Inside Hoops – Page 1270 – NBA Blog

D-League news: Springfield Armor name Doug Overton head coach

The Springfield Armor, presented by MGM Springfield, have named Doug Overton as the team’s new head coach, it was announced today by Brooklyn Nets General Manager of Minor League Operations Milton Lee. Overton becomes the third head coach in the franchise’s history.

“We are very pleased to welcome Doug as the new head coach of the Armor,” said Lee. “Doug brings a wealth of experience as both an NBA player and coach, and his relationship with the Nets over the past several years will make this a very smooth transition for both him and our team.”

“I’m excited for the opportunity to take over as the head coach of the Springfield Armor,” said Overton. “I’m looking forward to developing our players, both on and off the court, and continuing to build a winning culture in Springfield.”

Overton joins the Armor after spending five years (2008-13) on the Nets’ staff as an assistant coach and player development coach. Overton also served two seasons as an assistant coach on Phil Martelli’s staff at Saint Joseph’s (2006-08) and one season as the Philadelphia 76ers’ director of player development (2005-06), where he assisted the coaching and scouting staffs and worked with the team’s community outreach programs.

An 11-year NBA veteran, Overton appeared in 499 career games with eight teams, including the Washington Bullets (1992-95), Denver Nuggets (1995-96), 76ers (1996-98, 1998-99), Orlando Magic (1998-99), Nets (1998-99, 2000-01 and 2003-04), Boston Celtics (1999-2001), Charlotte Hornets (2000-01) and Los Angeles Clippers (2001-02 and 2003-04). He also had stints in the CBA, ABA and overseas during his 14-year professional career. The former point guard holds NBA averages of 4.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

Overton was selected in the second round (40th pick overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons after a four-year collegiate career at LaSalle (1987-91). Overton led the Explorers to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, was named to the All-Big Five First Team three times and is the school’s all-time leader in career assists (671) and steals (277).

Overton currently resides in the Philadelphia area with his wife, Chanel, and daughter, Maya. His son, Miles, is a freshman on the men’s basketball team at Wake Forest.

Memphis Grizzlies sign guard Nick Calathes

The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Nick Calathes, the team announced today.

Calathes (6-6, 213) was named the 2012-13 EuroCup MVP after recording 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists on .521 shooting in 17 games during the EuroCup competition last season.

The 24-year-old also posted 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists on .547 shooting in 14 games for Lokomotiv Kuban of the Russian Professional Basketball League (PBL) and averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists on .555 shooting in 30 games in the VTB United League.

Calathes played his first three professional seasons in Greece for Panathinaikos Athens, helping guide the club to back-to-back Greek League Championships in 2010 and 2011 as well as a Greek League Finals appearance in 2012. Panathinaikos won the 2011 Euroleague Championship and advanced to the 2012 Euroleague Final Four.

Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round (45th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft, Calathes’ draft rights were traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night for a 2010 second round draft pick. Memphis acquired the draft rights to Calathes from Dallas in exchange for lifting the protection on a 2016 second round pick already owed to the Mavericks (via Denver) on July 22, 2013.

A two-time Florida Mr. Basketball, the Winter Park, Fla. native played two seasons at the University of Florida, where he was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Year in 2008 and selected First Team All-SEC as a sophomore in 2009. He led the Gators in scoring and assists per game in each of his two collegiate seasons, setting the school single-season record for assists (231) as a sophomore. Despite playing only two seasons, Calathes ranks third in school history in assists (452).

Bucks sign Larry Sanders to contract extension

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed Larry Sanders (6-11, 235) to a multi-year contract extension, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Sanders had a breakout year for the Bucks in 2012-13 when he posted career highs across the board with averages of 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game (2nd in the NBA). According to multiple reports, the extension is for four years, $44 million.

“By combining his God-given ability with hard work and determination, Larry has developed into one of the top young defensive players in the league,” said Hammond. “He is a very important part of what we are doing in Milwaukee, and we’re excited to announce his contract extension.”

The 24-year-old center is entering his fourth year with the Bucks and owns career averages of 6.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Last season, he notched a team-leading 26 double-doubles, one of which was his first career triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and a franchise-record-tying 10 blocks at Minnesota on Nov. 30. Sanders and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players in Bucks history with a 10-block game. He finished the season with 201 blocks – just the fourth 200-block season in Bucks history and the first since Elmore Smith in 1975-76 – and had a string of 40 consecutive games with at least one blocked shot from Nov. 28 – March 4, the longest streak by a Buck in the last 25 years. Beginning with the 10 blocks at Minnesota, Sanders swatted 22 shots over a three-game stretch from Nov. 30 – Dec. 3 which stands as the most blocks in a three-game span in Bucks history, and he blocked four or more shots in five consecutive games from Jan. 2 – 9, which was the longest such streak since Abdul-Jabbar had a five-game streak in 1973.

Sanders, the 15th-overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, finished third in Most Improved Player voting after the 2012-13 season and earned the attention of USA Basketball with his play last year. He was invited to attend the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s National Team Mini-Camp in Las Vegas in July.

