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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/10/16

November 10th, 2016 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Knicks have recalled guard Ron Baker and center Marshall Plumlee from Westchester, the club announced today (via Twitter). The duo participated in a D-League exhibition game on Wednesday against Brooklyn’s affiliate, with Baker scoring 26 points en route to a Knicks win.
The Celtics have assigned rookie guard Demetrius Jackson to the Maine Red Claws, the club announced today (via Twitter). Like most assignments so far this season, Jackson’s will likely be a brief one, designed to get him some extra practice time.
The Pelicans have assigned forward Cheick Diallo to the Austin Spurs via the flex assignment rule, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back.
The Nets assigned forward Chris McCullough to the Long Island Nets, the club announced via press release. McCullough has appeared in three games for Brooklyn this season, averaging 0.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per game.

And-Ones: Youth Academy, Prigioni, Pelicans

November 9th, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA will team with Basketball Australia to create a youth academy in Canberra, according to A.J. Neuhart-Keusch of USA Today. Known as NBA Global Academy, the facility will be an elite training center for young players. Located at the Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport, the academy is designed to be a “global hub” for international prospects. The NBA has three similar facilities in China. “NBA Global Academy will allow top prospects from around the world to train with and compete against their peers in a structured environment under the supervision of NBA-trained coaches and in collaboration with BA’s internationally recognized coaches,” said Brooks Meek, NBA vice president of international basketball operations.

There’s more basketball news tonight:

Barcelona has confirmed its interest in 39-year-old point guard Pablo Prigioni, relays Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Head coach Georgios Bartzokas said the team has its eye on Prigioni, who was waived by the Rockets last month, but cautioned that it’s far from a done deal. “Every guard in the market with European passport interests us,” Bartzokas said. “Prigioni, with his great career and potential is one of them. But the most important thing is to bring a player that fits into our system. It’s not just about the potential, quality or level of the player. It’s about whether he fits with us and whether he’s able to play well with our players.”
The Pelicans top a list of teams that should be very worried by their slow starts, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. New Orleans has an 0-8 record and is hampered by injuries to Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter and Lance Stephenson, who was waived over the weekend. The Pelicans are also without starting point guard Jrue Holiday, who remains on a leave of absence to care for his ailing wife. Bontemps says there are whispers that coach Alvin Gentry may be fired if the team doesn’t start winning soon. The other teams on Bontemps’ list are the Wizards, Knicks, Mavericks and Timberwolves.
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is the latest player to incorporate strobe lights into his training, according to Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com. The flashing lights, which simulate photographers’ flashes, were first incorporated by Michael Jordan in the 1990s.

Rambis Blames Defensive Woes On Roster Shakeup

November 9th, 2016 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

A day after taking over as the Knicks‘ defensive coordinator, Kurt Rambis told Marc Berman of The New York Post that the team’s roster shakeup is part of the problem. New York has given up more than 100 points in every game this season, so head coach Jeff Hornacek appointed Rambis on Tuesday to solve the problem. “We got 10 new guys, so everything is a work in progress,’’ Rambis said. “If we had everybody healthy and everybody here and playing, it still was going to be a process and take some time. Just simple terminology. It may be the same defensive action, but everyone calls it something different. So it’s just getting everyone knowing the same terminology and play calls, so everybody’s on the same page. Everybody’s got to be on the string. It takes all five guys to stop a pick-and-roll situation in this league. Everyone’s got to be communicating well. Right now we’re not connected.’’

Hornacek: Jackson Hasn't Expressed Displeasure Over Offense To Me

November 9th, 2016 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

A Tuesday report indicated that Knicks president Phil Jackson isn’t thrilled with the lack of triangle sets in his team’s offense, but head coach Jeff Hornacek says Jackson hasn’t expressed any such displeasure to him. Hornacek added that he appreciates getting input from Jackson, telling Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link), “Obviously he won championships, he knows what he’s talking about.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/8/16

November 8th, 2016 at 10:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls:

10:35pm:

The Knicks have assigned Ron Baker and Marshall Plumlee to their D League affiliate in Westchester, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets. The duo are expected to participate in the team’s scrimmage against the Nets’ affiliate on Wednesday, Begley adds.
The Thunder have recalled Huestis from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release.

2:51pm:

The newest member of the Bulls, R.J. Hunter, has been assigned to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, according to a press release. Hunter signed with Chicago during the first week of the regular season after being cut by Boston, but has yet to appear in a game for the Bulls.
For the second time in two days, the Nets assigned Chris McCullough to the Long Island Nets to practice with the D-League squad, then recalled him later in the day, the club announced in a pair of press releases. McCullough is expected to be active for Brooklyn’s game tonight against the Timberwolves.
Josh Huestis, who recently changed agents, was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue today by the Thunder to participate in the D-League team’s practice. The Thunder issued a press release confirming the move.

Jackson To Blame For Team's Woes?

