FIBA Announces Changes For Hoops World Cup
FIBA announced sweeping changes to the schedule for the World Cup of Basketball, formerly known as the World Championships, that will take place after the next World Cup in 2014. FIBA hopes the changes will appeal to NBA teams concerned about players taking part in annual summer competitions, according to The Associated Press, but Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes that the new schedule could make it more difficult for NBA players to participate in the World Cup, since qualification will take place during the season.
After the 2014 competition, the next World Cup will be in 2019, with the field increased from 24 teams to 32. Qualification for the 2019 World Cup will be held in November 2017, and in February, June, September and November of 2018, with a final period set for February 2019. Qualification will take place in a home-and-home format, allowing each team to play in front of its own fans.
Teams will qualify for the 2020 Olympics via the 2019 World Cup and separate tournaments in each of FIBA's four geographic zones. In the past year, NBA commissioner David Stern has expressed a desire to make the World Cup the primary international stage for basketball, and the league has pushed for an age limit that would curb NBA participation in the Olympics.
Kevin McHale Takes Leave Of Absence
4:20pm: McHale is taking time to be with his daughter, who is ill, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
2:50pm: Rockets coach Kevin McHale will take a leave of absence from the team to tend to a personal matter regarding his family, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26. Assistant coach Kelvin Sampson will be in charge of the team while he's away, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
It's unclear just how long McHale will take to return. Sampson will coach the team tonight against the Pistons.
"Kevin is a devoted family man who is needed back home in Minnesota at the moment," Rockets GM Daryl Morey said in a press release sent out by the team. "The Rockets organization will keep Kevin and his family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
Western Notes: Dwight, Kobe, Kings, Crowder
Dwight Howard told Sam Amick of USA Today last night that he thinks Phil Jackson, rumored to be close to taking over as Lakers coach, will be "great for me," and said he's anxious for the team to resolve the upheaval surrounding the head coaching position. "Yeah, because a lot of stuff that happened last year — I really had nothing to do with it, but it came out like it was me," he said. "So now when it comes out or if somebody says something about me, I'm going to stand up say, 'Hey, this is not going to happen again.' I'm just going to play. I don't want to get caught up in it." There's plenty more this afternoon on the Lakers and their Western Conference rivals, as we detail here.
- Kobe Bryant, who's backing Jackson's possible return, feels he has unfinished business to accomplish under the Zen Master's tutelage, writes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com.
- In the wake of a report by Bruce Rader of WAVY-TV that it was Kings co-owner George Maloof who met with the Virginia governor, the mayor of Virginia Beach and officials from Comcast-Spectator last week, Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty takes the Maloofs to task for denying the meeting took place.
- Defense and surprising three-point shooting are reasons why Jae Crowder, the 34th overall pick this past June, has made a sizable impact early this season for the Mavericks, as HoopsWorld's Alex Raskin observes.
- Offseason signees Ryan Anderson, Brian Roberts and Roger Mason have teamed with incumbent Jason Smith to form a potent bench for the Hornets, notes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune.
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts, once an interim coach of the Hawks, weighs in on the challenges the next Lakers coach will face in taking over the team in the middle of the season, as Mike Tokito of The Oregonian examines.
Josh Howard Still Seeking NBA Contract
Free agent swingman Josh Howard is anxious to get back in the NBA as he trains in Dallas, and doesn't care which team gives him a shot, he tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post. The 6'7" 32-year-old has been linked to the Warriors, who will be without Brandon Rush the rest of the season, and Howard points to the Pacers, who are expected to be without Danny Granger for three months.
“I’ll be happy to play on any team that wants me. Indiana or anybody else, I’d be very appreciative to get there,” Howard said. “I mean, I think ultimately, most guys care where they end up. I just want to be some place where guys come in, night in, night out and play hard. That’s ultimately how I want it. Of course, I’d like to be on a championship team if that can happen, but I’m going to give it my all, no matter what.”
Howard's tone in Lee's report is similar to the one he took a couple weeks ago when an earlier story surfaced about his intent to return to the NBA. Howard told Lee his left knee is fully recovered after a loose chip was found in it, requiring surgery over the summer. It's the same knee in which Howard suffered a torn ACL in 2010.
Lee mentions the Nets, Bobcats, Sixers, Knicks, Spurs and Bulls as teams that had interest in Howard this past offseason, but Howard never received an offer, Lee writes. Howard averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game for the Jazz last year. Howard was an honorable mention of sorts when Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked at free agents likely to sign for more than the minimum in September, but it seems likely the only deal Howard could get now would be for the minimum.
