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Southeast Notes: Durant, Wittman, Dedmon, Payne

November 10th, 2015 at 11:34am CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Durant didn’t give the media much to go on as he spoke this morning in Washington, where the Thunder will play the Wizards tonight, but he elaborated on the remark in which he called the attention he received the last time he played in Washington “disrespectful,” as The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater relays. The Wizards showed a photo of Durant edited to depict him in a Wizards jersey on their scoreboard when the Thunder visited Washington last season, but Durant doesn’t pin any blame on the adulation from Washington fans.

“Nah, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with what the fans do,” Durant said. “Me, I’m just thinking as a player on the other side. Fans gonna do what they gonna do. I appreciate all the support going our way. But I’m just looking at it as an opposing player and if I was on that team and they came in here and did that, I wouldn’t like it. But the fans, hey, they support us. Throughout the whole league, they make it what it is.”

See more on the Wizards and other news from the Southeast Division:

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Western Notes: Cousins, Belinelli, Green, Wolves

November 10th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings, losers of six in a row and just 1-7 on the season, are planning a players-only meeting, DeMarcus Cousins told reporters, adding that the team’s issues are “not at all” about on-court matters, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays. Cousins cautioned that he believes in “every single person in this [locker] room,” Jones notes, though the looming question surrounds his relationship with coach George Karl, who’s used seven different starting lineups in the team’s eight games.

“Everything I can’t really speak on,” Cousins said. “We got some issues that we got to carve out. Can’t really speak on that. But one thing is, us players, we got to stick together. And just with that, that’ll get us through most battles. We got some issues in-house we need to figure out.”

Rudy Gay suggested on-court issues were at play, saying the team’s offensive and defensive schemes require examination, The Bee’s Ailene Voisin tweets. While we wait to see how the latest drama in Sacramento plays out, see more on the Kings amid the latest from the Western Conference:

  • Manu Ginobili and Marco Belinelli have known each other since they were teenagers and they forged an uncommonly tight bond that Ginobili has missed since Belinelli departed the Spurs for the Kings in free agency this past summer, observes Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich seems to wish he could have kept the Italian-born shooting guard. “I just miss his presence,” Popovich said, according to Orsborn. “He was a great guy. He was a great teammate. Great sense of humor, again he was a great teammate, a real smart player. We all miss him.”
  • The release of Erick Green leaves the Nuggets shorthanded at point guard, but coach Michael Malone is confident that the team has enough ball-handling at other positions to make up for it, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post examines. The Nuggets had a chance to put that theory to the test when Jameer Nelson missed Monday’s win over the Blazers with injury. In any case, Denver remains high on Green. “He lives in the gym, everyone in this building has a positive impression of Erick, not just him as a player but him as a person,” GM Tim Connelly said. “He’s a fantastic person, and he’s going to be back in the NBA, ASAP. He’s a guys we’ll keep close tabs on. You never close the door, especially for a guy who has done as much as Erick and worked as hard as he has.”
  • Austin Peters of Upside & Motor categorizes eight Timberwolves on rookie contracts into tiers, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in their own class at the top and Gorgui Dieng joining Adreian Payne as those Peters views as long shots to make an impact.
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Central Notes: Bulls, Pistons, Bucks

November 8th, 2015 at 3:15pm CST by Will Joseph

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is not sure when rookie Bobby Portis will start to see consistent time on the court, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link) relays. The Bulls drafted Portis with the 22nd pick. Portis has not played in six of the Bulls’ first seven games, with his only appearance coming in a lopsided contest. Portis, according to Hoiberg, is not letting a lack of playing time derail his work ethic. “He says practices are his games,” Hoiberg said. “He’s getting out there, stirring things up. He’ll continue to do that every time he steps on the court.”

Here’s more from around the Central Division:

  • It’s Hoiberg’s first season with the Bulls, but the group is exhibiting one of the same problems it had under former coach Tom Thibodeau and that is a lack of effort, Friedell writes in a full story. With Thibodeau as its leader, Chicago was known as a hard-nosed defensive team, but this year’s Bulls have yet to discover their identity, Friedell adds, and that has contributed to the inconsistent start.
  • The Pistons need to acquire a power forward before the trade deadline or via free agency next summer, David Mayo of MLive.com opines in a mailbag response. Ersan Ilyasova is under contract through 2016/17, but Anthony Tolliver is set to be a free agent after this season, as Mayo points out.
  • The long-term success of the Bucks largely depends on Jabari Parker and how the small forward comes back from his injury, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes in a detailed piece. The Bucks have a talented young roster, but they are hoping Parker, who was the second overall pick in the 2014 draft, develops into a star after his rookie season was cut short by the knee injury in December.
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Western Notes: Ezeli, Miller, Lillard, Diawara

November 2nd, 2015 at 5:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Festus Ezeli‘s favorable perception of the Warriors hasn’t changed in the wake of the end of extension talks between agent Bill Duffy and the team, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group relays. The center is headed into restricted free agency in July with the extension window officially set to close at 11pm Central tonight.

“Obviously [Duffy] didn’t come up to an agreement with the team, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I want to be here for the rest of my career, and I love these guys,” Ezeli said. “I love the team. We discussed it a little bit with my family, and [Duffy] kind of told us what he thought was best moving forward, and we went with that.”

See more from the Western Conference:

  • Part of the reason the Timberwolves wanted to sign Andre Miller is because Flip Saunders wanted to shore up the team’s troubles with simply inbounding the ball at the end of games, as TNT’s David Aldridge notes within his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Of course, Miller’s leadership was key, too, and Saunders told Miller ahead of time that the team would be signing fellow veteran Tayshaun Prince, as Miller said to Aldridge for a piece that further shows the respect the Wolves have for the late coach/executive.
  • Damian Lillard‘s play has been surprisingly underwhelming so far this season, but it’s chiefly a product of his willingness to experiment with his game so that he can tailor it to the needs of the Blazers‘ overhauled roster, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com examines. “It’s easy for me to go out there and get 35 and have seven assists and the game not be played as well,’’ Lillard said. “But if we are going to play the game the right way and if our team is going to grow and keep getting better, then I have to make sure we are doing things the right way.’’
  • Four-year NBA veteran and Grizzlies camp cut Yakhouba Diawara has signed with CSP Limoges of France, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). Freelance journalist Guido Guida first reported the news (Twitter link).
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Northwest Notes: Blazers, Nuggets, Wolves

November 1st, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Will Joseph

First-year Nuggets coach Michael Malone is frustrated with the lack of energy from his players and wondered if he has been pushing too hard, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post relays. Specifically, Malone was referring to the Nuggets’ lopsided loss in their home opener. 

“I have the propensity to push, push, push, push,” Malone said. “And after the game last night, I’m always going to look at myself in the mirror — hey, maybe we pushed too hard for too long. … So, today, we went hard, but we went short. So maybe I have to scale back a little bit, because we are banged up, we have guys who are playing fairly heavy minutes. So, I have to maybe be a little bit more judicious in how we practice.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

  • Wolves owner owner Glen Taylor has granted GM Milt Newton and interim coach Sam Mitchell “autonomy” to make important decisions and both are dedicated to carrying out Flip Saunders’ blueprint of developing young talent, Chip Scroggins of the Star Tribune opines.
  • Damian Lillard is probably deferring to his teammates too much so far for the Blazers, but in the long-term, that’s a good thing for Portland, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com opines. Lillard, who was signed to a max extension in the summer, is 1-for-15 from the field in the fourth quarter so far this season, Quick points out. With a new supporting cast, Quick argues that Lillard’s sacrifice will help the Blazers play more team basketball.
  • Mason Plumlee, who came to the Blazers in a draft night trade with the Nets, has been impressing his Portland teammates and coaches with his ability to handle the ball and make plays since early in the summer, Mike Richman of The Oregonian relays. In contrast to his days with the Nets, Plumlee fits better in the Blazers’ faster-paced system because he has the freedom to use his full array of skills, including leading fast breaks, Richman adds.
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Northwest Notes: Wolves, Mudiay, Stone, Jazz

October 29th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Flip Saunders built this year’s Timberwolves in an unusual way, with a seasoned veteran for every position group, notes Lee Jenkins of SI.com. Big man tutor Kevin Garnett, mentor wing player Tayshaun Prince and experienced point guard Andre Miller all signed contracts during the offseason before the late Saunders had to leave the job because of his ailing health. Now, they’re serving as guides through a difficult time as the team mourns Saunders’ death. Minnesota opened the season Wednesday with a one-point win over the Lakers.

“Coach brought us all here for a reason,” coach Sam Mitchell said, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. “And he would expect nothing less than us coming out and being focused and doing the very best job.”

See more from around the Northwest Division:

  • New coach Michael Malone wants to win, but he acknowledges that so much of this season for the Nuggets is about the education of No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay, as Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post relays. “If we’re getting our butts kicked, I’m not going to just sit there and say: ‘Well, this is good for Emmanuel’s development,'” Malone said. “But, overall, I want to be able to say at the end of Year 1 that we gave Emmanuel every chance to succeed and learn going into Year 2, because that’s only going to accelerate the growth of this roster and this organization.”
  • Thunder camp cut Julyan Stone has signed with Gaziantep of Turkey, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
  • The Jazz named Linda Luchetti the team’s vice president of basketball operations this week, a position that will have her reporting directly to GM Dennis Lindsey, the team announced. The move makes her one of the most highly ranking female basketball executives in the league, though her responsibilities will be focused on the business side of the team, according to The Associated Press.
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And-Ones: Paul, Agent Changes, Leonard

October 28th, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Paul rejects the notion that he’s a poor teammate, an idea that rumors of a rift between Paul and DeAndre Jordan helped fuel this summer, writes Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. Jordan has downplayed any tension, citing a mutual desire to win, and that’s just what Paul is thinking about as he envisions playing the rest of his career with the Clippers, as Woike details.

“Hell, I never imagined I’d leave New Orleans, but there’s no question this is where I want to be,” Paul said to Woike. “I want to win. Here.”

