Knicks Notes: Stoudemire, Carmelo, Novak
The Knicks look to avoid being swept in their second straight postseason appearance as they take on the Heat tomorrow in Game Four. The last time the team facing elimination was able to produce a three-game winning streak in a New York-Miami playoff series was in 1997, when the Heat were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit to advance to the Conference Finals. While the chances of such a comeback by New York are quite improbable, the team will certainly be playing under that premise going into tomorrow's matinee matchup. Here's what else we've heard out of the Big Apple:
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday says that Amare Stoudemire could return to the starting lineup tomorrow in place of Steve Novak if he is cleared to play. If not, then J.R. Smith could start in place of Novak (Sulia link). Earlier, Iannazzone took note of Mike Woodson's post-practice comments about Amare, saying that he looked "pretty good." Woodson also said that he will leave it up to Stoudemire and his doctors to decide if he's ready to play.
- Newsday's Neil Best suggests that regardless of the Knicks' performance in this year's playoffs, it's still too soon to give up on Carmelo Anthony.
- Roderick Boone of Newsday discusses what's going through the mind of Steve Novak amidst his struggles against Miami. Novak says that he has no problem if Woodson decides to use him with the second unit after experimenting with him in the starting lineup in Game Three.
- Iannazzone obtained Carmelo's thoughts on avoiding a sweep.
- Benjamin Hoffman of The New York Times' Off the Dribble blog talks about the last time the Knicks won a playoff game.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Grant Hill
This past December, then-free agent Grant Hill was rumored to be interested in the Bulls, Knicks, Clippers, and Spurs before ultimately choosing to stay in Phoenix. At the time, Steve Nash had publicly stated that it was "very, very important" to him that the Suns retain Hill. Now that Nash's future with the franchise remains up in the air, the former Duke product could also be wearing a different uniform on opening night in October.
Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports quoted Hill before a loss in Miami on March 20: "I definitely think I can go another year, maybe two…If the season were to end right now, and I would sort of evaluate the season, I would definitely want to come back and play next season." Hill would undergo knee surgery 10 days later, and wasn't able to play much for the rest of the season after returning on April 13.
Now heading into another summer of free agency, it's safe to presume that Hill will have some question marks about his durability that may not have been there during last year's offseason. From 2008-09 to 2010-11, Hill managed to play in at least 80 games in each of those seasons and averaged roughly 30 MPG. Despite being able to play 28 MPG this season, he missed 17 games (many of them occurring late in the season while the Suns competed for the eighth seed in the West), which marks the most he's missed since being a member of the Magic in 2006-07.
This year, Hill averaged 10.2 PPG while shooting 44.6% from the field and 76.1% from the free throw line. Although those numbers rank among the lowest statistical averages he's produced over his 17-year career, that type of contribution could still be valuable on a playoff team looking to add depth and veteran leadership. Should he decide to play next year, I don't expect Hill to be playing nearly the same amount of minutes as he did with the Suns.
At this point, I'm not so sure he'd be able to garner a contract for more than the veteran's minimum. Hill turns 40-years-old in October, so his chances of receiving a multi-year deal are very slim. With that being said, I could see him being linked to wherever Steve Nash's name comes up this summer. Their friendship was a major reason why Hill stayed in Phoenix, and after playing five consecutive years together, the opportunity for both to compete together as teammates on a contending team will be an intriguing option to consider moving forward, especially if it will be Hill's last season as a pro.
Odds & Ends: Curry, Beal, Kidd-Gilchrist, Sloan
Warriors guard Stephen Curry had shown to be one of the league's most promising young talents after two years into his NBA career, but was limited by lingering ankle injuries during his third season. Rusty Simmons of SFGate reports that the former Davidson star views his recent ankle surgery as a relief and that he fully expects to be ready for training camp in October. Curry, who feels that backup power forward and depth are the team's biggest needs, also wants to be more involved with Golden State's draft process and plans to attend prospect workouts over the next two months (Sulia link). Here are the other significant links we've gathered up this evening:
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweeted that Bradley Beal from Florida has signed with Mark Bartelstein and Priority Sports. Beal is projected to be a top five pick in next month's NBA Draft.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist announced via his Twitter account that he has signed with Creative Artists Agency.