Danny Ferry Gives Backing To Larry Drew
Hawks GM Danny Ferry attempted to defuse rumors that he would like to bring fired Lakers coach Mike Brown aboard to replace Larry Drew after Drew's contract is up at the end of the season, saying that he's committed to working with his current coach, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
"Mike is a good friend and I have great respect for him as a coach but I am fully engaged with Larry and our partnership," the GM said. "I have enjoyed our process together so far and think we are building a positive foundation."
Brown was coach of the Cavs when Ferry was GM in Cleveland, and the team's parting of ways with Brown in 2010 was the main reason behind Ferry's departure from the Cavs two weeks later, as Vivlamore points out. Drew declined comment on Brown's firing Friday. The Hawks exercised their 2012/13 option on Drew's contract before Ferry took over as GM this summer, though Ferry reportedly agreed with the team's decision to do so.
Mbenga To Play For McGrady’s Chinese Team
D.J. Mbenga has agreed to sign with the Qingdao Double Star Eagles, the same Chinese team that Tracy McGrady plays for, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Mbenga was waived by the Mavericks on the eve of camp last month, despite an agreement that he would join the Mavs' D-League affiliate after going through training camp with Dallas.
Mbenga reportedly turned down offers from teams in China and Greece to sign with the Mavs, though it's unclear whether that Chinese offer was from Qingdao. The 31-year-old Mbenga played seven seasons in the NBA, though he hasn't seen action in the league since 2010/11, despite drawing interest from the Bucks at midseason last year. He has career NBA averages of 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game.
Since the Chinese season ends before the NBA regular season does, there's a chance Mbenga, as well as McGrady, could latch on in the Association if he impresses overseas.
Odds & Ends: Muhammad, Brown, Ferry, Jackson
The NCAA declared UCLA shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad ineligible for an unspecified number of games, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. The 6'6" Muhammad is rated the No. 1 draft prospect for 2013 by DraftExpress.com and others, but Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com doesn't think the ruling will affect his draft status, believing he'll be a top three pick regardless of whether he plays this season (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty has a different reaction, saying via Twitter that the NBA's age limit, which kept him from entering the 2012 draft out of high school, is hurting Muhammad's career. While the NBA seems to be in Muhammad's future regardless, there's plenty more on people who are in the NBA right now, a group that no longer includes former Lakers coach Mike Brown.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether Hawks GM Danny Ferry could reunite with Brown, who served as Cavs coach when Ferry was Cleveland's GM (Twitter link).
- A return of Phil Jackson to the Lakers sideline could be a boon for Pau Gasol, but it wouldn't mean he couldn't be traded if the team wants to improve its footspeed, according to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (Sulia link).
- Jazz forward Paul Millsap can't envision former coach Jerry Sloan with the Lakers, as Randy Hollis of the Deseret News observes.
- Dwight Howard, who wants the Lakers to hire Jackson, once asked the Magic to pursue the Zen Master, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- A pair of Western Conference teams are keeping tabs on Australian big man Aron Baynes, agent Daniel Moldovan told David Pick of Sportando.
- Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com breaks down the reasons behind each of the deadline extensions for players coming off rookie-scale contracts, concluding that the fear of bloated offer sheets motivated several GMs into the deals.
Jackson, D’Antoni Top List Of Lakers Candidates
10:59pm: TNT's David Aldridge hears the Lakers are pursuing Phil Jackson "like crazy," but he would likely command a salary of more than the $12MM he made in 2009. That would make him the league's highest paid coach by a wide margin over Celtics boss Doc Rivers, who makes $7MM a year. The decision on a coach will be made by owner Jerry Buss, and not son Jim, Aldridge says, adding that Mike D'Antoni would welcome the chance to coach Steve Nash again.
9:34pm: A meeting between the Lakers and Jackson could happen by the end of the weekend, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
8:31pm: Phil Jackson and Mike D'Antoni are the leading candidates for the Lakers head coaching position, Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com report, adding that the two coaches are "neck and neck" in the eyes of Lakers management.
The team is expected to reach out to them and several other candidates as early as Saturday morning. Shelburne hears there's "no ill will" between Jackson and Lakers executive Jim Buss.
