Atlantic Notes: Brown, Johnson, Bargnani
Sixers coach Brett Brown has the difficult task of holding together a last place team that didn’t acquire any players who are likely to help the franchise this season despite having two top-10 picks in the 2014 NBA draft. But Brown doesn’t regret signing on to coach Philadelphia, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweets. “Even knowing what I know now, with the draft picks not here and some hits with injuries, I’d take this job 50 times out of 50 times,” Brown said.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Brown had expected the Sixers to land Andrew Wiggins in this year’s draft, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). “I thought we had him [Wiggins]. I was expecting we were going to draft [Nik] Stauskas and Wiggins,” Brown said. But the ping-pong balls of the draft lottery didn’t go their way, and Philly ended up selecting third, where it nabbed the injured Joel Embiid instead.
- The fans in Sacramento let James Johnson hear their derision when he made his return to Sleep Train Arena last night, but Johnson is a much different person now than when he departed the Kings back in 2013, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes. He has matured much since then, Smith notes, and is providing the Raptors with a nice spark off the bench this season. “I just think it was tough for me to play here [in Sacramento],” Johnson said. “I won’t put all the onus on Sacramento either. It had a lot to do with me being immature. I was playing bad. I had a bad year that year [2012/13]. I have to own up to it.“
- It is still unknown just when the Knicks can expect Andrea Bargnani to return to action for the team, Marc Berman of The New York Post reports. Head coach Derek Fisher had originally expected Bargnani would be available 10 days ago, but he reinjured himself during his second full practice with the team, notes Berman. Fisher did say that Bargnani was a “big piece to the future,’’ adds Berman.
- There is no evidence that players who fall in the draft like the Celtics‘ Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger, who were both selected 21st in their respective drafts, perform better because of the “chip” on their shoulders, Braden Campbell of Boston.com writes. Campbell cites a statistical analysis performed by Michael Lopez and Noah Davis of FiveThirtyEight.com as evidence to support this assertion.
And-Ones: Cobbs, Bass, Wright, Casey
Justin Cobbs has signed a deal with the Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports (Twitter link). Cobbs was released yesterday by the German club VEF Riga after a one-month tryout. The 23-year-old point guard signed with Riga earlier this month shortly after the Hornets released him in advance of opening night.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Brandon Bass‘ minutes are down this season to 18.5 minutes per game from 27.6 last season, but the Celtics big man is still determined to be productive, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com writes. “My mindset? It’s the same,” Bass said. “I’m just trying to get better, try to make the best of my opportunities. I try to be efficient and see how it goes.”
- The Mavs’ Brandan Wright is on a record-breaking pace for field goal percentage in a season thus far, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. This increase in production comes at a good time for Wright, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. “Brandan’s come a long way,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s worked very hard since getting here. He’s gotten stronger, his shooting has gotten better. His free throw shooting has come light years. And he’s a smart player. He knows how to play within our system very well. And this year, he’s playing the four [power forward] pretty well, too. And that’s challenging without the spacing of a stretch-four out there beside him. We just need him to continue on the path he’s on, because he’s a very important guy for us.”
- Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, whom the team re-signed to a three-year deal this offseason, has been garnering nothing but praise around the league for his work in Toronto the last two seasons, Eric Koreen of The National Post writes.
- The Pistons have re-assigned forward Tony Mitchell to the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA D-League, the team announced in a press release. This will be Mitchell’s second trip to the D-League this season.
Eastern Notes: Price, Stephenson, Raptors
A.J. Price has probably played his last game with the Pacers, since the 10-day window of Indiana’s second hardship provision for a 16th roster spot has expired and the team’s injured players are on their way back, observes Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.
“I’m optimistic it’ll work out, if not here then somewhere else,” Price said. “Everything’s an option at this point. You can’t rule anything out at this point. If I’m not able to get a job here in the NBA, then overseas is definitely an option.”
Of course, the Pacers don’t have to waive Price, whom they picked up when the league granted the extra roster spot, just as the Thunder decided to keep their hardship addition, Ish Smith, and waive Sebastian Telfair instead. While we wait to see how it shakes out in Indiana, here’s the latest from around the Eastern Conference:
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford has been reluctant to give Lance Stephenson crunch-time minutes in part because he doesn’t think the shooting guard has developed into a marquee player yet, despite the three-year, $27.405MM contract the shooting guard signed this summer. Michael Wallace of ESPN.com has the details. “To be fair, one of the things that’s made it more difficult for him is that he came here and people proclaimed him as the next superstar,” Clifford said. “He’s not a star. He’s a guy that has talent to become a star. To be a star in this league, you have to do it over years.”
- This summer’s trade for Lou Williams was a win for the Raptors, as they snatched a player who has proven valuable on both ends of the floor so far in Toronto and whose departure has left the Hawks with an underwhelming bench, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
- The Hawks plan to send John Jenkins and Adreian Payne to the D-League on Friday, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It’ll be the second trip to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for Payne, as our log of D-League assignments and recalls shows, and the first of the season for Jenkins, though he went on assignment in each of the past two seasons.
Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, Green, Raptors, D-League
Carmelo Anthony admits the warm weather and the lack of a state income tax in Texas were factors he considered as he thought about signing with the Rockets this summer, but he has no regrets about his decision to return to the Knicks, as he told reporters today. Marc Berman of the New York Post has the details, including Anthony’s acknowledgment of a conversation with Dwight Howard.
“We had some great dialogue back and forth,’’ Anthony said. “I talked to him. We talked about some things. Ultimately it came down to what I really felt and really wanted at that moment. We had some contact and conversations. He tried. He tried extremely hard. It didn’t have anything to do with Dwight or James [Harden]. It came down to my own personal decision.’’
The Rockets appear none the worse for losing out on ‘Melo, having started 10-3, while the Knicks are but 4-10. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Jeff Green stressed to reporters Sunday that he didn’t mean to imply that he wanted the Celtics to trade him when he expressed his frustration with the team’s losing, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. “I want to stay here,” said Green, who can opt out of his contract this coming summer “I love this team. I love being here.”
- The Raptors rejected a draft-night offer from the Suns that would have given Toronto the draft rights to Tyler Ennis, whom the Raptors coveted, in return for 2014’s 20th overall pick and the 2016 first-rounder that the Knicks owe Toronto, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.
- The Celtics have recalled James Young from the D-League, the team announced. It was a one-day excursion for this year’s 17th overall pick, who put up 22 points and eight rebounds Sunday for Boston’s affiliate.
- Rookie JaKarr Sampson is back from his three-day D-League assignment, the Sixers announced. The undrafted small forward averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in two D-League games.
Lakers Notes: Lowry, Thomas, DPE
The Lakers appear to be holding off on making any moves after setting up workouts with a flurry of players last week. None of the prospective Lakers seemed to offer the club much hope of major improvement to its 3-11 record, one that would be the worst mark in the Western Conference were it not for the injury-hit Thunder. Here’s more on the struggling purple-and-gold:
- The Lakers reportedly reached out to Kyle Lowry this summer, but they told the point guard and agent Andy Miller that they wouldn’t make him an offer until they heard from LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony first, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports. Lowry agreed on the second day of free agency to re-sign with the Raptors, well ahead of the time that James and Anthony made their respective decisions.
- Isaiah Thomas told Lowe last month that they were interested in him over the summer, but Lowe writes in his latest piece that the Lakers didn’t have any interest. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has a general policy against signing restricted free agents from other teams to offer sheets because he doesn’t like to tie up his team’s cap room during the three-day period in which the other club can match, sources tell Lowe.
- The application for a nearly $4.851MM Disabled Player Exception for Steve Nash that the Lakers submitted to the league is still pending, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). An NBA-designated physician must determine that Nash is significantly more likely to miss the rest of the season than not before the league grants the exception, as Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ makes clear.
Eastern Notes: Kidd, Cavs, Early, Raptors
Bucks coach Jason Kidd didn’t have interest in heading to Milwaukee until the team came after him, as he makes clear to Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Kidd remains proud of the work he did in his lone season as coach of the Nets, who received a pair of second-rounders as compensation when the Bucks hired him this summer.
“We felt that we helped a lot of people get better. As coaches, that’s all you ask for,” Kidd said. “There was a lot of good stuff. Unfortunately, management, ownership didn’t [think so], so they got two second round picks.”
Kidd returns to Brooklyn on Wednesday, and while we wait to see that, here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The relationship between LeBron James and coach David Blatt isn’t fully functional yet, and though Blatt is technically the boss, James perhaps wields greater leverage over him than he has with any of his previous coaches, as Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group examines.
- Knicks rookie small forward Cleanthony Early is set to miss about a month or more after undergoing surgery to remove a “loose body” in his knee, the team announced (Twitter link).
- The size of the role that James Johnson would play for the Raptors wasn’t clear when they signed him this summer, but he’s quickly become a key contributor who’ll be missed while he’s out indefinitely with a severely sprained ankle, as Eric Koreen of the National Post details.
Eastern Notes: World Peace, Sixers, Humphries
Metta World Peace believes it was a post-game locker room confrontation with J.R. Smith last year that led to him not being re-signed by the Knicks this season despite his familiarity with the triangle offense, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I don’t understand why they didn’t [sign] me,’’ World Peace said. “But then again, I’m very direct. I think I was too direct in the locker room, too direct to J.R. Smith. It wasn’t from a bad place. If someone is not playing defense or not giving effort, that’s my specialty. I don’t hold back on my words. Nobody wants to talk direct to them. We don’t give it to them straight. I said some things directly to J.R. Smith in the locker room and he challenged me back, said some direct things to me. But he understood where we came from.”
