Hoops Links: Rockets, Knicks, Curry
On this date in 1988, James Worthy posted the first triple-double of his career with 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists as the Lakers topped the Pistons 108-105 in Game 7 of the Finals. With the win, the Lakers became the first NBA team to successfully defend its title since the Celtics in 1968 and 1969.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- House Of Houston has the recipe for a successful offseason for the Rockets.
- New York Sports Guys says the Knicks should tap either Emmanuel Mudiay or Kristaps Porzingis.
- Fantasy Pros profiled Porzingis.
- Tru School Sports spoke with Stephen Curry‘s high school coach.
- Six Championship Drive looked at the Pistons’ draft strategy.
- Hoop Trends previewed the Thunder heading into the draft.
- Rotowire looked at the fantasy implications of the Ersan Ilyasova deal.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Q&A With NBA Draft Prospect Ryan Boatright
Leading up to the draft, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with UConn guard Ryan Boatright, who is ranked No. 84 in this year’s class by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and No. 96 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
At 5’11” and 170 pounds, UConn’s Ryan Boatright packs a lot of punch for his small size. Over the course of his four years in college, Boatright made a name for himself as a tenacious pick-and-roll point guard on offense and a pesky perimeter defender on the other side of the floor. In 2014, Boatright and backcourt mate Shabazz Napier helped lead UConn to a national championship. While there was some talk of Boatright going pro early, he opted to stay in school for his senior season to show that he can lead a team all by himself. Boatright, a client of Aaron Goodwin, spoke with Hoops Rumors last week about the workout trail, his draft stock, and much more.
Ryan Boatright: I spoke with my agent and he told me a lot of people were impressed. The funny thing is though, I normally do a 44-inch vertical. So, that 41-inch jump was good, but it wasn’t my best.
ZL: What would you say to critics who fear that you’re too small for the NBA?
RB: Everyone is going to have their opinion. I’ve been doubted my whole life. No one thought I’d go to UConn, let alone start and win a national championship. The same people I’m playing in college, those are the same people I’m going to be playing in the NBA. Even if they’re bigger and stronger, I’m going to get bigger and stronger. I’ve held my own my whole life. I came up in Chicago playing against pros. If a team takes a chance on me, I’m going to hold it down for the guys that are 6’0″ and under.
Hoops Links: Okafor, Rockets, Kings
On this date in 1998, the Bulls clinched their sixth NBA championship in eight seasons when they closed out the Jazz, 87-86. Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot in the final seconds and earned himself his record sixth NBA Finals MVP after averaging 33.5 points per game in the series.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Fantasy Pros profiled Duke star Jahlil Okafor.
- House Of Houston gave us five players the Rockets should target this summer.
- OT Nation previewed the Kings’ offseason.
- Cavitenio looks at the legendary work ethic of Kobe Bryant.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Q&A With First-Round Prospect Kevon Looney
Leading up to the draft, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with UCLA forward Kevon Looney, who is ranked No. 19 in this year’s class by Chad Ford of ESPN.com and No. 20 by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Coming out of high school, scouting services collectively had Kevon Looney as the No. 11 player in the nation and he had offers from just about every elite program under the sun. Now, after one year at UCLA, Looney is making the jump to the pros and is widely projected to be a first-round selection.
Looney is blessed with great size for the power forward position at the next level. Standing at a shade over 6’9″ in shoes, Looney boasts an almost freakish wingspan of 7’3.5″. With that length, Looney can grab loose rebounds with the best of ’em and has the potential to grow by leaps and bounds on the defensive end. On offense, Looney showed last season that he’s getting more and more comfortable with his jump shot, a skill that helped to spread out the floor for the Bruins.
On Saturday, Hoops Rumors caught up with the very busy 19-year-old between flights to talk about his stock heading into June 25th, and his NBA future.
Zach Links: What was it like coming to UCLA as a freshman and immediately jumping into a starring role?
Kevon Looney: It was a great experience for me and a great learning experience for me. I think I got better as both a player and as a person. I made a lot of strides and I made a lot of friends while I was there.
ZL: What were some of the strides you made on the court?
KL: I would say my biggest improvement was probably my shooting. As the year went on, I shot better and it continued to get better. I don’t know if I got better at rebounding, but I showed that I could do it for sure. I proved that I could do it in high school but to show that to the world in college was important to me. That was probably my greatest strength this year.
ZL: Did you consider staying for another year?
