Mavericks Notes: Carlisle, Starters, Mbenga, D-Will
The Mavericks are one of a handful of teams that get to open training camp early today, since they're headed overseas for part of the preseason. It brings to a close an offseason that was all about Plan B after they were spurned by Deron Williams. GM Donnie Nelson instead went about acquiring players on short-term deals that will allow the team to go after marquee free agents again in the future. The team took a step back last year after winning the championship in 2011, but not everyone believes that will be the case again this season.
- The additions of O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand might not be splashy, but coach Rick Carlisle thinks they're still enough to allow Dallas to compete for another championship, as Jan Hubbard of SheridanHoops.com writes. Carlisle notes that the Mavs were an underdog when they won the title in 2011, and draws parallels to wild card teams going on playoff runs in other sports. Whether there's any truth to that, or it's just a coach's motivational ploy, remains to be seen.
- Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that "by all accounts," newcomers Collison, Mayo and Kaman will join Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion in the starting lineup. Price also says Elton Brand, Dahntay Jones and D.J. Mbenga could also find a way into the rotation. In Mbenga's case, that's a bit surprising, considering he has a non-guaranteed deal and the team would have to let go of a guaranteed contract to keep him for the regular season.
- Marion isn't bitter that Williams isn't coming to Dallas, and believes his Nets will challenge the Heat atop the Eastern Conference this year, as Price notes. "It is what it is and I wish him the best," Marion said of his would-be teammate. "They’ve got a hell of a team this year in Brooklyn."
Mavericks Links: Media Day, Dirk, Brand, Nash
As we saw yesterday, the Mavs look like they're putting the finishing touches on their training camp roster, adding Josh Akognon, D.J. Mbenga and Tu Holloway to what look to be non-guaranteed deals. The team, coming off a dissapointing offseason, held their media day on Friday. Here are some of the links that have come across the wire since:
- Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram has some additional quotes from Rick Carlisle, who thinks that the Mavs have what it takes to win an NBA championship this season. Carlisle references the NFL and MLB as leagues where wild cards routinely win titles, and he likens it to his 2011 title team. It is a tough sell, as those leagues are parity striken unlike the NBA. But Carlisle's optimism should nevertheless be encouraging for the Mavericks faithful.
Earlier updates:
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News provides us with some more content from Rick Carlisle and Elton Brand. With the presence of Nowitzki and Kaman, Brand is excited to, for once, not draw the opposition's best defensive big. Carlisle expects good chemistry to develop between Brand and Kaman.
- Dirk Nowitzki was predictably the most popular quote of the day. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, Nowitzki addressed the loss of former running mates in Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, and was particularly surprised with Kidd's departure. Nowitzki said: “We won the championship together, so they’re like brothers to me. That was tough to see those two guys go somewhere else. It’s going to be weird to see them in different uniforms, for sure.”
- MacMahon adds that Nowitzki said that the Mavs, despite missing out on Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, are still of a "heck of a team" without either of them.
- After missing out on Howard and Williams, the Mavs added Elton Brand, Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and O.J. Mayo. Brand said that group could combine to give Dallas what adding two superstars could have, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Earl Sneed of NBA.com tweets that Brand looks in "insane shape" entering camp.
- Nowitzki also commented on the Lakers compilation of stars, and more specifically on their addition of his good friend and former teammate, Steve Nash, via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. “On paper, they’re really, really good,’’ he said. “You look at their starting lineup, it’s almost an All-Star Game starting lineup. They’re stacked. They’re going to be great. They’re going to be tough to beat if they stay injury free.’’
Mavericks Sign Akognon, Mbenga, Holloway
The Mavericks have officially added three players to their training camp roster, according to a press release from the team. Dallas finalized its deals with Josh Akognon and D.J. Mbenga, which had been previously reported, and also added former Xavier guard Tu Holloway.
Akognon, who graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2009, averaged 23.9 PPG in his senior year, earning Big West Conference Player of the Year honors. Since going undrafted, he has played primarily overseas, including an impressive 2011/12 season with the CBA's DongGuan New Century Leopards. In 37 games for DongGuan, the 26-year-old was a top-five scorer in the league, averaging 28.2 PPG on 51% shooting.
Mbenga, 31, began his NBA career with the Mavericks in 2004, having been signed as a rookie free agent by Dallas. The seven-footer played three seasons in Dallas before spending time with the Warriors, Lakers, and Hornets. Mbenga, who has appeared in 234 career games, last played in the NBA in 2010/11, with New Orleans.
Holloway, 23, was ranked as this year's 68th-best prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford but went undrafted. In his senior year at Xavier, the 6'0" point guard averaged 17.5 PPG and 4.9 APG. Holloway was originally slated to join the Raptors' summer league roster in Las Vegas, but ended up playing for Dallas' squad instead.
