Odds & Ends: Dwight, Bulls, Deron
Amidst the buzz surrounding the 2013 Basketball Hall of Fame induction a little over a week ago, you may have heard legendary Brazilian basketball player Oscar Schmidt proclaim that he could have been one of the best 10 players ever if he had joined the NBA. In hindsight, it's interesting to ponder some of the 'what ifs' and how they may have altered the landscape and history of the league.
One could think about how the NBA would have been different if Larry Bird didn't fall five spots to the Celtics during the 1978 draft, if Kobe Bryant hadn't fallen to number 13 in 1996, or if Michael Jordan hadn't retired before the 1993/94 season to name a few. Regardless, there are plenty of other possibilities to consider.
Jonathan Abrams of Grantland sheds light on one particular what-could-have-been, chronicling the rise and fall of Korleone Young, a promising 6'7" small forward who like Kobe, Tracy McGrady, and Kevin Garnett before him attempted to make the jump from high school to the NBA in 1998. In his comprehensive piece, Abrams supplements Young's story with commentary from several people who had crossed paths with him along his journey, including Young's prep-school rival Al Harrington, former Pistons head coach Alvin Gentry, and former Pistons assistant (and current Bucks GM) John Hammond, who had this to share based on what he'd seen in practices:
"We used to talk about the way in which (Young) defended (then-star) Grant Hill on a daily basis. We used to say it tongue-in-cheek but [also] somewhat seriously: 'No one defended Grant Hill in this league as well as Korleone Young."
With that aside, let's round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links from the NBA:
- Sam Amick of USA Today writes about how Dwight Howard has found greener pastures in Houston and why the rest of the NBA will have to lament the reality that another Western Conference contender has been born.
- A handful of HoopsWorld panelists put together a season preview of the Bulls for 2013/14. With much of the team's success hinging on how much Derrick Rose can return to form, three writers pick Chicago to finish second in the Central Division, while two have them running away with the division title.
- Nets guard Deron Williams was spotted at his charity dodgeball event earlier today with a walking boot over the same ankle that had been giving him problems last season, though he insisted that the boot was just precautionary: “As long as I’m ready (for the season opener), that’s all that matters to me…If it was up to me, I would be playing right now. I can walk fine. It doesn’t hurt. It’s just protecting me from myself” (Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News).
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW says that with Dirk Nowitzki healthy, the Mavericks won't take a backseat to anybody in the league in terms of talent at the power forward position.
- Tommy Dee of Ridiculous Upside presents a scouting report of free agent big man Hassan Whiteside, who had recently drawn reported interest from the Knicks, Heat, and Bucks.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside explains why the NBDL will continue to develop front office executives at a much more efficient rate than players at this point, mentioning that while prospective staffers can work to rise up the ranks while committed to a specific NBA franchise, the players can be called up at anytime and by any NBA team regardless of D-League affiliation.
- HoopsWorld's Moke Hamilton held his weekly chat with readers earlier this evening, offering his thoughts on why he thinks the Knicks will repeat as Atlantic Division champions, why teams might be shying away from Renaldo Balkman, the Western Conference playoff race, and the Warriors' ceiling among other topics.
- Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com continues his countdown of reasons why New Orleans fans should be excited about training camp, placing the offseason progress made by the team's quartet of sophomores – namely Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, Brian Roberts, and Darius Miller – at number 13.
Eastern Notes: George, Pacers, Deng
Hoopsworld's Yannis Koutroupis explores the possible implications from a potential contract extension for Paul George and suggests that Danny Granger has now become an expendable piece. Losing Lance Stephenson - who is coming off of a career year and may have likely played himself out of Indiana's price range next summer – would be a bitter pill to swallow, opines Koutroupis. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference:
- Granger believes that Indiana can contend for a title next season and calls the addition of Luis Scola "our biggest free agent pickup" (Scott Agness of NBA.com).
- ESPN's Chad Ford (via Twitter) notes that Luol Deng has been working out at BYU-Hawaii over the last several weeks and says that the Bulls forward appears to be in fantastic shape.
- Erildas Budraitis of RealGM catches up with CSKA Moscow's Jeremy Pargo, who last played for the 76ers and Cavaliers during the 2012/13 season. The 6'2" point guard admitted that he probably won't think of returning to the NBA for another one or two years and calls his exit from Cleveland "unfortunate."
- Earlier today, Yahoo's Marc J. Spears reported that Cavs number one overall pick Anthony Bennett resumed playing five-on-five basketball this week.
- Nets star Deron Williams is even more eager to get the season started after hearing head coach Jason Kidd and teammate Jason Terry say they expect him to be a part of the MVP conversation in 2013/14 (link via Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report).
