Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: 1/7/16
Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vowed to return to action this season, three months after suffering a torn labrum in his right shoulder that appeared likely to cost him all of 2015/16, according to a report by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “For sure. No question I’m going to play this season,” Kidd-Gilchrist told Bonnell. “I’m going to play. It’s a matter of when now.” Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports originally reported that the former No. 2 overall pick faced a six-month recovery, though he later deemed him likely to miss the entire season.
Charlotte has managed to stay afloat this season despite the loss of Kidd-Gilchrist as well as center Al Jefferson to injury and a drug-related suspension. While the return of the defensive-minded swingman would certainly bolster the team heading into the playoffs, there is certainly a danger in him returning too soon from such a serious injury, as Chris Barnewall of SB Nation’s At the Hive noted. But the scribe also posited that the team may be rushing Kidd-Gilchrist’s return in an effort to improve its playoff chances, which could make Charlotte a more attractive place to sell potential free agents on this offseason. Barnewall also noted that the young forward has been prone to injury throughout his brief career, and the prospect of luring a big name player to Charlotte isn’t worth risking the long-term health of Kidd-Gilchrist, whom the Hornets signed to a four-year, $52MM extension before the season.
Now here’s the topic for today’s discussion: Should the Hornets allow Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to return to action this season?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Eastern Notes: Winslow, Kidd-Gilchrist, Felicio
Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist revealed earlier today that he intends to return to action this season despite suffering a torn labrum in his right shoulder that appeared likely to cost him all of 2015/16. While the return of the defensive-minded swingman would certainly bolster the team heading into the playoffs, there is certainly a danger in him returning too soon from such a serious injury, Chris Barnewall of SB Nation’s AttheHive.com writes. With the franchise expecting to have ample free cap space heading into this offseason, the return of Kidd-Gilchrist could push the Hornets deeper into the postseason, which would provide the team with a stronger free agent sales pitch, Barnewall notes. But the prospect of luring a big name player to Charlotte isn’t worth risking the long-term health of Kidd-Gilchrist, who has already suffered a number of injuries during his brief NBA career, adds Barnewall.
Here’s more news from the Eastern Conference:
- Heat rookie Justise Winslow‘s versatility as a defender is allowing the team to experiment with him as a stretch four, a move that Miami has been working toward in recent weeks, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “There’s a lot of time being spent behind the scenes,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s been doing that. For about over a month, he’s been working a lot of his reps at the four pre-practice. He doesn’t play it [a lot] in the game, but you never know when. And it’s not like it’s something new. So he’s had a thousand reps behind the scenes. He gets thrown in there, it’s like, ‘OK, I got this. This is familiar.’ “
- Thursday is the final day that teams can waive their non-guaranteed contracts before they become fully guaranteed, and the Bulls have to make decisions regarding Cameron Bairstow and Cristiano Felicio. All indications point to Felicio remaining on the roster past that deadline, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. The 23-year-old has only appeared in two games for the Bulls this season and has scored two points in four total minutes of action.
- Pacers small forward Solomon Hill has cracked coach Frank Vogel‘s regular rotation, but the player still needs to work on his tendency to overthink matters on the court, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star writes. “I think one thing I have to do now that I’m, like, playing actually is just relax,” said Hill. “I feel like I’m just trying to stay in there by just doing the right things, and I’m thinking too much. I think once I relax and see the first one go in, I’ll be OK.” When asked if he can expect to receive consistent playing time moving forward, Hill responded, “I don’t know. I’m not going to think about that anymore. That’s part of me over-thinking. I’m just going to go out there and play the game, play my game when I do get the opportunity, but it’s a testament to our team. Everybody’s playing right now.”
