Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Magic CEO thinks Dwight Howard can be convinced to stay

Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Jumps very high

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins apparently is not going to trade Dwight Howard until every last effort is exhausted to convince him to stay in Orlando.

Martins said on our radio show Thursday that he still believes the Magic can convince Howard that Orlando is the best place for him to win a championship.

“We have a couple of weeks until the trade deadline, which is a critical point on the calendar to determine how we can move forward together,”  Martins said of the ongoing Dwight saga.  “Our conversations with Dwight continue, and I feel good about the conversations we’ve had. … I’ve said all along our reason for not trading Dwight at the beginning of the season is that time would be on our side one way or another. Time would be on our side in the fact that we could work with Dwight to address his needs and ultimately convince him to stay. Or time would work on our side in that if Dwight made the decision that he didn’t want to stay, we would have more time to talk to other teams about what trade possibilities exist.”

— Reported by Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel (Blog)

Charles Barkley critical of Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan’s good friend and fellow Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has a theory as to why the Chicago Bulls legend has largely failed as an NBA executive, and it has to do with the people around him, including those in the Charlotte Bobcats’ front office.

“I think the biggest problem has been I don’t know if he has hired enough people around him who he will listen to,” Barkley said Thursday on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “One thing about being famous is the people around you, you pay all their bills so they very rarely disagree with you because they want you to pick up the check. They want to fly around on your private jet so they never disagree with you. I don’t think Michael has hired enough people around him who will disagree.”

Barkley, who is a TNT analyst, did not mince words when evaluating his friend’s performance in the front office.

“I love Michael, but he just has not done a good job,” Barkley said. “Even though he is one of my great friends, I can’t get on here and tell you he’s done a great job. He has not done a great job, plain and simple.”

— Reported by ESPN Chicago

Lakers recall Devin Ebanks from D-League

The Los Angeles Lakers have recalled forward Devin Ebanks from the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

A second year player out of West Virginia, Ebanks has appeared in 12 games (4 starts) with the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 12.6 minutes.  Assigned to the D-Fenders on February 15, Ebanks averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 32.0 minutes in three games.  Currently on a nine-game win streak, the D-Fenders hold the best record in the NBA Development League.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Ebanks appeared in 20 games last season, averaging 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.9 minutes.

The D-League assignment was the second of Ebanks’ career, having previously been assigned to the Bakersfield Jam last season.  In six regular season games with Bakersfield a year ago, Ebanks averaged 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.50 steals in 27.7 minutes.

Hornets sign Lance Thomas for rest of season

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed forward Lance Thomas for the rest of the season.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

Thomas has been with the Hornets for two consecutive 10-day contracts, appearing in nine games during that span with averages of 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Thomas, a Duke University product, appeared in two regular season games with the Hornets before being released on December 31, averaging 0.5 points. In two preseason games (both starts), he averaged 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.

The 6’8” forward also appeared with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League this season. In 19 games (all starts) for the Toros, Thomas averaged 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 32.6 minutes of play. The Scotch Plains, New Jersey native also played for the Toros during the 2010-11 season, averaging 12.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 46 games (all starts).

Hornets sign Solomon Jones to second 10-day contract

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed forward Solomon Jones to a second 10-day contract.

Jones averaged 3.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 14.8 minutes over five games for the Hornets during his first 10-day.

A University South Florida product, Jones appeared in 10 regular season games with the Los Angeles Clippers this season before being waived on February 7th. Originally signed by Los Angeles on January 3, 2012, Jones averaged 0.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 9.6 minutes of play with the Clippers.

The 6’10” forward is in his sixth NBA season, originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the 33rd pick in the 2006 NBA draft. After spending three seasons in Atlanta where he played in 156 games (including eight starts during his rookie season), Jones spent the 2009-10 and 2001-11 campaigns with the Indiana Pacers before landing with the Clippers this season. The Eustis, Florida native holds career averages of 3.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 10.9 minutes over 262 games.

Grizzlies recall Josh Selby from D-League

josh selby

The 19-15 Memphis Grizzlies have decided they miss guard Josh Selby and have brought him back from another dimension.

The Grizzlies today recalled Selby from the Reno Bighorns, the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced.

Selby (6-2, 183) saw action in four games with the Bighorns, including one start, and averaged 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.25 steals in 31.0 minutes. He shot .483 from the field, .500 from three-point territory and .714 from the free throw line.

He has averaged 2.9 points and 1.4 assists on .389 shooting in 10.3 minutes in 18 games during his rookie season with the Grizzlies. The 20-year-old was selected by Memphis in the second round (49th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft.

The Baltimore native posted 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26 appearances last year as a freshman at Kansas.

The Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks in the first game since the All-Star break on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at FedExForum.

76ers center Spencer Hawes out at least another 2 weeks

Spencer Hawes

The Philadelphia 76ers will have to continue to play without a reliable center for another few weeks.

Over the All-Star Break, Sixers center Spencer Hawes was examined by Dr. Richard Ferkel of the Southern California Orthopedic Institute.

At the recommendation of Dr. Ferkel, Hawes is no longer wearing the protective boot and he will not play in a game for at least two (2) weeks from today.

Further updates on Hawes’ status will be provided as they become available.

Spencer has played just 14 games for the Sixers this season, averaging 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, with 56.8 percent shooting.

Trail Blazers sign center Joel Przybilla

Joel Przybilla
Joel Przybilla
Healthier than Greg Oden

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent center Joel Przybilla, it was announced today. We’ll post contract details later today. It’s likely a very small deal.

“We’ve been actively trying to get Joel to return to Portland for some time now and we’re thrilled with his decision to come back to the Trail Blazers family,” said Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “Joel is a hard worker, a great teammate and a player that does the little things to help you win, all qualities that will help us down the stretch run.”

In seven seasons with the Trail Blazers from 2004-11, Przybilla averaged 4.8 points (57.8% FG), 7.3 rebounds, 1.54 blocks and 22.4 minutes in 395 games (273 starts). He ranks fifth on Portland’s all-time list with 607 career blocked shots and ranks 13th on the team’s all-time rebounding ledger with 2,872 boards.

Przybilla, 32, holds career averages of 4.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.48 blocks and 20.3 minutes in 553 games (377 starts) over 11 seasons with Milwaukee, Atlanta, Portland and Charlotte.

Originally signed by Portland as a free agent in 2004, Przybilla was traded to Charlotte on Feb. 24, 2011, along with Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks and two conditional first round picks in exchange for Gerald Wallace.

Kobe Bryant suffers broken nose in 2012 NBA All-Star game

Kobe Bryant
kobe bryant
Competitive.

Kobe Bryant added another milestone to his career Sunday as he passed Michael Jordan to become the all-time-leading NBA All-Star game scorer.

But did it come at a price?

Bryant skipped a postgame media session after his 27-point performance, and was taken for further evaluation after he said he was “experiencing headaches.” The Lakers announced later that Bryant had suffered a nasal fracture and would be reevaluated Monday after he returned to Los Angeles by an ear, nose and throat specialist.

It’s believed Bryant was injured with 8 minutes 48 seconds to play in the third quarter when he received a hard foul from Dwyane Wade. Bryant sank the first free throw then went to the bench to have a trainer look at his bloody nose. He returned and made the second free throw.

About four minutes later he beat Jordan’s mark of 262 points on a breakaway slam off a pass from Kevin Durant. Bryant, who also played more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter, had 271 career points by game’s end.

— Reported by John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times

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