Odds & Ends: D’Antoni, Bynum, Raptors, Banks
Let's round up a few of Monday's odds and ends from around the Association….
- Carmelo Anthony told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that he's happy for Mike D'Antoni and that he and the former Knicks coach had a "good relationship."
- Brian Musburger, the agent for Phil Jackson, said he and his client were indeed "stunned" by the Lakers' hiring of D'Antoni: "Not so much with the decision the Lakers made, because Phil had no hold on the job. But we are stunned with the way Phil learned of it" (Sulia link via Kevin Ding of the O.C. Register).
- Following up on the Sixers' latest update on Andrew Bynum, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Sulia link) points to Bynum's health as one reason why the Cavaliers didn't get far in trade negotiations for the big man this past summer.
- In his Morning Tip piece at NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge discusses the Lakers' coaching hire, Keyon Dooling's decision to retire, and Mickey Loomis' role with the Hornets.
- DeMar DeRozan is hoping to help turn the Raptors into a team that will be attractive to players in free agency, as he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
- NBA veteran Marcus Banks, who last played for the Raptors in 2010/11, has agreed to terms with Panathinaikos, according to a report passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Latest On Andrew Bynum
76ers fans will have to wait at least a few more weeks before the team's major offseason acquisition makes his Philadelphia debut. The Sixers sent out a press release today indicating that Andrew Bynum isn't expected to be cleared to resume "normal basketball activity" until approximately December 10th. At that point, he would require an additional one to four weeks of conditioning, training, and practice before he could appear in a game.
"We know that Sixers fans are eager to see Andrew Bynum play and shine in a 76ers uniform," said Sixers GM Tony DiLeo in a statement. "We also know that no one is more eager to see Andrew play for the Sixers than Andrew himself. He fully realizes the key contribution he can make to the team. Hopefully, that day is coming soon."
In addition to having a significant impact on Philadelphia's on-court performance and playoff hopes, the health of Bynum's right knee could be a major factor in his free agency next summer. It was widely assumed that the Sixers and other teams would attempt to lock up the young center with maximum-salary offers, but if the knee is a lingering issue all season, it may give some clubs pause next July.
Atlantic Notes: Woodson, Bynum, Celtics
Knicks coach Mike Woodson has the team off to its first 4-0 start since the 1993-94 season, but their promising start hasn't been without some sacrifices from the players. J.R. Smith, who originally wanted to be a starter at the beginning of training camp, had to concede to accepting a sixth man role. Kurt Thomas, who started three of the team's pre-season games, recorded his first DNP-CD last night against the Mavericks. Al Iannazonne of Newsday explores how Woodson resiliency has meshed with his players' desire to win and thus given them early success.
Here's the rest of what we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Near the end of this article, Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News mentions that the 76ersare becoming a little "panicky" about when Andrew Bynum will finally be able to make his debut for the team.
- In a separate article, Lawrence provides an update on the injured Amare Stoudemire, saying that the Knicks forward may not be ready until late December.
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe examines the struggles of the Celtics when Kevin Garnett is on the bench and the need for other players to shoulder the load.
- Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News writes about Joe Johnson's "inconsistent" transition with the Nets and how he feels that the players still need some time to become acclimated with each other.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York describes some key factors behind the Knicks' efficiency, particularly with Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton as their starting back court.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post details the ripple effect that Kyle Lowry's ankle injury has had on the Raptors thus far.
Atlantic Rumors: Nets, Wade, Carter, Knicks
Let's round up the latest updates out of the Atlantic Division, where the 3-0 Knicks are the only team to win more than one game so far….
- Nets GM Billy King admits to Howard Beck of the New York Times that many of the roster moves he's completed over the last few months were made with the Heat in mind.
- In advance of tonight's Nets/Heat contest, Dwyane Wade was asked by the media about his free agent meeting with the Nets in 2010. According to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Twitter links), Wade said his biggest takeaway from the experience was that Jay-Z was in attendance at the Nets' meeting with LeBron James, but not with Wade.
- Appearing on TSN 1050 in Toronto yesterday, Vince Carter reiterated something he's hinted at before, saying that he'd be more than open to a reunion with the Raptors down the road if the team was interested. "If (Toronto) gave me the opportunity, I don't even think I'd let them finish the question. Yes. I'm in," Carter said. "Could I see it? Absolutely. I'd leave that up to the franchise. It all started in Toronto, I'd be a fool to ever forget that."
- With the Knicks heading to Dallas to face the Mavericks later this week, Marc Berman of the New York Post points out that Mark Cuban isn't the most popular guy in the Knicks' locker room. Both Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd left Dallas for New York under less than ideal circumstances, as Berman writes.
- Having given up several assets to acquire Andrew Bynum in the final year of his contract, the 76ers are taking a major gamble on the young center and his health, writes ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst.
Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Raptors, Bynum, Barbosa
It's an eventful opening week in the Atlantic Division, where the defending division champs opened their season last night with a loss in Miami. Despite Hurricane Sandy, the battle of New York will proceed as scheduled tomorrow, with the Knicks traveling to Brooklyn to face the Nets. And the 76ers' big offseason acquisition, Andrew Bynum, remains out indefinitely with knee troubles. As a pair of Atlantic teams (the Sixers and Raptors) prepare to host their home openers tonight, let's round up a few more links from around the division:
- Looking ahead to the matchup against the Nets tomorrow, Carmelo Anthony noted that his own situation could have played out much differently (link via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com). "When I used to sit back and reflect on what happened throughout that whole trade process and the whole quote, unquote Melo-Drama that was going on," Anthony said. "I could have easily been sitting there with a Brooklyn Nets jersey on at this very moment."
- The Raptors' roster is finally composed of pieces that make sense, writes Bruce Arthur of the National Post.
- John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News compares the Sixers' summer acquisition of Bynum to the team's signing of Moses Malone decades earlier, though he warns that the championship impact almost certainly won't be as immediate.
- Not all of the Celtics' offseason additions were particularly impressive in the team's opener against the Heat, but the newest Celtic, Leandro Barbosa, was a bright spot, writes Matt Porter at ESPNBoston.com.
Atlantic Rumors: Rivers, Allen, Nets, Knicks
Celtics coach Doc Rivers weighed in on Ray Allen's departure from the team in a radio interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, as Brian Robb of Celtics Hub transcribes (hat tip to ESPNBoston.com), but Allen is anxious to move past his acrimonius departure from Boston, as Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com writes. Here's the rest of the day's news from Atlantic Division clubs.
- A spokesperson for Mikhail Prokhorov insists the billionaire's return to politics won't have any bearing on his ownership of the Nets, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Deron Williams believes the Knicks got a better point guard when they switched out Jeremy Lin for Raymond Felton this summer, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post documents.
- With Amare Stoudemire sidelined up to five weeks, Rasheed Wallace would seem to be in line for a more significant role than originally planned for the veteran who appears to have made the Knicks on a non-guaranteed deal, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Still, it's unclear whether Wallace will be in condition to play by this week's opener.
- While delivering some parting shots to outgoing commissioner David Stern, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News says the Sixers face as significant a decision as any in the league about whether to re-sign Andrew Bynum, and adds that the team would be "crazy" to commit major money to him right now.
- Andray Blatche has made the Nets opening-night roster on a non-guaranteed deal, but in the wake of taunts from Knicks guard Iman Shumpert, Blatche knows he'll continue to face criticism for last year's subpar play with the Wizards, as Roderick Boone of Newsday examines.
- Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com passes along Rivers' reflections on the last five seasons with the Celtics.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at how a deep bench could serve the Celtics well.
Odds & Ends: Wiggins, Howard, Bynum, Kings
With David Stern's retirement at the forefront of talks this week at the NBA's Board of Governors meetings, a number of other topics being pushed to the back burner. One such subject, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, is the issue of advertising on uniforms. The NBA's owners have agreed to table the issue for now, and likely won't revisit it until the board meets again in April, says Berger (Twitter links). Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:
- Andrew Wiggins' father tells Eric Prisbell of USA Today that he expects his son to reclassify and play college basketball next season (hat tip to RealGM.com). Wiggins would then be eligible to enter the 2014 NBA draft, where he's expected to be perhaps the No. 1 pick.
