Pelicans Notes: Holiday, Davis, Cousins, Gentry
A primary factor in the Pelicans’ success so far this season – which now includes a sweep of the higher-seeded Trail Blazers in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs – has been the stellar play of combo guard Jrue Holiday, writes Matt John of Basketball Insiders.
Having been somewhat hampered by injuries and personal matters since the Pelicans traded for him in the summer of 2013, Holiday has been a revelation so far this postseason, having increased his scoring output from 19.0 PPG in the regular season – a career-high – to 27.8 PPG in the playoffs, while also playing stifling defense on Portland’s All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.
Yet, the advanced statistics demonstrate that Holiday has actually been playing at an All-Star level all season long, regardless of whether the casual basketball fan realized it or not. For example, the Pelicans had an offensive rating of 108.9 points per 100 possessions when he was the on the court – would have ranked 7th – compared to 104.4 points per 100 possessions when he was off – would have ranked 21st.
Holiday was even more important to the Pelicans on the defensive end of the floor, where the team had a defensive rating of 103.3 per 100 possessions when Holiday was on the court – would have ranked 5th – compared to 112.3 off the court – would have ranked dead last, 30th overall.
Holiday’s net rating was also higher than that of Pelicans MVP-candidate teammate Anthony Davis, and his 3.81 Real Plus-Minus ranked ninth among point guards, which put him ahead of Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and Goran Dragic, all of whom made the All-Star team this year, albeit in the Eastern Conference.
Holiday will look to continue his stellar play on Saturday when the Pelicans head to Oakland to take on the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
There’s more out of New Orleans this evening:
- With Davis under contract through the 2020/21 season and not eager to leave town, the Pelicans are on track to becoming the next small-market success, writes Brett Martel of The Associated Press.
- In a piece from Christian Boutwell of The Advocate, injured Pelicans’ big man DeMarcus Cousins says he “couldn’t be happier for this team” after a sweep of the Trail Blazers. Cousins also touched on his rehab for a torn left Achilles, saying “I’m improving each and every day and I’m improving a pretty rapid pace as well. That keeps my energy high, my positive vibes going.”
- As we relayed Monday night, the Pelicans have informed head coach Alvin Gentry that his team option for next season will be picked up, thereby all but guaranteeing that Gentry will coach the Pelicans during the 2018/19 season.
Community Shootaround: Heat’s Offseason Outlook
The Heat‘s season came to an end on Tuesday night, with a 104-91 loss in Philadelphia resulting in a 4-1 series win for the Sixers. Now that the 2017/18 campaign is officially in the books, Miami faces an important offseason ahead as the front office looks to find a way to turn the Heat from a solid playoff team into a legit contender.
The big summer decisions figure to start with Hassan Whiteside, Miami’s highest-paid player, who is owed a guaranteed $25MM+ salary in 2018/19 and has a $27MM+ player option for 2019/20. After averaging a career-high 32.6 minutes per game for the Heat in 2016/17, Whiteside saw just 25.3 MPG this season, and that number dipped further in the playoffs — he played only 15.4 MPG against the Sixers. As we relayed earlier today, Whiteside wasn’t thrilled with his declining playing time in the postseason.
“At least give me a chance to fight,” Whiteside said. “I can understand if I was playing 30 minutes and I played bad. At least give me a chance. … We played a style of play Coach (Erik Spoelstra) wanted. He wanted to utilize more spacing I guess in the playoffs, so that’s why he did it.”
Whiteside’s discontent with his role and the Heat’s success with Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo at center will create an interesting offseason predicament. Can Miami find a worthwhile trade involving Whiteside, or will the team have to find a way to keep him happy next season? For what it’s worth, at least one report suggests the Heat are expected to explore trade scenarios.
With Whiteside’s contract on the books, the Heat are currently carrying more than $116MM in guaranteed salary for 2018/19, making it virtually impossible to land an impact free agent. Considering Pat Riley has repeatedly made an effort to pursue star players in the past, the team’s inflexibility in terms of cap room presents another fascinating hurdle. To truly transform the roster or land an All-Star caliber player, Miami would almost certainly need to do so via trades, likely moving more than just Whiteside.
Tyler Johnson, whose salary jumps to $19MM+ in 2018/19, and Dion Waiters, who is coming off a season-ending ankle injury, would be trade candidates, though neither player will have significant value. In order to maximize their potential return, the Heat will have to be willing to discuss one or more their more valuable pieces, such as Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, Olynyk, and Adebayo.
It also doesn’t help matters that Miami’s best shooter, Wayne Ellington, is an unrestricted free agent. He’s one of a small handful of Heat players eligible for free agency — another is Dwyane Wade, who would probably have to accept another minimum salary deal if he decides he wants to return for another season.
