D-League Notes: Kelly, Harris, Heat, Expansion
The D-League’s regular season is underway, and the D-League website features a list of young prospects to follow during the 2013/14 season. Some of the young players on the list currently have their rights held by NBA squads, but many are training camp invitees that didn’t make an opening night roster. There’s no telling when the next Jeremy Lin might unexpectedly emerge so it’s definitely worth monitoring the young talent found in the NBA’s official minor league organization.
Here’s some D-League news and notes from Thursday night:
- Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets that the Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly and Elias Harris from their D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders. Neither have seen much NBA action yet this year, and Eric Pincus of the LA Times tweets that their recall is probably just a formality.
- Ira Winderman points out (via Twitter) that the D-League affiliate for the Heat is sporting a particularly impressive roster. Although the Heat do not own their rights, it’s worth noting that Miami’s developmental squad houses three former NBA players: Bill Walker, DeAndre Liggins, and Quincy Douby.
- Dan Reed, president of the D-League, envisions his circuit expanding into a 30 team organization where each NBA club has it’s own minor league affiliate. Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports sat down with Reed, who appears confident that his vision will one day become a reality: “If you had asked me this three or four years ago, I would have said it will be a very long time horizon. If you ask me now, that time frame has shortened substantially.” Reed has been the president of the D-League since 2007.
- To keep up with all the D-League assignments and recalls throughout the year, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors 2013/14 D-League Assignments page.
Will Mike Woodson Get Fired This Season?
The Knicks have been one of the most discussed teams of the 2013/14 season, and although they’ve only played 11 games thus far, their paltry three win total has created speculation around the league that head coach Mike Woodson might be in danger of losing his job. Although ESPNNewYork.com’s Ian Begley insists that Woodson isn’t afraid of getting shelved, Knicks fans have been vocal about their desire for new leadership. Multiple “fire Woodson” chants have erupted during losses at Madison Square Garden this season, and Ken Berger of CBS Sports suggests there are analysts and executives alike that think firing Woodson and attempting to lure current Kentucky coach John Calipari to New York might be the right course of action.
Most fans would likely agree that it’s unfair to place all the blame on Woodson, especially when key players like Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton have been sidelined. It’s also worth mentioning that Knicks owner James Dolan was a big enough fan of Woodson to pick up his 2014/15 option, even after last year’s disappointing loss in the second round of the playoffs. Still, in a time where George Karl, Lionel Hollins, and Vinny Del Negro lose their jobs after putting together 50 win seasons, can Woodson’s position really be considered safe? Dan Favale of Bleacher Report notes that Dolan is not heralded as a rational decision maker and believes it’s inevitable that Woodson gets ousted eventually.
What do you think? Is Woodson’s position as safe as reported earlier today? Or is it only a matter of time before New York is looking for a new head coach? Vote below, and add your thoughts in the comment section!
International Notes: Kings, White, Thornton, Spurs
The Kings are dedicated to expanding their brand internationally, Will Robinson of Reuters reports. Kings president Chris Granger expressed his interest in appealing to NBA fans over in India: “Our overall mission for us is to become India’s home team.” This announcement is hardly surprising since we’ve heard numerous times that David Stern and the NBA as a whole are keen on expanding the league’s presence overseas.
Have a look at the latest international news:
- Former first-round pick D.J. White will be returning to China. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the Sichuan Blue Whales are bringing aboard the ex-Bobcats big man. Although White was in Chicago for training camp, he failed to make the Bulls’ opening day roster and most recently saw playing time for the Shanghai Sharks. White will join Hamed Haddadi on the Blue Whales, another former NBA player.
- Al Thornton inked an international deal today in Puerto Rico. According to Sportando, the Brujos de Guayama have announced his signing. The former lottery pick hasn’t seen NBA action since 2010/11 when he put up a meager 7.4 PPG for the Wizards and Warriors.
- Dan McCarney over at Spurs Nation takes a look at how the Spurs depth is due largely to the team’s excellent assortment of international players. McCarney notes that with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker aging, great play off the bench from “The Foreign Legion” is critical.
Kings Notes: Fredette, Thornton, McCallum
The 4-7 Kings sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division and are in a tough position to move up in the standings. They face the Clippers in two of their next three contests and then square off against the Warriors and Thunder in their following two matchups. Let’s take a look at a couple of notes about the Kings, courtesy of Jason Jones from the Sacramento Bee:
- Jimmer Fredette has seen action in two consecutive contests since not playing in 10 days, but Jones tweets that his increase in minutes is not an attempt to display his skills to possible suitors. Last night, readers of Hoops Rumors voted that the struggling Kings should try to trade Fredette and Marcus Thornton in an attempt to put themselves in a better spot to build around the young talent of Ben McLemore and DeMarcus Cousins.
