NBA Teams – Page 2467 – NBA Blog

Pistons assign Cheikh Samb to D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that they will assign rookie center Cheikh Samb to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, on Monday, December 10. The Mad Ants are scheduled to play Dakota on Thursday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Samb was acquired by the Pistons on draft day from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Maurice Evans on June 28, 2006. Drafted by the Lakers with the 51st pick in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Samb spent the 2006-07 season playing overseas with WTC Cornella in the Spanish LEB2 League.

The 7-foot-1, 215-pound center made his NBA debut with the Pistons at the L.A. Lakers on November 16, scoring two points with four rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes. In two games this season, Samb is averaging 1.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 10.5 minutes per game.

No timetable has been set for his return.

Ben Udrih puts name on map

SI.com’s Ian Thompson reports: Beno Udrih (Sacramento Kings) has gone from a 5.2-point scorer over three in-and-out years with San Antonio to a 14.3-point starter in his brief time with the Kings. The 25-year-old point guard has added 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in his 35.2 minutes as the Kings have gone 6-5 since his Nov. 10 debut (though the return of Ron Artest from a season-opening suspension of seven games has a lot to do with it, too). While sidelined with a broken finger in the preseason, Udrih was traded by San Antonio and waived by Minnesota before arriving in Sacramento for the minimum $826,046 as a replacement for Mike Bibby, who underwent preseason thumb surgery. The 6-3 Udrih showed he had recovered from the loss of Gregg Popovich’s confidence in him by haunting San Antonio with a career-high 27 points in a 112-99 Kings’ win last week. If Udrih keeps this up, he’ll make it easier for the Kings to eventually trade Bibby and further hasten their rebuilding.

Rudy Gay stepping up

SI.com’s Ian Thompson reports: Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies — He ranks second among NBA sophomores in scoring with 18.1 points, a mark that leads the Grizzlies and represents a big hike over the 10.8 points he averaged as a rookie. Memphis has amped up the tempo to 103.8 points (sixth highest in the league) and the 6-9 Gay is their arrowhead, a versatile athlete who is improving his decision-making with the ball. “He’s picking up the whole idea of seeing what are they giving me,” coach Marc Iavaroni said. “If the defense says you should be going to the basket, then you should be going to the basket. If they give you a shot, then it’s your duty to take that shot.”

Devean George happy to finally play

MavsCourtsideView reports: Devean George felt good about his first appearance of the season Thursday night. The veteran swingman returned to the lineup against Denver and played in short spurts totaling seven minutes. “I was trying to be active, but at the same time knowing my timing was off and not really trying to do too much,” he said today. “Not try to force the issue and slowly get my way back in.”

Jarrett Jack feels left out

Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan and guard Jarrett Jack recently had a discussion, as reported by the Oregonian:

The gist of the conversation was Jack’s involvement in the team’s offense lately. While the second unit has flourished recently behind the dynamic play of Travis Outlaw (18.4 points, 7.2 rebounds the past five games), the hot shooting of James Jones (11-of-14 over the past two games) and effective play from Sergio Rodriguez (18 assists, five turnovers the past six games), Jack has drifted into anonymity.

Jack said he feels his best attribute is driving to the basket, but he has had fewer and fewer opportunities to take advantage that strength as the ball has increasingly been put in either Brandon Roy or Sergio’s hands. In the past seven games, Jack is 17-for-47 (36.2 percent) from the field, during which his scoring average has gone from a season-high 12.2 points a game to 10.5.

This season through 19 games, Jack is playing 26.2 minutes per game, down from 33.6 last season. He’s averaging 10.5 points and 3.3 assists per game, down from last season’s 12.0 points and 5.3 assists. However, his rebounding, field goal and three-point field goal pecentages are virtually identical.

David Noel out 4-6 weeks

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports: The Milwaukee Bucks announced before Friday’s game that forward David Noel would be out for from four to six weeks with a sprained right wrist. Noel underwent an examination under anesthesia by Dr. Donald Bynum at the University of North Carolina Orthopedics in Chapel Hill, N.C. The diagnostic arthroscopy confirmed a right wrist sprain.

