Alex Len Talks Hawks Experience, Confusion Over Being Traded
Alex Len, who inked a two-year deal with Hawks back in 2018, was traded to the Kings at this year’s deadline. Prior to getting dealt, Len expressed his interest in re-signing with Atlanta, telling Chris Kirschner of The Athletic this week that he cherished his time with the club.
“One-hundred percent — I wanted to stay,” Len told Kirschner. “I like the coaching staff. I liked my teammates. Everyone was cool. It really had a family feel to it. Last year, you could see the trajectory was going up…This season didn’t work out as planned, so they had to make changes. It’s a business, so I understood they had to do it.”
In the trade with the Kings, which also sent Jabari Parker to Sacramento, the Hawks received a pair of second-round picks and Dewayne Dedmon, who had left the team in free agency prior to the season. That, coupled with the team bringing in Clint Capela, left Len puzzled as to why Atlanta would trade him for another center.
“They didn’t want to pay [Dedmon] in the first place, so it didn’t make sense to me,” Len said. “If they wanted him, they could have just paid him. So they get him as a backup now and end up paying him anyway.”
Len admitted that he didn’t know what to expect when he was on his way to Sacramento. He called the experience of playing with the Kings this season a “pleasant surprise,” while adding that dynamics of the two franchises were different.
“There was a whole different mood and vibe around the team because we were going for the eighth spot,” Len said. “When I was (in Atlanta), it’s tough to play knowing you’re not making the playoffs. You go into the game, and guys are thinking about their points and themselves. (In Sacramento), it’s all about team and winning. Guys don’t care how many points they score; it’s all about winning. Everybody was playing a lot harder. We were playing all five guys on a string. It makes your job easier because everybody else is a lot better.”
Coronavirus Notes: Resuming Season, Lost Revenue, More
While many NBA observers don’t expect the league to be able to resume play until at least June, if at all, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is holding out hope that it will happen earlier than that. As Mike Leslie of WFAA details, Cuban said that if the over/under on a return to action is June 1, he’s “taking the under” (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports).
“Hopefully by the middle of May, we’re starting to get back to normal and the NBA is playing games,” Cuban said. “Maybe not with fans, but we’re playing it because sports plays such an important role. You know, people want something to cheer for, people want something to rally around, people want something to be excited about.”
Cuban acknowledged that there will be plenty of hurdles to overcome to meet such an aggressive timeline, but expressed optimism that it’s possible as scientists and medical professionals continue to learn more about COVID-19.
“Once we have a medical light at the end of the tunnel, where we know what the worst case is, then we can start venturing outside and being in groups of 10 and instead of being by ourselves right and then groups of 25 and then 50 and go from there,” Cuban said. “So I think that that’s the first step. And I think that’s gonna happen a little bit faster than we originally expected.”
Here’s more on the coronavirus and the NBA’s hiatus:
- ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski provides an interesting inside look at how NBA teams are handling the layoff and the closure of training facilities. “We are seeking answers that no one knows,” Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers said. “In a lot of ways, it’s simply, ‘What’s the least-worst thing to do?’ It’s hard to find the best thing, but it isn’t stopping us all from trying.”
- Within his story, Wojnarowski said the “loosest of drop-dead dates” for completing the NBA Finals is the Labor Day weekend in September. However, no one in the NBA wants to be tied to that date, since they’d likely be willing to play deeper into September if it’s necessary to salvage the 2019/20 season and postseason. We posted a story on Monday on the possibility of the season being played into September.
- What might a resumed 2019/20 season look like? John Hollinger of The Athletic offers some interesting suggestions for an abridged regular season, a brief play-in tournament for the postseason, and a shortened playoffs. Hollinger also estimates that the league would need about an 80-day window from when practices resume to the completion of the NBA Finals.
- Ben Golliver of The Washington Post estimates the NBA may end up missing out on a total of $1 billion (or more) in revenue in 2019/20 due to the league’s coronavirus-related hiatus and its China controversy.
MSU’s Xavier Tillman Declares For 2020 Draft
Michigan State big man Xavier Tillman has announced he’ll test the 2020 NBA draft waters, declaring for the draft while retaining his college eligibility. Tillman made it official this afternoon in an Instagram message.
“With the support of my family and coaches, I have decided to test the waters and will enter my name in the 2020 NBA draft,” Tillman wrote. “It is important for me to gather as much information as possible before making this decision. Throughout the process I will be keeping my college eligibility.”
Tillman’s ability to gather information on his draft stock will be more limited than usual, given the way the coronavirus pandemic will interfere with the pre-draft process. However, the junior forward/center looks like a strong candidate to be drafted — he currently ranks 48th on ESPN’s big board.
In 2019/20, Tillman averaged a double-double for the Spartans, with 13.7 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 31 games (32.1 MPG). He also contributed 3.0 APG and an impressive 2.1 BPG.
Tillman becomes the latest addition to our running list of 2020’s early entrants.
Knicks Notes: Rose, Knox, Hiatus, Brazdeikis
Kentucky head coach John Calipari, who has a long-standing relationship with new Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose, said today on a conference call that he thinks Rose is the right man for the job in New York, per Scott Thompson and Ian Begley of SNY.tv. While Calipari acknowledged that changes within the organization might not happen overnight, he’s confident that Rose will do a “great job” and will eventually get the Knicks on the right path.
“He’s a gatherer,” Calipari said. “And I believe that’s what the Knicks need right now, a gather who can bring things together and make it a culture that players want to be in because they know, ‘This is about all of us.'”
Calipari also spoke at length about former Kentucky forward Kevin Knox, who has struggled thus far in his two NBA seasons. As Danny Abriano of SNY.tv relays, Calipari said he has seen “glimpses” from Knox at the NBA level and believes the 20-year-old is still going through an adjustment period.
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Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Mike Vornukov of The Athletic identifies six ways the Knicks will be affected by the NBA’s hiatus, including its impact on the team’s coaching search, draft prep, and free agency period. As Vornukov points out, the Knicks beating Atlanta in their last game before the break will cost them in the lottery standings if the regular season doesn’t resume.
- Ignas Brazdeikis, who only appeared in nine games for the Knicks as a rookie in 2019/20, would have gotten a chance at regular minutes down the stretch after the NBA G League season ended, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post. “That was the plan — join the team, get an opportunity,” one source told Berman. “The Knicks were happy with his development. He kept a real positive mentality, kept his head down and was excited about the opportunity.”
- Former NBA head coach Rick Pitino tells Steve Selby of The New York Post that he was shocked by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant signing with Brooklyn without even meeting with the Knicks. “The Knicks today, it’s not like the old days, where everybody dreamed of playing at Madison Square Garden,” Pitino said. “… The Knick organization is going through difficult times, but hopefully they got the right leadership now and they’ll turn it around.”
Sixers Reverse Course On Reducing Employees’ Salaries
Sixers ownership has reversed course on a plan to reduce certain employees’ salaries, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Full-time 76ers employees who earn at least $50K annually were informed on Monday that their salaries would be temporarily reduced by up to 20% as the NBA remains on hiatus, as Marc Stein of The New York Times details. Those employees were told that the new measures would apply to pay checks from April 15 through June 30, with health benefits and 401(k) plans unaffected, says Stein.
Sixers majority owner Josh Harris, whose Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, confirmed those plans in a statement today, but indicated they won’t be moving forward.
“Our commitment has been to do our best to keep all of our employees working through this very difficult situation. As part of an effort to do that we asked salaried employees to take a temporary 20% pay cut while preserving everyone’s full benefits — and keeping our 1,500 hourly workers paid throughout the regular season,” Harris said. “After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries.”
The measures, which have now been nixed, wouldn’t have affected any players. They also wouldn’t have applied to employees on contracts, including members of the coaching staff or certain front office executives, Stein notes. Only “at-will” employees would have been required to accept the salary reductions, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).
However, according to Stein, some additional members of the organization had been asked to participate in the rollbacks as well — Sixers GM Elton Brand was among those who had agreed to take a temporary pay cut. Wojnarowski tweets that coaches and executives whose salaries couldn’t be unilaterally cut were initially given until Thursday to agree to a salary reduction of 20%. Per Woj, many were reluctant to give back that money, particularly since their employment situations beyond this summer are uncertain.
