NBA Vows To “Vigorously” Enforce Enhanced Code Of Conduct For Fans
11:54am: The Knicks announced today that they’ve identified the fan who spat on Young during Wednesday’s game and banned him from Madison Square Garden indefinitely.
“This was completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our venue,” the Knicks said in their statement. “We have turned the information over to the appropriate authorities.”
11:08am: In the wake of multiple incidents involving players and fans during the first week of the playoffs, the NBA issued a press release today in which the league vowed to more strongly enforce its guidelines for fan conduct in arenas.
“The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials and our fellow fans,” the NBA said in its statement. “An enhanced fan code of conduct will be vigorously enforced in order to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all involved.”
The press release also linked to the NBA’s Fan Code of Conduct, which can be found here.
As we detailed in an earlier story, Wizards guard Russell Westbrook had popcorn dumped on him by a fan in Philadelphia as he was limping to the locker room with an ankle injury. The Sixers have revoked that fan’s season ticket membership and banned him indefinitely from attending events at Wells Fargo Center.
Additionally, a Knick fan appeared to spit on Hawks guard Trae Young during Wednesday’s game (link via Bleacher Report), and Jason Quick of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that multiple Trail Blazers players took issue with some Nuggets fans as the team was leaving the court in Game 2. Westbrook and Lakers forward LeBron James were among the stars who called for the NBA on Wednesday to more effectively protect its players.
For much of the season, the league hasn’t really had to deal with policing fan behavior at its games, since attendance has been extremely limited in most arenas across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, with restrictions loosening and many teams now hosting 10,000+ fans in their buildings, it has once again become a concern.
Southeast Notes: Westbrook, Wizards, McMillan, Heat
It was a rough night for Russell Westbrook in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Wizards guard left the blowout loss in the fourth quarter after injuring his right ankle, then had popcorn dumped on him by fan as he limped toward the locker room. Addressing the incident after the game, Westbrook called on the NBA to better protect its players with fans now permitted back in arenas, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes.
“To be completely honest, this s–t is getting out of hand, especially for me. The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f–k they want to do — it’s just out of pocket,” Westbrook said. “There are certain things that cross the line. Any other setting … a guy were to come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head, you know what happens. … In these arenas, you got to start protecting the players. We’ll see what the NBA does.”
The Sixers announced today in a press release that the fan who poured popcorn on Westbrook has had his season ticket membership revoked and will be banned indefinitely from attending events at Wells Fargo Center. While that’s a good first step, it’ll be interesting to see if the league takes any further action.
LeBron James (via Twitter) echoed Westbrook’s call for the NBA to protect its players, and the incident in Philadelphia isn’t the only one involving fans this week. A Knick fan appeared to spit on Hawks guard Trae Young on Wednesday (link via Bleacher Report), and Jason Quick of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that multiple Trail Blazers players took issue with some Nuggets fans as the team was leaving the court in Game 2.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Westbrook’s impressive play in the second half of the season was crucial in propelling the Wizards into the playoffs, but the team will need more from him in this series in order to have a chance at upsetting Philadelphia, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. First and foremost, the Wizards will need Westbrook healthy — his status remain up in the air after Wednesday’s ankle injury.
- Hawks head coach Nate McMillan found his rotation decisions under the spotlight following Wednesday’s loss, but he said he was happy with his game plan, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “Our starters played 35-plus minutes. That’s a lot of minutes for those guys,” McMillan said. “Trae plays 35. Bogi (Bogdan Bogdanovic) plays 35. Clint (Capela) is at 36. That’s a lot of minutes for starters. … I thought we got a little gassed in that first half. I think we have to give those guys a little breather. They’re not going to be able to play 40-48 minutes.”
- Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley was aware that his club probably needed more firepower to have a chance to return to the NBA Finals this year, says Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. However, Riley was unable to land Kyle Lowry at the deadline and his acquisition of Victor Oladipo didn’t work out, which could contribute to an early postseason exit for the defending Eastern champs.
- With the Heat trailing the Bucks 2-0, Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald explore whether a frontcourt pairing of Bam Adebayo and second-half addition Dewayne Dedmon might be a viable solution to counter Milwaukee’s size.
Draft Notes: Nakic, Tisma, Dickinson, Cockburn
Serbian-Croatian forward Mario Nakic has declared for the 2021 NBA draft, agent Misko Raznatovic tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
Nakic, who will turn 20 next month, has spent the 2020/21 season playing for BC Oostende in Belgium. According to Givony, the 6’8″ wing has averaged 10 points in 18 minutes per contest, while knocking down an impressive 58% of his three-point attempts. Nakic, who will have until July 19 to decide whether to remain in the draft or withdraw, is ranked 84th overall on ESPN’s big board for 2021.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Another Raznatovic client is declaring for the draft, according to Givony, who tweets that 6’9″ Croatian wing Boris Tisma has entered the draft pool. Tisma, 19, played for Real Betis in the Spanish League this season, though he saw limited action.
