Lakers Re-Assign Johnson-Odom To D-League
The Lakers have re-assigned Darius Johnson-Odom to their D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders (according to a tweet from Mike Trudell of Lakers.com). The 6'2 guard has only appeared in four games and played a total of six minutes thus far. Trudell adds that with no limit on how many times a player can be sent or recalled from the development league, the Lakers may often consider this option.
This will be the second time since November 10th that Johnson-Odom has been sent to the NBDL, and it could certainly provide him with an opportunity to continue developing with ample playing time. During a pre-season game between the D-Fenders and the Bakersfield Jam just over a week ago, Johnson-Odom tallied 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in 39 minutes of play.
Pacific Links: Bledsoe, Kupchak, West
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times focuses on Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe's efforts to develop into a true NBA point guard. With the help of assistant coach Robert Pack and the mentorship of both NBA veterans Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul, the third-year reserve has a prime opportunity to redefine his game as he continues to adjust to the position after being drafted as a two-guard from Kentucky in 2010. Nonetheless, Bledsoe has been playing well to start this season, producing 10.6 PPG, 1.5 steals per game, and shooting 49% from the field, compared to his career averages of 5.9 PPG, 1.0 SPG, and 42.4% overall. Interestingly enough, he is only averaging 18.7 MPG this year with increased production, which is nearly 4 minutes less than what he averaged as a rookie in 2010-11. There have been several links to arrive out of the Pacific Division tonight, and you can find a roundup of them here:
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak admits that there was a "real good chance statistically" of Phil Jackson returning as head coach at one point, but also became wary of complying with the daunting public support as opposed to making a decision that felt right for the team. Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times discusses how team brass did not want to let outside pressure dictate their decision-making during their head coaching search.
- NBA legend Jerry West offered his thoughts on the team, saying that he sees some flaws and isn't sure yet if Mike D'Antoni is the right coach to lead them to a championship (Adi Joseph of USA Today reports).
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson isn't concerned about the early shooting woes of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry at this point during the season, according to Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.
- The full transcript of D'Antoni's press conference from this afternoon, courtesy of Trevor Wong from Lakers.com.
Hornets, Carroll Working On Buyout?
10:19pm: According to John Reid of NOLA.com, the Hornets will neither confirm nor deny that they've engaged in buyout talks with Carroll's camp. However, the team still intends to give an update on his status by tomorrow morning.
7:26pm: ESPN's Marc Stein tweets that Matt Carroll could be working on a buyout with the Hornets after the team acquired him from the Bobcats early this week, adding that the 6'6 guard could be a possible free agent shooter worth considering for the Lakers. Now in his tenth year in the league, Carroll owns career averages of 6.6 PPG, 38.1% from three-point range, and 84.1% from the free throw line.
Earlier today, we heard that Carroll had not yet reported to New Orleans but that Carroll's agent had been in touch with Hornets GM Dell Demps.
Atlantic Links: Calderon, Felton, Stackhouse
After the Raptors dealt for Kyle Lowry this past summer, the questions surrounding Jose Calderon's future with Toronto were inevitable. Back in July, we even heard rumor that he had requested a trade just one day after Lowry had been acquired (which Calderon would later deny). Now, the Spanish guard finds himself starting for a team riddled with injuries, averaging 30.1 MPG, 10.7 PPG, 7.4 APG, 1.1 steals per game, and shooting 50% from long-range through the team's first eight games. Despite what the future holds for Calderon, who surprisingly is just 19 games away from becoming the franchise's all-time leader in games played, Eric Koreen of the National Post glowingly reflects on his best qualities and contributions as a member of the Raptors. With that aside, you'll find tonight's notables from the Eastern Conference here:
- After looking at how Ray Allen's transition with the Heat has fared, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld highlights how Raymond Felton has surpassed expectations thus far in his second stint with the Knicks after a disappointing, short-lived tenure with the Trail Blazers.