The earliest Paul can elect free agency is the summer of 2017. See more from around the NBA:

  • Agent Michael Tellem, the son of former agent turned Pistons organization executive Arn Tellem, is leaving the Wasserman Media Group for the Creative Artists Agency and taking high-profile client Danilo Gallinari with him, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Mario Hezonja, Bojan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica have dropped Tellem and will continue with Wasserman, Pick adds (on Twitter). The loss of Arn Tellem has proven tough for Wasserman, which also lost Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge and Joe Johnson over the offseason. Gallinari, Hezonja and Bjelica all signed new deals earlier this summer, while Bogdanovic remains on a deal with the Nets that runs through 2016/17.
  • Extension talks between the Trail Blazers and Meyers Leonard are off to a late start, but Leonard’s preference is to stay in Portland, observes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The deadline for the sides to reach a deal is Monday. “I really, really like and love this city,” Leonard said. “I love the organization and now that a greater opportunity has presented itself, I think a lot more people are embracing me. I’d love to be here. That’s my hope. But I don’t know if I’ll get an extension. I don’t know what will happen after this year. We’ll have to wait and see.”
  • Al Harrington said in March that he was retiring, but instead the 16-year NBA veteran is joining the Sydney Kings of Australia on a four-week deal, league sources told Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia.
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And-Ones: Colangelo, Timberwolves, Leonard

October 26th, 2015 at 10:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jerry Colangelo will step down as chairman of USA Basketball after the 2020 Olympics, he confirms to TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes about it in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Colangelo nonetheless committed to remain in his job that long to help persuade Gregg Popovich to take over as Team USA head coach, Aldridge notes. Popovich is also signed only through 2020, though it’s unclear if he’s open to coaching the team beyond then. “For sure, I’m done in ’20,” Colangelo said. “There’s an end date.”

In other news around the league:

  • The Timberwolves spoke with league officials about postponing Wednesday’s season opener against the Lakers after coach Flip Saunders succumbed to complications from cancer treatments on Sunday, but the talks never reached a serious stage, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. The sorrowful Timberwolves know it will be difficult to play so soon after their coach’s untimely death, Zgoda adds. “We’re definitely in a tough spot, but we’re gonna do the best we can,” veteran small forward Tayshaun Prince said.
  • The Trail Blazers have not engaged in extension talks with center Meyers Leonard, according to Jason Quick of CSNNW.com. Neil Olshey, the Blazers’ president of basketball operations, delayed the process because he wanted to avoid drawn-out negotiations with Leonard’s agent Aaron Mintz, Quick continues. The Blazers can preserve cap space for next summer by putting off the extension, Quick points out, because the first year of his salary would count against the cap if they sign him before the Nov. 2nd deadline.
  • Owners are looking to former agent Arn Tellem, who joined the Pistons organization as an executive this year, for perspective as they prepare to negotiate on labor issues with the players, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Tellem, who is the vice chairman of the Palace Sports and Entertainment group that controls the Pistons, addressed owners at last week’s Board of Governors meeting.
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Northwest Notes: Saunders, Waiters, Gobert, Atkins

October 26th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Flip Saunders was in a coma for nearly six weeks before his death at age 60, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. He had one more treatment left for Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he came down with pneumonia, went into the hospital, and failed to recover, sources told Hartman. Saunders was optimistic in the months leading up to his death, about his own prognosis — saying that he thought he’d return to the team shortly after the New Year — and about the Timberwolves, as Hartman details. The coach/executive predicted a title for the team within three years, though close friends speculated that by that time, he hoped that he could turn over head coaching duties to son Ryan, a Wolves assistant coach, according to Hartman. Saunders was by far the winningest coach in Timberwolves history, going 427-392 over his two tenures in the job, and was the only coach ever to take the team to the playoffs, the Star Tribune’s Jerry Zgoda writes in an obituary. As the NBA mourns, see more from the Northwest Division:

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Reactions To The Death Of Flip Saunders

October 25th, 2015 at 2:07pm CST by Will Joseph

Hoops Rumors extends its condolences to the family of the late Flip Saunders and to all who knew him. Many around the league were hurt, surprised and saddened upon learning the news that Saunders died at the age of 60.

Here are some sentiments, memories and messages passed along on Twitter regarding Saunders:

  • Marc Stein of ESPN.com called this one of the saddest days in the NBA that he could remember.
  • In Chicago, members of the Bulls media learned about the news just as head coach Fred Hoiberg was addressing reporters after the team’s practice. Hoiberg said you won’t find anyone who knew Saunders who didn’t like and respect him, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
  • Upon learning what happened, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register said he shared the news with a chatty Clippers media room and it became silent.
  • Nets GM Billy King called Saunders “one of the best guys in the NBA.”
  • Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press shared that his baby daughter was wearing a pink bib, which was a gift from Saunders, this morning before the announcement was made.
  • LeBron James echoed the sentiment of many when he tweeted that Saunders died at too young of an age.
  • Veteran Kris Humphries said Saunders was one of the most caring and genuine people he ever met.
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