Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Wallace, Collins
Tonight in Philadelphia, the Nets are looking to close in on the Atlantic-leading Knicks. Brooklyn is currently riding a three-game winning streak including Friday night's victory over the Wizards headlined by Deron Williams' 42 points and eleven three pointers. Meanwhile, New York expects to have Carmelo Anthony back in action tonight as they take on the Warriors. Here's tonight's news out of the Atlantic..
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said after the trip he and GM Glen Grunwald will talk about making a roster move, but it doesn't sound like they'll be releasing Rasheed Wallace, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The veteran was with the team today and Woodson says that he has a chance to bounce back strong.
- The Nets will be one of six teams paying luxury taxes after this season and interim coach P.J. Carlesimo is appreciative of that, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “It’s one of the best things an owner can do. Giving a coach a longterm contract is more important,” quipped Carlesimo. “But other than that I think when you have an owner that’s willing to spend money and not pay lip-service. All the owners say they want to win a championship, When you have someone that is committed to winning it and is willing to expend funds to do it, give us the resources, that’s fantastic.”
- Nets veteran Jerry Stackhouse, who has played for 76ers coach Doug Collins in two cities, praised his passion for the game and said that he can even be "borderline manic" at times, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Newspapers. There has been speculation that Collins' job is in jeopardy going forward in part because of how his style clashes with the club.
- Reflecting on his time in Philly alongside Allen Iverson, Stackhouse said, "Somebody didn't do their homework – we're both shooting guards," tweets Moore.
Amar’e Out Six Weeks, Knicks May Seek Replacement
According to the Knicks' official PR Twitter account, Amare Stoudemire will have a knee debridement on his right knee and is projected to be out for six weeks following the procedure. This past summer, the 6'11 big man had the same operation done after a popliteal cyst had ruptured in his left knee, causing him to miss the first 30 games of the season. Ian Begley of ESPN New York (via Twitter) hears that coach Mike Woodson will consult with team brass about Rasheed Wallace's roster spot and the possibility of finding a healthy replacement for Stoudemire.
Wallace, who underwent surgery for a broken left foot near the end of February, faced an eight week recovery but was kept on the roster in hope that he would be ready for a potential return in the playoffs. While the Knicks recently brought Kenyon Martin on board, the only other true big men currently healthy on the team are Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas. Camby had been inactive for nearly two months after suffering a strained left plantar fascia in January, and despite returning to the active list, has only played a total of 13 minutes in the last three contests.
With 23 games left and the task of getting the team as healthy as it can before the start of the playoffs, New York would be hard-pressed if they didn't try to find some help via free agency now. With the roster currently at 15, the Knicks would have to release someone in order to open up a spot. Woodson has favored a small lineup featuring Carmelo Anthony at the power forward this season, so whether the team would target another big man or a tall perimeter forward if they did look to sign someone would be worth keeping in mind.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sheed, Martin, Bynum
The latest news and notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Knicks chose not to waive Rasheed Wallace because they want him to have the option to come back in time for the playoffs.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets that head coach Mike Woodson believes Wallace's surgery was successful and there is a chance he could still play this season.
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida notes that Kenyon Martin is the first top overall pick in NBA history to sign a 10-day contract.
- Ric Bucher of CSN Bay Area reports that Andrew Bynum's knees have a degenerative condition.
Atlantic Rumors: Rasheed, Collins, Sixers, Celtics
The top three teams in the Atlantic Division are separated by five and a half games, and with all three in action tonight, only the second-place Nets failed to keep pace, falling three games back of the Knicks. It was a busy day for Atlantic clubs off the court as well, and here's the latest:
- After undergoing surgery on his left foot yesterday, Rasheed Wallace could have called it a career, a possibility he contemplated in the past week, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, the eight-week timetable for his return suggests Wallace and the Knicks still hope he can return during the postseason. Still, one medical expert who spoke to Berman believes Wallace will need more than eight weeks to return to 100%. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if the Knicks will consider cutting 'Sheed to make room for another player on the roster before season's end.
