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David Blatt’s Performance Worries Cavs Brass

December 29th, 2014 at 12:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:48pm: Blatt called the notion that he doesn’t have the attention of his players “unfair” as he insisted that it’s not the case, as he spoke to reporters, including Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter links)

10:46am: There’s a growing concern in the Cavaliers organization about the way the team’s players are responding to coach David Blatt, report Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Cavs are off to a 18-12 start and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, disappointing for a team many picked to win the title after the return of LeBron James and the trade that brought in Kevin Love. There have been “whispers” that some of the Cavs players have issues with Blatt, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported late Sunday, as we passed along. That chatter has been about the lack of attention the players pay to Blatt in huddles as well as the deference they instead give to lead assistant coach Tyronn Lue.

In particular, the perception that the team isn’t expending full effort, especially on defense, is a worry, and the lack of energy and competitiveness is one that Blatt has acknowledged, as Windhorst and Stein observe. Blatt is in his first year as an NBA coach after extensive experience, and success, as a coach overseas, and while he dislikes to be referred to as a “rookie” coach, he’s never faced a challenge quite like the one before him in Cleveland. The Cavs, after four straight years of having missed the playoffs, returned just five players from last year’s team, a league low. The addition of championship-tested veterans like Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and James Jones only heightened the expectations surrounding the club.

The team’s defensive shortcomings likely owe at least in part to the lack of a player who can effectively protect the rim, a need that GM David Griffin has sought to remedy for months. The team’s issues at center are even more profound since the loss of Anderson Varejao to a torn Achilles that’s expected to end his season, and the Cavs are just 1-2 since he went down, having lost to the Heat and the Pistons, both sub-.500 teams. Kyrie Irving also missed the team’s last two games, encompassing a win over the Magic and that Pistons loss, with a hyperextended left knee.

The team hired Blatt in June, with owner Dan Gilbert the driving force behind the move, according to the ESPN scribes. That took place weeks before James committed to signing, and it seemed at the time Blatt joined the team that bringing aboard a coach who had never before held a job in the NBA in any capacity would put the kibosh on the hope that James would return to Cleveland this year. That fear proved to be unfounded. Still, James has said that he didn’t make a formal request of Blatt to alter his role in the team’s offense before doing so, as Windhorst and Stein note, and the four-time MVP refused to answer a question Sunday about whether the team’s recent struggles were a learning experience for Blatt.

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Celtics Notes: Pierce, Bradley, Young

December 29th, 2014 at 12:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics already made one major trade this season, finally parting ways with Rajon Rondo, and they seem ripe for more moves. They’ve reportedly been in talks with the Cavs about three-team trade ideas, and they have as many as 11 extra draft picks coming their way between now and 2018. The C’s also possess veterans like Jeff Green, whose trade candidacy I examined this weekend, and Brandon Bass who appear fit to play key roles for contending teams, so president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has some ammunition at his disposal. While we wait to see if he and the Celtics can launch any fireworks in time for the New Year, here’s the latest from Boston:

  • Paul Pierce will probably speak with Ainge and Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck this summer about a role with the organization after his playing career is done, as Pierce tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The 37-year-old, who has a player option worth nearly $5.544MM with the Wizards for next year, didn’t allude to the notion of rejoining the Celtics as a player as he did in March when he indicated that he was open to the idea.
  • Avery Bradley probably took the news of the Rondo trade the hardest among his teammates, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. “Me, personally, I was a little down. We had a relationship with each other. He’s like a brother to me,” Bradley said to Lee about Rondo. “All I could do was wish the best for him and hope that he does well in Dallas. It was hard on us, but that’s part of this game.” Bradley, who re-signed with Boston on a four-year, $32MM contract this summer, is nonetheless confident about the C’s playoff chances this year.
  • The Celtics have recalled James Young from the D-League, the team announced (on Twitter). This year’s 17th overall pick had 15 points in 32 minutes Sunday for the Maine Red Claws while on his one-day assignment, the sixth time the C’s sent him to the D-League.
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More Players Become Eligible For Vet Extensions

