Rockets waive Brent Barry

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has waived guard Brent Barry.

Barry (6-7, 210, Oregon State) signed as a free agent with the Rockets prior to last season on July 10 and averaged 3.7 points and 1.4 assists in 56 games (one start) played.  The 14-year NBA veteran was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overall selection in the 1995 NBA Draft before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to his rookie season.  Barry played two and a half seasons with the Clippers before being traded to the Miami Heat on Feb. 19, 1998.  His playing career also included stops in Chicago (1998-99), Seattle (1999-2004) and San Antonio (2004-08).  He has averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds over 912 (449 starts) career games played.

The Rockets roster now stands at 15 players: David Andersen, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks, Chase Budinger, Brian Cook, Joey Dorsey, Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, Kyle Lowry, Tracy McGrady, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Luis Scola, Jermaine Taylor and Yao Ming.

Knicks exercise options on Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year option on forward Wilson Chandler and its third-year option on forward Danilo Gallinari.

Chandler, 6-8, 225-pounds, has averaged 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 117 games over his first two NBA seasons. The Benton Harbor, MI-native enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign last season, averaging 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds while playing in all 82 games and was also selected to play in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge at 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.

Gallinari, 6-10, 225-pounds, averaged 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 28 games as a rookie in 2008-09. The Milan, Italy-native was selected by New York with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Stephen Curry missing shots early on

The Golden State Warriors have all sorts of issues. A minor one, for now, is that rookie guard Stephen Curry isn’t quite a shooting star just yet.

Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reports:

Stephen Curry missing shots early on

The rookie No. 1 draft pick entered the game shooting 34.8 percent, including 4-for-21 from 3-point range.

Nelson said Curry is not even making shots in practice.

“I just thought it was a fluke for the first few weeks,” Nelson said.

“He was always a volume shooter,” Nelson said. “We’re having him think more as a point guard. That may be a factor, but I don’t think so. He feels free to take shots, and we encourage him to do it. I don’t really know any reason.

“He was a great shooter in college. … All I’ve been doing is just encouraging him. Keep shooting.”

Nelson has told the Warriors’ strength and conditioning personnel about cutting back Curry’s weightlifting to see if that’s the problem.

Curry said he lifts three days a week “heavy” for an hour straight. At most at Davidson, he said, he lifted “light” twice a week. But he said he doesn’t think weights are the issue.

I see this as no big deal at all. He’s shooting 35 percent now, on a team that’s making all sorts of adjustments. He’ll probably start shooting 40 percent soon, and perhaps higher in the near future. No problem just yet.

Dionte Christmas arrested on firearms charges

Dionte Christmas, a 6-5, 205-pound basketball player released by the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, decided to spend the next day driving badly without a license with a gun under his seat.

The AP reports:

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore says Christmas was stopped by Highway Patrol officers at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday for erratic driving in North Philadelphia. Vanore says he was found to be driving without a license, and the vehicle had a 9mm semiautomatic pistol under the driver’s seat.

The report says he’s going to be charged with a felony.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

He was initially stopped for driving erratically, and subsequently found to be driving without a license, Vanore said.

The vehicle had a Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic pistol under the driver’s seat with seven rounds in it, Vanore said.

Christmas was taken to the 35th Police District to be charged with felony firearms offenses. His passenger was not charged, Vanore said.

Talent-wise, Christmas might be good enough to make an NBA roster but more than likely will head to Europe for an overseas career.

Grizzlies want Mike Conley to step up

Grizzlies want Mike Conley to step up

For most of his short NBA career, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley has merely been solid.

Entering the league in the 2007-08 season, Conley didn’t shoot particularly well and averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 assists per game.

In his second season the 6-1, 185-pound Conley improved his three-point shooting range and free throw shooting, but the rest of his game didn’t show much improvement.

The time has come for him to make a strong impression on Grizzlies management.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Conley has received a strong message. The coaching staff is demanding he be more assertive and in charge of a group that features strong personalities and offensive wills.

Under Hollins, Conley already proved he is a credible NBA point guard. The pressure this season is for Conley to build on his personal gains and prove his position isn’t in need of an upgrade.

“I don’t want to be the weak link,” Conley said. “You want to be a key part of why a team is winning. It forces me to look at the game differently. I’ve got to be a force so that guys can’t sag off me or take me for granted.

“I know people may have given up and lost interest in me, but I use all of that as motivation. The people who doubt me, I try to go out and prove them wrong. I know I can help make this team better. I’m at the point now where I feel like people are going to realize that I belong in this league.”

Conley’s shooting has been good this preaseason. But he must soon prove that he’s capable of being a starter on a winning team.

16-1 does not necessarily impress Doc Rivers

When a team is 16-1 it is a safe assumption that they’re pretty good. Actually, more like very good, or great. But Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers judges by what his eyes tell him as he watches the team play, not the win-loss column.

Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe reports:

“Last year, I kept making a point when we were 16-1 we were horrible, that we were playing horrible,’’ Rivers said. “People were laughing; I believed that. I thought we were and it proved itself a little bit right after that. So you just watch your team.’’

Chemistry becomes a cliché after a while, but making sure roles are clear and every player is comfortable in theirs is a priority.

“A lot of the jobs for guys are new, even some of the guys that have been here, and it’s going to take them time to understand it completely,’’ Rivers said. “And that’s what we mean by, ‘We’ll be better as the year goes on.’ ’’

This reminds me of when the Houston Rockets went on their incredible 20+ game winning streak a while back. Even though they kept winning game after game, there was nothing particularly impressive about the team other than good chemistry and smart, unselfish play. Yet they kept right on winning.

