Pacific Notes: Gortat, Curry, Gasol, Jamison
According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, Suns starting center Marcin Gortat might be becoming "restless" in Phoenix, noting that he has tallied a total of just 50 minutes over the last two games despite not being in foul trouble. While Robbins references a "Polish-language publication" that suggested Gortat would welcome a trade to the Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, or even back to the Magic, he also mentions that Phoenix hasn't given the impression that they're willing to deal him at this point. With that aside, here's the rest of tonight's tidbits coming from the Pacific Division:
- Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles looks at the success and production of the Clippers' second unit, which has started to gain some popularity with the nickname "A Tribe Called Bench."
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson firmly believes that Stephen Curry is an All-Star based on his performance after 20 games this season. It's hard to disagree, as the 24-year-old Davidson product is averaging 19.7 PPG, 6.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, and nearly 4 RPG for the fifth-seeded team in the Western Conference. Jeff Zillgit of USA Today also mentions that Curry has been worry-free about the ankle problems that had sidelined him for all but 16 games last year.
- Mike D'Antoni hints that Pau Gasol could play on Tuesday if his pain has lessened enough (Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer tweets).
- Compared to his experiences in Cleveland and Washington, 15-year-veteran Antawn Jamison isn't rattled by the Lakers' slow start. As of late, he has been one of the team's most consistent performers, hitting double figure scoring in six of the last eight games: "I'm comfortable, not thinking at all, having fun, competing and doing the things I normally do. So it's a lot easier. I was getting frustrated, but now I'm just out there playing" (Schmitt Boyer reports).
- Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation revisits the 1996 trade that sent then Charlotte-draft pick Kobe Bryant to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.
- In addition to the Rockets and Nuggets, the Lakers cracked HoopsWorld's list of most surprising teams this season from the Western Conference.
Eastern Notes: Cavaliers, Green, Lopez
Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Journal debunks the misconception that the Cavaliers will be forced to spend big in free agency this summer as a result of the NBA's minimum team salary floor requirement. Next season, teams will be required to spend at least 90 percent of the league's salary cap number next year. Although Cleveland's total amount of committed salaries could fall short of that number, Lloyd points out that the Cavs will be allowed to make up for the difference by dispersing the remaining required amount to its players. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- After initial struggles, Jeff Green appears to be looking more like the player the Celtics envisioned when they inked him to a 4-year, $36MM deal this summer, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com
- Brook Lopez's recovery from a sprained right foot hasn't progressed as quickly as the Nets have hoped, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York.
- Count George Karl among those who thinks that Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is primed to eventually win an NBA title (Matt Ehalt of ESPN New York reports).
- Pacers head coach Frank Vogel is considering more playing time for guard Ben Hansbrough and forward Jeff Pendergraph at the expense of those who have been struggling in Indiana's current second unit lately.
- Several of HoopsWorld's analysts weighed in on who they feel are the most surprising teams in the NBA thus far. Out of the Eastern conference, they referenced the Knicks' dominance, the Bobcats' improvement compared to last season, and the Raptors' difficulty in living up to expectations.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times says that the ticket to Bulls forward Jimmy Butler earning playing time has been his defensive versatility.
- John Denton of NBA.com examines the niche that Moe Harkless has found with coach Jacque Vaughn, who likes the progression his rookie has made in the starting rotation. Denton also provides a minor update the current statuses of Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington, saying that while Turkoglu still appears to be out indefinitely, Harrington could return in the next two weeks.
- Raptors guard Alan Anderson went through his workout today without any pain and believes that he is one practice away from returning (Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun reports).
Atlantic Rumors: Felton, Brewer, Prigioni
Raymond Felton is glad to be back with the Knicks, the team he didn't want to leave when New York shipped him to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011. He said Saturday he was "sick" during his time with the Nuggets, as Marc Berman of the New York Post documents, though it's unclear whether he was dealing with an illness or simply pining for New York. Felton said he respected Nuggets coach George Karl's decision to put him on the bench in favor of Ty Lawson, but expressed a desire to be a starter somewhere to Nuggets management, who accomodated him with a trade to the Blazers before last season.
A year later, Felton has come full circle as he's back in the starting lineup with the Knicks, and there's news on another pair of Knicks offseason acquisitions and more from the Atlantic Division.
- Ronnie Brewer, with the Knicks on a minimum-salary deal, told Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald that the Bulls never reached out to him this summer about a return (Twitter link).
- Pablo Prigioni was content to keep playing in Spain until Luis Scola, his teammate on Argentina's national team, convinced him to give the NBA a try. Newsday's Barbara Barker has the details.
- Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News credits Mike Woodson, whom the Knicks retained this summer with a three-year extension, with the team's fast start, pointing out that New York is 32-11 since Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni last season.
- With Sixers coach Doug Collins open to a trade to improve the team's bench play, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News checks in with rookie point guard Maalik Wayns, who's been contributing more to the second unit of late.
- John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the impact Andrew Bynum could have on the Sixers if the center returns before the All-Star break.
- Howard Beck of The New York Times chronicles the long journey of Reggie Evans from the streets of Pensacola, Fla., where the local community college passed on recruiting him, to his current status as a rebounding savant for the Nets.
Odds & Ends: Meeks, Lakers, Virginia Beach
In recent years, many NBA players have opted to take their talents to the other side of the Atlantic and sign for bigger bucks overseas. Max Blau of Grantland spoke with several players who have plied their craft in Europe or Asia and found mixed reviews. Guard Chris Douglas-Roberts spent last season in Europe with uncertainty surrounding the NBA season and gave the experience a thumbs up. “I lived in a different culture for a whole year. I met great people from all sides of the world,” Douglas-Roberts said. “I can actually say I lived a year in Italy. Guys from my neighborhood in the west side of Detroit cannot say that." Here's more from around the Association..
- Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times notes the radical jump in shooting percentage Lakers offseason signee Jodie Meeks has experienced under new coach Mike D'Antoni. He's connecting on 43.8% of his field goals and 50% of his three-point attempts since D'Antoni took over, but shot just 28.6% from the floor and 22.7% from long distance over his first nine games.
- The budget proposed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell doesn't include the $150MM that officials from the City of Virginia Beach were seeking to assist with the construction of a new arena, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. The governor's spokesman said further study is required before the state commits to funding the arena, which would ostensibly become the new home of the Kings.
- When compared to the max contracts of big men such as Brook Lopez, Pau Gasol, and Roy Hibbert, Bulls big man Joakim Noah looks like an especially good value at $12MM, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Robinson, Kaman, Bradley
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Wednesday evening:
- SportsDayDFW.com's Kevin Sherrington doesn't believe Dwight Howard would leave the Lakers for the Mavericks despite LA's current struggles.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that Bulls guard Nate Robinson is working on improving his consistency this season.
- Mavericks center Chris Kaman tells Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram that his former team, the Clippers, have a bright future.
- Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com reports that Celtics guard Avery Bradley is making progress towards a return.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star praises Raptors forward Amir Johnson for his energy and effort.
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports that Knicks center Marcus Camby will miss time with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Central Notes: Bulls, Gasol, Cavs, Jones
It wasn’t pretty, but the Pacers topped the Bulls last night 80-76 to get back to the .500 mark. The Bulls kept David West in check but Paul George more than picked up the slack with 34 points, 9 rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocks. Here’s more out of the Central..
- In an interview on 95.7 The Game, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com explained how the Bulls have the goods to land Pau Gasol if they want to. Sheridan suggests a three-way deal in which the Hornets send Ryan Anderson to the Lakers, and the Bulls send Taj Gibson, a future No. 1 draft pick owed to them by the Bobcats, plus a little more to New Orleans. That little more could include the rights to Real Madrid forward Nikola Mirotic.
- Despite the optimism surrounding recent D-League callup Kevin Jones, Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com doesn’t see him making a major impact with the Cavaliers this season. In five D-League games, averaged 23.6 PPG and 12.6 RPG in 41 minutes per game. The forward out of West Virginia was projected to be an early- to-mid second-round pick in the 2012 draft but plummeted after an injury forced him to miss workouts.
- The Cavs are hurting without Kyrie Irving in the lineup, but veteran wing C.J. Miles notes that the situation is giving bench players a chance to prove their worth in the league, writes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. Jeremy Pargo and Donald Sloan have seen more minutes in Irving’s absence but the Cavs are struggling at 4-14.
Central Rumors: Rose, Evans, Jaric, Pacers, Sloan
Three Central Division teams were in action tonight, as the Bucks endured a surprising blowout loss to the Hornets and fell out of a first-place tie with the Bulls, while the Pistons beat the cellar-dwelling Cavs. Chicago, at 8-7, is the best of an underwhelming bunch, and we rounded up several Bulls rumors earlier today. We have more on them and their Central rivals tonight.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times hears Derrick Rose might be only weeks away from practicing, but cautions that it's unclear whether that means he's ahead of schedule for his return to playing, which is thought to be slated for February.
