Month: November 2024

And-Ones: Chandler, Taylor, Heat, Ayon

September 21st, 2014 at 4:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks’ Phil Jackson had upset Tyson Chandler with comments he made regarding changing the culture of the franchise and removing any parts that have had a negative influence. But Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders doesn’t believe Jackson’s comments were directed at Chandler, but instead at J.R. Smith and the departed Raymond Felton. Blancarte also notes that Chandler’s issues were with former head coach Mike Woodson, not the franchise, and that Jackson traded Chandler so they wouldn’t lose him for nothing when he left as a free agent next Summer.

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Miroslav Raduljica‘s contract with the Shandong Lions is for one year and approximately $1.5MM, Enea Trapani of Sportando reports. Raduljica was waived by the Clippers in late August shortly after he came over in the Jared Dudley trade, and he recently signed with the Chinese team.
Nine months after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a game against the Pistons, the Hornets‘ Jeff Taylor is healed and ready to compete for minutes with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Lance Stephenson, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes.
Gustavo Ayon‘s deal with Real Madrid is for three years and 5.2 million euros, David Pick of Eurobasket reports. The contract also comes with an NBA escape clause each Summer, as well as a team option for the third season, notes Pick.
The Heat will undoubtedly have a new look this season with the departure of LeBron James to Cleveland. Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel looks at ten questions facing coach Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the Miami organization.

Week In Review: 9/15/14-9/21/14

September 21st, 2014 at 2:49pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The impasse between the Suns and Eric Bledsoe continues to drag on, with neither the player or the team seemingly willing to bend on their negotiating stances. With each week that passes it seems more likely that Bledsoe will be forced to sign a qualifying offer and play out the season in Phoenix before becoming an unrestricted free agent next Summer. The latest wrinkle in the saga was Minnesota jumping into the mix and being willing to offer Bledsoe the max contract he is seeking, but it would require the Suns to participate in a sign-and-trade for the deal to work, something that Phoenix is reportedly disinterested in at the present time.

Here’s a rundown of the rest of the wheelings and dealings from the week that was…

Xavier Silas agreed to a training camp deal with the Wizards.
The Pistons brought in Denzel Bowles for a workout, but the big man is also in talks with the Jilin Northeast Tigers.
Lou Amundson worked out for the Cavs, and was later signed to a camp deal.
Orlando signed Seth Curry, Kadeem Batts, and Drew Crawford to training camp deals.
Former NBA player Slava Kravtsov signed with China’s Foshan Long Lions.
The Sixers inked JaKarr Sampson to a four year deal.
Big man Ryan Hollins drew interest from the Lakers, Kings, Bulls, and Spurs.
The Grizzlies and Earl Clark agreed to a camp deal.
Jamaal Franklin worked out for the Spurs.
The Bucks signed Michael Eric to a minimum salary deal.
Joe Ingles and the Clippers came to terms on a non-guaranteed, minimum salary contract.
The Wolves might bring point guard Myck Kabongo to training camp with the team.
Ben Hansbrough and Andrew Warren auditioned for the Pistons.
The league suspended Nuggets power forward J.J. Hickson without pay for five games for a violation of the NBA’s drug policy.
Gustavo Ayon fielded offers from the Spurs, Real Madrid, and Shandong, eventually deciding to sign with Real Madrid.
The Kings and Rockets finalized the trade that sent Jason Terry and a pair of second-rounders to Houston for Alonzo Gee and Scotty Hopson.
Orlando Sanchez signed a partially guaranteed deal with the Knicks.
Former Nets point guard Tyshawn Taylor agreed to a deal with the Russian club Dynamo Moscow.
James Nunnally signed with Estudiantes of the Spanish League.
The Wolves signed the No. 40 overall pick in this year’s draft, Glenn Robinson III, to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal.
Michael Beasley was in San Antonio to audition for the Spurs.
The Bulls signed E’Twaun Moore to a two year deal.
Brady Heslip and the Wolves inked a training camp deal.
Minnesota also signed Kyrylo Fesenko.
Jordan Crawford agreed to sign with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.
The Nets signed center Hamady Ndiaye, but the contract was voided when it became known that Ndiaye had an injury that would cause him to miss training camp.
Memphis signed Kalin Lucas to a training camp deal.
Zoran Dragic is in advanced discussions to leave Unicaja Malaga and join the NBA.
The Kings finalized their deal with Omri Casspi.
Ryan Hollins agreed to a deal to sign with Sacramento.
The Pelicans began talks with the representatives for Iranian small forward Samad Nikkhah Bahrami.
Lorenzo Brown and the Pistons came to terms on a non-guaranteed contract.
The Grizzlies signed big man Hassan Whiteside to a non-guaranteed deal for training camp.
Miroslav Raduljica signed a one year deal with the Shandong Flaming Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association.
The Hawks and Jarell Eddie agreed to a training camp deal.
Damion James signed a camp deal with the Wizards.
There’s a chance that DeAndre Liggins won’t be joining the Clippers for training camp.
Andray Blatche is headed to China after inking a deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
The Kings signed free agent guard Ramon Sessions to a two year, $4.2MM agreement.
Jared Cunningham put pen to paper and signed with the Clippers.

