Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Simmons, Bickerstaff, D-League

January 6th, 2016 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

LSU combo forward Ben Simmons is getting lots of attention as the No. 1 prospect for the 2016 draft, but it’s much too early to declare him a lock for the top pick, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress said to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link at one-hour, one-minute mark). Duke small forward Brandon Ingram, No. 2 in Givony’s rankings, has fans in high places. “I think Ingram is absolutely still in the mix,” Givony said. “I know a lot of teams that have a real split in their front office right now. Some of them, you love the productivity of Simmons, he’s a safe pick, he’s an easy guy, you know he’s going to be a very, very good NBA player, while some of them say, ‘Hey, I love the upside of Brandon Ingram.’ Who knows what this kid can become three to four years from now? Is he going to be a Giannis Antetokounmpo, or someone like that, who just continually improves physically and skillwise and just becomes this devastating, 6’10” small forward who can score from all over the floor?”

Here’s more from around the league:

The players on the Rockets enjoy watching interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff grow into his new role with the team, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle notes. “He is growing and learning … it’s like any rookie,” small forward Trevor Ariza said. “They have to take their bumps and bruises. You learn from them. He has done a great job learning – he is here all the time. He has improved game by game and day by day.” Ariza also noted that he appreciates Bickerstaff’s level of communication with the team, Creech adds. “He asks for everyone’s input on how we feel, what’s working, what we see and he puts his own twist on it to make us better,” Ariza said.
If the NBA D-League is to continue to grow without diluting the available talent pool significantly, the league’s players may need to unionize in order to make salaries more competitive with overseas clubs, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest posits. D-League players don’t fall under the jurisdiction of the NBPA and player contracts are signed directly with the D-League while teams dictate which salary tier players are allotted, Johnson notes. While the pay in the D-League may not be significant, the showcase it provides for prospective NBA suitors is still a major benefit for players, the D-League Digest scribe adds. “Everyone wants to point to the salaries as being an issue, and while it is a valid criticism you can’t put a price on the level of exposure the league provides,” an NBA scout told Johnson.
For the latest on the business relationship between LeBron James and Browns quaterback Johnny Manziel, check out our sister site, Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: D-League Showcase, Cavs, Terry

January 5th, 2016 at 10:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Nuggets point guard Erick Green heads the list of free agents at the D-League Showcase event that begins on Wednesday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports opines. Shooting guard Elliot Williams, who was with the Pelicans, Hornets and Jazz last season, is second on Spears’ list, followed by point guard Lorenzo Brown, shooting guard Orlando Johnson and power forward Perry Jones. Brown saw action for the Timberwolves last season, Johnson played for the Pacers and Kings from 2012 to 2014 and Jones appeared in 43 games with the Thunder last season. Players at the Showcase are angling for opportunities to sign 10-day contracts.

In news around the NBA:

The Cavaliers are leaning toward retaining combo guard Jared Cunningham, a source informed Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Unless Cleveland waives Cunningham by the close of business Thursday, his $981,348 salary for the remainder of the season is guaranteed. It’s a bigger money commitment than that, since his salary would cost the Cavs approximately $3.8MM in luxury tax if no other changes are made to the roster. Cunningham will accompany the Cavs on their upcoming road trip, McMenamin continues, and is viewed by them as a young, versatile bench player who has endeared himself to his teammates. Joe Harris‘ potentially season-ending injury will not influence Cleveland’s decision, McMenamin adds.
Jason Terry could be closing out more games for the Rockets, considering the way interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff gushed about him to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Terry, who has shared the point guard spot with Ty Lawson and Patrick Beverley, made a key basket and assist that lifted Houston to a two-point win over the Jazz on Monday. “Jet is clutch,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s been that way since I can remember, since he was in college at Arizona. In the big moments, when a big shot is needed, Jet makes those plays.”
The Thunder assigned small forward Josh Huestis to their D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team’s website. Huestis has already appeared in 10 games for the Blue.

Texas Notes: Aldridge, McCallum, Williams

January 4th, 2016 at 6:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite LaMarcus Aldridge‘s numbers being down from recent seasons, the Spurs are pleased with how well the power forward is adapting to the organization and its system, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes. “It’s difficult to do in your first year,” coach Gregg Popovich said of Aldridge. “A lot of guys take a whole year to get used to us. He’s been remarkable in catching on this quickly.”

