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Central Links: West, Pistons, Bucks

January 3rd, 2014 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

No Central teams are in action tonight, but that doesn’t mean none of them are in the news. Let’s round up a few Friday updates from out of the division….

  • In a conversation with Grantland’s Zach Lowe, David West reveals that another team contacted him on the first day of free agency last summer before he re-signed with the Pacers, but West doesn’t identify which team made that call.
  • Despite the team’s recent slump, David Mayo of MLive.com doesn’t think the Pistons will trade Greg Monroe anytime soon, since they’ve set up their cap so that they can afford to keep Monroe, Andre Drummond, and Josh Smith for at least a couple more seasons.
  • The Bucks weren’t sure if Giannis Antetokounmpo would average more than three or four minutes a game this season, and yet the 15th overall pick from this past June is in Milwaukee’s starting lineup, observes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
  • Jazz forward Marvin Williams has a fan in Bucks coach Larry Drew, who previously coached Williams in Atlanta. While Williams isn’t likely to be traded to Milwaukee, it sounds like Drew would love to coach the former No. 2 pick again, as he tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: “He’s my guy. I love that kid. He’s just a good basketball player, but he’s (also) a terrific kid…. He was one of my favorites while we were in Atlanta.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Odds & Ends: Kidd, Parker, Dwight, Iguodala

December 31st, 2013 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy had a lot to say about the Nets, calling them “bush league” in a recent radio interview, but Jason Kidd took the high road rather than blasting him back.  “I think we have one of the best owners and so I’m confident,” said Kidd, according to Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record (Twitter links). “Everybody has their right to their opinion, but the guys in that locker room are fighting.”  More from around the Association as we look ahead to 2014..

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Odds & Ends: Spurs, De Colo, Suns, Lottery

December 29th, 2013 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The NBA is thinking about doing away with divisions and it doesn’t sound like Cavs coach Mike Brown would be too upset if that happens.  “I don’t necessarily look at a division foe as any more important than anybody else,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said, according to Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer. “I think it’s natural that you look at just your conference teams a little bit more than you do the other conference. You try not to, but I think it’s natural that you do.”  More from around the Association..

  • The Spurs announced that they have assigned guard Nando De Colo and forward Malcolm Thomas to the Austin Toros.  Both players have had multiple trips to the D-League affiliate.  In three games in Austin, De Colo has averaged 30.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 4.33 steals in 38.0 minutes.  In his three games with the Toros, Thomas has averaged 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4.33 blocks in 37.3 minutes.  Keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments with Hoops Rumors’ running list.
  • Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks denies that he’s at odds with offseason pickup Josh Smith, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Suns are catching teams off-guard under first-year head coach Jeff Hornacek, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
  • Marc J. Spears and Evan Doherty of Yahoo Sports (video link) discuss the pros of the NBA potentially getting rid of the draft lottery.  The league is reportedly considering a wheel system.
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Free Agency Notes: Hayward, Billups, Parker

December 27th, 2013 at 12:34pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

Although a report came out this morning that Mike Woodson’s job is currently safe it hasn’t stopped anyone from speculating otherwise. Another person to come to Woodson’s defense is former University of Indiana teammate, and former Knicks head coach, Isiah Thomas. Thomas told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he expects Woodson to hold up well and succeed once he gets all his players back from injury.

A few notes regarding players who could join Woodson in looking for jobs soon.

  • Since Gordon Hayward and the Jazz were unable to reach an agreement on an extension this offseason, Hayward will be headed to restricted free agency next summer. Hayward expressed to Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that the Jazz remain his preferred option because he loves the way the franchise is headed. Of particular interest to Hayward is the Jazz’s core group of players, a bunch of young players whom he thinks will be successful in the near future. As Greene points out, the Jazz only have $27MM in guaranteed salaries next season which will allow them to be a competitor in free agency next summer.
  • David Mayo of MLive Media Group passed along in a Q&A session that he doesn’t think either the Pistons or Chauncey Billups will want Detroit to exercise their team option on Billups $2.5MM contract next year.
  • Although the Knicks have been promised no trades for the near future, their moves in free agency are still a major focal point of discussion around the league. One upcoming free agent that has been linked with the Knicks is the Spurs‘ Tony Parker. Dan McCarney broke down the likelihood of Parker signing with the Knicks in 2015. McCarney believes Parker’s past loyalty to the Spurs will continue through his next round of free agency and doesn’t imagine we will ever see Parker in any jersey other than San Antonio’s. 
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Eastern Notes: Carmelo, LeBron, Korver, Butler

December 26th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Charlie Adams

Here’s the latest from the NBA’s Eastern Conference:

  • Carmelo Anthony is a free agent at the end of the season, but Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports the Knicks are quite confident they’ll re-sign the All-Star forward. Said one executive: “They’re one confident bunch… To listen to them, they expect to have Carmelo re-signed and have another star with him in another year. They’re so sure about it you’d think they already know what will happen.“
  • The Heat’s LeBron James is another potential free agent, but Kennedy reports in the same post that James isn’t giving next summer much thought: “I’m so zoned in on what my task is here this year that it’s hard to think about anything else.” James can exercise the early termination clause in his contract and become a free agent at the end of the year, but he certainly sounds content in Miami: “What is there not to like about Miami?” James said. “It is a home. My family is very happy; I’m very comfortable.”
  • Hawks GM Danny Ferry has been pleased with Kyle Korver‘s production this year, revealed Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Korver re-signed with Atlanta this offseason. In her piece, Boyer passes along a few fond words that Ferry had about Korver: “I respect him. As we build our culture, our environment here in Atlanta, having Kyle back as a part of that was exciting.”
  • Rasual Butler hasn’t always had a reputation as an asset in the locker room, but Frank Vogel insists that hasn’t been the case during the veteran’s time with the Pacers, as Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star observes. Butler didn’t make the team out of camp solely because Danny Granger had been slow to recover from injury, Vogel adds.
  • The Pistons announced today via press release that they have assigned rookies Tony Mitchell and Peyton Siva to the D-League. The duo will get to see minutes playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
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Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls, Datome, Cavaliers

December 25th, 2013 at 11:06am CST by Charlie Adams

Howard Beck of Bleacher Reports writes that Monta Ellis looks like a “changed man” this season in Dallas, and Ellis acknowledges as much, telling Beck that he was frustrated last year with the Bucks:

“I think I got into a dark place where I wasn’t myself… Some games I’d come and I could be motivated to play. And some games, it was hard, because of the type of players I was around.”

