And-Ones: Hunter, Doncic, Sterling
Attorneys for former NBPA executive director Billy Hunter filed an amended complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, seeking a jury trial on four breach of contract claims related to his 2013 termination, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The new complaint removes claims against former NBPA president and current Knicks coach Derek Fisher and his business manager and also clarifies the compensation claims, Berger continues. The amended complaint, obtained by CBSSports.com, includes a copy of Hunter’s 2010 contract, which called for him to be paid the balance of his salary and benefits through the end of the contract term if fired without cause, and through the end of the applicable calendar year if fired for cause. The complaint alleges that Hunter has not been paid since his termination, Berger adds.
In other news around the league:
- Luka Doncic has carved out a role with European power Real Madrid and the 16-year-old forward could be a high lottery pick when he’s eligible, according to Bleacher Report’s international expert David Pick. Hawks overseas scout Himar Ojeda told Pick that the 6’8” Doncic will be the best European of his age group when he enters the draft.
- A California appeals court on Monday rejected former Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s attempt to reverse the $2 billion sale of the team, Brian Melley of The Associated Press reports. The court ruled that Sterling failed to show that a Los Angeles Superior Court judge who approved the sale last year committed any legal error. Sterling’s estranged wife sold the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
- The Spurs assigned small forward Jonathon Simmons to their D-League affiliate in Austin, the club announced via press release. Simmons made his NBA debut on Saturday, playing nine minutes against the Sixers. Simmons has played in 94 games with Austin over the past two seasons.
Pacific Rumors: Kings, Bryant, Bogut
DeMarcus Cousins doesn’t trust coach George Karl, and they simply don’t get along, writes TNT’s David Aldridge in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The relationship is beyond repair, Aldridge believes, and while he thinks Cousins is the best center in the game, the Kings should trade him anyway, he posits, offering a suggestion for a deal he thinks would help Sacramento and send a message that GM Vlade Divac and Karl will be around for the long term. The criticism of Karl’s energy level is unfair, and the Kings should empower one of the best coaches ever, Aldridge opines.
In other news around the Pacific Division:
- Numerous league executives doubt that Kobe Bryant will last the season, Sam Amico of SamAmicoBasketball.com reports. One unnamed GM told Amico that Bryant’s body can no longer hold up to the rigors of an 82-game NBA season. “I hope I’m wrong, because who doesn’t admire an old warrior — but he has nowhere to go but down at this stage of his playing career,” the GM said. “The body doesn’t want to be argued with, and it’s telling him it’s time to go.” Bryant played 36 minutes on Sunday, an indication that Lakers have two priorities regarding their aging superstar: allowing him to do what he wants, and winning during a supposed rebuilding season, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com argues. By leaving Bryant on the court that long, coach Byron Scott showed that he will let Bryant play as much as he wants when he’s in uniform, Holmes continues. Bryant’s power over the Lakers organization is greater than ever and Scott, being one of his biggest supporters, will let him dictate the terms of his farewell tour, Holmes adds.
- Andrew Bogut was surprised when interim Warriors coach Luke Walton told the media he would return to the starting lineup as soon as Tuesday, Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group reports. The undefeated Warriors have utilized Festus Ezeli as the starting center while Bogut recovered from a concussion and Bogut has no problem with keeping things status quo, Leung continues. “Like I’ve said from the start, I’ve been starting my whole career, but I understand I missed [six] games there, and we won all of them,” Bogut told Leung. “Maybe the starters are used to having Festus there the first six, seven minutes and get their rhythm that way.”
Offseason In Review: Orlando Magic
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Keith Appling: Two years, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception. First year partially guaranteed for $100K, second year is non-guaranteed. Waived.
- Melvin Ejim: Two years, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception. First year partially guaranteed for $150K, second year is non-guaranteed. Waived.
- Tobias Harris: Four years, $64MM. Signed via Bird Rights.
- Jordan Sibert: One year, $525K. Signed via minimum-salary exception. Partially guaranteed for $100K. Waived.
- Jason Smith: One year, $4.3MM. Signed via cap room.
- C.J. Watson: Three years, $15MM. Signed via cap room. Third year is partially guaranteed for $1MM.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired the draft rights to Janis Timma from the Grizzlies in exchange for Luke Ridnour.
- Acquired $100K and the right to swap 2019 second rounders from the Knicks in exchange for Kyle O’Quinn via a sign-and-trade.
- Acquired Portland’s 2020 second round pick (top-55 protected) from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Maurice Harkless.
