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Hornets hire Dell Demps as GM

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that Dell Demps has been named General Manager. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released. Demps becomes the seventh general manager in team history.

“Through our extensive research with a number of GM candidates, Dell shined through as a rising star from a program in San Antonio that has a tremendous history of building a franchise into a championship contender,” said Hornets President Hugh Weber. “Beginning with the hiring of Head Coach Monty Williams, we’ve begun a path of building our basketball operations with people we feel are going to be the best in the business, and Dell Demps certainly fits into that category. Our owners Mr. Shinn and Mr. Chouest both feel confident that we are developing our organization in a way that will raise expectations. Dell along with Monty share a lot of the same philosophies and work ethic that will help lead our franchise to the next level.”

Demps has spent the last five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, serving as Director of Pro Player Personnel. In addition, he served as the General Manager of the Austin Toros (the Spurs NBA Development affiliate) for three years. The Spurs captured an NBA Championship and two Southwest Division titles during Demps’ five seasons in San Antonio. In addition, the Spurs have won at least 50 games in each of those five seasons.

“I have been fortunate to know Dell for a long time and we share a lot of the same beliefs,” said Hornets Head Coach Monty Williams. “He wants and has a great basketball pedigree, learning from some of the best minds in the business. Dell is a winner, hard worker and does things the right way. He will be a great asset to this organization.”

Demps, born in Long Beach, Calif., had a three-year NBA career with Golden State, Orlando and the Spurs. He was teammates with Williams in San Antonio during the 1995-96 season. Demps also spent time playing in the Philippines, France, Greece, Turkey, Croatia and the CBA during his 10-year professional career.

“Dell Demps is a highly respected basketball person who has been around a model organization in San Antonio,” said Hornets Owner George Shinn. “Gary and I both have the goal to be a great organization and work towards a championship. Dell is the right guy for this position and the future is bright for the New Orleans Hornets.”

Once his playing days were done, Demps spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Mobile Revelers in the NBA D-League, helping the Revelers capture the 2003 D-League Championship. He joined the New York Knicks as a scout for the 2003-04 season and was promoted to Director of Pro Player Personnel following the 2004-05 season in New York before joining the Spurs in the fall of 2005.

“From the moment I spoke to Hugh and Monty about this opportunity, I could tell something special was building within the organization,” said Demps. “I am excited for this opportunity because the Hornets are a great organization with a lot of positive pieces. I would like to thank George, Gary, and Hugh for their faith in me and am truly looking forward to also working with Monty.”

“We are all very excited for this opportunity for Dell and his family,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. “Having worked closely with both Dell and Monty, I’m confident that they will provide great leadership to the Hornets franchise. Dell has been a trusted confidant and an integral part of our organization. While we will all miss him, we are thrilled for Dell and wish him success in New Orleans.”

Demps, 40, was a four-year starter at University of the Pacific, earning All-Big West honors three times. He earned both his bachelor and master’s degrees in business administration from Pacific and is a member of Pacific’s School of Business Advisory Board.

Spurs re-sign Richard Jefferson

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have re-signed Richard Jefferson. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Jefferson joined Spurs on June 23, 2009, in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. In his first season in San Antonio he appeared in 81 games, averaging 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31.1 minutes while shooting .467 (362-775) from the floor, .316 (59-187) from the three-point line and .735 (208-283) from the free throw line. Jefferson scored in double-figures 54 times, including eight games with 20-or-more points. The former University of Arizona Wildcat posted two double-doubles and led the team in scoring 10 times. He posted a season-high 29 points vs. Dallas on Nov. 11. Jefferson knocked down a 15-foot jump shot with 9.1 seconds left in overtime to give the Spurs a 100-99 win at Oklahoma City on Jan. 13. In the playoffs he started 10 games for the Silver and Black, averaging 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33.4 minutes.

Prior to joining the Spurs Jefferson spent the 2008-09 season in Milwaukee where he averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 35.8 minutes. Before being traded to the Bucks on June 26, 2008, Jefferson spent his first seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets and went to two NBA Finals (2002 vs. the Lakers and 2003 vs. the Spurs). He had a career year in 2007-08 when he averaged 22.6 points (ninth in the NBA), 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 39.0 minutes.

In his nine-year NBA career Jefferson has appeared in 652 regular season games, averaging 17.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31.1 minutes. He has appeared in 88 playoff games averaging 14.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34.2 minutes in the postseason.

Jefferson played for Team USA in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and was a member of the 2003 US Team that captured the gold medal at the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Mavericks sign Ian Mahinmi

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed center Ian Mahinmi (pronounced Yan mah-HEEN-me). Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mahinmi (6-11, 230) joins the Mavericks as a free agent from the San Antonio Spurs where he spent two NBA seasons. He holds career averages of 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 5.8 minutes in 32 career games.

