And-Ones: Back-To-Backs, Teodosic, Fegan
The Clippers benefited from the Cavaliers‘ decision to rest their stars over the weekend, routing Cleveland’s reserves by a 30-point margin on Saturday night. However, Clippers head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers suggests that the NBA ought to do something to address situations where one of a team’s two back-to-back games is nationally televised.
“We have to protect our product,” Rivers said, per Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. “It’s hard. It’s impossible, if you actually knew what went into scheduling, but the look of back-to-back ABC national games — it’s not good. … I think we have to treat those games like they’re afternoon games, and you don’t play the night before, and then you don’t play the next night after.”
As the NBA considers how to deal with the issue of teams resting healthy players, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the league…
- In his latest blog post for Eurohoops.net, CSKA Moscow star Milos Teodosic once again suggested that he’ll seriously consider signing with an NBA team this summer. For him to seriously consider an NBA team, that club would have to meet his “competitive ambitions” on the court in addition to making a competitive contract offer, Teodosic writes.
- One third of the NBA’s teams hired new coaches in the 2016 offseason, but stability has reigned since then, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Assuming no coach is fired in the next few weeks, 2016/17 will be the first season in 53 years in which no team has made an in-season coaching change.
- A judge has issued a temporary restraining order against prominent NBA agent Dan Fegan, recently fired by Independent Sports and Entertainment, to prevent him from competing against his former agency, reports Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ISE is working to expand its basketball representation business, either through new hirings or via an agency acquisition, per Mullen.
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Atlantic Notes: Holmes, Embiid, Crowder
Add one more intriguing young big man to Philadelphia’s seemingly endless frontcourt log jam. Which is a good thing, we suppose. The improved play of 2015 second-round pick Richaun Holmes of late has ignited conversation that not only could the Sixers have their backup center of the future, but – per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer – a possible starter.
In the Sixers’ last five games, Holmes has averaged 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.8 steals per game – or roughly 22.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. What’s more, the Sixers have won three out of those five to boot.
“You can count on him,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said of the 23-year-old. “Those effort, energy sort of type things are the reliable part of his game. The other things [three-point shooting, making open 18-footers] at times are outliers and really tip him over the top when he starts doing those other things.”
Pompey isn’t the only local reporter to praise the upstart second-year big man. Jessica Camerato of CSN Philadelphia spoke with teammate Justin Anderson about Holmes recent play for the Sixers.
“He’s a beast,” Anderson said. “I’ve [seen] that for a while. I remember watching him in summer league. He plays extremely hard, and then now he’s shooting the three, his ability to just dunk on people. He’s really good. He’s a really good player. I’m happy for him. When he gets going like that, we’re a tough team.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Injured Sixers rookie Joel Embiid is back in Philadelphia while the information from his time rehabilitating his knee in California is reviewed. Jessica Camerato of CSN Philadelphia tweets that there has been no timetable for the next steps.
- That rebounder the Celtics were said to desperately need could very well be right under their nose. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England suggests that forward Jae Crowder could be just that. Blakely writes that Crowder has averaged 7.7 rebounds per game since the All-Star Break.
- Both Brett Brown and Brad Stevens were hired as head coaches four years ago but the rebuilding processes that the Sixers and Celtics have taken ever since differ, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Cooney suggests that the C’s have had the leg up all along because they started with a better base.
Central Notes: Harris, Cavs, Bucks
With just 2.5 games separating sixth place in the Eastern Conference from 10th, the eight-seed Pistons can’t afford to struggle down the stretch. On Friday it was announced that Tobias Harris would slide back into the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.
After months tinkering with the Pistons’ first unit, head coach Stan Van Gundy has come to the conclusion that the flip-flopping might not have helped. “Tobias (is starting) and we’re going to stay with that,” he told Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “We’re going to quit juggling them — I don’t think that’s helped.”
As we touched on earlier this month, there was a growing case for Harris’ return to the Pistons’ starting five; he was the club’s most dominant scorer.
“Because of our offensive struggles, Tobias has been our best guy overall and a guy who generally gets going a little earlier,” Van Gundy explained. “We’re going to go with him.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Any implication that the Cavaliers front office isn’t doing everything within its power to help LeBron James and company win a second consecutive title is false, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. The Cavs, he says, have spent by far the most that any team has ever spent over a three-year span.
- This upcoming offseason will be a critical one for the Bucks, Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders writes, but if they play their cards right the squad could be a serious contender in the future. Davies talks about players the club could target in the draft and what they might want to consider regarding extra backcourt depth.
- With Dwyane Wade ruled out for the remainder of the Bulls’ regular season, Sam Smith of the team’s official website took a look at what could be in the cards for the franchise. Expect more from Denzel Valentine and Nikola Mirotic, he says, which gives the team a more natural pace and space lineup.
Dejounte Murray To Miss Additional 2-3 Weeks
Out of action since March 9, Spurs guard Dejounte Murray could actually miss two-to-three more weeks with a pelvic bone injury, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. That leaves veterans Tony Parker and Patty Mills to man the point guard position for the bulk of the remaining season.
Although the San Antonio Express-News’ Melissa Rohlin adds that head coach Gregg Popovich was surprised at the severity of the issue, the franchise has elected to play it safe with the rookie guard as the postseason approaches. The decision to hold Murray out for the extended period of time comes after an MRI.
