Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Garnett, Rondo, Young
The Celtics are just 7-12, but they could have moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with a win last night. Instead, they lost to the Bucks, the worst team in the woeful Eastern Conference. That leaves the Raptors on top of the Atlantic at 6-9. Here’s more on the four teams chasing Toronto:
- Knicks management has scolded coach Mike Woodson for his public criticism of trade candidate Iman Shumpert, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Kevin Garnett looked all of his 37 years at the start of the season, but more recently he’s shown why the Nets traded for him this summer, fellow Post scribe Tim Bontemps observes.
- Rajon Rondo is a long way from the end of his playing career, but he’s spoken to Brad Stevens about getting involved in coaching some day, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald examines.
- In a piece for Philly.com, SB Nation’s Michael Levin tries to peg Thaddeus Young‘s trade value, opining that his contract won’t discourage other teams from taking him on. Young’s deal runs through 2015/16 and has $28.2MM left on it, including this year.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Holiday, Knicks, Nets
A recent piece from Keith Pompey at the Inquirer explores the upbringing of rookie Sixers point guard Michael Carter-Williams. Among the interesting details: Carter-Williams’ NBA salary is being deposited into a trust that he can’t touch for three years. The young Syracuse product is currently living off his endorsement deals with Nike and Panini trading cards. Here’s more from the Sixers and the Atlantic Division:
- Evan Turner is having a career year for the Sixers, but Tom Moore of the Intelligencer reminds us that GM Sam Hinkie is willing to deal any of his players for the right price, as evidenced by the draft night deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans.
- Speaking of the Holiday deal, Christoper Vito from the Delaware County Daily Times reports that Holiday was surprised when he received the call to find out he had been traded (Twitter links).
- Scott Souza of the MetroWest Daily News reports that Celtics Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, and Kris Humphries understand their roles on the team and don’t expect to see major minutes. Souza notes it’s a difficult situation for the trio of veterans since they can’t display their skills while riding the bench, and each of them figures to be a free agent come the end of the season.
- We found out earlier today that most Hoops Rumors readers believe at least one New York team will make the playoffs, but Jason Kidd and Mike Woodson have yet to prove their 2013/14 squads can live up to preseason expectations. Tommy Beer and Alex Kennedy over at HoopsWorld named Kidd and Woodson, respectively, as the coaches that have disappointed them the most so far in the early going of the season.
- One of the sole bright spots for the struggling Knicks has been the surprisingly effective play of offseason acquisition Andrea Bargnani. The former first overall pick is putting up much better numbers than he did last year in Toronto, but Keith Schlosser from the Knicks Journal suggests his presence might be having a negative impact on J.R. Smith‘s performance.
Poll: Will Nets And Knicks Make The Playoffs?
Is it time to panic in New York? While there’s still a long way to go in this NBA season, we are nearly at the quarter-mark and the dreadful starts for the Nets and Knicks cannot be ignored. The Nets fell to 4-12 last night with a dreadful loss in Houston thanks to their matador defense and lack of ball movement on the other end of the floor. The Knicks, meanwhile, dropped their eighth straight contest, losing 97-95 on the road to the Nuggets after Carmelo Anthony‘s last second shot to force overtime missed. New Yorkers aren’t known for their patience and as both teams languish at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, both Jason Kidd and Mike Woodson find themselves on the hotseat.
While everyone is still busy chuckling at Kidd’s “cup-gate” scandal, the Nets have much larger problems facing them at this juncture of the season. Under Kidd, the Nets look like a team without direction or motivation and frankly, they look downright old. Granted, there have been injuries. Deron Williams and key reserves Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Terry are still sidelined with TBD return dates. Center Brook Lopez was out for seven games with a tweaked ankle before coming back last night to have the only solid performance of anyone wearing black and white. Still, the team looked out of sorts before the injury bug hit. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett appear to be fractions of what they used to be and without those two clicking, this team isn’t going to get very far. And in case you’re thinking that the Nets’ deep-pocketed ownership will sign off on another pricey acquisition between now and the trade deadline, think again. Mikhail Prokhorov has made it clear that the team is at its absolute spending limit. The Nets also don’t really have first-round picks that they can deal thanks to the Celtics blockbuster.
While some Nets fans might be wondering why Kidd was given the reins as head coach this summer, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony says the club desperately misses his veteran leadership. Maybe he’s right. The Knicks bent over backwards to re-sign last season’s Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith and upgraded their frontcourt with Andrea Bargnani, but they’ve stumbled badly out of the gate. If the Knicks can’t right the ship, it could have repercussions that go far beyond the 2012/13 season. It’s hard to envision Anthony, a free agent at season’s end, turning down the likes of the Lakers to stay with a lottery-bound Knicks squad.
