Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Heat sign Rafer Alston

Heat sign Rafer Alston

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard Rafer Alston. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled to have Skip back in a Heat uniform, as he brings another set of skills and experience to the point guard position,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “From his time in Miami, we know both his game and him as a person, and we had a great experience with him in the past.  We are very happy to have Skip back in the Heat family.”

Alston, who was placed on waivers by the New Jersey Nets on January 5, has appeared in 27 games (13 starts) this season for the Nets. He has averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.00 steals in 28.4 minutes per game.

Currently playing in his 11th NBA season, Alston was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 39th selection in the 1998 NBA Draft. He has played for six different NBA teams in his career, averaging 10.3 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.22 steals in 646 games (427 starts). As a member of the Orlando Magic last season, he was the team’s starting point guard during their playoff run, averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.43 steals while leading them to the NBA Finals.

He spent the 2003-04 season with the Heat, after signing as a free agent on September 4, 2003. Alston appeared in all 82 games (28 starts) for the Heat in 2003-04, averaging 10.2 points, 4.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.39 steals in 31.5 minutes per game. He helped guide the Heat to their first playoff appearance after a two-year absence and still holds the franchise record for most consecutive games with a three-point field goal made with 48.

Prior to joining the NBA, he earned the nickname “Skip to my Lou” playing in the Rucker Park tournament on the And-1 Mix Tape Tour.

The Heat roster now stands at 14. Alston will once again wear number 11.

T.J. Ford benched in Indiana

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

T.J. Ford benched in Indiana

T.J. Ford’s contributions now are limited to competing hard in practice and supporting teammates during the game because O’Brien has no intention of playing him anytime soon. Ford hasn’t played in the past three games, including the 43-point loss at New York on Sunday.

“I’ve come to grips with it,” Ford said. “Initially, first hearing the news on game day (Saturday) was definitely tough. It was shocking. It’s a business.

“I’ve been dealing with a lot of adversity throughout my professional career, so you just use this as an experience.”

O’Brien is starting veteran Earl Watson because he is “as strong of a leader” as the Pacers have. Rookie A.J. Price is the backup. Price is effective at running the pick-and-roll. The Pacers also want to determine whether he fits into their plans because Watson and Travis Diener are free agents at the end of the season.

NBA suspends Gilbert Arenas

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, under investigation for having unloaded guns in his arena locker room, turned 28 years old today. His birthday present wasn’t one of the better ones, however.

National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement today:

NBA suspends Gilbert Arenas

“The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us.  I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia.  For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action.  Wizards personnel continue to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities, some are scheduled for appearance before the grand jury and the investigation is proceeding with the intensity that one would expect for such a serious incident.

“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game.  Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

Shortly after the above statement was issued, the Wizards had this to say:

“We fully endorse the decision of the NBA to indefinitely suspend Gilbert Arenas.  Strictly legal issues aside, Gilbert’s recent behavior and statements, including his actions and statements last night in Philadelphia, are unacceptable.  Some of our other players appeared to find Gilbert’s behavior in Philadelphia amusing.  This is also unacceptable.  Under Abe Pollin’s leadership, our organization never tolerated such behavior, and we have no intention of ever doing so.”

More on NBA suspending Gilbert Arenas

According to CBS Sports, “the swift and potentially severe punishment came less than 24 hours after Arenas mocked the criminal and NBA investigation of his possession of firearms in the Wizards’ locker room on Dec. 21 by spraying his teammates with fake gunfire in the pre-game huddle in Philadelphia Tuesday night. That brazen act, and Arenas’ latest comments after the game that he didn’t do anything wrong by bringing guns to work, prompted Stern to act.”

Mike Jones (formerly of the Washington Times) said this on his blog: “Stern showed how mean by pulling the plug on Arenas’ comedy act, although the legal process has yet to fully play out. Each game Arenas misses will cost the guard $147,208.”

According to the New York Times, “In the days since the incident became public, Arenas frequently used his Twitter account to mock journalists who reported the story, to address unrelated topics and to relate obscene jokes. Arenas defended his posts by claiming that he used humor as a way to deflect personal pain. Then, during warmups before a Tuesday evening game against the Philadelphia 76ers, he used his thumb and index fingers to pretend to shoot his teammates, who laughed at the display. “They said: ‘Do it. Do it. Do it,’ ” Arenas told reporters afterward. “You wonder why I can’t be serious.”

