Odds & Ends: Warriors, Dwight, Davis, Brewer
It's an eight-game night in the NBA, and while not much attention will be focused on the Bobcats–Wizards tilt, it's certainly a change to find the 6-5 Bobcats on the other side of a game in which a team is starving for a win. While we wait to see if Washington can get its first victory in 11 tries this season, here's more from the Association.
- In a guest editorial for the Bay Area News Group, former Warriors and Grizzlies executive Andy Dolich expresses doubt that the Warriors will be able to open their arena on the San Francisco Bay by 2017, given the lengthy environmental impact review process that must take place (hat tip to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com).
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com wonders if Dwight Howard, a free agent this summer, will question his commitment to the Lakers if the team's struggles continues (Twitter link).
- Glen Davis is looking forward to getting his first win against the Celtics, who traded him to the Magic before last season, notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Corey Brewer has bounced around the league since he was picked seventh overall in in 2007, but with free agency looming next summer, the Nuggets' system has helped him finally live up to his promise, observes Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link).
- Benjamin Hoffman of The New York Times wonders what might have been if the Nets had kept their 2012 first-round draft choice and used it to select Damian Lillard, just as the Blazers did with the pick after they landed it in the Gerald Wallace deal.
- Lillard is atop the rookie rankings compiled by Chris Bernucca of SheridanHoops.com.
- Rookie Jae Crowder has been impressive at times for the Mavs, but his transition to the NBA has not been seamless, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram examines.
Dwight Howard Notes: Silver, D-Will, Nets, Magic
The Dwight Howard saga was the dominant storyline of the year 2012, and while he seems content to be a Laker even as free agency looms this summer, a lot of people are taking a look back on more turbulent times as the Nets prepare to play the Lakers tomorrow night. It seemed for much of the year that Howard would end up in Brooklyn, but Deron Williams was convinced otherwise long before most others, as we detail below.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has more on deputy commissioner Adam Silver's comments about the way Howard left the Magic. Silver reiterated that the incentive to keep stars with their original teams is one of the league's aims in CBA negotiations.
Earlier updates:
- While others are looking back, Williams is focused squarely on the present, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. "Dwight was never (an option for the Nets)," Williams said. "I don't think (the Magic) were ever going to trade him to us, so it doesn't matter. When he opted in (to his contract for another season in mid-March), it kind of took that option away."
- Howard seems content to put the Nets, as well as Williams, in his past as well, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com documents, and it seems the friendship between the two former Team USA teammates has soured. "That’s my decision," Howard said, presumably referring to his decision to opt in. "My life. If he’s upset because I made a decision for me, then so be it. If he doesn’t want to be friends because I’m on another team, then so be it. There’s no need to smooth things over."
- Deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who will take over for commissioner David Stern in 2014, won't look back fondly on this year's "Dwightmare" for the Magic, reports John Denton of Magic.com (Twitter links). "It's an unfortunate circumstance and I don’t want to sugarcoat it," Silver said, referring to Howard's departure from the Magic. "This is not the way we like to see it happen."
Odds & Ends: Redick, Kapono, Brand, Grizzlies
The Wizards will be looking to win their first game of the season tonight, while the Spurs and Grizzlies will aim to be the first teams to nine wins. As we await the evening's seven-game slate, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA:
- J.J. Redick is on an expiring contract and there's been speculation that he's a candidate to be traded, but if it were up to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic would keep Redick and re-sign him at season's end.
- Jason Kapono and Greek team Panathinaikos finalized a contract agreement last week, but the deal may have hit a sang after complications with Kapono's wife's pregnancy, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. The two sides are in constant contact to determine whether Kapono will be able to travel to Greece this week, but there's a chance the contract could be voided.
- Speaking to Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld, Elton Brand talked about the 76ers' decision to amnesty him this summer, noting that the team informed him of its intentions early on and that there are no hard feelings there.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio talked to Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace about putting together a team that's off to the best start in the NBA this year.
- Current Knicks GM Glen Grunwald acquired Tyson Chandler and a number of other players during the last two offseasons, but Donnie Walsh deserves plenty of credit too for the Knicks' turnaround, considering the moves he made before Grunwald took over, says George Willis of the New York Post.
- After all the offseason additions the team made, the Clippers will now have to figure out how to balance minutes and egos, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if Juan Dixon will be the latest NBA veteran to use the D-League as a means of auditioning for NBA clubs.
Pacific Notes: D’Antoni, Dwight, Rambis, Barnes
Three Pacific Division teams are in action tonight, including the Lakers, who are expected to have Mike D'Antoni on the sideline for the first time. He'll square off against Jeremy Lin and the Rockets, and Howard Beck of The New York Times revisits the brief pairing of the two in New York, one that was beneficial for both, Beck says. We've got more today on D'Antoni, the Lakers, and other news from the Pacific.
