Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Coaching Rumors: Brown, Woodson, Jackson

May 12th, 2012 at 4:30pm CST by Chuck Myron
With a bunch of big-name coaches who aren't under contract for next year and the season coming to a close, there should be plenty of news on the coaching front for a while. Here's the latest:
  • Warren LeGarie, the agent for Lakers coach Mike Brown, feels confident his client will return to the bench next season after LeGarie spoke with GM Mitch Kupchak about comments former minority owner Magic Johnson made suggesting Brown would be fired if the team didn't win tonight, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Spears also tweets that the Lakers are expected to release a statement in support of Brown, and pointed out that Brown has two more guaranteed seasons left on his four-year, $20MM deal.
  • Dave McMenamin of ESPN LA tweets that Brown's job is not dependent on the result of Game 7 tonight, according to a source with knowledge of the Lakers' thinking. 
  • Brown said earlier today he was unfazed by what Johnson said, and had no indication there was any truth to it, tweeted NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper.
  • Frank Isola of the New York Daily News scolds Knicks coach Mike Woodson for giving into owner James Dolan's wishes regarding his choice of agents.
  • With Phil Jackson feeling better, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld speculates about where he might coach next if he returns to the bench, mentioning the Knicks, Thunder, Bulls, Mavs, Magic and Lakers.
  • Rachel Shuster of USA Today wonders if the Bobcats might also be a landing spot for the Zen Master, since the owner is Michael Jordan, Jackson's first star pupil.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Rose, D’Antoni, Knicks, Nets, Lakers

May 12th, 2012 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

We've got two games on the docket tonight, as the Sixers and Celtics kick off their second round series while the Lakers and Nuggets battle it out in Game 7.  Here's a look at today's links..

  • Derrick Rose underwent surgery on his left knee today, but projections for his return are varied, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune rounds up. Though Rose's brother insists Derrick will not miss the entire season, the Bulls released a statement today saying more details on his prognosis are coming next week.
  • Though there has been speculation that Mike D'Antoni could be interested in the Magic if Stan Van Gundy doesn't return as the team's coach, he is just as likely to sit out the 2012/13 season, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.
  • Speaking of Knicks coaches, Mike Woodson is considering agent Steve Kauffman as well as CAA as he looks for new representation, according to Berman.  Owner James Dolan never demanded Woodson part with former agent Joe Glass, but filled him in on the troubled history between the team and the agent.  After hearing that, Woodson felt negotiations would be smoother without Glass.
  • If the Nets do in fact plan to sign Andrei Kirilenko, they won't have much rebounding in their starting lineup with him alongside Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.  Reports that the team had a verbal agreement in place for a three-year deal were shot down last week.
  • Andrew Bynum could find himself playing elsewhere if the Lakers get bounced tonight and he doesn't have a strong performance, opines Stephen A. Smith of ESPN Radio (via Twitter).
  • Meanwhile, Magic Johnson believes that Bynum, head coach Mike Brown, and Pau Gasol will all be run out of town if the Lakers lose, writes Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

International Moves: Kirilenko, Lorbek

May 12th, 2012 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

We'll track today's news from overseas here in this post, with the latest updates on top:

  • Former Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko has been named the 2012 Euroleague MVP and winner of its Best Defender Award as well, according to a Euroleague press release (via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Earlier today we heard that though the Nets do not have a deal in place for Kirilenko, Brooklyn has been keeping an eye on him, while the Jazz remain Kirilenko's top choice among NBA teams. Former NBA center Nenad Krstic and 6'10" Erazem Lorbek, who's reportedly "very close" to a contract with the Spurs, were also selected to the All-Euroleague First Team.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Northwest Links: Harden, Ibaka, Howard, Tinsley

May 12th, 2012 at 2:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

We'll find out tonight if the Thunder and Nuggets will have a rematch of their first-round playoff series from last season. While Kevin Durant waits to see who his second-round opponent will be, he responded to the news that he finished second to LeBron James in the MVP voting. "I've been second since high school, man. I was drafted second. I was the second best player in high school. And second in MVP voting twice," Durant said to reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter links). "So I'm over that being second stuff." Here's the rest of what's going on with Northwest Division teams:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Money Time: Upcoming Free Agents In The Playoffs

May 12th, 2012 at 2:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Last week we looked at some players on the cusp of free agency who were making some surprising postseason impressions, both positive and negative, on prospective employers. With the first round almost over and the conference semifinals about to begin, let's check in with some more soon-to-be free agents in the playoffs:

Winners

Reggie Evans, Clippers: Anyone who can spark a 27-point comeback in the playoffs, as he did in Game 1, deserves to be on this list, and his energy throughout the first round has been critical for the Clippers. His already superb number of rebounds per 36 minutes has jumped from 12.7 in the regular season to 13.7 in the playoffs, and, for what it's worth, has his team's best defensive rating in the playoffs, per Basketball-Reference.

