Celtics Notes: Williams, Tatum, Brown, Seeding
Celtics big man Robert Williams will undergo further testing on his left knee after spraining it in the second half of Sunday’s victory over Minnesota, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“Don’t know exactly what happened,” head coach Ime Udoka said after Sunday’s game. “He said it wasn’t even a specific play that he remembers, but came out of the game, had some pain, obviously went back to get checked out and was in quite a bit of pain, and he’ll get scanned in the morning and we’ll know then.”
The Celtics are in Toronto on Monday night for the second game of a back-to-back set and Williams didn’t make the trip, says Bontemps. While he’ll be out for that game, it’s unclear how much longer the 24-year-old may be sidelined. As Udoka indicated in his postgame comments, the team will know more after assessing the results of today’s scans.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- The Celtics, who now hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, are 24-4 since being below .500 on January 21. During those 28 games, Jayson Tatum has averaged 29.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 5.0 APG on .505/.414/.892 shooting. “I wish I could start the season like this and then I’d be the MVP. But I guess it’s the most important time of the season,” Tatum said on Sunday, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I guess just finding my rhythm, but it’s the best time to find your rhythm, when you’re playing your best going into the postseason. I don’t really have an exact answer.”
- As dominant as the Celtics have been as of late, health problems could be a concern for the team. In addition to Williams’ knee injury, star wings Jaylen Brown (right knee soreness) and Tatum (right patella tendinopathy) are battling nagging issues of their own. As Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes, the club may have to decide in the season’s final two weeks whether it makes more sense to get Brown and Tatum a little rest or to push hard for the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage.
- Addressing that dilemma on Sunday, Udoka offered insight on which way the team is leaning: “I’m not really worried about [seeding]. Our [concern] is winning, health and playing the best basketball at the right time. It’s too much closeness to try to maneuver and manipulate things to pick an opponent. As far as resting, that’s the main thing. We’ve got some guys who got some nicks now and we have to be smart about it. If we can get guys one [game off] is what we’re looking at now.”
- Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston poses four questions that he believes the red-hot Celtics still have to answer down the stretch and in the postseason.
Pelicans Notes: Zion, Alvarado, Nance, Hart
As William Guillory of The Athletic observes, it’s no coincidence that Zion Williamson – typically not very active on social media – posted a video of him throwing down a between-the-legs windmill dunk just days after Shams Charania reported that he likely won’t return this season. It also doesn’t seem like a coincidence that the Pelicans cleared him for increased activity shortly after that video was posted, Guillory writes.
There’s “an air of silent cold war brewing” between the Pelicans and Williamson, according to Scott Kushner of NOLA.com, who writes that the star forward clearly wants to play this season, while the team – wary of risking his long-term health – is reluctant to let him.
It’s a difficult spot for the Pelicans, who reportedly frustrated Williamson during his rookie year by playing it safe with his knee injury and holding him out longer than he felt was necessary. The two sides are about to enter a crucial offseason, with the former No. 1 overall pick eligible for a rookie scale extension.
Before that offseason begins, Williamson, his camp, and the Pelicans’ top decision-makers need to come together to agree on a decision about his status for this season, Guillory opines. If all the involved parties can get on the same page on that issue, it should create a more comfortable starting point when they approach extension talks in the summer.
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Christian Clark of NOLA.com examines some of the similarities and differences between Williamson’s lengthy injury rehab process this season and Kawhi Leonard‘s injury recovery process during his final year in San Antonio.
- Within his weekly “10 Things” column for ESPN, Zach Lowe highlights the impact that Jose Alvarado has had in New Orleans and says he’d be shocked if the team doesn’t convert Alvarado’s two-way contract to a standard deal soon. Doing so would ensure that the rookie guard is eligible for the play-in tournament and playoffs.
- William Guillory and John Hollinger of The Athletic discuss several topics related to the Pelicans’ future, weighing the possibility of a Williamson extension, considering whether or not Alvarado’s emergence changes the backcourt plans going forward, and evaluating the team’s chances of earning a playoff spot next month.
- Following up on last month’s revelation that good friends Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Hart temporarily swapped houses when they were traded for one another, Andrew Lopez of ESPN takes an entertaining, in-depth look at what that arrangement has looked like.
