Draft Notes: Burke, Kupsas, Critics
Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press relayed a few interesting quotes from Trey Burke, who on 107.3 WBBL's the "Huge Show" said that he's hearing he could be drafted from anywhere between the second and sixth picks of the first round. The former Michigan star also specifically mentioned the Magic and Pelicans as two teams that need a point guard. Later on in the interview, Burke spoke about his decision to stay with the Wolverines for his sophomore season this past year and how some of his teammates used him as a resource to help determine their immediate futures as well. Here are a few more draft notes worth passing along this evening:
- HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler thinks that while Ricky Ledo has some baggage that teams will have to sort through, he's a solid scorer who has drawn interest and could be taken between 20-40 in this draft (Twitter links).
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post hears that Otto Porter is under consideration to be selected by the Cavaliers with their number one overall pick.
- According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, Lithuanian center Mindaugas Kupsas will participate at the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso and may travel to the United States for private workouts around two weeks before the NBA draft.
- Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy writes that despite some of the criticisms which suggest that this year's draft pool isn't very strong, the 2011 NBA Draft was a good example of one that was stronger and deeper than initially expected. Kennedy writes that a handful of prospects -including Nerlens Noel, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, Victor Oladipo, and Mason Plumlee – have noted those criticisms and are eager to use it as motivation once they enter the league.
- Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog tweeted about forward/center Alex Oriakhi, who one NBA scout opined is "as strong as three men," can rebound the ball well, and has been a high percentage field goal shooter because he never takes a bad shot.
- Zagoria notes that one veteran NBA scout thinks that former Louisville point guard Peyton Siva will be taken in the second round of the draft (Twitter link).
- Lastly, Zagoria (via Twitter) mentions that former Baylor guard Pierre Jackson "impressed a lot of NBA folks" during his workout in New Jersey today.
Eastern Notes: Jackson, Dumars, Carlesimo
Considering the rumblings that Pistons GM Joe Dumars had his sights set on either Nate McMillan or Maurice Cheeks as the team's next head coach, along with the notion that Dumars had apparently hoped to make a hire before the start of last week's NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago, ESPN's Chris Broussard wonders if the hold up with regards to a coaching decision gives any indication that Phil Jackson – recently tabbed as an adviser for the head coaching search - could soon be running Detroit's front office (Insiders only). According to popular thought around the league, Brian Shaw would be Jackson's first choice, and while some insist that Dumars is still in charge as the general manager, Broussard suggests that their next coaching hire will be a strong indicator of how much control the Pistons legend still has of the franchise. Here are more notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Jackson – a member of two championship Knicks teams as a player – spoke with Harvey Araton of the New York Times about the current makeup of his former team and how he compares them with their cross-town rival Nets: "(The Knicks) still have to find some accommodating group of guys that know how to play ball together, move the ball, play the game the right way…With Brooklyn, if you’ve got a point guard and a solid center, or a good point guard and a great center, you’ve got two of the pieces that you want to have toward a champion.”
- According to an NY Post report (via the Associated Press), former Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo is interested in remaining as an ESPN analyst just through the postseason and would consider a coaching opportunity if it presented itself afterward.
- Celtics big man Jared Sullinger tells Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com that he should be 100% healthy by September or October.
- Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated profiles Chris Andersen, the Heat forward who has shined as one of Miami's key reserves during the current postseason.
- Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago grades Carlos Boozer's season and touches on what's next for the Bulls' forward.
Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Jack, Bayless, Hollins
In an article he released yesterday, Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram cited that two point guards who interest the Mavericks include Jarrett Jack and the Grizzlies' Jerryd Bayless. The source also said that after the Clippers released Vinny Del Negro, the feeling in Mavs camp is that Chris Paul would likely stay in Los Angeles considering he'd be given significant control over the next coaching hire. With that being said, Dwight Howard continues to be the team's top priority. Here are few more miscellaneous notes from around the league:
- Though the future of Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins still remains uncertain, the impending free agent coach says that he's not worried about an extension or heading elsewhere and is currently focused on the playoffs, "I have a job…I'm happy with where we are and excited about what we're doing. That's my only concern. Everything else is irrelevant" (Teresa M. Walker of NBA.com).
- Erik Spoelstra was pleased about James Jones' decision to not opt out at the end of this year and thus return to the Heat next season, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link). Spoelstra: "It's great news…J.J. is a Miami Heat guy. (He and Udonis Haslem), they're special. All of our guys are special in this organization, but they're Miami-bred guys. They're Miami true and blue."
