Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Luke Ridnour suffers concussion

The Bucks are in Toronto today preparing for tomorrow night’s 6:00 p.m. (CT) tilt with the Raptors.  The game can be seen on FS Wisconsin and heard on AM 620 WTMJ and the Bucks statewide radio network.

In last night’s loss to Indiana, Luke Ridnour received a blow to the face in the fourth period that resulted in a bloody nose.  Ridnour left the game and was examined by Indiana doctors.  The exam revealed a mild concussion and Ridnour did not return to the game.  Ridnour was evaluated this morning and has been cleared to play tomorrow night.

Ridnour will be listed as probable and joins Andrew Bogut (day-to-day; lower back spasms) and Michael Redd (out; left knee injury) on the Bucks injury report.

Andrei Kirilenko to have ankle surgery

Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko will undergo surgery Friday to remove a bone fragment from his right ankle, Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today.

The surgery will be performed by Dr. John Edwards at 7 a.m. Friday morning.

A report on the surgery and an estimated timeline for Kirilenko’s recovery will be provided following the procedure.

Clippers sign Fred Jones for remainder of season

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed guard Fred Jones for the remainder of the season.

A six-year NBA veteran, Jones has averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 25.6 minutes in 16 games with the Clippers this season, making four starts after originally being signed as a free agent on December 28th.  Jones was waived by Los Angeles on January 5th, and then signed to a 10-day contract on January 8th and signed to a second 10-day contract on January 19th.

Jones played 70 games with the Knicks last season, averaging 7.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 25.1 minutes. The Clippers are the fifth NBA team for Jones, who has appeared in 378 total games and is averaging 7.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his NBA career.

A star at the University of Oregon, Jones helped lead the Ducks to the Elite Eight of the 2002 NCAA Tournament and was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 14th selection of the 2002 NBA Draft. Jones played four seasons with Indiana, winning the 2004 NBA Slam Dunk Contest as a Pacer before signing with the Raptors prior to the 2006-07 season.

Jones joined Portland midway through the 2006-07 season in a trade, teaming up with current Clipper Zach Randolph and then going to New York along with Randolph in a five-player deal on June 28, 2007.

2009 All-Star rookie game rosters

The 2009 NBA Rookie Challenge game info has been released. It’s the All-Star event that happens on Friday where the best rookies from this year face the best “sophomores” (second-year players) — who were rookies last year.

For some reason the actual official title of the event is the “Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam.” But I have no idea what “youth jam” is or how it relates to this actual game or event. Maybe some youth are dunking nerf basketballs on mini-hoops nearby, before the game, or something.

Anyway, as for the Rookie game, it should be a pretty decent matchup! I hope it turns into the wild dunk fest that usually breaks out, especially at the end. That stuff is fun.

InsideHoops.com provides full NBA All-Star weekend coverage. We’ll begin updating that entire section this afternoon.

Gerald Wallace health update: partial collapsed lung and broken rib

Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace was diagnosed with having 30-40 percent of his left lung collapsed and a non-displaced fracture of the fifth rib following a CT-Scan at Centinela Hospital in Los Angeles. He did not accompany the team to Portland.

Wallace had a chest tube inserted into the lung to help restore it to functional capacity, but will remain in the hospital over the next 48 hours for observation. Additional information about his progress and a timetable for his return will be updated in the coming days ahead.

The injury occurred after Wallace was fouled by Lakers center Andrew Bynum as he drove the lane in the fourth quarter with 2:22 left to play in regulation. He was immediately taken off the floor and received x-rays at the arena. Preliminary pictures were inconclusive, which prompted Lakers team physicians to arrange the additional examination.

The Bobcats defeated the Lakers at Staples Center in double-overtime 117-110.

