NBA LOCALS
A weekly look at locals players in the NBA:
Al-Farouq Aminu, Mavericks, Norcross High
Had 9 points, a season- and game-high 11 rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes at Charlotte on Nov. 17
Chris Bosh, Heat, Georgia Tech
Seven consecutive 20-point games was third-longest 20-point streak to start a season in team history
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Pistons, Georgia
Tied season-highs in points (20) and blocks (1) at Washington on Nov. 12
Jae Crowder, Mavericks, Villa Rica High
Averagaing 3.5 points in 8.9 minutes in 11 games
Derrick Favors, Jazz, Georgia Tech
Averaging 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds in 30.9 minutes
J.J. Hickson, Nuggets, Wheeler High
Had season-highs of 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Portland on Nov. 12
Dwight Howard, Rockets, Southwest Atlanta Christian
Sat out Wednesday’s game against Lakers with right knee strain
Jarrett Jack, Nets, Georgia Tech
Scored 15 points off the bench, including his first 3-pointer of season, in 24 minutes against Heat on Nov. 17
Jodie Meeks, Pistons, Norcross High
Out until at least mid-December with a stress reaction in his lower back
Anthony Morrow, Thunder, Georgia Tech
Averaging 11.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 28.8 minutes
Glen Rice Jr., Wizards, Georgia Tech
Was assigned to Fort Wayne of the D-League on Thursday
Iman Shumpert, Knicks, Georgia Tech
Had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals at Bucks on Nov. 18
Josh Smith, Pistons, McEachern High
Recorded a season-high four blocks at Memphis on Nov. 15
Thaddeus Young, Timberwolves, Georgia Tech
Won’t return to team until Sunday following death of his mother
Lou Williams, Raptors, South Gwinnett High
Scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter against Jazz on Nov. 15
Note: Stats through Wednesday
Elton Brand has been here before.
The Hawks center played sparingly to start last season after signing with the Hawks as a free agent. He ended up playing in 73 games, including 15 starts, and averaged 5.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.2 blocks. At one point, he was the only healthy center on the roster.
Brand re-upped for another year with the Hawks this season. He again has been used sparingly to start the season. Through Thursday, he had appeared in two games — the season opener and in late duty while in a blowout loss to the Cavaliers.
Brand said he does not regret his decision stay with the Hawks.
“It’s kind of what I expected coming here,” Brand said this week. “I look at the teams that I could have been with. Some are doing well. Dallas said ‘What do you want to do? Do you want to come back?’ Some other teams I could have played a lot of minutes with are doing really bad. So, would I want to be there?
“I believe in our talent, what we have and I’m glad I’m here. I’m just staying ready, and when my number is called I need to be prepared. It’s similar to last year. I didn’t play early. I was in a suit. If we win some games, I’ll be very happy. I also know when I get me chance I need to come and contribute and I believe I can do that.”
New look for Horford
The short sleeves will stay.
Al Horford, who has been through two torn pectoral muscles, wore a compression shirt under this jersey for the first time last Friday. The Hawks center said it’s likely to continue to be a part of his uniform.
“I never really wanted to wear it,” Horford said. “My trainers thought it was a good idea to help me. I was getting very stiff at times. With the shirt I notice it keeps it warm, keeps it tight. It actually helped me a lot, so it’s something I’ll probably keep wearing.”
You can’t argue with the early results. Horford had 19 points, including the first seven points of the game, in a 114-103 win over the Heat. He was 8-of-10 from the field, including a 3-pointer. It was his first of the season and 11th of his career. Horford also added six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. He added 12 and 15 points in the next two games.
Collins calls it a career
Jason Collins officially retired from the NBA this week.
Collins became the first openly gay active NBA player and the first openly gay man to play in any of the four major sports leagues in the United States when he played with the Nets last season. Only 18 months earlier, he shared his story with Sports Illustrated.
Collins attended the Nets game against the Bucks in Brooklyn on Wednesday night to make his announcement.
Collins played 13 NBA seasons for seven teams. He played 735 games and averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. He played three seasons with the Hawks from 2009-12, appearing in 103 games.
The center shared his feelings about retirement with Sports Illustrated.
“There are still no publicly gay players in the NFL, NHL or major league baseball,” he wrote for the magazine. “Believe me: They exist. Every pro sport has them. I know some of them personally. When we get to the point where a gay pro athlete is no longer forced to live in fear that he’ll be shunned by teammates or outed by tabloids, when we get to the point where he plays while his significant other waits in the family room, when we get to the point where he’s not compelled to hide his true self and is able to live an authentic life, then coming out won’t be such a big deal. But we’re not there yet.”
By the numbers
4 Players in NBA history to eclipse the 32,000-point career mark. Kobe Bryant joined the elite group this week with a 28-point game against the Hawks. Through Thursday, Bryant had 32,030 points. He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928) and Michael Jordan (32,292).
3 Cavaliers in the top 10 in minutes played this season — LeBron James (third, 38.6), Kyrie Irving (fourth, 38.3) and Kevin Love (eight, 36.8)
9 Games in first 10 when the Hawks had at least 20 assists. Through Thursday, Jeff Teague was tied for seventh in the NBA with 7.0 per game.
Quotable
“This suspension is necessary to protect the interests of the NBA and the public’s confidence in it. Mr. Taylor’s conduct violates applicable law and, in my opinion, does not conform to standards of morality and is prejudicial and detrimental to the NBA.”
— NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on 24-game suspension for Hornets’ Jeffery Taylor for domestic violence
“The question is do I see him doing that? No. He’ll take the eight but make five every game, no I don’t see him doing that. He would be the greatest 3-point shooter ever if he does that.”
— Lakers coach Byron Scott on Nick Young’s pledge to take eight 3-pointers and make five per game following return from thumb injury
“You are never as good as they say. You are never as bad as they say. We don’t want to get trapped into fool’s gold that we are an elite team because we beat some sub-.500 team. We know we have a lot of work to do. That’s why we are encouraged because we are putting in the work. We have guys who want to be elite and are working to be elite.”
— Brand on Hawks’ 5-5 record to start season
Carroll’s Corner
Words of wisdom from DeMarre Carroll, the man who brought you this quote from last season: “If you see me in a fight with a bear, you better help that bear.”
When asked about his work to return from a groin strain and get back to being defensive stopper, Carroll said: “Hard work is a talent.”
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