Lakers Notes: Rondo, McGee, Waiters, LeBron
Rajon Rondo turned in an up-and-down performance in Game 1 of the Lakers‘ second-round series against Houston, but head coach Frank Vogel expressed confidence after that game that Rondo would be an important contributor for L.A. in the series. On Sunday, the veteran point guard proved Vogel right.
As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin details, Rondo contributed 10 points, nine assists, and five steals in the Lakers’ Game 2 win, with the team outscoring the Rockets by 28 points during his 29 minutes. While Rondo is on a minimum-salary contract and ranked eighth on the team this season in minutes per game, he’s viewed as a leader on and off the court for the Lakers.
“He has such an impact,” Vogel said of Rondo. “His impact on our team is measured in swag and just the confidence that he brings to our group.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Lakers center JaVale McGee left Sunday’s game due to left ankle pain and didn’t return, per McMenamin. Vogel said after the game that McGee would be undergoing an MRI on his sore ankle.
- Within the same story, McMenamin notes that shooting guard Dion Waiters also left the game with an injury and didn’t play the rest of the night. Waiters was diagnosed with a strained groin, and his status going forward remains up in the air.
- Within a notebook piece on the Lakers/Rockets series, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register explores how the two clubs have been using “scout teams” in practices to try to prepare for their opponent’s star players.
- Asked on Sunday why his children haven’t joined him in the NBA’s bubble, Lakers star LeBron James explained that – despite being located within Walt Disney World – the campus isn’t especially kid-friendly. “My kids are too adventurous and they love to do so much stuff,” James said, according to Mark Medina of USA Today. “There’s nothing for them to do here. Go outside, come back in, go outside, come back in. They can stay in L.A. They’re great.”
Jimmer Fredette Confirms Return To Shanghai
Former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette has confirmed that he’ll rejoin the Shanghai Sharks in China for the 2020/21 season, announcing the news on Instagram.
Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported in July that Fredette would return to Shanghai, though at the time agent Chris Emens denied that there was an agreement in place between the two sides. Carchia indicated in July that the deal was expected to be worth $1.6MM.
The 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Fredette has appeared in a total of 241 NBA regular season contests, most recently seeing action in six games for the Suns in 2018/19. However, his NBA production has been modest and he has enjoyed greater success in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Fredette played for Shanghai from 2016-19, earning CBA All-Star honors three times and averaging approximately 37 PPG over those three seasons. He spent the 2019/20 season with Panathinaikos, averaging 12.9 PPG with a .417 3PT% in 27 EuroLeague games. Panathinaikos was crowned the Greek League champion when the season was shut down to COVID-19.
Since Fredette is still just 31 years old, another NBA comeback remains a possibility. But he has been able to play a greater role for teams in Europe and Asia while earning salaries comparable to the NBA’s minimum, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finishes his career overseas.
Northwest Notes: Paul, Jazz, Donovan, Wolves
Thunder star Chris Paul accelerated the team’s rebuild this season by exceeding expectations on and off the court, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports writes.
Paul, 35, embraced his role as a leader upon being traded from the Rockets last summer, taking young players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander under his wing and holding each of his teammates accountable to the fullest extent — much like Jimmy Butler has done with the Heat in the Eastern Conference.
“When I’m in, I’m in,” Paul said. “Y’all thought I was going to ask out or something. No, I liked the direction of the organization and I believe I can play a part in elevating this team. When I step on the court, I feel like I can compete with anybody and I wanted them to feel that way too.”
The Thunder finished with a 44-28 regular-season record, taking the Rockets to seven games before losing 104-102 in the final contest. Paul finished with a triple-double, recording 19 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
“We didn’t give a damn about anybody’s prediction going into any series. In any game, we expected to win,” Paul said after Game 7, as relayed by Haynes. “That’s how we played all season long, every game. We fought hard all year.”
Paul remains under contract for next season, with a $44.2MM player option in 2021/22, after playing a key role in the Thunder’s success this year. The team has multiple rotation players set to reach free agency, however, including starting forward Danilo Gallinari.
There’s more from the Northwest Division tonight:
- The Jazz‘s painful first-round defeat to the Nuggets won’t shake the team’s core confidence, Tony Jones of The Athletic details. Utah lost a hard-fought seven-game series to Denver, coming up short without one of their best scorers in Bojan Bogdanovic (20.2 PPG; season-ending wrist surgery). “We went from being an ‘unsalvageable’ team three months ago to this, and I don’t think anybody outside of us expected that,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I’m happy with the way we played, obviously not the result. Look man, like, we’ve got things that we know we can fix and like I said, we felt like we kind of gave (away) situations when we had control of the series and we let it get out of hand. … With Bojan coming back, not putting everything on Bojan, but with him coming back it’s another weapon. This won’t happen again.”
- Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman ponders whether Billy Donovan wants to stick around as head coach of the Thunder for the future. Donovan’s contract with the franchise is set to expire, with the veteran coach coming off a successful season with the team this season. Thunder general manager Sam Presti has previously made it clear that he hopes to have Donovan return, though that decision will ultimately be his to make.
- Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam purchasing the Timberwolves would be redundant, Zach Harper of The Athletic opines. A recent report from Sportico indicated that Haslam was considering an offer for the Wolves, a team that’s attracted multiple interested bidders to date.
Southeast Notes: Bamba, Heat, Hawks, Vucevic
Magic center Mohamed Bamba is eager to leave his coronavirus difficulties in the past after having to depart Orlando early due to complications from the virus, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
Bamba underwent a comprehensive post-coronavirus evaluation after leaving Orlando, with results indicating that he’s on the right track to recovery, Parry notes. He’s since been cleared to return to basketball activities, which includes shooting and running.
“It’s kind of tricky because we’re in the offseason, so I’m not sure what 5-on-5 is going to look like,” Bamba said, recognizing the uncertainty of doing full-contact work. “I’m really eager to hear back from the team what their vision for me is in the near future. We don’t even know when the season is going to start. … I’ll be ready.”
Bamba contracted the virus on June 11 and began experiencing issues related to his conditioning in Orlando. It was later determined that he should leave the campus and undergo additional tests for his safety, with the 22-year-old playing just 10 minutes across two games in the league’s restart.
“Absolutely. Getting all those tests done was probably the most important thing that I’ve done all year, besides vote,” he said. “It was really important. It’s a matter of just making sure that I’m taking care of my body and making sure I’m ruling out anything that could be harmful.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division today:
- In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel ponders whether the Heat should roll with their current roster moving forward. Miami currently owns the best postseason record in the NBA at 7-1, with the team’s Game 5 against Milwaukee coming on Tuesday.
- In his own mailbag, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic examines a number of topics related to the Hawks, including the rising expectations for head coach Lloyd Pierce and what will happen if the team fails to make the playoffs next year. Atlanta is set to sport a core consisting of Trae Young, John Collins, Clint Capela and a number of young players next season, including the No. 6 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
- Magic center Nikola Vucevic earned redemption after a record-setting first-round playoff series against the Bucks, Parry writes in a separate story for the Orlando Sentinel. Vucevic averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds in five games, shooting 51% from the field and 40% from deep — a noticeable improvement from last year’s dismal first-round performance against the Raptors. “He’s been inside and outside,” coach Steve Clifford said of Vucevic. “He’s done it all. He creates so much offense for our team and he puts so much pressure on the defense because of the nature of how he plays.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Re-Injures Ankle, Doesn’t Return To Game 4
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a right ankle sprain and didn’t return to Game 4 against the Heat on Sunday.
The injury occurred as Antetokounmpo landed awkwardly while attacking the basket during the second quarter, and it’s the same ankle he injured during Game 3 on Friday. He was previously listed as questionable to play in the contest.
“When he went down,” coach Mike Budenholzer said (as relayed by ESPN’s Malika Andrews), “all our hearts just stopped for a second.”
Prior to exiting the game, Antetokounmpo recorded 19 points and four rebounds in over 11 minutes of work, attacking the basket and playing noticeably aggressively with hopes of leading his team to victory. He encouraged the Bucks to tape up the ankle and let him return, but he couldn’t jump or plant off the sprain, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Antetokounmpo later left the arena in a walking boot, Andrews adds in a separate tweet.
Despite losing their star player, the Bucks still rallied to win 118-115 in overtime to keep their season alive. They were led by Khris Middleton (36 points), Eric Bledsoe (14 points, six assists) and Brook Lopez (14 points, five rebounds). Game 5 will be played on Tuesday night, with nobody around Milwaukee daring to rule Antetokounmpo out yet, Wojnarowski adds.
Eastern Notes: Walker, Giannis, Pistons, Bulls
Celtics star Kemba Walker is accepting the blame for the team’s Game 4 loss to the Raptors on Saturday, calling his nine field-goal attempts “unacceptable,” Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com writes.
