Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Pacers Rumors

Odds & Ends: Hinrich, Williams, Heat, Hansbrough

October 13th, 2012 at 12:02pm CST by Zachary Links

While some have said that Kirk Hinrich has lost a step, the guard says that he is as healthy as he has been in years.  That could make all the difference this season for the Bulls, who need as much as they can get out of the backcourt while Derrick Rose rehabs his knee injury, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.  The point guard has spent the last few years with the Hawks and Wizards while battling injuries and was brought back to be a stabilizing force in Chicago.  Hinrich, who is set to earn $8MM over the next two seasons, may not be the player he was five years ago, but could still prove to a strong pickup for the Bulls.  Here's more from around the league..

  • Atlanta native Lou Williams says that he always envisioned himself playing for his hometown team, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Williams said that there were "three or four teams" in heavy pursuit of him this summer, but he quickly gave the edge to the Hawks once it became clear that they would offer him a fair deal.
  • In today's Q-and-A column, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the Heat would be better off with a traditional point guard such as Jose Calderon over Mario Chalmers.  Winderman doesn't agree, arguing that a typical one-guard isn't needed when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade like to handle the ball as much as they do.
  • Undrafted rookie Ben Hansbrough has an uphill battle as he looks to make the Pacers roster, but he is certainly giving the front office something to think about, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com.  Hansbrough is trying to hook on as a one-guard behind two true point guards in George Hill and D.J. Augustin and combo guard Lance Stephenson.
  • Justin Holiday will also have a tough time making the final 15 with the Trail Blazers, but the forward has never been afraid of working hard to reach his goal, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Ingram On Billups, Clippers, Warriors, Hibbert

October 5th, 2012 at 8:00pm CST by Sean Highkin

HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram has a new column that touches on several topics from around the league, including the rivalry in Los Angeles and the Warriors' expectations.

  • Ingram talks to Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, who says he is taking his time getting healthy after tearing his left Achilles' tendon last season.
  • Billups also praises the Clippers' depth, citing the additions of Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford as moves that will improve the team.
  • Warriors coach Mark Jackson is optimistic Andrew Bogut, acquired last season at the trade deadline, will be ready on opening night. He also thinks the team's three rookies, including lottery pick Harrison Barnes, will be valuable contributors this season.
  • Despite coming close to signing with the Trail Blazers in July, Pacers center Roy Hibbert says he never wanted to leave Indiana and that money was not a factor in his decision. Hibbert signed a four-year, $58MM deal with the Pacers this summer.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Cavs, Pistons

October 4th, 2012 at 6:14pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Shams Charania of RealGM had a few interesting tidbits to relay from Bulls camp, writing about how coach Tom Thibodeau personally recruited Nate Robinson, Andre Emmett's fight to earn a contract during training camp and his willingness to sign with the team at any point during the season, and coach Thibodeau's aim to maintain Joakim Noah's minutes during the season. We have quite a few more links to share with news from the Central Division…

  • K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that despite losing many rotation players from last year's team, Thibodeau likes the versatility of the team's new additions and the flexibility of the roster overall. 
  • Pacers insider Mike Wells of IndyStar.com breaks down what he will pay attention to during the team's scrimmage on Friday, particularly Roy Hibbert's positioning, the play of the reserves, Paul George's ball-handling, and how the rookies fare. 
  • Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio listed some of his early observations from Cavaliers training camp early on, saying that Dion Waiters' conditioning is not an issue, C.J. Miles is standing out as a perimeter shooting threat, Samardo Samuels and Jon Leuer appear to have earned significant roles, and that the team will have tough roster decisions to make by the end of camp. 
  • Cavaliers coach Byron Scott appears especially impressed with Leuer, who the team had claimed off waivers in July. "I just don't think he knows how good he can be," said Scott (according to a tweet by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer). Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Journal elaborates about Samuels' hard work this past summer, shedding 20 pounds since the end of last season and has cut down his body fat from 15 percent to between six and seven percent. 
  • Jonny Flynn and Terrence Williams, the sixth and ninth picks of the 2009 NBA draft respectively, find themselves vying for guaranteed contracts on the Pistons roster. David Mayo of MLive.com writes about their thoughts on the opportunity as well as head coach Lawrence Frank's firm belief that both are NBA players. Frank says that he's liked what he's seen from Flynn and Williams in camp so far, even pointing out that he sees Williams as a point guard (and not a wing player).  
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Rumors: Gibson, Thomas, West, Kravtsov

October 3rd, 2012 at 6:30pm CST by Chuck Myron
There's plenty of news out of the Central Division this evening, so let's jump right in.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Blatche, Pacers, Allen, Nelson

October 3rd, 2012 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic were ripped by fans and pundits alike when they dealt Dwight Howard and failed to receive a true impact player like Andrew Bynum in the trade. However, as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes today, the team's decision not to take on Bynum and his balky knees is looking better now than it did at the time. The former Laker, who has been ruled out for three weeks, may end up being fine, but it's something of an ominous start for the Bynum era in Philadelphia, says Bianchi. Here are the rest of the morning's notes out of the Eastern Conference:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Nets, Daniels

