NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
Spurs blog – San Antonio Spurs blog, with news, rumors and more
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have waived guard Sherron Collins, who was signed by the team on Oct. 1.
San Antonio’s roster now stands at 19.
NBA preseason began today, October 5, with an overseas exhibition. Many of the first preseason games are taking place overseas against European teams.
|
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that guard Sherron Collins and center Eddy Curry have been added to their 2012-13 training camp roster. The Spurs current roster stands at 20 players.
Collins (5-11, 215) played last season for Hacettepe Universitesi of the Turkish Basketball League where he appeared in 19 games, averaging 10.6 points, 2.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.05 steals in 28.9 minutes.
Collins, who appeared in 20 games with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010-11, played collegiately for the University of Kansas. In 143 career games for the Jayhawks, he averaged 13.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 28.5 minutes while shooting .444 (656-1,476) from the field, .377 (232-615) from behind the arc and .807 (344-426) from the free-throw line. He was named a consensus First Team All-American in 2010 and was named to the All-Big 12 First Team in 2009 and 2010.
Curry (7-0, 295), drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2001 NBA Draft, played last season for the Miami Heat where he averaged 2.1 points in 5.9 minutes. From 2005-10, the center appeared in 222 games for the New York Knicks, averaging 10.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 20.0 minutes. In a Bulls uniform from 2001-04, Curry averaged 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 23.4 minutes in 289 games. For his career, he has appeared in 525 NBA career games, averaging 13.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 24.9 minutes while shooting .545 (2,574-4,726) from the floor.
The San Antonio Spurs today announced the addition of four players to their 2012-13 training camp roster.
The Spurs current roster stands at 18 players, and includes the additions of forwards Derrick Brown, Josh Powell, Tyler Wilkerson and Wesley Witherspoon.
Brown (6-8, 233) spent the 2011-12 season playing for the Charlotte Bobcats. He appeared in 65 games, averaging 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.2 minutes while shooting .518 (212-409) from the field. A three-year NBA veteran, Brown was selected by the Bobcats with 40th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Midway through the 2010-11 season he was traded to the New York Knicks. For his career, Brown has appeared in 171 games, averaging 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.9 minutes.
Powell (6-9, 240) spent the past season playing in China, Switzerland and most recently in Puerto Rico with the Guayama Wizards. In 14 games with the Wizards, he averaged 16.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. A six-year NBA veteran, Powell last played in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2010-11 season, averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.1 minutes. Powell won two NBA Championships with the L.A. Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He’s also seen action with the Dallas Mavericks (2005-06), Indiana Pacers (2006-07), Golden State Warriors (2006-07) and L.A. Clippers (2007-08). For his career, Powell’s appeared in 315 NBA games, averaging 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.5 minutes.
Wilkerson was on the Spurs 2012 Vegas Summer League team. He appeared in four games, averaging 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 20.8 minutes while shooting .750 (15-20) from the field. A 6-8, 240 pound forward out of Marshall University, Wilkerson spent the past two seasons playing for Maccabi Haifa in Israel. Last season he appeared in 20 games, averaging 16.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 28 minutes. Wilkerson was also a member of the Spurs 2010 Summer League team, where he averaged 11.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 24.1 minutes in five games.
Witherspoon (6-9, 212) is coming off his senior year at the University of Memphis where he helped lead the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In four seasons with the Tigers, Witherspoon appeared in 121 games, averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 21.0 minutes. As a junior he was named to the All-Conference USA third team and was the Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year in 2008-09.
 |
Kawhi Leonard, future star?
Fan Question: What kind of season do you see Kawhi Leonard having next season? Also, where do you see him in five years?
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich: I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly. He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had one year of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else.
— Reported by Spurs.com
|
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Ime Udoka has been named an assistant coach.
“Ime Udoka possesses an outstanding work ethic as well as a natural inclination to teach. We are excited to add someone with his potential to our coaching staff,” said Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich.
Udoka returns to San Antonio after having played for the Silver and Black from 2007-09 and during the 2010-11 campaign. In his three seasons with the Spurs, he appeared in 160 games, averaging 4.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.5 minutes.
Udoka spent seven seasons in the NBA playing in 316 career games, averaging 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.1 minutes . He enjoyed his best campaign during the 2006-07 season when he started 75 games for Portland, averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.6 minutes. Udoka also played for the L.A. Lakers in 2003-04, the New York Knicks in 2005-06, the Sacramento Kings in 2009-10 and the New Jersey Nets in 2011-12.
Undrafted out of college, Udoka spent time in NBA Development League, USBL, IBA and internationally in Spain and France. Udoka began his D-League career in 2002-03 with the Charleston Lowgators. In 2005-06 he was named to the All-NBA D-League First Team and was also the recipient of Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award after averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 45 games for the Fort Worth Flyers.
Udoka closed out his college career at Portland State where he led the Vikings in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocked shots during the 1999-2000 season. He was also named First Team All-Big Sky Conference and was selected as the league’s Newcomer of the Year. Udoka began his college career at Eastern Utah and spent a year at the University of San Francisco before arriving at Portland State.
Though American-born, Udoka’s late father was of Ibibio descent and was born in Nigeria which allowed Udoka to play for the Nigerian National Team. He represented Nigeria in multiple tournaments, including the 2005 African Championship, the 2006 FIBA World Championship, where he averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, and the 2011 African Championship where he helped lead Nigeria to a bronze medal.
