Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/27/19 – 5/4/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Some player option decisions are a foregone conclusion, but here are five to watch this offseason.
- In this week’s polls, we asked:
- Which team is going to win the Bucks/Celtics series?
- Which team is going to win the Nuggets/Blazers series?
- Which conference semifinal series is most likely to go the full seven games?
- We provided the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery odds, with the Knicks, Cavaliers, and Suns all having a 14% shot at the top-overall pick.
- Our 2019 Offseason Salary Cap Digest series focused on the following teams:
- Luke Adams provided an interesting perspective on this year’s draft, analyzing four lottery scenarios that are more likely than not to occur.
- In this week’s Community Shootaround posts, we asked:
- Which NBA Finals match-up would you most like to see?
- Do the Rockets have what it takes to come back and beat the Warriors in four out of five games?
- To begin this year’s Five Key Offseason Questions series, Luke Adams took a look at some pressing issues facing the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Dana Gauruder’s Stock Watch series focused on Eastern Conference playoff participants whose free agent value has risen or dropped due to their playoff performance.
Raptors’ Pascal Siakam Doubtful For Game 4
In what some are describing as a karmic turn of events, Raptors’ forward Pascal Siakam, the team’s second-best player throughout this postseason, suffered a right calf contusion in Toronto’s Game 3 loss to the 76ers and is subsequently being listed as doubtful for Sunday’s Game 4, reports Adrian Wojnarowki of ESPN (h/t to Hoops Rumors’ own JD Shaw).
Siakam maintains that he is unaware of when the injury occurred, but as Tim Bontemps of ESPN and others have noticed, Siakam appears to have used his right calf to trip Sixers’ big man Joel Embiid during the fourth quarter of Toronto’s loss on Thursday night. A closer look at the video appears to show Embiid’s left knee colliding with Siakam’s calf, and Siakam did not return to the game after the collision.
A top-candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, Siakam is averaging 22.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game this postseason. Should he miss tomorrow afternoon’s game, Toronto will look for both Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol to step up their games in his absence to help Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the team even up the series with Philadelphia at 2-2.
Suns Notes: Williams, Sarver, Coaching, Practice Facility
The Suns‘ hiring of Sixers assistant Monty Williams was well-received around the NBA this week, Gina Mizell details in a story for The Athletic.
Williams, who last served as a head coach with the Pelicans in 2015, is one of the most respected figures across the league. Aside from his basketball intellect, Williams demonstrated incredible courage, faith and strength when his wife of 26 years tragically passed away in a car accident two years ago.
The mark he left on many NBA figures, including players, coaches and executives, cannot be measured. It’s this kind of culture that piqued the interests of Suns GM James Jones and owner Robert Sarver, who pitched Williams on starting a new program and improving the culture of the team.
“They need him. They really need him there,” said Anthony Morrow, who played under Williams for two seasons. “He really likes the grind of building up the organization and building the culture.
“That’s the mentality that he’s gonna put in these guys’ heads. I think it’s gonna be special to watch after a while.”
Perhaps nobody was impacted more by Williams than consensus top-three player Kevin Durant, who lauded Williams’ courage and positive attitude shortly after news broke of him joining the Suns.
“I got to know the type of man he was. His coaching style is what it is because of the stuff he’s been through as a person and how he looks at life in general,” Durant said, as relayed by Mark Medina of The Mercury News. “He’s a leader and a teacher. I’m excited he’s back into coaching and walking those sidelines again.”
There’s more out of Phoenix today:
- The Williams hiring will work best if team owner Robert Sarver keeps his distance, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes. The Suns’ win totals have steadily declined in the past five seasons under Sarver, going from 48 in 2014 to 19 this year. Sarver promised Williams that he would stand clear and allow him to develop his younger players in their meeting with Suns GM James Jones, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
- Phoenix spoke with several more coaching candidates than what was originally reported, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets. The Suns, according to Gambadoro, spoke with roughly 10 other potential coaches before choosing to hire Williams.
- Plans have officially been announced for the team’s new state-of-the-art practice facility, set to be built as part of a $230MM renovation deal for Talking Stick Resort Arena, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “There are extensive limitations to the player development and training space available in our nearly 30 year old arena,” James Jones said in a press release. “The development of this stand-alone, secure and private facility will enhance our player health, development and wellness capabilities, and allow us to retain and attract the best basketball talent to the Valley for years to come.”
Enes Kanter Aggravates Separated Left Shoulder
Blazers center Enes Kanter aggravated his injured left shoulder in the team’s Game 3 win over Denver on Friday night (well, some could argue Saturday morning), telling reporters after the contest that he believes he separated the shoulder “more.”
Kanter logged 56 minutes in the first quadruple overtime playoff game since 1953, finishing with 18 points, 15 rebounds and three steals. He was listed as questionable entering the series due to the injury, also suffering a hand contusion in the first half of Game 2.
“First overtime, I think I separated my shoulder more,” Kanter said, according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. “I had to tuck my arm into my jersey because I couldn’t carry my arm. I’m glad we got a win, man. Whatever it takes. You’ve got to sacrifice everything. I’m proud of my teammates.”
