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Month: November 2024

Zgoda On Roy, Gelabale, Johnson, Trades, Kahn

January 26th, 2013 at 9:58pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune opined that Brandon Roy's current rehab treatment could be a way for the Timberwolves to bide time in case they need his $5MM contract in a trade near the deadline, noting that it couldn't be used in a deal if he were to retire. In the rest of tonight's column, Zgoda addressed a few more hot topics that have been brewing in Minnesota:

  • He also clarifies that if the team wants to keep both Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson, they'd have to find a way to free up a roster spot as a player can only sign two 10-day contracts before his next deal becomes fully guaranteed. Dealing Louis Amundson for a future draft pick or waiving a player could also be considered. 
  • On the trade front, he identifies Derrick Williams as the best piece they can offer in a meaningful deal by the trade deadline unless they deem Nikola Pekovic expendable. 
  • To expand on Pekovic, Zgoda notes that the Montenegrin center is set to hit the free agent market this summer and could be dealt by the deadline or in an offseason sign-and-trade if management doesn't want to commit to the $12MM-$14MM that he could command on the free agent market. 
  • With this season being GM David Kahn's final of a four year deal, Zgoda wonders if Kahn will be considered the right fit to continue to lead the front office. 
  • Rick Adelman's return to the team is dependent on the continued improvement of his wife's health, which could allow him to rejoin the team as soon as this Wednesday. 

 

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Bogut On Rehab, Warriors, Skiles, Bucks

January 26th, 2013 at 9:04pm CST by Ryan Raroque

At 26-16, the Golden State Warriors have been among the league's breakout teams this season. While it's not necessarily conclusive to evaluate lineups on paper, it's interesting to think about how center Andrew Bogut figures to fit into the mix next to Stephen Curry and All-Star David Lee. The 28-year-old former number one pick didn't offer a timetable on his return but spoke with reporters tonight about his rehab, how he fits with the Warriors, and offered some thoughts on the Bucks. Here are a few highlights from his interview (credit goes to Rusty Simmons of SFGate.com). 

  • Although his road to recovery has had its share of setbacks and has taken longer than expected, Bogut has no choice but to go through this process in order to come back strong. He also admits that the Warriors' success this season "definitely helps my sanity."
  • Bogut is confident about how he fits with the team and says that the pressure he faced in Milwaukee to be a scorer isn't there in Golden State. He mentions his passing, defense, and rebounding abilities as ways that he can help this team with multiple scorers in place. 
  • With regard to Scott Skiles, he appeared surprised when told that his former coach had been fired in Milwaukee and gave him one hundred percent credit for teaching him how to make an impact defensively. 
  • Reflecting on his time with the Bucks, Bogut felt nostalgic upon returning to Milwaukee as he traveled with the team for tonight's game. Thought admitting that he wasn't necessarily itching be traded, he knew that the team was looking to find a way to move Stephen Jackson at the time.  

 

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Eastern Notes: Magic, Camby, Cavaliers

January 26th, 2013 at 8:26pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jacque Vaughn, whose quiet approach has been the polar opposite of Stan Van Gundy's, has provided patience and poise to a franchise that has been looking to move on after last year's turbulent atmosphere with Dwight Howard (Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel).  Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says that although the Magic are enduring some growing pains, the young club has been showing encouraging signs of development. We have a few more miscellaneous links to share out of the Eastern Conference tonight: 

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Lakers Updates: Saturday

January 26th, 2013 at 6:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

All of the day's updates about the Los Angeles Lakers will be gathered in this post.

6:39pm: Steve Blake announces (via Twitter) that he'll be healthy for a return this upcoming Tuesday. 

2:16pm: Despite all the turmoil surrounding the team, sources tell Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News the Lakers have no intention of firing D'Antoni, and still plan to re-sign Howard this summer.

10:28am: The Buss family released a statement dispelling rumors that the Lakers are for sale. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News has the transcript:

"We unanimously agree that we have no intention of ever selling the Lakers, and intend to keep ownership of the team in our family for generations to come," the statement read.

