Central Notes: Bullock, Griffin, Van Gundy, Cavs
Pistons‘ starting swingman Reggie Bullock suffered minor injuries after being involved in a two-car motor vehicle accident this morning on his way to practice, reports Rod Beard of The Detroit News. He wasn’t seriously injured but was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Bullock, who was on his way to the Pistons’ practice facility in Auburn Hills, was also apparently the victim of a hit-and-run, as head coach Stan Van Gundy tells Beard that “the other driver took off” after the collision. Bullock did not practice, but will travel with the team on their upcoming six-game road trip.
Bullock, 26, has had somewhat of a breakthrough season for the underachieving Pistons, averaging 10.7 points per game and shooting 43% from long range in 41 starts.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN worries that the Pistons‘ newly-acquired Blake Griffin may be the league’s new version of Carmelo Anthony – a player paid like a superstar but not producing at a level high enough to build a consistently successful team around. And as Pelton points out, paying a player who is not quite a superstar like one of the league’s best players makes it difficult to win because it takes away the financial flexibility necessary to build a team around the overpaid player.
- In more Pistons‘ news, team owner Tom Gores ambiguously hinted that Van Gundy make not be back next season, reports Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News. Speaking at halftime of Detroit’s win over Chicago on Friday, Gores said, “Stan and I have not discussed (whether he will be the coach next season). I believe in Stan, but he’s a team player, so we’re gonna see. He’ll do exactly the right thing for this franchise. But right now he’s busy coaching this team. We’ll go from there.”
- In a wide-ranging piece on the Cavaliers, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer discusses the rumored timetable for the return of Kevin Love from injury, the importance of a starting role for newly-acquired swingman Rodney Hood, and more details on the trade that brought Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. from Los Angeles to Cleveland.
Hawks Sign Jaylen Morris To Second 10-Day Deal
MARCH 11: The Hawks have officially signed Morris to his second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The contract will run through next Tuesday, covering five games.
MARCH 8: According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, the Hawks plan to sign rookie guard Jaylen Morris to a second 10-day contract after his first 10-day deal expires tomorrow. Assuming the second contract is signed on Saturday, it will run through March 19, covering four games.
As previously touched upon, Morris went undrafted out of Division II Molloy College in last summer’s draft and had spent this season with the Erie BayHawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, before signing with the Hawks.
Morris has played in all four games since signing his first 10-day deal, averaging 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 17.0 minutes per contest. As a rookie, Morris’ deal with once again count as $46,080 towards the Hawks’ salary cap.
And-Ones: Francis, Doncic, Bosh, G League, Officials
In a powerful piece for the The Players’ Tribune, former NBA player Steve Francis opens up about his life before stardom, growing up in the streets of Washington D.C., where his mother died when Francis was only 18 years old and his father was locked up in federal prison for a robbery conviction.
“Four years before I was on that plane with Hakeem telling me we’re going shopping for cashmere suits together — four years before I was about to go play against Gary Payton — I was on the corner of Maple Ave in Takoma Park, Maryland, selling drugs outside the Chinese joint.”
“My mother had passed away. My father was in a federal penitentiary. We had 18 people living in one apartment. I had dropped out of high school. No scholarships. No GED. No nothing.”
From his respect for legend Hakeem Olajuwon to his interactions with Sam Cassell and Payton, Francis opens up about life beyond basketball as well as the lessons he took away from his time in the NBA and the unlikely route he took to get there.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The Slovenian Basketball Federation, via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, is reporting that top 2018 NBA Draft prospect Luka Doncic is expected to miss two weeks of action with a thigh injury.
- In another moving piece, Jackie MacMullan of ESPN writes that former All-Star and NBA champion Chris Bosh is still hoping for a return to the NBA and, perhaps more importantly, searching for the feeling he once had when he was playing the game he loved. “I would love,” Bosh says, “to experience that feeling one more time.”
- The NBA still has some ground to cover in its efforts to make the G League a true “minor league” alternative to college basketball, opines Sean Deveney of Sporting News.
- Despite ongoing efforts to mend the ever-widening gap between players and officials, at least one NBA player feels the tensions are still an issue, reports Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. “Honestly the game is not about the players and the refs,” said Wizards forward Markieff Morris.“We’re playing for the fans, so we’re trying to clean up a whole lot. It’s at an all-time high right now.”
- LeBron James‘ free agency destination list is reportedly down to four teams. Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today take a look at the best situations for James from a pure basketball perspective, concentrating on the four aforementioned teams – the Cavaliers, Lakers, Rockets, and Sixers – as well as two others – the Clippers and Spurs.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Leonard, Mavericks, Evans
The Spurs have made the playoffs every year for the past 20 seasons and won five titles along the way, but as Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer writes, the NBA’s model franchise is in the midst of its worst season since 1996/97 – Tim Duncan‘s senior season at Wake Forest – and is in serious danger of missing the playoffs.
