Category: General NBA insight

Here are video highlights of top plays from summer league Day 4 in Orlando:

Here’s the Chicago Tribune reporting a Rick Brunson story that would work quite well as an episode of your favorite investigation-focused TV show:

Former Chicago Bull Rick Brunson used the name of a retired NBA superstar to book an appointment with a massage therapist who he allegedly attempted to sexually assault at a Vernon Hills fitness center, according to a newly released police report.

Brunson was charged last month with attempted sexual assault and aggravated battery after an incident April 2 at Life Time Athletic center.

The employee at the fitness center had notified Brunson that she would stop giving him massages in 2013, due to a undisclosed prior problem with him, according to the heavily redacted Vernon Hills police report.

Brunson, 42, was arrested June 25 in connection with the latest incident, according to the police report obtained by the Tribune through an open records request.

He had formerly booked massages with the alleged victim 10-20 times over a three-year period “always using his name,” the police report stated. On April 2, “she was surprised to see Brunson when she walked into the massage room since the name in the appointment book was not Brunson’s but listed as Patrick Ewing.”

Here are video highlights of top plays from summer league Day 3 in Orlando:

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that forward Zach Randolph exercised his player option for the 2014-15 season and signed a multi-year contract extension with the Grizzlies on June 30. We will add contract details to this page tonight.

Nicknamed “Z-Bo,” Randolph (6-9, 260) recently completed his fifth season in Memphis with averages of 17.4 points, 10.1 rebounds (9th in the NBA) and a career-high 2.5 assists on .467 shooting in 34.2 minutes in 79 games (all starts), guiding the team to a second consecutive 50-win season and a franchise-record fourth-straight appearance in the NBA Playoffs. Randolph led the Grizzlies in scoring average, rebounding average, total points (1,372) and total rebounds (795) for the fourth time since coming to Memphis.

This past season, Randolph tied for fourth in the NBA in double-doubles (47) and was one of seven NBA players to average at least 17 points and 10 rebounds, recording a double-double average for the seventh time in the last eight seasons and for the eighth time in his 13-year NBA career.  He tallied his 190th double-double in a Grizzlies uniform on Jan. 28, 2014 at Portland, breaking the franchise record once held by Pau Gasol, and tallied his 400th career double-double on March 26, 2014 at Utah, becoming the fourth-quickest active player to reach 400 behind Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett.

“Zach has become a cornerstone of our franchise, and his contributions have been immense not just on the court but in the Memphis community,” said Grizzlies Interim General Manager Chris Wallace. “Through that process, he’s become one of the most popular Grizzlies in the history of the organization.”

In five seasons since coming to Memphis, the 32-year-old has averaged 17.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .480 shooting in 34.9 minutes in 339 games (317 starts).  He earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2011, his first All-NBA nod, and was named to his first two All-Star Teams in 2010 and 2013.  Randolph is the first player in Grizzlies franchise history to be named to an All-NBA team and the only player to represent Memphis in multiple All-Star Games.  He achieved another career first (and franchise first) when he was named Western Conference Player of the Month in January 2011.

Randolph also has shined in the postseason, averaging 18.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .441 shooting in 37.8 minutes in 41 playoff games (all starts) for the Grizzlies.  Randolph guided Memphis to its first-ever playoff win and playoff series victory, knocking off the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the opening round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, and led the Grizzlies to the 2013 Western Conference Finals.

Additionally, Randolph is the Grizzlies’ all-time leader in offensive rebounds (1,309), leading the NBA in total offensive boards since joining the Grizzlies and pacing the league in the category in both the 2009-10 and 2012-13 seasons.  He also ranks third in the NBA in total double-doubles (210) behind only Kevin Love and Dwight Howard.

The Marion, Ind. native has been an active member of the Memphis community and is a three-time winner of the NBA Kia Community Assist Award (December 2010, January 2013, November 2013).  Committed to making a deep and meaningful impact in the lives of single mothers and children living in poverty, Randolph makes generous contributions of both time and money throughout the year to help those in need.

Randolph holds NBA career averages of 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .472 shooting in 32.0 minutes in 845 games (696 starts) with the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.  He was drafted by Portland in the first round (19th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft after helping lead Michigan State to the 2001 NCAA Final Four as a freshman and won the 2003-04 Most Improved Player Award after averaging 20.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists with the Trail Blazers.

Memphis acquired Randolph from the Los Angeles Clippers for Quentin Richardson on July 17, 2009.  He signed his first contract extension with the Grizzlies on April 20, 2011.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed 2014 first round draft pick Jordan Adams to a multi-year contract, the team announced today. As a first round selection, Adams was guaranteed to receive a contract. So this is standard, and was expected.

