Odds & Ends: Van Gundy, Smith, Bynum
We have our first playoff elimination, as the Thunder defeated the Mavericks to advance to the second round. The victory wasn't without cost though, as Kendrick Perkins suffered a strained hip during the first quarter and didn't return to the game. As for Dallas, they become the first team since the 2007 Heat to be swept the following year after winning an NBA Championship. With that aside, here are tonight's noteworthy links:
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Stan Van Gundy, who he refers to as the "best coach the Orlando Magic have ever had," may have coached his last home game with the team. Bianchi adds that if the Magic are to remain a viable franchise, they must side with Dwight Howard in the standoff between him and Stan, which would all but seal Van Gundy's departure. Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel echoed similar sentiments about Van Gundy's reputation, saying that the team's performance against the Pacers today was evidence that the team did not quit on him.
- Hawks forward Josh Smith is eyeing a return for Game Four against the Celtics regardless of how his knee feels, according to Ben Golliver of CBS Sports.
- Lakers center Andrew Bynum attributed his poor performance in the first half of Game Three from not being able to complete his regular pre-game routine, says Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. While teammate Kobe Bryant lauded Bynum for holding himself accountable, coach Mike Brown wasn't as thrilled: "You hope at this time of the season everybody who steps onto the floor is ready."
- Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston provides a closer look at Mickael Pietrus' value to the Celtics defensively.
- Enes Kanter went from sitting out last year's March Madness at Kentucky to being a part of a playoff team with the Jazz in his rookie season. Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune spoke with Kanter to elaborate more on this experience.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld ranks the most disappointing performers of the NBA playoffs thus far.
Ryan Anderson Wins Most Improved Player
12:35pm: Anderson has officially been named the league's Most Improved Player. Ersan Ilyasova was the runner-up, with Nikola Pekovic, Greg Monroe, and Andrew Bynum rounding out the top five. Jeremy Lin finished sixth.
8:46am: The Magic have announced a press conference for 12:30pm CT today, and Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that the team and league will announce an award winner at that time: Ryan Anderson will be named the NBA's Most Improved Player.
After averaging 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest in 193 games over his first three years in the league, the Magic forward broke out this season, increasing his averages to 16.1 PPG and 7.7 RPG. While an increase in minutes, from 22.3 MPG in 2010/11 to 32.2 MPG in 2011/12, played a part in his increased production, Anderson also set career highs in rate stats like FG% (.439), 3PT% (.393), FT% (.877), and PER (21.2).
Ersan Ilyasova, Jeremy Lin, Goran Dragic, and Nikola Pekovic were among the other players expected to be in the running for the award.
Los Angeles Notes: Bynum, D12, Del Negro, Butler
One Los Angeles team took a comfortable lead into the fourth quarter yesterday, while the other faced a 21-point deficit. Both clubs ended up with Game One wins though, as the Lakers cruised to a 15-point victory over the Nuggets and the Clippers came back in dramatic fashion to top the Grizzlies 99-98. As the two teams prepare for Game Two of their respective series, let's check in on a few updates out of Los Angeles….
- The Lakers were willing to part with Andrew Bynum at the trade deadline in a deal for Dwight Howard, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. However, the Lakers wanted an assurance that D12 would sign a long-term extension, and he wouldn't give it, according to Wojnarowski.
- In a separate piece, Wojnarowski writes about how Clippers GM Neil Olshey's decision to trade for Chris Paul continues to pay dividends. Within the column, Wojnarowski says Olshey never considered firing coach Vinny Del Negro this season.
- The Clippers' miraculous comeback victory in Memphis came at a price: Caron Butler fractured his left hand and could miss four to six weeks, according to a Reuters report. There's been no official word from the team yet on how long Butler will be out, but it's possible we won't see him again this season.
Jim Buss Talks Lakers, Bynum, Kobe, CBA
Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com conducted an extensive, two–part Q&A session with Lakers executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss, in which Buss discussed a number of Lakers-related topics. Here are a few highlights from the interview, which is a must-read for Lakers fans:
- Andrew Bynum is "obviously going to be our center for a long time," says Buss. The young center will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after next season, and Buss says the Lakers aren't concerned with Bynum's injury history or any attitude issues.
- Buss and the Lakers have considered the direction of the franchise post-Kobe Bryant, but Buss isn't sure at this point whether Kobe will want to keep playing for another year or two (or more) when his current contract expires or whether he'll retire.
- Buss and Bryant "talk all the time now," and Buss says he has some regrets about not involving Kobe more in last year's coaching search.
- Making "prudent decisions on everything" will be crucial in keeping the Lakers headed in the right direction under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, says Buss. He also suggests being more aggressive in the draft will be a way to deal with the more punitive penalties on taxpaying teams.
- Here's Buss on how he, his father (Lakers owner Jerry Buss), and GM Mitch Kupchak make major decisions: "The three of us will have an opinion, we’ll argue our opinion and then eventually, it gets hashed out to where we’re all on board or one guy isn’t (and) two are and it doesn’t really matter which two or which one. Except for my dad. If it’s two against him, then we’ll probably lose that battle."
Pacific Notes: Bynum, Warriors, McGuire, Kings
The Lakers are on a four-game winning streak, but haven't been able to pull away from their cross-town rivals — the Clippers have won four straight too, remaining within a single game of first place in the Pacific Division. The Clips have five games to make up the ground and potentially avoid a first-round matchup with the Grizzlies, but it won't be easy. The Lakers hold the tiebreaker, so their lead is essentially two games. Still, the Lakers face the Spurs twice and the Thunder once in the next week, so the Pacific race is far from over.
Here are a few of the latest updates out of the division:
- Taking an in-depth look at Andrew Bynum's recent "youthful rebellion," Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com says locking up the young center long-term won't necessarily be an automatic decision for the Lakers.
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson would like to solidify the small forward position heading into next season, writes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The Warriors have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut locked in as starters at the other four positions.
- Dominic McGuire believes his all-around game makes him a strong candidate to start for the Warriors next year, assuming they re-sign him, as he tells Thompson: "You put me around four scorers like that, you’ll see more from me."
- Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee and Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty continue to provide updates on the Kings' arena situation, which doesn't have a clear direction at this point.
Odds & Ends: Calipari, Bucks, McGee, Stern
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Michael Hunt writes that with the cap room they were afforded after they traded Andrew Bogut, the Bucks will make a strong push to re-sign free agent Ersan Ilyasova this offseason. But that they can't afford to pay him $10MM a year. If another team, like New Jersey, makes a run, Milwaukee would be wise to spend their money on a cheaper big man option.
- HoopsWorld.com's Alex Kennedy writes about how shocked former Wizard JaVale McGee was when he found out he was traded to Denver.
- Lakers center Andrew Bynum has been in the news for some unwise decision making lately. So much so that the team decided to fine him an undisclosed sum of money following last week's game against Golden State. Despite the immediate controversy, L.A.'s general manager Mitch Kupchak came out today and said Bynum was still a major part of the team's future plans, and that they still intend to exercise his $16.1MM team option next season, according to the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan.
- In his weekly mailbag, The Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko talked about how the Mavericks' might approach the future, specifically their involvement in the draft and how they'll deal with some of their young players.
- Today, SI.com's Sam Amick wrote a piece about how despite Minnesota's recent demise due to multiple injuries, the team still has a bright future. Financially they have flexibility by way of the amnesty provision, and Darko Milicic could be a prime candidate.
- Sean Deveney of Sporting News says that recent call ups from the D-League could have a major influence in this year's playoffs.
- In an Associated Press report, Commissioner David Stern said he'd "love to add a year" in relation to the league's age limit. Right now, all American players must be 19-years-old and one year removed from high school.
- Since joining the Grizzlies, Gilbert Arenas has shown he can play the role of mature veteran, writes NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. One interesting note from the story is Arenas saying New Jersey "kept calling" him. Most likely with hopes to lure Dwight Howard.
- Utah head coach Tyrone Corbin says he likes the mismatches his team can create playing Paul Millsap at small forward, writes The Salt Lake Tribune's Steve Luhm.
- Chicago general manager Gar Forman said that talks to extend head coach Tom Thibodeau were initiated before this season started, and that they'll resume once it's over, according to ESPNChicago.com.
Lakers Notes: Bynum, Kupchak, Fisher
The Lakers lost just their fifth home game of the season last night, falling to the Thunder after a 17-point, third-quarter surge from Russell Westbrook. Derek Fisher and his new team will return to face the Lakers at the Staples Center once more before season's end, and if last night's game is any indication, the two squads could provide a pretty entertaining playoff matchup as well. Here's the latest buzz surrounding the Lakers:
- Andrew Bynum's misguided three-point attempt earlier this week was "only the tip of the iceberg," the latest in a "catalogue of items" that have annoyed Lakers' coaches and management, a team source tells Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- Speaking to Sam Amick of SI.com, GM Mitch Kupchak downplayed the drama surrounding Bynum's benching, saying the team will deal with any issues internally.
- Kupchak also said that he felt trading Derek Fisher was necessary for Ramon Sessions' sake: "Derek's an icon. You know [if you're Sessions] that you're walking past Derek and saying, 'I'm taking his minutes.' For a young developing player, that's really not fair to do. What if Ramon has a bad game at home, and the crowd starts to cheer for [Derek], you know what I mean? It's not right."
