Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Lin, Bargnani, Nets
Here's a look at some items out of the Atlantic division, including some unfortunate news for Knicks fans..
- Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated told CSNNE.com that he can't imagine Duke's Austin Rivers being available by the the time the Celtics pick. The C's currently own the No. 18 and No. 21 picks in this year's draft.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson doesn't expect the club to sign a point guard in the wake of Jeremy Lin's injury, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN.com. "I haven't had a chance to sit down with [general manager] Glen [Grunwald] and [owner] Mr. [James] Dolan and see. My thinking is that we'll probably go with what we have," the coach said. "I don't think there's a whole lot out there right now who will make a big difference for our ball club."
- Lin's MRI revealed that he will require surgery for a torn meniscus and will be sidelined for six weeks, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks guard was already seeing reduced minutes and will now likely miss the remainder of the season as he looks ahead to free agency. Just a month ago, Lin was a lock to recieve the mid-level exception from the Knicks this summer but that is no longer the case.
- In today's mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star does his best to quell the concerns of a reader who is unhappy with Andrea Bargnani's poor rebounding. The Raptors forward is averaging just 5.7 boards per contest but Smith points out that rebounds have never been the big man's forte. Bargnani's name has been linked to trade rumors all season long and Toronto expects to have the services of fifth-overall pick Jonas Valančiūnas soon.
- Ben Couch of Nets.com caught up with Dennis Horner, whom the Nets signed to a 10-day contract yesterday. The forward saw D-League teammates Jeff Foote and Jerry Smith get NBA time earlier in the year before getting his opportunity in New Jersey.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Garnett, Knicks, Nets
Last night, Kevin Garnett made it 6-0 against his former team, the Timberwolves. Here's more on the Celtics and the rest of the Atlantic Division..
- During the second quarter of last night's game in Minnesota, a fan hollered at Garnett, "Hey Kevin, please come back next year!" and the forward simply muttered: "No way," according to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press.
- Knicks rookie center Josh Harrellson isn't sure if his former coach at Kentucky John Calipari is suited to succeed in the NBA, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- The Nets pulled out an exciting win in Golden State last night but it will cost them in the draft lottery, writes Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. The Nets' pick will belong to the Trail Blazers if it falls outside of the top three.
- Former Knicks guard Stephon Marbury helped propel his team to the CBA championship and now hopes to someday coach the Chinese national team, writes Guan Weijia of Sheridan Hoops.
Atlantic Notes: O’Neal, Garnett, D-League, Davis
The Celtics announced today that Jermaine O'Neal underwent successful surgery on his injured left wrist. And as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets, all went well with Chris Wilcox's heart surgery yesterday too. Wilcox was waived by the Celtics earlier this month, and Boston could choose to let O'Neal go as well if the team needs to use his roster spot. For now though, the Celtics don't appear to be eyeing any free agents.
Here are a few more Friday afternoon updates out of the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics big man Kevin Garnett appeared on WEEI's Mutt and Merloni show yesterday, and made some interesting comments, as Rich Levine of CSNNE.com writes. "I never wanted to be pieced around, or treated like a pawn, or a piece on the board," Garnett said. "Loyalty in this game has been depleted on both sides. The business of this game is terrible for players. It's all over the place. I have to choose and make a decision to whether to be part of the future of that. I wish players would take more of a stand in our league and understand that it's a player's league." Reading between the lines, Levine surmises that Garnett may have been referring to the lockout, the trade deadline, or both.
- The NBA's D-League has turned into more of a true minor league system and is helping players reach the NBA, writes Jorge Castillo of the Star-Ledger. Castillo's piece is an interesting read, with a focus on the Nets' D-League call-ups, including Gerald Green and Jerry Smith.
- The Knicks' offseason addition of Baron Davis fell under the radar following Jeremy Lin's emergence, but Lin's injury has given Davis a chance to re-enter the spotlight, says Keith Schlosser of the New York Times.
Nets Sign Dennis Horner To 10-Day Contract
The Nets have officially signed Dennis Horner to a 10-day contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside first reported that the Nets were expected to add Horner on a 10-day deal.
