Jeremy Lin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Green, Rozier, Lin, Jennings

December 26th, 2016 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gerald Green had his best game of the season for the Celtics in Sunday’s win over the Knicks, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Green hasn’t seen many opportunities since signing with Boston over the summer for his second tour of duty with the franchise. He has played in just 14 games and is averaging 9.9 minutes per night. But he had eight points Sunday, scoring five in the second quarter as the Celtics pulled away. “It’s tough at times,” Green said. “You just have to stay motivated. I give a lot of praise to the coaches and the players keeping me ready, keeping me engaged at all times.”

Green’s opportunity came at the expense of Terry Rozier, who was held out of a game for the first time this season. Coach Brad Stevens refused to say whether Rozier’s benching would last beyond one game, but the second-year guard has been struggling lately, shooting just 27% from the field in his last five contests.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

Nets point guard Jeremy Lin left tonight’s game in the third quarter with a strained left hamstring, according to The Associated Press. He recently returned after missing 17 games with a hamstring problem.
Knicks guard Brandon Jennings apparently agrees with the criticism that the team relies too much on one-on-one offense, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Jennings liked a tweet suggesting that after New York managed just 11 assists Sunday. He refused to talk to reporters after registering just two assists following a 12-assist outing in his last game. Carmelo Anthony has defended the Knicks’ offensive philosophy, and Courtney Lee says Sunday’s game doesn’t prove there’s a problem. “There’s a couple of things it could be,’’ Lee said. “Guys not making shots. Could be matchup they like, guards going off pick-and-rolls and getting to a certain spot to knock down a shot. The ball will continue to move. We’ll get assists.”
Defensive problems are keeping the Knicks from rising very far above .500, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. At 16-14, New York is the only team in the league with a winning record that allows more points per game (107.9) than it scores (105.6).

Nets Notes: Lin, Booker, Kilpatrick, Dinwiddie

December 18th, 2016 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are hoping their problems on offense will be solved when Jeremy Lin‘s minutes restriction is lifted, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lin, who joined the team on a three-year, $36MM contract over the summer, missed 17 games with a severe hamstring strain he suffered in early November. He returned for a game Monday in Houston, but was held out of the next contest with a sore back. When he has played, Lin has made an impact on Brooklyn’s offense. The Nets have outscored teams by an average of 6.1 points per 100 possessions with Lin on the court, but are minus 9.3 without him. “We’re really going to look at it from a performance standpoint, from medical, what is the best thing for Jeremy at this point,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of the minutes restriction. “I’ll talk with everybody, talk with the doctors, talk with the medical team, and figure that out. Obviously our wish is — as a coaching staff — to get him into his normal role.”

There’s more this morning out of Brooklyn:

Power forward Trevor Booker has done his part to help fill the point guard void with Lin missing, Lewis notes in a separate story. Booker, who signed with the Nets for $18MM over two years this summer, played the position in junior high school and still retains his point guard instincts. He frequently leads the fast break after grabbing a rebound. “It’s become this monster now and we like it,” Atkinson said. “We like what he’s doing, we like when he attacks the basket, we like his assists off it. And it’s incentive [for] him to rebound.”
Nets shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick represents a missed opportunity for the Sixers, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Kilpatrick has been a nice find for Brooklyn, averaging 16.3 points per game, which is tops in the league among undrafted players. He spent most of last season playing for Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate before being signed by the Nets in late February. “I think [former GM] Sam [Hinkie] with the [front office] group felt like with Isaiah [Canaan] here and other people here … I don’t really remember how it really played out,” said Sixers coach Brett Brown. “I do know that Sam thought highly of him, but obviously not highly enough to bring him in.”
Spencer Dinwiddie, who signed with the Nets on December 8th, has $100K of his deal guaranteed, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The rest of Dinwiddie’s three-year, minimum salary contract is non-guaranteed.

