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Hornets Notes: Gordon, Anderson, Smith

January 10th, 2013 at 6:22pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest updates on the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday evening:

John Reid of the Times-Picayune writes that Eric Gordon expects to have both good and bad games as he gets back into shape after missing the first two months of the season.
Ryan Anderson tells Kyle Bass of Hornets.com that he has worked on diversifying his offense beyond just three-point shooting in his first season with the Hornets after signing an offer sheet this summer.
Jason Smith discusses his role on the team in an interview with the Times-Picayune.
Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune believes the Hornets have showed signs of maturation over the past week.

Odds & Ends: Pargo, Celtics, Gordon, Carlesimo

January 7th, 2013 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

With the contract guarantee deadline looming and the 10-day-contract period underway, there have been plenty of roster moves made around the NBA today. We don't want to let anything slip through the cracks though, so while we await word of the next signing or cut, we'll check out a few odds and ends:

Jannero Pargo is drawing fresh interest from multiple teams and is talking about a potential 10-day contract with two of them, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
Sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Marcin Gortat are all potential trade targets for the Celtics. Gortat makes more sense to me than the other two, who seem like long shots for Boston.
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld speculates that Andrea Bargnani could be another possible target for the Celtics. The HoopsWorld scribe also writes that Eric Gordon is talking like someone who expects to be with the Hornets long-term.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com questions how the Celtics could possibly acquire Cousins without giving up Rajon Rondo, and explores the trade rumors surrounding Gay.
Nets head coach P.J. Carlesimo appeared on WFAN in New York last week to discuss shedding the interim tag and working for Mikhail Prokhorov, among other topics. Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Cousins, Gordon, Duncan

January 3rd, 2013 at 7:26pm CST by Alex Lee

ESPN's Marc Stein was on ESPN Radio in Dallas today to discuss all things Mavericks. The Dallas hosts made note of Stein's positive relationship with Dirk Nowitzki, and pressed him on the power forward's mindset six games into his return. Stein said that, amidst the team's 13-20 start, it will be hard to judge how Nowitzki feels about what has transpired in Dallas until after this offseason when, in theory, the Mavs still have the space and motivation to add a Dwight Howard should he or a player of similar stature be available. So while Dirk will play nice for now, Stein says the activity in Dallas will again be a big storyline this offseason.

Here are some additional Southwest Division notes from Stein and other writers around the league:

Stein adds that a player like DeMarcus Cousins is an ideal target for the Mavericks, given the strength of their organization and pieces to go around him. With Chris Paul content in Los Angeles, Dwight Howard may be the only big chip in play. If the Mavs don't land Howard, Stein says they have to use their cap space by making a trade for a guy with a big contract or a "distressed asset" like Cousins. However, Dallas may not have the assets to land Cousins now, and therefore must hope he is still available come summertime.
In the wake of Eric Gordon sitting out Wednesday night's game against Houston, John Reid of the Times-Picayune writes that Hornets fans should expect to see their team ease the shooting guard back in until he gets back into game shape. Head coach Monty Williams indicated that while Gordon is fully healthy, he has yet to display the physical shape necessary to withstand the grind of the NBA schedule.
With the Spurs in New York, Jim Cavan of the New York Times takes a look at the season and career of Tim Duncan. Duncan sure makes an interesting contrast to the flash and dazzle of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks' big-name roster.

Western Notes: Jamison, Lakers, Thunder, Gordon

December 30th, 2012 at 7:03pm CST by Michael Pina

Antawn Jamison has apologized for commenting negatively on his decreased playing time, writes ESPNLA.com's Dave McMenamin. Jamison has not played in five straight games, but says he's in it for the "long haul."

Now that Steve Nash and Pau Gasol have returned to the Lakers, the team is beginning to play with more cohesion and confidence, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
Darnell Mayberry on NewsOk.com writes that Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook needs to improve his jump shot if the team is to contend late in the season.
FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico writes that Hornets guard Eric Gordon is healthy, but is he happy. If Gordon still wants a trade, the Suns, Thunder, and Pacers could all be interested.