Damian Lillard Talks Offseason, Health, Future Goals
The Trail Blazers have lost 11 of 13 games since the All-Star break and rank dead-last in both offensive rating (102.1) and defensive rating (124.3) during that time. After a solid early start to the season, Portland is on track to finish with one of the six or seven worst records in the NBA.
However, star point guard Damian Lillard tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that there’s “no way” next year’s team will be in the same position as the current version. While Lillard acknowledges that the Blazers have “taken some steps back as an organization” by trading away veterans like CJ McCollum, Norman Powell, and Robert Covington last month, he believes the club is well-positioned to add talent this offseason.
“We’ve opened up money, we got (draft) picks, we got a $22 million trade exception, we got a $6 million trade exception, we got the full mid-level, we got the bi-annual,” Lillard said to Haynes. “We have an opportunity, and we got flexibility. There are guys we can bring in that can make us a team that can compete for a championship, but we have to execute that.”
Lillard went on to say that he doesn’t view next season as a championship-or-bust year for Portland, but he’s hopeful that the team will take a major step forward after a disappointing 2021/22 season. He views this summer as “critical” one for the Blazers’ goal of moving back toward title contention.
Here are a few more of the notable comments the All-Star guard made during his conversation with Haynes, which is worth checking out in full:
On whether he’s still dealing with any abdominal pain after undergoing surgery to address a long-standing issue:
“No. It’s the first time that I can say I was pain-free since maybe 2016, 2017. I think that’s when I first started having issues. That was the last time I was probably moving freely, easily and just flowing the way I am right now. It’s a good feeling working out the other day and the coaching staff kept asking what I was thinking about because I had a smile on my face. I was just like, ‘Damn, I got so used to playing with that pain that I didn’t realize how limited I was and how much I was just catering to playing around it.’ So, I’m definitely excited to be playing at 100 percent right now and playing free.”
On why, at age 31, he believes his best is yet to come:
“This is my first time being able to take a step back and just fully address my development. Over the course of my career, there have always been things that I’ve wanted to correct or get better at, but maybe I had a long season and went into the playoffs and then we had a quick turnaround.
“Whatever the case may be, I never had this much time to fully break down my game and really challenge myself development-wise. Working on things that I’m not comfortable with all the time, things that other guys at my position do really well. I’ve had a window of time and opportunity to add to my game and to watch film with my coaches and trainers to really address those things that a lot of times might be uncomfortable.”
On whether he’s still solely focused on winning a title in Portland:
“That’s the only thing I care about, honestly. It seems like after I announced that I was having surgery, people were like, ‘Oh, he’s 31 and having this done.’ Man, 31 is not old. … I’m a sniper. I shoot. I got a good step. I can think the game. I can manipulate the game, and I know how to play. My game will age well, and I don’t have a history of injuries. And the one that I just had is not a bad injury to have. I’m going to come back and be fine.
“Like I said, my best is yet to come. And the only things that I play for at this point is I want to be the MVP of the league and I want to win the championship. And once I do those things, I feel great about the investment that I made to this game over my whole life. If I accomplish those two things, I’m walking away feeling like I literally got the most out of myself as an athlete.”
2022 NBA Draft Early Entrants List
Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2022 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Sunday, April 24 to make that decision official.
Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on June 1 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, is on June 13 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2022 draft will take place on June 23.
Beginning in 2021, the annual list of “early” entrants has become even bigger than usual because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of either declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.
Last year, an incredible 356 prospects declared as early entrants, with 217 of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. Both of those numbers were technically record-breakers due to the influx of college seniors on the early entrant list, though with so many seniors returning to school for another season, the draft pool wasn’t actually significantly larger.
We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.
The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.
