Pacific Notes: Curry, Nance Jr., Kerr
Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. has impressed the team’s coaching staff with his work ethic and versatility, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “Well, the one thing that Larry does for us is gives us a guy who is going to play the right way every single time on the basketball court,” coach Byron Scott said. “He’s never trying to play outside the box. He’s going to give you everything he’s got. He’s got great athleticism. But he works his butt off, he plays extremely hard. Trying to get him to take open shots when he has them. He’s been reluctant at times to do that. But he’s been one of those guys that just does everything that you want him to do.“
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Kings coach George Karl has settled on the primary eight players in his rotation, but he would still like to find extra minutes for combo guard Seth Curry, who has been solid during his limited playing time this season, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. When asked how he can get Curry on the court more consistently, Karl responded, “That’s a tough question. Every morning, [the coaches] talk about playing more players, but when you get into the nature of the game, it is my instincts. … None of my ones, twos or threes are playing poorly, so there’s no reason to take minutes from anybody. I hope Seth is patient, and I think sometimes experimenting at home is easier to do than on the road.”
- Despite the excellent job done by interim coach Luke Walton, the Warriors need Steve Kerr to return if they hope to repeat as NBA champions, an assessment that star point guard Stephen Curry agrees with, Mark Purdy of The San Jose Mercury News writes. “He just has a way of refocusing guys,” Curry said of Kerr. “And that’s whether it’s in the middle of the game or day to day at practice. Even if we’re playing well or winning games or not, there’s always something we can work on. And he presents it in a way that kind of fuels us as opposed to, like, calling guys out. … There’s a subtle or joking way he gets his point across that we appreciate.“
- The Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly and Tarik Black from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the second stint with the D-Fenders on the season for both players.
Warriors Notes: Draft, Kerr, Walton, Iguodala
Warriors GM Bob Myers received a lot of messages of praise from other executives around the league after he drafted Draymond Green 35th overall in 2012, but he was dubious about why they were lauding the selection of a player many of them failed to take, as Myers told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at two-minute mark). Green illustrates the importance of the draft, as Myers explains.
“You have to hit the draft right. It’s the easiest way to build a team, so it’s easy to sit here and say how great Draymond Green is for the Golden State Warriors, but that guy was the 35th pick in the draft, and that can change a franchise,” Myers said to Wojnarowski. “Whoever got him in the draft, at that number, at that value, it can change the next 10 years of your franchise.”
Golden State is entrenched in the 30th spot in the 2016 order for now, as our Reverse Standings show, and they owe their 2017 pick without protection to the Jazz, so Myers faces a challenge to continue to find overlooked prospects. Here’s more on the champs:
- Steve Kerr said his absence from games will stretch past New Year’s Day, notes Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), but he’s closing in on a return, observes fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Carl Steward. Kerr filled in for interim coach Luke Walton at practice this week when Walton was sick, a reversal of the dynamic that’s gone on all season as Walton guides the team while Kerr recovers from two back surgeries.“I felt pretty good, but I’m not 100% health-wise,” Kerr said, according to Steward. “But I’m getting better and building some strength. I’m going to keep going. I still have symptoms that I’m learning to deal with.”
- Walton is “destined to be a head coach” of his own team someday, Kerr said, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle relays.
- Andre Iguodala wants to play three more seasons after his existing contract expires at the end of next season, he said to Kawakami and Marcus Thompson on the Bay Area News Group’s “Warriors Plus/Minus” podcast (audio link). The swingman, who turns 32 next month, stopped short of specifically declaring that he wants to remain with the Warriors, but he said he’s comfortable where he is.
Wizards Sign Jarell Eddie, Waive Ryan Hollins
WEDNESDAY, 10:30am: The moves are official, the team announced.
