International Notes: Mirotic, Scola, M. Gasol, Rudez
Former NBA forward Nikola Mirotic has been named MVP of Liga ACB, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. It’s the second European MVP award for the 29-year-old, who is preparing for a semifinal playoff game tomorrow with his FC Barcelona team.
Mirotic made a surprising decision to return to Europe last summer after five NBA seasons. He was projected to land a contract somewhere in the range of $45MM over three years if he had remained in the NBA, and Johnson reports that he had an offer in place from the Jazz. Mirotic spent most of his career with the Bulls, and split last season between the Pelicans and Bucks.
“You can see it in my face, in my smile. It was a good surprise, it brightened my day,” he said in an interview with Eurohoops.net about winning the award. “The MVP award for me means a collective work of the team. This award goes to all my teammates who have helped me to be better every day. Each game has helped me to feel good. And of course to the coaching staff who have managed to put me in the best position that I feel effective. And also for all those who support us, the fans.”
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Luis Scola, who left Olympia Milano earlier this month, will remain in Italy and sign with Varese, a source tells Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The 40-year-old forward hopes to play one more season before ending his career with the Olympics next summer.
- Raptors center Marc Gasol announced Friday that the club he owns in Spain, Girona Basket, will create the country’s first 3×3 professional team, according to Michael Houston of insidethegame.biz. Growing in popularity around the world, 3×3 basketball will make its Olympics debut next year in Tokyo.
- Former Pacers, Timberwolves and Magic forward Damjan Rudez signed a two-year deal with Donar in the Netherlands, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
NBA Still Considering How To Handle The Eight Teams Not In Orlando
Discussions are continuing on what to do with the eight teams not involved in the NBA’s restart in Orlando, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts addressed the topic during a conference call Friday, saying that any proposal must have the same strict health guidelines that are being used at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
“We want the same (safety) standards to be met,” Tatum said. “There have been conversations that we’ve been having with the players association on how to do that and whether or not we can do that. We know it’s something that our teams would love to do, that some of the players would love to do. But, as Michele said, it has to be done in the right way. We’ll continue having those conversations with Michele and her team on what that looks like.”
The teams left out of Orlando — the Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors, Timberwolves and Knicks — are concerned about the competitive imbalance from having their players sidelined for so long. Assuming next season starts sometime in December, that will amount to a nine-month stretch without their players being involved in an NBA game.
The teams have discussed holding a mini-summer league, possibly in August, with a series of shared workouts followed by a few games. Considering the challenges of creating a bubble atmosphere in Orlando, it won’t be easy to find another site that could accommodate all eight teams while minimizing COVID-19 risks to make the setting safe for players and staff members.
“Candidly, while I appreciate that there will be a bit of a layoff, I think there are some things these teams can do to get the guys that are not playing some (benefit) by their not being involved in Orlando. But unless we could replicate in every way the protocol that’s been established for Orlando, I’d be — I’m being tame now — suspicious,” Roberts said. “I think there are conversations that could be had if there’s anything we can do with the other eight teams. I know there are some players, particularly young players, that seem concerned they’re not getting enough (opportunities). I think our teams are incredibly smart and creative and can come up with ways to get their guys engaged, if not now, before the season starts.
“But I am very concerned and frankly, my concern aside, our players, our teams are very concerned about any — in terms of play that doesn’t have the same guarantees of safety and health that we’ve provided for the teams in Orlando. So yeah, never say never, but there’s a standard. It’s a standard that’s got to be met, and if it’s not met, next question, as far as I’m concerned.”
Restart Notes: NBPA Agreement, Facilities, Cuban, Long Shots
The NBA is close to reaching an agreement with the National Basketball Players Association on restarting the season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this morning on SportsCenter (video link). Despite concerns over COVID-19 rates in Florida, the bubble environment, injury risks and other issues, Windhorst called the plan “too big to fail” and said the “overwhelming majority” of players want to start playing again.
“They all admit there’s concerns. But they all admit this is the best they can do,” he said. “And they’re steeling themselves for the wave of potential positive tests back that are going to come in the next few days explaining it that we want to find out who’s sick so we can get them healthy so we can establish the bubble. Again, that is a rhetoric that may look silly in a few days or it may be reality, but we are headed towards at least a restart of training camp with agreement from the union very soon.”
