And-Ones: Rubio, Ayon, Garnett, Karasev
Wolves guard Ricky Rubio told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that he never tried to talk Kevin Love out of asking for a trade. “If he wanted to leave, there’s no reason to talk to him about it,” Rubio said. “I really liked playing with him, but I’ll play with the players who want to be there. Kevin wants to win. That’s normal. He’s been there six years without the playoffs. I understand. If I was in the same situation – being one of the best players in the league – and not being able to be in the playoffs, I’d have a lot of frustration, too.” When asked about his own future, Rubio said that he is “loyal” and wants to give back to the organization. The guard can be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- The Spurs continue to eye center Gustavo Ayon, tweets Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. Ayon is reportedly on his way to play for Spain’s Real Madrid, but no deal with the team can become official until he comes up with the equivalent of about $376K to pay off Spanish rival FC Barcelona, which holds his European rights, according to Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via HoopsHype).
- There has been some retirement speculation surrounding Kevin Garnett but the veteran has been one of “about ten” players who have already been working out at the Nets‘ East Rutherford, New Jersey practice facility, team insiders tell Robert Windrem of Nets Daily.
- Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily ran down the best pickups made by the Nets this offseason. Trade acquisitions Sergey Karasev and Jarrett Jack make the list as well as 2011 first-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic, 25, may be an NBA rookie but he comes with seven seasons of international experience and should be ready to hit the ground running.
- According to his Pistons preview, Adi Joseph of USA TODAY has the franchise improving their win total slightly, but still missing the playoffs.
Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division?
The 2014/15 NBA regular season doesn’t officially begin until Tuesday October 28th, when the Spurs raise their Championship banner, and host the rival Mavericks. This is the time of year when most fans can still bask in the warm glow of hope, and every team is still undefeated. It’s also the time of year for predictions to start rolling in on how the upcoming season will shake out. Today we’ll be seeing who you folks think will win the Atlantic Division. Let’s take a quick look at the possible contenders…
Note: All projected starters taken from the respective team pages at ESPN.com.
Boston Celtics
The most compelling storyline in Boston this season will be if and when Rajon Rondo is dealt, and what pieces GM Danny Ainge is able to get back for his star player. This seems like another year of draft position jockeying in Boston, but there are some nice young building blocks in place for the future. The franchise is still very much in rebuilding mode, and isn’t expected to compete for a playoff spot this season. Instead the focus will be on developing those building blocks, players such as Marcus Smart, James Young, Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, and Kelly Olynyk.
The Celtics best outcome would be to deal Rondo after he establishes that he’s healthy, which would up the potential return, which in turn would hopefully include a lottery pick or two. The franchise is moving in the right direction, but this isn’t the year the team can compete for the top spot in the division. Better to spend another year near the bottom, score a better draft position, and aim for 2015/16 for bigger and better things.
Projected Starters:
- PG: Rajon Rondo
- SG: Avery Bradley
- SF: Jeff Green
- PF: Brandon Bass
- C: Tyler Zeller
Brooklyn Nets
It’s hard to predict what we’ll see out of Brooklyn this season. Health will be the make-or-break factor, and “if” will be the key word for the team. The team can be a factor in the Atlantic “if” Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson stay healthy. “If” Kevin Garnett still has anything left in the tank “if” he returns for another campaign. “If” new head coach Lionel Hollins can win over the locker room while implementing his hard-nosed defensive system. Quite a few question marks for a veteran team, and Brooklyn’s fans might not like how all the answers turn out.
Despite losing starting small forward Paul Pierce to the Wizards, there is still quite a bit of talent on the roster. If the team can get full seasons out of both Williams and Lopez, the Nets have a decent shot at taking the top spot in the Atlantic. A long playoff run is another story, and a deeper, more talented roster away from happening.
Projected Starters:
- PG: Deron Williams
- SG: Joe Johnson
- SF: Andrei Kirilenko
- PF: Kevin Garnett
- C: Brook Lopez
New York Knicks
The Knicks are a franchise still transitioning from one regime to the next. There is a sense of hope in New York, thanks to the arrival of Phil Jackson as team president, and owner James Dolan’s promise to give Jackson the space he needs to shape the franchise in his image. It remains to be seen if Jackson can be successful as an executive, or if Dolan can keep his promise of being “hands-off.”
Also adding to the uncertainty of what to expect from the team is the arrival of rookie head coach Derek Fisher and the decision to implement the triangle offense. Fisher has plenty of experience as a championship player, but how quickly he can adjust to being a head coach who has to manage egos will be a big factor early in the season.
