Community Shootaround: Hornets’ Next Step
Since starting the season 5-3, the Hornets have plummeted down the Eastern standings, losing 17 of their last 23 games and slipping to 11-20 — 12th in the conference. The club currently sits 5.5 games out of a playoff spot in the East, and a homestand that was supposed to help turn things around has resulted in a 1-3 record so far.
As Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes, with the Hornets’ season cratering, it may be time for the organization to turn to Plan B.
Still, it’s not clear what Plan B in Charlotte is. Unlike fellow 11-win teams like the Kings, Suns, and Lakers, the Hornets don’t have a plethora of promising young players they can focus on developing with things going south. Malik Monk, Frank Kaminsky, and Dwayne Bacon are really the only players who fit that bill. Charlotte’s roster is otherwise overrun with highly-priced veterans, many of whom are underperforming or injured.
Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams, and Nicolas Batum are earning a combined $61MM+ in 2017/18, and none are averaging more than 10.2 PPG so far this season. Batum, in particular, has struggled mightily. While injuries are partly to blame, the veteran swingman has a dismal .394/.277/.821 shooting line to go along with his $22.4MM cap hit. He’s under contract for three more years after this one, and his salary will only get more expensive going forward.
As Bonnell writes, the Hornets are often active around the trade deadline, but their moves generally involve finding complementary pieces, not blowing things up. With so many pricey veterans on their books, it won’t be easy for the Hornets to blow up their roster anyway — dumping one or two of those expensive contracts without taking a bad deal back would likely cost the team young players or draft picks, and would still leave several long-term commitments on the cap.
The Hornets are in a tough spot, and we’re turning to you to help assess their next move. What do you think the Hornets should do with their roster? Can this core still be successful? Could the team still make a playoff run with a tweak or two? Or is a more drastic overhaul required?
Jump into the comment section to weigh in with your two cents on the Hornets!
Cavaliers Assign Isaiah Thomas To G League
As expected, the Cavaliers have assigned Isaiah Thomas to their G League affiliate as part of his rehab process, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). The club confirmed the move in a press release, noting that Ante Zizic has been assigned to the Canton Charge as well. Thomas is expected to scrimmage with the Charge before rejoining the Cavs, as we heard earlier this week.
While Thomas’ specific return date from his hip injury remains unclear, he’s getting close to making his Cleveland debut, suggesting on Wednesday that it could happen as early next week, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press.
“I’m just trying to get as close as 100% as possible and to be out there to be special,” Thomas said. “Not just to be out there and be another body. However long that takes — it might be next week, it might be a week after that. We don’t know and we’re really not trying to put a date on it because it just depends on how my recovery is. I’m ramping up my workouts, but at the same time it’s how I feel the next day, and it’s getting lighter and lighter, which is a good sign.”
Thomas’ reference to next week or the week after lines up with what we’ve heard from various outlets lately. One recent report from Charania indicated that the injured Cavs point guard is eyeing a Cleveland homestand during the first week of January, while a separate report suggested that Thomas may be able to play before the end of the Cavs’ road trip at the end of December.
With Thomas close to getting back on the court, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com examined yesterday how the Cavs’ lineup and rotation will be affected.
Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, P. Jackson, Porzingis
After a year of non-stop drama, there’s an air of optimism and hopefulness surrounding the Knicks that was noticeably absent during last season’s Phil Jackson vs. Carmelo Anthony standoff, writes Ian Begley of ESPN. While the Knicks have had played well, with a 16-14 record so far, their on-court success isn’t the only thing contributing to the positive mood within the organization, as one team source tells Begley.
“Everyone just seems a little lighter,” the source said. “The drama Phil created with Carmelo really affected the team and the joy factor.”
In an in-depth piece for ESPN, Begley revisits that Jackson-and-Anthony saga, highlighting some of the incidents and confrontations that ultimately led to both men leaving the franchise. Begley’s feature is worth checking out in full, especially for Knicks fans, but here are a few highlights:
- Some members of the organization knew back in summer 2015 that they wanted to trade Anthony, and by the following year, that sentiment was shared by virtually all of the Knicks‘ top decision-makers, says Begley. “The feeling in meetings was almost unanimous: They felt he just wasn’t a winning player,” one source said. “They thought they could turn everything around if they just moved him.” Anthony was aware of this stance, despite some of those execs insisting they were still on his side, which was a big reason why he soured on the organization.
