Sam Smith NBA news and notes

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You wonder if it’s not so much whether Kevin Love would want to stay in Cleveland as much as would he even be pursued that intensely as a max salary free agent. He sat in key moments in yet another fourth quarter last week against Toronto. He’s remained professional, but playing in meaningful games for the first time in his career he’s at a five-year low in scoring, lowest since his rookie year in rebounding, shooting the second worst of his career and even at a pedestrian 36 percent as supposedly just a three-point shooter now with so much attention on LeBron James.

The Heat are only in contention to make the playoffs. And they did make a heck of a trade for Goran Dragic. But no one has worked the minor leagues (China, included) like they have with Tyler Johnson and Henry (nee Bill) Walker from the D-league, Michael Beasley back from China and Hassan Whiteside from the world. “I don’t know where’d we be without guys from the D-League or China,” said coach Erik Spoelstra.

The latest in your grass is not greener category is Channing Frye, who took off to Orlando, where they’re on a second coach this season and he is at career lows or close in basically every category. He questioned the Suns suggestion he didn’t give them a chance to match salaries much like the issues Joe Johnson claimed he had when he departed Phoenix.

Before one for two Friday, Rajon Rondo had not attempted a free throw in five games playing more than 140 minutes. He’s at 31.7 percent on the season. With injuries and a tough closing schedule can a team like the Pelicans knock them out of the playoffs? It doesn’t seem like the Spurs or Clippers are candidates to slip. It’s likely also why Rondo keeps taking all those jump shots. Driving may get you to the free throw line. Rondo was 50th last week among guards in plus/minus statistics with the team actually losing points when he’s on the court. The consensus in Dallas seems to be they’ll likely forget his name come this summer when he is a free agent.

Some are lobbying in Denver for local favorite and native Chauncey Billups as new coach. Mike D’Antoni, who started coaching there before he hit it big in Phoenix, also has been mentioned in speculation. D’Antoni doesn’t get much notice about it, but likely no one has had more influence changing the NBA game to its current “stretch four,” spacing, shooting game than D’Antoni, a style widely mocked when D’Antoni coached the Suns.

How about accusing the most socially progressive sports league in American history of racism? Yet, that seemed to be what an attorney for the players’ association did last week.  Gary Kohlman said of allowing players into the NBA directly from high school, "If they were white and hockey players they would be out there playing. If they were white and baseball players, they would be out there playing. Because most of them are actually African-American and are in a sport and precluded from doing it, they have to go into this absurd world of playing for one year.” It’s obvious this is part of the union’s new bargaining tactic to add to the labor discussion as many issues as possible in the form of straw men to distract the opposition and then compromise. The length of a college stay is a much debated issue whether it’s good for the sport versus fair for the individual. That’s understandable, though the union position is erroneous as many fields require training or degrees or tests, like law and accounting, before you can work in the big leagues. Try getting a job with a law firm without a law degree. Anyway, it can be debated. But to accuse the NBA of all leagues when it: Promotes a womens’ league, AIDS prevention before even many in civil society, bringing the game to the poorest nations of the world in Africa, has had African-American coaches when the nation still was sorting out the voting rights law. It begins to show the players may be willing to sacrifice their dignity and respect for a bargaining position. Thankfully, the NBA won’t do that.

It was unusual to hear so many veteran players, like Kevin Garnett -- “To be honest, they quit on Brian Shaw, I thought they’d quit again (against the Timbereolves). A quitter is a quitter. That was my take on that.” Wow -- and David West, condemn Nuggets players for the firing of Brian Shaw. There have been few circumstances when players have so obviously given up, character flaws which will make teams question players like Ty Lawson.

The definition of unpopular may be if Steve Kerr has issues with you. "If Daryl Morey wants to run his own one-man campaign for James Harden (as MVP), he can do that. That's fine," Kerr told Bay area reporters. "But we're focused on other stuff.”

The Bulls finish this four games in five days Monday against Memphis and yet another Gasol/Gasol center jump. It’s been the toughest stretch for the Grizzlies this season, losing five of their last 10 after Anthony Davis got them again Saturday and in the last month have lost to the Kings, Jazz and Timberwolves. A little cranky as well as Memphis coach David Joerger after Saturday’s loss walked out of the locker room, asked reporters if there were questions and then turned around and left before anyone could ask.

Josh Smith got plenty of hostile reaction when the Rockets were in Atlanta and Smith called fans “bandwagoners.”  He probably didn’t know the phrase originated when a circus clown used a bandwagon to gain attention for his political campaign. Or maybe he did.

Pretty good continuing Western Conference rivalry with the Clippers and Warriors, and having played last year in the playoffs it’s as close as the NBA gets these days. There even was a Clippers’ player, sort of, Dahntay Jones Sunday doing one of those pretend not on purpose bumps of an opponent, Draymond Green this time, you see guys like Kendrick Perkins or Kevin Garnett pull in timeouts. Green was pretty good basically saying it was the only time Jones would get on camera. Doc Rivers, meanwhile, lobbied for DeAndre Jordan as Defensive Player of the Year, which seems questionable since the Clippers’ defense is about middle of the league. The Warriors’ is best, making the case for Green, which Kerr reiterated he doesn’t have time to do.

Russell Westbrook got his fifth triple double in his last six games Sunday and is averaging 31 shots per game his last five. Not to say Westbrook is enjoying this role, but the suspicion now is he’s the one behind the rumors of Durant leaving in free agency. OK, it’s a joke, but how’s it going to be when the reigning MVP returns from injury and wants his shots? Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, when asked about Nikola Mirotic for Rookie of the Year because of his production for an actual team in contention as opposed to the other rookies, also said he doesn’t do such lobbying.  Dewayne Dedmon following the Magic’s win over Boston supposedly didn’t have much to say Sunday starting in place of injured Magic center Nik Vucevic. Dedmon had career highs of 11 points and 16 rebounds. So Dedmon told no tales, as it turned out. Somebody stop me!

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NBA news and notes - 3.09.15

The Knicks’ plan seemed to present itself clearly, though perhaps to many other than New Yorkers, who keep obsessing on Carmelo Anthony and his issues. Anthony, it seems obvious, is just a part of this, and it looks like a pretty intriguing three-year plan. You could see it developing in concert with Fashion Week in New York along with the All-Star weekend. One of the stars of the fashion extravaganza was the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is one of the more difficult players in the NBA with sports media, but he seems to love the fashion media, making numerous appearances and doing interviews and panel discussions.  And he absolutely loves playing in New York as you could see in his hyped—even for him—All-Star game.

Westbrook is regarded as the players’ point man on fashion with his own various brands. The speculation among several in the NBA is when he becomes a free agent in 2017, New York and the fashion world is his destination. Which would fit with a nice, gradual plan for the Knicks. Given the Knicks have not won a title in more than 40 years, there’s no urgency to compete next season or in 2016-17. Plus, the thinking is it’s not essential with LeBron James still in his prime. So go slowly with the notion that Anthony is a great third option.

