Lawrence On Josh Smith, White, Lin, Nets, Cuban
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News shares tidbits from around the league in his Saturday roundup, and this time several of them have to do with the Hawks and Rockets. We'll hit the highlights here.
- Josh Smith has informed the Hawks he isn't going to sign an extension during the season, according to Lawrence. That's in line with a report last month from Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Smith and the team were unlikely to agree to an extension. Smith's stance makes sense, considering he could get five years if he re-signs with Atlanta next summer and only three if he signs an extension. In that same report, Vivlamore said Smith is open to a long-term future with the Hawks.
- The Hawks were one of several teams that weren't considering drafting Royce White because of his psychological disorders, Lawrence says, predicting the Rockets will look to trade White if fellow rookie Jeremy Lamb continues to impress.
- Lawrence argues that Jeremy Lin's knee, which has been slow to recover, is just another sign that the Rockets overpaid for the point guard with a three-year, $25.124MM offer sheet the Knicks declined to match.
- When Avery Johnson interviewed for the Hawks head coaching job in 2010, he said he'd only take the gig if the team intended to re-sign Joe Johnson. The pair, who aren't related, are now together with the Nets.
- Nearly a year after a sign-and-trade that sent him to the Knicks, Tyson Chandler still has hard feelings for Mavs owner Mark Cuban, as Lawrence notes. "He never called to thank me for helping his team win the title, or wish me luck, after I decided to sign here," Chandler said. "I thought he would call me, but he never did."
Odds & Ends: Hinrich, Williams, Heat, Hansbrough
While some have said that Kirk Hinrich has lost a step, the guard says that he is as healthy as he has been in years. That could make all the difference this season for the Bulls, who need as much as they can get out of the backcourt while Derrick Rose rehabs his knee injury, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. The point guard has spent the last few years with the Hawks and Wizards while battling injuries and was brought back to be a stabilizing force in Chicago. Hinrich, who is set to earn $8MM over the next two seasons, may not be the player he was five years ago, but could still prove to a strong pickup for the Bulls. Here's more from around the league..
- Atlanta native Lou Williams says that he always envisioned himself playing for his hometown team, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Williams said that there were "three or four teams" in heavy pursuit of him this summer, but he quickly gave the edge to the Hawks once it became clear that they would offer him a fair deal.
- In today's Q-and-A column, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the Heat would be better off with a traditional point guard such as Jose Calderon over Mario Chalmers. Winderman doesn't agree, arguing that a typical one-guard isn't needed when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade like to handle the ball as much as they do.
- Undrafted rookie Ben Hansbrough has an uphill battle as he looks to make the Pacers roster, but he is certainly giving the front office something to think about, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Hansbrough is trying to hook on as a one-guard behind two true point guards in George Hill and D.J. Augustin and combo guard Lance Stephenson.
- Justin Holiday will also have a tough time making the final 15 with the Trail Blazers, but the forward has never been afraid of working hard to reach his goal, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
Southeast Links: Sessions, Hawks, Vaughn, Magic
There are seven preseason games around the NBA tonight, and not one of them involves a team from the Southeast Division. But that doesn't mean their aren't links coming surrounding the division that houses the current NBA champs. Let's keep track of them here:
- Ramon Sessions talked with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo!, explaining why he decided to opt out of his contract with the Lakers to sign a 2-year deal with the Bobcats. Sessions, who has bounced between teams throughout his career, was concerned that the Lakers may move him and was looking for some destination certainty, which he found in Charlotte.
- Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that should the Hawks stick to the 15 player roster limit, the last two spots will come down to James Anderson, Damion James and Anthony Tolliver. Point guard Carldell Johnson is still with the club, but will almost definitely miss the cut. Vivlamore adds that it is no guarantee the Hawks keep a roster of 15, but they need to get down to at least that by October 29.
- New Magic coach Jacque Vaughn says that, despite the loss of Dwight Howard, he intends to instill his own defensive philosophy this year which revolves around protecting the paint, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins is skeptical is they have the personnel to do it, but Vaughn says, “The way we’re playing defensively is definitely geared toward the personnel that we have right now, for sure. It is a team defense based around five guys being in the right position at the right time."
