Celtics Notes: Stevens, Nelson, Green
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge understands that trading Rajon Rondo made coach Brad Stevens‘ job tougher, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald writes. Rondo’s departure has thrown Boston’s rotation for a loop, and Stevens has the difficult task of sorting out who the team should be playing, Murphy adds. “It’s difficult if there aren’t three or four guys who are the stabilizing force for your team,” Ainge said. “Sometimes the second team is capable of beating the first, and sometimes it’s the first that’s better than the second. Sometimes the third is better than both of them. You could see it [last Monday] against Charlotte. He used 13 guys, and the third unit looked hungrier than the other two.”
Here’s more out of Beantown:
- Ainge doesn’t place the onus solely on Stevens to keep the Celtics’ locker room content, Murphy adds. “It’s hard to keep everybody happy,” Ainge said. “It’s not Brad’s job to keep everybody happy. It’s a player’s job to make the coach believe that he can’t win without him. This is just a very difficult roster to manage up and down.”
- In light of Boston’s recent trades, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com ran down the plethora of draft picks the Celtics have accumulated through the 2019 NBA draft.
- Despite the recently acquired Jameer Nelson spending time on the inactive list since arriving in Boston, Stevens has praised the veteran player’s professionalism, Murphy writes in a separate piece. “We talked. I don’t know that it’s a fixture,” Stevens said of whether the veteran guard has a long-term role on the inactive list. “Tonight, yes, but it’s hard for me to predict anything beyond one day right now. We had a talk and he’s been great. He’s a pro, he’s helpful. We had a film session and he was active in the film session helping the young guys. It’s a transition. He played 10 years in one place, and then he chose to go someplace else and gets traded. He’s never lived this before.“
- Jeff Green, who is part of the proposed three-way deal with the Pelicans, Celtics, and Grizzlies, is expected to opt out of his contract after the season, Zach Lowe of Grantland reports (Twitter link). Green has a $9.2MM player option for 2015/16, which is the final year of his current deal.
Eastern Notes: Wroten, Taylor, Butler
CSNPhilly.com’s John Gonzalez took an in-depth look at the potential trade value of Tony Wroten, who was rumored to be the subject of trade discussions between the Clippers and the Sixers earlier this week. A pair of league executives told Gonzalez that Wroten could possibly net GM Sam Hinkie two second-rounders, and another said that it would be difficult to get fair value for Wroten, so it would be wiser to hang on to the guard. Philadelphia currently owns a whopping 15 second round draft picks between now and 2020.
Here’s more from the East:
- The Hornets have recalled Jeffery Taylor from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team has announced. In four games with the Spurs he averaged 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.2 minutes per contest. This was Taylor’s initial jaunt of the season to the D-League.
- Rasual Butler had the remainder of his contract guaranteed for the season when he remained on the Wizards’ roster past Wednesday’s deadline. The veteran swingman’s play has made him an integral part of Washington’s rotation, and Butler also has a fan in Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. Thibodeau, who briefly coached Butler in Chicago, said of his former player, “I think it’s the perfect fit for him and he’s a great pro. He’s a guy who plays year-round and stays in great shape. And I think when you look at what John Wall does and you look at what Andre Miller does, he’s the perfect fit because he creates space and his career says how well he can shoot the three. But to be doing it at this stage of his career is a real credit to him. But we always felt strongly about his professionalism, his attitude, how much he loved he game. And the shooting part, that’s never going to go away.”
- Despite all of the Knicks‘ struggles this season, first year coach Derek Fisher‘s confidence hasn’t wavered, and he believes this turbulent campaign will help him become a better coach, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes.
2015 NBA Draft Prospect Power Rankings 2.0
The 2015 NBA draft is still a long way away, and the remaining three months of NCAA action will play a major part in determining the fates of the 20 players whose names appear on the list below, as well as those who haven’t made the cut just yet. Still, front offices and scouting departments throughout the NBA are already hard at work trying to determine which players they will pin the future of their franchises on, and Hoops Rumors will be doing the same all the way up until June’s draft.
