Knicks Notes: Anthony, Douglas, McMillan
The Knicks wrap up their four-game road trip in Milwaukee tonight, hoping to salvage a win after losses in Boston, Dallas, and San Antonio. In the meantime, here are a few Friday morning Knicks links:
- Unlike Tyson Chandler, who Mike D'Antoni called the Knicks' "most irreplaceable player," Carmelo Anthony has looked very replaceable lately, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Howard Beck of the New York Times argues that blaming Anthony for the Knicks' recent struggles is too easy. An overcrowded rotation means certain players may not be getting the minutes they require to be effective, says Beck.
- Toney Douglas is one player who has been a casualty of the Knicks' increased depth, and Berman writes that Douglas is trying not to think about the upcoming trade deadline. "I want to be a good teammate," Douglas said. "I don’t want to talk about that or deal with that. I can control what I can control. That’s me working out, being ready. I don’t want to get into all that."
- If the Knicks were to deal Douglas, they'd likely want a couple of second-round picks, says Berman.
- Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops thinks current Blazers coach Nate McMillan is a good candidate to be the next coach of the Knicks.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Morris, Anderson, Knicks
While there haven't been any big Dwight Howard rumors so far today, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel indicates that there has been a "shift in tone" in how Howard's desires are perceived. As we documented yesterday, the rumors are running wild, seemingly due to Howard's ambivalence. Here is what else is going on around the league on this Wednesday evening:
- Brian Schmitz from the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at the some of the hardships facing the Magic leading up to the trade deadline, including their tough schedule and inconsistency.
- Eddie Sefko from the Dallas Morning News says (via chat), should Dwight Howard not get traded by March 15th, he considers the Mavericks the heavy favorites to land both Howard and Deron Williams. He also mentions Gerald Wallace and C.J. Miles as potential complimentary fits around Dirk Nowitzki, Howard and Williams.
- According to Yahoo's Marc Spears, Lakers assign rookie guard Darius Morris to the NBDL D-Fenders. Mike Bresnahan, Lakers beat writer for the L.A. Times, adds that Morris is still counted on the roster and will continue to get paid as a Laker.
- Chris Bernucca from Sheridan Hoops examines some of the recent deadline deals, and their impact on the league today.
- Magic forward Ryan Anderson has been trying to block out the Dwight Howard rumors, says Brian Schmitz from the Orlando Sentinel. Anderson knows he could be packaged with Howard, or traded to get Howard help.
- Mike D'Antoni recognizes that the Knicks are struggling with Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin on the floor, but D'Antoni thinks it's a solvable problem, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Odds & Ends: Rondo, Lewis, Heat, Varejao
The Celtics look to catch the 76ers in the Atlantic standings, and the Bobcats aim for their first winning streak of the season in tonight's slate of games. But before the evening action gets underway, let's round up the latest odds and ends from around the NBA:
- One general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that there's no way Celtics GM Danny Ainge will get equal value in a trade for Rajon Rondo: "There’s a perception that if Doc Rivers, who’s such a player’s coach, has had a hard time with him, my coach is going to have a worse time with him."
- Because he reached certain incentives, Wizards forward Rashard Lewis is now owed a guaranteed $13.7MM (of $22.7MM) next season, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses Anthony Carter, Chris Andersen, and other potential targets for the Heat in today's mailbag.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger presents some under-the-radar trade candidates that he'd target, including Robin Lopez, Austin Daye, and Jordan Farmar.
- The lack of production the Cavaliers have received in Anderson Varejao's place while he's been injured shows why the team has been unwilling to trade him, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- In addition to sharing some Jamal Crawford rumors, Chad Ford of ESPN.com addressed a number of other trade topics in his latest chat.
- The Nets have no interest in a reunion with John Calipari, as had been suggested, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- Jerome Jordan will rejoin the Knicks after last week's D-League assignment, tweets Duane Rankin of the Erie Times-News.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Sixers, Chandler, Lopez
With a few games into the second half of the season, the battle for the Atlantic Division crown and homecourt in the first round of the playoffs should only look to intensify over the next few weeks. The Celtics, riding a four-game winning streak, are only two games behind the Sixers for first place in the division while the Knicks remain just three and a half games out. Today brought more topics of discussion:
- Bradford Doolittle of Basketball Prospectus (ESPN Insider link) examined the Atlantic Division and made some hypothetical trade proposals for both the Sixers and Celtics that could help them address some weaknesses. One deal would involve Philadelphia and Memphis in an Evan Turner-for-O.J. Mayo swap. Doolittle also suggests that Boston could explore dealing Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass, and Jermaine O'Neal to the Hornets in exchange for Chris Kaman.
- Although Carmelo Anthony appears to be completely healthy after battling multiple injuries all season, Knicks teammate Tyson Chandler is becoming bothered by an injured left wrist, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York.
- A report from HoopsWorld indicates that Nets center Brook Lopez rolled his right ankle against the Bobcats and left the arena in crutches. He will be evaluated again on Monday.
- Former Celtic Jeff Green has been in Boston for the last two weeks, as he is being evaluated after undergoing heart surgery nearly two months ago. Green watched today's game on the Celtics bench and has expressed a desire to return to the team in the future, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.
Knicks Notes: Davis, Novak, Lin
While overloaded earlier in the season with a relentless schedule, the Knicks have benefited from a cushy start to the post All-Star break season having played only one game in the last 10 days. They'll head to Boston today to take on the Celtics in nationally-televised game as the two teams battle for playoff positioning. Let's take a quick look at what's going on with the Knicks before Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the squad get underway in the first of eight Sunday games.
- Baron Davis talks about signing with the Knicks over the Lakers and the Heat in an extensive interview with the New York Post's Steve Serby. For the former UCLA star, playing at the Garden amongst talented players was more than enough of a reason to lure him to New York. While Davis clearly came to the Big Apple with intentions of starting for the Knicks, he offers high praise for Jeremy Lin and is content with becoming the greatest backup point guard in league history.
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday says minimum deals made by the Knicks have been as important to the team's success as the signing of Tyson Chandler, who has been an excellent addition to the roster. Iannazzone points to the shooting of Steve Novak as a critical reason why the Knicks didn't flounder when injury and personal tragedy kept Anthony and Amare Stoudemire off the court. Novak, 28, has hit 34-66 from three-point range in the Knicks' last nine victories.
- The last time the Knicks played the Celtics, Jeremy Lin looked like a player who could be cut at any time, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. With his points scored (two) equal to the amount of fouls he committed, Lin's effort against the Celtics could only be described as forgettable. Merely one night later, the phenomenon known as Linsanity took shape with a tour de force performance of 25 points and seven assists in a victory over the Nets.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Porter, Tanking
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Saturday night:
- Newsday's Al Iannazzone takes a look at the success the Knicks have had this season signing minimum-salary players, including Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic talks to Terry Porter, who is hoping for another shot as an NBA head coach after a disappointing stint with the Suns.
- SI.com's Zach Lowe has an interesting post on how the NBA can eliminate tanking for draft position.
Lawrence: Knicks Not Planning Major Moves
In a new column about the chemistry the Jeremy Lin-era Knicks have developed, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News says that the team's owner, James Dolan, wants to see how the current group grows and is not planning any major shake-ups at the trading deadline.
Lawrence, citing an Eastern Conference GM who had a recent conversation with the Knicks, believes that Dolan likes the chemistry between Lin and Carmelo Anthony and doesn't think another move is necessary. He also points out that, between the huge contracts of Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chander, the Knicks wouldn't have many assets to trade if they were inclined to make changes. However, Lawrence doesn't rule out the long-shot possibility of Dolan making a run at Deron Williams or Dwight Howard if the opportunity were to present itself.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday
After putting up 33 points and nine boards in a losing effort against the Thunder on Thursday night, Dwight Howard took questions from the press as he gets ready to take on the Bucks tonight. Here's the latest on Howard..
- RealGM columnist Jarrod Rudolph believes teams don't like what the Magic have to offer other than Howard, and that's slowing trade talk right now. If the Knicks make a play for Howard, though, Rudolph thinks they offer Orlando the best deal in return. (Twitter links)
- After hearing Howard's trade requests for months, the Magic are crazy to think they have a shot at keeping him, salary cap expert Larry Coon tweets.
