Griffin Interviews For Rockets Coaching Job
The Rockets are interviewing Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin for their head coaching job today, Mark Berman of Fox26 tweets. “Very special,” Griffin told Berman when he arrived for the interview. “I’m just looking forward to the opportunity.”
The 41-year-old Griffin, Scott Skiles’ lead assistant in Orlando, also interviewed for the Magic job before the franchise decided to hire Frank Vogel.
Before joining the Magic last summer, Griffin spent several years in Chicago as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau‘s staff. He also reportedly interviewed with the Blazers in 2012, the Pistons and twice with the Sixers in 2013, and the Jazz twice as well as the Cavs in 2014.
Spurs assistant coach James Borrego is also expected to be interviewed on Monday, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported this weekend. Griffin and Borrego will apparently have an uphill climb to get the job. The Rockets reportedly whittled down the prospective candidates to Sixers assistant coach Mike D’Antoni and Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas prior to those interviews.
The process toward hiring a new coach has been long-winded, with plenty of big names popping up along the way. New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, former Cavs coach David Blatt, Raptors assistant coach Rex Kalamian, Grizzlies assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik, San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell, current Rockets assistant Chris Finch and ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy were also linked to the opening at one time or another.
Draft Rumors: Dunn, Pacers, Trimble
- Oakland University point guard Kay Felder is among six players working out for the Pacers on Monday, according to the team’s official Twitter feed. Felder is considering a second-round prospect by both Ford (No. 43 overall) and Givony (No. 58). Purdue power forward Caleb Swanigan, Providence power forward Ben Bentil, Tennessee shooting guard Armani Moore, North Carolina State point guard Anthony Barber and Maryland shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon are the other prospects working out for Indiana.
- Maryland point guard Melo Trimble will make his final scheduled workout with the Hawks on Monday before deciding whether to stay in the draft, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). Trimble is ranked No. 71 by Ford and No. 76 by Givony.
- Xavier sophomore forward Trevon Bluiett is likely to withdraw from the draft and return to school, a source told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Bluiett was not ranked among the Top 100 draft prospects by either Ford or Givony.
- Villanova’s Josh Hart will work out for the Hawks on Tuesday and then decide whether to stay in the draft, Zagoria tweets. The junior shooting guard is ranked No. 46 by Ford and No. 43 by Givony.
Heat Notes: Durant, Deng, Johnson
Oklahoma City’s surprising playoff run means there’s virtually no chance that Kevin Durant will land with the Heat as a free agent, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel opines. Unless he’s desperate to get out of Oklahoma City, Durant has no real incentive to leave a team that can win championships, Hyde continues. While the Heat still must make an effort to contact Durant during free agency, it’s now clearcut that re-signing center Hassan Whiteside is their biggest offseason priority, Hyde adds.
In other news regarding the Heat:
- Retaining free agent small forward Luol Deng will be difficult if the Heat manage to retain Whiteside, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. It will be tough to make the salary-cap math work in that scenario, as Deng likely will have suitors willing to immediately pay a number the Heat would hesitate to match while wooing Whiteside, Winderman continues. Starting point guard Goran Dragic could be traded to free up cap space, while Dwyane Wade is likely to finish his career in Miami, Winderman adds while examining the roster.
- Restricted free agent Tyler Johnson might interest the point-guard starved Knicks, Marc Berman of the New York Post speculates. Johnson is quite versatile and would be a good fit if New York continues to run the triangle offense under new coach Jeff Hornacek.
- Continuity under team president Pat Riley and a stable coaching staff are the Heat’s greatest assets, Hyde writes in a separate piece. The belief that the Heat will regain their status as a prime title contender starts with Riley, according to Hyde, adding that Riley’s biggest decision this summer is whether the team should splurge on an outside free agent or wait until next year.
And-Ones: USA Basketball, Richardson, Murray
Paring the USA Basketball roster from 20 to 12 players will be difficult and controversial, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Anthony Davis will sit out the Rio Olympics because of injuries but managing director Jerry Colangelo has added young players like Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond, DeMarcus Cousins, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving to the mix, complicating the selection process. Colangelo told Washburn and other members of the media that players will be selected based on position need as well as their performance in recent NBA seasons.
In other news around the league:
- Syracuse freshman forward Malachi Richardson saw his stock rise higher than any other player during the draft combine, ESPN Insider Chad Ford reports. Richardson is one of the few wings in this draft with the size, speed and skills to get his own shot, according to Ford. He also has potential as a long-range shooter and that’s why his draft stock has elevated to the 12-20 range, Ford continues. On the other end of the spectrum, California forward Jaylen Brown made have damaged his chances of going in the top 10 with poor interviews, Ford adds.
- There’s still very little separation between LSU forward Ben Simmons and Duke small forward Brandon Ingram regarding the No. 1 overall pick, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets. Some teams are leaning toward Simmons, while others favor Ingram heading into the lottery, Howard-Cooper adds.
