SAN ANTONIO  - For most, John Salmons didn’t move the needle the way Patrick Patterson or Greivis Vasquez did when they came over in that now franchise altering trade with the Sacramento Kings last December.

While Patterson and Vasquez became integral parts of the second unit, Salmons bounced around playing now and then and did the things that go unnoticed by the average fan.

He certainly didn’t fill the boxscore, but in crunch time when Dwane Casey needed stops and a calming presence on the floor, Salmons was invariably one of those he called upon.

These days the Raptors head coach doesn’t have a guy like that and while Salmons role cannot justifiably be considered large in comparison to the core rotation guys that made up that 2013-14 team, his role was big when the Raptors defensive needs were biggest.

And his absence is being felt quite a bit right now.

James Johnson and Lou Williams, the two new additions to the roster, have come in and added to the rotation but in different ways.

Williams role is almost 100% offensive and he has filled that more nights than not.

Johnson is a big, athletic body but does not have the old-man smarts or defensive discipline that made Salmons such a benefit to the Raptors last season, particularly late in games.

Johnson answered another need with a big, physical presence that can match up with the Joe Johnson’s of the world but as far as being consistently in the right place and on point with the defensive schemes, Johnson is not in Salmons’ class.

At the age of 34 last season, Salmons had been through the wars and for him playing team concept defence was second nature. Johnson may one day get there but it’s not a level you attain without years of experience.

Before they traded him to Atlanta for Williams and Lucas Nogueria, the Raptors were in reported discussions with Memphis to send Salmons and the cap relief he would provide a team acquiring him there in exchange for Tayshaun Prince and a first-rounder.

Prince would have provided the same type of defensive steadying influence that Salmons had last season, but that deal never came to fruition.

Williams, without question, has been a boon to the offensive side of things and is among the most likely to battle it out for sixth man of the year, but right now with 18 games remaining, it’s the teams’ defensive woes that are most concerning.

The team has a defensive rating of 107.5. That’s 107.5 points allowed per 100 possessions and it matches the worst defensive rating in the four years Casey has been the Raptors head coach.

The team was actually statistically better in it’s first year and certainly better last season when it had a defensive rating of 105.3.

Salmons’ absence isn’t the only reason for this obviously. Jonas Valanciunas is still learning and as the middle of that defensive unit his on-the-job training is just something the team has to live with. Amir Johnson seems to intermittently be showing signs of all the wear and tear on his body, although he did have a stellar second half in Tuesday’s loss in San Antonio, looking every bit the energetic Johnson of a couple of years ago.

But the lack of a veteran wise in the ways of defence to go along with a guy like Johnson, who has had his own consistency issues this year, is a bit of a hole on this roster.

Offensively this team is going to score. If it’s not Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan carrying the load in the starting five there’s always Williams and Greivis Vasquez in the second unit to pick up the scoring not to mention Patterson.

But defensively this team is lacking.

Casey had been preaching a need for more desire on that end, but more recently his pleas seem to be centred more on a desire for some defensive intellect on his team.

At this stage the only answers have to come from within that 15-man roster.

And a Salmons-like presence among that 15 does not exist.


(torontosun.com)

PHOENIX - The Phoenix Suns signed centre Earl Barron to a 10-day contract Saturday.

The 7-foot Barron has appeared in six games this season for the Suns, averaging 3.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 13.7 minutes. He had 10 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes at Houston on Oct. 13.

In 27 games for Bakersfield in the NBA Development League, Barron is averaging 20.3 points and 10.9 rebounds. In 124 career NBA games with Miami, New York, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Portland, Golden State and Washington, he has averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds.

The Suns waived guard Kendall Marshall and forward John Salmons.


(winnipegfreepress.com)

Updating a previous report, John Salmons has been sent to Phoenix as a part of the Norris Cole trade.

Salmons is going to be fighting for minutes behind Gerald Green and Marcus Thornton, and with season averages of 2.0 points on 33.3 percent shooting from the field, he's very unlikely to suddenly emerge as an asset in any league. Salmons is actually expected to be cut by the Suns.

(rotoworld.com)

The holidays are usually a slow time for real estate, but it seems to be a busy time for professional athletes.

Just this month, both Roy Halladay and Jonathan Papelbon put their homes on the market. And now former Sixers player John Salmons has listed his Main Line mansion for $4.9 million.

Salmons, who currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, purchased the 10,400-square-foot Bryn Mawr home with his wife, Taniesha, in October 2007 for $4.495 million. The couple just welcomed their fourth child last month.

The Philly-born forward got his start in the NBA while playing on the Sixers from 2002 to 2006.

Some highlights in Salmons’ pricey pad include a full gym, sauna and spa, a theater, an elevator, and a wine cellar. 

The master suite includes his and hers walk-in closets, and his and hers private bathrooms. There are six bedrooms and seven full bathrooms.
The massive home has a gated entrance with a private courtyard. It sits on one-and-a-half acres.

Salmons’ house isn’t too far from the Bryn Mawr digs of former Sixers coach Larry Brown, whose sale is reportedly pending. The estate, dubbed Linden Hall, had been on the market for as much as $7.85 million.

Click to view Salmons’ home


(philly.com)

John Salmons’ experience and versatility certainly has not been lost on New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams.

Despite having not been very productive and thus not getting a lot of playing time, his ability to play small forward and shooting guard has helped keep him the mix. And with a big hole at small forward and starting guard Eric Gordon out injured, Salmons could be a dose of medicine for an ailing lineup.

“He can play both,” Williams said. “And in our system, (small forward and shooting guard) can be interchangeable.”

Except for size concerns. At 6-feet-6 and in his 13th year, guarding taller, younger, more athletic small forwards is even more of a challenge than it was when he was younger. He was brought in to strengthen the small forward spot, with Darius Miller, who has limited experience, and Luke Babbitt, who is a small, outside-shooting power forward, also playing there.

Miller got his first start of the season Tuesday against Sacramento, with Tyeke Evans moving from small forward to Gordon’s shooting guard spot. However, Miller didn’t score in 14 minutes, 22 seconds. He did not play Friday at Atlanta.

Williams then tried Austin Rivers as the starting shooting guard against the Hawks, and he, too, did not score, shooting 0-of-8. Salmons, however, may have provided a glimmer of hope, shooting 3-of-6 on 3-point attempts and scoring nine points in 25 minutes, with four assists, a steal and a blocked shot.


(theneworleansadvocate.com)

Pelicans forward John Salmons was away from the team and unavailable to play Monday night against Memphis in order attend the birth of his child, according to the team's official website. Salmons has yet to score a point through his first two appearances this season.




(cbssports.com)

After Tuesday night’s opening win against Orlando, Pelicans small forward John Salmons stood off in the corner near his stall in the locker room at the Smoothie King Center and looked subdued instead of celebratory.

On the other side of the room, backup guard Jimmer Fredette had the same look. He showered and dressed quickly after the Pelicans’ impressive 101-84 victory.

