Knicks Notes: Chemistry, Rose, Oakley
Many factors contributed to the Knicks’ disappointing season, though team chemistry belongs near the top of the list, Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes. Earlier in the season, Rose went missing for a game and he addressed his teammates on the following night, apologizing for putting them in a bad spot. Begley hears from a source that after Rose concluded, no one said a word and the scribe believes it’s a testament to the team’s lack of cohesiveness.
Here’s more from New York:
- Prior to Derrick Rose‘s latest injury, the Knicks were still considering him as an option had they missed out on bigger free agent targets, such as Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague, Begley writes in the same piece. Coach Jeff Hornacek recently said the team won’t close the door on a Rose return.
- Rose would be happy to get another shot with the Knicks, but he’s excited to hit free agency for the first time in his career, Lonnae O’Neal of The Undefeated passes along. “I would love to stay here,” Rose said of New York. “I love my teammates, I love the coaches, I love the front office. But this will be the first time that I will hit free agency, so I want to take advantage of everything and just see what the free agency system is all about.”
- Charles Oakley has been arraigned in court on charges stemming from his ejection from Madison Square Garden earlier this season, ESPN.com relays. Oakley has maintained his innocence and declared that he’ll fight the charges.
- Carmelo Anthony is reportedly leaning toward waiving his no-trade clause this summer. Unless he and Phil Jackson can reconcile, New York will look to deal him.
Pelicans Notes: Holiday, Gentry, Cousins
The Pelicans weren’t able to achieve their goal of making the playoffs this season, but GM Dell Demps believes the team is on the right path to reach that pinnacle.
“We have positioned ourselves well for the future,” Demps said (via Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune). “We believe the future is bright. … One of our goals this season was to improve on defense and we did that (from 28th to 8th in defensive efficiency). And there was a time after the All-Star break where our offense started to gel and play better, and we were still playing good defense. So that gives us hope that this team is headed in the right direction.”
Here’s more from New Orleans:
- The Pelicans want to bring Jrue Holiday back, but understand that the point guard has to weigh his options, as Justin Verrier of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). “We love Jrue. We love his family. Obviously, we’d like to have him back. He’s got a tough decision to make. We’re going to let that process play out,” Demps said.
- Demps described the status of the team’s coaching staff as in “evaluation mode,” but added that he likes the direction in which the team is heading, Verrier passes along via Twitter.
- Coach Alvin Gentry hasn’t spoken to ownership about his future in New Orleans yet, Scott Kushner of The Advocate relays (Twitter links). In reference to successfully incorporating DeMarcus Cousins, Gentry said that he “doesn’t think [the team is] going to have to change that much.”
- Demps believes the Pelicans are set up well for the future and a major reason why is the Cousins trade, Kushner adds (Twitter links). New Orleans had a record of 7-10 after making the deal, but Demps blames the lack of success on the big man’s health, explaining that the center played with a sore Achilles post All-Star break.
Nuggets Notes: Plumlee, Trades, Jokic
Denver plans on bringing Mason Plumlee back on a new contract, Christopher Dempsey of Altitude Sports writes.
“Mase brought a lot of what we thought he would bring – intensity, a vertical threat at the rim,” GM Tim Connelly said. “An athletic big. A very good passer. It’s not an easy transition going from a starter to the third or fourth big. … When we traded for him, we traded for him for the purpose of bringing him back. Barring something unforeseen or some dramatic shift, we’re pretty excited to talk to his representatives this summer and figure something out.”
Plumlee, who’s a restricted free agent, came to the Nuggets in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic at this year’s deadline.
Here’s more from Denver:
- The Nuggets are more likely to make major changes via trade since they will have only a handful of open roster spots this offseason, Dempsey adds in the same piece. Connelly believes he has a roster full of players who should be coveted on the trade market because they’ve outperformed their contracts. “I think what’s interesting about our team is we have a lot of good players,” Connelly said. “And I think relative to their contracts, most of our guys outperformed their contracts, which is a testament to our coaching and player development.”
- Denver knows it has a rising star in Nikola Jokic, but it doesn’t want to put too much pressure on him next season, Dempsey relays in the same piece. “He’s only 22,” the GM said. “He’d be the first one to tell you it’s a team game. He’s probably the least stat-aware guy on the team. But certainly we’re playing a certain way now and having success playing that way primarily because of his unique skill set and the coaches confidence in him.”
