Atlantic Links: Amare, Novak, Williams, Celtics
With tipoff at the Garden for Spurs-Knicks scheduled for 7:30ET, Mike Woodson announced a shake up in the starting lineup, plugging Marcus Camby into the power forward spot previously held by Kurt Thomas (via Ian Begley on Twitter). Here is all the other news coming out of the Atlantic on Thurday:
- In an Insider-only piece, Chris Broussard of ESPN tackles the Amare Stoudemire conundrum in New York by asking five NBA minds – three assistant coaches and two longtime scouts – what the Knicks should do now that their enigmatic power forward is back. The consensus is that Stoudemire should come off the bench initially, but as he gets healthier the opinions vary as to whether his game and mindset are up for becoming a complimentary piece on a title contender.
- For those into NBA metrics, Henry Abbott at ESPN offers an interesting take on how it could be that the Knicks Steve Novak could have the same defensive rating as dominant defensive center Tyson Chandler, and most important, what it means with regard to statistics.
- Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland analyzes what it is to be an "attack guard" in today's NBA, and in turn reveals what has been a key factor in the decline of Nets point guard Deron Williams. Goldsberry writes that Williams has not all of a sudden become a worse shooter, but is instead more often settling for longer shots. Williams has never been a great shooter and with his ability to attack the rim declining, it has put more emphasis on his mediocre stroke.
- Despite their 14-17 start, Danny Ainge remains optimistic that the Celtics will come around as currently constructed, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston. Ainge is looking forward to the return of Avery Bradley and says the new faces have not been the sole reason for their slow start. Jimmy Toscano of CSN New England offers a few additional quotes from Ainge that imply that the right talent and coach are in place – it is merely up to the players now. It is worth mentioning that last year, the Celtics sat at 15-17 after a 5-game losing streak, only to finish the season on a 24-10 tear and capture the Atlantic division title.
Odds & Ends: Veterans, Davis, Lillard, Nets
With only two games on the NBA slate tonight, here are the latest news and notes from around the league on Thursday evening:
- Mark Deeks of the The Basketball Jones compiles an extensive list of former NBA players who may rejoin the league soon. We learned that one player on that list, Mike James, joined the D-League's Texas Legends earlier today. Teams can begin to sign players to 10-day deals on Monday.
- In his NBA PM update, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says that Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard, the consensus front runners for Rookie of the Year, were nearly teammates in New Orleans. Kennedy writes that the Hornets had targeted Lillard before his meteoric rise up draft boards, but were happy to land Austin Rivers as a consolation prize once they realized Lillard wouldn't fall to them.
- Within the same update, Kennedy echoes what we've heard from many analysts regarding the Nets' coaching job. He asserts that if the team wants to lure a big-name coach to Brooklyn, they will likely have to wait until the offseason to do it. The coaching fraternity is very close-knit, Kennedy says, and when you factor in that a brand new coach would have limited opportunity to shape his staff and team, it's no surprise that guys like Jeff Van Gundy and Phil Jackson have stayed away.
Johnson On Bulls Backcourt Options
According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls are at the very least considering cutting Nate Robinson prior to his contract becoming fully guaranteed on January 10. Johnson says that the Bulls can waive Robinson prior to that date with no penalty, an option that "always has been under consideration internally" and is growing more likely as rookie Marquis Teague continues to develop.
The Bulls backcourt has been in flux since they lost Richard Hamilton to a foot injury. That uncertainty would seem to make parting ways with Robinson risky, but Johnson says that Teague and the inevitable return of Derrick Rose will make him expendable. Since Hamilton was sidelined in early December, Teague has seen his minutes double with mixed results.
Citing league sources, Johnson adds that Hamilton, who was the subject of trade rumors this summer, is again being offered in certain scenarios. There is a $1MM buyout for Hamilton's deal next year, making him attractive as an expiring contract as well as a veteran scoring addition for a contender. Johnson says the Bulls will need to rid their payroll of just over $3MM to avoid the luxury tax, which they have never paid.
Atlantic Notes: Stoudemire, Valanciunas, Woodson
We heard earlier today that the Knicks assigned Amare Stoudemire to the D-League so he can get some practice time in prior to re-joining the NBA club this weekend. Mike Woodson isn't sure what his role will be when he comes back, but Stoudemire was confident on Tuesday that he and Carmelo Anthony will be able to play together effectively, writes Ian Begley. The Knicks are the only Atlantic team not in action tonight. Let's round up the divisional links here:
- With the Raptors in Cleveland, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was asked about Jonas Valanciunas by Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Casey said that based on what he has seen so far, the reward should drastically outweigh the risk of using the No. 5 pick in the draft on a European player who didn't come to the States right away.
