Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Agent wants Nate Robinson free of Knicks

Agent wants Knicks to trade Nate Robinson

High-jumping New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson is an exciting player who can score, leap very high and make lots of questionable court decisions. The Knicks have played relatively well lately, and they’ve done so with Nate not getting off the bench.

But Robinson’s agent had had enough and wants a change.

Howard Beck of the New York Times reports:

Nate Robinson has been locked out of the Knicks’ rotation and pushed to the edge of irrelevancy. His future surely lies beyond New York, and his agent is now pushing to accelerate the process.

Aaron Goodwin, who has represented Robinson for his entire career, said it was time for the Knicks and Robinson to part ways.

“I want to do what I can to get Nate out of New York,” Goodwin said in a telephone interview Saturday afternoon. “There’s no reason to allow this kid’s career to get rotted by what’s going on here in New York.”

It is not yet clear whether Goodwin will seek a trade or a buyout of Robinson’s one-year, $4 million contract. He spoke briefly Saturday with the team president, Donnie Walsh, and the two agreed to discuss the issue again in a few days.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

“I have asked the Knicks to move Nate,” Goodwin told The Post “At this point it’s personal. I don’t think Mike [D’Antoni] has [ever] done anything to show it’s basketball-related. I felt that way talking to Walsh during the Chicago game when they went 4-of-23 in the third quarter and the gentleman didn’t look for Nate to help out. They had a 39-point second half and for whatever reason he didn’t consider Nate.”

Robinson signed a one-year, $4 million contract days before training camp and the player needs to give his approval for a trade under CBA law because it was a one-year deal. If Robinson is traded to a team that makes the playoffs, he would get an additional $1 million bonus.

The Knicks want to keep their salary cap room for next season. It’s tough to see the Knicks trading Robinson. Better for them to keep his expiring contract around.

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Carl Landry has teeth repaired

Carl Landry has teeth repaired

Rockets F Carl Landry was forced to leave last night’s game in Dallas at the 9:28 mark of the second quarter following a collision with Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki which resulted in damage to five teeth.

Landry was treated this morning by Rockets team dentist Dr. Thomas O’Brien who performed a series of procedures including a root canal and two dental bridges to repair the damage.

Landry will not play tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder and will be listed as day-to-day moving forward.

The 6-9, 248-pound power forward is having an excellent season for the Rockets, averaging 16.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game.

Nowitzki, Landry hurt in under-rim collision

The AP reports:

Houston’s Carl Landry was taken to a hospital after breaking teeth in a collision with Dirk Nowitzki during the second quarter of Friday night’s game between the Rockets and Mavericks.

Nowitzki drove into the lane and missed a short jumper with 9:28 left in the second quarter. He was fouled by Landry, who was hit in the mouth on Nowitzki’s follow-through.

The Houston Chronicle reports:

The Mavs’ Dirk Nowitzki and the Rockets’ Carl Landry were lost early in the second quarter when Landry cut off Nowitzki on a drive, catching Nowitzki’s right elbow in the mouth, dislodging or breaking parts of five of Landry’s teeth.

Landry was taken to the emergency room and will see an oral surgeon today to determine the extent of the damage. Nowitzki needed 30 minutes for pieces of Landry’s teeth to be removed from his elbow.

After they left, the Rockets answered the Dallas runs as they could not in the previous two meetings this season, won by the Mavericks by an average of 24.5 points after the Rockets had taken early leads. The Mavericks seemed to lose their poise, drawing six technical fouls, some at the worst possible times.

Gilbert Arenas unleashes 45-point game on Warriors

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports:

He was driving into the lane, hitting finger rolls and off-balanced runners off the glass. He was completing crossover dribbles, stepping back and draining three-pointers, and confidently whirling back with his hand raised high. And, he was setting up teammates with open jumpers and layups.

More importantly, Gilbert Arenas was smiling, having fun and cracking jokes with his teammates. Arenas was playing freely and delivered the type of flashback performance for a full game that the Washington Wizards have only seen glimpses of ever since his left knee betrayed him more than two years ago. Feeling unburdened back in his native West Coast, Arenas erupted for season-highs of 45 points and 13 assists as he led the Wizards to a 118-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on Friday.

“I’ve been the coy fish for a couple of games. I’m just trying to get back in attack mode,” Arenas, a native of Los Angeles, said. “Since I came on this West Coast trip, I don’t have that pressure of Washington standing on my shoulders. I get to play freely and game by game, since we’ve been on this trip, I felt good.”

Have Wizards opinions? Express them on the Washington Wizards forum.

Mikki Moore out 3+ months after right ankle surgery

Mikki Moore out 3+ months after right ankle surgery

Golden State Warriors center Mikki Moore underwent successful surgery today to remove bone spurs in his right ankle, the team announced. The surgery was performed by Dr. David Porter in Indianapolis, IN.  Moore is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of three (3) months.

This season Moore was not contributing a lot to the Warriors, averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game.

With a 7-18 record, the Warriors are currently 14th out of 15 Western conference teams, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Read fan reaction or share your own opinion in this forum topic.

D-League suspends four players for altercations

The NBA Development League today issued suspensions to four players following two separate altercations during Reno’s 98-90 victory over the Bakersfield Jam in Reno on Tuesday, Dec. 15, it was announced by Chris Alpert, NBA D-League Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel.

Reno’s Cezary Trybanski received a two-game suspension, while Bakersfield’s Amara Sy and Rodney Webb were each suspended for one game.  Jared Newson, who was waived by the Jam due to injury prior to the game but was seated near the bench in street clothes, received a one-game suspension.

Trybanski was suspended two games for attempting to strike Bakersfield’s Terrence Gamble and for punching Webb.  Webb is being suspended for one game for striking Trybanski in the chest and for escalating the altercation between Trybanski and Gamble.  Newson was suspended one game for leaving the bench area during the altercation.

Sy is being suspended for one game for striking an opposing player in the groin during a separate incident in the same game.  That incident occurred with one minute left to play in the fourth quarter.

Trybanski will serve his two-game suspension beginning tonight when Reno plays the Sioux Falls Skyforce in Sioux Falls and on Dec. 21 when the team travels to play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.  Webb will serve his one-game suspension tonight when the Jam hosts the Idaho Stampede.  Newson will serve his suspension when and if he is reacquired by an NBA D-League team.  Sy will also serve his suspension tonight against the Stampede.

Brandon Jennings fined for Twitter post

Brandon Jennings fined for Twitter post

Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks has been fined $7,500 for posting a message on his Twitter account in violation of NBA rules, it was announced today by NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Stu Jackson.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, a message was posted on Jennings’ Twitter account immediately following the Bucks’ 108-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Milwaukee.

Jennings “tweeted” the following message in the locker room immediately after the game: ‘Back to 500. Yess!!! “500” means where doing good. Way to Play Hard Guys.’

Players are not allowed to post on blogs, Twitter, etc. directly before, during or after a game.

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Mikhail Prokhorov passes NBA background examination

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports:

Mikhail D. Prokhorov has survived the N.B.A.’s background examination, helping the billionaire Russian oligarch take another step toward acquiring 80 percent of the Nets and 45 percent of the proposed Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He is said to be Russia’s richest man…

The N.B.A.’s decision to make known its clearance of Prokhorov’s background came a day after his company, Onexim Sports and Entertainment Holdings, closed on the deal to pay Forest City Ratner Companies, which is developing the Barclays Center as the part of the Atlantic Yards project, $200 million for his stakes in the team and the arena.

Prokhorov has also agreed to fund up to $60 million of the Nets’ losses until they move into the arena in 2012 and assume 80 percent of the team’s $207 million in debt. He has an option to buy up to 20 percent of Atlantic Yards.

Blazers sign Anthony Tolliver

The Portland Trail Blazers today signed Anthony Tolliver of the Idaho Stampede.  Tolliver is the second Call-Up of the 2009-10 NBA Development League Season, and joins 65 other NBA players with NBA D-League experience.

Tolliver has appeared in all seven of Idaho’s games this season, averaging 20.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 36.9 minutes.  He has recorded three double-doubles this season, including a season-high 30 points, to go with 11 rebounds, in a win over the Reno Bighorns on Nov. 30.  For his efforts, Tolliver was named NBA D-League Co-Performer of the Week for games played Nov. 27-Dec. 6.

The Call-Up marks the second of Tolliver’s career, as he was signed by the New Orleans Hornets on Jan. 21, 2009.  Prior to his call-up last season, Tolliver appeared in three games for the Iowa Energy, averaging 10.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 28.3 minutes.  Before joining the Energy during the 2008-09 campaign, Tolliver played in 19 games for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes.  During his time with the Spurs, Tolliver was assigned to the team’s NBA D-League affiliate Austin Toros where he saw action in six games and averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

A four-year contributor at Creighton University, Tolliver averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 124 career games.  As a senior, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 33 games en route to being named First-Team All-MVC, to the MCV All-Tournament Team, earning the Senior CLASS Award All-America honors and a nod as a Second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America.

Tolliver is expected to join Portland today and be available tonight when the team hosts the Phoenix Suns at the Rose Garden.