- Brian Schmitz of the Sentinel writes that the Magic have essentially had a superstar in 19 of 20 years of the franchise's existence if you don't count the first three. Without Howard, Schmitz opines that the team's history tells us that it is only a matter of time before they find the next one. The question is, how long can they keep him once he arrives, whoever he is.
Hawks Waive Keith Benson, Isma’il Muhammad
After foreshadowing the moves via Twitter, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports the Hawks have waived training camp invitees Keith Benson and Isma'il Muhammad, bringing the team's roster down to 17 players. Both were on non-guaranteed minimum-salary contracts.
Benson, a 6'11" big man, got into three games for the Warriors last season, but didn't score in nine minutes and wasn't retained after his 10-day contract expired. The 6'6" Muhammad was a college star in Atlanta with Georgia Tech, but went undrafted in 2005 and is still seeking his first official NBA action.
The Hawks have 14 players under partially or fully guaranteed deals, so today's moves seem to narrow the competition for the final roster spot to James Anderson, Damion James and Carldell Johnson, none of whom are big men. The lone partial guarantee belongs to Kyle Korver. The Hawks could buy out his $5MM deal for $500K, but it seems unlikely they'd do so.
Eastern Notes: Nets, Petro, Hinrich, Vesely
We've already covered a few stories out of the Eastern Conference today, including Rashard Lewis' desire to play for five more years, the latest on Rasheed Wallace's timetable with the Knicks, and camp cuts by the Sixers and Cavaliers. Now, let's round up another handful of East-related links….
- In the first episode of NBA TV's "The Association," which debuts next week, Nets GM Billy King says Deron Williams urged him not to wait on Dwight Howard and miss out on other opportunities to improve the roster, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Johan Petro tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that he wasn't caught off guard by the trade that sent him to the Hawks, though his destination was a bit of a surprise. "I knew Brooklyn was really trying to do something with Deron," Petro said. "I didn’t know half the team would be gone but I knew they were going to try and do something."
- Though it's been two years since he played for the Bulls, Kirk Hinrich is already feeling comfortable again in Chicago, and his teammates, new and old, are glad to have him on board. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com has the details.
- With Wizards owner Ted Leonsis recently conceding that his team is better equipped to develop its own stars rather than recruit them, Washington will be looking for continued growth from Jan Vesely this season, says Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald examines Dionte Christmas' quest to earn a spot on the Celtics' roster.
Southeast Notes: LeBron, Tolliver, Kidd-Gilchrist
News and notes out of the Southeast Division..
- While Kobe Bryant has alluded to possibly playing overseas after his career in the NBA, Heat star LeBron James says that he has no such plans, writes Michael Wallace of ESPN.com. “Nah. I mean, no. Nope,” James said of playing outside of the NBA late in his career. “This is the best league the world has to offer. And if I'm lucky enough, if I'm able to stay healthy, I would love to finish my career in this league. And that's what I plan on doing.”
- Forward Anthony Tolliver told Chris Vilvamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he planned on returning to the Timberwolves for most of the offseason. Of course, Tolliver wound up hooking on with the Hawks in late September. The 27-year-old will earn the veteran's minimum, a step down from his $2MM salary last season.
- Bobcats coach may employ a small ball lineup at times this season and shift rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from small forward to power forward, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Sixers, Hawks, Knight
As the Celtics are underway in Turkey, unofficially kicking off the NBA's preseason, we take a look around the NBA's Eastern Conference for some news and notes.
- David Mayo of MLive.com takes a look at recent comments by Pistons new forward Corey Maggette saying second year point guard Brandon Knight is the leader of the team.
- Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a piece on new Hawks Anthony Morrow and Isama’il Muhammad.
- The Sixers have added several pieces this offseason, but their three-point shooters should be key, writes Philly.com's Bob Cooney.
- The Washington Post's Michael Lee wrote an article on the Wizards new options at small forward.
