Kings Notes: Barnes, Brown, Reserves, Sabonis
Now a member of a Kings team enjoying being a brash, young squad ready to make a statement in the playoffs, Harrison Barnes can remember when he went through the same experience with the Warriors. Barnes was part of the early days of the Golden State dynasty, spending the first four years of his career with the team before signing with Dallas in 2016 when the Warriors targeted Kevin Durant.
In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Barnes said he doesn’t have any bitterness related to the Warriors or the way his time with the franchise ended.
“I have nothing but fond memories of my time with Golden State,” he said. “Obviously, I think losing the Finals is always going to leave a black eye in terms of how things went, and obviously they’ve gone on to have success since. But I don’t have any ill feelings towards anybody in that organization.”
Barnes covers a wide range of topics in the interview, including his decision to turn down an extension from the Warriors, his long absence from the playoffs after leaving and how he’ll handle his upcoming free agency. Barnes also addresses hearing his name mentioned as a trade candidate as the Kings tried to build a playoff-worthy roster.
“The trade rumors in the past, I think you fully accept those because of (the struggles) of the team,” he said. “You look at it, and you say ‘OK, having three years of being here, three rounds of lottery picks, disappointment, where every trade deadline, you’re revamping the team.’ You know what I mean? It makes sense. Two front offices. (Coach Dave) Joerger leaves. Alvin (Gentry). Mike (Brown). There’s so much turnover that at that point, you’re just like, ‘I can’t expect to not be in those (trade) discussions.’”
There’s more from Sacramento:
- Brown turned around the Kings and earned Coach of the Year honors by focusing on interpersonal relationships, Amick writes in a separate piece for The Athletic. Right after being hired, Brown started getting to know his players, Amick adds, including a trip to Germany to see Domantas Sabonis play for Lithuania during EuroBasket.
- General manager Monte McNair deserves credit for building a bench that has helped Sacramento grab a 2-0 lead over the defending champs, states Marcos Breton of The Sacramento Bee. Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, Davion Mitchell and Alex Len have all played important roles in the early part of the series.
- Brown expects Sabonis to be ready for Thursday’s Game 3, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. X-rays on Sabonis’ sternum were negative after he was stepped on by Draymond Green.
Southeast Notes: Young, Wizards’ GM Search, Draft, F. Wagner
Trae Young was one of the stars of the 2021 playoffs, but he hasn’t been able to reach that level since then, writes Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. Young and the Hawks have looked overmatched in the first two games of their series with the Celtics, getting blown out early both times. Young is shooting 35% from the field and 23% from three-point range so far, and Atlanta has been outscored by 32 points when he’s on the court.
It’s a big difference from two years ago, when Young led the Hawks past the Knicks and Sixers, then helped take the eventual champion Bucks to six games. A report earlier this month indicated that Atlanta’s new front office is willing to consider trading Young this summer, and an early playoff exit could push the team in that direction.
“The ball hasn’t gone in for him the way that it can and will,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said after the Game 2 loss. “He’s no different than anyone else on the team, as far as finding a rhythm. Trae will be the first one on the plane watching the tape and trying to figure out ways he can play better.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said the team will replace general manager and president Tommy Sheppard with “an executive from outside the organization,” per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Robbins expects the team to check on the availability of Raptors vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly. Robbins points out that Connelly is originally from Baltimore and broke into the NBA as an intern with the Wizards in 1996.
- Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington have released a new mock draft that has the Wizards landing Arkansas guard Anthony Black if they keep the No. 8 pick after the lottery. Byrum and Hughes note that Washington needs a long-term answer at point guard and Black would provide an upgrade on defense.
- Magic forward Franz Wagner talked to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel about the progress he made during his second NBA season. Wagner took over more ball-handling responsibilities after early-season injuries in the team’s backcourt and now feels like a more complete player. “The way I play now, I wish I would’ve played a little earlier in the season,” he said. “Not necessarily meaning stats, but the way I play. Earlier on in the season, I might have forced a little bit more than was helpful for the team. But I think that’s part of it. I learned a lot.”
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Gobert, Jokic, Thunder
To be competitive against Denver, the Timberwolves will need more production from star guard Anthony Edwards, whose numbers have been down since he missed three games with a sprained ankle last month, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. In 11 games since returning, Edwards is shooting just 41.5% from the field and 30% on three-pointers. That includes a rough 6-for-15 outing as Minnesota lost Game 1 of its playoff series by 29 points.
Since the injury, Edwards has also lacked the explosiveness that typically defines his game, Krawczynski adds, forcing him to settle for more jumpers due to a diminished ability to get to the rim. The Nuggets also contributed to his off night as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown made him work to get off his preferred shots.
Edwards, whose swagger defines the Wolves’ attitude on the court, says the team needs to get more aggressive to have a chance in the series.
