Western Notes: Garnett, Fournier, Morris
The Timberwolves don’t expect Kevin Garnett to end his playing days with much fanfare, and the veteran intends to make the twilight of his career more about helping the younger players around him, Andy Greder of The Pioneer Press writes. “He’s never gonna go out on a Harley,” said Clippers head man Doc Rivers, who coached Garnett in Boston.”He’s really into it with his guys, loves the young guys. Kevin loving young guys is really good, because if you don’t have the right kind love of the game, for Kevin, he’s not gonna love you back, and that’s a fact. Clearly, he feels like they got it right with the young guys, not only guys with talent, but guys that want to be winners.”
“My choice in coming back here had a lot more of a plan and a future involved in to it,” Garnett said. “I understand that it’s not about me, it’s about Andrew Wiggins, it’s about Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s about Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine and these young guys in here,” Garnett said. “I’m just trying to teach the things I know and teach the things that I’ve experienced since I’ve been here.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Denver “will always be in my heart,” said Evan Fournier, who spent his first two NBA seasons with the Nuggets, but as far as basketball is concerned, he’s moved on, as he told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Fournier is poised for restricted free agency this summer, with his camp having reportedly asked the Magic, who apparently offered $8MM annually, for salaries well in excess of $10MM a year.
- Markieff Morris says that he is still happy to be a member of the Suns despite his reduced role on the team, though he wouldn’t directly answer questions about whether he still wanted to be traded and whether his relationship with the organization had gotten better, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays. “I’ll contribute any way I can, whether it’s cheering my teammates on or being in the game,” Morris said after Monday’s game. “Coach [Jeff Hornacek] is a great guy. Our team fought real hard. He put me in for a little bit of time and I just wanted to go out there and play hard and contribute any way I can. I didn’t score but I got a couple stops. We got the win. That’s what is important. I keep in high spirits and keep my confidence. Whenever my number is called, I’ll be ready always.”
- The Kings have assigned Duje Dukan to the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Dukan’s third trek to Reno on the season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Parker, Cunningham, Butler
Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler says the team is dealing with frustration differently under new coach Fred Hoiberg than it did under former coach Tom Thibodeau, Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com relays. “The frustrating moments last year was kinda like, Thibs just being a hard-nosed guy,” Butler told Jackson. “He’s gonna yell, he’s gonna say some curse words, he’s going to let you know. With right here, [Hoiberg] is going to be like, “Hey, guys, you gotta do this, you gotta do that,” and then that’s the end of it.”
“It’s two totally different coaching styles,” Butler continued. “Some works for some guys, some works for others. Some guys on this roster can’t take getting yelled at, some guys on this roster getting yelled at gets them going, you know what I mean? And there’s nothing wrong with that. But at the end of the day, we as players know what we are capable of and what we have to do. We’re all grown men, and we’ve been playing this game for so long a coach shouldn’t have to tell us, ‘Hey, this is what you have to do to win this game.’”
Here’s more from out of the Central Division:
- The early season changes in the Bucks starting lineup indicate that the team believes its core players can’t shoot or defend well enough as a unit to remain on the floor for long stretches together, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes. Milwaukee envisions 2014 lottery pick Jabari Parker evolving into a stretch four, but the team understands it will take him time to adjust to the NBA, Lowe adds. “Jabari will be a really good stretch four in three years,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Right now, he’s not that. And that’s OK. He’s basically a rookie.“
- The Cavaliers have benefited from Jared Cunningham‘s strong perimeter defense when matching up against smaller lineups this season, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Jared is a guy that can defend people and we needed his intensity, his one-on-one defending capability,” coach David Blatt said. “If you’re a young player or if you’re a player that doesn’t normally get a lot of minutes or is looking for a chance to play, you go out there and you defend your man and you hold your ground, then you’re going to earn minutes. And he’s playing because he earned minutes because he was able to do those things for us. And I think that’s a very positive thing.”
- The Pistons have recalled Spencer Dinwiddie and Darrun Hilliard from their D-League affiliate in Memphis, the team announced. This was the second stint in Grand Rapids this season for both players.
Southwest Notes: Joseph, Terry, McDaniels, Ennis
The Spurs “badly wanted” to keep Cory Joseph this summer and rejected attempts by the Raptors and others to trade for him in past years, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Still, they knew that they needed cap space to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, and so they pulled their qualifying offer to him a few days into his free agency, a move that didn’t take Joseph by surprise, since they told him it was a possibility, reports Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News. Joseph signed a four-year, $30MM deal with the Raptors.
