Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Stevenson, Bargnani
Jeremy Lin's bandwagon is getting mighty crowded after the Harvard grad outscored Kobe Bryant 38-34 in a 92-85 win for the Knicks over the Lakers tonight. HoopsWorld writer Alex Kennedy tweets that the locker room chatter suggests Lin, a restricted free-agent at season's end, could get a contract on par with Wesley Matthews, who inked a five-year, $34MM contract with the Blazers after his impressive rookie season in Utah. But as Brian Cronin of KnickerBlogger.net points out, Lin will be limited to receiving the full mid-level exception. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the mid-level exception is four years, starting at $5MM a year with annual raises of 4.5%.
Notes from elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Peter Vecsey of the New York Post delved into the past to reveal how the Nets nearly drafted Bryant in 1996.
- Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni believes Lin and Carmelo Anthony will fit together just fine when Melo returns from injury, reports Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday. The coach believes it will be similar to the way Chauncey Billups and Anthony meshed with both the Nuggets and the Knicks.
- The Nets made a $12,000 investment in DeShawn Stevenson's knees. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports that the team paid for Stevenson to get the same blood-spinning treatment Kobe Bryant received. Stephenson, who paid for the other half of the $24,000 procedure, says his arthritic knees feel as healthy as they have since 2004. Stephenson also said that Knicks point guard Baron Davis had the same treatment as well.
- Brook Lopez, who's been out since training camp with a broken foot, is on his way back for the Nets. He's set to practice this week, Andy Vasquez writes on NorthJersey.com.
- James Johnson tells Raptors announcer Matt Devlin that the absense of Andrea Bargnani, who could be out until after the All-Star Break, is affecting the play of the rest of the team. His comments are at the four-minute mark of this video on Raptors.com.
Anderson Shows Off For Potential Suitors
There's plenty going on in Orlando this winter, with the All-Star game coming to town and the daily Dwight Howard rumors. Much less attention has been paid to power forward Ryan Anderson, whose 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 43% three-point shooting are all career highs. His 74 three-pointers made coming into Friday led the league. He'll be a restricted free agent at season's end.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at the development of the 6-foot-10 power forward in his fourth season.
He'll be showing off his long-distance shooting in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend, but Schmitz notes how he, at the behest of coach Stan Van Gundy, has become more of an all-around player.
Van Gundy laments not playing him more last season, when Anderson split time with Brandon Bass.
"We didn't have any doubts that he could do what he's doing offensively. He's exceptional," the coach said. "The only other guy in the league that can stretch a defense and grab offensive rebounds like that is Kevin Love. Ryan has some unique abilities."
Anderson, making $2.24MM this season, would be unlikely to accept a qualifying offer of $3.23 million from the Magic this summer. It's more likely the Magic, who opted against signing Anderson to an extension before last month's deadline, will have to shell out significantly more to keep him. According to Basketball Reference, his career numbers coming into the season (which exclude his hot start this year) were similar to those of Al Jefferson, who's making $14MM this year, and Anderson Varejao, who's earning $7.7MM. Love, to whom Van Gundy compared Anderson, recently signed a four-year extension worth a total of more than $60MM.
Regardless of his precise market value, it's clear Anderson will be at or near the top of the list of free-agent power forwards come July.
Lakers Notes: Arenas, Bryant, Lin
The Lakers are in New York tonight for the fifth game of a six-game road trip, their longest of the season. Here are a few dispatches from their travels:
- Kobe Bryant is on board with the possibility of the Lakers signing Gilbert Arenas, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com notes at the end of his piece today. The Lakers are reportedly considering inking Arenas for the veterans' minimum.
- Nets swingman DeShawn Stevenson says he's seen Gilbert Arenas lately, and says the free-agent point guard "looks great, a lot thinner," tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- L.A. Times beat writer Mike Bresnahan tweets that Knicks rookie Jeremy Lin was on the Lakers' radar before the season began. Lin's family had been given indication that the Lakers would take him with the 58th pick in the 2010 draft, writes Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register, but they went with the recently waived Derrick Caracter instead.
