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Western Notes: Thunder, Daniels, Bjelica

December 28th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder are staying calm despite two devastating early-season injuries, reports Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. A hurt hand cost Russell Westbrook the first month of the season, and foot and ankle injuries have limited Kevin Durant to just nine games this season.  “We want to get our guys healthy,” said coach Scott Brooks. “Until then, we want to keep improving so that when the guys come back, we’re a better team. These are great opportunities to build our team and our bench when Kevin comes back.”

There was more on Sunday from the Western Conference:

  • Troy Daniels is quickly finding a home with the Timberwolves, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. After being acquired from the Rockets in the December 19th trade that sent Corey Brewer to Houston, Daniels has impressed with his three-point shooting touch. He hit four from long distance in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Warriors and wound up with 14 points in less than 9 minutes of action. “That’s my job,” Daniels said. “I always stay ready and shoot the ball when I’m open.” Daniels is in the first year of a two-year guaranteed contract for the minimum salary.
  • Wolves draft-and-stash prospect Nemanja Bjelica offers hope for ex-GM David Kahn‘s 2010 draft class, writes Zgoda.  He’s currently in the midst of a season that has caught the eye of team president/coach Flip Saunders. “He has proven it this year,” Saunders said. “He has taken his game to another step up, to where he’s ready to come over here. He has potential because he’s 6’10” or 6’11”, but he’s very skilled. He’s a guy we’ll definitely follow.”
  • Nuggets rookie Jusuf Nurkic is impressing early on in his NBA career, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.  “He’s my type of player,” Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said. “He likes to bang. He likes to rebound.” Nurkic, a 6’11” big man, has earned more playing time of late, seeing 16.1 minutes per contest in his last eight games.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Central Notes: James, Boozer, Jerebko

December 26th, 2014 at 9:10am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers felt the absence of Anderson Varejao in Thursday’s loss to the Heat, writes Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. In its first game since the announcement that Varejao would miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles tendon, Cleveland suffered a 10-point loss. Vardon noted the Cavs were late on defensive rotations and were slow getting to the kind of loose balls that Varejao typically chases down. “Guys just have to step up and do a little bit more than what they’ve been doing before,” said LeBron James, “but you can’t replace him.” 

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Heat’s Dwyane Wade continues to defend James’ decision to leave Miami, telling Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that a different standard exists for players and teams. “It’s tough in this league,” Wade said. “When a player makes a decision, and however you make it, there is always backlash. But when an organization makes it, it’s the right thing for an organization to do. And it’s fine. Josh Smith just got cut. It was the right thing for the Pistons to do. It’s fine. LeBron James or players make decisions in free agency, then it becomes a different situation.”
  • Another player who didn’t have a happy homecoming Thursday was Carlos Boozer, reports Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com. The Lakers’ forward returned to Chicago for the first time since being amnestied by the Bulls over the summer. Despite an unfriendly reception — Boozer was booed repeatedly by the Chicago crowd — Boozer still has a fondness for the Windy City. “This is like a second home for me,” he said. “I know everybody here. We became like a family over the years.”
  • Jonas Jerebko could benefit from all the turmoil in Detroit this week, according to Brendan Savage of MLive. The veteran Pistons’ forward, whose contract expires at season’s end, sees an opportunity to pick up more playing time after the release of Smith. “Obviously, with a 4 man gone — I see myself as a 4 man — a lot more minutes open up in practice and in games,” Jerebko said. “I feel like I’m ready to take that step and I’m ready to go in there and battle for them.
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Poll: Will The Mavs Win The Title With Rondo?

December 21st, 2014 at 10:55am CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier in the week, the Mavs acquired four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo and reserve forward Dwight Powell from the Celtics in exchange for Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, the Mavs’ 2015 first-rounder and a 2016 second-rounder. The team was looking for improvement in order to push itself into the upper echelon in the Western Conference.

Dallas didn’t need any help on the offensive end. The Mavs were already scoring 110.1 points per game, which was best in the league. The primary reason for the trade, according to owner Mark Cuban, was to bolster the team’s defense. The point guard position was the weakest area for the Mavs, and their upgrades on defense could pay real dividends. When the playoffs come, one of Dallas’ biggest challenges will be defending All-Star point guards like Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Tony Parker. This would have been problematic for the Mavs without Rondo. By turning their biggest weakness into a perceived strength, the Mavs now stand a fighting chance.

However, there are reasons to temper expectations after the trade. Dallas gave up three role players and by doing so, the team’s lack of depth becomes a liability, especially at the backup center position. The Mavs are now relying on 32-year-old Tyson Chandler to stay healthy without having a proven option behind him. The team is the front-runner to sign veteran free agent Jermaine O’Neal and he would fill that void, but it is unclear how big of role the 36-year-old will be able to play at this stage in his career.