Gerald Wallace hospitalized

Charlotte Bobcats guard/forward Gerald Wallace may have a collapsed lung. The Charlotte Observer (Rick Bonnell) reports: Wallace was injured in the fourth quarter of the Bobcats’ double-overtime victory over the Lakers when center Andrew Bynum hip-checked Wallace to the floor on a drive to the basket. Bynum was called for a flagrant foul, and Wallace had to be helped to the locker room by teammates.

UPDATE: The latest health updates are here.

Grizzlies waive Steve Francis

The Memphis Grizzlies reached a buyout agreement and waived guard Steve Francis, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

The 6-3, 210-pound guard has not appeared in a game with the Grizzlies or Houston Rockets this season after he was acquired from Houston on Dec. 24, 2008 along with Memphis’ own 2009 second round draft pick and cash considerations in exchange for a conditional 2011 second round draft pick.

The 31-year-old former three-time All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004) has averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists 37.6 minutes in 576 career games (543 starts) in nine seasons with Houston, Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.

The Grizzlies’ roster currently stands at 13 players.

Grizzlies name Barry Hecker assistant coach

The Memphis Grizzlies named Barry Hecker an assistant coach, General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

With over 35 years of basketball experience in the professional, collegiate and high school ranks, Hecker joins the Grizzlies after a stint with the China Basketball Association (CBA) where he was an assistant coach with the Jiangsu Nangang Dragons during the league’s 2008 playoffs.

Along with his work in the CBA, Hecker spent 16 seasons (1986-98, 2001-05) with the Los Angeles Clippers, first serving as the team’s director of scouting (1986-94) and then moving to the bench for four seasons (1994-98) as an assistant under head coach Bill Fitch.  Hecker would later spend four seasons (2001-05) as the club’s director of player personnel/assistant coach.

Before his first stint with the Clippers, Hecker spent two seasons (1984-86) as the player personnel director for the Cleveland Cavaliers, helping assemble a core of players including Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Ron Harper and Johnny “Hot Rod” Williams, that would turn the Cavaliers into a perennial Eastern Conference power in the late-1980s and early-1990s.

Hecker basketball executive experience also includes two seasons (1999-01) as the interim head coach, assistant coach and player personnel director for the Las Vegas Bandits of the International Basketball League (IBL), where he assisted current Grizzlies Head Coach Lionel Hollins in the 2000-01 season.

A popular and frequent speaker on the basketball clinic circuit, Hecker has been the director of numerous camps, including those run by Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley, Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, Xavier McDaniel and Andrei Kirilenko.  Internationally, Hecker has been invited as a guest speaker at clinics in China, Italy and Turkey.

The Washington, D.C. native received his bachelor’s degree from Frostburg State (MD) where he played basketball and baseball.  He earned his master’s degree in education from George Washington University and was a Ph.D. candidate at Florida State.  Hecker’s head coaching credits also include B.S. Leiden of the Dutch Professional League (1975) and Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah (1976-78).

The club also announced today that Andy Greer and Ron DuBois are no longer with the team and that Kevin O’Neill has been assigned to the new position of special assistant to the general manager.

Post your basketball opinions on the InsideHoops Memphis Grizzlies message board.

Andray Blatche out 2-4 weeks

Injury continues to strike the Washington Wizards.

Wizards forward/center Andray Blatche was diagnosed today with a strained left knee.  He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.

The injury originally occurred at the 4:11 mark of the fourth quarter in Monday night’s game vs. Phoenix.

For the season, Blatche is averaging 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds on 48.1% shooting in 23.4 minutes per game.

Share your basketball opinions on the InsideHoops Washington Wizards message board.

Qyntel Woods signs in Poland

Euroleague.net reports: Asseco Prokom made Qyntel Woods its second addition ahead of the Top 16 on Tuesday by signing the forward for the remainder of the season. Woods (203, 27) arrives from Fortitudo Bologna, where he averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 23 minutes in four Eurocup games this season. The Polish champs will be Woods’ second Euroleague club after he made his competition debut last season with Olympiacos – one of Prokom’s Group E opponents in the Top 16.