General NBA insight – Page 135 – NBA Blog

Does adding Amare Stoudemire, losing David Lee help Knicks?

Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times reports (via blog):

Stoudemire is the more dynamic and explosive of the two by a wide margin. He averaged 23.1 points and 8.9 rebounds last season. Stoudemire, though, played on Phoenix teams that had Steve Nash at point guard. Nash generated a large dose of Stoudemire’s offense through pick-and-rolls, and defenses had to respect Nash’s jump shot and ability to penetrate.

Lee, meanwhile, scored his points while playing with Chris Duhon at the point. Duhon struggled with his jump shot through much of his tenure with the Knicks, which allowed defenses to key on his drives and Lee’s rolls. In response, Lee developed a reliable jump shot.

In economic terms, Stoudemire will make $20 million a season if he joins the Knicks. Lee found a timid market last off-season, when he was a restricted free agent, and ended up staying with the Knicks for about $7 million. He is due for a raise with another organization, but will not approach Stoudemire’s figure.

Walt Frazier says Knicks urgently need stars

Matt Ehalt of the New York Daily News reports:

“It’s urgent that they sign somebody,” Walt Frazier said of the Knicks. “They made sacrifices for a couple years waiting for this moment. I’m sure pretty confident they are going to sign somebody.”

When assessing free agency, Frazier said he thinks the Knicks have a 50-50 chance of signing the free agents. Frazier says LeBron James is the “panacea” and he believes that some of the other free agents available are just pieces and the Knicks would need a couple of players of that caliber to reach a championship level. Other free agents include Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire.

While titles and banners haven’t been the Knicks forterecently, Frazier says he believes that winning a championship in New York is an unmatched experience.

Marbury hopes Nets gets LeBron

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

Stephon Marbury said he is rooting for LeBron James to sign with the Nets to rescuscitate Newark and, eventually, his home borough, Brooklyn.

“LJ 23 should go to the Nets so that Newark would be able to grow and build businesses for the people there,” Marbury wrote in an e-mail to The Post. “After he builds the economy in Newark he can come to my borough and create a brand new life for people struggling to make it in this tough economy.”

Brandon Jennings discusses Corey Maggette

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

It didn’t escape Brandon Jennings’ notice that the Bucks also obtained veteran small forward Corey Maggette in a trade with Golden State, with center Dan Gadzuric and guard Charlie Bell going to the Warriors.

“He’s a guy who can get to the line,” Jennings said of the 30-year-old Maggette, who will be entering his 12th pro season. “That’s what we missed last year. He can get you 20 or more (points per game), so I’m excited.”

Maggette was part of a high-octane Warriors offense that featured shooting guard Monta Ellis and rookie point guard Stephen Curry.

“He runs the floor,” Jennings said of the 6-6 Maggette. “Even though he demands the ball a lot, that’s all right, though. We’re going to need somebody who can take over at the end of the game.”

Free-agent negotiations begin Thursday, and Jennings said he hopes guard John Salmons will choose to return to the Bucks.

Rockets launch free agency fan caravan

The Houston Rockets today held a send off for the 2010 Rockets Free Agency Caravan. Held on the pad in front of Toyota Center, the first-of-its-kind event featured three Rockets-Red Tundras full of Red Rowdies departing on a mission to rendezvous with Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey for the start of the official NBA free agency period that begins on July 1. Nearly 200 Rockets employees joined Morey in sending off the Caravan, which is expected to meet him in the eventual destination city and deliver him to his initial meeting with one of Houston’s primary free agent targets.

“We have such great fans in Houston, and we wanted to bring that passion and energy to our initial free agent meeting,” said Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. “We are always looking for ways to engage our fans. The inspiration for this Caravan came directly from their creative spirit.”

The 2010 Rockets Free Agency Caravan was inspired by one of the thousands of ideas submitted from fans via e-mail to the team. Morey asked Rockets fans to submit their suggestions for free agency recruitment to ideas@rocketball.com in a quest to find unique recruiting tactics.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports:

When Rockets general manager Daryl Morey begins pursuing free agents this week, he will not be alone.

A band of roughly a dozen Rockets fans will be traveling the country in a week-long expedition with the hopes they will be in a city when Morey arrives to meet with a free agent target.

Hoping to bring attention to the Rockets’ free agency goals, the group left Monday morning from Toyota Center, but initially can only guess where to go. When the free agency period officially begins, at 11 p.m. CDT Wednesday, Morey can tweet or text members of the group so they can travel to the city in which he talks to a player.

Greg Monroe: Post player with passing skills

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports:

What has John Kuester — and the rest of the Pistons’ front office — guardedly optimistic is that Greg Monroe isn’t your typical big guy.

Everyone likes the guys who attack every rebound and score in the post. By averaging 16.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore at Georgetown, Monroe has shown he can do that.

But Kuester, who uses his big men to make decisions on the offensive end, is already thinking of expanding his system to accommodate the talents of Monroe, a multi-skilled big guy who averaged 3.8 assists per game last season.

“When you can throw the ball in the post to a guy that’s a prolific passer, that gives your team a completely different look,” Dumars said. “When you can throw the ball down on the post and then have people start moving, it gives the defense a completely different look, and that’s why post players that can pass are so effective.

“You can run your offense through a guy like that a lot of times. Guys that have been great passers like that have been guys that have helped their teams tremendously.”

Marcus Thornton wants to win starting spot

John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports:

When the New Orleans Hornets traded veteran Morris Peterson to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, along with the draft rights to Kansas center Cole Aldrich for the draft rights to forwards Craig Brackins and Quicy Pondexter, it virtually cleared the way for second-year shooting guard Marcus Thornton to enter next season as the starter.

But Thornton said Friday that his approach won’t change from last season, when he came off the bench. He plans to stay driven and anticipates battling to win the job in training camp.

“Until I find out that I’m starting, I’m going to push like I’m still second string,’’ Thornton said Friday. ”I’m going to work and do what I’ve been doing.’’

With a need to clear salary-cap space, the Hornets dealt Peterson, eliminating the $6.6 million salary they would had been required to pay him this season in the final year of his four-year contract.

Warriors belong to Stephen Curry

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

The Warriors are Stephen Curry’s team, and general manager Larry Riley will consider who best fits with the point guard when choosing a draft pick Thursday.

“It’s obvious and true that Curry is a guy who is going to have the ball in his hands a lot, and we’re going to play right through him a great deal,” Riley said. “He’s the point guard of this team, and Monta (Ellis) plays the two, and that’s the direction we’re going.

“You don’t build your team around a two-guard. You build around a point guard.”

Curry had a historic rookie season, averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He is the only rookie in NBA history to shoot at least 45 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 85 percent from the free-throw line.

Key NBA Finals Game 7 statistic was offensive rebounds

Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reports:

The most telling statistic in Game 7 was offensive rebounds.

Boston was simply overwhelmed in that category. The Lakers held a 23-8 edge, overall, and it was 15-2 after the first half.

“I thought our guys battled down there, but 23-8, you know, on offensive rebounds, and then the 37-17 discrepancy in free throws, that makes it almost impossible to overcome,” Rivers said.

In fact, the Lakers’ Pau Gasol had more offensive rebounds (nine) than the Celtics. Boston point guard Rajon Rondo had four offensive rebounds and Rasheed Wallace had two.

Obviously, the loss of a big body, in the form of center Kendrick Perkins, was a massive one for the Celtics. Perkins suffered two torn ligaments in his right knee early in Game 6, and Wallace did an admirable job in filling in.

Donald Trump, Chris Rock want LeBron in New York

The New York Post reports:

“New York would be a great thing for LeBron,” said Donald Trump, who has joined the committee along with a cavalcade of other Gotham notables, such as Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Boomer Esiason and Spike Lee.

“He would take over the city,” said Trump. Specifically addressing James, Trump said: “I am in many different cities, but I can tell you, LeBron, there is only one New York.”

Under the team’s plan, the stars would meet with the free agents, tout the city and even show them around, sources said.

Chris Rock, who has also agreed to join the effort, knows just what he would say to LeBron.

“You really want to live in Cleveland? That’s what I would tell him. Where do you want to live?” the comic told The Post.