KL: Yes, a little bit. I figured I could stay at UCLA for another year and get better. I mean, everyone wants to win a college National Championship and I felt like if I came back, we could have won even more as a team. But, at the end of the day, I wanted to pursue my dream and become a first-round draft pick.
ZL: You’ve shown that you can rebound over bigger and stronger opponents. What’s your secret?
KL: It’s just something I always had a knack for. I’m really long and I have good timing for it. I’ve always been good at it and I’ve always wanted to be the best at it.
ZL: Are you looking to add muscle to your frame? How much weight are you looking to put on?
KL: I’m not sure what my goal weight is. Right now I’m playing so much that it’s hard to get in the weight room. But, as soon as I’m done with the draft, I’ll talk to whatever team drafts me and get a plan for my body. I’ve never had a problem putting on weight before, so I think I’ll be able to put on weight pretty fast.
ZL: What workouts have you had so far and what workouts are coming up?
KL: So far, I’ve worked out for the Thunder, Suns, Jazz, and Pistons. Coming up, I’ve got the Hawks, Heat, Bucks, Raptors, Hornets, Celtics, and Knicks.
ZL: Do you have an idea of where you might get drafted?
KL: My agent tells me anywhere from No. 7 to No. 20. That’s my range right now.
ZL: What NBA player would you compare yourself to?
KL: I don’t know if I’m all that similar to anyone but I can tell you that I try to play like Anthony Davis and LaMarcus Aldridge. I don’t know if I’m exactly like them but I’m trying to be [laughs].
ZL: You shot the ball well from three-point range (41.5%) last season, but you only attempted 53 three pointers in total. Could you see yourself shooting from outside more at the next level?
KL: Yeah, I think I’m comfortable shooting from NBA range and I think I’ll be called upon to spread the floor out. That’s one of my strong suits, and I really zoned in on that this offseason.
ZL: It seems like there’s a perception that you have a good amount of upside but that you’re still a little green and won’t make a big impact right away. Do you disagree with that assessment?
KL: I think so. I don’t think I’m that far away from making an impact at all. I know I have a lot of work to do, but once I get stronger, I’ll be much better. I know I can gain weight fast and once I get stronger, I know that I can make an instant impact.
ZL: What kind of things are you doing day to day to get ready for what’s ahead?
KL: Before I got busy with all these team workouts, I was doing yoga in the morning and then going to the track to do sprints. Then I would run a couple miles and come back and play some basketball.
ZL: How long have you been doing yoga?
KL: I did yoga in high school, I did some at UCLA, and I’ve been doing it every day ever since the season ended. It helps me a lot. I do hot yoga all the time and that helps me to keep my core strong and helps my breathing for some reason. I learned how to breathe and get rid of tension pent up my lungs.
ZL: What led you to choose Aaron Goodwin and Todd Ramasar to represent you?
KL: I let my parents pick out a few people that would be the best for me and I met with the people that they picked. Those two guys were the best fit for me. … When you look at someone like Aaron, he has some big-name people there but he also has time for me. He’s a great guy with vision and I really feel like I’m going to benefit from his experience.
ZL: What are your plans for draft night?
KL: Hopefully I’ll get an invite to the green room! Even if I don’t, I’ll probably end up going to New York to get the full experience.
Hoops Links: LeBron, Pistons, Cavs
On this date in 1993, tragedy struck on the Autobahn when a car crash took the life of rising star Drazen Petrovic. Beloved from Zagreb, Croatia to East Rutherford, New Jersey for his willingness to shoot from anywhere on the court and infectious enthusiasm, Petrovic’s premature death shook the basketball world to its core.
Since it has been more than two decades since his passing, there are some readers of this website who were not old enough to remember Draz’s glory days in New Jersey and his impact on the game around the world. A good place to start for those of you who want to learn more about the Hall of Famer would be a viewing of the 30 for 30 production Once Brothers, which profiles the relationship between the Petro and Vlade Divac. Before you start watching that, let’s take a look at the best stuff from around the basketball blogosphere this week.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- The Starting Five says LeBron James is the king of rock.
- Six Championship Drive looked at Joe Johnson as a trade target for the Pistons.
- Keep It Cavalier recapped Game 1.
- Hoop Trends caught up with former Mavs first-round pick Maurice Ager.
- Steve’s Stance gave a tip of the cap to Harrison Barnes.
