Lakers Rumors: Gasol, D’Antoni, Jamison, Nash
A day after criticizing Pau Gasol, coach Mike D'Antoni was quick to reaffirm his support for the big man Saturday after the Lakers blew out the Mavs, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times chronicles. Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register notes the 7'0" Spaniard has also been slowed by tendinitis in his knees. The Gasol situation bears watching, but after his 13-point, nine-rebound performance last night, it doesn't seem like there's too much wrong with him or his fit on the team. There's more on the purple and gold, and we'll round it up here:
- In the same piece, Ding also points out the uptick in performance from offseason signee Antawn Jamison since D'Antoni moved him from small forward to power forward.
- The Lakers are banking heavily on the idea that Steve Nash, who turns 39 in February, can help turn around the team's slow start when he returns from injury, writes HoopsWorld's Derek Page. Yesterday, I asked whether the Lakers should make a move or wait until Nash returns, and so far, a majority of readers aren't believers in a patient approach.
- Lakers training camp invitee Greg Somogyi may sign to play in his native Hungary for the club Szolnoki Olajbanyasz, Sportando's David Pick reports.
Odds & Ends: Warriors, Dwight, Davis, Brewer
It's an eight-game night in the NBA, and while not much attention will be focused on the Bobcats–Wizards tilt, it's certainly a change to find the 6-5 Bobcats on the other side of a game in which a team is starving for a win. While we wait to see if Washington can get its first victory in 11 tries this season, here's more from the Association.
- In a guest editorial for the Bay Area News Group, former Warriors and Grizzlies executive Andy Dolich expresses doubt that the Warriors will be able to open their arena on the San Francisco Bay by 2017, given the lengthy environmental impact review process that must take place (hat tip to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com).
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com wonders if Dwight Howard, a free agent this summer, will question his commitment to the Lakers if the team's struggles continues (Twitter link).
- Glen Davis is looking forward to getting his first win against the Celtics, who traded him to the Magic before last season, notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Corey Brewer has bounced around the league since he was picked seventh overall in in 2007, but with free agency looming next summer, the Nuggets' system has helped him finally live up to his promise, observes Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link).
- Benjamin Hoffman of The New York Times wonders what might have been if the Nets had kept their 2012 first-round draft choice and used it to select Damian Lillard, just as the Blazers did with the pick after they landed it in the Gerald Wallace deal.
- Lillard is atop the rookie rankings compiled by Chris Bernucca of SheridanHoops.com.
- Rookie Jae Crowder has been impressive at times for the Mavs, but his transition to the NBA has not been seamless, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram examines.
Should The Lakers Make A Move?
Last night, the Lakers lost to the Grizzlies to dip back below .500 on the season. Afterward, coach Mike D'Antoni, 1-2 in his brief Lakers tenure, took a jab at Pau Gasol, standing by his decision to bench him in the fourth quarter and questioning the big man's conditioning. It's not the first time Gasol has drawn such criticism from his coach, as Ramona Shelburne noted via Twitter that Phil Jackson used try to get under the Spaniard's skin at times. Still, D'Antoni's comments seem destined to spark another round of Gasol trade rumors, just a week or so after a report by Marc Stein of ESPN.com denied speculation about a deal with the Hawks.
The Lakers have been linked to Raja Bell and Mickael Pietrus in the last 48 hours, and it seems like GM Mitch Kupchak and company are poised to make some kind of move. Still, Steve Nash will likely be returning from injury soon, and the team's roster coming into the season was perhaps the most impressive in the league. Nash has only appeared in two games so far, so maybe a change would be premature, since the team really hasn't had a chance to play together. How do you think the Lakers should approach their personnel? Let us know below, and feel free to share ideas in the comments.
Should The Lakers Make A Move?
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Yes, this roster won't win it all 59% (417)
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No, they should wait until Steve Nash gets back 41% (288)
Total votes: 705
Lakers Inquire About Mickael Pietrus
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Los Angeles Lakers have shown interest in free agent guard Mickael Pietrus, in addition to their previously reported inquiries about Raja Bell.
Pietrus, who played for the Celtics in 2011/12, is an unrestricted free agent who has popped up in discussions among teams dealing with backcourt injury issues early in the season. The Timberwolves considered signing Pietrus before ultimately deciding on Josh Howard. The Raptors were also said to be interested, but nothing has developed on that front. The Spurs made Pietrus an offer after injuries to Stephen Jackson and Kawhi Leonard left them wanting for wing help, but he declined due to lack of guaranteed money.