The roster has improved from last year’s campaign, Carmelo Anthony has re-signed, and Jackson made a number of interesting moves so far. The most important addition will be Jose Calderon at point guard. The Knicks suffered from some of the worst point guard play in the league last season, and though Calderon isn’t a strong defender, he is a solid distributor and his shooting efficiency should be enhanced by the triangle offense.
I expect a bit of a bounce-back year from the Knicks, but with all the new pieces on the roster, and the new system that is being taught, expect the team to start slow and improve toward the end of the season, similar to what we saw from the Nets last year.
Projected Starters:
- PG: Jose Calderon
- SG: J.R. Smith
- SF: Carmelo Anthony
- PF: Amar’e Stoudemire
- C: Samuel Dalembert
Philadelphia Sixers
The Sixers intend to compete for the top spot next season, only it isn’t the Atlantic Division that they hope to win, but rather the top spot in next year’s NBA Draft. Whether you refer to it as tanking, or rebuilding, Philadelphia is going all in on its plan. The Sixers have stripped away almost every veteran player of note, and they have a very real shot at breaking the franchise’s own league record for losses in a season.
The most compelling aspects of the 2014/15 season in Philadelphia will be the development of Nerlens Noel, the recovery of Joel Embiid, and just how low the team can sink. While I applaud the Sixers’ attempt to speed up the rebuilding process by hitting bottom instead of laboring in mediocrity, it might not bear fruit this season. Next year’s best prospects are primarily big men, and Philadelphia has already spent two high draft picks on interior players. If a dominant wing or guard doesn’t emerge as a potential top pick, it could create an interesting logjam on the Sixers depth chart.
Unless the franchise gets into a situation like the one portrayed in the film “Major League,” and finds some way to defy every sane preseason prediction of a last place finish, another year of living in the Atlantic Division’s basement is most definitely in the cards.
Projected Starters:
- PG: Michael Carter-Williams
- SG: Tony Wroten
- SF: Hollis Thompson
- PF: Nerlens Noel
- C: Luc Mbah a Moute
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were one of the league’s surprise teams last season, winning the Atlantic Division with a record of 48-34. They kept the core of the team intact and are in good shape to repeat as division champs. The Eastern Conference will be extremely competitive next season, and the Raptors could arguably be considered the third or fourth best team in the conference behind the Cavs, Bulls, and Wizards.
Health will be a big key, as Toronto isn’t an especially deep team at key positions. It will also be interesting to see if Kyle Lowry‘s big year was a fluke, the product of a contract-year push, or if he is indeed ready to be a franchise star. The continued development of Jonas Valanciunas will also determine just how far this franchise can go in the postseason. Toronto has enough talent to win the division and a playoff series, but more than that is probably wishful thinking.
Projected Starters:
- PG: Kyle Lowry
- SG: Terrence Ross
- SF: DeMar DeRozan
- PF: Amir Johnson
- C: Jonas Valanciunas
Who do you think will take the Atlantic Division crown next season? Vote in the poll and feel free to expand on your choice in the comments section below.
Who Will Win The Atlantic Division?
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Toronto Raptors 55% (763)
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New York Knicks 23% (318)
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Brooklyn Nets 9% (128)
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Boston Celtics 7% (96)
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Philadelphia Sixers 6% (83)
Total votes: 1,388
New York Notes: ‘Melo, Jordan, Teague
Both New York NBA teams will be playing for new head coaches and an altered roster this season. Here’s a rundown for the Knicks and Nets:
- Carmelo Anthony was angry following the Knicks disappointing 37-win season, as he tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. His displeasure with missing the playoffs led him to begin working out after a short two-week break, and he’s continued the ambitious training regimen ever since, spending time with teammates of late to get a head start on new coach Derek Fisher‘s triangle offense. “I haven’t been broadcasting it, man,” said Anthony. “But I’ve been at the facility for the last couple of weeks with the young guys, with the coaches, trying to figure out that triangle offense…When people say spots, I’m going to be all over the floor in the triangle. It makes it hard to guard, it keeps all eyes off of you. I’m looking forward to it, I’ve been saying it all summer. I can’t wait.”
- Anthony voiced his support of the extended All-Star break that will take effect this season. “I love it, I’m a big fan of that. I wish it was two weeks,” said Anthony, who isn’t worried about the increased back-to-backs in the schedule necessary to accommodate a longer break. “We play too many games as it is. So another back-to-back is not gonna hurt.”
- Reed Wallach of Nets Daily takes a look at Jerome Jordan‘s game, noting the Nets‘ camp hopeful has some traits that Brooklyn could use this season.