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Rockets waive Mike Harris

Rockets waive Mike Harris

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the Rockets have waived forward Mike Harris. Signed as a Call-Up from Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Dec. 23, Harris averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in two games with the Rockets.

Harris (6-6, 235, Rice), who had rejoined the Rockets following a stint with the team during the 2007-08 season, was averaging a team-leading 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 10 games (10 starts) with the Vipers at the time of his Call-Up. A former standout at Rice University, Harris spent his rookie NBA season with the Rockets, averaging 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17 games in 2007-08.

Roy Hibbert has great game in win over Magic

The AP reports:

Roy Hibbert has great game in win over Magic

Roy Hibbert has no problem displaying the lighter side of his personality off the court. However, he was all business against one of the NBA’s premier centers.

The 7-foot-2-inch Hibbert had a career-high 26 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 97-90 victory over the Orlando Magic and All-Star Dwight Howard last night in Indianapolis.

Hibbert added 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assists for the Pacers (11-23), who have won two of three after losing eight straight. Howard played with foul trouble most of the night and finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Hibbert was able to use Howard’s two early fouls to his advantage.

He scored 12 of the Pacers’ 24 points in the first quarter and added six more in the second quarter when they led by as many as 10.

Things were going so well for Hibbert, he made two jumpers as the shot clock expired and the Magic threw several double-teams at him in the post.

Hibbert outscored Howard, Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter, who combined for 21. Howard finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out in 28 minutes.

Report: Knicks deny Magic Johnson tickets to game

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

The next time Magic Johnson asks the Knicks for a seat along celebrity row, he first may want to ask Isiah Thomas for his forgiveness.

The Daily News has learned that Johnson’s request for comp tickets to a Knicks game last month was rejected due in part to his criticism of Thomas, the team’s former president and head coach, who remains close to Garden chairman James Dolan.

The Knicks would neither confirm nor deny that Johnson was told that they wouldn’t provide him with a ticket to the team’s Dec. 7 game against Portland.

Nets waive Rafer Alston, trade for Chris Quinn from Heat

Nets waive Rafer Alston, acquire Chris Quinn from Heat

The New Jersey Nets have acquired guard Chris Quinn from the Miami Heat along with the Heat’s second round draft pick in 2012 and cash considerations in exchange for the Nets’ 2010 second round draft pick (protected 31-50), Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.

In a separate transaction, the Nets have requested waivers on guard Rafer Alston.

According to ESPN.com, “the Nets used a trade exception to take on Quinn’s $1 million contract and complete the trade. Two league sources told ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan that Alston agreed to give back nearly $1 million of his $5.25 million salary to gain his freedom from the Nets.”

“There has never been a better person that has played for the Miami Heat than Chris Quinn,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “He is one of the hardest working, most dedicated people that we’ve ever experienced. We want to wish Chris nothing but the very best as he moves on in his career.”

Quinn, currently in his fourth NBA season out of Notre Dame, holds career averages 5.6 ppg and 2.2 apg in 168 games.  He has been inactive for each of the Heat’s games during the 2009-10 season.

Alston, who was originally acquired via trade on June 25, 2009 from Orlando, has played in 27 games (13 starts) for the Nets this season, with averages of 9.7 ppg, 3.9 apg and 2.8 rpg.  Currently in his 11th NBA season, Alston holds career averages of 10.3 ppg, 4.8 apg, and 2.8 rpg in 646 games.

NBA denies Mavericks protest of loss to Rockets

The National Basketball Association announced today that Commissioner David Stern has denied the Dallas Mavericks’ protest of their 116-108 loss to the Houston Rockets on December 18.

In the protest, the Mavericks argued that the referees, following an instant replay review, improperly called a technical foul on Erick Dampier with 1:01 remaining in overtime, which – as his second technical foul – resulted in his ejection from the game.

Commissioner Stern determined that the referees’ decision to assess a technical foul on Dampier was a judgment call, and not a misapplication of the playing rules, which cannot successfully be protested under NBA rules.