Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Celtics rookie James Young making progress

Here’s ESPN Boston reporting on a young Celtic:

Celtics rookie James Young making progress

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens continues to suggest that rookie James Young has made the sort of progress that could help him fight his way into the team’s already overcrowded rotation sooner than later.

Young was back with the team Thursday after scoring 25 points during his latest one-game stint with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. The No. 17 pick in June’s draft has been slowed at times this season by injuries — whether it was the pre-draft car accident that kept him out of summer league, a hamstring injury that kept him out of most of the preseason, or a shoulder injury that recently shelved him for two weeks. But Stevens said Young is making progress behind the scenes and positioning himself for potential playing time. Now he just needs an opportunity.

“I think that he’s really getting better,” said Stevens.

LeBron James injured, out two weeks

LeBron James injured, out two weeks

LeBron James injured, out two weeks

LeBron James was evaluated yesterday at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health by Richard D. Parker, MD, Cavaliers Head Team Physician. Tests included physical exam, radiographs and a MRI, the results of which
revealed left knee and low back strains. These conditions will be treated via a multimodal approach consisting of anti-inflammatories, rehabilitation, training room treatments, and rest.

LeBron is currently projected to be Out for the next 2 weeks.

Nets assign Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson to D-League

Nets assign Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson to D-League

The Brooklyn Nets have assigned Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the flexible assignment rule, General Manager Billy King announced today. The flexible assignment rule was used because the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Nets’ D-League affiliate, had four players on assignment at the time the Nets initiated Brown and Jefferson’s assignments to the D-League.

Brown, a 6’3” rookie guard, has appeared in seven games with the Nets this season, averaging 1.9 points in 5.4 minutes per game. He was selected with the 44th pick of this year’s NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to the Nets in exchange for cash considerations.

Jefferson, a 6’9” rookie forward, has appeared in 15 games (one start) with the Nets this season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game. He was selected with the 60th pick of this year’s NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Nets in exchange for cash considerations.

These will be the first D-League assignments of Brown and Jefferson’s careers and the first D-League assignments the Nets have made this season.

Warriors destroy Sixers by 40 points

Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting on the Warriors, who have the best winning percentage in the NBA and yesterday had the pleasure of facing the 76ers:

This one was, for the Warriors, a case of a game playing out on the court as it does on paper. It was, to be kind, the result of a grotesquely unfair matchup.

Their 126-86 pulverizing of the profoundly awful 76ers Tuesday night was a matter of simple superiority at work. What was particularly noteworthy, though, was the way the Warriors finished the game.

They punctuated it with an authoritative performance by a bench squad that typically has given back much of the lead the starters have built.

“I was really pleased with the ball movement,” coach Steve Kerr said. “What made me most happy was the way our reserves closed the game. We’ve had some blowout wins where we didn’t close it right and got lethargic. Our guys really played through the final 12 minutes.”

Jazz assign Toure` Murry to D-League

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has assigned guard Toure’ Murry to the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, the Jazz’s exclusive D-League affiliate. Murry is expected to be in uniform for the Stampede’s game Friday, Jan. 2 against the Bakersfield Jam.

This will be the second assignment this season for Murry, who was previously assigned to Idaho from Nov. 13-Dec. 2. In six games (five starts) for the Stampede, Murry averaged 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals in 31.5 minutes of play. Murry recorded two double-doubles, scoring in double figures in five of his six games and reached 20-plus points once. He has not yet appeared in a game this season for the Jazz.

Murry (6-5, 195, Wichita State) is the ninth different player in Jazz history to be assigned to the D-League, and the first under the new Jazz-Stampede single affiliation. Other players on the current Jazz roster with D-League experience include Patrick Christopher, Ian Clark, Rudy Gobert, Jeremy Evans and Steve Novak.

Al Jefferson injured, out at least four weeks

Al Jefferson injured, out at least four weeks

Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson has been diagnosed with a strain of an adductor muscle in his left groin. Jefferson, who underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) earlier today, is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks.

