Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Smith, Humphries, Raptors
With Jeremy Lin stealing most of the Atlantic's headlines, let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on:
- Nets center Brook Lopez will make his season debut on Sunday against the Bucks at home after breaking his right foot during a preseason game in December, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal. The Nets had hopes at the beginning of the season of using Lopez, 23, as a trade chip to acquire Magic center Dwight Howard before Lopez suffered the injury.
- Jeremy Wagner of The New York Times holds out hope that the newest addition to the Knicks bench can prove doubters wrong with strong play on the court and proper decision-making off the court. J.R. Smith, 26, shared MVP honors of the 2004 McDonald's All-American game with Howard, and according to Wagner, was anxious to prove himself that night thanks to the presence of Carmelo Anthony, who was sitting courtside.
- One of the worst teams in the league knocked off one of the best teams on Saturday when the Nets shutdown the Bulls 97-85 in Chicago. In a performance that's bound to get other teams on the phone with the Nets to start trade talk, Kris Humphries lit up the scoreboard with 24 points and 18 rebounds in 45 minutes of play. After two consecutive 20-point and 10-rebound games, Humphries is currently averaging 13.2 PPG and 10.2 RPG on the season.
- The Raptors are struggling to construct an identity on both offense and defense, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. They aren't considering trades to shake up the roster at this point, but rather are looking at extra practice time to help the 9-23 squad make adjustments heading into All-Star Weekend.
Knicks Notes: Chandler, Lin, Anthony
After reeling off seven straight victories, the Knicks look to avoid a losing streak as they take on the Mavericks in a nationally-televised game on Sunday. With Carmelo Anthony still unlikely to play due to a lingering groin injury, the Knicks will have to rely on getting quality minutes from Steve Novak, who has exceeded any expectations with four double-digit performances in Anthony's absence. Let's see what else is happening with the Knicks as their schedule gets set to become a bit more difficult in the coming week:
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com begs you to forget Linsanity for a moment and focus on center Tyson Chandler, the true leader in the Knicks' locker room and one of the major reasons for the team's recent success. After winning a championship last season in Dallas, Chandler is now taking players like Lin under his wing to provide tutelage and build camaraderie amongst his teammates.
- Jeremy Lin's path to Madison Square Garden stardom took an interesting path, writes Newsday's Ian Iannazzone in his latest Knicks insider column. From draft day decisions to Lin's choice of wanting to live closer to home when offered a contract by the Mavericks, there are countless scenarios that could have precluded Lin from donning the Knicks' orange and blue.
- Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press says that while Lin has done a great job handling the fame-side of Linsanity, he needs to do a better job keeping control of the basketball. The Knicks streak of seven consecutive victories came to a halt when Lin turned the ball over a career-high nine times on Friday against an underwhelming Hornets squad.
- Anthony finally has the pieces in place to make a wholehearted run at the NBA title this spring, says ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor. O'Connor points to a suddenly loaded Knicks backcourt along with what was already a top-flight frontcourt as reasons why Anthony could secure his legacy with a ring come June.
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Spurs, Draft, Collins
With only four games on the schedule for Saturday, the first two matches provided a wealth of excitement in an overtime battle and a shocking upset. The Nets stunned the Derrick Rose-less Bulls thanks to stellar play by Kris Humphries and Deron Williams. By knocking off the Clippers in overtime, the Spurs notched their 10th win in a row, but not without paying a hefty price. Let's take a look around the league to see what's going on with All-Star Weekend less than one week away:
- The Cavaliers have a trio of former players believing in the long-term success of the franchise, writes Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mark Price, a former guard for the Cavs, says the combination of Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving will be a strong foundation for the team as they continue to mature as NBA players. Pluto says the franchise is attempting to build itself in a manner similar to the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
- Thanks to strong play at home (13-1) and now on the road with an impressive overtime victory over the Clippers, the Spurs would secure the #2 seed in the Western Conference if the playoffs started today. Unfortunately for the Spurs, the squad lost two key contributors today in Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili, who both left the game due to injury and did not return, writes Tim Griffin of Spurs Nation. The Spurs have already lost Ginobili to injury this season as he missed 22 games after breaking his left hand.
- Tommy Dee of SheridanHoops.com put together his predictions for how he sees the top 10 picks of the 2012 NBA Draft unfolding. Dee has Tar Heels small forward Harrison Barnes slated to go #1 which would most likely be to the Bobcats based upon current standings. North Carolina and Kentucky are well represented on the list with two players from each school predicted to be picked in the top 10 in the upcoming draft.
- Jerry Zgoda, Timberwolves beat writer for the Star Tribune, says 76ers head coach Doug Collins has finally found the perfect fit for his coaching style as he has his squad atop the Atlantic Division. Zgoda points to strong drafting by 76ers in concert with Collins getting the most out of his players as a major reason why the team has enjoyed such a successful start to the season. The team won 20 of its first 29 games for just the second time since 1986.
Off-Court Issues Continue To Plague Kings
The Kings are struggling on the court this season with a 10-20 record leading to sole possession of last place in the Pacific Division. Much of the struggle can be attributed to the lack of development of their young players which led to an early season head coaching change, but bright spots can be found as the team currently ranks fifth in the league with 43.4 RPG. Uncertainty for the Kings' future is even stronger off the court as the franchise continues to hash out plans for funding a new arena with the city of Sacramento and face non-payment on a naming-rights deal.
- Word out of Sacramento reveals that the city is trying to figure out if city residents would support an initiative that would require out-of-towners to pay a surcharge for using arena parking on event nights. Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee writes that fee would cost individuals heading into Sacramento for a night of entertainment an additional $1 to $3 per vehicle, a figure that would potentially net the city millions of dollars to help offset the cost of funding a new arena. Bizjak reports that a survey is currently being conducted by phone to help gauge public opinion on the proposed parking plan.
- Amidst rumors that the franchise is headed to Seattle if arena funding is not secured by March, the Kings are dealing with a business deal gone bad at the hands of Power Balance. Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee says the wristband maker has failed to make good on a naming-rights deal signed last year with the Kings that led to Arco Arena being rebranded as Power Balance Pavilion. The Kings are owed over $8MM by Power Balance, who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last fall.
Pistons Notes: Knight, Stuckey
The Pistons have won six of their last eight games after starting the season with a 4-20 record. They'll head back home on Sunday looking to make it three in a row against a Celtics squad that sits four games behind the 76ers in the Atlantic Division. Here's a look at some Pistons news before the first of two Saturday night games gets underway:
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Brandon Knight became the first rookie to record a 20-point, 10-assist game without a turnover since Steve Francis pulled the feat in 1999 with the Rockets. Knight's effort came Friday evening in a Detroit victory over the Kings. The 20-year-old former Kentucky Wildcat is currently averaging 12.4 PPG and 3.6 APG in his inaugural campaign.
- The Pistons hold big hopes for a brighter future thanks to strong guard play from Knight and Rodney Stuckey, writes beat writer David Mayo. While his PPG are down slightly (14.7 as compared to a career-high 16.6 PPG two seasons ago), Mayo suggests Stuckey is more comfortable in sharing the spotlight with Knight and may be beginning to enjoy himself in Detroit. Stuckey's future promise was a major reason why the Pistons traded Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets prior to the start of the 2008/2009 season.
Minor Moves: Smith, Mirotic
Far more attention will be focused on next Sunday's All-Star Game and the competitions the night before, but the D-League also has a major event planned, with its All-Star Game slated for a week from today. Here's the rest of what's going on around the fringes of pro basketball:
- Jordan Hill went down with a knee injury in practice today, and the Rockets have called up center Greg Smith from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League to take his place, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Smith, who was putting up 16.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG for the Vipers, signed a three-year contract with the Rockets earlier this month. Hill, averaging 5.0 PPG and 4.9 RPG for Houston this year, is expected to be out through the All-Star break.
- Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10", 220-pound forward who the Bulls acquired at the 2011 draft after he was taken 23rd overall by the Rockets, is playing well for Real Madrid. He could wind up being a steal for Chicago, writes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Odds & Ends: Bryant, Cap, Allen
Today's matinee between the Clippers and Spurs, two of the top teams in the Western Conference, highlights a light NBA schedule. Here's what's up around the league:
- Pau Gasol is averaging a career-low 16.6 PPG, and Kobe Bryant believes trade talk is one reason for the uncharacteristic performance, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times notes.
- HoopsWorld's Jason Fleming has a rundown on the available cap space for each team. He notes the Grizzlies, who stand just over the tax line, could get under by making a deal before the March 15th trading deadline. The Kings, meanwhile, must either take on salary to get up to 85% of the cap or distribute that money to their existing players. Fleming has the Pacers in the same boat as the Kings, but James Posey's amnestied $7.6MM salary pushes them above the 85% line.
- Salary cap guru Larry Coon sees J.R. Smith declining his $2.5MM option for next season and heading to another team with more money available. Smith already took the more lucrative option on the table this week when he picked the Knicks for this season over the Clippers. (Twitter links)
- Coon tweets the Clippers may covet Ray Allen, one of the Celtics cornerstones GM Danny Ainge may be willing to trade, but doubts L.A. has enough assets to get a deal done.
- We examined Tyson Chandler's impact as a free-agent signing earlier today. Justin Kubatko of The New York Times takes a closer look at the Knicks center playing in the shadow of Jeremy Lin.
- Fellow Times writer Benjamin Hoffman looks at Brandan Wright, who is one of the centers charged with replacing Chandler in Dallas. The scant $1MM investment is paying off for the Mavs, Hoffman writes.
- Mark Cuban and James Dolan are owners who like to spend money and meddle with their teams, but the similarities end there, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who believes the Knicks' Dolan should try to further emulate his Dallas counterpart.
- Omri Casspi's numbers are down since the Cavs acquired him via trade last summer, yet Casspi and coach Byron Scott aren't too concerned, notes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets that the team feels it got the better of the deal, which sent J.J. Hickson to the Kings for Casspi and a first-round pick.
Bucks Looking At Fesenko, Mbenga
The Bucks, without Andrew Bogut for much of the season and now missing Drew Gooden with a sprained right wrist and knee soreness, are thin at center. So, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Bucks are considering Kyrylo Fesenko and D.J. Mbenga to fill the void.
The Bucks have had their eye on Fesenko for a while. After being taken in the second round of the 2007 draft, the 7'1", 288-pounder saw limited minutes in four seasons with the Jazz, but filled in as the starter for an injured Mehmet Okur when Utah made their run to the conference semifinals in 2010.
The 7'0", 245-pound Mbenga has eight years of NBA experience, most notably as a little-used backup on championship Lakers teams in 2009 and 2010. He spent last year as a reserve for the Hornets.
The Bucks have been linked to Joel Przybilla, but concerns over his health are reportedly causing teams to back off.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday
The Dwight Howard rumor mill has quieted down lately with many pundits believing that the Magic will keep the center right up until the trade deadline. This morning, however, we learned that there could be another serious suitor in the Howard sweepstakes. Here's the latest, with the most recent updates up top.
- Stephen Jackson's indication to HoopsWorld last night that he would love to play for the Magic gives Orlando fans a glimmer of hope that their team can convince Howard to stay, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins suspects the Magic's failure to acquire Jackson around draft time last year, when the Bucks picked him up, may have led to Howard's questioning of GM Otis Smith. Still, Robbins believes Jackson, and his $10.5MM payday next season, may not be a worthwhile risk.
- The Warriors are convinced that they're still players in a potential deal for Dwight Howard, writes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. Warriors sources believe the Magic could part with Howard without receiving a draft pick in return, if there are enough players involved. Golden State has a 14-man roster to work with and could put together a deal like David Lee, Monta Ellis and either Ekpe Udoh or Klay Thompson for Howard and Glen Davis.
Assessing This Year’s Free Agent Acquisitions
They lacked the sizzle of the LeBron James-led summer of 2010 group, but the 2011 class of free agents still included some accomplished veterans capable of making an impact. With a week left before the All-Star break, let’s take a look at some of the top free agents to change addresses and evaluate the initial returns for their new teams.
