Nash, Kidd, Allen Headline 13 Hall Of Fame Finalists
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced 13 finalists to be considered for election to the Hall of Fame in 2018. The list includes six first-time finalists, including likely first-ballot hall-of-famers Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash, as well as Grant Hill, three-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith and four-time WNBA Champion Tina Thompson.
Among the seven other finalists are four-time NBA All-Star Maurice Cheeks, two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, and five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber. Rounding out the list are long-time Maryland coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell, 28-year NBA referee Hugh Evans, two-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, and 10-time AAU National Champions Wayland Baptist University.
The Class of 2018 will be announced on Saturday, March 31 at a press conference in San Antonio prior to the NCAA Men’s Final Four. Let’s now take a look at some more information on the six former NBA stars up for election as players.
- Steve Nash – Played in the NBA for 19 seasons, earning MVP honors in both 2005 and 2006. An eight-time All-Star and an All-NBA First Team member in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Nash also holds the NBA record for highest career free throw percentage (.904) and had four seasons with a shooting line of .500/.400/.900, the most in NBA history.
- Jason Kidd – During his 18-year NBA career, he earned All-NBA First Team honors five times and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times. He is a 10-time NBA All-Star while also ranking second on the NBA all-time steals list (2,684) and all-time assists list (12,091).
- Ray Allen – A two-time NBA Champion, Allen was selected to the All-Star game 10 times during his 18-year career. He is still the all-time NBA leader in three-point field goals made (2,973) and is ranked sixth on the all-time free throw percentage list (.894).
- Grant Hill – A 19-year NBA veteran, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and a member of the All-NBA First Team in 1997, Hill was also a member of two NCAA national championship teams (1991, 1992) at Duke and a gold medal recipient at the 1996 Olympic Games.
- Chris Webber –Webber is a five-time NBA All-Star and the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year. He earned All-NBA First Team honors in 2001 and averaged more than 20 points per game for nine consecutive seasons from the mid-90’s to the early 00’s.
- Maurice Cheeks – A four-time NBA All-Star (1983, 1986-1988) and four-time NBA All-Defensive team selection, Cheeks was also a member of the 1983 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers.
Five Key Stories: 2/10/18 – 2/17/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Rockets officially signed free agent guard Joe Johnson to a rest-of-season contract after he was bought out by the Kings. Johnson, who was reportedly unhappy in Utah before the trade deadline, was traded to Sacramento from the Jazz as part of the three-team trade that sent George Hill and Rodney Hood to Cleveland. As part of the buyout agreement, Johnson surrendered $1MM of his $10.5MM salary. In order to sign Johnson, the Rockets were forced to waive second-year player Troy Williams.
After being sent to Utah from Cleveland in the above-referenced three-team trade between the Cavaliers, Kings, and Jazz, Utah has officially waived former MVP Derrick Rose. Both the Timberwolves and the Wizards have interest in the free agent point guard. And while both clubs discussed a possible waiver claim, Rose has since cleared waivers and will not be signed by any team, if at all, until after the All-Star break.
After agreeing to a buyout with the Hawks, Marco Belinelli cleared waivers and signed with the Sixers. Belinelli, who seemed to confirm his intentions to go to Philadelphia by sending out a tweet that read “TRUST THE PROCESS”, scored 17 points in 28 minutes of action during his debut in a comeback win against the Heat on Wednesday.
The Wizards, recently hit by the injury bug at the point guard position, are expected to sign a point guard to a 10-day deal after the All-Star break. John Wall has been out with an injury in his left knee and back-up point guard Tim Frazier, who suffered a nasal fracture during last Saturday’s game, has undergone surgery will no timetable for his return.
Speaking of the Wizards and their injured All-Star point guard, he and staring center Marcin Gortat met to clear the air after a alleged recent social media spat between the two. The meeting, which was requested by both players, didn’t last long, but sources indicate that there’s still more work to be done before their relationship is fully repaired.
Here are 10 more headlines from the last week:
- Former All-Star Chris Bosh is interested in making an NBA comeback after sitting out the past two seasons with blood clotting issues.
- Another former NBA player, Brandon Jennings signed a G League Contract and was almost immediately claimed off waivers by his former team’s (Bucks) G League affiliate – the Wisconsin Herd.
- A buyout was completed for Brandan Wright and, as previously indicated, he has officially signed with the Rockets.
- The Mavericks waived – and likely bought out – veteran big man Josh McRoberts, whose playing time for Dallas was hampered by a nagging left foot injury.
- According to Heat legend Dwyane Wade, he will not leave Miami again, stating he will play for the Heat until it is time “to hang it up”.