- Despite NBA commissioner David Stern's recent efforts to quell tension between the Knicks and Nets owners, the players don't seem to be necessarily following suit. When Paul Pierce was asked today about J.R. Smith calling him a bitter person recently, the Brooklyn forward tersely responded with "Who? Who are we talking about right now? Exactly" (Tim Bontempts of the New York Post).
Eastern Notes: World Peace, Bucks, Rose, Hawks
So far this morning, we've passed along word of Nerlens Noel's contract with the Sixers, and heard confirmation from the Raptors that they've signed three players to training camp deals. Here are a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:
- Metta World Peace tells Dan Duggan of Newsday that he "got calls from Oklahoma and the Clippers and all these teams" when he was amnestied by the Lakers, but he's happy with his decision to sign with the Knicks.
- Speaking at the Bucks Partner Summit in Milwaukee yesterday, future NBA commissioner Adam Silver made it clear that the city is in need of a new arena, writes Rich Kirchen of The Business Journal. "At the end of the day compared to other modern arenas in the league, this arena is a few hundred thousand square feet too small," Silver said. "It doesn’t have the sort of back-of-house space you need, doesn’t have the kinds of amenities we need."
- Derrick Rose has said in the past that he has little interest in actively recruiting other players to the Bulls, and as he prepares to return from an ACL injury, he's sticking to that stance. "I don't recruit. If anyone wants to play with me, I don't mind playing with, it could be anyone in the NBA, but as far as recruiting, I never did and never will," Rose told Rappler.com (link via ESPNChicago.com).
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld examines the Hawks' signing of Paul Millsap, which he views as one of the more underappreciated moves of the summer.
Odds & Ends: Hunter, Extensions, Lin, Thibodeau
Here are some odds and ends from around the NBA on Wednesday:
- The Warriors have officially added Lindsey Hunter to Mark Jackson's staff as an assistant coach, the team announced today in a press release. Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game initially reported last week that the former Suns head coach was finalizing a deal with Golden State.
- It wouldn't be a shock if none of the 16 extension-eligible players from the rookie class of 2010 signed a deal before hitting restricted free agency next summer, writes Mark Deeks of SB Nation. Deeks opines that teams would rather let external offer sheets set the market for their own hard-to-project players than committing big dollars prematurely. Of course, based on a report this afternoon, it seems that Paul George will be extended this offseason.
- While he has certainly been through a lot, it is important to remember that Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin is still in the early stages of his career, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, who notes that Lin has had less starts (107) than fellow young point guards Kyrie Irving and Brandon Knight. Assuming he isn't traded, Lin will return to the team he was on the year before for the first time in his career.
- The Luol Deng situation in Chicago has put Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau in a "vortex of drama," writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, who says that the list of coaches who dislike distractions more than Thibs is very short.
Eastern Notes: Singleton, Okafor, Bulls, Knicks
Chris Singleton will undergo foot surgery today and will be sidelined for the next six to eight weeks, the Wizards announced today in a press release. Not only does the injury, which occurred in a voluntary workout, put Singleton's status for opening night in jeopardy, but it could have an impact on his future in Washington.
The Wizards have until October 31st to decide whether or not to exercise Singleton's $2.49MM option for the 2014/15 season. Now that the club won't get to watch him in camp and in the preseason, the decision figures to be made primarily based on his NBA production to date, which has been underwhelming — he has averaged 4.4 PPG and an 8.1 PER in his first two seasons.
As we wish Singleton a speedy recovery, let's round up a few more items from around the Eastern Conference….
- Singleton's teammate, Emeka Okafor, also looks like he'll miss the start of the season. The Wizards announced today that Okafor, who is entering a contract year, will be out indefinitely as he rehabs from a herniated disc. Okafor tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's not considering retirement and plans to return this season (Twitter link).
- While Tom Thibodeau has downplayed any sort of discord between him and the Bulls' front office, a source tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the head coach would be upset if the team traded Luol Deng or let him walk in free agency. "Ask Tom how important he thinks Luol is," the source said. "How happy do you think he would be with that decision?"
- In his latest Heat mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel shares his thoughts on Dwyane Wade vs. Kyrie Irving, Joel Anthony's contract, and Steve Kerr's 2013/14 predictions.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com explores the issue of how the Knicks will complete their roster, asking readers if the team should add a big man, a forward, or a guard.
- Begley adds (via Twitter) that former prep star Jonathan Hargett worked out at the Knicks facility, though it was in an informal capacity and the team isn't currently planning to sign him.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Bulls, Bucks
A few notes from around the Eastern Conference.