Here’s more from the east:
- As the Sixers‘ losses continue to mount, head coach Brett Brown still feels pride in what the franchise is working for and constantly reminds the players of the team’s plan, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle writes. “It is hard, but it it’s something you remind yourself – why did you take the job?” Brown said. “What are the true realities of the roster we have? What’s the possible outcomes if we can navigate through the first few years we have to face? Sometimes its hard with the personnel that we have. I gotta coach them. I gotta remind them every single day that they have to be focused on the process, not the result.”
- Raptors big man Jonas Valanciunas‘ production has been under a higher level of scrutiny this season but head coach Dwane Casey is quick to defend his young player, Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun writes. “He’s a young kid and his curse is two years ago when he got here everybody said he was the second coming,” Casey said. “Everybody was expecting that sort of impact. As a staff, all we expect is he’s going to grow at the right time, at the right pace and [eventually] he’ll get there. But everybody is waiting for him or wanting him to be more than what he is ready to be right now. He’s right where we need him to be.”
- Sign-and-trade acquisition Kris Humphries has added a needed level of toughness and physicality to the Wizards‘ frontcourt, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Patterson, Wade
Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders runs down some possible options the Cavs have to fortify their struggling roster. Given Cleveland’s proximity to the luxury tax line, their spending flexibility is somewhat limited, so Duncan isn’t convinced that extending Anderson Varejao was the right decision.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Earlier this week I ran down the highest paid players in the NBA and Kobe Bryant topped the list with his salary of $23.5MM for 2014/15. Chris Johnson of SI.com took a look at this same topic, but factored in taxes (city/state/Federal), NBPA fees, as well as the cuts that the players’ agents receive. According to Johnson’s new calculations the player who is actually taking home the most cash this season is the Nets‘ Joe Johnson.
- Patrick Patterson said that he was “very tempted” to sign with the Magic this past summer, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports reports (Twitter link). Orlando’s pitch tried to sell Patterson on an opportunity to be a starter, but in the end the forward wanted to play for a contending team, something re-signing with the Raptors gave him a much better chance at this season, notes Lewenberg.
- Miami’s Dwyane Wade is much happier this season despite the Heat having lost LeBron James to the Cavs via free agency this past summer, Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald writes. This isn’t because of any issues Wade had with James, but now Wade gets to have the ball in his hands more often, notes Goodman, something that makes Wade more comfortable as a player.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Pressey, Knicks
The Raptors are tied for the league’s best record at 6-1, and any trepidation about whether Kyle Lowry merely lucked into his four-year, $48MM deal thanks to an aberration of a season last year is dissolving with each passing game. His 17.9 points per contest this season is precisely the same number he put up in 2013/14, when he set a new career high. While we wait to see just how well Lowry and the Raptors will continue to play, here’s more from Toronto and other Atlantic Division locales:
- Greivis Vasquez and James Johnson haven’t been Raptors teammates for long, but the point guard is already sold on the value of the forward the team signed this past summer, note Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes and Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter links). “He’s a little spicy, a little crazy, but I love playing with a guy like him because I know he’s got my back,” Vasquez said.
- The decision the Celtics made to keep Phil Pressey past the date his minimum salary became guaranteed this summer is paying off with Marcus Smart injured, as Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com examines.
- Phil Jackson has made his share of changes in his eight months as Knicks president, but none of them appear to have made a difference in the team’s effectiveness, opines Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Raptors, Uzoh
The Sixers should add another big man to their 15-man roster with Nerlens Noel sidelined with an ankle injury, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Henry Sims, along with Noel, is the only other player at the center position. Moore opines that the roster is set up to lose and finding a player on it to release in order to make room for a new big man shouldn’t be difficult. Philadelphia started the season 0-6 and with its upcoming four-game road trip against the Raptors (5-1), Mavericks (4-2), Rockets (6-0) and Spurs (2-2), going 0-10 looks like a real possibility.
- The Sixers are using international leagues to stash talent in their attempt to build a contender via asset accumulation, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The team owns the rights of five players who play in leagues overseas including 2014 draftees Dario Saric, Vasilije Micic and Jordan McRae. Pompey argues that the defending champion Spurs, who own the rights to 11 players overseas, have proven the strategy works.
- Despite starting the season with a record of 5-1, the Raptors have plenty of room to improve, opines Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Wolstat identifies team defense, rebounding and assist totals as areas the team should look to improve. The piece isn’t entirely pessimistic as Wolstat cites the team’s chemistry as superb even with James Johnson and Lou Williams as new additions.
- Ben Uzoh is hopeful he can return to the NBA after mysterious ailment nearly derailed his career, writes Marc J Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Uzoh, who has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, played parts of his first four NBA seasons while losing feeling in his right shooting arm. Now that the condition is diagnosed, Uzoh can focus on basketball. “I feel so much better just knowing how to manage,” Uzoh said. “I’m still finding myself, retooling, reviving the connection that I was never able to feel. I am getting better each week. I am in great shape. But the reality is I don’t want my arm to go out on me anymore. I am getting feedback on it still.” Uzoh last played in an NBA game for the Raptors in 2012.