The San Antonio Express-News (Mike Monroe) reports: For the first time since he arrived in San Antonio in 2001, Spurs forward Bruce Bowen did not start a game for which he suited up. Bowen’s response: His best game of the season. Bowen replaced starter Ime Udoka, who started in his spot, with 2:22 remaining in the first period. By the end of Tuesday’s 92-80 victory over the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center, he had scored a season-high 13 points, making all three 3-point attempts in almost 28 minutes on the floor. Bowen, who had started all 555 of his games as a Spur, accepted his removal from the starting unit with equanimity. “As a competitor, you may not want it to happen,” he said. “It’s a matter of just being as professional as you can, and not allowing those things to affect you from the standpoint of not withdrawing from the team.”
Category: NBA News Blog
NBA news blog
2009 All-Star ballot here
As always, voting for All-Stars starts way too early in the season. But it’s just as much a popularity contest as it is a measure of who is actually playing like a genuine all-star, so we don’t argue too loudly about it.
Revealed today is the official 2008-09 NBA All-Star ballot.
Warriors hire Larry Harris
The Golden State Warriors have hired Larry Harris as an assistant coach, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
Harris, 45, joins Head Coach Don Nelson’s staff after spending the last 19 seasons in the Milwaukee Bucks organization. After originally joining the Bucks staff as a scout/video coordinator under his father, then-Milwaukee Head Coach Del Harris, in 1990, he also served stints as the team’s director of player personnel, director of scouting, assistant general manager and general manager.
Deron Williams back tonight
The Deseret News (Tim Buckley) reports: Point guard Deron Williams informed the Jazz this morning that he will try to make his 2008-09 NBA season debut tonight, when Utah visits Philadelphia in its second outing of a five-game road trip. “He told me he’s gonna play,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said after the team’s morning shootaround at Wachovia Center here. “We’ll probably play him sparingly. “You know how he is,” Sloan added. “He might want to get out there five minutes and say he feels great. But we’re gonna try to watch him pretty close.”
InsideHoops.com editor says: Obvious guess is, if D-Will does play he’ll probably play limited minutes. He might as well ease into the season over the next few games. Great that he’s finally back.
Tayshaun Prince to be point forward
The Detroit News (Chris McCosky) reports: As the Pistons try to reinvent themselves with Allen Iverson and without a true point guard, the guy they might turn to for stability, once again, is Tayshaun Prince. Among the modifications coach Michael Curry is making to his offense is using Prince in the role of a point forward, initiating the offense, while Iverson and Richard Hamilton work on the wings. “Tay is going to facilitate some of our offense,” Curry said after the Pistons’ two-hour practice at Arco Arena Monday. “He will get into it with Allen handing it off to Tay. And there are other sets that Tay will start himself.” Curry worries, though, about tampering at all with Prince’s role. He has averaged 23 points the last three games.
Kevin Martin out 7-10 days
Sacramento Kings’ guard Kevin Martin suffered a sprained left ankle in last night’s 115-98 win over the Golden State Warriors at ARCO Arena. An MRI taken today at the UC Davis Medical Center confirmed the sprain. He is expected to be out of action for approximately seven to 10 days.
Players of Week: LeBron, Amare
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the Phoenix Suns’ Amare Stoudemire today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 9. James’ league-best 34.5 ppg on the week helped Cleveland to a 4-0 mark. James added 9.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest. Stoudemire led the Suns to a 3-1 week. Stoudemire averaged 28.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks on the week.
Stuckey tested for dizziness
Detroit Pistons’ guard Rodney Stuckey did not travel with the team to Sacramento today. He remained in Detroit for precautionary, follow-up testing after experiencing symptoms of light-headed and dizziness in Sunday night’s game versus Boston. He is listed as day-to-day.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Maybe he got dizzy watching Allen Iverson run in circles.
Nuggets waive Antonio McDyess
The Denver Nuggets have waived F Antonio McDyess, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.
It was a buyout. McDyess will take less money than he was actually owed, in return for the right to sign elsewhere. Though, if he wants to go back to the Detroit Pistons, he has to wait 30 days.
McDyess was acquired by the Nuggets from Detroit on Nov. 3 along with G Chauncey Billups and C Cheikh Samb in exchange for G Allen Iverson. McDyess did not appear in any games for Denver.
Chris Wilcox sprains knee
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chris Wilcox suffered a sprained right knee in last night’s game versus the Atlanta Hawks. Wilcox left the game at 1:24 mark of the first quarter and did not return.
He did not travel with the team to Indiana and will be examed by team physicians later this morning. Wilcox is listed as day-to-day.