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Month: November 2024

Atlantic Notes: Erving, Weaver, Celtics

August 26th, 2018 at 2:56pm CST by marksuleymanov

As an ambassador for the Sixers, Hall of Famer Julius Erving is as aware and in touch with the state of the franchise as anybody. Dr. J spoke to reporters at a recent appearance and gave his candidate thoughts on Philadelphia’s young players and aspirations entering the 2018/19 season.

Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Erving believes the Sixers could fall anywhere from the first to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

“The team is not complete,” Erving said. “I think the team has the core, which is very important to have, and now you have to get the tentacles, you have to get the role players and then you have to get the surprise guys that are better than you thought they were.”

Erving also weighed in on the Sixers’ two top young guns: Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Simmons, the reigning Rooke of the Year, does not have much of a mid-range game at this point and Erving stressed the need for him to improve in that area.

“I always thought you work on the skills you are weak in and you work also to improve the skills where you are strong and then you just try to be a consistent force night in and night out,” he said. “So with Ben’s shooting, mid-range, long-range, I am sure he has put a lot of time in practicing that.”

Finally, Erving spoke glowingly of Embiid’s on-court potential but said the first-time All-Star needs to be a stronger leader.

“Joel is really a guy who has shown no weakness from a skill standpoint, offensively or defensively, so I think he just has to be more of a leader, maybe more of a vocal leader and probably in terms of night in and night out, doing things with matchups on the court that would allow him to be a consistent force,” Erving said.

Check out more Atlantic Division notes below

  • The Nets‘ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, will have a new head coach as Will Weaver is slated to take the reins. Net Income of Net Daily highlighted the new coach and what he will face coaching the team.
  • The Celtics are expected to enter the upcoming season as one of the favorites – if not the favorite – in the Eastern Conference. However, Drew Maresca of Basketball Insiders writes that Boston could have a much tougher season than expected. The Celtics will rely heavily on Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, two players returning from serious leg injuries. Also, the chemistry and playing time split between Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum and others will be key.
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Jamil Wilson Close To Signing In Italy

August 26th, 2018 at 12:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Talks between former Clippers forward Jamil Wilson and Italy’s Fiat Torino have reached the advanced stage.

The news was originally reported by Tuttosport and relayed by Sportando.

Wilson will apparently leave the door open for a return to the NBA. The contract being discussed would have NBA and EuroLeague escapes, according to the report.

Wilson appeared in 15 games on a two-way contract with the Clippers last season, including 10 starts, and averaged 7.0 PPG in 18.3 MPG. He was waived in January and the Lakers seriously considered signing him. They decided not to give him a 10-day contract after he was named in a civil suit involving sexual battery and fraud, though it was never made clear whether that led to their change of heart.

He eventually wound up with the Pacers’ G League team in Fort Wayne, Ind. before signing with Italy’s Serie A team, Virtus Bologna.

Wilson will be under the guidance of a familiar face if he joins the Italian club. Longtime NBA coach Larry Brown signed a contract early this summer to coach Fiat Torino.

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Community Shootaround: Nets’ Playoff Aspirations

August 26th, 2018 at 11:11am CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets GM Sean Marks raised a few eyebrows earlier this month when he stated the team’s goal this upcoming season was to make the playoffs. He told season-ticket holders that he thinks there’s enough talent on the roster to make that happen.

“I don’t see any reason why we can’t make a push for the playoffs,” he said. “Isn’t that the objective here? We’re not sitting here trying to win 20 games, so let’s put our best foot forward and push each other and see where it goes.”

It’s no secret that next summer is even more important to the franchise. Brooklyn will have gobs of salary-cap space and can make a strong push for two or even three top-flight free agents.

According to Basketball Insiders, the Nets have less than $17MM in guaranteed salaries on their books next summer. Even if Allen Crabbe exercises his $18.5MM player option and the team exercises its options on Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, it will still be able to chase a couple of big-name free agents. Failing that, it could absorb the contract of an All-Star caliber player or two in trades.