- Acquired Shabazz Napier and $1.1MM in cash from the Heat in exchange for Orlando’s 2016 second round pick (top-55 protected).
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Mario Hezonja (Round 1, 5th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
- Tyler Harvey (Round 2, 51st overall). Signed to play in NBA D-League.
Camp Invitees
- Nnanna Egwu — Waived.
- Greg Stiemsma — Waived.
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Aaron Gordon (third year, $4,351,320) — Exercised.
- Shabazz Napier (third year, $1,350,120) — Exercised.
- Victor Oladipo (fourth year, $6,552,960) — Exercised.
- Elfrid Payton (third year, $2,613,600) — Exercised.
The Magic’s most significant offseason acquisition has not appeared in a game with them since 1994. The reason they brought him back was that many of the players on the current roster weren’t even born when he was wearing the Magic uniform.
Orlando spent the last few years acquiring young talent. GM Rob Hennigan needed a defensive-minded taskmaster to mold that group into a cohesive unit. Hennigan and the rest of the Orlando front office sought a proven NBA head coach who fit that description and chose an old fan favorite in Scott Skiles. “Our young roster will benefit greatly from Scott’s extensive head coaching experience and commitment to teaching smart, physical, unselfish basketball,” Hennigan said when he announced the decision. “We believe in Scott’s ability to establish a culture of winning habits and accountability that will help guide our team in a positive direction.”
The Magic also interviewed Mike Woodson for the job and a number of high-profile coaches, including Tom Thibodeau, Alvin Gentry and Scott Brooks, were reportedly potential candidates. Skiles received a four-year deal in late May, with a team option on the last season. It’s fair to wonder whether Skiles will last that long, or whether he’ll live up to his reputation of improving his team in the short run and then quickly wearing out his welcome.
That’s essentially what happened with Skiles in his previous head coaching stints with the Suns, Bulls and Bucks. But as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com recently noted, none of his successors won championships. He also had the chance to step back after those experiences and learn from his mistakes, which will theoretically make him a better coach as he tries to get the most out of his youth-laden roster.
Orlando is so young that reserve center Dewayne Dedmon, who is in his third NBA season, is the fourth-oldest player on the team. That a 26-year-old with 90 games of experience entering the season would be considered a graybeard by Magic standards shows just how green a group Skiles has inherited. The Magic have 10 players 25 or younger, while just two players have reached their 30th birthday.
Instilling a defensive mentality was the most crying need for the kiddie corps. The Magic finished 28th in defensive field-goal percentage last season at 46.3% and second-to-last in defensive 3-point percentage (36.8%). Thus far, the results have been promising. Through their first 11 games, the Magic are holding opponents to 42.3% shooting overall and 31.9% from long range.
Orlando added another top-five draft pick to its collection in June, choosing swingman Mario Hezonja. The 6’8″ Hezonja provides depth at both wing positions and has jumped right into the rotation. Hezonja’s athleticism and outside shooting elevated him to the top of the draft among shooting guard/small forward prospects but there’s no obvious starting spot for him in the foreseeable future unless the Magic fail to re-sign impending restricted free agent Evan Fournier.
The Magic made a couple of under-the-radar signings to bring in some experienced players, inking point guard C.J. Watson to a three-year deal and big man Jason Smith to a one-year pact. Watson not only gives starter Elfrid Payton a voice of experience to consult as he learns the intricacies of the position, he’s also a valuable rotation piece. Watson is averaging 19.5 minutes per game.
Smith has also gotten some minutes in a backup role at power forward and center, mainly due to an early-season injury to center Nikola Vucevic. But Smith seems more like an insurance policy, especially since Skiles has often used a smaller lineup.
The biggest development in free agency was the Magic’s decision to retain forward Tobias Harris. Orlando opened its vault and locked him up with a four-year, $64MM deal three days into free agency, rather than waiting for a suitor to extend an offer sheet and being forced to match those figures. The Magic were reportedly unwilling to match a maximum salary offer sheet, but Harris didn’t receive such an offer when the free agent signing period officially commenced. Several teams, including Hawks, Knicks, Pistons, and Celtics, had interest in him.
The club could find itself in a similar spot next summer with Fournier becoming a restricted free agent. The two parties passed on a rookie scale extension, setting up the scenario of Orlando doling out a sizable deal to retain him. Fournier has gotten off to such a strong start that his foray into free agency could determine the direction of the franchise, according to Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com.
