Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 109 – NBA Blog

Brook Lopez pulls out of world championships; replaced by McGee

The AP reports:

New Jersey center Brook Lopez, struggling to recover from a bout with mono, has withdrawn from the U.S. national team and will be replaced by Washington’s JaVale McGee.

Lopez informed USA Basketball officials Wednesday that he didn’t believe he was in good enough condition to take part in training camp next week in New York.

InsideHoops.com editor says:

Team USA is now dreadfully short on legit big-men. The squad’s current 15-man roster includes centers Tyson Chandler and McGee, and power forwards Kevin Love, Lamar Odom and Jeff Green. If Green does not make the final 12-man roster — and I had assumed he wouldn’t, though perhaps this increases his chances — the team will be very thin up front.

NJ Nets realign scouting department

The New Jersey Nets have unveiled a new alignment of their scouting department for the 2010-11 season, General Manager Billy King announced today. According to King, Gregg Polinsky will remain in his position as director of player personnel, with former assistant coach Roy Rogers tabbed as advance scout. Jordan Cohn, Maury Hanks and Khalid Green will remain with the team as scouts, and will be joined by Bob Ferry and Frank Zanin. Danko Cvjeticanin was named as the team’s new international scouting coordinator.

Gregg Polinsky (Director of Player Personnel): Gregg Polinsky returns for his third season as director of player personnel and 12th overall with the Nets. Polinsky joined the Nets as a scout in 1999 and was promoted as the team’s director of scouting in 2005.

Roy Rogers (Advance Scout): Roy Rogers will begin his first season as the team’s advance scout, following two seasons on the Nets bench as an assistant coach. In his new role, Rogers will be responsible for scouting the team’s upcoming opponents throughout the season and working closely with the coaching staff to develop a game plan.

Maury Hanks (Scout): Maury Hanks returns for his 13th season as a scout for the Nets. Prior to joining the Nets, Hanks served as an assistant coach for seven years at UC Santa Barbara, Clemson, San Diego State and Drake.

Jordan Cohn (Pro Scout): Jordan Cohn returns for his seventh season as a scout for the Nets. Cohn previously served as director of pro player personnel for the NY Knicks and coordinator of basketball information and technology for the Miami Heat. He authored eight volumes of ‘Rick Barry’s Pro Basketball Scouting Report’ and started his own scouting service, charting individual player tendencies, which was used by several NBA teams in the 90’s.

Bob Ferry (Scout): Bob Ferry joins the Nets after most recently serving as a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Following a 10 year NBA playing career, Ferry worked as an assistant coach and then general manager for the Washington Bullets from 1973-1990, twice being named NBA Executive of the Year.

Frank Zanin (Pro Scout): Frank Zanin brings 11 years of NBA experience to the Nets, spending nine seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers from 1999-2008. During his time with Philadelphia, Zanin served in a number of capacities, including video coordinator, assistant coach/advance scout and personnel scout.

Khalid Green (Scout): Khalid Green will enter his third season as a scout for the Nets. Prior to joining the Nets, Green served as the head coach of Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn, NY.

Danko Cvjeticanin (International Scouting Coordinator): Danko Cvjeticanin comes to the Nets after serving as the European scouting coordinator for the Philadelphia 76ers. As a player, Cvjeticanin won two Olympic silver medals, representing the Yugoslavian (1988) and Croatian (1992) national teams.

Madison Square Garden, Anheuser-Busch extend their partnership

Press Release — Madison Square Garden and Anheuser-Busch announced today a long-term extension of their longstanding marketing partnership. The new marketing deal makes Anheuser-Busch a “Signature Partner” of Madison Square Garden with exposure across MSG’s unrivaled set of assets, including its professional sports teams (New York Knicks and New York Rangers), television networks (MSG and MSG Plus), digital platforms, in-arena signage and an expanded presence in the transformed Madison Square Garden.

