Projected Lottery Pick Isaiah Jackson To Stay In Draft
Kentucky freshman power forward Isaiah Jackson will remain in the pool for the 2021 NBA draft, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
The 6’10” Jackson could be a late-lottery pick. The 19-year-old is projected as the No. 11 selection on ESPN’s big board. Givony adds that Jackson has hired an agent, and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility for an opportunity at the next level.
“All the feedback from teams has been good,” Jackson told ESPN. “People are saying lottery, which is what I wanted. That’s one of the main reasons I’m declaring, so my agent can get involved and speak on my behalf in terms of negotiating and making sure he can get me to the right team.”
“I want to do camps and autograph signings to get some money in my pocket,” Jackson added. “In order to set that up I need to be fully declared.”
During his lone college season with Kentucky, Jackson averaged 8.6 PPG (on 55% field goal shooting), 6.6 RPG and 2.1 BPG across 21 minutes per contest. Givony notes that the athletic Jackson’s growth during the season as a rim runner and pick-and-roll finisher bodes well for his two-way potential.
On defense, Jackson was an excellent rebounder and boasted an elite 12.7% shot-blocking percentage that put him in the heady company of recent Wildcats-turned-pros Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel. Jackson made the All-Freshman and All-Defensive SEC teams for the 2020/21 season.
Anthony Bennett, Thomas Robinson Sign With Puerto Rican Team
Former NBA lottery selections Anthony Bennett and Thomas Robinson have both reached deals with Puerto Rican team Cangrejeros de Santurce, according to agent Christian Santaella (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
Bennett, the top pick in the 2013 draft out of UNLV, is a 6’8″ power forward who spent parts of his four NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Raptors (as well as their NBAGL club, Raptors 905) and Nets (as well as their G League club, the Long Island Nets). The 28-year-old holds career NBA averages of 4.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG across 151 games.
Bennett joined Turkish Basketball Super League club Fenerbahçe in 2017, winning the EuroLeague title with the team in a limited role. He next played with several G League clubs, including the Northern Arizona Suns in 2017 (now the Motor City Cruise), the Maine Red Claws, and the Agua Caliente Clippers. He’s part of Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers.
Robinson, 30, was picked fifth in the 2012 draft by Sacramento out of Kansas. The 6’10” big man spent parts of five seasons with the Kings, Rockets, Trail Blazers, Sixers, Nets and Lakers. Across 313 NBA games, Robinson averaged 4.9 PPG (on 47% shooting from the field) and 4.8 RPG. Following his NBA career, Robinson played for teams in Russia, China and Turkey.
Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Snyder, Fan Incidents
In limited minutes, Jazz All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell looked like his old self Thursday night, his first game back since spraining his right ankle on April 16, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Mitchell scored 25 points in 26 minutes of game action.
The 24-year-old’s return to the floor helped galvanize the Jazz. Utah ultimately beat the Grizzlies 141-129 to knot their first-round series at 1-1.
“I felt better than I anticipated, and as a whole, I think the biggest thing as a team is we did a lot of good things tonight … so it made my job easier,” Mitchell said of his return to the Jazz. “I didn’t have to come in and just do everything. I was able to find my spots and attack. And kind of just do what I do. And my teammates made it really easy for me.”
There’s more out of Utah:
- Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune examines the circuitous journey Jazz head coach Quin Snyder undertook before landing in Utah. Snyder had stints with the now-Austin Spurs of the G League (then the Austin Toros of the D League), the Sixers, the Lakers, CSKA Moscow, and the Hawks. He began his journey from the college ranks to the pros in a cross-country adventure in a 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan, after his seven-year tenure as the men’s basketball head coach for Missouri ended in 2006. “I was in North Carolina living by myself, I had a great black Lab, and I was trying to figure out, kind of, ‘What next?’ And, the (next) question is, ‘Where?’ And ‘What?’” Snyder said. “And I came to the conclusion that, really, it was like, ‘Anywhere,’ because it really didn’t matter at that point. And it was a little bit of ‘Anything.’ I wasn’t sure I wanted to coach again.”
- During the Jazz’s Game 2 victory over the Grizzlies, Vivint Arena security ejected three fans for unruly verbal behavior directed toward the parents of star Memphis point guard Ja Morant, writes Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The team has banned the individuals from Utah’s home arena indefinitely.
- A Utah judge has rejected a $100MM lawsuit filed by two other Jazz fans against Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook and the Jazz, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The fans, who claimed defamation and infliction of emotional stress in their suit, had also been banned indefinitely for comments and taunts directed towards Westbrook, then with the Thunder, in a March 2019 Jazz game.
