Western Notes: Johnson, LeBron, Aldridge, DeRozan
Cameron Johnson, who was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 draft, should see an increased role next season in Phoenix, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic contends. The Suns rookie had made 91 three-pointers in 49 games and his progression may allow the franchise to focus on other position as it looks to upgrade the roster this summer.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Lakers star LeBron James is being sued by a photographer for posting content on his social media pages without permission, as I detailed on Heavy.com. The photojournalist captured a picture of James dunking on Meyers Leonard earlier in the season.
- Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News examines LaMarcus Aldridge‘s season and wonders if the 34-year-old big man has a lengthy future with the Spurs. Aldridge has one year and $24MM left on his deal after this season.
- DeMar DeRozan‘s future with the Spurs isn’t certain either, as McDonald writes in a separate piece. The shooting guard is expected to decline his player option for next season and seek a long-term contract—either with San Antonio or another club.
Nets, Chris Chiozza May Have Found Long-Term Fit
Chris Chiozza, who joined the Nets in January on a two-way deal, has made a good impression in Brooklyn, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
Some have compared Chiozza’s progress with the Nets to that of Fred VanVleet with the Raptors. Lewis adds that those comparisons are likely premature, though the point guard could certainly earn a standard deal once the NBA returns to action.
Being on a two-way contract, Chiozza, who spent time with the G League’s Capital City Go-Go earlier this season, isn’t eligible to play for the Nets in the postseason. However, if the NBA returns this season, the franchise could waive a player to give Chiozza a spot on the postseason roster.
In his 11 games with Brooklyn, the former University of Florida point guard was averaging 16.3 points and 5.7 assists per 36 minutes. He knocked down 44.0% of his shots from downtown.
Steve Ballmer To Purchase Forum, Build New Clippers Arena
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has agreed in principle to purchase the Forum in Inglewood, California, which is a necessary step for the franchise to build a new arena in the area, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes.
The newly-formed CAPSS LLC will acquire the Forum from The Madison Square Garden Company – and executive chairman James Dolan – for $400MM in cash. The Forum will remain a music venue, but Ballmer’s purchase allows him to clear the existing litigation that was preventing an arena from being built nearby.
“This is an unprecedented time, but we believe in our collective future,” Ballmer said in the news release. “We are committed to our investment in the City of Inglewood, which will be good for the community, the Clippers, and our fans.”
The Clippers, who have shared the Staples Center with the Lakers since 1999, intend to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat arena in Inglewood, notes Youngmisuk. Public hearings to approve construction of the building are expected to happen later this year.
The franchise anticipates creating an estimated 7,500 “high-paying construction jobs” and 1,500 permanent jobs, Youngmisuk added. The team announced that it has a $100MM package of community benefits on the way.
Alex Len Talks Hawks Experience, Confusion Over Being Traded
Alex Len, who inked a two-year deal with Hawks back in 2018, was traded to the Kings at this year’s deadline. Prior to getting dealt, Len expressed his interest in re-signing with Atlanta, telling Chris Kirschner of The Athletic this week that he cherished his time with the club.
“One-hundred percent — I wanted to stay,” Len told Kirschner. “I like the coaching staff. I liked my teammates. Everyone was cool. It really had a family feel to it. Last year, you could see the trajectory was going up…This season didn’t work out as planned, so they had to make changes. It’s a business, so I understood they had to do it.”
In the trade with the Kings, which also sent Jabari Parker to Sacramento, the Hawks received a pair of second-round picks and Dewayne Dedmon, who had left the team in free agency prior to the season. That, coupled with the team bringing in Clint Capela, left Len puzzled as to why Atlanta would trade him for another center.
“They didn’t want to pay [Dedmon] in the first place, so it didn’t make sense to me,” Len said. “If they wanted him, they could have just paid him. So they get him as a backup now and end up paying him anyway.”
Len admitted that he didn’t know what to expect when he was on his way to Sacramento. He called the experience of playing with the Kings this season a “pleasant surprise,” while adding that dynamics of the two franchises were different.
