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Southeast Notes: Ibaka, Hawks, Wall, Wizards

November 12th, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Serge Ibaka is asking Magic fans to be patient with his slow start in Orlando, relays Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Ibaka came to the team in a June trade with the expectation that he would become the rim protector the Magic needed while providing offense like he did with the Thunder. He has shot 43% from 3-point range in his first nine games in Orlando, but has been a disappointment defensively. “There’s new teammates, there’s new coverages,” coach Frank Vogel said. “The whole system is new. That’s just a part of all of our newness. I think we’re all trying to grow and figure each other out on the defensive end. But he’s certainly given us a presence. When we’re playing against big teams, he can match up with those guys and hold his own one-on-one and be a shot-blocking presence at the rim.” Ibaka will return to Oklahoma City on Sunday for the first time since the trade.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The offseason addition of Dwight Howard has helped the Hawks become of the NBA’s best shooting teams, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Journal Constitution. Howard is third in the league at .622, joining teammates Mike Muscala and Thabo Sefolosha in the top five. Overall, Atlanta is second in shooting at .478. “I think it’s just sharing the ball,” Muscala said. “A lot of it’s getting more offensive rebounds, getting some steals, pushing it in transition, getting those easy buckets. It all helps in getting in a good rhythm. It’s about not overthinking it. It’s about finding the open guy because we do have good shooters, we have good finishers.”
Wizards point guard John Wall will be held out of back-to-back games for at least another week, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The Wizards are bringing Wall along slowly after he had operations on both knees during the offseason. Coach Scott Brooks said he will consider changing the plan next week.
Washington’s early-season struggles are a sign that the organization should start over, which may mean trading Wall, writes Sam Amico of Amicohoops.net. Amico suggests a total makeover, with the team rebuilding around Otto Porter. He adds that the coaching change from Randy Wittman to Brooks hasn’t had the desired effect. Amico also cites an anonymous GM who believes the Wizards should waive Markieff Morris.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Wall, Bazemore, Augustin

November 6th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal called out his Wizards teammates for a lack of defensive effort after Saturday’s loss in Orlando, relays Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The fifth-year shooting guard, who signed a five-year extension over the summer worth nearly $128MM, hinted that lineup changes could be coming soon if things don’t change. “The biggest thing we can control is our defense and that’s all about effort and wanting to play,” Beal said. “I think coach [Scott Brooks] is pretty fed up with the way we’re playing and I think he’s going to start playing guys who want to play and guys who want to show up.” The Magic were able to make up a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter when reserves Trey Burke, Marcus Thornton, Kelly Oubre and Jason Smith were on the court together, so those are probably the players Beal is talking about.

There’s more this morning from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards are being careful with point guard John Wall after two offseason knee surgeries, which will put a greater burden on Beal, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Wall sat out Saturday’s game, which was the second night of a back-to-back, a situation where Wall will likely be held out as a precaution, at least for a while. Washington has three more back-to-backs on the schedule in November and two in December. “Trey and Tomas [Satoransky] got to step up as well and lead us as point guards,” Beal said. “I just got to be aggressive, play my game. Not take over and feel like I’ve got to do everything. I can’t do it by myself.”
Hawks guard Kent Bazemore is off to a rocky start after signing a four-year, $70MM contract this summer, notes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He shot just 28% from the floor during the team’s first five games and is trying to find other ways to contribute until his scoring touch returns. “That’s one of the main reasons they brought me back, my tenacity and my love and passion for the game,” Bazemore said. “At times I’ve gotten a little down on myself. I’m human. It’s good that I can finally recognize that there is a time and place for everything and the middle of a game is not the time to get down on yourself.”
D.J. Augustin‘s scoring has been a pleasant early-season surprise for the Magic, writes John Denton of NBA.com. The veteran point guard, who signed a four-year deal with Orlando this summer, is averaging 7.8 points per game off the bench in limited minutes. “He’s really grown,” said Orlando coach Frank Vogel. “I had him a couple of years ago [in Indiana] and he’s improved as a player. He’s not just a catch-and-shoot guy. He’s making good basketball plays with the pass and his creativity with creating his own shot as well has improved. So he’s given us a big lift.’’