- While talking with reporters, Howard seemed to leave open the door about possibly remaining with the Magic for the long term, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. At the same time, the big man was vague and wouldn't answer a question asking whether he has made a choice about his future.
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Udrih, Kings
Leave it to LeBron James to wind up in the spotlight again amidst Linsanity and the impending trade deadline. He passed up a potential game-winning shot against Utah to give the ball to Udonis Haslem instead, and Haslem missed to give the Jazz a 99-98 win. Still, as Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida points out, it was the first time James has ever gone back-to-back games without committing a turnover. James will surely be with the Heat for a while, but here are a few notes on more fluid situations:
- Changes are afoot for slumping Cleveland, where Cavs coach Byron Scott is giving thought to juggling his rotation and starting lineup after his team lost its fourth straight tonight, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. With the trade deadline approaching, the team must soon decide what to do with Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison, Amico says.
- Bucks backup point guard Beno Udrih would be on board with a trade if one happens, notes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
- ESPN's John Hollinger, writing from the Sloan Sports Analytics Conferences, says the numbers don't add up in the Kings arena deal. He believes the league provided financial support to the cash-strapped Maloof brothers so they could make their $73MM contribution to the deal. (Insider link)
- John Schuhmann of NBA.com rounded up Celtics coach Doc Rivers' irritated pregame remarks about the trade rumors swirling around his team. In particular, he took aim at the belief the Celtics are shopping Rajon Rondo and the "ridiculous" idea that Pau Gasol may be headed to Boston. For Rondo, whose name has come up in trade talks many times before, it feels like "deja vu," notes Andrew Perna of RealGM.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at Celtics free agent signee Mickael Pietrus, who's finally displaying his all-around game now that he's healthy, Blakely says.
- Marc Gasol, used to fielding rumors involving his brother Pau, is surprised that Raptors point guard Jose Calderon, another Spanish Olympic teammate, is coming up in trade talk as well, reports Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes the Knicks have assembled their most talented roster in 12 years.
- Jeremy Lin isn't the only waiver pickup exceeding expectations for the Knicks, as Steve Novak has been a major beneficiary of his more famous teammate's play, as Ben Bolch examines in the Chicago Tribune.
- Former Clippers and current Suns coach Alvin Gentry admires the team the Clips have put together this year, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic points out that Suns guard Shannon Brown, who'll hit the free agent market this summer, has a deceptive career high of 8.9 PPG this year. This has also been one of his worst shooting seasons.
- Maturity is the difference between the Gerald Green who flamed out with the Celtics a few years ago and the player who just returned to the league with the Nets, observes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Turner, Dolan
The Sixers continue to control the Atlantic Division, and Jeremy Lin is still amazing Knicks fans, but most of the talk around the division this week has centered around the Celtics and what they'll do with Rajon Rondo their aging "big three." Here's more on them as well as the other playoff contenders on the Eastern seaboard.
- The Hawks have had exploratory talks with the Celtics about Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Hawks are reluctant to move Josh Smith for an expiring deal, so that precludes swapping him for Allen or Garnett. The Celtics wouldn't want to flip either of them for the likes of Marvin Williams, and unless they get quality players with favorable contracts in return, they're inclined to hang on to them for the rest of the season. (All Twitter links)
- Wojnarowski also appeared on the Dennis & Callahan show on WEEI radio today, and told the hosts he doesn't see the Celtics trading Rondo. He said the team has been reaching out to other teams to assess his value on the trade market, but not actively shopping him. The Celtics view his contract, which has approximately $35.86MM spread over three years after this season, as favorable, and would only trade him for a major star.
- There's no truth to the idea that agent David Falk is pressuring Sixers coach Doug Collins to give client Evan Turner, the second pick in the 2010 draft, more playing time, writes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Turner has averaged 23.7 MPG in 35 games this year, all of them off the bench.
- The emergence of Jeremy Lin and hot second-unit play for the Knicks vindicate James Dolan for pushing hard to trade for Carmelo Anthony last year, observes Moke Hamilton on Sheridan Hoops.