Inside Hoops – Page 796 – NBA Blog

Joakim Noah needs shoulder surgery, will miss 4-6 months

During last night’s game against Dallas, Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah sustained a dislocation of the left shoulder which was reduced in the training room. Earlier today, he was evaluated at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush, where it was determined that he will undergo surgery to stabilize his left shoulder.

His recovery time is estimated at four to six months. The details of the timing, location, and rehabilitation program have not yet been finalized.

The Bulls say Noah is expected to have a full recovery.

Chicago is 23-16 this season — the third best record in the East, though they are just half a game ahead of both the Hawks and Heat.

Noah came off the Bulls’ bench for 27 of the 29 games he played this season but was still a huge part of the team. Averaging just 4.3 points per game, Noah is Chicago’s second-leading rebounder with 8.8 rpg, and is third on the team in assists at 3.8 apg.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Noah was likely to be on the shelf for the next four-to-six months, which is not only a season-ender for the veteran big man, but could close the book on his career with the Bulls as he’s headed to free agency this summer. “It hurt,’’ Rose said, when asked what it was like seeing Noah in the locker room following the injury. “It hurt just knowing how hard he works, how hard he wants to be on the court, how much he means to this team. It’s devastating, but we have to come back in here and make sure the guys are ready. Everybody has to be ready, but you never know. He’s a big piece, he’s a big piece.’’

And according to ESPN Chicago, “In the short-term Noah’s absence means more time for rookie Bobby Portis in the rotation, but the reality for the team is there is a chance that Noah may have played his last game as a Bull. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.”

Earl Clark currently playing in D-League

Here’s the Arizona Republic with an update on Earl Clark, who is averaging 20.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks in 35.1 minutes per game in the D-League this season:

After 4 1/2 NBA seasons, Earl Clark had to swallow hard on his basketball-sized pride this season to play in the D-League.

With credentials as a former Suns draft lottery pick bumped to the bottom of his resume, Clark left his family and nice cars in Florida to share an apartment and rides to the grocery store while rebuilding his name in the game on a $26,000 salary for Suns affiliate Bakersfield.

Passing up more money overseas, Clark bet on his ability to prove his NBA worth with hopes pinned on January call-ups as 10-day contracts began.

Instead, Clark was traded Saturday by Bakersfield, which sent him to Delaware for a D-League second-round draft pick. The move, a familiar one after three NBA trades, keeps his quest alive with a clean slate after a frustrating stretch for Bakersfield.

Jazz sign JJ O`Brien to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz today signed forward JJ O’Brien from the Idaho Stampede to a 10-day contract. The Stampede are the Jazz’s exclusively owned and operated NBA D-League team, and O’Brien becomes the NBA’s eighth overall NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2015-16 season and the second Stampede player to be called up.

O’Brien (6-7, 220, San Diego State) has appeared in 24 games (23 starts) for the Stampede this season, averaging 9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 33.4 minutes of action. He has scored 10-plus points on 10 occasions, including two games of 20-or-more points. O’Brien has also recorded seven-or-more rebounds in seven contests. The 23-year-old forward attended training camp with the Jazz and appeared in one preseason game after also competing for the Jazz entries in both the Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He was waived by the Jazz on Oct. 13.

He played one season at University of Utah (2010-11) before transferring to San Diego State (2011-15) to finish his collegiate career. A native of San Diego, O’Brien played high school basketball at Alta Loma High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

O’Brien will wear No. 22 for the Jazz. He will be available for tonight’s game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

Following the move, Utah’s roster now stands at 15 players.

Nikola Mirotic moved to bench for Bulls

Nikola Mirotic is no stranger to coming off the bench. After all, that’s how he spent most of his first year in the NBA last season.

So call Friday a reunion.

Not exactly a good one for the second-year power forward.

Prior to the game with Dallas, coach Fred Hoiberg announced that not only was Mirotic was out of the starting lineup, but the experiment to play him at the three-spot was going to take a few steps back.

“The big thing is talking to him, try and build up the confidence,’’ Hoiberg said of Mirotic.

— Chicago Sun-Times

Ronnie Price undergoes toe surgery

Phoenix Suns guard Ronnie Price today underwent successful surgery to remove loose bodies in his right great toe. The surgery was performed by Dr. Gus Armendariz in Phoenix. Price is anticipated to return to basketball activities around the All-Star break.

Currently in his 11th NBA season and second with the Suns (also 2011-12), Price is averaging 4.2 points, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 14.8 minutes in 34 games (one start) this season.

Joel Embiid is still not playing this season

The Philadelphia 76ers are 4-37 this season and are still all about the future. Here’s The Intelligencer with an update on center Joel Embiid, whose NBA career so far has been spent on the injured list:

Injured center Joel Embiid playing this season has “never been a consideration,” according to Jerry Colangelo.

During an oncourt interview prior to Thursday’s game against the Bulls, the 76ers’ chairman of basketball operations said that despite Embiid being ahead of schedule, the organization is targeting the outset of the 2016-17 season for him.

“No one’s rushing him back — there’s no reason to,” Colangelo said. “The goal and objective at the start of next season is to do everything we can do to get him in the best position to be successful. Because if he can hold up and he’s OK, he’s a game changer.”

Bulls re-assign Cristiano Felicio to D-League

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has assigned forward/center Cristiano Felicio to the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the Flexible Assignment Rule.

In three games with Canton this season, Felício has posted 15.0 ppg and 4.7 rpg in 24.7 mpg.

Trevor Booker suffers concussion

The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker:

Booker has been diagnosed with a concussion by the Jazz medical staff after being hit in the face at the 5:03 mark of the third quarter during tonight’s game vs. Sacramento.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Booker will now begin the NBA-mandated protocol for return-to-participation following a diagnosed concussion and his status moving forward is day-to-day.

Raptors beat Magic in London

Thursday in London, the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 106-103 in overtime. In the win, Kyle Lowry scored 24 (on just 5-20 shooting), and had eight rebounds and seven assists. Cory Joseph was great off the bench, shooting 9-of-11 for 19 points. In the loss, Victor Oladipo scored 27, and Evan Fournier had 21. Here’s the Toronto Sun reporting:

A visit to the O2 just wouldn’t be right without overtime.

For the second time in three games here, the Raps found themselves providing a deserving English fan base a little more than they were actually entitled.

The last time it took triple overtime and it resulted in a loss to the then New Jersey Nets.

But this is a different Raptors team, a “relevant” team as Masai Ujiri likes to call them, and they proved their GM right with a professional overtime period that included timely shooting, some patient offence and some determined defence to pull out a 106-103 win over the Magic on Thursday.

The Magic had a match for the Kyle Lowry/DeMar DeRozan backcourt but they didn’t have the bench support or the defence the Raptors brought with them across the Atlantic.

And by the slimmest of margins, the Raptors will head back across that ocean with a well-deserved win.

Jarrett Jack undergoes ACL reconstruction surgery

Brooklyn Nets guard Jarrett Jack underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery this morning at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. The surgery was performed by Nets’ Medical Director, Dr. Riley J. Williams and Dr. David Altchek.

A full recovery is expected, and it’s anticipated that he will be ready to participate in full basketball activities for the 2016-17 season.

Jack, who sustained the injury during the second half of the Nets’ game at Boston on Saturday, January 2, played and started in 32 games for Brooklyn this season, and posted averages of 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team-high 7.4 assists per game.