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Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Patterson, Lin, Marks

December 11th, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors continue to enjoy the benefits of the Rudy Gay trade from 2013, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Three years ago, Toronto sent Gay to Sacramento, along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray in exchange for Chuck Hayes, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and Greivis Vasquez. Since then, the Raptors have the fourth best record in the NBA, while the Kings haven’t challenged for a playoff spot. While none of the players Toronto received turned into stars, the deal created greater opportunities for DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, who have become one of the league’s best backcourts. “I don’t think anybody expected it, even us players, but the unexpected is always the best,” Patterson said. “I think everyone is happy and proud of how far along we have come.”

There’s more this morning from the Atlantic Division:

Patterson has become what he calls “a multi-faceted glue guy” for a team that again leads the division, notes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Patterson is valuable because he can guard power forwards and centers, but is also a threat from 3-point range. A free agent next summer, the 27-year old is averaging 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23 games, all as a reserve. “Throughout my life being able to cope, to change, and to adjust and being in the NBA it’s the same exact thing,” Patterson said. “You have your superstars. You have your No. 1 and No. 2 and then the rest of the guys you have to figure out how to be effective and cause change in the game. That’s what I learned throughout the years.”
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson doesn’t plan to grant Jeremy Lin‘s wish to play 40 minutes in his first game back from a hamstring injury, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lin returned to practice Friday and hopes to be ready for game action soon. Brooklyn has gone 4-13 without him and has sunk near the bottom of the East. “I’d be expecting a minute restriction,’’ Lin said. “We just wanted to make sure everything is strengthened, not just to back where it was but above and beyond where it was, so I don’t ever have to deal with it again.”
Nets GM Sean Marks is leaning heavily on his background with the Spurs as he tries to build the organization, according to NetsDaily. About a quarter of the staffers the former San Antonio GM has hired since taking over in Brooklyn previously worked for the Spurs.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Raptors, Valanciunas

December 6th, 2016 at 10:05pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Nets pursued several restricted free agents since Sean Marks took over as the team’s GM, but they weren’t able to land any of their targets. Marks said the team’s failures will not deter the franchise from pursing those types of players in the future, as Net Income of SB Nation writes.

“The fact that we have cap space, and the cards have fallen the way they have, we’ll obviously continue to try and be as aggressive and creative as we can in building this team; and if that means going through restricted free agency, that’ll be the path we go through,” Marks said.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Marks added that the Nets won’t necessarily limit themselves to picking up a point guard if they makes any additions despite the lack of proven options on the roster, Anthony Puccio of SB Nation relays (Twitter link).
Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun isn’t convinced that Jonas Valanciunas is a good fit with the Raptors. The scribe argues that the big man’s value lies in his offensive production, but his talents are being wasted with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan taking on such large roles. Wolstat adds that Paul Millsap would be an ideal target should the team look to make a trade.
The Raptors wouldn’t be strong fit for DeMarcus Cousins, Wolstat contends in the same piece. Wolstat believes the team could only offer Cousins a role similar to the one it offers Valanciunas, which Cousins would likely scoff at.

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”

Atlantic Notes: Rose, Brown, Marks, Celtics

November 13th, 2016 at 7:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

There are indications that Knicks point guard Derrick Rose is getting frustrated with his new team, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rose, who was acquired from the Bulls in an offseason trade, had promised to wait 20 games to judge the team, but a 3-6 record and a dreadful defense are testing his patience. “Losing hurts, period,” Rose said. “I’ve never been a loser in my life. We got to figure ways out, we’re getting closer. We’re getting a lot closer, but the effort we have, we got to have that effort throughout the entire game.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown should be safe for the rest of the season, says Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. In a video interview, Kennedy said Brown won’t have to be overly concerned about wins and losses until the first year that all the young players are healthy and the front office believes the team has a shot at the playoffs.
Nets GM Sean Marks deserves an A-plus for changing the culture in Brooklyn, according to NetsDaily. The web site grades every significant move that Marks has made since taking over the position in February. The conclusion is that Marks has the organization headed in the right direction and it might be much more attractive to free agents next summer.
Both draft-and-stash players that the Celtics picked up in this year’s draft are off to good starts overseas, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Sixteenth pick Guerschon Yabusele is averaging 16.0 points and 9.4 rebounds for the unbeaten Shanghai Sharks, while 23rd pick Ante Zizic leads the Adriatic Basketball Association in scoring with 23 points per game and rebounding at 9.0. The Celtics wanted both players to spend a year overseas before being re-evaluated in the offseason.

