Southwest Notes: Hornets, Carlisle, Jones, Spurs
A few Wednesday morning updates out of the Southwest Division:
- The Hornets figure to draft the best players available rather than filling positional needs with their two lottery picks next month, according to Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com. "We don’t know where we’re going to be [drafting]," coach Monty Williams said. "We won’t find out until May 30th. So that will determine which positions we go after. We may go after a center or a power forward, but if we don’t get the pick we want, and the best player is a wing, then I’m pretty sure [GM] Dell [Demps] is going to be inclined to take that wing."
- Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com is perplexed that Rick Carlisle doesn't have a deal yet to remain the Mavericks' coach for next season.
- The fact that Kelenna Azubuike seems to have passed Dominique Jones on the Mavs' depth chart doesn't bode well for Jones' long-term future in Dallas, Caplan writes in a separate ESPNDallas.com piece.
- If the Clippers are going to advance past the Grizzlies in the postseason, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich would prefer they do it sooner rather than later, says Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News. Popovich has some concern that, after playing so frequently in the lockout-shortened season, his players will lose their rhythm if they have to wait too long to resume game action.
Odds & Ends: Allen, Hawks, Anderson, Voting
It was a day of odd sightings on the hardwood, as the Knicks overcame the loss of Baron Davis to a dislocated kneecap to win their first postseason contest in 11 years. A No. 1 seed lost a third straight playoff game as the Bulls fell to the 76ers. And in Denver, a woman with a history of stalking the Nuggets came onto the court during Game 4 against the Lakers, reports J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. Here's the rest of what raised eyebrows around the Association today:
- Teams interested in Celtics free agent Ray Allen this summer might not have to worry about how he'll respond to ankle surgery, since he says he may not go through with the procedure he originally thought was inevitable. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com first tweeted the news, and Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com adds detail.
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes the Hawks will deal either Josh Smith or Al Horford if the team can't rally from its 3-1 deficit to the Celtics (Twitter link). Of the two, Smith seems the easiest to trade, since 2012/13 is the last season on his contract.
- Despite a subpar showing in the playoffs so far, restricted free agent Ryan Anderson figures to be near the top of this summer's market for power forwards. There's mutual admiration between Anderson and the Magic, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, who also notes the team's recent history of matching offer sheets.
- The NBA released a statement acknowledging that Ernst & Young, the same accounting firm that handles the draft lottery, made an error tabulating the Most Improved Player of the Year voting, reports Chris Bernucca of SheridanHoops.com. A first-place vote meant for Andrew Bynum was mistakenly counted for Andrew Bogut. Either way, award winner Ryan Anderson comes out on top of the voting.
- Fran Blinebury of NBA.com examines the divergent career paths of Spurs point guard Tony Parker and Jazz counterpart Devin Harris, more than four years after Parker expressed relief that Harris was traded away from the Mavs.
Minor Moves: Justin Dentmon
We'll track today's news from the D-League and overseas in this post, with latest update on top:
- Justin Dentmon arrived in Italy today to join Italian league club Olympia Milano, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who reported he signed with the team last week. Dentmon, who signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Spurs and Raptors this season, was the D-League's MVP this season, averaging 22.8 PPG and 5.5 APG for the Austin Toros.
Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Terry, Anthony, Spurs
Tonight at the American Airlines Center, the Mavericks will look to stave off a first round sweep at the hands of the Thunder. Barring a miracle turnaround and subsequent deep playoff run, things figure to look rather different in Dallas next season. Here’s more on the Mavs and other notes from around the league..
- Guard Jason Terry is worried that tonight’s game could be his last wearing a Mavericks uniform, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. Terry will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and reportedly won’t take a discount to remain in Dallas.
- If the Mavericks don’t land Deron Williams this summer, then the team’s mission to clear cap space will be a disaster, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
- Howard Beck of the New York Times opines that the Knicks can only go so far with a Carmelo Anthony-centric offense. Beck also adds that Phil Jackson would demand a much more team-oriented game if he were coaching in New York, though that seems unlikely to come to fruition.