The plan would be over three seasons: Add a big man this season, someone like Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge or Greg Monroe. Since Gasol and Aldridge are in competing situations, someone like Monroe makes more sense now. The Knicks get their top five pick—maybe even No. 1 and perhaps Jahlil Okafor—and one free agent. Add a second free agent in the summer of 2016, though still retaining financial space with the expanding salary cap for Westbrook, who would complete the team with draft picks and free agent and a star. Then with LeBron heading toward the downside of his career, make a move back for a title. After all, it was six seasons before the Knicks won a title after they drafted Willis Reed. Phil Jackson is starting over with one player. Anthony is his Reed, though a bit older. It’s going to take a few years, but the finances figure to help the free spending Knicks going forward with a big jump in the salary cap coming in 2016. Anthony will just have to endure and persist until reinforcements arrive in the next few years. But they are coming.

The two most unlikely All-Stars were Jimmy Butler and Kyle Korver, both first timers. But Butler still is on his rookie contract in his fourth season, so there was time to develop. Korver is with his fourth team, the second oldest first time All-Star ever in his 12th season at 33, essentially a career reserve who before coming to Atlanta from the Bulls in 2012 had started a total of 10 games over the previous five seasons in Chicago, Philadelphia and Utah.

Before going to Atlanta in 2012-13, Korver had not averaged double figures scoring since 2006-07. There’s a saying in the NBA that after three years (five now with players coming out so young) you are who you are. Korver was a specialist reserve, three-point shooter off the bench. In the past year, he barely missed making the USA Basketball team and is an Eastern Conference All-Star. Which makes him a better model for life than basketball: Never allow anyone else to define who or what you are or what you can be. Just because a relative or boss or friend says you are something or can only be so much, it matters what you believe and how much you try.

Korver’s ascension to All-Star this season is the sort of inspiration sports can provide. It’s the best of sports. “I think there’s something to who knows what can happen when you put your heart and soul into something and do the daily work every day and try to be consistent and try to be open minded,” said Korver. “And surround yourself with people who can make you better. Who knows what can happen? It’s kind of a cool message, I suppose. There’s the saying: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ I just try to be open minded and learn from it all. It wasn’t always easy. There were a lot of hard moments and sometimes you learn from the end of the bench. Sometimes you learn from injuries. If you can keep a good attitude and keep on working eventually situations change and you can put those things to use. I’ve always thought of myself as a basketball player. Shooting should always be what I do best, but I enjoy the whole game. I enjoy defense. I enjoy passing. I love setting screens. I like coming in and trying to block a shot on the weak side. I love x's and o's. I love working, For me, I’ve never thought of myself if I was labeled as a shooter, you can go and say whatever you want. I know that I love the whole game of basketball. So that’s what I’ve always believed in. Maybe now some people are changing their opinions a little bit and that’s great, but it really doesn’t matter because I have the most amazing job. I play basketball and I can keep working on getting better.”

I attribute some of it to being in America’s dirtiest city—it really is amazing to be practically stepping around garbage walking the streets of New York—but Kevin Durant sure was cranky at All-Star weekend. First he told reporters they didn’t know (crap) and shouldn’t vote for awards and then saying, like the Seattle NFL player, he was only meeting his media responsibilities because the NBA was making him. Actually, he was doing it because he was cheap as Michael Jordan always skipped media session at All-Star to play golf and took the fine. Said Durant: “I'm only here talking to y'all because I have to. I really don't care. Y'all not my friends. You're going to write what you want to write. You're going to love us one day and hate us the next. That's a part of it. So I just learn how to deal with y'all."

In recent weeks, Durant mocked an ESPN reporter for questioning the Thunder resigning of Nick Collison and famously said he’d play anyone who didn’t think he deserved his All-Star spot. Then he said he didn’t plan to play much in the game. Duncan also was caught on the screen yelling, “I’m a bad (guy)” after scoring 40 points against Denver. It’s not about to make Durant unpopular. He’ll be a great player much in demand as a 2016 free agent. But it’s too bad how many of this era’s of stars have become so full of themselves they cannot enjoy and have fun with the interaction with the public. We saw it as well this weekend with Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul. The usually verbose Paul kept to basically one and two word answers much of the weekend, apparently still upset with media for his flap about the refereeing and the female referee. You can lose a lucrative State Farm contract that way, so it seems Paul has decided to say little for awhile other than in commercial rehearsals. I cannot remember an All-Star weekend with so many angry, snippy and unhappy All-Stars.

I think it was Stan this time, but you never know as it has to be a Van Gundy every time a coach is dismissed to say how badly and unfairly the organization treated him. The latest was Tyrone Corbin, who was only an interim, anyway, and not in any plan. Though I have to agree it made no sense for the Kings to change now. The Bulls don’t much mind as, although unlikely, given Karl is a much superior coach the Kings could move up in the standings, which would mean if they get out of the bottom 10 the Bulls get their draft pick this June. With your season already lost, 30 games left and the draft the next big topic for your fans, why would you change coaches now with a chance to lose that pick? That’s a pretty wild organization. It’s not trying to lose like the 76ers. The Kings tried to win. It didn’t work; you were on your second coach. You were trying.

Anyway, back to a Van Gundy and Orlando’s Jacque Vaughn. I think it was Stan—and he’d have a reason having left Orlando—to note sardonically the Magic change coaches a lot. Of course, nowhere near as much as the Pistons do, but there wasn’t a Van Gundy to condemn that. But if anyone is to fault the Magic it’s being too fair to Vaughn, who had to do one of the poorest jobs in NBA history. In fact, how about commending Magic management for not only hiring an inexperienced coach, but sticking with him so long while paying his millions of dollars annually. That’s a talented Magic team. Did you see Victor Oladipo in the dunk contest? Nikola Vucevic. Tobis Harris. Evan Fournier. Channing Frye. The Eastern Conference. It seems almost impossible to be as bad as they were without trying. They’re 3.5 games ahead of the 76ers with a roster far better than the Bucks’

You always have to appreciate Gregg Popovich, who upon winning his 1,000th game last week noted: “Had we not drafted Tim Duncan, what are the chances I’d be standing here? Not great.” There’s no denying Popovich is an excellent coach and understands as well as anyone the secret is relationships as much or more than basketball. And luck. Consider Phil Jackson, who also understands the right stuff. Jackson desperately wanted the Timberwolves head coaching job when he was a Bulls assistant, a job that went to Bill Musselman; Jackson then lost out on the Bucks job that went to Del Harris. A bit disappointed, Jackson stayed with the Bulls, Doug Collins was fired after the 1988-89 season, and that’s the rest of the story. Jackson, by the way, wasn’t a triangle offense advocate back then as he directed standard NBA offenses in the CBA, where he did win a title, and coaching in Puerto Rico. Jackson didn’t refine his philosophy until a few years with the Bulls

The Hawks figure to be up to something with the deal of first round pick Adreian Payne for a future No. 1. Their season had to be a surprise to them, as well, and now as good as it is and how little essential competition in the East compared with the West, the speculation is the Hawks have a move in mind this week and are also in the expanding Ray Allen derby.

