Odds & Ends: Clippers, Ewing, Bulls, Sixers
As the Wizards take on the Pacers in the first of four Thursday night games, let's take a look around the league to see what's happening from coast to coast.
- DeAndre Jordan has embraced the heightened expectations surrounding the Clippers and understands the resiliency needed to overcome setbacks such as a recent three-game losing streak, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Instead of letting the downturn ruin their season, the Clippers responded by winning three in a row.
- If Mike Woodson isn't the long-term answer for the Knicks, Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing wants to throw his name into the mix as the next head coach at Madison Square Garden, but may not have history on his side, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. As a 7-footer, Ewing would become only the seventh head coach in NBA history with a height of 6-foot-10 or taller.
- While much of the Bulls' success stems from stellar play by their stars, a growing phenomenon dubbed the 'Bench Mob' has aided in the team's success, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Taj Gibson and Omer Asik are among a group of Bulls bench players who have stepped up their play to help close out games.
- A major reason for the Sixers' strong season stems from their ability to beat lesser teams, writes Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The squad is 18-5 on the season against sub .500 teams, which currently places as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately for the Sixers, an inability to beat quality teams may spell an early end to their season come playoff time.
Breaking Down The Playoff Picture
While seedings for the playoffs may shift dramatically between now and the end of the season, let's take a look at what the first round of the playoffs would look like based upon current records and examine how the teams have fared against each other to date.
Eastern Conference
- (#1) Bulls vs. (#8) Knicks: The Bulls are 2-0 on the season against the Knicks with a home-and-home in early April still to come.
- (#2) Heat vs. (#7) Celtics: The Heat knocked off the Celtics in the second game of the season and have three games remaining against them.
- (#3) Magic vs. (#6) Hawks: With two February losses to the Hawks, the Magic will look to avenge their defeats during a home game against Atlanta in April.
- (#4) Sixers vs. (#5) Pacers: The Sixers have split their season series with the Pacers thus far with two more games to be played in April.
Western Conference
- (#1) Thunder vs. (#8) Rockets: After winning back to back games against the Rockets, the Thunder have dropped their last two meetings against Kevin McHale's squad.
- (#2) Spurs vs. (#7) Jazz: Victorious in their first two matchups against the Jazz, the Spurs will face Utah in a home-and-home in April.
- (#3) Lakers vs. (#6) Grizzlies: The Lakers won their first two games against the Grizzlies before falling 102-96 in a rare home loss on Sunday.
- (#4) Clippers vs. (#5) Mavericks: Having split the first two matchups of the season, the Clippers will head to Dallas on Monday for the decisive game of the season series.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kings Arena, Sessions
With only four games on Thursday night's schedule, one particular matchup stands out as a potential preview of things to come during the playoffs. The Lakers take on the Thunder at the Staples Center in a battle between a particularly strong road team and a squad that does an excellent job of defending their homecourt. Let's take a look around the Pacific Division to catch up on the latest news and happenings.
- The Warriors are in an unenviable position where finishing out the season on a strong note would cost the team a draft pick, writes Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News. Currently the ninth-worst team in the league, the Warriors would have to forfeit their lottery pick to the Jazz as compensation for a trade made in 2009 if they fail to finish the season as one of the seven worst teams by record. The Warriors received Marcus Williams, now playing in China, from the Nets with hopes of him developing into a replacement for Baron Davis.
- Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee says the construction of the Sacramento arena can take a step in the right direction come Tuesday when the Sacramento City Council votes on appropriating $6.5MM toward arena pre-development.
- John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link) looks at how the addition of Ramon Sessions to the Lakers has stabilized the team's backcourt, but raises concern over the team's heavy reliance on players such as Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol with regard to their usage. Hollinger raises the point that Sessions arrival in Los Angeles has merely kept the Lakers from imploding due to the fact that the rest of the key players are exhausted from being completely overworked.
Rockets Sign Malcolm Thomas To 10-Day Contract
TUESDAY, 5:25pm: The Rockets made the move official, announcing (via Twitter) that they've signed Thomas to a 10-day contract.
MONDAY, 9:11pm: Los Angeles D-Fenders forward Malcolm Thomas is expected to be called up by the Rockets on Wednesday, reports Yahoo! Sports writer Marc J. Spears (via Twitter). Thomas, 23, saw limited action in three games earlier this season with the Spurs before being released in early February. The rookie out of San Diego State is currently averaging 13.8 PPG and 9.3 RPG in 19 games with the D-Fenders.
Draft Updates: Sidney, Waiters
The flurry of underclassmen declaring themselves eligible for the 2012 NBA draft has continued well into Monday evening. Earlier today, Duke's Austin Rivers announced his decision to leave school for the NBA after only one season and sign with an agent. Let's see who else will be joining him in what is shaping up to be one of the deeper drafts in recent memory.
- Mississippi State forward Renardo Sidney will forgo his senior season after signing with an agent and declaring himself eligible for the draft. Sidney had an impressive sophomore season with 14.2 PPG and 7.6 RPG, but saw his production slip as a junior as the Bulldogs went 21-12 on the season. The 6-foot-10 forward dealt with eligibility issues earlier in his career and was involved in a fight with a teammate this past season during a tournament in Hawaii.