The renewed marketing partnership keeps MSG in Anheuser-Busch’s stable of industry-leading sports and entertainment sponsorship properties and is highlighted by the entitlement of the Budweiser Fan Deck to be developed in the transformed Madison Square Garden. The Budweiser Fan Deck is a 10,000-square foot space that will be located in the upper bowl and serve as a unique gathering space for fans with direct views into the arena bowl.

With Budweiser and Bud Light continuing as the official beer sponsor of the Knicks and Rangers respectively, the agreement provides for additional fan focused initiatives, including brand-sponsored Knicks and Rangers viewing parties.

“Our relationship with Madison Square Garden represents one of the longest tenured partnerships in our portfolio,” said Mark Wright, vice president of media, sports and entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Budweiser and Bud Light’s renewed support of the Knicks and Rangers is symbolic of a larger and continued investment in sports and we look forward to expanding our presence in The World’s Most Famous Arena as the transformation is completed.”

“We are proud to continue our longstanding relationship with Anheuser-Busch, and make them a ‘Signature Partner’ with an integrated presence across our sports and media properties,” said Hank Ratner, president and CEO, Madison Square Garden. “One of the exciting new cornerstone elements of the partnership is their expanded presence in the transformed Madison Square Garden with our new fan deck. The Budweiser Fan Deck will provide fans with a unique new space in the arena to socialize and experience games and concerts, truly enhancing the fan experience.”

Added Scott O’Neil, president, MSG Sports: “There is no brand more fitting for The World’s Most Famous Arena than the King of Beers. Anheuser-Busch and Madison Square Garden are storied companies each with well over a century old connection to New York City. This is an exciting new era of our partnership and on behalf of the millions of fans that attend our more than 400 events annually – we look forward to building on the great history our companies have together.”

Nets name Bobby Marks assistant general manager

The New Jersey Nets have named Bobby Marks as assistant general manager, General Manager Billy King announced today. Marks was promoted from his previous position of vice president of basketball operations.

“Bobby has been a well-respected member of this department for an extended period of time,” said King. “He is very deserving of this promotion, and his expertise will be invaluable as we look to re-build the Nets into a championship-caliber team.”

In his new role, Marks will assist King in the areas of salary cap management, scouting, player personnel and the day to day business of basketball operations. A member of the department for 15 seasons, Marks served as the team’s vice president of basketball operations for the past four years. After originally joining the Nets as a public relations intern in the spring of 1995, Marks was hired in January of 1996 as a basketball operations assistant. He is currently the longest tenured member of the department.

A graduate of Marist College, where he was a member of the football team, Marks received his B.A. in communications in 1995. The Little Falls, NJ native currently resides in West Orange, New Jersey with his wife, Michelle, and sons, Jake and Cooper.

Spurs re-sign Richard Jefferson

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have re-signed Richard Jefferson. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Jefferson joined Spurs on June 23, 2009, in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. In his first season in San Antonio he appeared in 81 games, averaging 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31.1 minutes while shooting .467 (362-775) from the floor, .316 (59-187) from the three-point line and .735 (208-283) from the free throw line. Jefferson scored in double-figures 54 times, including eight games with 20-or-more points. The former University of Arizona Wildcat posted two double-doubles and led the team in scoring 10 times. He posted a season-high 29 points vs. Dallas on Nov. 11. Jefferson knocked down a 15-foot jump shot with 9.1 seconds left in overtime to give the Spurs a 100-99 win at Oklahoma City on Jan. 13. In the playoffs he started 10 games for the Silver and Black, averaging 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33.4 minutes.

Prior to joining the Spurs Jefferson spent the 2008-09 season in Milwaukee where he averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 35.8 minutes. Before being traded to the Bucks on June 26, 2008, Jefferson spent his first seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets and went to two NBA Finals (2002 vs. the Lakers and 2003 vs. the Spurs). He had a career year in 2007-08 when he averaged 22.6 points (ninth in the NBA), 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 39.0 minutes.