Tim Duncan engaged in some of his usual sham, as Shaq coined: Short answer method, during All-Star weekend. Who do you want to dunk on: “I don’t dunk anymore.” Break down your fashion style: “I don’t do style. I show up for games.” Describe the perfect shot: “One that goes in.” But Duncan does engage the media, understanding fans do like him and want to hear what he has to say and know what he is like. How about that, preferring to speak with Tim Duncan during All-Star weekend?

You have to do something. USA Hockey magazine profiled former Jazz center, Greg Ostertag, a high level recreational hockey league player at 7-2. Said Ostertag: "I’ll be the first to admit that I never reached my full potential as a basketball player. I took it for granted that I was seven feet tall, and I rode that."

Bradley Beal being diagnosed with the third stress-related injury to his right fibula in three years has to be a big concern. Wizards center Marcin Gortat, who signed a five-year deal last summer, has become Carlos Boozer, rarely playing fourth quarters for the Wizards.  Gortat told Washington media: “It’s really tough especially the last year I played pretty much every fourth quarter. It’s a coaching decision. You guys have to ask him why I’m not playing.”

How about Deron Williams with the fading Nets missing 19 straight field goals last week until finally making a few as the Nets closed the pre-All-Star week losing to the Grizzlies. Few have fallen as far as fast with so much left, two more seasons at more than $21 million a year.

Matching rosters with anyone it’s difficult not to consider the Coach of the Year race between just Atlanta’s Mike Budenholzer and the Bucks’ Jason Kidd, the latter with much less acclaim. Said Kidd: “It’s Milwaukee.” Contributing was the ugliness of his Nets departure and Bucks hiring while Larry Drew thought he still was coach. But the Bucks became the first ever team to double their win total by All-Star break without anyone even close to being an All-Star. Atlanta has four. Said Lionel Hollins of the Bucks: “They’re a good, talented young team with a lot of quickness, a lot of athleticism. They’re long, they’re at the top [of the league] in steals, they’re at the top in forcing turnovers, they’re at the top in fast break points. They have a style they play and they play it extremely well, and they share the ball. That’s not overachieving. That’s a team that’s young and nobody knows about that is on the way up.”

It’s clear the players’ union wants to pick a fight with the NBA next time in collective bargaining with new players’ association director Michele Roberts pretty much threatening the league every time she speaks, the latest with a “forget that” on changing one and done to two. So it was interesting Saturday when the father of high school-to pros, Spencer Haywood, recommended two years. Haywood is a Hall of Fame finalist and had an excellent career, much in the ABA where he became the first one in court to challenge the NBA’s rule a player was ineligible for the NBA until his college class graduated. Maybe the NBA is not fully about education, but we know what the players’ association is about: Money now! Anyway, in perfunctory remarks Haywood mentioned his winning legal challenge and, unprompted, suggested kids are coming to the NBA too soon now. So it’s also no coincidence that the best teams, with the exception of your LeBron James generational player, concentrate on players who spent multiple years in college. Take a look, for example, at the winningest teams this season, the Warriors and Hawks. Said Golden State coach Steve Kerr: “It’s a different league. The league is a lot younger now, a lot of players coming into the league with only one year of college experience. So it takes time for them to learn the league and grow. One of the things I like about our team is most of our guys stayed in school for several years. Steph Curry was there for four years, Draymond  (Green) four years. So there’s a different maturity level and awareness of how to play when you have that kind of development before you get to the league.”

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NBA news and notes - 2.16.15

The All-Star game starters were named last Thursday. They are, for the Eastern Conference, Kyle Lowry, John Wall, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Pau Gasol. For the Western Conference, it’s Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin and Marc Gasol. Bryant is now out for the season with a rotator cuff injury. The commissioner selects the replacement while the coach—Steve Kerr for the West and Mike Budenholzer for the East—replaces the starter. So James Harden, a certain reserve selection, likely would start.

The coaches select the reserves, who will be announced Thursday evening on TNT. It’s a vote by all the coaches by conference with coaches only unable to vote for their own players. There’ll be more screaming in the Western Conference, though it helps that Bryant is being replaced. So here’s a look at who I believe should make it, which is hardly who will make it. It will be easier in the Eastern Conference because there are only six teams with winning records. Coaches usually lean toward players on winning teams.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls: He’s faded some this month as Derrick Rose has come on and in the last month been the team’s dominant scorer. But Butler’s first two months were spectacular and he deserves to be an All-Star for the first time.

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks: He’s been the most consistent for the surprise team of the league amidst the group of castoffs and never thought they’d bes. The larger question for the coaches will be picking three or four Hawks players. If winning is the criterion, then it may be four. The unheralded Pistons of 2004 got four, though the season after they won. But this first half was amazing for Atlanta and truly no one stands out that much. So bring ‘em all. Not that there would be any great slights in the Eastern Conference.

Chris Bosh, Miami Heat: There’ll be sentiment for Dwyane Wade. You can make the case and it wouldn’t be a sentimental vote. But it’s difficult to justify given they’ve been well under .500 the first half with Bosh having an All-Star season and Luol Deng playing well. Wade is scoring, though not often influencing the game as much. Bosh has been deserving as their best player.

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks: Most of the attention in the comeback story was for Rose. Though that’s also the nature of Horford and the Hawks. And their fans until recently. Lots of under the radar stuff. But he’s been an All-Star. And while he doesn’t put up huge numbers, he makes an impact and is a tough matchup for centers with his shooting while he also defends.

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks: He’s that engine driving the sports car, and all that stuff. He began to break out in last season’s playoffs and has continued his trajectory as an underappreciated guard who is difficult to contain.

Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks: This would be the fourth one, but I’d have him ahead of Horford if it were three. He impacts the game with few shots more than anyone in the NBA. He’s having an historic shooting season and no matter how much defensive attention he gets from the league’s best defenders, he’s making multiple threes, which are crucial in the Hawks’ game.

Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic: I know we are not supposed to reward losing, but it’s not his fault. He hovers around 20/10 with a unique offensive game and playing at an All-Star level against the top big men in the game. OK, not a great defender, but it’s the All-Star game. I leave out Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love as they’ve been disappointments when LeBron was out and still looking to get theirs to score. Bradley Beal just doesn’t get enough shots; he should get more. Maybe you make a case for Kemba Walker, though he is now out six weeks. Brandon Jennings was making a case before being injured and Brandon Knight with the surprising Bucks, who maybe deserve an All-Star given being in the East playoffs thus far.

