Eastern Notes: Grant, Stokes, Jennings
Despite the struggles of Knicks rookie Jerian Grant, the lack of production the Hawks have received from Tim Hardaway Jr. this season makes New York’s draft day acquisition of Grant still appear to be a win for the franchise, Zach Braziller of The New York Post writes. Knicks coach Derek Fisher has praised Grant’s maturity level and work ethic, and he believes the young guard has quite a bit of potential, Braziller adds. “I’ve liked his overall demeanor and composure,” Fisher said. “We loved that about him when we did our due diligence on what type of person he is and his makeup. Not a lot really bothers him. So far, he’s shown the ability to make plays for himself and other people. He really does get a lot of people into the game. He helps us keep our pace up a little bit higher. Defensively, he’s been good. I think he can make a jump there.”
Here’s more from the East:
- There is much riding on the play of Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings, who is working his way back from an Achilles injury, for both the player and the team, writes Terry Foster of The Detroit News. If Jennings can prove he is still capable of being a strong contributor, it will set him up for a larger potential payday in free agency this offseason, according to Foster. Detroit would benefit as well, as a solid comeback from Jennings would serve to boost his trade value in advance of the February deadline if the team decides to deal him, Foster notes.
- The Heat assigned power forward Jarnell Stokes to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will mark Stokes’ third trek to Sioux Falls on the season. He is averaging 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.0 minutes of action per contest for the Skyforce thus far.
Eastern Notes: Johnson, Sixers, D-League
The Pistons are pleased with what 2015 lottery pick Stanley Johnson has shown them thus far, but they admit that the rookie still has much to learn before he can be an impact player in the NBA, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “It’s still up and down but we’ve seen good potential,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said regarding Johnson. “He’s a guy who’s on the attack, he plays the game hard; he certainly shows no fear. He’s got a lot of developing to do; he has a lot to learn on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, his decision-making is going to have to improve — when to shoot and when to pass — and he needs a lot of work on his footwork.”
Here’s the latest from the NBA’s Eastern Conference:
- The players on the Sixers support the team’s push to add veteran leadership to the locker room, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I think that will be good for us to have any type of veterans,” Nerlens Noel said. “I think [GM] Sam [Hinkie] is looking into that a little more. … You know Chuck Hayes is a big man and I think it’s going to help us.” Philadelphia reportedly met with Hayes and John Lucas III recently, though coach Brett Brown noted that the team is considering multiple players and no move is currently imminent, Pompey adds.”We are looking at a lot of things. To say that they [Hayes and Lucas] will join the team at this stage is not true,” Brown told Pompey.
- Jarell Eddie, who was recently signed by the Wizards, was surprised to have gotten the call from Washington, though he always believed he would make his way back to the NBA at some point, J. Michael of CSNMid-Atlantic.com relays. “I never doubted,” Eddie said of returning to the NBA. “I knew it was a process and the timing had to be right. I just continue to work, continue to do what I do. I knew eventually someone would call.“
- The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo and Norman Powell from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was Caboclo’s fifth stint with the Raptors 905 on the season and Powell’s second.
Bulls Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Hinrich
Jimmy Butler‘s recent criticism of Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg‘s laid back demeanor has rankled Derrick Rose‘s camp, but the swingman has the full support of veteran big man Pau Gasol, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times writes. “I don’t mind those comments,’’ Gasol said, when asked about Butler declaring himself the team’s leader this season. “I think those comments are positive. Those comments and attitudes don’t raise my eyebrows. I think it’s good certain guys want to take ownership and say, ‘Hey let’s go.’”
“There was some positives and some negatives to that situation,’’ Gasol said of Butler’s public statements regarding the team. “It’s a good thing to say, at some point, enough is enough, something’s got to happen, something’s got to change, and you’ve got to say something and stir the pot a little bit. But some things also need to stay directed indoors and not be exposed outside.’’
Here’s more from out of the Windy City:
- The Bulls are committed to Hoiberg, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at one-hour, one-minute mark), and Wojnarowski suggests that if Hoiberg doesn’t pan out, it jeopardizes the jobs of executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson and GM Gar Forman.