Nets Notes: Bogdanovic, Agents, Camp Invitees

September 21st, 2014 at 12:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets are entering a season of unknowns for the franchise. They have a new head coach in Lionel Hollins, Paul Pierce is with the Wizards, Kevin Garnett hasn’t officially stated that he’s returning yet, and the usual injury concerns for Deron Williams and Brook Lopez cloud Brooklyn’s outlook for 2014/15. Robert Windrem of Nets Daily looks at a number of items for Brooklyn’s hoops team:

Zeljko Obradovic, the coach of Fenerbahce in Istanbul, has been referred to as the “Phil Jackson of Europe” due to his enormous success and having won eight Euroleague titles with four different teams. Obradovic coached Bojan Bogdanovic the last two seasons and lauds his former player’s potential, saying, “He’s maybe 40 percent of what he can be. He still has lot of room for improvement and it’s all up to him. Bojan knows what I think about him, I told him everything. I really wish he will stay as long as he can in NBA, but I wish he stays as someone who could leave deep imprint in the league and be very important player.” Good news for the Nets who are hoping Bogdanovic can help make up for the loss of Shaun Livingston in free agency.
The article also looks at the player agents who have the closest ties to the Nets, with Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group being the most influential. Tellem reps four players on Brooklyn’s roster including Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, and Bogdanovic.
The complete list of training camp invitees hasn’t been announced yet, and according to Windrem, the official list should be published later this week. But for those hoping to be dazzled, team sources have said that there won’t be any headline grabbing names added to the 17 players currently on Brooklyn’s preseason roster.

Trade Retrospective: Vince Carter To Nets

September 21st, 2014 at 11:05am CST by Eddie Scarito

In the wake of the blockbuster deal that sent Kevin Love to the Cavaliers this summer, I’ve been taking a look back at some of the bigger trades that have occurred in the NBA over the last decade. It’s always a risk to trade away a star player, and getting equal value is a near impossibility in most cases.

It’s fascinating to see the league-wide ripples that big trades can cause, and sometimes the full effects and ramifications aren’t fully felt until years later when the draft picks are used, players either reach their potential or fall short, the won-loss records are final, and title banners have been hung, or franchises end up in the draft lottery.

So far I’ve looked back at Carmelo Anthony being dealt to the Knicks; Kevin Garnett to the Celtics; Dwight Howard to the Lakers; Stephon Marbury to the Knicks; Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat; Chris Paul to the Clippers; Deron Williams to the Nets; LaMarcus Aldridge to the Blazers; and James Harden to the Rockets. Next up is a response to one of our reader’s requests, the December 18th, 2004 trade that saw the Raptors send Vince Carter to the Nets.

Let’s begin with a breakdown of the pieces involved:

The Nets received Carter.
The Raptors received Alonzo Mourning; Eric Williams; Aaron Williams; 2005 first-rounder (Joey Graham); and a 2006 first-rounder (Renaldo Balkman).

The Nets were desperately looking for some athleticism to replace Kenyon Martin who had been traded to Denver prior to the season. The franchise was beginning to decline, despite being only one season removed from their second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. The team’s biggest star, Jason Kidd, was growing frustrated and all indications were that he was going to push for a trade, and management hoped that this deal would not only vault the franchise back into contender status, but also placate Kidd.