9:21am: Kobe Bryant discussed Dwight Howard's adjustment and the center's future with the Lakers with Sam Amick of USA Today:

"I don' t know what the future holds," Bryant said. "I don't know if (Howard will be traded)…But I know that as long as he's here, I'm going to continue to help him, mentor him, help him be great. That's all I can do. I'm a problem solver. I try to figure things out, come hell or high water."

8:39am: With the Lakers reeling after a four-game losing streak, Mike Trudell of the Los Angeles Times reports that GM Mitch Kupchak and Executive Vice President Jim Buss met with head coach Mike D'Antoni and gave him their vote of confidence. The Lakers defeated the Jazz Friday night, 102-84.

According to Trudell's report, Buss and Kupchak gave D'Antoni permssion to continue running his offense the way he had been previously, and handle all lineup and personnel decisions himself. D'Antoni commented to the Los Angeles Times that he saw no reason to change things:

"I just find it amusing that people want us to play a different way," he said. "And I don't know why we don't look at the top five teams and play that way. You know, San Antonio, Miami, Oklahoma City — they're all playing small and fast and moving the ball. The league has changed a little bit. We're not trying to get to mediocrity. We're trying to get to be better."

There had previously been speculation that the Lakers were considering firing D'Antoni after the team got off to a rough start under him. D'Antoni replaced Mike Brown, who was fired five games into the season after a 1-4 start.

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Rockets Reinstate Royce White

January 26th, 2013 at 6:17pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Rockets have lifted their suspension on Royce White and expect him to join their D-League affiliate on February 11. This past week, we heard that White was close to an agreement which would allow him to begin his assignment with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers after being suspended earlier this month. 

Houston and White released a joint statement today (according to Rockets.com):

"The Houston Rockets and Royce White have today reached an agreement that addresses the major issues that they have been discussing, provides a new start, and gives Royce the best opportunity for long term success as a Houston Rocket. This has been a learning process for both parties. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have approved the settlement. Royce is no longer suspended and is re-instated effective immediately. He will report to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on February 11, 2013."

Feigen also says that the rookie foward will be allowed to do conditioning work on his own or with Rockets staff before joining the Vipers (Twitter link).  

 

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Odds & Ends: Lakers, Luxury Tax, Meeks

January 26th, 2013 at 6:09pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Yannis Koutroupis and Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld both agree that it wouldn't be in the Lakers' best interests to deal Dwight Howard despite how the team has struggled with him thus far. Brotherston also thinks that with Pau Gasol's value to teams looking for some veteran leadership, it would be wise for Los Angeles to cash him in for younger and more athletic players who can provide a better fit next to Steve Nash and Dwight. You'll find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

  • Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer looks at how the CBA's more restrictive luxury-tax implications (set to take effect in 2013-14) have reconfigured the way trades have been discussed in today's NBA, where cap space and draft picks have become the most coveted bargaining chips in what Celtics coach Doc Rivers calls 'economic trades.' 
  • Brotherston writes about how the emergence of Earl Clark in Mike D'Antoni's rotation has come at the expense of guard Jodie Meeks, who has gone from averaging 26.5 MPG in December to playing a total of 38 minutes in the Lakers' last seven games. While Meeks admits his frustration, he says there is nothing else to do but remain positive and stay ready for when D'Antoni gives him another opportunity to play. 
  • Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer points to inexperience as an explanation for the Bobcats' struggles when trying to close out games. Of their 31 losses this season, 10 have been decided by six points or less. 
  • While there is no set timetable for Hedo Turkoglu's return to action for the Magic, the 6'10 veteran forward recently participated in fullcourt scrimmages and said that the injured left hand he's been dealing with is "about to be 100 percent soon," notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. 
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Atlantic Rumors: Lowry, Calderon, Knicks, Celtics

January 26th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sunday's nationally televised tilt between the Heat and Celtics will mark the return of Ray Allen to Boston, and the erstwhile Celtics guard spoke to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports about the "collection of everything" that led him to sign with Miami. In addition, Allen has told those close to him that he felt he ranked behind Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo on coach Doc Rivers' list of favorites, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News shares. Rivers is nonetheless calling for Boston fans to cheer Allen when he's introduced, but a hostile greeting seems more likely, as LeBron James surmises in Chris Tomasson's report for Fox Sports Florida.