John Wall, Bradley Beal Discuss Relationship

October 27th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

When John Wall admitted earlier this year that he and Bradley Beal had “a tendency to dislike each other on the court,” it led to a series of reports and columns suggesting that perhaps the Wizards wouldn’t be able to keep both players for the long term. But with Beal beginning a new five-year contract and Wall not going anywhere anytime soon, the duo is looking forward to a productive future, as Michael Lee of The Vertical writes.

“This is my brother at the end of the day,” Beal said of Wall. “Nothing is going to change. If I didn’t want to be here, if we did beef, I wouldn’t have signed my contract. That’s what it ultimately comes down to.”

Wall agreed with Beal’s assessment of the situation, pointing out that he “wouldn’t have begged him to come back” if he wasn’t optimistic about the long-term outlook in D.C. The Wizards’ point guard also believes his comments about the duo’s on-court growing pains were somewhat misconstrued.

“I think everybody blew it out of proportion for no reason,” Wall said. “I mean, if you look at any two great teammates, and two young, great guys, that’s talented and want to be great, you’re going to have ups and downs. Everything is not going to be perfect.”

Beal’s new five-year contract with Washington is a maximum-salary deal that will pay him nearly $128MM, an enormous sum for a player who has been plagued by injury issues and hasn’t had a true breakout season yet. But Wall is hoping that Wizards fans will be patient with Beal and allow him to continue to improve.

“He had injuries the last couple of years and they’re like, ‘He don’t deserve it.’ Let him get a chance to earn it,” Wall said. “Let him be an All-Star. Let him see if he can be healthy for a whole season and see what he can do. … I want him to be an All-Star, just like I am. It’s no fun when it’s just one guy. If another guy is there, it makes it more fun.”

Southeast Notes: Bazemore, Rudez, Wizards

October 26th, 2016 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

As an unrestricted free agent this summer, Kent Bazemore drew serious interest from the Rockets and other teams, but ultimately re-signed with the Hawks on a four-year, $70MM contract. While Bazemore recognizes that there’s added pressure now that he’s on a lucrative new deal, he intends to get even better, telling Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s aiming to make the NBA’s All-Defensive team.

“I think, for me, if I do that then the [Hawks] will be in a great spot,” Bazemore said. “There are some very special teams this year with some very special players. If I can do well against them, we’ll have a great chance to win. … I’ve got to add to my Lefty Driesell Award from college. I’ve got a big gap in my defensive awards. I’ve got to put something else on the shelf.”

Here’s more from out of the Southeast:

As Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel details, the Magic kept two players on non-guaranteed contracts on their regular-season roster, including Damjan Rudez, who is thrilled to have made the team. According to Robbins, head coach Frank Vogel lobbied team executives to give the veteran forward a chance to earn a spot on the 15-man squad.
There were offseason rumblings about a potentially contentious on-court relationship between Wizards guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, but the backcourt duo is on the same page to open the season, per The Associated Press.
Andrew Nicholson could turn out to be one of the major free agent bargains of the summer for the Wizards, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com.