Marks, Atkinson On: Lin, LeVert, Lopez

September 21st, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Nets set to open their training camp on September 7th, Nets GM Sean Marks and new head coach Kenny Atkinson addressed members of the media on a number of topics regarding the team and its season ahead. Here are some of the highlights from Tuesday’s press conference (h/t Cory Wright of NBA.com for the transcription):

On how the team will measure its progress moving forward:

“The season won’t be measured entirely by wins and losses,” Marks said. “It’ll be measured by the progress that’s made throughout the season and the buy-in from our players. Our goals aren’t necessarily six months down the road goals. It’s this next block of five games and asking did we improve from the last block of five games. Hopefully with all the interaction the coaches will have throughout the year and the performance staff, you’ll see guys’ bodies improve, physical abilities improve and also the way they play the game.”

“The fans, media and everyone around the team will see a team that’s building, improving, competing at a high level every night,” Atkinson added. “Individual improvement and our young players are getting better. We are interested in advanced stats, so we’ll see improvements in statistics in areas we think are important and the style we want to play.”

On the status of 2016 first-rounder Caris LeVert, who is still recovering from offseason foot surgery:

“Caris is progressing well,” Marks said. “We’ll be progressing him slowly and building him in and hopefully has a long career ahead of him. He’s a guy that we’re certainly going to monitor.”

On Jeremy Lin, who the front office feels is ready to be a leader on the team:

“He came off the bench in Charlotte last year and did a heck of a job, but this is a different deal here,” Atkinson said. “You’re kind of the quarterback, the Eli Manning, those guys have a different level of responsibility and that’s new to him. He can be a darn good defender with his athleticism and his competitiveness and I think he feels a little slighted that he’s not considered a better defender, so we need to hold him accountable there. There’s a lot of things, but the last thing is make this team work, make it work on the offensive end and make sure everyone’s touching it and get that right feel of where we have balanced scoring and a balanced team. It’s a heck of a challenge, but he’s prepared for it, I think it’s the right time of his career and I think he’s smart enough and will grow into being a better leader as this thing goes on.”

On how the team expects to play, with the focal points being defense, sharing the ball and taking uncontested shots:

“Down the line there’s certainly a feel for how we’d like to play, simply from our backgrounds – San Antonio and Atlanta,” Marks said. “An unselfish style of play, don’t take contested shots, move the ball, make the extra pass. A lot of it will be predicated on what the roster looks like, you can’t say we’re only going to be a 3-point shooting team if you also have to involve Brook Lopez down there. Kenny will argue that Brook will shoot the corner 3 as well. We’ll be flexible, but he’s the guy with the system.”

“Emphasize team defense,” Atkinson added. “It’s not easy to overachieve in the NBA, but if there is a way to do it, we can do it with good team defense. On the offensive side it’s the same thing, we’re going to have to share the ball, we’re going to have to hopefully be a high-assist team that plays together.”

On the continuing development of Brook Lopez:

“The first thing we’re going to do is to challenge him defensively to improve,” Atkinson said. “Rebounding – I know that’s been a thing in the past – pick and roll defense and we have to find the right scheme that fits him. Offensively – I think it’s with all of these guys – become even more efficient than you are. Taking better shots, getting to the rim more, mixing in some 3-point shots to balance your game… We’re going to challenge to improve in those areas and again that fit our style of play and we do believe that he can take another step.”