Keep in mind that this list includes both underclassmen and players from overseas, neither of whom are guaranteed to declare for the draft. But just like the NBA scouting departments, we’ll need to be prepared for the possibility that all of these players will be available to hear their names called by commissioner Adam Silver in what will be his second opportunity to be on the stage during the first round.
Here are my current top 20 players in descending order with last month’s ranking in parentheses:
1 (1) Jahlil Okafor-C (Duke/Freshman)
-6’11”, 272 pounds
–DraftExpress Rank: No. 1
–ESPN Rank: No. 1
–Stats: 18.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. .681/.000/.566.
Okafor continues to live up to the hype that surrounded him before he set foot on Duke’s campus. A true center, he has shown excellent athleticism and remarkable polish on the offensive side of the game. He has an NBA-ready body and will continue to develop into an absolute monster down in the paint. His defense is still a work in progress, which isn’t at all uncommon for a young big. His potential is off the charts, and only a significant pre-draft injury, or a team falling in love with Emmanuel Mudiay, will prevent him from being the first name called on draft night.
2 (2) Karl-Anthony Towns-PF/C (Kentucky/Freshman)
-7’0″, 250 pounds
–DraftExpress Rank: No. 3
–ESPN Rank: No. 3
–Stats: 8.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.2 BPG. .518/.333/.714.
Towns could end up being a better player in the long run than Okafor, but with the way Okafor is dominating competition it’s unlikely he’ll be selected over the Duke big man. I wrestled with placing him or Mudiay in this slot, and depending on how the ping-pong balls drop in the draft lottery, Towns could slip to the third overall pick. I place more value on a big who has the athleticism of Towns, since guards with Mudiay’s talents are more common, which is why I placed Towns at number 2. His college stats aren’t that impressive, but that’s because of Kentucky’s ridiculous depth this season. “You put Towns on any other team in college basketball, maybe with the exception of Duke, and everyone is talking about him as a legitimate player of the year candidate,” one NBA GM told ESPN’s Chad Ford. “His stats, or lack thereof, aren’t an issue of talent, it’s an issue of so much talent on the floor that he can take a back seat.”
3 (3) Emmanuel Mudiay-PG (Guangdong)
-6’5″, 200 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 2
-ESPN Rank: No. 2
-Stats: 18.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 6.3 APG. .493/.321/.586
Mudiay, despite not having played in over a month due to an ankle injury, is by far the most talented guard in the draft, and his size and speed are NBA-ready. Not playing college ball didn’t hurt Dante Exum prior to the 2014 draft, and Mudiay is a more NBA-ready prospect than he was, and it wouldn’t be a complete shock for him to go No. 1 overall, depending on the team selecting first and its needs (ie: the Sixers). Mudiay is almost sure to dazzle in his pre-draft workouts, and he’ll definitely go in the first three picks.
4 (4) Justise Winslow-SF (Duke/Freshman)
-6’6″, 221 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 6
-ESPN Rank: No. 6
-Stats: 12.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG. .462/.388/.627.
Winslow has seemingly recovered from his uninspiring run to end November, and is once again putting up solid numbers and displaying his wide range of skills and fantastic athleticism. His three-point shooting has improved, which was a big question mark in his game entering the season. NBA teams have little use for wings who can’t spread the floor, and if Winslow can keep it up he’ll secure a spot in the top seven picks. Numerous scouts and draft projections have Kristaps Porzingis going ahead of him, but I haven’t drunk the Latvian’s Kool-Aid just yet, and would select the surer thing in Winslow at this slot.
5 (5) Stanley Johnson-SF (Arizona/Freshman)
-6’7″, 237 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 8
-ESPN Rank: No. 11
-Stats: 14.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 1.8 SPG. .482/.425/.684.
Johnson is an absolute man-child with an NBA-ready body and excellent strength. He reminds me a bit of Larry Johnson (no relation), though he is nowhere near as polished on the offensive end as the elder Johnson was coming out of UNLV. What will continue to make Johnson a question mark is his limited outside game, which to his credit, has been steadily improving as the season wears on. His individual workouts will make or break him as a top 10 pick, but I love his aggressiveness, defense, and rebounding. Out of my top five ranked players, Johnson is the likeliest to slide lower on the list as the season progresses.
