Nets Sign Three For Training Camp
The Nets have officially signed three players to deals that include invitations to training camp, the team announced today in a press release. Stephen Dennis, James Mays, and Carleton Scott have all signed with the Nets, likely on non-guaranteed contracts.
Dennis, a 6'6" guard out of Kutztown University, was part of the Nets' summer league squad in July. He has played in the D-League and in Germany in recent years. Mays, a Clemson product, has spent the last two seasons playing in Turkey. The 6'9" forward played for the Pacers' and Raptors' summer league teams in 2010. Scott, who graduated from Notre Dame in 2011, spent last season playing in Austria before playing for the Nets' summer league team this offseason.
The Nets now have 18 players on their roster, including five on non-guaranteed deals. Dennis, Mays, and Scott will face a significant uphill battle earning a roster spot though, as recent signees Josh Childress and Andray Blatche are expected to be Brooklyn's 14th and 15th players.
Greece An Option For Anthony Tolliver
As Anthony Tolliver continues to look for a job for the coming season, it appears his potential landing spots extend beyond the NBA. According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter), Tolliver doesn't necessarily have plans to play overseas, but says it's an option while he continues to talk to NBA teams. A report out of Greece today suggested that Greek team Panathinaikos is targeting Tolliver (Twitter link).
After a down year with the Timberwolves, Tolliver hasn't drawn a ton of interest on the free agent market. The Hawks, Bulls, Wizards, Pacers, and T-Wolves were said earlier this month to be in play for Tolliver, but many of those teams could only offer minimum-salary deals. At this point, the 27-year-old appears unlikely to get any more than that.
As for Panathinaikos, the team reportedly had interest in Louis Amundson earlier in the offseason. Amundson also remains unsigned, though Panathinaikos agreed to terms with Hilton Armstrong in late August, so it's not clear how strong an interest the club has in additional frontcourt help.
Alex Rucker On Raptors’ Offseason Additions
Jay Satur of Raptors.com recently sat down with Alex Rucker, the Raptors' Director of Analytics, to discuss a number of topics, including the new players Toronto will add for the coming season. The conversation focused primarily on the Raps' big trade acquisition (Kyle Lowry), the team's major free agent signing (Landry Fields), and last year's fifth overall pick (Jonas Valanciunas). Rucker shared some interesting observations on those players and how they ended up in Toronto. Here are a few of his comments:
On why the team targeted Lowry in trade talks:
"He’s a guy that’s been on our radar for three years as a guy that is underappreciated…. The value that he has is not captured well by the box score, so some people don’t quite get it. A lot of the things he does in terms of his style of play have a lot of value and he does a lot of things really well to help teams win ball games. I think [Rockets GM] Daryl [Morey] referenced that a couple of times in interviews about how a lot of their big wins were attributable to what Kyle did and maybe if you look at the box score, it wasn’t obvious, but he is a winning player."
On adding Lowry and John Lucas III to a point guard mix that already included Jose Calderon:
"When teams are playing us, they’re never going to get a 'backup point guard.' You’re going to get 48 minutes of quality point guard play. So when they bring in their backups and maybe have a drop off in quality, we should be in a position to take advantage of that because we will always have a good point guard on the floor."
On how Fields showed up on the team's free agent radar:
"We identified the wing as a position we wanted to upgrade. We felt like when you come off a season like we did, rebuilding, you look at every position and ask, how we can get better? With the wing spot, we looked across the whole spectrum of free agent and trade target wings and Landry was a guy that kept coming up in conversations. The coaches liked him, management liked him and the analytics liked him. He was a guy that was on the radar months ago as one of the top wing candidates that could help us upgrade at the wing spots.
On the perception that the Raptors overpaid Fields, who signed a three-year, $18.5MM deal:
"If the only year he played in pro basketball was this past season, then I would agree with every bit of criticism that’s out there about the deal. However, there’s this rather large sample of games, minutes, possessions that occurred as a rookie and a lot of that season was a slightly dissimilar situation than the one they currently have in New York…. So what kind of a situation are we looking to have? What kind of offence are we going to run? What kind of personnel are we going to have? How might he fit within that? I’m not thinking he’s going to immediately revert back to his rookie year, if he does, great. But I think the truth is somewhere in the middle and I’m going to be very happy if it’s something in the middle."
On the expectations for Valanciunas:
"Not necessarily from day one but over the long term, I think Jonas will be a guy that is a really good rebounder at both ends and can protect the rim defensively as an on-ball and help post defender. His dedication to improving his free throw percentage speaks to an overall offensive potential that he’s just growing into. So the work ethic and the passion he clearly has for the game, those intangibles combined with what he’s done on the court are real strong indicators that this is a guy, over the long run, that could be this building block at center we have for 10-15 years here in Toronto."