- Similarly, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun tweets that he asked Tristan Thompson about the 7-foot Lithuanian. Thompson said that Valanciunas is a great player who should man the middle in Toronto for a long time. A large crowd of Lithuanian fans turned out in Cleveland for the game, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer.
- Woodson gave his first honest answer regarding the departure of Jeremy Lin last night, tweets Marc Berman from the New York Post. Woodson believes that Lin left the Knicks, not the other way around, but is nevertheless content with how the additions of Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni have worked out.
- Speaking of Woodson, his 36-12 start as Knicks head coach between this season and last has been the best in franchise history, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (via HoopsWorld). Not only does his coaching strategy differ from that of Mike D'Antoni, but so does his preference of veteran players, which has been key to the team's success.
Southwest Notes: Mavericks, Lin, Davis, Selby
Mavericks beat writer Eddie Sefko, from the Dallas Morning News, answered questions today in a chat. Among the topics Sefko touches on: why O.J. Mayo may not be in Dallas long, why the Mavs must build through free agency, why Tyreke Evans would be a good fit in Dallas and what the Mavs offseason looks like. The Mavs host the 76ers tonight, and the Spurs and Hornets are also in action. Here are some other things going on in the Southwest division:
- While the proper fit of teammates and system in New York
has helped Raymond Felton thrive with the Knicks, the same can't be said for
Jeremy Lin with the Rockets, observes Beckley Mason of The New York Times, who
wonders if Lin might perform better as a bench player for Houston. - Hornets rookie Anthony Davis, still working his way back to health, is content coming off the bench while his ankle gets stronger writes John Reid of the Times Picayune. The Hornets are on an 11-game losing streak, 4 of which have seen Davis out of the starting lineup.
- Gina Pilato of Ridiculous Upside writes that the Grizzlies are looking for Josh Selby to recapture the form that made him the NBA's Summer League Co-MVP by sending him back to the D-League. Chris Wallace announced today that Selby will return to Memphis after two games in Reno.
Odds & Ends: Kings, Van Gundy, Howard, Louisville
The Kings, currently 7-17, will be a team to watch as the season progresses. Yesterday, there were some contradictory reports as to whether the team would deal Tyreke Evans, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason. Earlier this month, we heard that DeMarcus Cousins, despite his third-year struggles, will not be made available. Asked about the possibility of the Celtics acquiring Evans and/or Cousins today, CSNNE's A. Sherrod Blakely tweeted that while the talented duo isn't yet available, that will likely change.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the League:
- Stan Van Gundy talks about his grievances with commissioner David Stern, his disagreements with the Magic front office, and his continued communication with Dwight Howard, among other topics, with Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca on Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast.
- Speaking of Howard, the Lakers center will be a free agent next summer. But HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler gave an emphatic "no" when asked on Twitter whether Howard would entertain a return to the Magic.
- Writing for Forbes, Darren Heitner says that although the idea has initially been met with skepticism, Louisville should be near the top of the list for the next city to get an NBA team. Using the highly profitable University of Louisville basketball program as an example, Heitner says that Louisville is a "basketball city in a basketball state."
Central Notes: Varejao, Gilbert, West
With the Cavaliers about to tip off and the Bulls, Bucks and Pacers slated to play later tonight, the Pistons are the only Central division team not playing tonight. Let's keep all the links from the Central division within this post tonight:
- Jim Cavan of The New York Times explains
some of the reasons why Cavs center and trade candidate Anderson Varejao has shown marked
improvement this year. - Todd Jones, for SI.com, writes a long feature on Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who is still trying to dig his team out of the hole that LeBron James' departure left. Gilbert has no regrets about the letter he wrote after James' decision, despite LeBron proving him wrong in his second year in Miami.
- David West, who'll
be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, is the "backbone" of
the Pacers, asserts Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, who looks
at how West has continually disproved the doubters (link via USA Today).
