Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Humphries
With Tyson Chandler battling the flu, the Knicks may be without their star center in Game 1 against the Heat when playoff action gets underway on Saturday in Miami. The Knicks would turn to Jared Jeffries to man the paint if the team's defensive star in unable to play. Let's take a look around the rest of the Atlantic Division to see what else is making news and headlines.
- The Celtics' continued success this season amidst injuries and setbacks can be traced to the team's tightly-knit roster, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Head coach Doc Rivers maintained a sense of calm and confidence in his squad even when the team's early season record had pundits convinced that the Celtics would struggle to make the playoffs. "I like our spirit," Rivers said. "We're showing resolve. You can see the camaraderie; it's just a good group, a good group to coach. And the future will say how good we are as a basketball team. But they're a good group to coach, and I'm a coach, so that's good."
- Newsday's Al Iannazzone says the Knicks need to see significant production out of offseason signings Baron Davis and Mike Bibby if the team hopes to be competitive against the Heat. The two veteran point guards have stepped up their play considerably in the wake of Jeremy Lin's season-ending injury, but need to continue to do so on a nightly basis heading into the playoffs. For Bibby, being a contributing factor means hitting open three-pointers, a likely scenario given the Heat's struggles defending beyond the arc, while Davis simply needs to keep himself healthy.
- The Nets are excited about the opportunity to move to Brooklyn and play in a new arena, especially unrestricted free agent Kris Humphries, who hopes to re-sign with the team, reports Nets.com's Ben Couch. "I've been to Brooklyn a lot," Humphries said. "We did a ton of stuff in the community there, and our community involvement staff and the PR team, everyone did a great job, getting us familiar with Brooklyn, helping connect us in the community, so I think we'll be able to hit the ground running, if I'm here, and for the guys who are here next year."
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Deron, Suns, Iverson
While we try to survive the first day in two months with no NBA games, let's check in on some odds and ends from around the league:
- Chris Grant spoke to Cleveland media today about the Cavaliers' future and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has a pair of interesting quotes from the GM. Grant says the team will have about $20MM in cap space but will be careful about how they use it, and adds that the Cavs "love" this year's draft.
- Asked if there was a perfect situation for him in free agency, Deron Williams replied, "No, not with enough cap space to sign a max player" (via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News).
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic talked to a handful of Suns facing free agency, all of whom expressed some interest in returning to Phoenix.
- Allen Iverson, currently in China for an NBA Legends Tour, didn't rule out the possibility of playing in the CBA next year, says Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com.
- Scottie Pippen told ESPN 1000 in Chicago that he could see Phil Jackson returning to coaching and thinks he'd be a great fit for the Knicks. ESPNChicago.com has the details.
- Restricted free agent D.J. Augustin would like to return to the Bobcats, telling Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) that he loves "the city, the people and the organization."
- With the draft odds set, ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider-only) takes a look at some potential targets for the lottery teams.
Atlantic Rumors: Williams, Lopez, Raptors, Wilcox
Earlier today, we heard that Gerald Wallace will seek a multiyear guarantee this summer. Here's a few more items out of the Atlantic Division:
- Deron Williams told reporters, including Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record, that he hopes to sign a new contract before the Olympics, which will get underway in late July (Twitter link).
- Brook Lopez "made it very clear" to the same group of reporters that he loves being a Net and hopes to re-sign with the team (Twitter link).
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star thinks the Raptors should trade their first-rounder if they don't land the first overall pick. He argues that the team will have a lottery pick arriving in Jonas Valanciunas, and would be better off with a veteran player rather than another rookie.
- Chris Wilcox, recovering from heart surgery, was waived by the Celtics a few weeks ago, but plans to attend the team's playoff games against the Hawks. Wilcox told Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com that he'd like to be a Celtic next season: "I want to finish what I’ve started here. I thought this was a great opportunity for me and things were working out well, and I went to the doctor to get a check up and things just changed."
