Rockets, Hawks Interested In Alexey Shved
Earlier this week, we heard that CSKA Moscow guard Alexey Shved is eyeing a potential jump to the NBA this coming season, with the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Thunder among the teams with interest.
In an interview with Sports.ru (translation via Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside), Shved's agent Obrad Fimic added a couple more clubs to the list of interested parties: the Rockets and Hawks.
No official offers from NBA teams are on the table, and Shved is still under contract with CSKA Moscow, but "all signs point" to him coming to America for the 2012/13 season. However, Fimic refuted the reported asking price of three years and $10MM+ for his client.
Shved's defense could be in a concern in the NBA, according to the Ridiculous Upside report. Still, Maxey agrees with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com on the 23-year-old's offensive prowess, noting that he could excel in the NBA as a reserve in an up-tempo offense.
Odds & Ends: Rockets, Hornets, Magic
It was a night of youth over experience, as the young Sixers evened their series with the veteran Celtics, while the up-and-coming Thunder was impressive in Game 1 against the battle-tested Lakers. There were a few stories of interest from off the court as well, so let's take a look:
- The NBA has suspended Rockets scout David Patrick for a year after determining he had impermissable contact with players during the lockout, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweeted. The team will not be punished because the league ruled that Patrick's communication was personal and not part of team business, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- The Louisiana Senate has passed a bill that includes $36.5MM in tax breaks for the Hornets, Ed Anderson of The Times-Picayune reports. Gov. Bobby Jindal is expected to give final approval to the measure that includes the breaks, which were part of the deal between the team and the state that keeps the Hornets in New Orleans through at least 2024.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the Magic's offseason plans, and says executives from other teams "openly joke" about the Magic's failure to hold workouts or conduct interviews with recent first-round picks.
Odds & Ends: Blazers, Hibbert, Bulls, Farmar
Tonight we saw the 76ers and Celtics advance to the second round in a pair of closely-contested Game 6s. Here are some links from around the Association as we wait to see if the Lakers can put the Nuggets away in Denver..
- The Blazers hope to bring former first-round picks Joel Freeland and Victor Claver on to the roster for next season, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
- The Rockets could have interest in Pacers big man Roy Hibbert as he enters restricted free agency, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. However, it seems that Indiana is prepared to match any offer that isn't unreasonable.
- When asked if the Bulls should keep their core in tact this summer, Joakim Noah responded, "I'm not the GM," tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
- Nets guard Jordan Farmar wants to be a starter and wasn't terribly happy with his role last season, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. However, it's unlikely that Farmar will decline his $4.25MM player option.
- Most agree that the Pistons' main need in the draft is another big man to pair alongside center Greg Monroe, but team president Joe Dumars says that isn't neccessarily the case, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Ellis writes that it wouldn't be a shock to see Detroit tab a shooter like North Carolina's Harrison Barnes if they don't like any of the big men on the board.
- One Western Conference exec told Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter) that there is no way that Columbus will land an NBA franchise. Earlier today, we learned that the mayor of Columbus has informed David Stern that his city is interested in adding an NBA team.
Best Second-Round Picks Of 2011
There's a bold line between the first and second rounds in the NBA draft. First-rounders get guaranteed contracts that last two years with team options for third and fourth seasons. Nothing's certain for second-rounders, who often fail to make the team out of training camp and find themselves scrambling for a job. Still, plenty of quality players emerge after pick No. 30, like Carlos Boozer, Marc Gasol and Monta Ellis. Here's a look at the top performers picked in last year's second round:
- The last player picked in the second round (and the entire draft) might be the best of them. Former University of Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas was impressive enough for the Kings to move Tyreke Evans to small forward to accomodate him in the starting lineup. He improved his PPG and APG each month, and wound up averaging 14.8 points and 5.4 assists in 37 games as a starter. He's on a three-year unguaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- The Rockets didn't treat Florida product Chandler Parsons much like a player picked 38th overall for the Rockets this year. They gave him a four-year deal worth more than $3.6MM that's guaranteed for his first two seasons, and he started all but nine of the team's games, averaging 9.5 PPG and 4.8 RPG. The 6'9" forward was particularly effective in March, when he shot 52.6% and put up 12.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG.
- Stephen Curry's creaky ankles opened up a spot in the Warriors starting lineup for Charles Jenkins, and the 44th overall pick out of Hofstra took advantage. He averaged 9.4 PPG and 6.3 APG in 16 April games, all as a starter. He has one more season left on his contract, which is an unguaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- Few expected much of a pro career from Josh Harrellson when he was at Kentucky, but the 6'10", 275-pound center is a playoff contributor for the Knicks. He started four games but has been primarily a bench option, though his 13.7 PER and 9.6 rebounds per 36 minutes show he's been productive when called upon. The last season of his two-year minimum-salary contract is not guaranteed.
