NBA Teams – Page 2423 – NBA Blog

Clippers sign Nick Fazekas to 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent forward Nick Fazekas to a 10-day contract. Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (34th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Fazekas appeared in four games with Dallas this season, averaging 1.0 point and 0.8 rebounds.

A three-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Player of the Year at the University of Nevada, Fazekas played 28 games with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League this season and was selected to the D-League All-Star Game, but did not play in the game. Fazekas averaged 19.1 points per game. 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 53 percent from the floor.

Fazekas was a star in college for the Wolfpack, averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds as a senior while ranking fifth in the nation in rebounding. During his senior year the Arvada, Colorado product was a consensus Second Team All-American and member of the Wooden Award All-American Team. Fazekas finished his collegiate career as the all-time leading scorer and shot blocker in Nevada history and is one of only six players in NCAA history to score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds, and shoot 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.

Daequan Cook, Joel Anthony to D-League

The Miami Heat announced today that Daequan Cook and Joel Anthony have been assigned to the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League. The Energy was assigned as the Heat’s D-League affiliate prior to the start of the 2007-08 season. They are also the affiliate of the Chicago Bulls.

Cook has appeared in 38 games (two starts) for the HEAT this season, averaging 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 21st pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, and acquired by the HEAT in a draft day trade. Prior to his time with the HEAT, Cook played one season at The Ohio State University before becoming an early entry candidate, averaging 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 39 games. He was also named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year and earned Honorable Mention All Big Ten honors.

Anthony has appeared in four games for the HEAT this season, and is averaging 7.8 minutes per game. He was signed by the HEAT as a free agent on July 3, 2007 and played in four summer league games, averaging 1.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.25 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game. Prior to that, he played two seasons at UNLV and averaged 3.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.31 blocks in 68 games.

Anthony and Cook will practice with the Energy beginning on Thursday, February 28, and will be available to play when the Energy travel to Albuquerque to face the Thunderbirds on Sunday, March 2.

Hakim Warrick getting buckets and boards

Memphis Grizzlies forward Hakim Warrick has taken advantage of increased playing time since the team traded Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles lakers.

Checking out his recent games:

Feb. 12: Against the Kings, Warrick shot 10-of-16 for 24 points and 13 rebounds.

Feb. 13: Against the Sixers, Warrick shot 11-of-17 for 23 points and 8 rebounds.

Feb. 19: Against the Sonics, he shot 10-of-18 for 22 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Feb. 20: Against the Clippers, Warrick shot 8-of-14 for 20 points and 7 rebounds.

Feb. 22: Against the Mavericks, he shot just 5-of-15 but got to the line enough for 15 points and 9 rebounds.

Feb. 24: Against the Cavs, Warrick shot 8-of-15 for 21 points and 9 rebounds.

Feb. 26: Against the Suns, he shot 8-of-12 for 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Now the bad news. Warrick is barely getting any assists, literally just 1 or 2 per game. And the only game the Grizzlies won was that Feb. 13 game against the Sixers. They’ve lost every single other game, not only above, but since a January 26 win over the Clippers. They’ve lost 12 of 13.

Still, for Warrick as an individual player, it’s progress.

Mavericks sign Jamaal Magloire

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed center Jamaal Magloire. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. InsideHoops.com hears it may be a one-year contract for the league minimum. But that isn’t confirmed.

Magloire (6-11, 265) played 24 games for New Jersey this season and averaged 1.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 10.8 minutes. The eight-year pro has career averages of 8.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.0 block while shooting 47.9% from the field in 530 total games with four different franchises (Charlotte/New Orleans, Milwaukee, Portland and New Jersey).

In 2004 with New Orleans, Magloire was selected as a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. He finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal in 21 minutes for the East. During that season, he ranked fifth in the NBA in offensive rebounds, tied for seventh in overall rebounds and tied for 27th in field goal percentage. Additionally, he was one of only four players in the Eastern Conference and 11 players in the entire NBA to average a double-double.

