Odds & Ends: World Peace, Eyenga, MKG
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweeted that Metta World Peace will be suspended for seven games as punishment for elbowing James Harden during Sunday's game in Los Angeles. One interesting thing to note is that the suspension could potentially carry over into the second round of the playoffs depending on if and how the Lakers advance past the first round. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes that Harden remains day-to-day and will continue to undergo evaluation and testing. You can find the rest of this evening’s news here:
- Even with the suspension of World Peace and Matt Barnes ailing from a sprained right ankle, Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times tweeted earlier that Christian Eyenga isn't considered to be an option for the team. Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles delves into the ripple effect of World Peace's suspension as it affects the Lakers, saying that it makes them a vulnerable first-round matchup and that it may have an impact on his future with the team.
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress provides a breakdown of how Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's game could translate onto the NBA level and views him as the type of prospect who will maximize his potential.
- While Dwight Howard is expected to miss the Olympics this summer, his surgeon is optimistic that Howard will be able to return for the 2012-13 season (Ric Bucher of ESPN.com reports).
- Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman had no problem with J.J. Barea's postgame comments after a loss to the Warriors on Sunday (according to an ESPN.com report via the Associated Press). Barea had indirectly called out his teammates, claiming that "there are a lot of guys that don't care."
- Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer writes that Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker are likely making their final farewell to Cleveland fans after the conclusion of Wednesday's game at home against the Wizards.
- The Nuggets' underdog mentality heading into the playoffs isn't a feeling that's anything new to them, says Aaron J. Lopex of Nuggets.com.
- Shaun Powell of NBA.com lists his second-half All-Stars.
Odds & Ends: Evans, Lewis, McGee, Bradley
On this day in 1996, the Bulls defeated the Bullets 103-93 to finish the season with a 72-10 record, which eclipsed the 1972 Lakers‘ 69-13 mark. The W also earned Chicago their 33rd road victory, the most ever in a season by an NBA team. Here’s a look at today’s items from around the Association..
- Tyreke Evans‘ agent, Arn Tellem, was in town yesterday for a meeting with Kings president Geoff Petrie and management about his client, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. The two sides didn’t talk about a contract extension or a potential trade for Evans but did discuss where he stands with the team going forward.
- Wizards forward Rashard Lewis is a likely candidate to be bought out this summer, but the 32-year-old believes that he has plenty of basketball left in him, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- There are still times when JaVale McGee misses Washington, but the big man is happy to be with the Nuggets, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. McGee won’t say much about his impending free agency but says that he wouldn’t mind coming back to Denver.
- Avery Bradley has gone from question mark to future cornerstone for the Celtics’ long-term rebuilding project, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com.
Odds & Ends: Parker, Collison, Magic
In an article by the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins, Stan Van Gundy explained that the injury to Hedo Turkoglu has caused major defensive issues for the Magic that the team should be able to overcome by the playoffs.
- With Darren Collison suffering from a groin injury that could force him to miss the start of the playoffs, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel isn't sure if Collison will get his starting job back once he returns.
- SI.com's Sam Amick writes about Tony Parker, and how his recent play has gone beyond anybody's greatest expectations.
- FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico does his most recent mock draft.
- Alan Anderson and the Raptors could have a relationship that goes beyond this season.
- Deputy commissioner Adam Silver says that despite the success in attendance and ratings the league has seen with its shortened season, the NBA still prefers an 82-game regular season as opposed to this year's 66.
- Despite the Pistons decision to switch their lineups around in a peculiar way, head coach Lawrence Frank says they aren't tanking games on purpose, according to MLive.com's David Mayo.
- Nate Robinson says he'd love to stay with the Warriors next season and beyond (Twitter link), but isn't getting his hopes up. The guard has played for four teams in the past three years.
- Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari has had some rough shooting nights in recent games, but as long as his team wins game, he couldn't care less, according to Nuggets.com's Aaron J. Lopez.
