NBA News Blog – Page 1277 – NBA Blog

DeShawn Sims named 2010-11 D-League Rookie of the Year

Maine Red Claws forward DeShawn Sims was selected by the NBA D-League’s 16 head coaches as the NBA Development League’s 2010-11 Rookie of the Year.

Joining Sims on the NBA D-League’s inaugural All-Rookie First Team are Tulsa 66ers guard Jerome Dyson, Springfield Armor guard Scottie Reynolds, Iowa Energy forward Marqus Blakely, who ended the season with the Houston Rockets, and Rio Grande Valley Vipers center Patrick Sullivan.

The All-Rookie Second Team features Tulsa guard Elijah Millsap, Maine guard Jamar Smith, Erie BayHawks forward Tasmin Mitchell, Rio Grande Valley forward Mouhammad Faye and Springfield center Chas McFarland. Both All-Rookie teams are also voted on by the NBA D-League’s head coaches.

“I am enormously proud of DeShawn Sims for being named Rookie of the Year, but not the least bit surprised,” said Maine Red Claws President and General Manager Jon Jennings. “From the moment he stepped on the court for us, he has been a leader and brings an incredible determination and competitiveness to the floor every single night. The obstacles DeShawn has been forced to overcome in his life have been well-documented, and they are things that would cause a lesser man to choose another path. That determination earned him his way to the NBA D-League All-Star Game as a rookie, and it brought him the Rookie of the Year trophy. There is no question, in my mind, that his next step is the NBA.”

In 48 games (45 starts) for Maine, Sims averaged 20.3 points, which ranked fourth in the NBA D-League and first among rookies, to go along with 7.7 rebounds. Sims, a 6-8, 225-pound forward out of Michigan, shot 50.6 percent from the field this season, scored in double figures 41 times and recorded 13 double-doubles. Sims also participated in this year’s NBA D-League All-Star game in Los Angeles, scoring 20 points and grabbing six rebounds in 20 minutes for the victorious East All-Stars.

“DeShawn’s performance this season was certainly impressive, and not just for a first-year player,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA D-League. “I congratulate DeShawn, as well as the All-Rookie First and Second Team selections, on having such promising starts to their professional careers.”

Sims, who also earned All-NBA Development League Third Team honors, joins Cleveland Cavaliers guard Alonzo Gee (Austin, 2009-10), Washington Wizards guard Othyus Jeffers (Iowa, 2008-09), Blake Ahearn (Dakota, 2007-08), Golden State Warriors forward Louis Amundson (Colorado, 2006-07), Detroit Pistons guard Will Bynum (Roanoke 2005-06), James Thomas (Roanoke 2004-05), Desmond Penigar (Asheville, 2003-04), Devin Brown (Fayetteville, 2002-03) and Fred House (Charleston, 2001-02) as winners of the annual award.

2010-11 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM
Guard          Jerome Dyson                Tulsa 66ers
Guard          Scottie Reynolds        Springfield Armor
Forward        DeShawn Sims                Maine Red Claws
Forward        Marqus Blakely*        Iowa Energy
Center         Patrick Sullivan    Rio Grande Valley Vipers

2010-11 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM
Guard          Elijah Millsap                Tulsa 66ers
Guard          Jamar Smith                Maine Red Claws
Forward        Tasmin Mitchell                Erie BayHawks
Forward        Mouhammad Faye        Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Center         Chas McFarland        Springfield Armor

* Currently with an NBA team.

Ties broken for NBA Draft 2011 order of selection

Three ties among teams that finished the 2010-11 NBA regular season with identical records were broken today through random drawings to help determine the order of selection for the 2011 NBA Draft, which will be held on Thursday, June 23 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The drawings were conducted earlier today in New York City at the Board of Governors meeting by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The results of the drawings:

– Sacramento (24-58) won a tiebreaker with New Jersey.
– New Orleans (46-36) won a tiebreaker with Memphis.
– Dallas (57-25) won a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Lakers

Full details and complete selection order information is on our 2011 NBA Draft home page.

Manu Ginobili has right elbow sprain, doubtful for start of playoffs

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili had an MRI earlier today in San Antonio. The MRI showed that he has a right elbow sprain.

The injury occurred in the first quarter of last night’s Spurs-Suns game.

Ginobili has already begun his rehabilitation process and will be listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the Spurs-Grizzlies series, which is scheduled for noon on Sunday at the AT&T Center.

2011 NBA Playoffs first round schedule

The 2010-11 NBA regular season is in the books, with all 30 teams in action Wednesday night. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday.