- Sixers coach Doug Collins was "shocked" that his Tuesday press conference got as much media attention as it did, as Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News details. "It was interesting,"Collins said. "I went back and I said, 'Wait a second. I didn't get that I slammed them or was being kind of hard.' I thought I was just talking about what I expected, and, as a coach, that's what you do. There was nobody called out."
- Andrew Bynum's injury, which could cost him all of this season, might have an even longer-lasting effect on the Sixers, Cooney argues.
- The Celtics signed three reinforcements to their depleted squad in the past two weeks, but coach Doc Rivers doesn't expect Terrence Williams, D.J. White or Shavlik Randolph to get a lot of minutes, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald observes.
- The Rudy Gay trade and DeMar DeRozan's growth this year have left few minutes for rookie Terrence Ross, notes Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun.
Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nets, Collins, Rasheed
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge made his weekly appearance on WEEI radio in Boston to talk about what transpired during the trade deadline as well as his thoughts on the team moving forward. Greg Payne of ESPN Boston has the highlights, including Ainge's thoughts on why Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce weren't dealt, the CBA having a significant impact on the trade deadline, the long-standing interest in Jordan Crawford, and whether or not he would have been able to convince Garnett to waive his no-trade clause. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Guard/forward Terrence Williams received a vote of confidence from his former coach at Louisville Rick Pitino, who tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that Williams may have possibly found the perfect situation in joining the Celtics.
- Roderick Boone of Newsday notes that Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are still trying to figure out how to mesh with one another in the Nets backcourt. Seth Walder of the New York Daily News believes that Williams' recent emergence with strong performances will be key in carrying the team for the remainder of the season, especially with Johnson recovering from injury.
- With the team's recent struggles, Matt Moore of CBS Sports wonders if Doug Collins' days as the 76ers head coach are numbered. Tom Haberstroh of ESPN (Insiders only) discusses why Philadelphia has been disappointing this season, pointing to the team's shot selection, lack of playing time for Arnett Moultrie, and the offseason departure of two key veterans.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Rasheed Wallace's decision to have surgery on his left foot instead of letting it heal on its own indicates that the 6'11 veteran plans on making a possible return during the postseason for the Knicks.
Rasheed Wallace To Undergo Surgery; Out 8 Weeks
5:49pm: Begley provides another update via Twitter, this time courtesy of Knicks head coach Mike Woodson. Woodson is hopeful that Wallace will return this season and says he hasn't given any thought to releasing the veteran to open up an additional roster spot.
12:51pm: A source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that the Knicks are likely to keep Wallace on the roster for the rest of the season. That would mean he'd have a chance to play in the postseason, but the Knicks wouldn't be able to open up his roster spot for an additional signing.
11:55am: Rasheed Wallace will undergo surgery on a broken bone in his left foot and will be sidelined for approximately eight weeks, the Knicks announced today in a press release. The timetable for Wallace's recovery means his regular season is over, though a postseason return isn't out of the question, if he remains on the team's roster.
After appearing in 20 games for the Knicks earlier this season, Wallace has been out of action since mid-December with foot issues. Back in January, we heard that members of the Knicks' organization were concerned that Wallace would be out for the season and were pushing for a replacement. However, Wallace and coach Mike Woodson both held out hope that the veteran big man could return.
The Knicks have since added frontcourt depth by signing Kenyon Martin, who is expected to make his debut tonight, but the club could still look into adding another body. Martin is on a 10-day contract, so one roster spot will open up when his deal expires. Wallace or another Knick could also be released in order to make room for a signing.
If Wallace doesn't return for the postseason, it's possible we've seen the last of his NBA career. The 38-year-old had been out of basketball for two seasons before he signed a minimum-salary contract with the Knicks in the fall.
Injury Notes: Wallace, Granger, Bynum, Parker
A roundup of a few injury related notes from around the league, some of which could have implications on rotations and roster spots.
- Rasheed Wallace is "a ways away" from returning to the Knicks according to ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley.
- The Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells tweeted that former All-Star forward Danny Granger will make his season debut tonight as the first guy of the Pacers bench. He's expected to play 15-20 minutes.
