Northwest Rumors: Aldridge, Lillard, Wolves
LaMarcus Aldridge didn't hold back in his comments on 1080 AM The Fan in Portland, declaring himself the best power forward in the game, as Ben Golliver documents on Blazer's Edge. He's indicated a willingness to be patient through the Blazers' rebuilding process before, but he doesn't think he'll have much of a wait, a belief he apparently shares with the front office. "I have really good talks with the management, with [GM] Neil [Olshey]," Aldridge said today. "We don't feel like this process is going to be that long. We feel like one year for guys to get better, for myself to also get better. We feel like we should have enough next year to be one of those top teams again. We can always add some good guys through free agency next year." While we wait to see if the Blazers can bounce back so quickly, here's more from Portland and elsewhere in the Northwest.
- Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard is trying to find the right balance between passing and looking for his own shot, as The Oregonian's Joe Freeman documents.
- Though Kevin Love could be back in five weeks, sooner than originally expected, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports, his broken hand will shine a spotlight on coach Rick Adelman's influence on building the Wolves roster, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Adelman said the specter of injuries helped shape the team's offseason plans, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune notes. "That's one reason we made a lot of changes," Adelman said. "Because we didn't do that last year, that last month [of the season], we got hammered."
Kevin Love Breaks Hand, Out Up To Eight Weeks
Kevin Love has suffered a broken right hand and will miss the next four to six weeks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The team confirmed the injury (Twitter link), indicating the timetable for Love's recovery could be six to eight weeks.
The Timberwolves have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, meaning there's still a chance for camp invitees to earn that 15th spot. One of those players, Chris Johnson, is a big, though it's unclear if Love's injury would improve his chances of making the team or whether the T-Wolves are happy with their current frontcourt players besides Love.
Love is entering the first year of the four-year extension he signed earlier in 2012 with Minnesota, and is set to earn $13.67MM this season. With Ricky Rubio still recovering from an ACL injury, the T-Wolves' two most recognizable stars will be out of action when the season gets underway.
Western Notes: Lakers, T-Wolves, Spurs, Speights
Only three of the 12 NBA teams in action last night were Western Conference clubs, with the only intra-conference matchup coming between the Jazz and Lakers. After a 34-point Jazz victory dropped L.A.'s preseason record to 0-4, it was no surprise that new point guard Steve Nash told Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register that the new-look Lakers are still a "work in progress." Here are a few more Wednesday updates from out west:
- The Timberwolves aren't currently active "at all" on the trade market, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500.
- Manu Ginobili doesn't envy the Spurs' decision-makers when it comes to deciding which camp invitee will earn the team's 15th roster spot, as he tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. In a separate piece, McDonald agrees that there's plenty of depth in camp for the Spurs, noting that the team probably wishes it could keep 17 players this year instead of 15.
- Given Andrew Bynum's health issues so far this preseason, the Lakers may appear savvy for moving the big man when they did. But as GM Mitch Kupchak points out to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the guy they acquired for Bynum had his own health questions. "Whatever concern we had (with Bynum's knees)," Kupchak said. "Was offset by Dwight [Howard] coming off offseason back surgery."
- After earning a two-year deal from the Grizzlies in free agency this summer, Marreese Speights is aiming to repeat last year's breakout performance, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Ryan Anderson spoke to Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com about transforming from a trade throw-in to the core piece of a franchise in the last three years.
Western Notes: Jamison, Jazz, Gortat, Stiemsma
In one of only two games on Sunday's preseason schedule, undrafted Spurs rookie Wesley Witherspoon was inserted into the starting lineup and scored a team-high 17 points in a win over Houston. Witherspoon, a camp invitee, is still a long shot to earn a roster spot, but if Sunday's game was his last with the Spurs, at least he went out in style, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
Here are a few more notes out of the Western Conference:
- Mike Brown, who coached Antawn Jamison in Cleveland in 2009/10, was one of the main reasons Jamison decided to sign with the Lakers, according to Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- Jazz CEO Greg Miller spoke to Jody Genessy of the Desert News about the Jazz's roster changes and the team's expectations for the 2012/13 season.