Neither felt like celebrating, although power forward Anthony Davis and center Omer Asik combined for 40 points, 34 rebounds and 14 blocks in their first regular-season game paired together.

Salmons and Fredette, who were both signed this summer as free agents, didn’t make much of an impact to spark the bench, though.

In just more than nine minutes, Salmons went scoreless but had three fouls. Fredette missed all six shots attempts and scored two points.

Besides backup forward Ryan Anderson’s 22 points, the Pelicans’ entire bench was pretty much a no-show.

They combined on 3-of-13 shooting for 11 points. Yet, Salmons and Fredette are both aiming to be more reliable this Saturday when the Pelicans play the Dallas Mavericks, a team Coach Monty Williams said is one of the deepest in the league.

''It’s always tough when you don’t shoot the ball well,'' Fredette said. ''But when you play long enough, it’s going to happen at some point. You never like it as a shooter. But the good thing about it is that I got good shots. Some of them just wasn’t failing. But I tried to impact the game in other ways. It was all about getting the win and move on to the next one.''

In the preseason, Fredette showed ability to make shots. He shot a team-high 50 percent from 3-point range despite playing sparingly in the final two games. But he was unable to display much against the Magic, going 0-of-3 from 3-point range.

Anderson made 3-of-6 3-pointers, but rest of the Pelicans’ reserves combined to miss all five attempts. Guard Austin Rivers also struggled to make an impact off the bench offensively. He scored seven points but missed five of seven shots from the field, 0-of-2 from 3-point range.

''There are things in that first game that we looked at on film today that we’ve got to get better at,’’ Williams said. ''Like I always say, if the second unit can maintain or increase whether it be scoring or getting stops, it helps you a ton.''

It still appears Salmons is tentative and unsure on what he exactly needs to concentrate his efforts around to make a bigger impact.

At 34-year-old, Salmons was signed to a one-year, $2 million this summer to emerge as a veteran leader. He also came in as a 36.6 percent shooter from 3-point range. But he mostly struggled in the preseason, making only 21.4 percent of his shots from the field.

Salmons was a rookie during the 2002-03 season and a teammate of Williams when they played for the Philadelphia 76ers. But it has taken Salmons time to figure out Williams' system and he doesn't appear fully comfortable yet.

''We all continue to grow as a team and figure out how to play with each other,’’ Salmons said. ''We’re going to figure it out as we go. It was the first game of the season and we’re still jelling as a team. My role is to help the team win, that’s what I’m trying to do.''

Williams still believes Salmons will make an impact this season. He likes his versatility to play either small forward or shooting guard and leadership capabilities.

''He makes a lot of plays that may not show up on a stat sheet,''Williams said.''It sounds like a cliché, but he’s a bit of a head out there for us with that second group with Austin, Jimmer and Luke (Babbitt). John kind of calms them down a little bit.''

Despite heading into the second game, Williams is not set on his bench rotation. Although he paired Fredette and Rivers together in the backcourt against the Magic, it could change from game to game based on matchups, Williams said after Thursday's practice.

Regardless, the Pelicans is going to need more than just their starters to knock off the Mavericks, who emerged last season as the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.  

The Mavericks have plenty of scoring capability with their backups. Against the Spurs, guard Devin Harris came off the bench and scored 17 points and had five assists.

''Austin has the capability of guarding both point guards and shooting guards, Jimmer probably not so much,’’ Williams said. ''I think matchups and how guys are playing will dictate that. Also, we can go with John and Luke with Austin. It gives you the ability to switch more.''


(nola.com)

For the first time in four games, New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams made a change at small forward.

Instead of Darius Miller, 34-year-old veteran John Salmons earned his first start in the preseason on Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets. After the first three games, Salmons had shot a lackluster 28.6 percent from the field and had averaged 2.0 points.

But Williams said he wants to see how Salmons performs with the starters. Neither Miller, Salmons or Luke Babbitt had been able to emerge at the spot. It appears now that swingman Tyreke Evans will earn the starting small forward spot when he returns from a strained right hamstring.

Although he sat out Tuesday's game, Evans is expected to get his first game action in the preseason on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Smoothie King Center.

''He’s (Salmons) had some minutes and they've all had a great shot,'' Williams said before Tuesday's game. "But John hasn’t had a chance to play with the starters. I want to see how that goes before Tyreke gets himself ready to play.''

Salmons said he has been slow to make progress but it has taken him time to get acclimated to Williams' system and adjust to new teammates. Last week against the Washington Wizards, Salmons scored three points on 1-of-3 shooting.

In 20 minutes during Tuesday's 117-98 victory, Salmons was held scoreless. He grabbed five rebounds, had a block and steal.

''It's a process because we're all still trying to adjust to each other,'' Salmons said. ''I just have to continue to develop and try to find where I can fit in and find my niche. I'm trying to get in game shape.''

The Pelicans signed Salmons to a one year, $2 million contract this summer after the team decided not to pursue re-signing Al-Farouq Aminu, who had started the past two seasons at small forward. 

Williams said Babbitt would likely draw more minutes off the bench against the Rockets than he did in the previous two games. He kept his promise by playing Babbitt almost nine minutes in the first half.  Babbitt had struggled since scoring 15 points in the preseason opener against the Miami Heat. In the previous two games before Tuesday, Babbitt had combined to make 1-of-10 shots from the field for five points. But he enjoyed a good start against the Rockets, making his first three shots, including all two 3-point attempts, in the first half.

''As a player, you always want more minutes,'' Babbitt said. "But I’m used to playing sporadic minutes. It’s something I’ve done a lot in my career. So I’ll be ready whatever minutes are available. I’m not really concerned. It’s a long preseason and it’s a long season.'' 


(nola.com)

Over the course of the next 3 ½ weeks, New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams and his staff have some things they'll need sort out. The most pressing appears to be finding a starting small forward.

John Salmons, a wily 12-year veteran signed this offseason, could be the answer. But the Pelicans have no plans to anoint him just yet.

Salmons will have to win the job through his performances in training camp and preseason games. And he'll have to beat out Darius Miller and Luke Babbitt for the job.

"We want to get a look at a number of guys in that position," Williams said after Thursday's practice. "I'm still not sure who we are going to go with at that spot. But we have some different options.

"Obviously John is a guy we brought in to play some minutes there, but he can also play the two (shooting guard) and at times he can play as a big ball handler. That's what these preseason games and camp are about. We want to get a good look. But at the same time, I don't want to be getting a good look and sacrificing the continuity of our team. I feel like we need the guys who are going to play out there on the court together so we can get some rhythm."

If none of the three take the reins, the Pelicans could start swingman Tyreke Evans, who is expected to miss most – if not all – of preseason while nursing a strained hamstring.

But it appears Salmons, who was signed for one season at $2 million, will be given a good look.

