Category: General NBA insight

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed guard Jannero Pargo to a second 10-day contract.

The 6-1 Pargo has seen action in five games for the Bobcats, scoring in double figures in each of the last four contests. He is averaging 11.2 points, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 rebound in 17.2 minutes. Since coming to Charlotte, Pargo is shooting .465 from the field (20-43), including .480 from beyond the three-point line (12-25), and is a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line.

Prior to signing with the Bobcats, Pargo had played in 14 total games this season, seven each with the Wizards and Hawks, with overall averages of 4.0 points and 2.4 assists in 15.4 minutes.

Lakers forward Antawn Jamison, who was injured during the second half of last night’s game against the Washington Wizards, was examined by hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic and underwent an MRI test today on his injured right wrist.

Results of the MRI confirmed a sprained wrist. Jamison’s status will be day-to-day and he will be reevaluated at the conclusion of the season.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson says his city has reached a preliminary agreement for a new downtown arena with an investment group that hopes to keep the Kings from moving to Seattle.

Johnson announced the agreement Saturday on his Twitter account. He said the group includes Silicon Valley software tycoon Vivek Ranadive, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and billionaire Ron Burkle.

The City Council is planning to vote on the non-binding term sheet Tuesday.

— Reported by the Associated Press

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that center Marc Gasol re-aggravated an abdominal tear on March 22 at New Orleans and will be out indefinitely.

Gasol (7-1, 265) originally sustained the injury on March 6 vs. Portland.

The 28-year-old leads Memphis in blocks (1.71) and free throw percentage (career-high .855) while ranking second in scoring (14.3 points), rebounding (7.8) and assists (career-high 3.9). The five-year veteran had been the only member of the Grizzlies to play in and start every game this season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Chris Quinn from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League for the remainder of the season, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. The signing of Quinn marks the 28th D-League to NBA Call-Up of the 2012-13 season.

Quinn will wear No. 20 for the Cavaliers and be active for tonight’s game against the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena.

In 25 games (23 starts) this season for the 66ers, Quinn has averaged 12.7 points on .475 shooting, 2.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.4 minutes per game.

The 29-year-old from Notre Dame played in the NBA from 2006-11 with Miami, New Jersey and San Antonio. In 234 career NBA games (26 starts), Quinn has averages of 4.6 points and 1.9 assists in 13.8 minutes per game.

The ancient Knicks returned home from their West Coast trip with lousy MRI exam news for their big men Tyson Chandler and Kurt Thomas.

Chandler, who hoped he would be back for Wednesday’s game vs. Orlando, took an MRI exam on his neck and it revealed a bulging disk in his cervicalspine and he will miss approximately one more week.

Thomas, 40, got the game ball Monday night after the win in Utah and he also got bad news on his right foot. Tuesday’s MRI exam and Cat-scan showed he has an acute stress reaction surrounding a chronic stress fracture and will miss 2-4 weeks. The longer end of the timetable for Thomas would put him out until the playoffs, if he returns at all.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Start date of 2013 WNBA preseason games is May 9

The WNBA will tip off the 2013 campaign with a slate of 14 preseason games in 14 cities, competing against league and international teams, beginning on May 9 when the Tulsa Shock hosts the Atlanta Dream at the BOK Center. For the fourth consecutive year WNBA teams will face international competition during the preseason as both the Brazilian and Japanese Women’s National Teams are scheduled to visit.

The Phoenix Mercury, owner of the first overall selection in the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, will host the Japanese National Women’s Basketball Team on May 19, while the Brazilian National Women’s Basketball Team will visit both the Atlanta Dream (May 13) and the Washington Mystics (May 15).

The new-look Shock, who will select third overall in the draft, will take to the court after acquiring a pair of accomplished veterans in a three-team trade this winter – Nicole Powell (from New York) and Candice Wiggins (from Minnesota).  In addition to hosting Atlanta, Tulsa will visit the Seattle Storm on May 17 and the Los Angeles Sparks on May 19. The Chicago Sky, owner of the No. 2 overall pick in the Draft, will host the New York Liberty (May 15 at Chicago State University).

