Category: General NBA insight

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that they have assigned forward Arnett Moultrie to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League.  Moultrie will receive additional on-court time at game speed with the Sevens as a step in his return to the Sixers.

The Sixers also announced they have assigned guard Lorenzo Brown to the Sevens.

For Brown, it marks his sixth assignment to the Sevens this season.  He has appeared in 11 D-League games, averaging 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds.  Brown has also played in 19 games for the Sixers this season.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed forward Luke Babbitt.

Babbit, who was originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round (16th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft and traded to the Portland Trail Blazers on draft day, joins the Pelicans after playing part of the 2013-14 season for Nizhny Novgorod (Russia).

Babbit appeared in 18 games for Novgorod and averaged 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Entering his fourth NBA season, Babbitt has appeared in 126 games for Portland and holds career averages of 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds.

Babbitt will wear No. 8 and will be available for tomorrow night’s contest against Atlanta.

The Pelicans roster now stands at 15.

Kevin Murphy of the Idaho Stampede was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 27 – Sunday, Feb. 2.

Murphy a 6-5, 185-pound guard from Tennessee Technological University led Idaho to a 2-1 record and averaged 36.0 points on .616 (45-for-73) shooting, to go along with 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.7 assists. Murphy connected on 8-of-18 attempts from behind the three-point line.

On Jan. 21, he set the Idaho franchise record with an NBA D-League season-high 51 points to go along with eight rebounds, four steals, three assists and one block in a 127-123 victory over the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The honor is the first for Murphy, who is averaging 23.5 points and 6.0 rebounds this season.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s Josh Howard, Los Angeles’ Terrence Williams, Maine’s (Boston Celtics assignee) Vitor Faverani, Rio Grande Valley’s Akeem Ellis, Sioux Falls’ Sioux Falls Skyforce, Springfield’s Darius Johnson-Odom and Texas Legends’ Devin Ebanks.

Denver Nuggets guard Nate Robinson underwent surgery this afternoon to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, Nuggets General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced tonight.

“It’s always tough to see one of your players go down with an injury,” Connelly said. “Nate is known for his heart and determination, so I have no doubt he will work hard to get back on the court as soon as possible. He has the full support of our team and organization.”

The procedure was performed by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steve Traina at Midtown Surgical Center.

Robinson, signed by Denver as a free agent on July 26, 2013, averaged 10.4 points and 2.5 assists in 44 games with the Nuggets this season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling this season. Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting on Cavs star point guard Kyrie Irving:

Kyrie Irving conceded this season has been more difficult than he imagined, he’s upset so much attention has been placed on his contract and he admitted he doesn’t always have all the answers to what is plaguing the Cavaliers this season.

“I needed this. It was more or less a wake-up call,” Irving told the Beacon Journal following practice on Friday. “I got away with so much my first two years. It wasn’t a breeze, but everything came easy. This is the first year where every single night it’s going to be a challenge. That’s one of the things I’m getting used to and I’ve accepted.”

Irving has come under fire throughout the past week, particularly after a Beacon Journal story last Sunday questioning the progress he’s made this season, followed by an ESPN report on Thursday that Irving wants out of Cleveland.

“Everybody has all these rumors and stories they’re coming out with and it’s all based on me,” Irving said. “It’s not really about me. It’s about the team and what we’re going through as a team together. Obviously some things will be put on me and I take responsibility for that, but all that extra stuff that comes with it… It’s the business. I understand that. But that’s one of the things I wish I could change. It’s definitely not about me, it’s about my teammates and what we can accomplish.”

Here is the Indianapolis Star reporting on Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, who has steadily emerged as a legit force in this league. And was deemed worthy by the basketball masses of perhaps being named an All-Star this season, but was not named a reserve by NBA head coaches:

“I’m mad,” Stephenson said. “I feel like I had my breakout year last year. I showed I can play with anyone on the floor and I felt like this year, I brought a little bit more to my game.

“But other people saw it differently. I’m just going to keep working hard and prove everyone wrong.”

Stephenson not being included among the All-Star reserves was the talk of the league when they were announced Thursday night. Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley chimed in with: “That’s a joke. I see why they’ve got so many crappy teams in the East because the coaches don’t know what they’re doing.”

No Pacers player thrives off emotion more than Stephenson. He plays with an edge. Some, including Vogel, thought that emotion may have turned off coaches and convinced enough not to vote for him.

With David Stern soon stepping down as NBA commissioner and Adam Silver taking over, the league will need a new deputy NBA commissioner. Here’s ESPN.com on who is expected to get the job:

Incoming NBA commissioner Adam Silver is expected to promote league executive Mark Tatum to deputy commissioner, multiple sources told ESPN.

Tatum, who would become one of the highest-ranking African-Americans in professional sports, has been with the NBA the past 14 years and previously worked for Major League Baseball. He’s currently executive vice president of global marketing partnerships and focuses on the league’s relationship with top sponsors and its television and media partners.

Tatum, 45, also manages the partnership between the NBA and USA Basketball.

The city clerk rejected a ballot measure Friday that would have let Sacramento voters decide whether public subsidies can help build a $448 million downtown arena intended as the future home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

City Clerk Shirley Concolino cited multiple issues with the petitions that would have put the subsidies on the June ballot.

“I’ve never seen a petition with as many flaws as this one,” she told The Sacramento Bee.

Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork and Voters for a Fair Arena Deal collected nearly 23,000 signatures, an effort that was funded in large part by wealthy Seattle hedge fund manager Chris Hansen. He led a coalition that lost its attempt to buy the Kings and move the team to Washington state.

— Associated Press