8:27pm: Former Jackson assistants Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons are prepared to return to the bench should Jackson get the Lakers job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
8:13pm: Gary Payton, who played for the Lakers under Jackson, doesn't foresee a return, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link). "Because he’d be going back into a situation where they blasted him when he left," Payton said. "You heard all that stuff (from the Lakers) when he left that they didn’t want to hire anybody affiliated with Phil Jackson’s system. That’s why they didn’t hire (Brian Shaw). They fired everybody that was affiliated with Phil."
7:19pm: "Prominent figures" in the Lakers organization want the team to hire Jackson, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger hears Jackson wanted to coach the Knicks this summer before they recommitted to Mike Woodson, and the Zen Master would have brought former assistant coach Kurt Rambis with him. If hired by the Lakers, Jackson would have his choice of assistants to bring on board.
Berger hears other names the Lakers are considering are Mike D'Antoni, Jerry Sloan and Nate McMillan. The Lakers haven't had contact with Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, whose team wouldn't let him walk midseason, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Cavs coach Byron Scott isn't interested in the position, tweets The Plain Dealer.
6:38pm: The Lakers have compiled a list of four or five candidates to become the team's new head coach, and the list includes Phil Jackson's name, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin hears the Lakers have not yet reached out to Jackson, though a source hinted to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News that the two sides have had contact, as we passed along earlier.
Jackson, who finished his second stint as Lakers coach in 2011, is still a frequent visitor to the team's practice facility, McMenamin notes, and his longtime girlfriend is Lakers executive Jeanie Buss, daughter of team owner Jerry Buss. The 67-year-old Jackson has often cited his health as a reason why he wouldn't return to coaching, but McMenamin hears Jackson's health is "getting better and better."
Sources indicate to McMenamin that Jackson would like to bring along an assistant coach whom he could groom as an eventual replacement. Jackson was scheduled to make a speaking engagement at an investor's convention next week in Chicago, but has canceled, according to Financial Advisor magazine.
Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Felton, Fields, Howard
The Knicks remained the league's only unbeaten with a win against the Mavs tonight, moving to 4-0 for the first time since 1993/94, when they fell one game short of an NBA title. Sixers coach Doug Collins, whose team was beaten soundly by the Knicks twice this week, is a believer, as Peter May writes for The New York Times. "If Miami is 1, then they’re 1A," Collins said of New York. The Knicks figure prominently among the items out of the Atlantic Division this evening.
- Knicks point guard Raymond Felton, speaking to 660 WFAN radio, insisted he didn't intentionally let his conditioning slip last year as a ploy to get away from the Blazers, notes Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge.
- Mark Cuban shared thoughts on the group of former Mavericks now with the Knicks, as Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News documents. "I like Jason (Kidd). I don’t dislike him or Steve Novak or TC (Tyson Chandler), they’re all great guys. There’s no reason to dislike them," Cuban said. "But I’ll yell at them, just like I yelled at (Brendan) Haywood and just like I yell at lots of guys I know. And I know they (know) my voice, so I know they’re going to hear it.”
- There's no clear solution for the struggles of Raptors offseason signee Landry Fields, concludes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
- The shadow of Dwight Howard still hangs over the Nets, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Reaction To Mike Brown Firing
As the focus of the Lakers switches from what happened today to what happens next, a number of NBA reporters and other figures are weighing in the team's decision to fire Mike Brown, a move that many saw coming, but not quite as quickly as it came. Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth takes it as a sign of panic, and writes that the Lakers can't afford to make a mistake with their next hire. Michael Lee of The Washington Post concludes the task of replacing Phil Jackson was simply too daunting for Brown to handle. Here's what others are saying.
- HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler hears Brown was seen as "too nice" and reluctant to address problems, adding that the directive to fire Brown came from the top down, without player influence. He also believes Jackson is the clear-cut top choice, and isn't sure Jerry Sloan would be a fit (All four Twitter links).
- The Buss family concluded that Brown wasn't a championship coach, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who argues that Jackson, who has won more titles as a coach than anyone, is the perfect fit.
- Kobe Bryant released a statement of support for Brown on Facebook, and Royce Young of CBSSports.com praises the gesture.
- Grantland's Zach Lowe examines the on-court issues that fomented the Lakers "ludicrous" decision to let Brown go today.
- Mark Cuban believes the firing was a mistake, but for the sake of his Mavericks, he hopes it's the first of many miscues by the Lakers this season, as Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com passes along.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News characterizes the move as one of desperation that raises fundamental questions about the future of the organization.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel says the Lakers aren't going to hire Stan Van Gundy, but thinks they should, calling the former Magic boss "the best NBA coach available" and citing cooled tensions between Van Gundy and Dwight Howard.