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NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
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A person with knowledge of the deal says the Houston Rockets have agreed to a one-year deal with Argentine forward Carlos Delfino.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced.
The 6-foot-6 Delfino played in the Olympics, where he helped Argentina finish fourth. Delfino averaged 15.3 points in London, where he was a teammate with former Rocket Luis Scola.
— Reported by the Associated Press
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Six-time NBA All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire “can’t wait” to explore the moves he has learned from former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon when he returns to play with the N.Y. Knicks.
Stoudemire has been in Houston for about a week working with the Hall of Fame center.
“It’s always room to improve as a player,” Stoudemire said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. “To want to be the best is always a common denominator for most players.
“So working with Hakeem, one of the best players to ever play the game, is a great opportunity for me. We are both very quick and athletic for our positions. So to learn from him will be a great advantage for me.”
Stoudemire said it is fantastic to work with a guy who has accomplished so much in the NBA.
— Reported by Mark Berman of My Fox Houston
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“I’d be discouraged if I just quit,” said Scalabrine, who remains without an NBA team after being told by the Bulls he will not be invited to return. “Everyone keeps telling me it’s not quitting (taking an already offered TV job). But I want someone to tell me, ‘We don’t want you.’ I’ve always been a tough cut to make. I want someone to tell me I’m not good enough. I just want to see what happens.”
And so Scal—the White Mamba of the Bulls, Veal Scalabrine with the New Jersey Nets in two NBA Finals, the fan favorite of the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship team—contemplates one of the most remarkable runs in pro sports history, 11 years in the NBA despite every guy in the park thinking they could take him.
They couldn’t, really, because Scal was there because he deserved to be there. He just never looked like he should or would or could. And maybe that’s why they chanted for him, “Scal-uh-Bree-Nee, Scal-uh-Bree-Nee.” Maybe because he was there it was like they could be also. They knew they couldn’t be Michael or Magic or LeBron. But, Scal, yeah, maybe. Sort of like the NBA version of Sandra Bullock. Yeah, I could date her…
— Reported by Sam Smith of Bulls.com
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Jodie Meeks, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
In addition, the team has also re-signed forward Devin Ebanks.
Meeks, a three-year NBA veteran, appeared in 66 games (50 starts) last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 8.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 24.9 minutes.
An early entry candidate out of Kentucky in the 2009 NBA Draft, Meeks was originally selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (41st overall pick) of the 2009 NBA Draft. The 6-4 guard, who played three seasons with the Wildcats, led the SEC in scoring (23.7 ppg) and was named a unanimous selection to the All-SEC First team during his junior season.
Meeks holds career averages of 8.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 200 career games (114 starts).
A third year player out of West Virginia, Ebanks was selected by the Lakers in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft. The 6-9 forward appeared in 24 games (12 starts) with the Lakers last season, averaging 4.0 points,2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 16.5 minutes. Ebanks also appeared in three games for the D-Fenders, averaging 18.3 points,6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 32.0 minutes.
Ebanks has career averages of 3.6 points,1.8 rebounds and 0.30 assists in 44 games.
Michael Jordan stands to lose as much as $1.5 million in a possible foreclosure of a gym he invested in, according to multiple reports.
The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune reported that a judge recently rejected a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the company of Tim Grover, who owns Attack Athletics Gym on Chicago’s West Side. Grover filed for bankruptcy in April in order to stave off foreclosure, according to the papers, but a judge dismissed the filing on July 11.
Grover’s company, Attack Properties LLC, appealed the ruling, according to the papers, and that appeals process could take a month.
— Reported by ESPN Chicago
New Sixers center Andrew Bynum will head to Germany in early September to have the same experimental procedure on his knee that Kobe Bryant, Grant Hill and Alex Rodriguez have undergone, according to a West Coast source with knowledge of the situation.
Bynum has had surgery on both of his knees. It is unknown whether the procedure will be performed on the one knee or both. According to the source, Bynum’s knees are fine and the procedure is non- surgical.
— Reported by John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer Blog
http://mobile.philly.com/sports/sixers/?wss=/philly/sports/sixers&id=166009876
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After taking his physical Monday at the Lakers’ training facility, forward Devin Ebanks will sign the Lakers’ qualifying offer that entails a one-year deal worth a little more than $1 million, according to his agent, David Bauman.
The deal doesn’t exactly elicit the same headlines as the Lakers’ acquiring Steve Nash or Dwight Howard this off-season. But it is yet another move the Lakers have made to shore up a bench that finished near the last in the league in scoring.
Ebanks, 23, averaged 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in his second season with the Lakers last year, and earned a few unexpected promotions. He started the season’s first four games at small forward. Ebanks started five games at shooting guard while Kobe Bryant nursed a left shin injury in the season. And Ebanks started in place of Metta World Peace during his seven-game suspension for elbowing Oklahoma City guard James Harden two games before the playoffs.
— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)
The Turkish Airlines Euroleague’s most potent offense last season has put extra speed in the backcourt as Real Madrid on Monday announced the signing of playmaker Dontaye Draper to a two-year contract. Draper (1.80 meters, 27 years old) arrives from Cedevita Zagreb, where he averaged 13.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 5 Eurocup games last season. Draper helped Cedevita reach both the Croatian League finals and the Adriatic League title game. Draper was chosen as the 2010-11 Eurocup MVP – also earning All-Eurocup first team honors – by leading Cedevita from the Qualifying Round to the Finals.
— Reported by Euroleague.net
Even though the Wizards added veteran forwards Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza, and drafted shooting guard Bradley Beal in the first round of the draft, the Wizards’ success will rely heavily on former #1 pick John Wall. The speedy and electric point guard had a solid second season but he will have to elevate his game even further this season if the Wizards want to stay out of being in the lottery for the fifth straight season.
Wall had a very good rookie season, averaging 16 points and 8 assists but he had almost identical numbers his sophomore campaign. It was not the improvement that was envisioned when he was taken with the top selection in the 2010 NBA draft. By comparison, Chicago’s point guard Derrick Rose — taken #1 in 2008 — took huge leaps each season, especially in his second and third seasons in the league when his average went up from 16 points his rookie season to 25 by the end of year three.
Wall is going to have to score more this upcoming season and he has the potential to do so with his offensive explosiveness, but his jump shot must improve. Wall has been working on his jumper this summer and even hired a shooting specialist to help him find his touch.
— Reported by Frank Hanrahan of CSN Washington
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The Nuggets, you may have heard, like to run. They push the basketball in transition at every opportunity. Iguodala should fit right in with his rebounding, speed and hustle. Sebastian Pruiti is a D-League assistant coach and blogs about intricate basketball stats. He wrote that 18.1 percent of Denver’s possessions last season were in transition, tops in the league and that Denver had the third-highest offensive efficiency in transition. Iguodala gets out on the break and gets the ball in the basket. In situations in which he wasn’t handling the ball in transition, he shot 79.2 percent last season.
JaVale McGee knows the guy’s game. The Nuggets center, acquired from the Washington Wizards last season, had often battled Iguodala in the Eastern Conference.
“He’s just a real good addition to the team — and he’s definitely a defensive threat,” McGee said. “And he’s very athletic. It’s good to have more defensive-minded people on the team, because you can score a lot of points but you have to also be able to defend.”
— Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post