Injury Updates: Roy, Dirk, Smith, Hill, Nene
Injury news isn't usually our focus here at Hoops Rumors, but with updates today relating to recent free agent signees, roster hopefuls, and NBA superstars, there's too many updates of note not to pass them along. Here's the latest on the injury statuses of a number of players around the league….
- In an appearance on KFAN in Minneapolis, Brandon Roy said that his knees are holding up great following his first few "grueling practices" with the Timberwolves (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
- According to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, Dirk Nowitzki is fighting knee issues for the second straight year. Nowitzki is hoping a few days of rest will help, but if the problem doesn't improve, it sounds as if he's prepared to undergo a minor procedure: "We’ll see how it responds, but the longer we wait, obviously the worse it is. If we have to do something, it’d be better to do it quick…. But we’re still hopeful that this is a temporary thing. If we relax and rest it for a week and see how it goes, then we’ll have a better idea."
- Knicks camp invitee Chris Smith will undergo patella surgery and miss three to six months, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter), Smith was considered a strong candidate to make the team, so his injury could clear a spot for another player to become the Knicks' 15th man.
- Jordan Hill, who re-signed with the Lakers this summer, won't need surgery for a herniated disc in his back and should be ready to play in the team's regular-season opener, reports Adrian Wojnarnowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman couldn't offer a timetable for the return of Nene, as he told Michael Lee of the Washington Post: "All I do is each morning, I come in, I ask the trainer who I got, who I don’t have. And that’s all I can worry about right now. I write down who I got and we formulate a practice plan and we come out here. And I’ll come back tonight and see who I got and who I don’t got. That’s my update."
Odds & Ends: Sullinger, Wolves, Magic
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday night:
- Doc Rivers is formulating a plan to best utilize Celtics rookie forward Jared Sullinger this season, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that the new offseason additions the Timberwolves made will help ease the loss of Ricky Rubio, who continues to rehab from a torn ACL.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that, after a strong preseason debut, E'Twaun Moore may have the inside track on winning the spot of backup point guard for the Magic.
Nikola Pekovic Wants To Stay With Wolves
Nikola Pekovic is entering the final season of his three-year, $11.858MM contract, and though he could be a sought-after commodity as a restricted free agent next summer if he continues the improvement he showed last season, the 6'11" center wants to remain with the Timberwolves, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reports.
"I would like to stay here because of everything," Pekovic said. "I just like everything. I like the area. I like the team. I like all the stuff. Now I got some friends here. Now it's real easy. It's just nice, nice people, nice town. I would like to be here."
Pekovic's agent is Jeff Schwartz, who has a history of netting substantial deals for big men in Minnesota. He helped Al Jefferson get a five-year, $65MM extention in 2007 and Kevin Love to his $60.826MM extension last season. Former GM Kevin McHale was still in place when Jefferson signed his deal, however, and Schwartz fell short of obtaining the maximum five years for Love, instead negotiating a player option that will allow Love to become an unrestricted free agent in 2015. Pekovic said he's aware of his agent's history with the team, but isn't thinking about money right now.
Zgoda observes that Pekovic looks fit and much leaner in training camp this year after summer surgery to remove bone spurs on his ankles that caused him to miss time last season. He played in pain because of the bone spurs, but still managed to put up 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game with a 21.4 PER, wresting the starting center job away from Darko Milicic and planting himself in the conversation for the Most Improved Player award.
It's a long way until next offseason, and much could change between now and then, including Pekovic's stance on remaining with the Wolves. Still, Zgoda believes he's in line for a significant payday, pointing to this summer's maximum-salary deals for Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert and Omer Asik's contract worth $8MM a season. Pekovic seems in line for a yearly salary of something in between $8MM and the maximum, likely worth $15MM next summer, depending on his play this season.
Northwest Links: Thunder, Nuggets, T’Wolves, Jazz
- Brad Miller was invited by Rick Adelman to Timberwolves camp in Mankato for a few days as a special assistant coach, although Adelman is unsure if the former center will maintain a recurring role with the team once they return to Minnesota (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reports).
- Randy Hollis of the Deseret News says that Mo Williams will bring much needed leadership to a Jazz locker room that features several players in their early 20s with limited NBA experience.
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post takes note of Ty Lawson's development as seen by veteran guard Anthony Carter, who was a member of the Nuggets during Lawson's rookie season and finds himself back in Denver training camp after stints with New York and Toronto. In another article, Hochman says that according to George Karl, center Kosta Koufos has been the team's "best big guy in camp so far."
