Southeast Notes: Heat, Magic, Bobcats, Martin
The Bobcats haven't exactly had a banner season thus far but they can make their mark on the 2012/13 campaign by snapping the Heat's bid for the longest winning streak in NBA history. Charlotte will travel to Miami tomorrow night to take on the Heat and will try to hand them their fourth home loss of the entire season. Here's more on the Heat and other notes out of the Southwest division..
- Rumor had it that if the Knicks didn't sign Kenyon Martin at the trade deadline that the Heat would have pounced on him. However, that's news to Martin, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link). The veteran said that despite the rumors and speculation, the Heat never called his agent Andy Miller. Martin joked that he would be in South Beach today had the Heat called for him and went on to say that he was so desperate to play that he even would have suited up for the Bobcats if they gave him the call. Martin, of course, found himself a tremendous landing spot in New York and is coming off of a 19 point, 11 rebound performance last night where he shot 9-of-10 from the floor.
- The Magic have lost guard Arron Afflalo for the season due to injury, but they will not look to sign anyone to a 10-day contract to fill the void, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel is surprised to see Heat coach Erik Spoelstra left out of the Coach of the Year discussion, despite Miami's tremendous play this season. Winderman notes that the award usually goes to coaches who have overachieving teams and the Heat could actually qualify, given that no one expected them to be quite this good this year.
Northwest Notes: Thunder, Jazz, Millsap, Martin
The Magic made things competitive against the Thunder last night but ultimately Oklahoma City pulled out the win with a strong fourth quarter effort. Kevin Durant had 25 points on the evening while Serge Ibaka pulled down 13 boards in the 97-89 win. The Thunder now find themselves 2.5 games back of the surging Spurs and could still pass them for the No. 1 seed in the West. Here’s more on OKC and the rest of the Northwest..
- Speaking of Orlando and Oklahoma City, the Magic are using the Thunder as a model for their rebuilding effort, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. That plan starts with General Manager Rob Hennigan, who was a key part of the Thunder’s rebuilding in their front office.
- Coach Tyrone Corbin says that having eight players bound for free agency may be taking a toll on the Jazz, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It may have a little something to do with where we are,” Corbin said. “We can’t do anything about it. We’ve got to play our way through it, that stuff we can’t do anything about until it’s time to do something about it.” Both Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap could hit the open market this summer.
- Some questioned the Thunder when they traded James Harden to Houston before the start of this season, but Kevin Martin has proven to be a valuable piece for them. HoopsWorld (video link) spoke to the guard about his play in OKC in 2012/13.
Draft Notes: Kentucky, Wiggins, Muhammad
Here's a look at some draft news as we get set for another day of NCAA hoops..
- While many are knocking the 2013 draft class, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link) talked to one evaluator who believes there will be multiple players in the class who will have solid 10-year careers. Projections for players can also change as they have been watched by scouts up until this point but will now be evaluated by GMs.
- The 2014 draft figures to be stronger than this year's and one director of scouting tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that Kentucky could have as many as eight first round picks. Freshmen Willie Cauley-Stein, Archie Goodwin, and Alex Poythress are all projected to be first round pick's in this year's draft but they plan on returning to the Wildcats next season. Commits Julius Randle, Andrew Harrison, and Aaron Harrison will also be in the mix next season and UK could still net Andrew Wiggins and Aaron Gordon.
- UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad is dogged by the baggage surrounding his age discrepancy and his sliding play, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Stein On Nets, Calipari, Grizzlies, LeBron, Cavs
In this weekend's column, Marc Stein of ESPN.com talks to Thunder star Kevin Durant as he gears up for the team's playoff push. Some are wondering if the Lakers could give Oklahoma City a tough time in a first round matchup, but Durant doesn't seem too concerned about it. "They're a tough team, playing well, but it doesn't matter who we play," said Durant. Here's more from the Weekend Dime..
- The Nets have long been linked to Kentucky coach John Calipari, but the Wildcats' down season probably makes that union even less likely to happen. While Calipari is cognizant of the fact that Mikhail Prokhorov is the one owner that could put "Monopoly money" on the table, he will be itching to come back with a vengeance next season. Kentucky went from a national championship last year all the way to a first-round loss in the NIT to Robert Morris.
