Western Notes: Howard, Anderson, Parsons
Dwight Howard says that his desire is for an extended career similar to that of Tim Duncan‘s, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle writes. The Rockets‘ big man told Creech, “That’s always been my goal- to play 20 years in the league so I think it can be done. It would be great. Tim [Duncan] is still playing great basketball. He has migrated to different spots on the floor instead of just the post. When you play that long, you get an opportunity to do a lot of different things. God willing, I will play this game as long as I can. It brings a lot of joy to myself and to other people around me. Hopefully I can continue to play at a high level.” This is currently Howard’s 11th season in the NBA.
Here’s more out of the Western Conference:
- The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. In five jaunts to Austin this season Anderson has made 26 appearances, averaging 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 40.0 minutes of action per contest.
- The Mavericks are hopeful that Chandler Parsons can return from injury in time for the playoffs, though no timetable has been set, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “He’s doing better. He’s just not there yet,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’d like to get him back to play a game or two before the playoffs, if it’s possible. But nothing is for sure. He’s doing better each day and there are some encouraging signs. But beyond that, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen.” Parsons is out of action courtesy of a balky right knee.
- The Wolves have announced (Twitter link) that Nikola Pekovic underwent a successful debridement and repair of his right Achilles tendon this morning. The center will remain out of action indefinitely. In 31 appearances this season Pekovic averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per contest.
Prospect Profile: Myles Turner
It’s been a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” sort of season for Texas big man Myles Turner, who officially announced that he’ll be entering this year’s NBA draft. Turner’s play this season helped the Longhorns lock down an 11th seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. But unfortunately in Texas’ first round contest it was one of those nights when the meeker Dr. Jekyll version of the center showed up, and Turner had just two lonely points to go along with 10 rebounds in the Longhorns’ loss to Butler.
The Texas native was ranked No. 6 overall in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school, but he didn’t quite live up to the hype during what will be his sole college season in the Lone Star state. In a draft rich with talented big men, Turner’s stats this season don’t necessarily rate him as a lottery pick. If a team selects Turner in the top 10 it will be more about his long-term potential than the player he is right now. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) ranks Turner as the No. 10 overall prospect, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress rates him the No. 12 overall player in this year’s NBA draft.
Turner’s overall numbers for the season weren’t eye-popping, with averages of 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks in 22.2 minutes per night. His shooting numbers in 34 appearances were .455/.274/.839. Turner was 1st in the Big 12 Conference in blocks, 1st in defensive rating (86.3), and 3rd in free throw percentage.
There was a large discrepancy between Turner’s performances against lesser competition and what he logged against the bigger, more talented schools. The 19-year-old failed to score in double figures in 20 of the 34 games he played in, and he only reached double digit rebounds in a total of seven contests. It’s unclear how much of Turner’s struggles with consistency can be placed upon the shoulders of former Texas coach Rick Barnes, who was let go by the university after Texas’ tournament ouster. Barnes’ system wasn’t a great fit for Turner, but one would still like to see more production from a potential lottery selection.
Offensively, Turner is more of a jump shooter at this stage of his development than a post up threat. The big man has good instincts on the offensive end, something that isn’t all that common in young power forwards and centers his age. Turner has a nice high release point on his shot which will translate nicely to the NBA and its bigger, more athletic players. He also can drain shots from beyond the arc, but isn’t a consistent threat from deep just yet. The forward is also a superior free throw shooter, nailing nearly 84% of his attempts from the charity stripe this season.
One major concern regarding Turner is his odd and somewhat awkward running style. The forward doesn’t move well in transition, even by big man standards. According to Givony, citing statistics gathered by Synergy Sports Technology, Turner only made five field goals (out of 13 attempts) all season in transition situations. That is an alarmingly low percentage for a college player with Turner’s level of athleticism, and should raise some red flags amongst scouts and GMs. Turner’s running style also has some scouts worried that he could be an injury risk, something that is already a concern with taller players without the added worry Turner’s unusual gait brings.