- Jackson regularly interrupted Knicks practices and overrode Jeff Hornacek‘s instructions to ensure that the triangle offense was being implemented properly, despite two veteran players telling him directly that the system wasn’t working, per Begley.
- Jackson presided over mindfulness meditation training with the Knicks during his last year in New York, as he had done with his previous teams. However, some Knicks players didn’t take it seriously — during the final sessions, Anthony would sometimes pretend to be asleep when Jackson told the players to open their eyes, witnesses told Begley.
- During a March 12 loss to the Nets last season, Anthony and assistant Kurt Rambis blew up at each other during halftime. Anthony told Rambis that “this place is a f—ing joke,” and Rambis questioned Carmelo’s effort (in equally colorful language), according to Begley.
- After Kristaps Porzingis skipped his exit meeting in the spring, Jackson discussed possible trades involving the young big man. While those discussions were framed by some as Jackson teaching Porzingis a lesson, there were members of the front office in favor of moving the Latvian at the time, sources tell Begley.
- For a portion of the summer, Anthony strongly believed that he’d end up in Houston, expressing a belief that LeBron James would eventually join him and Chris Paul on the Rockets. Although the Rockets tried to make a deal, discussing one three-team iteration that would’ve involved Jabari Parker and the Bucks, it ultimately didn’t work out, resulting in the trade that sent Carmelo to the Thunder.
Danilo Gallinari Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks
DECEMBER 21, 8:22am: Gallinari said late on Wednesday night that his latest glute issue may sideline him for just as long as the previous iteration of the injury did, if not longer.
“More or less, it’s the same thing I did before, but maybe a little more time,” Gallinari said, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “So the rehab I did in four weeks, you’re going to spread it out in six weeks instead of four weeks.”
Gallinari’s estimated timetable would put him on track to return around the end of January.
DECEMBER 20, 9:09pm: Danilo Gallinari will remain out of action as he recovers from an injury to his gluteus maximus, according to a team press release. He will be reevaluated in January.
The small forward suffered a contusion to the left glute muscle earlier in the season, which forced him to miss nearly a month of action before he attempted a comeback. He played in a pair of games earlier in the month, though he re-aggravated the injury and hasn’t played since.
The Clippers brought Gallinari to the team via a three-way, sign-and-trade deal with the Nuggets and Hawks. The former No. 6 overall pick’s contract covers three seasons and is worth slightly under $65MM.
Gallinari has only been able to play in 11 games for Los Angeles. He’s averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 34.5% from the field.
Bulls Notes: Mirotic, Winning Streak, Butler
Coach Fred Hoiberg believes Nikola Mirotic‘s return has given the team confidence, as Nick Friedell of ESPN.com relays.
“You see our bench really rallying behind him when he’s out there making plays,” the coach said. “You see the guys on the floor celebrating together when he makes the big plays. … Niko’s been in pressure situations a lot over the course of his basketball life.
“And it’s great to have an experienced player out there with our young guys to help close some of the close ones. I give Niko a lot of credit; he’s been awesome, especially since he’s been back in the lineup. When you’ve got guys out there playing with confidence, that rubs off on the whole team.”
Chicago has won every game since Mirotic returned to the lineup, going 7-0 after a 3-20 start.
“The biggest thing is [Mirotic is] playing the right way,” Hoiberg said. “…his overall game has been a huge lift to our group.”
[RELATED: Fantasy Hoops: Mirotic, Gasol, Hollis-Jefferson]
Here’s more from Chicago:
- It appears the physical altercation between Mirotic and Bobby Portis is behind the two players and the incident no longer has any lingering effects on the team.“They hashed it out,” Kris Dunn said (via Friedell in the same piece). “They brought that positivity back into the team.“
- Mirotic sees a difference in the team’s energy since he returned, as Friedell passes along in the same piece. “Before I came [back], everybody was like a little bit with their heads down… But now I think we are much, much better. We come [to] the games with a different energy,” Mirotic said.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if the Bulls‘ win streak is going to ruin the franchise’s rebuilding plan and argues that dealing Mirotic once he becomes trade-eligible may be the team’s best move.