- As the Spurs and the Jazz do battle in their first round series, Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune points out that the two franchises have emulated each other quite a bit over the years.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Profits, Suns, Draft
It was another wild night of playoff basketball that included more unfortunate injuries, this time to the Bulls Joakim Noah and Avery Bradley of the Celtics. Here's what's been going on off the court while you've had your eyes fixed on the hardwood:
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel dissects the latest comments from Dwight Howard, who told TMZ that he would never quit on his team or Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, with whom D12 says he's had several conversations since the start of the playoffs.
- Commissioner David Stern says that most NBA teams will turn a profit this year, and predicts all 30 franchises will be profitable within two years, according to a report from Jonathan D. Salant of Bloomberg News, who rounded up comments Stern made on a Bloomberg Television show airing this weekend. Stern had said during the latest CBA negotiations that NBA teams had lost a combined $300MM over the previous three seasons.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic examines the desire of the Suns to keep restricted free agent Robin Lopez.
- HoopsWorld unveiled its mock draft, with all four contributors agreeing on Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal for the top three spots. Steve Kyler adds a report that Arnett Moultrie and Andrew Nicholson are rocketing up some teams' draft boards.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune compares the approaches of Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor and Spurs GM R.C. Buford, both of whom share a connection with longtime NBA coach Larry Brown.
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida breaks down the potential U.S. Olympic team roster, and Rob Mahoney of The New York Times examines what the team needs.
Southwest Notes: Okafor, Spurs, Odom
The three Southwest Division teams that made it to the playoffs find themselves in three different positions at the moment. The Spurs look to take a 3-0 lead on the Jazz tomorrow in Salt Lake City, while the Grizzlies rebounded from their collapse in Game 1 against the Clippers to even that series at 1-1. The Mavs, meanwhile, are staring at the historically impossible 0-3 hole against the Thunder. Here's the rest of what's up in the Southwest:
- Hornets coach Monty Williams says Emeka Okafor's recovery from a knee injury that ended his season will help determine the team's long-term plans for the center, John Reid of the Times-Picayune reports. Earlier today, Luke Adams wondered whether the Hornets would use the amnesty clause to waive Okafor this summer as he previewed the team's offseason.
- In a Q&A on FIBA.com, Manu Ginobili says he thinks depth has been critical to the success of the Spurs this year (hat tip to Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News).
- Thunder point guard Derek Fisher believes former teammate Lamar Odom is headed in the right direction as he looks to move past this year's lost season with the Mavs, as Jeff Caplan ofESPNDallas reports.
Odds & Ends: Chandler, Jackson, Kidd, Cavs
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Tuesday night:
- The Nuggets' official website notes that Wilson Chandler is recovering successfully from his recent hip surgery. Chandler signed a five-year deal with the Nuggets in March after returning from his stint in China.
- MySanAntonio.com's Buck Harvey wonders how Stephen Jackson's career would have differed had he remained with the Spurs the entire time.
- The Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson speculates that the Warriors may look at Jason Kidd as an option at backup point guard this offseason.
- Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico compares the Cavaliers' current roster and financial flexibility to that of the rest of the Eastern Conference lottery teams.
Gregg Popovich Named Coach Of The Year
Gregg Popovich has been named the NBA's 2011/12 Coach of the Year, the league officially announced today. It's the second Red Auerbach trophy for the longtime Spurs coach, who also took home the award in 2003.
Popvich's Spurs entered the season as something of an afterthought in a Southwest Division that also featured the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Although the Spurs didn't receive much recognition in experts' preseason predictions, San Antonio finished the season tied for the NBA's best record at 50-16.
Popovich led the team to three separate 11-game winning streaks and a number one seed in the West, while managing to rest his stars frequently during the lockout-shortened season. He also integrated other teams' cast-offs like Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson into his rotation over the season's final few weeks, and was responsible for arguably the box-score highlight of the year.
Tom Thibodeau of the Bulls, Frank Vogel of the Pacers, Lionel Hollins of the Grizzlies, and Doc Rivers of the Celtics were among the other candidates for the award, finishing second through fifth respectively.
Injuries Take A Starring Role In 2012 Playoffs
With horrific injuries spelling an early end to the season for Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert, let's take a look at the other 14 playoff teams to see how a missing player may mean the difference between a Finals appearance and a first-round exit.
