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Atlantic Notes: Nogueira, Young, Atkinson, Anthony

November 13th, 2016 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Lucas Nogueira may be able to fill the Raptors‘ hole at backup center left by the departure of Bismack Biyombo, writes Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet. Nogueira’s latest impressive performance came Saturday night with six points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and three steals  in a win over the Knicks. The 7-footer is now averaging 8.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in four games. Nogueira says Biyombo appointed him as his successor when he signed with the Magic over the offseason. “During the summer [Biz] told me, ‘Lucas, your time to shine, go get it.’ I know Biz since I’m 15, playing in Spain against each other,” Nogueira said. “So we have a mutual respect for each other. It’s special, when he’s gone, he told me, ‘It’s your time, go get it.’ And I took it serious.”

There’s more this morning from the Atlantic Division:

  • Celtics shooting guard James Young had the best game of his NBA career with 12 points in 16 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Pacers, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Boston recently declined the fourth-year option on Young’s rookie contract and spent much of the summer trying to find a team willing to trade for him. Celtics coach Brad Stevens took note of Young’s effort. “He’s shot it at such a different level than he shot it two years ago when he got here, as far as accuracy in workouts, in practice, and everything else,” Stevens said. “He’s certainly always a capable shooter with a beautiful stroke, but he’s really really worked hard on becoming accurate.”
  • Through the season’s first nine games, the Nets‘ Kenny Atkinson has proven he can be successful as a head coach, contends Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. The longtime assistant has Brooklyn playing far above expectations with a 4-5 record despite losing point guards Jeremy Lin, Greivis Vasquez and Isaiah Whitehead to injuries. “It’s just been so mutually beneficial,” Brook Lopez said of Atkinson. “We definitely feed off each other and Kenny’s definitely instilled a lot of confidence within myself. It’s been a great two-way street in that regard. I think we’re continuing to learn about each other more and more.”
  • The Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony plans to diffuse the situation with referee Tony Brothers by staying quiet around him, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. After Anthony was tossed from Friday’s game, Anthony’s wife suggested on social media that Brothers has a vendetta against him. “It ain’t personal with me, on my end,” Anthony said. “I don’t have anything to say to him. He refs. I’ll play. I’ll keep my mouth shut next time.”
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Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Anthony, Knicks, Kilpatrick

November 12th, 2016 at 6:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers haven’t gotten what they expected from the 2013 draft, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia thought it had landed two building blocks for the future when it drafted Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams. But three years later, Noel is headed for restricted free agency and Carter-Williams has changed teams twice. A second-round pick, Arsalan Kazemi of Oregon, was released last year.

But that doesn’t mean the draft was a failure. In trading to Jrue Holiday to New Orleans for the pick they used to get Carter-Williams, the Sixers also received a 2014 selection that landed them Dario Saric. And they’re still waiting on the protected draft pick they received when they shipped Carter-Williams to Milwaukee. That belongs to the Lakers and will be transferred to Philly next summer if L.A. doesn’t have one of the top three selections.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Knicks need Carmelo Anthony to become a better and smarter leader, argues Marc Berman of The New York Post. Anthony is under fire for getting tossed from Friday’s game in the second quarter for arguing a foul call. He left the locker room without talking to reporters, but his wife tweeted that referee Tony Brothers has carried on a running dispute with Anthony. Berman says the Knicks, who are off to a 3-5 start despite adding Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah this summer, need Anthony to lead by example.
  • Although coach Jeff Hornacek said it’s too early to panic, the Knicks‘ early problems on offense and defense may last all season, writes Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. The triangle offense remains unpopular with the players, and the lack of effort on defense has continued even though Kurt Rambis was appointed as defensive coordinator earlier this week. “We’re starting off in a hole every game,” Noah said. “We got to get better. We got to get better defensively. We got to get better executing, and stop pressing.”
  • Sean Kilpatrick, who is having a breakout season with the Nets, is thankful to late Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders for giving him his first NBA opportunity, relays Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune. Minnesota was short on healthy players in 2014 and turned to Kilpatrick because he was the best D-League player who could get to Madison Square Garden in time for a game with the Knicks. Kilpatrick lasted just four games with the Wolves, but took advantage of his chance with Brooklyn last season. He impressed the team on two 10-day contracts and was signed for the rest of the year. “He’s grinded through some tough times to get where he is,” said Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. “He keeps blossoming. We’re giving him a lot of responsibility, and he has answered the bell. We’re thrilled with what he’s giving us so far.” 
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Knicks Notes: Jackson, Rose, Noah, Anthony

October 30th, 2016 at 10:46am CST by Arthur Hill

The season isn’t a week old, but Knicks president Phil Jackson already felt it was necessary to meet with players to discuss their comments to the media, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. There were complaints about the offense and defense following a lopsided opening-night loss in Cleveland, but Jackson’s meeting and Saturday’s win over the Grizzlies may have quieted things down for now. New point guard Derrick Rose was advocating more pick-and-rolls over Jackson’s traditional triangle approach. Rose, as Isola points out, missed most of the preseason because of a civil trial over sexual assault allegations in Los Angeles.

There’s more this morning out of New York:

  • The trade for Rose and the offseason signing of Brandon Jennings has made the Knicks a far more interesting team, contends Newsday’s Neil Best. New York now has scoring threats at the point guard position that it lacked last season. “Man, I’m happy I got it out of the way,” Rose said of his first home game at Madison Square Garden. “The crowd was great, energetic, they were in it from the jump.”
  • Joakim Noah showed Saturday that he hasn’t lost the emotional intensity that defined his game in Chicago, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The Knicks’ new starting center, who joined the team on a four-year, $72MM contract this summer, pounded his chest a few times, yelled at Zach Randolph and was serenaded by the crowd in his home debut. “It’s really special to play at home, just trying to stay in the moment because it’s real easy to get caught up in everything that’s going on around you,” Noah said. “This building means so much to me. There were a couple of times, it was very emotional for me. I was very nervous. But it was the best, it was the best feeling.”
  • Carmelo Anthony said again Saturday that he enjoys having high-profile teammates like Rose, Noah and Kristaps Porzingis to share the scoring load, relays Ian Begley of ESPN. Anthony had 20 points against Memphis but suffered through a poor shooting night, making just 5 of 15 from the field. “You don’t see me complaining about it,” Anthony said. “You didn’t see me out there making a face. [It’s] something that I embrace. I look forward to just being out there with guys who can control the game and make plays, and when it’s my time, it’s my time.”
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Knicks Notes: Noah, Hernangomez, Rose, Anthony

October 15th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks fans are getting their first look at Joakim Noah, who joined the team as a free agent this summer, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Noah, who has missed most of the preseason with a sore left hamstring, is expected to play about 20 minutes in tonight’s home game with the Celtics. New York gave the 31-year-old center a four-year, $72MM contract this summer after his final season in Chicago was cut short by shoulder surgery.

There’s more news out of New York:

  • Spanish prospect Willy Hernangomez is making a strong push to be the Knicks’ backup center, according to Begley (Twitter link). Coach Jeff Hornacek says Hernangomez has looked good in the preseason and he will try to find minutes for him once the regular season starts. New York drafted Hernangomez in 2015, and he played with Real Madrid last season before agreeing to join the Knicks this summer.
  • The Knicks won’t be sending an assistant coach to Los Angeles to accompany Derrick Rose during his civil trial, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The original plan was to have an assistant provide Rose with basketball updates until the trial is over, but Hornacek said Rose talked him out of that idea during a phone conversation Thursday. “I talked to him — he said he’s following the games, checking that out,’’ Hornacek said. “I’m hoping he comes back as soon as he can. You hope it’s coming to a conclusion here soon. He exercises on his own. If he lost any of that conditioning from training camp, he’s going to have to get it back.” Rose has missed three games and six practices since the trial began. It appears that it may end Tuesday, with jury deliberations on Wednesday, which means Rose may be back for a preseason game or two next week.
  • Hornacek says the Knicks’ influx of talent means Carmelo Anthony won’t have to carry the offense every game, Begley relays. “He’s at a point where he knows what it’s going to be for our team to win, and that’s not going to be him shooting it every time or trying to do that,” Hornacek said. “There are going to be times when, yes [he carries the Knicks]. But he feels very comfortable, I think, with his teammates right now.”
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Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Carroll, Knicks, Celtics

