also played for the Golden State Warriors, the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks. Earlier this season, he appeared in 25 games (two starts) with the Hawks, and averaged 6.6 ppg on .403 shooting from the field, including .405 from downtown, 2.0 rpg and 0.7 apg in 17.5 mpg.

In five-plus seasons in the NBA, Martin has played in 186 regular season games (11 starts) and averaged 5.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 0.5 apg in 14.6 mpg, and shot .391 from the field, .385 from behind the arc and .741 from the free-throw line.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 13 players.

Warriors recall guard Nemanja Nedovic from D-League

The Golden State Warriors have recalled guard Nemanja Nedovic from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League, the team announced today.

Nedovic was assigned to Santa Cruz on December 28 and played in three games with the club, averaging 11.7 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.67 steals in 23.0 minutes. The rookie point guard holds season averages of 19.0 points, 3.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.60 steals in 29.2 minutes over five games in the D-League.

Suns guard Eric Bledsoe out indefinitely after knee surgery

Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe today underwent successful arthroscopic surgery involving meniscus cartilage in his right knee, the team has announced.

The surgery was performed in Phoenix by renowned Suns team doctor and knee surgeon Thomas Carter. Bledsoe will immediately begin a recovery and rehabilitation program and will pursue a possible return to action during the second half of this NBA season.

Bledsoe has averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 24 games this season, his first with the Suns.

According to the Associated Press, “Bledsoe was having the finest season of his career after being acquired by the Suns from the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason, averaging 18 points and 5.8 assists per game. He and Goran Dragic formed the double-point guard backcourt that had been the catalyst of the Suns’ surprising start to the season. This is the second time in a little over three years that the 24-year-old player has undergone surgery to repair a torn meniscus in the same knee. The first surgery was performed Oct. 7, 2011, during the NBA lockout of that season.”

According to Arizona Sports, “the Suns engaged with Bledsoe on extension talks but couldn’t reach an agreement before the NBA’s Nov. 1 deadline, though that seemed like the right move for Phoenix at the time because it could see Bledsoe’s production as the team’s centerpiece before committing to a major contract. But now the team may be burdened with the decision to match a maximum contract offer to Bledsoe despite the fact that he’s coming off a major injury.”

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday injured, suffers stress fracture in leg

$Jrue Holiday injured, suffers stress fracture in leg$

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that Jrue Holiday has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right tibia. He is out indefinitely. This is a big blow to the Pelicans, who have a 15-19 record going into Friday’s games.

In 34 games this season, Holiday is averaging 14.3 points, 7.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game. The 6’4” guard holds career averages of 13.5 points, 6.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 332 games.

According to the new Orleans Times-Picayune, “it is unclear exactly when Holiday was injured. But he didn’t play in the fourth quarter of the team’s 102-96 loss to the Washington Wizards. In that game, Holiday turned in one of his worst performances of the season, shooting 3-for-11 from the field for eight points. He also had three assists, three rebounds and three steals. Holiday wasn’t available for comment following the Pelicans’ shootaround Friday morning, leading up to their game against the Dallas Mavericks at the New Orleans Arena. But forward/center Jason Smith said the team will have to continue to battle while it is shorthanded.”

According to the Associated Press, “In 34 games this season, the 6-foot-4 Holiday is averaging 14.3 points, 7.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds. His injury comes while New Orleans struggles to overcome the absence of leading scorer Ryan Anderson, who has been out indefinitely with a herniated disk since last weekend.”

J.R. Smith uncertain of his future with Knicks

Here’s ESPN New York on Knick shooting guard J.R. Smith, who has always been a bit of a loose canon but recently is catching more heat than usual:

In the last two days, J.R. Smith has been benched by the New York Knicks and fined by the NBA.

Suddenly, he is unsure of his future in New York.

“Honestly, I don’t even know at this point. At one point I was for sure, and now it’s rocking the boat,” Smith said after he was benched for the Knicks’ 102-92 win against the Miami Heat on Thursday night. “But it is what it is. It’s the nature of the business.”

The benching came one day after Smith was fined $50,000 by the NBA for “recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct” stemming from his recent shoelace antics.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson wouldn’t comment on why he decided to bench Smith against the Heat. Smith said he showed up to Madison Square Garden expecting to play and never was told by Woodson that he wouldn’t.

Sixers re-assign guard Lorenzo Brown to D-League

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that they have assigned guard Lorenzo Brown to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League.

Brown (6-5, 186) was first assigned to the Sevens on December 26, 2013 and was recalled on January 6, 2014. He appeared in five D-League games, averaging 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Brown has appeared in 15 games for the Sixers this season.

Celtics recall MarShon Brooks from D-League

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have recalled guard/forward MarShon Brooks from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League.

Brooks, a 6’5” guard/forward, appeared in five games for the Red Claws while on assignment including two games in the D-League Showcase in Reno where he averaged 27.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 35.0 minutes per game. Brooks recorded a high of 36 points to go along with six rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks against Tulsa on January 5. He also recorded a double-double against Springfield on January 4 with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Rumor: New York Knicks exploring possible deals for J.R. Smith

Here’s ESPN.com with an update on Knicks guard J.R. Smith:

Knicks may look to trade J.R. Smith later this month

While they acknowledge that a trade may be difficult to pull off, the New York Knicks in recent days began exploring the potential market for guard J.R. Smith, ESPN.com has learned.

Sources close to the situation said Wednesday that the organization has become increasingly frustrated with Smith’s on- and off-the-court transgressions and may feel that a fresh start would be best for all parties.

Smith was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for “recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct” following his shoelace stunts in the Knicks’ past two games.

Wednesday’s fine didn’t necessarily push the Knicks over the top, but one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking said the organization has become “fed up” with Smith’s erratic behavior.

Phoenix Suns sign Leandro Barbosa to 10-day contract

The Suns have signed guard Leandro Barbosa (lee-AN-dro BAR-bow-sa) to a 10-day contract, the team has announced.

The 6-3, 194-pound Barbosa is a 10-year NBA veteran who played the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Suns, averaging 12.6 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 466 games with Phoenix from 2003-10. Barbosa won the 2006-07 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award with the Suns after posting career-highs of 18.1 points and 4.0 assists per game. The Suns advanced to the playoffs in five of Barbosa’s first seven seasons with the club as he ranks seventh in team history with 64 career playoff games, in which he averaged 10.2 points.

The 31-year-old guard has played for three NBA teams since being traded by Phoenix to Toronto in the summer of 2010, spending time with the Raptors (2010-12), Indiana Pacers (2011-12) and Boston Celtics (2012-13). Last season, Barbosa appeared in 41 games with the Celtics before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee on Feb. 11. He was traded to Washington on Feb. 21, but did not appear in a game with the Wizards as he recovered from injury.

A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, this season Barbosa averaged 15.9 points and 3.1 assists in eight games for Sao Paulo-based Pinheiros/Sky of the Brazilian League.

The Suns continue a season-long five-game road trip tonight as they prepare to face the Minnesota Timberwolves with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (Phoenix time). The game will be televised on FOX Sports Arizona and ESPN, and carried on Arizona Sports 620 (KTAR-AM).