Eastern Notes: Celtics, Drummond, Sixers
The new regime in Boston, led by former Butler coach Brad Stevens, is looking to fill out the rest of the staff positions during the down days before NBA training camps open at the beginning of October. ESPN NBA Insider Jeff Goodman tweets that they're looking to bring former Celtics swingman James Posey back into the Celtics fold as an assistant.
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com adds that the Celtics have benefited from bringing in former players who can provide more hands-on instruction to their young roster. The C's had brought in former Lakers guard Tyronn Lue in that role in previous seasons to act as a practice body while providing additional tutelage.
Here's what else is happening around the Eastern Conference:
- In an open letter Ethan Sherwood-Strauss wrote for ESPN.com on Friday, he asked Andre Drummond about attempting to shoot free throws underhanded in an effort to improve his historically abysmal 37 percent average from the line during his rookie season.
- CBS Sports' Matt Moore reports that Drummond declined the offer on Twitter and Moore looks at some other big men that may have wanted to adopt the underhand free throw form popularized by Hall of Fame guard, Rick Barry.
- Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Sixers fans need to calm down. The team isn't leaving Philadelphia despite concern stemming from the purchase of the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center by Sixers owner Joshua Harris.
- During the NBA's Rookie Transition Program in Tarrytown, New York two weeks ago, the New York Times' Joe Brescia spoke with Anthony Bennett about recovering from the torn labrum in his shoulder, and how he'll mesh with the Cavaliers' other power forward Tristan Thompson, and star point guard Kyrie Irving.
- Bobcats assistant Bob Beyer was charged with resisting arrest outside a bar in Saratoga Springs on Thursday.
Howard-Cooper On Hansen’s Anti-Arena Donation
Seattle venture capital investor, Chris Hansen, who headed the group looking to purchase the Kings and move them to Seattle, was caught donating $100K to the Anti-Kings-Arena group, STOP, which had previously been linked to former Kings owners the Maloofs. Hansen was contrite after the connection surfaced, offering an apology to the people of Sacramento for his underhanded effort to ruin their new arena deal and help facilitate a move to his hometown.
But Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com opines that Hansen's back-handed donation hurts Seattle more than it might have hurt Sacramento. Howard-Cooper argues that Hansen owes an apology to the people of Seattle more so than the one he gave Sacramento on Friday.
Seattle still remains a city without a basketball team after Clay Bennett moved the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City in the summer of 2008 ostensibly after the city voted against publicly funding a new stadium. Hansen's actions have drawn the ire of the NBA, and Howard-Cooper says it has created another obstacle in the path of professional basketball's return to rainy Seattle.
Howard-Cooper adds, via Twitter, that Hansen's public scolding is a nice cherry on top for Sacramento since the league approved the sale of the team to a Sacramento-group led by Vivek Ranadive. He wonders why Hansen donated the money when he had to be aware it would eventually be made public (Twitter). But he also cautions, with a tweet, that this sort of corporate sabotage happens all the time when this much money is at stake; it just usually goes unreported.
Cavs Notes: Brown, Bynum, Thompson, Oden
During her weekly mailbag, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer theorizes that the vitriol about Andrew Bynum in Philadelphia was stronger than Ohio's reaction to the repeatedly injured Greg Oden because Oden led the Buckeyes to the 2007 NCAA National Championship game, and Philadelphia lost their gamble on Bynum last season.
Boyer also predicts the Cavs' starting lineup if the whole roster–specifically Anderson Varejao and Bynum–are healthy. The hypothesis: Bynum, Tristan Thompson, Earl Clark, Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving. Noticeably absent is Varejao, who could attract interest from other teams if Bynum appears healthy and productive before the the February trade deadline.
Here's what else is happening with the Cavs, on a lazy NBA Saturday in August:
- The underlying reason the Cavs brought back head coach Mike Brown was for his defensive acumen. The Plain-Dealer's Terry Pluto writes that Brown is assigning players specific positions in an effort to avoid confusion with a player's role in his new defensive schemes.
- One example of strictly following positional assignments is Waiters. He can play either guard position, but Brown says he'll primarily assign him the defensive responsibilities of a shooting guard, with Kyrie Irving defending the helmsman at point.
