Pacers To Interview Clifford, Stotts, Shaw For Head Coaching Job
The Pacers are beginning to interview head coaching candidates this week in Chicago, where the NBA draft combine is taking place, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski, the candidates who are interviewing with Indiana include Steve Clifford, Terry Stotts, and Brian Shaw.
After taking a chance on first-time head coach Nate Bjorkgren a year ago, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is unlikely to go that route again, as Bob Kravitz of The Athletic writes. Wojnarowski echoes that point, tweeting that Indiana is “putting a premium” on previous head coaching experience in its search.
Clifford and Stotts have recent head coaching experience, having coached the Magic and Trail Blazers, respectively, up until the end of the 2020/21 season.
Clifford, who also spent several years as the head coach in Charlotte, has an overall regular season record of 292-345 (.458), with four playoff berths in eight seasons.
Stotts had brief stints as a head coach in Atlanta and Milwaukee before spending the last nine seasons with the Trail Blazers. He led Portland to a 402-318 (.558) regular season mark, with eight consecutive postseason appearances.
As for Shaw, he briefly served as the Nuggets’ head coach from 2013-15 and is currently the head coach of the G League Ignite. He also has extensive experience as an assistant, including a stint as the Pacers’ associate head coach from 2011-13.
Rick Carlisle has also been identified as a possible target for the Pacers, and Mike Budenholzer would reportedly be at or near the top of the team’s wish list if the Bucks let him go — that seems less likely now that Milwaukee has advanced to the Eastern Finals. Mike D’Antoni also received serious consideration from Indiana a year ago and could be in the mix again this time around.
Utah Summer League To Return In August
The Salt Lake City Summer League will return in 2021 after being canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Multiple teams, including the Jazz and Grizzlies, issued press releases today announcing the event.
The SLC Summer League is essentially an opening act for the Las Vegas Summer League. The Vegas Summer League features all 30 NBA teams and is one of the biggest events of the league’s offseason, along with the draft and free agency. It will take place between August 8-17 this year.
By contrast, the Summer League in Utah will feature just three NBA teams. The Grizzlies, Spurs, and Jazz will participate in the event on August 3, 4, and 6 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
In 2019, the last time the event was held, the Cavaliers joined Utah, Memphis, and San Antonio to make up the four-team field. Since the Cavs won’t return in 2021, the Jazz will field two separate squads to ensure the format – a four-team, six-game round robin – remains unchanged.
As Ryan McDonald of The Deseret News writes, it’s unclear how the Jazz will build their two separate rosters. Typically, Summer League play is generally a showcase for rookies, second- or third- year players, and undrafted free agents, so Utah’s veterans are unlikely to participate. The Jazz may have to bring in a significant number of UDFAs to fill out their two squads.
Chris Paul Symptom-Free, Hoping To Return Soon
2:04pm: Despite the Suns’ optimism on Paul, there’s nothing to report today, according to head coach Monty Williams, who said that CP3’s status remains the same — he’s still in the health and safety protocols (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated).
8:05am: Suns point guard Chris Paul, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, has been symptom-free since registering that positive test, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
According to Haynes, the Suns are encouraged by the progress of Paul, who has been quarantining in Los Angeles, and are hopeful that he’ll be able to clear the NBA’s health and safety protocols at some point “early” in the Western Finals. Game 2 vs. the Clippers is scheduled for Tuesday following Phoenix’s Game 1 win on Sunday.
Paul has reportedly been vaccinated against the coronavirus, and the fact that he’s symptom-free should further expedite his return. However, he’ll still need to record multiple negative tests before he receives clearance to rejoin the team.
“It’s just a day-to-day thing with him right now,” head coach Monty Williams said after Sunday’s game, per Haynes. “I probably drive the people here crazy with that, but that’s the way it is. We’re hopeful that any day now we hear he can ramp up and get back with us. But right now, he’s in the protocol.”
Paul helped lead the Suns to the second-best record in the NBA season and wins in the first two rounds of the postseason, earning All-NBA Second Team honors and finishing fifth in MVP voting.
