Pistons guard Ish Smith injured

Pistons guard Ish Smith injured

An MRI has revealed that Detroit Pistons guard Ish Smith has suffered a right adductor muscle tear. The injury occurred in the second quarter of the Pistons game at Milwaukee on December 5. Smith will be out and reassessed in two weeks.

Now in his 9th NBA season, Smith in 2018-19 is averaging 9.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 22 games.

According to the Detroit News, “it’s the third injury to the Pistons’ backcourt, along with Reggie Bullock (left ankle sprain) and Luke Kennard (right shoulder sprain). Kennard has returned and played in the last two games but has been ineffective as he’s tried to gain his game speed and timing back.”

Warriors center Damian Jones out after surgery

Warriors center Damian Jones out after surgery

Warriors center Damian Jones, who suffered a torn left pectoral muscle in last Saturday’s game against the Pistons in Detroit, underwent what the team describes as successful surgery on Wednesday to repair the injury.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Benjamin Domb at Adventist Medical Health Center in Chicago and will enable Jones to begin rehabilitation in six weeks.

According to the Mercury News, “with All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins rehabbing his left Achilles tendon, Jones mostly assumed the starting position and experienced varying success and struggles. He averaged 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds. 2.6 fouls and a block in 17.1 minutes in 24 games, including 22 as a starter. With Draymond Green also sidelined for 13 of the past 15 games because of a sprained right toe in his right foot, the Warriors currently only have fourth-year forward Kevon Looney, second-year forward Jordan Bell and two-way player Marcus Derrickson at the center spot.”

Nikola Jokic`s passing ability big for Nuggets

 

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The Nuggets are 17-7, which is the second best record in the entire league, and they’re truly doing it as a team, with incredibly balanced scoring. One thing that sets them apart is their best passer and play-maker is center Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 7.8 assists per game this season to go with his 16.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per outing. He’s having a fantastic, All-Star level season. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Jokic’s 9.9 assists per game in Denver’s seven-game winning streak are tied with Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry for second-most in the NBA during that span. The next nine players on the list are all point guards.

His ability to control a game with his passing isn’t new, but it has been the catalyst for the Nuggets’ longest winning streak since the 2013-’14 season.

Jokic, who averaged 6.1 assists last season and ranks eighth alongside only point guards with his 7.8 dimes so far this season, has been an anomaly since he joined the league.

“I think last 15 games, we’re No. 1 in the league in assists per game at over 30,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “That’s when we’re at our best when we have player movement, ball movement, guys cutting and getting high percentage looks. I think that’s what allows Nikola to be the player that he is. He may not be shooting the best percentages in the world, but he can still contribute and dominate a game with his playmaking, his rebounding and other areas.”

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Kevin Durant, future NBA team owner?

I’d like to own an NBA team. You probably wouldn’t mind owning one either. Far more realistic is NBA superstar Kevin Durant, once he eventually retires, pulling it off. And he’s interested. Here’s the Mercury News with reporting his latest words on the matter:

The Warriors’ Kevin Durant has mused about owning and/or operating an NBA franchise. This week he applied some specificity to his dream.

Asked if he had an interest in being the guy who returns an NBA team to Seattle, he did not equivocate.

“Hell yeah, of course I would,” Durant told ESPN after the Warriors had chewed up and spit out the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Wednesday night.

Durant has a sentimental attachment to Seattle. It’s where he broke in as a 19-year-old rookie.

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For now, Tyreke Evans will remain in Pacers starting lineup

Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting on Tyreke Evans, who despite averaging 10.6 points on 37% shooting so far this season will apparently remain in the Indiana Pacers starting lineup for the time being. Evans has started all 24 games he’s played in so far:

Bojan Bogdanovic speaks about Evans the way the rest of his teammates do: with patience.

He’s a professional they all say. There’s a reason he’s been around the league for a decade. He knows what’s he doing. It will click for him soon. Have patience.

Patience is what coach Nate McMillan is preaching as well — especially in regards to Evans’ place in the Pacers starting lineup, which isn’t going to change.

“He’s had some turnovers, some missed shots lately, (but) we’re not going to go away from him,” McMillan said. “Off the bench, he was doing some good things for us. Hopefully he’ll find his rhythm and start knocking down some of those shots.”

While McMillan isn’t wrong that Evans was doing some good things off the bench, he wasn’t doing them consistently — or to the level the Pacers likely expected when they brought him to the team this offseason.

Full article

Pelicans sign Andrew Harrison to two-way contract

The New Orleans Pelicans signed guard Andrew Harrison to a two-way contract today.

Harrison, 6-6, 213, appeared in 11 games earlier this season (one with Memphis, 10 with Cleveland), averaging 4.1 points, 1.5 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per contest. Selected 44th overall by Phoenix in the 2015 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, Harrison has appeared in 139 games (64 starts) for Memphis and Cleveland, holding career averages of 7.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “Harrison started out this season with Memphis but was waived on Nov. 1. He was picked up by the Cavaliers just eight days later. ”

More from the Times-Picayune: “Harrison becomes the fourth Kentucky player on the Pelicans’ roster joining Anthony Davis, Julius Randle and Darius Miller. Harrison and Randle played together as freshman at Kentucky during the 2013-14 season.”

Harrison will wear #1 for the Pelicans and be available for the team’s home game tonight against Dallas.

New Orleans’s roster now stands at 17, including two two-way players (Harrison and Trevon Bluiett).

Per NBA rules, each team is allowed to carry two players on two-way contracts in addition to the standard 15 players on the roster. Players signed to two-way contracts will spend the majority of the year in the NBA G League, but can be called up to their NBA team for a maximum of 45 days during the season.

Chicago Bulls coaching staff is restructured

Changes to new Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen’s coaching staff were made today.

Assistant coach Nate Loenser has been elevated to the bench, while director of player development Shawn Respert, has also been elevated to the bench, as he now joins Boylen’s staff as an assistant coach. Longtime NBA coaching veteran Dean Cooper comes to the Bulls after starting the season as an assistant coach with Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. Assistant coach Randy Brown notified the Bulls today that he has resigned from his post with the team.

In summary, Boylen’s coaching staff is now comprised of Pete Myers, Loenser, Respert, Cooper and Karen Stack Umlauf.

Loenser is in his second season as an assistant coach with the Bulls. He served as head coach of the Windy City Bulls during the team’s inaugural season in 2016-17. He spent the 2015-16 as Chicago’s video coordinator, after having coached at the University of Southern Mississippi and Iowa State. “Nate is a very bright, young coach who has earned this opportunity,” said Boylen.

Respert most recently served as the team’s director of player development since the start of 2017-18 season. Prior to coming to Chicago, he was a regional scout and assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies. While with the Grizzlies, he was a member of David Joerger’s staff for three seasons (2013-16). He also spent three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he worked as an assistant coach with an emphasis on player development. He worked four seasons with the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach (2008-11). “Shawn is in charge of our player development and I feel it is vital that he is on our bench with our players,” said Boylen.

Cooper reunites with Boylen having worked together on Rudy Tomjanovich’s staff with the Houston Rockets. Before his term in Hoffman Estates with the Windy City Bulls, he was the head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars/Idaho Stampede for three seasons (2014-2017). Prior to his time with Salt Lake City, Cooper enjoyed a second stint with the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach for Kevin McHale (2012-14). His first tour with the Rockets spanned nine seasons (1999-2008) where he held several roles, including video coordinator, assistant coach, personnel scout, director of scouting and vice president of player personnel. He also spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves as the director of player development for two seasons (2010-12). “Dean is a veteran coach who has a ton of experience and someone I have a great comfort level with,” said Boylen.

Brown, an assistant coach with the Bulls since 2015, was offered an opportunity to remain on the staff, but declined the post. “I’m disappointed Randy has made this decision, but I understand he has to do what is best for him,” said Boylen.

Rudy Gobert fined by NBA for public comments about officials

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been fined $15,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Gobert made his comments to the media following the Jazz’s 102-100 loss to the Miami Heat on Dec. 2 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “Gobert was called for a foul on Heat guard Dwyane Wade with 3.2 seconds left in that game, and the resulting free throws broke a tie and ultimately resulted in Miami’s victory. Gobert asserted that the referees had been making foul calls inconsistently throughout the game, pointing to the lack of a foul call on a Donovan Mitchell drive to the hoop on the prior possession.”

Hawks forward Taurean Prince out with ankle injury

Atlanta Hawks forward Taurean Prince sustained a left ankle injury during the fourth quarter of last night’s contest vs. the Warriors. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed today at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex revealed a ligament sprain, bone bruise and associated soft tissue inflammation.

He’ll be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks.

The Hawks are 5-19 this season through Monday’s games, which ties them with the Bulls for the worst record in the Eastern conference. Prince, who has started 20 of the 21 games he’s played in this season, is third on the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg.

Gone from Knicks, Joakim Noah signs with Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed center Joakim Noah for the remainder of the season.

The team is 13-9 so far this season. Noah will provide depth off the bench.

Noah (6-11, 230) was named the 2013-14 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, was selected to the 2013-14 All-NBA First Team and finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player voting after setting career highs with averages of 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.24 steals for the Bulls that season. His career highlights also include two consecutive NBA All-Star appearances (2013, 2014), three NBA All-Defensive honors (Second Team in 2011, First Team in 2013 and 2014) and the 2015 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “Noah, a 33-year-old center, will sign a one-year, minimum salary contract worth $1.73 million after undergoing a team physical, a source confirmed.”

The 33-year-old has appeared in 625 games (511 starts) since he was selected ninth overall in the 2007 NBA Draft and has averaged 8.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.35 blocks in 28.6 minutes over 11 NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls (2007-16) and New York Knicks (2016-18). He has recorded 192 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles in his regular season career. Noah also has started all 60 of his playoff games and has averaged 9.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.77 blocks in 35.0 minutes.

More from the Commercial Appeal: “The Knicks waived Noah in October using the stretch provision to unload the remainder of a four-year, $72 million deal he signed with the team in the summer of 2016.”

Born in Manhattan, Noah played three seasons at the University of Florida (2004-07), where he was a member of two NCAA Championship teams (2006, 2007).

Noah will wear #55 for the Grizzlies.