Pacific Notes: Nash, Blake, Hickson
With much of today's attention focused on the Eastern Conference, the Lakers will take on the Suns for the second time in three days later this afternoon. Known to elevate his level of play against the Suns, Kobe Bryant has led the Lakers to three straight victories after putting up 36 points and six assists in Friday night's 111-99 victory in Phoenix. Let's take a look around the rest of the Pacific Division to see what else is going on:
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic says Suns star point guard Steve Nash isn't going anywhere prior to the trade deadline. It's a catch-22 situation where sending Nash to a contender wouldn't net the team fair compensation whereas sending the future HOFer to a middling squad who could send an attractive draft pick to the Suns would be doing a disservice to Nash. Coro expects Nash, 38, to stay with the Suns through the rest of the season and attempt to re-sign the former Santa Clara star to a new contract come June.
- While there has been heavy speculation that the Lakers are plotting to make a move in order to make a playoff run, the return of one injured player has given the squad a much needed spark. Since rejoining the Lakers five game ago, the team has gone 4-1 with former Terrapins guard Steve Blake manning the point, says Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The ninth-year player is currently averaging 6.8 PPG and 3.1 APG on the season.
- After arriving in Sacramento last June via trade, life for Kings forward J.J. Hickson has been a series of adjustments, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Hickson, 23, spent the first three years of his career with the Cavaliers and benefited from two years of tutelage under LeBron James. Now in Sacramento, he's had to deal with an early season coaching change and an overall different way of doing things which has led to the former N.C. State star's career-low FG% (.382) on the season.
Reed On Sessions, Jamison, Mayo
In his latest edition of "Hey Tom!", Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer assesses what he believes the Cavs will do prior to the trade deadline. Let's take a look at some of his musings:
- Reed expects the Cavs to make a concerted effort in trading point guard Ramon Sessions before the deadline. Sessions, 25, is in his second season with Cleveland and is currently averaging 10.4 PPG and 5.6 APG in 25.1 MPG. Earlier rumors linked the former Nevada star with the Lakers and Knicks, but the rise of Jeremy Lin and signing of J.R. Smith would seem to signal that New York is no longer interested in Sessions.
- The Cavs are also looking to move Antawn Jamison whether that means trading him or buying him out. What makes Jamison difficult to trade, as also pointed out by Hoops Rumors writer Luke Adams, is the fact the Cavs would have to take back salary in any trade situation. The 35-year-old former Tar Heel is enjoying another solid season as he's averaging 16.6 PPG and 6.1 RPG in his third year with the team.
- Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo would be a great piece to pair with the team's foundation of Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving. In responding to a proposed package of Omri Casspi and Daniel Gibson, Reed believes the Cavs would need to include more on their end in order for the trade to actually come to fruition. The 24-year-old former USC guard has been struggling this season as all of his minutes for the Grizzlies have come off the bench.
Nets Interested In Renaldo Balkman
Released on Friday by the Knicks after the signing of former Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith, Renaldo Balkman may find himself on another NBA roster before the week is up.
According to Fred Kerber of the New York Post, the Nets are looking to upgrade their depth at small forward and have turned their attention to the 27-year-old sixth-year player out of South Carolina. The Nets have been outscored 500-188 at the small forward position on the season heading into Saturday's game against the Bulls. The Nets current starting small forward, DeShawn Stevenson, is known for his defense rather than his scoring ability, which is also true of Balkman.
The former first-round pick by the Knicks was averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.9 RPG on the season in limited action.
Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Smith, Humphries, Raptors
With Jeremy Lin stealing most of the Atlantic's headlines, let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on:
- Nets center Brook Lopez will make his season debut on Sunday against the Bucks at home after breaking his right foot during a preseason game in December, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal. The Nets had hopes at the beginning of the season of using Lopez, 23, as a trade chip to acquire Magic center Dwight Howard before Lopez suffered the injury.
- Jeremy Wagner of The New York Times holds out hope that the newest addition to the Knicks bench can prove doubters wrong with strong play on the court and proper decision-making off the court. J.R. Smith, 26, shared MVP honors of the 2004 McDonald's All-American game with Howard, and according to Wagner, was anxious to prove himself that night thanks to the presence of Carmelo Anthony, who was sitting courtside.
- One of the worst teams in the league knocked off one of the best teams on Saturday when the Nets shutdown the Bulls 97-85 in Chicago. In a performance that's bound to get other teams on the phone with the Nets to start trade talk, Kris Humphries lit up the scoreboard with 24 points and 18 rebounds in 45 minutes of play. After two consecutive 20-point and 10-rebound games, Humphries is currently averaging 13.2 PPG and 10.2 RPG on the season.
- The Raptors are struggling to construct an identity on both offense and defense, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. They aren't considering trades to shake up the roster at this point, but rather are looking at extra practice time to help the 9-23 squad make adjustments heading into All-Star Weekend.
