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.
Jazz Not Looking To Trade Paul Millsap
Paul Millsap was one of the driving forces behind the Jazz unexpectedly sneaking into the Western Conference playoffs this season, averaging 16.6 PPG and 8.8 RPG while posting a career-high 21.8 PER. Millsap will enter the final year of his contract in 2012/13, but the Jazz have no plans to move him, according to Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. The 27-year-old talked to Randy Hollis of the Deseret News about dealing with trade rumors.
"It’s motivation for me," Millsap said of the trade talk. "I don’t get down on myself because I’m on the trading block or get down on myself for kinda being too small, and I use that to motivate me and to help me to continue to do what I do."
According to Hollis, any trade talk involving Millsap has originated from outside sources, rather than from inside the Jazz organization. There was some speculation that Utah, after trading Deron Williams last season, could continue to rebuild around young players like Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, and Gordon Hayward by dealing Millsap or Al Jefferson, whose contract also expires in 2013. But heading into this season's trade deadline, the team reportedly felt no pressure to move either veteran forward.
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.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Lillard, 76ers, Howard
A look around the Association as the Dwight Howard-less Magic celebrate their Game 1 victory over the Pacers..
- The Celtics managed to stay afloat this season thanks in large part to newcomers Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma, writes Peter May of the New York Times. May also credits Danny Ainge for his signing of Mickael Pietrus before the start of the year.
- Damian Lillard was projected as a second-round pick entering his junior season at Weber State but is now out to show that he is the best point guard in the 2012 draft, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The 6'2" scoring threat is widely projected to be a lottery pick.
- Doug Collins is looking to lead the 76ers to a first round upset of the Bulls but things could have turned out very differently for the longtime NBA coach if it weren't for Reggie Miller, writes John Finger of CSNPhilly.com. The former Arizona State head coach claims to have turned away from college basketball when he was beat out by UCLA in recruiting Miller.
- Josh Howard hits the free agent market again this offseason after inking a one-year, $2.15MM deal with the Jazz before the season and he could be a key player in the Utah's series against the Spurs, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Blazers, Marshall, T-Wolves
The Northwest Division won't be a major focus in tonight's games, with the Thunder off, the Jazz locked into the eighth seed, and the Timberwolves' and Trail Blazers' spots in the lottery set. Only tonight's Nuggets game in Minnesota will have an impact — a win would result in a first-round matchup against the Lakers, while a loss and a Mavericks win over Atlanta would see the Nuggets head to Oklahoma City.
As we prepare for the last night of the regular season, let's check in on the latest updates from the Northwest:
- Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor spoke to the media Wednesday about a number of topics related to the team's season and direction going forward. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune has the highlights in two parts.
- ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines the Blazers' needs heading into the draft, and explains why UNC's Kendall Marshall is the best fit for Portland.
- Rick Adelman, like Kevin Love, hopes the Timberwolves are aggressive in pursuing roster upgrades this summer, writes Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. After saying he'll lobby management to make moves, Love adds that he'd like to have some input in personnel decisions.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum’s comments last week, in which he called Portland “special” and said he expects to return to the Blazers next year unless a better situation presents itself, represent quite a change from earlier this season. Soon after Batum and the team failed to come to terms on an extension in January, making him a restricted free agent at season's end, Batum’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, had some harsh words for Blazer management, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian noted. "They say they love him but they didn't offer him something fair, so that's it," he said. "We tried and there's no deal. On July 1 we're going to look at the market first before we come back to the Blazers. That's for sure."
Whether or not Batum wants to return to Portland, the team resisted trading him at the deadline, and team president Larry Miller has said the team plans on bringing him back, as long as another team doesn't make a "crazy" offer, Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune reported. The Blazers have the right to match any offer, but this indicates there is a ceiling on how much they value Batum. That's subject to change if the team winds up hiring someone to replace interim GM Chad Buchanan, especially since Batum seems like a hard player to properly evaluate. At 23 years old with a 7'1" wingspan, the 6'8" Batum possesses a tantalizing combination of the athleticism to guard multiple positions with an outside shooting touch, having hit 37.2% of his career three-pointers, including 39.1% this year. The problem for Batum, and for general managers, is that this is juxtaposed with inconsistency and less year-to-year improvement than you would expect from a player his age. His per-36-minutes numbers in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks have scarcely budged during his career, and his steadily climbing scoring average, up to 13.9 PPG this year, can be attributed to a corresponding rise in his number of field goal attempts.
