Sean Kilpatrick Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Lin, Sixers, Anthony

December 29th, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have two very difficult decisions looming in their pursuit of the top spot in the Eastern Conference, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post opines. They must decide whether to go all-in this season in their quest to knock off the Cavs, which would mean trading off some young pieces for another impact player, preferable a power forward, Bontemps continues. The Magic’s Serge Ibaka and Hawks’ Paul Millsap — forwards that the Raptors have pursued in the past and will become free agents this summer — would be logical targets, in Bontemps’ view. This summer, they’ll have to decide whether to offer point guard and impending free agent Kyle Lowry a max five-year deal worth over $200MM or risk seeing him walk. Lowry will attract numerous suitors but his age — he turns 31 this spring — could make a long-term commitment a risky investment, Bontemps adds.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Nets are taking a committee approach with point guard Jeremy Lin sidelined again by a hamstring injury, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. Coach Kenny Atkinson is rotating Randy Foye, rookie Isaiah Whitehead and Spencer Dinwiddie in Lin’s absence, while shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick is also taking a bigger role in the playmaking duties, Lewis continues. “I think it was ensemble,” Atkinson told Lewis and other media members. “That’s how we’re going to do it.”
The Sixers’ frontcourt pairing of Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor has been a colossal failure defensively thus far, as Derek Bodner of Phillymag.com details. In six games since coach Brett Brown paired the two big men in the starting lineup, the Sixers have given up an average of 122.3 points per 100 possessions when they’re on the court. What’s more troubling, as Bodner notes, is that the poor defensive performances have come against sub-par offensive teams.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t believe Carmelo Anthony should have been ejected on Tuesday for swinging his forearm at the head of Hawks swingman Thabo Sefolosha, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Hornacek asserted that Sefolosha grabbed Anthony around the neck before the forearm swing, though Berman notes that was not apparent on replays while labeling Hornacek’s stance as bizarre. “I don’t blame [Anthony] for what happened, honestly,” Hornacek told Berman. “Watch the replay, watch the action. The guy had his arms wrapped around his neck. … What are you going to do? Just stand there or you going to get the guy off you? It’s a natural reaction.”

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 Rumors: Noel, Horford, Jackson, Nets

December 8th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers big man Nerlens Noel could make his season debut on Sunday against the Pistons, coach Brett Brown told beat reporters, including Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. Noel has been rehabbing from the arthroscopic left knee surgery. “We want to integrate him with the team, watch a lot of tape, with the understanding that we have a chance to see him soon,” Brown told Cooney. Once Noel returns, all eyes will be on how Brown juggles his Big Three of Noel, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, as well as veteran Ersan Ilyasova. Noel recently expressed trepidation over the impending logjam in the frontcourt.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

Al Horford is thriving in his new role as a point forward in the Celtics’ offense, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes. Horford is averaging a career-high 5.3 assists and has notched eight or more assists three times after doing that just seven times previously in his career, Forsberg adds. “Coach is calling my number to make plays, and honestly, the guys are just cutting great to the basket, and I’m finding them,” Horford told Forsberg. “It’s a lot of easy looks.”
Knicks president Phil Jackson has to stop feuding with Carmelo Anthony or the team’s season could fall apart, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. Jackson cannot afford to have a strained relationship with his top player, considering he was the executive who decided to re-sign Anthony to a long-term deal, Vaccaro continues. The drama between them is silly and counterproductive, Vaccaro adds.
Nets shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick credits GM Sean Marks for his emergence from an unheralded D-League addition to a high-scoring starter, Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes. Marks told Kilpatrick to be aggressive offensively and he’s developed into Brooklyn’s second-leading scorer after signing a multi-year deal in March, Mannix adds. “As soon as I came to the team, he told me, flat out, just to play my game, just to continue to do the things I’d been doing the last couple of months in the D-League,’ Kilpatrick told Mannix. “I think when you have that type of confidence in a player, coming from your GM, it’s a big boost, at least it was to me.”

New York Notes: Rose, Kilpatrick, Marks

December 3rd, 2016 at 1:14pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Derrick Rose said he hopes to spend the rest of his career with the Knicks and he “would be cool” with an in-season contract extension, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “[A contract extension] would let me know I’m playing the way they want me to play and I’m on the right track. But if not, I haven’t heard anything. So I’m not thinking about it,” Rose said. The 28-year-old went on to praise the organization’s atmosphere and environment . “As for my future, who knows? I’ll have to wait but I’d love to be here though,’’ Rose added.