Speaking about Aldridge’s production in San Antonio, point guard Tony Parker told McDonald, “You can’t judge LaMarcus compared to his numbers from last year. It’s not fair. Any Spur, you can’t judge by their numbers. The way we play, it’s for everybody. We’re not going to have a guy who is going to score 30 points or take 25 shots. It’s just not going to happen with this team.” In 33 appearances for the Spurs this season Aldridge is averaging 15.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, down from his 2014/15 numbers with Portland of 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG.

Here’s more from the Lone Star State:

Mavericks point guard Deron Williams has come off the team’s bench the past two games, a role that the veteran says he doesn’t mind, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets (ESPN Now link). “It doesn’t matter to me,” Williams said. “When I was out and missed those four games, we won all four and J.J. Barea was rolling, so you don’t want to shake up something like that. Coach said, Do you have a problem coming off the bench?’ I said no. I’ve done it a little the last couple of seasons. It’s not a big deal to me. If it helps the team, I’m all for it.“
Montrezl Harrell‘s role with the Rockets will expand while Donatas Motiejunas deals with back issues, and despite the rookie being the leading scorer for Houston’s D-League affiliate, the power forward is willing to do whatever the coaching staff asks of him, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle relays. “Every time I go down, I don’t focus anything offensive-wise,” Harrell said. “I know that will come. Those are great guys down there I played [with] in summer league. Every time I go down there I focus on playing defense and make sure my rotations are right. Going into the game, I have a scouting report on who I will be guarding and make sure I take great pride in making sure I do my job defending that person.”
The Spurs have recalled point guard Ray McCallum from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. McCallum is averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 37.7 minutes of action through seven total appearances for Austin this season.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Lawson, Mavs

December 31st, 2015 at 7:26pm CST by Will Joseph

Coach Dave Joerger asked the Grizzlies‘ front office for Ryan Hollins after news that Brandan Wright would need to miss at least six weeks so it’s no surprise Memphis is glad to have the center back, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal details. The Grizzlies signed Hollins on Tuesday. Hollins was with Memphis during training camp, but the Grizzlies waived him before the season started. Hollins had a strong showing in training camp, but it just wasn’t enough for the Grizzlies to keep him at the time, Tillery writes. The move to sign Hollins is an essential one because it adds a much-needed big man to the roster, Tillery adds.

“We’ve got some support and some insurance for Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph whether it be an injury or a foul,” Joerger said. “We also got an energy guy and a hard roller. That will help with our 3-point shooting. We have a lob threat.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Ty Lawson has shown flashes of his offensive game coming back to life since his return from a two-game suspension for last season’s DUI case, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Despite Lawson’s recent string of success, however, the Rockets have no immediate plans of reinserting him in the starting lineup, per Feigen. “He’s starting to find his rhythm,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You can see some of the shots that he’s taking. Those are the shots he’s taken in the past when he’s confident. Those are plays and shots he was taking in Denver when he was playing at his peak. Early in the season, he was hesitant to take those shots. Now, he’s taken the gloves off a little bit he’s freed himself to play the way he played in the past when he’s been successful.”
Zaza Pachulia said the most significant difference between playing in Dallas this season in comparison to his previous stops with the Hawks and Bucks is the Mavs‘ collective experience and maturity. Pachulia made the comments while appearing on The Ben & Skin Show on 105.3 FM KTVT The Fan in Dallas (interview transcription via the Dallas Morning News). “Most of the time I’ve been on the teams that have either been young or rebuilding or immature,” Pachulia said. “They were good opportunities I had and good experiences I had playing with the good coaches, the young prospects around me. So I’ve never really been on a team like Dallas Mavericks.”

Southwest Rumors: Terry, Davis, Mavericks

December 29th, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran Rockets point guard Jason Terry is baffled by his team’s mediocre season, according to Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. Their outings late last week, when they upset the Spurs on Christmas night and then were defeated by the last-place Pelicans the following evening, provide a perfect backdrop to Terry’s befuddlement, Creech continues. “It’s a wake-up call to have a performance like we did against San Antonio and then come back and follow that up with a poor performance against a New Orleans team that has struggled all season,” Terry told Creech. “That was a big step backwards. We have to stop playing in these spurts. It is frustrating but it also makes me optimistic because I know what we are capable of doing.” Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff sees Terry as part of the solution and plans to give him steady minutes after shuffling his point guard rotation, Fran Blinebury of NBA com reports. “I just feel like we need him on the floor,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s times where he needs the rest, obviously. But big moments in big games, he’s one of the guys that I trust the most.”