- Fisher had his own view on the trade that sent him to Houston, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes. "I’ve always thought there are different ways to handle trades and waiver-type situations where there can be some more communication," Fisher said. "Not necessarily far in advance but enough not to have to find out from the mailman or at the post office that you’ve been traded."
- Fisher added that he received inquiries from five teams, including the Heat and Bulls, after he was bought out by the Rockets.
Odds & Ends: Powell, Lakers, Azubuike, Curry
Here are a few Wednesday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Josh Powell, who was thought to be drawing interest from a handful of NBA teams, has decided to play in Puerto Rico, as he announced on his Twitter account. According to Sportando, Powell will play for Brujos de Guayama.
- Lakers legend Magic Johnson will become the face of Los Angeles Dodgers ownership, after his bidding group reached an agreement to buy the MLB franchise for a staggering $2.15 billion. Check out MLB Trade Rumors' story for more details.
- Current Laker Andrew Bynum stirred up some drama when he was benched following a misguided three-point attempt, says Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bynum, who will have his 2012/13 option exercised by the team, didn't seem to have any regrets: "I guess 'don't take threes' is the message, but I'm going to take another one and I'm going to take some more, so I just hope it's not the same result."
- Kelenna Azubuike won't play a significant role on the Mavericks' 2011/12 squad, but Dallas intends to exercise its team option for next season, barring a setback, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes.
- Jonathan Abrams of Grantland.com takes an interesting look at the next step for an NBA player when he finds out he's been traded.
- Byron Mullens is becoming a larger part of the Bobcats' future plans, according to an Associated Press report (via NBA.com).
- The Warriors will re-evaluate Stephen Curry in two weeks to determine if he's ready to ready to return to action, the team announced today. There's been speculation that Golden State would prefer Curry not play this season, in part because the team would like to retain its top-seven-protected pick that's ticketed for Utah. Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group hears that Warriors management wouldn't mind Curry sitting out the season, though they'd be happy to have him return to the lineup if he's healthy.
Odds & Ends: Draft, Bynum, Howard, Wizards, Heat
The 2012 NBA Draft is still more than three months away, but draft junkies will be happy to know ESPN.com's Chad Ford, NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper and Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico have released their first mock drafts of the year. Ford's Insider-only piece has Anthony Davis going first overall, followed by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Bradley Beal, and Harrison Barnes. Howard-Cooper has Barnes, Andre Drummond, Kidd-Gilchrist, and Jared Sullinger rounding out the top five after Davis. Amico has it as Davis, Barnes, Robinson, Kidd-Gilchrist and then Drummond.
Here are a few more Tuesday afternoon links from around the NBA:
- In another draft-related item, South Florida small forward Victor Rudd has declared for the draft, according to Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports. The 6'7" junior, who isn't on the draft board of Ford, Howard-Cooper or NBADraft.net, has said he won't hire an agent yet, leaving open the possibility he'll return to school.
- The Lakers plan to exercise their team option on Andrew Bynum for next season, but Bynum wouldn't mind a longer-term commitment. The center told Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he'd be amenable to discussing a contract extension.
- If Dwight Howard didn't opt in to the final year of his contract, the Magic were prepared to trade him to the Nets for Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, Mehmet Okur's expiring contract, and first-round picks, according to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post.
- The Wizards are looking forward to taking an extended look at Edwin Ubiles, who signed a 10-day contract with the team this weekend, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. In a separate column, Lee says the Wizards have shut down Andray Blatche until he works his way into better condition. SI.com's Zach Lowe would be surprised if Washington doesn't amnesty Blatche before next season (Twitter link).
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel thinks Mike James or Anthony Carter would be better fits for the Heat than Derek Fisher.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Lakers Will Exercise Option On Andrew Bynum
The Lakers still have three months to officially exercise their team option on Andrew Bynum for next season, but they've already made their decision. GM Mitch Kupchak confirmed to Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times that the team will pick up Bynum's $16.1MM option for 2012/13.
"He's the starting center on the West All-Star team. Why wouldn't we do everything we could to keep him here?" Kupchak said. "We're ecstatic to have him on the team."
Decisions on options are due by June 30th, so the Lakers have plenty of time to make the move official. Assuming the two sides don't agree on an extension before the end of Bynum's current contract, he would be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2013. With Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol set to make nearly $50MM combined in 2013/14, Bynum's contract situation will be one worth keeping an eye on next year.
With Andres Nocioni seemingly on his way out of Philadelphia, Bynum's was the only significant team option left on the board for next season.