Here’s more from New York:

Sean Kilpatrick has thrived this season for the Nets and and coach Kenny Atkinson believes the guard plays a certain way because he came from the D-League, Tom Dowd of NBA.com passes along. “Sean has a chip, there’s no doubt about it. I think there’s an angry chip and a healthy chip, and his is healthy. It’s in a good spirit,” Atkinson said. “He’s not putting anybody down, but he feels like he didn’t get what he deserved. His personality is such that he keeps that chip on his shoulder. Every practice he’s trying to prove himself. I don’t think it’s sunk in, you’re an NBA player now. But I love that he has that chip.”
Kilpatrick said that Nets GM Sean Marks gave him confidence by telling him to simply go out and play, Dowd relays in the same piece. “Just go out there and play your game. Honestly, I think it’s something that every player in the league will want to hear. When you have a GM like that who really has supreme confidence in you it gives you a lot more confidence personally.”
The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate, are playing their games in the Barclays Center this season and the franchise is thrilled about the convenience, Filip Bondy of The New York Times writes. “We’re fortunate to have the D-team based in our building,” Marks said. “Our coaching staff watches them. Our coaching staff watches them. Our front office is able to watch practices. They’re really under our noses”

New York Notes: Nets, Knicks, Noah, Kilpatrick

November 30th, 2016 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said today that he won’t surrender control of the franchise, and will remain the team’s majority owner, but will seek out a local minority ownership partner to “strengthen” the team’s presence in New York, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.

According to Bloomberg’s Scott Soshnick (via Twitter), the Nets have hired Steve Greenberg of Allen & Co. to help find a local investor to buy a minority stake in the franchise. Net Income of NetsDaily adds (via Twitter) that Prokhorov is only interested in selling a piece of the Nets — he won’t also sell a portion of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the parent company that owns the Barclays Center.

Here are several more Nets- and Knicks-related notes from out of New York:

The Knicks – and head coach Jeff Hornacek – finally trusted Joakim Noah in a key situation on Monday, and it backfired on them, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Meanwhile, Fred Kerber of The New York Post examines the Noah situation and wonders whether it’s a blip on the radar or the start of a $72MM disaster.
In an interview with Karizza Sanchez of Complex.com, Iman Shumpert was asked about Phil Jackson‘s “posse” comment regarding LeBron James, and replied that the Knicks president has “always got a comment.” More from Shumpert, who grew up rooting for the Bulls and was traded away from the Knicks by Jackson: “You traded me away from New York, cool. It’s all business, it’s all love, whatever. But I’m a grownup now. You not my hero no more. The Bulls era is gone, Mike is gone, Pippen is gone, you ain’t coaching the Bulls no more. So, I don’t care what you got to say about ’Bron.”
Sean Kilpatrick has appeared in 52 NBA games, including 40 with the Nets, but none were better than Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, in which he scored 38 points grabbed 14 rebounds, both career highs. After the win, Kilpatrick spoke to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders about how Nets GM Sean Marks changed his life.
Can 2016 first-rounder Caris LeVert become a foundational piece for the Nets? Reed Wallach of NetsDaily takes a closer look.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Anthony, Knicks, Kilpatrick

November 12th, 2016 at 6:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers haven’t gotten what they expected from the 2013 draft, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia thought it had landed two building blocks for the future when it drafted Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams. But three years later, Noel is headed for restricted free agency and Carter-Williams has changed teams twice. A second-round pick, Arsalan Kazemi of Oregon, was released last year.