- In the same piece, Wallach passes on a report of new coach Lionel Hollins‘ interest in Marquis Teague. Hollins’ support could curb any rumblings that the backup point guard’s guaranteed contract could be waived, while boding well for the prospects of Teague’s 2015/16 team option being picked up by the October 31st deadline, which didn’t appear likely before Hollins was hired.
And-Ones: Lakers, Bosh, Collier
Kobe Bryant will return to the Lakers starting five this season, but his supporting cast hasn’t improved much. In his pre-season rankings, Adi Joseph of USA Today predicts that Los Angeles will take a step back in the win column, and finish with a record of 22-60 and end up in the NBA Draft Lottery for the second-straight year.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Undrafted free agent Devon Collier turned down an NBA camp invitation to accept a deal with Israeli team Bnei Herzliya, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
- Now that LeBron James is in Cleveland and Chris Bosh has become the highest-paid player with the longest contract on the Heat, it’s time for him to become a more vocal locker room voice, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.
- Alessandro Oliveira has joined the Nets as assistant trainer, replacing Nixon Dorvilien, who followed Jason Kidd to the Bucks, the team announced (twitter link).
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Nets Sign Jerome Jordan For Camp
12:33pm: The deal is official, the Nets announced via press release.
12:08pm: The Nets have struck a deal to bring former Knicks center Jerome Jordan to training camp, reports Robert Windrem of Nets Daily. The precise terms aren’t immediately clear, but it’s almost certainly for the minimum salary, since that’s all the Nets can give. Jordan has put pen to paper, and an official announcement from the team is imminent, according to Windrem.
The 7’0″ Jordan saw sparce playing time in 21 games for the Knicks in 2011/12, having since played in the D-League, the Philippines, and last season with Granarolo Bologna of Italy. He also spent the 2012 preseason with the Grizzlies. The former 44th overall pick out of Tulsa was briefly with the Rockets, who acquired him from New York as part of the Marcus Camby sign-and-trade in July 2012, but Houston waived him shortly thereafter. The Knicks appeared to have passing interest in a reunion last summer, but a deal never materialized.
The Nets have been carrying just 13 fully guaranteed contracts, as Windrem points out and as our roster counts show. So, Jordan appears to have a decent shot to make it to opening night if he can edge out Cory Jefferson, who has a partial guarantee worth $75K, and Jorge Gutierrez, whose non-guaranteed deal will become partially guaranteed for $25K if he sticks on the roster through September 26th. Agent Daniel Moldovan said in July that shooting guard Michael Jenkins would join the Nets for camp, too, but the team has yet to make that deal official.
Atlantic Rumors: ‘Melo, Durant, Raptors, Nets
Carmelo Anthony‘s new contract worth $124.065MM is the most lucrative deal signed this offseason, and although ‘Melo will have the chance to opt out and enter free agency before entering its fifth and final year, the All-Star forward says he intends to end his career as a member of the Knicks, according to Fred Kerber of the New York Post. A lot can change between now and then, but for the time being, it seems Anthony is happy working toward a title with Phil Jackson and company. More on from the Atlantic..
- Kevin Durant will likely be the biggest name to hit the free agent market in two years, as our list of 2016 free agent shows. The reigning MVP is sure to have no shortage of suitors, and Brian Keefe’s presence as an assistant on Derek Fisher‘s coaching staff certainly will help the Knicks’ chances at landing him, as Marc Berman of the New York Post details.
- Raptors assistant Bill Bayno spoke to Jorge Sierra of Hoopshype and called the trade that sent Rudy Gay to the Kings “unbelievable,” explaining that the move was key in bolstering the club’s struggling bench.
- Untimely injuries to Brook Lopez and Kevin Garnett gave Mason Plumlee a chance to put his skills on display for the Nets, and A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com puts the Duke product among a group of big men he expects to have a breakout season.
Lionel Hollins On The Nets
Lionel Hollins returns to the sidelines this season, replacing Jason Kidd as the head coach of the Nets. In an interview with reporters, Hollins addressed a number of subjects, and Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com has some of the highlights.
- Hollins still hasn’t spoken with Kevin Garnett, who hasn’t committed to returning for another season yet. In regards to Garnett, Hollins said, “He’s such a heckuva competitor. He’s very focused and intense, and you like that about a player that brings it every night, and you know what you’re going to get from that player. That’s huge. Just his level of competitiveness and his willingness to do whatever it takes to win.”
- When asked about Paul Pierce‘s departure via free agency, Hollins said, “Players retire, players get traded, players leave in free agency. You take what you have and you work with them.”
