Odds & Ends: Magic, C.J. Watson, Spencer Hawes
As we enter the NBA's dead month of September, we're now only weeks away from the Nets' unveiling of their brand-new uniforms. The release on September 28 coincides with the opening of the Barclays Center in the form of a concert by Jay-Z at the venue. One can only wonder if the minority owner will rock the new jersey during the performance.
Let's catch up with the latest news, stories and headlines from around the league…
- New Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn has an open mind heading into training with regard to how he sees the team's lineup and roster playing out, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. "I have no preconceived thoughts about guys here," Vaughn said. "I have to judge these guys on what they show me. Not on past games, not on other people's opinions, but from my opinion. I will give them the opportunity to show me."
- Recently signed Nets guard C.J. Watson has spent the past week in Africa giving back to a community through basketball, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. "It's fun," said Watson. "They already know a lot of stuff about basketball. It's just fun learning from a NBA player. Like someone told me, 'There might never be a time when I meet a NBA player ever again in my life.' So to get to actually come here and make these kids' dreams come true, it's just fun to meet with them."
- Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com looks at how Spencer Hawes may be able to emulate Pau Gasol while playing alongside Andrew Bynum in the Sixers' frontcourt. Head coach Doug Collins is confident in Hawes' abilities to mimic Gasol's style of play. "I want (Hawes) to play the Gasol role with Bynum,” said Collins. “Both (Hawes and Gasol) like to play out on the perimeter because they can shoot the ball and are very good passers."
Update On Overseas Players With NBA Ties
The Olympics naturally drew plenty of attention this summer, but there's another international competition going on that includes NBA players, as well as pros from overseas whose draft rights are held by NBA teams. AJ Mitnick of SheridanHoops.com looks at the Eurobasket qualification tournament and ranks the top 25 players at the event. Marcin Gortat of the Suns is No. 1, but Mitnick shares some notable observations about others on the list. Here are a few:
- Cavs small forward Omri Casspi, entering the final year of his rookie deal, is the No. 3 player on the list, and Mitnick writes that he appears more comfortable with his body after struggling to adjust to the weight he added after his rookie year.
- The buyout for Bojan Bogdanovic, who checks in at No. 7, becomes more palatable next summer, meaning the Nets, who hold his rights, could bring him aboard then. If they do, they'll be getting a gifted perimeter scorer who could be equivalent to a lottery pick, opines Mitnick.
- Like Bogdanovic, Lior Eliyahu's buyout will be easier for the Wolves to handle next summer, too, but while he's No. 10 on the list, Mitnick says he has some defensive flaws, and sees him only as an effective bench player in the NBA.
- Milan Macvan, the 54th pick in 2011, could make the Cavs' roster right now, says Mitnick, who adds that he's been one of Europe's most improved big men over the past year. Ranked No. 12 on the list, he nonetheless lacks the mobility to play power forward and the length to play center.
- Mitnick thinks Tornike Shengelia, picked No. 54 this June and No. 14 on this list, could be a steal for the Nets, especially considering the NBA game suits his style more than European play.
- Vyacheslav Kravtsov, at No. 20, is raw, lacks a feel for the game and severely limited shooting range, but his length and timing as a shot blocker could help him contribute down the road for the Pistons, Mitnick says.
Nets Interested In Andray Blatche
2:30pm: If the Nets sign Blatche, the contract probably wouldn't include a guarantee, a source told Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. The team is unlikely to sign anyone else to a guaranteed deal for the rest of the offseason, Mazzeo hears. Nets coach Avery Johnson will be at the meeting with Blatche.
12:39pm: The Nets are set to meet with free agent Andray Blatche in Houston, Texas this weekend, two sources tell Howard Beck of the New York Times. The forward has been working out with a number of other NBA players under the guidance of John Lucas.
The Wizards cut the troubled big man earlier this summer and will be on the hook for the $23.4MM he is owed over the course of the next three years. Given the time he has spent on the open market combined with his up-and-down history, Blatche is widely expected to sign for the veteran minimum where ever he goes.
Derrick Brown To Work Out For Spurs, Hawks
Unrestricted free agent Derrick Brown will work out for the Spurs next week and the Hawks the week after, in search of an NBA job, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. According to Haynes, Brown is also hoping to schedule a workout with the Nets, who appear to be back in the market for a small forward after Donte Greene suffered an ankle fracture.