In other news around the Southwest Division:

Pelicans star power forward Anthony Davis is frustrated with his team’s spotty effort, Andrew Lopez of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. Davis vented to Lopez after the team’s loss to the Magic on Monday. “We just don’t play hard all the time,” he said. “That starts with our first unit coming out and setting the pace and setting the tone for the rest of the game and setting the tone for the guys that sub in, especially after halftime. That’s kind of been our thing this year. It starts with the first unit and it starts with me.”
Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons are rounding to form for the Mavericks after their extensive rehab from major injuries, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. Matthews, who was signed to a four-year, $70M contract during the offseason while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, is averaging 15.2 points and making 41.2% of his 3-point attempts in December. Parsons, who underwent microfracture knee surgery, has averaged 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists the past three games after having his minutes restrictions lifted, MacMahon continues. “Both of these guys stated very clearly when their injuries happened that their goal was not only to be back, but to be back better than before,” coach Rick Carlisle told MacMahon and other media members. “To do that, it’s going to be a long-term proposition. … They’re both doing well. And they’ll do better and better and better as the season goes along.”
The Spurs assigned point guard Ray McCallum to their D-League affiliate in Austin, the team’s website announced. McCallum, who is averaging 1.6 points in 7.1 minutes in 13 appearances with San Antonio, has already appeared in five games with Austin.

And-Ones: Barnes, D-League, Donovan

December 28th, 2015 at 12:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA has suspended Grizzlies small forward Matt Barnes for two games without pay for his role in the off the court altercation with Knicks coach Derek Fisher back in October, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. Barnes is expected to serve the suspension during tonight’s game against the Heat and Saturday’s game at the Jazz. He will lose $64,409 in salary because of the suspension, Wojnarowski adds. The small forward will be eligible to play the next time New York and Memphis square off, which is set for January 16th in Memphis.

Here’s more from around the league:

Thunder coach Billy Donovan said that he wasn’t worried about the differences between managing NBA players and college ones when he accepted Oklahoma City’s vacant coaching position this past offseason, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. “I didn’t look at coming here to Oklahoma City under that umbrella of ‘what are all these relationships gonna be like,’ because I think we’re all people,” Donovan said. “I think you communicate, you talk, generally things work themselves out. Everything’s not always gonna go perfect, but I think if you’re working for the same cause, moving in the same direction, things get resolved.” Donovan was responding to a question regarding the difficulties new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is experiencing this season after also making the jump from the NCAA to the pros.
The Rockets have recalled swingman K.J. McDaniels and power forward Montrezl Harrell from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (Twitter link). This was the third D-League assignment on the season for McDaniels and the second for Harrell.
The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). This will be Mickey’s eighth jaunt to Maine on the season.

Southwest Notes: Thornton, Benson, Leonard

December 27th, 2015 at 8:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Marcus Thornton is growing frustrated with his fluctuating minutes for the Rockets, observes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Thornton was an integral part of the Rockets rotation earlier this season, when he started amid injuries, but his playing time has dwindled and become inconsistent.

“It’s very difficult,” Thornton said. “I have to keep myself in the game, see what’s going on from afar from the bench. When I get in, keep doing what I’ve been doing my whole life, put the ball in the basket. I have no reason at all. That’s the frustrating part. You don’t know. You have to go with whatever is going on and be ready.”

Thornton signed a fully guaranteed one-year deal for the minimum salary with Houston before the season. See more from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans owner Tom Benson has no intention of selling the team or the NFL’s Saints, as he made clear in a statement responding to a front-page editorial from Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune that argued Benson, 88, should sell the teams because of the legal fight over whom should inherit them upon his death.
Kawhi Leonard won the Defensive Player of the Year award shortly before signing his new five-year max contract this past summer, and he’s further justifying the pact with surprisingly strong offensive contributions this season, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News examines. “He’s an amazing defender and now he’s turning into the same kind of player on the offensive end,” Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich said. “He’s a pretty special young man.”
Nick Johnson will play for the D-League affiliate of the Spurs, a source told Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor, as we passed along earlier. Click here to see more.

