San Antonio Spurs Bring Danny Ferry To Front Office
Surprised Il Messaggero Didn't Hire
The San Antonio Spurs have brought back former player and director of pro player personnel Danny Ferry. The former general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the silver and black to replace Dell Demps, who left to become GM of the New Orleans Hornets last month, in becoming club’s director of pro player personnel. Ferry will oversee the Spurs NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros.
Ferry interviewed for GM jobs with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Jersey Nets after he was fired by the Cavaliers in May. He joins Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey and Buford.
San Antonio Spurs Draw Good Ratings On TNT
Amazing Is Belief
TNT NBA Playoffs tripleheader on Sunday drew good numbers for TNT. Headlined by the San Antonio Spurs/Dallas Mavericks matchup.
The Mavericks Game 1 win over the Spurs drew a 2.9 overnight rating on TNT Sunday night, up 7% from Miami Heat/Atlanta Hawks in the same time slot last year (2.7). Last year’s Mavericks/Spurs Game 1, which aired on a Saturday night on ESPN, drew a 2.3 overnight rating. The 2.9 for Sunday’s game was tied as the highest of the weekend for an NBA Playoff game on cable as the Miami Heat/Boston Celtics also drew a 2.9 on ESPN the previous night.
The rest of ESPN’s tripleheader numbers saw the Milwaukee Bucks/Atlanta Hawks game draw a 1.8 overnight rating and later in the night the Utah Jazz/Denver Nuggets saw a 2.4 overnight.
The Charlotte Bobcats/Orlando Magic Game 1 drew a 2.5 overnight rating, up 9% from Philadelphia 76ers/Orlando Magic Game 1 last year (2.3). The night ended with the Portland Trail Blazers Game 1 upset of Phoenix Suns drew a 2.2 overnight and was down 3% from last year’s Game 1 between the New Orleans Hornets and Denver Nuggets (2.3).
Overall, TNT averaged a 2.5 overnight rating for NBA Playoff coverage on Sunday.
Paranormal Activity Doesn’t Scare Chris Paul
I didn’t realize there was people that was actually shorter than Chris Paul.
Want To Sit Courtside With David Robinson March 5th?
I Salute You
That’s right you could be a lucky fan to sit courtside with one of the NBA’s greatest players and one of San Antonio’s finest citzen, David Robinson.
There’s two ways that can happen.
- Recruit your friends to donate just $2.99 to this great cause with your link below (Facebook, Twitter or email). Most recruits March 3rd wins. Check the leaderboard below to see who’s ahead.
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Each winner brings a friend and sits courtside Spurs vs. Hornets March 5th Airfare & Hotel included.
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Support The Carver Academy, support your local community.
Josh Howard Takes DNP Due To Hangover
Smooth
Josh Howard’s lack of production and past infractions may have set things in motion long ago, but the inciting moment that may have led to Howard’s ticket out of Dallas seems to be a DNP-due to hangover.
Several Maverick sources said Howard had a long night of partying on January 19, the night after the Mavericks had won in Boston and less than 24 hours before playing the Washington Wizards. The team officially said he missed the game against Washington on Jan. 20 with a stomach illness. But team officials said that it was a self-inflicted game off.
It certainly be the first time that Howard partying has drawn criticism as his notorious 2008 birthday party that he threw during a playoff series in which the Mavs were getting creamed by the New Orleans Hornets drew the fire from then-coach Avery Johnson and Mavs’ management. Oh, and then there the YouTube video about the national anthem. And the drag racing. And the admission of marijuana use.
NBA Announces All-Star Reserves
February 14, 2010
The NBA is set to announce the All-Star reserves during tonight’s TNT games but Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski got a hold of a leaked list of the 2010 NBA All-Star reserves
Eastern Conference Reserves:
Rajon Rondo – Boston Celtics
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
Chris Bosh – Toronto Raptors
Gerald Wallace – Charlotte Bobcats
Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks
Western Conference Reserves:
Deron Williams – Utah Jazz
Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder
Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks
Zach Randolph – Memphis Grizzlies
Brandon Roy – Portland Blazers
It will be the All-Star debuts for seven players: Williams of Utah, Chicago’s Rose, Boston’s Rondo, Charlotte’s Wallace, Memphis Randolph, Atlanta’s Horford and Oklahoma City’s Durant.
