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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/29/16

December 29th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

9:00pm:

The Jazz recalled forward Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars after assigning him to the D-League earlier in the day, the team announced in a press release. The second-round pick out of Weber State has made nine brief appearances with the Jazz this season.
The Warriors assigned center Damian Jones and guard Patrick McCaw to the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced on its website. Jones has appeared in 10 games with Santa Cruz, averaging 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.70 blocks in 21.8 minutes. McCaw had not been previously assigned to the D-League. He has appeared in 26 games with Golden State but hasn’t left the bench the past three games.

11:26am:

A day after sending him on his first D-League assignment of the season, the Cavaliers have recalled Kay Felder from the Canton Charge, according to a press release. Felder had an outstanding NBADL debut, leading the Charge to a blowout win with 33 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds.
The Hawks don’t have a D-League affiliate of their own, but they have sent Taurean Prince to the Long Island Nets via the flexible assignment rule, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. It’s the first NBADL assignment of the season for Prince, the 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, and it may end up just lasting one game, according to Vivlamore.

Officiating Report Adds Another Critic

December 29th, 2016 at 8:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is the latest NBA figure to criticize the Last Two Minute Report regarding officiating in close games, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Warriors forward Kevin Durant and Cavaliers forward LeBron James were both critical this week of the NBA’s practice of publicly reviewing officiating calls in the last two minutes of close games. Van Gundy has now joined the chorus.

In Cleveland’s one-point win over Golden State on Christmas Day, Durant felt he was tripped up on the final play of the game. But when the officiating report confirmed that, Durant felt it was unfair for the officials to be subject to additional scrutiny, claiming it makes them more tentative to do their jobs.

“The refs didn’t lose us that game,” Durant said. “We lost that game. I think it’s (terrible) the NBA throws the refs under the bus like that.”

Van Gundy agrees with that assessment, as he told Ellis and other reporters on Thursday.

“I understand Kevin Durant’s comments because the referee could have had a great game and, when they grade them out, he could have been great, but he makes one crucial bad call at the end of the game, and that’s all the public knows about,” Van Gundy said.

The report on the Cavs’ win also indicated that a technical should have been called against James for hanging on the rim. That prompted him to say the NBA should cut the officials some slack.

“I think it discredits what the referees are doing for 48 minutes,” he told the assembled media. “If that’s the case, you might as well do a 48-minute report.”

During the offseason, the referees’ union called on the league to stop releasing the report publicly. At the time, commisssioner Adam Silver defended the practice, saying transparency was the best policy.

“It’s our hope that you take the Last Two Minute Reports together with using a certain amount of replay that we’re building to build trust and integrity in the league,” he said. “People are going to recognize that we are going to make mistakes, the officials are going to make mistakes. Human error is going to be part of this game, just as it is with players. … I’d say largely what these Last Two Minute Reports are showing is that the referees get it right about 90 percent of the time.”

How do you feel in this hot button issue? Should the Two Minute Report stay or go? Weigh in on the comments section below.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/28/16

December 28th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

8:35pm

The Grizzlies have recalled Wade Baldwin from the Iowa Energy, according to the team’s website. The rookie has appeared in 20 games for the Memphis this season, and he’s seeing 14.5 minutes per contest.

3:41pm

The Cavaliers have sent rookie point guard Kay Felder to the Canton Charge, according to a press release issued by the team. It’s the first D-League assignment of the season for Felder, who has appeared in 14 games for Cleveland.
A day after being assigned to the D-League, rookie center Damian Jones was recalled by the Warriors, the team announced today in a press release. Jones contributed to Santa Cruz’ win on Tuesday night, chipping in eight points and four boards before fouling out.
The Celtics have re-assigned Jordan Mickey to the NBADL, the team announced today (via Twitter). Mickey, who has played sparingly for Boston this season, has averaged 16.0 PPG and 12.0 RPG in his two contests with the Maine Red Claws.
Ivica Zubac will suit up for the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight, having been assigned to the Lakers‘ D-League affiliate today (Twitter link via Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News). The 2016 second-rounder has played well in eight D-League games this year, averaging 16.8 PPG and 9.5 RPG.

