Week In Review: 2/5/12 – 2/11/12
Here's a look back at some important stories that were covered last week:
- Former Nuggets guard J.R. Smith will be returning from China this week after playing professional basketball in China for several months.
- Chuck Myron went in depth with several links on Jeremy Lin's mystical journey.
- Bucks guard Brandon Jennings caused a minor—and silly— uproar after announcing with reason that he would explore all of his available options upon becoming a free agent.
- We heard that the Cavaliers were not shopping Anderson Varejao, who later fractured his wrist.
- Keith Bogans was lost for the season after fracturing his ankle, while Chauncey Billups went down for the year with a torn Achilles.
- The Rockets signed Greg Smith to a three-year deal.
- The Jazz signed DeMarre Carroll for the remainder of the season.
- The Hawks signed Erick Dampier to a 10-day contract. Other 10-day contracts included Ben Uzoh to the Cavs, Donald Sloan to the Hornets, and Lance Thomas to the Hornets.
- In a rare interview, Magic owner Rich DeVos announced he has no intentions of trading Dwight Howard.
- According to Stephen A. Smith, there were conversations between the Lakers and Allen Iverson about bringing in the future Hall of Fame guard to add some backcourt depth. Iverson appears ticketed for Venezuela or Puerto Rico though.
- After having his heart broken by David Stern's decision to revoke the original deal that would send Chris Paul to the Lakers, Rockets GM Daryl Morey still has his eyes set on acquiring Pau Gasol.
- Former NBA veterans Jerome James and Kareem Rush both signed with the D-League in hopes of making NBA comebacks.
- A number of players on non-guaranteed contracts were either cut or had their contracts guaranteed on Tuesday. We tracked all the decisions right here.
Trade Candidate: Ryan Anderson
Should the Magic choose to keep Dwight Howard for the rest of this season and allow him to test the waters of free agency this summer, a massive domino effect involving several organizations and players will take place. Teams like the Rockets, Nets, Celtics, and Mavericks have all cleared cap space and will scramble for the perennial All-Star's services, but only one will be able to walk away with the number one prize.
If Howard does leave, which is likely, Orlando will be forced to come to terms with a roster that was built to accommodate its superstar's strengths. The stock for the team's three-point shooters and defensively liable swingmen who are enabled by Howard's presence may plummet. The most notable example would be the team's second best player, Ryan Anderson.
As we covered on Friday, the Magic chose not to offer Anderson a contract extension earlier this season—a decision that acknowledges the team's willingness to accept its unknown future—and right now he's playing to show the league his worth once he becomes a restricted free agent in the offseason. With the chances of Anderson accepting the team's qualifying offer of $3.23MM in the offseason nonexistent, the Magic could be wise to sell high and trade their best asset. Anderson is a young, improving sharpshooter having a borderline All-Star season, but his success may be predicated on the play of Howard. If he's going to walk anyway, why not get something for him while you can?
With the type of game to either come off a bench or start for a playoff team, someone like the Nuggets or Pacers would be wise to seek his services in a trade involving multiple draft picks.
Odds & Ends: Trail Blazers, Mavericks
The Trail Blazers and Mavericks competed in one of the season's more entertaining games last night, with Dallas eventually squeaking out with a double overtime victory. Here's some developments regarding both those teams.
- With the aformentioned loss to Dallas serving as their fifth in the last eight games, Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan is looking into changing his starting lineup, says Jason Quick of The Oregonian. The team's most inconsistent player happens to be their starting point guard, Raymond Felton, who's in the midst of a slump so severe it may soon be referred to as a decline in skill. The seven-year veteran is averaging a career low 10.5 PPG on 37.3% shooting from the floor (20% from the three-point line), which is also a career worst. Replacing him with Jamal Crawford is a possibility, as is exchanging Wesley Matthews with Nicolas Batum.
- The Mavericks will hold their 2012/13 training camp in Europe, according to Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas. The official preseason schedule is yet to be finalized, but Dallas will spend about a week traveling through Europe, playing at least one game in Germany and another in Spain.
Trade Candidate: Ray Allen
While hardly the same player who dominated the league with the SuperSonics for a decade, Ray Allen continues to be a steady starter on a team contending for a playoff spot. But with the Celtics looking at little more than a first-round playoff exit with a 14-12 record, the team must consider breaking up the Big Three in hopes of building for the future. If the team were to entertain trading one of their most prominent players, it would seemingly be Allen's name that would come up the most in trade talks given Kevin Garnett's erratic production and a general unwillingness by the Celtics to deal Paul Pierce.
Both Allen, 36, and Garnett, 35 will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2011/2012 season. But with Garnett currently earning $21MM this season, Allen's $10MM becomes more movable even though both players have expiring contracts. Beyond simply acquiring payroll flexibility at the end of the season, Allen would potentially provide a playoff contender with a strong veteran presence who could provide a boost both on and off the court.
Allen has averaged just over 20 PPG in his illustrious career but that number has dropped to 14.8 PPG this season to go with 2.7 APG, a figure close to what he has averaged during his tenure with the Celtics. Taking the 14.8 PPG at face-value would be doing Allen a disservice as a closer look at his numbers reveals a season of increased efficiency. With a 49.2 FG% and shooting over 50% on threes, Allen is well above his career average marks, making the shortened 2011/2012 season one of his finest in a Celtics uniform.