In a piece calling for major offseason roster changes, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald suggests that no Heat player should be untouchable this summer, and notes that Riley is “less likely than ever” to embark on an all-out rebuild. But we want to know what you think.
What’s the best path to contention for the Heat? Is there a realistic trade out there that could raise the club’s ceiling? What should Miami do with Whiteside? Which players on the roster are keepers?
Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts on the offseason outlook for the Heat!
Steve Clifford Hoping To Coach In 2018/19
Steve Clifford still had a year left on his contract when he was fired by the Hornets earlier this month, so he doesn’t have to worry about finding another job right away. However, speaking to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, Clifford confirmed that he’d like to land one of the NBA’s open head coaching jobs this offseason.
“My hope is to be a head coach again (in the NBA) next year,” Clifford said. “There is a lot of movement in the league. There are certainly jobs I’m interested in. I’m looking into it. I want to be involved in the NBA. I enjoy coaching a great deal (in general), but I also (particularly) enjoy the competition in this league.”
While his time in Charlotte ended with back-to-back years in the lottery, Clifford led the Hornets to a pair of playoff berths in his first three years with the franchise. He remains well regarded in coaching circles, and has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Suns. It’s not clear if Clifford has spoken to any of the other teams seeking a new head coach.
If Clifford doesn’t end up filling one of the head coaching vacancies around the league, he could draw interest from a number of NBA teams as an assistant. In his conversation with Bonnell, Clifford confirms that’s “definitely” a possibility he’d consider, but suggests he wants to exhaust his head coaching opportunities first before seriously weighing joining another coach’s staff.
2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Memphis Grizzlies
After heading into the fall with playoff aspirations, the Grizzlies had a disastrous 2017/18 season. Standout point guard Mike Conley only played in 12 games, while fellow max-salary veteran Chandler Parsons appeared in 36. The team’s other highest-paid player, Marc Gasol, remained healthy, but clashed with head coach David Fizdale, ultimately resulting in Fizdale’s ouster. All three of Memphis’ max players are still under contract next season, so there’s some optimism that the club could return to playoff contention with better health, but it will be an uphill climb following a 22-win season.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Grizzlies financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:
Guaranteed Salary
- Mike Conley ($30,521,115)
- Marc Gasol ($24,119,025)
- Chandler Parsons ($24,107,258)
- JaMychal Green ($7,866,667)
- Ben McLemore ($5,460,000)
- Jarell Martin ($2,416,222)
- MarShon Brooks ($1,656,092)
- Deyonta Davis ($1,544,951)
- Dillon Brooks ($1,378,242)
- Ivan Rabb ($1,378,242)
- Rade Zagorac ($1,378,242) — Waived
- Wayne Selden ($772,476) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.1
- Jamaal Franklin ($163,296) — Waived via stretch provision
- Total: $102,761,828
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Andrew Harrison ($1,544,951)
- Omari Johnson ($1,378,242)2
- Wayne Selden ($772,475) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
- Total: $3,695,668
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- No. 2 overall pick ($7,243,344)3
- Tyreke Evans ($3,948,000): Non-Bird rights
- Mario Chalmers ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $12,691,042
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Projected Cap Room: None
- Even before taking into account a cap hold for their lottery pick, the Grizzlies are over the projected cap with nearly $103MM in guaranteed contracts. Any path to cap room would involve major trades and/or cuts, so we can expect Memphis to be an over-the-cap club this summer, with the full mid-level exception available. The Grizzlies won’t have their bi-annual exception available this offseason after using it in 2017/18 to sign Evans.
Footnotes:
- Selden’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 10.
- Johnson’s exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
- The Grizzlies are second in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking anywhere from No. 1 ($8,095,595) to No. 5 ($5,310,672).
Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bogdan Bogdanovic Undergoes Knee Procedure
APRIL 25: The Kings have confirmed that Bogdanovic underwent his meniscus debridement procedure, announcing that he’ll resume full basketball activities in about eight to 10 weeks.
APRIL 24: Kings shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has been diagnosed with a slight tear of the medial meniscus in his left knee, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Kings, Bogdanovic is undergoing a “minimally invasive” debridement procedure on his knee on Tuesday to address the issue.
Sacramento’s season is over, so Bogdanovic will have several months to recover and rehab following the surgery. The Kings expect him to make a full recovery, indicating they’ll provide an update on his timeline when it becomes available.
Bogdanovic, not to be confused with Pacers wing Bojan Bogdanovic, had a successful rookie season in Sacramento in 2017/18, appearing in 78 games (53 starts) for the team and averaging 11.8 PPG on .446/.392/.840 shooting.