December 29th, 2014 at 10:15am CST by Chuck Myron

There’s been a run on veteran extensions of late. Four players have signed such deals within the past six months after only two had signed them since the 2011 lockout that begat the existing collective bargaining agreement. Zach Randolph, Tony Parker, Anderson Varejao and Rudy Gay all agreed to forfeit free agency, where the rules would have allowed them to sign for more money over a greater amount of time. Players who sign veteran extensions can tack no more than three years on their existing deals, and they can earn raises of no more than 4.5%. Free agents can re-sign with their teams for five seasons and raises of up to 7.5%. That’s why LaMarcus Aldridge put an end to extension talk this past summer even as he pledged to remain with the Blazers for the long term. It would harm him financially to sign an extension, and ostensibly, the Blazers would like to keep him for as long as possible. No such restrictions are in place for rookie scale extensions, which is why teams and players continue to strike those deals at a prolific rate.

Randolph, Varejao and Gay fall into the sweet spot that makes veteran extensions, usually anathema for players who seek to maximize their earning potential, advantageous for them. All three are veterans who wouldn’t command the maximum salary in free agency and were on contracts that paid them at or above their market value. There’s no bottom floor for the value of an extension, so Randolph and Gay were free to negotiate within the broad range of their existing player-friendly salaries all the way down to the minimum. Neither was about to sign for the minimum, but both found a middle ground with their teams that saw them agree to pay cuts over the next few years. Varejao’s existing contract pays him a nearly $9.705MM salary this season that was likely in line with what his market value was to have been at the time he signed his extension, which predated his torn Achillies, so the slight raises the extension calls for suit him fine.

Parker is a different case, as he gave up the chance to command a maximum-salary deal in free agency this coming summer for a discount that ties him to the Spurs until he’s 36 years old, meaning he’s unlikely ever to see that maximum money. It was a clear self-sacrifice that owes its only explanation to the point guard’s comfort with the Spurs, and indeed a player’s comfort with his team often helps drive an extension. Varejao has never played for any team other than the Cavs, Randolph has blossomed in Memphis like never before, and the Kings helped revive Gay’s career. Age, which seemingly would have been a motivating factor for Parker not to sign his extension, was conversely a likely reason why Randolph and Varejao signed theirs, since Randolph, 33, and Varejao, 32, probably wouldn’t have merited five-year deals were they to have hit free agency.

The timing of the recent spate of veteran extensions is counterintuitive, since the lockout prevented several would-be extension-eligibles from even considering the idea for much of this year. Players become eligible for veteran extensions three years after they sign their contracts. Those who signed long-term contracts in 2011 became eligible for veteran extensions in 2014, but because the lockout pushed the typical July flurry of signings into December, those players only became eligible this month. Here’s a look at the players who’ve become eligible for extensions in the past few weeks, along with the date that they became eligible:

In addition, Russell Westbrook becomes extension-eligible on January 19th, while Kevin Love can sign an extension starting January 25th. It’s almost certain that neither will agree to one, however, since they’re likely to command maximum salaries in free agency. That’s not the case for a pair of Nuggets who’ll become extension-eligible later this season, with Danilo Gallinari set to cross the threshold on January 25th, and Wilson Chandler poised for extension-eligibility on March 18th. Grizzlies trade candidate Kosta Koufos becomes eligible for an extension on January 25th.