As for the upcoming season, the Nets don’t have anything resembling an All-Star on the roster but they should have plenty of competition for minutes. If D’Angelo Russell can remain healthy and start playing at the level expected of a No. 2 overall pick in the draft, Marks’ goal would seem more realistic.

Brooklyn also has some other notable options at point guard, including Spencer Dinwiddie and free agent addition Shabazz Napier. LeVert and Joe Harris will likely see the most action at shooting guard, while holdover starter DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe are a solid 1-2 punch at small forward.

Along with Allen, the Nets’ power rotation will include returnee Rondae Hollis-Jefferson; Kenneth Faried, acquired from the Nuggets in a salary dump; a prolific rebounder Ed Davis, another free agent signee.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Marks’ optimism is the general weakness of the East beyond the Celtics, Sixers and Raptors (assuming Kawhi Leonard is healthy).

That leads to our question of the day: Do the Nets have enough pieces to make the playoffs?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Pistons Rumors: Kennard, Ellenson, Smith, Projection

August 26th, 2018 at 9:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have big plans for second-year guard Luke Kennard and he rates as a breakout candidate for the upcoming season, Ben Nadeau of Basketball Insiders writes. Kennard averaged 11.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 2.5 APG during the last 19 games of his rookie season and his role will expand under new coach Dwane Casey, Nadeau continues. Kennard has the ability to play three positions and he has the potential to become one of the league’s premier 3-point shooters, Nadeau adds.

We have more on the Pistons:

  • Power forward Henry Ellenson has been selected for the USA National Team qualifying for the World Championships, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. Ellenson has played sparingly in his first two NBA seasons after being chosen in the first round of the 2016 draft but his role is expected to expand during the upcoming season under Casey.
  • Point guard Ish Smith could be traded during the season, Ansar Khan of MLive.com opines. Smith is entering the final year of his contract and the Pistons also have Jose Calderon and Kennard available for that role, Khan continues. Otherwise, Smith will be the primary backup to Reggie Jackson. He improved his 3-point shooting toward the end of last season and is well-suited for the second unit due his energy, speed and ability to attack the basket, Khan adds.
  • The big man combination of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond should be enough for the Pistons to secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype predicts. Sierra sees Detroit finishing third in the Central Division and eighth in the conference despite a lack of talent beyond the frontcourt duo.
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Northwest Notes: O’Neale, Thibodeau, Collison, Murray

August 25th, 2018 at 8:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

After two years of trying to earn an NBA job, Royce O’Neale broke through in a big way with the Jazz last season, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. After unexpectedly making the roster in training camp, O’Neale played in 69 games and was part of the rotation right through the playoffs. As he prepares for his second NBA season, O’Neale hasn’t changed his mindset of fighting to prove he belongs on the team.

“I can’t rest,” O’Neale said. “I still have to come out here and play with a chip on my shoulder.”

O’Neale has dedicated the summer to working on ball-handling and 3-point shooting, as well as spending time in the weight room. He heads into this year’s camp with a contract in hand, even though both seasons are non-guaranteed. O’Neale will receive $1,378,242 this season and $1,618,520 in 2019/20 if he remains on the roster.

There’s more tonight from the Northwest Division:

  • Coming off a difficult season with the Timberwolves, coach/executive Tom Thibodeau feels refreshed after a summer away from the team, relays Jim Souhan of The Star-Tribune. Minnesota entered the season with high expectations after trading for Jimmy Butler and signing Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson, but the pieces didn’t always fit together well and the Wolves had to win on the final night of the regular season to reach the playoffs. “I know I have to recharge,” said Thibodeau, who spent much of the summer traveling. “Now that I’m back here, I walk around the lake quite a bit. It’s beautiful here in the summer.”
  • The Thunder should honor Nick Collison‘s years of service to the organization by retiring his number, contends an article in The Oklahoman (subscription only.) Collison was the 12th pick in the 2003 draft by the SuperSonics and remained with the team for a full decade after its move to Okahoma City. He announced his retirement in May.
  • Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has proven he can excel on offense, but he still needs to improve at the other end of the court, contends Joel Rush of Forbes. Rush runs the numbers and shows that Murray’s ineffectiveness on defense negates much of what he contributes on offense.
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Community Shootaround: Two-Way Contracts

August 25th, 2018 at 7:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Twelve months ago, few NBA fans understood what two-way contracts were. After a year in place, it’s clear that teams have vastly different philosophies on how to utilize this new class of player.

