And-Ones: LeBron, Thunder, Fisher
LeBron James is expected to miss the next two weeks of action thanks to injuries to his back and left knee, the Cavaliers have announced. Coupled with the season-ending injury to Anderson Varejao, Cleveland suddenly finds itself a bit short-handed. The league has approved the franchise’s request for a disabled player exception, but with the league maximum 15 players already on their roster the Cavs would need to waive or deal a player to be able to utilize it.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Thunder are edging closer toward the summer of 2016, which is when Kevin Durant can elect to depart Oklahoma City as a free agent, and the speculation is that it will take an NBA title to keep him in town beyond then. The team’s play as of late has gotten it back on track for the season after enduring a multitude of injuries, Jeff Caplan of FOX Sports Southwest writes. “I’m excited. Obviously we need everybody healthy,” coach Scott Brooks said. “But I like the fact that our guys compete regardless of who’s on the floor. They get out there and compete. We haven’t had as many wins as we would like, but we’re competing every night. We put ourselves in a position to win games and we have a no-excuse mentality.”
- Derek Fisher said that the Lakers never reached out to him after last season, and the Knicks were the only offer he had to become a head coach, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I never had any conversations with the Lakers of coaching the team,’’ Fisher said. “This was the only one. It doesn’t disappoint me in any way. I never pretended to run the Lakers or make decisions for them. I did the best I could when I played. They don’t owe me anything. I don’t owe them anything.’
- Brandon Jennings has emerged as a leader since the Pistons released Josh Smith, Brendan Savage of MLive.com writes. “Brandon has noticeably gotten back to probably what is his natural personality,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “He’s really having fun. He’s talking a lot, joking with guys, things like that. I think he had been suffering. He hadn’t been playing real well, we hadn’t been winning. He had gotten really quiet.” There were conflicting reports regarding Detroit shopping the veteran point guard prior to Smith being released.
- The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, the team announced in a press release. This was Caboclo’s first D-League assignment of the season.
And-Ones: Richardson, Mekel, Jenkins
Sixers guard Jason Richardson said that he expects to return to the court in late January after being sidelined for nearly two years, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports. Richardson last played in an NBA game on January 18th, 2013 before knee and ankle maladies sidelined him. “It will mean a lot to come back,” Richardson said. “I thought I was done playing. I really did. But seeing my son play AAU over the summertime, seeing his love for the game, it made me get the love back for the game. My thing is to always walk away on my own terms. I understand that things happen. Me having this knee injury, fading away like that is not the way I wanted to go out. Retirement is three or four years away from now.”
Here’s more from around the league and abroad:
- Michael Jenkins has signed a deal with the Turkish club Istanbul BSB, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Jenkins was in training camp this season with the Thunder prior to being waived.
- NBA scouts and executives are essentially in agreement that Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker are better pro prospects than fellow Kentucky backcourt studs Andrew Harrison and brother Aaron Harrison, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who writes in his weekly chat. Booker is No. 35, Ulis is No. 48, Andrew is No. 65 and Aaron is No. 67 in Ford’s prospect rankings.
- Gal Mekel is still hoping to land with an NBA team after being released by the Pelicans earlier this month, Allon Sinai of The Jerusalem Post writes. “After I was released by New Orleans I received several offers from Europe and Israel,” Mekel said. “I wanted to give them the respect they deserve and listen to them all. It is no secret that I really want to remain in the NBA and I believe with all my heart that I can succeed in this league. But I also really want to play, lead and realize my potential.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Northwest Notes: Matthews, Daniels, Tinsley
Wesley Matthews has steadily improved his game over the last few seasons for the Blazers, especially from behind the arc, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Matthews leads the league with 96 three-pointers made on the season, and he’s compiled a 59.5% effective field goal percentage. With three-point shooting being such a valuable commodity, the soon to be free agent could be in line for a hefty raise over his current $7.25MM salary, although that is just my speculation.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Newly acquired guard Troy Daniels has fit in well with the Wolves, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “He shoots the basketball,” coach Flip Saunders said. “I probably should have found a way to put him in sooner. As I told our guys, when you utilize your minutes on the floor, you either gain trust from your teammates and coaches or not. So he did a good job and gained some trust.” Daniels was acquired from Houston in a trade for Corey Brewer earlier in the month.
- The Thunder offered Jamaal Tinsley an opportunity to join the team last offseason, as the former first-round pick tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com. “OKC offered but I elected not to indulge because it wasn’t a guaranteed deal and I’m too far along in my career for non-guarantees,” Tinsley said. The 36-year-old guard is currently entertaining offers to play overseas.
- If the Thunder are going to make the playoff this season, Serge Ibaka has to become more involved in the offense, particularly in the fourth quarter, argues Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Mayberry points out that Ibaka is averaging only 3.4 points on just 2.6 attempts per game in the fourth quarter. The Thunder sit three games out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a record of 15-17.
Western Notes: Thunder, Daniels, Bjelica
The Thunder are staying calm despite two devastating early-season injuries, reports Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. A hurt hand cost Russell Westbrook the first month of the season, and foot and ankle injuries have limited Kevin Durant to just nine games this season. “We want to get our guys healthy,” said coach Scott Brooks. “Until then, we want to keep improving so that when the guys come back, we’re a better team. These are great opportunities to build our team and our bench when Kevin comes back.”
There was more on Sunday from the Western Conference:
- Troy Daniels is quickly finding a home with the Timberwolves, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. After being acquired from the Rockets in the December 19th trade that sent Corey Brewer to Houston, Daniels has impressed with his three-point shooting touch. He hit four from long distance in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Warriors and wound up with 14 points in less than 9 minutes of action. “That’s my job,” Daniels said. “I always stay ready and shoot the ball when I’m open.” Daniels is in the first year of a two-year guaranteed contract for the minimum salary.
- Wolves draft-and-stash prospect Nemanja Bjelica offers hope for ex-GM David Kahn‘s 2010 draft class, writes Zgoda. He’s currently in the midst of a season that has caught the eye of team president/coach Flip Saunders. “He has proven it this year,” Saunders said. “He has taken his game to another step up, to where he’s ready to come over here. He has potential because he’s 6’10” or 6’11”, but he’s very skilled. He’s a guy we’ll definitely follow.”
- Nuggets rookie Jusuf Nurkic is impressing early on in his NBA career, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “He’s my type of player,” Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said. “He likes to bang. He likes to rebound.” Nurkic, a 6’11” big man, has earned more playing time of late, seeing 16.1 minutes per contest in his last eight games.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Suns, Mekel, Curry
The Suns have assigned Tyler Ennis, Archie Goodwin, and T.J. Warren to the Bakersfield Jam, their D-League affiliate, the Associated Press reports. Ennis and Warren each appeared in two games during their one previous assignment to Bakersfield this season. Warren is averaging 36 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Jam, and Ennis has averaged 22 points and 7.5 assists per contest. This will be Goodwin’s first trip of the season to the D-League.
Here’s the latest from the Western Conference:
- With the Warriors‘ fast start to the season, Stephen Curry‘s stature around the league and his value is rising right along with the franchise’s, Antonio Gonzalez of The Associated Press writes.
- Gal Mekel said that he has passed on numerous overseas offers, and that he “wouldn’t have been able to live with himself” if he had missed out on any NBA offers because of accepting an overseas deal, David Pick of Eurobasket reports (Twitter links). Mekel was recently waived by the Pelicans, though New Orleans coach Monty Williams has indicated that the team will consider re-signing the player.
- Kevin Durant‘s recent ankle injury has shown just how fragile the Thunder‘s playoff hopes are, Royce Young of ESPN.com writes. “You can’t take winning for granted,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. “Winning a game is hard. My first-year coach, Jimmy Lynam, used to always say that. Winning a game in this league is tough. And number one is health. Having your full roster to work with gives you the best chance to win.”
D-League Notes: Cavs, Grizzlies, Heat
We’ll keep track of today’s D-League assignments and recalls right here. As always, you can check out our running post to keep track of all of the D-League moves for the 2014/15 season..
- Grant Jerrett has been recalled from the D-League, the Thunder announced earlier today. Jerrett has appeared in five games (four starts) for the Blue this season, averaging 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game.
- The Cavs announced that they have recalled center Alex Kirk from the Canton Charge. Kirk has played in 13 games (all starts) for the Charge this season with averages of 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 32.2 minutes per contest. The big man has appeared in three games for the Cavs this season.
- The Grizzlies announced that they have recalled guard Jordan Adams and forward/center Jarnell Stokes from the Iowa Energy. Both players were on their third stint with the Energy this season. Adams, 20, has averaged 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds in across seven games for the Energy this season. Stokes, 20, has averaged 13.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games for Iowa.
- The Heat announced that they have recalled Andre Dawkins from the D-League. Dawkins appeared in nine games (three starts) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and averaged 25.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 36 minutes per game. Just yesterday, Dawkins dropped 42 points on the Texas Legends. He’ll be available for Miami’s contest against the Celtics later today.
Western Notes: Dragic, Pelicans, Nuggets
Multiple teams are inquiring as to what it would take to pry Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe or Isaiah Thomas away from the Suns, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger notes that rival executives have gotten the impression that Dragic is the player whom Phoenix would most like to keep out of the three. Dragic is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and will likely warrant a raise on his current $7.5MM per year salary, although that is just my speculation.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Although Damian Lillard was drafted before the Pelicans had a chance to acquire him with the 10th pick in the 2012 draft, the team would have been ecstatic to pair the point guard with first overall pick Anthony Davis, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. “I loved him,” coach Monty Williams said. “And I didn’t even see him play a lot. I just had a meeting with him, watched a little bit [of film] on him but after I talked to him face-to-face, I jammed him up on a few questions that he didn’t buckle. He didn’t get it right but he didn’t clam up. He just looked me in the eye and he got it wrong, but he stayed right there.” New Orleans ended up drafting Austin Rivers with the 10th overall pick in the draft.