- Coming off of an Elite Eight run with the Wolverines this season, Michigan freshman center Hunter Dickinson has decided to test the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced (via Twitter). In his first college season, Dickinson emerged as a starter, averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in 28 games (26.0 MPG).
- Illinois sophomore center Kofi Cockburn will keep his name in the draft and go pro, sources confirm to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. As we noted when he declared in April, Cockburn’s initial statement strongly suggested he wouldn’t just be testing the waters.
- In case you missed it, the NBA sent teams a list of over 130 seniors who have declared for this year’s draft. We relayed that list right here.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Rose, Simmons, Kyrie, Tatum
The Knicks evened their first-round series at one game apiece with a win over Atlanta on Wednesday night. And, as Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes, two midseason acquisitions whom head coach Tom Thibodeau pushed to add played key roles in that victory. Derrick Rose scored a team-high 26 points in 39 minutes off the bench, while Taj Gibson was a game-best plus-23 in his 30 minutes.
Rose, who was acquired via trade, and Gibson, a free agent signing, both played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota before reuniting with him in New York. As Begley observes, they’re the veterans Thibodeau trusts the most, and the Knicks’ head coach didn’t sound surprised that giving them big minutes helped turn the tide in Game 2.
“I just wanted to change it up,” Thibodeau said of putting Rose and Gibson in the Knicks’ lineup to start the third quarter. “I thought we had to do something different and that’s why you have a bench. Those guys came in and played great.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Although Elfrid Payton technically started Wednesday’s game, it’s clear that Rose will be the point guard the Knicks rely on in this series, writes Paul Schwartz of The New York Post. Rose said he felt good after logging 39 minutes, while Payton was a minus-7 in his five minutes and didn’t play after the first quarter.
- After receiving some criticism in Philadelphia for putting up just six points (to go along with 15 rebounds and 15 assists) in the Sixers‘ Game 1 win, Ben Simmons scored 22 points on Wednesday and addressed that negative feedback after the game. “I’m not trying to stick to anybody in Philly,” Simmons said, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “I thought it was pretty hard to get 15 assists and 15 rebounds in the NBA in the playoffs. I thought that was pretty impressive. And we won. What y’all want? You want to win? For me, I’m here to win and I’m doing what I need to do to help my team win, whatever it is. I’m not trying to prove anybody wrong or anything like that. I’m trying to do my job to win.”
- As the Celtics/Nets series shifts from Brooklyn to Boston, former Celtic Kyrie Irving said he expects to hear plenty of jeers from the crowd, but hopes that C’s fans “keep it strictly basketball,” per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “(Hopefully) there’s no belligerence or racism going on — subtle racism — people yelling s–t from the crowd, but even if it is, it’s part of the nature of the game and we’re just going to focus on what we can control,” Irving said.
- During an appearance on Zolak & Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston (audio link), Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said he thinks there’s a good chance Jayson Tatum will play in Game 3 after suffering an eye injury on Tuesday. “The last I heard was that he was doing better and that Friday looks probable,” Stevens said.
Northwest Notes: Rubio, Micic, Clarkson, Nuggets
When Ricky Rubio was acquired by the Timberwolves during the 2020 offseason, it was billed as a homecoming for a veteran point guard who began his NBA career in Minnesota. However, speaking to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Rubio admitted that the unusual circumstances surrounding the 2020/21 season prevented him from really reconnecting with Wolves fans.
“It didn’t feel like I came back to Minnesota,” Rubio said. “That’s one of the things that hurts the most, being at Target Center and not being able to see real fans and feel the love they have had for me. It’s something that I missed.”
While Rubio should get the opportunity to be around fans in Minnesota next season, he’s entering a contract year and could be a candidate to be traded again this offseason if the Wolves want to shake up their roster. For his part, the Spaniard told Krawczynski that he’d love to remain with the team — as long as it keeps taking positive steps toward contention.
“I don’t want to be on a team where there is no direction, there is no hope we can really take the next step,” he said. “I believe we can take the next step and really be a solid playoff team. That’s why when I got traded to Minnesota I was excited. I thought this was the year. We wasted a year, but there is no more years to waste. If not, the rebuilding process is gonna start over again and I don’t think that’s a fun part to be a part of.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Thunder draft-and-stash prospect Vasilije Micic has been voted the EuroLeague’s 2020/21 Most Valuable Player, the league announced on Wednesday. Micic, who averaged 16.3 PPG and 4.8 APG in 38 EuroLeague games for Anadolu Efes is a candidate to come stateside for the 2021/22 season.
