Atlantic Notes: Wroten, 2016 Draft, Johnson
The Knicks don’t want to sign a player to a 10-day deal who won’t crack their rotation, which explains why the team hasn’t added Tony Wroten or Jimmer Fredette despite possessing an open roster spot, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. New York thinks it would be wasteful to do so, according to Berman, and the franchise won’t be pressed into making a move unless a rotation player goes down with an injury. The Knicks are also considering using a 10-day pact on a young player who would play primarily in the D-League in order to learn the triangle offense, the New York Post scribe adds. Berman notes that New York has expressed some level of interest in Wroten but is concerned about his tendency to gamble on defense.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics power forward Amir Johnson, who departed the Raptors as a free agent this past offseason, is missed by his former teammates and Toronto’s fans because of his tireless work ethic, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca writes. “I think fans appreciate hard work,” said Patrick Patterson, who spent a season and a half with Johnson with the Raptors. “They appreciate guys who lay it out every single night, who play with their heart and soul. Like I said, he was battling through injuries and he wasn’t sitting out. He wasn’t in the locker room not participating. He was out there every single night playing those games no matter how he felt, no matter how badly his body needed rest, he was out there every night with his heart and soul.“
- The Nets have hired well-known shooting coach David Nurse to work with their players, NetsDaily relays. Brooklyn is shooting 44.6% from the field and hitting just 31.8% of their 3-pointers on the season.
- The Celtics own Brooklyn’s 2016 first round pick. which is likely to land in the top five, and the crew over at CSNNE.com looked at six potential draft targets for Boston. Besides the projected No. 1 overall pick, Ben Simmons of LSU, Boston is also likely to strongly consider Jaylen Brown (California), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Kris Dunn (Providence), Dragan Bender (Croatia) and Brandan Ingram (Duke).
Atlantic Notes: Lopez, DeRozan, Nets
DeMar DeRozan missed 22 games last season for the Raptors with a groin injury and the shooting guard used the scare it gave him to motivate himself to return to form in 2015/16, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. “I don’t talk about it too much,” DeRozan said of the time he missed in 2014/15. “But mentally that injury was tough on me. It took a lot out of me just to accept that I was hurt and I was going to be away from the game that long.”
The swingman also used the time to study the game and players who excelled by the use of their brains not their athleticism, Grange adds. “I watched all these guy who were successful and weren’t even athletic and I asked myself: How were they successful when they weren’t the fastest on the court?” DeRozan told Grange. “You tried to figure out how they did it and apply that to your game, so I didn’t have to jump higher than the defender or be faster than the defender, but just be craftier, smarter and be more patient.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks center Robin Lopez has become a more integral part of the team’s offense recently, something he credits to becoming more comfortable with his teammates as well as the addition of a hook shot to his game, Fred Kerber of The New York Post writes. “I think I have a better idea of where guys are on the floor and where my opportunities are going to present themselves,” said Lopez. “Guys, the team, coaching staff, they’re developing a confidence in me and that helps, that’s contagious.“
- The Nets‘ offseason signings of Shane Larkin, Thomas Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani were considered low risk at the time, but with each underachieving this season their deals could hamper the franchise next season, NetsDaily opines. All four players possess player options for next season and if they all opt in it could impact the team’s free agent plans, NetsDaily notes.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Sullinger, DeRozan, Colangelo
The Nets don’t have enough dissenters within the organization to offset the prevailing opinion, leading the team to make too many ill-advised decisions, as NetsDaily argues. The team hired few people in recent years without some sort of connection to former GM Billy King, and the recent consolidation of ownership that gave Mikhail Prokhorov 100% of the team doesn’t help, NetsDaily adds. Those at the top of the chain of command for the Nets were generally the ones most convinced within the organization that the team would be competitive this season, NetsDaily tweets. Brooklyn is 11-31, which is the league’s third-worst record. See more from the Atlantic Division:
- Jared Sullinger triggered the starter criteria on Monday to increase the value of his qualifying offer from $3,270,004 to $4,433,683, as Bobby Marks of “The Vertical” on Yahoo Sports points out (Twitter link). Monday’s start for Sullinger was his 82nd over the past two seasons, meaning he’ll average at least 41 over that span, enough to bring the starter criteria into play. The Celtics now have to tender that higher qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids for him in free agency this summer.