- Connelly explains how the team has a better sense than it has in the past on which players should be the franchise’s core members, Dempsey passes along in the same piece. “Some of these guys have cemented their place in next year’s role already,” Connelly said. “There’s a handful of guys that you know what you’re going to get, and I think coach trusts them and those are guys we are going to take a long-term approach with and feel good about growing with.”
- Danilo Gallinari is going to take some time to decide whether or not he’ll decline his player option, USA Today relays. “It’s not time right now to make the decision,” said Gallinari. “Right now, it’s time to digest the fact we were not able to accomplish the goal [of the playoffs] that I had, that we had, at the beginning of the season.” The franchise would also like Gallinari to stick around beyond his current deal, but it’s taking a wait-and-see approach with him.
- The Nuggets plan to be aggressive in their attempts to lock up Gary Harris long-term, as we passed along on Wednesday.
Tony Allen Out Indefinitely
Tony Allen has been diagnosed with a strained calf and is out indefinitely, according to a team press release. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical notes (Twitter link) that the timetable for this sort of injury is roughly a month.
The Grizzlies play the Spurs in the opening round of the NBA playoffs and the team’s coaching staff is preparing for the matchup as if Allen will not be available, Wojnarowski adds.
San Antonio is favored to win the series against Memphis and if that outcome occurs, Allen may have played his last game for the team. The 35-year-old will be a free agent this offseason and he stressed that he wants to return. However, the Grizzlies are facing salary cap issues this summer, which could prevent them from offering Allen a fair-market deal.
Allen was one of the best perimeter defenders in the league this season. He ranks third among shooting guards in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus and he ranks eighth among non-bigs in NBAMath’s Defensive Points Saved.
Carmelo Leaning Toward Waiving His No-Trade Clause
Carmelo Anthony is strongly leaning toward waiving his no-trade clause, sources close to the situation tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
While Begley cautions that no decision has made, he adds that some within the organization believe the only way Anthony returns is if owner James Dolan fires Phil Jackson. It was reported today that the Knicks and Jackson “quietly” picked up their respective sides of the mutual option to have him return for the next two years. The Zen Master will sit down with the small forward during their end-0f-season meeting on Thursday. Anthony has previously said that he’s looking forward to it.
Barring a last-minute reconciliation between Jackson and Anthony, the Knicks are committed to moving the 32-year-old this summer, Begley adds.
Some rival executives believe that Anthony’s trade value would be higher if Jackson hadn’t endorsed the Bleacher Report column that was critical of the 32-year-old. “That one was surprising,” Begley was told by an executive of a team who spoke to the Knicks about an Anthony trade. “I think [Jackson] really hurt himself there.”
Anthony no-trade clause, as well as his trade kicker, also hurts the star’s value on the market, as I detailed in his Trade Candidate piece.
Jackson isn’t the only one who Anthony had issues with this season. He and coach Jeff Hornacek got into a verbal altercation during halftime of a mid-March game against the Nets. Hornacek was criticizing the Knicks for how they played the first half and Anthony responded with a rant that questioned the direction of the entire franchise. Begley notes that assistant coach Kurt Rambis fired back by pointing out Anthony’s lackluster defense, which prompted Anthony to respond again. The altercation ended when one of New York’s players lobbied for the team to go back to the court and begin warming up.
The concern over defense didn’t appear out of thin air. Begley relays that some within the organization felt that Anthony’s and Derrick Rose‘s defensive habits were a negative influence on the team’s younger players.
Anthony recently said that he would remain committed to the Knicks if the team was committed to winning. He’ll have the final say on whether he’s on the team next season, but it appears if Jackson has his way, the Knicks will try to win without him.
Lakers Rumors: Young, World Peace, Kobe, Mozgov
Now that the Lakers have played their final regular season game of 2016/17, the first offseason in Rob Pelinka‘s tenure as general manager is underway. As Pelinka said earlier this week to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, it will be an interesting one in Los Angeles, since there are so many uncertainties surrounding the club, starting with whether or not it will keep its top-three-protected pick.
“There are a lot of uncertainties,” Pelinka said. “Do we have our draft pick in June, or do we not? What free agents do extensions? What free agents become true free agents? What players from other teams are teams going to think about trading? There are millions and millions of combinations. It’s almost like a Rubik’s Cube. If you’re trying to solve it, there are many different combinations and turns you could make to get to the end path. You have to really study that board hard and make all the right turns to get there, but there is likely more than one way to get to the end.”