James Harden, Houston Rockets: I had him as my first half league MVP, which makes it rare for not starting an All-Star game, which he now may. But fans wanted to see Kobe and I’m with the fan vote on this one. The media makes poor votes and the coaches are worse. Did you ever see that general manager survey? You know they don’t watch basketball. The All-Star game is for the fans. They should vote for the starters. The NBA has it right. You’re not being left off if you are deserving, and if you can’t make the top 12 you’re not really a true star.

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers: I didn’t see him making it preseason given all the guard talent in the west. But he’s an amazing big time shot maker for one of the best teams.

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers: He was going to be off, but decided to play through his left hand injury much like Luol Deng did in 2012. He’s been the anchor of their team and an MVP caliber player.

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors: If only to see he and Curry in the backcourt in the All-Star game. He probably would have made it, but likely clinched it with that 37-point quarter last week. He’s the best shooting shooting guard off the dribble. Had to qualify that to separate him from Korver.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: C’mon, we’re not leaving him off the All-Star team. I know he’s only played about half the games. But he’s a true star and a player you want to see in the All-Star game and deserving. I’d leave out Russell Westbrook. He was out injured, though not as much as Durant. But in a close race with so many deserving candidates he’s just a little too erratic, though you wouldn’t argue if he were added.

Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies: The coaches should know. When you play them, he’s going to not only make the big shot, but be called upon to take it. He’s probably this season’s most underrated, and it could cost him an All-Star pick. But he deserves it as the most vital player on one of the best teams.

Monta Ellis, Dallas Mavericks: It would be fine to see Dirk again and you can make a case, but Ellis takes the big shots for them. And makes most. He’s been the highest scoring player in the league never to make an All-Star team and what he’s done this season for them makes him long overdue. So the omissions: Obviously, Chris Paul and no Spurs. Tony Parker has been out and not at his prior level while you can make the case for Tim Duncan. No one will argue. Paul also is a legitimate choice, but so are the other point guards and you have to pick someone. I break ties with the guys who don’t get as much publicity and, frankly, have done more for their teams this season than Paul as the Clippers have been erratic. DeMarcus Cousins will get support on great numbers, but he still plays like a loser, giving up when things go bad and still out of control. He needs a great coach and then he’ll be an All-Star. Dwight Howard has been out too much and not as dominant and, really, scorers like Rudy Gay, Gordon Hayward and a Suns guard are not quite in that class.

The latest trade talk, of course, involves Nets, who are following the Knicks again, though for different reasons. The balance sheet for sale looks much better without those contracts. And if Billy King can trade Joe Johnson and his $25 million for next season, maybe he gets executive of the year. Of course, King took on Johnson and even gave up some draft rights. Ouch. Anyway, take my Net, please. But how much difference do mid season trades and pickups actually make? It’s still early, but here’s a look at the records since the big trades: Mavericks after Rajon Rondo, 11-7; Grizzlies after Jeff Green, 5-1; Houston after Josh Smith, 11-7; Thunder after Dion Waiters, 5-4. It’s tough to tell with the Cavs on Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith as they’re basically two over with them but losing basically all their games until LeBron returned…The Nets, meanwhile, like the Knicks, are doing it the right way, unlike the 76ers. They tried to compete and found they could not. OK, then you go to plan B. The 76ers are the only ones tanking because they started with Plan B. The next team to watch is the Nuggets, who have basically fallen out of contention. Arron Afflalo is certain to be traded since he’s a rental with an opt out he’ll exercise. So how much can you give up? And you have to match $7.5 million in salary. They say they’ll keep Wilson Chandler, but we’ll see. Things change fast. Also, you wonder about Detroit now with Brandon Jennings down. It seems likely Greg Monroe leaves. Maybe get something? The Celtics have Brandon Bass, Gerald Wallace and Evan Turner to move. The Timberwolves have Mo Williams, Thaddeus Young and Kevin Martin, though Martin has a long contract. You wonder about the Suns if they slip with Goran Dragic, who seems very open to moving on. There’s always a King or two on the move, like Jason Thompson, which seems likely. There’s some wacky stuff going on now with the Lakers as Jeremy Lin got a DNP and you figure they’d love to move him. One interesting player to watch is the talented Enes Kanter of Utah. It seems like the team has been trying to work in Rudy Gobert, who has come on defensively. Kanter is restricted and after having paid Hayward and Derrick Favors, Kanter could be the odd man out. He’d be a heck of a pickup for someone as a young scoring center. And with the Pelicans on the verge and an ownership family fight going on who knows what happens there. All-Star in New York City just before the trading deadline? It’s going to be a Times Square of rumors.

Ernie Banks influenced a lot of people in his amazing life, including a Bulls legend and Basketball Hall of Famer. “I’m saddened by his passing,” said Chet Walker. “He was a good friend of mine. He came to my high school (Benton Harbor, MI) when I was a senior and it had a great impact on me. I got his autograph and it’s the only autograph I ever got in my life. It’s the only one I ever got and kept. He’d come to games and we’d go out to dinner. He lived out here (Los Angeles) a while. I used to tell him he should be manager of the Cubs. Great ball player, special man. He was one of a kind." ... Is former Bulls assistant the coach whisperer? Adams is the top defensive assistant to first time coach Steve Kerr, the fourth consecutive first time coach for whom Adams has been a top assistant after Scott Brooks, Tom Thibodeau and Brad Stevens. Thibodeau was Coach of the Year as a rookie and Kerr is considered a top contender this season. Plus in Adams’ first season with Thibodeau, the Bulls had the league’s best record. And the Thunder turned around when Brooks was hired and Adams joined his staff shortly after a slow start ... The Raptors have slumped some even with DeMar DeRozan back and moving a better-shooting Patrick Patterson in with less mobile Jonas Valanciunas has been considered ... The Pacers play slowly, last week scoring 71 points in an overtime game. But without Paul George, they’ve seen scorers like James Harden, Klay Thompson and Mo Williams with 52 all have 40-point games against them. Teammates say George is looking terrific in workouts and even doing dunking drills. But do you risk bringing him back in this sort of season? You’d think not.