Instituted under the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, two-way contracts give the best G League prospects a chance to get some NBA exposure, while giving teams an easily accessible supply of reinforcements in case of injuries. Each team has a pair of two-way slots to use, and players with two-way contracts are limited to 45 days of NBA service, which counts practices and traveling as well as games.

A player who hits the 45-day limit cannot spend any more time with his NBA team until the G League season ends, unless his contract is converted to a standard NBA deal. Players with two-way contracts are also ineligible for the postseason, which is why the Warriors had to open a roster spot for Quinn Cook in April, which cost them Omri Casspi.

Cook was the most successful two-way player last season, appearing in 33 games, starting 18, and posting a 9.5/2.5/2.7 line. He was a valuable reserve for the Warriors all the way through their run to a championship.

While NBA service time is limited in two-way deals, so is compensation. The minimum salary ranges from $838,464 for a player with no experience to $1,621,415 for a player with four years of service, which is the maximum allowable for a two-way contract. Rules allow two-way players to collect up to $275K, but most make far less.

That salary structure is among the reasons the contracts aren’t universally popular. Even though they create 60 more NBA jobs, an unidentified agent recently told Justin Jett of DefPen that the league is taking advantage of the new system.

“Teams are explicitly violating two-way compensation rules,” the agent claimed. “There’s no good way to ‘police’ these deals. Agents get paid basically nothing on these deals and teams flat out lie to try to steal money from, and exploit, two-way contract players.”

We want to get your opinion. Have two-way contracts been good for the NBA and the players, or do changes need to be made? Please leave your responses in the space below.

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Atlantic Notes: Rozier, J. Brown, Nets, Sixers GM

August 25th, 2018 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

“Scary Terry” isn’t afraid of returning to a bench role now that Celtics teammate Kyrie Irving is healthy again, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN. Terry Rozier became a postseason star in Boston with Irving sidelined after knee surgery, starting all 19 games and posting a 16.5/5.3/5.7 line as the Celtics reached Game 7 of the conference finals. Irving’s recovery will make Rozier a reserve again, but he won’t let that affect his outlook for the season.

“I’m not worried about [his role],” Rozier said today at his youth basketball camp. “Kinda control what I can control. We all got one goal, and that’s to win. We all get love when we win. That should be everybody’s mindset. It’s going to be a lot of fun. If you want to win a championship, that’s what it’s going to take — sacrifice. … We’re all going to have one goal, and it’s going to lead us to the promised land.”

Rozier’s attitude should help the Celtics, but it may not keep him in Boston beyond this season. He will be a restricted free agent next summer, and the organization may not want to make a large financial commitment to another guard with Irving also headed for free agency and Marcus Smart re-signing last month for $52MM over four years.

There’s more today from the Atlantic Division:

  • Jayson Tatum, who is coming off a stellar rookie season, expressed similar sentiments in an interview with Nicole Yang of Boston.com. Tatum was also outstanding for the Celtics in the playoffs, averaging 18.5 points per game, but he’s expected to lose his starting role whenever Gordon Hayward is healthy enough to take over. “I understand how deep our team is,” Tatum said. “I just care about winning and doing what I can while I’m on the floor.”
  • The Nets will probably focus on big men with their two open slots for training camp, according to an article on NetsDaily. Both players will likely wind up in the G League, and Brooklyn’s affiliate in Long Island is short on centers with an injury to Kamari Murphy, a starter last season, and the uncertain status of Prince Ibeh. The story mentions Luke Petrasek and Byron Mullens, who both attended the Nets’ free agent mini-camp this summer, as possibilities.
  • The Sixers are looking for a GM who won’t demand the final say on personnel moves, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Appearing on a podcast with Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, Pompey said the organization wants to keep the group dynamic in the front office that it’s had since getting rid of Bryan Colangelo in June.
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Hornets Notes: Kidd-Gilchrist, Howard, Bridges, Jordan

