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Central Notes: Varejao, Derrick Williams, Belinelli

December 15th, 2012 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

All five Central Division squads are in action tonight, and three of them face stiff tests. The Bulls take on the Nets, the Bucks play host to the red-hot Clippers, and the Cavs visit the Knicks, who are unbeaten at Madison Square Garden. There's plenty of action off the court as well, and here's the latest on Central squads.

  • While she acknowledges she's in the minority, Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer doesn't think the Cavs will trade Anderson Varejao, arguing that he's the team's best player and that it might take several years to develop a young replacement who could equal his production.
  • In the same Q&A with readers, Schmitt Boyer says she also doesn't think the Cavs will go after Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams.
  • Bulls offseason signee Marco Belinelli said he had perhaps the toughest training camp of his life as he struggled to adjust to a new system and a new team, but now he's averaging 19.0 points per game over his last five contests after stepping into the starting lineup for the injured Richard Hamilton. HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham has more.
  • In that piece, Brigham also looks at several who could be in line for their first All-Star appearance this season, and Central Division players are well represented. Varejao and Kyrie Irving of the Cavs, Joakim Noah of the Bulls and Brandon Jennings of the Bucks are on the list.
  • Pistons GM Joe Dumars has been high on Andre Drummond ever since a pre-draft meeting in which Drummond gave Dumars direct answers to questions about his energy and willingness to play hard, two areas of doubt that had caused other GMs to pass on him. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com has the details.
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Eastern Notes: Hawks, Celtics, Asik, Blatche

December 14th, 2012 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After rounding up a few Raptors updates earlier this afternoon, let's take a look around the rest of the Eastern Conference:

  • One opposing GM points out to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link) that a successful season for the Hawks would make it difficult for new GM Danny Ferry to bring in his own head coach to replace Larry Drew next year, if that's what Ferry wants to do. League sources also question whether Josh Smith fits the profile of a player Ferry would want to retain long-term, according to Bucher.
  • The Celtics inquired on Omer Asik over the summer, head coach Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link). However, the team quickly moved on when it heard Asik's price tag.
  • It's looking more and more like Andray Blatche might be this summer's "one [free agent] that got away" from the Heat, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
  • Following up on comments he made last month, Mike D'Antoni clarified to reporters, including Fred Kerber of the New York Post, that he had no regrets about coaching the Knicks, but that he regretted leaving Steve Nash and the Suns.
  • In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Dan Feldman of PistonPowered wonders if Charlie Villanueva is playing well enough to avoid being amnestied next summer.
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D-League Moves: Acy, Melo, English, Middleton

December 12th, 2012 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday's D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Raptors have recalled Quincy Acy from their D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam, the team announced today in a press release. Toronto is short-handed, with Kyle Lowry, Andrea Bargnani, Landry Fields, and Mickael Pietrus among the players suffering from injuries, so Acy will provide some depth.
  • Fab Melo, who was recalled from the D-League by the Celtics on Monday, has been assigned back to the Maine Red Claws, the team announced today in a press release. The 22nd overall pick has yet to make his NBA debut.
  • The Pistons have assigned rookies Kim English and Khris Middleton to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today. The duo is expected to spend a three-game stint with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. English, the 44th overall pick in this year's draft, has appeared in ten games for Detroit, averaging 3.2 PPG in 9.2 minutes per contest. Middleton, the 39th pick, has played in just three games for the club.
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Coaching Rumors: Suns, Wizards, Pistons, Kings

December 11th, 2012 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

We're about a quarter of the way through the NBA regular season, which is enough of a sample size that we can say certain teams have underperformed so far. Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today take a look at the coaching situations for a few of those teams in their latest piece, examining whether any head coaches are in danger of being let go. We touched on Dwane Casey's situation with the Raptors in a post this morning, but here are the rest of Amick's and Zillgitt's updates:

  • After Suns owner Robert Sarver told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard yesterday that Alvin Gentry wasn't on the hot seat, Amick and Zillgitt spoke to Sarver as well. Sarver's vote of confidence in this case was even stronger, as he told USA Today that Gentry's job is safe for the rest of the season.
  • Like the Raptors, the Suns may explore an on-court change rather than a coaching move, with Michael Beasley a candidate to be involved — according to USA Today, there's some disagreement between the team and player about what his role should be. However, Sarver still hopes Beasley will work things out in Phoenix: "We're working with him. He's working hard, and we still expect to be able to (salvage the situation)."
  • The Wizards are still paying their last head coach, Flip Saunders, so they're unlikely to replace Randy Wittman this year, since it would mean paying three different coaches.
  • Pistons owner Tom Gores has high expectations for his club, and wants to see some progress toward the playoffs this year in Detroit, making it a potential make-or-break season for Lawrence Frank.
  • Keith Smart's job with the Kings appears safe, though team president Geoff Petrie's future isn't quite so clear.
  • The Nets still have faith in Avery Johnson and expect some peaks and valleys with the team's overhauled roster. However, there's an expectation that the team will not only qualify for the postseason but be in position to "make an impact once they get there."
  • Despite a slow start for the Pacers, there's still hope in Indiana that Frank Vogel is around to coach the team for years to come.
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Odds & Ends: Kobe, Wizards, Draft, Bledsoe

December 7th, 2012 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Kobe Bryant continues to make a run at Michael Jordan's number of championship rings and career points, but he doesn't expect to follow in Jordan's footsteps in another area. In a video interview with Bloomberg.com (hat tip to SI.com's Ben Golliver), Kobe said he couldn't see himself owning an NBA team after his playing career is over.

"I’d go crazy," Bryant said. "If a player misses a game because he has a broken fingernail, I’d lose my mind. I wouldn’t be able to take it."

While ownership may not be for him, Bryant did say he hopes to stay around the game after he retires as a player. Here are a few other odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • The Wizards have gotten off to an awful start this season, but team president Ernie Grunfeld is still focusing on the big picture, as Michael Lee of the Washington Post writes.
  • NBA scouts and general managers are starting to consider options beyond Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, and Shabazz Muhammad as No. 1 picks in the 2013 draft, says ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link). Ford identifies Alex Poythress, Alex Len, and Rudy Gobert as three other possible top picks.
  • Even though Eric Bledsoe isn't eligible for restricted free agency until 2014, Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com is already wondering if Bledsoe will eventually become to the Clippers what James Harden was to the Thunder — a star-in-waiting that the team may not be able to afford.
  • On the heels of last night's big win in Miami, Tyson Chandler praised the moves Knicks GM Glen Grunwald made over the summer, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
  • According to Fran Blinebury of NBA.com, while the Grizzlies won't discuss it openly, the absence of O.J. Mayo this year has made the team's offense and locker room happier places.
  • David Mayo of MLive.com tries his hand at picking out a few free agents the Pistons could target next summer.
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Odds & Ends: 76ers, English, Lowry, Blazers

December 6th, 2012 at 10:45pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Thursday evening odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • Although it doesn't appear the team is considering outside options yet, coach Doug Collins and the 76ers are trying to figure out ways to improve the bench, writes Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com.
  • Pistons rookie Kim English is open to the idea of playing in the D-League if that's what the team wants, as he tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: "Whatever is asked of me, I will do."
  • Of the summer's offseason additions, Kyle Lowry has been one of the most impressive, writes Mike Ulmer of Raptors.com. The Raptors point guard has been just as productive as many of the league's high-profile point guards, says Ulmer.
  • After the Trail Blazers let three longtime front office employees go today, John Canzano of the Oregonian implores owner Paul Allen to commit to the current group and let them do their jobs.
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Odds & Ends: Martin, Blatche, Lillard, Gibson

December 2nd, 2012 at 10:56pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday evening:

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Odds & Ends: Maggette, Pargo, Harden, Kapono

November 29th, 2012 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he only turned 33 years old earlier this month, Corey Maggette has been around the NBA for a long time, having made his debut back in 1999. With his contract set to expire next summer, Maggette was non-committal about what his immediate future may hold, says David Mayo of MLive.com.