- As Sarah Todd of The Deseret News details, Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson was always reluctant to accept a bench role earlier in his NBA career, viewing it as a slight when he was removed from the starting lineup during his days with the Lakers. However, Clarkson has embraced his reserve role over the years and it paid off in a big way in 2020/21 with a Sixth Man of the Year award.
- The Nuggets are increasing the capacity at Ball Arena to 10,500 fans, the team announced in a press release. Denver had previously been allowing an attendance of up to 7,750.
NBA Sends Teams Preliminary List Of Seniors Entering Draft
After originally sending NBA teams a list of 104 seniors who are declaring for the 2021 draft, the league has updated that list, which now includes more than 130 players, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).
In a normal year, all seniors would be draft-eligible, but because the NCAA granted athletes an additional year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic, seniors who want to enter the 2021 draft have to go through the early entry process.
Typically, seniors would get a head start on talking to NBA teams, since clubs can’t contact underclassmen who declare the draft until after the entry deadline has passed. However, because seniors are part of the early entry group this year, the league is sending teams these preliminary lists made up only of seniors so that they can instigate contact.
The rest of the early entrant list, including freshman, sophomores, juniors, and any seniors who declare within the next few days, is expected to be released next week.
In the meantime, here’s the list of seniors who have declared for the draft, per Givony:
- Derrick Alston Jr., G/F, Boise State
- Jose Alvarado, G, Georgia Tech
- Jonah Antonio, G, Wake Forest
- Jonathan Baehre, F, Clemson
- Geo Baker, G, Rutgers
- Mitch Ballock, G, Creighton
- Troy Baxter Jr., F, Morgan State
- Dalonte Brown, F, Miami (Ohio)
- Marcus Burk, G, IUPUI
- Jordan Burns, G, Colgate
- Manny Camper, G/F, Siena
- Nahziah Carter, G, Washington
- Arinze Chidom, F, UC-Riverside
- Matt Coleman III, G, Texas
- T.J. Crockett, G, Lindenwood (MO)
- Jalen Crutcher, G, Dayton
- Ryan Daly, G, St. Joseph’s
- Zaccheus Darko-Kelly, G/F, Univ. of Providence (MT)
- Oscar Da Silva, F, Stanford
- Marek Dolezaj, F, Syracuse
- Chris Duarte, G, Oregon
- Ian DuBose, G, Wake Forest
- Juwan Durham, F, Notre Dame
- Tahj Eaddy, G, USC
- Navar Elmore, F, Livingstone (NC)
- Romeao Ferguson, G, Lipscomb
- LJ Figueroa, G, Oregon
- Aleem Ford, F, Wisconsin
- Blake Francis, G, Richmond
- DJ Funderburk, F, N.C. State
- Ty Gadsden, G, UNC Wilmington
- Marcus Garrett, G, Kansas
- Luka Garza, C, Iowa
- Samson George, F, Central Arkansas
- Asante Gist, G, Iona
- Terrell Gomez, G, San Diego State
- Jordan Goodwin, G, Saint Louis
- Justin Gorham, F, Houston
- Elyjah Goss, F, IUPUI
- Jayvon Graves, G, Buffalo
- Quade Green, G, Washington
- Dou Gueye, F, Louisiana
- Matt Haarms, C, BYU
- Javion Hamlet, G, North Texas
- Deion Hammond, G, Monmouth
- Amauri Hardy, G, Oregon
- Romio Harvey, G, Harding University (AR)
- Sam Hauser, F, Virginia
- Jay Huff, F/C, Virginia
- Jhivvan Jackson, G, UTSA
- Loren Cristian Jackson, G, Akron
- Casdon Jardine, G/F, Hawaii
- DeJon Jarreau, G, Houston
- Tristan Jarrett, G, Jackson State
- Justin Jaworski, G, Lafayette
- David Jean-Baptiste, G, Chattanooga
- Jalen Johnson, F, Mississippi State
- Carlik Jones, G, Louisville
- Christiaan Jones, G, Stetson
- Herb Jones, F, Alabama
- Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga
- John Knight III, G , Southern Utah
- Cameron Krutwig, C, Loyola Chicago
- Spencer Littleson, G, Toledo
- Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan
- Jaizec Lottie, G, Flagler (FL)
- Loudon Love, F, Wright State
- Denzel Mahoney, G/F, Creighton
- Sandro Mamukelashvili, F/C, Seton Hall
- Kyle Mangas, G, Indiana Wesleyan
- Remy Martin, G, Arizona State
- Kameron McGusty, G, Miami
- JaQuori McLaughlin, G, UCSB
- Jadyn Michael, F, Colorado Christian
