Category: General NBA insight

The title say it all. Enjoy this video of the top 10 poster dunks of the 2013-14 NBA regular season:

Maine Red Claws guard Frank Gaines was today named the 2014 NBA Development League Most Improved Player, as voted on by the 17 NBA D-League head coaches. The award, which was instituted prior to the 2009-10 season, honors the player who demonstrated the most significant improvement through the course of the season.

Gaines (6-3, 195, IPFW) finished his rookie campaign in the NBA D-League having played in 48 of the team’s 50 regular season games, averaging a team-high 22.4 points, good for fourth-best in the NBA D-League. He added 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 35.4 minutes.

A 34-game starter, Gaines began his professional career averaging 19.2 points in November, December and January, before finishing the season averaging 25.4 points in February, March and April.

“As a rookie with the Red Claws this season, Frank seized the opportunity to develop all aspects of his game,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA D-League. “I’m thrilled that the league’s coaches took note of his marked improvement during the season, and I congratulate Frank on an impressive inaugural campaign.”

Gaines becomes the fifth player, and second member of the Red Claws, to earn Most Improved Player honors, joining Cameron Jones (Santa Cruz, 2012-13), Kenny Hayes (Maine, 2011-12), Dar Tucker (New Mexico, 2010-11), and Mildon Ambres (Idaho, 2009-10) as NBA D-League players to have received the award.

The top-seeded Fort Wayne Mad Ants will face the sixth-seeded Santa Cruz Warriors in the 2014 NBA Development League Finals, which tip off on Thursday, April 24, at 9:30 p.m. ET, with the Warriors hosting the Mad Ants in Santa Cruz.

The Mad Ants, who are undefeated in the 2014 NBA D-League postseason, will face off against the Warriors who are making their second consecutive trip to the NBA D-League Finals. The Mad Ants (4-0) swept the Reno Bighorns and the Sioux Falls Skyforce to reach the Finals for the first time in franchise history, after having amassed a league-best 34-16 regular season record. The Warriors (4-1) defeated the Los Angeles D-Fenders in two games before besting the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 2-1 in the second round to advance to the Championship round. Fort Wayne defeated Santa Cruz in the team’s lone regular season meeting.

CBS Sports Network resumes exclusive coverage of the 2014 NBA D-League postseason when it telecasts the first game of the 2014 NBA D-League Finals live from Santa Cruz, before following the series to Fort Wayne, Indiana, when the Mad Ants host Game Two on Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET, which will air at 10:30 p.m. ET that night. If the series requires a third game, CBS Sports Network will televise the decisive Championship game live on Monday, April 28, at 7 p.m. ET from Indiana. Brent Stover and Alaa Abdelnaby call the action on CBS Sports Network for all three Finals games.

Sioux Falls Skyforce guard DeAndre Liggins has been selected as the 2013-14 NBA Development League’s Defensive Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s 17 head coaches, it was announced today.

Liggins (6-6, 209, Kentucky) appeared in 42 regular season games for the Skyforce, anchoring the defensive efforts of a Sioux Falls team that held their opponents to league-lows of only 45 percent shooting from the field and 100.1 points per 100 possessions. Sioux Falls’ opponents averaged 102.9 points, good for second-lowest in the NBA D-League. As an individual, he averaged an NBA D-League best 2.6 steals, to go with 14.2 points and 4.8 assists.

Liggins’ defensive prowess helped Sioux Falls to a 31-19 record during the regular season and the fourth seed in the 2014 NBA D-League Playoffs. The Skyforce defeated the Canton Charge 2-1 in the best-of-three first round series, and were defeated by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the top overall seed in the 2014 NBA D-League postseason, in second round playoff action.

“DeAndre has demonstrated his ability to be a consistent lock-down defender all season long – a quality that surely helped Sioux Falls have such a successful campaign,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA D-League. “A top prospect in the NBA D-League this season, I’m looking forward to watching DeAndre continue to develop on both ends of the court and congratulate him on this well-deserved accomplishment.”

