Southeast Notes: Ross, Heat, Monk, Hornets
Magic guard Terrence Ross has recovered from a stomach ailment and is now back with the team for the postseason, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Ross, who left the Orlando campus for medical care last week, described his experience in great detail, explaining what caused the issue in the first place.
“Sometimes your stomach creates too much stomach acid when you eat and it can get into your esophagus,” he said.
Ross finished eating in the team room at roughly 8:30 pm before ordering more food just 90 minutes later, according to Parry. He went to bed around 10:40 and began to experience sharp pains shortly after that.
“I started feeling like … almost like really, really, really intense like heartburn, almost. But then I realized it was more than that,” Ross said. “I didn’t even know what it was at the time but it was debilitating. It hurt. I was hunched over the floor for like an hour in the fetal position because of just whatever I wanted to do, everything that I was doing was just amplified and getting worse. So I called the team doctor and they took it from there.”
The Magic are set to open their first-round playoff series against the Bucks on Tuesday with Ross in the rotation. He has averaged 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 27.4 minutes per game off the bench this season, shooting 40% from the field and 35% from downtown.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division today:
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explores whether the Heat are truly ready for the playoffs in his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has opted to change his rotation in Orlando, starting forward Jae Crowder in place of Meyers Leonard in order to play smaller and quicker.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines whether Malik Monk could make a similar leap with the Hornets that Devonte’ Graham did. Charlotte drafted Monk with the No. 11 pick in 2017, with Monk averaging a career-high 10.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest this season.
- Bonnell also examined a perk the Hornets got from the Orlando restart in a separate story for the Charlotte Observer, securing a 2020 second-round draft pick from the Celtics. Charlotte finished with the tenth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 23-42 this season.
Mike Conley Leaves Disney World Campus
Jazz guard Mike Conley has left the team to travel to Columbus, Ohio, for his son’s birth, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. A source tells Eric Woodyard of ESPN that Conley plans to return to be part of the team’s playoff run (Twitter link).
There’s no definite word on how long Conley will be away, but with Utah’s series against Denver starting tomorrow, he will miss the first two games for sure and probably the first three, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). The Jazz and Nuggets will play every other day until the series is over.
The NBA typically requires players who leave the campus for personal reasons to quarantine for at least four days when they return.
Conley averaged 14.4 points and 4.4 assists per game in his first season with Utah after spending 12 years in Memphis.
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Tolliver, Cap Room, Draft Pick
Ja Morant‘s 35-point performance against the Trail Blazers Saturday was even more remarkable considering he was playing with a fractured right thumb, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The likely Rookie of the Year told reporters he suffered the injury four games ago.
It’s the latest in a series of mishaps that left the Grizzlies fighting for their playoff life in Orlando after holding a 3 1/2-game lead for the eighth seed when the hiatus began. Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow were all unavailable as the team tried to hang on. Still, Memphis was among the league’s biggest surprises this year and is already looking forward to next season.
“I’m proud of everybody — our whole staff, our players. I mean, we played through a lot of adversities,” Morant said. “We faced injuries early in the season — starting with me and then Brandon (Clarke) and then Jaren. Coming here, we still faced some injuries to some key guys on the team. But we never gave up. I’m proud of our fight.”
There’s more on the Grizzlies:
- Anthony Tolliver, who started the season with Portland, told Morant to use Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as an example as he develops his game, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Tolliver is most impressed by the way Lillard bounces back after failure. “I told Ja that has to be in your DNA,” Tolliver said. “If you want to be the best guard in this league, which you have the potential to be, that has to be in your DNA, the ability to learn to respond and lead your team when you need it.”
- Memphis has its entire projected starting five under contract through at least 2021/22, so it won’t need to make any major moves this offseason, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN. The addition of Winslow and Gorgui Dieng at the trade deadline, along with the decision to take on Dion Waiters‘ $12.7MM salary, means the Grizzlies won’t have any cap room to work with. They will have an estimated $9.3MM mid-level exception, part of which may be used to re-sign De’Anthony Melton and Josh Jackson.