- The Suns signed rookie point guard Josh Gray to a second 10-day contract.
- The Pelicans signed veteran center and former second-overall round pick Emeka Okafor to a second 10-day deal.
- Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis underwent successful ACL surgery on his injured left knee.
- Another Knick, guard Ron Baker, also underwent successful surgery on his dislocated right shoulder.
- The Timberwolves are open to buying out veteran shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad.
And-Ones: Garnett, Buyout Market, McCollum
Kevin Garnett has stayed busy in post-NBA days, working with several teams as a consultant and holding down a television role on TNT. Garnett spoke to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports to discuss his retirement and addressed the possibility of one day becoming a coach.
Garnett said to Zillgitt that he worked with players such as Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Thon Maker. However, in his own words, Garnett views himself less of a coach and more of a teacher. He also noted that he doesn’t want to tie himself down to working for one team, preferring his services to be more accessible.
“I wish it was a freer market than that, but I totally understand. But I like being free,” he said. “I like being able to work with multiple teams. That’s not the case. The league changed their rules a little bit. But from a mentoring aspect, you can mentor as many players as you want. As far as team, you have to stick with one team. I would never say never to anything, but I don’t have an appetite to coach. I’m more of a teacher than a coach. A coach has a lot more responsibility. I just want to teach the players, and that’s it. I don’t want to organize who gets what playing time. I definitely don’t want that.”
Check out other news around the basketball world:
- ESPN Insider’s Bobby Marks (subscription required and recommended) breaks down the remaining options on the buyout market. Marks provides a full list of teams with open roster spots, logical landing spots for the current free agents and likely buyout candidates, and assesses the cap hits for each of them.
- Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum has been named the vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, the NBPA announced on Twitter.
Cavs Notes: Altman, Wade, Rose, James, Thomas
The Cavaliers had the busiest and most impactful trade deadline of any team, swinging three major trades and restructuring a faltering roster by the end of lunchtime on February 8. The behind-the-scenes and on-court struggles preceding the moves were a major talking point across the league, as Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon breaks down.
For starters, Cleveland’s rookie general manager, Koby Altman, deserves a lot of the credit for seemingly righting a ship that was on the verge of sinking. LeBron James addressed the changes and praised the general manager.
“It just wasn’t working out for us, and he felt like, obviously you guys saw his quotes, he made the changes that he felt best fits our team,” James said.
Yet, Altman had to correct an issue that brought upon by decisions made by him, owner Dan Gilbert, head coach Tyronn Lue, and James himself, Vardon writes. James never wanted the team to trade Kyrie Irving; when he was dealt, the Cavaliers tried to assemble the best roster possible and attempted to accommodate James despite him not committing long-term.
- In the story, Vardon writes that the Cavaliers did not feel Dwyane Wade fit on the roster. However, once his buyout from the Bulls was complete, and at James’ urging, the team signed him anyway. While he adjusted well to the bench, Wade initially taking J.R. Smith‘s starter role had an adverse impact on Smith, who never got on track in the first half of the season. Also, Vardon notes that Wade — not Isaiah Thomas — was the first to question Kevin Love‘s illness that forced him to leave a game.
- Derrick Rose was recruited to Cleveland by Lue and – despite his injuries – was expected to a valuable piece on a team-friendly deal. However, just a few games into the season, Rose suffered a sprained ankle that diminished his performance and he eventually left the team to evaluate his future. Upon his return, his teammates accepted him publicly but privately felt it was a matter of time before he was dealt.
- A lot of was made of Isaiah Thomas‘ criticisms, which came while he was struggling himself. He admitted that he was not at full health as he recovered from the hip injury that kept him out to start the season. Lue felt he had to play Thomas as he was essentially Irving’s replacement but his performance never matched his output last season in Boston.
- Without a commitment from LeBron, the Cavs were reluctant to surrender draft picks or take on significant salary beyond the current season. However, Gilbert took on future salary in multiple instances, adding Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, and George Hill, who are all under contract beyond 2017/18. It’s an insurance net for Cleveland in case James does leave in free agency. For now, James is prepared to take on the leadership role that he seemed to vacate while the team struggled. “So it’s my job as the leader of this team to make sure that I acclimate the new four guys to be around a culture that’s built on winning and practicing championship habits,” he said.
C.J. Watson Signs In Turkey
Decade-long NBA veteran C.J. Watson has signed a deal overseas to join Usak Sportif, a low-seeded team in the Turkish Super League, basketball journalist David Pick tweets.
Watson, 33, last appeared in the NBA with the Magic during the 2016/17 campaign. He averaged 4.5 PPG and 1.8 APG in 62 games for Orlando and was waived in the offseason.