Originally selected with the 53rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Liggins has appeared in 57 career NBA games, including one with the Miami Heat during the 2013-14 campaign following a GATORADE Call-Up from the Skyforce. He owns NBA career averages of 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds.

Enjoy this NBA video of the top 10 crossovers of the 2013-14 NBA regular season, which ended Wednesday night:

Herb Kohl, Milwaukee Bucks President and Owner, today announced that he has entered into a signed purchase agreement to transfer ownership of the Bucks to Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry.  Mr. Edens and Mr. Lasry are highly regarded investors who are firmly committed to the success of the franchise and its importance to Milwaukee.

Furthermore, consistent with his commitment to the Bucks and Milwaukee, Senator Kohl has pledged a $100 million gift for the development of a new arena for the team.  In addition to honoring Kohl’s requirement that the team be kept in Milwaukee, the new owners have committed to contribute at least an additional $100 million towards the development of a new arena in the city.

“My priority has always been and will continue to be keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee,” said Kohl.  “This announcement reinforces that Milwaukee is and will continue to be the home of the Bucks.  Wes and Marc agree, and they share my commitment to the long-term success of this franchise in Milwaukee.”

Messrs. Edens and Lasry jointly stated:  “We would like to thank Senator Kohl and his team for their support and cooperation throughout the purchase process.  The Senator has provided the Bucks with nearly 30 years of dedicated stewardship, and we are very excited to join Bucks fans, the city of Milwaukee and the NBA to build the long-term success of this franchise.  Having attended various sporting events in Milwaukee and Green Bay over the years, it is easy to see why the greater-Milwaukee area is such a storied sports atmosphere.

“We are lifelong basketball fans who are committed to the success of the Bucks and the identity of the team as a part of the city of Milwaukee.  It is our vision for this franchise to be admired both locally and nationally for its success on the court, the quality of its organization and the loyalty of its fan base.  Having each built competitive teams in the business world, we will apply that same intensity and determination as owners of the Milwaukee Bucks.  We are as passionate and energized as Bucks fans are about bringing home an NBA championship to Milwaukee.”

Under the terms of the agreement Edens and Lasry have agreed to buy the team for a total purchase price of approximately $550 million.

The parties will proceed to closing following review and approval by the NBA Board of Governors.

“Today’s announcement signals the start of a new, exciting era for the Milwaukee Bucks,” said Kohl.  “Now, with a long-term commitment from the new owners and major components of the funding in place for a new arena, we need to come together as a community to develop plans for a new sports and entertainment facility that will host more than 200 events a year, including Bucks games.  I am confident we will do this.”

The incoming Milwaukee Bucks owners, Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry, issued the following statement regarding the purchase of the franchise from Senator Kohl:

We would like to thank Senator Kohl and his team for their support and cooperation throughout the purchase process.  The Senator has provided the Bucks with nearly 30 years of dedicated stewardship, and we are very excited to join Bucks fans, the city of Milwaukee and the NBA to build the long-term success of this franchise.  Having attended various sporting events in Milwaukee and Green Bay over the years, it is easy to see why the greater-Milwaukee area is such a storied sports atmosphere.

We are lifelong basketball fans who are committed to the success of the Bucks and the identity of the team as a part of the city of Milwaukee.  It is our vision for this franchise to be admired both locally and nationally for its success on the court, the quality of its organization and the loyalty of its fan base.  Having each built competitive teams in the business world, we will apply that same intensity and determination as owners of the Milwaukee Bucks.  We are as passionate and energized as Bucks fans are about bringing home an NBA championship to Milwaukee.

In addition, our leadership of the Milwaukee Bucks will not be limited to the basketball court.  We are eager to become active contributors to the greater-Milwaukee community, and plan to establish a presence in the city.  Furthermore, we are committed to spending a significant amount of personal resources, including a contribution of at least $100 million, to work alongside the community and Senator Kohl to develop a new state-of-the-art sports venue in Milwaukee.  We want to provide fans with the best sports experience imaginable, and we believe a new arena and the development of the surrounding downtown area will immensely benefit the game-day atmosphere as well as the city of Milwaukee.

