Pacific Notes: Handy, Clippers, Suns, Warriors
Despite some rumors linking him to Brooklyn in recent weeks, Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy suggested this week in a conversation with Jason Dumas of KRON4 News (Twitter link) that he intends to remain with the 2020 NBA champs.
“I am a Los Angeles Laker. What’s next for me is waiting for (Lakers head coach) Frank Vogel to pick up the phone and… give me what my next directives are,” Handy said.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- New Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is apparently strongly considering former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson and current Heat assistant Dan Craig as additions for his bench, per Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link). Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets that Atkinson, renowned for his ability to develop young players, could be a fit considering that owner Steve Ballmer is hoping his new coaching staff does just that.
- Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic assesses the prospects of a 2020/21 Suns squad if the team essentially maintains its 2019/20 roster and rely on internal player growth. Backup center Aron Baynes is the only rotation player entering unrestricted free agency this offseason.
- As the Warriors look to build at the edges of their roster, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area takes a look at two potential swingman bench fits: sharpshooting Bucks guard Pat Connaughton and hyper-athletic Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr.
Terrence Jones To Play In Puerto Rico
Power forward Terrence Jones, formerly of the Rockets, Pelicans and Bucks, will continue his international basketball journey in Puerto Rico, per Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Jones will suit up for Mets de Guaynabo during the team’s 2020/21 basketball season.
The 6’9″ Jones saw his most recent NBA action during the 2018/19 season, when he inked two 10-day contracts with the Rockets and appeared in two games for the club that season. He also logged time with Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, during ’18/19.
In 2019, Jones signed with TNT KaTropa in the Philippines.
The 28-year-old big man is an eight-year NBA veteran, having been drafted with the No. 18 pick by the Rockets in 2012. Jones has appeared in 234 games in the league, including 118 starts. He holds career averages of 10.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 1.0 APG.
And-Ones: Courtside Camaraderie, Pitino, Shaw, Offseason
With no guarantee that fans will be allowed in arenas for the upcoming 2020/21 NBA season, Harvey Araton of the New York Times discussed the tenuous future of courtside seating. Regular Knicks courtside celebrity Spike Lee appeared uncertain of the fate of indoor NBA fan attendance.
“I’m not going to predict the future — taking it day by day,” Lee texted Araton. “I have to see where we are in the world when the next NBA season starts.”
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- The remote meetings necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic are largely responsible for Iona’s eight-player recruiting class, according to the Gaels’ new head coach, Rick Pitino. “If it wasn’t for [COVID-19], we couldn’t have brought in the largest recruiting class in my history as a basketball coach,” Pitino said, per Adam Zagoria of Forbes. “I think six out of the eight did not know where Iona was, what county or what state it was in. So COVID helped us in recruiting.”
- G League Ignite team head coach Brian Shaw spoke with The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears about the unique opportunities provided him with this newly formed club, which will help prepare top prospects like Jalen Green for the NBA. “High draft picks come in at 18, 19, 20 years old, and there’s an expectation level for them to play and to impact the team,” Shaw said. “And it felt like a lot of the guys [were] missing a lot. They’re talented and have a lot of potential, but have no understanding of what it takes to be a pro on and off the court.”
- A panel of ESPN writers appraised the biggest trade and free agency questions facing the league heading into this offseason. Key topics include the impending decision of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo regarding a five-year, super-max extension, the question of whether or not the Warriors will trade the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, and the fate of Chris Paul.
Pacers Notes: Assistants, HC Finalists, Nurse, Bjorkgren
Though newly-hired Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren will have the opportunity to fill out his bench with assistants of his selection, the Pacers ownership and front office may provide some input, according to J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). As Michael points out, Indiana became familiar with many coaches around the NBA during its expansive coaching search, so the team will have plenty of intel about possible candidates to share with Bjorkgren.
There’s more out of Indiana:
- Sixers assistant Ime Udoka, Pelicans assistant Chris Finch, and Heat assistant Dan Craig were among the other finalists for the Pacers’ head coaching job, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
- Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was ebullient in his praise for his former assistant coach Bjorkgren, releasing a statement via Toronto’s team Twitter. “Nate and I have known each other for 30 years,” Nurse said. “I’ll miss having him next to me on our bench, and I know the Raptors players and staff will miss working with him every day.”