Overall, the move would seem to be a net positive for Dallas, at least for this season. After going 0-5 against incumbent Western Conference playoff teams to begin the year, the team realized it needed to make adjustments in order to make it out of a tough Western Conference and reach the NBA Finals. After their blockbuster trade, how far will the Mavs advance this season?

 

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Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Stevens, Kirilenko

December 13th, 2014 at 6:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

It may be time for Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony to consider knee surgery, suggests Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Citing Anthony’s troublesome knee pain and the Knicks’ miserable 5-20 record, Begley writes that shutting down their star player for the season might be the best solution. Anthony, whose status is uncertain for Sunday’s game with the Raptors, said he considers surgery a last resort. He is in the first season of a five-year,  $124MM deal he signed with the Knicks after being one of last summer’s most hotly pursued free agents.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Despite the Knicks‘ lousy start, Anthony isn’t having second thoughts about staying in New York, writes Mike Lupica of The Daily News. “After all the work I did to get here and get back here? If I was to get up and want to leave now that would just make me weak, make me have a weak mind,” Anthony said in response to a question after Friday’s victory over the Celtics. “I’ve never been a person to try to run from any adversity or anything like that so I’m not going to pick today to do that.” 
  • Are the rigors of another losing season taking their toll on Celtics coach Brad Stevens, asks A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. At 7-14, Boston is two wins behind its pace of last season and ranks 28th in the league in points allowed. But Stevens, who built a successful college program at Butler before coming to the Celtics, retains respect around the league. “He runs a lot of good stuff that works for the players they have,” an unidentified Eastern Conference scout said of Stevens. “But other than Marcus Smart, they’re not very good defensively and the Smart kid keeps getting hurt. Most nights, it’s their defense that kills them.”
  • Seventeen months ago, the Nets‘ signing of Andrei Kirilenko seemed like a steal, recalls Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. The veteran forward, a Russian native just like team owner Mikhail Prokhorov, agreed to join the Nets for less than a  third of the $10MM annual salary he was making with the Timberwolves. But the relationship quickly soured. Back spasms kept Kirilenko off the court early in the year, and he saw limited playing time throughout the season and playoffs. Kirilenko was traded to the Sixers earlier this week.
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And-Ones: Cousins, Clifford, Knicks, Covington

December 8th, 2014 at 9:56pm CST by Alex Lee

We heard yesterday that DeMarcus Cousins has been out for the past two weeks with a case of viral meningitis and could miss another week or two as he recovers. Kings head coach Michael Malone said today that Cousins is out “indefinitely,” reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). After a 9-5 start, Sacramento has lost four of five without its emerging superstar. Let’s take a look at what else is going around the Association:

  • The Hornets‘ playoff appearance last season automatically triggered a team option for the third year of head coach Steve Clifford‘s contract, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Clifford, hired in May 2013, signed a three-year, $6MM deal with Charlotte that is now officially fully guaranteed through next season.
  • While the disappointing Knicks might not be ready to turn their focus toward the draft, team president Phil Jackson also said that he doesn’t plan to make any in-season moves that might jeopardize the team’s long-term flexibility, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I’m not going to make movement for movement’s sake,” Jackson said. “There is sometimes addition by subtraction but I don’t see anybody that doesn’t want to be part of this organization, doesn’t want to play with his teammates, doesn’t want to learn… What we have to do is protect our future… If we evaluate a player and see he’s going to be a long-term player who is going to fit in our organization, we’ll do that.”
  • Duke center Jahlil Okafor remains the top prospect in the latest update to Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, while high school senior Jaylen Brown, a small forward, is No. 1 on Givony’s 2016 mock draft.
  • Robert Covington has quickly worked his way into Brett Brown‘s rotation in Philadelphia, writes Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers added Covington in mid-November and he has averaged 9.5 points in 11 games since arriving in Philly. However, the Tennessee State product has scored 63 points and played significant minutes in Philadelphia’s last three contests, two of which the success-starved Sixers have won.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Week In Review: 12/1/14 – 12/7/14

December 7th, 2014 at 1:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love have discussed the idea of one day playing together, whether it be in the NBA or on Team USA, Love told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Don’t get too excited, though.  Anthony is under contract through 2018/19 with a player option for that season while Love continues to insist that he wants to stay in Cleveland for the long haul.  Here’s our look back at the week that was..

