Draft Notes: McGary, Final Four, Moser
A few notes about the upcoming NBA draft.
- University of Michigan big man Mitch McGary has had a tremendous NCAA tournament run, and as a freshman, his promise as someone capable of banging down low with the NBA's trees has dramatically improved. After declaring there was a "100 percent chance" he'd be returning to school for his sophomore season, McGary has changed his tune, writes Mlive.com's Nick Baumgardner. Given the fact that this year's class is incredibly thin, McGary's stock has risen higher than even he thought possible. He's now appearing in mock drafts as a first round pick, and it's forced him to say he'll reassess whether he'll be returning to school at some point after the season.
- SNY.TV's Adam Zagoria ranks the top NBA prospects participating in this year's Final Four.
- Mike Moser, a junior forward at UNLV, is currently deciding whether he should transfer to the University of Washington, or declare for the NBA draft, reports CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman.
Thunder Send Liggins, Lamb To D-League
The Thunder have sent DeAndre Liggins and Jeremy Lamb to their D-League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, according to the team's general manager Sam Presti.
In 21 games of rookie season action, Lamb has averaged 2.4PPG in 4.4MPG. Liggins has played in 38 games this season, while averaging 1.4PPG and 1.3RPG in 7.2MPG.
Poll: Who Will Win Coach Of The Year?
With Heat guard Ray Allen telling Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson that "it's a no-brainer" Erik Spoelstra should win Coach of the Year, it brings the annual award to the forefront. Much like every other major award apart from Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year is wide open this year. Who do you think deserves it most?
Western Notes: Allen, Kings, Gasol, Warriors
A few notes from around the league's Western Conference.
- Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is focused on his team's upcoming playoff run, not the fact that he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, writes the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery.
- The Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin gives the latest on the Kings situation.
- Pau Gasol has had an injury plagued season, but he appears to finally be getting on the right track with Dwight Howard and his coach, Mike D'Antoni, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
- MercuryNews.com's Marcus Thompson II writes that the Warriors' recent success can be attributed to their improved defense.
Eastern Notes: Spoelstra, Williams, Wizards
A few notes from around the Eastern Conference.
- Heat guard Ray Allen says "it's a no-brainer" that his coach, Erik Spoelstra, should win Coach of the Year, writes Fox Sports reporter Chris Tomasson.
- The Celtics have struggled all season with their backup point guard position. But since signing Terrence Williams and implementing him in the role, Boston's offense has been slightly better, writes ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg.
- According to CSNWashington.com's J. Michael, the Wizards are poising themselves for a playoff appearance next season.
- The Sixers don't have any chance at making the playoffs this season, but their head coach swears they aren't giving up, writes CSNPhilly.com's Dei Lynam.
Central Notes: George, Rose, Cavaliers
As the Bulls take the court in Brooklyn tonight, here's a quick look around the NBA's Central Division.
- Pacers All-Star forward Paul George has been phenomenal on the defensive end all season long. Here he speaks with Indianapolis Star reporter Michael Pointer about how difficult it is to defend Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the game's premier scorer.
- ESPNChicago.com's Nick Freidell gives the latest on whether Derrick Rose will return to action this season.
- Bob Finnan, from The New-Herald, writes that Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson still has support for the team's head coach, Byron Scott.
Lakers Recall Morris, Sacre From D-League
The Lakers have recalled guard Darius Morris and center Robert Sacre from their D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, according to a tweet from Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Bresnahan.
The 22-year-old Morris has averaged 4.2 PPG in 45 appearances this season, while Sacre, a rookie, is averaging 1.4 PPG in his 31-game career.
Odds & Ends: Gibson, Martin, Free Agency, Hornets
A few random bits of info from around the league this Tuesday evening.
- LeBron James tried to convince Taj Gibson to join the Heat last year, according to a report by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley.
- After the Knicks handed the Celtics their worst home loss since 2010, New York's center Kenyon Martin had words for Boston, a team that supposedly could've signed him but opted not to, tweets the New York Times' Howard Beck.
- SheridanHoops.com writer Moke Hamilton ranks the top free agents this summer.
- Hoopsworld.com takes a look at the league's worst teams, and tries to figure out which organization has the brightest future. Anthony Davis and the Hornets are highlighted as one of the prime candidates.
Metta World Peace Tears Meniscus
An MRI has revealed that Lakers forward Metta World Peace has a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, tweets Orange County Register reporter Kevin Ding. His timetable for return is to be determined after meeting with the Lakers team doctor in Los Angeles tomorrow.
World Peace is averaging 12.8PPG while barely shooting 40% from the floor. In what's been an injury plagued season for Los Angeles, this knee injury is just another setback for a team that's been unable to sustain any continuity amongst its regular starters.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Bobcats, Cavaliers
A few notes from around the Eastern Conference on this Tuesday evening.
- The Pacers have been hobbled by injuries to key players all season, but recently some more role players have begun to miss time. According to the Associated Press, a few key guys are coming back soon but the knee injury to Danny Granger, who's missed nearly the entire season, should force conversation this offseason regarding what to do with his expiring contract.
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer takes a look at the Cavaliers draft prospects in the lottery and Dion Waiters' emergence as a legitimate threat his rookie season.
- The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell writes about Bobcats center Bismack Biyombo, who's only 20 years old and still improving each and every game.