Odds & Ends: Nash, Bynum, Len
Sunday night linkage from around the Association..
- The HoopsWorld staff held a roundtable to weigh in on which injured player has been missed most by their respective team, and Lakers summer acquisition Steve Nash was Alex Kennedy’s choice. John Wall, Landry Fields, Dirk Nowitzski, and Derrick Rose were also among those receiving votes, but Sixers big man Andrew Bynum was noticeably absent from the list.
- Chris Walker of The Baltimore Sun looks at Maryland sophomore center Alex Len, who is positioning himself as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 Draft. This year’s class has gotten less-than-stellar reviews from talent evaluators, but there is optimism about the 19-year-old Ukranian.
- Former Sonics forward Mickael Gelabale has officially signed with Spain’s Valencia, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Gelabale wasn’t asked back beyond his second year in Seattle after tearing his ACL mid-season.
Sixers’ DiLeo Denies Bynum Trade Talk
Before the tipoff of tonight's Sixers-Lakers game, Philadelphia GM Tony DiLeo made it known that the club has not had trade discussions about center Andrew Bynum, according to Tom Moore of Calkins Newspapers. DiLeo also rejected the notion that the Sixers have talked to the Timberwolves about swapping forward Dorell Wright for point guard J.J. Barea.
A recent piece by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports intimated that the 76ers have talked about trading the injured big man and cited one source as saying that the club was fishing for a starting caliber center. When asked if the Sixers are looking to make a move prior to the February 21 trade deadline, DiLeo said management would do something, “if we can improve our talent level.” DiLeo also said they aren’t targeting a specific position and that the club wants to see what the team looks like when healthy.
Meanwhile, the idea that the Sixers have discussed a Wright-Barea swap with the Mavs comes from an NBA source who spoke with Moore. Wright, 27, was acquired by Philly in a three-way deal this summer that sent Jarrett Jack to the Warriors and the rights to Edin Bavcic to New Orleans. Wright started every game he played in for Golden State over the last two years, averaging 13.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 33.5 minutes per contest. However, he has seen his playing time dip to just over 20 minutes per game with averages of 6.9 PPG and 4.2 RPG.
Western Notes: Lakers, Freeland, Blazers, Love
Notes out of the Western Conference..
- Lakers fans are clearly frustrated with how the season has gone so far, but they should be grateful that they have Dwight Howard in the lineup rather than the sidelined Andrew Bynum, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers will take on the Bynum-less Sixers on Sunday evening.
- Joel Freeland‘s camp told HoopsHype (via Twitter) that they are unhappy with his assignment to the D-League by the Blazers. Agent Rafa Calvo pointed out that Freeland has been one of the top big men in EuroLeague for three years and doesn’t need the extra time to adjust to the NBA. Despite that, Calvo says he and his client are trying to stay positive about the situation.
- Paul Ladewski of Sheridan Hoops wonders if the T’Wolves have a strong trading partner in the Bulls if they wind up moving Kevin Love. The Timberwolves might have an interest in power forward Nikola Mirotic who is widely considered to be the best player in Europe right now.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Redick, Heat, Harkless
All five teams in the Southeast will be in action tonight and among tonight's games is a intradivisional grudge match between the Heat and the Wizards. As you recall, the lowly Wizards topped the Heat 105-101 on December 4th despite 26 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds from LeBron James. Here's a look at the Southeast as we wait to see if tonight could bring us another upset..
- Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looks at five good players on struggling teams who deserve chances to prove themselves with winning clubs. J.J. Redick of the Magic and Nene Hilario of the Wizards both made the list. Haberstroh suggests that the Magic should give Redick more playing time in order to audition him and sees the Grizzlies as a strong fit for him.
- While some have worried that the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement will lead to the breakup of the Heat in 2014, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't see it that way. Winderman argues that the complexion of the NBA will change over the next couple of years and teams will rely even more heavily on minimum-salaried players. The Heat could theoretically get by with the big three plus an entire supporting cast of vets making the minimum.
