New York Notes: Jack, Noah, Hollis-Jefferson, Allen
Point guard Jarrett Jack, who was considered a candidate to be waived before the season began, has been an overlooked part of the Knicks‘ resurgence, according to Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. The 13-year veteran has made an impact since signing with New York in September, ranking 16th in the league with 5.9 assists per game and second in assist ratio. He has also brought a passing culture to the Knicks, who rank fifth in the league in assists after finishing 19th last season.
“When I got here I kind of gauged the lineup of the guys I was playing with … [and] it calls for somebody within that five, to kind of be like, ‘Hey man, I can’t try and barge my way into the offense,’” Jack explained. “I’ve got to sacrifice for the betterment of everybody and it’s been productive for us. I’m all good with just setting the table, understanding my role and knowing what’s been great and positive for the team.”
There’s more NBA news from New York City:
- Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek thinks Joakim Noah will benefit from the chance to get some playing time in the G League, Kussoy writes in a separate story. Noah has seen just three minutes of action since returning from a suspension, finding himself fourth in the center rotation. “It’s tough on all of them,” Hornacek said. “Periodically, we want to try to make sure we get them in at some point and get some minutes. It’s hard if you go two months and don’t play. That’s why you saw Jo get some tune-up work with the G-League team.”
- Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned to the court Saturday after missing two games with a sprained ankle, but he wasn’t in his customary starting position, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Hollis-Jefferson started the first 18 games he played this season, but coach Kenny Atkinson opted to stick with stretch four Trevor Booker. “We talked about it before the game,” Atkinson said. “Trevor had a really great game in Dallas, was feeling good. Rondae’s obviously coming back from an injury, so that was the thinking there.”
- Rookie center Jarrett Allen is still adjusting to life in the NBA, but he is making a strong impression on Atkinson, according to Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily. “I’m happy with how he fits our system, I’m happy with his competitiveness, happy that he gives us a 7-foot rim protector and rim-roller,” Atkinson said. “We’re very good defensively when he’s on the court, the analytics back that up, he’s what he thought.”
Embiid Bonus Could Affect Sixers’ Cap Space
Joel Embiid‘s strong start could lead to a bonus that would affect the Sixers’ ability to compete on the free agent market next summer, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN.
The second-year center signed a five-year extension over the summer that has a base value of $146MM, but could rise as high as $178MM if he reaches certain benchmarks. That includes a hefty bonus if he is named Most Valuable Player or earns first-team All-NBA honors this season. Embiid, who came into tonight averaging 22.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, is certainly a candidate to make the All-NBA team at center, especially with the injury to Rudy Gobert and the move of Anthony Davis to power forward.
The bonus would raise Embiid’s cap hit from $25.3MM to $30.3MM for 2018/19 and would cost Philadelphia $5MM in cap space for each subsequent year of the contract. The Sixers have nearly $32MM in projected cap room right now, not counting $1.6MM team options for T.J. McConnell and Richaun Holmes, so $5MM could affect their ability to offer a full max contract.
Emiid’s contract also contains a minutes clause that could boost his future earnings. He can make his contract fully guaranteed starting in 2020/21 or 2021/22 if he plays at least 1,650 minutes in three consecutive years or three out of four starting with this season. He has accumulated 532 minutes in 18 games, putting him on pace to reach that figure for this year.
Marks passes on a few other tidbits related to contract incentives:
- The punch from Bobby Portis that hospitalized Nikola Mirotic has cost the Bulls forward $1MM in bonuses. Mirotic had four benchmarks valued at $250K each, and although each was unlikely, he needed to play 65 games to be eligible and he has already missed 20.
- Nets guard Jeremy Lin, who played just one game this season before needing knee surgery, missed a chance to earn several bonuses worth $750K.
- Nuggets forward Paul Millsap has a $500K incentive for making the All-Star team, which is impossible after wrist surgery that will keep him sidelined until after the February 18 game. Millsap had been an All-Star the past four seasons in the East. He also would receive a $150K bonus for playing 65 games and averaging seven rebounds per 36 minutes, but that’s out of reach because of the injury. He can still get $150K if the Nuggets make the playoffs, but for now his cap hit for next season will be cut from $29.7MM to $29.2MM.
- Gobert took the biggest hit because of injury, which could cost him up to $2MM. The Jazz center, who is not expected back until the middle of the month because of a bone bruise in his right knee, had a pair of $250K incentives based on 67 games played, along with a $500K bonus for being named first team All-Defense and $1MM for making the All-Star game.
- Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon needs his scoring and rebounding averages to total more than 16 to collect a $900K bonus. He was at 11.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG before his recent injury.