- Pluto also adds that Tristan Thompson's switch from shooting with his left to right hand wasn't a big surprise for the Cavs. He'd been shooting free throws with his right hand last season at practice, and even attempted some right-handed jump shots towards the end of the year because the rotation looked better.
- Thompson shoots the ball with either hand near the basket, but throws a ball right-handed and eats with his left hand. The Cavs just want him to improve on his career 58.6 percent mark from the charity stripe.
Evan Turner On His Future With The Sixers
Former No. 2 overall pick Evan Turner is among those eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer, but he understands that in GM Sam Hinkie's rebuilding project, the Sixers could trade him before he has a chance to re-up with the team. "All I can worry about is being better," Turner said to Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com.
Hinkie made a splash right after accepting the Sixers' GM position when he sent All-Star Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans on draft night in exchange for the pick that turned into Nerlens Noel and a 2014 top-3 protected first round selection. But now the Sixers are supposedly in tank mode in preparation for that exciting 2014 NBA Draft, and Hinkie may have positioned them for two lottery selections, depending on how they finish this season.
It stands to reason that Turner could be cast out before he's given a rookie-scale extension, so the former Ohio State University Buckeye has a cloudy future in Philadelphia. Despite those trade rumors, which have surrounded Turner during Philadelphia's first rebuilding steps this offseason, he's looking forward to working in new coach Brett Brown's uptempo offense.
Here's what Turner told Moore during their Q & A.
On keeping perspective with the rebuild:
"I just don’t want to let these type of situations deter the fun I have with the game. Everything that’s been going on this summer has been about chess moves and money and all that. At the end of the day, it’s about playing basketball."
On his discussions with recently hired head coach Brett Brown around tanking:
“I told him, ‘Everybody wants to be in tank mode and thinks we’re going to lose. I intend on trying to win as much as possible because losing’s too easy,’ ” Turner declared. “He said, ‘Well, they got the wrong coach if we’re going to go out and lose on purpose. We want to compete and get better.’ ”
On increased effectiveness now that former coach Doug Collins is gone:
“I think each year I’ve been taking jumps,” he proclaimed. “I don’t want to sit here and say if I’m successful it’s because of Doug [leaving]. I want to think it’s maturing and growing.”
On new coach Brett Brown's uptempo offense:
“(Brown) said he wants to get us in the best fitness shape of our life,” revealed Turner before saying he enjoys that Brown had a winning track record in San Antonio. “He feels like my skills will flourish in that situation.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: James, Bobcats, Bucks, Cavs
There are a lot of contenders to the Eastern Conference crown that LeBron James and his Heat teammates have worn the last three seasons. James knows he's got to keep getting better if he wants to remain on top next year and advance to his fourth NBA Finals in his four seasons in Miami.
Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel caught up James during his charity event in Akron today to discuss all the wheeling and dealing in the Eastern Conference this off-season.
James is aware that the Heat face an even harder field in the Eastern Conference next season, and he's doing everything in his power to meet the challenge, telling Richardson, "I've seen what so many teams have done to get better. I've seen the moves that we've made, so I've got to do my part."
Here's what else is happening around the league on Saturday night:
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer details how Bobcats GM Rich Cho and President of Basketball Ops Rod Higgins created a balanced roster with all their off-season moves this summer.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel does the same for the Bucks writing that GM John Hammond has them ready for the future.
- The Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat live-tweeted much of Canada's game against Jamaica tonight during the Jack Donohue International Classic. Canada came back from a 17-point deficit to get the 77-72 win (Twitter link) as newly right-handed Cavs forward Tristan Thompson led Canada with 16 points and appeared productive (Twitter) with his new shooting hand.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer talks new Cavs coach Mike Brown in her latest mailbag for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Highly touted 6-6 Australian point guard Dante Exum is a top prospect in next summer's draft. Peter Rolfe of the Australian Herald Sun (by way of RealGM.com) reports that Exum is "50-50" to declare for the draft next June after some scouts pegged him as a top-5 prospect.
- Sam Tongue of Blazers Edge opines that Portland's acquisition of Mo Williams is a move only a playoff team would make, which the Trail Blazers might be after significantly improving their bench this off-season.
