Eastern Notes: MCW, Sixers, Draft, Walker
Michael Carter-Williams admits he struggled to adjust after being traded, but the Syracuse product is happy to be in Milwaukee, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel writes. “It’s good to know I’m going to be here growing with guys and knowing the chemistry,” Carter-Williams said. “I’m a Milwaukee Buck now and I hope I’m here for a while.” The Bucks have gone 7-14 since the point guard made his team debut.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers have several players who have improved over the course of the season and Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News believes coach Brett Brown deserves recognition for the progress. Cooney looks at the development of the team’s young prospects, including Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington.
- Tom Moore of Calkins Media wonders what the Sixers would do if they landed one of the top two picks in the draft. Centers Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns are widely expected to be the first two players off the board in some order and Philadelphia already has three young frontcourt players under team control in Joel Embiid, Noel and Dario Saric. The Sixers are currently third place in our Reverse Standings with a record of 18-59.
- Kemba Walker doesn’t believe the Hornets‘ struggles this season are coach Steve Clifford‘s fault, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. “It has nothing to do with him,” Walker said. “He does a great job, he’s a fantastic coach. He always does his best to give us the right game plan, to try and get wins. I’m 100 percent behind him. I believe in him.”
Southwest Notes: Davis, Belinelli, Carter
In just his third season in the league, Anthony Davis has made a case to win the MVP award. The Kentucky product is averaging 24.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, while leading the league with a 30.91 player efficiency rating. If Davis takes home the Maurice Podoloff trophy either this year or next, he could benefit financially if he signs an extension with the Pelicans because he would meet the fifth year 30% max criteria. These criteria, known collectively as the Derrick Rose rule, would allow him to receive roughly 30% of the salary cap as his starting salary in an extension, as opposed to roughly 25%, which is usually reserved for players with 0-6 years of experience. Davis could also meet the criteria if during his first four years in the league, he makes two All-NBA teams or is twice voted as a starter in the All-Star game. Davis was voted as starter for the first time in the 2015 All-Star game and is likely to make his first All-NBA team this season. Davis would meet the criteria if he accomplishes either of those feats again during the 2015/16 season, even if he signs an extension before that happens when he is eligible this offseason.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Marco Belinelli will be a free agent at the end of season and it’s uncertain whether he will return to San Antonio next season, as he says in an interview with II Corriere dello Sport, which is translated by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. At 29-year-old, Belinelli acknowledges that salary will be an important factor in his decision in free agency.
- Vince Carter has battled injuries this season, but the 38-year-old guard is not looking to retire after the season, Scott Cacciola of The New York Times writes. “I can’t imagine not playing.” said Carter, who signed a three year, $12MM deal with the Grizzlies last offseason. “I can’t accept that yet. I’m not at the point where I wake up and it’s like, I’m tired of this. Being around these young guys makes you feel young, I promise you.”
- Ian Thomsen of NBA.com chronicles Carter’s time in the league starting in 1998 when he was an intriguing young prospect with star potential to this season where he is an elder statesman for a contender in Memphis.
Draft Notes: Cauley-Stein, Towns, Okafor
Center Willie Cauley-Stein hasn’t made it official, but he is leaning toward turning pro, Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal writes. “It’s time to take another step,” Cauley-Stein said. “I mean, obviously, I’m not 100 percent on it, but I’m pretty sure I know what I want to do. Gotta talk to a couple more people, but probably was my last game here.” Several scouts believe there isn’t a safer bet in this year’s draft than the 21-year-old, who is the sixth best prospect, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and eighth best prospect according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Here’s more on the draft:
- Karl-Anthony Towns hasn’t made a decision about whether he will enter the draft yet, but he left the door open to returning to Kentucky next year, Tucker writes in the same piece. “I can’t even think about that. I just lost in the Final Four with my brothers,” Towns said about the possibility of staying another season. “We could be really good, but we just need to make it further than we did this time. We gotta get it all the way this time. We need to do better. We could be really good, though.” Towns has a good chance to be the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, which makes it unlikely he stays.
- Provided both players opt to enter the draft, it’s likely Towns and Jahlil Okafor will go No. 1 and No. 2 in some order. In a quick poll of seven NBA scouts and personnel people, Towns received four votes for the top spot, while Okafor got three, according to Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated.
- Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders looks at how staying in school can damage a prospect’s stock. Dowsett acknowledges that many prospects seem undeveloped and are unproven after just one year of college, but he believes those prospects would benefit more from being around professionals in the NBA than from staying in college and playing against lesser competition.
Western Notes: Crawford, Clarkson, Rubio
Jamal Crawford returned to practice with no restrictions and will likely play in Tuesday’s game against the Lakers, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. Last month it was reported that the reigning Sixth Man of the Year could possibly miss the rest of the season. The 35-year-old has been out since March 2nd with a calf injury and the Clippers have gone 11-5 without him in the lineup.
Here’s more from the Western Conference.
- With Jordan Clarkson developing into a potential long-term piece, the Lakers have a good point guard situation even if they can’t land Rajon Rondo, Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders opines. Earlier in the week, it was reported that the team will likely pursue Rondo as well as Goran Dragic.
