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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 4/3/17

April 3rd, 2017 at 9:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo and Pascal Siakam to the Raptors 905, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to their Twitter feed. Siakam is one of the many 2016 first-round picks who have seen action in the D-League this season, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors detailed.
The Cavaliers have assigned Kay Felder to the Canton Charge, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The rookie has appeared in 11 games for Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, scoring 29.9 points per contest.
The Clippers have recalled Brice Johnson from the Salt Lake City Stars, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter link). Los Angeles doesn’t have its own D-League affiliate, so Johnson played for the Stars via the flex assignment rule.

Chris Paul Aware That Clippers Need Playoff Success

April 2nd, 2017 at 9:21pm CST by Austin Kent

The Clippers are well aware of the fact that the pressure is on them to win in the playoffs, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register writes. “Until we do anything, that’s what it is,” Chris Paul said. “We haven’t won. It depends on what day of the week it is and who did we just beat? It’s always changing but until we do something it’s going to be the same thing.“

Clippers Notes: Austin Rivers, Griffin, Doc Rivers

April 1st, 2017 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Austin Rivers is targeting the middle of a first-round playoff series as a realistic return date, relays Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Rivers is sidelined by a left hamstring strain that he suffered Wednesday against Washington. There’s no timetable for him to play again, but the general feeling is that he will be ready sometime in late April. “The goal was game one of the playoffs,” Rivers said, “but it’s looking like hopefully mid first round, early second round. We’ll see. You never know, I might heal faster than I think so. In my mind, my goal is to be back by the first round, for game one or game two, which is ideal. So, we’ll see.” The playoffs will start two weeks from today.

There’s more news out of Los Angeles:

After becoming the first player to reach 10,000 points in a Clippers uniform, Blake Griffin wanted to focus more on the postseason than his future in L.A., writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Griffin scored 36 today in a win over the Lakers, then brushed aside questions about free agency. “I’ve loved my time here, absolutely,” he said. “But my main focus right now is the season. I said this before the season, I’m not doing the whole free agency talk. I’m not talking about any decision I can’t make right now. Like I said, my main focus is getting this team right and moving forward and being right heading into the playoffs.”
Also reaching a milestone today was coach Doc Rivers, who posted his 800th career victory, Oram notes in the same story. Those wins have come over 18 seasons with the Magic, Celtics and Clippers. “I’ve learned everything is a big deal,” Rivers said, “but you don’t have to sweat it all.”
The Clippers are just 33-29 after a 14-2 start and there is concern that the core could be broken up this summer, writes Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times. With Griffin, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick all headed toward free agency, Plaschke thinks a significant playoff run will be needed to justify keeping the team together.

Austin Rivers Likely Sidelined For Regular Season

April 1st, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Clippers anticipate losing Austin Rivers for the rest of the regular season due to a left hamstring strain, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN reports.

“I think it’s a little more serious [than initially believed],” coach Doc Rivers told reporters before Saturday’s game. When asked of Austin’s prospects for the postseason, Doc replied “We don’t know. I would say it’s 50-50.”

Per Arnovitz, Rivers’ injury occurred during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Wizards. Having already locked up a playoff spot, the decision to potentially shut down Rivers for the season appears to be a cautious one. Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford will likely split minutes at point guard in Rivers’ absence.

Austin addressed his injury with Bill Oram of the O.C. Register yesterday, voicing frustration at the prospect of being sidelined until the playoffs.

“This is the time of year, if anytime, I want to be healthy. … At least it’s not during the playoffs,” Rivers said. “People are always looking for something wrong with our team instead of looking for what’s right. Why don’t you look at how many injuries we’ve had and still been able to hold down the ship in the West, and still be a top-five seed in the West without Blake and Chris for a big chunk of games?”

Austin Rivers Likely To Miss Rest Of Regular Season

March 31st, 2017 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers guard Austin Rivers is expected to miss the last five games of the regular season with a strained left hamstring, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Rivers called the injury a frustrating one, but suggested he anticipates being back for the start of the playoffs.

Los Angeles Notes: Robinson, World Peace, Clippers

March 30th, 2017 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers power forward Thomas Robinson was no lock to make the team’s 15-man roster back in October, but he earned a spot out of training camp and has now earned an increased role as the team’s season nears an end, writes Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Although Robinson’s stats aren’t eye-popping, his .534 FG% is easily a career best, and his per-minute numbers are also among the strongest of his career.

Head coach Luke Walton, who calls Robinson “one of our hardest workers,” has played an instrumental role in getting the most out of the former fifth overall pick, and Walton’s impact is one reason why Robinson wants to stick in Los Angeles when he reaches free agency this summer. According to Medina, Robinson says he’ll “do anything possible” he can to stay a Laker.

Here are a few more notes on the two Los Angeles teams:

Like Robinson, Metta World Peace got a one-year, non-guaranteed deal from the Lakers last offseason and wasn’t assured a season-long roster spot. However, he has remained with the team too, and the veteran forward has been a leader in the locker room this season despite playing limited minutes, says Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times.
The Clippers‘ five core players are in their fourth season together, and they recognize their window for making a deep postseason run may not be open for much longer. As Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times details, three of those core players – Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and J.J. Redick – will be free agents this summer, and Jamal Crawford suggests the team is getting “impatient” to make its mark in the postseason.
With free agency looming for some key Clippers players, Mark Whicker of The Orange County Register wonders if we may be nearing the end of an era for the club.

Clippers Rumors: Griffin, CP3, Rivers

March 24th, 2017 at 8:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have been one of the NBA’s most successful regular season teams over the past several years, but that regular season success hasn’t translated into a deep playoff run — the team has been eliminated in either the first or second round of the postseason in each of the last five years.

With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and J.J. Redick all on track to become unrestricted free agents this summer, the Clippers could find themselves at a crossroads, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Although there’s still optimism within the organization about Paul and Griffin re-signing, things could change quickly if the Clippers suffer another first-round defeat this spring.

Ding provides a handful of interesting Clippers-related tidbits in his piece, so let’s round up some of the highlights…

“More and more people” around the NBA believe that Griffin isn’t necessarily a lock to remain with the Clippers in free agency, according to Ding. Griffin’s interests in the entertainment industry make him likely to stick in Los Angeles, but Ding suggests that the star forward may be open to considering the Celtics or even the Lakers.
For his part, Griffin weighed in on the Clippers, who have been up and down this season and have played sub-.500 ball since the All-Star break: “One thing you can control always is effort. Our effort hasn’t been there at times as a team. Haven’t had trust. I think that’s something we talked about a lot early in the season: the trust. Knowing the next man’s going to be there for you, knowing you’ve got to be there for whoever goes next. I think we miss that.”
One team source indicated to Ding that Paul’s “hard-driving nature and politician’s polish” make it hard for teammates to get close to him. According to that source, “nobody’s really friends with Chris.” Another source tells Ding that CP3 is closer to Doc Rivers than he is to any of his teammates.
There’s still some “in-house resentment” toward coach’s son Austin Rivers, but it “isn’t out of control,” Ding writes.

Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Rose, Draft Targets

March 21st, 2017 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The triangle offense continues to be a source of tension in New York, with sources suggesting to Ian Begley of ESPN.com that the Knicks’ return to the triangle is one reason some veteran players have started to lose faith in head coach Jeff Hornacek recently. Despite Hornacek’s recent insistence that the triangle could hold some appeal to free agents, there’s concern in some corners of the organization that it could do the opposite, driving free agents away from the Knicks, Begley reports.

As Begley outlines, some Knicks players feel that the triangle is too easy for opposing teams to defend, with opposing players suggesting that they can predict where players will be on the court. Pacers point guard Jeff Teague alluded to this recently, telling Marc Berman of The New York Post that a player like Derrick Rose is easier to contain when he’s playing in the triangle.