- Marcin Gortat heads into this season looking to prove that he can be productive without Steve Nash, as Michael Schwartz of Valley of the Suns writes.
- After signing the first guaranteed contract of his NBA career this summer, Greg Stiemsma is feeling secure with the Timberwolves and isn't looking over his shoulder, says Joan Niesen of FOX Sports North.
- Coach Rick Carlisle isn't expecting just one player to step up and replace Jason Terry as the Mavericks' No. 2 scorer now that Terry is playing in Boston, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
Western Notes: Thunder, Brewer, Sacre
- Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK highlights notable stories from the Thunder's pre-season, including the play of Perry Jones III, Cole Aldrich, and Eric Maynor. In a separate article, Mayberry collaborates with John Rohde to profile seven of the team's new additions brought in from the offseason.
- Aaron J. Lopez takes a look at Nuggets forward Corey Brewer, who four years removed from ACL surgery believes that he is faster and can jump higher today.
- Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times highlights Robert Sacre as the biggest surprise of the Lakers' exhibition season.
- John Reid of NOLA.com examines the battle between Greivis Vasquez and Brian Roberts for minutes at the Hornets point guard rotation.
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune talks about the challenge the Timberwolves have faced in terms of trying to integrate all their new pieces amidst some nagging injuries.
- Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation writes that Patrick Mills could return to practice on Monday after sitting out two games with a sprained right ankle.
- O.J. Mayo's hand is healing
properly after he suffered a laceration last week from a fall during the
Mavericks' visit to Barcelona, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Price also tweeted that coach
Rick Carlisle believes Mayo will be fine after a few more days. As for Dirk Nowitzki, Carlisle said that he has been doing well (Price via Twitter).
Timberwolves Waive Phil Jones, Seth Tarver
The Timberwolves waived training camp invitees Phil Jones and Seth Tarver to bring the roster down to 18 players, the team announced via Twitter. Both were believed to have been on non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals, having been signed right before camp began. Neither made an appearance in any of the three preseason games the Wolves have played so far.
Jones, a 6'10" center, played in Romania in 2011/12 after he was ruled academically ineligible midway through his senior season at UNC Charlotte in 2010/11. Tarver is a 6'5" swingman who averaged 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 28.2 minutes over the past two seasons for the Idaho Stampede of the D-League. He was in camp with the Blazers in 2010 and 2011.
The moves leave Jermaine Taylor, Mike Harris, Chris Johnson and Will Conroy to battle for the final roster spot, since all 14 other players on the roster have fully guaranteed contracts. Conroy would appear to have a slight edge, since his deal is partially guaranteed for $100K. The 6'11" Johnson, from LSU, is not to be confused with the 6'6" Dayton product of the same name in camp with the Magic.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Love, Carter, Thunder
News and notes out of the Northwest Division..
- Timberwolves forward Kevin Love talked to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press why he wasn’t happy when he had to settle for a four-year extension rather than the five-year pact he was seeking. “That’s because I wanted to be here,” Love said. “I wanted them to say, ’When people think Minnesota Timberwolves, they think Kevin Love.’ And I felt with my contract we didn’t really do that.”
- The Nuggets offered guard Anthony Carter a coaching spot three weeks ago but he told Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) that he will instead look to play the year out. The 37-year-old re-joined Denver this offseason on a non-guaranteed deal.
- Though he’s been criticized for being too passive and has drawn the ire of coach Scott Brooks for taking too many three-pointers, Thunder rookie Perry Jones III is nonetheless making a significant impact so far, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes.
