Inside Hoops – Page 468 – NBA Blog

Jonas Jerebko hits game-winner for Warriors

When you think of big game-winning plays for the Warriors, Jonas Jerebko probably isn’t the first name you had in mind. But life is unpredictable sometimes. Learn to accept this. And, here’s the Deseret News reporting:

As Jonas Jerebko was out shooting warmup shots 90 minutes before Friday night’s Utah-Golden State game, all eyes were glued to another guy, one Steph Curry.

Jerebko was all business as he fired up shots from every angle, but he couldn’t help but grin when a couple of women near mid-court unfurled a big blue-and-yellow Swedish flag.

A few minutes later, while hordes of fans leaned over the rails to try to get autographs from Curry as he exited the court, only a handful asked for Jerebko’s signature.

A couple of hours later, Jerebko was all smiles as he of all players was the one who broke Jazz players hearts with a tip-in off a Kevin Durant miss with 0.3 seconds remaining to give the Warriors a 124-123 victory in the home opener for Utah.

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Lakers sign Johnathan Williams to two-way contract, waive Travis Wear

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Johnathan Williams to a two-way contract. And in a related move, the team has waived forward Travis Wear.

Williams (6-9, 230) played in all six preseason games for the Lakers, averaging 6.8 points (.516 FG%) and 4.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have up to two players under two-way contracts on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. The Lakers roster remains at 16, including two two-way players.

Pacers sign Davon Reed to two-way contact, waive C.J. Wilcox

The Indiana Pacers have signed Davon Reed to a two-way contract.

Also, the team has waived C.J. Wilcox.

Reed, a 6-5, 208-pound guard, played 21 games for the Phoenix Suns during the 2017-18 season. In those 21 games he averaged 3.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Reed also spent time with the Suns G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, during the 2017-18 season. In his 12 games in the G League, he averaged 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Reed played collegiately at the University of Miami and was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the second round (32nd overall pick) of the 2017 NBA Draft.

Nuggets and head coach Michael Malone agree to contract extension

The Denver Nuggets and Head Coach Michael Malone have agreed to a contract extension, Vice Chairman of KSE Josh Kroenke and President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Malone led the Nuggets to a 46-36 record in 2017-18, their best overall record since 2013. Since Malone took over prior to the 2015-16 season, the Nuggets have improved on their win total by a total of 16 wins (+3 after first season, +7 after second and +6 after third), making Denver one of three teams in the NBA to increase their win total in each of the last three seasons (Minnesota and Boston).

With Malone at the helm, the Nuggets have become one of the top offensive teams in the NBA. Denver finished the 2017-18 season with the sixth best offensive rating, including being ranked first overall from February 1st through the end of the season. It also marked the second straight season with a top-six rated offense after finishing 20th in 2015-16. The team also set a new franchise record for made three-pointers in a season (940) during the 2017-18 campaign. They ranked sixth in the NBA in made three-pointers per game and seventh in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage. The Nuggets have also finished top-five in assists per game in each of the last two seasons.

Through 247 games as Denver’s head coach, Malone has compiled a record of 120-127 (.486), ranking him fifth in franchise history in wins among head coaches. He holds a career regular season record of 159-194 (.450) over five seasons with Denver and Sacramento.

Pelicans add Tim Frazier, waive Troy Williams

The New Orleans Pelicans have claimed guard Tim Frazier off waivers. And in a subsequent move, the team has waived forward Troy Williams.

Frazier, 6-1, 170, appeared in four preseason games for Milwaukee, averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists before subsequently being waived on October 15.

This will be Frazier’s second stint in New Orleans, after originally joining the club on March 16, 2016. In 81 career games with New Orleans, Frazier has averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals. Undrafted out of Penn State in 2014, Frazier has appeared in 186 career regular season games with Philadelphia, Portland, New Orleans and Washington, holding averages of 5.2 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds.

Williams, 6-7, 218, appeared in four preseason contests for New Orleans, averaging 8.5 points and 1.0 rebounds.

New Orleans’s roster now stands at 16 players.

Suns sign Jamal Crawford, waive Davon Reed

The Phoenix Suns today signed guard Jamal Crawford. The team has also waived guard Davon Reed.

The Suns are young, rebuilding team that is focused on the future. In a limited role off the bench, Crawford can help the team’s second unit. He’s also a positive influence, has a good head on his shoulders, and other signed as a player definitely should be able to help coach young teammates progress in the right direction. He just needs to be more cautious about his shot selection, now more than ever.

Crawford, an 18-year NBA veteran, is the only three-time winner of the Sixth Man of the Year Award (2009-10, 2013-14, 2015-16) and also won the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award in 2017-18. Crawford ranks fifth in NBA history with 2,153 career three-pointers, 30th with 1,262 games played and 57th with 18,906 career points; his 10,766 career points in a reserve role are second-most in the NBA over the past 35 years behind only Dell Curry. Crawford is the NBA’s all-time leader with 53 career four-point plays.