Magloire was the 19th overall selection in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets after playing four years for the University of Kentucky. He was a member of the Wildcats 1998 National Championship team.

Reaction to Yao Ming being out for season

Rockets All-Star center Yao Ming has been lost for the remainder of the 2007-08 NBA season due to a stress fracture in his left foot.

I feel sorry for Rockets fans. They don’t deserve this. Between Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady the team over the last few years has had more injuries than the local hospital.

Here’s what they should probably do now:

– Give Luis Scola a bigger role. If he’s good enough to carry top international teams to victory, he can do more for the Rockets than he’s been asked to so far.

– Tell Rafer Alston to bust out some streetball moves during games. It may make the team lose, but it’ll entertain. He should bounce the ball off Dikembe Mutombo’s head, while moonwalking.

– Put Gerald Green out there and let him try to dunk three-pointers.

– Tell Luther Head to make like Leandro Barbosa and try to score 20 whenever possible.

– Let Mutombo give inspirational speeches to the fans during halftime while dressed like the cookie monster. It’ll amuse the kiddies.

Rockets sign Bobby Jones to 10-day contract, waive Adam Haluska

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Bobby Jones to a 10-day contract. To accommodate the signing, Houston has waived guard Adam Haluska, who was acquired by the Rockets via trade with the New Orleans Hornets on Feb. 21, 2008.

Jones (6-7, 215, Washington) has averaged 3.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 76 career games (seven starts) with Philadelphia, Denver and Memphis. Jones was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round (37th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft before having his draft rights sent to the Sixers. Jones averaged 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 44 games (five starts) during his rookie season in Philadelphia. Traded by the Sixers to the Nuggets on Sept. 10, 2007, Jones averaged 3.3 points and 1.4 boards in 23 outings this season with Denver. Jones, who was waived by the Nuggets on Jan. 7 of this year and signed to the first of two 10-day contracts with Memphis on Jan. 10, averaged 4.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in nine contests (two starts) with the Grizzlies in 2007-08.

Jones will wear jersey #15.

Brandon Roy out Tue and Wed

Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy did not accompany the team to Los Angeles, and will sit out Tuesday’s game at the L.A. Lakers and Wednesday’s game at the L.A. Clippers with a right ankle sprain.

The injury, which originally occurred Feb. 13 at Dallas, was aggravated during Sunday’s game vs. Boston. Roy left the Celtics game in the third quarter and did not return.

He is listed as day-to-day for Friday’s home game vs. the Lakers.

Gerald Wallace: post-concussion symptoms

Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace developed post-concussion symptoms over the weekend that included headaches, drowsiness and soreness of the neck and jaw, according to Bobcats team physicians Dr. Glenn Perry and Dr. Joe Garcia.

Wallace is scheduled to see Charlotte-based neurologist Dr. Jerry Petty later this week, where he will go through a series of neural tests. Following the evaluation and based off the recommendation by Dr. Petty and team doctors, a timetable will be determined for his return. At this point, no timetable has been set.

Wallace suffered a Grade 3 concussion on Feb. 22 against the Sacramento Kings. Further tests at Presbyterian Hospital later that night revealed no fractures and no bleeding. The injury occurred with 9:54 left in the third quarter after an inadvertent elbow by Kings forward Mikki Moore. Wallace was immediately taken to the hospital for evaluation where he received a CAT-Scan and other on-site tests. He was later released and returned home.

Wizards notes

The Washington Wizards will visit the New Orleans Hornets tomorrow night (Monday, February 25th) in Louisiana on Comcast SportsNet and WTEM 980 at 8:00 pm.

This game marks the first of two meetings between Washington and New Orleans this season. The Wizards and Hornets will conclude their season-series on March 2 in Washington.

Last season vs. New Orleans…The Wizards and Hornets split a pair of meetings, with each team winning at home…The Wizards’ loss in Oklahoma City on January 12, 2007 marked Washington’s tenth consecutive road defeat to the Hornets franchise; including games played in Charlotte, New Orleans and Oklahoma City…The Wizards’ 125-103 win at Verizon Center on March 17, 2007 was their third straight home win vs. New Orleans.

