Ike Anigbogu To Enter 2017 NBA Draft
APRIL 20: Glushon Sports Management posted a tweet today welcoming Anigbogu to the agency, signaling that the former UCLA center will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility.
APRIL 5: UCLA freshman Ike Anigbogu has decided to declare for the 2017 NBA draft, a source tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Although Anigbogu won’t sign with an agent right away, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t keep his name in the draft, since he’s “trending up,” tweets Evan Daniels of Scout.com.
A 6’10” center, Anigbogu is just 18 years old and remains very raw, particularly on the offensive end. He played sparingly in his first season for the Bruins, averaging just 13.0 minutes per game and contributing modest numbers when he saw the court, with 4.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.2 BPG.
Although he’s a project of sorts and had next to no impact in this year’s NCAA tournament, Anigbogu is still drawing interest from several NBA teams who believes he has “enormous” upside, per ESPN’s Chad Ford. Anigbogu comes in at No. 31 on Ford’s big board at ESPN, while he cracks the top 20 over at DraftExpress — Jonathan Givony currently has the UCLA big man at No. 19 on his big board.
Anigbogu is the latest addition to our list of early entrants for the 2017 draft. That list currently exceeds 65 names, and figures to grow up until April 24, the early entry deadline. After that time, it will start shrinking again, as some players decide to withdraw their names from the draft pool.
Sixers Notes: Colangelo, Simmons, George, Covington
Bryan Colangelo has become the least trusted GM in Philadelphia, charges Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Hayes blasts Colangelo for being evasive about releasing injury details regarding Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, Dario Saric and others, and more recently for refusing to say whether Ben Simmons will play in the Summer League. The writer contends that Simmons needs the work to help with his transition to point guard and criticizes Colangelo for not being more open about the team’s plans.
There’s more news out of Philadelphia:
- A long string of injuries and the February trades of Noel and Ersan Ilyasova made Colangelo’s first full season in charge look like another Sam Hinkie season, writes Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Ford adds that the team wasn’t able to address several important questions for the future of the franchise, such as whether Simmons can handle the point guard role, if he and Embiid are an effective combination and if Jerryd Bayless can be counted on as a starter.
- Pacers forward Paul George might be worth a gamble if the Sixers want to make a splash this summer, Ford writes in a separate column. George has a player option for 2018/19, which means he will be effectively entering the final year of his contract next season. With rumors that he is interested in joining his hometown Lakers, Indiana may be tempted to move him in a trade instead of losing him with nothing in return. The Sixers have young talent to offer, and may have two high picks, depending on the results of next month’s lottery. “At the three, Robert Covington kind of has that position locked up with not a lot of depth at the position currently,” Colangelo recently told reporters. “But we’ve got some interesting draft prospects in the top 10 that happen to address that situation and that need.”
- Covington underwent minor arthroscopic surgery this week to fix a meniscus tear in his right knee, the Sixers announced on their website. Covington will rehab the knee in Philadelphia and is expected to be ready for full basketball activities this summer.
Gallinari To Opt Out, Prefers To Stay With Nuggets
Danilo Gallinari plans to opt out of his contract, but remaining in Denver is his first choice, he said in an interview with BlitzTV. The interview was conducted in Italian, but a small excerpt was translated by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Gallinari, who is scheduled to make $16.1MM next season, will be seeking a long-term deal. Nuggets GM Tim Connelly has said the organization is taking a “wait and see” approach about re-signing the veteran forward, and the Celtics are among the teams expected to be interested if he hits the open market.
“The relationship between me, the city and the organization is great,” Gallinari said. “This is the reason why I would love to reach an agreement to remain in Denver. I love it here. And I would love to remain with the Nuggets.”
Gallinari has been with Denver since midway through the 2010/11 season, when the Knicks included him in the Carmelo Anthony trade. The 28-year-old averaged 18.2 points and 5.2 rebounds this season and appeared in 63 games, the most since knee surgery forced him to miss all of the 2013/14 season.
Hoops Links Vol. 1: Unpopular Raptors, Kobe GIFs, More
Welcome to Hoops Links. My name is Austin Kent. If you’re one of the many who realize that today is Thursday and not the weekend, you’ll already have noticed that we’re doing things a little bit differently here.
We love the NBA blogosphere. I may have personally mentioned it about a thousand times already. To prove it, we decided to change how we feature content that comes to us from bloggers across the internet.
