Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Hornacek, Jackson, Holiday
Kristaps Porzingis plans on working out with Dirk Nowitzki over the offseason, Marc Berman of the Post reports. While Mark Cuban initially wasn’t thrilled with the idea, the Mavs owner came to his senses, saying “It was all in fun. It’s up to Dirk.’’
Porzingis, meanwhile, intends to take advantage of an opportunity to learn from an all-time great.
“I’m sure it will help me out and improve my game, hopefully, unless Mark Cuban says no,’’ Porzingis said. “Dirk is a guy who can really help my game. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to work with him, a few days to get on the court with him and pick his brain.”
More from The Mecca…
- In an interview with Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, Justin Holiday reiterated his desire to play alongside his brother (and fellow free agent-to-be) Jrue Holiday. “That’s something we’ve talked about, and I’m sure we’ll talk about it more when the season is over.”
- According to a report from Frank Isola of the Daily News, Phil Jackson may consider firing Jeff Hornacek after the season. Isola takes Jackson to task for being indifferent to the team’s dour mood, as well as being overly fixated on running the triangle offense. “Maybe Jackson’s plan is to be more hands-on knowing that Hornacek will not stand in his way. Under this arrangement Phil’s coaching the team without being on the bench. And it would be a recipe for an even bigger disaster,” Isola writes.
- The Knicks must focus on Porzingis’ development amid their chaotic season, Steve Popper of The Record writes. “I think this year is a really good experience for me,” Porzingis said. “It’s a tough year. It’s a tough everything. There’s a quote like, a smooth sea never, you know what I mean about the sea? Google it. Basically if the sea is smooth you’re never going to become a great sailor. That’s how I always take it – as a challenge.”
Chandler Parsons Diagnosed With Meniscus Tear
6:34pm: Parsons has been diagnosed with a “partial tear of the meniscus in his left knee,” the Grizzlies announced via team press release (link). Parsons will be out indefinitely, all but closing the book on his 2016/17 campaign. GM Chris Wallace expressed his sympathy for Parsons in a written statement.
“To suffer a setback like this after working so diligently to rebound from the injury to his right knee is obviously tough. That said, we know he will continue to work tirelessly to return to the court with his teammates and contribute,” Wallace said. “Chandler has the full support of myself, Coach Fizz and the entire team and we are all focused on getting him healthy.”
6:28pm: Chandler Parsons will sit out for the second time in three games tonight due to soreness in his left knee. While injuries have plagued Parsons throughout his first season in Memphis, the team is reportedly considering shutting him down in midst of a playoff run.
According to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, the Grizzlies are “contemplating” shutting Parsons down for the season (Twitter link). If Tillery’s report comes to fruition, it remains to be seen whether Parsons would be shut down for merely the regular season or the postseason as well.
Parsons simply hasn’t been on the court enough to have the type of impact he had with the Rockets and Mavs. After missing 24 of the season’s first 30 games due to a knee injury, Parsons has struggled in his return to the lineup. In a nine-game stretch from February 13 to March 11, Parsons averaged five points per game on 30.8% shooting.
Having inked a four-year, $94,438,523 contract over the offseason, Parsons recognizes the long-term commitment GM Chris Wallace made with him.
“I suck right now. There’s no sugarcoating it. It is what it is,” Parsons told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Look, I signed a four-year deal. I didn’t sign a one-year deal. The team expectations for me are to go very slow. It’s going to be a long process…you see the contract I signed with the salary I make. People expect a lot better than I’m performing right now.”
Pacific Notes: Iguodala, Kerr, Joerger, Rob Pelinka
Andre Iguodala has been assessed a $10K fine for making “inappropriate comments” during a postgame interview, the league announced on its official website (link). Iguodala’s comments came after a 103-102 loss to Minnesota on Friday, when the 33-year-old was venting about not participating in a match-up with the Spurs. Steve Kerr had Iguodala’s back, claiming the 13-year vet likes to mess with the media.
“You guys just got Andre’d,” Kerr said to a group of reporters, including Chris Haynes of ESPN. “Andre is one of those guys who likes to stir the pot and has a lot of cryptic messaging at times. [He] jokes around. I didn’t take anything from it. It’s just Andre being Andre.”