Health would not be a concern for a team acquiring Allen via trade as he has started at least 73 games in each of the past four seasons. After injuries plagued him during his Seattle days, Allen corrected his diet to better fit the demands of playing an 82-game NBA schedule. Thanks to a healthier diet in combination with an improved exercise regimen created in concert with the Celtics training staff, Allen is on path to start in 98% of the Celtics' games for a third consecutive season.
If put on the trade block, many playoff contenders, including the Bulls, would seemingly consider putting together a package for the former UConn Husky. While Richard Hamilton has played at an acceptable level since signing with the Bulls this offseason, his health concerns remain an issue as he has missed more than half of his team's games. At worst, the addition of Allen would give the Bulls one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA and perhaps push for more out of Hamilton once he returns from injury.
The Bulls could offer two young-ish players to the Celtics in return for Allen. According to ESPN's NBA Trade Machine, a trade of Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer for Allen works on paper and would net the Bulls three additional wins. The trade would provide Brewer the opportunity to start for the Celtics and for Korver to provide depth behind Pierce, but would lead to three additional losses for the Celtics.
While adding Allen to the Bulls may put them in prime position to challenge the Heat for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, time remains for the Celtics to better predict the course of their season. At 14-12, a string of wins could quickly lead to the Celtics being buyers rather than sellers come March. Similarly, a weak finish heading into All-Star Weekend could start the chatter about where Allen may finish the season.
Odds & Ends: Nowitzki, 76ers, Hornets, Nuggets
With three of the top five trending New York Times stories involving Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (via tweet from NYT reporter Michael Luo), let's take a look around the rest of the league to see what else is happening.
- Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has responded to Charles Barkley's proclamation that the 11-time All-Star is in decline with a strong showing of vintage Dirk in recent play. Sherrington contends the 14-year veteran still has enough talent and drive left to challenge Jerry West's record of 14 consecutive All-Star nomations. Simply put, Nowitzki's slow start should be attributed to a long offseason rather than diminished skills.
- The 76ers need to make a trade if they want to compete for a championship this season, writes Mike Missanelli of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Missanelli points to the erratic nature of the 2011/2012 season as a reason why the road to the NBA championship remains wide open just two weeks before the start of the 2012 All-Star Game. Paul Pierce and Monta Ellis are mentioned as two possible pieces that could take a young, balanced 76ers roster to the next level without having to sacrifice the future.
- The departure of All-Star point guard Chris Paul via trade has led to a difficult path for Hornets head coach Monty Williams, says John Reid of The Times-Picayune. After losing Eric Gordon, the centerpiece of the Paul trade, to injury in early January, the Hornets have spiralled to the worst record (4-23) in the Western Conference. As such, Williams has turned to his peers around the NBA for wisdom including Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
- Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post examines how the Nuggets can get by without having a true closer to win games for the team like the Lakers closer Kobe Bryant. Barring a trade, the Nuggets will have to continue to rely on Al Harrington toward the end of the game. Harrington is shooting 56% when there are less than five minutes to play in games separated by five points or less.
Heat Re-Sign Gladness To 10-Day Contract
After clearing the 48-hour waiver window, the Heat have re-signed center Mickell Gladness to a ten-day contract.
According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, who broke the story via Twitter, Gladness can be signed to up to two 10-day contracts (they don't have to be consecutive), after which he must be signed for the entire season or released. Gladness, 25, made his NBA debut with the Heat in December and is currently averaging 1.3 RPG in limited action this season. The former Alabama A&M star has spent most of his career in the NBA Developmental League having averaged 4.5 PPG and 3.7 RPG with the Dakota Wizards and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 77 games.
One player who should be happy to see Gladness return to the Heat is Terrel Harris, who was known to eat dinner on the road with his fellow rookie.
Knicks Notes: Lin, Stoudemire
With his legs feeling heavier than Shaq after a Krispy Kreme donut binge, Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin willed his team to a 100-98 road win over the Timberwolves on Saturday night. Lin managed to score 20 points for a fifth straight game but shot only 8-24 and had six turnovers for a second consecutive game. Let's take a look at some Knicks-related news as the team has two days off before heading to Toronto to take on the Raptors.
- Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation named Lin to his All-Undrafted Team after the second-year player out of Harvard averaged 28.5 PPG during four games last week. While Monroe concedes no undrafted player in the history of the NBA had ever enjoyed a week on the level of Lin's, his ability to get the basket with such ease will become more difficult as teams adjust to his style of play. Over the long haul, Knicks fans should expect a level of play similar to an Avery Johnson-type player rather than one who will challenge for MVP awards.
- Yao Ming and Lin have forged a friendship in which Lin chats with Yao via text message after every game for advice and support, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The two pals even go out to dinner together whenever they are in the same city. The friendship, however, almost became business related when Yao tried to bring Lin, 23, to China to play for his Shanghai Sharks during the NBA lockout.