New York Notes: Holiday, Knicks, Booker, Nets

September 3rd, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Headed to his fifth team in four years, Justin Holiday wants to show the Knicks that he’s more than a throw-in from the Derrick Rose trade, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Holiday, a 6’6″ shooting guard, divided last season between the Hawks and Bulls, moving in February after a three-team trade that also involved the Jazz. Holiday said he started to feel comfortable in Chicago after the deal, appearing in 27 games, starting four and averaging 6.5 points per night. However, the 27-year-old brother of the Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday found himself on the move again with the June trade to New York. “As far as talent goes, I think we’re one of the more talented team tins his league, especially in the East,” Holiday said of the Knicks. “Hopefully we do some stuff [the Warriors] did.’’ Holiday was a reserve on the Golden State team that won the NBA title in 2015.

There’s more NBA news tonight out of New York:

The Knicks may not live up to Rose’s “super team” designation, but they raised their talent level considerably this offseason, writes A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today. New York’s addition of Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings makes the team interesting, but their collective injury history limits the Knicks’ offseason grade to a B-minus.
The Nets are counting on Trevor Booker to help replace the production lost when Thaddeus Young was traded to the Pacers, according to NetsDaily. Brooklyn signed the former Utah power forward to a two-year, $18.5MM deal shortly after free agency began. The 6’8″ Booker averaged 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds with the Jazz last season, and he will be counted on to help improve the Nets’ interior defense.
The Nets might be in the worst position of any team in the league, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. Powell likes the additions of GM Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson, as well as some of the other offseason moves, but cautions that it will take a long time to change the situation in Brooklyn.

Eastern Notes: Bosh, Baynes, Marks

August 10th, 2016 at 5:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It remains to be seen if Chris Bosh will be medically cleared to play for the Heat this season, but according to his teammates, the forward remains anxious to make his return to the court, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel relays. “Yeah, of course,” Tyler Johnson said regarding Bosh’s desire to suit up. “I mean, he was sitting out the same amount of time I was. I remember he was eager to get back last year. So we had those talks a lot last year. So I can only assume that he’s kind of itching to get back and play in actual games.”

Johnson also noted that the team will need to change its style from previous seasons, given all the new faces on the roster, Winderman adds. “We had a lot of veterans who had a lot of playoff experience, guys who had won multiple championships on the team,” Johnson said. “So, yeah, it’s definitely a big-time turnover in that aspect. But you can’t really doubt people who come in the gym to get better every day. So I think we’re going to have change our playing style just a little bit from where we were last year. But I’m excited for it.”

Here’s more from the East:

In his look at how Nets GM Sean Marks has altered the franchise’s approach, Miles Wray of RealGM noted that the executive has placed higher value on veterans, intends to allow head coach Kenny Atkinson to lead the rebuilding program and is focusing on landing restricted free agents.
The Sixers progress this season shouldn’t be measured by whether or not the team makes the playoffs or how many additional wins the squad racks up, but on how much the young roster’s play improves over the course of the campaign, writes Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The scribe notes that an improvement of 29 wins over 2015/16 would likely be need to snag a spot in the postseason this season.
The Pistons signed Boban Marjanovic this offseason with the expectation that Aron Baynes would opt out of his deal for 2017/18 in order to land a more lucrative contract elsewhere, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes in response to a reader question asking the likelihood the big man would remain in Detroit beyond this season.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Olynyk, Sloan, Nets

July 31st, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have focused on keeping as much of their own talent as possible in free agency, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Over the years, Toronto has been a place that star players have left, with the list including Marcus Camby, Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter and Chris Bosh. This summer, the Raptors didn’t have the cap room to keep backup center Bismack Biyombo, but they held onto DeMar DeRozan as part of a core that is largely tied up with long-term contracts. “The improvement of our team is going to come from inside,” said GM Masai Ujiri. “Kyle [Lowry], DeMar, and Jonas [Valanciunas] and Patrick [Patterson] and Terrence [Ross]. They will probably take it to another level.” The Raptors’ major addition in free agency was former Boston power forward Jared Sullinger.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics will probably wait until next offseason to make a long-term decision on Kelly Olynyk, Washburn writes in the same piece. Olynyk can sign an extension up to the October 30th deadline, but Boston wants to see the 25-year-old big man for one more season before making a commitment. Olynyk has missed 43 games in his first three seasons, and Washburn writes that the Celtics want him to display more “toughness and consistency.”
Donald Sloan, who played 61 games for the Nets last season, has reached an agreement to play in China with the Guangdong Tigers, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. His teammates will include former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer and one-time lottery pick Yi Jianlian. The 28-year-old Sloan averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 assists with Brooklyn in 2015/16.
The $100K guarantees the Nets gave to Yogi Ferrell and Egidijus Mockevicius are the largest the organization has ever handed out to an undrafted college player, according to NetsDaily. Brooklyn signed both players to partially guaranteed training camp contracts this week, along with Beau Beech, who got $45K in guaranteed money. Brooklyn now has 18 players under contract, and the website projects veteran big man Henry Sims and summer league standout Marcus Georges-Hunt as possibilities if GM Sean Marks decides to go with the league maximum of 20.