- Asked by Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times if he'd exercise his early termination option this summer, Lou Williams said he has yet to decide. John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last weekend that the Sixers guard would opt out of his deal.
Gerald Wallace Wants Multiyear Contract
Gerald Wallace has a player option for next season to remain with the Nets, but it doesn't sound like exercising it will be his first choice. Wallace told reporters today, including Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record, that he doesn't want to play on a one-year deal (Twitter link). Wallace said he expects to make a decision about his the option within the next few days.
Re-signing Wallace will be a priority for the Nets, though they'll also be looking to bring back Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. Wallace's option for 2012/13 is worth $9.5MM, so perhaps the Brooklyn-bound Nets could reach an agreement with Wallace that would guarantee him multiple years but pay him less than $9.5MM annually. That would allow the team to regain some cap space for next season.
Of course, while re-signing with the Nets is a possibility, it's not the only option for Wallace if he declines his option. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets that the veteran forward intends to test the free agent waters.
Following the deadline deal that sent him to New Jersey, Wallace averaged 15.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 35.8 minutes per game.
Poll: Will Deron Williams Remain With The Nets?
Earlier today, Deron Williams discussed his tour of the Nets' new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and hinted that there was a chance he would re-sign with the team this summer. While nothing will be certain until at least July 1, do you think Williams' name will be on the posters in Brooklyn next season?
Will Deron Williams Remain With The Nets?
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No 77% (387)
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Yes 23% (117)
Total votes: 504
Deron Williams Talks Arena, Brooklyn, Future
Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Nets point guard Deron Williams recently took a tour of the franchise's brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The free agent-to-be says he walked away impressed:
"It was great, it was great,'' Williams said of the new arena. "It’s definitely taking shape. It was looking nice, it’s going to be a special arena.''
Williams, expected to be the most coveted free agent of this summer's class, would not commit to re-signing with the Nets in the offseason, but he did not close the door on the possibility, either.
"I’ve got some big decisions to make,'' he said. "I think going to Brooklyn helped me see the vision again, so we’ll see what happens.''
Williams also mentioned that there were times during the season when he lost faith in the Nets' ability to contend in the future, although he's feeling more encouraged about that possibility now.
Atlantic Notes: Lottery, Knicks, Novak, Davis, Nets
Typically, a matchup between a pair of 22-43 clubs doesn't make for appointment viewing, but fans of the Nets and Raptors will be watching the last game of the season with interest tonight. Of course, most of those fans will be rooting for a loss. With lottery positioning at stake, the loser of tonight's game could climb as high as third in the lottery standings, while the winner could "fall" as low as eighth. Here are Hoops Rumors' lottery standings as we head into the regular season's final evening, and here's the latest out of the Atlantic:
- Glen Grunwald, the Knicks' new permanent GM, gave interim coach Mike Woodson a ringing endorsment yesterday and appears to be leaning toward bringing Woodson back next season, says Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Glunwald didn't want to specifically address staffing decisions, but said Woodson has done a fantastic job: "I can't give him enough credit for the job he's done. Normally, coaching changes don't result in such a dramatic improvement in the team performance, so I think that speaks very well of him."
- Steve Novak seems to have found his niche with the Knicks this season, but Steve Kerr always wanted to bring Novak to Phoenix when he worked in the Suns' front office. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
- Ed Davis is expected to see a lot of playing time in the Summer League this year. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun says the Raptors will use the opportunity to get a better of idea of whether Davis is part of the team's long-term plans.
- Rich Calder and Tim Bontemps of the New York Post report that the alleged Brooklyn Nets logo that leaked yesterday is indeed the real deal.
Odds & Ends: Humphries, Carmelo, Woodson, Paul
Tonight's Clippers/Hawks game will affect playoff seeding, and the Hornets/Warriors contest has lottery implications. But the one to circle on tonight's schedule is Suns vs. Jazz in Utah, a game Al Jefferson calls the biggest of his life (via Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune). A Utah win clinches the Jazz a playoff spot, while a Suns win would mean the two teams are tied for the eighth seed with one game remaining. Before the two teams get underway, let's check in on some other notes from around the NBA….