According to Begley, there’s also some concern that if Knicks president Phil Jackson leaves the team in two or three years, there would be no guarantee that the team’s new president would insist on the same system. That could complicate the development of young players like Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez, who would then have to learn a new offense after getting accustomed to the triangle.

Begley has several more Knicks-related items of interest to pass along, so let’s round up some of the highlights…

After shopping Carmelo Anthony a little earlier this year, the Knicks “remain committed” to moving him this summer, per Begley. Anthony will still control his future, so he’d have to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate a deal. However, sources tell Begley that some members of the Clippers organization expressed confidence last month that they could acquire Carmelo in the offseason.
Although the Knicks appeared at the trade deadline to be souring on the idea of keeping Derrick Rose long-term, the club hasn’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing him, says Begley. Some members of the organization view Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague as potential free agent targets as well, as New York searches for an answer at point guard.
The Knicks will almost certainly have a top-10 pick in this year’s draft, and according to Begley, they’ve been eyeing players such as French guard Frank Ntilikina and Kentucky sharpshooter Malik Monk.
Team owner James Dolan publicly stated earlier in the year that he intends to exercise the Knicks’ half of the mutual option on Phil Jackson‘s contract this summer. Still, sources tell Begley that some people around Dolan have been urging him to consider making a change.

Clippers, Heat Interested In Carlos Boozer

March 18th, 2017 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran forward Carlos Boozer has piqued the interest of some NBA teams by leading his Chinese club to within a game of the league finals, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

A source with connections to basketball in China tells Stein that the Clippers and Heat are among the teams closely following Boozer’s exploits with the Guangdong Southern Tigers. Both teams have fully stocked rosters and would have to waive someone to make room for Boozer. The Heat have an obvious candidate as they are expected to seek a medical retirement for Chris Bosh at some point.

The 34-year-old Boozer last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 season, when he appeared in 71 games with the Lakers. He also spent time with the Cavaliers, Jazz and Bulls during a 13-year career.

Boozer would be eligible for the playoffs because he hasn’t been on another NBA roster this season. However, Guangdong’s success may work against him if the Chinese postseason lasts too long. Boozer must return to the United States and be signed by April 12th, the last day of the regular season, to participate in the playoffs.

Could Doc Rivers Be Headed To Orlando?

March 18th, 2017 at 6:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:03pm: Rivers is trying to quell rumors that he might go to Orlando, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Speaking with reporters before tonight’s game, Rivers insisted that he has “no future” with the Magic.

5:15pm: League insiders are discussing the possibility that Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers could take a similar role in Orlando, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

The theory, according to Stein, starts with the likelihood that Rob Hennigan will be fired as Magic GM at the end of the season. Add in the upcoming free agency for Clippers stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and there’s a possibility that changes are coming in L.A.

Stein hints that the Clippers could be broken up if they fail to reach the conference finals, something the team hasn’t done in the six years Paul and Griffin have been together. If those changes include a coaching move, then Rivers, whose contract as coach and president of basketball operations runs through 2018/19, would become available for Orlando.

If that scenario happens, it would mark a homecoming for Rivers, who started his coaching career with the Magic in 1999.

It’s not clear if Orlando is ready to dismiss current coach Frank Vogel, who was given a four-year contract last summer. Stein says Hennigan’s trade of Serge Ibaka to Toronto last month was an admission that the roster was overstocked with big men, and it appeared to absolve Vogel of blame for a disappointing season.

If Vogel remains, the Magic will consider former Orlando player Pat Garrity to replace Hennigan. Garrity currently serves as associate GM with the Pistons.

Another possibility for the Clippers, Stein notes, is to request that Rivers give up his front office duties and concentrate on coaching. If that happens, the team may reach out to Bob Whitsitt, a former executive with the SuperSonics and Trail Blazers who has close ties to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

Stein also says to watch for the possible departure of L.A. shooting guard J.J. Redick in free agency this summer. Redick complained publicly about the organization this week and may become too expensive for the Clippers to re-sign.