Category: News (Page 115 of 199)

      Joe Johnson leaving if Hawks lose?

      April 29, 2010 /

      In a recent chat, John Hollinger had this to say about the chances of Johnson returning to Atlanta if the Hawks were to lose the series to the Bucks.

      Is Joe Johnson gone if the Hawks lose?
      John Hollinger: I suspect so, just because it makes it so much harder for Atlanta to sell its management on operating at the tax line when the club is losing so much dough.

      The series is a long way from over, but it’s an interesting question to ponder. Hollinger takes it from the angle of ownership not wanting to pony up for Johnson when the Hawks can’t even beat a Milwaukee Bucks team that is missing its best player.

      That’s a legitimate question, but Johnson is a top five free agent this summer, do the Hawks really just let him walk? He was outplayed by John Salmons in Game 5, so he may need to come up big in Game 6 and lead the Hawks to a series win if he hopes to get a max offer from Atlanta.

      The other perspective on this question is from Johnson’s point of view. Would he want to stay with a team that couldn’t get out of the first round despite suspect opposition? He may be ready for a fresh start after a semi-frustrating few years in Atlanta.

      If the Hawks do indeed lose the series, it will be a big disappointment for a franchise and a fan base that was expecting at least an appearance in the Eastern Conference semis, maybe even an upset of the Magic an appearance in the conference finals. Given the turmoil surrounding the franchise’s ownership in recent seasons, it wouldn’t be surprising if there’s a serious shakeup in the roster if the Hawks do exit the postseason in the first round.


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      Nuggets win Game 5, lose Nene

      April 29, 2010 /

      The Nuggets beat the Jazz, 116-102, in Game 5, but they may have lost Nene for the rest of the season. They’re calling it a sprained knee, but they’re fearful that he may have torn his ACL.

      The Nuggets are down 3-2 against a shorthanded Jazz team that is missing Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko. If the Nuggets lose Nene, they’ll have to lean on Chris Andersen and Johan Petro at center. (Man, wouldn’t Marcus Camby look good in the middle right now?)

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      It looks like Dwyane Wade is staying put…

      April 28, 2010 /

      …assuming Pat Riley can get him some help. Here’s what he had to say after the Heat’s loss to the Celtics in Game 5, per TrueHoop…

      “I’m looking forward to a good team to build, and being with some great players next year, and to continue to beef up our roster,” Wade said.

      Notice his use of the pronoun “our.”

      And also note that at no point did Wade ever expressly state a desire to head elsewhere. But he did place the onus on Pat Riley to make things happen over the summer.

      “I’m not putting no pressure on myself. I think I put myself in a great situation three years ago to sign this deal to make sure that my team stays competitive. We’ve got some work to do, the front office has to do it, and there’s no pressure on me,” Wade said. “I’ve said where my heart is, and I think any player that’s thinking about wanting to come to Miami, they know where my heart is. You just have to see things being done and accomplished.

      “We see that, and we’ll be talking again.”

      I don’t see Wade leaving town at this point. After the Heat played pretty well over the last half of the season, he started talking about how Miami is where his heart is and that it’s the Heat’s gig to lose, and since the franchise is in a great position to add talent this offseason, he’s a good bet to stay put.

      Michael Beasley, on the other hand, appears to be on the outs. He was benched for the entire second half of Game 5, and looks to be expendable heading into the offseason. This opens up another possibility that was seemingly closed a few months ago — the signing/acquisition of Carlos Boozer, who was once considered “too similar” to Beasley.

      So if the Heat strike out on LeBron James and/or Chris Bosh, Boozer and/or Amare Stoudemire would be a good backup plan. I think either player would convince Wade to stay put.

      With $42 million in cap space, the Heat are basically a blank slate. If they were able to move Beasley and his salary ($5 million), they would almost have enough to sign three max free agents. The problem is that the top guys all seem to play power forward or shooting guard. However, the Heat could have enough to add Rudy Gay and Bosh/Stoudemire/Boozer, or even David Lee.

      If I were Pat Riley, I’d be in constant communication with Wade to see which players he’d most like to play with. By having his buy in, you would ensure that he’s happy with the players you’re bringing in. I wonder if Riley’s ego is too big for that…


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      Report: Tyreke Evans to be named ROY

      April 27, 2010 /

      Per Sactown Royalty…

      Tyreke Evans will be named the NBA’s 2009-10 Rookie of the Year later this week, Sactown Royalty has learned.

      The announcement is expected Thursday or Friday. The Kings nor the NBA have announced Evans’s victory, and the team has not yet alerted the media of a press conference later this week.

      In my prediction post, I said the following:

      I think this is a two-man race between Evans and Jennings. Evans’ numbers are better than Curry’s and his team is a little better, so if we’re going to go with a good player on a bad team, it should be Evans.

      As for Jennings, his case depends how much importance we place on a team’s record and how responsible the player is for that record. It’s funny — a good record is crucial in winning the league MVP, but for ROY, it doesn’t seem to matter all that much. Why is that?

      In the end, I think Evans will win Rookie of the Year. Given the history of the award, if a player clearly has the superior numbers, winning just doesn’t matter. That’s the case here.

      Evans averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists to become the first rookie since LeBron James to average 20-5-5 in his rookie season. (Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan are the only other players to accomplish this feat.)

      Both Evans and Curry posted eye-popping numbers, but did any rookie have a bigger impact on the 2009-10 NBA season than Brandon Jennings? Even though his FG% fell off a cliff, he still posted pretty good numbers, and guided the upstart Bucks to the #6 playoff spot in the East.

      Based on the criteria that picked previous award winners, Evans is very deserving. But when we look back on this season’s rookie class, I think we’ll remember Jennings’ leadership, Evans’ 20-5-5, Curry’s stretch run and Blake Griffin’s knee injury, in that order.


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      Bucks GM John Hammond wins Executive of the Year

      April 25, 2010 /

      Hammond received 12 (of 30) first place votes. OKC’s Sam Presti finished second with nine votes.

      Here’s a list of the major (and minor) moves that Hammond made over the last year or so:

      – Traded forward Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for forwards Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas and center Fabricio Oberto.

      – Selected guards Brandon Jennings (10th overall pick) and Jodie Meeks (41st overall pick).

      – Signed forward Ersan Ilyasova.

      – Traded forward Amir Johnson and guard Sonny Weems to the Toronto Raptors for guards Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukic.

      – Signed guard Jerry Stackhouse.

      – Traded forwards Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander to the Chicago Bulls
      for guard John Salmons and 2011 and 2012 second-round picks.

      Hammond acquired/drafted three starters — Jennings, Salmons, Delfino — and three rotation players — Ilyasova, Thomas, Stackhouse — in the span of eight months that led to a 46-36 record and the #6 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He also shed Richard Jefferson’s contract, which got the Bucks out of luxury cap terrority.

      Milwaukee projects to have about $32-$35 million in cap space next summer; they may elect to use a portion of that to re-sign John Salmons, who has played great since coming over from Chicago at the trade deadline.

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