Murray has shown flashes of potential over the course of the season but has also spent 15 games in the D-League. Regardless of how exactly they’ll deploy the 20-year-old when he’s available, his presence as an option in the backcourt will serve Popovich well at the tail end of the season should the established recovery timeline hold up.
In 8.5 minutes per game for the Spurs, Murray has averaged 3.5 points.
Lakers Notes: Ingram, Russell, Ball
Growing confidence and familiarity with the game have contributed to Brandon Ingram‘s gradual improvement this season. The No. 2 overall pick has seen his minutes climb over the course of the season and head coach Luke Walton believes that the exposure has paid off.
“I think it’s more just an overall confidence that he’s gaining from playing night after night after night,” Walton told Joey Ramirez of the team’s official website.
In eight March games, Ingram has averaged 12.3 points and 3.9 rebounds, a sign that Los Angeles’ decision to rest veterans Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng in favor of giving their young players more of an opportunity is paying off.
Ingram’s statistical improvements, Ramirez writes, stem not from an increase in three-point shooting but maturation attacking the hoop and a more reliable mid-range game.
There’s more out of Los Angeles:
- Head coach Luke Walton is proud of D’Angelo Russell for sticking up for Nick Young in a brief altercation with the Bucks this week and didn’t feed into Draymond Green‘s criticism of the second-year guard’s actions. “I was proud of D’Angelo for getting in there and sticking up for his teammate,” Walton told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- The Lakers will get extra opportunities to scout Lonzo Ball as UCLA squares off in the NCAA Tournament. The 6’7″ guard has spurred a “cultural revolution” for the Bruins, writes Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Daily News, and could be of particular interest to Magic Johnson.
- He may be from Los Angeles but Amir Johnson still plays for the Celtics. That, of course, makes his high praise for recently appointed president of basketball operations Magic Johnson particularly compelling. “I always saw how Magic has a lot of businesses — the Magic Johnson theaters and 24-Hour Fitness and all that — and I think it’s dope that he really committed to the community. He’s doing all this great stuff. It kind of shows you what this job can do for you,” the forward told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Hoops Links: Westbrook, Nwaba, Sanders, Green
On Sundays, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown:
- Kwame Fisher-Jones of The 76er Files lauded Russell Westbrook: the “Real MVP” of the 2016/17 season.
- Mo Dakhil of The Jump Ball discussed David Nwaba‘s NBA debut, comparing him to NBA vet Tony Allen.
- Kristian Winfield of SB Nation defended the Cavs for resting their Big Three in a nationally televised game.
- Trevor Magnotti of The Step Back stated Greg Monroe‘s case for Sixth Man honors.
- Ivica Zubac is playing his way into the Lakers’ future, Louis Keene of VICE Sports writes.
- The Warriors’ most constant producer- Draymond Green– is also its most erratic personality, Haley O’Shaughnessy of The Ringer writes.
- Larry Sanders‘ comeback was made on his own terms, Colin McGowan of RealGM writes.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/19/17
Here are the D-League transactions for Sunday:
- The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Through 28 games with the Blue, Huestis has averaged 14 points and 6.3 rebounds over 32.1 MPG.
- The Hawks recalled DeAndre’ Bembry from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced in a press release. Bembry, 22, has appeared in just one NBA game since February 27, predominantly getting experience in the D-League in his rookie season. With Kent Bazemore out at least one week with a bone bruise, Bembry may receive playing opportunities.
Kent Bazemore Out At Least One Week With Bone Bruise
Kent Bazemore exited last night’s game against the Blazers with a right knee contusion. After being evaluated this morning, Bazemore was shown to have suffered a right knee bone bruise. Bazemore will be treated and reevaluated in 7-10 days (Hawks press release).
The Hawks will have to make do without Bazemore or Paul Millsap, who will miss Atlanta’s next two games with left knee soreness, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta currently occupies the fifth seed of the Eastern Conference, staked to a 1.5 game lead over the Pacers.
It’s been an up-and-down season for Bazemore, who signed a four-year, $70MM contract before 2016/17. Bazemore’s shooting percentage dropped nearly four points from his 2015/16 campaign, at one point averaging 7.8 points over a 17-game stretch.
The Hawks are likely to recall DeAndre’ Bembry in Bazemore’s absence, Vivlamore reports (Twitter link),
Pelicans Sign Quinn Cook To 10-Day Contract
March 19, 3:02pm: The Pelicans formally announced their signing of Quinn Cook to a 10-day contract (Twitter link).
March 18, 4:34pm: The Pelicans will sign point guard Quinn Cook to a 10-day contract, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Cook, who completed a 10-day deal with Dallas last week, had been in training camp with New Orleans but was waived before the season started. The former Duke guard made a positive impression on Pelicans GM Dell Demps with his preseason performance, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate.
Cook has been playing for the D-League’s Canton Charge since leaving the Mavericks. He got into five games with Dallas, averaging 5.4 points in 15.4 minutes per game.
The Pelicans can fit Cook into the roster opening that occurred when Wayne Selden‘s 10-day contract expired last night. Selden inked a multi-year contract with the Grizzlies earlier today.