Last updated 6-15-22 (10:49am CT)
College Underclassmen
Remaining in the draft:
- Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee (freshman)
- Paolo Banchero, F, Duke (freshman)
- Malaki Branham, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)
- Christian Braun, G, Kansas (junior)
- Kendall Brown, F, Baylor (freshman)
- John Butler Jr., F/C, Florida State (freshman)
- Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (junior)
- Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- Max Christie, G, Michigan State (freshman)
- Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois (junior)
- Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin (sophomore)
- JD Davison, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan (freshman)
- Jalen Duren, C, Memphis (freshman)
- Tari Eason, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Tyson Etienne, G, Wichita State (junior)
- AJ Green, G, Northern Iowa (junior)
- AJ Griffin, F, Duke (freshman)
- Jordan Hall, F, Saint Joseph’s (sophomore)
- Chet Holmgren, C, Gonzaga (freshman)
- Caleb Houstan, G/F, Michigan (freshman)
- Austin Hutcherson, G, Illinois (junior)
- Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue (sophomore)
- Jaden Jones, G, Rutgers (freshman)
- Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA (junior)
- Trevor Keels, G, Duke (freshman)
- Walker Kessler, F/C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Christian Koloko, C, Arizona (junior)
- Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest (junior)
- Hyunjung Lee, G/F, Davidson (junior)
- Justin Lewis, F, Marquette (sophomore)
- E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (junior)
- Kenneth Lofton Jr., F, Louisiana Tech (sophomore)
- Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona (sophomore)
- Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska (freshman)
- Josh Minott, F, Memphis (freshman)
- Isaiah Mobley, F, USC (junior)
- Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman)
- Iverson Molinar, G, Mississippi State (junior)
- Wendell Moore, F, Duke (junior)
- Keegan Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
- Shareef O’Neal, F, LSU (junior)
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Lester Quinones, G, Memphis (junior)
- Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
- David Roddy, F, Colorado State (junior)
- Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo (sophomore)
- Dereon Seabron, G, NC State (sophomore)
- Jaden Shackelford, G, Alabama (junior)
- Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Jabari Smith, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor (freshman)
- AJ Taylor, F, Grambling (junior)
- Dalen Terry, G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Jabari Walker, F, Colorado (sophomore)
- TyTy Washington Jr., G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Peyton Watson, G/F, UCLA (freshman)
- Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
- Donovan Williams, G/F, UNLV (junior)
- Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara (junior)
- Jaylin Williams, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Mark Williams, C, Duke (sophomore)
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools.
- Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (junior)
- Efe Abogidi, C, Washington State (sophomore)
- Fardaws Aimaq, F/C, Utah Valley (junior)
- Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, F, UT Arlington (junior)
- Avery Anderson III, G, Oklahoma State (junior)
- Khalif Battle, G, Temple (junior)
- Damion Baugh, G, TCU (junior)
- James Bishop, G, George Washington (junior)
- Henry Blair Jr., G, Bob Jones (SC) (junior)
- Keion Brooks, F, Kentucky (junior)
- Johni Broome, F/C, Morehead State (sophomore)
- Jordan Brown, F, Louisiana (junior)
- Tyler Burton, F, Richmond (junior)
- Jared Bynum, G, Providence (junior)
- Toumani Camara, F, Dayton (junior)
- Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Sincere Carry, G, Kent State (junior)
- Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis (junior)
- Jalen Cook, G, Tulane (sophomore)
- Dhieu Deing, G, UTSA (junior)
- Dylan Disu, F, Texas (junior)
- Boogie Ellis, G, USC (junior)