- Nets guard Jerry Stackhouse told ESPN New York that he was disappointed but not surprised that Rasheed Wallace wound up with the Knicks instead of Brooklyn, noting that Wallace was a big Knicks fan while the two played together in college (Jared Zwerling reports)
Western Notes: Lakers, Howard, Bell
During an interview at the Lakers practice facility today, Mike D'Antoni acknowledged that his job will be to compete for a championship this season and added, "I told the team if we're not averaging 110-115 points a game, we need to talk." Zach Harper of CBS Sports relayed a plethora of other notable quotes as the new Lakers coach touched upon the offensive freedom he plans to give his players, the promise he sees in the second unit, and the notion that maximizing the amount of possessions per game will help offset one bad shot or bad call affecting the final outcome. Here's more of what we've heard tonight out of the Western Conference:
- Dwight Howard told reporters that he is playing at about "75-80%" and still needs to get his explosiveness back to where he can sustain it over longer stretches of the game (Arash Markazi of ESPN LA tweets).
- Marc Stein of ESPN mentions that Raja Bell would naturally be a target for the Lakers to pursue at this point, but him still being under contract with the Jazz, Los Angeles' $100MM payroll and a full roster remain as the most significant obstacles in their way (Twitter link).
- The Suns approach to rebuilding includes stockpiling assets and being prepared for circumstances in which a good player may become available via trade, similar to how Houston was able to acquire James Harden from Oklahoma City, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link) reports that Warriors center Andrew Bogut has received multiple injections of Regenokine in his left ankle to help with his overall recovery process.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside explains why a trip to the D-League for Scott Machado will be a golden opportunity for him to garner attention as a strong talent, something that would have been difficult without any significant playing time on the Rockets.
Odds & Ends: Dixon, Carroll, D’Antoni, Wade
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com thinks that the chances of the Kings remaining in Sacramento after this season (and possibly several more) continue to increase because of little movement in talks of going anywhere else. Without much momentum between the Maloofs and the potential destinations that have been mentioned (Anaheim, Seattle, Virginia Beach) nor anything that indicates a possibility that the team will be sold, Howard-Cooper writes that it bides more time for the city to find a way to keep the Kings for now.
- Eurohoops.net tweets that Panathinaikos of Greece has signed Jason Kapono.
- John Reid of NOLA.com reports that Matt Carroll has not yet reported to the Hornets since Tuesday's trade involving Hakim Warrick going to the Bobcats. Head coach Monty Williams says that there have been ongoing discussions between Carroll's agent and GM Dell Demps but did not elaborate on the specifics. The team hopes to give an update on the situation tomorrow.
- Yahoo's Marc J. Spears relayed a quote from today's press conference in which Mike D'Antoni said he'd like to get the Lakers to play "Showtime basketball."Arash Markazi of ESPN LA tweets that D'Antoni's coaching debut will likely be on Sunday against the Rockets.
- Nagging injuries have become a cause for uncertainty and concern for Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Dan Bickley of AZCentral sports says (via Twitter) that Charles Barkley would be interested in becoming the Suns GM if owner Robert Sarver were to make such an opportunity available in the near future.
- The Raptors officially posted an injury update on their team website regarding Alan Anderson, Landry Fields, and Kyle Lowry. Anderson will remain out for another three to six weeks and Lowry for one to two weeks, according to the press release. There is no timetable set in place for Fields' return.
Odds & Ends: Lazenby, O’Bryant, Hibbert
- There is no timetable for Clippers guard/forward Grant Hill's return to action (he has been out after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee on October 14th), although an MRI on Friday revealed that his condition hadn't worsened (Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports).
- Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune mentions that Timberwolves guard Alexey Shved is starting to become more comfortable playing in the NBA: "It's so different here from Europe, it takes time…I feel pretty good. Now I'm starting to know what I can do."
- Eric Patten of NBA.com makes note of DeAndre Jordan's development and it has been an important cog in the Clippers' offense.
- Greg Stiemsma credits Al Jefferson and Kevin Garnett as two players who have helped with his development as an NBA player, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- Although Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy was removed from the lineup tonight because of knee soreness, coach Rick Adelman says that he won't be overly concerned for now and hopes that it's just a minor setback (Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago reports).
