Coronavirus Notes: Ballmer, Cuban, BIG3
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, through the Ballmer Group, has pledged more than $25MM in aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. The donation will help Seattle, Southeast Michigan and Los Angeles, areas that have been hard hit by coronavirus. It includes $10MM to University of Washington Medicine’s Emergency Response Fund to speed up testing for a COVID-19 vaccine. In an unrelated revelation, Ballmer said his team will lose at least $10MM this season because of the suspension of play, sports business Scott Soshnick tweets.
We have more coronavirus-related developments:
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban suggests that fans could be checked for illness entering arenas once games are played in front of spectators, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News relays. “It’s not hard to use thermal guns to take someone’s temperature and look for fevers,” Cuban said on CNBC. “Is it feasible? Yes, absolutely. We have to be very cautious, particularly as we try to come back. At first, we’ll play a lot of games without fans and figure it out with all the medicines that become available, we’ll go from there.”
- The BIG3 is moving forward with plans to play a quarantined reality-show tournament in early May, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports. The league is partnering with the producers of the TV show “Big Brother” to create the tournament. Players and referees will be quarantined in the same Los Angeles-area home provided by the league for the three-week preseason tournament, which will consist of 16 players, Haynes adds.
- A well-known ESPN analyst is recovering from the coronavirus. Get the details here.
International Notes: Dekker, Japan, China
Former NBA forward Sam Dekker is headed home after the Russia VTB United League cancelled its season, he tweets. Dekker, who left Moscow on Thursday with a connecting flight in Turkey, was playing for Lokomotiv Kuban. Dekker played for Washington and Cleveland last season.
We have more international news:
- The Japanese B League has decided to cancel the remainder of its season, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports. The league went on hiatus after the COVID-19 outbreak in mid-February and briefly resumed play for one weekend this month. “We’ve prioritized the mental and physical health of our players, coaches and club officials,” league chairman Masaaki Okawa said in a video statement. “The spread of this coronavirus has been beyond our imagination and we’ve emphasized that we cannot afford to expose our players and others who are associated with our league to the danger.”
- China is closing its borders to foreigners starting on Saturday, according to NPR.org post, and that could impact players returning to the Chinese Basketball Association. The CBA is planning to resume its season next month and foreign players that have already returned were required to quarantine for two weeks. However, not all foreign players have made it back to China.
- The NBA is closely monitoring China’s efforts to resume play with an eye toward replicating those measures if the CBA is successful, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. While the CBA hasn’t formally announced a plan, it’s expected to cluster teams in one or two cities and play a round-robin format in empty arenas over several weeks. The CBA’s goal is to play out the remaining schedule in full before moving on to the playoffs. The NBA could look at venues in a centralized location, including Las Vegas.
Atlantic Notes: Smart, Kurucs, Hayward, Dinwiddie
Celtics guard Marcus Smart is doing “great” after testing positive for the coronavirus, coach Brad Stevens told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and other media members. “He’s great. Great spirits. Joking as always,” Stevens said Friday. Smart is one of 10 NBA players known to have tested positive for COVID-19. Smart revealed his diagnosis on March 19.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets’ Rodions Kurucs was due in Brooklyn court on Monday for his misdemeanor assault case but that proceeding was postponed, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. The case has been administratively adjourned due to the pandemic and a new date will eventually be set. Kurucs was arrested last summer on a domestic assault charge.
- There’s a general sense that Celtics forward Gordon Hayward will opt in to his contract next season, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Hayward holds a $34MM option. “It’s too much money to pass up,” an unnamed NBA GM told Deveney. “He could get a longer deal if that is what he really wants. But I don’t think the Celtics want to give it to him. … He can opt in this year and then take a big contract next year.”
- Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie will be in demand on the trade market this offseason, Lewis opines in a separate story. Dinwiddie, who can opt out after next season, has posted career highs in points (20.6 PPG) and assists (6.8 APG).
