Amico On Mavs, Clippers, Hornets, Bobcats
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio has posted some thoughts from the weekend's preseason action, including impressions of players that have changed teams this offseason:
- Amico was impressed with the Dallas debuts of Chris Kaman and O.J. Mayo, both of whom signed with the Mavs this summer.
- Out of the several veterans the Clippers signed this offseason, Amico says that Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes made positive first impressions, while Lamar Odom looked considerably less impressive.
- Amico writes that Hornets rookies Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers had good performances in their preseason debuts.
- Second overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and third overall pick Bradley Beal had strong showings in the Bobcats' victory over the Wizards, Amico writes.
- New Bobcats acquisitions Ben Gordon and Ramon Sessions also had strong performances off the bench, writes Amico.
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Sixers, Hawks, Knight
As the Celtics are underway in Turkey, unofficially kicking off the NBA's preseason, we take a look around the NBA's Eastern Conference for some news and notes.
- David Mayo of MLive.com takes a look at recent comments by Pistons new forward Corey Maggette saying second year point guard Brandon Knight is the leader of the team.
- Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a piece on new Hawks Anthony Morrow and Isama’il Muhammad.
- The Sixers have added several pieces this offseason, but their three-point shooters should be key, writes Philly.com's Bob Cooney.
- The Washington Post's Michael Lee wrote an article on the Wizards new options at small forward.
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has playoff or bust expectations for his team, writes Lee.
Odds & Ends: Josh Howard, Pittman, Paul
- Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel says that this could be Dexter Pittman's last year to prove himself as a keeper for the Heat.
- In addition to news that Chauncey Billups has been increasing his practice time, it has also been noted that Clippers guard Chris Paul is reportedly close to returning from a thumb injury (Janis Carr of the OC Register writes).
- In this article from Lakers.com, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, and coach Mike Brown offered their thoughts on the impact that Steve Nash has brought to the Lakers locker room.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel discusses Chris Bosh's role as Miami's third option as coach Erik Spoelstra looks to utilize more post-up opportunities for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
- Doug Smith of TheStar.com writes that Raptors coach Dwane Casey is yet to decide between Aaron Gray and Jonas Valanciunas for the team's starting center position. Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld provided a comprehensive break down of the competition for key rotation spots in Toronto's camp.
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis held an interview with reporters on Thursday to speak about topics including John Wall, building team chemistry, the dramatic roster changes from this summer, and the overall growth of the team (according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post).
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines the difficult balance that coaches face in the D-League between winning and player development.
Southeast Notes: Smith, Hawks, Thomas, Heat
A report last week suggested that Josh Smith is open to a long-term future in Atlanta, even if he and the Hawks are unlikely to work out an extension before next summer. At the team's media day, Smith didn't quite confirm that idea, but did indicate that he won't let his impending free agency become a distraction this season, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.
"I’m not worrying about any contract discussions," Smith said. "I think the team and I are on the same page. We know what we are going to do. My main concern is making the playoffs and winning basketball games."
Here are a few more media day leftovers out of the Southeast Division:
- Tyrus Thomas spoke to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer about his disappointing 2011/12 campaign, and his excitement about working with new coach Mike Dunlap. Thomas is the only Bobcats player still eligible to be amnestied, and will have two years remaining on his contract after this season, so it's a big year for the former fourth overall pick.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel expects the Heat to see what they have in camp in bigs like Dexter Pittman, Josh Harrellson, Mickell Gladness, and Jarvis Varnado. If the team feels uncomfortable with its options heading into the season, they could look to add a veteran big. Ben Wallace, Kenyon Martin, Mehmet Okur, and Juwan Howard are among those still on the market.
- Chris Vivlamore rounds up a few notable quotes from the Hawks' media day, while Michael Lee of the Washington Post does the same for the Wizards.
Wizards Sign Jannero Pargo
10:55am: The Wizards have formally announced the signing with an official press release.
"Jannero brings us veteran leadership and added depth to our backcourt," said president Ernie Grunfeld. "He is a hard-nosed competitor and proven outside shooter that will fit well with the mix of veterans and young players on our roster."