Windhorst added that a deal with the NBPA could be announced “in the next 48 hours” and definitely by the end of the week.
There’s more as the restart draws closer:
- The NBA will allow teams to have 10 coaches in their facilities beginning Tuesday, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Four players at a time will be permitted from June 23-30, then eight from July 1-9. Full training camps will begin once teams arrive in Orlando (Twitter link).
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells Steve Serby of The New York Post that players will be safer in the bubble environment of Orlando than they would be in their respective cities. It’s part of a wide-ranging interview that also touches on Black Lives Matter, the challenges of playing in an empty arena, Dallas’ chances to make a playoff run, and the danger of injuries after a long layoff. “The four-month break since March 11 till the start of camp isn’t all that different than the end of the regular season to summer league or the midpoint of the playoffs to the start of training camp,” Cuban said. “So I don’t expect any difference on the injury front than a traditional start of season. Plus our training and medical staffs are going to be hyper-vigilant for obvious reasons. So I think we will all err on the side of caution when it comes to player health.”
- Ethan Strauss of The Athletic picks the Thunder, Nuggets, Raptors and Rockets as the best long-shot bets to win the NBA title.
Cavaliers Notes: Garland, Sexton, Draft, Love
Statistically, Cavaliers rookie Darius Garland is the NBA’s worst player this season, but Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com believes it’s too early to write him off as a draft bust. The No. 5 pick ranks last in Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player and ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus and was outshined by several players who were drafted much later.
However, Fedor notes that first-year guards on poor teams usually need time to grow into their games. Teammate Collin Sexton faced similar criticism during his rookie season, but showed significant improvement this year. Garland just turned 20 in January, and his college career was limited to four full games because of a knee injury. He had another procedure on the knee during the offseason that forced him to miss Summer League, then had a foot injury in training camp.
“The world is not patient. You guys are not patient,” Tristan Thompson said. “Lose 10 games in a row you think the season is ending. Everyone is like that. Everyone wants instant results. But life is not like that, especially in a team sport. … It’s a learning curve for everyone and as long as you handle your job and do what you’ve got to do every day the rest will follow and we’ll see.”
There’s more from Cleveland:
- The Cavs won’t have to make a long-term decision on the future of the Sexton-Garland backcourt until next summer, Fedor writes in a separate story. That’s when Sexton will be eligible for a rookie scale extension that would involve a significant financial investment. In the meantime, Fedor suggests Sexton, Garland and rookie Kevin Porter Jr. could all see starter’s minutes as Cleveland evaluates its young talent.
- The front office remains split on this year’s best prospect, but LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman are at the top of the Cavaliers’ draft board, Fedor adds in the same piece. If the team doesn’t finish high enough in the lottery to get one of them, Israeli forward Deni Avdija could be the pick because he fills a need. GM Koby Altman and scouting director Brandon Weems both traveled overseas to watch Avdija play, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has several former players who have been teammates with Avdija.
- Jason Lloyd of The Athletic examines how Kevin Love emerged as the NBA’s leading spokesman on mental health issues. Love’s newest cause is calling attention to the lack of diverse therapists available to minorities.
COVID-19 Spike Unlikely To Change Restart Plans
The NBA is taking notice of the high number of COVID-19 cases in Florida, but it isn’t expected to alter plans to resume the season next month in Orlando, according to Baxter Holmes and Zach Lowe of ESPN.
Sources described commissioner Adam Silver as “resolute but somber” during a recent call with team executives. He acknowledged the seriousness of the recent rise in coronavirus cases in the state, but expressed confidence that the league’s bubble concept will protect players and staff members.
Florida set a single-day record Saturday with 4,049 new positive tests and has recorded record highs in seven of the past 10 days. The state is becoming a national hot spot with close to 94,000 total infections, but much of the increase is based in south Florida. The two counties where Walt Disney World is located in the central part of the state have a total of about 5,500 cases.
Players expressed their concerns this week in a virtual town hall conducted by the National Basketball Players Association, the authors add. Sources say a major topic was the lack of restrictions for WDW staffers, who will not live in the three hotels where the NBA will be stationed and will not be required to submit to coronavirus testing.