“We’ve got to be more physical,” he said. “They was bumping us all over the floor. They really punked us Game 1, I would say, so we’ve got to come out, get some hard fouls or something, get the game going.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert said his back feels much better after spending two off days in Denver, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Gobert, who has been dealing with back spasms since late in the regular season, said there’s a “night and day” difference since Sunday’s game, although he’s still not 100%.
- Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is listed as questionable with a sprained right wrist, but coach Michael Malone is confident that the two-time MVP will be able to play tonight, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. In a pre-game meeting with reporters, Malone said he has “no concerns” about Jokic’s condition.
- After a surprise season that included a spot in the play-in tournament, the Thunder have plenty of options to upgrade their roster this summer, per Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. Years of stockpiling draft assets have left Oklahoma City with 15 first-rounders over the next seven seasons. The Thunder also have nearly $30MM in cap space and could get close to $36MM by waiving Isaiah Joe, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Aaron Wiggins, and Lindy Waters III, who all have non-guaranteed contracts. Gozlan suggests that one offseason priority may be a rookie-scale extension with Aleksej Pokusevski, who was showing improvement before suffering a season-ending leg fracture.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Play In Game 2
The Bucks will try to even their series against the Heat tonight without Giannis Antetokounmpo, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The two-time MVP will sit out the contest with a back injury he suffered in Sunday’s Game 1.
Antetokounmpo missed Tuesday’s practice with a back contusion he sustained on a hard fall while driving to the basket and was initially listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game.
Coach Mike Budenholzer had been optimistic about Antetokunmpo’s chances to play, but the team opted to be cautious with its superstar. Budenholzer added that Antetokounmpo was upgraded to questionable to comply with NBA guidelines in case he was able to suit up, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
Antetokounmpo’s absence means Milwaukee faces a more difficult task to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole when the series shifts to Miami. Game 3 will take place Saturday night, giving Antetokounmpo two off days to heal up.
Mike Brown Named Coach Of The Year
After leading the Kings to the third seed in the West and snapping a 16-year playoff drought in his first season in Sacramento, Mike Brown has been honored as the NBA’s Coach of The Year, the team announced (via Twitter).
Brown, who was also named Coach of the Year in 2009, will be awarded the first-ever Red Auerbach Trophy. He received all 100 first-place votes, marking the first time in league history that the award has been unanimous.
The Thunder‘s Mark Daigneault finished second with 48 second-place votes and 20 third-place votes, while first-year Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was third with 18 second-place votes and 23 third-place votes.
The Cavaliers‘ J.B. Bickerstaff and the Nuggets‘ Michael Malone rounded out the top five, while nine other head coaches received at least one vote.
When the Kings hired him last year, Brown said he wanted to do more than just get the team into the postseason. His goal was to build a team that could win in the playoffs and possibly challenge for an NBA title.
Brown was able to do that quickly, unlocking the potential of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis on one of the league’s most exciting teams. Sacramento led the league with 120.7 points per game while posting a 48-34 record.
Brown is the first Sacramento coach to win the honor and the third in the history of the franchise, according to Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 (Twitter link). The others were Phil Johnson in 1975 and Cotton Fitzsimmons in 1979.
Wizards Fire GM Tommy Sheppard
Tommy Sheppard has been dismissed as general manager and president of the Wizards, the team announced in a press release. The move comes after another disappointing season for Washington, which compiled a 35-47 record and failed to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Sheppard, 53, had been with the organization since 2003, starting as vice president of basketball operations. He had served as GM since 2019 when he was promoted to replace Ernie Grunfeld. He received an extension and a promotion to president of basketball operations after the club got off to a strong start in 2021/22.
The Wizards never won more than 35 games in a season under Sheppard’s tenure and they reached the playoffs just once, advancing through the play-in tournament in 2021 before losing to the Sixers in the first round.
“Failure to make the playoffs the last two seasons was very disappointing to our organization and our fans,” owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement explaining the move (Twitter link from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski).
Sheppard’s departure means someone else will handle key financial decisions in what should be an important summer for Washington. Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis are both expected to turn down their player options for next season and test free agency, although Porzingis is involved in extension talks with the team.
The new GM will also try to improve on Sheppard’s performance in the draft, as Washington holds the No. 8 spot heading into next month’s lottery.
Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly are names to watch as the Wizards launch their search for Sheppard’s replacement, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
The front office shakeup won’t affect Wes Unseld Jr., who just completed his second season as head coach, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who hears from sources that Leonsis remains a strong supporter of Unseld.
Ja Morant Ruled Out For Game 2
Ja Morant will miss tonight’s game due to lingering soreness in his right hand, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
Morant hurt his hand when he crashed to the court after colliding with the Lakers‘ Anthony Davis on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Game 1. Morant had to leave the game, but X-rays on his hand were negative.
Morant had been listed as questionable for Game 2, and a report Tuesday night indicated that the Grizzlies were pessimistic about his availability. He told media members that he was feeling intense pain in the hand following the Game 1 loss.