Donte DiVincenzo Will Miss Rest Of Playoffs
12:55pm: The Bucks have announced further details on the injury that will sideline DiVincenzo for the remainder of the 2021 playoffs (Twitter link). An MRI and examination by team doctor Dr. Carole Vetter revealed that DiVincenzo is suffering from a torn ligament in his left ankle, per the team.
11:53am: Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo will miss the remainder of the postseason after suffering a serious tendon injury in his left foot, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
DiVincenzo was hurt on a drive to the basket in the second quarter of Thursday’s game. He was fouled by Goran Dragic on the play and limped off the court.
The third-year guard started all 66 games he played this season and turned in a career-best year with 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per night. Although Milwaukee appears to have its first-round series in hand with a 3-0 lead over Miami, DiVincenzo’s absence could make a difference in later rounds.
DiVincenzo will be extension-eligible this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Heat Notes: Portis, Riley, Free Agents, Butler
A decision not to pursue Bucks big man Bobby Portis in free agency may have led to the Heat’s playoff downfall, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson traces several missteps for Miami, which is in a 3-0 hole against Milwaukee, but the most significant might be passing on Portis, who is averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the playoff series.
A source tells Jackson that the Heat showed “mild interest” in Portis during free agency, but decided against making an offer. Portis would have considered Miami, Jackson adds, but he wound up signing with Milwaukee for $3.6MM and having a career-best season. The Heat signed Maurice Harkless for the same money, but he played just 11 games and scored 15 total points before being traded to the Kings in March.
Portis figures to be back on the market this summer as an unrestricted free agent and should get much better offers this time.
There’s more from Miami:
- The Heat made overtures to Marcus Morris in free agency before he re-signed with the Clippers for $64MM over four years, Jackson adds. They lost two of their own free agents when they refused to come close to the three-year, $30MM deal that Jae Crowder got from the Suns or the two-year, $19MM contract that the Trail Blazers gave Derrick Jones Jr. Instead, Miami split its $9.6MM mid-level exception between Harkless and Avery Bradley, neither of whom is still with the team. The Heat also drafted Precious Achiuwa and gave a two-year, $19MM deal to Meyers Leonard, but Achuiwa dropped out of the rotation when Dewayne Dedmon was added and Leonard played just three games before a season-ending shoulder injury.
- Team president Pat Riley has a history of making major changes after playoff embarrassments, and Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel suggests that another one may be coming. Winderman notes that the current roster was built for an immediate overhaul, with team options on Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala for next season and Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala, Victor Oladipo, Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Udonis Haslem and Dedmon all potentially headed for free agency.
- Jimmy Butler believes the Heat need to fall back on toughness to salvage the series, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. “(I’m most surprised by) just how fast it got out of hand,” Butler said after Thursday’s loss. “We’ve got to pick who we want to be — be physical, make things much tougher. Then you’ve got to live with the result.”
Knicks Notes: Rose, Gibson, Payton, Second-Round Tickets
Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau may finally get to enjoy the playoff success that they should have had together in Chicago, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Rose’s career was upended by injuries after his MVP season in 2010/11, and the Bulls fired Thibodeau four years later. Now they’re trying to give the Knicks their first postseason series win since 2013.
New York was able to acquire Rose for a bargain price in February, sending little-used Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick to the Pistons in return. There were concerns that Rose might get in the way of the team’s rebuilding process, but he has led them to the playoffs as an explosive scorer and a valuable veteran presence. He helped turn around Wednesday’s Game 2 win over the Hawks, coming off the bench to score 26 points in 39 minutes.
“One thing about Derrick I’ve noticed, when he’s in a familiar situation, in a situation that he’s comfortable in, he understands it’s family, he understands that it’s a good environment, a winning environment, he’s going to flourish,” said Taj Gibson, who was also with Rose and Thibodeau in Chicago. “And right now he’s around familiar faces he’s been in battle with for a long time.”
There’s more from New York:
- Gibson, who wasn’t on an NBA roster when the season began, could be the Knicks’ starting center for tonight’s Game 3, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. The team considered bringing Gibson to training camp, but opted to go with Omari Spellman instead. Spellman earned a roster spot, but when he was sidelined by a sore knee in early January, the Knicks waived him and added Gibson. The veteran big man played an important role in Game 2 while Nerlens Noel was limited by a sprained ankle, and he could be given a starting role if Noel isn’t ready tonight.
- Elfrid Payton‘s playoff future appears to be in doubt after playing just five minutes Wednesday, notes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Payton remained in his starting role, but he never re-entered the game after being pulled for Rose midway through the first quarter.
- The Knicks announced this morning that tickets for a possible second-round playoff series will only be sold to vaccinated fans, Berman adds in a separate story. The team wants to fill Madison Square Garden to its capacity of 19,040, which means no socially distanced seating will be offered.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Kidd, Three-Point Shooting
LeBron James is still dealing with the effects of a high-ankle sprain, but it’s becoming less obvious in his on-court performance, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. James had 21 points and nine assists Thursday night and even threw down a vintage dunk in the third quarter as the Lakers took control of their series with the Suns by posting a double-digit win in Game 3.
