Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Clippers recall Eric Bledsoe from D-League

The Los Angeles Clippers today recalled guard Eric Bledsoe from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Bledsoe, 22, appeared in two games with the Jam as he continues his rehabilitation from surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. Bledsoe is with the Clippers in Denver and will be available for tonight’s game against the Nuggets.

In two games with the Jam, Bledsoe averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 assists in 21.0 minutes per game. The second-year player was 9-of-18 from the field.

Nets recall Jordan Williams from D-League

The New Jersey Nets have recalled rookie forward Jordan Williams from the Springfield Armor, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Williams appeared in six games with the Armor, all starts, and averaged 10.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 32 minutes.  He shot .451 (23-51) from the field and .531 (17-32) from the line. He tallied three double-doubles.

In six games with the Nets this season, the former Maryland Terrapin is averaging 1.0 point and 1.5 rebounds in six minutes.

Mark Cuban reportedly eliminated from Dodgers bidding race

Blake Griffin
nba basketball
Dunked Kendrick’s face off

The owner of the reigning NBA champions will not be the next owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mark Cuban was eliminated from the Dodgers’ ownership sweepstakes Friday, along with baseball executive and former agent Dennis Gilbert, according to two people familiar with the process but not authorized to discuss it.

At least eight bidders advanced to the second round Friday, including a group led by Magic Johnson and veteran baseball executive Stan Kasten and another headed by local developer Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre.

East Coast hedge fund giant Steven Cohen, former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley and St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke also are believed to have advanced, as well as a joint bid between investor and civic leader Stanley Gold and the family of the late Roy Disney.

— Reported by MCT Wire / Los Angeles Times

Chicago Bulls waive guard Mike James

Mike James

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guard Mike James.

James (6-2, 188) appeared in three games with Chicago, and averaged 4.0 ppg, 3.7 apg and 1.0 rpg in 8.4 mpg.  He signed with Chicago on January 11.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 13.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “this could pave the way for the Bulls to add a reserve big man, which general manager Gar Forman has alluded to as far back as training camp. Leon Powe and Joel Przybilla are two players with whom the Bulls have had conversations to bolster a frontcourt which currently has Luol Deng out.”

The Bulls are currently 17-4, which is the best record in the Eastern conference, and second best in the league behind the 16-3 Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dwight Howard calls out teammates

Dwight Howard

Magic star Dwight Howard says if his teammates should stay home or in the lockeroom if they don’t want to play hard.

Howard was frustrated and disgusted with his team’s play after a 93-67 loss to the hapless New Orleans Hornets on Friday night, the Magic’s third loss in four games.

“Looked like guys didn’t want to play,” he said. “I told them at halftime, if you don’t want to play, just stay in the lockerroom. It doesn’t make sense for a teams we should beat to just demolish us.

“You bring everything down,” Howard said, referring to a player who isn’t playing with heart and soul.”

— Reported by Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (Blog)

Hornets waive guard Trey Johnson

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have requested waivers on guard Trey Johnson. Johnson appeared in 11 regular season games this season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 5.5 minutes. The Jackson State University product has appeared in 23 career NBA games in three seasons of play with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers and Hornets. He has career averages of 2.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in 7.3 minutes of play.

The Hornets roster now stands at 14.

Injury Update: Andrew Bogut out 8-12 weeks

Andrew Bogut

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced the following update on the injury to Andrew Bogut (7-0, 260):

“This morning in Milwaukee, Andrew had additional diagnostic tests performed on his left ankle.  The results of the testing confirmed a left ankle fracture which will keep Bogut sidelined for a period of 8-to-12 weeks.”

The seventh-year center was injured in Wednesday night’s win at Houston (January 25) when his left foot landed awkwardly on a Rockets player’s foot after attempting to block a shot in the first period.  In 12 games this season, Bogut averaged 11.3 points, a team-high 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal and a team-high 2.0 blocked shots (T-7th in NBA) in 30.0 minutes per contest.

Carmelo Anthony to sit out a few games

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony is hurting, and the struggling New York Knicks are going to be without their leading scorer for at least a few days.

Anthony will not play Friday night when the Knicks visit Miami because of an array of thumb, wrist and ankle problems, and is not expected in the lineup when New York heads to Houston on Saturday.

“I’ve just got to be smart,” Anthony said Friday morning. “I think I was trying to be a superhero and trying to prove to my teammates that I can play hurt, trying to hide it. But at the end of the day me doing that, it wasn’t really doing nothing but hurting the team. … Me being limited out there on the court, it wasn’t doing anything for me, for my psyche, for my body. It was just making it worse.”

Potentially making matters even worse for the Knicks on Friday: Heat guard Dwyane Wade may return to Miami’s lineup, after going through the team’s morning shootaround practice and getting several sessions of on-court conditioning in this week while trying to recover from a sprained right ankle. Wade has missed Miami’s last six games because of the sprain.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Andrea Bargnani out indefinitely with strained left calf

Andrea Bargnani

Raptors forward-center Andrea Bargnani reinjured his strained left calf in the first overtime of Wednesday’s double-overtime victory at Utah. Tests done Thursday in Denver revealed no significant damage to the calf. Bargnani will be treated symptomatically and is expected to be sidelined for an indefinite period of time.

Bargnani originally injured his calf January 11 against Sacramento. He missed six games from January 13-22.

In 13 games this season, Bargnani has averaged a team-leading 23.5 points with 6.4 rebounds, second on the team, in a team-high 36.1 minutes. He has scored 30 or more points in four contests, including 36 in his return to the lineup Tuesday in Phoenix.