Thomas-less minutes key to Celtics’ surge up East standings

February 19, 2016  ·  12:05 PM ET


VIDEO: Isaiah Thomas’ top plays from mid-February

HANG TIME NEW JERSEY — On the morning of Jan. 13, the Boston Celtics sat in 10th place in the Eastern Conference at 19-19, having lost four straight games.

The last loss in that streak came against the New York Knicks, who have since gone 3-12. The Boston defense, which ranked in the top five, allowed the Knicks to shoot 53 percent and score 120 points in that game.

The Celtics scored 114 points themselves, 65 in a second half they started with a small lineup. At the time, coach Brad Stevens said that small ball was about defense, but it’s been the Celtics’ offense that has improved since then.

The Celtics were a bottom-10 offensive team through that loss in New York. Since then, they’ve been a top-10 offensive team and have gone 13-4 to go from 10th in the East to third.

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Isaiah Thomas has averaged 21.8 points and 6.2 assists over these last 17 games, leading the team in usage rate by a wide margin. But it’s been the minutes with Thomas off the floor that have been more critical to the Celtics’ improvement.

Through Jan. 12, the Celtics were downright awful offensively when Thomas sat down, scoring 94.3 points per 100 possessions, which is worse than the Sixers have been this season. Since Jan. 13, they’ve jumped to 107.9 points per 100 possessions with Thomas off the floor.

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Improved shooting from Jonas Jerebko, Marcus Smart and Tyler Zeller has been critical. But another key has been Stevens settling on a rotation.

Through Jan. 12 (38 games), no lineup that didn’t include Thomas played more than 31 minutes. But in the 17 games since then, the Celtics have a no-Thomas lineup — Smart, Avery Bradley, Evan Turner, Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk — that has played 113 minutes and outscored its opponents by 16.0 points per 100 possessions. Neither Turner nor Smart can shoot very well, but their playmaking is complemented by two shooting bigs. David Lee had played 41 percent of the no-Thomas minutes before Jan. 12, but hasn’t played at all since then.

Some context: Only four of the Celtics’ 17 games in that stretch before the All-Star break were played against teams that currently rank in the top 10 defensively. They’ll face 10 top-10 defenses in their final 27 games, and that doesn’t include two meetings against the Utah Jazz, who rank 14th for the season, but fifth in the six weeks since Rudy Gobert returned from injury.

The first of those two meetings is Friday (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The game is more important for the ninth-place Jazz, but it will also be a test of the Celtics’ improved, second-unit offense.

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Morning shootaround — Feb. 19

February 19, 2016  ·  9:40 AM ET


VIDEO: Highlights from Thursday’s games

NEWS OF THE MORNING

Report: Rockets had steep asking price for Howard | Forman: Gasol a ‘core’ part of Bulls | Celtics may soon buyout Lee | Grizzlies gamble at deadline

No. 1: Report: Rockets were asking for a lot for Howard — Trade deadline day has come and gone without any of the bigger names — Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, et al — going anywhere. Howard’s name was thrown around a bunch as the deadline grew closer and closer, but him actually leaving Houston was held up by the Rockets’ steep asking price for him, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com:

League sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets engaged in trade talks with numerous teams once they began aggressively shopping Howard right before the start of the All-Star break.

Sources said that the Rockets talked about potential Howard deals in recent days with a list of teams including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and, most recently, Milwaukee. Sources say Houston, however, told several teams that it wasn’t prepared to trade Howard without receiving at least one frontline player and a future first-round draft pick in return.

The Rockets took a similar approach with young power forward Donatas Motiejunas and managed to extricate a first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons for Motiejunas in the one trade they did complete on deadline day.

But interested teams were unwilling to pay such a premium for Howard, at least in part because Howard, who turned 30 in December, can become a free agent July 1.

“Many teams called expressing great interest in trading for Dwight,” Howard’s agent, Dan Fegan, told ESPN.com on Thursday night. “The obvious stumbling block to a trade was how could a team justify giving up important assets for a player who was about to become a free agent in a few short months?

“Not surprisingly, as the deadline approached, several teams called stating they had worked out the trade parameters with Houston for a Dwight deal but were not prepared to give up their assets unless Dwight agreed to opt into the last year of his contract and forego free agency. Dwight declined.”

…

Fegan refused to discuss specific teams that made pitches for Howard, but sources told ESPN.com that the Bucks were one of those teams.

The Bucks and Rockets did exchange some trade proposals, sources said, but Milwaukee made it clear that it wouldn’t go through with any deal for Howard unless he opted into the final season of his contract, which is scheduled to pay him $23.3 million in 2016-17.

Howard earns $22.3 million this season in the third year of his four-year, $88 million contract with the Rockets and has made it clear he intends to bypass Year 4 to return to the open market.


VIDEO: Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff talks after Thursday’s practice

***

 

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Five takeaways from the deadline

February 18, 2016  ·  5:37 PM ET

VIDEO: Houston’s Dwight Howard may opt for a new address over the summer

HANG TIME NEW JERSEY — The 2016 trade deadline came and went rather quietly. Dwight Howard is still in Houston, Jeff Teague is still in Atlanta, and Ryan Anderson is still in New Orleans. Blake Griffin and Kevin Love were never going anywhere.

But some deals – two on Tuesday and 10 on Thursday – were made at the deadline. And a couple of them involved title contenders, though none were moves that will make a major impact.

Here are five takeaways from a deadline day that didn’t exactly alter the NBA landscape…

Stay tuned for the summer

This summer was already set to be a big one. With revenue and the salary cap rising, almost every team in the league will have cap space and most will have enough to sign at least one max-level player. The list of 2016 free agents includes Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, Mike Conley, Al Horford, Nicolas Batum, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes and Bradley Beal, as well as LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan and Howard (if they decline their player options).

But cap space can also be used to absorb players via trade without having to send out salary, and the opportunity will be there for teams to unload players in July.

So if the Hawks want to hand the reigns to Dennis Schroder, they could shop Teague (who still has one more year left on his contract) again in the summer. There definitely will be multiple teams looking for a starting point guard at that point, and Conley is the only one on the list above.