- Appearing on 98.7 FM in New York, Dwight Howard confirmed that he "really wanted" the Magic to trade him to the Nets last year. Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
- The Sixers need a healthy Andrew Bynum over the long term, which means that in the short term, it's wise not to rush him back into action, says Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- A 7% stake in the Kings, held by bankrupt Sacramento developer Bob Cook, is expected to be auctioned off, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. It will be available to any of the team's current owners, including the Maloofs, or an outsider.
- Even though it was amnestied off the Magic's cap, Gilbert Arenas' contract still ranks at the top of Justin Verrier's ESPN.com list of the 10 worst contracts in the NBA.
- With the deadline for rookie-scale option decisions looming, Rob Mahoney of SI.com looks at five second-year players in need of a turnaround this season.
- In his daily mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why the Heat haven't been seriously linked to free agent big man Mehmet Okur.
Andrew Bynum Update
According to a press release from the Sixers, on Monday, October 22, Andrew Bynum will receive a Synvisc injection in his right knee from Dr. David Altchek of the Hospital of Special Surgery.
Mentioned in the report is news that following the injection, Bynum will be examined by Dr. Jack McPhilemy of Main Line Health and the team will provide additional updates as they are available and appropriate. The shot has been a routine procedure for Bynum during the previous two seasons and is unrelated to previous reports of his bone bruise.
Atlantic Rumors: Smith Brothers, Bynum, Celtics
It's been a busy day around the league today, especially for Atlantic Division teams. Here's a roundup of the latest.
- Chris Smith, who needs patella tendon surgery that will keep him out for three to six months, isn't sure exactly how the injury happened, and had been confident he'd make the Knicks, he tells Mark Berman of the New York Post. Berman, who says there's speculation that Chris' older brother J.R. re-signed with the Knicks for less money on the condition Chris would make the team, reports coach Mike Woodson won't rule out keeping a roster spot open for the younger Smith. Still, such a move would be "highly unlikely," Berman says.
- Sixers GM Rod Thorn emailed Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com to deny a report by Howard Eskin of Fox 29 in Philadelphia suggesting the Lakers withheld information about Andrew Bynum's condition before sending him to the Sixers. Bynum is recovering from a bone bruise in his left knee, but the big man says he thinks he'll be ready to play on opening night. Moore points out that Bynum passed a physical after the trade.
- Celtics coach Doc Rivers is thinking about using three different starting lineups during the season, writes Mark D'Amico of Celtics.com.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal wonders which of the Knicks' multitude of aging veterans will hold up best.
Odds & Ends: Bynum, Seattle, Suns, Beal
Here are a few pieces of news from around the league.
- Philly.com's John Mitchell writes that the fact that players on the Sixers think Andrew Bynum is better than Dwight Howard is good for the team's future.
- David Stern says "if everything works perfectly" that the city of Seattle should have an NBA team and new stadium within five years, according to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. (Sulia link)
- When the Suns acquired several players from last year's Rockets roster, they also took on the team's offensive strategy, writes AZCentral.com's Paul Coro.
- The Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones has a piece detailing rookie Thomas Robinson's possible role at the small forward position.
- Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal isn't nervous for his preseason debut against fellow rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, writes the Washington Post's Michael Lee.
- DeseretNews.com's Randy Hollis writes about newly signed guard Randy Foye, and how he's fitting in nicely with the Jazz.
- The Hawks are in search of a consistent small forward to fill in the void left by Marvin Williams, writes HoopsWorld.com's Lang Greene.
- The Chicago Sun-Times' Seth Gruen has a nice feature on Bulls second year forward Jimmy Butler, and how he's ready to fill in for the departed Ronnie Brewer.
- ESPNNewYork's Jared Zwerling on Timberwolves forward Andrei Kirilenko, and why he didn't sign with the Nets.
- Injuries throughout the league could be a huge positive for would-be D-League players fighting for roster spots on NBA teams, writes Gino Pilato on Ridiculous Upside.
- Stephen Brotherston from Hoopsworld.com writes that Cavaliers forward Jon Leuer is searching for a spot in the team's starting rotation.