NBA Teams – Page 905 – NBA Blog

Jeff Teague reps the Hawks, but also the city of Indianapolis

Jeff Teague reps the Hawks, but also the city of Indianapolis

Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague is putting up 17.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game for the 43-11 squad. He’s been named to the 2015 East NBA All-Star team as a reserve. So of course he reps the Hawks. But he’s also an important basketball figure for his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting:

It’s All-Star Weekend, and while the Pacers don’t have any representatives at this year’s game, there’s one participant that should be of particular interest for Indianapolis basketball fans.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, a Pike grad, was selected to his first All-Star Game after leading the Hawks to the East’s best record, highlighted by a 19-game win streak.

So why should you care about Teague’s selection?

Well, because he’s the first Indianapolis-bred All-Star since George McGinnis in 1979.

Yup, that’s right, it’s been 36 long years since a player from the largest city in a state synonymous with basketball has been an All-Star.

That’s not to say there haven’t been good basketball players to come from Indy during that time. Both Mike Conley (Lawrence North) and Gordon Hayward (Brownsburg) are playing at an All-Star level this season but found cracking the Western Conference roster a task too tall.

Chris Bosh needs to step up on the glass

Here’s the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporting on the Heat, who have enjoyed the production of center Hassan Whiteside but could use more help on the glass from All-Star Chris Bosh:

Then there is Bosh’s rebounding. He has had three or fewer in three of the past five games.

Part of that has been the vacuum-like rebounding of emerging center Hassan Whiteside. Part of it has been a lack of needed aggression.

“I’ll start doing more on the boards,” he said. “If I have to, I’ll start fighting Hassan for ’em, too, because that’s about two or three a game that I miss now on.

“It’s been a struggle. It’s been a struggle. I’m just making sure I’m keeping my head and move forward no matter what happens.”

Pistons sign John Lucas III to second 10-day contract

Pistons sign John Lucas III to second 10-day contract

Detroit Pistons General Manager Jeff Bower announced today that the club has signed guard John Lucas III to a second 10-day contract.

The 5-foot-11, 166-pound guard has averaged 4.8 points, 4.0 assists and 12.8 minutes in six games with Detroit. He scored a season-high 10 points at Indiana (2/4) and has dished out a season-high six assists twice.

Originally signed on February 2, Lucas joined the Pistons following a stint with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association where he averaged 26.6 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 43.5 minutes in 26 games.

The Washington, DC native has spent parts of six seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz. He holds career averages of 4.8 points, 1.4 assists, 1.0 rebounds and 12.2 minutes in 216 games (eight starts) and is a career 34.7-percent shooter from three-point range.

Lucas has also spent time in the NBA’s Developmental League and played internationally in Italy, Spain and China. He played collegiately at Oklahoma State University.

Dirk Nowitzki replaces Anthony Davis (injured) on 2015 West NBA All-Star team

Dirk Nowitzki replaces Anthony Davis (injured) on 2015 West NBA All-Star team

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Western Conference All-Star Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Nowitzki, who has posted averages of 18.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in his 17th NBA season, will be making his 13th All-Star appearance. The highest-scoring player born outside the United States in NBA history, Nowitzki surpassed Moses Malone for seventh place on the league’s all-time scoring list last month.

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, who earned the right to coach the West squad because the Warriors clinched the best record in the conference through games played Feb. 1, will determine Davis’ replacement in the starting lineup.

Davis was also in the field for the Degree® Shooting Stars during State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night at Barclays Center. His replacement will be named at a later time.

Anthony Davis injured, will not play in 2015 NBA All-Star game

Anthony Davis injured, will not play in 2015 NBA All-Star game

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, who is recovering from a right shoulder sprain, released the following statement:

“After careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided I will not be participating in this year’s NBA All-Star competitions. I want to thank the fans for voting me into the All-Star game and I am sorry I will not be able to play.

While I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to compete this weekend, I’m still very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the All-Star events in New York and celebrate our game with some of the NBA’s greatest figures.

More than anything, I am anxious to get healthy and back on the court with my teammates after the All-Star break.”

Pacers coach Vogel racking up techs

Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting on the Pacers, whose head coach is making sure his voice gets heard, at least when the refs are around:

The Indiana Pacers are in a fight for one of the last playoff spots, and coach Frank Vogel is in a race that he’d rather not win.

Vogel recently moved ahead of his peers to become the No. 1 leader in technical fouls. On Monday, Vogel got ticked off then was T’d up – his ninth technical foul happening in a tightly contested fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs. All technical fouls award the opposing team a free throw, which San Antonio’s Danny Green made. The Pacers eventually lost 95-93.

By Wednesday afternoon, before his team faced the New Orleans Pelicans, Vogel hesitantly addressed his rising total of techs. The nine Ts have also come with a hefty price tag of $22,000 in fines this season.

Charles Oakley no fan of James Dolan

Charles Oakley no fan of James Dolan

Beloved former New York Knick Charles Oakley, who took no prisoners on the court and is off the court is always ready to get fired up and speak his mind, doesn’t seem to be a big fan of Knicks owner James Dolan. Here’s the New York Daily News reporting:

For all the blood, sweat and tears Charles Oakley sacrificed while wearing a Knicks uniform, the former enforcer has no lost love for owner James Dolan.

“I’m tired of talking about Dolan,” Oakley said at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square Wednesday, when asked about the Garden chairman’s latest gaffe, where Dolan got into an email war with a longtime fan. “He’s that type of dude.”

But when asked about his relationship with Dolan, Oakley ripped into the Knicks owner, and is incredulous as to why Dolan has given one of the franchise’s most popular players the Seventh Avenue Freeze-Out.

“Everybody in New York liked me except this one guy. Why is this?” said Oakley. “Everywhere I talk to people – ‘Why aren’t you working with the Knicks?’ I said I try to. They said, ‘What, is it Dolan?’ I talked to maybe a million people. He’s a bad guy.”

Bucks to retire Bob Dandridge jersey

It’s always interesting to see which players get their jerseys retired by the main team they played for. If someone absolutely dominates, like Michael Jordan on the Bulls, it’s a no-brainer. But what about “regular” stars who played very well, and were a part of something special, but didn’t necessarily change the game? Those are the interesting debates. Anyway, here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting on the Bucks:

Bob Dandridge, a star forward on the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA championship team in 1971, will have his jersey No. 10 retired at a ceremony March 7 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, a source confirmed Wednesday.

Dandridge was a key member of the franchise’s early teams under coach Larry Costello and was selected in the fourth round of the 1969 draft, the same draft that brought the Bucks center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) with the No. 1 overall pick.

Known as “the Greyhound,” Dandridge averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in nine seasons with Milwaukee. He played his first eight seasons with the Bucks and went on to more success in four seasons with the Washington Bullets before returning to Milwaukee for his final season in 1981-’82.

Wizards guard Bradley Beal remains out

Wizards guard Bradley Beal remains out

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will miss tonight’s game at Toronto. Beal missed the last two games with a sore right big toe and subsequent examinations revealed a mild stress reaction in his lower right fibula. He will be re-evaluated following the All-Star break.

Beal has averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting .436 from three-point range in 42 games for the Wizards this season.

Mavs sign Bernard James to 10-day contract

Mavs sign Bernard James to 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed center Bernard James to a 10-day contract.

James (6-10, 235) was originally drafted by the Mavericks with the 33rd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He averaged 2.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 7.9 minutes in 76 career games (11 starts) with Dallas.

The Savannah, Ga., native spent training camp with the Mavericks this preseason when he averaged 2.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 5 games. He most recently played in China for the Shanghai Sharks.

James will wear number 55.