Odds & Ends: George, Chandler, Pistons
Orlando is currently sixth in the East and owns a four game lead over the seventh place Knicks. A New York win against the Nets and an Orlando loss versus the Celtics tonight would reduce the lead to three with four games left to play. For both teams, the stakes involve avoiding a first-round matchup with Miami or Chicago. The Clippers have a chance at the third seed in the West with a win against Denver and a Lakers loss to Golden State. Those are just a few of the many storylines to follow as the NBA inches closer to its conclusion within the next week and a half. With that aside, here's the latest news from the world of basketball:
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that the Pacers' Paul George has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the same organization that represents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul to name a few (Sulia link).
- Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is expected to miss the rest of the season, says Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Chandler had tried to play through pain on Sunday, but decided after the game that it would be best to shut himself down for the rest of the season.
- Don't expect to see the Pistons participating in the annual Las Vegas Summer League this year, as coach Lawrence Frank has opted to send his team to Orlando Magic Summer League instead (David Mayo of MLive reports). Frank cites the organizational structure and condensed schedule as the deciding factors.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Jazz guard Blake Ahearn hopes to earn a second contract with the team and finish the rest of the season, as his initial contract is set to expire today. GM Kevin O'Connor says that he won't make a decision until after tonight's game against Portland.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly chat with fans tonight. A few thought provoking points included his assessment of Harrison Barnes as a player who won't be a franchise changer for a lottery team, the possibility that Austin Rivers slips in the draft, and Kendall Marshall as a player who belongs in the 16-20 pick range, among other topics.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune examines the emergence of Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10 sharpshooting forward for Real Madrid whose draft rights are currently owned by the Bulls. Johnson also writes that Mirotic could have a legitimate shot to make the Spanish team for this year's Olympics.
- Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports that the Louisiana State of Exposition District board of commissioners has approved a long-term lease extension for the Hornets through 2024.
- Billy Witz of Fox Sports takes a closer look at Jerry Colangelo's criteria for assembling Team USA amidst a season of injuries and uncertainty for a number of players who are in his selection pool. Colangelo doesn't appear fazed, implying that the pool is deep enough to counter the potential unavailability of some of his choices for summer.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Randolph, Kings, Irving
Earlier this evening, an ESPN report (via the Associated Press) indicated that Stan Van Gundy is prepared to handle the rest of the season and playoffs without Dwight Howard. To make matter worse, forward Glen Davis hyper-extended his right knee today during the first quarter against the Cavaliers and did not return for the rest of the game. Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweeted that Davis is unsure about when he'll be able to play again this year, which currently leaves Daniel Orton as the only true big man on the Magic roster. It should be noted that if the Magic decide to find replacements for their big man rotation through free agency, the only playoff-eligible players at this point are those who have not already played in an NBA game this year. You can find tonight's other significant stories here:
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that the determining factor in Anthony Randolph's future with the Timberwolves will significantly hinge on his ability to remain consistent as the team finishes out the year. Randolph is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and even with his brilliant performance over the last three games, coach Rick Adelman feels that the jury is still out on whether he can be counted on for a full season.
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that a Sacramento group including mayor Kevin Johnson is hinting at proposing new ownership for the Kings. The Maloof brothers had recently pulled out of a deal to finance a new arena with the city, much to the chagrin of the city members who are working hard to keep the team in Sacramento.
- Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott will proceed with caution with regards to the health of Kyrie Irving, says Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Irving is recovering from a sprained right shoulder, and Scott would rather have him focused on being ready for off-season workouts than returning for the team's final weeks.
- Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated examines the role of Chris Bosh as the key to Miami's playoff success.
- Raymond Felton has likely seen his last minutes of the season with the Trail Blazers, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Interim GM Chad Buchanan said that he and Felton agreed that this would be an opportune time to properly evaluate their other young guards, namely Nolan Smith and Jonny Flynn. Haynes also wrote another article in which he asked Kings GM Geoff Petrie about being linked to the Blazers vacant GM position, to which Petrie replied: “That's something I can't really comment on. I have a job.”