- Amare Stoudemire undertook the arduous task of eulogizing the life of his older brother on Saturday, says Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. The emotional Stoudemire was supported by numerous members of the Knicks organization including injured stars Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis. Stoudemire, 29, is expected to return to the Knicks lineup on Tuesday with hopes of securing a sixth straight victory for the team.
Lakers Notes: Iverson, Alston, Fisher
Currently in second place in the Pacific Division, the Lakers are 2-3 on their six-game, 10-day Grammy road trip. Ever since the Grammy Award ceremonies started being held at the Staples Center in 2004, the Lakers have been forced to take a lengthy road trip at this point of the season each year. Here's a look at some Lakers-related items as the team heads to Toronto this afternoon to conclude their road trip against the Raptors.
- ESPN's Stephen A. Smith says there was conversation between Allen Iverson and the Lakers about a possible contract offer. Terms of the deal would have required Iverson, 36, to spend time in the NBA Developmental League before joining the Lakers. Smith suggests signing Iverson would be a mistake given the fact that he is simply not a point guard.
- Rafer Alston, more of a true point guard than Iverson, was recently signed to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers' NBA Developmental League affiliate. Smith contends Alston and the Lakers have talked about promoting the 35-year-old former Rockets guard to the parent club at some point in the future. There is no timeline in place for the move, however.
- Patrick Ewing points to Derek Fisher's NBA lockout duties as a cause for his poor performance thus far this season, says Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Ewing speaks from experience as he previously served as the president of the Players Association and believe his Achilles problems during the '98/'99 season stemmed from spending too much time talking and not enough time working out. Fisher, 37, is currently averaging 5.2 PPG, his lowest output since his rookie year.
Trade Candidate: Beno Udrih
On a March evening at the Staples Center in 2008, the Sacramento Kings could breathe easy knowing that they had just survived a last-second game winning attempt by Kobe Bryant and the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers. The struggling Kings escaped with a 114-113 win after two game winning free throws by Beno Udrih, the game's unsung hero who capped off his 44 minute night with 25 points, 10 assists, and a solid 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line. That win would be one of Sacramento's best of the season, and one of many excellent performances that would convince the Kings to give the Yugoslavian point guard a five-year, $32.3MM extension during that upcoming summer.
Today, Udrih finds himself as a backup in Milwaukee behind Brandon Jennings following a trade on draft night last year. After four consecutive seasons of averaging above 30 minutes per game (including a career high 34.1 minutes per game with the Kings last year), Beno has been relegated to Scott Skiles' bench and has averaged only 16.6 minutes per game this season. In his latest appearance, he tallied five points and three assists in only nine minutes.
It is no secret that his unhappiness is brewing, and Udrih recently vented his concerns a few days ago to Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times: "It's been frustrating; I'm not going to lie. Everybody that knows basketball a little bit knows it's tough coming from 34 minutes to 15 minutes."
The 6'3" guard makes $7.2MM this year and will be able to opt out of his contract this summer to enter free agency, but would be walking away from a guaranteed $7.8MM next year to do so. With very little playing time and sparse opportunities to prove his worth right now, it is not likely that other teams will offer a better annual salary next year.
In years past, Beno has shown that he can be productive with significant minutes. Just one season ago, he averaged nearly 14 PPG, 5 APG, and shot an excellent 50% from the field with 10 attempts per game. In the penultimate game of last season against the Thunder, the former Sacramento King delivered 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals in his matchup with Russell Westbrook. With a few solid performances this season in limited action (6 points and 7 assists in 15 minutes against the Rockets, 4 points and 7 assists in 16 minutes against the Lakers), there is reason to believe that he can return to old form on a team willing to give him consistent and significant playing time.
Should the Lakers fail in their apparent pursuit of Cavaliers point guard Ramon Sessions and/or unsuccesfully attempt to use their $8.9MM trade exception in another deal, focusing their attention toward acquiring Beno Udrih might certainly be a chance worth taking. Nearly four years after one of his best performances as an NBA player, the 29-year-old point guard may find a home with the team that he earned his stripes against that night. On the same token, with an aging Derek Fisher and Steve Blake struggling to find his shot, the Lakers could welcome a change at point guard with open arms.
Odds & Ends: Camby, Maggette, Irving, Future Draft Prospects
- Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby suffered a right ankle injury during tonight's game against the Mavericks, as reported by Ben Golliver on BlazersEdge.com.
- Corey Maggette returned to the Bobcats' starting lineup tonight, just one day after returning to action against the Bulls. He replaces Tyrus Thomas, who had been struggling to find a niche in Paul Silas' rotation after an 18 game stint as a starter.
- Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who has been out indefinitely due to a concussion, began the process of reinstatement by riding an exercise bike today (according to Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com). While Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer reports that there are several steps to take before Irving can be cleared to play, there is hope that the rookie can return to action soon barring any setbacks.
- Less than a month away from March Madness, there is a buzz surrounding a few heralded high school seniors who have yet to make a decision regarding which college program they will join next year. Adam Zagoria of SheridanHoops.com takes a closer look at a few players who could make waves in the NCAA next year and possibly headline the 2013 NBA draft.