Stephen Jackson sticks up for Baron Davis

Friday night the Golden State Warriors, playing at home, lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, who enjoyed very good games from Baron Davis and Chris Kaman.

As you surely recall, Davis used to be a Warrior and helped inject some nice life into the team while he was there.

Baron’s buddy Stephen Jackson, currently an unhappy Warrior who has requested to be traded, does not support any boos from Golden State fans in Baron’s direction.

The AP reports:

Jackson took exception to the fans’ reception of Davis, who was making his second appearance in Oakland since leaving the Warriors. Davis was booed every time he touched the ball.

“Baron is a great player,” Jackson said. “What upsets me is they boo him but they have short memories. They forgot the reason they’re still coming here is because of what he did when he was here. The organization was in the trash can before we had that year.”

The way I see it, the Warriors currently have so many issues, the last thing any members of the team need to worry about is how fans react to former players or anyone wearing the wrong jersey.

Allen Iverson leaves Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Allen Iverson leaves Grizzlies for personal reasons

The Allen Iverson saga has taken another turn as the veteran guard asked for and was granted permission to leave the Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter, according to an NBA source.

Iverson, 34, met with Griz owner Michael Heisley Friday night following the team’s 114-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The pair met again this morning, and Iverson was expected to depart for Atlanta this afternoon.

Atlanta is where Iverson lives during the offseason.

But things were going so well! Seriously, I wonder — and this is just logical guesswork — if there’s a chance the team and Iverson will part ways, either now or in the very near future.

I say the Grizzlies should have a final discussion with Iverson and explain to him what they see his role being for the rest of the season. And if the two sides can come to some sort of agreement, end the disputes and agree to start again. But if the Grizzlies still see Iverson as a super-scorer off the bench rather than one of the team’s core top two or so guys, and Iverson simply cannot stomach that, they should immediately discuss a buyout.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in the InsideHoops NBA forum.

Tayshaun Prince has ruptured disc in lower back

Tayshaun Prince has ruptured disc in lower back

The Detroit Pistons announced today that Tayshaun Prince will be out of the line-up indefinitely due to a small rupture of a disc in his lower back.  The injury was confirmed following an MRI exam and evaluation by team doctors conducted this week.

Prince will continue to receive treatment for the injury and further updates on his status will be provided when appropriate.

The 6-foot-9 forward has appeared in three games this season averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 38.7 minutes per game.

Dwight Howard gets hacked a lot

Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard is a bad free throw shooter, so it’s a good gamble for defenders about to give up a potential easy inside shot to be sure to foul him and force him to sink the charity stripe shots.

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

dwight howard

The Hack-a-Howard is in a lot of opponent’s game-plans just as the Hack-a-Shaq was when O’Neal was a young Magic center.

The Magic have no more answers today for Howard than they did in the early-to-mid ’90s with Shaq.

The club complained to the league back then about the intentional, body-jarring fouling and little changed. Ditto in the Dwight era.

On Friday, General Manager Otis Smith threw up his hands and said, “What’s the league going to do?” Coach Stan Van Gundy has talked like a defense attorney this season on behalf of Howard, hoping the NBA might get the message through the media.

The answer?

“We — and Dwight — have to adjust to the situation the way it is,” Van Gundy said.

Howard for his career shoots 56.9% from the field, and only a little better, 60.2% from the free throw line.

Kobe Bryant youngest player to score 24,000 points

The AP reports:

Kobe Bryant scored 41 points while becoming the youngest player to reach 24,000, leading the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers to a 114-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Ron Artest had 19 points and seven assists in the fourth straight win for the defending NBA champions, who played without injured big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Lamar Odom managed just three points before fouling out on his 30th birthday, but Bryant carried the Lakers while reaching his latest scoring milestone 38 days before Wilt Chamberlain did. With a second-half surge, he even overtook Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson for 16th place on the NBA’s career scoring list.

Kevin Martin to have surgery

Kevin Martin to have surgery

Sacramento Kings’ guard Kevin Martin will undergo surgery Monday, November 9th at the UC Davis Medical Center to repair a non displaced hairline fracture of the navicular bone in his left Wrist. Dr. Robert Szabo will perform the procedure. Martin is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks.

Considering the team is set to endure another losing season, it probably makes sense for Martin to have this problem fixed correctly rather than trying to play through it.

It’s tough to say who on the Kings will make up for Martin’s scoring. There was a huge gap between him and everyone else.

Have Kings opinions? Share them on the InsideHoops Sacramento Kings forum.

Tyrus Thomas breaks left arm

Tyrus Thomas breaks left arm

Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas suffered a fractured radius of his left forearm during a weight training session this morning at practice. X-rays confirmed the injury and he will undergo surgery tomorrow.  The surgery will be performed at Rush, by team physicians Dr. Brian Cole and Dr. John Fernandez, and assisted by Dr. Mark Cohen.

Thomas is expected to be out four to six weeks.  In four games (three starts) this season, the Louisiana State product has averaged 8.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.75 bpg in 21.0 mpg.

Currently in his fourth year with the Bulls, Thomas has appeared in 229 games (95 starts) and posted averages of 7.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.34 bpg and 0.82 spg in 19.9 mpg.

Have Bulls opinions? Discuss them on the InsideHoops Chicago Bulls forum.

Timberwolves file lawsuit over signage rights

The Minnesota Timberwolves Limited Partnership filed a lawsuit today in Hennepin County District Court seeking resolution of a dispute with AEG, the operator of the Target Center, arising out of AEG’s failure to give its consent to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ proposal to install signs on the Second Avenue North exterior face of the Target Center.

The lawsuit alleges that the contractual arrangements relating to Target Center provide that AEG’s consent is required in order for the Minnesota Timberwolves to install additional exterior signs on Target Center, and that AEG is not permitted to withhold its consent “unreasonably.”  The Minnesota Timberwolves claim AEG has unreasonably withheld its consent.

“We generally have a fine relationship with AEG and regret that we have been forced into filing this lawsuit,” said Rob Moor, CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves.  He added that the parties had engaged in months of negotiations and mediation in an effort to settle the dispute, “but the parties simply have a fundamental disagreement over our contractual rights.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves are seeking a temporary injunction to prohibit AEG from erecting signs of its own on the exterior to the Target Center or from seeking to negotiate with the City of Minneapolis or potential advertising sponsors with respect to exterior signage, asserting that AEG has no right to do so.

Chris Dudley to run for governor

The AP reports:

Chris Dudley’s free throw shots were always iffy propositions. Now the former Phoenix Sun and Portland Trail Blazer is in a new arena taking aim at a governor’s chair – and Oregon’s Republicans think he can score.

Dudley hasn’t formally announced a bid for the post, but he filed paperwork last week to create a campaign committee.

“I’ll make a decision soon and report back. One way or another, I intend to help change Oregon for the better,” he said in a statement.

Dudley, 44, wouldn’t be the first professional athlete to make the transition into politics. The late Congressman Jack Kemp of New York was an NFL quarterback, and former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey was an NBA standout for years.