There's more on the Celtics and their Atlantic Division rivals, as we round up here:

  • Last night Ken Berger of CBSSports.com shared that he's hears the Raptors would prefer to trade Kyle Lowry over Jose Calderon, but according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the front office is split on which point guard it likes best. Wolstat speculates that a trade that sends both away is more likely than a scenario in which Toronto deals Lowry and keeps Calderon (All Twitter links).
  • While some members of the Knicks organization were worried several days ago that Rasheed Wallace might miss the season, coach Mike Woodson said that if the team had a playoff game today, Wallace would play, as Newsday's Al Iannazzone observes. That appears to make it less likely the Knicks would sign Kenyon Martin, as their interest in him is reportedly tied to Wallace's ability to return.
  • While the Celtics' strengthening affinity for J.J. Redick may not be likely to result in a deal, CSNNE.com rounds up opinions on what a trade for the Magic sharpshooter and other moves could do for Boston. The problem isn't a lack of talent, according to CSNNE.com scribe A. Sherrod Blakely, adding that he believes Rivers' job is safe.
  • Hall of Famer Robert Parish is campaigning for an NBA front-office or coaching job, but isn't expecting a hand from many of his former Celtics teammates, as Stan Grosfeld of the Boston Globe observes.
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Hoops Links: Celtics, D’Antoni, Splitter, Rockets

January 26th, 2013 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 1993, Chuck Daly became the 15th coach in NBA history to register 500 career victories, after his Nets defeated the visiting Lakers 106-91.  Daly, who passed away in 2009, enjoyed a remarkable coaching career punctuated by back-to-back world titles with the Pistons and winning the gold medal with the 1992 Dream Team.  

If you have a great blog piece that you think we should feature next week, then send it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.  Here's this week's look around the blogosphere..

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

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Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Bucks, Mike James, Suns

January 26th, 2013 at 3:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz were on the wrong end of one of the Lakers' better performances of the season last night, and now they have to turn around tonight and take on the Pacers, who are just one of two teams in the league giving up fewer than 90 points a game (the Grizzlies are the other). Utah, sitting seventh in the West, is only a game and a half in front of the ninth-place Rockets, and with only five players with guaranteed money on the books for next season, the Jazz will be an interesting team to watch as the trade deadline draws near.

As we await a 10-game night in the NBA, here's more from around the Association:

  • The Grizzlies owe a pair of future first-round picks to other teams, and would look for at least one, and preferably two, first-rounders in any deal for Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis would also make such a deal with the idea of freeing up space to re-sign Tony Allen, an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Bucks have given assistant GM Jeff Weltman a three-year extension, matching the length of the extension GM John Hammond received this week, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Weltman has drawn interest from the Clippers and Suns about their GM jobs in recent years, Woelfel adds.
  • With Mike James' second 10-day contract expiring Sunday night, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was asked whether the team would sign him for the rest of the season, and Cuban indicated that was the plan, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "So far, so good," Cuban said of James. "No reason to think otherwise at this point."
  • Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News hears that former Suns coach Alvin Gentry had player development coordinator Lindsey Hunter removed from practices on multiple occasions, and feared that Hunter, his eventual successor, was a "spy" for the front office.
  • Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel downplays the idea of Jermaine O'Neal rejoining the Heat, pointing out that the center didn't leave Miami on good terms in 2010, and opining that the Suns are unlikely to buy out his minimum-salary contract. 
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Darius Johnson-Odom Signs In Russia

January 26th, 2013 at 1:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former Lakers guard Darius Johnson-Odom has signed to play for the Russian club Spartak St. Petersburg, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports. The deal covers the rest of this season and includes an option for 2013/14, though it's unclear whether that's a player or team option. 

The Lakers waived Johnson-Odom earlier this month after making him the 55th pick in the draft this past June. He appeared in only four NBA games and failed to score a point in six total minutes. He saw more extensive action with the Lakers' D-League affiliate, notching 20.6 points, 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in 12 contests with the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Tbe 6'3" product of Marquette replaces Patrick Beverley, who left Spartak to sign with the Rockets. Coincidentally, Beverley finalized his deal with Houston the same day the Lakers let go of Johnson-Odom.

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