Trail Blazers sign LaMarcus Aldridge to contract extension

Trail Blazers sign LaMarcus Aldridge to contract extension

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward LaMarcus Aldridge to a five-year contract extension, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. We’ll post details of the contract tonight or tomorrow.

“It’s a blessing and I’m very thankful,” said Aldridge. “I want to thank Paul Allen, Kevin Pritchard, Larry Miller, Nate McMillan and Tom Penn for giving me the opportunity to be in Portland for many years to come. I also want to thank the Portland fans, my friends and family for all of their support. I’m really happy we got this done and now I’m really excited to get the season started.”

Aldridge, 24, holds career averages of 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.11 blocks, 32.0 minutes and a 48.7% mark from the floor in 220 games over three seasons with the Trail Blazers. The forward has started all 157 games in which he has played over the past two seasons.

“This is a great day for the Trail Blazers franchise,” said Pritchard. “LaMarcus is the epitome of what we’re about. He’s a hard-working, committed and unselfish young man who plays the right way.”

The Trail Blazers have improved dramatically since Aldridge joined the team in 2006, going from 21 wins the year prior to his arrival in Portland to 54 wins, a share of the Northwest Division title and a trip to the playoffs in 2008-09.

Aldridge posted a career-high 18.1 points (48.4% FG, 78.1% FT) to go with 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.95 steals, 0.95 blocks and 37.1 minutes last season. Among NBA leaders, Aldridge ranked 31st in scoring, 28th in rebounding and 31st in blocked shots. The Dallas, Texas, native led the team in scoring 25 times and rebounding 17 times in 2008-09. His 19 double-doubles marked a team high.

The 6-11, 240-pound Aldridge started all six games for Portland in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, where he averaged 19.5 points (49.0% FG), 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.67 blocks in 39.5 minutes per game. He netted 20 points or more in three games and led the Trail Blazers in rebounds three times.

Acquired by the Trail Blazers in a draft day trade on June 28, 2006, Aldridge was originally selected by Chicago with the second overall pick out of the University of Texas in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Bobby Jackson to retire

Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee reports:

bobby jackson retiring

If Bobby Jackson picks his wardrobe appropriately today, he’ll stand at the Arco Arena podium and formally announce his retirement in a three-piece suit and sneakers.

He’s leaving behind a 12-year playing career and joining the Kings in a varied capacity that often will involve business attire, but the player in him is far from gone just yet.

And if the moment is truly destined to capture the spirit of one of the Kings’ most popular players of all time, it will be the pair of Nikes with the cut-off hi-tops.

He used scissors to create a unique size and spark eye-rolls from the company’s reps last season because, well, they just didn’t get the job done in their original form and he wasn’t about to cater to any corporate types.

Jackson was a good player. Never a star, but always able to help a team’s rotation.

76ers exercise options on Marreese Speights, Jason Smith and Thaddeus Young

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the team has exercised the third-year contract option for Marreese Speights and the fourth-year contract options for Jason Smith and Thaddeus Young.

“Thaddeus, Jason and Marreese are three of our young players who have done everything asked of them and continue to show improvement every time they step out on the court,” Stefanski said. “We are excited about the way they have developed to this point and we are looking to forward them continuing their careers with the Sixers.”

Speights (6-10, 245) was the 16th overall pick by the Sixers in the 2008 NBA Draft.  As a rookie last season, he averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 16.0 minutes per game while shooting 50.2% from the floor.  He would have ranked third among rookies in field goal percentage had he qualified.  This preseason, Speights is second on the team in scoring (13.7 ppg) and first in rebounding (8.4 rpg) despite playing just over 20 minutes per game.

Smith (7-0, 240) was originally selected by Miami with the 20th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, but was acquired in a draft night trade by the Sixers.  He missed all of last season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during a workout session in August of 2008.  As a rookie in 2007-08, Smith appeared in 76 games, averaging 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game.  This preseason, he is averaging 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.

Young (6-8, 220) was the 12th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2007 NBA Draft.  He averaged 15.3 points last season, up from 8.2 as a rookie in 2007-08.  That marked the biggest increase in scoring average of any player in the league last season with a minimum of 50 games played.  Over his final 15 games played in 2008-09, Young averaged 21.3 points on 56.3% shooting.  For his career, Young is shooting 51.0% from the floor and has 173 steals to 182 turnovers.

Speights (22 years old), Smith (23) and Young (21) join Jrue Holiday (19) and Lou Williams (turns 23 on Oct. 27th) as the quintet of Sixers who will be 23 years or younger heading into the season opener at Orlando on Oct. 28th.

Joe Alexander injures hamstring, out 8-12 weeks

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that forward Joe Alexander re-aggravated his right hamstring injury during rehabilitation exercises this week.

After consulting with Bucks orthopedic physician Dr. Michael Gordon, M.D., Alexander is expected to be sidelined for a period of 8-to-12 weeks.  Alexander will be re-evaluated on a regular basis and his status will be updated as necessary.

Alexander, 22, originally suffered the injury during voluntary drills prior to the start of training camp on September 17.

In 59 games during his rookie season, Alexander averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.  In the 2009 NBA Summer League, Alexander tallied 16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over the five game schedule in Las Vegas.