And-Ones: Curry, Pelicans, Fredette, Maddox, NBA Con
The Warriors‘ Stephen Curry won another NBA award, but it wasn’t for his on-court prowess. He’s the recipient of the Professional Basketball Writers Association’s 2023 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his inspiring work in the community, the PBWA tweets. Curry was selected for promoting youth literacy, fitness and nutrition, as well as fostering gender equity in sports. Lakers center Wenyen Gabriel, Clippers forward Paul George and Celtics forward Grant Williams were the other finalists.
We have more from the basketball world:
- The Pelicans’ lease at the Smoothie King Arena expires next June but they plan to renew it to remain there for several more years, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. However, after renewing the lease, they plan to commission a study on whether renovations can be made to upgrade the arena or whether a new one is needed. Commissioner Adam Silver has stated that every arena in the league needs to be state of the art. New Orleans’ arena has the fewest seats of any lower bowl in the NBA.
- Former NBA player Jimmer Fredette is among the players chosen for the USA’s Men’s 3×3 World Cup Team, the organization tweets. Timberwolves video associate Kareem Maddox is also on the squad, Minnesota’s PR department tweets. The four-member team will compete in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup from May 30 to June 4 in Vienna, Austria.
- The NBA is adding a new fan-friendly event at the Summer League in Las Vegas, according to a league press release. NBA Con, a celebration of the best of hoops culture, will debut at Mandalay Bay from July 7-9, 2023. NBA Con will bring together the fashion, music, cuisine, art and technology that make the league a cultural phenomenon, with appearances by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, top draft prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson and numerous current NBA stars.
Draft Notes: Whitmore, Black, Bailey, Podziemski, Wembanyama, Morsell
Villanova forward Cam Whitmore is held in higher esteem by The Athletic’s John Hollinger than many other draft experts. Hollinger ranks Whitmore as the No. 3 prospect in the draft, one spot ahead of Alabama forward Brandon Miller.
Hollinger believes Whitmore’s level of athleticism and scoring ability as a wing makes him a top-three prospect. Arkansas point guard Anthony Black also makes Hollinger’s top five, while his top 10 includes a couple more surprises, including Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin.
We have more draft-related notes:
- UCLA’s Amari Bailey helped himself at the draft combine in Chicago and now deserves first-round consideration, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Another combo guard, Santa Clara’s Brandin Podziemski, may also have earned a first-round ticket. On the flip side, North Carolina State guard Terquavion Smith and Kansas forward Jalen Wilson were among the prospects who didn’t make favorable impressions in Chicago, per Wasserman.
- Why is Victor Wembanyama considered the best prospect since LeBron James? The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie goes into great detail on that subject, concluding that Wembanyama has the upside to be the best player in the world at some point and the ability to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame when his career is over.
- North Carolina State guard Casey Morsell is withdrawing from the draft and returning to the Wolfpack, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Morsell has one more year of eligibility remaining.
Lakers Notes: Role Players, Russell, Bamba, KCP, James
Among the many issues the Lakers face as they try to dig themselves out of a 3-0 hole in the Western Conference Finals is the lack of production from their role players, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes.
Beyond their two superstars and Austin Reaves, the Lakers got modest contributions from the remaining members of the rotation in Game 3 against the Nuggets. D’Angelo Russell (three points), Dennis Schröder (five points) and Jarred Vanderbilt (two points) were non-factors offensively.
“I thought they did the best they could, all of them,” coach Darvin Ham said. “They competed. I’m disappointed but I’m not upset. Yeah, it sucks to lose, but those guys, they fought their hearts out. They tried to do it. They tried to execute what we gave them.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Russell admitted he’s baffled by his ineffective play, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Russell, who’s headed to free agency, shot just 1-for-8 from the field on Saturday. “I really don’t. I don’t know,” he said when asked about how his approach needs to change. “I’ll try to figure it out.” He’s averaging just 7.0 points in the series after contributing 14.7 PPG in the second round against Golden State.
- The Lakers will have another frontcourt option for Game 4 on Monday. Mohamed Bamba is expected to be available, Ham told Chris Haynes of TNT (Twitter link). Bamba, who has appeared in only three postseason games due to a left ankle injury, hasn’t played since Game 6 in the first round against Memphis.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s defensive contributions and 3-point shot-making were often taken for granted during the Lakers’ 2020 title run at the Orlando bubble. His all-around contributions for the Nuggets in this series are a painful reminder of the ill-fated Russell Westbrook trade in 2021, which included Caldwell-Pope as part of the package, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN notes. KCP is averaging 15.3 points on 51.4% shooting in the series.