Salmons, 6 feet 6 and 207 pounds, has been a starter for about half of his NBA career. But he said it isn't necessarily critical that he starts this season.

"I'm just going to come in here and do my job, try to do the best I can," Salmons said. "I'm more focusing on trying to win some games than anything else. But we'll see. That's up to the coaching staff to try and figure that out.

"I look at myself as a basketball player. You get to a point where whatever it is and however you can help this team win that's what you do. Whether that's to start or come off the bench, you just try to help the team win."

While the battle for the starting spot is ongoing, the ultimate winner of the position might not be the best player.

Williams said the staff hopes to find the best fit to mesh with his other starters, preferably a good shooter and defender.

"I know there is a theory to put the best players on the floor," Williams said. "But if you look at the World Champs (San Antonio Spurs), they don't always do that. They usually go with the best fit rather than putting the best players on the floor all the time."

The Pelicans have had neither in recent seasons.

For years the Pelicans struggled to get consistent production from the small forward position. The Pelicans haven't had a small forward average more than 11 points a game since Peja Stojakovic in the 2009-2010 season.

The starter the past 2 ½ seasons, Al-Farouq Aminu, was an offensive liability who never averaged more than 7.3 points per game or shot better than 27.7 percent from the 3-point range.

After Aminu was signed by the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, a void was left.

The 34-year-old Salmons, who has averaged 9.4 points a game for his career and shot 36.6 percent on 3-point attempts, said he didn't sign with the Pelicans simply because of a perceived need at the position.

"That wasn't a factor in why I came here," Salmons said. "I played with coach Williams my rookie year and we have been friends ever since. He is a guy who helped me out a lot my rookie year, spiritually on the court and off the court. I knew other guys on the coaching staff, and just knowing what kind of organization they were trying to run and turn around, I wanted to be apart of."

Indeed, Williams said he took a liking to Salmons early on. Williams was a veteran forward for the Philadelphia 76ers when they obtained Salmons shortly after the San Antonio Spurs selected him in the first round of the 2002 draft.

Williams said Salmons would bring some much needed leadership and toughness to the team.

"He reminds me how old I am getting because he was my rookie in Philly," Williams said. "We just stayed in contact over the years. I love his way. He has developed nicely. He has had a really good career. We never really talk about basketball. We just talk about our families, our faith and different things like that. He is just a solid, solid dude.

"We talked about trying to get him a couple years ago but he was making so much money we couldn't do it at the time. But it just seemed like the appropriate time to bring him in because he can show our guys some things we are trying to teach. And sometimes your best teacher can be another player, especially a seasoned vet."

Salmons can play, too.

Although he wasn't a starter last season when he played in 60 games for the Toronto Raptors and averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds, Salmons is considered a solid defender and a good shooter. His best season came in 2008-2009 season when he averaged 18.3 points per game for the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings.

"He can shoot the ball," Williams said. "He has great experience. The thing I have always liked about John is you can't rattle him. With John sometimes you have to grab his wrist and check his pulse because that's just his way. He's got a solid demeanor about him and he has experience. He has been on some really good teams and been in really good programs. I just like him as a player."

It's uncertain if Williams likes him enough to be the starting small forward.


(nola.com)

This summer, veteran small forward John Salmons wasn’t considered one of the top available players in free agency. But he was near the top of the New Orleans Pelicans’ priority list.

He was targeted because of his experience and potential to be a consistent contributor. For the past three seasons, the Pelicans desired consistency from 24-year-old small forward Al-Farouq Aminu.

Aminu, however, could not deliver despite starting the previous two seasons. The Pelicans did not extend Aminu a contract offer this summer as an unrestricted free agent, which led to him signing a two-year deal to join the Dallas Mavericks.

Still, the small forward position appears to be the Pelicans’ weakest spot heading into next Tuesday’s start of training camp. It’s likely that Salmons, a 12-year veteran, will be in a competitive battle with third-year forward Darius Miller and Luke Babbitt for the starting job.

Also, it has not been ruled out that swingman Tyreke Evans could move into the spot as a starter if Pelicans coach Monty Williams decides to stick with Eric Gordon as the starting shooting guard.

Williams has not disclosed his plans yet, but he thinks they have enough talent whichever way he uses his rotation.

''I’m excited about our roster,’’ Williams said last week. ''That doesn’t mean I’m not always trying to figure out ways for us to get better.''

At 34, Salmons is the oldest player on the team’s roster. But the Pelicans are hoping he still has plenty left to emerge. Salmons has been in the league since 2002-03, having played for the Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.

Salmons, who signed a one-year, $2 million contract, has not been in a starting role since the 2012-13 season when he started 72 of 76 games for the Sacramento Kings and averaged 8.8 points.

As a backup, Salmons played 60 games with the Toronto Raptors last season and averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds. In June, the Raptors traded Salmons to the Atlanta Hawks.

Immediately after acquiring him, Atlanta put Salmons on waivers to clear salary cap space that allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. While the Pelicans are aiming for Salmons to emerge, they also want Miller to excel like he did this past April, when he scored in double figures in three of the final five games of the season.

In July, Miller was not extended a $1.15 million qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent. But the Pelicans still wanted to bring him back. He signed for one year at a veterans’ minimum of $915,243, which is non-guaranteed.

Babbitt is also expected to compete for minutes at the spot because of his ability to score from the perimeter. He played in 27 games with the Pelicans last season and averaged 6.3 points.

New Orleans Pelicans small forwards
Jason Salmons 6-6, 207 (2013-14: 60 games, 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.2 blocks)
Darius Miller 6-8, 225 (2013-14: 45 games, 4.4 ppg., 1.2 rpg., 1.0 apg,, 0.2 bpg.)
Luke Babbitt 6-9, 225 (2013-14: 27 games, 6.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 1.1 apg., 0.4 bpg.)


(nola.com)

AUGUST 12TH: Salmons has finally signed his deal, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The team has yet to make an official announcement. It’s indeed for $2MM, all of which will count against the cap for the Pelicans this year, even though $500K of the payout is deferred, as Pincus adds in a second tweet.

JULY 14TH: The Pelicans will ink a deal with swingman John Salmons, whom the Hawks waived last week after acquiring him from the Raptors, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. New Orleans appears to be choosing a deal with him over Omri Casspi, whom the Pelicans are reportedly likely to release after the trade that brings him and Omer Asik to New Orleans is finalized. It’ll be a one-year, $2MM deal for Salmons, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). Presumably, it’ll come out of the team’s $2.732MM room exception.

The Joel Bell client split this past season between the Kings and Raptors, receiving a similar amount of playing time with both teams. He averaged 5.2 points in 22.1 minutes, but his 38.7% three-point shooting was a career high outside of his 41.7% mark in 2008/09.

The 34-year-old’s name was reportedly a part of predraft trade talks between the Raptors and Grizzlies, but Memphis apparently wasn’t too motivated to advance the discussion further. It seems like he’ll nonetheless stand a decent chance of starting at small forward for New Orleans, which renounced its rights to incumbent starter Al-Farouq Aminu and has little other means to acquire a replacement.


