Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Lonzo Ball excellent so far in return for Lakers

Here’s the Los Angeles Daily News reporting on Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball, who has played limited minutes in his return from injury but has played excellent basketball when out on the floor:

Ball has been on a strict minutes restriction each of his first two games after missing 15 with a left knee sprain. He was capped at 20 minutes on Friday against Dallas; 25 in Atlanta.

On his own, Ball has been startlingly impressive: 11 points per game, seven rebounds, 5.5 assists, two steals. He has attempted 12 3-pointers and made seven of them.

The Lakers have, for the most part, been fine. They have won three straight games out of the All-Star break and, after trouncing the lowly Hawks, have with 22 games left with as many wins as they did a year ago.

With Ball back and balling, the adjustment now comes for everyone else – as the missed connection with Caldwell-Pope showed.

“I think guys are going to have to get used to playing with him again,” Coach Luke Walton said.

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Kawhi Leonard telling Spurs teammates his season is not over

The Spurs are a Western conference 4th best 36-25 this season, a solid record considering they’ve played almost all of it without star small forward Kawhi Leonard. He has played just nine games this season. Leading the Spurs has been LaMarcus Aldridge (22.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg). After Aldridge, it’s mostly been a team effort, as nine other players on the team average somewhere between seven and 11 points per game. As for the latest on Leonard, here’s the San Antonio Express-News reporting:

The injured Spurs star was back in San Antonio, and back in the team’s practice facility Tuesday, less than a week after coach Gregg Popovich said he would be “surprised” if Leonard played again this season.

The 26-year-old did not participate in the team portion of the Tuesday’s workout session, nor is it immediately clear when he might be able to…

Concerned with the slow progress of his recovery, Leonard spent the past three weeks in New York, rehabbing and consulting with additional doctors. He has also been in contact with teammates, letting them know he didn’t consider himself done for the season…

Before Leonard can return to game action, he will need to progress through a protocol that includes 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 action. There is cautious optimism Leonard might be able to play again in March, with a soft target date somewhere on the three-game road trip that begins March 8 at Golden State.

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LeBron James flattered by billboards pushing him to join Sixers

Every once in a while we hear of billboards put up in the city of a team promoting that a certain player stay with the team, or maybe join the team. But in this case, there are Sixers fans putting up billboards in Cleveland urging a player, LeBron James, to leave Cleveland and sign with Philly. How does LeBron feel about it? Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

LeBron James still hasn’t seen the three billboards that went up in Ohio this week, aimed at recruiting him to come to the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent this summer, but he heard about them and says the gesture was flattering.

Hawks waive Ersan Ilyasova (buyout agreement)

The Atlanta Hawks, after reaching an agreement on a buyout, today requested waivers on forward Ersan Ilyasova.

According to Yahoo Sports, “Ilyasova and the Hawks had been discussing a buyout over the past several days, and Atlanta was eager to allow Ilyasova to join a playoff team and contend down the stretch of the season. Ilyasova considered several opportunities with playoff teams, including Philadelphia, Golden State, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Toronto.”

In 46 games this season (40 starts), Ilyasova has averaged 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.6 minutes (.459 FG%, .359 3FG%, .800 FT%).

In 655 career contests (405 starts), he’s put up 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.5 minutes (.443 FG%, .366 3FG%, .772 FT%).

Ilyasova re-signed with the Hawks on July 21, 2017 after originally being acquired by Atlanta from the Philadelphia 76ers on February 22, 2017.

Pelicans sign Emeka Okafor for remainder of season

Pelicans sign Emeka Okafor for remainder of season

The New Orleans Pelicans today signed forward/center Emeka Okafor for the remainder of the season.

Okafor, 6-10, 252, who was originally signed to the first of two 10-day contracts by New Orleans on Feb. 3, has appeared in six games, including four starts, for the Pelicans, averaging 3.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 16.2 minutes per contest.

New Orleans’ roster stands at 16, including one two-way player (Charles Cooke).

Mavericks sign Scotty Hopson to 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks today signed guard/forward Scotty Hopson to a 10-day contract.

Hopson (6-7, 200) went undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft and began his professional career overseas with Kolossos Rodou in Greece. He also played for Hapoel Eilat in Israel and Anadolu Efes in Turkey before signing his first NBA contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 31, 2014. Hopson saw action in his only two games with the Cavaliers.

Most recently, Hopson spent the 2017-18 season with Galatasaray in the Turkish league. In 13 games, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 21.8 minutes.

