Bogut On Rehab, Warriors, Skiles, Bucks
At 26-16, the Golden State Warriors have been among the league's breakout teams this season. While it's not necessarily conclusive to evaluate lineups on paper, it's interesting to think about how center Andrew Bogut figures to fit into the mix next to Stephen Curry and All-Star David Lee. The 28-year-old former number one pick didn't offer a timetable on his return but spoke with reporters tonight about his rehab, how he fits with the Warriors, and offered some thoughts on the Bucks. Here are a few highlights from his interview (credit goes to Rusty Simmons of SFGate.com).
- Although his road to recovery has had its share of setbacks and has taken longer than expected, Bogut has no choice but to go through this process in order to come back strong. He also admits that the Warriors' success this season "definitely helps my sanity."
- Bogut is confident about how he fits with the team and says that the pressure he faced in Milwaukee to be a scorer isn't there in Golden State. He mentions his passing, defense, and rebounding abilities as ways that he can help this team with multiple scorers in place.
- With regard to Scott Skiles, he appeared surprised when told that his former coach had been fired in Milwaukee and gave him one hundred percent credit for teaching him how to make an impact defensively.
- Reflecting on his time with the Bucks, Bogut felt nostalgic upon returning to Milwaukee as he traveled with the team for tonight's game. Thought admitting that he wasn't necessarily itching be traded, he knew that the team was looking to find a way to move Stephen Jackson at the time.
Eastern Notes: Magic, Camby, Cavaliers
Jacque Vaughn, whose quiet approach has been the polar opposite of Stan Van Gundy's, has provided patience and poise to a franchise that has been looking to move on after last year's turbulent atmosphere with Dwight Howard (Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel). Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says that although the Magic are enduring some growing pains, the young club has been showing encouraging signs of development. We have a few more miscellaneous links to share out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Knicks center Marcus Camby has been walking without a boot on his left foot and could be running again in the next two to three weeks, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York. The 38-year-old center has been inactive since January 10.
- Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott liked what he saw defensively from new additions Marreese Speights and Wayne Ellington in Friday's comeback win against the Bucks, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. In another article, Schmitt Boyer notes the warm moment between Kyrie Irving and Scott after the young guard learned he would be a reserve in the All-Star game.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston dissects the minds of the reeling Celtics as they prepare for Ray Allen's return to the TD Garden on Sunday.
Rockets Reinstate Royce White
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Rockets have lifted their suspension on Royce White and expect him to join their D-League affiliate on February 11. This past week, we heard that White was close to an agreement which would allow him to begin his assignment with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers after being suspended earlier this month.
Houston and White released a joint statement today (according to Rockets.com):
"The Houston Rockets and Royce White have today reached an agreement that addresses the major issues that they have been discussing, provides a new start, and gives Royce the best opportunity for long term success as a Houston Rocket. This has been a learning process for both parties. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have approved the settlement. Royce is no longer suspended and is re-instated effective immediately. He will report to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on February 11, 2013."
Feigen also says that the rookie foward will be allowed to do conditioning work on his own or with Rockets staff before joining the Vipers (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Luxury Tax, Meeks
Yannis Koutroupis and Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld both agree that it wouldn't be in the Lakers' best interests to deal Dwight Howard despite how the team has struggled with him thus far. Brotherston also thinks that with Pau Gasol's value to teams looking for some veteran leadership, it would be wise for Los Angeles to cash him in for younger and more athletic players who can provide a better fit next to Steve Nash and Dwight. You'll find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer looks at how the CBA's more restrictive luxury-tax implications (set to take effect in 2013-14) have reconfigured the way trades have been discussed in today's NBA, where cap space and draft picks have become the most coveted bargaining chips in what Celtics coach Doc Rivers calls 'economic trades.'
- Brotherston writes about how the emergence of Earl Clark in Mike D'Antoni's rotation has come at the expense of guard Jodie Meeks, who has gone from averaging 26.5 MPG in December to playing a total of 38 minutes in the Lakers' last seven games. While Meeks admits his frustration, he says there is nothing else to do but remain positive and stay ready for when D'Antoni gives him another opportunity to play.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer points to inexperience as an explanation for the Bobcats' struggles when trying to close out games. Of their 31 losses this season, 10 have been decided by six points or less.
- While there is no set timetable for Hedo Turkoglu's return to action for the Magic, the 6'10 veteran forward recently participated in fullcourt scrimmages and said that the injured left hand he's been dealing with is "about to be 100 percent soon," notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Miles, Harrington
- In another article, Schmitt-Boyer extracts thoughts from C.J. Miles' former coach Tyrone Corbin about the shooting guard's solid development in Cleveland.
- In what is considered a big step in the right direction during his recovery, Al Harrington participated in 3-on-3 scrimmages with the Magic at the end of Saturday's practice (Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports).
- Rockets coach Kevin McHale, who says that he hasn't seen or spoken with Royce White in over a month, responded with "Out of sight, out of mind" when asked about the rookie forward's current status with the team, notes Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press.
- In another article regarding the Timberwolves' newly signed wing player Mickael Gelabale, Richardson writes that the Frenchman garnered recommendations from fellow Olympic teammates Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, and Ronny Turiaf. Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune says that Gelabale looks at his opportunity at an NBA comeback as something that has been on his mind for the last five years.
- Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida delves into Vince Carter's goal of someday making it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Nets, Sullinger
- Knicks star Carmelo Anthony says he feels re-energized after returning to a regular diet after fasting for two weeks, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola mentions that during Anthony's fast, his on-court performances had been mixed.
- With only one game this past week, the extra time off should only be of benefit to the Knicks, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. He also notes that Felton, who wants to play against Boston on Thursday, thinks that next weekend is a more realistic return date from injury.
- Although prone to injury because of his energetic and all-out style of play, Gerald Wallace says he's not changing his game (Roderick Boone of Newsday reports). Later, Boone discusses Keith Bogans success as one of the Nets' more productive role players.
- Greg Payne of ESPN Boston thinks that Jared Sullinger deserves to be selected for the NBA's Rookie-Sophomore game during All-Star Weekend and notes that head coach Doc Rivers and many of the Celtics players strongly agree.
Trade Candidate: Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Barbosa has been no stranger to being on the bench to start games. While at his peak during the 2006-07 season, he averaged 18.1 PPG and 4.0 APG while shooting 47.6% from the field and 43.4% from distance in 32.7 MPG, appearing as a starter in only 18 of the 80 contests he played in that year. Today, the 6'3 guard still starts the game as a reserve for the Celtics, but plays just a fraction of the high-level minutes that allowed him to become one of the league's best bench scorers for a significant portion of his career.
Several seasons have passed since the 30-year-old guard found his niche as a dynamic second unit scorer in Mike D'Antoni's high-octane "Seven Seconds or Less" offense in Phoenix, and since being dealt by the Suns after the 2009-10 season, he's had brief tenures with Toronto and Indiana. While he may not be as spry as in previous years, Barbosa's numbers have shown that he may still have some value to teams that lack guard depth if given the right amount of playing time. During his first season with Toronto in 2010-11, he averaged 13.3 PPG in 24.1 MPG. Before playing the final 22 games of the 2011-12 season with Indiana (averaging 8.9 PPG in 19.8 MPG), he averaged 12.2 PPG in 22.5 MPG with the Raptors. This year, he totals 10.8 MPG through 30 games.
With Doc Rivers having to account for Rajon Rondo, Courtney Lee, Jason Terry, and the recent return of Avery Bradley in his rotation, Leandro has found trouble earning consistent playing time. Since playing 14.3 MPG in November, he earned 6.5 MPG in December, and just 6.8 MPG this month so far. It's also worth mentioning that after appearing in each of Boston's first 16 games of the season, he has accumulated 11 DNP-CDs in their last 23 games. Despite his sporadic role, Barbosa has shown flashes of solid production this year, going 6-for-8 from the field for 16 points in 16 minutes against the Heat on opening night, 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting in 23 minutes against Utah on the first game of a back-to-back, and 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting against the Nets the next night.