- Point guard Kirk Hinrich has been a calming influence for the Bulls and one of the few constants for the franchise the last few seasons, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes in his profile of the player. “He’s been a warrior for the franchise,” small forward Doug McDermott said of Hinrich. “He’s been a really good player and put it all out on the floor. He deserves a lot of credit.”
- While he remains an elite passer at the center position, Joakim Noah‘s broken shot mechanics and resulting lack of confidence in his offensive game have made him a liability on the court, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes.
Central Notes: Hoiberg, Cousins, Jackson
The decision to move from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg in the offseason wasn’t about ginning up the offense, Bulls GM Gar Forman said to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, who heard from team sources who say several prominent Bulls players have asked Hoiberg to reinstall elements of the offense Thibodeau ran.
“Fred put in a lot of ball movement, but we have a lot of guys who hold the ball a lot,” Joakim Noah said to Lowe.
Chicago would have had Warriors leading assist-maker Draymond Green had Thibodeau and his staff gotten their way in the 2012 draft, coaches have said to Lowe, but instead they wound up drafting Marquis Teague at No. 29, allowing Green to slip to the Warriors at No. 35. Chicago has an otherwise strong track record at the end of the first round of late, with 2011 30th pick Jimmy Butler the clearest example, Lowe notes. See more from Chicago:
- The Bulls deny that they’re interested in DeMarcus Cousins, Lowe writes in the same piece.
- Andre Drummond played a key role in helping Reggie Jackson feel comfortable in Detroit following the trade that brought in the point guard last season, as James Herbert of CBSSports.com notes amid a feature on Jackson, who re-signed with the Pistons in the offseason. “We had dinners after games,” Jackson said. “It became that. Then it became we played video games, trash talk a little bit about who’s winning here, who’s winning there. Just hanging out all the time. I forgot I had an apartment of my own, I had my own condo — I just basically was at Dre’s all the time. We had practice together and then we would go play the game together, eat together, just hang out. We’d be up all night, end up just talking the game, trying to figure out what we have to do to get better and to try to figure out how to be a dominant force in this league.”
- The signing of Mo Williams threatened to cut Matthew Dellavedova out of playing time at point guard, but he wrested the interim starting job from Williams during Kyrie Irving‘s absence and continues to play a key role now that Irving is back, observes Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Dellavedova, who re-signed with the Cavaliers for the value of his qualifying offer this summer, is again set for restricted free agency in the offseason ahead.
The Josh Smith Waiver: One Year Later
The Pistons stunned the NBA a year ago today when they waived Josh Smith less than a year and a half after signing him to a four-year, $54MM contract. It wasn’t altogether surprising in a basketball sense, as Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond represented an antiquated jumbo frontcourt that ran counter to the league’s prevailing small-ball philosophy, but no one would have guessed the team would have taken such a measure because of the amount of money owed to Smith. The stretch provision helps ease that burden, or at least makes it more manageable on a year-to-year basis, but it also means the Pistons will be paying Smith through the year 2020.
We’re looking back at Smith’s release one year after it happened to see how it affected the Pistons, Smith, and the leaguewide use of the stretch provision:
The effect on the Pistons:
Stan Van Gundy, little more than seven months into his first job as an NBA front office executive, pulled off a remarkably bold maneuver, and the results have proven it a wise move. It didn’t take too long for many to anoint Van Gundy a genius as the Pistons, 5-23 when they released Smith, immediately ripped off seven straight wins. They won 12 of their first 15 games after the move, but Brandon Jennings suffered a torn Achilles tendon in their next outing, and they went only 15-24 the rest of the way. The Jennings injury goaded the Pistons into trading for Reggie Jackson, though the merits of that deal, and the subsequent five-year, $80MM free agent contract the Pistons bestowed upon him this past summer, are only indirectly related to Smith.
