And-Ones: Jeanie, Celtics, LeBron
Lakers president Jeanie Buss appeared on TWC Sports Net in Los Angeles tonight, addressing today’s most popular topic: “it was clear that (Phil Jackson) wanted to go back to work, but there was no role for him with the Lakers…He was not offered an official position… There (was) no role in the front office for him.”
As Jackson’s fiancee, Buss said that she recently met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to discuss a potential conflict of interest now that Phil is running the front office in New York. With regard to the Buss family’s ownership of the Lakers, Jeanie asserted that they aren’t going anywhere soon: “This is the family business and the family is going to own the team for as long as the family is together” (All Twitter links via ESPN LA’s Ramona Shelburne).
Here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes:
- Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck recently hinted at major roster changes this summer, telling Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe that there could be “fireworks” this June, as Holmes notes within a story on the challenges of playing for a team with so much uncertainty,
- LeBron James sidestepped a question about a potential return to the Cavaliers earlier tonight: “For me to take my mind somewhere else when I know what’s on its way [postseason] is almost impossible” (Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel via Twitter). Tonight marked LeBron’s final appearance in Cleveland before he can opt out this summer, and the Heat superstar didn’t count anything out: “Only time will tell” (Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio relayed on Twitter).
- Though Mark Jackson has been a target for ridicule in Golden State, the missteps of Warriors owner Joe Lacob and GM Bob Myers can’t be ignored either, writes Ric Bucher of the Bleacher Report.
- Bucher adds that it was Lacob who made the call to amnesty Charlie Bell‘s $4MM contract so the team could pursue then-free agent Tyson Chandler, who never planned on playing for the Warriors. Additionally, top management – whether intentional or not – provided the grist which brought forth questions about Jackson’s job security this year, specifically when Lacob expressed disappointment about certain losses and Myers suggested that Jackson has been given all he needs to succeed. The team is currently sixth in the Western Conference and holds just a three-and-a-half-game lead over the ninth-seeded Suns.
Lowe’s Latest: Draft Lottery, Wheel, Cuban
The current draft lottery system probably won’t last much longer, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who examines a variety of proposals for changing the system. Perhaps at the root of much of the desire for change is what Lowe identifies as a growing contingent of owners and GMs whose only goal is to win titles, rather than maintaining competitive teams. Lowe goes over several ideas for changing the lottery, and we’ll highlight the ones that appear to be the subject of serious discussion around the league:
- Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren has come up with a new version of his wheel proposal, Lowe reveals. Zarren suggests that randomly selected teams go into “buckets” with picks grouped one through six, 25 through 30, and so forth, with a mini-lottery within each bucket to determine the precise pick that each team ends up with.
- There is serious concern around the league that the wheel will make it difficult for moribund teams to improve. Lowe doesn’t specify which version of the wheel he’s referring to, but I assume the worry is over the original wheel proposal.
- People around the league like the idea of an unweighted lottery system in which each non-playoff team has an equal shot at the No. 1 pick.
- There’s also discussion about the idea of expanding the lottery to include the bottom 22 teams, and guaranteeing high picks to some of the bottom four playoff teams in each conference.
- Many executives like the idea of factoring a team’s record over the last three seasons into the lottery. Mavs owner Mark Cuban is a proponent of giving the lottery team with the best record the greatest chance of winning the top pick, though he thinks it should be less than the 25% chance that the team with the worst record has of winning the lottery under the current system.
- Cuban and others are also high on the idea of having a random draw determine every lottery pick, rather than just the top three picks, as is the case now.
Draft Rumors: Gordon, Parker, Wiggins
Chad Ford of ESPN.com has used his insider-only “Tank Rank” column to pass along rumors connected the plans that teams have for this season, but this week’s edition is all about how clubs view the top prospects for the draft. We’ll pass along the highlights from Ford here:
- The Celtics and Jazz are high on Arizona power forward Aaron Gordon, according to Ford.
- Ford consistently hears that the Pistons would draft Jabari Parker No. 1 overall if they scored the No. 1 overall pick. That seems to assume that Joe Dumars would still be in charge of the team’s basketball operations, which isn’t a given.
- The Pelicans believe Parker would be the “perfect fit” for them, Ford writes.
- The Cavs envision using Andrew Wiggins, a small forward, as a shooting guard next to Kyrie Irving if they’re able to land the Kansas star, Ford suggests.
- If the Magic wind up with the No. 1 overall pick, they’d probably use it on Wiggins, Ford writes, identifying Dante Exum and Marcus Smart as others the team will likely target.
- The Lakers appear to have Joel Embiid, Wiggins, and Exum as their top three prospects, according to Ford, who pegs Parker fourth and Julius Randle fifth on L.A.’s board.
Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Brown, Green
Earlier today, the Sixers dropped guard Eric Maynor in order to sign forward James Nunnally to a 10-day deal. More from the Atlantic..