Is D.J. Augustin saving another season? After rescuing the Bulls last season, the overlooked, undersized point guard had a career high 35 replacing the injured Brandon Jennings. Too bad for Jennings, having a career resurrection and just off a 24/21 game, which for him previously would have meant 24 shots and 21 misses (the 21 was assists) ... The NBA has filed trademark applications for Stan Van Gundy’s demand to “form a bleepin’ wall” in a last shot situation against the Spurs. Anything to deny Pat Riley a chance to make more money, eh? Riley, of course, patented threepeat ... In the six seasons before going to Atlanta, Kyle Korver started six games. He’s another great example of opportunity as the Hawks made him a starter and he could become an All-Star. He will be in the three-point shooting contest “A couple of years ago, people really didn’t think I was a starter in the NBA,” Korver told the Atlanta Constitution. “We are all benefitting from each other, from the system, from coach‘s style. I remember watching the Suns play and Steve Nash was winning MVPs and I was like ‘Man, if I could be on that team, I could really do something.’ I’m sure there are a lot of guys looking at this team now and thinking ‘Man, if I could be on that team.’ As a shooter, it’s perfect. I think I’m the product of a lot of things. I think more or less, it’s a lot of things that have come together.” ... Michael Jordan didn’t cry when he got inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but he did come to tears recently in receiving the Charlotte Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year. In his speech, Jordan said: “I’ve been criticized in a lot of different areas from a business standpoint, but I take pride in the ideas and concepts and views that come out of this organization to build the type of basketball program that the city of Charlotte can be proud of.” Or maybe it’s having Lance Stephenson.

Was it more the new NBA when the Hawks last week beat the star-driven Thunder? Five nobodies better than two somebodies? Is the NBA’s star marketing system soon to end? First the Spurs and now the Hawks. If they meet in the Finals, will it go back to tape delay? “They’re a good team,” said Kevin Durant after the loss in Atlanta. “They’re second in the league in assists. They move the basketball. And they’re home crowd has gotten better. They jumped on the bandwagon now. The crowd was great tonight and that helped them out.” Wonder why he mentioned the assist total playing with Russell Westbrook? ... Even the languid Jacque Vaughn erupted (as much as he can) after the again fading Magic lost to the Knicks. “The defensive end needs to be a premium,” Vaughn said after the game. “Instead of worrying about scoring the basketball as soon as you step on the floor, worry about defending the basketball. That’ll help.” You wonder if Scott Skiles, the most popular player in Magic history as voted by the fans, could be in the wings if the Magic continue to stumble. Similarly, eyes will be on the disappointing Pelicans after being swept—astonishingly—in the Eastern uneven triangle of the Knicks, Celtics and 76ers, basically none of whom are trying to win. And losing three in a row to them? Wow! ... Pretty interesting move last week when Jeff Hornacek, tired of the arguing, told his players he’d bench anyone who received a technical. Star guard Goran Dragic did and was benched. The Rockets then won making a winner over replacement Isaiah Thomas, who is much smaller. And that was just before Dragic said he liked the Suns but was open to all free agent suitors this summer ... Though the Thunder won that game in Washington—where they are counting on free agent Durant coming home in 2016 and local media have taken to interviewing his mother for clues—it’s still head scratching to watch the Thunder play. Westbrook, who we always have to note is great, drives down and shoots twice. Misses as regulation ending. Timeout. They have Durant bring the ball up all the way because apparently they knew Westbrook wouldn’t pass. Westbrook goes to the left corner and stands hands by his side like a diva receiver out of a play as Durant, no John Stockton himself, winds up for a miss. The Thunder wins in overtime. And now Serge Ibaka is throwing up threes at a career high pace. Maybe the league’s most talented team. How about the Warriors going through this season and then opening the playoffs against them? That last week of the season if the Thunder is around seven or eight there may be some interesting lineups.

making-a-case-for-deserving-stars

Making a case for deserving stars

Monday is one of the great days on the NBA calendar with a dozen games for the Martin Luther King holiday. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many can’t miss matchups. Dallas and the Grizzlies in the featured Memphis game is on NBA TV. But it’s the Bulls who draw the national attention with, of course, LeBron James in Cleveland. The last time they met was the Bulls home opener when James had 36 points and eight in overtime while Derrick Rose left in the fourth quarter with 20 points after spraining his ankle. Tristan Thompson’s 12 offensive rebounds forced everyone to learn how to spell his name.

That was when the Eastern Conference was a two-team race between the Cavs and Bulls for the NBA Finals.

The Bulls still do lead the Central Division, but they are six and a half games behind the Atlanta Hawks, have lost five of their last seven and only look like a defensive team to the Cavaliers. That’s because the Cavs are third in the Central, also behind Milwaukee (what an opener Bulls and Bucks would have been instead), and giving up more than 100 points per game and ahead of only Minnesota in 29th place in the NBA in opponent shooting.

“Every time you play a team it’s an opportunity to measure up against them,” said Pau Gasol after the Bulls Saturday loss to Atlanta. “We have an opportunity Monday.”

The Cavs because of James remain the story of the NBA. And it’s only gone into overdrive of late with bulletins on James bumping into his coach and apparently threatening to give him a wedgie, making goo goo eyes with assistant Tyronn Lue, missing eight games of which the Cavs lost seven and Kevin Love was benched the fourth quarter in two because his defense was so poor even for that team. So they traded for a bunch of guys, including J.R. Smith, apparently to tie opponents’ sneakers together to slow those fast breaks while they seek FAA approval for landing small aircraft on Iman Shumpert.

But don’t be laughing too hard. LeBron is back. And coming back home for the first game there since returning from his recuperation. In the three he’s played, he’s averaging 33.7 points on 52.3 percent shooting, 7.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He’s 10 of 26 on threes, averaging 39 minutes, dunking again and saying it’s the best he’s felt all year. And Jimmy Butler had trouble with Kyle Korver.

“They’re winning games right now,” noticed Butler in comments Saturday night. “A lot of great players, great scorers on that team. So we’re definitely going to have to man up and play some defense on Monday."

It should be fun, and it’s great to be selected to play the most beautiful of games on the King holiday. As Dr. King said, “We may all have come on different ships, but we are in the same boat now.” It should be a celebration of the game Monday as well.

Lionel Hollins’ weekly words of wisdom: “We have established an identity: We don’t make shots. If you don’t make shots, that’s a part of who you are.”… Brandon Jennings has been the big surprise with the surging Pistons. And while he has taken the political approach on the release of Josh Smith, which freed him to have the ball more and not shoot so quickly, it didn’t help that Jennings was close with former coach Mo Cheeks, whom Smith supposedly persuaded management to fire.  We’ll see if Jennings returns to his career of being the league’s poorest shooting point guard, but he does say his decision to skip college and play in Europe was correct. And, after all, he was a lottery pick even playing little there. Said Jennings to Detroit media: “If I had to do it again, I'd do it again. The things I've learned you can't see it in one year in college. I got to eat at the most famous places in the world. I got to live in Rome. Who wouldn't want to do that at 18?”… Greg Monroe is averaging 16.2 per game on 52 percent shooting in January compared with 13.8 and 49 percent in Smith’s prime in November … Oh no. Tyrus Thomas is back with 13 points and four rebounds in 19 minutes in the D-league showcase (for NBA scouts). He’ll be playing in Des Moines if you missed him ... Really, how long before Mo Williams, averaging 25.3 points and 6.3 assists since returning from injury, ends up as someone very good’s sixth man? And how about Gerald Green? He can really shoot and score and often is one of the last off the bench for the guard heavy Suns, who are also said to be talking about trading Miles Plumlee. Guys, it’s not a 6-5 and under league ... Adding Jameer Nelson for some reason with another year on his deal raises questions if Ty Lawson will join Arron Afflalo and Wilson Chandler as Nuggets rumored trade possibilities. Heck, make it everybody.