The Smith move, and specifically the use of the stretch provision to spread his salary, had a much more attributable effect on the team’s trades for Ersan Ilyasova and Marcus Morris and signing of Aron Baynes. Each of those acquisitions required a sizable chunk of cap space, aided by the extra $8.1MM in flexibility the absence of Smith afforded them. Morris, a former lottery pick, is averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists in his first season as a full-time starter. Ilyasova is the starting power forward and nailing an un-Smith-like 37.3% of his 3-point attempts. Baynes is the backup center and has helped offset the loss of Monroe. Jettisoning Smith didn’t keep Monroe from bolting Detroit in free agency this past summer, but it became apparent last season that almost nothing could. The departures of Smith and Monroe allow the Pistons to embody Van Gundy’s four-out, one-in philosophy, and the team’s 16-12 start represents its best 28-game record since the 2008/09 season, which is also the last time Detroit made the playoffs.
The effect on Josh Smith:
No one was going to claim Smith’s outsized contract off waivers, but once he cleared, he already had a destination lined up, having chosen to sign with former AAU teammate Dwight Howard and the Rockets for the full value of the $2.077MM biannual exception, an amount only marginally above the minimum salary. Of course, Smith didn’t have much choice, since most teams don’t carry cap space into the season, and the money only went on top of what the Pistons still owed him, minus a small amount Detroit recouped via set-off rights. Smith accepted a backup role in Houston, where the Rockets decided to use him mostly at power forward and occasionally as a small-ball center, rather than shoehorn him into small forward, where the Pistons often played him and where he no longer fits in the modern game. He shot more 3-pointers per contest in Houston’s perimeter-oriented offense, but he made a respectable 33.0% of them in the regular season and a proficient 38.0% in the playoffs. It all appeared to click as Smith and the Rockets made it to the Western Conference Finals, and they reportedly had mutual interest in a new deal.
However, the Rockets decided to stay above the cap this past summer, sharply limiting their financial flexibility with Smith, on whom they had only Non-Bird rights. That left them without much ammo to hold off the Clippers, whom Smith found attractive enough to sign with for only the minimum salary. He drew ridicule for overstating the gravity of the monetary sacrifice, but it was nonetheless a deal below market value and one that cost the Pistons a greater return on their continuing obligation to him via set off. In any case, the move hasn’t paid off for either Smith or the Clippers, as he’s averaging career lows in points and minutes per game and has regressed to 31.5% 3-point shooting. The team reportedly gauged the interest that other clubs have in trading for him, though coach/executive Doc Rivers denied doing so. It’s getting worse, though. The 6’9″ Smith, whom the Clippers are using primarily as the backup to DeAndre Jordan at center, took a DNP-CD on Monday, and Rivers indicated that he’ll keep Cole Aldrich as the backup center instead of Smith going forward, as Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times notes (All Twitter links).
The effect on the stretch provision:
The conventional wisdom would hold that given the revival of the Pistons and the struggles of Smith, more teams would see fit to use the stretch provision, even if they don’t use it in such drastic circumstances. That remains to be seen going forward, but in the year since the Smith waiver, teams have appeared more hesitant to use the stretch provision, at least as measured by the activity around August 31st, a key deadline. That’s the last day that salary for the upcoming season may be spread out. The fact that the Pistons waived Smith after August 31st last year is why his full salary — minus the set off amount — counted against the cap last season. Teams used the stretch provision on four players at the end of August 2014, but it didn’t come into play at all as the deadline approached in August 2015. Still, it’s conceivable that Detroit’s use of the stretch provision inspired the Bucks to do the same with the money they still owed Larry Sanders, who gave up $21,935,296 of his $44MM extension in a February buyout. The length of Sanders’ deal was such that the Bucks were able to cut their obligation to him into $1,865,546 segments they’re set to pay each year for seven years after giving him $9,005,882 last season.
