Eastern Notes: Cavs, Sixers, Larkin, Pistons
The Warriors have young stars and younger players in position to develop, but they already appear to be a step ahead of the Cavaliers, as Monday’s blowout win and last year’s Finals demonstrate, observes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Cleveland has to be concerned, with 31-year-old LeBron James showing signs of exiting his prime and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combining for just 11 points Monday, especially since the Cavs don’t appear to have a lot of ways to improve their roster aside from drastic moves, Bontemps opines. The Cavs have a deep bench, but the status quo isn’t working, contends Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal. James chalks it up to inexperience for Irving and Love, and the four-time MVP said “young guys” on the team are putting too much stock in what they read about themselves, according to Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
“We’ve got some inexperienced guys that haven’t played enough meaningful basketball games where they can fall back on,” James said. “When it gets a little tough sometimes, it’s not like they can kind of fall back on previous experiences to try and help them get through it.”
See more from the Eastern Conference:
- Sixers ownership was worried last summer that drafting Kristaps Porzingis, who was largely shrouded in mystery at the time, would have alienated fans amid GM Sam Hinkie‘s slow rebuilding process, so they wanted the team to draft one of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell or Jahlil Okafor with the No. 3 pick, sources have indicated to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Philadelphia took Okafor, of course.
- Nets offseason signee Shane Larkin was experiencing a breakthrough year, but he’s slumped this month and has lost his starting job to journeyman Donald Sloan, notes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Interim coach Tony Brown cautioned that the team isn’t “down on” Larkin, however.
- MLive’s midseason grades for the Pistons range from an A-minus for soon-to-be restricted free agent Andre Drummond to a D for Reggie Bullock. That’s even though the team privately wishes Drummond played harder, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The Pistons picked up Bullock’s team option for next season after his strong play in October, which Bullock has failed to carry over into the regular season. Stan Van Gundy and his coaching and front office staffs received a B-plus.
Pacific Notes: Green, Kings, Black
Draymond Green, who re-signed with the Warriors this past summer for five years and $82MM, drew some high praise from LeBron James, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. Green, who leads the league with eight triple-doubles this season, often takes the assignment of guarding James later in games, as Vardon points out.
“I knew one thing: Whatever team got him was going to get a very smart, complete guy,” James said. “Any guy who is able to get a triple-double in the college game, that means a lot. Not many possessions and the game isn’t that well-rounded in college. He did it multiple times in East Lansing and for the most part if he comes from under [Michigan State coach Tom Izzo] you’re going to have some basketball IQ. He has all the intangibles.”
Here’s more on the Pacific Division:
- The Kings are hoping their roster can continue to improve while they explore options to add another defender, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute, whom the Kings voided their contract with over the summer after a failed physical, has all the traits Sacramento is looking for, Jones adds. “Every team likes his intangibles,” Kings coach George Karl said. “He’s not a stat guy; he’s a low-maintenance offensive guy, so you don’t have to run anything for him and he’s happy.”
- While Lakers coach Byron Scott seems unsatisfied with the development of Tarik Black, Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff wishes Houston still had the center on its roster, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle details. Scott said Black has been “OK” and has not provided an impact off the bench. The Rockets waived Black last season. “We loved him,” Bickerstaff said. “We wanted to keep him around. We had to make a move for a roster spot [to sign Josh Smith.] He was kind of a casualty of that. He’s a heck of a player, brings great energy. Defensively, he communicates. He’s good in the pick-and-roll. He’ll rebound the ball. Doesn’t back down from anybody. Accepts all challenges from all comers. We love him.”
Western Notes: Barnes, Kerr, Barea
Grizzlies small forward/power forward Matt Barnes was slapped with a $35K fine from the league for his comments about Knicks coach Derek Fisher, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. Before the two teams played Saturday, Barnes said: “Every man who looks at the situation knows what’s right and wrong. Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it is. … I just don’t like him, plain and simple. He knows I don’t like him.” After the game, however, Barnes claimed he had moved on from the October incident that led to a two-game suspension, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- The Warriors could benefit right now from Steve Kerr because the coach’s return would give them a necessary jolt of adrenaline in their quest to repeat as champions, Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group opines. There is still a strong expectation that Kerr will be back at some point this season, but there are no guarantees, Kawakami reports.
