The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired guard Alex Acker and the Detroit Pistons’ second round selection in the 2011 NBA Draft from the Pistons in exchange for a conditional second round selection in the 2013 NBA Draft. In a related move, the Clippers also waived center Cheikh Samb.
A Compton native, Acker has appeared in seven games this season for the Pistons, averaging 1.3 points and 0.1 assists in 2.9 minutes per game. A former star at Pepperdine University, Acker was originally drafted by the Pistons in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft (60th overall) and played in five games and averaged 1.8 points during his rookie season.
Acker, 26, moved to Europe in 2006-07 and averaged 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists with the Greek team Olympiacos in Euroleague play. Acker appeared in 30 games with Spain’s FC Barcelona in 2007-08, averaging 6.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
A former standout at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, Acker finished his collegiate career at Pepperdine as the 20th all-time leading scorer in school history and was named to the 2004-05 All-West Coast Conference team as a junior and named the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2002-03.
In a related move, the Clippers waived center Cheikh Samb. Samb was acquired by the Clippers on Jan. 5 in a trade with Denver and proceeded to play in 10 games with Los Angeles, averaging 1.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.4 minutes.
The Detroit Free Press (Vince Ellis) reports: Allen Iverson is showing signs of wear (if you’re a fan) or age (if you’re a critic). One NBA scout, who requested anonymity because it’s against the code to criticize players publicly, said of Iverson: “His first step is not quite as explosive.” Also, if you watch many Pistons games — and the scout agreed — you know Iverson misses lay-ups. These aren’t the lay-ups when you’re out in the driveway messing around. In the NBA, more often than not, there is contact in the lane when you try to make a shot. Iverson used to finish through the contact or explode to the basket so fast the only thing a defender could do was foul him. These days, defenders also can keep him out of the paint a little easier than before. That’s a tell-tale sign that his legs, the base for finishing around the basket, aren’t what they were.
The Rocky Mountain News (Chris Tomasson) reports (via blog) on the Nuggets point guard remembering not making the All-Star team in 2005, when the weekend was held in his hometown of Denver: The point guard the previous season had led Detroit to the NBA title was named Finals MVP. And Billups was in the midst of a season in which he would lead the Pistons back to the Finals. Nevertheless, he wasn’t chosen for the game at the Pepsi Center. “I came home and everything and I wasn’t going to go to the All-Star Game, man. ‘I can’t believe I’m not in it,”’ Billups said. “My wife (Piper) was like, ‘Don’t be like that. Still go.’ So I went and I sat there the whole time. I don’t think I said one word the whole time. I was sitting there like, ‘I can’t believe I’m not in this.’ That’s just another one of the pains that fuels my fire. Try to get in next year.”