As 2014-15 NBA preseason kicks off (action began Saturday), it’s always fun seeing well-known players wearing the uniform of their new team. Here’s Vince Carter, now providing depth on the Memphis Grizzlies:
Category: NBA Teams
NBA teams blog
Photo: Derrick Rose, stretching
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is back in action, and will hopefully, with time, play like the superstar D-Rose of the past. Here he is, getting loose:
Photo: Carlos Boozer, now on the Lakers
Here’s a glimpse of veteran power forward Carlos Boozer now that he’s on the Los Angeles Lakers:
Nick Young has thumb surgery, out 8 weeks
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young will have to unleash his swagger in entirely off-court situations for the time being.
Young, who injured his right thumb in practice last Thursday, underwent successful surgery this morning to repair a torn radial collateral ligament in the thumb. The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.
Young is expected to miss approximately eight weeks.
Pac-Man logo Hawks court is back
Here’s the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting on a Hawks development that a lot of old-school fans will appreciate:
The team’s new secondary logo, a revision of the old Pac Man look, is now dominant at center court. The large white-and-red logo replaces the primary logo that had been the centerpiece of the court. The new secondary logo has been popular with the fan base and its use will likely grow in the future. It will eventually replace the current primary logo of the Hawk with spread wings.
“I was pretty excited to see it,” Al Horford said of the new logo at center court. “It’s pretty powerful. I like it.”
The court underwent several other revisions. The free-throw lanes have been painted bright red. The apron surrounding the court is blue. The apron displays “Atlanta Hawks” painted in white block-style letters with red trim along both baselines. The team web site address and Twitter and Instagram handles are painted along the baselines opposite the team benches.
Jonas Jerebko hoping to rise for Pistons
Here’s Michigan Live reporting on the Detroit Pistons:
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Jonas Jerebko has been hoping for a fresh start with the Detroit Pistons for three years now.
This season, he might finally get it.
Jerebko is optimistic things will be different for him under new head coach Stan Van Gundy, who so far has liked what he’s seen from the 6-foot-10 forward and employs the type of system that seems well-suited to the Pistons’ second-round pick (39th overall) in the 2009 draft.
“It’s been a rollercoaster,” Jerebko said of his first four seasons in Detroit. “Every year has been a new situation for me. I just feel very comfortable with (Van Gundy’s) way of playing basketball and his way of wanting to play basketball.
Warriors sign Jason Kapono
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The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent guard/forward Jason Kapono to a contract, the team announced today. This may just be a training camp contract.
Kapono, 33, owns career NBA averages of 6.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 17.8 minutes in 509 games (87 starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers. He last played professionally in Greece in 2012-13, appearing in 17 games for Panathinaikos and posting averages of 7.6 points, 1.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 17.0 minutes while hitting 45.0 percent of his three-point attempts.
The nine-year NBA veteran ranks fifth all-time on the league’s three-point percentage list, hitting at a career 43.4 percent clip, and ranks second in the category among active players behind only Warriors guard Stephen Curry (.440). Kapono led the league in three-point percentage with the Heat in 2006-07 (.514), and again the following season as a member of the Raptors in 2007-08 (.483), becoming the only player in NBA history to lead the league in the category in back-to-back seasons.
Originally selected by the Cavaliers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft, Kapono won an NBA championship as a member of the Heat in 2005-06. The Long Beach, CA, native and UCLA alum last appeared in the NBA with the Lakers during the 2011-12 season.
Kapono will wear uniform #22.
Wizards waive Vander Blue and David Stockton
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The Washington Wizards announced today that the team has waived guards Vander Blue and David Stockton.
The Wizards’ roster now stands at 18.
Nick Young suffers thumb injury
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Lakers guard Nick Young, who injured his right thumb yesterday in practice, underwent an MRI exam today. Results of the MRI showed that Young has a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament.
Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic will perform surgery on Young’s thumb on Monday, and an estimate for Young’s return will be given at that time.
Avery Bradley aims for all-defense first team
The Boston Celtics are in a transitional period. They’re rebuilding, and their best player, guard Rajon Rondo, is injured yet again, and may wind up being traded later this season. On the brighter side, they have some nice young talent. And they have Avery Bradley, who is proud to play super-aggressive defense, and aims to be an even better defender this season. Here’s ESPN Boston reporting:
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Coming off the best offensive season of his career, one that helped him secure a lucrative long-term extension, Boston Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley said his primary goal for the 2014-15 season is reestablishing his reputation as a defense-first player.
“I want to be on the first team all-defense,” Bradley said Thursday when asked about his individual goals for new season. “I made the second team two years ago. That’s my No. 1 goal this year, but obviously I want to improve in every part of my game.”
Bradley averaged a career-best 14.9 points per game last season and shot nearly 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. At times, he was maybe Boston’s most aggressive shooter as reflected in a career-high 13.8 shots per game (up four attempts per game from the previous season). Maybe due in part to a new system and a rebuilding team, Bradley’s advanced defensive numbers — among the glitziest in the league two years ago — eroded a bit and he wasn’t the sort of shutdown presence that he’s shown he can be.