Southeast Notes: Miller, Beal, Payton
Former Wizard Andre Miller said he got the “bad end of the stick” in Washington, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. The veteran point guard was shipped to Sacramento in a deadline-day trade that reunited him with longtime coach George Karl. Miller, 38, implies that the trade was the Wizards’ way of blaming him for their midseason downturn. He was backing up John Wall in Washington, averaging 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in just 12.4 minutes of playing time. Miller also expessed his frustration to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post (Twitter link): “For a guy to only play 10 minutes a game you figure why would I be the one to get moved,” Miller asked. “But I try not to individualize it.”
There’s more news from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards need more production from Bradley Beal to become a serious playoff contender, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Beal, who recently returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a stress reaction in his right leg, agreed with that assessment. “My game definitely has to escalate,” he said. “And it has to escalate now. I know it starts with John [Wall] and [me]. I have to definitely step up my play. He’s been playing well all year and I’ve been on a roller coaster. I definitely have to be aggressive and be the star that people think I should be.”
- Elfrid Payton‘s troubles at the free throw line won’t keep him out of the Magic lineup, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Interim Orlando coach James Borrego said he will keep playing the rookie regardless of how he shoots foul shots. “I’m not going to take him out if they keep hacking him,” Borrego said. Payton is shooting 53% from the line and had a particularly bad performance Friday against Boston, making just four of 15 as the Celtics purposely fouled him.
Central Notes: Cavaliers, Ennis, Middleton
Kyrie Irving‘s recent performance is vindication for former Cavaliers GM Chris Grant, argues Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. Grant, who was fired in February of 2014, is widely remembered for his misstep in taking Anthony Bennett with the top selection in the 2013 draft. But Pluto contends Grant deserves more credit than he receives for identifying Irving as the best player in the 2011 draft class, then making a deal with the Clippers to acquire an unprotected pick that turned out to be number one overall.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- This hasn’t been the rookie season he expected, but the Bucks‘ Tyler Ennis is finally getting to display his skills, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 20-year-old out of Syracuse is getting a chance to play after being shipped to Milwaukee from Phoenix in a three-team deal at the trade deadline. Ennis has moved into the reserve point guard role behind Michael Carter-Williams. “I’m feeling a lot more comfortable, not only with the offense but with the speed of the game,” Ennis said. “I’m getting a lot more experience now and my teammates are telling me to be aggressive. With the second unit I try to go out there and make as many plays as possible. Coach (Jason Kidd) is giving me the freedom to do that.”
- The Bucks‘ Khris Middleton is in elite company when it comes to real plus-minus rating this season, according to Bradford Doolittle of ESPN Insider (subscription required). Middleton currently ranks seventh in the league in that category, behind six players who are the leading candidates for MVP. Middleton, who was a topic of conversation at the recent MIT Sloan Analytics Conference, also leads the Bucks in Wins Above Replacement Player.
- The Pistons don’t expect a long negotiation with newly acquired guard Reggie Jackson, tweets Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Jackson, who came to Detroit from the Thunder in a deadline-day deal, can become a restricted free agent this summer.
- The Pistons will be without forward Shawne Williams for tonight’s game with the Jazz, according to Ellis (Twitter link). Williams and Blazers center Joel Freeland each received a one-game suspension after an altercation in Friday’s game.
Warriors Rumors: McAdoo, Kerr, Green
The Warriors have sent James Michael McAdoo back to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. McAdoo was recalled Thursday and scored a career-high 16 points in Friday’s loss to the Nuggets. He will report to the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he has played 32 games this season. McAdoo ranks 12th in the D-League in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.4 points and 8.8 boards per game.
There’s more news from the City by the Bay:
- Despite the demotion, Golden State remains high on McAdoo’s future, according to Monte Poole of csnbayarea.com (Twitter link). Looking ahead, the young forward has a minimum contract for next season with a partial guarantee, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- After giving many of his best players the night off Friday in Denver, Warriors coach Steve Kerr told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post that he understands the complaints of Nuggets fans. Golden State suffered a double-digit defeat as Kerr rested Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut. Marreese Speights was serving a one-game suspension after pleading no contest to reckless driving. “If I had bought tickets for my family, and I wanted to see Steph Curry play and he sat out, I’d be upset,” Kerr said. “I understand that, but I can’t base my team’s welfare on that. That’s one of the reasons why I do it on the road because we like to look after our own fans.”
- Among the many reasons Golden State would like to hold on to free-agent-to-be Draymond Green is his skill at trash talking, writes Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kerr compares Green’s verbal abilities to those of Reggie Miller, a Hall of Fame player and a first-class agitator. Green’s taunts are useful both in motivating himself and unnerving the competition. “I understand where it’s coming from,” Kerr said. “Some players need to talk to get themselves going, to motivate themselves. That’s the case with Draymond.”
