Basketball Blog

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the contract options for the 2008-09 season on forward Marvin Williams and forward/center Shelden Williams, it was announced today by Executive VP/General Manager Billy Knight.  Per team policy, financial terms were not disclosed.

Entering his third season with the Hawks, Marvin Williams saw his numbers increase in virtually every category last season, as he averaged 13.1 ppg (up 4.6 from his rookie campaign), 5.3 rpg (up 0.5), 1.9 apg (up 1.1) and 0.8 spg (up 0.2) in 34.0 mpg (64 games), hitting .433 FGs and .815 FTs.

Despite missing the first 17 games of the season due to a non-displaced fracture of the third metacarpal of his left hand, he ranked 3rd on the team in ppg and FT%, 4th in mpg and 5th in rpg.  Williams turned it up a notch late in the season, putting up 19.7 ppg on .565 FGs over his last six games, as he scored 20-or-more in five of those contests.

The NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April, Shelden Williams posted averages of 11.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 1.8 spg and 1.1 apg (.588 FGs) during that time.  Playing in a team-high 81 games on the season, Williams averaged 5.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg (led all rookies) and 0.6 spg on the campaign, making .455 FGs and .764 FTs. He finished fourth on the team in FT% and rpg.

He also recorded eight double-doubles, tops among first-year players.  In his 31 starting assignments, he tallied 7.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 0.9 spg (.505 FG%, .789 FT%).

Training Camp ’07 will begin Monday, October 1st with Media Day activities set to begin at 3 p.m. on the Philips Arena practice court, while practices are scheduled to start on Tuesday, October 2nd (more details to come at a later date).

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard Donell Taylor and forward Mike Hall to a pair of qualifying offers.  Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Taylor (6-5, 193) has appeared in 98 career games (two starts) over two seasons with the Wizards.  He has averaged 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 8.5 minutes per game as a professional. Taylor originally signed with the Wizards on August 16, 2005 as an undrafted free agent out of UAB.

Hall (6-8, 230), who originally signed with the Wizards on February 28, 2007, appeared in two games with Washington last season.  Hall averaged 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game for Washington during five games in the 2007 NBA Summer League.  He played collegiately at George Washington University.

Following six days of training in Las Vegas, Nev., USA Basketball announced its official 12-man roster that will represent the United States in the Aug. 22-Sept. 2 FIBA Americas Championship 2007.

Named to the USA Basketball Senior National Team were Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets); Mike Miller (Memphis Grizzlies); Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).

Duke University Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is head coach of the USA Senior Team program. Serving as assistant coaches are Syracuse University and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D’Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.

“This is an extremely difficult decision because you have 14 guys worthy of being on the team. Someone says you have to have 12 and you try and figure out who the best 12 would be. With Kevin (Durant), one year in college and 18 years old, he’s made giant progress and he’s going to be one of the faces of the NBA and USA Basketball who will be considered next year because 10 months from now he’s only going to get better. Nick (Collison) wasn’t involved from the very beginning so to be this close to making it after being here for about a week shows what a tremendous job he did. This was an extremely difficult decision because for both kids you can make a case for either one.

“We’re pleased with the team we have and the thing that makes it difficult is people are playing well. We do have some shooters, so who do you not select? We do have depth at point guard and the physicality of the guard positions hurt us so we tried to respond to that. That’s a couple of the reasons why we selected the people we did,” said Kyzyzewski.

“It sounds trite to say it was a tough decision but in all reality it was that and more because all 14 were deserving of being on this roster and unfortunately we didn’t have that luxury, we had to go down to 12,” said USA Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo. “The two that were not selected were really not selected to be with us the next couple of weeks and that’s the extent of it because they’re a part of our team and our team effort.”

“We were a very young team last summer in the World Championship and it was because of injuries to players and some others who were not available and couldn’t participate so we’re much more of a veteran team and I think maturity means a lot in international play. Because of that leadership we’ll have with that maturity I think we’ll have a much better opportunity this go around.” said Colangelo.

The USA team at last summer’s 2006 FIBA World Championship averaged 24.50 years of age. This time around, the USA team, by the end of the tournament, will average 26.16.

“The experience of the team helps us, there’s no question,” stated Krzyzewski. “The good teams we play against are not only older individually, they’re older collectively. They’ve grown old together so maybe we can make up for some of that with the selections that we made.

“We’re healthy, we have great attitudes, and were anxious to play. We’d like to have more in and have more continuity with the team, but where we’re at (now) is a really good spot,” added Krzyzewski.

ESPN.com reports:

ESPN has confirmed that former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin was killed last week when his car collided with a freight train.

Investigators used dental records to identify Griffin, 25, who began his tumultous pro career with the Houston Rockets in 2001. He was waived by the Timberwolves in March.

The five-year veteran and former seventh overall draft pick had battled alcohol problems since coming out of Seton Hall. He was suspended by the NBA for five games in January for violating the anti-drug program.

Houston police said in a report that the SUV ignored a railroad warning and went through a barrier before striking the moving train about 1:30 a.m. Friday.