- Aaron Estrada, G, Hofstra (junior)
- BJ Fitzgerald, G, Virginia State (junior)
- Adam Flagler, G, Baylor (junior)
- Allen Flanigan, G/F, Auburn (junior)
- Joe French, G, Bethune-Cookman (sophomore)
- Ques Glover, G, Samford (junior)
- Quincy Guerrier, F, Oregon (junior)
- Mouhamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (freshman)
- Jaelen House, G, New Mexico (junior)
- Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (junior)
- Josiah-Jordan James, G/F, Tennessee (junior)
- DeMarr Langford Jr., G, Boston College (sophomore)
- B.J. Mack, F/C, Wofford (junior)
- Kevin McCullar, G, Texas Tech (junior)
- Omari Moore, G, San Jose State (junior)
- Isiaih Mosley, G/F, Missouri State (junior)
- Caleb Murphy, G, South Florida (sophomore)
- Kris Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
- Josh Oduro, F, George Mason (junior)
- Gus Okafor, F, Southeastern Louisiana (junior)
- Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul (junior)
- Nijel Pack, G, Kansas State (sophomore)
- Zyon Pullin, G, UC-Riverside (junior)
- Marcus Sasser, G, Houston (junior)
- Baylor Scheierman, F, South Dakota State (junior)
- Grant Sherfield, G, Nevada (junior)
- KJ Simon, G, UT-Martin (junior)
- Jamari Smith, F, Queens University (NC) (junior)
- Malachi Smith, G, Chattanooga (junior)
- Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (freshman)
- Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (sophomore)
- Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga (junior)
- Jacob Toppin, F, Kentucky (junior)
- Santiago Vescovi, G, Tennessee (junior)
- Kerwin Walton, G, North Carolina (sophomore)
- Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (junior)
- Isaiah Wong, G, Miami (junior)
- Jahmir Young, G, Charlotte (junior)
College seniors
Remaining in the draft:
- Jalen Adaway, G, St. Bonaventure
- Ochai Agbaji, G/F, Kansas
- James Akinjo, G, Baylor
- Teddy Allen, F, New Mexico State
- Keve Aluma, F, Virginia Tech
- Eric Ayala, G, Maryland
- Marcus Azor, G, UMass Dartmouth
- David Azore, G, UT Arlington
- Evan Battey, F, Colorado
- Justin Bean, F, Utah State
- Jules Bernard, G/F, UCLA
- Jamal Bieniemy, G, UTEP
- Marcus Bingham, C, Michigan State
- Buddy Boeheim, G, Syracuse
- Luka Brajkovic, F, Davidson
- Izaiah Brockington, G, Iowa State
- Gabe Brown, G/F, Michigan State
- Tevin Brown, G, Murray State
- Maurice Calloo, F, Oregon State
- R.J. Cole, G, UConn
- Vince Cole, G/F, Coastal Carolina
- George Conditt IV, F, Iowa State
- Darius Days, F, LSU
- Adrian Delph, G, Appalachian State
- Michael Devoe, G, Georgia Tech
- Anthony Duruji, F, Florida
- Kyler Edwards, G, Houston
- Keon Ellis, G, Alabama
- Javon Freeman-Liberty, G, DePaul
- Both Gach, G/F, Utah
- Bryce Hamilton, G, UNLV
- Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers
- D.J. Harvey, G/F, Detroit
- Jericole Hellems, F, North Carolina State
- Trevor Hudgins, G, Northwest Missouri State
- Bodie Hume, G/F, Northern Colorado
- Drake Jeffries, G, Wyoming
- Andrew Jones, G, Texas
- DeVante’ Jones, G, Michigan
- Noah Kirkwood, G, Harvard
- Peter Kiss, G, Bryant
- Tyrese Martin, G, UConn
- David McCormack, F, Kansas
- Trey McGowens, G, Nebraska
- Justin Minaya, G/F, Providence
- Isaiah Mucius, F, Wake Forest
- Grayson Murphy, G, Belmont
- Nick Muszynski, C, Belmont
- Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
- JD Notae, G, Arkansas
- Ike Obiagu, C, Seton Hall
- Edward Oliver-Hampton, F, South Carolina State
- Malik Osborne, F, Florida State
- Anthony Polite, G/F, Florida State
- MJ Randolph, G, Florida A&M
- A.J. Reeves, G, Providence
- Jared Rhoden, G/F, Seton Hall
- Ronaldo Segu, G, Buffalo
- Jaylen Sims, G/F, UNC Wilmington
- Amadou Sow, F, Santa Barbara
- Seth Stanley, F, Hendrix College (AR)
- Gabe Stefanini, G, San Francisco
- Sasha Stefanovic, G, Purdue
- Cole Swider, F, Syracuse
- Au’Diese Toney, G, Arkansas
- Ryan Turell, G/F, Yeshiva
- Dallas Walton, F/C, Wake Forest
- Collin Welp, F, UC Irvine
- Aaron Wheeler, F, St. John’s
- Khristien White, G, Southwest Christian
- Jeenathan Williams, G/F, Buffalo
- Trevion Williams, F/C, Purdue
- Vince Williams, F, VCU
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools.
