NBA News Blog – Page 857 – NBA Blog

Warriors center Festus Ezeli undergoes knee surgery

Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli underwent successful surgery yesterday on his right knee, the team announced. The procedure, which was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, was necessary to reinforce both the medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament in Ezeli’s right knee. Ezeli suffered a sprained right knee during the club’s regular-season finale this season at Portland on April 17. He will begin rehabilitation in the near future and is expected to make a complete recovery. The team’s medical staff indicates that recovery time could be a minimum of 6-9 months.

Ezeli, 23, appeared in 78 regular-season games (41 starts) as a rookie this past season, averaging 2.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.95 blocks (4th among NBA rookies) in 14.4 minutes per game. His 41 starts were the most by a Warriors rookie center since Joe Barry Carroll started 80 games in 1980-81 and also marked the second-most starts amongst NBA rookies this season – trailing only teammate Harrison Barnes (81).

Originally selected by Golden State with the 30th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, the 6’11” center appeared in 12 playoff games, averaging 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per contest.

Bucks assistants out as Larry Drew forming own staff

Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches Joe Wolf, Sidney Moncrief, Chris Gilmartin, Bill Peterson and Anthony Goldwire will not have their contracts renewed, club officials confirmed Wednesday.

New Bucks coach Larry Drew is in the process of putting together his own staff. Although nothing has been announced yet, two of his former assistants in Atlanta, Bob Bender and Nick Van Exel, helped Drew run the team’s draft workout Wednesday.

Moncrief, the Bucks legend and five-time all-star, served as an assistant the past two seasons under Scott Skiles and Jim Boylan. Moncrief was named to replace Kelvin Sampson when he left the staff to become the lead assistant in Houston under Kevin McHale.

Wolf spent five seasons on Milwaukee’s coaching staff, being hired in Skiles’ first season with the Bucks in 2008-’09. Wolf, from Kohler, Wis., became the lead assistant when Boylan took over as interim head coach.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Blog)

Ranadive group gets OK to buy another 7 percent of Kings

Consolidating their control of the Sacramento Kings, new majority owner Vivek Ranadive and his partners on Monday secured a bankruptcy judge’s approval to buy another 7 percent share of the team.

The judge turned aside a last-minute purchase offer from former limited partner Bob Cook, who lost the 7 percent share when his real estate empire crumbled. The stake has been under the control of a court-appointed trustee since shortly after Cook went bankrupt in 2011.

Buying Cook’s share will increase the Ranadive group’s ownership stake to 72 percent. NBA Commissioner David Stern’s office has already approved the latest deal, said NBA lawyer Martin Zohn, and the purchase could close Wednesday.

Ranadive is buying the share for $15.1 million – the same amount Seattle investor Chris Hansen was planning to pay.

Reported by Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee

Detroit Pistons name Mo Cheeks head coach

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has named Maurice Cheeks as head coach, signing him to a multi-year contract.

Cheeks brings more than 30-plus years of NBA experience to the job and becomes the 29th head coach in Detroit franchise history. He will be formally introduced to the Detroit media later this week.

“We’re pleased to welcome Maurice Cheeks to the Pistons organization,” Dumars said. “The leadership and player development qualities he brings as a former player and coach blends nicely with the roster we are building for the future. He’s won an NBA championship, coached in two NBA Finals as an assistant coach and mentored some of the top young players in the NBA.”

“After spending some time with Maurice, I was very impressed not only with his basketball knowledge but his communication and leadership skills,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “We are very excited to have someone of his experience and talent help take this franchise into the future.”

Cheeks joins the Pistons after serving four years as an assistant coach with Oklahoma City, where he helped guide the Thunder to a 212-100 (.707) record, four playoff appearances and an NBA Finals appearance in 2012.

The 56-year-old Chicago native served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2001-05 recording a 162-139 (.538) regular-season record, the fourth-highest win total in Blazers coaching history. His Portland teams made consecutive playoff appearances in 2001 and 2002 and posted records of .500 or better three times, including a 50-32 mark in 2002-03 which tied for second in the Pacific Division. Portland’s defense ranked in the top-10 in points allowed and steals in both 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Cheeks was named head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2005 and led the Sixers to a 122-147 (.454) record in three-plus seasons. He led the team to the playoffs in 2008, marking the club’s first postseason appearance in three years. The 76ers were 12 games under .500 in early February that season and improved to 21-7 the remainder of the year to clinch a playoff berth. Cheeks owns a career record of 284-286 (.498) in 570 games as an NBA head coach.

