NBA News Blog – Page 1138 – NBA Blog

D.J. Augustin on rise since arrival of coach Paul Silas

After a rough start as a rookie, Augustin’s turnaround as a player coincided with the arrival Silas last December.

Under former coach Larry Brown, Augustin was timid and often afraid to shoot. Then Silas arrived.

“Playing for coach Brown, I was looking over my shoulder because I didn’t want to make a mistake,” Augustin said. “He’s still a great coach and taught me a lot of fundamentals. But with coach Silas, he gives you that chance to be free and make plays.”

That was never more evident than in a game last season against Minnesota.

Augustin was having a horrible night shooting from the field, and Silas noticed he was starting to pass up open shots.

So Silas called a timeout.

When Augustin got the sideline, Silas looked him in the eyes and gave the 6-foot point guard a lesson he’s never forgotten.

“I brought him over to the bench and I said, `Son, if you ever pass up another shot I’m going to take you out of the game and I’m not going to play you at all,'” Silas said. “I told him, `Listen, every time you get the ball, I want you to shoot it.'”

— Via Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Chris Bosh still trying to find place in offense

Much was made here and elsewhere of the muscle that Chris Bosh added this offseason, especially visible in his upper arms.

And yet, in the second preseason and regular season opener, Bosh hasn’t managed to do much in the low post.

It’s too early to make too much of this, especially since foul trouble limited Bosh’s minutes, and hurt his rhythm, in Dallas. But it bears watching. With Erik Spoelstra tailoring much of the offense to the versatile talents of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and encouraging them not only to push the pace but also to sometimes set up camp down low, Bosh is the guy who could get left behind.

After Tuesday’s shootaround, Bosh acknowledged that it remained “a feeling out process.”

— Via Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post Blog

Anthony Mason Jr named D-League performer of week

Anthony Mason Jr. of the Sioux Falls Skyforce was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Dec 19-25.

For the week, the 6-7, 205-pound forward out of St. John’s averaged 21.0 points on 51 percent shooting, to go with 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists, as the Skyforce went 2-1.

Mason Jr. registered his first double-double of the season, finishing with 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Skyforce defeated Springfield, 103-99 on Sunday, Dec. 25, the team’s third game in four nights. Mason tallied 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 104-95 loss to Canton on Friday, Dec. 23. He opened the week with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting in a 100-96 win over Fort Wayne on Thursday, Dec. 22. For the season, Mason Jr. is averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Other top performers considered include the Reno Bighorns’ Blake Ahearn, who averaged 23.5 points and 9.0 assists; the Rio Grande Valley Vipers’ Stanley Asumnu, who averaged 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds; the Idaho Stampede’s Tony Bobbitt, who averaged 22.0 points and 5.5 assists; the Maine Red Claws’ Justin Brownlee, who averaged 22.0 points and 11.0 rebounds; the Los Angeles D-Fenders’ Brandon Costner, who averaged 27.5 points and 7.5 rebounds; the Maine Red Claws’ Paul Harris, who averaged 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists; the Springfield Armor’s Lance Hurdle, who averaged 17.0 points and 5.7 rebounds; the Bakersfield Jam’s Juan Pattillo, who averaged 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds; the Maine Red Claws’ Courtney Pigram, who averaged 24.0 points and 3.0 assists; the Texas Legends’ Chris Roberts, who averaged 24.0 points and 3.5 rebounds; the Rio Grand Valley Vipers’ Julian Sensley, who averaged 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds; and the Iowa Energy’s Ben Strong, who averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.

Andray Blatche unhappy with role in loss to Nets

Washington starting forward Andray Blatche was among the most distraught players in the locker room following a 90-84 loss to New Jersey, and it wasn’t only because the Wizards wasted a 21-point lead in their season opener at Verizon Center.

Blatche finished with 11 points on 5-for-13 shooting, taking mostly jumpers. That didn’t sit well with the team captain who addressed the announced crowd of 17,102 before tip-off.

A reporter asked Blatche to address Coach Flip Saunders’ comments that players were relying too much on individual production once the Wizards went comfortably ahead early in the second quarter, 37-17.

“He probably was talking about me for the simple fact that I said I need the ball in the paint to be effective,” Blatche said. “You can’t keep having me pick and pop and shooting jumpshots. Gimme the ball in the paint. That’s where I’m most effiective at. I’ve been saying that since training camp. I need the ball in the paint. I don’t wand to be the pick-and-pop guy I used to be because it’s not working for me.”

