Southeast Notes: Waiters, Capela, Hornets, Beal
After declining to comment on it earlier in the season, former Heat guard Dion Waiters has published a Players’ Tribune article in which he addresses the incident on the team flight in November that led to a 10-game suspension. Waiters reportedly experienced a medical episode on the flight after consuming a “gummy,” an edible form of marijuana.
In his Players’ Tribune piece, Waiters took responsibility for the incident, calling it “idiotic” on his part.
“What’s crazy is, my whole life I been a leader. I’m not a follower,” Waiters wrote. “(Heat president) Pat (Riley) knows me. He knows I don’t do drugs. But sometimes when you’re going through dark times, you can fall trap to things you’d never do in your right mind.”
While Waiters took responsibility for what did happen on the flight, he adamantly denied one detail that showed up in some reports following the incident.
“I never had a seizure,” Waiters said. “Ask the doctors. Ask my Heat teammates. They can speak on it. For that b.s. to come out, it ain’t right. I made a mistake, but for someone to leak that, and for my family to hear it? S–t. It ain’t right.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- In a conversation with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Hawks center Clint Capela spoke about the experience of being traded, his expectations for next season, and his foot issues — the big man said he’s feeling healthier, but is still unsure if he’ll play if the season resumes in June or July. Capela also expressed optimism about his fit alongside John Collins: “I think we’re going to do well. I think we’re good enough to really figure out how to be efficient at what we do. He can shoot 3s and do other stuff. I think we can figure this out.”
- Roderick Boone and John Hollinger of The Athletic take an in-depth look at the Hornets‘ future, with Hollinger suggesting that the team missed a chance to kickstart its rebuild by not trading Kemba Walker before he reached free agency. While there are fewer impediments on their cap than there were a year ago, Hollinger thinks the Hornets may still be a lottery team for a few more seasons.
- Bradley Beal wasn’t always a vocal leader for the Wizards, but he has turned into one in recent years. Fred Katz of The Athletic explores how that happened.
Poll: 2020 All-NBA First Team
The NBA’s usual award season is in flux due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the regular season would be over by this point and voting would have taken place on the league’s major awards. This year, however, it’s unclear if or when the season will resume after being suspended last month, creating uncertainty about whether players will get any more regular season games to make their cases for award consideration, and about when voting will take place.
That’s hardly the most pressing concern facing the NBA, but as we remain in a holding pattern waiting for updates on how the league may proceed, we might as well engage in some award speculation.
For now, our assumption is that if the regular season isn’t entirely over, it’s very close to it. Even if the league is able to resume play this summer, there will likely only be a handful of regular season games on an abridged schedule. Those games are unlikely to have a massive impact on players’ cases for awards, so we’re moving forward with our annual vote on our All-NBA teams now.
We want to give you an opportunity to make your own picks, starting today with the First Team. We’ll move onto the Second Team later in the week, and the Third Team after that.
Polls for the guards, forwards, and center are below — you’ll have the opportunity to pick two players apiece in the guard and forward polls. We’ll leave today’s polls open for at least the next 48 hours before naming the players with the most votes to our All-NBA First Team and moving on to voting for the Second Team.
A couple caveats before we move onto the polls:
- If there’s a player you believe deserves All-NBA consideration who isn’t named below, be sure to mention him in the comment section — if I agree, I’ll make sure he’s included in our Second and Third Team polls.
- There are a few players I’ve listed at multiple positions. If there are any other players you believe deserve to be listed at a second position, please make your case in the comments and I’ll consider making adjustments for the Second and Third Team polls.
Vote for your All-NBA First Team below, then take to the comment section to explain your picks!
Guards:
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Forwards:
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Center:
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Central Notes: Pistons, Doumbouya, Giannis, Cavs
The NBA’s hiatus and the coronavirus pandemic prevented Pistons head of basketball operations Ed Stefanski from making a planned scouting trip to Europe this spring, but he still feels as if his club will be ready for the draft if it moves forward as scheduled on June 25. Without in-person workouts or meetings available this year, the Pistons have been watching “a ton of video,” according to Stefanski.
“I think if June 25 rolled around, there’s no doubt we’d be prepared,” Stefanski said, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “Maybe in a different manner. Obviously, we wouldn’t have live workouts. We would have to do more virtual – virtual interviews with players – and we’d get the medical done, I’d think, in all different cities. But we’re ready to adapt. We’ve talked about many different scenarios that could happen. I feel comfortable with whatever.”
The Pistons have traded away their second-round pick for 2020, but would have the fifth-best odds for the No. 1 pick in the first round if the current NBA standings are used for lottery purposes.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Although the NBA has instructed players to limit their travel during the league’s hiatus, Pistons rookie Sekou Doumbouya has returned home to France. A source informed Emiliano Carchia of Sportando that the Pistons were unaware that Doumbouya had left the U.S. to return to France, but a team spokesperson said over the weekend that the club is in the loop. Doumbouya went to France to be closer to family during the pandemic, the team spokesperson said, per The Associated Press.
