NBA Teams – Page 899 – NBA Blog

Hornets a better team when Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is active

Here’s the Charlotte Observer reporting on the Hornets, who are set to welcome Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back into action any day now:

Over this season and last season the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets are 10 games above .500 when small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist plays.

They are 14 games below .500 when Kidd-Gilchrist sits out.

Coincidence? Hardly. Hornets coach Steve Clifford has an expression for what Kidd-Gilchrist does for his team’s bottom line. Clifford says Kidd-Gilchrist “does winning things.”

Those things don’t always pop off box scores. Kidd-Gilchrist is top 50 in the NBA in only one statistical category this season (40th in rebounding average at 7.2 per game).

But how he impacts games, particularly defensively on a defense-centric roster, is significant and growing.

San Antonio Spurs sign Reggie Williams

San Antonio Spurs sign Reggie Williams

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed forward Reggie Williams.

Williams has appeared in three games for the Spurs since being signed to the first of two 10-day contracts on Jan. 28.

Williams, 6-6/210, appeared in 13 games this season for the Blue of the NBA D-League, averaging 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.08 steals in 31.9 minutes. He has also spent time in the D-League with the Blue in 2013-14 and the Sioux Falls Skyforce in 2009-10. In 69 career D-League games, he has averaged 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists in 37.7 minutes.

In the NBA, the Virginia native has suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder (2013-14), Charlotte Hornets (2011-13) and the Golden State Warriors (2009-11). In 183 total games, he has averaged 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.5 minutes.

Williams has also played internationally for San Miguel Beerman of the Philippines (2014), Caja Laboral of Spain (2011) and JDA Dijon of France (2008-09). He played collegiately at the Virginia Military Institute (2004-08).

Winning time for Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are 36-17 and in the mix to compete for an NBA championship this season. The time to win is now. Here’s the Oregonian reporting:

After all those roster rebuilds, after all that front office turmoil, after all the hyperbole about being a contender, the Trail Blazers on Thursday reinforced that there is a new era in Rip City.

“It’s winning time,” Wesley Matthews said.

The Blazers were a part of the busiest and most frenetic trade deadline in NBA history on Thursday, when they traded Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, Victor Claver and a lottery-protected 2016 first-round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee.

The addition of Afflalo, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard known for his tenacious defense and lethal long-range shooting, not only strengthened the Blazers’ bench for the stretch run, but also offered a no-doubt-about-it signal that the franchise believes it is primed for a deep playoff push. The Blazers’ window for contending has cracked open and President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey’s move to add Afflalo and Gee made it clear the franchise is ready to climb inside.

Rockets add Pablo Prigioni and KJ McDaniels

Rockets add Pablo Prigioni and KJ McDaniels

The 36-17 Houston Rockets don’t need a ton of help, and as the NBA trade deadline passed they came away with a few new additions that should help their bench a bit. Here’s the Houston Chronicle blog reporting:

Hoping to swing for the fences, the Rockets settled for a few trade deadline cuts they hope will become solid singles.

The Rockets did not come close to reaching the Suns’ asking price for guard Goran Dragic, backing away when it was clear they could not keep the free agent to be after the season. Instead, while several Western Conference playoff teams loaded up, the Rockets made smaller moves to pick up Knicks veteran point guard Pablo Prigioni and 76ers rookie small forward/shooting guard KJ McDaniels.

Neither is certain to move immediately into the Rockets’ rotation, though Prigioni offers a different style of point guard behind Pat Beverley than Jason Terry while still a catch-and-shoot threat. With Corey Brewer getting most of the small forward and shooting guard minutes off the bench, McDaniels is likely to serve an apprenticeship, with potential to fill the role if Brewer leaves as a free agent and the Rockets sign McDaniels.

For now, the Rockets settled for players they like, even if they do not have a clear role to play. To get Prigioni, the Rockets sent guard Alexey Shved and the Rockets’ second-round picks in 2017 and 2019 to New York.

Teams continue to employ Hack-a-DeAndre strategy

Teams continue to employ Hack-a-DeAndre strategy

DeAndre Jordan is awful at shooting free throws. He’s hitting 40.8% FT this season, and is 42.2% FT for his NBA career. Opposing teams sometimes try to use this to their advantage. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

Hack-a-Jordan. Deck-a-DeAndre. Jab-a-D.J.

Call it what you want, but the intentional fouling of DeAndre Jordan reached a new low on Monday as the Los Angeles Clippers center was sent to the free throw line a career-high 28 times, 14 in the fourth quarter alone. That was partly due to the fact that he made only 10 of those attempts.

“I dropped out of college,” Jordan said, “but percentage-wise I don’t think that’s good.”

Despite his struggles at the free throw line, Jordan scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, just two boards shy of his third straight 20-20 game as the Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs 119-115, winning their third straight game against a Western Conference playoff team without Blake Griffin.

The story after the game, however, was Jordan’s constant trips to the free throw line and a strategy that dragged the game on for almost three hours. It is nothing new for Jordan, who has now been sent to the free throw line 54 times over the past two games.