Brooklyn is another team that could decide to be a seller in July. Sean Marks was hired as the Nets’ new general manager less than five hours before the deadline, so he didn’t have much time to make a decision on Thaddeus Young (who was reportedly in demand) and Brook Lopez. Both of those guys have two guaranteed years left on their contracts and Marks could look to move them this summer if he wants to go for a slower and more organic rebuild.

The Cavs and Clippers will take one more shot at a championship with Love and Griffin. And if either team falls short again (at least one of them will), other teams will come calling, wondering if Cleveland and L.A. are ready to try something different.

All that cap space may have also kept teams from trading multiple assets for players – like Anderson, Al Horford and Howard – they could lose to free agency (or sign away from the teams they’re still on) in the summer.

Playoff push in the East

The three teams that made the most impactful moves are currently sitting in the eighth, ninth and tenth spots in the Eastern Conference.

On Tuesday, the eighth-place Charlotte Hornets (27-26) traded for Courtney Lee, while the Detroit Pistons (27-27) got Tobias Harris from Orlando. On Thursday, Detroit gave up their first round pick for Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton, and the Washington Wizards (23-28) traded for malcontent Markieff Morris.

There was some risk involved in those last two deals. Motiejunas has played just 14 games this season, dealing with back problems. He was a key to the Rockets’ success last season, but might not be ready to help the Pistons get over the hump. Morris, meanwhile, fought with a teammate (Archie Goodwin) just last week and has actually shot worse this season (effective field goal percentage of 42.2 percent) than one of the guys – Kris Humphries (47.8 percent) – he was traded for.

Only 2 1/2 games separate the fifth-place Miami Heat from the ninth-place Pistons with 28 or 29 games to go. So the opportunity is there for both Charlotte and Detroit to move up into a position where they don’t have to face Cleveland in the first round. The Wizards have a lot more work to do, but also seem to have more pressure on them to make something of this season.

All about the bottom line

The No. 1 concern for the Heat right now is Chris Bosh, and if the All-Star isn’t going to be available down the stretch, Miami could fall out of the playoff picture for a second straight year.

But whether they’re going to the playoffs or not, the Heat had some fiscal issues to deal with. And team president Pat Riley and general manager Andy Elisburg used three trades in the last three days to unload fringe salary and get under the luxury tax line.

Miami was one of *two teams that was subject to repeater tax levels this season. While other teams over the tax line pay $1.50 of tax for every dollar they’re over the line, the Heat were going to pay $2.50. So before Tuesday, Miami had a tax bill of more than $25 million. But the three trades they made (sending Chris Andersen, Jarnell Stokes and Brian Roberts out) got them under the tax line. Now, they’ll get some of the luxury tax paid out by the remaining tax paying teams (like Cleveland and Oklahoma City).

* Brooklyn was the other, but got under the tax line with its buyout of Deron Williams and a couple of minor moves in July.

Two contenders get bench help

The Cavs and Thunder also lightened their tax bills with moves that were seemingly more about the fringe of their rotation. Cleveland swapped Anderson Varejao for Channing Frye, whose shooting should complement LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, traded D.J. Augustin (who had lost his back-up point guard spot to Cameron Payne) for Randy Foye.

Foye has shot less than 30 percent from 3-point range this season, but he gives the Thunder more depth in the backcourt with Andre Roberson out, another option when Dion Waiters isn’t shooting well, and a little more flexibility in regard to playing small against a team like the Golden State Warriors.

It’s hard to believe, though, that either of those moves will make much of a difference against the champs or the San Antonio Spurs.

Trash or treasure?

A trade that got in just before the buzzer was a swap of disappointing reserves on Western Conference playoff teams. Of course, if you paid attention to what they did at their previous stops, you can’t say that Jeff Green and Lance Stephenson were all that disappointing in Memphis and L.A., respectively.

Green gives the Clippers a little more stability, but it’s hard to believe that he moves the needle for a team that has played at a level below the three best teams in the West. The Grizzlies’ season is seemingly on the brink with Marc Gasol suffering a broken foot before the break, but they’ll take a shot with a roster that now includes a plethora of interesting characters and a lot of small ball, featuring Zach Randolph at center.

Green has an expiring contract and Stephenson has a team option for next season, so the only long-term risk is with the Clippers sending a first round pick to Memphis.

Category: 2016 Trade Deadline / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , / 4 Comments on Five takeaways from the deadline /

2016 Trade Deadline blog

February 18, 2016  ·  1:26 PM ET

From NBA.com staff reports

One of the busiest days in terms of NBA roster chatter and speculation is here: trade deadline day. With the deadline behind us, here’s everything that happened on a mostly quiet day. While you’re reviewing all the action, don’t forget to check out our Trade Tracker and other 2016 Trade Deadline coverage.

Highlights

Live blog — Part I | Live blog — Part II
Howard, Horford, Teague, Anderson staying put | Stephenson dealt to Grizzlies | Markieff Morris to Washington | Hinrich to Atlanta | Pistons trade pick for Motiejunas | Frye headed to Cleveland | Jazz trade for Mack | Thunder trade for Foye | Heat get under the tax line

UPDATE, 3:52 p.m. ET — Bucks, others had Howard talks

Dwight Howard is staying in Houston for the rest of 2015-16, but there was a chance he could have been in Milwaukee, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com …

UPDATE, 3:28 p.m. ET — Sixers get Anthony from Rockets

Hours have he was acquired by the Rockets from the Pistons in the Donatas Motiejunas deal, Joel Anthony is on the move again

UPDATE, 3:18 p.m. ET — The names that didn’t move

There was plenty of chatter surrounding Dwight Howard, Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young and Ryan Anderson, as well as minor rumblings about Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and Pau Gasol. But none of those guys are going anywhere at the deadline.

