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Southeast Notes: Heat, Magic, Wizards

December 27th, 2015 at 11:47am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Heat are still working to coalesce on the court, but the team owns a 18-11 record and off the hardwood, the team has chemistry, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald writes. New addition Amar’e Stoudemire believes the team’s communication can help them win games.

“You are free to say whatever you need to, to a player, without them feeling some kind of way,” Stoudemire said. “If you don’t like someone, and you tell them, get back or stop the ball, they’re going to think there’s another agenda with you saying that. But if everyone gets along with each other, and they know each other, then they won’t take it the wrong way. Which helps the team.”

Openly communicating is something that Miami has done all season long, but the team’s collective mindset has also been key to the its success.

“You’re not bringing in a lot of guys who individually are looking for self, self, self,” Dwyane Wade said. “At this point on our team, the only guy who is looking to make a self-proclaim is Hassan [Whiteside]. To show that he’s dominant and everything in this league. But no one else is really looking for that, so it kind of works from that standpoint.”

That’s an interesting quote from Wade, as Whiteside will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Evan Fournier has improved this season, and the 23-year-old has become Orlando’s best closer in crunch time, John Denton of NBA.com opines. Fournier will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and he reportedly is seeking a deal north of $10MM per season. He turned down a four-year, $32MM offer from the Magic earlier in the year.
Coach Scott Skiles‘ decision to include Fournier in the starting lineup is one of the reasons that the team has been successful this season, Denton writes in a separate piece. The Magic own a record of 17-13 in the first season of Skiles’ four year pact.
Kelly Oubre has started the last four games in Otto Porter‘s absence, and the rookie is making a case for additional minutes once the team gets healthy, J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. “The game is slowing down a little bit,” said Oubre. “Trying to make the right plays at the right times. Not settling and just trying to be an all-around player. I don’t want to be subjected to being a certain type of player.”

Eastern Notes: Johnson, Celtics, Anthony

December 26th, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics have taken great pains in their player evaluation process to avoid off the court issues similar to what Sixers rookie Jahlil Okafor has experienced this season, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. “We have player development, and then we have veteran players and coaches work with them,” Celtics executive Danny Ainge said. “And I spend a ton of time talking with our players about life issues and challenges. The league does constant seminars throughout the season, and then we do them also internally as a team. You try to prepare them, and a lot of guys listen — and a lot of guys don’t, and they learn the hard way. We’ve had a large group of young players that have come through, and some listen and they get it. They understand their place in life, their place in the NBA, what’s ahead of them, the risks. They just get it; they grasp it. And some just don’t. Some just have to learn the hard way.”

Here’s more from the East:

Heat point guard Tyler Johnson strongly considered heading overseas after going undrafted out of Fresno State, but he ultimately decided to pursue his NBA dream stateside, a move that is paying off for both the player and the team, Jared Zwerling of NBPA.com writes. “The only reason why I even talked about overseas was people could see me more and people could have more footage, because [Fresno State] didn’t play national TV games,” Johnson said. “We barely played any TV games, so it can be written off, like, ‘Oh, he’s not in a very strong conference.’ I just needed an opportunity.”
Center Joel Anthony understands that his role as a veteran on a young Pistons team is to provide leadership for the other players, a task Anthony says he embraces, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. “Just as a vet. I feel grounded now saying that I’m the vet and older one. It’s weird how fast that happens, that I’m the older one among the much younger guys. It’s been good for me. I’ve gotten a chance to work with some of the young guys and try to help them out, try to help them get better,” Anthony told McMann.

Eastern Notes: Grant, Stokes, Jennings

December 25th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the struggles of Knicks rookie Jerian Grant, the lack of production the Hawks have received from Tim Hardaway Jr. this season makes New York’s draft day acquisition of Grant still appear to be a win for the franchise, Zach Braziller of The New York Post writes. Knicks coach Derek Fisher has praised Grant’s maturity level and work ethic, and he believes the young guard has quite a bit of potential, Braziller adds. “I’ve liked his overall demeanor and composure,” Fisher said. “We loved that about him when we did our due diligence on what type of person he is and his makeup. Not a lot really bothers him. So far, he’s shown the ability to make plays for himself and other people. He really does get a lot of people into the game. He helps us keep our pace up a little bit higher. Defensively, he’s been good. I think he can make a jump there.”

Here’s more from the East:

There is much riding on the play of Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings, who is working his way back from an Achilles injury, for both the player and the team, writes Terry Foster of The Detroit News. If Jennings can prove he is still capable of being a strong contributor, it will set him up for a larger potential payday in free agency this offseason, according to Foster. Detroit would benefit as well, as a solid comeback from Jennings would serve to boost his trade value in advance of the February deadline if the team decides to deal him, Foster notes.
The Heat assigned power forward Jarnell Stokes to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will mark Stokes’ third trek to Sioux Falls on the season. He is averaging 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.0 minutes of action per contest for the Skyforce thus far.

Southeast Rumors: Oubre, Lamb, Green

December 21st, 2015 at 8:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kelly Oubre wasn’t supposed to get much playing time this season but he’s making the most of his unexpected opportunity, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. The Wizards wanted to essentially redshirt the rookie small forward but injuries have thrust him into the rotation, Castillo continues. Oubre’s performances during the team’s 1-3 road trip against Southwest opponents — including an 18-point outing against the Spurs — were some of the few positives that came out of it, Castillo adds. He was selected with the No. 15 overall pick by the Hawks and then dealt to the Wizards on draft night. “Progression is the word,” Oubre told Castillo. “Every game is different. Every game I try to get better. At practice I probably get better. I’m starting to get the hang of the whole NBA thing now.”

In other news around the Southeast Division:

Hornets shooting guard Jeremy Lamb credits coach Steve Clifford for his breakout season, as he indicated to Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. Lamb’s reputation as a dead-eye shooter preceded him but Clifford has also utilized Lamb as a playmaker, Brigham continues. “He does a good job helping everybody play to their strengths. He sees the best in me,” Lamb told Brigham. “Coach Clifford said he always knew I was a good shooter, but he didn’t realize how good of a passer I was, so he said I should do more in making plays for others.”
Gerald Green claims the Heat value his defense more than his previous teams, especially the Suns, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post reports. The veteran swingman told Lieser that the Suns “dogged” him regarding his defensive effort the past two seasons but the Heat coaching staff has treated him much differently. “This year they’ve got me on the best players, so I’ve taken the challenge,” Green said. “They give me confidence and they encourage me so much to go out and do it. I’ve never been encouraged to play defense with any other team I’ve been on.”
The Hawks recalled center Walter Tavares from the D-League’s Austin Spurs on Monday following a two-game stint, a development initially reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) and later confirmed on the team’s website. Tavares has appeared in six D-League games and four NBA games this season.

Heat Notes: Whiteside, Udrih, Deng

December 20th, 2015 at 1:52pm CST by Will Joseph

With trade talk swirling around Hassan Whiteside, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders details the center’s rise and how he has been able to play alongside fellow big man Chris Bosh in a detailed feature. Whiteside is set to hit free agency after the season, but as Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post recently told Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron, Whiteside’s value is very much disproportionate to his $981K contract, and that makes him extremely difficult to trade.

Here’s more out of Miami:

With Tyler Johnson battling a shoulder injury, Beno Udrih has received more playing time and a result has made himself fit in with the Heat, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel details. Udrih has seen more time on the court in the past week than he had previously since being acquired by Miami in a November trade, Winderman adds. Such has been the case during the point guard’s career because Udrih has been traded four times in 12 seasons, as Winderman notes.
Luol Deng, who opted into the final season of his contract with Miami over the summer, has a tendency to go unnoticed despite his exceptional defensive skills, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post writes. It will be interesting to see how much teams value Deng’s defense, in terms of dollars, when he hits free agency, especially with him averaging a modest 10.2 points per game this season (which would be a career-low).
There is a distinct possibility that Goran Dragic‘s success in December compared to his struggles before this month has to do with the point guard playing with more freedom and less of a structured approach, Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald writes. Dragic, whom the Heat re-signed to a five-year, $90MM deal in July, took a while to mesh with Dwyane Wade, but it seems like things have been figured out.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Martin, D-League

December 19th, 2015 at 10:13pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Carmelo Anthony has been key to Kristaps Porzingis‘ transition to the NBA, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com passes along via Twitter. “From the first moment we met, he’s been like a mentor to me,” Porzingis said of Anthony. Through the first two months of the season, the 19-year-old has cemented himself in the rookie of the year conversation, averaging 17.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes.

Here are some notes from around the Eastern Conference:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel admits that Kevin Martin would make the Heat better, but he doesn’t believe a trade for shooting guard would be best for the team. Martin is reportedly available in trade discussions.
The Cavs have assigned Joe Harris to the Canton Charge, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to the team’s website. Harris is averaging 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in nine games with the Charge this season.
The Celtics have assigned Terry Rozier to the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s D-League affiliate, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Rozier has only played a total of 95 minutes for the Celtics this season, scoring a total of 27 points.

The Beat: Jason Lieser On The Heat

December 18th, 2015 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jason Lieser

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 Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area about the Warriors. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Heat from Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. You can follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonLieser and the Post’s Heat coverage on Facebook, and check out his stories here and here.

Hoops Rumors: What has Dwyane Wade done differently this season to allow himself to play at such a high level, and did the Heat have any idea this was coming when they gave him his one-year, $20MM contract?