In 32 games this season, Jefferson leads the team in scoring and rebounding with averages of 18.0 points (25th in the NBA) and 8.2 rebounds (T-17th in the NBA) in 32.2 minutes per game. The 6-10 center has scored in double figures in 28 of 32 games this season and has a team-leading 10 double-doubles along with a team-best 14 games of 20-plus points scored. He scored a season-high 34 points on Nov. 7 in the Hornets win vs. Atlanta.

Heat assign Shabazz Napier to D-League again

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have assigned guard Shabazz Napier to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Napier has appeared in 25 games with the HEAT this season averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 21.0 minutes while shooting 42.5 percent from the field. He scored in double-figures in six-straight games from November 16 through November 25, the longest such streak by a HEAT rookie since Michael Beasley did so in eight consecutive games from April 1, 2009 through April 15, 2009.

Napier was previously assigned to the Skyforce on December 13, appearing in one game recording 22 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal in a, 124-105, victory against the Iowa Energy before being recalled on December 15.

Alec Burks out for season with shoulder injury

Jazz guard Alec Burks out for season with shoulder injury

Alec Burks out for season with shoulder injury

The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks, who has missed the last two games with a left shoulder injury:

After examination by the Utah Jazz medical staff it has been decided that Alec Burks will undergo a surgical repair on his injured left shoulder. The procedure will be performed by Jazz head orthopaedic team physician, Dr. Travis Maak, on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at the University of Utah. As a result, Burks will miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season. He is expected to be ready for the start of 2015 Jazz training camp.

“Alec’s long-term health has been our top priority throughout this process, and although it is unfortunate that we will be without his services on the court the rest of this season, we commend Alec’s commitment and continued effort to play through considerable pain to this point,” said Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey. “After continued consultation with our medical staff, Alec and his representation, we have unanimously agreed that it would be most prudent for Alec to have this procedure performed now in order to ensure that he will be healthy and ready for the start of next season.”

The 23-year-old Burks (6-6, 211, Colorado) appeared in 27 games (all starts) with the Jazz this season, averaging 13.9 points and career-highs of 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 33.3 minutes. He also was shooting a career-high .382 from three-point range and .822 from the line while scoring in double figures in 22 of 27 games, reaching 20-plus points four times, and registered his first two career double-doubles. Prior to missing the last two games, Burks had seen action in 105 of a possible 111 games over the past two seasons, including 78 games in 2013-14. The fourth-year guard was originally selected by the Jazz in the first round (12th overall selection) of the 2011 NBA Draft.

Jarvis Varnado now with Los Angeles D-Fenders in the D-League

The Los Angeles D-Fenders have acquired center Jarvis Varnado and a third round pick in the 2015 NBA Development League Draft from the Iowa Energy, in exchange for the D-Fenders’ first and second round picks, it was announced today by General Manager Nick Mazzella.

Varnado was drafted out of Mississippi State in the second round (41st overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, before signing with Carmatic Pistoia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A, where he averaged 15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. The 6’9” center split the 2012-13 season with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. From 2012-2014, Varnado appeared in 45 NBA D-League games for Sioux Falls and Iowa, making 44 starts and averaging 14.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in 31.1 minutes per game. Varnado was selected as an NBA D-League All-Star in 2014, before earning an NBA Call-Up from the Philadelphia 76ers, where he appeared in 23 games with averages of 4.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

As a junior at Mississippi State, Varnado set the SEC single-season blocks record, passing Shaquille O’Neal with 170 blocks in 2008-09. Varnado was named SEC Defensive Player of the year in 3 consecutive seasons (2008, 2009, 2010), becoming the first player to do so. Finishing his career with 561 blocks, Varnado holds the record for most career blocks in NCAA Division 1 history. Varnado joins David Robinson as the only two players in NCAA history to tally 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 blocks in a career. In his senior season at Mississippi State, Varnado averaged 13.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.7 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game.