The injury appears to be a reaggravation of a bruise that Morant suffered during the final week of the regular season.
The Lakers and Grizzlies don’t play again until Saturday, so Morant will have three more days to attempt to recover for Game 3.
Warriors Reportedly “Shocked,” Angry Over Draymond Green’s Suspension
There was surprise and anger when the Warriors learned about Draymond Green‘s suspension for Game 3 of their playoff series with the Kings, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest podcast (hat tip to RealGM).
Green will be forced to sit out Thursday’s game for stepping on Domantas Sabonis while he was lying on the court during the fourth quarter of Game 2. Green was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected after spending several minutes inciting the Sacramento crowd during a review of the play.
NBA vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars explained on Wednesday that Green’s status as a “repeat offender” factored into the decision to impose a suspension without pay, rather than just a fine. Dumars also cited “excessive and over-the-top actions” and “conduct detrimental (to the league).”
Lowe adds that part of the Warriors’ frustration with the ruling is their feeling that Sabonis has been allowed to be overly physical in the first two games of the series. Golden State players and coaches believe that referees are permitting him to get away with too much, which is why Green reacted in the way that he did.
“There’s a sense in the organization that Sabonis is shoving people on offensive rebounds and playing with his elbows out and using the ball as a weapon on offense,” Lowe said. “So, ‘Of course someone eventually retaliated.’ You can give that any validity you want.”
Speaking today with reporters, coach Steve Kerr admitted being “extremely surprised” by the suspension, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Green addressed the team during today’s practice, Andrews adds, but Kerr declined to reveal any details (Twitter link).
“There’s no time to spend worrying about it … it doesn’t matter,” Kerr said about the suspension. “We know what the league decided to do and we have to respond accordingly.”
Pistons Get Permission To Interview Brian Keefe, Jarron Collins
The Pistons have received permission to interview Nets assistant Brian Keefe in their head coaching search, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Wojnarowski mentioned Keefe as a potential candidate for the job last week.
Keefe has been with five NBA teams since joining the Spurs as a video coordinator in 2006. He worked with Detroit general manager Troy Weaver in Oklahoma City and has spent the last two seasons with Brooklyn.
Detroit was also granted permission by the Pelicans to interview assistant Jarron Collins, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Collins played 11 NBA seasons with the Jazz, Suns, Clippers and Trail Blazers and won three NBA titles as a member of the Warriors’ coaching staff. He came to New Orleans when head coach Willie Green was hired in 2021.
Interviews are expected to begin this week, Charania adds.
The Pistons are casting a wide net in their effort to replace Dwane Casey, who announced plans to transition to the front office after the regular season ended. They have already set up an interview with Kevin Ollie and have received permission to talk with Bucks assistant Charles Lee.
Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are also expected to be candidates for the job, and former Celtics coach Ime Udoka and Bulls assistant Josh Longstaff have been mentioned as well.
Heat Notes: Herro, D. Robinson, Starting Lineup, Love
The Heat picked up a surprising win in Game 1 at Milwaukee, but they’ll have to figure out a way to finish off the series without Tyler Herro, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro broke two fingers on his shooting hand on Sunday and is projected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
The injury happened as Herro dove for a loose ball in the closing minutes of the first half, Chiang notes. He stayed on the court until the buzzer sounded, and the team announced at halftime that he wouldn’t return. He’s Miami’s third-leading scorer at 20.1 PPG and one of its best three-point shooters at 37.8%.
“You can’t fully make up what Tyler has been for our team all year long,” Jimmy Butler said. “But guys got to step up, including myself, including Bam (Adebayo) and whoever (coach Erik Spoelstra) calls upon to do an offensive assignment, a defensive assignment, to bring some energy, to dive on the floor, get a loose ball or rebound. It’s like all hands on deck at all times and now more than ever.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Duncan Robinson started the second half in place of Herro, but he may not be the best choice for that role going forward, Chiang adds. Max Strus has already taken over a starting job, and Chiang notes that the Heat were outscored by 15.5 points per 100 possessions during the 316 minutes that Robinson and Strus played together during the regular season.
- Chiang cites Victor Oladipo, Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love as other choices to replace Herro in the starting lineup. Oladipo fell out of Miami’s rotation over the last month of the regular season and didn’t play at all Sunday; Martin was replaced in the starting lineup after Love signed with the team in February; and Lowry has been effective off the bench since returning from a knee issue. Love would provide more size in the starting lineup, along with outside shooting to help make up for Herro’s absence.
- Love’s transition to Miami hasn’t always been smooth, but he came through in his first playoff game with the team, Chiang states in a separate story. The veteran big man had 18 points off the bench in 23 minutes, hitting 5-of-9 shots from the field and going 4-of-7 from three-point range. “You can just never underestimate the decorated veteran experience of guys that have been proven winners, and that’s what Kevin brought us tonight,” Spoelstra said.