No one’s supposed to say it because of the inappropriate racial comments in the organization last summer, but Danny Ferry, the deposed Hawks general manager, did a heck of a job hiring (Mike Budenholzer) and putting together a Hawks team in the draft and the cheap part of free agency that has become a title contender. He got three of the starters, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap, inexpensively; he added bench vets like Thabo Sefolosha and Elton Brand and drafted a tough point guard backup in Dennis Schroder and shooter Mike Scott with low picks. It’s been a heck of a building ... Elton Brand had one interesting observation for the Hawks success: “In the NBA, you’re taught one-on-one. You hear that a guy can’t create his own shot in the NBA, so he doesn’t get drafted high. But if he can shoot, he’d be a great system guy.  But then he wants the ball. On our team a guy doesn’t have to get his own shot. We create shots for him.”… There’s been a lot of speculation about what it means for Austin Rivers playing for his dad with the Clippers. But Austin is the classic of what it might have meant playing for Mike Krzyzewski. He’d still be in college, be a top five lottery pick, pretty much guaranteed to be a key piece of a team’s rebuilding and probably assure a much longer NBA career.

Russell Westbrook is a heck of a talent, just like Rasheed Wallace. Too bad he’s headed Rasheed’s way. Westbrook, who always has been somewhat difficult with media, basically has turned loathsome this season with the sort of one word answers and repeat answers like Wallace or Bill Laimbeer would practice. David Stern would generally take care of that because it wasn’t about the media. What Stern understood best is it’s about the fans. The fans want to hear from their favorites (or non favorites); it’s another part of the NBA’s fan friendly attitude, the best in pro sports, and Stern stood up for fans as ardently as any commissioner. I doubt he’d sit by idly as so many star players take off without being injured. People are paying a lot of money for those tickets and stars are in some cities once a year. It would be nice if they felt some responsibility to the community and the league. No reporters, meanwhile, want to be friends with guys like Russell Westbrook. What often is misunderstood is the reporters are merely messengers to the fans. It’s the fans whom Westbrook is rejecting and making fun of, like he does the Oklahoma City media. They have good reporters there, but, geez, we’re not talking about media pressure. They love their Thunder. There are great models in the NBA to follow; Westbrook has chosen the worst. It stamps your passport to the churlish club … Might be tough to get Marc Gasol out of Memphis given their stability among the strongest in the NBA and good additions. Says Gasol, considered the premier 2015 free agent: “I like having success as a team. Everything makes more sense. It’s easier to go through the grind when you’re winning. Every time we go to a different city I get asked. It’s just part of it.” Sounds a bit like Pau leaving the Lakers for the Bulls … One of the great stories this season is Minnesota’s Robbie Hummel. Talk about a guy with injuries: ACL’s (plural), menisus, broken back. The good guy from Purdue has worked his way into the Timberwolves rotation playing every position off the bench as what coach Flip Saunders said with injuries has been the team’s most consistent player; he had 15 points and 13 rebounds in 43 minutes in a win over Denver Saturday and is averaging 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds the last five games … Steve Kerr on resting players as he sat Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala last week: “We’re having a phenomenal season, but we have to be careful about what we’re trying to accomplish. We’re not chasing the ’96 Bulls here. We need to be wise about the whole season. So resting guys at the right time when we have this cushion is important.” Though rookie coach Kerr does prefer to rest guys with similar sounding names so he doesn’t make mistakes on substitutions.

martin-luther-king-day-matchup-plus-nba-news-notes

Martin Luther King Day matchup plus NBA news & notes

The NBA hit the halfway mark of the 2014-15 season this past weekend, though some advanced stats note the NBA midseason break is at the All-Star game next month. So where is everyone’s place? Weekly so called power ratings are a regular media feature around the NBA, though they generally mirror the standings. The goal should be to try to establish the season long overall strength of teams along with where they are now and their potential.

One way teams look at where they are given the oddities of the schedule is road wins, which are more difficult, against home losses. Home wins are supposed to be easier to achieve, though given the overall balance of the league this season without any true super teams there are several teams, including the Bulls, with better road records. Still, the ratio is one good indicator of comparison.

That strength measure this season has the Warriors and Hawks tied at plus-14 for first, and it’s difficult to suggest given how well the Hawks have fared against Western Conference teams (10-2 with a nine-game winning streak) that it isn’t an accurate measure. The top teams after them by that strength are the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Suns, Wizards, Spurs, Bulls and, surprisingly, the Bucks, who have a plus-4 mark. So as the NBA turns the page on the first half of the season, here’s the book on the thirty:

how-do-the-30-teams-rank-halfway-through

How do the 30 teams rank halfway through?

By Sam Smith | 12.29.2014 | 8:45 a.m. CT

The NBA doesn’t much celebrate the calendar year as much as the season. The NBA’s calendar begins in September and basically continues through June, though with TV events they can stretch it almost 12 months. Personally, I prefer the Mayan calendar with the vital month known as Pop. So with the consideration of the calendar year 2014, we’ll start with Pop as the No. 1 story in the NBA for 2014:

All right, quit your whining out west already. All we hear from these Western Conference teams is about if only they were in the East. As if you deserve something if you can’t get to eighth place. Sorry, but they’ll all be barely getting into the playoffs and would be first round eliminations, most likely, if they were in the East. The top five teams in the Eastern Conference have a combined 16-11 record against the top 10 Western Conference teams, basically a 60 percent winning percentage. Of those top five, the only team that has a losing record against one of the top 10 teams in the West is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 2-4. And it’s still not an easy game against LeBron James. The Bulls are 4-3, the Raptors 4-1, the Hawks 4-1 and the Wizards 2-2. So if New Orleans were in the East, they’d be striving for sixth. Same with the Suns and probably this season the Clippers, who are 0-4 against the East’s top five. The Grizzlies, by the way, are 0-3 against the East’s Fab Five. The Rockets are 0-1. Beating the 76ers and Knicks often is not a reason for realignment.