(hoopsrumors.com)

While center Omer Asik is prominently in the New Orleans Pelicans' plans to help strengthen their frontcourt for this upcoming season, small forward Omri Casspi apparently is not.

That's because free agent small forward John Salmons agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal on Monday to join the Pelicans, a league source confirmed.
It appeared on Sunday, the Pelicans had fulfilled their need at small forward after reaching an agreement in a three-team trade to acquire center Asik and Casspi from the Houston Rockets.

But a league source said Monday that Casspi will ''most likely'' be waived after the NBA approves the trade involving the Pelicans, Rockets and Washington Wizards.

New Orleans desires a proven veteran and the 34-year-old Salmons has been in the league since 2002-03 and has a career 9.4 scoring average. He began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, but has played for the Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.

This past season, he played in 60 games for the Raptors and averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds. Salmons, 6-6, 207 pounds, has not been in a starting role since the 2012-13 season when he started 72 of 76 games for the Kings and averaged 8.8 points.

Salmon's best season came in 2009-10 after he was traded by the Chicago Bulls to the Milwaukee Bucks. In the final 30 games, which he started 28, Salmons averaged 19.9 points.

Last week, the Atlanta Hawks put Salmons on waivers to clear salary cap space after acquiring him a week earlier from the Raptors in a trade.

Despite signing Salmons, the Pelicans could still look to fill the backup small forward spot with a player on their summer league roster. Former NBA veteran Josh Howard, DeQuan Jones, James Southerland and Courtney Fells are all vying for minutes this week.


(nola.com)

The Atlanta Hawks under the management of Danny Ferry has been much different than its previous front office leaders. The Hawks have been looking to adopt a more Spurs-like approach while creating the cap space necessary to add significant pieces. It's a change from throwing big money at players like Josh Smith and Joe Johnson while leaving zero flexibility to the roster options for this franchise.

According to Chris Vivlamore, the Hawks are expected to make another move to grab more space under the salary cap. A recent trade of Lou Williams and the draft rights to Lucas Nogueira to the Toronto Raptors for John Salmons gave the Hawks the chance to waive Salmons and create even more cap space because of his non-guaranteed money for the 2014-15 season.

Salmons was set to make $7 million in 2014-15 but only $1 million of that is guaranteed. This will take the Hawks down to roughly $19 million under the salary cap, making the potentially major players in the pursuit of a big time player under contract or looking for a nice contract in free agency. Salmons split time last season between the Kings and the Toronto Raptors while averaging 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 78 games. He played 22.1 minutes per game.


(cbssports.com)

Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors have completed a deal that will send John Salmons to the Hawks for Lou Williams.

Toronto has traded John Salmons to Atlanta for Lou Williams and Bebe Nugiera, source tells Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 30, 2014

Salmons has a valuable contract, because his $7M is a team option for 2014-'14 season. He gives Hawks further ability to clear space.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 30, 2014

The Hawks can waive Salmons by Monday and pay only $1 million of his $7 million salary next season.  Toronto will get a pretty good point guard who can likely soften the loss of Kyle Lowry if he bolts in free agency.


(thacover2.com)

TORONTO — Here is the list: Larry Brown, Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, Jim O’Brien, Maurice Cheeks, Eric Musselman, Reggie Theus, Kenny Natt, Vinny Del Negro, Scott Skiles, Paul Westphal, Keith Smart, Mike Malone, Dwane Casey.

John Salmons is in his 12th year in the NBA, and he has played for 14 head coaches. Because of the volume, that means some have been good coaches and some have been bad. Some have had the respect of their players, and some have not.

“It’s a tough spot for a head coach,” Salmons said in a conversation with three reporters earlier this week. “The majority of the players get paid more than the coaches. A lot of times players have more power than coaches. If it’s a good organization from the top, the coach pretty much follows. If the organization gives the coach some leeway, some power from the top, then he [has respect].”

The Raptors have yearned for that type of stability for years now. June 2004 was the last time a general manager and coach ascended to their positions at roughly the same time for the Raptors, when Rob Babcock and Sam Mitchell landed those jobs, respectively. Last year, it was clear that general manager Bryan Colangelo and Casey, the Raptors’ coach, disagreed on some rather essential points.

This year, it seemed like a lock for that pattern to continue. Colangelo was removed as general manager, replaced by Masai Ujiri, who was emboldened with a five-year contract. Ujiri retained Casey, but did not extend his contract, which ends after this season. The situation still looked like a petri dish capable of growing more organizational dysfunction.

Yet, there was Casey on Wednesday, punctuating a four-game winning streak by harping on the Raptors’ diminished defence. He has continued to coach to his beliefs, and the players have not sensed any interference from above.

“A lot of organizations don’t allow coaches to do certain things,” Salmons said. When asked if that included setting a team’s rotation, Salmons nodded. “In this organization, they give [Casey] a lot of leeway to coach. Players see that and know that he’s got the back of the organization and they have to fall in line.

“All year he’s been trying to build for this moment. He was always looking at the bigger picture. Even when we were in the middle of making our run, he always had the bigger picture in mind … He gave us something to shoot for.”

They have not yet hit their target. The Raptors are 12-6 since March 9, an excellent record. However, the raw win-loss numbers lie a little bit: The Raptors have allowed 105.7 points per 100 possessions, just 17th in the league. In the three months prior, they had ranked fourth in the same category.

For Casey, who has preached defence for his entire tenure, that is worrisome. Part of the slippage has been injury-related, with Patrick Patterson, Amir Johnson and Kyle Lowry all missing some time and playing hurt in other games. Casey also pointed to calendar-related distractions — the playoffs are close, so it is hard not to let your mind wander.

However, for a team with so little playoff experience, it is critical that a coach has his players’ attention at this time of the year.

“You can tell if a coach is saying one thing and don’t really mean it or saying one thing and doing something different,” Salmons said. “That’s when players tend to lose respect for coaches. With [Casey], what you see is what you get. Straightforward, tell you how it is.

“Players want honesty. Just tell me what you want or what I’m not doing. You know what I’m saying? Just let me know. Don’t just hang me in the wind not knowing. I think they do a good job of that here. That’s a big deal.”


(nationalpost.com)

TORONTO — The most serendipitous aspect of this surprise season for the Toronto Raptors is that it could have been anybody who came from Sacramento in the Rudy Gay trade. Gay makes about US$19-million annually, which meant the Raptors had to take back approximately the same amount in return.

Those “anybodies” have identities, though. The Raptors received Greivis Vasquez, who solved the team’s backup point guard problem. They got Patrick Patterson, who became one of the league’s best reserve forwards the minute he cleared customs, or so it seemed. And in addition to the sparingly used Chuck Hayes, they got swingman John Salmons.

