Western Notes: Kobe, Roy, T’Wolves, Hollins
Expectations are high in Denver as the new-look Nuggets stand as one of the most talented team in the Western Conference. However, they've yet to notch their first win this season after losing to the Sixers, Magic, and Heat. Tonight, Andre Iguodala & Co. look to secure their first W of the year as they take on the Pistons. Here's more out of the West..
- A report out of Turkey recently suggested that Kobe Bryant wants to play until he is 40, but Bryant's comments earlier today to reporters including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com (via Twitter) imply that he didn't necessarily mean playing in the NBA. "Playing till I’m 40 is not beyond the realm of possibility,” Bryant said with a smile. “There’s always YMCA games. There’s always pick-up games. So, I’ll probably be playing. As long as I’m living, I’ll probably be playing.” In the past, Bryant has suggested that he won't play in the NBA when he can no longer perform at a high level.
- Brandon Roy hasn't looked strong so far in his comeback attempt with the Timberwolves, opines Zach Harper of CBSSports.com. Of course, Roy is only three games in to the 2012/13 campaign, but Harper wonders if his knee troubles could keep him from playing closer to his old form.
- Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins says that he isn't going to change his approach even as he faces uncertainty in his walk year, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal.
Odds & Ends: Hill, Martin, Knicks, Celtics, Belinelli
Before the Spurs tipped off against the Pacers, coach Gregg Popovich told reporters, including Dan McCarney of San Antonio Express-News that he still keeps a watchful eye on guard George Hill. “I’ve watched him closely,” Popovich said. “As you very well know, he was a team favorite, a fan favorite, a wonderful community guy. Great competitor. So we’re always pulling for him to be successful. We were jumping out of our seat when he made the shot a couple of games ago to win the game for them. We were thrilled." The Spurs weren't so kind to Hill's squad tonight as they topped Indiana 101-79. Here's more from around the Association..
- Kenyon Martin has to take a hard look in the mirror after his desire for a mini mid-level contract has left him still looking for a job in November, writes Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. Last night, we learned that Martin has yet to receive even a non-guaranteed offer from a club.
- The Knicks have taken some flack for the advanced age of their roster, but Patrick Ewing believes that they can contend for the title, writes Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of the New York Post.
- Offseason acquisition Jason Terry is a big believer in the value of a proper sample size and says that the Celtics bench will step up this season, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. The bench also figures to gain a boost in mid-to-late December when Avery Bradley returns to action.
- Sharpshooting guard Marco Belinelli now seems to be settling in with the Bulls, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Belinelli signed with Chicago as a part of the club's revamped bench.
- Magic guard J.J. Redick was supposed to be trade bait for the rebuilding club, but he has looked stellar early on in 2012/13, notes Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops (via Twitter).
Poll: Will The Bucks Trade Brandon Jennings?
While the most of the top players from the 2009 draft class received contract extensions prior to the Halloween deadline, Bucks guard Brandon Jennings did not. The 23-year-old has had an up-and-down relationship with Milwaukee management in his time there, but from the outside Jennings has looked much happier to be with the club. In fact, Jennings reportedly backed down from his desire for a max contract and was seeking just $9-10MM annually on a new deal. That figure was still to rich for the Bucks' blood, apparently, as Jennings is now headed towards restricted free agency this summer.
Jennings recently told reporters that he feels as though he's "kind of auditioning for other teams". Any team that acquires the outspoken one-guard has to be willing to match an offer sheet for him next summer, but his high upside should still give the Bucks plenty of value if they decide to move him. The question is, will the Bucks move Jennings before the trade deadline or are they banking on a weak market for him in the offseason?
Will The Bucks Trade Brandon Jennings?
-
Yes 51% (360)
-
No 49% (346)
Total votes: 706
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Kirilenko, Knicks, Sixers
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is in Brooklyn tonight as they take on the T'Wolves in the club's second home game of the season. Prokhorov is taking the opportunity to further familiarize himself with some members of the club, including longtime scorekeeper Herb Turetzky, tweets Roderick Boone of Newsday. Turetzky was a staple at the Meadowlands when the Nets were in New Jersey, but the move to the Barclays Center marks a homecoming for the Brooklyn, New York native. Here's more on the Nets and more out of the Atlantic..
- Nets point guard Deron Williams told reporters, including Boone (via Twitter) that the club didn't land Andrei Kirilenko because they "didn't have enough money." The Timberwolves signed the forward this summer for $20MM over the next two seasons.
- Knicks head coach Mike Woodson confessed that he put Rasheed Wallace in against the Heat on Sunday because the crowd was chanting for him, tweets Frank Isola of the Daily News. Wallace inked a non-guaranteed deal with the Knicks in October but it's not yet clear what kind of role the previously retired veteran will play.
- The 76ers used recent analytics hire Aaron Barzilai in the past to help gauge Louis Williams and Andre Iguodala in free agency, General Manager Tony DiLeo told Tom Moore of Calkins Newspapers (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Murphy, Mavericks, Crawford, Celtics
Over the weekend, the Mavericks inked forward Troy Murphy to a one-year deal and waived Eddy Curry in order to create roster space for him. The 6'11" big man could provide the Mavs with some outside shooting off the bench, but he may not be ready to start draining threes right away, tweets Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. "I haven’t practiced or anything. I've been running at the local health club, so I don’t know what that translates to," Murphy said. Here's more from around the Association..
- While confessing that he is biased, guard Jamal Crawford said that he believes the Clippers are now the deepest team in the NBA. In addition to Crawford, the Clippers added key veterans such as Grant Hill, Lamar Odom, and Willie Green to the fold this summer.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't see the Celtics holding a fire sale mid-season, even if they falter somewhat. Coach Doc Rivers will likely ration Kevin Garnett's minutes throughout the season in order to preserve him for the playoffs, so their record may not reflect where they are competitively.
- Mavericks big man Elton Brand says that he'll miss Curry's sizable presence in the paint, Price writes. At the same time, Brand notes that he is excited about the addition of Murphy and the tenacity that he brings.
Chris Quinn Signs With Spanish Team
Spanish team Valencia BC has announced the signing of guard Chris Quinn, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Quinn was a late addition to the Jazz roster this offseason and was one of the final players to be released along with Darnell Jackson. From a numbers perspective, the one-guard seemed to have a decent chance of making the club as they had just 14 guaranteed contracts including Raja Bell.
In five NBA seasons, Quinn averaged 4.6 PPG and 1.9 APG for the Heat, Nets, and Spurs. The 29-year-old wound up going overseas last season rather than waiting for the lockout to end and helped Russia’s Khimki capture a Eurocup title.
Hoops Links: Harden, Jazz, Wizards, Johnson
On this date in 1995, the expansion Raptors and Grizzles both made successful NBA debuts with victories in their first regular season games. The Raptors throttled the Nets 94-79 in front of more than 33,000 fans. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies topped the Blazers 92-80 in Portland. Unfortunately for both clubs, the wins would not be a sign of things to come in 1995/96. Toronto finished out the year 21-61 while Vancouver went 15-67 in their inaugural campaign. Things would eventually improve for both clubs, of course, and the Raptors even saw guard Damon Stoudamire win the Rookie of the Year award for 1995/96.
If you have a great blog piece that you think we should feature in Hoops Links, then send it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the blogosphere..
- The Basketball Post still likes the Thunder's chances sans James Harden.
- SLC Dunk looks at the Jazz's three-point attempts in transition last season.
- Truth About It looks at some oddly specific prop bets for the Wizards this season.
- Bright Side Of The Sun talks Wesley Johnson and his future in Phoenix.
- Hoops Addict notes that the Magic still have strong leaders as they start from scratch.
- Brew Hoop peers into their crystal ball for the Bucks this year.
- RealGM splits the league into tiers for 2012/13.
- Canis Hoopus wonders if the Timberwolves can hold the line until Kevin Love gets back.
- Secret Rival breaks down the D-League draft.
- Bucksketball offers up their player capsule on Monta Ellis.
- Rufus On Fire has five questions for the Bobcats.
- Pounding The Rock looks at Kawhi Leonard's season debut.
- SB Nation DC is optimistic about Jan Vesely.
- Red 94 attempts to break down Daryl Morey's philosophy.
- Nets 101 gives us their top eight teams out of the East.
- Basketball Prospectus evaluates this year's extensions.
- NBA 24 7 365 feels for Andrew Bogut.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Mavericks Sign Troy Murphy
SATURDAY 6:39pm: The Mavericks made the signing official in a press release.
FRIDAY 8:04pm: The Mavericks, currently at the maximum roster limit of 15, are working to free up a spot for Murphy, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Dallas would like to make room for the 6'11" forward by trading guard Dominique Jones, but so far they have been unsuccessful.
7:00pm: The Mavericks have agreed to sign forward Troy Murphy to a one-year deal, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Murphy spent last season with the Lakers, but didn't make a tremendous impact in his time with the club.
Murphy wasn't drawing a tremendous amount of interest from NBA clubs this offseason and seemed likely to sign a contract overseas. However, the Mavericks have decided to take a low-risk flier on the sharpshooting big man. Of the remaining late-summer free agents, Murphy had the best 2011/12 three-point shooting percentage with 41.8%.
Last season, Murphy averaged 3.2 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 59 games with the Lakers. For his career, the 32-year-old has averaged 10.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG across eleven seasons.
Terrence Williams Signs In China
FRIDAY, 8:53am: Williams has signed with Guangdong, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). Kennedy adds that a few NBA teams expressed interest in the 25-year-old, but wanted him to play in the D-League. As Kennedy notes, Williams could return to the NBA after the CBA's season ends in March (Twitter link).
It's not clear how Williams' agreement with Guangdong will affect Gilbert Arenas, who reportedly headed to China to try out with the team earlier this week. There were rumblings that Guangdong was looking to sign another NBA player instead of Arenas, so Williams could be that guy. It's also possible that both players will join the team.
THURSDAY, 10:31pm: Free agent guard Terrence Williams has agreed to sign a one-year deal with Guangdong in China, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Williams was waived last week by the Pistons along with Jonny Flynn.
The 25-year-old didn't have a great chance of hooking on with Detroit as they already had 15 guaranteed contracts, but he did have a big fan in coach Lawrence Frank, who he played for in New Jersey. The former lottery pick was praised for his athleticism and versatility heading into the 2009 draft but never got his footing in the NBA. Williams has averaged 7.6 PPG across three seasons in the NBA.
Antonio McDyess Contemplating Comeback
After sitting out a season in retirement, former All-Star Antonio McDyess is contemplating a return to the NBA, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The forward has been working out in Houston and has instructed agent Andy Miller to find out what clubs might be interested in him.
The 38-year-old is known in league circles for his all-around professional demeanor and could be a worthwhile pickup for a team looking for a calming veteran influence. McDyess last played with the Spurs in 2010/11 where he averaged 5.3 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 19 minutes per contest. The veteran has had to undergo a number of knee surgeries throughout his career but still managed to average 12 PPG and 7.5 RPG across 15 seasons.