More for the Nikola Mirotic Rookie of the Year file: Mirotic is now one of three rookies ever (he has a ways to go, however, this season) to shoot 40 percent on threes while averaging at least five rebounds. The two who did it for full seasons were Larry Bird and Paul Pierce. But they were starters averaging almost double the minutes of Mirotic’s just over 18 ... It wasn’t just being blown out at home Sunday by the Josh Smith-less Pistons, but LeBron James continues to look curiously distracted and almost disinterested this season. You’d think with his grand return to Cleveland, James would be more enthused and motivated. Maybe he’s hurt. Probably not thrilled with the makeup of the team. Maybe the coach as well. But 30 games into his return in Cleveland, the Cavs were being booed in the fourth quarter with James on the floor as the Pistons lead neared 30 ... Yes, we heard all Kevin Love’s denials he’d opt out after this season and leave Cleveland. But Love was benched the fourth quarter in a win over the Pacers Friday, which the coach seemed to indicate was the difference in the defense. With the Cavs trying to come back Sunday, Love went out in the fourth again even as James remained in. James also has taken to openly reminding Love of his failure to help on defense. A Love story?

The only second rounder playing much at all in what’s become a poor 2014 draft is the 76ers K.J. McDaniels, and who knows what goes on with them ... The Bulls see the Nets Tuesday and all-world malcontent Deron Williams, now coming off the bench behind a more effective and interested Jarrett Jack and probably working on how he can run out his fifth coach in the last four years. “[Deron and Brook Lopez] didn’t play very well, and they have to play better for us to be better or for them to get more playing time and more consistent playing time,” coach Lionel Hollins said last week in benching about $35 million for this season. The Nets reportedly are trying to trade both. Would the Cavs take a shot? With the loss of Anderson Varejao for the season the Nets might take Varejao if the Cavs throw in some “assets.” It’s a guessing game whom the Cavs will pursue and what they’ll give up as they slide. Sacramento’s Jason Thompson has been available, though he’s not a center. Kendrick Perkins? Jordan Hill? Nikola Pekovic? The Cavs also are rumored to be interested in the Celtics’ Jeff Green, benched in a loss to Orlando last week. Greg Monroe on a rental? The Pistons look much better and blew out the Cavs Sunday in their Jerry Krause model “addition by subtraction,” which was a Krause philosophy that built the Bulls in the 1980s, though not with giving someone $30 million to leave.

It’s just shocking sometimes to watch the Thunder. It’s as if Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson with Kevin Durant still out with his ankle injury dislike anyone over 6-6 on the team. They do seem finally to be learning who Serge Ibaka is, a good shooter. We’ll see how long it continues. Westbrook gets defensive about his head down play, saying he has to be aggressive. Sure, it’s a strength and he’s a difference maker. But it’s tough to play with an alleged point guard who dribbles up and doesn’t pass on so many possessions ... You don’t hear Luol Deng talk, but his 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in Miami’s Christmas Day win over the Cavs seemed like his own payback. The story was LeBron’s return, but it was the Cavs’ scouting report labeling Deng for the Hawks that produced the embarrassment and departure of Danny Ferry. Deng, of course, never brought it up, but knowing him he likely enjoyed a little payback of his own ... LeBron James had a salient observation in his return to Miami last week and was exactly right: “The question I have that’s kind of been bothering me sometimes is when a player decides to decide his own fate, there’s always questions about it and why this guy did that. When an organization decides to go elsewhere for a player, it’s they did what’s best for the team.” James seemed anxious to raise the point as he gave that answer to a different question ... The Hornets were quietly attributing winning four straight to the injury absence of Lance Stephenson until they lost their last two without him. Kemba Walker scored 42 in the last loss, Saturday to the Magic. But he may be a larger problem. Al Jefferson was the chief reason the Hornets made the playoffs last season, but point guard Walker took 31 shots to 11 for Jefferson.

The Mavericks found Charlie Villanueva after trading much of their bench for Rajon Rondo, and Villanueva has been good, averaging 13 points and 12 of 28 on threes the last four games. He even drove the ball in the Sunday win over Oklahoma City, which he may not have for the last five years ... Similarly with Josh Smith, who made some big drives and grabbed a pair of game saving late offensive rebounds in his debut for Houston Friday. No one’s seen that from him since 2008, though the Spurs Sunday played about eight feet off him and he bricked up two of eight ... Scott Brooks on Oklahoma City media often asking why Jeremy Lamb doesn’t play much: “When you have a good basketball team, everybody can’t play 20 minutes.” ... Perhaps unnerved about rumors Goran Dragic might want to leave as a free agent, the Suns are said to be interesting in moving Isaiah Thomas ... Damian Lillard ran the same play that beat Houston last playoffs to tie the Thunder in regulation for an overtime win last week. Since Kirk Hinrich’s three-point foul against Dallas, coaches seem ever more fearful of fouling, which still seems the best strategy leading by three ... Well, Steve Kerr was right again. They’re not winning 70.

top-10-nba-stories-of-2014

nba-news-and-notes-12-15-14

NBA News and Notes - 12.15.14

This could be a brutal week for the Bulls facing a tough Western Conference trio with Derrick Rose questionable for Monday’s game with the Clippers. The Clippers seem to be coming out of their early funk with a big win over the Suns Saturday as Chris Paul had 32 points, not encouraging if Rose cannot play. Portland will have four days off waiting for the Bulls who are coming in on a back to back Friday after playing Sacramento Thursday, where the Bulls have not done so well even when the Kings were bad. The Bulls lost their last two there and 11 of the last 15.  And now the Kings have become a threat with a win Saturday over the Spurs after blowing leads of at least 24 points against the Mavericks and Grizzlies, the latter on an amazing brain lapse to lose with three tenths of a second. The Kings are more stable and DeMarcus Cousins is proving difficult to people other than officials.  And who ever expected “stable” and “DeMarcus Cousins” to be in the same sentence? Said coach Mike Malone after the Spurs victory: “If we defend like we did earlier in the year, I really feel we can beat anybody in the NBA. I don’t know if there’s a more competitive player in the NBA (than Cousins). We all know how skilled he is, and he hates to lose.”

One of Michael Jordan’s original three who traveled with him in the 1980s, Adolph Shiver, reached a plea agreement on money laundering and tax fraud charges. Shiver’s Club 935 in Charlotte is one of the city’s top hip hop and blues clubs. Shiver and Jordan were college classmates and childhood friends, but have not been close for many years ... Hawks players say the addition of Thabo Sefolosha has been a difference maker in improved defense ... Quietly developing has been the Pelicans’ Austin Rivers as New Orleans moved two games over .500 for the first time in three years. Rivers is shooting 57 percent and 42 percent on threes ... There’s been a lot of big man free agent speculation about Marc Gasol, though don’t forget Omer Asik, who it will be vital for the Pelicans to retain given the freedom Anthony Davis has enjoyed and an obvious maximum contract waiting for him ... The New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper wrote a shame, shame story about New Orleans fans with home attendance 23rd for missing out on the greatness of Anthony Davis. Forbes reported Pelicans median ticket prices are the league’s lowest. Davis is fourth in scoring, third in rebounding and averaging more than four blocks per game. The last player to average four blocks was Dikembe Mutombo in 1996. And no one ever threw him the ball to shoot ... The modern blocks record is Mark Eaton at 5.56 in 1985, though there were always suspicions then the Jazz inflated stats numbers given John Stockton’s huge assists totals. Blocks weren’t an official statistic until 1973, eliminating Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, who may have averaged 10 per game ... It’s been an up and down start for big Dallas free agent Chandler Parsons shooting about 40 percent and 32 percent on threes, though James Harden hasn’t called him a role player yet.