- Phil Jackson knows what it takes to win, but Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal wonders if he should be credited with building the teams that he has previously coached. Carmelo Anthony recently praised the Hall Of Famer as rumors swirled that he was Knicks-bound, but Schlosser wonders if he can do enough to live up to those expectations.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com, that a true rebuild takes time. “That is the en vogue angle,” Brown said. “I think if you ask Kevin Durant about the 20-win season he had, he seems to be doing just fine. I think when you look at those teams that have had a chance to rebuild, losing is a long-gone memory. To truly rebuild and grow something is going to take three to five years. That is just the way it goes. It is too talented a league and too well-coached. The experiences we are going through now will be distant memories when these guys start getting older. They will find positives in this season and Michael Carter-Williams will be better for it.”
- In today’s column, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe catches up with Gerald Green, who seems to have found a home with the Suns. “When you go places in life that you think you’ll never go, you change a little bit,” the former Celtics draft pick said. “You mature a lot faster. I knew something had to change. It either was going to be me or I wasn’t going to be back in the league. That made it an easy decision for me to change. Two years ago, I was nowhere to be found. Now I’m older, more mature, understand that this is not a hobby, this is a job.”
Eastern Rumors: Cavs, Jackson, Brown, Rondo
Here’s the latest slate of rumors out of the NBA’s Eastern Conference..
- The Cavaliers were interested in hiring Phil Jackson in some capacity, writes Bob Finnan of the Morning Journal. However, the Knicks moved in quickly and signed him before they could act.
- In the same piece, Finnan notes that Mike Brown has had to alter his coaching style to accommodate to a young and inexperienced Cavaliers team this season. Still, Brown is on the hot seat and might find himself out of the job in Cleveland, Finnan suggests.
- Charley Rosen of HoopsHype runs down the Knicks‘ roster and explores the likelihood that each player has of being retained by Jackson. Rosen notes many of the players on the team don’t appear to be fits for Jackson’s system.
- Rajon Rondo has consistently been the topic of trade rumors, but Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck recently spoke out and said that Rondo will continue to be the leader of the franchise going forward. Grousbeck’s words mean a lot to Rondo, reports Mike Petraglia of WEEI. “It means a lot, especially coming from the head guy,” Rondo said. “With all the rumors swirling, the criticism that I was having throughout the past couple weeks, he stuck his neck out. He didn’t have to say anything, but he did.”
Atlantic Notes: Moultrie, Sixers, Rondo
Here’s the latest from Atlantic Division that doesn’t involve Phil Jackson and the Knicks:
- Evan Turner told reporters. including Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com, that he has no animosity toward the Sixers, who traded him away to the Pacers at the trade deadline.
- Turner was surprised that the Sixers traded him and Lavoy Allen for just a second-round draft pick and the now-bought out contract of Danny Granger but said he’s confident Sixers GM Sam Hinkie has something “up his sleeve.” Turner said it takes guts to commit to rebuild in a city like Philadelphia, per Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter links).
- The Sixers are sending Arnett Moultrie to the D-League, a league source tells Moore (Twitter link).
- Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe he wants Rajon Rondo to stay with Boston beyond his current contract. “I love the guy. I love his championship ring when he was the young kid. I love his growth.” said Grousbeck. “It reminds me of Paul Pierce. Growing from the moments in his younger days and making progress toward being an all-time Celtic and a leader. I am always hopeful that a guy like that is going to stay around.”
- Rondo appreciated Grousbeck’s comments, he tells Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe (All Twitter links). “It means a lot, especially coming from the head guy,” said Rondo. “With all the rumors swirling, the criticism that I was having throughout the past couple weeks, he stuck his neck out. (Wyc) didn’t have to say anything, but he did. I’ve talked to Wyc since then. Everything is what it’s supposed to be.”
- Jerryd Bayless echoes Grousbeck’s appreciation of Rondo, and writes on his personal blog that he hopes to play with him as Celtics teammates beyond this season (H/T Alex Kennedy). “It seems like transitioning to being the team leader has come pretty naturally for Rondo,” Bayless writes. “I think he has been preparing for it for a long time, and it shows. He’s a great leader, I’ve had a great time being able to get to know him in the last couple months, and hopefully, we can grow as teammates for a long time.” Bayless will be a free agent after this season.
- Recent Suns acquisition Shavlik Randolph told Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com that he was shocked and disappointed when the Celtics released him last summer, but he understands Boston’s decision (Twitter links).
Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Varnado, Ainge
Early-season fear that the Atlantic Division champion wouldn’t deserve its automatic high seeding in the playoffs has subsided, with the Raptors holding the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. The fast-charging Nets are three games back, but the most compelling stories out of the Atlantic seem to come from the teams that are below .500. Here’s news on the Knicks, Sixers and Celtics:
- A source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that Phil Jackson plans to live “in New York 35% of the time and make it look like 50%” (Twitter link). In contrast, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck hears from Jackson confidants who say he wouldn’t be taking the Knicks job if he didn’t intend to move to the Big Apple.