“Obviously I loved, enjoyed, and had a great time in San Antonio,” Joseph said to Young. “I was there the past four years. Everything was great – coaching staff, players, fans; everybody was amazing to me. But it was time to move on, and you know, take a different direction in my career.”
Joseph has thrived in Toronto, where he’s seeing 26.3 minutes per game, and longtime former Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, now Hawks coach and president of basketball operations, is a fan, as Wolstat details. See more from the Southwest Division:
- Jason Terry‘s production has tailed off since his injury-hit season with the Nets in 2013/14, but he credits that year for helping teach him how to have continued influence in the NBA, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Terry, 38 is on a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Rockets. “It started in Boston, but continued in Brooklyn, watching [Kevin Garnett] and how he interacted with the team and the guys,” Terry said. “Also, Jason Kidd being the head coach here, he gave me a lot of leeway, gave me a voice to kind of help while I was still playing. Being in Brooklyn definitely helped me in Houston the last two years. I have a huge influence, from breaking down film for individual guys to in-game mental management and to be the hype-man so to speak to keep guys motivated and engaged. It’s easy to be engaged when you’re playing a lot, but sometimes you’re not. You still have to know what’s going on out on the court. That’s where I come in.”
- The Rockets have recalled K.J. McDaniels, the team announced (Twitter link). McDaniels has averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 38.5 minutes per game across four D-League appearances so far.
- James Ennis is also back from the D-League, as the Grizzlies have recalled the swingman from their affiliate, the team announced (on Twitter). The assignment was his second since he came to Memphis in the Mario Chalmers deal. The Heat never sent him to the D-League at any point before trading him.
And-Ones: NBPA, Ennis, Warriors Arena
The league and the NBPA held preliminary talks today regarding the next collective bargaining agreement, NBA.com’s David Aldridge relays (via TwitLonger). The two parties issued a joint statement regarding the meeting, which read, “Earlier today the NBA and NBPA met to discuss the Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA]. Meeting participants included NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and representatives of the NBA Labor Relations Committee and NBPA Executive Committee as well as league and union staff. It was a preliminary meeting that included constructive dialogue, and we agreed to continue our discussions.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- New Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo has said that for this year, he’ll work in less of an active role and more of advisory capacity with Sixers management, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- According to a recent poll commissioned by the Mission Bay Alliance and conducted by EDC Research, public opposition to the Warriors‘ proposed stadium in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood is growing, NBCBayArea.com relays. The proposal is currently garnering 49% voter support, a 12% decline in support since a Warriors-commissioned poll released in July showed approximately 61% support for the new development, the article notes.
- The league has formed a committee to examine the increase in injuries related to tendon inflammation and pain, Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com writes. “Player health and wellness is our top priority, and the NBA’s research partnership with GE Healthcare is a significant step toward understanding injuries that affect NBA players,” Silver said in the NBA’s official statement. “Both everyday athletes and elite professionals will benefit from our collaboration, and I’d like to thank [GE Healthcare U.S. and Canada President] Marcelo [Mosci] and his team for bold vision and hard work.“
- The Grizzlies have assigned James Ennis to the Iowa Energy, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Ennis’ second sojourn of the season to Iowa.
Eastern Notes: Fournier, Green, Young
Evan Fournier‘s camp sought significantly more than $10MM a year in extension talks this fall, sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The Bouna Ndiaye client turned down a four-year, $32MM offer from Orlando, as Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported earlier. The Magic might wish they’d upped the number in their proposal, Lowe opines, believing that the team’s decision to bench former No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo is, at its simplest, because Fournier is a better player and better option for the Magic as a starting two guard than Oladipo is. See more from the Eastern Conference:
- Gerald Green drew criticism for his defense from Suns coach Jeff Hornacek last season, but the Heat signed him in large measure because they saw potential in him for that end of the floor, and the 29-year-old has embraced that part of the game, as Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post details. He wants to parlay his performance on a one-year, minimum-salary deal into a long-term contract with the Heat, Lieser writes. “I’m trying to find a home, and can’t Miami be my home?” he said. “That’s where my intentions are. So what is a Miami Heat requirement? To D-up. I know if I want to be here the rest of my career, [forget] offense. I gotta D up. That’s where my mind is at.”
