Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Knicks
DeMarre Carroll, who joined the Raptors this past summer when he signed for four years and $58MM, is still in the process of finding his rhythm in Toronto’s offense, Eric Koreen of the National Post details. Carroll was supposed to be a significant part of the Raptors’ success, but so far he has had an unimportant role, Koreen adds. Carroll has missed 12 games and has played with nagging injuries, as Koreen points out. At 20-13 heading into action Friday, the Raptors have managed despite Carroll’s struggles, but if the small forward gets going, Toronto’s future is all the more bright, Koreen surmises.
Here’s more on the Atlantic Division:
- Nets rookie power forward Chris McCullough practiced for the first time since he tore his ACL while at Syracuse last year, NetsDaily tweets. He is not yet cleared to play in games, however.
- The Sixers need high-ceiling young prospects and should use Nerlens Noel as a trade piece because they have a surplus at the center position, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News opines. A topical converstation lately has been centered on whether or not Noel and Jahlil Okafor can coexist. Smallwood lists Marcus Smart, Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine and Victor Oladipo as players the Sixers should go after.
- Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis has not been tempted by the city’s night life and that likely can be attributed to the 20-year-old living with his parents in White Plains and not indulging in alcohol, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. The drinking age in Latvia is 18, as Bondy points out.
Pistons Notes: Ilyasova, Jennings, Drummond
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is very much interested in keeping Ersan Ilyasova in Detroit next season, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press relays (on Twitter). Ilyasova has a non-guaranteed deal worth $8.4MM for next season. The 28-year-old power forward is averaging 10.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Detroit acquired Ilyasova in a trade with the Bucks in June and Van Gundy recently said he has been thrilled with the move.
“He’s a very good player on a very good contract,” Van Gundy said, per Ellis. “I don’t really see a scenario where we wouldn’t.”
Here’s more news concerning Detroit:
- Brandon Jennings still needs time to get back to full speed, but his return so far has impressed Reggie Jackson, who assumed Jennings’ role as the Pistons’ starting point guard, David Mayo of MLive.com details. “They really haven’t dropped off with Brandon coming in, a guy we all know can get hot and get it going, but as well, probably doesn’t get enough credit for being able to see the floor, and his passing ability,” Jackson said. “I think it really showed tonight. He got hockey assists, got kick-outs, really got to the paint, and was attacking. I’m happy to see him doing well and helping lead our second unit to help lead our team to get wins.” Jennings has yet to start a game since returning from a torn Achilles last week.
- Former Piston and current Wolves small forward Tayshaun Prince returned Thursday to Detroit, where he spent 11 of his 14 seasons, but he’s not ready to say it was for the final time, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “When people tell me I’m done, I look at them like they’re crazy because throughout my whole career when we won, and even when we didn’t win, the things I did on the floor didn’t show up in the stat sheet,” Prince said. “No matter what, I can still impact the game, and I know I can still do that for a long time.”
- Andre Drummond‘s inconsistency can be attributed to a lack of focus and engagement during games and has nothing to do with conditioning, according to Van Gundy, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/31/15
The Warriors captured the title. There was the untimely death of Flip Saunders. Superstar Kobe Bryant announced his plans to retire after this season. Those are only three from a long list of vital news stories around the league this year. Indeed, plenty happened in 2015. The year was also filled with significant transactions in the league.
With the year coming to a close tonight, we find it fitting to look back and discuss the most interesting and important moves over the past 12 months. From Greg Monroe choosing the Bucks to LaMarcus Aldridge signing with the Spurs, there are plenty worth revisiting.
So, here is our question of the day: What was the best transaction made by your favorite team in 2015?
It’s an easy topic to digest (it is New Year’s Eve, after all), of course, but regardless of who your favorite team is, there are likely a few moves to choose from. I’ll get us started: While the Knicks’ decision to draft Kristaps Porzingis is likely the organization’s most important move, my favorite transaction was the signing of Arron Afflalo because the veteran has proven to be the rare player who can easily pick up the triangle offense and mesh with Carmelo Anthony.
Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are. We look forward to what you have to share.
And-Ones: Okafor, D-League, Bass
After some incidents away from basketball, Sixers rookie Jahlil Okafor is looking to overcome what’s been a rocky start to his promising career, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports writes. Okafor told Spears he has received mentoring from former and current NBA veterans. The Sixers, as Spears points out, have reportedly looked into adding veterans to help the situation.
“When it first happened it was clear that his world was rocked in the biggest way, I’m assuming, of his sporting life,” Sixers coach Brett Brown told Spears. “You can see it in his eyes, his demeanor. His swagger got bumped around a little bit. We explained a lot. ‘We all go through mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up. You screwed up. We got people here that will help you. Time will pass.’ I feel what I see now is a distant memory. It’s taught all of us and I see him playing basketball again.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens expressed gratitude for the job Brandon Bass did while the veteran power forward was in Boston, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. The Lakers signed Bass in July after he spent the previous four seasons with the Celtics, where he helped usher a rebuilding project. In that sense, his current job in Los Angeles is much like the one he had in Boston, Blakely writes. “I really like Brandon; I’m very fond of Brandon,” Stevens said. “He really worked hard and helped get this thing going in the right direction with his work ethic, the way he took care of his body, the example he set for his young teammates.”