September 27th, 2012 at 10:47pm CST by Ryan Raroque
There's a chance that Minnesota could bring Hassan Whiteside into training camp, but Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 believes that it would have to be a non-guaranteed contract. Wolfson also covers a few more miscellaneous notes surrounding the Timberwolves, including the status of Nikola Pekovic, other players under consideration along with Louis Amundson, and that Chicago businessman Richard Chaifetz has been "kicking the tires" on the prospect of owning the team. Here's what else we've heard from around the league tonight:

Read more

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Pacers, Villanueva, Jaric, Pargo

September 27th, 2012 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Cavs reportedly put the finishing touches on a training-camp contract for Kevin Anderson, their division rivals are staying active as well. Here's the latest on a few Central Division teams:

  • Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star examines the Pacers' final couple roster spots, predicting that Sam Young will earn one, while Blake Ahearn and Sundiata Gaines will compete for the other.
  • After a forgettable 2011/12 season, Charlie Villanueva is fighting to bounce back for the Pistons this year, as Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. Asked about the amnesty rumors that surrounded him in July, Villanueva admitted that it was hard not to notice: "It burns me up. It just drove me. Instead of being upset, I said, this will pass and I will let my game do the talking."
  • Marko Jaric was in recently to work out with the Bulls, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). Jaric has seven years of NBA experience under his belt, but hasn't played in the league since 2008/09, with the Grizzlies.
  • Jannero Pargo expects to finalize a deal within the next couple days, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). Charania adds that Pargo is "sticking around Chicago," but I would assume that's just where he's working out, rather than an indication he'll sign with the Bulls.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pacers Rumors: Granger, Green, Augustin, Mahinmi

September 25th, 2012 at 9:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star shares a number of noteworthy tidbits from his conversation with Pacers coach Frank Vogel, including word that Danny Granger will be brought along slowly in training camp after a left knee issue that arose over the summer. He'll only play in some of the team's preseason games, but the Pacers don't expect it to become a major issue, Wells writes. Here's more from the coach of the team that held a 2-1 lead on the eventual champion Heat in the conference semis this spring:

  • Vogel is impressed with new acquisitions Gerald Green and D.J. Augustin. "Gerald Green is doing things everyday I didn’t think was possible for human beings to do," he said. "D.J. has really blown me away in the limited time that he’s been here in terms of his ability to create and make others better. That’s a unique talent to have. Literally on almost every possession he makes somebody better with his passing."
  • The coach also shed some light on the team's decision to let go of Louis Amundson, who signed today with the Wolves, and commit $16MM over four seasons to Ian Mahinmi in the sign-and-trade that sent away Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones. "We felt like Lou did a great job last year, but we also felt like we got lucky with injuries to (Andrew) Bogut, (Al) Horford, (Brook) Lopez and (Dwight)  Howard," Vogel said. "We think Mahinmi will size up and give us more depth against those elite centers better than Lou did."
  • Lance Stephenson is the early favorite to backup Paul George at shooting guard, Wells writes, a role filled by current free agent Leandro Barbosa when last season ended. "Lance Stephenson has challenged for playing time for two years," Vogel said. "Now he’s playing with more confidence than he ever has. So he’s going to challenge the starters."

 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Nets, Bynum, Celtics, Brooks

September 25th, 2012 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

While very few teams still have cap space available as the 2012/13 season approaches, there are a number of clubs in good position to clear a ton of money from their books next summer. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld takes an early look at which teams have the least guaranteed money on their cap next summer and beyond, and notes that many of the teams in the best position are in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons, Bobcats, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Wizards all only have between $17MM and $22MM in guaranteed money on their caps for 2013/14, though many of those numbers will increase when rookie-contract options are exercised.

Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference on a Tuesday afternoon:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Pacers, Valanciunas, Wallace, Kidd

September 23rd, 2012 at 10:28pm CST by Alex Lee

Let's consolidate all the odds and ends from Sunday night in this post:

  • Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York reports, via Twitter, that Mike Bibby likely won't sign with a team before the start of training camps.  The veteran point guard does expect to sign somewhere, however, but not the Knicks and we heard yesterday, probably not the Celtics.
  • Ben Golliver of CBS Sports provides his offseason report for the Clippers.  Golliver says that after decades where the goal was to not screw up their draft, the Clippers were able to employ a more competitive approach of acquiring established veterans to fit around Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
  • Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman outlines the roster changes and season outlook for each team in the Northwest division, including the hometown Thunder.
  • The Kamenetzky brothers of ESPN Los Angeles discuss via video who has the most to gain and the most to lose on the bolstered roster of the Lakers.

Earlier updates:

  • The staff at HoopsWorld puts together their season preview on the Pacers.  All five of their writers selected the Pacers to win the Central Division, a year after finishing second behind the Bulls.  Lacking the star power of the Heat, Indiana will need popular breakout candidate Paul George to fulfill his potential if they want to go deep into the playoffs. 
  • Raptors Lithuanian prospect Jonas Valanciunas injured his left foot, reports the Toronto Sun.  After Toronto used the fifth pick in last year's draft on him, Valanciunas enters his first NBA season with a ton of hype.  The seven footer was spotted with a walking boot, though all indications are that it is a minor injury.
  • Keith Schlosser of the Knicks Journal gives his take on the news that Rasheed Wallace is being considered by the Knicks.  If that move comes to fruition, Wallace would be joining a roster full of late 30-somethings.  Jason Kidd, in this NBA.com video, seems confident that the supplemental pieces that the team added could put them over the top. 
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts