Indiana Pacers Blog – Page 53 – NBA Blog

Pacers exercise options on Darren Collison and Tyler Hansbrough

The Indiana Pacers announced Monday they have picked up the options on Darren Collison and Tyler Hansbrough’s contracts. Per club policy no details of the contracts are released.

Collison, a second-year player out of UCLA, was traded to the Pacers on Aug. 11 from New Orleans. Last year for the Hornets, he averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 assists per game.

Hansbrough, the 13th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, played in 29 games for the Pacers during the 2009-10 season and averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

“Darren and Tyler are key components of our team’s young core,” said Larry Bird, Pacers President of Basketball Operations. “They both have bright potential and we’re excited to have them as part of our future.”

Feb. 28, 2010: New Orleans Hornets guard Darren Collison tied his season high with 35 points during an NBA game between the New Orleans Hornets and the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX Dallas defeated New Orleans 108-100.

Tyler Hansbrough plays first game in nine months

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Tyler Hansbrough plays for first time in nine months

Tyler Hansbrough’s final stat line doesn’t mean anything. It was his presence going up and down the court during a game that had people excited Friday night at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Hansbrough appeared in his first game of any kind in nine months, coming off the bench for 19 minutes in the Indiana Pacers’ 93-86 preseason loss to the Orlando Magic.

“It felt good,” Hansbrough said. “It felt like it’s going to take me awhile to get in a rhythm. You can practice, but there’s nothing like getting back in a game.

“It feels good to be back on the court and as part of the team. It’s going to take me a minute to get back in the groove of things.”

Lance Stephenson needs to improve his defense

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Stephenson’s biggest problem has been off-the-ball defense.

He’s sticking to the true meaning of man-to-man defense. He stays on his man and doesn’t pay attention to where the ball is on the court.

That was the case during a recent scrimmage when Stephenson stood and watched as fellow rookie Paul George caught the ball, squared his body to the basket and took an uncontested 3-point shot in the corner.

“I’ve got to be at the right spot on the court and see the where the ball is at when my man doesn’t have it,” Stephenson said. “The ball will be across court and I’ll still be on my man. I’ll get better at it.”

The 6-5, 210-pound Stephenson is also having difficulty defending the pick-and-roll. He gets screened instead of fighting through the pick, or going around it when the opportunity is there.

O’Brien wants him to pressure the ball so it would be harder for Stephenson to get picked.

Jermaine O’Neal discusses past injuries

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports:

“The problem is that I’ve never been a player who complained or let people know how bad things were,” O’Neal said. “You get guys who are hurt and they try to play and it’s, ‘Oh, I didn’t play well because I was hurt.’ I wasn’t that player.

“I played almost two years with a torn meniscus. I tore my meniscus twice, and I never said anything because my team was going through so much and I felt like the city of Indianapolis needed any positive notion that they could get. I played through it. Nobody knows about me having to wear the big compression (clothes) just to walk around and me not being able to practice before I played in the games. People don’t know about that. Nobody knows about me taking 10 Advil a day and then having to get my liver and kidney checked. People don’t know about that.

“People always judge and they don’t know about anything that was going on on the inside. One thing I can say – and anybody can say from any team I’ve ever played on – is that when I get out there I’m going to play as hard as I possibly can, whether it’s on one leg or two legs or whatever. In the last three years of my deal, people were saying, ‘Oh, he’s not worth it.’ But I was still hurt.”

Talk Celtics basketball on the Boston Celtics forum.

Fan poll results: Six East locks to make playoffs

An InsideHoops.com front page poll asking fans to predict the eight Eastern conference teams that will qualify for the 2010-11 NBA playoffs had the following results:

Celtics     2,046 votes
Heat    2,045 votes
Magic    2,011 votes
Bulls    1,985 votes
Hawks    1,886 vote
Bucks    1,658 votes
Bobcats    1,011 votes
Knicks    1,074 votes
Wizards    637 votes
Sixers    481 votes
Pistons    336 votes
Nets    333 votes
Cavaliers 333 votes
Pacers    229 votes
Raptors    173 votes

Fans felt that the six teams — the Magic, Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Hawks and Bucks — are strong locks to make the playoffs.

After those teams, the Bobcats and Knicks came in next, with the 7th and 8th highest votes.

InsideHoops.com editor says: These are some pretty fantastic results. Look at the top eight teams, in order. That’s pretty close to what an East power ranking list should look like.

Missing the playoffs but getting good support were the Wizards, receiving the 9th highest votes.

Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard (12) is congratulated by teammates Rashard Lewis (L), Jameer Nelson (14) and Vince Carter (15) during overtime in Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics in Boston, Massachusetts May 24, 2010. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

Pacers power forward job still open

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Josh McRoberts, Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Foster, Solomon Jones and Magnum Rolle are candidates. Danny Granger also will play some at the position when O’Brien goes with a small lineup.