- Frequent D-League assignee James Young had perhaps his best NBA game Monday against New Orleans, an auspicious sign for the development of last year’s 17th overall pick, and it wouldn’t have happened if not for Celtics coach Brad Stevens, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. It was Stevens who decided to cut short Young’s latest D-League assignment Friday, believing he might need him for depth purposes with R.J. Hunter out.
- The Sixers have assigned Carl Landry and Christian Wood to the D-League, as Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com relays via Twitter. It’s a rehab assignment for Landry as he continues to make his way back from a right wrist injury, Seltzer notes, and he’s not expected to play any games for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers affiliate, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Walton, Dukan
Power forward Julius Randle and point guard D’Angelo Russell were not happy with Lakers coach Byron Scott’s decision on Monday to remove them from the starting lineup, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Scott made the surprising announcement that Randle, the team’s lottery pick last year, and Russell, the No. 2 overall pick this season, would be replaced in the lineup by another rookie, power forward Larry Nance Jr., and veteran point guard Lou Williams. “You’re never going to be thrilled about it as a competitor,” Randle told the team’s traveling media. “But it’s out of your control. What I can control is go out there and play hard like we’ve been doing.” Russell felt he was developing better chemistry with his teammates, Medina continues. “I started to figure it out and this happened,” Russell said. “I don’t feel like this will get in the way of my growth.” Scott did not tell either player his thought process for the lineup changes but he could alter it again during the next five to 10 games, Medina adds.
In other news around the Pacific Division:
- Nick Young admits that exasperation over his team’s 3-17 start led to his ejection against the Pistons on Sunday night, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. The Lakers’ backup shooting guard was tossed in the fourth quarter of a 111-91 loss when he shoved Detroit forward Anthony Tolliver in the neck after a hard foul. Young was not suspended by the league. “It’s tough,” he said to Holmes and other members of the media. “There’s a lot of frustration. It’s a struggle and it’s building up.”
- Luke Walton credits his former Lakers coach, Phil Jackson, with showing him how to comport himself in his current job, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports. The interim Warriors coach discovered the value of staying grounded through Jackson. “Phil was the first coach I had — well, I shouldn’t say the first coach that I had, but the first one who made me recognize it as a bigger picture,” Walton told Berger. “He never got too upset; he never got too excited. He was just even-keel all the time. His beliefs as a teacher, that you’re at your most dangerous when you’re level-headed and can make decisions … I believe wholeheartedly in that.”
- The Kings recalled rookie forward Duje Dukan from their D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, the team announced on its website. Dukan, an undrafted 24-year-old power forward, averaged 13 points and 3.8 rebounds in four games with the Bighorns. He has not made his NBA debut.
Phil Pressey Rejoins Jazz D-League Team
The Idaho Stampede, the Jazz’s D-League affiliate, have reacquired point guard Phil Pressey, tweets Adam Johnson of the D-League Digest.
Pressey was waived by the Sixers last week, reducing their roster to 15 players. Pressey was made expendable when Philadelphia recalled Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall from the D-League. Pressey was signed by the club last month via the hardship provision. He appeared in 14 games with the Sixers, averaging 3.9 points and 3.3 assists in 12.1 minutes.
Prior to joining Philadelphia, Pressey was on the Stampede’s roster after the Jazz designated him as an affiliate player. The Jazz briefly had him on their NBA roster after snagging him off waivers from the Trail Blazers, for whom he played in training camp. Pressey lost a training camp battle for the third point guard job in Portland to Tim Frazier, a former Sixers point guard.
Before signing a training camp deal with the Blazers, the 5’11” Pressey was on the Celtics’ roster until they released him this past summer. He appeared in 125 games with Boston in his first two NBA seasons, including 11 starts.
Central Notes: Portis, J.R. Smith, Pacers, Bairstow
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg says Bobby Portis will have a chance to play extensive minutes at some point this season, likely soon, but this year’s 22nd overall pick has seen just 22 total minutes all season, observes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Portis admits it’s difficult to sit on the bench but understands the level of talent in front of him, which includes Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, Johnson notes. Portis is anxious enough to play that he’d welcome a D-League assignment.
“People hear D-League and think, ‘Oh, man, he’s in the D-League,'” Portis said, according to Johnson. “It’s not about the D-League. It’s about getting reps and getting ready. The D-League’s great for getting better.”