Horner, who will take Jerry Smith's spot on the roster after Smith's 10-day contract expired, spent time with the Nets earlier this season. Horner saw very limited action with the club, however, playing just 16 minutes over the course of five games. Since he was waived by the Nets, the 24-year-old has been playing for the D-League's Springfield Armor, averaging 17.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG in 25 contests.
Horner will add frontcourt depth to a Nets squad that saw Shelden Williams and Jordan Williams suffer injuries earlier this week. As our 10-day tracker shows, Horner is the fourth player to earn a 10-day deal from the Nets this year. Of the four, only Gerald Green has turned the brief audition into a rest-of-season contract.
Nets Expected To Sign Dennis Horner
Following injuries to Shelden Williams and Jordan Williams in last night's win over the Pacers, the Nets are planning to sign Dennis Horner, reports Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside. According to Schroeder, New Jersey will likely sign Horner to a 10-day contract, making it official before tomorrow's game to take full advantage of the ten days.
Horner, 24, made the Nets' roster to start the season, but only appeared in five games before being waived in January. Since then, the 6'9" forward has been playing for the D-League's Springfield Armor, averaging 17.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG in 25 contests with the team.
The Nets won't need to waive anyone to add Horner, since Jerry Smith's 10-day contract expired earlier this week, opening up a roster spot.
Odds & Ends: Garnett, Randolph, Kings, Warriors
Don't look now, but the playoffs begin just one month from today. Most NBA teams are in action tonight with 10 games on the schedule, so let's dive in and check on the news from around The Association:
- Kevin Garnett will be a free agent this summer, but a return to the Wolves might not be at the top of his wish list. He gave a nod to Minnesota fans, but says he had "nothing positive to say" about the franchise, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee noticed Shavlik Randolph walking through the Kings' locker room tonight, though there's no word if the team is looking to sign him (Twitter link). Randolph reportedly worked out for the Heat earlier this month and has apparently spoken to at least two clubs regarding a deal.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com looks ahead to next year for the Warriors and concludes they need to get a solid third guard, a quality backup for David Lee and Andrew Bogut, and an upgrade at small forward:
- Don Nelson, the NBA's all-time winningest coach, says he's been informed he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas. Nelson coached the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavs after a playing career spent mostly with the Celtics. The official announcement of the 2012 Hall class will come Monday.
- Chris Broussard of ESPN.com takes a look at stars who've changed teams in recent years and says what's happened to them since should be a cautionary tale to Dwight Howard and others who could be looking to make a move (Insider link).
- A year after the Jazz parted ways with Jerry Sloan in the wake of a rift between the coach and Deron Williams, new coach Tyrone Corbin has established rapport with his players, which has been key to the team's playoff push this year, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- The Nets have an open roster spot and might look to fill it after finishing tonight's 100-84 victory over the Pacers with only eight healthy players, as the Associated Press reports, via The New York Times. Centers Shelden Williams and Jordan Williams went down, so if those two are to miss any time, the team may target a big man.
- Rookie Malcolm Lee is adjusting to life as an NBA point guard as he finds his way into the Wolves' rotation, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Atlantic Notes: Ewing, Rivers, Nets, Bayless
The 76ers are off, but the other four Atlantic squads will host games tonight, including the Celtics, who can pull into a tie for the Atlantic Division lead with a win against Utah. Here are a few updates out of the division:
- Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing reiterated his desire to become a head coach, and said if the Knicks don't retain Mike Woodson and the opportunity arises this summer, he'd like to coach the Knicks, with whom he starred as a player, writes Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- It's no surprise, but Doc Rivers would jump at the chance to coach his son in the NBA. He remarked that if Austin Rivers comes available when GM Danny Ainge and the Celtics are drafting this June, "I am going to say, 'Danny, you better draft him,'" tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The coach also said his son always had eyes on the NBA, and indicated the plan all along was to be a one-and-done player, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports (Twitter link).
- For his part, Austin Rivers said on The Dan Patrick Show that he wouldn't mind playing for his dad if the Celtics were to draft him. CSNEE.com has the details.
- Deron Williams tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that he could definitely see himself playing alongside Kentucky's Anthony Davis. Of course, two big ifs are left unspoken here: The Nets would have to luck into the first overall pick to land Davis, and Williams would have to re-sign or opt into the final year of his contract.