Here are the Nets records prior to trade:

2000/01: 26-56
2001/02: 52-30 (Lost in the NBA Finals to the Lakers)
2002/03: 49-33 (Lost in the NBA Finals to the Spurs)
2003/04: 47-35 (Lost in second round to the Pistons)

Carter was the biggest star in Raptors history. He was an electric player whose high-flying dunks and scoring prowess made him one of the top attractions in the game. But he was beginning to be criticized by the media and fans for becoming a “soft” player, which didn’t sit well with him. The point of contention was his increased reliance on jump shots, and his seeming reluctance to drive the lane and take the inevitable contact that results from such forays.

At the time of the trade Carter was in the midst of his worst season as a professional, averaging a career low 15.9 PPG while shooting 41.1% from the field. Believing a change of scenery would energize his career, Carter requested a trade from the Raptors and Brooklyn (then New Jersey) was all too happy to pair him with Kidd and Richard Jefferson to form one of the more exciting and athletic teams in the league.

Carter instantly responded to the change of address, increasing his scoring to 27.5 PPG the rest of the 2004/05 season. He also returned to form during his years in New Jersey, though the move never resulted in the Nets returning to the Finals, much less winning them.

Here’s what Carter’s production was during his time with the Nets:

2004/05: 27.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.5 SPG. His slash line was .462/.425/.817.
2005/06: 24.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 1.2 APG. His slash line was .430/.341/.799.
2006/07: 25.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.0 SPG. His slash line was .454/.357/.802.
2007/08: 21.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.1 APG, and 1.2 SPG. His slash line was .456/.359/.816.
2008/09: 20.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG. His slash line was .437/.385/.817.

As you can see, his production was All-Star caliber though he began his decline phase during his last two seasons in New Jersey. But his numbers were also just window dressing since the Nets were merely an average team during his tenure. Here is what the Nets did with Carter on the roster:

2004/05: 42-40 (Lost in first round to the Heat)
2005/06: 49-33 (Lost in second round to the Heat)
2006/07: 41-41 (Lost in second round to the Cavs)
2007/08: 34-48
2008/09: 34-48

Carter’s time in New Jersey came to an end on June 25th, 2009, the day of the NBA Draft. He was dealt to the Magic along with Ryan Anderson for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee. The Nets immediately felt his absence, going 12-70 the next season, while Orlando went 59-23 and lost in the Conference Finals to the Celtics.

Considering the Nets didn’t end up giving away all that much to acquire Carter, it’s difficult to label the trade a failure from a purely statistical standpoint. But seeing how Carter’s presence didn’t result in a deep playoff run or a 50+ win season at any point, the franchise may have been better served in the long run if they had skipped this trade, blown up the roster, and spent a few seasons in the draft lottery as a result.

This trade from the Raptors’ point-of-view was an attempt to jump start their rebuilding process and to assuage Carter, who had made it clear to team management that he wanted out of Toronto. He was in the midst of his worst season as a pro, and to be fair, he was nursing a number of nagging injuries at the time, but the change of scenery certainly seemed to energize Carter and boost his stats.

Toronto wasn’t close to contending with its roster at the time, as evidenced by its records in the seasons prior to the deal happening:

2000/01: 47-35 (lost in second round to the Sixers)
2001/02: 42-40 (lost in first round to the Pistons)
2002/03: 24-58
2003/04: 33-49

When looking back at the pieces the Raptors netted, the first impression is that they received “pennies on the dollar” for Carter. They got very little out of the players they acquired, and the draft picks also ended up being misses, which makes the trade look even worse for Toronto.

With the 2005 first-rounder they received, the Raptors selected Joey Graham with the 16th overall pick. His numbers in Toronto left quite a bit to be desired for a mid first-rounder, as shown below:

2005/06: 6.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 0.8 APG. His slash line was .478/.333/.812.
2006/07: 6.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His slash line was .495/.290/.840.
2007/08: 3.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 0.4 APG. His slash line was .434/.667/.844.
2008/09: 7.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His slash line was .481/.188/.825.