Odds & Ends: Bogut, Jennings, Rose, Irving, Roy
We learned tonight that the Warriors have shutdown center Andrew Bogut for 7 to 10 days and Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News says that all signs point towards the Aussie big man's absence extending longer than that. Bogut said that he may have pushed it too much and that he would consider himself a liability on the court right now, writes Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times. There are only two games tonight, but still plenty of links from around the league:
- In the early going, the absence of a contract extension has brought out the best in Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, writes Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen. Since he couldn't come to an agreement with Milwaukee, Jennings will hit free agency this summer.
- According to Russell Westbrook, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will come back from his knee injury this season stronger than ever, writes Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago. Westbrook and Scott Brooks also said that while the Bulls are a different team without Rose, they still must be feared because of the way Tom Thibodeau prepares them to play, says Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
- Beckley Mason of the New York Times opines that it isn't too early to consider the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving among the NBA's elite point guards.
- After sitting out last year, Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy is rusty, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Roy says his knee are fine, however, and will begin to look more for his shot to try to get his career back on track.
Atlantic Buzz: Lopez, Camby, Amare, Green
No teams in the Atlantic division play on this quiet Thursday night, but the 2-2 76ers will visit the 2-2 Celtics tomorrow night in Boston. If the Knicks are anywhere as good as they've looked through two games, both of these teams will need every win they can get if they want to keep pace. After a grueling seven-game series last spring, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly says that the Sixers are excited to renew the historic rivalry in 2012. Here is what else is going on in the Atlantic:
- The Nets' Brook Lopez said he didn't let the possibility of going to Orlando for Dwight Howard distract him in the offseason, tweets Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. Said Lopez, "It is what it is. I don't pay attention to sports media every day and watch TV and go on ESPN.com or anything like that. If my name was out there, I didn't really know it too much. I obviously knew of the situation. I didn't let it both me that much."
- Marcus Camby, one of several veterans additions to the Knicks, will make his season debut on Friday, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York. Like many of the older Knicks, expect Mike Woodson to monitor Camby's minutes closely.
- According to Keith Schlosser of the Knicks Journal, Woodson hinted on a recent radio appearance that once $100MM man Amare Stoudemire is healthy, he will need to be eased back into the Knicks lineup, especially considering the team's early success. Schlosser opines that this could mean coming off the bench while he acclimates to Carmelo Anthony's new role as a post presence.
- Doc Rivers wants more out of Jeff Green, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston. Green is a bit more introverted than many of his teammates, but nevertheless Rivers says he needs to be better and the team needs to figure out a way to unlock his abilities.
New Faces: Lewis, Lin, Landry, Martin, Johnson
Between the Dwight Howard sweepstakes and the implementation of the new CBA, this offseason was one to rememeber. While we are barely a week into the new season, it is only natural for glowing reports to emerge of players who have shined with their new teams. They are premature for sure, but so many players changed teams that keeping tabs on them is always useful:
- Now coming off the bench for the Heat, Rashard Lewis is healthy for the first time in two years, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. Lewis was hampered by knee injuries the past few seasons, but has looked great so far in Miami, showing more lift in his jumpshot and even throwing down a few dunks last night against the Nets.
- Within the same piece, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at Jeremy Lin and Carl Landry. While James Harden has deservedly gotten the Rockets headlines, Lin has quietly lived up to the hype during his brief time so far in Houston. Meanwhile, Landry, a former Rocket, is proving once again that he is one of the NBA's most underrated players, this time averaging 17 points as a member of the Warriors.
- The man traded for Harden, the Thunder's Kevin Martin, is shooting a ridiculous 62 percent from three point range and averaging over 19 PPG so far in Oklahoma City, writes Chris Sheridan. While Harden is clearly the best piece moved in the deal, it isn't hard to imagine Martin's skills and those draft picks making it look respectable for Sam Presti and the Thunder.
- Averging only 14 PPG, Joe Johnson is still getting acclimated to his new role on the Nets, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. The mixture in Brooklyn will probably take longer than most to jell, considering that not only is nearly the whole team new, but most of the high profile players have never played on anything close to an elite team before.
- Kosta Koufos hasn't been a member of the Jazz since 2010, but Bill Oram's story about the former Utah draft pick's rise into the Nuggets starting lineup sure makes it feel like it was yesterday. After beating out JaVale McGee for the center spot, Koufos is averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in Denver.
- Shipped to Orlando after being drafted by Philly, Maurice Harkless played more than 22 minutes in his Magic debut on Wednesday, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Harkless didn't participate in preseason while he was recovering from a sports hernia, and still isn't 100 percent, but it sounds like the rookie is on his way.