- Speaking of Thornton, Jones also tweets that the veteran guard looks to be staying in a Kings uniform for the time being.
- Jones has details on the earlier report of Ray McCallum’s assignment to the D-League. The rookie point guard from Detroit was taken by the Kings in the second round of last year’s draft but hasn’t seen any action this year. The Bighorns begin their season tomorrow in Sioux Falls.
Western Notes: Warriors, Bryant, Jazz
The West has been the stronger of the two conferences so far in the early going of the 2013/14 NBA season. There are nine teams above the .500 mark in the West compared to only three squads with winning records in the East. A conference chock full of winning teams is a recipe for intense and entertaining competition. Here are some notes regarding the West:
- Despite the injury to point guard Toney Douglas, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group hears from team sources that the Warriors are not expected to make a move to bolster their backcourt. Thompson reports that Kent Bazemore and Nemanja Nedovic will be given a chance to come off the bench and run the team’s offense in Douglas’ absence.
- There’s still no timetable for Kobe Bryant‘s return, tweets Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The Lakers are paying Bryant over $30MM this season, a total almost $8MM greater than the next highest player on the list.
- The Knicks‘ decision to let Jeremy Lin walk away from the team after the 2011/12 season was a surprise to many, including Rockets GM Daryl Morey: “We didn’t really understand it, and we thought for sure that Lin was going to stay. I thought if any team knew what it had, it was going to be New York.” Harvey Araton of the New York Times breaks down New York’s choice not to match the Rockets’ offer sheet.
- Kenneth Faried declined to comment on the rumors implicating him as a possible early season trade candidate: “No comment on all of that. I just play basketball and do my job, and that’s it.” Faried had been linked to a potential trade with the Knicks‘ Iman Shumpert, but the Nuggets wanted more in return than New York had to offer. Read Christopher Dempsey’s full article about Faried at the Denver Post.
- Earlier tonight, Utah Jazz beat writer Jody Genessy revealed (via Twitter) that Diante Garrett was shopping at WalMart when he received the call offering him a spot on the Jazz. Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune provides further insight on Utah’s acquisition of the young guard and what it means for the team.
Odds & Ends: Shumpert, Faried, Suns, Sixers
All day long, media outlets have been reporting that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert might be traded in an attempt to aid the team’s ailing frontcourt. Despite the flux of rumors, Lang Greene over at HoopsWorld reports Shumpert isn’t fazed by seeing his name involved in trade talks: “If it’s going to happen, it will happen. I’m young. I’m an asset. So I’ll be in the [trade] rumors, I guess.” Although a move to Denver has been reportedly ruled out, several teams are still thought to be interested in the third year Georgia Tech product.
Here are some more interesting notes from around the NBA:
- We found out earlier today that the Nuggets weren’t keen on sending Kenneth Faried over to New York, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that there is league-wide interest in the young forward. However, Wojnarowski also notes that despite the interest, the Nuggets don’t appear likely to dish Faried unless he’s involved in some sort of blockbuster deal.
- The Suns and 76ers are off to better-than-expected starts, but Mark Deeks from SB Nation does’t believe that either team should exit rebuilding mode in an attempt to make a playoff run.
- Three projected lottery picks took the court in Chicago last night for the Champions Classic. Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Julius Randle showed off their skills to a packed arena that included 68 NBA scouts. Alex Kennedy from HoopsWorld breaks down how each of the young phenoms performed under the spotlight.
International Notes: Whiteside, English, Hairston
Trade rumors continue to circulate around the league, but there’s also been some noteworthy basketball-related activity happening overseas involving a few former NBA players. Let’s take a look:
- Former Kings big man Hassan Whiteside has reached an agreement to play in Lebanon with Al Moutahed Tripoli, according to a report from Court-Side.com (hat tip to Sportando).
- Ex-Piston Kim English is on the verge of parting ways with Italian team Montepaschi Siena, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. English landed with Siena back in August after being released by Detroit in July for cap and roster purposes.