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Western Notes: Bazemore, McCollum, Jerrett

November 18th, 2014 at 7:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Job security trumped Kent Bazemore‘s fondness for the Lakers when he decided where to sign as a free agent this past summer, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. The two-year, $4MM deal Bazemore signed with the Hawks this past offseason marks the first time in his career that he has had a fully guaranteed contract, notes Medina. “Having a non-guaranteed contract is the most stressful thing in the world, especially when January rolls around and that deadline comes up,” Bazemore said. “You start losing sleep. Being guaranteed is great. Now it’s just about working and trying to earn your stripes.”

Here’s more from out west:

  • Bazemore also noted that his decision to depart for Atlanta had nothing to do with Los Angeles ending last season at 25-57, its worst mark in franchise history, Medina adds. “The Lakers are the Lakers, they’ll be back I’m sure. Mitch Kupchak and the Buss family are probably cooking some stuff right now to get their guys back out there,” Bazemore said. “They won a lot of championships and it’s a pedigree that doesn’t die. They’re always around. They’ll always be in the news, whether it’s good or bad. They’ll still get a bunch of TV games. They’re not going anywhere.”
  • Second-year guard CJ McCollum will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks with a fractured right index finger, the Blazers announced. McCollum is averaging 5.0 points, 1.1 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 13.1 minutes of action in 11 appearances this season.
  • The Thunder have assigned Grant Jerrett to their D-League affiliate the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced. This is Jerrett’s second assignment to the D-League this season, though his first trip was for a mere three hours so he could log some practice time. Jerrett has yet to appear for the Thunder in a regular season contest.
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And-Ones: Nene, Green, Cap, Johnson

November 17th, 2014 at 6:56pm CST by Alex Lee

We have nine games on the NBA slate for tonight, the best of which is undoubtedly the Southwest division showdown in Memphis between the 9-1 Rockets and the 9-1 Grizzlies. Some might say the Grizzlies’ impressive record should include an asterisk, as the Kings continue insist that last week’s game-winner by Courtney Lee be overturned. However, Memphis GM Chris Wallace is confident the league will uphold his team’s victory, he tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

With that settled, let’s take a look at what else is going on around the Association on Monday night:

  • Nene and Gerald Green have joined the BDA Sports agency, as Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal reports in a subscription-only piece. Nene had been with Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, while agent Kenton Edelin was Green’s representative. Green’s contract with the Suns is up after this season, while Nene’s deal with the Wizards runs through 2015/16.
  • Almost all team executives believe the salary cap for 2015/16 will fall somewhere between $66MM and $68MM, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Lowe includes this nugget in a longer analysis of yesterday’s Rudy Gay extension, which the Grantland scribe describes as “fair-ish” next season and as a potential steal come 2016/17. Lowe also believes that the Kings would like to add another piece after this season if they can free up some salary. He speculates that Jason Thompson and his $6.43MM 2015/16 salary could be a trade candidate.
  • Now in his 14th season at age 33, Joe Johnson tells David Aldridge of NBA.com that he can’t imagine playing too much longer after his deal is up with the Nets. Johnson, who recently got into some hot water after saying his team was playing selfishly, is under contract through next season with Brooklyn and will hit free agency at age 35 in the summer of 2016.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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DraftKings NBA $1K Mini Layup

November 12th, 2014 at 12:01am CST by Chuck Myron

The following is a sponsored post from DraftKings.

Win big in just a single night with DraftKings! The entry fee for the NBA $1K Mini Layup is just $2. If you’re a first-time depositor, the contest is free, plus you receive matching funds in your DraftKings account up to $600. First place wins $200, and rest of the $1,000 in prize money will be handed out among the top 100 finishers.

All you have to do is draft a team of the best fantasy performers in this salary-cap style pick ‘em. You have $50,000 to select eight players — one at all five positions, plus another guard, another forward, and a utility player. The deadline to enter is Wednesday at 6:00pm Central time.

Here’s a look at my team, which features a balanced attack:

draftkings2

Don’t hesitate! Sign up for the NBA $1K Mini Layup and you may be the one taking home $200!

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DraftKings NBA $1K Mini Layup

November 11th, 2014 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

The following is a sponsored post from DraftKings.

Win big in just a single night with DraftKings! The entry fee for the NBA $1K Mini Layup is just $2. If you’re a first-time depositor, the contest is free, plus you receive matching funds in your DraftKings account up to $600. First place wins $200, and rest of the $1,000 in prize money will be handed out among the top 100 finishers.

All you have to do is draft a team of the best fantasy performers in this salary-cap style pick ’em. You have $50,000 to select eight players — one at all five positions, plus another guard, another forward, and a utility player. The deadline to enter is tonight at 6:30pm Central time. 

Here’s a look at my team, which is relying heavily on the Grizzlies to take advantage of the Lakers’ league-worst defense tonight:

draftkingsDon’t hesitate! Sign up for tonight’s NBA $1K Mini Layup and you may be the one taking home $200!

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