- Lavoy Allen got the start in Game 1 of the playoffs for the Sixers, an unlikely fate when the team drafted him 50th overall out of Temple. He also started 15 games in the regular season, but saw only 18.9 minutes per game in those starts. Still, like Harrellson, he displayed a knack for rebounding in his limited floor time, collecting 9.9 boards per 36 minutes. He has no deal for next season yet, and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Mavs, Chandler
All three Southwest Division teams in the playoffs are in action later today, as the Spurs and Grizzlies look to take control of their series, while the Mavs seek to delay their seemingly inevitable elimination at the hands of the Thunder. Here's the latest from around the division:
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld takes a look at the offseason for Rockets, recommending that they package their two picks in the middle of the first round to try to move up into the top five. The team's priorities should be finding a legitimate starting center and going after a franchise player who can be the go-to option late in games, Ingram says.
- As many as 10 Mavericks could be playing their final game for the team tonight, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com, who adds that only Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Brandan Wright and Kelenna Azubuike seem likely to return.
- Jason Terry believes the Mavs would be putting up a better title defense if the team had re-signed Tyson Chandler, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, but said he and his teammates can't dwell on that. "Tyson isn't coming back, and we've realized that," Terry said. "I definitely say he had a great season — Defensive Player of the Year — but it's a presence you've missed. An active big man that can cover ground, and so we don't have that. We try to find other ways to win with the group we have."
Assessing The 2011/12 Waiver Claims
The vast majority of players placed on waivers go unclaimed and become free agents, but this year, there have been more waiver claims than usual, including a pair of players claimed after their previous teams waived them using the amnesty clause. Last month, Luke Adams provided a rundown on how teams can claim players off waivers, so now let's take a look at how this season's waiver claims have worked out.
- The most prominent example is Jeremy Lin, who was twice claimed off waivers this season after originally being let go by the Warriors. The Rockets claimed him December 11th, waived him a couple weeks later, and the Knicks made their claim December 27th. Left knee surgery will likely keep him out for the rest of the season unless the Knicks make a deep playoff run, but he'll wind up averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.2 APG, not too shabby for a player twice on the NBA scrapheap.
- Knicks GM Glen Grunwald struck gold with yet another waiver claim in Steve Novak, whom they picked up December 21st. Novak’s rise coincided with Lin’s, as he broke loose for 19 points in Lin’s first start, and has kept up his consistent long-range bombing even without Lin on the floor. He led the league in three-point percentage at 47.2%, but his shooting has never been in question. The difference this year was that he did enough in other phases of the game to warrant significant playing time. A career 4.9 PPG scorer, he averaged 10.4 PPG in 21.7 MPG beginning with that 19-point game on February 6th. We can only imagine how much better the Spurs would have been had they not waived him December 19th.
- Waiver claims are so infrequent that teams will sometimes agree to terms with players before they clear waivers. That’s what appeared to happen in March, when J.J. Hickson was dressed in Warriors gear and ready for a shootaround with Golden State when word hit that the Blazers had claimed him. We’ll never know how it would have worked out for him with the Warriors, but Hickson has thrived since joining Portland on March 21st, more than tripling the scoring average he put up in the first half of the season with the Kings (15.1 PPG to 4.7 PPG). He averaged 17.6 PPG and 10.6 RPG as a starter over the final eight games, and will be a sought-after commodity this summer, particularly if the Blazers fail to extend a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
- Chauncey Billups warned teams not to claim him when the Knicks amnestied him before the season, hoping he could sign with a contender as a free agent, but the Clippers claimed him anyway December 12th. It all worked out, as the Clippers became the sort of contending team Billups wanted to play for anyway when they traded for Chris Paul a few days later. Billups slid over to shooting guard and adjusted smoothly to his new position, averaging 15.0 PPG before going down with a season-ending Achilles’ tendon tear on February 6th.
- The Kings had much less success with claiming an amnestied player, saddling themselves on Dec. 17th with Travis Outlaw for $12MM over the remaining four years of his contract. He was even less of a factor in Sacramento than he was for the Nets before they waived him, averaging just 4.3 PPG in 12.8 MPG, his worst numbers since he was a rookie in 2003/04.