October 13th, 2016 at 6:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Knicks star Carmelo Anthony indicated the NBA Players Association is highly motivated to hammer out a Collective Bargaining Agreement to keep the revenue from the league’s new $24 billion TV deal flowing, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports. Anthony, a vice president in the union, believes there’s too much money at stake for the players to pursue a work stoppage, Iannazzone continues. “That’s a key, especially for us as players,” Anthony told Iannazzone and other beat reporters.“We don’t want to mess that up. We’re not going in there saying we want more money . . . We see how the league is growing. We see the growth of the league. We want to be a part of that.” Anthony said the league and its owners have been “very receptive” to completing a new CBA and the two parties are “closer to getting something done” than in 2011, when the season was delayed by a lockout.
In other news around the Atlantic Division:
  • Raptors small forward DeMarre Carroll is determined to deliver on his sizable contract after his injury-marred first season with the club, according to Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Carroll signed a four-year, $60MM contract in the summer of 2015 but appeared in just 26 regular-season games because of knee and foot injuries. He hasn’t had any setbacks this preseason and is eager to return to the form he displayed with the Hawks that made him a coveted free agent, Ganter adds. “To me, I still feel like I’ve got a chip on my shoulder,” he told Ganter. “Really, I’ve got a log on my shoulder. It’s bigger than a chip. I feel like last year I came in and started off thinking I was going to have a great season and then all of a sudden I get injured.”
  •  The Knicks may send an assistant coach to Los Angeles to keep Derrick Rose up to date on offensive and defensive schemes during his ongoing civil sexual assault trial, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Rose missed his fifth practice since heading to California last week and coach Jeff Hornacek is worried about keeping his starting point guard up to speed, Berman continues. “We’re right now trying to think of if we should send somebody out there with him,’’ Hornacek told Berman. “We haven’t added a lot of new stuff from the time he left. We’re talking to him about the stuff we’re doing. He’s watched the games to try to see it.”
  • It’s highly unlikely the Celtics will be able to add Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opines. Utah’s unwillingness to part with Hayward, who can opt out of his current contract at the end of the season, is the main reason. His trade kicker, and the cost of retaining him long-term, also foster the notion that Hayward isn’t coming to Boston.
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Knicks Notes: Jennings, Randle, Noah, Porzingis

October 9th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Brandon Jennings is taking advantage of his preseason opportunity to start for the Knicks, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. With Derrick Rose taking care of legal obligations, Jennings registered four points, five assists and four rebounds in 14 minutes Saturday as New York topped Brooklyn. Jennings, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal over the summer, has slimmed down to 175 pounds and hopes to get the Knicks playing at a faster tempo. He says he finally feels fully recovered from the Achilles tear he suffered in January of 2015. “I feel great. I feel faster. I hope I look faster,” he said. “… I just feel like myself again.”

There’s more this morning out of New York:

  • Chasson Randle continued his bid for a roster spot Saturday with 14 points, two assists and three steals in 21 minutes, Begley writes in the same story. The point guard out of Stanford signed with the Knicks this summer after spending a season in the Czech Republic. He faces an uphill battle to make a team that already has 15 guaranteed contracts, but he has a strong supporter in teammate Carmelo Anthony. “I love him. I just love his poise out there, the way he controls the game, controls the basketball,” Anthony said. “He can push the pace. He can slow it down. I think you guys would love him too the more that you see him play.”
  • The Knicks expect to be without Rose and Joakim Noah for another week, according to Howie Kussoy and Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Rose remains tied up with his civil trial in Los Angeles, while Noah is nursing a sore left hamstring. Coach Jeff Hornacek said the absence of the team’s most imporant offseason additions has made the preseason difficult, but he plans to be careful with Noah. “Sometimes, players like Jo, he’s like, ‘Man, I want to get out there,’” Hornacek said. “He was out there at shootaround, saying, ‘I want to play,’ but we’re just trying to be cautious with him. … When he feels 100 percent he’ll go to it. Since we don’t have a game after Monday for a while it’s more than likely he’ll probably miss that one, too.”
  • Kristaps Porzingis said a new shoe deal that could pay more than his NBA contract hasn’t been finalized, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Porzingis signed with Adidas for a reported $3MM to $6MM, although Nike, his current endorser, will get a chance to match the offer. It would be the biggest shoe contract in NBA history for a European player. “That doesn’t mean I’m a better player than Dirk Nowitzki, they just see me as somebody that’s good off the court, see me with kids and that kind of stuff,” Porzingis said. “And they see that potential in me that one day I can be that good. It’s in my hands now to prove that I am what they believe I can be.”
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Atlantic Notes: Bennett, Lowry, Bradley

October 8th, 2016 at 11:45am CST by Eddie Scarito

Anthony Bennett is hoping to salvage his NBA career with the Nets this season. In an interview with Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders, Bennett addressed his individual goals for the season, telling the scribe, “I just want to come in and become a part of the Nets family. My work ethic is something that I want to speak for itself. I want to show my ability to lead by example, a skill I got through playing with Team Canada. This year, one of my goals is to have fun with the game again. And I want to represent the city of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Nets the best I can on and off the court.”

In response to a question about why he believed Brooklyn would be a good fit for him, Bennett told Maroney, “Our mix of youth and experience is something that makes us unique. We have good chemistry, everybody seems to be unselfish and is playing the game the right way. I just want to fit in the best I can with the team, starting with my defense and rebounding. My offensive game will be an extension of those things.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony was reportedly never a fan of Jeremy Lin‘s when the two were teammates. When asked about Lin potentially becoming the face of the Nets franchise, ‘Melo may have taken a veiled shot at the point guard, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. “What do I think about it? … He is the face of that franchise, believe it or not. He came up, they paid him and now the ball is in his hands,” Anthony said. “So now he’s one of the franchise players over there. What do you want me to say about that? I’m happy for him, excited for him to see how it’s going to work out, turn out over there.” The wording in question is the “believe it or not” portion of the statement, Begley adds. It should be noted that during the same interview, Anthony said that he’d love to have Line back with the Knicks.
  • Given the current economics around the NBA, it should come as no surprise that Kyle Lowry intends to opt out of his deal with the Raptors at season’s end, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The scribe also classifies the point guard as a “young 30-years-old,” given that he was a reserve for a large portion of his career.
  • Avery Bradley has made his name in the NBA as a tenacious defender, but the Celtics guard wants to change the perception that he’s limited offensively, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. “I want people to see me as a two-way player,” said Bradley. “A defensive player and an offensive player. It’s fun, man. That’s what the game is supposed to be about: always wanting to get better, be the best you can be. I hold myself to that every single summer, every single year. I’m just trying to improve. I love the game of basketball so much. I have a lot of goals for myself. I want to make sure I compete every single day.“
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Players Who Can Veto Trades

October 4th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, and they became even rarer this offseason, when several players with those clauses in their contracts either called it a career or signed new deals. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, who all opted for retirement, had no-trade clauses last season, and so did Dwyane Wade, who doesn’t have the same protection on his new contract with the Bulls.

Nonethless, while the list of players with explicit no-trade clauses may be dwindling, there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year contract with an option clause – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals, though no restricted free agents signed their QOs this year.

Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2016/17 league year:

No-trade clauses

Players whose offer sheets were matched

Players accepting qualifying offers

  • None

Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)

Information from Basketball Insiders and Yahoo! Sports was used in the creation of this post.

