October 28, 2013 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Sixers sign free agent forward Brandon Davies

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed rookie free agent forward Brandon Davies.

Davies (6-10, 240) was named All-West Coast Conference First Team as a junior and a senior at Brigham Young University. The 22-year-old was also named Most Valuable Player of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament pre-NBA Draft camp this past April. Davies also competed for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and appeared in five games for the Clippers this preseason.

How good will the Pistons be this season?

The Detroit Pistons built up their roster this summer, after already having several pieces in place that have a bright future. How good will they be this season? Here’s a Michigan Live prediction:

The Pistons have done as well as can be expected in revamping their roster (again) in search of that elusive playoff berth. They’re not a championship contender by any stretch but they’re finally on the right track with the additions of Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings and Chauncey Billups, the continued maturation of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond and some promising rookies. Their November schedule is going to be difficult but I don’t see them getting off to a third straight disastrous start even though they will struggle in November. Look for the Pistons to flirt with a .500 record, fall a game or two short and finally get back into the playoffs.

Perhaps skipping season is best for Sixers rookie Nerlens Noel

The Philadelphia 76ers won’t be a good team this season. They may be fun to watch, because young players are fun, but if winning is your thing, don’t look at Philly for now. And with that under consideration, perhaps there’s good reason for injured rookie Nerlens Noel to take his sweet time before stepping onto the court. Here’s Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Three words of advice for Nerlens Noel as he rehabilitates his surgically repaired left knee: Take your time.

The 76ers rookie originally was expected to need 10 months of recovery and rehabilitation because of the anterior cruciate ligament tear he suffered during his lone season at Kentucky.

The 6-foot-11 center is working hard to make that return possible. But missing the entire 2013-14 season might not be a bad option, considering what’s at stake for the Sixers and their 19-year-old franchise player.

I’m tired of hearing that Noel would be better off returning this season. I don’t think returning would be a good decision. And even if he’s prepared to do so, here’s some advice for the Sixers: Don’t tell him. Don’t give Noel any reason to be encouraged to play this season.

Pacers forward Danny Granger out 3 weeks

Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger will miss approximately three weeks as he rehabilitates a strained left calf injury sustained in the preseason.The length of time is a precautionary measure as the team wants to ensure Granger is physically ready to play in light of missing all but five games last season due to his knee injury. The rehabilitation time is strictly related to the calf injury.

Hopefully Granger finally returns for the Pacers and is able to contribute regularly from that point on.

According to the Pacers.com blog, “What we know for sure now is that Lance Stephenson will start for the immediate future, and probably for the rest of the season. Coach Frank Vogel stated early in training camp that Granger would start if healthy. More recently, he said Granger would be given starting opportunities once healthy to see how it worked. Given the uncertainty of Granger’s availability, Vogel might decide to stick with Granger in a reserve role, where any uncertainty surrounding him would have less impact. If the Pacers open the season well with Stephenson in the starting lineup, why change?”

Celtics: Phil Pressey makes his point in preseason

NBA preseason is a time for players who might be cut or perhaps make a squad but sit on the end of the bench to prove themselves worthy of respect and a bigger-than-expected role. One young Celtic appears to have done that. Here’s ESPN Boston:

One of the more promising developments of the preseason for the Boston Celtics was the play of undrafted rookie point guard Phil Pressey.

A strong showing as a summer league invite earned Pressey a three-year contract that included a fully guaranteed first season. But even being the only healthy pure ball-handler in camp this season didn’t guarantee the 22-year-old the chance to crack the rotation this year. His play this exhibition season might have.

“[Pressey has] shown a ton,” said Stevens. “I think at times that we’ve played our best basketball with him on the floor. At other times, he hasn’t been as good, and that’s to be predicted. He’s a young guy. But I’ve said this at the start, the guy works at his game. He wants to be good. It’s not an accident that he’s here. He is a good player. He’s a hard worker. He cares. He’s an easy guy to coach. All that stuff adds up at the end of the day. You can see it in the exhibition games.”

Woodson may alternate Amare Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin in rotation

The Knicks have some talented players on their bench, but injuries are a serious concern. Which may cause coach Mike Woodson to be a bit more innovative with his rotation than he’d probably prefer. Here’s Anthony Rieber of New York Newsday:

Fans at Friday night’s unveiling of the renovated Madison Square Garden also got to see Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin make their preseason debuts for the Knicks.

After a practice on that same floor Saturday, coach Mike Woodson said seeing Stoudemire and Martin playing in the same game during the regular season might be a rare occurrence.

Woodson said he is “really considering” alternating the two former All-Stars on a game-by-game basis as a way of keeping them healthy for the whole season.

So whichever big man plays in the Knicks’ season opener on Wednesday night against Milwaukee at the Garden won’t appear the next night in Chicago against the Bulls, for example.

Boston Celtics trim roster for upcoming season

Here’s Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald:

The Celtics, as expected, cut their roster down to 14 yesterday with the release of forwards Damen Bell-Holter and DeShawn Sims, and guards Chris Babb and Kammron Taylor.

Though Babb was one of the team’s best 3-point shooters — a stat that Stevens cherishes — even a rookie minimum contract would have pushed the Celtics over the luxury tax threshold. They are now approximately $200,000 under the line with every intention of not adding payroll.

Don’t be surprised if Babb starts the season with the NBADL’s Maine Red Claws.

But the Celtics do have two important decisions to make by Thursday. They have until that date to reach agreement with Bradley on an extension. Though both sides have indeed been in negotiations, as of this weekend nothing is imminent.

They also have until Thursday to pick up the option on MarShon Brooks for next season, when the shooting guard would make approximately $2.2 million.