- When discussing rookie guard Bojan Bogdonovic, Hollins said, “I think he’s got great size, he’s also got great speed and quickness. He can shoot the ball, but also put the ball on the floor. He can post up. I’m looking for players. Players that have multiple skills and are not just one-dimensional.”
- Asked if he would use Brook Lopez similar to how Marc Gasol was utilized in Memphis, Hollins said, “I’m gonna utilize Brook in a way that fits Brook. Like I said, he’s a very talented kid, skilled kid, and he’ll be a very talented piece of what we’re trying to do offensively, but I want him to be a big part of what we’re trying to do defensively as well.”
And-Ones: Clippers, Diawara, Mavs, Cavs
Interim Clippers CEO Dick Parsons will step down in a few weeks, as he tells the Fox Business Network, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). The move is no surprise now that Steve Ballmer has officially taken over the franchise, since Parsons said in May shortly after the league installed him as a caretaker for the team that he had no plans of remaining with the club after its ownership situation was resolved. Parsons has been acting as a “proxy owner,” as he put it, with final authority over any decisions president of basketball operations Doc Rivers made. Here’s more from around the league:
- Multiple NBA teams had interest in bringing Yakhouba Diawara back to the league this summer, but he indicated on his Twitter account late Tuesday that he’s signing with Pallacanestro Varese of Italy (hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). David Pick of Eurobasket.com confirms the news with a tweet of his own. Diawara worked out for the Raptors, Bucks and Nets over the past few months.
- This season’s minimum salary in Ivan Johnson‘s two-year contract with the Mavs is guaranteed for only $25K, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- It appears as though the Cavs guaranteed $65K of the minimum salary for Alex Kirk this season, Pincus also tweets.
Jazz Sign Jack Cooley
The Jazz have signed Jack Cooley, according to a team release. While terms of the deal weren’t announced, Jody Genessy of Deseret News reports that Cooley is a camp addition, adding that it’s very likely the deal is non-guaranteed (on Twitter).
The Jazz only have 12 players on guaranteed contracts for the 2014/15 season, so Cooley will have a better shot than many at this time of year of making an NBA team. Last year, Cooley chose to play in Turkey rather than accept one of several camp invitations. Cooley reportedly had mini-camp workouts with the Spurs, Nets, Cavaliers, and Jazz this summer.
The 6’9″ power forward went undrafted following his senior year at Notre Dame in 2013, but immediately performed well in summer league action. During his time overseas, the big man averaged 12.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game.
Poll: Will NYC’s Teams Make The Playoffs?
You can’t walk a block in New York City without seeing an orange-and-blue or black-and-white jersey, but those fans could also be sporting frowns next spring. The Nets and Knicks, for all of their star power both on the court and on the sidelines, aren’t looking all that formidable heading into the 2014/15 season.
The high-priced Nets started to give Mikhail Prokhorov his money’s worth starting in the the second half of last season, but they won’t be bringing the same team back this year. Coach Jason Kidd shocked everyone when he bolted for the Bucks and Paul Pierce quickly followed suit. Pierce was a vocal leader, a solid scoring threat, and the key to the team’s Brook Lopez-less small ball lineup. The Nets get Lopez back this year and while the return of one of the league’s top offensive centers is nothing to sneeze at, it’s worth noting that the team enjoyed greater success with Lopez in a suit and tie. Highly touted draft-and-stash pick Bojan Bogdanovic is finally joining the team, but the Nets will surely miss guard Shaun Livingston, especially with starting one-guard Deron Williams coming off of double ankle surgery.
Meanwhile, the Knicks accomplished their No. 1 goal of retaining Carmelo Anthony but it’s hard to say whether they’ve actually improved from last season. Their biggest transaction of the offseason, aside from re-signing Melo, was trading Tyson Chandler and Ray Felton to the Mavericks for Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, a pair of second round picks (Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo). Later, in a trade with the Kings, the Knicks turned Ellington and Jeremy Tyler into forwards Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw. To oversee this tweaked version of the Knicks, new team president Phil Jackson appointed the inexperienced Derek Fisher as head coach. Fisher believes the Knicks can win 8-10 more games as currently constructed, but not everyone agrees with him.
How do you see things playing out for NYC’s teams?
Will The NYC Teams Make The Playoffs
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The Nets will make the playoffs, but not the Knicks. 31% (330)
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No, neither team will make the postseason. 24% (256)
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The Knicks will make the playoffs, but not the Nets. 23% (243)
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Yes, both the Nets and Knicks will make the playoffs. 22% (239)
Total votes: 1,068