Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 97 – NBA Blog

Forward Sean Williams to sign in Israel

Marc Stein of ESPN reports:

After an All-Star season with the Texas Legends, Sean Williams is headed to Israel.

Sources with knowledge of the big man’s plans told ESPNDallas.com that Williams has agreed to a contract with Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, which has been trying feverishly to capitalize on the NBA lockout by signing players with NBA experience.

Williams’ deal, according to one source with knowledge of the terms, includes an out clause that would enabled the 24-year-old to return to the NBA when the lockout ends and if he gets an NBA offer.

Houston lands 2013 NBA All-Star Game

Mark Berman of My Fox Houston reports:

NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports the Houston Rockets and the City of Houston landed the NBA All-Star Game in 2013. The game will be played at Toyota Center on Feb. 17, 2013. NBA All-Star week will be Feb. 15-17. The Rockets and Toyota Center also hosted the game in 2006.

Click2Houston reports:

The entire NBA All-Star Weekend will be in the Bayou City from February 15-17, 2013. Hilton Americas Marketing Director Janice O’Neill-Cox spoke with Local 2 Sports Wednesday afternoon, saying, “We played a key role in working with the league to make sure availability was in place. It’s a big boost for our city to land the game, and we’re excited about it.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: I don’t get why Houston is getting the game again. They just had it in 2006. Meanwhile, other teams haven’t hosted it in a long time. Also, Madison Square Garden renovations will be mostly complete in time. And the new Brooklyn Nets arena will exist by mid 2012. Unusual call to send the big weekend back to Houston so soon.

New Jersey Nets name Milton Lee GM of minor league operations

The New Jersey Nets have named Milton Lee as the team’s general manager of minor league operations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Lee, who had been the team’s director of basketball operations, will now oversee the basketball operations of the Nets’ D League affiliate, the Springfield Armor. Lee’s duties will include selection of the team’s head coach and coaching staff as well as assembling the Armor roster for the upcoming 2011-12 season.

“Milt is a natural fit for this position,” said King. “He has a strong history with young players and his experience with the Nets basketball operations department will allow for a seamless integration of philosophies between the two teams.”

Prior to joining the Nets, Lee started his own basketball services company where he worked in various capacities with the NBA, teams and players. Lee personally worked as a skills coach with several NBA players currently in the league. Previously, Lee served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers summer league team in 2008 and 2009, and has been a consultant to the NBA at the past six Pre-Draft Combines.

Earlier in his career, Lee worked as a proprietary trader on Wall Street for ING Barings and SAC Capital. Lee interned for the NBA at three consecutive Olympic Games, including 1992, for the original “Dream Team.”

A native of Bergen County, New Jersey, Lee is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the junior varsity basketball team.

The Nets, as reported by InsideHoops.com, entered into a hybrid agreement with the Armor on May 1. The hybrid affiliation is a structure similar to other minor leagues, allowing for the Nets to secure control over and cover the expenses related to the basketball operations of the Armor, while partnering with existing local ownership, which maintains responsibility for the team’s off-the-court business operations.

Jordan Farmar signs in Israel

Euroleague.net reports:

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv moved to shore up its backcourt by signing point guard Jordan Farmar, a two-time NBA champion, to a one-year deal on Wednesday. Farmar (1.88 meters, 24 years old, arrives from New Jersey of the NBA, where he averaged 9.6 points and 5 assists in 24.6 minutes per game. Farmar played the his first four years as a pro with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning NBA titles in 2009 and 2010 while coming off the bench for 18 minutes per game, averaging 6.8 points and 2 assists. His best season statistically with Los Angeles was 2007-08, when he put up 9.1 points and 2.7 assists in 20 minutes per game.

Read NBA fan opinion and share your own reaction in this forum topic.

Rafer Alston sued over fight in strip club

Christina Carrega of the New York Post reports:

Troubled ex-New Jersey Nets player Rafer Alston fouled out at a strip joint — bashing another man on the head with a beer bottle during a booze-fueled brawl, a new lawsuit charges.

The former NBA athlete, 35, who’s originally from Jamaica, Queens, attacked fellow Perfection Gentleman’s Club patron Erick Franceschini, 32, of Milford, Conn., during a knock-down-drag-out free-for-all in July 2010, according to papers recently filed in Queens Supreme Court.

Alston smashed Franceschini with the bottle during a dispute that began in the Woodside, Queens, club and spilled out on the street, said Franceschini’s lawyer, John Rapawy.

Alston was not involved in the fight in the bar, Rapawy said, but the lawyer claimed the hoopster attacked Franceschini in the street.

Read NBA fan opinion and discuss your own reaction in this forum topic.

Detroit Pistons to introduce new head coach Lawrence Frank on Wednesday

Early Wednesday afternoon, the Detroit Pistons will introduce Lawrence Frank as their new head coach.

