Daily Zap 26-11-14

Atlanta Hawks (7-5) @ Washington Wizards (9-4)

Paul Pierce passed Jerry West for 17^th on the all time scoring list last night, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his Washington Wizards from falling to the Atlanta Hawks. There were 14 lead changes throughout this game but a 12-0 run by Atlanta in the fourth helped them beat their Eastern Conference rivals.

Hawks 107 - 102 Wizards

Key Performers

Paul Millsap - 17 points, 11 rebounds

Mike Scott - 17 points, 8 rebounds

John Wall - 21 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds

Marcin Gortat - 12 points, 11 rebounds

Golden State Warriors (11-2) @ Miami Heat (8-7)

The Warriors are looking more like contenders for the title this year with every game they play, and a comfortable win over last year’s finalists can only help their confidence. The Warriors played well, but they wouldn’t have won this game without Stephen Curry who had possibly his best performance of the season. He shot 12-19 from the field, 8-11 from deep and 8-9 from the charity stripe on his way to 40 points, his highest points total this year.

Warriors 114 - 97 Heat

Key Performers

Stephen Curry - 40 points, 7 assists

Klay Thompson - 24 points

Chris Bosh - 26 points, 9 rebounds

Luol Deng - 16 points

Sacramento Kings (9-5) @ New Orleans Pelicans (7-6)

There was a battle between two rising stars in the NBA, as DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings took on Anthony Davis and New Orleans Pelicans. Cousins was the winner of this match-up as not only did his team win, but he put up the best stats of anyone on the court. The Kings lost the lead just once, and even when head coach Mike Malone was ejected, the Pelicans still struggled to find a way into the game.

Kings 99 - 89 Pelicans

Key Performers

DeMarcus Cousins - 22 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists

Ramon Sessions - 15 points, 6 assists

Tyreke Evans - 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Ryan Anderson - 20 points, 5 rebounds

Detroit Pistons (3-11) @ Milwaukee Bucks (8-7)

The Pistons picked up their fifth straight loss, and also had their worst offensive performance of the season. They may have shot a good 46% from the field, but were hampered by Josh Smith’s free throw attempts, who made just 2-10 in the game. They were in contention for most of the contest but lacked a clinical edge as they were dominated in the third quarter.

Pistons 86 - 98 Bucks

Key Performers

Josh Smith - 11 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks

Andre Drummond - 23 points, 10 rebounds

Brandon Knight - 20 points, 8 assists

Eryan Ilyasova - 13 points, 9 rebounds

Chicago Bulls (9-6) @ Denver Nuggets (7-7)

The Chicago Bulls didn’t just lose the game in the Mile High City as Derrick Rose hobbled off the court (with a suspected hamstring injury) after under ten minutes of play. This departure - paired with big men Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson already being out - proved too much for Chicago as they never led in this contest. They looked like they could be in with a chance with ten seconds left as they trailed by just three, but Ty Lawson’s step back  jumper sealed the victory. Denver’s fifth straight win means they are at .500 for the first time this season.

Bulls 109 - 114 Nuggets

Key Performers

Pau Gasol - 22 points, 11 rebounds

Jimmy Butler - 32 points, 9 rebounds

Ty Lawson - 20 points, 12 assists

Kenneth Faried - 12 points, 9 rebounds

Jason Kidd Leaves Brooklyn for Milwaukee

It was bound to happen sometime. Put a load of big egos into one club, add a disappointing season and watch the situation turn tense. That is what has happened in Brooklyn, with Head Coach Jason Kidd recently leaving the club.


It all started on Saturday when Kidd demanded from the Nets' front office that he should be placed above General Manager Billy King in the hierarchy of the club. This would see him take charge of the basketball operations side of the club, as well as being the head coach. In the NBA currently, there are four head coaches who have those powers, Gregg Popovich (Spurs), Doc Rivers (Clippers), Stan van Gundy (Pistons) and Flip Saunders (Timberwolves). Between them, these four coaches have 58 years of NBA coaching experience, as well as a lot of years racked up at NCAA and Armed Forces teams. Kidd has one season under his belt at the Nets, which resulted in limited success considering how much money has been put into the side. It's easy to see why he wasn't granted such powers.

Jason Kidd has made some poor decisions in his career, will joining Milwaukee be one of them?