- Saturday’s loss puts the Grizzlies in the lottery, but their pick will go to the Celtics unless they land a top-four selection in Thursday’s drawing, Marks tweets. If Memphis holds onto the pick, it will become unprotected next year (Twitter link).
COVID-19 Notes: Nurkic, Testing, Roster Moves, Bamba
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic turned in one of the best games of his career Saturday, shortly after learning that his grandmother had died of COVID-19, writes Jason Owens of Yahoo Sports. Nurkic helped Portland claim the eighth seed in the West with 22 points, 21 rebounds, and six assists in a win over Memphis, but admitted he was almost too devastated to take the court.
“I didn’t want to play. She made me play,” Nurkic said afterward. “… I’m glad we won and are in the playoffs. That’s what we came for.”
Nurkic briefly considered leaving the Disney World campus after his grandmother was diagnosed in late July. He has been one of the keys to the resurgent Blazers after being sidelined for more than a year with a compound fracture in his left leg.
There’s more coronavirus-related news:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency approval to a saliva-based test for COVID-19 that was funded by the NBA and its players union, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN. Developed at Yale University, the test, called SalivaDirect, is intended for public screening. It was given to some NBA players and staff members in Orlando, and the results nearly matched the nasal swab test that is now is widespread use. “(The Yale test) loses a little bit of sensitivity, but what we gain is speed and that it should be up to 10 times cheaper,” said Nathan Grubaugh, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale.
- With the seeding games over, the NBA’s rules for roster moves have changed, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The 16 teams remaining in Orlando can only replace players who test positive for the virus, and the new player can’t have more than three years of NBA experience. Prior to Saturday, teams were still permitted to replace players who decided to opt out.
- Mohamed Bamba and the Magic hope further medical testing will determine why he had so much physical difficulty after contracting the coronavirus, writes Iliana Limon Romero of The Orlando Sentinel. Bamba felt strong when he arrived at Disney World, but he was never able to fully get back into game shape. He left the campus Friday and is done for the season. “Mo went home and he’s going to have tests so that we can find out what the issues are for sure,” coach Steve Clifford explained. “He had been working hard and he just didn’t feel good. So he wasn’t seeing progress in his conditioning level, so this is the smart thing to do and to find out for sure to find out why he was having the problems he was having.”
Kings Notes: Divac, Bagley, Ranadive, Perry
In an interview with Marcos Breton of The Sacramento Bee, former Kings general manager Vlade Divac discusses his most controversial moves, including the draft day decision from two years ago that likely ended his time with the franchise. Divac got a phone call Friday from owner Vivek Ranadive telling him that Joe Dumars was taking over the front office, but Divac’s fate was probably sealed when he used the second pick in the 2018 draft to take Marvin Bagley III instead of Luka Doncic.
Bagley has played 75 combined games in two injury-filled seasons, while Doncic has quickly become an All-Star. Divac admits the decision became a source of tension with the owner, explaining that he saw Bagley as a better fit and remains confident he has a bright future.
“That was my decision,” Divac said. “I still believe Marvin has big upside. But I needed more time to prove it. I’m sure Marvin is going to prove everybody wrong. But in this league, you need to produce right now. People don’t have patience but I’m OK with that.”
Also in the interview, Divac talks about his decision not to pick up Harry Giles‘ option, the hiring of Luke Walton as head coach and Buddy Hield‘s frustration with his reserve role.
There’s more Kings news this morning:
- Divac turned down Ranadive’s offer to remain in the front office and share power with Dumars, according to Sam Amick and Jason Jones of The Athletic. After conducting exit interviews with Kings players, Divac spoke with Ranadive again later in the day, but the owner hadn’t changed his mind. Sources tell the authors that Divac will be paid for the remainder of his contract, which runs through the 2022/23 season, and that Walton’s job remains safe.