As Wojnarowski tweets, other team owners were keeping an eye on the situation in Philadelphia. Those owners were weighing their own desire to save money against the potential PR backlash that such a move would generate. Presumably, based on the negative PR the 76ers faced and the quick reversal that followed, no other teams will immediately enact similar plans.
Sixers part-owner Michael Rubin actually contributed to that PR backlash that helped push the club to change its plans — Shams Charania of Stadium (video link) reports that Rubin wasn’t believed to be part of the decision to reduce employees’ salaries and was said to be “upset” and “outraged” by it.
Meanwhile, before the 76ers’ change of heart, star center Joel Embiid announced that he’s pledging $500K to COVID-19 medical relief efforts in the community and that he was committed to helping Sixers employees who would suffer financial hardship in light of the team’s salary reductions (Twitter link via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN). With the Sixers no longer planning to reduce employees’ salary, Embiid’s financial commitment beyond that $500K for coronavirus purposes no longer appears necessary.
Tyrese Haliburton Entering 2020 NBA Draft
Another potential top-10 pick has confirmed he’s entering his name in the 2020 NBA draft, with Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton declaring his intent to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski.
Haliburton, a 6’5″ point guard, averaged just 6.8 PPG and 3.6 APG as a freshman in 2018/19. However, he enjoyed a breakout sophomore year in 2019/20, recording 15.2 PPG, 6.5 APG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.5 SPG on .504/.419/.822 shooting in 22 games (36.7 MPG).
Currently, Haliburton ranks seventh overall on ESPN’s big board, including second among point guards, behind only LaMelo Ball. In his scouting report, ESPN draft guru Mike Schmitz praises Haliburton’s shooting touch and basketball IQ, while cautioning that the youngster’s shot creation could use some work and his light frame makes him inclined to avoid contact.
Haliburton, who had his sophomore season cut short due to a fractured wrist, impressed NBA scouts last summer when he helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the FIBA U-19 World Cup, Givony and Wojnarowski observe.
Our running list of early entrants for the 2020 draft can be found right here.
Kira Lewis, Tyler Bey Among Prospects Testing Draft Waters
Alabama guards Kira Lewis and John Petty will enter the 2020 NBA draft and will go through the pre-draft process before deciding whether to keep their names in this year’s pool, coach Nate Oats said today, per Charlie Potter of 247Sports (Twitter link).
“We’re planning on possibly not having either of them back,” Oats said of Lewis and Petty.
Lewis, a sophomore point guard who ranks 25th overall on ESPN’s big board, averaged a team-high 18.5 PPG to go along with 5.2 APG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.8 SPG in 31 games (37.6 MPG) in 2019/20.
Petty, the Crimson Tide’s starting shooting guard, recorded 14.6 PPG and 6.6 RPG with an impressive .440 3PT% in 29 games (33.5 MPG) as a junior. He ranks 56th on ESPN’s top-100 list.
Meanwhile, a pair of Colorado juniors will also test the draft waters, according to head coach Tad Boyle, who says that Tyler Bey and McKinley Wright will go through the process, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). A report earlier this month indicated Bey and Wright were expected to enter their names in the 2020 draft.
Bey, the No. 36 prospect on ESPN’s big board, posted 13.8 PPG and 9.0 RPG with 1.5 SPG and 1.2 BPG in 31 games (29.0 MPG) in 2019/20. The forward also showed a slightly increased willingness to let it fly from beyond the arc, making 13-of-31 (41.9%) of his three-point attempts.
As for Wright, he was the Buffaloes’ leading scorer with 14.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 5.0 APG. However, the junior guard doesn’t show up on ESPN’s list of 2020’s top 100 prospects.
While all four Alabama and Colorado underclassmen will go through the pre-draft process, it’s not clear yet what that process will actually entail, with the combine and individual workouts in jeopardy and this year’s draft calendar up in the air.
And-Ones: P. Gasol, Draft, Barkley, 2K League
Veteran NBA big man Pau Gasol talked a couple times in February about the possibility of suiting up for the 2020 Olympics and potentially making an NBA comeback next season. However, with the Olympics being pushed back to 2021 and the NBA currently in a state of flux, Gasol’s comeback efforts are up in the air too.