Sam Smith on Rose, Deng, Asik
Derrick Rose, who's been nursing a sore back, is sitting out the Bulls game against the Bobcats tonight. When he's been in the lineup, Rose has been seeing heavy playing time of late, as has Luol Deng and his creaky wrist. Longtime Bulls beat writer Sam Smith of NBA.com answered questions from readers concerned with overuse. Smith says as long as a player is healthy enough to play in the game, he's healthy enough to play a full load of minutes. That's an opinion shared by Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and, according to ESPNChicago.com, GM Gar Forman.
Here are some more highlights from Smith's piece:
- The Bulls are unlikely to sign another shooting guard soon, despite the absense of Richard Hamilton. Relief could come closer to the trade deadline. J.R. Smith would not be a viable option.
- The success the team's been enjoying this year runs counter to the idea that they should blow it up to acquire Dwight Howard. Smith would like for the Bulls to see how far they can go as currently constituted before making a drastic move.
- Omer Asik's minutes are dwindling and he'll be a restricted free agent at the end of the year, but Smith believes there's no reason to consider trading him at this point and hurting the team's depth.
- Don't expect to see Chris Kaman in a Bulls uniform anytime soon. Just as there's no need to mess with success to acquire Howard, Smith says, there's no impetus to break up the team for Kaman.
Trade Candidate: Stephen Jackson
It's been a rough few weeks for the Bucks, who've lost Andrew Bogut for most of the season with a broken ankle and now must deal with doubt surrounding Brandon Jennings' future plans. Plus, there's been debate about whether Stephen Jackson has or hasn't demanded a trade. For the record, Bucks GM John Hammond is declining comment on the issue. Suffice it to say, with Jackson's playing time in flux, there's plenty to suggest Captain Jack will soon be shipping out of Wisconsin.
Jackson, for the moment, seems to have found his way back into the Bucks rotation after Scott Skiles elected not to play him in four out of five games. That doesn't include the one-game suspension he received after missing the team bus. He admitted frustration with his lack of playing time, which isn't uncharacteristic. His tenure in Milwaukee seemed destined for trouble from the start, when the Bucks acquired Jackson from the Bobcats at the draft last year. Jackson said the trade took him by surprise, and insisted the Bucks extend his contract before tamping down his rhetoric.
Jackson is not the most attractive asset for the Bucks to dangle at this point in his career. He turns 34 in April, and his 12.4 PPG is his lowest since 2002/03, when he was a part-time starter for a title-winning Spurs team. That's due in part to his decreased playing time, but his rate of points per 36 minutes (14.5) is way down, too. His contract, which pays him $9,256,500 this year and $10,059,750 next season, makes him that much more difficult for the Bucks to unload. It's that long-ago experience with the Spurs, in addition to leadership roles on surprising playoff teams in Golden State and Charlotte, that may convince GMs he's worth still worth taking on.
Dwight Howard has apparently indicated he'd like to have Jackson as a teammate, so that could point to interest from the Magic, who sought Jackson on draft night before the Bucks got him. That means the Nets, Mavericks, Lakers and any other team that's in on the D12 sweepstakes could be after Jackson as well. The Nets, who say they don't want to sign anyone else this year, haven't closed the door on trading for another player, and with recent signee Keith Bogans done for the year, there's an opening for a swingman that Jackson could fill.
The Bulls, who haven't been mentioned in Jackson rumors but are one of the teams linked to Howard, present an intriguing scenario. Jackson could provide insurance if Luol Deng's wrist doesn't hold up and/or Richard Hamilton fails to round into shape. Jackson's contract would mean the Bulls would have to part with some of their depth and young assets, but if they're concerned about having a second scoring option after Derrick Rose and want to woo Howard, they may bite.
Northwest Links: Sloan, Rubio, Batum
Another element in the dustup between Karl Malone and the Jazz about the end of Jerry Sloan's lengthy tenure as head coach last year came into play today. Utah-area media outlets apparently weren't privy to a team statement that made its way to national writers, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. (Twitter link)
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweeted the statement, which contained Sloan's denial that he was forced out, in piecemeal fashion this afternoon. Smith then passed it along as part of a larger piece on the saga.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that amidst all the back-and-forth, Sloan would listen if another team becomes interested in hiring him.