- Former Warriors lottery-pick Patrick O'Bryant is headed abroad, as Sportando.net reports that he has been officially signed by Tiburones de Vargas of the National Basketball League of Venezuela.
Atlantic Notes: Woodson, Bynum, Celtics
Knicks coach Mike Woodson has the team off to its first 4-0 start since the 1993-94 season, but their promising start hasn't been without some sacrifices from the players. J.R. Smith, who originally wanted to be a starter at the beginning of training camp, had to concede to accepting a sixth man role. Kurt Thomas, who started three of the team's pre-season games, recorded his first DNP-CD last night against the Mavericks. Al Iannazonne of Newsday explores how Woodson resiliency has meshed with his players' desire to win and thus given them early success.
Here's the rest of what we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Near the end of this article, Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News mentions that the 76ersare becoming a little "panicky" about when Andrew Bynum will finally be able to make his debut for the team.
- In a separate article, Lawrence provides an update on the injured Amare Stoudemire, saying that the Knicks forward may not be ready until late December.
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe examines the struggles of the Celtics when Kevin Garnett is on the bench and the need for other players to shoulder the load.
- Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News writes about Joe Johnson's "inconsistent" transition with the Nets and how he feels that the players still need some time to become acclimated with each other.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York describes some key factors behind the Knicks' efficiency, particularly with Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton as their starting back court.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post details the ripple effect that Kyle Lowry's ankle injury has had on the Raptors thus far.
Lakers Plan To Speak With D’Antoni, Dunleavy; Haven’t Contacted McMillan
9:44pm: Broussard says that D'Antoni's interview went very well, but the job is still for Phil Jackson's to lose (Twitter link).
9:26pm: ESPN's Chris Broussard says that Mike D'Antoni's interview had been conducted today, while Mike Dunleavy's is scheduled for tomorrow.
8:49pm: Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the Lakers have not made any contact with Nate McMillan at this point.
8:16pm: Marc J. Spears of Yahoo says that D'Antoni and Dunleavy will have their interviews conducted by phone (Twitter link).
6:41pm: NBA.com's David Aldridge relays a report from NBA TV (via Twitter) that the Lakers plan to speak with Mike D'Antoni and Mike Dunleavy within the next few days.
Kevin Ding of the OC Register tweets that although Phil Jackson appears to be the frontrunner to land the head coaching job, GM Mitch Kupchak will continue considering D'Antoni, Dunleavy, and Nate McMillan as possible candidates in case Jackson ultimately decides against returning.
Sloan Hasn’t Spoken With The Lakers
Sam Amick of USA Today reports that Jerry Sloan has not been contacted by the Lakers with regards to their head coaching vacancy. During a phone interview with USA Today, Sloan elaborated on how he fits into the coaching speculation and a few other Lakers related topics:
"I haven't talked to anybody (from the Lakers)…That's what's interesting is that I didn't talk to anybody because it looks like I'm just trying to take every job that comes up and I don't like that. So I'll just keep out of it."
On whether or not he planned to contact the team:
"My name gets thrown in there, and it's because of convenience sometimes…But I've never been that kind of person to campaign for a job. I wasn't going to call (the Lakers) because there wasn't anybody calling to ask about it."
On the possibility of Phil Jackson returning:
"I think that's probably a good choice for them…It doesn't matter what I think, but he would certainly know what's going on there. If somebody else comes in and sees what's going on, it might shock them to death."
The Lakers' offensive struggles with the Princeton offense:
"If you're going to run an offense, the thing that I see is that it's always difficult to do…It takes time. It's not an overnight thing. I think people found that out as good as Miami was, how they struggled a little bit (in 2010) and a lot of people were surprised. It takes time for guys to adapt to what's going on, especially if you're going to run an almost exclusively halfcourt game."
With that being said, Sloan still believes that the team can become something special:
"It takes a while for great players to come together and realize what they're playing for instead of just themselves…I don't think anyone can question the talent level that they have, it's just a matter of getting the players together and sometimes it takes longer than people think. It takes a lot of patience."