1:21pm: It’s expected to be a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for Eddie, Charania writes in a full story. That’ll force a decision no later than January 7th, the last day teams can waive non-guaranteed deals without them becoming fully guaranteed. The Wizards have the capacity to give Eddie more than the prorated minimum salary, with a $1.464MM sliver of the mid-level exception still in their quiver, but non-minimum signings are rare for midseason acquisitions, and especially so for players coming up from the D-League. Sources who spoke with Charania wouldn’t close the door on the possibility that the Wizards will re-sign Hollins later this season.
TUESDAY, 12:52am: The Wizards plan to sign Jarell Eddie and waive Ryan Hollins, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Eddie, a one-year NBA veteran, has been playing for the Spurs affiliate in the D-League since the Warriors cut him at the end of the preseason. Hollins is on a non-guaranteed deal he signed November 30th, but Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reported last week that it would become fully guaranteed if Washington keeps him past December 27th, which the team apparently doesn’t intend to do.
Eddie, a 24-year-old small forward, was averaging 14.1 points in 28.6 minutes per game with the Austin Spurs, but it’s his blistering 3-point shooting that sets him apart. He’s made 32 of 61 attempts so far this season, good for 52.5%. He shot 45.2% on 281 attempts from beyond the arc in the D-League last season. He’s yet to appear in an NBA regular season game, though he has credit for one year of service thanks to the 10-day contract he signed last March with the Hawks. Eddie will help offset the loss of Bradley Beal, whom the team declared out for at least two weeks on December 12th because of a stress reaction in his leg.
Hollins has made three starts during his brief Wizards tenure, but he’s averaged only 9.6 minutes across five total appearances and hasn’t played in any of the team’s last five games. The 31-year-old signed with the Grizzlies for camp but didn’t stick for opening night in Memphis.
Washington is dealing with a hail of injuries, with Beal, John Wall, Otto Porter, Drew Gooden, Nene and Alan Anderson all dealing with some sort of malady, as CBSSports.com details. Still, none appear certain to keep anyone out for more than the next two weeks, so a hardship exception for an extra roster spot isn’t in play.
Do you think we’ll see Hollins in the NBA again this season? Leave a comment to tell us.
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.
Western Notes: Bryant, McGee, Speights
Kobe Bryant will not continue his career in Europe following his retirement from the NBA after this season, as he said in a conference call and as Bill Oram of the Orange County Register relays. The Lakers swingman doesn’t think he could endure the rigors of another season, so he has ruled out that option, Oram continues. “I would have loved to play overseas for a season,” Bryant said. “But it’s not going to happen. … My body won’t let me.” Bryant reiterated his desire to play for USA Basketball in the Summer Olympics next summer, Oram adds.
In other news around the Western Conference:
- JaVale McGee is gradually carving out a rotation spot with the Mavericks, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. McGee is still trying to get in top shape and wants to shed another 10-15 pounds, MacMahon continues. The backup center had 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks in 18 minutes against the Grizzlies on Friday, a sign that he’s making progress, MacMahon adds. “He’s got really unusual length for a guy like that and he’s got great athleticism, too,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told the team’s media. “Look, he’s worked hard. It’s taken a while. We’ve got to be a little bit careful about how long we play him in terms of stretches of minutes.”
- Marreese Speights hasn’t been as efficient as he was last season, and if he doesn’t turn that around, the Warriors will look for another stretch four, posits Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com. Golden State is studying the trade market, Poole writes, though it’s unclear if the team is looking into deals involving Speights.
- The Spurs recalled point guard Ray McCallum from their D-League affiliate in Austin, the team’s website reports. McCallum has appeared in four D-League games, as well as 12 games with San Antonio.
- The Thunder recalled small forward Josh Huestis from their D-League affiliate on Monday, according to the team’s website. Huestis, who is still looking to make his NBA debut, has started 10 games with Oklahoma City Blue, averaging 10.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 32.8 minutes.