- Analytics fascinate Jackson, who’ll probably further the use of advanced metrics in a Knicks front office that’s been slow to adopt them, Beck writes in the same piece.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown is enamored with Jarvis Varnado, and it’s because of his defense, observes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. The Sixers, who signed Varnado on Wednesday to a multiyear contract, give up the third most points per possession in the league, according to NBA.com.
- Pacers coach Frank Vogel believes the Celtics provide the right environment for friend Brad Stevens. Vogel is particularly high on president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, saying he’s “at the top of that list” of executives a coach would want to work for. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald has the details.
Eastern Notes: Noel, Maxiell, Bird
Jason Maxiell hasn’t played in the Magic’s last nine games and has only one appearance since January 29th, but he’s trying to maintain a positive outlook, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Maxiell stated, “I’m respecting that this is a year for the young guys to develop and improve for next year. With the coaching staff and [general manager] Rob [Hennigan] and [assistant general manager] Scott Perry, I think more of the bigger picture is moving forward for next year and having a mixture of experienced young guys mixed in with some vets.” Robbins mentions that the lack of playing time could hurt Maxiell in the long run because of his contract. He signed a free-agent contract with the Magic during the offseason, and his salary of $2.5MM for next year is non-guaranteed and he won’t be owed anything if the team waives him before mid-July.
More from the east:
- On Sunday the Sixers’ Nerlens Noel tweeted “4-4-14”, which hinted at a possible NBA debut date for the injured player. Marc Narducci and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer discuss the likelihood of seeing the big man on the court this season.
- On Thursday night, Zaza Pachulia will return to Atlanta for the first time since signing with the Bucks this summer. The former Hawks fan-favorite sat down with Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to answer some questions about his thoughts on his change of teams and what the future holds for him.
- Larry Bird might be in charge of the Pacers, but the Celtics will always be a part of him. He still pays close attention to his former franchise and has quite a few complimentary things to say about GM Danny Ainge and point guard Rajon Rondo, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.
- Speaking of the Celtics, team owner Wyc Grousbeck joked that he wants Andrew Wiggins in this years draft, tweets Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. This was said in response to commissioner Adam Silver noting there were already two Canadians on the Celtics roster. Wiggins is projected as a top-3 lottery pick in this year’s draft and the Celtics currently rank sixth in Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings.
Celtics Owner On Rondo, Stevens, Free Agents
Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck sat down with Bob Neumeier of CSNNE at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conference to discuss a handful of team-related topics. Although Grousbeck admitted some disappointment about the team’s struggles this season, he remains focused on the future: “I had hoped for a better record than this, I know Brad Stevens had hoped for a better record for sure, because he’s a guy that would light himself on fire to win even a quarter of the game much less the whole game…So we’re about winning around here. It’s not happening for us this year, but we’re going to take a long-term view.”
You can find more of Grousebeck’s notable comments below (link provided from a CSNNE Staff Report).
On Rajon Rondo:
“… I can’t imagine the Celtics without him. It’s challenging. There’s a lot of interest in him. He’s going to come up in a year on his free agency. So we’re going to try to keep him. I hope it works out. If it doesn’t work out we’ll go to Plan B. But he’s been great for us, he’s got us a ring, and is now the captain of the team, and I love having him here.”
On Stevens:
“Now having Brad replace Doc, I wasn’t sure I was ready for Doc to go, but it seemed to be time when it all shook out. Brad is, I can’t think of a more fabulous coach and up-and-coming coach in the league. I think there’s 30 teams one way or the other that are envious of our coach right now.”
On attracting premier free agents to Boston:
“The more I hear about free agency in Boston and the more that I see all the money that’s … the money in the league has doubled just even since I’ve been here. Everything’s doubled and almost doubled again. There’s tons of money. What these guys don’t have is a ring. If we can get it to a place … we really attracted Kevin Garnett here with a chance to win a championship. You can say technically he wasn’t a free agent, but really technically he was. He didn’t have to come to Boston and he did. So in my opinion KG was a free agent who came to Boston and won a championship. And there are other guys out there that want to win rings, and if they want to win them, I think we have to be in the mix.”
Celtics Sign Chris Babb To Second 10-Day
TUESDAY, 10:30am: The Celtics have formally announced the deal, via press release.
SUNDAY, 8:02pm: Chris Babb confirmed to reporters, including Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (on Twitter), that he has received a second 10-day deal from the Celtics. Babb had averages of 3.7 PPG and 2.0 RPG while playing 13.3 MPG heading into today’s contest against the Pistons.
Coach Brad Stevens recently offered up high praise for Babb, who initially joined the C’s on February 28th. “He’s a perfect fit for what we need as far as, he’s not going to play 38 minutes a game — he’s going to come in, get open shots, hopefully knock those open shots down, play off of other people, and then be a feisty defender for us. He really is an outstanding defender for a young guy,” Stevens said.
Babb went undrafted in 2013 but played in the summer league for the Suns afterwards. Babb played in 32 games for the Red Claws this season, and averaged 11.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG, while logging 37.5 MPG.