That part of the acquisition was particularly rich. Salmons spurned the Raptors when he was a free agent in 2006, citing divine intervention. He signed with the Kings, angering many Raptors fans. Yet here was Salmons, well into the back half of his career, forced to come to Toronto to spend at least three-quarters of a season wasting away on what was supposed to be a bad Raptors team.

“Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. That’s true. I had no idea what to expect,” Salmons said on Wednesday. “I didn’t know what my situation was going to be with the team. I didn’t know if I was going to play or if I wasn’t going to play or how good the team could be.”

The Raptors play the Kings for the second time this season on Friday, and Salmons is delighted, albeit in his own stoic manner. His playing time has taken a hit — he played 30 minutes per game for the Kings, and is at 24 for the Raptors — but his time likely would have dipped in Sacramento as the season progressed. Most importantly, the Raptors are winning, and his new coaching staff adores him.

Since Salmons played his first game for Toronto, the Raptors have scored 6.5 more points per 100 possessions than they have allowed when he has been on the floor. Most of that is due to his defensive contributions, as the second unit has been particularly excellent on that end of the floor. The Raptors have allowed just 96.8 points per 100 possessions while Salmons has played, a figure that would be good enough for second overall in the league, behind only Indiana. Yet, his influence extends beyond that.

I didn’t know if I was going to play or if I wasn’t going to play or how good the team could be

“I think it was the Atlanta game here at home,” coach Dwane Casey said of the Feb. 12 game against the Hawks. “We were struggling offensively. He made a point, saying, ‘Don’t let our offence dictate our defence.’ He was exactly on the money. He just said that out of the blue in the locker room to the players, at halftime. That was a huge statement coming from a player. Usually coaches have to say [that].”

Or as Casey put it before last week’s triple-overtime loss to Washington, making reference to the famous advertising campaign for the brokerage firm: “He’s like E.F. Hutton: When John Salmons speaks, people listen. He rarely speaks, but when he does, it’s profound.”

Salmons says that because of his experience in the league, he has trouble letting small mistakes go. At 34, he is in his 12th season. The 76ers, the team Salmons broke in with in 2002, made the second round of the playoffs in his rookie season. He has not returned to the post-season, losing in the first round in Philadelphia, Chicago and Milwaukee. In two stints with the Kings, the team never made the playoffs.

“It goes quick. It goes quick,” Salmons said of his career. “My first year, going to the second round, you think that’s going to happen every year. As we all know, it doesn’t … We have a chance to go far in the playoffs.”

Casey is thrilled to have Salmons around, in part because his habits might positively influence second-year starter Terrence Ross. Salmons is glad to pass on the lessons taught to him by 76ers veterans Aaron McKie, Eric Snow and Monty Williams, who is now New Orleans’ coach. He is happier for his own sake, though.

“It has turned out great,” Salmons said. “God is good.”

Anybody could have come here from Sacramento. That it was Salmons makes this season feel even more charmed.


(nationalpost.com)

Toronto Raptors’ F John Salmons didn’t take the court Sunday versus the Lakers.

Salmons was removed from Friday's contest with back spasms, bringing to a close a seven-game stretch earning 20-plus minutes. Coach Dwane Casey relayed that Terrence Ross will be handed more playing time than usual, with Steve Novak or Landry Fields picking up minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, consider Salmons questionable for Monday's outing in Charlotte.


(rotowire.com)

Toronto Raptors F John Salmons hit 5-of-9 shots and three 3-pointers for 13 points, one rebound, two assists, two steals and a block off the bench on Wednesday.
He played 27 minutes, while starter Terrence Ross played 25 and had eight points, four rebounds and two 3-pointers. Salmons has hit double figures in scoring in three straight games and is averaging 12 points, 1.75 steals and 2.5 3-pointers over that stretch. Ross is still the guy to own for now, but Salmons deserves a watchful eye from fantasy owners in case he continues to stay hot off the bench.


(rotoworld.com)

John Salmons scored 10 points off the bench in Monday's blowout win, hitting 3-of-5 shots (including two threes) with four rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes.
Salmons has picked up the pace over the last week and if you were able to randomly predict his uptick he'd be useful in a 12-team standard league, but when you expand his sample to a two-week period he's been a 16-team option in standard leagues at best. Plan accordingly.


(rotoworld.com)

John Salmons came off the bench and played 29 minutes on Tuesday, but finished with just four points, four rebounds and four fouls.
The minutes were big and Salmons has been seeing enough run off the bench to be given consideration for pick up in many leagues, in case he gets hot. That hasn't happened yet though, as he's scored eight or fewer points in his last five games, averaging just 5.0 points and 1.8 3-pointers in 26 minutes per game during that stretch. Just keep an eye on him in case he ever gets hot.


(rotoworld.com)

NEW YORK - In the summer of 2006 John Salmons nixed a sign-and-trade deal that would have made him a Raptor heading into the prime of his career.

He was 26 years old at the time and coming off his best season in Philadelphia. But his faith had led him in a different direction, it led him to Sacramento.

Over seven years later, his career has come around full circle. He starred for playoff teams in Chicago and Milwaukee, ended up back with the Kings and now, fate - in the form of a seven-player swap - has finally steered him to Toronto.

The 34-year-old swingman was supposed to be a spare part in the salary dump of Rudy Gay, a contract that could be bought out at an affordable price in the offseason or moved at the deadline. He still may end up being those things but two weeks into his ironic tenure in Toronto, he has brought something no one expected him to, something the Raptors have been without for years. As head coach Dwane Casey has put it, Salmons brings "old-school toughness."

"He has a settling effect when he's in the game and it helps us," Casey said of Salmons, who is averaging 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds, playing just under 26 minutes per game in six contests with the Raptors. "He doesn't get rattled."

A versatile defender, Salmons has been used to frustrate the opponent's best wing player, most notably Monta Ellis and Kevin Durant in a pair of surprising road victories last week. He's been one of the first players off Casey's bench, a facilitator in the offence down the stretch but most importantly, he's been a calming presence in the face of adversity and that's rubbing off on his new teammates.

After engineering a 19-point comeback in Dallas and withstanding a run from the league's best team in Oklahoma City, the team pointed to Salmons and his understated brand of leadership.

"I'm not a rah-rah guy at all," the even-keeled Salmons admitted after Sunday's win over the Thunder. "But I've been around for a long time, I've experienced a lot so I just try to give my advice when I can."

"Being in the league as long as I've been I've seen a lot of things and I just try to show poise on the court and lead like that."

If you didn't know any better you could easily mistake Salmons' unflappable persona for indifference but that, as his new coach has learned, is not the case.

"He's very quiet, [a] quiet leader," Casey said. "He does more [with] his actions than his words but he's a solid man. You engage him in conversation and he has a lot to say. People take that quietness for, whatever but he has a lot to say once you sit down and talk with him.

"I like his demeanour. I like his approach. He's an old-school pro."

