Lakers Notes: Messina, Walton, Ollie
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak spoke about the firing of Byron Scott during a press conference earlier today, as the team’s Twitter feed relays. “If you’re going to make a change, make a change now.” Kupchak said. “This was clearly just a basketball decision. … Jim [Buss] and I agreed 100 percent.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- The Lakers have received permission to interview Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. It is unclear how soon they intend to bring Messina in for a meeting.
- The Lakers intend to put a long list together of potential candidates for their head coaching vacancy, which will be headed by Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton, Messina, and UConn’s Kevin Ollie, team sources tell Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Ding believes that Walton is the obvious choice for the position.
- Earlier today, it was reported that Ollie has interest in the Lakers‘ job, but he would want a say in personnel decisions. That’s something that’s unlikely to happen, argues Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). Pincus points out that the team isn’t in position to give out any sort of control in the front office with Kupchak and Buss around, and the team’s structure isn’t expected to change until after the 2016/17 season, at the earliest.
- The timing of Scott’s dismissal is curious, opines Chris Mannix of The Vertical. Mannix wonders whether Los Angeles could have landed Tom Thibodeau or Scott Brooks if the team had acted sooner. Brooks reportedly would have had interest in the position.
Community Shootaround: Warriors Sans Curry
Stephen Curry will miss, at minimum, the next two weeks as he recovers from a sprained right MCL, the team announced earlier today. Curry injured his knee in the Warriors’ Game 4 contest against the Rockets on Sunday afternoon. Last season’s MVP has already missed two games this postseason with an ankle injury, and the team is 1-1 in those contests.
If Curry only misses two weeks, that should bring him back during the Western Conference Semifinals against the winner of the Clippers-Blazers series. Two weeks is an optimistic outlook and there’s no guarantee that will be all the time Curry misses. In the meantime, his teammates are planning on picking up the slack. “One thing we’ve always talked about is our depth, and we’ve gotta use that to win games,” Draymond Green told ESPN after yesterday’s game.
That brings us to tonight’s topic: How far can the Warriors make it without Curry? Teams don’t win 73 games because of one player, although Curry’s presence on the floor is special for this squad. The Warriors should be able to win one more game against the Rockets to close out this series, but could the team make it to the Western Conference finals without him? How about the NBA finals? Could the Warriors win it all? Let us know what you think in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
UConn’s Kevin Ollie Interested In Lakers Post
5:26pm: Ollie is interested in the position but wants a say in personnel decisions, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. In an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz earlier today, Ollie said he hasn’t heard from the Lakers but would listen if they reached out, relays Don Amore of The Hartford Courant. Ollie, who played basketball at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, said it would take a “very special” situation to make him leave his job at UConn.
3:45pm: The Lakers fired coach Byron Scott on Sunday night and speculation has begun in earnest as to whom the franchise will hire to lead it into the 2016/17 season. One candidate who is intrigued with the now-vacant post is UConn head coach Kevin Ollie, a source close to Ollie tells Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski first relayed that Ollie could be a potential target for the Lakers. This isn’t the first NBA coaching post that Ollie has been connected to, with the Thunder having reportedly made him their No. 1 target last summer, and Ollie apparently listened to overtures before pulling out of the running. Oklahoma City subsequently hired Billy Donovan as the successor to Scott Brooks.
Ollie is viewed around the league as a rising coach who could relate to and develop younger players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown, Medina writes. The 43-year-old is a former teammate of Kevin Durant‘s, with the two having played together during the 2009/10 season in Oklahoma City, and he could make the Lakers an attractive option for the small forward when Durant hits unrestricted free agency this summer, Medina also notes.
The Lakers would not be required to seek permission from UConn to interview Ollie, who has three years left on his contract with the Huskies after signing a five-year extension in 2014, Medina writes. Ollie has a clause in his contract that would allow him to depart for the NBA without negotiating a buyout with the university, but that clause won’t go into effect until March of 2017, Medina notes. The former NBA player has a career NCAA coaching mark of 97-44, all with UConn, and he led the Huskies to the National Championship in 2014.