Northwest Rumors: Blazers, Lawson, Miller, Batum
The Oregonian's Joe Freeman examines the decisions the Blazers face in advance of the October 31st deadline for exercising their 2013/14 team options on Luke Babbitt, Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams. According to Freeman, the team could come within $500K of having enough cap space to sign a free agent to a maximum-salary deal next summer if it declines all three options. Freeman seems to think, given the makeup of the Blazers roster, it would make the least sense to pick up Babbitt's option, despite the injury to Williams that's expected to keep him out the entire season. Check out other option decisions facing teams with our Rookie Contract Option Tracker, and read on for from the Blazers and other Northwest Division clubs.
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post suggests Ty Lawson and new agent Happy Walters could be in line for a five-year, $65MM extension from the Nuggets before the October 31st deadline. Hochman also passes along some advice for Lawson from new teammate Andre Iguodala, who re-signed with the Sixers in 2008 after failing to come to an extension agreement in 2007.
- Andre Miller has been an ironman over his 13-year NBA career, missing only six regular season games, but he's sitting out of select preseason games for the first time, Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com notes. The Nuggets signed the 36-year-old Miller to a three-year, $14.625MM deal this summer that includes a partial guarantee for the final season.
- Nicolas Batum told Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune he signed his offer sheet with Minnesota this summer knowing he'd be pleased to wind up with either the Timberwolves or the Blazers. "I chose Minnesota because I knew (Portland) could match," Batum said. "I knew those two teams were going to be the best options for me. I wouldn’t have signed with anybody else. And I wanted to challenge the Blazers, to see if they really like me or not."
Northwest Notes: Murphy, Burks, Roy
It was an offseason of relative stability for Northwest Division teams, three of which return double-digit numbers of players from last year's rosters. The other two teams, the Timberwolves and Trail Blazers, engaged in a tete-a-tete over Nicolas Batum, who eventually wound up as one of Portland's seven returnees. The Jazz pulled off a pair of trades but still have 11 players returning, though one of them is Raja Bell, whom the team instructed not to attend training camp as the two sides lurch toward a buyout. Here's the latest from Utah and elsewhere in the Northwest.
- Jody Genessy of the Deseret News examines how Kevin Murphy, the 47th overall pick by the Jazz this past June, is playing catch-up after missing the first four practices of training camp to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Murphy is on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune and Randy Hollis of the Deseret News take a look at second-year man Alec Burks, who could see time at point guard for the Jazz this season. The team faces a deadline at the end of the month on whether to pick up his option for 2013/14, as the Hoops Rumors rookie contract option tracker shows.
- Brandon Roy made his preseason debut for the Wolves tonight, his first NBA action since the 2011 playoffs. SI.com's team of writers debate the impact he and other players around the league who are returning from injury will have this year.
Western Notes: Roy, Conroy, Jefferson, Bogut
Brandon Roy's knee appears to be holding up so far for the Timberwolves, an early sign that his $10.4MM contract might prove a shrewd gamble by GM David Kahn. We've heard about the influence Roy's friend and current teammate Will Conroy had on channeling him to the Wolves, but that's not the only push Conroy gave him.
- Roy wasn't sure about coming back at all until Conroy sold him on the idea, Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes. "He was one of the main influences for me to take it serious," Roy said about Conroy. "I was kind of playing around at first, but he was the one who told me, 'You're not done.' He was real big for my confidence."
- In the same piece, Conroy insists to Richardson that Roy's presence isn't the reason why he was invited to Wolves camp. "I'm here because they thought I could help the team," said Conroy, who was also in camp with the Wolves last year. "Kahn and (coach Rick) Adelman know what I can do."
- Richard Jefferson said he experienced "culture shock" after his trade from the Spurs to the Warriors last season, according to Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. Jefferson says the laid-back atmosphere that disturbed him last year has changed with the additions of Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry, the return of Andrew Bogut from injury, and a stricter attitude from coach Mark Jackson.
- As for Bogut, the big man expects he'll be ready for game action when the regular season opens, but Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com says there's a legitimate chance he could need more time.
- Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune shares initial observations from some of the Hornets about top-pick Anthony Davis, two preseason games into his NBA career.
- Though to a smaller degree than Davis, 25th overall pick Tony Wroten is also making his presence felt for the Grizzlies, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal examines.