- LeBron James is showing his age by his inability to carry the Lakers in this series, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times opines. James played well enough in Game 3 but wasn’t great, and he needed to be great to bridge the gap that exists between the Nuggets and Lakers.
Nuggets Notes: Malone, Murray, Brown, Injury Report
The Nuggets are two wins away from the Finals and coach Michael Malone says his team is underappreciated by the national media, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Facing a storied franchise in the Lakers and their two superstars, the Nuggets believe they’re not getting enough credit for how good they’ve become.
“You win Game 1 of the (West Finals), and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone said. “Let’s be honest. That was the national narrative, was ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’
“No one talked about (how) Nikola (Jokic) just had a historic performance. He’s got 13 triple-doubles now — third all time (in the playoffs). What he’s doing is just incredible. But the narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. You put that in your pipe, you smoke it and you come back, and you know what? We’re going to go up 2-0.”
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and he also played along with the “lack of respect” theme afterward, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes. Murray feels he’s often overlooked in the discussion of the league’s top guards. “I don’t think I get enough respect as I should be,” Murray said. “I’m better than a lot of players in the league. Every time I see rankings of guys I think, ‘Man, that is crazy.’ Maybe it’s because I have been out for so long. But if we win the (championship), it changes everything.”
- Bruce Brown has turned into one of the key free agent signings in the league from last summer. Brown has been a defensive agitator in the postseason and a surprising offensive spark-plug, averaging 16.5 points over the last four games. “We were surprised that he was available on the second day of free agency,” Malone told Tony Jones of The Athletic. “We didn’t hesitate to try and bring him in. He’s been a perfect fit for us.” Brown signed a tw0-year deal with a $6.8MM player option for next season and is expected to hit the free agent market once again this summer.
- The Nuggets have struggled with injuries in recent seasons but continue to have good health in this postseason. They don’t have anyone on the injury report for Game 3, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets.
Community Shootaround: Blazers’ Lottery Pick
The Trail Blazers had some lottery luck, moving up to the No. 3 spot in the draft order on Tuesday.
That presents an interesting dilemma for Portland, which still seems desperate to quickly build a contender around Damian Lillard. The Blazers could use the pick as bait to acquire an All-Star level player or they could simply hold onto it and draft the best available player.
We all know what will the Spurs will do with the top pick – select potential superstar Victor Wembanyama. The Hornets hold the second slot and there’s no clear-cut selection after the French big man. If the Hornets go by need, they’d most likely take forward Brandon Miller rather than point guard Scoot Henderson, considering their best young player is LaMelo Ball.
Miller would also seem like a better fit for the Trail Blazers, since they already have a floor leader. There are other players worthy of consideration at the third spot, including Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker and Anthony Black.
Miller could immediately fill a void in the frontcourt if he’s still on the board at No. 3, as the Blazers’ small forward spot was in flux this season. Power forward Jerami Grant is headed to free agency and while Portland’s front office has stated it wants to re-sign Grant, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back.
Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons are signed through the 2025/26 season, though the Blazers must determine whether they’re truly part of the long term plan. Portland also has to decide whether to extend qualifying offers to Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish.
All of those personnel moves must be factored into their decision whether to trade the pick to get Lillard a proven star sidekick, or draft a player ready to make an impact.
Even though the free agent market isn’t dazzling, a lot of top talents such as Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Karl-Anthony Towns and Pascal Siakam could be on the trading block.
That brings us to today’s topic: Should the Trail Blazers keep the No. 3 overall pick in the draft or trade the pick as part of a package to get a proven veteran star?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Pacific Notes: James, Moneke, Vezenkov, Suns, Winger
LeBron James twisted his left ankle in the late going of Game 2 against the Nuggets on Thursday but the Lakers’ superstar said he’ll play in Game 3, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. James, who has dealt with right foot problems this season, stepped on Anthony Davis‘ foot. “A little ankle [injury] isn’t going to stop me,” James said.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Chima Moneke, who played two games with the Kings this season before signing with AS Monaco in the EuroLeague, fully expects league MVP Sasha Vezenkov to play for his former NBA team next season, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net writes. Sacramento holds Vezenkov’s NBA rights. “I know that they love him over there. They’re really excited to bring him over,” Moneke said. “I believe they’re going to do what it takes to implement him on the team. I think he can contribute in a lot of ways.”