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Knicks Notes: Triangle Offense, Anthony, Noah

September 29th, 2016 at 9:25am CST by Dana Gauruder
New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek has the freedom to make alterations to the triangle offense, Ian Begley of the ESPN.com reports. Team president Phil Jackson told Hornacek that he didn’t need to go strictly by the book when it came to teaching and executing his beloved offensive scheme, Begley continues. “I think maybe the previous teams here were trying to learn it, trying to do it right,” Hornacek told Begley and other beat reporters. “Phil always stresses to me that you got to let these guys be creative. … It’s putting a little bit on them, little bit more to not go crazy and not make bad shots. But we’re giving them the ability to do different things out of it. As long as they stay in that spacing.” Hornacek’s tweaks are designed to push the pace and that was on display in training camp on Wednesday, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Jackson watched silently as the Knicks raced down the court on every possession, Berman adds. “If you get six easy buckets pushing the ball, it’s a big advantage,’’ Hornacek told Berman.
In other developments regarding the Knicks:
  • Carmelo Anthony believes that free agent acquisition Joakim Noah will make the Knicks a more focused team, according to Jonah Ballow of NBA.com. Noah bolted the Bulls, who didn’t make a serious attempt to re-sign him, and inked a four-year, $72MM contract. “He pushes you to go out there and compete every play, every time,” Anthony told Ballow. “If not, you’re going to hear about it. I think that’s something we’ve been missing, this team needed, this organization needed and I like it. We like it.”
  • Noah acknowledges that a comment by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who said he was no longer a frontline player, irritated him, Adam Zagoria of SNY.TV reports in his blog. “It’s alright, he’s entitled to his opinion, you know?” Noah said to Zagoria. “I feel like I have no regrets about my time in Chicago. I gave it everything I had. To me, that’s all that matters. I know I did everything I could for that organization. I thought it was a little bit of a low blow, but at the end of the day I have nothing but respect for that organization and I’m just excited for that new chapter in my career.”
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Cavs Notes: Anthony, Smith, Dunleavy, D-League

September 28th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is hoping his friend J.R. Smith can work out his contract situation in time to receive his championship ring on opening night, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York will be the opponent when Cleveland starts its season October 25th, but Smith’s presence is far from guaranteed. The veteran shooting guard has been in a contract impasse with the Cavaliers all summer, reportedly wanting a $15MM annual salary, while the team wants something in the $10MM to $12MM range. Word broke this week of an “aggressive” offer by the Cavs, but the situation remains unresolved. “I don’t know what’s going on over there with that,” Anthony said. “I hope they don’t prolong the situation. He helped them win that championship. He was a major part of that team, and I hope they can get something done. If not, we’ll see him somewhere else.’’

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

  • After being with four other teams in his 14 NBA seasons, Mike Dunleavy is overjoyed to wind up with the Cavaliers, writes Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. Cleveland acquired Dunleavy in a deal with the Bulls when Chicago was trying to clear cap space to sign Dwyane Wade. The veteran swingman described the trade as “Christmas in July.” The Cavs plan to use him as a shooter to stretch the floor alongside LeBron James, and in combination with Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye to have three tall shooters on the floor at the same time. “I see myself being involved in whatever way, shape or form we need,” Dunleavy said. “It’s as simple as that. I can play a lot of different roles, anything necessary to get these guys back to the mountain top. Basically, Coach [Tyronn] Lue can use me however he wants. I’m just happy to be here.”
  • James can expect to see reduced minutes this season, as well as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, according to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. After two consecutive seasons that stretched into late June, the Cavaliers will be emphasizing rest. Measures will include monitoring players’ energy levels and staying longer in cities after road games. “My thing is just making sure guys are healthy, continue to limit LeBron’s minutes … watch Kyrie’s minutes because we know we’re playing for something big,” Lue said. “We know when we get to the playoffs it’s going to require a lot of minutes so with those guys and with Kevin [Love], just have to watch guys getting to the red zone.”
  • Nate Reinking was named coach of the Cavaliers’ D-League affiliate in Canton, according to D-League Digest (Twitter link). He has been an assistant with the team since 2013.
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