- It’s too early to say what the NBA’s salary cap will look like in 2020/21, let alone 2021/22, but the unusual nature of this stoppage may impact when the Bucks are able to offer a super-max contract extension to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the exact value of that offer. As Eric Nehm and Danny Leroux of The Athletic explain, Milwaukee will still be able to offer significantly more than any other team, whenever the Bucks get the chance to do so.
- Within a mailbag, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com explores the Cavaliers‘ long-term outlook at small forward and considers which prospect they’d draft if they land the No. 1 pick. Fedor also reports that the team recently conducted a virtual interview with Virginia big man Mamadi Diakite, a possible second-round target.
Baylor’s Jared Butler Enters 2020 NBA Draft
Baylor sophomore guard Jared Butler has entered his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool, he announced today (via Twitter). He’ll maintain his college eligibility throughout the process, leaving the door open for a return to Baylor.
The 41st overall prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2020, Butler averaged a team-high 16.0 PPG in 30 games (30.4 MPG) for Baylor as a sophomore, earning All-Big 12 honors. He also chipped in 3.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.6 SPG with a .381 3PT%.
Butler is the second Baylor underclassman to declare for the draft this spring, joining junior guard MaCio Teague. The Bears teammates are just two of nearly 150 names on our early entrants list so far. The deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft is Sunday, April 26.
As of now, Butler, Teague, and the rest of this year’s early entrants will have until early June to decide whether or not to stay in the draft, though that deadline could change if the NBA draft date does.
Follow Pro Football Rumors For NFL Draft Updates
The first ever “fully virtual” NFL Draft kicks off this Thursday. This year’s draft is more unpredictable than ever, and you can stay tuned for every pick, trade, and rumor with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).
The drama starts as high as No. 3 overall, where the Lions are torn between their favorite draft crushes. They’re also discussing trades – a move down the board may allow them to add more draft ammo and still land Ohio State star Jeff Okudah.
The Giants, at No. 4, are also open for business. Will they trade down? Will they use this pick to take a stud offensive tackle? Will they be tempted by the freakish athleticism of Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons? Will they do the unthinkable and draft quarterback Justin Herbert, one year after using the No. 6 pick on Daniel Jones? The draft is just around the corner and every scenario is on the table.
For the latest on the draft, free agency, and more from this wild NFL offseason, stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter, @pfrumors.
Atlantic Notes: Robinson, Knicks, Sixers, Celtics
Despite playing in just his second NBA season, Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson is already on his fifth agent since going pro, as Marc Berman of The New York Post details. Robinson signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports earlier this year, and Paul is confident that he can provide the sort of stable representation that will alleviate some concerns for the young center.
“When you get the right representation, there’s an ease that comes to your mind that allows you to focus on other things,” Paul told Berman. “It’s hard to sleep with both eyes closed in this business. It’s a lot more mental than people think.”
With a non-guaranteed salary for 2020/21 and a team option for ’21/22, Robinson is still a ways away from reaching free agency. However, Paul sounds as if he’s looking forward to eventually negotiating a second contract for the big man with new Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose, who previously represented Klutch’s current star client, LeBron James.
“He’ll shoot me straight when it comes to Mitchell and I’ll shoot him straight,” Paul said of Rose. “The Knicks know what’s best for him. They see him as a future guy. Leon knows the game. He’ll handle that properly.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- After declaring for the 2020 draft, potential lottery pick Cole Anthony – who grew up in New York – told Zach Braziller of The New York Post that he’d welcome the chance to play for the Knicks. “It would be pretty cool,” Anthony said. “I was a fan for a good amount of time. I do like the Knicks. I think they definitely can use a guard, a good scoring point guard.” As Braziller notes, the former Tar Heel added that he’d be fine dropping several spots in the draft if it means landing with a team that’s an ideal fit for him.
- Appearing on The Sixers Beat podcast with Derek Bodner and Rich Hofmann of The Athletic, former Sixers sharpshooter J.J. Redick said he doesn’t believe head coach Brett Brown should be made the scapegoat for any issues in Philadelphia (audio clip). “I would love to play for Brett again,” Redick said. “I don’t think Brett is the problem, if there’s a problem. Sometimes things maybe just don’t work.”
- A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston revisits the Celtics‘ 2019 draft decisions, exploring whether the team should have gone in a different direction with any of its four selections.
Draft Notes: Jackson, Bolmaro, Atar, Fofana
Marreon Jackson, who had previously declared for the NBA draft, has opted to stay in school for one more year, as he announced on his Twitter feed.
The Toledo guard writes that “COVID-19 has caused a lot of unfortunate complications,” suggesting that the coronavirus situation played a part in his decision. He added that he has received some “great feedback” from the NBA. Jackson averaged 19.8 PPG and 5.4 APG in 32 games (35.3 MPG) last season as a junior.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- 19-year-old forward Leandro Bolmaro will enter in the 2020 draft, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along. Bolmaro, who plays in Barcelona, is a candidate to go in the first round, though he’s expected to stay in the draft even if he begins to hear he may fall to round two.