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweeted that Jeff Hornacek interviewed with the Bobcats today and that Steve Clifford is headed for his next interview with the Suns, respectively.
- If there's any coach that isn't confident about his team making significant improvements next season, it's definitely not Wizards head coach Randy Wittman, who told CSN Washington: "It doesn't matter with the No. 3 pick. If we could stay healthy and come together as we did last year, have a full season right from the start, we should put ourselves in that (playoff) position…It doesn't matter if we pick eighth, third or 30th" (J. Michael of CSN Washington).
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside sheds some light on Mike Singletary (not to be confused with the current NFL assistant coach), who has been making waves for his standout play overseas. The 6'6 swingman, who recently won the NBDL title with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, has been playing for Barako Bull Energy Cola – a PBA team currently participating in a tournament in Dubai. With his solid production in the D-League (10.1 PPG and 4.9 RPG along with 41% shooting from long range in 49 games) and his experience with competitive international play, Schlosser thinks that the next step would involve an NBA summer league invite and is curious to see what kind of opportunities Singletary could find heading up to the start of NBA training camp in the fall.
Western Notes: Clippers, Howard, Blazers, Mavs
As the lengthy layoff between Game Two and Game Three of the Western Conference Finals continues, let's check out a few links from around the West….
- Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times breaks down the pros and cons of a few potential candidates for the Clippers' head coaching position.
- Larry Drew hasn't been mentioned yet as a Clippers target, but he'd have interest in the job, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
- Peter May of Sheridan Hoops and Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com are the latest writers to make the case for why Dwight Howard should sign with the Rockets instead of the Lakers. Given Houston's relative youth and cleaner cap outlook, you can certainly see the logic behind the argument, particularly when it's not you who would be giving up $30MM+.
- In an in-depth piece for Blazer's Edge, Dave Deckard explores the possibility of the Trail Blazers trading up in next month's draft.
- If the Mavericks make a pitch to free agent point guard Chris Paul, can they sell him on complementing him with a strong supporting cast? Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com attempts to answer that question.
Poll: Which Underdog Is More Likely To Advance?
Coming into the Conference Finals, the Grizzlies were viewed by many pundits and observers as a decent bet to knock off the Spurs. Memphis had won eight of its last nine games against two top-five teams in the Western Conference – the Clippers and Thunder – and the Grizzlies' 2011 upset of the Spurs was still fresh in most fans' minds.
On the other hand, not many of us gave the Pacers much chance against the defending champion Heat. The presence of LeBron James and Indiana's lack of depth had most prognosticators taking Miami in five or six games.
So far, neither the Grizzlies or Pacers have managed to win a game in their respective Conference Finals, but there's reason to believe there's still hope for a comeback on each team's part. The Grizzlies are heading back home coming off a tight overtime loss, while the Pacers were a buzzer-beating LeBron layup away from stealing Game One in Miami.
With the Grizzlies down 2-0 and the Pacers down 1-0, there's a good chance neither team will complete a comeback. But if you had to bet on one of the two, which underdog do you feel has the better chance to pull off the upset?
Which team is more likely to advance to the Finals?
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Indiana Pacers 63% (439)
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Memphis Grizzlies 37% (257)
Total votes: 696
D’Antoni, McMillan Won’t Coach In 2016 Olympics
THURSDAY, 2:43pm: Like D'Antoni, 2012 Team USA assistant Nate McMillan also won't return to Mike Krzyzewski's staff for the 2016 games in Rio, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
When we first heard word that Coach K would be returning to coach Team USA for the '16 Olympics, Pete Thamel of SI.com noted that Jim Boeheim had said he was likely to remain on the coaching staff, but that not all of Krzyzewski's assistants would be back. With D'Antoni and McMillan out of the mix, the team figures to be in need of at least a couple new coaches.
WEDNESDAY, 6:04pm: Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni will not return to his role as assistant coach of the United States men's basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.
D'Antoni chose to discontinue his role due to the four-year commitment, and how much of a strain it takes on his family life. He'd been with the team since 2006.