- Ten things you need to know about Derrick Favors, according to Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post spoke with coach George Karl to reflect on how he has handled coaching while prioritizing his life during this season.
Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Hickson, Andersen
We already rounded up the latest on the Trail Blazers today, but the afternoon brought a couple more updates out of Portland, so let's get to those, along with a pair of Nuggets links….
- LaMarcus Aldridge will undergo hip surgery and miss the rest of the season, the Blazers announced (via Twitter). The procedure puts Aldridge's Olympic availability in doubt, though he hopes to recover in time to compete for a spot on Team USA, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (Twitter link).
- J.J. Hickson would like to remain in Portland past this season, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The Blazers have yet to make a decision on Hickson, acting GM Chad Buchanan tells Haynes: "We still want to evaluate J.J. in these next seven games. We're excited to have him and he's playing some great ball for us. We have time before making a decision."
- Within a Nuggets mailbag, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post says it's definitely possible that Denver uses its amnesty clause on Chris Andersen next season.
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post thinks the Nuggets would be better served missing the playoffs and drafting in the lottery than qualifying for a likely first-round exit.
Odds & Ends: Williams, Miller, Gordon, D-League
Wednesday afternoon links from around the Association:
- Terrence Williams reiterated a desire to re-sign with the Kings this offseason, telling Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld that coach Keith Smart is a major reason he's interested in staying in Sacramento.
- According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, Andre Miller has yet to give any serious thought to retirement: "I want to keep playing until my legs don’t work anymore," said the Nuggets point guard.
- Eric Gordon won't be the cornerstone of the Hornets' rebuilding efforts, but he'll be a key building block, writes Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com lists the best executives available for teams searching for new management this summer.
- Justin Dentmon (MVP) and Greg Smith (Rookie of the Year) highlight Scott Schroeder's picks for the D-League's award winners at Ridiculous Upside. Both players are currently on NBA rosters — Dentmon with the Raptors, and Smith with the Rockets.
Kyler’s Latest: Williams, Nash, Nelson, Hibbert
Within his preview of a few of the summer's top free agents, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shares some rumors on the potential landing spots for those players. Let's check out the highlights….
- The Deron Williams sweepstakes are the Nets' to lose. If the team can't surround Williams with satisfactory talent, expect the point guard to sign elsewhere.
- Kyler hears the Suns have "put the idea of a two-year, $20MM offer on the table" for Steve Nash. Nash is said to be seeking a three-year deal, and if Phoenix were to add an extra year, it would almost certainly be the best offer the veteran would receive. Still, Kyler points out that Nash has earned well over $100MM in his NBA career, so he won't necessarily just take the highest salary.
- Jameer Nelson has yet to decide on his player option for next season. While he's very unlikely to find a higher salary for 2012/13 on the open market, Nelson could potentially land a larger guarantee over multiple years. Declining the option would also give him more agency in determining where he plays, since he'd be a trade candidate with the Magic.
- The Nets' Gerald Wallace is also undecided on his 2012/13 player option, though opting in seems more likely at this point.
- It's very unlikely that another team poaches restricted free agent Roy Hibbert from the Pacers.
- The Nuggets will probably match any offer for JaVale McGee of $7MM or less annually, but it's unclear whether they'd go much higher than that.
Assessing Marquee Free Agents Who Re-Signed
A while back we looked at some of the biggest names to switch teams in free agency this past offseason. Now, let's take a look at some of the top free agents from the class of 2011 who wound up back with their teams and see how the deals have paid off so far:
- Marc Gasol signed a four-year, $57.5MM offer sheet with the Rockets, but the Grizzlies matched it even though it meant they'd be well over the cap and flirting with luxury tax territory this year. So far it looks like it was worth it, as he's averaging career highs in virtually every relevant statistical category and made his first All-Star Game this year. The 27-year-old's improvement helped mitigate the absence of fellow post player Zach Randolph for much of the season. The only negative has been his 48.8% shooting from the floor, which barring improvement will represent his first season shooting below 50%. Still, the struggles of Nene Hilario and DeAndre Jordan, the market's other top centers this past offseason, make Gasol's deal look smart.
