Gordon Hayward Headed Back To Orlando
Gordon Hayward will return to the Disney World campus on Sunday night, but coach Brad Stevens doesn’t expect him to play “anytime soon,” the Celtics announced on Twitter.
Hayward, who has been sidelined since suffering a Grade III ankle sprain in Boston’s playoff opener, will have to quarantine for at least four days once he arrives. He was given a four- to six-week prognosis when the injury occurred, which was nearly three weeks ago. Stevens offered an update on Hayward earlier this week, saying he feels “a little bit better.”
Hayward has also informed the team that he plans to leave the campus when his wife gives birth to their fourth child sometime this month, so he may not play before departing again.
The ankle sprain is the latest in a series of injury frustrations Hayward has experienced since signing with the Celtics. He was in the midst of his best season since 2016/17, averaging 17.7 points, a career-high 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 52 games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Questionable For Game 4
With the season on the line Sunday, the Bucks may not have their MVP on the court. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable for Game 4 against Miami with an ankle issue, tweets Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, who adds that Antetokounmpo had a “very noticeable limp” today.
The injury occurred early in the first quarter of Game 3 and Antetokounmpo was seen grimacing in pain throughout the night, according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN. He still managed to put up 21 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists and said afterward that the ankle felt “great” and “it wasn’t bothering me at all.”
Antetokounmpo was named Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week and is expected to be named MVP for the second straight season. The Bucks are 5-5 in games he has missed this year, according to StatMuse.
In other injury news around the league:
- Rockets forward Danuel House left Friday’s game early, but the team explained it was for precautionary reasons and he won’t have to enter the concussion protocol, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Coach Mike D’Antoni said House was fine after the game.
- LeBron James has a sore right groin, Anthony Davis has a sprained left finger and Rajon Rondo is suffering back spasms, but the Lakers list all three as probable for Sunday, according to Feigen (Twitter link).
- The Heat are listing Kelly Olynyk as questionable for Game 4 with the right knee issue that caused him to miss Friday’s game, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
- Point guard Tremont Waters will be available for today’s Game 4, the Celtics announced. He had been sidelined with a sprained knee.
Heat Notes: Olynyk, Leonard, Butler, Haslem
As the Heat try to maximize cap room for next summer, they have a decision to make on their backup centers, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Kelly Olynyk has a $12.2MM player option for next season, while Meyers Leonard will be a free agent after making $11.3MM this year.
While it’s generally assumed Olynyk will opt in rather than test a market where few teams have cap space, Jackson suggests the big man could be tempted if his agent learns there are teams willing to offer a three-year contract starting at the mid-level exception of around $9MM. If Olynyk does opt in, Jackson expects the Heat to either keep him and let Leonard leave or try to trade Olynyk to a team with cap space and work out a cheaper deal with Leonard.
Leonard started Miami’s first 49 games, but lost his spot in the rotation after suffering an ankle injury in early February. He made his playoff debut Friday night, going scoreless in nine minutes.
“It was a great feeling to be back out there and I still have some time,” Leonard said. “I’m more than prepared.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Jimmy Butler‘s 30-point outburst in the Game 3 comeback solidified his reputation as a leader in big moments, Jackson notes in the same story. Butler joins Dwyane Wade as the only Miami players to score 25 points in the second half of multiple games in the same postseason. “He is the ultimate competitor,” Leonard said. “Everybody wondered, ‘Oh, well is he too competitive?’ He’s a winner. And he expects the same level of focus, effort, energy, mental focus, from his teammates. And you are seeing him not only do it himself, but he’s bringing the best out of others, as well.”
- Bam Adebayo continue to gain notice from other players around the league, Jackson adds. Appearing on J.J. Redick‘s podcast, Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell said he would choose Adebayo if he were picking a team for the next 10 years.
- Coach Erik Spoelstra said veteran forward Udonis Haslem was “controlling the huddles” Friday in an effort to inspire his teammates, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. “Our culture is probably UD screaming at everybody in one of the timeouts,” Spoelstra said. “And us liking it.”
Kevin Pritchard Discusses Pacers’ Coaching Search
Communication and flexibility will be important as the Pacers begin their search for a new head coach, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard tells Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
The campus environment at Disney World gave Pritchard and GM Chad Buchanan a chance to spend more time than usual around their players and get an inside look at where they believe the franchise is headed. That experience led to the decision to replace Nate McMillan.
“As we were going through the playoffs, it was more challenging to see our players and our staff have felt like, at times, we look defeated,” Pritchard said. “That is something I don’t ever want to see on our players’ face. We want to be better than getting swept in the playoffs and when you look at the playoffs, I wanted to have some hope that we could win a game.”
McMillan, who had a year left on his contract, had been with the franchise since 2013 when he was hired as an assistant coach. He ranks fourth among Pacers coaches in career wins, but Agness notes that this season was difficult for the entire organization.
Indiana began the season with nine new players on its roster, including first-round pick Goga Bitadze, who had to miss Summer League because of a work visa issue. There were constant questions about injured guard Victor Oladipo, who didn’t return until late January, and Pacers players had nearly 200 total games missed due to injuries. The chaos of the hiatus and the restart led to another playoff sweep, the third in the past four years, which sealed McMillan’s fate.
Pritchard said he could see “some relief” in McMillan’s eyes when he broke the news.
“As we end the season, it feels like the last couple years, it’s ended with a bad taste in our mouth,” Pritchard said. “And for me, that is something that there had to be some changes. I take full responsibility.”
Indiana will look for a coach with a more creative offensive scheme and a willingness to take chances with young players. Agness notes that T.J. Leaf‘s season was virtually wasted with just 28 games played. Edmond Sumner wasn’t used in Games 2 and 3 against Miami, while Bitadze didn’t play at all in the postseason as Tyler Herro, who was taken five picks earlier, averaged 16.5 PPG in the series.
“Sometimes you have to make some sacrifices,” Pritchard said. “You have to play some players in the regular season to develop, and then ultimately be prepared more for the playoffs than you were for the regular season. And so that’s sort of out-of-the-box thinking is something that we we desperately need.”
Heat Notes: Crowder, Iguodala, Adebayo, Dragic
Impending free agent Jae Crowder is showing his worth to the Heat in the playoffs, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Acquired from the Grizzlies at the trade deadline, Crowder has become a valuable part of the rotation, logging 71 minutes in the first two games against the Bucks, the third-highest total on the team.
Crowder played the entire fourth quarter in Games 1 and 2 and is spacing the floor against a team that likes to crowd the paint. He is 7-for-19 on 3-pointers and has been the primary defender on Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Heat have built a 2-0 lead on the East’s top seed.
“Jae’s a competitor, a warrior, and he’s accepting every challenge, he’s a great defender, strong, and he gives us that spacing on offense,” Goran Dragic said. “And he’s shooting the ball really well. We want to find him in the offense. I mean, he’s already proved in his career that he’s hitting those big shots, when the game is on the line. He has been huge for us this series.”
Crowder’s performance sets up a difficult decision for the offseason. At age 30, he will be looking for a multi-year deal, but the Heat are trying to maximize cap space in hopes of making a run at Antetokounmpo or another star next summer. They may offer Crowder a large one-year contract as a way of keeping their options open.
There’s more Heat news to pass along:
- It didn’t take long for Andre Iguodala to become convinced that the Heat could be title contenders, Chiang relays in the same story. The veteran forward talked about his experience during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” including the impression of watching Bam Adebayo up close. “I always knew Bam Adebayo was this good,” Iguodala said. “Shaun Livingston had been telling me about him for about two years. He was like, ‘Yo, there’s this kid named Bam Adebayo in Miami. He’s legit.’ So I always kept an eye on him. Then when I got to see him, I was like: ‘Whoa. Like he’s superstar level.’”