- Syracuse guard Dion Waiters announced on Monday his decision to leave school early and enter the draft. The sophomore from Philadelphia nearly doubled his offensive output from his freshman year by averaging 12.6 PPG while leading the Big East in steals for a Syracuse team that reached the Elite Eight during the NCAA tournament. Lauded for his gutsy leadership during an especially tumultuous start to Syracuse's season, Waiters projects as a mid to late first-round draft pick by many draft experts.
Eastern Notes: Garnett, Jamison, Hawks
With eight of Monday's nine games currently underway, let's take a look around the Eastern Conference as the injury-riddled Knicks are trailing the Bucks in the third quarter thanks to a 24-point first-half outburst from Mike Dunleavy.
- Rich Levine of CSNNE.com ponders Kevin Garnett's future as a Celtic as he wraps up his Hall of Fame career. Levine points out that while the Celtics are interested in keeping Garnett in green and white, there are many other teams, including title contenders, eager to add The Big Ticket as the final piece to a championship puzzle.
- Brendan Bowers of The Plain Dealer looks at Antawn Jamison's career in Cleveland and breaks down his present value to the team both on and off the court. The question becomes whether the Cavs should re-sign the former UNC star or cut ties with him this summer. Jamison, 35, is averaging 18.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG on the season for a Cavs squad that has currently lost three games in a row.
- While the Hawks have been battered by injuries over the course of the season, the team has managed to stay relevant in the playoff race amidst adversity, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Rivers Officially Declares For NBA Draft
Duke guard Austin Rivers has announced his decision to leave school and officially declare for the 2012 NBA draft. Rivers, 19, played one season for the Blue Devils in which he averaged 15.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG with a season-high 29 points coming in a buzzer-beating victory over the University of North Carolina. The consenus ACC rookie of the year will hire an agent and is projected to be one the first players selected in the draft.
"I would like to thank the coaches, my teammates and the fans for helping make this past year at Duke so special," Rivers said in a statement released by the university. "It was a difficult decision to leave Duke, but I am excited about chasing my dream of playing in the NBA."
The son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers led his squad to a 2-seed in the 2012 NCAA tournament only to lose in the first round to 15-seed Lehigh University.
Western Notes: Brooks, Fortson, Jazz
With a busy Monday chock full of games set to get underway, let's take a look around the Western Conference to catch up on the latest news and happenings.
- Stefan Swiat of Suns.com says Suns general manager Lance Blanks took a flight to China on Monday to check in on CBA All-Star point guard Aaron Brooks. The former Oregon star has thrived in China as he has led his squad to the CBA Finals thanks to his 21.9 PPG and 4.7 APG. Adding a hot Brooks for the stretch run may be enough for the Suns to clinch a playoff spot with the team currently one game behind the Rockets for the eighth seed.
- The Rockets are set to sign guard Courtney Fortson for the remainder of the season with a team option for next year, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. Fortson, 23, signed a 10-day contract with the team on March 18th after being cut by the Clippers in late January. The rookie out of Arkansas is currently averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.2 RPG in five games with the Rockets.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld writes many Jazz players are relieved that the trade deadline has passed given the uncertainty surrounding the front office's plans for developing the roster. Since the deadline, the Jazz have won six of their last seven games, putting the team in the playoff mix as the current seventh seed in the Western Conference.
Raptors Sign Anderson To 10-Day Contract
The Raptors have signed guard Alan Anderson to a 10-day contract according to an announcement made by the team today. Anderson, 29, was averaging 21.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG in eight games with the D-League's Canton Charge.
The former Michigan State standout has limited experience in the NBA spread over two seasons with the Bobcats after signing with the team as a free agent prior to the 2005/2006 season. With the Raptors' roster now at 13 players, the team did not need to make a corresponding move upon Anderson's signing.
Mavericks Notes: Title Hopes, Cardinal, Nowitzki
The Mavs pulled off a stunning overtime victory Saturday night over the Rockets that saw gutsy play from the likes of Jason Terry (who apparently was signing autographs when Vince Carter was pulled for foul trouble) and Dirk Nowitzki, who seemingly willed the team to victory. In what is shaping up to be an incredibly competitive race for the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff picture, the Mavs would have dropped to ninth place with a loss against Houston. Instead, the defending NBA champions currently occupy the fifth seed with mere percentage points separating them from the slumping Clippers.
- There are doubters who don't believe the Mavs have the ability to replicate the same success that they achieved last season against Miami, says ESPN.com's Marc Stein, who cites an NBA scout as his source.
- In what can only be perceived as a bit of refreshing news, Mavs forward Brian Cardinal laughed off criticism about his rough play from newly-acquired Spurs forward Stephen Jackson by stating he was pleased to hear that Jackson actually thought Cardinal could actually once play in the league, writes Tim Griffin of Spurs Nation.
- Beyond leading the charge in a must-win game over the Rockets, Dirk Nowitzki surpassed his hero Charles Barkley to become the 19th-leading scorer in NBA history, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.