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Morning shootaround — Feb. 14

February 14, 2015  ·  9:47AM


VIDEO: Highlights of Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge and Celebrity All-Star Game

NEWS OF THE MORNING

Durant: Players should vote for awards | Rising Star MVP Wiggins craves Olympics | Union fires shot across NBA bow | Mason’s condition shows some progress

No. 1: Durant: Players should vote for awards — It’s Valentine’s Day, so you might want to send some extra flowers or candy to your nearest sports media person after Kevin Durant hurt their feelings on Friday. The Oklahoma City star took the occasion of the NBA’s All-Star Media Availability at a New York hotel ballroom to question the media folks’ credibility as voters for the league’s annual awards, such as Most Valuable Player, Sixth Man, Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com was among those to capture Durant’s critical comments:

“I think (the) media gets too much power to vote on stuff like that. Quite frankly I don’t think you really know a lot about as much we know about it,” Durant said when asked if MVP winners should be allowed to vote on the MVP like former Heisman Trophy winners are allowed to do with the annual award for the best college football player. “So we play against these guys every single night, we battle against these guys, we know what they say on the court, we know how they handle their teammates, we know how they approach the game, and our votes should count.

“Our opinions should count. I don’t think you guys know as much we do, and I don’t see why you have more power than we do.”

Durant won his first MVP for the 2013-14 season, totaling 1,232 points in voting, including 119 first-place votes. The award is decided by a 124-member panel consisting of sports writers and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. There’s also an NBA.com MVP fan vote that counts as one vote, making for a total of 125 ballots overall. The same panel of U.S. and Canadian sports writers and broadcasters also casts votes for the other awards, but the MVP award is the only one for which fans can vote.

Players are awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for each third-place vote, three for each fourth-place vote and one for each fifth-place vote.

“We really know these guys inside and out,” Durant said of why players should vote for the awards. “There are a lot of guys that deserve Defensive Player of the Year or Sixth Man of the Year but you guys (decide sometimes because) they are not the sexier names. A lot of people will see the names of these players and don’t look at the other guys that contribute to our game as well.

“You guys aren’t in the scouting reports, you’re not in the team meetings and the film sessions to really break down each player’s games. I don’t see why you have more power in voting than we do. We are out there on the court playing with them. We appreciate how you guys blow the game up and bring attention to the game but at the same time, to keep it pure, the players should have more say in that stuff.”

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No. 2: Rising Star MVP Wiggins craves Olympics — For a lot of fans at Barclays Center in Brooklyn or viewing elsewhere, it probably took a moment to sink in that Andrew Wiggins, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ rookie participating in the Rising Stars Challenge Friday was on the right team. Wiggins played for the World squad, against the USA group of rookies and second-year players, because he was born and raised in Canada. He was feeling some maple-leaf pride after his swell performance, as chronicled by our man Scott Howard-Cooper:

Already at the forefront of Canada’s planned ascent on the global basketball stage — well under way with the recent influx of players in the NBA the last few seasons — Wiggins added to that with 22 points on eight-for-11 shooting to win the MVP award as the World beat the U.S. 121-112 on Friday nigh

Asked if he is looking forward to playing Team USA — the real one — in international competition, Wiggins said, “Definitely. That’s a game I dream of. And hopefully we can play in the Olympics.”

Pressed if he would play for his homeland this summer, in the tournament to qualify for the 2016 Olympics (as the reigning World Cup champion, the U.S. is exempt) Wiggins said, “Right now I’m taking it day by day. But it’s something I would love to do.” Coming attractions, indeed.

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No. 3: Union fires shot across NBA bow — This is relative peacetime in the NBA, more than three years removed from the league’s last costly lockout, with a labor deal in place at least until July 2017. But businessmen and unions do what they do, so the National Basketball Players Association’s annual All-Star player rep meeting offered a glimpse into some jargon and rhetoric with which fans soon might become all too familiar. Our own Steve Aschburner explained a money issue that already has surfaced:

They’re here now, with the union’s rejection of two “smoothing” proposals from the NBA to manage the flood of new money from dramatically increased TV rights fees beginning with the 2016-17 season. Michele Roberts, the NBPA’s new executive director, said the team reps voted unanimously to reject both proposals during a meeting that included about 50 players.

What that could mean, if left unaddressed, would be an abrupt hike in the league’s salary cap from an estimated $68 million in 2015-16 to, say, $90 million for 2016-17. That’s when the new nine-year, $24 billion TV deal kicks in at nearly triple the current broadcast fees. Boosting the cap number that suddenly could make virtually every team in the NBA a bidder for the lucky free agents of 2016. Rosters could be entirely rebuilt, or completely destroyed, all in a few weeks time.