- The Magic made it clear that they are committed to the future when they made the decision to keep rookie small forward Maurice Harkless in the starting lineup, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Hedo Turkoglu, 34, could reclaim the spot when he returns from injury, but Schmitz would rather see Orlando stick with the rookie.
Billy Donovan Won’t Rule Out NBA Return
After winning the National Championship in 2007, Florida head coach Billy Donovan surprised many when he accepted the Magic's head coaching job. He surprised even more people when he backed out of the comittment and returned to Florida just six days later. One might think that Donovan is through with pursuing a career in the professional ranks, but he told Dan LeBatard of AM 790 that's not the case.
"The one thing that I think is always intriguing the older I get is the fact that [the NBA] is just all about basketball. I love the practices, I love the games, I love doing individual instruction and breaking down tape and game planning and doing those things," Donovan said, according to Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.
Donovan signed a three-year contact extension a year ago with Florida that pays him an average of $3.5MM per year through the end of the 2015/16 season. There is a $500K buyout clause, though both sides can terminate the contract without cause for a one-month window between March 1 and April 1.
The deal is tied for the second-most lucrative in college, right along with Michigan State's Tom Izzo and behind Kentucky's John Calipari. The contract Donovan was set to sign with Orlando would have paid him $27.5MM over five years.
Hoops Links: Kidd-Gilchrist, Flynn, Lakers
Hoops Links would like to send out a hearty congratulations to John Hollinger, the former ESPN.com scribe who was hired earlier this week as the Grizzlies' new Vice President of Basketball Operations. Hollinger was a pioneer in bringing advanced statistical analysis to the hardwood despite criticism from naysayers, not unlike the forefathers of baseball sabermetrics. Rockets GM Daryl Morey got his position thanks to his analytical abilities and T'Wolves President David Kahn ascended to his role after starting out as a sportswriter. Considering that Hollinger boasts both backgrounds, maybe his new gig isn't so suprising after all.
This week's edition of Hoops Links has more on Hollinger and much more from around the Association. If you have a great blog piece that you think we should feature next week, then send it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the blogosphere..
- The Sports Banter offers up three trades that make sense.
- Wages Of Wins explains the similarity between a shot and a turnover.
- The NBA Geek has Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as their rookie of the year.
- Hardwood Paroxysm sees an underdog in Jonny Flynn.
- 3 Shades Of Blue looks at who Hollinger may not be wild about in Memphis.
- NBA 24 7 365 is concerned about the Lakers.
- Pounding The Rock believes that the Spurs' offense has more to offer.
- SB Nation looks at the future of analytics in hoops.
- At The Hive reviews the Trevor Ariza–Emeka Okafor trade.
- Bright Side Of The Sun wonders if better three-point defense will result in more wins.
- Red94 is enthused about Jeremy Lin.
- Blazer's Edge goes to the mat with David Stern.
- A Wolf Among Wolves breaks down the J.J. Barea assist.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Odds & Ends: Sixers, Hollinger, Smith, Blazers
After the 76ers parted ways with Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, and Louis Williams and others last season, they were in need of a veteran leader. The Sixers found their man in veteran point guard Royal Ivey, who was an excellent locker room presence for the Thunder last season, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Royal Ivey and the Andrew Bynum-less Sixers are taking on the Pacers in Indiana tomorrow night. Here's more from around the Association..
- The Grizzlies' hiring of John Hollinger and Stu Lash won't change the status of current General Manager Chris Wallace, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Hollinger was hired by Memphis earlier today as the club's new Vice President of Basketball Operations.
- Hawks forward Josh Smith is happy in Atlanta, and he discussed his new found zen in detail with Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. "I've always had a good relationship with the management. It's nothing against Rick Sund, but Danny Ferry worked for a lot of successful organizations in Cleveland and San Antonio, so I think he brought that winning attitude to this team and it has trickled down to the coaches and the players," Smith said.