In his nine-year NBA career Jefferson has appeared in 652 regular season games, averaging 17.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31.1 minutes. He has appeared in 88 playoff games averaging 14.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34.2 minutes in the postseason.

Jefferson played for Team USA in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and was a member of the 2003 US Team that captured the gold medal at the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

76ers sign Tony Battie

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the team has signed free agent center Tony Battie. As per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We see Tony Battie as a player who can come in and give us additional depth in the front court while also providing a valuable veteran presence for our younger players both on and off the court,” Stefanski said.

Battie (6-11, 240) recently completed his 12th NBA season and is averaging 6.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.90 blocks in 772 career games with 418 starts. He has also appeared in 51 playoff games with 30 starts and was a member of the Orlando Magic’s Eastern Conference Championship team in 2008-09.

Originally the fifth overall pick by Denver in the 1997 NBA Draft, Battie was traded twice following his rookie season, ending up in Boston. After five full seasons with the Celtics, he was sent to Cleveland early into the 2003-04 campaign, which coincided with LeBron James’ rookie season.

In July of 2004, the Cavaliers packaged Battie in a trade to Orlando, one month after the Magic added Dwight Howard with the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. Battie spent the next five seasons with the Magic, including 2005-06 when he started all 82 games with averages of 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds while playing alongside Howard.

Last summer, Battie was traded to New Jersey as part of Orlando’s draft day deal for Vince Carter following the Magic’s run to the NBA Finals in 2009. Battie appeared in 15 games for the Nets last season.

A standout at Texas Tech, Battie left as the Red Raiders all-time leader in blocks despite forgoing his senior season. His brother, Derrick, played basketball at Temple.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Yes, Battie is still alive and well, and in the league. No idea what he has left in the tank. Obvious assumption is that he’s good for 5-8 minutes per game to bang into some people.

Bucks sign Keyon Dooling

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Keyon Dooling (6-3, 195) to a contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

A 10-year NBA veteran, Dooling averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assists and 1.0 rebound in 53 games (eight starts) for the New Jersey Nets last season. He enjoyed his best statistical season in 2008-09 when he averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 77 games for the Nets.

Selected by Orlando with the 10th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Dooling was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers where he played the first four years of his NBA career. After one season with the Miami Heat (2004-05), he signed as a free agent with Orlando and played three seasons (2005-08) with the Magic. Prior to the 2008-09 season, Orlando traded Dooling to the Nets for cash considerations.

Dooling, 30, has played in 595 career NBA games (62 starts) and holds averages of 7.2 points, 2.2 assists and 1.4 rebounds per contest.

Nets name Sam Mitchell, Larry Krystkowiak, John Loyer, Popeye Jones, Tom Barrise assistant coaches

The New Jersey Nets have named Sam Mitchell, Larry Krystkowiak, John Loyer, Popeye Jones and Tom Barrise as assistant coaches, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“Avery has assembled a staff that brings a wealth of NBA experience to the sidelines,” said King. “Their collective knowledge of the game, gained from both playing and coaching in the league, will be an invaluable asset to the head coach as well as our players.”

Sam Mitchell, the 2006-07 NBA Coach of the Year, brings four-plus seasons of head coaching experience and will be the lead assistant on Avery Johnson’s staff. Mitchell led the Toronto Raptors to two playoff appearances as head coach, including the 2006-07 campaign in which he guided the team to a 47- 35 record, a 20 game improvement from the previous season. Prior to his time in Toronto, Mitchell served as an assistant coach on George Karl’s staff in Milwaukee for two seasons (2002-2004). The 13-year NBA veteran split his playing career between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers. He appeared in 994 regular season games and 59 postseason contests, missing just 40 games to injury or illness throughout his career and posting averages of 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