Bucks Likely To Re-Sign Chris Johnson
Bucks coach Jason Kidd expects the team to sign Chris Johnson to a second 10-day contract after the first one expires on Sunday, Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets. Johnson has received steady playing time over the last four games, averaging 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 19.5 minutes.
Johnson has given Kidd another option at the wing positions with Jerryd Bayless and O.J. Mayo nursing injuries. Bayless has missed two games with an ankle sprain while Mayo has been sidelined seven of the last nine games because of a hamstring issue. Milwaukee was already depleted at small forward by the season-ending injury to Jabari Parker in December.
Johnson has bounced around several organizations this season. He spent training camp with the Celtics, who released him just before opening night. He was claimed off waivers by the Sixers and appeared in nine games with them, including two starts, before he was waived again. The Rockets’ D-League affiliate picked him up in December and the Jazz signed him to a 10-day contract in late January. Johnson played two games for Utah but he didn’t receive a second 10-day deal from them.
Southwest Rumors: Rondo, Conley, Pelicans
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has given Rajon Rondo more play-calling responsibilities and their relationship appears to be improving, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. Rondo, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, is developing better chemistry with his teammates as he gains more freedom to call plays, MacMahon adds. Rondo was suspended one game by the club in late February after he argued with Carlisle over play-calling issues. “He’s really developed a good sense for our team — when to just push it, when to get into something,” Carlisle said to Dallas beat writers. “He really understands the guys that he’s playing with.” Rondo said recently he is willing to return to the Mavs, though it’s unlikely they will meet his asking price.
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- Mike Conley had a difficult time dealing with the breakup between coach Lionel Hollins and the Grizzlies in 2013, he told Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com in a Q&A. Conley called Hollins, whose contract was not renewed by the Grizzlies, “a second father figure almost for me.” Conley, who has one year and approximately $9.39MM remaining on his contract, adds in the interview that he is still grateful he has played his entire career thus far with Memphis.
- Eric Gordon’s improved health has made him a better fit with the Pelicans, Jesse Blancarte of BasketballInsiders.com opines. Gordon, who can exercise a player option of approximately $15.5MM in the final year of his contract next season, is averaging 15.6 points while shooting 51.1% from 3-point range over his last 14 games. The injury-prone Gordon is finally playing the way New Orleans hoped when they matched the Suns’ four-year, $58MM offer sheet following the 2011-12 season, Blancarte adds.
- The Mavs reassigned Dwight Powell to their D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, on Saturday, the team announced. Powell has appeared in 19 games for the Mavs this season, averaging 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.
Pelicans Give Elliot Williams Another 10-Day
The Pelicans signed guard Elliot Williams to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on Saturday. Williams has appeared in three games with the Pelicans, averaging 4.0 points and 1.0 assists in 11.0 minutes per game.
Williams continues to give New Orleans depth at shooting guard as the Pelicans deal with two backcourt injuries. Jrue Holiday has not played since January 12 because of a right leg injury. Tyreke Evans has been bothered by an ankle issue and did not play against the Nets on Tuesday.
Prior to joining the Pelicans, Williams had 10-day contracts with the Hornets and Jazz. He was playing for the D-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors just before New Orleans signed him. The former 22nd overall pick had his 10-day contract with the Hornets terminated early so they could pull off the Mo Williams trade last month.
Elliot Williams didn’t see action on his lone pact with Charlotte, but he averaged 3.6 points in 8.4 minutes per contest in five appearances for the Jazz, who signed him to two 10-day deals.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Van Gundy, Eddie
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said there is no disconnect between him and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge as the team fights for a playoff berth, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes. Stevens has not been asked by Ainge to use younger players at the expense of winning, according to Bulpett, who points out that rookie James Young has lost his spot in the rotation. Ainge made several trades this season with an eye to the future, including deals that shipped out veterans Rajon Rondo and Tayshaun Prince. “To me, there doesn’t need to be any separation. This is the focus we have,” Stevens said to the team’s beat reporters. “Obviously [Ainge] has got to look at everything from a roster standpoint and the development standpoint and everything else, but I think our progress as a team and the way we’re progressing, all that stuff goes hand in hand.”
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is unhappy about his team playing 22 back-to-backs this season, tying his team with the Hornets for the most in the league, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. Van Gundy believes the problem is due to the league’s contract with TNT which prevents teams from scheduling games on most Thursday nights, Langlois adds. “If you looked at the schedule and said, they’ve got 45 home games and they’ve only got 37, everybody would go crazy,” Van Gundy said to Langlois. “But on the back to backs, we don’t say anything. I think that is something to be addressed.”
