Community Shootaround: Game 7 Prediction
It seems like Boston has fielded two teams in the postseason. There are the Home Celtics, who have been unbeatable, and the Away Celtics, who can’t beat hardly anyone.
Fortunately for Boston fans, it’s the Home Celtics who will be playing the Cavaliers tomorrow for a spot in the NBA Finals. Boston is 10-0 at the TD Garden during the postseason, but just 1-7 on the road. The Celtics have an offensive rating of 107.7 in their home games, about 10 points higher than away from home.
“I truly believe it’s our fans,” Al Horford explained to Jack McCluskey of The Ringer. “I feel like our guys feed off of them and it really just drives us as a group. … You get on the road and you’re just out there against everybody else. Here, I just think that our guys just feel comfortable and good. It’s a credit to the atmosphere that’s here.”
On the other side is LeBron James, who has been brilliant no matter where he has played. James is averaging close to a triple double with 33.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 17 playoff contests and kept Cleveland alive with a 46/11/9 performance in Friday’s Game 6.
The Cavs will be short-handed for tomorrow’s game with Kevin Love already ruled out because of a concussion. Love has been one of the few reliable scorers alongside James, averaging 13.9 points per game in the postseason.
The edge in playoff experience easily goes to the Cavs, who have been to three straight Finals [eight straight for LeBron], while the Celtics field a young roster with few players who have ever experienced this level of postseason pressure.
There are many things that could decide Game 7, but we want to get your take. Who pulls out what James called one of the best two-word phrases in sports and represents the East in the NBA Finals? Please leave your responses in the comments section below.
Wolves Notes: Butler, Towns, Thibodeau, Wiggins
Last summer’s Jimmy Butler trade was a good move for the Timberwolves even though they parted with several promising young talents, writes Britt Robson of The Athletic. Minnesota swung a draft night blockbuster with the Bulls, giving up Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen for Butler and Justin Patton.
The deal paid dividends for the Wolves, who reached the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, and Robson contends that Butler has already become the second-best player in franchise history, trailing only Kevin Garnett.
On the down side, Butler missed 23 games because of injuries and was a steadfast defender of coach Tom Thibodeau, creating a rift with some of his young teammates. Robson advises the front office to delay renegotiating Butler’s contract, which pays him nearly $20.5MM next season with a $19.8MM player option for 2019/20, to see how the situation plays out.
Robson passes along more info from Minnesota in his mailbag column:
- Rumors that Thibodeau could get fired this summer are premature, although the locker room has become increasingly divided between loyalists who previously played for Thibodeau in Chicago and younger players who are turned off by his abrasive style. However, replacing Thibodeau now would anger Butler and Taj Gibson and leave the team at a disadvantage heading into the draft and free agency. Robson believes Thibodeau, who still has three years left on his contract, could be in danger if the Wolves don’t move up the Western Conference ladder next season.
- It will be surprising if Karl-Anthony Towns is put on the trade market this summer, even if the rumors about his unhappiness in Minnesota are true. Towns is just 22 and is under team control for at least two more seasons. A suggested deal for the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard wouldn’t work for the Wolves because there’s no good way to replace Towns in the middle. Towns reportedly wants a bigger role in the offense and less “tough love” from Thibodeau and Butler.
- Minnesota probably should have passed on an extension for Andrew Wiggins last summer and dealt with him as a restricted free agent. Robson suggests Thibodeau may have been forced into the move by owner Glen Taylor, but adds that a trade is unlikely now because it would be difficult for the Wolves to get equal value in return.
- The team would almost certainly have to surrender a first-round pick to unload the contract of Gorgui Dieng, who is owed more than $48MM over the next three years. Thibodeau lost confidence in Dieng during the season and his playing time was cut nearly in half.
Eastern Finals Notes: Tatum, Horford, James, Love
Cleveland will have to play Game 7 without Kevin Love, but Boston’s Jayson Tatum came away from Friday night’s collision relatively unscathed. Coach Brad Stevens told reporters that doctors checked on Tatum today and said he’s in “great” condition, tweets ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Tatum will continue to be monitored up to tomorrow’s game, but right now the team isn’t worried about his availability.
Tatum was defending Love when they bumped heads in the first quarter and said it took him a while to shake off the effects, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston.
“They asked me if I was dizzy, if I had a headache,” said Tatum, who underwent concussion testing on the sidelines. “I’m fine.”