- The Trail Blazers could see a smaller luxury tax bill if Maurice Harkless continues to struggle with his three-point shot. Currently shooting 24.3% from distance, Harkless needs to reach 35% at the end of the season to get a $500K bonus. If he falls short, Portland’s tax bill will dip from $4.3MM to $3.5MM.
Caris LeVert Making Strides After Slow Start
- Nets point guard Jeremy Lin is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on a ruptured patella tendon — which he suffered on opening night. As Net Income of NetsDaily writes, Lin will rehab his injury in Canada at Fortius Sport and Health.
- Despite his early-season shooting woes, Nets’ second-year forward Caris LeVert is finally taking strides and building off a solid rookie campaign, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes.
Examining Isaiah Whitehead's Development
- Brian Lewis of The New York Post takes a closer look at the development of second-year guard Isaiah Whitehead, who has frequently bounced back and forth this season between the Nets and their G League affiliate. If Whitehead can cut down on his turnovers, he should continue to see more time in Brooklyn than in Long Island, writes Lewis.
Could Spencer Dinwiddie Be A Nets Trade Chip?
- Spencer Dinwiddie has been productive for the Nets in the absence of Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell. In a recent podcast, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Dieter Kurtenbach of the San Jose Mercury-News discussed Dinwiddie’s trade value and Net Income at NetsDaily examined the possibility of the Nets trading their starting point guard.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/27/17
Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:
- The Knicks assigned guard Ron Baker to their Westchester affiliate and he’s expected to play tonight against the Windy City Bulls, according to a tweet from their PR department. Baker has already appeared in two G League games this season, averaging 13.0 PPG in 36.1 MPG.
- The Rockets recalled center Zhou Qi from the RGV Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. That’s an indication that his sore calf would have prevented him from playing with the Vipers tonight, Feigen adds. Zhou missed the Vipers’ game on Saturday and the recall will allow him to get treatment from Houston’s medical staff.
- The Grizzlies assigned power forward Ivan Rabb to their affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies media relations department tweets. The second-rounder out of Cal has already played six G League games, averaging 19.0 PPG and 9.7 RPG in 28.6 MPG.
- The Jazz assigned center Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s Twitter feed (Twitter link). The big man out of North Carolina scored 20 points in his only previous G League appearance.
- The Nets recalled guard Isaiah Whitehead from the Long Island Nets prior to their game against the Rockets, according to a team press release. He has played two G League games, averaging 29.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 3.5 APG in 37.3 MPG.
No Timetable For D'Angelo Russell But He'll Travel With Team
- Although he remains inactive without a timetable, injured guard D’Angelo Russell will join the Nets on their upcoming road trip, Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily writes. The offseason addition will be called upon to help lead from the sidelines and stay engaged with the group.
Nets Assign Isaiah Whitehead To Long Islandi
- The Nets have assigned Isaiah Whitehead to their G League affiliate in Long Island, the team announced in a press release. Whitehead has averaged 3.6 points per game with the big league club and scored 26 points in his lone G League game this season.
Nets Resting Timofey Mozgov After Exhausting Summer
- The Nets are making a concerted effort to rest Timofey Mozgov after a busy offseason, a Nets Daily report states. Mozgov, who played 20 games with Team Russia this summer, has sat out of action since November 14.
Nets Notes: Allen, Dinwiddie, Lin
While 19-year-old center Jarrett Allen hasn’t earned a full-time role with the Nets just yet, the rookie big man has started to impress head coach Kenny Atkinson, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
“Jarrett came in and gave us a nice boost, good energy off the bench. Yeah, I was proud of his competitive grit,” Atkinson said after Allen played the most minutes of his young career yesterday. “Jarrett is progressing nicely. I just hope we can get some consistency there, and we can start using him.”
In addition to being so new to the NBA, Allen missed six games with an injury at the start of the month. The Nets rookie feels better now, however, and is ready to start commanding more and more playing time.
There’s more out of Brooklyn tonight:
- The Nets are thankful for the emergence of 24-year-old point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. The journeyman guard has come into his own of late, filling in for the injured Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell. In four starts, Dinwiddie has averaged 6.5 points and 9.3 assists per game.
- The Nets have benefited from the veteran leadership of summer acquisition DeMarre Carroll, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes. The 31-year-old has a career full of highs and lows to pull from when mentoring his young teammates.
- Slowly but surely, Jeremy Lin is making progress. The point guard recently gave an interview on Chinese social media site Weibo (via NetsDaily), claiming that he can now bend his injured knee. There is still no set timetable for his return to the team’s bench.