Milwaukee is playing even worse now, and as Jim Paschke noted this morning (via Twitter), half of the club’s remaining games are against Western Conference teams. That might be a blessing in disguise, since it should mean the Bucks have a good shot at the number one overall pick in the draft come June. Here are some more tidbits out of the Central Division:

  • The Bulls have struggled without Derrick Rose, and there have been plenty of rumbles about the club making a big move to stir things up in Chicago. Joe Cowley from the Chicago Sun-Times dissects the team’s roster and reveals the players he believes to be the most valuable on the trade market, as well as the ones he figures would be the hardest to move.
  • Luigi Datome has played relatively well in the limited action he’s seen for the Pistons so far this season, and the former Italian League star figures to see an increase in minutes, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons signed the 26-year-old small forward to a two-year, $3.5MM contract this past offseason.
  • Another offseason acquisition, Andrew Bynum, has been inconsistent and flat out bad at times this season for the Cavaliers. Coming off of a game where he shot 0-11 from the floor, Bob Finnan of the News-Herald believes Bynum to be one of the biggest reasons for Cleveland’s struggles. He suggests that the club relies too much on the banged up center to generate offense.

Luke Adams contributed to this post

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Eastern Notes: Bulls, Waiters, Nene, Pistons

December 18th, 2013 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After losing in Indiana last Tuesday, the Heat will get another shot at the Pacers tonight, this time in Miami. As we look forward to the evening’s showdown between the only two Eastern teams that look like title contenders, let’s round up a few notes from around the conference….

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Central Notes: Granger, Cavs, Leuer, Rose

December 16th, 2013 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

Josh Smith enjoyed his best game as a member of the Pistons last night but it was all for naught as Detroit fell to the Trail Blazers in overtime.  Smith had 31 points and seven rebounds, but he was a non-factor in the fourth quarter and OT as the Pistons collapsed in a 111-109 loss.  Here’s today’s look at the Central Division..

  • The Pacers are targeting next Friday as a return date for Danny Granger, tweets Candace D. Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.  Granger, a pending free agent, could become a trade chip for Indiana if he proves to be both healthy and redundant for the Pacers over the next few months.
  • As of today, the Cavs-Grizzlies trade involving Jon Leuer, Mo Speights, Wayne Ellington, and a draft pick favors the Grizzlies based on the way Leuer is playing, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.  The big man is averaging 9.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 14 games for Memphis this season.
  • Sam Smith of NBA.com argues that coming into the NBA as a teenager, for the most part, stunts your development because you have not had as much chance to develop as a player and have your body develop to play against men. In his view, it’s one possible reason why recent No. 1 overall picks, like Bulls star Derrick Rose, have had injury troubles.
  • Earlier today, I rounded up the latest on the Cavs.
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Odds & Ends: Randolph, Rockets, Lakers, Siva

December 14th, 2013 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Since a report surfaced this week suggesting the Grizzlies are shopping Zach Randolph, team sources have adamantly denied that the big power forward is on the block. Nonetheless, Randolph has heard the rumors and admits to NBA.com’s Fran Blinebury that he can’t altogether ignore them.

“It bothers me. It hurts a little bit. I can’t deny that,” Randolph said. “But it goes to show you that there ain’t no loyalty in this game. It seems like you only get loyalty in certain organizations. You see it in winning organizations like the Spurs, the Lakers, the Heat.”

Here’s more from around the league on a Saturday afternoon:

  • GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets have used their D-League affiliate as a “laboratory of sorts” to test ideas and strategies that could be used in the NBA, as Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com writes (Insider-only link). This season, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers are pushing the pace and shooting three-pointers at a record rate, prompting Pelton to wonder if we’ll see the Rockets employ a similar approach soon.
  • Jabari Davis, Joel Brigham, and Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld weigh in with their thoughts on Kobe Bryant‘s two-year extension and how it affects the Lakers‘ short- and long-term future.
  • Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim questions whether tanking is really worth it for NBA teams this season, since he views this year’s top freshmen as talented, but not “transcendent” players. Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv has the details.
  • Pistons rookie Peyton Siva says he has Louisville coach Rick Pitino to thank for his smooth transition to the NBA, writes Brigham in a separate HoopsWorld piece. “[Coach Pitino] prepares you mentally for everything that’s coming up ahead. He’s a great coach when it comes to that mental preparation,” Siva told HoopsWorld. “A lot of players lose focus and break down mentally, but he makes sure you stay alert, stay on task and builds a great work ethic in you.”
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Eastern Notes: Heat, Pistons, Bradley, Bulls

December 13th, 2013 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Thursday night was a rarity for this NBA season, as Eastern teams went undefeated in their inter-conference games against Western opponents. To be fair, there was only one of those games on last night’s schedule, but the Nets‘ win over the Clippers increased the East’s winning percentage against the West to .300 (33-77). Eastern teams will have to wait another day to attempt to bump that percentage up a few more points, since all of tonight’s games are intra-conference matchups.

Here’s the latest out of the East:

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