- Kentucky point guard Jamal Murray interviewed with the Timberwolves during the draft combine, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets. Murray is currently rated No. 6 by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and No. 3 on Ford’s Big Board.
- Iowa State power forward Georges Niang interviewed with the Nets, according to NetsDaily.com (Twitter link). Niang is considered a late second-round prospect.
Pistons Draft Notes: Jackson, Maker, Ellenson
Demetrius Jackson and Wade Baldwin head the list of point guards that might be available with the Pistons’ first-round pick, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. They are seeking a backup to Reggie Jackson and could find that player with the No. 18 overall pick, Langlois continues. At 5’9”, Tyler Ulis might be too small for the Pistons’ tastes but the 6’1” Jackson or 6’3” Baldwin would be prime candidates to fill that need, according to Langlois. That duo expressed excitement after interviewing with the Pistons’ brass at the combine, Langlois adds. Selecting a point guard is certainly a strong possibility but they could also deal the pick, according to David Mayo of MLive.com. The Pistons dealt a non-lottery pick to the Rockets at the trade deadline, only to void the deal because of concerns over power forward Donatas Motiejunas‘ back.
In other news regarding the Pistons:
- Thon Maker interviewed with the Pistons and they may be intrigued enough by the 7-foot power forward to draft him if he slips to the second round, Mayo writes in a separate piece. GM Jeff Bower has said that the team would be willing to select a high-ceiling big man and Maker, who is making a preps-to-pros jump, projects as a range-shooting power forward with ball-handling skills, Mayo continues. Detroit has the No. 49 overall pick in addition to its first-rounder.
- Power forward Henry Ellenson did not interview with the club but it would be delighted if he dropped out of the lottery and into their lap, Mayo relays in his latest combine story. Ellenson is the type of stretch four the Pistons covet, even though Ellenson shot just 28.8% from long range at Marquette in his only college season, Mayo continues. “I think I’m just a mismatch problem,” he told Mayo. “So whatever that night gives me, I feel comfortable playing all over.”
- Shooting guards Malik Beasley and Josh Hart, combo guard Malik Newman, power forward Jake Layman and center Stephen Zimmerman and Ulis are among the players the Pistons interviewed at the combine, Mayo tweets.
Southwest Notes: Duncan, Grizzlies, English
Retirement decisions by Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will determine the volume of roster moves made by Spurs GM R.C. Buford this offseason, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News opines. Addressing the team’s five burning questions this summer, McDonald believes there’s a good chance that Tony Parker will be the only member of San Antonio’s longtime Big Three to return next season. The Spurs probably won’t overhaul their roster following a 67-win season, but there will be spots to fill if Duncan and Ginobili call it quits, McDonald continues. The Spurs will make runs at top-level free agents Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley and possibly Pau Gasol but they will also attempt to infuse the bench with more youth and athleticism, McDonald adds.
In other news around the Southwest Division:
- The Grizzlies are unlikely to use their first-round pick on a power forward, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal opines. Memphis, which holds the No. 17 pick, drafted Jarell Martin last June and the team views him as their future starter at the position, though he underwent a foot procedure after the postseason, Herrington continues. Zach Randolph still has at least one more quality season in him and JaMychal Green can bridge the gap between Randolph and Martin, Herrington adds.
- Point guard A.J. English will work out for the Pelicans, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets. It was previously reported that English, who is considered a potential second-round pick, had scheduled workouts with the Pistons, Bucks, Cavaliers, Wizards, Clippers, Mavericks and Lakers.
- Swingman Justin Anderson and power forward Dwight Powell give the Mavericks two young building blocks, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning-News reports. The organization has big plans for both players after they showed flashes of promise this past season, as president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson told Sefko. “They are two young cornerstone-type pieces,” Nelson said. “Big hearts. Great work ethic. Those two guys are a piece of the fabric. Our hope is that we can keep that young core going.”
Kings Rumors: Chriss, Joerger, Catanella
Marquese Chriss’ all-around ability makes him a potential target with the Kings’ lottery pick, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. The 6’9” forward averaged 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in his lone college season at Washington. He is ranked No. 12 by DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony and No. 8 by ESPN Insider Chad Ford. Chriss fashions his game after Sacramento’s incumbent small forward. “I try to play like Rudy Gay,” Chriss told Jones. “I feel like he’s very versatile. He can play from the perimeter, he can post people up, he can put the ball on the ground consistently. I’m working on my ballhandling to get more confident with that.”
In other news regarding the Kings:
Community Shootaround: Warriors’ Title Drive
The breaking news on Monday, as reported by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, that Stephen Curry would be named the league’s Most Valuable Player again came as no surprise. The only mystery regarding Curry’s second straight MVP is whether anyone else got a first-place vote after the Warriors’ historic season.
As for Curry’s health, there’s plenty of uncertainty. Curry has only appeared in two of the Warriors’ eight postseason games, first because of an ankle injury and currently due to a sprained right MCL. Golden State managed to win four of those six games, but his absence may be wearing on the club, as evidenced by its 12-point loss to Portland in Game 3 on the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday.