The NBA apparently had pitched two versions of a proposal to “smooth” that infusion of money into the system to avoid artificially bidding up salaries of the players who happened to hit the market that summer, at the expense of the majority who would remain under contract. By “smoothing” the increase — with the cap rising by lesser amounts, with the difference from the players’ CBA-guaranteed share of the league’s revenues divvied up proportionally among them all — those locked into contracts would benefit from the added cash.

But the NBPA’s economic consultants determined that a typical player would make less money overall by signing contracts into an artificially constrained salary cap (for example, $80 million vs. $90 million) while receiving “shortfall” checks, than he would signing a new deal without the smoothing constraints on the cap.

The NBPA also voted LeBron James onto its executive committee as first vice-president, teaming the Cleveland star with union president Chris Paul of the L.A. Clippers to add heft to the hierarchy. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com had more on that:

With Paul, James and new, aggressive executive director Michele Roberts, the union has loaded up with high-profile faces for a fight for a bigger portion of what could be a $7 billion revenue pie two years from now.

Just how big a role James eventually will play, though, is yet to be seen. He did not attend the meeting because he was committed to a sponsor’s event across town. He talked to various members of the executive committee over the phone and plans to meet with Roberts this weekend.

…

The union believes having James and Paul, the Los Angeles Clippers’ All-Star point guard, on the front line will increase the pressure, both publicly and privately, on owners.

“I cannot tell you how delighted I am; the union is supported by players across the spectrum,” Roberts said after leading a meeting of approximately 50 players, including All-Stars Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving.

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No. 4: Mason’s condition shows some progress — In a perfect world, Anthony Mason, longtime NBA forward who had helped the Knicks reach the Finals in 1994, would have been a visible presence this week during All-Star festivities. Instead, he continues to fight for his life in a hospital bed after suffering what his former agent Don Cronson called “congestive heart failure.” But Mason’s condition had improved slightly by Friday, as reported by ESPNNewYork.com’s Ian Begley:

[Mason] has made “small, but real” progress the last two nights after being “near death” Wednesday, his former agent said.

“He isn’t out of the woods, but he’s had two good nights,” Don Cronson, Mason’s agent during his playing days, said by phone Friday night.
…
Cronson said he’s received updates from Mason’s family.

“It seems like he’s day-to-day now. Before it was hour-to-hour,” Cronson said. “Thankfully, the last two days have been better.”

The New York Daily News had more details of the events leading up to Mason’s incident Wednesday:

Before he was hospitalized, Mason, 48, was scheduled to attend a press event Wednesday at the Times Square Knickerbocker Hotel, where Mason’s former teammate, John Starks, announced his business partnership with the Zipway company. Cronson said he is sure Mason was preparing to be a visible presence during the NBA All-Star Game week in the Big Apple.

“This originally happened a week ago today,” Cronson said Friday. “(Mason) was in the hospital. I think he was having some discomfort, some kind of chest pain. One of his guys said, ‘You have to have yourself looked at.’ He goes into the hospital and the whole event took place there. I spoke to family members, and had he been in the (hospital) lobby as opposed to the third floor, where he was, he would have died. Fortunately, he was close enough to the emergency facilities that were brought to bear and saved his life.”

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SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: The Pacers and Paul George let it be known last week that the All-Star wing player, out since Aug. 1 after suffering leg fractures in a Team USA scrimmage, planned to be practicing March 1. Now he’s targeting March 14 for a possible return to game action. … Washington’s John Wall has his eye on the All-Star MVP trophy and Magic Johnson’s single-game record of 22 assists. … Knicks boss James Dolan doesn’t quite apologize for tangling with an unhappy fan via email, but he knows he shouldn’t have done it. … If Jeff Van Gundy can air out the Bulls for alleged friction with coach Tom Thibodeau, it only follows that Stan Van Gundy can do the same with the Kings in their handling of Tyrone Corbin. … Anthony Davis isn’t participating, but he talked the other day about ways he hopes to improve and about NBA life in general. … Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousin concurs – George Karl is a good coach. … How Portland’s Wesley Matthews transformed himself from undrafted offensive liability to a serious scorer. … Atlanta interested in Gary Neal? The Budenholzer connection. … How could the NBA spruce up All-Star Weekend? Consider these suggestions.

 

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Report: George Karl agrees to deal to become Kings coach

February 11, 2015  ·  3:49PM


VIDEO: Karl, Kings agree on framework of deal

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — The Kings are ready to crown a new leader. After several days of rumors, the Sacramento Bee reports that longtime NBA coach George Karl will be the next coach of the Sacramento Kings.

As Ailene Voisin writes in the Bee…

After several days of intense negotiations, George Karl has agreed to take over as Kings head coach after this weekend’s NBA All-Star break, The Bee has learned.

