NBA Teams – Page 909 – NBA Blog

Al-Farouq Aminu playing well for Mavs

Al-Farouq Aminu playing well for Mavs

The 33-17 Dallas Mavericks are enjoying some solid production from Al-Farouq Aminu these days. Here’s ESPN Dallas reporting:

Al-Farouq Aminu is doing everything he can to earn an exemption from the fickle nature of Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle’s bench rotation.

As Aminu stuffs the box score and provides highlight reel material, it’s almost hard to believe he picked up six DNP-CDs and had a couple other one-minute outings in a recent span of a month and a half. At this point, Aminu is arguably the Mavs’ most indispensable reserve.

His seven-point, five-rebound, two-steal, two-block, two-assist performance in Monday’s 100-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves epitomized the Aminu experience of late. He packed all kinds of energy and a few of the night’s most spectacular moments — a fast-break finish of an alley-oop from Raymond Felton, a chasedown swat of Andrew Wiggins and a two-handed slam over Gorgui Dieng — into his 21 minutes.

Clippers dropped by Nets in Brooklyn

Clippers dropped by Nets in Brooklyn

Do the Los Angeles Clippers play like a championship contender? For stretches, yes. Other times, certainly not. In general, serious title favorites show consistency, and that’s something the Clips have struggled with this season. They dropped a shocker to the Nets in Brooklyn Monday. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

When the regular season wraps up, the Los Angeles Clippers can look back at games like Monday’s meltdown in Brooklyn and won’t have to wonder for long why they don’t have home court advantage or can’t advance past the first round.

It may just be one game, but the Clippers’ inability to close out a Nets team that was 17-28 and out the East playoff picture is a larger problem than a one-game aberration. It is the perfect example of the Clippers’ consistent lack of consistency.

This same Clippers team that gets pushed around by the New Orleans Pelicans one night can blowout the Spurs by 20 points in San Antonio the next night. Then for an encore two nights later squander an eight-point lead in the final minute and lose to the Nets.

If it’s hard to figure out what kind of team the Clippers are from one night to the next, you’re not alone. They’re not entirely sure, either.

“I think that’s plagued us the whole season,” Clippers forward Matt Barnes said when asked about the inconsistent play. “I think that’s something we have to continue work on and continue to focus on and execute.”

Warriors sign James Michael McAdoo to second 10-day contract

Warriors sign James Michael McAdoo to second 10-day contract

The Golden State Warriors signed free agent forward James Michael McAdoo to a second 10-day contract as a Call-Up from the Warriors’ NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced Monday.

McAdoo, 22, appeared in three games with Golden State during his first 10-day contract from January 19 – January 27, averaging 4.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.5 minutes. The 6-9 forward tallied 11 points, five rebounds and one block in 13 minutes in his NBA debut in Golden State’s 122-79 victory over the Denver Nuggets on January 19. The North Carolina product has appeared in 24 games (22 starts) with the Santa Cruz Warriors this season, averaging 19.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.04 steals (tied for sixth-best in the D-League) and 2.38 blocks (sixth-best) in 33.0 minutes while hitting 58.8 percent from the field.

McAdoo, who was not selected in the 2014 NBA Draft, originally signed with the Warriors on September 2, 2014. He appeared in five preseason games before being waived on October 24, 2014.

McAdoo will wear uniform #20.

Grizzlies sign JaMychal Green to 10-day contract

Memphis Grizzlies sign JaMychal Green to 10-day contract

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free agent forward JaMychal Green to a 10-day contract as a Call-Up from the NBA Development League’s Austin Spurs, Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace announced today.

Green (6-9, 220) has averaged 23.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.55 blocks in 31.8 minutes in 20 games (all starts) with Austin this season, shooting .577 from the field, .364 from three-point range and .843 from the free throw line. The NBA D-League Player of the Month for games in December, Green ranks sixth in the D-League in scoring and rebounding per game among players with at least 10 games played and is tied for seventh in double-doubles (15).

Green owns career D-League averages of 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.07 blocks in 26.8 minutes in 60 games (45 starts) in two seasons (2012-13, 2014-15) with Austin, shooting .532 from the field and .812 from the free throw line.