- The Hawks recalled Edy Tavares from the Austin Spurs of the D-League, Atlanta announced in an emailed press release. Tavares was assigned to Austin yesterday via the flexible assignment rule because the Hawks do not have their own affiliate.
- The Pacers recalled Rakeem Christmas from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via its website.
Wolves Notes: Newton, Mitchell, Martin
Timberwolves GM Milt Newton, who inherited duties of late coach/executive Flip Saunders and is not promised to remain in charge of the front office beyond this season, believes he can walk the fine line of honoring Saunders’ plan while still maintaining his own voice, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com details. In doing that, Newton is confident he can please owner Glen Taylor, Aschburner adds.
“The one thing he’s allowed me to do, he says, ‘Milt, if you see something that makes our team better, you have permission to do that,'” Newton said of Taylor, per Aschburner. “But I want to make sure I keep him involved — I don’t ever want to spring a situation on him. So whatever we do in the future, he would have known weeks in advance, maybe months in advance, this is the direction we’re heading in.”
Here’s more out of Minnesota:
- Newton told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN that trade chatter has been quiet, adding he recently sat down with Kevin Martin (Twitter link). Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press previously reported that Minnesota has made Martin available in trade discussions.
- Whether or not Wolves interim coach Sam Mitchell becomes the team’s official leader beyond this season hinges on the young players’ development, on his coaching style and tactics, and on his demeanor and consistency in the job, Aschburner writes in a separate piece. Thus, the team’s record is not going to be the deciding factor, Aschburner surmises.
- The Wolves are taking the same approach with Andrew Wiggins as the Spurs did with Kawhi Leonard in that they’re not trying to force him to be something he is not, Krawczynski writes. Wiggins, a budding star, is similar to Leonard because they are both immensely talented yet neither one seems to seek the spotlight, Krawczynski adds.
- Rookie power forward Nemanja Bjelica has fallen out of the Wolves’ rotation, largely because of an inability to stay out of foul trouble, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune relays. Bjelica might also be struggling to adapt to a new country after playing professionally in Europe, Zgoda adds. “It’s the NBA, I came here to improve myself,” Bjelica said. “The first time I play in Spain five, six years ago, it was same. I again need to start doing everything from the beginning.”
Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Lawson, Mavs
Coach Dave Joerger asked the Grizzlies‘ front office for Ryan Hollins after news that Brandan Wright would need to miss at least six weeks so it’s no surprise Memphis is glad to have the center back, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal details. The Grizzlies signed Hollins on Tuesday. Hollins was with Memphis during training camp, but the Grizzlies waived him before the season started. Hollins had a strong showing in training camp, but it just wasn’t enough for the Grizzlies to keep him at the time, Tillery writes. The move to sign Hollins is an essential one because it adds a much-needed big man to the roster, Tillery adds.
“We’ve got some support and some insurance for Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph whether it be an injury or a foul,” Joerger said. “We also got an energy guy and a hard roller. That will help with our 3-point shooting. We have a lob threat.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Ty Lawson has shown flashes of his offensive game coming back to life since his return from a two-game suspension for last season’s DUI case, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Despite Lawson’s recent string of success, however, the Rockets have no immediate plans of reinserting him in the starting lineup, per Feigen. “He’s starting to find his rhythm,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You can see some of the shots that he’s taking. Those are the shots he’s taken in the past when he’s confident. Those are plays and shots he was taking in Denver when he was playing at his peak. Early in the season, he was hesitant to take those shots. Now, he’s taken the gloves off a little bit he’s freed himself to play the way he played in the past when he’s been successful.”
- Zaza Pachulia said the most significant difference between playing in Dallas this season in comparison to his previous stops with the Hawks and Bucks is the Mavs‘ collective experience and maturity. Pachulia made the comments while appearing on The Ben & Skin Show on 105.3 FM KTVT The Fan in Dallas (interview transcription via the Dallas Morning News). “Most of the time I’ve been on the teams that have either been young or rebuilding or immature,” Pachulia said. “They were good opportunities I had and good experiences I had playing with the good coaches, the young prospects around me. So I’ve never really been on a team like Dallas Mavericks.”
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: 12/30/15
The Pistons have an interesting situation on their hands with point guard Brandon Jennings. He made his season debut Tuesday night against the Knicks after working his way back from an Achilles injury. While Jennings was out with the injury, however, starter Reggie Jackson shined and backup Steve Blake, who is 35, proved he still has something left. In other words, the Pistons, who are now 17-15, survived without Jennings.
