Pacific Notes: Paul, Acy, Rondo, Kings
The Clippers‘ Chris Paul missed this morning’s exhibition game in China after breaking his left index finger, according to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Paul will be re-evaluated before the team’s next game on Wednesday, but team officials don’t expect him to be out of action for long. Paul suffered the injury when he got hit on the hand while driving to the basket in Saturday’s practice. The Clippers’ first regular season game is October 28th.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- Newly signed forward Quincy Acy will be battling for minutes in the Kings‘ frontcourt, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Acy, who spent last season with the Knicks, inked a two-year free agent deal with Sacramento this summer. Coach George Karl has expressed “trust” that the fourth-year forward will be able to earn playing time on a team that includes DeMarcus Cousins, Kosta Koufos and rookie Willie Cauley-Stein. “I’m used to fighting for minutes and taking things,” Acy said. “Nothing has ever been handed to me. I didn’t come here expecting to play. I came here with the mindset I’m not going to play and I’m going to have to earn everything I get.”
- The Kings started offseason addition Rajon Rondo alongside incumbent point guard Darren Collison in Saturday’s game with the Blazers, Jones writes in a separate story. Even though it’s a brand new look for the team, Karl said he might use the combination often during the season. “I can see it being very effective,” the coach said. “I thought our ball pressure was better because of it. … We’re turning the ball over at a high rate, but our defense is also creating a lot of turnovers, so that’s a good thing.”
- The relationship between Karl and Cousins will define the Kings‘ season, according to Paul Flannery of SB Nation. In their team preview, Flannery and Tom Ziller assess Sacramento as a team that raised its talent level during the offseason but created chemistry issues that could offset any improvement.
Pacific Notes: Kings, World Peace, Belinelli
Kings coach George Karl sees a world of difference between the team’s culture today and when he first arrived in Sacramento, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “The spirit in the locker room when I got here last year was, ‘Wow,’ ” Karl said. “I’ve been in a lot of locker rooms and ‘Wow,’ and that wow was not a good wow. It was ‘Wow.’ And now we’ve got a healthy NBA locker room. That’s the one thing I feel right now, and I think we’ve got a vastly improved basketball team.”
The improved team chemistry is a by-product of the veterans the team has added, Jones notes. “Without a doubt,” point guard Darren Collison said of Karl’s assessment. “You’ve got vets like CB [Caron Butler], Rajon Rondo, Kouf [Kosta Koufos], guys that have been on teams where it meant something to them. So they try to instill those same principles into the locker room. It’s been a difference.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers are hoping that Metta World Peace, who is in training camp on a non-guaranteed deal, can contribute beyond being a mentor to the younger players on the roster, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes. “I think he just needs to show us that he’s still Metta. … He’s been great in training camp with our young guys,” coach Byron Scott said. “But we want to know if he can play at a high level. That’s the big thing.”
- Marco Belinelli was signed by the Kings this offseason for his outside shooting acumen, but he has impressed the team’s coaching staff with his ability to make his teammates around him better, Jones writes in a separate article. “[Belinelli] has a knack of making other people play the right way, which is an off-the-chart compliment even though you might not take it as a high compliment,” Karl said. “For a coach to say someone makes other people better is a high compliment.”
And-Ones: LeBron, Silver, Labissiere, Bender
LeBron James isn’t pressuring the Cavs to make moves amid the absence of key players, observes Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Kevin Love is set to take part in a full practice for the first time this weekend, Vardon’s Northeast Ohio Media Group colleague Chris Haynes writes, but Kyrie Irving is still out, Iman Shumpert isn’t expected back for about three months, and Tristan Thompson remains unsigned.
“Until Kyrie and Tristan and Shump is ready, we have enough guys that will all help,” James said. “It’s not about me carrying the team and that nature. We’re all grown men, we’re all professionals and they’re here to do their job.”
While we wait to see if the Cavs can indeed overcome being shorthanded, here’s more from around the league:
- It’s unclear whether formal labor talks between commissioner Adam Silver and union executive director Michele Roberts have taken place, but Silver told Raúl Barrigón of HoopsHype that the two have remained in communication (All Twitter links). “We continue to talk all the time,” Silver said. “I think Michele Roberts and I both have the same goal which is to avoid any sort of work stoppage. And we know one of the ways to avoid a work stoppage is to talk early and often. And we’re doing that.”