Elsewhere in the Northwest Division:
- Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post offers an appreciation of durable Nuggets guard Andre Miller, who recently passed the 1,000-games-played mark:
- The Salt Lake Tribune's Jazz beat reporters spoke with Earl Watson about the advanced treatment he received on his sprained ankle.
- Jake Appleman of The New York Times looks at how Ricky Rubio is helping turn around the Timberwolves.
- Nicolas Batum, who will be a restricted free-agent this summer, will have a chance to show off his versatility against the Nuggets tonight. His agent, Bouna Ndiaye, has suggested he will look at other teams before negotiating again with the Blazers after the two sides failed to agree on an extension last month.
Draft Notes: Irving, Harkless, Moser
The Cavs are relying on top-pick Kyrie Irving for heavy minutes, notes Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and a rotation shortened by injuries is taking its toll on the team, Reed says. The heavy use must not be affecting Irving's play, however. Justin Kubatko notes in The New York Times that Kyrie Irving is quietly on his way to perhaps becoming the first rookie to ever shoot 50% from the floor, 40% from three-point range, and 80% from the free-throw line.
Here are a few notes as teams try to find the next Irving in preparation for June's draft:
- Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports multiple sources have said St. John's freshman Moe Harkless may enter the draft. The 6-foot-8 Harkless is rated as the 36th best prospect by DraftExpress.com. Zagoria quotes a scout who predicts a "great future," but wishes he'd stay another year.
- ESPN projects UNLV sophomore forward Mike Moser, a UCLA transfer, as a late first-round pick (Insider only), but Moser tells Jim Beseda of The Oregonian that he's glad to be a Rebel and isn't planning on leaving for the draft after this year.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel wonders what would have happened if the Magic hadn't passed over Danny Granger for Fran Vasquez in the 2005 draft.
Bonnell On Bobcats, Top Draft Prospects
The Charlotte Bobcats have the league's worst record (3-18) and are headed to L.A. on Tuesday to face the Lakers. The consolation is the team is likely headed for a high draft pick in June. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer broke down some of the probable top picks and how they would fit in with the Bobcats. Some highlights:
- Kentucky's Anthony Davis, a Marcus Camby type, could help fix Charlotte's porous interior defense.
- Andre Drummond of Connecticut has raw athleticism and the body of a center, a position the Bobcats need to improve as much as any other, Bonnell says.
- Catch-and-shoot small forward Harrison Barnes could provide an heir apparent to Corey Maggette, and the fact he comes from North Carolina is a plus.
- Ohio State's Jared Sullinger is a big man with range and deft passing skills, but the power forward position is already too crowded in Charlotte.
Pacific Links: Petrie, Smart, Biedrins
Here are a few happenings from the West Coast:
- Josh Childress is finding his way back into the Suns rotation, notes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic.
- The Kings could be looking to replace longtime president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie, sources tell Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty and SBNation.com.
- Former Warriors and current Kings coach Keith Smart "represented a continuation of the Don Nelson era," Golden State co-owner Joe Lacob said, and that's why he had to be replaced, reports J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today.
- Andris Biedrins is averaging a career-low 2.9 PPG, and he's unhappy with his role, writes Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times.
- Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles analyzes the potential implications of a Gilbert Arenas signing for the Lakers.
Odds & Ends: Wizards, Adelman, Irving
Notes from around the league on Monday night:
- Washington's rebuilding efforts must begin with buying out Rashard Lewis and using the amnesty clause on Andray Blatche, writes Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com. Blatche will be out three to five weeks with a strained calf muscle, coach Randy Wittman reported. The Wizards announced they're recalling center Hamady Ndiaye from the Iowa Energy, the team's D-League affiliate.
- Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, formerly with the Rockets, says there was a lack of communication between himself and Houston owner Leslie Alexander, reports Jonathan Feigan of the Houston Chronicle.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio analyzes the progress of top-pick Kyrie Irving.
- Ben Rohrbach of WEEI's Celtics Blog says Boston's struggles this season can't be pinned on the team's bench play.
- The injury-depleted Nets may be primed to make a move. They figure to have only 10 players available for Tuesday's game with Indiana, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Teams in need of depth on the wing won't be able to turn to Sonny Weems. His Lithuanian team told Sportando they won't be letting him out of his contract before the team's season is over.