Pacific Notes: Brown, Durant, Suns, Walton
Seventeen career NBA minutes weren’t enough to prepare Lakers rookie Anthony Brown for the task of guarding Kevin Durant Saturday, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. With Kobe Bryant out with a sore shoulder, the task of checking Durant fell to the second-round pick out of Stanford. The Thunder star gave Brown a tough NBA lesson, torching him for 14 first-quarter points on the way to a 22-point night and a 40-point blowout victory. “He’s 7 feet and handles like he’s 6’2″,” Brown said of Durant after the game.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Durant’s free agency is sure to be among the top stories of the 2016 offseason, and the Lakers are expected to be one of the primary suitors, according to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. L.A. has had little success in attracting top-shelf free agents over the past two seasons, but GM Mitch Kupchak is hoping young players like Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell will get Durant’s attention. “We have to develop our core players,” Kupchak said. “When you’re recruiting a veteran free agent, especially a free agent that may have to take less money to come to your city, they want to know who they’re going to play with.”
- The Suns have been successful when they have offseason free agent addition Tyson Chandler and Alex Len both available to share the minutes at center, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix is 7-1 when they combine for 45 minutes, but injuries and illness have often kept Chandler out of the lineup.
- Warriors interim coach Luke Walton tells Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that he hasn’t gotten much advice from his Hall of Fame father Bill during Golden State’s 26-1 start. “We email and text, but he’s more in a supportive role,” the coach said. “He loves the way we play. It reminds him of some of his old teams, and he’s proud. But that’s pretty much where that conversation ends.”
And-Ones: Durant, Kerr, Walton, J.R. Smith
The Thunder had some concern when Kevin Durant hired Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency, but the team and Roc Nation have developed a “positive” and “constructive” working relationship, and those initial concerns have dissipated, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, citing sources. Oklahoma City will base its pitch to Durant in free agency this summer on the the youth of its roster, its track record of spending this season and last, its ability to keep spending and the presence of coach Billy Donovan, as Windhorst details. The Thunder have learned from the mistakes the Cavs made in 2010 as they unsuccessfully tried to keep LeBron James from departing a team that was aging and largely without financial flexibility, and the Oklahoma City organization doesn’t overreact to incremental developments or discouraging rumors, Windhorst explains. While we wait to find out just what happens when Durant hits free agency in six and a half months, see more from around the Association:
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr hopes to return from his leave of absence within two to three weeks, he said Wednesday, according to Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. Kerr attended practice Monday and Tuesday and the team’s shootaround Wednesday, McCauley notes.
- Interim coach Luke Walton figured there was no way Kerr would miss opening night and thought his leave, which began October 1st, would last only a couple of weeks, writes Lee Jenkins of SI.com in a piece that delves into Walton’s background to find explanation for why he’s been so successful with the Warriors this season.
- The Cavs and Jazz have a general reputation as the teams that players least want to play for, J.R. Smith tells of Devin Friedman of GQ.com, admitting he was “petrified” to go to Cleveland when the Knicks traded him there in January. He’s warmed to what he calls an underestimated city since then, re-signing with the Cavs this summer and falling in line with the team’s all-business, no-party approach, as Friedman details. Smith also told Friedman he endures racial slurs from fans when he plays in Utah, joked about marijuana use, and called China, where he played in 2011/12 the “worst place I’ve ever been in my life.”
Pacific Notes: Morris, Russell, Mitchell
Trade speculation continues to grow the more Markieff Morris sits on the Suns‘ bench, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details. Morris, as Coro notes, has seen only seven minutes of action in the past four games after being removed from his role as the team’s starting power forward. Jon Leuer and Mirza Teletovic have played over Morris during this recent stretch.
“We had a couple games where Markieff’s been out where the ball has moved around a little bit differently,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said, per Coro. “We have no real post-up threat we can go to in those situations. Markieff will get back. It’s a struggle for him right now but we all feel he’s a good player and he’s going to get it back. Right now, Jon and Mirza are playing better.”
Here’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- The development of rookie D’Angelo Russell has hit a curious snag because of Kobe Bryant‘s farewell tour, Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports writes. Lakers coach Byron Scott‘s decision to sit Russell late in games is confusing to some members of the Lakers’ front office who were convinced to forget about Kristaps Porzingis and Jahlil Okafor because Scott favored Russell, Lee reports.