Originally a first round draft pick (28th overall) of San Antonio in 2005, Mahinmi played in 26 games for the Spurs last season averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game and shooting .636 from the field. He also saw the first postseason action of his career in the series against the Mavericks when he played in two games averaging 4.5 points and 1.0 rebounds per contest.

The Rouen, France native played in only six games during his rookie season (2007-08) and spent the majority of the year with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. While in Austin, he averaged 16.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks en route to being named All-NBA Development First Team in 2008. He missed the entire 2008-09 season with an ankle injury.

Mahinmi was born and raised in France by his mother who is from Jamaica and his father who hails from Benin. He spent four seasons in the French A League before making his debut with the Spurs and was a named a French League All-Star in 2006. Mahinmi was also a member of the French National Team that captured bronze at the 2004 European Junior Championship.

Spurs re-sign Matt Bonner

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have re-signed Matt Bonner. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Bonner has spent the past four seasons in San Antonio. Last season he saw action in 65 games, averaging 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.9 minutes while shooting .446 (166-372) from the floor, .390 (90-231) from the three-point line and .729 (35-48) from the free throw line. The former Florida Gator scored in double figures 19 times, including a career-high 28 points at Utah on Dec. 7. The 6-10 forward missed 15 games after breaking the fourth metacarpal in his right hand vs. Indiana on Dec. 19. Bonner appeared in all 10 playoff games, averaging 5.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17.3 minutes. Among Spurs all-time leaders, Bonner ranks seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.397, 290-370) and eighth in three-point field goals made (290).

Bonner originally joined the Spurs on June 21, 2006, in a trade with the Toronto Raptors.

In his six-year NBA career Bonner has appeared in 430 games, averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.3 minutes while shooting 40.5 (430-1,065) percent from three-point range.

Spurs sign Tiago Splitter

The San Antonio Spurs today announced they have signed Tiago Splitter. The 25-year-old Splitter was selected by the Spurs with the 28th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not announced. We’ll post contract details tonight.

The 6-11, 235-pound Splitter has played for Caja Laboral Vitoria in the ACB League since the 2003-04 season. In his seven seasons with Caja Laboral he has established himself as one of the dominate big men in Europe. Splitter has lead Caja Laboral to four Spanish League regular season titles (2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2008-09) and two Spanish League championships (2007-08 and 2009-10). In addition the team has advanced to at least the quarterfinals of the Euroleague Championship six straight seasons (including four straight semifinal appearances from 2004-08).

During the 2009-10 ACB season Splitter was named the Spanish League regular season MVP and the Spanish League Finals MVP. For the season he averaged 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 28.9 minutes in 38 games. He shot .595 (219-368) from the field and .759 (145-191) from the line.

In 2009-10 Euroleague action Splitter averaged 13.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 26.1 minutes in 16 games. He shot .539 (76-141) from the field and .636 (56-88) from the line. Splitter earned All-Euroleague honors for the third straight season (he was named to the All-Euroleague First Team in 2007-08 and to the All-Euroleague Second Team in 2008-09 and 2009-10).

Originally signed by Caja Laboral in April of 2000, at the age of 15, Splitter played, on loan, with Araba Gorago Alava in 2000-01 and Basket Bilbao Berri in 2001-02 and 2002-03 before joining Caja Laboral for the 2003-04 season. In seven Spanish League seasons with Caja Laboral he averaged 11.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 233 games while shooting .616 (969-1,573). In seven Euroleague appearances Splitter has played in 137 games averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting .597 (537-900) from the field.

Born and raised in Brazil, Splitter has played for the Brazilian National Team since 2002. In international play Splitter’s Brazilian teams have captured gold medals at the 2003 South American Championship, the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2005 Americas Championship and the 2009 Americas Championship.

Richard Jefferson opts out of Spurs contract

Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

In a surprise move, Richard Jefferson has informed the Spurs that he intends to opt out of the final season of his contract and will become a free agent at midnight eastern time.

Jefferson was due to make $15 million next year. Opting out gives him the freedom to negotiate a long-term deal, in advance of a new collective bargaining agreement next season.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Grizzlies admit they should have drafted DeJuan Blair

Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Mike Heisley admits the Grizzlies blew it on draft night last year.

No, not by taking Hasheem Thabeet with their first pick in the draft. By passing on DeJuan Blair with their second one.

“We should have taken him,” Heisley said. “He was 15th on our list. But sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you get derailed. We got swayed by some discussions with the doctors. This year, we’re going to take the guy who is next on our list or someone is going to have to do a very good job explaining to me why we’re not.”

Avery Johnson to be new Nets coach

The AP reports:

Avery Johnson says he has agreed to become the coach of the New Jersey Nets, the NBA’s worst team.

