Author: Inside Hoops

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Houston Rockets lament defensive intensity in loss to Kings

Here’s CSN Houston with an update on the Rockets:

Dwight Howard

Several players were asked about any New Year’s resolutions they might be making this year. Dwight Howard said he makes the same one every year, he said he just wants to win a championship.

After the Rockets New Year’s Eve loss at Toyota Center to the Sacramento Kings, 110-106, thoughts in his locker room from Howard and his teammates were far from that.

“We’ve got to learn from our mistakes. This team has beaten us twice the same way and we didn’t learn from it. Until we do, we’re going to continue to lose.” Howard said. “There’s nothing to talk about anymore, everybody’s got to do their part, play defense. It starts on the perimeter. I’m not blaming it on nobody, we’ve all got to play defense better.

“We’ve got to learn at some point. As a team, collectively, we’ve got to learn how to finish these games off and start these games. Until we do, we’re going to keep losing to teams who don’t have a better record than us.”

Al Horford health status update: Horford had surgery today, officially out for rest of season

Al Horford had surgery today, officially out for rest of season

Atlanta Hawks forward/center Al Horford had surgery today to repair a complete tear of his right pectoral muscle. The surgery was performed at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta by Dr. Xavier Duralde and accompanied by Hawks Team Physician Dr. Michael Bernot from the Peachtree Orthopaedic Clinic.

Horford will now undergo a period of rest, treatment and rehabilitation. He will be out through the remainder of the season.

At the time of his injury, the 6-foot-10 forward/center led the team in scoring (18.6), field goal percentage (.567; 7th in league), rebounding (8.4) and blocks per game (1.5; 13th) while adding 2.6 assists in 33.0 minutes per game in 29 games (all starts).

New York Knicks waive Chris Smith and bring Jeremy Tyler back

Jeremy Tyler

The New York Knicks are struggling badly this season, and with a 9-21 record are tied for the third worst winning percentage in the league. Any help they can get, even at the end of the bench, is needed.

Today, Knicks President and General Manager Steve Mills announced that the team has signed forward Jeremy Tyler of the Erie BayHawks, the 10th Gatorade Call-Up from the NBA Development League this season, and waived guard Chris Smith.

Tyler, 6-10, 250-pounds, has averaged 18.0 points, on 47.8-percent shooting, and 10.2 rebounds over 31.0 minutes in six games (all starts) with the BayHawks. He originally signed with New York on Aug. 6, after playing for the Knicks’ entry in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV, and was waived on Oct. 25 while recovering from a broken right fifth metatarsal.

The San Diego, CA-native, was originally selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the second round (39th overall) of 2011 NBA Draft before having his rights traded to the Warriors. He holds career averages of 3.6 point and 2.5 rebounds over 10.1 minutes in 63 games (23 starts) over two seasons with Golden State and Atlanta. He played professionally in Israel (Maccabi Haifa) and Japan (Tokyo Apache) for two seasons after leaving San Diego HS following his junior season.

Smith, 6-0, 200-pounds, signed with New York on Sep. 10, and appeared in two games, playing two minutes. He was assigned to Erie on Nov. 18, where he played six games before being recalled on Dec. 17.

Tony Parker apologizes for photograph of him making controversial gesture

Here’s the Associated Press reporting:

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker is apologizing for a photograph that shows him making the same gesture with anti-Semitic connotations also made by French soccer star Nicolas Anelka this weekend. The photograph shows Parker and a French comedian making a gesture known in France as a “quenelle,” which critics describe as inverted Nazi salute. Parker said Monday in a statement released by the Spurs that the photograph was taken three years ago.

And from InsideHoops.com:

Tony Parker released the following statement earlier today: “While this gesture has been part of French culture for many years, it was not until recently that I learned of the very negative concerns associated with it. When l was photographed making that gesture three years ago, I thought it was part of a comedy act and did not know that it could be in any way offensive or harmful. Since I have been made aware of the seriousness of this gesture, I will certainly never repeat the gesture and sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding or harm relating to my actions. Hopefully this incident will serve to educate others that we need to be more aware that things that may seem innocuous can actually have a history of hate and hurt.”

More from InsideHoops.com:

We believe Tony Parker simply made an innocent mistake. Parker’s a good guy.