International Notes: FIBA, Italy, Greece, Belgian-Dutch League
FIBA remains hopeful of resuming some competitions but only if the conditions allow for it, according to a statement on its website. Decisions will be made regarding the Basketball Champions League, the Basketball Champions League Americas and the Basketball Africa League in the coming weeks after consultation with the respective leagues and clubs. The same applies to our international competitions suspended at sub-Zone level, the statement from FIBA president Hamane Niang and Secretary General Andreas Zagklis adds.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Italy’s LNP has entered a request to resume play in the Serie A2 league in May and June but only if government allows all the teams to travel, practice and play in front of spectators, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes. The Serie A2 Italian Cup has already been canceled. LNP asked the Italian Basketball Federation to cancel Serie B, a lower-tier league.
- The 14 teams of the Greek Basket League have agreed to end their season, Carchia relays in another post. No decision has been made regarding final standings or if there will be a champion crowned.
- The Belgian Pro Basketball League and Dutch Basketball League clubs are taking steps to create a BeNeLeague for the 2021/2022 season, Nicola Lupo of Sportando writes. The final decision by clubs of both countries will be made in the fourth quarter of 2020. If the league is a go, it would begin in mid-September 2021.
Pistons Notes: Draft, Brown, Casey, TV Workers
If the Pistons win the lottery, Georgia guard Anthony Edwards would be their best hope of landing a potential superstar in this draft, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Edwards’ “power athleticism” gives him a slight edge over LaMelo Ball, another point guard who played in Australia this season. Edwards, who is already 225 pounds at 18 years old, can be elite offensively if he’s willing to put in the work, Vecenie adds. The Pistons currently have a 10.5% chance of landing the top pick, so Vecenie and The Athletic’s James Edwards III run through a variety of draft scenarios and prospects from 1-7.
We have more on the Pistons:
- Second-year guard Bruce Brown will be focused on continuing to develop his jumper and improving his other ball skills during this offseason, Keith Langlois of the team’s website writes. Brown has already established himself as a solid and versatile perimeter defender and coach Dwane Casey views him in a secondary ballhandler role going forward. The franchise values Brown as a vital part of the future while reshaping many other parts of its roster, Langlois adds.
- Casey has been spending extra time viewing film of not only NBA games but also draft prospects, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. The Pistons were one of the teams that went into self-isolation after the suspension of play. “Watching game film, trying to see what we can do differently defensively,” Casey said. “New ideas to experiment with for next year. Also watching a lot of draft film. Very unusual for this time of year.”
- While the Pistons and other teams are giving assistance to arena workers and staff members during the hiatus, the team’s broadcasting crew is seeking financial help, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports. Freelancers for Fox Sports Detroit — which also broadcast Red Wings and Tigers games — are not getting paid during the hiatus. FSD was one of the regional sports networks purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group last year and haven’t been offered any assistance from Sinclair. Most FSD workers at Pistons home games, including stage managers, camera operators, audio technicians and editors, are freelancers.
Atlantic Notes: Van Gundy, Sixers, Smart, Barrett
Stan Van Gundy calls the Knicks organization “extremely dysfunctional” and has no interest in becoming their head coach, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov tweets. However, he hinted that former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy might have some interest in a second stint. Speaking on ESPN radio, the former Miami, Orlando and Detroit head coach said, “I’m not really interested in the New York Knicks, no. If anyone would be interested in that — and I’m not sure he is either — it would be my brother.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The extended layoff will definitely help the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. Ben Simmons will have ample time to heal the lower back injury that sidelined him shortly after the All-Star break. Coach Brett Brown will have more time to solve the spacing issues created by playing Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Al Horford together. It also allows Josh Richardson time to rest his hamstring injuries and be further removed from the concussion he suffered, Pompey adds.
- All of the other Celtics players and staff have tested negative for COVID-19, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Guard Marcus Smart is one of 14 NBA players/personnel who have tested positive. Smart revealed his test result on Thursday.
- Despite mediocre efficiency ratings, Knicks guard RJ Barrett flashed All-Star potential in his rookie season, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Barrett, who has posted averages of 14.3 PPG and 5.2 RPG, has a knack for getting to the basket, a consistently high motor and a strong work ethic. NBA talent evaluators are confident Barrett can significantly improve his perimeter and free throw shooting.
