Kevin Seraphin Retires From Basketball
Former first-round NBA draft pick Kevin Seraphin has retired from professional basketball, as he announced during an interview with First Team (video link).
Seraphin, 30, was selected 17th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Bulls before he was shipped to the Wizards. The France native suited up for seven seasons in the NBA, joining the Knicks and Pacers in his final two campaigns after five seasons in Washington.
For his career, Seraphin averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.5 RPG across 423 regular-season contests. His best NBA performance came during the 2012/13 season as averaged a career-best 9.1 PPG and 4.4 RPG in a career-high 79 games.
Following his NBA stint, Seraphin returned overseas to suit up for 49 EuroLeague contests with FC Barcelona and Liga ACB. He sat out the 2019/20 season due to knee injuries.
Devyn Marble Signs With BC Astana In Kazakhstan
Former second-round NBA Draft pick Devyn Marble has signed with BC Astana in Kazakhstan, according to Sportando.
Marble, 28, has spent parts of the last four seasons playing in Europe, which has included stops in Greece and Italy. The Michigan native averaged 6.5 PPG in seven contests with Virtus Bologna.
The former Iowa Hawkeye was taken by the Clippers 56th overall in the 2014 NBA draft before being dealt to the Magic. In between a multitude of G League stints, Marble appeared in 44 games with the Magic, averaging 2.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG.
Marble returned to the United States to play with the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors for the first half of the 2019/20 campaign after participating in Golden State’s training camp.
Adam Silver Says NBA Players In 2021 Olympics ‘Unlikely’
With the NBA expecting the 2020/21 season to start until this upcoming January at the earliest, the league’s players will likely not participate in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, commissioner Adam Silver said on NBATV (via NBC Sports).
“I think it’s unlikely, at the end of the day, that, if we start late, we would stop for the Olympics,” Silver said. “Because, as you know, it’s not just a function of stopping for the period in which they are competing over in Tokyo. But they require training camp, and then they require rest afterwards.”
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the 2020 Olympics to be postponed, thus casting doubt on NBA players’ ability to participate. The Olympics are set for a July 23, 2021 start, so an NBA season that begins in January or later would result in a likely conflict.
While Team USA would be the most severely impacted without the NBA’s top players available, international teams would also be affected as the league’s best international talents would be unavailable.
“There are so many incredible players, beginning with the USA team, we’ll be able to field a very competitive team,” Silver said. “I am a bit worried about some of the international teams, because, as you know, some of their stars play in our league, and their absence would make a huge difference for those national teams.”
J.J. Redick Talks Departure From Sixers
J.J. Redick spent just two seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, but they were solid campaigns, both of which resulted in postseason appearances for the Sixers. Somewhat surprisingly, however, Philadelphia elected to let Redick walk in free agency last summer.
Redick inked a two-year, $26.5MM pact with the Pelicans, but the sharpshooting veteran still has some strong thoughts on his departure, as he expressed on Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ “All The Smoke” podcast, per the Philly Voice.
“They f—-d up not bringing me back, man,” Redick said. “They f—-d up not bringing me back.”
Redick, 36, enjoyed two of his best seasons with the Sixers, averaging 17.6 PPG and 2.8 APG across 30.8 minutes in 146 regular-season contests. However, accommodating large-dollar deals for the likes of Al Horford and Tobias Harris meant that the Sixers priced themselves out of certain acquisitions, Redick being at the forefront.
Uncertainty surrounding the Sixers remains as the organization parted ways with longtime head coach Brett Brown and today made official the hiring of Doc Rivers. Frequent roster turnover has been a constant for the Sixers in the past decade and Redick indicated that has been one of many issues that hurt the team’s chances in its championship pursuit.
“I’ve said this before, but the one consistent in Philly has been personnel in and out,” Redick said. “Like, you just have a ton of players that come through there. And so I think — Joel (Embiid) talked about this on my podcast — for him, he’s played with like, I don’t even f—ing know at this point, hundreds of teammates. It’s just a rotating cast of teammates, you know?”
Vince Carter: Nets’ Third Star Can Be DeAndre Jordan
The Nets will enter the 2020/21 season with increased expectations as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are expected to return healthy, led by new head coach Steve Nash.
There has been plenty of speculation about the possibility of the Nets bolstering their already formidable (when healthy) lineup with another All-Star caliber player. After a strong showing in the Orlando campus, Caris LeVert made his case to take on the role of consistent third scoring option.
Former Nets All-Star Vince Carter sees things differently, suggesting that Brooklyn’s other high-profile free agent signing from the summer of 2019 can be that third impact player, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News writes.
“You’ve gotta be careful. It’s a slippery slope when you’re putting guys together,” Carter said. “I feel like you could have a third star in somebody like DeAndre Jordan who can shine. He’s not somebody who’s gonna get a lot of touches, but what does he do? He puts a lot of pressure on the defense going to the rim.”
Brooklyn inked Jordan to a four-year, $40MM pact, but the former All-Star only started six games as promising youngster Jarrett Allen got the nod. Jordan has historically been a rebounding machine and an intimidating presence under the rim as a defender. However, at 32 years old, it’s fair to wonder if he can play up to the same level as his days with the Clippers.
Carter feels that Jordan’s mere presence opens up looks for the Nets’ best non-Durant options and that not having a third ball-dominant scorer would work better for Brooklyn.
“I just feel like you have to find the right pieces if you’re gonna go get a third scorer,” Carter said. “If you’re gonna go get three guys who really demand the ball, that gets tough after a while. One if not two guys of your big three tend to become unhappy sometimes. If they buy into that, then it’s a possibility. If they don’t, then a big three doesn’t work.
“I feel like a guy like DeAndre Jordan, somebody like that putting pressure on the rim,” Carter continued. “It’s not enough basketballs out there if you put three big names out there on the floor, so it takes a lot to think about.”
Thibodeau: Knicks To Hire More Assistant Coaches
New Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau indicated on Friday that the organization will be adding more assistant coaches in the coming months, tweets Mike Vornukov of The Athletic.
Since New York agreed to terms with Thibodeau to a five-year deal in July, the Knicks have hired several assistants for his staff. Among the additions have been former Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, Johnnie Bryant, Kenny Payne, and Andy Greer.
“We do have a few other guys that we will be adding along the way,” Thibodeau said.
Thibodeau joins the Knicks knowing full well the impact assistant coaches have on an organization. The former Bulls and Timberwolves head coach served as an assistant with the Knicks from 1996-2004 under Jeff Van Gundy.
The Knicks will enter the 2020/21 campaign — whenever it starts — hoping their ex-assistant can lead the organization back to prominence. Thibodeau has a career .589 winning percentage (352-246) compiled during head coaching stints in Chicago and Minnesota.
With a young core spearheaded by Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett, the Knicks will enter the offseason looking to build a roster that can keep pace with Thibodeau’s notoriously demanding offense.
Skal Labissiere Interested In Hawks Reunion
Skal Labissiere has yet to suit up for the Hawks since being acquired in early February and has not seen any NBA action since December due to a knee injury. Now a participant at Atlanta’s minicamp, Labissiere has made it clear he wants to return to the Hawks next season, Sarak K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.
The Hawks were not invited to the Orlando campus once the 2019/20 season resumed given their poor record. However, Labissiere has been a frequent presence around the team, demonstrating his progress in recovering from his injury.
“Just to show that I’m ready to go, I can play,” Labissere said. “I’m ready to play. I’ve been out since December, and I’ve been doing rehab with the team that whole time, so for me I just wanted to show that ‘Hey, I’m ready to go,’ I’m ready to play, and I feel good. I just want to play basketball. It’s been a long time since I’ve played.”
Labissiere, 24, played in just 33 games this past season, averaging 5.8 PPG and 5.1 RPG for the Trail Blazers before he was traded. The 28th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is not just the Hawks’ only pending free agent to participate in minicamp — he hopes the work he has put in with the team’s staff has earned him an opportunity to return for the 2020/21 campaign.
