Kings Notes: Inferiority, Fox, Caboclo, Hield
The Kings are about the most consistent franchise in the NBA over the last decade. However, for the unfortunate fans in Sacramento, the Kings have been consistently inferior, writes Phillip Reese of The Sacramento Bee.
On pace to win about 25 games this season, the Kings are right on target to finish in a familiar position in the standings. Sacramento has won between 22 and 33 games for the last eight seasons, and no other team has a lower standard deviation in wins or end-of-season rankings so far this decade.
Practically speaking, the Kings have finished no better than 21st and no worse than 28th, while teams like the Cavaliers (first – 29th), Magic (second – 30th), and Lakers (third – 29th) have finished both worse and far better. The next most-consistent team? The Spurs, whose superior consistency has seen then finish as high as first and no worse than ninth since the 2009/10 season.
There’s more out of Sacramento:
- Known for being super quick, rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox is using that speed to catch up with his contemporaries after a slow start to his rookie season, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Often cited as a poor shooter, Fox’s shooting percentage (41.0) is now actually higher than fellow lottery picks/point guards Dennis Smith Jr. (39.4), Lonzo Ball (35.6), and Frank Ntilikina (35.0).
- In another article for The Sacramento Bee, Voisin writes about how newly-acquired forward Bruno Caboclo, 22, received a strong endorsement from former NBA player and fellow Brazilian, Tiago Splitter. “Bruno is a great player,” said Splitter. “He needs a team that gives him confidence, that lets him play and has some good leaders. He’s a good shooter, has long arms, and has a feel for the game. He’s an NBA player for sure. I wish him the best.”
- For the second year in a row, Buddy Hield (Bahamas) represented Team World in the Rising Stars Challenge last night, and his team-high 29-point performance was capable in part because of a confidence surge after being moved to the bench, reports Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. “I think coach making the decision to bring me off the bench was probably the best decision,” Hield said. “I think it’s good for me, to help me, slow down a little bit and let the game come to me.”
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/10/18 – 2/17/18
Every week, the Hoops Rumors’ writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- In an exclusive interview for Hoops Rumors, Mark Suleymanov talked with Pacers’ big man Al Jefferson about his expectations for the rest of the season.
- As part of our Community Shootaround series, we asked:
- Who is the most valuable free agent on the market between now and the end of the season?
- Do the Cavaliers’ new additions of Jordan Clarkson, George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance Jr. make Cleveland the favorites to win the East?
- What does the future hold in store for former MVP and current free agent Derrick Rose?
- Is Jeff Hornacek the right man for the job in New York moving forward?
- We asked you to vote on four different polls this week:
- Which team will finish with the NBA’s worst record?
- Which five players will make the All-NBA First Team?
- Who will win this weekend’s Three-Point Contest?
- Who will win this weekend’s Slam Dunk Contest?
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered some readers’ questions on the value of DeMarcus Cousins, a potential landing spot for Andrew Bogut, and the Thunder’s buyout targets.
- As part of his Fantasy Hoops coverage, Chris Crouse analyzed the fantasy impact on players who were traded before the trade deadline.
- Luke Adams reminded our readers of the 2017/18 NBA Reverse Standings, a new feature of ours that allows fans to keep an eye on what the 2018 draft order might look like.
- With the dust settled from this year’s NBA trade deadline, we took a look at teams with open roster positions.
- As part of our Hoops Rumors Glossary series, Luke Adams gave an in-depth analysis of buyouts.
- Who are some available free agents who haven’t played in the NBA this season? Luke Adams takes a look at five of them.
- Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, we reminded our readers of some other important dates and deadlines for the remainder of this season.
- We took a look at each team’s availability for free agent acquisitions for the remainder of this season.
- Our 2018 Free Agent Stock Watch focused on the Bucks.
Nash, Kidd, Allen Headline 13 Hall Of Fame Finalists
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced 13 finalists to be considered for election to the Hall of Fame in 2018. The list includes six first-time finalists, including likely first-ballot hall-of-famers Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash, as well as Grant Hill, three-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith and four-time WNBA Champion Tina Thompson.
Among the seven other finalists are four-time NBA All-Star Maurice Cheeks, two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, and five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber. Rounding out the list are long-time Maryland coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell, 28-year NBA referee Hugh Evans, two-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, and 10-time AAU National Champions Wayland Baptist University.