August 25th, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will likely have a reduced role under new coach James Borrego and may not last the entire season with the Hornets, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer in a question-and-answer column. Since being taken second overall in the 2012 draft, Kidd-Gilchrist has started all but four of the games in which he has appeared during his six seasons in Charlotte, but his position may be in jeopardy.

Bonnell cites “offensive limitations” that will make him less appealing with Borrego in charge. In a league where most forwards are expected to help stretch the defense, Kidd-Gilchrist only attempted two 3-pointers last season and is 7 for 36 from long distance for his career.

With a $13MM contract for this season and a $13MM player option for 2019/20, Kidd-Gilchrist won’t be easy to move. Bonnell speculates that GM Mitch Kupchak might have more success around the trade deadline, but still may have to take on long-term salary in return.

Bonnell passes on more Hornets information in the same piece:

  • Borrego emphasizes quick decision making on offense, which is among the reasons Dwight Howard was traded away after a productive season. The new coach wants constant movement and doesn’t like to see players holding onto the ball while deciding their next move. Howard is often criticized for slowing down the offense with his low-post game.
  • The Hornets may not be in a hurry to make trades before training camp opens next month because Borrego would like some time to evaluate his players to see who best fits his system.
  • First-round pick Miles Bridges will be used primarily at small forward, but Borrego may experiment with him as a stretch four during preseason. Bonnell notes that Bridges dropped about 20 pounds between college and Summer League, where he showed that he can distribute the ball and create mismatches.
  • Team owner Michael Jordan shouldn’t be judged harshly for the Hornets’ failure to attract free agents. The organization is well over the salary cap, and Charlotte doesn’t offer the natural advantages that some other cities do. Bonnell states that if Jordan were running the Lakers, he would have been just as successful as Magic Johnson when it came to luring LeBron James.
  • Jordan can’t circumvent the salary cap to give extra money to impending free agent Kemba Walker through his shoe deal. Walker is a paid endorser of the Jordan Brand, as are some other Hornets, but the league laid out rules against using that to get around the cap way back when Jordan first got a stake in the Wizards.
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Andre Roberson May Not Return Until December?

August 25th, 2018 at 3:50pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite previously reporting that Thunder guard Andre Roberson said he was on track to be back for the start of the 2018/19 season, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman is now being told that Roberson is still a “couple months away” from his return and that he’s targeting the end of 2018 for a return to normalcy.

Roberson, 26, says he’ll return “when (he) feel(s) ready” after rupturing his left patellar tendon in January of this year. “I’m not really putting a particular timeline on it, but I want to come back to myself somewhere in, like, December,” Roberson said. “It would be great if it happened before Christmas. That’d be great, but like I said, not putting a timeline on it, just taking it a day at a time.”

“Knowing the history of this injury, not many people come back from it the same way,” Roberson added, but also noted that “in today’s day and era, in terms of technology, medicine and stuff like that, it’s totally different,” crediting the Thunder’s medical staff with helping him work his way back.

Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said the team is fine with Roberson taking his time to get right and that he wouldn’t rush to get Roberson back on the court, especially considering the severity of the type of injury suffered by Roberson.

That being said, the Thunder are still sure to be eager to get Roberson back on the court. As Dawson notes, the Thunder ranked fifth in the NBA in defensive rating last season before Roberson got hurt. Afterward, Oklahoma City saw its rating drop ten spots to fifteenth.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 8/18/18 – 8/25/18

August 25th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. With the NBA offseason in full swing, here are our numerous segments and features from the past seven days:

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