Heat Notes: Ellington, East, Giannis, Morant, More
Wayne Ellington says “it was an easy decision” to rejoin the Heat when he started his coaching career in 2023, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The former NBA shooting guard played for nine different teams during his 13 years in the league, last suiting up for the Lakers in 2021/22.
Ellington, who had some of his best seasons as a player in his two-plus years with the Miami under head coach Erik Spoelstra, will be the Heat’s summer league coach in July for both the California Classic and the league-wide competition in Las Vegas.
“This is the next step in my journey, and I’m super excited for it,” Ellington said Friday during a teleconference with a few South Florida reporters. “I’m super appreciative of the opportunity and the confidence that Spo and the front office has in me, allowing me to do this this summer. So I’m looking forward to it.”
As Chiang notes, Ellington was a player development coach in his first year on the Heat’s staff and has been an assistant the past two seasons. The 38-year-old, who is one of four former Heat players on Spoelstra staff, says he’s learned a lot over the years from his own coaches and aspires to become a head coach.
“Obviously, my next step is to be a bench coach. And then, yeah, I do have the ambition to be a head coach one day,” Ellington said. “I’m still growing and still learning, obviously. But that is my goal in the end.”
Here’s more from Miami:
- The way the Eastern Conference playoffs transpired, Heat president Pat Riley may have been right in his belief that the team wasn’t as far from making another trip to the NBA Finals as it appeared on the surface after a 10th place finish and a quick play-in exit, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Riley expressed a belief that Miami could have been a player (or a few lucky breaks) away from being near the top of the conference. “I think we were competitive as hell,” Riley said at his end-of-season press conference last month. “Yes, do I think we might have got up there? The only two teams that I would consider that I would be uncomfortable playing against would be OKC and San Antonio. And they’re out there (in the Western Conference). But if I can get into the (NBA) Finals, just like we did in ’23, then I would be happy.” As Winderman writes, while the Knicks were absolutely dominant in their run to the finals, they were also fortunate in the sense that they didn’t have to play the Pistons (who swept New York during the regular season) or Boston, and will now face their third straight opponent coming off a seven-game series.
- In a mailbag column (subscriber link), Winderman observes that the Heat are in a tricky spot from a salary-matching standpoint if they try to trade for a star player like Giannis Antetokounmpo, since Tyler Herro is the only mid-to-large salary currently on their books aside from Bam Adebayo, who is said to be off limits. Still, Winderman thinks it’s a good time for Miami to make a trade from an asset perspective, since the team has some appealing young players who may or may not continue to improve. He also answers a question about whether the Magic would be able to trump the Heat’s offer for Antetokounmpo if Orlando includes a package headlined by Paolo Banchero.
- In another subscriber-only mailbag, Winderman says the Heat shouldn’t offer any draft picks to the Grizzlies if they pursue Ja Morant as a fallback option. In fact, Winderman says he would require Memphis to take on Nikola Jovic’s four-year, $64MM extension to offset some of the money owed to Morant. Herro would still likely have to be involved in that framework though, Winderman notes, likely in a multi-team deal, which makes it less appealing from the Heat’s perspective.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Sacramento Kings
It doesn't seem long ago that the "Beam Team" Kings were snapping a record-breaking 16-year playoff drought after going 48-34 and finishing as the No. 3 seed in a surprising 2022/23 season. Sacramento proceeded to lose to Golden State -- the defending champions at the time -- in a seven-game first-round series.
That Kings group, led by De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and head coach Mike Brown, went 46-36 the following season, but those two fewer wins resulted in the team falling all the way to No. 9 in the standings. Sacramento got revenge on the Warriors in the 9/10 play-in game, but lost to the Pelicans with a chance to advance as the West's No. 8 seed.
The Kings weren't as content to run back the same group in the 2024 offseason, making an aggressive three-team sign-and-trade to acquire DeMar DeRozan. It was a suspect move at the time, considering they gave up Harrison Barnes and a 2031 first-round pick swap (to San Antonio), plus Chris Duarte and a pair of second-round picks (to Chicago), in order to sign DeRozan to a three-year contract worth nearly $75MM.
After a 13-18 start to 2024/25, the Kings fired Brown and named Doug Christie -- an ex-Kings guard and then-assistant on Brown's staff -- his interim replacement. They also traded Fox after the star point guard indicated he wouldn't sign an extension in Sacramento, once again making a controversial three-team deal involving the Bulls and Spurs that saw Sacramento receive two first-round picks, four second-rounders, and the maximum-salary contract of Zach LaVine.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, owner Vivek Ranadive reportedly pushed the former front office regime to acquire both DeRozan and LaVine, who had proven to be a ill-fitting pair together in Chicago for multiple seasons leading up to the deals.
