Celtics To Hire Damon Stoudamire As Assistant Coach
The Celtics are hiring former NBA guard Damon Stoudamire as an assistant under head coach Ime Udoka, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link).
Stoudamire began his coaching career in 2009 and was the head coach at Pacific for the past five years. Before that, he spent time as an assistant coach with the Grizzlies, the University of Memphis, and the University of Arizona from 2009-16. Goodman also notes that Stoudamire and Udoka both grew up together in Portland.
Stoudamire was the No. 7 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft and spent 13 seasons as a player. He made stops with Toronto, Portland, Memphis and San Antonio throughout his career, averaging 13.4 points, 6.1 assists and 33.2 minutes in 878 games.
Boston hired Udoka after longtime coach Brad Stevens transitioned to the front office and became the team’s president of basketball operations last month. The Celtics mostly struggled in 2020/21 due to injury and COVID-related issues, finishing with just a 36-36 record.
Rodions Kurucs Signs In Serbia
Free agent Rodions Kurucs has agreed to a two-year contract with KK Partizan in Serbia, the club announced today. The agreement contains NBA outs and marks his first stint overseas since 2017.
Kurucs, a 6’9″ forward, spent two-and-a-half seasons with Brooklyn before being acquired by Houston in the January deal featuring James Harden. He was then dealt to Milwaukee as part of the P.J. Tucker trade in March, getting waived after five games.
Kurucs holds career averages of six points, 3.1 rebounds and 16.1 minutes per game in 131 contests. The 23-year-old was selected with the No. 40 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by Brooklyn.
Before the draft, Kurucs also made professional stops in Latvia from 2012-15 and Spain from 2015-18.
Western Notes: Leonard, George, Mavericks, Jazz, Ainge, Suns
Despite Kawhi Leonard having the ability to decline his $36MM player option and enter free agency this summer, the pairing of Leonard and Paul George is likely to continue with the Clippers, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times opines.
Leonard and George remain one of the league’s most formidable duos on both ends of the floor. This season’s run was cut short due to Leonard’s knee injury in round two, with the Clippers subsequently losing 4-2 to the Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
“We’ve made great connections; I think we’ve both grown, myself and Kawhi, together,” George said after the team’s season-ending loss, as relayed by Greif. “I think we really enjoy being teammates, and we see what we can be and what we can do.
“So, I’m happy. I’m happy to be his teammate. I was very excited. Proud of what we accomplished. … I think we’ve got a good foundation.”
There’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall had an extensive conversation with new head coach Jason Kidd about his 2001 domestic abuse charge before he was hired, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News writes. Kidd accepted his position with the Mavericks last month. He won a championship with the team in 2011 and most recently served as an assistant coach with the Lakers.
- Former Celtics president Danny Ainge said that there’s “nothing going on” between him and the Jazz at this point, despite rumors he could join the team as an advisor, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Ainge recently departed from the Celtics after nearly two decades with the franchise.
- Mark Faller of The Arizona Republic examines how the Suns went from 19 wins in 2018/19 to the NBA Finals this season, calling it the best turnaround story in sports. Phoenix, led by a star backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, will play Milwaukee in Game 1 of the Finals on Tuesday.
Eastern Notes: Bucks, Holiday, Bulls, Reddish
The job isn’t done yet for the Bucks, who reached the NBA Finals this weekend for the first time since 1974, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes.
Milwaukee swept Miami in the first round, defeated Brooklyn 4-3 in the second round and most recently beat Atlanta 4-2, but the team remains four wins away from achieving its goal: winning the NBA title.
“As a head coach, I feel fortunate to have been through this experience and kind of have seen it from a different seat (as an assistant with San Antonio), but now to do it as a head coach is special,” Mike Budenholzer said of making the Finals for the first time as a head coach.
“But it’s the players that do it. I love our group. I love coaching them. I’m happy for them. When I take a second tonight, when we take a second tonight, it’s really just joy and happiness for your players; that they put the work in, the time to get to this place, and just be happy for them.”
There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:
- The Jrue Holiday gamble yielded a jackpot for the Bucks, Sopan Deb of the New York Times writes. Holiday poured in 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the team’s series-clinching victory on Saturday, making a strong impact in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee). The Bucks had to pay a steep price to acquire the 31-year-old last November: Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, two first-round picks, first-round swap rights in two years, and the draft rights to R.J. Hampton. To this point, it’s paid off.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Bulls‘ offseason, which is set to include important decisions related to Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and others. “We place expectations on our team about winning games,” executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “We are certainly not satisfied. But we will learn from it, adjust and make sure what did not go well does not happen again. We will continue being aggressive in our efforts to make this team better, whether that’s through trades, free agency or the draft.”