- According to coach Dwane Casey, as relayed by Eric Koreen of the National Post, Jerryd Bayless' season-ending oblique injury won't affect how the Raptors view him in free agency.
- Playing in Canada for the Raptors hardly feels foreign for the well-traveled Alan Anderson, as Koreen writes in a separate piece for the Post.
Odds & Ends: James, Gibson, Draft, Stuckey
It's being reported by ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that early on in Miami's 105-90 loss against Indiana last night, LeBron James may have dislocated the ring finger on his left hand. In 41 minutes, James scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds in what was Miami's second straight loss.
- According to the Associated Press, Georgetown junior Hollis Thompson is planning on hiring an agent, and will enter the NBA draft. This year he shot 43% from behind the three-point line, which led the entire Big East. Thompson finished the season as the Hoyas' second leading scorer, and third leading rebounder.
- Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel Gibson has a torn tendon in his right foot and may miss the remainder of the season. Gibson is currently seeking multiple opinions pertaining to the injury's severity, but with only a month left in the season and Cleveland all but out of the playoff picture—not to mention the fact that they recently signed guards Donald Sloan and Manny Harris—it's more than likely he won't see the court again.
- In a recent USA Today article, Rodney Stuckey told writer Jeff Zillgitt that he saw a psychologist in order to cope with all the recent losing he's experienced with the Pistons. Stuckey is in the midst of a resurgent season that last saw him hit a game-winning shot against the Wizards last night.
- Since being traded to the Nets, Gerald Wallace has experienced loss after loss, but he's keeping a positive attitude, according to the Newark Star-Ledger's Colin Stephenson.
- The Bobcats haven't found the most success this season. The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell writes that if they don't turn things around, they could go down as the worst team in NBA history.
Blazers Open To Trading Picks For Players
Having acquired a first-rounder from the Nets and a second-rounder from the Rockets in addition to their own selections, the Trail Blazers head into this June's draft holding four picks. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're done dealing. According to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, Portland could explore trades for one or both of its first-round picks when the season ends.
"That's definitely something that would be appealing for us," said acting GM Chad Buchanan. "A big part of acquiring that pick (from the Nets), we realize that there'll be value not only to us in the draft but also to other teams where you might be able to flip that high pick into a proven player that is ready to help your team now.
"At the end of the day, if it's two lottery picks in a pretty strong draft, we're okay adding that to our team and trying to add the proven veterans through free agency," Buchanan continued. "We like to have the flexibility to do either…. We're open to moving one of those picks for a proven player. But we also like a lot of the players that could potentially be in that draft range. We feel like it's kind of a win-win for us."
The pick the Blazers acquired from New Jersey is top-three protected, so there's no guarantee it will be transferred to Portland this summer. However, if it is, the Blazers have a great shot at owning two of the top ten picks in what's expected to be a deep draft. Howard-Cooper says the Blazers will explore packaging both picks, or a pick and a player, to potentially move up even higher, though those scenarios are unlikely.
Ultimately, Blazers management is unlikely to want to bring four rookies to camp next season, so the team figures to make some sort of trade, even if it just means moving a second-rounder or two.
Nets Eyeing Kevin Garnett, Ersan Ilyasova
Although the Nets acquired Gerald Wallace at the trade deadline to provide immediate on-court help, the team has been in a nosedive over the last week and a half, losing six of its seven games since the trade. The slide has taken New Jersey out of the playoff picture, though it has increased the team's chances of retaining its lottery pick, which is top-three protected.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, if the Nets don't luck out in the draft lottery, the club will target power forwards like Kevin Garnett and Ersan Ilyasova in free agency. SI.com's Chris Mannix previously identified Garnett and restricted free agent Ryan Anderson as potential targets for the Nets, and Bondy says Anderson would also be a "welcome upgrade." However, the Nets would prefer a stronger rebounder to play alongside Brook Lopez.
The Nets, who were long thought to be a player for Dwight Howard this summer, are exploring backup plans now that D12 has opted into the final year of his Magic contract. If Wallace and Jordan Farmar choose to play out the final year of their contracts, and the Nets are able to re-sign Deron Williams and Lopez, the team won't have as much cap space as initially thought. However, the expiring contract of Kris Humphries, among others, should still create enough room to make a play for at least one free agent.