Other candidates who are reportedly on the Lakers’ radar are Warriors assistant Luke Walton, who may be the favorite to land the job, former Cavs coach David Blatt, former Knicks and Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, former Warriors coach Mark Jackson and Spurs assistant Ettore Messina.
Southwest Notes: Conley, Gasol, Martin, Cuban
Mike Conley won’t commit to staying in Memphis until he sees what kind of offseason moves the Grizzlies make, according to ESPN.com. The 28-year-old point guard, who hasn’t played since March 6th because of an Achilles problem, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer for the first time in his career. “We need to be committed to doing the things, whatever it may be and however hard the decision may be,” Conley said, “to do the right things in order to get us where we need to go.” Conley’s situation has been compared to that of teammate Marc Gasol, who re-signed quickly after hitting the open market last summer, but Conley cautions that his decision is different because the Grizzlies have regressed as a team. Coach Dave Joerger remains confident that Conley will stay in Memphis.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Gasol has some free agent advice for his brother, tweets Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Pau Gasol has expressed plans to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Bulls, and Marc Gasol says he should sign with San Antonio.
- Spurs teammates have come to accept Kevin Martin‘s odd-looking shot since he signed with the team on March 9th, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. After agreeing to a buyout with the Wolves, Martin has become a valuable part of the Spurs’ rotation, averaging 6.2 points per game and helping them sweep Memphis in the first round. The 33-year-old shooting guard has been impressed by what he has seen during his short time in San Antonio. “The culture here is real genuine,” he said. “You wake up in the morning knowing there is one goal in mind, and everybody puts their sacrifices to the forefront. It makes you want to get up in the morning, come to the gym and just work hard for these guys.”
- Playoff results won’t have any effect on the Mavericks‘ postseason plans, relays Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Sixth-seeded Dallas currently trails its first-round series with the Thunder, 3-1. “We know the guys we like,” owner Mark Cuban said. “We know our core guys and we’ll try to add to it.”
Eastern Notes: Johnson, Blake, Drummond
Former Nets swingman Joe Johnson took some verbal swipes at a number of his former Brooklyn teammates, whom he blames for much of the team’s woes this season, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily relays (via Twitter). “Honestly, this season in Brooklyn I was in a tough situation, playing with a lot of young guys, stat-chasing guys that really didn’t want to win,” Johnson said, “And in an organization that really was trying to put a team around guys like Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young and myself to help us at least fight for a playoff spot. So when I sat back and looked at all that I realized it was no reason to even stick around for the fallout of the situation.” The veteran agreed to a buyout arrangement with the team in February that allowed Johnson to sign with the Heat.
Here’s more from the East:
- Pistons owner Tom Gores reaffirmed the team’s intent to re-sign center Andre Drummond this summer despite his well-chronicled free throw issues, David Mayo of MLive notes. “We’ll talk about it this summer, but we want Andre,” Gores said. “So to me, I don’t think there’s a lot of question about it. Honestly, it’s how we feel about it.” The owner lauded what the 22-year-old center provided for the team rather than harp on Drummond’s anemic 35.5% mark from the charity stripe this season, Mayo adds. “I think he’s had a great year, an All-Star, more double-doubles [than anyone else in the NBA], and when you look at the other centers in the league — everybody’s got something [a weakness], but I’m proud of the 22-year-old man,” Gores said of Drummond. The big man is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, provided Detroit submits a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683, a move that is all but assured judging by Gores’ remarks.
- Veteran point guard Steve Blake isn’t ready to retire just yet, having indicated that he would like to play in 2016/17, as Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press relays (via Twitter). Fellow unrestricted free agent Anthony Tolliver also said that he wants to return to the Pistons and “put down roots” in Detroit, Ellis adds.
Draft Notes: Bouteille, Vezenkov, Carter
French small forward Axel Bouteille intends to enter the 2016 NBA Draft, agent Sead Galijasevic of Wasserman relays (via Twitter). The 21-year-old is the No. 7-ranked international prospect in his class according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. In 31 games for the French club Chalon this season, Bouteille averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 14.4 minutes of action per outing. The swingman needs to improve his outside shooting and ability to create his own shot if he hopes to be successful in the NBA, Givony notes in his profile of Bouteille. The deadline for players to declare their intention to enter this year’s draft was Sunday, and Bouteille got in under the wire.
Here’s more regarding the 2016 NBA Draft:
- Luc Loubaki, another Frenchman, also intends to enter this year’s NBA Draft, Thomas Jay of Octagon Basketball Europe relays (Twitter link). The 19-year-old shooting guard is the No. 37 overall player in his class according to Givony. The 6’3″ guard appeared in 30 contests this season for Orleans Loiret and averaged just 3.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night.
- Bulgarian combo forward Aleksandar Vezenkov will enter 2016 NBA draft, his representatives at Lotsos & Associates announced (via Twitter). The 20-year-old is the No. 69 overall prospect in this year’s draft according to Givony, who projected Vezenkov as an early second-rounder in the 2017 NBA Draft.
- Former Maryland big man Robert Carter, who is the N0. 55 ranked prospect per Givony and comes in at No. 47 overall according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, has signed with Life Sports Management to represent him, Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Former Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell has hired Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports International as his agent, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Ferrell is the No. 60-ranked player per Givony, while Ford slots him 99th.
Southwest Notes: Demps, Williams, Conley
The Pelicans have rescheduled GM Dell Demps‘ press conference, which was originally set for today, to an unspecified later date, Brett Dawson of The Advocate relays in a series of tweets. New Orleans has not made any final decision regarding Demps’ future with the team and evaluations of the rest of his staff are still ongoing, though current indications are that the executive will remain in his post for next season, Dawson adds. The front office personnel in New Orleans are still in a holding pattern as the team continues its evaluations, but the general feeling among the staff is that their posts are safe despite no definitive calls being made yet, Scott Kushner of The Advocate adds (via Twitter).
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Mavs coach Rick Carlisle praised the play of Deron Williams, who averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 65 appearances this season for Dallas, as Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News relays. “He had a very strong year,” Carlisle said of Williams. “He played great basketball for us. The only thing that derailed him were some health issues.” The point guard is done for the remainder of the playoffs with a sports hernia and may need offseason surgery to correct the issue, Sefko notes. Williams has a player option for 2016/17 worth $5,621,026, but he could become an unrestricted free agent if he chooses to opt out.
- Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, made a number of comments regarding Memphis’ future that bode well for him re-signing with the franchise, Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal relays in a series of tweets. “We’re all invested. We’re invested in each other, we’re invested in the community,” Conley told reporters. “We’re going into next season with a lot of room to make improvements. We feel like we’re all in this together and we have been since day one.“
- Swingman Lance Stephenson, whose contract includes a rare team option worth $9.405MM for next season, said he’s found a home with the Grizzlies and wants to remain with the team next season, Peter Edmiston of WHBQ-AM tweets. The 25-year-old appeared in 26 games for Memphis after being acquired from the Clippers, averaging 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26.6 minutes per outing.
Latest On Kings’ Coaching Search
Former Rockets coach Kevin McHale has emerged as a serious contender for the Kings’ vacant head coaching post, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays. McHale and Sacramento executive Vlade Divac have engaged in exploratory discussions regarding the position, but the talks haven’t escalated to the point where a deal is imminent, Stein adds. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported that Sacramento was interested in speaking with McHale as it looks to replace the fired George Karl.
The only official interview for the team’s vacant coaching slot thus far has been with former Timberwolves interim coach Sam Mitchell, though the team plans on sitting down with former Clippers and Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro later this week, Stein adds. Also said to be on the Kings’ list of candidates are former Hawks and Knicks coach Mike Woodson, former Warriors head man Mark Jackson, Pacers assistant Nate McMillan and former Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, the ESPN scribe notes. The Kings reportedly plan to interview Woodson and Hornacek. Sacramento apparently reached out to Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks prior to both men landing jobs last week and has also touched base with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Warriors assistant Luke Walton and former Cavs coach David Blatt, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee.