- Top 2016 draft prospect Skal Labissiere has yet to receive NCAA clearance to play this season at Kentucky, his guardian tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. The NCAA has scrutinized the relationship between the guardian and the 7’0″ forward/center, Goodman hears, but it’s not clear if that’s the reason for the holdup. Labissiere is the top prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him second.
- Dragan Bender impressed NBA scouts and executives with his play in exhibitions in Chicago and New York last week, according to Ford, who has the 17-year-old small forward at No. 3 in his ranking of the top 2016 draft prospects (Twitter links).
- Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari became the first players to sign renegotiations-and-extensions under the current collective bargaining agreement this summer, but with the cap rising, a greater chance exists that this rarely used contract tool comes into play more often, notes Nate Duncan of Nylon Calculus. Duncan examines potential renegotiation-and-extension scenarios for DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden and others, arguing that such a move would make sense for both Cousins and the Kings in 2017.
Southeast Notes: Dragic, Napier, Smith, Holiday
Goran Dragic has a new five-year deal worth more than $85MM with the Heat, and he also has more responsibility and a stronger roster around him than ever before, notes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. Dragic only has played in one NBA postseason, but odds are that’ll change by this spring.
“There’s definitely more pressure now,” Dragic said to Lieser. “You need to show people that you’re worth that money. I know I have my spot, but you need to prove to everybody that you deserve it. There’s pressure, and you need to deal with it. I can do that.”
See more on an ex-Heat point guard amid the latest from the Southeast Division:
- Shabazz Napier likes his new surroundings with the Magic and wasn’t surprised when the Heat traded him in the offseason, observes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. “During the summer you hear lot of rumors. What actually happened, I wasn’t too surprised at all. If it hit me where I didn’t know about it, then I’d be surprised,” Napier said. “But I kind of had a feeling they kind of needed to get some trades off. I sensed it because I have a great agent [Rob Pelinka], not because I felt they wanted me to get out of there. It’s just sometimes it’s business. They needed extra money and they didn’t need the luxury tax and what not.”
- The Sixers made Ish Smith an offer to return, and the Kings and Suns offered him deals, too, before he instead signed with the Wizards, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers seem like they could have used him, but Smith faces long odds to stick for opening night in Washington, since he has a non-guaranteed deal on a roster with 15 fully guaranteed contracts, Pompey writes.
- Justin Holiday, one of the few members of the Warriors championship team to depart Golden State this summer, is hoping to follow in DeMarre Carroll‘s footsteps as an under-the-radar signee who blossoms with the Hawks, as Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders details. Holiday’s two-year deal with Atlanta is for the minimum salary, as Basketball Insiders scribe Eric Pincus shows. “The main thing that appealed to me was how the team played,” Holiday said. “Just how coach [Mike Budenholzer] goes about doing things here. I guess DeMarre leaving, obviously that made it available for me to come. So that has to be a big reason why I’m here, but I guess I didn’t focus as much on him not being here. I just think the way they do things here is the main reason why I felt like this was a good place for me to come.”
Pacific Notes: Clark, Chandler, Cousins, Walton
Ian Clark has shot well during camp and shown improving skill as a point guard, as well as the ability to defend multiple positions, all of which bodes well for his chances to stick with the Warriors on his non-guaranteed deal, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle examines. He’s also lingering after the end of most practices so he can play one-on-one with Stephen Curry, Simmons notes.
“He’s played well,” Curry said. “He’s not just a shooter. He’s shown that he can put the ball on the floor and make plays. He’s been around a couple of different teams and our summer-league program. I think he understands how we play, and he’s fitting right in. It’s fun to watch those five or six guys fighting for a roster spot, but Ian has definitely shown that he’s confident, and he’s making the most of an opportunity right now.”
Golden State has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts and James Michael McAdoo on a partially guaranteed deal, as our roster count shows, leaving Clark among six likely fighting for a single regular season spot. See more from the Warriors amid the latest on the Pacific Division:
- The free agent signing of Tyson Chandler has displaced Alex Len from the Suns starting lineup, but the 2013 No. 5 overall pick sees it as an opportunity to learn from an experienced mentor, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Suns senior adviser Lon Babby also arranged for Len to work with Tim Duncan for a few days this summer, Coro notes. “I learn something new every day,” Len said. “Like I talk to Tyson and he tells me something and I can apply it in the game right away. Like positioning and little things he helps with. I feel the game has slowed down a little bit from last year to this year. Now, when I dive and catch the ball, I see other guys more and read the game better.”