Hansbrough is viewed as the future but is working himself into shape after missing most of his rookie season. O’Brien said he’d start McRoberts if the season opened today, but quickly pointed out that the regular season is four weeks away.

“Coach said that spot is open,” McRoberts said. “I feel good. I feel like I put in the time and the work over the summer and I deserve the opportunity. I’m excited.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: I think a month or two into the season, whoever best provides the dirty work — setting tough picks, rebounding, defending — will earn the job. If it was a few years ago, I’d go with Foster. But now, it’s anyone’s guess.

Utah Jazz sign Earl Watson

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has signed free-agent guard Earl Watson. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Watson (6-1, 185, UCLA) owns career averages of 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists over nine NBA seasons with Memphis, Denver, Seattle/Oklahoma City and Indiana. Watson has also appeared in eight postseason contests, all with Memphis in 2004 and 2005.

UCLA’s all-time leader in steals and minutes played, Watson’s best statistical NBA season came in 2007-08 with Seattle, when he appeared in 78 games (73 starts) for the SuperSonics, averaging 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 29.1 minutes. Last season with Indiana, Watson saw action in 79 games (52 starts), averaging 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists in in 29.4 minutes.

March 14, 2010 Milwaukee, WI. Bradley Center..Indiana Pacers Earl Watson brings the ball up the court, Watson had 15 points and 5 rebounds against the Bucks today..Milwaukee Buck won over the Indiana Pacers 98-94. Mike McGinnis/CSM.

NBA stars, celebs bowl for charity in NYC tonight

NBA stars Al Harrington (Denver Nuggets) and Dahntay Jones (Indiana Pacers) have teamed up to host their First Annual Celebrity Charity Bowling Event, Friday, August 27, at Lucky Strike in Manhattan, New York from 8:00 p.m.- 1:00 a.m.

Jones and Harrington will host an event that will bring together top NBA, NFL, and MLB players along with entertainment notables to bowl for a cause. All proceeds from the event will equally be distributed amongst the Dahntay Jones Foundation and the Al Harrington Foundation. Information on each charity can be requested.

The star studded event will have sounds on the turn-tables from New York’s very own, DJ Clue, as confirmed guests Devin Harris, CC Sabathia, Wilson Chandler, Carlos Beltran, Solomon Jones, Justin Tuck, Darrelle Revis, Braylon Edwards, Speedy Claxton, Stephen Jackson, Troy Murphy, Sebastian Telfair, Anthony Morrow, Tyronn Lue, Allan Houston, John Starks, Amare Stoudemire, Ben Gordon, Earl Watson, Tracy McGrady, Michael Strahan, Kelenna Azubuike, Leon Washington, Herb Williams, Toney Douglas, Howard Eisley, Juelz Santana, and Cappie Pondexter-all come together for a, fun-filled, competitive night of bowling to benefit at risk communities across the nation.

InsideHoops.com will be at the event. You can be there too! Tickets are available. Please visit www.ckstrategies.eventbrite.com/ for more information regarding specific event details as well as VIP and general admission ticket sales.

NBA suspends Brandon Rush, Kenny Hasbrouck and Tyreke Evans

Brandon Rush of the Indiana Pacers, Kenny Hasbrouck of the Miami Heat and Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings have each been suspended for their actions in separate incidents, the NBA announced today.

Rush has been suspended without pay for five games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.

Hasbrouck has been suspended without pay for two games for pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated, in violation of the law of the State of New York.

Evans has been suspended without pay for one game for pleading no contest to reckless driving, in violation of the law of the State of California.

Each players’ suspension will begin with the first game of the NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

Nathan Jawai signs in Serbia

Serbian powerhouse team BC Partizan have confirmed on their website that Australian basketball star Nathan Jawai has signed a one-year deal with the club.

Jawai, a former player for the Cairns Taipans in the National Basketball League, had just finished his second season in the American NBA.

At Partizan Jawai will replace fellow countryman and Australian Boomers World Championship team member Aleks Maric, who recently signed with Greek superpower club Panathinaikos.

BC Partizan are Serbia’s best team, and have won nine consecutive national titles.

Jawai played 39 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves in season 2009/10, averaging 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He played six games for the Toronto Raptors in the 2008/09 season.

He also has appeared in the NBA Development League for Idaho Stampede and Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Jawai was originally drafted 41st overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2008, but was immediately dealt to the Toronto Raptors.

One year later, Jawai was traded again to Dallas in a four-team deal involving the Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic. A few months later Jawai, who never appeared in a game for Dallas, was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 29: Nathan Jawai of the Australian Boomers scores during game three of the International Series between Australia and Argentina at Brett Maher Court, The Dome on June 29, 2010 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)