Watson’s NBA career includes stints with the Warriors, Bulls, Nets, Pacers, and Magic. He was the backup to Derrick Rose and filled in for the former MVP after he suffered a torn ACL in the 2012 playoffs.
In 600 career NBA games, the point guard sports averages of 7.2 PPG and 2.5 APG.
2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Milwaukee Bucks
For the first time in over a decade, the Bucks have an enviable core with an ambitious ceiling. That they’re on track for a second consecutive playoff berth with one of the game’s hottest young stars is a testament to the principles put in place under the franchise’s new regime.
Of course the Bucks didn’t win the lottery over night. The club that they’ve assembled – a merry band of overachievers who have overachieved so much they may actually just be regular achievers we’ve been underestimating all along – is deep and talented.
The small-market Bucks have committed to guys who work for them and necessarily so, but while that’s all fun and games when your team has Khris Middleton and John Henson locked into team-friendly contracts because they saw value, it stings a little when there’s $20.1MM tied up between Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic, with the luxury tax looming large.
Don’t get it twisted, the Bucks have tactfully leveraged their organization’s strength while minimizing environmental challenges outside of their control. The only downside? Now that the Bucks have a core worth hanging onto – players that they’re committed to and reliant upon – managing finances becomes that much more important.
Sean Kilpatrick, SG, 28 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $0.8MM contract in 2018
Kilpatrick showed that he could put points on the board in an extended stay with the Nets between 2015 and 2017. While he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase his scoring skills so far in Milwaukee, you can bet the organization knows what he’s capable of when given a chance to fill reserve minutes out of the backcourt. Given the team’s financial constraints, it would be wise to lock in an affordable depth piece like Kilpatrick when given the opportunity.
Jabari Parker, PF, 23 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $22.2MM contract in 2014
A pair of ACL injuries have cast doubt on Parker’s value as a pending restricted free agent. While once it seemed extremely plausible – if not borderline inevitable – that the forward would draw a max contract out of somebody, that’s no sure thing in 2018. We wrote earlier this month that the Bucks seemed reluctant to offer Parker any more than $18MM per year. If Parker’s play from now until the end of the 2017/18 campaign justifies more than that, the franchise would need to get creative in order to bring him back in a scenario that’s financially palatable for ownership. Expect Parker to land an offer sheet from one of the few teams with cap space this summer, and for the Bucks to shed salary in order to comfortably match it and avoid the tax, even if it costs them an asset to do so. While Parker can’t be credited for much of Milwaukee’s recent success, he’s a big reason why they have such an intriguing ceiling.
Jason Terry, SG, 40 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.3MM contract in 2017
There’s no doubt that having veteran leadership in the locker room is beneficial to young players. Still, while Terry could conceivably present as an affordable option for rounding out the depth chart next summer, his on-court value is minimal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Thompson, Jackson
There’s no denying that the Lakers are set on making a push for Paul George and LeBron James this summer, but what if things don’t go according to plan? Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus recently broke down the club’s alternative options if one or both of those stars decide against a move to Los Angeles.
If James decides not to sign with the Lakers, it’s expected that the franchise will continue to make a push for George. What the team would do with its second max slot in that scenario remains to be seen, however. Given that the next-best reasonably available options could be an injured DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan, the Lakers may opt hold onto their cap space until the summer of 2019 in that situation.
If neither of the two sign in L.A., the Lakers would almost inevitably have to hold onto their cap space until the summer of 2019 when players like Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker hit the market.
If the latter happens, the Lakers will need to be tactful in how they manage players like Isaiah Thomas, Julius Randle and Brook Lopez, all set to have their contracts expire at the end of June.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Although he won’t hit free agency until the summer of 2019, Warriors guard Klay Thompson has every intention of remaining with Golden State, Mark Medina of the Mercury News writes. “Anything I can do to stay with the Warriors is first and foremost. God willing, it happens. If not, I don’t even think about that,” Thompson said.
- If a player needs to be convinced to play for the franchise and carry on the Lakers legacy, they’re not the right person for the job, Kobe Bryant said. The Hall of Fame-bound shooting guard discussed his role in recruiting free agents for the only franchise he ever played for with ESPN’s Jalen Rose.
- Since the new year, Suns rookie Josh Jackson has averaged 16.1 points per game. That’s a notable increase from the 9.0 he averaged through the first three months of his NBA career. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype recently shed light on the Kansas product’s in-season improvement.
Atlantic Notes: Smart, Carter, Nets
The Celtics would benefit more from a Marcus Smart return than a Gordon Hayward one, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. The scribe suggests that the reserve guard would help the C’s snap out of their recent skid.