- On the other hand, J.A. Adande of ESPN.com argues that Scott’s handling of Russell makes sense because he is allowing the young player to remain hungry for minutes. As Adande points out, Russell is actually fourth among rookies in minutes played at 28.4 per game so it seems as if Russell is not being singled out or anything along those lines.
- Tony Mitchell, whom the Warriors waived in October, signed with Venezuela’s Cocodrilos de Caracas, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays.
And-Ones: ‘Outperformers,’ Bryant, Dinwiddie
Four Western Conference players join Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis on an “Outperform” Team compiled by Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders. The columnist honors the players who have most exceeded expectations during the first quarter of the season. The other team members are the Kings‘ Rajon Rondo, the Warriors‘ Stephen Curry, the Mavericks‘ Dirk Nowitzki and Wolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Lakers‘ Kobe Bryant addressed his relationship with former teammate Dwight Howard after tonight’s loss in Houston, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “My responsibility when Dwight and I played together was to get him to play his best basketball,” Bryant said. “That involves pushing buttons.” Their rocky relationship was believed to be part of the reason Howard left Los Angeles for the Rockets in 2013.
- Pistons guard Spencer Dinwiddie may be headed to the team’s D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids on Sunday, according to Terry Foster of The Detroit News. A slump and injuries have reduced Dinwiddie’s playing time, and he has dropped behind Steve Blake in the point guard mix. Detroit coach/executive Stan Van Gundy suggested that Dinwiddie might benefit from increased minutes in Grand Rapids. “We have tried to use the D-League a little bit so he gets some game time,” Van Gundy said. “I think he has to take advantage of every opportunity he’s got to work and get better.”
- The Thunder assigned Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue of the D-League, the team announced via press release. Huestis has played in seven games for the Blue this season, averaging 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.57 blocks.
Central Notes: Smith, Pistons, Curry, Thompson
The release of Josh Smith nearly a year ago was coach/executive Stan Van Gundy’s “watershed moment” with the Pistons, according to David Mayo of MLive. Calling the move both “symbolic and structural,” Mayo notes that Van Gundy wanted to put his stamp on the team and get rid of players brought in by former President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars. The Pistons didn’t find much of a trade market for Smith, who had two years and $27MM left on his contract, so they waived him on December 22nd, 2014. Mayo adds that it’s unlikely the move would have been made without the stretch provision, which let Detroit pay the $27MM over five seasons.
There’s more news from the Central Division:
- Expect the Pistons to listen to early-season trade talk, but the team probably won’t make a move until closer to the February deadline, Mayo writes in a separate column. Detroit made seven trades in nine months from October of 2014 through July, but the team is in a much stronger position now, Mayo contends. He cites team needs as scoring punch in the backcourt and depth at power forward.
- As the Bucks hope to snap Golden State’s winning streak tonight, Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times recalls that Milwaukee had the opportunity to obtain both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Milwaukee was one of several teams Thompson worked out for in 2011, but the Bucks decided to move their pick for veterans in a three-team deal. Milwaukee wound up with Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston and the draft rights to Tobias Harris from Charlotte and Beno Udrih from Sacramento. In addition, Milwaukee sent Corey Maggette to Charlotte and John Salmons and the draft rights to Jimmer Fredette [the 10th pick] to Sacramento. The Warriors took Thompson 11th. In 2012, the Bucks traded Jackson and Andrew Bogut to Golden State for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown. Woelfel says Curry could have been included in the deal, but Milwaukee was concerned about the status of his ankle after season-ending surgery.
- New coach Fred Hoiberg still believes in the Bulls despite an uneven start to his first NBA season, according to the Associated Press. The Bulls are 12-8 under Hoiberg, who took over for Tom Thibodeau during the offseason. “We’ve got to get more consistent,” Hoiberg said. “We show flashes. The biggest thing is consistency with our group as far as getting out and playing with pace. When we do play with pace, we’re pretty darn good.”