Jason Lieser: The misconception nationally over the past few years has been that Wade’s skills are in decline, when really it was a decline in health. Since the end of the 2013/14 season, however, there have been gradual improvements. Wade missed 20 games last year, but all of them were a direct result of something that happened on the court — not the ambiguous, lingering knee pain. As long as his knees are in reasonably good shape, he has reworked his game to remain one of the best scorers in the league and should be in the mix to earn an All-Star spot. That said, the upward trend in his health won’t last forever, and he turns 34 next month. As far as the return on that $20MM, that was probably over market value for him for the 2015/16 season, but not by much. Klay Thompson is making close to $16MM this season, and his offensive stats last year were comparable with Wade’s.

Hoops Rumors: The leaguewide trend is toward small-ball, but the Heat have two of the best big men in Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. With Whiteside hitting free agency this summer, do you think the Heat have seen enough yet to be sold on the pairing for the long term, and is there any legitimacy to the idea that the Heat would trade him this season?

Jason Lieser: The Heat are absolutely sold on Bosh as a top-tier player at his position, and he is in the conversation among the best and most versatile defenders among big men. Whiteside is an interesting case because his value on the court is drastically disproportionate to his $981K contract. That basically makes him untradeable because it will be almost impossible to get good value in return given that salary has to match. I can’t envision Miami letting an asset like Whiteside walk out the door, so if there is no suitable trade I expect the Heat will pay whatever it takes to re-sign him.

Hoops Rumors: What can the Heat do to offset their lack of outside shooting?

Jason Lieser: They can start making more. That’s about it. They do not have the roster flexibility to add anyone at the moment unless they make a trade or flat out cut somebody. They can’t pluck a shooter out of the D-League and give him a shot. The Heat are third in the NBA in 2-point shooting percentage (50.9) and second-worst in 3-point accuracy (31.6%). This is on course to be their worst 3-point shooting season since 2002/03. Miami is never going to be the Warriors, but it is realistic to expect modest improvement. Goran Dragic, Luol Deng and Gerald Green are all shooting significantly below their career averages, and that should come close to balancing out by the end of the season.

Hoops Rumors: Have you noticed a significant difference in the way the Heat have played since the Mario Chalmers trade, or have they been able to go on more or less without skipping a beat?

Jason Lieser: This is difficult to assess at the moment because Tyler Johnson is dealing with an impingement in his shooting shoulder. He was out three games and tried to return Wednesday in Brooklyn, but it wasn’t going well and he quickly exited. In a small sample size, he averaged 10 points in 22.7 minutes per game while shooting 50.6% over the 12 games after Chalmers was dealt. That works fine offensively, plus he improved his outside shot over the offseason and is an above-average defender.

Hoops Rumors: Gerald Green seems back in the team’s good graces following his suspension, and he’s seeing more playing time than anyone on the bench except for Justise Winslow. What has Green done that’s given Erik Spoelstra such confidence in him?

Jason Lieser: The No. 1 factor in Green’s playing time is his defense, and few outside the organization anticipated such a dramatic improvement. He talked a lot about the impetus for such a change in this article, which has some numbers that illustrate his progress: Green is obviously an gifted scorer, and the Heat need that off their bench, but his defense is keeping him on the court and earning him significant minutes late in games.

Hoops Rumors: What’s kept the Heat from turning to Amar’e Stoudemire much at all?

Jason Lieser: Good luck getting a straight answer on this. Spoelstra keeps saying he is in “rehabilitative recovery” or on “a maintenance program,” but he won’t explain what that means. Stoudemire has played 27 minutes over three games so far. My best guess is that they intend to use him for a shortened season starting in January or February — they did that with Greg Oden a few years ago — and they use him only in emergency situations prior to that.

More from Jason Lieser

Heat, Bulls, Celtics Make Pitches For Cousins?

December 16th, 2015 at 10:43am CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 10:51am: The Celtics and Kings still haven’t had any conversation about Cousins, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Kings GM Vlade Divac indicated that he hasn’t received a ton of calls about Cousins and again signaled that he has no intention of trading the star center, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (on Twitter).

3:37pm: Heat sources who spoke with Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel deny any link between Whiteside and Cousins (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 2:19pm: The Heat, Bulls and Celtics are actively pursuing DeMarcus Cousins, though the Kings have no plans to make a deal, league sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops. The teams are nonetheless actively pursuing the Sacramento center, and Miami is offering Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, plus others with enough salary to make a deal work, according to SheridanHoops founder Chris Sheridan. Miami would have to give up significantly more salary than the $3,463,068 that Whiteside and Winslow make to reel in Cousins, who makes nearly $15.852MM, however. The Heat are a taxpaying team, so they can’t take in any more than 125% plus $100K of what they give up in a swap.