- The Grizzlies' players were vocal about wanting to keep Rudy Gay in the fold before the trade deadline but it seems as though they've rallied around each other in the wake of the trade with Toronto. Players are quick to point out how well they've been playing since the swap and some believe that the club had some degree of unrest with Gay in the mix. One insider sees it differently. "The guys really like [Zach Randolph] and [have] rallied around the guy who's still there," said the insider.
- Despite all the speculation about a possible return to Cleveland for LeBron James, Stein sees it as extremely unlikely. This time around, James won't be staring at two ringless hands and second guess his status quo. On top of having the security of a ring and a great thing going in Miami, Stein doesn't see him parting ways with Dwayne Wade given the bond that the two have developed.
Mavs Notes: Wright, Terry, Beaubois, Mayo
Last night, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks spoiled Jason Terry‘s return to Dallas. Brandan Wright led the way with 23 points and eight boards while Nowitzki wasn’t far behind with 22. For Terry and the C’s, it was their fifth loss in seven games and they now find themselves closer to the No. 8 seed in the East and a first round date with Miami. Here’s more on the Mavs..
- Head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including the Associated Press, that the club won’t sign Chris Wright to a second 10-day contract. Wright averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game for the D-League’s Iowa Energy.
- Terry has fond memories of his time in Dallas but isn’t hiding his disappointment in how it ended, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The veteran was happy to get a call from C’s coach Doc Rivers as soon as he hit the open market, but he was surprised that Dallas didn’t make an effort to sign him.
- Rodrigue Beaubois is likely done for the season after undergoing surgery on his left hand, writes Brad Townsend of the The Dallas Morning News. The guard’s rookie contract expires after this season and the injury could mean that he has played his final game as a Maverick.
- Mavs owner Mark Cuban believes that O.J. Mayo can blossom into the type of player that Terry was for Dallas, writes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Livingston, Spurs
Here's a look at some notes out of the Southwest division..
- Guard Shaun Livingston was among the Rockets' final cuts this offseason, but coach Kevin McHale says that the move was based on his contract and not on his play, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Livingston was guaranteed just $1MM of his $3.5MM salary for 2012/13 and wound up hooking on with the Cavs after being cut loose.
- One NBA GM told Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) that he believes the Spurs could put together a streak similar to Miami's if Gregg Popovich wasn't so determined to keep his aging stars rested. If you exclude San Antonio's loss to the Pistons when Tim Duncan was kept out and three overtime losses, the Spurs would have a 25-game winning streak today.
- While the Hornets aren't playing for much on the surface, Greivis Vasquez told reporters, including John Reid of the Times-Picayune, that winning down the stretch is important for the young club. The Hornets have knocked off two-straight playoff bound teams.
Odds & Ends: Kings, Rockets, Spurs, Kidd
As former NBA guard and current national TV analyst Steve Kerr takes in March Madness, he can't help but think that there could be a future for him on the sidelines in the NCAA. "Sure, I'd consider (college) coaching," Kerr told Michael Heistand of USA Today Sports. "The college game is something I've loved and always been intrigued by, going back to when my dad was teaching at UCLA and I was a ball boy there." Here's more from around the Association..
- Immediately after the trade deadline, the big winners were thought to be the Rockets for acquiring Thomas Robinson and the Bucks for landing J.J. Redick. However, with the benefit of hindsight, the Kings may actually prove to be the biggest winners of all, writes HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram.
- John Schumann of NBA.com crunched the numbers on the Spurs this season and juxtaposed them with the great San Antonio teams of years past. The conclusion: the Spurs, despite having more personnel stability than most over a long stretch, are a much different team than they have been. Despite their past success, this team could be better suited to win a title than any other iteration.
- Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni gave high praise to Jason Kidd on the eve of his 40th birthday, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Several people close to the future Hall of Famer expect that he will call it a career after this season.
Poll: Should NBA Change Draft Eligibility Rules?
