Knicks Notes: Miller, Ntilikina, Draft, Team Facility
Although several big-name coaches are believed to be on the Knicks‘ radar, Marc Berman of The New York Post suggests that interim Mike Miller has done enough to be considered for the job on a permanent basis. Berman points out that Miller has a .386 winning percentage in 44 games since taking over for David Fizdale, a record that would have New York in ninth place in the East and just four games out of a playoff spot.
Miller has brought stability to the sidelines, Berman adds, and has more of a low-maintenance personality than Fizdale did. Since Miller took the reins, the Knicks have improved from 30th in the league in field goal percentage to 19th and jumped from 28th to second in points in the paint (per 100 possessions).
Miller has the support of Jeff Van Gundy, who still has influence in the Knicks’ organization, after serving as Van Gundy’s assistant in the World Cup qualifier in 2018. Berman also suggests that budget considerations due to the hiatus may not make this the right time to bring in an entirely new coaching staff.
There’s more from New York:
- The addition of Leon Rose as president of basketball operations may solidify Frank Ntilikina‘s future with the Knicks, Berman writes in the same piece. Rose served as Ntilikina’s agent when he entered the league and developed a strong bond with the French guard and his family. Berman notes that general manager Scott Perry bypassed Ntilikina in the draft when he worked for the Kings and frequently shopped him after joining the Knicks.
- The Knicks are confident that good prospects will be available with the pick they got from the Clippers, which currently sits at No. 27, Berman adds. He also notes that financial insecurities might prompt some teams to trade down in exchange for money. Berman mentions Alabama point guard Kira Lewis as a potential target if New York tries to move up, along with Villanova’s Saddiq Bey, French guard Theo Maledon, Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith and Florida State’s Devin Vassell.
- Although the NBA will permit teams to reopen their facilities starting May 1, some Knicks are concerned about traveling to New York while coronavirus numbers in the area are still high, Berman states in a separate story. The state remains under a lockdown until at least May 15, although commissioner Adam Silver could seek a waiver for the Knicks and Nets.
Draft Notes: Nakic, Sylla, Alocen, Williams
Today marks the deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft, and three overseas players have decided to wait another year, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Potential second-round picks Mario Nakic (Twitter link), Amar Sylla (Twitter link) and Carlos Alocen (Twitter link) will all bypass this year’s draft.
Nakic, 18, is a former MVP of the Adidas Next Generation Tournament. The 6’8″ wing played for Real Madrid this season, and Givony considers him a “breakout draft candidate” for 2021.
Sylla. a 6’9″ center from Senegal, played for the Belgian/BCL team Oostende this season. The 18-year-old could be a first round-pick next year, according to Givony.
Alocen is 6’5″ and is the starting point guard with Zaragoza in the Spanish ACB at age 19.
There are more draft decisions to pass along:
- LSU sophomore Emmitt Williams has declared for the draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Williams, who also tested the draft waters last year, made the announcement on his Instagram page. He averaged 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season.
- Northern Iowa’s AJ Green has decided to enter the draft while keeping his college eligibility, according to basketball analyst Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). Green was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore, averaging a league-best 19.7 PPG.
- Tennessee’s Yves Pons has also declared for the draft and will hold onto his eligibility, Goodman adds (Twitter link). The junior forward was Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC.
- Brazilian guard Caio Pacheco has opted to enter the draft, tweets Raúl Barrigón of HoopsHype. Pacheco averaged 19.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game this season with Bahía Blanca Basket in Argentina.
George Hill: Life Is More Important Than Basketball
Some NBA facilities could reopen in five days, but Bucks guard George Hill is concerned that the league is moving too quickly, writes Sacha Pisani of The Sporting News. Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Hill expressed concerns that the coronavirus is still too widespread for players to return safely.
“I’m a little 50-50 . . . life itself is bigger than the money aspect of the game,” Hill said on the possibility of canceling the season. “Yes, as competitors and athletes we want to play this season. But if more lives are in jeopardy, I couldn’t care less about the season. Life is way more precious than this ball that we play in. If they cancel the season, as an athlete I would be upset, but we can’t do anything about it. If we play, I’m excited to play again and get back on the court. We had something special going on and I’d love to finish it.”
Milwaukee has as much incentive as anyone to try to salvage the season. The Bucks were on top of the Eastern Conference with a 53-12 record when the hiatus began and are among the favorites to capture the NBA title. Hill believes Milwaukee fans, and NBA fans in general, will be understanding if the season has to be called off.