Among the notable candidates left off the team are the Los Angeles Clippers Chris Kaman, New York Knicks David Lee and Denver Nuggets Chauncey Billups.
NBA’s Best-Selling Jerseys
#1
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant is once again the top selling jersey in the NBA like he did in 2008-09 season. Here is the complete list of top sellers compiled from the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com,
Top 15 NBA Jerseys
1. Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Dwight Howard- Orlando Magic
4. Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
5. Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
6. Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics
7. Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
8. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
9. Shaquille O’Neal – Cleveland Cavaliers
10. Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
11. Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets
12. Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns
13. David Lee – New York Knicks
14. Allen Iverson – Philadelphia 76ers
15. Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder
I understand the New York fan needing a jersey to represent their team but isn’t it shocking to see David Lee in the top 15 but not a single San Antonio Spur. I guess Tim Duncans time has passed but your telling me Tony Parker cant crack the United States 15?
San Antonio Spurs Tried To Get Chris Paul For Tony Parker?
Not Far Out Of The Realm Of Possibility
An interesting report comes from Hoopsworld saying league sources had the San Antonio Spurs trying to make a trade for New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul and the offering piece was Tony Parker.
The offer was immediately turned away by the Hornets.
Parker has one more season remaining on his deal worth $13.6 million and could be one of the top free agent guards in the summer of 2011. Paul is signed through the 2011-12 season, one year longer than Parker.
If this is true, do the Spurs have a strong belief that Parker will not be returning to San Antonio once he becomes a free agent? Tim Duncan will be obviously older in basketball years come summer of ’11 as will Manu Ginobili, and will he even be here, are questions that have got to be going through Parkers mind in the off season.
Byron Scott Will Rejoin ESPN As An NBA Analyst
352-355
ESPN’s NBA Hiring Department has nabbed another former player/coach, and this time he’s even a former employee of the network. Scott was fired last month after more than five seasons in New Orleans. He coached the New Jersey Nets from 2000-04, leading them to two NBA finals appearances. The recently fired coach Byron Scott will be back with the network this January as an NBA studio analyst. Scott previously served as an ESPN analyst during the 2003-04 season.
“I look forward to being able to contribute my insights and perspective on the game I love,” said Scott. “ESPN has an abundance of terrific talent and I’m glad to be back in broadcasting with the premier sports network.”
He won three NBA championships as a player with the Lakers.
New Orleans Hornets Unveil Mardi Gras Uniforms
What About Fiesta?
In order to help cross promote New Orleans largest party the Hornets revealed a Mardi Gras uniform. We know the San Antonio Spurs used to have Fiesta colors in the background of their old logo but does this move by the Hornets give the Spurs a gateway to create a Fiesta style uniform? Just because the great city of San Antonio doesn’t go all Girls Gone Wild during it’s celebration doesn’t mean it factors any less to the city’s economics or devalues it’s tradition and meaning to the people of San Antonio.
NBA Attendance Only Down 2% Despite Economy
Est. 1946
It’s fairly earlier so don’t shoot the messenger but the numbers are out for early attendance in the NBA and despite the economy and the earliness of the season they are only down 2% from this point last year. Also the statistic is skewed by two teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies, who are drawing less than 70 percent.
The 76ers averaged 15,802 in 2008-’09, in five home games this season they’ve averaged 11,377, and are down more than 20 percent of capacity from last year. The Memphis Grizzlies ranked 29th in attendance last year only filling 70 percent of their arena are now only filling 66 percent, only outdrawing the 76ers. The Detroit Pistons have cause for concern, dropping from first in average attendance to 16th, falling 19.6 percent. The Spurs, a team retooled and trying to avenge their first round playoff exit rank 12th but are down 8%
Not all is doom and gloom as the Chicago Bulls are up over 100 percent of capacity after filling 97.7 percent of the United Center last season. The Cleveland Cavilers are in a similar boat, selling out each home game so far after drawing 97.3 percent last season. The Atlanta Hawks have seen significant gains, rising from 89.4 to 95.4 percent. Even the Minnesota Timberwolves fans are showing support no that Kevin McHale is ruining their team by filling their stadium by 8% more than last season.