- Iguodala is listed as questionable for tonight’s game after spraining his right ankle Wednesday, Chiang adds. Center Kelly Olynyk (right knee bruise) and guard Gabe Vincent (right shoulder sprain) are also questionable for Game 3.
- Dragic tells Shandel Richardson of Sports Illustrated that he was surprised to be re-inserted into the starting lineup after spending most of the season coming off the bench. Dragic said he got “really comfortable” as a reserve, but coach Erik Spoelstra thought the lineup change was necessary. “Whatever it takes,” Dragic said. “We have a really good group of guys who are going to do everything to win a game. I’m just enjoying it right now.”
New York Notes: Nash, Woodson, Larry Greer, Draft
Steve Nash‘s former coach in Phoenix believes he’ll be successful in his new role as head coach of the Nets, writes Mark Medina of USA Today. Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who revolutionized the game with Nash when they were together in Phoenix, believes the Hall of Fame point guard has the background to handle the challenge of running a team.
“He worked as hard as anybody I’ve seen in basketball to get ready in basketball. Even when he broke his leg in LA, no one outworked him,” D’Antoni said. “He’ll do the same as a coach. He knows basketball. It’s a pretty good formula for success.”
Like most observers, D’Antoni was surprised that Nash was interested in coaching. Since retiring as a player, he has overseen the Canadian men’s basketball team and worked as a player-development consultant for the Warriors, but never publicly indicated that he wanted to be a coach.
“I didn’t know he wanted to coach,” D’Antoni said. “He’s got a great basketball mind. I know he loves basketball. So it doesn’t surprise me. But it’s interesting.”
There’s more from New York:
- Nash also gets an endorsement from former teammate Jared Dudley, who tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that the Nets found a coach who knows how to relate to players. “I think that when you’re looking outside the box, you have to bring someone in (who has) the respect factor with the superstars,” Dudley said. “That’s what it is now. And someone with a creative mind. That’s the test. It’s a test for any person who might have been a star, or one thing, and now you’re in a different role.”
- Mike Woodson‘s return to New York after an absence of more than six years became official this morning, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Woodson, who led the Knicks to their last playoff appearance in 2013, joins Tom Thibodeau’s staff as an assistant. The team waited to make the announcement until former Jazz assistant Johnnie Bryant was eliminated from the playoffs. Berman hears that Larry Greer, brother of new assistant coach Andy Greer, may also join the organization. He was an assistant with the Suns before the hiatus and worked with new Thibodeau in Minnesota.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic takes a look at the Knicks‘ draft options and examines three scenarios: players with upside, immediate help and low-risk options.
Heat, Raptors May Be Frontrunners For Giannis Antetokounmpo
With the Bucks in a 2-0 hole against Miami, there may be a lot more at stake than just winning a playoff series. Several suitors have their eyes on Giannis Antetokounmpo, writes Vincent G0odwill of Yahoo Sports, and Miami is making a strong bid by winning the first two games.
The Heat and Raptors are considered the frontrunners to eventually land Antetokounmpo, with one source telling Goodwill it’s an “open secret” on the Disney World campus. The Bucks star is headed for free agency in 2021 if he doesn’t agree to a new deal with Milwaukee. General manager Jon Horst has said the team plans to offer a supermax deal to the reigning MVP, but Antetokounmpo’s interest in staying with the Bucks could be tied to their playoff success.
Although Antetokounmpo has put up impressive numbers in the first two games against Miami, averaging 24.5 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, the Heat defense designed by coach Eric Spoelstra has made him work for everything. Goodwill notes that Milwaukee has looked off-balance so far, with Miami dictating the style and pace of play.
“This is what great players do, present challenges,” Spoelstra said of facing Antetokounmpo. “You want it to be easy? It’s not gonna be easy. He’s not gonna stop. He’s incredibly gifted and aggressive and he’s gonna put you in compromising positions.”
Goodwill suggests Antetokounmpo might benefit from playing for an elite coach like Spoelstra, just as LeBron James did at a similar stage of his career. James was already a dominant player when he came to Miami 10 years ago, but Spoelstra was able to challenge him to improve and led him to his first two NBA titles.