10:32am: The Wizards have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with point guard Jannero Pargo, according to agent Mark Bartelstein (Twitter link via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports). The move comes on the heels of the team's announcement that John Wall would be out eight weeks with a patella injury, leaving Shelvin Mack and A.J. Price as the only point guards under contract to start the season.
We had heard late last week that Pargo was expecting to finalize a deal within the next few days, and I was surprised he remained on the market for this long. In part-time action for the Hawks last season, Pargo was an effective backup, ranking among the top scorers, shooters, and distributors on the free agent market when we checked in a month ago. His contract with the Wizards will include a partial guarantee, according to SI.com's Sam Amick (via Twitter).
With the addition of Pargo, the Wizards will have 19 players under contract for training camp. Mack and Pargo appear to each have partial guarantees on their deals, while Earl Barron, Brian Cook, Steven Gray, and Shavlik Randolph are on non-guaranteed contracts.
Odds & Ends: Jefferson, Batum, Brand, Nene
In a busy NBA offseason, the Jazz haven't been talked about a great deal on a national level after adding Randy Foye and Marvin Williams to a talented young core. However, big man Al Jefferson is certainly taking notice. Referring to former General Manager Kevin O'Connor and current GM Dennis Lindsey, Jefferson said "The GMs did a hell of a job improving our team. I feel a lot better," tweets Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. Jefferson is also entering his walk year, but he says that he hasn't given it any thought (Twitter link). Here's more from around the league as Sunday turns into Monday..
- Joe Freeman of The Oregonian looks at the biggest questions facing the Blazers this season. Among them is whether Nicolas Batum can take the next big step and justify the $45MM contract he was given this summer. Part of that leap will be an attitude adjustment as Batum often appears to look passive on the floor.
- Mavericks forward Elton Brand says that he expects to serve as the club's enforcer in 2012/13, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Dallas claimed the former All-Star off of waivers back in July after he was amenstied by the 76ers.
- If the Wizards hope to turn things around this year, they'll need a major contribution from forward Nene, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Nene, acquired at last year's deadline from Denver, has battled back from two major setbacks in his career and will have to stay healthy in order for the Wizards to stay competitive this season.
Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Wallace, Lewis, Bobcats
There was plenty of change throughout the Southeast Division, as the Magic, Hawks and Wizards pulled off significant trades while the Heat upgraded with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. The Bobcats are banking heavily on No. 2 overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to help turn the team around, and we have news on him and others from around the division.
- Some in the Heat organization are concerned about the long-term health of Dwyane Wade, who could miss all of the team's preseason games as he hopes to get his ailing left knee ready for the regular season opener, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. The team will give Allen occasional off days during the regular season, as the Spurs have done with Tim Duncan, Goodman adds.
Earlier updates:
- Hawks coach Larry Drew believes it will be a tall order for his team to replace the production of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams this season, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. "Both of those guys were very key and big pieces to our puzzle," Drew said. "This opens up opportunities for new guys, guys who have been here, guys who are coming in. It doesn’t happen overnight. We are going to have to lace it up and really go to work and try to, as a team, try to step up. Everybody has to step their game up now."
- Vivlamore also shares in his piece that Drew isn't sure how he'll rotate guards Devin Harris, Jeff Teague and Lou Williams. Harris and Teague, the two natural point guards, are both entering contract years.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel speculates that Ben Wallace could be a fit for the Heat. Wallace is reportedly seeking a contract after going back-and-forth about retirement this summer.
- Lewis hopes he'll start the season as a reserve instead of as a starter for the Heat, as he told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link).
- Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is working with Kidd-Gilchrist to improve the shooting touch of the University of Kentucky product, writes Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Tipton also shares praise from Purdue coach Matt Painter about Hornets second-round pick Darius Miller and Shelvin Mack, who could start the season at point guard for the Wizards in place of the injured John Wall.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel outlines a list of the top priorities for the Magic as they begin training camp.