An official announcement is expected within the next few days. Terms of the deal were not available, though Karl was seeking a four-year contract in excess of $4 million per season.

An introductory news conference will be held next week in Sacramento. Team executives are postponing the formal media session to avoid detracting from center DeMarcus Cousins’ All-Star debut Sunday in New York.

Karl’s first game will be next Friday, Feb. 20, against Boston at Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings fired coach Mike Malone on December 15 after starting the season 11-13. The Kings began the season 9-5, but went 2-8 while All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins was out with meningitis. Malone was replaced by Tyrone Corbin, who has since gone 7-20.

Karl last coached in Denver in 2013, when he was named Coach of the Year. His career regular season record is 1131-756, and his postseason record is 80-105. The furthest a Karl team has gone in the postseason was when he took the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA Finals, where they lost the Chicago Bulls.

Karl to the Kings has been discussed for several weeks. When asked about the rumors this weekend, Cousins said, “I ain’t pumped up. I’ve just got a lot on my mind,” he said. “The crazy thing about it is, I’ve just got a question for y’all: How you gonna stop God’s plan? How you gonna do that? How you gonna do that? That’s all I want to know. How you gonna stop God’s plan? The marathon continues. I’m out.”

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Morning shootaround — Feb. 11

February 11, 2015  ·  7:43AM


VIDEO: Highlights of the games played Feb. 10

NEWS OF THE MORNING

Cousins wants Kings to ‘make a decision’ on coach | Butler to have MRI on right shoulder | Lakers legend Johnson fires at Buss again

No. 1: Cousins knows his role in Kings’ coaching search; wants Kings to make a decision and ‘stick with it’ – The NBA coaching buzz of late has centered on if — or, more accurately, when — the Sacramento Kings will hire George Karl to lead their squad. According to our David Aldridge, the team and Karl are closing in on a deal that could be consummated soon. But in the midst of this Karl-to-Sactown chatter, there has been a notion that Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins doesn’t want Karl as his coach. But Cousins made it clear to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein in an interview yesterday that he knows his role and voice in the Kings’ decision-making process is (and should be) minimal:

All-Star power forward DeMarcus Cousins formally weighed in on the Sacramento Kings’ coaching situation before their game in Chicago on Tuesday night, insisting in an interview with ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that he has had no input for or against the man expected to take over next week as his new coach: George Karl.

“I don’t fire coaches or hire them. Everyone knows I liked and respected Coach [Michael] Malone. I didn’t want [Malone’s firing in December] to happen,” Cousins told ESPN.

“I’m not involved in any coaching decisions right now. I’ve heard that George Karl is a great coach. If that is the direction that the organization chooses, I’ll support it. Out of respect for Coach [Tyrone] Corbin, I hadn’t planned on making any comments about what is rumored out there. But at this point I felt some things needed to be clarified.”

He clarified his stance on the team’s coaching situation even further after Tuesday night’s 104-86 loss to the Bulls when he said “All of [us] got thrown into this. To the best of our ability, we try to get it done. Work with what we have and try to leave the least amount of excuses possible.”

…

Team sources say that, since it emerged Saturday in a Sacramento Bee report that the Kings were in talks with Karl about replacing Corbin, Cousins has met with Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro only once and has not met with Kings owner Vivek Ranadive about the prospect of Sacramento hiring its third coach of the season.

Amid various weekend reports suggesting that Cousins or his representatives had been voicing opposition to the Kings’ courting of Karl, Cousins launched into a cryptic rant at his locker Sunday night after hitting a buzzer-beating jumper at home to topple the Phoenix Suns.

“I ain’t pumped up. I’ve just got a lot on my mind,” he told local reporters. “The crazy thing about it is, I’ve just got a question for y’all: How you gonna stop God’s plan? How you gonna do that? How you gonna do that? That’s all I want to know. How you gonna stop God’s plan?

“Man, this city done put me through so much, and I stayed loyal to it the whole time. Hey, I just wanna know, how you gonna stop God’s plan? God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. The marathon continues. I’m out.”

Karl has a connection with one of Cousins’ agents. Jarinn Akana worked with Karl in Denver and was shifted from an assistant coach to a team scout when Karl took the Nuggets job in 2005.

Additionally, Cousins had this to say to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski about the team’s coaching search:

Sacramento Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins insists he has played no part in the franchise’s coaching changes and searches this season, and made a pitch for stability on the team’s sideline.

“I wasn’t consulted when the decision was made to fire Mike Malone and I’m not being consulted now,” Cousins told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday night. “I just hope they make a decision soon and stick with it. George Karl is an experienced, proven coach and if that is who they chose to coach this team, I will support it. I do not like all these discussions in the media while we have a coach in place. It is a distraction and not fair to Coach Corbin and this team.”