There’s more on the eve of Game 7:
- Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson, who barely played when the postseason began, has helped turn the series around with his defense on Al Horford, notes Adam Himmeslbach of The Boston Globe. Cleveland is outscoring Boston by 3.2 points per 100 possessions when they are on the court together, but the Celtics have a 19.2 edge when Horford plays without Thompson. Boston’s big man was visibly frustrated after Friday’s game, which included a healthy dose of double teaming. “If you were watching the game, I was getting doubled as soon as I caught the ball,” Horford said to reporters. “Every time, I didn’t really have one-on-one position. So they did a good job of really doubling me and making it hard.”
- As bad as the Love injury news was for Cavaliers fans, things could have been worse, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Larry Nance Jr. collided with LeBron James during the fourth quarter on a play that reminded McMenamin of an incident that caused Kevin Durant to miss a significant part of last season. “I just felt someone fall into my leg, and my leg kind of went in,” said James, who was limping when he left the arena. “I felt some pain throughout my entire right side of my ankle into my leg. I was just hoping for the best, obviously, because I’ve seen so many different injuries, and watching basketball with that type of injury, someone fall into one’s leg standing straight up. Luckily, I was able to finish the game.”
- Love’s injury means James will likely have to improve on his already-superhuman effort, writes Justin Verrier of The Ringer. Love is averaging 13.9 points and 10.0 rebounds in the postseason, but he hasn’t been especially effective against the Celtics, Verrier notes. He has a minus-7.4 net rating in the series, worst on the team other than Rodney Hood.
Andre Iguodala Out For Game 6
Warriors forward Andre Iguodala will miss his third straight game tonight, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr confirmed the decision, relays Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Until he’s able to run without pain, I can’t play him,” Kerr told reporters at a pre-game press conference, adding that Iguodala’s status remains day-to-day.
The 34-year-old is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee that he suffered when he bumped knees with James Harden in Game 3. The Rockets have won both games that Iguodala has missed and have a chance to close out the series tonight.
Kevon Looney, who has started the past two games in Iguodala’s absence, will likely get a starting assignment again tonight. Patrick McCaw was activated earlier today after missing nearly two months, but Kerr isn’t sure whether he will play, acknowledging that it’s a “tough” situation.
Iguodala was a valuable contributor before the injury, averaging 7.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.4 SPG in the playoffs and starting 12 of the 13 games in which he has appeared. He is an important component of the “Hamptons Five” lineup that makes Golden State so difficult to match up with.
Draft Notes: Huell, Rose, Pipkins, Caroline
With the deadline to withdraw from the draft coming on Wednesday, several players have reached their final decisions. Among them is Miami forward Dewan Huell, who will return to school for his junior season, writes Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald.
Huell, who made a formal announcement on Twitter earlier today, averaged 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 32 games this season. “I’m really excited to get back to work with my brothers so we can accomplish more than ever during the 2018-19 season,” he wrote.
Huell doesn’t appear in the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and would have been a long shot to be drafted.
There’s more draft-related news to pass along:
- Shooting guard Quinton Rose will withdraw from the draft and return to Temple, writes Jon Rothstein of FRS Sports. Rose averaged 14.9 points per game as a sophomore.
- Jalon Pipkins will take his name out of the draft, but won’t return to Cal State Northridge, Rothstein tweets. The freshman guard will explore transfer opportunities after averaging just 3.1 points per game in a reserve role.
- Nevada’s Jordan Caroline will return to the team for his senior season, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN. The 6’7″ swingman averaged 17.7 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Wolfpack.
- Ferris State’s Zach Hankins will exit the draft and will transfer to Xavier, Goodman adds (Twitter link).
- Arizona’s Allonzo Trier was among a group of players who worked out Friday for the Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of Eyewitness 5 News (Twitter link). Also at the session were Stanford’s Reid Travis, Baylor’s Nuni Omot, Colorado’s George King, Kentucky’s PJ Washington and Nevada’s Cody Martin (Twitter link).
- The Suns held a workout Friday featuring Xavier’s Trevon Bluiett, Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham, Arizona State’s Tra Holder, SMU’s Shake Milton, Oakland’s Kendrick Nunn and Iowa State’s Lindell Wigginton (Twitter link).
- Six players participated in a workout today with the Bulls, according to the team’s website. Nunn and Bluiett were on hand, along with USC’s Elijah Stewart, Western Michigan’s Thomas Wilder, Michigan’s Duncan Robinson and San Diego State’s Jalen McDaniels.
Julius Randle Unsure Of His Importance To Lakers
The Lakers still may bring back Julius Randle, but for now the team and his representatives can’t agree on how serious negotiations have been, relays Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times.