- The next few weeks could be key in determining what roster moves the Nuggets will make, opines Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Denver came into the season with playoff aspirations but currently owns a record of 12-15. If the team continues to win at this pace, Dempsey believes the Nuggets should begin to trade some of their veteran players for prospects or draft picks.
- Andre Roberson could play a key role for the Thunder this season and his defense is being noticed around the league , writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. In the win against the Lakers on Friday night, Roberson guarded Kobe Bryant and held him to just nine points while allowing him to shoot only 21.4% from the field.
Western Notes: D-League, Daniels, Garcia
Prior to being waived by the Rockets yesterday, Francisco Garcia declined to be traded to the Wolves, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). There is still a possibility that Minnesota will claim Garcia off of waivers, Spears adds.
Here’s the latest from out west:
- The Wolves‘ acquisition of Troy Daniels in the trade for Corey Brewer nets them an effective outside shooter, something the team was lacking, Michael Rand of The Star Tribune writes. If Daniels can indeed fill that role, his team-friendly salary for this season and next will make him a steal, Rand opines.
- The Pelicans have recalled point guard Russ Smith from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League, the team announced in a press release. In two D-League assignments this season, Smith has appeared in six games with Fort Wayne, averaging 16.5 points, 6.2 assists and 1.8 steals.
- Ricky Ledo has been recalled by the Mavs from the Texas Legends, their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. This was Ledo’s fifth sojourn of the season to the D-League.
- The improved play of Darrell Arthur should benefit the Nuggets big man when he inks his next deal, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. Arthur is in the final season of a three-year contract worth $9MM, and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Judging by the high-volume of trade calls Denver has received about him this season, Arthur’s value on the open market will likely be high, Dempsey adds.
- For the fifth time this season, the Thunder have assigned Grant Jerrett to the Oklahoma City Blue, their D-League affiliate, the team announced.
Western Notes: Crawford, Moreland, Brewer
Clippers guard Jamal Crawford is being mentioned quite a bit in exploratory trade talks, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports (Twitter link). According to Amico, the Kings, Nuggets, and Thunder may take a run at acquiring the veteran guard, though no serious discussions are talking place just yet. In 23 appearances this season, Crawford is averaging 16.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 26.7 minutes per game.
Here’s the latest out of the West:
- The Kings have once again recalled Eric Moreland from the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This was Moreland’s fifth sojourn of the season to Reno, and in seven appearances for the Bighorns he has averaged 13.7 points and 1.4 assists per contest.
- For the second time this season the Rockets have assigned Clint Capela to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s D-League affiliate, the team announced. The 6’10” rookie has made four appearances for the Rockets this season, recording a total of six rebounds, one assist, a steal and a block in 12 total minutes of playing time. In his first stint with the Vipers, Capela played in six games averaging 9.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 14.1 minutes per contest.
- The Rockets‘ coaching staff is enamored with Corey Brewer and are still pursing a trade with the Wolves for the swingman, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets. No deal is imminent, Wolfson adds.
- Kevin Durant refuted the notion that players around the league don’t want to play with Kobe Bryant, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. When asked if this perception is why the Lakers have been unable to make a splash in in free agency lately, Durant said, “Excuse my language, but that’s [expletive]. I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I’d want to play with a guy like that every day. His style may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think [the accusation] is BS.”
And-Ones: Poythress, Thunder, NBA Draft
Kentucky junior forward Alex Poythress suffered a torn left ACL during practice and will miss the remainder of season, the University announced via their official website. “Our team was devastated for Alex when I told them,” coach John Calipari said. “There were tears throughout the room because this hurt them to the core. How they will respond I really don’t know, but I will do my best to be there for each of these kids. I told them, this is a big blow to our team. No one will be able to replace Alex and what he did for this team. I go back to last year’s NCAA Tournament. Without Alex, we don’t win those games. No one will be able to replace him, but now everybody has to do a little bit more as we try to circle the wagons.” Poythress is currently the 47th ranked college prospect by DraftExpress.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Thunder have once again recalled Mitch McGary and Grant Jerrett from the Oklahoma City Blue, their D-League affiliate, the team announced.
- The 2015 NBA draft is loaded with talented big men, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. Kennedy spoke with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who believes that the lack of top point guard prospects is opening the door for a lot of bigs to potentially go in the first 30 picks. “I think that part of the reason why you’re seeing so many big men in our [DraftExpress’] top 30 is because this is a really weak class for point guards,” Givony told Kennedy. “There might be one point guard in our top 20 right now and maybe two in the first round, period. That just leaves a lot of spots open for the four other positions, including power forwards and centers. I think that’s why we’re seeing some of these bigs [in the top 30]. But it’s a nice class for big guys too. I do think this draft, as a whole, is much better than advertised so far.”
- Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders ran down which players are his picks for the top 10 prospects in the NBA who are 23 years old or younger. Topping Duncan’s list are Anthony Davis (Pelicans), Kyrie Irving (Cavs), and Jabari Parker (Bucks).
- The Kings have recalled Eric Moreland from the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced.