Golden State Warriors Blog – Page 69 – NBA Blog

Knicks sign guard Jeremy Lin

Help was needed in the New York backcourt. Mission accomplished — at least a little.

New York Knickerbockers Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations and Interim General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has claimed guard Jeremy Lin off waivers.

According to the Associated Press, “the Knicks are short-handed in the backcourt. Iman Shumpert could miss four weeks with a knee injury, Baron Davis might still be weeks away because of his bulging back disc and Mike Bibby missed the opener with a sore lower back.”

Lin, 6-3, 200-pounds, averaged 2.6 points, 1.4 assists and 1.2 rebounds over 9.8 minutes in 29 games with Golden State last season and in 20 games for Reno of the NBA D-League, he averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 20 games. The Torrance, CA-native, signed with the Warriors as an undrafted free agent on Jul. 21, 2010, following a four-year playing career at Harvard University where he appeared in 115 games (87 starts) and averaged 12.9 points on .481 shooting, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.96 steals over 29.3 minutes. Waived by the Warriors on Dec. 9, 2011, Lin was claimed off waivers by Houston on Dec. 12, and later waived on Dec. 24.

Stephen Curry ankle issues continue

Almost two days after rolling his ankle again, Curry shed his crutches Thursday and reported little swelling. He said he felt a pop when he rolled the ankle in Sacramento on Tuesday, and the pain is different from pre-surgery sprains.

“I’m making sure that we take control of it now, so it doesn’t linger like last season, when it became a habitual thing of dealing with it every week,” said Curry, who was walking gingerly. “That’s my main concern right now.”

Curry desperately wants to play in the national showcase game against the Clippers, but he has been down that road before. He rushed back at least a couple of times last season and was plagued by repeat sprains.

He said the ligaments are much tighter in his right ankle than his left, and he played for two months without any sprains or pain after the surgery. The ankle is shaped differently now, so the pressure is on areas that weren’t injured last season.

— Via Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle

Stephen Curry suffers right ankle sprain

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry sprained his right ankle and had to be helped off the court during the Sacramento Kings’ 95-91 preseason victory Tuesday night.

Curry was injured while defending rookie Jimmer Fredette just before halftime. Curry didn’t play in the second half and finished with seven points and five assists in 15 minutes.

Team officials said Curry would have X-rays on his ankle Wednesday morning.

“I’m disappointed. We need him back quick,” Warriors rookie coach Mark Jackson said. “But if not, we still have to go out and execute. It’s no excuse. The next player has to look at it as an opportunity. We hope Steph comes back quick because everybody knows we are a better basketball team with him.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Pacers trade Brandon Rush to Warriors for Lou Amundson

The Golden State Warriors have acquired guard Brandon Rush from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Lou Amundson, the team announced today.

“We’re very happy to get Lou,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He gives us another big guy who rebounds and plays extremely hard. He gives us more depth up front and will be a player who gives us energy off the bench.”

“I want to thank Brandon for his three seasons with us,” said Bird. “Anytime you make a trade, especially when it’s a guy such as Brandon who you’ve come to know and like, it’s tough, but he’ll get a good opportunity and a fresh start with Golden State.”

Rush, 26, appeared in 67 games (21 starts) for the Pacers last season, averaging 9.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per contest. In 21 starting assignments, the 6’6” guard averaged 11.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per contest. For the season, he shot a career-best 41.7% (93-223 3FG) from three-point range.

Originally selected by Portland in the first round (#13) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Rush was acquired by Indiana via trade on July 9, 2008. He has appeared in 224 regular-season games during his three-year career, averaging 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest. In 2009-10, he appeared in all 82 games (64 starts) for Indiana and averaged career highs in points (9.4), rebounds (4.2), assists (1.4) and minutes (30.4).

Amundson, 29, appeared in 46 games (seven starts) for the Warriors last season, averaging 4.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in a career-high 15.0 minutes per contest. A five-year NBA veteran, he was originally signed by the Warriors as a free agent on September 13, 2010.

Pacers will send Brandon Rush to Warriors

The Indiana Pacers will trade guard Brandon Rush to the Golden State Warriors for forward Louis Amundson.

