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Stephon Marbury may play basketball in China

Stephon Marbury to play basketball in China

Remember former NBA guard Stephon Marbury? Before he started doing wacky stuff on the internet and arguing with “haters” for seemingly 17 hours a day while reminding web users that “love is love” nearly every minute, he was a very good NBA player.

Not quite as good as his stats suggest. There were issues of bad chemistry, bad attitudes and not making teammates better. Still, Marbury was talented, exciting to watch, and occasionally spectacular and unguardable.

Before falling out of the NBA after years on the New York Knicks and a quick stint on the Boston Celtics, Marbury had made several mentions of wanting to play overseas; specifically Italy.

I’ve learned over the years that tons of overseas reports tend to jump the gun. And there are often language barriers and translation issues. So right now there are two reports. One seems to suggest Marbury will sign. The other says he may do it, but nothing is done.

Until it’s confirmed (hopefully by Marbury himself) that he’s really signing in China, these should just be considered reports on what may happen.

Reuters reports:

Twice NBA All Star point guard Stephon Marbury will become the highest profile American to play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after he agreed to join China’s Shanxi Club.

The 32-year-old, a free agent since leaving the Boston Celtics last season, had agreed a deal with the northern club and would arrive in Shanxi next week, the team announced on their official website (www.sxcba.com).

“The aim of signing Marbury is to pay back our fans and try to win more games in the rest of the season,” said Shanxi boss Wang Xingjiang.

AFP reports:

After bringing in NBA bad boy Bonzi Wells last season, Shanxi Zhongyu of the China Basketball Association are seeking to land former disgruntled New York Knick Stephon Marbury, the team said Monday.

“Marbury will come next week. We want to sign him and we want him to play for us,” club general manager Zhang Beihai told AFP by phone.

“When he arrives we will sit down and talk. Right now it is not clear if he wants to sign. After we talk we will make a decision.”

Assuming he’s kept in shape, Marbury should be able to destroy the competition. Which would be fun to keep track of.

InsideHoops.com will keep you updated.

Bucks to sign Jerry Stackhouse

Jerry Stackhouse is 35 years old and hasn’t brought much to an NBA court over the last few seasons, but he’ll reportedly get a shot at helping the Milwaukee Bucks, who will be without Michael Redd for the rest of the season.

ESPN.com reports:

The Milwaukee Bucks will sign veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse to a contract for the rest of the season, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Stackhouse is expected to formally sign with the Bucks on Monday or possibly Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday.

The former All-Star guard has been looking for a new team since the summer and was targeted by the Bucks — who began play Sunday two games out of the final playoff spot in the East — after Michael Redd suffered a season-ending knee injury last Sunday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

Stack averaged 12.0 points per game for the Dallas Mavericks in 2006-07, 10.7 ppg on 40.5% shooting (and just 32.6% threes) in 2007-08, and last season played just 10 games for just 4.2 ppg on 26.7% shooting.

Warriors sign Anthony Tolliver to 10-day contract

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Anthony Tolliver to a 10-day contract, the team announced today.

Tolliver, 24, is a call-up from the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, where he has appeared in 14 games this season, averaging 21.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.29 steals and 1.21 blocks in 35.0 minutes per contest. Amongst D-League statistical leaders, he currently ranks eighth in scoring and third in rebounding. A 6-9, 240-pound forward, Tolliver was called-up earlier this season by the Portland Trail Blazers on December 17 and appeared briefly in two games before being waived on December 29.

Last season, Tolliver split time between the D-League and the San Antonio Spurs, for whom he played 19 games and averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per contest. A graduate of Creighton University, Tolliver went undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft and began his professional career in 2007-08 with the D-League’s Iowa Energy.

Golden State’s roster now stands at 17 players. The Warriors are able to add Tolliver to the roster under the NBA’s hardship rules, which allow a team the ability to sign an additional player if that team already has 15 players on its Active and Inactive Lists and has four-or-more players unable to perform playing services due to injury or illness for an extended period of time. Golden State currently has two additional players on its roster under the NBA’s hardship rules, as the team has no fewer than five players out with injury for an extended period.

Tolliver will wear uniform #44.

Stan Van Gundy talks with frustrated Rashard Lewis

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Coach Stan Van Gundy said he met with PF Rashard Lewis on Thursday “for quite a while” to discuss his frustration — and the team’s.

Lewis said after Wednesday night’s game loss to the Denver Nuggets that he wasn’t getting quite enough shots.

Does he have a point?

“Yes and no. We need to find more shots for our keys guys, but part of it is the defense is keying on those guys, especially on Rashard,” Van Gundy said. “Part of it his energy and aggressiveness. I talked to him quite a while (Thursday).

“I think he’s frustrated. That’s a bit of the problem. There’s sort of a frustration running through our team. Rashard had made a comment that sometimes it feels like we’re a last-place team. That sort of sums up a little bit of where our guys are right now.”

Shawne Williams indicted, arrested on drug charges

Hank Dudding of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Former Memphis Tigers basketball player Shawne Williams, who was waived by the NBA’s New Jersey Nets today, was indicted by a Shelby County Grand Jury on Tuesday on eight drug charges.