By adding Hezonja and re-signing Harris, the Magic didn’t have a role for another young swingman, Maurice Harkless. They found a new home for him, shipping him to the Trail Blazers for a future second-rounder. They also fortified their backcourt by acquiring Shabazz Napier from the Heat. Napier, who recently had a 22-point outing with Watson sidelined by a minor injury, made them deep at the point guard spot at the cost of a protected second-round pick for next season.
Personnel moves aside, the biggest change for the Magic this season is the man running the show. It’s almost certain that a team loaded with so many young players will improve. The extent of that improvement — and Skiles’ ability to learn from the past and stick around long enough to turn this core group into a perennial playoff contender — will decide how meaningful this offseason was for the Magic.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of it.
Northwest Notes: Garnett, Kanter, Blazers
Top draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns says he learns something every day from his Timberwolves teammate and mentor Kevin Garnett, he revealed during a Q&A session with NBA.com’s David Aldridge published in Aldridge’s weekly column. Garnett has been teaching Towns how to protect his body so that he doesn’t wear down during his first season. The rookie power forward also told Aldridge that Garnett has instilled him with three tenets: “Work harder. Play defense. And continue to compete.” Garnett’s influence on his young teammates is far-reaching, even though he denies he’s a coach on the floor, according to Marino Eccher of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Garnett was spotted during Monday’s practice showing power forward Nemanja Bjelica how to guard pick-and-rolls in a one-on-one session, Eccher continues. After practice, Garnett provided teammates and coaches with insights on everything from defensive techniques to trash-talking, Eccher adds.
In other news around the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder could overwhelm opponents in the first quarter if they started Enes Kanter at center, Matt Moore of CBSSports.com opines. While Steven Adams has earned the starting job, Kanter’s defensive shortcomings are more of a liability when he plays with the second unit, Moore argues. Oklahoma City’s firepower with Kanter playing alongside Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant would mask those shortcomings and the club could still close games with Adams in the middle, when defensive stops become more essential, Moore concludes.
- The task for the Blazers this season is to find out which of their players around Damian Lillard are keepers and which aren’t, and games like Sunday’s clunker against the Hornets, after which coach Terry Stotts questioned his team’s effort and focus, can play a role in that process, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com examines.
- The Timberwolves are continuing to engage in talks about finding a D-League affiliate for next season, though they aren’t close yet, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
(Chuck Myron contributed to this report.)
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 11/09/15
Many of the league’s top offensive players wasted no time finding their shooting stroke during the first two weeks of the season. No player has been more prolific than the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, Stephen Curry. The Warriors point guard entered Monday’s action shooting 55.3% from the field and a robust 47.5% on 3-point attempts during the first seven games. His hot shooting has propelled him to the early league scoring lead at 33.9 points per game.
Nipping at Curry’s heels is the Thunder’s superstar duo of small forward Kevin Durant and point guard Russell Westbrook. Durant, a four-time scoring champ, has returned from his injury-riddled 2014/15 campaign in top form, pouring in 30.1 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. Westbrook, who shouldered Oklahoma City’s offensive burden a majority of last season and captured the scoring crown, is averaging 26.3 points despite subpar 31.4% shooting from long range.
James Harden continues to score at a high rate, even though he’s struggling to find consistency from the field. Thanks to his knack for drawing fouls, the Rockets’ shooting guard is averaging 29.7 points despite making just 37.7% of his field-goal tries and 24.0% of his 3-point shots.
The most dominant inside scorer during the early going has been Blake Griffin. The Clippers power forward has bulled his way to 29.3 points per game while making nearly 60% of his shot attempts.
With LaMarcus Aldridge plying his trade with the Spurs, Damian Lillard has taken over even more offensive responsibilities with the Trail Blazers. Portland’s point guard is scoring at a 27.1 point clip while hoisting 20.4 shots per game.
Anthony Davis has struggled to adjust to new coach Alvin Gentry’s system but the Pelicans power forward is still averaging 25.2 points. It’s a good bet that once Davis settles in, he’ll be posting plenty of 30- and 40-point games. And it’s taken this long to mention Cavaliers superstar forward LeBron James, who has averaged at least 25 points since his second season in the league.
It might come as a surprise to some people that Carmelo Anthony is currently out of the Top 10 in scoring. Anthony is shooting 37.1%, which has dragged his scoring average down to 21.4. On a Knicks team starved for offensive punch, the perennial All-Star small forward is certain to boost that average once he regains his offensive groove after missing the second half of last season with a knee injury.