The Bay Area News Group first reported the deal. Mark Bartelstein, the agent for both players, confirmed the move on Sunday.

“This is a great fit for both guys,” Bartelstein said.

Rush averaged 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in three seasons for the Pacers.

— Reported by Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press

Golden State Warriors pick three team captains

Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and David Lee were named Warriors’ tri-captains on Friday. Warriors coach Mark Jackson said the team voted on captains at practice on Thursday, and that threesome got the nod.

“I expect those guys to be an extension of me on the floor and it starts with point guard (Curry),” Jackson said. “As a player I took tremendous pride in being a captain, especially if the players voted. Because a coach can be biased, a coach can take his best players. The players are saying, ‘We believe in you.’”

— Reported by Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area

Warriors sign guard Ish Smith off waivers

The Golden State Warriors have been awarded guard Ish Smith off of waivers, the team announced today.

Smith, 23, spent last season with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, appearing in 43 games (three starts) and averaging 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 10.3 minutes per contest. In three starting assignments, the 6’0” guard averaged 6.3 points, 3.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.00 steals in 27.0 minutes.

Originally signed by Houston after a four-year career at Wake Forest, Smith was traded to Memphis along with Shane Battier in exchange for DeMarre Carroll, Hasheem Thabeet and a first-round draft pick on February 24, 2011. The Charlotte, NC, native appeared in five playoff games for Memphis.

Prior to being traded, Smith appeared in eight games (five starts) for Houston’s D-League affiliate, posting averages of 12.5 points, 7.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.50 steals and 1.25 blocks in 32.9 minutes for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Charlotte Bobcats sign guard Reggie Williams

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed guard Reggie Williams. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details here later today.

The 6-6 Williams signed with the Warriors in March 2010 and spent the remainder of the 2009-10 season and all of 2010-11 with the team. In 104 total games, he has career averages of 10.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists, while shooting .477 from the field (408-855) and .405 from beyond the three-point line (135-333). In 80 games played last season, he averaged 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists, and ranked ninth in the NBA with a three-point field goal percentage of .423 (102-241).

Williams will have surgery in the coming days to repair a tear of the lateral meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to be sidelined for approximately 6-8 weeks.

Williams, who led all NCAA Division I players in scoring in both his junior and senior years at Virginia Military Institute, was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft and spent the 2008-09 season playing in France before joining the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League for the 2009-10 season. A 2010 D-League All-Star, he was leading the league in scoring at 26.4 points per game and was named Player of the Month in February before being called up to the Warriors.

Golden State Warriors sign Dominic McGuire

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent forward Dominic McGuire, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

McGuire, 26, played with the Charlotte Bobcats last season, appearing in 52 games (eight starts) and averaging 3.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per contest. In eight starting assignments, the 6’9” forward averaged 3.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.13 blocks in 26.4 minutes.

Originally selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round (#47) of the 2007 NBA Draft out of Fresno State, McGuire owns career averages of 2.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 15.2 minutes in 252 regular-season games over four seasons with the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Bobcats. The San Diego, CA, native makes his return to the Bay Area, where he spent two seasons (2003-05) at the University of California, Berkley.

Golden State Warriors sign Kwame Brown

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent center Kwame Brown, the team announced today. The deal is reportedly for one year and $7 million.

Brown, 29, played with the Charlotte Bobcats last season, appearing in 66 games (50 starts) and averaging 7.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per contest, while shooting 51.7% (194-375 FG) from the field. In 50 starting assignments, the 6’11” center averaged 8.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. Highlights of his lone season with the Bobcats included a season-high 23 points and 10 rebounds at Miami on April 8, as well as 13 points and a season-high 18 rebounds at Sacramento on January 25. Overall, he grabbed 10-or-more rebounds 13 times and posted eight (8) double-doubles.

Originally selected by the Washington Wizards as the #1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft out of Glynn Academy (GA), Brown owns career averages of 7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 22.5 minutes in 576 regular-season games over 10 seasons with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Bobcats. For his career, the Charleston, SC, native has shot 49.0% (1480-3011 FG) from the field and has topped 50.0% in each of the past six seasons.

Brown will wear uniform #54.