- Turkish center Berke Atar is entering the 2020 draft, according to Stefan Djordjevic of EuroHoops. Atar finished the 2019/20 season with KK MZT Skopje in Macedonia.
- Selim Fofana has entered the draft, Nicola Lupo of Sportando relays. The guard averaged 6.9 points per game for Union Neuchatel Basket in Switzerland this past season.
Mixed Reviews On R.J. Barrett’s Rookie Season
RJ Barrett had an up-and-down rookie season, but the 2019 No. 3 overall selection flashed the top-notch potential that made him a tantalizing pick. Some within the league believe Barrett’s strides are promising, as Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic hears.
“I think he’s a got a bright future if the Knicks handle him the right way and (give him) the resources to keep improving,” one Western Conference scout told Vorkunov.
Barrett’s 14.3 points per game were third among all rookies, though efficiency remains an issue. Barrett ranked in the 24th percentile as a scorer off the pick-and-roll, per Synergy Sports, and his turnover rate left much to be desired.
Another rival scout told Vorkunov that he doesn’t believe Barrett will become a “high-level” play-maker, but his ability to get the paint consistently provides hope for his future. Still, free throw shooting is an area of concern, as the rookie made just 61.9% of his attempts. Vorkunov notes that – within the last 10 years – only three rookies who shot at least 200 attempts during their respective rookie seasons were worse from the line (Nerlens Noel, Ben Simmons, Elfrid Payton).
Still, there’s optimism surrounding Barrett’s long-term viability in the league.
“Not sure (shooting guard is) his long-term role moving forward,” the aforementioned Western Conference scout added. “… I like his makeup. The way he plays. There’s definitely a competitive side to him that is not very common with a lot of these young players coming in … The pick for the Knicks was a good one … Once he finds his comfort zone he’ll be a really good player. He’s got to work on his shot.”
Bulls Notes: Jordan, Management, Butler
Happy Last Dance Day! Tonight is the first of 10 episodes of the Michael Jordan documentary. In honor of the occasion, allow me to pass along one of my favorite quotes from Jordan:
“It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody. My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can. People may not agree with that. I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do.”
It’s a quote that I vividly remember reading before making a leap into sports full-time, leaving the comfy confines of a corporate position. It’s something I recall every time I make a move that hopefully brings me closer to my goal of being an NBA GM (dreamers can still dream), and it’s a reminder that everything you do is not going to please everyone, so excuse the bad analogy, but shoot your shot.
While we await an inside look into Jordan’s final season with the Bulls, let’s take a look at some notes from Chicago:
- Sam Smith of NBA.com explains how the conflict between management, players, and coaches helped motivate Jordan’s final championship season with the Bulls. Jackson and Jordan knew they had to go out as winners and the internal feuds fueled the team.
- Chicago feared paying Jimmy Butler the supermax and made one of the bolder franchise pivots over the past decade when they traded away the All-Star for a package of young prospects, ESPN’s Zach Lowe contends. The Bulls felt that a new core would bring them closer to championship contention, though they have yet to make the playoffs since trading Butler.
- In the same piece, Lowe argues that better play-makers – whether acquired via outside acquisition or internal improvements – would help the Bulls’ young frontcourt improve. Neither Lauri Markkanen nor Wendell Carter Jr. has played at a high level for consistent stretches during their respective young NBA careers.
Andrew Bogut Deciding Between Olympics, Retirement
Andrew Bogut had hoped to use the Summer Olympics as his farewell to basketball, but the one-year delay caused by the coronavirus has complicated those plans, writes Dennis Passa of The Associated Press. At age 35, Bogut isn’t sure if he can go through another year of training to prepare for the competition.
“I haven’t done any basketball since the season ended and it feels good waking up, getting out of bed and not feeling like I’m walking on glass,” Bogut said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Offsiders program. “It’s (my career) all been thrown into a washing machine essentially … but there’s a decision to be made probably by mid-May.”
After spending 13 years in the NBA, the top pick in the 2005 draft has played for Sydney in Australia’s National Basketball League for the past two seasons. He won an NBA title with Golden State in 2015 and rejoined the Warriors after his NBL season ended last year, averaging 3.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 11 games.
Sydney reached the NBL finals this season, but the five-game series was stopped after three games because of the pandemic, and Perth – which held a 2-1 lead – was awarded the title. Bogut blasted the league’s handling of the situation, saying the players were “used like pawns.”
Bogut, who has been part of Australia’s international team since 2004, would love to cap off his career with an Olympic medal. He played an important role in a fourth-place finish at the 2019 World Cup and believes the Australians will be in contention with Sixers star Ben Simmons on the team.
“We’ve been tantalizingly close and the squad we’re going to have is arguably going to be the best squad in the history of the Boomers, on paper at least,” Bogut said. “To be part of that, selfishly, is something I really want to do, but the body is what it comes down to. I can get up for a basketball game any day of the week, but it’s hard to get up for five, six days of training a week and lifting weights.”