Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Antawn Jamison strains thumb

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that Wizards All-Star Forward Antawn Jamison has been diagnosed with a strained left thumb.  Jamison will be listed as a game-time decision for tomorrow night’s home game versus the Philadelphia 76ers (7:00 pm).  Jamison initially injured his thumb in last night’s game in Detroit.

In 23 games this season, Jamison has averaged 19.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and his .473 field goal percentage represents his second-best field goal percentage in his 11 professional seasons (.535 FG% as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2003-04 in Dallas).

Corey Brewer has knee surgery

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. The procedure was performed by Dr. David Fischer at TRIA Orthopaedic Center in Bloomington, Minn. Brewer suffered the injury during the Timberwolves Nov. 29 game vs. Denver and will be sidelined indefinitely as he begins rehabilitation.

Brewer had appeared in 15 games for the Wolves this season, averaging 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from behind the arc.

Wet floor affects Celtics-Hawks game

Wednesday night in Atlanta the Hawks are hosting the Boston Celtics. But aside from each other, the two teams were facing a mutual opponent: a wet floor.

The Boston Globe (Frank Dell’Apa) reports (via blog): Several Celtics and Hawks lost their footing near the basket near the Hawks’ bench during the first three quarters, and the Celtics’ Glen Davis sustained a bruised right knee during pre-game warmups. After Paul Pierce fell with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter, the game was delayed while the floor was mopped dry.

Wolves almost drafted Ilgauskas

The St. Paul Pioneer Press (Don Seeholze) reports (via blog): Zydrunas Ilgauskas is in his 10th season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and recently became the team’s all-time leading rebounder, but his career could have gone much differently. Wolves coach Kevin McHale said before tonight’s game that the team was prepared to select the 7-foot-3 center in the second round of the 1995 NBA draft until he broke his foot during a workout. “Tough kid,” McHale said. “I’m a big fan of Zydrunas. He broke his foot and he was still practicing. He was working out and he said, ‘My foot hurts a little bit.’ … After seeing it was a broken foot, I said that’s a pretty tough dude.”

Nathan Jawai cleared to play

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday that forward-centre Nathan Jawai (pronounced JA-why) has been cleared to begin physical activity. Jawai has been sidelined since training camp.

Jawai, 22, had been held out for precautionary reasons after an abnormality was detected during normal procedural pre-season cardiac screening.

The club acquired the draft rights to Jawai from the Indiana Pacers on July 9. He was the 41st overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. He is the first indigenous player from Australia to be drafted by an NBA team.

Ex-Warriors GM Dick Vertlieb dies

The San Francisco Chronicle (Tom Fitzgerald) reports: In 1974, general manager Dick Vertlieb pulled off a controversial trade that immediately helped bring the Warriors their only NBA championship since moving west in 1962. He dealt future Hall of Fame center Nate Thurmond to Chicago for center Clifford Ray and $500,000. Ray teamed with Rick Barry to help the Warriors beat Ray’s former team, the Bulls, in the Western Conference finals before sweeping the Washington Bullets in the NBA Finals. Mr. Vertlieb, a passionate, eccentric club executive who left an even bigger mark on the sports landscape in Seattle, died Dec. 5 in Las Vegas after a long bout of stomach cancer. He was 78. He helped found the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics. As the Sonics’ first general manager, he tried to negotiate a sale of the Warriors to a group of investors from the Northwest. He failed, but Warriors owner Franklin Mieuli was so impressed that he hired Mr. Vertlieb as GM.

No Mike Dunleavy yet

With 8 wins and 16 losses, the Indiana Pacers are struggling. A big reason for this is the continued absence of Mike Dunleavy, who has not played a single game yet this season due to a knee injury.

Danny Granger has been fantastic, TJ Ford and Troy Murphy have been very solid, and Marquis Daniels has stepped up and tried to make the most of extra minutes while he still has them. But the team needs help and won’t be getting it from Dunleavy just yet. The Indianapolis Star (Mike Wells) reports:

Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said on his weekly radio show Tuesday that the earliest guard Mike Dunleavy will return to the lineup is some time in January. Dunleavy, the Pacers’ second-leading scorer last season, has not played this season because of bone spurs in his right knee. He is doing limited court work as the Pacers’ medical staff determines if he can do more.

Indiana is actually a decent team. They’re only being outscored by an average of 2.5 points per game this season. But for now, they’ll likely continue to struggle.

Warriors recall DeMarcus Nelson from D-League

The Golden State Warriors have recalled guard DeMarcus Nelson from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, the team announced today.

Nelson, 23, started all nine games for the Jam after being assigned on November 14, and averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.22 steals in 32.7 minutes per contest in the D-League.  At the time of his recall, he led the team in scoring and steals, while ranking second in assists and third in rebounds.

Prior to being assigned to Bakersfield, Nelson appeared in eight games for the Warriors this season (five starts), averaging 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.6 minutes per contest.  The 6-4 guard became the first undrafted rookie to appear in the starting lineup on Opening Night for the Warriors since the team moved to the West Coast in 1962.

Spurs waive Blake Ahearn

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have waived guard Blake Ahearn.

The 6-2, 190-pound Ahearn was originally signed by San Antonio on 11/16.  He appeared in three games for the Silver and Black where he averaged 2.7 points in 6.3 minutes.  Ahearn was assigned to the Austin Toros on 11/30.  In six games with the Toros, he averaged 18.8 points, 6.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 34.3 minutes.

The Spurs roster stands at 14.