The Spurs have the NBA’s toughest remaining schedule, with two games left against the Rockets, Warriors, Pelicans, Thunder, and Wizards. Add in the fact that the team is 2-8 over its last 10 games and only 2.5 games ahead of the eight, ninth, and tenth place teams in the Western Conference, and one can see why fans in San Antonio may have reason to worry for the first time in two decades.
Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:
- In more positive Spurs‘ news, Michael C. Wright of ESPN is citing a highly knowledgeable source who tells him that Kawhi Leonard is working hard and putting himself through some “insane” workouts in an effort to return to action as quickly as possible.
- In a Q&A session, columnist Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News answered some questions on Mavericks‘ owner Mark Cuban and whether NBA commissioner Adam Silver would step in and force Cuban to sell the team a la current Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson or former Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Mavericks‘ swingman Dorian Finney-Smith is expected to return to action this weekend for the first time since injuring his left knee/quadriceps in early November.
- The Grizzlies are being cautious with Tyreke Evans‘ recovery from a rib injury, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Evans, who has been out since late February, remains day-to-day and will not play against the Jazz tomorrow night.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/8/18
Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- Lakers rookie big man Thomas Bryant has been assigned to the team’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, according to a tweet from the team’s official account. Bryant, 20, is averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 30 G League games this season.
- The Bulls have assigned 10-day contract signee Jarell Eddie to their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, per a tweet from the Bulls. Eddie, 26, is averaging 17.1 points and shooting 47.5% from long range in 21 games with Windy City.
- Both Nigel Hayes and Alfonzo McKinnie have been assigned to the Raptors‘ G League affiliate, Raptors 905, according to the assignment page on the NBA’s official G League website.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/3/18
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
10:10pm: The Warriors have assigned rookie Jordan Bell to their affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced in an email. Bell returned to the Golden State lineup this week after missing 14 games with inflammation in his left ankle.
2:22pm:
- One day after assignment, the Spurs have recalled guards Brandon Paul and Derrick White from their G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, the team announced today in a press release. Paul has averaged 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 53 games with San Antonio so far this season, while White is averaging 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in 16 contests.
- The Jazz have assigned rookie Tony Bradley back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per an official press release from the team. Bradley has appeared in 23 games for the Stars this season, averaging 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game.
- The Timberwolves have reassigned rookie big man Justin Patton to the Iowa Wolves, the team announced today. Patton has appeared in 28 games for Iowa this season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 21.1 minutes per game.
- The Suns have recalled Davon Reed from the Northern Arizona Suns, tweets Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Reed, 22, has averaged 8.0 minutes, 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds per game in seven contests for Phoenix so far this season.
Poll: Who Will Make The Eastern Conference Playoffs?
The Raptors and Celtics are eight and seven games ahead, respectively, of the third-place Cavaliers, making it unlikely either team will fall below the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with only about 20 games remaining in the regular season.
Along with the top two teams in the East, the aforementioned Cavs and the Wizards and 76ers also have a 99% chance or higher of making the postseason, per FiveThirtyEight, with the remaining Eastern Conference teams’ chance of making the playoffs as follows:
- Indiana Pacers (94%)
- Miami Heat (89%)
- Milwaukee Bucks (88%)
- Charlotte Hornets (20%)
- Detroit Pistons (12%)
And despite the discrepancy in percentage between the Pacers, Heat and Bucks as compared to the Hornets and Pistons, only 7.5 games separate the five teams, with the eighth-place Heat and ninth-place Pistons only separated by three games.
Moreover, Charlotte and Detroit have the 29th and 25th hardest schedules remaining, while Indiana, Milwaukee and Miami have the 2nd, 18th and 26th hardest remaining schedules, per tankathon.com.
For their part, the Pacers still have to face the Warriors and Raptors twice each (home and away for both), in addition to one more game in Boston, while the Hornets’ toughest remaining game is in Toronto. Accordingly, the race could come down to the final days of the regular season, where the Hornets and Pacers finish off their schedules with a home-and-home on April 8 and 10.
So what do you think? Which three teams will join the other five likely contenders from the Eastern Conference? Will the Pacers, Heat, and Bucks hold on to their playoff spots or will the Hornets and/or Pistons bump one of them from the postseason? Vote below in our poll for three teams and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
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Five Key Stories: 2/24/18 – 3/3/18
In case you missed any of the past week’s top stories from around the Association, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Hawks and Ersan Ilyasova finalized a buyout agreement, with Ilyasova the second veteran to be released by Atlanta in recent weeks. And like the prior veteran released by Atlanta before him – Marco Belinelli – Ilyasova has signed a rest-of-season contract with the Sixers. In order to make room for Ilyasova on their roster, Philadelphia released veteran forward Trevor Booker, who plans on signing with the Pacers after he clears waivers.
