Central Notes: Paxson, Cavs, Gordon
The Bulls look to rebound tonight against the Knicks after nearly completing a comeback at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cavs play host to the Bobcats, a team winless in their past 12 contests in a season where the squad may not even reach double digits in victories. Let's take a look around the rest of the Central Division to catch up on the latest news and happenings.
- Bulls executive vice president John Paxson says his relationship with head coach Tom Thibodeau is "very good," despite reports stating otherwise, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. In a conversation on "The Waddle & Silvy Show," Paxson denied allegations Thibodeau was unhappy with his current contract situation in which the Bulls hold a team option for the upcoming season. After a successful run as Doc Rivers' associate head coach in Boston, Thibodeau joined the Bulls as head coach prior to the 2010/2011 season after which he was named NBA Coach of the Year.
- Brendan Bowers of The Plain Dealer says not only are the Cavs in a position to set up their 2012 NBA draft in a fashion similar to how the Thunder built a championship-caliber squad, but can do so in a way that fast-tracks the process. Armed with two first-round draft picks, Cavs general manager Chris Grant has the opportunity to reshape the current roster to the point that the team could seemingly contend for a playoff spot next season. Bowers suggests Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond as potential fits for the Cavs if they end up with the fourth pick in the draft.
- Ben Gordon didn't sign with the Pistons just for the cushy contract but rather saw the organization as a place where he could consistently contend for titles, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Unfortunately for Gordon, the Pistons have not reached the playoffs since his arrival while the Bulls have made the playoffs each season since Gordon left Chicago in 2009. The Pistons, 21-36 on the season, currently hold the 10th-best record in the Eastern Conference, leaving them on the outside of the playoff bubble once again.
Cavs Re-Sign Lester Hudson
The Cavs have signed guard Lester Hudson to another 10-day contract, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Hudson's first 10-day deal expired last night.
Hudson has averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.8 APG and 3.5 RPG in 23.8 minutes a night during his six-game stint with the Cavs. He scored 23 points Friday against the Raptors and 26 on Sunday versus the Nets. Earlier I speculated that the Hornets, in need of a point guard, might try to grab him, but this move blocks them from doing so, at least for the time being.
Hudson May Be Playing His Way Into Contract
Lester Hudson, signed by the Cavaliers to a 10-day contract on March 30, has been excellent off the bench in the wake of Kyrie Irving's shoulder injury. According to Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, head coach Byron Scott told the team's front office that Hudson "was doing great."
Headed into tonight's matchup against the Nets, Hudson has averaged 10 points, 4 assists and over 3 boards in the 5 games since signing. Today is the last day of that contract and Hudson is making it hard for the Cavs not to re-up him. Hudson already has 26 points in 24 minutes on 9-of-18 shooting and just sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
Reed and Schmitt think it's likely, given his performance, that Hudson gets at least another 10-day look from Cleveland.
Finnan On Walton, Free Agency, Draft
The Cavs take on the Nets as they head to Newark today in a battle between two non-playoff contenders. Tristan Thompson should be looking forward to the matchup as the rookie out of Texas went off for a career-high 27 points along with 12 rebounds on March 19 against the Nets. Let's check in with Bob Finnan of The News-Herald to get the latest scoop on what's happening with the Cavs.
- Finnan suggests Luke Walton's future with the Cavs remains a bit unclear given the fact that he is being used out of position as a power forward (he's more of a small forward) and that his playing ability has rapidly deteriorated from his heyday with the Lakers. The former Arizona star, 32, hasn't averaged more than 2.4 PPG since the 2008/2009 season where he scored 5.0 PPG.
- Expect the Cavs to explore adding quality free agents given their financial flexibility heading into the offseason, writes Finnan. The team will be over $20MM under the cap this summer allowing for Cavs general manager Chris Grant to explore the free-agent market. Names such as Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon and Pacers center Roy Hibbert have been tossed around, but the team's general philosophy toward rebuilding the roster stems from maximizing their return from the draft.
- Finnan believes the Cavs will focus their attention on adding a scoring wing, center, backup point guard and general depth when the team heads to Secaucus, NJ in June for the draft. Regardless of who the team selects, the ultimate focus will be on building a roster with the most talented athletes available.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Brooks, Heat
Beyond the Knicks playing host to the Bulls this afternoon, the Heat will take on the Pistons while the Celtics defend their homecourt against a struggling Sixers squad. The Heat have played exceptionally well at home as they hold the best record in the NBA at 23-3 when they get to play their games in Miami. Let's take a look around the Eastern Conference to see what headlines are being made on this Easter Sunday.
- No longer in playoff contention, the Cavs will be tinkering with their lineup as the season winds down with hopes of figuring out which players will have a long-term future with the team, writes Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer. Equipped with four picks in the upcoming draft, the remainder of the season will be used to give players an opportunity show what role they may be best suited for heading into next season. This may ultimately spell decreased minutes for a veteran like Antawn Jamison, who's future with the club remains uncertain.
- Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger reports Nets guard MarShon Brooks would have been a part of a potential deal for Dwight Howard that was on the table at the trade deadline. While Brooks says that he didn't let any rumors affect his play, knowing that he will remain with the Nets at least for the rest of the season is a comforting feeling. The 23-year-old former Providence star has had an up-and-down rookie campaign in which he is currently averaging 12.3 PPG.
- The lack of a quality backup point guard has hurt the Heat especially when dealing with more athletic guards who can get to the basket quickly, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
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.
Central Notes: Lucas, Thibodeau, Hudson
The Bulls and Cavs are two teams heading in opposite directions of late, but there's some news coming out of both camps. Here's the latest:
- The impending return of Derrick Rose will likely send John Lucas III back to the end of the Bulls bench, but Lucas believes his performance this season has proven his ability to play in the league, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Lucas, averaging 7.0 PPG and 2.1 APG in 14 minutes a game this year, is on a minimum-salary deal expires at the end of the season.