- Even without Ricky Rubio in practices, the Timberwolves haven't deviated from the "corner offense" that coach Rick Adelman installed last season. Adelman also lauded the shooting prowess of rookie Alexey Shved and the surprising passing ability of center Nikola Pekovic during Thursday's scrimmages (Ray Richardson of TwinCities.com reports). On a side note, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune tweets that Malcolm Lee missed practice due to groin tightness.
- Heading into his third year in the NBA, Jazz forward Jeremy Evans says that he understands his role and "knows what to expect now" (Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune writes).
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune reflects on how youth basketball coach Sandy Pyonin helped turn around Randy Foye's life around, as well as provides some background on how the Jazz guard refined his shooting abilities.
Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Nuggets, Thunder
Here's a look at some items out of the Northwest Division..
- A free agent in 2015, Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge says that he's happy with the direction of the organization, writes Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge. "I'm fine with it," Aldridge said. "We have some guys who are really, really good. They're young. Give them one or two years and we should be good to go." The 27-year-old has yet to advance in the playoffs with Portland and finds himself without a bonafide No. 2 star to play with as he enters his prime.
- For the first time in three years, the Nuggets could go four months without a significant roster overhaul, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. It remains to be seen how long that will last, however, with Ty Lawson in line for an extension, Andre Iguodala holding an option for 2013/14, and GM Masai Ujiri in a contract year.
- Thunder guard Daequan Cook doesn't expect James Harden's contract talk to be a distraction for the team this season, writes Susan Bible of HoopsWorld. Earlier this week, Harden says that he's confident that he'll get a deal done with Oklahoma City.
- After a slow rookie season, Derrick Williams appears to be on the right track heading int0 2012/13, writes Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press. The Timberwolves reportedly tried to trade the former Arizona star and two first-round picks to the Blazers over the summer for Nicolas Batum.
Northwest Rumors: Roy, Miller, Thunder, Blazers
- The Timberwolves are only two days into training camp, but Brandon Roy has yet to feel any pain or discomfort in his knees, and the team has been encouraged by what they've seen from him so far, as Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
- Brad Miller retired this summer after being used as a trade chip in a pair of deals, and now he's lending a hand at Timberwolves camp for a few days to see if he wants to get into coaching, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- The backup point guard job for the Thunder is an open competition between Reggie Jackson and Eric Maynor, coach Scott Brooks said, and Jackson's summer league experience is helping him, as John Rohde and Darnell Mayberry of the The Oklahoman write.
- DeAndre Liggins explains how his non-guaranteed deal with the Thunder came about in a Q&A with John Rohde of The Oklahoman.
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts retreated from earlier indications that J.J. Hickson would start at center, and the starting job appears to be an open competition between Hickson, Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard, as Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge writes in his breakdown of all three candidates for the position.
- Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com looks at Andre Iguodala as he embarks on his first training camp with the Nuggets.
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examines the logjam in Utah, where nine Jazz players averaged at least 30 minutes a game at some point in their careers. That's a group that doesn't include young big men Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, who'll push for more time this season.
Western Notes: Redd, T-Wolves, Hollins, Harden
It's Media Day for many NBA teams, which means we're in store for plenty of news and notes today, along with a handful of quotes from players in the "best shape of their lives." In the meantime, here are a few updates from some Western Conference clubs:
- The Timberwolves thought they had landed Michael Redd to a non-guaranteed deal, but the veteran shooter changed his mind, reports Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (via Twitter).
- Lionel Hollins has only had "limited discussions" with the Grizzlies about a contract extension, but the head coach expects to have a new deal in place before his current contract expires at season's end, says Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- With just over four weeks until this year's extension deadline, it's beginning to look as if James Harden will hit restricted free agency next summer rather than re-up this month with the Thunder, as Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman writes.
- The Kings haven't found a permanent solution at small forward in recent years, but offseason acquisition James Johnson is the latest candidate for the job, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
- Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News profiles one of the Spurs' only offseason additions, Nando De Colo.
Glen Taylor Talks Kirilenko, Roy, Beasley, Batum
Last month, Twin Cities Business Magazine published a feature by Britt Robson on Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor. While the piece touched on some basketball and roster issues, many of those details were not included. Now, Robson has posted a few of Taylor's more interesting quotes related to the T-Wolves' offseason moves and last season's roster. Here are the highlights from the Wolves owner:
On the team's additions of Andrei Kirilenko and Chase Budinger:
"[Rick Adelman] says, ‘This is the guy I want (Kirilenko). He never talks about scoring, he talks about passing and he talks about defense. I need that player in my system to be successful.’ So that one was clearly the coach…. And Chase Budinger, that’s the coach. Rick knows him. He says, ‘I can put him in the game, he’s going to be smart; he’s not going to be the greatest defensive player, but he can do it. He isn’t going to make mistakes.'"