The failure of the Blazers to get past the first round of the playoffs in his previous three seasons certainly can't be placed entirely on Batum's shoulders, but in each series, his points and minutes have fallen off from the regular season that preceded it. There are plenty of red flags on Batum's record, but he's still young enough to convince GMs that he can find that extra gear somewhere. He might be a fit for the Jazz, a team with a history of helping young talent develop, or the Raptors, who have coveted a small forward. It all depends on Miller's definition of "crazy," but I still don't think any team is going to go overboard for him. Eggers said he can expect a deal of about $9MM a year, which sounds right for a player of his potential, even if his numbers so far might not support it. Unless the Blazers change course with a new GM, they'll likely bring him back and hope Kaleb Canales or another coach can bring out his best.
Draft Notes: Fournier, Lottery, Jazz, Wolves
With the 2012 NBA Draft scheduled for Thursday June 28th, we should expect to see more and more early entrant decisions and mock drafts as the next two months progress. Luke Adams recently posted an index page for our Prospect Profile series, which should become more complete as we near the draft. Let's take a look at some draft updates as we head into Friday night's games:
- Jonathan Givony from Draft Express takes a look at Evan Fournier, and he says could be the only international player taken in this year's first round. Givony says the 19-year-old Frenchman is, at 6-foot-7 with a good frame, the ideal size to play wing in the NBA, but needs to work on his jumper.
- Chad Ford in an ESPN insider piece provides a detailed look at the race for the top selections in June's draft as well as many of the existing trade scenarios that will help to shape the order. The Jazz, in particular, are an interesting case – they can still end up with two lottery picks, or they can end up with none.
- Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press takes a look at the Timberwolves' draft situation, who will have an eye on the Jazz's final few games of the season. Minnesota traded away their own first rounder, but should the Jazz make the playoffs the Wolves would get their first rounder as part of the Al Jefferson trade. Walters says Minnesota is desperate for a shooting guard.
Jazz Re-Sign Blake Ahearn
The Jazz have signed Blake Ahearn for the remainder of the season, the team officially announced today. Ahearn's 10-day deal with the team had expired yesterday.
Ahearn hasn't seen much playing time during his time with the Jazz, but the 27-year-old showed off his scoring prowess for the Reno Bighorns this season, leading the D-League in scoring with 23.8 PPG. Ahearn will be eligible for the postseason, should the Jazz qualify.
Jerry T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune reported yesterday that the Jazz were expected to re-sign Ahearn.
Jazz Expected To Re-Sign Blake Ahearn
The Jazz are expected to re-sign Blake Ahearn for the remainder of the season, tweets Jerry T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune. Ahearn's 10-day deal with Utah expired last night.
In his first NBA action since the 2008/09 season, Ahearn has played just over 15 minutes in three games for the Jazz. While he hasn't seen the court much for Utah, the 27-year-old showed off his scoring prowess for the Reno Bighorns this season, leading the D-League in scoring with 23.8 PPG.
Utah GM Kevin O'Connor said yesterday he wasn't sure whether or not Ahearn would be re-signed. With Earl Watson recovering from right knee surgery, the Jazz need a third point guard, but wanted to keep their options open for the final roster spot in case another player suffered an injury.
Odds & Ends: George, Chandler, Pistons
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that the Pacers' Paul George has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the same organization that represents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul to name a few (Sulia link).
- Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is expected to miss the rest of the season, says Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Chandler had tried to play through pain on Sunday, but decided after the game that it would be best to shut himself down for the rest of the season.
- Don't expect to see the Pistons participating in the annual Las Vegas Summer League this year, as coach Lawrence Frank has opted to send his team to Orlando Magic Summer League instead (David Mayo of MLive reports). Frank cites the organizational structure and condensed schedule as the deciding factors.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Jazz guard Blake Ahearn hopes to earn a second contract with the team and finish the rest of the season, as his initial contract is set to expire today. GM Kevin O'Connor says that he won't make a decision until after tonight's game against Portland.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly chat with fans tonight. A few thought provoking points included his assessment of Harrison Barnes as a player who won't be a franchise changer for a lottery team, the possibility that Austin Rivers slips in the draft, and Kendall Marshall as a player who belongs in the 16-20 pick range, among other topics.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune examines the emergence of Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10 sharpshooting forward for Real Madrid whose draft rights are currently owned by the Bulls. Johnson also writes that Mirotic could have a legitimate shot to make the Spanish team for this year's Olympics.
- Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports that the Louisiana State of Exposition District board of commissioners has approved a long-term lease extension for the Hornets through 2024.
- Billy Witz of Fox Sports takes a closer look at Jerry Colangelo's criteria for assembling Team USA amidst a season of injuries and uncertainty for a number of players who are in his selection pool. Colangelo doesn't appear fazed, implying that the pool is deep enough to counter the potential unavailability of some of his choices for summer.