Iguodala spoke with the press Monday, expressing regret for the impact of his comments.
“I feel like it’s the wrong time because it puts my team in that situation and coaching staff in that situation,” he told Ethan Strauss of ESPN. “I have a great relationship with Steve Kerr, and he knows that. Steve spoke to you guys about it, you know what I mean. Steve in his words, someone still may not believe him, but he and I are in a great place. We don’t even have to speak about it because he knew that in no way shape or form that I’m talking about him.”
More from around the Pacific…
- The Kings will be sticking with their veterans despite a losing record, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. Coach Dave Joerger isn’t going to “throw away” the team’s remaining games in 2016/17, Jones writes, and will play veterans (Garrett Temple, Arron Afflalo, Anthony Tolliver) alongside young players. “I’m very happy with coach,” Afflalo said. “Throughout all of this, he’s remained very positive and encouraged us to win games. He’s playing to win, he’s doing the best that he can with our roster. I commend him for that. So, from a veteran perspective, you’ve always got to keep hope alive and to to go out there and take it one game at a time.”
- New Lakers GM Rob Pelinka plans to conduct individual meetings with his players, Tania Ganguli of the L.A. Times writes. “For Earvin [Magic Johnson], Luke and I, we see our fundamental purpose, not just one that’s all about leadership in terms of the front office, but that’s also one about service,” Pelinka said. “When I say that, we want to make sure that we establish a platform of excellence for the players in that locker room. That’s the heartbeat of the team. I think the message to the guys is we want to serve your needs to help you be great.”
“Not A Chance” Blazers Bring Back Festus Ezeli
Jason Quick, CSN’s Trail Blazers Insider, rejected the possibility of Portland picking up Festus Ezeli‘s team option for 2017/18, saying there’s “no chance” of it happening (Twitter link). Should Neil Oshey decline Ezeli’s options, he’ll join the 2017 free agent class as a bounce-back candidate.
Ezeli didn’t play a game this year, suffering a left knee injury before undergoing season-ending surgery. The 27-year-old Ezeli made $7.4MM in 2016/17, and would be owed $7.733MM if Portland picked up his option for next season. Quick discussed other big men Portland could pursue over the offseason, suggesting the team look for a trade partner or hope for a return to form from Ed Davis, who will be entering the final season of his three-year deal (Twitter link).
Prior to his season-ending surgery, Ezeli spoke to reporters in December about the frustration of a lost season.
“I’m kind of past the point of frustration because at first it was — I’m not going to lie, it definitely was,” he said. “I’m at the point where I’m just trying to find a solution. The sooner I can, the sooner I can get on the court and help my team win games. I just can’t wait to get on the court, that’s my biggest thing. I miss basketball, I haven’t played basketball in a while, so that’s my biggest thing right now.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls 3/13/17
Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Nuggets recalled Malik Beasley from the Siux Falls Skyforce, the team announced on its official website (link). Beasley’s most recent NBA action came against Golden State on February 13, going scoreless through seven minutes.
- The Raptors recalled Bruno Caboclo from Raptors 905, the team announced via Twitter (link). Caboclo has averaged 9.9 points over 31 games in the D-League this season.
- The Clippers recalled Brice Johnson from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced via Twitter (link). Johnson, who has been sidelined with a herniated disk in his back for much of the season, has averaged nine points over three games in the D-League.
Nikola Mirotic Unhappy With Inactive Status
After landing on the inactive list for Sunday’s game against the Celtics, Nikola Mirotic vented his frustrations to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Mirotic is a restricted free agent-to-be, and all signs point toward him parting ways with the Bulls over the offseason.
“It’s been difficult for me to understand,” Mirotic said. “Coach (Fred Hoiberg) told me I need to stay ready but didn’t give me any expectation when I can play. I know I can help those guys. Of course I’ve been inconsistent, but that’s been the whole team up and down. To be out of the rotation doesn’t make sense for me. I asked (Hoiberg) what can I do to be back in the rotation, what should I do differently? It looks like he wants to give an opportunity to the new guy on the team, Joffrey Lauvergne.”
As Mirotic alluded to, “inconsistency” appears to have hurt his value this season. The 26-year-old averaged 9.1 points on 30.2% shooting from long distance; each career-lows. Mirotic has received three consecutive DNPs, and the trend may continue through the season.