The Bulls are instead making other D-League moves, as we detail amid the latest from the Central Division:
- J.R. Smith says it’s not time for the Cavs to panic yet, but he’s nonetheless concerned, with the Cavs having lost three straight and four of their last six, as he explained to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The team was without the resting LeBron James in Saturday’s loss, but it’s a matter of competitiveness, and not roster composition, Smith contends. “Just overall competing,” Smith said to Haynes. “We have all the talent. We got all the skills. It’s just competing.”
- Indianapolis and Fort Wayne are close enough to allow the Pacers to frequently shuttle their D-League assignees back and forth, but they’ve instead kept Rakeem Christmas, who’s the D-League Performer of the Week, and Shayne Whittington in Fort Wayne from November 2nd on, notes Adam Johnson of D-League Digest. That’s a longer stretch of time than any other NBA player has spent on D-League assignment this season, and it’s helped Christmas and Whittington gain a sense of consistency, as Pacers D-League GM Brian Levy told Johnson. “Giving the players the greatest chance to succeed in turn gives the team the greatest chance to succeed,” Levy said. “The Pacers have embraced that idea.”
- The Bulls have recalled Cameron Bairstow from the D-League, the team announced. The second-year big man was with San Antonio’s affiliate since Chicago is without a D-League team of its own. Bairstow, whose salary is partially guaranteed for about half its value this season, averaged 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game across five contests for the Austin Spurs.
D-League Moves: Hardaway Jr., Spurs, Ennis
The Hawks recalled Tim Hardaway Jr., Edy Tavares and Lamar Patterson from the D-League, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported they would. The moves were announced in an emailed press release. The Hawks do not have their own affiliate. Pursuant to the flexible assignment rule, Hardaway Jr. and Tavares played games with the Canton Charge (the Cavs‘ affiliate) Friday and Saturday and Patterson played with the Austin Spurs Saturday. It will be particularly interesting to see how Hardaway, who was acquired in an offseason deal with the Knicks, fares in a return to the Hawks. He has appeared in only four games for Atlanta, averaging 2.5 points. In two games with the Charge, as Vivlamore writes, Hardaway averaged 17 points in 32.7 minutes.
Here are some more D-League moves today:
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The Rockets assigned rookie power forward Montrezl Harrell to their D-League affiliate. Harrell was the 32nd overall pick in the draft. He has appeared in 15 games with one start for the Rockets this season.
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The Spurs recalled Boban Marjanovic from their D-League affiliate. The center averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds per game (two games) with the Austin Spurs. On Saturday, the Spurs recalled Ray McCallum, according to the RealGM transactions log.
- The Grizzlies recalled James Ennis from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in an emailed press release. It was the second-year player’s first D-League stint.
- The Pistons announced they recalled Spencer Dinwiddie and Darrun Hilliard from their D-League affiliate.
Western Notes: Marjanovic, Motiejunas, Curry
The Spurs are leaving Boban Marjanovic in the D-League for a while so he can see more time on the court, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The rookie center has produced back-to-back productive games in Austin, posting 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks on Friday, then following that up with 34 points and 12 boards on Saturday. “He just needs playing time,” said San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. “He needs to play and get used to the league, and not just sit there and watch us play.” The 7’3″ Marjanovic has appeared in 10 games with the Spurs, averaging 3.8 minutes.
There’s more news from the Western Conference:
- The Rockets‘ Donatas Motiejunas saw his first playing time of the season in Saturday’s win over the Kings, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Out since April with back issues, Motiejunas had just one practice before seeing game action. He went scoreless in six minutes of playing time. “We’ll have to figure out how we’re going to work him in alongside the other guys who are playing well,” said Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “It’s always good to have too much talent. We’ll figure it out.”
- Seth Curry appears headed toward a larger role with the Kings, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Curry is taking advantage of a recent opportunity for more playing time and impressing coach George Karl with his shooting, defense and toughness. The Kings gave Curry a two-year guaranteed contract over the offseason after he caught the eye of GM Vlade Divac during the Las Vegas Summer League. “I knew Seth could shoot,” Divac said, “but it wasn’t until seeing him in the summer league that I realized he could pass and make plays for teammates. I want players like that.”
- The Thunder have recalled Josh Huestis, Mitch McGary and Cameron Payne from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today.