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has playoff or bust expectations for his team, writes Lee.
Odds & Ends: Ginobili, Smith, Knicks, Fields
Earlier this week, Manu Ginobili told reporters that if he continues playing beyond this season, he absolutely wants it to be in San Antonio. The 35-year-old will make over $14MM in 2012/13 but sounds willing to take a pay cut, as teammate Tim Duncan did, to help keep the club under the tax threshold. The Spurs tend to keep things quiet when it comes to contract extensions and Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld wouldn't be surprised to see the team suddenly announce that they've reached agreement with the veteran. The interest is obviously mutual, which should allow for an agreement to be struck before next summer. Here's more from around the league..
- In his latest mailbag, Sam Smith of NBA.com writes that he doesn't see the Hawks making the playoffs and doesn't see Josh Smith staying quiet for long. Hawks General Manager Danny Ferry recently said that the forward wants to remain in Atlanta but wasn't optimistic about working out an extension with him as he can get a larger deal by first hitting the open market.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson believes that the team's greatly improved depth this season will be key to their success, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The Knicks are currently looking to see what Rasheed Wallace has left in the tank and could conceivably give Josh Howard a look if they trim their camp roster down from the maximum of 20.
- Offseason acquisition Landry Fields could fill the same "glue guy" role for the Raptors as Jorge Garbajosa did in the past, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Fields inked a lucrative three-year, $18.7MM deal with Toronto over the summer.
Joe Johnson Denies Asking For Trade
When speaking with reporters yesterday, Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson wanted to set the record straight and make it clear that he never asked out of Atlanta, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. Johnson came to the Nets in July after the club bowed out of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.
“Everybody thinks I made this trade,” Johnson said. “I had nothing to do with it. “Every time I run into somebody when I’m in Atlanta, they ask me, ‘Why did you leave?’ I didn’t have nothing to do with it. I’m just glad that I came to a great organization and a team who wants to win.”
While the Hawks have gone to the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, Johnson & Co. were unable to advance beyond the conference semifinals. Last season, Atlanta was bounced in the first round 4-2 by the Celtics. Now, Johnson finds himself in Brooklyn as one-half of what could be the NBA's best starting backcourt.
Odds & Ends: Ilyasova, Stevenson, Thunder, Calipari
After inking a lucrative five-year deal, Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova vows that he won't rest on his laurels, writes Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times. While some players have let themselves go after getting money similar to his guaranteed $31.6MM over four years (with an $8.4MM option for year five), Ilyasova plans to do just the opposite. “It doesn’t work that way for me,” Ilyasova said. “That’s not my nature. The thing with this contract … there comes responsibility with it. People are expecting more, so that’s why I spent the summer working with a coach to try and improve myself.” More from around the Association..
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription req'd) writes that a full NBA minor league system would make the draft deeper and help unearth a player like Jeremy Lin more quickly. Currently, NBA teams keep a database of between 100 and 150 players that they actively scout with the idea of narrowing the board down to 60 players. A deeper draft would obviously make use of more scouting reports.
- Hawks veteran DeShawn Stevenson was excited to join the club after coming over in the Joe Johnson trade, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While Atlanta is stocked with shooters, Stevenson is quick to note that he also played with a similar cast in Dallas.
- J.A. Adande of ESPN.com runs down ten things to watch for in the Western Conference this season. Adande cautions that this could be the end of the Thunder as we know them with James Harden's contract situation in limbo. Adande opines that it would make sense for Oklahoma City to lock up Harden, look to win a title with the current group, and trade him down the road.
- Kentucky coach John Calipari told 106.7 the Fan in Washington D.C. that he has no plans to ever return to the NBA, writes Chris Fedor of Sports Radio Interviews. Calipari's last stint in the league came with the Nets where his top achievement was taking the team to the playoffs in the 1997/98 season.
- If Derek Fisher and Raja Bell land in NBA rotations, they are likely to be victims of the new flopping rules, tweets John Hollinger of ESPN.com. Fisher is currently a free agent while Bell continues to work on reaching a buyout agreement with the Jazz.