Eastern Notes: DeRozan, Nets, Jefferson, Curry
Coach Dwane Casey isn’t quite sure why DeMar DeRozan has been playing better of late, but the Raptors nonetheless believe his improved shooting and overall play are sustainable, based on an uptick that dates back to this past March, observes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. DeRozan has a player option worth slightly more than $10MM for next season, but it seems a near-certainty that he’ll decline it and hit free agency in the summer. See more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Nets CEO Brett Yormark spoke about the need for the team to play better in an interview with Crain’s New York Business, and while his remarks weren’t particularly substantive, they demonstrate a continued increase in Yormark’s basketball chatter, NetsDaily points out (Twitter link). Yormark, if given basketball decision-making power, would like to offer “everything under the sun” to bring John Calipari back to the Nets, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post wrote in a chat last week (hat tip to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops). However, owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to make CSKA Moscow team president Andrey Vatutin the next Brooklyn GM, with current GM Billy King‘s contract up after the season, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reported earlier today.
- Al Jefferson‘s history of injuries juxtaposed against a rising salary cap suggest that the Hornets face a difficult choice as they ponder whether to re-sign him in free agency this summer, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders.
- Stephen Curry has no shortage of affection for Charlotte, where he grew up, but a multitude of reasons that extend even beyond his idyllic basketball situation with the Warriors convince Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that Curry won’t give the Hornets a second thought when he hits free agency in 2017.
Southeast Notes: Wade, Udrih, Lamb, Wizards
The Heat’s Dwyane Wade isn’t ready to give up his starting spot yet, but the idea may be discussed in negotiations next summer, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The columnist doesn’t believe Wade would agree to such a move in a contract year, but with his 34th birthday coming up this month it will likely be part of his future. The emergence of Tyler Johnson and Justise Winslow gives Miami other options on the wing, along with the possibility that Gerald Green will be brought back for another season. Winderman also suggests that Goran Dragic could benefit from having a different partner in the starting backcourt.
There’s more news from the Southeast Division:
- Beno Udrih has been productive since the November deal that brought him to Miami, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be with the team past the trade deadline, Winderman writes in the same piece. Udrih is averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 assists with the Heat, mostly in a backup role, but Winderman could envision his $2.077MM salary being moved to help get Miami under the luxury tax.
- The Hornets‘ Jeremy Lamb, who was acquired from the Thunder in an offseason deal, tells Erik Horne of The Oklahoman that playing in Oklahoma City wasn’t “a great situation” for him. Lamb is averaging career highs in minutes, points and rebounds in Charlotte after spending his first three years with the Thunder. He said the OKC front office was “very encouraging of me, just saying I’m going to be a good player in the league and it was best that I could go somewhere and play, so I was excited about it.”
- Out of necessity, the Wizards have figured out a way to make the Otto Porter–Kelly Oubre combination work, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. A rash of injuries has forced the two small forwards to take the court together, and they are finding success. Porter has registered three straight 20-point games since returning to the starting lineup, and Oubre’s versatility has helped cement his spot in the rotation. “We both gel on the court,” Oubre said. “We both kind of feed off each other’s energy while we’re on the court so you can expect big things from us when we’re on the court.”
And-Ones: Lamb, James, D-League
Former Thunder shooting guard Jeremy Lamb will face his old team for the first time Saturday and comes into the game playing the most consistent basketball of his four-year career in his first season with the Hornets, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman details. The Hornets acquired Lamb in a June trade. The 23-year-old then signed a three-year, $21MM extension in November, a deal that was met with some criticism because Lamb had not shown any consistency. Entering action Friday night, Lamb was averaging per game career highs in points (11.3), rebounds (4.4), minutes (21.7) and field goal percentage (47.5), as Horne notes.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- LeBron James‘ season to this point has a positive vibe to it, something that was absent in the first two months of last season, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The difference has to do with James, who recently turned 31, feeling healthier now than he did last year, Vardon adds. “I think he’s pretty healthy,” Cavs coach David Blatt said. “I think he’s obviously been able to play in every game. He could’ve played in the Miami game. I pulled him out. It wasn’t his wish or any need on his part except for what I saw not wanting him to play in that horrific back to back that we had. I think he’s good, I think he’s strong. I think he feels good and hopefully that’s going to continue in the same vein. When and if necessary we’ll look to reduce the load on him if we can.”
