Knicks Notes: Van Gundy, Woodson, Tyler
We’ve already taken a look at one struggling New York team this morning, having rounded up a few Nets updates. Let’s head over to Manhattan and check in on the city’s other sub-.500 NBA franchise….
- Appearing on ESPN Radio in New York today, Jeff Van Gundy dismissed speculation that he might replace Mike Woodson as the Knicks’ head coach, suggesting that the team’s problems are roster-related rather than coaching-related (all Twitter links via Frank Isola of the New York Daily News).
- Jeremy Tyler has returned to action for the D-League’s Erie BayHawks and the Knicks are “closely monitoring” his progress, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. A source tells Berman (Twitter link) that New York will likely wait at least three to five games before considering re-adding Tyler, who was in camp with the team before undergoing stress fracture surgery.
- Daniel Leroux of RealGM.com examines what the Knicks’ future core might look like, particularly if the team decides Carmelo Anthony isn’t the answer as the long-term cornerstone of the roster.
Knicks Considering Allan Houston As Next Coach
Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston has seemed like a GM-in-waiting the last few years, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News hears the team’s former shooting guard could soon fill a different role. Owner James Dolan is prepared to make Houston the team’s next head coach if Mike Woodson doesn’t turn the team around soon, Isola writes.
Dolan expressed confidence in Woodson’s ability less than two weeks ago, but the Knicks haven’t won since, and other reports suggest the team’s management is souring on its coach. The front office has apparently scolded Woodson for his public criticism of Iman Shumpert and is telling other teams that Woodson’s mishandling of Shumpert is obscuring the third-year swingman’s value.
Having Houston take over the coaching reins would be an odd move, but as Isola points out, the team’s preseason replacement of former GM Glen Grunwald with Steve Mills seemed to come out of nowhere. Houston made two All-Star games around the turn of the century as a player for the Knicks, becoming a favorite of Dolan’s. Houston failed to live up to an inflated contract he signed in 2001, but he’s remained in the good graces of the Knicks following his retirement as a player in 2005.
Knicks Rumors: Woodson, Karl, Tyler, Smith
Mike Woodson‘s name came up in Coach of the Year talk around this time a year ago, but that’s certainly not the case now, with the Knicks tied for the league’s worst record entering tonight. Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com believes that it’s time for Woodson to show whatever mettle he has if he’s to save his job, but I’m not so sure more effort from the coach will solve the team’s myriad problems. The man who won last year’s Coach of the Year award doesn’t envy Woodson, as we note in our roundup from Madison Square Garden:
- George Karl wants another NBA head coaching gig, but he wouldn’t want the Knicks job if it came open, as he recently told Dave Krieger of Denver’s KOA Radio (hat tip to Brian Lewis of the New York Post). “I mean, I watch the Knicks play and I wouldn’t want to be in that hell for a million dollars,” Karl said. “It’s just New York City and the Garden and the immensity of the pressure. I think Mike Woodson is standing up to it with tremendous integrity.
- Jeremy Tyler, who was with the Knicks in training camp, has recovered from the injury that prompted New York to cut him, but there’s no pressing need for the Knicks to re-sign him, argues Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
- Statistics suggest J.R. Smith has been one of the league’s worst players so far this season on his new three-year, $17.9MM deal, so it’s no surprise the Knicks have struggled accordingly, writes HoopsWorld’s Tommy Beer.
Eastern Rumors: Knicks, Nets, Frank, Bulls
This morning, we rounded up several of the latest rumors out of New York, with both the Nets and Knicks off to brutal starts to the 2013/14 season. Throughout the day, a few more Nets and Knicks items have trickled in, along with a few updates on their Eastern Conference rivals. Let’s dive in and check in on the latest….
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York hears from league sources with knowledge of Knicks trade talks that GM Steve Mills has been citing Mike Woodson‘s coaching as a reason why Iman Shumpert has struggled this season. According to one source: “They’re saying that Shumpert’s a better player [than he’s shown], but Woodson isn’t using him right.”
- Carmelo Anthony acknowledged that Knicks players are concerned about Woodson’s job security, but stressed that the blame should fall on the players rather than on the coach. Begley has the details and quotes in a separate piece.
- Asked about a report that indicated he wants to be traded, Mirza Teletovic denied knowing anything about it, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (via Twitter).
- Nets assistant Lawrence Frank has been re-assigned, and will no longer be on the bench for games, Jason Kidd told reporters today, citing “different philosophies” (Twitter links via Howard Beck of Bleacher Report).
- GM Gar Forman told ESPN Radio in Chicago that he still hopes to work out a new deal with Luol Deng next summer, but Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com believes the Bulls will want Deng to accept a hometown discount. In a column, Friedell explains why there’s no better time than the present for Forman and the Bulls to trade deng.
