Odds & Ends: Virginia Beach, West, Mavs, Maynor
Links as Tuesday turns into Wednesday..
- Voters in Virginia Beach, Virginia are largely against the idea of building an NBA arena in their city, according to a poll released earlier today, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. The poll showed that voters oppose the proposed arena by a 45-38 margin and oppose public funding for it by a margin of 58-32. It already seemed unlikely that an NBA team would move to the area, but the lack of public support further hurts the odds.
- Delonte West's suspension for conduct detrimental to the Mavericks didn't last long as he was reinstated this evening, writes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Sources said that West's suspension stemmed from an outburst in the locker room after the Mavs' 123-104 preseason win Monday over the Rockets.
- Eddie Sefko of the The Dallas Morning News writes that Mark Cuban should have been in attendance for Deron Williams' meeting with the Mavericks this summer, but the owner shouldn't be blamed for the point guard's decision to stay with the Nets. Recently, Williams indicated that his decision to pass on Dallas was influenced by Cuban's decision to attend a taping of his television show rather than meet with him.
- Point guard Eric Maynor's return from injury is as good as any free agent pickup the Thunder could have hoped for this summer, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. The former VCU star is entering his walk year after missing the bulk of the 2011/12 season.
- Kevin Garnett gave a strong endorsement of the new look Nets following their preseason game against the Celtics. “They’re going to be a force to be reckoned with. They’re nothing like last year. They’re gonna be strong," said Garnett, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nash, Raptors, Knicks
In case you were worried that Jeremy Lin's move from New York to Houston would cut down on the point guard's face time in the media, you can now rest easy. The former Knicks guard was profiled in the cover story of GQ's November issue and ran down his hectic summer and eventual signing with the Rockets. Mostly everyone was taken by surprise when the Knicks opted against matching General Manager Daryl Morey's offer and Lin disclosed that even the Houston front office wasn't expecting to come away with him. After signing the Rockets' offer sheet, the club told Lin that they believed there was an "80% to 95% chance" that he would wind up back at MSG. Here's more out of the Atlantic..
- The Celtics are now looking at adding another veteran player by the end of the week after releasing Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith, a source tells Paul Flannery of WEEI.com. Coach Doc Rivers says that the club won't limit its search to backcourt help either as Courtney Lee, Jason Terry, and Avery Bradley can also pitch in at one-guard. Meanwhile, it now seems likely that rookie Kris Joseph will make the final roster of 15.
- In an interview with QMI Agency, Steve Nash admitted that he was extremely close to signing with the Raptors this offseason, writes Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun. "I was very close, you know," Nash said. "Because it appeared that they were going to be an option long before free agency started. So I got my head around that and I was comfortable with that and happy with the opportunity to play in Toronto. But when this opportunity (with the Lakers) became a reality, I couldn't pass it up."
- If the Knicks can't break through this season with their core of Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Amare Stoudemire, Sam Amico of FOXSports.com believes that they should look into going in another direction.
Maurice Evans Waiting On Guaranteed Deal
Free agent guard Maurice Evans is still looking to hook on with a team as we close in on the start of the 2011/12 season and has received several offers for make-good contracts from around the league. However, the 33-year-old says that he won't consider taking any of them as he believes that he deserves a guaranteed contract, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
“I did not entertain any non-guaranteed contracts,” Evans said. “At this point in my career, every team and GM is familiar with my skill-set and what impact I would have on their team. A non-guarantee was not appealing at all, especially coming off the heels of helping negotiate the current CBA just last year. I believe there will be opportunities that will manifest after training camp. There are many players still at home that can bring tremendous value to teams.”
Evans believes that he has plenty left in the tank at this stage of his career, but the Wizards didn't do him any favors last season as his minutes shrank in the midst of the club's youth movement. In 14.3 minutes per contest, Evans averaged 4.9 PPG and 1.0 RPG. It was reported that General Manager Ernie Grunfeld offered Evans a position in the front office, but the guard says that he was never formally presented with that opportunity. Regardless, Evans says that he's willing to call it a career if he can't find a club willing to give him a guaranteed contract.
Knicks Exercise Option On Iman Shumpert
The Knicks announced that they have exercised the third-year option on Iman Shumpert. The guard, entering his sophomore season, was widely expected to be retained through the 2013/14 season. The Georgia Tech product will make $1.68MM this season and 1.797MM in the third year of his deal.
Shumpert averaged 9.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.8 APG for the Knicks last season in his rookie campaign. However, the 17th overall pick in the draft went on to suffer a torn ACL in the Game 1 of first round of the playoffs against the Heat. We heard recently that Shumpert has been able to get around without the help of a brace or a limp, which would indicate that his rehab is going well. Doctors have projected that Shumpert could be back in action as soon as December or January.
Odds & Ends: Beasley, Suns, Magic, Nailon
Earlier this week, Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby told Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports that he never would have predicted trading Steve Nash early in the 2011/12 season. Of course, the time came where it made sense for the Suns to agree to a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers for the veteran point guard, and Babby noted that owner Robert Sarver was really good about making a deal that may hurt the team's revenue in the short-term but should prove to be a smart basketball move in the long run. Here's more out of Phoenix and other items from around the Association..
- Michael Beasley averaged 13.4 shots per game despite only playing 27.9 minutes per contest, but the Suns are actually encouraging their new forward to shoot the ball more, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Beasley has never been big on three-point attempts, but he did shoot 37.6% from downtown last year and the Suns are encouraging him to let it fly more often.
- The Magic have undergone a major renovation and it extends well beyond the hardwood, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The organization's basketball operations department has grown from 26 employees under former GM Otis Smith to 33 employees this season under Rob Hennigan.
- Former NBA forward Lee Nailon has signed a contract with the Goyang Orions of South Korea, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter). Nailon spent eight years in the Association, seeing time with the Sixers, Bobcats, Knicks, Magic, Hornets, and Cavs.
- The Mavs fully own and operate their D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, and with new coach Eduardo Najera, they're trying to build a successful organizational culture from top to bottom, as Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside writes.
Warriors Waive Stefhon Hannah
The Warriors announced that they have waived guard Stefhon Hannah. The 27-year-old was signed as a free agent on October 1st and did not see playing time in any of the team's three preseason games since then.
The 27-year-old was a standout at the University of Missouri where he shined as an offense-oriented point guard. Hannah spent last season with the Dakota Wizards of the D-League – controlled by the Warriors and now located in Santa Cruz – and averaged 18.4 PPG with 4.8 APG and 3.8 RPG in 29 games. Golden State's roster now stands at 19.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Love, Carter, Thunder
News and notes out of the Northwest Division..
- Timberwolves forward Kevin Love talked to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press why he wasn’t happy when he had to settle for a four-year extension rather than the five-year pact he was seeking. “That’s because I wanted to be here,” Love said. “I wanted them to say, ’When people think Minnesota Timberwolves, they think Kevin Love.’ And I felt with my contract we didn’t really do that.”
- The Nuggets offered guard Anthony Carter a coaching spot three weeks ago but he told Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) that he will instead look to play the year out. The 37-year-old re-joined Denver this offseason on a non-guaranteed deal.
- Though he’s been criticized for being too passive and has drawn the ire of coach Scott Brooks for taking too many three-pointers, Thunder rookie Perry Jones III is nonetheless making a significant impact so far, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes.
Odds & Ends: Hinrich, Williams, Heat, Hansbrough
While some have said that Kirk Hinrich has lost a step, the guard says that he is as healthy as he has been in years. That could make all the difference this season for the Bulls, who need as much as they can get out of the backcourt while Derrick Rose rehabs his knee injury, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. The point guard has spent the last few years with the Hawks and Wizards while battling injuries and was brought back to be a stabilizing force in Chicago. Hinrich, who is set to earn $8MM over the next two seasons, may not be the player he was five years ago, but could still prove to a strong pickup for the Bulls. Here's more from around the league..
- Atlanta native Lou Williams says that he always envisioned himself playing for his hometown team, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Williams said that there were "three or four teams" in heavy pursuit of him this summer, but he quickly gave the edge to the Hawks once it became clear that they would offer him a fair deal.
- In today's Q-and-A column, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the Heat would be better off with a traditional point guard such as Jose Calderon over Mario Chalmers. Winderman doesn't agree, arguing that a typical one-guard isn't needed when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade like to handle the ball as much as they do.
- Undrafted rookie Ben Hansbrough has an uphill battle as he looks to make the Pacers roster, but he is certainly giving the front office something to think about, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Hansbrough is trying to hook on as a one-guard behind two true point guards in George Hill and D.J. Augustin and combo guard Lance Stephenson.
- Justin Holiday will also have a tough time making the final 15 with the Trail Blazers, but the forward has never been afraid of working hard to reach his goal, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Novak, Sixers, Bynum
Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com writes that a few underrated veteran pickups and smart draft picks may be all that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo need to be contenders once again in 2012/13. While Pierce just turned 35 and Kevin Garnett is a 36-year-old with extra mileage, it's hard to overlook their free agent pickups like Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. It also helps that the Celtics will have Jeff Green return from his heart issue and Avery Bradley back from shoulder problems. Here's more from the Atlantic Division..
- Knicks guard Steve Novak was sorry to see Jeremy Lin leave, but he is now comfortable with the point guards he has, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Even though he's happy playing with Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton, Novak did add that he wishes things worked out differently with Lin.
- After relying on Ryan Hollins and Greg Stiemsma for critical backup minutes at center in last year's playoffs, the Celtics have added some much needed size this summer, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Many are hoping that Doc Rivers can be the coach to finally tap the potential of Darko Milicic, who figures to see serious minutes off the bench in support of Boston's bigs.
- This year's incarnation of the Sixers is a major step up from last season's, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. Andrew Bynum obviously represents the club's biggest improvement, but the club also gained quite a bit with their newfound flexibility.
Hoops Links: Nuggets, Cavs, Walker, Wizards
Thirty-three years ago, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson made their NBA debuts. In Boston, Bird put up 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Celtics topped the Rockets 114-106. Meanwhile, Johnson had some impressive dimes in his first NBA action, but he wasn't even close to being the star of the night as the Lakers battled the Clippers. World B. Free put up 46 points in San Diego only to watch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar win the game for Los Angeles with a buzzer-beating skyhook.
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 NBA Geek expects the Nuggets to surprise this season.
- The Basketball Post wonders if the Cavs are ready to take the next step.
- Rufus On Fire sets the bar for Kemba Walker in his sophomore campaign.
- NBA 24 7 365 goes inside the huddle of Knicks coach Mike Woodson.
- Bullets Forever tackles the Wizards' small forward problem.
- SLC Dunk looks at who is overpaid and underpaid on the Jazz.
- Wages Of Wins has good news for Knicks fans.
- Bucksketball gives us a primer on John Henson.
- Smooth's Hoops defends their take on the Nuggets.
- Canis Hoopus looks at the future of one-guards.
- Nets Are Scorching would rather have this Nets team than Derrick Favors and cap room.
- Basketball Prospectus peels back the curtain to explain their NCAA projections.
- RealGM runs down the Pacific.
- Hardwood Paroxysm is amped for some exhibition basketball.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.