- DeMar DeRozan is a fan of former Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, to whom the Nets are apparently giving strong consideration as they search for their next GM, notes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. DeRozan has made it clear he prefers to stay with the Raptors, though the Nets had reportedly been expected to make him one of their primary offseason targets, at least before they removed King from the GM role. “[Colangelo] gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, you know? And I credit a lot of my success to him,” DeRozan said Monday, as Lewis relays. “[He’s] one of those stand-up honest guys. [He’ll] work extremely hard, and wants the best for whatever organization and players that he’s working for.’’
- Kristaps Porzingis has the potential to become the sort of player whom marquee free agents want to play with, and that changes the timeline for the Knicks to return to contention, argues Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders. Instead of going for broke this summer to find someone to pair with an aging Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks can afford to wait until 2017, when a much better free agent crop of point guards will be on the market, as Beer details.
Atlantic Notes: Crowder, Johnson, Nets, Porzingis
Jae Crowder has developed into a productive player on both ends of the court since being sent to the Celtics as part of the Rajon Rondo trade, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Crowder has stepped into more of a featured role in Boston and has responded by making the league’s top 10 in both offensive and defensive plus-minus rating. “He’s gotten better virtually every game,” said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle. “It’s no surprise. We loved him here. We got [Dwight] Powell back in the deal. Powell’s a good young player, too. It’s a trade that’s going to work out well for us. Probably better for them because they got some draft picks, too.”
There’s more tonight from the Atlantic Division:
- Joe Johnson‘s resurgence could make him an attractive addition for a contending team, but a deal probably won’t happen, according to NetsDaily. The reason is Johnson’s salary — nearly $25MM on an expiring contract — which means the Nets would have to take multiple players in return, with at least one probably extending into next season or beyond. That would take a bite out of Brooklyn’s estimated $40MM to $45MM in cap space, which owner Mikhail Prokhorov is counting on for a “small reset.” “They have to pray to God they can get some free agents next year,” said an unidentified league source, “overpay some guys on one- to two-year deals like Sacramento did, and hope it works out better than it is there. There’s no other way.”
- The Nets may want to clear out some of their bench players for next season, but don’t count on that happening either, tweets NetsDaily. Thomas Robinson, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani all have player options for 2016/17.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown has joined the growing fan base of Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Porzingis posted his 16th double-double in today’s victory over the Sixers. “I think he’s going to be really special,” Brown said. “We all look at his height. I look at his competitiveness. He plays hard and appears to really love the game.”
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Raptors
Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis is taking the next step in his evolution as a budding star by learning what it’s like to play without Carmelo Anthony, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. With Anthony missing the last two games, Porzingis has been the focus of the defense’s attention, Bondy adds. While Porzingis conceded it has been challenging to play as the focal point of the offense, he understands he will benefit from the experience, Bondy notes.
“I have to learn from Carmelo, the way he does it,” Porzingis said. “He always gets the ball whenever we need him to get the ball and those are the things I need to learn.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers should not trade rookie center Jahlil Okafor because he possesses a superior offensive skill-set that will likely get even better, John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News opines. Smallwood, instead, suggests the Sixers move third-year center Nerlens Noel. While Okafor’s defense needs improvement, his offensive output is so rare for a young center that the Sixers would be wise to build around him, Smallwood surmises.
- The Raptors enjoyed a strong first half despite being without center Jonas Valanciunas half the time and with prized free agent acquisition DeMarre Carroll missing time after recovering from knee surgery, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes.
- Robert Covington has rewarded Sixers coach Brett Brown‘s patience with him by showing improvements in his shot, rebounding and defense, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News relays.
Atlantic Notes: Ainge, Colangelo, Calipari, Jackson
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge talks weekly with Suns GM Ryan McDonough, as McDonough tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, and it’s clear that the pair maintain a strong relationship from their days in the Celtics front office. Boston and Phoenix hooked up on three trades last season.