Prior to his head coaching stints, Cheeks spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with the 76ers serving under John Lucas (1994-96), Johnny Davis (1996-97) and former Pistons’ head coach Larry Brown (1997-2001). As a member of Philadelphia’s 2000-01 staff under Brown, he helped guide the club to a 56-26 (.683) record and a spot in the NBA Finals. Cheeks began his coaching career with the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association. During his only season with Quad City (1993-94), he helped guide the club to the CBA Championship.

A 15-year NBA veteran (11 with Philadelphia), Cheeks was a key member of the 76ers’ 1983 NBA Championship team. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team five times, which included four first-team honors and one second-team honor. A four-time NBA All-Star, Cheeks averaged 11.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 52% from the field in 1,101 career games. He enjoyed his best year during the 1985-86 season when he averaged 15.4 points and a career-high 9.2 assists. Drafted 36th overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, Cheeks currently ranks 11th all-time in NBA history in assists (7,392) and fifth all-time in steals (2,310). His #10 jersey was retired by the 76ers in 1995.

Grizzlies will not renew contract of head coach Lionel Hollins

Lionel Hollins says the Memphis Grizzlies have told him they will not renew his contract as head coach, even though he’s the winningest coach in the franchise’s history coming off the team’s first trip to the Western Conference finals…

Hollins’ contract expires June 30, and his future with the team has been unsettled since the Spurs swept the Grizzlies in the West finals. Hollins has been the Grizzlies’ coach since replacing Marc Iavaroni in January 2009. He led Memphis to a better record each season since then, including a franchise-best 56-26 record this season. The Grizzlies beat first the Clippers, then top-seeded Oklahoma City in the playoffs.

Reported by Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press

Mo Cheeks should be new Pistons coach soon

The Detroit Pistons appear poised to make Maurice Cheeks their next head coach, in the effort to end the revolving door at that spot.

Cheeks and the Pistons have been engaged in negotiations in recent days, as multiple sources expressed optimism this saga, that began with the team firing Lawrence Frank at season’s end and wound up with the Pistons going through the complicated process of interviewing multiple candidates, has reached its end.

The Pistons hope to get a deal done before the end of weekend. Frank being due to receive nearly $4 million next season — the last guaranteed year of his contract — along with a portion of his fourth year could complicate matters as far as Cheeks’ contract length and amount.

Currently an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cheeks has helped with the development of guards Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson and former Thunder guard Eric Maynor, who was traded to Portland this season. It’s a background the Pistons liked, especially since they’re still figuring out what they have in 2011 first-round pick Brandon Knight and they hope Cheeks could be a good mentor for him…

Cheeks’ consistency probably outweighed his tangible resume, as his career record doesn’t jump out at anyone (284-286 in nine seasons in Portland and Philadelphia), but he’s highly regarded around the league, especially in Oklahoma City.

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News

Denver Nuggets fire coach George Karl

Coach George Karl fired by Denver Nuggets

Coach George Karl will not return for the final year of his contract in 2013-14, Denver Nuggets President Josh Kroenke announced today.

Hired on Jan. 27, 2005, Karl orchestrated one of the most successful eras in Nuggets history. He guided Denver to nine consecutive playoff appearances and a regular-season record of 423-257. His victories rank second in franchise history to Doug Moe (432).

It’s a surprise to most observers that the Nuggets aren’t keeping Karl. The team had a successful season. Karl did a great job getting the most out of his squad. It’s a weird move to say goodbye to the man who just won the league’s Coach of the Year award.

“George has been an instrumental part of our success over the past decade, and we appreciate everything he did to keep us among the top teams in the Western Conference,” Kroenke said. “He is a Hall of Fame coach whose legacy in Denver will last for years to come. George is a legend in the game of basketball and I could not have more respect for him as a person and coach.”

The Nuggets will begin the search for a new coach immediately, and an announcement will be made when the process is concluded.

Karl, 62, was named the 2012-13 NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Nuggets to a team-record 57 games and the No. 3 seed in the West, but Denver lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

The Nuggets advanced past the first round once under Karl, reaching the Western Conference finals in 2009.