Atlantic Notes: Lin, Celtics, Noel, Hornacek

December 12th, 2016 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets‘ top offseason signee, Jeremy Lin, is finally ready to return to the court on Monday night after missing five weeks with a hamstring injury, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. While Lin should be good to go tonight, it doesn’t sound as if he’ll start, as the club will likely ease him back into action.

“Jeremy is back and will play some minutes,” said Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. “I think it’s the same strategy we’ve used with other guys, where we’re going to progress. He’s not going to play 40 minutes. It’s going to be a slow progression getting back. So I’ll listen to the medical team.”

As Brooklyn gets ready to welcome Lin back to its lineup, let’s check in on a few more Atlantic notes…

As we noted earlier today, Celtics GM Danny Ainge is reportedly focused on landing an impact player in a trade, preferring to be patient before turning his attention to a complementary piece. However, as Chris Mannix of The Vertical suggests in an appearance on CSN’s Toucher & Rich, the only players available on the trade market right now are sixth-, seventh-, or eighth-man types. Teams are unlikely to seriously consider moving a star until much closer to the deadline.
Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com examines what Nerlens Noel‘s return to the court means for the Sixers‘ roster balance, trade options, and pace. Noel left Sunday’s game – his first of the season – after just 10 minutes due to an ankle sprain, though that injury isn’t believed to be serious.
While Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek has worked aspects of the triangle into his offense, his overall system is “different and modern,” and has been met with enthusiasm from his players, says Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Patterson, Lin, Marks

December 11th, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors continue to enjoy the benefits of the Rudy Gay trade from 2013, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Three years ago, Toronto sent Gay to Sacramento, along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray in exchange for Chuck Hayes, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and Greivis Vasquez. Since then, the Raptors have the fourth best record in the NBA, while the Kings haven’t challenged for a playoff spot. While none of the players Toronto received turned into stars, the deal created greater opportunities for DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, who have become one of the league’s best backcourts. “I don’t think anybody expected it, even us players, but the unexpected is always the best,” Patterson said. “I think everyone is happy and proud of how far along we have come.”

There’s more this morning from the Atlantic Division:

Patterson has become what he calls “a multi-faceted glue guy” for a team that again leads the division, notes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Patterson is valuable because he can guard power forwards and centers, but is also a threat from 3-point range. A free agent next summer, the 27-year old is averaging 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23 games, all as a reserve. “Throughout my life being able to cope, to change, and to adjust and being in the NBA it’s the same exact thing,” Patterson said. “You have your superstars. You have your No. 1 and No. 2 and then the rest of the guys you have to figure out how to be effective and cause change in the game. That’s what I learned throughout the years.”
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson doesn’t plan to grant Jeremy Lin‘s wish to play 40 minutes in his first game back from a hamstring injury, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lin returned to practice Friday and hopes to be ready for game action soon. Brooklyn has gone 4-13 without him and has sunk near the bottom of the East. “I’d be expecting a minute restriction,’’ Lin said. “We just wanted to make sure everything is strengthened, not just to back where it was but above and beyond where it was, so I don’t ever have to deal with it again.”
Nets GM Sean Marks is leaning heavily on his background with the Spurs as he tries to build the organization, according to NetsDaily. About a quarter of the staffers the former San Antonio GM has hired since taking over in Brooklyn previously worked for the Spurs.

Nets Notes: Lin, Player Development, Dinwiddie

December 10th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the 2016/17 season, the Nets were widely expected to be the NBA’s worst team. As our recap of the preseason’s over/under lines shows, only three teams were projected for below 30 wins, and no club had a lower over/under line than the Nets, at 20.5. Still, in the early going this season, Brooklyn has managed to scratch out a few victories, and while the Nets’ 6-15 record is hardly impressive, it puts them on track to go over 20.5 wins. It also has them fourth in our Reverse Standings, as they “trail” the Sixers (5-18), Mavericks (5-17), and Timberwolves (6-17).

Let’s check in on a few Nets notes as they prepare to face the Spurs in San Antonio…

Jeremy Lin, who returned to practice this week, is on the verge of getting back on the court for the Nets, and his return won’t come a moment too soon, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After Brooklyn’s two big summer offer sheets for RFA targets were matched, Lin ended up being the team’s marquee signing, and he looked good in the early going before he was sidelined by a hamstring injury.
The “youth movement” vision of Nets general manager Sean Marks is starting to pay dividends for the franchise, Lewis writes in a separate piece for The Post. While former GM Billy King never attended a single D-League game, the Nets under Marks are serious about player development, according to Lewis, who points to Sean Kilpatrick as a nice find, and suggests that Chris McCullough and Anthony Bennett are benefiting from D-League stints.
The Nets have had their eye on Spencer Dinwiddie for some time, and brought him into the fold this week. As Bryan Fonseca of Nets Daily writes, Dinwiddie is grateful for the chance to return to the NBA. “This is a team that said they’ve liked me from the draft process, from my first couple of years in the league, it’s just amazing to be here honestly,” Dinwiddie said. “I’m very blessed for the opportunity. I don’t know what the immediate future holds for me as far as ‘role,’ or playing time or anything like that. I’m just here to get to work and obviously I want to earn time on the floor, for sure.”

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Covington, Lin, Celtics

November 24th, 2016 at 8:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid and Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons have bonded on social media because of their history with injuries, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. Embiid, who is playing for the first time in three seasons and remains on a minutes limit, has commented on several of Parsons’ posts. Parsons, who spent the offseason rehabbing from microfracture surgery, can sympathize with the rookie’s plight. “Him coming off surgery and me coming off surgery, he asked me a lot of questions about the recovery,” Parsons said. “He’s an awesome listener. … A lot of guys kind of get complacent, get used to being hurt, don’t work as hard. But he takes his rehab very, very seriously and he takes care of his body. He does all the right things and you see it paying off now with the success he’s hard early this season.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Robert Covington has found ways to contribute even as he suffers through a long shooting slump, writes Robert Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sixers fans are starting to turn against the fourth-year small forward, who is shooting just 29% from the floor and 27% from 3-point range, but coach Brett Brown recognizes his value in other areas. “Somebody had given me a stat, I believe was produced by ESPN, and they had him as the third-ranked small forward in the NBA as far as his defensive efficiency rating,” Brown said. “He really has improved his defense.” The Sixers have a $1,087,745 team option on Covington for next season.
The Nets have nosedived since Jeremy Lin‘s injury, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After a 2-3 start, Brooklyn has just two victories since Lin went down with a strained hamstring in early November. The Nets’ offensive and defensive ratings are both significantly worse without Lin. “Offensively it’s just the challenges with different lineups and different stuff just getting on the same page,’’ coach Kenny Atkinson said. “But we’ve done it before with different lineups, so [we have to] focus in on our execution, making sure that we’re doing all the little things, in the right spots and making the right pass and making the right play.” There is still no timetable for Lin to return.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE checks in on four players whose draft rights are owned by the Celtics. Abdel Nader is with the team’s D-League affiliate in Maine, while Marcus Thornton, Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic are all overseas.

Atlantic Notes: Hernangomez, Lin, Noel

November 21st, 2016 at 4:54pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers big man Nerlens Noel, who had surgery on October 24th because of inflamed tissue above his left knee, has rejoined the team after doing his rehab work in Alabama, notes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Coach Brett Brown is thankful that Noel is back with his teammates, noting that he wants the center to embrace the concept of team and challenge of earning his playing time, Camerato relays. “First, [I want Noel] just embracing the team aspect of everything,” Brown said. “To come into this and to try to draw his own line in the sand and reclaim minutes that he will want. This is going to be on a deserved basis. We have a lot of people at that spot. We will help him. I will coach him. I will put him in an environment where he can succeed and get him back in shape and integrate him with the team.”

