Nets’ Ben Simmons Undergoes Back Surgery
MAY 5: Simmons’ procedure today was successful, the Nets announced in a press release. He’ll begin the rehabilitation process after resting for three weeks and “is expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of next season’s training camp.”
MAY 4: Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons will undergo back surgery on Thursday, the team announced (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Andscape).
Simmons will undergo a microdiscectomy in order to relieve the pain from his herniated disc after consulting with “multiple back specialists.” The team will provide updates on his status after the surgery.
Simmons is expected to make a full recovery in three-to-four months, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter), who says Simmons should be ready for action prior to next season’s training camp.
Over the past few months, head coach Steve Nash had downplayed the possibility of Simmons needing back surgery, per Nick Friedell of ESPN (Twitter link). Simmons will join Dwight Howard, Michael Porter Jr. and Brook Lopez on the list of NBA players who’ve undergone a microdiscectomy, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, who notes that Warriors coach Steve Kerr also had the procedure and wound up having additional complications and pain.
Simmons missed the entire 2021/22 season after a prolonged holdout with the Sixers following a trade request last summer. He was famously moved on the day of the trade deadline in February (along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and a couple of first-round picks) in exchange for James Harden.
Shortly after he was dealt to Brooklyn, Simmons began experiencing pain in his back, and it was reported that he had a herniated L-4 disc in his lower spine. He received an epidural to relieve soreness, and despite seemingly making progress in recent weeks, he ended up missing the team’s first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Celtics after suffering a setback.
In addition to the back injury, Simmons has also dealt with mental health issues for the past several months. The 25-year-old has been a highly effective (if unconventional) player when he’s been able to suit up, making the All-Star team three times in four seasons in addition to Rookie of the Year, third team All-NBA, and a couple of All-Defensive teams.
In 275 career games (33.9 minutes), all starts, Simmons holds averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 56% from the field and 59.7% from the free throw line. He’s under contract through ’24/25 and will make $112.7MM over the next three seasons.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/5/2022
The transcript of our weekly live Thursday chat can be found here.
Our next live chat, with Luke Adams, will take place on Tuesday at noon Central time.
Marcus Smart: “Strong Likelihood” Of Game 3 Return
Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link), Celtics guard Marcus Smart said there’s a good chance he’ll return for Saturday’s Game 3 against the Bucks.
“Strong likelihood I should be back for Game 3,” Smart said. “We’re just dealing with the last part of it getting that restriction of the knee and the joints so I’ll be able to bend it. Once that goes away, I should be back to myself.”
Smart missed Game 2 with a right thigh contusion, but he said it was close to his knee, leading to fluid buildup.
“I’m better than I was. Some of the swelling’s gone down…I did get beat up, but it’s part of the game. It’s just the quad, the fluid. Where I got hit was closer to the knee area, so a lot of the fluid went to the knee,” Smart said, adding that he was “a little sore” after testing it out today due to the fluid (Twitter thread courtesy of Weiss).
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year had been grappling with the thigh injury ahead of Game 1 and it was aggravated during the contest after he got hit in the thigh a couple of times in short succession. The series is now tied at one game apiece after Boston blew out Milwaukee in Game 2.
After averaging 12.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.9 and 1.7 SPG on .418/.331/.793 shooting during 71 regular season games (32.3 MPG), Smart’s usage rate has increased in the playoffs (18.3% to 21.6%) and he has averaged 15.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 6.8 APG and 1.4 SPG on .397/.289/.786 shooting through five games. He was limited to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in Game 1, but hopefully the extra days of rest will help him be closer to full strength.
Saturday’s Game 3 in Milwaukee tips off at 2:30pm CT on ABC.
Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Butler, Snyder, Paschall
The 2022 offseason will be the most important of Donovan Mitchell‘s career so far, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones writes, the Jazz‘s first-round loss to Dallas showed that Mitchell needs to become more stout defensively and must continue to improve his decision-making with the ball in his hands.
While Mitchell had another strong season in 2021/22, the Jazz will need him to take one more leap on both ends of the courts if they want to become true title contenders, says Jones, noting that the 25-year-old himself seems to recognize as much.
“I wasn’t where I wanted to be this year,” Mitchell said after Utah’s season ended. “And there were times this year when the ball rolled out that we didn’t show that we wanted to be a team with championship aspirations. … I’m looking forward to working on my game all summer, and getting into the gym. I’m looking forward to putting the work in.”
Here’s more out of Utah:
- After helping Baylor win the national championship in 2021, Jared Butler didn’t have much of a role for the Jazz as a rookie, averaging 3.8 PPG and 1.5 APG in 42 games (8.6 MPG). However, Butler left his exit meeting with the team feeling optimistic that he’ll have more opportunities in 2022/23, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
- Jazz head coach Quin Snyder underwent hip replacement surgery this week, per the team (Twitter link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). The procedure had originally been set for June, but Snyder decided to get it done sooner rather than later.
- Ryan Kostecka of UtahJazz.com takes a look at what’s next for some of Utah’s reserves, including Nickeil Alexander-Walker and restricted free agents like Eric Paschall and Trent Forrest. Paschall said his offseason goal is to improve his outside shooting. “I would love to become a 40% three-point shooter,” said the forward, who made 37.0% of his threes in 2021/22 after hitting just 30.1% in his first two NBA seasons.
Lakers Rumors: LeBron, Westbrook, Jackson, Handy
Even if LeBron James decides against signing a contract extension this offseason, the Lakers and team owner Jeanie Buss wouldn’t view that as a reason to consider trading him, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
James, whose contract expires after the 2022/23 season, has the ability to tack on two more years (and $97MM) to his current deal when he becomes extension-eligible later this year, but Amick previously reported that the superstar forward may be leaning toward passing on that extension and once again taking a year-to-year approach.
If that’s what James decides, the Lakers would fine with it, as long as their relationship with the 37-year-old remains in a good place, says Amick. Should LeBron become discontented, the team’s approach could change, but if his “level of trust and happiness” with the organization remains high, a trade is off the table.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Frank Vogel‘s inability to get the most out of Russell Westbrook this season was a factor in the Lakers’ decision to fire the head coach, according to Amick, who speculates that the club may be open to hanging onto Westbrook and giving another coach a shot to make the experiment work — especially if the front office can’t find any appealing Westbrook deals on the trade market.
- Although Phil Jackson is advising the Lakers on their head coaching search and is believed to be a fan of Westbrook’s, he has zero interest in coaching L.A. (or any other team) himself, sources tell Amick.
- Speaking of Jackson, there are “powerful people close to the Lakers” who don’t love the fact that the Hall-of-Fame coach has input in major decisions despite not having a formal role with the organization, says Amick.
- Appearing on the “Certified Buckets” podcast, Lakers assistant Phil Handy said he believes he’d be capable of coaching an NBA team, as Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News relays. “I am definitely at that point now to where I know I’m ready to be a head coach,” Handy said. “I’m ready to take on my own team and direct the ship in that fashion.” The Lakers, of course, are in the market for a new head coach, but there has been no indication so far that Handy is receiving serious consideration for the job.
Kings To Make Head Coaching Decision By Week’s End?
The Kings, who are completing a second round of interviews with the three finalists for their head coaching job, are expected to make a decision by the end of the week, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to Amick, Mark Jackson and Steve Clifford have completed their final interviews, while Mike Brown had an informal visit with Kings officials on Wednesday and will have his formal sit-down with the team on Thursday.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report stated earlier this week that Jackson appears to be team owner Vivek Ranadive‘s preferred choice for the position, and Amick has heard the same thing from sources close to the situation. However, the Kings insist Ranadive isn’t putting his thumb on the scale and that general manager Monte McNair will be given the opportunity to make the final decision, says Amick.
There have been recent reports indicating that McNair has been given more authority and power in the Kings’ organization than previous heads of basketball operations under Ranadive. Amick suggests that the team’s decision to let Joe Dumars walk rather than promoting him to a level above McNair is a signal that Ranadive is showing support for his GM.
One of three teams currently seeking a new head coach, the Kings appear on track to finalize a hire before the Hornets or Lakers complete their respective searches.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Mavs, Doncic, Pelicans
The Bexar County Commission is discussing the possibility of allowing the Spurs to play up to four home games away from the AT&T Center in each of the next two seasons, writes Scott Huddleston of The San Antonio Express-News. Because the arena received public funding, the team requires the approval of local officials to play more than two games away from San Antonio.
If approved, home games in Mexico (Mexico City and Monterrey) and elsewhere in Texas (Austin and San Marcos) are possibilities, per Huddleston. Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said in a statement that the franchise remains committed to San Antonio, but wants to attempt to grow its fan base.
“We are committed to finding new, creative ways to purposefully engage and celebrate our fans from Mexico to Austin, continuing to expand our regional fan base,” Buford said. “We believe San Antonio is uniquely positioned from a cultural, geographic and economic standpoint to serve as the anchor for this region. San Antonio has been home for five decades, and the organization will continue to innovate, positioning the Spurs to thrive in San Antonio for the next 50 years.”
Here are a few more notes from around the Southwest:
- For the second time this week, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd had a familiar message for his team, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. As he did after Dallas’ Game 1 loss to Phoenix, Kidd said on Wednesday after the team lost Game 2 that Luka Doncic needs more help. “He had a great game, but no one else showed,” Kidd said. “We’ve got to get other guys shooting the ball better. We can’t win with just him out there scoring 30 a night — not at this time of the year.” The head coach added that the Mavs also need to “do a better job” of helping Doncic on defense, where he was repeatedly attacked by the Suns in the second half.
- Pelicans head coach Willie Green – whose team had a strong second half, earned a playoff spot in the play-in tournament, and played Phoenix tough in the first round – sees parallels between this year’s Pelicans and the 2020 Suns, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “(Suns head coach) Monty (Williams) and I talked about it in the hallway after the game,” said Green, who was an assistant on Williams’ staff when the Suns went 8-0 in the 2020 Orlando bubble. “… Those moments, that experience will help us in the future. That’s very similar to what we went through in Phoenix together.”
- William Guillory of The Athletic takes a look at some of the biggest offseason questions facing the Pelicans, discussing Zion Williamson‘s contract situation, the need to add more outside shooting, and what to do with the Lakers’ lottery pick.
Heat/Sixers Notes: Tucker, Lowry, Robinson, Embiid, Niang
Heat forward P.J. Tucker has been tasked with guarding top players throughout his long career, and this year’s playoffs are no different. After hounding Trae Young in the first round, Tucker is now guarding former teammate James Harden, who has been contained by Miami through the first two games of their second-round matchup with the Sixers.
Despite the grueling physical toll that comes with covering great offensive players, Tucker says he feels like he’s still in the midst of his prime, as Marc J. Spears of Andscape relays in a lengthy interview with the veteran.
“I told [my agent] that I feel better now than I felt when I was 31 and 32. And he was like, ‘Yo, what?’ I feel like during those two or three years I hit my prime. I’m still in the middle of my prime,” Tucker said. “From my body to my mind, and the way I play the game and understanding how to win, to be a real winner, I feel like I’m hitting my prime, and it’s crazy, man, to be 36, about to be 37 [Tucker turns 37 on May 5] and still feel like that. It’s crazy.
“I’ve spent a ton of money on my body, therapists. I take care of my body and I have my whole career. So, that’s a blessing to still be able to be out there and play whatever amount of minutes and do what I do and [put] my body on the line nightly.”
Here’s more on the Heat/Sixers series:
- Kyle Lowry, who missed Game 2 after suffering a strained hamstring in Game 3 vs. Atlanta, is eager to return to action, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, but the Heat are being cautious with their starting point guard, leery of the possibility of him aggravating the injury. “We’re not basing any of these decisions on whether we’re winning or losing,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said on Tuesday after practice. “This is what we think is best right now.”