Another reason why Kidd was reportedly unhappy was the contract he was signed to. Despite Brooklyn not being afraid to splash the cash, they didn't indulge too much off the court. Kidd was to be paid $10 million over 4 years, a fair sum for a rookie coach. However, fellow rookie head coach Derek Fisher, has just been paid $25 million for 5 years at the New York Knicks, a contract that is worth double per year. Still, Kidd was earning more than Frank Vogel (Pacers) and Mark Jackson (ex Warriors coach) who arguably had better seasons than the Nets (ignoring the fact that Jackson got fired of course). Evidently this wasn't enough for Kidd, who is now reportedly going to sign a contract worth $4-5 million per year, which is more on par with fellow rookie head coaches, like Steve Kerr (current Warriors coach) and the aforementioned Fisher.

This move has caused repercussions throughout the franchise, particularly with the free agency period beginning yesterday. Shaun Livingston has already left the Nets to sign with the Warriors. Although he stated the main reason he left was due to the Nets not offering a satisfactory contract, he said the Jason Kidd's situation "didn't help matters". Livingston may only be a role player, but the loss could affect the Nets next season. Another player on the free agency market this year is Paul Pierce, and there are rumours that he may be looking for a way out of Brooklyn, having being linked to a reunion with Doc Rivers, out in L.A. It is currently not known whether other free agents, such as Alan Anderson and Andray Blatche will follow suit in searching elsewhere for a contract. The worst situation for Brooklyn is that a superstar, such as Deron Williams or Joe Johnson, leaves the club due to the current instability. However, such moves could be fought against by appointing a new head coach as soon as possible.

Enter Lionel Hollins. The former Memphis Grizzlies head coach has reportedly talked to Nets GM Billy King about taking over the reigns of King's team. Hollins had a fairly successful career at the Grizzlies, leaving with a winning record after his 5 seasons there, guiding them to the conference finals in the 2012-13 season. Many fans were aggrieved to see him leave, believing he'd done a good job at the franchise, and deserved a big contract to thank him. The irony of the situation is that in December, after the Nets had a poor start to the season, there were talks of replacing Kidd, with Hollins one of the favourites to take the job. However, the Nets hung on to Kidd and now, nearly 7 months on, they've gone full circle and are trying to sign Hollins again, with the deal likely to be complete a deal in the next couple of days. If they're unable to acquire Hollins, other options are open to them, most notably Mark Jackson and former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl, both men who can control a squad, and gain the players' respect.

Lionel Hollins could be the man to replace Kidd with his impressive mangerial record.

It will be interesting to see how Jason Kidd does at Milwaukee. He will be going from the side that spent the most on player contracts in 2013/14 to a team who spent nearly half of the $102.3 million put in by Brooklyn. On the plus side, he gets to work with young, promising players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and 2014's number 2 pick Jabari Parker. Also, he's already friends with the new co-owner of the Bucks, Marc Lasry, meaning he may get some leniency from the front office. But the job isn't going to be plain sailing. He is now in charge of the team who had the worst record in the 2013/14 league, and one of the worst records in NBA history. The Bucks were near the bottom in points scored (28th in the league) and points conceded (25th),  and seemed incapable of rebounding (24th). Jason Kidd has one hell of a task on his hands.

Movers and Shakers

The Free Agency period is usually one of hectic moves and headline grabbing roster changes, and this time around is expected to be no different.

There are over 100 players entering Free Agency this year, including some big stars from both conferences. Below, I have listed 5 players that are likely to get the attention of the public, and the media, as well as providing my take on what I think will happen.

Paul Pierce
"The Truth" signed a one year contract with the Brooklyn Nets last year as part of a bumper trade deal. However, Pierce hasn't had a great season on the East coast due to a couple of factors. He broke his hand earlier in the season, meaning he missed a few weeks out. Also, the Nets currently have a .500 record, which shows how bad a season they're having, despite predictions that they could win the championship.

Add onto the top of this, his $15 million contract, and you'd imagine it's hard to find suitors for the ageing small forward. But actually, there are plenty of teams supposedly interested. There are rumours of him possibly going to the Clippers, re-joining forces with Doc Rivers in his home town. However, the lack of cap space on the Clippers' part means that this trade is unlikely to go through.

Of course, the Boston Celtics will always be linked with a trade for one of their biggest stars of recent times. It would certainly bring an end to an era, especially as the team is currently in the process of rebuilding. I don't think this will happen though, as the Celtics will be keen to hold on to their many draft picks for the future.