Walker finished with 15 points and eight assists in nearly 41 minutes of action, shooting just 4-of-9 from the floor (1-of-6 from deep). To compare, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown attempted a combined 36 shots, with Tatum connecting on 10 and Brown making just four.
“I got to be more aggressive,” Walker said, as relayed by Bontemps. “I wasn’t aggressive enough. That’s unacceptable on my behalf, to be honest. There’s no way I can just be taking nine shots. That’s unacceptable.”
The Raptors were led by Pascal Siakam, who recorded 23 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in over 45 minutes of work. Toronto has regained momentum after OG Anunoby‘s game-winning shot in Game 3 and a gutsy performance in Game 4, tying the series 2-2 with Game 5 on Monday.
“It’s tough, man,” Walker said. “Obviously, we didn’t want to come out that way, but it just happened. We’ve just got to clean it up. We’ve got to find a way, man. We’ve got to be better. I have to be better. I have to find a way to get my teammates at a higher intensity, and I will. I’m going to try my best to bring the best out of these guys.
“Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. We know how the playoffs is, and these are the defending champs. These guys have been through it. These guys have been through it. They’ve been through the fight before. They’ve been down before. They know what it takes.
“But I can’t stress enough how much we just have to be better.”
Here are some other notes from the Central Division:
- The Bucks will need more than a Most Valuable Player to win the NBA championship, ESPN’s Eric Woodyard writes. Milwaukee has struggled against a well-coached and disciplined Heat team, trailing 0-3 in the series with little sign of bouncing back to this point. “You have to fight and scrap for everything because [the opponent knows] exactly who you are,” Bucks veteran Kyle Korver said. “We know all of each other’s tendencies, and you develop this like … whether it’s real or not, this personal match with the guys that you’re guarding. That stuff is real. This is seven games in a row and there’s no secrets. If we call out the play, they call out the play. They know exactly where we’re gonna go, what we’re trying to accomplish, and it just magnifies as the series goes on.”
- The Pistons‘ future looks bright with the hiring of Troy Weaver as general manager, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. Weaver is known for having an eye for young talent, helping draft the likes of Darius Bazley and signing Luguentz Dort as an undrafted free agent during his time with the Thunder. Both players have impressed in Oklahoma City since joining the team, as Weaver joins a Pistons franchise that will likely start rebuilding.
- Sam Smith of NBA.com examines potential Bulls coaching candidates, free agents, and more in his latest mailbag. Chicago has begun a wide-ranging search for the franchise’s next head coach, with the team accruing just a 22-43 record while failing to reach Orlando this season.
Clippers Notes: Harrell, Williams, Zubac, Game 2 Loss
Montrezl Harrell‘s late grandmother was on his mind when he accepted the Sixth Man of the Year award, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Harrell left the Disney World campus for nearly a month when she died earlier this summer, returning just in time for the start of the playoffs.
“This is for my grandmother, who is not here with me today and isn’t going to be able to see this,” he said. “She isn’t going to be able to see me do something that she instilled in me as a young child, a game that she brought to my attention as a young man and I fell in love with and worked my tail off at.”
Harrell is the first big man in nearly a decade to capture Sixth Man honors. Heading into unrestricted free agency, he posted career highs this season with 18.6 PPG and 7.1 RPG. He recalls a conversation with coach Doc Rivers shortly after the Rockets traded him to L.A. in 2017.
“From day one, coach told me that this is not one of those things that we kind of just did to package this,” Harrell said. “‘No, we want you here. We’ve seen you play. We know the type of intensity and motor that you bring to the game. This isn’t one of those things that you’re going to be coming here and leaving back out. We want you here.’ To hear the head coach of an organization say you don’t have anything to worry about, you can get comfortable here, and this is a team that wants you, it means a lot.”
There’s more Clippers news to pass along:
- The award was presented to Harrell by teammate Lou Williams, who won it the past two seasons, Buha adds in the same story. A three-time winner overall, Williams finished third in this year’s voting. “For him to come out and just hand me the trophy, it was special,” Harrell said. “It was a huge surprise. … To see that trophy come out from the back and actually coming towards me, it was a tremendous honor and just a complete, complete tremendous thank you to my teammates, to Doc and Lou, everybody.”
- The Clippers need a strong performance from center Ivica Zubac, who is the only player on the roster who can match up physically with Denver’s Nikola Jokic, observes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Zubac had 15 points and nine rebounds in Saturday’s loss, but he remained on the bench late in the game as L.A. opted to use a smaller lineup.