The driver’s body was badly burned and there was no identification.

By Bobby Ciafardini

NEW YORK — Time has changed Kenny Satterfield. And where not just talking about getting older.

The former 2001 second round pick spent three seasons in the NBA before his poor attitude cost him his roster spot, but the 26-year-old former Cincinnati star hasn’t followed the same story line as most streetball legends. You the know one: Rise to greatness, fall to obscurity.

Instead, Satterfield, with a little maturity, has resurrected his game. Last Thursday night at Rucker Park in Harlem, the man they call “High Energy” and “Serious Satellite” continued his domination on the NYC playground circuit, leading Team RocStar to a 98-79 victory over Hunc Records in the 2007 Entertainer’s Basketball Classic.

Satterfield led all scorers with a game-high 28. At halftime, he was named the EBC’s 2007 Player of the Year. By the conclusion of the game, Satterfield had earned himself MVP honors and a championship ring, too.

“This is one of my best individual summer seasons, in terms of personal accolades,” Satterfield told InsideHoops.com after the game. “It’s great to win Player of the Year and MVP of the game, but the title was the one I coveted most.”

Satterfield, who grew up in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, has shed his “me-first attitude,” and cares most about winning these days, as he makes another run at the L. He plans on playing overseas this year, and remains hopefully for a second chance in the NBA.

Drafted by Dallas, Satterfield’s rights were later traded to Denver. He spent two seasons with the Nuggets and one in Philadelphia. Since, he has played in NBA summer camps, the D-League and overseas, working to fine tune both the physical and mental aspects of his game. Satterfield is arguably the best streetball player in New York. He has put up monster numbers at every tournament, including the Hoops in the Sun Roundball Classic where he was named co-MVP of the league Sunday after averaging 40 PPG. That makes back-to-back MVPs for Satterfield at H.I.T.S.

We saw another blast from the past this week in streetball. James “Speedy” Williams, a
New York streetball legend, won the Last Man Standing one-on-one tournament at the Garden. Saturday, he took home a $5,000 check, a championship ring, tickets to an MSG event of his choice, and will now get a tryout for the league before pro scouts.

He also suited up for D.D.N./Sean Bell All-Stars at H.I.T.S. Sunday, helping the top-seeded squad past Dontfahget.com for the chip. Speedy, whose playground dominance is chronicled in Lars Anderson’s and Chad Millman’s book Pickup Artists, starred at Medgar Evers College, but never made the league, although it’s been said that he was good enough to play at that level. Speedy has made a living playing streetball.

Next weekend, he’ll suit up in the 35-and-up Still Hoopin’ 3-on-3 Classic. The first-place team wins $125,000. The tournament at Iroquois Springs in Rock Hill, New York features a host of former NBA players – including former Knick Michael Ray Richardson – every year.

We’ll see if Speedy can add some more to his bank account this weekend. InsideHoops.com will be there, covering the games.

Other black top beat reminders: Don’t forget the Elite 24 Friday night at Rucker. Game tips at 7:30 p.m. Come and see the future of the NBA – now. Twenty-four of the nation’s best high schoolers on one court.

The Nike Tournament of Champions is Sunday – all day – at Goat Park in NYC. The champions from Hoops in the Sun, Dyckman, West 4^th and Pro City will square off. That’s another can’t miss.

Final thoughts on the EBC chip: A shout goes out to Quinton “T2” Hosley, the son of Rucker scoring legend Ron “The Terminator” Mathias. Hosley, like his parents Hazel and Ron, has now won an EBC championship.All in the Family.

Rasaun “Crabby” Young notched 16 in a losing effort for Hunc Records. He also broke a H.I.T.S. championship game scoring record Sunday with 47 points for the runner-up, Dontfahget.com.

See you on the playground.

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced Thursday that the club has signed free agent guard/forward Jarvis Hayes to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to add Jarvis Hayes to our roster,” said Dumars. “Jarvis has proven himself as a solid NBA player over the last four seasons and we like the flexibility and depth he will bring to our team at the small forward position.”

Hayes, 26, appeared in a career-high 81 games last season with the Washington Wizards averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 21 times a year ago, including a career-high 29 points at New Jersey (4/7). Drafted by Washington with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft, Hayes was named to the 2003-04 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and was selected to participate in the Got Milk? Rookie-Sophomore Game during NBA All-Star 2004.

Hayes has career averages of 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 25.4 minutes in 226 NBA games. He averaged a career-high 10.2 points in 54 games during the 2004-05 NBA campaign, a season that was cut short due to injury.

InsideHoops.com Newswire: The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced forward Mark Madsen underwent successful right shoulder pec repair surgery. Team orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Fischer and Dr. Brad Nelson performed the surgery at the TRIA Orthopaedic Center. Madsen is expected to make a full recovery, with a rehabilitation timeline of three months.