- Ricky Rubio will miss the remainder of the season because of a sore left ankle that he originally injured on November 7th, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reports. Minnesota is only two games behind New York for the worst record in the league, as our Reverse Standings show.
- Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune believes the clock is ticking on Ricky Rubio’s development. The 25-year-old has only played about 65% of the games during his first four seasons because of various injuries and hasn’t shown the consistent improvement that the team expects.
Southeast Notes: Deng, Stephenson, Borrego
The Southeast Division currently has three teams owning playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Hawks would play a series against the Nets. The Wizards would play the Bulls, who they knocked out of the playoffs last postseason. The Heat would play the Cavs in a series that would give Miami a chance to become the first Eastern Conference team to knock a LeBron James-led team out of the playoffs since the Celtics in 2010.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Luol Deng said he likes playing for Miami and hasn’t thought about whether he will exercise his player option worth slightly more than $10.1MM for next season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The Heat have roughly $42.9MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2015/16 season, as our salary cap breakdown shows. That figure does not include player options for Deng, Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic as well as a team option for Michael Beasley. If the team retains its starting backcourt, Miami will most likely be over the projected $67.4MM salary cap. If Deng declines his option and departs from Miami, it would leave the Heat with a huge void on the wing and limited resources to replace the 29-year-old.
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford reiterated that he was the strongest advocate for signing Lance Stephenson last offseason, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports (Twitter links). “Lance is here because of me. I’m the one who wanted Lance,” Clifford said. Stephenson has recorded a DNP-Coach’s Decision in each of Charlotte’s last two games.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel chronicles coach James Borrego‘s time in the organization and wonders if he could remain the coach of the Magic long-term. Orlando is currently 22-53 on the season, good for fifth place in our Reverse Standings.
Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Crawford, Len
The Lakers believe they have a potential All-Star in Jordan Clarkson, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles News writes. “The more he gains experience, he will learn the pace of the game, how to slow it down and use his speed when he has to do so,”coach Byron Scott said. “His ceiling is pretty high.” Clarkson will make roughly $845K next season, although his salary is non-guaranteed.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Jamal Crawford is nearing a return to the court, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. If the shooting guard continues to progress the plan is for Crawford to play against the Lakers on April 7th, according to Markazi. The 35-year-old has missed the last 14 games because of a calf injury and it was previously reported that there was a chance he wouldn’t return at all this season.
- Alex Len is expected to miss a week because of a broken nose, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports. Len should only miss two games, but the team doesn’t have an easy path to add a free agent big man if they find it necessary. The Suns currently have a 15-man roster, after inking Jerel McNeal to a 10-day contract earlier today. Phoenix is four and a half games behind Oklahoma City for the eighth seed in the conference with seven games remaining.
- Eric Bledsoe started more games this season than in his first four seasons combined and the team believes he is still getting acclimated to the increase in playing time, writes Paul Coro in a separate piece. “Sometimes, you just don’t have the energy. We ask him to do a lot defensively and offensively. The great players will do it and they’ll bring it every night. He’s on that verge,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. Bledsoe has played 2.1 more minutes per game since the Suns dealt Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas at this year’s deadlines.
Executive Of The Year Candidate: Danny Ferry
Hawks GM Danny Ferry has had his troubles off the court and is currently still on an indefinite leave of absence. On the court, the team he put together has surpassed expectations on its way to locking up the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks are 55-18 on the season with a roster void of a true superstar. Atlanta currently ranks fourth in the league on defense in terms of raw points allowed, giving up 97.0 points per game, and 10th on offense, scoring 102.4 points per game. The Spurs are the only other team in the league to rank in the top 10 in both categories.
Team building isn’t usually done in one year. There are exceptions, like the 2008 Celtics, where the main parts of the team come together in one offseason. However, the Executive of the Year award usually exists to honor the culmination of all the transactions that a GM or team president has made in order to turn a roster into a masterpiece on the court.
Atlanta hired Ferry after the 2011/12 season and about a week later, he traded Joe Johnson, who was the team’s leading scorer, to the Nets. While the trade didn’t bring immediate help, it allowed for future flexibility. Later in the offseason, Ferry acquired Kyle Korver from the Bulls in exchange for cash. After the 2012/13 season, Ferry hired Mike Budenholzer, who is a favorite to win the 2014/15 Coach of the Year.
During the same offseason, Ferry signed Paul Millsap. The forward was coming off a good season with Utah and most likely expected to land a deal that vastly exceeded the two-year, $19MM contract he signed with Atlanta. Having such a productive player on such a team-friendly pact does wonders for the roster-building process; just ask the Mavs, who were able to offer Chandler Parsons a bloated offer sheet because of Dirk Nowitzki’s team-friendly deal. Millsap’s deal isn’t as far below market value as Nowitzki’s deal is, but it allows for tremendous flexibility in roster construction all the same.