John Wall Out Eight Weeks With Patella Injury
The Wizards officially announced today that John Wall will be out of action for about eight weeks while he recovers from a patella injury. The team's press release described Wall's diagnosis as the "early stages of a stress injury to his left patella," noting that surgery won't be required for the former first overall pick.
The injury, which figures to keep Wall sidelined for training camp, the preseason, and the first few weeks of the regular season, comes at a poor time for the third-year player. While it's still a lock that the Wizards will exercise his fourth-year option by October 31st, the upcoming season was expected to be a crucial one for Wall, who will be eligible for a contract extension next summer.
"Your third year is a key year," Wall said to the media, including Michael Lee of the Washington Post, earlier today. "It makes or breaks you, what you’re going to be in this league. This is a big year for me."
Although Wall's injury isn't expected to linger too far into the regular season, it may force the Wizards to invite another point guard to training camp. Currently, the team only has Shelvin Mack and A.J. Price under contract as Wall's backups. Nonetheless, GM Ernie Grunfeld doesn't sound like he's expecting to make any major changes as a result of Wall's setback.
"We're all disappointed for John after how hard he worked this summer and how excited he was to begin training camp, but we feel fortunate that we caught the injury early and that he will be able to return with the vast majority of the season still in front of us," said Grunfeld. "In the meantime, we're confident that the versatility and depth of our team will help us move forward and continue the positive momentum that we've seen over the past several months."
Wizards Rumors: Beal, Crawford, Wall, Seraphin
The Wizards have made a slew of changes to their roster since last season began, adding Nene at the March trading deadline, Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza in an offseason swap, Bradley Beal with the third pick in the draft, and Martell Webster, A.J. Price and others via free agency. GM Ernie Grunfeld believes the attitude and environment are now different in Washington, as Michael Lee of the Washington Post writes. For a separate piece, Lee also spoke with coach Randy Wittman, who had the interim tag removed from his position in June. We'll round up some of their noteworthy comments here:
- Wittman was impressed with what he saw from Beal over the summer, but believes the rookie will face some ups-and-downs and says Jordan Crawford has "a little bit of an advantage" in the competition for the starting shooting guard job.
- John Wall is a shoo-in to have his 2013/14 option exercised before the October 31st deadline, but Wittman said the stakes for him are high this season, the final year before he's eligible for an extension. The team must also make a call on Kevin Seraphin's 2013/14 option, and Wittman had praise for the strides the big man took as a part-time starter last season.
- Grunfeld, who signed a two-year extension in April, responded to owner Ted Leonsis' comment from earlier in the offseason that another lottery appearance is "unacceptable." "I think that’s great," Grunfeld said. "Everybody wants to be better and everybody wants to grow and everybody wants to compete for the playoffs. I think he also said if we don’t make the playoffs it won’t be the end of the world, but we want to see improvement. There’s no questions about that."
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Calderon, Rockets, Nene
The Bobcats certainly aren't a model of NBA success, but according to team president Fred Whitfield, the franchise was in even worse shape when he took the job in 2006, as Ely Portillo of the Charlotte Observer writes. “A lot of my friends that were very connected in this community told me to turn this job down,” Whitfield said. “They said literally everything that could be wrong with a company is wrong with the Bobcats.” While the 'Cats prepare to erase the memories of last season's on-court debacle when training camp starts next week, here's the latest from the rest of the league:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, looking at ways the Raptors can improve offensively this year, says Jose Calderon is likely to come off the bench behind offseason acquisition Kyle Lowry. Calderon's name has been frequently mentioned as a trade candidate for this season.
- The Rockets have a slew of young players and an eye on the future, but GM Daryl Morey promises coach Kevin McHale won't dole out minutes just for player development purposes, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.
- In the same piece, Feigen says Patrick Patterson, whose team option for 2013/14 must be picked by October 31st for the Rockets to keep him from unrestricted free agency next summer, is likely to start at power forward.
- Lingering plantar fasciitis in Nene's left foot may cause him to miss the start of training camp, but the Wizards expect him to be ready for the regular season, Michael Lee of The Washington Post reports.