What you’ll see below are 10 of our favorite original content pieces from around the internet. Some were user-submitted; some we went out and flagged ourselves because we enjoyed them so much.
I urge everybody reading this to make note of the next great article they read and send it to me for possible inclusion in next week’s Hoops Links post (even if that brilliant author is you).
You can get at me on Twitter 24/7 @AustinKent or send your tips to HoopsRumorsTips@Sports.ws. Obviously we don’t have room to include everything that gets sent our way, but unique, genuinely interesting content generally tends to find its way in front of an audience.
The Pistons played their last game in the Palace of Auburn Hills last week and Sports on Earth‘s Will Leitch was there to document it while enjoying a totally normal vacation to Michigan in April. If you’re looking for a nostalgia-soaked ode to the awkwardly suburban masterpiece, this isn’t it. Leitch’s account of the facility’s NBA finale is as emotionless and firmly entrenched in regular old depressing reality as the entire past decade has been for the Pistons organization.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Dancing Ushers.
Author: Will Leitch – @WilliamFLeitch
Link: Pistons’ last game at the Palace of Auburn Hills
It wasn’t long ago when Carmelo Anthony‘s wife was in his ear convincing him to request a trade out of Denver to a bigger market. Now that the pair have split up, some are wondering if the Nuggets should make an effort to reacquired their former All-Star. Matthew Huff of Nugg Love says not to expect it. Or want it, really.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Cheerios
Author: Matthew Huff – @Huff_Melo7
Link: Carmelo Anthony should not return to Nuggets
The Raptors organization has made countless questionable additions over the course of the past two decades, but only a handful have stood the test of time as constant reminders of unadulterated disappointment. Over at Raptors HQ, Mitch Robson facilitated a 64-man tournament to determine which player was the least popular of them all. Nobody holds a grudge like a Raptors fan.
Rating: 9 out of 10 National Primo Pasta Endorsements
Author: Mitch Robson- @_MitchRobson
Link: The most unpopular Raptors of all time
There was a notable discrepancy in fouls calls between the Grizzlies and Spurs when the two collided for Game 2 of their first-round series this week and Memphis head coach David Fizdale wasn’t afraid to make a scene about it. The thing is, the Grizzlies actually do foul a lot. Especially when compared to San Antonio. Please forward all ire and thrown tomatoes at Michael Erler of Pounding the Rock and not me.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Warnings That Memphis Fans Shouldn’t Read This
Author: Michael Erler
Link: Grizzlies average more fouls than Spurs
We’ve all heard by now that Kobe Bryant obsessed over ways of stopping Allen Iverson. Anthony Irwin of Silver Screen and Roll has come through with the video evidence to show just what the Mamba might have learned whilst studying. Seeing the legends square off in their early twenties is a joy to watch, and not just because you will immediately get the NBA on NBC theme song stuck in your head.
Rating: 8 out of 10 CRT Television Sets
Author: Anthony Irwin – @AnthonyIrwinLA
Link: How Kobe Bryant defended Allen Iverson
There’s a fine line between modest transgression and outright corruption, and professional sports organizations would be wise to tread carefully to avoid either. Kenyon Redfoot of Unsung Zeroes recently wrote about how player agents should steer clear of compensating prospective clients to persuade them to sign with their agencies for fear of committing commercial bribery.
Rating: 6 out of 10 Bitter Realizations That I Retained Nothing From My Own Sport Law Lectures
Author: Kenyon Redfoot – @KenyonRedfoot
Link: Commercial bribery between NBA players and agents
In a matter of two years, the forecast for the Pacers franchise dimmed considerably. Chris Wooden of Sir Charles In Charge wonders if Larry Bird ruined things by making too many reactionary moves and not thinking about the big picture. Had Indiana retained Frank Vogel and George Hill, might the team stand a better chance of making its first-round matchup with the Cavaliers competitive?
