Southwest Notes: Popovich, Cuban, Collison, Hornets
The latest news and notes from the Southwest Division on Sunday afternoon:
- Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News wonders whether Spurs coach Gregg Popovich cost himself the opportunity to coach Team USA at the 2016 Olympics with his controversial decision to rest several starters on Thursday.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com that he understands the NBA's decision to fine the Spurs, although he may have done the same thing in Popovich's shoes.
- Darren Collison, on the last year of his rookie-scale contract, doesn't think he got a fair shot at starting for the Mavs, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com, but Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News thinks the numbers support coach Rick Carlisle's decision to go with newly acquired Derek Fisher as the starter.
- Hornets forward Jason Smith tells John Reid of the Times-Picayune that it is the responsibility of the veteran players to set an example for younger players on the struggling team.
- Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune writes that the Hornets so far are failing to deliver on their promise of a brighter future.
Western Notes: Gasol, Lillard, Williams, Mavs
The latest news and notes around the Western Conference on Friday evening:
- Robert Silverman of the New York Times wonders what sort of return the Lakers could get if they decided to trade Pau Gasol.
- Nicole Auerbach of USA Today has a feature on Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and the impact he is having on other players hoping to make it to the NBA from mid-major schools.
- HoopsWorld.com's Bill Ingram thinks it's too early for the Timberwolves to give up on Derrick Williams.
- Ingram also thinks the Mavericks will be able to get a couple more high-level seasons out of Dirk Nowitzki.
- John Reid of the Times-Picayune writes that Hornets coach Monty Williams is urging guard Brian Roberts to shoot more.
Eastern Notes: Varejao, Pietrus, Celtics
Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao received as good a vote of confidence as one can get from head coach Byron Scott, who called the Brazilian big man "the best center in the NBA right now." Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes that Varejao's statistical production makes Scott's statement a difficult one to disagree with, also mentioning that some fans have wondered if Cleveland should take advantage of his value and trade him. With that being said, Amico asserts that Cavaliers brass currently has no intention of dealing their most tenured veteran. For the rest of tonight's tidbits from the Eastern Conference, you can find them below:
- Bill McCandless, the agent of Mickael Pietrus, told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com about the other teams that that had been under consideration while they had waited for the right opportunity in free agency. Whereas the Rockets and Timberwolves were potential destinations in the West, McCandless listed the Bulls and Hawks as the other Eastern Conference teams which had been in the hunt along with Toronto.
- Celtics coach Doc Rivers offered a poignant comment about Rajon Rondo and the current state of his team, telling reporters: “I don’t know if I want to rally around my 6-foot guard being the enforcer. That’s nice but at the end of the day, if that’s the threat you’re sending, the other team has to feel [good]" (Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com reports). Although we heard Rivers say earlier that the team is in no rush to make any changes to the roster, Petraglia hypothetically mentioned Kenyon Martin as a possible target if Boston decided to look into free agency for help.
- Aside from wanting rookie guard Maalik Wayns to become a more accomplished defender, 76ers coach Doug Collins likes the direction of his development, writes Mark Narducci of Philly.com.
- Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer points out that Zydrunas Ilgauskas was at the Cavaliers' practice facility on Thursday to help Byron Scott teach forward Tristan Thompson about making quicker decisions and moves offensively to counter shotblockers.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer (also of the Plain Dealer) discusses the challenge that Danny Ferry faces in building the Hawks into a playoff contender, just as he had done in Cleveland from 2005 to 2010.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap has taken notice of Jeff Taylor's development as the rookie has stepped in to fill the void left by Gerald Henderson's injury. In another article, Bonnell mentions that the continued lobbying of New Orleans Hornets owners to rebrand their franchise could mean an opportunity for Charlotte to re-acquire the Hornets nickname.
- Nate Taylor of The New York Times discusses Tyson Chandler's offensive efficiency as of late, noting that the 7'1 Knicks center is averaging a career best in points (12.0 PPG) and leading the league in field goal percentage at 71.8%.
Odds & Ends: Gordon, Lakers, Kobe, Jackson
There was a great deal of anticipation for the first ever "clash of the boroughs" after Hurricane Sandy postponed it for nearly a month and the Nets and Knicks did not disappoint. In a close contest throughout, the Nets ultimately pulled out a 96-89 overtime win on their home floor. Brook Lopez – who has taken flack for his inconsistent rebounding in the past – pulled down 11 boards and led the way with 22 points. Star guard Deron Williams also turned in a strong effort, putting up 16 points and dishing 14 dimes. Here's more from around the Association..
- Hornets guard Eric Gordon says that his knee is improving, but declined to give specifics about the mysterious injury, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times Picayune. "It's almost like a disorder. There was a little bit of a bone bruise, and, you know, kind of like some of these other guys like [Andrew] Bynum and [Danny] Granger. Luckily my process will be shorter than that," said the guard. There was speculation earlier this year that Gordon's insistence on sitting out stemmed from displeasure with the club, but Gordon insists that he's committed to the Hornets.
- Kobe Bryant has been playing extremely efficient basketball as of late and credits the system of new coach Mike D'Antoni for his improved play, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Speaking of the Lakers, former coach Phil Jackson told TMZ (video link) earlier today that the chances of him returning to coach again are "slim to none". Jackson, of course, was widely believed to be the frontrunner for the Lakers vacancy earlier this season before D'Antoni was tabbed to replace Mike Brown.
Southwest Notes: McHale, Livingston, Mavs, Rivers
The Rockets announced that coach Kevin McHale's daughter Sasha died Saturday afternoon, and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports the 23-year-old had recently been hospitalized with a condition related to lupus, a disease she had long battled. Assistant coach Kelvin Sampson has been in charge of the team since McHale took a leave of absence on November 10th to tend to his daughter. The news is especially jarring, considering Sampson indicated a few days ago that the situation was improving. Hoops Rumors sends its sincere condolences to the McHale family. Here's more from the Southwest Division.
- Anthony Davis could be out two more weeks while recovering from a stress reaction in his ankle, reports Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports hears Wizards point guard Shaun Livingston, who was in camp with the Rockets, often outplayed Jeremy Lin while in Houston, where several Rockets players and coaches tried to convince the front office not to let Livingston go.
- Mavs coach Rick Carlisle has shuttled offseason acquisitions Elton Brand and Chris Kaman in and out of the starting lineup, but neither player is pouting as they've put their trust in the coach, observes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
- Paul Flannery of SB Nation examines the struggles of Hornets rookie Austin Rivers, and agrees with coach Monty Williams that it's too soon to judge this year's 10th overall pick.
- Flannery also passes along Williams' praise of former Hornets power forward David West, who's playing improved ball for the Pacers, and points to the emergence of Marcus Morris for the Rockets this year as a sign the D-League's true value is in the seasoning and development it provides for NBA first-round picks.
Anthony Davis Out With Ankle Injury
John Reid of the Times-Picayune reports that Anthony Davis has a stress reaction in his left ankle, and will sit out the Hornets' game against the Knicks tonight. He is listed as day-to-day going forward.
Davis, the top overall pick in the 2012 draft, has already missed time in his short NBA career with a concussion suffered at the beginning of November. He is averaging 16.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 2.2 BPG this season.
Hornets Buy Out Matt Carroll
4:23pm: The Hornets have officially released Carroll, the team announced today in a press release.
3:01pm: The Hornets have completed their buyout of Matt Carroll's contract, making him a free agent, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Stein had reported last week that the two sides were working on a buyout agreement after Carroll was traded to New Orleans by the Bobcats.
Carroll, 32, had seen his production decline over the course of his second stint with the Bobcats. When he was pushed out of the rotation this season, Charlotte elected to send him to the Hornets in exchange for Hakim Warrick. However, the veteran shooter wasn't in New Orleans' plans either, and the team started working on buying out his contract almost immediately, according to Stein.
Once Carroll clears waivers, he'll become a free agent, eligible to sign with any team except the Bobcats. When Stein first reported that the Hornets were negotiating a buyout, the ESPN.com scribe suggested that Carroll could appeal to the Lakers. Any club that shows interest in picking up the Notre Dame product would be hoping for something closer to his 2010/11 production (12.2 PER, .370 3PT%) rather than a repeat of his 2011/12 campaign (5.6 PER, .186 3PT%).
Hakim Warrick, Hornets Were Working On Buyout
Soon after the Hornets traded Hakim Warrick to the Bobcats for Matt Carroll this week, Carroll and New Orleans began talks about a buyout for the swingman, who's making $3.5MM in the final season of his deal. Lang Greene of HoopsWorld reports the Hornets had been engaged in buyout discussions for Warrick, too.
Warrick, who's making $4MM this year on a contract with a team option for another $4MM next season, had trouble fitting into Hornets coach Monty Williams' style of play, according to Greene. He played in only one regular season game for New Orleans after averaging 14.4 minutes per game in 35 contests for the Suns last year. Warrick came to the Hornets as part of the Robin Lopez trade this summer.
It's not entirely clear why New Orleans seems so intent on engineering a buyout. The Hornets have about $63.941MM in salary commitments this season, so a buyout for Warrick wouldn't have gotten them under the $58.044MM salary cap, just as a buyout for Carroll wouldn't. The team has 14 players on the roster, 12 of whom have fully guaranteed deals.
Hornets Notes: Carroll, Gordon
Friday morning, the New Orleans Hornets announced that they have signed GM Dell Demps to a three-year contract extension. Demps commented to the media on a few issues surrounding the team, as reported by Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune:
- The team is still working on a buyout with guard Matt Carroll, acquired earlier in the week from the Bobcats in exchange for Hakim Warrick. Demps gave no timeframe for an agreement being completed, and said Carroll is not violating any rules by having not reported to the team yet.
- Demps was noncommittal when asked about a timetable for Eric Gordon's return. While he said Gordon was working towards a return, he did not have any further details to give on his injury or the nature of the recovery process.
Hornets Sign Dell Demps To Extension
4:29pm: Demps' extension is for three years with a team option on the fourth year, a source tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
9:44am: The Hornets have extended the contract of general manager Dell Demps, locking him up to a multiyear deal, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.
"Dell has a bright future ahead as the GM of our team and Mr. [Tom] Benson and I couldn’t be more impressed with the track this team is on and are excited about the future," said Hornets executive VP Mickey Loomis in the release. "He has helped shape this organization with the current team of young, talented players and we look forward to seeing the growth of the franchise during this exciting time for the franchise."
There was some question when Benson took over as the Hornets' owner whether he'd move forward long-term with Monty Williams as head coach and Demps as GM. However, Williams received a contract extension of his own in August, so it seems the new ownership group has liked what it's seen from both men. Both Williams' and Demps' contracts would have expired in 2013 if they had not been extended.
Since Demps was hired by the Hornets in July of 2010, he has orchestrated a number of major moves for the team, including last December's Chris Paul trade. He is the 18th longest-tenured head of basketball operations in the NBA.