Inside Hoops – Page 765 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves sign Greg Smith for remainder of season

The Minnesota Timberwolves today signed forward/center Greg Smith for the rest of the season. Smith was originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 2, then signed to a second 10-day contract on March 12.

Smith is used sparingly, and in 10.3 minutes per game is averaging 2.3 points, on 56.3% shooting, and 1.6 rebounds over nine games for the Wolves this season. He scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in 18 minutes Mar. 4 at Milwaukee and tallied six points and four rebounds in the Wolves’ win over Mar. 5 vs. Brooklyn.

The 25-year-old Smith also appeared in 16 games with the Raptors 905 in the NBA D-League this season, averaging 12.4 points, on 51.0% shooting, and 8.3 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game.

Smith spent three seasons with the Houston Rockets (2011-14) before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2014-15. He holds NBA career averages of 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.5 minutes over 131 career games (12 starts).

No reason to think Phil Jackson will eventually coach the Knicks

If you were Phil Jackson, getting paid massive money by the New York Knicks to make a few decisions here and there but mostly just relax and enjoy life, would you mess that up and return to the coaching grind? Of course not. There is no reason to think that Jackson will be coaching the Knicks next season, or ever. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

If you’re still holding out a shred of hope Phil Jackson will run the Knicks bench at the Garden next season in light of recent rumors, stop.

Charley Rosen, Jackson’s confidant, met with the Zen Master before Sunday’s loss to Sacramento, and told The Post there is “zero percent” chance that proposed home-and-away scenario occurs next season.

“Phil said it’s absolutely not true — there’s no chance he’s going to coach,’’ Rosen told The Post. “It’s total fantasy — an old rumor.’’

What made the idea not so preposterous is Jackson, who will be 71 in September, wouldn’t have to put his body through the travel grind.

Jahlil Okafor undergoes knee surgery

Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Jahlil Okafor, the team’s best building block for the future, underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure today to fix a slight meniscus tear in his right knee. He won’t play again this season.

The team describes the procedure as minor.

Okafor will begin his rehabilitation program tomorrow under the guidance of Sixers Director Of Performance Research & Development Dr. David T. Martin.

The Sixers are a league-worst 9-62 this season. Okafor has been their leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Chandler Parsons out with knee injury

Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons will not travel with the squad on their upcoming road trip due to a right knee injury. The team says that treatment options are currently being explored.

Between Wednesday, March 23 and Monday, March 28 the Mavericks play on the road against the Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings and Nuggets.

Chandler (6-10, 230) has played in 61 games (51 starts) and averaged 13.7 points, while shooting .490 from the field and .414 from 3-point range in 29.5 minutes. He also has averaged 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Terrico White named D-League Performer of Week

Terrico White of the Bakersfield Jam was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, March 14 through Sunday, March 20. It’s the second Performer of the Week award for White this season.

White (6-5, 213, Mississippi) helped Bakersfield to a 2-1 week, averaging 29.7 points (tied for fourth) on 62.1 percent shooting to go with 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals. He connected on 10-of-22 three-point attempts.

For the season, he is averaging 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals.

Other top performers considered were Delaware’s Christian Wood and Russ Smith, Los Angeles’ Vander Blue, Idaho’s Treveon Graham, Iowa’s James Ennis, Reno’s David Stockton, Rio Grande Valley’s Jaron Johnson, Sioux Falls’ Jarnell Stokes, Texas’ Tu Holloway and Westchester’s Jimmer Fredette.

Notes from around the NBA: March 21

These are through NBA games of Sunday, March 20:

Thunder forward Kevin Durant has scored at least 20 points in 55 straight games, one shy of his career high.

The Pacers need one victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to secure a winning home record for the 27th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the NBA. Indiana has three home games this week, starting tonight against Philadelphia.

Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki needs one three-pointer to pass former teammate Steve Nash (1,685) for sole possession of 15th place on the NBA’s career list. Nowitzki, 37, made three triples as part of a 40-point effort in Sunday’s overtime win over Portland, becoming the oldest player to score 40 points in a game since 39-year-old Karl Malone scored 40 for the Jazz against the Magic on March 12, 2003.