Even without him in the lineup though, Phoenix was able to pick up a win in Game 1 on Sunday over the Clippers, who are missing an All-NBA player of their own (Kawhi Leonard). Devin Booker made up for Paul’s absence by posting 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, while replacement point guard Cameron Payne recorded 11 points and nine assists, along with a plus-14 rating, in 29 minutes.
Durant, Harden, Adebayo Expected To Play For USA’s Olympic Team
Team USA’s roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics is taking shape, with a new trio of star players set to play in Tokyo, according to reports.
Nets forward Kevin Durant is expected to commit to represent Team USA at the Tokyo games, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Durant’s teammate James Harden will join him, according to Charania, who says (via Twitter) the All-Star guard has committed to play. The third member of Brooklyn’s Big Three, Kyrie Irving, is expected to sit out the Olympics while he rehabs an ankle injury.
Team USA has added a frontcourt player as well, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Heat big man Bam Adebayo has committed to join the roster. Adebayo trained with USA Basketball leading up to the 2019 World Cup, but didn’t make the team. He’s unlikely to be cut this time around.
Durant, Harden, and Adebayo join a star-studded group that also features Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Draymond Green. Devin Booker is expected to participate too, though if the Suns make the NBA Finals and play a long series in July, it’s possible his plans could change. The Finals could run as late as July 22 if they go seven games, while the Olympics are scheduled to get underway on July 23.
With or without Booker, there are still at least four spots on the 12-man roster up for grabs, and Team USA figures to bring more than 12 players to its pre-Olympic camp as insurance for injuries or withdrawals.
Billups, Hammon Getting Second Interviews With Blazers
Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups and Spurs assistant Becky Hammon are among the candidates for the Trail Blazers‘ head coaching position who will interview with the team this week for a second time, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Billups and Hammon first interviewed with the Blazers last week, along with Mike D’Antoni, who also remains in the mix for the Portland job, per Wojnarowski.
According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and Spurs VP of basketball operations Brent Barry are among the others who have interviewed for the vacancy. It’s unclear whether Staley and/or Barry will receive second interviews.
Billups has frequently been cited as a frontrunner for the Blazers’ job, so it’s no surprise that he’s among the finalists. He also received an endorsement from point guard Damian Lillard following Terry Stotts‘ exit earlier this month.
The fact that Hammon remains in the running is notable — according to Charania and Amick, it’s the first time that a woman has remained under consideration in the final stages of an NBA head coaching search.
Jeff Van Gundy and Juwan Howard were among the other possible candidates who were mentioned early in the Blazers’ search process, but we haven’t heard anything about them lately. Still, president of basketball operations Neil Olshey stated that Portland’s search would be extensive, with 20-to-25 candidates receiving consideration, so there are likely many names that haven’t been reported yet — it’s possible some of them have advanced to the second stage of the club’s interview process.
Sixers Notes: Lowry, Simmons, Embiid, Offseason
The Sixers engaged in trade talks at March’s deadline for Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, but ultimately weren’t willing to meet Toronto’s asking price. According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, some executives around the NBA felt that Philadelphia should have been more aggressive in trying to land a play-maker who would’ve been an ideal fit on the roster, while others understood why the club was reluctant to go all-in on a 35-year-old on an expiring contract.
While there are varying opinions about the Sixers’ approach to the 2021 trade deadline, most people around the league agree that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey passed on Lowry because he hopes to land an even better star, says O’Connor. However, even if Morey is willing to put Ben Simmons on the table, it’s unclear whether the 76ers would be favorites for the next star who becomes available, given how the playoffs affected Simmons’ value.
Trading Joel Embiid is a “non-starter,” O’Connor adds.
Here’s more out of Philadelphia:
- Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype look ahead to what’s on tap for the Sixers during the 2021 offseason. While Simmons’ future feels like the most pressing question to answer right now, the team’s extension talks with Embiid will also be critical — the All-NBA big man is eligible for a super-max extension that would add four years onto his current deal.