Possible Fits For Jonny Flynn
It was just three years ago that the Timberwolves selected Jonny Flynn sixth overall in the 2009 NBA draft, one spot after the team nabbed Ricky Rubio. At the time, the Rubio choice raised some eyebrows, as the Spaniard point guard decided to continue his career overseas, expressing a reluctance to play in Minnesota. This past season, however, Rubio arrived in Minnesota and provided the type of production the T-Wolves had hoped for, averaging 10.6 points and 8.2 assists per game before going down with an ACL injury.
As Rubio emerged as the point guard of the future in Minnesota, Flynn spent the season playing for the Rockets and Trail Blazers. With the Rockets having declined his fourth-year option, Flynn was essentially in a contract year, and didn't do a whole lot to raise his stock, recording career-lows in FG% (.351), PPG (4.5), and a handful of other categories, while averaging just 14.3 MPG in 29 contests.
On the surface, Flynn looks like a bust. It's not clear whether he'll even receive an NBA contract this year. But even in his disappointing 2011/12 season, there were a few indications that he could be worth a flier. His 8.3 assists per 36 minutes were a career-high, and was by far the best assist rate of any free agent still on the market. Additionally, his numbers became more respectable after his move to Portland, where he played 18 games, averaging 5.2 points, 3.8 assists, and a 12.3 PER in 15.6 minutes per contest for the Blazers.
Those numbers aren't fantastic by any means, but for a player that's still just 23 years old and could have a good deal of upside, they should intrigue teams still in need of a third point guard. At this point, most contracts being signed are non-guaranteed or partially-guaranteed minimum salary deals, a price that would make it worthwhile to roll the dice on Flynn. So what teams could be a fit for him? Here are a few ideas:
- Bucks: Milwaukee's roster is forward-heavy, with only Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, Beno Udrih, and Doron Lamb in the backcourt. A trade may be more likely than a free agent signing, but Flynn could be one target for depth.
- Cavaliers: The Cavs reportedly had interest in Flynn and worked him out in July. They've picked up Jeremy Pargo since then, but both Pargo and Donald Sloan, who is on a non-guaranteed deal, made their NBA debuts within the last year. It remains to be seen whether either player is ready to assume the role of Kyrie Irving's backup.
- Hawks: Atlanta is another team that worked out Flynn earlier in the offseason, and could still use him. The Hawks have Jeff Teague and Devin Harris at the point, but may need a third option, particularly if that duo spends time on the court together.
- Heat: While Miami continues to focus on finding a big man, the team's point guard duo of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole doesn't give them much depth in case of an injury.
- Hornets: If Austin Rivers and Greivis Vasquez can capably handle the point, New Orleans may not have a need there, especially if Brian Roberts makes the team. But none of those guys are sure things, so further insurance may be required.
- Magic: Jameer Nelson is locked in as the starter in Orlando, but he only has Ish Smith backing him up. Even if the Magic are confident in Smith as Nelson's backup, I'd be surprised if they didn't bring at least one more point guard to training camp.
- Pistons: Like the Bucks, the Pistons are loaded with frontcourt players, making a trade the preferred route for acquiring backcourt help. If they can't find a trade partner, the Pistons could look to free agency to bolster a point guard spot that features only Brandon Knight and Will Bynum. But with 15 guaranteed contracts already on the books, it's a long shot.
Doc Rivers Talks Garnett, Bass, Lee, Heat
At Boston Community Development's Hoop Dreams event last week, Celtics coach Doc Rivers sat down with longtime Boston sportswriter Bob Ryan to answer a few questions about his team heading into the 2012/13 season. The Fab Empire provided video of the Q&A session in three parts, and CelticsBlog did a great job of recapping Rivers' most interesting comments, so let's check out the highlights….
- Kevin Garnett feels fantastic — "the best he has felt in years," according to Rivers.
- Rivers felt that playing Brandon Bass and Garnett at the four and five respectively created matchup problems, since opposing big men didn't want to come out of the paint to defend the duo's jump shots.
- Even before Ray Allen was injured and Avery Bradley emerged as the starting two guard last season, Rivers had hoped to bring Allen off the bench to provide scoring for the second unit. Rivers added that he expects Courtney Lee to start at shooting guard this year, at least until Bradley is fully healthy.
- Noting that the Celtics were third in field-goal percentage but 30th in field-goal attempts last season, Rivers stressed that his team has to play at a faster pace. He'd also like to see his players getting to the foul line more often, since that gives the team time to set up its defense at the other end.
- The Heat are "always on my mind," says Rivers, who adds that he brings the Eastern Conference champs up constantly to his players and wants his guys to hate Miami. The C's coach confessed that his team wouldn't likely win a "track meet" with the Heat, but said that if the game became a "thinking meet," he would give his team the edge.