Atlantic Notes: Waiters, Zeller, Lin, Marks

July 20th, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The off-court incidents the Sixers suffered through with Jahlil Okafor last season may make them less likely to pursue Dion Waiters, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Waiters became an unrestricted free agent Monday when the Thunder rescinded their qualifying offer. While it make might make sense for the South Philadelphia native to join a team like the Sixers that needs backcourt help, some in the organization reportedly see Waiters as a potential behavioral problem and don’t want his outspoken personality to affect the team’s younger players. However, a league source tells Pompey that the Sixers have talked to Waiters and negotiations could resume. The Nets and Lakers are also seen as options because of the amount of cap space they have remaining.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics are leaving themselves the maximum amount of flexibility as they work to pull off a major deal, writes Kevin O’Connor of CSNNE. None of the draft picks has been signed, O’Connor notes, and nothing has been done with Tyler Zeller, who is a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer last month. The Celtics can withdraw that $3.7MM offer any time before Saturday if they need more cap space. If a team submits an offer sheet to Zeller before then, Boston can match, but O’Connor writes that there are only seven teams left with enough cap room to make an enticing offer, and most of them are already set at center. A sign-and-trade deal involving Zeller is possible if the Celtics find the right trade.
Jeremy Lin compares joining the Nets with investing in a “startup company,” tweets Andy Vasquez of The Record. “I’m betting on certain people,” Lin said. “I’m betting on [coach] Kenny [Atkinson]. I’m betting on [GM] Sean [Marks]. I’m betting on myself. I’m betting on Brook [Lopez]. I’m betting on the way I feel. If I didn’t feel like this has the chance to go where I want it to go, then I wouldn’t have signed up for it.”
The Nets have a little more than $20MM in remaining cap room, but Marks calls reaching the spending floor “the least of my concerns,” Vasquez relays (Twitter link). The new GM prefers to enter the season with cap flexibility.

Eastern Notes: Grunfeld, Harris, Plumlee, Marks

April 14th, 2016 at 10:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld was disappointed by the failure to make the playoffs but insists his team has a strong foundation for the future, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Washington fired coach Randy Wittman shortly after the 41-41 season came to a close. “The players tell you what to do, and I thought we were very inconsistent this year,” Grunfeld said. “That’s probably the only consistent thing about us: We went up and down. And there was no sense of urgency. I don’t think we played with the type of energy on a nightly basis that you need to achieve the kind of goals that we had. We had high expectations internally and externally.” Grunfeld will lead the search for the Wizards’ next coach and says he has already heard from agents for several interested applicants.

There’s more tonight from the Eastern Conference:

The trade that brought Tobias Harris to the Pistons emerged right before the deadline, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “His name wasn’t even out there for us until two days before we did the deal,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy. “We were really surprised.” Harris averaged 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game after arriving from Orlando, helping Detroit secure its first playoff spot since 2009 and the first of Harris’ career.
Center Miles Plumlee is looking forward to next year after the late-season surge that made him a key part of the Bucks‘ rotation, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel. “I’m just really thankful for the opportunity to get out there and play,” Plumlee said. “I love the game. I love the team here. I think we’re building something really special and I hope to continue to be a part of it.” Plumlee completed his four-year rookie scale contract and will enter restricted free agency this summer.
Sean Marks started fining players for showing up late after taking over as Nets GM, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Several players confirmed to Lewis that frequent lateness was a problem with the team.