Hill also addressed the financial aspects of the shutdown, as many players have millions of dollars at stake if the season cannot be finished. He’s in the first season of a three-year, $29MM deal that he signed last summer.
“The world is bigger than just NBA fans. To our fans, it will be exciting to get the season back, to get it up and going and get something to watch on TV,” Hill said. “But if this is the cost for safety and health, what we have to ask is, ‘Is it worth it? Is it worth putting yourself on the line, putting your family and kids on the line to make a couple more dollars?’ For me, personally, no. I didn’t grow up with money and I don’t define my life by money. I define my life around happiness, being safe, being able to enjoy life and live this life for a long time.”
Some NBA Teams Can Reopen Facilities May 1
6:35pm: Group workouts and organized team activities will still be prohibited, Wojnarowski adds in a full story. In areas where longer stay-at-home orders are in place, the league will try to help teams find other arrangements so their players can train.
5:17pm: The NBA will let some teams reopen their practice facilities to players beginning Friday, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The permission will only apply in cities and states where governments have relaxed their stay-at-home orders, Woj adds.
The league ordered all 30 teams to shut down their facilities effective March 20 in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Several teams had announced voluntary closures before that mandate was issued.
Georgia was one of the first states to begin relaxing restrictions, with some businesses reopening yesterday. Several players were asking their teams if they should find a way to get to the state to work out, according to Wojnarowski, but teams want to make sure their athletes are in safe, clean and controlled environments (Twitter link).
Wojnarowski cautions that the NBA’s decision doesn’t mean plans are in place to restart the season, but the league wants players to be able to safely return to their team’s gyms (Twitter link). A source tells ESPN that commissioner Adam Silver and the owners believe they need more time to determine whether the season can be salvaged.
A few writers examine how the decision will affect the teams they cover:
- The Hawks haven’t heard anything official from the league, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link), and there’s no plan in place to begin using the team facility again.
- May 8 is the earliest date the Hornets could reopen, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has issued a stay-at-home order for the state through then, with plans to begin phasing it out.
- Michigan is under a stay-at-home order until at least May 15, so the Pistons have nearly three weeks before they can reopen, adds Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link).
Klay Thompson Still Waiting For Medical Clearance
Lakers broadcaster Mychal Thompson offers some insight into the status of his son, Warriors guard Klay Thompson, in an interview with Mark Medina of USA Today.
Klay hasn’t played since suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during last year’s NBA Finals. Golden State cleared him for light shooting drills before the hiatus, but he’s not expected to return to action this season no matter when the shutdown ends.
“He’s walking around fine,” Mychal said. “… He has to get that clearance from his doctors and the Warriors. They haven’t talked about that yet.”
Klay’s recovery is complicated by the league-wide shutdown of team facilities, even though some teams will be permitted to reopen as soon as Friday. Injured players throughout the NBA have been forced to do rehab work by themselves while they wait for the situation to be resolved.
“He’s frustrated he can’t work out with his teammates,” Mychal said. “He just works out on his own like everybody else. He can’t work out with other guys in groups. You have to find a place to shoot on your own and do your own exercises. These guys know what to do. You run your sprints alone and can find an empty gym. Get a key to an empty gym and go shoot. All of these guys have connections to a gym.”
Texas Tech’s Jahmi’us Ramsey Declares For Draft
APRIL 25: Ramsey announced on Twitter that he will enter the draft.
APRIL 24: Texas Tech freshman guard Jahmi’us Ramsey will declare for the 2020 NBA draft prior to Sunday night’s early entry deadline, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link).
Following Precious Achiuwa‘s announcement this afternoon, Ramsey is the highest-rated underclassman on ESPN’s big board who has yet to officially enter the 2020 NBA draft class, ranking 23rd on that list.
As a freshman, Ramsey averaged 15.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.3 SPG in 27 games (31.2 MPG) for the Red Raiders, making an impressive 42.6% of his attempts from outside the three-point line.
[RELATED: 2020 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
Early entrants have until the end of the day on Sunday to submit their paperwork to the NBA for the 2020 draft. College players who are testing the waters will then have until at least June 3 to make a final decision on whether or not they’ll keep their names in this year’s draft pool.
Malcolm Brogdon: “I’m 100%”
Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon offered good news about his injury status in a brief message to fans on the team’s Twitter account.