Still, it’s a long season. How do you see it all playing out for the Nets and Knicks?
Will The Nets And Knicks Make The Playoffs?
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Yes, the Nets and Knicks will make the playoffs. 29% (228)
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No, neither team will make the playoffs. 29% (227)
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The Knicks will make the playoffs, the Nets won't. 22% (171)
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The Nets will make the playoffs, the Knicks won't. 19% (148)
Total votes: 774
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Kidd
Well, at least half of my Nets-Rockets Finals prediction seems to be holding up okay. Here’s the latest out of the Atlantic Division..
- Jason Kidd‘s cup incident has distracted from the fact that the Nets aren’t playing good basketball under the rookie head coach, writes Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record. The Nets are now 4-12 and have dropped ten of their last 12 games.
- It’s been a while since the Knicks had an eight game losing streak, tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. They had a starting lineup of Sergio Rodriguez, Tracy McGrady, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and David Lee. The Knicks also had reserves Eddie House, Al Harrington, and Bill Walker.
- Kidd benched most of his starters in the second half, including offseason acquisitions Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston, in last night’s embarrassing loss to Houston, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Odds & Ends: Tanking, DeRozan, Vucevic
While ownership, team executives, and coaches may sometimes choose to tank games (usually referred to by some as “focusing on the future”), Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld writes that players aren’t in on it, especially if they’re trying to prove themselves or avoiding the possibility that their potential replacement gets drafted.
Here’s more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter) wonders if the Raptors should look to move DeMar DeRozan while his value is high, especially if they can’t find a taker for Rudy Gay.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the Magic are trying to figure out center Nikola Vucevic‘s worth and thinks that the potential numbers on an extension could be between what Larry Sanders and Nikola Pekovic got from their respective teams this past summer.
- Looking back at how his tenure as the Trail Blazers’ head coach came to an end, Pacers assistant Nate McMillan tells Joe Freeman of the Oregonian that his one regret was trying to fit Gerald Wallace into the starting lineup (to keep the veteran from becoming disgruntled) despite Nicolas Batum needing the development.
- ESPN looked to 5 of its writers to give their thoughts on how much hope that Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers, Bulls, and Lakers fans should have moving forward this season.
- Hoopsworld’s Moke Hamilton discusses what he calls the “Derrick Rose dilemma” for Chicago – deciding whether or not to stay the course or start tear down the current team in order to build for the future.
- Although it’s possible that the Bulls will make a move or two to address the team’s current situation, Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times points out that the return of Jimmy Butler to the lineup will help and how Chicago already proved they can at least stay competitive during the regular season without Rose.
Atlantic Links: Raptors, Livingston, Knicks
The Raptors weren’t among the list of teams initially reported to be a possible suitor for Dion Waiters, but Doug Smith of the Toronto Star says GM Masai Ujiri has surely considered Waiters and thought about whether there’s a deal to be made. That’s not to say that Toronto is pursuing Waiters, but if there are players on the trade market even a little interesting to Ujiri, he’ll be making calls and weighing those options, says Smith.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News takes a look at Shaun Livingston‘s long road back to NBA relevancy, following injuries that wiped out several years early in his career. Livingston, who is on a one-year contract with the Nets, has recorded a career-high 14.7 PER so far this season, while his 24.7 minutes per game are the most he’s averaged since 2006/07.
- You can debate whether or not Knicks coach Mike Woodson has lost Iman Shumpert, but Woodson has taken preemptive steps to ensure he doesn’t lose the rest of the team, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- Having lost Jason Kidd and other veteran players over the summer, the Knicks are lacking chemistry and leadership, in Carmelo Anthony‘s opinion. Peter Botte of the New York Daily News has the details.
- Gerald Wallace, Evan Turner, and Shumpert are among the trade candidates to watch this season, says Lang Greene of HoopsWorld, as he examines a few players believed to be on the block.
Odds & Ends: Rose, Williams, Kobe, Melo, Dirk
It’s deja vu for the Bulls as they’ll be without Derrick Rose for a while. The question now is whether they should keep this gang together in hopes of putting it all together late in the season upon Rose’s return, or cut bait and begin repurposing, writes Zach Lowe of Grantland. Breaking the team up could also have the added benefit of lightening this season’s tax bill in the process. Here’s more from around the Association..
