Terence Davis Charged With Assault, Criminal Mischief
Raptors guard Terence Davis is charged with assaulting a woman and criminal mischief after being arrested Tuesday night in New York City, according to Chris Bumbaca of USA Today.
The incident involved a 20-year-old woman who told police she is Davis’ girlfriend. She visited Davis at a Manhattan hotel and he allegedly hit her after a verbal dispute, causing a “substantial amount of pain” to her eye. She said he also grabbed her phone and broke the screen.
Davis, 23, went undrafted in 2019 and signed with Toronto while playing for the Nuggets in last year’s Summer League. He earned All-Rookie Second Team honors after averaging 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 72 games. Davis’ contract for next season is non-guaranteed at $1.5MM.
The Raptors released a statement saying, “We are aware of the reports, and are seeking more information.”
Draft Notes: Okongwu, Stewart, Woodard, Bane
He’s unlikely to be the first center taken in next month’s draft, but USC’s Onyeka Okongwu believes he can become the best big man in the 2020 class, writes Mike Schmitz of ESPN. Most mock drafts have former Memphis center James Wiseman going in the top three with Okongwu slotted a few picks later. The former Trojan has confidence in what he can offer an NBA team.
“I feel like I’m higher than all of them,” Okongwu said. “I just do all the little things well. I just play basketball. I know how to win. … I just want to be impactful and have an essential role in helping a team win.”
Okongwu was USC’s best player in his lone season at the school, averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 28 games. He also had a true shooting percentage over 65% and ranked 10th in the NCAA in player efficiency. His defensive versatility, particularly his ability to disrupt the pick-and-roll, should translate well to the next level.
“It’s natural,” Okongwu said. “My AAU coach used to tell me, ‘You can have a bad day on offense but never a bad day on defense.’ When he told me that, it always stuck with me the rest of my life and now it shows.”
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- Washington’s Isaiah Stewart considers himself “the biggest sleeper in the draft,” according to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. Stewart has slid in draft projections since the start of last season and is now considered a late first-rounder. He believes the disrupted pre-draft process, including the lack of a traditional draft combine, cost him an opportunity to show teams what he can do. “People forgot who I am,” Stewart said. “I’m not sure if it’s because we had a losing season or not. But these guys that they have in the draft over me are guys I’ve been beating my whole life.”
- In a separate story, Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard tells Kalbrosky he’s been getting feedback from NBA teams that puts him in a range between the 25th and 40th pick. “A lot of teams are pretty interested in my game,” Woodard said. “It’s just a matter of being able to prove myself, whether it be through the virtual combine or otherwise. … I want to prove myself and establish who I am for the teams because a lot of teams are very interested in me, but they just don’t know my full potential yet.”
- TCU’s Desmond Bane will have met with all 30 NBA teams by the end of the month and is making an impression with his character and work ethic, notes CJ Moore of The Athletic. The 22-year-old is among the oldest players in the draft and brings a cerebral approach to the game.
And-Ones: Technology, Ratings, L. Nash, Italy
The NBA is looking for more ways to deliver its product to fans who never attend games in person, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum told Jabari Young of CNBC. The challenges that 2020 brought have led to revelations about involving more fans in the process and the potential of 5G technology, which is being made available in an increasing number of arenas.
Facebook is working to improve its virtual reality experience, including remotely bringing fans into courtside seats. The company’s “rail-cam” was able to move at game speed with no actual fans getting in the way. Rob Shaw, Facebook’s head of Global Sports Media and League Partnerships, said the social media company plans to utilize better camera lenses to enhance the video experience.
“If you’re going to watch a game from the front row, it has to feel like you’re watching it from the front row,” Shaw said. “… That experience is something I hope is brought to the platform in three to five years – for people around the world to be able to have the same experience as Spike Lee watching a Knicks game.”
If Facebook can sell virtual courtside seats, it would present an opportunity for advertisers to reach out to fans with personally catered messages. The NBA is also working to expand virtual signs throughout its arenas.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The league isn’t overly concerned about its ratings decline during the playoffs, Tatum said in the same story. The NBA Finals drew the lowest viewership since 1994, but Tatum points to increased social media metrics, including billions of video views and more than 300 million YouTube views during the postseason, an increase of 63% over last year. “These are things that not only are affecting us but every other sports league,” Tatum said. “But we understand the numbers are what they are.”
- Le’Bryan Nash, who was briefly with the Rockets in 2018, has been released by Maccabi Haifa for disciplinary reasons, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Nash played just two games for the Israeli team.
- COVID-19 continues to disrupt overseas basketball, writes Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The Italian government has adopted new pandemic restrictions that will require all basketball games through November 24 to take place in empty arenas.
