This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
Spent some time in New Orleans over the Christmas break. (Miss me, did you? Aw. That's sweet.) I even managed to tear my attention away from the oysters and their half shells to make an observation or two about sports in that town.
You can't swing a set of plastic Mardi Gras beads in the French Quarter without hitting three people wearing Saints merchandise. It's everywhere. Every store has "who dat" gear. Even the bar in my hotel was named for Deuce McCallister.
Pelicans gear, on the other hand, might not exist. I saw no evidence of any. Every football team in the SEC was well-represented, as were Tulane and Oklahoma State (for Sugar Bowl reasons). Stores that carried Pelicans gear did so only when offering Yankees and Red Sox and Lakers and similar.
Obviously, the Saints have been more successful in recent memory than the Pelicans. But the Pelicans have Anthony Davis. He's pretty good at basketball. Not sure what this says about the team's immediate prospects, but it's not anything good.
OK, I'll stop channeling Darren Rovell now. Let's get back at it.
Earlier today, the Nets parted ways with coach Lionel Hollins and assistant coach Paul Westphal. General manager Billy King is still employed, in much the same way that Sam Hinkie still works for the Sixers - which is to say, "in name only. Another assistant, Tony Brown, will call the shots until replacements are found.
The management shakeup doesn't mean we should look for
Spent some time in New Orleans over the Christmas break. (Miss me, did you? Aw. That's sweet.) I even managed to tear my attention away from the oysters and their half shells to make an observation or two about sports in that town.
You can't swing a set of plastic Mardi Gras beads in the French Quarter without hitting three people wearing Saints merchandise. It's everywhere. Every store has "who dat" gear. Even the bar in my hotel was named for Deuce McCallister.
Pelicans gear, on the other hand, might not exist. I saw no evidence of any. Every football team in the SEC was well-represented, as were Tulane and Oklahoma State (for Sugar Bowl reasons). Stores that carried Pelicans gear did so only when offering Yankees and Red Sox and Lakers and similar.
Obviously, the Saints have been more successful in recent memory than the Pelicans. But the Pelicans have Anthony Davis. He's pretty good at basketball. Not sure what this says about the team's immediate prospects, but it's not anything good.
OK, I'll stop channeling Darren Rovell now. Let's get back at it.
Earlier today, the Nets parted ways with coach Lionel Hollins and assistant coach Paul Westphal. General manager Billy King is still employed, in much the same way that Sam Hinkie still works for the Sixers - which is to say, "in name only. Another assistant, Tony Brown, will call the shots until replacements are found.
The management shakeup doesn't mean we should look for major changes with this team - not right away, anyway. It's very difficult for NBA teams to make substantive changes to scheme or personnel during a season; there simply isn't enough practice time during the year to install new sets or integrate new players. We might not even see the Nets go into the trade deadline as major sellers, partly because they have very little to offer in trades and partly because there's no general manager in place right now to re-set the team's direction.
The Nets could theoretically be active at the trade deadline if they hire a new general manager quickly, and if that general manager is already highly established in NBA circles. But the list of candidates that meet those criteria is exceptionally short. Don't be surprised if Brooklyn plays out the string with an interim coach and general manager and waits until the offseason to fill both jobs.
Speaking of teams in transition: the Sixers started the season with the same average age as my son's seventh-grade class, but with new sheriff Jerry Colangelo calling the shots, that's changing. Twenty-seven year old journeyman Ish Smith (63 percent owned), acquired via trade on Christmas Eve, has been a major find and has combined with Nerlens Noel (95 percent) to create one of the most underrated League Pass attractions of the month.
Philly is also getting productive minutes from Carl Landry (2 percent), but his playing time may be unpredictable, as the Sixers have lots of options in the frontcourt. As such, Colangelo's highest-profile signee, 36-year-old Elton Brand, is expected to serve primarily as a tutor to fellow Dookie Jahlil Okafor and probably won't be much of a factor on the court.
As for Colangelo's old team, the Suns are veering rapidly towards "raging dumpster fire" territory. That roster is obviously a bad mix of personalities at this point and badly in need of a significant shakeup.
Picks for the Week:
Robin Lopez (68 percent) and Derrick Williams (3 percent):Carmelo Anthony's all-around play has been a big factor in the Knicks' recent hot streak. But so has Derek Fisher's shorter rotation. Earlier this season, New York was basically playing two five-man personnel groups. But in the last two weeks, they're really only going eight or nine deep. That means more minutes (and by extension, more production) from the players in that top eight. Lopez has rebounded particularly well from an awful stretch in November and early December, and Williams seems to be thriving as an energy player off the bench.
Tristan Thompson (55 percent):Timofey Mozgov was a huge part of Cleveland's run to the Finals last season, but Thompson has taken over his role and seems unlikely to give it back any time soon. In Sunday's win over the Sixers, Thompson played 32 minutes - tied with LeBron James and Kevin Love for the team high - while Mozgov played just nine.
Emmanuel Mudiay (51 percent): The rookie returns to the starting lineup just as Denver loses his primary backup - Jameer Nelson - to a hip injury. He should produce points and assists, but if you're worried about turnovers or shooting percentages, proceed with caution.
Aaron Gordon (41 percent): I wrote a lot about Gordon early in the season - primarily about my frustration that he wasn't playing more. That seems to be changing; he's averaging just under 25 minutes per over his last seven games. He's still more valuable in keeper/dynasty formats, but he's worth owning in single-season now.
Brandon Jennings (36 percent): I continue to be hesitant about players coming back from major Achilles' injuries, but… so far, so good. Even if completely healthy, Jennings won't max out his fantasy value because he's stuck behind Reggie Jackson in the Pistons' rotation. But he might be worth a claim on the possibility that he'll have a bigger role after the trade deadline - in another NBA city.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2 percent): File it away: MKG's recovering from what appeared to be a season-ending shoulder injury much more quickly than expected. He's already been cleared for non-contact drills, and could be back for the Hornets