Adams (6-5, 209) was selected by Memphis in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft after two seasons at UCLA (2012-14), where he averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a school-record 2.43 steals on .467 shooting in 30.2 minutes in 69 career games.  His 168 career steals rank seventh in Bruins history.

As a sophomore last season, Adams earned First Team All-Pac 12 honors, leading the Bruins in scoring with 17.4 points and a conference-high 2.64 steals while shooting .485 from the field in 30.1 minutes in 36 games.  The Atlanta native totaled a single-season school-record 95 steals, ranking second in the NCAA, and his 626 points marked the second-highest single-season total at UCLA in the last 19 seasons behind Kevin Love (681 in 2007-08).

As a freshman, Adams tallied 15.3 points, fifth on UCLA’s all-time freshman scoring list, and a conference-best 2.21 steals on .447 shooting in 30.3 minutes in 33 contests.

The 19-year-old currently is averaging 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.00 steals in 30.0 minutes through two games (one start) for Memphis at the 2014 Orlando Pro Summer League.  He is shooting .440 overall (11-of-25 FG), .556 from three-point range (5-of-9 3FG) and a perfect 1.000 from the free throw line (15-of-15 FT).

Here are video highlights of top plays from summer league Day 2 in Orlando:

Here are video highlights of top plays from Day 1 in Orlando:

Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed forward Mitch McGary. As a first round draft pick, McGary was guaranteed to receive a contract. This signing is standard, and was expected.

Taken by the Thunder with the 21st selection in last month’s NBA Draft, McGary appeared in 47 games during his two years at Michigan where he averaged 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game.

During his freshman season, McGary was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team after helping lead the Wolverines to the National Title game. During tournament play, McGary averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks while shooting .678 percent from the field.

Prior to his sophomore campaign, McGary was selected as a preseason Associated Press and USA Today First-Team All-American in addition to being named a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Award and USBWA’s Oscar Robertson Award.

McGary is set to participate during this week’s Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League. The Thunder will tip-off summer league competition today at 4 pm CT in a match-up versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Brooklyn Nets have reached an agreement in principle with Lionel Hollins to serve as the team’s new head coach, General Manager Billy King announced.  Hollins will become the 19th head coach in the franchise’s NBA history.

“We are very excited to welcome Lionel as the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets,” said King. “He is a proven winner who will provide the franchise with stability and leadership going forward.”

“I want to thank the Nets ownership and Billy for this opportunity,” said Hollins. “It has been a long process to get back into the league, and I believe that Billy and I will have a very successful working relationship. Brooklyn has firmly established itself as a franchise that is committed to winning, and I eagerly look forward to becoming part of that culture and building on the success of the past two playoff appearances.”

A veteran of over 20 years of NBA coaching experience, Hollins most recently served as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012-13, where he guided the team to a franchise record 56 wins and reached the Western Conference Finals.  Hollins took the helm in Memphis midway through the 2008-09 season and led the Grizzlies to consecutive postseason appearances in his final three campaigns as coach.  In his four-plus season stint as head coach, Hollins compiled a record of 196-155 (.558).

The Las Vegas native was an original member of the Vancouver franchise as an assistant coach, and was a staple on the sidelines for 10 of the club’s first 12 seasons (1995‐00, 2002‐07).  Hollins twice served as the Grizzlies’ interim head coach, when he guided Vancouver to an 18‐42 finish (.300) in 1999‐00, and again took over for four games in 2004‐05, following the resignation of Hubie Brown.  Overall, Hollins owns a career NBA coaching record of 214‐201 (.516).  Prior to joining the Grizzlies, the Arizona State graduate spent seven years with the Phoenix Suns (1988‐95) as an assistant coach under Cotton Fitzsimmons and later Paul Westphal.  He began his coaching career as an assistant at Arizona State in 1985 and served for part of the 2008-09 season as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Selected sixth overall in the first round of the 1975 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, the Arizona State product earned a spot on the 1976 All‐Rookie First Team and won an NBA Championship as a starter for the Trail Blazers in 1977.  A year later, he was an NBA All‐Star while also being named to the NBA’s All‐Defensive First Team.  Over 10 NBA seasons, Hollins averaged 11.6 points, 4.5 assists and 1.56 steals in 673 career games with the Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team will not extended qualifying offers to forwards Robbie Hummel and Othyus Jeffers. With Minnesota not extending qualifying offers to Hummel and Jeffers by today’s deadline, both players will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Hummel, a 6-8 forward, appeared in 53 games (five starts) for Minnesota last season averaging 3.4 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 12.4 mpg. The Wolves originally drafted Hummel with the 58th overall selection (second round) of the 2012 NBA Draft.

Jeffers, a 6-5 guard, appeared in two games with Minnesota last season totaling two points and three rebounds. The Wolves signed Jeffers on April 8, 2014.