6 (10) Willie Cauley-Stein-C (Kentucky/Junior)
-7’0″, 244 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 4
-ESPN Rank: No. 7
-Stats: 9.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. .588/.000/.571.
Few players are rising up the draft boards this season quicker than Cauley-Stein, whose decision to return to Kentucky for his junior season is paying off handsomely for him. He is an absolute defensive monster, and can step into an NBA rotation immediately. He is still limited offensively, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. I project Cauley-Stein to produce similar numbers to Tyson Chandler, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Some mock drafts have him in the top five, which I think is a bit high for such a one-dimensional player. But he’ll almost certainly be a top 10 selection, and should pay immediate dividends for a franchise looking for a rim protector.
7 (6) Kristaps Porzingis-PF (Baloncesto Sevilla)
-7’0″, 220 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 5
-ESPN Rank: No. 4
-Stats: 8.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.1 BPG. .435/.371/.750.
Porzingis is a likely top five pick, but I remain unimpressed with his game. He has excellent athleticism, and is a talented three-point shooter, but Porzingis hasn’t necessarily dominated in European competition yet, which raises all kinds of red flags with me. There have been plenty of European players who have entered the league with high expectations based on their physical skills, only to turn out to be draft busts. Porzingis is a project with an extremely high upside, but I would think twice about taking him in the top five. My first instinct was to rank him outside the top 10, but it’s almost assured that some team will take a gamble on him near the top of the draft.
8 (7) Kevon Looney-PF (UCLA/Freshman)
-6’9″, 220 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 11
-ESPN Rank: No. 5
-Stats: 12.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. .444/.273/.644.
Looney is still rising swiftly up the draft boards despite a brutal four game stretch where he averaged only 6.8 PPG, all Bruins losses. But he did have a monster 27 point, 19 rebound showing Thursday night against Stanford that will hopefully get him back on track. Looney’s a bit of a tweener, similar to Aaron Gordon a year ago in that respect, but has a far more polished offensive game than Gordon did at Arizona last season. I’ve continued to be impressed with his ball-handling and passing, and both are skills that will translate well to the pros. Looney might not crack the top five selections, but if that is the case, whichever team he falls to could be getting a steal.
9 (11) D’Angelo Russell-SG/PG (Ohio State/Freshman)
-6’5″, 176 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 10
-ESPN Rank: No. 12
-Stats: 18.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 5.2 APG. .470/.458/.786.
Though he plays shooting guard at Ohio State, NBA scouts are now viewing Russell as a potential NBA point guard, which will only serve to increase his draft stock. Russell is already a polished scorer with a lethal outside touch. The lefty has excellent ball-handling skills, and he’s very effective off the dribble, though he needs to improve upon his ability to finish at the rim if he wants to be an effective pro. The two main knocks against Russell are that he needs to get stronger and that he has a tendency to disappear for long stretches during games and coast. He has a nice upside and should turn into a solid NBA player in a few short seasons.
10 (19) Kelly Oubre-SF (Kansas/Freshman)
-6’6″, 204 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 9
-ESPN Rank: No. 9
-Stats: 7.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 0.7 APG. .440/.438/.643.
Oubre’s draft stock had taken a hit since the beginning of the season when he looked lost during the limited playing time he was receiving. But the freshman recently notched 23 points against Lafayette and 20 versus Kent State, which showed what kind of potential this tremendously athletic player has. But he tempered the excitement those outings generated with a 3 point outing against Baylor where he only hit one of his seven shots. Oubre needs quite a bit of polish, and would greatly benefit from another year in school, but that scenario is highly unlikely. He’ll likely figure things out a bit better by season’s end, and if he stars in the tournament and his pre-draft workouts, Oubre should end up being taken in the top 10 come June.
11 (8) Myles Turner-C (Texas/Freshman)
-6’11”, 242 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 12
-ESPN Rank: No. 8
-Stats: 11.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 2.7 BPG. .487/.364/.893.