Raptors center Bismack Biyombo has three double-doubles in his last four games, including 16 points and a franchise-record 25 rebounds in a victory at Indiana on March 17.

Jazz guard Shelvin Mack is averaging 16.8 points, 8.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds and shooting 60.9 percent (14-of-23) from three-point range in his last six games – a 5-1 stretch for Utah.

The Cavaliers have made 10 or more three-pointers in a season-high seven consecutive games. Their season average for threes made (10.3) is on pace to be a franchise record.

The Pistons are 2-1 on their franchise-record nine-game homestand.

Bulls forward Doug McDermott has scored at least 20 points in three of his last four games.

Lakers guard Marcelo Huertas, a 32-year-old rookie from Brazil, is averaging 8.6 points and 6.0 assists in his last eight games.

Guard Isaiah Thomas has scored 20 or more points in nine games in a row, the longest streak by a Celtics player since Paul Pierce’s 16-game run in February-March 2006. Thomas is averaging 26.3 points in those nine games.

In the Kings’ win over the Knicks on Sunday, Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins (24 points, 20 rebounds) and New York center Robin Lopez (23 points, 20 rebounds) became the first opposing players to have at least 20 points and 20 rebounds since Cleveland’s Michael Cage and San Antonio’s David Robinson on Jan. 10, 1996.

Swingman Joe Johnson is averaging 15.7 points and shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 59.0 percent from three-point range in 11 games with the Heat. Miami is 8-3 with Johnson in the lineup.

— NBA Broadcasters Bulletin

Lots of NBA triple-doubles this season

Triple-doubles are piling up around the NBA. Through games of Sunday, March 20, the league has produced 59 triple-doubles this season with more than three weeks still to play. That number is a single-season record for a 30-team league, as well as being the fifth most all time and only six behind the second most. The NBA record is 78 triple-doubles in the 1988-89 season, followed by 65 in 1961-62 (when Oscar Robertson recorded 41 and averaged a triple-double). This season’s barrage is led by Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who on Saturday became the first player to post 11 triple-doubles in a 30-game span in one season since Michael Jordan in 1989; Oklahoma City is 14-0 when he puts up a triple-double this season. Also Saturday, Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph registered his first triple-double in his 974th game, an NBA record for most games before a triple-double.

— NBA Broadcasters Bulletin

Justise Winslow aiming for better 3-point shot

This can’t wait for the summer. Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow is adamantly working on his jumpshot with the hope of fine-tuning his form by the end of the season.

He’s had a tough rookie season shooting-wise after hitting 48.6 percent (including 41.8 percent on 3-pointers) in his one year at Duke. He is shooting 43 percent for the Heat, which isn’t terrible, but has made just 25.5 percent of his 3s.

“Whatever I need to change, I’m trying to do it right now,” Winslow said after staying late to take jumpers after practice today. “For me it’s just about trying to shoot every shot the same and shoot it with confidence.

— Palm Beach Post Blog

Pistons guard Jodie Meeks remains out

He was supposed to have returned by now.

Instead, guard Jodie Meeks remains sidelined and could stay that way as the Detroit Pistons bid for their first playoff berth since 2009.

Acknowledging but choosing not to elaborate, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said Monday he doesn’t expect Meeks back in game-ready shape before the end of the season.

“No, I don’t,” Van Gundy said. “Unfortunately.”

— Michigan Live

Grizzlies sign Jordan Farmar to 10-day contract

For the next 10 days, veteran guard Jordan Farmar is back in the NBA.

The badly-injured Memphis Grizzlies today announced that the team has signed Farmar (pronounciation: FAHR-mahr) to a 10-day contract.

The 6-2, 180-pound guard has played in 490 games (30 starts) across eight NBA seasons and averaged 7.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 19.4 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He holds career shooting percentages of 42.3 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from three-point range and 73.4 percent from the free throw line.

Originally from Los Angeles, Farmar was selected by the Lakers in the first round (26th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft following a solid collegiate career at UCLA.

Farmar returned to Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv for the first part of the 2015-16 season after playing with the club during the 2011-12 season. He also has played overseas in Turkey for Anadolu Efes (2012-13) and Darussafaka Dogus (2014-15).