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Pacific Notes: Russell, Barnes, Ezeli, World Peace

November 4th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Chuck Myron

Lakers coach Byron Scott didn’t think Emmanuel Mudiay was a true point guard as the draft approached, and the coach questioned his decision-making, but Mudiay dismisses it as just “another human’s opinion,” writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Mudiay delivered 10 assists, albeit with six turnovers, in Denver’s win Tuesday over the Lakers, leading him to retort, “Thank you Byron Scott for saying I’m not a point guard,” tweets Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Mudiay played down the stretch of the close game while D’Angelo Russell, whom the Lakers took with the No. 2 overall pick instead of Mudiay, sat on the bench. That left Russell searching for answers, observes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

“I have no idea,” Russell said about how he can convince Scott he’s worthy of crunch-time minutes. “It’s just something I’ve got to deal with.”

Scott insists Russell will have his opportunities, though Russell wasn’t in the mood to compare himself to Mudiay, calling him “just another player,” as Bill Oram of the Orange County Register relays (Twitter links). See more on the Lakers amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

  • The Warriors failed to reach extensions with Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli before Monday’s deadline, but Barnes and Ezeli are fond of their surroundings and GM Bob Myers remains committed to finding a way to keep them, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports details. “We worked hard to get both [deals] done, but we weren’t able to,” Myers said to Spears. “We made a good effort. They looked hard at what we proposed. Ultimately, they decided to see what the market was in July, which is fine. We will work just as hard then to try to work something out.”
  • Metta World Peace, who’s on a non-guaranteed deal, has yet to appear in any games for the Lakers so far, but he’s OK with that, he tells Bresnahan. “It’s about looking at your surroundings, what you’re presented with, how you’re going to take that and become successful,” World Peace said. “How can I help the organization? How can I help myself? How can I help the guys? I’m just locked in. I’m focused on improving and winning. The minute you focus on something else, it’s a problem.”
  • Caron Butler has averaged 12 minutes per game in three appearances for the Kings so far, but like World Peace on the Lakers, Butler’s offseason signing was in large measure for his experience and locker room presence, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee examines.
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Western Notes: Mudiay, Davis, West

November 3rd, 2015 at 10:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers coach Byron Scott thinks Nuggets rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay will be “pretty good,” but he had concerns about his three-point shooting and wasn’t as high on him coming into the draft as he was on D’Angelo Russell, whom the Lakers picked second overall, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Discussing what stood out about Russell leading up to the draft, Scott said, “His workouts were extremely good. You saw the leadership qualities that he had. You saw the ability to pass the ball and make other guys better, the ability to get to the basket and the ability to knock down 3s, open jump shots and off-the-dribble shots. He had the total package offensively. Defensively, the one thing I thought he did was he competed.”

Here’s more from out of the Western Conference:

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players

November 3rd, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

NBA teams cut as much as 25% of their rosters at the end of the preseason, but franchises that have D-League affiliates have a way to maintain ties to many of the players they release from the NBA roster. An NBA team can claim the D-League rights to up to four of the players it waives, as long as the players clear waivers, consent to join the D-League, and don’t already have their D-League rights owned by another team. These are known as affiliate players, as our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry details.

NBA teams allocated 46 affiliate players to the D-League at the beginning of the season last year, and this year, that number has risen to 56, according to the list the D-League announced today. These players are going directly to the D-League affiliate of the NBA team that cut them and weren’t eligible for the D-League draft that took place Saturday. Teams that designated fewer than the maximum four affiliate players retain the ability to snag the D-League rights of players they waive during the regular season, but for now, this is the complete list:

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)

Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)

Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)

Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)

Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)

Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)

Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)

Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)

San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)

Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)

Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)

Also, several players who were on NBA preseason rosters are on D-League rosters through means other than the affiliate player rule. Most of them played under D-League contracts at some point within the last two years, meaning their D-League teams have returning player rights to them. Others entered through last weekend’s D-League draft, while others saw their D-League rights conveyed via trade. Most of these players aren’t with the D-League affiliate of the NBA team they were with last month, with a few exceptions.

Roster information from Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor and freelancer and Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro was used in the creation of this post.

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Western Notes: Bryant, Rockets, Grizzlies

November 2nd, 2015 at 10:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers would be better off if Kobe Bryant retired, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News opines. Bryant hasn’t been an impact player since the 2012/13 season and no longer serves a useful role on a rebuilding team, Smallwood continues. The veteran wing player doesn’t have the mentality to help develop the Lakers’ younger players and his burning desire to win actually hurts the team’s chances of holding onto its first-round pick, Smallwood adds. The Lakers must convey their 2016 pick to the Sixers unless it’s in the top three. Becoming a role player on a contending team via a trade or buyout doesn’t suit Bryant’s personality or ego, so there’s no point in Bryant continuing his career, Smallwood concludes.