“I would love to be here,” Labissiere said. “Obviously, if I was not interested in being here I would not be here doing training camp, I could have been just working out somewhere else and not in the bubble setting. I’m very interested in being here, and we’ll see.”
Ex-NBA Player Ty Lawson Reportedly Banned From CBA
Former NBA point guard Ty Lawson has reportedly been banned from playing in the Chinese Basketball Association after inappropriate posts about women appeared on his Instagram story, per Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia (Twitter link).
Lawson’s most recent team, the Fujian Sturgeons, issued the following statement to Chinese media outlet Xinhua:
“His inappropriate words are inconsistent with the social responsibilities and values abided by our club and have brought serious adverse social impacts to the club and the league,” the statement reads. “We will not sign him for the new season.”
After last appearing in the NBA during the 2017/18 season for the Wizards’ playoff run, Lawson had found success in the CBA. He first appeared with the Shandong Golden Stars in 2017 before transferring to the Sturgeons. The former first-round pick played well in China, averaging over 25.0 PPG across three seasons.
Lawson, an eight-year NBA veteran, played for the Nuggets, Rockets, Pacers, Kings and Wizards during his career. He averaged 12.7 PPG and 6.0 APG in 551 NBA games.
LeBron James Expresses Frustration With MVP Voting
After a decisive Game 1 win over the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, Lakers forward LeBron James was asked about finishing as the runner-up to Giannis Antetokounmpo for the 2019/20 NBA MVP award.
The four-time MVP did not mince words about the results, taking particular exception with the final tally.
“Pissed me off. That’s my true answer,” James said, per ESPN. “It pissed me off, because out of 101 votes, I got 16 first-place votes. That’s what pissed me off more than anything. You know, not saying that the winner wasn’t deserving of the MVP. But that pissed me off. And I finished second a lot in my career, either from a championship, and now four times as an MVP.”
When it comes down to sheer impact, James has been in the MVP discussion nearly every season of his NBA career. Statistically, James had another dominant year in 2019/20 as he led the league in assists (10.2 APG) while averaging 25.3 PPG and 7.8 RPG for the Lakers.
Additionally, the Lakers made the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and were the Western Conference’s first seed for the first time since 2010. Ultimately, it was Antetokounmpo who took home the honors for the second year in a row. The Greek Freak also joined Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to ever win Defensive Player of the Year and MVP honors in the same campaign.
“I’m not going to sit up here and talk about what the criteria should be or what it is. It’s changed over the years since I’ve gotten into the league,” James added. “Sometimes it’s the best player on the best team. Sometimes it’s the guy with the best season statistically. Sometimes … I mean, you don’t know. You don’t know. But you know, Giannis had a hell of a season; I can definitely say that.”
Pacers To Interview Mike Brown For Head Coaching Vacancy
The Pacers will interview Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown for the team’s head coaching vacancy, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).
Indiana’s head coaching search has yielded numerous names but Brown, 50, is as experienced a coach available this fall as multiple teams seek to fill openings.
Since 2016, Brown has been an assistant to Steve Kerr, helping the team win three NBA championships. Before that, the 2009 NBA Coach of the Year led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007 during a five-year run as Cleveland’s head coach.
After he was dismissed from Cleveland, Brown replaced Phil Jackson in Los Angeles for the 2010/11 campaign but the Lakers were eliminated early in the postseason his season at the helm. Brown was fired just five games into the 2011/12 season after a sluggish start.
The Cavaliers rehired Brown in 2013 but was fired after just one season following a losing season.
Brown has previous experience in Indiana when he served as an assistant coach to Rick Carlisle from 2003-05. The team made the postseason in both of Brown’s season as an assistant.
Brown joins a long list of names receiving consideration for the Pacers’ opening, which includes a blend of experienced assistants, ex-head coaches and even a potential first-timer in Chauncey Billups. Additionally, now-former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni could be an option for Indiana.