No specific time frame was given for when Noel will be cleared for game action, Camerato adds. “Most people that I talk to talk about a few week period that’s just going to let him play basketball again,” Brown said. “After that, when he actually plays a game, I don’t know. But it’s going to take, for sure, a few weeks just to get him back, moving around and playing basketball again. I think after that base, that limited base, has been established, we can be more sort of specific of what it really means time-wise.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

There is still no timetable for when Jeremy Lin will take the court once again for the Nets, as coach Kenny Atkinson told Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily (Twitter link). The point guard is recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered earlier this month.
Based on early returns, the Knicks signing of Willy Hernangomez to a four-year, $5.86MM contract may end up being team president Phil Jackson‘s second best move during his tenure (No. 1 is drafting Kristaps Porzingis), Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes.
Doug Smith of The Toronto Star revisited the trade which sent Rudy Gay from the Raptors to the Kings, which was a swap that turned Toronto into contenders and rejuvenated the franchise, according to the scribe.

Atlantic Notes: Lin, Hornacek, Celtics

November 18th, 2016 at 5:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets signing of Jeremy Lin this offseason has led to improvement on the court as well as off in garnering increased fan support, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “Fans seem to be very accepting, and not only accepting but are encouraged by the new culture, the grit with which the team plays and the hustle. And it’s leading to increased sales,’’ Brett Yormark, the CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, told Lewis. “They see the vision, see where this thing is going, and they’re happy with that direction.”

“That’s creating the groundswell. It’s not where it needs to be, but the sales numbers indicate it’s heading in the right direction,’’ Yormark continued. “We’re making real good progress. The culture [GM] Sean Marks and [coach] Kenny Atkinson brought started to resonate and we’re seeing it. And the team is validating that. You can see the team has bought in and is playing each game with commitment. And the fans are enjoying it.”

Here’s more from out of the Atlantic Division:

A number of in-season adjustments made by Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek are paying off for the club, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The scribe notes that the team’s defensive focus has been much improved since assistant coach Kurt Rambis was placed in charge of the defense and increasing Kristaps Porzingis‘ role on offense has made the team much tougher to defend.
Despite missing out on signing Kevin Durant this past offseason, the Celtics feel that the fact that the forward strongly considered joining the franchise speaks to the progress and growth of the team, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald relays. When asked what Durant’s willingness to consider Boston meant, coach Brad Stevens said, “Hopefully it spoke to the fact that the progress is obvious, especially to those who are in it and studying it and evaluating it every day. To be candid, I’d just kind of prefer not to rehash all the recruiting part of it. But what I enjoy is thinking about how people best fit into our situation and how to explain that. The thing that I’m excited about from a general standpoint is that people see the progress and it’s appealing. It doesn’t mean everybody’s going to choose to be here, but, like, Al chose to be here because he saw the progress and it was appealing — on top of the tradition, the fans and everything else. I think you’ve got to have all that. You’ve got to have all that for it to be appealing.”
Knicks point guard Derrick Rose says he isn’t concerned about the appeal that was filed by the woman who accused the player and his friends of raping her, Berman writes in a separate piece. “I didn’t know about the appeal,’’ Rose said . “I’ll let my legal team deal with it. I didn’t expect to be sued in the first place but I’ll let my legal team deal with it.’’

Players With Incentive Bonuses For 2016/17

November 7th, 2016 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

According to Bobby Marks of The Vertical, there are 33 players around the NBA who can potentially earn incentive bonuses this season based on their own durability or performance, or based on how their team performs. Although Marks doesn’t identify all 33 players who have incentives included in their 2016/17 contracts, he discusses over half of them, passing along a number of interesting tidbits about those potential bonuses. Here are some of the highlights:

Minutes/games played bonuses:

NBA bonuses are deemed either “likely” or “unlikely,” using the previous season’s statistics as a benchmark, so if a player didn’t appear in many games during the previous year, a team can include a games-played benchmark and call it an unlikely incentive. For instance, John Henson‘s contract with the Bucks features incentives if he plays 60 games or 75 games this season. He appeared in just 57 contests in 2015/16, so neither of those marks is viewed as likely.