As a defender, Turner is far from a slouch. He was one of the anchors on a Texas team that ranked in the top-20 in the nation on defense, and he is a fearsome shot blocker and also an excellent help defender. While Turner still needs to bulk up, a common requirement for college bigs transitioning to the NBA, his excellent 9’1.5″ reach should make him a tough defender once he figures out the professional game.
The seven-footer does have a leg up on a number of college forwards, in that Turner does have a clearly defined NBA position. Far too many college bigs transition to the league without a set position, and those players usually don’t turn out to be much better than complementary rotation players for their careers. Turner is a prototypical stretch four as far as his skills go, and with the increasing demand for big men who can stretch the floor in the NBA, he shouldn’t be lacking for work anytime soon.
Turner is easily one of the more polarizing talents in this year’s NBA draft. He has top five pick potential, but his athletic limitations and injury concerns will likely cause him to drop to the bottom of the lottery, or out of it altogether. His pre-draft physicals will be paramount to his case to be a top 10 pick. If teams are too wary of his potential knee and hip issues, then Turner will slide down the draft board and some team picking in the late teens could land themselves a steal. Turner has the potential to provide similar production to that of LaMarcus Aldridge and Chris Bosh, though it will likely take him multiple seasons to even begin to approach those players’ levels. In a draft loaded with talented big men, Turner carries with him one of the higher risk versus reward ratios. But he’s absolutely worth taking a chance on for a team picking in the teens, though I wouldn’t risk a top 10 pick on him considering the depth in this year’s draft at Turner’s position.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
J.P. Tokoto To Enter NBA Draft
North Carolina junior swingman J.P. Tokoto intends to enter this year’s NBA Draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Tokoto, 21, won’t initially sign with an agent, he told Wojnarowski. This means he won’t have to formally declare for the June draft until the April 26th deadline, and he’ll retain his college eligibility if he decides to return to school.
“Going in, I know I’m not a first-round pick,” Tokoto said. “I know my jumper needs work, and I’m putting in that work now – and will keep doing it. My jumper is something that has me as a second-round pick right now, but I have a mindset of work to improve the form and range of my shot.” Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress rates Tokoto the No. 53 prospect overall, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) doesn’t rate the 6’6″ swingman quite as high, placing Tokoto at No. 77 overall on his top 100.
Tokoto said he believes that his best chance for developing his game will come from immersing himself in a professional environment, Wojnarowski relays. “I feel like there can be a lot more to me as a player, more than just the defensive player who can occasionally dunk the ball,” Tokoto told the Yahoo! scribe. “I know I can be so much more, but I’m not sure that I’m pushed to be that much more [in college].”
In 38 appearances for the Tar Heels this season Tokoto averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 29.1 minutes per game. His career tallies are 6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 2.7 APG. Tokoto’s career slash line is .462/.266/.544.
Central Notes: Bucks, Copeland, Whittington
State, county and city leaders continue to bicker over how to raise the public share of funding for a new Bucks arena in Milwaukee even as the team unveiled sketches for the proposed $500MM building today, report Don Walker And Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks nonetheless have extreme confidence that the project will get done, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. The team is facing an NBA-imposed deadline of 2017 to reach a deal on funding for construction, lest the league seize control of the franchise from its owners.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Pacers coach Frank Vogel expressed concern that the nightclub stabbing of forward Chris Copeland will become a distraction to his team, Peter Botte of The New York Daily News writes. “It’s always a shock when you hear something like this. So it’s a big shock,” Vogel said. “Obviously it hurts to see a teammate be injured like this, but we’re trying to remain focused on the game tonight.”
- The Bulls were 10-10 while Derrick Rose missed time due to a surgical procedure on his right knee, and the team hopes that his return tonight can spark a deep playoff run, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes. The handling of Rose and Chicago’s other injured players this season has deepened the rift between coach Tom Thibodeau and the front office, Berger adds. Thibodeau has grown increasingly frustrated with management’s involvement with the handling of injuries and return-to-play protocols, which he believes should be the coach’s domain, Berger notes.