- J.J. Barea, who has three more years left on his deal after this season, said he is “having the best time of his life” while competing for minutes on the Mavs. Barea made that and other comments in an appearance on The Afternoon Show with Cowlishaw and Mosley on KESN-FM 103.3 in Dallas (interview transcription via the Dallas Morning News). “Dallas is like my second home away from Puerto Rico,” Barea said. “I feel comfortable and I love it. I don’t want to be anywhere else. My family loves it. I got a bunch of friends. I feel like when I play for Dallas I’m playing for Puerto Rico.”
Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Bryant, Rush, Suns
Tonight’s game against the Rockets will trigger the starter criteria for the Lakers‘ Jordan Clarkson and up the value of his qualifying offer, tweets former NBA executive Bobby Marks. This will mark Clarkson’s 41st start of the season and will increase the qualifying offer from about $1.1MM to $3.2MM. The change will take approximately $2MM off L.A.’s projected cap space for the summer, but it could still be more than $50MM (Twitter link). Clarkson will be a restricted free agent this summer, but will be subject to the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which limits the amount that other teams can offer to close to $57MM over four years.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- Kobe Bryant‘s decision not to seek a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team prevented a potentially awkward situation, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. A two-time gold medalist and five-time NBA champion, Bryant is highly respected throughout the basketball world, but there’s no guarantee he would have earned one of the 12 spots for the Rio de Janeiro games, Zillgitt writes. “Since my retirement announcement, I’m able to watch these guys in a different light,” Bryant said Saturday. “I’ve come to terms with the fact that they are the future of this game. These are the guys who deserve the spots in Rio.”
- Brandon Rush has fought back from two ACL tears to become a productive player for the Warriors, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. The 30-year old, who will be a free agent this summer, is expanding his role with Golden State. “He’s got his confidence back,” said interim coach Luke Walton. “His shooting has been unbelievable, but he’s playing defense, he’s making plays. He’s rebounding the ball and pushing it, where last season he didn’t have the confidence to do that.”
- The Suns are having one of their worst seasons ever, and Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic offers a historic reminder that a high draft pick isn’t necessarily a solution. He notes that the seven worst teams in Phoenix history have produced only one star through the draft, Alvan Adams in 1975.
Warriors Delay Move to New Arena Until 2019
The Warriors will postpone their move to a new arena in San Francisco for a full season, according to Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group. Team president Rick Welts told Kawakami on his “TK Show” this afternoon that litigation filed by opponents of the arena forced the franchise to push back its relocation to the fall of 2019.
The announcement means the Warriors will remain at Oracle Arena through the 2018/19 season, instead of leaving after the end of the 2018 season. Welts said the lawsuit is the only remaining obstacle to the move. Once construction on the new facility begins, he estimates it will take two seasons to complete.
Welts added that the facility will be an NBA-only arena. It will be built with NBA dimensions, rather than being designed to fit both basketball and hockey.
A poll in December showed public opposition growing to the proposed new facility in San Francisco’s Mission Bay Neighborhood. The survey, conducted by EDC Research, found just 49% of voters supporting the project, down from 61% in July.
Western Notes: Plumlee, Jones, Garnett
The Pelicans‘ season has not gone as planned and the team has begun exploring its options in the trade market, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports relays. In addition to power forward Ryan Anderson, whom New Orleans has reportedly been listening to offers about, the team has also discussed various trade scenarios involving swingmen Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon, the Yahoo scribe notes. Gordon, who is earning approximately $15.5MM this season, is in the final year of his contract, but Evans’ deal still has one more season on the books valued at $10.2MM. Here’s more from out West:
- Blazers big man Mason Plumlee is still trying to make his case that he has what it takes to be a special player, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com writes. “I’m at a point right now where I still very much feel like I’m trying to prove myself in this league,’’ said Plumlee. “I think there are a lot of guys who think they can hang around because they are big or athletic, but I really want to thrive, I really want to be somebody in the NBA. And I don’t think that’s proven yet.’’ Plumlee points to Warriors forward Draymond Green as an example of a player who wasn’t satisfied with merely making it into the NBA, which is the path he wishes to take, Quick adds. “You look at Draymond: a late draft pick, could have been satisfied with establishing himself in the league,’’ Plumlee continued. “But now, he’s doing special things, becoming a special player. So I ask myself: Do I want to just be a player in the NBA, or do I want to excel and be special?’’
