Coronavirus Could Impact Combine, Workouts
Concerns over the coronavirus could impact the NBA’s pre-draft combines, on-site workouts and international scouting events, Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN report.
League officials and team executives are monitoring the situations and those events could become more limited in scope, or even cancelled, depending upon the spread of the virus. The global Hoop Summit is scheduled to be held in Portland in April, and the draft combine is, as usual, scheduled to be held in Chicago in May.
The league has already outlined short-term recommendations to its teams. Players are being asked to fist-bump instead of high-fiving fans and avoid handling items from fans such as pens, balls and jerseys to autograph, according to a league memo.
Blazers guard CJ McCollum has already stated in a Twitter post he won’t sign autographs until further notice and many other players are likely to take the same stance.
According to the ESPN report, the NBA and the Players Association have been consulting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and infectious-disease experts.
To date, there have been no reports of anyone associated with the league contracting the disease. A player who contracted the coronavirus would likely miss two weeks, the ESPN report adds.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bacon, Adebayo, Robinson
The Hornets might be in the market for an experienced point guard, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports. Devonte’ Graham, who is dealing with left ankle soreness, is doubtful to play Tuesday against the Spurs. Terry Rozier can slide over as the starter but fill-in point guard Malik Monk is suspended indefinitely under the league’s anti-drug policy and the team didn’t renew Joe Chealey’s 10-day contract. Charlotte has two open roster spots and will need to fill one soon, Bonnell adds.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Dwayne Bacon‘s status with the Hornets is a fluid situation, Bonnell tweets. Bacon has been toiling with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm and it’s uncertain whether he’ll return to the NBA level, according to Borrego. Bacon has played in 39 games with Charlotte this season, including 11 starts, but hasn’t seen action since the All-Star break.
- Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo share the same agent but Adebayo insists that won’t mean anything if the Bucks superstar hits the free agent market in 2021, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel relays. Both players are represented by Alex Saratsis. “At the end of the day, I can’t force a man to make that decision,” the Heat center said of potentially recruiting the reigning MVP. “That’s going to be his decision, his family’s decision. I can’t persuade him to do that.”
- The Heat’s offense has been most efficient this season with Duncan Robinson on the court, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald points out. Robinson owns the team’s best plus/minus rating. Additionally, the team’s offensive rating is 114.3 when he’s on the floor, compared to 105.9 when he’s on the bench. That bodes well for his future with the club, although his $1,663,861 salary for next season doesn’t guarantee until after training camp.
Rockets Notes: Harden, Tucker, Van Gundy, Bench
James Harden believes he’s taken for granted around the basketball world, as he told Rachel Nichols of ESPN (Twitter link). “I feel like I’m the best player,” said the former Most Valuable Player, who once again leads the league in scoring. “Throughout the course of the year, I don’t see double teams for anybody else. Usually, you’ll see a double team after a 50-point night or a 60-point night. I have an 18-point night, the next game I’m seeing a double-team.”
Harden also took a dig at Giannis Antetokounmpo, who joked while choosing his All-Star squad that he didn’t want Harden because he preferred someone who passed the ball. “I wish I could just go to the rim at 7-feet and just dunk,” Harden said. “That takes no skill at all.”
We have more on the Rockets:
- P.J. Tucker has accepted his new role as the team’s middle man in its Microball lineup, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports. Tucker says it’s just part of the job description of a team player. “It’s not a choice,” he said. “It’s like when people ask me why I play so hard. Like, it’s not a choice to play hard. I don’t have a choice. That’s what you’ve got to do. Period.”
- Broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy doled out praise to coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey for their willingness to take criticism by embracing unconventional lineups, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays. “I admire their basketball courage,” Van Gundy said. “They have true conviction. They don’t waffle. They believe in what they believe. And they are unafraid of the consequences or the criticism. That’s when you can coach freely and manage freely.”
- The recent additions of Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll have made the team’s bench much more formidable, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Forward Danuel House is noticing the difference. “It makes your team a very dangerous team,” House said. “Especially with your starting five. If your starting five is capable of putting up points and your bench is capable of putting up points, the team can stay consistent. There are no highs or lows, so that’s really good for our team.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/28/20
Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Bucks recalled forward D.J. Wilson from the Wisconsin Herd, according to a team press release. Wilson has played in four games with the Herd and is averaging 18.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.8 BPG in 28.6 MPG. With the Bucks this season, Wilson has appeared in 28 games and has averages of 3.0 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 8.7 MPG.
