USA Basketball Announces Select Team Roster
USA Basketball announced on Monday the 13 players that will comprise the 2012 USA Select Team roster. The team will train against the 2012 USA Basketball Men's National Team from July 6-12 during a training camp in Las Vegas. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo released a statement on Monday speaking to what it means for a player to be named to the Select Team roster.
“Being chosen for the select team is quite an honor, and it’s an important step in becoming involved in USA Basketball’s national team program in the future,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said in a press release. “In the past, current national team finalists like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Iguodala, as well as many other outstanding players got their USA national team start through the select team.”
USA Basketball also announced that serving as co-head coaches of the USA Select Team are former Raptors head coach Jay Triano and Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins. Since the development of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team program in 2006, USA Basketball has selected and utilized three USA Select teams to help the USA National teams prepare for its major international competitions.
The 2012 USA Basketball Select Team Roster:
Nate McMillan To Interview With Bobcats
Former Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan will interview with the Bobcats on Monday and Tuesday for the team's head coaching vacancy, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. McMillan, 47, was fired by the Trail Blazers in March after going 266-269 with the team over seven seasons. The former 12-year NBA veteran expressed his interest in returning to coaching shortly after being relieved of his duties in Portland.
“I’ve never been fired. I’ve never been cut, and this was the first time I have been without a team,’’ McMillan told the Seattle Times after his firing. “I’ve never been out here before where I’m not working…To be fired, it’s just a word that is hard to swallow.’’
What might make the Bobcats a good fit for McMillan are his ties to the North Carolina area as he starred for NC State in the mid-80s before leaving school early for the NBA. Beyond McMillan, the Bobcats will also interview assistant coach Stephen Silas, son of former Bobcats head coach Paul Silas, on Monday. The Bobcats dismissed the elder Silas at the end of the 2011/2012 season after the franchise finished with the lowest winning percentage in NBA history at .106.
Central Notes: Collison, Jones, Cavs, Bulls
With the Bulls falling to the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs, the Pacers are the lone representative out of the Central Division still doing battle as their series against the Heat continues Tuesday night in Miami. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines out of the Central Division.
- Thanks to his speed and quickness, Darren Collison continues to show that Larry Bird made the right decision to acquire him two summers ago from the Hornets, writes Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star. The backup point guard for the Pacers scored 10 points during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Heat in what could have been a less competitive effort for the Pacers if not for Collison. "As long as I try and be aggressive, I can create opportunities not only for myself, but for my teammates, too."
- Brendan Savage of MLive.com says Perry Jones III might be a good fit for the Pistons thanks to his talent but his lack of desire may lead to a steep learning curve in the NBA. The 6-foot-11, 235-pound power forward has all the skills that make a player attractive teams especially with his ability to rebound and run the floor, but the former Baylor star showed little progress from his freshman to sophomore year in Waco. Simply put, the Pistons must be able to determine if they can get the most out of his boundless talents.
- While it's all but certain that Anthony Davis will be the first pick of the NBA draft next month, the Cavaliers will have many different options to choose from if they end up selecting third, suggests Starting Blocks of Cleveland.com.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com wonders what star the Bulls need to add to their roster in order to remain competitive without Derrick Rose and how the team should go about making such an acquisition. Smith suggests the option of the Bulls looking to rebuild with eyes on adding a player or two from the 2014 free agent class to join Rose. Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Danny Granger headline the list of possibilities that could end up in Chicago two seasons from now.
Lin’s Return To Knicks Not A Slam Dunk
Jeremy Lin's agent Roger Montgomery spoke with the New York Post about his client's future and stated that a return to the Knicks is not a guarantee, writes Marc Berman. Lin is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 which allows for the Knicks to match any offer made by another team to retain Lin's services. When asked about whether he thought negotiations with the Knicks would be a simple process this summer, Montgomery expressed his concern that getting Lin a new contract would be a drawn out endeavor.
"I don’t expect that. We’re not anticipating that’s going to happen. We don’t have assurances of anything. I know history shows most restricted free agents go back to their team, but I’m not going to assume anything. We’re waiting to see what happens."
