Jazz Release Big Man Eric Griffin
The Jazz have released Eric Griffin, the team’s public relations department tweeted. The 27-year-old rookie was unloaded in order for the team to sign Erik McCree to a two-way contract.
[RELATED: Jazz sign Erik McCree to two-way deal]
Griffin has started 19 games with Utah’s G League affiliate so far this season, averaging 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for those Salt Lake City Stars.
Griffin was previously a training camp cut by the Heat, Mavs and Pistons in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Jazz Sign Erik McCree To Two-Way Deal
The Jazz have signed forward Erik McCree to a two-way contract, the team’s public relations department announced. McCree went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech last summer but played through training camp with the Heat.
In order to make room on the roster, the club had to release big man Eric Griffin, who had also been on a two-way deal with the franchise (their second two-way signee, who will remain under contract, is Nate Wolters).
Given that the contract is being inked partially through the season, McCree’s 45-day NBA service alotment will be pro-rated to around 30 days, as was the case with Sean Kilpatrick (who signed with the Bucks on December 16).
McCree profiles as a four with three-point shooting range and will look to pilfer some of Jonas Jerebko‘s minutes when up with the big league club. The rest of the time he’ll suit up for the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
Southwest Notes: Gasol, Pelicans, Paul
While they may not be pleased with their 9-22 record through mid-December, there’s still hope for the Grizzlies to contend for a playoff spot. So long as that’s their goal, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, center Marc Gasol will be working alongside them toward it.
If circumstances change, the big man’s goals may change with them. Gasol, who turns 33 next month, cites his age as the primary reason why he has no interest in throwing away the season in an attempt to rebuild or retool.
“If they decide to go a different direction… I’ve said it before, I’ll do anything,” Gasol said. “I’ll make everybody look good. I’ll say to you guys whatever I need to say if I need to go anywhere else and they need to [pursue] a goal where I’m not the guy.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Did the Grizzlies break up their “core four” too soon by letting Zach Randolph and Tony Allen walk last summer? Marc Gasol thinks so. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that the big man didn’t understand why the team didn’t bring them back.
- The combination of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis doesn’t have enough support to win in New Orleans, Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports writes. The scribe writes that the Pelicans “grossly overpaid” Jrue Holiday this season and that the rest of the roster is made up of “contract albatrosses” and “bargain bin” players.
- The Rockets are going to take their time with Chris Paul‘s left adductor strain, head coach Mike D’Antoni told Mark Berman of Fox 26 and the media. Paul will miss Friday night’s contest and be considered day-to-day. This isn’t the first time the squad has been very conservative with their fancy new superstar point guard.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Walton Jr., Monk
A lack of depth played a role in the Wizards‘ recent loss to a short-handed Cavaliers team, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. In a matchup where both teams were missing players, the Cavs still managed to hurt them with a capable 10-man rotation.
Hughes writes that the Wizards will be in a better position when John Wall and Markieff Morris completely return to full health but even then it may not be enough to legitimately compete with an elite team like the Cavs.
That presents one question for Washington’s front office; whether the Wizards should make a move prior to the trade deadline considering that a trip to the NBA Finals will almost certainly have to go through Cleveland at some point.
There’s more from the Southeast Division today:
- Two-way Heat signee Derrick Walton Jr. has already spent at least 22 days with the big league club, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. The new contract format permits players to spend 45 games total with the NBA squad and the rest with a team in the G League.
- The Hornets have cut back rookie guard Malik Monk‘s role because of his weak defense, Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype writes. Charlotte has been outscored by 15.4 points per 100 possessions with Monk on the court, worse than any other player in their 12-man rotation.
- It’s reasonable to picture Heat president Pat Riley showing an interest in Paul George if he were to be made available by the Thunder. Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel discussed the possibility in a question-and-answer feature with readers.
Northwest Notes: Mitchell, Crawford, Thunder
The NBA’s highest-scoring rookie is open to the idea of competing in the NBA Dunk Contest, Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News writes. First-year Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is a an obvious candidate to compete in the Rising Stars Game and has a growing portfolio of highlight-reel dunks.
“It would be great, but I haven’t paid any attention to that whatsoever,” the 21-year-old sensation averaging 18.1 points per game for the Jazz said. “Not even the whole weekend. That’s not even been on my head at all. People bring it up, but I don’t even like to entertain it, I just focus on the task at hand.”
As the February festivities grow closer, and participants formally get offered opportunities to strut their stuff, the Jazz rookie may call upon his own background competing in dunk contests. Woodyard writes that Mitchell once competed in the BallIsLife All-American Game dunk contest and won the Derby Basketball Classic dunk contest in 2015.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Veteran guard Jamal Crawford has found adjusting to his role with the Timberwolves challenging, Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune writes, noting that he didn’t expect to play the fewest minutes per game since his rookie campaign in 2000/01. “You want to actually do it the right way, and play within the framework of the game. But then, if you’re not out there that much, you kind of have to make something happen. So it’s a balance I’m trying to figure out,” Crawford said.
- The three stars leading the Thunder may still need to figure out how to play effectively with one another but Paul George denies there being any chemistry issues, Royce Young of ESPN writes. “We’ve never had chemistry problems. We like, and enjoy, playing with one another. It’s never been a chemistry problem,” George said.
- The Thunder got a good look at two former teammates when the club traveled to New York City for battle with the Knicks. Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, who went east in the Carmelo Anthony trade, were eager to match up against their former team and particularly proud to walk away with the victory, Fred Keber of the New York Post writes. “It feels really good,” McDermott said. “This game was kind of about [Anthony] and I thought we did a great job of not letting that distract us and focus on winning the game. And it felt great especially being part of the trade with Enes.“
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Celtics, Embiid
Two months into the 2017/18 NBA season, the Knicks are one of the most impressive turnaround stories. One of the major reasons why is that the club is learning to trust one another, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.
