Odds & Ends: Woodson, Van Gundy, Jazz, Perkins
With an exciting night of NBA playoff madness still underway, we take a break from the action to catch up on the latest news and happenings from around the league.
- Mike Woodson has done more than enough to get a shot at coaching the Knicks for an entire season, writes Neil Best of Newsday (subscribers only).
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today says Stan Van Gundy would like to return to the Magic next season but realizes that decision is not entirely up to him.
- The Jazz could have a busy offseason ahead of them as they look to add depth at the point guard and power forward positions, reports HoopsWorld's Derek Page.
- The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry thinks Kendrick Perkins' health is a big question mark as the Thunder look ahead to the second round of the playoffs.
- The Plain Dealer's Mike Pettica has the latest updates on the Cavs' plans for the upcoming NBA draft.
- Mavs center Brendan Haywood discusses in a radio interview why adding Deron Williams to the roster would pay huge dividends for the team in the immediate future.
- The signing of Shane Battier has proven to be fruitful for the Heat especially considering the defense he has been playing against Carmelo Anthony, writes Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News.
Knicks Notes: Stoudemire, Carmelo, Novak
The Knicks look to avoid being swept in their second straight postseason appearance as they take on the Heat tomorrow in Game Four. The last time the team facing elimination was able to produce a three-game winning streak in a New York-Miami playoff series was in 1997, when the Heat were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit to advance to the Conference Finals. While the chances of such a comeback by New York are quite improbable, the team will certainly be playing under that premise going into tomorrow's matinee matchup. Here's what else we've heard out of the Big Apple:
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday says that Amare Stoudemire could return to the starting lineup tomorrow in place of Steve Novak if he is cleared to play. If not, then J.R. Smith could start in place of Novak (Sulia link). Earlier, Iannazzone took note of Mike Woodson's post-practice comments about Amare, saying that he looked "pretty good." Woodson also said that he will leave it up to Stoudemire and his doctors to decide if he's ready to play.
- Newsday's Neil Best suggests that regardless of the Knicks' performance in this year's playoffs, it's still too soon to give up on Carmelo Anthony.
- Roderick Boone of Newsday discusses what's going through the mind of Steve Novak amidst his struggles against Miami. Novak says that he has no problem if Woodson decides to use him with the second unit after experimenting with him in the starting lineup in Game Three.
- Iannazzone obtained Carmelo's thoughts on avoiding a sweep.
- Benjamin Hoffman of The New York Times' Off the Dribble blog talks about the last time the Knicks won a playoff game.
Knicks Notes: Jackson, Carmelo, Injuries, Novak
When I asked Hoops Rumors readers earlier this week whether the Heat would finish off the Knicks in four games, over 64% of poll respondents predicted a sweep. Last night, Miami took another step toward sending New York home early, handing the Knicks their 13th consecutive postseason loss. Let's catch up on the latest out of New York, where the situation looks bleak for the hometown team:
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports believes the best move the Knicks could make this offseason involves luring Phil Jackson to New York. With no salary limitations in play, the Knicks should offer three years and $40MM+, says Wojnarowski. The Yahoo! scribe adds that the Zen Master "isn't enthralled" with the Knicks' roster, though that doesn't necessarily mean he'd rule out the job.
- Carmelo Anthony's performance in this series will rekindle discussion about whether the Knicks can win a championship with 'Melo leading the way, writes George Willis of the New York Post.
- Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire don't look like good bets to return for Game Four on Sunday. Lin says he's still too sore and not in good enough condition for game action, while Mike Woodson downplayed the likelihood of Amare being ready.
- Steve Novak, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has failed to impress in the playoffs, as Mark Hale of the New York Post writes. After going scoreless in Game Three, Novak has just nine points in the series, and his free agent stock could be taking a hit.
Knicks Notes: Stoudemire, Playoffs, Carmelo
The biggest story to come out of last night's Knicks/Heat contest didn't materialize on the court, where Miami took a 2-0 lead in the series. It happened on the way to the locker room after the game, when Amare Stoudemire took out his frustrations on a fire extinguisher, resulting in a lot of blood, a few stitches, and derisive pun-heavy headlines from the New York papers. Our Tuesday morning Knicks updates revolve around Stoudemire's lapse in judgment, so let's round them up in one place:
- Stoudemire is "almost certain" to miss Game Three in New York, and could be out for the entire series with a hand laceration, a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The injury is the latest low point in an agonizing, up-and-down Knicks season, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- Carmelo Anthony tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he still believes he and Stoudemire can thrive alongside one another when both are healthy. The Knicks are just a .500 team since pairing the two stars, who are slated to earn a combined $40MM+ in each of the next three seasons.
Odds & Ends: Skiles, Griffin, Colangelo, Pierce
With great anticipation of the weekend ahead full of playoff basketball, let's take a look around the league to see what's happening from coast to coast.
- Count Brandon Jennings and Mike Dunleavy Jr. among Bucks players hoping head coach Scott Skiles is retained by Milwaukee after just missing out on making the playoffs, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com says Blake Griffin expects the playoffs to be more physical as the Clippers head into their first-round series against the Grizzlies.
- Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo is excited to continue the process of rebuilding the franchise after carefully adhering to his long-term plan, reports Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
- Paul Pierce tells ESPNBoston.com's Jackie McMullan that the thought of retirement has crossed his mind after playing 14 seasons for the Celtics.
- ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin says Lakers executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss is over the heartbreak of losing out on Chris Paul to the Clippers this past offseason.
- Newsday's Al Iannazzone reports Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are working to improve how they co-exist on the court after incessant chatter from the media and fans finally drew their attention.