Sacramento played a little better under Christie, going 27-24 and finishing the season as the ninth seed. The team lost its first play-in contest against Dallas though, marking another early postseason exit.
The Kings parted ways with former general manager Monte McNair after the '24/25 season and quickly replaced him with Scott Perry, a former Pistons and Knicks executive who previously had a brief stint in Sacramento. Perry's first roster moves were draft-focused. He sent a protected 2027 first-rounder to Oklahoma City to land the 24th pick (Nique Clifford) in last year's draft, then added Maxime Raynaud with the 42nd pick and signed Dylan Cardwell to a two-way contract after the former Auburn big man went undrafted.
Although the Kings were reportedly open to trying to acquire Jonathan Kuminga in a sign-and-trade with the Warriors, nothing came to fruition on that front. Their main free agency move was acquiring Dennis Schröder in a sign-and-trade deal with Detroit, and they eventually signed Russell Westbrook and Precious Achiuwa to round out their roster.
Unfortunately for fans in Sacramento, the 2025/26 campaign was pretty close to a worst-case scenario for the Kings, who entered the season with playoff aspirations and finished just 22-60, tied for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. Their two highest-paid players -- LaVine and Sabonis -- combined to play just 58 games due to injuries, while a third starter -- Keegan Murray -- was limited to a career-low 23 appearances because of his own ailments.
The Schröder acquisition didn't work out, as the Kings ended up trading him in February to acquire De'Andre Hunter from Cleveland. Sacramento also sent out Keon Ellis (to the Cavs), plus Dario Saric and a 2028 second-round pick (to the Bulls) in that three-team deal. There were rumors the Kings could've gotten second-round picks for Ellis, but they instead prioritized adding Hunter, who provides a different skill set and a much pricier contract. Hunter was forced to undergo season-ending surgery after he was inadvertently poked in the eye in his second game as a King.
After a 16-game losing streak that stretched from January 18 through February 21, Sacramento was just 12-46 and had a three-game lead on the Pacers at the "top" of the NBA's reverse standings. However, the Kings somewhat inexplicably decided to keep trying to win games even though every other team near the bottom was clearly prioritizing draft positioning. They went 10-14 down the stretch to finish tied with the Jazz for the fourth-worst record.
A pre-lottery tiebreaker determined whether Utah or Sacramento would end up No. 4 in the pre-lottery order, and the Jazz ended up winning that drawing, which turned out to be highly consequential; they moved up to No. 2 in the draft lottery, while the Kings slipped from No. 5 to No. 7. If the Kings had remained at the very bottom of the standings, their lottery floor would have been the fifth overall pick. For what it's worth, the Wizards -- who went 1-26 down the stretch to finish with the worst record -- landed the first pick.
As poorly as 2025/26 went for the Kings, they still have a chance to add a potential All-Star caliber talent with the seventh pick in what's viewed as an excellent draft. They also control two second-rounders (Nos. 34 and 45) as they look to establish a young core alongside Clifford, Raynaud and Cardwell, who were a relative collective bright spot in what was largely a season to forget.
The Kings' Offseason Plans
While adding a foundational player at No. 7 will be the top priority in Sacramento this offseason, figuring out how to trim payroll isn't far behind. As of now, the Kings project to not only be a taxpayer in 2026/27 but also over the first tax apron, which is untenable given the (poor) state of the roster.
Spurs Reach NBA Finals; Victor Wembanyama Named MVP Of WCF
The Spurs won a tough Game 7 at Oklahoma City on Saturday night to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. The 111-103 victory sets up a matchup with the Knicks for the NBA championship, with Game 1 tipping off Wednesday night in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama was a unanimous choice as Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals (Twitter links). He received the Earvin “Magic” Johnson trophy in a vote by nine media members.
Wembanyama played 42 minutes in Game 7, finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists, and he got plenty of help from his teammates.
De’Aaron Fox contributed 15 points, five assists and three steals and hit several big shots to stave off Thunder rallies. Julian Champagnie added 20 points with six three-pointers, Keldon Johnson sank two crucial threes in the fourth quarter and backup center Luke Kornet may have made the play of the game by blocking Isaiah Hartenstein on a breakaway (Twitter video link).