The Kings and Karl’s representative are finalizing contractual details on Tuesday on a four-year deal that will be worth between $4 million and $5 million annually, sources said.


VIDEO: Has DeMarcus Cousins handled the George Karl talk professionally?

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Report: Kings, Karl inch closer to deal

February 9, 2015  ·  8:18PM


You might think that Vivek Ranadive, owner of the Sacramento Kings, would trust his basketball executives, learn from the team’s recent history and just get on with it. Firing Mike Malone as head coach two months ago hasn’t exactly worked the way Ranadive intended so a big step back by the owner would seem overdue.

You might hope that DeMarcus Cousins and his so-called “camp” would welcome anything that might pull the Kings out of their dreary nosedive since Thanksgiving. The Kings, after winning nine of their first 14 games, have won just nine of their last 36 and only twice in the past 29 days.

And you might expect George Karl, if he truly is as close to being hired by the Kings to replace Tyrone Corbin as reports Monday afternoon made it seem, would stop pushing for every last dollar and contract concession if his life’s desire at age 63 truly is to get his hands on one more NBA team with games to be won.

The bottom line to all this, of course, was that the Karl-to-the-Kings story that gained momentum rapidly Monday was in the sausage-making stage. While the actual event had moved into its third day, the back stories were dominating, with none of the constituents looking particularly good in the wrangling.

There was a lot more smoke than hire as NBA action tipped off Monday evening. The most authoritative came from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Others tracked the unfolding events, as the sides inched closer:

Even those who relate to Karl as a two-time cancer survivor were watching and waiting for an actual resolution to the coach’s and the team’s slow-paced dance, with the Twitter account Cancer Daily @Cancrdaily providing updates.

The Yahoo! report offered the most specifics, while reminding readers that Ranadive hadn’t done a lot for his credibility – already frayed when he talked of using 4-on-5 defensive strategies to station cherry-pickers at the other end of the floor for fantasy easy baskets – when he insisted that Malone be fired. The Kings were 11-13 when the second-year coach was sent packing, to the chagrin of multiple players. They have gone 7-19 under Corbin heading into Tuesday’s game in Chicago.

Karl, after basically campaigning for another opportunity, looked to be on the verge of adding to his 1,131-756 NBA coaching record (with 22 playoff appearances in Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Milwaukee and Denver). So he would seem to have his priorities jumbled if he was going to let the dollars in the deal, or the disposition of the contract’s final year (team option vs. guaranteed), get in the way of what he claims he really wants to do again.

As for Cousins, any resistance to any particular coach would seem to be a grave mistake. The Yahoo! piece reported that the Sacramento center’s agents – Dan Fegan and Jarin Akana – primarily were concerned that the Kings, what with all these coaching changes, pick a direction and stick to it. And that’s fine. But any suggestion that Cousins might disapprove of Karl specifically – lest he be asked to work hard or take some criticism – would reflect poorly on the player, who still has potential to be tapped.

Bottom line: This is a deal that make sense for all involved, and the sooner Ranadive, GM Pete D’Allessandro, Cousins, the agents and Karl all get that through their heads – and do whatever’s necessary to get on with the business of basketball rather than business – the better off they’ll all be.

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Morning Shootaround — Feb. 8

February 8, 2015  ·  10:41AM


VIDEO: Highlights of the games played Feb. 7

NEWS OF THE MORNING

Anthony Davis takes a spill | Is Karl demanding a Kings’ ransom? | Kerr coaches at Madison Square Garden | Allen on Hawks’ radar

No. 1: Anthony Davis gives a scare — Sometimes, Anthony Davis can be too good for his own good. He’s a big man who runs the floor like a guard and soars to the rim like a small forward, and that’s what caused a hush at the Smoothie King in New Orleans against the Bulls. Davis took a lob pass on the break and dunked, to the delight of the crowd, but then slipped off the rim and fell hard on his shoulder, to the horror of the crowd. After several seconds on the floor he walked off on his own, but didn’t return to action in the Bulls’ blowout victory. It was quite a 48-hour stretch, then, for Davis, who sank a 3-point buzzer-beater in Oklahoma City for a big win over the Thunder the night before. John Reid of the Times-Picayune spoke with Pelicans coach Monty Williams and has more of an update on Davis, a strong contender for MVP, especially with the Pelicans suddenly in the thick of a playoff hunt:

“When he goes down like that, your first inclination is to get him out,” Williams said. ”When a guy hits the floor that hard, you feel bad for him. He kept saying he was ok.He gave me that look and I said, ”Ok I’ve got to get him out.

”The doctors didn’t feel good about bringing him back out, so we’ve got to get more evaluations and we’ll have a better update on tomorrow.”

