NBA Teams – Page 1425 – NBA Blog

The Grizzlies frontcourt loves the Grizzlies frontcourt

Zach Randolph stood on one side of the locker room while Rudy Gay sat about 18 feet away and out of earshot.

When asked separately about how the Grizzlies’ front line, including center Marc Gasol, is playing so far this season, the starting forwards delivered nearly identical answers.

“We’ve got one of the best frontcourts in the league,” Randolph proclaimed.

“If not the best, we have one of the best front lines in the league,” Gay added. “And we’re definitely going to prove that this year.”

And to think that there are cynics who believe Gay and Randolph don’t mix.

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Steve Nash suffers leg injury, will be re-examined in one week

Steve Nash out at least one week with leg injury

Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash was examined by team doctor Steve Lombardo and had an MRI exam. Results of the MRI showed a small non-displaced fracture in the head of his fibula (left leg).

The injury occurred in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game in Portland against the Trail Blazers. Nash is expected to be out a minimum of a week. He will be re-examined and an update on his condition will be given at that time.

According to the Orange County Register, “Nash was hurt when he got tangled up with Portland point guard Damian Lillard on Wednesday night and got kneed in the side of the leg. He tried to return later in the game, but the leg gave out on him, and he sat out the loss to the Clippers on Friday night that dropped the Lakers to 0-3.”

Troy Murphy makes sense for Mavericks

Because he is so familiar with coach Rick Carlisle’s system, Troy Murphy was the perfect fit for the Dallas Mavericks.

Thus, the Mavs signed the 6-11, 245-pound power forward to a one-year contract Friday in the hope that he can help stretch opponents’ defenses and also help the Mavs out on the boards.

“I think I can spread the floor, add some shooting and some rebounding as well,’’ Murphy said after this morning’s shootaround at American Airlines Center. “I’m ready to go.

“I’m still learning the plays and I’m just taking it as it comes.’’

Murphy played for Carlisle in Indiana after he was traded to the Pacers from the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 17, 2007.

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Tyson Chandler says Carmelo Anthony is super focused

He entered the league the same year as LeBron, who has been to the NBA Finals three times and won his first title last June. Anthony has advanced past the first round just once and is 1-8 in the playoffs with the Knicks. If that record isn’t enough to get Anthony to change his approach and keep him motivated nothing will.

“I think he’s very motivated right now,” says Tyson Chandler. “I’ve only been with him for two years but this is the most motivated I’ve seen him. He’s doing an excellent job, not only what you guys saw on display (Friday) night, but in practice, in film and walk throughs. He’s changed. He’s getting in early, putting up shots from everywhere, pulling guys to the side to give them advice. He’s being a great teammate. He wants to win. I think the summer experience helped him.”

Chandler and Anthony were Olympic teammates in London as the United States cruised to a gold medal. All around him, Anthony was surrounded by NBA champs – LeBron, Chandler, Kobe Bryant – as well as a young cast of teammates – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden – who have already reached the NBA Finals.

— Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News

Anthony Davis leaves game with possible concussion

Anthony Davis, the overall No. 1 draft pick of the New Orleans, has left Friday night’s game against Utah and is being tested for a possible concussion and will not return.

Davis had eight points — all on dunks in the first half — six rebounds and two blocks. He was injured with 4:51 left in the first half. The Hornets released an official statement that he will be out for the rest of the game. The Hornets trailed 41-40 at halftime.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Hornets guard Eric Gordon out 4-6 more weeks

ERIC GORDON INJURY UPDATE: YEAH, STILL INJURED

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon will be sidelined for four to six weeks because of recurring problems with his right knee, a league source confirmed Friday afternoon.

Gordon’s prognosis was determined after he underwent further evaluations with doctors in Chicago on Friday to determine the extent of the problems involving his right knee. Gordon could not be reached for comment but he told Yahoo! Sports on Friday that he would be out for an additional four to six weeks.

Hornets General Manager Dell Demps said through spokesman Harold Kaufman that the Hornets are still gathering information and at this point any prognosis would be speculation. There is no confirmation if Gordon will have to undergo surgery. He required arthroscopic surgery last February and missed all but nine games last season…

Gordon said he began experiencing soreness in his right knee about a month before training camp after participating in volunteer workouts with his teammates. He missed all of training camp and the Hornets’ eight-game preseason schedule.

— Reported by John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Mavericks waive Eddy Curry, sign Troy Murphy

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent center Troy Murphy.

Murphy will replace Eddy Curry on the Mavericks’ 15-man roster. Curry was waived after playing in the first two regular season games for Dallas. Curry averaged 4.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 12.5 minutes.

Murphy (6-11, 245) was the 14th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and has played in 715 games (481 starts) with Golden State, Indiana, New Jersey, Boston and Los Angeles Lakers. He holds career averages of 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 27.5 minutes per game.

Murphy has averaged a points-rebounds double-double four times in his career, most recently in 2009-10 when, as a member of the Indiana Pacers, he averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds. Murphy spent last year with the Lakers and played in 59 games during the lockout-shortened season.

The Morristown, N.J., native played collegiately at Notre Dame where he was a consensus All-America selection as a sophomore and a junior and was an early-entry candidate in the 2001 NBA Draft.

Return of Kevin Garnett was critical factor in Celtics retooling

A LOOK BACK AT THIS PAST OFFSEASON

With Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen set to become free agents and well into their 30s, change appeared imminent. The Celtics faithful fully prepared for an offseason of adjustment, the organization taking a step back to potential mediocrity after five years of elite status.

But the Celtics instead took a surprising turn, adding eight players and re-signing Garnett, and they remain one of the East favorites as they head into the home opener Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Conventional wisdom said there was no way Garnett, playing on aging legs and tiring at the end of playoff games, would return. Allen, meanwhile, had grown increasingly unhappy with his situation in comparison with second-year guard Avery Bradley and wanted to explore free agency for the first time.

So the 2012-13 Celtics likely would consist of Rajon Rondo, perhaps Paul Pierce, and a bunch of pieces meshed together until the Celtics could attract a major free agent. But as free agency approached, the central figure in their quest to extend the Big Three Era was Garnett himself.

— Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Luis Scola looking to expand shooting range

The Suns have always been known as a 3-point shooting team.

Luis Scola, not so much.

“I want to add 3-point shot to my game,” he said. “I feel confident the whole preseason. I just made one in preseason but I was feeling confident. I just need to keep working at it. It’s not going to happen overnight. I never shoot 3s before in my career. We’ll see how it goes.”

So far, it’s gone quite well—at least through one game.

Wednesday night against the Warriors, Scola hit as many 3s as he had in his previous 386 games combined. He made 1-of-2 and is now 2-for-19 in his career but a sparkling 2-for-3 all-time against Golden State.

— Reported by Craig Grialou of Arizona Sports

Blazers guard Ronnnie Price remains day-to-day

The Trail Blazers will play at least one more game without their backup point guard.

Coach Terry Stotts said Ronnie Price will not play tonight when the Blazers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder. Price, who is still recovering from the high right ankle sprain he suffered during an Oct. 12 exhibition game in Phoenix, is listed day-to-day.

Second-year guard Nolan Smith, who had two points and two assists in the Blazers’ season-opening win over the Los Angeles Lakers, again will take Price’s spot in the Blazers’ rotation.

— Reported by Joe Freeman of The Oregonian