That aside, Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’ is a disgusting, vile bigot. He is an “activist” and former “comedian” in France who basically runs around promoting hate.

Anyway, back to basketball!

Pau Gasol remains a key Laker

Here’s ESPN Los Angeles on the Lakers, who need the services of Pau Gasol if their aim is to win basketball games:

Pau Gasol remains a key Laker

Granted, there’s no way of knowing if Pau Gasol would have made any difference in the Los Angeles Lakers’ past two losses, to the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers, two decidedly sub-.500 teams that L.A. fell to by a combined nine points.

Even if Gasol fought through his upper respiratory infection and came close to his 14.7-point and 9.4-rebound averages, L.A. might have still lost with the way it missed 16 of the 23 3-pointers it took against the Jazz and turned the ball over 22 times against the 76ers.

But here is the unwavering truth that makes the outcomes of the games almost irrelevant when considering Gasol’s lost contributions, no matter how strong or how meager they would have been: He could have played.

It was Gasol’s decision to sit out as his team extended its season-high losing streak to five with a 111-104 defeat to Philly. It’s not like he has been bedridden or completely unable to exert himself physically. According to a team source, Gasol still showed up to Lakers shootaround to lift weights Sunday, and when he told longtime trainer Gary Vitti he wanted more time to get over the infection and was not going to play against the Sixers, Vitti said to not even bother showing up to the game.

Atlanta Hawks recall guard Jared Cunningham from D-League

The Atlanta Hawks have recalled guard Jared Cunningham from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.

Cunningham, who was re-assigned to Bakersfield on December 16, has averaged 18.1 points, 5.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 33.1 minutes in eight games (all starts) in two stints with the Jam this season. In his last two contests, Cunningham has put up 27.5 points, 9.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 34.5 minutes (.704 FG%, .700 3FG%, .714 FT%).

He has appeared in three games with the Hawks this year.

Mario Chalmers close to being suspended for flagrant fouls

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel with an update on Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers:

Mario Chalmers close to being suspended for flagrant fouls

There no longer is any wiggle room. Or shoving room. Or bumping room. And, assuredly, no “unnecessary contact” room.

With Friday night’s costly flagrant foul against Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers now has five points in the NBA’s flagrant-foul tracking system.

A sixth point mandates an automatic one-game suspension. In fact, if Chalmers’ next flagrant foul is ruled a Flagrant 2 foul, for “unnecessary and excessive contact,” he would then be suspended for two games.

Chalmers’ latest brush with NBA law came with what Friday’s referees determined was too aggressive of a box-out attempt late in the fourth quarter of what turned into a 108-103 overtime loss at Sleep Train Arena.

It was a call that befuddled Chalmers.

Warriors assign Ognjen Kuzmic and Nemanja Nedovic to D-League

The Golden State Warriors have assigned center Ognjen Kuzmic and guard Nemanja Nedovic to the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League, the team announced today. The rookies will join the team prior to tonight’s game against the Bakersfield Jam in Bakersfield.

Nedovic has appeared in two games this season with Santa Cruz while on previous assignments, averaging 30.0 points and 4.5 assists in 38.5 minutes per contest. Kuzmic has not played in a game with Santa Cruz this season and has missed Golden State’s last 19 contests due to a fifth metacarpal fracture in his right hand and subsequent surgery on November 26.

Andrew Bynum suspended by Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers suspend Andrew Bynum

Cavaliers center Andrew Bynum has been suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today. Bynum did not travel with the team to Boston last night for the team’s game this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. vs. the Celtics and has been excused from all team activities indefinitely. His status will be updated as appropriate.

According to the Associated Press, “Bynum, who signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Cavs in July, did not travel with the club to Boston for Saturday’s game and it’s likely he has played his final game for Cleveland. The Cavs will try to trade him. The suspension is not a shock considering he has not played consistently and has appeared uninterested while on the floor. Earlier this season, the 7-footer, who did not play a second last season for Philadelphia because of knee injuries, talked openly about retirement and said his medical issues have been a challenge. ”It’s a terrible situation internally with our team,” All-Star guard Kyrie Irving said before the Cavs faced the Celtics. ”It’s something we have to get over.”