The first round matchups in the East are: Bulls vs Pacers, Heat vs 76ers, Celtics vs Knicks, and Magic vs Hawks.

The West’s first round matchups are: Spurs vs Grizzlies, Lakers vs Hornets, Mavericks vs Blazers, and Thunder vs Nuggets.

The complete first round series-by-series NBA playoffs schedule is here.

Rockets sign forward Marqus Blakely

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Marqus Blakely to a multi-year contract.

Blakely (6-5, 225, Vermont) earns a Call-Up from the D-league’s Iowa Energy. This past season, Blakely averaged 15.0 points (.625, 287-459 FG), 6.3 rebounds, 1.47 steals and 1.2 assists in 49 games (19 starts) between the Bakersfield Jam and Iowa. He was traded by Bakersfield to Iowa for a 2011 first-round pick on Jan. 24, 2011, helping the Engery capture the D-League’s Eastern Conference title with a 37-13 (.740) regular season record. Blakely, along with teammate Curtis Stinson, were also named NBA Development League Co-Performers of the Week for games played March 14-20.

As a collegian, Blakely finished his career at Vermont ranked fifth all-time in scoring (1,875), second in rebounding (1,044) and field goal percentage (.571), third in blocks (254) and field goals made (673), fourth in free throws made (525), and 10th in assists (304). He stands as a two-time America East Player of the Year winner and a three-time America East Defensive Player of the Year. Blakely also earned First-Team All-America East and America East All-Defensive First Team accolades three times during his career at Vermont. Winner of the 2010 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship, Blakely averaged 17.3 points (.542 FG%), 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.9 blocks in 35 games as a senior. He was named to the America East Conference All-Tournament Team and helped Vermont to school-record 25 wins in 2009-10. Blakely was actually the only player in NCAA men’s basketball to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals during the 2009-10 campaign.

Blakely will wear jersey #15 with the Rockets.

NBA fines Kobe Bryant $100,000 for derogatory comment

NBA Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement today:

“Kobe Bryant’s comment during last night’s game was offensive and inexcusable. While I’m fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated. Accordingly, I have fined Kobe $100,000. Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society.”

NBA suspends Charlie Villanueva five games for altercation with Ryan Hollins

Charlie Villanueva of the Detroit Pistons has been suspended five games without pay for initiating an on-court altercation with Cleveland Cavaliers’ Ryan Hollins and attempting to escalate the altercation by entering the Cavaliers’ locker room on two occasions following his ejection, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 5:47 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Pistons’ 110-101 loss to the Cavaliers at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday, April 11.

Villanueva will serve the first game of his suspension tonight when the Pistons play the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The remaining games will be served during the first four 2011-12 regular season games in which he is physically able to play.

Andrew Bynum has bone bruise on right knee, should be OK for playoffs

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who injured his right knee in last night’s game versus the San Antonio Spurs, had an MRI this morning. Results of the MRI showed that Bynum has a bone bruise, but the injury is not deemed to be serious.

Lakers forward Matt Barnes also had an MRI exam on his sore right knee, which was surgically repaired on January 11, 2011. Results of Barnes’ MRI showed no new damage.

Both players are expected to be ready to play when the Lakers open the playoffs this weekend.

Lakers recall Derrick Caracter from D-League

The Los Angeles Lakers have recalled forward Derrick Caracter from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Caracter appeared in three regular season games with Bakersfield over two D-League assignments, averaging 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.67 blocks in 19.7 minutes. In two playoff games with the Jam, he averaged 7.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.50 blocks in 21.5 minutes.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (58th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Caracter has appeared in 40 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.3 minutes.

He will be available to play for the Lakers tonight in Sacramento.

Lakers sign Trey Johnson

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Trey Johnson, it was announced today.

Johnson rejoins the Lakers after spending the 2010 preseason with the team before being waived on October 21, 2010. In five preseason games, he averaged 2.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 8.8 minutes.

A 6’5” guard out of Jackson State, Johnson has spent the last four seasons playing for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. A 2011 D-League All-Star West Team selection, Johnson did not play in the game after being called up to the Toronto Raptors and signing a pair of 10-day contracts with the team. In seven games with the Raptors this season, Johnson averaged 4.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 11.6 minutes.

With Bakersfield this season, Johnson ranked second league-wide in scoring (25.5 points per game) while handing out 4.5 assists (25th league-wide) in 35.9 minutes. For his D-League career, he has averaged 20.7 points, 4.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 36.0 minutes.

Johnson will join the Lakers for tonight’s season finale in Sacramento.