James, who aggravated the ankle injury a couple of times since originally hurting it in March, admits he needs “round-the-clock treatment” to be able to play.
“Obviously it’s been a rough year on me as far as physically with my ankle and dealing with that and still trying to get it where it was before the injury,” he said. “But every day is a step forward.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Anthony Davis may have hyper-extended his left knee while trying to block a shot in the second quarter, Goon adds. Coach Frank Vogel considered taking Davis out of the game in the second half, but the medical staff said it was safe for him to keep playing, even though it was painful. “Just keeping it warm, keeping it loose and wanted to keep going,” Davis told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It felt fine throughout the rest of the game. Really didn’t have any problems with it. … It was all full of adrenaline, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Get some treatment and get some treatment Saturday and be ready to go Sunday.”
- Jason Kidd is in his second season as a Lakers assistant, and he tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that hopes to become a head coach again some day. Kidd compiled a 183-190 record with three playoff appearances in five seasons with the Nets and Bucks. “I would love to have another opportunity at it,” Kidd said. “Being here with Frank, understanding his strengths and watching him and how he handles different situations, is a big key that I’ve learned. Patience, communication is really key to understanding where everybody stands. Not just your top players, but the end of the bench.”
- Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines the Lakers’ three-point shooting, which he says is becoming an X-factor for the team in the postseason.
Poll: 2021 All-NBA Second Team
The competition for the league’s 15 All-NBA spots was fiercer than ever in 2020/21, with tens of millions of dollars up for grabs for certain players based on the voting results. Since the NBA has already started to announce its end-of-season award winners, we want to give you an opportunity to vote on the All-NBA rosters for 2020/21 before they’re officially revealed.
We started on Wednesday with the First Team before moving onto the Second Team today. We’ll vote on the Third Team early next week.
Here are the voting results so far:
- Guard: Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Guard: Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Forward: Joel Embiid (Sixers)
- Center: Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
I certainly have no qualms with these picks, and wouldn’t be surprised if these players end up in the top five of MVP voting for 2020/21.
Is it a little ridiculous to view Embiid as a forward? Absolutely! But, as we outlined in our First Team poll, the NBA was pretty lax with several positional designations on this year’s official ballot, perhaps to ensure that an outcome like this is possible — Jokic and Embiid were two of the five most impactful players in the NBA this season, but one would end up on the Second Team if both are only eligible at center.
Should the NBA just do away with positional designations altogether and let voters pick the 15 best players? Probably! But for now, we’re sticking to the league’s positional designations, with some help from Howard Beck of SI.com (Twitter links). As a reminder, here are the most notable multi-position eligible players who didn’t make the First Team:
Players eligible at both center and forward:
Players eligible at both forward and guard:
- Devin Booker
- Jaylen Brown
- Jimmy Butler
- Paul George
- LeBron James
- Zach LaVine
- Kawhi Leonard
- Khris Middleton
- Ben Simmons
- Jayson Tatum
A couple more notes before we move onto the Second Team 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 Third Team poll.
- Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to select two players apiece in both the guard and forward polls.
Vote for your All-NBA Second Team below, then take to the comment section to explain your picks!
Guards
(choose two)
Who are your All-NBA Second Team guards?
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Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers) 19% (423)
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Bradley Beal (Wizards) 15% (340)
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Chris Paul (Suns) 10% (223)
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James Harden (Nets) 8% (177)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 8% (172)
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Russell Westbrook (Wizards) 5% (114)
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Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) 4% (93)
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LeBron James (Lakers) 4% (90)
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Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 3% (71)
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Trae Young (Hawks) 3% (62)
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Kyrie Irving (Nets) 3% (58)
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Jrue Holiday (Bucks) 2% (52)
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Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 2% (52)
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Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 2% (50)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 2% (46)
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Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 2% (42)
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Jimmy Butler (Heat) 2% (35)
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Zach LaVine (Bulls) 1% (31)
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Khris Middleton (Bucks) 1% (25)
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De'Aaron Fox (Kings) 1% (20)
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Mike Conley (Jazz) 1% (18)
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Paul George (Clippers) 0% (7)
Total votes: 2,201
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team guards.
Forwards
(choose two)
Who are your All-NBA Second Team forwards?