The defending WNBA champion Indiana Fever, led by 2012 WNBA Finals MVP Tamika Catchings, will play a home-and-away series against the San Antonio Silver Stars.  The All-Star laden Minnesota Lynx, featuring Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, and Rebekkah Brunson, will prepare for a run at a third consecutive WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile appearance by hosting Washington on May 18 in Bismarck, N.D. and closing out the WNBA’s preseason at home vs. Connecticut on May 21.

Los Angeles, which reached the Western Conference Finals last season behind All-Star Candace Parker, WNBA Rookie of the Year Nneka Ogwumike, and WNBA Most Improved Player Kristi Toliver, added veteran free agent Lindsey Harding to the mix and will host a pair of games in Southern California – Seattle (May 12 at Long Beach State) and Tulsa (May 19 at the University of California-Riverside).

The 2013 preseason will also mark the return of a pair of head coaches with WNBA championships to their credit. Bill Laimbeer, head coach and general manager of the Liberty, will lead his new team in a pair of preseason tilts against the Connecticut Sun, who are led by new head coach Anne Donovan. Laimbeer coached the Detroit Shock to WNBA titles in 2003, 2006, and 2008, and Donovan guided the Seattle Storm to the championship in 2004. New York first visits Connecticut on May 11 and the two teams will meet again on May 18 in Newark, N.J.

The WNBA will open its 17th regular season as part of WNBA Tip-Off 2013 presented by Boost Mobile on Friday, May 24, when Catchings leads the Fever into San Antonio to face the Silver Stars.  WNBA Tip-Off 2013 presented by Boost Mobile will feature a total of six games including a nationally televised doubleheader on ESPN2 on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, featuring the Mystics at the Shock (3 p.m. ET) followed by the Sky at the Mercury (5 p.m. ET).  The Memorial Day games are likely to include the debuts of the top four picks from the highly anticipated 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, widely considered to be one of the most anticipated draft classes ever.

A night of reminders from Houston’s recent past ended with a big win for the Rockets.

Donatas Motiejunas scored a career-high 19 points to lead five Houston starters in double figures and the Rockets routed the Phoenix Suns 111-81 on Wednesday night.

James Harden scored 18 and Omer Asik had 14 for the Rockets, who stayed in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference standings.

Luis Scola had four points and four rebounds for Phoenix in his first game in Houston since the Rockets designated him as their amnesty cut last summer. And point guard Aaron Brooks got his first action since returning to the Rockets after Sacramento waived him on March 1.

”He took some of my little cheers, man,” Brooks said. ”I wish he could’ve come back another time.”

Goran Dragic, another former Rocket, had 11 points and four assists for the Suns. Dragic signed a four-year, $30 million contract with Phoenix in the offseason after averaging 11.7 points and 5.3 assists in 66 games for Houston in 2011-12.

— Reported by Chris Duncan of the Associated Press

Roy Hibbert knew he was going to get the ball. It was just up to him what he was going to do with it.

It’s been a slow process for the Indiana Pacers’ center to playing up to expectations – a process that has stretch over the course of much of the season.

However, when teammate Paul George told him before the game he was getting the ball, Hibbert capitalized by scoring a season-high 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pacers to a 107-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night…

Hibbert is just a piece of the puzzle and starting to fit in place quite comfortably. Along with the season-best scoring night, had nine offensive boards and four blocks.

”Roy Hibbert was the star of the game,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. ”He was dominant at both ends. You can see in his body language he is playing more confident.”

George had 17 points and George Hill added 16 points with six assists to help the Pacers get their second win in three games and remain in the hunt with the New York Knicks for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Ricky Rubio had 21 points and 10 assists and Luke Ridnour scored 17 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost nine of their last 11 games.

— Reported by Jim Johnson of the Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love had his surgically repaired right hand examined on Wednesday and was given the green light to increase his conditioning program.

But the two-time All-Star was not cleared to begin full-contact drills, according to the Pioneer Press. Love will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks.

Dr. Michelle Carlson, performed the surgery on Love’s hand on Jan. 15 in New York.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange