Odds & Ends: Varejao, Terry, Turner, Marshall
Anderson Varejao leads the NBA in rebounding and is playing at an All-Star level through the season's first month, which makes the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto wonder whether the Cavaliers could max out on his value in a deal before the trade deadline.
- Jason Terry started slow with the Celtics this season, but appears to have finally found a suitable role with the team, writes CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely.
- The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson details how Sixers forward Evan Turner has improved in his three years in the league.
- The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell believes Kendall Marshall's recent demotion to the D-League shouldn't be observed as a demotion, but an opportunity.
Odds & Ends: Ginobili, Bogut, Cavaliers, Bobcats
After a startling slow start to the 2012/13 season, Manu Ginobili is beginning to break out and play like the future Hall of Famer we're accustomed to seeing, writes the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald.
- According to Yahoo! Sports reporter Marc J. Spears, Warriors center Andrew Bogut will return to the lineup on Saturday, December 1st against the Pacers.
- In a mailbag from her readers, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer discusses whether or not the Cavaliers would have any interest in acquiring Sixers swingman Evan Turner.
- Charlotte Observer reporter Rick Bonnell gives five reasons why the Bobcats are different this season than they were last year.
- With all their injuries in the front court, the Spurs are thankful to have re-signed Boris Diaw in the offseason, writes the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald.
- Magic center Nikola Vucevic is beginning to receive playing time down the stretch of close games, writes the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins. He could develop into a major asset for the team sooner than later.
Eastern Notes: Turner, Fields, Heat, Boozer
We've already had one update out of the Eastern Conference today, with ESPN.com's Marc Stein reporting that the Raptors have Mickael Pietrus on their radar. Let's round up a few more Friday morning items from the East….
- Evan Turner spoke to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News about the adjustment from "standing out to fitting in" that he'd made since being drafted second overall by the Sixers in 2010. "I want to get minutes on the court and help the team out," Turner said. "Sometimes people don't think that's something that a guy who was the second pick would do. But here that's what I'm seen as and that's what I'm going to do to the best of my abilities."
- Landry Fields got off to a terrible start with the Raptors, but given his elbow issues, it's unfair to call him a bust at this point, writes Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld. According to Brotherson, it will be at least another month or two before the team will really be able to tell what kind of player it signed.
- In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says a defensive-minded point guard is still something the Heat could use.
- Sam Smith has his own mailbag up at Bulls.com, heavy on Chicago content. Among the highlights: Smith writes that every indication he's gotten to date indicates the Bulls don't plan to amnesty Carlos Boozer next summer.
- Although he acknowledges it won't happen, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio suggests the Heat should consider trading Dwyane Wade, since a team like the Kings or Hawks would give up plenty of young talent and assets for the perennial All-Star, and the Heat could win without him (all Twitter links).
Atlantic Notes: Defense, Melo, Smith, Garnett
Through two games, it sure looks like multitude of veteran additions that the Knicks made this offseason have made them a more complete team. In the Atlantic division's only contest today, the Knicks stayed unbeaten in impressive fashion with a 100-84 win over the rival 76ers. They are now 2-0 for the first time since 1999.
Let's round up some other Sunday night links from around the Atlantic divsion here:
- ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg breaks down first round pick Jared Sullinger's night on Saturday, a game in which he was thrust into the Celtics starting lineup in his third game as a pro. Sullinger responded admirably, grabbing 7 boards in more than 30 minutes of action.
- 76ers head coach Doug Collins is still hopeful that he can help "unlock" third-year swing man Evan Turner, and thinks it could be just one breakout game away, writes John Finger of CSN Philly. Turner, the second pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has showed stellar rebounding skills but the rest of his game has yet to develop as planned.
- Brook Lopez spent much of the offseason in the weight room in an effort to improve his rebounding abilities, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday, but the Nets big man has yet to see the results of his hard work translate on the court.
Earlier updates:
- The Knicks have held their first two opponents to 84 points or less for the first time in 60 years, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. Carmelo Anthony seems to be buying into Mike Woodson's defensive philosophy, and his teammates have noticed and followed suit.
- One of those teammates is Knicks guard J.R. Smith, who was told to shoot on Sunday by Woodson and responded with 20 points off the bench, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York. Smith, who is normally prone to jacking up too many bad shots, joined the Knicks last season after returning from China and reupped with the team on a two-year deal in July.
- The rebuilt Celtics may take longer to mesh than originally expected, opines Sherrod Blakely. Blakely says that Kevin Garnett's defensive abilities make him uniquely critical as all the new pieces try to find their place on the team.
Odds & Ends: Batum, Turner, Mavericks, Deng
Here's a look around the league this Sunday afternoon.
- This offseason the Timberwolves and Trail Blazers were in the news about acquiring Nicolas Batum, but it appears the Cavaliers were heavy in the mix, writes Joe Freeman of the Oregonian.
- Sporting News reporter Sean Deveney gives his list of breakout stars for the upcoming season, and Sixers swingman Evan Turner heads the group.
- The Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko takes a look at four members of the Mavericks who need to step up their play in Dirk Nowitzki's absence.
- The Chicago Tribune believes Luol Deng's selfless nature will continue to be a perfect fit with the Bulls.
76ers Exercise Option On Evan Turner
The 76ers have picked up their fourth-year option on Evan Turner, the team announced today in a press release. Turner had been the only Sixer with an outstanding team option for 2013/14.