UPDATE, 3:15 p.m. ET — Stephenson to Memphis

UPDATE, 3:06 p.m. ET — Hinrich to Atlanta

Another small deal has trickled in after the deadline…

UPDATE, 2:43 p.m. ET — Markieff Morris to Washington

Markieff Morris, who’s been unhappy in Phoenix since his brother was traded last summer, was always the most likely player to be traded on Wednesday. And the destination for Morris is Washington…

Both Blair and Humphries had non-guaranteed deals for next season, so Morris’ contract (three more years, $7.4 million next season) eats into the Wizards’ cap space, which has been earmarked for Kevin Durant.

UPDATE, 2:16 p.m. ET — Heat get under the tax line

No team has made more deals than the Miami Heat this week, and it’s all been about getting under the luxury tax line. Pat Riley did just that with the third of the three deals…

Because the Heat were subject to repeater tax levels this season, they were set to pay more than $25 million in tax before the trades that sent out Chris Andersen, Jarnell Stokes and Roberts (who was acquired in the Andersen, three-team trade). Now, they’re not paying any tax, and will get a portion of the money that the remaining tax-paying teams are paying out.

UPDATE, 2:04 p.m. ET — No quit in the Kings

It’s not clear why the Kings covet Pau Gasol, but it is clear that they do…

UPDATE, 2:01 p.m. ET — No deal for Howard?

With the trade deadline just an hour away, the biggest name that had a decent chance of being traded is still in the same place…

UPDATE, 1:41 p.m. ET — Talk, but no action in Minnesota

When the Minnesota Timberwolves host the New York Knicks on Saturday, it will be Ricky Rubio bobblehead night. The real Rubio will probably be there, but the Wolves have talked with at least one team about trading their point guard…

A Kevin Martin trade would seemingly be more likely, but…

UPDATE, 1:26 p.m. ET — Thunder trade Augustin for Foye

Looking for a boost to their bench, the Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired Randy Foye from Denver…

UPDATE, 1:24 p.m. ET — Teague staying in Atlanta

Jeff Teague will be the Atlanta Hawks’ point guard for at least another two months.

The Hawks could field more offers for Teague in the summer, when multiple teams will be looking for a starting point guard and when the market is pretty shallow beyond the Grizzlies’ Mike Conley. Teague has one more season (at just $8 million) left on his contract.

UPDATE, 1:09 p.m. ET — No action in Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks are standing pat.

Category: 2016 Trade Deadline, HT News / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , / 13 Comments on 2016 Trade Deadline blog /

2016 Trade Deadline live blog — Part II

February 18, 2016  ·  10:28 AM ET

From NBA.com staff reports

One of the busiest days in terms of NBA roster chatter and speculation is here: trade deadline day. As we close in on the 3 p.m. ET deadline for all NBA teams to make trades, we’ll keep you in the know about any rumblings and reported deals as they happen. While you’re keeping up, don’t forget to check out our Trade Tracker and other 2016 Trade Deadline coverage.

The Trade Deadline Show will air on NBA TV at 2 p.m. ET.

Highlights

Live blog — Part I | Live blog — Part III

Nets hire Marks | Lawson still in Houston | Pistons trade pick for Motiejunas
Frye headed to Cleveland | Jazz trade for Mack

UPDATE, 12:57 p.m. ET — Jazz trade for Mack

The Utah Jazz didn’t trade for Ty Lawson, but found a cheaper option.

UPDATE, 12:46 p.m. ET — Guard trade talks brewing

UPDATE, 12:41 p.m. ET — Cavs getting Frye from Magic

Sharp-shooting forward Channing Frye was rumored to be a target of the Cleveland Cavaliers as we entered today and now, he is apparently Ohio-bound.

UPDATE, 12:33 p.m. ET — Clippers not buying Frye

UPDATE, 12:21 p.m. ET — Pistons trade pick for Motiejunas

The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets have made a deal.

Motiejunas has played just 14 games this season dealing with a bad back, but was a big piece off the Rockets’ bench last season. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, Thornton will be unrestricted, and Anthony has a non-guaranteed year left on his contract.

With the pick top-8 protected, the Rockets are likely to get it this year, but it’s value goes down if the Pistons climb the East standings. They currently stand in eighth, but are just two games in the win column out of fifth.

UPDATE, 12:15 p.m. ET — The Randy Foye market

Randy Foye has a very tradeable ($3.1 million, expiring) contract, but that doesn’t mean that the Nuggets will trade him…

UPDATE, 12:03 p.m. ET — No takers on Howard?

The Houston Rockets have been trying to trade Dwight Howard, but finding a workable deal for a contract like that ($22 million this season, player option for next season) is not easy …

UPDATE, 11:58 a.m. ET — Heat lower tax bill

The first trade of deadline day 2016 is a (very) minor one and the third trade the Miami Heat have made this season to inch closer to getting under the luxury tax line…

The Heat would still need to make at least one more trade to avoid paying the harsh repeater tax this season.

UPDATE, 11:37 a.m. ET — Bucks looking for backcourt help

The 22-32 Milwaukee Bucks are a long shot to return to the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they’re not buyers at the deadline…

Behind Michael Carter-Williams and Khris Middleton, the Bucks have three guards – Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo and Greivis Vasquez – on expiring contracts. Marshall is on a cheap, four-year deal, where the next three seasons are all unguaranteed.

UPDATE, 11:28 a.m. ET — Lawson still in Houston

UPDATE, 11:25 a.m. ET — Hawks standing pat?

Jeff Teague and Al Horford have been in the center of a lot of rumors over the last couple of weeks, but the Hawks aren’t necessarily ready to break up the core that won 60 games last season.

Teague has one more year on his contract, so Atlanta doesn’t necessarily have to make a choice between him and current back-up Dennis Schroder right now. Horford is a free agent this summer.

UPDATE, 11:13 a.m. ET — Thaddeus Young in demand

Sean Marks has been the Nets’ general manager for about an hour. But it’s deadline day and he’s got a power forward that some teams could use…

UPDATE, 11:10 a.m. ET — Pau to Sacramento? Nah.

