Inside Hoops – Page 1225 – NBA Blog

Dirk-Monta duo show positive signs

There usually isn’t much that’s pretty about a preseason loss to a team that’s likely destined for another high lottery pick.

However, it isn’t hard to find the silver lining from the Dallas Mavericks’ 102-94 defeat by the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

We got a glimpse of just how good the two-man game with Dirk Nowitzki and new sidekick Monta Ellis can be during the second quarter. That duo ran the high pick-and-pop over and over during that frame, filling it up for a combined 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

“That’s probably going to be our bread and butter all season long,” said Nowitzki, who finished with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, although he was more focused on his failure to get a single rebound in 25 minutes.

Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

San Antonio Spurs waive Corey Maggette, Marcus Cousin and Myck Kabongo

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have waived center Marcus Cousin, guard Myck Kabongo and forward Corey Maggette.

Cousin appeared in two preseason games, averaging 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.5 minutes of action.

Kabongo saw action in one preseason game finishing with six points in five minutes at Denver on Oct. 14.

Maggette appeared in two preseason games, averaging 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.0 minutes.

San Antonio’s roster now stands at 16

76ers: Evan Turner has no interest in losing

“I don’t think we’re going down,” Turner said when asked how he’ll cope with all the losing this season, as the Sixers take a run at the top overall pick in next summer’s draft. “I never woke up and thought I was going to be unsuccessful in my life. Pretty much, my teammates and I are going to go out and play every single game and play hard and take it from there.

“There’s different type of successes, in general, personal and team-wise. We’ve got to keep getting better,” he said. “But I’m not going to sit here and be a loser. … I’m not a loser. Period. Point blank. So I’m not going to sit there and dwell on it. Period.”

Turner (6-7, 205) has failed to live up to fans’ lofty expectations since the Sixers selected the 2009-10 NCAA player of the year out of Ohio State with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. The 24-year-old is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract that pays him approximately $6.7 million this season, making him a possible trade candidate.

Reported by Jason Wolf of Delaware Online (Blog)

NBA might alter start time of games to help international fans

Commissioner David Stern raised the possibility the league will adjust the time some games start in an attempt to appease fans outside North America who now must either stay up late or wake up early to watch games on television.

It’s unclear at this point whether the adjustment will be for regular-season games, preseason games or both.

Speaking before the Warriors beat the Lakers 100-95 before 17,114 at MasterCard Center in the first of two preseason meetings between the teams in China, Stern said former Rockets star Yao Ming brought the idea up in hopes of making future games more accessible to international audiences. Stern gave no indication a decision was near, but was also clear that the league will have to consider what could be a radical suggestion, depending on the new times, at some point.

“I think that the NBA is going to have to wrestle over the next decade as more and more of our viewing audiences are outside the United States is what’s the best time for games to be played so that those fans can enjoy them live as opposed to having to get up in China to watch an NBA game at 7 o’clock in the morning,” Stern said.

Reported by Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com

Sebastian Telfair signing deal in China

Free-agent point guard Sebastian Telfair has reached agreement on a one-year deal with Tianjin of the Chinese Basketball Association, his agent, Andy Miller, told Yahoo Sports.

Telfair, 28, has played for seven NBA teams since making the leap out of high school as the 13th pick in the 2004 NBA draft.

Telfair will have the chance to run Tianjin’s offense and position himself for a return to the NBA in late February once the Chinese basketball season ends.

Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Utah Jazz waive Dwayne Jones II

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has waived center/forward Dwayne Jones II. Following the move, the Jazz roster now stands at 19 players.

Jones II (6-11, 250, Saint Joseph’s) appeared in one preseason game for Utah.

As NBA preseason continues, lots of players around the league who were signed to non-guaranteed “training camp contracts” will be let go. Regular season rosters can only be 15 players or fewer.

The Jazz will tip off its 40th NBA campaign against Northwest Division rival Oklahoma City Thunder on October 30 at EnergySolutions Arena at 7 p.m. MT (ROOT, 1280 AM/97.5 FM).

Jazz rookie Trey Burke injury update: He will have surgery on broken finger

The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz point guard Trey Burke, who fractured his right index finger during the first half of Saturday’s preseason game vs. the Los Angeles Clippers:

Following several medical consultations, it was determined that Burke will undergo surgery to repair the bone fracture in his right index finger. The procedure will be performed on Tuesday in Salt Lake City by Dr. Douglas Hutchinson. An estimated time for recovery will be provided following the completion of the procedure.

Selected in the first round (ninth overall pick) of the 2013 NBA Draft, Burke (6-1, 190, Michigan) was acquired by the Jazz in a draft-night trade with Minnesota. Burke spent two seasons at the University of Michigan, where as a sophomore, the point guard led Michigan to the 2013 NCAA Championship Game and was the consensus selection as 2013 National Player of the Year. Burke averaged 18.6 points, 6.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three-point range in 38 games his sophomore season. His 255 assists set a new Michigan single-season assist record while his 3.02 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked fifth-best in the nation. He also hit the game-tying three pointer to force overtime in a win over Kansas to advance the Wolverines to the Elite Eight.

Kings forward Carl Landry out 3-4 months

The Sacramento Kings need all the help they get. But their situation just got even tougher.

A recent MRI taken at Kaiser Permanente revealed that Kings forward Carl Landry suffered a tear in his left hip flexor muscle (rectus femoris) during a recent training camp practice. Surgery to repair the injury has been scheduled for Tuesday morning and will be performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. Landry is expected to miss approximately three to four months of action.

A six-year NBA veteran in his second stint with the Kings, Landry is averaging 11.9 ppg (.536 FG%, .784 FT%) and 5.3 rpg in 389 career contests.

The Kings are going to struggle this upcoming season. Competing for a spot in the playoffs is not likely. And this just makes things even rougher.

Greg Oden continues his progress in Heat practices

“He fouled me twice,” LeBron James said with a smile.

It might have been two of the more enjoyable fouls of James’ career, especially in a practice setting.

The hits came from Greg Oden during the scrimmage portion of Monday’s Miami Heat practice at AmericanAirlines Arena.

It has been more than three seasons since Oden has appeared in an NBA game. Monday marked another step in his comeback from several gruesome knee injuries, even as coach Erik Spoelstra yet again downplayed the hulking center’s timetable.

“It felt good to be out there, get some up and down,” Oden said. “You see I’m a little frustrated in myself because I’m not as back as I want to be. But you know, it’s little steps. Today was another step, getting out there and doing some five on five.”

Teammates appreciated the moment.

“It’s a testament to him just keeping his composure, his believing in himself, his family believing in him,” James said. “He’s back where he belongs, and that’s in the NBA.”

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel

Mavs forward Devin Ebanks suspended two games by NBA

Dallas Mavericks forward Devin Ebanks has been suspended for two games without pay for pleading nolo contendere to driving under the influence of alcohol, in violation of the law of the State of California, the NBA announced today.

Ebanks’ suspension will begin with the first game of the 2013-14 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

This is Ebanks’ third season in the NBA. In his short career so far, Ebanks has averaged 3.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in limited minutes.