Turner is a project, but he’s one who could pay dividends for a patient team. He’s a good scorer with range out to the three-point line, but he lacks aggressiveness. Turner is a solid shot blocker, but he needs to improve as a rebounder if he wants to be more than just a rotation player in the NBA. There are also some legitimate concerns regarding his knees due to his odd way of running. Big men tend to break down faster than players at other positions, so long-term health is a definite concern with Turner. His production has tailed off in recent weeks, but his upside is too high for him to slide too far down the draft boards.
12 (12) Mario Hezonja-SG (Barcelona Regal)
-6’7″, 200 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 7
-ESPN Rank: No. 10
-Stats: 4.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.3 APG. .464/.290/.500.
Hezonja is a projected lottery pick, but I’m not sold on his long-term future in the NBA. He’s a possible draft-and-stash pick, which could benefit him since he needs quite a bit more development before making the jump to the NBA. Hezonja is very athletic and can light it up from the outside when he’s “on,” but he’s a poor defender, which doesn’t help his value. He also isn’t putting up eye-catching numbers overseas, which doesn’t bode well for his NBA fortunes. There have also been some red flags raised about his attitude, ability to accept coaching, and overall maturity. These concerns could serve to lower Hezonja’s draft stock around the league.
13 (13) Montrezl Harrell-PF (Louisville/Junior)
-6’8″, 243 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 15
-ESPN Rank: No. 15
-Stats: 15.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.1 APG. .597/.240/.592.
It was surprising to see Harrell return to Louisville for his junior season, but the move will likely reward him with a higher draft selection than he would have garnered in 2014. There’s a lot to like about Harrell’s game, but he bears the dreaded tweener tag. He’s neither a true power forward nor a classic small forward. He can score from almost anywhere on the floor and has a high motor. He’s also a very good rebounder and a physical defender. But Harrell lacks a defined NBA position (ie: Derrick Williams and Thomas Robinson), which could end up lowering his draft stock as well as his ceiling as a player.
14 (9) Cliff Alexander-PF/C (Kansas/Freshman)
-6’9″, 254 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 17
-ESPN Rank: No. 25
-Stats: 8.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. .529/.000/.727.
Alexander is a bit undersized for his position, but he makes up for it with his 7’3″ wingspan. He possesses a tantalizing mixture of strength and athleticism, and can be a rampaging beast in the paint. Alexander lacks a mid-range game, and he also doesn’t have a great grasp of the game’s nuances yet, which will slow his learning curve down a bit. But he has a ceiling similar to that of Lakers rookie Julius Randle, without the concerns on the defensive end that followed the Kentucky product into the NBA prior to his season-ending injury. Alexander’s stock has taken a bit of a dip thanks to a decided lack of production over Kansas’ last six contests, where has only logged 5.8 PPG and 4.0 RPG. He still has time to figure things out, but Alexander is in danger of slipping out of lottery consideration.
15 (-) R.J. Hunter-SG (Georgia State/Junior)
-6’5″, 185 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 24
-ESPN Rank: No. 13
-Stats: 20.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.7 APG. .405/.302/.804.
Hunter is shooting up the draft boards quite rapidly, and could become a possible lottery pick by season’s end. He’s not an elite athlete, which could limit his potential. But this kid can flat out shoot, both off-the-dribble and spotting up, and is deadly from long range. He’s also a very good passer, but his ball-handling needs work for him to be an effective pro. Hunter will have difficulty guarding the quicker twos in the NBA, but he has the potential to be a valuable contributor as a sixth man. Hunter is one of the players most likely to surprise on draft night with how high he is taken.
16 (15) Rondae Hollis-Jefferson-SF (Arizona/Sophomore)
-6’6″, 212 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 19
-ESPN Rank: No. 27
-Stats: 11.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 1.7 APG. .545/.267/.690.
There’s a lot to like about Hollis-Jefferson’s game and draft potential. As a player, he reminds me of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and not just because of the hyphenated last name. Hollis-Jefferson is extremely athletic, exciting in transition, a good rebounder for his size, and a solid defender. But he does come with limitations similar to Kidd-Gilchrist’s, mainly in his lack of a reliable outside game. While he boasts a decent mid-range jump shot, he makes his living attacking the basket, an aspect that doesn’t always translate to the NBA, thanks to the far superior athleticism college players face when making the jump to the pros. His stock is beginning to slip, mainly due to Stanley Johnson becoming the focus of Arizona’s offensive attack.