Central Notes: West, Jennings, Horford
David West felt that staying with the Pacers would have been a risky move because of his desire to get a championship ring, he told Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star during a Q&A session. The veteran power forward shocked the basketball world by declining his $12.6MM player option with the Pacers to sign for approximately $1.5MM with the Spurs during the offseason. But West couldn’t bear the thought of sitting out another postseason. “It really came down to watching the playoffs for the first time in how many years, not being in the playoffs and then ultimately watching the Finals and just saying: ‘[Forget] it, man. You can’t roll the dice next year.’ Because that’s what I felt I would be doing,” West told Buckner. “People were telling me: ‘Opt in and then demand a trade!’ That’s just not me. I’ve never been motivated by money.”
In other news around the Central Division:
- Brandon Jennings will not jump into the Pistons’ rotation during their two-game road trip prior to Christmas, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. Jennings still hasn’t regained all of his lateral mobility, despite playing 27 minutes for the team’s D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids on Saturday night. “I think more on the defensive end, I’m still having trouble right now pushing off, trying to get through screens, which is still expected,” Jennings told Langlois. “So my lateral movement is something I have to work on.” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told Langlois that Steve Blake would remain the backup point guard for time being.
- Pistons center Andre Drummond is averaging 18.2 points and a league-high 16.4 rebounds and Celtics coach Brad Stevens expects Drummond to play in his first All-Star game this season. “He’s an All-Star right now, for sure,” Stevens said last week to the media, including Hoops Rumors. “Eighteen-16 is no joke and he’s doing it against the best of the best. Every time the ball hits the rim, you’re fearful he’s going to get it. And his rim runs draw so much attention off of pick-and-rolls that their shooters get more open looks.”
- The Cavaliers’ D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, has acquired power forward Jon Horford off waivers, Adam Johnson of the D-League Digest tweets. Horford, the 24-year-old younger brother of Al Horford, signed with the Bucks prior to training camp but was waived in early October.
Central Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Pistons, Love
Jimmy Butler and Fred Hoiberg met Sunday, a day after Butler made sharply critical comments about the coach, and they had what a source who spoke with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune called a “good talk.” Bulls management likes the work it’s seen from both of them, and with both in the first year of respective five-year deals, neither is going anywhere, Johnson posits. Still, some around the Bulls are dismayed about what they perceive as Butler’s selfishness and perplexed about why he’s reluctant to embrace Hoiberg’s offense, Johnson hears. The former 30th overall pick often warms up on his own, which rubs others the wrong way and prompted Joakim Noah to have a talk with him, a source said to Johnson. Butler’s sympathizers contend that he’s just frustrated that there aren’t many who work as hard as he does, Johnson adds. See more on Butler amid the latest from the Central Division:
- Butler is simply embracing the gritty attitude most would want out of a superstar, argues Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com, who points out that the swingman hasn’t said Hoiberg can’t coach or that the team made a mistake with his hiring.
- Any trade proposal to the Pistons would have to represent a marked upgrade in terms of talent for the team to bite, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy cautioned, as Aaron McCann of MLive.com notes. “I like the chemistry and character of our group,” Van Gundy said. “We won’t make lateral moves or marginal moves because continuity is important.”
- Kyrie Irving‘s return from injury Sunday challenges the Cavs to keep Kevin Love engaged in the offense to the degree that he has been so far this season, observes Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Love felt confident as he re-signed with the team this summer that his second season in Cleveland would be better than his first, when he appeared an afterthought at times next to Irving and LeBron James.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Pistons, Sixers
Paul George, viewed by many as the leader of the Pacers, misses having a veteran teammate like David West around, of the Indianapolis Star writes. West signed with the Spurs after he turned down a $12.6MM player option with the Pacers.
“I called him Uncle West,” George told Buckner, “just [his] knowledge of the game and the conversations we would have away from the game. For me being 21, 22 years old, that was stuff that stuck with me and has helped me with this unit having younger guys. A lot of stuff that I’m going through now … I was able to vent to David about. About officiating, about play calls, what’s going on out in the court. That was my person I vented to and he was the one who set me straight.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- After a successful rehab game in the D-League, point guard Brandon Jennings believes he has to earn a spot in the Pistons‘ rotation with backup point guard Steve Blake playing well, David Mayo of MLive.com details. Hoops Rumors’ Dana Gauruder recently profiled Jennings as a trade candidate because Jennings has an expiring contract at $8,344,497. “If I’ve got to earn my second spot, then let’s practice for it. Let’s go play for a spot. I’m with it. I’m up for it,” Jennings said.