A potential trade sending Pau Gasol to Sacramento was apparently wishful thinking from one side of the deal…

UPDATE, 10:20 a.m. ET — Nets hire Marks

Less than five hours before the trade deadline, the Nets announced that they’ve hired Sean Marks (previously assistant GM in San Antonio) as their new general manager. From the team’s press release…

“After an exhaustive vetting process, we are delighted to have Sean as our General Manager,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said. “His experience on the court, in coaching and management gives him a 360 degree view of the job at hand. His background helping to build one of the greatest teams in the NBA gives him an unparalleled frame of reference. And he impressed us all with his vision, his values, his personality and his enthusiasm for the club. The vote to select him from an incredible list of talent was unanimous. We welcome Sean into our Nets family and look forward to his strong leadership and independent thinking as we build our own success story.”

“I am very excited to be named the General Manager of the Brooklyn Nets, and to become a member of the vibrant and dynamic organization that represents Brooklyn,” Marks said. “I would like to thank Nets’ ownership for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to the challenge of creating a unified culture and building a winning team.”

According to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Marks has a four-year contract with Brooklyn…

In discussions that extended to Wednesday night, the Nets significantly increased their contract offer to persuade Marks to accept the job, league sources said.

Marks, 40, had emerged as the Nets’ top choice through a two-month process.

The Spurs’ Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford hold Marks in high regard and had been grooming him to eventually take over a more significant role in the organization.

Category: 2016 Trade Deadline, HT News / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , / 10 Comments on 2016 Trade Deadline live blog — Part II /

2016 Trade Deadline live blog

February 18, 2016  ·  6:50 AM ET

From NBA.com staff reports

One of the busiest days in terms of NBA roster chatter and speculation is here: trade deadline day. As we close in on the 3 p.m. ET deadline for all NBA teams to make trades, we’ll keep you in the know about any rumblings and reported deals as they happen. While you’re keeping up, don’t forget to check out our Trade Tracker and other 2016 Trade Deadline coverage.

Live blog — Part II | Live blog — Part III

—

UPDATE, 10:14 a.m. ET — Gasol/Kings chatter

A Wednesday-night report had the Sacramento Kings “pushing hard” to get Pau Gasol from the Chicago Bulls. Sam Amick has an update…

UPDATE, 10:05 a.m. ET — Celtics holding strong

No team has the ability to trade for a star more than the Boston Celtics. Al Horford and Dwight Howard are two impact players on the market, but both could be free agents this summer. Horford is on an expiring contract and Howard has a player option for next season that he could decline.

UPDATE, 9:48 a.m. ET — Suns forwards on the market

Could Mirza Teletovic reunite with head coach Jason Kidd? From ESPN’s Marc Stein…

Among the many things Phoenix is discussing today, sources say, is dealing Mirza Teletovic to Milwaukee. But the Bucks’ largest trade exception is agonizingly too small ($5.2 million) to absorb Teletovic’s $5.5 million salary, so any deal would have to involve players from both teams.

Teletovic is on an expiring contract and the Bucks don’t have much of a shot at the playoffs, so it’s hard to see much motivation for Milwaukee to get a deal done there.

UPDATE, 9:09 a.m. ET — The buyout list

Once the deadline passes, some players with expiring contracts could get waived by non-contenders so that they could sign with teams heading to the playoffs.

In order to be eligible for the playoffs, a player would have to be waived by March 1 (and doesn’t necessarily have to sign until the last day of the regular season).

UPDATE, 8:49 a.m. ET — Lawson may be done in Houston

When the Rockets play in Phoenix on Friday, Ty Lawson might not be with them, whether they’ve traded him or not.

Lawson played less than nine minutes in the Rockets’ last game before the All-Star break and has shot a career-low 39 percent this season.

UPDATE, 7:58 a.m. ET — Teams interested in Knicks’ prospect

New York doesn’t have many assets with which to trade, but according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando.net, former 2015 Draft pick Guillermo “Willy” Hernangomez is drawing some interest.

UPDATE, 7:37 a.m. ET — Rockets turned down one Dwight deal

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported this morning that the Houston Rockets are working hard to trade Dwight Howard. The Charlotte Hornets offered up Al Jefferson and Spencer Hawes for Howard, Isola reports, but that deal was dismissed.

UPDATE, 6:51 a.m. ET — New overnight (and what you might have missed)


VIDEO: David Aldridge breaks down the Cavs’ trade chatter

Kings pushing hard to acquire Bulls’ Gasol — The Sacramento Kings find themselves on the perimeter of the Western Conference playoff picture, a manageable 4 1/2 games behind the Utah Jazz for No. 8. Trade talks have swirled around some members of the team (Ben McLemore, Kosta Koufos, Rudy Gay and others), but it seems they are potentially eyeing a massive deal with the Chicago Bulls. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix report the Kings are trying to pry All-Star big man Pau Gasol from Chicago in a deal that would send he and Tony Snell to Sacramento for Koufos, McLemore and an adjustment on the 2016 first-round pick the Kings owe the Bulls.

Adding on to this, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune confirms Gasol is indeed available, but the Bulls want “a rotation player who can make an immediate impact and a first-round pick”. Additionally, Snell and forward Taj Gibson are also on the market as the Bulls’ front office is trying to determine how to manage the futures of Gasol (who will likely opt out this summer and become an unrestricted free agent) and injured center Joakim Noah (also a free agent this summer). Gibson, for his part, would be surprised at being dealt, Johnson reports. “I would be surprised, but I understand that it’s a part of the business,” he said. “An offer could be made and things could be shaken up. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you or don’t appreciate you. It’s just that it’s a business. I totally understand it. I’ve been in (rumors) my whole career.”

Report: Jazz, Rockets discuss guard swap — If the season ended today, the Utah Jazz would be in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. However, point guard play has been an issue for Utah all season long and according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz are looking to send point guard Trey Burke to the No. 9 team in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets, for troubled point guard Ty Lawson. Burke is the Jazz’s fifth-leading scorer this season and has played his entire career with Utah. He was an All-Rookie first team pick in 2013-14 but has become more of a backup since then, playing behind rookie Raul Neto this season.

