The Portland Trail Blazers recalled guard Taurean Green from the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard.
Green, who was assigned to the Stampede on Dec. 10, averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 37.8 minutes in four games (all starts) with the Trail Blazers’ D-League affiliate.
Prior to joining the Stampede, Green posted averages of 2.3 points, 1.3 assists and 6.0 minutes in four games with the Trail Blazers this season after being selected by Portland with the 52nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
The 6-0, 177-pounder spent three seasons at the University of Florida, where he guided the Gators to back-to-back NCAA National Championships as the team’s starting point guard.
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Blazers on amazing roll
CBS Sports (Tony Mejia) reports: Portland continued its unlikely run, winning its ninth consecutive game by rallying from a 7-point fourth quarter deficit against Toronto behind Brandon Roy’s 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Roy is headed towards a third consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week award and has the Blazers in the playoff hunt through the quarter point of the season. “He’s not just having a hot streak,” coach Nate McMillan said. “What we’re seeing out of him is what he is capable of doing.” Given his production and the steady development of LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster, it’s scary to think what the Blazers would be doing if top draft pick Greg Oden were healthy. As it stands now, they’re right in the chase for the top spot in the Northwest Division.
Trail Blazers assign Taurean Green to D-League
The Portland Trail Blazers assigned rookie guard Taurean Green to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced Monday by Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard.
“This is a great opportunity for Taurean to get some more playing time and in-game experience at a professional level,” said Pritchard. “We’re grateful to have a partnership with Idaho and the D-League to help us develop our young players.”
Green, 21, is averaging 2.3 points, 1.3 assists and 6.0 minutes in four games with the Trail Blazers this season after being selected by Portland with the 52nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
The 6-0, 177-pounder spent three seasons at the University of Florida, where he guided the Gators to back-to-back NCAA National Championships as the team’s starting point guard.
Green becomes the 17th NBA player assigned to the D-League this season, and the fourth in Trail Blazers history.
This is the first season the Trail Blazers are affiliated with the Boise-based Stampede.
Jarrett Jack feels left out
Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan and guard Jarrett Jack recently had a discussion, as reported by the Oregonian:
The gist of the conversation was Jack’s involvement in the team’s offense lately. While the second unit has flourished recently behind the dynamic play of Travis Outlaw (18.4 points, 7.2 rebounds the past five games), the hot shooting of James Jones (11-of-14 over the past two games) and effective play from Sergio Rodriguez (18 assists, five turnovers the past six games), Jack has drifted into anonymity.
Jack said he feels his best attribute is driving to the basket, but he has had fewer and fewer opportunities to take advantage that strength as the ball has increasingly been put in either Brandon Roy or Sergio’s hands. In the past seven games, Jack is 17-for-47 (36.2 percent) from the field, during which his scoring average has gone from a season-high 12.2 points a game to 10.5.
This season through 19 games, Jack is playing 26.2 minutes per game, down from 33.6 last season. He’s averaging 10.5 points and 3.3 assists per game, down from last season’s 12.0 points and 5.3 assists. However, his rebounding, field goal and three-point field goal pecentages are virtually identical.
Several NBA sophomores are stepping up
NBA News: The top three vote-getters in last year’s Rookie of the Year balloting are acquitting themselves quite nicely during the early going of their sophomore campaigns.
Portland’s Brandon Roy, the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year, is pacing the Trail Blazers in scoring (20.7 ppg) and assists (6.0 apg).
Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani has converted 15 of 30 three-point attempts and is averaging 13.4 points to go along with 4.6 rebounds.
Memphis’ Rudy Gay is averaging a team-high 20.6 points, nearly doubling his rookie average (10.8 ppg).
Other notable second-year performers include, but are not limited to: Roy’s teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, who is averaging 19.2 points and 7.7 rebounds; Golden State’s Kelenna Azubuike, who is averaging 18.8 points and shooting .531 from the field; Utah’s Ronnie Brewer, who is shooting .580 from the field, .429 from beyond the arc and .828 from the line in averaging 15.3 points; Cleveland’s Daniel Gibson, who is shooting .528 from three-point land while averaging 12.4 points; and Gay’s teammate Kyle Lowry, who is averaging 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds.