Mike D’Antoni Rumors | Hoops Rumors

J.R. Smith Rumors: Sunday

February 5th, 2012 at 9:01am CST by Daniel Seco

Former Denver Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith looks to return to the NBA after a stint in China with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Smith, 25, has received attention from numerous NBA teams with the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks among his strongest suitors. As stated by Smith in a tweet on Friday, he would be excited to see what kind of pick-and-roll tandem he and Amare Stoudemire could form at the Garden.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, beleaguered Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni isn't hiding the fact that the Knicks desperately need another shooter and view Smith as an ideal candidate to fill such a role for the 9-15 squad. The Knicks can offer Smith the $2.5MM mini mid-level exception but will have to waive a player upon signing him.
Picking an opportune time for a career-high 25 points and seven dimes, Jeremy Lin can rest assured that he would not be a roster casualty if Smith signs with New York.
After recently signing free agent Kenyon Martin to a contract, the Clippers may turn to Smith in an effort to add depth off the bench as they attempt to make a run at a top seed in the Western Conference. The Clippers no longer have the payroll flexibility to offer Smith the $2.5MM mini mid-level exception after giving it Martin and would have to sign the former Hornet for the veteran's minimum.
For those wondering about the impact the eighth-year player out of New Jersey has made in China, Smith lit up the scoreboard with 60 points during a CBA game last week.

Knicks Notes: Point Guard, Lin, D’Antoni

February 4th, 2012 at 11:21pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

The New York Knicks, searching for answers all season long, appeared to have found one–at least for a night–in their win over the New Jersey Nets. Here is a bit more on the Knicks:

Charles Barkley points out the Knicks need a point guard, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday, who gives a quick rundown on the point guards currently on the roster.
Personally, I think Ramon Sessions is an intriguing option for the Knicks.
Of course, they may have already had one one the roster writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York following Jeremy Lin's 25-point, nine-assist performance.
It's Lin-sanity! reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, who thinks Lin could see time in the starting lineup until Baron Davis returns.
Perhaps tonight's Lin-inspired performance is why Mike D'Antoni never thought to panic amid speculation about his job security (via ESPN New York's Ian Begley).

Atlantic Notes: Bogans, Pietrus, Raptors, D’Antoni

February 2nd, 2012 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Thursday morning items out of the Atlantic division….

Keith Bogans is at a loss trying to explain why he was out of work so long, says Fred Kerber of the New York Post. The newest Net told Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger that he's been "sitting at home for a month and a half, going crazy." Bogans, who signed with New Jersey yesterday, will received a guaranteed pro-rated portion of the veteran's minimum.
Mickael Pietrus talked last night about his decision to sign with the Celtics, and Ben Rohrbach has the quotes at WEEI.com: "To be honest with you, the reason I came to the Celtics is because of coach Rivers and KG…. [Kevin Garnett] makes everybody play hard. I was like, that’s going to be a good fit for me to play with the man."
Raptors GM Brian Colangelo put in some face time with top draft pick Jonas Valanciunas for the first time since last summer, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes. Following the visit, Colangelo said everyone "is certainly on the same page."
There are strong indications that Mike D'Antoni will keep his job past Super Bowl Sunday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. There's some hope that a healthier and rejuvenated Knicks squad can still turn things around.

Anthony Says Team Backs D’Antoni

January 30th, 2012 at 7:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The 7-13 start by the Knicks, who've lost nine of 10, has coach Mike D'Antoni on the hot seat. Carmelo Anthony says none of that pressure is coming from the locker room.

Anthony says he and his teammates haven't tuned D'Antoni out, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York.

"Anytime teams are losing, that's the first thing that comes to mind, the coach. But we don't talk about that," Anthony said. "We support Mike 100%. He's here with us, we're here with him, and we're going to roll with that."

Effective up-tempo offense has long been D'Antoni's calling card, but the team ranked 24th in offensive efficiency entering Monday.

Stephen A. Smith of ESPN.com painted a grim picture of D'Antoni's future in a story earlier on Monday.