Tyronn Lue Expects Kawhi Leonard, Paul George To Stay With Clippers
The Clippers believe Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be the foundation of the team for years, new head coach Tyronn Lue said during an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump” (video link from show host Rachel Nichols).
Both stars have the ability to opt out next summer if they want to become part of what is expected to be a loaded free agent class. George’s player option for 2021/22 is $37.9MM, while Leonard’s is $36MM. However, Lue is confident that both Los Angeles natives will remain with the organization.
“I think Kawhi and PG are here to stay for a long time,” he said. “I think in their situation and where they want to be, it’s here with the Clippers. We just have to make it a great environment and we have to win.”
Lue also discussed how it feels to become a head coach again for the first time since the Cavaliers fired him six games into the 2018/19 season. Lue, who served as lead assistant to Doc Rivers last season, was rumored to be a candidate for several openings this year, including the Sixers, Nets, Pelicans and Rockets.
“It felt great to be wanted,” he said. “After the Cleveland situation and just having the chance to take a step back and reflect on things I could have done better, what I need to get better at, what I need to do to be better. I want to be great. I want to win championships. That’s what I want to do. So it takes a lot of work to do that.”
Lue said he is healthier now and better able to deal with stress than he was during his time in Cleveland. He experienced chest pains late in the 2017/18 season and had to take a short break from coaching to deal with his health. Lue told Nichols that he has lost 35 pounds since then and has learned how manage stress.
“Just having the chance to focus on myself, working out, eating better, doing some meditation here and there,” he explained. “Just learning to have a release outside of basketball. Because when I dive into coaching, it’s just all basketball. I’m up for the challenge. I feel great. No health issues, none of that. So I’m ready for the long run.”
Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Head Coaching Hires
More coaching vacancies were filled this week, with Nate Bjorkgren and Stan Van Gundy becoming the sixth and seventh head coaches hired since July. The Pacers believe Bjorkgren can deliver the modern offense they were looking for when they decided to replace Nate McMillan, while the Pelicans were impressed by Van Gundy’s leadership skills and his track record at his previous stops in Miami, Orlando and Detroit.
Earlier in the week, the Clippers officially promoted Tyronn Lue to head coach to take over for Doc Rivers. Lue inherits one of the most talented rosters in the league and already has a familiarity with his players after serving as lead assistant under Rivers for the past year.
This year’s coaching moves started in late July when the Knicks reached an agreement to bring Tom Thibodeau to New York. Thibodeau was rumored to be in contention for jobs with several teams that were part of the NBA’s restart, so the Knicks took advantage of their opportunity as one of the league’s eight inactive clubs.
Steve Nash was the most surprising move of the offseason as the Nets hired the two-time MVP as their head coach without any previous experience. Nash beat out interim coach Jacque Vaughn, along with an impressive field of rumored candidates that included Lue, Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, ABC/ESPN broadcasters Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and Sixers assistant Ime Udoka.
Two other head coaches were hired shortly after being dismissed by other teams. The Sixers jumped at the chance to add Rivers, reaching an agreement three days after he was fired by the Clippers. Likewise, the Bulls pounced on Billy Donovan after the Thunder let him go.
Houston and Oklahoma City still have vacancies to fill, but we want to get your feedback on the coaching changes so far. Which teams made the best and worst decisions in choosing their head coaches? Please leave your answers in the comment section.
Knicks Notes: Childs, Toppin, Hayes, Draft Preparation
The Knicks recently interviewed BYU’s Yoeli Childs and could have interest in the power forward/center as a second-round pick, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York has talked to several prospects in that range, Begley adds, but Childs should be considered part of the group receiving consideration for the team’s selection at No. 38.
Childs has been reportedly been impressive during interviews with teams that own picks in upper half of the second round. He averaged 22.2 points and 9.0 rebounds for the Cougars during his senior season and was a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, which recognizes the best power forward in college basketball. Childs is also a threat from beyond the arc, hitting 48.9% of his 3-point attempts last season.
There’s more from New York City:
- Alex Smith of SNY.tv examines the pros and cons for the Knicks of selecting Dayton forward Obi Toppin if he falls to the eighth slot. Toppin was the NCAA’s best player last season, averaging 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and winning the Naismith Trophy. He’s athletic at 6’9″, loves to drive to the basket and as a Brooklyn native, he would be a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. However, he doesn’t fill the team’s top priority, which is finding a point guard, and there might not be a clear position for him in the NBA.
- French point guard Killian Hayes goes to the Knicks in the latest mock draft from Brian Lewis of The New York Post. A report earlier this week listed Hayes as the second point guard on New York’s draft board, behind only LaMelo Ball. Lewis has Ball going to Minnesota with the No. 1 pick.
