Inside Hoops – Page 653 – NBA Blog

Joakim Noah screws up, gets 20-game NBA suspension

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on center Joakim Noah, whose first season with a Knicks was largely a lost one:

This is a message preached to all of the highest-level athletes, because these men and women are subject to random pee tests the way we’re subject to speed traps on the turnpike: know what you’re putting in your body.

Joakim Noah didn’t and now he’s forced to ingest a 20-game suspension with over $2 million in lost salary.

To assume the best of Noah now is also to assume he independently bought something over the counter without knowledge it contained an offending substance called “Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator LGD-4033.” According to anti-doping experts, it falls in the same class as anabolic agents, providing effects similar to steroids — to recover from injury or to build muscle mass. Athletes these days are supplied the supplements they need by team trainers and doctors. So it’s an unnecessary mistake from Noah no matter how you slice it.

Nets sign Archie Goodwin to second 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed Archie Goodwin to a second 10-day contract.

Goodwin was originally signed by the Nets on March 15 and has appeared in four games for Brooklyn, averaging 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 13.4 minutes per game while shooting .650 (13-of-20) from the field and scoring in double figures three times.

In 157 games in four NBA seasons with Brooklyn, New Orleans and Phoenix, Goodwin has recorded averages of 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.4 minutes per game.

Goodwin was selected with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder before being traded to the Suns via Golden State on draft night. He spent one year at the University of Kentucky, earning SEC All-Freshman team honors.

Joakim Noah suspended 20 games

Knicks center Joakim Noah has been suspended without pay for twenty games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program by testing positive for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator LGD-4033, it was announced today by the NBA.

Noah’s’ suspension will begin with the first NBA regular season or playoff game for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

New Timberwolves logo coming April 11

The Minnesota Timberwolves begin a new chapter in their franchise history by unveiling a new team logo as part of Fan Appreciation Night at Target Center on Tuesday, April 11. The Wolves will conclude the home portion of their regular season schedule that evening by hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m.

The logo will be unveiled during a special halftime show and all fans in attendance will receive a commemorative t-shirt with the new identity featured.

While the new identity won’t fully take effect until the 2017-18 season, the unveiling marks only the fourth identity in the franchise’s 28-year history. The announcement is also the beginning of an eventful summer as the Wolves brand continues to evolve. There will be several future announcements regarding the unveiling of the new team uniforms, new court designs and additional events throughout the coming months.

“We are incredibly excited to share the new logo with our fans. This is but the first of many changes that fans will see that reflect our growing relevancy at home and abroad,” said Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson. “These are exciting times for our state and our franchise, and this new logo embodies the hunger, drive and passion that will define us in this new era of Timberwolves basketball.”

Nerlens Noel a starter as Mavs beat Clippers

As the NBA regular season begins to wrap up, it’ll be fun keeping an eye on Nerlens Noel as he learns to fit in with the Mavericks. Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram with the latest:

For the second time since trading for Nerlens Noel on Feb. 23, the Dallas Mavericks used a starting lineup that included the 6-11 center.

And for the second time, the Mavs won that game with Noel starting in the middle and creating all sorts of havoc for the opponent.

With Noel starting, Dirk Nowitzki was pushed from playing center to his customary power forward spot, and Harrison Barnes shifted from power forward to his customary small forward position.

The new strategy also moved Wesley Matthews from small forward to his customary shooting guard spot, while Seth Curry shifted from shooting guard to point guard, and Yogi Ferrell was relegated to coming off the bench.

All of the moves paid off handsomely as the Mavs did what they needed to do to hang on and defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 97-95, before a Thursday night sellout crowd of 19,703 at American Airlines Center.

Quincy Acy shooting great from outside

Here, have a fun Nets-related item from the New York Post:

Entering Thursday, what player led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage among those with at least 50 attempts since Jan. 10? Take a guess.

Stephen Curry? Nope, guess again. Klay Thompson? Not him either. Kyle Korver? Sorry, he was No. 2. Try the Nets’ Quincy Acy.

Stop laughing, it’s true. Acy, the 6-foot-7 bundle of energy forward signed to a pair of 10-day contracts before landing a multi-year Nets deal, hit 32 of 64 triples (50 percent) before going 1-for-4 against Phoenix. True, Korver had taken a lot more and made a lot more — 77-for-160 – but his .481 mark was still second.

Nuggets assign Malik Beasley to D-League

The Denver Nuggets have assigned rookie guard Malik Beasley to the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

This will be Beasley’s sixth assignment to Sioux Falls, where he has appeared in 12 games (eight starts) and averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.30 steals in 30.8 minutes per game. He scored a D-League career-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds and three steals in a win over the Oklahoma City Blue on Feb. 22.

Beasley has appeared in 19 games for the Nuggets, averaging 2.6 points in 4.7 minutes.

Serge Ibaka and Robin Lopez suspended for throwing punches

Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez and Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka have each been suspended one game without pay for throwing punches at one another during an altercation, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire has been fined $15,000 for pushing Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic and acting as other than a peacemaker as part of the same altercation.

The incident, for which Ibaka and Lopez were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game, occurred with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter of the Raptors’ 122-120 overtime win over the Bulls at Air Canada Centre on March 21.

Lopez will serve his suspension tonight when the Bulls host the Detroit Pistons at United Center.

Ibaka will serve his suspension on Thursday when the Raptors visit the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Lakers sign David Nwaba

The Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday signed guard David Nwaba to a multi-year contract.

“We have been impressed by David’s focus and determination, especially on defense,” said Pelinka. “He has a mentality about him that is infectious, and he works hard every day to improve himself. He has brought energy to both our Lakers and D-Fenders games, and has certainly earned his spot on the roster.”

Nwaba signed the first of his two 10-day contracts with the Lakers on February 28, and the second on March 11. In 10 games (two starts), Nwaba is averaging 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes. The L.A. native went undrafted out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, and played in 39 games (30 starts) with the Lakers NBA Development League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, before his Call-Up to the Lakers, where he tallied 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in 29.0 minutes.

The Lakers roster stands at 15.

Rockets sign Troy Williams

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Troy Williams and assigned him to their single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. He originally signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets on March 10.

In five D-League games with the Vipers, Williams is averaging 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 52.8% from the floor.