Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Stephen Curry cleared for all basketball-related activities

Stephen Curry cleared for full basketball-related activities

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has received full medical clearance to resume all basketball-related activities, including five-on-five scrimmages, following an examination on his surgically repaired right ankle by Dr. Richard Ferkel earlier today in Van Nuys, California, the team announced.

Curry, who missed 40 games overall last season due to a right ankle injury, originally underwent surgery on the ankle on April 25, 2012.  The exploratory procedure, performed by Dr. Ferkel, revealed a stable ankle with no structural damage and consisted of cleaning out loose debris and scar tissue.

Since the surgery, Curry has maintained a consistent rehabilitation program, which led him to begin participating in limited basketball-related activities in July.  Since then, under the guidance of Dr. Ferkel and the Warriors athletic training staff, Curry has consistently ramped up his level of on-court activity until receiving full clearance today.

Clippers exercise option on guard Eric Bledsoe

Clippers exercise option on guard Eric Bledsoe

The Los Angeles Clippers today exercised the club’s fourth-year contract option on guard Eric Bledsoe.

Bledsoe, who is entering his third NBA season, has averaged 5.6 points, 2.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 19.0 minutes over his career. In 40 regular season games played last year, Bledsoe tallied 3.3 points in 11.6 minutes per game.

The 6’1” guard out of Kentucky made a name for himself during the Clippers 2012 Playoff run, averaging 7.9 points overall while shooting 59 percent from the floor and 43 percent from behind the three-point line. He came into his own in the Clippers second round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, tallying 11.5 points while shooting 70 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.

Boston Celtics waive Keyon Dooling, who will retire

Boston Celtics waive Keyon Dooling

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have waived guard Keyon Dooling.

“Keyon has decided that he has given the NBA twelve good years and that it’s time to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family,” said Dooling’s representative Kenge Stevenson. “He will never forget his time in Boston with the Celtics.”

“We’ll miss Keyon’s spirit and energy, both on and off the court,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “The whole Celtics family wishes him well as he enters the next phase of his life.”

Dooling, a 6’3” guard, averaged 4.0 points, 1.1 assists and 0.3 steals in 46 regular season games with the Celtics last season. During the playoffs Dooling shot 39.3% from beyond the three-point line which was tops on the team. Dooling netted a season-high 18 points at Miami on December 27 including four three-pointers.

Stephon Marbury thinks Melo and Stoudemire do not fit

Stephon Marbury thinks Melo and Stoudemire do not fit

Count ex-New York Knick Stephon Marbury among those who don’t think current Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are a good fit together.

“Amare needs a point guard like Steve Nash (to thrive). He’s a pick-and-roll guy, a pick-and-pop guy. He can’t play in the half court where everything’s slowed down,” Marbury told ESPN New York during a brief interview in Manhattan on Wednesday.

When asked if he thought Anthony and Stoudemire could flourish together, Marbury said flatly, “Nope.”

Many have expressed the same concerns with the Knicks’ star duo. In their season and a half together, the Knicks have a sub-.500 record when both are in the starting lineup.

— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Kevin Love sees playoffs this year for Timberwolves

Kevin Love sees playoffs this year for Timberwolves

Entering his fifth season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love hasn’t had a sniff of the postseason. Minnesota, in fact, has finished fifth and last in the Northwest Division in each of his four seasons. That could change in 2012-13 as the Timberwolves have beefed up a roster that has their Western Conference competition on notice.

“It will be a big surprise to me if we didn’t make a huge leap this year and make it to the playoffs,” the Lake Oswego native told me Wednesday.

With Hall of Fame-to-be coach Rick Adelman and rookie phenom Ricky Rubio at point guard, the Timberwolves nearly made it there a year ago. They were 21-19, but a game later, Rubio was lost for the season with an ACL knee injury.

Thus began a progression of injuries that saw the Wolves without their top five scorers — including Love — at one point. They went into free-fall, losing 13 of their last 14 games to finish 26-40.