Russell Westbrook says Thunder do not need to consult him on roster moves

Russell Westbrook says Thunder do not need to consult him on roster moves

Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on Thunder star point guard Russell Westbrook, who is content to stick to his role as a star player and not someone that helps make roster decisions:

Years from now, Thursday’s blockbuster trade will likely stand as one of the most important decisions this franchise made over its first decade in Oklahoma City.

And hours before general manager Sam Presti pulled the trigger, Russell Westbrook – one of the franchise’s two cornerstone – said he and Kevin Durant had no desire to be consulted on the decision.

“Not my job,” Westbrook said. “My job is to come out and play. We have a great general manager, great owner and great coach who have done a great job thus far putting this team together. So I’m pretty sure they know what’s best for us.”

When asked if Presti ever comes to them to gather their opinion, Westbrook reiterated his previous answer in the most Westbrook way possible.

“I don’t want to repeat the same answer, so whatever I just said last time use it as that answer,” he said.

Kings sign David Stockton to 10-day contract

Kings sign David Stockton to 10-day contract

The Sacramento Kings announced today that the team has signed David Stockton to a 10-day contract, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

Stockton, a 5-11, 165-pound guard, is averaging 16.6 points (.460 FG%, .364 3pt%, .806 FT%), 3.6 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 27.5 minutes per game in 31 contests for the Reno Bighorns, Sacramento’s NBA D-League affiliate. Among D-League leaders, he ranks fourth in assists and second in steals per game. Undrafted, Stockton was selected by the Maine Red Claws in the third round of the 2014 NBA Development League Draft on November 1, 2014. He was later traded to the Reno Bighorns on draft night.

Like his father, Hall of Fame guard John Stockton, he played collegiately at Gonzaga (2010-11 – 2013-14).

Stockton will wear jersey number 9 and will be available for the Kings’ contest tonight at Sleep Train Arena versus the Boston Celtics.

The roster now stands at 15 players.

No big moves for Knicks on trade deadline day

No big moves for Knicks on trade deadline day

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the Knicks, who are without Carmelo Anthony’s services for the rest of the season due to knee surgery, and face an even rougher final few months of the season with a mostly gutted roster:

Knicks president Phil Jackson’s first trade deadline passed quietly, with the club getting beaten out again by Miami president Pat Riley for the top prize — Suns point guard Goran Dragic.

Adding insult to injury, the free-agent-to-be Dragic will be at the Garden Friday night — possibly in a Miami uniform — when the Knicks resume their catastrophic 10-43 season following the All-Star break against the Heat.

As expected, Jackson dealt on-the-block point guard Pablo Prigioni to save a smidgen of cap space while netting two second-rounders (2017, 2019) from Houston and 6-foot-6 shooting guard Alexey Shved, a fringe player with an expiring contract. The deal will save the Knicks $300,000 in cap space in 2015. That’s the guaranteed amount of Prigioni’s $1.7 million pact next season.

Bucks make big trade deadline moves

Bucks make big trade deadline moves

Here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting on a big Bucks change made yesterday, NBA trade deadline day:

Last week general manager John Hammond said it was all about the future with the Milwaukee Bucks.

On Thursday, moments before the 2 p.m. trade deadline, the Bucks showed they really meant it.

Instead of standing pat with a group that has compiled a surprising 30-23 record at the all-star break, the Bucks sent leading scorer and guard Brandon Knight to Phoenix as part of a three-team deal involving the Suns and Philadelphia 76ers.

The Bucks acquired 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, a guard, from the 76ers and rookie point guard Tyler Ennis and center Miles Plumlee from the Suns in a deal designed to enhance roster and salary flexibility.

All three players are on rookie-scale contracts while Knight will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Milwaukee also sent point guard Kendall Marshall — out with a torn knee ligament — to the Suns to create a roster spot. The Bucks released veteran forward Kenyon Martin to open up another spot, making room for the three new acquisitions.

Sixers continue to focus on future, not present

Sixers continue to focus on future, not present

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the 76ers, who in their quest to build for the future have now tossed point guard Michael Carter-Williams away:

The Sixers made three trades, the first of which was easy enough to understand. They basically paid the Denver Nuggets $16 million for center JaVale McGee and a first-round draft pick. It was exactly the kind of trade everyone would expect the Sixers to make Thursday. They needed to get above the salary floor anyway, and McGee’s $11.25 million salary this season will help them do that.

Now, the Carter-Williams deal. For last season’s rookie of the year, Hinkie acquired the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2015 first-round pick – a valuable pick that’s protected if the Lakers land in one of the top five spots in this year’s draft and one of the top three spots in the 2016 draft. It’s likely that the Lakers will retain the pick this year, but think about 2016: The Lakers will probably improve, but are they going to improve so much, by 30 victories or more, that they catapult themselves out of the lottery and into the playoffs? Unlikely in the grueling Western Conference.

Next year, then, the odds are excellent that the Sixers will have a pick between No. 4 and No. 14 – in addition to their own first-round pick. Carter-Williams is 24, was the 11th-overall pick, and already had seen his value drop from last season, based on his poor shooting, his turnover-prone play, and the questions (dating to last season) of whether he was tough enough to be an exceptional NBA point guard.