All three players figure to be on non-guaranteed deals, bringing the Mavericks' roster to 18 players. We've previously heard that Mbenga has agreed to join Dallas' D-League affiliate if he doesn't earn a spot on the team, while Akognon appears ready to head back to China if he fails to make the regular-season cut.
Western Notes: Rubio, Arthur, Babbitt, Jones
When the Timberwolves signed Kevin Love to a four-year extension, rather than a five-year deal, many assumed the team was saving its five-year franchise-player designation for Ricky Rubio. However, Britt Robson, who recently wrote about T-Wolves owner Glen Taylor for Twin Cities Business, hears from GM David Kahn that Rubio is likely to receive the same four-year offer Love did (Twitter link). Here are a few more links dealing with Western Conference clubs:
- Darrell Arthur, who was re-signed by the Grizzlies this summer, has suffered a leg fracture and won't be ready for training camp, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. It's another bad break for Arthur, who torn his achilles tendon and missed all of last season.
- Luke Babbitt isn't sure whether or not the Trail Blazers will pick up his fourth-year option for 2013/14, but he doesn't intend to let his contract become a distraction, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com writes.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News believes Dominique Jones, who also has a fourth-year option decision pending, could be a breakout candidate for the Mavericks.
- Heading into the season with a newly rebuilt roster and virtually no veteran players, GM Daryl Morey thinks his Rockets will be perhaps the league's most difficult team to forecast. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has the story.
Odds & Ends: Aguilar, Hettsheimeir, Lakers
- Mavericks veteran Dirk Nowitzki is excited about the team's offseason additions and says that anything is possible if the chemistry is right, according to Eddie Sefko of SportsDay DFW.
- Kendrick Perkins doesn't think that he nor any of his Thunder teammates need to personally intervene in order to influence James Harden's contract negotiations, believing that his decision will be affected just by returning to training camp and seeing his "family" again (John Rohde of NewsOK reports).
- HoopsWorld provides their season preview of the Lakers, who enter the 2012-13 season with a collection of superstar talent and championship aspirations. According to Eric Pincus, the Lakers' powerfully talented lineup along with improved depth gives them the opportunity to compete at the highest level. On the flip side, Pincus writes that age is definitely not on their side and wonders if Mike Brown has the personality to lead this team to a championship.
- Brian Geltzeiler of SheridanHoops.com offers his thoughts on hot topics that he's been asked about on Twitter and the radio, namely about his projections for the Bulls this season, the idea that Ray Allen's addition to the Heat makes them unbeatable, and if the new CBA is having its desired effect.
Western Notes: Nowitzki, Mavs, Hayward, Jazz
The Lakers have gotten the majority of the headlines in the Western Conference this summer, but there's been plenty going on elsewhere, especially this weekend. Raja Bell and the Jazz remain in a staredown over his buyout, while former Clippers big man Kenyon Martin, one of the key remaining free agents, continues to hold out for more than the minimum. Here's more from the Western Conference:
- Dirk Nowitzki says his knee feel fine, and despite the Mavs' failure to attract Deron Williams, he's upbeat about the team's roster this year, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. "I think we have a good team again," he said. "I like all the new additions. I think we got younger on the perimeter, more atheltic and that was always our goal."
- Nowitzki singled out three of his new Mavs teammates for praise, saying, "[Chris] Kaman should be the best center offensively that I’ve ever played with in Dallas. [O.J.] Mayo is a big-time shot-maker that can also attack the basket and run some screen-and-rolls. [Darren] Collison is a fast guy who is going to push the pace. He’s great at penetrating and has a floater and creates shots."
- Gordon Hayward says he was glad to see the Jazz bring back Jeremy Evans on a three-year, $5.25MM deal this summer, and embraces the challenge he faces for a starting spot at either wing position, as he tells Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. "You want to start for the team and you want to make sure you're the one out there on the court getting as many minutes as you can," Hayward said. "So, especially in training camp, there's going to be some competition going on. That'll just further benefit all of our games and make us better as a team."
Western Notes: Wolves, Suns, Akognon, Nash
Wolves owner Glen Taylor has had plenty to say of late, and while guaranteeing he'll be majority owner for the next two years to ESPN 1500 radio's Darren Wolfson, the owner also weighed in on the trade market. "Nobody is talking trade right now," Taylor said, adding that action should pick up once preseason begins. That could be interpreted as tough news for Anthony Tolliver, who'd like to return to the Wolves but has been unwilling to do so on the minimum-salary deal he'd have to take unless the team moved another of its contracts. While there hasn't been a trade since the Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster was finalized on August 10th, that certainly hasn't stemmed the flow of news, and we've got more from the West tonight:
- Lon Babby, president of basketball operations for the Suns, said the team "will not do anything dramatic at this point" to the roster in response to Channing Frye's season-ending heart ailment, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic tweets. There's no need for the Suns to seek a disabled player exception since they're more than $8MM below the cap.