- Jarell Eddie will not receive a second 10-day contract from the Hawks, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals. Eddie, whose first 10-day contract expires on Saturday, did not appear in any games after he was signed away from the D-League’s Austin Spurs. He will likely return to Austin, Vivlamore continues.
Nets Rumors: Chemistry, Changes, Prokhorov
Poor chemistry has led to a disappointing season for the Nets, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes. Injuries and underachieving players have forced coach Lionel Hollins to constantly tinker with his rotation, leading to 17 different lineup changes, Bontemps adds. “[Chemistry is] very fragile,” Hollins said to the team’s beat reporters. “You constantly have to work at it, and adversity is the first thing that can kill chemistry. You have a little adversity and something happens and it splits, and then you have to get it back. It’s a time-consuming thing to get chemistry, and then you have some success and you have a little more adversity and then it goes back again. It’s hard to define why. You just have it, or you don’t.”
In other news concerning the Nets:
- The team’s management plans to revamp the roster to bring in younger, more athletic players, according to a story on the team’s official website nba.com/nets. GM Billy King promised season-ticket holders in a conference call on Thursday that roster changes were coming this summer. “I think it could turn around really quickly,” King said in the call. “We’re going to explore every option to continue to add some athleticism so we can be a better defensive team, become a more athletic team, so we can get out and run. That’s the plan. We’ll look and explore every option. There will be no stone unturned as we go forward.”
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is no longer seeking to sell a majority interest in the team, according to Josh Kosman and Claire Atkinson of the New York Post. Negotiations to sell the team never became serious because of uncertainty over Prokhorov’s interest in also selling the rights to Barclays Center, sources told the Post. Prokhorov is now actively shopping a minority interest in the team that does not include a sale of the arena, the Post adds. Evercore Partners, an investment banking firm Prokhorov hired to help facilitate a prospective sale of the team, made the decision to end their relationship with the Nets.
- Prokhorov recently quit the Russian political party he founded, Civil Platform, and his motivation may have included his desire to protect foreign assets such as the Nets, according to an rt.com story. A relatively new Russian law that prevents senior officials and legislators from possessing foreign bank accounts and securities could have spurred Prokhorov’s decision, the story reveals.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Brown, Bhullar
The Warriors could have traded Klay Thompson in a package for Kevin Love and GM Bob Myers deserves praise for the move he didn’t make. Myers is one of a few candidates that Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors mentions in his latest poll that asks who should win the Executive of the Year award.
Here’s more from the Pacific Conference:
- The Knicks have a leg up on the Lakers in the rebuilding process because Carmelo Anthony chose New York in free agency last summer, opines Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Ding adds that the Lakers have the edge in young talent because Los Angeles has Julius Randle and New York lacks a prospect with that level of talent.
- Jabari Brown has impressed the Lakers so far during his 10-day contract, which he signed on Tuesday, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. “Out of all our guys, I thought Jabari played the best,” said coach Byron Scott. “I thought he did a pretty good job, for being just kind of thrown in there for that many minutes.” Brown made three of four baskets during 18 minutes in his debut against the Knicks on Thursday.
- Sim Bhullar could be the next great big man in the league, opines Daniel O’Brien of Bleacher Report. The 360-pound center is averaging 7.84 rebounds and 3.62 blocks per game for the Reno Bighorns, the D-League affiliate of the Kings.
And-Ones: Draft, Knicks, Hawes
Spencer Hawes‘ first season as a member of the Clippers after inking a four-year, $23MM deal has been a tremendous disappointment, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times writes. “He’s obviously not had the year we’d like, but it’s a long year. It still is a long year,” coach/executive Doc Rivers said of Hawes. “It doesn’t matter if it’s late in the year. I’ve seen guys have horrible regular seasons and then break out in the playoffs. You don’t know where it’s coming, but we still believe in him just like the other 20 teams that wanted to sign him in the league. It’s there and we have to get it out.” The 26-year-old big man is averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds while only sinking 40.3% of his field goal attempts for the season.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Knicks will need to upgrade at the center position prior to next season and Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders runs down some free agent big men who New York could target this summer.
- Jahlil Okafor continues to occupy the top spot in the latest iteration of Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s (Insider subscription required) Big Board. The big change in Ford’s 2015 NBA draft rankings is Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns overtaking Emmanuel Mudiay for the No. 2 spot.
- Okafor also tops the latest mock draft from Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, with D’Angelo Russell and Towns rounding out Deveney’s top three.