Southwest Rumors: Mavericks, Gordon, White

December 26th, 2012 at 8:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Four of five Southwest Division teams are in action tonight, and the Hornets started the evening off on a postive note by breaking their 11-game losing streak with a victory over the Magic. The Mavericks, in the midst of a three-day layoff surrounding Christmas, are probably in a festive mood, considering Dirk Nowitzki saw his first action of the season in Dallas' last outing. Here's more news on the Mavs and another star making his way back into the lineup.

The Mavs "will be listening to anybody and everybody who wants to make a move" between now and the trade deadline, and they're particularly interested in finding a point guard, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Sefko chatted with readers about a litany of Mavs-related subjects, and says that although the team will look to make moves, it isn't ready to dismantle the core and give up on making the playoffs just yet.
Hornets coach Monty Williams believes Eric Gordon could make his debut this season as early as Saturday, as John Reid of the Times Picayune notes. Gordon has been out all year with a patella tendon disorder and a bone bruise in his right knee after a contentious back-and-forth between him and the team during restricted free agency this summer.
The Associated Press reports that Rockets coach Kevin McHale is "unsure" about Royce White's future with the team, though it sounds like McHale simply hasn't been briefed on the very latest concerning the 16th overall pick, who's yet to play for Houston as he works through his generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Western Notes: Mavs, Hornets, Gordon

December 24th, 2012 at 9:36pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago today, it was not only Christmas Eve, but also the eve of the first games of the NBA season. On December 25th, 2011, the Thunder and Clippers each got their seasons underway with opening-day victories — a year later, both teams are tied for the NBA lead with 21 wins, as the 21-6 Clippers trail the 21-5 Thunder by a half-game for the league's best record. As the Clips and Thunder prepare for tomorrow's games, here are a few updates relating to their Western Conference rivals:

Mark Cuban said recently that his Mavericks aren't considering a full rebuild, but head coach Rick Carlisle did acknowledge that Dallas is in a rebuilding mode of sorts: "We’re rebuilding a championship team," Carlisle said, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
The Hornets will play in Orlando on Boxing Day, and Ryan Anderson is looking forward to facing his old Magic teammates, as he tells Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com (Twitter link): "It'll be great to see them. At the same time, I want to kick their butts."
Eichenhofer also has an injury update from Eric Gordon, who says it's just a matter of improving his conditioning and working into game shape before he returns (Twitter links).
Since falling to 9-14, the Lakers have won four straight games, but the team shouldn't be satisfied yet, according to Steve Nash. Nash tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he hopes the club continues to play with a desperation and a sense of urgency.

Odds & Ends: Cousins, Thunder, Vesely, Morris

December 22nd, 2012 at 6:16pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In addtion to Steve Nash's Lakers debut tonight, another major talking point in the Pacific Division involves the Kings' suspension of DeMarcus Cousins. According to Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today, a source close the team's plans says that the former Kentucky big man isn't untouchable. Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM feels that Sacramento and the Magic would benefit by exploring trade talks, as both have pieces that could help the other side (Twitter link). Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops also weighed in, offering four different scenarios in which the Kings could deal the fourth-year player. With that aside, here are some of the other notable stories we're hearing from the NBA this evening:

Jim Eichenhoffer of Hornets.com tweets that Eric Gordon has been cleared for full contact practice.
Jenni Carlson of NewsOK believes that dealing James Harden to Houston has made the Thunder a better and more fluid team, pointing to the significant increase in assist numbers by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
Jan Vesely has yet to earn a consistent role during a turbulent start to his second-year campaign with the struggling Wizards, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “It’s tough, especially when the team is losing,” Vesely said of his current role. “Everybody try to stay positive but sometimes it’s hard. I try to practice everyday, work on my game and stay ready for my chance to play.”
Darius Morris may not be ready for a starting job, but Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times writes about how the Lakers' sophomore guard has found a significant role in Mike D'Antoni's rotation (Sulia link).
Two years ago and just months removed from "The Decision", Jazz guard Mo Williams (then with Cleveland) and Heat superstar LeBron James may not have necessarily been on each other's holiday greetings list. Today, Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune notes how the two former teammates had nothing but glowing remarks to say about each other heading into tonight's matchup between Utah and Miami.