Because Bogdanovic was a draft-and-stash prospect, he isn’t on a standard four-year rookie contract, but he remains under Sacramento’s control for the next two years. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2020 and remains a key part of the Kings’ core going forward, so the club will closely monitor his recovery process this offseason.
Bogdanovic has been a member of the Serbian national team for the last several years, representing his country in 2017’s EuroBasket tournament. Today’s procedure figures to compromise his availability for Serbia this summer.
Jay Wright Won’t Meet With NBA Teams
NBA teams with head coaching openings and aspirations of luring Jay Wright away from Villanova this offseason can probably give up that dream, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. According to Berman, Wright’s longtime agent Carl Hirsch has confirmed that the Wildcats coach won’t speak to NBA teams at this time, and will return to Villanova to defend the team’s championship.
“He’s under contract with Villanova and he’s very, very happy there,” Hirsch told Berman. “There’s no plans to leave.”
The stance doesn’t come as a surprise, since Wright made similar comments about a week after Villanova won this year’s championship game. Speaking to Dana O’Neil of The Athletic at the time, the veteran head coach admitted that he was “intrigued” by the NBA, but said he couldn’t see himself leaving his current position. While Wright’s comments left the door to the NBA slightly ajar, Hirsch essentially closed that door for now, per Berman.
[RELATED: 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]
A source tells Berman that at least two teams reached out to Wright’s representatives this month. One of those teams is believed to be the Knicks, whose desire to inquire on Wright was reported earlier in April. The identity of the second club isn’t known, but the Suns were believed to have Wright on their radar too. Neither team will get a chance to interview him.
With Wright set to return to Villanova, he’ll have a challenge ahead of him as he looks to lead the Wildcats to their third title in four years. Standout contributors Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson are going pro, and Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman – who have each entered the draft without hiring an agent – may join them.
Cavaliers Notes: Hill, Love, Hood, Korver
The Cavaliers still aren’t sure if George Hill will be available for tonight’s Game 5, according to Colton Jones of AmicoHoops. Hill sat out Sunday’s game with severe back spasms, even though he had four injections in an attempt to play.
Coach Tyronn Lue said Hill was able to do “some shooting” during Tuesday’s practice and will be reinserted into the starting lineup if he is able to go tonight. If not, veteran point guard Jose Calderon will get another start.
There’s more news today out of Cleveland:
- Kevin Love won’t blame an injured thumb for his shooting problems against the Pacers, Jones relays in a separate story. Love suffered a partially torn ligament in his left thumb while breaking up a pass in Game 2. It’s the same hand that he broke late in the regular season, an injury that sidelined him for six weeks. “I’ve been able to get up a lot of shots,” said Love, who is shooting .362 during the series. “I think initially it was painful in the few days that followed, but now it’s kind of subsided, and just getting the feeling back in my left thumb.”
- Rodney Hood is still trying to adjust to a less-structured offense in Cleveland, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Hood, who was acquired in a flurry of deals at the February deadline, saw his scoring average drop by six points per game after leaving Utah and his shooting percentage from 3-point range dipped from .389 to .352. He’s down to 7.0 points per game in the playoffs.
- For all the roster changes the Cavs made this season, Lue relied on a group with experience playing together when he desperately needed a win in Game 4, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. LeBron James teamed with Love, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver and Jeff Green to pull out the victory. “That’s not a knock on anything or anybody,” Korver said. “When you’ve been through something at a high level, there’s experience there and there’s something to draw from. When you’ve been through experiences in life, you’ve been through tough games, whatever it is, it gives you a comfort level to go with people you’ve kind of done it with before.”
Northwest Notes: Westbrook, George, Butler, Trail Blazers
Thunder guard Russell Westbrook will be available for tonight’s Game 5 after being fined but not suspended for going onto the court during an altercation, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. The league levied a $10K fine against Westbrook, who became involved in a fourth quarter shoving match during Game 4. Players are typically suspended for leaving the bench area during a fight, but Westbrook was given a break because he was about to check into the game when it happened.
“I was at the scorer’s table waiting,” he said. “The foul went, the horn blew. So, I walked on the court. I was already in the game. Once I was in the game, they told me to wait because they told me I was going to review it or whatever. Once they did that, then obviously the altercation happened so I was already on the floor.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Paul George‘s upcoming free agency becomes more interesting with every Thunder loss, notes Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated. George said earlier this season that he wouldn’t make a decision based on the playoffs, but obviously a first-round exit won’t help Oklahoma City’s chances of keeping him. Sharp acknowledges George’s talent, but questions whether he can be a team leader and speculates that things may not turn out well for the Lakers if they sign him but not LeBron James.