A 24-year-old NBA rookie, Green was signed by the San Antonio Spurs to a 10-day contract as a Call-Up on Jan. 18 and totaled eight points, six rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes over four appearances for the Spurs, making four of his seven shot attempts.

Undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Montgomery, Ala. native averaged 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.72 blocks in 123 games over four seasons at the University of Alabama. He played 25 games for Chorale Roanne of the LNB Pro A League in France during the 2013-14 season.

Pistons sign John Lucas III to 10-day contract

With point guard Brandon Jennings out for the season, the Detroit Pistons can use some help in the backcourt. Today, they decided on a player to audition, at least for 10 days, for the role.

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

The 5’11”, 166-pound guard joins the Pistons after spending the season in China 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.

Rajon Rondo suffers injuries to face: orbital fracture and nasal fracture

Dallas Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo should have gone to Disney World Saturday instead of playing against the Orlando Magic. It would have been a lot more fun.

Rondo suffered an orbital fracture to his left eye as well as a nasal fracture during the game at Orlando on Saturday, January 31. His status will be updated later this week as more information is available.

The Mavs did win their game in Orlando, 108-93. So it wasn’t all bad.

Rondo will not travel with the team this week to Golden State and Sacramento while undergoing additional testing and evaluation.

Nets, Nuggets discuss a Brook Lopez deal

The Brooklyn Nets are 18-28, have won just 2 of their last 10 games, and are on a 4-game losing streak. Center Brook Lopez, playing just 26.9 minutes per game, is averaging 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Those stats look good when taking the court time into account. But his actual impact has been limited. And when you factor in Brook’s massive contract, things get bleak. Changes are being discussed. Here’s ESPN.com reporting the latest:

The Brooklyn Nets continue to explore the possibility of trading center Brook Lopez but to date have resisted a serious push from the Denver Nuggets, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Nuggets have offered big men JaVale McGee and J.J. Hickson, as well as one of the two draft picks Denver recently acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for center Timofey Mozgov, in exchange for the Lopez.

But Brooklyn, sources say, has rebuffed those advances so far.

Ricky Rubio set to return for Timberwolves

Ricky Rubio set to return for Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves, owner of an NBA-worst 8-39 win-loss record, are set to welcome exciting, flashy point guard Ricky Rubio back into the mix. They won’t suddenly become a winning team — that’s not in the cards this season — but Rubio at the very least makes them a more fun squad. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting:

Only four days a Timberwolf, newly signed Lorenzo Brown played all but five seconds during Saturday’s crackling 106-90 loss to Cleveland because the Wolves had not another single healthy point guard available, not even emergency backup Robbie Hummel.

By the time they play at Dallas on Monday, the Wolves could have three, possibly four ready to play at least some minutes at that position.

That includes, of course, Ricky Rubio.

He’s aiming to make his return after missing 42 games and nearly three months because of a severely sprained ankle that damaged muscle and bruised bone.

Wolves coach Flip Saunders said after Saturday’s game he’s hopeful both Rubio and veteran Mo Williams, out the past three games because of a hip he injured in Atlanta more than a week ago, can play some minutes to spell Brown, who has played 95 minutes in three games since the team signed him on Wednesday out of the D League.

Cleanthony Early wraps up brief D-League trip

Cleanthony Early wraps up brief D-League trip

New York Knicks rookie forward Cleanthony Early’s trip to the D-League was brief and successful.

Knicks President Phil Jackson announced this morning that the team recalled forward Early from the Westchester Knicks.

Early, 6-8, 220-pounds, made his D-League debut on Friday and Saturday nights, against the Sioux Falls Skyforce at the historic Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY, to average 18.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in 45.2 minutes. He was in uniform for today’s afternoon game versus the Los Angeles Lakers, though Knicks head coach Derek Fisher did not play him.

Dwight Howard knee issue may keep him out for extended period

The 33-15 Houston Rockets face a troubling injury situation, according to this ESPN.com report:

The Houston Rockets are bracing for the loss of Dwight Howard for at least a month due to persistent trouble with his right knee, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets, while confident that Howard ‎has enough time to bounce back for the regular-season stretch run and playoffs, fear their defensive anchor will be lost for a period of “weeks” as opposed to days.

Howard is still in the process of getting additional consultation from various doctors to determine the best treatment course for the knee.