Montgomery's goal as an agent is to create buzz that Lin may not re-sign with the Knicks so that other teams provide his client with a robust offer sheet. While the Knicks have the opportunity to match any offer sheet, they may face luxury tax issues during the third and fourth years of the contract if other teams make him a large offer (up to $15MM per season). If this is the case, the Knicks will have to determine if the money received from Lin-related merchandise sales will outweigh the luxury tax the franchise will surely have to pay if the former Harvard star is presented with a back-loaded offer sheet.
Look for Toronto to make Lin an impressive offer as the team is in search of a young point guard who will bring buzz to the beleaguered franchise in a city with a large Chinese population. Lin made $765K during the 2011/2012 season in which he averaged 14.6 points per game and 6.2 assists per game in 35 games with the Knicks. For more on Lin, check out Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Stock Watch series where we analyze the star point guard's prognosis for free agency this summer.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Heat, Thunder, Spurs, Lakers
Let's go coast to coast to catch up on the latest news and headlines before King James and the Heat look to make it a series against Indiana…
- Celtics head coach Doc Rivers has been using whatever time off his team is afforded to allow them to rest and get healthier, reports the Associated Press (via the Boston Herald).
- ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst says Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra needs to make adjustments to his strategy if Miami wants to have any chance of winning against the Pacers.
- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have matured and proven that they can co-exist in Oklahoma City, writes Sam Amick of SI.com.
- Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski believes the Thunder look like a team with legitimate title aspirations thanks to strong play by Durant and Westbrook.
- The Spurs relied on heavily-efficient play to overcome a 24-point deficit to the Clippers on Saturday, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com.
- Tom Ziller of SB Nation says the Lakers should trade Andrew Bynum so that the 24-year-old center's talents don't go to waste in Los Angeles.
- Gregg Popovich's decision to sit Tim Duncan during the 2000 NBA playoffs proved to be the right decision 12 years later, contends J.A. Adande of ESPN.com.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com believes the Celtics need to find a better balance in terms of getting Kevin Garnett more involved in the game on Monday evening against the Sixers.
Cavs Notes: Kidd-Gilchrist, Free Agency, Irving
The Cavs head into the offseason with a mix of upside and uncertainty as they finished the season with a 21-45 but featured the NBA Rookie of the Year in Kyrie Irving. The moves made by the team's front office will be critical as they look toward building a strong core around Irving and Tristan Thompson through the draft and free agency. Let's check in with The News-Herald's Bob Finnan who has the latest news and stories making headlines in Cleveland.
- Finnan reports that some NBA insiders think the Cavs should avoid drafting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist due to his poor perimeter shooting, but Ryan Blake, senior director of NBA scouting operations holds a different opinion. "He is a great athlete who has a great motor," he said. "He's a tough, physical defender. He attacks the rim and is a good finisher. He's a good rebounder. When you think about the ability he has, along with his (basketball) IQ and maturity, it's very important."
- The Cavs will have three restricted free agents this summer and need to decide if they will tender the players contracts before the June 30 deadline, writes Finnan. The players currently on the Cavs roster who will become restricted free agents include center Semih Erden and forwards Luke Harangody and Alonzo Gee. Finnan says to look for the Cavs to give Erden and Gee qualifying offers but will probably allow Harangody to become an unrestricted free agent.
- There were countless reasons why Irving took home the NBA Rookie of the Year award, but Finnan points to the grueling practices head coach Byron Scott put the Cavs through during training camp as Irving called them the most difficult part of the season. "Coach Scott is a little crazy in the preseason," Irving said. "It's a certain look he has with that whistle. He's mad at us. There are no basketballs, just running."
Heat Notes: Spoelstra, Hibbert, Wade
There's more on the line for the Heat today than simply evening the series or falling 3-1 to the Pacers. For LeBron James and friends, a victory would serve to erase much of the doubt surrounding the star-crossed franchise while a loss would further fuel speculation of a break-up upon the season's completion. Let's check up on the latest Miami news and headlines before this afternoon's action gets underway.