Mavs Notes: Cuban, Dirk, Dalembert, Kaman
The Mavericks have made some summer off-season moves to better surround Dirk Nowitzki with a cast of players that can help the 35-year-old make one last push for a second NBA title. Mark Cuban joined Norm Hitzges on KTCK-AM radio, as transcribed by The Dallas Morning News, to talk about some of those additions.
- Last season's hodge-podge of ancillary Mavs parts included oft-injured center Chris Kaman, who signed with the Lakers this summer. Cuban tells Hitzges that Kaman didn't pair well with Nowitzki last season because he continually dribbled during pick-and-roll sets with Dirk, instead of just picking and rolling to the rim or picking and popping for a jumper.
- Cuban feels Brandan Wright–who the Mavs re-signed earlier this summer–worked the pick-and-roll a lot better with Nowitzki.
- The Mavs owner also believes Dallas' signing of Samuel Dalembert will go better than the one-year Kaman experiment because Dalembert is primarily focused on rebounding and protecting the rim.
- The Cuban – Hitzges talk also touched on how Dirk wants to send a message next season that he's not done yet, and the Mavs can still be contenders for the Larry O'Brien Trophy despite two down seasons after their Finals win over the Heat in 2011.
- Dirk is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $22.721MM next season, but Cuban didn't offer up anything on what he'll likely pay his star forward next summer, despite assurances that he won't let the smooth-shooting German sign elsewhere.
LeBron James On Possible NBPA Presidency
Late last month, Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports revealed that LeBron James was considering a run for the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Presidency, which has remained vacant since Derek Fisher's term expired this summer.
Today James told ESPN's Brian Windhorst that "my voice could be huge in that situation." As Windhorst notes, the NBPA has come under scrutiny recently after the 2011 CBA negotiations saw the players ceding a significant portion of the league's basketball related income to ownership.
The loss of revenue in CBA negotiations was followed by a scandal involving Fisher and the union's former executive director Billy Hunter involving the use of the union's finances. With all the invective surrounding the NBPA over the last couple years, James has thrown his hat into the ring as the next possible President, with his clout as the league's preeminent star his biggest selling point for the role.
James believes the NBPA is due for an overhaul, saying "I just think the union is going backwards, and it's not in a good place right now." But as the game's best player, the league's biggest name overseas, and a global marketing phenomenon, James might not have the time to serve in that role.
"I'm not sure I have the time to do it, but it's something I'm going to think about with my team and go from there," James revealed to Windhorst on Saturday after an event for his foundation in his hometown of Akron. "But I think we all can agree there's been a lot of transition in our union in the last couple of years. If it's not me in that seat then I hope it's someone who is comfortable with it and can do the job."
The last NBA star to hold the role of NBPA President was Knicks center Patrick Ewing, who served in that capacity more than a decade ago. The union's summer meeting is later in August, and Whitlock wrote that the earliest decision on electing a new NBPA President could come towards the end of August.
Poll: Which Top 2014 Prospect Falls Before Next Year’s Draft?
The 2014 NBA Draft is said to be the deepest in league history. Multiple prospects who would have gone as the top pick in previous drafts may now be relegated to a lower draft position. With such an influx of talent, Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld details some of the favorites in next summer's heralded class.
Brigham attempts to sift through the brightest prospects to provide a blueprint for how the order might play out a year from now. The players he spotlights include incoming college freshman, Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Julius Randle (Kentucky), Jabari Parker (Duke), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Oklahoma State sophomore Marcus Smart and Australian Dante Exum.
But even with these players as supposed locks for the lottery, things can change. As Brigham notes in his piece, last year's two prized players expected to be the top two picks in the 2013 Draft, Shabazz Muhammad and Cody Zeller, both fell after the following college basketball season concluded despite neither suffering a major injury. Muhammad even fell out of the top 10 all the way to the Timberwolves (by way of the Jazz) with the 14th pick.
It stands to reason that one of the players Brigham mentions will see his draft stock plummet before June even if all of them stay healthy. If all of these prospects stay healthy next season, and if Exum enters the draft without playing a year at an American university, which one will drop?
