Kings Notes: Hill, Mentoring, Cauley-Stein
The Kings own the second-worst record in the league and free agent signee George Hill isn’t happy with the team’s level of success. He sent out an emotional tweet after a recent loss to the Bucks, though he shoulders the blame for Sacramento’s woes.
“The way that we started the game, down 14-0, just didn’t sit well with me,” Hill said (via Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee). “I’m one of the leaders here, so that affected me. I felt like I let my team down.”
Sacramento’s roster is full of inexperienced players, and inconsistent play has been a staple of the team’s season so far. Hill’s never encountered this type of situation at the professional level and he acknowledged that it can be challenging.
“I think on every team I’ve been with, we’ve had that cohesiveness and a lot of veterans that played multiple years in the league, so it was easy to kind of fill in,” Hill said. “I feel like here we’re so young it’s kind of difficult to figure out what’s going to be my direction, what’s going to be my style of play, what’s this guy’s role or my role. We’re still trying to learn those things.”
Here’s more from Sacramento:
- Hill added that many of his teammates are “still babies” professionally and he knows he was brought in to help them develop, Jones writes in the same piece. “Right now we’re just trying to teach the young guys and mentor them,” Hill said. “In the long run, our whole job is try to build this for them to take over and have the keys. It’s not about me, (Vince Carter), (Garrett Temple) or any of us. It’s about how can we develop the young guys to the best of our ability.”
- Willie Cauley-Stein, who will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension after the season, has thrived since being relegated to the bench, Nate Wolf of NBAMath explains. Wolf notes that the success is driven by the team splitting Cauley-Stein and $24MM addition Zach Randolph.
- Currently, Cauley-Stein is sidelined with a back injury, and head coach Dave Joerger said earlier this week that the team will “use caution” when it comes to bringing him back (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of ABC10). That comment suggests that the young center’s absence may extend beyond the Kings’ two-game road trip.
Teams Eyeing Patrick McCaw As Free Agent Target?
Patrick McCaw will be a restricted free agent after the season and the second-year wing is “regarded as a top target” for teams as they look ahead to the 2018 free agent class, Bobby Marks of ESPN.com writes. Opposing teams like McCaw’s age and versatility and he could draw offers despite the restricted status.
Opposing teams can only sign the 22-year-old to an offer sheet starting at an estimated $8.6MM because of the Arenas provision, though a rival could backload to the deal akin to what the Nets did to the Heat with Tyler Johnson and dare Golden State to match.
The Warriors own McCaw’s Early Bird rights because of the two-year contract he signed back in 2016. As a result, the franchise can offer him a contract up with a starting salary of up to approximately $8.7MM.
Golden State selected McCaw with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2016 draft and he’s carved out a role with the club. He has seen 14.7 minutes per contest over his first 94 games as a pro and he should see additional opportunities with Stephen Curry sidelined. He’s currently in the league’s concussion protocol program after getting hit in the face during Monday’s game against the Pelicans.
Warriors Projected To Spend $1.1 Billion On Salary, Taxes Over Next Five Seasons
The Warriors have built a dynasty, but if they plan on keeping this team together, it’ll come at a great cost, ESPN’s Bobby Marks writes.
The franchise is projected to spend over $1.1MM billion on salary and taxes through the 2020/21 campaign, a figure that includes $168MM in salary and taxes this season. One league executive told Marks that “finances are the only thing that will break up this Warriors team.”
The financial dominos begin this summer with Kevin Durant, who will yet again be a free agent if he turns down his player option as expected.
Marks breaks down Durant’s three main options as opting in ($26.3, one-year deal), opting out and signing another one-year deal (one-year, $30MM with another player option for year two), or opting out and signing a four-year pact for the max ($158MM with a starting salary of $35.4MM).
Golden State won’t have the ability to sign Durant to a five-year deal because the franchise only owns his Early Bird Rights. If he takes either of the one-year options, he’ll be eligible for a five-year deal in the 2019 offseason.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Early Bird Rights]
Durant took a discount to re-sign with the team this past offseason, though Marks believes it’s unlikely that he’ll take the same route again since the Warriors won’t be able to use the savings to add additional pieces.
Durant won’t get a Designated Veteran Extension. Every team is only permitted to sign two players to those super-max contracts and Golden State already locked up Curry through the 2021/22 season with one. Durant won’t be eligible for one of these deals since he came to the team as a free agent, which means the Warriors will have to decide whether to give their second DVE to Draymond Green or Klay Thompson.
Assuming Golden State saves the contract for Green and Thompson signs a traditional max deal, the Warriors could be facing a record-high $225MM in tax penalties for the 2019/20 season. That figure also assumes that Golden State brings back Patrick McCaw on a modest deal (Marks estimates $6MM salary in 2019/20).
As Marks notes, the league requires the payment in full – with no installment plan – for luxury tax charges, meaning Golden State’s ownership would have to send the full $225MM to the NBA in the late spring of 2020.
Golden State could shed salary by waiving Shaun Livingston, whose 2019/20 salary only contains $2MM in guarantees, and declining Damian Jones‘ fourth-year option, which is worth $2.3MM.