- The Pacers have assigned Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League, the team announced. This is the forward’s second trip to Fort Wayne this season, and Whittington is the lone player whom Indiana has dispatched to the D-League this campaign.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Troy Williams To Remain At Indiana
Indiana sophomore forward Troy Williams intends to return to school for his junior season, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The 20-year-old helped the Hoosiers to a record of 20-14, and a second round ouster in the NCAA tournament, courtesy of Wichita State.
The second-year swingman is likely to improve his draft stock by returning to Indiana for another season of development. Williams was a projected second round pick if he declared for the 2015 draft. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com slots Williams as the No. 46 overall prospect, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) rates him 50th overall.
In 32 appearances for the Hoosiers this season, the 6’7″ Williams logged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 27.6 minutes per game. Williams’ career averages through two seasons are 10.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.5 APG. His career shooting numbers are .529/.286/.716.
Dakari Johnson To Enter NBA Draft
Kentucky sophomore center Dakari Johnson will enter this year’s NBA draft, Josh Newman of SNY.tv reports. The University has a press conference scheduled for tomorrow that “will include UK players who are ready to announce their NBA Draft decisions, as well as head coach John Calipari,” the school has announced. The Wildcats could lose as many as seven players to the NBA next season, including Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison, who also reportedly intend to formally announce their decisions to leave Kentucky on Thursday as well.
The seven-footer is currently projected to be a second round pick, though I suspect that Johnson will creep into the first round after his individual pre-draft workouts are complete. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) has Johnson ranked as the No. 39 overall prospect, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has him slotted at No. 40.
Johnson’s numbers weren’t all that eye-popping thanks to the Wildcats’ ridiculous frontcourt depth. In 39 games this season Johnson averaged 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 16.3 minutes per contest. His career numbers are 5.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG. Johnson’s career NCAA shooting numbers are .537/.000/.559.
Malik Pope To Return To SDSU
San Diego State freshman forward Malik Pope will return to school for his sophomore season, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Pope’s play this season helped the Aztecs to achieve a 27-9 record and a trip to the NCAA tournament, where his team fell to National Champion Duke in the third round.
There are varying opinions on the 6’10” Pope as an NBA prospect. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) rates the forward as the No. 15 overall prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has Pope pegged as the No. 43 overall player. The player’s numbers this season weren’t eye-popping, so the decision to remain in school was likely a wise one for the 18-year-old.
In 31 contests for SDSU this season, Pope averaged 5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 14.8 minutes per game. His shooting numbers were .455/.408/.675.
Western Notes: Ginobili, Lakers, Green
Manu Ginobili says he plans to retire either this coming offseason or next, as he tells Diego Morini of Argentina’s La Nacion (translation via HoopsHype). Ginobili, 37, has spent his entire 13-year NBA career with the Spurs, who he joined after playing four years in Italy and three years in his native Argentina. His contract expires at the end of the season.
“Every retired [player] tells me, ‘Enjoy it, play one more year.’ And, well, I’ve been doing this for 19 years and if it’s not at the end of the season, it will be the following year,” Ginobili said. “Then it’s over and it won’t come back.”
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- Lakers coach Byron Scott has a good idea which of his players are still fighting this season and which he wouldn’t like to see return to Los Angeles next season, Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times writes. “I got a sense of a whole lot of them I wouldn’t want to be in a fox hole with,” Scott said. “I think they’d end up shooting me in the back. So I’ve got a pretty good sense of the guys that I think are going to be around, that we will build around, build together in this process and go through it.“
- Nick Young has taken Scott’s comments, which he believes were partly directed at him, with a grain of salt, Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com relays. “Nah,” Young said of buying into Scott’s coaching advice to become a more complete player. “I don’t know. I feel like it’s just a target toward me. It’s a little unfair. But it’s cool.“
- Gerald Green, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, said he is frustrated with his lack of playing time since the end of January, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. The Suns reportedly made Green available before the deadline, and the Clippers were among teams that expressed interest. Since Green was benched on January 30th, the Suns are 11-18 with Green appearing in 22 of those games and averaging 14.7 minutes in them, Coro notes.
