Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Skiles, Griffin, Colangelo, Pierce

April 27th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Daniel Seco

With great anticipation of the weekend ahead full of playoff basketball, let's take a look around the league to see what's happening from coast to coast.

Count Brandon Jennings and Mike Dunleavy Jr. among Bucks players hoping head coach Scott Skiles is retained by Milwaukee after just missing out on making the playoffs, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com says Blake Griffin expects the playoffs to be more physical as the Clippers head into their first-round series against the Grizzlies.
Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo is excited to continue the process of rebuilding the franchise after carefully adhering to his long-term plan, reports Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
Paul Pierce tells ESPNBoston.com's Jackie McMullan that the thought of retirement has crossed his mind after playing 14 seasons for the Celtics.
ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin says Lakers executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss is over the heartbreak of losing out on Chris Paul to the Clippers this past offseason.
Newsday's Al Iannazzone reports Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are working to improve how they co-exist on the court after incessant chatter from the media and fans finally drew their attention.

Odds & Ends: Humphries, Carmelo, Woodson, Paul

April 24th, 2012 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Tonight's Clippers/Hawks game will affect playoff seeding, and the Hornets/Warriors contest has lottery implications. But the one to circle on tonight's schedule is Suns vs. Jazz in Utah, a game Al Jefferson calls the biggest of his life (via Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune). A Utah win clinches the Jazz a playoff spot, while a Suns win would mean the two teams are tied for the eighth seed with one game remaining. Before the two teams get underway, let's check in on some other notes from around the NBA….

Kris Humphries would like to re-sign with the Nets if possible, he tells Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. You'd have to think the Nets will prioritize Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez over Humphries, though they could still have room for their leading rebounder.
Carmelo Anthony endorsed Mike Woodson for the Knicks' permanent coaching job, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Amare Stoudemire echoed that sentiment later in the day, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Anthony told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) that he believes his friend Chris Paul will eventually sign a long-term extension with the Clippers.
Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is unsure whether he wants to bring Semih Erden back for next season, says Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A Bloomberg report details the role that nepotism is playing in the current players' union conflict, though executive committee member Maurice Evans downplayed the union's concerns on the subject (Twitter link).

Knicks Notes: Chandler, Stoudemire, Carmelo

April 15th, 2012 at 7:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Knicks' home winning streak under Mike Woodson was snapped at nine games at the hands of the Heat this afternoon. New York still holds the eighth and final playoff spot but are just two games ahead of the Bucks with six games left to play. You can find today's Knicks-related stories here:

Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com says that center Tyson Chandler doesn't expect to miss any time after getting hurt during today's game. Chandler banged knees with Joel Anthony during the third quarter. In another article, Josh Newman (also of ZagsBlog) writes about how today's meeting could be a preview of a Knicks-Heat first round matchup.
Newsday's Al Iannazzone noted Dwyane Wade's comments about how the return of Amare will create an adjustment period for the Knicks. ESPN New York's Christopher Hunt took a different focus with Wade's other postgame input, saying that they're tougher and better with Stoudemire in the lineup.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York writes that the Knicks will need more than just Carmelo Anthony's scoring if they want to be competitive against any of the top seeds in the East during the playoffs.
Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com reacts to the Knicks loss, discussing the Heat's halfcourt struggles, the need for help for Carmelo, how the Knicks will fare with the return of Amare Stoudemire, and the team's identity defensively.
Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York discusses pace as it relates to New York's lack of production in the fourth quarter.