November 8th, 2016 at 9:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks are a team rife with dysfunction after just six games this season and much of the blame should fall on team president Phil Jackson, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post opines. The Post scribe calls out the executive for his stubborn insistence on running the triangle despite the players not buying into the system, as well as his puzzling decision to install assistant coach Kurt Rambis as the “defensive coordinator” despite him being an offensive specialist by trade and not having had success as a head coach in the NBA.

New York Notes: Rambis, Randle, Foye, Nets

November 8th, 2016 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

As we passed along earlier today, Knicks president Phil Jackson is reportedly unhappy with the team’s offense, which hasn’t incorporated many elements of the triangle. While Jackson and some of the Knicks players appear to be at odds over the triangle, it’s the team’s defense that has been the real problem — New York ranks dead last in the NBA in points allowed per 100 possessions, and hasn’t held any of its opponents under 102 points in a game so far. We’ve got some details on how the Knicks plan to tackle that area of concern, along with some other notes out of New York:

The Knicks have put assistant coach – and former interim head coach – Kurt Rambis in charge of their defense, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links). According to Stein, the club’s assistants weren’t assigned any specific areas of emphasis to start the season, but have asked Rambis to focus on defense after a troublesome start.
Point guard Chasson Randle was “all but assured” of a regular-season roster spot with the Knicks, but a fractured orbital bone last month led to his preseason release. Marc Berman of The New York Post takes a closer look at the current situation for Randle, who says he has contemplated playing overseas but still hopes to return to the Knicks when he’s healthy.
Summer signee Randy Foye received a modest one-year contract from the Nets and wasn’t necessarily viewed as a significant addition. However, with Jeremy Lin and Greivis Vasquez sidelined, Brooklyn will be very happy to see Foye return from a hamstring injury and make his Nets debut, writes Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. “It just gives us some stability, some leadership, defense and I think it’s gonna help us [and] help our young guys,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Monday. “He looked good in practice. [It’s] welcome news.”

Phil Jackson Unhappy With Knicks’ Offense

November 8th, 2016 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

The new-look Knicks are off to a slow start this season, having won just two of their first six games, and according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, team president Phil Jackson has been unhappy with his club’s performance on offense. Specifically, Jackson isn’t pleased with the numbers of times the Knicks have run the triangle offense, says Begley.

Although new head coach Jeff Hornacek has vowed to implement “principles of the triangle” offense into New York’s half-court sets, he has also made an effort to speed things up in the early going, writes Begley. One Eastern Conference scout tells Begley that during the Knicks’ Friday win over the Bulls, New York ran a play out of a triangle set just a handful of times.

While Jackson isn’t happy about the lack of triangle sets in the offense, some Knicks players aren’t thrilled about using it at all. Sources tell Begley that a few of the Knicks players have suggested that the triangle offense doesn’t suit the club’s personnel, including point guard Derrick Rose, who is more effective in pick-and-roll sets.

Although the offense may be a point of contention during the first two weeks of the season for the Knicks, their defensive performance has been of greater concern. The club entered play on Monday ranked dead last in points allowed per 100 possessions, and hasn’t allowed fewer than 102 points in any of its six games so far.

Jackson, a former head coach, is a little more hands-on in his approach than most team presidents around the NBA. And with a new head coach on the bench in New York, there will likely be some growing pains during the first few weeks of the season as Hornacek and Jackson look to find common ground on the best approach for the team going forward.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/7/16

November 7th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA

10:00pm:

The Nets have recalled Chris McCullough from the Long Island Nets, according to a press release issued by the team. Brooklyn sent the 21-year-old forward to the D-League earlier today, as noted below.

2:46pm:

After assigning them to the Austin Spurs on Sunday, the Spurs have recalled Bryn Forbes, Danny Green and Dejounte Murray today, the club announced in a press release. Green appears to be on the verge of returning from the quad injury that has sidelined him so far this season.
The Knicks assigned Willy Hernangomez, Maurice Ndour, and Marshall Plumlee to their D-League affiliate today, allowing the trio to practice with the Westchester Knicks, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). They’re expected to be back with New York tomorrow.
The Mavericks assigned A.J. Hammons to the Texas Legends today, then recalled him a few hours later, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter links).
Former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo was sent to the Raptors 905 by the Raptors today, according to Toronto’s D-League affiliate (via Twitter). Caboclo has yet to appear in an NBA game this season, so the Raptors have been getting him work with their D-League squad when possible.
The Nets assigned Chris McCullough to their D-League team, the Long Island Nets, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Knicks Don't Want To Place Pressure On Porzingis

November 7th, 2016 at 8:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kristaps Porzingis represents a major part of the Knicks‘ future, but coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t want to place added pressure on the young big man and prefers not to make him the focal point of the team’s offense, Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays. “You don’t want to put that on a — what did he, just turn 21; second year in the league — when you have players like Carmelo Anthony and now Derrick Rose, guys who have proven it in this league for years,” Hornacek said. “We try not to make [Porzingis] the focal point, but we’re trying not to make Carmelo necessarily the focal point or Derrick the focal point. We want everybody to be involved.”