Serge Ibaka Out Up To Six Weeks
Serge Ibaka is out for approximately four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to address soreness in his right knee today, the Thunder announced via press release. The news is troublesome for Oklahoma City, which holds just a half-game lead on the Pelicans for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with four weeks and one day to go until the end of the regular season. The team is already missing Kevin Durant, who hasn’t played since February 19th after injuring his right foot. Durant is expected back soon, but another significant injury adds to a season of ill health for the Thunder that threatens to keep them from the playoffs.
Oklahoma City has 15 players signed through at least the end of the season, as our roster counts show, and it’s too late for the team to apply for a disabled player exception. The Thunder don’t have enough missing players to apply for a hardship exception that would give them a 16th roster spot, either, so their avenues for injury relief are limited. The team used hardship to sign Ish Smith as a 16th man earlier this season, but that was a temporary measure, and two more players would have to turn up with long-term injuries to put the team back in line for that provision.
It’s conceivable that Ibaka’s expected absence would encourage the Pelicans to make a move to try to pass the Thunder. New Orleans has one of the league’s most flexible rosters, with 14 players and only 13 of them signed through the season, and the Pelicans have a sliver of their mid-level exception to dangle on one of the more sought-after free agents if they choose. The Suns loom two and a half games back of Oklahoma City, and Phoenix has more than $3MM in cap room along with only 14 players signed through the end of the season. The Thunder have portions of their mid-level and biannual exceptions remaining, but they’d have to waive a player and risk eating his salary to sign anyone else, and they’re already a taxpaying team.
Southwest Notes: Llull, Rockets, Anderson
Each club playing in the Southwest Division possesses a realistic shot at making the playoffs this season in the fiercely competitive Western Conference. However, the Pelicans might come just short of a postseason berth thanks to a revitalized Thunder team playing hot down the stretch. Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today look at the potential impact of changing the structure of the playoffs to include the 16 best teams, regardless of conference. Such an idea would stand to benefit a club like this year’s New Orleans bunch but hinder the postseason dreams of some Eastern Conference squads.
Adam Silver admits there are issues with the way the playoffs are constructed now but contests there’s no easy solution. For now, the Pelicans will just need to continue their strong play if they want to keeping competing past April. We’ll round up the latest coming out of the Southwest below:
- Rockets draft-and-stash prospect Sergio Llull acknowledged that Houston has had interest in signing him over the past two or three years, as the point guard told Marca.com (translation via HoopsHype).
- The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release. The rookie out of UCLA has had four stints with the Austin Spurs so far this season, as our list of D-League assignments and recalls shows.
- Chris Herrington of the Commercial Appeal looks at the struggling Grizzlies and wonders if Jeff Green‘s presence might be negatively impacting the club’s overall performance. Herrington compares Green to Rudy Gay and thinks in order to succeed, Memphis will need to potentially change the way they’re using him in the offense.
- We heard this afternoon that the Mavs are no longer interested in bringing aboard JaVale McGee.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southwest Rumors: Rondo, Conley, Pelicans
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has given Rajon Rondo more play-calling responsibilities and their relationship appears to be improving, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. Rondo, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, is developing better chemistry with his teammates as he gains more freedom to call plays, MacMahon adds. Rondo was suspended one game by the club in late February after he argued with Carlisle over play-calling issues. “He’s really developed a good sense for our team — when to just push it, when to get into something,” Carlisle said to Dallas beat writers. “He really understands the guys that he’s playing with.” Rondo said recently he is willing to return to the Mavs, though it’s unlikely they will meet his asking price.
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- Mike Conley had a difficult time dealing with the breakup between coach Lionel Hollins and the Grizzlies in 2013, he told Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com in a Q&A. Conley called Hollins, whose contract was not renewed by the Grizzlies, “a second father figure almost for me.” Conley, who has one year and approximately $9.39MM remaining on his contract, adds in the interview that he is still grateful he has played his entire career thus far with Memphis.
- Eric Gordon’s improved health has made him a better fit with the Pelicans, Jesse Blancarte of BasketballInsiders.com opines. Gordon, who can exercise a player option of approximately $15.5MM in the final year of his contract next season, is averaging 15.6 points while shooting 51.1% from 3-point range over his last 14 games. The injury-prone Gordon is finally playing the way New Orleans hoped when they matched the Suns’ four-year, $58MM offer sheet following the 2011-12 season, Blancarte adds.
- The Mavs reassigned Dwight Powell to their D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, on Saturday, the team announced. Powell has appeared in 19 games for the Mavs this season, averaging 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.
Pelicans Give Elliot Williams Another 10-Day
The Pelicans signed guard Elliot Williams to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on Saturday. Williams has appeared in three games with the Pelicans, averaging 4.0 points and 1.0 assists in 11.0 minutes per game.