- Reserve point guard Tony Wroten supports the Sixers‘ recent string of moves, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. To recap, the Sixers hired Mike D’Antoni as an associate head coach and hired Jerry Colangelo to a front office role. “Obviously the organization is trying to help the situation,” Wroten said. “And you know, talking to guys like Kendall [Marshall] that have played for him, D’Antoni, he loved him. So I’m looking forward it. And Colangelo, I’m looking forward to changes, and things might become better.”
Central Notes: Jennings, Irving, Harris, Butler
After playing in his first game in nearly 11 months Saturday, Brandon Jennings was among three players recalled from the D-League today by the Pistons, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Jennings, who suffered a ruptured left Achilles January 24th, was sharp for Grand Rapids with 11 points and 12 assists in 27 minutes, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “He’s looking good; he’s still trying to get acclimated and get back,” said Reggie Jackson, one of several Pistons teammates who attended the game. “You see the burst and the flashes and we all know the player he can be. … He’s someone we’re going to need when he gets back.” Beard speculated that Jennings could return to NBA action December 26th or 29th. Reggie Bullock and Darrun Hilliard were also recalled from Grand Rapids.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Jennings’ decision to use Grand Rapids as part of his rehab process may help change the way the D-League is used, writes Peter J. Wallner of MLive. Other players have practiced with D-League affiliates when coming back from injuries, but Jennings is the first big name to use the minor league similar to the way baseball players do. “I think this the tip of the iceberg and is the way the league should be used,” said Grand Rapids coach Otis Smith. “… For them [Pistons] to have the forethought or comfort to have him play with us is beneficial to them, but really sends a message and is beneficial for this league.”
- The Cavaliers are also getting an injured point guard back, as Kyrie Irving is expected to play today against the Sixers, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. It will be his first action since fracturing his kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “There is no specific reason on why now,” Irving said. “… I finally got the full clearance from my doctors and our training staff, and that’s all I needed.”
- The Cavaliers have recalled Joe Harris from their D-League affiliate in Canton, the team announced today. He has appeared in 10 games with the Charge, averaging 16.4 points, and five with Cleveland.
- The Bulls have internal concerns about Jimmy Butler‘s “hesitancy” over the offense installed by new coach Fred Hoiberg, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The tweet comes in the wake of critical comments Butler directed at Hoiberg Saturday night.
Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Morris, Ilyasova
The Pistons added many new pieces during the offseason and the team is just starting to gel, but President of Basketball Operations/coach Stan Van Gundy is always keeping an eye out for upgrades, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes.
“You’re always on the lookout for a guy that you think either now or for the future appreciably changes your talent,” Van Gundy said. “You really approach it the same way you always do — you’re talking and seeing what’s out there, but there hasn’t been anything that’s even made us take a second look, at this point.”
Still, Van Gundy values continuity and he’s happy with the team as currently constructed.
“I don’t think you can truly get good until you have some continuity to what you’re doing,” Van Gundy said. “We’ll be pretty careful — not to say we’re not looking. Jeff’s on the phone every day and you’re always looking. You’re doing your diligence, but at the same time, we like our group.”
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- Offense has been a huge improvement for the Pistons this season, as they are averaging 101.8 points per game, up from 98.5 points per game last season. The next step in the team’s progression is getting offseason acquisitions Marcus Morris and Ersan Ilyasova more involved, Aaron McMann of Mlive.com writes. “We know what Marcus can do, we’ve still got to find and he’s got to find better ways to get the ball in his spot,” Van Gundy said. “I think Ersan has fit very well. He’s been able to find his shots without us doing a whole lot for him.”
- Keith Langlois of NBA.com examines the Van Gundy tenure in Detroit and notes that only three players — Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brandon Jennings — remain from when he took over front office duties in May of 2014.