Southeast Notes: Jack, Biyombo, Dragic, Ware

October 15th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Hawks point guard Jarrett Jack hopes to begin non-contact work in practice next week, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta is being careful with Jack, who is still recovering after tearing ligaments in his right knee in January. “I can tell you my knee feels 100 times better this month than it did last month,” Jack said. “Coach and [the staff] are on me about rushing to get back. They tell me to take my time. They’d rather have me for the longer stretch of the season than just this early part. I’m going to take it day by day. Patience isn’t something I was blessed with, so I’m going to do my best until the time is right to step back on the court.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Magic center Bismack Biyombo understands that big money makes players targets for criticism, especially when they aren’t starting, relays Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. Biyombo’s outstanding performance in last season’s playoffs earned him a $17MM raise, as he signed a four-year, $72MM deal with Orlando. The contract tied him with Evan Fournier as the highest-paid player on the team, but it didn’t make him the starting center. That role is still held by Nikola Vucevic. “People say things, say I can’t do this, do that … but all that matters to me is winning,” Biyombo said. “I’m really not going to care. I’m playing for my teammates. I love the game. I don’t take a day off. I don’t miss games. If I give 150 percent, I can go home happy.”
Miami’s Goran Dragic clarified some remarks Friday, saying he didn’t intend to convey unhappiness with the Heat, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. In an interview last week with TNT’s David Aldridge, Dragic admitted that the loss of Dwyane Wade to free agency and Chris Bosh to health problems have put the current Miami team in a much different position than he expected when he re-signed last summer. “He asked me that question,” Dragic explained. “Didn’t I sign to be part of a great team, championship team? I said, ‘Yeah, of course.’ Then I said sometimes your career, this is business, you cannot have every decision go the way you want it on your own. This is a team decision. Sometimes you need to do two steps back to go one step forward. I’m happy to be here. This is the team that I want to be here. But I understand this is business.”
John Wall‘s recovery from offseason knee surgery has made Casper Ware a long shot to make the Wizards, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. In a column assessing the chances of each free agent to make Washington’s roster, Michael notes that the offseason additions of Trey Burke and Tomas Satoransky also hurt Ware’s chances.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Wall, Burke, Satoransky

September 29th, 2016 at 5:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal will have to go through the NBA’s concussion protocol after taking an elbow to the head Wednesday, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Beal was held out of action today and won’t be cleared to play until he goes through the “return-to-participation protocol.” Coach Scott Brooks called the injury a mild concussion that happened when Ian Mahinmi accidentally hit Beal in the head. Still, it’s the second concussion in eight months for Beal and one more injury concern for a player the Wizards signed to a five-year, $128MM maximum contract over the summer. Beal has missed 25% of his games during his first four years in the NBA and was placed on a minutes restriction last season after doctors discovered “the beginnings of a stress reaction” in his lower right fibula.

There’s more from the Wizards’ camp:

Still recovering from offseason surgery on both knees, point guard John Wall is hoping more backcourt depth will lighten his workload, Buckner writes in a separate story. Washington swung a deal with Utah this summer for Trey Burke, who entered camp as Wall’s likely backup. Wall hopes his addition will mean more rest during a long season. “A lot of times in the past I was playing 40, 42 minutes and the whole second half … wearing my body down,” Wall said. “With a better second unit that we’ll probably have, we’re a more complete team, I probably won’t have to be out there as much. I think that will help with how I take care of my body and how we play as a team.”
Wall confirmed that he is ahead of his rehab schedule as he tries to be ready for the October 27th season opener, relays J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Wall has been participating in about 70% of practices, but has been sitting out five-on-five drills. “I’m leaving it all up to the doctors and the trainers,” Wall said. “As long as I can get through this week, and get through the more practices we have and through the preseason, we’ll have to sit back and wait and see. Hopefully I will be [ready for the opener]. That’s my ultimate goal, but I’m not trying to rush it.”
Tomas Satoransky has been the surprise of camp so far, Michael writes in a separate piece. The 6’7″ Czech rookie guard agreed to join the Wizards over the summer on a three-year, $9MM deal and has impressed teammates with his vertical leap and knowledge of the game. “I’d seen a couple highlights of him playing,” said Otto Porter, “but actually getting out here playing with him to actually be on his team? One time I was cutting through, he hit me on the back of the shoulder [with the ball]. I wasn’t looking for it. I was like, ‘OK, this kid knows how to play.’”

