GM Otis Smith On Van Gundy
In an interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters today, Magic GM Otis Smith commented on the conflict between Dwight Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy, particularly quashing the rumor that Dwight had asked him directly to fire Van Gundy.
The article also mentions Smith's assertion that Van Gundy would remain the coach for the rest of the season, but did not elaborate on whether or not Stan would remain with the organization beyond this year, adding:
"Don't have the answer for that," Smith said. "I don't have the answer to who's going to be on our roster, either."
Van Gundy conjured up a media storm on Thursday morning after publicly acknowledging that Howard had asked management to fire him. Earlier we reported that Van Gundy wants to stay and continue coaching the Magic.
Odds & Ends: Van Gundy, Villanueva, Fisher, Magic
- John Hollinger of ESPN explores the different coaching options Stan Van Gundy has if he leaves the Magic (Insider link). It is worth noting that Hollinger lists a TV gig with ESPN or TNT, the Clippers, and Wizards among several other possibilities.
- Charlie Villanueva is "dying to play," writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. The six-year veteran has played in just two games since returning from an ankle injury.
- While Derek Fisher hasn't shown a statistical improvement compared to his numbers with the Lakers this season, the Thunder remain hopeful that his intangibles and big-game experience will pay dividends toward the development of the team, says J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today.
- In what he considers to be a "sneakered soap opera," Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel shares his thoughts on what to expect from the Magic as they finish the rest of the season and head into the summer.
- Antoine Walker announced his retirement from the D-League, tweeted Marc J. Spears of Yahoo.
- Expected to file for retirement in June, Brad Miller briefly reflects on a storied career with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- Shabazz Muhammad of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School is the only NBA-ready player among the participants at the Nike Hoops Summit, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Steve Novak
Back in December of 2011, the Knicks were able to pry Tyson Chandler away from the world champion Mavericks after Dallas was unable to make a more lucrative and long-term contract offer to the 7'1'' center. In July, the Knicks could face a similar scenario with sharpshooting forward Steve Novak, who becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. This is not to imply that Novak's value is equivalent to that of a player such as Chandler or that he undoubtedly deserves to have teams clamoring to outbid each other for his services. However, his performance this season should not go unwarranted nor his impact in free agency be ignored.
In 17.6 MPG off of the bench, Novak averages 8.5 PPG while shooting a league-best 47.9% from three-point range on 5 attempted threes per game. He has hit at least four long-range shots in 13 of his 43 games as a Knick and has had some standout three-point shooting performances this year: 6-for-10 against Portland, 5-for-8 against Utah, 5-for-9 at Toronto, 4-for-5 against Dallas, 5-for-10 against Atlanta, 4-for-5 at Miami, and 4-for-7 at Boston to name a few. At 6'10'' and with a cat-quick release on his shot, Novak could arguably be among the top utility players to hit the free agent market this summer.
I would expect that that the Knicks would do everything in their power to retain their ace-shooter, however history has shown that shooting specialists can get paid handsomely. Kyle Korver, off of his third year as a member of the Utah Jazz, accepted a 3-year, 15 MM offer from the Chicago Bulls after the 2010 season in which he shot 53.6% from deep en route to 7.2 PPG in 18.3 MPG. Just half a season removed from winning the inaugural 3-point shooting competition during All-Star weekend as a member of the Miami Heat, forward Jason Kapono agreed to a four-year, 24 MM offer with the Raptors in 2007. Kapono boasted averages of 10.9 PPG while shooting 51.3% from three with the Heat during the 2006-07 season.
The Knicks, who are only armed with their mid-level exception, bi-annual exception, and the veteran's minimum this summer, will also have to handle the contract statuses of Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis, and Jared Jeffries in addition to Novak. Should New York find itself using most of their mid-level to retain Lin, they may not have enough to entice Novak to stay if he receives a more lucrative offer elsewhere.