- Knicks general manager Scott Perry may be a candidate to replace Divac, suggests Marc Berman of The New York Post. Perry spent a short time with the Sacramento front office before coming to New York and reportedly left on good terms. He also has experience working for Dumars in Detroit. Knicks president Leon Rose recently exercised Perry’s option for next season, but he may not have much job security with a new management team in place.
- The Kings will take their time finding a new general manager, and the search could extend into next season, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Goodwill thinks Dumars might opt for a younger executive, similar to his experience with the Pistons when he took over the front office at age 37.
Community Shootaround: Play-In Series
The NBA made some history this afternoon with its first-ever play-in series, and the results could help make it a permanent part of the league’s postseason.
The Trail Blazers rallied from an eight-point fourth quarter deficit to edge the Grizzlies and claim the West’s final playoff spot. Because Portland held the eighth seed, it only took one victory to advance, while Memphis would have needed to win two in a row.
“I was thinking I don’t want to play again tomorrow,” Portland’s CJ McCollum, who is dealing with a back injury, said in an ESPN interview. “We had to get this done tonight, [and] make sure we came in and finished them off. We’re thankful to be in a position to be able to make the playoffs, and we didn’t want to squander an opportunity.”
Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday he hopes the play-in series will become an annual event, and it seems many fans and reporters agree. Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News called on the league to replace its “outdated” tie-breaker system that is based on head-to-head records, along with division and conference results.
The set-up used in Orlando called for a play-in series as long as the eighth and ninth seeds were within four games of each other. Winfield believes that’s too much of a margin to use in a normal season and suggests the series only be implemented if the teams are tied or no more than a game apart.
Silver has long been a fan of the play-in series concept and introduced the idea last fall as part of a switch to a 78-game season. His proposal would have had teams seven through 10 in each conference competing for the final two seeds. This year’s series added a lot of drama to the final days of seeding games as the Blazers, Grizzlies, Suns and Spurs all entered Thursday with a chance to qualify.
We want to get your input. Should the NBA hold a play-in series every year, regardless of how close the race is for playoff spots? And should one or two playoff spots be at stake in each conference? Please leave your comments in the space below.
Latest On Alvin Gentry’s Firing
The decision to fire head coach Alvin Gentry was especially difficult for Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin because of their long relationship, writes Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. Griffin, who previously worked with Gentry in Phoenix, insisted the move wasn’t a result of the team’s disappointing 2-6 record in seeding games.
“I’ve known Alvin for more than 15 years, so this is really difficult on a human level,” Griffin said. “He hasn’t forgotten how to coach and this isn’t about any shortcomings. This is far more about finding the right fit and a shared vision for a very young and ambitious group moving forward.”
Griffin adds that the Pelicans intend to take their time in the search for a new coach, partly because of coronavirus-related restrictions that make in-person interviews challenging. He said the front office won’t be content to conduct the process through conference calls on Zoom and wants to talk to as many candidates face to face as possible.
“We will not be quick with this at all. This is not a rush,” he said. “We have a job that we believe is going to be the most attractive in the NBA, quite frankly. With all of the candidates still in the (Orlando) bubble – and there are some that may not be – candidates you may want to talk to are still with teams, in many circumstances.”
There’s more related to Gentry’s dismissal:
- Despite the head coaching change, no moves will be made right away with the assistant coaches, Eichenhofer adds in the same story. “We feel very strongly about the assistant coaching staff we have,” Griffin said. “I’ve connected with almost all of them. We feel very strongly about the quality of staff we have. Some of those individuals potentially will be head coaching candidates elsewhere, Chris Finch certainly among them. He’ll be part of our conversation moving forward and it’s our intention that many of our staffers will continue to be with the next regime at some point.”
- Sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that Griffin began to have doubts about Gentry shortly after being hired by New Orleans in April of last year. He had reportedly been leaning toward a coaching change for a while, and the performance in Orlando made the decision easier.
- The Pelicans’ priority should be to find a coach who can help star rookie Zion Williamson reach his potential as a defender, contends Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider link). Pelton points out that Williamson was a difference maker at Duke with 3.9 steals per 100 plays and a shot-blocking rate of 5.8% on two-point attempts. His NBA numbers were far below what his performance in college would suggest.