When making big-name player trades, draft picks are some of the best currency a franchise can acquire to help them jump start the rebuilding process. But the key is that teams need to cash in and select the right player–something that is far from an exact science. Toronto essentially wasted the pick on Graham, judging by his lack of production. This selection looks even worse when you consider that Danny Granger, Monta Ellis, Marcin Gortat, David Lee, and Gerald Green were still on the board when Graham’s name was called by the commissioner.

Graham’s tenure north of the border came to an end when he became a free agent in 2009 and inked a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Nuggets. He was only in the league for two more seasons, averaging 4.2 PPG and 5.2 PPG respectively during those years.

The other first-rounder was also wasted by Toronto. They packaged it along with Jalen Rose in the trade with the Knicks that brought Antonio Davis to the Raptors. For Toronto, this was a move to create cap space for the summer when the team was hoping to re-sign Mike James, who ended up opting out of his contract and signing with the Timberwolves anyway.

Davis did little-to-nothing for the Raptors, suffering a serious back injury after just eight games with the team. This injury resulted in the team releasing Davis, with then GM Bryan Colangelo saying, “After receiving a second opinion on Antonio’s lingering back problems, it is very unlikely that he would return to competitive action this season with the Raptors. After lengthy discussions with Antonio regarding his physical condition and his general sense of disappointment over his personally difficult year, we have concluded that it’s in the best interest of both the organization and Antonio Davis to simply release him at this late point of the season.” Davis never played another minute in the league again.

So instead of having another young player to try and build around, the Raptors traded the pick to the Knicks, who also botched their selection by taking Renaldo Balkman with the No. 20 overall pick. Balkman’s career numbers were 4.0 PPG and 3.5 RPG. That’s hardly impressive, and made all the worse by the players who were available when that selection rolled around, like Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, and Paul Millsap.

This deal could have been a win for the Raptors if they had held onto the picks and used them wisely. If we were looking back on this trade and the Raptors had Rondo and Granger, or Ellis and Millsap, then it would be cast in a much different light for the organization and its fans.

So instead of tearing down their roster and starting fresh, the Raptors ended up with a number of aging and injured players in return for their superstar. Here’s what Toronto’s records looked like after the deal:

2004/05: 33-49
2005/06: 27-55
2006/07: 47-35 (lost in first round to the Nets)
2007/08: 41-41 (lost in first round to the Magic)
2008/09: 33-49

As for the rest of the players the Raptors received, Alonzo Mourning was the biggest name, but he was nowhere near the player that he was during his time in Charlotte or during his first stint with the Heat thanks to his kidney condition. Mourning never reported to Toronto, and instead he had his contract bought out by the team, which enabled him to sign with Miami, where he spent the remaining three seasons of his career.

Eric Williams lasted a season and a half in Toronto before being traded on June 21, 2006 to the Spurs along with Matt Bonner and a 2009 second-rounder (Jack McClinton) for Rasho Nesterovic and cash. Williams’ numbers with the Raptors were less than inspiring as evidenced below:

2004/05: 4.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.5 APG. His slash line was .379/.333/.717.
2005/06: 3.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 0.5 APG. His slash line was .387/.278/.737.

The final player involved was Aaron Williams, who also didn’t provide much in the way of production. Here’s what he offered the Raptors during his tenure:

2004/05: 1.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG, and 0.1 APG. His slash line was .417/.000/.857.
2005/06: 1.8 PPG, 1.1 RPG, and 0.1 APG. His slash line was .526/.000/.833.

Williams’ time with the franchise came to an end when he was traded in January of 2006 to the Pelicans for a 2006 second-rounder (Edin Bavcic) and a 2009 second-rounder, which was subsequently included in the previously mentioned Nesterovic trade.

Trading Carter was something that the Raptors couldn’t avoid. Having a star player unhappy to be in the city and with the franchise is never a good situation, and it’s even worse when he is having a career-worst season at the time. As is often the case, there was no way that Toronto was going to obtain equal value out of the gate for dealing away a player of Carter’s talents. But if they had used the first-rounders they acquired much more wisely, including not dealing one of them away for eight games of Antonio Davis, this is a deal that could have turned out quite differently.

So all the GMs out there hoping to stockpile picks when they gut their rosters should know that sometimes the players they have are much more beneficial to the team. The NBA Draft is such an inexact science when it comes to projecting which players will have the best professional careers. If these picks are spot on, the executives making these deals are hailed as geniuses, but far more often they don’t work out quite as planned.

This deal should have been a win for the Raptors considering who they could have had with the picks they obtained, but theoretical victories don’t placate fans, nor do they guarantee job security for those calling the shots. As for the Nets, they could have benefited more from holding onto the picks and using them wisely, especially since the acquisition of Carter didn’t net them a return to the NBA Finals, much less a championship banner. In the end I give the edge to Brooklyn, but it’s by default, and it’s not a victory they’ll hang from the rafters of the Barclays Center anytime soon.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Thornton, Plumlee

September 21st, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the loss of LeBron James and the failure to bring in a superstar to replace him, the Heat did extremely well in free agency, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Winderman believes that the signing of Luol Deng was the best possible consolation prize, and the veteran small forward will be especially motivated to perform this season after the Danny Ferry controversy in Atlanta.

Here’s more from the east:

With the Celtics in rebuilding mode and the franchise focusing on developing their younger backcourt players including first round pick Marcus Smart, some have called for Boston to trade the recently acquired Marcus Thornton. But despite the presence of Smart, Avery Bradley, and Evan Turner, after his deal is finalized, Kevin O’Connor of SB Nation thinks the team should consider holding onto the 27 year-old, and provides five reasons why.
Mason Plumlee is poised for a breakout season according to SB Nation, who believe the departure of Andray Blatche and the advancing age of Kevin Garnett will open the door for the second year player to shine this season for the Nets.
Former Bucks second-rounder Darington Hobson has signed with Brasilia of the Brazilian League, David Pick of Eurobasket reports (Twitter link). The contract includes outs for both the NBA and the Euroleague, according to Pick. Hobson played one season for Milwaukee, appearing in five games and averaging 0.8 PPG.

And-Ones: Turner, D-League, Rockets

September 20th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Cray Allred

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel ran down the free agent movements thus far, organized by each team’s comers and goers around the league. Here’s a look at the league’s news and notes from tonight:

A source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that the Celtics will officially complete their signing of Evan Turner before training camp starts at the end of the month (Twitter link). Turner reached an agreement with Boston back in July, but the team is still in the process of shuffling the roster to make room for the former No. 2 overall pick. Not counting Turner, the Celtics currently have 20 total contracts on the books for training camp, which is the maximum allowed.
Flip Bondy of the New York Daily News takes a look at the open tryout process for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Players truly off the street have a longshot chance at making D-League training camp, and longer odds at an eventual NBA callup.
The crew at Basketball Insiders previews the Rockets 2014/15 season. They are mostly optimistic about the team, despite GM Daryl Morey‘s misses this offseason.

Western Notes: McCalebb, Ayon, Bledsoe, Mavs

September 20th, 2014 at 8:22pm CST by Cray Allred

Kobe Bryant may not retire following the last two years on his contract with the Lakers, but he is eyeing an ownership stake in the Italian soccer team Bologna FC 1909, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation via Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times). Here’s more from around the West:

Bo McCalebb is in discussions with two teams in the Western Conference, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). This isn’t the first we’ve heard of interest in the 29-year-old Euroleague star point guard. McCalebb is a free agent and wouldn’t require a buyout to join an NBA team for training camp or beyond.
The Spurs had offered Gustavo Ayon the veteran’s minimum of $981,084 before the big man chose to sign overseas, Pick tells Hoops Rumors.
In a reader chat response, Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders wonders whether the Wolves will seek a third team to facilitate a sign-and-trade for Eric Bledsoe. Minnesota offered a max deal to the Suns restricted free agent, but Phoenix is reportedly uninterested in shipping him out for anyone on Minnesota’s roster.
Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News takes a look at the Mavericks‘ suddenly crowded backcourt, with incoming veterans in Jameer Nelson and Raymond Felton joining a roster already featuring Monta Ellis and Devin Harris. The team believes the players can coexist without any drama in coach Rick Carlisle‘s system. “A team can never have too many playmakers,” Carlisle said. “They can all play with or without the ball, so in my mind, they aren’t just point guards, they’re basketball players.”

Andray Blatche Signs With Chinese Team

September 20th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

7:00pm: Pick has informed Hoops Rumors that the $2MM figure first reported for Blatche’s deal is correct.