- The Nuggets did an about-face on Nene Hilario's signing so quickly that team president Josh Kroenke had to deny they weren't looking to get rid of him all along. Nene missed most of training camp as he and the team hammered out a five-year, $65MM deal. That missed time, coupled with injuries, helps explain a dip in scoring and a jump in turnovers in his play for Denver this year. Since his trade to the Wizards, he's shown signs of breaking out of the funk, averaging 14.8 PPG and 9.3 RPG. Though the numbers are from a tiny sample size of six games, they would be career highs if extended out over an entire season.
- The Warriors had to have thought they were sure to have DeAndre Jordan this season when he inked a four-year, $43.04MM offer sheet with the team in December. Clippers GM Neil Olshey swallowed hard and matched the offer, however, locking up the 23-year-old long-term despite more promise than production in three previous seasons. His averages in points (7.7), rebounds (8.4) and blocks (2.2) are up, but that's largely been the result of increased minutes, as his per-36-minute numbers are mostly consistent with where they've been throughout his career. His PER, though, is at 17.2, well above the 14.8 PER he posted last year, so his progress seems to be a matter of which stats you trust. The question of whether the Clippers can trust Jordan to deliver on his contract, however, is yet to be resolved.
- Tayshaun Prince might have fit in well with a contending team looking to add a veteran with championship experience. Instead, he re-signed with the Pistons for four years and $28MM. He's responded with 12.8 PPG, his worst scoring average in eight years, even though he's taking a career-high 13 shots a game. His PER of 12.6 suggests he's having his worst season since his rookie year, when he was only on the floor for 10 minutes a night. The only consolation for GM Joe Dumars on this one is he's making less per season than Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, his much-maligned signings from the summer of 2010, as well as Rodney Stuckey, who's become a more efficient scorer after inking a three-year, $25.5MM deal before the season.
- Compounding the misery for Dumars is the play of former Pistons draftee Arron Afflalo, whose points per game number is up for the fourth straight season after re-signing with the Nuggets for $36.75MM for five years. He's been a fixture in the starting lineup for Denver ever since coming over from Detroit three years ago for the bargain price of just a second-round pick, and Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri was willing to pay a premium to keep Afflalo even though he's not a top-tier shooting guard. His 14.2 PPG this year reflects the increased offensive load he's been carrying as the team deals with a multitude of injuries and another shakeup at the trade deadline. His steady improvement and willingness to commit to the team long-term may prove worth the price.
Stein On Wilson Chandler, Coaching Rumors
In his latest Weekend Dime, ESPN.com's Marc Stein says that Wilson Chandler's long-term deal with the Nuggets isn't worth quite as much as had been previously reported. According to Stein, the contract is for $31.7MM in total, starting at $5.5MM this season and topping out at $7.2MM in 2015/16. Only $2MM of that final season is guaranteed, Stein adds.
The rest of Stein's rumors this week revolve around coaching positions, so let's dive in….
- The Bulls hold a team option on Tom Thibodeau for next season, but the Chicago coach is "dismayed" that he hasn't been offered a lucrative contract extension, according to Stein. Stein hears that Thibodeau's displeasure with his contract situation is an "open secret in team circles."
- Mike Woodson is increasingly hopeful of keeping the Knicks coaching job, though if Phil Jackson expressed interest in the position, rival teams assume James Dolan would do whatever it takes to sign the Zen Master.
- The Clippers may be in the market for a new coach this summer, ideally one who could convince Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to remain in Los Angeles long-term.
- If Stan Van Gundy were to be replaced as the Magic coach, Nate McMillan appears to be the top candidate, says Stein.
- Stein spoke to "[John] Calipari experts," who suggested the Wildcats coach may not be inclined to give up his power and prestige at Kentucky to coach in the NBA.