In other news around the Western Conference:

  • Rockets coach Kevin McHale is unsure when he’ll feel comfortable playing center Dwight Howard in back-to-backs, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Howard missed most of the preseason with back tightness after sitting out a portion of last season with fluid buildup in his right knee, Feigen continues. “Dwight’s going to have to build his way up to being in NBA shape and being able to perform at the level he wants,” McHale told Feigen. “It’s not realistic to say you’re going to take that much time off and be able to come back and play.”
  • JaMychal Green is a strong rebounder and that’s the most compelling reason for him to be in the Grizzlies’ rotation, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal opines. Green, playing on a partially guaranteed deal, has been used as Memphis’ 10th man in the early going and has shown the foundation to be a useful role player, Herrington continues. If he continues to improve on catch-and-shoot opportunities, he’ll secure a rotation spot, Herrington adds.
  • Kings coach George Karl believes mental mistakes and faulty shot selection are the team’s biggest issues after the first three games, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. “I see a team that needs to get better and get smarter and get serious about those two things,” Karl said to Jones. “We’re not a connected team yet.”
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Western Notes: Hayes, Perkins, Brown, Alexander

November 1st, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

A shortage of big men led to the Rockets signing Chuck Hayes earlier today, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. With Dwight Howard sitting out because of a back-to-back and forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas out with injury, Houston needed emergency help in its frontcourt. The solution was Hayes, who received a non-guaranteed contract, an unidentified source told Feigen. “Sitting at home watching games is not a good feeling,” Hayes said. “I’m excited. I’m familiar with the organization, familiar with the coaching staff from meeting with them this summer. I’m looking forward to it.” During the summer, the Rockets were interested in having Hayes join their coaching staff, but he wanted to continue playing.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

  • The Pelicans‘ Kendrick Perkins will be sidelined indefinitely with a right pectoral injury, tweets John Reid of The Times-Picayune. He suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday night’s loss to the Warriors.
  • Jabari Brown, the last player waived by the Lakers during camp, is considering playing in China, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. A source told Spears that Brown won’t play for the Lakers’ D-League team.
  • Surgery is being considered for the Blazers‘ Cliff Alexander, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Tests showed Alexander suffered torn cartilage in his knee, but the team is hoping the injury will heal with rest. If swelling or pain emerges again, surgery will be an option. “As of now, I’m fine, I feel no pain,” the 19-year-old rookie said. “I can run and jump, do everything. But if the swelling and pain comes back, then I might need surgery.”
  • Warriors GM Bob Myers told Sam Amick of USA Today that even though an extension couldn’t be reached with Harrison Barnes, the discussions ended “in a very healthy place.” Barnes reportedly turned down a four-year, $64MM offer and will become a restricted free agent next summer. “The deal has to work for Harrison and the organization,” Myers said. “And I always — maybe it’s my background [as a player agent] — but I always respect the position that an athlete takes in these situations. And now, representing the organization, we’re going to make the decision the best decision for us.”
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Lakers Rumors: World Peace, Russell, D-League

October 31st, 2015 at 10:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Metta World Peace was inactive for the second straight game Friday, but Lakers coach Byron Scott may eventually call on him for defensive help, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. The 35-year-old forward, who earned a roster spot in training camp after a season out of the league, will get a chance to play sometime. “Probably later on,” Scott said today about the prospect of using World Peace. “I’m not going to panic after two games and all of the sudden change everything that we’ve been doing.”

There’s more tonight from Los Angeles:

  • Rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell tells Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com that it’s not fair to compare him with other first-year players who are already making an impact. With the Wolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns posting two double-doubles and the Sixers’ Jahlil Okafor coming off a 26-point performance, some in L.A. are starting to grumble about Russell. He scored just four points against Minnesota in his NBA debut, and followed that with 13 and two assists in a lopsided loss to Sacramento. “You can’t worry about their opportunity and what they’re doing with it,” Russell said. “Everybody is in different positions. The rookies that are separating themselves are in great positions and are getting it quick. Some people just have a learning process. That’s what I’m doing.”
  • The Kings’ Rajon Rondo, a longtime friend of Russell’s, offered advice during their preseason meeting but wasn’t so charitable Friday night, Holmes writes in a separate story.  Rondo and Russell both hail from Louisville, Kentucky, and they’ve developed a close relationship, with Rondo saying he would like to “mentor” the young guard. Friday’s lesson was hard, as Rondo had 21 points and eight assists in an 18-point win. “I’ve watched a lot of film on him growing up, just trying to study his pace,” Russell said. “That’s the biggest thing. As far as passing, some guys don’t see it, some guys do. If you see an open guy, you make the pass. But when you move at that pace, things are so much slower and you just see so much more develop. I kind of stole that from him, that pace.”
  • Robert Upshaw and Michael Frazier have both earned spots on the training camp roster of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, tweets Evan Barnes of The Los Angeles Daily News. Both players were with the Lakers in training camp.
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The Beat: Mark Medina On The Lakers