- After an inconsistent regular season and having his minutes gradually reduced in the first round, Heat guard Duncan Robinson has been out of Miami’s rotation completely in round two, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscriber link). “It literally can change next game. It’s a playoff rotation,” Spoelstra said of not playing Robinson on Monday. “He’s stable enough, he’s ready enough and it might just be some moments where he really can change a quarter or a game and just be ignitable. It’s just the way we went tonight.”
- Joel Embiid‘s status remains up in the air for Game 3, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. When asked if Embiid could play on Friday, Sixers coach Doc Rivers said he was uncertain. “He’s got so many steps to go through. I don’t think he’s cleared any of them,” Rivers said after Game 2’s loss on Wednesday. Embiid is expected to be reevaluated on Thursday.
- Sixers forward Georges Niang fouled out in just ten minutes of action in Game 2’s 119-103 loss and he’s apparently been limited by a knee injury. “(Niang) hasn’t been 100 percent for awhile,” Rivers said (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Niang has been playing through the injury, but it’s a situation worth monitoring because he’s a key bench contributor and was the team’s second-best three-point shooter during the regular season at 40.3%.
Hornets To Interview Charles Lee, David Vanterpool
The Hornets have been granted permission to interview Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee and Nets assistant David Vanterpool for their head coaching vacancy, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Lee, 37, played four seasons at Bucknell from 2002-06 prior to making international stops in Israel, Belgium and Germany. He started his NBA assistant coaching career in 2014 with Atlanta, and has spent the past eight seasons working with head coach Mike Budenholzer, winning a championship with Milwaukee last season.
Lee was reportedly a finalist for head coaching jobs in New Orleans and Washington D.C. last summer, and he has continued to receive interest this season. He recently interviewed for Sacramento’s opening, but didn’t make the final cut.
An assistant for CSKA Moscow from 2007-12 after spending time with the Russian team as a player, Vanterpool made the move to the NBA in 2012. He served as an assistant coach on Portland’s staff for seven years from 2012-19, then spent two seasons as the Timberwolves’ associate head coach, first under Ryan Saunders, then under Chris Finch.
When the Wolves replaced Saunders with Finch during the 2020/21 season, some league observers expressed surprise that the team hired an assistant from another team (Finch had been part of Nick Nurse‘s Raptors staff) in the middle of the season rather than promoting Vanterpool, who has received consideration for other head coaching openings in recent years. Instead of sticking around in Minnesota, Vanterpool decided to join Steve Nash‘s staff in Brooklyn last summer.
Lee and Vanterpool are the fifth and sixth candidates set to interview for Charlotte’s vacancy, joining Mike D’Antoni, Kenny Atkinson, Darvin Ham and Sean Sweeney. The team is also rumored to be interested in a few other possible candidates.
Lakers To Interview Raptors Assistant Adrian Griffin
The Lakers have requested permission to interview Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link).
Raptors president and chairman Masai Ujiri said at his end-of-season press conference yesterday that he has been receiving calls for interviews with Griffin and other Raptors assistant coaches, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
“I think Adrian is right there on the cusp of becoming a head coach in this league,” Ujiri said.
Griffin started his NBA career as a player, appearing in 477 games (179 starts) across nine NBA seasons from 1999-2008 with career averages of 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 16.9 minutes. He made a quick transition to coaching, getting his start at just 34 years of age, the season after he retired as a player (2008/09).
Griffin, now 47, has been an assistant coach with the Bucks, Bulls, Magic, Thunder and Raptors over the past 14 seasons, having been with Toronto since 2018/19, when the team won the championship. Griffin’s son, AJ Griffin, is a projected lottery pick in the upcoming 2022 draft.
The Lakers were rumored to be interested in Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, but both Nurse and Ujiri recently poured cold water on that idea. Griffin is now the second official candidate interviewing for the Lakers lead coaching job, following Bucks assistant Darvin Ham.
In case you missed it, you can keep track of all the ongoing head coaching searches here.