It's been some time since the Raptors have rostered a vet able and willing to make that type of impact on the team's younger players. You may have to go all the way back to the days of Charles Oakley, Kevin Willis, Doug Christie and the veteran-laden teams that helped turn Vince Carter into an overnight superstar.

"I remember walking in [on] day two," Carter reminisced before facing the Raptors in Dallas last week. "And Oak grabbed me by the shoulder and said, hey, I'm going to take care of you and show you how to be a professional and be a pro in this league.

"And I think of those days and I think of coming to practice when they used to kick the ball in the stands and what do you say? Nothing, you've just got to go get it. You learn a lot from that."

Salmons is not Oakley - few are - but his experience and know-how could go a long way in the continued development of sophomores Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas. Then there's DeMar DeRozan, another willing student who, in his fifth NBA season has been forced to learn on the fly without the benefit of a mentor. Veteran players have come and gone - DeRozan credited Reggie Evans and Jarrett Jack - but the roster has mostly been in flux since the 24-year-old was drafted. No one has been around long enough to truly take DeRozan under their wing. Salmons may not be a long-term fixture either, but for now DeRozan is taking in what he can.

"He's played in the playoffs, he's been a leader a long time, played with a lot of great guys," DeRozan said of his new teammates. "He knows how to play the game.

"We're definitely paying attention to it, I'm even paying more attention to it. I always look at it like, I could always learn more and that's what we're doing."

Salmons is due to make $7 million next season but the Raptors will only owe him $1 million should they waive him prior to June 30. For that reason, he could become a valuable trade chip and thanks to Masai Ujiri's timely acquisition of the four Kings players, he can be repackaged before the February deadline.

His time in Toronto may end up being short-lived but even as a temporary player, he could have a long-lasting impact on the future of the Raptors franchise.


(tsn.ca)

SAN ANTONIO -  Prior to his arrival in Toronto, John Salmons was best known in these parts for being the guy who famously said God told him not to go to Toronto after verbally agreeing to a deal.

Two weeks into his tenure in Raptors colours, Salmons is changing many of those now 7-year-old first impressions.

In the one he’s leaving now, Salmons is a fearless scorer, defender and all-around pain in the rear to play against.

He’s the type of player Dwane Casey has been clamouring for behind closed doors when the conversation turns to what this team is lacking.

He’s a veteran of 12 years in the league who knows how to and is willing to fight through screens and whatever defensive obstacle an opponent puts in his way to get to the basket.

He does not wilt in crunch time or when the physicality gets amped up. He takes it to another level.

Anyone in Sacramento reading this might have fallen off their stool by now. For whatever reason the Salmons we are seeing in Toronto is not the one who left the California capital. Sometimes it’s just time to move on. Opportunity also plays into it. Salmons brought with him an on-court demeanour that was not in abundance on the Toronto roster and because of that has an opportunity in Toronto he didn’t have in Sacramento.

And he’s making the most of it.

Sunday night in Oklahoma City with the Thunder having wrested a first half lead the Raptors had built with a dominant third quarter, the Toronto loss was already being written.

A remarkably solid first half appeared to have been their best shot after the Thunder came out in the third and won the quarter 28-13.

Even coming off a surprising comeback win over a veteran-heavy team in Dallas two nights earlier, it was just too much to think the Raptors could do it again.
Salmons, who doesn’t know the history of the Raptors in these situations basically put the team on his back over the final 12 minutes and took them to victory.

As Kyle Lowry, who is as astute as any player on the Raptors roster when it comes to breaking down a game would say afterwards: “John Salmons?,” Lowry said. “I mean give him the game ball, offensively and defensively. Just, here, take the ball. He was a big-time player tonight.”

Salmons’ night started out rather badly as his first three touches of the night ended up in turnovers. Things got exponentially better after that.

Salmons was one of three Raptors — Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan the other two — who played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter. Salmons and Johnson shared defensive duties on the current NBA scoring leader in Kevin Durant and limited him to three points on 1-of-6 shooting.

On the offensive end Salmons was a demon. Those turnover blues from the first half were out of his system and Salmons attacked the basket like it contained the answer to all his prayers.

He would score nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, masterminding the second comeback of this now unlikely 2-0 road trip.

The Raptors have now beaten the Mavs, who owned an 11-2 record at their home, and the Thunder who had not lost at home in 13 games this season.

Salmons, with his fourth-quarter brilliance on Sunday and his defensive shutdown of Monta Ellis on Friday, was pivotal in both. It’s no coincidence that Salmons was on the floor for all 12 minutes of both fourth quarters and the entire five minutes of the overtime period in Dallas.

It’s clear that Casey will lean on Salmons and his experience and his knowledge of what it takes to win in the NBA as much as he possibly can.

“He is used to it and our guys are going to learn from it,” Casey said. “You see guys like Terrence Ross over there cheering for him and he is going to learn from it. (Jonas Valanciunas) will learn from it. John is out there talking to JV and telling him what to do, how to do things, where he likes his screen and that’s huge.”

It’s quite likely that few saw the impact Salmons would have on the Raptors coming. But it’s also clear that Casey has zeroed in on it and will ride it for all its worth.


(torontosun.com)

Raptors coach Dwane Casey stuck with John Salmons down the stretch in Sunday's tough win in OKC, and Salmons finished with 14 points, three boards, two assists and two steals.
He knocked down one 3-pointer in 31 minutes and would be worth owning if he routinely saw this much playing time, but that's far from guaranteed. Before you think about picking him up, note that he's shooting just 35.2 percent from the field in 22 games with the Kings and Raptors this season.


(rotoworld.com)

Finally a Raptor, John Salmons hopes Toronto fans don’t have any hard feelings.

Back in 2006, Salmons a versatile swingman, famously backed out of a five-year, $23 million sign-and-trade deal with Bryan Colangelo’s Raptors, saying his faith urged him to sign elsewhere. He then inked a similar contract with the Sacramento Kings.

“In a very stressful and tough decision, he decided he could not accept the opportunity to play for the Raptors, even though he was excited about the prospect of being in Toronto,” agent Joel Bell said at the time.

Salmons, traded to the Raptors as part of the Rudy Gay deal earlier this week, said the 2006 decision was difficult.

“I had a couple options on the table (he also turned Phoenix down). I just felt like it was a thing where I relied on my faith. I felt it wasn’t the place for me to be at the time,” Salmons said Wednesday.

“I hope the fans don’t hold it against me. I felt like it was something I had to do because of my faith. That’s what it was.”

The Raptors settled for Fred Jones and went years trying to find a competent swingman (Jason Kapono came the next year) after missing on Salmons.
Only $1 million of Salmons’ contract is guaranteed for next season and he is a prime candidate to be dealt by the trade deadline in February.

For now though, he’s happy.

“It’s a great opportunity. It’s a great situation. It’s a chance to make the playoffs. We’re right there, a couple games behind first in the Atlantic,” Salmons said.