Knicks Notes: Chandler, Lin, Anthony
After reeling off seven straight victories, the Knicks look to avoid a losing streak as they take on the Mavericks in a nationally-televised game on Sunday. With Carmelo Anthony still unlikely to play due to a lingering groin injury, the Knicks will have to rely on getting quality minutes from Steve Novak, who has exceeded any expectations with four double-digit performances in Anthony's absence. Let's see what else is happening with the Knicks as their schedule gets set to become a bit more difficult in the coming week:
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com begs you to forget Linsanity for a moment and focus on center Tyson Chandler, the true leader in the Knicks' locker room and one of the major reasons for the team's recent success. After winning a championship last season in Dallas, Chandler is now taking players like Lin under his wing to provide tutelage and build camaraderie amongst his teammates.
- Jeremy Lin's path to Madison Square Garden stardom took an interesting path, writes Newsday's Ian Iannazzone in his latest Knicks insider column. From draft day decisions to Lin's choice of wanting to live closer to home when offered a contract by the Mavericks, there are countless scenarios that could have precluded Lin from donning the Knicks' orange and blue.
- Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press says that while Lin has done a great job handling the fame-side of Linsanity, he needs to do a better job keeping control of the basketball. The Knicks streak of seven consecutive victories came to a halt when Lin turned the ball over a career-high nine times on Friday against an underwhelming Hornets squad.
- Anthony finally has the pieces in place to make a wholehearted run at the NBA title this spring, says ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor. O'Connor points to a suddenly loaded Knicks backcourt along with what was already a top-flight frontcourt as reasons why Anthony could secure his legacy with a ring come June.
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Spurs, Draft, Collins
With only four games on the schedule for Saturday, the first two matches provided a wealth of excitement in an overtime battle and a shocking upset. The Nets stunned the Derrick Rose-less Bulls thanks to stellar play by Kris Humphries and Deron Williams. By knocking off the Clippers in overtime, the Spurs notched their 10th win in a row, but not without paying a hefty price. Let's take a look around the league to see what's going on with All-Star Weekend less than one week away:
- The Cavaliers have a trio of former players believing in the long-term success of the franchise, writes Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mark Price, a former guard for the Cavs, says the combination of Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving will be a strong foundation for the team as they continue to mature as NBA players. Pluto says the franchise is attempting to build itself in a manner similar to the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
- Thanks to strong play at home (13-1) and now on the road with an impressive overtime victory over the Clippers, the Spurs would secure the #2 seed in the Western Conference if the playoffs started today. Unfortunately for the Spurs, the squad lost two key contributors today in Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili, who both left the game due to injury and did not return, writes Tim Griffin of Spurs Nation. The Spurs have already lost Ginobili to injury this season as he missed 22 games after breaking his left hand.
- Tommy Dee of SheridanHoops.com put together his predictions for how he sees the top 10 picks of the 2012 NBA Draft unfolding. Dee has Tar Heels small forward Harrison Barnes slated to go #1 which would most likely be to the Bobcats based upon current standings. North Carolina and Kentucky are well represented on the list with two players from each school predicted to be picked in the top 10 in the upcoming draft.
- Jerry Zgoda, Timberwolves beat writer for the Star Tribune, says 76ers head coach Doug Collins has finally found the perfect fit for his coaching style as he has his squad atop the Atlantic Division. Zgoda points to strong drafting by 76ers in concert with Collins getting the most out of his players as a major reason why the team has enjoyed such a successful start to the season. The team won 20 of its first 29 games for just the second time since 1986.
Off-Court Issues Continue To Plague Kings
The Kings are struggling on the court this season with a 10-20 record leading to sole possession of last place in the Pacific Division. Much of the struggle can be attributed to the lack of development of their young players which led to an early season head coaching change, but bright spots can be found as the team currently ranks fifth in the league with 43.4 RPG. Uncertainty for the Kings' future is even stronger off the court as the franchise continues to hash out plans for funding a new arena with the city of Sacramento and face non-payment on a naming-rights deal.
- Word out of Sacramento reveals that the city is trying to figure out if city residents would support an initiative that would require out-of-towners to pay a surcharge for using arena parking on event nights. Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee writes that fee would cost individuals heading into Sacramento for a night of entertainment an additional $1 to $3 per vehicle, a figure that would potentially net the city millions of dollars to help offset the cost of funding a new arena. Bizjak reports that a survey is currently being conducted by phone to help gauge public opinion on the proposed parking plan.
- Amidst rumors that the franchise is headed to Seattle if arena funding is not secured by March, the Kings are dealing with a business deal gone bad at the hands of Power Balance. Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee says the wristband maker has failed to make good on a naming-rights deal signed last year with the Kings that led to Arco Arena being rebranded as Power Balance Pavilion. The Kings are owed over $8MM by Power Balance, who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last fall.
Pistons Notes: Knight, Stuckey
The Pistons have won six of their last eight games after starting the season with a 4-20 record. They'll head back home on Sunday looking to make it three in a row against a Celtics squad that sits four games behind the 76ers in the Atlantic Division. Here's a look at some Pistons news before the first of two Saturday night games gets underway:
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Brandon Knight became the first rookie to record a 20-point, 10-assist game without a turnover since Steve Francis pulled the feat in 1999 with the Rockets. Knight's effort came Friday evening in a Detroit victory over the Kings. The 20-year-old former Kentucky Wildcat is currently averaging 12.4 PPG and 3.6 APG in his inaugural campaign.