With guards Steve Nash and Steve Blake continuing to battle injuries, the Lakers are in serious need of depth, which is why they are considering players such as Bell and Pietrus.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Billups, Batum, Heat, Cavs
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni had some harsh words for Pau Gasol in response to a question about the thought process that led him to keep Gasol on the bench in the fourth quarter of the team's loss to the Grizzlies tonight. "I was thinking I'd like to win this game, that's what I was thinking," D'Antoni said, as Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register tweets. The coach also questioned Gasol's conditioning, Ding also tweets, and this will seemingly reignite the off-and-on trade speculation that's surrounded Gasol for the past several months. While we wait to hear more about that, here's the rest of the buzz from a 12-game night in the Association:
- Chauncey Billups is targeting the first week of December to return from his torn Achilles' tendon, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- Wolves coach Rick Adelman explained the team's admiration of Nicolas Batum that led them to sign him to an offer sheet that was eventually matched by the Blazers, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune documents. "I felt he could do what he's doing, that with the group we had — especially with Kevin (Love) and Pek (Nikola Pekovic) and Ricky (Rubio) — it'd be a good fit," Adelman said. "But it didn't work out. They had control over it, and they got him and we're happy we got Andrei (Kirilenko)."
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel can see the Heat pursuing a center at some point later this season.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio preaches patience on Dion Waiters, and doesn't think it would be worthwhile for the Cavs to trade Anderson Varejao.
- College seniors are no longer a commodity in the NBA draft, but several of this year's crop of upperclassmen are making a push to reverse that trend, notes Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider only).
- Croatian small forward Dario Saric is 16th on the DraftExpress.com list of the top 2013 draft prospects, but his new deal overseas doesn't include an NBA out until 2014, reports Toma Dragičević of Jutarnji.hr (translation via Sportando's Emiliano Carchia).
Pacific Rumors: Landry, Lakers, Bell, Barnes
All five Pacific Division teams are in action tonight, and four of the five are squaring off against opponents with records of .500 or better, including the Lakers, who have an opportunity to bounce back from an ugly loss to the Kings with a victory against the Grizzlies. The Suns figure to have the easiest go of it tonight, with a game against the Hornets, but that's certainly no guarantee for a rebuilding Phoenix squad. Here's more from the West Coast:
- Carl Landry is glad to have the stability of the two-year deal he signed with the Warriors this summer, as he tells HoopsWorld. The deal includes a player option for next season, so perhaps this is an early hint that Landry plans to opt in, though that's merely my speculation.
- Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times breaks down potential trade candidates for a Lakers deal involving Raja Bell, and says via Twitter that the team won't cut Robert Sacre to fit Bell on the roster.
- The Lakers' decision on Bell will come down to whether they believe he's an upgrade over offseason signee Jodie Meeks, opines Ben Golliver of SI.com.
- ESPN.com's Chris Palmer thinks the Lakers made a mistake letting Matt Barnes sign with the Clippers, and ESPNLosAngeles.com colleague Arash Markazi believes Barnes would be a better fit in purple and gold under Mike D'Antoni than he was with Mike Brown (Twitter links).
Lakers Showing Interest In Raja Bell
6:39pm: Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles hears the Lakers haven't had any official discussions with Bell yet (Twitter link).
12:44pm: With Mike D'Antoni now at the helm in Los Angeles, the Lakers are exhibiting interest in a player that used to play for D'Antoni in Phoenix. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Lakers are displaying "renewed interest" in Jazz forward Raja Bell. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and Kobe Bryant have also been "strong advocates" of Bell this summer, according to Wojnarowski.
Bell, who is in the final year of his contract, was asked not to report to the Jazz this season, and the two sides have made attempts to negotiate a buyout. While a trade would also be a possibility, Bell's $3.48MM salary makes it difficult to find a taker, particularly given Utah's lack of leverage.
Even if the Jazz were to reach a buyout agreement with Bell, there's no guarantee the Lakers would be willing to add him on a minimum salary, according to Wojnarowski. Los Angeles would have to cut a player to clear a spot, then add more salary and a larger tax hit to a roster that's already worth $100MM. Although Wojnarowski suggests the Lakers would have to pay the salary for whichever player they'd cut, it's worth noting that Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom are on non-guaranteed deals, so the team could save itself some money by releasing one of them.
Regardless, for now, Bell remains under contract with the Jazz. According to Wojnarowski, the Lakers aren't the only team to show some interest in the 36-year-old either — the Bulls have also kicked the tires.