October 29th, 2015 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron
markmedina

Mark Medina

Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.

We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun about the Raptors. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Lakers from Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. You can follow Mark on Twitter at @MarkG_Medina, and check out his stories right here.

Hoops Rumors: Is the top priority for the Lakers this season to foster the development of D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and their other young players, or is it to make a run at a playoff spot after two non-competitive years?

Mark Medina: As of now, the Lakers hope they can do both. On paper, the Lakers’ young core of players (and Kobe) represent the team’s most talented players. Russell, Randle and Clarkson also represent the Lakers’ long-term future. But they are obviously bound to make some rookie mistakes. And it will be interesting to see how much Byron [Scott] prioritizes maximizing his wins versus giving them room to figure things out. My hunch is Byron will have a shorter leash to start on the season if mistakes continue. If it ever becomes clear the Lakers are not playoff-bound, Byron will change his priority on solely developing the team’s young talent.

Hoops Rumors: What’s Kobe Bryant‘s approach to this season been like so far? Does he appear willing to defer to others, or does he seem to want to put the team on his back and carry it the way he has in the past?

Mark Medina: So far, Kobe is doing the right things. But there are two unanswered questions. Can Kobe stay healthy? How much patience will Kobe have with the young players once they start making mistakes and the team starts losing? The Lakers will try to be conservative with Bryant’s minutes and workload, but that will not guarantee anything about his health. Kobe will look to take a less-is-more approach at the beginning. But Kobe will take matters into his own hands if he feels his teammates are taking too long to develop. For better and for worse, Kobe has not shown a lot of patience with that.

Hoops Rumors: The Lakers have a chance to essentially give Roy Hibbert a one-year audition, since he’s on an expiring contract. What does he need to accomplish this season to make a compelling case that he’s the long-term answer at center for the Lakers?

Mark Medina: Defense, defense, defense. That’s mainly all he was brought here for, since the Lakers were awful in that department last season. It will also help that Hibbert has a good attitude after things soured in Indiana. Roy has played well on defense, but he will need a stronger supporting cast around him. As for his attitude, Roy’s done the right things thus far with embracing his role and inviting teammates out for paintball as a bonding activity.

Hoops Rumors: Jordan Clarkson was a revelation last season, and Mitch Kupchak said he envisions Clarkson and Russell as the team’s backcourt for the next decade or more. What is it that has the Lakers so confident that a player who was only the 46th pick in the draft last year can keep it up?

Mark Medina: Jordan proved that he was ready with the opportunity. And he is an endless grinder that embraces self improvement. Clarkson’s dropping draft stock stemmed from his decline of play at the end of his junior season [at Missouri]. But that coincided with Clarkson grieving over his dad possibly dying of cancer. His dad survived the ordeal, and Clarkson quickly proved that his struggles had nothing to do with his skills. Jordan has a long ways to go with his defense and passing. But he’s a natural scorer and never seems to get tired.

Hoops Rumors: The additions of Russell and Lou Williams and the return of Kobe appear to threaten Nick Young‘s playing time. What sort of role do the Lakers plan for him this season?

Mark Medina: It remains to be seen. As of now, Young will be a backup small forward. And he has said/done the right things in listening to Byron and complementing Lou well. But again, the chapter on this will be written based on Young’s play in games that count as well as how he handles negative circumstances that could possibly include lots of losing and Scott’s demands.

Hoops Rumors: Do the Lakers expect No. 27 overall pick Larry Nance Jr. to contribute in a meaningful way this season, or are they taking it slow with him?

Mark Medina: The Lakers love his energy. He will gradually get more and more minutes throughout the season. He brings a lot on defense and hustle plays, which is something that defines how Byron wants his teams to play.