- Power forward David West signed a two-year, $20MM deal with the Pacers after tearing the ACL in his left knee late last season with the Hornets. The injury allowed Indiana to snap up the two-time All-Star at a relative bargain, considering he’s averaged at least 18 PPG and 7.5 RPG for five years straight. They’ve been judicious in his use, giving him about 30 minutes a night, the least amount of playing time he’s seen since he became a full-time starter in 2005/06. He’s also getting about two fewer shots per 36 minutes, which helps explain his anemic 12.5 PPG this year. He’s making up for it in other areas. His rebounding per 36 minutes (8.2) is as high as it’s been since ‘07/’08, and he’s been more aggressive on defense, coming away with a steal every 36 minutes, as high a rate as he’s ever posted. The most significant endorsement of the signing is seen in the standings, where the Pacers, who sneaked into the playoffs at 37-45 last year, are 18-12 despite losing six of their last eight.
- When the Knicks signed center Tyson Chandler to a four-year, $55.4MM deal, they envisioned him turning around their defense just as he had done in leading the Mavericks to the 2011 title. New York is giving up just 93.9 points a night after surrendering 105.7 per game last season, but that could be attributed as much to their slowed pace as to Chandler’s presence. Still, he’s averaging a steal per game, which he’s never done, and 1.3 blocks, his most since ‘06/’07. The surprise has been Chandler’s offense. He’s leading the league with a 70.3% field goal percentage, and averaging 11.7 PPG, a tick away from his career high. His greatest contribution may be his health on an otherwise banged-up Knicks team. He has started all 31 games New York has played this season, an auspicious sign for someone whose failed physical scuttled a trade to Oklahoma City three years ago.
- The Blazers were looking for offensive punch in the wake of Brandon Roy’s untimely retirement, and so they turned to Jamal Crawford, signing him to a two-year deal worth more than $10MM that includes a player option for next year. Crawford remade himself into an instant-offense bench player in Atlanta the last two seasons after several years spent mostly as a starter on lottery teams in Chicago, New York and Golden State. He won the sixth-man award in 2010, averaging 18.0 PPG, but that average dropped to 14.2 PPG last year. He’s shot more often in fewer minutes in Portland this season, but a paltry 38.6% field goal percentage is keeping him at 14.5 PPG. He’s giving them some minutes at backup point guard, though he’s primarily a shooting guard, and most of his value can be measured in his scoring numbers. His salary is roughly half of what he was making in Atlanta, but unless he can return to his 2010 form, he won’t be able to claim he’s underpaid.
- The Clippers’ signing of Caron Butler took a backseat to the more ballyhooed trade for Chris Paul and defiant waiver claim of Chauncey Billups, but it’s had a major impact on the sudden rise of L.A.’s “other team.” He’s giving the Clippers a level of production that’s similar to what he was giving Dallas last season before going down with a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. That helps justify the three-year, $24MM deal they gave him that approaches what he was making on his last contract. He’s averaging 15.0 PPG and 3.9 rebounds, and kicking in 1.2 steals every night. The major change in his game has been three-point shooting. He’s taking 5.5 three-pointers every night, almost three times his career average. He’s shooting 37.5% on those bombs, trailing the 43.1% rate he made in much fewer attempts last season, but it still gives the Clippers an outside threat that’s even more valuable now that Chauncey Billups is done for the year. Moving him away from the basket has led to his career-low rebounding numbers, but with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Reggie Evans and now Kenyon Martin around, the Clippers shouldn’t hurt for boards.
- Coming off a season in which he averaged career lows in points, rebounds and assists (14.0/3.8/2.0), Vince Carter’s value was greatly reduced. Due to be paid $18MM this year, the Suns exercised their right to buy him out for $4MM shortly after the lockout ended. Carter wound up latching on with Dallas for the taxpayer mid-level exception at $3MM a year. If you assess him based on the value of his current contract, and not the 25-points-a-game star he was in Toronto and New Jersey, he’s been a worthwhile bargain so far. He’s taken over as the starting two-guard and provided a much needed scoring threat as Dirk Nowitzki has rounded into shape. He’s not asked to carry too much of a load, but since he returned after missing five games with a sprained left foot, he’s scored in double figures in nine of 12 games, including back-to-back 21-point efforts against the Spurs and Suns.