Though Davis has emerged as a strong MVP candidate this season, he’s also suffered his fourth injury this season. On Jan. 30, he missed a game against Los Angeles Clippers because of a Grade 1 groin strain.

In early January, he missed three games with a sprained left toe. In December, Davis missed a game against the Golden State Warriors because of a chest contusion.

Without Davis in the second half on Saturday night, the Pelicans had problems scoring against a Bulls team that was desperate to end a three-game losing streak. Davis gave the Pelicans a 32-30 lead on his dunk before injuring his shoulder. But after he left the game for good, the Bulls surged.

Chicago outscored the Pelicans, 59-33, in the second half. They outscored the Pelicans, 26-16, in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 36.

”We’ve played without him (Davis) before, ” Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham said. ”We just have to make the adjustment on the fly. I think we didn’t do it tonight. But we definitely know how to play without him. We had couple of games when he was hurt , so we just have to do it on the fly.”

 

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Reports: Kings in ‘serious’ talks with George Karl about coaching position

February 7, 2015  ·  3:25PM

karl

George Karl ranks sixth all time in NBA coaching victories with 1,131. (NBAE via Getty Images)

Having already made a coaching change once this season, it seems the Kings might be ready to jump back on the carousel.

Reports from various sources say the Sacramento front office is engaged in serious discussions with George Karl to take over as head coach of the slumping team.

From Marc Stein of ESPN.com:

Despite the fact that team owner Vivek Ranadive recently signed Tyrone Corbin to a contract through the end of this season, a nose-dive record of 1-10 over the past two-plus weeks has the perennially befuddled franchise getting itchy on the trigger finger again.

But sources say Ranadive is increasingly intrigued by the idea of bringing Karl in immediately after initially pledging to give Corbin the rest of the season to make his case.

From Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports:

Karl has professed to the Kings that he would concentrate solely on coaching and not front-office moves, a source said. He has also told the Kings that he is a huge fan of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.

The Kings do have some concern that Karl could get interest from the Orlando Magic for their coaching opening as well, a source said.

Karl, who ranks sixth all time in NBA coaching victories with a 1,131-756 record, is a fan favorite for the various reclamation projects he’s undertaken in his career and has let it be known that he’s interested in a return to the bench.

Back in December when the Kings fired coach Michael Malone, Karl tweeted: “I want to thank all the @SacramentoKings fans & supporters for their kind messages. It has not gone unnoticed.”

When the Magic fired coach Jacque Vaughn earlier this week, Karl tweeted: “It’s no secret I would love the opportunity to coach one more time. Love the skills and speed of the Magic and the great young players in the league!”

Evidently the possibility of Karl getting snapped in Orlando has lit the fire under Ranadive and could be bringing things to a boil.

Going into Saturday night’s game at Utah, the Kings are 17-31 record, the fourth-worst record in the Western Conference. The are 6-18 under Corbin.

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Morning shootaround — Jan. 2

January 2, 2015  ·  7:13AM


VIDEO: Highlights from games played Jan. 1

NEWS OF THE MORNING

Scott: Kobe’s minutes ‘experiment’ working | Kings seek to improve defense | Consistency next goal for Magic

No. 1: Scott: Kobe’s minutes limit working; Nuggets’ Shaw has his doubts — Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is averaging 35.2 minutes per game, which is a slight tick down from what he was averaging (34.7 mpg) during a six-season stretch from 2007-13. This season, coach Byron Scott has tried to limit Bryant’s minutes at times and held him out of a few games for rest, too. Scott told ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Arash Markazi that his tactic is working, but a former Bryant teammate (and current Denver Nuggets coach) Brian Shaw has his doubts about the strategy:

First, here’s Scott talking about his Kobe minutes plan:

Byron Scott’s plan for Kobe Bryant this season is more of an ever-changing experiment than a set-in-stone policy.

After resting Bryant for three of the Los Angeles Lakers’ games last week, Scott wanted to see how Bryant would perform with the added rest and playing about 32 minutes per game, down about five minutes from what he averaged the first month of the season.

Bryant responded with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in his first game back Sunday, then with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists Tuesday.

“So far, the experiment is working,” Scott said. “We’re just going to keep at it and see how it turns out.”

…

Although Bryant has been more of a facilitator in his return, Scott was quick to shoot down the notion that the veteran star has changed his game after taking some time off. He is simply taking what defenses give him and not forcing the issue as much as he previously did, according to the coach.

“When you guys say this is a new Kobe, this is not a new Kobe,” Scott said. “This is a guy who’s been doing this for 19 years. Against Denver [on Tuesday] there were times they were coming and double-teaming him and we kept our spacing, which was great, and made some great passes to guys who made shots. I don’t think it’s a new Kobe at all. It’s just an old Kobe doing the same old things he’s been doing.”