- While many view the Jimmy Butler trade as a loss for the Bulls, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune believes it was a good deal for both sides. He notes that the front office made the trade with 2018 in mind.
- Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf believes the team has the right combination of executives in the front office, as we passed along earlier today. He also touched on why Chicago decided to go with a rebuild, citing a desire to stay out of the league’s middle ground and become championship contenders.
Bulls Owner Talks Front Office, Team, Rebuild
The Bulls hierarchy hasn’t always been clear with VP of Basketball Operations John Paxson and GM Gar Forman each taking on various responsibilities during their respective tenures. However, despite the unconventional approach, owner Jerry Reinsdorf is confident that the franchise has the right management in place.
“I picked Paxson to rebuild when [Jerry] Krause left [in 2003] because he’s a leader. Nothing has changed,” Reinsdorf tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “He’s a fine evaluator of talent. He’s a long-term thinker. He works well with the general manager. He works well with coaches. I’m a John Paxson fan.”
Paxson has traveled with the team all season in an attempt to create transparency and accountability while offering support to players and coaches. Forman has spent much of his time on the road, scouting prospects in search of future talent and taking on other traditional front office responsibilities.
“Forman is great with agents,” Reinsdorf said. “John hates to deal with agents. Gar is good at negotiating with the other general managers, but John was good at that too. Gar is great at cap knowledge and planning ahead. He’s an extremely detailed guy. That’s why we have the two jobs. And that’s a trend that teams are moving too. They realize you need two different skill sets.”
Forman served as the face of the front office during the Derrick Rose era, giving up that unofficial title to Paxson as the team went into a rebuild. Reinsdorf believes Forman has consistently done a great job, though Paxson is more of a media darling than the GM is.
“I think John plays well publicly, more than me or Gar,” the owner said. “People tend to like John. They trust him. He’s the guy next door. People look at Gar and me and we’re not warm and cuddly like John.”
Reinsdorf, who also owns the Chicago White Sox, will turn 82 years old in February and that begs the question: Why sign off on another rebuild?
“I figure I have at the most 15-20 years left and I’d like to win again,” Reinsdorf said. “I don’t like being caught in the middle.
“I think the rebuild is going great. We don’t want to be fooled by winning six games in a row. But we’re seeing our young players step up. We’re seeing [Nikola Mirotic] show what we thought we had in the first place. [Kris Dunn] is coming on. [Bobby Portis] is having a good year. And [Zach LaVine] hasn’t even played yet.
“I think Gar and John have put together the core of something good. Now it remains to be seen [if we] can take the next two steps, mediocrity and being good, without being stuck too long in mediocrity.”
LaVar Ball To Launch Pro League
LaVar Ball has announced that he will launch the Junior Basketball Association, a professional league for nationally ranked players who have graduated from high school but do not want to go to college (via Darren Rovell of ESPN.com).
Per Ball, the league will be funded by the Big Baller Brand and it plans to pay players between $3-10K per month, depending on their rank. The league is looking to fill 10 teams, each with eight players, in the hopes that games will be played in NBA arenas in Los Angeles, Dallas, Brooklyn, and Atlanta.
“Getting these players is going to be easy,” Ball said. “This is giving guys a chance to get a jump start on their career, to be seen by pro scouts, and we’re going to pay them because someone has to pay these kids.”
As Rovell details, the league won’t include LiAngelo Ball or LaMelo Ball, as the brothers have each signed on to play in Lithuania. As for the league’s logo, it will be slightly different than the NBA’s, which features Jerry West pounding the rock.
“We don’t need a logo of a guy dribbling,” the elder Ball said. “Nobody does that anymore.”
The JBA plans to use a silhouette of Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball raising up for a dunk as its logo and its players and coaches will wear BBB-branded products.