Haynes adds that Brown, a three-year veteran, had been entertaining offers from teams overseas, but has shifted his focus back to landing an NBA contract. The 6'7" wing spent the 2011/12 season with the Bobcats, playing in all but one game and earning 17 starts. In 22.2 minutes per contest, Brown averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and a 14.7 PER, shooting 51.8% from the field. Based on his solid production and his age (24), it's a little surprising he hasn't drawn more interest this offseason.
Brown started the summer as a restricted free agent, but the Bobcats decided to pull their $1.1MM qualifying offer in mid-July. Having drafted a pair of small forwards in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffrey Taylor, the Bobcats didn't figure to have Brown in their long-term plans.
Damion James Close To Decision On Signing
Small forward Damion James has one more team visit lined up, and will make a decision on where to sign by the end of the weekend, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). James has spent all of his brief two-year NBA career with the Nets after they acquired him from the Hawks the night Atlanta drafted him 24th overall from the University of Texas.
Fred Kerber of the New York Post speculated that James is among the small forwards the Nets could consider now that their signing of Donte Greene is on hold, and fellow New York Post scribe Tim Bontemps reported back in July that the Nets were eyeing James. If the Nets bring back James, it would be on a minimum salary deal, since the team renounced his free agent rights after declining the third-year option on his rookie scale contract.
There's been little talk about James this summer, so it seems likely he'd command no more than the minimum wherever he signs. James had his rookie season cut short after 25 games because of a broken foot, and after starting the first seven games of the season last year, he aggravated the injury and was out for the rest of 2011/12. The 6'7" James has averaged 4.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 17.9 minutes in 32 career games, 16 of them starts.
Donte Greene’s Deal With Nets On Hold
6:45pm: Luchey says he expects Greene to become a Net, but just when that happens depends on the results of an MRI on Greene's ankle, reports Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
AUGUST 29TH, 4:12pm: Agent Chris Luchey tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that Greene suffered an ankle fracture while working out in Charlotte over the weekend (Twitter link). Greene's deal with the Nets is now on hold as he awaits surgery on the ankle, Luchey adds (Twitter link). The forward is still hopeful of signing with the Nets after it's determined how much time he'll miss (Twitter link).
AUGUST 23RD, 1:09pm: The deal is non-guaranteed and is just an invitation to camp, tweets Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld. Still, Greene appears to have a decent chance of making the opening-night roster, as Sam Amick of SI.com hears the Nets have "high hopes" for him (Sulia link).
11:17am: The Nets have reached an agreement in principle with unrestricted free agent Donte Greene, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). With no cap space or exceptions available, the Nets figure to sign Greene for the minimum salary, which would be about $915K for the former King.
A first round pick in 2008, Greene started 50 games in 2009/10 for the Kings, but has seen his minutes decline each year since then. This past season, he averaged just 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game for Sacramento, though he did record a career-high 11.8 PER. The Kings elected not to extend the 6'11" forward a qualifying offer back in June, which made him an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Earlier in August, Greene indicated that he was likely to sign with the Knicks, Pacers, or Bulls, so his decision to head to Brooklyn is a little unexpected. The 24-year-old will add more depth to a Nets' frontcourt that includes Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans.
Nets Seeking Small Forward, Center
6:42pm: With Donte Greene's deal on hold because of his ankle injury, the Nets may intensity their search for another small forward, and Fred Kerber of the New York Post suggests Sam Young, Josh Childress and Damion James could be candidates. James was with the Nets the past two seasons, but the team did not pick up his option and renounced his rights, so Brooklyn would only be able to give him the minimum salary, just like Young, Childress or any other free agent.
12:14pm: The Nets are working out free agent big men Eddy Curry and Hilton Armstrong today, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Spears, Nets GM Billy King is still seeking a center and a small forward, and is hoping to discover another "diamond in the rough," as the team did last season with Gerald Green.
We heard earlier today that Armstrong is interested in returning to the NBA, but the former lottery pick hasn't played in the Association since before the lockout. The 27-year-old big man, who participated in a minicamp for the Nets in May, appeared in 277 games for five teams in his five NBA seasons, most notably starting 29 contests for the Hornets in 2008/09.