For his career, the 38-year-old has averaged 15.0 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 34.9 percent from three-point range in 18 seasons with seven teams: Chicago (2000-2004), New York (2004-2008), Golden State (2008-09), Atlanta (2009-2011), Portland (2011-12), the LA Clippers (2012-2017) and Minnesota (2017-18). A career 86.2 percent shooter from the free throw line (37th-best in NBA history), Crawford led the league by shooting 92.7 percent from the stripe with the Trail Blazers in 2011-12. He owns three career games scoring 50-plus points, including a career-high 52 points with the Knicks against Miami on Jan. 26, 2007, and is one of four players in NBA history to score at least 50 points with three different teams along with Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Bernard King and Moses Malone.

The 6-5, 185-pound guard joins the Suns after playing last season with Minnesota where he helped the Timberwolves reach the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Crawford was Minnesota’s leading scorer off the bench, averaging 10.3 points in 80 appearances during the regular season and 11.8 points in five postseason games.

Crawford has appeared in the postseason eight times for his career, including each of the last six seasons, averaging 14.3 points, 2.2 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 74 playoff games. He has been a member of four teams that have reached the Conference Semifinals.

Originally selected with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by Cleveland, Crawford joined the NBA following one season at the University of Michigan. Born in Seattle, he attended Rainier Beach High School and remains active in giving back to the community in his hometown and beyond.

Reed was selected by the Suns with the 32nd overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft and averaged 3.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 21 games as a rookie last season.

The team’s roster currently stands at 16 players.

All eyes on Kawhi Leonard as season begins

Eyes around the league will be on the Raptors as the new season begins, partially because they’re a good team but primarily to see how Kawhi Leonard looks wearing his new uniform. And how he plays in that uniform. Mostly how he plays. Here’s the Toronto Star discussing the talk of the town up North:

If one was to lock a group of mad basketball scientists in a room and tell them to design the kind of player they’d want for the current NBA era, it’s not hard to figure what they would eventually come up with.

They’d want someone “long” to use one of the euphemisms of the day, lanky with arms that hang down around the knees, a 6-foot-7 frame that’s at the same time muscular and lithe.

They’d want someone capable of defending multiple positions and playing them on offence, a wing who could check some bigs, a big who could score against slower players and physically dominate smaller ones. Someone who can shoot three-pointers and attack the basket because multi-faceted is the way the game is going.

They’d want someone who can be considered low maintenance, someone “coachable” who can be plugged into a system and thrive.

It wouldn’t take long for those great minds to come up with what they want and they’d emerge unscathed and with a player in mind.

A player like Kawhi Leonard.

Full article

Nets forward DeMarre Carroll undergoes ankle surgery

Brooklyn Nets forward DeMarre Carroll underwent right ankle arthroscopy today. The procedure was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

An estimate on his return date isn’t available yet.

Carroll appeared in 73 games (all starts) for the Nets during the 2017-18 season, averaging 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 29.9 minutes per contest. Entering his 10th season, Carroll has appeared in 487 career games (331 starts) with Memphis, Houston, Utah, Denver, Atlanta, Toronto and Brooklyn, averaging 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.0 minutes per game.

Hawks exercise options on John Collins, Taurean Prince and DeAndre` Bembry

The Atlanta Hawks yesterday (Monday) exercised the third-year (2019-20) option on the contact of John Collins, and the fourth-year (2019-20) options on the contracts of Taurean Prince and DeAndre’ Bembry.

Bembry, the 21st overall pick by the Hawks in the 2016 NBA Draft, has averaged 3.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 12.9 minutes, appearing in 64 games (four starts) in his first two seasons (.442 FG%). Last season, in 26 games (three starts), he put up 5.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 17.5 minutes (.414 FG%, .367 3FG%).

Prince, acquired by the Hawks from the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade on July 7, 2016, was originally the 12th overall pick by Utah in the 2016 NBA Draft. In his first two seasons, he’s appeared in 141 games (92 starts), averaging 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 24.4 minutes (.420 FG%, .374 3FG%, .825 FT%). In starting all 82 games last season, he compiled 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.0 minutes (.426 FG%, .385 3FG%, .844 FT% – 30th in the NBA). He was selected for the 2018 Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend.

The 19th overall pick by the Hawks in the 2017 NBA Draft, Collins was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team last season as he averaged 10.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 24.1 minutes (.576 FG%, .340 3FG%, .715 FT%) in 74 games (26 starts). He ranked seventh in the NBA in FG%, 10th in Eff. FG% (.591), t25th in bpg and 33rd in rpg, leading all rookies in offensive rebounds (176). He was also selected for the 2018 Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend.

Rockets promote Monte McNair to assistant general manager

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that Monte McNair has been promoted to assistant general manager. McNair originally joined the Rockets as an analyst in 2007 and became Director of Basketball Operations in 2013 before transitioning to Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2015.

“Monte has been absolutely critical to the success of the Rockets over his long tenure,” said Morey. “His unique combination of analytical skills and ability to work with our coaching staff was a key driver in our record breaking season last year.”

In addition to managing the analytic efforts of the Rockets basketball operations department, McNair is involved with all avenues of player evaluation, including trade, free agency, and the draft. Over the past four seasons, McNair has worked closely with the coaching staff to provide on-court strategy and analysis along with opponent preparation.

A native of Oak Park, Calif. outside of Los Angeles, McNair played football at Princeton University, where he majored in computer science. Prior to joining the Rockets, McNair worked as a researcher at STATS LLC.