That brings us to today’s topic: Which player will lead the league in scoring this season and why?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Bryant, Barnes, Pacers
Kobe Bryant would be thrilled to play for USA Basketball in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, he told Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Bryant, who won gold medals the past two Olympics, could end his competitive basketball career in the Olympics if he chooses to retire after this NBA season, Reynolds adds. “It would mean the world to me to be around those guys,” the veteran Lakers’ swingman said. “I think to be able to have a chance to continue the relationship that I already have with most of those guys, talking and just kind of being around each other and understanding that this is it, it’s just us being together, that would be fun.” The 12-player roster is expected to be revealed in June.
In other news around the league:
- Dragan Bender, a 7’0” forward who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, heads the list of Top 10 NBA prospects compiled by Kevin O’Connor of DraftExpress.com and Celticsblog.com. The 17-year-old could be a draft-and-stash option for the Celtics, who own the struggling Nets’ 2016 first-rounder. The next three players on his list are also 6’10” or taller — LSU point forward Ben Simmons, Kentucky center Skal Labissiere and Duke forward Brandon Ingram.
- Matt Barnes is still furious that Knicks coach Derek Fisher went to the authorities after their October altercation at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife, Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times tweets. “We’re two grown men who should have handled two grown men’s business, but he wanted to run and tell the cops and the NBA,” the Grizzlies’ small forward said. The NBA is still investigating the matter, according to Ryan Lazo of the New York Post.
- Indiana’s Capital Improvement Board unanimously approved a contract Monday to allow the Pacers to build a $50MM practice facility, Mark Alesia of the Indianapolis Star reports. The five-story, 130,000-square-foot facility will be located across from Bankers Life Fieldhouse and is scheduled to open in 2017.
Southwest Notes: Thornton, Pelicans, Spurs
Marcus Thornton has emerged as a surprise starter with the Rockets by showing he can do more than just shoot, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Thornton is enjoying a career revival as the team’s small forward, averaging 16.6 points and making a team-best 40.5% of his 3-point attempts, but his overall contributions have kept him on the floor, Feigen continues. “He’s a very good passer,” Houston coach Kevin McHale told Feigen. “He’s a good on-ball defender.” Thornton believes that McHale’s confidence in him has led to his strong start. “I always had a lot more to show,” Thornton said to Feigen. “Just now, I’ve been in the right position to show it.”
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- The only viable trade bait that the struggling Pelicans have to offer are their draft picks, according to Tom Ziller of SBNation.com. It would be difficult to move any of their rotation pieces because of injuries and/or contract status but the Pelicans do not owe any future first-rounders, Ziller continues in his analysis of the team’s slow start. Based upon GM Dell Demps’ history and the Pelicans’ mandate to make the playoffs, New Orleans is likely to dangle those picks on the trade market in an effort to turn its season around, Ziller believes.
- Ray McCallum has gotten buried on the Spurs’ bench but is trying to make the best of the situation and remain patient, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports. McCallum is currently the team’s third option at point guard behind Tony Parker and Patty Mills and has been learning from the players ahead of him in the rotation, Orsborn continues. Coach Gregg Popovich told Orsborn that McCallum is still settling in after getting traded by the Kings. “He’s probably a little bit confounded right now, trying to figure out what’s going on,” Popovich said. “Some of that has to happen in his own mind, and get some sort of comfort level before they can help him too much.”
- David West has been in the league a long time but he’s still opening eyes with his playmaking, Orsborn writes in a separate piece. The 13-year Spurs power forward had a six-assist outing off the bench against the Hornets last week. “Even from open gym, I realized he was better than I thought,” shooting guard Manu Ginobili told Orsborn. “He’s a willing passer, too. He’s looking for passes, looking for cutters. He can hit a jumper, but he’s also willing to pass.”
Offseason In Review: Detroit Pistons
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Joel Anthony: Two years, $5MM. Signed via cap room. Second year is non-guaranteed.
- Aron Baynes: Three years, $19.5MM. Signed via cap room.
- Reggie Jackson: Five years, $80MM. Signed via Bird rights.
- Adonis Thomas: Two years, $1.825MM. Signed via minimum-salary exception. First year is partially guaranteed for $110K, second year is non-guaranteed. Waived.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired Ersan Ilyasova from the Bucks in exchange for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams.
- Acquired Steve Blake from the Nets in exchange for Quincy Miller.
- Acquired Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock and Danny Granger from the Suns in exchange for Detroit’s 2020 second round pick. Granger was subsequently waived.