Washington last defeated the Hornets on the road on November 1, 2000 in Charlotte when the franchise was still the Charlotte Hornets. That win came in the Wizards’ opening game of the 2000-01 NBA season. None of the current Wizards played for Washington at that time.

This game marks the beginning of Washington’s 15th back-to-back set this season. The Wizards are 6-8 to date in the first game when playing on consecutive nights. Washington will conclude the back-to-back on Tuesday night in Houston. The Wizards are also 6-8 in the second game of a back-to-back set.

Washington’s starting line-up of Antonio Daniels, DeShawn Stevenson, Antawn Jamison, Andray Blatche and Brendan Haywood started their ninth game together as a unit in Washington’s last game, becoming Washington’s second-most frequently used starting line-up this season. The Wizards’ most popular starting unit — Daniels, Stevenson, Caron Butler, Jamison, Haywood — has started 27 games as a unit, and holds a 16-11 record in those games. In all, Washington has used eight different starting line-ups this season, as the opening night line-up that featured Gilbert Arenas, Stevenson, Butler, Jamison and Haywood started just eight games together. Antawn Jamison and DeShawn Stevenson are the only two Wizards to have started every game this season.

Despite Washington’s sub-.500 record this season (26-29, .473), the Wizards have outscored the opposition by three points this season, 5,421 – 5,418. The Wizards are the only sub-.500 team in the NBA that has outscored their opponent this season. Two teams with a +.500 record this season — Cleveland and Portland — have been cumulatively outscored by their opponents in 2007-08.

In Washington’s last game…The Wizards defeated the Charlotte Bobcats, 110-95, at Verizon Center on Saturday, Feb. 23…Antawn Jamison led five Wizards in double figures in scoring with 22 points…The Wizards improved to 7-2 this season when all five starters score at least 10 points…DeShawn Stevenson’s 20-point game marked his fourth game this season with 20+ points…Brendan Haywood finished with 15 points (6-12 FG, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds, a career-high five assists, and three blocked shots…Andray Blatche started his 12th game of the season, and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds…Antonio Daniels tallied 10 points, and improved to 20-17 as a starter this season…Oleksiy Pecherov finished one point shy of being the sixth Wizard in double figures in scoring, but finished with a career-high tying nine points and a career-high six rebounds…Rookie guard Nick Young grabbed a career-high five rebounds…Washington committed a team season-low seven turnovers…Caron Butler missed his eighth straight game with a left hip flexor strain.

Washington-New Orleans connections…Wizards forward Antawn Jamison was born in Shreveport, LA…Washington’s Antonio Daniels and New Orleans’ Bonzi Wells were teammates in Portland in 2002-03…Washington’s Caron Butler and New Orleans’ Rasual Butler were teammates in Miami from 2002-04…Washington’s Darius Songaila and New Orleans’ Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson were teammates in Sacramento from 2003-05…Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan and Hornets Head Coach Byron Scott coached together on the New Jersey Nets teams that went to back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003…Hornets Assistant Coach Darrell Walker played for Washington from 1987-1991; was Washington’s Head Coach for a 38-game stint in 1999-00; and served in the team’s scouting department from 2000-04.

T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon should play together

The Toronto Sun (Steve Buffery) reports: Jose Calderon has been saying it for months, and now T.J. Ford has emphatically jumped on the bandwagon. The two point guards want to stay together for as long as possible — even though they would have a lot more to gain from a personal standpoint if they split up. “Do I think it can continue to work? Yes I do,” said Ford this week, when asked about sharing duties with Calderon. “I think we both continue to make each other better. We set high expectations for one another (and) I think we do a good job supporting one another and I think our relationship is great.” Calderon is a restricted free agent at season’s end and GM Bryan Colangelo has made it known he will match all offers. But the question remains: Will Calderon be content to come off the bench once Ford is healthy? Or, for that matter, will Ford be happy coming off the bench?