Phil Jackson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: LeVert, Plumlee, Knicks, Jackson

November 21st, 2016 at 9:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nets rookie Caris LeVert participated in his first practice today, writes Cory Wright of NBA.com. LeVert continues to rehab from foot surgery that has kept him off the court since February 13th. Coach Kenny Atkinson plans to bring LeVert along slowly to make sure the foot doesn’t give him any more trouble. LeVert, who has spent his time doing conditioning work and learning the team’s offense, said it felt good to be back on the court. “It’s been a long time since I’ve practiced full go and competed in live drills,” he said, “so it was a great experience for me.”

There’s more news tonight out of New York:

Marshall Plumlee‘s NBA debut was memorable even before Sunday’s game started, relays Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Plumlee was preparing to play for the Knicks‘ D-League affiliate in Westchester when he was notified that Joakim Noah was sick and the NBA club needed him. Plumlee took a train to Grand Central Station, hailed a cab and paid the driver to run a red light, then got stuck in traffic and sprinted the final few blocks to Madison Square Garden. He got there during the first quarter and wound up playing more than five minutes. “It was crazy,” he said. “I feel like I could write a book about it. Just imagine being woken up, saying like, ‘Hey, we need you to guard Dwight Howard.’”
Knicks players insist the team meeting they had Saturday wasn’t a revolt against president Phil Jackson or coach Jeff Hornacek, according to Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Some players have complained that Jackson’s triangle offense is outdated and it results in the team not practicing against pick-and-rolls. However, the meeting was described as a productive exchange of ideas about the team’s slow start. Jackson reportedly attended but did not speak. “It was a positive meeting,” said Courtney Lee, one of 10 new players on the Knicks’ roster. “Just everybody voicing their opinion and trying to get on the same page with the coaches and Phil. Guys left in good spirits, and it carried over into the game.”
Jackson’s “posse” controversy from last week left him appearing out of touch, contends Harvey Araton of The New York Times. Jackson was discussing the many favors the Heat were willing to do for LeBron James, but Araton points out that Jackson has received similar treatment, as did the stars he coached, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Atlantic Notes: Noel, Knicks, Noah, Bennett

November 20th, 2016 at 6:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Injured forward Nerlens Noel met with Sixers coach Brett Brown on Saturday to discuss the tam’s plans for him when he returns, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Noel had surgery October 24th because of inflamed tissue above his left knee and has been doing rehab work in Alabama. He returned to Philadelphia on Friday to begin team-supervised workouts. “I’m not able right now to lay out the perfect road map to everybody,” Brown said. “But it was a great conversation. It was good to see him as we always do with our players and me with Nerlens. I’ve been with him a long time. It’s very clear and candid what his role and what’s going to happen. How are we going to try to make it work.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks had a team meeting Saturday with coaches and president Phil Jackson to discuss some early-season issues, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Carmelo Anthony called the meeting productive, and said Jackson didn’t speak. “Nah, he actually just listened this time,” Anthony said, “which is good.”
Joakim Noah understands that his first month in a Knicks uniform has been disappointing, relays Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The free agent center, who came to New York on a four-year, $72MM deal, has seen his playing time decrease lately as coach Jeff Hornacek relies more on a small-ball lineup. “There’s still things I feel like I need to do a lot better,” Noah said. “I’m not happy with where I am right now. I feel like I can definitely play better, but I’m not going to get frustrated with the process. I’m giving everything I’ve got and looking forward to being better with this team, but not being frustrated with the process.”
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is being rewarded for his faith in former overall number one pick Anthony Bennett, according to NetsDaily.com. Bennett turned in two good performances this week, including 12 points in 21 minutes Friday night. “It was just an opportunity [for him],” said Atkinson, who urged Brooklyn’s front office to give Bennett a chance. “We look at practice and we look at how he’s been working, how he’s been doing and I felt like he deserved an opportunity.”

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Noah, Rose

November 16th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson took to social media in an attempt to diffuse the reaction to his controversial comments regarding LeBron James, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Jackson has taken criticism for referring to James’ entourage as a “posse,” drawing reactions not only from James, but also from Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. Jackson re-tweeted a post from team advisor, Clarence Gaines, an African-American, who was promoting the “Posse Foundation,” which was set up to help black students succeed. Jackson refused to discuss the situation with reporters on Tuesday.

There’s more today out of New York:

Jackson’s statements were part of a continued effort to take the focus off the job he has done with the Knicks, contends Mike Vacarro of The New York Post. The writer called Jackson “petty” for focusing on James and Heat president Pat Riley in recent public comments and blasted Jackson for not talking to New York media since September 22nd.
Joakim Noah, one of the team’s prize offseason additions, will continue to start, but may not play much during fourth quarters, Berman writes in a separate piece. The Knicks have been more successful lately with coach Jeff Hornacek’s “small-ball” lineup that has Kristaps Porzingis playing center. Hornacek said Noah, who hasn’t scored in three games and is averaging just 4.3 points per contest, needs to become more “aggressive” on offense. “We don’t mind him taking the little mid-range shot, keeping teams honest if they’re going to stay back,’’ Hornacek said. “We want him to continue rolling to the basket, get low in the dunk area if guys penetrate and a big helps, he gets the dump and can just dunk it. If he stays outside, that’s what another team wants. We want for him to be more aggressive when he does get the ball around the basket.’’
Derrick Rose is seeking $70K in court costs related to his civil trial that concluded last month, according to ESPN. A woman’s $21.5MM suit alleging rape was rejected by a jury, and the law permits winners of civil trials to ask the court to have some of their costs covered by the losers.

And-Ones: Trump Backlash, Jones, Lue

November 15th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Bucks, Grizzlies and Mavericks have stopped staying at Donald Trump-branded hotels in order to avoid being associated with the businessman, Marc Stein and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com collectively report. Sources tell the duo that another Eastern Conference team set to stay at the Trumo SoHo in New York this season has already decided to switch to a different hotel once its contract expires at the end of the season. Seven other teams are currently scheduled to stay at Trump-branded hotels this season. ESPN has declined to reveal which teams will be staying at the locations.

Here’s more from around the league:

Perry Jones III has signed with the Iowa Energy of the D-League, sources tell Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter link).
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he will not try to mend the fence between LeBron James and his former coach Phil Jackson, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com tweets.
Before signing with the Hawks, Dwight Howard told his mother he was going to sign with the Jazz and she didn’t take the fake news too well, as Koster Kennard of the Deseret News relays. “I played a prank on my mom,” Howard said to Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports Radio. “I wanted to see her reaction, so I told her, I said, ‘Mom, I just got this big contract, $150 million.’ And she was like, ‘Oh my God, from who?’ I said, ‘Utah Jazz,’ and she started crying.”

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Jackson, Noah

November 15th, 2016 at 8:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Carmelo Anthony said he would be offended if Phil Jackson referred to his entourage as a “posse,” but added that he believes Jackson may have meant no harm by his word choice, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays.

“Do I think he meant it in any kind of way? I really don’t know. I don’t think he did.” Anthony said. “I would hope he didn’t. Sometimes Phil just says things, the first thing that comes to mind. He’s probably in his office now regretting it. When it comes to, Phil, you never know what’s going to be said.”

Here’s more from New York:

Anthony also added that he can’t understand why LeBron James is the topic of Jackson’s conversation, as Berman passes along in the same piece. “I don’t think we play them anytime soon,” Anthony said. “It’s a whole month away. I just don’t understand Phil talking about LeBron right now. In November. I don’t understand that.”
Jackson’s insecurities about running a franchise are prompting him to take shots at his successful counterparts, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical argues in a video essay (Twitter link). The scribe details all of Jackson’s failed moves, including his decision to trade J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cavs for practically nothing in return.
The Knicks signed Joakim Noah to a four-year, $72MM contract during the offseason, but the team’s best lineup doesn’t included the big man, as Stefan Bondy of the Daily News details. In Monday’s win over the Mavericks, Kristaps Porzingis was moved to the center position and the team enjoyed great success, including a 30-10 run. Noah admitted that he has to find his offensive game and said he would be looking at the film to “figure it out.”

LeBron James: I “Had” Respect For Phil Jackson

November 15th, 2016 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

When we passed along some of the highlights from Phil Jackson‘s interview with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan on Monday, we didn’t include a comment from the Knicks president on LeBron James. Jackson suggested that the reigning NBA Finals MVP “likes special treatment” and “needs things his way” when he discussed LeBron’s 2014 departure from Miami.

“There were a lot of little things that came out of that,” Jackson said. “When LeBron was playing with the Heat, they went to Cleveland, and he wanted to spend the night. They don’t do overnights. Teams just don’t. So now [head coach Erik] Spoelstra has to text [president Pat] Riley and say, ‘What do I do in this situation?’ And Pat, who has iron-fist rules, answers, ‘You are on the plane. You are with this team.’ You can’t hold up the whole team because you and your mom and your posse want to spend an extra night in Cleveland.”