- Guard Josh Akognon, who's set to join the Mavericks in training camp, is headed back to China if he doesn't make the regular season roster, reports Christopher Reina of RealGM.com. D.J. Mbenga has already agreed to go to the Mavs D-League affiliate if he's waived, but Akognon apparently wouldn't be joining him. Both are longshots to make the team, since Dallas already has 15 fully guaranteed contracts.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld believes Steve Nash will have a greater impact on the Lakers than any other player changing teams this summer, and that includes new teammate Dwight Howard.
- Danny Green gave the Spurs more than eight times the value of his minimum-salary contract last season, according to advanced metrics compiled by Quixem Ramirez of Air Alamo. As Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News points out, the Spurs had a host of players whose work exceeded their paychecks.
Odds & Ends: Bucks, Wolves, McGee, Cook, Mavs
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checks in with several Bucks who are working out prior to the opening of training camp. Joining the workout are a few hopefuls who are auditioning for a formal invitation to camp, and that group includes Alando Tucker, the 29th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and Orien Greene, a four-year NBA vet who last played with the Nets in 2010/11. It's been a busy night as teams make their final moves before training camp, and we've got several more tidbits here:
- Chase Budinger might be new to Minnesota, but he's no stranger to the Wolves coaching staff, having played under coach Rick Adelman and some of his assistants while they were together with the Rockets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.
- In the same piece, Zgoda adds Anthony Tolliver to the list of players whose agents remain in contact with Wolves GM David Kahn. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 reported earlier that Kahn was talking to the representatives of Hassan Whiteside and Sean Williams.
- Hakeem Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players, but none have spent more time under his tutelage than JaVale McGee, who re-signed with the Nuggets this summer on a four-year, $44MM deal, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com writes (Insider only).
- Brian Cook, who re-signed with the Wizards today, was initially apprehensive about getting sent to Washington from the playoff-bound Clippers in a deadline deal last season, but was quickly sold on the move when he realized his new teammates wanted to win, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post notes.
- Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside looks at Josh Akognon's circuitous journey to Mavericks training camp. The 5'11" point guard is set to join the Mavs, likely on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- Mark Montieth of Pacers.com examines the basketball roots of Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, an Indiana native who played under former Pacers coach Larry Brown in college.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel gives his take on the alliance of Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard, who are supporting the same local political issue in Orlando months after their acrimonious departures from the Magic.
- The company that owns the Staples Center, home of the Lakers and Clippers, is up for sale, as Walter Hamilton of the Los Angeles Times writes.
Southwest Notes: Cunningham, Mayo, Lin, Spurs
Most training camps don't start until October 1st, though a few begin September 29th. Still, many players are getting a jump on the league calendar by organizing workouts with their teammates. We've got news on a few who changed teams this summer and are getting in some extra work for Southwest Division clubs:
- Jared Cunningham, the 24th pick in the draft this June, didn't suit up for the Mavericks in summer league because of a right hamstring injury, and is anxious to get going as he works out with several of his new teammates, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. In a crowded backcourt, Cunningham will compete for playing time at both guard spots, Sefko says.
- Many with the Mavericks, including owner Mark Cuban, have high hopes for O.J. Mayo this year, as Sefko notes in a separate piece. “I think he can be a star and I think O.J. knows that this is his make-or-break, who-am-I-really-going-to-be-in-this-league year," Cuban said."And Coach [Rick Carlisle] is going to give him that opportunity. We’ll see what happens.”
- The Associated Press (via The New York Times) checks in with Jeremy Lin as he settles into Houston for workouts with the Rockets. It's the second straight year Lin has been in Rockets camp, but circumstances are much different this time around.
- John Hollinger of ESPN.com is rolling out his projections and scouting reports for each player in the league, releasing two teams each day. Today, it's the Spurs and the Celtics (Insider only).
Mavericks To Sign Josh Akognon
Former Cal State Fullerton sharpshooter Josh Akognon has accepted an invite from the Mavericks to participate in the team's training camp, according to David Pick of EuroBasket and Sportando (via Twitter). Akognon had signed with Chinese team Liaoning Jiebao Hunters, but will use his out clause to join the Mavs, says Pick.
Akognon, who graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2009, averaged 23.9 PPG in his senior year before going undrafted. He has played primarily overseas since then, including an impressive 2011/12 season with the CBA's DongGuan New Century Leopards. In 37 games for DongGuan, the 26-year-old was a top-five scorer in the league, averaging 28.2 PPG on 51% shooting.
Akognon doesn't seem like a strong bet to make the Mavs' roster, considering the team is believed to have 15 guaranteed rosters on its books already. Another camp invite, D.J. Mbenga, has reportedly agreed to join Dallas' D-League affiliate if he doesn't make the team's NBA roster, so perhaps a similar arrangement could be in the cards for Akognon, who had a brief stint with the D-League's Canton Charge last season.