McHale, 57, had entered the 2015/16 season as the NBA’s fifth-longest tenured head coach, having taken over the Rockets in June 2011. Houston had a winning record in each of McHale’s full seasons, with last year’s 56-26 mark the best of his tenure. But a 4-7 start to the season as well as reported locker room issues led the Rockets to part ways with the former Celtics great. His .598 regular season winning percentage is the best of all-time among Rockets coaches. He was 193-130 in the regular season and 13-16 in the playoffs overall with the Rockets. McHale went 39-55 over two separate stints as coach of the Timberwolves in the 2000s, and he didn’t coach Minnesota in a postseason game.
Reactions To Lakers Firing Byron Scott
The biggest question regarding the Lakers’ decision to part ways with head coach Byron Scott isn’t whether or not he deserved to get fired, but rather, why the franchise waited until Sunday night to do so, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes. The decision should have been made at the end of the regular season and not after two of the top names came off the board in Tom Thibodeau (Timberwolves) and Scott Brooks (Wizards), Bontemps opines. Bontemps does note that Thibodeau may not have been a good fit given his desire for personnel control, something the Lakers aren’t currently willing to hand over to a new coach, the scribe adds.
Here’s more regarding the Lakers and Scott:
- Scott was essentially fired for following the organization’s unofficial directive to focus on the Kobe Bryant farewell tour this season and to secure a top three pick in the draft, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops writes. The scribe also believes it’s surprising that GM Mitch Kupchak has been able to retain his post given the team’s struggles.
- The Lakers will also look to the college ranks in the search for a new head coach, and while Kentucky’s John Calipari is an intriguing possibility, the organization isn’t 100% sold on him being a good fit, tweets Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times.
- Despite the Lakers’ rough 2015/16 campaign, Scott had advocates within the organization who pointed to the difficulties involved with managing Bryant’s final season and the late-season progress the former coach had made in relating to the team’s younger players, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. The USA Today scribe also notes that primary owner Jeanie Buss, reportedly one of those advocates, wasn’t involved in the decision to fire Scott, as she deferred instead to team executive Jim Buss and Kupchak on the matter.
- One Lakers player told Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News that he wasn’t shocked the team fired the coach and that a “fresh start could be good” (Twitter link).
- Two available names whom the Lakers should consider when searching for their next head coach are former Houston coach Kevin McHale and Thunder assistant Monty Williams, writes Mark Whicker of The Orange County Register. McHale’s stock has only risen since being fired by the Rockets this season, given their subsequent struggles in his absence, while Williams’ calm and steady demeanor would be a benefit to the franchise’s younger players, Whicker opines.
- One option for the Lakers is to wait to hire a new coach until July, which would allow big-name free agent player targets to have input, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The disadvantage to such a strategy would be the risk of missing out on other top candidates, given that the Kings and Knicks are still in the hunt for new head coaches, Kennedy adds.
Ivan Rabb Declines To Enter 2016 NBA Draft
Potential 2016 lottery pick Ivan Rabb has decided to return to the University of California for his sophomore season and he will not be among the players available on draft night this June, the university announced via press release (h/t to ESPN.com). “Ivan is a tremendous person and student-athlete to have on our team. He and his family have put a lot of thought into making a decision that was right for him,” coach Cuonzo Martin said in the school’s official release. “He is a talented basketball player with a very bright future, and we are excited to have Ivan continue as a member of our Cal basketball program.”
Rabb is currently ranked as the No. 11 overall player according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slots him at No. 14 overall. The power forward had a solid freshman season at Cal, averaging 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 61.5% shooting in 34 appearances. He arrived at California as the eighth-best player in his class according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index.
The 19-year-old is an intriguing physical prospect, but he should benefit from returning to school for another season. According to Givony, the 6’10” forward needs to add strength and bulk to his slender 215-pound frame, as well as improve his overall offense in the post if he hopes to make the successful jump to the NBA. Rabb could have declared his intent to enter the draft in order to go through the predraft evaluation process, and provided he didn’t hire an agent, he could have withdrawn prior to the May 25th deadline and still returned to school for the 2016/17 campaign.