Western Notes: Cousins, Griffin, Gordon
DeMarcus Cousins was fined $50K by the Kings for his part of an incident with a local columnist and the 26-year-old said that he picked the wrong time to confront the reporter, adding that he let his emotions get the best of him, Sean Cunningham of ABC10 passes along (Twitter link). However, in his prepared statement, Cousins did not apologize to the reporter whom he intimidated..
“I understand my actions were inexcusable and I commit to upholding the professional standards of the Kings and the NBA. I apologize to my teammates, fans and the Kings organization for my behavior and the ensuing distraction and look forward to moving on and focusing on basketball,” Cousins said.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Blake Griffin underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter links). Griffin is expected to miss four-to-six weeks and will rehabilitate with the Clippers‘ medical staff.
- Eric Gordon tells Michael Lee of The Vertical that his transition to the Rockets has been “smooth sailing.” Gordon has made the second most 3-pointers in the league this season (behind only Stephen Curry) and he credits coach Mike D’Antoni‘s system as part of the reason for his success. “It’s a little bit of everything,” Gordon said. “Style of play, and playing with a guy who can really pass the ball, and like I said, it’s a free-flowing system where everybody is able to get good shots and I’m just taking advantage and knocking down shots.”
- Gordon believes the Pelicans‘ uncertain ownership situation and constant changes made it difficult to thrive as a player, Lee writes in the same piece. “I was just getting better year after year with the Clippers, and then you make a major change with New Orleans, ownership and everything, so you had to start all over,” Gordon added. “It was a rough time in New Orleans. Guys can tell you that are still there now. It was a difficult task.”
- Gordon said he thought Phoenix had a better training staff and that was the reason why he signed there in 2012, as he tell Lee in the same piece. Gordon was a restricted free agent at the time and New Orleans exercised its right to match the Suns‘ offer.
Southwest Notes: Gordon, Frazier, Rockets
Eric Gordon is enjoying one of the most productive seasons of his nine-year career and while he may not top some of the scoring outputs he registered with the Pelicans and Clippers now that he’s been slotted in as the sixth man of his new club, he’s playing a vital role on a Rockets team in contention for the Western Conference title.
On Friday, Gordon matched up against the Pelicans with whom he played five seasons. Prior to the meeting he was up front and honest about his displeasure in New Orleans, citing roster instability as one of the biggest problems.
”I’m not really worried about what’s going on down there,” the Pelicans guard told John Reid of The Times-Picayune, “but I just know my role changed year by year. We really had only one good year (2013/14), it’s just been tough.'”
Also on the Southwest Division front:
- If there is one individual who has benefited from this week’s Donatas Motiejunas drama, it’s Bobby Brown. The veteran is eager to pick up where he left off with the Rockets prior to being waived ahead of the Motiejunas contract drama, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Prior to being cut initially, Brown had seen minimal action in just five games this year, but his depth of international experience could give head coach Mike D’Antoni roster flexibility as the season progresses.
- Speaking of Motiejunas, the big man left the Toyota Center on Saturday expecting to rejoin the Rockets but that never came to be. Speaking to Feigen, D’Antoni called the 26-year-old a “piece that could have been helpful [from a team standpoint].”
- Too often the victims of unfortunate injuries, the Pelicans got a taste of the opposite Friday. Despite being initially ruled out for seven to 10 days, per ESPN’s Justin Verrier, backup point guard Tim Frazier opted to return early. According to Jennifer Hale of Fox Sports, Frazier decided to suit up in front of his hometown fans on Friday night and play through a wrist sprain.
Rockets Notes: Gordon, Beverley, Motiejunas, Morey
Rockets guard Eric Gordon has become a candidate for the Sixth Man award since Patrick Beverley‘s return from injury, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Gordon has been on a tear from 3-point range since taking on the new role with at least four 3-pointers in seven straight games before the streak was snapped Friday. Gordon signed a four-year, $53MM deal with the Rockets this summer after spending the last three seasons in New Orleans. “I think Pat also really tries to find him,” said Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni. “He really makes a point of it. He’s good at it. I think it’s mostly Eric settling into his role.”