(torontosun.com)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Kings made a risky reach for immediate credibility and agreed to acquire Rudy Gay, his bloated contract and his ever-declining shooting from the Raptors in a seven-player deal Sunday that is mostly a salary dump for Toronto.

The Raptors will get Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and Chuck Hayes, with only Hayes ($5.9 million) and Salmons (a $1-million buyout on his $7 million guaranteed) on the books next season. Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy are also headed to Sacramento as the new management team continues to follow through on plans to aggressively pursue deals, so aggressive that the Kings just countered two moves made in the five months since Pete D’Alessandro was hired as general manager.

The Kings got Vasquez from New Orleans as part of the three-team deal that sent Tyreke Evans to the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade, started him at point guard, and now traded him 18 games into the season, returning Isaiah Thomas to the opening lineup. And, the Kings traded for Derrick Williams on Nov. 26, said they were committed to him as the starter at small forward, and now bring in Gay four games later, unless they have another immediate deal in place for Gay.


(nba.com)

Texans safety Ed Reed was at the White House with his former team today, being honored by the President for the Ravens’ Super Bowl victory.

Afterward,  Reed spoke with reporters and was asked about the Texans’ Week 3 matchup against the Ravens.

“I plan on being back for Week 1,” Reed said after visiting the White House, according to Ravens.com. “But as you’ve known me for the longest time, I’m going to be smart about my injuries and make sure I’m there for the later part of the season when the team really needs me.”

Reed, 34, had arthroscopic hip surgery at the end of April. That kind of surgery typically takes about three months of recovery, and the Texans are expecting to have Reed practicing again at some point in training camp. That was how coach Gary Kubiak termed it recently after an OTA session.

Reed’s quote doesn’t indicate that he won’t be be available for the start of the season, but it doesn’t close the door on that, either.


(chron.com)

Veteran swingman John Salmons figured he was expendable.

The Kings hadn’t used their amnesty waiver provision on him, so it seemed logical that his $7.6 million salary might be used to free salary cap space for this season.

“A little bit,” said Salmons, when asked if he was surprised to still be with the Kings. “A little bit. I can’t lie about that. But I’m good with being here, but I am a little surprised.”


(hoopsworld.com)

LAS VEGAS – John Salmons and his $7.6 million salary aren't leaving Sacramento in the immediate future.

Tuesday night's deadline for teams to use the amnesty provision to shed salary passed without the Kings waiving the veteran swingman.

For the first five years of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement signed after the 2010-11 season, teams can waive one of their players whose contract was in effect before the 2011-12 season.

That salary would not count against the salary cap or for luxury tax purposes. The team still pays the waived player, but he is free to join another team, with his former club paying the difference in salary.

Teams under the cap can bid on an amnestied player. If he clears waivers with no bids, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Speculation about whether the Kings would use the provision on Salmons had persisted since last offseason. He struggled during the 2011-12 season, but the Kings weren't in a position financially to waive him and pay players to replace him.

The Kings were looking to improve at Salmons' small forward spot this offseason and traded for Luc Mbah a Moute.


(sacbee.com)

Sacramento Kings are ready to use amnesty clause on John Salmons to create more cap flexibility. During the Maloof-era the amnesty clause had never been used for financial problems of the team. Salmons is the most expensive player on the roster and has already two more years in his contract for a total amount of 17 million dollars.

The Sacramento Kings have been a true home for John Salmons in his NBA career and the 11-year veteran was probably as happy as anyone that steps have been made to keep the Sacramento franchise in the NBA.

Salmons has had some excellent years in Sacramento, especially his first stint with the Kings. He’s a veteran face with the franchise and a crowd pleaser. The fans in Sacramento will especially be happy they’ll see Salmons in action next year. Salmons did not want to go to Seattle and have a home team where the fans know little about him and didn’t really appreciate him, like they do in Sacramento.

But one needs to wonder how the Sacramento Kings will use him for next season.

Salmons might not admit this, but he appears to be at the twilight of his career. For the Milwaukee Bucks, during the 2011-12 season, he was at 35 minutes, 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game.

But his last two seasons with the Kings have been a struggle. He played in 46 games during the NBA lockout shortened season in 2011-12 and only averaged 7.5 points per game. This season, he got slightly better with 30.0 minutes per game, 8.8 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game. His best season came in Sacramento for 2008-09 when he averaged 37.4 minutes, 47.2 percent field goal shooting and 18.3 points per game. His best basketball is probably behind him, but Salmons should plan on a hard summer of work and the result could be more solid production for the Kings next year.


(rantsports.com)

WHITEMARSH — John Salmons returned to his alma mater, Plymouth Whitemarsh, on Friday afternoon to be added to the wall of distinguished graduates for his successful career in the NBA. However, what few people know is that John Salmons never really left.

“Right around this time of year you’ll get a text and you’ll hear John is coming up tomorrow,” said PW head coach Jim Donofrio. “He’s right back in the gym … right up at Colonial Elementary school all summer long and we’re all proud of that and we let him go, we let him do his thing.

“Everyone, the custodians, Superintendant, they see him, give a wave and just let him go.”

In the off-season, Salmons is a regular at Colonial Elementary School where he goes about his regimen in preparation for the next season. Soon to be in his twelfth year of service, Salmons started 72 of 82 games for the Sacramento Kings last season.

“Since as long as I remember, all I wanted to do was make it to the NBA,” Salmons said. “I spent a lot of hours in the gym working on my game.”

In his eleven years in the NBA, Salmons has played for four different franchises — the Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks. Including his college career at the U — University of Miami — Salmons has lived in cities in all corners of the nation.

“When I got drafted by the Sixers, right away I wanted to come back to Plymouth Meeting to live just because of all the support I got here in my four years of high school,” Salmons said.

After his rookie season, Donofrio recalls a request from Salmons to open up the doors to the Colonial Elementary gym to work out. Donofrio let him in and left to run some errands. Three hours later, Donofrio said, he returned to the gym to find Salmons sitting on the sideline breathing heavily. Salmons had been running a series of sprints with interludes of stationary dribbling drills.

“Players only do those if they get on our nerves and they need to be disciplined,” Donofrio said. “To voluntarily do them means either you’re a glutton for punishment, or you have a serious desire to excel.”

As Gordon Glantz wrote in early 1998 in recap of the previous season’s championship run, the coaching had come full circle. He didn’t know at the time how right he was.

The 1996-97 Colonials were coached by Al Angelos, who was mentored by Hank Stofka whose ‘Kardiac Kids’ won the 1963 title. However, in 2010, PW captured its third state title under coach Jim Donofrio, who was an assistant coach to Angelos during the championship run a decade earlier.

Donofrio said after their championship season, he had ten or more players that were in college, seven of which were playing ball on scholarship money. Salmons, remains the shining success of his players in the game of basketball.

“We put so much emphasis in sports on the winning and the losing,” Donofrio said. “If you do things right, you’ll have a relationship with these guys for a long time.”