- The Bulls assigned Marquis Teague to the Iowa Energy earlier today, but according to Forman, Teague’s stint won’t be long-term — the young point guard could be assigned and recalled occasionally throughout the season (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune).
- Examining the Wizards in a column for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com suggests the acquisition of Marcin Gortat should be the last move the team makes this year that involves adding a veteran with little upside. In fact, Washington shouldn’t rule out trading away a veteran like Trevor Ariza in the right deal, says Deeks.
Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division?
The futility of the Eastern Conference has been a major theme of the first few weeks of the NBA season. Eastern teams have now played the equivalent of a full season’s worth of games against Western Conference clubs, and have compiled an abysmal 23-60 record, good for a .277 winning percentage.
As bad as the East has been, the Southeast and Central divisions at least each have an elite team at the top of the standings. The Pacers are off to a 16-2 start, while the defending champions in Miami have gone 14-3. In the Atlantic, however, the division-leading Raptors are just 6-10.
Toronto was expected to be a borderline playoff contender this season, and many pundits pegged the Celtics and 76ers for spots near the bottom of the conference. The Atlantic’s two New York teams have been the real disappointments, combining to go just 8-25 so far. The Knicks have lost nine games in a row and are now tied for the NBA’s worst record at 3-13, and the Nets’ 5-12 mark isn’t much better.
It’s easy to say that at least one of the New York teams will turn things around, but we’re nearly a quarter of the way through the season, and neither team has shown signs of improvement so far. When we asked over the weekend whether the Nets and Knicks would make the playoffs, the most popular answer suggested neither team would earn a spot.
So what do you think? Which team ultimately ends up at the top of the division that’s on pace to be the worst ever in any major North American sport?
Who will win the Atlantic Division?
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Toronto Raptors 24% (292)
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Brooklyn Nets 22% (275)
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New York Knicks 21% (259)
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Boston Celtics 19% (237)
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Philadelphia 76ers 14% (170)
Total votes: 1,233
New York Rumors: Woodson, JVG, Teletovic
We heard last night that Knicks veterans Metta World Peace and Kenyon Martin had a heated exchange on Sunday prior to the team’s game against the Pelicans, a contest in which Iman Shumpert and Carmelo Anthony had a confrontation of their own. As Marc Berman of the New York Post details, those are just the two latest incidents in a string of run-ins dating back to Halloween, when Shumpert and Tyson Chandler got into a shouting match over a defensive breakdown. World Peace and Tim Hardaway Jr. also had a recent confrontation, according to Berman.
Our own Zach Links pointed out last night that the Knicks’ recent discord can’t be a good sign for the job security of coach Mike Woodson. The club’s nine-game losing streak isn’t helping matters either. Here’s more on the Knicks and their crosstown rivals, as the two teams prepare to meet in Brooklyn on Thursday night:
- Knicks owner James Dolan gave Woodson a vote of confidence last month, but that doesn’t apply indefinitely, as Berman writes in a second piece. Noting that Dolan is “obsessed” with the Nets, Berman suggests that a loss on Thursday could trigger a major move — perhaps either a trade or a coaching change.
- If the Knicks decide to replace Woodson, the team would be open to bringing back Jeff Van Gundy, who likely would have interest in the position, says Berman. A potential Van Gundy return may be more likely in the offseason rather than during the season, however. Berman adds that JVG may want input on personnel decisions if he returns to coaching, which could be a factor in whether or not he makes his way back to New York.
- Jason Kidd‘s seat in Brooklyn isn’t as hot as Woodson’s, but Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post wonders if the Nets regret not hiring Brian Shaw. As Dempsey details, the current Nuggets coach looked like the frontrunner for the Brooklyn job earlier this year, before Kidd emerged practically out of nowhere.
- According to Mirza Teletovic‘s agent Misko Raznatovic, he and his client are interested in a trade that would sent Teletovic to a team that would give him more playing time. The Sarajevo Times passes along the quotes from Raznatovic on the little-used Nets forward (hat tip to Sportando).
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Raptors, DeRozan, Knicks
Will the Knicks trade Iman Shumpert? Two Knicks beat writers who don’t agree on much seem to think that the strong play of Tim Hardaway Jr. coupled with Shumpert’s recent confrontation with star Carmelo Anthony makes him even more available. Tonight’s look at the Atlantic Division..
- When Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett moved on from the Celtics, they warned Avery Bradley that the rebuilding process wouldn’t be easy, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. “They told me this was going to be hard,” Bradley said. “At some point in their careers, they both played on teams that were very young, and that’s how our team is now. It takes time, but if everybody buys into what we’re trying to do, everything works out.”