Poll: Cavaliers Vs. Warriors

December 26th, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

More than six months after the two teams last met, the Cavaliers and Warriors essentially recreated Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, with Kyrie Irving the game-winning shot to give Cleveland a dramatic victory over Golden State. The two teams look a little different now – both short a few role players, though the Warriors have added one notable star in Kevin Durant – but the result in the first 2016/17 rematch between the two finalists was the same as it was in June.

Although there has been some grumbling among NBA fans and observers about the apparent inevitability of another Cavaliers/Warriors matchup in the 2017 NBA Finals, the Christmas Day game served as an excellent reminder that a rematch between the two things would certainly be entertaining, if not surprising. There’s no guarantee that one of the two powerhouses won’t get knocked off along the way, but for now the 23-6 Cavs and the 27-5 Warriors sit atop their respective conferences, and look like the odds-on favorites to vie for a championship.

So, in the wake of Sunday’s result, today’s poll question is a simple one. If the Cavs and Warriors meet again in the Finals, who do you like? Health could play a big part in the outcome, and each team could have a midseason transaction or two up its sleeve, but for now, let’s assume that both teams remain relatively healthy and intact, with Cleveland getting J.R. Smith back for the playoffs.

What do you think?

If the Cavs and Warriors meet again in the Finals, who wins?

Cleveland Cavaliers 55.71% (932 votes)

Golden State Warriors 44.29% (741 votes)

Total Votes: 1,673

App users, click here to vote.

Cavs Open To Adding Salary Using TPE

December 26th, 2016 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers’ dwindling depth wasn’t a problem on Christmas Day against the Warriors, but with Chris Andersen out for the season, J.R. Smith sidelined for three months, and retired guard Mo Williams taking up a roster, spot, the Cavs will keep an eye out for opportunities to fortify their roster before this year’s trade deadline.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Cleveland is willing to use its $9.6MM+ trade exception to take on additional salary, as long as it’s in a deal for “the right player,” one could help the team win another championship. The TPE, one of four held by the Cavs, is the only substantial one — the others range in value from about $845K to $1.333MM.

Trade exceptions, which expire one year after they’re created, allow a team to acquire a player without having to match salaries in a deal. So Cleveland has until February 18 – one year after the $9.639MM exception was created – to use it on a player, or multiple players, earning up to that amount.

As Zillgitt writes, a backup point guard, a perimeter player who can generate offense, and a perimeter defender are among the items on the Cavs’ potential shopping list. If a player meets more than one of those criteria, he’d certainly draw interest from Cleveland. However, if the team has to pick just one, it would likely be a perimeter defender, according to Zillgitt, who points out that a point guard and offensive perimeter player won’t be as crucial by the time the postseason arrives.

Although it’s no surprise that the Cavaliers are open to upgrading their roster, the club will be very wary about the cost of any deal. Currently, the team is so far over the cap that any additional salary added to its books for 2016/17 will result in a tax charge of at least $3.25 per dollar. So even if the Cavs were to acquire a player with a modest salary, such an addition would increase their tax bill exponentially.

Kerr: Cavaliers Miss Dellavedova

December 25th, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes the loss of backup guard Matthew Dellavedova has been the biggest change in the defending champion Cavaliers, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Dellavedova was involved in a sign-and-trade deal with the Bucks this summer after agreeing to a four-year, $38MM contract with Milwaukee. Cleveland has yet to find a dependable reserve point guard to play behind Kyrie Irving. “Dellavedova’s absence jumps out,” Kerr said. “I think he’s been a big part of their team in the last couple years, so it’s a different look.”

Community Shootaround: Cleveland Cavaliers

December 23rd, 2016 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Several NBA teams have been hit hard by injuries or personal absences so far this season, but for the most part, teams have been plagued by short-term injuries, with players sidelined for days or weeks at a time. In Cleveland, the Cavaliers are now faced with multiple long-term absences, creating questions about whether the team needs to make a roster move or two to add depth.

The Cavs started the season essentially short one roster spot, since retired – and injured – guard Mo Williams was taking up one of those 15 openings. The team has been unable to negotiate a buyout agreement with Williams, and has kept him on the roster in the hopes of either recouping some of his salary or including him in a trade to balance contracts.

While Cleveland could easily get by with 14 healthy players, the team has lost a couple more recently, with Chris Andersen suffering a torn ACL that will sideline him for the rest of the season, and J.R. Smith undergoing thumb surgery that will keep him out of action for about three months.