Rating: 6 out of 10 Nate McMillan Playbooks
Author: Chris Wooden – @SDChrisWooden
Link: Larry Bird’s impact on Pacers
Consider David Fizdale‘s rant about the lack of respect his Grizzlies get from the officials an all-timer. So says Ball Don’t Lie‘s Kelly Dwyer, who breaks down the fiery post-conference monologue and the impact it’s already had. As Dwyer notes, Grizzlies players – appreciative of Fizdale’s lobbying on their behalf – agreed to pay their bench boss’s $30K fine.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Data
Author: Kelly Dwyer – @KDOnHoops
Link: David Fizdale’s post-game rant
It’s hard to determine whether the Celtics have been underachieving in the postseason or whether the Bulls have been punching above their weight — that’s part of what makes the NBA postseason so special. Andrew Tobolowsky of The Step Back argues that it could very well be a little bit of both.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Playoff Rondos
Author: Andrew Tobolowsky – @AndyTobo
Link: Bulls-Celtics series analysis
There are plenty of cases where player comparisons between draft prospects and existing NBAers don’t hold much weight, but that’s not the case with De’Aaron Fox. Kevin Rowley of The Sixers Sense explained how Fox fits the bill as another Elfrid Payton, and says that’s exactly why the Sixers should avoid the temptation to draft him this June.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Ping Pong Balls
Author: Kevin Rowley
Link: Sixers should not draft De’Aaron Fox
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eastern Notes: Stephenson, Sixers, Pistons
Coach Nate McMillan admits that Lance Stephenson can sometimes become a distraction on the court, as Clifton Brown of the Indianapolis Star passes along.
“I don’t want to take his passion from the game,” McMillan said of Stephenson. “We always have to control ourselves, that’s including myself on the sidelines. Sometimes that can become a distraction. We talk about that all the time. You can’t be drunk on emotions out there. We got to be able to get back, get to the next play. That’s for me, too.”
The combo guard knows he needs to control his emotions, adding that he doesn’t want to give the opposition anything they can use as an advantage.
“Sometimes I tend to get out of control,” Stephenson said. “I was getting frustrated with Kevin Love scoring on me. But that’s the passion I have for the game. I need to stop showing it. If somebody’s scoring on you and you show frustration, they’re going to keep going to it. I felt like I showed that. That’s what Paul [George] was talking about. Don’t show them no weakness.”
Clifton envisions McMillan shortening his bench for Game 3, which could mean more time for Stephenson in the Pacers‘ first home playoff game of 2017.
Here’s more from
- GM Bryan Colangelo said the Sixers will address the power forward position this offseason, as Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News relays. “I think the stretch-four position is something, backing up Dario [Saric] or starting in front of Dario, whichever it is if we can find someone that’s better. We’ve got to probably address that four position,” Colangelo said.
- The Sixers need to sign Ersan Ilyasova in free agency, Cooney contends in the same piece. The scribe pegs the power forward’s market value at $10-12MM per year, which he considers a reasonable rate for a player who fits in well next to Joel Embiid in the frontcourt.
- Rod Beard of The Detroit News examines five players the Pistons could take if they stay at No. 12. The team has a 2.5% chance at climbing into the top-3, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors notes.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls 4/19/17
Toronto’s D-League affiliate, the Raptors 905, beat the Maine Red Claws tonight to win the D-League’s Eastern Conference and advance to the finals. Pascal Siakam, who was assigned to the D-League earlier today (via the team’s Twitter feed), contributed to the win, scoring 15 points. The victory caps off a great day for the franchise, as its coach, Jerry Stackhouse, was named the D-League Coach of the Year this afternoon.
Kristaps Porzingis Wants To Remain With Knicks
Kristaps Porzingis blew off an end-of-season meeting with team president Phil Jackson, but that does not mean he wants to be traded, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.
“Of course,” Porzingis said when asked if he wants to remain a Knick. “I love New York. I love New York.”
The team never received an explanation on why the big man decided to skip his scheduled meeting, a source tells Berman. The scribe hears that Porzingis is upset with how the organization has been run–especially the team’s dealings with his mentor, Carmelo Anthony. The 21-year-old declined to go into why he missed the meeting when asked on Wednesday.
“It’s not the right moment to comment on anything [about it],” he said. “I don’t want to say anything.’’
Last week, Porzingis said that he wants the franchise to have a clear direction. “No one’s comfortable with losing,” Porzingis said. “If it means going in the right direction and doing the right thing, let’s do that. But just having no idea the direction, then it’s not going to work out. The direction has to be clear what we want to do.”
During Jackson’s Good Friday press conference, he said that no one on the team is untouchable, which includes Porzingis. Berman notes that the Knicks will be hard-pressed to find equal value for the big man in a trade, adding the 21-year-old has a chance to become a star.
A source tells Berman that Jackson doesn’t feel good about Porzingis rebelling. “It wasn’t right,” said one individual close to Jackson. “But Phil went through this with Kobe [Bryant] and Andrew [Bynum], when they were still young but started to sprout their opinions and rebelled. It worked for Kobe. Hopefully this will make Kristaps better in the long run.”