Speaking to Spanish outlet El Pais, Gasol acknowledged that retirement is an option he continues to consider, given the current global basketball situation and his own recovery from a foot injury.
“With this recovery process and the injury that I have been dealing with for more than a year, it’s undoubtedly inevitable to think about retirement,” Gasol said, per Keith Smith of NBC Sports. “Also, taking into account that I will be 40 years old in a few months. So, it’s definitely on my mind.”
Gasol says he’s focusing on the Gasol Foundation and his other off-court projects for the time being, while he continues to recover. A decision on his next professional step will come at a later date, according to the 39-year-old Spaniard, who adds that right now “the priority is to overcome this pandemic.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NCAA intends to work with the NBA to adapt to any changes to the 2020 draft calendar, NCAA senior VP of basketball Dan Gavitt said on Monday (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports). For now, with the draft still tentatively scheduled for June 25, NCAA early entrants have until the end of the day on April 26 to declare for the draft, and can withdraw at any time up until June 3 while maintaining their college eligibility.
- Former NBA star and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley announced on Monday that he tested negative for COVID-19, as Marc Stein of The New York Times relays (via Twitter). Barkley was tested earlier in March after exhibiting some possible coronavirus symptoms.
- Starting this Friday, the NBA 2K League will be hosting a completely online tournament called the Three For All Showdown, which will give fans, influencers, and top female 2K players an opportunity to challenge NBA 2K League teams. Arda Ocal of ESPN has the details on the tournament, which was created in response to the 2K League postponing its season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tokyo Olympics Officially Postponed To 2021
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have officially been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee announced this morning in a joint statement.
The exact dates for the rescheduled event haven’t yet been determined. Today’s announcement indicated that the Olympics will happen at “a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021.” Given that these are the Summer Games, pushing them back by about a full year seems like the most probable outcome. They were previously scheduled to begin on July 24, 2020.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that he had asked IOC president Thomas Bach for a one-year delay and he agreed “100%,” per Motoko Rich, Matt Futterman, and Tariq Panja of The New York Times. The formal announcement comes less than 24 hours after IOC member Dick Pound said in an interview that the Tokyo Games would be postponed.
As noted in the New York Times report and in a story by Nancy Armour and Tom Schad of USA Today, postponing the 2020 Olympics will be a massive undertaking with a series of logistical challenges, including adjusting TV broadcasting deals, working around world championship events in certain sports, and dealing with venue and hotel availability.
It remains to be seen how the postponement will affect the basketball portion of the Olympics. It’s safe to say that the qualifying tournaments scheduled to take place this June to determine the last four teams in the men’s tournament will also be pushed back. But with the new dates undetermined and the calendars for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 NBA seasons also up in the air, there’s no guarantee that NBA players will be free to participate in those qualifying tournaments — or even in the Olympics themselves.
International Notes: FIBA, Italy, Greece, Belgian-Dutch League
FIBA remains hopeful of resuming some competitions but only if the conditions allow for it, according to a statement on its website. Decisions will be made regarding the Basketball Champions League, the Basketball Champions League Americas and the Basketball Africa League in the coming weeks after consultation with the respective leagues and clubs. The same applies to our international competitions suspended at sub-Zone level, the statement from FIBA president Hamane Niang and Secretary General Andreas Zagklis adds.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Italy’s LNP has entered a request to resume play in the Serie A2 league in May and June but only if government allows all the teams to travel, practice and play in front of spectators, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes. The Serie A2 Italian Cup has already been canceled. LNP asked the Italian Basketball Federation to cancel Serie B, a lower-tier league.
- The 14 teams of the Greek Basket League have agreed to end their season, Carchia relays in another post. No decision has been made regarding final standings or if there will be a champion crowned.
- The Belgian Pro Basketball League and Dutch Basketball League clubs are taking steps to create a BeNeLeague for the 2021/2022 season, Nicola Lupo of Sportando writes. The final decision by clubs of both countries will be made in the fourth quarter of 2020. If the league is a go, it would begin in mid-September 2021.