The new group of players eligible for veteran extensions joined fewer than two dozen who had been eligible before December. Here’s the complete list of veteran extension-eligible players as it currently stands, sorted by team. The names from the above list are repeated below and mixed with the names of the players who had already been eligible for veteran extensions:

RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

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Central Notes: Blatt, Jerebko, Hansbrough

December 29th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls and Cavaliers, who many assumed were on their way to a clash in the Eastern Conference Finals, would meet in the first round as the respective No. 4 and No. 5 seeds if the playoffs began today. No. 4 signifies a much different fate for the Pistons, who are in line for the fourth-best chance at the No. 1 overall pick, as our Reverse Standings show. Detroit’s win over Cleveland on Sunday was just one more oddity among a season filled with them for Central Division teams. There’s more on the fallout from that amid the latest from around the division:

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Southwest Notes: Brewer, Motiejunas, Mavericks

December 28th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

It didn’t take Corey Brewer long to impress his new Rockets teammates, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Brewer, acquired from the Timberwolves in a December 19th deal, was 6 of 8 on three-point shots in Sunday’s loss to the Spurs. “Corey’s been excellent for us,” said Houston guard James Harden. “He brings energy off the bench, defensive mindset, shoot the basketball, attack the rim. He’s been playing well.”

There is other Southwest Division news:

  • Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas, who was replaced in the starting lineup Sunday by Josh Smith, tells Feigen that his only concern is playing well whenever he is called upon. “I’m not a coach,” Motiejunas said. “I’m not making decisions. I’m following. They think it’s better and will help us win more games. I’m trying to put these things in my mind. I just try to use my time as productive as possible and do what I can do to win.”
  • The Mavericks have been struggling a bit since the Rajon Rondo deal and they need to start playing like a contender, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas is 3-2 since the deal and one of its wins came against a Kobe Bryant-less Lakers team.
  • Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was non-committal Sunday when asked about the prospect of signing free agent big man Jermaine O’Neal, Sefko reports. “I don’t know if he wants to come here,” Cuban responded. “[There are] a lot of decisions to be made before then.”
  • After hosting Pelicans big man Anthony Davis in his hometown, Bulls forward Joakim Noah came away impressed, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. “He’s a great player,” Noah said. “Great, well beyond his years. I thought that for somebody to come in, playing in front of your hometown, usually there’s some anxiety. I just saw a lot of composure out of him tonight. He came in, first shot, boom, knocked it down. You can’t give him any open looks at his size. He’s a very, very talented kid.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Western Notes: Thunder, Daniels, Bjelica

December 28th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder are staying calm despite two devastating early-season injuries, reports Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. A hurt hand cost Russell Westbrook the first month of the season, and foot and ankle injuries have limited Kevin Durant to just nine games this season.  “We want to get our guys healthy,” said coach Scott Brooks. “Until then, we want to keep improving so that when the guys come back, we’re a better team. These are great opportunities to build our team and our bench when Kevin comes back.”

There was more on Sunday from the Western Conference:

  • Troy Daniels is quickly finding a home with the Timberwolves, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. After being acquired from the Rockets in the December 19th trade that sent Corey Brewer to Houston, Daniels has impressed with his three-point shooting touch. He hit four from long distance in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Warriors and wound up with 14 points in less than 9 minutes of action. “That’s my job,” Daniels said. “I always stay ready and shoot the ball when I’m open.” Daniels is in the first year of a two-year guaranteed contract for the minimum salary.
  • Wolves draft-and-stash prospect Nemanja Bjelica offers hope for ex-GM David Kahn‘s 2010 draft class, writes Zgoda.  He’s currently in the midst of a season that has caught the eye of team president/coach Flip Saunders. “He has proven it this year,” Saunders said. “He has taken his game to another step up, to where he’s ready to come over here. He has potential because he’s 6’10” or 6’11”, but he’s very skilled. He’s a guy we’ll definitely follow.”
  • Nuggets rookie Jusuf Nurkic is impressing early on in his NBA career, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.  “He’s my type of player,” Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said. “He likes to bang. He likes to rebound.” Nurkic, a 6’11” big man, has earned more playing time of late, seeing 16.1 minutes per contest in his last eight games.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Eastern Notes: Crowder, Celtics, Magic, Vonleh