12:25pm: Andy Miller, Blatche’s agent, has confirmed the signing, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets.

12:08pm: The deal is for approximately $2.5MM, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports notes (Twitter link).

11:55am: According to his sources, David Pick of Eurobasket (Twitter link) reports that Blatche has signed the deal, and it is for one-year, $2MM.

9:52am: Free agent big man Andray Blatche is close to signing a deal to play in the Chinese Basketball Association, Sohu.com reports (translation by Enea Trapani of Sportando). The interested team is the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, who have already inked Jordan Crawford, and were in negotiations with Lester Hudson, before things fell apart.

There were rumors that the Flying Tigers were interested in signing Aron Baynes, who has also been linked to Yao Ming’s Shanghai Sharks. According to Hupu.com, Xinjiang’s management confirmed the addition of a big man who participated in the FIBA World Cup, but officials denied the deal was with Baynes, so it looks like Blatche is their target.

Blatche is an unrestricted free agent after averaging 11.2 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 22.2 minutes per contest with an 18.8 PER for the Nets last season. The Heat, Raptors, and Clippers had all been rumored to be interested in the 6’11”, 27 year-old. If Blatche does indeed sign with the CBA, he would still have an opportunity to sign with an NBA team late in the season, since the Chinese League ends play in February, with the playoffs generally concluding in mid-to-late March. For more on Blatche, check out Chuck Myron’s Free Agent Stock Watch profile on the player.

Eastern Rumors: Gibson, Taylor, Knicks

September 20th, 2014 at 6:17pm CST by Cray Allred

We have notes out of each division from the Eastern Conference this evening. Last year, the Southeast Division sent four teams to the playoffs, while the Atlantic and Central sent two apiece. This season, the Atlantic is in danger of dropping to just one playoff entry, as teams like Cleveland, Charlotte, and Atlanta figure to improve while Brooklyn and New York haven’t made clear upgrades this offseason. Here’s a rundown of the East:

Taj Gibson insisted that he is comfortable with a bench role in Chicago from his personal Twitter account (H/T Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The Bulls big was responding to a report that he was privately displeased at the prospect of remaining on the bench for a crowded Bulls frontcourt. Gibson was similarly diplomatic when a potential starting role was fueling rumors regarding Carlos Boozer‘s eventual amnesty.
Jeff Taylor tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer that he is trying to be patient while training following his Achilles surgery this winter, but that his injury is healed and not a concern heading into camp. “It’s the first time I had anything more than a sprained ankle. It’s really hard to hold yourself back,” Taylor said. “I’ve always been that person who thought he could do things others doubted. But in a situation like this, you have to listen.” Hornets coach Steve Clifford had some doubts as to Taylor’s readiness for the season, but the third-year guard is confident that he will be able to compete immediately. “It’s not an injury anymore. It’s healed,” said Taylor. “It’s not weighing on my mind.”
Jonah Ballow of NYKnicks.com writes that Knicks president Phil Jackson has given coach Derek Fisher plenty room to work so far, despite the temptation Jackson might feel to gravitate back toward the bench.

And-Ones: Blazers, Payton, Amundson

September 20th, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Blazers made it to the second round of the playoffs last season, which was the first time in the last 14 years that the franchise has accomplished that feat. In their season preview, the crew over at Basketball Insiders predicts that Portland will finish second in the Northwest Division, and the Blazers stronger bench may help them advance deeper in the playoffs this season.

Here’s more from around the league:

Gary Payton is joining the Bucks coaching staff as a special advisor with the express purpose of helping Giannis Antetokounmpo make the transition to point guard, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. Antetokounmpo played the point during the Las Vegas Summer League, and the intent is for him and Milwaukee to continue with the experiment during the regular season, notes Kenendy.
The Cavs impending signing of Lou Amundson brings to Cleveland a player who isn’t interested in scoring, and who understands the value of a rebound, taking a charge and overall defense, all things the suddenly talent-laden Cavs need, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer writes.
Recent Knicks camp invitee Orlando Sanchez could play a big role for the team this season, Keith Schlosser of SB Nation writes in his profile of the player. With the injury history of New York’s current big men, Sanchez could prove valuable as a mid-season D-League call up, notes Schlosser.

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