NBA News Blog – Page 1335 – NBA Blog

Elton Brand suspended for foul on JaVale McGee

Elton Brand of the Philadelphia 76ers has been suspended one game without pay for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two against JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident, in which Brand made contact by shoving McGee during a layup attempt and was ejected following the Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two call, occurred with 3:32 remaining in the 4th period of the 76er’s 116-114 overtime loss to the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.

Brand will serve his suspension tonight when the 76ers face the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

InsideHoops.com editor says: It was a dangerous foul, and I absolutely see why the NBA suspended Brand for it. Elton doesn’t usually do things like that. He’s frustrated.

Share your opinion and read what other fans think in this forum topic.

Spurs sign Ime Udoka

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard/forward Ime Udoka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Udoka (#5, 6’5”, 220, 8/9/77) returns to San Antonio after spending the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons with the Silver and Black. In his two seasons with the Spurs, he appeared in 140 games, averaging 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 16.8 minutes. In 21 career playoff games, all with the Spurs, Udoka averaged 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds.

In his six-year NBA career, Udoka has averaged 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 296 games. He spent last season with the Sacramento Kings, where he played in 69 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.

He enjoyed his best campaign during the 2006-07 season when he started 75 games for Portland, averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.6 minutes per game. He shot a career-best .461 (237-for-514) from the field and .406 (89-for-219) from three-point territory. Udoka has also played for the L.A. Lakers, in 2003-04, and the New York Knicks in 2005-06.

Undrafted out of college, Udoka has spent time in NBA Development League, USBL, IBA and internationally in Spain and France. In 2005-06 he was named to the All-NBA D-League First Team and was also the recipient of Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award after averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 45 games for the Fort Worth Flyers. Udoka began his D-League career in 2002-03 with the Charleston Lowgators. He also represented Nigeria at the 2006 FIBA World Championships, where he averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Udoka closed out his college career at Portland State where he led the Vikings in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocked shots during the 1999-2000 season. He was also named First Team All-Big Sky Conference and selected as the league’s Newcomer of the Year. Udoka began his college career at Eastern Utah and spent a year at University of San Francisco before arriving at Portland State.

FOR SPORTS - Spurs' Ime Udoka shoots against the Rockets during second half action Sunday March 22, 2009 at the AT&T Center. The Rockets won 87-85 Photo via Newscom

Thunder assign Cole Aldrich to D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder center Cole Aldrich was assigned to the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today. The assignment marks the sixth time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the first assignment for Aldrich, a rookie out of Kansas.

Aldrich (6-11, 245) has appeared in five regular season games for the Thunder, averaging 1.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.6 minutes. Oklahoma City acquired Aldrich, the 11th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft, in a draft-day swap with the New Orleans Hornets.

A member of Kansas’ National Championship team in 2008, Aldrich averaged 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds in 111 games over a three-year career with the Jayhawks. The school’s record holder for blocks in a season (125), Aldrich was an AP Third Team All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a junior.

Cole Aldrich, the 6-11 center who averaged 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Kansas Jayhawks, has announced he will skip his senior year for the NBA, it was announced in Kansas City on March 29, 2010. The Jayhawks were the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament before they were upset by Northern Iowa. Aldrich, an academic All-American set the Kansas record for blocks with 125. Aldrich is shown in this March 6, 2010 file photo against the Missouri Tigers. UPI/Bill Greenblatt Photo via Newscom

Terrence Williams out 2 games for breaking team rules

The AP reports

New Jersey Nets sixth man Terrence Williams will miss the next two games after repeatedly breaking team rules.
Nets coach Avery Johnson said the second-year guard will be inactive for Tuesday night’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks and won’t travel to Boston for Wednesday night’s game.

Johnson wouldn’t discuss specifics. The coach said Williams has been fined a couple of times, and the message hasn’t sunk in.

“It has been something that we have dealt with for the past two to three weeks or so, and I don’t know if he completely understands what we are trying to do,” said Johnson, adding that Williams being inactive was a substitute for a fine.

Malik Rose joins Spurs broadcast team

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that former Spur Malik Rose will serve as a fill-in color commentator for Sean Elliott on Spurs broadcasts this season.

Rose will join play-by-play announcer Bill Land for his first road broadcast tomorrow night when the Spurs take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:00 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest. He will join Land for various games throughout the season, including the Nov. 28 game at New Orleans Hornets at 2 p.m. on FSSW.

“I have always thought Malik would make a great basketball analyst,” said Mike Kickirillo, Spurs director of broadcasting. “He always provided terrific insight in interviews and his reception with Spurs fans has been off the charts since he stepped into town. He will fit in well with Bill and do a great job stepping in for Sean.”

Rose played for the Spurs from 1997 to 2005, including two Championship seasons (1999, 2003). During his eight-year career with San Antonio, he averaged 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 509 games played. The 13-year veteran forward also played with the Hornets, Knicks and Thunder before retiring in 2009.

After retiring, Rose stepped into the broadcast world, currently serving as an in-studio analyst for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks. He will continue to serve in those roles in addition to his new duties as color analyst for San Antonio.