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Legion Report looks at three keys to a Cavaliers Finals victory.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Draft Notes: Mudiay, T’Wolves, Rozier
The T’Wolves have convinced Emmanuel Mudiay that he is in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Mudiay has workouts scheduled with the Lakers (Saturday), the Timberwolves (June 20th or possibly sooner), and Marc Berman of the New York Post adds the Knicks (Monday) to the list. Recently, SMU coach Larry Brown said that Mudiay will audition for the Sixers as well, rounding out the top four. Here’s a look at the latest draft news..
- Louisville guard Terry Rozier has an upcoming workout scheduled with the Hornets, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Rozier, 21, is currently ranked No. 50 by DraftExpress and No. 27 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
- UNLV’s Rashad Vaughn will work out for the Suns today and has auditions scheduled with the Bulls and Wizards, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter).
- The Suns will bring in UNLV’s Christian Wood as a part of a group workout today, league sources tell Scotto (on Twitter).
- Want to familiarize yourself with some of the most interesting prospects in this year’s class? Check out the entries in the Hoops Rumors NBA Draft Prospect Q&A Series! Over the last month, Hoops Rumors has spoken with Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne, Richaun Holmes, and many more notable names.
Q&A With Duke Guard Quinn Cook
Leading up to the draft, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Duke guard Quinn Cook, who is ranked No. 62 in this year’s class by both Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
After helping Duke win the National Championship, Quinn Cook couldn’t have asked for a better way to end his collegiate career. Now, he’s busting his tail on the draft circuit in order to solidify his place on draft boards around the league. Cook told Hoops Rumors (Twitter link) that he has the Nets, Knicks, Jazz, Lakers, Clippers, and Thunder all on his workout schedule and there could be even more to come. The speedy point guard spoke with Hoops Rumors recently about Coach K, making funny faces during games, and his draft stock heading into June 25th.
Zach Links: How much did it mean to you to end your college career in the best way possible, with a National Championship?
Quinn Cook: It meant a lot to me to end my college career as a champion. I had some tough losses in my four-year career at Duke. To leave winning the tournament, that’s the best thing you can do as a college player. I’m just really proud of my team.
ZL: Do you think you might be better prepared for the NBA than other guys in this year’s class thanks to your time spent playing for Mike Krzyzewski?
QC: Definitely. He’s the best coach of all-time and for him to have the respect of guys like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, KD [Kevin Durant], it just shows how great he is. He has coached everybody, but he has also learned from these guys. He learns from other coaches too like Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams. He prepares us very well. Guys who leave our program have a leg up going into the pros because we’ve been around Coach K. He’s a pro’s pro.
ZL: At 6’2″, you’ve shown that you can give taller opponents trouble. Is that something you pride yourself on?
QC: That’s going to be my niche in the league. I think I’m going to be a guy who comes off the bench and causes havoc for the guys on the other side of the ball.
ZL: At your banquet ceremony this year, you spoke a bit about becoming the leader of your Duke team. When did you really start embracing that leadership role and what do you think makes for a great leader in a locker room?
QC: I started embracing that after we were eliminated from the tournament in my junior year. From March 2014 onward, I was determined to be a leader.
To be a leader I think you first have to lead by example. Some guys are more vocal than others, but I think the leader has to be there every day and lead by example more than anything. You can be a “rah rah guy,” as we say at Duke, but the leader has to be the first one in and the last one to leave, setting the tone for everybody.
ZL: What’s the main thing you want to work on?
QC: Everything. I want to just get better in every aspect of the game. I want to be a more consistent shooter off the dribble, finish around rim better, and defend the ball better.
ZL: Do you have an idea of where you might be drafted?
QC: I’m a second round guy. It could be anywhere in the second round. I was a champion and an All-American at Duke, I think I have a solid resume and I think I performed really well at the combine. Hopefully, I’ll get my name called.
ZL: You spent your first three years of high school at DeMatha before transferring to another high school powerhouse in Oak Hill Academy. What was the reason for that change?
QC: I just wanted a new challenge. My best friends, Jerian Grant and Victor Oladipo, they were at DeMatha with me and that was a lot of fun, but I needed a new challenge. My mom had a great relationship with [Oak Hill head coach] Steve Smith so I decided to go there and team up with Ben McLemore.
ZL: You enjoyed some internet attention during the tournament for your unique facial expressions. What was your reaction to inadvertently walking into a new kind of fame?
QC: It was fun! You kind of forget how big the NCAA tournament is and how many people pay attention to it. It was cool to see a few pics go viral and for me to become Instagram and Twitter famous. My teammates kept sending me new pictures that popped up and my friends were too, so that was funny.