“Can’t say I am surprised, given the state’s approach to reopening,” NBPA executive director Michele Roberts said of the rising numbers. “We are obviously clearly monitoring the situation. While we take some solace in knowing our players will not travel commercially to get to Orlando, that access to the campus is severely limited and, of course, all of the other health and safety protocols in place, the numbers will keep our attention. If necessary to add further restrictions respecting those third parties having access to the campus, we will seek to implement them.”
She added that placing additional restrictions on resort employees may be difficult because they are union members.
The NBA’s health guidelines that were distributed to teams this week set limits on interactions with Disney staff members. Staff will be required to wear personal protective equipment and practice social distancing whenever they are in the same place as anyone from the league. Rooms will be serviced just once a week and only when the occupants are out. All bus drivers will be required to undergo coronavirus testing.
Community Shootaround: DeMarcus Cousins
Several recognizable names will be looking to return to the NBA during the week-long transactions window that begins Tuesday, but the most intriguing is former All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Lakers last summer to add some veteran depth to the frontcourt. However, he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during preseason and was never able to suit up in L.A. He was waived in February to open a roster spot for Markieff Morris, but continued to rehab the knee at the team’s training facility and has maintained a good relationship with the organization.
Both sides reportedly have interest in a new contract next season, but the Lakers may have some competition if they want to bring him to Orlando. Former Kentucky teammate John Wall said this week, “I want to sign him right now” to help the Wizards with their playoff push. Center has been a position of need in Washington all season, and although Cousins’ mobility on defense is in question after three straight injury-ravaged seasons, he could be another potent weapon in the Wizards’ offense.
John Hollinger of The Athletic identifies three other teams where Cousins could be a good fit: the Celtics, the Spurs, who won’t have LaMarcus Aldridge in Orlando because of shoulder surgery, and the Mavericks, who have an opening for a big man with Dwight Powell sidelined with a torn Achilles.
Cousins, who’s only 29, obviously isn’t the player he was before the injuries hit, but he proved last year with Golden State that he can still be effective. He averaged 16.3 PPG in 30 regular-season games before settling for a reduced role in the playoffs.
We want to get your opinion on Cousins. Which team do you think will provide him the best opportunity, or do you believe he should continue rehabbing and wait for next season? Please leave your responses in the space below.
Restart Notes: Orlando, China, Williams, “Smart Rings”
With COVID-19 cases rising rapidly in Central Florida, Iliana Limon Romero and Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel examine whether it’s safe for the NBA and MLS to follow through with plans to resume their seasons at the Walt Disney World complex. They talked to several health officials, along with executives from Orlando’s teams in both leagues, who insist that the risk to players will be minimal.
“A lot of time and effort has been put into the safety protocols,” said Magic CEO Alex Martins. “We’re confident that the protocols that are in place will keep everybody on the Disney campus confined and amongst each other, and with little to no exposure of anyone else from the community. So in saying that, I’m confident that we have a safe plan in place and that despite the recent rise in cases in Florida that it will be a safe environment for all of our players, coaches and staff that are at Disney.”
Neither league has a concrete plan that would force play to stop, the authors add. Both plan to isolate any players or staff members who test positive, and several negative tests will be necessary for them to be deemed healthy. Also, representatives of both leagues maintain that the high number of COVID-19 tests they will need won’t impact their availability for medical professionals in the Orlando area.
There’s more related to the league’s restart:
- The Chinese Basketball Association resumed play today after being shut down for nearly five months, The Associated Press reports. Games are being played in empty arenas as the semifinals started with 20 teams split into two divisions. “Everything you have experienced this season will surely write a strong stroke in the history of the CBA league, and the history will also bear in mind the hardship, dedication and contribution of each of us,” league chairman Yao Ming wrote in a message to players and fans on the CBA’s website. “As the first national large-scale sports event to be restarted in China, the CBA rematch has a strategic significance for comprehensively promoting the resumption of production and restoring life, and its social impact has exceeded the basketball itself.”
- Clippers guard Lou Williams remains “50-50” about resuming the season, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Williams is concerned that playing again will take the focus off the push for racial justice. The Clippers had internal discussions about how they can assist with the movement, and Williams called support from the team and the NBA office “like a weight lifted off our shoulders.”
