And-Ones: Super Teams, LeBron, Draft Sleepers, Foster
The super-team model for winning an NBA championship is becoming less effective, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The Nets and Sixers are two of the latest examples to fail with that strategy, both by acquiring James Harden. The Big Three in Brooklyn captured just one playoff series before Harden was shipped to Philadelphia, where his pairing with Joel Embiid resulted in a second-round exit.
In the Western Conference, injuries have prevented Kawhi Leonard and Paul George from reaching their full potential with the Clippers, Bondy notes, and the Lakers’ decision to team Russell Westbrook with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was a complete disaster. Bondy adds that the teams remaining in the playoffs were all built mainly through the draft, with later additions focusing mainly on defense.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- James tops the list of the world’s 100 highest-paid male athletes released this week by Sportico. James made $36.9MM in salary over the past year and $90MM in endorsements, putting him $4.6MM ahead of soccer star Lionel Messi. Three other NBA players finished in the top 10: Stephen Curry at No. 6 with total earnings of $86.2MM, Kevin Durant at No. 7 with $85.9MM and Harden at No. 9 with $76MM. It’s the most James has ever earned over a 12-month stretch, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico.
- Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated lists five unheralded players to keep an eye on in this year’s draft. On his list are North Carolina State freshman guard Terquavion Smith, Alabama senior guard Keon Ellis, Connecticut senior forward Tyrese Martin, Loyola Chicago senior guard Lucas Williamson and Texas Tech senior forward Bryson Williams. Woo doesn’t expect them all to be drafted, but he does believe they’ll exceed expectations and carve out a spot in the NBA.
- Marcus Foster, who played for the Rockets’ G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley this season, has signed with Promitheas Patras for the Greek League playoffs, according to Sportando. The 26-year-old guard, who was in Houston’s training camp prior to the start of the season, has an option to sign with an NBA or EuroLeague team this summer.
Bucks Notes: Game 7, Middleton, Carter, Hill, Allen
The Bucks missed an opportunity to end their series at home Friday night and they’ll have to regroup quickly as they head to Boston for Game 7, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Milwaukee has already won twice on the Celtics’ home floor in the series, and Giannis Antetokounmpo said he and his teammates will have a relaxed attitude heading into Sunday’s showdown.
“No matter what happens, we’re gonna leave that game and we’re going to be better,” Antetokounmpo said. “If we’re going to be the team advancing to the next round, great. I hope so. We’re gonna play hard, but if we’re not, at the end of the day, we’re gonna learn from this one. We’re gonna be better. So for me just go out and play free. Be fearless, play free, we don’t owe nobody nothing.”
There’s more from Milwaukee:
- The Bucks haven’t found an effective way to replace Khris Middleton, who has already been ruled out for Game 7 with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, Nehm states in the same story. Jevon Carter, who was signed in February, took Middleton’s spot in the rotation during the first two games against Boston and George Hill replaced him once he returned from injury in Game 3, but neither is the complete player that Middleton is. “Jevon’s been good. He’s helped us,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “So we gotta look at everything, but I think the defense and everything … I think George really helps us defensively. And Jevon can too. They’re different in how they help us defensively.”
- Budenholzer will also have to decide how much to use Grayson Allen in Game 7, Nehm adds. Allen has made some important contributions in the series, but he was a minus-29 and missed all four of his three-point shots in Game 6. Boston has been targeting him on defense and taking advantage of switches to create mismatches. “The plus-minus is a tough stat and sometimes it’s good, but Grayson is doing his best,” Budenholzer said. “He had some good looks. Just some nights they go, some nights they don’t. Sometimes you get good looks … It can flip. You make one or two of those, he feels a lot better. Less transition defense, more halfcourt defense, but as a group, we gotta be better.”
- An outdoor watch party in Milwaukee for Sunday’s game has been canceled in the wake of shooting incidents on Friday night that left 21 people wounded, according to Jim Salter of The Associated Press. The Bucks said 11,000 people attended Friday’s watch party.
Darius Garland Discusses Thrill Of “Playoff Experience”
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland set three lofty goals before the start of the season and he achieved them all, he says in an interview with Tyler R. Tynes of GQ. Garland wanted to be a finalist for the Most Improved Player trophy, to be an All-Star and to reach at least the play-in tournament. He finished third in the MIP voting, played in the All-Star Game in Cleveland and got to experience the play-in atmosphere, even though the Cavs lost both of their games.
Cleveland got off to a strong start and remained in contention for one of the top seeds in the East for most of the season. But a string of injuries caused the team to slip to the eighth seed, leading to an early exit. Now that he’s had a taste of the postseason, Garland wants to go even farther next year.
“Being there, feeling the playoff experience, that atmosphere with the whole city behind you, you could barely hear in the arena,” Garland said. “It was lit the whole time, in Brooklyn [and in] the second game against Atlanta at home. That was probably the most intense basketball I’ve ever had in my life. So it was cool having that experience, but I definitely want to get into the playoffs.”
Garland, who will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer, said he loves being in Cleveland and hopes for a long-term future there. He touches on that and several other subjects during the interview:
On coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who trusted him to take control of the team:
“Going into my second year, he literally told me, ‘You have the keys, this is your team, you just have to drive the car.’ That’s the analogy he gave me. I had to learn how to drive this car, with this team, coming in as one of the youngest guys on the team and I had to be the leader and talk the most. Being more vocal, being a leader, putting people where they want to be and try to be the best on the court at all times. Be the first on the court. Be the last one to leave. It’s all the little things we talk about.”
On lessons from veteran guards Ricky Rubio and Rajon Rondo, who both spent part of the season with the Cavs:
“Rondo gave me the mental part of the game. We watch film throughout the entire season. Every game, on the road, on the plane, in the room, at dinner. We watching film no matter what with ’Do. With Ricky, it was the game inside the game. He would tell me to play a game while we’re playing a game. Put people in pick and roll situations, go at him and see what he does. The next play: put him in the same pick and roll situation and see what happens. He was teaching me how to pick apart a defense. I picked those things up easy from those two.”
On Collin Sexton, who is headed for restricted free agency this offseason:
“I hope Collin stays around. I really like playing with him. He’s super cool off the court and we have a lot of similarities: we both like shoes and clothes and we love the game of basketball. He was like my big brother coming into the league. So, hopefully, Collin sticks around. Hopefully we get more some more years to play with each other and make some playoff appearances.”
“I never really thought about it. I try to stay in the present moment and work on myself. I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to get this team better. I’m trying to get this organization better. I’m working on myself. Those guys are true legends in Cleveland and the NBA so all respect to them, but I’m just working on my team and myself right now. I talk to ‘Bron and Ky after games and stuff, but nothing really ever about Cleveland.”
Nets Notes: Trade Exceptions, Irving, Vanterpool, Harden Trade
The Nets won’t have any cap room this summer, but they can upgrade the roster by using their three trade exceptions, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Brooklyn owns an $11.3MM exception from the James Harden trade with the Sixers, a $6.3MM exception from a deal that sent DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons and a $3.3MM TPE from the Spencer Dinwiddie trade with the Mavericks.
Winfield suggests using the largest exception, along with Philadelphia’s 2027 first-round pick and the Nets’ second-rounder in 2029, to acquire Spurs wing Josh Richardson, and notes that the smaller exceptions could be valuable as rival teams try to clear cap space in advance of free agency.
Winfield shares other ideas for the Nets’ offseason, such as targeting Joe Ingles with the taxpayer mid-level exception and looking for bargains with minimum-salary contracts such as Ben McLemore, Markieff Morris, Danuel House, Isaiah Hartenstein, Bismack Biyombo and Hassan Whiteside.
There’s more on the Nets:
- Kyrie Irving has been difficult for management to handle since he signed with Brooklyn in 2019, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. A source tells Bondy that Irving, who only played 20 games in his first season with the Nets because of a shoulder issue, disappeared from the team and didn’t communicate with the front office about the condition of his shoulder as he looked for second opinions.
- Steve Nash is expected to return as head coach next season, but he could have a much different staff working for him. Amar’e Stoudemire is leaving his position as a player development assistant, and David Vanterpool isn’t expected back either, Marc Stein states in his latest article for Substack. Vanterpool recently interviewed for the Hornets’ head coaching job.
- Neither team benefited much from the blockbuster deal headlined by Harden and Ben Simmons, but the Sixers appear to be worse shape than the Nets, observes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn at least has roster stability with Simmons under contract for three more seasons. Philadelphia is facing a difficult decision on how to handle an extension for Harden, who could make nearly $270MM in a five-year max deal.
