Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Hernangomez, Knicks
The Sixers saw an unexpected glimpse of success last month but recent losses could help the team focus on their real goals, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Injuries to Joel Embiid and Robert Covington have hamstrung a team that not long ago emerged as a surprisingly potent defensive presence, now any talk of them rallying for a playoff spot in the East has been silenced.
According to Cooney, the only presumed Sixers starters for the 2017/18 season are Embiid and 2016 first-overall pick Ben Simmons. That leaves questions at the other positions that will need answering before the end of the season.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The idea that Carmelo Anthony will be swapped for Kevin Love may be unlikely, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, but it isn’t far-fetched. Zillgitt also points out that the Cavaliers and Knicks, serendipitously play each other on February 23, the day of the trade deadline.
- The Anthony trade drama impacts more than just the veteran himself, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday — it’s affecting all the other Knicks on the roster. “The reason why we signed here is to try to make the playoffs, and we still have a great chance of doing that,” said Courtney Lee. “That’s the key now — getting in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter what the record is. As long as we get in there, it’s a new slate. So if we get there, I like our chances.”
- Big man Willy Hernangomez has looked great off the bench for the Knicks of late but that doesn’t mean a promotion ahead of Joakim Noah on the depth chart is coming any time soon, writes Ian Begley of ESPN. Head coach Jeff Hornacek cites lineup chemistry as one of the biggest reasons why Hernangomez has thrived as he has and why the club is reluctant to tinker with his spot in the rotation.
- It’s time for the Raptors to make a trade, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. The team boasts a plethora of prospects and a top-five general manager in the league. Those, Ziller speculates, could help the club get back into a position where it could seriously compete with Cleveland for the top spot in the East.
Southeast Notes: Plumlee, Waiters, Brooks
Though the size of his contract may skew fans’ perceptions of their newly acquired center, Miles Plumlee performed admirably in his Hornets debut Saturday, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. So long as realistic expectations are applied, it’s hard to knock what the big man brings to the table.
Plumlee arrived in Charlotte earlier this week after a trade between the Hornets and Bucks and will step into the rotation immediately as a reliable low-post presence capable of defending the pick-and-roll. As well, Bonnell notes, he’ll provide a badly needed source of physicality for head coach Steve Clifford.
The caveat with Plumlee arriving mid-season after playing sparsely in Milwaukee is that he’ll have to play himself back into game shape. According to Bonnell, Plumlee mentioned this to Clifford upon his arrival with his new team. Between November 25 and January 20, a healthy Plumlee played double-digits just one time in 27 games.
There’s more out of the Southeast:
- It took a while but Erik Spoelstra and Dion Waiters finally connected in such a way that the two-guard’s game could flourish,” writes Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. “It’s good bumping heads. It’s not anything bad,” Waiters said. “It’s like, ‘I’m challenging you. You can do more. Don’t settle for that‘”.
- Credit a strong relationship between John Wall and head coach Scott Brooks as one of the main reasons why the Wizards have improved so much this season, writes Michael Lee of the Vertical. In the summer, Brooks visited Wall in the hospital following his knee surgery. “I told John, ‘You’re a three-time All-Star, you can take it one or two ways: You could say, ‘I’ve arrived in this league and I’m comfortable in this league.’ Or you can take the approach that ‘I want to get better.’ And I think he’s done a great job of taking that approach of getting better. I think he can be a top-five player in this league every year.” Currently Washington sits third in the East, 10 games above .500 at 30-20. Last year they missed out on the postseason with a 41-41 record.
- Despite their bold transactions over the summer, the Magic have struggled to position themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference. One of those offseason acquisitions, Serge Ibaka, has a particular approach to blocking out the noise inherent with the pending trade deadline in order to focus on turning things around. “I just delete my social media and focus on basketball. That’s it. I don’t read nothing,” Ibaka tells John Denton of the team’s official website. “[Trade talks] are nothing I can control“. The last time we checked in with the Magic, it was said that the club may be overvaluing its trade assets.
Hornacek: Knicks Balancing Short-Term, Long-Term Priorities
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek spoke to reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, about the importance of balancing short-term and long-term priorities. While the Knicks remain in the playoff picture, Hornacek would be hesitant to mortgage the team’s future in favor of pursuing a postseason run this season.
“If we’re looking at just trying to make the playoffs, I would say we have a team if we all stay healthy we have a shot at it,’’ Hornacek said. “As far as a rebuild, I haven’t talked about that. We’re trying to get that system in and working, gotten better the last couple of weeks, we’re trying to build on that. If it ends up being a rebuild, we’ll work on that. If it’s the same team we’ll work on that.”