Antetokounmpo is the cornerstone of what Milwaukee been building for several years, and the decision on his next contract will determine the future of the franchise. The whispers about his departure will only get louder if the Bucks don’t find a way to get past the Heat.
Jazz Notes: Gobert, Clarkson, Game 7, Mitchell
We shared the news earlier today that the Jazz plan to offer a maximum extension to Donovan Mitchell, but the team is also facing an important decision on Rudy Gobert in what could become the most expensive offseason the franchise has ever seen, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN.
Gobert, whose contract expires after next season, is eligible for a five-year, $221MM super-max deal. Marks doesn’t expect Utah to give Gobert that kind of money, but he is in line for a substantial raise as one of the league’s top interior defenders. Marks notes that the Jazz can offer several other options, including a four-year, $133MM extension, a five-year, $189.9MM extension, or a full super-max for the first year with an 8% decrease every subsequent season, resulting in a five-year, $160MM package.
Marks adds that if Utah allows Gobert to hit the open market next summer and the salary cap remains at $109MM, at least 12 teams will have a minimum of $30MM in cap room to pursue him.
There’s more on the Jazz:
- Another priority will be re-signing Jordan Clarkson, who will be unrestricted when free agency begins, Marks notes in the same piece. After being acquired from the Cavaliers in late December, Clarkson provided some scoring punch to a reserve unit that had been near the bottom of the league in producing points. The Jazz hold Bird rights on Clarkson and will face a weak market where only 10 teams have money to spend apart from their mid-level exceptions.
- Utah overcame a lot of adversity just to reach Game 7, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Gobert’s positive coronavirus test in March led to the league shutdown and created a split with Mitchell. The Jazz also lost an important part of their offense when Bojan Bogdanovic underwent season-ending wrist injury. “Being here has been a challenge in a lot of ways, but I don’t think it’s dampened our enthusiasm for the game,” coach Quinn Snyder said before Tuesday’s game. “So to whatever extent that’s there, certainly you have to fight it, but there’s always things that creep in.”
- Any lingering rift between Mitchell and Gobert was healed by the experience in Orlando, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who states that the team was galvanized by the restart. Mitchell also proved to the organization that he can take on the scoring load in the playoffs. “Donovan, that kid is tough,” Clarkson said. “He’s a scorer, makes plays. One of the best guards in the league, one of the best guards that I’ve played with.”
Jay Wright Won’t Consider Sixers’ Coaching Job
Jay Wright has taken himself out of the running in the Sixers‘ coaching search. The Villanova head coach posted a statement on Twitter this afternoon announcing that he plans to remain at the school and won’t be a candidate for the NBA job.
“Out of respect for our Villanova community and our 76ers organization, I feel the need to address speculation about the 76ers head coaching position,” it reads. “The 76ers have a great leader in (general manager) Elton Brand, outstanding young talent and an incredible opportunity for any coach to compete for a championship. As a lifetime 76ers fan, I have confidence they will bring in the right coach to build on what Brett Brown has developed.
“I am not a candidate for the job. I am very happy and honored to coach at Villanova.”
Speculation involving Wright began when Philadelphia dismissed Brown as head coach last week. Wright has spent the past 19 years at Villanova, compiling a 472-182 record and winning two NCAA championships.
Marcus Morris, Luka Doncic Receive Fines
Clippers forward Marcus Morris and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic have both been fined for incidents in Sunday’s Game 6 of their playoff series, the league announced.
Morris was fined $35K for “recklesssly striking” Doncic on a Flagrant 2 foul in the first quarter, resulting in Morris’ ejection (Twitter link). Morris’ history played a role in the amount of the fine, according to the statement, which notes that he has been “disciplined on several prior occasions for physical altercations on the court.”
Doncic received a $15K fine for “throwing the ball off the legs of a game official,” the league tweeted. It happened midway through the third quarter, and Doncic was assessed a technical foul.