- With three selections, the Knicks face difficult choices about which players to see in person, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. The Timberwolves and Warriors have indicated that their picks might be available in trade, so New York needs to be well versed in all the top prospects in case the club gets an opportunity to move up. But there are also plenty of players to study for choices at No. 27 and 38. Without a traditional draft combine this year, the league is allowing teams to watch players in person from October 16 to November 16.
Examining The NBA’s Plan For The 2020/21 Season
The NBA’s proposal to start next season on December 22 is an admission that league officials don’t expect to be able to fill arenas with fans any time soon, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic.
There had been rumors that the league was looking at Martin Luther King Day or possibly later as a start date to maximize the chances of having a COVID-19 vaccine that would allow large gatherings to resume. Hollinger believes the NBA is now considering the 2020/21 season a “sunk cost” and is focusing on having a normal timetable for 2021/22.
To make that happen, the league needs to fit in a shortened 72-game season in roughly four months — from late December through the end of April. That would leave time for a play-in tournament that’s also included in the league’s plans, followed by two months of playoffs that would finish by early July.
Hollinger notes that a precedent of sorts was set in the 2011/12 season when labor strife forced the league to adopt a 66-game schedule that ran from Christmas Day to April 26. He envisions something similar this year, but without teams being asked to play on three straight nights. Hollinger suggests that non-conference games might be eliminated, cutting down travel significantly, and leaving each team with eight games against each division rival and four games against each conference opponent from outside the division.
All-Star Weekend might be canceled this year, not only for the scheduling benefits but to eliminate the risks of bringing together players from all parts of the country and then sending them back to their teams. The league may also skip the preseason because of the tight window to get ready for games that count.
Hollinger addresses a few other topics the league will have to consider:
- There’s virtually no desire to recreate a “bubble” atmosphere like the one in Orlando. It could be done in an emergency to preserve the playoffs or the NBA Finals, but the sentiment throughout the league is that teams should play in their own markets. The one exception may be the Raptors if travel into Canada remains limited. Hollinger suggests KeyBank Center in Buffalo or the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, as possible temporary homes.
- The 72-game schedule is enough to for teams to satisfy their regional sports network contracts — most of which call for 65 to 70 televised games — and ensure that stream of revenue won’t be affected. There are also plenty of national television opportunities without stretching the playoffs past Independence Day and risking low ratings again.
- Free agency will be more condensed than usual, with November 23, the Monday after the draft, appearing to be a likely starting point. That leaves about a week and a half before the expected opening of training camps.
- The proposed changes give NBA players a much better chance of participating in the Olympics if they are able to be held. The Olympic basketball tournament is scheduled to begin July 24, which is at least two weeks after the end of the NBA Finals. Nations seeking the remaining four spots, such as Canada, Lithuania, Serbia, Greece, Croatia and Slovenia, stand a better chance of having their NBA players available when the qualifying tournaments get under way in late June.
J.B. Bickerstaff: Cavaliers Planning To Have Andre Drummond
There’s a lot of speculation about Andre Drummond‘s future in Cleveland, but Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that the team is “planning for the future with him.” Drummond is expected to pick up his $28.7MM option for next season, which may cause the Cavs to look at trade possibilities before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Bickerstaff and Drummond didn’t get much time to know each other before the league went on hiatus. Bickerstaff moved into the head coaching role in mid-February and led the team to a 5-6 record in 11 games. Drummond was acquired from the Pistons at the trade deadline and appeared in just eight games before the shutdown. Bickerstaff emphasized that he hasn’t talked directly to Drummond about his plans, but he is preparing to have the center on the roster when training camp begins.
“I have not asked him, ‘Hey man, are you opting in or opting out?’ But the conversations we’ve had have been positive,” Bickerstaff said. “Indirectly those conversations have been about the future, what next year is going to look like, how he wants to be part of the team and how we can use him effectively and all those things. He’s going to make his choice known whenever he’s going to make his choice known. I know he’s made public comments. We’ve had no conversations about him not being here and we’ve been planning for the future with him.
Bickerstaff touched on numerous topics with Fedor, including:
Preparing for the start of next season:
- “The plan is kind of up in the air, but when you think of our guys we want them living with a baseline, whether it’s conditioning, skill workout, playing 5-on-5. We need a date so that we know when we are going to ramp up, but we also can’t get so far in a hole that we can’t get there safely because we don’t want injuries and those types of things to happen. For us, the most important thing is continuing to build that chemistry and the conversations we have and the moments we have, that’s just as important for us, if not more, than a rep on the court. We want to build a group of guys who are willing to sacrifice for one another, who care enough about each other that they can put personal things to the side in order to build what’s best for the team.”