- Dwight Howard, who told Howard Beck of The New York Times earlier this week he waived his early termination option last year with the Magic because he "wanted really to make everybody happy," wouldn't have pouted if the Magic had dealt him to the Rockets, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "I would've gone there and played. I didn't have a problem with it. At the same time, there were two places that I'd rather go to and I'm here at one of them," said Howard, referring to the Lakers and presumably the Nets. "I'm happy. If I would've gone to Houston, I would've played as hard as I could with the Rockets."
- D'Antoni considered hiring former Phil Jackson aide Kurt Rambis as an assistant coach to address the complaints of Jackson's fans, but Rambis' criticism of D'Antoni on ESPN put the kibosh on that, reports Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link).
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson admits he plays "mind games" to help motivate rookie Harrison Barnes, who has begun to pay dividends, observes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.
Eastern Notes: Lopez, J.R. Smith, Wall, Harkless
It was a successful night for a pair of teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, as the Pistons blew out the Sixers en route to their first win after an 0-8 start, while the Bobcats dropped the Wolves for their third win in a row, moving to 4-3. The Wizards failed to join that group, and are the NBA's lone remaining winless team after losing to the Mavericks tonight. There's more on Washington and other news from the East right here.
- After committing to Brook Lopez this summer, the Nets have raised their expectations of the fifth-year center, according to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, who says the team signed Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche so they could help Lopez improve.
- J.R. Smith said in training camp he wanted to start at shooting guard, but now he says he's "loving" his role as sixth man for the unbeaten Knicks, for whom he's off to a hot start, observes Nate Taylor of The New York Times.
- As the 0-7 Wizards search in vain for their first win, the frustration is mounting for John Wall, who's without a timetable for a return from a stress fracture in his right knee, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Wall will be eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract next summer.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says rookie Maurice Harkless, who missed preseason while recovering from sports hernia surgery, is already starting to show his worth a week after his debut for the Magic.
- Hedo Turkoglu had hoped to be back from his broken left hand about two weeks from now, but after doctors had to put the hand back in a cast today, he could be out for another month, reports John Denton of Magic.com.
- Richard Hamilton, whose $5MM deal for next season is only guaranteed for $1MM, could be a free agent next summer, but he's okay with Tom Thibodeau's plans to limit his minutes to keep him healthy, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes.
- The Celtics are considering a D-League rehab stint for Avery Bradley once he's healthy, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Odds & Ends: Muhammad, Brown, Ferry, Jackson
The NCAA declared UCLA shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad ineligible for an unspecified number of games, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. The 6'6" Muhammad is rated the No. 1 draft prospect for 2013 by DraftExpress.com and others, but Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com doesn't think the ruling will affect his draft status, believing he'll be a top three pick regardless of whether he plays this season (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty has a different reaction, saying via Twitter that the NBA's age limit, which kept him from entering the 2012 draft out of high school, is hurting Muhammad's career. While the NBA seems to be in Muhammad's future regardless, there's plenty more on people who are in the NBA right now, a group that no longer includes former Lakers coach Mike Brown.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether Hawks GM Danny Ferry could reunite with Brown, who served as Cavs coach when Ferry was Cleveland's GM (Twitter link).
- A return of Phil Jackson to the Lakers sideline could be a boon for Pau Gasol, but it wouldn't mean he couldn't be traded if the team wants to improve its footspeed, according to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (Sulia link).
- Jazz forward Paul Millsap can't envision former coach Jerry Sloan with the Lakers, as Randy Hollis of the Deseret News observes.
- Dwight Howard, who wants the Lakers to hire Jackson, once asked the Magic to pursue the Zen Master, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- A pair of Western Conference teams are keeping tabs on Australian big man Aron Baynes, agent Daniel Moldovan told David Pick of Sportando.
- Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com breaks down the reasons behind each of the deadline extensions for players coming off rookie-scale contracts, concluding that the fear of bloated offer sheets motivated several GMs into the deals.
New Faces: Lewis, Lin, Landry, Martin, Johnson
Between the Dwight Howard sweepstakes and the implementation of the new CBA, this offseason was one to rememeber. While we are barely a week into the new season, it is only natural for glowing reports to emerge of players who have shined with their new teams. They are premature for sure, but so many players changed teams that keeping tabs on them is always useful:
- Now coming off the bench for the Heat, Rashard Lewis is healthy for the first time in two years, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. Lewis was hampered by knee injuries the past few seasons, but has looked great so far in Miami, showing more lift in his jumpshot and even throwing down a few dunks last night against the Nets.
- Within the same piece, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at Jeremy Lin and Carl Landry. While James Harden has deservedly gotten the Rockets headlines, Lin has quietly lived up to the hype during his brief time so far in Houston. Meanwhile, Landry, a former Rocket, is proving once again that he is one of the NBA's most underrated players, this time averaging 17 points as a member of the Warriors.
- The man traded for Harden, the Thunder's Kevin Martin, is shooting a ridiculous 62 percent from three point range and averaging over 19 PPG so far in Oklahoma City, writes Chris Sheridan. While Harden is clearly the best piece moved in the deal, it isn't hard to imagine Martin's skills and those draft picks making it look respectable for Sam Presti and the Thunder.
- Averging only 14 PPG, Joe Johnson is still getting acclimated to his new role on the Nets, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. The mixture in Brooklyn will probably take longer than most to jell, considering that not only is nearly the whole team new, but most of the high profile players have never played on anything close to an elite team before.
- Kosta Koufos hasn't been a member of the Jazz since 2010, but Bill Oram's story about the former Utah draft pick's rise into the Nuggets starting lineup sure makes it feel like it was yesterday. After beating out JaVale McGee for the center spot, Koufos is averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in Denver.
- Shipped to Orlando after being drafted by Philly, Maurice Harkless played more than 22 minutes in his Magic debut on Wednesday, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Harkless didn't participate in preseason while he was recovering from a sports hernia, and still isn't 100 percent, but it sounds like the rookie is on his way.
Northwest Rumors: Martin, Thunder, Blazers
The Jazz finished off a win against Lakers that moved the Northwest Division 3-0 on a busy night in the NBA. That reverses an early-season trend, since the Timberwolves are still the only team in the division with a record better than .500. It's not the way the teams envisioned things going when they made their moves this summer. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors has been reviewing the offseasons of a few Northwest Division teams this week, looking at the Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz. Similar pieces covering the Wolves and Thunder are coming soon, but in the meantime, we have items about both teams and their division rivals right here.
- Kevin Martin was impressed with the greeting he got from Thunder GM Sam Presti and other team executives after he was traded to Oklahoma City, and the shooting guard has returned the favor with an impressive performance so far this season, as Sam Amick of USA Today writes.
- John Rohde of The Oklahoman examines the Thunder's bench, which has seen an overhaul since the end of last season.
- As for the Blazers' bench, it's last in the league in scoring, but coach Terry Stotts isn't concerned, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Offseason signee and backup point guard Ronnie Price has been hampered by a torn ankle ligament, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com explains.
- Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard is bound to see more double teams based on his hot start, but Stotts is OK with that, citing Lillard's nightly experience as the focal point of other teams' defenses at Weber State, notes Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- Nikola Pekovic of the Timberwolves may share a first name, position, and home country with Nikola Vucevic of the Magic, but the two took divergent paths to the NBA, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune details.
Southeast Notes: Magic, LeBron, Beal, Biyombo
All five Southeast Division teams are in action tonight, including the Magic, who are starting Josh McRoberts at small forward against the Timberwolves. It's a lineup move coach Jacque Vaughn admits isn't ideal, tweets John Denton of Magic.com. The team had been using undrafted rookie DeQuan Jones as the starter at that position since Hedo Turkoglu broke his hand in the season opener. Mickael Pietrus, a former Magic player and current free agent who reportedly expects to sign soon, might be a tempting candidate to fill in, but that's just my speculation. In the meantime, there's more about the Magic and their Southeast Division rivals right here.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports explains how Jones went from being the seventh-leading scorer at the University of Miami last season to starting games for the Magic this year.
- After the Celtics packaged him as part of the Courtney Lee trade this summer, leading to his release by the Rockets, E'Twaun Moore is showing he's more than just an afterthought with his early season play for the Magic, notes Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com.
- Dwyane Wade earlier today revealed his reasons for not signing with the Nets in 2010, and Heat teammate LeBron James, also recruited by New Jersey that summer, said of the Nets that, "It was hard to see where they were at the time," writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. Wade and James were impressed by Brooklyn's offseason moves this year, Beck adds.
- Rob Mahoney of SI.com identifies several players who should be seeing more time on the court, including Wizards rookie Bradley Beal and Bobcats second-year man Bismack Biyombo.
Southeast Notes: Martin, Heat, Magic, Henderson
As Americans head to the polling stations today and cast their votes, many eyes will be on Florida, one of the swing states that could decide the presidential race. When it comes to the NBA, we're eyeing a pair of Florida teams in this morning's round-up of Southeast Division notes:
- With Kenyon Martin expressing a desire to join an NBA roster, fans of contenders are asking if their favorite teams ought to consider signing the former first overall pick. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel weighs the odds of the Heat going after Martin. Elsewhere, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com explores the topic in relation to the Knicks.
- In a piece for Grantland, Zach Lowe looks into whether teams around the league, such as the Thunder, might be trying to "wait out Miami" and peak as a contender when the Heat starts getting older, rather than right now.
- Even after having dealt Dwight Howard, the Magic weren't built to lose a ton of games this season, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler adds that could change if Orlando moves some of its veterans before the trade deadline.
- The Bobcats have announced that Gerald Henderson will miss two to four weeks with a mid-foot sprain. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets that it could be worse for Henderson, as there was some concern the foot was fractured. Still, it's a setback for a player who is in a contract year, preparing for restricted free agency next summer.