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Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Hinkie, Celtics

March 28th, 2014 at 6:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s been eight weeks since the Sixers last walked off the court victorious, and while this stretch has been brutal for the city and the fans, the team still eyes a much brighter future, writes Tom Sunnergren of ESPN.com. When looking through their crystal ball to the 2014/15 season, the team envisions their future roster stockpiled with the raw talent and star power to rival any organization in the league. With Michael Carter-Williams running the show, Nerlens Noel as an elite rim protector, and their 2014 lottery pick playing heavy minutes, the team hopes this season’s record-breaking futility will quickly become a distant memory, writes Sunnergren.

Atlantic Links: Sixers, Knicks, J.R. Smith, Celtics

March 27th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers went most of last summer without signing a free agent, and that’s the plan again this time around, coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“No free agent is going to want to come to Philadelphia at this stage,” Brown said, explaining that the team is instead focused on developing young talent. “Why would a good free agent want to come in and be a part of a rebuild?”

The Sixers plan to wait another couple of years before attempting to make a splash on the market, Brown added, so it seems like they’ll be looking up at their Atlantic Division rivals for a while longer. Here’s the latest on a couple of them:

James Dolan and Steve Mills have already concluded that the Knicks roster requires a shakeup, despite the team’s run at a playoff spot, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post, who believes Phil Jackson‘s recent comments suggest the Zen Master agrees.
The desire for changes in New York doesn’t necessarily mean the Knicks will look to unload J.R. Smith, Berman writes in a separate piece.
With the Celtics in line for the fifth overall pick, as our Reverse Standings show, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge shares insight on how he scouts prospects, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald details.

Eastern Notes: Bayless, Celtics, Bucks, Bobcats

March 26th, 2014 at 1:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Barring a remarkable turn of events, the Eastern Conference playoff field is set, and the only realistic uncertainty that remains is about how the teams will be seeded. Tonight’s Pacers–Heat clash will say much about which team ends up with the top seed, as Indiana will be either three games ahead or just one game up on Miami depending on the outcome. While we look forward to that, here’s what’s happening off the court around the East:

Jerryd Bayless said a week after arriving in Boston via trade that he’d like to remain with the Celtics beyond this season, and he reiterated that this week to Gary Dzen of Boston.com. Bayless will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
In a wide-ranging talk with season ticket holders earlier this week, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team will target a rim protector in the draft, notes Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel suggests there’s a decent chance that either Tony Mitchell or Chris Wright will return to the Bucks soon, depending on the performance of the newly signed D.J. Stephens (Twitter link). All three have received 10-day contracts from the team this month, and Gardner says the team will probably sign one of them to a longer deal.
The Bobcats are expected to receive a league-high $20MM in revenue sharing, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports, with several other small-market teams in line for about $15MM. The increase in revenue the Bobcats have drawn via sponsorships is one advantage of fielding a team that competes for one of the last playoff spots rather than bottoming out in pursuit of a high draft pick, as Lowe explains.
Bobcats owner Michael Jordan doesn’t talk much about the team publicly, but he’s been heavily engaged behind the scenes in collective bargaining and revenue sharing discussions, as commissioner Adam Silver tells DeAntae Prince of The Sporting News.

Atlantic Rumors: World Peace, Fisher, Ainge

March 25th, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Chuck Myron

The Atlantic Division title race is shaping up to be fairly compelling, with the Raptors just two games up on the Nets as both teams battle the Bulls and Wizards for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Yet most of the off-court chatter around the division involves the three clubs playing out the string or, in the case of the Knicks, trying to pull off a miracle run to the playoffs. Here’s the latest:

Metta World Peace wouldn’t have agreed to a buyout deal to free himself from the Knicks last month if he knew Phil Jackson would join the franchise, as the former Ron Artest said during his appearance Monday on the “Max & Marcellus Show” on ESPNLA 710 Radio (transcription via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com).
Sam Amick of USA Today wouldn’t be surprised if the Knicks pursue Derek Fisher to coach the team next season, given the mutual respect between Jackson and the 39-year-old guard, who plans to retire at season’s end (video link).
The Celtics are in line for a top-five pick this year, as our Reverse Standings show, but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t think that he’ll draft a franchise player with the selection, as he tells Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe. “I think it’s maybe a little bit better [than last year’s draft] by comparison, but it’s not even close to one of the best draft classes in the last 10 years,” Ainge said.
Sixers 10-day signee Casper Ware has a reputation for tough defense, but coach Brett Brown is also high on his scoring ability and calls him a “true point guard,” notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Kris Humphries

March 24th, 2014 at 7:39pm CST by Zachary Links

So far in our Free Agent Stock Watch series, we’ve profiled Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James. Today, we look at Celtics forward Kris Humphries. While it’s true that one of these things is not like the other, the 29-year-old big man could get some serious attention when he hits the open market this summer.

Humphries, a late lottery pick of the Jazz in 2004, had a rather unremarkable career until January of 2010 when he was traded by the Mavericks along with Shawne Williams to the Nets for Eduardo Najera. The Nets quickly discarded Williams, but Humphries was given an opportunity to shine in New Jersey and made the most of it, posting 10 PPG and 10.4 RPG in a then career-high ~28 minutes per contest. Over the next two years, he proved that his stint with the Nets was no fluke as he proved to be a reliable low post scoring option and brought the tenacity on the glass that center Brook Lopez seemed to lack.

The move across the Hudson River over to Brooklyn may have been a step forward for the organization, but it was quickly apparent in the 2012/13 season that Hump left his best basketball in the Garden State. While he was supposed to be a fixture in the Nets rotation after inking a two-year, $24MM deal in July, he was bounced from Avery Johnson‘s rotation and couldn’t reclaim his spot under his replacement, P.J. Carlesimo. After a season to forget, Humphries found himself on the less-glamorous end of one of the biggest trades in NBA history.

Once again, Humphries was able to make the most of his situation as he was (eventually) able to get significant playing time with the rebuilding Celtics. In 20.2 minutes per contest, Humphries has averaged 8.5 PPG and 6.1 RPG and put up a PER of 18.5, an even stronger mark than his best years in New Jersey. The veteran has said that he would like to stay in Boston, but he could see lucrative offers come in from multiple suitors. It’s tough to say where Humphries will wind up, but in a league where size and toughness are valued, the big man should be in line for a nice payday.

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Stevens, Thornton, Sims

March 24th, 2014 at 10:57am CST by Chuck Myron

Sixers coach Brett Brown is a former Spurs assistant, and he has the support of Gregg Popovich and members of the San Antonio roster as Philly endures a 24-game losing streak, observes Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News.

“It’s not easy for Brett,” Tony Parker said. “They’re trading everybody and their first-round pick [Nerlens Noel] didn’t even play, so it’s not a fair situation.”

Brown’s connection to the Spurs coaching tree, a popular source of sideline bosses among league executives lately, is at least one reason why the Sixers seem highly unlikely to cut ties with him after just one season, as the Bobcats did with Mike Dunlap last year. Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Brad Stevens believes that for players, specialization is more valuable than a broad repertoire, as he tells Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, who looks at the coach’s plan for his first full offseason with the Celtics.
Nets trade deadline acquisition Marcus Thornton is experiencing a renaissance in Brooklyn, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com examines.
Henry Sims has benefited similarly from a trade last month, transforming from afterthought in Cleveland to a starter for the Sixers. Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News looks at what the big man has shown in his expanded playing time.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson has endured his share of criticism this season, but he deserves more credit than he’s receiving for New York’s recent eight-game winning streak, opines Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.

And-Ones: Barkley, Draft, Boeheim

March 23rd, 2014 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In an article by Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, Charles Barkley opined that this year’s freshman stars will struggle in the NBA. Barkley has long been in favor of players staying in college for a minimum of two years. Barkley was quoted as saying, “I want these kids to stay in school longer because the NBA is as worse as it’s ever been. It’s not good basketball. It’s frustrating for me to watch. These kids aren’t physically or emotionally ready to come and play against grown men. You look at the last two days. We’ve had on paper Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins, they’re supposed to be 1-2, 3 at the latest, they didn’t have very good games. And it’s just one game but if they’re going to struggle against Mercer and Stanford, they’re really going to struggle against grown men.”

Atlantic Notes: Young, Babb, Johnson, Knicks

March 22nd, 2014 at 2:14pm CST by Charlie Adams

While Thaddeus Young is focused on finishing the Sixers dismal season on a high note, he admits to Christopher A. Vito of The Delaware County Daily Times that his player option for the 2015/16 season has crossed his mind. “It’s a lot of money to leave on the table. At the end of the day, I’m not a guy that spends a lot of money,” Young said Friday. “Obviously, I want to be winning on a championship team. At the end of the day, like I said, it’s a card that could be played.” Young added that coach Brett Brown and GM Sam Hinkie have done their best to include the power forward on board with the rebuilding process. Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Celtics coach Brad Stevens says that the recently signed duo of Chris Babb and Chris Johnson were brought in to add character to the locker room and enhance practices with their good attitudes, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Babb and Johnson both hooked onto Boston with multi-year deals after each seeing a pair of 10-day contracts.
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines the likelihood that the Celtics re-sign Jerryd Bayless for next season. Bayless will need to work on his defense if he wants to be in Boston long-term, says Forsberg.
Steve Mills’ new role in the Knicks organization will likely turn out to be only ceremonial, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Team president Phil Jackson will look to bring in a different GM to handle day-to-day operations for the club, and Lawrence lists Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons, Ronnie Lester, and Mike Dunleavy as possible candidates for the job.
Crafting his front office team is only one of the tasks Jackson will face in the early stages of his new role for the Knicks. Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders discusses the other challenges the Zen Master will deal with in the early stages of his tenure in New York.
Harvery Araton of the New York Times thinks that the Knicks’ move to bring in Jackson has overshadowed the impressive recovery that the Nets have been able to make over the second half of the season. Brooklyn sits just one game back from third place in the East after an underwhelming start to the 2013/14 campaign.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

Celtics Re-Sign Chris Babb To Three-Year Deal

March 21st, 2014 at 2:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:36pm: It’s a three-year contract that’s non-guaranteed next season and for 2015/16, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. That means Babb received essentially the same deal that the Celtics gave Johnson, as I speculated. Murphy also confirms that it’s a minimum-salary arrangement.

FRIDAY, 9:54am: Boston has made the signing official, the team announced. The statement confirms that it’s a multiyear deal, but it doesn’t provide any further details.

THURSDAY, 1:00pm: The Celtics will re-sign Chris Babb to a deal that covers the rest of the season and beyond, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Babb is on the final day of his second 10-day contract with the team. Babb’s latest pact will likely be non-guaranteed for next season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it also covers 2015/16 with non-guaranteed salary, since that’s the very sort of deal that Chris Johnson got from the team this year following his 10-day contract.

Babb’s new deal will be the 15th guaranteed contract on the books for the Celtics this season, meaning Boston is likely done making moves for 2013/14. The 24-year-old former Iowa State shooting guard hasn’t dazzled in his limited playing time in Boston, averaging 2.2 points on 2.3 field goal attempts in 11.5 minutes per game. Still, coach Brad Stevens has called him a “perfect fit,” and Stevens seems particularly high on Babb’s defensive ability.

The Greg Lawrence client was initially with the Celtics in training camp this fall after going undrafted in June, though he saw time in summer league with the Suns. He failed to make Boston’s opening-night roster, but the Celtics kept his D-League rights and Babb wound up playing for the C’s D-League affiliate, posting 12.0 points and 35.4% three-point shooting in 37.5 minutes per game over 33 appearances. That led to his first 10-day contract, which he signed on the final day of February.

Celtics Notes: Bass, Babb, Bradley

March 21st, 2014 at 1:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics visit Brooklyn tonight for a game against Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett‘s team, but the front office will probably be far more plugged in to what happens during this evening’s NCAA tournament action. The C’s are in line for the sixth overall pick, but they’re just a game up on the Jazz, who have the league’s fourth-worst record, as our Reverse Standings show. That means a marquee prospect figures to be wearing green soon. Here’s the latest on the future-focused Celtics:

Brandon Bass will be a trade candidate again this summer, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The power forward has played well and isn’t pouting, according to Washburn, who says Boston’s frontcourt logjam and its focus on rebuilding could be the impetus for a deal.
Today’s addition of Chris Babb on a contract that’s non-guaranteed for next season gives the Celtics four players with non-guaranteed deals for 2014/15, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The Celtics have proven adept at using non-guaranteed contracts as trade ballast the past two summers, and Boston has the chance to do so again in a few months, as Forsberg examines.
Avery Bradley has suggested that his desire to stay with the Celtics is tied to his enthusiasm for playing with Rajon Rondo. They’ve nonetheless shared the court for a total of just 159 minutes since Rondo made his season debut January 17th, as Forsberg points out in a separate piece. The C’s should pair them together more often before Bradley hits restricted free agency this summer, Forsberg argues.