And-Ones: Labissiere, Bickerstaff, Dawson

December 26th, 2015 at 10:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere, once considered among the top prospects in the 2016 draft, received a brutal review from an unidentified NBA scout after today’s game with Louisville, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “Big Skal, no strength, no toughness, no game,” the scout said. “Comes off the bench, plays 10 minutes, had 2 points, 3 rebounds, 0 for 3 from the floor. Shot an air ball on an easy hook.” Labissiere was a coveted recruit out of high school, but he has struggled greatly at the college level. He has 4 points over his last three games and just 22 over his last six. The scout was much higher on 5’9″ Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis, whom he called “the smartest player” on the Wildcats. “Yes he can [play in the NBA] and he will be drafted,” the scout said.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff said his team “disrespected the game” and threatened to make changes following tonight’s loss to the Pelicans, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The coach talked about “misplaced priorities,” which he called “the core issue” behind the team’s disappointing start. “Our issue is doing things right … not because it’s going to get me a bucket … not because I get glory,” Bickerstaff said. “… Our priorities need to be clear. I need to do a better job of playing people whose priorities are clear.”
Clippers rookie Branden Dawson had expected to report to Grand Rapids in the D-League in early January, tweets Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. However, Los Angeles may need to keep him at the NBA level because of the injury to Blake Griffin that was disclosed today.
The Mavericks have sent guard Justin Anderson and center Salah Mejri to the Texas Legends of the D-League, the team announced today. Anderson has appeared in 17 games with the Mavericks and four games with the Legends. Mejri has played five games with Dallas and five for the D-League team.

Western Notes: Griffin, Morris, Nowitzki

December 26th, 2015 at 4:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers have been a disappointment thus far this season after the franchise added numerous offseason pieces in an attempt to bolster its depth, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes. “We haven’t won any big games,” said power forward Blake Griffin. “We haven’t won the games you go into it thinking, ‘Okay, this is one we have to get.’ We’ve lost all those games.” Griffin also notes that the team trying to get all its new personnel on the same page can no longer be used as an excuse, Bontemps adds.

“That was kind of the narrative early on,” Griffin told Bontemps, when asked if trying get everyone on the same page was still a legitimate excuse. “But after however many games, you can’t keep saying that over and over. At a certain point, it can’t be about new guys. It’s just got to be about buying in. Every team has some new guys. Most teams have some new guys. We have to figure something out. We have to be better than this. We are better than this and we’re not showing it.”

Here’s more from out West:

Suns GM Ryan McDonough said that the team would have disciplined any of its players the same way as Markieff Morris, whom the club handed a two-game suspension for throwing a towel at coach Jeff Hornacek during Wednesday’s game, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays. “We try not to be punitive with these kind of things,” McDonough said. “We try to be fair. That’s why we consulted with the league. Sometimes, these things do get emotional. We asked for their opinion. There was precedent for these kind of situations but we would’ve done the same thing if it was any of the other 14 players on the roster.“
Despite the Mavericks‘ attempts to add big name players, power forward Dirk Nowitzki still remains the face of the franchise and the team’s best player, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. “The names [on the scoring list] he’s passed and continues to creep up on are the greatest legends in the history of our game,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to see a guy like this play. And we’re doing everything possible to keep him playing at a high level and keep him playing as long as possible.”
The Rockets have assigned K.J. McDaniels and Montrezl Harrell to their D-League affiliate, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle reports.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Smith, Howard

December 25th, 2015 at 8:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Anthony Davis would trigger the Derrick Rose rule for more lucrative salaries on the extension he signed with the Pelicans this past summer if he’s voted to start the All-Star Game, but so far, he’s only sixth among vote-getters for the three frontcourt positions in the Western Conference (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports). Davis can also earn the higher salaries if he makes an All-NBA team or is named MVP this season.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry praised the effort given by Ish Smith, who was dealt to the Sixers on Thursday, and indicated that the point guard was expendable because of the team’s backcourt depth, John Reid of The Times Picayune relays. “He was great for us,” Gentry said. ”He did everything I asked for him to do. Obviously with Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday coming off restrictions as far as minutes and Norris Cole being healthy, there wasn’t a lot of time for him. This is a good thing for him, too. I think he will play a lot of minutes in Philly. He is a great kid and I think he is going to be in this league a long time.”
Dwight Howard hasn’t received his customary amount of shot attempts this season with the Rockets, which makes it difficult to judge if the center’s skills are beginning to diminish, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes. “The more confidence I have on the block, the better I’ll be,” Howard said. “Each day I just continue to work on getting reps, so when I get in the game, I can get to my spot and just finish.” The big man does say that he’s healthy and is trying to limit the distractions any talk regarding his potential free agency next summer may cause his teammates, Watkins adds. “Actually, the last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling really good,” Howard continued. “I’ve just been trying to stay free and not allowing any of the noise from the outside, the crazy rumors and all that stuff to affect who I am with my teammates and what we’re trying to accomplish. My body has felt great. I think when you stay stress-free, your body tends to follow.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.