I think he's more likely to stay with the Nets. They won't want to be seen as "losing" the trade. Also, the 16 season veteran provides great experience to a side under the leadership of a rookie coach, in the form of Jason Kidd. Retirement is also an option for him, but I think he'll stay in Brooklyn for a few more seasons.

Pau Gasol
The rumours about Pau Gasol's future at the Lakers have been swirling for some time now. If you believe the whispers, he can't wait to get away from the franchise, and they can't wait to get him off their pay roll. Some believe that his attitude isn't what the Lakers want in their team, where as others cite his age as a problem.

It is true that the team is trying to rebuild, especially with 11 players becoming free agents this year. Their draft pick situation isn't too bad either,  with them having quite a few selections in the foreseeable future. It is fair to say that at the age of 33, Pau is unlikely to have a big hand in the rebuilding of the Lakers.

The key here is how serious the rumours are. If they have an element of truth to them, then this could be the season that he finally leaves. It will also be down to how much money he is willing to accept. His days of earning a maximum salary are over and teams know that. It could turn into a bidding war over the big Spaniard.

Luol Deng
At the beginning of this season, Luol Deng announced that he was going to test the free agency. In January, Deng was traded from the Bulls to the Cavaliers, with Andrew Bynum going the other way (although only for a matter of hours).

Since the trade, he has been solid but isn't exactly putting up show-stopping numbers. Despite this, Deng is still a great player on both ends of the court, and any team would benefit from having him in their roster. And there are teams apparently interested. Potential suitors include the Mavericks, Wizards and Pistons.

Don't rule the Cavs out just yet though. They have plenty of money so can keep paying Deng at a high level. However, their squad is probably a little too inexperienced to challenge for rings right now. So the decision is his. Does he want money or success?

Although he got a trade away from the Bulls, I still feel that he will review his options before he goes anywhere. Wherever he lands up, he will still be an influential figure in the world of basketball.

Carmelo Anthony
When Melo traded to the Knicks from the Nuggets in 2011 he did it to challenge for rings. However, it hasn't worked as he planned and instead is looking at the possibility of not making the play-offs.

As well as this, the Knicks have a poor roster who make bone-headed decisions both on (J.R Smith) and off (Raymond Felton) the court. Add to this the fact that their squad is ageing and it's not looking good for Melo's chances to win a title.

So it's easy to see why he's frustrated. The question is whether he will stick around much longer. The Knicks certainly have the funds to pay him a top dollar sum of money, and a fanbase that puts some teams to shame. But, many people (including myself) don't think he will. He doesn't exactly owe anything to New York and they haven't delivered on their promise of becoming a dominant franchise.

So, where to for one of the league's best scorers ? There are reports that Kobe Bryant has tried to recruit him personally, and although this would be interesting to see what would happen to the Lakers' assists numbers, I don't see it happening.

The Bulls are another team being linked, especially after the departure of fellow Small Forward Luol Deng. I think this would be a good move for both parties. Anthony's defence has been improving in recent years and working with Tom Thibodeau can only improve that. Melo can return the favour by adding a significant scoring threat to a team currently languishing in last place in points scored per game.

Would a big three of Rose, Melo and Noah be enough to win a championship. If Rose stays fit and Noah maintains his level of play, they're heading in the right direction.

[Note : Since writing this article, sources have reported that Joakim Noah has convinced Melo to join the Bulls]

Miami's Big Three
The Heat-les, The Big Three, Miami Thrice, whatever you call them, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have dominated the game for the past couple of years. All of their contracts run out this year, meaning that this summer is one that could change the Heat franchise forever.

Chris Bosh
When Bosh came to the Heat, it was uncertain how he would react to not being the star player for the franchise. However, he's settled in nicely, as you can tell by his two rings and five All-Star appearances. So, why would he leave ? There's very few reasons, but maybe if he wanted to become the franchise player again, but I feel this is unlikely. He should stay.

Dwyane Wade
His knees may not be holding up, but his game certainly is. The shooting guard is being forced to play less minutes, due to his age, but his efficiency has increased, thanks to career high field goal and three point percentages. To be honest, he's only really needed for the Heat's playoff campaign, so it's hard to see him moving.

LeBron James
So now we come to the name on everyone's lips. LeBron's form has been improving and he has stepped his bid to win his 5th MVP title. He came to Miami in the search for rings, and it's worked, as he has two of them. Yet, some people still think he'll leave. I don't see it myself. Maybe if Bosh goes and Wade's knees pack up, but until then, the King will stay in South Beach.