“There was a whole different mood and vibe around the team because we were going for the eighth spot,” Len said. “When I was (in Atlanta), it’s tough to play knowing you’re not making the playoffs. You go into the game, and guys are thinking about their points and themselves. (In Sacramento), it’s all about team and winning. Guys don’t care how many points they score; it’s all about winning. Everybody was playing a lot harder. We were playing all five guys on a string. It makes your job easier because everybody else is a lot better.”
Evan Fournier Defends Gobert, Criticizes Coronavirus Coverage
The coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve and so does how the media is covering it with respect to the NBA.
Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert was the first player who tested positive for COVID-19 and the French center was criticized for his careless nature leading up to his diagnosis. Gobert mockingly touched all the microphones and recorders in front of him following a media session and reportedly showed a “cavalier” attitude in the locker room, touching other people and their belongings in a way that mocked the seriousness of the coronavirus.
Evan Fournier, who is Gobert’s teammate on the French national team, believes the big man has been treated unfairly since that positive test and isn’t thrilled with how NBA media has covered the pandemic.
“It hurts me, he became the face of the virus in the NBA,” Fournier told L’Equipe (h/t Sportando). “The behavior of people and journalists has been disgusting.
“I don’t understand (revealing) the names of the sick: it looks like the transfer window when it’s the scoop race. It was a coronavirus free agency, unbearable. You can say a guy is sick without naming him… Philadelphia and the Lakers have cases and we don’t know who they are.”
The Sixers and Lakers are among the teams that didn’t announce or leak the names of those who contracted the virus. Two players from Los Angeles are affected, while three members of the Sixers organization (not necessarily players) have been diagnosed.
The Celtics and Nets also announced positive tests without naming any players. However, Marcus Smart immediately came forward via his social media, telling fans that he was the affected Celtics player and provided an update on his situation. The public’s knowledge of Kevin Durant‘s diagnosis took a similar path.
The media’s coverage of the events, particularly those within the NBA, is much less significant than the actual health and well-being of the millions whom the virus has impacted. Still, it’s fair to wonder whether Fournier has a point in his criticism.
Professional athletes, at least within the United States, are still protected by privacy acts such as HIPAA, but their diagnoses are routinely shared with the public (by entities that don’t employ them). Should the coronavirus be any different?
NBA organizations have no such decision to make when it comes to passing along medical information, as they are required to keep records confidential. It’s one reason why the Sixers had to move on from Bryan Colangelo when he shared medical information via a burner Twitter account. It’s why you haven’t seen an NBA team disclose information on any specific players with the virus.
NBA players and teams have come under criticism for the amount of testing they are receiving compared to the general population. While it was reported that teams are buying the tests privately, that fact hasn’t lessened the backlash.
Part of being an NBA player is being in the public eye. Players have a spotlight on them that many others do not — just like they have the resources to access coronavirus tests that many within the United States cannot afford.
Individual reporters and writers must make judgment calls on what information to report and what to tuck away. This is true when it comes to the coronavirus and all matters.
Do you think Fournier has a point? Or has the coverage of the coronavirus in the NBA been appropriate?
David Griffin Talks NBA Shutdown, Zion Williamson, More
The NBA continues to be in wait-and-see mode with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the league to halt operations. Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin joined the club’s local broadcast team to talk about the suspended season as well as share some insight about the on-court product in New Orleans, as the team relays on its website.
Griffin said he hopes that the league resumes soon but wouldn’t speculate on a definite timeline, as it’s impossible to accurately predict when the virus will be contained.
“With everything changing so quickly, everything is in a state of flux that I think it would be premature for the NBA to say what it ultimately looks like,” Griffin said. “I do know unequivocally that the league is very mindful of the idea of getting back to playing.
“The idea of canceling a season is not all on their minds, and we’re modeling every possible thing we can for how we can deliver a product to the fans. Quite frankly, we’re all going to need a diversion in the future. (But) until we can get to a point where we think we’ve got containment of (the coronavirus), we’re going to continue to stay locked down. Hopefully we’ll get to a point where we can come back sooner rather than later.”