- Emmanuel Akot, G/F, Boise State
- Theo Akwuba, C, Louisiana
- Tez Allen, G/F, Southern Oregon
- Emmanuel Bandoumel, G, SMU
- Rasir Bolton, G, Gonzaga
- Mike Bothwell, G, Furman
- Souley Boum, G, UTEP
- Donald Carey, G, Georgetown
- Xavier Castaneda, G, Akron
- Kendric Davis, G, SMU
- Antonio Daye, G, Coastal Carolina
- Jaiden Delaire, F, Stanford
- Gideon George, F, BYU
- Jacob Grandison, G/F, Illinois
- Tykei Greene, G, Stony Brook
- Cedric Henderson Jr., G/F, Campbell
- D’Moi Hodge, G, Cleveland State
- Eric Hunter Jr., G, Purdue
- Deante Johnson, F, Cleveland State
- Justin Johnson, G/F, Texas-Rio Grande Valley
- Andre Kelly, F, California
- Daylen Kountz, G, Northern Colorado
- Nate Laszewski, F, Notre Dame
- Kyle Lofton, G, St. Bonaventure
- Hunter Maldonado, G, Wyoming
- Matthew Mayer, F, Baylor
- Josh Mballa, F, Buffalo
- Caleb McConnell, G, Rutgers
- Nathan Mensah, F/C, San Diego State
- Isaih Moore, F, Southern Mississippi
- Bryson Mozone, G/F, USC Upstate
- Dwight Murray Jr., G, Rider
- Joel Murray, G, Long Beach State
- Justyn Mutts, F, Virginia Tech
- Pete Nance, F, Northwestern
- KC Ndefo, F, St. Peter’s
- JoirDon Karl Nicholas, F, Texas Southern
- Osayi Osifo, F, Jacksonville
- Osun Osunniyi, F/C, St. Bonaventure
- Drew Peterson, G/F, USC
- Courtney Ramey, G, Texas
- Eric Reed Jr., G, Southeast Missouri State
- Will Richardson, G, Oregon
- Khalil Shabazz, G, San Francisco
- Marcus Shaver, G, Boise State
- Jalen Slawson, F, Furman
- Jordan Walker, G, UAB
- Dominick Welch, G, St. Bonaventure
- DeAndre Williams, F, Memphis
- K.J. Williams, F, Murray State
- Daivien Williamson, G, Wake Forest
International players
Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.
Remaining in the draft:
- Ibou Badji, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Khalifa Diop, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001)
- Karlo Matkovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2001)
- Yannick Nzosa, C, Spain (born 2003)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001)
- Gui Santos, F, Brazil (born 2002)
- Pavel Savkov, G, Spain (born 2002)
- Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy (born 2003)
- Luke Travers, G/F, Australia (born 2001)
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
- Hugo Benitez, G, France (born 2001)
- Kay Bruhnke, G/F, Germany (born 2001)
- Malcolm Cazalon, G, Serbia (born 2001)
- Tom Digbeu, G/F, Australia (born 2001)
- Lovro Gnjidic, G, Croatia (born 2001)
- Fallou Gueye, G, Senegal (born 2003)
- Justus Hollatz, G, Germany (born 2001)
- Zvonimir Ivisic, F/C, Montenegro (born 2003)
- Millan Jimenez, G/F, Spain (born 2002)
- Yannick Kraag, G/F, Spain (born 2002)
- Zsombor Maronka, F, Spain (born 2002)
- Leo Menalo, F, Italy (born 2002)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003)
- Mario Nakic, F, Spain (born 2001)
- Leonardo Okeke, C, Italy (born 2003)
- Jaime Pradilla, F/C, Spain (born 2001)
- Luka Scuka, F, Slovenia (born 2002)
- Emil Stoilov, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Matthew Strazel, G, France (born 2002)
- Giorgos Tanoulis, F/C, Greece (born 2002)
- Keye Van Der Vuurst, G, Belgium (born 2001)
- Nicolas Vanel, G, France (born 2003)
- Fedor Zugic, G, Germany (born 2003)
Other notable draft-eligible early entrants
- Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite
- MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite
- Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite
- Henri Drell, G/F, Windy City Bulls
- Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite
- Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite
- Makur Maker, C, Sydney Kings (formerly Howard Bison)
- Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite
- Samson Ruzhentsev, G/F, Mega Basket (formerly Florida Gators)
- Kai Sotto, C, Adelaide 36ers (formerly G League Ignite)
- Zaire Wade, G, Salt Lake City Stars
- Kok Yat, F, Overtime Elite
- Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite
And-Ones: Molinar, All-Defense, Most Influential Players, Collison
Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar announced on Twitter today that he is declaring for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his NCAA eligibility.
