Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

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.

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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.

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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.

Brian Scalabrine suffers concussion at practice

The Boston Globe (Marc Spears) reports (via blog): Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine was taken to New England Baptist Hospital after suffering a concussion at practice today, and coach Doc Rivers said he expects the forward to be out for an extended period of time. Scalabrine originally suffered a concussion against Dallas last Sunday and received another when he bumped into teammate Patrick O’Bryant while trying to get a rebound at practice today.

Hollis Price, Mo Taylor to Italy

Euroleague.net reports: Armani Jeans Milano made a pair of major additions to its roster in time for the Top 16. Head coach Piero Bucchi’s squad signed playmaker Hollis Price and power forward Maurice Taylor. Price (186, 29) arrives from Dynamo Moscow, but was among the best playmakers in his debut Euroleague campaign last season with Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. Taylor (206, 32) last with Sacramento of the NBA, will play in Europe for the first time. His contract is for Euroleague games only.

Charles Gaines signs in Israel

Euroleague.net reports: Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv made one more move before the start of the Top 16 with the addition of high-flying forward Charles Gaines until the end of the season. Gaines (203, 28) will mark his second stint in the Euroleague after playing for DKV Joventut Badalona in the 2006-07 season, when he averaged 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Jannero Pargo signs in Greece

Euroleague.net reports: Olympiacos Pireaus has made up for the loss of an injured starter by signing more offensive firepower in the person of guard Jannero Pargo, last with Dynamo Moscow. Pargo (188, 30) posted 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in five Eurocup games in this, his first season in Europe, for Dynamo. Pargo had played the previous six seaons with four NBA teams: New Orleans, Chicago, Toronto and the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 8.1 points last season with New Orleans. Olympiacos needs help after its third-best scorer, Josh Childress, was lost for at least a month more due to a sports hernia that was operated on last week.

Kenny Adeleke signs in Germany

Euroleague.net reports: With center Patrick Femerling sidelined for the whole Top 16, Alba Berlin signed rebounding ace Kenny Adeleke (25, 205) on Tuesday. The American power forward with Nigerian origin started the season for Lukoil Academic Sofia, but was released in December, after the Bulgarian champion had lost all options to reach the Last 16 of the Eurocup.

Grizzlies reassign Kevin O`Neill to new Special assistant to GM position

The Memphis Grizzlies have reassigned Kevin O’Neill to the new role of special assistant to the general manager, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

“Kevin O’Neill was instrumental in our draft preparations last year, which resulted in bringing O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur to the Grizzlies,” Wallace said. “Kevin is a very valuable resource for us. He has the rare combination of college coaching experience, as he was recently a head collegiate coach for a NCAA Tournament-caliber team, and he has a perspective of a NBA coach. We are eager to have Kevin’s input in our draft evaluation process again this year.”

O’Neill, a 29-year coaching veteran in the college and pro ranks, was named an assistant coach on June 17, 2008 after serving as the interim head coach at the University of Arizona last season, where he guided the Wildcats to a 19-15 record (.559) and the school’s 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

A seven-year veteran in the NBA coaching circles with the New York Knicks (2000-01, assistant), Detroit Pistons (2001-03, assistant), Toronto Raptors (2003-04, head coach), Indiana Pacers (2004-06, assistant) and Memphis (2008-09, assistant), O’Neill was a well-known figure on the college scene as the head coach at Marquette University (1989-94), Tennessee (1994-97) and Northwestern University (1997-2000).  The Great Midwest Conference Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1994 (Marquette) has also seen duty as an assistant coach at Arizona (1986-89) under Hall of Famer Lute Olson, the University of Tulsa (1985-86) and the University of Delaware (1983-85).