The Class of 2018 will be announced on Saturday, March 31 at a press conference in San Antonio prior to the NCAA Men’s Final Four. Let’s now take a look at some more information on the six former NBA stars up for election as players.
- Steve Nash – Played in the NBA for 19 seasons, earning MVP honors in both 2005 and 2006. An eight-time All-Star and an All-NBA First Team member in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Nash also holds the NBA record for highest career free throw percentage (.904) and had four seasons with a shooting line of .500/.400/.900, the most in NBA history.
- Jason Kidd – During his 18-year NBA career, he earned All-NBA First Team honors five times and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times. He is a 10-time NBA All-Star while also ranking second on the NBA all-time steals list (2,684) and all-time assists list (12,091).
- Ray Allen – A two-time NBA Champion, Allen was selected to the All-Star game 10 times during his 18-year career. He is still the all-time NBA leader in three-point field goals made (2,973) and is ranked sixth on the all-time free throw percentage list (.894).
- Grant Hill – A 19-year NBA veteran, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and a member of the All-NBA First Team in 1997, Hill was also a member of two NCAA national championship teams (1991, 1992) at Duke and a gold medal recipient at the 1996 Olympic Games.
- Chris Webber –Webber is a five-time NBA All-Star and the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year. He earned All-NBA First Team honors in 2001 and averaged more than 20 points per game for nine consecutive seasons from the mid-90’s to the early 00’s.
- Maurice Cheeks – A four-time NBA All-Star (1983, 1986-1988) and four-time NBA All-Defensive team selection, Cheeks was also a member of the 1983 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers.
Five Key Stories: 2/10/18 – 2/17/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Rockets officially signed free agent guard Joe Johnson to a rest-of-season contract after he was bought out by the Kings. Johnson, who was reportedly unhappy in Utah before the trade deadline, was traded to Sacramento from the Jazz as part of the three-team trade that sent George Hill and Rodney Hood to Cleveland. As part of the buyout agreement, Johnson surrendered $1MM of his $10.5MM salary. In order to sign Johnson, the Rockets were forced to waive second-year player Troy Williams.
After being sent to Utah from Cleveland in the above-referenced three-team trade between the Cavaliers, Kings, and Jazz, Utah has officially waived former MVP Derrick Rose. Both the Timberwolves and the Wizards have interest in the free agent point guard. And while both clubs discussed a possible waiver claim, Rose has since cleared waivers and will not be signed by any team, if at all, until after the All-Star break.
After agreeing to a buyout with the Hawks, Marco Belinelli cleared waivers and signed with the Sixers. Belinelli, who seemed to confirm his intentions to go to Philadelphia by sending out a tweet that read “TRUST THE PROCESS”, scored 17 points in 28 minutes of action during his debut in a comeback win against the Heat on Wednesday.
The Wizards, recently hit by the injury bug at the point guard position, are expected to sign a point guard to a 10-day deal after the All-Star break. John Wall has been out with an injury in his left knee and back-up point guard Tim Frazier, who suffered a nasal fracture during last Saturday’s game, has undergone surgery will no timetable for his return.
Speaking of the Wizards and their injured All-Star point guard, he and staring center Marcin Gortat met to clear the air after a alleged recent social media spat between the two. The meeting, which was requested by both players, didn’t last long, but sources indicate that there’s still more work to be done before their relationship is fully repaired.
Here are 10 more headlines from the last week:
- Former All-Star Chris Bosh is interested in making an NBA comeback after sitting out the past two seasons with blood clotting issues.
- Another former NBA player, Brandon Jennings signed a G League Contract and was almost immediately claimed off waivers by his former team’s (Bucks) G League affiliate – the Wisconsin Herd.
- A buyout was completed for Brandan Wright and, as previously indicated, he has officially signed with the Rockets.
- The Mavericks waived – and likely bought out – veteran big man Josh McRoberts, whose playing time for Dallas was hampered by a nagging left foot injury.
- According to Heat legend Dwyane Wade, he will not leave Miami again, stating he will play for the Heat until it is time “to hang it up”.
- The Suns signed rookie point guard Josh Gray to a second 10-day contract.
- The Pelicans signed veteran center and former second-overall round pick Emeka Okafor to a second 10-day deal.
- Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis underwent successful ACL surgery on his injured left knee.
- Another Knick, guard Ron Baker, also underwent successful surgery on his dislocated right shoulder.
- The Timberwolves are open to buying out veteran shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad.
Poll: All-NBA First Team Race
Perhaps one of the more underrated metrics in evaluating an NBA player’s legacy, an All-NBA First Team selection is generally reserved for the best of the best the NBA has to offer. Among current players, LeBron James is tied for first all-time with 11 All-NBA First Team selections, while Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard are tied for 19th all-time with five, and Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Paul are tied for 26th all-time with four.
Other current stars such as Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, and Russell Westbrook have two such selections, while MVP front-runner James Harden has three. Barring an injury, it sure looks like Harden will get his fourth this season to tie him with Nowitzki and new teammate Paul, as Harden is putting up 31.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game on a .449/.385/.866 shooting line, while leading the Rockets to a 44-13 record into the All-Star break.
Other prime candidates this season include the aforementioned James, Durant, Curry, Westbrook, and Davis, plus potential first-timers Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, and Joel Embiid. Ultimately, the first team spot for center will probably come down to Embiid, Davis – who has made it once as a center and once as a forward – and Karl-Anthony Towns, while the forward position will likely come down to a choice of two amongst three candidates – James, Durant, and Antetokounmpo.
Meanwhile, in what generally has become the most difficult spot to make, only two guards can be selected to the All-NBA First Team. As mentioned previously, it is difficult to envision Harden being left off this season, leaving one spot for Curry, Westbrook, or Irving.
So what do you think? Is Harden a lock to make his fourth All-NBA First Team? Will a newcomer like Antetokounmpo receive a spot or will perennial stalwarts James and Durant lock him out? Vote in our poll below, and remember that you must vote for two guards, two forwards, and one center, and Davis can be voted as a forward or center.
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Southeast Notes: Wade, Vucevic, Isaac, Wizards
Despite a well-documented friendship, two championships won together as members of the Heat in 2012 and 2013, and having an integral role in bringing King James to Miami back in 2010, Dwyane Wade will not involve himself in the upcoming free agency of LeBron James, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
“No, I don’t have anything to do with it, none of that,” Wade said. “One thing I know is he makes his own decisions. So when we get to that point, hopefully he takes a good look at the place he’s at and gives that real consideration, and then goes from there. It’s his decision and I don’t want nothing to do with it at all.”
As part of his interview with ESPN’s Jorge Sedano, Wade also spoke on his time with the Cavaliers, saying that he is appreciative of General Manager Koby Altman for helping to facilitate his reunion with the Heat.
“As I texted the general manager, Koby, after everything went down, I thanked him for putting me in a good position and also told him, ‘You did one hell of a job to bring the guys that he brought into the organization,'” Wade said. “And it’s not anything negative against the guys that were there, but it just wasn’t working, it wasn’t fitting the way that a championship organization wants to see it fit. And they brought in some good pieces. And so, they’re happy, I’m happy.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- In another piece for the Sun-Sentinel, Winderman reports that Wade will not be held out of back-to-back games as a matter of course as he was during his previous tenure with the Heat. In fact, Wade is active tonight against Philadelphia after playing 21 minutes in last night’s loss to Toronto.
- Out since December 23 after fracturing the metacarpal of his left index finger in a loss against Washington, Magic center Nikola Vucevic plans to return to the floor for Orlando’s first game back after the All-Star break – against New York on February 22 – reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. “I expect to be back against the Knicks, so I’ll stay in Orlando during the break and keep working on my game,” Vucevic said Monday night. “Then we’ll have two or three good practices before we play the Knicks, so I think it’ll be good for me to use that extra time to work more on my game.”
- Another injured Magic frontcourt player, rookie Jonathan Isaac, is looking to return soon as well, writes John Denton of NBA.com. Isaac, who has been out since Dec. 26 with recurring right ankle issues, has gained 11 pounds while on what the team called a rehabilitation and conditioning program.
- Faced with a slew of injuries at the point guard position, the Wizards had to get creative during one recent practice, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. John Wall, Tim Frazier, and Tomas Satoransky are all out with injuries, so Washington, armed with only seven healthy players, used Kamran Sufi, a player development manager, as a point guard during practice. Satoransky returned to the line-up tonight against New York, while Wall and Frazier remain out.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/14/18
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.