Molinar, who recently completed his junior season with the Bulldogs, led the team in both points (17.5) and assists (3.6) per game in 2021/22. He also chipped in 3.1 RPG and 1.2 SPG in 34 appearances (34.1 MPG).
Although he showed the ability to hit outside shots during his first two college seasons (.419 3PT%), Molinar’s three-point percentage dropped to just 25.2% this season. Still, ESPN ranks him at the No. 64 player on its big board for 2022, so he has a chance to be a second-rounder if he keeps his name in the draft.
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the basketball world:
- Using a series of new advanced metrics, Kirk Goldsberry of ESPN.com (Insider link) identifies the top candidates for the NBA’s All-Defensive teams for 2021/22. Goldsberry’s list includes a pair of Celtics (Marcus Smart and Robert Williams), two recent Defensive Players of the Year (Rudy Gobert and Giannis Antetokounmpo), and a rookie (Herb Jones), among others.
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype polled 52 current and former NBA players, asking them to name the five most influential players in league history. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson were the leading vote-getters, according to Scotto, who also shared the rest of the top 10 and outlined which other players received votes.
- As expected, the South Bay Lakers have officially added veteran guard Darren Collison to their roster (Twitter link). A report earlier this week indicated that Collison was joining Los Angeles’ G League affiliate.
Draft Notes: T. Brown, K. Williams, Scheierman, J. Murray
Murray State guard Tevin Brown, the No. 81 prospect on ESPN’s big board, announced on Twitter on Thursday that he has decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft and hire an agent, forgoing his remaining eligibility.
Brown has spent four years at Murray State but had the option of playing one more NCAA season due to a 2020 decision related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a senior in 2021/22, Brown averaged 16.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 34 games (35.2 MPG), posting a shooting line of .427/.384/.748. Of his 438 total field goal attempts, 276 came from beyond the three-point line.
Brown’s teammate at Murray State, senior forward K.J. Williams, also put out a Twitter statement announcing his intentions to enter the draft, though he’ll just be testing the waters for now. Williams was the Racers’ leading scorer, recording 18.0 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 34 games (29.0 MPG).
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- South Dakota State forward Baylor Scheierman is declaring for the 2022 draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Twitter. Scheierman, who put up 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 4.5 APG as a junior this season, ranks right behind Brown on ESPN’s big board, at No. 82.
- Long Beach State senior guard Joel Murray is testing the NBA draft waters, he announced on Twitter. Murray led the team with 16.7 PPG on .449/.371/.853 shooting in 33 games (32.1 MPG) after transferring from West Texas A&M.
- Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report explores how the introduction of name, image, and likeness (NIL) eligibility for college players is impacting the NBA draft landscape.
- Over at The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor has shared his latest big board and mock draft for 2022.
Community Shootaround: Top Six In East
On Wednesday, we discussed the race to earn a top-six seed (and a guaranteed playoff spot) in the Western Conference. Today, we’re shifting our focus to the East, where the top four teams in the conference have created some breathing room, but the fifth, sixth, and seventh seeds are bunched up.
After Thursday’s games, the 42-31 Bulls still control the No. 5 seed, but their lead over the No. 6 Cavaliers (41-32) and the No. 7 Raptors (also 41-32) is down to a single game, with just nine games left in the season for all three teams.
Both Chicago and Cleveland have been trending in the wrong direction as of late. The Bulls sat atop the East as recently as one month ago, when their record was 39-21. Since then, they’ve won just three of 13 games and their grip on a guaranteed playoff berth is slipping.