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Heat Notes: Whiteside, Harrellson, Pittman, Miller
The Heat have concluded an audition of Hassan Whiteside that lasted several days, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Now, the team will decide whether to sign him, Josh Harrellson, or neither player. Whether or not cost is an issue, Miami appears to be focused on youth in its search for a big man, having passed on auditioning veterans like Chris Andersen or Mehmet Okur. Here are a few other Monday morning notes out of Miami:
- Within Jackson's piece, the Herald scribe writes that a Heat official says the team was disappointed with Dexter Pittman's summer league play. Pittman is on a guaranteed contract and seems likely to remain on the roster, but nothing is assured yet. "This is a crucial training camp for him," said the team official. "But the slate is clear."
- Pittman will need to improve his rebounding and cut back on his fouls to stick with the Heat, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Asked whether the Heat can count on Mike Miller this season, Winderman notes that the club won't necessarily have to count on him for major production with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis on board. Anything Miller provides will be a bonus, says Winderman.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Jazz, Bell, Wallace, Heat
Sunday night linkage..
- Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com breaks down Dwight Howard‘s full interview with colleague Ric Bucher. In the interview, Howard says that he doesn’t plan on toning down his jovial behavior with the Lakers and while that has rubbed some the wrong way, Kamenetzky doesn’t think that will hurt his play.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Raja Bell‘s issues with the Jazz go back to two years ago when he was butting heads with Deron Williams and coach Jerry Sloan. Bell’s buyout theoretically should be a simple one as he is owed $3.5MM for the final year of his deal. The veteran has come close to accepting the buyout offer at several points but talks have now stalled.
- In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Dan Feldman runs down the five best landing spots for Ben Wallace. The veteran-friendly Celtics and Spurs come in at No. 5 and 4, respectively, with the Clippers at No. 3 as they could use a forward in place of Kenyon Martin. The Pistons are second to the Heat in Feldman’s eyes because Detroit won’t be a contender in 2012/13.
- The Heat are bringing 6’6″ swingman Chamberlain Oguchi in for another workout, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Oguchi starred for the Nigerian national team this summer and has previous experience in the D-League.
Trade Candidate: DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair was a regular in the Spurs rotation last season, averaging 21.3 minutes per contest and starting 62 of 64 games. However, once the Spurs reached the postseason, the forward’s minutes greatly diminished. Blair saw just 7.6 minutes per contest in the Spurs’ ten playoff games and as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News wrote, he was less-than-thrilled with his reduced playing time.
“I love the Spurs, but they’ve got a lot of ‘bigs,’ and they’re bringing somebody else from overseas, so where am I going to fall at?” Blair said in July. “I was out of the rotation at the end of the season, so imagine next year…. That’s something I really don’t want to go through again, because it tore me down.“
Blair really appeared to be on the outs in San Antonio as Erazem Lorbek was widely rumored to be making the jump to the NBA, but the center wound up re-signing with Spanish club Regal Barcelona. While the 6’11” Slovenian won’t be in the states to take minutes away from Blair, offseason acquistion Boris Diaw should see a good amount of time after inking a two-year, $9MM deal. Matt Bonner will also return in 2012/13 after averaging more than 20 minutes per contest across the last two seasons.
For now, Blair still figures to be a key part of the Spurs’ rotation to open the season. What remains to be seen is if he’ll continue to get major minutes as the season wears on and if he’ll also see the same kind of burn in the postseason. If Blair is not seeing significant time to start the season, the forward will very likely look to force the trade issue again. The former Pitt start will earn just a shade over $1MM in his final year under contract and could be extremely attractive to a team looking to pick up a cheap – and highly motivated – rebounder off the bench.
Odds & Ends: D-League, Cavaliers, Howard
There are still a number of big-name veterans left on the open market as we close in on the 2012/13 season, and Lang Greene of HoopsWorld opines that it is time for some of them – like Kenyon Martin and Mickael Pietrus – to take one of the minimum offers being put in front of them. Others, like Tracy McGrady, are still searching for a team to offer them a guaranteed one-year deal. Here's today's look around the Association as we wait to see where the best of the rest wind up..
- Former Kings guard Pooh Jeter announced via Twitter that he has signed with the Shandong Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association. The 5'11" guard has spent a great deal of time overseas and most recently suited up for Spanish team Joventut Badalona.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if NBA veterans should be allowed to play alongside promising young players in the D-League. Schlosser tips his cap to players like Mike James and Dan Gadzuric who used the D-League as a springboard back to the NBA but is less-than-supportive of vets such as Antoine Walker who have spent more than one year in the D-League without dominating the competition.
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes that the Cavaliers would still like to pick up a small forward. Alonzo Gee is the likely starter after re-signing on a three-year, $10MM deal and Omri Casspi figures to be his primary backup.
- Dwight Howard told ESPN.com's Ric Bucher that he doesn't have any regrets about moving on from the Magic but does wish that things unfolded differently. The Lakers big man is currently working to rehab from back surgery but will not return in time for the first preseason game of the year.
- Guard Manny Harris chose the right time to make the move overseas, opines Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside. The 22-year-old signed on with BC Azovmash of the Ukranian League earlier this week after shifting between the Cavaliers and the D-League over the last two seasons.