Also, if the bi-annual exception maintains its value at around 2.18 MM this summer, other teams who possess the mid-level exception or even the mini-mid level exception of about 3 MM per year (for luxury tax-paying teams) are still in a position financially to make a better offer. Outside shooting will always be in demand in the NBA, so while there may not currently be an explicit list of teams that have Novak on their radar, it will be an intriguing development to follow in July, especially for Knicks fans.
Mark Jackson Safe In Golden State
When Mark Jackson was hired for his first-ever coaching job with Golden State last June, he certainly made waves with his comments. While working as a color analyst during the 2011 playoffs, Jackson predicted that his Warriors would qualify for the postseason during this year. Currently at .389 over 21 wins and 33 losses, the Warriors are on pace to finish with a lower winning percentage than last season, which was .439.
Although it is highly unlikely that the rookie head coach will be able to follow through on his prediction, Marcus Thompson of ContraCostaTimes.com has received assurances that Jackson's job is safe.
I don't believe that Jackson's job security hinged on whether or not he was able to lead his team to the playoffs this season. Other factors didn't necessarily work in his favor either, including the oft-injured status of Stephen Curry and management's decision to trade Monta Ellis at the deadline. Should Andrew Bogut and Curry be able to make healthy returns along with Klay Thompson continuing his development, Jackson will be better equipped to have his job performance evaluated next season.
Prospect Profile: Jared Sullinger
The story of Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger is one of the most intriguing as the draft approaches. He could have gone No. 1 overall if he had come out after his freshman season. The latest mock drafts have him going much farther down the line: Draft Express has him going sixth, ESPN's Chad Ford projects him as the 13th pick (Insider link), and NBADraft.net predicts he'll fall out of the lottery completely, landing at No. 15. His fate is one many players will surely cite when they decide to come out earlier than perhaps they should. You may have plenty to gain by staying in school, but there's a lot to lose, too. Last year's No. 1 pick, Kyrie Irving, signed a four-year deal that will give him between $3MM and $4MM more each season than No. 15 pick Kawhi Leonard gets.
What's caused him to slip in the eyes of NBA teams is his lack of athleticism and explosion around the rim. Still, that's been a criticism all along, as witnessed by Josh Cochran's NBADraft.net scouting report from 2009. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express cites his 6'9", 280-pound frame as a problem — he's too small to be a prototypical center, and not agile enough to cover the league's increasingly athletic power forwards. Tommy Dee of Sheridan Hoops cites his difficulty defending taller players as a weakness, yet, as Givony points out, it didn't stop Ohio State from being an elite defensive team in college basketball this year. While it's difficult to draw conclusions about a player's worth based on his team's success in college, the fact that the Buckeyes went to two Sweet 16s and a Final Four during Sullinger's time can't be a knock on him.
Givony points to his polished post game, lack of turnovers and passing ability as some of his positives, and Dee calls him "the most complete post player in the nation." Efficiency is one of his hallmarks, and he makes opposing teams pay at the foul line, knocking down 76.8% of his free throws this year, a plus for a big man. When it's not working down low offensively, he can go outside, too. He took 1.1 three pointers a game and nailed 42.1% of them. He has a midrange game, too, as Dee praises his ability to knock down looks from 15 to 18 feet.
Givony compares him to Kevin Love, and while that's not the kind of analogy being bandied about too often now as Sullinger's stock takes a nose dive, I think it still holds. It would be a challenge for Sullinger, or anyone else, to put up the kind of numbers Love does, but Love's ability to maximize his basketball skills while minimizing his lack of overpowering athleticism provides a blueprint for Sullinger to follow. Love, who was the 5th pick in 2008, would probably be drafted higher if teams had a chance to do it over again, and unless teams brighten their outlook on Sullinger between now and June, the same could be said for him in a few years.
Knicks Notes: Point Guards, Douglas, Thomas
The Knicks find themselves with a mini-break after handling the Magic on Thursday night with a 96-80 victory. They'll be back in action on Sunday and led by a familiar face at the point. More on that and other items out of MSG..