Aside from trading Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have options to improve the team around the February 23rd deadline. Berman suggests Brandon Jennings or Derrick Rose could be in play, provided the Knicks receive draft picks in return. Hornacek is in the first year of a three-year pact with the Knicks, and wants his team to be well-positioned for a bounce-back 2017/18 campaign.
“We have to understand we have to try to develop something for the long term. If we’re just skipping steps just to get in the playoffs, that would be great for this year, then what do you do next year? We want to try to combine those two,” Hornacek said. “We still feel we can get into the playoffs, which it was in the beginning of the year. We had to see if they were going to mesh as a group. At times it looks pretty good. There’s other times it hasn’t. We’re struggling with that consistency.”
Rockets GM Unsure Of Trade Deadline Activity
Rockets GM Daryl Morey is non-committal toward his team’s activity in this year’s trade deadline, according to a report from Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Morey was unable to give a concrete answer regarding his outlook as February 23rd approaches, claiming to be comfortable with the team’s current structure.
“In some ways being good as we think we are makes it harder to do trades,” Morey said. “We have a rotation that has played very well. It’s hard to add anything that would into create a weakness somewhere else. If you feel the defense needs to improve, you can try to add a defensive player, but that potentially would hurt the offense unless it’s a top, top-level player. Those usually aren’t available.”
The Rockets currently occupy the third seed in the Western Conference, four games behind the Spurs. As Feigen noted, Houston possesses commodities if they choose to pursue a “top-level” player; namely, a first round pick and a pair of second round picks. Aside from an injury to Nene, the Rockets core has remained healthy in 2016/17. Should an injury arise, however, Morey claimed a willingness to stock up on depth.
“It’s hard to judge because it takes two. It’s hard to know. I don’t know if it makes it more or less likely, but the kinds of things you do are different. We are more likely to shore up a spot in case we take an injury. Anything we would do is more likely for depth.”
Community Shootaround: Denver’s Trade Chips
Despite a 22-28 record, the Nuggets find themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Staked to a half-game lead in the eighth seed, Denver has outperformed expectations behind a breakout season from Nikola Jokic.
As Mark Kiszla pointed out in a Denver Post column, the Nuggets have a decision to make: pursue a No. 7 or 8 seed, or sell off their assets by the trade deadline? Wilson Chandler has been critical of his role (or occasional lack thereof) under coach Michael Malone, making him a logical trade candidate.
Malone firmly denied Emmanuel Mudiay‘s availability via trade, but several Nuggets remain viable trade chips; particularly Danilo Gallinari and Jusuf Nurkic. As of late January, Nurkic was rumored to be available in a package deal with veteran forward Kenneth Faried.
We know Nuggets GM Tim Connelly has a history of trade deadline activity; here’s what we want to know as February 23rd approaches…
Who would you like to see the Nuggets shop at the deadline? Would it be worthwhile for Connelly to keep his team intact while pursuing a playoff spot? Which team would be the most logical destination for Chandler?
Let us know in the comments section!
Heat Facing Roster Crunch
Now finishing up his second 10-day contract, 24-year-old Okaro White has impressed in his time with Miami. The former Seminole has played in nine games this season, including a stellar performance (10 points, seven rebounds, four blocks) against the Nets.
White’s contract expires today, and according to a report from Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, the team is undecided about his future on the roster. The Heat are facing a roster crunch, as Josh Richardson is set to return from injury after missing 13 games with a foot injury. NBA teams are permitted to sign players to a maximum of two 10-day contracts before signing them for the rest of the season, or releasing them. The Heat can offer White a two-year contract at most, due to their salary cap position.
Veteran forward Derrick Williams appears to be a candidate to be cut to clear room for White. Williams, who was inked to a one-year, $4,598,000 contract over the offseason, has played sparingly under head coach Erik Spoelstra– accumulating eight DNPs over Miami’s last 10 games. Amid roster speculation, Williams traveled with the team for their upcoming road trip.
If Spoelstra’s quote is any indication, White appears to have made a lasting impression on Miami’s front office.
“You can see why we like him,” Spoelstra said of White. “He’s a Miami Heat guy, a lot of intangibles, those winning plays that we keep on talking about.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/5/17
Here are the D-League assignments and recalls on Super Bowl Sunday:
- The Celtics have recalled Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson from their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team announced via Twitter. Jackson has played sparingly with Boston, last appearing in a game on December 7 against the Magic. He’s shown promise with Maine, however, averaging 16.4 points on 45% shooting through 20 games. Mickey receives the promotion on the heels of a 27-point night for the Red Claws; he’s appeared in 14 games with the Celtics this season.
- The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Huestis, who will be active for this afternoon’s match-up against Portland, has made his just one NBA appearance in 2016/17, scoring seven points with four rebounds against the Bulls on February 1.