According to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, “Team president Josh Kroenke informed Karl on Thursday morning that he would not bring him back. He said the combination of Karl pushing for a contract extension, and the uncertainty surrounding Karl’s possible interest in the Los Angeles Clippers job this week, led him to believe it was best to go in another direction and bring in a new coach. Karl has one year left on his contract. Karl did not return calls seeking comment, but sent out a tweet: “I want to thank Nuggets fans for their support over the past 8 yrs. The karma on the street was incredible. Denver will always be home.” The Nuggets are expected to target two primary candidates to replace Karl: Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, according to a league source. Hollins has been given permission by Memphis to look at jobs around the league, although his preference is to return.”

Mike Malone tells assistant Kings coaches they will not be retained

The remaking of the Kings continued Tuesday when assistant coaches from Keith Smart’s staff were informed by new head coach Michael Malone they would not be retained.

The contracts for Jim Eyen, Alex English, Bobby Jackson and Clifford Ray expire June 30. Smart was fired last week with one year left on his deal. Jackson, the popular former Kings player, was added to the staff for the 2011-12 season, under Paul Westphal. The team announced Jackson would remain with the Kings in another capacity yet to be determined.

After retiring from the Kings as a player, Jackson served as “team ambassador” during the 2009-10 season by representing the team at community events and being involved with fans. He also served in a regional scout/player development role. Jackson assisted the front office with scouting, player evaluations and preparing for the NBA draft.

The rest of the coaching staff wasn’t so fortunate.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings officially name Mike Malone new head coach

The Sacramento Kings today named Michael Malone as the team’s 25th Head Coach (14th of the Sacramento era), according to team owner Vivek Ranadivé. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“Michael Malone is one of the best and most talented coaches in the game,” said Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé. “As Vice Chairman of the Warriors, I developed a great relationship with Coach Malone and witnessed first-hand how instrumental he was to the success of the team. His work ethic, passion, and vision for the game will create an entirely new culture and style of play. Hiring Coach Malone is our first step in giving the best fans in sports the excellence they deserve.”

Malone brings 12 years of NBA coaching experience to Sacramento, having most recently served as the lead assistant for the Golden State Warriors under Mark Jackson the past two seasons. Malone helped pilot the Warriors to a 47-35 record and a trip to the 2013 NBA playoffs, where they upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round as the sixth seed and took the eventual Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs to a hotly-contested six games in the semi finals.

The Warriors were one of the most improved defensive teams in the NBA under Malone’s tutelage last season, as evidenced by huge statistical jumps in rebounding (from 28th to 3rd), defensive rebounding (24th to 1st), opponent field goal percentage (20th to 3rd) and opponent three-point field goal percentage (28th to 7th). The Warriors had not finished in the top half of the league in opponent field goal percentage since ranking seventh in 1998-99.

Prior to Golden State, Malone worked as the lead assistant in New Orleans and helped the Hornets achieve a 46-36 record and a trip to the 2011 NBA Playoffs. The Hornets were the most improved defensive team in the NBA in 2011, allowing a league-best 8.7 fewer points per game than in the previous campaign (94.0 ppg, after giving up 102.7 ppg in 2009-10). Additionally, the Hornets limited their opponents to 45.7 FG% in 2010-11 compared to 48.3 FG% the previous season.

Malone also served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers for five seasons, during which the Cavs posted a 272-138 (.663) record, third-best mark in the NBA over that span. The Cavaliers made five consecutive playoff appearances during Malone’s time on the bench, reaching the NBA Finals in 2007 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009. In 2008-09, the Cavs notched a franchise record and NBA-best 66 wins.

Malone’s NBA coaching career began with a four-season stint with the New York Knicks, where he originally joined the team as a coaching associate in the summer of 2001, and was promoted to assistant coach in May 2003. Prior to joining the Knicks, Malone spent seven years coaching in the college ranks.

InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner says: The Kings have a lot of roster work to do before any head coach, no matter how talented, can turn this team into a winner.

Mookie Blaylock faces charges after car crash

Police say former NBA star Mookie Blaylock remains hospitalized and faces two charges after a fatal crash in suburban Atlanta.

Jonesboro Police Chief Franklin Allen said Sunday that the 46-year-old Blaylock is charged with driving on a suspended license and failing to stay in his lane.

Allen says officers haven’t been able to talk with Blaylock yet because of injuries suffered in the wreck, but they hope to do so as early as Monday.

Reported by the Associated Press