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com tweets, James addressed those comments today, telling reporters that he “had nothing but respect” for Jackson as a coach. Asked to clarify his use of the past tense, LeBron confirmed that he no longer has that same level of respect for the Knicks president. The Cavs star also took exception with Jackson’s use of the word “posse” to describe James’ camp.

“To use that label, and if you go and read the definition of what the word ‘posse’ is, it’s not what I’ve built over my career,” James said, per Jordan Heck of The Sporting News (Twitter link). “It’s not what I stand for. It’s not what my family stands for. And I believe the only reason he used that word is because it’s young African-Americans trying to make a difference.”

Maverick Carter, one of LeBron’s business partners, also took exception to Jackson’s comments, according to McMenamin: “It’s the word ‘posse’ and the characterization I take offense to. If he would have said LeBron and his agent, LeBron and his business partners, or LeBron and his friends, that’s one thing. Yet because you’re young and black, he can use that word. We’re grown men.”

While a conflict with a rival player won’t necessarily have any short-term negative impact on Jackson and the Knicks, it’s not a great look for a team executive who will be trying to recruit players in free agency in the summer. It’s also worth noting that Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is close friends with James, and probably wouldn’t be thrilled to be caught between the two.

Phil Jackson Talks Triangle, Rose, Noah, Opt-Out

November 14th, 2016 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

A report last week suggested that Knicks president Phil Jackson was unhappy with his team’s offense, having felt that the club should be using triangle sets more often. At the time that story surfaced, the Knicks’ defense was also a mess, prompting the team to assign Kurt Rambis exclusively to that side of the ball in an attempt to clean things up. Reports later in the week indicated that Rambis’ new assignment came from head coach Jeff Hornacek, but Jackson still seems a little more hands-on than most team presidents around the NBA.

In an interview with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Jackson addressed his reported displeasure with the club’s offensive sets, along with several other topics. The entire discussion is worth checking out, but here are a few highlights from the Knicks president:

On whether he’s frustrated with the lack of triangle sets in the Knicks’ offense:

“No. But when they run it, I want them to run it the right way. If you are going to do it, use your skills and run it the right way. I’m not frustrated at all. Derrick Rose missed three weeks of training camp (because of a civil trial). It’s totally understandable where we are as a ball club. We have guards that do a lot of stuff off the dribble. I want them to understand they can do things off the pass. It has to be a combination.”

On the decision to trade for Rose in the summer:

“Mike Conley was the best choice as a free agent, but he’s making $30MM a year. That’s almost insane. We saw that was going to happen. We had the opportunity to play with Derrick and see if he does have enough left in the tank — he’s 27 years old — before we have to get into that (free) agent market again. It gave us an opportunity to build a team around him, Carmelo [Anthony] and Kris[taps Porzingis].

“And, having experiences with Joakim [Noah] over the years, not only as a player with talent, but a guy who showed up at my door in Montana, he knows Derrick and he knows how to play with him. It gives us an advantage. Both are coming back into playing form.”

On whether he’ll exercise the opt-out clause in his contract after this season:

“I have not entertained that. I’m looking for this Knicks team to get back into a situation where they are competitive. Do I have to win a championship before I feel I’ve done the job I’ve been asked to do, which is to bring this group back to that competitive level? No, I don’t. We’re starting to make progress. I like a lot of the things we are doing here. But we’ve got more to do.

“The real issue with the opt out was simply my rationale regarding the (potential) lockout. If it was going to happen in December and everybody chose to walk away, there was no way I was going to sit in New York for three, four months when I didn’t have a job, because (the players) aren’t even allowed to show up to work.”

On the possibility of returning to the Lakers:

“They’re moving forward in the right direction. Luke [Walton] has them engaged, Brian [Shaw] is an associate head coach; they have a core group of guys that will get it done. It was never important to me to go back and be a part of that. Especially not now. I have this job, this commitment.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Knicks, Raptors, Crowder

November 11th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

With the Sixers off to another slow start, head coach Brett Brown asked Hall-of-Fame guard Allen Iverson to provide some encouraging words to his frustrated team (link via ESPN.com). Iverson suggests that he still believes the 76ers have a promising future ahead of them, despite the fact that the club is 0-7 to start the 2016/17 season.