Hoops Rumors’ Dana Gauruder recently profiled Jennings as a trade candidate because Jennings has an expiring contract at $8,344,497. With Jennings set to be a free agent, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News opines that the Knicks should make a play for the 26-year-old.
Of course, it behooves both parties — Jennings and the Pistons — for Jennings to have a successful return from injury. If Jennings plays well, he puts himself in line for a significant pay day this summer. From the Pistons’ perspective, a positive comeback would likely help the team on the court and also boost his trade value.
That leads us to today’s question: Which team will Brandon Jennings be playing for after the trade deadline? Why? Will he still be with the Pistons? How much would it take to acquire him?
Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what you think. We look forward to learning about what you have to share.
And-Ones: Kerr, Knicks, D-League
There seems to be a slim chance that Golden State head coach Steve Kerr could resume his duties with the Warriors as soon as this weekend, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Kerr took his first road trip of more than one game when he accompanied the team to Texas for its games against the Mavs and Rockets on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, MacMahon notes.
“It’s obviously a possibility,” interim coach Luke Walton told reporters, including MacMahon, of Kerr’s potential return to the bench this weekend. “He hasn’t said he’s going to. To be honest, I don’t think he knows yet. I think that’s part of why he’s on this road trip, to see how his body handles the travel and getting into Houston at 1 a.m. tonight to turn around and play again then get on another plane and fly home and get in late again. So that’s part of why he’s here on this trip, whether or not this weekend is a realistic return or not.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Cleanthony Early getting shot in his right knee early this morning does not exactly endear New York City to soon-to-be free agents, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News opines. Since April, there have been four highly publicized crimes involving NBA players in the greater New York area, as Isola points out. For the Knicks, who are hoping to be major players this summer, the string of recent incidents likely makes New York City a tougher sell, Isola surmises.
- The Hawks assigned center Edy Tavares to D-League, the team announced in an emailed press release. Tavares is headed to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the flexible assignment rule, because the Hawks do not have their own affiliate.
- The Spurs recalled Ray McCallum from their D-League, the team announced on its website. McCallum is averaging 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 13 appearances this year with San Antonio.
- The Celtics recalled Jordan Mickey from their D-League affiliate, Boston announced (on Twitter).
- The Bulls will send Cristiano Felicio to the D-League on Thursday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports (on Twitter). The power forward has not appeared in a game since November 27th.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Raptors
The Celtics nearly drafted Kobe Bryant in 1996 because of his immense talent and impressive knowledge of the franchise’s history, but ultimately passed him up, not wanting to take a chance on a 17-year-old coming out of high school, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes in an interesting read. Boston, of course, drafted Antoine Walker — who went on to have a solid career — with the sixth pick that year while Bryant fell to No. 13.
“When I tell you this — and I don’t like to say a lot of good things about the Lakers — but I am absolutely telling you this straight-up: [Kobe Bryant] was unbelievable in the interview,” former Celtics head coach and executive vice president/director of basketball operations M.L. Carr told Holmes. “He was the best interview that I’ve ever been a part of. Kobe knew the league as well as anyone. He knew the Celtics from a historical standpoint. He knew the Celtics probably better than most Celtics did at 17 years old.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks small forward Cleanthony Early, who will likely be out three months after getting shot early this morning, was a logical candidate to be included in a trade for a point guard, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets. Early has not been a fixture in the Knicks’ rotation this season. He has scored only seven points in 10 appearances this season.
- Bismack Biyombo views the Raptors, the team he signed a two-year deal with in July, as the perfect fit for him in an interview on the team’s website. “Obviously, going back to the draft, they were trying to draft me here so it feels like it was supposed to happen and it finally happened,” Biyombo said. “I just feel like it’s a great opportunity for me and I’m thankful for it and I thank God for it and obviously the organization and the coaches for giving me an opportunity to be here and help the team grow which is something everybody is looking forward to and I look forward to something special.”
- Marcus Smart‘s development will have the most profound impact among the Celtics‘ young players on Boston’s reconstruction project, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald opines. Smart, 21, is widely considered one of the top young defenders in the league, as Bulpett notes.
Al Jefferson Out Six Weeks
Al Jefferson will be out approximately six weeks after suffering a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right knee, the Hornets announced (all Twitter links). The center will undergo arthroscopic surgery Thursday, according to the team.
Jefferson, 30, is in the final year of his contract with the Hornets. Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer wrote earlier this month that trading Jefferson for something that would fit both short-term and long-term would be challenging for the Hornets because he is making $13.5MM this season. Bonnell added that Jefferson’s future with the Hornets beyond this season is likely based on his salary expectations. That means more for the Hornets than it normally would because they are looking to re-sign Nicolas Batum and are not interested in paying the luxury tax, per Bonnell.
Jefferson had most recently been coming off the bench for the Hornets in an effort to get into better game shape after missing 11 games due to a calf injury and a suspension. Jefferson, who is in his 11th season, is averaging 12.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.