The restrictions placed on the eight teams that didn’t play in Orlando:
- “We would love to just play 1-on-1 sometimes with our guys. We would love to have Larry Nance Jr. guard Darius Garland or have Collin Sexton guard Kevin Love. We would love to be able to do those things. But we can’t because of safety. And we understand 100 percent. But we would still love to be able to do these things and we think that helps in development. How can Collin and Kevin develop a relationship or chemistry in the pick and roll if they aren’t allowed to be on the same court as one another?”
The difficulty of preparing for the draft without in-person workouts:
- “Let’s say a guy plays in a smaller conference and he’s 6-7 but he looks 6-11, how big is he? How thick is he? How fast does he move? When you’re watching him and he’s working with whoever, can he listen? Whatever the drill that is being explained to him, can he pick that up? Those are all things you can’t necessarily see on tape. You don’t know what coaches are running and you don’t know what defensive schemes are being run or how they’re teaching it. So, to not be able to see that in person has been a disadvantage with all this going on, but hopefully with the league’s rules changing we are going to be able to see more of them if they allow us.”
The quality of this year’s draft:
- “I think we are going to get a good player. I think there are a lot of guys with talent, with a great foundation, and then it’s a matter of what we do with them, right? Our player development group is second to none. We have guys that can make players of all sizes, skill sets, positions, better. That’s what you are dealt. Then, what do you make of that situation? You can easily say, ‘Oh it’s a weak draft so we expect these guys to fail.’ That’s the wrong approach. There are guys with talent, there are guys who have a high baseline and now it’s our job to make them better. That’s the approach that we are taking.”
Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman Work Out For Warriors
The Warriors may prefer to trade down, but they got a close look at two players who will be high on their draft board if they keep the No. 2 pick, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. During a recent trip to Atlanta and Miami, Golden State officials got to work out Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman, who were both described as “beasts.”
Wiseman showed off exceptional skills for a big man and his interview also impressed the delegation, which was made up of owner Joe Lacob, general manager Bob Myers, head coach Steve Kerr and director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. Edwards’ athleticism and “freakishness” stood out during his session.
Golden State seems content with either player, regardless of what Minnesota does with the No. 1 pick. If the Wolves opt for LaMelo Ball, the Warriors would be faced with a difficult choice. They plan to be back in title contention next season and need someone who can contribute right away.
Edwards doesn’t seem like a perfect fit with most of the perimeter minutes ticketed for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, and Thompson isn’t convinced that Edwards’ offensive game is refined enough to handle coming off the bench. Golden State has expressed a desire to add size this offseason, and Kerr is reluctant to use a three-guard lineup.
Wiseman has a chance to be a starter right away at center and may have the skills to develop into a perimeter big man like Anthony Davis. Wiseman could instantly be the shot blocker that Kerr is looking for, plus he can set screens, catch lobs and run the floor — basic skills that don’t take long to learn. However, there are questions about Wiseman after his short stint at Memphis, such as whether he is coachable and how quickly he can adapt to the read-and-react system that Golden State uses.
The Warriors also worked out Deni Avdija this week and are expected to meet with other prospects in case they move down in the draft. If they keep the No. 2 pick, Thompson believes it will come down to a choice of Edwards, Wiseman or Ball.
Board Of Governors Discussing Start Date, Length of 2020/21 Season
12:33pm: A plan to begin the season on Christmas is “gaining momentum,” sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
12:09pm: A Christmas Day start and a shortened season are among the options being discussed as the NBA’s board of governors meets today, according to Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN.
Although some owners have proposed starting next season on Christmas to take advantage of the league’s traditional television showcase, numerous teams contacted by the authors are skeptical that beginning so soon is realistic. Others favor Martin Luther King Day in mid-January, which is also normally filled with televised games.
Commissioner Adam Silver said last month that preserving an 82-game schedule is important, but it appears that might be flexible. Some members of the board of governors are considering a smaller number, and some want to delay the season until more fans can be let into arenas. Tournaments and play-in scenarios remain on the agenda, as the league is planning to use the upcoming season to experiment with more ways of creating revenue.
October 30 appears to be a date to watch, Windhorst and Lowe add. It’s the deadline that the league and the players association have set to wrap up any changes to the collective bargaining agreement for next season and it falls roughly eight weeks before Christmas. Silver has promised the union that he will provide eight weeks of notice before the start of next season.
A source described talks with the NBPA as “productive” in adjusting 2020/21 salary cap and luxury tax thresholds to account for financial setbacks caused by the pandemic. Talks continue on additional escrow taken from player’s salaries as both sides are waiting for full audits on basketball-related income. Teams are hoping an agreement with the union will be reached soon to provide definite numbers on the cap and tax heading into next month’s draft and the eventual start of free agency.