- Game 2 exposed bad habits that have plagued the Clippers all season, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. L.A. showed little energy to start the game and trailed by 19 points after the first quarter.
Heat Notes: Crowder, Haslem, Butler, Coaching Staff
The Heat are one win away from the conference finals, and a bold move at the trade deadline helped them reach this position, writes Shandel Richardson of Sports Illustrated. Miami shook up its roster in February by acquiring Jae Crowder from the Grizzlies in a three-team deal and sending away Justise Winslow, who was once thought to be part of the team’s foundation. Crowder has been extremely valuable in the playoffs, averaging 11.6 PPG, shooting 62% on 3-pointers and providing versatility on defense.
“He’s a competitor so he’s going to do whatever is necessary,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He does it on both ends. It’s not an easy series for him. He has to sacrifice his body and play against the MVP, sometimes play against a 7-footer, sometimes put him on guards. He’s basically guarding one through five in this series.”
Crowder, 30, is boosting his value for the offseason, when he will be among the most intriguing free agents on the market. The Heat would love to bring him back, but the organization is prioritizing cap room to add another star in the summer of 2021. Crowder has more he wants to accomplish before considering his next contract.
“I just feel like I’m going to keep staying at it,” he said. “I’m going to stay in the gym, stay watching film, stay focused, stay being an all around professional. That just shows me my hard work is paying off. I’m really pleased with the work that I’m putting in and it’s not going to stop.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Veteran leader Udonis Haslem believes Miami has the perfect mix of talent and toughness to win a title in this unique environment, according to Manny Navarro of The Athletic. Haslem, 39, only played four games this season, but he’s a sideline leader as a quasi-assistant coach. “I feel like we can win it and I feel like we have just as good an opportunity (as anyone),” he said. “When you look at everything that’s going on right now, this team is built for the bubble, man. You talk about tough, hard-nosed, work ethic, mentally tough — there’s no mentally tougher team in this bubble, tougher leader in this bubble. The Miami Heat team was built for anything.”
- Teammates are expressing confidence in Jimmy Butler to carry them through the playoffs, with Meyers Leonard telling Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, “We have the best player in this series.” (Twitter link)
- Assistant Octavio De La Grana has joined the team in Orlando, giving Spoelstra a full coaching staff, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Teams were permitted to add one person to their bubble limit on Saturday.
Daryl Morey: Rockets Hope To Keep Mike D’Antoni
Even though rumors of a split have been circulating for more than a year, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told Mark Medina of USA Today the team will prioritize a new deal with coach Mike D’Antoni.
“It’s probably No. 1. That’s a fair way to put it,” Morey said. “We have all our key players signed. I think Mike coming back is super important.”
D’Antoni is in the final year of his contract and his departure seemed inevitable after the organization was unable to get him to agree to a new contract last summer. Owner Tilman Fertitta reportedly insisted on a one-year deal, which didn’t interest D’Antoni.
Morey dismissed the idea of an impending coaching change as “a media creation,” adding that “it’s convenient for agents to focus on it.” There is already speculation that other organizations would be interested in D’Antoni if he doesn’t return to Houston, specifically the Pelicans, whose head of basketball operations David Griffin worked with D’Antoni in Phoenix, and the Pacers, who fired Nate McMillan this week.
D’Antoni is in his fourth year with the Rockets and has led them to a 217-101 record with at least one playoff series win each season. His fate might have been sealed if Houston had lost Game 7 to the Thunder, but they now hold a 1-0 lead over the top-seeded Lakers and the organization and players are expressing confidence in their coach.
“Mike is a guy that gets along with everybody, and it’s all up for the players to hone in and do what we need to do,” Eric Gordon said. “He gives us the opportunity. He’s a great communicator. So he gives us a lot of options that we feel like we need to do.”
Johnathan Williams Signs With Turkish Team
SEPTEMBER 6: Galatasaray has officially signed Williams, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando.
SEPTEMBER 5: Johnathan Williams, who spent most of this season with the Wizards, could be joining Galatasaray in Turkey, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
The 25-year-old center originally signed with Washington in late December as a hardship player. He was waived in January, then rejoined the team a week later on a two-way deal. He appeared in 15 total games, with his best performance coming in the season finale against the Celtics when he scored five points and grabbed 16 rebounds. He also played 17 games for Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
Williams, who appeared in 24 games for the Lakers last year, began the season with Maccabi Rishon LeZion in the Israel Premier League. He averaged 11.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in EuroCup play and 12.2 points plus 10.4 rebounds in the Winner League before leaving for the NBA opportunity.