March Madness is underway and some of the top programs in the tourney are anchored by "one-and-done" stars. Top high school prospects heading to college for just one year before making the leap to the pros is nothing new, but it's more prevalent than ever since the NBA enacted new eligibility rules in the 2005 collective bargaining agreement. You can no longer jump from high school to the pros, as we all did in our childhood daydreams ("Take a hike, Rick Pitino. I'm gettin' paid"). Instead, a player must be 19-years-old at the time of the draft and be one year removed from his high school graduation.
The league reasons that players need to be viewed against quality competition before being properly evaluated for the quantum leap to the NBA. It's a fair point, regardless of which side of the argument you find yourself on. You can rattle off the success stories, from Kevin Garnett to Kobe Bryant to Tracy McGrady to LeBron James, but not everyone can make a seamless transition to the league without getting a healthy dose of reality at the college level. Some also argue that the rule keeps the talent level of the NCAA higher, but that doesn't necessarily concern the league and it's not always a sure fire way to keep the college ranks filled with superstar talent (see: the 2013 draft class).
Some would argue that the draft limit needlessly keeps players who are NBA-ready out of the league for an extra year, only for them to make them go through the charade of upholding the first half of the student-athlete title. It also seems unfair to some that an 18-year-old would be denied the ability to earn a living in the highest ranks of professional basketball.
Meanwhile, there are some who are past David Stern's place on the spectrum who would even like to see the NBA bar players from entering the draft until they are 20 or 21. It would be a dramatic turn from what we're accustomed but there's no denying that those draft crops would have players who are better prepared to contribute to teams in year one.
In the real world, the future of the NBA draft is a matter that will be handled by the owners, Commissioner Stern, his heir apparent Adam Silver, and the player's union. But we want to know where you stand on it.
What Should The NBA's Draft Policy Be?
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Increase the age limit to 20 or 21 46% (306)
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Allow players to jump from high school to the draft 37% (248)
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Keep it as is - Must be 19 and one year removed from high school 18% (118)
Total votes: 672
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Kidd, Wizards, Wall, Rose
The Heat signed Juwan Howard for the remainder of the season after the big man completed his second 10-day contract with the team. “He brings credible, veteran leadership [to the team],” coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). While a team in Miami’s position would typically be in cruise control at this stage of the season, there’s a winning streak to protect, so we may not see Howard on the hardwood anytime soon. Here’s more from the conference that people once dismissed as the JV portion of the league..
- Several people close to Knicks guard Jason Kidd wouldn’t be surprised if he calls it a career after this season, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The future Hall of Famer, who says that he hasn’t made up his mind yet, will celebrate his 40th birthday tomorrow. Kidd’s deal with the Knicks runs through 2014/15.
- Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) asks how much Wizards guard John Wall is worth. Wall only has one more year on his rookie scale contract, meaning that Washington can work out an extension with him this summer. The Wizards could give him a five-year deal with the designated-player exception but they may instead decide to hold on to it for Bradley Beal.
- In his latest mailbag, NBA.com’s Sam Smith writes that he doesn’t see Derrick Rose making the Bulls title contenders if he returns this season. The star guard would have to ease his way back into playing and likely couldn’t be as much of a factor in limited playing time.
Odds & Ends: Marshall, Knicks, Bynum, Williams
The Cavs put up a solid fight for a while there, but ultimately LeBron James and the Heat captured their 24th straight victory of the season. Cleveland got 20 points, seven boards, and four dimes from Wayne Ellington in a well-balanced effort and it was clear that they were powered by a raucous crowd. In fact, one fan decided to crash the court with a "We Miss You, LeBron" shirt in the middle of the game's action. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- Suns rookie Kendall Marshall is starting to find his way in the league, writes Greg Esposito of NBA.com. Some wondered if Marshall would be a stronger point guard prospect than the Blazers' Damian Lillard at the time of the draft, but so far Lillard has shown to be far more NBA-ready.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson says that if Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas aren't close to being healthy as the playoffs get close, they may reconsider making a move, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- As planned, Sixers center Andrew Bynum underwent surgery on both of his knees today, according to a press release put out by the team. He'll begin physical therapy on March 22nd and won't be off of crutches until another six weeks after that. With that timeline, it seems that Bynum won't be ready to audition for clubs until later in the summer.
- Before tonight's game against the Nets, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban refused to get into Deron Williams and the events that led to the club missing out on him over the summer, tweets Roderick Boone of Newsday.