Curry returned to action Monday night, but it’s fair to wonder how the injuries will affect him going forward. Physically, he may not have full mobility until he can rest and rehab in the offseason.
Moreover, it’s always difficult for an athlete to completely trust their body if there’s any lingering pain or fear that certain movements could aggravate the injury.
The Warriors certainly don’t have an easy road to a second straight title, even if Curry is feeling spry. They’ve got to get past the pesky Trail Blazers, and face either a veteran, deep perennial contender in the Spurs or a revived, hungry Thunder unit with two of the league’s top players.
Should they survive that acid test, they’ll probably see the Cavs and their trio of stars, who have been playing lights out thus far in the playoffs.
This leads us to our question of the day: Can the Warriors still repeat if Stephen Curry isn’t 100% healthy the remainder of the postseason?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Shaw, Saric, Jackson
Brian Shaw does not expect to interview for the Knicks head coaching job and speculates that interim coach Kurt Rambis will be retained, as Shaw said in an ESPN TV interview that was relayed by ESPN.com’s Ian Begley. The ex-Nuggets coach, who is considered a candidate for the Grizzlies’ head coaching opening as well as the Pacers’ job, told SportsCenter’s Hannah Storm that Rambis is a better fit. “Kurt Rambis is there,” Shaw said. “He’s very adept at running the triangle, and if Phil Jackson wanted a coach that’s going to run that system for him, he has a guy that’s there that he has confidence in. So I don’t see him bringing in somebody else who has the knowledge of that system when he already has somebody there.”
In other news and notes around the league:
- Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo and head coach Brett Brown will fly to Turkey this month to meet with Dario Saric, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The 6’10” forward reportedly told his teammates in the Turkish Basketball League that he’ll opt out of his European contract and sign with the Sixers, who acquired his NBA rights during the 2014 draft. But Colangelo wants to find out for himself, as he told Pompey. “I don’t want to go on hearsay and what might have been said by him or what his friends are telling people he’s telling them,” he said. “I’d rather speak to the individual.”
- Mark Jackson would be an ideal candidate to replace Frank Vogel as the Pacers coach, NBA.com’s David Aldridge opines in his latest Morning Tip column. He proved he could turn around a franchise in his last head coaching job with the Warriors and led Indiana to an NBA Finals appearance as a player, Aldridge points out. Jackson has also learned from his missteps with Golden State and will hire a more experienced staff and maintain better lines of communication with management, Aldridge contends.
- The Jazz must decide this summer whether small forward Gordon Hayward fits in their long-term plans, Bobby Marks of The Vertical writes in his offseason evaluation of the team. Hayward will likely seek a max deal that could approach $30MM per year next summer when he can opt out of his contract, but he didn’t show much growth this season, Marks continues. The Jazz must also sort out their point guard situation and add an athletic wing and reserve center, Marks adds.
Southeast Notes: Horford, Teague, Walker
Soon-to-be free agent Al Horford isn’t leaving any doubt about his fondness for Atlanta and the Hawks, answering affirmatively Sunday when Zach Klein of WSB-TV asked whether he wants to be back with the team next season (Twitter link). The Jason Glushon client expressed his faith in Mike Budenholzer’s system, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “I believe it in my heart,” Horford said. “I believe that the way that we play makes us successful, and we have to figure out how we can take that next step as a group.” Those weren’t the only remarks Horford made in the wake of Sunday’s playoff ouster that sound encouraging to Atlanta’s hopes of re-signing him, but players on expiring contracts often speak well of their incumbent teams at season’s end, only to head elsewhere in July.
See more from Atlanta amid the latest from the Southeast Division:
- Trade candidate Jeff Teague doesn’t think the Hawks will pull the trigger on a deal this summer, expressing confidence Sunday that he’ll be back next season even after the Hawks sat him the entire fourth quarter of Game 4 in favor of Dennis Schröder, notes Ray Glier of USA Today. “Yeah, I’ve been here my whole career, why wouldn’t I?” Teague said.
- Hornets star point guard Kemba Walker underwent surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the team announced on its website. Walker is expected to resume basketball activities in early July, according to the release. This was Walker’s second procedure on the knee in 16 months, but it was more elective than urgent, a source told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Walker has experienced soreness in the knee since his high school days, Bonnell adds.
- The Wizards will attend the predraft camp in Chicago this week and have asked permission from the league to interview 30 prospects, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. The team will be looking at mainly second-round prospects who could go undrafted with their primary focus being power forwards and centers, Michael adds. Washington must convey its first-round pick to the Suns unless it has lottery luck and has also traded away its second-rounder.
- Budenholzer resists the notion that consecutive sweeps at the hands of Cleveland should prompt the Hawks to tear apart their roster, observes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Losing to Cleveland twice is tough,” Budenholzer said. “But to the fanbase, to people who think [about blowing it up], if we want to find a way to beat whether it be Cleveland or whoever the great teams in the league or our conference are, blowing it up is probably not the way to beat a team like Cleveland or whoever it may be that is very good.”