“I want the fans here to be patient with those guys,” said the former Sixers star. “We’ve got the talent. It’s here. Just be patient with them. And I just want those guys to believe in each other and trust in each other. That’s it. The future is bright for us.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek says that the decision to install Kurt Rambis as a defensive assistant was his own, and didn’t come from team president Phil Jackson. Marc Berman of The New York Post has the details, along with the quotes from Hornacek.
The Raptors are off to a hot start this season, despite shooting just 28.8% on three-pointers in a league that values three-point shooting more than ever. With that in mind, Scott Stinson of The National Post wonders if DeMar DeRozan has become an exception to an NBA rule, while Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun examines DeMarre Carroll‘s continued adjustment to a different style of play in Toronto.
Jae Crowder remains on the shelf for the Celtics, and according to head coach Brad Stevens, the veteran forward is unlikely to return to the court for Boston until at least next Wednesday (link via A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com).

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Embiid

November 9th, 2016 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets made a roster move earlier today, announcing in a press release that they’ve waived Greivis Vasquez, who will reportedly require surgery on his injured ankle. The team is set to bring back training camp invitee Yogi Ferrell, an undrafted rookie out of Indiana, who had been preparing to play for Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate this season.

Here are some more notes and news items from out of the Atlantic division:

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge admits that his team might have been a little overconfident heading into the regular season, acknowledging that the club needs to address or work around its issues with rim protection and interior defense, as Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald details. “We knew before the season that we don’t have the great rim protectors and we’re not a great defensive rebounding team,” Ainge said. “We have to win in other ways. We’re still trying to improve our team, and we know that we have some holes, but that’s not the reason why we’re not putting forth the effort that we need to, and I think that Sunday night, to me, rather than overreacting, is a good awakening for our players.” Boston suffered a 123-107 loss to Denver on Sunday.
A Tuesday report indicated that Knicks president Phil Jackson isn’t thrilled with the lack of triangle sets in his team’s offense, but head coach Jeff Hornacek says Jackson hasn’t expressed any such displeasure to him. Hornacek added that he appreciates getting input from Jackson, telling Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link), “Obviously he won championships, he knows what he’s talking about.”
Joel Embiid is off to an impressive start for the Sixers this season, but the team is still taking a cautious approach to his playing time, opting not to bring him to Indiana for tonight’s game against the Pacers. Although the decision caught Embiid off guard, he’s ready to go along with the 76ers’ plan for him, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Eastern Notes: Brown, Smith, Hawes

November 8th, 2016 at 9:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If the Sixers continue to lose games at their current rate, team executive Bryan Colangelo could press ownership to fire coach Brett Brown, Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. With the team winless to start the season despite the presence of center Joel Embiid, Brown may end up shouldering the blame for the team’s woes now that former GM Sam Hinkie is gone, the scribe adds. “Yeah, I’m aware of it,” Brown said regarding the added pressure to win this season. “I’m not young anymore. I come in here and I do my job. I know what we do at practice. I know what goes on behind the scenes. I know the preparation we put into about everything.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

J.R. Smith, who signed a four-year deal with the Cavaliers this offseason, wants to remain in Cleveland for the rest of his NBA career and beyond, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal writes. “It makes no sense to go anywhere else,” Smith said. “To get treated the way we get treated here from the people, from the police, from everybody. There’s nothing but love here. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.”
The Knicks are a team rife with dysfunction after just six games this season and much of the blame should fall on team president Phil Jackson, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post opines. The Post scribe calls out the executive for his stubborn insistence on running the triangle despite the players not buying into the system, as well as his puzzling decision to install assistant coach Kurt Rambis as the “defensive coordinator” despite him being an offensive specialist by trade and not having had success as a head coach in the NBA.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford is raving about Spencer Hawes‘ basketball IQ, something the player admits he has to rely on given that he is not an elite athlete, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer relays. “It’s his IQ. He understands basketball and has such a feel for the game. And he has a terrific skill level,” Clifford said. “He had 11 defensive rebounds [against the Pacers]. He’s always been a pretty good defensive rebounder, even for a center. He brings intelligence to the court every time he plays, which is important.”
The Pacers are struggling on the defensive end, something head coach Nate McMillan chalks up to the team’s new personnel not having great chemistry with one another yet, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes. “The offense normally is ahead of the defense when you start out,” McMillan said. “Most of the guys, that’s how they got here, their offensive skills. Defense requires you to commit, not only individually but collectively.”