In a text message to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Johnson said he thinks the Nets will announce the deal today.

Nets president and general manager Rod Thorn did not immediately respond when asked to comment on Johnson’s text. In an earlier e-mail to the AP, he said he “will have something to say” today.

The current ESPN analyst coached Dallas for three-plus seasons, going 194-70 in the regular season and 23-24 in the playoffs. He guided the Mavs to the NBA Finals in 2006 but was fired after a first-round playoff series loss to New Orleans in 2008.

He was the starting point guard for the Spurs during the 1999 championship run. He played for the Spurs in 1991, 1992-93 and 1994-2001.

Phil Jackson 47-0 in playoff series when his team wins Game 1

Ron Borges of the Boston Herald reports:

If you live in southern California and believe in numerology or history, the Los Angeles Lakers executed a one-game sweep of the Boston Celtics [team stats] Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

If you live in New England and believe in numerology or history, the Celtics clinched their 18th NBA title last night by losing in resounding fashion to the Lakers.

Phil Jackson 47-0 in playoffs when his team wins Game 1

That’s the beauty of statistics. You can make them say anything and they really mean nothing. Or so both sides have to hope this morning.

Between now and Sunday, when Game 2 finally arrives, much will be said about Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson’s eerie record of being 47-0 in playoff series in which his team wins Game 1.

Last night, Tony Allen grew tired of hearing about that in a hurry and countered those numbers with one of his own, a number that arguably has more bearing on these NBA Finals.

“If you want to bring that up, our starting five has never lost a (playoff) series,” Allen pointed out.

Silver Stars sign Chamique Holdsclaw

The San Antonio Silver Stars today announced the signing of veteran forward Chamique Holdsclaw. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

In order to make room on the 11-woman roster for Holdsclaw, the Silver Stars waived guard Belinda Snell.

Holdsclaw signed with the Dream in April 2009 after the team acquired her rights from the Los Angeles Sparks. The 10-year WNBA veteran requested a trade from the Atlanta Dream prior to the start of 2010 training camp and did not report to the team; she was released from Atlanta on May 19, 2010.

“We are thrilled to have Chamique join the Silver Stars family,” said Silver Stars General Manager Dan Hughes. “Chamique and our staff felt it was such a great fit. We are excited to get to work with Chamique in a Silver Stars uniform.”

Holdsclaw originally was selected first overall by the Washington Mystics in the 1999 WNBA Draft. In her 10 seasons in the WNBA, Holdsclaw has tallied career averages of 17.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

The 6-foot-2 forward was recognized as the 1999 WNBA Rookie of the Year in addition to being named a starter in the league’s inaugural All-Star Game. She spent six seasons in Washington and earned four All-Star Game selections (1999-2002) during her time with the Mystics. Her most productive season came in 2003 as she averaged a career-high 20.5 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

Prior to the start of the 2005 season, Holdsclaw was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for DeLisha Milton-Jones and the 13th overall pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft. Holdsclaw’s tally of 17.0 points per game in 2005 ranked her third in the league. She was voted into the WNBA All-Star game for the sixth time in her career and reached two career milestones: 6,000 minutes and 3,000 career points. In 2006, Holdsclaw was named a WNBA All-Decade Honorable.

After playing in five games with the Sparks in 2007, Holdsclaw announced her retirement from the league but continued to play overseas for TS Wisla Can-Pak Krakow (Poland).

On Dec. 17, 2008, the Dream acquired the rights to Holdsclaw from the Sparks in exchange for the no. 13 pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. She tallied averages of 13.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game with the Dream last season before missing the last nine games of regular season play and Atlanta’s first playoffs appearance after undergoing successful arthroscopic knee surgery.

Prior to being drafted into the WNBA, Holdsclaw completed an illustrious collegiate career at Tennessee that included being named a four-time Kodak All-American. She collected 3,025 career points and 1,295 career rebounds which made her the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Tennessee history among both men and women. Additionally, her points and rebounds tallies ranked her first all-time in SEC women’s history and also first in the history of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. She won the Naismith Player of the Year trophy twice (1998, 1999) and was named the Naismith Player of the Century for the 1990s as she helped lead the Lady Vols to a 134-17 record during her time at Tennessee.

Snell has tallied career averages of 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 112 games played. She signed with the Silver Stars as a free agent on March 30, 2009 and recorded a career-high 6.2 points per game and a career-high 2.3 rebounds per game in her first season in San Antonio. Snell re-signed with San Antonio on April 28, 2010, after reaching the FIBA Euroleague Women finals and winning the F.E.B. title with Ros Casares (Valencia, Spain).

“Belinda was a wonderful member of the Silver Stars and we want to thank her and wish her the best in the future,” said Hughes.