- Coach Mike Woodson says the team will not add a point guard, reports Jacob Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. He believes the combination of Baron Davis, Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby, along with Iman Shumpert if necessary, is "plenty."
- General Manager Glen Grunwald looked to trade point guard Toney Douglas at the deadline but couldn’t find value for him as his stock had plummeted, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Douglas has a year left on his pact at $2MM and is the only Knicks one-guard who isn’t a free agent after this season. The Florida State product is now seeing regular time due to Jeremy Lin's season-ending injury.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if the Knicks might consider bringing Isiah Thomas back to New York now that he has been let go as coach of Florida International University. Begley points to owner James Dolan's admiration for the former Knicks coach/exec and his attempt to hire him as a consultant less than two years ago.
- Meanwhile, Berman doesn't expect the Knicks to offer Thomas a gig. According to sources, Dolan isn’t ready to name Thomas to a formal position, even with Donnie Walsh’s position soon coming to an end. Walsh has been granted permission by the club to explore GM opportunities elsewhere.
Nets GM Billy King Confident In Quick Turnaround
The Nets are just 20-37, but GM Billy King has his eyes on building a winner for next season, reports Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. The GM is counting on Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace, both of whom could elect free agency this summer, to return, but believes the cap flexibility they'll have if they don't would be a positive as well.
"I think we’re headed in the right direction, and if you look at our team this year, being as banged up (as it was), to beat Chicago in Chicago, Philly in Philly, New York in New York… we won some games in tough places,'' the GM said. "And you see things getting in the right direction. Winning is important. And that’s what I told Deron: ‘We’re not rebuilding this year. We’re going to build this team to win next year.’''
King sees the trade deadline acquisition of Gerald Wallace as a key to the team's success going forward, even though the former All-Star hasn't turned the team into a winner since the trade, going 5-7 in the 12 games he's played for New Jersey. Plus, his acquisition likely means they'll give up their 2012 first-round draft pick, unless it falls within the top three.
Much rides on the offseason, when the team could lose Williams, Wallace, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries, four-fifths of its preferred starting lineup. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes that the pursuit of Williams, in particular, is key for owner Mikhail Prokhorov. Still, the free agent point guard says he doesn't know enough about the owner for him to be a factor in his decision. One team executive Williams presumably does have a relationship with is King, so the onus is on him to woo Williams back.
The Nets have built-in advantages with their free agents, since they can go over the salary cap to sign them and, at least in Williams' case, a max deal could be on the table. Plus, the team is moving to Brooklyn next year, a move that can't hurt the endorsement opportunities available for its players. Still, it's hard to see how bringing them all back, and convincing Wallace to take his $9.5MM option for next season, could instantly turn the team into a contender. The trick might be to let some of them go and find other available parts that are a better fit with what they do bring back, or continue to pin their hopes on convincing Dwight Howard and the Magic to end their troubled relationship. In any case, it's going to be a challenge for King to turn the franchise around as quickly as he'd like.
Stan Van Gundy Intends To Return As Magic Coach
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy wants to coach the Magic again next season despite the knowledge that Dwight Howard has been trying to fire him, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports. The contracts of both Howard and Van Gundy expire after next season.
“They’re going to have to make decisions," Van Gundy said of the team. "But I’m a basketball coach and I know this: I don’t want to go anywhere else. I mean, I love Orlando, and this is where I want to be. And I want to coach.”
While finishing this season as coach appeared a shaky proposition after he revealed Thursday that Howard has been asking management to fire him, the team seems content to keep him for now. Whether the team wants him around longer is unclear. Yesterday, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported that team executives have been more open to the idea of firing Van Gundy than even Howard has been, so if that's true it would be hard to see Van Gundy back in Orlando next year.