Jazz assistant coach Scott Layden has accepted an invitation by Spurs management to interview for the organization’s assistant general manager vacancy, according to a source.
The meeting was scheduled for Monday night with general manager R.C. Buford and head coach Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, the source said. Spurs ownership will not be in attendance.
This San Antonio position opened three weeks ago when the Jazz hired then-Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey to replace Kevin O’Connor as Utah’s general manager.
— Reported by Jody Genessy of the Deseret News
Utah Jazz president Randy Rigby announced today that the team is adding to its front office staff by bringing on Dennis Lindsey as the team’s General Manager while Kevin O’Connor will remain as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations.
“I am honored that we have one of the league’s preeminent basketball minds in Kevin O’Connor working as our Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. The addition of Dennis to the Jazz front office staff further demonstrates the Miller family’s commitment to this franchise,” said Utah Jazz president Randy Rigby. “He will be a key element of our basketball operations staff that we already believe is the best in the league. In addition, he brings with him valuable experience from two championship-level organizations and we appreciate the Spurs allowing us the opportunity to interview him.”
Lindsey spent the past five seasons with San Antonio as the Spurs’ vice president and assistant general manager. Lindsey’s responsibilities with the Spurs included directing all of the team’s player personnel matters, leading all draft-related efforts, managing the Spurs’ professional, college and international scouting aspects and overseeing the team’s analytical department, as well as handling the day-to-day management of basketball operations including salary cap management and interfacing with the NBA, coaches and player agents.
During Lindsey’s tenure, San Antonio compiled a 271-123 (.688) regular season record, third-best in the NBA during that span. The Spurs won 50-plus games and advanced to the NBA Playoffs all five seasons, winning three Southwest Division titles, twice finishing with the best record in the Western Conference, and reaching two Western Conference Finals (2008, 2012).
“The addition of Dennis improves the Jazz not only for the upcoming season, but for many years to come,” said Greg Miller, CEO of the Utah Jazz. “Dennis is an outstanding fit for the Jazz family as well as our community.”
Prior to joining the Spurs, Lindsey spent 11 seasons with the Houston Rockets, serving as the team’s vice president of basketball operations and player personnel from 2002-07. Lindsey originally joined the Rockets as video coordinator/scout in 1996, later serving as director of basketball development and then director of player personnel. Before joining the Rockets, Lindsey worked as an assistant coach at Fort Worth Southwest High School and Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College.
“Dennis is a proven talent evaluator whose experience will be a real asset to the Jazz organization,” said Kevin O’Connor, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. “He is a high-character individual who is well respected around the league and I look forward to working with him on a daily basis.”
A native of Freeport, Texas, Lindsey earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 1992 and a graduate degree in sports management from the U.S. Sports Academy in 1994. Lindsey played guard on the Baylor basketball team for four seasons (1988-92), teaming with future NBA players David Wesley and Micheal Williams to lead the Bears to the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
 |
The Orlando Magic’s search for a new head coach is entering its final phase.
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Jacque Vaughn, widely presumed to be front-runner for the job, met with Magic CEO Alex Martins on Friday in Las Vegas for a second-round interview.
“We’re not going to comment on the process and where it stands,” Martins told the Orlando Sentinel on Saturday…
Magic general manager Rob Hennigan conducted first-round interviews with six candidates and whittled the field down to three: Philadelphia 76ers associate head coach Michael Curry, Phoenix Suns player development coach Lindsey Hunter and Vaughn.
— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel
According to multiple reports, Indiana assistant Brian Shaw and Golden State aide Michael Malone have been crossed off the list of candidates for the coaching job in Orlando.
That leaves the 37-year-old Vaughn, three seasons retired from backing up Tony Parker, as one of the leading applicants to fill Stan Van Gundy’s old chair with the Magic.
Others remaining in the hunt include Utah assistant Jeff Hornacek, Chicago assistant Lindsay Hunter and Philadelphia aide Michael Curry, a former head coach in Detroit.
For players, summer league often represents a chance to showcase new skills or audition for a roster spot. For Vaughn, this week has become an opportunity to try on the head coach’s shoes — in this case, casual white sneakers — and see if he likes them.
So far, they fit.
“It’s fun,” Vaughn said. “It’s good fun to get a group together in a short time and get them to play together. That’s the test and the joy of it.”
— Reported by the San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Nando De Colo. The 25-year-old De Colo was selected by the Spurs with the 53rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
The 6-5, 200-pound De Colo has spent the past three seasons playing for Valencia in the Spanish ACB League. He helped lead Valenica to the 2010 Eurocup Championship and to the ACB playoffs in each of his three seasons with the club, including the 2011 ACB Finals. In three seasons with Valencia, De Colo averaged 12.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 106 ACB games. In two Eurocup appearances, he averaged 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 32 games.
De Colo made his pro debut in 2006 with Cholet Basket in the French ProA League. He spent three seasons with Cholet, averaging 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 83 games. De Colo was named ProA League All-Star in 2008 and 2009 and was selected to the FIBA Eurocup All-Star Team in 2008.
Born and raised in France, De Colo has played for the French National Team since 2008. In the 2011 European Championship, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 11 games to help France capture the Silver medal and qualify for the 2012 Olympics. De Colo has also represented France in the 2009 European Championship and 2010 World Championship.