Udonis Haslem undergoes surgery

The Miami Heat announced that forward Udonis Haslem underwent successful surgery today on an internal fixation repair of the Lisfranc ligament. The one hour procedure was performed by specialist Dr. Tom Sangiovanni as well as HEAT team physicians Dr. Harlan Selesnick and Dr. James Losito at Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables.

He will be out indefinitely.

It’s been reported that Haslem will likely miss months of action.

Spurs waive Danny Green

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have waived guard/forward Danny Green. Green was signed by the Spurs on November 17 and appeared in two games, averaging 3.0 points in 4.5 minutes.

The Spurs roster now stands at 12.

Heat sign Erick Dampier, waive Jerry Stackhouse

April 10, 2010: Erick Dampier of the Dallas Mavericks during the game between the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Ben Munn/CSM.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent center Erick Dampier. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dampier, a 14-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 921 regular season games (749 starts) and averaged 7.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.46 blocks and 25.1 minutes while shooting 49.7 percent from the field. Last season he appeared in 55 games (47 starts) for the Dallas Mavericks and averaged 6.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.40 blocks in 23.3 minutes of action while shooting a team-best 62.4 percent from the field. Besides leading the team in field goal percentage, he finished second on the team in blocks (77) and offensive rebounds (128) while finishing fourth on the squad in defensive rebounds (272) and total rebounds (400). He currently ranks among the Mavericks’ all-time leaders in field goal percentage (1st – .591), blocks (4th – 546), offensive rebounds (4th – 1,224), defensive rebounds (7th – 1,987) and total rebounds (7th – 3,211).

Additionally, he has appeared in 57 postseason games (36 starts) and averaged 4.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.04 blocks and 22.2 minutes while shooting 54.1 percent from the field.

The Heat has waived guard Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhouse appeared in seven games (one start) and averaged 1.7 points, 1.0 rebounds and 7.1 minutes.

Phil Jackson ponders possibility of Heat changing coaches

Miami Heat's head coach Erik Spoelstra (L) listens to LeBron James during a break in the first half as they met the Detroit Pistons during their NBA pre-season basketball game in Miami, Florida October 5, 2010. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

ESPNLosAngeles.com reports:

With expectations so high going into the season after team president Pat Riley assembled his dream team, the pressure is on Erik Spoelstra to deliver. When the Heat struggled to an 11-10 start to the 2005-06 season, Riley shocked the league by replacing Stan Van Gundy on the Miami bench. He hadn’t coached since the 2002-03 campaign but led the Heat to the NBA championship.”The scenario that sits kind of behind the scene, is that eventually these guys that were recruited — Bosh and James — by Pat Riley and Mickey Arrison, the owner, are going to come in and say, ‘We feel you [Riley] can do a better job coaching the team. We came here on the hopes that this would work,’ and whatever, I don’t know,” Jackson said. “That’s kind of my take on it, is that eventually if things don’t straighten out here soon, it could be the Van Gundy thing all over again.”

The two-time defending champion Lakers are cruising along again at 12-2. The Boston Celtics, whom they faced in the 2010 Finals, are still the beast of the East, according to Jackson.

“The Celtics have a defense you have to plan for. Their defense is overwhelmingly a factor in the ballgame,” Jackson said. “They’re going to smother. They’re going to really contest. They’re going to body guys. There’s going to be double-teaming underneath the free-throw line. There are a lot of things that go on there that you have to start planning for.

Thunder sign Nick Collison to contract extension

Apr. 27, 2010 - Los Angeles, California, U.S. - Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) scrambles for the ball with Los Angeles Lakers guard Shannon Brown (12) in the first half of game five of a Western Conference first Round Playoff basketball game at the Staples Center on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 in Los Angeles.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward Nick Collison to a multi-year contract extension, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Per team policy, the terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“Nick Collison has shown an unwavering commitment to our organization through his willingness to accept various roles and his dedication to his teammates throughout his seven-year career with our franchise,” said Presti. “He brings a smart, physical, and hard working approach to our defense and is one of our most active players in the community. We are thrilled that Nick will remain a core member of our team and continue his career with the franchise that drafted him.”

Collison is currently averaging 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in six games since returning from a bruised right knee that caused him to miss the first eight games of the season. The 6-10 Kansas University product holds career averages of 7.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 460 career NBA games, all with the Thunder organization. Collison entered the 2010-11 season among the franchise’s all-time career leaders in rebounds (8th, 3,013 career rebounds), blocks (10th, 309 career blocks), field goal percentage (3rd, .529) and games played (9th, 454 career games).

“I am thrilled to continue my career with the Thunder organization,” said Collison. “I have spent many years with the franchise and I am excited to continue building with this group of players. I am looking forward to what the future holds for this team and community.”

Collison, originally drafted 12th overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City franchise, was an Associated Press First Team All-America selection and Big 12 Player of the Year as a senior at Kansas. He was also named to the 2003 NCAA All-Final Four Team after leading Kansas to the Championship Game. The Iowa Falls native left KU as the second leading scorer (2,097 points) and third leading rebounder (1,143 rebounds) in school history.