Howard, Lawson tune out trade chatter — Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard was mentioned in a possible trades with the Charlotte Hornets and has been in and out of trade rumors all season long. Point guard Ty Lawson found himself tied into a potential deal last night with the Utah Jazz. Yet neither player is sweating what happens next, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Said Howard: “You always put it out of your mind. There’s always going to be rumors. People are always going to say stuff. At the end of the day, none of that stuff matters.”

Cavs reportedly offer Varejao to Magic for Frye — If nothing else this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made it clear this season that it’s championship-or-bust time in Ohio. That being said, it’s not surprising to see Cleveland in the mix for several trades today, including a deal that would send Anderson Varejao back to the team that originally drafted him. According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the Cavs approached the Orlando Magic — who selected Varejao with the 30th pick in the 2004 Draft — for sharp-shooting big man Channing Frye. However, the likelihood of Orlando accepting the deal is in question, reports Sam Amick of USA Today Sports.

Love, Shumpert likely staying put with Cavaliers — As much as Cleveland is in win-now mode, though, it isn’t about to part with two key starters as the season winds down. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert are expected to be with the team after the deadline (and Anderson Varejao may not get moved either). But even if the big names on this roster are staying put, don’t be surprised if smaller contracts/names on the roster — those of Richard Jefferson, Mo Williams and Jared Cunningham — are used in a possible deal.

Report: Celtics willing to part with Nets’ pick … for right price — Kevin Love has been on the wish list. So, have Blake Griffin, Al Horford and other marquee big men. The Boston Celtics have plenty of assets with which to swing a trade — the foremost being the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 1 pick in the 2016 Draft. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes that the Celtics would be willing to trade away that sought-after pick for the right suitor, but they wouldn’t deal the pick in a trade for Griffin or Horford.

Thunder unlikely to make deal, but may mine buyouts — Oklahoma City is in a comfortable position in the Western Conference as the post-All-Star break portion of the schedule approaches. Yet should they be thinking about a trade as today’s deadline — and star Kevin Durant‘s offseason free agency — draws closer? Royce Young of ESPN.com digs into that issue and posits that the Thunder would be better off seeing who if a useful veteran (like Joe Johnson or Kevin Martin) is bought out at the trade deadline and perhaps swinging for them instead of a big-time trade.

Kupchack doesn’t expect Lakers to be busy today — The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of potential talent on their roster in the form of Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers are still waiting to see what all that potential becomes and, as such, are not expected to be involved in trades today, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. General manager Mitch Kupchak said as much in his address to the media yesterday and while the team has veterans on expiring deals (Roy Hibbert, Ryan Kelly, Metta World Peace) and others on somewhat reasonable contracts (Brandon Bass, Lou Williams), interest around them has been nil.

 

 

Category: 2015 Trade Deadline, HT News / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , / 8 Comments on 2016 Trade Deadline live blog /

Hang Time Podcast (Episode 227) Featuring Tyronn Lue and Fred McLeod

February 17, 2016  ·  3:34 PM ET

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — We’re caught in that strange stretch of the NBA calendar right now, days removed from a stellar All-Star Weekend in Toronto and hours away from the wildly unpredictable trade deadline (Thursday at 3 p.m. ET) that sets the tone for the stretch run of every season.

Can the Golden State Warriors finish the deal and chase and even break the Chicago Bulls’ hallowed, NBA-record 72-win season? Can the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder or anyone else in the Western Conference catch up to the Warriors? And is anyone willing to gamble whatever it takes to join the elite out west?

In the Eastern Conference, all eyes are on Cleveland, where Tyronn Lue and LeBron James have to bring everyone (Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and everyone else) together in their quest to make a return trip to The Finals where they can get another shot at the Warriors and finishing what they started last year

That’s why we’re kicking off the stretch run of the season for The Hang Time Podcast with a double-dose of Cavs, talking to both Lue (during All-Star Weekend) and the team’s executive producer of multi-media and play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod.

We dig deep in an effort to find out exactly what to expect from the Cavaliers the rest of the way, while also wrapping up our All-Star thoughts (big ups to young skywalkers Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon for the best Verizon Slam Dunk showcase in years) and looking ahead to what we think might go down at the trade deadline.

Check it all out on Episode 227 of The Hang Time Podcast featuring Tyronn Lue and Fred McLeod of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LISTEN HERE:

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com, Lang Whitaker of NBA.com’s All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand.

– To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.

***


VIDEO: A recap of the epic Verizon Slam Dunk duel between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon from All-Star Saturday night

Category: Podcast / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , / 2 Comments on Hang Time Podcast (Episode 227) Featuring Tyronn Lue and Fred McLeod /

Trade deadline rumblings — Feb. 17

February 17, 2016  ·  12:11 PM ET

We’re a day away from the NBA trade deadline and already we’ve seen two deals take place this week — the Detroit Pistons sending Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova to the Orlando Magic for Tobias Harris and the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies hooking up on a trade that basically sent Courtney Lee to Charlotte.

As we close in on trade deadline day, we’ll keep track of the latest social media rumblings about deals right here, so check back often!

UPDATE, 2:25 a.m. — Jazz ready to ship Burke for Lawson

ESPN.com’s Marc Stein weighed in late Wednesday night that the Jazz and Rockets are nearing agreement on a deal that would send Ty Lawson to Utah in exchange for Trey Burke.

Of course, they Rockets are also still trying to move their big piece:

UPDATE, 12:15 a.m. — Gasol wants to stay put, but Sacramento pushing hard

The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski weighed in with further details on Pau Gasol’s future late Wednesday night, reporting that the Spanish legend has “significant interest” in staying put with the Bulls. That hasn’t deterred the Kings from lodging a firm offer.

Bulls general manager Gar Forman has been discussing trades on several fronts involving Gasol, although some teams interested in Gasol worry that his love for Chicago could cloud his motivation in fully committing to a short-term stay for the rest of the season, league sources said. Gasol, 35, plans to decline the player option on the $7.7 million owed to him in 2016-17, but has significant interest in signing a new deal to remain with the Bulls, league sources said.