- The Raptors recalled Anthony Bennett, Norman Powell and Delon Wright from their D-League affiliate, the team announced (on Twitter).
- The Magic assigned Devyn Marble to their D-League affiliate, per Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
Al Jefferson Out Six Weeks
Al Jefferson will be out approximately six weeks after suffering a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right knee, the Hornets announced (all Twitter links). The center will undergo arthroscopic surgery Thursday, according to the team.
Jefferson, 30, is in the final year of his contract with the Hornets. Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer wrote earlier this month that trading Jefferson for something that would fit both short-term and long-term would be challenging for the Hornets because he is making $13.5MM this season. Bonnell added that Jefferson’s future with the Hornets beyond this season is likely based on his salary expectations. That means more for the Hornets than it normally would because they are looking to re-sign Nicolas Batum and are not interested in paying the luxury tax, per Bonnell.
Jefferson had most recently been coming off the bench for the Hornets in an effort to get into better game shape after missing 11 games due to a calf injury and a suspension. Jefferson, who is in his 11th season, is averaging 12.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
And-Ones: Bryant, Van Gundy, Nets
Kobe Bryant claims that former Hornets coach Dave Cowens told him that Charlotte wasn’t interested in him during the 1996 draft, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com reports. Bryant was shipped to the Lakers for Vlade Divac soon after the draft. “Cowens told me he didn’t want me,” Bryant told reporters in Charlotte. “It wasn’t a question of me even playing here. They had a couple of guards already, a couple small forwards already.” Cowens refuted Bryant’s account of his draft-night odyssey to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. Cowens told Himmelsbach that the Hornets were more concerned at the time that Bryant would play professionally in Italy, as his camp threatened if he didn’t wind up with the Lakers or Knicks. Cowens also denied telling Bryant the Hornets didn’t have a spot for him. “I’d never say anything like that to a player,” Cowens told Himmelsbach. “I didn’t know him and he didn’t know me. It wasn’t about him not being able to play for us. It was just [the trade] was already worked out.”
In other news around the league:
- Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy expects a lot of volatility in the Eastern Conference standings this season. Detroit is among 10 conference teams above the .500 mark. “Cleveland hasn’t created a lot of space but they’ve sort of separated themselves as the team at the top of the East. But then everybody else, it’s sort of gone up and down,” he told the assembled media, including Hoops Rumors, last week. “The standings change every single day. We’ve played enough now to say there’s a good chance it stays like that throughout most of the rest of the year. There’s a lot of parity.”
- The D-League’s experiment with coaches challenging an official’s call is still a work in progress, as Adam Johnson of the D-League Digest examines. In its current structure, a coach can only challenge fourth-quarter calls. They lose a timeout if the challenge fails. Limiting challenges to the final quarter is just one of the complaints about the system, Johnson adds.
- The Nets are expected to play more than a dozen doubleheaders next season with their new D-League affiliate’s games preceding the NBA game at Barclays Center, team officials told NetsDaily. The Long Island Nets will begin their inaugural season next November. Barclays will curtain off parts of the arena during D-League games, the report adds.
Southeast Notes: Fournier, Korver, Hornets
Evan Fournier confesses that he’s mindful of his contract situation, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Fournier is headed into restricted free agency this summer after the Magic failed to reach a rookie scale extension agreement with the swingman by the November 2nd deadline. “Of course. It is in the back of your mind,” Fournier told Schmitz. “You are trying to play your best basketball. … I don’t want to be a mediocre player or average. I know if I have a very good season, the money is gonna follow.”
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Kyle Korver‘s shooting slump has worsened but Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has instructed his starting shooting guard to keep firing away, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Korver is a 2 of 16 from the field and 1 of 13 from 3-point range in the last two games. “He is very hard on himself,” Budenholzer told Vivlamore. “We like to try to pick him up a little bit. He’s a perfectionist. So, I think we are all confident.”
