Author: Inside Hoops

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Dorell Wright on hot-shooting tear

Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reports:

Dorell Wright on hot-shooting tear

Not too long ago, Warriors small forward Dorell Wright was struggling with his shot. After going 4 for 13 in a home loss to the Houston Rockets on Dec. 20, he was at 38.4 percent shooting for the season.

Then, something happened.

In the six games since the loss to Houston, Wright has averaged 23.3 points on 58.4 percent shooting, capped with Saturday’s 30 points in the road loss to the Miami Heat.

What happened? A confluence of things.

Primarily, Wright has been given the opportunity. Coach Keith Smart has given Wright the green light on offense, and Wright is starting to figure out his avenues for scoring among the starters. And he doesn’t have to worry about coming out of the game, especially while backup Rodney Carney was injured. Wright is averaging 38.9 minutes per contest.

“I don’t have to worry about anything,” said Wright, who along with the other starters were allowed to skip Sunday’s practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. “Just go out there and play my game. There is no better feeling than that, having your coach behind you and wanting you to go out there and show him everything.”

Lakers booed as Grizzlies rout them at home

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports:

Lakers booed as Grizzlies rout them at home

Phil Jackson cited lack of focus. Kobe Bryant cited lack of energy. Pau Gasol cited lack of togetherness.

For a two-time defending NBA champion team, the Lakers sure are lacking some basic basketball ingredients.

The Memphis Grizzlies exposed the Lakers, 104-85, at Staples Center on Sunday night.

“Just about every category, we got outplayed,” Coach Jackson said of the Lakers (23-11).

The Lakers’ lack of teamwork was evident in their assist-to-turnover margin of 13 to 20. Memphis’ was 30-10.

Bryant tried to turn up the energy in the third quarter with his offensive attack, but there was considerable defensive slippage at the same time. The Grizzlies wound up with 28 fast-break points to the Lakers’ five, reflective of the Lakers’ worsening transition defense.

NBA rescinds technical foul on Amare Stoudemire

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

NBA rescinds technical foul on Amare Stoudemire

Amar’e Stoudemire scored a minor victory Sunday when the NBA informed the Knicks’ power forward it had rescinded his technical foul from Thursday’s game in Orlando.

The ruling is important because once a player accrues 16 technical fouls he must serve a one-game suspension. Stoudemire’s total, which was 10, has now been reduced to nine.

Stoudemire was penalized for shouting “get that mess outta here” after blocking Gilbert Arenas’ shot.

Suns assign Garret Siler to D-League

Suns assign Garret Siler to D-League

Phoenix Suns center Garret Siler was assigned to the Iowa Energy, the Suns’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today.  The assignment marks the 25th time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the first assignment for Siler, a rookie out of Augusta State.

Siler (6-11, 300) has appeared in six games this season for Phoenix, averaging 1.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.8 minutes. In the 2010 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Siler shot 12-of-16 from the field in five games with the Miami Heat, averaging 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Phoenix signed Siler in September as an undrafted free agent. In 2009-10, Siler played 38 games with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds. Though four years at Augusta State, Siler averaged 12.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 121 games. For his college career, Siler shot 74.5 percent from the field, including a collegiate record 78.9 percent (225-of-285) as a senior.

Antoine Dodson song

This has nothing to do with basketball. It’s just one of the most amusing, popular and ridiculous general-interest stories ever.

This is a real news broadcast turned into an actual Antoine Dodson song. View it and watch the magic

ANTOINE DODSON SONG

If you have no idea what this is, the original, real Antoine Dodson news broadcast clip is here:

ORIGINAL ANTOINE DODSON NEWS REPORT

Brandon Roy sidelined indefinitely with sore knees

Brandon Roy sidelined indefinitely with sore knees

Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will be sidelined indefinitely with sore knees, it was announced today by General Manager Rich Cho.

“Unfortunately, Brandon Roy’s condition has not significantly improved and we’ve decided to hold him out indefinitely,” said Cho. “In the short term, we’re going to proceed with an extended period of rest. Beyond that, we’re looking at all available treatment options to help better determine a course of action.”

Roy, 26, has missed nine games this season (three games from Nov. 16-20 and the last six games beginning on Dec. 17) with a sore left knee.

A three-time NBA All-Star and 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year, Roy has led the team in scoring in each of the last three seasons. He holds career averages of 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.08 steals in 297 career games (295 starts).

In 23 games (all starts) this season, Roy has averaged 16.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.13 steals in 35.3 minutes per game. He scored 20 points or more in nine contests and led the team in scoring eight times.

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Thunder assign Cole Aldrich to D-League

Thunder assign Cole Aldrich to D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has assigned center Cole Aldrich to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League for the second time this season.

In his first assignment with the 66ers, Aldrich saw action in five games (all starts) averaging 7.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game.

Aldrich has appeared in seven games for Oklahoma City this season averaging 1.0 point and 1.9 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per contest.

He’ll be in uniform tonight when the 66ers take on the Toros at the Cedar Park Center in Austin, Texas.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Cole is tall.

Kevin Garnett hurts leg

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports:

Kevin Garnett hurts leg

The Celtics lost a basketball game last night, and if that’s all they lost in the long run, they will be ecstatic.

The 104-92 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons was very much a secondary concern to the health of Kevin Garnett, who left the game in the first quarter with a lower right leg injury.

X-rays taken at the Palace revealed no fracture, but an MRI and other tests will be coming when the Celts return to home.

Garnett looked as if he suffered the injury as he planted to go up for a dunk with 2:38 left in the first quarter. The occurrence was reminiscent of the injury he suffered in February 2009 that essentially ended that season for the forward.

“I know it’s a muscle, not a knee, which is good,” coach Doc Rivers said.