17 (-) Jakob Poeltl-C (Utah/Freshman)
-7’0″, 230 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 18
-ESPN Rank: No. 14
-Stats: 9.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 2.1 BPG. .652/.000/.443.
Poeltl is another freshman who is playing his way up the draft boards. The Austrian is an excellent defender, can rebound very well, and has a fluid and effective mid range game. His stats aren’t eye-popping, but bigs with his combination of size, skills, and athleticism will always have a place in the NBA. His post game needs quite a bit of work, and Poeltl will need to bulk up to be effective in the NBA paint, but don’t be surprised if he ends up becoming a top 20 pick.
18 (16) Frank Kaminsky-C (Wisconsin/Senior)
-7’0″, 242 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 14
-ESPN Rank: No. 17
-Stats: 16.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. .529/.364/.747.
Kaminsky isn’t likely to become a star in the NBA, nor even an effective starter. But he’ll be able to contribute on the offensive end immediately for whichever team selects him. Kaminsky reminds me quite a bit of the Celtics’ Kelly Olynyk offensively, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Unfortunately, he also shares Olynyk’s weaknesses as a rebounder and defender. As a mid first-rounder, Kaminsky will be a solid pick, though he will have a limited ceiling thanks to his athletic shortcomings.
19 (17) Caris LeVert-SG (Michigan/Junior)
-6’7″, 200 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 13
-ESPN Rank: No. 29
-Stats: 14.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.8 APG. .430/.418/.800.
LeVert has tailed off after an excellent start to the season, and he has only managed to score in double figures in two of Michigan’s last six contests. LeVert reaped the benefits of Nik Stauskas having departed Michigan for the NBA in 2014, having a green light to fire away, but that only helps if he’s nailing his shots. If he doesn’t turn things around, and soon, LeVert is looking more and more like he’ll be taken in the mid to late 20s.
20 (20) Tyus Jones-PG (Duke/Freshman)
-6’1″, 184 pounds
-DraftExpress Rank: No. 22
-ESPN Rank: No. 23
-Stats: 10.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 5.2 APG. .434/.395/.855.
The 18-year-old Jones has shown remarkable poise as a freshman, and he reminds me quite a bit of Tyler Ennis, another player I was extremely high on heading into the 2014 draft. Jones lacks elite athleticism, needs to work on his outside shot, and won’t be ready to play significant minutes his rookie season. But his court vision and basketball IQ will make him a valuable rotation piece in a couple of seasons. Jones is the type of player whose value doesn’t always show up in the box score, and he is overshadowed by Okafor and Winslow on a talented Duke squad. But this kid has the potential to be an effective pro, and a mid first round gem for a patient team.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks Sign Amundson To 10-Day Deal
SATURDAY, 8:40am: The signing is official, New York has announced.
FRIDAY. 8:42pm: The Knicks continue to look to add to their roster, and now have set their sights on another player that who was acquired in the recent three-way trade with the Cavs and the Thunder. New York is eyeing Louis Amundson for a 10-day deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Amundson, who was waived after being acquired, could be signed as early as Saturday, Stein notes.
Amundson appeared in 12 contests for Cleveland this season, averaging 0.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per contest. His career numbers over 358 games are 3.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 0.7 BPG. His career slash line is .489/.000/.487.
New York’s roster count is currently at 14 players, which includes Lance Thomas, who is also reportedly being inked to a 10-day contract.
Knicks Ink Lance Thomas To 10-Day Pact
SATURDAY, 8:37am: The signing of Thomas is official, the Knicks have announced.
FRIDAY, 8:27pm:The Knicks will sign Lance Thomas to a 10-day contract, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). Thomas had been acquired by New York in the three-way trade with the Thunder and Cavs that sent Dion Waiters to OKC and J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland. Thomas was then waived prior to Wednesday’s deadline so that New York could avoid guaranteeing the remainder of his 2014/15 salary.
Thomas appeared in 22 games for the Thunder this season, including 13 as a starter, averaging 5.1 points and 3,4 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per night. His career averages over 3+ seasons in the league are 3.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 0.4 APG. His career slash line is .428/.000/.759.