To become an Eastern Conference power, the Hawks never went into full rebuild mode. Ferry has never had the opportunity to pluck potential stars from the top of the draft, as the Hawks haven’t had a pick higher than No. 15 under his reign. Instead, like most good GMs, he had to search through the third and fourth tier of prospects to find players who could make an NBA rotation and contribute. He found contributors in 2012 second round pick Mike Scott and 2013 No. 17 overall pick Dennis Schroder. Both players have been key in helping the Hawks achieve their goals this season.
All of Ferry’s moves have put the Hawks in the position they’re in, but he has been absent from the team for most of the league year. Although some of the Hawks players seem to be open to having him back in the front office, uncertainty with the team’s ownership situation makes a resolution in the near future unlikely. Budenholzer has been running the front office in Ferry’s absence, and perhaps Budenholzer should be a candidate for the award himself. In a vacuum, Ferry probably would win Executive of the Year, as the team has a decent shot at winning the Eastern Conference while being under the salary cap, but the perils of his candidacy make it unlikely he takes home the honor.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Southwest Notes: Llull, Bertans, Gasol
GM Daryl Morey shot down the rumor that the Rockets are preparing to give draft-and-stash prospect Sergio Llull a contract for three years, totaling at least $17MM, calling it simply “not true” in an interview on Mad Radio, one of Houston’s local sports stations. Morey did say that the team may have interest in bringing the point guard aboard in the future. Houston acquired Llull’s rights from the Nuggets during the 2009 draft.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Spurs international prospect Davis Bertans tore his right ACL while playing for Laboral Kutxa of Spain’s Liga ACB, writes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bertans will likely miss at least six months of action. The small forward was the 42nd overall pick in the 2011 draft and San Antonio acquired his draft rights as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade.
- Marc Gasol hasn’t ruled out leaving the Grizzlies and joining the Knicks, according to Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Kerber cautions that re-signing with Memphis seems to be the most likely option for Gasol, who has family ties to the city. The center reiterated that he isn’t concerned with his free agency at the moment. “I haven’t put any time in it,” Gasol said of his impending offseason decision. “The truth is, I haven’t put any time or any thought in that. It can have no impact right now. It can’t help me or my team. It’s not the time.”
- James Harden is making a strong case to win the MVP award this season and he credits his familiarity in Houston as part of the reason that he is able to take his game to new heights, writes Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press. “[I’m] just more comfortable, knowing my teammates, being comfortable with myself on the court,” Harden said. “Knowing how to get shots, knowing how to get my teammates shots, and once I feel comfortable I can worry about doing other things.” The Arizona State product is in the second year of a five-year extension worth over $78MM, the maximum for a player with his level of experience.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Nuggets, Kanter
During the 1996 draft, the Wolves nearly drafted Kobe Bryant with the No. 5 overall pick, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “We teetered on the idea of getting another [player right out of high school] because we had success with [Kevin Garnett],” said Flip Saunders, who was the coach of the team that year, just as he is now. “But we kind of thought it would be too much having two of those guys who were young at that time and still in the process of developing KG as a young player.” Minnesota ended up drafting Ray Allen and subsequently trading him to Milwaukee for Stephon Marbury.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division
- The request to commit another $24.5MM in public money in order to further renovate the Target Center, which is the Wolves‘ home arena, passed a City Council panel vote, reports Eric Roper of the Star Tribune. Roper notes that there are still potential roadblocks in securing the additional funding, but the latest news is reason for optimism. The city of Minneapolis previously committed $50MM toward the renovation.
- Executives of the Nuggets are “very happy” with the job done by interim coach Melvin Hunt, sources tell Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Mannix notes that although the team will conduct a thorough search for a new head coach after the season, Hunt’s performance will earn him some consideration for the job.
- Enes Kanter didn’t enjoy being an NBA player until he got to the Thunder, writes Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. “The difference is I like playing basketball [in Oklahoma City], that’s the most important thing,’’ Kanter said. “I never liked playing basketball before in my NBA career. That’s the first time I felt like playing basketball for my team, for the fans, for my teammates, for coaches — everybody.’’ The center spent his entire career with the Jazz before being traded to the Thunder at this year’s deadline.
Pacific Notes: Love, Lakers, Sacre, Len
Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook teaming up and playing for the Lakers is a real possibility, opines Nick Dudukovich of Fansided.com. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com discussed the rumors of Love leaving Cleveland either this season or next on his podcast, which airs on ESPN Cleveland. Windhorst notes that out of all the stars in the league, the player that Love has the best relationship with is Westbrook.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Robert Sacre would like to play for Los Angeles next season, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “I would love to be back here. It would be fun,” said Sacre. “You’re a Laker. What else can you ask for? There’s no other franchise like it. It’s an honor to wear purple and gold.” Sacre has a non-guaranteed salary for the 2015/16 season, which is worth slightly more than $981K.
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic believes that Alex Len is the center of the future for the Suns. Phoenix picked up Len’s rookie scale option before the season and the team is likely to make the same decision regarding Len’s 2016/17 option, although that is just my speculation.
- Pablo S, Torre of ESPN The Magazine chronicles Jeremy Lin‘s time to date for the Lakers and his career up to this point. Lin is in the last season of a three-year deal worth slightly over $25MM that he originally signed with Houston. The point guard will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.