Miles Plumlee (Bucks), Luis Scola (Nets), Greivis Vasquez (Nets), and Deron Williams (Mavericks) are among the other players who have incentives in their deals for games played or started.

Individual statistic bonuses:

The Trail Blazers got creative with Maurice Harkless‘ new contract this summer, including an incentive bonus in the deal that can be triggered based if he keeps his three-point percentage above a certain level. Jeremy Lin, meanwhile, not only has a three-point percentage incentive, but also has bonuses linked to assists, turnovers, and threes and free throws attempted per 36 minutes.

Individual achievement bonuses:

Players like Bismack Biyombo (Magic), Evan Fournier (Magic), and Will Barton (Nuggets) have incentives related to their individual performances as well, but they’re related to awards and honors, rather than raw statistics. Biyombo gets a bonus if he makes the NBA’s All-Defensive team, Fournier gets some extra money for an All-Star appearance, and Barton would get $250K if he wins the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Of course, some of these incentives are more realistic than others. For instance, Thaddeus Young (Pacers) probably shouldn’t be counting on the $500K incentive bonus that he’d earn if he wins the league’s MVP award.

Team performance bonuses:

Several players, including Fournier, Jon Leuer (Pistons), and Joe Ingles (Jazz) have bonuses related to their teams making the playoffs. Many of those postseason incentives are tied to another condition. For example, for Taj Gibson to earn his bonus from the Bulls, he must appear in at least 60 games, play in at least 75% of Chicago’s playoff games, and average 25 or more minutes per game during the regular season.

Some players also have incentives linked to their teams’ win total, and once again, some are more attainable than others. For example, Nikola Mirotic could earn an extra $800K, but he’d need the Bulls to win 65+ games, so there’s a good chance his shot at that bonus will disappear about halfway through the season.

Be sure to check out the full breakdown from Marks for many more details on players who could earn incentive bonuses in 2016/17.

New York Notes: Rose, Noah, Lin, D-League

November 5th, 2016 at 9:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick Rose wasn’t bothered by the boos he heard in Friday’s return to Chicago, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The former MVP had 15 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in his first game against the Bulls since a June trade that sent him to New York. Rose received a mixed reaction when he was introduced and was booed the first several times he touched the ball. “It was all fun, man. I love competing,” he said. “I love when the crowd is into it. I knew it was going to be some yells. I knew there was going to be some boos. I’m from here. I’m used to it. I’ve been getting it ever since I was in sixth grade, going on the West Side of Chicago and playing and me being a South Side. I’m used to it.”

There’s more this morning out of New York:

The homecoming was a little friendlier for Joakim Noah, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. The former Bulls center, who signed with the Knicks in July for $72MM over four years, was cheered loudly during introductions. He responded with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the 117-104 victory. “There was a lot of love in this building,’’ said Noah, who spent nine seasons in Chicago. “I wanted to keep my emotions in check in this building.’’
Nets guard Jeremy Lin said his experience with a cancer patient helped him get over any self-pity regarding his hamstring injury, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lin tweaked the hamstring in Wednesday’s game and will be out of action for at least two weeks. That’s when doctors will re-evaluate the injury and determine when he might return. “At first, I was pretty upset. I was really upset,” Lin said. “I came back to my locker, and I wore those pink shoes that day for Ava [Lee, who is battling leukemia], and I immediately saw the shoes and started thinking about her, and I immediately ended my pity party. It could be a lot worse. I’m still blessed that I’m going to be back on the court.”
Long Island Nets head coach Ronald Nored understands that his top priority is developing players for the parent team, according to NetsDaily.com. The new franchise shares facilities with Brooklyn in Barclays Center and the HSS Training Center, so it will be easy to have a close working relationship. “Those assignments, that’s the No. 1 reason for the D-League,” Nored said Friday at the team’s media day. “We’re a resource for them. Also for the players to come down and get better. That’s our focus. Our guys know that. The guys in this gym, they know that. If guys were to be assigned to our team, we’re hear to help those guys grow and get better.”