- Dwyane Wade admits he’s not sure where this Heat season is headed after 30 games, as the veteran shooting guard relayed to Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald following the team’s loss to the Nets on Monday. “I said it since training camp, we don’t know what this team is going to be yet,” Wade said. “No one knows. I have no idea. 18-12, that’s what we are. I know we have a good team. I know that. 18-12, that is pretty good in the Eastern Conference. So that’s all I know.”
- Al Jefferson agrees with Hornets coach Steve Clifford’s decision to bring him off the bench for the time being, David Scott of the Charlotte Observer reports. Jefferson is still trying to get back in game shape after missing 11 games due to a calf injury and a suspension. Cody Zeller has been starting at center. “Right here, right now, it’s probably better that I come off the bench,” Jefferson told Scott. “In this league, it’s important to get off to a great start and you don’t want a guy like me coming in still trying to get back into the flow of things and slowing the offense down.”
- The Hornets’ new D-League affiliate in Greensboro, N.C. will be called the Swarm, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Swarm will begin their inaugural season in 2016/17, Spears adds.
Southeast Notes: Millsap, Bazemore, Marble
The Magic considered Paul Millsap their No. 1 target in free agency last summer and offered him a four-year max deal worth over $80MM, as Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders details. Of course, Millsap eventually re-signed with the Hawks, but he admits he was impressed with Orlando’s presentation and drive to sign him. Here’s more from around the Southeast.
- DeMarre Carroll’s departure from Atlanta opened up the door for Kent Bazemore to show off his skills, and he’s excelled in his expanded opportunity with the Hawks, as Taylor examines in the same piece. Bazemore is in the final year of a two-year, $4MM deal and will likely garner offers worth much more than that in free agency this summer.
- Playing in the D-League is helping Devyn Marble progress as a player, as he explained to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The second-year forward hasn’t gotten much burn with the Magic, who are deep at the wing.
- The decision to select Frank Kaminsky with the ninth overall pick in last summer’s draft left some Hornets fans scratching their heads, but recent flashes of brilliance and sincere praise from coach Steve Clifford demonstrate the potential that the Wisconsin product has, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Southeast Rumors: Oubre, Lamb, Green
Kelly Oubre wasn’t supposed to get much playing time this season but he’s making the most of his unexpected opportunity, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. The Wizards wanted to essentially redshirt the rookie small forward but injuries have thrust him into the rotation, Castillo continues. Oubre’s performances during the team’s 1-3 road trip against Southwest opponents — including an 18-point outing against the Spurs — were some of the few positives that came out of it, Castillo adds. He was selected with the No. 15 overall pick by the Hawks and then dealt to the Wizards on draft night. “Progression is the word,” Oubre told Castillo. “Every game is different. Every game I try to get better. At practice I probably get better. I’m starting to get the hang of the whole NBA thing now.”
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Hornets shooting guard Jeremy Lamb credits coach Steve Clifford for his breakout season, as he indicated to Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. Lamb’s reputation as a dead-eye shooter preceded him but Clifford has also utilized Lamb as a playmaker, Brigham continues. “He does a good job helping everybody play to their strengths. He sees the best in me,” Lamb told Brigham. “Coach Clifford said he always knew I was a good shooter, but he didn’t realize how good of a passer I was, so he said I should do more in making plays for others.”
- Gerald Green claims the Heat value his defense more than his previous teams, especially the Suns, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post reports. The veteran swingman told Lieser that the Suns “dogged” him regarding his defensive effort the past two seasons but the Heat coaching staff has treated him much differently. “This year they’ve got me on the best players, so I’ve taken the challenge,” Green said. “They give me confidence and they encourage me so much to go out and do it. I’ve never been encouraged to play defense with any other team I’ve been on.”
- The Hawks recalled center Walter Tavares from the D-League’s Austin Spurs on Monday following a two-game stint, a development initially reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) and later confirmed on the team’s website. Tavares has appeared in six D-League games and four NBA games this season.