Andre Miller, Nuggets: It's easy to forget about Miller sometimes, particularly since he's been coming off the bench for Denver. Yet the NBA's 10th leading assist-maker all-time reminded everyone, including the Lakers, of what he can do with a 24-point, eight assist performance full of clutch shots in Tuesday's Game 5. He's the team's third leading scorer in the postseason at 12.7 PPG, outdoing Arron Afflalo, who signed a $36.75MM deal before the season. 

Jordan Hill, Lakers (restricted): He had his breakthrough in the final week of the regular season against the Thunder, and he's continued to justify coach Mike Brown's decision to use him as the primary backup to both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the playoffs. He's pulling down more rebounds per game than Gasol in significantly fewer minutes, and has 25 offensive boards, more than anyone else in the postseason. Hill's rebounds-per-36-minutes number (13.4) nearly equals that of Reggie Evans.

Losers

O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies (restricted): The postseason is a terrible time to go through a shooting slump, but that's exactly what's happened with Mayo, who's hitting on just 31.4% of his field goal attempts against the Clippers. He went a combined 3-for-20 in Games 3, 4 and 5, and took only three shots in Game 6. His inability to efficiently handle the backup point guard duties — he's got 13 assists and 17 turnovers — isn't helping his cause, either.  

Randy Foye, Clippers: Foye's minutes are up but his scoring is down for the playoffs, which is about as inauspicious as it gets for a free agent wing player. The culprit appears to his inability to get off shots and get to the line. His attempts in both categories are off while his postseason shooting percentage of 37.8% is not that far down from the 39.8% he shot in the regular season. His excuse may be that he's being guarded by Tony Allen, an elite defender, but Allen isn't with him on every possession. His Basketball-Reference defensive rating is the second worst on the team, so his struggles aren't limited to one end of the floor.

Jodie Meeks, Sixers (restricted): He started 50 games this season and played 24.9 minutes per contest, but barely got off the bench once he was removed from the starting five after Game 1 against Chicago. He took a total of three shots from the floor, missing each of them, in 32 minutes during the first round. 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

LeBron James Wins Most Valuable Player

May 12th, 2012 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

It's official.  The Heat held a press conference this afternoon in Miami to present LeBron James with his third career MVP trophy.  The 27-year-old averaged 27.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 6.2 APG with 53% shooting from the field in yet another brilliant campaign.

James was in a two-horse race for the award with Kevin Durant for the bulk of the season but pulled away as the year wore on.  James had 85 first-place votes while Durant was the runner-up with 24 first-place votes.  After that, Chris Paul finished in third place, Kobe Bryant in fourth, and Tony Parker in fifth.

Only seven other players in the history of the game have won MVP honors at least three times: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Moses Malone.  Abdul-Jabbar won the trophy six times, Jordan and Russell five times each, and Chamberlain four times.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

New York Notes: Williams, Nets, Bogdanovic

May 12th, 2012 at 10:54am CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, we learned that Nets point guard Deron Williams was set to meet with owner Mikhail Prokhorov and General Manager Billy King in Istanbul, Turkey.  Here's more on the pow-wow and other items out of the New York area..

  • Williams spoke with Prokhorov at the Euroleague game yesterday and had "a good conversation", but there was no formal meeting as other reports suggested, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
  • King tweeted that he had a good meeting with 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic.  The swingman is currently under contract with Turkey's Fenerbahçe Ülker and came to the Nets through a pair of draft day trades.
  • Phil Jackson's girlfriend Jeanie Buss told  “Mason and Ireland” on ESPN 710 that she believes the former Lakers coach will eventually return to the sidelines, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.  League sources told Kennedy that the Knicks haven’t contacted Jackson as of yet, but they’re expected to reach out to him in the coming weeks.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Hoops Links: Blazers, Knicks, Delfino, Hill, Paul

May 12th, 2012 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

On this day in 1985, the Knicks won the first ever draft lottery, enabling them to select center Patrick Ewing out of Georgetown.  This not only gave birth to a new era of Knicks basketball, but to one of the biggest conspiracy theories in sports.  Some wondered if the NBA fixed the lottery in order to steer the top talent in the draft to the league's premier market.  Was the Knicks' envelope frozen prior to being placed in the drum?  Or was the envelope just bent slightly at the corner?  Earlier this year, Charles Barkley proved that lottery conspiracy theories are alive and well as he suggested that the Brooklyn Nets could be in line for the top pick in this year's draft.