Odds & Ends: Humphries, Carmelo, Woodson, Paul
Tonight's Clippers/Hawks game will affect playoff seeding, and the Hornets/Warriors contest has lottery implications. But the one to circle on tonight's schedule is Suns vs. Jazz in Utah, a game Al Jefferson calls the biggest of his life (via Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune). A Utah win clinches the Jazz a playoff spot, while a Suns win would mean the two teams are tied for the eighth seed with one game remaining. Before the two teams get underway, let's check in on some other notes from around the NBA….
- Kris Humphries would like to re-sign with the Nets if possible, he tells Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. You'd have to think the Nets will prioritize Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez over Humphries, though they could still have room for their leading rebounder.
- Carmelo Anthony endorsed Mike Woodson for the Knicks' permanent coaching job, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Amare Stoudemire echoed that sentiment later in the day, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) that he believes his friend Chris Paul will eventually sign a long-term extension with the Clippers.
- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is unsure whether he wants to bring Semih Erden back for next season, says Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- A Bloomberg report details the role that nepotism is playing in the current players' union conflict, though executive committee member Maurice Evans downplayed the union's concerns on the subject (Twitter link).
Knicks Notes: Chandler, Stoudemire, Carmelo
The Knicks' home winning streak under Mike Woodson was snapped at nine games at the hands of the Heat this afternoon. New York still holds the eighth and final playoff spot but are just two games ahead of the Bucks with six games left to play. You can find today's Knicks-related stories here:
- Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com says that center Tyson Chandler doesn't expect to miss any time after getting hurt during today's game. Chandler banged knees with Joel Anthony during the third quarter. In another article, Josh Newman (also of ZagsBlog) writes about how today's meeting could be a preview of a Knicks-Heat first round matchup.
- Newsday's Al Iannazzone noted Dwyane Wade's comments about how the return of Amare will create an adjustment period for the Knicks. ESPN New York's Christopher Hunt took a different focus with Wade's other postgame input, saying that they're tougher and better with Stoudemire in the lineup.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York writes that the Knicks will need more than just Carmelo Anthony's scoring if they want to be competitive against any of the top seeds in the East during the playoffs.
- Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com reacts to the Knicks loss, discussing the Heat's halfcourt struggles, the need for help for Carmelo, how the Knicks will fare with the return of Amare Stoudemire, and the team's identity defensively.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York discusses pace as it relates to New York's lack of production in the fourth quarter.
Odds & Ends: Smith, Olympics, Anthony
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel took some time to shed some light on Magic guard Ishmael Smith after his standout performance against the Pistons on Monday. In a separate piece, Schmitz outlines the uphill battle Orlando faces as they look to clinch a playoff spot. Six of their last eight games are against above-.500 teams, and four of those games are on the road.
- If Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade could have things their way, players on the USA basketball team would be compensated for their participation in the Olympics. While Allen sees it as a matter of opportunity cost, Wade focused more on the jersey sales and summer commitment aspect of it (Scott Gleeson of USA Today reports). According to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports, Team USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo responded to their comments, saying: "It’s never been discussed and it’s not even feasible in the reality of economics."
- Jim Cavan of the New York Times examines the emergence of Carmelo Anthony after being moved to the power forward slot as well as the role it has played in the Knicks' recent success. If New York can hang onto a playoff spot and Amare Stoudemire is cleared to play, it will be interesting to see how Anthony will translate that success at the small forward position with Amare in the lineup.
- The Kings team owners will make a case to the NBA Board of Governors in New York that the plan to finance a new arena in Sacramento needs more negotiating, writes Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.
- Gilbert Arenas tells J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today that he is happy to be out of the spotlight in Memphis as he looks to move forward from his troubled past.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Anthony, Nets
In what has to be one of the most shocking collapses in recent memory, the Sixers have gone from championship contender to fringe playoff team in a mere couple of weeks. In an Insider article, ESPN.com's John Hollinger says one reason for the constant losing has been a sharp decline in offensive efficiency. Philly.com's John Mitchell says the problem lies in the team's lack of character.
- In a column that ponders possible locations for Dwight Howard next season, Bulls.com's Sam Smith says the Sixers are almost sure to break up their potent Jrue Holliday, Evan Turner, Andre Iguodala trio.
- Rich Levine of CSNNE.com says Celtics fans should be hoping the Bucks make the playoffs. If they do, Boston gets Milwaukee's second round draft pick from the offseason Keyon Dooling.
- The New York Post's Tim Bontemps points out a rare bright spot relating to the Nets. If the Rockets make the playoffs, New Jersey receives the team's first round draft pick.
- Coming off an Easter Sunday thriller that saw Carmelo Anthony score his most points in a Knicks uniform, ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley writes that the All-Star is thriving in isolation sets. With Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin both out, New York will only go as far as Anthony can take them.
Iannazzone on Chandler, Calipari, Playoffs
In what could be a preview of a first-round matchup in this year's Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bulls and Knicks will begin a home-and-home series on Sunday in New York. Carmelo Anthony understands those implications and views these next two games as playoff games, according to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com. Al Iannazzone of Newsday also offered some input about the Knicks tonight, and here's his latest work out of the Big Apple:
- Contrary to Anthony's claim that Tyson Chandler is playing with a fractured hand, the team's starting center refuted the notion but did imply that he is playing through inexplicable pain.
- John Calipari could be a legitimate candidate to coach the Knicks next season, says Iannazone, and cites Calipari's ties to the Creative Artists Agency (which has affiliations to people within Knicks management and with whom Carmelo is also a client) as a possible factor.
- In a separate piece, Iannazone looks at the challenge of the next 11 games for the Knicks as it relates to their push to make the playoffs while facing a daunting schedule.