Kanter will receive treatment between now and Sunday’s Game 4 and plans to play through the injury, though his official status for the contest has yet to be announced by the team. He first suffered the shoulder injury in Portland’s series-clinching Game 5 win against the Thunder last round.
“Sometimes you’ve got to make some sacrifices to get a win,” Kanter said. “I’ll get some painkillers for the next game. I hope I can play. But I’ll be fine.”
Kanter was a major free agent acquisition for the Blazers this season, filling in for the injured Jusuf Nurkic as starting center throughout the playoffs. He’s averaged 15.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and one steal in eight postseason games and will become a free agent on July 1.
Portland must win Game 4 in order to protect home court advantage in the series, with the prospect of heading back to Denver tied 2-2 looming should they lose on Sunday.
Cavs Secure Permission To Interview Ettore Messina
The Cavaliers have received permission to interview Spurs assistant Ettore Messina for their vacant head coaching job, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link).
Messina adds to a long list of coaches who have registered interest from Cleveland, including Blazers assistants David Vanterpool and Nate Tibbetts, Nuggets assistants Jordi Fernandez and Wes Unseld Jr., Mavs assistant Jamahl Mosley, Jazz assistant Alex Jensen, Heat assistant Juwan Howard, Spurs assistant Ime Udoka and former Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Among the group, only Mosley, Howard, Bickerstaff, and Jensen have interviewed to date. The Cavs are conducting a wide-ranging search in wake of their mutual parting with former coach Larry Drew, but the team has yet to ask for permission to interview any college coaching candidates, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Messina holds several years of coaching experience and started with the Spurs in 2014. Before that, he spent over two decades coaching overseas and eventually agreed to become a consultant for the Lakers in 2011-12.
“Coach Messina is one of the finest coaches we have in the business, and hopefully he will get a shot to show that (as a head coach) in the NBA at some point” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said this season, as relayed by Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
This would be the second head coaching gig Messina has interviewed for in the past calendar year. He pursued the Suns’ job last spring and ultimately lost to the recently fired Igor Kokoskov, also receiving interest from teams such as the Kings and Lakers in their coaching searches at the time.
Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Eastern Conference
Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. With the playoffs in full swing, we turn our attention to the Eastern Conference:
Marcus Morris, Celtics, 29, SF/PF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $20MM deal in 2015
Unlike his brother Markieff, who played sparingly for the Thunder during their annual first-round flame-out, Marcus remains a valued member of Boston’s rotation. Other than a goose egg in Game 2 against Indiana, Morris has delivered steady production. He’s shooting 49.1% overall and 40.7% from distance while ranking second on the team in rebounds (6.7). He posted a +11.1 net rating on NBA.com’s postseason advanced stats entering Game 3 against Milwaukee. He had 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks on Friday. Morris’ toughness and ability to play both forward positions will make him attractive in the free agent market.
Jimmy Butler, Sixers, 29, SF (Up) — Signed to a five-year, $92.3MM deal in 2017
Butler hurt his reputation by whining his way out of Minnesota. After forcing the Timberwolves’ hand, he got a chance to chase at least a conference title in Philadelphia. Following some ho-hum performances against Brooklyn, Butler has performed like a max-level player against Toronto the last two games. He’s averaged 26.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.0 APG and 2.0 SPG in those victories. You can put up with his abrasive style when he produces like that. He remains firmly entrenched as the third-best free agent wing — and perhaps overall player — behind Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.
Sterling Brown, Bucks, 24, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.8MM deal in 2017
Brown’s contract for next season becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster at the beginning of July, when free agency begins. That in itself seems to be a near guarantee. With Malcolm Brogdon sidelined, Brown has received rotation minutes for much of the postseason. His most noteworthy performance came in the series clincher against Detroit when posted nine points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Brown also plays with a little bit of an edge and can get under opponents’ skin. Brown sat in Game 3 of the series with Boston but he’s already done enough to stay on the roster, especially with Brogdon a restricted free agent and Khris Middleton unrestricted.
Danny Green, Raptors, 31, SG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $40MM deal in 2015
Green’s contributions to the scoring column are predicated on knocking down threes. A whopping 69% of his field-goal attempts during the regular season came from beyond the arc and he made a career-high 45.5%. It’s been a lot rougher in the postseason. He shot 31.8% from deep in the Orlando series and has made 30.6% in the first three games against Philadelphia. Green should still find a starting job this summer, whether he re-signs with Toronto or a team seeking veteran help. But his lack of versatility will limit the size of those offers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cavs To Meet With Spurs Assistant Udoka
The Cavaliers will interview Spurs assistant Ime Udoka this weekend for their head coaching vacancy, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Udoka was a candidate for the Pistons’ head coaching job last summer before Detroit owner Tom Gores chose Dwane Casey.
Udoka joins a growing list of possible replacements for Larry Drew, who mutually agreed to part ways with the organization after the season.