GM Rob Pelinka insists the front office has made frequent calls to Randle’s agents and they have engaged in “a mutual exchange of interest and hoping that we can work something out for both sides.” Randle’s camp tells a much different story.
“We still have no indication of where Julius stands among the Lakers’ priorities, or if he is a priority at all,” said Aaron Mintz, Randle’s agent. “We are looking forward to the marketplace in July, when we will get a clear picture of Julius’ future.”
The Lakers have until June 30 to extend a qualifying offer to Randle, making him restricted when free agency begins July 1 and enabling the team to match any offer sheet. Randle has said he would like to remain in L.A., but the Lakers will be pursuing higher-profile targets with their cap space and a decision on Randle will be tied to their success. They would almost certainly need to renounce their rights to Randle to offer two max contracts.
Randle is coming off the best offensive season of his four-year career, averaging 16.1 points per game and shooting .558 from the floor. The Lakers declined to offer him an extension in October because they didn’t want to tie up any more future salary.
“The work that he put into it is what people don’t see and I think it was an enormous effort on his part,” Pelinka said. “The fact that it worked and translated to being one of his best seasons as a Lakers player really was not only great for him individually but was great for other guys to see, ‘Hey if we put in that work and you change your body it leads to good things for your performance.’ So I think that was an amazing process for us to see.”
Combine Notes: Porter, Bamba, Young, Hutchison
The Clippers have their eyes on Michael Porter Jr. and are hoping to use their picks at No. 12 and 13 to trade up in the draft, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Missouri forward, who missed almost the entire season with a back injury, could give L.A. a reliable scorer in the frontcourt. O’Connor notes that team owner Steve Ballmer stopped his session with the media at the combine to listen to Porter’s interview.
Porter, who is projected at No. 8 to the Cavaliers in the latest mock draft by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, told reporters he had combine interviews scheduled with 13 teams, including the Clippers. He also stated that he believes he’s “the best player in the draft.”
- Bamba believes he could form a dangerous combination with Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr., but Dallas may not be interested. With Dirk Nowitzki returning for another season, the Mavs will try to rebuild quickly to put a contending team around him. That means targeting a free agent big man such as DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus Cousins or Julius Randle, which would make a scorer like Porter more attractive in the draft. O’Connor notes that Cousins’ agent, Jarinn Akana, has strong ties to the Mavericks. Of his 12 clients, five have played in Dallas and another was with its G League affiliate, Jaleel Cousins, who is DeMarcus’ brother.
- The Knicks are interested in Oklahoma point guard Trae Young if he falls to the ninth pick. They see him as a good fit alongside last year’s first-rounder, Frank Ntilikina, who can take on the tougher defensive matchup and help space the floor for Young to drive to the basket. However, the Magic at No. 6 and the Cavaliers at No. 8 both need point guards, so Young could be off the board before New York’s selection.
- It still isn’t clear who made a draft promise to Boise State forward Chandler Hutchison, but O’Connor was told he won’t drop into the late first round. Hutchison, who is expected to be taken between the 18th and 24th pick, held workouts for the Timberwolves and Bulls before withdrawing from the combine. It may or may not be a clue, but Hutchison’s agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, is a friend of Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and has represented many Chicago players.
- Kostas Antetokounmpo showed a lot of similarities to his older brother Giannis Antetokounmpo in his combine workouts. Kostas, 2o, could be a second-round pick and may be a valuable asset for a team to have when Giannis hits free agency in 2021.
Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Fizdale, T. Young, Bridges
Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina has returned from France and will meet new coach David Fizdale for the first time today, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Fizdale said he wants to establish “great relationships with his players,” which is an area where management thought former coach Jeff Hornacek was lacking.
Ntilikina will participate in an informal workout today along with fellow point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke, shooting guard Damyean Dotson and forward Troy Williams, who spent time in Memphis with Fizdale.
Ntilikina plans to remain in the United States for the rest of the offseason and will play with the Knicks’ summer league team in Las Vegas, Berman adds. He was held out of the league last year because of soreness in his left knee that occurred in the French League playoffs. Ntilikina has been working with a Knicks trainer while in France and has added muscle and weight.
There’s more this morning out of New York:
- The Knicks are well stocked at point guard, but may be interested in Oklahoma’s Trae Young if he falls to No. 9, Berman adds in the same story.
- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is lobbying for the Knicks to draft Miles Bridges, Berman reports in a separate piece. GM Scott Perry talked to Izzo about Bridges during the season and plans to meet with him again next week. Also, assistant GM Gerald Madkins recently went to Lansing to discuss Bridges with the Michigan State coaching staff. Bridges was considered to be a lottery pick as a freshman last year, but decided to return to the Spartans for his sophomore season. “I see a guy who can play a lot of positions and defend them with his strength and rebounding,’’ Izzo said. “What I’d like to see him get better at? Continually improving getting shots off the dribble. He’s a phenomenal 85 percent free-throw shooter. I’d like to see him get to the line more. He’ll get better because he’s a gym rat — in there at 6:30 a.m., in there at night. How many guys love the game, how many guys like the game.”
- Teams were limited to 30 minutes with each prospect at the draft combine, which Perry considers to be opening interviews, writes Chris Iseman of North Jersey.com. The Knicks will get more in depth when individual workouts begin. “With some of them, this may be the first round of interviews because I’m sure a number of the guys that we would interview here we’ll also bring to New York for a longer visit,” Perry said, “trying to get a better feel for who these guys are when we have them for 48 hours versus a 30-minute interview that we’re going to have at the combine.”
Larry Brown Gets Job Offer In Italy
Former NBA coach Larry Brown has received an offer to become a senior assistant with Fiat Torino, according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando.
The 77-year-old hasn’t coached since resigning at Southern Methodist two years ago. Fiat head coach Paolo Galbiati hopes to add someone with experience to his staff and sees Brown as a good fit, according to reports from La Stampa and Tuttosport.
Brown is expected to make a decision on the offer soon, but seems more interested in another head coaching opportunity than becoming an assistant, Cauchi relays. He has been linked to the Italian league before, being contacted by Pallacanestro Cantù.
During a coaching career that spanned more than 40 years, Brown became famous for helping his teams become successful, then quickly leaving for other jobs. He led the Pistons to a championship in 2004 and compiled a 1327-1011 record as head coach of nine NBA teams and two ABA squads.
Brown also made his mark in the college ranks, coaching at UCLA and Kansas before coming to SMU. He guided the Jayhawks to a national title in 1988, then left two months later for a job with the Spurs, shortly before the NCAA sanctioned the program.
Weekly Mailbag: 5/14/18 – 5/20/18
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
Who is more likely to be traded this summer: Karl-Anthony Towns or Kawhi Leonard? –VJ Cruz, via Twitter
Let’s start by saying that neither should be considered likely to get traded. The Spurs will try to work through Leonard’s reported unhappiness and sign him to a long-term extension, while the Timberwolves would be taking a huge gamble by unloading a young talent like Towns. Rumors emerged this weekend that there is tension in Minnesota involving the 22-year-old center, but some of that could be the change in direction the franchise went through last summer by adding a veteran core in Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson. The focus changed from building around Towns and Andrew Wiggins to winning right away. It doesn’t sound like a problem that can’t be solved. Leonard is in position to force the Spurs’ hands because he can opt out next summer, while Towns is under Minnesota’s control for at least two more seasons. If Leonard is willing to give up the benefits of a super max extension for a fresh start with a new team, San Antonio will be tempted to move him now to ensure something in return.
Was Brad Stevens outcoached Saturday night? — Tobin22, via Twitter
When your team loses by 30, everybody was out-everythinged. The result could be explained by the desperation that comes with a 2-0 deficit, but Tyronn Lue and the Cavaliers’ coaching staff deserve credit for some adjustments that are making this a more competitive series. Inserting Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup has reduced the effectiveness of Celtics big man Al Horford, and a more aggressive defense against Jaylen Brown cut into his production Saturday night. Stevens has gotten a lot of accolades during the playoffs, and rightfully so, but there are many smart coaches in the NBA. The postseason is all about adjustments, and we’ll see how Stevens responds in Game 4.
Luka Doncic is great in the EuroLeague, but how will he adjust to the NBA? — JJ, via Twitter
At age 19, Doncic has established himself as the EuroLeague’s top player, collecting both MVP honors and the Rising Star award. But it’s not clear what position he’ll fit into once he comes into the NBA. Doncic is a versatile offensive player at 6’8″ who can easily shoot over smaller defenders and is celebrated for his passing skills. However, there are concerns about his overall athleticism and fears that he doesn’t have the speed or explosiveness to keep up with NBA backcourts. It’s hard to imagine him slowing down opposing point guards if he lands next to Devin Booker in Phoenix. He would be most comfortable creating the offense as an off guard or small forward, but he’ll have to be surrounded with the right combination of talent for that approach to succeed.