Dallas Mavericks Blog – Page 74 – NBA Blog

Dallas Mavericks sign forward Yi Jianlian

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent forward Yi Jianlian. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it’s just a one-year contract.

Yi (7-0, 250) was the first round draft pick (sixth overall) in the 2007 NBA Draft of the Milwaukee Bucks. The 24-year old has played for three teams (Milwaukee, New Jersey and Washington) in his four-year career. He holds career averages of 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 24.1 minutes in 242 career games with 163 starts.

Yi played in 66 games (starting 49) as a rookie for the Bucks and averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. That year he was selected to participate in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge at the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend.

In June of 2008, Yi, along with Bobby Simmons, was traded to New Jersey in exchange for Richard Jefferson. Yi enjoyed the two best years of his career while with the Nets including a 2009-10 campaign where he averaged 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in 52 games (51 starts). In June of 2010, Yi was traded to Washington where he played out the remainder of his contract and became a free agent.

A native of Shenzhen, China, Yi was a member of the Chinese National Olympic Team that competed in both the 2004 Athens games and 2008 Beijing games. His name is pronounced “EE jee-ENN-lee-ENN.”

Jason Kidd leaves game with back injury

Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd injured his lower back in the first quarter of Thursday’s 93-71 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Kidd will be examined Friday in Dallas and his status for Saturday’s game is uncertain.

“We’ll see where we are,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “It happened on a play and I don’t know which one, but it definitely happened on a play.”

The injury apparently occurred toward the end of the first quarter, but Kidd tried to fight through it. He could be seen reaching for his back a few times before finally exiting the game with 24.7 seconds left in the first.

— Reported by Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas

Isiah Thomas questions Knicks acquisition of Tyson Chandler

Isiah Thomas, FIU coach and former Knicks president, finally spoke out on the club’s acquisition of center Tyson Chandler and did not sound enthused.

Conveniently appearing on the Sid Rosenberg Show on Miami radio yesterday following the Knicks’ 2-4 start, Thomas questioned Glen Grunwald’s acquisition of Chandler, which forced the team to cut Chauncey Billups to get under the salary cap.

Thomas said the NBA has become a guard’s league, and the Knicks cannot win solely with a star-powered frontcourt of Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. The Chandler commitment cost them a shot at point guard Chris Paul with next summer’s salary cap space, and Paul was subsequently dealt to the Clippers.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Jason Kidd hopes to play 1-on-1 with President Obama

With a visit to the White House coming early next week, the Dallas Mavericks are looking forward at the opportunity of possibly playing some basketball against President Barack Obama.

An avid basketball fan, President Obama has been known to have a mean jumpshot and a slittery drive to the basket. The Mavs, who will visit the White House on Monday as part of the honor of being the defending NBA champions, hope to play a game of one-on-one with the Commander In Chief and see what they can learn from one of the most powerful people in the world.

“It’s going to be a great honor to meet the Chief, so we look forward to it,’’ guard Jason Kidd said. “Maybe we might have a little time to play a little one-on-one.’’

Asked if he believes he can truly get a call to go his way playing against the President, Kidd smiled and said: “Well, we know he’s going to get the benefit of the calls. And he has homecourt advantage, so we’ll just try to keep it close.’’

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Blog

Greg Ostertag seeks NBA comeback, signs contract in D-League

Greg Ostertag, one of the best basketball players to come out of Duncanville and an 11-year NBA veteran, will begin a comeback Thursday night with the Texas Legends that he hopes will lead to the NBA.

The National Basketball Development League team based in Frisco came to an agreement with the 7-2 Ostertag this afternoon and he will make his debut Thursday against Rio Grande Valley in a home game at Dr Pepper Arena.

He’s also expected to play Friday against Tulsa.

Ostertag spent most of his NBA career with the Utah Jazz and was one of the most the best shot-blockers in the league, swatting a shot every 11.4 minutes of playing time.

“I missed playing,” Ostertag said. “I shouldn’t have quit when I did and I feel like I got to give it one last shot to see if I can make it happen.

— Via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News Blog

Dirk Nowitzki thinks Mavs look old and slow

The question isn’t what ails the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, but can they fix it in time to make another run at the playoffs in this 66-game season?