This move will increase the Knicks roster count to 14 players. This number also includes Langston Galloway, who is also in New York on a 10-day deal.
Southwest Notes: Smith, Koufos, Spurs
Rockets coach Kevin McHale is using Josh Smith in a reserve role rather than as a starter due to Smith’s preference, not his own, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes. “The biggest thing is about getting him comfortable,” McHale said. “He has to get where he’s comfortable. He felt more comfortable with that second team. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to do. I’ve sat him down and said, “Ok, are you more comfortable coming off the bench? Are you more comfortable starting? Where are you at, because this is about you being comfortable, not me being comfortable?’ I just sit over on that bench. I don’t have to be comfortable.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Smith is happy for his former Pistons teammates and the success that they have enjoyed since his departure to the Rockets, Feigen writes in a separate piece. Smith also isn’t fazed by the criticism levied against him in regards to being the reason that Detroit was a losing team, Feigen adds. “I have no hard feelings,” Smith said. “I felt great about the opportunity that was given to me and I looked at it more as a blessing than anything. No. 1, I think I was signed under Joe Dumars. You come in with a new group, a new situation. I knew he [Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy] probably wanted his guys in there. There were a lot of young guys that needed to be groomed. They were more in the rebuilding stage. He didn’t want to string me along for the process because he was understanding this is my 11th year and I should have an opportunity to play for a good team.”
- Grizzlies big man Kosta Koufos is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and Koufos will have to decide whether staying in Memphis as a reserve or leaving to pursue a starting role with another team will make him happier in the long-run, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders writes. “I do want to play a lot more,” Koufos said. “You know, who doesn’t [want to play more]? But right now I’m not thinking about the summer. I’m thinking about the now, and right now I’m with the Memphis Grizzlies trying to help them win as many games as possible. That’s my goal. You have to feel confident. This [is] my role right now so I have to go with it.”
- In the midst of disappointing stretches, both the Spurs and the Thunder are in danger of sliding to lower playoff seeds, or out of the postseason entirely, Jeff Caplan of FOX Sports Southwest writes.
Knicks Notes: Jackson, Shumpert, Anthony
One reason that Knicks owner James Dolan hired Phil Jackson as team president was for his championship credentials, but Jackson’s winning pedigree hasn’t translated thus far in selling the players on the triangle offense, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “When I played, the credibility Phil and his staff had came when he walked in the door,’’ coach Derek Fisher said. “We were all intrigued in wanting to figure it out, knowing they won championships doing this. We wanted to figure out how to win championships within this format. In recent years, Phil wasn’t coaching and there weren’t any teams running this system. So these current players can’t say this team won a championship last year or two years ago doing it.”
Here’s more out of NYC:
- Iman Shumpert says that his new team, the Cavaliers, remind him of of the Knicks circa 2012/13, Berman writes in a separate piece. “It’s going to be different,’’ Shumpert said. “I think it will be like my second year when we had Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler. We had a lot of different guys who did a lot of different things.’’
- Shumpert also relayed that he’s happy to be on a Cavs team that is likely to make the playoffs, something that the 5-34 Knicks have little chance at, Berman adds. “Of course everybody wants to win and be in the playoffs and compete more,” Shumpert said. “I didn’t want my season to end early. There’s work to do here, too. We definitely are going to get to work.’’
- With the Knicks’ season all but over, Anthony has to believe that New York’s front office has a plan that will work, Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes. “When I first committed back to New York, that was something I always said: I had to trust that them guys know what they’re doing and believe in them guys. And that was one of the reasons I wanted to come back,” Anthony said. “Here’s an opportunity with the trust. Everything starts now.”
Suns Acquire Brandan Wright
5:57pm: The Suns have officially waived Mitchell, the team announced in its press release.
5:27: The trade is official, the Celtics have announced in a press release.
5:07pm: The Suns will waive Tony Mitchell in order to clear a roster spot for Wright, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports (Twitter link).