- Rockets combo forward Terrence Jones has turned a corner as a player and may be on his way to fulfilling some of the promise that made him the No. 18 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes. “The talent is there with Terrence,” interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We need to get to a point where it’s there every night and we can depend on Terrence because he’s a big part of what we do. He’s a big part of our big rotation up front — he, Clint [Capela] and Dwight [Howard] right now get all the minutes at the big spots for us. This is the type of performance that he had tonight and [Tuesday, when he scored 20 points] that he’s capable of. We just need him to string those performances together.”
- Kevin Garnett is only averaging 14.9 minutes per night for the Wolves, but the veteran has been remarkably efficient during his limited time on the court and his leadership has proven to be a great resource to the team, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. “He’s still very valuable to what we’re trying to do,” interim coach Sam Mitchell said of Garnett. “Those 10 minutes that he plays, he sets the tone. It’s 10 minutes our young guys get a chance to see one of the greatest defenders ever play. They get a chance to play with him. They’re learning experience, whether KG is on the floor for 10 minutes or 17 minutes. It’s invaluable.”
Luke Walton On Nets Coaching Radar
The Nets are eyeing Warriors interim coach Luke Walton, whom they’re likely to consider as they seek a long-term replacement for the fired Lionel Hollins, sources tell Sam Amico of Amico Hoops and Fox Sports Ohio. Other reports have linked the Nets to John Calipari, Monty Williams and, more loosely, Chris Mullin. Nets assistant Tony Brown is serving as Brooklyn’s interim coach in the wake of Sunday’s dismissal of Hollins and reassignment of GM Billy King.
Walton, the NBA’s Western Conference Coach of the Month for November, has the Warriors at 36-2 while Steve Kerr continues to recover from two back surgeries. That’s the best 38-game start in NBA history, and it’s all the more remarkable given Walton’s relative inexperience. He’s just three years removed from having played in 50 games for the Cavaliers in the 2012/13 season, and last season was his first as an NBA assistant. He spent one season as a player development coach for the D-League affiliate of the Lakers in between the end of his playing career and the time Kerr added him to his staff in the summer of 2014.
The 35-year-old has expressed an interest in formally becoming a head coach some day, though it’s “nothing I’m trying to rush into,” as he told Ben Golliver of SI.com in November. Coaching the Nets would seemingly pose a much stiffer challenge than the Warriors do, since Brooklyn is mired in a 10-28 season and without its first-round pick this year. Still, the Nets have $45MM in guaranteed salaries against a projected $89MM cap for this summer, and it would seem likely that the Nets wouldn’t hire Walton until the offseason, though that’s just my speculation.
Walton has a tie to the recently deposed Nets coach. His father, Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton, was a teammate of Hollins’ on the Trail Blazers.
Pacific Notes: Rondo, Butler, Barnes, Ezeli
Rajon Rondo has earned the complete trust of DeMarcus Cousins, which is no easy task, TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Rondo, who’s on a one-year, $9.5MM contract, is “the most unselfish player I’ve ever played with,” Cousins told Aldridge. Rondo said to Aldridge that he signed with the Kings in part to mentor the center, adding that he’s wanted to play with Cousins for the past four or five years. It’s all cast against the backdrop of a Sacramento team that’s just two games out of a playoff spot, and the presence of Caron Butler has had much to do with the team’s improvement, Rondo contends. The Kings reportedly promised to trade Butler last month, but he’s still with the team. See more from the Pacific Division:
- Warriors assistant GM Kirk Lacob, the son of co-owner Joe Lacob, hinted at the team’s willingness to pay whatever it takes to re-sign Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli in restricted free agency this summer as he spoke in a recent radio appearance on 95.7 FM The Game’s “NBA This Week” show. Host Matt Steinmetz has the transcription. “Both those guys are a part of the core,” Lacob said in part. “Hopefully we’ll have this team for a number of years to come. If it costs a lot of money, it’s going to cost a lot of money. It probably will. A lot of our players have come up in free agency the last year or two and if they continue to perform we’re going to continue to pay them. We’re 34-2 [now 35-2], we’re trying to get a second championship here. There’s a lot of room for improvement of course, but there’s a lot of power to continuity.”