And here’s Shaw, expressing some concern over this new Bryant plan, to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:

A longtime friend and former teammate wasn’t so sure Bryant would agree to a reduction in playing time.

But Brian Shaw didn’t talk directly to Bryant about it.

Bryant seemed fine with Coach Byron Scott’s idea to trim his playing time by two to three minutes a game.

“When I was younger, I could play those minutes. I could handle those minutes. Now I can’t,” Bryant said. “There’s no use in fighting it. You accept it, you play around it and you figure it out.”

Scott said he wanted to reduce Bryant’s minutes from 35 to 32 or 33 a game. Shaw, now the Nuggets’ coach, was less optimistic Bryant would go along with it.

“I think it works early in the game … he’ll come sit down willingly,” Shaw said. “But if it’s in the middle of the game and it’s close, he wants to win worse than anybody else out there, so it’s good luck trying to keep him out of the game if you’re trying to keep him to a minutes schedule.”


VIDEO: Byron Scott discusses his minutes-management plan for Kobe Bryant

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Report: Kings fire Mike Malone

December 15, 2014  ·  1:29AM

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Mike Malone was 39-67 during his tenure in Sacramento (Photo by NBAE via Getty Images).

HANG TIME NEW JERSEY – In a rather bizarre move, the Sacramento Kings fired head coach Mike Malone Sunday night, according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Kings were the surprise team of the first few weeks of the season, going 9-6 before losing star DeMarcus Cousins to what eventually turned out to be viral meningitis. They’ve gone 2-7 without Cousins, having lost to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons in the last six days.

The Kings have outscored their opponents by 11.1 points per 100 possessions with Cousins on the floor and have been outscored by 8.8 with him off it. He’s been critical to both their offense and defense.

Still, the Kings were 1/2 game out of eighth place in the West when they lost Cousins. And right now, the Kings are still 1/2 game out of eighth place. Basically, the Phoenix Suns have been just as bad as they have over the last 2 1/2 weeks.

But apparently, Kings management expected more. And now they turn to Tyrone Corbin, whose Jazz ranked 20th or worse defensively in each of his four seasons as their head coach.

Malone was in his second season in Sacramento. Despite Cousins’ absence for nine of their 24 games, they were improved in both offensive and defensive efficiency from last season.

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Morning Shootaround — April 19

April 19, 2014  ·  9:18AM




VIDEO: Warriors-Clippers series preview

NEWS OF THE MORNING

Griffin won’t change ways | Irving, Waiters can work | No Corbin decision yet | D’Antoni won’t change

No. 1: Griffin won’t change ways against Warriors — The war of words may only be heating up before the opening tip to the Clippers-Warriors first round playoff series. Golden State’s Klay Thompson had previously called Blake Griffin an out-of-control flopper. But L.A. coach Doc Rivers says he wants his power forward to simply ignore the noise coming out of the Warriors camp and keep right on doing what he’s been doing all season. That is, kicking tail and taking names. Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details:

“That’s Klay’s opinion; I don’t really care,” Rivers said Friday. “I just keep looking at what Blake’s done. If he’s flopping, then keep doing it because those numbers look awful good to me. So flop on. That’s the way I look at it. Whatever he’s done this year, I want him to keep doing exactly that. When the votes come for MVP, he’ll be in the top three.

“I’m good with anything anybody says. Blake, you just keep doing what you’re doing. What’s happening is Blake is kicking a lot of people’s butts and they need something to say about him.”

Griffin didn’t want to get into a war of words with Golden State but acknowledged it would be impossible to leave his emotions behind when the Clippers and Warriors open their Western Conference first-round series Saturday.

“I don’t think you can leave the emotions behind,” Griffin said. “I think both teams need that to a certain extent. You can’t be too emotional where it’s affecting your play, but you have to play with some emotion. You can’t take that out of the game.”

Griffin wouldn’t go as far as to say the Clippers hate the Warriors, but he did say there was a dislike between certain players on both teams.

“I don’t know if ‘hate’ is a great word,” Griffin said. “This is basketball. We have to go against each other. The dislike may be there for some guys on both teams, but I don’t know about hate. I don’t know if I would hate a basketball player because I play against him.”

***

No. 2: Deng says Irving, Waiters can work — Never mind the talk of disharmony in the lineup and the fact that two headstrong young guards Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters both seem to function best with the ball in their hands. According to Luol Deng, who arrived in Cleveland via trade at midseason, there was never any evidence of disharmony in the Cavaliers locker room. The veteran forward says that all it will take is personal growth and a commitment from the two talented guards to turn them into a force in the league. Bob Finnan of The Morning Herald & News-Journal has the details:

“They have to be willing to work together, watch tape together, watch tape with the coach,” he said. “They’ve shown they can play together. There’s times where they’ve looked great. They’re human, but in terms of can they play together? Yeah. I’ve played in this league for 10 years and I know they can.”