- According to a tweet from Boston Globe scribe Baxter Holmes, the Celtics training camp invites are all set. Chris Babb, Damen Bell-Holter, DeShawn Sims, and Kammron Taylor round out the list.
- Trey McKinney Jones, a former guard for the Miami Hurricanes, will participate in the Bucks training camp, according to Hoopshype.com.
- According to the team, the Bulls have made several changes to their staff, promoting Randy Brown to assistant GM, Nick Papendieck to head strength coach, and Ivica Dukan to director of international scouting, as well as special assistant to the general manager.
Bulls Monitoring Kurt Thomas
The Bulls signed a pair of guards to training camp deals yesterday, adding a couple more bodies to an already crowded backcourt. According to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com though, the team also has a big man target in mind for later in the year. Deeks tweets that the Bulls are keeping an eye on Kurt Thomas, waiting for the veteran to get healthy.
Thomas, 40, struggled with foot issues in 2012/13, and was eventually released by the Knicks when he underwent surgery and was ruled out for the season. It was widely assumed that the procedure signaled the end of Thomas' NBA playing career, but a report in May suggested that he was still undecided on his future, and was leaving the door open for a return. If he signs with a team for the coming season, the 18-year-veteran would reclaim his title as the NBA's oldest player.
As Deeks notes in his above tweets, Thomas isn't expected to be ready for the start of the season, so that gives the Bulls some options, even if they intend to eventually sign him. Dexter Pittman is set to join the team for training camp, and if he impresses, perhaps Chicago's interest in Thomas will wane. The club would also have the flexibility to carry a non-guaranteed player for the first few weeks of the season, cutting him prior to the league's guarantee date in January in order to create room for Thomas or another player.
Bulls Sign Patrick Christopher, Kalin Lucas
1:40pm: Former Michigan State guard Kalin Lucas has also signed with the Bulls, according to Deeks (via Twitter). It sounds like his contract will be fully non-guaranteed as well.
As our international tracker shows, Lucas also played for a Turkish team in 2012/13.
1:32pm: The Bulls have signed free agent guard Patrick Christopher to a non-guaranteed training camp deal, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter).
Christopher, 25, went undrafted out of California in 2010, and has been playing overseas since then. As our international player movement tracker shows, he spent last season in Turkey with Besiktas. Christopher averaged 8.4 PPG in 24 contests with the club.
The Bulls will only have 15 players under contract once they make their deals with Christopher, Mike James, and Dexter Pittman official, so there's a chance a regular-season roster spot will be available if Christopher has a strong camp. Still, he's likely a long shot.
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Beasley, Heat, Cavaliers
Let's round up a few Wednesday odds and ends from around the NBA….
- The Bulls have some good assets in the pipeline, such as Nikola Mirotic, a Bobcats first-round pick, and the opportunity to clear some cap space next summer. Nonetheless, this year's roster may provide Chicago its best chance at a title over the next few years, says Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, wondering if 2013/14 will be the current core's final run.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times explores a similar topic, writing that the Bulls' apparent willingness to let Luol Deng hit unrestricted free agency in 2014 indicates the team may have its eye on other targets.
- As teams consider whether to take a flier on free agent Michael Beasley, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com cautions that Beasley's potential and talent may have been overstated. The troubled forward hasn't been effective since he played at Kansas State and has regressed in each of his NBA seasons, says Deeks.
- Due to increasing tax penalties, many NBA teams, including the Heat, figure to be less inclined to carry the maximum 15 players this season, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in his latest mailbag.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Amin Elhassan lists the top 30 potential free agents of 2014, ranked in order of their expected average annual salary.
- The Cavaliers officially announced today that Steve Hetzel will coach the team's D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
Mike James To Sign With Bulls
Mike James has reached an agreement with the Bulls, and will sign a training camp deal with the team later this week, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). It's not clear what sort of contract James will sign, but I'd imagine it'll be fully non-guaranteed, or close to it.
James, 38, had a solid season for the Mavericks in 2012/13, averaging 6.1 PPG and 3.1 APG in 45 contests. He started 23 games at the point for Dallas, when the team's other options were underperforming. The veteran appeared in 11 games for the Bulls in 2011/12, so if he can earn a regular-season roster spot with the club this season, it'll be his second stint in Chicago.
At the moment, it appears as if James has at least a decent chance to break camp with the Bulls. The team only has 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus second-rounder Erik Murphy on a partially guaranteed deal. Dexter Pittman, like James, is expected to be in camp with Chicago, and I'd imagine the team will extend invites to at least a couple more players.
James had previously been in talks with the Mavericks about a potential return to Dallas. However, the Mavs bolstered their backcourt in July free agency, leaving little room for James.