Southeast Notes: Wall, Beal, Hibbert, Magic

September 27th, 2016 at 10:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

During the Wizards‘ media day on Monday, John Wall walked back his comments from August when he told reporters that he and teammate Bradley Beal “have a tendency to dislike each other on the court,” Candace Buckner of The Washington Post writes. “Whenever you have your two best players and they both want the game-winning shot and they want those types of plays, you’re going to have disagreements on the court. But other than that, we’re fine,” Wall told the media. “We talk. We’ve talked about it. We’re both two grown men. Everybody wants us to dislike each other. No, we don’t dislike each other. It’s just at times any team that has two great players [or] players who want to be great, we’re going to have disagreements from time to time.”

For his part, Beal said he never took offense at Wall’s comments, likening their relationship to that of brothers, Buckner notes. “Sometimes you don’t always get along with your bigger brother or your little brother but you love them at the end of the day. They’re family. That’s how John and I are,” Beal said. “We don’t always agree on the court. You’re not always going to agree with Coach [Scott] Brooks and something that he says but at the end of the day, we’re backcourt mates, we’re teammates, we’re the two leaders of the team. We’re going to help win us games.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic are hunting for a location for their new D-League affiliate to call home, with the two finalists being Kissimmee’s Silver Spurs Arena and The Lakeland Center, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel reports. The team expects to finalize its decision within the next month, Robbins adds. “We’re still in final discussions with both, and both have been asked to address some specific issues that we need answers for and direction on,” CEO Alex Martins said. “I believe that within the next 30 days we’ll have a decision made.”
Center Roy Hibbert is trying to salvage his career after signing a one-year, $5MM with the Hornets this offseason. Assistant coach Patrick Ewing has taken the big man under his wing, believing that much of Hibbert’s decline stems from him buying into the talk that the changes to the game have made him obsolete, Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer writes. “I think it’s probably mostly mental,” Ewing said of Hibbert. “I know everybody is talking about how the game has changed. I think he’s kind of bought into that.”
Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer weighed in with his early impressions of rookies Malcolm Delaney, Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays.

Southeast Notes: Millsap, Heat, Wall, Hornets

September 22nd, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks power forward Paul Millsap recently underwent a procedure to reduce mild swelling in his right knee, RealGM.com relays via a team press release. The procedure was not surgical and all indications are that he will be ready to play at the start of the season, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links). Millsap, who has averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 rebounds last season, has earned a reputation of being an iron man since joining the league during the 2006/07 season. He appeared in 81 regular-season games and 10 playoff games last season and has never missed more than nine games in any season.

In other news around the Southeast Division:

Nevada Smith has been named head coach of the Heat’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald reports. Smith previously coached the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers for two seasons. Former Heat point guard Anthony Carter will join Smith’s staff. Former Skyforce Dan Craig has joined Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s staff along with Octavio De La Grana, who served as a Skyforce assistant coach last year.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks is uncertain about point guard John Wall’s status for the start of training camp, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. Brooks is unsure when Wall, who underwent two knee operations during the offseason, will be cleared for five-on-five contact. “He’s improving,” Brooks told Buckner. “His body looks great [but] his conditioning is going to be behind. Once you step into an NBA practice, the level goes way up. Especially in a training camp situation where you have guys trying to make it, guys trying to fight for minutes, trying to fight for starting jobs, but we have to make sure [about Wall] because that’s when things can go sideways.”
The Heat’s decision on whether Chris Bosh will be cleared to play is not a function of the salary cap, Ira Winderman of the Florida Sun-Sentinel writes. Bosh, who has been diagnosed with blood clots in his leg the past two seasons, must be cleared by medical personnel and the rules of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement have to be followed, Winderman continues. Neither the team nor the players’ union will draw a line in the sand over one player, especially when either could opt out of the CBA as early as mid-December, Winderman adds.
The return of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from injury and the addition of free agent center Roy Hibbert raises the defensive ceiling for a team that already ranked in the league’s top 10 last season, according to Basketball Insiders’ season preview of the Hornets. Basketball Insiders takes an optimistic view of the Hornets, with its reporters predicting anywhere from a first to third-place finish for the club this season.