Source: SportsBusiness Journal
Average attendances and percentage for each team:
| Rank | Team | Average Attendance | % (+/-) from year prior |
| 1 | Chicago | 21,111 | +3.3% |
| 2 | Cleveland | 20,562 | +2.7% |
| 3 | Portland | 20,350 | -.8% |
| 4 | Dallas | 19,823 | -1.4% |
| 5 | New York | 19,625 | +1.7% |
| 6 | Utah | 19,611 | -1.5% |
| 7 | LA Lakers | 18,997 | (no chg) |
| 8 | Boston | 18,624 | (no chg) |
| 9 | Toronto | 18,131 | -3.2% |
| 10 | Denver | 18,039 | +4.3% |
| 11 | Washington | 17,975 | +6.7% |
| 12 | San Antonio | 17,957 | -.8% |
| 13 | Oklahoma City | 17,882 | +.5% |
| 14 | Atlanta | 17,862 | +6% |
| 15 | Golden State | 17,827 | -5.7% |
| 16 | Detroit | 17,541 | -19.6% |
| 17 | Orlando | 17,541 | +2.4% |
| 18 | Miami | 17,421 | -4.1% |
| 19 | Houston | 17,130 | -2% |
| 20 | Phoenix | 16,771 | -9% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 16,088 | +8.2% |
| 22 | New Orleans | 15,156 | -10.5% |
| 23 | New Jersey | 14,919 | -1.4% |
| 24 | LA Clippers | 14,748 | -7.4% |
| 25 | Milwaukee | 14,636 | -4% |
| 26 | Charlotte | 14,633 | +.4% |
| 27 | Indiana | 14,439 | +1.4% |
| 28 | Sacramento | 12,422 | -.9% |
| 29 | Memphis | 12,095 | -3.5% |
| 30 | Philadelphia | 11,377 | -23.7% |
“Sgt. Slaughter” Is The New Coach Of The Hornets But For How Long?
Who Get's The 1st Cobra Clutch
The New Orleans Hornets fired 2008 coach of the year Bryon Scott as all fans of the NBA may have heard by now but what might not have is that now head coach/general manager Jeff “Sgt. Slaughter” Bower has hired what might be the next Hornets coach in Tim Floyd. The former Hornets coach is back for his second stint with the organization this time as an assistant coach to Bower, he previously coached the team in 2003-04 and lead them to a 41-41 record.
“Sgt. Slaughter” was an assistant to Floyd that season and now could now be setting the roster to Floyd’s likening since he holds the role of general manager as well. Floyd’s hire is indeed to help the Hornets win as many games as possible but could it be more internship to see who he can work with on a daily basis and who has real NBA talent to stay on in the system he would run?
Floyd is an already familiar face to the people of New Orleans having coached the Hornets once before and coaching the University of New Orleans for eight seasons, plus he was once was in the good graces of the Shinn family.
“Sgt. Slaughter” knows the team better than anyone since he hand picked this team but what about a year from now could the word out of New Orleans be saying the same thing about a newly hired assistant coach named Tim Floyd?
BLOCK CITY: Your Victim-Hilton Armstrong
Louis Amundson, you have been charged with the crime of Representin.
And the verdict is Guilty.
Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Former Spur
1998-2002
The Minnesota Timberwolves took another step to add depth at the guard position once it was clear Ricky Rubio would stay in Spain. Coming down to the eleven hour it looks as if the Milwaukee Bucks are not going to match the offer sheet made on Ramon Sessions but just in case the Timberwolves took extra precautionary measures. They completed a trade with the New Orleans Hornets that sends former San Antonio Spur Antonio Daniels to the Wolves and forward Darius Songaila and guard Bobby Brown to the Hornets. The trade also sends a 2014 second-round pick to Minnesota.
The Wolves David Kahn’s activity in his short amount of time is a stark contrast from former general manager Kevin McHale who spent most of the off season fishing in the land of 10,000 lakes.
“Antonio has the ability to play both guard positions and will provide a veteran presence and added flexibility to our back court,” said Kahn, the Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations.
The financial components of the deal favor Minnesota, with the Wolves shedding their $4.8 million salary obligation to Songaila in 2010-11 to create an estimated $13 million in salary-cap space for the summer of 2010.
Songaila entering his seventh season out of Wake Forest, should nonetheless be a useful addition to the Hornets’ new-look front court rotation additions of Emeka Okafor and Ike Diogu.
A deal that won’t grab the headlines but does make each club better.