- Luke Walton‘s career trajectory has seen him go from a first-time assistant, to winning an NBA title, and now to Warriors interim head coach in the span of 14 months, Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
- Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is pleased with the team’s veteran offseason additions, who all fit with Sacramento’s intent to try to contend this season, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. “You’ve got guys who know how to play the game, guys that know the game,” Cousins said. “Coming out and building chemistry is even easier. Trying to do that with younger guys? They’re trying to figure out their game and learn how to play.“
Pacific Notes: Karl, Cousins, Bass, Russell, Clarkson
Weeks before reports surfaced that coach George Karl was trying to trade DeMarcus Cousins and, subsequently, that the Kings were thinking about firing Karl, the coach remarked that he never felt he had a player who was off-limits for a trade. That comment was a mistake, Karl admitted to Kayte Christensen of CSN Bay Area (video link), and the coach apologized to Cousins, as CSN Bay Area’s James Ham notes.
But it’s my responsibility to be smart enough to not say things like that,” Karl said to Christensen, in part. “So I did apologize because I thought that was the only thing, maybe some other things, but really the only thing that got us separated was that comment that then everybody wrote [that] we’re going to trade [Cousins].”
Time will tell if the relationship between Karl and Cousins will remain on solid footing, but winning would probably go a long way toward keeping both of them satisfied, as Akis Yerocostas of SB Nation’s Sactown Royalty recently suggested in a recent installment of our Top Bloggers series. See more from the Pacific Division:
- Metta World Peace is with the Lakers during the preseason in large part to mentor Julius Randle, but if World Peace doesn’t stick for the regular season on his non-guaranteed deal, fellow offseason signee Brandon Bass will still be there for Randle, as Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times details. Fostering the development of the 2014 No. 7 overall pick part of the reason why Bass, too, is on the Lakers roster this season, Pincus writes.
- Bass is also a fan of Lakers coach Byron Scott, for whom he also played at the beginning of his career with New Orleans, Pincus notes in the same piece. “Coach Scott was someone who inspired me to continue to work hard, to be the player I am today,” Bass said. “My first two years I didn’t play much, so he was very motivating to me, letting me know how hard I have to work to be a pro.”
- D’Angelo Russell was skeptical when Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told him before the draft that the Lakers thought he and Jordan Clarkson could co-exist in the backcourt, but all parties seem on board with the idea now, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “We’re two totally different players,” Clarkson said. “He’s an excellent passer and I’m real aggressive and it just kind of comes together.” Clarkson is set to hit restricted free agency at season’s end.
- The Clippers are so far struggling to incorporate the nine newcomers to the team, observes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Western Notes: Bryant, Clippers, Nuggets
Kobe Bryant has embraced his role as a mentor for a young Lakers team that is counting on D’Angelo Russell (who is 19), Julius Randle (20) and Jordan Clarkson (23) to step up, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. After practices, Holmes adds, several players have been gathering, whether back at the team hotel or elsewhere, just to talk with Bryant.
“The other day, we sat around and talked for about 2 1/2 hours,” Bryant said. “They just wanted to know some of the things that I’ve been through, some of the things that I’ve learned, some of the things that I can help them with. The game really connects us.”
Here’s more on the Western Conference:
- Kevin Eastman is now an assistant coach for the Clippers after previously serving as assistant vice president of the franchise, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register tweets.
- Nuggets coach Michael Malone has prioritized getting to know his players, learning about their lives, their likes and dislikes, their families and what in general makes them tick, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post relays in an entertaining read.
- Eric Bledsoe, who is set to make $13.5MM next season in the second year of a five-year, $70MM deal, showed a commitment to the Suns this summer when he stayed in Phoenix and there are indications that his game could take another step forward this season, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes.
- The Kings have multiple options at the starting power forward position as complements to All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. The team has looked for a power forward with shooting range, or one who can contribute defensively, Jones adds. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos, Quincy Acy, and small forward Rudy Gay are all in the mix, according to Jones.