- The Daily Herald's Mike McGraw doesn't believe the rumor that Bulls will go after Maurice Evans, tweeting that "now is not the time" to add another player, given the team's constraints under the $74.3MM hard cap. The Bulls are eligible to sign someone to a veteran's minimum deal, but a fully guaranteed deal wouldn't allow them to add anyone else for a while longer.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune mentions training-camp invitee Marko Jaric as a possible signing if the Bulls opt to add a player (Twitter link).
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News examines the struggles of the Pacers, describing the play of their offseason acquisitions as "awful across the board." Deveney also points to the regression of Roy Hibbert, who's fresh off signing a new four-year deal this summer.
- The Sporting News scribe doesn't spare Paul George from criticism, either, and Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star takes a closer look at the inconsistent offensive play of the third-year swingman who'll be eligible for an extension next summer.
- Donald Sloan's defensive shortcomings caused him to fall out of the Cavs rotation before injuries to others forced him back in, and the minimum-salary point guard, who's without a guarantee on his deal, admits he's nervous about getting cut, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal documents.
Bulls Notes: Hamilton, Evans, Belinelli
The Bulls pulled out a 93-88 win over the Sixers on Saturday night but it didn't come without a price. Here's the latest out of Chicago..
- Richard Hamilton injured his left foot in the third quarter of the Bulls' win over the 76ers and an MRI revealed that he has a torn plantar fascia, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Hamilton would actually return to the game with the trainer's green light and sank three of four free throws in the final 20 seconds to help Chicago seal the W.
- With Hamilton sidelined, the Bulls may pursue free agent Maurice Evans, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Chicago, he notes, has expressed interest in Evans in the past. The veteran guard had a number of offers for make-good contracts over the offseason but declined all of them as he demanded a guaranteed deal.
- If the Bulls use their open roster spot to sign another guard that player won't get the starting nod over Marco Belinelli or Jimmy Butler, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. There's no timetable for Hamilton's return yet but he could be out for a week or more.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Blatche, Lillard, Gibson
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday evening:
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman writes that Kevin Martin is performing up to expectations since being acquired by the Thunder in the James Harden trade.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks, in hindsight, that the Heat would have been wise to sign Andray Blatche this summer. Miami was held back by concerns about his effect on the locker room, as well as their belief in Josh Harrellson and Dexter Pittman, Winderman adds.
- Joe Freeman of the Oregonian admires the poise of Damian Lillard as the Trail Blazers rookie continues to impress.
- Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com likes what he's seen from Taj Gibson since signing a four-year extension with the Bulls.
- Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times adds to the praise of Gibson while also singling out Jimmy Butler for his defensive impact.
- Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes that Raptors bigs Amir Johnson and Ed Davis have not received due attention for their contributions.
- Rick Bonnell of the Oklahoman examines the Bobcats' defensive successes this season.
- Keith Langolis of Pistons.com says that rookie Kyle Singler has made a fan of head coach Lawrence Frank with his work ethic.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle praises Patrick Patterson's improvement.
Odds & Ends: Spurs, Varejao, Draft, Fisher
Earlier today, I asked Hoops Rumors readers whether Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was in the wrong for sending his star players home before last night's game against the Heat. Over 83% of respondents so far have sided with Popovich rather than with commissioner David Stern, who called Pop's decision "unacceptable." Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports agrees with you in his take on the subject, calling Stern's statement a "temper tantrum that left everyone around him embarrassed, humiliated and wondering why he insisted on staying until February of 2014."
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA as we prepare for the weekend:
- While Anderson Varejao has been a popular topic of trade speculation lately, the Cavaliers have no plans to move him, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. In any case, most teams who would be interested in Varejao don't have the assets to acquire him or aren't willing to part with them, says Amico.
- In his latest draft blog at ESPN.com (Insider only), Chad Ford examines a few players whose stocks have slipped early in the season, including UNC's James Michael McAdoo and Tony Mitchell of North Texas.
- A pair of Dallas Morning News scribes offer up opposing takes on the Mavericks' signing of Derek Fisher, with Eddie Sefko noting that signing Fisher as a starter will make the team's bench stronger, while Kevin Sherrington says it's a patchwork move in another year "about nothing."
- Within Sam Smith's latest mailbag for Bulls.com, he writes that Carlos Boozer "basically cannot be traded" unless it's for a contract that's as bad or worse than his.
- NBA.com's Fran Blinebury wonders if it would be in the Trail Blazers' best interests to consider trading LaMarcus Aldridge this season.