Zach LaVine has battled a knee injury for much of the year and DeMar DeRozan now has a left groin strain. According to Tankathon, Chicago also has the NBA’s fifth-hardest schedule for the rest of the season, beginning with a huge matchup against the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Saturday.
The Cavs should welcome the opportunity to pass the Bulls in the standings by winning that game (a victory would give them the tiebreaker edge for now), but they haven’t played their best basketball in recent weeks either. The No. 3 seed in the East as recently as February 17, Cleveland has six wins in its last 17 contests and dropped a crucial game in Toronto on Thursday.
The absence of starting center Jarrett Allen – on top of all the other injuries affecting the Cavs – has hurt. On the plus side, the team’s schedule the rest of the way, which includes a pair of meetings against Orlando, is manageable — it’s only the NBA’s 18th-hardest, per Tankathon.
The Raptors, meanwhile, don’t have the tiebreaker advantage over Chicago or Cleveland, so they’d need to finish at least one game ahead of one of those teams in order to avoid being relegated to a play-in. They look capable of doing that.
Seven of the Raptors’ last nine games will be at home, and they have the league’s sixth-easiest slate, according to Tankathon. Following a 14-17 start to the season, Toronto has gone 27-15 and is close to finally having a fully healthy starting five. Fred VanVleet is banged up and Gary Trent Jr. missed yesterday’s game with a toe injury, but OG Anunoby is back and Trent was listed as questionable earlier in the day on Thursday, an indication that he shouldn’t be out too long.
While it may be too late for them to make up the necessary ground, the No. 8 Nets (38-35) shouldn’t be excluded from the conversation. Buoyed by the NBA’s fourth-easiest schedule and the full-time return of Kyrie Irving, the Nets are in position to finish the season strong. But they’re still three games behind the Cavs and Raptors with just nine left to play (their tiebreakers vs. both teams remain up for grabs).
We want to know what you think. Will the Bulls and Cavaliers hold onto their top-six spots, or will one of them in a play-in game? If the Raptors move into the top six and secure a guaranteed playoff spot, which team will they pass? Do the Nets still have a chance to avoid the play-in?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the East’s race for the top six!
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Lakers, E. Payton, Preston
Since starting the season with a 41-13 record, the Warriors lost 12 of their next 18 games, prompting Draymond Green to call out the team after Tuesday’s loss in Orlando for “playing stupid” and “getting punked,” as Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.
The Warriors immediately responded to that criticism in impressive fashion on Wednesday night in Miami, beating the Heat by 14 points without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Green active. According to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, Wednesday’s victory made it clear that Golden State has enough pieces on its roster to make a legitimate run at this year’s title.
How far the Warriors go will ultimately be determined by how much they get from their stars, but if Curry, Thompson, Green, and Andrew Wiggins are healthy and playing well, a supporting cast made up of players like Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney, Otto Porter, Jonathan Kuminga, and Gary Payton II is good enough to make the team “incredibly tough to beat,” writes Thompson.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- The Lakers, who are currently tied with the Pelicans in the Western Conference standings, view Sunday’s game in New Orleans as a “must-win,” according to Russell Westbrook. Dave McMenamin of ESPN has the story and the quotes.
- Elfrid Payton‘s 10.9 minutes per game this season are easily a career low, falling far short of the 28.5 MPG he had averaged in his previous seven seasons. However, he has been willing to embrace a reduced role for the NBA-best Suns, per Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. “I’m just trying to do my job and stay ready, try to keep this thing going in the right direction,” said Payton, who likely won’t see much action going forward with Chris Paul back in the lineup.
- Clippers rookie guard Jason Preston has yet to make his NBA debut after undergoing foot surgery in October, but he has impressed veteran teammate Reggie Jackson with his understanding of the game. “Selfishly for me, it’s like having another coach,” Jackson said of Preston’s presence on road trips (Twitter link via Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group). “Smart kid.”
Injury Notes: Anunoby, DeRozan, Bucks, Iguodala, Pistons
Raptors forward OG Anunoby returned to action on Thursday after missing 15 games due to a fractured finger. He immediately reentered Toronto’s starting lineup and scored 14 points in an important win over Cleveland.
While a current Raptor returned from an injury on Thursday, a former Raptor headed to the sidelines with an ailment of his own. Bulls star DeMar DeRozan missed the team’s game against New Orleans due to a left groin strain, one that head coach Billy Donovan referred to as “mild,” per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.
“I think he was experiencing some tightness (there) for a little bit, but nothing more than tightness,” Donovan said. “And then I think — I don’t know if it was a specific play — but (he) definitely started to feel it a little bit more than just being tight after (Tuesday’s game).
“DeMar knows his body better than anybody else. I think he felt like, ‘OK this could get into something else a little bit more significant if I don’t take care of this.’ That’s why they wanted to do the imaging and they found out it’s a mild strain really all it is right now… We just don’t want it to turn into something bigger.”
As we wait to see if DeRozan will miss any more time, here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Bucks forward Khris Middleton has missed a couple games due to a wrist injury, but head coach Mike Budenholzer expressed optimism that Middleton will be available in Memphis on Saturday, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Budenholzer is less certain about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s status for Saturday’s game after the Bucks star sat out on Thursday with right knee soreness, but said Antetokounmpo’s injury shouldn’t be “anything long-term or significant” (Twitter link via Nehm).
- Andre Iguodala, who has missed the Warriors‘ last 19 games due to a back issue, has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game in Atlanta, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Even if Iguodala isn’t able to play tonight, it sounds like he’s very close to returning.
- Pistons rookie wing Chris Smith, who has spent the season on a two-way contract recovering from an ACL tear, is undergoing another surgery and won’t make his NBA debut this season, head coach Dwane Casey said on Wednesday (Twitter link via James Edwards III of The Athletic). Smith’s two-way deal runs through 2022/23, but that doesn’t guarantee Detroit will hang onto him for next season.
- Pistons rookie forward Isaiah Livers entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and missed Wednesday’s game after bumping heads with Luka Garza in practice, per Casey (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). While Livers was diagnosed with a concussion and has been ruled out for Friday’s game too, Garza was OK and didn’t have to enter the protocol.
Quin Snyder Addresses Rumors Linking Him To Spurs, Lakers
In a pair of recent stories, veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein linked Jazz head coach Quin Snyder to head coaching jobs in San Antonio and Los Angeles, writing that he has repeatedly heard Snyder’s name mentioned as a possible successor for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and as a potential replacement for Lakers coach Frank Vogel.
Asked on Wednesday about those reports, Snyder told Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune that he feels as if he’s disrespecting the Spurs, the Lakers, and their respective coaches by even discussing the rumors.
“To be honest, having to address this type of question in any form, in my view, is disrespectful to the teams that are mentioned themselves,” Snyder said. “I think specifically, these types of discussions are also disrespectful to coaches. And I love the guys that I coach. I love these players. And frankly, my focus is on our guys and our team. And as I said, addressing hypotheticals in these types of questions in any form I feel like is disrespectful. And that’s how I would characterize that.”
In his most recent story, Stein said it’s unclear when exactly Snyder’s deal with the Jazz expires. While the belief is that Snyder is under contract at least through 2022/23, Stein indicated that Utah’s efforts to extend him beyond his current agreement have been unsuccessful. Speaking to Larsen, Snyder declined to offer any clarity on his contract.
“I’ve never talked about my contract from day one, and I’m not going to,” he said. “That’s not something that I’m going to comment on now, nor at any point in the future. That’s not something that the Jazz have done. I personally don’t want to or believe in getting into public contract discussions.”
While Snyder didn’t outright dismiss the rumors about his eventual exit, he did heap plenty of praise on the Jazz for how the organization has treated him since he arrived in 2014, suggesting that he’s happy in his current position.
“I think the fact that I’ve been here eight years speaks in and of itself. And I’ve been lucky to have been a part of an organization that has been supportive of coaches, generally and of me in particular,” Snyder told The Salt Lake Tribune, adding that he has felt “embraced and supported” by the community. “And I’m grateful for [new Jazz owner Ryan Smith]. He’s doing some terrific things with the franchise and has a vision for how it can continue to grow.”