As the Lakers mull their summer options, let’s round up a few more notes on the club…
- Although Nick Young remains undecided on his player option, he suggested today that he may prefer joining a playoff team rather than being one of the lone veterans on a young team, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. As Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News tweets, Young also joked that if the Lakers end up drafting Lonzo Ball, it might be too much for the team to have to deal with the “Ball family and Swaggy P talking crazy.”
- Speaking today to reporters, including Pincus (Twitter link), Metta World Peace said president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told him the Lakers probably won’t re-sign him this summer. World Peace said earlier this week that he hopes to play two more professional seasons, but he sounded less certain today about his plans going forward.
- After initially taking an inside look last month at the legal drama surrounding Jeanie Buss and her family, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com digs back into the story and updates her initial report with new information and quotes from Buss. Shelburne’s newest story on Lakers ownership includes a handful of interesting new tidbits, including one on how Jim Buss tried to offer Kobe Bryant shares in the franchise last year without realizing that the family trust didn’t allow for such a move.
- After being rested for several weeks to end the season, Timofey Mozgov isn’t yet sure what his role will look like next year, but he’s hopeful that he’ll start 2017/18 as L.A.’s starting center, per Medina.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 4/13/17
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Thunder have assigned Josh Huestis to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The Oklahoma City Blue are in action tonight, as their playoff series against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers gets underway, so Huestis will get a chance to play in that game.
- The Rockets have assigned Chinanu Onuaku, Isaiah Taylor, and Kyle Wiltjer to their D-League squad, according to the team (Twitter link). The trio, of course, will suit up for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and will take on Huestis’s OKC Blue tonight.
- Demetrius Jackson and Jordan Mickey have been recalled from the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics announced today (via Twitter). Boston’s D-League affiliate remains alive in the NBADL postseason, but the team’s series against the Raptors 905 doesn’t get underway until Sunday, so Jackson and Mickey can stick with the NBA club for now.
Revisiting NBA Over/Under Predictions For 2016/17
At the start of the 2016/17 NBA season, we took a close look at the projected win totals for each NBA team, with the help of the lines from offshore betting site Bovada.lv. Division by division, we ran through every club from the Warriors (66.5) to the Nets (20.5), allowing you to weigh in and vote on whether you though each team’s win total would ultimately end up above or below its preseason projection.
With the regular season now in the books, we’re taking a look back today at the results of those votes to see how we fared in our predictions. Listed below are the over/unders for each team, the results of our preseason votes, and the team’s regular season record. Our correct calls are noted in green, while the ones we missed are marked in red.
Here are the results:
Atlantic (2-3)
- Boston Celtics (52.5 wins): Under (54.59%)
- Record: 53-29 (Over)
- Toronto Raptors (50.5 wins): Over (54.63%)
- Record: 51-31 (Over)
- New York Knicks (38.5 wins): Over (71.41%)
- Record: 31-51 (Under)
- Philadelphia 76ers (23.5 wins): Under (54.62%)
- Record: 28-54 (Over)
- Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Under (60.74%)
- Record: 20-62 (Under)
Central (2-3)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (66.5%)
- Record: 51-31 (Under)
- Detroit Pistons (44.5 wins): Over (55.03%)
- Record: 37-45 (Under)
- Indiana Pacers (44.5 wins): Over (73.06%)
- Record: 42-40 (Under)
- Chicago Bulls (38.5 wins): Over (61.9%)
- Record: 41-41 (Over)
- Milwaukee Bucks (34.5 wins): Over (67.48%)
- Record: 42-40 (Over)
Southeast (2-3)
- Atlanta Hawks (43.5 wins): Over (59.84%)
- Record: 43-39 (Under)
- Charlotte Hornets (42.5 wins): Under (62.22%)
- Record: 36-46 (Under)
- Washington Wizards (42.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
- Record: 49-33 (Over)
- Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): Over (54.42%)
- Record: 29-53 (Under)
- Miami Heat (34.5 wins): Under (61.45%)
- Record: 41-41 (Over)
Northwest (1-4)
- Utah Jazz (49 wins): Under (68.72%)
- Record: 51-31 (Over)
- Portland Trail Blazers (45.5 wins): Over (69.92%)
- Record: 41-41 (Under)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (43.5 wins): Over (65.71%)
- Record: 47-35 (Over)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (40.5 wins): Over (50.11%)
- Record: 31-51 (Under)
- Denver Nuggets (37 wins): Under (68.81%)
- Record: 40-42 (Over)
Southwest (3-2)
- San Antonio Spurs (58.5 wins): Under (57.4%)
- Record: 61-21 (Over)
- Houston Rockets (44 wins): Over (52.76%)
- Record: 55-27 (Over)
- Memphis Grizzlies (42.5 wins): Over (59.69%)
- Record: 43-39 (Over)
- Dallas Mavericks (38.5 wins): Over (69.71%)
- Record: 33-49 (Under)
- New Orleans Pelicans (37 wins): Under (70.9%)
- Record: 34-48 (Under)
Pacific (3-2)
- Golden State Warriors (66.5 wins): Over (67.32%)
- Record: 67-15 (Over)
- Los Angeles Clippers (53.5 wins): Over (61.96%)
- Record: 51-31 (Under)
- Sacramento Kings (34 wins): Under (58.1%)
- Record: 32-50 (Under)
- Phoenix Suns (30 wins): Over (52.6%)
- Record: 24-58 (Under)
- Los Angeles Lakers (24.5 wins): Over (65.92%)
- Record: 26-56 (Over)
On the whole, we were just 13-17 when it came to accurately predicting over/unders for 2016/17, so hopefully no one took our votes to Vegas before the season got underway.