- Numbers suggest that Julius Randle is on track to have a career similar to that of Drew Gooden, a sign that he’s not on the path to stardom the Lakers hoped for him, writes Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com in an Insider-only piece co-authored with Chad Ford. D’Angelo Russell is the only one among the Lakers’ young players who has a strong chance to become an above-average starter, Pelton contends.
- The Lakers have recalled Tarik Black and Ryan Kelly from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). They went down to the D-Fenders together on Friday. Black averaged 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in two D-League games this weekend, while Kelly posted averages of 26.0 points and 6.5 boards a night.
Western Notes: Pachulia, Thunder, Thompson
Zaza Pachulia is producing the best season of his career in his first year with the Mavs and his intangibles have endeared him to his new teammates, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Pachulia responded well to a trade from the Bucks and he is a significant reason why the Mavs are one of the top teams in the conference, MacMahon adds.
“I know it’s surprising for a lot of people, but honestly, I feel like I was just born,” Pachulia said. “I don’t want to say anything bad about the places I’ve been, but this is the greatest situation I’ve been in during my career. Starting with the coaching staff and the players, the experienced players I have, the winning mentality … With my previous team, it was all about building. Rebuilding, starting from scratch. This is a different situation for me, where this team is all about the winning, all about the success. I think that’s part of the reason why my numbers are that way. I’m just thankful for the opportunity. I’m thankful for the situation I’m in right now.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Thunder second-year power forward Mitch McGary emerged late last season and despite capable offensive skills, he is having a hard time cracking the rotation this season, Anthony Slater of of The Oklahoman writes in an interesting profile. Injuries have played a part in limiting McGary’s playing time and statistics show that Oklahoma City is not efficient when McGary and Enes Kanter are on the floor together, Slater adds.
- Warriors reserve center Jason Thompson, who spent his first seven season in the league with the Kings, still has fond memories of his old stomping grounds and he is glad Sacramento’s fans will have a new arena next season, Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle details.
Western Notes: Rondo, Gentry, Kerr
One aspect of Alvin Gentry‘s coaching style that has endeared him to his players on the Pelicans is his willingness to hold all players equally accountable, including star power forward Anthony Davis, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. ”That’s how you get credibility in this league as a coach,” point guard Norris Cole said. ”The top coaches are tough on everybody, including the star players. They always say, it starts at the top, coach is consistent. It doesn’t matter who you are; if he feels he needs to get on you, he will get on you. If you look at all the great coaches, they get on their star players before they get on anybody else. We respect coach and he’s consistent with what he’s trying to bring and what wants out of us.”
Davis welcomes Gentry’s input, even if it means the coach being hard on him, Reid notes. ”He gets on everybody coaches, players,” Davis said. ”He doesn’t care who it is because he wants all of us to be better. If that’s what it takes for us to be better then I’m down for it. Like I said, he got on me during Saturday’s game and I was totally fine. Perk [Kendrick Perkins] gets on me, I don’t care. I know that they have my best interests [in mind].”
Here’s the latest from out West:
- Despite his strong individual numbers this season, point guard Rajon Rondo has not improved the Kings‘ offense, and the team has actually been statistically more efficient when the point guard is on the bench, Mika Honkasalo of HoopsHype writes in his analysis of the team. Sacramento has been outscored by 5.4 points per 100 possessions with Rondo on the floor, and the Kings have actually outscored teams by 1.5 points without Rondo, Honkasalo notes.
- The Warriors still don’t know when Steve Kerr will be able to return to coaching the team and much still depends on how Kerr’s body responds to travel, Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group relays. “He’s trying,” GM Bob Myers said. “He wants to get back, but it’s just tough right now. He’s not able to do it, and we hope it will be soon. “So he’s kind of putting his toe in the water, getting on the road with the team to see how he can handle that, handle the travel and the up and downs of the road. If he can get through that OK, then we’ll see. But it’s tough for me. If you had him on right now, he’d probably tell you he doesn’t know [how soon he might be back]. So for me to say anything is just speculation.”