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Stanley Johnson (Round 1, 8th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
- Darrun Hilliard (Round 2, 38th overall). Signed via cap room for three years and $2.49MM. Second year is partially guaranteed for $500K, third year is non-guaranteed.
Camp Invitees
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Reggie Bullock (fourth year, $2,255,644) — exercised.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (fourth year, $3,678,319) — exercised.
Stan Van Gundy knew had to make a major roster overhaul when he took over as the Pistons’ head coach and president of basketball operations in May 2014. He realized that a team top heavy in big men and lacking shooters was not going to work in the current NBA landscape. It wasn’t tough to figure out that he needed to build the team around a budding superstar in center Andre Drummond by giving him space to operate, surrounding him with long-distance marksmen and finding a long-term pick-and-roll partner to get him the ball.
Detroit’s makeover began prior to last summer with two major moves. Van Gundy stunned the basketball world by eating the remaining 2 1/2 seasons on Josh Smith‘s contract via the stretch provision and waiving him last December, breaking up the jumbo frontcourt of Drummond, Greg Monroe and Smith that delivered just five wins by the holidays.
Van Gundy then added a major piece at the trade deadline with a blockbuster deal that netted point guard Reggie Jackson. The trade was partly motivated by a season-ending Achilles’ tendon tear suffered by Brandon Jennings the previous month, but moreso because Van Gundy and his staff believed Jackson was a better fit to run his offensive scheme.
When the Pistons’ season ended without a postseason berth for the sixth straight season, Van Gundy was ready to strike. He found the stretch four he was seeking within the division, trading for Ersan Ilyasova from the Bucks while only giving up two players who had no future with the team, aging forward Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. Not only did the Pistons view Ilyasova as a better frontcourt partner with Drummond, they also saw it as a low-risk move. Virtually all of Ilyasova’s contract next season is not guaranteed, allowing them to easily cut ties with him if they find a better option in the near future. Ilyasova has jumped right into the Pistons’ starting five, though Van Gundy has limited his minutes in the early going.
The next order of business was to improve the small forward spot that was manned during the second half last season by another player nearing the end of his career, Tayshaun Prince. They secured the player they had targeted in the draft when Stanley Johnson was still available with the No. 8 pick. While the Pistons took some heat for passing over Duke’s Justise Winslow — who slid to the Heat two spots later — they were enamored with Johnson’s versatility and winning pedigree. Johnson won four big-school championships in California during his high school career, then led a veteran Arizona team in scoring during his lone college season.
Johnson’s ability to both power his way to the rim and drain 3-pointers fits seamlessly into Van Gundy’s scheme, though he has gotten off to a slow start offensively. But he’s already become a valuable member of the second unit because of his defensive tenacity. Van Gundy believes Johnson can develop into an elite defensive stopper.
They secured another shooter in the second round of the draft in Darrun Hilliard, adding depth to the shooting guard spot. Hilliard made the opening-day roster, though he probably won’t crack the rotation and will likely get sent on assignment to the team’s D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids to improve his overall game.
Free agency didn’t go quite as the Pistons had planned. They were intent on signing a starting small forward, with DeMarre Carroll and Danny Green topping the list. They quickly struck out in their pursuit of both players, with Carroll signing with the Raptors and Green staying put in San Antonio. Detroit then immediately shifted gears and took advantage of a Suns front office looking to create cap space to sign free agent LaMarcus Aldridge. Phoenix forwarded the contracts of Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock and Danny Granger to Detroit in a salary dump.
The Pistons had no use for Granger and his balky knee but were thrilled to acquire Morris, whom they felt would establish himself as a consistent offensive threat if they gave him the green light to shoot. They also liked Morris’ toughness and defensive intensity, two qualities the Pistons were lacking last season. The early returns have been impressive, with Morris delivering big dividends at both ends of the floor.
Bullock was so impressive in preseason action that the club exercised its fourth-year option on him. He has a chance to be a rotation player with Jodie Meeks sidelined for approximately half the season with a foot fracture.
There was little doubt that restricted free agent Jackson would get the big contract and major role he craved, and that was realized when the Pistons signed him for five years and $80MM. The team’s success over the next few seasons will rest on whether Jackson, who had no chance of being a featured player with the Thunder, becomes an All-Star caliber floor and locker room leader.
The other big development in free agency was the player the Pistons chose not to pursue. They let Monroe walk, then filled the backup center spot with a mid-range shooter and rebounder by signing Aron Baynes. While the Pistons valued Monroe’s scoring and rebounding, the emergence of Drummond made him a poor roster fit. In contrast, Baynes was happy to gain some long-term security and become a second-unit anchor.
All that was left was to acquire some veteran insurance policies to fill out the roster. Uncomfortable with the notion of Spencer Dinwiddie serving as Jackson’s backup in the early going, the Pistons traded for Steve Blake. They also brought back Joel Anthony as the No. 3 center.
Detroit’s busy offseason didn’t yield the veteran small forward it coveted in free agency, though Morris’ play has erased any disappointment over failing to land Carroll or Green. Otherwise, the Pistons checked all the boxes on their shopping list. They overhauled the forward positions without breaking the bank and fortified the bench with proven players. Van Gundy’s vision of what the Pistons’ roster should look like when he was handed the keys to the franchise has come to fruition.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of it.
Southeast Rumors: Winslow, Green, Magic
Justise Winslow has already shown signs of being a lockdown defender through the first seven games of his career, Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald reports. Navarro cites advanced metrics to illustrate Winslow’s prowess, pointing out that among players to defend at least 50 field goal attempts, the Heat small forward ranks tied for third in the league in defensive field goal percentage (32.8%). He’s also holding opponents to 21.1% shooting from 15 feet or deeper. “You always want to kind of be easy on the rookies, but he is raising the bar every game with his maturity and ability and knack to play defense,” Heat power forward Chris Bosh told Navarro. “I’ve never seen anything like it as long as I’ve been in this league from a rookie. He’s not making many mistakes. He’s playing solid defense. He’s already built like a tank. Him just being able to move his feet is helping us out a lot.”
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Gerald Green is expected to return to the Heat soon, a source told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, even as the team remains tight-lipped about his status, other than to say that he’s safe and healthy. Green is reportedly out of the hospital following an incident last week that apparently left him bleeding and unconscious.
- The pattern of NBA coaching tenures for Scott Skiles suggests he’ll help the Magic improve for a short while before wearing out his welcome and giving way to another coach who can take the next step, but none of his successors guided his old teams to championships, notes Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. Skiles has also had the opportunity to learn from his mistakes to better prepare for his latest gig, Aschburner writes.
- Evan Fournier, a restricted free agent after the season, could determine the direction of the Magic franchise, Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com opines in a detailed examination of the team’s roster. Fournier, who failed to reach an rookie scale extension agreement with the club before the Nov. 2 deadline, is attacking the rim with greater force, finishing through contact and drawing more fouls this season, Smith continues. He’s also been very active as a perimeter defender and that’s why the swingman’s decision next summer could impact his team more than any other free agent besides Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Mike Conley, Smith adds.
Heat Notes: Whiteside, Andersen, D-League
Center Hassan Whiteside, poised to hit free agency in the summer, is the biggest weapon for the Heat when opponents utilize smaller lineups against them, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald. Whiteside had 25 points and 15 rebounds when Miami staged a second-half rally on Sunday against the Rockets, who tried to play small ball against them, Skolnick continues. “That’s the thing with Hassan, he’s a conventional center but he’s a mobile center,” point guard Mario Chalmers told the team’s beat reporters. “He’s able to move, get blocks, get out on the perimeter if he wants to. So [small-ball] plays into our hands a little bit.” Veteran shooting guard Dwyane Wade concurs that the Heat can handle the small-ball strategies by unleashing Whiteside, Skolnick adds. “I’m sure there will be moments where they’re gonna get us on it, and it’s gonna affect us, but we can’t take him off the floor,” Wade said to Skolnick. “He means so much to our defense.”
In other news regarding the Heat:
- Backup center and trade candidate Chris Andersen did not play in the first three games but Spoelstra anticipates that he’ll soon get opportunities, Winderman adds in the same piece. “We’re not going to, on every night, suit up every center. That’s not an indictment on anybody,” Spoelstra said. “That’s not a storyline at all, it really isn’t. He practiced [Monday] and he’ll be ready, and when his number’s called, he’ll produce, as we have full confidence in that.”
- All but one of the six players the Heat released during the preseason have joined their D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Greg Whittington, Keith Benson, Briante Weber, Corey Hawkins and Tre Kelley are all on the Skyforce’s training camp roster. The only released player not to join the Skyforce is veteran point guard John Lucas III. Miami claimed the D-League rights to Whittington, Benson, Weber and Hawkins through the affiliate player rule, while the Heat already had the D-League rights to Kelley.