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Julius Randle (Knicks) 17% (342)
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LeBron James (Lakers) 14% (266)
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Jayson Tatum (Celtics) 13% (249)
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Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 12% (233)
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Kevin Durant (Nets) 8% (158)
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Zion Williamson (Pelicans) 6% (122)
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Devin Booker (Suns) 5% (89)
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Anthony Davis (Lakers) 5% (89)
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Jimmy Butler (Heat) 3% (65)
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Khris Middleton (Bucks) 2% (45)
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Ben Simmons (Sixers) 2% (42)
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Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) 2% (39)
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Jaylen Brown (Celtics) 2% (38)
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Tobias Harris (Sixers) 1% (27)
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Zach LaVine (Bulls) 1% (26)
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Bam Adebayo (Heat) 1% (25)
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Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 1% (23)
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Draymond Green (Warriors) 1% (23)
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Paul George (Clippers) 1% (21)
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Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets) 1% (14)
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DeMar DeRozan (Spurs) 1% (11)
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Brandon Ingram (Pelicans) 1% (10)
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Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks) 0% (8)
Total votes: 1,965
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team forwards.
Center
Who is your All-NBA Second Team center?
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Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 47% (445)
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Anthony Davis (Lakers) 12% (118)
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Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) 8% (81)
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Nikola Vucevic (Magic/Bulls) 6% (60)
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Bam Adebayo (Heat) 6% (59)
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Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 6% (56)
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Clint Capela (Hawks) 4% (39)
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Deandre Ayton (Suns) 3% (33)
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Draymond Green (Warriors) 3% (25)
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Jonas Valanciunas (Grizzlies) 2% (23)
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Myles Turner (Pacers) 1% (10)
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Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks) 1% (7)
Total votes: 956
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote on the All-NBA Second Team center.
Southwest Notes: Alexander-Walker, KP, Adams, Mavs
Pelicans combo guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker found ways to improve during his second NBA season, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Clark highlights Alexander-Walker’s growth as a ball-handler. The 22-year-old, who may play for Team Canada this summer, averaged an encouraging 19.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 3.0 APG across the 13 games he started.
Alexander-Walker indicated that extended reps at the NBA level have yielded his growth with the Pelicans. “You start to catch onto things,” he said. “You start to read things and understand what buttons control different things.”
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis told reporters that the behavior that violated COVID-19 protocols and yielded a $50K league fine was a result of his not understanding the NBA’s stringent new rules as more businesses open across the country during the pandemic, tweets Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. “I was honestly a little bit confused (about the protocols), but I made a mistake and I paid for it,” Porzingis said. The Dallas big man, who is vaccinated, visited an indoor L.A.-area club.
- In trading for and subsequently extending center Steven Adams, the Pelicans were hoping to establish an intense interior presence with their new frontcourt tandem of Adams and All-Star power forward Zion Williamson, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. That approach did not even yield a top-10 finish in the West this season, prompting Clark to wonder if New Orleans head of basketball operations David Griffin will attempt to move on from Adams.
- Though the Mavericks won both the first two games of their first-round matchup against the Clippers on the road, the team is looking to improve from a lackluster free-throw shooting performance, writes Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. “It’s an area where we can gain ground,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. The Mavericks connected on just 66% of their foul shots during the first two games of the series, down from 77.8% during the regular season. Swingman Tim Hardaway Jr., an unrestricted free agent this summer whom Dallas hopes to retain, has shot just 4-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Central Notes: Warren, Fiserv Forum, Pistons, Bucks
After Pacers team president Kevin Pritchard said that he views forward T.J. Warren as pivotal to the team’s success, and his absence as a key reason why Indiana had a disappointing season, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star considers whether Warren’s presence is as crucial as Pritchard believes.
“The most important thing in this league right now is having rim defense and a big wing who can guard those guys,” Pritchard said of losing oft-injured Warren for all but four Pacers games due to a foot surgery. “We didn’t have a lot of that for a lot of the year.”
Michael acknowledges that Warren was the team’s best option as a defensive forward, but notes that there is room for improvement still, as Warren occasionally fouls too often while hunting for steals. The emergence of Oshae Brissett as a viable option for spotting Warren will lessen his burden when he returns to full health next season, Michael adds.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Bucks will be raising crowd capacity at their home arena, Fiserv Forum, from 9,100 fans to 16,500 fans for the rest of playoffs, per a team press release. The earliest date this could go into effect is June 1, if the team’s series against the Heat extends to five games.
- The fact that the Pistons were able to land two stellar mid-first-round selections during the 2020 NBA draft bodes well for the club’s future under first-year GM Troy Weaver, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Langlois notes that rookies Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey already appear to have carved out roles as reliable role players in their first season and could be capable of much more in the coming years. With an 80% chance at nabbing a top-five pick in the upcoming draft, the rebuilding Pistons will have an opportunity to add more firepower to their intriguing young roster.
- The Bucks internally talked about tanking a matchup with the Heat in the final weekend of the season to avoid facing Miami in the first round, but unanimously decided against it, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN. With Milwaukee on the cusp of taking a 3-0 advantage in its series against Miami tonight, it appears that was the right call.