The Philadelphia Daily News (Phil Jasner) reports: He said the 76ers would make the playoffs. He said they would be in the top five in the East. He said they would finish the regular season with the No. 4 seed. Samuel Dalembert swears he said all of those things. As it turns out, he was closer to the truth than virtually anyone who predicted anything about the Sixers. Dead last? Struggling to win 20 to 25 games? Preparing for one more lonely ride up the New Jersey Turnpike to the lottery? None of the above. Going into tomorrow night’s game against the Detroit Pistons, the Sixers are already holding 39 victories, four more than all of last season. Instead of playing for pride or incentive bonuses or new contracts, they are battling for postseason positioning.
Category: NBA Teams
NBA teams blog
Jobs Kevin Garnett had as a kid
The Boston Globe (Marc Spears) reports: Kevin Garnett’s résumé has a lot more than pro basketball player on it. Garnett worked at Burger King, manned a cash register at a restaurant called Cheers, worked at an Ingles Markets grocery store, and mowed lawns while growing up in South Carolina. He mopped gym floors at a Boys’ and Girls’ Club his senior year in high school in Chicago. But of all the jobs he has held – including playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves – he says his current gig with the Celtics is the least taxing. “Since I’ve been 14, I’ve probably had seven jobs, and since I’ve been working, this is the most rest I’ve ever had in my life,” said the Celtics forward yesterday. “It’s so much that I don’t know what to do with myself. It’s coming at a great time. “You put your heart and soul in this. I’m staying afloat being a vet, being a leader. It’s been good. It’s coming at the right time for this team.”
Jeff Green recently living up to expectations
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Gary Washburn) reports: Without question Jeff Green entered the league with an NBA body, lofty résumé from Georgetown University and the tag of the Sonics’ small forward of the future. Just recently has Green lived up to those high expectations, and the pinnacle occurred Sunday night when he dropped 35 points on the defenseless Denver Nuggets in a 151-147 double-overtime win. Green’s numbers have improved exponentially since the All-Star Break. He is averaging 13.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and nearly 39 percent 3-point shooting in the past 26 games compared with 8.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 15 percent shooting from the 3-point line in the first 49.
Avery Johnson wants Kidd to penetrate more
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Jeff Caplan) reports: Avery Johnson continues to emphasize the importance for Jason Kidd using dribble penetration to break down defenses. “He’s not programmed necessarily to do those things,” Johnson said. “But we keep prodding him, and we keep talking to him.” After Kidd failed to get off a shot in the second half of Friday’s 112-108 loss to the Lakers, he continued to attack in the decisive fourth quarter against the Suns. Twice he drove past Steve Nash, missing the first layup, but he finished a critical driving layup with 2:51 to play to put the Mavs up by six. Kidd, who Dirk Nowitzki called too unselfish at times, said Kidd’s getting more comfortable with creating for himself.
Isiah Thomas delivers funny Ewing comments
On Sunday, after the Knicks, playing at home in New York, upset the Orlando Magic, Isiah Thomas was pretty funny in the post-game press conference.
Not during regular game and team discussion, but at the very end of the conference. A reporter asked about Isiah’s memories of playing against Patrick Ewing, a Magic assistant coach and soon-to-be member of the Hall of Fame.
Isiah thought about it, and with a big grin revealed that the prominent thought that comes to mind when reflecting on Ewing’s basketball career is sweat. Reporters were amused.
I was tempted to ask if Isiah ever remembered slipping and falling due to pools of Ewing’s sweat on the floor, but held back.
Shaun Livingston medical update
Los Angeles Clippers guard Shaun Livingston had his left knee re-examined on Monday, April 7 by Dr. James Andrews of the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Dr. Andrews examination revealed that Livingston still has some tendinitis that is showing improvement. He will be allowed to pick up the intensity of his on-court workouts by the end of the season. Livingston will continue to maintain strength work and progress with his workouts.
Livingston was originally injured during the first quarter of the Clippers win over the Charlotte Bobcats on February 26, 2007 at STAPLES Center, when he suffered tears to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral meniscus. Livingston also suffered a patella dislocation, in addition to a tibia/femoral dislocation. Andrews performed the surgery to repair the injuries on March 13, 2007 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham.
Player of week are Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson
The Atlanta Hawks’ Joe Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 31, through Sunday, April 6.
Johnson led the Hawks to a 3-1 week, which included wins over two playoff-bound Eastern Conference foes, Philadelphia and Toronto. Johnson averaged 25.3 points on .556 shooting from the field, 8.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds. Johnson also shot .455 from distance. For the season, Johnson is Atlanta’s leader in scoring, assists, free-throw percentage, three-point percentage and three-point field goals made.
Bryant helped the Lakers to a 3-0 week, which included wins over the Trail Blazers, Mavericks and Kings. For the week, Bryant averaged 30.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting a scorching .688 from three-point range (11-of-17). The Lakers are tied with San Antonio for the second best record in the Western Conference (53-24).
Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey, New Orleans’ Chris Paul, Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala, Sacramento’s Kevin Martin, Toronto’s Rasho Nesterovic and Utah’s Deron Williams.
Blazers recall Josh McRoberts from D-League
The Portland Trail Blazers recalled rookie forward Josh McRoberts from the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced Monday by Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard.
McRoberts, who was assigned to the Stampede for the second time this season on March 17, averaged 7.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.43 blocked shots and 27.0 minutes in seven games, while shooting 43.1% (22-for-51) from the floor during his second stint there.
In 15 total games with Idaho this season, McRoberts posted averages of 7.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 26.8 minutes.
The Duke product is averaging 2.0 points, 0.8 rebounds and 4.4 minutes in five games with the Trail Blazers after being selected by Portland with the 37th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Jazz re-assign Morris Almond to D-League
Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has re-assigned rookie guard Morris Almond to the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League (D-League).
Almond, a 6-6, 225-pound guard out of Rice was selected by the Jazz in the first round (25th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft. He has appeared in nine games for the Jazz this season, averaging 1.4 points and 0.3 assists in 4.3 minutes per game. He appeared in three games for the Jazz since being recalled on March 29, totaling 10 points (3-6 FG), 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 13 minutes of action.
Almond has appeared in a total of 31 games for the Flash during two previous stints (Dec. 6 – Jan. 8 and Jan. 25 – March 29), averaging a D-League leading 25.0 points, along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 36.8 minutes per game. He was named D-League Player of the Week (Dec. 17-23) after averaging 43.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals while shooting 32-of-68 (.471) from the field. During that week, Almond scored a D-League record-tying 51 points in a win over the Austin Toros on December 21. He later broke the D-League scoring record, posting 53 points in a win at the Bakersfield Jam on January 30.
Almond will join the Flash for tonight’s home game vs. Idaho.
Suns recall Alando Tucker from D-League
The Phoenix Suns recalled rookie swingman Alando Tucker from the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr.
In his third and final stint with the Thunderbirds after being assigned on March 14, Tucker averaged 28.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 37.4 minutes in 10 games. Tucker shot 57.7 percent from the field, including 44.2 percent from three-point range, in his most recent stretch with Albuquerque, helping to lead the team to a 6-4 record. In 21 total games (19 starts) in Albuquerque this season, the Wisconsin product owns averages of 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Tucker was selected by Phoenix with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft and has appeared in five games with the Suns, averaging 2.4 points and 0.6 rebound in 4.6 minutes.