- Following a season that likely included an innumerable amount of facepalms compared to high-fives, the Bobcats are now focused on adding a new head coach after recently parting ways with Paul Silas. Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News hears that Charlotte might try to pursue Jerry Sloan as a possible replacement, citing GM Rich Cho and Michael Jordan's admiration for the former Jazz coach. He also mentions that Sloan turned down six head coaching offers last season (among them Golden State and Detroit), which would imply that it will take a compelling proposal to convince him to join the league's biggest re-building project.
- Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas briefly touches base on the possibility of Rick Carlisle becoming a free agent this summer. Carlisle is finishing up his last year of a four-year contract, and despite president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson continually saying that the Mavericks coach isn't going anywhere, there has been no mention of talks regarding a new deal. Owner Mark Cuban declined to elaborate on the situation today, saying that he "doesn't talk about free agent coaches or otherwise." In a separate article by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, Cuban insists that he does not regret letting Tyson Chandler leave because of the financial flexibility he was able to preserve.
- David West has been one of the NBA's most significant free agent acquisitions from last year's offseason, helping the Pacers secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld discusses how West's presence has benefited the culture and confidence of the team.
- Despite a second straight lottery season for the Cavaliers, owner Dan Gilbert remains a popular figure in Cleveland, writes Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston. With such a close connection to the team's fan base, Livingston sees Gilbert as a more wealthy, modern-day version of legendary baseball owner Bill Veeck.
Odds & Ends: Raptors, Bulls, Magic, Frye
Here are this evening's miscellaneous stories:
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld had his weekly chat with fans tonight. Among the more significant things he talked about were the chances that Tyreke Evans gets shopped this summer, the Nets pursuing Kevin Garnett if Deron Williams leaves, the Hornets matching any offer for Eric Gordon, and Portland being the realistic destination for Goran Dragic.
- With $12MM in cap space before the draft, Bryan Colangelo talked about the Raptors' approach going into the offseason: "If there was going to be a year to make a bigger splash, whether in free agency or utilizing the space to acquire players by trade, I felt that would be better served in a subsequent season and that’s probably this summer" (Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld reports). Colangelo also told Brotherston that he and Ed Stefanski will be very active in terms of placing and entertaining calls with other GMs in the upcoming weeks and months.
- Scoop Jackson, Melissa Isaacson, and Jon Greenberg of ESPN cover a few topics on the Bulls, including how Derrick Rose's injury will affect Chicago's title hopes over the next two years, whether Luol Deng should immediately get surgery and skip the Olympics, and Carlos Boozer's reliability in the playoffs.
- Magic GM Otis Smith traveled to Los Angeles to check on Dwight Howard as he recuperates from surgery, according to Illiana Limón and Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. While there had been speculation that Howard is estranged from the franchise, Smith and Magic CEO Alex Martins say that he hasn't asked for a trade.
- Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times provides a "to-do list" for the Nuggets if they are to have any chance at beating the Lakers.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas wonders if the Mavericks should make strategic defensive adjustments on Russell Westbrook or just hope that he starts missing mid-range jumpshots.
- An article posted on Suns.com reports that Channing Frye underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder today.
Kidd Wants Mid-Level Type Offer
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweeted that Mavericks guard Jason Kidd is not interested in playing for the veteran's minimum or a small exception, and that he will retire if he doesn't receive a deal for around the mid-level exception this summer.
Kidd is making a case for his ability to contribute based on his two performances against the Thunder this week. Despite his poor shooting percentages, Kidd has played 36 MPG while averaging 9 PPG, 6 APG, and 6 RPG.