Salmons was neither the biggest nor the tallest nor the strongest nor the best player when he came to Donofrio to play on the JV team.

“I said, ‘let me see your left-handed layup,’ and it wasn’t that strong,” Donofrio said. “I said it jokingly, but I said, ‘you have a week before tryouts, if you get a left-handed layup in a week, I’ll let you tryout for JV.’ He came back with a perfect left-handed layup two days later.”

Salmons was a player that was mostly overlooked in the league and even on his own team. Friend and teammate, Chuck Moore, who played point guard for the Colonials and went on to play at Seton Hall, was the standout player on the team.

“He and Chuck Moore would look at the ranks, and a lot of people would say not to do that, but they’d look and say ‘you got to be kidding me, how am I not better than that guy?’” Donofrio said. “They had these high standards and they used it as a competition.”

A moment that will stand out in the memory of PW fans and players forever is the ‘Miracle at Conestoga Valley.’ Down one point with 3.9 seconds remaining in the state quarterfinals against Chambersburg on March 13, 1997, the Colonials did the unthinkable. With Chuck Moore fouled out and sitting on the bench, Coach Angelos sent out football player Kevin Gall to inbounds the ball. On the full-court inbounds, Gall sent the ball flying down court, and on one bounce Billy Guess jumped over the boundary line and with one hand slung it to an open Salmons who took two dribbles in the lane and hit a jumper to win the game 60-59. PW went on to win the state championship eight days later.

“His personality makes him a pro, because if he wanted to be a superstar he knows he’s not that guy, but every team needs the guy that makes the pass that needs to be made,” Donofrio said. “You don’t need to be Dwyane Wade, you just need to be able to be a piece that when you do get the ball to Dwyane Wade he makes an easy play.

“He’s found his niche with that.”

Donofrio attributes Salmons’ success mostly to his personality and work ethic. Despite the fact that Salmons can cover Dirk Nowitzki, then plays the point the next play, and that he can play the power forward or the wing, or defend — a “Swiss Army knife in your pocket” Donofrio said — it’s his approach to the game that has given him a brilliant career.

“Hard work is just a part of life, whatever you do you have to work hard at it,” Salmons said. “Playing basketball is something that I’ve always loved, so going hard came easy to me.”

“This is one of those moments that’s a payback when you hope you made that right approach,” Donofrio said. “To see John, that’s the pinnacle.”


(timesherald.com)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Though there was nothing special about this late-season meeting between two losing teams, any game against New Orleans is meaningful to Marcus Thornton.

The Sacramento Kings guard grew up in Louisiana and played parts of two seasons with the Hornets. Thornton wasn’t about to overlook the Hornets and neither did the Kings.

John Salmons had 22 points, and Thornton and Jason Thompson each added 20 to help Sacramento snap a four-game losing streak with a 121-110 victory on Wednesday night.

The streak-shooting Thornton came off the bench late in the first quarter and hit a 3-pointer. He added three more 3s in the second quarter and had 15 first-half points, helping the Kings build a 17-point lead.

“Every time we play the Hornets I want to win really bad,” said Thornton, who came to the Kings midway through the 2010-11 season.

Thornton shot 8 of 13 and had five rebounds against the Hornets, who defeated the Kings twice this season in New Orleans.

“It was very tough losing two games to them there this season,” Thornton said. “It was especially tough with all my family and friends there.”

The Kings had a double-digit lead for much of the game and surpassed the 100-point mark early in the fourth quarter, when they stretched the lead to 30 points.
Sacramento shot 55 percent, made 10 of 20 3-pointers, and had 26 assists.


(washingtonpost.com)

These days, John Salmons would prefer to talk about his Miami Hurricanes than his role with the Kings. [Salmons] closed the 2009-10 season by averaging 19.9 points in 30 games after being acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks. That got him a five-year, $39 million contract from the Bucks. Salmons is in the third year of that deal and second with the Kings. But he's hardly scoring the way he once did. Salmons is averaging just 9.1 points entering Sacramento's game Wednesday at Orlando. The forward was asked if he's cool with the role he now plays for Sacramento. "No, it's not cool," Salmons said [Tuesday]. "But I'm just trying to help the team win. I'm not going to be a distraction or complain about it."


(cnnsi.com)

John Salmons drained a career-high six 3-pointers on his way to 18 points in Sunday's loss in New Orleans.

He added three rebounds, three assists and a block in 37 minutes of action, his highest playing time in over a month. The Kings have now lost five straight games, during which they're allowing an unholy 113.4 points per game, and Keith Smart said after Friday's game that Sacramento would have won "if we even gave half of a defensive effort." DeMarcus Cousins also chimed in, turning conventional basketball wisdom on its head by saying, "I do believe our offense carries our defense." No matter how you parse it, the Kings have the fifth-worst record in the league.


(rotoworld.com)

ATLANTA - The Kings have pointed to their youth for some of the mistakes they repeatedly make in games.

But that excuse is old.

The Kings latest loss, 122-108, to the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena, was filled with many of the usual mishaps that have led to a 19-37 record.

The Kings know selfish play on offense and bad defense will lead to losses. But the Kings continue to repeat these mistakes.

At least one veteran says it's time to start using youth to excuse bad basketball.

"The whole league is young at this point," said forward John Salmons. "We had the youngest MVP ever (Derrick Rose) a couple years ago. We've got Kevin Durant, (Russell) Westbrook, James Harden in the championship (last season). So the young stuff, the young thing is not really an excuse anymore. It's time to grow up and be a team.

Exactly how young are the Kings? There are no rookies on the roster after Thomas Robinson was traded. Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette are in their second seasons.

Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton are both in their fourth seasons. DeMarcus Cousins is in his third season.

But the Kings have not matured in their approach to the game.

Offense is what makes them happy. And only when the offense is going well do the Kings seem to take an interest in playing defense.

"With this team we're too focused on offense, too much on one-on-one play," Salmons said. "We don't move the ball on a consistent basis and then on the defensive end we let teams get run outs, transition points. It's hard for us to get stops in halfcourt sets because we focus on the offense so much."


(sacbee.com)

John Salmons, SG/SF, Sacramento Kings (19.1 percent owned): It would have been difficult for Salmons not to improve upon the disaster that was his 2011-12 season, when he posted a career-low 3-point percentage and the worst per-minute numbers he has had since he broke out for the Kings in 2006-2007. But he has stepped in and performed admirably in Tyreke Evans' absence, scoring in double figures in four of the past six games. He is averaging 13.9 points on 51.4 percent shooting from the floor and 82.4 percent from the stripe with 4.7 assists, 1.6 3-pointers and 1.0 steals per game over the past 15 days. He has decreased his attempts on long 2-pointers and increased his attempts at the rim, which are positive signs in the field goal percentage department. Evans is expected to return sometime during the Kings' next homestand, but there's enough ambiguity there and overall instability surrounding this team that it's worth it to ride Salmons while he's hot.


(espn.com)