The Cavaliers don’t currently qualify for a disabled player exception or hardship exception, and if they want to add a player to their roster, they’ll have to trade or waive someone. Andersen and Williams are obviously the two most likely candidates to be cut, but Cleveland will be reluctant to simply waive any guaranteed contracts. The team is already well into luxury tax territory, with a projected tax bill exceeding $30MM. Adding more team salary to the books, either via free agency or trade, will cause that tax bill to continue to grow.

The Cavs have a handful of trade exceptions at their disposal, including one worth more than $9.6MM, but the team doesn’t have a ton of trade assets available. Iman Shumpert is perhaps the most logical trade chip on the team’s roster, but his value isn’t believed to be overly high. And the best draft pick Cleveland could offer is its 2020 first-rounder. Even if the Cavs could find a trade partner that just wants to dump salary, such a deal would come at a high tax cost for Cleveland.

There’s no pressure on the Cavs to make a move immediately. GM David Griffin has said he’ll take his time to assess and adjust the roster as needed. Still, the Cavs’ roster depth is looking increasingly vulnerable, and it may mean leaning more heavily on LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love than the club wants to. So far, LeBron is averaging 37.1 minutes per game, his highest mark since he rejoined the franchise in 2014.

What do you think? Do the Cavaliers need to make a move to bolster their roster and improve their depth? Or can they afford to be patient and wait for better opportunities to materialize later in the season? If the Cavs do make a move, what sort of player should they target? Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Vardon On Tyson Chandler, Mo Williams, More

December 23rd, 2016 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest mailbag, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com discusses the timing of Mo Williams‘ retirement decision and addresses whether or not Tyson Chandler might be a trade target for the Cavaliers — Vardon is skeptical.

Cavaliers Expect J.R. Smith To Miss 12-14 Weeks

December 23rd, 2016 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

J.R. Smith officially underwent surgery to repair a right thumb fracture on Friday morning, according to a press release issued by the Cavaliers. Within the announcement, the team notes that Smith’s timeline to return to the court is currently projected at 12 to 14 weeks.

We already knew that Smith would require surgery on his injured thumb, and that he would miss an extended period while he recovered from that procedure, but three months is a long time for the Cavs to be without one of their top outside shooters. If Smith were to return 12 weeks from today, he would be back for the final 15 games of Cleveland’s season, having missed more than half of the 2016/17 campaign.

The Cavaliers’ 15-man roster already includes one player who has retired (Mo Williams) and one player who is out for the season (Chris Andersen), so they’ll essentially have three “dead” roster spots during Smith’s absence, with only 12 healthy players at their disposal. The Cavs won’t be eligible for a hardship exception to add a 16th player to its roster, since approval for that exception requires a team to have at least four players sidelined with injuries.

The Cavs will also have limited flexibility to turn over those roster spots belonging to players like Williams and Anderson, given how far their team salary is into tax territory — waiving someone and signing a replacement would be much more expensive than usual due to the escalating tax penalties. That projected tax bill may also make Cleveland wary of using its trade exceptions to acquire players and increase team salary, though the club does have four TPEs, including one worth more than $9.6MM.

Smith, who signed a lucrative new four-year contract with the Cavaliers this fall, had gotten off to a slow start in 2016/17. The 31-year-old has seen his scoring average dip to just 8.6 PPG, and his .337 FG% is easily a career worst, though he’s still making 36.2% of his three-pointers.

Cavs In No Rush To Replace Smith; Liggins Likely To Start

December 21st, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith may not have thumb surgery until after Christmas, reports Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The team is still deciding which doctor will perform the operation, and no timetable for a return will be set until the procedure is complete. The Cavs are taking a patient approach to Smith’s status and about finding a replacement, as coach Tyronn Lue instructed GM David Griffin to “take his time” in adjusting the roster. “We want to make sure that we have the right piece that we bring in here that could help us win a championship,” Lue said. “That’s our goal. I mean, with Griff at the helm I know he’ll get something done. He always pulls out something magical, so let him to his thing and I just gotta to continue to coach the team with what I’ve got.” Even with the injury to Smith, the team’s first priority is finding an experienced point guard to back up Kyrie Irving.