Pacific Notes: Biyombo, LaVine, Holmes, Kings
Suns center Bismack Biyombo expects to be fined for his altercation with Mavericks big man Marquese Chriss in the closing seconds of Tuesday’s game. They both ran down the same tunnel after being ejected and had to be separated by security. Biyombo explained his side of the incident in a video posted by Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“I think it was nothing serious,” Biyombo said, adding that Chriss seemed upset that Phoenix was still trying to score with the game already in hand. “… I think when we play here they play all the way until the end, and I think that’s understandable. It’s the playoffs, you know.”
Any fines or suspensions will be announced sometime in advance of Thursday night’s Game 6. Biyombo is only averaging 8.6 minutes in seven games in this year’s playoffs and Chriss is at 3.8 minutes in four games, so any disciplinary action won’t have a significant impact on the series.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers may be a long shot to land free agent guard Zach LaVine, but they shouldn’t be discounted entirely, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. There has been speculation this week that LaVine may be interested in joining the Trail Blazers, but L.A. could be another option if he wants to head west, particularly since LaVine is represented by Klutch Sports. Pincus examines potential trades involving the Bulls, Thunder, Pacers and Magic that could clear LaVine’s path to the Lakers if he decides he wants to join them.
- Kings big man Richaun Holmes has won a court victory in the custody battle that led to him missing the season’s final 11 games for personal reasons, according to James Ham of ESPN 1320. Holmes was accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife, but judges in Los Angeles and Georgia ruled in his favor, granting him sole physical and legal custody of his son.
- The Kings hosted six players Wednesday in their second round of pre-draft workouts, Ham tweets. On hand were Grayson Murphy of Belmont, AJ Green of Northern Iowa, Jalen Adaway of St. Bonaventure, Buddy Boeheim of Syracuse, Keve Aluma of Virginia Tech and Grant Golden of Richmond. Sacramento owns two second-round picks at No. 37 and 48. Its first-round pick will be determined by next week’s lottery.
Southwest Notes: Doncic, Morant, Grizzlies, Pelicans
The Mavericks will need a vintage performance from Luka Doncic to avoid elimination Thursday night, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic is averaging 32 points per game in the series with the Suns, but his shot has been off the past two games as he’s gone a combined 19-of-48 from the field and 3-of-18 from three-point range. He was limited to two assists in the Game 5 loss.
“That’s on me, for sure,” he said. “That’s on me and I’ve got to attack the paint more.”
Ball movement was an issue Tuesday for Dallas, which had just nine total assists, and Doncic thought the Mavs “relaxed” after taking an early lead. Coach Jason Kidd remains confident that Doncic can turn things around in Game 6, noting that he has a history of performing well in high-pressure environments.
“He’s not afraid of the stage at 23,” Kidd said. “You saw that in the Olympics. You see it in the playoffs this year. You saw it in the playoffs last year. That’s a good trait to have.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The bone bruise in his right knee that might sideline Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for the rest of the playoffs isn’t related to an injury he suffered toward the end of the regular season, tweets Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. “Everything I hear is non-surgical,” coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters, including Geoff Calkins of The Daily Memphian, in regard to treatment options for Morant (Twitter link). When asked why he accused Warriors guard Jordan Poole of causing the injury in Game 3, Jenkins responded, “That is what our medical team and Ja said. … I was stating what was in-house.” (Twitter link from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN)
- The Grizzlies‘ playoff run could end tonight, but their young roster gives them a very bright future, observes Michael Pina of Sports Illustrated. With Morant only 22 and no players older than 28, Memphis has a chance to be among the NBA’s best for many years to come. Desmond Bane looked back about a decade to find a team in a similar situation. “That Oklahoma City team when (Kevin Durant), James Harden and (Russell Westbrook), all those guys were young and fairly new,” Bane said. “Other than that, I don’t know too many other teams that were young and seen as title contenders.”
- With the Pelicans seemingly ready to take another step next season, William Guillory of The Athletic compares them to other No. 8 seeds in recent years who kept improving.
Lakers To Interview Kenny Atkinson In Coaching Search
The Lakers have been granted permission to interview Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson for their head coaching job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Atkinson also interviewed for the coaching vacancy in Charlotte and was mentioned as a possibility in Sacramento. He joined Steve Kerr‘s staff prior to the start of the season after spending last year as an assistant with the Clippers, and has served as an assistant with the Knicks and Hawks as well.