- Sixers center Andrew Bynum has participated in 5-on-5 competition in practice, according to the team's general manager Tony DiLeo, tweets Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com. South Florida SunSentinel reporter Ira Winderman has reactions from the team's head coach Doug Collins, and they aren't good.
- Magic point guard Jameer Nelson had an MRI on his left knee, and the results showed a bruised left patellar tendon, tweets OrlandoMagic.com reporter John Denton.
- San Antonio Express-News reporter Jeff McDonald reports that Spurs guard Tony Parker has suffered a right triceps contusion, and will miss tomorrow night's game against the Suns.
Atlantic Links: Bynum, Celtics, Knicks
76ers center Andrew Bynum still hasn't set an exact return date for his practice debut, telling reporters that he expects to be able to join the team in "a week, could be two" (reports Jason Wolf of USA Today). The young center provides a distinction between returning to practice and going up against "live defenders," the latter of which he doesn't think he'll be ready for until a couple of weeks from now. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July, Bynum remains confident he can still return to NBA action at some point this season. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Baxter Holmes of Boston.com looked further into Danny Ainge's uncertainty about the Celtics getting a trade done within the coming days. Ainge admitted that he's been involved in a lot of conversations due to their misfortune with injuries, also mentioning that he's had to field a lot of "waste-of-time calls from the media and other teams."
- Paul Pierce thinks that the Celtics need to add help – whether through trades or free agency – for practice and preservation's sake (CSNNE.com report). Coach Doc Rivers thinks the team needs two guards (at least one for practice), but also made it clear that they won't go after somebody they don't want.
- Knicks big men Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby had limited participation in today's practice, although head coach Mike Woodson says that they still have a lot to show him before he can consider putting them back into games (Barbara Barker of Newsday reports).
Odds & Ends: Aldridge, George, Oden, Knicks
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Saturday evening:
- There hasn't been much trade chatter involving LaMarcus Aldridge lately, but when asked about interest from other teams in an interview with Damon Jones on Nike Basketball's YouTube page, Aldridge said he enjoys playing in Portland, but might listen to overtures from other teams down the road (transcription via Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge). Aldridge's contract runs through 2015.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star examines Paul George's journey to the NBA as the third-year forward makes his first All-Star appearance this weekend.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer writes that the Heat will only be able to sign Greg Oden to the veteran's minimum.
- Tyson Chandler tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that the Knicks sorely miss injured big men Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby.
- Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee profiles Kings guard and Seattle native Isaiah Thomas, who is torn on his hopes for the team's ownership situation.
- Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra revisits his Portland roots with Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Wallace, Sixers, Taylor
The last-place team in the Atlantic Division beat the division leader last night, as the Raptors upset the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. With just 29 games left on their schedule, it may end up being too little, too late for the Raps' playoff hopes, but Toronto has looked like a different team since acquiring Rudy Gay, and heads into the All-Star break riding a four-game winning streak. Here are a few other notes out of the division:
- A lack of salary-cap flexibility is part of the reason the Celtics haven't rushed to add a player or two in the wake of a handful of season-ending injuries to key players, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe explains.
- Coach Doc Rivers agrees that the Celtics intend to take their time when it comes to bolstering their roster, telling A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that "there's no reason to just go grab a guy."
- According to coach Mike Woodson, there's a chance that Rasheed Wallace could return to practice for the Knicks next week, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The Knicks have reportedly been debating between waiting on Wallace and Marcus Camby or signing a free agent big man.
- Within the same piece, Isola notes that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo was "huddled" with Andrea Bargnani's agent, Leon Rose, before Wednesday's game.
- Sixers GM Tony DiLeo reiterates that, while he's working the phones, he's not going to jeopardize the team's long-term future to improve the roster in the short-term. Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News has the details.
- Tyshawn Taylor has received an opportunity to earn minutes with Deron Williams out, and wants to make the most of it, says Zach Schonbrun of the New York Times. Unlike many second-round draft picks though, Taylor isn't playing for a contract — the Nets have already guaranteed his salary for 2013/14.