Before the season, our readers were most bullish on the Pacers, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Bucks to outperform expectations, but ultimately only Milwaukee exceeded their projected win total out of that group. The other four teams fell multiple games short.
Our readers were most bearish on the Pelicans, Nuggets, Jazz, Hornets, and Heat, strongly voting for the under in each case. However, Denver, Utah, and Miami all exceeded expectations, surpassing their projected win totals.
Which teams disappointed or impressed you most based on preseason expectations? Jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Draft Updates: Milton, Trier, Maten, Okobo
A pair of notable NCAA underclassmen have decided to return to school for at least one more year, according to reports. Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports tweets that SMU guard Shake Milton will stay in school for his junior year, while Arizona guard Allonzo Trier tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he’ll remain with the Wildcats for his junior season. Both players would have been candidates to be selected if they had entered the 2017 draft — they currently rank back to back at Nos. 59 and 60 on the DraftExpress big board.
Here are a few more draft updates worth passing along:
- Georgia power forward Yante Maten will test the draft waters, per Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Maten won’t hire an agent, so he’ll have the opportunity to withdraw from the draft by May 24 and return to Georgia for his senior year.
- Elie Okobo, a combo guard from France, has declared for the 2017 NBA draft, agent Herman Manakyan tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Okobo’s ranks ninth on DraftExpress’ list of 1997-born international prospects.
- Brandon Goodwin, a Florida Gulf Coast junior guard, has decided to enter the draft without hiring an agent, the school announced in a press release. Despite averaging 18.5 PPG for FGCU in 2016/17, Goodwin is not viewed as a top prospect by DraftExpress.
- Southern Utah shooting guard Randy Onwuasor will enter his name into the draft pool without hiring an agent, according to Ryan Miller of The Spectrum. Onwuasor, who is not considered likely to be drafted, is planning to return for his senior season, Miller writes.
Dirk Nowitzki To Return For 20th Season With Mavs
Dirk Nowitzki completed his 19th NBA season this week and will turn 39 in June, but he’s not ready to call it a career just yet. As expected, Nowitzki said today that he intends to return for the 2017/18, which will be his 20th year with the Mavericks (Twitter link via Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com). Nowitzki also left the door open to play in 2018/19, depending on how next season goes.
“I think my body will tell me when it’s time,” Nowitzki said (Twitter link via Sneed). “I’m going to play next year as hard as I can.”
Nowitzki technically remains under contract for next season with the Mavs, but his $25MM salary for 2017/18 is a team option. Team owner Mark Cuban has displayed a strong willingness to work with Nowitzki over the years when it comes to new deals, so he’d likely be happy to pick up that option, if that’s the future Hall-of-Famer’s preference. The two sides could also work out a new arrangement.
Health issues nagged at Nowitzki throughout the 2016/17 season, with Achilles injuries slowing him and limiting him to 54 games, his lowest mark since his rookie season. Although he’s no longer at the peak of his powers, Nowitzki was still an effective scorer for Dallas this season, averaging 14.2 PPG and shooting 37.8% on three-pointers.
The German big man could have an opportunity to pass Wilt Chamberlain for fifth on the all-time NBA scoring list next season if he stays healthy. Nowitzki currently ranks sixth with 30,260 points, which puts him 1,159 points behind Chamberlain.