During the 30-minute segment, Griffin also discussed the Pelicans’ roster, including the fit of Zion Williamson and Lonzo Ball.
“A big part of it is the chemistry you see with Lonzo and Zion. They have a special connection,” Griffin said, while adding that Nicolo Melli has also proven to be a good on-court mate to Williamson.
“I think Nicolo Melli getting more minutes, and him starting to become a key part of the rotation has been essential as well,” the executive added. “Those three guys work incredibly well as a unit. Zion gives us another player who can create vertical thrust in the offense, and Lonzo can pick defenses apart with his passing.”
IOC Hints At Delaying 2020 Olympics
With the coronavirus global pandemic ongoing, there has been speculation that the 2020 Olympics could be canceled or delayed. The International Olympic Committee (via a press release) has stated that “cancellation is not on the agenda,” but the organization suggests delaying the games is on the table.
President Thomas Bach says that it’s too early to make a final decision about the date of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“So, like you, we are in a dilemma: Cancellation of the Olympic Games would destroy the Olympic dream of 11,000 athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees, from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, most likely for the Paralympic athletes, and for all the people who are supporting you as coaches, doctors, officials, training partners, friends and family,” Bach said in the statement.
“Cancellation would not solve any problem and would help nobody. Therefore it is not on our agenda.”
Bach added that the organizations hopes to have a finalized decision “within the next four weeks.”
Many NBA, NHL COVID-19 Cases Have Staples Center Links
Half of the coronavirus cases in the NBA and NHL have connections to the Staples Center, where both the Clippers and Lakers play, Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times writes.
It’s impossible to identify the source of the virus spreading, but the Staples Center, which hosts roughly 250 events per year, has been linked to eight of the 16 known cases within the two leagues.
Fenno notes that the Staples Center hosted 39 events since the first case of COVID-19 hit the county. Those events include the Grammy Awards and the memorial service for Kobe Bryant.
Two unnamed Lakers players have tested positive for the virus earlier this week. Four Nets players, including Kevin Durant, tested positive. Brooklyn played in Los Angeles prior to the NBA suspending the 2019-20 season because of the pandemic.
NBPA Aligned With NBA On Goal Of Saving Season
The NBA suspended the season earlier this month amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nobody wants the season to be canceled, with NBPA executive director Michele Roberts telling Mark Medina of USA Today that the union is aligned with the league in trying to save the season.
“If you look at our CBA, there is some troubling language if you are a player,” said Roberts. “I’m a lawyer by training and the concept of a ‘force majeure’ is common in any contract. … No matter what differences we may have in the league in the past or going forward, we’re actively on the same page about trying to save our season and trying to save our playoffs.”
The NBA’s Board of Governors met with former U.S. Surgeon General Vivej Murthy earlier today and the stakeholders left the meeting with feelings of optimism that the season will resume before July, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
“The revenue consequences are significant,” Roberts continued. “Sure, there is language that allows the league to enforce what they perceive to be a ‘force majeure’ and that would have an impact on compensation for players going forward. But if it happens, there would be a recognition the league is prepared to lose tens of millions of dollars. If we can’t play games or we can’t have our playoffs, we’re going to have an economic hit.”
Robert was asked if the conversations with the NBA have been more about trying to save the season than invoking any clause that would alleviate the owners’ financial burden.
“That’s right on the money,” she said. “We want to play games and we want to do it in a way that’s safe. …It’s very difficult to say by ‘X date,’ we’re going to resume the games. That would be foolish. But we’re not throwing in the towel.”
Lakers To Test Entire Team For Coronavirus
The Lakers will test their entire team for the coronavirus, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Four Nets players, including Kevin Durant, tested positive for the virus. Los Angeles’ last opponent before the league suspended the season was Brooklyn.
The Nets paid a private company to conduct the testing. Still, some are not thrilled with the NBA getting the testing while many around the country and world need it.
“We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted. “Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick.”
It’s likely that the Lakers will also pay out of pocket for the testing.