Inside Hoops – Page 1251 – NBA Blog

Celtics need a fine season from Avery Bradley

The data, and the eye test, suggest Bradley took a step back in 2012-13. As much as the Celtics’ announcers raved over his improved jump shot, Bradley’s overall field goal percentage fell to 40.2 percent from 49.8 percent the previous year, while he went from hitting one out of every two shots from 10-15 feet to hitting only one out of every three from that range, according to HoopData. His 3-point shooting accuracy fell to 31.7 percent from 40.7 percent. Most worrisome, his accuracy on corner threes dropped to 34.7 percent last season from 55.6 percent (in an extremely small sample) in 2011-12.

These numbers aside, anyone could see Bradley’s difficulties at the other end of the court in the playoffs, when his most obvious skill, his on-ball defense, virtually disappeared. Raymond Felton made a mockery of the Celtics’ boast that Bradley was “the best ball-stopper in the league” by having his way with No. 0 in the pick-and-roll. With Jeff Green and Brandon Bass stepping up defensively on Carmelo Anthony, a fair argument could be made that the Celtics would have won their series against the Knicks if somebody, anybody, had been able to slow down Felton.

Reported by Ben Watanabe of NESN

Charlotte Bobcats will return to UNC Asheville for training camp

Bobcats Sports & Entertainment announced today that the Charlotte Bobcats will return to UNC Asheville’s Kimmel Arena for their training camps in 2013 and 2014. This year’s training camp will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Prior to training camp, the team will hold Media Day on Monday, Sept. 30, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

“We had great success with our training camp at UNC Asheville last year,” said Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins. “As we anticipated, it was a perfect venue for us, and we are excited to have the opportunity to go back to Kimmel Arena this season and next season.”

Kimmel Arena, which opened in November 2011, is home to the UNC Asheville Bulldogs men’s and women’s basketball teams. The arena is located in the Wilma M. Sherrill Center and has a capacity of over 3,200 for basketball. The multipurpose facility has hosted over 100,000 guests since its opening, and offers the modern amenities fans, players, and coaches expect, including wide concourses with views of the court, large video boards, intimate and comfortable seating and outstanding training facilities.

Chicago Bulls announce basketball operations staff promotions

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has promoted Randy Brown to Assistant General Manager, Ivica Dukan to Director of International Scouting/Special Assistant to the General Manager, Nick Papendieck to Head Strength Coach, and also hired Matt Johnson as Assistant Strength Coach.

Brown is entering his fifth season with the Bulls and has spent the last three seasons serving as the Special Assistant to the General Manager. He served as the team’s Director of Player Development during the 2009-10 campaign. Originally drafted by the Kings in the second round (31st overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft, Brown played 12 seasons and was a member of three NBA Championship teams with the Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), including the 1996 team that won an NBA-record 72 games during the regular season.

Dukan will begin his 23rd season with the Bulls after being hired as the Director of International Scouting on Aug. 20, 1992. Prior to being hired full-time, Dukan worked as a part-time scout for the Bulls during the 1991-92 season. Dukan had a successful 14-year career overseas, as he played in England, Switzerland, France and Yugoslavia. A native of Croatia, he served as captain of the team in Split, Croatia and played for the Yugoslavia National Team.

Papendieck is entering his third season with the Bulls, as he spent the last two seasons as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. Prior to joining the Bulls, he was a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Virginia. A native of Edgerton, Wis., Papendieck earned a B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2009 and an M. Ed. degree in Kinesiology in 2011 from the University of Virginia.

Johnson begins his second season with the Bulls, and first in a full-time capacity, after spending the 2012-13 season as a Strength and Conditioning Intern. Prior to joining the Bulls, Johnson served as an intern with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Strength and Conditioning department. Johnson received his B.S. degree in Exercise and Sport Science with an emphasis in Strength and Conditioning, as well as his M.S. degree in Human Performance, from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2012.

Lakers sign forward Marcus Landry

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Marcus Landry, it was announced today.

Landry, a 6-7 forward out of Wisconsin, has spent time over the past three years with the Maine Red Claws and Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League and internationally with teams in Spain, China, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. During his two seasons (2010-11 and 2012-13) with the Bighorns, Landry played in 84 games (83 starts) averaging 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 36.0 minutes.

Signing with the New York Knicks as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2009, Landry played for both the Knicks and Celtics during the 2009-10 campaign averaging 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.1 minutes over 18 games.

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native and younger brother of NBA veteran Carl Landry, most recently was a member of the 2013 Lakers Summer League team where he played in all five games (4 starts) averaging 15.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 26.5 minutes.

No charges filed against Detroit Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks

Detroit Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks will not be charged in a domestic incident that occurred Aug. 30 in Birmingham, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper told the Free Press today.

Cheeks went to the Birmingham police station for questioning and was released after police were called to a Woodward Avenue address. He was not arrested. Birmingham police conducted an investigation and presented its findings to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.

Cooper said the witness in the investigation was uncooperative with prosecutors and refused to press charges.

Reported by the Detroit Free Press

Washington Wizards re-structure front office, promote Tommy Sheppard

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has promoted Tommy Sheppard to senior vice president of basketball operations. In addition, the team has named Marc Eversley as vice president of scouting, Frank Ross as director of player personnel, Greg Ballard as advance pro scout and Thomas Knox as director of player performance and rehabilitation while promoting Ed Tapscott to vice president of player programs, Pat Sullivan to assistant coach, Brett Greenberg to director of basketball analytics/salary cap management, Bryan Oringher to video coordinator and Ryan Richman to assistant video coordinator.