— Reported by Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune

Celtics to sign Darko Milicic

Celtics to sign Darko Milicic

The Boston Celtics plan to enter training camp next week with a slew of new faces, with Darko Milicic being among them.

A league source confirmed to CSNNE.com that Milicic, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, will sign a one-year deal with the Celtics next week for the veteran’s minimum.

The signing of Milicic will give the C’s 14 guaranteed contracts heading into training camp which begins Sept. 29.

When the Celtics signed Jason Collins, it was believed that Collins would be the final big man added to the mix.

— Reported by A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

Jazz to invite Trey Gilder to preseason camp

Veteran forward Trey Gilder is expected to compete for a roster spot during the Jazz’s upcoming training camp, The Salt Lake Tribune learned on Wednesday.

Utah’s regular-season roster is currently set at 15 players entering camp, which is the maximum allowed by the NBA once the regular season begins.

Veteran guard Raja Bell isn’t expected play for the team or participate during camp, though, and his long-delayed buyout with the Jazz has yet to be resolved.

— Reported by Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune

Brooklyn Nets to be spotlighted on The Association on NBA TV

NBA TV’s The Association will spotlight the inaugural season of the Brooklyn Nets with the integrated and multiplatform behind-the-scenes series featuring new episodes on both NBA TV and NBA.com.

The first-ever series to go behind the scenes with a major American professional sports team throughout the regular season will tip off its fourth season on NBA TV on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 10:00 p.m. ET. The cross-platform series will include multiple shows on NBA TV and original webisodes on NBA.com throughout the upcoming NBA season. Previously, The Association spotlighted the Los Angeles Lakers (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-11), and Denver Nuggets (2011-12).

“I think it’s great that the NBA will be documenting our inaugural season in Brooklyn as part of The Association,” said Nets’ three-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Deron Williams. “As we make history bringing a professional sports team to Brooklyn, fans will get to have an inside look. Our new home, the borough of Brooklyn, will provide a great backdrop for the series, and I think people are going to be pretty excited with their exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the new arena.”

Featuring the dynamic ownership of Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z, veteran basketball leadership from General Manager Billy King and Head Coach Avery Johnson, and established NBA stars such as Williams and the newly acquired Joe Johnson, the Nets have been one of the most talked-about teams heading into their first season in Brooklyn.

“The Association is part of NBA TV’s commitment to deliver original programming, which provides fans with authentic access to all aspects of the game,” said Christina Miller, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NBA Digital. “We’re thrilled to have the Nets involved this year, during an historic period for the franchise, and look forward to covering them through the journey of their inaugural season in Brooklyn.”

NBA TV’s The Association: Brooklyn Nets will deliver the riveting, behind-the-scenes coverage that has become a trademark of the series, providing access to the players and coaches in the locker room, on road trips, and off the court. The series continues its signature style, incorporating Brooklyn as a central character with special features about the city and its history and fans, featuring interviews with legendary Brooklyn Dodgers, as well as various celebrities from the borough.

“The Brooklyn Nets are honored to be selected by the NBA as the featured team in this year’s installment of The Association,” said Nets General Manager Billy King. “We are very excited about our first season playing in Brooklyn at Barclays Center, and this series will document superbly this historic move for the Nets’ franchise.”

NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first full-time TV network created by a professional sports league, had its most viewed and highest rated regular season in 2011-12.   The 24 hour network – available in 60 million U.S. households – airs more than 250 games a year as well as critically acclaimed, original programs such as The Association, Open Court and The Dream Team.

Shawne Williams wants to return to Knicks

Shawne Williams wants to return to Knicks

Unrestricted free agent Shawne Williams, who had his best season in New York in 2010-11, wants to return to the Knicks but the team isn’t interested, according to a source close to the versatile forward.

The source told ESPNNewYork.com that the Knicks are “a good fit,” and that he’s open to taking the veteran’s minimum, which is all they can offer. The Hawks and Bobcats are also looking at Williams, who is represented by Happy Walters, the same agent as Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert.

— Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York