Their offense showed signs of life Monday, then grew anemic after the first quarter, and the defense was uneven throughout the 115-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Denver guard Ty Lawson led all scorers with 27 points. “There are a bunch of good players on this team and I knew that we were going to come out strong,” Lawson said.

It was the second blowout loss in a row at home for the Mavericks, who fell 105-94 to the Miami Heat on Sunday. In that game, Dallas trailed by as many as 35 points.

“We look old, slow and out of shape,” Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki said. “I still think this team has a lot of potential. We just need to work. … We probably needed extra weeks of training camp. But we don’t have it so the young teams, the athletic teams, look better right now than we do.”

— Via J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today

Lamar Odom ejected from 1st game with Mavericks

Lamar Odom has been ejected from his first game with the Dallas Mavericks.

Given a standing ovation when he entered during the first quarter Sunday, Odom still had fans cheering him when he walked off shaking his head midway through the third.

Odom was called for charging and didn’t like the foul. Whatever he said about it was bad enough to draw a pair of technicals and an automatic ejection.

— Via the Associated Press

Shawn Marion breaks finger in loss to Heat

Shawn Marion suffered a broken left pinky in Sunday’s game against the Miami Heat, but said he doesn’t expect it to keep him out Monday against Denver.

“It hurts like hell,” he said. “But I’m a warrior.”

Marion said he hurt the finger – which already was mangled from previous injuries suffered in his career – during the third quarter when he was trying to make a defensive play.

— Via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News

David Stern hears boos at Dallas opener

NBA Commissioner David Stern opened his lockout-delayed season by hearing boos from Mavericks fans.

Stern was in Dallas for the NBA finals rematch between the Mavericks and Heat, and he was on the court for the start of the Mavs’ banner-raising ceremony honoring their first championship. The jeers came as soon as he started speaking, but he quickly turned them into cheers by offering his congratulations to team owner Mark Cuban.

Cuban’s often contentious relationship with Stern could’ve been as much of a reason for the boos as the lockout, which pushed the opener from Nov. 1 to Christmas and cut the season by 16 games.

Cuban and Miami’s Micky Arison were among five owners who voted against the labor deal. Stern said “it doesn’t send any signal whatsoever” that the two owners in the most recent finals were against the agreement.

— Via Jaime Aron of the Associated Press

New Jersey Nets sign guard DeShawn Stevenson

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard DeShawn Stevenson, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. It is reportedly a one-year deal for $2.5 million.

“DeShawn is a veteran NBA player who brings a championship pedigree to our roster,” said King. “He is a tough defender who can stretch the floor, and will bolster our backcourt rotation.”

Stevenson (6’5”/218), an 11-year veteran who has played with four teams, holds career averages of 7.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23 minutes over 717 games, including 481 starts. The California native was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round (23rd overall) in the 2000 NBA Draft out of Washington Union High School in Fresno, California. Last season with Dallas, Stevenson helped the Mavericks win their first NBA championship, appearing in 72 games, 54 starts, while averaging 5.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16 minutes per game.

In three plus seasons with Utah, Stevenson appeared in 222 games, 87 starts, while averaging 5.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17 minutes. Midway through the 2003-04 campaign, Stevenson was traded to Orlando, where he spent the next two seasons. With the Magic, he appeared in 243 games, 211 starts, while averaging 10.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 29 minutes per game. Stevenson signed with Washington as a free agent before the 2006-07 season. In three plus seasons with the Wizards, he appeared in 236 games, 202 starts, while averaging 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.5 minutes. Midway through the 2009-10 campaign,Stevenson was traded to Dallas. Stevenson appeared in 96 games, 59 starts, with the Mavericks, averaging 4.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 15 minutes per game.

According to the New York Daily News blog, “Stevenson will join a crowded backcourt that includes rookie MarShon Brooks, but is versatile enough to play the 3. Famous for his feuds with LeBron James — and for playing a pivotal role in Game 6 of Dallas’ championship-clinching win over the Heat — Stevenson was once the subject of a diss record by Nets minority owner Jay Z, who used the song to praise LeBron.”