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points, with many of them coming on difficult shots over multiple defenders. Cason Wallace added 17, but OKC couldn’t find much additional scoring with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell both sidelined by injuries. Chet Holmgren had a particularly forgettable night, finishing with four points on just two shots from the field.
“They’re young, talented, well-coached, play the right way, seems like they like each other,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Spurs (Twitter link from Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic). “They have the make-up. You don’t beat us without the make-up.”
The victory not only gives the Spurs a shot at their first NBA title in 12 years, it may signify the start of a long-term shift in the balance of power. With the deepest roster in the league, the Thunder looked capable of stringing together a potential dynasty after winning 68 and 64 games the past two seasons. But San Antonio took down the defending champs with a younger core built around Wembanyama (22), Stephon Castle (21) and Dylan Harper (20).
This year’s series could also be the start of an extended high-stakes rivalry between the two franchises. The Thunder have the ability to bring back virtually their entire roster next season, but they also have a stockpile of draft picks if they want to chase a veteran star. Regardless of which path they choose, Oklahoma City and San Antonio figure to enter the 2026/27 season as heavy favorites to grab the top two seeds again and return to the Western Conference finals.
Wembanyama was overcome by emotion as the final seconds ticked away, and he spent several minutes hugging teammates and friends before heading to the locker room. Speaking at the post-game press conference, he made it clear that the Spurs’ mission isn’t complete, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“We want four more,” Wembanyama said. “We’re not done.”
Warriors Notes: Porzingis, Green, Podziemski, Free Agent Targets
The most important decision of the Warriors’ offseason could be whether to re-sign free agent big man Kristaps Porzingis or to free up enough money to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, writes Keith Smith of Spotrac. Porzingis was productive when he played this season, but he was only available for 15 games after being acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline. Smith suggests a short-term deal if Golden State decides to keep him, something in the neighborhood of $50MM over two years.
However, parting with some salary could enable the Warriors to use the NTMLE, which is projected to be worth a little over $15MM next season. Smith theorizes that could be enough to lure LeBron James if he decides to leave the Lakers this summer and doesn’t want to settle for a salary that’s at or near the veteran’s minimum. Smith mentions a few other free agents who might be available in that price range, including John Collins, Rui Hachimura, CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons and Khris Middleton.
Smith expects Draymond Green to turn down his $27.7MM player option for a longer deal, but not at a huge discount. Smith proposes around $75MM over three seasons, with either a partial guarantee or a team option on the final year. Al Horford ($5.9MM) and De’Anthony Melton ($3.5MM) also have player options that Smith believes they’ll exercise because neither is likely to earn more in free agency.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- A potential rookie scale extension for Brandin Podziemski is another order of business for the summer, Smith adds. Podziemski hasn’t become a star during his three years with the team, but he’s steadily improved and has value as a passer and rebounder as well as a scorer. Smith advises the Warriors to make the deal if they can lock up Podziemski for around $64MM over four seasons. Otherwise, they should wait and negotiate with him as a restricted free agent next summer.
- Michigan State center Carson Cooper, who worked out for the Warriors this week, patterns parts of his game after Green and believes he would be a good fit in Golden State, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle relays in a subscriber-only story. “How he played, the way he can impact the game is kind of how I feel I can impact the game a little bit,” Cooper said. “I play hard-nosed defense, get shooters open, give them the ball, work on the (dribble handoffs), facilitate, find cutters and passing and just be a solid player.”
- Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required) points to Simons, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaxson Hayes, Josh Okogie, and Coby White as free agents who could add some youth and athleticism to the Warriors’ roster.
Spurs Notes: Sweeney, M. Johnson, Barnes, Game 7
Sean Sweeney has been considered for several head coaching vacancies, so it was no surprise to the Spurs when news broke Friday that their top assistant was finalizing a deal with the Magic, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Speaking to the media before tonight’s Game 7 at Oklahoma City, San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson expressed support for Sweeney in his new endeavor.
“Thrilled for Sean. He deserves it,” Johnson said. “He’s had many opportunities of potentially becoming a head coach and so it was a matter of when, not if, even when I reached out to him to speak with him for the first time.”
Johnson hired Sweeney last summer to run the defense, and the team’s improvement on that end of the court has been significant. Sweeney has relied on an aggressive scheme at the perimeter, with Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama patrolling the middle to erase any mistakes.