ZL: Why Tandem and Jim Tanner?
QC: They’re first class. Jim is first class and everybody in the office is first class. I was comfortable with them…It was a tough decision but I made the right one.
Royce White, Clippers Near Summer League Deal
Former first-round pick Royce White is closing on a commitment to join the Clippers for the July Summer League, league sources told Shams Charania of RealGM. White also had summer league interest from the Bulls, Spurs, and Pelicans, but Charania says that he built trust with Clippers front office members through recent dialogue.
White, the former No. 16 overall pick in the 2012 draft, has only three NBA games on his resume, all which came with the Kings in 2014. The forward had promise as a rookie three years ago but serious anxiety issues knocked his career off course. White’s fear of flying meant that he was largely unable to travel with the team and the NBA’s road schedule isn’t terribly conducive to road travel.
The 24-year-old never ended up playing for the Rockets, the team that drafted him, and was traded to the Sixers along with the rights to Turkish forward Furkan Aldemir and cash in July 2013, for a conditional second -round draft pick. White played for the Sixers last preseason, but was waived before the season’s start.
Tom Thibodeau On Bulls, Future
On Friday morning, former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau joined ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike (audio link) to discuss the NBA Finals as well as his exit from Chicago. Thibs was largely diplomatic, but he did take a small dig at the team in what might be a slam of the Luol Deng trade.
“When you lose a guy like a Derrick Rose and maybe you trade someone, and now all of a sudden you have to ask yourself, ‘How are we going to win with this group?’ Maybe that alters things,” Thibodeau said (transcription via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune). “I learned how you have to do that with this team. Whatever the next opportunity is, I’ll take those lessons and try to use them.”
Here’s a look at a few of the other highlights from Thibodeau’s chat with Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic..
On reported issues between him and management:
Obviously, there were some issues. I don’t want to get into all that. As I said, I’m very proud of what the team did. When I look back, it’s five years, I think anytime when you have a pro franchise, there’s going to be some carping that goes on along the way. When I look back, I’d rather focus in on the positives. It was a great experience for me. I loved our players. I loved my staff.
On his reaction to scathing comments by Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf:
I don’t worry about stuff like that..For me, I put everything that I have into each day. So I have no regrets. I’m going to let the record speak for itself.
On whether his rift with management affected the team’s on-court performance:
I would like to think it didn’t have any [effect]. If you allow yourself to be distracted, you’re going to be distracted by other things as well. As players and coaches, you’re going to hear things all the time whether it’s trades or being fired or whatever it might be. I think the important thing is to lock into what you have to do each day, put everything you have into it and then you let the results speak for themselves.
On whether he’ll change his coaching style going forward:
You go back through the season and evaluate everything that was done. I don’t think you ever want to stay the same. You’re always looking at how you can do things better. There are some things you may not change but you always want to add, evolve. I think the big thing is to study and prepare and try to do it better the next time. There’s a lot of things that I learned from the experience. I learned from all my experiences.
Texas Notes: Ellis, Rockets, Mavs
Did you miss out on some of Boris Diaw‘s social media highlights from the past year? Well, the good news is that the staff at Spurs.com compiled some of the Spurs forward’s greatest hits on Twitter and Instagram, including his flirtation with Movember. While you flip through that, here’s a look at more out of the Lone Star State..
- The expectation remains that Mavericks guard Monta Ellis will opt out of the final season of his contract, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets. However, the Mavs have yet to get word from him on his final decision. Ellis has until June 24th to decide on his $8.72MM player option for next season. Last year, the 29-year-old averaged 18. 9 PPG and 4.1 APG in 33.7 minutes per contest.
- The Rockets would like to sign draft-and-stash prospect Sergio Llull, but it doesn’t sound like that’s in the cards for this summer. “I’m flattered that there’s talk about me, but I’m happy in Madrid and I have a multi-year contract,” Llull told Spanish outlet Piratas del Basket (translation via HoopsHype). Kevin McHale has made no secret about his desire to coach Llull in Houston, but it’s believed that he’s less-than-thrilled about the prospect of playing a backup role.
- Georgetown product Josh Smith auditioned for the Mavericks recently, as Mark Medina of the Daily News writes. Within the article, Smith admitted that his effort was lacking through his first three years of college at UCLA and Georgetown but said that his senior season was indicative of the performance he’ll give at the next level.