December 28th, 2014 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Of the three players who came to the Celtics in the Rajon Rondo trade, Jae Crowder may be the likeliest to have a future in Boston, speculates Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The 6’7″ swingman has been impressive in a limited role since the deal, and Forsberg declares it should be an easy decision for the team to give him a $1.2MM qualifying offer in the offseason if he isn’t part of salary aggregation in February.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Roster upheaval is one of the reasons December hasn’t gone as planned for the Celtics, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Boston entered the month facing a soft schedule and the chance to contend for a playoff spot, but the Celtics are just 6-8 during December and eight games below .500 overall. The team dealt Rondo to Boston on December 18th and Blakely contends the players they got in return — Crowder, Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson — aren’t good fits with the current roster.
  • The Magic’s backcourt of the future is starting to live up to the hype, according to John Denton of Magic.com. Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton were Orlando’s top choices in the last two NBA Drafts, and they were recently inserted into the starting lineup together. “It’s on us to make sure that they made the right choice,’’ Payton said after Saturday’s win over the Hornets. “We’re still figuring it out because this is just our [fourth] game [starting] together, but I think we’re making good strides.’’
  • Hornets rookie Noah Vonleh hasn’t seen major minutes this season, but coach Steve Clifford says that’s not a reflection on his talent or effort, but rather the late start he had due to a sports hernia injury, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.  Earlier today, Vonleh was assigned to the Austin Spurs of the D-League.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Hoops Links: Draft, Smith, Celtics, Smart

December 28th, 2014 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 1995, Mavs coach Dick Motta became the third NBA coach to win 900 games when the Mavericks topped the Grizzlies in double-overtime.  He joined Red Auerbach (938) and Lenny Wilkens (then with 1,014) atop the leaderboard.  Today, Motta stands as the tenth all-time winningest coach in league history.

Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…

Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.

 

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Atlantic Notes: Aldrich, Nets, Williams, Covington

December 28th, 2014 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Cole Aldrich could have a future with Knicks president Phil Jackson thanks to his ability to play in the triangle offense, a league source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.  “I personally love the triangle, being able to have more opportunities to post up but also have the ball in your hands in the pinch post with the guard coming off,’’ Aldrich said after putting up 18 points and seven boards against the Kings on Saturday night. “There’s a lot of opportunities to get assists and easy buckets down.”   More out of the Atlantic..

  • The Nets have all but given up on Deron Williams just two years after making him their franchise player, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.  Williams, who signed a ~$100MM deal with the Nets not long ago, has been benched for Jarrett Jack amid weeks of trade talk surrounding him.  Mikhail Prokhorov hasn’t been seen in Brooklyn in a while, but he’s surely unhappy about paying the league’s highest payroll without having a true franchise player to show for it.
  • It’s clear the Brook Lopez–Mason Plumlee front court pairing isn’t working for the Nets, opines Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.  During the 61 minutes that the duo has played together, the Nets have been outscored by over 17 points per 100 possessions. The team has made Lopez available in trade talks.  Plumlee, meanwhile, was brought up by the Kings in recent trade discussions surrounding Deron Williams, but Brooklyn is very reluctant to part with the second-year center.
  • Robert Covington is in the midst of a breakout campaign has been particularly impressive lately, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Covington, who is signed to team friendly four-year $4.2MM contract, could be a very interesting trade piece for the 76ers as many teams looking for long distance shooting. The forward is shooting 43.3% from the three-point line, which is good for 11th best in the league.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

December 28th, 2014 at 6:04pm CST by Zachary Links

This week’s original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff..

  • Once, Jeff Green was to have been one of the anchors of a fast-rising Thunder team full of youthful talent.  Now, he’s a trade candidate for the Celtics, as Chuck Myron writes.
  • Eddie Scarito ran down the playing time that this year’s second-rounders are getting.
  • Eddie gave us the 2015/16 salary rankings for shooting guards and point guards.
  • Wondering how the Corey Brewer trade worked financially?  Chuck has you covered.
  • Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
  • Chuck hosted the live chat on Christmas Eve.
  • More than 30% of you felt that Josh Smith‘s best fit was in Houston.
  • Look back on all of the trades that have gone down so far this season.
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