The Hopkinsville, Ky., native was a three-year player at Tennessee and, as a junior, was named All-SEC First Team averaging 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assist. He played 103 games (98 starts) as a Volunteer and had career collegiate averages of 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 rebounds and 26.8 minutes per contest. As a senior at University Heights Academy, Hopson was named a McDonald’s All-American and rated the No. 5 recruit in the country by Rivals.com.

Hopson will wear number 32 for the Mavericks.

Nets to honor legacy of Drazen Petrovic

On Monday the Nets will celebrate the legacy of the late Drazen Petrovic. It’s been 25 years since the Hall of Famer’s tragic death, and a quarter of a century later he still hasn’t been forgotten — or replaced.

From the giveaway Petrovic figurines to the video tribute to his mother, Biserka, being welcomed from Croatia, the night will be about Petrovic, whose red, white and blue No. 3 was retired by the Nets after his death in 1993.

“This guy,” ex-teammate Kenny Anderson told The Post, “was special.”

Voted the best European player ever by players at the 2013 FIBA European Basketball Championship, Petrovic led legions of European youngsters to take up the game behind him, and led a rising young Nets team to the playoffs in both of his full seasons in New Jersey — until an offseason automobile accident cut his life short at just 28.

— NY Post

Durant, Warriors beat Thunder 112-80

Here’s the SF Chronicle reporting the results of a matchup we’ll always pay attention to, Kevin Durant and the Warriors against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. The latest:

Warriors forward Kevin Durant wants his fans and critics to believe that there is nothing special about his games against his former team. More than a year and a half after he last called Oklahoma City home, the nine-time All-Star is trying to silence chatter about his past.

Anyone who saw him revel in the Warriors’ 112-80 rout of the Thunder Saturday night at Oracle Arena, however, knows that the Thunder aren’t just another opponent to him. In helping exorcize the memory of Golden State’s two lopsided losses to Oklahoma City this season, Durant feasted on emotion, pouring in a game-high 28 points.

It was in stark contrast to the night of Russell Westbrook, who paired with sidekick Paul George to shoot a combined 5-for-29 from the field. Oklahoma City, for all its star power, ultimately had no answer for another one of the Warriors’ signature third-quarter blitzes.

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Jimmy Butler suffers knee injury

According to the Minnesota Timberwolves, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken this afternoon on Wolves forward Jimmy Butler’s right knee revealed a meniscal injury. The evaluation and MRI was conducted by Team Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Diane Dahm at Mayo Clinic. Further updates as to Butler’s progress will be issued when more information becomes available.

The injury occurred during last night’s 120-102 loss to the Houston Rockets.

In 56 games this season, Butler averaged 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “the team has not yet announced what this prognosis means, in terms of whether Butler will require surgery or if his season is over. Still, it is a more optimistic prognosis than a torn anterior cruciate ligament would have been. What remains clear is that Butler, at the very least, will be out for an extended period. And that means the Wolves will have to survive – indeed thrive – without him in order to stay a factor in the NBA’s Western Conference playoff race.”

Jazz sign Naz Mitrou-Long to second 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed Naz Mitrou-Long to a second 10-day contract.

Mitrou-Long (6-4, 218, Iowa State) has appeared in 34 games (29 starts) for the Jazz’s exclusively owned and operated G League team, the Salt Lake City Stars, this season averaging 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.7 minutes per contest. He originally signed his first 10-day on Feb. 11 and before that, a two-way contract with the Jazz on Dec. 23, appearing in one game with Utah, tallying three points against Denver on Dec. 26, before being waived on Jan. 13. Additionally, Mitrou-Long spent training camp with the team this year, playing in two preseason games, averaging 4.0 points and 1.0 assists in 7.0 minutes per contest.

A four-year collegian at Iowa State, he averaged 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists during his senior season with the Cyclones, earning 2017 All-Big 12 Second Team honors. The guard also shot 47 percent from the field and led the conference with 2.8 three-point field goals per game, also connecting on a team-high 98 three-point attempts, which was the third highest in a single-season in school history.

Over his four years at Iowa State, Mitrou-Long appeared in 131 games (83 starts) averaging 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists, helping to lead the Cyclones to three Big 12 Championships. He would finish his collegiate career with 260 three-point field goals, the second most in school history, in addition to becoming just one of 11 players ever for Iowa State to tally 1,200 points, 300 rebounds and 200 assists over his career.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Mitrou-Long played high school basketball at Findlay College Prep in Henderson, Nev.