Latest On Eric Gordon

December 21st, 2012 at 2:46pm CST by Sean Highkin

Eric Gordon plans to return to practice next week for the New Orleans Hornets, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Gordon has missed the entirety of the 2012/13 season thus far with a knee injury, and appeared in just nine games in 2011/12.

Gordon reflected to Spears on his controversial free agency, in which he signed a four-year, $58MM offer sheet with the Suns and upset some Hornets fans with public comments stating his preference to play in Phoenix:

"Of course I did [regret it]," Gordon said. "But that was the only way to push the table on the Hornets. To get a deal done I was willing to negotiate. My agent and I were going through negotiations with them. But they weren't leaning into really giving me one. So I had to ride with Phoenix and from Day 1 they weren't playing games."

Hornets head coach Monty Williams did not commit to a limit on Gordon's minutes when he returns.

"We're just going to throw him out there," Williams said. "Eric is so explosive and knows how to play. I think our guys are going to gain confidence. Most of our guys have no idea [about his talent] … It's going to breed confidence in our team and they're going to understand why we paid so much money in order to get him back."

Western Rumors: Bell, Gordon, Kings

December 20th, 2012 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder, owners of the best record in the NBA, face off tonight in what could be a playoff preview against the Timberwolves, who are just percentage points ahead of the Rockets and Jazz in the race for the last two playoff spots in the Western Conference. Here's more from the West:

Raja Bell is hopeful that he's nearing the end of the standoff he and the Jazz have been engaged in for months over the prospect of buyout, the veteran guard told Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. Still, the team is giving no indication the impasse is close to resolution.
There's no official timetable for the return of Eric Gordon, who's been rehabbing his troublesome right knee, but the Hornets shooting guard says he's "more than 90 percent sure" he'll play before New Year's Day, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune details.
Many of the Kings are frustrated with coach Keith Smart over his benching of point guard Isaiah Thomas, according to Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com, who gives sharp criticism of the team's signing of Aaron Brooks, Thomas' replacement in the starting lineup.
Rockets rookie Donatas Motiejunas was appreciative of the playing time he received during this weekend's D-League assignment, notes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. "When you step on the court, you have confidence," he said. "Sitting on the bench for a longer time kills your confidence. At least (in the D-League) you get a feeling for the game."
Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld looks at how the improvement of Derrick Favors has created a dilemma in the frontcourt for the Jazz.
Kenneth Faried said the Blazers told him they would draft him 21st overall in 2011, and when they passed him over, allowing the Nuggets to pounce at pick No. 22, the power forward from Morehead State was upset with Portland, as he explained to The Oregonian's Jason Quick. "I ain’t going to lie to you: I don’t like them," Faried said. "I think it’s disrespectful what they did, got my hopes up for nothing. Every time we play them, it’s a little extra motivation for me to come out and show them what they missed."

Kyler On Varejao, Spurs, Gordon, Calderon

December 17th, 2012 at 11:32am CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler took to Twitter to reveal the career-threatening nature of Al Harrington's staph infection, and he also let loose with plenty of trade rumors along the way. We'll round up the juiciest tidbits here (all links via Twitter).

The Spurs asked the Cavs about Anderson Varejao, but talks didn't proceed too far.
The Hornets expect Eric Gordon back around Christmas, and aren't biting on any trade offers.
The Raptors would be a willing partner in a trade that sends Jose Calderon to the Lakers, but Kyler isn't sure the purple-and-gold would be interested.
Kyler hears Kevin Love "isn't remotely available," echoing what Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio wrote over the weekend, in spite of Love's critical comments about the Wolves last week.
The Thunder, at a league-best 19-4, are understandably pleased with the season thus far, and they aren't looking to make any moves at the moment. As for the future, a strong playoff run could drive up Kevin Martin's price in free agency this summer, Kyler believes.