- Several players are expressing reservations about wearing “smart rings” in the bubble environment, with Kyle Kuzma saying it looks like a “tracking device,” according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Victor Oladipo Unsure If He’s Ready For Orlando
Pacers guard Victor Oladipo will test his surgically repaired quad tendon before making a final decision on playing in Orlando, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Oladipo plans to start intense workouts next week to see how his body responds before making a commitment. He made his season debut January 29 and played in just 13 games before the hiatus, averaging 13.8 PPG in about 26 minutes per night. The former All-Star missed roughly a year of action after suffering the injury in January of 2019.
“I feel a whole lot better,” Oladipo said. “I know there’s risk going into it with the unique situation that I’m in — being off so long and trying to ramp it up that fast. I’ve just got to be smart, that’s all.”
The Pacers worked with Oladipo throughout his rehab process and were careful not to bring him back too soon, Wojnarowski adds. They will continue to watch him closely until a final decision is made.
Players face a Wednesday deadline to inform the league if they plan to report to Orlando, and teams must submit their active rosters by July 1. It’s not clear if Indiana would be able to replace Oladipo if he opts not to play, since substitute players aren’t eligible to replace players with injuries.
Revised Early Entrant Policy For NBA Draft Clarified
Now that the NBA has established new dates for early entrants in the October 16 draft, an ESPN report clarifies what those changes will mean.
According to a memo from the league obtained by Adrian Wojnarowski, underclassmen and eligible overseas players will have until August 17 to submit their names for the draft, with a withdrawal deadline of October 6. Those dates are tentative until an agreement can be finalized with the players union regarding the season restart.
Players who decided against entering the draft before the previous deadline of April 26 will have a chance to reconsider. Early entrants who have already submitted draft paperwork won’t need to reapply, a source told Jonathan Givony of ESPN, while players who entered the draft and later withdrew will be given a chance to apply again.
Earlier this month, the NCAA set August 3 as the date for players to take their names out of the draft and still maintain their college eligibility. College players could wait until the NBA’s October 6 deadline to withdraw and would be draft-eligible in a future year, but doing so would make them ineligible to return to their college team.
ESPN notes that today’s memo doesn’t mention whether a draft combine might take place or if teams will be able to hold private workouts or attend pro days sponsored by agencies.
Restart Notes: “Smart Rings,” Tampering, Staff, COVID-19
The Oura “smart ring” could play an important role in keeping players safe in the Orlando “bubble” environment, writes Samantha Previte of The New York Post. The rings were mentioned in the 100-page restart plan that the NBA unveiled earlier this week.
All players and staff members will be given the option to wear the diagnostic rings, which have sensors that keep track of heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature and other important health statistics. The data is put into an algorithm to predict the onset of COVID-19. Wearing the rings is optional, and participants won’t have access to their own data. It will be sent to the University of Michigan to create an illness risk index.
The NBA also plans to use smart technology to compile data on bubble residents’ temperatures, blood oxygen saturation levels, locations and pairwise proximity, Previte adds. Everyone staying at the Walt Disney World resort will receive smart thermometers, pulse oximeters, Disney MagicBands and proximity alarms. The MagicBands can be used for contact tracing, and players will be required to wear them when they aren’t on the court.
There’s more information about the league’s restart:
- Tampering is among many concerns the NBA faces as it prepares to bring 22 teams into one location, observes Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. Players are likely to form new bonds as they are stuck in three hotels with a lot of down time between games. Strauss suggests that the eight teams not invited to Orlando could face a disadvantage in future free agency.
- Teams are also upset that the league is requiring them to designate roles for some members of their support staff, rather than giving them flexibility to bring whomever they want, Strauss adds in the same piece. Each team must bring at least one senior executive, athletic trainer, strength and conditioning coach, equipment manager and team security official. The GMs that Strauss interviewed all plan to serve as their team’s senior executive.
- Dr. William D. Parham, director of mental health and wellness for the National Basketball Players Association, believes players will have a strong platform to advocate for social change by returning to action, writes Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports. “The history of using celebrity to raise social consciousness, conversation and action — there’s precedent behavior for that,” Parham said. “The question this time around, is this going to be different? I personally think it is going to be different.”
- The coronavirus rate in the Orlando area continues to be a concern, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Orange County reported a 15.1% rate of positive tests Thursday.