- The Warriors tried to replace Jeremy Lin when they claimed Ish Smith, another backup point guard, off waivers from the Grizzlies on December 16th. Smith was there for only six games and 63 total minutes before the Warriors put him back on waivers on January 14th. He went unclaimed this time, and was signed as a free agent February 2nd by the Magic, with whom he’s played the rest of the season.
- The Blazers quietly let go of backup big man Chris Johnson at the trade deadline, and amid rumors the Celtics were interested, the Hornets snapped him up off waivers March 19th. Depleted as the Hornets were along the front line this year, Johnson still only saw 82 total minutes over seven games before New Orleans put him back out on waivers April 18th. He remains unsigned since.
- Rod Higgins, the president of basketball operations for the Bobcats, gave son Cory Higgins quite a present on Christmas Day when the team claimed him off waivers from the Nuggets. The undrafted 22-year-old rookie from Colorado stayed on the Bobcats roster the entire season, averaging 3.9 PPG in 11.1 MPG.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Dragic, Batum, Terry
The Southwest Division will be well represented in this year's postseason, with the defending champion Mavericks getting their series underway tomorrow night in Oklahoma City. The Spurs and Grizzlies will join the action on Sunday, hosting Game Ones against the Jazz and Clippers, respectively. While we look forward to what should be some excellent series, let's round up the latest news and rumors out of the division….
- Following Thursday's regular-season finale, there was a sense in the Rockets' locker room that the team could look much different next season, says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. According to Feigen, Houston's primary goal, to find a star player to be the team's foundation, remains unchanged.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey seems very interested in re-signing Goran Dragic, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Morey took to Twitter last night to lobby for Dragic's return, tweeting: "Rockets fans,tell Goran Dragic how much U want him 2extend his time with Hou. I will get your message 2him."
- Nicolas Batum talked to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com about the possibility of signing with the Spurs this summer.
- Rick Gosselin and Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News discuss Jason Terry's contract situation with the Mavericks, and whether the free-agent-to-be will be "playing for his money" during the postseason.
Odds & Ends: Camby, Wallace, Barnes, Cavs
If you were looking forward to watching Kobe Bryant try to drop 38 points on Sacramento tonight to win the scoring title, you may want to make alternate plans. According to Sam Amick of SI.com (via Twitter), Lakers coach Mike Brown says Bryant won't play in tonight's game, meaning Kevin Durant will finish as the NBA's leading scorer for the third straight season. While it would've been fun to see Kobe gun for 38, we have to give props to Durant — at just 23 years old, he's the youngest player ever to win three scoring titles.
Here are a few more Thursday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:
- Marcus Camby reiterates to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that the Rockets will be his first choice in free agency this summer: "A lot of suitors are going to be trying to reach out. This is where I want to be. So hopefully, we can make something work."
- Ben Wallace has appeared headed toward retirement all season, but wants to make sure it's the right decision, as Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. Wallace will sit down with Pistons management and his family and won't rush his final decision.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld believes Harrison Barnes could be the ideal fit for the Raptors in the draft.
- Samardo Samuels and Manny Harris will head into the summer looking to earn themselves a spot on next year's Cavaliers' roster, says Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com. Both players are on non-guaranteed contracts for 2012/13.
- If the Magic let Stan Van Gundy go at season's end, the veteran coach will have no shortage of options, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Rockets Plan To Add Motiejunas Next Season
Mark Berman of Fox26 in Houston hears that Rockets GM Daryl Morey plans to add Donatas Motiejunas to the roster for next season (Twitter link). The 7'0 power forward/center had been acquired in a draft night trade with Minnesota last June and opted to play in Europe this season because of the NBA lockout.
In the same tweet, Berman added that Morey does not expect to encounter any issues with Motiejunas' contract.
Southwest Notes: Gordon, Hornets, Rockets
The Spurs clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second year in a row with their victory over the Blazers tonight. Now they'll concentrate on trying to avoid another upset like the one they suffered against the eighth-seeded Grizzlies last year. Here's the rest of the news from the Southwest Division:
- Eric Gordon will be a restricted free agent this summer, and is showing glimpses of why he'll be a commodity even as he's working his way back from injury for the Hornets, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- The company that operates the New Orleans Arena is seeking an extra $10MM from the Louisiana state government for upgrades to the building or other Hornets expenses, Ed Anderson of The Times-Picayune reports.
- With the Rockets eliminated from playoff contention, owner Leslie Alexander and coach Kevin McHale had little to say about where the team goes from here, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, who also takes a look at the team's muddied backcourt situation.