The Warriors are in a position unlike any other in NBA history both on the court and off of it. They’re the favorites to win the champion this season and it’s easy to envision them maintaining the Larry O’Brien trophy throughout the entire Donald Trump administration.
The costs of keeping the team together will be staggering, though it’s a problem opposing franchises would gladly accept if given the opportunity.
“There are 29 owners that would take this Warriors roster even if the cost was $495 million in luxury tax penalties,” a league executive told Marks.
Knicks Reached Out To Jerry West About Executive Role
The Knicks attempted to lure Jerry West to the franchise this past summer after deciding to part ways with Phil Jackson, sources tell Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News. West told the team through back channels that it wasn’t the right time to come to New York, and ended up taking an advisory role with the Clippers instead.
New York’s current regime, led by team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, appears to be more professionally run than the old group, Lawrence writes — several players have told him that there has been a positive effect from the Knicks’ orderly front office.
“The atmosphere is a lot better,” veteran Courtney Lee recently said. “It’s always good to have good air. It’s easier to operate as a team, 100 percent, 100 percent, 100 percent. Every day there’s not something new in the media, about what’s being said about who. The whole situation wasn’t good. It was not good air. But now, the air is clear. It makes it easier to play now. I just wish ‘Melo was still here so he could be a part of it.”
Many expected the Knicks to contend for the No. 1 pick, though surprisingly, they’re 11-12. While injuries to Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. may blanket hope of an unexpected eighth-seed run, the franchise appears to be heading the in the right direction after years of drama and uncertainty.
Clippers Granted Disabled Player Exception
The league has granted the Clippers a $2.75MM disabled player exception after the franchise lost Patrick Beverley for the season, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). The point guard missed several games for the franchise with knee troubles before undergoing surgery.
Los Angeles has several players on the mend, which is contributing to their disappointing 2017/18 campaign to date. Blake Griffin is currently sidelined with a knee injury and he’s not expected back for a least another four or five weeks. Danilo Gallinari and Milos Teodosic both could be back much sooner, with the Italian forward eyeing Wednesday as a possible return date and the point guard likely a week away from seeing action.
While the $2.75MM exception gives the Clippers the ability to add another piece, an acquisition might not be in the cards, as the team sits approximately $122.5K below the luxury tax line. Los Angeles has finished over the tax line in each of the previous three seasons, meaning the franchise would have to pay $2.50 in taxes for every dollar spent should it cross the threshold yet again.
Steph Curry To Miss Time
Stephen Curry underwent an MRI and the test revealed no structural damage on his injured right ankle, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (Twitter link).
Charania added that Curry, who sprained his ankle on Monday against the Pelicans, is experiencing significant swelling and there is no timetable for his return. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that Curry will be re-evaluated in “a couple of weeks.”
That timeline means Curry could be back in time for a Finals rematch against the Cavs on December 25, though with significant swelling in his ankle and the point guard’s history of ankle woes, I’d be surprised if he returned before the new year.
Shaun Livingston, who re-signed this past offseason on a three-year, $24MM deal, will start in Curry’s place for Golden State. The Dubs are 19-6 on the season, making them the second-best team in the Western Conference behind the Rockets and MVP candidate James Harden.
Tim Hardaway Jr. To Miss At Least Two Weeks
Tim Hardaway Jr. injured his left leg against the Heat last week, something that already caused him to miss a pair of games, and the Knicks announced today (via Twitter) that he has started the rehab process. The team added that he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The ailment to Hardaway’s leg is a stress injury, though the Knicks didn’t disclose whether it was a fracture or reaction. If it’s only a stress reaction, it could require him to be sidelined anywhere from two to six weeks, though many cases of stress reactions fall in the shorter range, as a leading orthopedist told Marc Berman of the New York Post earlier this week. If it’s a fracture, the time could be measured in months. The specialist also noted that a reaction can lead to a fracture if it isn’t rested.
Hardaway, who signed a four year, $72MM this offseason, was enjoying a breakout campaign for Knicks. In 21 games with the team, the veteran shooting guard scored 17.8 points and brought down 4.2 boards per contest. He launched 7.2 shots per game from behind the arc, nailing 2.3 per night.
Fantasy Hoops: November Notes & Trends
The Rockets had the NBA’s best record during the month of November, going 12-1 behind the play of James Harden, who is my early favorite for MVP this season.
Harden was the team’s top scorer in 12 of those 13 contests. He also led the team in assists in all seven games Chris Paul missed, and was the leader in dishes during half the games Paul played. Harden led the league in scoring (34.9 points per game) during the month, and sits second in the assists column with 10.1 per game (Paul had 10.3).
Paul only played six games during the month and while some may worry about the former Clippers point guard cannibalizing Harden’s stats going forward, I wouldn’t buy into that notion. Houston’s high-powered offense can support both stars and that, combined with Harden’s top-level play, makes The Beard fantasy’s No. 1 player going forward.
Here’s more notes and analysis from the month of November:
- Paul George, who led all players in minutes per contest (39.2) during the month, got off to a slow start with the Thunder. However, he has proven he’s still a top-20 option in fantasy despite the abundance of scoring options around him. George averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game during the month while leading the NBA in steals per game with 2.9 per night.
