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Beck On Knicks, Melo, Lin, Felton, Lakers

January 25th, 2013 at 6:18pm CST by Sean Highkin

Howard Beck of the New York Times has posted a new mailbag in which he answers reader questions about the New York Knicks and the rest of the NBA. Here are the highlights:

Beck stands by criticsms he made at the time of the Knicks' trade for Carmelo Anthony but admits it has worked out better than he expected.
Many people in and around the NBA are impressed with the Bulls' success this season despite Derrick Rose's absence, writes Beck.
Beck doesn't see Kenyon Martin as a realistic option for the Knicks in the event that the injury to Rasheed Wallace is season-ending, citing his advanced age and the team's abundance of forwards.
Beck doesn't believe the Lakers will move Dwight Howard before the trading deadline, although he doesn't consider it as much a lock that he will re-sign in Los Angeles this summer given the team's struggles.
The decision to let Jeremy Lin go and sign Raymond Felton has worked out for the Knicks despite facing heavy criticism at the time, writes Beck.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Nets, Sullinger

January 19th, 2013 at 10:46pm CST by Ryan Raroque

During this upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Knicks and Nets play their final game of the season against each other in a matinee at Madison Square Garden. Monday's matchup stands to be the most significant of the cross-town rivals' meetings this season, as a full game will be on the line with just two games separating the team in the Eastern Conference standings. The surging Nets under the guidance of P.J. Carlesimo have gone 9-2 in their last 11 games, while the Knicks, despite being without point guard Raymond Felton, will bring Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert into the mix for their first games against Brooklyn this season. With that aside, here are a few miscellaneous rumblings out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony says he feels re-energized after returning to a regular diet after fasting for two weeks, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola mentions that during Anthony's fast, his on-court performances had been mixed.
With only one game this past week, the extra time off should only be of benefit to the Knicks, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. He also notes that Felton, who wants to play against Boston on Thursday, thinks that next weekend is a more realistic return date from injury.
Although prone to injury because of his energetic and all-out style of play, Gerald Wallace says he's not changing his game (Roderick Boone of Newsday reports). Later, Boone discusses Keith Bogans success as one of the Nets' more productive role players.
Greg Payne of ESPN Boston thinks that Jared Sullinger deserves to be selected for the NBA's Rookie-Sophomore game during All-Star Weekend and notes that head coach Doc Rivers and many of the Celtics players strongly agree.

Odds & Ends: Wall, Felton, Raptors, Harden

December 26th, 2012 at 11:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

A pair of teams at opposite ends of the standings received news about their point guards that conflicts with the way their seasons have gone so far. John Wall told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's targeting sometime next month for his return to the Wizards from a left patella injury that's kept him out all season. Raymond Felton of the Knicks, meanwhile, told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link), that he'll likely have surgery on his broken right pinkie finger that will keep him out four to six weeks. While we don't normally cover injuries at Hoops Rumors, we do so when an absence could have an effect on personnel moves, and there's news on a couple more guys whose health could signal change.

Raptors officials said that center Jonas Valanciunas will miss the next four to six weeks with a broken ring finger on his right hand, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes, which might complicate matters if the team intends to trade Andrea Bargnani anytime soon while remaining competitive this season. With Bargnani still recovering from a torn elbow ligament, Aaron Gray has become a starter.
Smith also writes that coach Dwane Casey has decided he'll keep Jose Calderon in the starting lineup even when Kyle Lowry returns from a torn right triceps muscle. Calderon has long been a trade candidate, but the team could dangle Lowry instead, as we heard earlier today.
The Timberwolves had contact with the Thunder about acquiring James Harden, but Minnesota was rebuffed, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. It's unclear how far talks got, but it's no surprise that the Wolves at least made an inquiry, as just about every team surely did this summer while Oklahoma City stared down the dilemma over whether to grant Harden an extension.
The numbers show top pick Anthony Davis has played more efficiently than any other 2012 lottery selection, and he credits some of that success to the mentorship of Ryan Anderson, as Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweets.

