Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Phil Jackson to coach West All-Stars

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson will coach the Western Conference All-Stars for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 15, at US Airways Center in Phoenix.

With the Lakers’ 108-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers tonight, Jackson and the Lakers (33-8, .805) have at least tied for the best winning percentage in the conference through Feb. 1. In the event that the Spurs and the Lakers have the same winning percentage through Feb. 1, Jackson would earn the spot to coach the West All-Stars since Gregg Popovich has coached an All-Star team most recently (2005). This marks the fourth time Jackson will serve as an All-Star head coach (1992, 1996, 2000).

Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams with the best winning percentage in each conference. Last year’s coaches – Boston’s Doc Rivers and New Orleans’ Byron Scott – are not eligible to coach in the 2009 All-Star Game.

This season marks Jackson’s ninth year at the helm of the Lakers and his 18th season as a head coach. Jackson’s 1,009-426 (.703) record gives him the best winning percentage in NBA history, with his win total ranking him sixth all-time. Jackson became the first coach in NBA history to lead a team to three consecutive championships three different times (Chicago, 1991-93 and 1996-98; Los Angeles, 2000-02), while his 193 postseason wins are the most by any head coach in league history. A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, Jackson has led the Lakers to three NBA Championships and five Western Conference Championships. The Lakers’ 15-1 (.938) run in the 2001 NBA Playoffs marked the highest winning percentage by any team in a single postseason. From 1996 to 2003, Jackson led his teams (Chicago and Los Angeles) to an NBA-best 25 consecutive postseason series wins. With nine NBA championships over the last 18 years, Jackson is tied with Red Auerbach (Boston) for most NBA Championships in league history.

Hornets sign Anthony Tolliver to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent Anthony Tolliver from the D-League’s Iowa Energy to a 10-day contract.

Tolliver (6-8, 240) played nine games in the D-League with the Energy and Austin Toros, averaging 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 37.1 minutes. He appeared in 19 games for the San Antonio Spurs this season where he averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes. He was cut by the Spurs on Jan. 7.

Tolliver appeared in 25 games with the Energy during the 2007-08 season, averaging 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 27.4 minutes. He spent the 2007 preseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers appearing in three games with averages of 2.0 points in 6.7 minutes.

Tolliver is a native of Springfield, Mo., and was undrafted by an NBA franchise in the 2007 NBA Draft out of Creighton University.

Andrei Kirilenko day-to-day

Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, who left last night’s win over Minnesota with an inflamed right ankle, is doubtful for tonight’s game at Houston.  Kirilenko left last night’s 112-107 win over the Timberwolves with 6:43 remaining in the second quarter and did not return.  He received a cortisone injection in the ankle following the game and is day-to-day.

Josh Childress having hernia surgery

Euroleague.net reports: Olympiacos Pireaus on Tuesday announced that forward Josh Childress will undergo hernia surgery today and miss most, if not all, of the Top 16. Childress (203, 25) is the third-best scorer (10.7 ppg.) and second-best rebounder (5 rpg.) for the Reds, while leading the team in minutes played (26.3 mpg.). Childress returned to the United States over the weekend for medical attention concerning an inguinal hernia.

Suns sign Courtney Sims to 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed free-agent center Courtney Sims to a 10-day contract, the club announced today.

The 6-11, 245-pound Sims has spent the last two seasons with the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League.  The Energy, coached by Nick Nurse, became the Suns’ affiliate this season.  Sims, 25, joins Phoenix after starting all 17 of his games in Iowa this season, averaging 22.4 points and 11.6 rebounds, both team-bests.  A season ago, Sims averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 15 games with Iowa.

A four-year collegiate performer at the University of Michigan, Sims was an undrafted free agent signee of the Indiana Pacers in 2007-08.  The Roslindale, Mass.-native saw action in three regular season games for the Pacers.

The Suns roster now stands at 13.

Richard Hamilton to come off bench

The Detroit Pistons have a problem. A bunch of their best players, Tayshaun Prince, Allen Iverson, Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey are small. They’re little. You can pick them up and toss them in the air. If they’re all on the court at the same time, Prince, who is a skinny bean-pole, is forced to play power forward, which is just silly.

So now, a roster decision has been made. One that could change at any moment. But for now, here’s what’s up, as reported by the Detroit News (Chris McCosky):

Pistons coach Michael Curry announced Tuesday that he will begin using guard Rip Hamilton off the bench, with guard Allen Iverson and forward Amir Johnson starting… Curry said Hamilton, who has never come off the bench as a Piston, will start the second and fourth quarters.

Watch the Pistons, as they try to figure themselves out.

Walker Russell is D-League player of week

Walker Russell, Jr. of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants has been named NBA D-League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Jan. 12, 2009.  Russell is the first Mad Ant to earn the honor this season.

Russell averaged 28.5 points and 16.0 assists in two wins over the Sioux Falls Skyforce last week, including on Thursday when he scored a season-high 30 points while adding 18 assists.  He returned on Friday to score 17 points and 14 assists in another victory.

A 6-0 guard, Russell is leading the NBA D-League with 11.6 assists per game this season.  He also ranks fourth in the league with 2.5 steals, while averaging 16.9 points.

Other top performers last week included Tulsa’s Ronald Dupree, who averaged 30.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in two games for the 66ers; Othyus Jeffers, who averaged 26.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games for the Iowa Energy; Idaho’s Coby Karl who finished the week averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in two games for the Stampede; Antonio Meeking, who averaged 20.0 points and 10.3 rebounds in three games for the Reno Bighorns; and Anaheim’s James White, who averaged 27.0 points in three games for the Arsenal last week.

Memphis Grizzlies re-sign Darius Miles

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward Darius Miles to a second 10-day contract, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

After signing his first 10-day contract on Jan. 10, Miles played in three games and averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.67 blocks on 55.6 percent shooting (10-18 FG) in 12.0 minutes. The 6-9, 235-pound forward is averaging 5.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.80 blocks per game in 9.0 minutes in five total games with the Grizzlies this season.

Miles was signed by the Grizzlies as a free agent on Dec. 13 (and later waived on Jan. 7) after missing all of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons following microfracture surgery on his right knee.  The 27-year-old signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics on Aug. 22, 2008 and appeared in six preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes before his release on Oct. 20.

The third overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft became the first player in league history drafted straight out of high school (East St. Louis High School) to earn All-Rookie honors when he posted 9.4 points and 1.54 blocks for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000-01.

The Bellville, Ill. native holds career averages of 10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.15 blocks in 27.5 minutes in 417 career games (190 starts) with Memphis, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers.

NBA owners now OK with courtside alcohol ads

Sports Business Journal reports: NBA owners have reversed a longtime ban on courtside advertising by spirits brands in an effort to drive revenue during the economic downturn. The league is also crafting policies that could allow teams to offer hard liquor advertising on team Web sites, point-of-sale retail locations or in-arena promotions. Those decisions are expected shortly. The vote to ease the restrictions was taken last week during the NBA’s sales and marketing meetings in Phoenix. It opens new revenue streams for all 30 teams, who have been prohibited from selling courtside/TV visible hard liquor signage since 1991. The decision follows Major League Baseball, the NHL and NASCAR in allowing spirits advertising within camera view. The NFL does not allow any hard liquor signage within camera view in their stadiums.