But that doesn’t mean the draft was a failure. In trading to Jrue Holiday to New Orleans for the pick they used to get Carter-Williams, the Sixers also received a 2014 selection that landed them Dario Saric. And they’re still waiting on the protected draft pick they received when they shipped Carter-Williams to Milwaukee. That belongs to the Lakers and will be transferred to Philly next summer if L.A. doesn’t have one of the top three selections.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks need Carmelo Anthony to become a better and smarter leader, argues Marc Berman of The New York Post. Anthony is under fire for getting tossed from Friday’s game in the second quarter for arguing a foul call. He left the locker room without talking to reporters, but his wife tweeted that referee Tony Brothers has carried on a running dispute with Anthony. Berman says the Knicks, who are off to a 3-5 start despite adding Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah this summer, need Anthony to lead by example.
Although coach Jeff Hornacek said it’s too early to panic, the Knicks‘ early problems on offense and defense may last all season, writes Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. The triangle offense remains unpopular with the players, and the lack of effort on defense has continued even though Kurt Rambis was appointed as defensive coordinator earlier this week. “We’re starting off in a hole every game,” Noah said. “We got to get better. We got to get better defensively. We got to get better executing, and stop pressing.”
Sean Kilpatrick, who is having a breakout season with the Nets, is thankful to late Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders for giving him his first NBA opportunity, relays Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune. Minnesota was short on healthy players in 2014 and turned to Kilpatrick because he was the best D-League player who could get to Madison Square Garden in time for a game with the Knicks. Kilpatrick lasted just four games with the Wolves, but took advantage of his chance with Brooklyn last season. He impressed the team on two 10-day contracts and was signed for the rest of the year. “He’s grinded through some tough times to get where he is,” said Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. “He keeps blossoming. We’re giving him a lot of responsibility, and he has answered the bell. We’re thrilled with what he’s giving us so far.”

Atlantic Rumors: Valanciunas, Knicks, Nets, Celtics

November 10th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas will not rush back from his knee injury but he calls it a minor issue, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Valanciunas, who had an MRI last week, has missed the last two games. “We’ve still got the whole season in front of us, it’s not something major, it’s not some big injury, it’s a couple of games, couple of days,” he told Smith. The Raptors are starting rookies Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam at the power positions while Valanciunas mends.

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

Brandon Jennings doesn’t want his Knicks teammates helping opponents get up if they fall on the court, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. Jennings wants his teammates to take a tougher approach, Begley adds. “I wouldn’t want another opponent to help me up,” he told Begley and other writers. “That’s just showing too much respect. In between the lines, you don’t have a New York jersey on, then you don’t mean nothing to me.”
The Nets are scrambling because of injuries to their top point guards, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. With Jeremy Lin sidelined by a left hamstring strain injury and rookie Isaiah Whitehead recovering from a concussion, the club is using shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick at the point out of desperation, Lewis continues. The Nets waived injured Greivis Vasquez and his one-year, $4.35MM deal this week and called up undrafted rookie Yogi Ferrell from the D-League.
The Celtics, who have been playing without top free agent acquistion Al Horford for the last four games, could make a lineup change, Mike Pedraglia of Greenstreet.weei.com relays. Horford isn’t expected to return for the team’s game against the Knicks Friday. Coach Brad Stevens said could break up the current lineup of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jaylen Brown, Amir Johnson and Tyler Zeller. “We’ll give thought to lineup change,” Stevens told reporters. “We’ll make the right thing for our team. But the bottom line is the guys that are playing are going to play because of our numbers in some part.”

Nets Notes: Lopez, Lin, Whitehead, Kilpatrick

November 6th, 2016 at 10:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Brooklyn center Brook Lopez may see his production go down while point guard Jeremy Lin is sidelined with an injured hamstring, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The Hornets packed their defense in the paint Friday to limit Lopez’s effectiveness, and he can probably expect to see more of the same. The Nets are reportedly listening to calls from teams interested in trading for Lopez, but are not actively looking to deal him. “It’s a huge adjustment [without Lin], no question, because he brings so much to our team,” Lopez said. “It was just a matter of giving Isaiah [Whitehead] confidence and letting him know that we’re all out there with him and have trust in him. It’s not just one of us on the floor.” Lin’s condition will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

There’s more news out of Brooklyn:

The Nets have point guard concerns beyond Lin’s injury, according to NetsDaily.com. Randy Foye has been out with a pulled hamstring and hopes to return Tuesday. Greivis Vasquez is having ankle problems and the team hasn’t said when he might be able to play again. Brooklyn has Yogi Ferrell and Boris Dallo on its new D-League affiliate, but neither is considered ready for the NBA.
The injuries have created a “trial by fire” for Whitehead, writes Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily. The second-round pick made his first career start on Friday, putting up eight points and three assists in 23 minutes. “I think I’m getting much more comfortable, it’s just a matter of time,” he said. “Just getting better and better every time I get on the court. [It’s] just [about] reducing turnovers, just really getting everybody involved – it’s a tough process but I think I’ll get there.”
Sixth man Sean Kilpatrick is off to a strong start in his first full NBA season, notes Reed Wallach of NetsDaily. A D-League callup last season, Kilpatrick is adapting to coach Kenny Atkinson’s motion offense, averaging 17 points and four rebounds per night.“Sean likes to think of himself as a scorer, and I know he scored in the D-League,” Atkinson said. “But our player emphasis is to help him get better defensively. I think he can be better than he already is. He has size, and he’s got toughness.”