Community Shootaround: 3-Point Shooting
Thanks to analytics, the NBA has undergone radical changes in the way the game is played.
The traditional center has become more and more obsolete. The mid-range jumper and isolation plays are discouraged, rather than being a staple of every team’s offense. A big man’s game has been replaced by small ball.
Now, every game is a bevy of drives to the basket and 3-point shots. It wasn’t long ago that players would get benched for taking transition threes. Now, coaches get upset if someone passes up a good long-range look on the fast break.
But like eating too dessert, has the emphasis on 3-point shooting become too much of a belly-ache instead of sweet satisfaction?
The amount of 3-point attempts has skyrocketed in just a decade. In 2009/10, the Magic led the league in 3-point attempts at 27.3 3-point tries per game. The Grizzlies ranked last at 12.4 per game.
Five years later, the Rockets led the league at 32.7 attempts per game but there was a big dropoff to second place in that category, as the Cavaliers shot an average of 27.5. The Timberwolves ranked last at 14.9 and 10 other teams shot fewer than 20 per game.
Look at where we are today. The Rockets, no surprise, rank first with a whopping 44.2 attempts per game. The eight teams immediately below them shoot at least 35 per game. The Pacers rank last at 27.7 per game.
That’s right. The team taking the fewest 3-pointers this season would have ranked first in that category 10 years ago.
The way things are trending, 3-point attempts will continue to rise, though not as dramatically as they have the last five or 10 years.
Is it time for the league to step in and prevent every game from essentially turning into a 3-point shooting contest? They could try to experiment with limiting the amount of threes that could be taken, such as counting shots beyond the arc as three points only at certain times of the game. Or they could do something really drastic, like erase it altogether.
The latter is a pipe dream, but there are many fans out there who would like to see basketball return to its roots.
That brings us to our question of the day: Do you like the dramatic increase in 3-point shooting in recent years or do you think the NBA should take steps to curtail or discourage teams from taking so many 3s?
Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.
Central Notes: Bickerstaff, Sexton, Carter, Brown
J.B. Bickerstaff took over for John Beilein as Cavaliers coach after the All-Star break but he’s not a short-term replacement, he confirmed to Marc Spears of The Undefeated. Bickerstaff has received assurances from the front office he’ll receive a new contract.
“To my knowledge, at some point in time we will negotiate a long-term deal,” Bickerstaff said. “But this wasn’t an interim thing. This was a conversation that (Cavaliers GM) Koby (Altman) and I had. And he said, ‘You’re the head coach moving forward.’ So, the plan is I will be back next season with a long-term deal.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Second-year Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton admitted that Beilein’s departure served as a wakeup call for himself and his teammates, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer relays. Sexton asked himself some hard questions after the team made another coaching change. “Was I as coachable as I could have been? Could I have been more coachable? Could I have received information and criticism better? Let me step back and survey,” Sexton said. “’Was I as good of a player to coach when he was here?’ Had to just look myself in the mirror and ask myself those things.”
- Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. is hopeful he can return to action as early as Saturday, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. He hasn’t played since January 6 due to an ankle injury. “It’s going to be a little bit weak but continuing to play, continuing to put more stress on it is going to make it stronger,” said Carter, who will be on a minutes restriction when he returns.
- Pistons guard Bruce Brown has established himself as a defensive stopper and increased his rebounding totals since Andre Drummond was traded but there’s still one glaring area of improvement, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. Brown is shooting 44.3% overall and 33.7% on 3-point tries, which is an upgrade from his rookie year but is still a work in progress. “Bruce has improved in a lot of areas,” coach Dwane Casey said. “Shooting has been the last one to come around and I do know that will come around.”
Rockets Sign Jeff Green For Remainder Of Season
The Rockets have signed forward Jeff Green for the remainder of the season, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
The move was anticipated with Green’s 10-day contract about to expire.
Green, who was released by the Jazz in December, was a free agent for nearly two months before agreeing to sign with the Rockets last week. He and the team initially reached a 10-day deal so he could evaluate the situation before making a rest-of-season commitment.
In four games with Houston, Green has averaged 9.8 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 19.3 MPG. The 33-year-old power forward has looked comfortable as the reserve center in the Rockets’ small-ball lineups.