Atkinson’s only previous head coaching experience came with the Nets from 2016-20. He posted a 118-190 record in Brooklyn, but helped to turn around a floundering franchise by developing young players. He resigned in March of 2020, reportedly amid dissatisfaction from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The Lakers have already interviewed ABC/ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson, former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin since Frank Vogel was fired in April. A recent report suggested they may be waiting to see if Sixers coach Doc Rivers or Jazz coach Quin Snyder becomes available.
The Warriors are already set to lose one member of their coaching staff when Mike Brown takes over the Kings after Golden State’s playoff run ends.
Central Notes: York, Middleton, Ball, Brown
An unexpected conversation with Kevin Durant left a huge impression on Pacers guard Gabe York, who finally reached the NBA last month after years of trying, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. York, 28, signed a two-way contract with Indiana and appeared in two games, including the season finale against the Nets.
“He comes up to me talking about, ‘Yo, I seen the struggle. I seen the journey that you went through to get here, bro, like for real, congrats. I know it’s been work,'” York said. “And just knowing that KD said that (expletive), I’m really like, ‘Wow, bro. People really watched (my journey).'”
After going undrafted out of Arizona in 2016, York spent time in Germany, Greece, Israel and Italy before joining the Pacers’ G League affiliate in Fort Wayne. He admits being nervous before his NBA debut, but that stopped once he got into the game.
“My nerves went away instantly and for whatever reason in my brain, in my mind it told itself, ‘It was like, ‘Nah, you belong here,'” York said. “It felt right. Nothing felt forced. Nothing felt too fast, too nothing. … When you’re in the G League or when you’re overseas, you just keep watching TV, keep watching the NBA and you just see stats and you see players, you think they’re bigger than what they are. And then once you get on the court with them, you’re like, ‘I played basketball for 20 years, bro.’ You need to guard me, (too).”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Bucks guard Khris Middleton is making progress in his recovery from an MCL sprain in his left knee, but he’s not ready to start playing again, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Coach Mike Budenholzer, who expressed hope last week that Middleton might be able to return at some point during Milwaukee’s second-round series with the Celtics, told reporters today that Middleton has been able to do “a little” on the court, but there’s nothing significant to update.
- After playing just 35 games this season, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is focused on being healthier in the future, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Ball suffered a bone bruise, then had surgery for a torn meniscus and didn’t play after January 14.
- The Bulls are unlikely to bring back Tristan Thompson and Matt Thomas next season, but they face a more difficult decision on Troy Brown Jr., Johnson states in a mailbag column. They have a June 29 deadline to extend a qualifying offer to Brown to make him a restricted free agent.
Nikola Jokic Repeats As Most Valuable Player
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has won his second straight Most Valuable Player Award, topping the Sixers‘ Joel Embiid and the Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo by a comfortable margin, the NBA announced in a press release.
Jokic received 65 first-place votes and 875 total points, putting him well ahead of Embiid, who finished second with 26 first-place votes and 706 points. Antetokounmpo came in third with nine first-place votes and 595 points.
Nobody else received a first-place vote, but Suns guard Devin Booker was fourth with 216 points and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was fifth at 146 points. With 100 total voters, the balloting system awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth and one point for fifth.
Other players receiving votes were the Celtics‘ Jayson Tatum (43 points), the Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant (10), the Warriors‘ Stephen Curry (4), the Suns‘ Chris Paul (2), the Bulls‘ DeMar DeRozan (1), the Lakers‘ LeBron James (1) and the Nets‘ Kevin Durant (1).
Jokic is the 13th player to win MVP honors in back-to-back seasons. He averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists in 74 games and helped the Nuggets earn the sixth seed in the West despite the absence of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Jokic was named Western Conference Player of the Month twice this season and reached the All-Star Game for the fourth straight year.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Monday that Jokic would win the award.
Robert Williams Will Miss Game 5
Celtics center Robert Williams will miss Wednesday’s game against the Bucks because of soreness in his left knee, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Williams, who underwent meniscus surgery on the knee March 27, returned midway through the first-round series with the Nets and was able to play in the first three games against Milwaukee. Coach Ime Udoka said the swelling that kept him out of Monday’s Game 4 has subsided, but the pain is persisting.
“Still has some soreness and is going to be overly cautious coming off of surgery until it’s pain free,” Udoka said, adding that the soreness affects Williams’ mobility (Twitter link).
Grant Williams will once again take his place in the starting lineup. The series is tied at 2-2.