Former Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff interviewed for the position on Tuesday and Jazz assistant coach and former Canton Charge assistant Alex Jensen was interviewed on Friday. Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley sat down with Cleveland’s brass last week. Nuggets assistants Jordi Fernandez and Wes Unseld Jr. are also expected to be interviewed.
Northwest Notes: Murray, Jazz Workouts, Thunder, Hood
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has been fighting through a right thigh injury, Mike Singer of the Denver Post reports. Murray was limited to 15 points on 6-for-18 shooting, along with just one assist, in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal series against Portland. But Murray refused to admit the injury might have affected him, Singer adds.
“I always play through pain,” the Nuggets’ guard said. “It’s something I’ve always done. I always put myself through more and do more than I can. Playing through pain is just another challenge for me. I’m gonna do it regardless of the stakes. Just try to be smart about it, obviously. If it’s something I can play through, it’s what I’m gonna do.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz are bringing in six prospects for pre-draft workouts on Saturday, the team’s PR department tweets. Centers Kevin Samuel (TCU) and Nathan Knight (William & Mary), forwards Tres Tinkle (Oregon State) and Jalen Hudson (Florida) and guards Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State) and Chris Clemons (Campbell) are the players they’ll evaluate.
- The Thunder should make everyone but Russell Westbrook and Paul George available in trade talks, Brett Dawson of The Athletic argues in his offseason outlook. Oklahoma City needs to acquire more shooters to complement their All-Star duo and find a backup center, Dawson continues. Westbrook must also adjust his game in order for the Thunder to end their cycle of first-round playoff exits, Dawson adds.
- Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood has hired CAA Sports to represent him, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. Hood will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He was previously represented by Travis King of Independent Sports and Entertainment.
Community Shootaround: Rockets-Warriors Series
Entering the season, the Rockets loomed as the biggest threat to a Warriors three-peat. Their Western Conference Finals matchup last season went the distance and Houston might have knocked off Golden State if Chris Paul didn’t pull his hamstring in Game 5.
Houston finished with the fourth-best record in the West this season, but as the playoffs approached, nothing changed. With all due respect to the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, the Rockets still looked like the only team capable of sending Golden State home early.
With Game 3 of the series coming up on Saturday night, Golden State can already start thinking about ordering more championship rings. The Warriors won the first two games on their home court behind Kevin Durant, who scored 35 points in the controversial 104-100 Game 1 victory and 29 more in the 115-109 Game 2 triumph.
The opener was filled with beefs about the officiating, with both sides complaining about calls and non-calls. Paul was fortunate not to be suspended for bumping an official.
Houston’s chances of winning Game 2 on Tuesday were hampered by James Harden‘s eye issues after he got poked by Draymond Green. Harden still managed to score 29 points with blurred vision, but it wasn’t enough to overcame the Rockets’ 18 turnovers, which led to 24 Golden State points.
Now the series shifts to Houston and the pressure is on the Rockets to hold serve. The extra days between Games 2 and 3 have helped Harden, who is expected to play. All of the Rockets’ other regulars are healthy and coach Mike D’Antoni has had plenty of time to ponder adjustments. But the bottom line is Houston now must beat Golden State four times in five games.
That leads us to our question of the day: Can the Rockets come back and win their series with the Warriors or have they already dug too deep of a hole?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Eastern Notes: Simmons, Dolan, Wizards, Hawks Workouts
Sixers guard Ben Simmons has been assessed a Flagrant One foul and fined $20K for striking Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry in the groin on Thursday, according to a tweet from the league’s PR department. The incident occurred during the second quarter of Game 3, which Philadelphia won 116-95. Simmons, who had 10 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in the game, was whistled for three common fouls.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Shareholders of Madison Square Garden Company have filed a suit against Knicks owner James Dolan, its executive chairman and CEO, for being grossly overpaid, Pitchfork.com reports. Over the last three fiscal years, MSG has paid Dolan $75.6MM, according to company filings. MSG’s peer companies have paid their CEOs an average of $17MM over the same period, according to the lawsuit. The filing also claims that Dolan “works at MSG only part time,” with much of his focus going toward touring and recording for his band JD & the Straight Shot. MSG has labelled the lawsuit “nothing more than corporate harassment.”
- Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and Wizards interim GM Tommy Sheppard are potential candidates, along with Danny Ferry, for Washington’s top executive post, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in a Wizards Talk Podcast relayed by NBC Sports Washington’s Caroline Brandt. Ferry, who most recently was interim GM with the Pelicans, interviewed for the job this week. Windhorst also indicated there’s at least one mystery candidate the Wizards will pursue. “There may be another name or two that I’m not willing to say just yet who may be on the Wizards’ list,” Windhorst said.
- The Hawks brought in six players for pre-draft workouts on Friday, according to a team press release. Forward/center Nathan Knight of William & Mary, forwards Anthony Lamb (Vermont), Kouat Noi (TCU) and Killian Tillie (Gonzaga) and guards Andrew Nembhard (Florida) and D’Marcus Simonds (Georgia State) participated in the workout. Tillie is the highest-ranked prospect in the group, currently rated No. 82 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.