Mirotic isn’t alone in voicing criticisms of Chicago’s strategy (or lack thereof). Dwyane Wade chastised the team “experimenting” with lineups after the team’s fifth straight loss Sunday.
“I don’t know. I wish upper management could be answering the questions because I’m tired of answering them every game,” Wade said. “It’s tough, especially when you’re playing teams that’s ready for the playoffs, besides Orlando. It’s all been playoff teams and they’re ready. They know what they gotta do. We’re still…experimenting.”
Unlike Wade, a 12-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion, Mirotic’s remarks aren’t likely to move the needle. Mirotic will enter the open market following a season in which he posted career-lows in several areas. While the feeling may not be mutual with management, Mirotic has made it clear he wants to play in Chicago.
“I really wanted to stay because I came to Chicago because I wanted to play here,” Mirotic said. “For me, it was like another opportunity after the deadline. I really was focused. I was really working hard on myself to be the first guy in the weight room and working some extra shots, doing everything I was supposed to do to be ready. I was feeling much better on the floor. But they made the decision that’s been made. It’s been hard.”
Northwest Notes: Eighth Seed, Denver’s Defense, Towns
Jazz coach Quin Snyder is receiving contributions from seldom-used players Jeff Withey and Raul Neto, Jody Genessy of Deseret News writes.
“To be honest, we’ve been in these situations a lot, so there are different guys each night,” Snyder said. “When you have the right spirit, the game rewards you and that’s what happened with those two guys tonight. It’s easy to say, ‘Stay ready,’ and we say that stuff as coaches, but it’s hard to do. For those guys to literally be ready and contribute like they did, it was pretty good.”
The Jazz have won seven of their last 10, enjoying a successful 2016/17 campaign despite occasional injuries to George Hill, Derrick Favors, and Gordon Hayward.
“It’s tough because you never know when your name will be called, so you have to be ready,” Withey said. “On days off, I’m always in the gym running, trying to stay in shape, get shots up and stuff. It’s tough mentally also. It’s part of the business. It’s part of the job.”
More from the Northwest…
- The Nuggets still hold the eighth seed of the Western Conference, but the team’s defense must improve to sustain a playoff run, Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post writes. Denver’s opponent field goal percentage ranks 28th in the league since the All-Star break, Kosmider writes, and 24th in defensive rating. Coach Michael Malone is well-aware of the problem. “You go back to the start of the regular season, and we were playing good defense the first 10, close to 15 games. Obviously, the wheels have fallen off,” Malone said. Interestingly, Darrell Arthur was hesitant to blame his teammates for the defensive shortcomings: “We’re still learning. We’ve got a young team. It takes a while to go from a mediocre team to a good team to a great team. We’re trying to be great. We’re right there around good, but not so consistent.”
- Karl-Anthony Towns has taken charge of the “desperate” Timberwolves, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press writes. Towns has been the key to Minnesota’s recent playoff push; winning seven of their last 10, climbing to within two games of the eighth seed. Following tonight’s crucial win over the Warriors, hopes are high for the young Wolves. “Desperation makes you do a lot of things you couldn’t normally do,” Towns said. “Being so close to the playoffs, I have a lot of desperation trying to play the best that I can so I can try to help us get to the playoffs and get that eighth spot.”
- Tom Thibodeau praised his team’s defensive improvements, saying they’ve taken a “quantum leap” in the right direction. “We’re not where we need to be, but when you look at the past couple of years and where we are now, (the point differential) says we’ve made a big jump,” Thibodeau told AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today. “I believe we’re down to 13th now in points allowed (on the season), so that’s a quantum leap, and it’s still not where it needs to be, and we have to understand that.”
Cavs, Larry Sanders “In Serious Discussions Toward A Deal”
The Cavs are nearing a deal with free agent center Larry Sanders, Sam Amico of Fox Sports reports. While there are still obstacles to be cleared before a deal is complete, the Cavs have an obvious need for a big man following Andrew Bogut‘s season-ending injury. Following Bogut’s injury, David Aldridge of TNT speculated the Cavs could ramp up their pursuit of Sanders (Twitter link).