Atlantic Notes: Bynum, Felton, Celtics

December 17th, 2012 at 2:58pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Atlantic Division on Monday afternoon:

John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News believes no winner has emerged from the Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum trade, but points out that while the Sixers would have plenty of flexibility if Bynum left in free agency next summer, the Lakers would still be over the cap if Howard departs.
Bynum has some advice for Howard regarding playing with Kobe Bryant, which he relays to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Raymond Felton has bone bruises on both of his hands, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe calls for widespread contributions from players on the Celtics' roster.
Avery Bradley has returned to practice for the first time since having shoulder surgery in May, reports Washburn.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Koufos, Nuggets

December 10th, 2012 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

It was a fairly successful Sunday for Northwest Division teams, as the Thunder and Jazz pulled out wins against the Pacers and Lakers, respectively, while the Nuggets lost a close one to the Knicks in New York. With the Trail Blazers the only Northwest team in action tonight, let's round up a few links out of the division….

The Trail Blazers weren't just searching for talent and chemistry in free agency this summer. The team was also targeting players with character, GM Neil Olshey tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. "It was very important that we brought in the right guys for the makeup of our team and we've done that," Olshey said. "Damian [Lillard] and Meyers [Leonard] couldn't have a better group of guys to look up to."
While Kosta Koufos wasn't the best player the Nuggets acquired in the Carmelo Anthony trade, his play this season is proving he wasn't an inconsequential piece in that deal, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
George Karl has some regrets about the way he handled Raymond Felton's time with the Nuggets, says Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
Michael Rand of the Star Tribune takes a look at five former Timberwolves that weren't able to stick around around during the team's recent makeover.

Atlantic Rumors: Felton, Brewer, Prigioni

December 9th, 2012 at 10:10am CST by Chuck Myron

Raymond Felton is glad to be back with the Knicks, the team he didn't want to leave when New York shipped him to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011. He said Saturday he was "sick" during his time with the Nuggets, as Marc Berman of the New York Post documents, though it's unclear whether he was dealing with an illness or simply pining for New York. Felton said he respected Nuggets coach George Karl's decision to put him on the bench in favor of Ty Lawson, but expressed a desire to be a starter somewhere to Nuggets management, who accomodated him with a trade to the Blazers before last season.

A year later, Felton has come full circle as he's back in the starting lineup with the Knicks, and there's news on another pair of Knicks offseason acquisitions and more from the Atlantic Division.

Ronnie Brewer, with the Knicks on a minimum-salary deal, told Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald that the Bulls never reached out to him this summer about a return (Twitter link).
Pablo Prigioni was content to keep playing in Spain until Luis Scola, his teammate on Argentina's national team, convinced him to give the NBA a try. Newsday's Barbara Barker has the details.
Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News credits Mike Woodson, whom the Knicks retained this summer with a three-year extension, with the team's fast start, pointing out that New York is 32-11 since Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni last season.
With Sixers coach Doug Collins open to a trade to improve the team's bench play, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News checks in with rookie point guard Maalik Wayns, who's been contributing more to the second unit of late.
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the impact Andrew Bynum could have on the Sixers if the center returns before the All-Star break.
Howard Beck of The New York Times chronicles the long journey of Reggie Evans from the streets of Pensacola, Fla., where the local community college passed on recruiting him, to his current status as a rebounding savant for the Nets.

Atlantic Rumors: Felton, Lin, DeRozan, Lee

November 17th, 2012 at 4:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks lost their status as the league's only unbeaten last night, and they could be another loss away from falling out of first place, as the Nets are a game behind and the Celtics, winners in a matinee against the Raptors this afternoon, lurk a game and a half behind. The standings can change quickly in the first month of the season, and while we wait to see whether the early returns on New York were accurate, here's more on the Knicks and their Atlantic Division rivals.