Do you have a great blog piece that you think we should feature in Hoops Links?  If so, send me an email at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.  I swear, I won't give preference to the bigger, more profitable blogs.  This week's links..

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Bulls Notes: Noah, Brewer, Boozer, Asik

May 11th, 2012 at 9:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Only twice in NBA history has the Eastern Conference's #8 seed defeated the #1 seed, and both instances occurred in lockout-shortened seasons. The eighth-seeded 76ers followed in the footsteps of the 1999 Knicks last night, knocking off the top-seeded Bulls to advance to the second round. Of course, against a Chicago team that was missing Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the Sixers' victory didn't feel like a huge upset. Still, the East's top regular-season team has been eliminated and is looking ahead to the offseason. Here are the latest Bulls updates:

  • Noah and Carlos Boozer insist that the Bulls can win as currently constructed and hope the roster remains intacts, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
  • Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Bulls, despite their devastating injuries, have created a hard-working identity that the city can, and should, embrace.
  • GM Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson told Ronnie Brewer that they'll do all they can to bring him back next season, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Brewer has one non-guaranteed year worth $4.37MM remaining on his contract.
  • In a piece for ESPNChicago.com, Friedell writes that Carlos Boozer isn't a trade candidate since "no one wants to deal with that contract." Amnestying Boozer is also unlikely, says Friedell.
  • SI.com's Zach Lowe takes a more in-depth look at why using the amnesty clause on Boozer doesn't make sense for Chicago unless corresponding moves are made.
  • The Bulls will look to rebound next season, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, noting that the team plans to match offers for restricted free agent Omer Asik this summer.
  • Sam Smith answers readers' Bulls-related questions in a massive mailbag for Bulls.com.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Prospect Profile: Terrence Ross

May 11th, 2012 at 9:15pm CST by Alex Lee

Along with power forward, shooting guard is among the most loaded positions in the upcoming draft, making the decision of Washington's Terrence Ross to leave school early a little curious.  But Ross did enjoy a breakout year as a sophomore Husky in 2011-12, averaging 16.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest.  At 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds, Ross has ideal size to play shooting guard in the NBA assuming he adds some muscle to his lean frame.  

Projected anywhere from the late lottery to the late teens, Ross would represent great value after pick number 15.  While he doesn't jump off the page as a future star, he lacks  weaknesses and does seem like the quintessential shooting guard (think a ceiling of Eddie Jones).  Ross is a very good shooter, a good athlete and is explosive enough to finish with force at the rim. 

Ross at times can fall in love with the outside shot, but that sometimes works in his favor.  He shot over 37 percent from three as a sophomore at Washington, a number particularly impressive considering he attempted 5.5 treys a game.  Ross also has an above average pull-up game and can knock down shots coming off screens.  Ross would be ideal for a team like Philadelphia that is desperate for a traditional two-guard. 

Ross' game is solid – scouts neither rave about any of his strong suits nor dwell on his weaknesses.  If there are any significant knocks on Ross, they are his ballhandling and basketball IQ.  Ross needs to work on his shot selection, as he sometimes pulls the trigger at the wrong time.  He sometimes doesn't seem to have a good feel for the game.  While he can finish at the rim via dunk, his mediocre ballhandling limits the ways he can get there.  He thrives on the fast break or coming off back screens or cuts, but breaking a defender down off the dribble is not his forte. 

Two big pluses to Ross' game, particularly as a shooting guard, are his defense and fearlessness.  Ross has the concept of "irrational confidence" that basketball people talk about down pat, which is crucial for a scorer.  Perhaps this is a positive side effect of his lower than ideal basketball IQ.  He is not afraid to take big shots regardless of how many he has missed that night.  His size and athleticism enables him to be an above average defender despite not being particularly long.  His defense projects to translate at the NBA level. 

Ross will need to add some bulk to his 190 pound frame if he is to fulfill his potential at the next level.  His well-rounded game is almost certain to put him in an NBA rotation in the near future.  Whether he can develop into more likely depends on if he can develop any of the solid aspects of his game – shooting, scoring, defending – into an an elite skill.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0