- The Grizzlies recalled forward Brice Johnson from the Memphis Hustle, the team’s NBA G League affiliate. Johnson, who was acquired in a trade from Detroit on Feb. 8, has seen action in nine NBA games this season, but has yet to appear in a contest for the Grizzlies.
- The Jazz have recalled center Tony Bradley and guard Naz Mitrou-Long from its G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. Bradley has appeared in eight games for the Jazz so far this season, recording a career-high four points and three rebounds at Oklahoma City on Dec. 20. Mitrou-Long, who was just signed to a 10-day contract less than a week ago, has appeared in 33 games for the Stars this season, averaging 16.8 points per game.
Atlantic Notes: Monroe, Nets, Porzingis, Injuries
Despite having an opportunity for more minutes and a chance to play in his hometown of New Orleans, newly-signed Celtics big man Greg Monroe chose Boston. Why? Because he wants to compete for a title, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston.
Although still only 27 years old, Monroe, who got his first taste of the playoffs last season with Milwaukee – and averaged 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game – is at a point in his career where being on a club with the potential to go deep into the playoffs is of the utmost importance. “It’s exciting,” Monroe said of being in the playoffs. “Last year I was able to play in it. The atmosphere was great. So, I’m looking forward to getting back there again.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets have lost six games in a row and nine of their last 10, and are now only one game ahead of the last-place Hawks, who are tied with Dallas and Phoenix for the worst record in the NBA. Despite the losing streak, head coach Kenny Atkinson is working hard to build a winning culture in the locker room, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
- According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis is ready to begin his rehab after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. “I’m attacking my rehab right away,” Porzingis wrote. “I truly believe that with consistent hard work, patience and positive attitude I’ll come back stronger, better, and sharper than ever.” And Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek took the enthusiasm one step further, telling Marc Berman of the New York Post that Porzingis will ultimately “be glad he went through it.”
- Sixers role players Justin Anderson and Furkan Korkmaz have each suffered injuries this season, and Derek Bodner of The Athletic has updates on both players. Anderson, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Monday’s win over New York, will be out at least 7 to 10 days before being reevaluated, and Korkmaz, who has been out since December with a Lisfranc injury, has been cleared for controlled basketball activities.
Jazz Sign Naz Mitrou-Long To 10-Day Deal
FEBRUARY 11, 11:20am: The signing is official, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
FEBRUARY 10, 2:55pm: The Jazz are expected to sign G League guard Naz Mitrou-Long to a 10-day contract in the wake of a left hip injury suffered by starting point guard Ricky Rubio in last night’s win over Charlotte, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
While the extent of Rubio’s injury isn’t known, it does not appear to be serious at this time (per Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune). Utah will not be required to make a corresponding roster move to accommodate Mitrou-Long after waiving Derrick Rose earlier today.
Mitrou-Long, 24, a rookie out of Iowa State, went undrafted over the summer but played briefly with Utah in training camp prior to being cut ahead of opening night. He signed a two-way deal with the Jazz in December but was waived less than a month later in favor of Georges Niang, who is still with Utah on a two-way contract.
In 32 games for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate, Mitrou-Long has averaged 16.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 4.7 APG with a .405/.357/.841 shooting line.
Assuming his deal is finalized today, Mitrou-Long will remain under contract through February 19. After that, the Jazz are free to sign him to another 10-day deal, but would then have to decide whether to lock him up for the rest of the season or let him walk after the second 10-day deal expired.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/3/18 – 2/10/18
Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past week:
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions on some potential fits for the Thunder and Bucks regarding players such as Jonathon Simmons, Avery Bradley, and Malik Monk. He also touched on the chances of Phoenix landing a star to play along Devin Booker and T.J. Warren.
- In anticipation of – and reaction to – the NBA trade deadline, Luke Adams:
- Took an in-depth look at some common misconceptions about NBA trade rules;
- Broke down players around the NBA who were ineligible to be traded before the deadline;
- Analyzed the Traded Player Exception;
- Recapped all 2018 NBA trade deadline activity; and
- Broke down the trade exceptions created during the trade deadline.
- Our 2018 Free Agent Stock Watch focused on the Wizards and the Jazz.
- As part of our Community Shootaround series, we asked you which teams – or players – were the winners and losers of this year’s trade deadline.