Yesterday, Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times speculated that the Warriors could explore the possibility of bringing in Kidd (Twitter link). This offseason, Golden State will qualify as an over-the-cap team that would be able to offer the full mid-level. However, if Dallas fails to make a big splash in free agency, I could see them offering Kidd a one-year deal for around the same amount in order to let him finish his career with the Mavericks.
Knicks Notes: Lin, Chandler, Stoudemire
- Al Ianazzonne of Newsday says that Jeremy Lin played a game of full court three-on-three after Wednesday's practice and showed some expected rust. Coach Mike Woodson said that any potential return of Lin during the series would hinge on how he feels after doing some running tomorrow and what the doctors say.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York reports that Tyson Chandler is "close to 100%" heading into Thursday night's game at Madison Square Garden. Chandler had been recovering from flu-like symptoms over the last five days.
- In his first public appearance since leaving the American Airlines Arena on Monday night, Amare Stoudemire told reporters that there's a "great chance" he'll return for Game 4 on Sunday, immediately adding that he's "not totally sure yet" (according to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com).
- Chandler is the first player in Knicks history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York writes about how former Knick Charles Oakley played an instrumental role in shaping Chandler's mindset defensively. The two had been teammates on the Bulls, when Chandler was still a young prospect and Oakley was nearing retirement.
Suns May Avoid Major Offseason Spending
According to an ESPN report via the Associated Press, Lon Babby (the Suns' president of basketball operations) said that there is a "distinct possibility" that the team will hold off on any big-time acquisitions this summer if the right situation does not present itself.
The article also says that the Suns are open to the possibility of retaining Steve Nash depending on a number of factors involving Nash and the team's desires.
A quiet summer will likely be enough to put the kibosh on Nash's interest in remaining with the franchise, who recently said that the team has a "great opportunity with the flexibility and cap space it has to improve a great deal" when discussing his thoughts heading into the offseason.
Rohde On Perkins, Fisher, Brooks
The series between the Thunder and Mavericks has arguably been the most competitive playoff matchup in the first round, with both games coming down to the final possession. Game 3 is tomorrow night in Dallas, where the Mavericks enter with a 23-10 home record. The Thunder come in having won 21 games on the road this season, which is recognized as the third-best in the league. John Rohde of NewsOK tackled a few miscellaneous topics about an Oklahoma City team that appears primed to make another deep playoff run:
- The arrival of Kendrick Perkins in addition to the development and maturity of the team's younger players has solidified the Thunder's repuation as a tougher team.
- Derek Fisher spoke about the key to winning on the road and the team's mental toughness in a brief Q&A with Rohde.
- Head coach Scott Brooks touched on a variety of topics, including how much his team studied last year's conference finals matchup with Dallas in preparation of this series, the Thunder's success on the road, and the need for improvement in spacing the floor.
Dominique Ferguson To Declare For Draft
An ESPN.com article via the Associated Press reports that Florida International University's Dominique Ferguson will declare for this year's NBA Draft. It appears as though the dismissal of Isiah Thomas from the head coaching position as well as the trouble he's encountered while trying to transfer to other programs were the main reasons for his decision.
"I wanted to play for Isiah Thomas," Ferguson told the media, later adding: "After much discussion with my family and support base we have decided to hire an agent and attempt to play professionally in the states or overseas."
Ferguson is neither listed among the 60 projected selections in the current mock draft nor the top 100 prospects on DraftExpress. His decision was first reported by Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports.
Myers Wants To Retain Brandon Rush
J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today tweets that Warriors GM Bob Myers will aggressively try to keep guard Brandon Rush, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. The fourth-year player and former lottery pick is averaging career highs in points (9.7), three-point shooting percentage (44.7%), and overall field goal percentage (49.8%) this season.
Rush has only managed one start in 64 games but has still earned a consistent spot in Mark Jackson's rotation, as evidenced by his 26.6 MPG average. Golden State owns his Bird Rights, and I would expect them to retain him barring a scenario where another team decides to wildly overpay for him. In my opinion, a role-player like Rush could garner a contract offer from anywhere between what he's currently making ($2.9 MM) and around the mid-level exception or slightly above it at most.