Atlantic Notes: Hornacek, Kilpatrick, Dunn

June 16th, 2016 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Power forward Kristaps Porzingis was surprised when the Knicks hired Jeff Hornacek, but believes the new head coach can maximize the talent that is on the team’s roster, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “I think he’s a very smart coach. He knows how to use his players and that’s exactly what we need,” Porzingis said of Horncek. “And we’ll see if we can get some more players this offseason. But I think we have enough talent and having [Carmelo Anthony] makes everybody better. So if we know how to go from there, using Melo, myself and involving everybody, using everybody’s strengths and putting it all together, then we’ll be a different team. We’ll be able to succeed.”

“I think Hornacek can be that coach for us,” Porzingis continued. “Of course, you need a long-term coach to be able to win. He needs to know the players, the personalities, [players’] strengths on the court, off the court, everything. We need some time to build something and I think he can be the guy.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sean Kilpatrick is grateful to the Nets for seeing something in him that other NBA teams did not, vowing to reward the franchise for its faith in his potential, NetsDaily relays. “I remember going through the Star-Spangled Banner and when I was going through it I was just thinking, wondering ‘What did [GM] Sean Marks see in me that everyone else didn’t see and remember a tear dropping,” said Kilpatrick. “I mean after all this hard work, you had finally found a home. You found somewhere where someone actually believe in you and someone actually wants to help you get better to be the best you can possibly be. So I’m going to continue to make sure that everyone in this building know who I am and why I play this game.”
Former Providence point guard Kris Dunn disputes the reports that he doesn’t want to play for the Celtics or any other team with a point guard already entrenched, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes. “I mean, it would be unbelievable to be selected by the Celtics,” Dunn said earlier today. “My dream is just to get drafted, and that I have a chance to be a top-five player, it’s a blessing. “I think that’s just a rumor going around. That never came out of my mouth, that I didn’t want to play for any team.”

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Draft Pick, Patterson, Williams

April 3rd, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are using what’s left of this season to determine who they want back next season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Interim coach Tony Brown has been juggling his lineups, as Thomas Robinson, Sergey Karasev, Henry Sims and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all made starts this week. “It’s an opportunity for you to show people what you can do,” Brown said. “As far as I know, we don’t have a bunch of long-term-contract guys, so this is an opportunity for them to show themselves to the organization and possibly to the league. So use your time wisely and help yourself when you play.”

Two players who have made the most of their late-season chances are shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, who was signed out of the D-League and is averaging 13.9 points over his last 15 games, and point guard Shane Larkin, who has put up 10.8 points and six assists per night in his last six games as a starter. Larkin has a $1.5MM player option for next season.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics could benefit from Brooklyn’s decision to shut down Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young for the rest of the season, according to NetsDaily. Boston owns the Nets‘ unprotected first rounder, and Brooklyn is currently fourth in Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings, one game behind Phoenix. If the Nets move past the Suns, Boston’s chance at the No. 1 pick improves from 11.9% to 15.6%.
Raptors assistant coach Nick Nurse picks Patrick Patterson as the team’s most improved player this season, relays Mike Ganter of The National Post. The sixth-year power forward only averages 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, but Nurse said the improvement shows up in his overall play. “I would say he has made more strides defensively, but I would also say he has made strides consistently producing the same thing night in and night out,” Nurse said. “I think there were a little more extreme peaks and valleys with him [before].” Patterson is signed for one more season at slightly more than $6MM.
Derrick Williams has finally put aside the pressure of being the second player drafted in 2011 and has found a home with the Knicks, writes Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com. “This league is about opportunity, situation and timing – those three things right there,” Williams said. “And if you have good opportunity, situation is right, and the time is right on point, you can’t be stopped.”