Madsen, a 6-9 forward from Stanford, is entering his eighth NBA season, and fifth with the Timberwolves. He has appeared in 414 career regular-season games. A first-round pick (29th overall) in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, Madsen was a member of the Lakers 2001 and 2002 NBA Championship teams. After three years in Los Angeles, he signed as a free agent with Minnesota on July 28, 2003, and re-signed with the Wolves on Aug. 9, 2005.

The United States team that will be competing the FIBA Americas tournament to earn its place in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing has had its share of press lately, but there haven’t been many media outlets discussing how international basketball rose to power over the years. I think it bears mentioning as the USA fights for the right to compete in the upcoming Olympics, that Jordan, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Drexler, Pippen, Malone,
Ewing, Mullin, Robinson, Stockton, and Laettner had an enormous impact on the growth of the international game.

It was 15 years ago this week that the Dream Team won Olympic gold in Barcelona, Spain. The Olympic commission had its reasons for allowing professional players from the NBA to compete in what was always intended to be a venue for amateurs – namely to grow the worldwide interest in the sport and to even the odds against American collegiate players who were going up against older, professional players from other nations. The NBA had its reasons for sending the best players in the game – a desire to recapture a sport the country had dominated before the disappointing silver medal finish in the 1988 games and a desire to create new markets in the hundreds of nations that would witness the televised Olympic games.

There’s nothing to call that team’s accomplishments except unbridled successes. The dominance they exhibited over the other teams in the 1992 Olympics was unmatched in modern sports. And yet, even though they relegated the rest of the field to a race for second place, the team was almost universally admired for its star power and exemplary display of basketball brilliance. The players were idols and heroes to their competitors, other athletes, and the international fans.

In an article concerned with his 1992 Olympic experience, Chuck Daly wrote, “Out there somewhere was a 12-year-old or a 13-year-old, not necessarily in the United States or in Spain but in any country, who perhaps was seeing these players for the first time. Now that youngster has a dream, and will be willing to work to make that dream come true.” – NBA.com

The coach seems prophetic today. Two foreign players with no US collegiate experience have been taken with the number one overall draft pick since 2002. Two NBA Rookies of the Year have been foreign players with no collegiate experience. A Chinese citizen, who was both a number pick and a rookie of the year, has also led the league in All-Star votes for years. The 2007 NBA Finals MVP is from France. The 2007 NBA MVP is from Germany. To put a name to Chuck Daly’s hypothetical 13 year old, Dirk Nowitski entered the league in 1998 at the age of 19.

WashingtonWizards.com reports: Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has re-signed forward Andray Blatche. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Blatche (6-11, 248) averaged 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 56 games last season. In 13 games started, he posted 6.9 points (on 50% shooting from the field), 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game. He also scored in double figures six times and had three games with 10 or more rebounds.

“We are encouraged with Andray’s development and we feel he has a very good upside,” Grunfeld said. “He stepped into the starting lineup on a number of occasions last season and did a solid job in filling in for the injured Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. He is a young and promising talent who has shown that he can be a solid contributor to our team.”

Memphis Grizzlies majority owner Michael Heisley today named legendary college basketball coach and Memphis basketball legend, Gene Bartow as President of Hoops LP, which operates the Memphis Grizzlies and FedExForum.

“I am pleased to announce the expansion of Gene’s role with the Grizzlies which allows him to be more involved in all areas of the organization,” Heisley said. “We feel he is a perfect fit for the Grizzlies and the City of Memphis. Over the past seven years Gene has expanded his involvement with the Grizzlies to enhance the team’s relationship with the community. His contacts with all fans in Memphis and the surrounding region made him an obvious choice.”

Bartow was named the NCAA National Coach of the year in 1973 after leading Memphis State to the NCAA finals against UCLA and has been serving the Grizzlies as a special advisor since the team came to Memphis in 2001. He has assisted with basketball and team related matters such as scouting in both the college and professional ranks, serving as a goodwill ambassador in the community and helping to sell season tickets and sponsorships.

“I am pleased with the confidence shown in me by Mike Heisley and excited about the opportunity, Bartow said. “I am optimistic about facing the challenge with General Manager Chris Wallace, Head Coach Marc Iavaroni and President of Business Operations Andy Dolich. When Mark and Chris were appointed I felt that Grizzlies fans were in for some exciting times. I have watched what they have already done since joining us, which has only increased my optimism about the future. I am honored by the opportunity Michael Heisley has given me to serve the organization.”

Bartow compiled 647 wins in 34 years of collegiate coaching success. At Memphis State University from 1970-1974, he advanced the Tigers to the 1973 NCAA national championship game after winning consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles in the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons. His teams at Memphis State, UCLA and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) combined to reach a pair of NCAA Final Fours, three regional finals, twelve appearances in the NCAA tournament, and nine appearances in the NIT tournament, including two NIT Final Fours.

In addition to his National Coach of the Year honor in 1973, Bartow has been named to five Halls of Fame and has both the arena on the UAB campus and the gym at St. Charles Missouri high school, named in his honor. After his retirement from coaching, Bartow continued to serve UAB as its Athletics Director, a position he held from 1977-2000.