- The Nets were linked to Derrick Williams before he was shipped to the Kings earlier tonight, but team sources tell Fred Kerber of the New York Post (on Twitter) that they weren’t among the interested clubs.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com looks at how Kobe Bryant‘s new deal affects Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. Melo will hit the open market after the 2013/14 season and Los Angeles has been linked to him for quite some time. The question now is, will Anthony still be attracted to L.A. now that they likely would have to fill out the roster with minimum salary retreads.
- Meanwhile, Brad Townsend of the Dallas News wonders what an extension for Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki might look like in the wake of Kobe’s new deal.
- Heat veteran Rashard Lewis gave serious thought to retiring, but he’s very happy with his choice to continue, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Lewis thought he was finished, but he now finds himself as a significant contributor in Miami.
T-Wolves Close To Trading Derrick Williams?
Derrick Williams‘ stint with the Timberwolves may be nearing its end, says Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities (Twitter links). The buzz is that a Williams trade is close, according to Wolfson, who lists the Jazz, Kings, Knicks, and Nets as possible suitors for the forward.
We typically don’t see many in-season swaps made before offseason signees become trade-eligible on December 15th, but that doesn’t mean teams can’t strike deals before then. Still, it’s not clear whether Minnesota is on the verge of finalizing a trade involving Williams, or whether the team is simply progressing to more advanced talks with potential trade partners.
A report earlier this month suggested that the Wolves had made both Williams and Alexey Shved available. Team president Flip Saunders denied that report, but Williams hasn’t been an ideal fit in Minnesota, and has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors and speculation. ESPN.com’s Chad Ford reported a week ago that the Kings had “a lot of interest” in the former second overall pick.
The Wolves picked up Williams’ 2014/15 option prior to opening night, so any team acquiring him would be on the hook for the rest of this year’s $5.02MM salary, along with next year’s $6.33MM.
Poll: Will Jason Kidd Survive Season As Nets Coach?
Maybe experience does mean a lot. After a summer in which the Nets were linked to everyone from Phil Jackson to Jeff Van Gundy to Stan Van Gundy, the Nets went way outside of the box when they hired the recently-retired Jason Kidd. The deal brought Kidd back to the franchise where he enjoyed some of his greatest successes – back-to-back Eastern Conference championships, a second-place MVP finish – but things haven’t gone quite the same way on the sidelines.
The Nets were widely picked to take the Atlantic Division in 2013/14 with the Knicks being left in their dust. Early on in the season, both New York teams are spiraling with the Nets being at 3-10 and the Knicks at 3-10. While a good chunk of the blame certainly falls on the shoulders of the Nets’ aging core, many observers feel that Kidd is simply lost on the bench. Mikhail Prokhorov‘s abrupt firing of P.J. Carlesimo and summer spending spree are indications that he’s not the most patient man in the world. If the Nets can’t turn things around, the seat will certainly get warmer underneath the point guard-turned-coach. Will Kidd last the season in Brooklyn?
Will Kidd Survive The Season?
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No 65% (626)
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Yes 35% (342)
Total votes: 968
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Stoudemire, Nets
Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly told the team’s coaches before the season that he expects them to win the championship this year, but Marc Berman of the New York Post hears that the owner never said he “expects” a title, and didn’t issue any edict. Dolan nonetheless said recently in a rare public statement that he thinks the team is one of many that could win it all this year. For now, that seems like a pipe dream for the 3-9 Knicks and everyone else in the Atlantic Division, where all five teams are below .500. Here’s more from the division that’s been the NBA’s worst so far:
- Amar’e Stoudemire wants to retire as a member of the Knicks and tells reporters, including Berman, that he has a genuine affection for Dolan.
- Garnett told reporters on Friday that, “You’re going to have the business of basketball come into play, I’m sure, and management is probably going to do what they’ve got to do,” and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News sees it as a hint at roster changes for the Nets.
- Celtics forward Gerald Wallace isn’t as surprised as most that the Nets are struggling, having figured the team would sputter at first without having had much experience playing together, observes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- It’s an awkward fit for Wallace and three other veterans Boston acquired in its blockbuster offseason trade with Brooklyn, but Celtics GM Danny Ainge isn’t concerned they’ll become disruptive malconents, as fellow Herald scribe Mark Murphy notes.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star answers reader mail and shares his thoughts on the Raptors, believing GM Masai Ujiri will be hesitant to take on much long-term salary in a trade this year.