As Vincent Goodwell of the Detroit News reports, “Detroit native Steve Smith said Pistons coach Lawrence Frank’s first order of business is to wipe away the bad taste from the past two seasons. “The best course of action is he has to come in with a clean slate,” said Smith, an analyst for NBA TV who played 14 seasons in the NBA. “He has to give those guys a clean slate, too.” Whenever the NBA lockout ends, Smith said Frank will have to address the team, collectively and individually, to let them know what happened in the past won’t be held against them, but a repeat won’t be tolerated. “Some of the problems you’ve heard about you do address,” Smith said. “You listen and you don’t interject.”

It’ll be a difficult job for Frank, as the team is in transition and in need of a serious rebuild. They were led last season by guard Rodney Stuckey (15.5 points, 5.2 assists per game), forward Tayshaun Prince (14.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg), and guard Richard Hamilton (14.1 ppg, 3.1 apg). Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva also contributed in the scoring department.

One of the lone bright spots for the Pistons last season was the play of center Greg Monroe, who has been steadily improving. He’s still not a real building block, however. He may develop into one in the near future, but for now he’s merely a supporting player.

But the journey for Frank begins Wednesday at noon in Michigan. And when the NBA lockout ends, his real test begins.

FIBA clears NBA players under contract to play overseas during lockout

The following is an important news release from FIBA:

FIBA has confirmed it will approve the transfer of players under contract with the NBA deciding to play for clubs of FIBA affiliated leagues during the on-going lockout.

During a lockout NBA players who continue to be under contract with an NBA team are free to play anywhere they want, whether for their national teams and/or for club teams.

If an NBA player requests to play for a club of a FIBA affiliated league, the NBA will not object but will state that the player will have to return to his NBA team as soon as the lockout ends. Consequently, FIBA will deliver a letter of clearance subject to the receipt of a declaration signed by the player, stating that he will return to his NBA team when the lockout is over.

“As the world governing body for basketball, we strongly hope that the labour dispute will be resolved as soon as possible, and that the NBA season is able to begin as scheduled,” said FIBA Secretary General and IOC member, Patrick Baumann.

“In view of our role to promote basketball worldwide, we support any player wishing to play the game, wherever and whenever. We do so while obviously taking the interests, rights and obligations of all parties into account,” he added.

“We are delighted to see that, in spite of widespread doubts related to the lockout, National Teams competing in this summer’s Olympic Qualifiers will be able to count on the participation of most of their NBA stars.”

Any NBA player deciding to play during the lockout, does so at his own risk, notably if he sustains an injury.

FIBA has stated that it is up to the clubs to decide whether or not they shall sign a waiver clearing them of any responsibility towards the player in case of injury and other reasons preventing him from returning to the NBA and from fulfilling his obligations vis-à-vis his NBA team.

Update: National Basketball Players Association response to the news

“The NBPA and our players are gratified by today’s announcement by FIBA, although it comes as no surprise. We have consistently advised our members that in the event of a lockout they would have the right to be compensated for playing basketball irrespective of whether they were under contract to an NBA team or not. We have encouraged all of our players to pursue such opportunities and will continue to do so. In the face of the economic pressure that the NBA has attempted to exert by imposing a lockout, our players are unified and eager to demonstrate that the NBA’s tactics will be unsuccessful.”

Read NBA fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

NBA Rookie Transition Program postponed

The NBA Rookie Transition Program, scheduled for August 9-11, has been postponed. The program, which provides first-year players with the skills and information necessary for a successful transition to the NBA, is run jointly by the NBA and the Players Association.

“Without a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ union, we will be unable to hold RTP as originally scheduled,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. “This is an important educational program for our incoming players, and it will be rescheduled once the parties agree on a CBA.”

Detroit Pistons reportedly want Lawrence Frank to be their new head coach

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reports:

The Pistons have decided to hire ex-Nets coach Lawrence Frank as their new head coach, according to league sources.

Frank, 40, will succeed John Kuester, who was fired after failing to get the Pistons to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Frank coached the Nets from 2003-09 and posted a 225-241 record.

Frank, who spent last season with Boston as Doc Rivers’ top defensive coach, beat out former Atlanta coach Mike Woodson. Frank and Woodson were the only two candidates who had the head coaching experience the Pistons were seeking.Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Billy Hunter tells InsideHoops that NBA lockout meetings may not resume until August

By Jeff Lenchiner

Wednesday evening in New York City I paid a visit to Dyckman Park for some streetball action. It was a big matchup of some top teams that has been anticipated for weeks, so the park was packed. Included in the crowd were rapper Jadakiss, Denver Nuggets forward Al Harrington, and the head of the NBA Players Union, Billy Hunter, among others.

Before the game, Hunter, bravely attempting to communicate as some top-notch rap music blasted from the park’s booming speakers at full volume, gave InsideHoops.com a very quick update on the current NBA lockout situation:

InsideHoops.com: What’s the latest?

Billy Hunter: We’re trying to find some way to re-open the negotiations. We’re not making very much progress. It looks like we’re going to be where we are, I would assume probably [until] August before we actually end up getting back together.

InsideHoops.com: How long might the lockout last?

Hunter: It’s unpredictable. It’s hard to say how long it’s going to go.

It sounds like NBA fans should not hold their breath waiting for positive developments just yet.