Bulls waive Thomas Gardner, sign Demetric Nichols

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guard Thomas Gardner. In a subsequent move, the team also announced that it has picked up forward Demetris Nichols on waivers.

Gardner (6-5, 225), an undrafted rookie out of the University of Missouri, appeared in four games with the Bulls this season and averaged 5.3 ppg (9-23 FG) and 1.0 rpg in 11.3 mpg. He shot .391 from the field and .250 from behind the arc. Gardner signed with Chicago prior to training camp on Oct. 1.

Nichols (6-8, 215) comes to Chicago after spending time with New York and Cleveland earlier this season. In three games this year, he has scored two points and grabbed one rebound in 14 minutes. Originally selected by Portland in the second round (53rd selection) of NBA Draft 2007, Nichols enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Syracuse where he averaged 10.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 1.1 apg.

Nichols will join the team tomorrow when the Bulls host the Boston Celtics. With his signing, Chicago’s roster now stands at 15.

Brewer bricks but breaks out

Wolves rookie Corey Brewer, although he shot just 3-of-15, turned in his best all-around performance of the season last night in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Playing a career-high 44 minutes, the former Florida Gator did not turn the ball over once and grabbed 18 rebounds, handed out five assists and swiped four steals, all career-bests for the seventh overall pick in last summer’s draft. Brewer’s 18 rebounds were the most by a Timberwolves rookie in over a decade and the third-most all-time.

Joe Johnson beats Wolves at buzzer

The Timberwolves lost a heartbreaker last night in Atlanta, falling 90-89 on a Joe Johnson fadeaway at the final buzzer. After falling behind by as many as 19 points in the first half, the Timberwolves rallied after the intermission.

Down 13 to start the third, the Wolves opened the quarter on a 15-4 run and took a 63-61 lead, their first of the game, on Marko Jaric lay-up with 1:45 remaining in the period.

The final quarter featured four ties and five lead changes, including four lead changes in the final 30 seconds. After another Jaric lay-in gave the Wolves a one-point advantage with :20.9 to play, Atlanta reclaimed the lead on a Josh Smith bank shot with :07.9 remaining. Another Jaric basket put the Wolves back on top with :02.8 to play before Johnson hit the game-winner.

Jaric nearly posted a triple-double on the night, tallying 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Craig Smith came off the bench to lead the Wolves with 20 points while Corey Brewer pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in over 44 minutes of action.

The Hawks were led by Smith, who finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks. With the win, Atlanta took the season series 2-0.

Jamison speaks about the Suns

Here’s Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison:

Antawn Jamison on the challenge Phoenix presents: “You know what they do offensively. This is a team that has led the league in scoring for the last couple of years, has had the MVP (Steve Nash) for the last two out of three years, and has a great supporting cast. You can’t afford to take a night off when you’re playing this team. This team really plays great basketball at home, and they also try and have one of the best road records in the league as well.”

Antawn Jamison on the Phoenix Suns style of play: “They really like to set the tone from start to finish, so we can’t afford to have the start that we had last year. I think it really all boils down to trying to contain and maintain the pick-and-roll. You’re not going to be able to stop it for 48 minutes at all – you just have to do a good job as far as containing it.”

Antawn Jamison on their awareness in terms of field goal percentage: “With Gilbert (Arenas) gone, offensively you have to take quality shots and better shots – no first side shots, no quick shots – and defensively, you really have to key in. We can’t afford to neglect on the defensive end because we’re missing so much offensively with Gil gone. We need for (Antonio Daniels) to continue to stay in front of his man and help us out in that way. We need guys like Brendan (Haywood) to continue to control the paint, block and alter shots. If we continue to do those things and improve on both ends of the floor, especially defensively, it would really put us in a great situation to really be able to win a lot of games and get some distance from the other teams who are around us.”