On signing Brandon Roy:
"You might think that is the coach, but that is more David [Kahn]. I think it is David saying, ‘Let give this player to Rick and get the backup in place in case it doesn’t work out.’ Because Rick keeps saying to me, ‘I don’t know if he can play!’ And I tell him, ‘Rick, I don’t know if he can play either!’ So the Brandon Roy thing is a risk."
On what Adelman thought of Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph:
"What Rick said about Michael was, ‘Yes, Michael has been good. I get along with him. But I don’t think we’ll be a championship team with him. If I put Michael in, Michael can score, but he doesn’t play any defense and he forgets the other offensive players, and I just can’t tolerate that under my system because the other players are just standing around'…. The coach would have put up with Randolph if we had gotten rid of Beasley. He said Randolph isn’t really a problem, he just can’t remember things. When was going down his list and got to Randolph, he said, ‘I think he should be off the team. But if these things were taken care of and I had to deal with it, I can deal with a kid like him because he is more of an introvert, he’s not a nasty kid.’"
On the team's recruitment of Nicolas Batum:
"Batum recruited us about as much as we recruited him. He was one of a number of guys who said they are interested in coming to us because of Ricky [Rubio]. He said, ‘I like your coach and I like Ricky and Kevin [Love]. I think I can fit in. I don’t need to score a lot; that isn’t what drives me. I like being on the court with players who share the ball.’ There were three teams he was interested in — New Orleans and Toronto were the other ones — but he said they weren’t as far along as we were and that we were his preference right now."
On what the Wolves offered Portland for Batum in a sign-and-trade:
"It never ended up being that we offered [Derrick] Williams. I said to David, ‘We’re not going to offer Williams,’ so I know David never did it. And as far as we know, we never got beyond [offering] one first-rounder. It never got stretched that far because Portland wouldn’t say what they wanted."
On whether a trade could still be in the works for Minnesota:
"There is room to do more [trading] but not right now because of Ricky’s injury. There are like, five guys at the two guards, so I think logically we could do something — and there is something out there — but until we know for sure that Ricky is going to come back healthy, I think you are going to see us set with this group."
Northwest Rumors: Kirilenko, Kahn, Darko, Batum
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune details the reasons why some of the Timberwolves' free agent acquisitions wound up in Minnesota, including Andrei Kirilenko, who signed with the Wolves in part because of his memories of coach Rick Adelman's old Kings teams. "Those Sacramento teams were some of my favorite teams," the former Jazz forward said. "I like that style. It's more like how we play in Europe." We passed along comments about the makeup of the Nuggets from coach George Karl earlier today, and there's more news out of the Northwest Division.
- In the same piece, Zgoda says it's likely the Wolves must make the playoffs for GM David Kahn to keep his job. Minnesota has been a lottery team in each of Kahn's three seasons in charge of the front office.
- Kevin Love told Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer press in July that he was glad the Wolves were rid of what he called "bad blood" in the locker room. Zgoda identifies amnestied center Darko Milicic as the player to whom Love was referring.
- Blazers small forward Nicolas Batum is ready to live up to the four-year, $46.5MM deal he signed over the summer, as he told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. "I signed an All-Star-type contract and now it's up to me to play up to that level," Batum said. "I got team goals and personal goals I want to accomplish and becoming an All-Star one day is one of them. I want to be an NBA champion, I want to be a three-point champion. It's all about winning in this league and I'm ready for that next step in my career."
Odds & Ends: Atlantic, Previews, Draft
Here are a few odds and ends from around the NBA on Friday night:
- Dei Lynam of CSN Philly goes "Around the Atlantic," touching on Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett and a glowing quote from Keyon Dooling on Rajon Rondo.
- Here is the index page of HoopsWorld's team-by-team season previews for the upcoming season.
- We are a long way away from the 2013 NBA Draft, nine months to be (close to) exact, but I can't help myself. After dubbing LeBryan Nash the top NBA prospect in the Big 12 a few days ago, Draft Express rounds out their top five with Myck Kabongo, Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson and Pierre Jackson respectively.
- More draft news, as Joe Kotch of Sheridan Hoops published his top 10 list for the 2013 event. As we all know, this will change exponentially as the draft approaches. Now entering the 2012-13 season, be sure to use us to look back on the 2012 draft this past June.