Raymond Felton has earned the respect of all his Knicks teammates, something predecessor Jeremy Lin failed to do, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. A return to New York, where the point guard has played his best, was Felton's first choice in free agency this summer, agent Tony Dutt tells Berman. "Raymond was born to be a Knick," Dutt said.
DeMar DeRozan's lucrative extension drew criticism, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers sees plenty of value in the fourth-year swingman, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Courtney Lee, a career 38.6% three-point shooter, is just 3-for-16 in his first 10 games with the Celtics. Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe discusses Lee's struggles adjusting to his new team.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if the Celtics' use of their D-League affiliate could lead more teams to think of the D-League as a tool for long-term development rather than simply a way to bring along fill-ins.

Atlantic Links: Calderon, Felton, Stackhouse

November 15th, 2012 at 9:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After the Raptors dealt for Kyle Lowry this past summer, the questions surrounding Jose Calderon's future with Toronto were inevitable. Back in July, we even heard rumor that he had requested a trade just one day after Lowry had been acquired (which Calderon would later deny). Now, the Spanish guard finds himself starting for a team riddled with injuries, averaging 30.1 MPG, 10.7 PPG, 7.4 APG, 1.1 steals per game, and shooting 50% from long-range through the team's first eight games. Despite what the future holds for Calderon, who surprisingly is just 19 games away from becoming the franchise's all-time leader in games played, Eric Koreen of the National Post glowingly reflects on his best qualities and contributions as a member of the Raptors. With that aside, you'll find tonight's notables from the Eastern Conference here:

After looking at how Ray Allen's transition with the Heat has fared, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld highlights how Raymond Felton has surpassed expectations thus far in his second stint with the Knicks after a disappointing, short-lived tenure with the Trail Blazers.
Nets guard Jerry Stackhouse told ESPN New York that he was disappointed but not surprised that Rasheed Wallace wound up with the Knicks instead of Brooklyn, noting that Wallace was a big Knicks fan while the two played together in college (Jared Zwerling reports)

HoopsWorld On Best NBA Contracts

November 11th, 2012 at 4:50pm CST by Sean Highkin

The staff of HoopsWorld.com has posted a new roundtable in which several of their staff writers weighed in on which players have the best contracts in the NBA.

Joel Brigham writes that as the best three-point shooter in NBA history, Ray Allen is a steal for the Heat at $3MM per year.
Bill Ingram believes the Spurs got an excellent value in Tony Parker. Parker is making $12.5MM this season, considerably less than other elite point guards such as Chris Paul and Deron Williams.
Robert Wing calls Kyle Lowry's contract a "complete steal," saying the Raptors got a major upgrade at starting point guard over Jose Calderon for cheap.
Eric Pincus thinks the Knicks were able to take advantage of Raymond Felton's low stock after his poor performance in Portland last season to land the point guard for $14.9MM over four years.
Alex Kennedy points out that Rajon Rondo would be worth much more on the open market than the five-year, $55MM extension he signed with the Celtics in 2009.

Atlantic Notes: Woodson, Bynum, Celtics

November 10th, 2012 at 10:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Knicks coach Mike Woodson has the team off to its first 4-0 start since the 1993-94 season, but their promising start hasn't been without some sacrifices from the players. J.R. Smith, who originally wanted to be a starter at the beginning of training camp, had to concede to accepting a sixth man role. Kurt Thomas, who started three of the team's pre-season games, recorded his first DNP-CD last night against the Mavericks. Al Iannazonne of Newsday explores how Woodson resiliency has meshed with his players' desire to win and thus given them early success.

Here's the rest of what we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

Near the end of this article, Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News mentions that the 76ersare becoming a little "panicky" about when Andrew Bynum will finally be able to make his debut for the team.
In a separate article, Lawrence provides an update on the injured Amare Stoudemire, saying that the Knicks forward may not be ready until late December.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe examines the struggles of the Celtics when Kevin Garnett is on the bench and the need for other players to shoulder the load.
Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News writes about Joe Johnson's "inconsistent" transition with the Nets and how he feels that the players still need some time to become acclimated with each other.
Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York describes some key factors behind the Knicks' efficiency, particularly with Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton as their starting back court.
Eric Koreen of the National Post details the ripple effect that Kyle Lowry's ankle injury has had on the Raptors thus far.