- The Suns have gotten numerous inquiries from college coaches regarding their head coaching job, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports. While Rankin doesn’t reveal any specific names, he notes that owner Mat Ishbia is extremely close to his former college coach, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.
- Clippers general manager Michael Winger has interviewed with the Wizards in Washington’s search for a top executive. However, there’s skepticism around the league that Winger, one of the highest paid GMs in the league, will leave the stability of his current job, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
All-Star Game Could Return To East Vs. West Matchup
The NBA could revert to the East vs. West format for the All-Star Game, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The annual event had been a competition between the two conferences from its inception in 1951 through the 2017 season. Over the past six seasons, the league has used a player draft to determine the teams.
That could be among several changes as the NBA looks to increase the competition level of the league’s showcase event, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic tweets.
The All-Star Game has essentially turned into a glorified offensive exhibition. The winning team in the last two All-Star conference matchups exceeded 190 points. The league adopted a “target score” concept in fourth quarters to prevent an even higher total in recent years but the 2023 All-Star Game still wound up with a 184-175 score, with Team Giannis defeating Team LeBron.
The NBA and Players Association agreed in recent months to discuss ways to improve the All-Star Game as part of the new collective bargaining agreement. It has also been topic of discussion at recent Board of Governors and GM meetings.
The changes they are looking to implement could occur as soon as next season’s All-Star Game, which will be held in Indianapolis in February.
Eastern Notes: Whitmore, Wizards, Pistons, Giannis, Bucks
The Wizards hold the No. 8 pick in the draft and Villanova forward Cam Whitmore wouldn’t mind being part of their future, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Whitmore, who grew up in Maryland, is projected as a top-10 selection.
“That’s home, the D.M.V. There’s nothing like playing at home. The fans, hopefully they would be excited to have me. We’ll see if they pick me,” Whitmore said.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pistons had terrible luck at the lottery, dropping from No. 1 to No. 5. Trading the pick may be the way to go and James Edwards III of The Athletic explores that possibility. Edwards throws out a number of intriguing trade packages where the Pistons could wind up with Pascal Siakam, Keldon Johnson or RJ Barrett, or move up to the No. 3 spot in a deal with Portland.
- Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had some fun on social media when a Warriors fan implored him to push for a trade to Golden State. Antetokounmpo smiled and said, “Nah, I’m not that kind of guy,” JR Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. The two-time MVP cannot opt out of his contract until the summer of 2025.
- In a lengthy mailbag piece, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm writes in-depth about the Bucks’ coaching opening and why the organization parted ways with Mike Budenholzer. Nehm believes the next coach needs to have a solid plan about improving the Bucks’ half-court offense.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/16/2023
The transcript of our weekly Tuesday chat can be accessed here.
Join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Thursday.
Draft Notes: Jackson, Combine, Bates, Flagler
Andre Jackson Jr., one of the key players in UConn’s national championship run, has worked out for the Celtics and Nets, Tony East of SI.com tweets. Those workouts came prior to the combo guard’s workout with the Pacers on Friday. Currently at the NBA Combine, Jackson is ranked as the 30th-best prospect on ESPN’s Best Available list
We have more draft-related news:
- Santa Clara guard Brandin Podziemski, Texas forward Dillon Mitchell and G League Ignite forward Leonard Miller are some of the players with the most at stake at this week’s draft combine, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. The ESPN duo examines a number of storylines that will play out in Chicago this week.
- Eastern Michigan forward Emoni Bates had an impressive shooting performance in the first day of the combine, according to Mike Curtis of the Detroit News. Bates tied for first in the shooting-off-the-dribble drill and was second in the 3-point star drill, making 19-of-25 (76%) attempts from beyond the arc. The Memphis transfer and former five-star recruit is ranked No. 56 by ESPN.
- Another fringe second-round prospect, Baylor’s Adam Flagler, sat down with Draft Digest’s Bryce Simon and says he has the leadership skills to be an NBA point guard. “The point guard role was easier than expected because of who I am as a person, caring, compassionate,” Flagler said. “My voice is something I used to get my point across and doing what I can to help you. As a point guard you spend time off the court to know who they [teammates] are and how to push their buttons so you can demand those things on the court.” Flagler is ranked No. 68 by ESPN.