- Heat: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade enter the playoffs healthier than usual thanks to some much needed rest during the final week of the regular season. The Heat stand to benefit the most from Shumpert and Rose's injuries as a sweep against the Knicks means less of a challenge for Wade on the offensive end and an easier path to winning a title. Look for the Heat to advance to at least the Finals if they can duplicate the success they enjoyed during the first half of the season.
- Pacers: The Pacers are injury-free heading into Game 2 against the Magic, who pulled off the upset Saturday evening in Indiana. Utilizing seven-foot-two center Roy Hibbert's size to their fullest advantage will be key for the Pacers as their big man only managed to score eight points but blocked nine shots as he dominated the paint defensively. With Dwight Howard on the shelf for the entirety of the playoffs, the Magic are severely undersized with six-foot-nine Glen Davis taking over at center for Superman.
- Celtics: Ray Allen is expected to miss Game 1 in Atlanta against the Hawks as he battles bone spurs in his right ankle. If the Celtics had missed the playoffs, Allen would have undergone surgery immediately to help alleviate the pain. The Celtics will turn to Avery Bradley and his burgeoning reputation as a solid three-point shooter for the majority of the series as Allen's status remains unknown.
- Hawks: The center position has been an area of concern for the Hawks with Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia currently sidelined with injuries. Horford, who has been out since January 11 with a torn left pectoral muscle, will miss the entire first round of the playoffs but may be able to return if the team advances. A foot injury to Pachulia that caused him to miss the team's last seven games will force the Hawks to rely on Jason Collins in order to solidify their frontcourt.
- Magic: The Magic's chances of making a run in the playoffs took a huge hit when Howard called it a season in mid-April as he elected to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back. Without Howard, the Magic will feature an undersized frontcourt against a much larger Pacers squad. Much uncertainty surrounds the future of the franchise given Howard's impending free agency in 2013 and his desire to replace head coach Stan Van Gundy.
- Sixers: Aside from rookie center Lavoy Allen spraining his thumb in Game 1, the Sixers feature a healthy roster as they return to action Tuesday night against the Bulls. With Rose out for the remainder of the series, the Sixers will look to capitalize on the perimeter as Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner should benefit from having to guard John Lucas III rather than the league's reigning MVP.
- Spurs: After a series of injuries cost Manu Ginobili nearly half the season, the Spurs enter the playoffs with a fresh roster looking to make a title run. Future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, 36, played a career-low 28.2 MPG this season but is still performing at a high level. The addition of Stephen Jackson at the trade deadline along with the subtraction of Richard Jefferson may be enough to lead the Spurs to their fifth title under Gregg Popovich.
- Thunder: James Harden returned to action on Saturday night against the Mavs after missing his last two games with a concussion suffered against the Lakers last Sunday. He appeared to be completely recovered as he scored an efficient 19 points in 35 minutes of the bench. Beyond Harden, the Thunder lost backup point guard Eric Maynor for the season due to a torn ACL in January, but remedied the situation by signing veteran Derek Fisher to a contract in March.
- Lakers: A healthy Andrew Bynum and a rested Kobe Bryant may allow for the under-the-radar Lakers to make a run in the wide-open Western Conference playoffs. While not an injury, Los Angeles will be without Metta World Peace for the first six games of the playoffs due to suspension.
- Grizzlies: Memphis lost Darrell Arthur for the season after the power forward suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice back in December. A healthy Zach Randolph has played himself back into shape after missing time earlier this season due to a knee injury.
- Clippers: Many critics expected the Clippers to implode after Chauncey Billups went down on February 6 with a torn Achilles tendon. While the Clippers slipped to the fifth seed, they reinvented the image of the franchise and gained respect from around the league thanks to MVP-like play from Chris Paul.
- Nuggets: After spending the majority of the season abroad in China, Wilson Chandler returned to Denver for a brief stint before suffering a season-ending injury to his hip in mid-April. The Nuggets will open against the Lakers without Rudy Fernandez, who had surgery on his lower back in March to end his season.