Porzingis vows to “live in the gym” this summer, though he’ll spend most of it abroad. He leaves for Latvia on Thursday.
Kevin Durant Won’t Play In Game 2
Kevin Durant has been ruled out for Game 2 against the Blazers, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) reported earlier today that Durant’s status for tonight’s tilt was in question.
The small-forward has a strained left calf and he didn’t participate in the Warriors’ shootaround earlier today, as Stein relays in a full-length piece. A source told Stein that Golden State was considering having Durant sit so he could have a full five days rest before playing in Game 3. However, Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Groups tweets that Durant may miss that game as well.
The 2013/14 MVP scored 32 points in Sunday’s win over Portland, though he was seen with ice on his left leg near the end of the contest. Golden State went 16-4 with Durant sidelined this season.
Mike D’Antoni Talks Lakers’ Failures, Rockets’ Success
Mike D’Antoni knew he wanted to coach again following his departure from the Lakers, but he was simply waiting for the right spot, as he tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. D’Antoni found success with the Rockets this season, but he admits that prior to arriving in Houston, he had concerns about the fit.
“I knew that they liked to play the way that I liked to play. I didn’t know [James Harden], and I didn’t know the other guys on the team,” the coach said. “So, there was always that moment of, will this fit? Will this work? Will James accept being point guard? Will [Patrick Beverley] accept being the 2-guard instead of the 1-guard? Will [Eric Gordon] accept coming off the bench? That’s where you run into problems with coaching. But when everybody said “yeah, this is great,” and then we started off pretty quick, that was an easier sell. Then, management, ownership, they all want the same thing. Then it’s that your star player wants the same thing, then now it becomes just coaching and doing what you do.”
“That’s where you run into problems with coaching. But when everybody said “yeah, this is great,” and then we started off pretty quick, that was an easier sell. Then, management, ownership, they all want the same thing. Then it’s that your star player wants the same thing, then now it becomes just coaching and doing what you do.”
Here’s more from Shelburne’s piece:
- D’Antoni was never able to win a playoff series with the Lakers and he blames the team’s injuries as well as his player’s unwillingness to buy into his system. “There were just injuries, and people were pretty stubborn in their roles, and it’s like ‘sorry guys, this is not me. It’s not going to work right here,'” D’Antoni said of his time in Los Angeles. “So, things happen, and you coach, you learn, you go on and you hope for a better situation.”
- D’Antoni applauds Harden’s determination to win, something that propelled the guard to consider switching positions. “I would have never got the job if his reaction was ‘No, I’m not playing point.’ So, let’s not kid ourselves. He was open to it, and it took a little, just showing him film and talking about it. James is willing to try anything to win.”
- Harden was always meant to play the point guard position and his prior coaches weren’t using him correctly, according to D’Antoni. “He was spending a lot of time off the ball, and he was spending a lot of energy trying to get the ball. It’s like, why go through all that? Just give it to him,” D’Antoni said.
- D’Antoni believes most Coach of the Year winners receive the award because they’ve overachieved and that sometimes comes with consequences. “That’s why most Coach of the Years get fired the next year. You overperform, then you come back to normal and they fire you,” D’Antoni said. You can check out Hoops Rumors’ picks for the COY award here.
David Fizdale, Marcus Smart Fined By NBA
The NBA handed out a pair of fines on Wednesday, docking Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale $30K for his post-game rant about the officiating following his team’s Game 2 loss in San Antonio. The league also fined Marcus Smart $25K for making an obscene gesture toward home fans during the Celtics’ Game 2 loss to the Bulls.
Fizdale was a lock to be fined even before his Monday night rant concluded with the “take that for data” line that instantly went viral. The Grizzlies head coach spent time after Monday’s loss pointing to the free throw discrepancy between the two teams, after Kawhi Leonard shot more free throws than the entire Grizzlies squad.
According to Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal and Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links), Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley sent Fizdale a text early on Tuesday morning thanking him for his comments. Conley and his teammates intend to reimburse Fizdale for the $30K fine as a sign of appreciation for aggressively taking a stand on their behalf.
Meanwhile, Smart received his $25K fine after TNT cameras showed Smart appearing to exchange words with a fan in Boston before flipping him the bird. Head coach Brad Stevens called the incident, which came midway through the fourth quarter with the Celtics trailing the Bulls by a 14-point margin, “unacceptable.”