Peja Stojakovic Resigns As Kings’ Assistant GM
5:14pm: The Kings have announced Stojanovic’s resignation, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports California.
“It has been a great joy and honor to work in the Kings’ front office for the past five years,” Stojakovic said in a statement. “I want to thank the organization and especially the incredible fans around the world for the support over the years. Sacramento will always be home to me and I wish the franchise nothing but the very best.”
2:47pm: Assistant general manager Peja Stojakovic will likely be the next executive to leave the Kings‘ front office, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charnia that Stojakovic is expected to resign his position, following Friday’s announcement that GM Vlade Divac is parting ways with the franchise.
A former star player with Sacramento, Stojakovic was hired as director of player personnel and development in 2015. Three years later, he was promoted to his current role as assistant GM, which also involves running the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton.
The Kings may be looking at a full front office makeover once Divac and Stojakovic are officially gone. Former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who was serving as a special advisor, will be running the franchise until a new GM is hired.
Tyronn Lue, Chauncey Billups May Be Package Deal
Tyronn Lue is rumored to be in the running for several head coaching jobs, and whoever hires him should be prepared to have Chauncey Billups as an assistant, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Sources tell Woj that teams know Lue has been talking to Billups about joining his staff as associate head coach. They are longtime friends, share the same agent, and both currently work for the Clippers, Lue as an assistant coach and Billups as a broadcaster.
Billups has been considered for several front office openings around the league and turned down an offer from the Cavaliers in 2017. Sources say his interest has changed from being an executive to being a coach, and he believes working with Lue will help him eventually land a head coaching position.
Lue is reportedly being considered for the new opening with the Pelicans, as well as the Nets, who plan to launch their search once they are eliminated from the playoffs. Wojnarowski states that he could be a candidate for the Rockets and Sixers as well if those teams decide to make coaching changes.
Lue turned down an offer from the Lakers last summer because L.A. wasn’t willing to give him more than three years of guaranteed salary. He landed a job with their cross-town rivals and has earned respect for challenging head coach Doc Rivers when he believes it’s necessary and for pushing the Clippers’ star players, according to Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski also reports that Lakers assistant Jason Kidd has seen his stock rise this year while serving as an assistant to Frank Vogel, and he could emerge as a strong candidate for one of the high-profile openings. According to Woj, Kidd impressed the Knicks in his interview for their head coaching spot and was willing to admit mistakes that he made during his time with the Nets and Bucks.
Romeo Langford Sidelined With Torn Wrist Ligaments
An injured right wrist may keep Celtics rookie Romeo Langford out of the playoffs, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Coach Brad Stevens said Langford suffered torn ligaments in his shooting wrist Thursday during the team’s final seeding game.
“He will probably have to do something about [the injury] at some time. But we’re still going through the process of determining the next step with him,” Stevens told reporters today. “I don’t know if that means that, down the road, he’ll have to take time off, if that means he’ll have to have it worked on, but they’re determining and we’re still in the process of determining how he feels and whether or not he’ll be available or not.”
Forsberg notes that injuries have been a frequent issue for Langford, who played with an injured thumb last season at Indiana University. He had surgery on the thumb that forced him to miss the start of training camp and sat out 13 total games this year as a result of a sore right knee, a right ankle sprain and an illness.
Langford still showed some promise during his first NBA season, particularly during the seeding games, and Stevens suggested that he might have seen regular minutes in the playoffs.
“He’d be better able to answer the emotional roller coaster you go on when you experience those injuries and those setbacks, and it’s always been significant enough that it’s been at least a portion of time, not just a day here or there. So that stinks,” Stevens said. “I feel for him. He is a hard-working guy, he’s a tough guy, and I think he’s got a bright, bright future. Again, I hope that he’s able to play, but that’s going to be totally dependent on our doctors, and dependent on his, probably, pain. So he’s going to have to test that and get used to it and see what it feels like. If not, then we’ll have him back when we have him back.”