2015-16 preseason begins with Clippers win

Clippers win 2015-16 NBA preseason opener

DeAndre Jordan had 15 points and 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Denver Nuggets 103-96 on Friday night in the first game of the NBA preseason.

Jordan scored 12 points in the first half on 5-for-6 shooting, including three dunks.

The Clippers spoiled Nuggets coach Michael Malone’s debut.

Nuggets: Joffrey Lauvergne scored 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and had 11 rebounds in a reserve role. Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay missed eight of his first 11 shots and finished with 14 points.

— Associated Press

Bucks to use alternate court design this season

Now this is interesting. An alternate home court to go with an alternate jersey. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Bucks to use alternate court this season

The Milwaukee Bucks gave their fans the chance to buy something new, as the team announced at its Fan Fest Saturday that it will sell a four-game ticket package where the team not only will wear a new alternate jersey but will play on a completely new alternate basketball court.

“The idea has always been to take the fan experience to the next level,” said the Bucks vice president of marketing Dustin Godsey. “We rebranded with the alternate uniforms, but other teams have done that.”

No NBA team has ever played on a different surface in its home arena within the same season.

Bucks sign John Henson to contract extension

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed forward John Henson to a contract extension, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

According to ESPN.com, it is a four-year extension worth somewhere around $45 million.

“We’re thrilled to get this deal done to keep John in a Bucks uniform for years to come,” Bucks General Manager John Hammond said. “Since we drafted him in 2012, John has made an impact on this team, especially on the defensive end, and he is an integral part of our future. We’re looking forward to continuing to watch his development as we work to become a championship-caliber team.”

Henson, 24, played in 67 games for Milwaukee last season (11 starts), and averaged 7.0 points and 4.7 rebounds. He finished 5th in NBA for blocks per game with 2.01 and is one of seven players in Bucks history to average over 2.0 blocks in a single season. Henson blocked at least one shot in 20 straight games from Dec. 26 to Feb. 22, which was the third-longest streak in the NBA last season and one game shy of the longest such streak of his career (21 from Dec. 13, 2013 to Feb. 22, 2014). On March 20 at Brooklyn, Henson tied his career high with seven blocked shots in only 21 minutes – tying the shortest time for any player to get to seven blocks last season.

“We’re excited for John and for our organization as we continue to build a consistent winner,” Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd said. “John is a great teammate, plays unselfishly and has worked very hard to develop into a top-tier defender. We look forward to many great years together with him.”

The Bucks selected Henson with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He’s posted career averages of 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over three seasons, and his field goal percentage of 53.1 ranks third on Milwaukee’s all-time list (min. 1,000 FGA). In one of his best games on April 10, 2013, at Orlando, Henson posted 17 points along with career highs of 25 rebounds and seven blocks, becoming the first player to hit all three of those numbers since Shaquille O’Neal did so during the 2003-04 season.

Henson has been to the playoffs with the Bucks twice with averages of 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks through 10 games. In the 2015 postseason, he notched his first career playoff double-double on April 23 vs. Chicago with postseason career highs of 15 points and 14 rebounds, and with three blocks he became the first Bucks player since Ervin Johnson on May 28, 2001, to post a double-double with at least three blocks in a playoff game.

The 6-foot-11-inch product out of North Carolina was a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2012) and was named First-Team All-ACC as a junior after leading the conference in shot-blocking and rebounding. He was also named a 2009 McDonald’s All American as a senior at Sickles High School (Florida).

Seth Curry now has chance to establish himself

Minutes  may be tough to come by, however

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting on new Kings guard Seth Curry, brother of Stephen, who now has his best opportunity so far to solidify himself as a true NBA’er:

Seth Curry now has chance to establish himself

Seth Curry can relax a little, right?

Since going undrafted out of Duke in 2013, the 6-foot-2 guard has played in the NBA Development League and had brief stints in Memphis, Cleveland and Phoenix.

He now has a two-year guaranteed contract for $1.96 million with the Kings, assuring he will be on the opening night roster against the Los Angeles Clippers. But that’s not how Curry, the younger brother of Golden State star Stephen Curry, is approaching the season.

“I wouldn’t say more relaxed,” Curry said after Thursday’s practice at UC San Diego. “I think it just gives me a sense of trying to fit in with the team and find my role instead of just trying to make the team. But I still have the same sense of urgency that I’ve had in the past.”

Curry caught the Kings’ attention with a spectacular showing during summer league in Las Vegas, where he averaged 24.3 points for New Orleans. Curry impressed with his savvy and perimeter shooting, two assets coveted by Kings general manager Vlade Divac while revamping the roster.