Irving is a two-time All-Star. Waiters is a pure scorer. They are most effective with the ball in their hands. But giving up on either of them right now might be regrettable down the road. 
They are that talented. Instead of making it work, Cavs coach Mike Brown yanked Waiters from the starting lineup after nine games this season. Waiters became the team’s sixth man.

Then, out of necessity, Waiters became the starter at shooting guard when Irving strained his left biceps tendon. Once Waiters got his second chance, he made the best of it. Waiters averaged 21.2 points and 4.2 assists in the last 15 games, sixth best in the Eastern Conference over that span. He also scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 15 games.

“People put their 2 cents into it, but they made it seem like we hated each other and that’s the only part I don’t get,” Waiters said. “You’re not going to always see eye to eye on the court, especially with two ball-dominant guards. But you have to just continue to keep working with one another.”

…

Cavs guard Jarrett Jack didn’t buy into the premise the two guards aren’t friends.


”It’s crazy that people think they really don’t like each other,” he said. “These kids have known each other since they were in high school — a long, long time.

“I think those guys have the potential to be a force in this league. It’s just going to take a little time for them to develop that synergy, camaraderie. But I think in the end, those two guys have a chance to be a very, very formidable backcourt.”

***

No. 3: Jazz insist no decision made yet on Ty Corbin — The Jazz are pushing back strong at a report out of New York that says a decision has already been made to replace coach Ty Corbin after a disappointing 25-57 campaign after three-plus seasons of following up Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan. General manager Dennis Lindsey had said the Jazz planned to “decompress” before moving forward. Jody Genessey of The Deseret News has the latest:

The final decision on Corbin’s fate has not been made by Jazz ownership and management despite what the New York Daily News reported, according to multiple people closely involved with the situation.

The day after general manager Dennis Lindsey said Utah brass and Corbin would “take a short decompression period to reflect on the season” before meeting to determine the coach’s future, NBA writer Mitch Lawrence reported that a decision has been made.

From his Twitter account, Lawrence wrote that a Jazz executive confirmed that the organization is “ready to pull the plug on Tyrone Corbin and go for a new coach.” He didn’t name any potential replacements.

The Jazz and Corbin’s camp vehemently denied the validity of Lawrence’s report.

“Not accurate. No discussion,” Jazz President Randy Rigby wrote in a text to the Deseret News while in New York for the NBA Board of Governors’ meeting.

Corbin’s agent, attorney Steve Kauffman, still has not heard from the Jazz about his client’s job situation.

“I’m not going to react to anything released by Mitch Lawrence based on my experience over the years,” Kauffman told the Deseret News. “As far as I know, there has been no decision made.”

That final verdict won’t be rendered until after the Miller family meets with Lindsey, Rigby and other members of management to determine whether to re-up Corbin’s contract or to go a different direction.

At Thursday’s locker clean-out, Lindsey said Corbin’s camp agreed to a process (details not given to media) that the team would complete throughout the regular season and that the evaluation would happen after the year ended.

“When we spoke to Ty and his representation during the year, we laid out (that) we wanted to take the full season,” Lindsey said. “We want to take a small period for all of us, Ty included, to decompress, so we’re not making a decision based upon the last possession, the last game and make an emotional decision. … And then in short order, we’ll come together with Ty and talk it out.”

***

No. 4:  D’Antoni says his style not the problem — After finishing the Lakers’ worst season since moving to Los Angeles and more second guessing from anywhere outside of the White House, coach Mike D’Antoni is sure of one thing. It’s not his style of play that produced the myriad of injuries that plagued the roster. In fact, he says it’s time that critics realize the game has changed drastically in the 21st century and everyone must learn to adapt and move forward. Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times spoke to the coach:

“No one’s happy about the way the season went,” said D’Antoni.  “I think every coach should be under scrutiny; they’re under it even if it goes well.  That’s part of the job.”

The Lakers have yet to announce any coaching change.  D’Antoni could be back, despite a general lack of fan support.

How does he win over a very skeptical fan base?

“By winning, that’s the only way you can do it.  They’re right to feel the way they feel, because we didn’t have a good year,” said D’Antoni.  “Opinion is shaped by the record.”

D’Antoni is confident in his style of play, citing injuries as the primary reason the “season went sideways.”

As far as public opinion, the Lakers coach pointed at television analysts as part of the issue.

“I do think that the game is changing and has changed,” said D’Antoni.  “Some of the hard part of coaching is to be able to drag people over to the next side.  People are comfortable doing business a certain way.  When that business kind of shifts, to get people to change is not easy.”