Greg Oden On His Expectations For Next Season
Greg Oden recently signed a minimum-salary two-year contract with the Heat for $2.173MM with a player option for the second year. Oden's tenure with the Heat hasn't even begun and people are already curious about the former No. 1 pick's health after three micro-fracture surgeries, the most recent coming in February of 2012.
Oden hasn't appeared on an NBA court since December 5, 2009 with the Trail Blazers, but his three year sabbatical from the game has ended, and he's ready to get back on the court for the two-time defending champion Heat. The 25-year-old Oden answered questions among assembled media at the St. Vincent Sport Performance Center in Indianapolis on Saturday:
On the wait-and-see expectations concerning his health next season:
"After three years of being out, I'm just going to go out and do what I can. If somehow [my body] says no, then it says no. But for me, I'm not even worried about that. Just go play and not even think about that.
"I've signed on the dotted line, put it like that. I've got a contract. As y'all can see this smile, I've got a contract. I'm excited."
On how he felt in Portland and his decision to come back:
"Two years ago … when I was in Portland, there were some dark times for me. That two weeks after my last surgery … I was just like, 'I don't know what's going on. What's going to happen? Which way is it going to go?'
"Two weeks later I was like, 'I'm coming back.' That's what I want to do."
On his body returning to the rigors of the NBA:
"I'm 25 [years old] now … I've got an old body. I understand. My body is not going to be [like it was]when I was 18 and able to run all day and jump over people. I can't do that. It's just not going to happen. My knees, the wear and tear, I understand that.
"But I'm a play as hard as I can. I'm going to try to jump over people and I'm going to try to run all day. If my body lets me, I'll do it.
"My body's just getting used to playing again. My knees do feel good. I'm able to walk. I'm running, jumping. I'm doing everything.
"[My body's] going to [need] maintenance for the rest of my life. I've got to warm up to warm up and then play. I understand that now."
On choosing the Miami Heat over other suitors:
"My friends told me, 'If you take out the possibility of getting hurt again, what other choice is there?' If I take out the possibility of getting hurt, why would I not play with the champs?
"If LeBron [James] decides to get another ring, I get one too, now."
Eastern Notes: Irving, Knicks, Thompson, Zeller
It'll be another year before Cavs star Kyrie Irving is eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract, and he shied away from the topic when asked about it Saturday at his basketball camp in suburban Cleveland, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. He did offer a brief hint, telling campers, "I’ll be here awhile, so everybody get used to my face."
Bob Finnan of the News-Herald (link also includes video) also found time to chat with Irving at his summer camp. While discussing his impending eligibility for an extension next summer, Finnan asked Kyrie about John Wall's recent five-year maximum-salary extension. Irving was excited for Wall:
"We grew up together coming up the ranks. We were both guys who weren't rated at the top coming out of high school. We both burst onto the scene. He's the first guy to get a max deal out of all of us who came through the AAU scene. It was surreal for him."
After again impressing during Team USA tryouts in Vegas last month, Irving told Lloyd back in July that "Right now I'm a Cleveland Cavalier, and I'm happy to be here." The quote was in response to the rumor he was looking to head elsewhere once his rookie-scale contract concluded.
More from the Cavs and others around the Eastern Conference:
- Cavs fans may also have to get used to a much less familiar sight. Tristan Thompson has always shot left-handed, but he unveiled his new right-handed stroke Thursday with Team Canada, as SportsNet's Michael Grange details. He might be the first NBA player to make such a mid-career switch, and Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets that it has Cavs officials excited.
- The Knicks have locked up players to fill 14 of their 15 available roster spots, after signing Beno Udrih to act as a third guard with Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com looks at some of the available free agents and D-Leaguers the Knicks might target for that final roster spot, focusing on front-court players who could spell 31-year-old Tyson Chandler.
- No. 4 overall pick Cody Zeller spoke with the Charlotte Observer about the importance of going through the NBA's Rookie Transition Program before he suits up for the Bobcats next season. Zeller said the highlight of the four-day affair was the talk former Celtics and Nuggets guardChris Herren gave about his battle to overcome a long-standing drug addiction.