“Definitely happy for him,” Devin Vassell said of Sweeney. “The impact that he’s had here has been tremendous. I mean, he’s challenged everybody to be better on the defensive end. He’s holding us to a certain standard. You know, I wish him all the luck.”
There’s more on the Spurs:
- Game 7 will be a new experience for most of San Antonio’s young roster, but Johnson is confident that his team is ready to meet the challenge, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). The Spurs seized the momentum in the back-and-forth series with a 27-point win on Thursday. “I think we’ve handled it appropriately,” Johnson said of the preparation since then. “Played this team a lot this year and recently, so a lot of attention to detail, but not a whole lot of new for the most part, at least on the surface level.”
- Harrison Barnes is celebrating his 34th birthday today, and the Spurs are hoping it’s a good omen, Orsborn writes in a subscriber-only story. Research by Legion Hoops recently revealed that no NBA player has lost a Game 7 on his birthday since at least 1966. Teammates sang “Happy Birthday” to Barnes after this morning’s shootaround and talked about his importance. “Shout out to HB,” Vassell said. “It’s been great for us so far and just his wisdom and his knowledge being in so many different games, game sevens, championship games, whatever the case may be. He’s been able to just kind of calm us down and just tell us kind of what to expect. It’s unexpected what’s going to happen in this game, but he’s kind of just giving us guidance in what to expect and what to feel during these games.“
- Even though the series has reached a seventh game, it hasn’t featured many memorable moments since the overtime thriller in the opener. Eric Koreen of The Athletic says that’s relatively common in playoff history, but adds that the matchup could still be remembered as legendary if it has an exciting conclusion.
Mark Daigneault: No Setbacks For Jalen Williams In Game 6
Thunder wing Jalen Williams won’t be available for Saturday’s Game 7 against San Antonio, but coach Mark Daigneault said in a pregame session with reporters that he didn’t do any further damage to his strained left hamstring by playing on Thursday, relays Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Williams has missed most of the series after aggravating the strain in Game 2, but he returned for Game 6 in hopes of helping Oklahoma City close out the Spurs. He was clearly still bothered by the injury, as he was limited to one point, one assist and two turnovers and was a minus-18 in 10 minutes.
Daigneault acknowledged that Williams didn’t have the benefit of going through normal return-to-play protocol where he could gradually test the injury under progressively harder circumstances. He said “all of the stakeholders” got together before Game 6 and again afterward to assess Williams’ condition.
“No setback. He came out of the game about where he went into it,” Daigneault said, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). “He didn’t do a full return to play, obviously. We knew he wouldn’t be a full 100 percent. He, or we, didn’t know what that would look like and what he’d be able to do when he got out in the game. The only way to find out was to get him out there.
“I can’t even talk about this without acknowledging the level of competitiveness and team orientation that it takes for a guy to be willing to do that. That’s somebody who’s used to playing up here (raises hand), knowing he’s not going to be up here, but is just willing to do whatever he can to help the team. These are player decisions. He’s got a career. He’s got a circle. There’s obviously a responsibility we have to the player as well. And all of the stakeholders huddled in the conversation to try to give it a go (in Game 6). We huddled coming out of the game with the decision not to go in Game 7.
“But he’s feeling about the same as he did. He actually came out of the game pretty good from where he is in the normal rehab. Depending on what happens today, if we’re fortunate enough to win and advance, he’ll continue to rehab and we’ll take the same process as we go forward. But that’s obviously getting ahead of ourselves. As it relates to him, he’s been an unbelievable team guy and partner in this situation. We have the utmost respect for him.”
Williams was a major contributor in the Thunder’s title run last spring, but he has been limited since suffering the hamstring strain in Game 2 of the first-round series with Phoenix. He sat out the entire second-round sweep against the Lakers and then returned to score 26 points in 37 minutes in the first game of the conference finals. However, he played just seven minutes in Game 2 before the hamstring became an issue again.
OKC will also be without guard Ajay Mitchell, who will miss his fourth straight game with a right soleus (calf) strain.
Knicks Notes: Robinson, Anunoby, Shamet, Long Layoff
Mitchell Robinson‘s broken pinky finger came at a bad time, but the Knicks won’t use his injury as an excuse if they lose in the NBA Finals, writes Ian O’Connor of The Athletic. Robinson underwent surgery and hopes to be able to play with a brace on his finger when the series begins Wednesday night.