The Bulls have discussed deals with multiple NBA teams on Gasol, but one discussion lingered on Tuesday, league sources told The Vertical’s Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix: Gasol and Tony Snell to the Sacramento Kings for Kosta Koufos, Ben McLemore and a lowering of the lottery protections on the 2016 first-round pick that Sacramento owes the Bulls.

UPDATE, 11:20 p.m. — Clippers like Anderson, but do they have enough assets? 

The Los Angeles Times‘ Ben Bolch added the Clippers to the Ryan Anderson Sweepstakes late Wednesday. But as he notes, Doc Rivers probably doesn’t have the assets necessary to convince the Pelicans to part with their sharpshooting forward.

The Clippers had expressed interest in New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson and Orlando Magic forward Channing Frye leading up to the deadline to move players at noon PST on Thursday, according to an executive close to the situation who was not authorized to discuss possible trades publicly.

It wasn’t clear whether the Clippers could construct a package that would entice the Pelicans to have interest in a deal. The Clippers do not have a first-round draft pick they can trade before their 2019 selection and appear reluctant to part with any of their core players.

Perennial All-Star Blake Griffin, the target of recent trade speculation, is apparently staying put, according to Bolch. One player who might be leaving? Lance Stephenson, whose stock has plummeted dramatically since his breakout 2013-14 season with the Indiana Pacers. Still only 25 years old, he’s averaging just 4.7 points per game this season.

UPDATE, 8:30 p.m. — Do Hawks hold the key to this year’s deadline? 

At 31-24, the Hawks have been good but not great, as was the case last season when they won 60 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Speculation is high that they’re willing to move a high-value piece or two — specifically Al Horford and/or Jeff Teague — to recapture their 2014-15 form. Indeed, the Hawks are apparently so involved in trade talks that The Vertical’s Chris Mannix reports they’re holding up progress for the rest of the league.

Also, Mannix followed up reports from earlier in the day to corroborate that the Bulls are “motivated” to move All-Star power forward/center Pau Gasol.

UPDATE, 8:15 p.m. — Can Celtics finally land Love? 

With an abundance of assets at his disposal, Celtics GM Danny Ainge has made repeated runs at three-time All-Star Kevin Love in the past. Details are sparse, but he’s apparently making yet another one, according to CSN New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely, with a potential three-team deal that would deliver Love to Boston.

The deal is still “very fragile” at this point, but it does provide Boston the best shot it has had in landing a player the Celtics have coveted for some time now. Boston has spent a significant amount of time in recent weeks trying to convince the Cavs to part ways with Love, only to be rebuffed. The Celtics have pursued bringing a third team into the mix as a way of sweetening the deal to Cleveland’s liking.

Blakely cites New Orleans as the most likely third party with stretch four Ryan Anderson, whose shooting skills the Cavaliers covet (see below).

UPDATE, 7 p.m. — Rockets aggressively shopping Howard, Lawson; Jazz make Burke available

Desperate for a jump start, the hugely disappointing Rockets — currently ninth and out of the playoffs in the West at 27-28 — are looking to unload Dwight Howard and Ty Lawson according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. One of their targets for Lawson is Utah’s Trey Burke, who has shown signs of improvement in his third season with the Jazz.

UPDATE, 4:40 p.m. — Cavaliers remain active, eye Pelicans’ Anderson

It’s no secret that the Cavaliers hope to add some talent before Thursday’s deadline. And that help could come in the form of sharpshooter Ryan Anderson, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News and Marc Spears of Yahoo!

UPDATE, 3:48 p.m. — Martin hopes Wolves reward him for professionalism

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin hopes to land on a winning team after two-plus seasons with the young Timberwovles, per Marc Spears of Yahoo!

UPDATE, 2:47 p.m. — Vogel: Hill not being shopped

Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill was in some trade talk the last few weeks, but according to coach Frank Vogel, he’s not being shopped.

UPDATE, 2:36 p.m. — Millsap’s moment of levity

The Atlanta Hawks have had some of their star players — such as Jeff Teague and Al Horford — in trade rumors the last few weeks. Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap provides a good simile about how players take trade chatter.

UPDATE, 2:07 p.m. — Report: Conley not on block

The Memphis Grizzlies traded one guard yesterday (Courtney Lee) but don’t seem to be in a big hurry to deal star point guard (and free agent to-be) Mike Conley, per Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

UPDATE, 1:35 p.m. — Some clarity on Gasol chatter?

Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com and ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst say Bulls are open to trading Pau Gasol but doubt they are shopping him.

UPDATE, 1:12 p.m. — Report: Bulls ‘aggressively shopping’ Gasol

The Chicago Bulls entered the All-Star break on a skid, having lost four in a row and nine of their last 12 games. A trade wouldn’t be a total surprise, but dealing away their All-Star big man Pau Gasol might be. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski has more on that and other trade rumors:

The Chicago Bulls are aggressively shopping All-Star forward Pau Gasol, league sources told The Vertical.

Gasol, 35, can opt out of his contract this summer and become an unrestricted free agent, and Bulls general manager Gar Forman seems determined to move him before Thursday’s trade deadline with the hope of bringing back value.

Gasol is expected to decline the player option on the $7.4 million owed him in 2016-17.

UPDATE, 12:46 p.m. — Pistons may still be seeking deals

As mentioned above, the Detroit Pistons pulled off a trade yesterday that netted it forward Tobias Harris. But it seems GM Jeff Bower may not quite be done dealing, per Matt Shepard of WDFN in Detroit:

Pistons General Manager Jeff Bower told Matt Shepard of WDFN in Detroit that his team was still actively looking at deals and would go all the way up to the deadline if necessary after obtaining Tobias Harris from the Orlando Magic yesterday.

“We’d like to find one more move. The Harris trade makes us a higher-level team now and in the future,” Bower said.

The trade involving Harris makes the Pistons a little thin at point guard, however Bower said that would not be the only position the team looks for a talent upgrade

“We’re still looking at every position, but Stan [Van Gundy] has great confidence in Steve Blake at the point guard position.”