“The problem is most people commenting on it, played a different way.  And now you’re shaping opinion a different way,” he continued.  “As soon as they embrace it a little bit more, I think they’re better off.  But basketball has changed.  It’s not the same basketball that your father played.  It’s just not it.  Teams that adapt to it quicker are going to be more successful.”

How exactly has the game changed?

“I do think the league is going to a more open style, and a faster style,” continued D’Antoni.  “That doesn’t mean there’s no place for a post-up player, there’s no place for a mid-range game.  There is a place, but it’s just not what is dominant today.”

“The league now is dominated by point-guard play, three-point shots and smart players,” said D’Antoni.  “Unless the NBA changes the rules again, like the three-point line and no hand checking, then basketball is going a certain way.”

D’Antoni doesn’t believe his fast-paced style of basketball contributed to the Lakers’ injury woes.

“To me it’s ludicrous. To me, the pace of play and the way you spread the floor leads to less injuries,” he said.  “Just because you don’t pound and hit [as much].”

***

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SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: A grieving Joakim Noah is expected to be in the lineup for the Bulls’ playoff opener … Nick Calathes will appeal his suspension … Toni Kukoc wonders if Steve Kerr would make the necessary full commitment to becoming an NBA head coach…Chris Bosh goes deep into books and music to put on his game face

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Blogtable: The next coach fired is …

April 9, 2014  ·  10:38AM

Each week, we’ll ask our stable of scribes across the globe to weigh in on the three most important NBA topics of the day — and then give you a chance to step on the scale, too, in the comments below.

BLOGTABLE: All-NBA center | Coaches in danger | Playoff team needs new gear


VIDEO: Mike Woodson talks to the media after New York’s loss in Miami on Sunday

> Who will be the first coach to lose his job at season’s end?

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: I’m calling “asterisk,” because this might come down to semantics. John Loyer might be done as Detroit’s main guy but he’s only an interim coach anyway, a place holder till owner Tom Gores makes his next basketball decision. Then there’s Rick Adelman in Minnesota, who is likely to opt-out of his deal for next season and has to exercise that window in his contract in the next few weeks. But that would be by his own hand, not quite “losing” his job. Golden State’s Mark Jackson and Indiana’s Frank Vogel might be in jeopardy, should their teams’ postseason ambitions land with a thud this spring, but that still would require a couple more weeks at least. New York’s Mike Woodson, however, seems like he’s on borrowed time already, his new boss dropping hints about a coming triangle attack and other looming changes. Only Jackson’s tendency to ponder things – and maybe possible replacement Steve Kerr‘s TV contract? – might slow the process.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: John Loyer and Tyrone Corbin. The Pistons need a complete makeover and owner Tom Gores is looking to rid the team of GM Joe Dumars and any remnants from his time in the Motor City. The Jazz gave Corbin a chance to move ahead in new era after the legend Jerry Sloan stepped down after the Deron Williams saga, but Corbin hasn’t produced in Salt Lake City.

Jeff Caplan, NBA.com: Utah’s Ty Corbin by a nose over New York’s Mike Woodson. Or vice-versa.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Rick Adelman, depending on the semantics in Minnesota. Fired, resignation — the change is coming. Maybe the Pistons beat the Timberwolves and remove the interim tag from John Loyer’s title in a bad way.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com:Discounting John Loyer and Rick Adelman for the reasons Asch stated above, it’s most likely going to be Mike Woodson. Not only did his team have the most disappointing season, but it just hired a new head of basketball operations, a move which almost always produces a coaching change. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tyrone Corbin is also on the chopping block. He obviously wasn’t given much talent or experience to work with, but you don’t need a lot of talent to be a decent defensive team and the Jazz have been the worst defensive team in the league.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com: One of the inevitable downsides of the end of any NBA season is that a few coaches will get their walking papers the morning after the last game. Detroit’s John Loyer will have that interim tag removed from his title, but not in the way that usually signals good things for an interim coach. Loyer, though, doesn’t deserve to do the coaching plank walk for a team that has underachieved this season. That honor, if you will, belongs to folks higher up the food chain in Detroit.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com All Ball blog: Well, the worst teams in the East are Boston, Orlando, Philly and Milwaukee. Only one of those teams isn’t supposed to be in the running — the Bucks. So I guess Larry Drew will be in the crosshairs. In the West, Utah, the Lakers, Sacramento and New Orleans are in the mix. So I suppose Mike D’Antoni will be in the conversation, with or without Rex Chapman‘s tweets. If I had to pick one, though? I guess D’Antoni, although I don’t necessarily think it would be a just maneuver. Too bad Phil Jackson already got a gig.

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