Defense the focus for these Nuggets

Defense the focus for these Nuggets

Here’s the Denver Post blog with insight on this season’s Nuggets squad:

Make no mistake about it, the Nuggets will be a defense-first basketball team. And to that end, much of what was drilled during the week was on that end of the court. Against the Clippers — and then Mavericks on Tuesday — [Nuggets coach Michael] Malone wants to see progress on that end of the court first. Success there will allow the team to get on the break on offense.

“The hope is if you have a solid defensive effort that we’re able to run off of our defense,” he said. “I think we have some guys on our team that are really suited to play up tempo, open court. I think Emmanuel Mudiay, the more we can put him in open court situations, the more he’s going to thrive. Offensively we know there are going to be some growing pains, but as long as we’re not throwing the ball all over the gym and we’re trying to execute, we’ll be okay, regardless of the outcome.”

…

Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari reported feeling “fresh” after the first couple of days of practices. He and forward Joffrey Lauvergne are coming off of playing in the EuroBasket 2015 tournament in the first couple of weeks of September. Both will be monitored for fatigue and held out as necessary, Malone said.

Suns get glimpse of Navy SEALs training

Suns players get glimpse of Navy SEALs training

It’s always fun to hear about the other types of training NBA players get exposed to. Some worked out with MMA fighters. As for the Suns, here’s the Arizona Republic reporting:

The Suns got a day off of practice, but it did not feel like it for more than two hours Thursday when they got just a morsel of what Navy SEALs bite off in training.

In the name of bonding, the Suns changed up the training-camp routine after two days of two-a-day practices and turned their training over to a pair of Navy SEALs.

Dressed in camouflage pants and their Suns training shirts, 18 tall men caught double takes across campus as they went through team-building exercises across the Northern Arizona University campus.

The work began in the Wall Aquatic Center, where the private workouts were caught on video by the NAU swim team as the Suns players interlocked arms and went under lane ropes in unison. The Suns also went across fields on campus, doing push-ups, situps and carrying logs as NAU students snapped photos.

“A lot of it is team building,” said Suns Vice President of Player Relations Mark West, who helped organize the idea with the athletic training staff.

Mavs get rare day of rest

Mavs get rare day of rest

Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on Mavs training camp, which is serious business, though some of the older and banged up players on the squad are likely happy to get a brief break:

On Friday, the fourth day of training camp, Mavericks players will rest. No practice. Has Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle gone soft?

Not whatsoever. Time off is prudent for a team that’s been going through two-a-day practices with several injured and/or older players who haven’t as yet taken part in 5-on-5 scrimmaging.

The list includes Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, Wesley Matthews, JaVale McGee and Deron Williams. That’s four of this season’s five projected starters and one-fourth of the 20-man camp roster.

“The hope is that we can get some of these guys to do a little bit more [Saturday],” Carlisle said.

With Dante Exum out, Trey Burke must step up

With Dante Exum out, Trey Burke must step up

Here’s the Deseret News reporting on guard Trey Burke, an intriguing young member of the Utah Jazz backcourt who this season has a golden opportunity to raise his value in this league while starter Dante Exum is out with a serious injury:

With Dante Exum out, Trey Burke must step up

Burke enters his third NBA season having averaged 12.8 points per game last season, when his shooting percentages plummeted to 36.8 percent overall and 31.8 percent from 3-point range — and his struggling shooting nights were well documented. He also averaged 4.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds a game.

The 6-foot-1 guard, who was named the Collegiate Player of the Year while starring for the Michigan Wolverines in 2013, shed some weight during the offseason in an effort to improve his quickness and lateral movement.

What he can’t do, however, is replace Exum’s 6-foot-6 size and length, particularly on the defensive end of the court where guys Burke’s size often get taken advantage of.

“We’re just gonna have to have other guys pick up for (Exum),” said Utah’s leading scorer, Gordon Hayward. “We can’t really pick up his length or some of his speed on the defensive end, but the system will stay the same, the principles will stay the same, and we’ve got other guys that can step up.”

D`Angelo Russell nursing minor bruise in foot

D’Angelo Russell nursing minor bruise in foot

There are always lots of very minor semi-injuries in NBA training camp and preseason. Most won’t mean anything. And here’s one setback that hopefully is gone and forgotten very quickly, reported by the Los Angeles Daily News blog:

D`Angelo Russell nursing minor bruise in foot

The Lakers absorbed their first injury of the 2015-16 season, with rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell missing the end of Thursday’s two hour morning session at Stan Sheriff Center because of a bone bruise in his right foot. Russell does not know how the injury happened, but he downplayed the severity of the injury. Russell also expressed optimism he will play in the evening scheduled later for Thursday.

“I feel fine, I’m doing the proper icing and taking care of it,” Russell said. “It’s just a little bruise.

Still, Russell conducted his post-practice interview sitting on a chair.