- Blake Murphy of The Athletic unpacks the career of Bjorkgren, praising the new Pacers head coach’s apparent flexibility with regard to making offensive and defensive schemes fit his personnel.
Rockets Notes: Morey, Miller, Roster, Fertitta
Although the 14-year tenure of Rockets GM Daryl Morey did not yield a Finals appearance, his place in basketball history as a daring risk-taker is secure, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle posits. Feigen suggests that the Rockets adjusted to modernity in innovative ways with Morey at the helm.
Morey pioneered significant changes in the team’s shot profile for years. The club went all-in on small ball with an undersized, versatile line-up this season following a deadline trade that sent traditional center Clint Capela to the Hawks.
There’s more out of Houston:
- If the Rockets opt to hire Jeff Van Gundy to return to the team’s bench as head coach, he may bring former Knicks interim head coach Mike Miller aboard as well, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Van Gundy, who served as the head coach in Houston from 2003-07, worked with Miller during his time coaching Team USA during World Cup qualifiers.
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic tracks some of Morey’s cost-cutting moves in recent years, and suggests that the team may have to finally dip into the luxury tax in building its roster under owner Tilman Fertitta if it hopes to compete for a title.
- As we previously relayed, Fertitta indicated today that he’s looking to keep Houston competitive heading into the 2020/21 season, despite the departures of head coach Mike D’Antoni and Morey thus far this offseason. Led by veteran All-Stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Rockets finished as the No. 4 seed in the West, and fell 4-1 to the eventual-champion Lakers in the second round of the 2020 playoffs.
California Notes: Clippers, Kings, Klay, Lakers
The Clippers face several intriguing offseason roster-building questions, writes Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Though the issue of who would become Los Angeles’s next head coach was answered today, the team still has multiple decisions to make in terms of its on-court personnel. Big men Marcus Morris and Montrezl Harrell are unrestricted free agents this season. Greif notes that the team would like to at least bring back Harrell if the price is right.
There’s more out of California:
- Ahead of the 2020 NBA draft, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area analyzes seven point guards who might be intriguing fits for the Kings as backups to starting point guard De’Aaron Fox. Sacramento holds the Nos. 12, 35, 43 and 52 picks this season. Players considered include Alabama’s Kira Lewis Jr., North Carolina’s Cole Anthony, and Duke’s Tre Jones.
- Appearing on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game, Warriors GM Bob Myers said that All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson, who missed all of the 2019/20 season due to an ACL tear suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals, has been impressive in team practices, but will need live game play to return to his pre-injury form, per Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area.
- Danny Leroux of The Athletic unpacks some core offseason priorities for the 2020 NBA champion Lakers, including locking up Anthony Davis to a longer-term contract (he has a player option on the final year of his current deal), re-signing unrestricted free agent starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and considering cost-effective free agent ball-handler, wing shooter and center additions.
Central Notes: Pistons, Bucks, Coby White, Pacers
The Pistons currently hold the seventh pick in the 2020 draft, but like many teams may consider trading back to add future draft equity. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic examines several hypothetical deals Detroit might make.
Although guards Killian Hayes and Tyrese Haliburton have been considered as possibilities were Detroit to stay put, Edwards opines that several high-quality players could still be available if the Pistons trade lower in the lottery. Edwards views the Celtics, who have three first-round draft picks, as optimal trade partners.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Though the Bucks carried a stellar defense and the best record in the league into the playoffs, the team was quickly dispensed in the second round of the 2020 playoffs by the fifth-seeded Heat. Eric Nehm of The Athletic weighs several trade and free agent options for shoring up Milwaukee’s frontcourt. Center Brook Lopez made an All-Defensive team this year, but Nehm considers flipping Lopez for a more aggressive pick-and-roll defender like Pacers big man Myles Turner, or adding someone like Danilo Gallinari, Markieff Morris, or Harry Giles in free agency.
- Bulls guard Coby White, who made the 2020 All-Rookie Second Team, may be ready to take a leap during his sophomore campaign, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.
- As we previously relayed, Pacers ownership anticipates scheduling three finalists for meetings prior to the end of October. Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, current Pelicans assistant Chris Finch, and current Heat assistants Dan Craig and Chris Quinn could be in the mix for those three interviews.