According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, Williams was indicted on four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture/deliver/sell, and four counts of conspiracy to manufacture/deliver/sell a controlled substance, a codeine-based syrup. Both are considered Class E felonies and carry standard sentences of 1-2 years, if convicted.

Williams turned himself into authorities and was booked today into the Shelby County Jail. His bond has been set at $16,000. He is one of 24 defendants indicted following the Memphis Police Department’s “Operation: Lockdown” investigation.

Nets waive Shawne Williams

The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on forward Shawne Williams, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.

Williams was acquired on January 11 via trade from Dallas along with Kris Humphris in exchange for Eduardo Najera. Currently in his fourth NBA season, Williams has career averages of 5.2 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 126 games with Indiana and Dallas. The former first round draft pick (17th overall) of the Pacers in 2006 has not played in a game this season.

Jazz sign Sundiata Gaines to second 10-day contract

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the Jazz has signed rookie guard Sundiata Gaines to a second 10-day contract.

Gaines (6-1, 185, Georgia) signed his first 10-day contract with the Jazz on Jan. 5 and has appeared in all five Jazz games since, averaging 4.2 points and 1.4 assists in 9.3 minutes per game. The Jazz is 4-1 since signing Gaines, who hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to beat Cleveland, 97-96, on Thursday night. The former University of Georgia Bulldog also recorded a career-high nine points vs. the Cavaliers. Gaines reached career-highs in minutes (21) and assists (five) in his NBA debut vs. Memphis on Jan. 6.

Gaines was the fourth D-League Call-Up to the NBA this season, as well as the fourth D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04) and Louis Amundson (2006-07).

The Jamaica, N.Y., native had averages of 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 14 games with the D-League’s Idaho Stampede prior to being signed by the Jazz. Gaines was selected by the Stampede in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2009 NBA D-League Draft after spending the 2008-09 campaign in Italy with NGC Cantu. The former Southeastern Conference Tournament MVP was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Blake Griffin to undergo season-ending surgery

After experiencing some discomfort during his recently-accelerated rehabilitation program, Clippers’ forward Blake Griffin was examined Tuesday afternoon by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.

As a result of that examination, it has been determined that the healing in his left patella area has not improved to the expected required level. Griffin will undergo a surgical procedure in the near future, with a recovery prognosis of four to six months. Team personnel will be made available to the media. Further details will be made available as events develop.

Previously on December 23rd, after undergoing a CT Scan and MRI Griffin had been cleared to increase his rehabilitation workload.

Griffin, the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, suffered a non-displaced stress fracture of his left patella during the Clippers’ last preseason game vs. the New Orleans Hornets on Friday, October 23rd.

He has not played in the 2009-10 NBA regular season at all.

Trail Blazers re-assign Patrick Mills to D-League

Portland Trail Blazers guard Patrick Mills was re-assigned to the Idaho Stampede, Portland’s NBA D-League affiliate, it was announced today. Mills’ assignment is the 12th to an NBA D-League affiliate this season.

During his first assignment to the Stampede earlier this month, Mills appeared in two games, averaging 30.0 points, shooting 21-of-37 from the field, to go with 7.5 assists in 34.0 minutes. He scored a team-high 38 points against the Reno Bighorns on Jan. 1.

Originally selected by Portland with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Mills has appeared in one game for the Trail Blazers this season, recording two assists in five minutes on Jan. 4 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

A two-year contributor at St. Mary’s (Calif.), Mills twice earned First Team All-West Coast Conference. Named West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, Mills was also selected to the Naismith Trophy Award Mid-Season Top-30 list during his sophomore season.

Mills averaged a team-high 14.2 points to go with 2.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 23 minutes for his native Australia at the Beijing Olympics becoming the youngest player in Australian history to compete in the Olympic Games in basketball.

Rockets recall Joey Dorsey from D-League

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that forward/center Joey Dorsey has been recalled from the team’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

“Joey has really used this opportunity and added playing time to work on his game and continue his development,” said Rockets Vice President of Player Personnel/General Manager of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Gersson Rosas. “With guidance from the Houston Rockets coaching staff, Head Coach Chris Finch and his group have done a great job in working with Joey, giving him the direction needed to bring his level of play up to where he was named to the 2010 NBA D-League All-Showcase First Team. In addition, it was encouraging to see Joey as one of the top rebounders in the league and also in playing a major role in the Vipers first-place standing in the Western Conference.”

Dorsey (6-8, 268, Memphis), who has yet to see game action with the Rockets this season, averaged 14.9 points (.647, 97-150 FG), 13.3 rebounds (second in D-League) and 1.38 blocks in 16 games (16 starts) with Rio Grande Valley this season. Assigned to the Vipers on Nov. 13, Dorsey recorded 10 or more rebounds in 13 outings and posted nine double-doubles (tied for fourth in D-League). He scored a season-best 27 points (13-15 FG) and grabbed 15 boards in a 103-95 victory vs. Reno (12/21/09). Dorsey later matched his season high with 27 points (11-11 FG, 5-9 FT) and pulled down a career-high 22 rebounds (11 offensive) in leading Rio Grande Valley to a 115-107 win vs. Bakersfield (1/6/10) at the NBA Development League Showcase in Boise, Idaho. He was also named a member of the 2010 NBA Development League Showcase First Team.