A source tells Scotto that the Bulls are looking to find more playing time for rookie Bobby Portis, who’s stuck in a crowded frontcourt that features Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, who can both become free agents this summer, along with Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. Noah and Gibson are available, according to Scotto, though Bulls sources insist to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that a Noah trade is not a consideration. The Celtics have copious draft assets, with as many as five extra first-round picks coming their way, though it’s unclear exactly what they’re willing to put on the table.

Cousins is signed through 2017/18, unlike Whiteside, who’s poised for free agency this summer. The Heat only have Early Bird rights on Whiteside, so they can’t exceed the cap to pay him more than the estimated average annual salary for next season, an amount that’s likely to come in far beneath his market value. Sacramento or any team that would trade for Whiteside would inherit those rights, so the Kings wouldn’t necessarily have any easier time re-signing him than the Heat would.

The Kings have held steadfast to Cousins in recent months after a flurry of rumors over the summer. They would have taken D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and a late first-rounder from the Lakers in exchange for Cousins in the offseason, but the Lakers were unwilling to do such a deal, according to Sheridan.

Eastern Notes: Okafor, Stokes, Jennings

December 15th, 2015 at 7:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers rookie center Jahlil Okafor has already experienced various off–court incidents, but he and the team look at them as an opportunity for growth, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune writes. “Those of us who know him or get a chance to talk to him, all you have to do is look at him and let him interact and you see there’s goodness in him,” coach Brett Brown said. “He’s a good guy. The situation that happened was unfortunate. He was ashamed, he was embarrassed. That seems like a distant memory.”

“I’m sure there are scars, but raising anybody in the NBA, let alone somebody that has a profile like he has at 19 years old, there are challenges all over the place,” Brown continued. “In a twisted way, I hope we look back at that experience — all of us, from a program’s perspective, from his perspective — and it toughens him up, it hardens him, it teaches him a real hard life lesson. We’re with him. I am personally with him. I’m very fond of him.”

Here’s more from the East:

The Pistons have not discussed any potential trades regarding injured point guard Brandon Jennings, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. “We haven’t one talk with anybody about him,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “I just think that people assume that with Reggie Jackson here and the way Brandon played last year, I think people just make that assumption. He’s no more or less available than anybody else we have. Until he’s back on the court and playing, there’s nothing to even talk about. My preference is, that when he’s fully healthy, he’s able to help us. That’s my preference. I’ve even talked to him about a vision going forward where he helps us even beyond this. But right now, we’re just trying to get him back.”
Bulls center Joakim Noah‘s minutes have been down this season, though according to coach Fred Hoiberg, that is more a product of the team’s frontcourt depth than a decline in the big man’s performance, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays. “That’s the luxury, slash, problem we have with our bigs,” Hoiberg said. “It’s not always going to be the same guy. Taj Gibson finished the last game with Pau Gasol. Nikola Mirotic has finished a lot of games for us. And it was Jo [Saturday]. That’s what we have. We’ve got the depth to play different lineups and go with the guy that’s getting the job done.“
The Heat have recalled power forward Jarnell Stokes from their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, the team announced. Stokes has appeared in seven games during his two stints with the Skyforce, averaging 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.29 steals, 1.14 blocks in 29.0 minutes per contest.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Wade, Dragic, Mathis

December 15th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Hornets are averaging 10.0 made 3-pointers this season, up drastically from 6.1 last year, and most of that is because of the team’s offseason pickups, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

“Not only just for our shooting, but also our playmaking ability out there. We have so many – both perimeter and big players – who can make plays. A huge difference from last year,” said Marvin Williams, a free agent at season’s end. “When you bring in a Jeremy Lin – a very good pick-and-roll player. When you bring in a Jeremy Lamb, also a very good pick-and-roll player. Spencer Hawes, who can pass and shoot the ball. Frank [Kaminsky], the rookie, a very good playmaker. Nic Batum can do everything.”

See more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat committed more than $105MM in the offseason to Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, and while they each thrive at a different pace and might not be an ideal backcourt pairing, they’ve shown signs of being able to play together successfully, argues Michael C. Wallace of ESPN.com.
The play of Luol Deng, in the final year of his contract, is holding the Heat‘s rotation together with his ball movement and versatility, as well as his status as one of the few who’s found a rhythm with Dragic, opines Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who writes in a mailbag column.
The Mavericks let former assistant coach Monte Mathis join Scott Skiles‘ new staff in Orlando over the offseason as part of a larger shift toward more game-to-game consistency on defense and away from a customized approach for each opponent, Mavs sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Dallas has risen from 18th in defensive efficiency last year to 14th this year, but Mathis has helped the Magic surge from 25th to seventh, according to NBA.com.