- It’s conceivable that Jimmy Butler could wind up back in Chicago after next season, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Timberwolves traded for Butler last summer to bring a veteran presence to the organization, but he can opt out of a $19.8MM salary next summer and may be tempted to leave if Minnesota can’t make an impact in the playoffs. Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf remains a huge fan of Butler and would be interested in a reunion. “I loved the city of Chicago, and I love the Reinsdorfs,’’ Butler said. “I’m forever grateful for them in taking a chance on me, allowing me to become the player that I am today. It’s still incredible to me that I got to hoop in a Bulls jersey. I got to play in the house that [Michael] Jordan built, that [Scottie] Pippen played, all that stuff. That’s because of the Reinsdorfs. If the time comes where I say, ‘You know what, I do want to end this thing in a Bulls jersey,’ I think that would be amazing. But it’s all about being wanted and winning.’’
- The Trail Blazers posted all their exit interviews on the team website after a surprising first-round sweep by New Orleans.
Heat Notes: Whiteside, Wade, Ellington
Hassan Whiteside headed into the offseason last night with one last jab at Heat coach Erik Spoelstra over playing time, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Whiteside spent just 10 minutes on the court during the season-ending loss and played 77 total minutes in the five-game series.
“At least give me a chance to fight,” Whiteside said. “I can understand if I was playing 30 minutes and I played bad. At least give me a chance. … We played a style of play Coach wanted. He wanted to utilize more spacing I guess in the playoffs, so that’s why he did it.”
Foul trouble played a role in Whiteside’s lack of minutes, Jackson notes, as did matchup concerns with Philadelphia’s smaller lineups, but there’s an apparent feeling from the coaching staff that the Heat are better without Whiteside on the floor. His playing time dropped sharply during the season, going to 25.3 minutes per game after a career high of 32.6 last year.
The 28-year-old center said he will address the matter this summer with Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley. He is under contract for more than $25.4MM next season with a $27.1MM player option for 2019/20, and Jackson states that the Heat are expected to explore trade options.
There’s more from Miami on the first day of the offseason:
- The Heat are stuck with a roster talented enough to make the playoffs, but not to be a legitimate contender once they get there, Jackson writes in a separate piece. He recommends significant changes, which will have to come through trades because of the team’s cap situation. He says the Heat would prefer to keep Josh Richardson, Goran Dragic, Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk, but adds that Riley should give the Spurs their choice of any two players on the roster if Kawhi Leonard becomes available.
- Dwyane Wade is in no rush to make a decision about another NBA season, according to Andre C. Fernandez of The Miami Herald. The 36-year-old played well after returning to Miami in February, including a 28-point performance in Game 2 of the playoff series. “Fresh off the NBA season, my 15th year, I’ll sit back and think about that,” Wade said after Tuesday’s loss. “Then, I’ll dive and throw myself into my family. They’re next on my bucket list of making sure I’m there for them. Then when it comes to the basketball side of it, which is a long time away from now, then I’ll think about that. But right now I ain’t concerned with it.”
- Wayne Ellington hopes to return to Miami, but financial realities could make that difficult, notes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. The Heat own Early Bird Rights on Ellington as he heads into free agency, allowing them to offer a four-year contract starting at $10.9MM with raises up to 8%. However, Miami is roughly $15MM over next year’s cap, so some salary may have to be trimmed before it makes that kind of commitment to Ellington.
Rice Commission: Eliminate One-And-Done Rule
The Commission on College Basketball takes sharp aim at the one-and-done rule, AAU summer basketball and the current penalties for rules violations in a report released this morning, according to The Associated Press.
The 12-member commission, headed up by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was formed in the wake of a federal corruption probe that resulted in bribery and kickback charges and touched high-level programs such as Arizona, Louisville and Kansas.
Of particular interest in NBA circles is a recommendation to scrap the current rules for draft eligibility, which requires that players be at least age 19 or one year past their graduation date. The current regulations were adopted in 2006 to stop the wave of high school players who were choosing to bypass college.
“One-and-done has to go one way or another,” Rice said.
The commission considered recommending rules similar to the ones used by Major League Baseball, which permits players to be drafted out of high school but requires them to spend at least three years in college if they opt for that route. Instead, it wants a system where players can test the draft waters after any season without losing their college eligibility.
The NBA has talked to the players’ union about changing the one-and-done rule, but any move wouldn’t take effect before the 2020 draft, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The league sees value in letting players return to college because there are too many prospects to handle, even with the G League (Twitter link).
The league and the union released a joint statement in response to the report. “Regarding the NBA’s draft eligibility rules,” it stated, “the NBA and NBPA will continue to assess them in order to promote the best interests of players and the game.”