- The Sixers failed Embiid, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic, who points to the coach, the rest of the players, and the organization as a whole as those who let down the star center. Despite Embiid’s development into a superstar and an impressive playoff performance on a torn meniscus, the Sixers appear “less flexible and more desperate” than they’ve been at any time since The Process began, Bodner contends.
- In the wake of the Sixers’ latest playoff disappointment, Dan Woiken of USA Today contends that the organization’s “Process” will be remembered as a failure.
- Tim Bontemps of ESPN takes a look at the end of the Sixers’ season, suggesting that this year may ultimately serve as a referendum on the Embiid/Simmons partnership.
- In case you missed it, we rounded up several Simmons-specific items earlier today.
Sixers’ Simmons: “There’s A Lot Of Things I Need To Work On”
In the wake of the Sixers‘ second crushing Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the last three years, all eyes are on Ben Simmons, whose poor foul shooting and reluctance to put up shots – especially in the fourth quarter – helped doom Philadelphia.
“I ain’t shoot well from the line this series,” Simmons said on Sunday after the Sixers’ loss, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Offensively, I wasn’t there. I didn’t do enough for my teammates. … There’s a lot of things that I need to work on.”
Simmons made just 15-of-45 free throws in the seven-game series vs. Atlanta and connected on only 34.2% of his total foul shots in the playoffs, the worst mark ever for a player with more than 70 attempts in a single postseason.
He also seemed eager to get the ball out of his hands in fourth quarters, for fear of being fouled. At one point late in the Sixers’ loss on Sunday, Simmons passed up an open dunk attempt to get the ball to Matisse Thybulle, who was fouled and subsequently made one of two free throws. Joel Embiid singled out that play in his post-game comments to reporters, McMenamin notes.
“Man, I will be honest. I thought the turning point was, you know, when we, I don’t know how to say it, but I thought the turning point was just we had an open shot and we made one free throw and we missed the other and they came down and scored,” Embiid said.
The 76ers have invested heavily in Simmons, who is owed nearly $147MM over the next four years. He was supposed to be a franchise cornerstone alongside Embiid. However, when head coach Doc Rivers was asked after Sunday’s game whether Simmons can be the point guard for a championship team, Rivers didn’t commit one way or the other.
“I don’t know that question or the answer to that right now,” he said.
Here’s more on the Sixers’ three-time All-Star:
- While Simmons took responsibility for his offensive struggles, he also pointed out that he had 13 assists and played good defense on Trae Young, who was just 5-of-23 from the floor in Game 7, McMenamin observes.
- Asked if he wants to stay in Philadelphia, Simmons replied, “Yeah, I love being in Philly. I love this organization. The fans are great people. I had a bad series. I expect that (boos). It’s Philly“ (Twitter link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spoke to NBA executives about whether the Sixers should trade Simmons this offseason and received mixed feedback. A pair of execs said they’d explore a trade, while two others said they’d probably hang onto him for now — one of those two suggested a position change. “I’m not sure I’d trade him, but I’d make him a power forward and get a point guard,” that exec told Scotto. “Ben has totally disappeared. He needs to be more aggressive, especially in the playoffs. He’s content getting assists, rebounds, and defending, but to win in the playoffs they need more from him.”
- While trading Simmons might seem like an inevitability after this postseason, it won’t be easy for the Sixers to move him in exchange for a star after the way his value dropped during the playoffs, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Including him in a package for Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard would perhaps be a best-case scenario, but neither of those players seem available for now, according to Hollinger, who wonders if a swap involving Zach LaVine might make the most sense for the 76ers and the Bulls.
Western Notes: Lue, Green, Williamson, Mavericks
Various members of the Clippers praised head coach Tyronn Lue after the team beat the Jazz in a six-game series last round, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times writes.
Among many things, Lue made the decision to insert Terance Mann into the starting lineup once Kawhi Leonard got injured. Mann responded by putting forth a 39-point performance in Game 6 to help win the series.
“T. Lue,” Paul George said in response to a reporter wondering how the team got to this point. “T. Lue.”
Veteran Nicolas Batum also showed support for Lue, noting his presence has a calming effect on the group. “He always find a way to talk to us so we don’t panic,” Batum said. “We stay calm. We stay cool.”
Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:
- Suns lead assistant Willie Green is garnering interest around the NBA as a head coaching candidate, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Head coach Monty Williams indicated last week that Green, who played 12 NBA seasons, was talking to teams about the possibility.
- Zion Williamson‘s frustration with the Pelicans should fuel the team’s future internal growth, Scott Kushner of The Times-Picayune writes. New Orleans parted ways with head coach Stan Van Gundy last week after missing the playoffs with just a 31-41 record. For his part, Williamson averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on the season.
- Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News explores whether the Mavericks‘ week of upheaval could turn out to be a good thing. While the team no longer has a general manager or head coach, it does have a special advisor in Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki committed to help the franchise last week after Donnie Nelson and Rick Carlisle‘s departures. “Mark Cuban approached me about a role as special advisor and I am happy to support my Mavs,” Nowitzki said. “Donnie Nelson and Rick Carlisle were both mentors and played huge roles in my career and the success of this franchise, and I am going to miss them. It is important for me now to join Mark and contribute as much as I can as we move forward.”
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Cook, Pistons, Nets
Multiple Bulls players discussed how the team can improve after finishing the 2020/21 season with a 31-41 record, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes.
Among those players was Thaddeus Young, a 14-year-veteran with several years of playoff experience. Young is coming off his second season with the club and averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 24.3 minutes per game on the campaign.
“It starts with the leadership and the direction,” Young said. “I think we took some steps and strides forward this year with the change and leadership in direction of the organization, which was hiring AK and Marc. They are competitors. They want to win just a bad as the players want to win. And they want to make sure they get everything right.
“They started off getting things right with preaching culture and winning. Then bringing in (coach) Billy (Donovan). I think they did a phenomenal job in getting Billy, and Billy put together a great staff, as well as AK and Marc making trades. I think they did a phenomenal job on trade day in making those trades.”
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Pistons forward Tyler Cook turned his 10-day opportunity into much more with the team, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Cook, 23, inked a multiyear contract in April after signing two 10-day deals. His $1.7MM salary is non-guaranteed for next season.
- Speaking of the Pistons, the team is hoping for some lottery luck as the event nears this week, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. The 2021 draft lottery will be held on Tuesday, June 22, and Detroit shares the best odds for a top-four pick.
- Steve Popper of Newsday examines what’s next for the Nets after losing Game 7 to the Bucks on Saturday. Brooklyn has most of its core under contract for next season, including Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Joe Harris and Kevin Durant. Bruce Brown and Blake Griffin — both of whom started for the team in Game 7 — are set to enter unrestricted free agency. A report from ESPN on Sunday also indicated that Spencer Dinwiddie plans on declining his $12.3MM player option.
Dyson Daniels Signs With G League Ignite
Australian prospect Dyson Daniels has signed with the G League Ignite, he announced on social media (Instagram link). Daniels is eligible to be drafted in 2022.
“I feel that this is the best pathway for me to get to my ultimate goal; the NBA,” he told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “It has every resource I need in really good development, a great coaching staff and great competition to go against every day.”
Many evaluators believe Daniels, a 6’6″ combo guard, has a strong chance at being drafted in the first round next year. The 18-year-old joins Michael Foster, Scoot Henderson, Jaden Hardy and Fanbo Zeng as players who have committed to the program for the 2021/22 season.
The Ignite is entering its second season after being guided by veteran coach Brian Shaw last year. The team serves as a development program — consisting of both veterans and young players — that gives younger players unique experiences both on the court and off as they start their professional careers.
“My aim is to be one and done,” Daniels said, as relayed by Givony. “I know that with my work ethic in getting in the gym extra hours is going to give me the best chance at getting drafted. I’m going to do everything I can to get drafted and get drafted early.”