“We worked together for a number of years and those guys have become some of my best friends,” McDonough said to Washburn about the Celtics brass. “Sometimes the calls are trade-related, sometimes the calls are social. I have a great relationship with those guys. I appreciate everything that Danny, [owners] Steve [Pagliuca], and Wyc [Grousbeck] did for my career, and regardless where I am the Celtics will always be my second-favorite team.”
See more from the Atlantic Division:
- It’s obvious that Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo is doing all the major decision-making now instead of GM Sam Hinkie, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who wonders whether Hinkie will get credit should the team become successful in the near future.
- A league source suggested to Fred Kerber of the New York Post that John Calipari will become a more appealing option to the Nets the longer they search for a GM and coach. The team isn’t seriously considering Calipari at this point, as Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck said Friday. Kerber also names team chairman Dmitry Razumov, board member Sergey Kushchenko, CEO Brett Yormark and Prokhorov’s holding company president Irina Pavlova as members of the team’s search committee. That adds further confusion to an existing set of conflicting reports about who’s conducting the search.
- Kristaps Porzingis unsurprisingly gets an A-plus in the midseason grades that Marc Berman of the New York Post hands out for the Knicks, but team president Phil Jackson receives only a C-minus, even though his decision to draft Porzingis has worked out. A record around .500 won’t cut it, and some of the team’s signings, including the addition of Kevin Seraphin that coach Derek Fisher lobbied for, have been duds, Berman opines, justifying the low grade for Jackson.
Atlantic Notes: Conley, Lopez, Raptors
The Knicks and Nets will be “all over” Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley when he hits the free agent market this summer, sources have indicated to the New York Post’s Marc Berman and Fred Kerber. The New York City clubs are two of the few teams searching for a high-level point guard, the story continues. Knicks coach Derek Fisher has an affinity to left-handed point guards like Conley since he was one himself, the story adds. Both teams have ample cap room to sign big-name free agents, as the Knicks have approximately $55.4MM in guaranteed salary commitments for next season while the Nets’ guarantees are slightly under $45.4MM.
In other news around the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets must decide whether center Brook Lopez is a cornerstone piece while also focusing their energies on acquiring younger players, two parts of a five-step plan outlined by RealGM.com’s Brett Koremenos to revive the franchise. The Nets should use the remainder of the season to evaluate whether they should build around Lopez or unload him, Koremenos opines, but can’t afford to throw away any more assets if they opt to trade him.
- Point guard Cory Joseph and power forward Patrick Patterson made major contributions off the bench in the Raptors’ trip to London this week and that bodes well for their bench, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes. Both have shown a reluctance to shoot but the club needs more offensive punch from the duo and the game provided a much-needed confidence boost, Ganter adds.
Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Rozier, Mickey, Barnes
Last season’s trade to the Celtics helped Isaiah Thomas blossom into an All-Star candidate, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Thomas was an effective sixth man in Phoenix before the deal, averaging 15.2 points and 3.7 assists as part of a three-guard rotation with Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic. But he has blossomed this season in Boston, boosting his averages to 21.6 points and 6.7 assists while keeping the Celtics in the playoff race. “He’s a terrific player,” said Suns GM Ryan McDonough. “He’s having a heck of a year. I wish we could’ve got him to accept his role better or utilized him better ourselves. In retrospect, those three guys – Bledsoe, Dragic and Thomas – all being in their 20s and all having All-Star aspirations made it challenging. With their sizes, you couldn’t play all three together a lot and they were all starting-caliber players who deserved to play and had a lot of success in the league.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics sent guard Terry Rozier and forward Jordan Mickey to their Maine affiliate in the D-League, the team tweeted today.
- Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes implies that he had the support of at least one Knicks player in his altercation with New York coach Derek Fisher, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Barnes was suspended for two games for his actions in the fight with Fisher, which took place in October at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife. “It’s been great — my teammates, organization, other guys throughout the league, people from his team, people from other sports, people from the entertainment world,’’ Barnes said. “I’ve gotten a lot of support throughout the whole situation.”
- Sixers coach Brett Brown has been impressed by the working relationship between GM Sam Hinkie and chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Since Colangelo was hired last month, the Sixers have hired Mike D’Antoni as associate head coach, traded for Ish Smith and signed veteran Elton Brand. “There’s another way to see where we are at,” Brown said, “and different [eyes] coming in and making clean assessments about where we are at.”