As John Hollinger of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter), even though the move was a formality, Turner's fourth-year salary as a former second overall pick isn't insignificant. Turner will earn $5.29MM this season, then be in line for $6.68MM in 2013/14. He'll be eligible for a contract extension next summer, or restricted free agency in the 2014 offseason.
As next Wednesday's deadline approaches, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors' rookie contract option tracker to keep tabs on which teams have exercised '13/14 options so far.
Sixers Notes: Turner, Brand, Collins
Last night the Sixers fell to the Celtics in a one-point game they appeared to be in control of for most of the way. Here are a few links on the playoff's lone Cinderella team as they get ready for Game 2 on Monday night.
- Evan Turner's first half was nearly flawless last night, but in the second half he struggled. The Philadelphia Inquirer's John Mitchell writes that despite the team's loss, Turner's double-double was a serious bright spot.
- In the Chicago Tribune, Vaughn McClure writes about how now is the time for Turner to step up to the next level.
- The Washington Post's Michael Lee writes a piece about Sixers head coach Doug Collins, and how he hasn't advanced past the first round since he was with the Bulls, when Michael Jordan made "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo.
- CSNPhilly.com's John Finger explains Elton Brand's lack of minutes last night.
Atlantic Notes: Calipari, Nets, Raptors, Turner
The Celtics pulled to within one game of the 76ers for the Atlantic Division lead after last night's overtime win against Houston. As the two teams prepare to square off for division supremacy tonight in Philadelphia, let's round up the latest out of the Atlantic…
- University of Kentucky coach John Calipari may be "in the crosshairs" of Nets management, says Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
- Brook Lopez's ankle injury doesn't mean the Nets will be any less active at the trade deadline, as GM Billy King tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star discusses possible uses for the roster spot the Raptors expect to free up by parting ways with Anthony Carter.
- At one point, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News believed the 76ers would trade Andre Iguodala and keep Evan Turner long-term, but now he's convinced they'll do the opposite.
- According to a CBS Philly report, longtime Daily News writer Stan Hochman told Sportsradio 94WIP today that there's an explanation for Turner's inconsistent play that has yet to go public. However, 94WIP hears from a Sixers' front office source that the team isn't aware what Hochman is referring to. Hoffman has since apologized for making the remarks, but at the same time did not exactly back off his claim that something is going on: "I will not reveal my source, nor the nature of what I was told, but it was wrong to say what I said."
Trade Candidate: Andre Iguodala
Make no mistake about it, Andre Iguodala is having a fine year. The veteran forward was selected to his first All-Star game and has been mentioned as a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. While his scoring is down at 12.6 PPG, Iguodala has continued to stuff the statsheet as he always has while being the leader of a first place team.
But as the shine of a 20-9 start begins to wear off, the 76ers fans are getting restless. Going into tonight's game against Boston, the Sixers are 2-8 in their last 10 and have seen their once sizeable lead over the Celtics shrink to just a game. That stretch has shown the Sixers go ice cold offensively in the final minutes of close games, primarily because they lack an offensive star who can create his own shot.
Making almost $14MM this year, that player is supposed to be Iguodala. But as he showed on Sunday night against Chicago – where he airballed two pivotal attempts in the last few minutes – it probably is not. Iguodala's ineffectiveness at the end of games has led the team to turn to sixth man Louis Williams to take the final shot. Williams is a nice "instant offense" type of player, but he is not who a team wants deciding games for them if they intend to go deep in the playoffs.
Another issue is the lack of chemistry between Iguodala and Evan Turner – neither of whom is a traditional shooting guard. Turner's minutes have been down for the last month and the most popular theory is that those two cannot play together – prompting John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News to suggest that one of them needs to go. As mentioned by Luke Adams, Smallwood thinks it will be Turner.
While I disagree that Turner will be moved, all of the elements mentioned above definitely point to the Sixers needing to make a decision at some point. They need a star, or at least someone who can create (and make) their own shot. With Iguodala due nearly $30MM in the two years after this one, the Sixers would need to take salary back to make a trade work.
How about a swap centered around Iguodala and the recently signed Marcus Thornton? Iguodala's defensive prowess would fit nicely around offensive studs Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento Meanwhile, Thornton's scoring and three point shooting would be a good fit in Philly. ESPN Trade Machine likes a straight up Iguodala-for-Thornton swap. Doug Collins and Rod Thorn both love Iguodala, so it is just speculation at this point, but it's clear that Philadelphia needs to do something, whether this year or very soon, if they want to compete with the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
Rotation Notes: Udoh, Fields, Turner
- Despite playing a season-low 15 minutes in Boston yesterday, and often times struggling with assertiveness in his sophomore season, Landry Fields will remain in New York's starting lineup for the foreseeable future, according to Calvin Watkins at ESPNNY.com. However, in a tweet, the New York Post's Marc Berman says rookie Iman Shumpert could replace him sooner than later if he keeps playing as well as he's been.
- In an attempt to shake things up, Golden State head coach Mark Jackson has removed the deplorable Andris Biedrins from his starting lineup and replaced him with defensive savant Ekpe Udoh, Warriors beatwriter Marcus Thompson said in a tweet. Biedrins says he's "fine" with the decision.
- Philadelphia's Director of Public Relations, Michael Preston, mentioned on Twitter that Evan Turner and Nikola Vucevic would start tonight against the Bucks. Lavoy Allen and Jodie Meeks have been downgraded to the bench.