- Asbjorn Midtgaard, C, Grand Canyon
- Isaiah Miller, G, UNC Greensboro
- Davion Mintz, G, Kentucky
- Damek Mitchell, G, Lewis-Clark State College (ID)
- Matt Mitchell, F, San Diego State
- Ruot Monyyong, F/C, Little Rock
- Alex Morales, G, Wagner
- Clay Mounce, F, Furman
- Obadiah Noel, G, UMass-Lowell
- Eugene Omoruyi, F, Oregon
- EJ Onu, F, Shawnee State (OH)
- Darius Perry, G, UCF
- Jock Perry, C, UC-Riverside
- John Petty Jr., G, Alabama
- Jamorko Pickett, F, Georgetown
- Danny Pippen, F, Kent State
- Yves Pons, G/F, Tennessee
- Micah Potter, F/C, Wisconsin
- Brandon Rachal, G/F, Tulsa
- Austin Reaves, G, Oklahoma
- Nate Reuvers, F, Wisconsin
- Elvin Rodriguez, G, Science & Arts of Oklahoma
- Colbey Ross, G, Pepperdine
- Olivier Sarr, C, Kentucky
- Jordan Schakel, G, San Diego State
- Quentin Scott, F, Texas State
- Taz Sherman, G, West Virginia
- Devontae Shuler, G, Ole Miss
- Aamir Simms, F, Clemson
- Jericho Sims, F/C, Texas
- Dru Smith, G, Missouri
- Justin Smith, F, Arkansas
- Mike Smith, G, Michigan
- Anthony Tarke, G/F, Coppin State
- Jalen Tate, G, Arkansas
- Maleek Taylor, F, Allen University (SC)
- Terry Taylor, G/F, Austin Peay
- MaCio Teague, G, Baylor
- Christian Terrell, G, Sacramento State
- Koby Thomas, G/F, Coppin State
- Ethan Thompson, G, Oregon State
- Clyde Trapp, G, Clemson
- D’Mitrik Trice, G, Wisconsin
- Jordy Tshimanga, C, Dayton
- Justin Turner, G, Bowling Green
- Stanley Umude, G, South Dakota
- Chandler Vaudrin, F, Winthrop
- Alonzo Verge Jr., G, Arizona State
- Eric Vila, F, UTEP
- Mark Vital, G/F, Baylor
- M.J. Walker, G, Florida State
- Josh Washburn, G, Carthage (WI)
- Fabian White Jr., F, Houston
- Romello White, F, Mississippi
- Devin Whitfield, G, Lincoln Memorial Univ. (TN)
- Keith Williams, G, Cincinnati
- McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado
- Moses Wright, F, Georgia Tech
- Jacob Young, G, Rutgers
No New Positive COVID-19 Tests Among Players Since May 19
Of the 337 NBA players who have been tested for COVID-19 since May 19, none have returned a new positive confirmed test, the league and the players’ union announced today in a press release.
It’s great news for the NBA and NBPA, who are conducting their first postseason outside of a bubble setting since the coronavirus pandemic began. The league remains concerned about possible positive tests that could affect the playoffs, but things have run smoothly so far.
This is the first time since April 14 that the NBA and NBPA have announced zero new positive COVID-19 tests among players in a given week, though things have been trending in the right direction as of late — the league and the union had just one new positive test during the week of May 12-19 and one during the week of May 5-12.
While the playoff field still features 16 teams for now, it won’t be long before that number starts to decline, so there will be fewer players tested on a daily basis in future weeks.
Community Shootaround: Kawhi Leonard’s Free Agency
When Kawhi Leonard left the Raptors for the Clippers in 2019, he did so in large part because he wanted to return home to Los Angeles.
If Leonard had been prioritizing his ability to keep racking up championships, he may have remained in Toronto, where the Raptors were coming off a 2019 title and were in position to keep it rolling, or joined forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on L.A.’s other team, the Lakers.
Even after losing Leonard and Danny Green – who had expressed interest in returning to the Raptors if Kawhi did – Toronto pushed the Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2020. James and Davis, of course, led the Lakers to a championship in the Orlando bubble.
Leonard’s decision to prioritize family and comfort rather than trying to maximize his ability to win titles is certainly defensible, especially for a player who had already secured two championships. And it’s not as if he was joining an also-ran by signing with the Clippers — the addition of Kawhi and a trade for Paul George made them legitimate title contenders as well.