- It's no surprise, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers would like to see the Bulls extend the contract of coach Tom Thibodeau, a former assistant to Rivers in Boston, reports Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com. The Bulls have a team option on Thibodeau for next season.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com answers reader questions on the Bulls, free agency and the draft, among other topics.
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald examines the impact of guard Lester Hudson, who's with the Cavs on a 10-day contract. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal recounts Hudson's long journey to Cleveland.
- Both Manny Harris and Donald Sloan have non-guaranteed contracts for next season, according to the joint Twitter feed of Plain Dealer reporters Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer. Storytellers Contracts has the non-guaranteed contracts extending out another year, ending in 2014. Neither is slated to make as much as $1MM in any season.
- Sloan and presumably Harris will play for the Cavs' summer league team in the offseason, Reed and Boyer also note, via Twitter.
Central Notes: Cavs, Bulls, Villanueva, Wallace
The Bucks can pull within a game of the eighth-place Knicks in the East tonight, and they couldn't ask for a better matchup — Milwaukee will host the Cavaliers, who have lost eight straight games and are coming off a 125-90 shellacking at the hands of the Spurs. Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer acknowledges that a team like the Cavs needs to go through years like this to build through the draft lottery, but wonders if all the losses will affect young players like Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Alonzo Gee. Here are a few more Wednesday morning links from out of the Central Division:
- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Gar Forman have both downplayed an ESPN.com report that suggested Thibodeau was unhappy with his contract situation. We heard yesterday that Forman and the Bulls initiated extension talks with the coach prior to the season and intend to resume them at season's end. Forman discussed this further with Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times, noting, "It’s our objective to have Tom as coach of the Bulls long-term, and I think it’s Tom’s objective to be the coach of the Bulls. Usually when your objectives are the same, you should be able to reach a resolution."
- Charlie Villanueva, who has only played 15 minutes all season, is growing increasingly frustrated by his role with the Pistons, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Villanueva has two years and $16MM+ remaining on his contract after this season, and as Goodwill points out, the veteran forward could be an amnesty candidate. "I know this summer this will be addressed, my future will be talked about," Villanueva said. "I want to be here. But I'm a realist at the same time."
- Fellow Pistons big man Ben Wallace has stated repeatedly that he'll retire at season's end, but Wallace left himself some wiggle room with his most recent comments, says David Mayo of MLive.com.
Teams Signing The Most 10-Day Contracts
Teams have different motives for bringing players in on 10-day contracts. In the case of a lottery-bound team with little to play for in the immediate future, signing a player to a 10-day deal allows for an affordable, first-hand look at a young player to determine whether or not he might be a long-term asset (think Gerald Green with the Nets). For a contender, a 10-day deal allows a team to bring in a veteran to temporarily provide bench help in case of injuries or questionable depth (ie. Mike James and the Bulls).
As our 10-day contract tracker shows, however, some teams like taking advantage of these deals more than others. While a number of clubs have yet to sign a single player to a 10-day deals, a handful have brought in multiple players on temporary contracts, renewing some and letting others expire. Here's a quick look at which teams have taken advantage of the 10-day contracts the most this season, handing them out to multiple players:
Cavaliers:
Manny Harris (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Lester Hudson
Ben Uzoh
Hornets:
Jeff Foote
Solomon Jones (two 10-day contracts)
Donald Sloan (two 10-day contracts)
Lance Thomas (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Nets:
Andre Emmett
Gerald Green (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Dennis Horner
Jerry Smith
Raptors:
Alan Anderson
Ben Uzoh
Rockets:
Earl Boykins
Courtney Fortson (10-day contract followed by rest-of-season contract)
Malcolm Thomas
Spurs:
Eric Dawson (two 10-day contracts)
Justin Dentmon
Warriors:
Keith Benson
Mickell Gladness (10-day contract followed by rest-of-season contract)
Wizards:
Cartier Martin
Edwin Ubiles
Antawn Jamison Unlikely To Return To Cavs
The Cavaliers are on the midst of a seven-game losing streak, and Antawn Jamison is frustrated by the team's second-half collapse. The veteran forward told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal he'll wait until after the season to make a decision about leaving or returning to Cleveland, but conceded it would be a surprise if he were a Cavalier next year. While losing more games this season may benefit the team in the long term, the Cavs' future isn't Jamison's primary concern.
"I want to win," Jamison said. "Tomorrow is not promised. I might not be here next year. I can’t worry about what we’re planning for next year. For me and a lot of these other guys, what can we do now? It was tough to know we were so close [to playoff contention] and instead of taking steps forward, we took dramatic steps backward."
Jamison added that he didn't feel great about the Cavs trading Ramon Sessions to Los Angeles, calling the point guard "a big piece of the [Cavs'] puzzle." However, he admitted Sessions may not be missed quite as much if it weren't for injuries to Daniel Gibson and Kyrie Irving.
Although he's shooting a career-worst 40.7% from the floor and has posted his lowest scoring and rebounding rates since 2003/04, Jamison is still contributing 17.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG, and should attract interest on the free agent market this summer. At 35 years old, he may be seeking an opportunity to win a championship rather than continuing to be the veteran presence on a rebuilding Cleveland team.
"I appreciate the things this organization has done for me," Jamison said. "I’ve been through a lot of coaches, by far this has been my favorite coaching staff to play with and to learn things from. But to sit here and say I can see myself coming back or there’s a chance of me coming back right now, that’s one of those decisions you really have to clear your mind, let the batteries get re-juiced. It’s going to be [made] collectively with the family and myself and what I really want to do."