- The Blazers are happy with the EuroLeague assets they received in their Ray Felton/Kurt Thomas trade with the Knicks, writes Nick Gibson of Sheridan Hoops. Small forward Kostas Papanikolaou is shining for Olympiacos and has nailed at least 50% of his threes in all but one game this season.
Poll: Are The Knicks Title Contenders?
This offseason, it seemed as though all anyone in New York wanted to discuss was the departure of Jeremy Lin. Lin staying in New York appeared to be a mortal lock at one point, but when the Rockets extended the guard a heavily-backloaded three-year, $25MM deal, Glen Grunwald decided to go elsewhere. Lin's shadow would continue to loom over the team after the season got underway, but he's hardly a part of the fan discourse now.
Tonight at MSG, the Knicks are cruising to victory over the Lakers, en route to a 17-5 record and extending their home tally to 9-0. It was easy for some to dismiss the Knicks' hot start by pointing to a meager sample size a few weeks ago, but that's a tough case to make at the quarter-mark of the season. The Knicks are firing on all cylinders, and they've toppled quality teams like the Heat (twice), Spurs, and Nets.
How are they getting it done? As John Hollinger noted in one of his last pieces for ESPN.com, they're bombing away from three-point range at a clip that would have made a few ABA teams blush. Free agent pickups like Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, and Rasheed Wallace are paying off in spades even while Steve Novak seems to have come back down to earth this season. It also helps that they're getting stellar performances from Carmelo Anthony at the power forward position – play that Knicks fans say warrants MVP consideration.
But the question is, can the Knicks keep this up?
Are The Knicks Title Contenders?
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Yes 70% (519)
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No 30% (222)
Total votes: 741
Knicks Notes: D’Antoni, Nash, Felton, Kobe
Things are going extremely well at Madison Square Garden right now, but this Knicks team could have looked extremely different had they signed Steve Nash in free agency. Earlier today, we learned that if the Knicks landed Nash, they likely would have matched the offer sheet to Jeremy Lin as well. Here’s more on the Knickerbockers..
- Mike D’Antoni made headlines when he said that he regretted taking the Knicks job over staying in Phoenix with Steve Nash, but his wife says that’s not the case, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “He would’ve done it all over again in a second. He was talking about not taking coaching [Nash] lightly,’’ said Laurel D’Antoni.
- Way back when he wrote for ESPN.com, John Hollinger argued that the Knicks are a legitimate threat in the East. The Knicks, he wrote, have two legitimate pick-and-roll creators making less than $4MM in J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton.
- Many are wondering if the blue-hot Knicks are real championship contenders, but Lakers guard Kobe Bryant doesn’t seem to be questioning it, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Bryant & Co. are in town tonight in search of road win No. 3 this season.
Grizzlies Hire John Hollinger
6:10pm: Hollinger will serve as the Vice President of Basketball Operations, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The Grizzlies also hired former Nuggets employee Stu Lash as Director of Player Personnel, according to Chris Herrington of The Memphis Flyer (via Twitter).
5:20pm: The Grizzlies have hired ESPN's John Hollinger to a front office position, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). Hollinger is best known for his statistics-heavy analysis and Player Efficiency Rating (PER) metric, which crunches numbers from every portion of the box score to quantify a player's performance.
"It's incredibly difficult to leave ESPN, but the chance to work for an NBA team and the Grizzlies' new ownership was an irresistible opportunity," Hollinger told ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
The Grizzlies, under new owner Michael Pera and CEO Jason Levien have made a concerted effort to focus in on basketball analytics. The Rockets made a similar leap in 2007 when they tabbed MIT graduate Daryl Morey as their General Manager.
Ironically, Hollinger's resume and career path have a great deal in common with Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn. Kahn worked as a full-time sportswriter for six years and both were previously employed by The Oregonian. Hollinger has been critical of Kahn's decision making during his tenure in Minnesota.
In addition to ESPN.com and The Oregonian, Hollinger also wrote for the New York Sun and Sports Illustrated.