However, the Clips were unexpectedly eliminated in the second round of the 2020 postseason by the Nuggets, and now find themselves in a 2-0 hole in the first round in 2021, having lost two games at home to the Mavericks.
This series is far from over, and postgame comments from the likes of Leonard, George, and head coach Tyronn Lue on Tuesday stuck to a common theme: the Clippers aren’t concerned about their two-game deficit and remain confident in their abilities to pull out the series (link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).
But if the Clippers can’t complete the comeback and are knocked out in the first round, it will be a disaster for a franchise that seemingly tanked its way into a matchup with Dallas during the season’s final weekend. Presumably, the goal was to remain out of the Lakers’ side of the Western Conference bracket, but now the Clips are at risk of being eliminated two rounds before they could even face their L.A. rivals — and they find themselves in this situation just two months before Kawhi could turn down his 2021/22 player option and return to the free agent market.
There has long been a belief that Leonard is where he wants to be and that his free agency will be a mere formality. Sure, it makes sense for him to opt out, but only so he can sign maximize his earnings by signing a new deal with the Clippers now that he’ll be eligible for a maximum salary starting at 35% of the cap.
But a second consecutive playoff disappointment would introduce a whole lot more uncertainty into Leonard’s free agency decision. The Clippers mortgaged many of their future assets when they traded for George — would they have the pieces to continue making roster upgrades, and would those moves be enough to convince Kawhi that they’ll be title contenders going forward?
Again, it’s worth reiterating that being in Los Angeles was what Leonard wanted all along, and a move to the Lakers this offseason isn’t realistic. So even if the Mavs knock out the Clippers, we shouldn’t assume that the two-time Finals MVP will jump ship in search of a better on-court situation.
But Leonard will turn 30 next month, so if he wants to sign a long-term deal this summer, he’ll essentially be choosing where he wants to spend the rest of his prime. Will he feel confident making that sort of commitment to the Clippers after two disappointing playoff runs? Would a short-term contract with the Clips be more realistic?
It’s entirely possible that this discussion will seem silly in a few weeks if Leonard and the Clippers roar back against Dallas and make a deep postseason run. For now though, there’s a ton on the line for Steve Ballmer‘s franchise, and it’s worth considering what’s next for L.A. in a worst-case scenario.
What do you think? If the Clippers are eliminated in the first round, should we expect Leonard to look elsewhere in free agency? Or will his desire to be in Los Angeles ultimately win out, even if he signs a shorter-term deal with the Clippers?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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And-Ones: Wiggins, Canada, Overtime Elite, Yabusele, More
It has been several years since Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins represented Team Canada in an international competition, but it appears that’s about to change. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Wiggins posted a message on Instagram strongly suggesting that he’ll suit up for Canada when the team competes in the Olympic qualifiers this summer.
Eight of the 12 teams that will compete in the men’s basketball event at the Tokyo Olympics have clinched their spots, including Team USA. Twenty-four countries will compete in four separate tournaments from June 29 to July 4 for the final four Olympic berths. In order to qualify for the Tokyo games, Canada will have to top Greece, China, Uruguay, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.
While it certainly won’t be a cakewalk, Canada will benefit from home-court advantage – the tournament will take place in Victoria, British Columbia – and could deploy a roster featuring far more NBA players than their opponents. Wiggins, who averaged 18.6 points per game in 71 contests for Golden State this season, would be a key addition.
“I don’t think there’s any question about what he can bring,” Canada Basketball general manager Rowan Barrett said, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “The versatility he has at 6’8″ with a tremendous wingspan and with the focus he has on defense now will help us. And as an offensive player, it’s clear. He’s got a career average of 20 points a game in the NBA. Clearly he can score the ball.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The Overtime Elite league has secured two more commitments from top high school prospects, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Florida twins Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson are signing two-year contracts with OTE. The Thompson twins rank 22nd and 23rd in ESPN’s list of top class-of-2022 recruits. Overtime’s first two commits were twin brothers Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley.
- Speaking of high school basketball, Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN report that several of the nation’s biggest high school powerhouses are forming an elite national league called the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference in advance of the 2021/22 season. Six programs – including Oak Hill, Montverde, and IMG Academy – have committed so far to the eight-team league that will feature a 10-game regular season and a postseason tournament, per ESPN’s duo.
- Former Celtics first-round pick Guerschon Yabusele is in advanced talks with Real Madrid, reports Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas (via Twitter). If Yabusele doesn’t feel he has an NBA opportunity lined up, he’ll likely sign with Real Madrid, Urbonas adds.