Larry Krystkowiak comes to the Nets after 12 years of coaching experience in the NBA, CBA and NCAA. Krystkowiak was most recently with Milwaukee Bucks as their head coach after taking over for Terry Stotts in 2006-07 and controlling the sideline for the entire 2007-08 campaign. He holds a career record of 31-69 (.310) after finishing 5-13 (.279) in 2006-07 while going 26-56 (.317) in 2007-08. The University of Montana alum got his first coaching job at his alma mater as an assistant in 1998. After two years at Montana, he left to become an assistant at Old Dominion for the 2001-02 season. He received his first opportunity as a head coach with the CBA’s Idaho Stampede in 2003-04. In his sole season with Idaho, he led the Stampede to a 37-16 record and a spot in the CBA championship game. In May of 2004, he was hired as the head coach at the University of Montana and amassed a 42-40 (.512) record in two seasons at the helm. In June of 2006, Krystkowiak joined Stotts’ staff as an assistant in Milwaukee. After being selected by Chicago in the second round (28th overall) of the 1986 NBA Draft, Krystkowiak spent nine seasons in the NBA with Chicago, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Utah, Orlando and the Los Angeles Lakers. Krystkowiak’s best season came in 1988-89 when he averaged 12.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 30 minutes per game for Milwaukee. He holds career averages of 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.

John Loyer returns for his second season as an assistant coach for the Nets, following four seasons in the same position for the Philadelphia 76ers. Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Loyer spent a total of five seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers as the team’s video coordinator (2000-01), advance scout (2001-03) and assistant coach (2003-05). Before joining the Trail Blazers staff in 2000, Loyer spent 12 years in the collegiate coaching ranks with stops at Wabash Valley College (1999-00), University of Akron (1987-89) and the University of Cincinnati (1989-99). He was an assistant at Cincinnati for 10 years during which time the Bearcats made it to the Final Four once and twice to the Elite Eight.

Popeye Jones joins the Avery Johnson’s staff after spending four seasons as a member of the player development staff in Dallas. Jones enjoyed an 11-year NBA career after being selected by Houston in the second round (41st overall) of the 1992 NBA Draft. He played one season in Europe before beginning his first of two stints with Dallas in 1993. Jones’ best season came in 1995-96 when he averaged 11.3 points and 10.8 rebounds. He holds the record for most rebounds by a Maverick in a game (28 vs. IND on 1/9/96). Jones holds career averages of 7.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in 535 career games with Dallas, Toronto, Boston, Denver, Washington and Golden State.

Tom Barrise returns for his 15th season with the Nets and his seventh full season as an assistant coach. Tom joined the assistant coach ranks in January of 2004 when Lawrence Frank took over as head coach. Prior to his current position, Barrise served as the Nets’ advance scout for eight seasons. Prior to joining the Nets, Tom was the head basketball coach for three seasons (1992-95) at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey, while also performing advance scout duties for the Cleveland Cavaliers (1992-96). His basketball coaching odyssey also includes stints at St. Peter’s College, Fairfield University, East Carolina University, Jacksonville University, William Paterson College and Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Wade still shocked Heat landed LeBron

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports:

“I hit up LeBron [on Tuesday] night and I told him I’m looking at ESPN and I see his name scroll on the bottom and it says ‘Miami Heat forward LeBron James.’

“I just said, ‘Man, it’s crazy.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I just saw the same thing.’ ”

Behind his cool countenance, Wade feels every bit as exhilarated as the most fanatical of Heat fans. And he’s intoxicated by the possibilities of what this threesome can achieve.

“It’s beyond exciting,” he said. “I don’t think we even really know how excited we’re going to be.”

Lawrence Frank to be Celtics assistant

Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

How’s this for being upwardly mobile:

Lawrence Frank, who was last seen heading for the unemployment line last December after the Nets started 0-16, has agreed to be the assistant coach on a team that came within one victory of the NBA title.

The former Nets coach has agreed to assist Doc Rivers and the Boston Celtics for just one season, essentially filling the role occupied by Tom Thibodeau, who left Rivers’ staff to to take the Chicago Bulls job.

“I think it’s a good situation for me – I wanted to get back and coach, and I didn’t want to sit and wait, and you can’t ask for a better situation or a better organization,” Frank said.