- Mavericks: A healthy Mavs squad will face a difficult journey in defending their title as they open the playoffs against the Thunder. Saturday night saw a missed opportunity by Dallas to steal Game 1 on the road as they lost in Oklahoma City by the score of 99-98. Any chance of exploiting Harden's concussion was nullified with a strong performance by the Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
- Jazz: Small forward C.J. Miles may miss the start of the playoffs against the Spurs with a strained calf. The team will look for strong production out of star Al Jefferson, who had the opportunity to rest late last week as the center only played limited minutes in the team's regular season finale.
Assessing The 2011/12 Waiver Claims
The vast majority of players placed on waivers go unclaimed and become free agents, but this year, there have been more waiver claims than usual, including a pair of players claimed after their previous teams waived them using the amnesty clause. Last month, Luke Adams provided a rundown on how teams can claim players off waivers, so now let's take a look at how this season's waiver claims have worked out.
- The most prominent example is Jeremy Lin, who was twice claimed off waivers this season after originally being let go by the Warriors. The Rockets claimed him December 11th, waived him a couple weeks later, and the Knicks made their claim December 27th. Left knee surgery will likely keep him out for the rest of the season unless the Knicks make a deep playoff run, but he'll wind up averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.2 APG, not too shabby for a player twice on the NBA scrapheap.
- Knicks GM Glen Grunwald struck gold with yet another waiver claim in Steve Novak, whom they picked up December 21st. Novak’s rise coincided with Lin’s, as he broke loose for 19 points in Lin’s first start, and has kept up his consistent long-range bombing even without Lin on the floor. He led the league in three-point percentage at 47.2%, but his shooting has never been in question. The difference this year was that he did enough in other phases of the game to warrant significant playing time. A career 4.9 PPG scorer, he averaged 10.4 PPG in 21.7 MPG beginning with that 19-point game on February 6th. We can only imagine how much better the Spurs would have been had they not waived him December 19th.
- Waiver claims are so infrequent that teams will sometimes agree to terms with players before they clear waivers. That’s what appeared to happen in March, when J.J. Hickson was dressed in Warriors gear and ready for a shootaround with Golden State when word hit that the Blazers had claimed him. We’ll never know how it would have worked out for him with the Warriors, but Hickson has thrived since joining Portland on March 21st, more than tripling the scoring average he put up in the first half of the season with the Kings (15.1 PPG to 4.7 PPG). He averaged 17.6 PPG and 10.6 RPG as a starter over the final eight games, and will be a sought-after commodity this summer, particularly if the Blazers fail to extend a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
- Chauncey Billups warned teams not to claim him when the Knicks amnestied him before the season, hoping he could sign with a contender as a free agent, but the Clippers claimed him anyway December 12th. It all worked out, as the Clippers became the sort of contending team Billups wanted to play for anyway when they traded for Chris Paul a few days later. Billups slid over to shooting guard and adjusted smoothly to his new position, averaging 15.0 PPG before going down with a season-ending Achilles’ tendon tear on February 6th.
- The Kings had much less success with claiming an amnestied player, saddling themselves on Dec. 17th with Travis Outlaw for $12MM over the remaining four years of his contract. He was even less of a factor in Sacramento than he was for the Nets before they waived him, averaging just 4.3 PPG in 12.8 MPG, his worst numbers since he was a rookie in 2003/04.
- The Warriors tried to replace Jeremy Lin when they claimed Ish Smith, another backup point guard, off waivers from the Grizzlies on December 16th. Smith was there for only six games and 63 total minutes before the Warriors put him back on waivers on January 14th. He went unclaimed this time, and was signed as a free agent February 2nd by the Magic, with whom he’s played the rest of the season.
- The Blazers quietly let go of backup big man Chris Johnson at the trade deadline, and amid rumors the Celtics were interested, the Hornets snapped him up off waivers March 19th. Depleted as the Hornets were along the front line this year, Johnson still only saw 82 total minutes over seven games before New Orleans put him back out on waivers April 18th. He remains unsigned since.
- Rod Higgins, the president of basketball operations for the Bobcats, gave son Cory Higgins quite a present on Christmas Day when the team claimed him off waivers from the Nuggets. The undrafted 22-year-old rookie from Colorado stayed on the Bobcats roster the entire season, averaging 3.9 PPG in 11.1 MPG.