NBA News Blog – Page 959 – NBA Blog

Stephane Lasme signs to play in Greece

Panathinaikos Athens found a stopper to reign in the paint by signing [forward] Stephane Lasme, who returns to the Euroleague after two years away. Lasme (2.03 meters, 29 years old) finished among the top vote-getters for the 2010 Best Defender Award after his last season with Maccabi Electra. He averaged 6.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and was third in the league with 1.4 blocks per game in a reserve role for Maccabi that season. He helped Partizan Belgrade and Maccabi to playoff appearances in both of his two previous Euroleague campaigns. Lasme is ranked second all-time with 1.46 blocks over his 39 career Euroleague games. Last season he played for Obradoiro CAB in the Spanish League, where he was worth 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 34 games.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Detroit Pistons add Terrence Williams and Jonny Flynn to training camp

The Detroit Pistons announced today the addition of guards Terrence Williams and Jonny Flynn to the 2012-13 training camp roster.

Williams was drafted 11th overall by the New Jersey Nets in the 2009 NBA Draft. He’s played in 129 career NBA games with the Nets, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings, averaging 7.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Williams was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in April 2010 while with the Nets where he averaged 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 22.6 minutes while recording eight double-doubles as a rookie.

Flynn was drafted sixth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA Draft. In 163 NBA games (90 starts) with Minnesota, Houston and Portland, the 2010 NBA All-Rookie second team member has averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds. With the Timberwolves in 2009-10, Flynn ranked fifth among rookies in scoring (13.5 ppg), fourth in free throw accuracy (82.6% FT), fifth in assists (4.4 apg) and seventh in steals (1.01 spg).

Chris Bosh no longer trying to bulk up

Bosh tried to bulk up. Gave it is all, truly. But you can’t turn an apple into an orange, you can’t change a thoroughbred into an elephant and you can’t morph Chris Bosh into Alonzo Mourning.

“It’s been like that for three years,” Bosh said on Saturday about the long-term plan to bulk him up and tweak his game. “After about three years I said forget it and just be myself. I’m never going to be big and just bulky like that.

“I’m strong but it’s a wiry strong and it’s two totally different things.”

The muscles are there, but, as Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said on media day, “He’s long; he’s strong.”

And, most importantly, fast.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Scottie Pippen lawsuit shot down by judge

Scottie Pippen is not bankrupt — but according to a federal judge, he cannot sue anyone that said he was.

As TMZ first reported, Pippen sued a TON of media outlets for defamation back in 2011 after they published articles claiming he was broke. As proof he’d never gone belly up, Pippen said he has never worth less than $40 million at any point in the last 10 years.

Pippen wanted $1 million from every media outlet that said his finances were in the toilet.

— Reported by TMZ.com

Kevin Garnett no longer speaking to Ray Allen

Ray Allen still considers Kevin Garnett a friend even if their communication has apparently been cut off.

On Friday, Garnett said he is no longer speaking to longtime Boston Celtics teammate Allen after he signed with the rival Miami Heat over the summer.

Speaking Saturday after his first official practice with the Heat, Allen said he was disappointed at Garnett’s sentiment.

“That’s a shame,” Allen said. “I’m a good person to talk to on the phone. … I’ve been in weird trade situations the last few years. You always felt you had one foot in and one foot out so I can’t worry about it.”

— Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

LeBron says Heat can get a lot better

With 12 players back from last season’s championship roster — foremost among them himself, after a season where he won the NBA’s MVP award, the NBA Finals MVP, his first league title and then an Olympic gold medal over the summer for good measure — the Heat clearly has tons of talent. Adding Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to the mix figures to make Miami that much better.

Naturally, James isn’t complaining.

“It’s scary to see, to look in our locker room today and say that we can be better than we were this past season,” James said. “Are we better right now than we were just a couple months ago? Of course not.

“But we have the potential to be better. We have the potential to be a lot better. That is scary.”

— Reported by the Detroit Free Press

Mavs center Chris Kaman has lower back sprain

The Mavericks just finished up their first preseason practice and the only bad news came when center Chris Kaman had to leave the workout, coach Rick Carlisle said.

“It was a really good practice,” Carlilse said. “We had one casualty. Kaman went out with a sprained lower back. Not considered serious. So we’ll see how he’s doing tonight and tomorrow and go from there.”

Kaman’s injury would not be considered anything more than a blip were it not for his recent history with physical problems. He missed 19 of 66 games last season and 50 of 82 in 2010-11 with various ailments, mostly knee troubles.

— Reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News

Memphis Grizzlies add Michael Dunigan, Ronald Dupree, Jarrid Famous, Jerome Jordan, D.J. Kennedy to training camp

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free agents Michael Dunigan, Ronald Dupree, Jarrid Famous, Jerome Jordan and D.J. Kennedy, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Dunigan (6-10, 245) comes to Memphis after professional stints in Israel, Estonia, Italy and, most recently, Ukraine, where he recorded 12.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks on .507 shooting in 25 games last season in the 2012 Ukrainian SuperLeague. In the previous season, the 23-year-old Oregon product posted 11.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25 games in guiding BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn to the 2011 Estonian League Championship.