For a signing to be completed, the Cavs would need to release Bogut. If all goes as planned, Amico notes, a deal could be reached by Monday (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Cavaliers Plan To Waive Andrew Bogut]
Shams Charania of The Vertical corroborated Amico’s report, writing that Sanders and the Cavs are “in serious discussions toward a deal.” Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders shed further light on the potential signing, claiming Sanders was initially Cleveland’s backup plan at the five. The team opted to sign the more experienced Bogut, who received just one minute of court time before suffering a fractured tibia.
Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype reported that no deal is imminent for the Cavs, as a decision will likely be made following their road trip. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com concurred, observing that if a signing were to take place, Sanders wouldn’t be a part of this current road trip.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN gave a measured assessment of negotiations, claiming the Cavs are in talks with several players for Bogut’s roster spot. Sanders playfully foreshadowed his return earlier today, tweeting “Looks like Ima need my goggles back.”
If Sanders signs with the Cavs, he’ll be eligible to play in the postseason. In fact, no current free agent is ineligible for the playoffs, since no one has been waived since March 1 — Bogut would be the first player to fit that bill, assuming his release is made official.
Kawhi Leonard Enters Concussion Protocol
According to a team press release, Kawhi Leonard has entered the NBA’s Concussion Protocol. Per the release: “Leonard, who was hit in the head in last night’s Spurs-Thunder game, will not play in tomorrow night’s Spurs-Warriors contest. The team will provide updates on his return to the court as appropriate.”
Per the league’s official website, Leonard was injured in the second half of Thursday’s game with OKC, when he was struck on the left side of his head by Victor Oladipo. The Spurs are within striking distance of Golden State for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, and Leonard’s absence won’t help them close the gap this weekend.
According to Anthony Slater of Mercury News, Warriors coach Steve Kerr is unsure if he’ll rest any of his starters against the short-handed Spurs (Twitter link).
In addition to Leonard, Tony Parker is questionable for the contest due to back stiffness (Twitter link).
Mark Cuban: “We’ve Gone Through A Rebuild In One Season”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban discussed his team in a Q&A with Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The interview spanned a variety of subjects- even touching on politics toward the end- but Cuban was sure to praise the “reinvigorated” Dirk Nowitzki, as well as scrappy guards Yogi Ferrell and Seth Curry.
“This has reinvigorated Dirk. He sees the big picture,” Cuban said of Nowitzki’s choice to ‘ride it out’ in Dallas. “We’re in a win-win situation. We lose, we get a better draft pick, we win we get into the playoffs. It’s fun. It feels a lot more like 2000 when I first brought the team. All this young energy, exciting, fun to watch, we’re at a place where we’re not supposed to be.”
Cuban has reason to be pleased with Dallas’ season. Having gotten off to a 5-18 start in 2016/17, it looked as though the Mavs were in for a lost season. Several key contributors have helped right the ship, however. Ferrell and Curry have supplanted J.J. Barea and Devin Harris as Rick Carlisle‘s primary guards, Harrison Barnes has overcome a shaky start to the season, and Nerlens Noel looks like a stellar trade deadline pick-up.
“He has the most understated swag I’ve ever seen. His brother [Stephen] likes to dance. Seth will just kill you and then give you a little hand motion. He’s so non-demonstrative,” Cuban said. “To me, the more of a show you put on when you do something, the less swag you have. He doesn’t tell you, he scoreboards you, and to me, that’s the ultimate swag. We want him to be here forever. He’s our kind of guy.”
In Cuban’s mind, the team’s abbreviated rebuilding period has been a group effort.
“We’ve basically gone through a rebuild in one season. It’s a credit to Rick (Carlisle, the Mavericks coach) but also everyone on this team,” Cuban said. “There’s still a lot more to do. Nobody’s writing us in for The Finals this year. Our guys really worked hard, as hard or harder than any team in the league. Look at Miami. They’ve undergone a lot of changes too, much like we have, and they just play harder. I remember the Celtics after they traded off Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and they tried to find themselves and they did that by playing their asses off. That’s who we are now. Teams kind of look at our talent and don’t know what to expect but it’s hard to keep up with us when you go 15 deep with guys playing hard. It’s our calling card. I love it.”