Joseph Blair, Sergi Oliva Leave Sixers
Sixers assistant coach Joseph Blair has departed Philadelphia in favor of a position on Ryan Saunders‘ staff with the Timberwolves, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Blair was previously an assistant coach with the Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, from 2015-18 before being promoted to head coach for the 2018/19 season. Blair guided that squad to a G League title. He served on Brett Brown‘s staff with the Sixers for Brown’s final season in 2019/20.
Pompey also reports that Sergi Oliva, the vice president of strategy for the Sixers, is leaving Philadelphia’s front office to join Quin Snyder as an assistant coach on the Jazz bench. Oliva has worked for Philadelphia’s front office in some capacity since 2014. Pompey indicated that Oliva played a key role in the club’s analytics-predicated decision making.
Blair and Oliva are not the first Sixers personnel to move on from Philadelphia this season. Assistant coach Kevin Young also recently departed the Sixers for an opportunity with Monty Williams and the Suns.
The Sixers recently signed head coach Doc Rivers to a five-year contract in the hopes that he could guide All-Stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to a title. Rivers is in the process of fleshing out his own staff. Early today, it was announced that former Kings and Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger would be joining the 76ers as an assistant.
And-Ones: Restart Changes, Mayo, College Scouts
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel applauds several of the league innovations introduced during the NBA’s summer restart on the Orlando Disney World campus.
Winderman has special praise for the play-in game option ahead of the playoffs between the eighth and ninth seeds of either conference, if they are within four games of each other. He also cites the league’s wider court layouts and sideline buffers as excellent innovations. Winderman hopes to see these changes for the NBA restart permanently implemented ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Shooting guard O.J. Mayo will remain in the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2020/21 season, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Mayo will re-sign with Liaoning, for whom he averaged 28 PPG, 6 RPG, 3 APG and 2 SPG. The 32-year-old, drafted with the third pick in 2008 by Memphis, spent eight years in the NBA, playing for the Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Bucks. Mayo was suspended in 2016 for two years after violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Program.
- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NBA college scouts will not be permitted in team practices during the 2020/21 season, per Adam Zagoria of Forbes.com. Additionally, scouts will only be allowed into games that the general public can also view in-person. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe alerted league personnel to these developments in an email today.
- As we previously mentioned, recently retired eight-time All-Star Vince Carter was gifted with the 2019/20 NBA Sportsmanship Award.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Dragic, Wizards
The Hawks face a myriad of challenging roster decisions this offseason. In an extensive mailbag, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic addresses several possible options the team could take with its present and future roster. Kirschner suggests that intriguing young players Lonzo Ball, Kelly Oubre, or Derrick White could all be solid options for the team, but wonders how many of them are worth the Hawks’ No. 6 pick in the 2020 draft in compensation.
Kirschner continued to discuss the team’s future in a second mailbag, citing other young role players like De’Anthony Melton and Kris Dunn as solid free agent targets. In the 2020 draft, Kirschner sees guard Tyrese Haliburton and swingman Isaac Okoro as fascinating draft possibilities if the Hawks opt to stick with the sixth pick. Assessing how these various players gel with core Hawks players Trae Young, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter will be key.
There’s more out of the NBA’s Southeast Division:
- Goran Dragic, the Heat‘s leading scorer heading into the NBA Finals, has been listed as doubtful to return for Game 6 from the torn left plantar fascia he suffered in Game 1, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Dragic is coming off a five-year, $85MM contract he signed with the Heat in 2015, and will be an unrestricted free agent in the coming offseason.
- Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines several of the best international prospects that could be available to the Wizards with the ninth pick in the 2020 draft. Guards Killian Hayes and Theo Maledon and swingman Deni Avdija comprise Hughes’s top international options.
- The Hawks and coach Lloyd Pierce are focusing on honing their on-court communication whenever the 2020/21 season does eventually get underway, according to Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Forward Cam Reddish, the 2019 No. 10 pick, noted that engaging in dialogue during games was a focus of the team’s recent mini-camp, which ran from September 21 to October 1. “Definitely a key emphasis, we definitely have to talk on the court,” Reddish said.