Heat Notes: Weber, Spoelstra, Waiters, Ellington
Briante Weber said he chose to sign with the Warriors instead of the Heat because he wanted a new challenge, relays Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Weber played one game for Miami after signing in April. He was waived in October and has spent this season with the Heat’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The 24-year-old point guard turned down offers of 10-day contracts from Miami and Charlotte to choose Golden State. “So I just felt like I’ve been with Miami and they haven’t picked me up by now,” Weber said, “then why continue to go down the same road? I figured I should pick something new and actually a team with a spot. They actually let somebody go to fill me in. That says a lot about the organization and about how they feel about me being potentially being here for longer than just 10 days. So I kind of picked a spot that was going to give me the best opportunity to expose myself and put myself on the radar where everybody else can see.”
There’s more news out of Miami:
- Weber received good luck wishes from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, according to the Associated Press. Spoelstra said he appreciates how Weber, who averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 3.3 steals at Sioux Falls, proved he deserves a shot at the NBA. “He’s put in the time,” Spoelstra said. “He hasn’t skipped a step. He approached every part of this as an opportunity to get better and everybody’s journey is different to get into this league. He’s a bona fide NBA player.”
- Dion Waiters, who has enjoyed a career renaissance in Miami, attributed his success to Spoelstra’s ‘tough love.’ “It’s good bumping heads. It’s not anything bad. It’s like, `I’m challenging you. You can do more. Don’t settle for that,’” Waiters told Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. “I had coach [Jim] Boeheim. It was tough love at the end of the day. They see so much in me that he’s challenging me. I look at it as a challenge. He’s been doing a tremendous job keeping me motivated.” Now in his fifth NBA season, Waiters has been sublime of late; averaging 23.3 points on 52.2% shooting over his last eight games.
- Now riding a 10-game winning streak, the Heat have adopted a “don’t believe the hype” mantra. As Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post points out, Miami’s improbable streak includes wins over quality opposition- particularly the Warriors, Rockets, and Hawks. “We know where we’ve been at and where we want to be at, so we’re not satisfied,” Heat guard Wayne Ellington said. “Coach keeps telling us. But at the same time, he doesn’t really need to. We’re hungry, man. We know where we were at. Obviously it feels good to get some wins. But at the same time, we understand that we’ve got a ways to go to be where we want to be at.”
Kings Notes: Cousins, McLemore, Casspi, Richardson
Kings GM Vlade Divac should be calling all interested parties to make the best possible deal for DeMarcus Cousins before the February 23rd deadline, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Voisin argues that the franchise doesn’t have enough assets in place to build a contender around Cousins, who will become a free agent in the summer of 2018, and mentions the Celtics, Lakers, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Suns and Magic as possible destinations. Phoenix owns two first-round picks from Miami and has $13MM in available cap space, and GM Ryan McDonough has said he wants to acquire a star. Voisin believes the Kings should insist that Devin Booker be part of any deal with the Suns.
There’s more news out of Sacramento:
- Injuries to Rudy Gay and Garrett Temple have given fourth-year shooting guard Ben McLemore another chance to prove himself, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. McLemore returned to the Kings’ starting lineup Friday after losing that position last month and put up a season-high 18 points. He is hoping to finish the season strong before heading into free agency this summer. “Once I knew I was going to get the starting spot, I knew I was prepared,” McLemore said. “But now I’ve just got to go out there and perform and not worry about making mistakes and stuff like that. I’ve been working real hard, and it showed out there on the floor [Friday].”
- The Kings expect to be without forward Omri Casspi until after the All-Star break, according to Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee. Casspi was projected to miss one or two weeks after straining the plantaris tendon in his right calf during a January 16th practice. He was re-evaluated last week and hoped to play this weekend, but coach Dave Joerger said Saturday that the return could take much longer. “I don’t think we’re going to see Omri ’til after the All-Star break,” Joerger said. “That could change, but we’d rather be a little conservative with him.” Casspi has appeared in just 22 games this season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds.
- The injuries have also created an expanded role for first-round pick Malachi Richardson, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Richardson has spent much of the season in the D-League, but has been used by Joerger in the past eight games.
Glen Davis Hoping For NBA Return
Veteran power forward Glen Davis is training in hopes of an NBA comeback, according to a post on TMZ. The 31-year-old is reportedly working out five to six days a week in Thousand Oaks, Calif., with the goal of catching on with a team before the end of the season.
Davis last played for the Clippers in the 2014/15 season. He sat out all of last year after having surgery on his left ankle to repair torn ligaments, a cyst and bone spurs.
Davis is reportedly “100% confident” that he can still play in the NBA. He has a full team of specialists helping him build up strength and endurance, along with a nutritionist and a “mindset development guru.”
Davis played eight NBA seasons with the Celtics, Magic and Clippers.