The veteran scorer is making about $1.23MM this year on a one-year deal, and became trade-eligible as recently as yesterday. One could only speculate about possible trade destinations, but with the team supposedly interested in J.J. Redick, Barbosa's contract may be included in any potential deal with the Magic. Other teams that could reasonably show interest are the Hawks, who recently lost Lou Williams to a season-ending injury, and the Lakers, who could be granted a Disabled Player Exception after Jordan Hill was ruled out for the rest of the season. A reunion with Steve Nash and Mike D'Antoni would arguably be the most welcome option for Barbosa if given a choice, and should a DPE be granted to the Lakers (worth about $1.78MM), the team will have enough to bring the Brazilian guard to Los Angeles.
Two days ago, we initially heard a report from ESPN Brazil that Barbosa wanted out of Boston (he strongly refuted the rumor shortly after the story was released). Regardless of whether or not he remains a Celtic past the trade deadline, it wouldn't seem likely that the nine-year-veteran factors into the team's plans after this season. With that being said, it could be in the their best interests to shop Barbosa's contract to teams currently in need of guard depth instead of possibly losing him in the offseason for nothing.
Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Redick, Magic
Ric Bucher of CSN Bay Area (Sulia link) hears that the trade rumor involving Rudy Gay to the Suns in exchange for Jared Dudley and Michael Beasley was leaked in order to facilitate more offers from around the league. In terms of the Grizzlies dealing Gay for luxury-tax purposes, Bucher notes that the Wizards and Warriors only have trade pieces that would relieve Memphis of the super luxury tax in two years, but not after this season. You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from the Association here:
- David Baumann of Bright House Sports Network tweets that the Celtics covet J.J. Redick as a possible trade target before February's trade deadline.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel provides a primer of what the Magic front office has to think about heading into next month's deadline. He thinks that GM Rob Hennigan might want to deal for more young players and draft picks while shedding salary, adding that Redick, Glen Davis, Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and Josh McRoberts are among the team's most tradeable assets. Lastly, Robbins thinks that Orlando is unlikely to part with Nikola Vucevic and that the team has almost no interest in dealing for Rudy Gay.
- Noting that Chris Johnson had been a member of Timberwolves' training camp before the season, Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press says that his familiarity with the team provided an advantage during the team's search for help at center.
- The recent struggles of Nuggets swingman Andre Iguodala prompted him to admit after today's practice that he's "probably behind the curve" and has had trouble finding his comfort level this season (Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post reports).
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (Sulia link) anticipates a quiet trade deadline for the NBA considering a busy offseason that saw 31 deals involving 96 players.
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld looks at Jeff Teague, one of four players who are guaranteed to remain in Atlanta beyond this season, as a viable long-term investment for the Hawks.
Bobcats To Actively Gauge Interest In Trade Market
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has given his front office the freedom to make roster improvements in any way possible, which could range from dealing for a star player or a complementary big man to acquiring a future draft pick. Last night, we heard that Charlotte has been in aggressive pursuit of Grizzlies star Rudy Gay.
President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins told the Observer :
“We’re very active – our owner wants us to be active…(we've been given) the green light to go out and make this team better…I don’t think there’s any limits to what we’d try to do."
Higgins and Bobcats GM Rich Cho, who reiterated that the team's primary plan has been to acquire assets and build through the draft before adding more pieces via trades and free agency, will reportedly have spoken with every other NBA front office by the end of this week in order to get a feel for outside interest in making a deal.
Cho also told the Observer that the Bobcats will look to make improvements in the rebounding department, whether before the trade deadline or through the upcoming draft. Considering Byron Mullens' ankle sprain and Bismack Biyambo's lack of experience, Bonnell believes that the team is currently in need of more frontcourt help. In a separate article, Bonnell identifies Jason Thompson, J.J. Hickson, and Jared Dudley (in addition to Gay) as players who could make sense as trade targets moving forward.
Injury Updates: Rose, Gasol, Varejao, Shumpert
While injury news may not be part of our main scope at Hoops Rumors, we have a handful of updates to share this evening:
- Kevin Love will travel to New York on Wednesday in order to determine whether or not he'll need surgery on his broken right hand, according to Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
- Derrick Rose should be cleared for full-contact practice within the next two weeks, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only). Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times provided another look at the superstar's return to practice today, noting that Rose looked good in "predictable contact" drills.
- Kevin Ding of the OC Register (via Twitter) notes that Dwight Howard's injury is actually a separated shoulder (not a torn labrum) and that he hopes to return after a week of recovery. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets that Dwight's injury will not require surgery.