4:39pm: The Suns are set to acquire center Brandan Wright from the Celtics, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter links). Phoenix will be sending Boston the first-round pick that it owns from Minnesota, Wojnarowski adds. The pick is top 12 protected this season, and top 12 protected in 2015/16, and if it does not convey by the 2016 NBA draft, then the pick will turn into two second-rounders. Boston will also create a $5MM trade exception in the deal, an amount equivalent to Wright’s salary. Phoenix currently has 15 players on its roster, so a corresponding move will need to be made prior to completing the deal.
Wright was the centerpiece player in the trade with Dallas for Rajon Rondo, though Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge had recently informed Wright that he was on the trading block. Trading the 27-year-old big man out of North Carolina is the latest step in Ainge’s rebuilding plan in Boston, and the team is obviously valuing the future over the present with its moves this season.
In 320 career games, Wright has averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game. His career slash line is .609/.000/.685.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
And-Ones: Cooley, Ford, Upshaw
ESPN.com draft guru Chad Ford (Insider subscription required) opines that two tiers of talent appear to be forming in the lottery portion of the upcoming NBA draft. The upper tier includes Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis, all of whom are currently projected as top five selections, Ford notes. The second tier consists of Kevon Looney, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Myles Turner, Kelly Oubre, Mario Hezonja, Stanley Johnson and D’Angelo Russell, and they will make up the likely No. 5 to No. 12 overall selections, Ford adds.
Here’s more from around the league and the college ranks:
- Ford has also released his most recent “Big Board,” which has Oubre cracking the top 10, and has Jerian Grant of Notre Dame making a big leap from No. 27 to No. 19.
- A league source told Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (Twiitter link) that there is a lot of NBA interest in Jack Cooley, and there is a strong possibility that he could be inked to a 10-day contract shortly. Cooley currently plays for the Idaho Stampede, the Jazz‘s D-League affiliate.
- Former Pistons assistant GM George David was hired as director of basketball operations for Wasserman Media Group, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports (Twitter link).
- One college player starting to catch the eye of NBA scouts is Washington’s Robert Upshaw, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. “I would agree that he was a sleeper to start this season, maybe,” one league scout told Deveney. “He is not a sleeper anymore.” The 7’0″ center is averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds so far this season, and he is drawing interest as a potential first-rounder, Deveney notes.
- The Warriors have assigned Ognjen Kuzmic to their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced in a press release. This will be Kuzmic’s fourth trek of the season to the D-League.
Eastern Notes: Williams, Deng, Thompson
The Nets‘ Deron Williams, who is the subject of trade rumors, will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed one of his ribs was fractured, Roderick Boone of Newsday reports. “Deron reported some soreness above this area over the weekend and as a result underwent imaging studies on Monday, which were negative,” team physician Riley Williams III said in a statement. “[Wednesday] during the game, he reported a new onset of symptoms below the prior area of soreness. New imaging studies done [Thursday] demonstrated the fracture. There is no timetable for his return.”
Here’s more from the East:
- Luol Deng is rumored to be on the trading block, with the Grizzlies a possible suitor, but despite the Heat‘s struggles this season, Deng insists he doesn’t want out of Miami, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel reports. “I’ve had no issues,” Deng said. “My whole thing I’ve been saying this year is we’ve been trying to get it right, fit everybody in. It’s never that I’m unhappy or anything. Just because they’re trade rumors, I’m not the one asking for trades.“
- Surya Fernandez of FOX Sports Florida examined a number of potentially available players with whom the Heat could upgrade their roster, including Andray Blatche, Samuel Dalembert, Tyler Johnson, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson.
- When informed that the newly acquired Timofey Mozgov would be taking his place in the Cavs‘ starting lineup, Tristan Thompson handled the news like a true team player, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I’ve come off the bench most of the season,” Thompson said. “Whatever it takes for us to win. [I’ll] come out and join the bench mob again. Bring the energy with myself, Delly [Matthew Dellavedova] and all the other guys so that’s a role that I embrace and I’m trying to be the X-factor.“
- One thing that J.R. Smith will miss about being with the Knicks is his friendship with Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Kernan of The New York Post writes. “I was upset that I don’t get to play with my best friend who I’ve played with for the last nine or 10 years,’’ Smith said. “We’ve been together so long and we complemented each other so well from the inside out game. Off the court too, we hung at each other’s houses.”