Curry, meanwhile, saw limited minutes in 2011/12 with the Heat, but hasn't seen regular action for an NBA team in years — since the end of the 2007/08 campaign, the former fourth overall pick has played in just 24 games. The seven-footer has had some success in the past, averaging 19.5 PPG in 2006/07, but has been plagued by health and conditioning issues in recent years.
While Spears says the Nets are targeting both a center and a small forward, it appears a center is Brooklyn's more pressing concern at the moment. That's no surprise, considering the club agreed to sign Donte Greene last week, and still doesn't have a true backup behind Brook Lopez in the middle.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Allen, Bynum, Nets
Yesterday, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony weighed in on a number of topics, including the dramatically different climate in the Atlantic Division. Anthony duly noted that the Nets improved, the Sixers upgraded their frontcourt with the addition of Andrew Bynum, and when it comes to the Celtics, "Boston is Boston." The one rival absent from the rundown was the Raptors, who are clearly looking to build for the future. Here's more out of the Atlantic..
- The Celtics' loyalty and pragmatic approach has been on full display this summer, writes Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld. Some have questioned the C's loyalty when it comes to Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus, but the club was simply outbid for Allen and Pietrus refused to sign for the veteran's minimum. While the club's commitment to their core players is commendable, Brotherston brings up a very valid comparison between the club's current approach and their unwillingness to disband the big three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish in 1987.
- The 76ers' addition of Bynum will completely change the way their offensive philosophy going forward, writes Anthony Macri of HoopsWorld. Philadelphia will now adjust from being a very perimiter-heavy team to one where their best options should all be in the low post. With Bynum commanding double teams down low, it would help the Sixers' cause if they were able to add outside shooting, Macri opines.
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) is surprised to see that Terrence Williams can't seem to hook on with an NBA team. Bondy adds that it's even more amazing that Nets GM Billy King was able to get a first-round pick for him from the Lakers (JaJuan Johnson) in a three-team deal that turned into the pick used to draft MarShon Brooks. The Nets originally tabbed the super-athletic Williams with the eleventh pick in the 2009 draft.
- Earlier today, we checked in on the Knicks and the Nets, who already seem to be gearing up for a spirited East River rivalry.
New York Notes: Nets, Knicks, Machado
When the Clippers traded for Chris Paul last season, on the heels of the Lakers' failed deal for the superstar point guard, it made Los Angeles a true two-team city like never before. The clubs battled for first place in the Pacific Division throughout the season, with the Lakers edging the Clippers for the division title, and home court advantage in the playoffs, by one game. Fans without a stake in the matter can only hope for a similarly tight race between the Knicks and Nets this season, both of whom will be playing in the Big Apple this year. Here's the latest out of the city that never sleeps:
- The Nets agreed to add Donte Greene to their impressive free agent haul this week, and those moves plus the trade for Joe Johnson have some in Brooklyn thinking championship right away, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes.
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and the team's marketing staff seem to be taking aim at the Knicks, as Bondy observes via Sulia. Yet Carmelo Anthony, who tells Newsday's Roderick Boone he's excited to see the results of Amare Stoudemire's offseason work, and the Knicks don't appear to be fazed. "There's no rivalry between us and Brooklyn right now," Anthony said during his youth camp at St. John's. "It starts on that first game. We'll see what happens with that first game. But as of right now, we are focused on ourselves. We are not really focused on nobody else."
- Former Iona guard Scott Machado drew some second-round consideration before going undrafted in June, and saw some time in the summer league with the Rockets. Now he appears to be drawing interest from overseas, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando indicates.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Wallace, McCants, Johnson
Let's round up a few Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA….
- The Magic will hire former Hornets assistant James Borrego as an assistant coach for the coming year, according to an Associated Press report (link via The Sporting News).
- In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Patrick Hayes of PistonPowered wonders if it makes sense for the Pistons to clear a roster spot to bring back Ben Wallace. That, of course, assumes that Wallace wants to continue his playing career.
- Former UNC star and NBA lottery pick Rashad McCants failed his physical with French team SIG Strasbourg, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes. Strasbourg was set to sign McCants, but will now take another look at the market for other options.
- Joe Johnson talked to SI.com's Zach Lowe about finding out about being traded to the Nets, the team's expectations for 2012/13, and his contract.
- The Warriors have hired Ellen Warner as the team's VP of Development, according to a team release. Warner will oversee planning, design, and construction of the club's proposed San Francisco arena.