UPDATE, 12:39 p.m. — The great guard swap of 2015

If you forgot, last season’s trade deadline was marked by a lot of point guards getting swapped all over the NBA map. SI.com’s Jake Fischer has a great read on what it was like for the players involved.

UPDATE, 12:29 p.m. — Utah may hold tight at deadline

The Jazz have seen their name bandied about in trade talks, but as it their wont, they’ve been tight-lipped about any possible deals. Or, as one writer sees it, there may end up being no deals in Utah at all.

UPDATE, 12:18 p.m. — Best trades since 2000?

Fun little read at lunch time on the best deadline deals since 2000.

And if you missed it, our Fran Blinebury looked back at the 10 best deadline deals ever.

UPDATE, 12:05 p.m. — Report: Monroe staying put in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Bucks stunned many in the offseason when they added big man Greg Monroe to a squad that reached the 2015 playoffs. The team itself has surprised this season as it has failed to live up to expectations, fueling questions about the roster and, to an extent, Monroe’s place in Wisconsin.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports, Monroe — who had been the topic of trade speculation — won’t be going anywhere:

Milwaukee Bucks forward Greg Monroe won’t be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Teams have placed calls to the Bucks to see if they can acquire Monroe, who is in his first year with the team. But those conversations didn’t advance, and one person said with emphasis there is zero chance Monroe is traded.

Monroe signed a three-year, $50 million contract with Milwaukee during free agency and is averaging 16.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the 23-32 Bucks, who have lost six consecutive games.

UPDATE, Noon ET — Pelicans’ Holiday essentially untouchable

Injuries made a mess of the New Orleans Pelicans’ season, but of late they’ve gotten banged up in the backcourt with Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon both out for the season. Those woes are likely what will keep oft-injured point guard Jrue Holiday out of any potential deals …

UPDATE, Noon ET — Report: Magic won’t break up young core

The Orlando Magic may be interested in some smaller moves, but don’t expect them to part with Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic or Elfrid Payton before tomorrow’s deadline …

UPDATE, 9:14 a.m. — Magic, Clippers talking trade

Our David Aldridge reports if the Magic pick up Lance Stephenson in a swap for Channing Frye with the Clippers, Stephenson won’t be in Orlando long …

 

 

Category: 2016 Trade Deadline, HT News / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , / 14 Comments on Trade deadline rumblings — Feb. 17 /

Blogtable: How would you fix the ‘Hack-a’ strategy?

February 17, 2016  ·  10:25 AM ET

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

BLOGTABLE: Will Warriors win 73 games? | How would you solve the ‘Hack-a’ issue? |
Lasting impression from NBA All-Star 2016?


VIDEO: Adam Silver addresses ‘Hack-a’ fouls

> You were just named to the NBA’s competition committee. Top of the agenda for your first meeting: “Hack-a-Shaq.” You have the floor for two minutes. Go.

David Aldridge, TNT analyst: “I know you and your teams are paid to win. And I know you’re all smart people, and will figure out ways to maximize Hack-A every chance you get. But basketball is a game of movement and flow. Hack-a is the antithesis of flow; it destroys a game’s momentum. We are a sport, but we are also a business, and both from a business and entertainment standpoint, asking fans who may get to go to one or two games a year to sit through Andre Drummond or Rajon Rondo or whoever it is shooting 20-plus free throws or letting games creep toward three hours is not fair or smart. I do not want to eliminate Hack-A, but I want to make it less beneficial for your teams to use and abuse it. So I propose these two rule changes: any off the ball foul before a team reaches the penalty–fouls one through five in a quarter–will result in a technical foul against the fouling team. You can still use Hack-A to get to the bonus, but it may cost you five points. Then, after the fifth foul, you can use Hack-A on the sixth and seventh team fouls in a quarter, just as you do now. But on the eighth and subsequent fouls, the current under two minutes in the fourth quarter rule will apply–one free throw plus possession for the deliberately fouled team. You can use Hack-A after the bonus begins, but only in limited fashion. And then, we go back to playing basketball. Thanks for your time.”

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: I’ve been “won” over to the gotta-fix-this side of things and by that I mean tweaking rules, not relying on a half dozen or so lousy foul shooters to get in their respective gyms and somehow swiftly get to 70 percent. All sorts of rules have been altered through the years in pursuit of a better game — they no longer remove the ball from the peach basket and jump it up after each field goal, you might have noticed — and it’s time for the league to treat the away-from-the-ball fouls, for 48 minutes, the way it does for the final two: one free throw and possession. It’s grueling to see this tactic played out repeatedly in a game — that’s the only way we see it, over and over, never just a one-and-done move — grinding momentum in lockstep with fans’ molars. There’s always the opportunity to embarrass bad free-throw shooters when they do touch the ball, but Hack-A-Whomever is just gamesmanship without artistry, skill or watchability. That’s not what the NBA is selling.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: “Make your damn free throws. Now you, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan can spend the next 1:55 practicing them.”

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: “We can’t change our rules because of four or five players. I get it. Hack-a-Shaq is boring. But the league is getting record TV ratings, right, so how much can fans really be hating it? Or maybe they understand that for all the attention the issue receives, it’s not a common occurrence. Again: four or five players. My suggestion is a slight compromise that could make a big difference. Take the current rule about increased penalties for fouls away from the ball the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and the final two minutes of each overtime period and eliminate the time element. Make it for the entire game. The coach of the team that was fouled gets to pick anyone on the court to take the free throws and then the team gets to retain possession. If the other team wants a lot of guys with five fouls in the second quarter, great. It doesn’t happen that often, though. It’s four or five players.”

Shaun Powell, NBA.com:  “Gentlemen, at any time in a game, if you intentionally foul away from the ball, the other team shall shoot two free throws and retain possession of the ball. Any objections? Good. What’s for lunch?”