Will Joseph contributed to this post.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson To Enter Draft
TUESDAY, 7:44pm: Hollis-Jefferson will indeed enter this year’s NBA draft, Brandon Schlager of The Sporting News relays. “I’ve decided to move on to the next chapter of my life and enter my name in the 2015 NBA Draft,” Hollis-Jefferson said during a joint press conference with coach Sean Miller. “After talking with my family and coach Miller to weigh the pros and cons, I fully believe this is the right choice. I’m excited for the challenges that lie ahead, and with the knowledge that God rewards hard work, I plan to attack them.”
6:23pm: Hollis-Jefferson took to his personal Twitter account (hat tip to Zagoria) to say that he had not made a decision regarding the draft as of yet. He indicated that he still needed to discuss the matter with his mother and Arizona coach Sean Miller.
WEDNESDAY, 6:18pm: Arizona sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson intends to enter the 2015 NBA draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The 20-year-old is currently ranked No. 24 by DraftExpress and No. 25 by ESPN.com. Hollis-Jefferson played his last game in a Wildcat uniform last Saturday in Arizona’s 85-78 loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament. The sophomore went out with a good game, despite the loss, logging 17 points and 8 rebounds on 6-12 shooting.
The swingman was overshadowed a bit this season by highly heralded freshman Stanley Johnson, who is also likely to enter the draft, though that is merely my speculation. Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets that Johnson is 50-50 on leaving school. The 6’7″ Hollis-Jefferson is a fantastic athlete and defender, and both are skills that will translate well to the professional level. But he is extremely limited on the offensive end, which is why he is projected to last until the late first round. Hollis-Jefferson is exciting on the break and a monster when attacking the rim, but his outside shot needs significant work. He’s a player who will benefit from spending significant time in the D-League in 2015/16.
Hollis-Jefferson appeared in 38 games for the Wildcats this past season, averaging 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28.7 minutes per contest. His career averages in two seasons at Arizona are 10.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.5 APG. His career shooting numbers are .496/.205/.697.
Eastern Notes: Middleton, Babb, Scola
Bucks‘ forward Khris Middleton has made tremendous strides this season, setting himself up for a nice raise this summer when he can become a restricted free agent, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “Khris is one of the guys who has really improved,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s just letting the game come to him. He’s one of our best scorers and shooters on the floor, and the ball will find him. He’s been able to step up and knock down shots for us. Confidence in this game is big, and I think his confidence is growing.” In 74 appearances this season, including 53 as a starter, Middleton averaged 13.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 30.1 minutes per contest.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Chris Babb‘s two-year minimum salary deal with the Celtics calls for him to make $48K for the remainder of this season and $947,276 for 2015/16, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com tweets. Babb’s contract contains no guaranteed money for next season, Forsberg adds.
- Forward Jae Crowder has enjoyed his time with the Celtics since coming over from Dallas in the Rajon Rondo trade, Forsberg writes in a separate piece. The 24-year can become a restricted free agent this summer, but Crowder insists that he hasn’t thought about next season, Forsberg adds. “I just want to make the playoffs,” Crowder told the ESPN scribe. “And once you make the playoffs, everything will take care of itself. I’m not worried about it. Because my goal is to make the playoffs and we are right here where we want to be. I’m just focused on that.” Crowder is averaging 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 24.2 minutes per game in 53 appearances since arriving in Boston.
- Pacers‘ big man Luis Scola is finally adjusting to his reserve role with the team, and the 34-year-old veteran says he would like to continue playing past the age of 40, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes. “I don’t feel close to the end, that’s the truth,” said Scola. “I know people don’t play that much longer after 35, but I’m feeling well. I don’t know how fast the process is from the moment you start feeling close to the end versus the actual end. But I’m not feeling close to the end. I’ve got energy and I feel I can still do this and I’m still having fun and I can work out hard and play hard every day. As long as all that’s still there I don’t see me being close to retirement.”