- CBSSports.com's Ben Golliver says the Heat would be taking two giant steps backward if they can't advance past the conference semifinals with the blame falling squarely on Erik Spoelstra's shoulders. One of the many issues surrounding the team is their inability to make a shot unless their name is LeBron. Look for Spoelstra to come up with a different starting lineup with hopes of shaking things up in the Heat's favor against the Pacers.
- Roy Hibbert's emergence as a dominating presence in the playoffs has been a major reason why the Pacers have excelled aside from taking advantage of Chris Bosh's absence, writes Peter Vecsey of the New York Post. The former Georgetown star has 44 points, 40 rebounds and nine blocks through three games against the Heat. With his strong performance during the playoffs coming on the heels of a breakout regular season, the restricted free agent should expect a long-term contract this offseason.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel believes it would be unfair to place a Heat collapse on Dwyane Wade even with his struggles as the team has collectively failed to make adjustments throughout the series. It's not too late for the Heat, but the team needs to right the ship on Sunday afternoon if they want to have any semblance of a chance to win the series. If the Heat lose the series to the Pacers, look for a long summer ahead in which all options sans moving James are on the table.
Western Notes: Nuggets, Fisher, Jordan
The Western Conference playoff picture became a bit clearer on Saturday evening as the Thunder knocked off the Lakers at the Staples Center to take a 3-1 series lead. The Lakers entered the fourth quarter with a nine-point advantage but could not overcome timely shooting from Kevin Durant as they fell 103-100. Let's take a look around the rest of the conference to catch up on the latest stories making headlines on this Sunday morning.
- Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post suggests the Nuggets use some of their depth to move up in the draft to acquire Austin Rivers. The team has too many wing players and not enough minutes to go around, which makes some combination of Arron Afflalo, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler expendable. The Nuggets currently hold the 20th pick in the draft and would need to move up to approximately the 10th slot to have a chance to draft Rivers.
- The signing of Derek Fisher earlier this season has proven to be a key move for the Thunder as his leadership has been evident in the team's locker room, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. It helps that Fisher, 37, won five rings during his two stints with the Lakers, giving him instant credibility with players like Nick Collison. "It's like having another coach, but he still has the respect of the players. It doesn't feel like he's preaching at you, he just makes a lot of sense."
- T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times says while DeAndre Jordan is a fun teammate to have around the Clippers organization, he needs to do more on the court to justify his hefty contract. Chris Paul, nearly a foot shorter than Jordan, is averaging the same amount of rebounds per game as the former Texas A&M star (5.0).
Odds & Ends: Deng, Magic, Ibaka, World Peace
With Tuesday night's second playoff game winding down, let's take a quick break from the action and catch up on the latest stories and headlines from across the league…
- The Bulls will sit down with Luol Deng to discuss his intentions of playing for Team Great Britain during the Olympics this summer in London, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says the Magic's evaluation of general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy is still ongoing as the organization has yet to make a decision about their fates for next season.
- Serge Ibaka continues to make impressive strides as the Thunder's starting power forward, reports Susan Bible of HoopsWorld.
- The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel says Metta World Peace and Thunder head coach Scott Brooks have forged an unlikely relationship over the years thanks to their time spent together in Sacramento.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld offers his latest NBA mock draft where he has Austin Rivers cracking the top 10 and heading to the Big Easy.
NBPA Releases Statement On Bird Rights Issues
Billy Hunter, the executive director of the NBA players' association, released a statement this evening addressing free agency issues involving J.J. Hickson, Chauncey Billups, Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak, reports USA Today's J. Michael Falgoust (via Twitter). All four players are hoping that an arbitrator will allow them to keep valuable rights as they hit free agency this summer.
“Bird and Early Bird rights are among the most valuable rights that players have by a player to select a team through free agency. We will ask the arbitrator to resolve this dispute on an expedited basis and prior to the commencement of free agency."
By allowing these players Bird and Early Bird rights, teams will be able to go above the salary cap to retain their own players. This directly impacts the Trail Blazers (Hickson), Clippers (Billups) and Knicks (Lin and Novak). Hoops Rumors writer Chuck Myron broke down the situation in great detail earlier this week.