D’Antoni, McMillan Won’t Coach In 2016 Olympics
THURSDAY, 2:43pm: Like D'Antoni, 2012 Team USA assistant Nate McMillan also won't return to Mike Krzyzewski's staff for the 2016 games in Rio, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
When we first heard word that Coach K would be returning to coach Team USA for the '16 Olympics, Pete Thamel of SI.com noted that Jim Boeheim had said he was likely to remain on the coaching staff, but that not all of Krzyzewski's assistants would be back. With D'Antoni and McMillan out of the mix, the team figures to be in need of at least a couple new coaches.
WEDNESDAY, 6:04pm: Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni will not return to his role as assistant coach of the United States men's basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.
D'Antoni chose to discontinue his role due to the four-year commitment, and how much of a strain it takes on his family life. He'd been with the team since 2006.
D’Antoni, McMillan Won’t Coach In 2016 Olympics
THURSDAY, 2:43pm: Like D'Antoni, 2012 Team USA assistant Nate McMillan also won't return to Mike Krzyzewski's staff for the 2016 games in Rio, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
When we first heard word that Coach K would be returning to coach Team USA for the '16 Olympics, Pete Thamel of SI.com noted that Jim Boeheim had said he was likely to remain on the coaching staff, but that not all of Krzyzewski's assistants would be back. With D'Antoni and McMillan out of the mix, the team figures to be in need of at least a couple new coaches.
WEDNESDAY, 6:04pm: Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni will not return to his role as assistant coach of the United States men's basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.
D'Antoni chose to discontinue his role due to the four-year commitment, and how much of a strain it takes on his family life. He'd been with the team since 2006.
Latest On Pistons Coaching Search
After interviewing Maurice Cheeks yesterday, it appears the Pistons are done bringing in coaching candidates, reports Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News. According to Goodwill, Detroit's front office appears likely to decide on a new head coach "relatively soon."
In addition to Cheeks, the Pistons have interviewed a list of candidates that is believed to include Nate McMillan, Lindsey Hunter, Mike Budenholzer, J.B. Bickerstaff, and Darrell Walker. One report suggested the team also planned to interview Brian Shaw, but the Pacers reportedly aren't allowing Shaw to formally meet with any clubs until after Indiana's playoff run ends.
According to Goodwill, the Pistons likely won't wait for the Eastern Conference finals to finish to formally interview Shaw or Heat assistant David Fizdale, though that won't necessarily preclude the club from talking to one or both candidates via phone.
Goodwill also notes that there could have been mutual interest between the Pistons and Larry Drew. Drew, who technically remains under contract with the Hawks for a few more weeks, impressed the Pistons by taking a roster with nine expiring contracts to the playoffs, says Goodwill.
As for Phil Jackon's involvement in the process, Goodwill speculates that the advisory role may have merely been a way for Jackson to get his name back out there, as opposed to an attempt to push one of his preferred candidates to Detroit or strong-arm his way into the Pistons' front office.
"He was in town for a couple days, we spent time together in those couple days," Pistons GM Joe Dumars said of the Zen Master. "We've had a couple conversations since he left town."
Odds & Ends: Landry, Van Gundy, Raptors, Nocioni
In his latest piece, Marcus Thompson II of the Contra Costa Times lays out a few reasons why Carl Landry is a near-lock to turn down his $4MM player option in search of a bigger payday. But Landry tells Thompson that he hasn't made a decision yet, pointing out that he took a lesser deal to initially sign with the Warriors and adding that his decision won't simply be about money — he'll also consider his potential coach, teammates, and the odds of playing in the postseason.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:
- Yesterday, our own Zach Links chatted with Todd Brommelkamp and Tyler Ryder of KGYM ESPN Radio and talked about the NBA Draft, what the Cavs might do with the No. 1 pick, and the courtship of Dwight Howard. You can listen to Zach live on KGYM Radio every other Wednesday at 4:30 central.
- Speaking to Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Stan Van Gundy acknowledged that there's a chance he could never coach an NBA team again.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post identifies a handful of candidates who could be considered – or are being considered – to replace Bryan Colangelo as the Raptors' head of basketball operations.
- The Raptors have indicated they're willing to exceed the luxury tax threshold by "a significant margin" if it helps Colangelo's successor build a winning team, reports Zach Lowe of Grantland.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld takes a look at the searches being conducted by the six Eastern Conference teams in the market for a new head coach.
- According to a report from Gigantes.com (translation via Sportando), longtime NBA forward Andres Nocioni intends to play another season in Spain in 2013/14.