Southeast Notes: Wall, Bosh, Hornets, Ibaka

September 14th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards aren’t going to push John Wall to be ready for opening night, writes Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic.com. The 26-year-old point guard had surgical procedures on both knees during the offseason, and the team is being careful with his recovery. “We’re in no rush,” said new Washington head coach Scott Brooks. “We want to make sure that he’s ready. It’s a process. We still have all of training camp. We’ll see. We’re going to keep working, keep pushing him. The one thing about John. He puts the work in.” Wall has started playing one-on-one, but he still has to make progress before he can handle training camp drills or five-on-five games.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Chris Bosh may be planning to join the Heat in training camp, but veteran teammate Udonis Haslem cautions everyone to be realistic in their expectations, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Bosh has had his last two seasons cut short by blood clots and he hasn’t played competitively since the All-Star break. “Chris’ timetable is just a little bit different than everybody else’s,” Haslem said. “So we have to be mindful. We have to be conscious of the things that are important. And the thing that is most important is that when Chris needs to be ready, that he’s ready.”
Hornets coach Steve Clifford believes the team’s offseason moves have improved the defense more than the offense, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Charlottte lost three key free agents in Jeremy Lin, Al Jefferson and Courtney Lee, but brought in Roy Hibbert, Ramon Sessions and Marco Belinelli. Also, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is expected back after missing nearly all of last season with injuries.
Serge Ibaka may help bring a winning culture to the Magic, writes Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders in a preseason look at Orlando. Ibaka, who was acquired from the Thunder in a June deal involving Victor Oladipo, was part of a very successful team in Oklahoma City and will give the Magic the rim protector they have needed since they lost Dwight Howard. However, many of the Basketball Insiders writers were confused by Orlando’s offseason moves and are concerned that they don’t have enough scorers to be a contender.

Eastern Notes: Mickey, Brown, Wall, Beal

August 31st, 2016 at 9:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Mickey‘s spot on the Celtics‘ roster seems safe even in a crowded training camp, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. With John Holland being waived today, Boston has 18 players on its roster, with 16 on fully guaranteed contracts. But the Celtics don’t seem likely to cut ties with Mickey after making a four-year commitment to him last offseason. After taking him in the second round of the 2015 draft, Boston gave Mickey a $5MM deal with a higher annual salary than first-round pick R.J. Hunter received. Mickey appeared in just 16 games for Boston as a rookie, spending most of the season with the team’s Maine affiliate in the D-League. He led the league in blocks with 4.4 per game and was a D-League All-Star. Blakely writes that the Celtics want to see more of Mickey at the NBA level before making a long-term decision.

There’s more tonight from the Eastern Conference:

Celtics power forward Jaylen Brown was voted the most athletic rookie by his fellow Class of 2016 members, relays CSNNE. Brown, the third player taken in the June draft, topped an NBA.com poll with 38.7% of the votes, followed by the Clippers’ Brice Johnson with 16.1% and the Suns’ Marquese Chriss with 9.7%.
It’s healthy for John Wall and Bradley Beal to be open about their disagreements, contends Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. He believes the Wizards‘ backcourt tandem will improve their communication because they’re willing to speak publicly about the problem, which Bucher describes as both wanting to be the dominant personality on the team. Bucher doesn’t think there’s a need to trade either one because their skills are complementary.
The Knicks are gambling with their point guard position by bringing in two players with significant injury histories, writes Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders. New York traded for Derrick Rose, whose 66 games last season were by far the most since tearing his ACL in the 2012 playoffs, and signed Brandon Jennings, who suffered an Achilles tear in January of 2014. Beer lists several unsigned players the Knicks should consider as insurance: Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson, Jordan Farmar, Andre Miller and Lance Stephenson.