- With the Raptors‘ struggles starting to wear on DeMar DeRozan, Eric Koreen of the National Post wonders if it’s time for Toronto to trade him. Outside of the struggling Jonas Valanciunas, DeRozan is likely the most valuable commodity on the Raptors’ roster and he is playing the best basketball of his career.
- As if the Knicks didn’t have enough problems, offseason pickup Metta World Peace got into it with teammate Kenyon Martin, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. One has to imagine that the club’s recent discord doesn’t bode well for coach Mike Woodson.
Eastern Rumors: Shumpert, Afflalo, Cavs
Following up on Carmelo Anthony‘s recent comments suggesting that the Knicks were missing the veteran leadership of players like Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, and Kurt Thomas, Mike Woodson agreed, but stressed that the team must move on.
“They’re not here this season and they’re not going to walk through that door,” Woodson said of those ex-Knicks, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday. “We’ve got to go with what we have. And I think what we have is good enough to win with.”
Let’s round up a few more stories on the Knicks and several other Eastern Conference teams…
- In their stories on the Knicks‘ Sunday loss to the Pelicans, Marc Berman of the New York Post and Frank Isola of the New York Daily News both suggest that the strong play of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Iman Shumpert‘s confrontation with Carmelo Anthony might make Shumpert even more available.
- Arron Afflalo is playing the best ball of his career so far this season, which could put him in the All-Star conversation, but also means his trade value may never be higher. Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at Afflalo’s unusual situation with the Magic.
- In addressing the possibility of the Cavaliers starting Anthony Bennett at small forward, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio passes along a tidbit from a scout this past offseason. In the scout’s opinion, no matter what other moves the Cavs made, “if they’re still starting [Alonzo Gee] at small forward, they’re not gonna be that great.”
- While many Bulls fans would like to see the team tank and grab a pick near the top of a strong 2014 draft, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times cautions against that approach. Speaking to Cowley, Bulls GM Gar Forman suggests it’s possible to find value in the first round no matter where the team’s pick lands.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Garnett, Rondo, Young
The Celtics are just 7-12, but they could have moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with a win last night. Instead, they lost to the Bucks, the worst team in the woeful Eastern Conference. That leaves the Raptors on top of the Atlantic at 6-9. Here’s more on the four teams chasing Toronto:
- Knicks management has scolded coach Mike Woodson for his public criticism of trade candidate Iman Shumpert, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Kevin Garnett looked all of his 37 years at the start of the season, but more recently he’s shown why the Nets traded for him this summer, fellow Post scribe Tim Bontemps observes.
- Rajon Rondo is a long way from the end of his playing career, but he’s spoken to Brad Stevens about getting involved in coaching some day, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald examines.
- In a piece for Philly.com, SB Nation’s Michael Levin tries to peg Thaddeus Young‘s trade value, opining that his contract won’t discourage other teams from taking him on. Young’s deal runs through 2015/16 and has $28.2MM left on it, including this year.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Holiday, Knicks, Nets
A recent piece from Keith Pompey at the Inquirer explores the upbringing of rookie Sixers point guard Michael Carter-Williams. Among the interesting details: Carter-Williams’ NBA salary is being deposited into a trust that he can’t touch for three years. The young Syracuse product is currently living off his endorsement deals with Nike and Panini trading cards. Here’s more from the Sixers and the Atlantic Division:
- Evan Turner is having a career year for the Sixers, but Tom Moore of the Intelligencer reminds us that GM Sam Hinkie is willing to deal any of his players for the right price, as evidenced by the draft night deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans.
- Speaking of the Holiday deal, Christoper Vito from the Delaware County Daily Times reports that Holiday was surprised when he received the call to find out he had been traded (Twitter links).
- Scott Souza of the MetroWest Daily News reports that Celtics Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, and Kris Humphries understand their roles on the team and don’t expect to see major minutes. Souza notes it’s a difficult situation for the trio of veterans since they can’t display their skills while riding the bench, and each of them figures to be a free agent come the end of the season.
- We found out earlier today that most Hoops Rumors readers believe at least one New York team will make the playoffs, but Jason Kidd and Mike Woodson have yet to prove their 2013/14 squads can live up to preseason expectations. Tommy Beer and Alex Kennedy over at HoopsWorld named Kidd and Woodson, respectively, as the coaches that have disappointed them the most so far in the early going of the season.
- One of the sole bright spots for the struggling Knicks has been the surprisingly effective play of offseason acquisition Andrea Bargnani. The former first overall pick is putting up much better numbers than he did last year in Toronto, but Keith Schlosser from the Knicks Journal suggests his presence might be having a negative impact on J.R. Smith‘s performance.