With Green’s signing, Houston has a full 15-man roster. Terms were not disclosed but if it’s a minimum-salary deal, he’ll earn $695,526 the rest of the way, with a $439,475 cap hit.
Free Agent Stock Watch 2020: Southwest Division
Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Southwest Division:
Ben McLemore, Rockets, 27, SG (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $4.3MM deal in 2019
If you’re in the same backcourt as James Harden and Russell Westbrook, you’re not going to have many opportunities to shoot. And when you do, you’d better make them. McLemore is making them. In his last three games, McLemore has averaged 13.3 PPG and knocked down 11 of 18 3-point attempts. Houston has shuffled its roster over the past month but as long as McLemore remains a perimeter threat, he’ll remain in the rotation. Houston needs to guarantee his modest $2.28MM salary for next season prior to free agency. It will be a surprise if the Rockets turn down that bargain.
Jordan Bell, Grizzlies, 25, PF/C (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $1.62MM deal in 2019
Bell wasn’t much of a factor with Minnesota this season, even when Karl-Anthony Towns missed some games due to injury or suspension. He got traded to Houston, which quickly flipped him to Memphis for Bruno Caboclo. Bell has only appeared in two games with the Grizzlies but there is a glimmer of hope. With injuries to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke depleting the frontcourt, Bell could get an extended look in the next couple of weeks. He’ll have to show a lot more than he did in Minnesota in order for Memphis to extend a qualifying offer, which would make him a restricted free agent.
Jahlil Okafor, Pelicans, 24, PF/C (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $3.27MM deal in 2018
When the Pelicans were shorthanded last month in Detroit, Okafor erupted for 25 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He never left the bench the next four games, which shows how little he figures in the organization’s plans. Okafor has played a total of 25 minutes since that game against the Pistons. Once Zion Williamson got healthy, Okafor’s already spotty playing time virtually evaporated. His ability to score in the low post has lost much of its value since he was taken with the third pick in the 2015 draft. He’ll be seeking another second-unit opportunity this summer.
Bryn Forbes, Spurs, 26, PG (Up) – Signed to two-year, $6MM deal in 2018
Undrafted despite playing for a major college (Michigan State), Forbes has fit well with the blue-collar Spurs. After Danny Green was traded during the 2018 offseason, Forbes became a starter in his third year in the league. He’s held onto that role this season and continues to provide a perimeter option on a team lacking in that area. Forbes has been on fire this month, draining 47.4% of his 3-point attempts. Forbes will enter unrestricted free agency this summer and should get a nice raise and a multiyear deal, perhaps without changing uniforms.
Willie Cauley-Stein, 27, PF/C (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $4.46MM deal in 2019
When Dwight Powell suffered a season-ending Achilles tear late last month, the Mavericks opted to trade with Golden State for Cauley-Stein. It seemed like a great opportunity for Cauley-Stein to pump up his value on a playoff contender. It hasn’t worked out that way. Cauley-Stein’s role has been limited since joining the Mavericks and he hasn’t played since the All-Star break due to undisclosed personal reasons. It’s a good thing for WCS that he has a $2.29MM option on his contract for next season. It should come in handy the way things are trending.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sixers Get Good News On Embiid’s Shoulder
The Sixers defeated the Knicks on Thursday without center Joel Embiid, then got promising news on his injured left shoulder.
Tests shows no significant structural damage, as he’s been diagnosed with a sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Embiid’s progress will be symptom-based and he’ll be re-evaluated in approximately one week, Charania adds.
Embiid suffered the injury against Cleveland on Wednesday. He collided with Cleveland big man Ante Zizic late in the first quarter. Embiid remained in the game to shoot two free throws, then was taken out at the next stoppage.
The Sixers scheduled an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.
Philadelphia is down its two best players. Ben Simmons is out for at least the next two weeks because of a nerve impingement in his lower back.
Without Embiid, the Sixers relied more on Al Horford (15 points, nine assists, seven rebounds) and Tobias Harris (34 points, seven assists, seven rebounds) against New York. Kyle O’Quinn also got more playing time and grabbed 10 rebounds in 14 minutes.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/27/20
Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Wizards assigned rookie swingman Admiral Schofield to the Capital City Go-Go, according the G League transactions log. Schofield, a second-round pick, saw action in 26 NBA games prior to this month, averaging 3.2 PPG in 11.2 MPG.