There’s more news out of Houston:
- The Rockets are trying to remain low-key contenders as they move toward the top of the Western Conference, Feigen relays in a separate story. Boosted by the offseason additions of Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Nene, Houston is 17-7, three games out of first place in the West. “Flying under the radar, I’m really cool with that,” Beverley said. “I like it way better. We’ll just try to keep knocking them down.”
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey had no comment after Saturday’s game on the status of Donatas Motiejunas, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN. Motiejunas, who reached a new four-year deal with the team Friday, showed up for his physical last night, but was asked to leave after it was completed.
- Morey was an analytics pioneer when the Rockets hired him for their front office in 2006, writes Michael Lewis of Forbes. His mission was to use statistical analysis to replace the basketball intuition decisions the team had been relying on. “The decision making wasn’t that good,” explains owner Leslie Alexander. “It wasn’t precise. We now have all this data. And we have computers that can analyze that data. And I wanted to use that data in a progressive way. When I hired Daryl, it was because I wanted somebody that was doing more than just looking at players in the normal way.”
Western Notes: Calderon, Miller, Durant
With D’Angelo Russell out of the Lakers‘ lineup due to knee woes, Jose Calderon has assumed the role of starting point guard and has pleased coach Luke Walton with his play, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register writes. “He helps stabilize the first unit that has been a different lineup way too many times this year already,” Walton said. “Just having a veteran that knows how to play and can run an offense and knock down open shots, it’s been nice to have him to lean on when D’Angelo is out.”
While he’s happy with his recent bump in playing time, Calderon was content being a mentor to his much younger teammates, Medina adds. “I’m happy with the way things have been going. I’m comfortable out there every day and I’m feeling more comfortable with my teammates. I’m ready for whatever role,” Calderon said. “I’m here to help this team to win. It doesn’t matter what. If I’m on the bench, it’s the bench. If I’m playing five or 30 minutes, I’m good.”
Here’s more from out West:
- Mike Miller, 36, is happy with his role as an older veteran on the Nuggets and says he’s still having too much fun playing to walk away from the game, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays. “I think the one thing you’ve got to learn in this league as you get older, is there’s different roles and responsibilities and you’ll be asked to do different things,” Miller said. “For me, I’m just thankful to be in a position to still be playing this game, and still get to practice against these guys every day, still get in the games, still a lot of fun for me.“
- In a piece by Michael Pina of RealGM, the scribe examined what Eric Gordon brings to the Rockets, his value as a player and what he can do to successfully resurrect his career in Houston this season.
- Warriors offseason signee Kevin Durant is finally getting used to his new home in Golden State, and the forward chatted with Chris Haynes of ESPN.com about a number of the issues and difficulties he faced in relocating from OKC to the West Coast.
Rockets Owner Became More Involved In 2016 Roster Moves
Following a disappointing 2015/16 season, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander took on a larger role in his team’s roster-building process this summer, sources familiar with the process tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. According to Lowe, Alexander was “eager to rebound at any cost” after Houston underachieved last season.
Alexander’s increased involvement signals that Daryl Morey‘s hold on the general manager job may not be as secure as it once was, league sources tell Lowe. For his part, Morey says he doesn’t “feel more or less pressure” in his GM role than he has in previous years. However, Lowe suggests that the Rockets’ dismissal of former VP of player personnel Gianluca Pascucci earlier this year was “widely seen as a shot across the bow at Morey.” The GM says that decision was his.
As Lowe observes, the Rockets took a different approach to roster-building this summer than they have in the past under Morey. The team has typically made an effort to add another star or two to a roster headed by James Harden. However, as they lost Dwight Howard in free agency this July, the Rockets instead opted to use their cap room to sign solid – and expensive – complementary players like Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. Houston still wanted to add star power, and will keep an eye out for a top player going forward, but Morey suggests that last year’s disappointing showing had an impact on the club’s ability to recruit top-tier players this summer.
“Last year hurt us in terms of perception around the league,” Morey said. “We felt like if we didn’t have a more successful season this year, our ability to be a top destination would be hurt. … We had a choice: keep our powder dry and value play, or go for two blue-chip players past the obvious superstars. It was a tough cap environment. You have to spend the money on someone.”
According to Lowe, Morey and the Rockets believe players like Anderson, Gordon, and others will thrive this season in Mike D’Antoni’s system, boosting their trade value. So Houston will be a team worth watching at February’s trade deadline. If Morey’s bet doesn’t pay off, it will also be worth keeping an eye on whether his grip on his GM job grows more tenuous.
Southwest Notes: Matthews, Williams, Barnes
The Mavericks feel like they have an all-new starting backcourt this season, even though Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams are both returning, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. The Mavs signed both players during the summer of 2015, but they were dealing with injuries that limited their effectiveness. Matthews was coming off surgery for a ruptured left Achilles tendon and was noticeably slower throughout the year. Williams, who received medical clearance this week to participate in the start of training camp, underwent surgery for a sports hernia after Dallas was eliminated from the playoffs.
“I hope D-Will can stay healthy,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “I think when he was healthy last year, he was a key player for us, at times even our best player, so hopefully he can stay healthy. And I’ve heard Wes was a beast in the gym basically since we lost [in the playoffs]. I hear he’s in unbelievable shape and ready to go. It should be another fun, hopefully exciting and competitive year.”
There’s more news out of the Southwest Division:
- Harrison Barnes hasn’t been a featured scorer since high school, but Dallas is counting on him to be one this season, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. After Barnes became expendable when Kevin Durant committed to the Warriors, the Mavericks gave him a four-year, $94MM contract and projected an expanded role for him in their offense. Barnes averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in four years with Golden State.
- Monty Williams, who joined the Spurs Friday as vice president of basketball operations, hasn’t ruled out a return to coaching someday, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. In the meantime, the Spurs will groom Williams for a front office role.
- The Rockets swapped out one frequently injured player for three, write Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders in the site’s season preview of Houston. Dwight Howard may have taken his back problems to Atlanta, but Rockets signed three free agents in Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and Nene who have long injury histories of their own.
And-Ones: Silver, Wafer, Restricted Free Agents
NBA commissioner Adam Silver doesn’t believe the one-and-one contracts that LeBron James and Kevin Durant have signed are good for the league, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The arrangements give the players one guaranteed season with the chance to opt out and sign a bigger deal the following year. Durant did it to gain the benefits of being a 10-year veteran when he hits free agency again next summer. James is also maximizing his earnings, while giving the Cavaliers incentive to put the best possible team around him each season.
“One of the unintended consequences I feel on behalf of the players is the fact that they end up putting themselves in this position where they’re taking enormous financial risk,” Silver said. “The system is designed for guys to enter into long term contracts, so, and you can only get so much insurance. So one of the unintended consequences is they take risk beyond what we would like to see them take.” After a month that saw several stars change teams, the commissioner said he would like to work with the union to modify the system to give franchises a better opportunity to keep their own players.
There’s more NBA-related news this morning:
- Von Wafer, who last played in the NBA in 2012, is campaigning for another shot on social media, relays Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com. Wafer, who just turned 31, had short stints with the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Blazers, Rockets, Celtics and Magic, but never lasted more than one season in any location. In a series of tweets, Wafer says he has a different mentality now and warns younger players not to follow his example.
- Restricted free agency typically sours the relationship between players and their teams, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. Because teams are reluctant to tie up cap space for three days while waiting to see if offer sheets are matched, restricted free agents are typically at the end of the line when it comes to getting paid. Also, they often build up resentment toward their original franchise if their offer sheets are matched. As examples, Lang cites Jeff Teague, Nicolas Batum, Paul Millsap, Eric Gordon, Roy Hibbert, Marcin Gortat and DeAndre Jordan.