- The Pistons hold big hopes for a brighter future thanks to strong guard play from Knight and Rodney Stuckey, writes beat writer David Mayo. While his PPG are down slightly (14.7 as compared to a career-high 16.6 PPG two seasons ago), Mayo suggests Stuckey is more comfortable in sharing the spotlight with Knight and may be beginning to enjoy himself in Detroit. Stuckey's future promise was a major reason why the Pistons traded Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets prior to the start of the 2008/2009 season.
Trade Candidate: Ray Allen
While hardly the same player who dominated the league with the SuperSonics for a decade, Ray Allen continues to be a steady starter on a team contending for a playoff spot. But with the Celtics looking at little more than a first-round playoff exit with a 14-12 record, the team must consider breaking up the Big Three in hopes of building for the future. If the team were to entertain trading one of their most prominent players, it would seemingly be Allen's name that would come up the most in trade talks given Kevin Garnett's erratic production and a general unwillingness by the Celtics to deal Paul Pierce.
Both Allen, 36, and Garnett, 35 will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2011/2012 season. But with Garnett currently earning $21MM this season, Allen's $10MM becomes more movable even though both players have expiring contracts. Beyond simply acquiring payroll flexibility at the end of the season, Allen would potentially provide a playoff contender with a strong veteran presence who could provide a boost both on and off the court.
Allen has averaged just over 20 PPG in his illustrious career but that number has dropped to 14.8 PPG this season to go with 2.7 APG, a figure close to what he has averaged during his tenure with the Celtics. Taking the 14.8 PPG at face-value would be doing Allen a disservice as a closer look at his numbers reveals a season of increased efficiency. With a 49.2 FG% and shooting over 50% on threes, Allen is well above his career average marks, making the shortened 2011/2012 season one of his finest in a Celtics uniform.
Health would not be a concern for a team acquiring Allen via trade as he has started at least 73 games in each of the past four seasons. After injuries plagued him during his Seattle days, Allen corrected his diet to better fit the demands of playing an 82-game NBA schedule. Thanks to a healthier diet in combination with an improved exercise regimen created in concert with the Celtics training staff, Allen is on path to start in 98% of the Celtics' games for a third consecutive season.
If put on the trade block, many playoff contenders, including the Bulls, would seemingly consider putting together a package for the former UConn Husky. While Richard Hamilton has played at an acceptable level since signing with the Bulls this offseason, his health concerns remain an issue as he has missed more than half of his team's games. At worst, the addition of Allen would give the Bulls one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA and perhaps push for more out of Hamilton once he returns from injury.
The Bulls could offer two young-ish players to the Celtics in return for Allen. According to ESPN's NBA Trade Machine, a trade of Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer for Allen works on paper and would net the Bulls three additional wins. The trade would provide Brewer the opportunity to start for the Celtics and for Korver to provide depth behind Pierce, but would lead to three additional losses for the Celtics.
While adding Allen to the Bulls may put them in prime position to challenge the Heat for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, time remains for the Celtics to better predict the course of their season. At 14-12, a string of wins could quickly lead to the Celtics being buyers rather than sellers come March. Similarly, a weak finish heading into All-Star Weekend could start the chatter about where Allen may finish the season.
Odds & Ends: Nowitzki, 76ers, Hornets, Nuggets
With three of the top five trending New York Times stories involving Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (via tweet from NYT reporter Michael Luo), let's take a look around the rest of the league to see what else is happening.
- Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has responded to Charles Barkley's proclamation that the 11-time All-Star is in decline with a strong showing of vintage Dirk in recent play. Sherrington contends the 14-year veteran still has enough talent and drive left to challenge Jerry West's record of 14 consecutive All-Star nomations. Simply put, Nowitzki's slow start should be attributed to a long offseason rather than diminished skills.
- The 76ers need to make a trade if they want to compete for a championship this season, writes Mike Missanelli of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Missanelli points to the erratic nature of the 2011/2012 season as a reason why the road to the NBA championship remains wide open just two weeks before the start of the 2012 All-Star Game. Paul Pierce and Monta Ellis are mentioned as two possible pieces that could take a young, balanced 76ers roster to the next level without having to sacrifice the future.
- The departure of All-Star point guard Chris Paul via trade has led to a difficult path for Hornets head coach Monty Williams, says John Reid of The Times-Picayune. After losing Eric Gordon, the centerpiece of the Paul trade, to injury in early January, the Hornets have spiralled to the worst record (4-23) in the Western Conference. As such, Williams has turned to his peers around the NBA for wisdom including Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
- Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post examines how the Nuggets can get by without having a true closer to win games for the team like the Lakers closer Kobe Bryant. Barring a trade, the Nuggets will have to continue to rely on Al Harrington toward the end of the game. Harrington is shooting 56% when there are less than five minutes to play in games separated by five points or less.