Daniel Oturu Headed To NBA Draft
Minnesota sophomore big man Daniel Oturu plans to enter the draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Oturu is currently ranked No. 37 overall and No. 6 among centers by ESPN’s draft experts after a breakout season.
The 6’9” Oturu averaged 20.1 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 2.6 BPG for the Golden Gophers. He posted 18 double-doubles and reached the 20-point mark in five of his last six games. He scored a career-high 30 points in a win over Michigan.
Oturu, who received second-team All-Big 10 honors, averaged 10.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG as a freshman.
NBA Season Could Stretch Into September
The NBA season could be extended into September in order to determine a winner, rather than cancelling it, several ESPN analysts suggest.
While there’s been talk the league could play into August, this is the first time we’ve heard of potentially playing to the end of summer or even the start of fall.
Appearing on Outside the Lines, Ramona Shelburne declares the league will do all it can to have a team hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy (Video link).
“This is a general sense among owners and players that no matter what they want to salvage the season, if that’s in July, if that’s in August, if that’s in September, so be it,” she said. “I don’t think anyone wants to start a new season without crowning a champion from this season.”
Former NBA player Jalen Rose said players could get ready physically to resume the season fairly quickly and doesn’t see competition with other sports as an issue (video link).
“The NBA could start in mid-June, mid-July, the NBA could start in August,” he said on ESPN’s morning show Get Up. “This idea that you can’t play basketball in September because you don’t want to compete with the NFL is absurd.”
Brian Windhorst echoed Rose’s comments on the same program.
“I think they’ll do whatever it takes, whatever it is on the calendar,” he said. “I don’t think I would rule out September basketball at all.”
Canada, Australia Won’t Participate In Olympics Without Postponement
MARCH 23: The Australian National Committee has told its athletes to prepare for the Olympics to be postponed by a year, indicating in its announcement that an Australian Team can’t be assembled for 2020. Unlike Canada, Australia is one of eight teams that has already qualified for the basketball tournament at the Tokyo Olympics.
MARCH 22: The Canadian Olympic Committee will not send its athletes, including the basketball team, to the Tokyo Olympics unless the event is postponed, the CBC News tweets. The Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 24.
In a statement, the committee urges the International Olympic Committee and World Health Organization to postpone the Games for one year. The committee also pledges its full support to help the IOC navigate the complexities created by such a postponement.
Team Canada’s basketball team is coached by Raptors coach Nick Nurse and includes numerous NBA players. Canada isn’t yet guaranteed a spot in the Tokyo Olympics, but was scheduled to host and compete in a qualifying tournament this June.
The IOC has stated that “cancellation is not on the agenda,” but the organization suggests delaying the 2020 Games is on the table. However, its president Thomas Bach says that it’s too early to make a final decision about the date of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Earlier this week, USA Track and Field called for the Summer Olympics to be postponed.
Coronavirus Notes: Schedule, Testing, Jazz, Satoransky
If the NBA season is completed late in the summer, it could have long-term implications on the league schedule, Mike Singer of the Denver Post opines. If the playoffs are conducted in July and August, there is no chance that NBA training camps would open in late September, Singer notes. Hawks CEO Steve Koonin’s suggestion prior to the suspension of play that the league calendar should shift to a December-August format could become a reality, at least for one season.
We have more coronavirus-related news:
- The ease in which NBA teams had access to tests compared to the general public was a bad look for the league, Dan Wolken of USA Today writes. Franchises should use their vast resources and influence to get others tested, rather than asymptomatic NBA players, Wolken argues.
- Jazz owner Gail Miller and her family will “more than match” the $200K donation that Gobert has pledged to Vivint Arena and Jazz part-time employees, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. Gobert and numerous other NBA players have made similar donations to arena workers.
- Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky is pessimistic about the resumption of the NBA season and wants to return to Europe, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago relays. In a recent interview with NOVA Sports, he said, “It is not pleasant to stay here and watch the team owners try to finish the league in order not to lose so much money. It is not very pleasant, perhaps because we would like to travel to the Czech Republic with my wife and daughter. We perceive the situation logically as Europeans. We perceive that all the right measures are already in place in the Czech Republic, and we think that in the USA, it will only get worse and worse.