Atlantic Notes: Bynum, Knicks, Lin, Celtics, Green
The Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum trade, like many of the offseason's marquee moves, has yet to pay dividends for any of the teams involved, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Lee thinks the Lakers and Nuggets will turn around their slow starts this season, but he's less optimistic about the Sixers, whom he believes must give Bynum a hefty contract this summer, no matter when he comes back from injury, to justify their involvement in the trade. We've already heard conflicting views on what kind of deal Bynum can expect this summer, and as we wait to find out, there's more news on Philly's Atlantic Division rivals.
- Presumably it's GM Glen Grunwald, if not owner James Dolan, calling the shots on Knicks personnel, but coach Mike Woodson said the decision to let Jeremy Lin go this summer was straightforward, as Newsday's Al Iannazzonne observes. "That’s a business decision," Woodson said. "I don’t think it was difficult. We just decided to go in a different direction, based on the guys I thought I liked in terms of Raymond (Felton), Jason (Kidd) and Pablo (Prigioni)."
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who credits Dolan with making the call on Lin, says he's come around to the owner's side on this one after initially believing the Knicks should have kept Lin.
- The Celtics signed Brian Cusworth toward the end of training camp and waived him shortly thereafter so their D-League affiliate could own their rights, reports Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link). We noted earlier today that the Timberwolves carried out the same sort of transactions with Demetris Nichols and Troy Hudson. Cusworth, a 7'0" center from Harvard, is on the roster of the Maine Red Claws for opening night tonight.
- Jeff Green remains friends with Kevin Durant, but he has otherwise moved on from his Thunder days as he prepares to take on his old team tonight, he told reporters, including Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- Offseason signee Mirza Teletovic, on the inactive list tonight, isn't seeing much of the court for the Nets, as Josh Newman of SNY.tv chronicles.
Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, Draft, Mavs, Anderson
It's one of the busiest nights of the year on the hardwood in the Association, with a slate of 14 games before the league takes a one-day hiatus for Thanksgiving. There's plenty of off-court news as well, and we've got that covered here.
- Mike D'Antoni will keep all the existing Lakers assistant coaches through the season, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. It looks like D'Antoni won't hire Nate McMillan, as he indicated he would do, Shelburne adds.
- Nuggets coach George Karl believes the Wolves' signing of Andrei Kirilenko was a smart move, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune notes.
- Jeremy Bauman of SheridanHoops.com breaks down the top 10 draft prospects from this week's Legends Classic tournament.
- Dirk Nowitzki hopes when he comes back that he and O.J. Mayo can develop the same rhythm he had with Jason Terry, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details.
- James Anderson, brought back by the Spurs today, wants to copy Danny Green's ability to take advantage of a second chance, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News documents.
- Jim Owczarski of OnMilwaukee.com checks in with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis as the pair tries to answer questions about their ability to play together for the Bucks.
- Sean Williams, who was waived by the Rockets over the summer, lasted just one preseason game with the Foshan Long Lions of the Chinese league after signing this week, tweets Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall, who translated a Weibo report. The team picked up Shavlik Randolph, a Wizards training-camp invitee this year, to replace him.
Western Rumors: Wolves, Lakers, Lillard, Barnes
Fans in Minnesota will have something extra to be thankful for on the holiday tomorrow, after John Krawczynski of The Associated Press broke the news of Kevin Love's surprise return to the lineup for the Timberwolves tonight, between two and four weeks ahead of schedule (Twitter links). It seemed like the Wolves were close to becoming eligible for a hardship exemption that would allow them to sign a 16th player to their roster, when Brandon Roy joined Love, Ricky Rubio and Chase Budinger on the list of those expected to miss significant time. Now it appears Minnesota will have to make do with the standard 15, a trade-off the team will surely take if it means having Love back in action. Here's more from the West, with 14 of the conference's 15 teams in action.
- Speaking on Jim Rome's program on Showtime, Kobe Bryant defended Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss, saying it's up to the team's players to validate the hiring of coach Mike D'Antoni, notes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Damian Lillard's instant impact is speeding up the rebuilding process for the Blazers, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Harrison Barnes learned how to win in college at North Carolina, and he's bringing some of those principles to the Warriors, observes HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram.
- It's no shock to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau that Omer Asik, whose offer sheet with the Rockets wasn't matched by Chicago, has blossomed in a starting role, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times documents.
- We rounded up more on the Rockets and their Texas rivals earlier tonight.