Southwest Notes: Brewer, Barnes, Williams
More than two dozen players became eligible to be traded today, and among them is Corey Brewer, about whom the Rockets and Suns reportedly had serious discussions as they entertained a swap that would also include Terrence Jones going to Phoenix for Markieff Morris. Still, Suns GM Ryan McDonough denied that any deal was prearranged or pending as he spoke Wednesday on the “Burns & Gambo” show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, as Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com transcribes. McDonough predicted lots of activity between now and the February 18th trade deadline and promised he’ll take an aggressive approach, though he said he can envision Morris remaining with Phoenix through the end of the season, adding that the Suns are “under no pressure to do anything immediately.” While we wait to see what happens on that front, there’s more on the Rockets and other Southwest Division teams:
- Improved defense, better 3-point shooting and the presence of Patrick Beverley in the starting lineup instead of Ty Lawson have sparked the Rockets to improved play, as Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com details, but GM Daryl Morey isn’t satisfied. “I’m worried given our goals,” Morey said, according to Watkins. “We still have a lot of improvement to do and we’re working towards that.”
- The performance Matt Barnes has put on for the Grizzlies lately makes it clear his controversial October encounter with Knicks coach Derek Fisher isn’t a distraction to the team and that he’s been one of the most valuable Grizzlies on the court, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. The 35-year-old has maintained his high level of defensive play all season, and more recently he’s begun to regain his usual shooting touch, Tillery notes. Barnes delivered pithy comments to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, saying, “I don’t talk to snakes” when asked if he’ll speak to Fisher while the Knicks are in Memphis for Saturday’s game. Barnes sent threatening text messages to Fisher in the weeks preceding Barnes’ alleged physical attack on Fisher at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife, a source told Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- A pair of small trade exceptions expired for Southwest Division teams this week, vestiges of the three-team trade that sent Jeff Green to the Grizzlies. The Pelicans allowed their $507,336 Russ Smith trade exception to lapse, while the Grizzlies didn’t find a use for the $396,068 leftover scrap of the Quincy Pondexter trade exception. Memphis used most of that Pondexter exception, originally valued at $3,146,068, to take in Luke Ridnour, whom the Grizzlies promptly flipped for Barnes.
- Chris Herrington of The Commericial Appeal doesn’t think the Grizzlies will issue a second 10-day contract to Elliot Williams, whose existing 10-day deal expires at the end of Sunday (Twitter link).
Atlantic Notes: DeRozan, Hollins, Mills, ‘Melo
DeMar DeRozan has made no secret of his affection for Toronto, and he tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post that just because the Raptors have a history of star players leaving doesn’t mean he’ll follow suit. DeRozan is poised to turn down his player option worth only slightly more than $10MM and hit free agency this summer.
“One thing I never did was look at anybody else, what they did or what they followed, honestly,” DeRozan said to Lee. “I always stuck to what I believe in and what I’m comfortable with. If I see a hundred people walking left, that don’t necessarily mean I’m going to walk left. I may see this clear path and want to stay right.”
See more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets higher-ups were angry about the way former coach Lionel Hollins would pin blame on his players, sources tell Brian Lewis of the New York Post, and several sources who spoke with Andy Vasquez of The Record couldn’t identify a single player on the team who was fond of Hollins. Many players thought the coach talked down to them and found it hard to respect him because of that, Vasquez writes.
- Knicks GM Steve Mills is very much involved with player personnel in his role under team president Phil Jackson, as agents tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Mills is the go-to guy when they talk to someone from the Knicks. James Dolan has done little meddling with Jackson around, and the team hasn’t had substantive talks regarding a Carmelo Anthony trade this year, Deveney adds.
- Nerlens Noel has long been a fan of Ish Smith, but the point guard has helped Jahlil Okafor‘s offensive game, too, observes Keith Bodner of Philadelphia magazine. The No. 3 overall pick has put up impressive numbers, albeit in a small sample size, since the Sixers traded for Smith on December 24th, as Bodner examines.