Get your bid in for Dion Waiters. It sounds like rookie Joe Harris, an aggressive defensive player, is winning over the Cavs’ coaches. Funny how the Cavs supposedly pursuing Corey Brewer suddenly became a story ... One player not doing so well after the USA Basketball summer is Detroit’s Andre Drummond, with much less involvement in the offense. It’s how some personnel moves impact in different ways. Drummond did well playing pick and roll with Will Bynum, who was sent out, though he should be doing better than he has with D.J. Augustin. Brandon Jennings' numbers are for himself and with Greg Monroe working on his free agency year, the ball isn’t finding Drummond ... Dwyane Wade has been healthier, though hardly perfect as he had a hamstring issue last week. But he is enjoying playing, he tells South Florida media, as he again has the ball back in his hands as the Heat's playmaker after ceding it to LeBron James. He’s not complaining given the titles, but according to NBA advanced stats he touches the ball five times as often as he did last season.

The remarkable element about the Spurs, especially for this era, as Steve Kerr noted after the Spurs in the second of a back to back in Oakland after defeating the Clippers beat the Warriors: “I retired 12 years ago and the same three top players and the same coach are still over there. I mean, it's insane.” ... Andre Iguodala has been supportive, but Kerr is finding what all coaches do that depth can also create issues. With Shaun Livingston returning and Iguodala coming off the bench this season, Iguodala’s fallen between the cracks with the high octane Warriors and played 53 minutes in back to back losses with two points last week ... The Nuggets off to a losing start following many around the league picking them as a positive surprise team have coach Brian Shaw, curiously, openly talking about being fired if things don’t change. It was a 1-6 start and booing at home with attendance in the bottom five. Said the candid Shaw to the Denver Post: "One of the things that I do know and it's always been my philosophy whether it's in basketball or if I'm in a street fight: I don't want to be in a fight and not get off a punch. So I'm going to go down swinging with my instincts that have gotten me to this point. It's a tough situation that we're in. If we don't have that kind of effort from everybody, then we're not going to ever get out of this situation, and I won't survive it. And it's that simple." The Nuggets are supposed to run in the Denver altitude, though it gets them nowhere in the playoffs. So Shaw is trying more half court, which is a lot less entertaining with losses. One surprise has been the trade for Aaron Afflalo, which was supposed to be a coup. But Evan Fornier has been a surprise for Orlando and averaging 17.6 while Afflalo had a slow start and seemed part of what some in the Denver media were likening to a team mutiny after an 84-point Portland first half and massive benchings for the second half.

You’d think Adam Silver has enough issues with a new players association executive director lobbying for a lockout—the salary cap is un-American and owners should play instead of players and see how far you get—than weighing in on the complexities of the triangle offense, a tiresome topic in New York already.  “It’s a system, simple basketball. We’re over the triangle, and let’s get to business and play it the right way,” Phil Jackson offered in exasperation after Silver volunteered: “I watched the Knicks game last night. Clearly, they’re still learning the triangle. I still don’t understand it. But they’re learning it.’’  It’s a constant discussion in the New York media because New York tends not to be the sophisticated basketball market as, say Los Angeles or Chicago, where they understood the triangle was just another motion and spacing offense incorporated by many teams. The New York market is less about basketball than conflict: Who’s upset with whom and the issue of the day as opposed to the game. So the triangle becomes a point of contention instead of a discussion about the game. That Silver weighed in as he did just shows what we always knew that the league office is Knicks’ fans, which is why Silver rarely weighs in on Thibodeau’s dribble/weave ... Impressing amidst the 76ers’ mess has been Tony Wroten, who is earning himself an NBA job and doing as well as he has he likely is heading out of Philadelphia with Michael Carter-Williams coming back, anyway ... Toronto media after the Bulls win Thursday labeled Jimmy Butler “the human handcuff” after DeMar DeRozan was three of 17 ... Lionel Hollins, frankly outspoken, is finding saying those things in New York is different than in Memphis. Brook Lopez is understandably returning unsteadily from major foot surgery. So being out the fourth quarter became Hollins “benching” Lopez for poor play and being upset with the center. Hollins told reporters they misunderstood and had taken him out of context. Welcome to the land of, so when did you stop hating Lopez. “You (media) guys go with what you want, right?” said Lopez. Lucky for him Derrick Rose had a tough week occupying the media ... Though the man bites dog story of the week was Joe Johnson chastising the team for lack of ball movement. Yes, that Iso Joe.

Utah’s Gordon Hayward has responded well to his big offseason contract averaging 19.2 and prevailing last week in a shootout with Carmelo Anthony. Said coach Quin Snyder to Utah media: "Physically, he’s really committed himself to getting stronger this summer. It shows in the way he’s gone to the basket. He’s taking contact.” ... The Suns aren’t catching anyone by surprise this time, and though Isaiah Thomas continues to put up big numbers, it’s usually at the expense of another guard and lately Eric Bledsoe with one point in 34 minutes against the Clippers Saturday and single digits in two of his last four ... As Chris Bosh goes so go the Heat? Not encouraging. With Dwyane Wade out again with a hamstring issue, Bosh was two of 17 in the home loss to the Bucks Sunday and now 12 for 49 in the three-game losing streak. The new consensus in Miami is Bosh has a weaker supporting cast without Wade than Bosh had in Toronto missing the playoffs. So much for Luol Deng, eh? Making the playoffs in Miami may not be all that certain ... So Kobe Bryant scores 44 Sunday and the Lakers lose by 21 after trailing the Warriors by almost 40. Of the starters, Carlos Boozer, though, had the best plus/minus of minus 28. The latest Lakers’ optimism conventional wisdom is Kobe is just shooting (15-34 and three of 12 on threes) to pass Michael Jordan on the scoring list, which at this rate would be in early December. Then he intends to become a facilitator. So much for a softer start with six of 10 at home and now heading out on the road at 1-9. Really, Kobe’s going to buy into this for how long?

nba-news-and-notes-11-17-14

NBA News and Notes - 11.17.14

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