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: I’d go to the intentional-foul rules we had when I was in high school. Any foul that’s judged to be intentional is penalized with two shots and possession for the opponent. That could be an intentional foul away from the ball or an intentional foul meant to stop a fast break (I’m looking at you, Pablo Prigioni), so that you can get rid of the silly, confusing and time-wasting clear path rule at the same time. To avoid the extra penalty, you have to make a play on the ball, going for a steal or a block or trying to draw a charge. But the officials could give the fouler a little leeway when he’s trailing in the final minute and fouling to get the ball back.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com: ) “Listen, we’re not going to waste any more time on this issue than is necessary. We’re not changing anything. No way, no how. Tell your poor free throw shooters that they obviously have plenty of work to do this summer. Next item of business.”

Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: The rule as currently written is unjust, because too often it punishes the victim of the foul and rewards the fouler. We ought to be throwing the rulebook at the perpetrators of these fouls. They are the ones who need to be punished. If your intention is to exploit a loophole that violates the spirit of the game, then your cynicism should be penalized instantly and with compelling authority. (The coaches themselves would agree: As much as they don’t like it, the current rule forces them to violate their own principles in order to win the game.) From now on, the team that is fouled away from the ball may designate which of its players will shoot the free throws while retaining possession thereafter. Henceforth these violations will be treated like technical fouls – crimes against the game itself. In order to break outselves of this ugly hack-a-habit we need to understand two things. First, the moral is not that players should be able to make their free throws. I mean, who didn’t know that already? No, the real lesson here is that the spirit of the game is under attack. Second, this is not to be addressed from the commercial point of view. It is not about TV ratings or drama. The issues here are ethics and fairness. The fans need to know that nothing is more important than the spirit of the game.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: I am against changing any rules to protect players who are bad at their jobs. That said, it’s clear when players are sprinting into the backcourt or out of bounds to hack someone that they are also taking advantage of the rules. So we don’t make any major rule changes, we just start calling intentional fouls as intentional and make the penalties more strict for that.

Category: Blogtable, HT News / Tags: , , , , , , , , , / 93 Comments on Blogtable: How would you fix the ‘Hack-a’ strategy? /

Blogtable: Lasting impression from NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto?

February 17, 2016  ·  10:25 AM ET

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

BLOGTABLE: Will Warriors win 73 games? | How would you solve the ‘Hack-a’ issue? |
Lasting impression from NBA All-Star 2016?


VIDEO: Relive the best moments from NBA All-Star 2016

> Your one lasting impression from All-Star 2016 in Toronto?

David Aldridge, TNT analyst: Brrr. Well, that and how polite Canadians are, every time I engage them. I really do enjoy Toronto, and would be delighted to go back–in May or June.

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: The game needs to be dialed up. I get it that the weekend is about fun for the participants and, for fans, gawking at an assemblage of bubble-gum cards come to life. But what we saw Sunday was not entertaining — not nearly enough, anyway — or even a good advertisement for the NBA. This league is, yes, about entertainment and basketball, but it’s also about competition. And competition means two sides — offense and defense — putting forth effort. Athletic prowess needs resistance to fully show itself. I get it, that in the hierarchy of defensive intensity, we won’t get (and don’t need) hard fouls and charges-taken. But moving one’s feet, contesting shots, occasionally double-teaming and being a little more bull than matador would benefit everybody. There are some All-Stars who have defense in their portfolios, y’know — Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul, Paul George — and it’d be nice to showcase that too. I perversely was rooting for the West to crack 200 points, hoping it would be embarrassing enough — so little in common with real basketball — that the league would feel compelled to do something. Please let 196 be close enough.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: Aaron Gordon’s “sitting in the chair,” passing the ball beneath both legs was the most memorable dunk I’ve seen since Spud Webb in 1986.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: The Verizon Dunk contest, and I don’t think I’m the only person who will say that. Kobe Bryant’s farewell to All-Star weekend was nice and the lack of even decent effort in the Sunday main event was a concern that may have to be addressed one day in a message from the commissioner to players, making it a lasting impression of the bad variety, but Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon put on a show. The All-Star game you wanted to be called after the second quarter. The dunk contest could still be going on, tied and LaVine and Gordon with barely enough energy to get airborne, and people would be happy. The two finalists pumped more energy into the contest than anytime in years.

Shaun Powell, NBA.com: I went to sleep Saturday night thinking about the Verizon Dunk contest. That says it all. It was a sensational series between Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine and breathed life into All-Star Saturday and particularly a dunk contest that absorbed lots of backlash, most of it deserved. Did Gordon really dunk off a rotating mascot? Or did I dream it?

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: How high Aaron Gordon can jump. No matter how many times you watch them, those dunks are incomprehensible.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com: All-Star Saturday night will be a hard memory to shake. The competition was top-flight, from the skills challenge to the 3-point shootout and the epic finish to the Verizon Dunk contest. I know the weekend was supposed to be about Kobe Bryant riding off into the sunset in his final All-Star Game appearance. But the next wave of stars that will carry on the legacy of great players in the league is what resonates with me. That and the fantastic job the city of Toronto did hosting the festivities. It was a freshening up, if you will, of an event that never gets old to me.

Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: The players need to start policing themselves. Do they grasp the harm they did to themselves by not even pretending to compete defensively? During the playoffs we’re all going to see how much they care and how committed they are to the best qualities – so why, on this great stage, did they sabotage their own reputations by not giving a decent effort?

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog:  Well, I’m still defrosting. For a weekend that was supposed to be all about Kobe, I thought Saturday night, from top to bottom, was the best All-Star Saturday I’ve ever seen in 14 years of going to All-Star. The Taco Bell Skills Challenge came down to the wire, the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest had drama, and the Verizon Dunk contest set up a rivalry that could last for a decade. To me, it was the second-best dunk contest of all-time. (In my book, 1988 was the only one that was better, when Dominique Wilkins beat Michael Jordan but got done in by suspect judging. And I rate ’88 better than ’16 only because they didn’t use mascots or hoverboards back then.)

Category: 2016 All-Star, Blogtable, HT News / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , / 5 Comments on Blogtable: Lasting impression from NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto? /

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