"Who knows what will happen? Who knows? I might be a guy that might be in a front-office position," Maggette said. "I'm already preparing myself for that as I finish this career. The biggest thing is to worry about what's going on now and let the future take care of itself. We don't even know if we're going to wake up tomorrow."

While I'd be surprised if Maggette retired as a player next year, it seems he's already considering the next stage of his career, having spoken to Pistons GM Joe Dumars and assistant GM George David about the paths they took to their current jobs. Here are a few more odds and ends as we prepare for a light Thursday evening NBA schedule:

  • Speaking to USA Today's Sam Amick about his extension negotiations with the Thunder and the trade that sent him to the Rockets, James Harden says the final offer he got from Oklahoma City was for four years and $53MM.
  • Jannero Pargo is on top of "several NBA teams' radars," Pargo's agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link). Considering the source of the info, it's not clear how much stock we should put in it, but Pargo was recently said to be drawing interest from the Bulls and others, and is hoping to get a deal done soon.
  • Jason Kapono, whose agreement with Panathinaikos has been on hold, is expected to join the Greek team on December 10th, according to a Gazzetta.gr report (English translation via Sportando).
  • Thunder coach Scott Brooks thinks Jeremy Lamb's D-League assignment is a great opportunity for the rookie to earn some playing time, according to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. "He's going to get great work on the practice floor and game floor," Brooks said. "But we like what he does. He has a very high skill set. He definitely needs to continue to develop his body and his game, but that’s a great position for him to be in."
  • If you're curious about which D-League players may be in line for a shot from an NBA team in the coming weeks, keep an eye on four players Ryan Ripley of Ridiculous Upside identifies as hot starters.
  • Offseason signee Randy Foye has found a home in the starting lineup for the Jazz, as Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune chronicles.
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Eastern Notes: Stoudemire, Evans, Bayless

November 28th, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards finally broke through tonight, winning their first game in 13 tries with a victory over the Blazers. With a tough stretch ahead, however, it doesn't seem like they'll be catching anyone in the Eastern Conference standings soon. Here's the latest from around the East.

  • Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com hears Amare Stoudemire would accept a bench role when he returns from injury, and that the Knicks are indeed considering making Stoudemire, on a nearly $100MM contract, their sixth man.
  • Offseason sign-and-trade acquisition Reggie Evans could earn Sixth Man of the Year consideration if he keeps up his mastery of the boards for the Nets, opines A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
  • The Raptors were high on the idea of re-signing Jerryd Bayless, according to coach Dwane Casey, but the point guard decided to go to the Grizzlies instead, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. 
  • The pressure has been on Magic GM Rob Hennigan as soon as he took the job, and after trading Dwight Howard, he must be right about his next big move, argues Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
  • Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News rates Kyle Singler among the top five rookies, identifying him as a steal for the Pistons on his three-year, $3.135MM deal (Twitter link).
  • The Pistons had no idea Brandon Knight would fall to them at pick No. 8 in the 2011 draft, and had been targeting Tristan Thompson and Markieff Morris instead, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reveals via Twitter.
  • Nets newcomer Mirza Teletovic said he isn't concerned by his lack of playing time as he spoke about his adjustment to the NBA with Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Sulia link).
  • Omri Casspi, in the last year of his rookie deal with the Cavs, is among the league leaders in three-point shooting after working on his shot in the offseason, notes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
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Pistons Rumors: Singler, Drummond, Bynum

November 25th, 2012 at 8:56am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons are in New York today for a matinee against the Knicks in a matchup of teams whose seasons have begun to turn in opposite directions. The Pistons started 0-8, but have won three of their last five, while the Knicks, who were 6-0, have lost three out of five. Detroit is hoping the more recent trends continue as we take a closer look at the Motor City's team.

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