— Via Gene Wang of the Washington Post Blog

Dirk Nowitzki thinks Mavs look old and slow

The question isn’t what ails the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, but can they fix it in time to make another run at the playoffs in this 66-game season?

Their offense showed signs of life Monday, then grew anemic after the first quarter, and the defense was uneven throughout the 115-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Denver guard Ty Lawson led all scorers with 27 points. “There are a bunch of good players on this team and I knew that we were going to come out strong,” Lawson said.

It was the second blowout loss in a row at home for the Mavericks, who fell 105-94 to the Miami Heat on Sunday. In that game, Dallas trailed by as many as 35 points.

“We look old, slow and out of shape,” Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki said. “I still think this team has a lot of potential. We just need to work. … We probably needed extra weeks of training camp. But we don’t have it so the young teams, the athletic teams, look better right now than we do.”

— Via J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today

Knicks sign guard Jeremy Lin

Help was needed in the New York backcourt. Mission accomplished — at least a little.

New York Knickerbockers Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations and Interim General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has claimed guard Jeremy Lin off waivers.

According to the Associated Press, “the Knicks are short-handed in the backcourt. Iman Shumpert could miss four weeks with a knee injury, Baron Davis might still be weeks away because of his bulging back disc and Mike Bibby missed the opener with a sore lower back.”

Lin, 6-3, 200-pounds, averaged 2.6 points, 1.4 assists and 1.2 rebounds over 9.8 minutes in 29 games with Golden State last season and in 20 games for Reno of the NBA D-League, he averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 20 games. The Torrance, CA-native, signed with the Warriors as an undrafted free agent on Jul. 21, 2010, following a four-year playing career at Harvard University where he appeared in 115 games (87 starts) and averaged 12.9 points on .481 shooting, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.96 steals over 29.3 minutes. Waived by the Warriors on Dec. 9, 2011, Lin was claimed off waivers by Houston on Dec. 12, and later waived on Dec. 24.

A Knicks, Nate Robinson reunion not likely

Not that the Knicks were loaded at point guard to start with, but with Iman Shumpert out, they are dangerously thin now at the position. Even so, don’t expect Nate Robinson to make a triumphant return with his former team.

“We’ll look into it,” Mike D’Antoni said.

They’ll look, but they won’t touch the high-maintenance Robinson, who played in New York for four-plus seasons until he was traded to the Celtics at the trading deadline in the 2009-2010 season.

When D’Antoni was initially asked about re-signing Robinson Monday at the team’s practice facility in Greenburgh, he shot a look as if to say, are you kidding ? But his answer was more on the diplomatic side, saying reporters would have to check with interim GM Glen Grunwald.

— Via Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News

NBA decides not to suspend Kevin Garnett

The NBA has decided to not take any disciplinary action against Kevin Garnett for his scuffle with New York’s Billy Walker at the end of the Celtics’ 106-104 loss to the Knicks Sunday, which means the C’s will have him available for Tuesday’s game in Miami.

Trailing by two points with just a few ticks on the game clock, Garnett missed a jumper in which he was defended by Walker. The two exchanged words and Garnett put his hands around Walker’s neck, but was unable to grip him as Walker was moving back in an effort to avoid the contact.

When asked about the incident after the loss, Garnett scoffed, “Next question.”

— Via A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE

Kyrie Irving to start for Cavs

Kyrie Irving will start at point guard for the Cavs tonight in the season opener against the Toronto Raptors. Irving came off the bench during the two preseason games, but coach Byron Scott said he wanted Irving with the veteran starters and Ramon Sessions to provide a veteran presence to a young second unit.

“We need somebody with some experience with that ball. That is perfect for Sess,” Scott said. “Sess understood. Obviously Kyrie on the first team is surrounded by veterans, which is going to help him. I really think it’s going to work out for the best.”

Scott still wants Irving to improve defensively and believes surrounding him with good defensive communicators like Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker will help him get there.

— Via Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal

Lamar Odom ejected from 1st game with Mavericks

Lamar Odom has been ejected from his first game with the Dallas Mavericks.

Given a standing ovation when he entered during the first quarter Sunday, Odom still had fans cheering him when he walked off shaking his head midway through the third.

Odom was called for charging and didn’t like the foul. Whatever he said about it was bad enough to draw a pair of technicals and an automatic ejection.

— Via the Associated Press