Robbins notes that earlier this season, Van Gundy characterized it as his most challenging as a coach, as the team has dealt with uncertainly concerning Howard's future. Now, the team is dealing with speculation about both its coach and its superstar. If the Magic can somehow overcome this and make a deep run in the playoffs, perhaps to the conference finals, it might be enough to save Van Gundy. Still, the locker room dynamic will seem dysfunctional at best until Howard and Van Gundy either settle their differences or one of them departs.
Examining How The Spurs Keep Winning
Last night the Spurs pulled into a virtual tie with the Thunder for first place in the Western Conference. It's a remarkable achievement for a franchise that doesn't attract marquee free agents and hasn't drafted higher than 20th overall since landing Tim Duncan in 1997. (The trade for the rights to Kawhi Leonard, the 15th pick last year, didn't officially go down until after the draft.) Much of the credit deservedly goes to coach Gregg Popovich, but GM R.C. Buford, who somehow has never won the Executive of the Year award, deserves kudos as well. Let's take a look at how he's kept the Spurs among the elite for so many years.
The mainstays of Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were already in place when Buford was promoted to general manager in 2002. Buford was, however, in charge of scouting when Parker and Ginobili were taken with the 28th and 57th picks in their respective drafts, so we can give him at least some of the credit for those selections. Buford was GM when all of them signed their current contracts, and the fact that the team's three best players are also its three highest-paid players speaks to how well Buford has kept the house in order.
Parker and Ginobili, along with Tiago Splitter, the 27th pick in the 2007 draft, represent the fruits of the Spurs' international scouting, which has been viewed as a hallmark of the franchise. Still, a great deal of the Spurs' success is based on simply getting the greatest value possible out of draft picks and trades, with rebounding and three-point shooting as the common statistical themes. Leonard cost the team a valuable contributor in George Hill, but the Spurs got a rookie who has already started 28 games and, at 6'7", has averaged 5.2 RPG in 25.4 minutes a game. Another 6'7" overachiever is DeJuan Blair, who dropped into the second round in 2009 because of concerns about the lack of ACLs in his knees. He's turned into a starter who's averaged 11.4 rebounds per 36 minutes for his career. Matt Bonner, acquired from the Raptors in 2006, has been a mainstay off the bench, knocking down 41.6% of his three-point attempts, including a league-leading 45.7% last season, as a 6'10" power forward making $3.3MM this season.
Buford's crowning achievements might be Danny Green and Gary Neal, D-League refugees making less than $1MM a year who play key roles for the team. Green, on a minimum-salary deal, has taken over as the starting two-guard despite a lack of flashy numbers outside of a 39.3% three-point percentage. Neal backs up at either guard position and provides outside shooting as well (39.8% three-point percentage).
Whether it's because Buford has figured out something related to long-distance shooting and rebounding that gives his team the edge, or simply because his scouting, both domestically and internationally, allows him to stay a step ahead of the opposition, it's clear the Spurs have a winning formula. The key now is for Popovich and the players to find a way to make it all translate into one more championship this year.
Odds & Ends: Williams, Mavericks, Howard, Cavs
We've got nine games on the docket tonight, including Magic–Sixers in Philadelphia. Orlando will look to put the heightened drama of this past week behind them and snap a five-game losing skid. Here's a look around the league on this Saturday afternoon..
- There has been tons of speculation about Deron Williams joining the Mavericks this summer but Jason Fleming of HoopsWorld points out that several things have to happen in order to facilitate that homecoming. For starters, Dallas will have to get creative in order to have enough cap space to sign the Nets guard.
- The latest drama between Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard feels like a repeat of the clash of Van Gundy and Shaquille O'Neal in Miami, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
- Lester Hudson has likely bought himself more time with the Cavaliers after helping the club top the Raptors in Toronto, writes Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer. The 27-year-old is on day eight of his ten-day contract.
- Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com (via Twitter) points out that the Wizards' James Singleton makes it ten players who have signed in the NBA after playing in China this season.