We would like to convey our appreciation to Commissioner Adam Silver and the entire NBA organization.  It will be an honor and a privilege to be the new owners of the Milwaukee Bucks and a part of the NBA.

We look forward to playing an integral and active role in the future success of the Bucks on and off the court, with the organization’s operations and talent as well as through the development of a new arena in Milwaukee.  Fear the Deer!

The deal is subject to the approval of the National Basketball Association Board of Governors.

Blake Griffin scored 27 points, DeAndre Jordan added 21, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 117-101 on Saturday to earn their franchise record-tying 56th victory of the regular season.

Chris Paul added 17 points and 10 assists, J.J. Redick had 13 points, and Matt Barnes scored 12 in helping the playoff-bound Clippers improve to 33-7 at Staples Center, breaking the franchise record for home victories in a season. Griffin had nine assists, and Jordan had nine rebounds.

Los Angeles completed a season sweep of the Kings and has won seven straight against them at home.

DeMarcus Cousins had his seventh straight double-double with 32 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Kings, who lost their fifth in a row in their last road game of the season. Rudy Gay scored 16 points, and former Clipper Reggie Evans had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

— Associated Press

The Sacramento Kings today signed guard Jared Cunningham for the remainder of the season, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

Signed to a 10-day contract on March 31, Cunningham is averaging 3.0 points (.235 FG%, 10-10 FT), 0.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 6.3 minutes per game in six games off the bench for the Kings.

Earlier this season, Cunningham played for the Atlanta Hawks, totaling two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3pt, 0-2 FT), one rebound, three assists and 22 minutes in five games off the bench before being waived on February 22.

Cunningham was selected out of Oregon State in the first round (24th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded along with Jae Crowder and Bernard James to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Tyler Zeller and Kelenna Azubike.

In his rookie campaign with the Mavericks, he recorded a total of 16 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 26 minutes in eight contests off the bench.

The 6-4, 194-pound guard has also spent time in the D-League, playing for the Texas Legends (2012-13) and Bakersfield Jam (2013-14). With the Legends, Cunningham averaged 15.3 points (.335 FG%, .257 3pt%, .721 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 34.5 minutes per game in 15 games, of which he started 13. Cunningham posted averages of 16.5 points (.394 FG%, .330 3pt%, .803 FT%), 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 31.1 minutes per game in 22 contests, starting 19 of those.

Here’s the Miami Herald with an update on the Heat and D-Wade, whose main focus is to be healthy for the upcoming NBA playoffs, which start Saturday, April 19:

Dwyane Wade is close to returning to the court, but was held out of his seventh game in a row on Tuesday as a precaution.

Wade, who injured his hamstring March 26 against Indiana, put in extra hours in the training room and on the court Monday and wanted to play against the Brooklyn Nets, but the Heat’s trainers and coach Erik Spoelstra remained cautious. Wade, who has missed 26 games this season, might return to the court Wednesday in Memphis, but remains doubtful.

“He really pushed it the last two days and came in this morning and really pushed it,” Spoelstra said. “He is making progress and making, actually, significant progress, but he’s just not quite there.

“We’re going to go into it day by day like we usually do. I like the progress he has made. It’s day-to-day.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has signed guard Othyus Jeffers for the remainder of the 2013-14 regular season. The Wolves roster now stands at 15.

Jeffers, a 6-5 guard, appeared in six preseason games with the Wolves this season, averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game. He spent most of this season playing with the Iowa Energy in the NBA D-League, averaging 20.9 points and 9.9 rebounds in 37.7 minutes per game. He was signed to a 10-day contract by the San Antonio Spurs on January 24, appearing in four games and averaging 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

Minnesota is Jeffers’ fourth stop in the NBA, previously having two separate stints with San Antonio and one with both Utah and Washington. The 28-year-old out of Robert Morris University holds career averages of 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in 35 career games.

Jeffers will wear No. 0 and is expected to be in uniform tonight when the Wolves take on San Antonio.