For starters, Blakely cites the drop in the Celtics’ defensive rating pre- and post-Smart injury. Boston was second in the NBA with a 99.7 defensive rating before he injured his hand and have been ninth since. Blakely also points to Smart’s effect on team chemistry and the pressure he takes off fellow defenders as reasons why the C’s would be buoyed by his return.
In late December it was announced that Smart would miss two weeks due to a hand laceration that may or may not have been sustained punching a picture frame. The 23-year-old is expected to be back in the lineup after the All-Star Break.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets will need to shore up their defense and rebounding if they want to turn a recent losing skid around after the All-Star Break, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “We’re trying the best we can to find the right lineups that work out there,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We’ve tried a bunch of stuff. We’ve gone small a ton, we’ve tried bigger lineups, we’ve tried two-guard lineups. We’re still searching.“
- The Raptors have put a possible Vince Carter reunion on hold for at least the rest of this season, Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets. Reports last week indicated that Toronto had interest in potentially bringing Carter back, but the Kings prefer not to buy out the veteran forward.
- The Knicks have limped into the All-Star break on an eight-game losing streak. Rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, one of the 10 players chosen to represent the World Roster at the NBA Rising Starts Challenge tonight, hopes to take the weekend as an opportunity to take his mind off things and soak in advice, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.
Central Notes: Jackson, Antetokounmpo, Bower
When Pistons guard Reggie Jackson sprained his ankle on Boxing Day, he was given a six-to-eight week recovery timeline. Seven weeks in, head coach Stan Van Gundy is noncommittal about Jackson’s return, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes.
“I don’t have any preconceived notion at all of when he’ll be back,” Van Gundy said. “When [Pistons doctors] tell me he’s back, he’s back.”
Though the Pistons guard hasn’t suffered a setback, the lack of enthusiasm doesn’t bode well. Per Beard, the 27-year-old may need a few more weeks to get to a point where he’s practicing heavily.
When Jackson does make his return, it will be to a Pistons lineup much different than the one he left in December. Jackson, of course, figures to be one of Detroit’s top offensive options in addition to Andre Drummond and recently acquired Blake Griffin.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- While Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown that whatever he does to improve his game in the offseason seems to be working just fine, the 23-year-old Bucks forward has an interest in training with Kobe Bryant in the summer. “When I go to [All-Star Weekend], I’m going to try to sneak an opportunity to talk to him,” he told ESPN’s Eric Nehm.
- Second-year Bucks guard Xavier Munford, among the NBA’s first class of two-way players, has bounced between the big league club and its G League affiliate so far this season. He spoke with Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype about his new role.
- There’s more that goes into pulling off an NBA trade than simply cold calling a fellow executive ahead of the trade deadline. Pistons general manager Jeff Bower spoke about the process that unfolded ahead of the Blake Griffin trade with Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
Poll: Who Will Win Slam Dunk Contest?
After focusing on this weekend’s Three-Point Contest on Thursday, we’re turning our attention today to Saturday night’s main event: The Slam Dunk Contest.
While 2018’s Three-Point Contest will be headlined by Klay Thompson and Eric Gordon, the two most recent winners of the event, this year’s Dunk Contest features a group made up almost entirely of first-time participants — and no former winners.
Rookies Donovan Mitchell and Dennis Smith Jr. are, of course, participating for the first time, as is Larry Nance Jr., who had campaigned for his inclusion in the past. The only contestant who has any previous Dunk Contest experience is Victor Oladipo, who was the runner-up to Zach LaVine in 2015.
Despite his experience in the contest, Oladipo is currently viewed as the underdog in this year’s event. Gambling site Bovada.lv gives the Pacers guard the longest odds to win, and only one of ESPN’s 17 experts picked him in the site’s All-Star Saturday predictions.
Smith Jr., the Mavericks’ point guard, is considered the favorite by Bovada, and Ben Golliver of SI.com also tabbed the rookie to take home the crown on Saturday night. However, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
Mitchell, who has the second-best odds from Bovada, is viewed as a strong candidate to win the event, despite being a late addition after Aaron Gordon had to pull out. Mitchell was picked by eight ESPN experts — only five members of ESPN’s panel chose Smith Jr.
Nance Jr., who received three votes from ESPN’s panel, also shouldn’t be ruled out. As Golliver observes, the new Cavaliers big man will be looking to live up to the legacy of his father, Larry Nance Sr., who won the league’s first ever Dunk Contest back in 1984. A longtime Laker, Nance Jr. may also have something of a home-court advantage in Los Angeles, despite being traded last week.
What do you think? Who do you expect to win this year’s Slam Dunk Contest? Vote in our poll, then jump into the comment section below to share your two cents!
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