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Northwest Notes: Wolves, Mudiay, Stone, Jazz

October 29th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Flip Saunders built this year’s Timberwolves in an unusual way, with a seasoned veteran for every position group, notes Lee Jenkins of SI.com. Big man tutor Kevin Garnett, mentor wing player Tayshaun Prince and experienced point guard Andre Miller all signed contracts during the offseason before the late Saunders had to leave the job because of his ailing health. Now, they’re serving as guides through a difficult time as the team mourns Saunders’ death. Minnesota opened the season Wednesday with a one-point win over the Lakers.

“Coach brought us all here for a reason,” coach Sam Mitchell said, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. “And he would expect nothing less than us coming out and being focused and doing the very best job.”

See more from around the Northwest Division:

  • New coach Michael Malone wants to win, but he acknowledges that so much of this season for the Nuggets is about the education of No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay, as Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post relays. “If we’re getting our butts kicked, I’m not going to just sit there and say: ‘Well, this is good for Emmanuel’s development,'” Malone said. “But, overall, I want to be able to say at the end of Year 1 that we gave Emmanuel every chance to succeed and learn going into Year 2, because that’s only going to accelerate the growth of this roster and this organization.”
  • Thunder camp cut Julyan Stone has signed with Gaziantep of Turkey, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
  • The Jazz named Linda Luchetti the team’s vice president of basketball operations this week, a position that will have her reporting directly to GM Dennis Lindsey, the team announced. The move makes her one of the most highly ranking female basketball executives in the league, though her responsibilities will be focused on the business side of the team, according to The Associated Press.
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Pacific Notes: Kerr, Frazier, Eddie, Lakers

October 28th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who is currently on a leave of absence while recovering from two offseason back surgeries, hopes to make his return to the bench prior to January, Janie McCauley of The Associated Press writes. “I am feeling better, so that’s the good news. The bad news is I’m not feeling well enough to coach yet,” Kerr said. “It’s hard because I don’t know when that will be. There’s no timetable. It’s not a sprained ankle, two-to-four weeks type thing. When I feel better, I’ll feel better. It’s very frustrating but I am improving. I’m able to physically work out now, which has helped quite a bit the last couple weeks. But I know I’m not healthy enough yet to do this. It’s a demanding job and it wouldn’t be fair to the team and it wouldn’t be smart for me. We’ll see.”

Here’s the latest from the Pacific Division:

  • Shooting guard Michael Frazier, who was waived by the Lakers last week, has signed with the team’s D-League affiliate, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter).
  • Jarell Eddie will rejoin the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest relays (Twitter link). Eddie was waived by the Warriors this past Friday.
  • Lakers coach Byron Scott said that it was an agonizing decision to choose between Jabari Brown and Metta World Peace for the team’s final roster spot, which ultimately went to World Peace, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. Scott called it a “very, very, very … difficult decision” to waive Brown and added that “It was probably the most difficult cut that I’ve ever had to make,” Holmes notes. But Scott added that with such a young roster, it was important to add a veteran who could mentor the team’s plethora of younger players, the ESPN scribe relays.
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Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Joseph, Nets

October 28th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Talk about a scenario in which Knicks team president Phil Jackson would return to work for the Lakers and fiancee Jeanie Buss has resurfaced in NBA circles over recent weeks, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Jackson can reportedly opt out of his five-year deal with the Knicks after this season, Isola notes. Speculation emerged earlier this year that Jackson won’t finish out his contract, though he said in June that he wanted to stay around long enough to help the Knicks turn around their fortunes. While we wait to see what the Zen Master does, see more from around the Atlantic Division:

  • Raptors offseason signee Cory Joseph is planning to play a role for Toronto that’s similar in some ways to the one his former Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili has long embodied for San Antonio, as Sportsnet’s Donnovan Bennett details. “There was no big exchange when that first and second group switched off the court because of him,” Joseph said of Ginobili. “That’s what I want to do here. I want to bring energy with that second unit and uplift because that’s what we are going to need. Manu brought energy, but also a sense of calmness to the second group and managed time and score.”
  • Nets GM Billy King didn’t factor Andrea Bargnani‘s long history of injuries into his decision about whom to keep for the opening night roster, observes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Twitter links). Bargnani is healthy for now, as is shooting guard Markel Brown, so King didn’t feel the need to keep power forward Justin Harper and swingman Dahntay Jones, whom the Nets waived, as Bontemps explains.
  • Fellow Nets power forward Willie Reed‘s partial guarantee of $500K increased to a fully guaranteed $947,276 when he stuck on the Nets roster for opening night, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (Twitter link) and as our leaguewide schedule of salary guarantee dates shows. Reed is about two weeks into a six-to-eight-week timetable for recovery from thumb surgery.
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