Williams continues to give New Orleans depth at shooting guard as the Pelicans deal with two backcourt injuries. Jrue Holiday has not played since January 12 because of a right leg injury. Tyreke Evans has been bothered by an ankle issue and did not play against the Nets on Tuesday.
Prior to joining the Pelicans, Williams had 10-day contracts with the Hornets and Jazz. He was playing for the D-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors just before New Orleans signed him. The former 22nd overall pick had his 10-day contract with the Hornets terminated early so they could pull off the Mo Williams trade last month.
Elliot Williams didn’t see action on his lone pact with Charlotte, but he averaged 3.6 points in 8.4 minutes per contest in five appearances for the Jazz, who signed him to two 10-day deals.
Southwest Notes: Gentile, Conley, Ajinca
Swingman Alessandro Gentile didn’t join the Rockets after they drafted him 53rd overall this past June, but he’s growing increasingly fascinated with the idea of playing in the NBA, as he tells the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Rockets have traveled to scout him and been in frequent contact, and they’ve made him feel like a family member, Gentile added. All of it seems like a departure from Gentile’s comments in September, when he said that he had no interest in playing in the NBA and questioned whether he ever would. Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:
- The Grizzlies have benefited from Mike Conley‘s discount deal since the 2010/11 season, but they’ll face a challenge when it comes off the books just when teams are set to have plenty of cash to throw around in 2016, as Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com examines in an Insider-only piece.
- Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com examines the changes to Alexis Ajinca that have allowed him to become a contributor for New Orleans since rejoining the NBA last season after an absense of more than two years. Ajinca’s minimum-salary deal with the Pelicans is up at season’s end.
- The final pick of the 2014 first-round is headed on D-League assignment for the fourth time this season, as the Spurs have sent Kyle Anderson to their affiliate, the team announced. Still, Anderson has averaged 12.6 minutes per game and made eight starts for the big club this season.
- The Mavericks have recalled Dwight Powell from the D-League just one day after sending him down, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. The rookie power forward scored 33 points in 37 minutes Wednesday for the D-League Texas Legends.
Southwest Notes: Rondo, Pelicans, Howard
Rajon Rondo is still open to re-signing with the Mavs, writes Marc J, Spears of Yahoo! Sports. “It’s a player’s organization. Players first, from our plane, the way we travel. I don’t take that for granted. We eat good. We stay at the best hotels. Of course, it’s the NBA. But this organization has the best. They have PlayStation in the lockers. I don’t play games, but it’s nice to know I got a PlayStation. TVs in your own locker. I heard about it – [Brandon Bass] and J-Terry [Jason Terry] told me – but seeing it and experiencing it,” Rondo said. “I love it here. I don’t dislike anything. I’m not uncomfortable. Of course, the system is different, but I’ve been here for two months. It’s going to take time. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Grizzlies are leading the division with a record of 44-18 and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times believes that Memphis’ style of play is key to the team’s success. Playing defense has been the Grizzlies’ calling card for the past few seasons. This year, Memphis has the best defense in the league, allowing only 95.6 points per game.
- The Pelicans are a half game behind the Thunder for the eighth seed in the Western Conference and Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune wonders whether the team has the right mentality to make the playoffs. Coach Monty Williams is a proponent of a relaxed, one game at a time approach, but Smith believes the team needs to look at the big picture and take every game with a little more urgency.
- Dwight Howard has begun his on-court rehabilitation, which is the next step in coming back from his knee injury, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “He’s starting to do a combination of treadmill/floor stuff, which is a good sign, but they’re going slow. They want to make sure they have a handle on it. It’s bothered him really all year,” coach Kevin McHale said. The Rockets are 43-20, which currently puts the team in third place in the conference. The Rockets have a nine game lead over the Pelicans, the conference’s ninth place team, so rushing Howard back for the sake of winning regular season games shouldn’t be a priority.
Southwest Notes: Rondo, Smith, White
The Rajon Rondo–Mavericks relationship isn’t working and the poor fit is responsible for tension, opines Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). Before acquiring Rondo, Dallas’ offense was scoring almost 114 points per 100 possessions, because it operated with plenty of ball and player movement where a system created shots for players, Elhassan added. Since January 1st, however, Dallas has allowed 102 points per 100 possessions defensively, while the offense has scored 103 points per 100 possessions, Elhassan notes. Dallas acquired Rondo on December 18th.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Houston legend Hakeem OIajuwon was surprised to see Josh Smith get released by the Pistons, but he’s very glad to see him with the Rockets and he believes that Smith came to the right team, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (via Twitter links).