McDonough: Isaiah Canaan Likely To Stick With Suns
After a pair of impressive performances for the Suns, point guard Isaiah Canaan has likely earned a spot on the roster going forward, general manager Ryan McDonough confirmed today during a radio appearance, per Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
Canaan, who signed with Phoenix last week, has played in two games so far, and has a major impact in both contests. On Saturday, he posted 15 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in a win over the Timberwolves. Two days later, he put up 17 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals to help the Suns beat the Mavericks.
Because Canaan was signed using a hardship exception, the Suns will have to trade or waive another player if they intend to keep him when one of their injured players (likely Devin Booker) returns. I covered this topic in detail earlier today, suggesting that Mike James, who recently had his two-way contract converted into a standard NBA deal, may be in danger if Canaan sticks around.
However, Bordow suggests that retaining Canaan may instead force the Suns to finally clear their logjam at center, where Greg Monroe, Tyson Chandler, and Alex Len are all vying for minutes. If the team goes in that direction, Monroe would probably be the odd man out, Bordow tweets.
With a decision due soon and no leverage to speak of, the Suns will find it difficult to trade Monroe, so it will be interesting to see if the club is willing to waive him outright. He has been very productive since coming over from Milwaukee, but hasn’t played in three of Phoenix’s last four games, with Chandler and Len splitting the minutes at the five.
Turkey Seeks Lengthy Prison Term For Enes Kanter
4:24pm: Asked today about the situation, Kanter called Erdogan a “maniac” and indicated that the threat of jail won’t stop him from speaking out against the current regime in Turkey, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The Knicks center also joked that he had expected Turkish prosecutors to pursue a stronger sentence.
“I was like, ‘That’s it? Only four years?’” Kanter said. “All the trash I’ve been talking?”
Although he downplayed the indictment, Kanter expressed concern for his family still in Turkey, noting that he can’t communicate with them because of the repercussions they would face.
10:08am: Turkish prosecutors are seeking more than four years in prison for Knicks center Enes Kanter for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a report from The Associated Press.
Kanter, who was detained in Romania in May after his Turkish passport was canceled, has been extremely critical of Erdogan in the past, comparing him to Adolf Hitler. The AP’s report notes that the indictment prepared by the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office cites a series of tweets published by Kanter in May and June of 2016.
Kanter was eventually able to return to the United States after being detained in May, at which point he expressed a desire to become a U.S. citizen. Shortly after that incident, Turkey issued a warrant for Kanter’s arrest.
Assuming prosecutors move forward with this case, Kanter would be tried in absentia, per The AP. No matter what the outcome is, the 25-year-old is extremely unlikely to return to Turkey anytime soon. Kanter’s family has disowned him as a result of his support for Fethullah Gulen, who was blamed by Turkey for last year’s attempted military coup.
Deveney’s Latest: Thunder, Bucks, Kings, Evans
In his latest piece for The Sporting News, Sean Deveney takes a closer look at several teams that are good bets to be either buyers or sellers as February’s trade deadline approaches. We’ve rounded up several of the highlights of Deveney’s piece below, but the article also includes several notes on the Nuggets, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and a few other teams, so be sure to check it out in full. Let’s dive in…
- According to Deveney, the Thunder figure to be targeting a shooter who can help create space and possibly an extra defender to bolster their depth.
- Having already rolled the dice on Eric Bledsoe, the Bucks are looking to take another step toward legit contention and may be willing to gamble again before the deadline, says Deveney.
- The Kings are in the market for a deal that could improve their long-term outlook. George Hill has already been shopped, per Deveney.
- Tyreke Evans, who is enjoying an excellent season for the Grizzlies, has generated “significant interest,” according to Deveney.
- Even though they’re not a contender, the Mavericks remain reluctant to sell off veterans like Wesley Matthews, J.J. Barea, and Devin Harris, writes Deveney. Nerlens Noel will be on the trade block though.
- The Clippers would be willing to move DeAndre Jordan in the right deal, but so far the names connected to him have been underwhelming, says Deveney.
- Don’t be surprised if the Hawks put out feelers to test the market value of point guard Dennis Schroder, per Deveney.