Western Notes: Rockets, Brown, Abrines, Suns
Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon are gambles for the Rockets, but they’re probably risks worth taking, writes Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. Both players are sharpshooters who should fit well into new coach Mike D’Antoni’s system, but both have an extensive history of injuries. Anderson missed a significant stretch last season with an MCL sprain in Feburary, and had a season-ending neck injury in 2014. Gordon has been through a long string of injuries that have limited him to an average of 53 games per season over the past four years. Assuming they are reasonably healthy next season, Blancarte expects them to be valuable additions because of their ability to stretch the defense and Gordon’s talent for driving to the basket.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- High-scoring European player Bobby Brown will attend training camp with the Rockets on a non-guaranteed deal, tweets international journalist David Pick. Brown spent time with the Kings, Clippers, Hornets and Wolves from 2008-10.
- The signing of Alex Abrines has helped the Thunder begin to lift the dark cloud caused by Kevin Durant‘s departure, writes Bery Tramel of The Oklahoman. Abrines will give Oklahoma City a 3-point threat and may take Dion Waiters‘ spot as a reserve guard behind Russell Westbrook and Victor Oladipo. The biggest question on the European star is whether he can defend well enough to earn significant playing time.
- The Suns‘ collection of young players has produced renewed optimism in Phoenix, according to Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic. Part of the confidence came from GM Ryan McDonough’s draft-night deal with the Kings that gave Phoenix Marquese Chriss along with Dragan Bender. In addition, McDonough likes the commitment he is seeing from his veterans this summer. “I think we’ve seen a powerful change over the past few months in terms of players buying in,” he said. “Our guys like being around each other. They like being in Phoenix. A lot of our core players have basically made Phoenix their home and stick around all summer. It’s 115 degrees and those guys could be anywhere in the world. They choose to stay in Phoenix. And that says something.”
Pelicans Sign Langston Galloway
JULY 21st: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.
JULY 6th, 10:24pm: The pact will pay Galloway $5MM per season, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets.
4:35pm: Galloway received a two-year deal from New Orleans, with a player option for the second season, according to Scotto (Twitter link).
3:46pm: Point guard Langston Galloway will sign with the Pelicans, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops. Contract details are still being finalized, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Galloway became an unrestricted free agent on Monday when the Knicks rescinded their $2.725MM qualifying offer. Galloway became expendable when New York reached a one-year, $5MM deal with free agent guard Brandon Jennings. Begley notes that New York held Early Bird Rights on Galloway and could have offered up to $6.1MM in the first year of a new deal (Twitter link).
The 24-year-old was a regular part of the Knicks’ rotation this season, his second in the NBA. Galloway appeared in all 82 games, averaging 7.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 24.8 minutes while shooting 39.3% from the field and 34.4% from 3-point range.
He will help offset the loss of Eric Gordon, who signed Saturday with the Rockets. Galloway joins Solomon Hill and E’Twaun Moore as free agent acquisitions for New Orleans this offseason.
Southwest Notes: Gordon, Harden, Murray
New Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon missed 189 out of a possible 410 games during his time with the Pelicans and never played more than 64 games in a season, but Gordon doesn’t believe he is injury prone, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. “Most of them been fluke injuries,” Gordon said. ”From the first one where I just banged knees and this past year I was on my way to playing 82 games and then end up having a freakish breaking the finger [injury]. They were little fluke injuries that I can easily overcome, but my plan every year 82 games plus more.’‘
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Here’s more from out of the Southwest Division:
- Retaining James Harden, who agreed to a four-year, $118MM renegotiation and extension with the Rockets, was a big step for the franchise, given the difficulty the organization has had in landing and keeping star players, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes.
- By re-signing with the Mavericks for two-years and $40MM, Dirk Nowitzki cost himself a shot at latching on to a contender and chasing another ring before his career comes to a close, but he’ll have the distinction of remaining with the same franchise for his entire career, Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News writes.
- Spurs 2016 first round pick Dejounte Murray is trying to maintain his identity as a basketball player while acclimating himself to San Antonio’s system, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. “They still tell me to be myself, [but] just play the right way. The Spurs way,” Murray said. “I know what type of ball they play because I’ve watched them over the years starting with the NBA team, and this is the summer league team. Everybody here is trying to get on the floor in the regular season. So it’s not hard. I’m just going out, [doing] whatever they tell me to do, and I’m learning the system practice by practice, and I’m going out and executing in the games.“