Author: Inside Hoops

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Chris Andersen reinstated to NBA

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association today granted the request of Chris Andersen to be reinstated as an NBA player, after Andersen was expelled from the league on January 27, 2006, for testing positive for a prohibited substance under the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.

The rights to Andersen’s playing services belong to the New Orleans Hornets, provided that the team tenders a player contract to Andersen within the next 30 days. If the Hornets do not make such a tender, Andersen will become an unrestricted free agent eligible to sign with any team.

Celtics re-assign Gabe Pruitt to D-League

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have reassigned rookie guard Gabe Pruitt to their NBA Development League affiliate Utah Flash.  Pruitt is the team’s fourth assignment to the NBA Development League this season and the third time for Pruitt.
 
Pruitt was averaging 2.0 points in 5.7 minutes per game at the time of the assignment.  The 6’4 guard had appeared in nine games since his recall from the Flash on December 13, 2007. 

Pruitt scored a career-high seven points in his first game returning to the Celtics from the Flash on December 14, 2007 against the Milwaukee Bucks in five minutes of play.

Report: Theus fines Artest for comments

The Sacramento Bee (Sam Amick) reports: Kings coach Reggie Theus fined small forward Ron Artest $5,000 for comments he made after Sunday’s win over Miami, according to a source close to the team. On Sunday, Artest questioned Theus for how he coached the Kings’ loss at Miami last Tuesday, wondered if the coaching staff shared his desire to make the playoffs.

Dorell Wright out for season after left knee surgery

The Miami HEAT announced today that Dorell Wright underwent successful surgery this afternoon to repair a meniscal tear on the lateral joint line of his left knee. The surgery, a one-hour and 15-minute procedure, was performed by team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick at Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables.
 
Wright will miss the remainder of the regular season and will be in a straight-leg brace for one month. He will begin rehabilitation immediately.
 
Wright was injured with 9:40 remaining in the second quarter in the HEAT’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 2.
 
Currently in his fourth NBA season, Wright has appeared in 43 games (33 starts) for the HEAT this season, and has averaged 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 25.2 minutes per game.

Yao Ming has left foot surgery

Surgery for Rockets All-Star center Yao Ming was successfully completed this morning at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Houston Rockets Team Physician Dr. Tom Clanton and his associate Dr. Bill McGarvey performed the surgery to repair a stress fracture in the tarsal navicular bone of his left foot.

“Yao is comfortable and recovering well after surgery,” said Clanton. “At this stage, we will continue to monitor his recovery and begin an aggressive rehabilitation once he is physically deemed ready.”

Statement from Yao Ming: “I am very relieved that everything went well with my surgery today.  I am looking forward to getting better and starting my physical rehab as soon as the doctors say I can.  I would like to thank everyone for their kind wishes during this time and I look forward to the day that I can rejoin my Rockets teammates on the bench.”

Marbury expected (to watch) in MSG tonight

The New York Daily News (Frank Isola) reports: The Knicks will get back to focusing on what really matters to the organization, 100 times more than winning in fact; spinning a story.
Stephon Marbury is expected to be at the Garden tonight for the first time since he had season-ending ankle surgery and after the Daily News reported on Thursday that Isiah Thomas had told Marbury not to attend home games… As for Marbury, he has no interest in being around Thomas or James Dolan and the feeling is mutual. But because the season is already in the toilet and the subject of Marbury’s future and his absence from home games is becoming an issue, the Knicks – who are paying him $180,00 per game – are making Marbury show up for work tonight (now there’s a radical concept) to put an end to the speculation.

Al Horford, Luis Scola win Rookies of Month

The Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford and the Houston Rockets’ Luis Scola today were named the Eastern and Western Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in February.

Among rookies, Horford is ranked first in rebounds with 10.6 rpg and double-doubles with 16. He set career highs of 20 rebounds on Feb. 6, vs. Lakers, and 20 points on Feb. 29, vs. New York. In addition, Horford recorded seven double-doubles, including three straight to finish the month.  He also became the first Hawk to grab 20 rebounds in a game since Alan Henderson did it on Nov. 26, 2002.

While helping lead his team to a 13-0 record for the month, Scola led all rookies in field goal percentage with .629 percent. He is ranked 15th overall in the NBA this season in field goal percentage with .530.  In addition, Scola was ranked third among West rookies in scoring with 11.7 ppg and recorded a career-high five steals vs. Memphis on Fe. 29, 2008, setting the most by a Rockets player in a game this season.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month were the Los Angeles Clipper’s Al Thornton, Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young, Seattle’s Kevin Durant and Toronto’s Jamario Moon.

Flip Saunders, Rick Adelman win Coaches of Month

The Detroit Pistons’ Flip Saunders and the Houston Rockets’ Rick Adelman today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in February.

Saunders guided the Pistons to a 9-3 (.750) month, which included wins over a trio of top Western Conference teams – Dallas, Phoenix and Denver. The Pistons recorded a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio for the month, dishing out 20-plus assists in nine of 12 games and committing less than 15 turnovers in all 12 contests. The Pistons outscored their February opponents by 9.5 ppg. In a 90-67 win over Dallas on Feb.3, the Pistons held the Mavericks to 23 field goals. In a 116-86 win at Phoenix on Feb. 24, the Pistons recorded 26 assists on a season-high-tying 46 field goals.

Adelman led the Rockets to a perfect 13-0 record in February, marking the second time in team history that Houston recorded an undefeated month (14-0 in Nov. 1993). The Rockets are currently riding an NBA season long 15-game winning streak. The streak, which began on Jan. 29, ties the Rockets’ franchise record which occurred twice before (1992-93 and 1993-94). Houston outscored its February opponents by 12.6 ppg, while limiting them to a .414 field goal percentage.
                                                          Other nominees for the Coach of the Month were Boston’s Doc Rivers, Cleveland’s Mike Brown, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Phil Jackson, Philadelphia’s Maurice Cheeks, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich and Utah’s Jerry Sloan.