- Hawks second-year guard Cam Reddish will play for the team during summer league next month, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Reddish missed most of the 2020/21 season due to injury, but the 21-year-old did finish with 21 points, three rebounds and three assists in the team’s Game 6 loss.
And-Ones: Theus, Griffin, Ellenson, Wanamaker
Bethune-Cookman University is expected to hire former NBA guard Reggie Theus as its athletic director and men’s basketball head coach, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated.
The agreement is set to become official this week, Spears notes. Theus will replace Ryan Ridder, who left for the same position to join the University of Tennessee-Martin in March.
According to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link), the school failed to notify interim coach Dominique Jones of its decision before the ESPN report surfaced, with Jones being responsible for much of the recruiting duties in recent weeks.
Theus was the No. 9 pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. He spent 13 years in the league, making stops with Chicago (two All-Star seasons), Kansas City, Sacramento, Atlanta, Orlando and New Jersey during his career.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former Jazz two-way forward Eric Griffin has reached an agreement with AEK Athens B.C. in Greece, a source told Hoops Rumors. News of the sides being close to a deal was first reported by SDNA. Griffin went undrafted back in 2012 and has mostly played overseas since then, most recently playing in Australia’s NBL.
- Free agent big man Henry Ellenson is drawing serious interest from KK Cedevita Olimpija in Slovenia, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link). Ellenson holds 83 games of NBA experience and is coming off a brief stint with the Raptors in 2020/21.
- Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv is expressing interest in former NBA guard Brad Wanamaker, Orazio Cauchi of Basketnews.com writes. Wanamaker spent time with the Warriors and Hornets this season, also playing 107 games with the Celtics from 2018-20.
Olympic Notes: Gallinari, Italy, Slovenia, Germany
Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari is interested in playing for Italy during the Olympics this summer, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Gallinari is coming off a successful postseason run with Atlanta, averaging 12.8 points per game on 42% shooting from the field and 40.5% from deep.
“I still believe in the Olympics, and if the coach and federation give me the chance to go to the Olympics once we win this game today, I’d be honored to be a part of that team,” Gallinari said prior to the final game of the qualifying tournament in Serbia, according to Scotto.
Italy defeated Serbia in that qualifying game on Sunday, officially joining Australia, Nigeria and Germany in Group B for the Tokyo games.
Here are some other Olympic-related notes tonight:
- Slovenia defeated Lithuania 96-85 to clinch a spot in the Olympics on Sunday, receiving a key performance from Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic in the outing, as relayed by the Associated Press and ESPN. Doncic finished with a triple-double, notching 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. “I don’t care about the MVP,” Doncic said. “We won here. We’re going to the Olympics, the first time in our country. It’s amazing. I think every kid dreams about being in the Olympics. I did, too. So, here we are. We fought really, really hard and I think we deserve to be here.”
- Germany also qualified for the Olympic tournament on Sunday behind Moritz Wagner‘s 28 points, as relayed by Sportando. Germany defeated Brazil, which was led by Anderson Varejao‘s 14 points and four rebounds in the outing.
- Greece and the Czech Republic are battling on Sunday night for the last spot in the 12-team Olympic men’s basketball tournament.
And-Ones: Midseason Tournament, Martin, Grant, Musa
The NBA could benefit from adding more incentives if it chooses to create a midseason tournament, Jabari Young of CNBC writes. The league would likely use money as a primary incentive, whether it be for a charity, a social justice organization, or for the players.
While no plans have been finalized, the NBA is actively seeking ways to improve the viewing experience for fans during the regular season. The league recently added a play-in tournament, which has received mixed reactions from fans and teams.
As we relayed last month, the NBA hopes to eventually add a midseason tournament, though it would have to agree with the players’ association first. In addition, two-thirds of the league’s 30 team owners would have to approve of the idea, with 2022/23 being the earliest that it could be tested.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The Sydney Kings and former NBA first-round pick Jarell Martin have exercised their mutual option for next season, the team announced. Martin, who averaged 17.9 points in 28 games this year, will return to the club for a second campaign. “Even though Jarell put up strong numbers, we still only got to see a small sample of what he can do in this league – coming in late, dealing with injuries, adjusting to the physicality – we expect him to have a big year” team CEO Chris Pongrass said, as relayed by Sportando.
- Jerian Grant is receiving interest from Olimpia Milano (Italy) and Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia), according to SDNA (hat tip to Sportando). Grant holds five seasons of NBA experience (2015-20), most recently playing in Greece.
- Former Nets forward Dzanan Musa and Anadolu Efes have parted ways, according to Basket Faul (as relayed by EuroHoops). Musa played 49 games with Brooklyn from 2018-20, originally signing with Efes in January.
Community Shootaround: Conference Finals Outcomes
With the start of the NBA Finals around the corner, it’s time to examine who might represent the East and West in the annual championship series this year.
The Bucks and Hawks are currently tied 1-1, with Milwaukee winning Game 2 on Friday night 125-91. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Hawks star Trae Young recorded just 15 points and nine turnovers.
In the West, the Suns lead the Clippers 3-1, with Game 5 set to commence on Monday night. Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard (knee) has already been ruled out for the contest. Game 4 featured some ugly shooting performances from both sides, but Phoenix prevailed to take a commanding lead in the series.
Both the Clippers and Hawks have overcome long odds numerous times during the postseason — the Clippers came back to beat the Mavericks in a seven-game first-round series, then won four straight to beat the Jazz after trailing 2-0 the next round. The Hawks, meanwhile, were not expected to make it here.
“What I like about this team is we always beat the odds,” Hawks center Clint Capela recently said, as relayed by Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “People just don’t expect us to do it. People keep doubting us, and we just keep shocking them. In Houston, it was really a championship mentality every year, so it was almost like a must-win game, every game.”
With that in mind, what do you think? Do the Clippers have enough left in the tank to pull off a third postseason miracle? Will the Hawks win another series despite being widely viewed as the underdogs?
Take to the comments section below to share your opinions!
Penny Hardaway Emerges As Serious Candidate For Magic Job
The Magic interviewed University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway for their head coaching position, with Hardaway now emerging as a serious candidate for the job, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Hardaway, who played six seasons with Orlando from 1993-99, has coached at the University of Memphis for the past three years. He’s considered to be one of the top guards in Magic history, making the All-Star team four times during his tenure with the franchise.
The Magic and coach Steve Clifford parted ways earlier this month after finishing the season 21-51 — that was the third-worst record in the league. The team has missed the playoffs in seven of its last 10 seasons and is currently in a rebuilding phase.
Along with Hardaway, Orlando has requested to interview Suns assistant Willie Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.
The team has already interviewed Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and is expected to interview current assistants Tyrone Corbin, Pat Delany and Steve Hetzel, along with Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., says Charania. In addition, Marc Stein of The New York Times also reported (via Twitter) that Orlando requested to interview Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley.
Damian Lillard Could Request Trade From Blazers
The Trail Blazers’ inability to build a contending roster and recent backlash involving the expected hiring of Chauncey Billups as head coach are among the factors that could push star point guard Damian Lillard “out the door,” Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.
Lillard, who has spent every season of his career with Portland since being drafted sixth in 2012, put forth one of his best campaigns in 2020/21. He averaged 28.8 points, 7.5 assists and 35.8 minutes in 67 contests, raising those averages to 34.3 points, 10.2 assists and 41.3 minutes during six playoff outings.
The Blazers ultimately lost to the Nuggets in a six-game first-round series, immediately raising questions about Lillard’s future. The All-Star guard has long expressed a desire to spend his career in Portland and win a title with the Blazers, but he has admitted multiple times that the 2020/21 season was his most frustrating as a pro.
Haynes, who wrote in the spring that the Blazers ought to be taking a more aggressive approach to building a championship-caliber roster around Lillard, is close with the Blazers point guard, though Lillard distanced himself from that earlier column.
Haynes notes in his newest report that Lillard’s decision to stay in Portland throughout his career can be attributed in large part to his strong connection with the fans. However, some Portland fans have pushed back against the decision to hire Billups due to sexual assault allegations stemming from a 1997 incident. Lillard, who identified Billups as a candidate he liked, said he wasn’t involved in the search and didn’t know about those allegations.
“Really? I was asked what coaches I like of the names I “heard” and I named them. Sorry I wasn’t aware of their history I didn’t read the news when I was 7/8yrs old,” Lillard tweeted in response to a fan on Saturday. “I don’t support Those things … but if this the route y’all wana come at me… say less.”
Portland is expected to announce the hiring of Billups on Tuesday, Haynes reports. Billups, a 17-year veteran, is currently in his first season of coaching as an assistant under Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. As relayed previously, Lillard listed Billups and now-Mavericks coach Jason Kidd as two preferred names shortly after the Blazers fired Terry Stotts.
A six-time All-Star, Lillard would command interest from several teams across the league if he and Portland separate. Contenders such as the Sixers, Heat and Lakers were among the clubs that expressed interest in acquiring a lead ball-handler this season, whether it was James Harden, Kyle Lowry or another player before the trade deadline.