Odds & Ends: Smith, Olympics, Anthony

April 11th, 2012 at 7:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Two of the nation's top high school prospects, Nerlens Noel and Shabazz Muhammad, have been creating some buzz in the college basketball world regarding which schools they will commit to respectively for the 2012-13 season. While Muhammad announced that he will choose UCLA, Jeff Goodman of CBS tweets that Noel has chosen Kentucky over Syracuse and Georgetown. ESPN's Chad Ford provides a look at who could possibly headline the 2013 NBA Draft (Insider link), and Noel and Shabazz top the list. With that aside, we'll keep tabs of this evening's other noteworthy stories here:

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel took some time to shed some light on Magic guard Ishmael Smith after his standout performance against the Pistons on Monday. In a separate piece, Schmitz outlines the uphill battle Orlando faces as they look to clinch a playoff spot. Six of their last eight games are against above-.500 teams, and four of those games are on the road.
If Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade could have things their way, players on the USA basketball team would be compensated for their participation in the Olympics. While Allen sees it as a matter of opportunity cost, Wade focused more on the jersey sales and summer commitment aspect of it (Scott Gleeson of USA Today reports). According to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports, Team USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo responded to their comments, saying: "It’s never been discussed and it’s not even feasible in the reality of economics."
Jim Cavan of the New York Times examines the emergence of Carmelo Anthony after being moved to the power forward slot as well as the role it has played in the Knicks' recent success. If New York can hang onto a playoff spot and Amare Stoudemire is cleared to play, it will be interesting to see how Anthony will translate that success at the small forward position with Amare in the lineup.
The Kings team owners will make a case to the NBA Board of Governors in New York that the plan to finance a new arena in Sacramento needs more negotiating, writes Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.
Gilbert Arenas tells J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today that he is happy to be out of the spotlight in Memphis as he looks to move forward from his troubled past.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Anthony, Nets

April 9th, 2012 at 3:33pm CST by Michael Pina

In what has to be one of the most shocking collapses in recent memory, the Sixers have gone from championship contender to fringe playoff team in a mere couple of weeks. In an Insider article, ESPN.com's John Hollinger says one reason for the constant losing has been a sharp decline in offensive efficiency. Philly.com's John Mitchell says the problem lies in the team's lack of character.

In a column that ponders possible locations for Dwight Howard next season, Bulls.com's Sam Smith says the Sixers are almost sure to break up their potent Jrue Holliday, Evan Turner, Andre Iguodala trio.
Rich Levine of CSNNE.com says Celtics fans should be hoping the Bucks make the playoffs. If they do, Boston gets Milwaukee's second round draft pick from the offseason Keyon Dooling.
The New York Post's Tim Bontemps points out a rare bright spot relating to the Nets. If the Rockets make the playoffs, New Jersey receives the team's first round draft pick.
Coming off an Easter Sunday thriller that saw Carmelo Anthony score his most points in a Knicks uniform, ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley writes that the All-Star is thriving in isolation sets. With Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin both out, New York will only go as far as Anthony can take them.

Iannazzone on Chandler, Calipari, Playoffs

April 7th, 2012 at 10:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In what could be a preview of a first-round matchup in this year's Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bulls and Knicks will begin a home-and-home series on Sunday in New York. Carmelo Anthony understands those implications and views these next two games as playoff games, according to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com. Al Iannazzone of Newsday also offered some input about the Knicks tonight, and here's his latest work out of the Big Apple:

Contrary to Anthony's claim that Tyson Chandler is playing with a fractured hand, the team's starting center refuted the notion but did imply that he is playing through inexplicable pain.
John Calipari could be a legitimate candidate to coach the Knicks next season, says Iannazone, and cites Calipari's ties to the Creative Artists Agency (which has affiliations to people within Knicks management and with whom Carmelo is also a client) as a possible factor.
In a separate piece, Iannazone looks at the challenge of the next 11 games for the Knicks as it relates to their push to make the playoffs while facing a daunting schedule.

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Woodson, D’Antoni

March 29th, 2012 at 10:23pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Knicks have a well-earned night off after a 108-86 thrashing of the Magic on Wednesday evening thanks to a balanced effort led by Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert. With the victory, the Knicks are now 8-1 under new head coach Mike Woodson, who took over for Mike D'Antoni, who resigned on March 14th. Let's take a look at what else is going on with the Knicks as they continue to deal with the injury bug.

Tasked as the Knicks' top scoring option since his arrival from the Nuggets, Anthony has finally stepped up as a scorer with two consecutive 25-point performances in his last two games, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
While Woodson once had a respectable NBA career that stretched over a decade, his foray into coaching was not something he had initially anticipated doing, says Howard Beck of The New York Times.
By shifting away from D'Antoni's style of play to a heightened emphasis on defense, the Knicks have become more of a complete team driven by energetic play and forcing turnovers, reports Jim Cavan of The New York Times.

Knicks Notes: Woodson, Jeffries, Anthony

March 24th, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Knicks are currently battling the Pistons at Madison Square Garden after winning five of their last six games under new head coach Mike Woodson. While the team's fortunes are currently looking more favorable since the departure of Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks' schedule becomes more difficult with upcoming games against Orlando, Chicago and Miami. Let's take a look at the state of the Knicks as they look to improve their playoff seeding heading into the season's final stretch.

Barbara Barker of Newsday says Mike Woodson is the right fit for the Knicks for the rest of the season and perhaps beyond given his previous experience in Atlanta.
While not exactly a favorite of Knicks fans given his propensity to take questionable shots, the news of losing Jared Jeffries to injury for the next two weeks did not sit well with Woodson, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The backup center makes his living by playing stellar defense and giving an all-out effort every time he is on the court.
Given the team's quiet approach at the trade deadline, the Knicks' success moving forward will be based on Woodson's ability to get the most out of his players, says Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. For Woodson, the focal point is Carmelo Anthony, who is averaging over 20 PPG on the season but is shooting below 40% from the field for the first time in his NBA career.

D’Antoni Fallout: Carmelo, Lin, Amare, Phil Jackson

March 15th, 2012 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Mike D'Antoni parted ways yesterday due to "conflicting visions" about the team's future. Part of that conflict may have stemmed from D'Antoni's desire to trade Carmelo Anthony to the Nets in exchange for Deron Williams, an idea James Dolan adamantly opposed. Needless to say, players, coaches, and reporters around the league are talking about D'Antoni's exit from New York, so let's round up a few links on the subject:

Despite reports earlier this week suggesting Anthony was at odds with the Knicks coach, Carmelo says he and D'Antoni "never had any issues." Added Carmelo: "Any disagreements that he had with us as a team we talked it out and we went from there" (via ESPNNewYork.com).
Jeremy Lin on D'Antoni: "What he did for my career, I’m not going to forget what he did for me personally. It’s very emotional. I’m sad to see him go and I owe a lot to him" (via New York Daily News).
According to Amare Stoudemire, not everyone was buying into D'Antoni's system, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. "It made it look bad," Stoudemire said. "I guess stepping down was the best way for him."
Phil Jackson will be a prime candidate to take over the full-time Knicks job, as Marc Berman writes.
The Knicks shouldn't expect Jackson to come out of retirement to save them, says Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
Knicks GM Glen Grunwald called D'Antoni's decision to step down a "selfless move," says Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Nets coach Avery Johnson was surprised by the announcement, as he tells Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. When Pistons coach Lawrence Frank was told of the news, he called it "ridiculous" and "a damn shame," writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

D’Antoni Advocated Trading Carmelo For Williams

March 14th, 2012 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

When Mike D'Antoni and the Knicks agreed to part ways today, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports heard the two sides had "conflicting visions of the club's future." TNT's David Aldridge expands on that point on NBA.com's Hang Time Blog, saying that D'Antoni wanted the Knicks to explore trading Carmelo Anthony for Deron Williams.

According to Aldridge, D'Antoni believed such a deal would've been beneficial for both franchises, and that adding Williams to the Knicks would've eased the pressure placed on Jeremy Lin. James Dolan, however, had no interest in dealing Carmelo, and he and D'Antoni agreed to terminate D'Antoni's position after meeting today.

While the idea isn't one that had been rumored at all, it's probably one the Nets would've liked to explore, if Dwight Howard remains with the Magic for next season, as is now expected. If Howard isn't ticketed for Brooklyn this summer, the chances of Williams remaining a Net may take a huge hit.