“Tommy is a very respected figure within all circles of basketball, including the NBA, international/Olympic competition and the collegiate ranks,” said Grunfeld. “His experience, combined with the additions we have made and the other well-deserved promotions within the department, gives us a solid foundation to continue improving our team.”

Sheppard is entering his 11th season with the Wizards and his 20th season in the NBA. His new role will see him take on expanded duties with salary cap management, draft preparation, college and pro talent evaluation, statistical analysis and recruitment of free agents while maintaining responsibility for the team’s day-to-day basketball operations. Sheppard spent nine seasons with the Denver Nuggets and has worked with USA Basketball for three Summer Olympic Games and the 2003 Pan American Games.

Eversley joins the Wizards after spending seven years with the Toronto Raptors, including the last two seasons as vice president of college scouting where he spearheaded all collegiate scouting, pre-draft player evaluations and workouts. He also served as the team’s assistant general manager in 2010-11 and as assistant general manager/player development prior to that. Before coming to the Raptors, he spent six years with Nike Canada.

Tapscott enters his seventh season with the Wizards and has over a quarter-century of experience in basketball, including serving as president and chief operating officer of the Charlotte Bobcats and roles as vice president of player personnel/basketball operations and interim president and general manager for the New York Knicks. He will continue to implement player programs and provide scouting for the team.

Ross, a District native and two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association selection at American University, served the previous six seasons as director of east coast scouting for the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that role, he was an integral part in evaluating college and international player talent. Ross served as a scout with the Charlotte Bobcats from 2003-07, evaluating college and minor league player talent.

Ballard, a member of the 1978 Bullets championship team, re-joins the Wizards organization after spending the last 19 years as a scout and coach with Atlanta (nine seasons), Minnesota (nine seasons) and Dallas (one season). Ballard played eight seasons in Washington after being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, averaging 13.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 643 games before playing his final two seasons in Golden State.

Knox comes to the Wizards from the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Fla., where he was manager of performance physical therapy. He brings over six years of experience in athlete performance, injury prevention, physical therapy and strength and conditioning training to the team, and will be responsible for designing programs for player performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Sullivan begins his first season as an assistant on Randy Wittman’s staff after serving the previous campaign as advance scout. He joined the Wizards last season after spending three seasons each as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons (2008-11) and the New Jersey Nets (2005-08). He participated in three Final Fours as a player and three as a coach at the University of North Carolina before joining the NBA coaching ranks.

Greenberg is entering his fifth season with the Wizards, most recently serving as basketball operations assistant/video coordinator. He came to the Wizards after spending the 2008-09 season with the Miami Heat as a video intern and was as a student manager for the men’s basketball team at Duke. In his new role, Greenberg will lead the Wizards’ analytical efforts while assisting with all salary cap and CBA matters.

Oringher enters his first season with the Wizards as video coordinator after serving the last two years as a video intern. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Maryland where he was a student assistant/video intern for the men’s basketball team under Head Coach Gary Williams (2009-2011).

Richman begins his first season with the Wizards as assistant video coordinator after serving the last two seasons as a graduate assistant for the University of Maryland’s men’s basketball team. He will be primarily responsible for opponent video breakdown and assisting Oringher with all other aspects of the video department.

Rick Adelman will continue to coach the Timberwolves

Coach Rick Adelman will return for Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves have confirmed Rick Adelman will coach the team this season after health issues for his wife earlier this year had raised questions about whether he would return.

Team owner Glen Taylor told the The Star Tribune of Minneapolis on Sunday that Adelman said he was coming back.

Mary Kay Adelman’s health issues caused the coach to take a three-week, midseason leave from the team.

Reported by ESPN.com/Associated Press

Al Marchfeld, a fixture at Madison Square Garden, dies at 80

Madison Square Garden’s three-year renovation will be complete next month. That means there will be new suites, new concession stands and even two new bridges suspended above the hardwood at the World’s Most Famous Arena next season.

But an important part of MSG will be missing when the doors open for business again in late October. Al Marchfeld won’t be at his customary seat in the press box, greeting fans and reporters with a handshake and warm smile.

Marchfeld, a Garden employee for more than 60 years, died earlier this month. And he left a void that will be nearly impossible to fill.

Marchfeld worked several jobs throughout his long-lasting run at MSG. A diamond-setter by trade, Marchfeld started out as a statistician, and later worked on the Knicks’ game-night staff in the press box.

Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Toronto Raptors invite Carlos Morais, Julyan Stone, Chris Wright to training camp

Toronto Raptors invite Carlos Morais to training camp

Masai Ujiri has turned to his native Africa to try to fill his squad’s final roster spot.

The Raptors president/general manager confirmed Sunday that Angolan guard Carlos Morais has been invited to training camp, along with Julyan Stone and Chris Wright.

Morais, a 27-year-old, 6-foot-3 guard has been playing professionally since he was a teenager and has been a major reason why Angola has emerged as the class of the continent since 2005.

Morais was named MVP of the recent Afrobasket tournament after leading Angola to gold with averages of 15.9 points and 4.6 assists per game.

Reported by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun

Sixers to add Greg Foster to coaching staff

The Sixers have hired Greg Foster as an assistant coach, according to a source close to the situation.

Foster, 44, joins Lloyd Pierce and Chad Iske on Brett Brown’s staff after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Texas at El Paso, his alma mater.

He played power forward and center for nine teams in a 13-year NBA career that included two trips to the NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz and a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001. He also played professionally in Spain and Greece.

Reported by Jason Wolf of the Courier Post (Blog)