Orlando Magic name Bill Peterson head coach of Erie BayHawks

The Orlando Magic have named Bill Peterson as head coach of its D-League team, the Erie BayHawks, Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

“We are excited to welcome Bill (Peterson) and his family,” said Hennigan. “Bill’s passion for teaching and development fit seamlessly into our vision of creating a culture of collaboration and synergy between the Orlando Magic and Erie Bayhawks. His wealth of knowledge and experience will help our players fulfill their ultimate basketball potential.”

“When speaking with Bill, it’s clear that he’s committed to developing our players and has a strong desire to win,” said BayHawks majority owner Steve Demetriou. “We’re looking forward to him becoming a part of the Erie community and leading our team as we begin our new affiliation with the Orlando Magic.”

Peterson spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks from 2007-13. Before joining the Bucks, he served as associate head coach at Colorado State University for seven seasons (2000-07).

Prior to his stint with CSU, Peterson served as a player development coach and scout for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks (1998-2000), where he worked to develop younger players like Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Michael Finley and Greg Buckner. He also served as a special assistant with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors to work with Sarunas Marciulionis, one of the first international players to compete in the NBA.

Peterson’s collegiate experience also includes head coaching positions at the University of Alabama-Huntsville (1994-97) and Union (KY) College (1983-87), where the Bulldogs averaged 18 wins per year and made three consecutive postseason tournament appearances. He worked as the assistant head coach at McNeese State from 1987-94 and at Bossier Parish Community College (LA) from 1997-99. Peterson began coaching in 1978-79 as a student assistant at St. Petersburg (FL) Junior College and went on to serve as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech, where he coached Hall-of-Famer Karl Malone from 1980-83.

Peterson is a graduate of Eckerd College (FL) and holds a master’s degree in physical education and human relations from Louisiana Tech University. He and his wife, Diane, are the parents of three daughters: Kati (26), Ginny (21) and Hailey, who was called to be with the Lord in the summer of 2000.

The Orlando Magic and the Erie BayHawks have a three-year single affiliation partnership beginning with the 2014-15 NBA D-League season. Orlando became the 16th NBA team to have a one-to-one affiliation with an NBA D-League team. The partnership, also referred to as a “hybrid affiliation,” is the eighth of its kind in the NBA D-League and allows an NBA team to control the NBA D-League team’s basketball operations, while the existing local ownership maintains primary responsibility for the team’s off-the-court business operations and community initiatives.

Utah Jazz sign forward Brock Motum

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free-agent forward Brock Motum.

Motum (6-10, 245, Washington State) spent the 2013-14 season with Granarolo Bologna of the Italian SerieA League, averaging 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 50.6 percent from the field. He also participated in the 2014 NBA Summer League with the Jazz in Las Vegas, where he appeared in five games and averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest.

The 23-year-old forward played collegiately at Washington State (2009-13), where he ranks fifth on the Cougars all-time list in both career points (1,530) and field goal percentage (.567). As a senior he led the Pac 12 in scoring average with 18.7 points per game, scoring at least 10 points in all 31 contests, and was selected All-Pac 12 Second Team. Following his junior season, Motum was named to the 2012 All-Pac 12 First Team and earned the league’s Most Improved Player award.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Motum competed for the Australian Institute of Sport in both 2008 and 2009, and is currently playing for the Australian National Team at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Atlanta Hawks re-sign forward Mike Scott

Atlanta Hawks re-sign forward Mike Scott

The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed forward Mike Scott, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.

“Mike has worked hard and continues to adapt, improve and expand his all around game,” Ferry said. “We are very happy to have him with us going forward and we look forward to his continued growth with our group.”

Atlanta’s second-round pick (43rd overall) in the 2012 NBA Draft, Scott played in 80 games (six starts) for the Hawks last season, averaging 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 18.5 minutes (.479 FG%, .780 FT%). He knocked down 62 three-pointers after going 0-1 from downtown in his rookie season. Scott scored in double figures 40 times (five 20-point games including one 30-point night), leading the team in scoring nine times. In his six starts, he put up 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 32.5 minutes. He hit double digits in 13 straight games from 1/8-2/5, the longest stretch of his career.

In Atlanta’s 2014 first-round playoff series against Indiana, Scott compiled 9.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 20.9 minutes, including a 17-point second quarter (6-6 FGs, 5-5 3FGs – the second-most three’s in a quarter in NBA playoff history) in Game 5 (4/28/14).

Lakers sign rookie Jordan Clarkson

Lakers sign rookie Jordan Clarkson

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Jordan Clarkson, the 46th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, whose rights were acquired from the Washington Wizards on draft night, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

In the 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Clarkson led the Lakers’ entry in scoring, (15.8 points per game) and rebounding (5.0) while shooting 42.1% (8-19) from beyond-the-arc in five games (all starts). In his debut vs. Toronto, he led the team with 21 points on 7-15 shooting (2-4 from three-point range) with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The 6’5’’ guard from Missouri was named Second Team All-SEC by the coaches in his lone season with the Tigers. An early entry candidate after his junior season, Clarkson spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Tulsa, where he was selected First Team All-Conference USA in 2011-12, following his C-USA All-Freshman team honors in 2010-11.

Mark Cuban says new Clippers owner is great for the league

Here’s ESPN Dallas reporting Mavs owner Mark Cuban’s opinion on the Clippers, who with Donald Sterling gone have a new owner:

New Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer drew comparisons to Mark Cuban with his high-fiving, chest-bumping, shouting introduction to the franchise’s fan base last week.

The scene came as no surprise to the Dallas Mavericks owner, whose enthusiastic exhibitions had been unique among the NBA’s owners.

“I’ve known Steve for a long time, going back into my twenties, and he’s always been this way,” Cuban said during an appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s “The Afternoon Show with Cowlishaw and Mosley” last week. “So this isn’t Steve Ballmer getting hyped just for the Clippers. This is just the way he is. He’s going to be great for the league.

“You know, in reality, I already know, knowing him, he’s going to be a lot calmer than I am. He’s great hyping people up in a sales environment, but it’ll be interesting to see him during a game. I hope he’s crazy, but I’m not expecting it.”

Interesting PG options for Team USA

Here’s ESPN.com with an update on Team USA, who play an exhibition game Tuesday:

Kyrie Irving likely starting at PG Tuesday for Team USA

Kyrie Irving will start opposite Goran Dragic at point guard Tuesday night when Team USA plays Slovenia in its final tuneup game leading into the FIBA World Cup.

But Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, in tabbing Irving as his starter against the Dragic-led Slovenians, told ESPN.com that one option under consideration is letting Irving and Derrick Rose trade off as the starter throughout the tournament, which opens Saturday in Bilbao with the Yanks facing Finland.

“We’ll see as thing goes on,” Krzyzewski said after Monday’s two-hour practice. “We might alternate ’em. Both of them are going to play significant minutes.”

Krzyzewski says he can also envision Irving and Rose playing together once the tournament starts as Rose continues to acclimate himself to full-speed basketball after two major knee injuries limited him to just 10 games over the past two seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

Shabazz Napier still getting used to the feel of a pro basketball

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting on a Miami Heat rookie:

Some might be tempted to scoff at Miami Heat rookie Shabazz Napier’s excuse for his poor NBA Summer League performance — the ball. Like many aspects of NCAA and NBA basketball, the actual ball is not the same, a lesson Napier is learning the hard way.

“[M]y biggest thing is getting comfortable with that basketball,” Napier told the Associated Press. “That’s one of my biggest problems and it’s kind of ironic, because it’s a basketball. But it’s different than a college basketball.”

Both NCAA and NBA basketballs measure 29.5 inches, but the materials can vary. In the NBA, regulation balls are composed of leather, while in college, the balls can be made of pebbled rubber. Napier’s problems might be compounded by him never having touched an NBA ball until the combine.