Community involvement is a priority of Sanders’ commitment to Milwaukee. He is active in supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee and earned the organization’s Community Champion Award in March after donating a scoreboard to the Pieper-Hillside location. He has also distributed Thanksgiving meals at the House of Peace, donated toys to patients at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, tickets to all Bucks home games for Milwaukee youth and community groups, and he hosts an annual “Larry Sanders Basketball Camp” for kids in his hometown of Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Sacramento: Arena measure backers vow to regroup after Hansen funding revelation

Sacramento’s arena war hit new levels of intensity this week after Seattle financier Chris Hansen was revealed as the secret source of money for a petition drive to put the city’s arena plans to a public vote.

Seizing on outrage at the news, arena supporters took to the streets Saturday, hanging more than 1,000 fliers on front doors asking residents who signed the petitions to withdraw their signatures. “Don’t let Seattle money steal away our chance at 4,000 jobs for Sacramento!” the fliers urged.

Arena backers, a group that includes many of the city’s prominent business people and politicians, argue the Seattle funding offers proof that the two-month-old petition drive is really an attempt to derail the city’s downtown arena plans and push the Kings out of town.

Yet Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork, the group behind the ballot measure, insists it is a homegrown effort, aimed at giving voters a voice. Its leaders today vowed to come back fighting – possibly with a local fundraising effort.

Reported by Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee

Nik Vucevic brings skills at center for Magic

Vucevic doesn’t compare to [Dwight] Howard athletically or on the defensive end — not by any stretch.

But he provides a more well-rounded offensive game than Howard did – the ability to shoot outside. Vooch also showed he can collect rebounds at a Dwight-like rate at times, finishing second in rebounding to Howard last season and mimicking Howard as a double-double machine.

Vucevic, the 76ers’ No. 16 pick in the 2011 draft out of USC, had a break-out season. He averaged 13.1 points and 11.9 rebounds after limited playing time as a rookie with the Sixers. He recorded 46 double-doubles – the third highest total in the NBA.

He exposed defending champion Miami’s lone weakness, feasting on the Heat’s soft interior with two 20-20 games, including a franchise-record 29-rebound performance.

Reported by Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (Blog)

Ty Lawson charged with physical harassment, criminal mischief

Ty Lawson, the Denver Nuggets’ star point guard, was charged with physical harassment and criminal mischief stemming from a Saturday night domestic violence arrest.

Lawson’s girlfriend, Ashley Nicole Pettiford, was also arrested, Grayson Robinson, Arapahoe County Sheriff told The Denver Post.

A mandatory restraining order was issued after charges were filed surrounding a domestic violence incident, according to court records.

“They were yelling at each other and broke each other’s phones,” Robinson said. “I don’t believe it was physical otherwise.”

Reported by Ryan Parker of the Denver Post

Kobe Bryant begins running on treadmill

Questions remain on when Kobe Bryant will actually step foot onto a basketball court. But he provided yet another example Monday on how he’s made tangible progress surrounding his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon.

Bryant posted a video on his Instagram account that showed him at the Lakers’ practice facility running on a weight-bearing treadmill. Bryant then added the hashtags, “#mambamental” and “#vinoclock.”

In a sit-down interview with comedian Jimmy Kimmel last week at the Nokia Theatre, Bryant said he’s unsure whether he would suit up in the Lakers’ season opener Oct. 29 against the Clippers at Staples Center.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News Blog

Police officer who escorted LeBron James to concert violated policy

En-route to Friday’s Justin Timberlake and Jay Z concert, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James was given a police escort to navigate the bumper-to-bumper traffic into Sun Life Stadium.

A grateful James posted the clip of the good deed on his Instagram account with the caption: “They treat us so well! Needed it cause traffic was nuts!!” James has a little under 3.5 million Instagram followers.

“Light police escort on the wrong side of the street,” James said. “Headed to the big homie concert, JT. Holla.”

On Monday, Miami-Dade police said the officer who gave James and his fiancée the wrong-way escort into the stadium “violated departmental policies.”

Reported by the Miami Herald staff

Atlanta Hawks D-League affliate to hold open tryouts

The Bakersfield (Calif.) Jam, the Hawks’ NBA Development League affiliate, will hold open tryouts at the Suwanee Sports Academy Oct. 5-6.

The tryout is one of five being held by the Jam nationwide. There will also be camps in Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Salt Lake City in September and October.

There is a $150 pre-registration fee (arriving at Bakersfield Jam offices by Oct. 2; $200 for after the pre-registration deadline and day-of registration).

Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Blog)

Trail Blazers sign guard Dee Bost

The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard Dee Bost to a contract, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. We assume this is a nonguaranteed contact that will bring Bost to training camp, where the team will evaluate him further.

Bost (6-2, 176) played four seasons at Mississippi State, where he averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 assists as a senior. Bost finished his career with 633 assists, tops in Mississippi State history and eighth all-time in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Last season he played for Buducnost Podgorica in Montenegro where he averaged 8.3 points and 1.8 assists in 21.5 minutes per game.

Bost, 23, becomes the 17th player on the Trail Blazers’ current roster.