In a discussion with reporters on Friday, coach Mike Brown refused to speculate on Robinson’s availability, saying “it varies” from one player to another when asked how long it takes to recover from a fractured finger. Brown added that he learned years ago that it’s crucial for the head coach to remain calm no matter what affects the team.
“I feel like I’m pretty good at that,” he said. “We all have had curveballs come at you that are bigger than (Robinson’s injury) in life, and trying to even do it when you have those curveballs helps you prepare for something that is really a kid’s game. So that’s what I try to do, no matter what it is.”
League sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Robinson’s injury is a fracture of the fifth metacarpal, which connects the wrist to the pinky finger. Robinson wasn’t a participant in Friday’s practice and it’s not clear if he’s expected to take part in Sunday’s session.
“For me, I’m always going with whoever is available today,” Brown added. “And [Robinson] didn’t practice today. So we’re getting whoever we need ready to go. … I don’t want to know, just let me know if he can play and when he can play. Just like we normally would, we’re getting everyone else ready to go.”
There’s more from New York:
- OG Anunoby won a ring with Toronto in 2019, but he didn’t get to fully enjoy the experience because an emergency appendectomy forced him to miss the entire playoffs, notes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. There were concerns that he might be sidelined for a long time this year after aggravating a hamstring injury in Game 2 against Philadelphia, but he returned to have a huge impact in the conference finals. “He’s locked in and doing all of things we know he’s capable of,” Jalen Brunson said. “He’s doing what he does. He’s playing great.”
- Landry Shamet overcame a lot of adversity before earning a spot as an important part of Knicks’ second unit, Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News notes in a subscriber-only story. After joining the team on an Exhibit 9 contract in September of 2024, Shamet suffered a dislocated shoulder during preseason and wound up being waived. He was re-signed in December, but former coach Tom Thibodeau barely used him in the playoffs. Shamet had to earn his way onto the roster again last fall, beating out several players for the last spot. His role has been more consistent under Brown, and now he’s preparing for his first trip to the NBA Finals. “It means everything to be going to the Finals, and we’ve got a lot more to do,” Shamet said. “Really proud of this group and happy to be a part of this group, and we all know what it’s going to require from us moving forward. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
- The Knicks will have been through their second nine-day break by the time the Finals opener tips off, and they’re vowing that it won’t affect their level of play, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The long break seemed to bother the team heading into the conference finals as it fell into a 22-point hole against Cleveland before rallying to win Game 1. “Obviously, rust will be a thing, just having not shot in an NBA game in a while. But we’ll do a better job this time around of preparing for that kind of situation to happen,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Obviously, the coaching staff did an amazing job getting us ready for Game 1, but we just didn’t go out there and shoot well.”
Draft Notes: Brown, Mara, Johnson, Graves, Miller, More
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has updated his top-100 big board following this week’s deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility. The top 25 prospects on Woo’s board are the same players who made the cut for his last update, but there has been a good deal of movement amongst that group.
The top six of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Keaton Wagler and Darius Acuff remains unchanged. However, Louisville guard Mikel Brown has moved up from No. 9 to No. 7 and has a chance to be selected earlier than that next month if he continues to perform well in the pre-draft process, Woo writes.
Michigan center Aday Mara and his former frontcourt teammate Morez Johnson are two other prospects on the rise, with Mara moving up from No. 13 to No. 10 and Johnson making a huge leap from No. 24 to No. 14. As Woo notes, both big men were winners at the draft combine after excelling during the Wolverines’ run to the NCAA championship.
According to Woo, rival NBA clubs view the Nets (No. 6) as Mara’s ceiling, with the Hawks (No. 8), Warriors (No. 11) and Thunder (No. 12) also considered possible lottery suitors. As for Johnson, Woo suggests the 20-year-old’s draft range starts in the late lottery and ends in the teens.
While Santa Clara forward Allen Graves is a somewhat polarizing prospect, he has moved up to No. 17 (from No. 25) on ESPN’s board and seems to be “trending toward a top-20 selection,” Woo writes.
Here’s more from Woo’s updated big board:
- A handful of players projected first-round picks have seen their stock slip in recent weeks, according to Woo. That group includes Houston’s Chris Cenac (No. 21), Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance (No. 22), Duke’s Isaiah Evans (No. 24) and Arizona’s Koa Peat (No. 25). Each of those players moved down either four or five spots from Woo’s last update.
- Cincinnati forward Baba Miller (No. 45 to No. 36), Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (No. 46 to No. 39) and Arkansas big man Trevon Brazile (No. 48 to No. 40) are among the potential second-round picks who have moved up several spots in the wake of the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline.
Spurs Notes: Game 7, Castle, Harper, Vassell
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson expects the defending champion Thunder to come out swinging in tonight’s Game 7 in Oklahoma City, writes Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
“I think a lot of fans are going to be happy,” Johnson said after Thursday’s Game 6 win. “… We’ll be prepared, take the next 40 hours or whatever it may be to try to get ready, get organized, and get ready to go into a hostile environment against the defending champs in the Western Conference finals.
“For a team that’s done it multiple times and knows exactly what it takes, I would expect to get their best punch. We’re gonna go out with our eyes wide open and expect nothing less.”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Second-year guard Stephon Castle has done an admirable job keeping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in check during the Western Conference finals with smothering on-ball defense. Castle said the Spurs think they’re the better team heading into Saturday’s contest, according to Davis. “As a group, we all want this,” Castle said. “It’s right there in front of us. We feel like collectively that we’re better than this team and we didn’t want to let our fans down on our home court either. So coming out here with a chance to go back to OKC and play a Game 7 I feel like is all the motivation we need.”
- After struggling in Games 3-5, in part due to a hamstring injury, Dylan Harper played a key role in the Spurs’ Game 6 victory, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes (subscription required). The rookie guard, who was selected second overall in last year’s draft, finished with 18 points (on 6-of-9 shooting), six rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes. “People pulled me aside, just kept instilling confidence in me, trying to tell me to just go out there and be me, be in attack mode at all times,” Harper said. “I think I went out there and did that today.”
- Starting wing Devin Vassell said sleep wasn’t easy to come by on Friday night, Orsborn notes in another subscriber-only story. Still, the 25-year-old appeared energetic and jovial during Saturday’s shootaround. “You dream of this as a kid,” Vassell said of playing in his first Game 7. “Just more excited than anything. We have a chance to do something special.”
Thunder Notes: SGA, Caruso, Game 7, Ament
Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had an underwhelming Western Conference finals to this point, largely struggling against San Antonio’s smothering defense, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
The reigning back-to-back MVP also hasn’t converted the looks he normally makes, Martinez notes. During the regular season, the Canadian guard shot 55% when he was open (defined as 4-6 feet of space), but he’s only converting 37% of his open looks against the Spurs.
“I’m not too sure, to be honest,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked why his shots aren’t falling at their usual rate. “A lot of the shots that I’m shooting, I’ve shot plenty of times before, and they feel good. They’re just not going in.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was visibly tired after Thursday’s Game 6 loss in San Antonio, according to Martinez, but the 27-year-old is confident he and the team will bounce back in Saturday’s do-or-die Game 7 in Oklahoma City.
“It’s too late to abandon my work, my game and who I am this late in the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’ve got to trust it and live or die by it.”
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- While Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled with his shot, the opposite has been true for veteran Alex Caruso, who’s averaging 15.3 points per game while knocking down 55.6% of his three-pointers through six games against the Spurs. For context, the 32-year-old averaged 6.2 PPG and shot a career-low 29.3% on threes in 56 regular season games, well below his career rate of 36.5%. Caruso never questions the competitiveness of his teammates, per Martinez (Twitter video link). “It puts you at ease knowing you’re going to get the best from each guy. They’re going to go out there and put their best foot forward and do what they need to do to sacrifice for the team and try to win the game, which is all you can do,” Caruso said. “All you can ask for is to go out there and play your best and let the results fall where they may. Looking around the locker room, there’s no doubt in my mind that the guys are ready to go to war for each other.”
- Aside from the double-overtime classic in Game 1, the other five games of the Western Conference finals have been pretty lopsided, with an average margin of victory of 17 points, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes in his preview of Game 7. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports also previews the Game 7 matchup between the Spurs and Thunder, noting that OKC doesn’t believe being at home will be a major advantage. “Anything can happen in a Game 7,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s win or go home. It being in your building is nice, but it doesn’t really mean anything. You have to go out there and be the better basketball team or else your season’s done and that’s what it comes down to.”
- Projected lottery pick Nate Ament confirmed to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports that he had a 1-on-0 workout with the Thunder earlier this week (Twitter video link). The Tennessee forward said the workout was “super tough endurance wise.” Oklahoma City currently controls the 12th, 17th and 37th picks in June’s draft, though there have been rumors that the team might try to move up.