Dupree (6-7, 209) joins the Grizzlies after competing in both Argentina and Italy last season. A six-year NBA veteran (2005-11), Dupree holds career averages of 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds on .427 shooting in 11.2 minutes in 157 games (eight starts) with Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Seattle and Toronto. The 31-year-old LSU product also owns NBA Development League career averages of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists on .495 shooting in 106 games (96 starts) over four seasons with Huntsville, Tulsa and Utah.

Famous (6-11, 240) spent last season in Slovakia, the D-League and the Philippines after completing his four-year collegiate career at the University of South Florida. The 24-year-old posted 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds on .494 shooting in 29.4 minutes in 16 D-League contests, splitting time with Iowa and Fort Wayne.

Jordan (7-0, 253) recorded 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds on .515 shooting in 5.1 minutes in 21 games last season during his rookie campaign with the New York Knicks. The 25-year-old also posted 18.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.80 blocks on .485 shooting in 32.6 minutes in five games while on assignment with the D-League’s Erie Bayhawks. The Kingston, Jamaica native enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at the University of Tulsa, where he set the school record for blocks (333), and played overseas in Serbia and Slovenia after he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (44th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Kennedy (6-6, 215) rejoins the Grizzlies after originally being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 25. Memphis waived the 22-year-old on Sept. 18. Last season, the St. John’s product averaged 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds on .417 shooting in 29.5 minutes in two appearances as a rookie for the Cavaliers but spent most of his time with the D-League’s Erie Bayhawks, where he posted 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists on .447 shooting in 37.3 minutes in 44 games (all starts).

Memphis’ roster now stands at 18.

Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups still healing

Blake Griffin will hit the floor when the Clippers open training camp today.

Well, the Clippers hope their energetic power forward doesn’t actually fall to the court. They have seen enough of a down-and-injured Griffin, whose latest injury was a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery and sidelined him for the Olympics.

Meanwhile, point guard Chris Paul wasn’t cleared for full contact activities after he had surgery to mend a torn ligament in his right thumb Aug. 21. The Clippers said they expect him to participate in limited fashion today, and for the next two weeks.

In addition, shooting guard Chauncey Billups was cleared for limited team drills after he had season-ending surgery on his torn left Achilles tendon Feb. 15. Coach Vinny Del Negro said there was no timetable for Billups’ season debut.

— Reported by Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News

Timberwolves finalize training camp roster

The Minnesota Timberwolves today finalized the team’s 2012-13 training camp roster by signing unrestricted free agents Will Conroy, Mike Harris, Chris Johnson, Phil Jones, Seth Tarver and Jermaine Taylor. Today’s signings complete the Wolves training camp roster, which stands at 20 players. Minnesota’s training camp is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 2 – Friday, Oct. 5.

Taylor, a 6-4 guard, has played parts of two seasons for the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. He spent the 2009-10 season in Houston, averaging 4.1 points in 31 contests, including four starts. He started the 2010-11 season with the Rockets before finishing it with the Kings. In 26 games, eight starts, with Sacramento, Taylor averaged 7.1 points in 15.6 minutes. Taylor was originally drafted by the Washington Wizards with the 32nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after completing his collegiate career at Central Florida.

Conroy, a 6-2 guard, has played parts of two seasons in the NBA, most recently appearing in five games for the Houston Rockets in 2009-10 where he averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 assists. Conroy played for the Memphis Grizzlies (three games) and Los Angeles Clippers (four games) during the 2006-07 season. Conroy went undrafted in 2005 after a four-year career at the University of Washington where he became the school’s all-time assist leader with 515 assists.

Harris, a 6-6 forward, has spent parts of three seasons (2007-08; 2009-10; 2010-11) with two different NBA teams, playing for the Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets. Harris most recently averaged 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in four games with Houston during the 2010-11 season. In 34 career NBA games, he has averages of 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds. Harris was on the Wolves’ 2012 Summer League entry, averaging 9.6 points and 6.6 rebounds. Harris finished his collegiate career as the fourth player in WAC history to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, leaving as Rice University’s all-time leading scorer (2,014 points, ninth all-time in the WAC) and rebounder (1,111 rebounds, fourth).

Johnson, a 6-11 center, has played parts of two NBA seasons with Boston, Portland and New Orleans. Johnson started the 2011-12 season with Portland, averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in 20 contests. He finished the season in New Orleans where he averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in seven contests. In 41 career games, he holds averages of 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds. Johnson was named the 2011 NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year, earning a spot in the All-Star Game. He averaged 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks during the 2010-11 season for the Dakota Wizards. Johnson spent his collegiate years at Louisiana State University. He went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Jones, a 6-10 forward/center, has played overseas for the past two years after playing collegiately at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has made stops in Uruguay, Brussels and spent the past season in Romania. A U.S. Virgin Islands National Team member, Jones played at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship, averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in four games.

Tarver, a 6-5 guard, has spent the last two seasons with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League. Tarver averaged 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 45 contests last season. Tarver went undrafted in 2010 after a four-year collegiate career at Oregon State.