- Carchia also reports that Malik Hairston has officially signed a contract to play for Galatasaray in Turkey. The former Spurs guard had been playing for Emporio Armani Milano in the Italian League.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Brooks, Woodson, Raptors
Entering the 2013/14 NBA season, the Atlantic Division was generally predicted to contain at least two playoff teams: the Nets and Knicks. So far in the early goings of ’13/14, neither team looked overly dominant. The Nets saw an impressive win over Miami before a 21-point loss to Orlando in their next contest. The Knicks have lost three straight and center Tyson Chandler was just sidelined for at least four weeks. It’s been a rough start for the two teams projected to finish at the top of the division.
Here some notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- With so much attention being placed on the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets, Zach Braziller of the New York Post points out that Brook Lopez is too often left out of conversations related to the Nets. Lopez, the team’s only All-Star last season, is signed through the 2014/15 season and has a player option for ’15/16. Lopez leads the team in points, blocks, and FG%.
- Jessica Camerato of HoopsWorld notes in her piece on MarShon Brooks that Brad Stevens has been pleased with Brooks’ attitude throughout training camp and the early stages of the season. Stevens’ kind words didn’t stop the Celtics from declining Brooks’ option for the ’14/15 season.
- The Knicks have started out slowly after finishing 54-28 last season and winning the Atlantic Division. Still, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York reports that Mike Woodson is not worried about losing his job.
- LeBron James was asked by a Toronto reporter about the likelihood of joining the Raptors this offseason. “I’m not answering free agent questions,” replied James, grinning. While James almost certainly won’t be joining Toronto for the ’14/15 season, Eric Koreen of the National Post points out that the Raptors will need to stick to playing their best five players if they want to win now rather than enter another rebuilding situation.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Howard, Redd, Martin
It’s been an exciting night around the NBA. Let’s take a look at some headlines that have surfaced throughout the league:
- Lakers forward-center Pau Gasol wishes Dwight Howard luck in Houston and respects his decision to leave L.A., reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. Gasol, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2013/14 season, will have the opportunity to follow in Howard’s footsteps if he wants a change of scenery. It’s been reported that Gasol has expressed interest in remaining in Los Angeles, but it’s too early to make any assumptions.
- Speaking of Howard, the dominant big man sat down and told Sam Amick of USA TODAY that he was tired of talking about his decision to leave the Lakers: “It’s time for everybody to get over it. It happened. It’s in the past. I’ve gotten over it. It didn’t work out (with the Lakers last season). The timing was off. It just wasn’t (there). Everybody was injured.”
- Michael Redd has officially retired tonight tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. He goes on to say that several teams tried to lure Redd to camp last summer, and among them was the Spurs.
- Redd has interest in rejoining the Bucks in some capacity, but not in a coaching role, Woelfel also tweets.
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that Kevin Martin has clarified he was not speaking ill of former teammate Kevin Durant on Sunday when he said of the Timberwolves: “This is such a fun team to play on. Nobody is trying to lead the league in scoring here.” Wednesday morning, Durant told local reporters in Oklahoma City: “I know K-Mart. He’s not that type of guy.” Martin signed a four-year deal with the Wolves this offseason after a one-year stint with the Thunder.
Celtics Notes: Wallace, Draft, Rivers
It’s been since the 1969/70 season that the Celtics have stumbled out of the gate to an 0-4 start. To provide some historical context, consider that Bill Russell had just retired after his 13th season, and promising rookie guard Jo Jo White was just about to begin his NBA career with the C’s.
This year’s squad is trying to find their first win against their fifth opponent, just like the Celtics from ’69/70 did. Boston squares off tonight against a Utah Jazz team that is also yet to taste victory in 2013/14. Here’s some notes about the Celtics from around the NBA:
- Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets that he expects Gerald Wallace to remain in Boston for the time being. Mannix suggests that it will be difficult for the Celtics find a suitor willing to take on the veteran forward’s lofty contract without the Celtics giving up one of the first-round picks they acquired from the Nets this offseason. Wallace, 31, is set to make $30MM+ over the next three years.
- Mannix also tweets that Boston figures to be in full rebuilding mode this season and veterans on the team will more than likely tire of the team’s dedication to developing youth. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports that Wallace spoke out tonight, saying it was tough for him to accept a role off the bench.
- Mark Deeks of SB Nation discusses how the value of first-round picks has substantially increased over the last few seasons and cites the trade that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets as an example of just how valuable early draft selections have become. Deeks notes that the Celtics were willing to send off a duo of future Hall of Famers in an attempt at success down the road, a deal which may not have taken place just a few years earlier.
- Doc Rivers was apparently a fan of J.J. Redick even before the Clippers acquired the Duke product in a trade this offseason. John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com reports that Rivers tried to arrange a deal to send then-Magic guard Redick to Boston on multiple occasions.