- Many criticized the Pacers for “only” landing Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis when they traded away PG13, but both players look like potential long-term starters. Oladipo has been particularly impressive, as he’s putting up All-Star numbers, fueled by opportunity and efficiency. Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Bradley Beal, and Harden are the only players who had at least 18 shot attempts per game in the month and posted a higher field goal percentage than Oladipo.
- If you trade George for Oladipo in fantasy, I’m not sure who’s getting the better end of the deal. If you net Oladipo and Sabonis, who shot 50% from the field on nearly nine attempts per game during the month, you win the trade.
- LBJ had an amazing November for the Cavaliers, shooting 58.1% (best among non-bigs) from the field on a whopping 19.7 attempts per game (fourth-highest among all players). He was second in the NBA in points per game (29.6), fourth in assists (8.5) and was one of just 11 players who averaged at least a steal and block per game (min 10 games played) during the month.
- The Pistons went 9-3 during November and Tobias Harris is a major reason why. The 25-year-old shot an eye-popping 48.6% from behind the arc (an NBA-best among those with at least five attempts per contest), despite making fewer than 35% of his attempts in four of out the last six games. Harris is slightly behind Avery Bradley for the team lead in overall attempts per game (14.3 vs. 14.2) and his role in the offense makes him a locked-in top-60 play going forward.
- Joel Embiid continues to dominate, but one of the flaws in his game this month has been his three-point shot. He made just 26.7% of his 2.5 attempts per game from behind the arc and it’s possible that teams may start to sag further off of him and dare him to shoot from outside as an approach to mitigate the damage he can do. If he doesn’t improve his stroke, the Sixers big man could see a slight decline in his stats and therefore, in his fantasy value. That risk, along with his injury history, may make him a sell-high candidate, especially if you can nab a top-10 player for him.
- Only George has more steals per game than Ben Simmons during the month. Simmons’ defensive prowess and ability to fill up the stat sheet (18.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game during the month) make him a top-10 play going forward.
- Nikola Mirotic hasn’t played in November (or yet this season) after being on the wrong end of a physical altercation with teammate Bobby Portis. He could be back as soon as Monday, but it’s unclear what his role will be with Portis and Lauri Markkanen soaking up frontcourt minutes. The Bulls may look to give him minutes in order to showcase him for potential trades, similar to what the Suns may be doing with Greg Monroe. If you have a spare bench spot, Mirotic is worth scooping up.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Statistics are current through Friday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Former No. 3 Overall Pick Ben Gordon Arrested Again
Ben Gordon was arrested on a felony robbery charge over the weekend in Los Angeles, according to ESPN. He spent three nights in jail and was released on $50K bail early this morning.
Gordon allegedly took money from a manager of an apartment complex he rented, claiming that the amount was owed to him as his security deposit. The former UConn Huskie is accused of punching the manager and pulling a knife on him in order to get the funds.
This is the latest in a troubled year for the former No. 3 overall pick. Earlier this month, he was arrested for driving with a forged license plate. Late last month, he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation after a woman claimed Gordon had locked her in a store he owned after becoming physical while throwing and destroying things. The woman told police Gordon’s behavior stemmed from an argument between the two and the authorities later found Gordon locked in the bathroom of that store.
Back in June, Gordon was arrested for pulling fire alarms at his apartment complex after locking himself out of his Los Angeles home. Upon arrival, authorities found no threat of a fire and Gordon was charged with a misdemeanor.
The 34-year-old last played in the NBA for the Magic during the 2014/15 season, though he attempted a comeback last season, suiting up for the G League’s Texas Legends.
Community Shootaround: Next Coach Fired
The NBA has already seen two coaches fired since opening night, with Phoenix axing Earl Watson just days into the season and Memphis parting ways with David Fizdale after an eight-game losing streak. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wonders who will be the next coach to be sent packing.
The Magic have gone just 3-11 since the calendar turned to November and they face a tough week ahead. Orlando gets matchups against the Oklahoma City and Golden State before a back-to-back against the overachieving Knicks and underachieving Hornets.
Kyler hears that the Magic remain committed to Frank Vogel, who has approximately $11MM remaining on his contract over the next two seasons. However, Kyler speculates that a 12-15 loss stretch, coupled with the possibility of Doc Rivers becoming available, could change Orlando’s position.
Rivers has one year at nearly $12MM left on his deal and while the Clippers are clearly under-performing, it’s not clear that a coaching change would help them in the win column. With Blake Griffin slated to miss somewhere in the two-month range because of an MCL injury, it’ll be difficult for Los Angeles to make major improvements. Having a new coach take over and implement changes only to have to make new adjustments eight weeks later is not a recipe for success. The franchise may be better off waiting out the season before letting Rivers depart.
Sources tell Kyler that Fred Hoiberg is likely to finish the season with the Bulls, but the team owns the league’s worst record and it’s a situation worth monitoring.
Tell us what you think? Do you believe Vogel, Rivers or Hoiberg will be the next coach to go? Could there be a surprise firing that no one saw coming or will every current coach remain on their respective sidelines through the season?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!