Pacific Notes: Bryant, Pierce, Green, Curry
Kobe Bryant, who will take the court Sunday for the first time since late January, enjoys playing beside a true point guard in D’Angelo Russell, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Bryant, whose 2014/15 season was cut short by a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, said he is “definitely playing” in the Lakers‘ preseason opener. He is looking forward to a revised role with Russell on the roster. “I do not like setting up the offense,” Bryant said. “I hate it. [Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson] made me do it years ago, and I had to learn how to do it years ago, to set up the triangle [offense]. I haven’t played with point guards that are playmakers at heart, and D’Angelo is a ridiculous playmaker.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Paul Pierce has only been a Clipper since July, but he knows his new team pretty well, according to Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. Pierce, who signed a three-year, $10MM deal with L.A., is very familiar with coach Doc Rivers from their time together in Boston. Pierce also was a teammate of Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell with the Celtics and spent several summers training at L.A.’s practice facility. Pierce said he “already felt like I knew the guys” when he signed.
- Draymond Green said Warriors players will hold one another accountable during coach Steve Kerr’s absence, writes Carl Steward of The Bay Area News Group. Kerr will be gone for an undetermined amount of time while recovering from back surgery. “It’s like if your boss leaves work, everyone relaxes,” Green said. “It’s like a weight off your shoulders. When you’re boss checks out, it’s like, ‘Oh man, what’s up, now we can chill.’ It’s just human nature.”
- The Kings‘ Seth Curry won’t change his approach to the game, even though he has a guaranteed contract for the first time in his NBA career, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Curry signed a two-year deal worth $1.96MM with Sacramento this summer. Curry said he expected to go to New Orleans, but the Kings submitted their offer first. “I think it just gives me a sense of trying to fit in with the team and find my role instead of just trying to make the team,” Curry said of the guaranteed money. “But I still have the same sense of urgency that I’ve had in the past.”
Kings Pick Up 2016/17 Option On Ben McLemore
2:45pm: The Kings have released an official announcement confirming that they have picked up McLemore’s 2016/17 option.
2:30pm: The Kings have exercised their $4,008,882 team option on Ben McLemore‘s rookie scale deal for 2016/17, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). This will keep the 2013 No. 7 overall pick under contract through next season, which is the final one on his rookie scale pact. The team has yet to make an official announcement, but it appears that Sacramento has made the decision in advance of the November 2nd deadline. The addition of McLemore’s option will give Sacramento more than $61MM in guaranteed salary for 2016/17, which is approximately $28MM below the projected $89MM cap.
It’s not a surprise that the Kings would elect to retain the 22-year-old, who showed marked improvement during the 2014/15 season, his second in the NBA. With the trade of 2014 first-rounder Nik Stauskas to the Sixers this offfseason, and now having his option picked up, it’s apparent that the franchise views him as its shooting guard of the present, and likely the future.
McLemore made 82 appearances during the 2014/15 season for the Kings, all as a starter, averaging 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. His career numbers through two NBA campaigns are 10.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.4 APG to go along with a slash line of .409/.342/.809.
Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Gudaitis, Iguodala
Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson has chosen Jeff Austin and Chris Emens of Octagon Sports to represent him, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News reports. Clarkson was previously represented by Mike George of Excel Sports Management, which reportedly broke off its relationship with the young guard back in September. The young combo guard was reportedly frustrated with the agency’s communication and felt he received conflicting information about marketing opportunities, according to an earlier report by Medina. Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press first reported the split. Clarkson is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Lithuanian big man Arturas Gudaitis, whose draft rights are held by the Kings, said that Sacramento has expressed interest in signing him for next season, according to a report by Donatas Urbonas of 15min.It (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Gudaitis, who is signed to a multi-year deal with the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas, said his dream is to play in the NBA, and that he will travel to Sacramento to work out for the team after his season is completed, Urbonas notes.
- The Warriors intend for veteran swingman Andre Iguodala to continue his role as a top reserve during the 2015/16 season, Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group writes. “Nothing is set in stone, but we won 67 games, so I don’t think we’ll change the starting lineup to start the season,” coach Steve Kerr had said prior to taking his leave of absence due to back related issues. “Why would we? Why would we change what we did last year when we had as much success as we did?“
- Jamal Crawford has been the subject of numerous trade rumors throughout the offseason, but he says that his time spent in New York as a member of the Knicks prepared him for the daily barrage of questions from the media, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. “That time [in New York] prepared me for this,” Crawford said. “It’s a business and in a day, you can only control what you can control and worry about how you can get better.” The veteran shooting guard also noted that he is extremely happy to still be a member of the Clippers, Carr adds. The franchise was reportedly exploring trades involving the two-time Sixth Man of the Year shortly before the draft, with other reports this summer indicating that the Heat, Cavs and Knicks have held interest, but Doc Rivers recently said that the team was unlikely to deal Crawford.