“I’m feeling great,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of rehab, doing as much as I can under this quarantine, but I’m 100%. I’ve been on my bike, my Peloton bike, and I’ve been running hills in my backyard. Thank you for all of your support and wishes and prayers.”
Brogdon was listed as week to week when he suffered a torn muscle in his quadriceps in early March. He said at the time that he was planning to return for the postseason, but the NBA’s hiatus has allowed him to heal while missing hardly any games.
Brogdon has made an impact in his first season with Indiana after coming from the Bucks in a sign-and-trade deal. He’s averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists through 48 games and has the Pacers tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Draft Notes: Maker, Petrusev, Ayayi, Trifunovic
Big man Makur Maker is declaring for the draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 6’11” Maker was ruled eligible for the draft in February despite being two credits short of graduating with his original 2019 high school class in California. The younger cousin of Pistons center Thon Maker, Makur Maker is ranked No. 75 overall and No. 14 among center prospects by ESPN. Maker, a five-star recruit, attended Hillcrest Academy in Phoenix this winter.
We have more draft decisions:
- Gonzaga big man Filip Petrusev has declared for the draft but hasn’t hired an agent, Matt Babcock of Babcock Hoops tweets. The 6’11” Serbian native started 33 games for the Bulldogs this season after coming off the bench as a freshman. He averaged 17.5 PPG and 7.9 RPG and scored in double digits in all but two games. He is ranked No. 60 overall and No. 12 among power forwards by ESPN.
- Petrusev’s teammate Joel Ayayi is also declaring for the draft, Evan Daniels of 247 Sports tweets. Ayayi, a 6’5” sophomore guard, averaged 10.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 3.2 APG for Gonzaga this season.
- Serbian wing Uros Trifunovic has declared for the draft, according to Sportando. The 6’6” Trifunovic, 19, played for Partizan Belgrade this season. In nine EuroCup games, he averaged 5.4 PPG in 13.2 MPG.
Community Shootaround: NBA Draft
Due to a lack of live sports action, the NFL is drawing record ratings for its annual draft.
The NBA may have to follow the NFL’s lead and hold its draft remotely, though it’s very unlikely the draft will remain in June unless the season is already canceled by that point.
There are some obvious differences between the NBA and NFL drafts in any year, particularly the way business is conducted and needs are filled. NFL teams are filling out their rosters and addressing their remaining holes after free agency, while the NBA does it the opposite way. NBA teams go into the draft not knowing which players they might acquire or lose in free agency.
When trades are made during the NBA draft, they often cannot be made an official until the following month due to contractual and salary-cap issues. NFL teams don’t have to fuss with those technicalities. Commissioner Roger Goodell can announce those trades and call out the name of the team that has acquired the pick. As we’ve often seen, NBA prospects must don the cap of the team in that draft slot, even if it’s known through the grapevine they’ve been dealt to another organization.
An advantage of holding the NBA draft before free agency in a normal year is that teams can change their strategy in free agency after the draft unfolds. For example, if a lottery team gets a starter-quality point guard in the draft, it doesn’t have to spend its free agent dollars on that position. Holding the draft before free agency is also a boon to the summer leagues and allows teams more time to get their rookies prepared for their first season.
That brings us to our question of the day: Should the NBA holds its draft after free agency, as the NFL does? Or do you prefer to leave it the way it is?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Paul Eboua Opts To Declare For Draft
Power forward Paul Eboua has submitted paperwork to enter the draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports.
The Cameroon native projects as a second-round pick. He’s ranked No. 53 overall and No. 11 among power forwards on ESPN’s Best Available list.
The 6’9” Eboua played in Italy Serie A division this season, averaging 7.4 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 22 MPG for Pesaro.
It’s no surprise Eboua chose this path since he had already selected BDA Sports for representation. He’s quite familiar with the draft process. He declared last year and worked out for a number of teams before withdrawing his name two weeks before the draft.
Eboua believes his experience in Italy will make him better prepared for the NBA process this time around.
“This last year in Pesaro was a great experience for me,” Eboua wrote to Givony. “They provided a wonderful atmosphere to get better in and I definitely tried to take advantage of that as much as possible. I believe NBA teams saw the energy, athleticism, competitiveness I bring every moment I am on the floor and that I’m definitely not afraid of a little contact.”
According to Givony, Eboua projects as a versatile defender who can contribute with his energy, rebounding and evolving offensive game. Eboua has been working out regularly in Rome during the coronavirus pandemic.