The Lakers and Corey Brewer finalized a buyout agreement as well. Brewer, like Ilyasova, quickly determined the team with which he wanted to sign, choosing the Thunder after also considering three Eastern Conference teams. The fit in Oklahoma City is logical given the injury to Andre Roberson and Brewer’s relationship with head coach Billy Donovan, Brewer’s coach in college at the University of Florida.
The Timberwolves and Shabazz Muhammad also finalized a buyout agreement, with Muhammad committed to signing with the Bucks once he clears waivers. In order to make room for Muhammad on their roster, Milwaukee released guard Sean Kilpatrick before the March 1 deadline so that he is playoff eligible for a new team if signed.
Despite head coach Gregg Popovich’s recent comments that Kawhi Leonard may not play the rest of this season, Leonard does in fact plan on returning this season. Specifically, Leonard has begun working out at the Spurs’ practice facility in hopes of returning to the court sometime this month. A speculated return date is the Spurs’ mid-March road trip to Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Houston.
Dwyane Wade is happy to be back in Miami, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that he will suit up again next season. Wade will only be 36 years old this summer, but he’s not ready to commit to another season just yet. Some of the many factors Wade plans to consider include milestones regarding his NBA legacy, his short and long-term health, and his family.
Here are 13 additional headlines from last week:
- The Pelicans signed veteran big man Emeka Okafor to a rest-of-season contract after his second 10-day contract expired.
- The Jazz signed Naz Mitrou-Long to a second 10-day contract with the team.
- The Bulls signed Jarell Eddie to a 10-day contract.
- The Magic signed Rashad Vaughn to a second 10-day contract.
- The Lakers signed Travis Wear to a 10-day contract.
- The Pelicans will sign Walt Lemon Jr. to a second 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed Shaquille Harrison to a second 10-day contract.
- The Knicks signed Troy Williams to a second 10-day contract.
- Jimmy Butler underwent successful surgery on his torn right meniscus.
- Knicks point guard Jarrett Jack considered requesting a release from the Knicks before the March 1 playoff eligibility deadline.
- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo to all 30 teams with a reminder of the league’s policy on tanking.
- Former MVP Derrick Rose has received a couple of 10-day contract offers, but continues to hold out hope for a long-term offer.
- Despite a report to the contrary, Mirza Teletovic has denied that pulmonary emboli in both of his lungs has ended his career.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/24/18 – 3/3/18
Every week, the writing team here at Hoops Rumors’ creates original content to complement the news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Chris Crouse presented an interesting piece on the events taking place at the 2018 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, where tanking vs. rebuilding became a hot topic.
- Before the March 1 playoff eligibility deadline, Luke Adams took a look at five candidates who were rumored to potentially be waived.
- As part of our Community Shootaround Series, we asked:
- Does the injury to Timberwolves’ All-Star Jimmy Butler doom Minnesota’s playoff chances or will fellow All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and others step up their games while Butler is out?
- Which buyout candidates should have been pushing the hardest to be bought out before the March 1 deadline?
- What can/should the NBA do to discourage the widespread tanking efforts we’re seeing in 2017/18?
- Out of the 10 teams fighting to make the playoffs in the Western Conference, which two teams will miss the postseason?
- We reminded you how to follow your favorite players on Hoops Rumors.
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions regarding the upcoming free agency of Julius Randle, and the futures of DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan, Reggie Jackson, and Stan Van Gundy.
- As part of his Fantasy Hoops series, Chris Crouse touched upon the improved play of Jamal Crawford, the stock of Hawks’ rookie John Collins and newly-returned Paul Millsap, and who to pick up from the Pacers while Darren Collison is out.
- Luke Adams updated the roster status of teams with openings and future openings (at least one player on a 10-day contract).
- We analyzed the rules surrounding playoff eligibility – or lack thereof – for two-way players.
- Luke Adams recapped the buyouts we saw in the month of February.
- Our latest 2018 Free Agent Stock Watch focused on the Pacers.
- Chris Crouse provided an original piece about the new and improved Michael Beasley.
Knicks Sign Troy Williams To Second 10-Day Deal
The Knicks have signed swingman Troy Williams to a second 10-day contract, per the team’s official public relations twitter page.
After beginning his rookie year in Memphis a season ago, Williams, 23, caught on with the Rockets at the end of the 2017/18 season and was able to parlay his performance into a three-year contract worth $1.9MM in guaranteed money, but was released earlier this year in order to make room on Houston’s roster for Joe Johnson.
He averaged 12.5 minutes, 8.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in four games during his first 10-day stint in New York, and holds career averages of 5.8 PPG and 2.2 RPG.