- Kris Humphries would like to re-sign with the Nets if possible, he tells Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. You'd have to think the Nets will prioritize Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez over Humphries, though they could still have room for their leading rebounder.
- Carmelo Anthony endorsed Mike Woodson for the Knicks' permanent coaching job, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Amare Stoudemire echoed that sentiment later in the day, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) that he believes his friend Chris Paul will eventually sign a long-term extension with the Clippers.
- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is unsure whether he wants to bring Semih Erden back for next season, says Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- A Bloomberg report details the role that nepotism is playing in the current players' union conflict, though executive committee member Maurice Evans downplayed the union's concerns on the subject (Twitter link).
Free Agent Stock Watch: Gerald Green
Anyone watching Gerald Green play for the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders earlier this season had to figure it was only a matter of time until the 26-year-old earned another shot in the NBA. That shot finally came in the form of a 10-day contract from the Nets, and turned into a rest-of-season deal with New Jersey. Green didn't disappoint, showing off the talents that made him the 18th overall pick in the 2005 draft.
Although he's spent the last few seasons in Russia, China, and the D-League, and is seeing his first NBA action since 2008/09, Green looks like he's here to stay. In 30 games for the Nets, he has averaged 13.0 points and a 16.2 PER on .489/.383/.766 shooting in just 25.2 minutes per game. Not just a high flier whose dunks appear on SportsCenter, Green appears to have evolved into a solid NBA rotation piece.
Because the Nets only signed him to a contract for the rest of the season, Green will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but it sounds as if he wants to remain a Net. When he signed his deal, Green said he wanted to give the team cap flexibility, but that he's "not trying to go anywhere." More recently, he spoke of having a "strong feeling" he'd remain a Net, even talking about potentially giving the team a discount in free agency.
Of course, most NBA players will talk about wanting to return to their current teams at this time of year, but that doesn't guarantee anything. The Nets figure to be active in free agency, and if they're able to retain Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Gerald Wallace, they could focus on a high-profile power forward to join their core, leaving little cap room available for Green. The Lakers are thought to have interest in Green as well, and the former Celtic didn't close the door on returning to Boston.
When Green spoke last week about his desire to return to the Nets, he commented, "It's not like I have to weigh my options. I really don't have options." While that may be the case right now, I think Green will have a handful of offers to choose from when the NBA's free agency period begins. Over-the-cap playoff contenders in need of a scorer off the bench could consider him with their mid-level exceptions, and under-the-cap teams who miss out on top free agents could pursue him as a Plan B. I don't see the 26-year-old having to settle for a minimum-salary contract.
Green may ultimately end up remaining a Net and bringing his high-flying dunks to Brooklyn next season. But if he does, he'll be choosing Brooklyn over other teams, not accepting the only offer he has on the table.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Deron Williams, Sean Williams
The Nets are playing their final game in New Jersey tonight, against the Sixers, and many of the franchise's most prominent figures took part in a ceremony tonight, including Micheal Ray Richardson, Darryl Dawkins, Kenny Anderson and, via video, Jason Kidd. Here's the latest on the Nets of today, as well as other news from the division:
- Nets CEO Brett Yormark talks about reasons why the franchise found the New Jersey market so difficult in a Q&A with Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger.
- New Jersey governor Chris Christie had harsh words for the Nets upon their departure, saying "there will be no tears shed on my part," as Jenna Portnoy notes on NJ.com. The governor also tweeted a video of his comments (hat tip to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News).
- Avery Johnson is optimistic Deron Williams will re-sign with the Nets, Bondy tweets, though the coach won't say why he feels that way.
- Sean Williams was surprised to learn that the Celtics were interested in signing him, observes Peter May of ESPNBoston.com. Williams is looking to put his troubled past behind him, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.