Consider Doug McDermott, a fourth-year forward who didn’t make a lasting impression during his first two stints in the NBA. This year the Creighton product is shooting threes at a .415 clip and commanding the respect of his new teammates.
“It means a lot. It feels good,” McDermott said. “Everyone feels like we all trust each other now. We’re almost 30 games into the season. We’re clicking. We have a good vibe going. We’ve just to continue to do it.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics‘ second unit has made a name for itself because of its defense but sooner or later they’re going to have to start improving on the offensive end, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. Currently, he says, the bench lacks consistent shot-makers.
- The Sixers seem to be well ahead of schedule in their infamous rebuild and that can be attributed to a number of things, namely the emergence of Joel Embiid as a legitimate – and healthy – star, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
- The Knicks and Nets, with rosters jam-packed with promising young players, have set about rebuilding the right way, no small feat in the superteam era, a Nets Daily report opines.
Isaiah Thomas Targets Early January Return Date
The Cavaliers could see Isaiah Thomas make his team debut in the first week of January, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The point guard hasn’t yet played for his new club after coming over from the Celtics in an offseason trade, but is targeting the first week of the new year.
Charania adds that Thomas apparently feels well enough to play now, but the plan has been set to ensure that he doesn’t re-injure himself.
In the first week of January, Cleveland faces the Trail Blazers, Celtics and Magic. That January 3 game in Boston, in particular, will be a highly-anticipated tilt. Thomas seemed to take his trade out of the New England personally.
It’s unclear what the Cavs can seriously expect out of their new addition, but the 28-year-old made waves in 2016/17 when he averaged 28.9 points per contest. He was traded to Cleveland this offseason, along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brookyln’s 2018 first-round pick and a 2020 second-rounder, for Kyrie Irving.
Vince Carter On Return To Raptors: ‘It Will Happen’
According to the former superstar himself, Vince Carter could end up back with the Raptors before his career is done, Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets. Even if it simply comes in the form of a ceremonial contract.
“It’ll happen, I’m sure. Somehow,” Carter said.
While there have been attempts to reunite the greybeard swingman to his former franchise in the past, nothing has come to fruition. Perhaps more probable than Carter signing a typical contract with the team though, is the two parties inking a one-day deal so that he can formally retired with the franchise like Paul Pierce and Jason Maxiell did over the summer with the Celtics and Pistons, respectively.
“It’s supposed to happen I think. I can say that now,” Carter added.
While Carter’s tenure with the Raptors may have ended under different circumstances than many other stars who left their original teams, the city seems to have generally embraced their long-lost perennial All-Star after years of raucous booing any time he set foot in the Air Canada Centre.
In parts of seven seasons with the Raptors, Carter averaged 23.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, guiding the team as far as the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2001 before forcing his way out of town and eventually to the Nets.
These days the 20-year vet plays more of a leadership role than a tangible one but still sees the court, having signed on with the Kings to help develop a young core. That was by design considering that he’s unwilling to give up the routine of playing consistently at this point.
“I still want to play, I still want to compete, I still want to get out on the floor,” Carter told the media after Sacramento’s Sunday afternoon tilt in Toronto. “That’s not guaranteed, obviously on some of those elite teams and I’m just not ready for that.”
The Raptors, presumably, would qualify as one of those elite teams, too busy actively competing in the Eastern Conference to necessarily allot guaranteed playing time to a veteran whose best days are in the rearview mirror.
If, or perhaps when, that day comes though and Carter is ready serve as more of a symbolic asset than an actual one, the man who helped grow the popularity of basketball in Canada could end up back where his career began in 1998.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Vinsanity, Hayward
While they may not be touted as the much anticipated products of The Process, NBA veterans like J.J. Redick, Jerryd Bayless and Amir Johnson have had a major impact on the Sixers, Ian Begley of ESPN writes.
Unlike token veterans who the Sixers have employed in the past like Jason Richardson and Elton Brand, both established players in the twilight of their careers, players like Redick, Bayless and Johnson still suit up and play for the squad every night.
“To now have players sweating on the court that can add the leadership in real time, instead of something static in a video room — that is priceless,” head coach Brett Brown said. “I think the abundance we have this year and the fact that they play, the combination is powerful, and I appreciate [Sixers president and general manager] Bryan Colangelo helping me, helping us design the team with that in mind.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Kings squared off against the Raptors in what could be Vince Carter‘s last game in Toronto. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star wrote about the 40-year-old veteran’s lasting legacy.
- There’s no indication that he necessarily will but Gordon Hayward is open to the idea of returning this season, Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press writes. The Celtics forward is still recovering from a broken ankle suffered on opening day but has recently shed his walking boot.
- An injury to Tim Hardaway Jr. has allowed Ron Baker to slide back into the Knicks rotation and start making the impact that he became famous for as a rookie. Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Ron Burgundy is back.
Rudy Gobert Diagnosed With Sprained PCL, Bone Bruise
DECEMBER 16, 12:12 pm: Gobert has been diagnosed with a sprained PCL in his left knee and a bone bruise in his tibia, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Gobert is expected to miss at least one month.
DECEMBER 15, 8:05pm: The Jazz watched Rudy Gobert fall to another knee injury Friday night, Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News writes. The big man clutched his left leg in pain after tangling up with Derrick Favors and eventually limped to the team locker room ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
The scary moment comes less than two weeks after the big man made his return to the Jazz, having missed 11 contests recovering from a right knee injury.
Although the center hasn’t undergone an MRI, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets that early evaluation suggests it’s a Grade 1 MCL sprain.
Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News tweets that the injury isn’t “too serious” and that it may have just looked worse than it actually was. Woodyard said in another tweet that it certainly isn’t season-ending.