- Former Rockets first-round pick Royce White took to Twitter recently to make it known that he is not through playing basketball. White has been out of the NBA since he went through a pair of 10-day deals with the Kings in 2013/14.
- The Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ affiliate, has acquired the rights to Nate Wolters via the D-League’s waiver process, but the team may decide to trade him, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Wolters makes his return to the D-League after the Pelicans declined to sign him for the remainder of the season after Wolters’ second 10-day contract ended.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
And-Ones: NBPA, Russell, Childress
An attorney for the NBPA has strongly indicated that the union will want the minimum age requirement to enter the NBA lowered in the next round of collective bargaining, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press writes. NBPA general counsel Gary Kohlman said that it is “quite likely the union will be taking a radically different position” than the NBA on the age issue, Reynolds notes. Under the current CBA rules, players must turn 19 years of age in the draft’s calendar year to be eligible, with American players also required to be one year removed from high school, Reynolds adds.
“If they were white and hockey players they would be out there playing. If they were white and baseball players they would be out there playing,” Kohlman said regarding the age requirement. “Because most of them are actually African-American and are in a sport and precluded from doing it, they have to go into this absurd world of playing [in college] for one year. That’s just total complete hypocrisy.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- D’Angelo Russell, a projected top five pick in the 2015 NBA draft, has surprised himself and Ohio State coach Thad Matta with how quickly he has shot up draft boards this season, Nicole Auerbach of USA Today writes. “Did I think he was going to be this good, this consistent this year? Probably not,” Matta said. “I told people when D’Angelo was coming, I think he’s the second-best guard I’ve brought here, since Mike Conley. I had that thought in my mind, that he had a chance to be really good. To do what he’s done all the way through the season? Probably didn’t see that one coming.” The freshman is currently ranked No. 3 by DraftExpress, No. 4 by ESPN, and Russell checks in at No. 3 in Hoops Rumors’ Draft Prospect Power Rankings.
- Brad Graham of Basketball Insiders interviewed former NBA player Josh Childress about playing overseas, his NBA career, and what the swingman’s future holds. The 31-year-old’s last NBA action came during the 2013/14 campaign when he appeared in four games for the Pelicans.
- Andre Emmett, who currently plays for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, intends to leave the NBA D-League to sign a lucrative offer with a team in the Philippines, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando tweets. In 39 games for Fort Wayne this season Emmett is averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 33.5 minutes per contest.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Wolves Claim Hamilton, Waive Robinson III
5:44pm: The moves are official, the team has announced.
4:41pm: The Timberwolves have claimed Justin Hamilton off of waivers, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Pelicans waived the big man on Tuesday in order to ink Elliot Williams to a 10-day pact. Minnesota will waive Glenn Robinson III in order to clear the required roster spot, Stein tweets. The Pelicans are now off the hook for the remainder of Hamilton’s $816,482 salary for the 2014/15 campaign, with Minnesota now responsible for signing the seven-footer’s checks.
The 24-year-old out of LSU had been acquired by Minnesota as a part of the multi-team trade that sent Goran Dragic to Miami. Hamilton didn’t appear in a game for New Orleans prior to being waived. The big man did appear in 24 contests for the Heat this season, including five starts, and averaged 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game.
Minnesota will be responsible to pay the remainder of the rookie’s minimum salary deal if Robinson, 23, clears waivers. The 6’7″ swingman out of Michigan has appeared in 25 games this season for the Wolves, averaging 1.2 points in 4.3 minutes per contest.
Pelicans Sign Elliot Williams To 10-Day Deal
WEDNESDAY, 10:19am: The deal is official, the team announced. The move, coupled with Justin Hamilton’s release, leaves the Pelicans with 14 players.
TUESDAY, 2:53pm: The Pelicans are expected to sign guard Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract, reports John Reid of The Times-Picayune (Twitter link). The former 22nd overall pick has been playing for the D-League affiliate of the Warriors since shortly after the Hornets terminated their 10-day contract with him early so they could pull off the Mo Williams trade last month. The 25-year-old Elliot Williams would fill the Pelicans’ lone roster vacancy.
New Orleans would be the third team with which Williams has signed a 10-day contract this season, joining Charlotte and Utah, as our 10-Day Contract Tracker shows. He didn’t see action on his lone pact with the Hornets, but he averaged 3.6 points in 8.4 minutes per contest in five appearances for the Jazz, who signed him to two 10-day deals.
Jrue Holiday hasn’t played for the Pelicans since January, so Williams will be the latest to try to plug that gap after the team cycled through 10-day pacts with Nate Wolters and Toney Douglas. Williams is just a season removed from seeing 17.3 MPG in 67 contests for the Sixers.